Education key to national development –Prof. Okebukola

The education of children has been described as the key to the future of Nigeria.

Making the assertion in Ota, Ogun State, during the 3rd valedictory session of De Dynamic College, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola, who was represented at the occassion by the National Programme Officer for the Centre for National Security, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Mr. Damian Oyibo, said with the youthful population of Nigeria and Africa, education security was necessary to drive the engine of societal growth as reported by The Punch. 

The former NUC scribe also pointed that to ensure that every child is educationally secured; Nigeria needs to improve its economy by being a producer rather than a consumer.

According to him, no developing country removes its subsidy on education and still thrives. He said there should be a form of support system so that those who are intelligent but cannot afford to go to school will still be able to do so. 

“There should be an education tax, whereby a percentage of education is voted into education. If these are adhered to, there will be a balance between public and private schools. If the system continues like this, then we are sure that the money that goes into education goes into education” he said.

Executive Director of the school, Alhaja Aramide Bello, said that the graduates are now prepared to take up future challenges after their six-year grooming experience at the college.

ANOTHER CHAINED CHILD IN OGUN POLICE RESCUED

INHUMANITY... Another child rescued by policemen attached to the Adigbe Division, berely some weeks after NSCDC officer rescued Korede Taiwo, 9 years old boy in Ogun State.

Similar incident was uncovered on Thursday, in Abeokuta, as Police rescued 10 year-old, Promise Ude.

The acting Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi‎, disclosed this to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Oyeyemi explained that policemen attached to the Adigbe Division, acting on a tip-off from neighbours, stormed the building and rescued the young girl.The victim, according to the acting PPRO, was rescued on Thursday‎.

Oyeyemi said the girl was chained to a burglar proof for more than 24-hours in an uncompleted building in the area over allegation of stealing N4, 000.

The acting image maker said the suspect, who is an aunt to the victim, Mrs Chiamaka Okafor, has since fled her home, while her husband, identified as Sunday Okafor, is in Police custody.

He said the Commissioner of Police, IIiyasu Ahmed, had expressed displeasure over the incident and ordered that full investigation into the matter be commenced immediately.

“We had an information that a 10 year-old girl by the name, Promise Ude, was chained to a burglary proof iron at an uncompleted building at Adigbe area and this led our men to the scene.

“The girl was rescued by the Police and upon interrogation, the girl told us that it was her aunty that tied her on the allegation, that she stole a sum of N4, 000. The aunty is on the run, while her husband who is an accomplice has been arrested and he is helping us in our investigation.

“The CP IIiyasu Ahmed has sent a serious manhunt on the fleeing aunt with the view of bringing her to justice, so as to serve as deterrents to others. The CP is not happy with the situation barely a week that one Korede Taiwo was equally rescued from similar situation.

“I don’t know why people are being wicked to their own blood relation. It is quite appalling, so because of that the CP has warned residents of the state that the Command will no longer tolerate this type of man inhumanity to man, and that anybody caught in this kind of act is going to be dealt with.

“The matter is under investigation and the Police is after the woman by name Chiamaka Okafor. Her husband, one Sunday Okafor is in our custody. As soon as we complete the investigation, they will be charged to court. ”

He said that the girl had been taken to Stella Obasanjo Children’s Home, Ibara, for proper care.

Culled: Nigerian Tribune

Many Fear Dead, Others Injured in a Fire outbreak In a Basement

Emergency services pull survivors out of the fire outbreak that took place in Cuba Libre bar where private birthday party was being held in the basement.

A fire at a bar in Rouen has caused multiple deaths and injuries, 

A fire at a bar in the French city of Rouen has killed at least 13 people according to reports.

Reports said a fire broke out in the basement of the Cuba Libre bar where a private birthday party was being held. At least six people were rescued and receiving treatment for injuries.

Media outlets said it took 30 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the blaze after they were called in at 12.50am local time.

A news report on Paris-Normandie from the scene suggested a fire started after candles on the cake were lit at the height of the birthday celebrations, with the flames spreading into the ceiling.

The secretary general of the prefecture of Seine-Maritime, Yvan Cordier, went to the bar and said emergency services had “intervened very quickly”.

Yvon Robert, the mayor of Rouen, also attended, describing the fire as “the greatest catastrophe”.

Lawrence Labadie, local deputy prosecutor, told Paris-Normandie that the fire appeared to be an accident and residents who thought there was a blast had probably heard glass exploding.

Bernard Cazeneuve, France’s minister of the interior, said a judicial inquiry was under way into the cause.

Repoted: theguardian

Crisis rocks PDP again as Dokpesi rejects zoning

There are indications that fresh crisis is brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party over the zoning of its national chairmanship position to the South-West. Already, one of the serious contenders for the position from the South-South, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, has rejected the zoning arrangement and has picked the form to contest the office of the national chairman at the forthcoming national convention. The convention holds in Port Harcourt on August 17. Dokpesi, who was the first person to pay the mandatory N1m for the form, was represented by one of his sons at the party’s temporary national secretariat in Abuja. The son, Raymond jnr., refused to speak with journalists after he paid and collected the form. The leaders of the party from the southern part of the country met in Port Harcourt on Thursday where the decision to zone the office to the South-West was taken. In the meeting attended by governors, National Assembly members and former ministers, the leaders of the part from the Southern Nigeria, also zoned the positions of National Treasurer and Deputy National Publicity Secretary to the South-West. The party zoned the position of first Deputy National Chairman to the South-South. This zone also got the positions of National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Woman Leader and Deputy National Auditor. The South-East got the the offices of the National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader and Deputy National Financial Secretary. Before the zoning, there were indications that two other persons from the South-South were eyeing the office of the national chairman. They are Prince Uche Secondus and Austin Okpara.It is believed that the two men, who are from Rivers State, have agreed with the decision of the leaders of the party on the zoning and had jettisoned their ambition. In furtherance of the zoning, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party from South-West, Chief Bode George had also picked form to run for the office of the national chairman. George, after picking the form, promised to reposition and stabilize the party. He said, “It takes and experience captain to stabilise a ship hit by tornado. And if you know the crisis in PDP‎, that is the position the party is facing right now. “But I am happy that all is not lost, and the condition has been enhanced, zoning has gone extremely well. I have paid my dues in this party and I should not be afraid of anybody. “Since 1999, I never left the party to anywhere. I met crises and problems. I have been able to resolve them. I have risen meritorious, from vice chairman South-West to deputy chairman (South) and deputy chairman overall. I have been able to resolve problems. “If people vote for me, I look forward to stabilise the party and put it in right position. The ruling party should get ready for serious engagement because we have started a cohesive battle ahead 2019.” He promised to bring back those who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress, where he said they remain as tenants. “Everybody will have to come on board even those of our friends who were angry and left for the APC. They are tenants ‎there, but they landlords in PDP. If we are lucky and we get the right leadership who is fair and just and committed in the party, they will come back,” he added. Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees of the party has said the party is not for sale and called on its members to vote the right candidate for all offices. Chairman of the Board, Sen. Walid Jibrin, who stated this during the inauguration of the party’s national convention committee in Abuja, said it would be good for the party to elect reliable persons to manage its affairs. He advised aspirants to abide by the zoning arrangement, but said anyone who was not disposed to it was free to contest. Jibrin said, “We must remind all of us that the party is supreme. Therefore, I implore all of us to abide by this principle (of zoning). “Today this party is characterised by court cases. I can count about 15 court cases which is alien to the PDP. We have a constitution that set out procedure for settling grievances and for us to solve our problems internally. “But unfortunately, rather than judging our selves our problems are going out and we are being judged by someone else outside of our constitution. “This party is not for sale. This party must be a party of very conscious people. We are telling every delegate to reject anybody that come with money. “We are an honest and upright person. This party will not want somebody that will come and buy his way into office. The BoT will no longer accept any leadership to be forced on the party.” In his own remarks, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, defended the decision to reserve the chairmanship slot for the South-West zone, but said that the despising was not aimed to short changed anybody. Makarfi said, “I recall when we last met here to inaugurate the zoning committee and I mentioned on behalf of the caretaker committee that the convention would be an all-inclusive one and that offices to be contested for would be open to all and sundry, that doesn’t mean people cannot come together to zone offices. “If zoning does not favour you and you still think that you have the best chance of winning, the political landscape is there. It’s up to you to campaign across the country to get enough delegates to support you. “Zoning doesn’t mean you have been excluded, it is meeting of the minds. And it is for every aspirant to assess by himself or herself whether he or she has the capacity to garner more support than. “Collection of people that come together to have a common position. So, I don’t want people to have the impression that they have been excluded from the process. After all democracy is about minority will have their say, majority will have their way. “But in PDP, we have the culture of coming together to be one family so that both minority and majority can work together for the good of the PDP.”

Culled: The Punch

NIGERIAN WOMAN JAILED FOR TRAFFICKING GIRLS

Franca Asemota, A Nigerian trifficker was on Thursday, sentenced to 22 years in prison after being found guilty of attempting to traffic Nigerian girls through Heathrow Airport to work as sex workers in brothels across Europe.

She was earlier convicted on Wednesday at Isleworth Crown Court on 12 counts of conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual exploitation, trafficking persons outside of the United Kingdom for sexual exploitation and assisting unlawful immigration.

Five victims were said to have given evidence against her during the trial.

Detectives told the court she was part of a criminal network that trafficked girls, boys and women from Nigeria to Europe using threats to guarantee their compliance.

Asemota was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission in Benin in March 2015 and was later extradited back to the UK in January this year.

According to the prosecution, she travelled with the victims on flights from Lagos to Heathrow, between August 2011 and May 2012, with the intention of reaching France.

Prosecution said the victims remained airside during the transit at Heathrow and were not subjected to Border Force passport checks.

David Fairclough of the Immigration Enforcement crime team said, “Asemota was the lynchpin of a trafficking ring which targeted vulnerable young women in Nigeria, promising them a brighter future working in Europe. But it soon became clear that this was far from the truth.

“The victims, some as young as 13, were told they would be sold into prostitution. Asemota travelled with the girls in order to threaten them and keep them in line,” he said.

Also, the head of the UK Human Trafficking Centre, Martin French, stated that, “Franca Asemota and her criminal network took advantage of these vulnerable young women in some of the worst ways possible. They promised them a better life but in reality treated them as nothing more than a commodity to be sold to slavery.

“Asemota thought she could evade arrest by fleeing Europe and hiding in Nigeria. But the NCA’s partnerships give us global reach and mean international borders are no barrier to justice.”

Culled: Nigerian Tribune

David Mark vs Ojeh Benue Rerun: Some Results Filter in (Unofficial)

Former Senate President, David Mark, has won his polling unit at the ongoing Benue South Senatorial District Re-run.

Mark polled 150 votes against 37 votes of Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the VIP 1, Otukpo Club, Township ward.

In the nearby polling unit, VIP II, Mark also won by 97 to 19 votes.

Other Results from polling units and wards, (unofficial)

Bayelsa Poll: Gov. Dickson In Clear Lead, Wins 4 LGs In 5 Declared, See Results

The incumbent Gov. Seriake Dickson is currently leading in results of five local government declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the Bayelsa State governorship election. He has already polled a total vote of 81,929.

Dickson is closely being pursued by the All Progressives Congress, APC, standard bearer and immediate past governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, who got 56,514 votes.

So far, results from 28 polling units in the five councils were canceled due to electoral skirmishes, over-voting, malfunctioning card readers and violence.

While Dickson won in four of the five councils, Sylva had the upper hand in the battle for Brass, his local council. The councils that Dickson won were Sagbama, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma.

Official announcement of the results will continues today at 10 am. The remaining councils are Ogbia, Nembe and Southern Ijaw.

This came as the PDP alleged, yesterday, that the APC perpetrated violence in Southern Ijaw area of the state and was plotting to manipulate the outcome of the exercise to its favour.

Dickson wins in Sagbama, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma

In Sagbama Local Council, which has 14 wards and where Governor Dickson hails from, the PDP had the upper hand.

Out of the 35,647 valid votes, the PDP got 28,934, the APC scored 5,382 while the PDM got 406 votes.

According to the Collation Officer, Mr. Perekeme Bertola, a lecturer at the Niger Delta University, NDU, results from six polling units at Asamabiri were cancelled due to alleged malfunctioning card reader and electoral violence.

Total registered voters in the council stands at 84,550; accredited voters are 36,892 and 726 votes were voided

Dickson also won in Yenagoa, the state capital with 24,258  votes while Sylva got 14,563 votes. The PDM polled 451 votes.

However, results from 16 polling units were cancelled due to snatching of election materials, violence and intimidation of electoral personnel, according to the Collation Officer, Mr Victor Torupele, a lecturer at NDU.

Total registered voters in the council is135,025; Valid votes, 40,041; void votes 1710; accredited voters 44,751 and  total votes cast 41,751.

For Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Council, the results are: PDP, 7,619; Apc, 6,896 and PDM, 137 as announced by the Returning Officer, Mr Aniekwe James, senior staff of Federal University Otuoke.

Sylva wins Brass

Sylva carried the day in his Local Council, Brass, carting away 21,755 votes compared to Dickson’s 6,516. The PDM had 222 votes.

The Acting chairman of the state PDP, Serena Dokubo-Spiff is also from Brass, which has 10 wards.

According to the Collation Officer, Dr D Tambo, results from six units in ward 1 were cancelled due to alleged electoral skirmishes and over voting.

Total registered voters in the council is 55,923 of which 30,397 voters were accredited. Total valid votes is 28,616 and 592 votes voided.

The ruling PDP won the tough battle for Ekeremor Local Council, which has 12 wards. Ekeremor is the local government area of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Director General of the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as well as Fred Agbedi, the Director General of the Restoration Campaign Organisation of the PDP candidate.

Breakdown of the votes scored by the political parties, according to the Collation officer, Dr. Johnson Dagana  of the  Open University of Nigeria, Yenagoa Study Centre are as follows: PDP, 14,602; APC 7,918; ACPN 7;  ADC 5; APA 35;  APGA 8; CPP 3; DPC 5; DPP 9; NP 4; MPP 1; NNPP 4; PDC 3; PDM 44; PPA 15; and UPP 1.

Total registered voters is 82,783 out of which 24,667 were accredited voters. Total valid votes recorded was 22,664 and 634 votes voided.

Delay is plot to rig — PDP

The PDP, yesterday, protested the delay in releasing the official result of the governorship election in seven out of the eight local councils of Bayelsa State.

The PDP alleged that the APC was planning to upturn its victory at the polls.

This came as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) Mr. Moses Siasia, said the exercise was fraught with irregularities, especially financial inducement and illegal thumb printing of ballot papers.

Siasia called for the disqualification of parties and candidates allegedly involved in such irregularities.

Also, two commissioners of police, Brigade Commander, Battalion Commander and a Deputy Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were yesterday deployed to Southern Ijaw Local Council to ensure the safety of lives and property.

State Chairman of the PDP, Chief David Serena Dokubo-Spiff; the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dr.Cairo Ojougbo and the Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Foster Ogola, at a briefing in Yenagoa said the delay in the declaration of results was part of the plot to rig the exercise in favour of the APC.

According to Dokubo-Spiff, investigation by the PDP showed that the processes of planned manipulation had commenced.

He also accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Barito Pagih of partisanship.

He declared that the National Working Committee and State Executive Committee of the PDP had resolved to resist any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the poll.

His words: “We have our results and it shows clearly that we have won seven out of the eight local government councils. Instead of staying here in Yenagoa and monitor the election, the APC standard bearer is in Abuja having meetings with some officials of the Federal Government on how to manipulate the poll. Enough is enough. We will no longer tolerate the effrontery of the APC.

“Our party wants to register our concern about the conduct of the election in Southern Ijaw. In spite of the fact that the security of lives have not been adequately taken care of, the INEC went on.

“For emphasis, the orgy of violence, perpetrated by the APC thugs in the full glare of security agents resulted in the loss of lives of Bayelsa people. They shot dead five persons in their desperation for power.

“The majority of the indigenes of Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw and other communities, are still taking refuge in the forests and swamps as a result of the heavy gunfire.”

He also claimed to have escaped unhurt in the hands of armed thugs during the exercise  in Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area.

Disqualify parties involved in electoral irregularities—Siaisia

On his part, Siasia in a statement by his media aide Mr. Michael Abimboye, said: “No election took place in Bayelsa State. It was political bazaar. INEC should immediately look into this and commence disqualification of political parties involved in the financial inducement and other electoral irregularities.

“I am also using this opportunity to call on the security agencies to do something about it immediately. I don’t believe that with the level of commitment we got from the INEC Chairman, this kind of irregularities took place.

“I saw some government officials with large number of PVCs on election day. What where they doing with such a large number of PVCs? For government officials to have large number of PVCs, then the election cannot stand.

“Security agencies should do their own investigation and bring such persons to book because I believe they contravened the Electoral Act. We must ensure that such kind of people are taught the lessons of their lives.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Hashimu Argugun, at media briefing in Yenagoa, described as untrue the claim that some persons lost their lives in Oporoma.

He said: “The report that some people were killed cannot be confirmed as corpses of the purported dead persons cannot be traced and their particulars could not be obtained from any source.

“Information at my disposal is that there was no death in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.”

Vanguard News