Power Requires Private Sector Investment – Osinbajo

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March 11, 2020

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, introduced a bill to ban the use of generators in Nigeria.

The bill which was sponsored by Senator Bima Muhammadu Emagi (APC Niger South), passed its first reading on the floor of the red chamber.

If eventually signed into law, the bill dubbed ‘Generating Set (Prohibition/Ban) Bill’, will prohibit the usage of generating sets in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Gov. Uzodinma Sends 22 Commissioner Nominees List To Imo Assembly (SEE LIST)

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March 11, 2020

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has sent names of 22 commissioner nominees to the state House of Assembly for screening.

The list brings to 23 the number of commissioners that would work with Governor Uzodinma.

The list contains names of mostly former lawmakers and former appointees who served in the previous administrations in the state.

The nominees, as read out by the speaker, Collins Chiji, include: Dr. Mrs. Osunkwo, Iyke Njoku, Prof. V. E. O Ikegwuoha, Barr. Francis Dibiagwu, Doris Akubuo, Dan Oguh and Noble Atulegwu.

Others are C C Osuala, Lambert Orisakwe, Obiageri Ajoku, Nkechi Ugwu, Simeon Ibegbulem, Kingsley Ononuju and Declan Emelumba.

The rest are Enyinnaya Onuegbu, Rex Anunobi, Raph Nwosu, Fabian Ihekwueme, Tony Umezuruike, Iyke Umeh, Mathias Emejuonu and Love Ineh

Having read out the names, the speaker set up an ad-hoc committee for screening of the Commissioner nominees to be headed by Hon Obinna Okwara and urged the nominees to submit all necessary documents.

“It’s A Sin For A Lady To See Her Fiance’s Manhood Before Marriage” — Pastor Ibiyeomie Warns Members [VIDEO]

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March 11, 2020

The presiding Pastor and founder of Salvation Ministries (Home Of Success), Pastor David Ibiyeomie has warned women about about attempting to verify their fiance’s manhood before marriage.

He said this while discussing relationship matters at the Youth Arise service, when a member asked if it’s allowed for a woman to see her fiancé’s s⁠£x organ before marriage.

Replying the question, Pastor Ibiyeomie said that it is not a good idea for any woman to attempt such, he, however, noted that if there is any challenge with the man, he is responsible for confessing to his woman before their marriage.

He speaks further to say that it is deceptive of any woman to ever put up such a scene in the name of being sure. Adding that once such is tried, another thing may follow.

“God said marriage is honorable when the bed is undefiled, and seeing the man, means let her test.

“In courtship the man should be able to tell you if he has a medical problem, because you cannot see a man naked without testing it, stop deceiving yourself.

“So you can’t see the organ of a man before marriage, are you testing it, is it pepper soup?”

Watch the video below:

https://youtu.be/5xODi3Y54ds

First novel coronavirus death in Belgium

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March 11, 2020

Belgium has recorded its first death from the novel coronavirus strain that is sweeping the globe and four staff at the European Commission have been taken sick, officials said Wednesday.

Maggie De Block, health minister in Belgium’s caretaker federal government, said the victim was 90 years old.

As of Wednesday, Belgium had recorded 314 cases of the coronavirus strain that causes COVID-19, up from 267 the day before, according to the health ministry.

China remains the hardest-hit country overall but the virus is spreading rapidly in Europe, in particular in Italy.

Belgium’s first death was in Brussels, which in addition to being the Belgian capital is home to the headquarters of the European Union and the NATO military alliance.

On Wednesday, the staff at the European Commission’s Brussels headquarters received a mail telling them that four of their colleagues had tested positive for coronavirus and three more are being tested.

This follows at least four positive tests in other EU institutions, and one each at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels and its military command in Mons, in southern Belgium.

Abba Kyari, Mamman In Germany, Holds Meeting With Siemens On Improved Power

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March 11, 2020

The Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari, and the Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mamman, met yesterday with Siemens officials in Germany in furtherance of the deal recently signed by the president and the energy company on improving electricity supply in the country.

It was learnt that the duo, joined by the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Yusuf Tuggar, are in Europe to fine-tune the details of the agreement, the process of which started two years ago when Buhari met with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel on August 31, 2018.

Mallam Abba Kyari in Germany

THISDAY gathered that the Siemens team was led to the meeting by the Global Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Joe Kaeser.

Confirming the meeting through his Twitter handle yesterday, which was verified by an official of the ministry, who said Mamman left the country on Sunday, the minister explained that he was in Germany to find ways of proffering solutions to the current power problems in Nigeria.

“The Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari and I are in Munich right now meeting with executive members of @Siemens to discuss issues relating to the Nigerian power sector. The Nigerian Ambassador to Germany H.E @YusufTuggar has joined us for this meeting.

“It will be recalled that the Nigerian government @NigeriaGov recently signed a six-year deal with the German company, which will result in the effective generation, transmission and distribution of at least 25,000 megawatts of electricity by the year 2025,” Mamman said.

Buhari had tasked Siemens and other stakeholders in the power sector to work hard to achieve 7,000 megawatts of reliable power supply by 2021 and 11,000 megawatts by 2023 during the agreement signing ceremony.

“My challenge to Siemens, our partner investors in the distribution companies, the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the electricity regulator is to work hard to achieve 7,000 megawatts of reliable power supply by 2021 and 11,000 megawatts by 2023 in phases 1 and 2 respectively.

“After these transmission and distribution system bottlenecks have been fixed, we will seek in the third and final phase to drive generation capacity and overall grid capacity to 25,000 megawatts,’’ he had said.

The president also said the agreement would be a strictly government-to-government arrangement to avoid the problem of going through middlemen.

Magu charges religious leaders to preach against corruption

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March 11, 2020

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on March 10, 2020, charged religious leaders in the country to preach against corruption at all times and to be change agents and to be at the vanguard of leading the fight against corruption.

Magu made the charge during an interfaith program for Imams and pastors tagged, “Encouraging Accountability and Transparency Through Faith-Based Intervention (EAT-Fin)” organized by the Al-HABIBIYAH Islamic Society, at the Chida International Hotel Jabi, Abuja.

Magu, who was represented by the EFCC’s Head of Enlightenment and Re-Orientation, Oladele Oyewale, appreciated the efforts of Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society for their initiative and the timely programme, adding that the anti-corruption war requires all hands to be on the deck to nip it in the bud.

He said: “We know that the EFCC stands totally for anything that is anti-corruption, and what we have succeeded saying here is that everybody should be a change agent.

“Integrity starts from individuals and that is the only way we can root out corruption.

“And that is what the EFCC acting Chairman is preaching.

“It is not by our preaching and declaration alone, but also by our practical demonstration of integrity.”

According to him, the EFCC boss remained passionate about the anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and by extension, also committed to any initiative geared towards addressing the issues of corruption.

He commended the Al-HABIBIYAH Islamic Society for the collaboration with the EFCC and other faith-based organisations.

“Whether Christian or Muslim groups, we have a system whereby we meet these groups to preach the anti-corruption in capacity building, in sensitization, creating awareness and our efforts have been good,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, National Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, Imam A.A. Fuad, thanked the EFCC and all other anti-corruption agencies and called for more collaboration with the EFCC in tackling the menace of corruption.

In the same vein, Chairman of the occasion, Bishop Michael, added that “the fight against corruption should begin from the church and from the mosques stating that religious leaders should champion the fight.

According to him, religious leaders speak to the consciousness of the people and therefore at the right position to preach to the people the negative effects of corruption effect.

Coronavirus will put severe strain on Nigeria’s budget – Finance minister

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March 11, 2020

The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has said the novel Coronavirus, which had led to a huge drop in crude oil prices worldwide, would put a severe strain on the Federal Government’s budget.

She said with the attendant effects of the spread of the virus, the time had come for the country to begin to live a life without oil.

Ahmed said these at a consultative roundtable with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

The finance minister, who described the current economic challenges as a shock to the government, however, said this is not the time for Nigerians to panic.

She said, “The sudden and unexpected drop in crude prices to just over $30 comes as a shock and great surprise.

“These strong headwinds would reinforce the wake-up call to life without oil. But that should not spread panic and speculation in our economy.

“We need to put our hands together to weather the storm. We need to work together to take the opportunities provided by this very harsh reality.

“We are working as a government to strengthen our macroeconomic fundamentals. Today, we are far stronger and more robust than in 2014-2016.

“There is no doubt that the combination of crude oil price crash and coronavirus will put a severe strain on our budget, revenue, forex, and many sectors.”

Teacher dismissed for impregnating 17-year-old SS3 pupil in Ekiti

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March 11, 2020

The Chairman, Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, Babatunde Abegunde, said on Tuesday that the commission had dismissed a secondary school teacher, Mr Gbenga Owoosi, for allegedly impregnating a 17-year-old pupil.

Abegunde said TESCOM, on getting a hint about the development, carried out a thorough investigation and followed the due process before arriving at the decision to dismiss the teacher.

The TESCOM boss, who said the dismissal would serve as a deterrent to others, who might want to indulge in such a “depraved and unethical” act, praised the state government for swinging into action by arresting Owoosi.

He assured members of the public that Ekiti values would be restored by the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration by ensuring justice and bringing offenders to justice without hesitation.

Owoosi, who was until his dismissal, a Grade Level 10 Economics teacher at the Alarelu Comprehensive High School, Igbara Odo-Ekiti, in the Ekiti South West Local Government Area of the state, was alleged to have impregnated the SS3 pupil.

A TESCOM board member, who is also the Chairman of the six-member Disciplinary Committee that investigated the matter, Princess Jumoke Owoola, described the indicted teacher as “a bad egg capable of contaminating his pupils and fellow teachers.”

The disciplinary committee stressed that the case of the dismissed teacher was treated in accordance with the state Public Service Rules, 2017, and the Ekiti State Teaching Service Manual, which recommended dismissal as the ultimate penalty for serious misconduct and criminal offences of such magnitude.

The committee also recommended that all teachers should be sensitised to the Gender-Based Violence Prohibition Law, 2019, and other related issues and that schools should be well monitored with emphasis on moral norms and ethical standards that could uplift TESCOM in line with the Fayemi administration’s objective of restoring the Ekiti values.

It also recommended that guidance and counselling unit of schools be re-organised to meet the day-to-day challenges of pupils in line with modern society and school activities.

Postpone NYSC camp over coronavirus – MURIC

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March 11, 2020