Benue Killings: death toll rises to 80

Success Nnaji:

Death toll arising from the attack of herdsmen on Bunue State communities has risen to 80.

The Benue State Emergency Management Agency has revealed that over 80 persons have been killed in the state since December 31, 2017 following clashes between cattle herdsmen and farmers.

According to the agency’s executive secretary, Benue chapter, Mr. Emmanuel Shior the killings had displaced thousands of people in the districts of Guma and Logo who are now seeking shelter in four camps.

He said: “Eighty is the number we can say for now, the attacks have not stopped.

“The number (of internally displaced people) is 80,000 now because the killings have continued.

“We suspect these people are reacting against the open grazing prohibition put in place by the governor of Benue State,” Shior said.

Save Northern Nigeria: Al- Mustapha appeals to Muoka

Success Damian Former Chief Security Adviser to the late General Sani Abacha, Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha and founder of the newly floated political party, Green Party of Nigeria, (GMP), has appealed to The General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, Pastor Lazarus Muoka to come to the rescue of the 19 States of Northern Nigeria from the incessant crisis in the area. He made the appeal on Sunday at the end of the 4-day International Crusade titled; What God Has Determined Shall Be Done, organized by the Lord’s Chosen at Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State. Al-Mustapha who made a surprise appearance at the crusade said his main mission to the Christian gathering was to appeal to Muoka to acknowledge with a peculiar interest on the problems in Nigeria, especially in the North, as they are escalating into something bigger.  Al-Mustapha regretted that the Northern States are presently bedeviled with so many social problems and requires sincere and honest people like Muoka, who can direct and pass the right messages to the people. “We want Pastor Muoka to extend his evangelism to the north, so as to change the situation for good. If we allow terrorism to get deep and rooted, it may snowball into affecting other parts of Nigeria. Besides people are dying every day. So, there is need to bring people who have the capacity to bring Nigeria out of its present situation.”  Al-Mustapha explained that corruption, increase in crime rate, terrorism,  high unemployment rate, people dying across waters and poor education system are nothing to write home about. “Also, infrastructure is nowhere to be found, so many promises, but not fulfilled. There is too much money, but nothing to show for it. Institutional decay, nepotism, gender inequality problems etc are posing serious problems in Nigeria. Besides, people are dying every day, so there is a need to bring people whom we know, have the capacity to bring Nigeria out of its present situation.  The CSA said therefore that it was high time Nigerians resorted to the likes of Muoka to seek for help and direction for them to make ends meet and be free from the instabilities confronting the nation. The north at the moment is bedeviled with so many social problems and therefore requires people who are honest, sincere and can as well, direct and pass the right messages to the people and at the same time pray, so that we can change the situation for good. If we allow terrorism to get deep and rooted, it may snowball into affecting other parts of Nigeria. Besides people are dying every day. So, there is need to bring people who have the capacity to bring Nigeria out of its present situation.”  Also, describing Muoka as an embodiment of humility and a distinguished personality in whom radiates all known and unknown qualities of a true leader, Mustapha said the essence of any leadership in life rests on the provision of hope to the people when their confidence is lost and provision of confidence when the people no longer have hope anywhere. ‘The Lord’s Chosen Ministries has an anchorman of such”. On the security implications in Nigeria, Al-Mustapha posited that if his book ‘Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Nigeria,’ written since 2009 was used by the government, Nigeria would not have been experiencing the present problems. “I think, we have ignored the problem that is why we are in this present situation.” He noted that life is not measured by the amount of money, cars or houses one has, but the number of lives affected positively. ‘Life is not measured by the riches in your pocket nor the number of houses, castles or palaces that you have and not from the power that you have but it is measured from the point of view of people appreciating and smiling when they see you and when they hear of you, The Lord Chosen General Overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka is one. I see in him humility, simplicity, wisdom, responsibility cheerfulness, kindness and of courses faith and wisdom. “ Speaking further, Mustapha hinted that in kindness and wisdom, when in 2009, he was being persecuted and kept for 15 years, going through torture, Muoka made intercessory prayers on his behalf till he got freedom.  ‘In the mid-way of my persecution, the distinguished religious leader sent people to pray for me. He was also praying for me without minding the leadership that was persecuting me. And, as I was going through the travails, through the kindness and wisdom with which he showed concern to me, I saw a lot of things and eventually, God almighty granted me freedom."

NUC approves LASU Open Distant Learning Research Institute

Success Damian

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the establishment of the Lagos State University (LASU) Open and Distance Learning and Research Institute (ODLRI). 

The approval came after a recent visit by the Universities Regulatory Body to assess the facilities of the Institute at the Main Campus of the University in Ojo. 

The ODLRI was established by the Prof. Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun-led administration to replace the now rested LASU External System (LASUES) and provide opportunity for millions of knowledge seekers who are desirous of pursuing their first degrees in the University, but are unable to gain admission for the regular programmes.

The ODLRI Board is headed by renowned Academic and Former Executive Secretary, NUC, Dist. Prof. Peter Okebukola.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Fagbohun, while receiving the NUC team on their assessment visit, had assured the Executive Secretary, NUC, Professor Abubakar Rasheed that LASU-ODLRI will be the gold standard in the delivery of quality University education in Africa through the Open and Distance Learning delivery platform.

The approved take-off programme is the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. 

LASU-ODLRI has several unique features. Course contents are pitched above NUC minimum standards with slant on 21-Century skills especially critical thinking, teamwork, entrepreneurship and digital literacy.

It will be delivered on a learner-friendly, easy-to-navigate e-learning platform with 24-hour learner support. It will apply global best practices in Open and Distance learning delivery. Another distinguishing feature is that it will embed research and development into all operations.  

All course materials are pilot tested before full diffusion. There are no imported courseware as all materials are proudly homegrown in LASU. It will blend 30% on-campus instruction with 70% instruction in a technology-enabled virtual learning environment. 

With the approval of the Institute, sale of forms is expected to commence any moment from now. 

Generation of the righteous must continue – Pastor Muoka

Success Damian

The General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, Pastor Lazarus Muoka has said that the generation of the righteous must continue.

Muoka made this call at the church’s 4-day International Crusade currently taking place at Mgbudi, Imo State.

In his word, “The generation of Jesus is the generation of the righteous and the generation of righteous is the generation of The Chosen and the generation of the chosen must continue”

Muoka stated that for anybody coming to the church must have heaven in view otherwise the effort is vanity.

He mandated members to train their children the in the way of the Lord so that when they grow up they would not depart from it.

By the second day of the crusade amazing testimonies have been recorded including 42 years madness and 40 years old deaf and dump being healed.

Father Mbaka warns Buhari: Contest and be disgraced

 Success Damian:

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has warned President Muhammadu Buhari not to contemplate seeking for a second tenure in 2019.

The spiritual director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, stated that Buhari would be totally disgraced if he takes a shot at the presidency after his current tenure.

Mbaka made this revelation before thousands of worshippers in a New Year Message which he delivered Monday morning.

Recalled that at the same pulpit three years ago, he had prophesied that former President Goodluck Jonathan would be defeated in the 2015 election.

The cabals have messed up the President and confused him. So, Mr. President, you are to be blamed, not your cabals. You have your brooms, but the cabals have their bags; either you sweep them away or they throw you into the bag. Heaven cried that your methodology is not just archaic but too sluggish, very slow. The situation in Nigeria needs speed but you are too dull.

“So, Mr. President, as I was waiting on the Lord, I’m asked to advise you, don’t come out for 2nd tenure, after this, retire, peacefully. Mr. President you are the cause of your own problem. God gave you an adviser, a wonderful mentor, a visionist, a matriarch, in the person of your wife, Aisha, but you don’t want to listen to her, that woman is heartbroken, because she understood that you are not yourself. Come back to yourself or you will cry by the time you will be sent out of office. So, those who are encouraging you to come out and run again, they want to disgrace you shamefully and publicly.”

We keep on praying for your quick recovery but you know when the President is sick and age is not on his side, the message came, that is why the government schools are sick, the government hospitals are sick, the government roads are sick; power, electricity, sick, the economy is sick; unemployment becomes the order of the day, our graduates, our youths are living in abject poverty and hopelessness, the countrymen are sick, hunger is ravaging the people of God; investors have no more confident in Nigeria.

The same God chose Jonathan, Goodluck, during the oil boom, had Jonathan invested well, then Nigerians won’t be suffering what we are suffering now; even in his hometown Otueke, go to Niger Delta, there was no impact of governance, nothing. That’s why God pushed him out. Mr. President, if you don’t want to be pushed out, you have to wake up.

God has given Nigerians everything and He says, ‘Nigerians be patient with me.’ It will not take time I will begin to deal wickedly to those who are dealing wickedly to you people. Those who are punishing you, I will punish.

Presidency reacts to controversial board appointments list

Cyriacus Nnaji:

The presidency has reacted to the controversy generated by its appointment of 1,468 Nigerians into the boards of agencies and parastatals.

The list generated controversy after names of some dead persons were found among the appointees.

PREMIUM TIMES report monitored by Newworldnewsng, also show duplications and appointments of individuals that are no longer in the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The Presidency however downplayed the matter Saturday as, according to a spokesman of the president, there was nothing scandalous about the list.

Speaking on telephone, Garba Shehu said “the list has a history” which explains the controversy around it.

“In 2015, Mr. President requested all state chapters of the party to submit names of 50 party members for board appointments,” Mr. Shehu said.

He said the names where compiled by the national secretariat of the APC and forwarded to the then secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir Lawal.

“However, complaint arose from some governors who felt they were not carried along in the process. To answer this, the president constituted a committee under the vice president to review and reflect the interest of the governors”.

Mr Shehu however said action was delayed on the report of the committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as President Muhammadu Buhari took ill.

The president’s trips for medical attention slowed down completion of the process,” he said, until when Mr Buhari decided to revisit the matter recently.

“The current SGF was only directed to complete that process by releasing the list which he apparently did without altering it,” Mr. Shehu explained.

Mr Shehu admitted that errors were committed but added that “no human undertaking can be free of mistakes”.

He said the errors identified with the list were not enough to describe the exercise as scandalous, insisting that “there is no scandal”. The spokesperson said all errors in the list would be corrected.

 

Two dead men make Buhari’s board appointments

 Cyriacus Nnaji:

Senator Francis Okpozo, who died at 81, in 2016, has been named Chairman, Nigerian Press Council (NPC).

Also on the list is late retired Deputy Inspector General of Police and elder statesman, Donald Ugbaja.

The late Ugbaja was appointed member of Consumer Protection Council. His name is the third on the list of the council whose chairman is Emeka Nwakpa.

The two men are among the 209 chairmen and 1,258 members appointed to fill the governing boards of agencies and parastatals positions.

The Presidency had issued a statement on December 28, 2016 expressing condolences to his family and the government of Delta State on his death.

Until his death, Late Okpozo was a Second Republic senator and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement by the presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President also commiserated with “the family and friends of the late senator, whose championing of social justice in the Niger Delta, during his long history of service to the people, endeared him to many.”

The statement added that “As a stalwart of the APC in the South-South, President Buhari believes that the party greatly benefited from the octogenarian’s charismatic leadership and wealth of experience as a politician.”

The President also “hopes that all who mourn Senator Okpozo will carry forward his legacy of unwavering dedication to the unity of Nigeria, even as the nation would fondly remember his contributions to peace, development and justice in the Niger Delta.”

The appointments which was released late Saturday night to mainly online media by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, read:

“Mr. President considered the approval for the constitution of the Boards as well as the appointments, very necessary, so as to provide a proper Governance and oversight structure for Government Agencies and Parastatals. The constitution of the boards with the appointments, is a demonstration of this Government’s efforts aimed at building strong institutions of Governance, and by extension, improving the quality of Policy formulation and supervision.