in , ,

Top 10 stories of Thursday, August 31, 2017

1. ATIKU SENDS MESSAGE TO ALL MUSLIMS

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his Sallah message to Muslims ahead of the Eid el-Kabir celebration on Friday advised Muslims to reclaim the religion which is being hijacked by violent extremists whose atrocities portray Islam in bad light.

The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress who wished his fellow Muslims a happy and hitch free celebration said, protecting the image of Islam is the greatest challenge facing the Muslims today in the light of the activities of extremists who are bent on destroying every humane virtue of the religion.
The former Vice President charged Nigerians to avoid religious bigotry, and condemned politicians who use ethnic and religious sentiments to gain power.
2. PRESIDENT BUHARI HAS LOST TOUCH WITH REALITY – FAYOSE
Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest comment that he was pleased with Nigeria’s economic situation is another pointer to the fact that he has lost touch with the economic realities in the country.
He lamented that, “It is strange that a President will say that he is pleased with sufferings being experienced by his people.”
“How can a President who has spent more time abroad than he spent in Nigeria be telling Nigerians that he is satisfied with the sufferings of the people? It is like the President endorsing the sufferings of Nigerians and this is painful”.
3. LAGOS BEGINS COMPULSORY COMPUTERIZED VEHICLE INSPECTION
The Lagos State Government has begun the computerized vehicle inspection service to determine road-worthiness of vehicles in the state.
This new service will enable road users to determine the status of their vehicle via a series of tests.
Segun Obayendo, Managing Director of Lagos State Computerized Vehicle Inspection Service (LACVIS), revealed that the service was unpopular among motorists when it rolled out in March 2017.
He further stated that, inspections save lives of the drivers and other road users from accidents occasioned by mechanical failure and that in the next three years, there will be at least 57 computerized inspection centers across the state.
4. OUTCOME OF SOUTH EAST GOVERNORS’ MEETING WITH NNAMDI KANU
Biafra secessionist, Nnamdi Kanu on Wednesday had a meeting with some south east governors at the Enugu state government house. All governors from the south east were present at the meeting except for the Imo and Abia governors, Rochas Okorocha and Okezie Ikpeazu, who were out of the country.
Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi, who spoke on the outcome of the meeting said,
“The meeting agreed that the demands by IPOB should not be absolute, rather the South-east Governors shall immediately engage the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, and the entire leadership of IPOB to further meetings and dialogue with a view to quickening the resolutions of all issues amicably”.
5. PDP BARS COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM ELECTIVE POSITIONS
The Peoples Democratic Party, through her National chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi has said that members of the state caretaker committees will not be allowed to contest any executive position of the party in their states. He said that the caretaker committees should work to build the party in their respective states and prepare the ground for the incoming executives.
Makarfi gave the directive in Abuja while inaugurating the caretaker committees for Lagos and Kwara States.
The chairman of the Lagos State caretaker committee is Chief Tunde Akindehin while that of Kwara State is Tunde Osolake. He encouraged the members to be guided by the principles of mutual accommodation and knowledge that power only comes from God. He restated that God only gives power to the one he wishes.
6. FEC APPROVES $5.7BN FOR 3, 050 MW MAMBILLA ELECTRICITY PROJECT
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting, for the first time since his return from medical leave.
It witnessed the award of contract for the kick off of a land mark project, the Mambilla Hydro power project, which has been in the pipelines for about 45 years.
The council also mandated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to take over the leadership of the Federal Government’s negotiation team with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities.
According to reports, the Mambilla Hydro power project has been in the works since 1972, with successive administrations lacking the political will to commission such a project into being.
But the Federal Cabinet meeting approval was given for the engineering and turnkey maintenance contract to a joint venture of Chinese Civil Engineering firms at a cost of over 5 billion dollars.
7. IBADAN NEW KINGS DISTANCE SELVES FROM LADOJA’S SUIT
The just promoted Ibadan high chiefs held their first meeting on Wednesday and they separated themselves from the decision of the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan land, Chief Rashidi Ladoja who challenged the installation of 21 new kings in Ibadan in court.
They declared that Ladoja was acting alone.
At the end of the meeting held at Mapo Hall , Ibadan , Balogun of Ibadan land , Oba Owolabi Olakulehin , called on Ladoja to stop playing politics with the issue by embracing the new idea to install the new kings .
Meanwhile, the Mogaji (family head) of Akinsola compound in Oopo Labiran area of Ibadan , Chief Olawale Oladoja , said more than 300 Mogajis in Ibadan have decided to challenge the installation of 21 kings in Ibadan by the state government .
Moreso, the Oyo State Government has said that despite the dust created by the appointment of 21 kings in Ibadan, the relationship between the Olubadan and Governor Abiola Ajimobi remains cordial .
8. ANOTHER SUSPECTED RITUAL KILLERS’ DEN UNCOVERED IN LAGOS
Two people on Wednesday were killed by angry mob in the Mushin area of Lagos State over suspicion of involvement in kidnappings and ritual killings.
According to reports, one was butchered and set ablaze on the road, while the other, who had been beaten to stupor, died at the police station after rescue.
It started after a vulcaniser sighted a ‘mad’ man discussing with another person in a tunnel at the Challenge bus stop around 6am and he raised alarm as residents gathered around the scene but only the ‘ mad’ man was seen, as his interlocutor had fled.
The ‘ mad’ man, who was tortured by the residents , allegedly confessed that his gang had been operating in the tunnel for the past three months.
Some members of the Oodua People ’s Congress were said to have led a search team into the tunnel and found hundreds of syringes . The tunnel reportedly linked different parts of the community.
9. WE HAVE CORRUPTION ELEMENT IN THE EFCC – IBRAHIM MAGU
The Chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Wednesday admitted that the agency has some corrupt people as well.
While addressing newsmen, he said the agency is doing all it can to weed out those elements.
“The internal affairs department in the EFCC looks at issues of professional misconduct of operatives in the EFCC. Internal affairs investigate unethical conducts by our men and the internal affairs is in charge of screening prospective employees of the EFCC.
“Recently, we had to discharge about nine cadet officers because they told lies on their certificates. We are also prosecuting a lot of officers who are involved in crime. Some of them are already in court. But you can also help us by giving us information about corrupt officers because we do not condone corruption.”
10. NIGERIA POLICE THREATENED TO KILL EVANS IF HE DID NOT PLEAD GUILTY – LAWYER
Counsel to billionaire kidnapper Evans, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, disclosed that the police forced the guilty plea from him and affirmed that his client would change his plea by the next adjourned date.
According to Mr. Olukoya,
“After he pleaded guilty, I struggled to get to him and ask him: ‘Why did you do so’? He told me the police asked him to do so and added that he is ready to change his plea.”
The Second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Monday Ubani, however has commended Mr. Evans and described his guilt plea as a welcomed development for the young man not to waste the time of the government in persecuting the case.
Furthermore, Director, Access to Justice, Mr. Joseph Otteh, also said it is a positive development and that it is important for the court to establish if his plea of guilt was voluntarily made.
Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Avatar

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

See what Chigul, Bouqui, Mokeme are up to today (August 31, 2017)

Ambode donates N5m to widow of burnt kidnap victim