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Power: Nigeria will remain in darkness- Etido Inyang

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Engineer Etido Inyang is the Special Adviser to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Power and is also the chairman of the board of Ibom Power Plant. In this interview with Correspondents in Uyo he maintained that the state remained on course to achieve 24 hours power supply by 2019. He also x-rays the current challenges confronting power distribution in Nigeria. EMEKA SAMUEL was there for Nigerian Pilot Weekend.

Give us an overview of the activities of the Ibom power plant?

When people say that they don’t have power it does not mean that full
Power was not supplied; the point is that the power is being supplied and it stops at certain areas so it is important that infrastructures are put in place to ensure that power is taken from point A to point B so that those other people will not be in darkness. So that is why his, Excellency, Udom Emmanuel, is busy making sure that all the communities in the state have power, there are some places in this state that have never seen electricity. Take for example, a place like Ikot Abasi has been off for a long time.  It was discovered that since the inception of that village there was no power or electricity but Gov. Emmanuel has been able to give them power and by this May ending Ibom power is going to commission it. Also Ekim substation 2/60MVA, we are working assiduously with Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, through the vision of his Excellency and collaboration with the federal government.  Hopefully by the end of this month, the substation will be ready. We will be tapping power from the station to the various local government areas in the state especially, Ikot Abasi, Nkpat Enin, Onnah Oruk Anam and Eket. These five local governments will feed from Ekim. So the governor is providing power strategically in order to achieve his five point agenda which are anchored on economic and political inclusion, infrastructural development and expansion, wealth creation and job creation poverty alleviation. I hope you must have heard about ‘Power for all’. This is born out of his vision in ensuring that various communities and entrepreneurs in the state have power to develop their businesses. That is why we ensure that substation, transformers, restringing even new lines are provided where they are needed in communities. Another thing is that we are proposing to take power to industrial hubs in 2019. Uyo has an industrial hub at Itam which we all know, Ikot Abasi and Ikot Ekpene also have theirs of course when we say Akwa Ibom is a power hub there is a lot of willing of power from Ikot
Ekpene, power comes from Alaoji through Ikot Ekpene so there is a plan to drop 2/60MVA to take care of Ikot Ekpene, Ini, Ikono up to Ukanafun that so by the time Governor Emmanuel finishes in 2023 you will agree with me that the whole of Akwa Ibom state will be ringed up. When “Power for all” initiative is achieved this 2018, definitely by 2019 a lot of companies will relocate to Akwa Ibom because of the Importance of having constant power supply.  Those in Ewet housing will tell you currently that after the commissioning of Afaha ube substation they are having an average of 20hrs power supply in a day. But in a situation where people tapping power from Afahaube who do not have that number of hour’s means that something is wrong with their transformers.

Sir we learnt that transmission of power is not within the role of
State governments, but the state government is embarking on that, so is there any plan by federal government or PHEDC to refund the money expended?

There is no plan for that.  They are of two. TCN is of the federal
Government while PHEDC is of private investor but this private
Investor has partnership with the federal government; State government has only 10percent of that on that deal. They have several issues on that deal. Akwa Ibom government is proactive in this aspect, if we want to wait for PHEDC or federal government, everybody will be in darkness. The transformers are bad and the federal government is not providing them so the state government is intervening, it is like this inter-ministerial, state government is intervening in schools like wise in power so this is not expected to be collected by the state government. Meanwhile TCN is in collaboration with us, in that if they are providing the equipment, we provide the civil works. But if we decide to leave it solely for federal government; Yes federal government might do it but it may take them 5years or 2years.

What about the issue of Debt by DISCOS to GENCOS and Ibom power is not an exception so what are you doing because if they continue to owe, Power will no longer be generated?

This is a very serious issue. You know Gencos have taken the federal
Government to court over huge debts and I will not like to comment on that but Gencos have not been paid in their invoices and we receive as low as 22 percent from the federal government that can be published anywhere though there was an intervention in that area where the federal government provided N701b into the sector and that has assuaged to an extent.  We still receive 22percent but they are taking care of the gas component which will exist till December this year so after that we don’t know what will happen next.  Another thing is that Discos are doing the collectibles and it is declaring its 32percent.  And PHEDC is complaining that it is not getting enough to what it is supplying, there are lots of reports about power theft, people use this power without willing to pay for it so we have decided to hang some meters on the pole to monitor the power that is consumed in the pole because some people tap light without taking it through the meter. It is not only PHEDC but all the distribution companies,
(Discos). It has been a national problem and the current administration is not fixing the problem.

So what is the solution?

No solution for now but we are hoping that the Minister for power and those at the centre, are working out the policy that will take us out of here. In Nigeria we might be producing 67000 megawatts of power and only 40000 are being evacuated that is another major area.  Government that is TCN should come up with intervention policy. It is solely the responsibility of TCN to evacuate power.  This is what should be done and if not so Nigeria will still remain in darkness.  Being in darkness does not only mean not having light to see your way but the effect it has on industrialization. The youths not engaged because of lack of industries.  Industries are not in Nigeria because investors are not encouraged with the state of power. When they look at their feasibility studies, they discover that they cannot break even by running generators so Nigeria is not a major destination for that.
When you see his Excellency Udom Emmanuel attracting investors it is with hard negotiations. That is why he is succeeding because they have seen the plan for ‘’Power for all’’ that the governor is passionate about providing power. Power is the major issue when it comes to industrialization.  So Nigeria has to stand up. We need to fix our power before we talk of industrialization that will take on the teeming youths. So when you talk about industrialization power is very major, that is why Gov Udom sleeps, wakes up and think about power

So how are you sure that after investing so much in power that Akwa
Ibom government will be able to push industrialization agenda without the Federal Government frustrating their efforts.

This is why you must have the good will, first of all, goodwill of the
Federal government because it is in the exclusive list of the federal
Government and of course for Gov. Udom to do what he is doing; there are a lot of collaborative efforts.  We are in constant discussion with
TCN, PHEDC, Permanent Secretary of power and the Minister of power, there is a serious understanding within these collaborations sometimes when it needs signing up MoUs we don’t hesitate to do that. So immediately we deploy the transformers you see the effect immediately on the community so that should not be taken away.

The state generates more than it can even consume yet we still have epileptic power supply. Is it as a result of infrastructural decay?

Yes it is an infrastructural decay.  I can show you from my phone whatever that is supplied in a day.  I have a stream of what is sent out when we are down it shows that we are down with power and when it is put on the grid it goes anywhere so what we are doing now is to string or rim fence what we need to retain here you could imagine the day we commissioned the substation at Afahaube it was reported by TCN that what they have running in that station was over a hundred megawatts but what was taken by PHEDC was about twenty something megawatts then PHEDC will complain that people are not paying,  the infrastructure to where  they are sending it to is not taking it, so it becomes  a problem so you see that the state government is doing a lot to take power to the people and promised to ensure 20hours of power a day before going to 24hrs but  the infrastructure, the office of the Special Adviser on power is taking statistics of those areas, people can still come up now and say we are not enjoying power but when we get through power for all when it is reinforced, all the infrastructures ,substations and transformers provided at different areas and lines that is when we say the governor has achieved this vision.

So when are we expecting that?

We are still working on it and his Excellency’s vision is that it will be sometime in 2019 but it is going to be in phases.  There are people in Uyo metropolis that do not have power due to lack or bad transformers or even stringing, so we are looking at Uyo, Ikotabasi, Eket, Ikot Ekpene,  ONNA, Oron, because of industries situated there which you must take power to, around six major cities will be done first, then we move into other local governments but within a year of its commencement we will complete the others.

The 2nd phase of Ibom power is coming up and we know some investors from China came, when will it take off?

You know when we came in we said we were working on 2nd phase, we are still working on second phase but this is majorly an aspect you know you cannot do without the federal government. We have a gap of
500MWA for anybody who wants to bring in power, number one we have to look at the feasibility, when once you have the 500MW you will be able to pump out. There is a project that is coming to Ibom power to evacuate power, that line will be able to evacuate 1200MW so if you take out 500MW we are left with 700MW and 500MW will be consumed by QIPP the new power station, so we still have an allowance of 200MW for any other company that is coming in, so there is provision for evacuation for the 2nd Phase, the issue now is federal  government having issues with provision of sovereign guarantee that backs up the Power Purchase Agreement PPA, so for anybody that is coming in with 500mw of power, you have  a minimum of $500m dollars to invest by the rule of ton it could be 1million per megawatt so for you to bring 500m dollars to invest you need a guarantee and power purchase agreement which every serious investor needs and there is what we call a lacuna in the industry presently that people are looking for PPA because PPA is backed up by sovereign guarantee and federal government is not ready to give out that sovereign guarantee for now but we are marking time with the investors that are with us.  There are discussions ongoing but when once that clarity is being given, we will be able to go into our 2phase.

We have distribution of meters where is it coming from?

Around 40000 pre paid meters are being distributed but by the new metering company located at ONNA. This is part of the efforts of Governor Emmanuel to improve on the quality of service to electricity consumers in the state.


Ekiti Election: candidates in last minutes preparation

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Our Weekend politics editor Okechukwu Jombo, looks at the last minute preparations of various candidates recently cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to contest in the July 14 governorship election of Ekiti state.

All is now set for the Ekiti State Governorship election as a total number of 40 candidates on the platforms of various political parties are to contest for the elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the names of candidates who emerged from the primary conducted by their parties.
Their names were forwarded to the electoral umpire to beat the May 15 deadline for the receipt of candidates’ names.
The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is fielding the incumbent Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola while Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi is running on the platform of the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Two women are among the candidates jostling for the Ekiti governorship seat. They are: Mrs. Margaret Ilesanmi of Accord (A) and Olajumoke Saheed of Democratic Alternative (DA).
On the list of candidates are: Comrade Shola Omolola of Action Alliance (AA), Mr. Lawrence Ogundipe of Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Dr. Jide Ayenibiowo of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Mr. Olaniyi Agboola of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Chief Ayodele David Adesua of African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Also on the list are Otunba Segun Adewale of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr. Lucas Arubuloye of AGA, Mr. Stephen Oribamise of All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP), Rev. Tunde Afe of Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Malam Saheed Jimoh of African People’s Alliance (APA), Mr. Tope Adebayo of Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance (APDA) and Evangelist Gbenga Adekunle of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Others are: Prince Adegboye Ajayi of Better Nigeria People’s Party (BNPP), Mr. Olalekan Olanrewaju of Democratic People’s Congress (DPC), Pastor Stephen Oladejo of Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr. Adewale Akinyele of GPN, Mr. Tosin Ajibare of Independent Democrats (ID) and Temitope Amuda of Kowa Party (KP).
The list also includes: former Deputy Governor, Dr. Sikiru Lawal of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Olabode Jegede of Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Mr. Sunday Balogun of Mega Progressive People’s Party (MPPP), Comrade Sunday Ogundana of National Conscience Party (NCP), former Senator, Dr. Bode Olowoporoku of Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP) and former deputy governor, Chief Adebisi Omoyeni of PANDEF.
Others are: Mr. Ayoyinka Dada of PDC, Mr. Goke Animasaun of Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA), Mr. Stephen Obasanmi of Providence People’s Congress (PPC), Mr. Ebenezer Ogunsakin of People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN) and Mr. Akinloye Ayegbusi of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Also listed on the ballot are: Dr. Olusegun Adeleye of United Democratic Party (UDP), Mr. Femi Bade-Gboyega of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Mr. Ayodeji Faokorede of Young Democratic Party  (YDP) and Mr. Temitope Omotayo of Young Progressive Party (YPP).
On preparation INEC said they are ready according to (INEC) National Commissioner, Prince Adedeji Soyebi.
Soyebi said: “the deployment of 15,000 corps members is one of the measures put in place by INEC to ensure fairness to all parties and the credibility of the exercise.”
He also stressed that the electoral agency was collaborating with security agencies to ensure safety of officials, voters and electoral materials to be used for the poll.
The INEC chief assured political parties and voters that the electoral umpire would be fair to all parties and would deliver an election in line with global best electoral practices.
He urged political parties taking part in the poll to submit the list of their agents in line with the time allowed by law.
Any party that fails to submit the names of its agents on time, according to him, would lose the privilege of being represented at the poll.
Speaking on possibility of electronic voting in Nigeria, Soyebi said, ”We are not definitely going to have it in 2019 but we will get there very soon.”
Responding to a question, Soyebi said it was possible to conduct all elections in a single day rather than having a staggered process for general elections.
His words, “It is doable but we need to increase our level of voter education and awareness. We can have different colors of ballot papers for each of the election and manpower “It will country of lots of expenses time save the, money,.
 
On the part of parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) appointed 77 people into the national campaign council for Kayode Fayemi – The council is to be chaired by the governor of Kebbi state, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu- Rotimi Akeredolu, who noted that the election should be taken seriously by all the members
“We underscore the importance of this election.“We have faced enough of affront as a party. Challenge has been thrown to us not only by the PDP, but by Governor Fayose. So we must be united to confront that challenge. We will give our all to ensure that we win Ekiti State for the APC.”
PDP also is not resting as it declares that it is the party to beat in the election and has began campaign in the local Government councils with the incumbent Governor Ayodele fayose leading.
Fayose had constituted a council to coordinate the campaign for the July 14 governorship election, just as Social Democratic Party (SDP) has hit the state to galvanise aggrieved PDP members to wrestle power.
Fayose, who re-enforced his preference for Prof. Kolapo Olusola- Eleka, his deputy, as PDP’s candidate, appointed Chief Bisi Kolawole as the Director-General of the “ Kolapo Olusola-Eleka Campaign Council’’.
Kolawile, the state commissioner for environment, was also a former member of the state House of Assembly.
The Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communication and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said Kolawole would coordinate the campaign activities of the deputy governor.
Olainka was silent on other members of the campaign council.
Fayose had been in the eye of the storm regarding the way and manner he picked his deputy as preferred successor.
His action had caused rancour among party members.
Some of the aggrieved members of PDP have decided to quit the party and join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), being coordinated by another estranged leader of PDP, Prof. Tunde Adeniran.
 
APC Ekiti State chapter has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Director General, Directorate of State Services (DSS), over the wanton destruction of a campaign billboard of its governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi allegedly on the orders of Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Suspected supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday in Oye Ekiti, headquarters of Oye local council, descended on a huge campaign billboard of Fayemi at St Augustine Secondary School and destroyed it, while being cheered by others.
The APC in the petition dated May 23rd, 2018, accused Fayose of being the mastermind of the attack and called for immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in the act.
The petition signed by State Secretary, Paul Omotosho, alleged that APC and its supporters had been under various forms of attacks since Fayose became governor of the state on October 16, 2014.
It said Wednesday’s attack was carried out by senior political leaders of the council administration adding, “Our party members in Oye Ekiti who witnessed the incident yesterday informed us that Fayose who led the campaign team of his deputy and the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, Prof Olusola Eleka to the council, directed the politicians to destroy Fayemi’s billboard which was erected close to the junction towards Isan.
“The PDP officials promptly carried out the governor’s directive. It is unfortunate that this barbaric act was carried out in the presence of policemen who could not make any arrest.
“We wish to inform you that we have written several petitions to your office since 2014 till now about various acts of violence against our members before, during and after elections. It is the character of Governor Fayose to destroy billboards of opposition candidates, sponsor attacks on them and drive many of them out of town so that he would have a field day on Election Day. This is what he has started again.
“If this act of violence is not nipped in the bud, it can lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state.”
The video clips showing the destruction of the billboard, which is currently trending on social media, was also attached to the petition.

Real Madrid wins 13th Champions League

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Gareth Bale scored one of European football’s great goals in a match-winning performance as Real Madrid overcame Liverpool to win their third successive Champions League title as goalkeeper Loris Karius suffered a personal nightmare.

Bale made his mark on another Champions League final with a magnificent overhead kick to put Real 2-1 up after 64 minutes.

Liverpool had already suffered the devastating blow of losing top scorer Mohamed Salah midway through the first half – with a shoulder injury sustained in a challenge with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos – when calamity struck for Karius.

Six minutes after half-time, the German inexplicably threw the ball against Karim Benzema, who was not even challenging with urgency, and watched in horror as the ball rolled behind him into the net.

Liverpool recovered from the shock to equalise through Sadio Mane before Bale stepped off the bench to score his wonder goal.

There was to be no comeback from Liverpool this time and Karius’s misery was complete when he fumbled Bale’s hopeful 30-yard shot behind him to seal Real’s win.

It sealed Real’s record 13th win in this competition, and their fourth in five seasons to give coach Zinedine Zidane this third triumph in three years.

For Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, it was disappointment again – he lost his third successive final since arriving at Anfield, having suffered defeats in the League Cup and Europa League finals of 2016.

BBC

Only 70 Year’s Ago – A Powerful Speech

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A Speech by Benjamin Netanyahu, the ‎prime minister of Israel will inspire, uplift and mold you through life. This speech has been going all over and touching the lives of the depressed, weak, confused and battered.

Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as the 9th and current Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, previously holding the position from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu also currently is a member of the Knesset and the Chairman of the Likud party. Netanyahu is the first Israeli Prime Minister born in Israel after the establishment of the state.

In his speech, he said
”Only 70 years ago! The Jews were taken to the slaughter like sheep.

60 years ago! We had no country. No Army.

Seven Arab countries declared war on our small Jewish state, just a few hours after its creation!

We were only 650 Jews, against the rest of the Arab world! NO IDF (Israel Defense Army).
No powerful Air Force, only brave people with nowhere to go.

Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia all attacked us at the same time.

The country that the United Nations gave us was 65 % desert. The country was out of nowhere!

35 years ago! We fought the three most powerful armies in the middle east, and we swept them… yes… in six days.

We fought against various coalitions of Arab countries, which had the modern armies and many Soviet weapons, and we had always beaten them!

Today we have: a country, an army, a powerful air force, a State-of-the-Art economy which exports millions of dollars, Intel – Microsoft – IBM develops products at home,our doctors receive awards for medical research.

We make the desert bloom, and sell oranges, flowers and vegetables all over the world. Israel has sent its own satellites into space! Three satellites at the same time! We are proud to be at the same rank as the United States, which has 250 million inhabitants, Russia, which has 200 million inhabitants, China, which has 1.3 billion inhabitants, Europe – France, Great Britain, Germany – with 350 million inhabitants..

The only countries in the world to send objects into space! Israel is now part of the family of the nuclear powers, with the United States, Russia, China, India, France, and Great Britain.

We have never officially admitted it, (but everyone knows it) and say that only 60 years ago, we were led, ashamed and hopeless, to slaughter!

We have extirpés the smoking ruins of Europe, we have won our wars here with less than nothing. We built our little “Empire” from nothing.

Who’s Hamas to scare me? To terrify me? You make me laugh! Passover was celebrated; Let’s not forget what this is about.

We survived Pharaoh, We survived the Greeks, We survived the Romans, We survived the inquisition in Spain,We have the pogroms in Russia, We survived Hitler, We survived the Germans, We survived the Holocaust, We survived the armies of seven Arab countries, We survived Saddam, We will continue to survive the enemies present today too.

Think of any time in human history! Think about it, for us, the Jewish people, the situation has never been better! Then let’s face the world.

Let us remember: All nations or cultures who once tried to destroy us, no longer exist today – while we still live!

Egypt? The Greeks? Alexander of Macedonia? The Romans? (does anyone still speak Latin these days? ) The Third Reich?

And look at us, The Bible Nation, The slaves of Egypt, We are still here.

And we speak the same language! then, and now! Arabs don’t know yet, but they will learn that there is a God ….as long as we keep our identity, we are forever.

So forgive us for not worrying, Not to cry, Not to be afraid, Things are fine here, They could certainly get better.

However, Don’t believe the media, they don’t tell you that parties continue to take place, people continue to live, people keep coming out, people continue to see friends.

Yes, our morale is low. So what? Only because we mourn our deaths, while others rejoice in the blood shed. That is why we will win, in the end.

He never sleeps or will ever sleep…. the guardian of Israel…. Yahweh God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!”

So what could be your worry or distress? What can be worst than your present state? When you’ve seen the worst of the worst, it can only get better! Strife to live, be brave, you can build your empire from nothing.

Children, The Essence of Tomorrow

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Children’s Day is a day recognised to celebrate children. The day is celebrated on various calendar dates in different countries. Well, for Nigeria, it’s 27th May. Children’s day began on the second Sunday of June in 1856 by Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard, pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Massachusetts: Dr. Leonard held a special service dedicated to, and for the children. Dr. Leonard named the day Rose Day, though it was later named Flower Sunday, and then Children’s Day.

Biologically, a child (plural: children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty. The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority.

Always Remember, to our parents, we are children and will always be. So it is safe to say that children’s day is a day we celebrate children either by age or by birth.

Every child goes through many stages of social development. An infant or very young child will play alone happily. If another child wanders onto the scene, he or she may be physically attacked or pushed out of the way by the other. Next, the child can play with another child, gradually learning to share and take turns. Eventually, the group grows larger, to three or four children. By the time a child grows a bit, he or she usually join in and enjoy group experiences.

Peter Ustinov define Children as the only form of immortality that we can be sure of. Your children make it impossible to regret your past, they’re its finest fruits, Sometimes the only ones. Children are sinless like the angels; they live to soften and purify our hearts and, as it were, to guide us. Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction, Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.

Let them play, Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. Fred Rogers. Play is the royal road to childhood happiness and adult brilliance. Joseph Chilton Pearce.

Rachael Carson said ”I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused — a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love — then we wish for knowledge about the subject of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.” believe her.

Are you a mum, dad, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, an adult? Do you have a little one at home who will be participating in any Children’s Day events? Are you looking for ways to appreciate your children on this special day? are you parenting well? Do you know how to love your child and show it? Take a look at these quotes from wise men and women.

A child is an uncut diamond. Austin O’Malley.

Every child is a thought in the mind of God, and our task is to recognize this thought and help it toward completion. Eberhard Arnold

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. Albert Einstein

To every child – I dream of a world where you can laugh, dance, sing, learn, live in peace and be happy. Malala Yousafzai

Children need models rather than critics. Joseph Joubert

Our most important task as a nation is to make sure all our young people can achieve their dreams. Barack Obama

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. Stacia Tauscher

Seven things every child needs to hear: I love you, I’m proud of you, I’m sorry, I forgive you, I’m listening. This is your responsibility. You have what it takes to succeed. Sherrie Campbell, PhD

Teach your children they’re unique. That way, they won’t feel pressured to be like everybody else. Cindy Cashman

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. James Baldwin

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. Rabindranath Tagore

If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money. Abigail Van Buren

A child can teach an adult three things… To be happy for no reason. To always be busy with something. And to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires. Paulo Coelho

It is a wise father that knows his own child. William Shakespeare

Children are our most valuable resource. Herbert Hoover

It takes a village to raise a child. African proverb

An honest man is always a child. Socrates

When kids hit 1 year old, it’s like hanging out with a miniature drunk. You have to hold onto them. They bump into things. They laugh and cry. They urinate. They vomit. Johnny Depp

You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they’re going. P. J. O’Rourke

If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children. Mahatma Gandhi

If you make children happy now, you make make them happy twenty years hence by the memory of it.

The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him. Pablo Casals

Hugs can do great amounts of good, especially for children. Princess Diana

Loving a child doesn’t mean giving in to all his whims; to love him is to bring out the best in him, to teach him to love what is difficult. Nadia Boulanger

It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful. Roald Dahl

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm. Aldous Huxley

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Martin Luther King, Jr. Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.

Family Tradition-Bonding Time

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Every Friday, no matter how hectic or stressful the week has been, my husband and I have a ritual to celebrate the weekend’s start. We crack open a bottle of wine, play music, and roll up our sleeves in the kitchen. I make Peppered kitchen, and my husband chops and grates vegetables (that’s anytime we are together😂).

Kids love traditions and family rituals, because it fosters a sense of belonging and security. They also thrive on routine, so rituals only add to that need. Don’t judge me! (I don’t have kids but I did have four Younger ones 😅). Rituals are an important part of childhood. Think back to your own childhood and the things you “always” did. Your family probably took part in daily, weekly, annual, and holiday rituals. These are all a part of family life.

All of the things your family does on a regular basis are part of the family’s routine. This includes the normal daily activities like what you eat for breakfast, weekend activities like kids’ sports or visiting relatives, and activities during the week like eating dinner together as a family.

Some regular parts of your day can also be family traditions. For example, if a part of your daily routine is watching a tv show together as a family, that is a family tradition.

When the oldest daughter marries and began her own family, a son graduates, get a job and moves to another city, another daughter travels out of the country for study, It caught a glimpse of the coming years. As each child continues to grow, it won’t be long until the home we use to know becomes an empty nest. Although I’m excited to discover the many joys of the next phase of life, I’m a bit saddened at the prospect of not spending time daily with the whole family.

With my personality, I address my concerns with solution! (Got that from Dad 😜). While we all still lived close enough to do so, we established a standing invite to gather around the dinner table and share a meal after church each Sunday. Some weeks, I had the time to create a meal to remember, from-scratch rino and a new salad invention. Other weeks, we stopped by to get barbeque and ice cream (best memories of my childhood).

After dinner, we would sit around the living room and play games, watch TV, and share memories together. It was never formal, just comfortable. Those were good old days!

Call me old-fashioned, but I believe strongly in the power of sharing a meal together. It’s a time to converse, share life, and bond. It’s a time to remember what’s important and take a rest from the busyness of life in the twenty-first century. Creating a time for the family to be together doesn’t have to be grand and exhausting; instead, it can be an event that creates memories for the whole family to enjoy.

Keeping it simple and fun, remember these few things:

It’s not the grand meal that is remembered, but the time, conversations, and hugs. If it’s been a busy week, get Whatever you have at home. Make life easier!

There was a time with little kids that a formal dinner wasn’t impressive or fun. Instead, we would watch a movie and share snacks. It became the traditional Sunday evening meal which created a time of rest for mom and fun for the kids. Make it memorable!

Life can get rather busy. Taking an occasional break from a weekly family tradition is just as important as having a tradition. This allows the time to remain special without feeling like an obligation (when I feel obligated, I get stressed out). There is nothing wrong in taking breaks!

Every few months, meet at a restaurant or park to share a meal. Keeping the tradition but changing up the venue only adds to the enjoyment. Change it up!

When planning time together in order to establish a family tradition, the most important thing to remember is the uniqueness of your family. Don’t try copying mine or someone else’s. Instead, discover what your family members enjoy and set about to make the most of time together.

Cross River Govt. To Complete 300km Of Roads By 2019

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The Cross River Government says its target is to complete the 300 kilometres of road projects it has embarked upon across the state by 2019.

The state Commissioner for Works, Engr. Dane Osim-Asu, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar.

Osim-Asu said the roads were being constructed with a view to linking together more communities and promoting economic activities in the state.

“The Ministry of Works has undertaken 300 kilometres of road construction targeted to be completed within the first tenure of Gov. Ben Ayade.

“There is no project that we are carrying over to the next administration.

“The project that will transcend into the next administration is the 274-kilometre superhighway and the Bakassi deep sea port.

“We have completed over 150 kilometres of roads in three years. I can assure Cross rive people that by 2019, we will hit the target of 300 kilometres of roads across the state.

“We have other projects including the Arthur Jarvis University road in Akpabuyo Local Government Area (LGA) and the Ikot Effangha road in Akamkpa LGA.

“There are also the Akpet Central road leading to Ogbe in Biase and the Ovukwa Junction road in Obubra Local Government Area, among others.

“All these roads have reached an appreciable stage because the priming, stone base and asphalting have equally been done,’’ he said.

He listed the completed roads ready for inauguration as the Usung-Usuk road in Odukpani LGA, Prof. Ben Ayade Boulevard in Ugep urban and the state Housing Estate road, Ishibori, Ogoja LGA.

Osim-Asu said that the state government was determined to ensure that all local government areas in the state benefitted from rural road construction.

He told NAN that the road in Boki LGA which linked Boki East and West, giving communities in BOki East access to the local government headquarters in Boje, was 90 percent completed.

According to him, in spite of the limited revenue accruing to the state from the Federation Account, the infrastructure was provided to give the people a sense of belonging.

On local content, he said that the ministry had engaged indigenous companies in over 70 percent of the jobs.

The commissioner said that the ministry had also used directly in executing projects due to its limited resources.

Osi-Asu said that slow response of some contractors to government’s call to maintain a steady presence at their project sites was a big challenge to progress of work in the ministry.

Children’s Day: No Nigerian child deserves to be hungry, says Saraki

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Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has said that no Nigerian child should go to bed hungry, just as he declared that due attention must be paid to their health as part of the vision to make the country stronger.

Saraki, while felicitating with children across the country on the occasion of the 2018 Children’s Day celebration, stated that their safety was non- negotiable.

In a goodwill message, signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, he noted that Children Day gives the country an opportunity to celebrate the young ones and to fully consider the important place they occupy in the heart of the nation.

Saraki said: “This is also a day to rededicate ourselves to the cause of children. It is a day to recommit ourselves to doing all in our power to ensure that children are protected and empowered to aspire to be great in life, and to remove all impediments in their way.

“Children are the leaders of tomorrow, our hope for the future. They are the ones we are depending on to take Nigeria to greater heights in the future. We must therefore ensure their health and well-being through the laws we make and the policies we set.

“I therefore call on us all to do our best to ensure that our children can live in liberty and in truth. No Nigerian child should go to bed hungry. Due attention must be paid to the health of the Nigerian child. This should be part of our vision to ‘Make Nigeria Stronger’. We must invest in the people by first investing in the Nigerian child.

“The 1 percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF, for the Basic Health Fund, whose inclusion we as the National Assembly ensured in the 2018 Budget that we have just passed, will ultimately make for healthier Nigerian children, through a massive boost in increased funding for the sector. We are very excited about this.

“Furthermore, the safety of the Nigerian child is non-negotiable. We, therefore, today, make an unequivocal call for the release of all Nigerian children in captivity. We remember Leah Sharibu and the other Dapchi Girls – as well as those Chibok Girls still in captivity, on this symbolic day. We affirm their right to freedom, to live carefree with their loved ones, to go to school, and for their dreams to remain intact.

“We urge all relevant authorities not to relent in the efforts to see that Leah Sharibu and all who are held captive are returned safe and unharmed. We must intensify efforts for the release of our Children, even as we felicitate with the families of all who have been released”, he stressed.

The senate president noted that the issues of violence against children, child molestation, child labour and other evils committed against children – remain a grave concern.


All not well with APC – Amaechi

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Transport Minister, Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has admitted the existence of crisis in the All Progressives Congress APC, after the wards and local Government Area, LGA, congresses.

Acknowledging the crisis, he described it as internal affairs and assured the party was working hard to resolve the issues, and expressed the APC will emerge stronger thereafter.

Amaechi declared yesterday at the St Vincent De Pour Catholic Church, Port Harcourt, during the Thanksgiving Service to celebrate his 53rd birthday

“Party crisis is an internal affair, and cuts across all political parties. It is not peculiar to the APC. After all, I suffered as a result of intra party crisis, while in PDP, to the extent of going on exile.”

“We’ll adopt internal party mechanism to resolve it and re-strategize for electoral victories In fact we are on a new beginning, thank God the leaders are very young”, he said.

We can’t afford to go back to the era of the old PDP. The hunger we suffer in the country today is as a result of the misrule of the PDP. We came and met empty treasury, and are working hard to better the lots of the common man

On Governor Wike’s allegation that the Federal Government wanted to assassinate him (Wike) the transportation Minister treated it with a wave of hand, saying Governor Wike was his subordinate and like a son to him while he was the governor, therefore would not like to join issues with him.

On his goodwill message to the state and Nigerians, he preached hard work, submitting that faith without work is useless.

He thanked God for making him Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly at 34, governor at 42 and minster at 50

Nigerian Pilot losses staff, Audu Dauda 58

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Nigerian Pilot has lost its Maiduguri correspondent, Mr Audu Dauda Mbaya to the cold hands of death.

Until his death, yesterday at the Biu General Hospital, Dauda, 58 a graduate of History, University of Maiduguri was the Assistant Secretary of Borno State Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalist, NUJ.

He had a Diploma in Mass Communication from same varsity. He was also at the prestigious FRCN training School in Lagos.

He retired from the service of the defunct Nigeria Telecommunications Ltd, NITEL before joining Nigerian Pilot Newspaper.

Dauda was among the few fearless journalists who had reported on the activities of Boko Haram insurgency for years.
In a statement signed by the Secretary, Borno State Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Timothy Olanrewaju, described the late Dauda as a repository of knowledge, fine writer which will be greatly missed by his colleagues for his wise counsel.

May his soul rest in peace.

Battle Ready!

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*FG plots to nail OBJ over $16bn power projects

*Revisits House of Reps 10-yr-old power probe report

*Relies on testimonies of Elumelu, Imoke, Suswam
Indication emerged weekend that as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC officially commences investigations on how a whooping sum of $16bn power projects funds were allegedly diverted to private pockets, the Federal Government is relying on the House of Representatives probe panel that investigated the matter under the chairmanship of Hon. Ndudi Elumelu a about a decade ago.

Apart from the House of Representatives report that allegedly indicted former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his cronies, the EFCC is banking its investigations on the testimonies/witness statements of former Cross River State, Governor, Liyel Imoke, former Benue State Governor, Dr Gabriel Suswam and former member of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu who chaired the probe panel.

The fourth witness who actually played a critical role during the award of the contract for the power projects is former governor of Ondo state, late Olusegun Agagu.

Senator Liyel Imoke and Olusegun Agagu were both Ministers for Power and Steal while Gabriel Suswam was the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Power.

A highly placed source in the EFCC at the weekend told Nigerian Pilot that that apart from these prominent Nigerians, the operatives of the Commission has lined up not less than 42 witnesses including foreigners and Chief Executives of companies that will testify against former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his alleged complicity in the award of the power projects contracts.

According to the source, since the public outcry by President Muhammadu Buhari last week, the EFCC operatives alongside some senior lawyers in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Central Bank of Nigeria, NNPC and more importantly, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu have commenced work together.

He said that in the next few weeks, letters of invitation will be sent to the affected individuals and companies allegedly found wanting in the power projects scam to appear before the EFCC for some interactions.

He said that the anti-graft agency may first invite two ex-ministers, former top officials of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, present and past officials of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company and all the people recommended for investigation by the committee of the House of Representatives.

“A team in EFCC was already collating facts and figures at the weekend”, the source said insisting however that the move was not targeted at ex-President Obasanjo.

According to findings by Nigerian Pilot, the EFCC might conduct a forensic and comprehensive investigation into the alleged $16 billion power projects. The scope of the investigation includes the total cost of the projects, how much was withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account, ECA, the total number of contracts awarded, the extent of compliance with due process and the status of the execution of all the projects.

“We are looking into all the allegations and issues surrounding the power projects.

“We will conduct a comprehensive and forensic probe to ascertain the true status of all the projects.

“This investigation will actually ascertain how much has been spent so far.

“We have many figures being bandied about as follows: $16 billion, $13.278 billion, $10.3 billion, $8.4 billion and $8.55 billion.

“This is not an investigation aimed at ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo or anybody. We have to step in to set the records straight.

“Already, a team is collating facts and figures on these projects as part of the preliminary level/bend of the investigation”, the source further explained.

Responding to a question, the source added: “We will retrieve the report of the House of Representatives Committee which investigated the power projects.

“The House actually recommended 18 top former public officers, including two ex-ministers for investigation by anti-graft agencies especially, EFCC and ICPC.

“Many salient issues were raised for investigation by the House Committee which was headed by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu”, the source added.

The issues raised by the Elumelu Committee were as follows; All NIPP payments were made without following due process, no meaningful progress was made in the execution of power contracts,, officials rushed to pay contractors in full even before engineering design for the projects were completed and approved.

Others include; NIPP contracts were not only overpriced in comparison with PHCN contracts, they were also wide off the mark,, widespread evidence of systematic over-scoping of projects in order to inflate costs both in PHCN and NIPP; NIPP Distribution EPC, contracts were awarded at costs averaging about 10 times the norm when compared to PHCN contracts.

It would be recalled that the Hon. Ndudi Elumelu Committee was put in place by the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Dimeji Bankole on January 31, 2008 to look into how much was spent on power projects.

In its report, the Committee said that about $13.278 billion was spent on power projects between 1999 and 2007.

The Committee recommended termination of 13 contracts and review of 10 projects.

About 15 contracting and consulting companies were recommended by the Committee to be investigated by the appropriate anti-graft agencies as well as security agencies.

Psychoanalysing the essential Buhari as he takes on Obasanjo

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(09090005369 SMS only)
Beyond the obvious, President Buhari, is driven by repressed and unconscious impulses which evidently rule his decision making processes and relationships.

These repressed impulses can be situated in absolutism. An understanding of the concept of absolutism in contrast to relativism gives a good understanding of the essential Buhari, his approach to state craft and current confrontation with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

An absolutist is a dichotomous thinker with a binary outlook, where things in life are either this or that and nothing in between. An absolutist sees the world in black and white; good and evil. For him there is only one truth that truth is usually defined by him. He sees things not in multicolour but in plain black and white. To him good is good and evil is evil. He doesn’t believe that between black and white there are shades of grey. His beliefs and convictions are constant and can’t be swayed by changing times and circumstances. His ways are set in stone. “It is either you are with me or against me period there are no middle grounds”.

If he trusts you, he trust you even if you are dead he would rather exhume your corpse to do his bidding than trust another living soul. He doesn’t believe that a thief of yesterday may have changed his ways and embraced honesty and an honest man of yesterday has become a thief today. Absolutism is usually associated with autocrats, dictators, extremists, fundamentalist and the likes. The sad truth about absolutists is that they often seek to project their ideas and vision of the truth on others who would disagree with them. Absolute beliefs are simple, easy to comprehend and create a sense of false positives. However, there are inherent contradictions as it tends to be selective in application.

The relativist on the other hand believes that the world is not made up of one truth with a capital “T” but many truth based on circumstances. The truth is relative to the situation. Consequently your truth is not necessarily my truth. What I see as the truth is relative to my unique life experiences and belief systems. Specifically in Nigeria we are defined by religion and ethnicity. A Muslim will see things differently from a Christian and vice-versa. An Ibo man will see things differently from a Hausa man or a Yoruba man and so on and so forth. Or unique life experiences shape our attitude and relationships with others. However, to the discerning, an understanding of the relative mixture of society enables us to accept and relate intelligently in a pluralistic society. A relativist engages and employs gentle persuasion and superior reasoning in making people see things his way rather than resorting to name calling, iron fist or brute force. Relativity and the pluralistic nature of modern societies are the driving forces behind democracy. Democracy itself recognises that there are different truths in society and not just one truth. Hence we have three arms of government, each is a truth unto itself and none is superior to the other they coexist in the interest of peace, security and the wellbeing of the citizens of the federation.

Buhari is cast in the shade of an absolutist. Hence he is often seen as a dictator in the garb of a democrat. His policies are driven by fundamentalism, absolutism and totalitarianism. He has a mind-set that brooks no opposition.

But give it to him he has charted a course for his life and career with iron determination. Buhari is the only leader the country has produced who has had the guts to actually go after those once held as untouchables. His list includes a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki who is on trial over allegations of corruption and diversion of money meant for arms purchase. Others include immediate past service chiefs who are also facing sundry cases of corruption charges.

In the past these class of people who had served in the highest echelon of the military and security services were seen as sacred cows who were beyond any form of probe not to talk of answering for their stewardship.

It is to the credit of Buhari that he has broken the glass ceiling by bringing these sets of people to justice. Buhari has also scored a major first in the arrest of corrupt judges and justices of the highest court of the land and making them face trials for corruption and allegations of financial inducement to pervert the cause of justice. Even if for symbolic effect, Buhari has been able to demonstrate that as long as you are corrupt, the administration will come after you, no matter the office you occupy or have occupied in the past. It is only an absolutist Buhari that could have achieved these landmarks.

However there are those who believe that the absolutist stand of the president has been wrongly applied in the fight against corruption as it seems directed towards fighting only the opposition or those opposed to him. The President is often accused of paying too much premium on personal loyalty than the national course. While this may serve his self-interest, after all, who wants to have backstabbers within the inner circle of his government? It also has its disadvantages. Buhari may end up with a court of personality who may derail the national vision in the service of one individual. Strong men come and go but strong institutions endure in service of the nation.

Irrespective of this, Buhari is likely to win next year’s general elections not because he has done remarkably well but because his absolutist disposition has made him the scourge of the elite. He has brought many down from their Olympian heights to taste of gall and venom they have served the poor and down trodden

Cast in such frame, it is easy for Buhari to go into confrontation with those who exhibit similar personality. Obasanjo is similarly framed. He is also an absolutist with a messianic complex. With such strong personalities with similar backgrounds it was only a question of time before a conflagration.

In truth Obasanjo has chosen to break the unwritten code of honour that a former president should accord his successor in office by openly castigating a sitting president, by severally labelling Buhari as incompetent and a non-achiever.

Obasanjo has in the recent time chosen the path of open criticism of a man he helped in no small way into office. Buhari has held back all these while but last week he had had enough and called Obasanjo out for a fight. Using Innuendos and inferences, he openly accused Obasanjo of culpability in the alleged 16 billion dollars failed power projects of his administration. “You know the rail was killed and one of the former heads of state was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion American dollars on power. Where is the power?” he had asked.

Obasanjo quickly fired back in a statement issued on his behalf by Kehinde Akinyemi, his spokesman, Obasanjo alleged that Buhari’s statement was based on ignorance.

Obasanjo said: “The answer is simple: the power is in the seven National Integrated Power Projects and eighteen gas turbines…”

He referred Buhari to “My Watch”, his autobiography, saying he had cleared allegations about the power project in it. Obasanjo further said if Buhari could not read, he should direct his aides to read the book and summarise it in a language the president can understand.

Obansajo evidently is conscious of his place in history. He sees himself as the father of modern Nigeria. Having first served as a military head of state and later as a civilian President for eight years between 1999 and 2007. President Muhammadu Buhari had also had the privilege of ruling the country first as a military head of state and presently as a civilian president and now on the cusp of his history if he is able to win re-election into office next year.

From all indications both men occupy a special place in the history of the country. The unique attribute of presiding over the affairs of the country at two different epoch in our nationhood stand both men apart.

They are both heroes by all standards. But like all heroes, they are imbued with tragic flaws. Buhari with his absolutist tendencies and the messianic complex of Obasanjo who cannot stand contestation. The days ahead surely will be interesting as both men take on each other. One only hope the outcome won’t be unpalatable for the nation.

I And Actress, Jackie Appiahshe looks Alike – Chioma

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Chioma who is currently a sensation on social media, after her relationship with Davido was made public seems to be enjoying every bit of attention coming her way.

Chioma seems to be getting more in touch with her social media self as recently, we’ve been seeing her in some social media funks.

She recently clapped back at a troll who said she abandoned her cooking hobby because she’s got an ‘assurance’, has said she looks like Ghanaian actress, Jackie Appiah.

This occurred after one of Jackie Appiah’s fans commented on her page that if she puts her face in certain way, she looks like Chioma, the latter affirmed that she’s thought about that too.

The fan wrote;

With your head bent downwards you and Davido’s chime has got a little resemblance @jackieappiah

Chioma then affirmed that she’s also given the thought, she wrote;

@efya_baxter I just said the same thing

Jude Okoye slam by fans for splitting Psquare after he commented on Wizkid’s post

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Jude Okoye, the former manager and elder brother of the defunct Psquare duo has been slammed by fans after congratulating Wizkid on the success of his recently concluded concert.

Jude got a numerous amount of attacks on social media from Psquare fans who have refused to let go of the fact that the twins could have been one of the performers at the show.

While some blamed him as the sole cause of their split, others almost had a pound of his flesh for his inability to reconcile his own brothers.

Daniel Ademinokan tells wife, Stella Damasus – I promise I won’t file for divorce till we are 122 years old

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Daniel Ademinokan tells wife, Stella Damasus – that  he won’t file for divorce till they  are 122 years old as they celebrates their wedding anniversary.

The couple took to their respective Instagram pages to celebrate each other with kind words.

Daniel who was previously married to Doris Simeon, vowed to remain with Stella for 122 and never file for divorce.

He wrote:

”Happy Wedding Anniversary to my favourite couple in the world – US. @stelladamasus I’ve told you I’m not doing an epistle today. I just want to say that I love you and having you by my side as my wife is a great honor and blessing.

“Thank you for jumping through hoops with me, loving me, weathering the storm and being a part of every success story.

“When I think of the things we have achieved together as a team, I can’t help but marvel at your awesomeness.

“You are God’s answer to my prayers. Babe, I love you and I promise I won’t file for divorce till we are 122 years old.

“Yeah. I’ve extended it by 2 years. Till then, continue to enjoy every inch of me. Hahaha!! Love you always boo. #HappyWeddingAnniversary #StellaDamasus#DanielAdeminokan” he wrote

On her part, Stella appreciated him for being the best husband to her

”Happy anniversary @dabishop007 my lover, my friend, my brother, my father, business partner and boss.

“Words cannot express how much you mean to me boo. I just want to appreciate you and also thank God for blessing me with an amazing husband.

“You have been there for me through thick and thin. You held my hand in my time of need and you prayed with me in my lowest moments.

“You brought me closer to God and taught our kids the word of God. You gave me the support I needed to do the things I love to do and gave me the FREEDOM to be me.

“You have given me much more than I asked for.

“It’s truly my pleasure to share your company and I am honored to breathe the air that you breathe.

“I love the way you make me feel. Everyday you go out of your way to treat me like a queen and I hope that in some way I can even measure up to that.

“Thank you for allowing yourself to be used by God to change not just our lives but the lives of all who have experienced you.

“I love you so much and I am excited to share many more years with you my love.

“I pray that God gives me the wisdom to continue to be the best wife any man could ever ask for.

“Together we make magic and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. #happyanniversary #celebration#stelladamasus #dabishop007 #actor#filmmaker #couplegoals”.


Woo Is Leo dating Cee-c

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Cee-C just called fellow ex-housemate, Leo “Fresh air” in a new Instagram post for his meet and greet.

Leo replied the post saying “love you” !!!

Leo and Cee-c have recently been dropping eyebrow raising comments on each other’s Instagram page, and we are here for it!

Few weeks ago, Leo dropped an eyebrow raising comment on fellow housemate, Cee-C’s Instagram page.

The comment drove Cee-C’s fans gaga as they say his former in-house love interest, Alex will get a taste of her own medicine after they accuse her of not letting Cee-C reconcile with Tobi.

Nigerians should not be complacent about democracy, says Saraki

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Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has advised Nigerians not to take for granted the continued democratic dispensation the country has been enjoying for the past 19 years, but guard against actions, statements and moves which can truncate the political process.

While congratulating Nigerians on the 19th anniversary of unbroken elected government in the country, he advised the people to always be vigilant and speak against anti-democratic policies and actions which are capable of subverting rule of law.

Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, also canvassed strict adherence to the principles of rule of law, separation of powers, sovereignty of parliament, independence of the judiciary, and freedom of the press, adding that “our constitutional institutions must be preserved and protected”.

He stated: “As we celebrate democracy today, I congratulate our people and express my conviction that this system of government is the best so far invented. However, it goes beyond the conduct of elections to put leaders in office.

“Democracy involves strict adherence to rule of law as against the rule of men. It is about respect for due process and following laid down procedures. It is about respect for and building of institutions.

“That is why we cannot be celebrating Democracy Day without canvassing for caution on some recent negative developments in our polity, particularly as we prepare for next year’s general elections.

“These include abuse of office in a manner that suggests persecution and oppression of perceived enemies, stifling of free expression, undermining of democratic institutions, and impunity on the part of certain persons who behave as though they are above the laws of the land.

“These developments should be of concern to all democrats. Other political and opinion leaders who decided to veil their sight as if they are not seeing these infractions on democracy and choose to keep quiet, should know that they equally pose danger to the survival of our country.

“History will not be fair to us if we allow our complacency to jeopardize democracy. We all must be able to speak out with strong voice on issues that constitute a danger to democracy. Eternal vigilance, they say, is the price of liberty.

“At this point, let us remember and salute our heroes of democracy, those who toiled and paid different prices for us to have elected government, particularly, those who paid the ultimate price with their lives. Their labour shall definitely not be in vain.

“Also, it is important for us to quickly tackle all issues that can undermine our democracy, particularly insecurity and lack of good governance. We must immediately find solution to the security issues and ensure that we return the regime of peace, safety of lives and property in all parts of our country. In the same way, we must do all that is necessary to deliver good governance to our people and fight corruption at all levels.

“These challenges must be confronted by all political leaders devoid of party loyalty, ethnicity, religion and personal preferences. We must all set aside our personal interests and work as a collective on these aforementioned issues.

“It is equally necessary to warn that with the 2015 polls, we have set a very high standard in Africa. We cannot afford to perform less in 2019. The next general elections must be freer, fairer and more peaceful than the last one. Those responsible for conducting the polls must raise the bar and work to take Nigeria to a higher level of electoral process.

“It is important for all of us to note that Nigeria will continue to exist after the 2019 polls. Just as the country is still here after the 2015 polls. We must therefore not do anything that will threaten the existence of the country or its peace, unity and tranquility.

“Let me use this occasion to urge our all our people to avoid making and circulating hate speech which can further accentuate our fault lines and set one section of the country against the other.

“Rather, we should all embrace tolerance and the need to be our brother’s keeper. We all have a lot to gain from a united and stronger Nigeria than having a nation embedded in conflict.

“As we celebrate Democracy Day, it is my wish that Nigerians will continue to enjoy good governance, provided by freely elected government and sustained by strong and impartial institutions, all of which will lead to the creation of a developed society with the citizens freely enjoying a high standard of living”.

Breaking: National Democracy Walk

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National Democracy Stakeholders Group during the 4th National Democracy Solidarity Walk for free, fair, and credible 2019 general election in Abuja.

Details later

Democracy Day: Preserve ingredients of democracy, Ekweremadu charges Nigerians

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Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has harped on the need for Nigerians to preserve the fundamental ingredients of the nation’s democracy.

Ekweremadu made the call in a goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2018 Democracy Day.

Citing several countries, which built world-class infrastructure, prosperous economy, and maintained high Human Development Index under autocratic regimes, he said the real blessings of democracy were the intangibles such as rule of law, fundamental human rights, liberties, checks and balances, justice, and unity, among others.

He said: “The core blessings of democracy are liberties, human rights, rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, independent electoral umpire, an independent judiciary, an independent legislature, which all combine to deliver good governance.

“Democracy does not envisage a situation where an arm of government, no matter how well intended, expropriates or discountenances the constitutional roles of other arms. Willful disregard for these basic elements and flagrant abuse of critical institutions of democracy portend grave danger for democracy. It is a recipe for anarchy and slow poison to democracy.

“On the occasion of the nation’s 19th Democracy Day, therefore, leaders and citizens alike must recommit to unity and justice, directing our energies to safeguard the nation’s democracy from all forms of excesses that diminish it and compromise development”.

He wished Nigerians a happy Democracy Day.

Lalong vows to continue to promote Integrity, accountability and transparency in leadership

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Plateau state governor Simon Lalong said his administration would continue to provide more dividends of democracy to the People of Plateau

Gov Lalong made this known in a state broadcast to citizens of Plateau on the occasion of the 2018 Democracy day celebration .

He said ”. Today marks the third year of this administration since its inception on the 29th of May 2015. It is historic that our democracy is being entrenched, given the great mark of nearly two decades of uninterrupted democratic rule and its enduring legacy. You may recall that the administration came on board on the crest of popular mandate. Since then, with the support and cooperation of the well-meaning people of our dear State we have been navigating slowly with heavy steps, but on the right path, given the very challenging and tortuous journey of the past years, in view of lean resources in the face of increasingly competing demands. We did not, however, allow such experience or frustration to deter us from doing the needful by embarking on series of revolutionary changes to give the State and its Citizenry a new life. Yet, we have been keeping faith with the citizenry in the delivery of our electoral promises. Some Progressives whom we started this journey would have wished to be part of this success story, but have departed this world. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace with the Lord. We also give glory and praise to Almighty God for the protection, wisdom, gains and achievements so far recorded. On behalf of the Rescue team I sincerely thank Members of the State Executive and Security Councils and all the citizens of the State for the constant and unalloyed support and sacrifices for the good of the State in the last three years, in spite of numerous challenges. As we are at the threshold and eve of election year, I have chosen the theme of my address to be “Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Leadership”my stand on the principles of integrity, accountability and transparency in leadership. My decision to particularly dedicate the theme of this year’s Democracy Day Speech to issues bordering on Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Leadership stems from the desire to further entrench these as a standard in responsive and people-oriented governance. Fellow Citizens of Plateau State would also recall that in my first and second anniversary speeches I have maintained a solemn pledge to serve with integrity and patriotic zeal. During the early days of campaigns, and over these years we started by asking questions about governance, service delivery, Justice, Peace and Unity as well as sought your mandate, which was freely and willingly given by you, the good people of Plateau State, but with a caveat demanding a fair deal in leadership. It was indeed imperative during our stewardship, we had philosophically asked questions and in the process, questioned answers as well. In this way, Integrity, Accountability and Transparency as Hallmarks or Core Principles of good governance were emphasized in order to ensure justice and equity. In giving this mission report, I seek to rely on virtues of Truth. Truth, as we know is also the soul of Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Leadership. the gains and successes of the Rescue administration ,as we mark the third year of our administration and entering the last year of the first tenure, we are duty bound to give a mission report, take stock and assure you on sustaining our rescue and deliverance agenda. The reality is, indeed, not lost on us that leaders at whatever levels must give accounts of their stewardship, if not now but thereafter. It was in this vein that my administration set up the Prof. Sunny Gwanle Tyoden Transition Committee to take stock of all our assets and liabilities towards providing a clean slate for take-off of the administration. Thus, as part of the accountability and transparency, the report and other policy documents were received, carefully studied and adopted, along with proceedings of our Townhall Meetings and Peace and reconciliation Committee. With these strategic initiatives, the administration hit the ground running. Thus, during this period of rebalancing and confidence building in governance, we were able to assiduously identify over 245 issues to be addressed, with Timelines for the purpose of good governance. Substantial achievements have been recorded. These included continuity and completion of abandoned projects; dispute resolutions that saw the new Youth Council leadership fully back after over eight years in limbo; establishment of Plateau Peace Building Agency; Youth and Women empowerment programmes; recruitments or mass employment in the civil and public services; improved agricultural activities; up-to-date in payment of salaries and pension; improvement in the educational and agricultural sectors; establishment of several legal and institutional frameworks; enhanced collaboration with Federal and International bodies as they relate to our State and the Nation; resuscitation of cultural activities and peace carnivals in this our home of peace and Tourism; setting up of a Judicial Commission of Enquiry; etc. For the records and clearing of doubts, Government instituted the Justice Stephen Adah Commission of Inquiry to probe the activities of the previous administration, in the spirit of drawing up a demarcation on where the State stood in the past, and where it intends to move now and thereafter. These exercises, for the avoidance of doubt, were carried out in response to the yearnings and aspirations of the people who have continued to demand to know how their finances and affairs had been run and managed. Findings of the Commission of Inquiry, which have, without prejudice, revealed substantial evidences of corruption and impropriety have been forwarded to assist in recovering our stolen monies from all those who have cut corners or dipped their hands in the public coffers or treasury. Nevertheless, the anti-corruption agencies especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) which have no sacred cows have been sniffing around to ensure that looted funds are recovered and returned to the treasury. These steps are not aimed at witch-hunting as is being wrongly perceived in some quarters. For the records, by my disposition in life, I do not take any pleasure or gain in witch-hunting anyone as being peddled by those who have chosen, either out of mischief or ignorance, to give an ethnic or political colouration to recent activities of the Anti-Graft agency in the State. Under a democratic dispensation, people have the right to hold their own opinions, but the fight against corruption should be seen as an issue that borders on governance and has nothing to do with any ethnic, religious or political leanings. Let it be known that the fight against corruption is solely the mandate of the anti-graft agencies, which are statutorily empowered by the relevant Acts of the National Assembly to prosecute corrupt practices.

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