Nigeria Needs Next Generation Leaders – Educationist

Moshood Bello, Guest Lecturer

Nigeria’s goal to industrialize and achieve its vision lies in the empowerment of the youths.

An entrepreneurial researcher at the University of Salford, Manchester, Mr. Bello Moshood stated this on Sunday in Lagos at the annual reportorial conference of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit.

Bello challenged participants at the conference with the theme, ‘Good people, good managers, good leaders,’ to develop themselves on leadership skills for them to move the nation forward when opportunity to serve comes.

According to him, “Nigeria needs a set of new generation leaders who are economically and morally upright for the nation to move forward.”

Also the Amir (President) of the society, Kaamil Kalejaiye charged members to have a change of attitude if truly they want to be good managers.

From Left: Faheed Olajide (President, Association of Africa Entrepreneurs), Moshood Bello (Entrepreneurial Researcher at the University of Salford, Manchester) Kaamil Kalejaiye (Amir, MSSN Lagos State Area Unit).

He emphasized the need for Nigerian youths to redefine what their roles are in Nation building, making reference to countries like United Arab Emirates, Sweden and Brazil where youths are regarded as pivot point.

A cross section of Nigerian youth at the Annual Conference

The event was held at the Amuwo Odofin Central Mosque, Lagos.

Muslim Students reject judgement on Hijab ban in Lagos ......Judgement against Hijab use, rape of the constitution, fundamental human right - MSSN Lagos

The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit has frowned at the judgement delivered by Justice Grace Onyeabo of the Ikeja High Court, Lagos on the ban of hijabs in primary and secondary schools in the state.

Onyeabo had on Friday, September 17, 2014 dismissed and ruled against the use of hijab in schools, claiming it would affect the secular nature of Lagos State.

The judge, a christian, neglected and rejected numerous arguments presented to her, during the about two-year case, that sections of the Nigerian constitution and international laws guaranteed the freedom of religion, thoughts and conscience.

It will be recalled that MSSN Lagos had approached the court to seek end to the humiliation and harassment of female Muslims from using hijab.

One of the scenarios of harassment stated by the group was that on February 5, 2013, Aisha, a JSS II student of Kadara Junior High School, Ebute Metta was flogged forty three (43) strokes of cane on the assembly ground by her principal, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, because Aisha did not to remove her Hijab after coming out of Islamic Religious Knowledge class, where it is ordinarily permitted to adorn Hijab.

MSSN Lagos also mentioned that on February 20, 2013, Bareerah Tajudeen of Mafoloku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi had her Hijab removed and trampled upon by her principal, Mrs. Elizabeth Omidele, outside the school premises. 

However, the society, through a press statement by its President, Alhaji Kaamil Kalejaiye said it rejected the judgement.

Kaamil explained that dismissing such a case with constitutional backings as grounds further proved the level of oppression and discrimination against Muslims.

He said, "It is shameful that the judge denied us a right that is not only Godly but constitutionally stated. Do we call that a misinterpretation of the constitution or rape of the code of law. We want to believe that the judge is not higher than the constitution and dictates of the constitution must stand at all times. While we remain undaunted and won't relent on our moves to get female pupils dress accordingly because it is their right, we reject in totality the judgement and urge every muslims to do so too.

"We are simply demanding our right and not a favour. This is one of the evils that has continued to dominate the Raji Fashola's administration. By Allah's will, the Governor and his anti-Islamic and oppressive policies will not be allowed to stay. Categorically, muslim students in Lagos are the worst hit by most of his policies and Allah's willing in 2015, any party who has continuously denied us of using Hijab will be denied our votes.

"We have started the sensitisation and mobilisation for our members, sympathizers and well-wishers which include parents and families of our members of over 4million here in Lagos to be politically ready for protest votes against anti-Islam parties come 2015 and Allah on our side we shall overcome.

"This is shockingly an evil from man to man and If some people or government think they can influence judgement on earth, they can't in heaven.  After demolishing mosques, cremating dead people, the state still wants to continue to encourage immoral dressing, it will fail! What it signifies to refuse Hijab is simply that you are asking our female pupils to begin to dress nakedly. It is shameful that we have found ourselves in a state where wrong acts are seen as the correct by some elements."

Kalejaiye insisted that the judgement would not have been fairly arrived at, giving the stance that the defendant lawyer, Femi Pedro (SAN) had in one of his positions argued and recognised the use of Hijab.

He also said since the government said it would allow the use of Hijab during Islamic Religion Knowledge classes and Jumaat prayer, the Judge should know that it was a permissible dressing ethics for female Muslims.

He added, "It is embarrassing to hear the judge say that allowing the freedom of religion for Muslims would affect faithful of other religions. This seems to be absolutely out of point as the mode of practise and doctrines of every religions are different. And the judge should have identified in the argument of the government counsel that Hijab is compulsory for Muslim females. 

"It will be recalled that the government's lawyer, Femi Pedro (SAN), had conceded that Hijab was "compulsory for Muslims that are adults". But how does he want an adult to begin to use what he/she has not been practicalising from youthful age? Of what use would it be to encourage muslim females to dress naked during their youthful age and covered when they grow? Islam is a perfect religion and it does not encourage any form of irregularities.

"There is contradiction between the judge and the provisions of the constitution because while the judge claims that Nigeria is a secular state, the constitution recognises two major religions, which are Islam and Christianity.  It must be noted that the government finances the schools with tax paid by our parents and indirect tax by us so we have the right to demand for our right in our schools. The government is only allowed to make policies that are within the confines of the constitution and not to its favour.  

"Even when we understand that this is a Christian agenda, we warn the judiciary not to compound the immoralities and segregation against Muslims as  promoted by the present state governor and his party. No wonder all those in the educational and judicial sectors are Christians plotted to deny Muslims of their rights."

Female President of the group, Hajia Hafsah Badru, added that since the secularity of the states that granted it was not disturbed, there was no basis for that to be a cause for denying the constitution to take its stand.

"It is mostly painful to us that the judge refused to recognise or state any punishment or defense for further oppression and harassment of female pupils. Our lawyer had told her how some of our pupils (claimants) were beaten and molested but no substantial comment was made on that.

"Some states in the South-West which include Ekiti have granted the use of Hijab in their schools and they don't have problem with maintaining their secularity as claimed by the judge. Why should Lagos be different? Wearing hijab is a constitutional act, must be allowed and seen as such," she added.

MSSN Lagos counsel, Chief Gani Adetola-Kassim (SAN), had after the judgement said an appeal would be filed.

He said, “Well the court has spoken  there are still very many issues to be considered which invariably means that we will appeal the

judgment.

“We are simply not satisfied with the court decision. The angle through which the court has looked at the issue is quite at variance with the provisions of the constitution. We will definitely appeal."

Breaking News: Court Upholds LASG Ban On Hijab In Public Schools

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, western Nigeria, on Friday upheld the ban by the Lagos State Government on wearing of the Muslim headscarf popularly known as hijab by Muslim students in primary and secondary public schools in the state.

The Muslim Students of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, MSSN-LSAU, had taken the Lagos State Government to court over the ban on the ground that it breached their fundamental human rights as Muslims.

Muslim women wearing hijab

The students group through their lawyer, Chief Adetola Kassim, had sought protection for Muslim students from being flogged, embarrassed and victimised for using hijab within and outside school premises.

The Lagos State Government in responding to the suit, insisted that hijab can only be used during special occasions such as religious classes and prayers among others.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Grace Modupe Onyeabo upheld the ban.

The judge said the ban was not discriminatory and did not breach Sections 38 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution as claimed by the plaintiffs.

According to her, Section 10 of the Constitution makes Nigeria a secular state and the government must strive to preserve that secular nature.

She said public schools were owned and funded by government who therefore had the responsibility of issuing guidelines and dress codes for students.

The judge said the uniformity sought by the government in the issuance of the dress code would be destroyed should the prayers of the plaintiffs be granted.

She said: “The values of plurality and the respect for the rights of others who have subscribed to a non-faith based educational system cannot be breached.

“In that effect, the issue is resolved in favour of the respondents and the suit is accordingly dismissed.”

During the course of the trial,  MSSN-LSAU had alleged that some of their students were already being victimised by some teachers in public schools.

In one of the instances stated by MSSN-LSAU, an 11-year-old student of Kadara Junior High School, Ebute Metta, Aisha Alabi, was on 5 February, 2013, given 43 strokes of the cane on the assembly ground by her principal, Mrs. E.C. Ukpaka, for not removing her hijab after coming out of an Islamic Religious Knowledge class, where students are permitted to wear hijab.

The group further alleged that on 20 February, 2013,  Bareerah Tajudeen of Mafoluku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi similarly claimed that her hijab was removed and trampled upon by her principal, Mrs. Elizabeth Omidele, outside the school premises.

Muslim students in court

Chief Adetola in a 24- paragraph counter affidavit, claimed that “The headscarf is fundamental right as fully established in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are not demanding for a full lent hijab, we have exhibited a photograph of a sample of hijab, which still represents their school identity.

“The colour of the hijab can conform to the school uniform. All we want is for the students to be allowed to use hijab. If beret and caps are allowed for female students, hijab shouldn’t be an exception.”

Chief Adetola said he will appeal the judgment.

“Well the court has spoken but there are still very many issues to be considered which invariably means that we will appeal the judgment. We are simply not satisfied with the court’s decision. The angle through which the court has looked at the issue is quite at variance with the provisions of the constitution. We will definitely appeal.”

SOURCE: PM NEWS

Nigeria: Troops, NUPENG clash as Benue fuel scarcity worsens

TVC NEWS [MAKURDI]- Operation Zenda, the Benue State task force on security, comprising the military and the police, clashed with members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers in Makurdi, the state’s capital, causing confusion in the metropolis.

TVC NEWS reliably gathered that trouble started when a tanker driver spit on a traffic officer who was directing the flow of traffic along the only road leading out of the state capital to the southern part of the country.

An eyewitness, who identified himself as Ahir, disclosed to our Correspondent that a motorist with a smaller car blocked the road before the tanker driver arrived.

The truck driver was said to have attempted to force his way through contrary to the direction of the traffic warden.

Ahir said an argument ensued between the traffic officer and the tanker driver, who allegedly spit on traffic warden, a development that coincided with the arrival of men of Operation Zenda.

Operatives of the joint security task force were said to have descended on the truck driver and beat him to a pulp.

NUPENG officials and other tanker drivers were said to have been alerted to the fate of their colleagues.

The union officials were alleged to have blocked the highway with their trucks in reaction to the beating of their colleague.

The state chairman of NUPENG, Joseph Hungur who was physically present at the scene of the blockade disclosed that the state treasurer of the Union, Abdullahi Ibrahim, lost a tooth when the security operatives attacked him.

He said, “My treasurer lost one of his teeth and has been whisked away; at the same time, some of our workers are already in detention and I cannot tell them to move away because it will look as if I am acting in connivance with the security operatives.”

This is happening just as the fuel scarcity in the state continues to bite harder while black marketers continue to make huge sales from the scarcity.

Child Activist, Malala, wins Nobel Peace Prize

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

 

TVC NEWS - Pakistani Girl Child Education campaigner/activist, Malala Yousafzai and Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The 17 year old Malala is the youngest recipient of the prize.

The teenager was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in October 2012 for campaigning for girls’ education.

The Nobel committee said the pair were awarded the prize “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people”.

Mr Satyarthi, 60, has maintained the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and headed various forms of peaceful protests, “focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain,” the committee said.

This year’s record number of 278 nominees included Pope Francis and Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, although the full list was kept a secret.

Synagogue Building Collapse: Why I exposed T.B. Joshua for bribing Journalists – Nicholas Ibekwe

The last 48 hours were probably the most intense in my life. The love, kind words and support I’ve received in that period from, mostly, total strangers have been overwhelming. I want to thank everybody who saw the good in what I did. Though, to be honest, I think it was a little stupid. What was I thinking putting my life and probably my career on the line in an attempt to change something so entrenched it seems unchangeable? But really I’m not fazed by the trash talk from those allergic to the truth.

It’s a long time coming and someone has to put the Big Ben on the fat cat, I guess.

During the same period I’ve also been insulted like never before. I’ve been called the most uncomplimentary names and all the curses in Deuteronomy hurled towards me. They should be ashamed that the brushed ego of their spiritual godfather meant more to them than the over 90 lives that perished under the rubble.

I can deal with the trash talk and name-calling. But I’m also not naïve. I’ve made plans to evacuate my family to safety at the shortest notice in case things escalate. I hope they don’t. But one can never be so sure with these fundamentalists.

They said I’m an attention freak; that I published the audio clip because I yearned to be a social media celebrity (whatever that means). Well, I won’t lie; I enjoyed the 15 minutes of fame. I loved the thrill of being in the eye of the storm. In case my accusers are reading this, I got over 2,000 followers on Twitter within the period. I don’t know what to make of that yet. I’m not so sure about this Twitter thing, but if there’s a way I can convert that to money, that would be something. Gbenga Olorunpomi, how much does one twitter follower exchange for a dollar these days?

So why did I publish the audio?

I had recorded the audio six days before posting it on Twitter. To be sincere, I didn’t think much of it until Saturday morning (I’d explain later). I was intently watching the way the collapsed building was being played out in the media after the rather disappointing way Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, dodged reporters through a back door after his private meeting with TB Joshua on September 14. I observed that the Nigerian media were being too gentle on TB Joshua despite the glaring irregularities surrounding the collapse. I read more reports about the “hovering craft” and how Boko Haram could have sabotaged the building and other poppycock the televangelist wanted the world to believe.

Very little was reported about the structural defects of the building. Not much was written about the fact that the building originally had two floors and was being illegally refurbished with four additional floors when it collapsed. We didn’t come hard on the Synagogue Church goons who attacked first responders. We didn’t highlight the fact that many of those that perished could have been saved if NEMA officials weren’t barred from the site for almost three days! We didn’t make an issue of the fact that our colleagues who had gone to report the collapsed building were molested on Saturday.

So when I woke up last Saturday morning and saw the picture of President Goodluck Jonathan shaking hands with a grinning TB Joshua with headlines like “Jonathan consoles TB Joshua,” I said damn it! I couldn’t stomach this blatant impunity.

TB Joshua is perhaps the most powerful preacher in Africa and politicians all over the continent fawn at him. But as watchdogs, journalists must hold entrenched powers to account. If Nigerian politicians didn’t realise that more than 90 lives had just perished underneath a building without requisite permit and that those responsible should be held accountable, then the responsibility falls on journalists to force them to do the right thing.

Journalists shouldn’t be seen or heard telling the prime suspect they would write “just like you said” after he offered to buy their consciences with N50,000.

Some of the reporters who collected the N50,000 have called me after the audio went viral to complain. They told me they have been getting calls from colleagues and family members who recognised their voices in the recording. One even accused me of a breach of trust. I told him I didn’t sign a pact of silence with anybody. For me. the decision was between covering the ethical shortcomings of my colleagues or doing that which is right to make sure those who died and their families get justice. The decision was easy.

Why didn’t I publish the audio the same day I recorded it? Nigerian journalists habitually ask for gratification at press conferences and corporate events that it has unfortunately become a norm. Reporters actually think you’re a fool if you turned down what they call “brown envelope”.

There are several excuses to justify it: “We’re poorly paid,” “We have not been paid for months,” etc. Honestly, it’s hard to dismiss some of these excuses sometimes. Nigerian journalists are perhaps among the worst paid in the world. This is where the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, should do more.

Its officials should stop paying courtesy calls to politicians (of course, we know what exchanges hands during these visits) and do more to force Jet-flying owners of media organisations to pay reporters more and on time. We deserve it.

Journalists should also explore other related and legitimate means of making money like researching, writing and editing reports for NGOs, writing and editing of brochures and reports, working as fixers to foreign journalists, blogging (I recently met a Nigerian television reporter that make quite some money monthly from his blog), etc.

Like everything in Nigeria, this “brown envelope” thing has been stretched beyond the limit of ridiculousness. I’d give some examples: On August 15, 2010 a truck belonging to Dangote Sugar Refinery caused an inferno at the Ojodu Bridge outside Otedola Estate in Lagos. More than 50 lives perished in the fire. An inquest was initiated by a non-governmental organisation, Access to Justice and Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana.

Please, take a deep breath before reading the next sentence. During the inquest, officials of Dangote Industries distributed cartons of spaghetti (and some money, probably to buy ingredients) to court reporters at the Ikeja High Court to probably skew their account of the hearing. In case you missed it let me repeat: Some Nigerian Journalists collected packs of spaghetti as bribes!

Are we that hungry? Some reporters got as little as 12 packs of spaghetti. My friend, Ben Ezeamalu, was almost beaten up for speaking against it.

In fact, they erected a wall of hostility around themselves whenever he came around. According to him, a very senior journalist pulled him aside and told him it was easy for him to turn down the brown envelope because he wasn’t married and had no school fees to pay.

Ben said his curiosity was aroused while he was researching for material on the internet for an article he was writing days before the coroner’s verdict on the inquest. To his surprise, there was very little material for an inquest that involved Africa’s richest man and had lasted 19 months! After the coroner delivered his verdict, in which he indicted Dangote’s company as well as the Nigeria Police, the (short) article was tucked away in a remote corner in almost all the newspapers the next day. The fact that the coroner indicted Dangote was also carefully left out in the articles.

Other journalists have tagged Ben, “a spy” for consistently refusing to collect “brown envelopes”.

Nigerian journalists no longer know where to draw the line. A father, who lost his son during the last Dana plane crash, was forced to pay journalists during his son’s wake-keep before it was reported. There are more puke-inducing instances but I’d stop here.

For those of you saying N50,000 ($300) was too little to entice Nigerian reporters, I’ve seen reporters scuffle over N2,000 ($12) during a press conference.

During last year’s gubernatorial election in Ondo State, reporters literally came to blows at Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s home after the latter released “appreciation money” for journalists who covered his polling unit. The sharing formula was N10,000 per head, until the cash ran low and the formula switched to N7,000. Cue bedlam. The governor’s PA, looking on with contempt, threatened to evict them from his employer’s residence if they failed to conduct themselves with decorum. One fellow even started arranging for another group of journalists to go meet the governor for another “appreciation money.”

Editors should also monitor their reporters too, but we all know that some editors get theirs through subtler manner (Bank transfers).

I’m a Nigerian journalist I want to change things the only way I know how to – going public with it. I’m not saying anything new here, everybody who has one thing or the other to do with journalists knows that these things happen. Maybe I’m the first journalist to go public with it in such a manner.

Corporate organisations and individuals should also stop offering these bribes (I still insist that they are bribes and nothing else). Journalist will report your events whether they like it or not. They want to stay in business. My heart skips anytime I get a call from my editor or receive that email with a subject that reads: “Pending stories”. I know I’m required to deliver. I don’t need that “brown envelope” to turn around that copy. I know in the Punch for instance, reporters are required to fill a certain number of pages every week. They can’t sit around waiting for “money to fuel your cars” to write stories to fill those pages. The threat of losing one of the most lucrative jobs in the industry is enough “inducement”. In PREMIUM TIMES, where I work, you must deliver exceptional copies that do not smell of bribes. But the truth is most pressers aren’t news worthy so PR officials feel they need to induce reporters to write about them.

And for the fundamentalist followers of TB Joshua, this isn’t about your spiritual Godfather. I would still have gone public with this if the Pope was involved. I can’t say I’m sorry that his ego was bruised. He clearly meant for the money to influence the reporting of the event. “So what are you going to write?” He had asked. That makes it a bribe. Simple. I can’t help you if you couldn’t decipher that. I’m a reporter not a brain surgeon.

This is the last I’m going to say on this issue unless something drastic happens. Let the personal attacks continue.

Nicholas Ibekwe, a recent Chevening Scholar at the City University London, is a journalist with PREMIUM TIMES

Ex-premiere league player goes from earning £40k a month to £800 cleaning toilets

Life! From international football ace to ship cleaner. Former Sunderland player, Kevin Kyle, who used to earn £10,000-a-week playing for the premiere league team now earns £800-a-fortnight working a 12-hour shift on a ship stacking boxes & cleaning toilets. (pictured above left on the ship).

Kevin, 33, who started the job on board the 300-capacity ship on July 8th, said he had no choice but to take the job,

“I’m trying to provide for my family. Many footballers pick up jobs after football but I don’t see stories about them in the newspapers. I don’t really want to publicize my lifestyle in the newspapers about whether I have a job or don’t have a job. I have to work at some point to put food on the table and to provide for my family.” He said

The dad of 3 was jobless for 6 months after his contract with League One minnows Ayr United was scrapped in January.

Managers on the ship reportedly warned his new co-workers not to discuss Kevin's former life as a footballer or bring it up with him as it's a touchy subject.

"Kevin started work on the ship earlier this month. It’s sad really to see someone who was obviously well-loved by the fans seemingly ending his career relatively early." A source said

Kevin Kyle works on the Regina Baltic ship in Lerwick’s remote Mairs Quay. Pictured above taking a break in the ship's communal room.

His duties include cleaning floors and toilets, making beds and stocking up supplies on the ship.

Apart from Sunderland where he last played in 2006, Kevin also played for Coventry, Kilmarnock, Hearts, and Rangers.

In a 2010 newspaper interview he said:

“Sometimes in life money is not everything. I know a lot of people disagree with that but I had all the money years ago when I played with Sunderland and Coventry and I p***** it up a wall gambling. So money doesn’t always make you happy. The happiest I have been was the first year at Kilmarnock, playing football and knowing what my wage was.”

Phot: Nigerian invents solar powered car

Lagos State okays six-month maternity leave, 10 days for fathers

 3rd from the left: Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs Josephine Williams at the Press Conference

Lagos state government has introduced a new leave regime for all male and female civil servants in the state. Henceforth, all male civil servants whose wives give birth are entitled to a 10-day paternity leave while female civil servants had their maternity leave extended from 3 months to 6 months.

The new leave regime was announced today by the Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs Josephine Williams at a press conference held at the Baguada Kaltho Press Centre, in Alausa, Ikeja.

"A female officer shall be entitled to 24-weeks maternity leave with full pay in case of her first two deliveries. The said leave shall commence, at least two weeks before the expected delivery date; a male officer, to who a new baby (or babies in case of multiple births) is born shall be entitled to 10 working days" she said.

She added that subsequent deliveries after the second baby by any employee will only get 12 weeks maternity leave for a female officer while the men will not be entitled to the 10-day leave.

Special adviser to the Lagos state Governor on public health, Dr Yewande Adeshina, said the 6 months leave will enable women complete the mandatory months required for breastfeeding new born babies.

FIFA lifts ban on Nigeria footbal

Embattled NFF President, Aminu Maigari

FIFA has lifted the ban it placed on Nigeria on July 9th after a high court sitting in Jos sacked the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, Aminu Maigari and other board members. FIFA had frowned at the court ruling, stating that the move was a government interference in football activities which is against its policy. FIFA then directed that a new court order reinstating Maigari and other NFF executives be obtained before it can lift the ban.

The new court order reinstating the NFF President and other executives was obtained two days ago, Tuesday July 15th, hence the lifting of the ban today.

Maigari and his board will resume their duties tomorrow and stay there until next month's elections when they could be sacked through the ballot, in line with FIFA's policies.

President Jonathan seeks Senate approval of $1billion loan to fight Boko Haram

In a letter sent to the House of Representatives this morning, President Jonathan asked the Rep members to approve a request for an external loan of $1billion (about N165billion) which would be used to upgrade the equipment of the Armed Forces in the fight of the insurgent group, Boko Haram.

The letter was read this morning during the house plenary session.

Pastor Kumuyi refutes report of banning Ipads & phones in his church

The General Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, has denied media reports that he banned the use of Ipads and Iphones in his church. He released a statement to that effect on his Facebook page.

THIS REPORT IS FALSE. 

There was never a time as referred to in the article, when Pastor W.F. Kumuyi made this statement or “BANNED” the use of mobile devices in the Church.

As much as every Christ-loving believer is encouraged to give God his/her full attention when in Church or in any other place, where the Word of God is being taught, this story is HIGHLY MISCHIEVOUS and MISLEADING.

There is no doubt that Technology has its place in the spread of the gospel message as well as believers’ development where such is put into proper use but its misuse or abuse is not encouraged.

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: FOR ALL MEN HAVE NOT FAITH. But the Lord is faithful, WHO SHALL STABLISH YOU, and KEEP YOU FROM EVIL” 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3.

Remember, it is not everything from these sources that is true!

May the Lord keep you in the Truth and not be tossed about by errors, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

DAY 4: MISSING OGUN ISLAMIC SCHOLAR YET TO BE TRACED

Today is the fourth day that Ustadh Abdul Ganiyy Jumah and his wife, Muinat, were abducted from their home in Ijoko, Ota, Ogun State and those that took them away at gun point, who reportedly claimed they were 'police', have not deemed it fit to allow the Ustadh make a call to his people to at least have a rest of mind about his and his wife's whereabouts.

The 80 years old mother of the Ustadh has just been eventually informed after a bit delay trying to avoid hazard, being that Ustadh Abdul Ganiyy is considered to be most caring and eye of the aged mother's children.

One of the sympathisers had said, "Ah, Allah will definitely punish whoever is behind the travails of this couple, whose five children have been subjected untold pains and unnecessary sorrow for four days not seeing their parents."

It is quite appreciated that people have shown interest in the scholar's issue from across Nigeria and abroad and are therefore praying hard for his and his wife's safe return.

Meanwhile, no official statement has been issued by any security agency regarding the reports that they were picked by the police or soldiers. This has continued to hike tension in the area and in the Muslim circle where the Ustadh resides.

It has however been gathered that a section of Muslim community in the Sango Ota/Ijoko axis has begun to smell foul play thinking that the plight of the Ustadh is product of conspiracy by yet unknown people. This cannot be authenticated until the combined security forces in Ogun, Lagos and, by extention, Abuja make their position known on this. The silence on the part of these has not helped any matter as people sympathetic to the scholar and his wife, widely loved by Muslims and Christian, even acclaimed pagans, in Ijoko where he teaches Qur'an, Arabic and Islamic studies, continued to be in high spirit.

Rumours have continued to fly that the abduction was product of either a clamp down on Islamic scholars in the South West based on the CAN's conspiracy or as a result of egocentricism and over ambition to outweigh one another that some proudly connected Alfas envious of Ustadh's surprised popularity and acceptance to all classes of Muslims have engaged themselves in.

Ustadh Abdul Ganiyy has a character of a good Muslim. He speaks less and is much loved by many across the working class, women and school ages. Many of us have continued to miss his charisma, gentility and kindness. Our Qur'anic classes have seized to hold since his and his wife's abduction by yet to be known gun men last Saturday.

Taraba State Accountant-General arraigned For N1.56billion Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today arraigned the Taraba State Accountant – General, Joel Joseph Lenbang, before Justice Donatus Nwabueze Okorowo of the Federal High Court Jalingo for defrauding Taraba State Government to the tune of  N1.56 billion. He was docked on an 8-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretense, offenses contrary to and punishable under the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

When the charges were read to him, the accused person pleaded not guilty.

The malfeasance came to light following a petition received from a concerned Taraba State indigene, sometime in February 2014, alleging massive looting of Taraba state funds. The petition triggered investigation of the lifestyle of some of the officers mentioned in the petition and who were believed to be living above their means.

The investigation uncovered systematic withdrawal of state funds through a scheme mastermind by the accountant - general of the State, Joel Lengbang. Withdrawals were allegedly made under the guise that such monies were used for sundry payments on behalf of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as payment of Bank Commissions on Turn over (COT) and Value Added Tax (VAT) which became a monthly affair. A total sum of N1,567,226,557.081 (one billion, five hundred and sixty seven million, two hundred and twenty six thousand, five hundred and fifty seven naira, eighty one kobo) was discovered to have been looted from the state treasury between January 2012 and December 2013.

In view of the plea of the accused, prosecuting counsel, Al Qasim Ja’afar applied for a date to commence trial. Counsel to accused, Abayomi Akamode, however, informed the court that he had filed a motion for bail this morning and urged the court hear it. But Al Qasim told the court that he was just served the motion on notice in court and would need time to peruse and respond appropriately.

Justice Okorowo adjourned the case till July 11, 2014 for hearing of the bail application and remanded the accused in prison custody.

Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
9th July, 2019

Govt using cooperative societies for improved welfare ─Fashola

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has said his government is working towards improving the welfare of the populace through cooperative societies.

He added that cooperative societies needed to register with the government in the ongoing revalidation of cooperative societies in order to access the benefits for the people.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Toyin Ayinde, spoke during the International Cooperative Day Award and Gala Nite in Ikeja.

Fashola said, “Government has created a comprehensive and up-to-date database in all the 20 cooperative area offices to network with the government.

“All cooperative societies are urged to get captured because the purpose of the revalidation is to enhance effective monitoring and supervision of the cooperative societies, as well as communal development.”

On the theme of the celebration, ‘Cooperative Enterprise: Achieving Sustainable Development for All’, Fashola said all hands must be on deck to achieve sustainable development for all cooperative societies in the state.

He said, “The theme was adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance to further promote cooperative identity and values while reinforcing concern for the community.

“Government all over the world can never underestimate the contribution of co-operators to good governance or ignore the need to involve this same people in all efforts at national development.”

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Gbolahan Lawal, said the revalidation would make it easy for the societies to participate in government’s programmes, such job creation, transportation, housing, among others.

He said. “Cooperative societies were the forerunners of modern sustainability as displayed in their age-long principles. Cooperative enterprises have made positive contributions to sustainability through their ability to utilise the dynamics of human and natural resources within a given community for the benefit of such community and beyond.”

MSSN Lagos State to stage Qur'an Competition

Engr. Kaamil Kalejaiye

The Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit is set to stage the Grand-Finale of the Annual Qur'an Memorisation Competition on 16th Ramadan, 1435AH (Sunday 13th July, 2014) at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos by  10.00am.

The programme which will feature Lecture, Qur'an Competitions for various levels including Tafsir, Qur'an Galore, Reflections, and so on; is organised to orientate and motivate members and Muslims in generality to studying and memorising the Qur'an.

According to the Amir (President) of the Society, "this year's event is a continuation of last year's edition which was themed "Let the Qur'an Intervene". This years' theme is "Reviving the Study of the Qu'ran in Southern Nigeria".

Sheikh AbdurRahman Animashaun, an erudite scholar from the Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has been invited to discuss the topic.

The event will also have as guests - Sheikh AbdulHafeez Abou(Baba Adeen of Lagos), Sheikh Musa Yahya Agboola (Mudir, Darul-Falah, Amukoko), amongst others.