Arrest Hembe now – Benin based Lawyer

10:57 PM News No Comments

BENIN – A Benin based constitutional lawyer and Notary Public, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi has called for the immediate arrest of the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Markets, Mr. Herman Hembe for demanding bribe from the Director- General of the Nigerian Securities Exchange, Ms Aruna Otei.
Ms Otei while appearing before the Committee on Thursday, said that Mr. Hembe demanded for the sum of N44million bribe from her in addition to collecting estacode and other traveling allowances from SEC but never went for any travel nor returned the money.
However, Afolabi while reacting to the allegations made by the Director- General, SEC also called on the Speaker of the House, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to immediately dissolve the Committee and other similar committees, saying that the revelation by Ms. Otei has indicated that Nigerians have lost confidence in probes carried out by the House.

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Cameroon men appeal jail sentence for gay sex

10:26 PM News No Comments

LIBREVILLE (AFP) – Two men sentenced to five years in prison in Cameroon for engaging in gay sex appeared in court for their appeal hearing on Friday, and were jeered as they were driven back to prison.
The lawyer for the two men, identified as Jonas and Franky, called for their release.
“They will present guarantees to assure you that they will respond regularly to summons from the court,” Michel Togue said at the appeals court in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital.
The two men, jeered by a crowd outside, were driven back to prison.
“There is prejudice here,” the lawyer said.
The judge adjourned the case to April 20 to consider the call for their release.

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NGO distributes free school sandals to 149 pupils

10:23 PM Education, News No Comments

Iperu-Remo -  An NGO, Encouragement Initiative (EI) in Iperu-Remo, Ogun on Friday distributed free school sandals to 149 barefooted pupils in the town.
The three public primary schools visited for the distribution are Wesley Primary School, Salvation Army Primary School and AUD Primary School, all in Iperu-Remo.
Speaking at the event, Mr Rotimi Akinlesi, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, said no fewer than 496  barefooted pupils benefitted from the programme since the beginning of the year.
Akinlesi explained that apart from the free distribution of sandals, the NGO had also provided school uniforms for children, whose parents could not afford one, as well as provided drugs for sickle cell patients.
He explained that the free sandal programme of the NGO was borne out of concern for hundreds of kids in public primary schools who went to schools barefooted, because their parents could not afford sandles.
Akinlesi said, “When we started this free sandal programme last year, we never knew that the task was enormous and great.

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DERIVATION FORMULA: S-South govs employ counter-strategy

10:19 PM News, Politics No Comments

WARRI — THERE were indications, yesterday, that governors of the South-South states might have met behind closed doors and adopted a veiled strategy to counter moves by the Northern governors to reduce the constitutionally approved 13 per cent derivation fund to oil-producing states.
A highly-placed source to the governors confided in Vanguard: “The South-South governors have met, but it was not an open meeting because of the dimension  the matter raised by the northern governors has assumed. They have deliberated on the matter and taken some resolutions, which they do not want to make public.”
Vanguard leant that the South-South governors might have decided to lobby President Goodluck Jonathan,  National Assembly members and other influential Nigerians to allow the status quo remain and let the sleeping dog lie, rather than exacerbate the tension the controversy has created in the country.

He said: “The strategy is not to confront the northern governors the way  they wanted it by coming up with the demand. It is to publicly ignore them and do their spadework at the appropriate quarters since the matter is very clear.
“South-South governors are satisfied with the response of eminent leaders of the region and other Nigerians

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Fed Govt plans more prisons

10:18 PM News No Comments

ABUJA—THE Federal Government has concluded plans to construct more prisons to improve the current state of jail houses in the country.
Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, said this, Wednesday, in Abuja, when a British government delegation met with him in his office.
Moro said severe conditions in jails had contributed largely to the current security challenges in prisons across the country, especially the incessant jail breaks and attacks on such jails.
He said part of the plans for prisons was to ensure that the agreements reached by Nigeria and British governments on prisoner- exchange were also effected.

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22 police recruits arraigned over fake certificates

10:14 PM News No Comments

Ilorin – No fewer than  22  police recruits undergoing training at the Police Training College, Ilorin appeared before different magistrate courts on Friday   for allegedly using fake documents to secure employment.
The accused persons were arraigned on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and using as true a certificate known to be false,  contrary to sections 97, 363,132 163 of the penal code law.
The prosecuting counsel, Insp. David Wodi and Sgt. Mathew Ologbonsaye, told the respective courts that the accused were arrested after a screening  where  their certificates were discovered to be  forged.
However, all of  the accused persons  in separate pleas pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

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Nigeria, Islamic Bank sign $98m for almajiri education

10:06 PM Education, News No Comments

ABUJA—The Federal Government and Islamic Development Bank, IDB, yesterday, signed $98 million bilingual education deal to help the country educate the Almajiri.
The bilingual agreement was signed during the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of a two-day workshop of IDB-Nigeria Business Forum in Abuja.
IDB President, Dr. Ahmad Al-Madani, said the $98 million support was to assist the nation bridge the gap between formal and informal education for  the Almajari in the country.
He said:  “I am happy to inform you that the Board of Executive Directors of the Bank has recently approved US$98 million to implement the Bilingual education programme in Nigeria.
”The IDB Bilingual education programme will support government policy to integrate and modernise Almajari and Tsangaya schools.
Amplifying the positions of the IDB president, Nigeria’s Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, noted that the country had to reach out to institutions that could assist it achieve its transformation agenda.
He said:   “Permit me to say that in our quest for development, it has become imperative to spread our reach, collaborate and strategise with development partners around the world.

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU

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CAPITAL MARKET STABILIZATION: Reps asked me for N44m bribe – Oteh

9:37 PM News No Comments

ABUJA—The House of Representatives was yesterday, embroiled in controversy following mutual allegations of corruption between the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arumah Oteh and the House.
Ms Oteh who was on Wednesday accused of expending N850,000 a day on food and raking in other irregular expenses, yesterday, threw her own mud at the House, alleging that the Chairman of the House Committee on Capital Markets, Rep Herman Hembe demanded N44 million bribe demand from her. She also accused the lawmaker of collecting estacode and other travelling allowances for a foreign trip from SEC but neither went nor returned the money.
The House committee on its part also unveiled more allegations against Ms Oteh, accusing her of renting an accommodation for herself at N66 million and irregularly purchasing four official vehicles for herself. The purchases according to the House officials were in violation of existing government regulations on monetization of allowances.

Arunma Oteh

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