ABEOKUTA—Men of Ogun State Police Command said they have arrested three suspected cultists with one female pant tied with assorted charms. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the arrest was made in continuation of the command’s  war against cultism and other violent crimes. He said the arrested cultists, who have all confessed their membership of Eiye confraternity are: Olagboye Abidemi, 32; Olasemojo Michael, 28, and Wasiu Waheed, 23. Police According to Oyeyemi, men of Ogun State Police Command, last Friday stormed an initiation hideout of the Eiye confraternity in Agbowa area of Ogijo where three members of the group were arrested. “The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Ogijo division, CSP Muhammed Baba,  while leading men of Operation Puff Adder on routine patrol, got information about the hideout of the cult group where they usually initiate new members. “The place was, subsequently, stormed and three members of the group were arrested. Recovered from them were one jack knife, one blood stained silver knife,  one female pant tied with charms and other assorted charms. “Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police,  Bashir Makama,  has ordered the transfer of the suspects to Anti kidnapping/cultists section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.   …nab 3 motorcycle snatchers in Lagos In a related development, three suspected armed robbers that specialise in snatching motorcycles in Ipaja area of Lagos State and environs have been arrested by the police. The suspects, Lateef Adeleke, 23; Lekan Bashiru, 23, and Chinedu Uzozie, 21 were arrested after they attacked a motorcyclist. Police sources said the suspects waylaid the commercial motorcyclist identified as Saheed Oloyo in Ipaja area, weekend, macheted him on the head and disappeared with the motorcycle, a Bajaj with number plate KRD 310 QH while the victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Vanguard learned that few minutes after the attack, the police at Ipaja was contacted and the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Tokunbo Abaniwodo, led her team to the scene after which they went on the trail of the fleeing robbers. Luckily, their efforts paid off after they traced the suspects to Fagebemi area  and arrested them.  One of the suspects was said to have hidden in a septic tank before police fished him out

reported by joseph ishaku

“When the drum is beaten, it brings out a tone whether it is wanted or unwanted we leave it in the hands of the drummer. The Bata, Omele or Agbamole, the story being told is better defined through the steps of the dancer” – Olumide Akande •9ice performing at the African Drum Festival The 10,000-capacity Amphitheatre in Okelewo, Abeokuta, Ogun State, venue for the African Drum Festival is filled to capacity and those in the overflow jostle to have a glimpse of the action taking place on the stage. The stage is glamorous, lit up magnificently and has three other mini platforms from which the drummers can perform. The stage also has two large screens from which the audience receive additional information on the performers introduced by the masters of ceremony who were smartly dressed in white and ash native attires. As the audience waits patiently for the event to kick off, one could tell that many have been through this exciting experience before from the way they comported themselves. The African Drum Festival is an initiative of the Government of Ogun State and has been celebrated since the year 2016 when it first held in the state. Originally dubbed as the Nigerian Drum Festival, it has quickly metamorphosed to African Drums Festival because of the reception and participation it received from other African countries like Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, Uganda, DR Congo and a host of others. This year’s theme is Drumming the Future and it is premised on looking at the potential socio-economic contribution of Drumming to the future of Africa. Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State and the convener of the festival says that for development to be meaningful, the potentialities of culture to spur social and economic emancipation and empowerment of the people must be emphasized. READ ALSO: Kemi Lala Akindoju makes directorial debut with ‘Lavender’ The festival celebration received sponsorships in different forms from corporate bodies and one of such is the sponsorship from International Breweries via one of its brand, Trophy. Trophy Lager is popularly referred to as the pride of the South-West and widely accepted as the Honourable beer that is deeply rooted in the region’s socio-cultural values which explains its sponsorship of the event. Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, International Breweries, Otunba Michael Daramola remarked that “The African Drum Festival is a cultural showpiece which demonstrates our uniqueness, attributes, our rich culture and tradition of the black people. Trophy is a beer that is closely linked with culture and a brand that believes in celebrating life and always rising to the occasion to make connections and bring people together.” We are so honoured to be part of this international epoch-making event,” he added. It is now 7p.m. and the drumming performances are about to start, but not without the recital of the National Anthem first. The Egbedere Band comprising young boys and girls with an average age of 12 set the ball rolling at the concert. They are smartly dressed for the occasion and they did not disappoint the audience. They got down to their drums and xylophone from which they gave scintillating sounds which drew intermittent applause from the crowd. The highpoint of their performance was the rendition of a cover of Teni the Entertainer’s hit song Case. While the band played, the song’s chorus reverberated from the audience as they sang “My papa no be Dangote or Adeleke but we go dey okay yeah”. The performance of Moyo Black Troupe of Ivory Coast was exceptional. The beats they produced were so good that the crowd sang songs that rhymed with the beats. Showing the crowd their superb knowledge of Nigerian music, they played Abami Eda’s evergreen song Lady. They achieved this feat by combining the beats of drums with the amazing sound of a Saxophone. The audience appreciated their efforts by singing along the refrain “She go say I be lady oh”. The Anambra State Troupe came prepared for the event as they got dignitaries who graced the event dancing. Notably, Sally Mbanefo, a former Director-General of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation danced with so much zeal that she got ovation coming her way from the audience. With the help of two dancers and local flute players, their performance left many in awe. As part of its sponsorship, Trophy organised a music concert which was headlined by two music greats, Pasuma and 9ice whose genres resonate with the culture of the Ogun people. They performed to resounding applause of acceptance and joy for the opportunity to watch both artistes perform

reported by joseph ishaku

ABUJA—Veteran  Labour leader, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, yesterday, disagreed with the Presidency over his appointement as Chairman of the board of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF. The Presidency had, weekend, issued a statement saying Kokori was only appointed as Chairman of the board of Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies and not the NSITF. Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige But reacting, yesterday, Kokori said: “I first heard about the appointment through an online medium. Within two hours, Ngige called to congratulate me. Not long after, Chief Emeka Wogu, the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, also called to congratulate me. ‘’Within that week, Ngige invited me to a dinner. I went with my son to the dinner. We discussed the inauguration and other things concerning the fund. ‘’When President Buhari, returned, Ngige called me to say, now that the President has come back, let me get clearance from him because you know that the man that appointed you was acting president. That took about three weeks. ‘’After that, he called to say that the President said he should inaugurate me. It was from then on the cabal in the Presidency took over because they are afraid that I am going to unearth a lot of things that have been going on. I can tell you that they have spent over N2 billion to ensure that I am not inaugurated chairman of the board. ‘’On June 12, 2018, I asked President Buhari why I was not inaugurated, he asked one of his aides, one Seriki, to see to it that I was inaugurated as chairman of the board. But the cabal refused to have me inaugurated. ‘’Look, if at the beginning I was named chairman of the Governing Council of Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, MINILS, I would gladly accept. But I was appointed chairman of the NSITF board by the then acting President, Yemi Osinbajo. ‘’But the cabal in the Presidency, including one contractor of NNDC in Delta, another of my friend and a leading figure in the June 12, 1993, struggle(names withheld), are involved in the conspiracy to stop me from being inaugurated.” NLC reacts Speaking on the issue yesterday, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, said the clarification from Femi Adesina was very unfortunate, since it was coming rather too late. He said: ‘’I think they are being economical with the truth. You can recall that on March 17, through the NTA, it was announced that Kokori has been replaced as NSITF board chairman and named  as Chairman of the Michael Imoudu Labour institute Governing Board. ‘’You cannot replace somebody you have not appointed in the first place. This matter was on the table for over two years. We have written several letters for him to be inaugurated, nobody said he was never appointed. If they are afraid of Kokori’s integrity, they should come out clean. ‘’In fact, I am aware that Ngige met Kokori over four times on the issues of inauguration. In July last year, a committee was actually set up to inaugurate the board. It was at that point that Ngige wrote a memo to the President that with Kokori as the chairman, labour would have three persons on the board, which they are not comfortable to with. ‘’Ngige actually sent the name of Kokori to the DSS for screening ahead of the inauguration. But if you said because Kokori is a man of integrity, and cannot be bent, it is alright. We thought that a government that is fighting corruption should have Kokori on board. ‘’It is not also correct that the fund is 100 per cent government. It is false because employers contribute to the fund for the social security of workers. That is why it is a tripartite institution.’’ On why the NLC nominated Chief Kokori, Wabba said: “No, we never nominated Kokori. Let me tell you, I have repeated this severally, our two nominees were the Treasurer and the Trustee. ‘’Kokori was nominated on his personal merit to the Presidential Committee headed by the Vice President, that nominated people into over 500 boards. “Through that process, Ngige was appointed as Chairman of NDE. It was the same Ngige that told us that Kokori has been appointed into the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund. ‘’He is not our nominee but we thought that having nominated him from the rank and file of labour, we should also find out why they want to delay the inauguration of the Board. “All the other 500 boards have been inaugurated. All of the appointments were done the same time. In fact, the three executive directors and managing director were appointed through the same process. “We have said it several times that we were not even aware that he was appointed but having appointed him, they can’t treat him shabbily because he is from labour.” From The Presidency Meanwhile, the Presidency issued what it described as clarification on the issue yesterday, saying Mr. Austin Enejamo-Isire was the person actually appointed to head the NSITF Board. In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, the Presidency stated that all actions taken by the Minister in resuscitation of the fund as well as the administrative probe panel had President Buhari’s approval. The statement, entitled “Facts of the matter, by Presidency”, read: “Following the disagreement between the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, over the appointment of chairman of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), the Presidency wishes to clarify as follows: “That the NSITF is a hundred per cent, Federal Government of Nigeria owned insurance parastatal, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, designed for the role of insuring workers (employees) in the public and private sectors. ‘’The organization is empowered by law to implement the Employee Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 with mandate to insure workers and pay them compensation for accidents, deaths and injuries  in the course of work. NSITF: APC chieftain warns labour to avoid plunging Nigeria into chaos “The NSITF was bedeviled and riddled with corruption between 2012 and 2015, which resulted in a colossal loss and mismanagement of about N48 billion out of the total N62 billion contributions during the said period. These were contributions by the Employers – viz government and the private sector for payment of compensation to workers and even to Employers for loss of man-hours by their workers. “This fraud has been investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the last chairman and some members of the former board and some officials of the NSITF are currently being prosecuted by the EFCC. No new information to drive positive sentiment –Analysts “All actions taken by the Minister of Labour and Employment towards the resuscitation and repositioning of this ailing agency, including the Administrative Panel of Inquiry into the affairs of NSITF and the suspension of the inauguration of the board in 2018 were part of the special work plan approved for the Minister by Mr. President. “The appointment of the Chairman of this board, which is in consonance with Sec. 4(a) of the NSITF Act CAP N88 of 2004, was also approved by Mr. President since 23rd July, 2018 on the recommendation of the Minister. ‘’Mr. Austin Enejamo-Isire, a Chartered Accountant, Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and renowned Insurance expert, Senior Member, Chartered Institute of Insurance of Nigeria (CIIN), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) was approved by Mr. President for this position. “Also approved by Mr. President were the Managing Director and three Executive Directors who had assumed duties since April 18, 2017. “Others also approved as Non-Executive Directors are two members to represent the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, two members to represent the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, and one member each to represent the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. Members of this board are to be formally inaugurated at 9 a.m. on Monday May 13, 2019 (today) by the Minister of Labour and Employment at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja. Insecurity happening because we have incompetent administration – PDP “Comrade Frank Kokori, our respected veteran labour leader, has Mr. President’s immense respect and has also been appointed on the recommendation of the Minister of Labour and Employment to chair the board of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), a diploma awarding labour institution. “Finally, the Presidency has noted with deep concern and regrets, the events that culminated in a skirmish at the private residence of the Minister of Labour and Employment, and condemns it, in its entirety. “However, in the spirit of reconciliation, the Presidency appeals for calm from the NLC and the Ministry of Labour and Employment officials, as there are ongoing efforts to reconcile the NLC leadership with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, led by their Minister who has doggedly been fighting the cause of Nigerian workers whenever their issue is discussed by government, the latest being the enactment of the new National Minimum Wage Act 2019. “ NUPENG slams Presidency over Kokori Also, reacting, President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Prince Williams Akporeha, said the claim by the Presidency that Kokori was never appointed was a lie from the pit of hell, alleging that it was orchestrated by Ngige to achieve a predetermined agenda. Positive internal, external factors point to equity market rebound in Q3 — Prof Uwaleke He said: ‘’The claims by the Presidency that Kokori was never appointed are lies from the pit of hell. It is part of the conspiracy by the cabal that does not want Kokori because of what he stands for – integrity, honesty, transparency and straightforwardness. ‘’Can Ngige swear that he never congratulated Kokori over his appointment? Can Ngige swear that he never met with Kokori for about four times on the issue of his inauguration? Can Ngige swear that he never sent Kokori’s name to DSS for screening ahead of the inauguration? ‘’Look, the statement by the Presidency that Kokori was never appointed was orchestrated by Ngige for his personal aggrandizement.”dency/

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has said that replacing Service Chiefs won’t solve the insecurity problems in Nigeria.

Adeboye said this while speaking at the RCCG Headquarters, the Throne of Grace at Ebute-Metta, Lagos during a thanksgiving service.

Speaking through the Assistant General Overseer, Administration and Personnel, RCCG, Pastor Johnson Odesola, Adeboye said, “I believe the service chiefs are working and aside from those that have attained their retirement age, they have been studying the situation of the country in terms of security and would have some plans they are working on. If they are just changed, the new service chiefs would have to start all over again.

“I believe in good succession plan whereby those to replace the current service chiefs would learn from the incumbents and only need to continue from where they stop.”

Chief Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland also attended the service.

Adams said with right leaders, Nigeria would make appreciable progress. He, however, added that religion should not be an issue in civil society.

“I am a Muslim by birth, but I came to worship in a church with my wife as I have worshipped in many churches. I enjoy every bit of the service led by a cleric that has been serving God for over 40 years. With the prayers following every problem he mentioned, it is a new turn in my life,” he said.

Chief Gani Adams is a social activist and leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress. He became the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland in January 2019.

It has been reported that gunmen killed a priest and five churchgoers during mass Sunday in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso.

According to the Agence France Presse, AFP, security sources and local official made this known on Sunday.

“Towards 9.00 am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church,” the mayor of Dablo, Ousmane Zongo, told AFP. “They started firing as the congregation tried to flee.”

The gunmen managed to trap some of the worshippers, he added. “They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six.”

The attackers set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health centre, which they looted and burnt the chief nurse’s vehicle, said Zongo.

A security source said between 20 and 30 gunmen carried out the attack.

Sunday’s attack was the latest of a series carried out against Christian churches in Burkina Faso.

Last Sunday, gunmen killed five people in an attack on a Protestant church in the small northern town of Silgadji.

A Nigerian Twitter user has shared a controversial thread explaining why cheating shouldn’t be a deal breaker in a relationship.

According to him, ‘in fact it should be embraced by both parties, so if you love your partner, don’t cage them, love them freely and give them an avenue to express’.

Follow the thread below…

It’s no longer news EFCC have arrested Naira Marley and Zlatan Ibile on the heels of their controversial song “Am I A Yahoo Boy“.

While we know these two artistes have been very controversial with their thoughts on cyber crime known as Yahoo Yahoo and have also been involved with online spats with their fellow celebrities from Ruggedman and Simi, but does this call for a lockup and raid by the anti corruption agency, EFCC?

It’s mixed reactions on the Internet as some Nigerians are Thanking the EFCC for the good work while some Nigerians are raining heavy curses on the Anti-grant agency for picking up the budding talents.

Guys, we want to hear your thoughts on this matter,

Do You Think It Was Right For EFCC To Have Arrested Naira Marley And Zlatan?

Let’s hear from you all.

Drop your comments

Read the press statement from EFCC following the arrest of singer Naira Marley,  rapper, Zlatan and four others.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, arrested two fast-rising Nigerian musicians – Afeez Fashola (aka Naira Marley) and Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael (aka Zlatan), in connection with alleged case of internet fraud and money laundering. Intelligence report had also linked them to cybercrime offences.

They were arrested along with: Tiamiu Abdulrahman Kayode, Adewunmi Adeyanju Moses and Abubakar Musa.

Their arrest followed an early morning raid on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 9, Gbangbola Street, Ikate, Lekki, Lagos.

At the point of arrest, the Commission found and recovered a number of items, including laptops, from the suspects.

They have so far volunteered useful information about their involvement in the alleged criminal activities, even as investigations continue.

Justice Fatun Riman of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, today May 10th, convicted and sentenced Daniel Iluobe, Ifeanyi Chukwudi Paul and Godwin Joseph Ovboke to two years imprisonment each, for internet fraud.

Iluobe, while posing as a Chinese, Huang Guang, fraudulently sent electronic messages to a Chinese woman promising her marriage. He further demanded the sum of $200 which his victim sent to him via Western Union.

The EFC in a statement released, said Ovboke falsely portrayed himself as Lancelot Degory, a United States citizen, and succeeded in defrauding one Cheow Lim of $1,400, after he lied to her that he was going to meet her in Singapore where they were supposed to get married.

Paul on the other hand claimed he was a Construction Engineer based in Syria, and under that guise, he succeeded in defrauding one Simone Cardoso of £600 (Six Hundred Pounds) with a false promise of marriage.

The convicts were arraigned on separate charges and all three pleaded “guilty” to the one-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Before they were convicted and sentenced for their various offences, the prosecuting counsel, N.K. Ukoha prayed the court to allow his witness take the stand and review the facts of the cases.

The prosecution witness, Joseph Simon Akor, an EFCC operative, narrated how the convicts were arrested at different locations and on different dates, following intelligence gathered during surveillance.

He told the court that Paul was arrested on May 5, 2019 at his apartment on Charles Effiong Close, Satellite Town, Calabar, while Ovboke and Iluobe were arrested at Itagbor Agbeansa area of Calabar.

“During investigations, forensic analysis carried out on their laptops showed that they were into internet fraud as we saw all the electronic messages they used to dupe their victims,” he said.

After leading the witness in evidence, Ukoha then urged the court to convict and sentence them, accordingly.

While delivering judgement, Justice Riman sentenced Iluobe to two years in prison with an option of fine of N50,000, and ordered that the convict must restitute the entire sum of $200 (Two Hundred Dollars) to his victim.
Ovboke was sentenced to two years in prison with an option of fine of N100,000 and ordered to refund the sum of $1,400 to the victim as restitution.

Paul was also sentenced to two years in prison with an option of fine of N100,000. He was also ordered by the court to pay back £600 (Six Hundred Pounds) to the victim he defrauded.

The court also ordered that all three convicts forfeit every item recovered from them at the point of arrest to the Federal Government.
They are currently in prison where they’ll remain till they fulfil the conditions given them by the court or serve out their prison terms

Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has made a strong case for an effective and viable Health Insurance Scheme in Nigeria to improve quality of life for Nigerians and attract investment to the healthcare sector. 

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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (3rd left); Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health, Izilen Asogun (3rd right); President, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Olusegun Olaopa (2nd left); Vice President I, NARD, Dr. Ahmad Rufai Tukur (left), and Vice President II, NARD, Dr. Nwafor Kingsley (right), during a courtesy visit by the NARD delegation to the governor, at the Government House, in Benin City, Edo State. The governor made the submission during a courtesy visit by the National Executive of the Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), at the Government House, in Benin City, Edo State. Community Pharmacists fault Lagos Health Insurance Scheme The governor noted that priority must be placed on health insurance, noting, “We should ensure and emphasise on having a viable, effective and formidable health insurance system in Nigeria. It is only when we have this in place that we can begin to attract the requisite investment to the healthcare system.” Obaseki said an important aspect of the healthcare system is prevention, noting that his administration is focusing on delivering quality healthcare at the primary level to ensure serious ailments are nipped in the bud. He noted, “We are deploying resources to ensure we have a robust healthcare system at the primary healthcare level.” The governor added that government can provide quality healthcare services for the people, when it explores innovative arrangements with the private sector to provide these services. President, NARD, Dr Olusegun Olaope, said members of the association are in Benin City for the ordinary meeting of NARD, adding that the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has played a vital role in sustaining the group’s ideals since its establishment in 1978. The generation that could transform Nigeria has been born – Melinda Gates Olaope also commended Governor Obaseki for his developmental strides in the areas of infrastructure such as roads, schools, healthcare, among others.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/05/efficient-health-insurance-schemell-attract-investment-to-healthcare-sector-obaseki/