Gov Adams Oshiomhole Sworn In New Head Of Service

Gov Adams Oshiomhole of EdoState has sworn in Mr. Jerry E. Obazele as the new Head of Service with a charge to reposition the service to meet modern challenges.

Speaking after the new Head of Service had subscribed to the relevant oath-of- office, Governor Oshiomhole  congratu-lated him on his well-deserved appointment.
On Mr. Obazele’s choice as the new helmsman in the Edo State Civil Service, the Governor had this to say: “There would be many who are competent and eligible, but at any point in time it is only one person that God will choose to head a system. For the records, let me say that your appointment is based strictly on merit”.
While speaking further on his choice as the new HOS, Oshiomhole said “I have looked at the list of the Permanent Secretaries, on the conventional approach of seniority, you are probably number three or number four. That is when you use the criteria of the last appointment as permanent secretary. In my view this is not the best way to measure and to determine seniority.
Oshiomhole who reminded the new HOS of the importance of the oath-of-office said “the problem of the country is that after subscribing to the oath, because it is not  juju, some believe that the oath- of-office is a mere formality that is not meant to be obeyed”.

540,000 Men, Women, Children Are On HIV Treatment

President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) on Friday said that about 540,000 men, women and children are on HIV treatment.

The results which were made available to Vanguard by PEPFAR on    AIDS stated that the financial year for 2013 alone  approximately 572,000 people have been reached with community outreach programs promoting prevention of HIV. Nearly 6.7 million people have been reached with HIV counseling and testing services.
About 47,000 pregnant women have been provided antiretroviral drugs for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Approximately 790,000 adults and children living with HIV/AIDS have received care to support quality of life, including TB/ HIV care services and; about 530,000children orphaned by AIDS and other vulnerable children received care and support.
PEPFAR’s response to the global AIDS crisis has also helped to establish a robust health care delivery capacity in partner countries – often where little or none previously existed – that not only addresses HIV, but also a broader range of health issues, including tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal and child health.
Meanwhile the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle on Friday said that the Federal Capital Territory Abuja has an HIV prevalence rate of 8.6 percent (well above the national median of 4.1 percent), and the Bwari Local Government Area, where the MAPA community is situated, has the highest HIV prevalence in the FCT.
Entwiste made this known at the   commissioning of   Mapa Community Clinic in commemoration of World AIDS Day.
The clinic’s goal is to provide antenatal care and delivery services to women in the Mapa and surrounding communities to reduce maternal deaths and the resultant number of orphans and vulnerable children in these communities. Services for preventing mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus also will be offered at the clinic.
”The grant of approximately $10,000 was provided to the community for the construction of the clinic and to pay for clinic furniture and equipment
He noted that the U.S. Congress passed legislation renewing president’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief for another five years, the second time the program has been extended, and highlighted “the commitment of the American people to ensure that our Nigerian friends and partners have the resources and support they need to effectively treat and prevent HIV/AIDs.”

Boko Haram Kidnaps, Rapes Women, Girls In North-East

Human Rights Watch says Islamic extremists in the Northeast are abducting and apparently raping women and girls. The group, in a report on Thursday, also criticized the federal government for failing to account for hundreds of men and boys rounded up by security forces using emergency powers in the Islamic uprising.

The London-based organization quoted witnesses saying hundreds have died of dehydration, illness and beatings, while many other detainees have been executed.

It quoted commanders of vigilance groups describing the rescue of kidnapped women and girls in attacks on hideouts of the Boko Haram terrorist network. Some were pregnant and others had babies.

It did not spare the Civilian Joint Task Force whose emergence,it said , has “added a worrisome new dimension to the violence.”

It said: “Civilian Joint Task Force members inform security forces about presumed local Boko Haram activity; the Islamist group then retaliates against both the neighbourhood vigilante group and the broader community.

Daniel Bekele, Africa director at HRW, said: “For a group that claims to be religious, Boko Haram’s tactics are the most profane acts we can imagine.The killing and mutilation of ordinary Nigerians, the abduction and rape of women and girls, and the use of children for fighting are horrifying human rights violations.”

In the course of compiling the report, HRW claimed to have interviewed more than 60 victims, witnesses, medical personnel, members of local rights groups, Civilian Joint Task Force commanders and government officials over nine days in Kano and Maiduguri.

Its words:“Commanders of the Civilian Joint Task Force, working with security forces, said that they had rescued 26 abducted women and girls from a Boko Haram stronghold in Maiduguri and later in Sambisa Forest. Some of the women and girls were pregnant; others had babies. The commanders told Human Rights Watch that a number of the girls had been abducted while hawking wares on the street or working on farms in remote villages. Many girls who were rescued or had escaped were sent off by their families to distant cities like Abuja and Lagos to avoid the stigma of rape or pregnancy outside of marriage, activists said.

“Several witnesses said they saw children in the ranks of Boko Haram during attacks. In Maiduguri, Human Rights Watch researchers saw a video recording of the interrogation by security forces of a 14-year-old boy who described the role he played in Boko Haram operations. Commanders of the Civilian Joint Task Force said they had freed numerous children during a 2013 attack on a Boko Haram base in Sambisa Forest.

“Human Rights Watch also observed children who appeared to be aged 15 to 17 manning checkpoints for the Civilian Joint Task Force in Maiduguri; other witnesses described seeing children manning checkpoints elsewhere in Borno and Yobe states.”

Witnesses described Boko Haram laying siege to towns, villages and highways; looting and burning houses, shops, and vehicles; and executing and decapitating people, some of whom they accused of aiding the Civilian Joint Task Force. In July, the combined efforts of the security forces and Civilian Joint Task Force appeared to have pushed Boko Haram out of Maiduguri. Since then, the group has carried out numerous attacks in the nearby towns of Damaturu, Benisheikh and Gamboru.

Boko Haram’s September 17 attack on Benisheikh, 74 kilometres west of Maiduguri, killed at least 142 people and was the most lethal incident in Borno State since 2010. A man who went to Benisheikh to look for a colleague on the morning after the attack described what he saw at a checkpoint that had been set up by Boko Haram and that was crowded with burned vehicles:

“There were bodies all over… three here, two there, four near the next – all lying face down, dead next to their vehicle. Then I saw a long line of bodies… about 30 of them. But weirdly, one of the trucks was carrying cows which were still alive. Who are these people who kill the human beings, yet leave the cows standing?” he said.

Another witness described seeing about 20 women abducted during the September 17 Benisheikh attack. A health worker in Maiduguri told Human Rights Watch that he attended to a 15-year-old girl who had recently returned home pregnant several months after Boko Haram abducted her.

Hezbollah: Court In Abuja Jailed Lebanese For life

The trial of three Lebanese accused of belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist group, and in ration the Kano arm find, ended yesterday with a Federal High Court in Abuja jailing one of them for life. Talal Ahmad Roda, who was arrested in the Kano house where the ammunition was found, got life to imprisonment having been found guilty of conspiracy.

Mustapha Fawaz, owner of Abuja-based Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park, both companies and the second accused person, Abdallah Thahini were freed. Justice Ademola Adeniyi, in a judgment yesterday, held that the prosecution failed to provide concrete evidence linking them with terrorism.

The Federal Government had on July 29 arraigned that three men and the companies on a 16-count charge of terrorism.

While Roda was convicted on counts 8 and 9 relating to conspiracy, Fawaz, his companies and Thahini were acquitted on all the counts.

Justice Adeniyi held that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubts that the discharged persons are terrorists.

The judge was of the opinion that since the Hezbollah military group was not labelled a terrorist group under any Nigerian law, the court could not hold otherwise.

Justice Adeniyi observed that some aspects of the investigation were not properly conducted.

The judge also also observed that the prosecution failed by the evidence brought before the court to establish a case of terrorism against the accused persons.

He held that the prosecution was wrong by not producing before the court either the ammunition recovered from No 3, Gaiya Road, Kano or the photographer who took pictures of the ammunition.

The judge further held that the prosecution could have, as an alternative, applied to have the court visit the Kano house and see the ammunition.

Justice Adeniyi was of the opinion that the failure by the prosecution to take any of the above steps makes the the photo evidence of the ammunition tendered inadmissible.

The judge also noted that the witness brought by the prosecution who conducted the search confessed that he was neither a forensic or ballistic expert.

While the judge was about to sentence Roda, defence lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), pleaded him to be lenient and temper justice with mercy.

He said the convict co-orperated with the security agencies all through the trial and that he has lived his entire life in Nigeria.

Prosecution lawyer, Simon Egede, said though he shared the sentiment of the defence lawyer, the law must take its course, no matter what happened.

He said that the punishment for conspiracy is life imprisonment and he urged the court to follow the law in making its pronouncement.

The judge rose for about 45 minutes and when he resumed sitting announced the sentencing of the third accused person (Roda) to life imprisonment.

Justice Adeniyi held that the terrorism law, under which he was charged, provides for life imprisonment on conviction for conspiracy, and that the court has no discretion to vary it.

“I have listened to the allocutus of the defence counsel on the issue of sentencing.

“After I have read one or two authorities as to the provision where the accused was charged, it does not give room for judicial discretion.

“I, thereby, sentence the third accused person to life imprisonment on Counts 8 and 9 and both terms are to run concurrently”.

The judge ordered that both Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park be unsealed with immediate effect.

He added that the 61,170 US dollars seized from the second accused person (Thahini) be returned to him.

The judge also directed that all personal properties seized from the discharged persons and their relatives be returned to them forthwith.

Oshiomhole Apologizes to Widow Over Comments Made.

Nigeria- Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo on Friday when he was visited by leaders of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Benin apologised for the comments he made to a widow during an inspection tour on Mission Road, in the state capital, a fortnight ago.

Oshiomhole said that he now regretted the comments which had become the subject of discourse in the social media, noting that he’d made the comments in anger.

The Governor urged the Muslim women leaders to use their offices to propagate the essence of healthy living among children and women in the nation and the need to maintain proper sanitary conditions in their neighbourhoods.

Oshiomhole lamented that the challenge of widowhood had also exposed children to different temptations, adding that there was the need for society to be careful, to avoid unwittingly creating more problems for the nation.

The Governor added that if Muslims and Christians were adequately committed to their religious doctrines, the world would be a better place.

Burial of late Former President of ASUU, Prof. Festus Iyayi, fixed for Dec.4 and Dec.7, 2013

The burial of late former President of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Prof. Festus Iyayi, has been fixed for between Dec. 4 and Dec. 7.

Notice of the burial is contained in a statement issued by the family and the Burial Committee in Benin on Friday.

Signed by Mr Ehidiamen Iyayi and Prof. Diri Teilanyo, the statement noted that the remains of the former ASUU boss would be interred on Dec.7 at Ugbegun in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo.

It stated that there would be a solidarity match from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Benin to his residence in Benin on Dec. 4.

There would be service of songs and night of tributes both at his residence in Benin on Dec. 5.

There will be lying in state at his residence in Benin on Dec. 6, while body departs Benin for Ugbegun, his country home same day.

Prof. Iyayi died in a road accident along Lokoja-Abuja highway on Oct. 12.

He was travelling to Kano to attend the National Executive Committee meeting of ASUU when the accident occurred.

D'Banj now with Sony Music...Bravo

Dapo Oyebanjo, our very own D’Banj, is moving up at an alarming rate and with this speed, he looks set for the sky.
‘Bangalee’ has just got himself signed on to one of the world’s top record labels, Sony Music Entertainment, and the deal is said to be worth millions of dollars.
Being the sharp business man that he is, the ‘Koko Master’ made sure his kid brother, Kayswitch, and other upcoming acts on his personal record label, are somehow included in the deal.
The company, in a release, acknowledges the fact that ‘Oliver Twist’ has actually been signed on by them.

“Global recording company Sony Music Entertainment is proud to announce the signing of Nigerian megastar, D’Banj, to its RCA Africa label.
“The breakthrough deal also includes a multi-album, worldwide exclusive contract with emerging Nigerian singer-songwriter, Kayswitch and a strategic partnership with D’Banj’s Nigerian record label, DB Records, whose catalog includes artists and producers such as J.Sol, Jay Sleek and DeeVee.
“Sony Music’s RCA Records label hosts a family of global superstar artists and a catalog of music, which includes some of the most important recordings in history. The signing landmarks a historic moment, which sees Africa’s number one superstar artist, D’Banj, join Africa’s number one music and entertainment company Sony Music.
“Partnering with D’Banj is a seminal event for us at Sony Music Entertainment Africa. We’ve always admired his talent and to be able to assist with bringing D’Banj’s music to millions of fans, established and new, across the continent is an honour for us.”
Congratulations D’Banj, go conquer the world man.

Comedian AY Celebrates his 9th wedding anniversary

Ayo Makun and his lovely wife Mabel have been together for 9years but yesterday 29th November marked their 5th year anniversary.
Comedian AY says “I am thanking God for the celebration of love on this day. It’s been 5 years of saying “I DO” and 9 years of companionship…the lord has been good to us” and he shared these lovely photos of them below:

THE STRIKE HAS JUST STARTED - Nigeria Federal Universities

THE STRIKE HAS JUST STARTED "Check out the Threat & Response between Jonathan & ASUU"

FG threatens ASUU to resume on or b4 December 4th or lose their jobs. Yesterday Thursday, ASUU on the other hand described the threat by the federal government to sack lecturers if they don’t return to classroom as empty threat that
could not hold water.

The union said it is vindicated that the Federal government was
not ready to implement
resolutions reached with the union.

ASUU said the threat will fail, adding that Nigerian public universities need 60,000 lecturers due to government’s failure to employ more capable
hands into the system.

The union said federal
government is wasting the time of Nigerians youths by failing to
perfect the resolutions and get the strike suspended.

The ASUU National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu, while responding to the government’s
directive, said the threat does not hold water as it has confirmed the fears that the federal
government cannot be trusted.

The don said, “With the latest action, the federal government has shown that they are not
committed to all they have been saying. We are saying that since we agreed at the meeting that the sum of 200 billion naira is for
2012 and 2013 revitalisation, the
federal government should deposit same in the Central Bank of Nigerian. We are already in November and December is around the corner. If they don’t
do that now, when do they want to do it? We are saying the non-
victimization clause should be included as agreed while the
renegotiation of the 2009
agreement should be included as agreed with the presidents”.

“It is a pity if the federal
government is not willing to perfect the resolutions reached with union. This is why we find it difficult to trust our leaders by
their words. How can someone be threatening to sack lecturers when universities are already short-staffed by almost 60,000.

We are not in military era. The military tried it and failed. This one will fail again. They can re-
open the school. ASUU did not shut down the universities. It was the management of the
schools that ordered the
students to go back home.”

SOURCE: The Nation Newspaper (Friday, 29th of November)

Why Ice Prince Denied his Son Jamal Before Now

Ice Prince welcomed a baby boy with a 20-year old undergraduate student. Soon after she put to bed and the news went out, Ice Prince denied ever impregnating her, and said it to whoever cared to listen. He has however explained his reasons for doing that in this new interview with showbizplus, because he now flaunts the boy and also brought him on stage at his just concluded FOZ concert.
You initially denied having a baby?
It was complicated back then, I didn’t really know what was happening and I wasn’t sure of certain things. So the best I had to do then was denying it and sort out things first. Now I know he is my child and I have done everything as a father ever since.
What is the relationship like with his mother?
I speak with her often and it is usually about the baby. That is all for now.
Have you started thinking about marriage?
No, I’m fully focused on my music.

Oyedepo said this in Uyo on Monday night during a courtesy visit to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio. He said, “I think Nigeria is advance enough to be able to put things together to help the masses see hope in their future and see opportunities in this nation.

“Once again, we are all Nigerians, this is our nation. We have no other nation. Let’s help to build and not be part of those who want to break it. We will build this nation and it shall not break.

“A lot of us have opportunity to outside this country forever but because of our parents and relations we can’t go anywhere. God forbid there is any war in Nigeria. There are some that don’t know anywhere. They don’t have understanding of how to get anywhere and yet they are citizens of our nation.”

Oyedepo who is also the General Overseer of Living Faith Church a.k.a Winners Chapel, commended Akpabio, and urged the media to foster unity.

He said, “I believe the media have a lot to do in helping to show the way forward. A lot of our young men are lost in Europe, America and China just because there is not enough information to show them they can make things happen here. I want to admonish the media to help people to see their future.”