younglee's Blog

Ondo State Governor-elect, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has inaugurated a 158-member Strategic Development and Policy Implementation Committee (SDPIC) to develop a blueprint that would guide his administration’s activities. Mr Akeredolu also set up a transition, as well as inauguration ceremonies committees ahead of the taking over of the administration of the state on February 24, 2017. Inaugurating the committees in Akure, the incoming governor explained that the major responsibility of the SDPIC was to develop a detailed sectoral policy and programme document which would be called ‘A Blueprint to Progress in Ondo State (2017 – 2021)’. He was optimistic that members of the committees were men and women that have distinguished themselves as the very best in their fields of endeavours. The Governor-elect noted that the vision and mission of his administration was to lead a patriotic, highly inspired and competent team to rescue the ship of the state. He added that by God’s gr...

Founder of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Brave Women Association, Mrs Matilda Farinde, believes Nigerian women possess the potentials to transform the nation, if empowered and given proper orientation. According to her, women have become “change agents” that should be given chance to contribute to nation building. Speaking at the inauguration of the Brave Women Association in Osogbo, Osun State, Farinde explained that the association, which has been in existence since 1980, has been assisting women, especially widows, to be good ambassadors of their families and the nation at large. She said that the association had helped numerous women, orphans and the needy in Nigeria and beyond, stressing that the nation would experience transformation if women were properly empowered and given the right orientation. Farinde, however, tasked the women in the state to be virtuous and take good care of their families and not allow themselves to be harassed by male politicians. The ph...

President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Year Message To Nigerians My dear Compatriots, I am happy to welcome you to the beginning of a New Year in our beloved country Nigeria. I felicitate with you today at a time when our nation is witnessing a new and impressive turnaround in our security and socio-economic situation. I know you will join me to, once again, congratulate the heroic and gallant efforts of our military and other security agencies on their remarkable successes to rid the nation of terrorism. Following the successful capture of Sambisa Forest, spearheaded by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, we have entered a new phase in our battle against our common enemy, Boko Haram. When we see our beloved 21 Chibok girls reuniting with their families and community for Christmas, it gives us the hope that those who are still in captivity will one day return to the loving arms of family, friends and well-wishers. I urge all Nigerians to be on the alert and watch out for stra...

A 72-year-old man arrested in Obatedo Iwo town in Osun state for severing a human skull from a cemetery has described his act as a mistake. Idris Ajao who claimed to be a trained bricklayer, said that a herbalist, Tajudeen Jawesola, assigned him to exhume skulls from graves in the cemetery in return for 10,000 Naira. Police, acting on a tip off, deployed men around the cemetery and arrested him with a skull. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Fimihan Adeoye said that detectives got the hint about the alleged atrocities of Ajao and trailed him until he was caught with the skull. Speaking to Channels Television, Ajao said “the downfall of a man is not the end of his life “,”hard time is not forever and “mistake has no master”. Speaking on in the Yoruba language, he said: “What happened yesterday is so painful to me, I arrived at the cemetery by 6.30PM in Igbote and left the place by 7.30PM, as I was going, the Police apprehended me. “It was Jawesola that as...

An Osun State Chief Magistrate Court on Friday, December 30, 2016 ordered the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye to immediately arrest the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, a first class traditional ruler in the state. Senior Magistrate Olusola Aluko on Friday, December 20, 2016 had issued a bench warrant for Oluwo’s arrest and also last Wednesday ordered the monarch to appear in court on Friday December, 30, 2016 but the traditional ruler was conspicuously absent when the case came up for hearing. According to the Magistrate, the case brought before him against the Oluwo of Iwo was a criminal case and by the bench warrant issued by him, “the accused person supposed to have been arrested and kept in prison custody”. Although, the defendant’s counsel, Barrister Olayide Yekeen wrote the court on why himself would not be present for the proceeding, counsel to the applicant, Barrister Soji Oyetayo explained that no reason was given for the absenteeism of his cli...

The Nasarawa Police Command said it has achieved relative success in the months of November and December in its task of ridding the state of criminals. This was disclosed during the parade of 39 suspects caught for various offences at different locations in the state, including five suspects who were involved in the killing of three staff members of Cedar-Bay Mining Company. The incident happened on November 28, 2016 at Wugibi Hills in Alogani village of Nasarawa Eggon where the three, including a Chinese national and a Police sergeant, were ambushed in a commando-like operation while the staff were on their way back from the mining. The Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Bello noted that “investigation is still ongoing as such further arrests are likely to be made”. Another notable arrest, according to the Police boss, was that of two suspects that were involved in the kidnapping of a four-year-old girl in Nasarawa town on December 14, 2016. He said that the two suspects h...

The increasing cost of renting an apartment in Nigeria’s federal capital city Abuja appears to be a prevailing problem which successive governments have been unable to solve. While some residents are asking the government to build low cost houses for low income earners, others want the government to regulate tenancy rates. Abuja is arguably one of the fastest growing cities in Africa with an estimated six million people. It costs between one and 1.8 million Naira to rent a one bedroom apartment in the city centre and the difference is not much in the suburbs where it costs between 500,000 and 1.5 million Naira to get a decent two-bedroom apartment in some of the satellite towns. This means that a Level-8 officer in the federal civil service who earns between 50,000 and 60,000 Naira would have to save his entire salary for two years to pay for a two-bedroom apartment in Abuja. This is why many residents have called on the government to help reduce the tenancy rate. M...

Ondo State Government says it has put all measures in place towards ensuring that Lassa Fever does not spread to the state again. As part of efforts towards achieving this, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. ‘Dayo Adeyanju held a sensitization meeting with the Primary Healthcare Coordinators as well as Surveillance and Focal Persons from the 18 local government areas of the state in Akure, the state capital. In a chat with newsmen, Adeyanju said that the emergence of Lassa Fever in Ogun State which is a neighboring state, makes it important to activate outbreak control operations in the local governments. Adeyanju declared that all primary healthcare operators need to become active as government would continue to create awareness to ensure the disease is prevented. The Primary Healthcare Coordinator for Odigbo Local Government in Ondo State, which shares a border with Ogun State, Dr. Kayode Adegbehingbe, explained measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease. H...

Ross Barkley’s late header cancelled out a wonderful Robert Snodgrass free-kick as Everton fought back to draw 2-2 at Hull City. The Everton midfielder connected with Leighton Baines’ deep cross with six minutes left, after Snodgrass curled a free-kick superbly into the top corner on 65 minutes. Michael Dawson rifled in his third goal of the season to put Hull 1-0 up on six minutes, before goalkeeper David Marshall deflected a corner into his own net for Everton’s equaliser in first-half stoppage time. Not long after hitting the post with another superb set piece, Snodgrass put Hull 2-1 up, but Everton’s pressure was rewarded late on. The result lifts Hull into 19th place. Everton remain seventh.

The Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Martins Azubuike, has been impeached. A new Speaker, Honourable Kennedy Njoku, has been sworn in. Hon Azubuike was impeached on Thursday afternoon after 20 of the 24 lawmakers in the Assembly voted to impeach him It was gathered that the former Speaker looked rattled after all the lawmakers arrived at the Assembly complex earlier in the day. Shortly after their arrival, an aide to Mr Azubuike sent all the journalists away from the premises. One of the lawmakers, however, insisted that the journalists must stay to monitor the House proceedings. The House of Assembly complex was reported to have been surrounded by armed Police personnel. More details to follow.

A mild drama is playing out at the Abia State House of Assembly, as barely a day after being sworn in as Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Kennedy Njoku, resigned. He said his resignation was on personal grounds. Following a motion by the majority leader of the Assembly on the need to immediately fill the vacuum, Honourable Chikwendu Kalu representing Isialangwa South State Constituency was nominated and has been sworn in as the new speaker. Honourable Njoku was elected on Thursday after 20 of the 24 lawmakers in the Assembly voted to impeach the former Speaker, Martins Azubuike, whom they accused of financial recklessness. A member of the Assembly, Akpulonu Solomon told Channels Television that Honourable Azubuike refused to carry his colleagues along in the business of the house, which led to his ouster.

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Nigerian Armed Forces to ensure the sustenance of peaceful co-existence among ethnic groups across the country. He said that despite the “political madness” in some parts of the country, it was duty bound for the military to ensure Nigeria’s survival as a geo-political entity. President Buhari made the remarks at an event in Abuja where he received the captured flag of the Boko Haram terrorists from the Sambisa forest. The flag was presented to the President on Friday night by the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor. United And Stronger “We will do our best to build the national institutions in the country. All these political madness in the northeast, the Niger Delta or in the east should not be allowed to cause division or any form of tension in the country. “There are 250 ethnic groups, so keeping Nigeria one is a task that must be done, even for your personal reason you must make sure this cou...

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), has approved an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of evasion of taxes on income and capital benefits, between Nigeria and Singapore. Also on Wednesday, the FEC approved bilateral air service agreement with the State of Qatar and Singapore. The Minister Of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, told State House Correspondents at the 22nd FEC meeting, that the agreement is aimed at encouraging “more direct foreign investments into Nigeria. Furthermore, it is aimed at “letting investors know what their tax obligations will be and ensuring sustainable tax regime for each country.” According to her, the agreement was because Singapore is a major trading partner with Nigeria. Also in attendance were Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed and the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika. The agreement seems to be an indication that Singapore’s rejection of clemency appeal by a Nigerian man a...

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has destroyed expired and counterfeit medicines and other regulated products which it says is worth over 70 million naira. At a press briefing before the destruction exercise in Abuja, the Acting Director-General of the agency, Mrs Yetunde Oni told journalists that NAFDAC is winning the war against counterfeiting in Nigeria. “Today, we witness the destruction of various categories of regulated products as one of the strategies employed by NAFDAC to prevent the circulation of fake, counterfeit medicines and unwholesome regulated products. “These products are worth over 75 million naira. We must stress that some of these products were voluntarily submitted to NAFDAC by various governmental and non-governmental organizations whilst others were mopped up from open market via enforcement activities and surveillance system of NAFDAC,” she said. She however explained that the agency is in the process of rev...

The Executive Arm of the Edo State government has restated its commitment to work closely with the other two arms of government on a hitch free passage of the 2017 budget. This is in a bid to facilitate the realization of its vision of transforming the state into an industrialists’ hub. The Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu stated this while speaking to Channels Television at the Government House in Benin City the Edo State capital. He disclosed that the executive has commenced the process of ensuring a smooth passage of the 2017 budget when it is presented to the state assembly

The Niger State Police Command on Thursday intensified its fight against cattle rustling in parts of the state with the deployment of additional 500 men in areas identified as dangerous points. In a press briefing in Minna, the Commissioner of Police, Mu’azu Zubairu, said that the men would strengthen the joint task force team already on ground in Alawa, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state. Cattle rustlers had re-launched what security agencies in the state referred to as “major offensive”, especially in Shiroro communities with 11 deaths from two attacks. CP Muazu said that the bandits were fleeing military offensive in Zamafara state and are taking refuge in forests bordering Kaduna and Zamfara states. He said the Police had decided to take the battle to the rustlers with the deployment of three units which include counter-terrorism, anti-cattle rustling and men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Muazu said that the state was rid of cattle ru...