Bishop Ezeokafor Lauds Road Safety, Fetes Journalists .. Seeks diversification of Nigerian economy

BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA

The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese His Lordship Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor has lauded the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Anambra Command for their work ethics and for mapping out numerous programmes which geared towards reducing road crashes on the highways to the barest minimum

Bishop Ezeokafor who gave the commendation at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka when the men of FRSC called on him, urged Ndi Anambra to obey all road rules and regulations noting that one life lost could not be replaced

He decried the lackadaisical attitude of some private and commercial bus drivers who often constitute nuisance on road with their reckless driving and over-speeding noting that if all road rules would be applied by the drivers just like their counterpart in developed countries the rate of road accident in the country would be reduce drastically.

A Christmas Message from the Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano

 

Ndi Anambra, we are once again in that special period of the year when Christians from all over the world come to a momentary break to mark the greatest act of love known to mankind – the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All over the world, Christmas is seen as a season of love and profound affection as well as a season of remembrance and nostalgia. It is a time when love and kindness rule the hearts of many Christians.

For Nigerians, this year’s Christmas should serve as the clarion call to heal our country with love. The outgoing year presented a huge challenge to Nigeria on many fronts. While the nation reeled from the shockwaves of avoidable bloodbath caused by terrorists in the North, Nigerians suddenly woke up to the horrifying nightmare of the dreaded Ebola epidemic. At some point in the year, our prospects as a nation were bleak as Nigerians waited for a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. It is instructive to recall that at that critical moment, Nigerians from all faiths and regions were united in love against this new and common enemy.

I’ve Received Threats For Criticizing Buhari — Sheik Gumi

A prominent Nigerian Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, said Tuesday he has been threatened for not supporting Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Kaduna-based cleric raised the alarm on Tuesday in a Facebook post titled, “PDP v APC: It’s Not about Religion.”
He said his children have also been receiving calls from persons who use unknown telephone numbers to threaten them.
'People like me who had all along been critical about the government can longer speak or express personal opinion if it is not in support of Gen. Buhari,” said Shiekh Gumi.
“Just this morning around 2.30a.m., my three male children individually got threatening phone calls from a private number. People can vote for whoever they choose whether a Christian or a Muslim.”
The cleric had in a separate Facebook post in October called on Mr. Buhari not to contest the 2015 presidential election for fear of crisis.

President Jonathan To Buy New Executive Jet

President Goodluck Jonathan wants to ride yet another new aircraft, and he has asked the National Assembly to approve the purchase.  The request is part of the 2015 budget presented to the National Assembly in Abuja last week by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. 

It will be the fourth such purchase since he took office in 2010.

To make the acquisition of the gleaming new toy fit for the electoral stomp an attractive proposition, the presidency will trade in one of the planes currently in the presidential fleet.  But the purchase will still gulp N400 million as deposit to the manufacturer.  

Towards combating the insurgency in the country, the appropriation bill contains a N1,308,400,600 proposal to be spent on NICEP II security elements phase II by the NSA; N2,093,861,553 for maritime border security solutions (Falcon Eye); N2,093,861,553 for North-East border security solutions  and N850 million for the DSS to buy more firearms and ammunition for all the service formations.

Gunmen Open Fire On Taraba Wedding, 13 Killed

A security source in Taraba State has confirmed that about 13 persons were killed and over 30 injured in an attack by unknown gunmen on a village during a wedding rite.
The source said the incident occurred on Monday night in Nafirde, in Gassol local government area of the state.
The gunmen opened fire as the marital rites were in progress.

President Jonathan Ranks Fourth Among 9 Richest African Presidents

Robert Mugabe

Country: Zimbabwe

Years in Power: 26

He is a part of a very wealthy family. His net worth is around $10 million.

Withdrawal of 18 PhDs not a witch hunt –LASU VC

The authorities of the Lagos State University, Ojo, have said that the withdrawal of 18 PhD certificates from some of their graduates is not for witch-hunt.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. John Obafunwa, stated this while speaking to journalists in Lagos.

He spoke against the backdrop of the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ claim that the certificate withdrawal was to embarrass the LASU-ASUU Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Idris.

The ASUU Lagos Zonal Chairman, Dr. Nasir Adesola, had accused the VC of orchestrating the withdrawal following Idris’ role in the call for the reversal of tuition in the school.

Before the tuition reversal to N25,000, the typical undergraduate student of the institution paid between N150,000, and N350,000 depending on his course of study.

But dismissing the ASUU allegation, Obafunwa said his leadership was only interested in cleansing the rot in the university.

How to treat a naked woman: Another rejoinder

On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, Jibril Sado wrote a rejoinder to an article published in The PUNCH, titled, How to treat a naked woman. The write-up was a response to an earlier one written on November 27, 2014.
Adelakun who took her inspiration from some women and men in faraway Kenya that “protested a culture that strips a woman naked– to enhance her dignity and protect the sanctity of their society” had in the write-up surrendered to all values that are antithetical to Africa, elevated even the strange modern culture that is hunting the West and condemned African culture as a myth that never existed.

Abia varsity reduces tuition

The Abia State University on Tuesday confirmed a 20 per cent reduction in its school fees, beginning from 2014/2015 academic session.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that an increase in the tuition in 2012/2013 session had put the university authority and the students on war path.

Mr Udo Nwokocha, the Dean of Student Affairs of the university, told NAN on telephone that the reduction cut across all the faculties.

The fees, which was raised in 2012, had forced the students to stage peaceful demonstrations.

The students had considered the hike in the tuition as government’s attempt to deny them of their right to education.

Jonathan condones corruption, says Osinbajo

The Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that one of the fundamental problems bedeviling the nation is the failure of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government to tackle corruption.

Osinbajo stated this during a Twitter chat tagged #AskProfOsinbajo on Monday.

He said it was saddening that under Jonathan’s government, “there is no consequence for corruption.”

He added, “One of the fundamental problems is that there is no consequence for corruption. I think that what everyone will agree to about a Buhari government is that it will not tolerate corruption.

“If the number one citizen has a clear and uncompromising anti-corruption stand then the anti-corruption policy will work. If the number one and number two citizens have a strong stance on anti-corruption then our policy can succeed.”