CHAMPIONS

Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has rejected the Federal Governments plan to set up Ruga farm settlements for herdsmen in the state.A statement by Steve Osuji, the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Ihedioha, wondered the rationale behind the initiative of the proposed Ruga settlements for herdsmen in Imo State when none has been established in any of the Northern states in the entire federation.Recall that the Federal Government had announced the establishment of the settlements in 12 pilot states with a view to addressing the incessant farmers/herders clash.However, the governor said that in rejecting the Ruga settlements in Imo, no governor in South-East would accept such a proposal.The south-eastern states would not rush to accept the proposal when none of the northern states had implemented it.Certainly not. It is not about Imo State; no state in the South-East would accept it. We wont rush to accept it when no state in the North has implemented it, the statement read in part.For a better society Total Views: 49 ,

Angry youths of Mbiaobong Anyaya village in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Wednesday allegedly attacked the team from the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) for demolishing illegal structures erected at the Mbiabong junction.Eyewitness said the youths on sighting the state government bulldozer on Wednesday demolishing some structures came out and started hurling stones at the demolition team.It was also gathered that there was no resistance from the villagers at the beginning of the demolition of the illegal structures the previous day being Tuesday.Sources had it that the UCCDA team demolished no fewer than 5 containers and many kiosks illegally erected along the main road the first day.According to a resident, who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity, The UCCDA team came here on Tuesday and demolished peoples kiosks and containers. But the youths did not resist them on the first day.Surprisingly, this morning about 11, when the team started to pull down a bungalow that was attached beside a storey building, the youths started throwing stones and bottles at the team.In fact, vehicles and commercial vehicles that ply the route decided to divert to alternative streets. It was like the youths having observed the demolition on Tuesday decided to wait and attack the team today. If not for the police that started shooting in the air and scared them away, nobody knows how the situation would have ended.Meanwhile, a reliable source from the UCCDA, who is not authorized to speak to journalists, said some youths had resorted to stopping government from removing illegal shanties and the illegal mini market at the Mbiabong junction that were erected very close to the main Road and causing fatal accidents.His words, Government observed that those ramshackle, makeshift stores and kiosks erected on pedestrian walkways, under high tension wires, and the illegal market set up at the junction are not just illegal but dangerous.That is why accidents occur around the junction regularly (Mbiabong junction). Those illegal structures obstruct free flow of traffic and also cause fatal accident on that Road. So that is why government is saying, that should not continue. So those are the things government is demolishing and not buildings.For a better societyTotal Views: 57 ,

UGO AMADI,BUSINESS EDITORDespite the challenges and unpredictable operational environment witnessed by many sectors of the Nigeria economy , telecoms giant Globacom has continued to drive transformational innovation and digitalization in the telecommunications space.As the first Nigerian multinational telecommunications company with good standing and most respected grandmaster of data, Glo was established on 29 August 2003 by Mike Adenuga, the 2nd richest black man in the world (According to Forbes 2018 ranking of the worlds billionaires,). As of June 2018, the company has employed more than 3,500 people worldwide.With over 45 million subscribers (December 2018), making it the second largest network operator in Nigeria, Glo is a household name as subscribers expressed happiness with the performances of the company in the last 15 years of its existence.The latest Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) report shows Globacom, towers above its competitors as the preferred data service provider in the country with an additional one million new subscribers in March 2019. NCC which published the Internet Subscriber Data for March 2019 on its website indicated that Globacom recorded the highest subscriber growth with 950,115 new internet users consequently raising its internet subscription to 28,436,386 in March from 27,486,271 in February, 2019.According to the commissions report, overall internet users in Nigeria increased to 115,938,225 in March from 114,725,357 in February which is an increase of 1,212,868 new subscribers in one month. Globacom singlehandedly made over 78% of the total number.Globacoms lead, according to industry analysts, may not be unconnected with its reputation as the network with the widest 4G LTE coverage in the country and its consistent improvement in data services.Interestingly, Globacom, was born to make telephony and allied services accessible and affordable to every African across all levels of society. Right from inception, the Glo brand espoused certain fundamental values such as providing world class cutting edge, up-to-the-minute technology; best value for money; never-say-die spirit and; its pride in the Nigeria heritage.Being the first in Nigeria to offer per second billings, people gradually started swapping their SIMS to Globacom SIMS as the per second billing was seen as a cheaper option. Globacom started to grow and gain market share, just one year after it started operations, it has gained 25% market share in the telecommunications industry.Ultimately, Globacom have continued live up to its corporate vision of building Africas biggest and best Telecommunications network . This is a big dream for a company that started 15 years ago. So far they are aiming towards surpassing their goal by being continuously innovative and being one of the best telecommunication services providers in Nigeria. Globacom is now present in Nigeria, Cte dIvoire, Benin republic and Ghana.Globacom gained its reputation of being known as a pace setter by being continuously innovative in Nigeria / Africa telecommunications industry. It has been able to differentiate itself from other mobile phone service operators by continuously being the first to introduce new product and services to its customers.Globacom came in to the Nigeria mobile telephony market by offering per second billing and became the first in Nigeria to offer such a billing system. Before other mobile phone service providers, said it was impossible to attain such a billing system in Nigeria, till the year 2007. The Nigeria people were excited of such a bill system, as they were going to be charged based on the actual time spent. In doing this, Globacom created an impression that they understood the needs of the people and were ready to meet their needs.In 2011, GLO became the first telecommunication company to build an $800 million high-capacity fibre-optic cable known as Glo-1, a submarine cable from the United Kingdom to Nigeria. It is the first successful submarine cable from the United Kingdom to Nigeria.Also , Globacom was the first network in Nigeria to roll out the 4G LTE service in October, 2016, and also the first to launch a nationwide 4G LTE network, offering instant efficient broadband internet to millions of Nigerians at speeds that are several times faster than the 3G network.However, the Group Chief Operating Officer of Globacom, Mohamed Jameel, has reconfirmed the spread of its 4G LTE service in all the 36 states of Nigeria and in over 200 tertiary institutions where students have been empowered with the fastest and most affordable data services.Jameel explained that the 700MHz band which Glo 4G is operating on affords it better coverage and penetration, adding that the radio propagation property of the 700MHz band enables Globacom 4G signal to travel the farthest, giving the largest coverage for any site. In effect, any city where Glo LTE is present, it covers the widest area than any other network. He noted that Glo 4G LTE is backed by the companys international submarine cable, Glo 1, which has provided the much needed internet bandwidth for West Africa sub-region. Earlier in the year, Globacom top management officials unraveled a new communication direction and technology roadmap which brought unparrelled broadband enabling digitalized future for all Nigerians. With customer empowerment at the heart of everything it does, Glo had anticipated the future and is investing in relevant technology, designing game changing products and services that provide best value to customers now and in future.Enabling Digital Bouquet of Services and Products , Globacoms deputy chief operating officer, Technical, Mr. Bisi Koleoso, said Nigerias second largest network by subscriber base, came up with seven mindboggling products and services which include: Glo Health Care, Glo Entertainment Portal, Glo TITI, Glo Mobile Money, Glo Drive, Glo Call Connect Services and World Connect.One of the key products, Glo Health Care is a digital health assistant designed to offer Nigerians access to 300 specialised best doctors in the world directly on their phone; Access to information on common health challenges & health advice on public health: enable entire info available in audio translation in Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba; Tracking of key health parameters (BP, Sugar etc); and allows booking of appointment by video consulting on the smartphone.He said Glo Drive addresses problems subscribers face with storing their data by offering limitless storage capacity in the cloud. It allows subscribers import from their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Dropbox or Gmail account instantly; share family memories and experiences, share digital content on social networks without the need to use credit or debit card to enhance storage.On the other hand, Glo Entertainment Portal offers a single point of access for millions of digital entertainment content through Glo Caf offering over two million local and foreign songs; over 12,000 Hollywood, Nollywood, Bollywood movies on Glo movie Caf; Access to more than 10,000 games from top gaming developers across the globe; Music, comedy, sports and short videos from top music channels and more than 62 live channels on Glo Mobile TV.Koleoso stated that the Glo Mobile Money, an agent network will hasten the drive towards a cash-light Nigerian society by enabling financial transactions on the mobile phone and extending financial inclusion to over 60 million unbanked people in the country.For the Glo TITI, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform, it will engage customers directly and assist them to get information about data plans, prepaid plans and Value Added Service (VAS). This enables customers to choose the most convenient plan, resolve issues and ask questions 24/7 without any human interface.He also disclosed that Glo Connect helps subscribers stay connected all the time even if the phone is switched off, has zero balance, or is out of coverage area. The next solution is the World Connect, which ensures that business executives stay connected to their offices anywhere in the world by offering them the most affordable roaming data in 60 countries with over 6.4 million wifi hotspots worldwide. The infrastructure will be available in all world airports. Large Scale Telecom InfrastructureAs part of efforts to ensure that Nigerians have telecom quality of experience (QoE), Glo said it is investing billions of naira in modernising its network for the future 4G and 5G services. The capacity of Glo 1, its submarine cable, has been upgraded to 300G, giving huge bandwidth for mobile and Enterprise business.Group chief technical director, Globacom, Sanjib Roy in his presentation said, a new e-band microwave radio technology has been deployed, resulting in increase in backhaul bandwidth to 1.5 2gb per link. More than 1,800 BTS and equal number of NodeBs have been swapped in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and Rivers states.Also, supplied and deployed are 1,000 microwaves to modernise the transmission network to IP. All these have been possible because of quick supply and effective deployment. We have also deployed more than 2,000 new generators and 6,000 new batteries to boost customer experience, he stated, adding that work was on-going on more than 1000km of fibre routes where road construction had affected fibre cabling.Roy said deployment of high wattage Radio Remote Units (RRU) for 3G services and multi-sector antenna had been concluded for better 3G indoor coverage, high speed data download, signal quality and network coverage. Globacom, he said is also upgrading the capacity of existing microwave links, converting TDM links to IP for 2G and 3G, and is deploying high capacity microwave back up links to increase data back haul capacity and protect traffic against fibre cut.Roy disclosed that, Globacom, is on its bigger and better future plan. We are using a scientific and methodical way of rolling out new sites based on feedback from regions on where the sites are needed to address customer complaints, he stated.As a telecom leader, Globacom, has again taken a major step to transform the ICT landscape in Nigeria with the construction of a multi-billion naira optic fibre submarine cable.The plan for the project, called Glo 2, was unveiled at a contract-signing ceremony between the national operator, Globacom, and global telecom solutions vendors, Huawei.Giving details of the project Mr Sanjib Roy, said the submarine cable would be built along the Nigerian coast from Alpha Beach in Lagos, where Glo 1 landing station is located, to the Southern part of Nigeria. The facility will enable ultra high capacity connection to South-South Region and provide capacity to offshore oil platforms and the communities.He stated that the Glo 2 project would boost telecommunication service delivery in the country by providing economic as well as social empowerment of the communities in oil producing regions. It will also provide high speed internet connectivity as well as digitalize oil platforms to improve productivity, upload data to remote oil platforms at the speed of light.Glo2 will be the first submarine cable in Nigeria to land outside Lagos as the five existing submarine cables only landed in Lagos. Glo 2 will have capacity of 12Terabit per second and will provide ultra-high speed connection to oil platforms and communities to empower data coverage and support Enterprise market growth in this part of Nigeria, Mr Roy explained.He also disclosed that the cable would contain three fiber pairs, with the first pair connecting Lagos directly to Southern part of Nigeria with terrestrial extension to other parts of the country for redundancy and maintenance purposes. The second will be equipped with eight switchable Branching Units (BUs) which will deliver high capacity to offshore oil stations and communities connected directly to BUs, while the third pair will be equipped with two (2) switchable Branching Units to deliver high capacity to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.Mr Li Beifang, Managing Director of Huawei Nigeria, said that Huawei is proud to partner with Globacom to build a revolutionary submarine cable using innovative and leading technology. We believe the cable would bring a new era of digitalization to the Nigerian economy.A New Communication DirectionOne of the major things the officials of Globacom promised Nigerians this year and which is ongoing is the series of television commercials (TVCs) encapsulating the various ideals, characters, culture and beliefs of Glo customers in the Nigerian project. Among these are the: We Got People Talking TVC; Glo Data Is Oxygen TVC; Superior Network TVC; and The Anthony Joshua TVC.The We Got People Talking TVC is a star-studded commercial underscoring the primacy of talk which is a distinctive attribute of human beings. It features iconic artistes like King Sunny Ade, Wizkid, Davido, Phyno, Yemi Alade, Ego Ogbaru, Bez Idakula, Sani Danja, Tekno and Van Vicker. The TVC underscores the permanence of talk despite the popularity of data.It also emphasizes that Glo services are available everywhere, all over the world, connecting people from Accra to Kaduna, Lagos to LA, from retail service outlets such as barber shops to boli sellers in the North, East, West and South of the globe. The song is already very popular and is expected to rise in fame because of its sing-along attribute and coterie of stars.Oxygen Is Data TVC highlights the importance of Glo data to life and how it offers solutions to lifes challenges. It portrays Glo as empathetic to the needs of subscribers by providing cutting-edge solutions to whatever problems they are grappling with.Overall, the Superior Network TVC chronicles the various milestones of Globacom since inception, emphasizing the companys unique propositions. It emphasises Glos resolve to make telephony available, affordable and accessible in a world class manner; celebrating customer empowerment as underpinning everything the telco does. It ends with the undisputed claim that Glo is the superior network.TVC/EndorsementIn one of the biggest advertising revolutions, in the world, Globacom trilled the world with the appointment of World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua as its Global Brand Ambassador.The bricklayer-turned boxing Champion in the commercial revealed the parallels between him and Glo. Some of these include the never-say-die, can-do spirit of Globacom which undergirds and constitutes the philosophy of the telecommunications giant. I respect the ownership and management of Globacom and as a Nigerian, I believe charity must begin from home. I believe in Glo, he said.Globacom has the following strategic business units: Glo mobile, Glo Broad Access, Glo Gateway and Glo-1 & 2. Glo Gateway, is Globacoms International Wholesale Voice and Data Exchange Trading Business Unit. Its Roaming has Postpaid relationships with 532 networks in 196 countries, Prepaid connections with 219 networks in 99 countries and Data roaming relationship with 405 networks in 148 countries. GLO has the largest roaming coverage for voice and data in Africa.Glo Gateway Carrier Business is connected to over 150 operators and Carriers in all the continents, trading billions of minutes annually. Glo Gateway has a Point of Presence (POP) in London with virtual POPs in Frankfurt, New York and Hong Kong through which seamless connectivity is provided. Glo Gateway is the biggest wholesale voice trader in West Africa with a 24/7 Network operating centre to ensure customer satisfaction at all times.Also , Glo Broad Access is the unit responsible for laying the optic fibre network for Globacom and for offering Fixed Line services. It was launched on 24 November 2009. It offers landline telephone and unlimited broadband internet, all on a single digital wire line. As part of Glos ever increasing service offering, Glo Broad Access will continue to expand the metro fibre rings and pan-Nigeria fibre backbone network. It has already rolled out over 13,500 kilometres of active fibre.Undoubtedly, Glo has continued to gather many laurels for its effectiveness in the telecommunications industry , it recently clinched the Best Customer Service Company of the Year at the third Daar Awards held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. In the same breath, the founder and chairman of the company, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., was adjudged the winner of the Businessman of the Year award category at the impressive ceremony attended by the crme-de-la-crme of the Nigerian society.The pioneering roles of Nigerias foremost telecommunications company, Globacom, in African integration was also recognised by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Recognising Globacom in a report by BCG entitled: Pioneering One Africa: African Corporations Trailblazing Across the Continent, the nations leading telecoms operator was listed as one of the six African companies driving the amalgamation of economic activities within the continent. Remarkably, a survey carried out by the Research and Intelligence unit of Business Day Media Ltd, in collaboration with Jobberman.com, rated Glo in the Top Ten Most Respected Companies in Nigeria after the company scored 157 points on all six parameters across 12 cities of the country.Globacom was rated in the top-ten alongside other high achieving companies and rewarded at an event organized by Business Day Media Ltd tagged Nigerias Top 100 Most Respected Companies Awards at the Eko Hotel & Suites, LagosEarly this year, Glo was similarly ranked amongst the top five most valuable brands in Africa. Publishers of Brand Africa which conducted the survey explained that Globacom made the list because it had won the hearts of the communities where it has its footprint. The report, which listed other leading African conglomerates, stated that Globacom got an impressive brand value of 655 to rank among the Top 5 brands in the continent in a list of the Top 10 Most Valuable Brands in Africa.Nonetheless, the fully integrated telecommunications solutions provider, was one of the biggest winners at the 10th anniversary of Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Awards at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos.Apart from clinching the coveted Most Innovative Mobile Player of the year award, the operator was also inducted into the ICT Hall of Fame in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the growth of Nigerias telecom industry in the last decade.The BoICT Award was instituted in 2009 to reward individuals and corporate organisations that have helped to develop ICT in Nigeria and make life more meaningful through innovations in information technology.The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, who presented the award to Globacom described the company as the game changer of the telecom industry.National Telecommunications Carrier, Globacom, was adjudged one of the six most admired brands in Africa in the latest ranking by one of the continents most reputable business magazines, African Business.The rankings, published in the latest edition of the London-based magazine, showed that Globacom polled a total Admiration Score of 345, placing the company as one of the six most valued brands on the continent ahead of many multinationals.For a better societyTotal Views: 46 ,

Emeka Ihedioha, the Governor of Imo State, has approved the constitution of 37-man committee on payment of pensions in the state.This was contained in a release issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Uche Onyeagucha, and forwarded to us on Thursday morning.According to the release, Mr. Evans Uzokwe, a former Head of Service in the state and Mr. Nnaemeka Nnoromele, were named as Chairman and Secretary of the committee, respectively.The release stated that the committee was empowered to ascertain the exact number of months of arrears of pensions owed state pensioners.Parts of the release stated, The committee shall also ascertain the exact number of months of arrears of Pensions owed Local Government Pensioners, as well as suggest the best way to verifying and capturing all existing pensioners who retired from the Imo Public service.To determine the actual number of Pensioners in the State and Local Governments respectively and advise the government on the sustainable ways to pay Pensions regularly.The release also disclosed that the Committee shall be inaugurated on Friday, June 28, 2019, and has equally been given two months to complete its assignment.For a better societyTotal Views: 71 ,

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Thursday lambasted the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for declaring the state a Christian State.Wike had during a crusade organized by the Lords Chosen Charismatic Church in Port Harcourt, capital a few days ago declared Rivers a Christian State.Reacting to the declaration, the Islamic human rights organisation called on stakeholders in the Nigerian project to call Wike to order.In a press statement signed and forwarded to us by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the organisation described the governors statement as audacious, unguarded and reckless.The statement reads: At a time when Nigeria is facing religious and ethnic crises, a state governor still has the temerity to declare his state a Christian state. Wike is short in intellect, long in impunity. It is not his first time of making this pronouncement. We ignored him the first time because we did not want to dignify him with a response. But he has just exposed himself as an analogue governor with a triangular approach to all problems: religion, violence and impunity. Wike cannot think outside this triangular box.At a time when religious fanaticism is on the rise and the authorities are cautioning Nigerians to be moderate, a state governor is running loose with reckless statements like, I repeat once again without apologies, Rivers is a Christian state. That is why nobody can touch us.This is nothing but articulated demagoguery. It is audacious, preposterous and myopic. It is also a dangerous precedent. Nonetheless, Wikes statement must also be seen as meaningless unless he can establish Canon law for his Christian State. That is the challenge we like to throw at Governor Wike. He should promulgate canon law without any hesitation, otherwise, all his boasts amount to nothing. They are empty.Is Rivers the only state with Christian majority? Wike should learn from the moderate stance of the governors of Cross Rivers, Delta, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, etc on the issue of religion. Wike is perpetuating a culture of acrobatic religiousity. He is playing on the intelligence of the good people of Rivers State and lending credence to Karl Marxs view of religion as opium of the people. He is brandishing state-sponsored religiousity to cover his gross ineptitude.The spate of crime in Rivers State is an indictment on Wike. Cult-killing is on the rise. Kidnapping has become an obsession. Youth restiveness is everywhere in the state. But all these are by-products of mass unemployment. This is what Wike should face.He should be thinking of empowering the youth. Where are the roads built by Wike? What is the state of Rivers schools? Are there drugs in the hospitals? What are the rates of infant and maternal mortality in Rivers State? Port Harcourt is one of the most expensive places to live in Nigeria. How can Wike bring relief to the residents? It is high time Wike focused on governance and stopped propagating motor-park doctrine, manifesting agbero faculty and exhibiting bolekaja mentality.Nonetheless, Wikes statement must also be seen as meaningless unless he can establish Canon law for his Christian State. That is the challenge we like to throw at Governor Wike. He should promulgate canon law without any hesitation, otherwise, all his boasts amount to nothing. They are empty. Wikes Christian state is a red herring.Where is Wikes constitutional backing? Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly prohibits state religion. It says, The Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as a State Religion. Wikes declaration is, therefore, ultra vires. It is null, void and of no consequence whatsoever.It is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional for any governor to declare his state a Christian or an Islamic state. For the avoidance of doubt, a clear difference must be seen between Wikes declaration and the introduction of Shariah in parts of the North. The state legislatures of states where Shariah was introduced followed due process. The governors did not just wake up one day and make arbitrary declarations.In any case, there is also a world of difference between declaring a state an Islamic state and merely introducing Shariah to be used by the Muslim population. That is why several parts of the United Kingdom, the United States and some Western countries have introduced Shariah for their minority Muslim populations without necessarily declaring those countries Islamic nations.But where are the secularists? Where are those who claim that Nigeria is a secular state? Why is it that only Muslims are taken up when they make declarations bordering on religious particularism? Why are they silent now? Is this not selective judgement? Must we always behave a la Animal Farm? Our self-righteous public commentators and human rights lawyers would have brought heaven down if any Muslim governor made a similar statement. Why are we like this? Who placed a curse on Nigeria? Well known critics who fail to speak on Wikes recent pronouncement should bury their heads in shame.Before we take a break, we remind Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that specialisation necessitates division of labour. He should, therefore, concentrate on governance which is the job for which he was elected and leave evangelization and fire-brand crusade to Christian clerics. Wike should improve the security situation in order to attract investors and tourists. We appeal to stakeholders in the Nigerian project to call Wike to order.For a better societyTotal Views: 46 ,

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on Wednesday met with the World Bank to review the bank engagements in the country and at sub-national level.NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi disclosed this while addressing newsmen after the meeting that was held in Abuja, NAN reports.Fayemi said that the World Bank had been a major partner of the forum in the development programmes of all the states.He said that the governors at the meeting looked at its engagements with the bank, especially subsisting portfolio and reviewed things that they were doing right.He said that the meeting also reviewed thing the state governors needed to improve on and how they needed to accelerate deployment of resources available within the portfolio for states.According to him, the bank is spending somewhere in the region of $4 billion in states. Some of our states are benefiting from a range of grants, even loans on the basis of the banks investments in our states.These are with long term moratorium and with low interest over a long period of time to offset those loan portfolios.So, it is important for us to work on that engagement both in terms of the lending operations, in terms of adversary activities, and in terms of the concrete action in our states.I dont know of many developments partners that have programmes in 36 states, the world bank does, he said.Fayemi said that the bank had extensive discussion on how to improve on existing relationship and how to build on those projects that had transitioned from one governor to the other.According to him, it is absolutely important that we treat government as a continuum and address whatever gaps existing without throwing the baby away with the bath water.He said that the NGF also proposed a range of suggestions, which the bank had taken up and would be implementing in order to improve the relationship the governors and the bank had built over the years.According to him, there is a question of course of also not having enough resources and the need to expand the lending portfolio from what it is now, both to the federal government and the sub-national entity.It is absolutely important that those vehicles are not closed because if we can borrow from the world bank at one per cent interest it is always going to be better for us than for us to be borrowing at 25 per cent commercial lending rate.Fayemi described World Bank as a critical partner that the governors really needed to work with in order to improve quality of life and living conditions of Nigerians.Fayemi assured the World Bank that its fund would be judiciously utilised, adding that the NGF was returning its Peer Review Mechanisms programme as a way of strengthening peer learning.On his part, the World Bank Country Director in Nigeria, Rachid Benmessaoud, said the banks mission in the country was to fight poverty and build prosperity.Our priorities, during our engagement with the governors was around investing in human capital, investing in people to have access to basic education, health services, social protection.However, we do recognise that the development challenges also require investing in infrastructure and filling the large infrastructure gaps.We want to make sure that those infrastructure gaps are filled by bringing more of the the private sector that will create the physical space for governors to invest in human capital including financing from development partners like the World Bank. But most importantly to increase the domestic revenue mobilization for providing primary spending on the social sector, he said.Benmessaoud added that the World Bank investment portfolio covered health, education, soil erosion and water.Like the chairman has said, better education, reducing the number of out of school children, the states fiscal performance, providing basic primary healthcare, a range of activities already implemented.We want to make sure that the new governors, as well as the returning governors, are well aware of the programmes being implemented in their respective states and what it will take for them to accelerate pace of implementation.We discussed around coordination mechanism, the alignment between projects funded by the World Bank and the state development plans.We discussed ways of ensuring that the funding provided by the World Bank are used for the intended purposes, how the governors can engage with the bank, accessed funds in the bank which they can benefit from, Benmessaoud said.For a better societyTotal Views: 33 ,

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has adjourned to July 1 for ruling on the application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar urging it to set aside its proceedings of June 11.The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mohammed Garba adjourned ruling on Tuesday after listening to parties in the matter.Atiku and the PDP are challenging the proceeding of June 11 wherein the All Progressives Congress (APC) asked the tribunal to strike out some paragraphs in their petition.Atiku and PDP filed an objection to the application but the APC withdrew their application on June 11 and filed a fresh one same day, which the PDP could not immediately reply to.Thus, the party and its candidate wants the tribunal to quash the entire proceedings of the day.At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to Atiku and PDP, Chris Uche (SAN) requested for time to reply on points of law to the counter affidavits from both President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC on the application seeking to set aside the proceedings of June 11.He also asked the court to give directives on the number of applications, witnesses and schedule of time for arguments for the substantive hearing of the petition.But lawyers to INEC, Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN); Buhari, Yusuf Ali (SAN); and APC, Lateed Fagbemi (SAN) all opposed the PDPs application to give directives as to the petition.They argued that it would make the record of the tribunal untidy and unwieldy.Ali argued that if Atiku and PDP want to save time they should withdraw their application to enable the panel conclude pre-hearing session.For a better societyTotal Views: 48 ,

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wednesday, closed its case in a 59-count charge, bordering on money laundering, criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N702,000,000 against former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Media, Doyin Okupe.Okupe was facing prosecution by EFCC before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja.EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.He added, At todays proceedings, prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Audu presented his last and sixth witness, Shuaibu Salisu, former Director Administration and Finance in the Office of National Security Adviser ONSA, who presently works with the National Intelligence Agency, NIA.Salisu told the court that Sometime in 2012, Chief Okupe came to the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, and after their discussion, I was directed to make a payment of N50 million (Fifty Million Naira) to him.According to him, Okupe provided his account details, where I paid the amount into the bank account of Value Trust Investment.He added that he was further directed by the ONSA to be paying N10 million monthly (Ten Million Naira) to Okupe for a period of over two years, which he said was reduced to a monthly N5million (Five Million Naira) towards the end of 2014 due to paucity of funds.He said he made other payments to Okupe as directed, saying that at a point he was instructed to pay the defendant N6, 000, 000.Further, Salisu revealed that sometime in 2014, the then National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki directed that he paid the sum of N35million to an account provided by Okupe and that he can also recall paying N50million in cash to Okupe on Dasukis directive.He told the court that he only obeyed directives in all the payments he made to Okupe and didnt know what the monies were meant for.When asked if there were evidences of the payments, the witness reportedly told the court that he usually provided Okupe with the payment vouchers, which he usually signed.When also asked if all the payments were captured in payment vouchers, Salisu was said to have replied in the negative.Speaking under cross-examination by Okupes counsel, Akinlabi Akinbade, the witness disclosed that Okupe was not the only person that received payments from ONSA. Anybody that the NSA directs that payment be made to, we make payment, he said.Also, Under same cross-examination, the witness said he had no reason to believe that the payments he made were from an illegal source.In his words, Why would I assume it was illegal? I was only directed to make payments,Further , he said some of the payment instructions he carried out while working in the ONSA came verbally while others came by writing.He added that in the case of the payments to Okupe, all the instructions were verbal.However, the matter was adjourned to June 26, for the defence to open its case.For a better societyTotal Views: 42 ,

The Borno National and State Houses of Assembly elections petition tribunal, on Wednesday , fixed July 1, for the Independent National Electoral Commission to open its case in a suit challenging the election of Sen. Mohammed Ndume.Malam Kudla Satumari and his party, the PDP on March 15, filed a petition with number EPT/BO/SEN/1/2019 before the tribunal.They are challenging the declaration of Ndume of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as winner of the Borno South Senatorial District conducted on Feb. 23, 2019.APC and INEC were also joined in the suit.Ndume and APC had objected to the issues raised by Satumari and PDP in their replies to their own reply to the petition.Justice Peter Kekemeke, Chairman of the tribunal, granted the prayer for adjournment by Mr Oluwafemi Ademola, counsel for INEC to enable their witnesses travel from Maiduguri to Abuja.Kelemeke adjourned until July 1 as other counsel did not object to the prayer.Although ,INEC tendered their exhibits in evidence from the bar, however, Ademola (INEC counsel), informed the tribunal that his sole witness would be available on July 1.Meanwhile, Ndume has closed his case, while APC did not call any witness but informed the tribunal that they would rely on the evidence of Ndume (The first respondent).In the petition made available to NAN, Satumari averred that the election was marred by corrupt practices and non-compliance with provision of the Electoral Act.He, therefore, sought the order of the tribunal for cancellation of the election and for INEC to conduct fresh election for the Senatorial District within 90 days.Responding, Ndume in his reply to the petition made avaliable to NAN also, denied the allegations in most of the paragraphs of the petition.In his reply filed on April 10, he argued that the said Borno South Senatorial election was free and fair and not fraught with irregularities and non- compliance with the Electoral Act..Ndume denied the allegations and averrment contained in the petition and demanded the petitioners for strict proof in accordance with the law to the extent of their materiality to the petition.He averred to prove during trial that the petition was defective, incompetent for the compliance of the Electoral Act.Similarly, the petition filed by Mohammed Abdullahi and PDP challenging the election of Aji Kolo Khadi of APC into the State house of Assembly representing Jere Local Government was also fixed for July 1 for continuation of hearing.NAN reports that out of the seven petitions before the tribunal only two are remaining, four were dismissed on the basis of late filing of pre hearing notices.The petition by Muhammad Abba-Aji and PDP against Kashim Shettima and APC was withdrawn.For a better societyTotal Views: 87 ,

Former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, failed to appear before Justice Folashade Giwa of the Federal High Court Abuja, to explain his role in the alleged approval of N2.5billion to Pinnacle Communications Ltd.The money was for the purpose of the Federal Government Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.The sitting was in continuation of the trial of the Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo, Pinnacle Communications Ltd, and two others.Mohammed was listed by the ICPC prosecution counsel, Henry Emore as additional witness to give testimony on the approval of payment of N2.5 billion to Pinnacle.However, after calling two witnesses, the prosecution counsel informed the court that the immediate past Information Minister was not in court.Umore said the former minister had travelled out of the country but was expected back in the country on or before July 31.In addition, the court was told that Mohammed made his statement before the ICPC.The prosecution counsel also informed the court that the other witness he wished to call, was still in Saudi Arabia.However, Alex Izinyon, SAN, counsel to Onifade Oladipupo, (2nd defendant), and Lucky Omoluwa (3rd defendant), told the court that he had already filed an application to oppose the list of additional witness filed by the prosecution counsel.Izinyon said the defence team had already joined issues with the prosecution on the failure of ICPC to call Mohammed who approved the payment of N2.5billion to Pinnacle and joined him as a defendant in the case.A witness called by the ICPC alleged that the former minister refused to make statement to the ICPC, claiming that he needed to get clearance from the Secretary to Government of the Federation.Earlier, upon cross-examination by Izinyon, a prosecution witness Olugbemi Abraham, told the court that during investigation, we could not interview Mohammed because he said he needed clearance from the Secretary to Government of the Federation.Abraham, however,revealed that they later took statement from Mohammed during the pendency of the case.He admitted that, Really, we did not bother to get in touch with the SGF to enable him allow the former Information Minister to make statement.Abraham also admitted that NBC, based on the provision of the White Paper that government should provide condition for a level playing field for signal distributors, was in position to determine the level playing field.Under further cross examination by Amah Etuwewe, counsel to the fourth defendant (Pinnacle Communications), the witness said upon investigation, they did not value the facility put in place by Pinnacle at the Abuja DSO site.Further more, the witness admitted that the N2.5 billion was released under the supervision of the former Information Minister.To the best of my knowledge, the Presidency that released the N10billion to the NBC for the purpose of DSO has not complained of how the fund was used.I am not aware if the former Minister had withdrawn his approval.Meanwhile, Justice Giwa, has adjourned the case until July 1, for ruling on a motion by the 2nd and 3rd defendants seeking the release of their international passports to enable them travel abroad for official functions.For a better societyTotal Views: 50 ,