Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate PTAD has said that 16 years after Nigeria Reinsurance was privatized by the Federal Government, relief has come the way of 284 pensioners of the company as they have been added to its monthly payroll.

A statement made available yesterday in Abuja explained that a total of NGN8.31m was paid to the new enrolees for the month of July 2018 as they start receiving their monthly pension for life.

According to the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikpeazor “no pensioner or retiree, after serving their fatherland should ever be forced into the indignity and painful uncertainty of delayed pensions; today, Nigeria Reinsurance pensioners verified by PTAD Nigeria have been placed on monthly pension payroll. It is indeed a promise kept.”

She thanked the PTAD team for the dedication to fulfil the mandate of the Directorate and reiterated President MuhammaduBuhari’s commitment to pensioners’ welfare.

The Executive Secretary PTAD also assured her pensioners that the backlog of outstanding pension arrears will be cleared as funds are allocated and released.

25 total views, 25 views today

The post Another 284 Nigeria Re Pensioners pay rolled – PTAD. appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the conviction of one Ewuga John Amos before Justice Tukur of the Kaduna State High Court on a one count charge bordering on impersonation, forgery and obtaining by false pretence.

Faced with the daunting evidence against him, he chose to plead guilty as charged, yesterday.

Justice Tukur convicted the accused to a 190 day jail term or an option of fine of N200,000.00.

The Judge further ordered that a full restitution in the sum of N478,000.00 be paid back to the victims.

Amos, sometime in January, 2018 within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Kaduna with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of N478,000.00 from the quartet of Yakubu Hassan, Charles Dorothy Kigbu, Ishaku Sunday and David Kasimu Kago with a promise to secure for them employment with the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS.

The offence is contrary to Section 306(a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2007 and punishable under section 307 of the same Law.

30 total views, 30 views today

The post EFCC secures conviction of one for impersonation appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

GOVERNOR Godwin Obaseki has not created ranches but ranches had been created in Edo State since 1967. Dr Samuel Ogbemudia was former military and civilian governor of the defunct Midwest and Bendel state from September 1967-1975 and 1983.

He established Agbede Cattle Ranch, which came before itinerant Fulani cattle herdsmen began clashing with farmers everywhere. He introduced Bufallo rearing for meat production and Agbede Mechanised Farm and Igarra Cattle Ranch. Professor Ambrose Alli, former governor of old Bendel State established a ranch between Ubiaja and Ilushi in Esan South East local between 1979 to 1983.

There is no doubt today that there are ranches in Edo State, whether local or standard, in Okada junction in Ovia South West, Okada in Ovia North East, Akoko Edo, Esan South East, Etsako West and across the 18 local governments of Edo State that were established by prominent Edo people. Modern ranching was, thus, supposed to be an improvement over traditional livestock management.

The policy on ranching continued after independence when the government of Nigeria tried to use ranching to resettle the nomadic Fulani. In Edo State, investors come into the cattle-futures market and invest.
The Federal Government had recently unveiled a 10-year plan to establish ranches across the country, starting with Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara states. The National Livestock Implementation Plan is a mediation stemming from meetings and recommendations of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and NEC in 2017 as regards state interventions following the incessant pastoralist-farmer conflicts.”

Many Nigerians are not aware that people from Southern Nigeria own cows like those from the North in the 21st century. I challenge Edo State indigenes who are cattle owners to speak out. Many of Edo people are among the powerful Nigerians who are cattle owners.

The ownership of cattle goes well beyond the Fulani. What seems to be common to all cattle owners in the country is the hiring of Fulani herdsmen to tend their cattle. So far, the people’s anger has been directed at these herdsmen, who are being blamed for the serial conflicts with local farmers, whose farmlands and entire villages are being plundered by the cattle. It is high time the owners of the cattle were brought into the equation.

Contrary to a rumour making the rounds in the state, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has vehemently denied ceding land in any part of the state to anyone for ranching project but ranches existed before Obaseki emerged as governor of Edo State. The governor advised Edo people to ignore an effort by some individuals to give political colouration to every government policy.

20 total views, 20 views today

The post On Edo cattle ranches appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decried what it called the harassment of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, opposition leaders, and voices of dissent by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led-Federal Government.

PDP’s allegation came barely minutes after Senate President Bukola Saraki returned to PDP which he left in 2014.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, on Tuesday in Abuja, accused the government of misusing the anti-graft and security agencies close to the 2019 general election.

Ologbondiyan said that the current development posed a grave threat to the nation’s democracy and urged the international community to stop the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration before it becomes too late.

He party was reacting to what it described as a witch-hunt against Ekweremadu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Just a few days after the EFCC and over 200 policemen practically held Ekweremadu hostage to prevent the defection of the APC Senators to the PDP, the EFCC has continued to harass Ekweremadu to cover its shame.

“We wish to remind Nigerians and the international community that this is only the newest in the series of attempts to destroy the senator
politically in the run up to the 2019 general elections.

“It is of grave concern to us that while corruption and corrupt persons abound in the APC, the EFCC prefers to chase after innocent members of
the opposition.”

He said while scores of APC members with corruption and fraud-related charges walk free, the anti-graft agencies had continued to harass and dent leaders of the opposition in the name of anti-corruption war.

It warned the APC administration to desist from “highhandedness and witch-hunt of the opposition” in order not truncate the country’s democracy.

“The APC government cannot be allowed to tarnish and destroy opposition leaders just a few months to the general election in the name of fighting corruption,” Ologbondiyan said.

30 total views, 30 views today

The post Ekweremadu: APC desperate to dent opposition appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Amaju Pinnick led board of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF has shuned the order of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung not to convene any Emergency meeting of the board slated for the Edo State capital, Benin City today.

Pinnick directed all the Football Association’s Chairmen and other
Stakeholders to report to Benin for the Congress where some burning issues affecting the federation will be trashed.
But the Sports Minister has according to our source has told him to put it on hold until the scuffle between Pinnick’s board and that of Ambassador Chris Giwa is resolved.

Dalung has also told the NFF’s board not to discuss or fix any date for its General Election until all pending cases in court are settled.
The Minister has told the board to stop the sales of form before the World Cup insisting that the house must be put in order before any election is held.

Pinnick and his board has fixed September 30 has the election date as the tenure of its board is gradually winding up.
An Electorial Committee set up by the board had gone ahead with the sales of forms with qualified candidates obtaining them.

The Committee is expected to brief the Congress in Benin on the activities of the body since it was constituted two months ago.
Some far reaching decisions are expected to be rolled out after the meeting today as the NFF claims it has the autonomy to decide its fate.

20 total views, 20 views today

The post Pinnick shuns Minister’s order, holds Emergency Congress in Benin appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Politicians have been called upon to withdraw their support for the All Progressive Congress, APC which has obviously disappointed Nigerians and transfer same to any other political party that would help move Nigeria forward.

The Anglican Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ezeofor, who made the call yesterday at the Basilica of St. James the Great Cathedral, Atani, Ogbaru local district of Anambra state during the enthronement of Rt. Rev. Prosper Amah as the second Bishop of Ogbaru Diocese.

The Bishop said what is important now is for politicians to look around and find out which of the parties that will move the nation forward and then join the bandwagon.

According to Bishop Ezeofor, “APC has moved us backward and if we must progress, we must do the needful by leaving the APC which could not lead Nigeria into success and queue behind a better party that can guarantee our progress because we must progress as a nation since Nigeria is bigger than a single individual or APC as a political party”.

He therefore urged Bishop Amah who took over from him as the Anglican Bishop of Ogbaru to surpass his footprint in Ogbaru Diocese by completing the structures and at the same time lead the Anglican faithful to God.

Chancellor of the Diocese, Justice Pete Obiora, while presenting the key of a new brand Toyota SUV bought by the lay faithfuls to Amah, their new Bishop, said they were welcoming him to the Diocese with an open heart and urged him to do his best in shepherding the flock in the Diocese.

Obiora also praised the out-going Bishop Ezeofor who as the pioneer Bishop of Ogbaru Diocese, did marvelously well in the service of God and humanity and urged him to replicate the same in his new Aguata Diocese.

In his own speech, Information Officer to Anglican Diocese of Ogbaru, Sir Chinedu Ike, thanked God for giving the Diocese dedicated leaders in the persons of the first and outgoing Bishop Ezeofor and his successor, Amah, adding that their hard work and service to God and humanity was responsible for the progress of the Diocese so far.

Governor Willie Obiano, represented by Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, commended both Bishop Ezeofor and Amah for their achievements so far and expressed the state government’s desire to partner with church in the building of the state.

35 total views, 35 views today

The post 2019: Forget APC, seek better platforms – Anglican Bishop  appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Gwagwalada town and its environs expand every day, but lack development in terms of infrastructures, such as roads, portable water and poor supply of electricity has become the major problem of the residents. Hon Suleiman Ibrahim Barde, who is aspiring to become the next chairman of the council, has promised to transform Gwagwalada Area Council. PETER USMAN writes on the extent of poor infrastructure, Barde’s agenda for the council and the way out.

Apart from Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, which is in the heart of Abuja city, Gwagwalada Area Council remain the most populated Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT with opportunities to be developed in all ramifications, but unfortunately, reverse is the case as infrastructures that would make life meaningful for residents are still lacking in both Gwagwalada town and other villages.

Many residents in Gwagwalada town have blamed the lack of infrastructures on inability of the past Area Council Chairmen to maximize the allocation sent to them to develop the town and villages, while others blamed former Chairmen for lack of ideas to generate internal revenue within the Area Council to complement the allocations they have been receiving from the Federal Allocation through the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCDA for the purpose of making life better for the residents.

One of the residents, born and brought up in Kuntukun, Gwagwalada Area Council, Honourable Suleiman Ibrahim Barde, said that past chairmen lack strategy on how to bring development to Gwagwalada Area Council. He said many of them would not want to deviate from the old pattern and that was why they have infrastructural decay in the area.

Barde, is aspiring for the Chairmanship position of Gwagwalada Area Council on the platform of All Progressive Party, APC in 2019, and he pledged that if he became democratically elected as Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, he will definitely provide all the aforementioned infrastructures within a short period of time.

He said, “Our problem is that these people think the old ways. For instance, we can achieve rural electrification and rural road networks in a cheapest way, but it is unfortunate that our people are still engaging contractors with deep pockets by awarding fictitious contracts ranging from N150 to N300 million on just simple projects that can be handled by Engineers of the local government.”

Barde, who is Gbagyi by tribe, an estate agent, developer and modern agriculturist, maintained that until people were ready to discharge their duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently, there would be no positive and desire results. “If we want the rural dwellers to start seeing the dividend of democracy, then we must forget about awarding fictitious contracts.

Gwagwalada Area Council is strategically located in such a way that government needs to only leverage on the population and what is on ground to raise huge amount of money as revenue that would be used to develop the area. It is a pity that the focus of most government officials in the past and those on the seat of powers presently are on the federal government allocations that come every month.

According to him, “Let me tell you that every local government chairman both past and present want to get or become rich in every single contract they awards and it’s not supposed to be like that. That singular attitude exhibited by them placed us where we are today.”

“If democracy must strive even at the grass root level, the issue of tribalism should be shunned. Politics is not just about tribe. I am a Gbagyi man by tribe, but that doesn’t give me guarantee that I must become the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, if I don’t have the leadership quality that would drive development. It is not the numbers of degrees you have. If it were based on that, Prof. Wale Soyinka would have become the president of this country long ago.

“What brings political success and developmental stride is when you think differently, and think outside the box. It is when you believe in positive change from one level to another, when you are envious of other peoples’ development. You traveled and you saw something new, and when you come back you want to see it in your place too” he said.

Many Local Government Areas in Nigeria are grossly underfunded and that makes development at that level difficult. Some chairmen of these Local Governments, who relies on government allocations, cannot even pay salary of their staff, talk more of executing infrastructural projects and until these chairmen have learnt to design ways of obtaining revenue internally, they will not be able to meet their desire goals.

“The luckiest chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, who had enough money to do whatever he needed to do, was Hon. Zakari Angulu. Hon. Abu Giri could complain that there was no enough money during his tenure and actually and that was true. There was a time Gwagwalada Area Council were receiving 40 million as allocation and salaries were almost 65million. So, how could one pay salaries at that point, talk more of development?

“Luckily, we now have the person called Obama as chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council; he has never received 50million before. He has been receiving above 100 million as allocation. Sometimes he got 180 million and even 200 million. But that is not the issue, what you are able to do to better the lives of the residents in your domain in form of infrastructures is what we are talking about.

“You are receiving 80 million Naira as allocation for example and you went and awarded contract of 350 million, how do you fund it? That project will definitely remain uncompleted, and at the end of everything, you may not be able to achieve anything tangible as contractors will be going after you everywhere” he stated.

Barde stated that if the people of Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, were able to give him their mandates, come 2019 elections, he will engage those in Works Department at the Area Council, such as the Head of Department, supervisors, and worker in the same department to construct roads among other things.

He said that instead of the Area Council awarding contracts to all the big contractors in the country, whose prices are highly exorbitant, he would prefer to go by direct labour, through which he said that projects will be executed cheaply and a lot of jobs will be provided for the youths in the rural areas.

He said, “Sometimes I will begin to wonder what the function of works department in area council is? What are they actually doing? Are they just going to work and you pay them salaries at the end of the month? Then you call another contractor outside to come and execute your projects for you. I feel that does not make sense and we must stop that if we actually want development.”

“We are not going to restructure these workers; we are going to empower them so that they can carry out their responsibility as engineers. . We will give them consideration; we are focusing on them and at the same time, give them their responsibility. If they lack capability, we will bring experts to train them so that they can continue with their jobs.

“Of course, you make them redundant, when somebody graduated from the University, he got a job, and you keep him reading newspapers in the office, then you bring a contractor from the street to come and develop your area council. I would prefer to sit down with the works department; ask them about what they can do and what they cannot do. We will also bring people from outside who have the intellectual of that particular job that we want to embark on” he stated.

Barde asserted that it is the right time Local Government Chairmen across the country should come together and say no to fictitious contracts as it will not help any government at that level to excel, adding that through direct labour, project of300 million can be done for only 50 million,

The Chairmanship further stated that he has no doubt in his mind that he will win the election, adding that electorates will decide whom will serve them better and if they thought and satisfied with the service of the incumbent chairman so far, they can go ahead and vote for him second time.

“Gwagwalada area council electorates knew what they want. We are not talking about having power; we are talking about serving people. If people see that the services rendered so far by the incumbent chairman is satisfactory, they can continue with him. It is just a matter of 3years and another person will come again.

“I don’t have God father, I don’t have money, but I have my people and I believe in my people because they will not fail me. All Progressive Congress, APC is a party for all; Hon. Obama is welcomed into our party. As far as APC is concern, there will be primary election and we have confidence that we cannot be beaten. We have our home works, and is not about money and power, but about who people can trust. One thing I am sure is that, somebody must win and at the end, we will work together in the interest of the party.

54 total views, 54 views today

The post X-raying Barde’s agenda for Gwagwalada Area Council appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

LagosIndependent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria IPMAN has expressed worries over the looming fuel scarcity in Ibadan due to non-availability of the product at the depot in spite of the intervention of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.In a communique issued yesterday in Ibadan, Alhaji Raheem Tayo, the Ibadan Chapter IPMAN Chairman, said that the association was worried that the situation had persisted adding that the federal Government had made substantial re-investment through the NNPC to ‘resurrect” the Ibadan depot which had been moribund for more than two years.According to him, the development culminated in the inauguration of the depot by Mr Baru Maikanti, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC on Oct. 4, 2017.Tayo also said that with the commissioning of the depot, followed massive pumping of petroleum products, mainly Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the depot which directly led to increased activity.“The loading of petroleum product was so well unhindered thus wetting all the nooks and crannies of the depot jurisdiction of operation which eventually led to cessation of fuel scarcity.“The primary factor that made the depot go under for some years was because of pipeline vandalism.“Pipeline vandalism seems not to have been well taken care of as its resurgence becomes more daring thereby threatening another total closure of the depot with serious consequences to the supply of petroleum to the depot.“Loading activities, which was on the high side, progressively reduced on daily basis up until July 26, 2018 when loading activities stopped completely at the NNPC Ibadan depot,” he said.The IPMAN chairman said that the agitation by the Ibadan depot stakeholders led the NNPC management in Abuja to mandate their security department to meet with stakeholders.He said that the meeting with stakeholders and other relevant security agencies in the state, aimed at finding solutions to the continuous damaging of the pipelines, was aborted.“Now that the vandals have grounded Ibadan depot again because NNPC cannot push products through the pipelines, the public should brace up for another round of unpleasant period of fuel scarcity.”It is unfortunate that with the arrays of security agencies and bodies including the Police, NCSDC, DSS, NIA, Army, Navy, Airforce among others, the simple task of maintaining the integrity of the Pipeline, a vital nexus in the supply of Product to the public has become unattainable on the course which is the vandals unstoppable.

24 total views, 24 views today

The post Petroleum marketers’ laments over looming fuel scarcity in Ibadan appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Oil companies are saboteurs of our national economic growth. The lack of political will by the past regimes in Nigeria due to greed and selfishness to enforce signed agreement on the stoppage of gas flaring in Nigeria over the years has further destroyed our ozone layer and eco-system.

No doubt, oil companies whatever grants, scholarships given to Nigerians to blindfold us from realities have done more harm than good.
Environmental degradation is the cause of the restiveness in the Niger Delta that accentuates our insecurity. The media, civil society, and the civil society organisations should take the bull by the horns for our emancipation.

15 total views, 15 views today

The post Ending gas flaring appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Behind every scientific and social invention and innovation in human history lurks a tenacious and tortuous effort in research. In this feature, LINUS ALEKE takes a look at the undercurrent in NAF’s recent breakthrough in research and development.

The popular opinion amongst the academia that no society, sovereign nations or corporate bodies can progress and develop beyond its coordinated and dept of research, which usually gives birth to innovation is infinitely valid.

In the military arena, nations are reckoned with as a powerful nation when it can boost of sophisticated military hardware which of course are products of tenacious scientific research output, as well as large trained military personnel that can put to good use this deliberate investigative outputs.

An American expert on national security and military affairs, Prof. Stephen Peter Rosen has this to say about military research and development: “Military research and development decisions are made amid great uncertainties. In an ideal world, such decisions would be managed by estimating the future costs of alternative programs and their prospective military values, and then pursuing the program with the best ratio of cost to value. But…there are tremendous difficulties in forecasting the real value and costs of weapons development programs. These uncertainties, combined with the empirical difficulty American technology managers had in collecting intelligence on the Soviet Union, meant that research and development strategies in the real world tended to become strategies for managing uncertainties.”

Supporting the foregoing line of argument on the imperative of research and development, a Ghanaian inspirational writer, and founder, Smart Youth Volunteers Foundation, Lailah Gifty Akita said, “Research is the quest for in-depth knowledge and wisdom.”

It is, however, on the premise of the following that the hierarchy of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) under the leadership of incumbent Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar is prioritising research and development.

Only recently, the Nigerian Air Force recorded more Research and Development (R&D) breakthroughs, which were showcased during the 47th convocation ceremony of the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Kaduna.

The statement by Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya itemised some of the projects to include, “A prototype Oleo-Pneumatic Shock Absorber for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), an Automatic Solar Tracking System and a Rocket Launcher Circuit Test Box”.

Others according to the statement were “A prototype of Light Weight Helicopter, an Unmanned Hexacopter, as well as the adaptation and installation of BO-105 Helicopter guns on the Bell 412 Helicopters recently handed over to the NAF by the Federal Government”. The convocation ceremony also featured the award of diplomas and degree certificates to 257 graduating students comprising 102 NAF personnel,

2 Nigerian Army personnel, 3 Nigerian Navy personnel and 150 civilians.
The AVM also said that “The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Barrister Boss Mustapha, who was the Special Guest of Honour, was taken on a guided tour of the exhibition stand for the new R&D breakthroughs. During the tour, he was informed that the Oleo-Pneumatic Shock Absorber was designed and produced by AFIT students, using entirely locally sourced materials. The system has been comprehensively tested and would be used on UAVs that would be subsequently produced by the Nigerian Air Force”.

He further explained the benefits of some of the research breakthroughs saying that, “The Automatic Solar Tracker was designed by AFIT students to maximize the harvest of solar energy while the Rocket Launcher Circuit Test Box was developed to test continuity in rocket launchers in aid of maintenance activities on NAF’s fighter aircraft”.
The statement added that the SGF and other dignitaries were also briefed that an R&D Team from AFIT had also successfully weaponized the Bell 412 Helicopters by adapting the guns that were procured in the 1970s for the now de-commissioned BO-105 Helicopters.

Two pods, comprising 2 guns each, have already been installed on one of the Bell 412 Helicopters and successfully test fired, both on the ground and in the air, thereby saving the nation considerable foreign exchange that would have otherwise been expended in purchasing and installing new guns. Another significant breakthrough on display was the multipurpose Unmanned Hexacopter, which was designed and constructed in-house by a team of AFIT staff and students led by Flight Lieutenant Nkemdilim Ofodile. The Hexacopter, which was again successfully demonstrated yesterday, is designed for both military and civilian applications such as aerial surveillance, mapping, policing operations and pipeline monitoring, among others”.

On his part, the Special Guest of Honour, Barrister Boss Mustapha expressed delight with the giant strides made by NAF in the areas of human capacity development, as well as research and development.
He commended NAF leadership for the progress in AFIT, especially the synergy of effort between military and civilian institutions, stressing that this type of synergy exemplified one of the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, which is to create indigenous technological capacity in the military and civilian spaces in Nigeria towards engendering joint research efforts.

According to him, “AFIT was well positioned to continue to provide a pool of qualified manpower that would ensure sustainability of the Nigeria Air project. While urging the graduating students to aim to be globally competitive and gear up to conquer the world”.
The Chairman of the AFIT Governing Council and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar while declaring the convocation ceremony open thanked President Buhari, for assenting to the Bill, which effectively transformed AFIT to the status of a degree awarding institution.

He equally thanked the National Assembly for the passage of the Bill, while noting that there is the need for private sector participation with a view to mass producing the research and development products to enable the nation maximally benefit from NAF’s R&D efforts.

Earlier in an address of welcome, the AFIT Commandant, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Cletus Udeagulu, thanked the SGF for accepting to grace the occasion and also appreciated the Chief of Air Staff for hi tremendous support, which had enabled the Institute to record such remarkable achievements.

He further revealed that the Institute was poised to commence degree programmes with effect from the 2018/2019 Academic Session.
Also present at the memorable occasion were heads of other academic institutions as well as the Executive Secretaries of the NUC and NBTE, while prizes were presented to the best graduating students in the various departments.

It is however imperative at this juncture to conclude with a critical quote from Rwandan writer and blogger, Bangambiki Habyarimana “It’s impossible to do science without faith. Sometimes scientists build theories on the premises of faulty assumptions until they discover they were in error and begin again from square one until they discover the true theory. It’s quite different with theologians, they build false theory upon false theory until they give you detailed descriptions of heaven and hell and construct dogmas to protect their errors and if you dare say they are in error they condemn you to eternal damnation they arrived at through false theories.”

25 total views, 25 views today

The post NAF: Showcasing breakthroughs in research and development appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Tension has continued to mount in Iwukem village in Etim Ekpo Local council of Akwa Ibom due to fear of another attack by solders over allegedly killing of a soldier by gunmen suspected to be militants last weekend.

But Spokesman for the 2 Brigade, Major Bashir Jajiro has denied any such plan by the amy and has asked members of the community to report any human right abuse, to the Human Rights Desk at the Brigade Headquarters in Uyo.

It was gathered that last Saturday militants had attacked the village and killed six persons including a soldier and five villagers at the Iwukem junction and allegedly made burnt their hilux vehicle.

In a reprisal exercise, a detachment of soldiers was reportedly drafted to the village the next day and in the invasion houses were set blazed including more than 50 shops within the Junction.

The villagers, mainly women now sleep in churches and police station while the men take refuge in the bush for fear of the anticipated raid.

The villagers also condemned the Akwa Ibom state Government for abandoning the village in her time of affliction.

The village Head, Chief Friday Uyoh and the Youth Leader, Comrade Ubokutom Akpanowo, said no government official has visited the village since the gunmen invaded it on Saturday and the soldiers attacked them on Sunday.

The village is in the same Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, which the State Deputy governor Mr. Moses Ekpo hails, as well as their Councilor, Council Chairman, House of Assembly member or an official of the state government.

As a border community with Abia state, they wondered if they are still part of Akwa Ibom state and why no government official has visited despite the community playing host to hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons from neigbouring communities and local government.

A youth leader, Comrade Ubokutom Akpanowo, said that since the attack on the village, the soldiers who used to mount a check point by the Junction left the village only to resurfaced on Wednesday afternoon; and were seen discussing with policemen from MOPOL 25 which has a based in the village.

He said the appearance of the soldiers caused panic in the entire village.

The anger of the soldiers, Akpanowo claimed, is that the villagers did not support them to fight the gunmen, and queried how villagers who do not have arms could have repelled the attackers who came into the village about 10 PM.

On why the village was the target of attack by the gunmen, Akpanowo stated that since the security crisis in some parts of Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun local government areas since last year, Iwukem has served as a refuge for persons who fled their villages.

48 total views, 48 views today

The post Tension in A’Ibom community over fear of attack by soldiers appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

When God completed the creation of heaven, and the earth and all their armies, He saw that everything was good, consequently, all that is wrong in Nigeria today is the work of Satan. God is not happy with us in this country because we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
95 per cent of the Nigeria populace is made up of liars calling the name of God in vain and perpetrating demonic acts. To hold any position; from Presidency to the least in politics, none of them can swear that they are not diabolically having relationship with Satan one way or the other and Satan is an architect of evil.

How then do we want Nigeria to be peaceful? Is it not God that brings peace? It is this God that we have neglected and everyone now follows his own principles but a man’s ways are filthy before his maker. God gave us his commandments but we have all deviated, even religious leaders.
Let me here remind us that Boko Haram started in Nigeria a few years ago before it evolved into Fulani massacre today, it is all centered on islamisation of Nigeria.

Sometimes this year, one of the North African countries gave an order that English Language should not be taught in their country again. When the 105 Dapchi students were turned back, their leader who brought them back warned that we should forbid them to go to school again. Education is the bedrock of any developed country. Why on earth should people in the bush controlling cattle be ruling enlightened people in a developing country? Our leaders are not truthful about what is happening.
God created Nigeria the way he wanted it to be for us to embrace ourselves, to love and to live together in peace, but we have disappointed our Creator, we need to repent of our ways before God can embrace us.

Let me advise President Muhammad Buhari to balance up the income of the six-geopolitical zones of the country; he should share our revenue evenly in all the geo-political zones of the country, if ninety percent (90%) goes to an area than the other zones, it is wrong. Some parts of the country should not be suffering for hunger while some will be living flamboyant lives.

10 total views, 10 views today

The post We have deviated from law of God appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Voice from the East, VEAST, an Igbo group, yesterday demonstrated on the streets of Enugu City over what it called charade by a sinking ship to impeach the executive governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

The Convener of VEAST, Comrade Kindness Jonah, who addressed journalists in Enugu on the reason for the demonstration, said that they took to demonstrating on the streets of the Coal City to show their angst against what they identified as crass negligence of the rules of engagement in undertaking such a venture, and queried how eight members out of 30 can impeach a governor.

Some of the placards the demonstrators carried read: “enough of this brigandage in this regime’; enough of bloodshed in this regime; ‘enough of security forces aiding and abetting the killing of Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen as they refuse to disarm them, but go about disarming local vigilantes.’”

According to VEAST, “soon and very soon, the government may not be able to contain the upsurge of violence that would envelope Nigeria if it keeps on this way in Nigeria.”

The group wondered why policemen should refuse 22 PDP Assembly members entry into the House,while at the same time protecting the dissident eight from APC .

Irked by what they view as gross injustice going on in the land, VEAST warned they would make sure that “Nigeria ceases to be peaceful adinfinitum, if Nigerian security forces, under its C-in-C, acts funny on Ortom by removing him by declaration of state of emergency or by the ruse called impeachment.”

111 total views, 111 views today

The post Group demonstrates against planned impeachment of Gov. Ortom appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Director General, Standards Organisation, SON Osita Aboloma has directed a nationwide enforcement operation aimed at ensuring that sugar obtained and consumed in Nigeria are fortified with vitamin A, devoid of any harmful impurities as stipulated in the Nigerian Industrial Standards, NIS and World Health Organisation, WHO convention on food fortification.

Aboloma said that the enforcement raids which were carried out simultaneously across the country swooped on various markets and locations on the lookout for importers and dealers of impure and unfortified foreign manufactured sugar in the country.
He said that the exercise was aimed at safeguarding the health of the nation and also protects local manufacturers from the influx of cheaper substandard sugar from abroad.

The DG stated that the exercise was in line with the Federal Government’s policy in promoting made in Nigeria products and as well policy on food fortification which stipulates that certain food products such as sugar, salt, flour and vegetable oil are fortified with essential micro nutrients to safe guard the health of its citizens, especially women and children against the incapacitating effect of deficiencies of trace elements in food.

In a statement made available in Abuja, the nationwide enforcement was based on reports collated by the Operations Directorate of SON from surveillance of the 36 states of the federation which indicated that most of the imported brand of sugar found in our markets are suspected to have been smuggled into the country, unfortified with the required micro nutrient of vitamin A and also contain impurities. 

“In the commercial city of Lagos where different teams from SON raided different locations, of particular interest was the raid by the Surveillance and Intelligence Monitoring (SIM) Unit of SON to Iddo Lagos, where outlets were found not only stocking imported sugar suspected to be unfortified, but also re-bagging sugar into sacks of a popular Nigerian brand for sale to unsuspecting buyers”

Representative of the DG of SON and the Coordinator of SIM, Isa Alhaji Suleiman in an interview stated that the sugar products put on hold and evacuated were Altmogiana, Usina Bazan and Usina Santaisabel brands with Brazil as the country of origin.

He further disclosed that some shops were found with large quantities of empty sacks branded with the name, “Dangote” suspected to be used for the re-bagging of these imported brands of sugar in very unhygienic environments.

18 total views, 18 views today

The post SON clamp down on imported unfortified sugar dealers, syndicates appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

We are expecting more defectors -PDP
Palpable fear and political uncertainty have continued to trail the defection gale that has hit the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC with Wednesday’s absence of five governors from it ranks.

The absence of the trio of Governor AbdulrazeezYari, Zamfara, Governor Ibrahim Geidam, Yobe and Governor Abubakar Mohammed, Bauchi from a closed-door meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and APC governors at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja last Wednesday night has left many speculating on their present loyalty status.

Already, the opposition PDP has taken delivery of the first batch of three APC governors as Dr Samuel Ortom , Benue, Abdulfatah Ahmed, Kwara and Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal,Sokoto, had defected to the PDP fold.

The PDP had last week promised to get back more of her former leaders on transfer to the ruling APC. It National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus had vowed to recover the party’s lost glory which includes returning back all her key members who are appointed envoys and serving ministers by the APC back into its camp before next year’s general elections.

Secondus boasted this while receiving formally Governors Ortom and Abdulfatah Ahmed in their respective states last week, assuring that “more governors, ministers, senators and even ambassadors are on their way back home”.

To this effect, the Minister of Women Affairs and the APC governorship candidate in Taraba State, Senator Aisha Alhassan, had on Thursday, resigned her ministerial appointment.Another top notch of the APC, Ambassador Ahmed Musa Ibeto, has also kissed goodbye as the Nigeria Envoy to South Africa.

The ruling APC had last week lost a sitting President of the Senate and the chairman of the National Assembly, DrBukolaSaraki along fifteen senators and another 36 members of the lower chambers simultaneously.

The meeting which was particularly held due to the defections of Governors Ortom, Ahmed and Tambuwal just before President Buhari’s departure to London for a medical checkup has caused a wild fears as the opposition is even threatening to take more delivery of defectors in the next weeks ahead.

It will be recalled that Governor AbdulazizYari of Zamfara, who is also the current Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, has recently criticized his party’s federal government especially, it’s security architecture due to the spate of continued killings in his north western state.

Political observers could easily marry his conspicuous absence in the last Wednesday’s Presidential parley with APC governors at a trying moment as a body language, signaling departure.

Governors Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi state and Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe state have no trace of resentment against their party. However, their desperation to retain power or remain relevant in the next dispensation might have given room for their last week’s action.

The PDP northeast zone is also desperate to have the PDP presidential ticket on it side a political source close to the power dichotomy confided that ex Vice President Atiku Abubakar was working silently behind the scene to get back more returnees to further boost his chances in clinching the PDP Presidential ticket for the final battle with President MuhammaduBuhari next year.

The Aso Presidential Villa’s gate was only flown wide open to its regulars; governors, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state and Yahaya Bello of Kogi.

Others were Jubril Bindow of Adamawa, Kashim Shettima of Borno, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state. Also at the meeting were Ogun State Senator IbikunleAmosun, Hon. Simon Lalong of Plateau, OwelleRochasOkorocha of Imo, AbdullahiGanduje of Kano state and Niger State.

Governors; Sani Bello, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state, TankoAlmakura of Nasarawa, Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Osun Deputy Governor, Grace Laoye-Tomori were all in attendance.

28 total views, 28 views today

The post FEARS, anxiety envelop APC, as 5 govs shun Aso Rock meeting appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Mammoth crowd comprising of youth and the aged loyal to Senator Bukola Saraki trooped out in a rally yesterday to confirm their support for defection of Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the capital city of Kwara State.

They were singing and praising Saraki and insisted that he will keep winning an election in the state irrespective of political party he belongs to.

The spokesman Mr. Yakub Haruna Kannike who addressed newsmen at the entrance gate of the Government House Ilorin where the rally was terminated said; “In Kwara, Saraki is our political party and we shall always vote for his party and candidates”,

Kannike re-emphasised that: Saraki has been tested and trusted by the good people of the state. In fact, he does not need to be in any political party to win elections in the state. The people of the state have said it many times that our political party in Kwara is ” Saraki”.

“He, said the simple interpretation of the above statement is that the people of the state are always ready to vote for any party that our leader finds himself at any point in time. The elections history is there for anybody to confirm this fact”.

In his response the Kwara State Governor Dr. Abdufatah Ahmed said “I want to welcome all the youths here to Government House, your house, because this is the seat of government of the people and the people have come here to tell us their views on what they want us to do. I want to assure you, like I do always that , your voice is our voice”

“On our part, we will continue within the time frame left, to increase our support for government business by delivering goods and services to the people in infrastructure, health and in the economy. We will also ensure that we have a very comfortable and convenient political environment so that the aspirations of everybody will be encapsulated in this, so that Kwara will continue to be great under our leadership. I want to assure you that your message is well received and it is part of the agenda with which we want to move Kwara forward”.

36 total views, 36 views today

The post Defection: Saraki supporters rally in Ilorin metropolis appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

At least 15 people were killed and more than 50 others wounded after two explosions
ripped through a mosque in Gardez, a town in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, sources said.

The incident occurred at around 1:30 p.m. local time when people were offering Friday prayers inside
Imam-i-Zaman Mosque in Police District II of the city, which is the capital of eastern Paktia province,
a police officer who declined to be named, told Xinhua.

“The preliminary information and initial findings of our police showed that two back to back blasts struck
inside the building when people were inside the mosque.

“So far, we have no more details but the number of casualties may change as the victims were shifted to
different hospitals across the city,” he said.

Security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures in Khowja Hassan neighbourhood
mostly dominated by Shiite Afghans.

Media and people were not allowed to enter the site and no one knows what exactly is ongoing inside the building.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. (Xinhua/NAN)

385 total views, 385 views today

The post 15 killed, 50 injured as explosions rock mosque in eastern Afghan town appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

A 23-year-old barber, Philip John, was on Friday arraigned at a Karu Magistrate Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing an Infinix brand of phone.

John, a resident of Jikwoyi, was docked on charges of criminal breach of trust, theft and criminal misappropriation.‎

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Prosecutor, Vincent Osuji, had told the court that one Danjuma Alalakpe of Karu, Abuja, reported the matter at the Karu Police Station on June 27.

Osuji said that the defendant committed the offences on June 26 and at about 9.00 p.m.

“The complainant alleged that his daughter by name Faith Danjuma went to the defendant’s barbing salon to have her hair cut and in the process plugged her Infinix phone and left.

“Upon her return, she discovered that the defendant has dishonestly stolen the phone and all efforts to recover the phone proved abortive.

“During police investigation, the defendant confessed to have stolen the phone and sold it to one Abubakar at the rate of N1,500,” Osuji said.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 312, 287 and 309 of the Penal Code.

The Judge, Abubakar Umar, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Umar adjourned the case until Aug. 14 for hearing. (NAN)

295 total views, 295 views today

The post Barber, 23, docked over alleged phone theft appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Friday alleged that the All Progressives
Congress, APC and Federal Government is shopping for “a fraudulent interim court order to declare vacant, the seat of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, following his defection from the APC to the PDP.”

The PDP’s Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said the party has “credible information” at its disposal indicating that “some cabals in the Presidency and APC had perfected a plan to institute a lawsuit to challenge the validity of Saraki’s seat with the sole aim of securing a fraudulent injunction to force him out of office pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

According to him, “further intelligence available to us shows that once they are able to secure the injunction from a particular compromised judicial officer, they intend to arraign and detain the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on trumped up charges and ensure he is not granted bail so as to keep him out of circulation while their men would move in to effect an illegal leadership change in the Senate.

“While we trust that the Chief Justice of Nigeria will protect the sanctity of our judiciary especially at this trying time in our national history, we call on the institution of the judiciary at all levels to immune itself from being used by enemies of our democracy as no house falls leaving its roof standing.

“This desperation by despotic forces to forcefully and illegally take control of the Senate, the highest symbol of our Democratic Order, is nothing short of ‘civilianised coup’ which must be resisted by all.”

The party advised the judiciary to ensure that it is not intimidated or ensnared to be party to a desperate bid to destabilize our nation.

“The PDP holds that this newest devilish plot to destabilise our democracy lays credence to our earlier stand that President Buhari’s supposed London vacation is a ploy to absolve himself of responsibility for the political terror they have plotted to unleash on the opposition, especially the National Assembly.

“Although they denied it as usual, Nigerians can bear witness to the fact that there is nothing the APC government denied that they did not eventually execute.

“Indeed, there has never been any impunity they executed that they did not deny.

“The recent rascally attempts to hold Saraki and Ekweremadu hostage in their homes on 24th July 2018 as well as the terrorisation of the Benue State House of Assembly after Governor Samuel Ortom’s defection bear sad testimony to this fact.

“We, therefore, call on Nigerians and the international community to be on the alert as the conspirators plan to commence the execution of this evil plot from Tuesday next week.”

PDP cautioned the APC and others in this “evil ring” to note that they are now running on a collision course with Nigerians as the citizens will definitely not fold their hands and watch them destroy our hard earned democracy and foist a fascism on our dear nation.

141 total views, 141 views today

The post FG, APC shopping for Court order to upstage Saraki, Ekweremadu – PDP appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

60 total views, 60 views today

The post News Headlines appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.