Day: February 20, 2017

FEATURES, NEWS FROM NIGERIA February 20, 2017February 20, 2017

A GLANCE INTO VP OSINBAJO’S 32 DAYS AS ACTING NIGERIAN PRESIDENT

Ever since President Muhammadu Buhari submitted a letter the Senate proceeding on a 10-day vacation, which rolled over into its 32nd day last Sunday, the responsibility of running the country became that of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

Many didn’t know what to expect from Osinbajo.

Will he loaf or junket around? Or will he make a difference within the short time frame.

But Osinbajo has shown us the stuff he is made of. he siezed the opportunity of his principal’s prolonged absence and made an indelible mark which will show him as a capable and veritable leader in his own right.

Here is a timeline of Osinbajo’s activities over the past month:

January 19, 2017: President Muhammadu Buhari proceeded on what was supposed to be 10-day vacation and a routine medical check-up.

January 19, 2017: Following President’s Buhari departure, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had to cut short his participation at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland to take up the responsibility of president.

January 20, 2017: On assumption of duty, the acting president was briefed on the situation in Gambia pertaining to its exiled president, Yahya Jammeh.

January 22, 2017: Osinbajo had a long chat with President Buhari on the phone on the situation in the Gambia, according to Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to Osinbajo on Media and Publicity.

January 23, 2017: Just two days after resumption, the acting president hosted the 2nd Presidential Quarterly Business Forum which had representation from the organised private sector. Speaking at the forum, Osinbajo said “sustainable economic growth is only possible if it is private sector-led”.

January 24, 2017: The Presidency released over N375 million to feed a total of 677, 476 primary school pupils in five states.

January 24, 2017: The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo met with the delegation of General Electric, led by its CEO, Jeff Immelt.

January 24, 2017: Osinbajo while speaking at the monthly meeting of the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) at the State House, Abuja said a system must be put in place to punish bad behaviour in the country.

January 24, 2017: The Acting President accused some government agencies of frustrating the ease of doing business in the country.

Osinbajo stated this at the media launch of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Clinics at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

January 25, 2017: The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu dismissed rumours that Osinbajo had been asked to resign.

January 25, 2017: Senate president Bukola Saraki denied reports that he contracted some governors to pressure acting President Yemi Osinbajo to resign.

January 27, 2017: The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) called on the acting President Yemi Osinbajo to defend Christians in the country.

January 27, 2017: The Presidential Amnesty Office announced that the Acting President will be visiting the Niger Delta again in February.

January 27, 2017: Osinbajo during a meeting with the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Ms. Ertharin Cousin, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja said the task of handling the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East was very tough.

January 30, 2017: The Acting President met with Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan on the 2017 Appropriation Bill .

January 31, 2017: Osinbajo met with the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to discuss the 2017 Appropriation bill and the nation’s economy.

February 01, 2017: The Presidency and National Assembly reached a decision to allow the government take $1billion Euro bond.

The deal was reached during a meeting between acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

February 01, 2017: Acting President Yemi Osinbajo swore-in five new commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC) in Abuja screened by the Senate.

February 02, 2017: Osinbajo held a closed door meeting with Senate president, Bukola Saraki.

February 02, 2017: The Acting President held a closed door meeting with members of the Presidential Task Force on the rising cost of food items in Nigeria.

February 06, 2017: Osinbajo while speaking at a Consultative Forum on the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja said the cries of Nigerians have been heard by President Muhammadu Buhari.

February 06, 2017: The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo while speaking with State House correspondents after holding a closed door meeting with APC National, John Odigie-Oyegun said he was in no position to disclose the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians.

February 06, 2017: Osinbajo, who had a lengthy phone conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari said the president was hale and hearty.

February 07, 2017: The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo commended the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris for handling the nationwide #IStandWithNigeria protests professionally.

February 08, 2017: Osinbajo received a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to forward the name of Justice Walter Onnoghen to the Senate for confirmation as the Chief Justice of Nigeria and this request was dutifully carried out by the Vice President.

February 08, 2017: The National Judicial Council on Wednesday responded to Osinbajo with a letter informing him of the extention of the acting tenure of Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria.

February 08, 2017: Osinbajo presided over the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

February 08, 2017: The Acting President held a closed door meeting with the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

February 09, 2017: The Acting president met with Labour leaders who staged a protest to the Aso Rock villa. During the meeting with the labour leaders, Osinbajo said Nigerians should not expect ease without a level of pain.

February 09, 2017: Osinbajo hosted the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

February 09, 2017: The Acting President held a closed door meeting with heads of some security agencies. However, details of the meeting was not disclosed to the press.

February 10, 2017: As part of a continuing tour of the Niger Delta oil-producing communities, with a view to finding a lasting solution to the peculiar problems of the region by engaging with the people and communities, the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, visited Bayelsa.

February 13, 2017: Continuing his Niger Delta stakeholders dialogue trip, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, visited Rivers, where he said it would require $1bn to clean-up Ogoni land.

February 13, 2017: During a town hall meeting comprising the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike; traditional rulers, elders and other stakeholders at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Osinbajo said Nigeria needs to make the Niger Delta a vibrant economic zone. He added that the Federal Government will employ Niger Delta youth involved in illegal refining of crude oil.

February 14, 2017: At a townhall meeting with APC members in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Osinbajo said corruption was one of the reasons behind the nation’s problems.

February 15, 2017: The Acting President presided over the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

February 17, 2017: Osinbajo’s visit to Ondo as part of his Niger Delta dialogue was rescheduled due to bad weather.

February 18, 2017: The Acting President signed seven bills into law passed by the National Assembly.

February 18, 2017: Osinbajo represented Nigeria at the swearing-in ceremony of Gambia’s president Adama Barrow.

FEATURES, LONDON DIGEST, UK February 20, 2017

ARMED HOME INVASION GANG TORTURED VICTIMS WITH IRON AND LOCKED THEM IN CAR BOOT

Croydon and Orpington men were part of a gang that held two people hostage, tortured them with an iron and a knife before tying them up and leaving them in a car boot.

Samuel Tando, from Croydon, is among a group of five men who were found guilty of keeping two men, aged 21 and 24, against their will – demanding money.

Alexander Pululu, 31, from Orpington, was also in the gang.

Police received 999 calls from people living in flats at Barclay House in Wellington Road after they reported hearing shouts for help at 10.20pm on 6 October, 2015.

Police were responding to 999 calls from those living nearby reporting shouts for help at 10.20pm on October 6, 2015.

The investigation revealed that both victims were invited to the flat but once there, they were subjected to a horrific attack by a group of men resulting in them being imprisoned for four hours.

Both were bound and their attackers demanded cash from them.

The 24-year-old suffered a stab wound to the arm and burns to his feet with a hot iron and wounds to his face and head.

And the 21-year-old suffered minor injuries to his head and wrist.

Their attackers then used the 24-year-old’s car to drive to his flat and steal his cash before returning to the flat in Barclay House, bundling the pair down the stairs and into the boot of the car at knifepoint.

Tando, Pululu, William Ben-Sellem, 24, of Brighton, Ashraf Abdullah, 28, of Hove and Martin Maloney, 41, of Brighton were all charged with two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of robbery, one count of grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a firearm and two counts of making threats to kill.

They all pleaded not guilty to the offences but Tando, Ben-Sellem and Pululu were found guilty of all the charges, except possessing a firearm, after a five-week trial at the London Inner Court, Southwark in August last year.

The jury could not reach a decision on Abdullah and Maloney but during a retrial, which started last month at the same court, they were found guilty on February 16.

Maloney was found not guilty of making threats to kill.

The five men who are on remand will be sentenced in April.

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Detective Inspector Andy Wolstenholme said: “The victims in this case were subjected to a horrific ordeal and have suffered tremendous pain and stress.

“The 24-year-old man has not recovered full mobility in the use of his arm where he was stabbed.

“This has been an incredibly complex investigation. Achieving this result will aid the victims’ recovery as well as sending a strong message that violent and organised criminal groups are not welcome in Sussex and will be relentlessly pursued.

“All the victims and witnesses who gave evidence at the trial demonstrated real courage and community spirit in coming forward to help secure these convictions.

“Without the support we received from partners and the public, we would not have been able to bring the case to court and ensure these dangerous men are imprisoned.”

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16602294_10155122012512845_1296440255609091962_o — An evening with HIM the Ooni of Ife

FEATURES, NEWS FROM NIGERIA February 20, 2017

HOMEGROWN SCHOOL FEEDING: NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT NOW SERVING ONE HOT MEAL A DAY TO OVER ONE MILLION PUPILS IN 7 STATES

The Federal Government has now released enough funds to start the serving of one hot meal a day to more than one million primary school pupils across seven States in the country, under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme.

This disclosure was made this morning by Mr. Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President, Office of the Vice President, while giving a media update on the Social Investment Programme of the Buhari administration.

Specifically, a total sum of N844, 360, 550 has so far been released for the commencement of the programme in Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Zamfara as at the end of last week.

While funds have been released to the seven States to kick off the programme, not all of them have actually started the implementation as at press time.

In the States of Anambra, Enugu, Osun, Ogun, and Oyo, the feeding has actually started, while it is expected to start this week in the two other states of Ebonyi and Zamfara, that have been funded already.

That means, the Buhari Presidency’s Homegrown School Feeding Programme would be feeding this week a total of 1, 043, 205 pupils in those seven states.

Equally a total number of 11,775 cooks have now been employed to prepare the meals in those states already, while local farmers in the states are also the one producing the food prepared and served.

Of all the States, Anambra, which was the first state to receive FG funding late last year has now received three full funding tranches covering 30 school days, totaling N188, 769,000. The State has a total of 937 cooks and feeding 96,489 pupils.

In Ebonyi, FG have also released a total of N115, 218, 600, while 1466 cooks have been engaged and 164, 598 pupils are to be fed.

Also in Enugu State, FG have released N67,244, 800 to feed 96, 064 pupils and 1128 cooks engaged.

In Ogun State, FG have released N119, 648, 900 to feed 170, 927 pupils and engaged 1381 cooks, while in Osun a total of N92, 425, 400 have been released to feed 142, 193 pupils with 2688 cooks engaged.

For Oyo State, a total of N72, 288, 300 have been released by the FG to feed 103, 269 pupils, engaging 1437 cooks, while in Zamfara FG have released a total sum of N188, 765, 500 to feed 269, 665 pupils and engaged 2, 738 cooks.

FEATURES February 20, 2017

POLICE APPEAL FOR WITNESSES FOLLOWING BRENT CROSS MURDER

London Metropolitan Police Detectives continue to appeal for information and witnesses following a murder in the Brent Cross area of Barnet.

Police were called at around 19:15hrs on Friday, 17 February, to Heathfield Gardens, NW11 following reports of a number of males fighting.

Officers attended and found a 21-year-old man with a stab wound to his neck. He was taken by London Ambulance Service to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Next of kin have now been informed. Although officers await formal identification, they are satisfied that the deceased is Joseph Olopo, (5.10.95), of the Colindale area.

A post-mortem examination held on Sunday, 19 February, at Northwick Park Hospital mortuary gave cause of death as a stab wound to the neck.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating, led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Chalmers.

Two males (A and B) were arrested near to the scene on suspicion of affray. A 20-year-old man (A) has been bailed to return, pending further enquiries, on a date in early March. A 17-year-old youth (B) has been released with no further action.