Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Friday 15th April 2022
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 15/04/22
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E2%80%99s-wife-ebele-obiano Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Arrests Ex-Anambra Governor’s Wife, Ebele Obiano
Ebelechukwu, the wife of the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.Ebele, according to Punch, has been under investigation over allegations for involvement in fraudulent activities.
The former First Lady’s arrest comes few weeks after her husband was arrested by the anti-corruption agency a few hours after handing over to the current governor, Charles Soludo.The EFCC spokesman had said that Obiano was on their watch list prior to his arrest.The former governor was subsequently transferred to the headquarters of the commission, where he was quizzed for days over alleged mismanagement of N5 billion Sure-P money, N37 billion security vote, withdrawn in cash, as well as some inflated contracts.Ebele had, weeks ago, declared her intention to join the contest for the forthcoming Anambra North Senatorial District election.Her declaration trailed her brawl with Bianca Ojukwu, a former ambassador fought after a heated exchange during the inauguration of Soludo as Anambra governor.During the heated conversation between the duo, Bianca slapped Obiano’s wife, an incident that caused a commotion at the event.
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2023: South-East Elders, Stakeholders To Meet In Intense Lobbying To Produce President
Ahead of the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria, a global non-partisan Igbo Think-Tank, Nzuko Umunna, is set to unveil a national conversation around the fruition of a Nigerian president coming from the South-East region.The initiative conceived as Greater Nigerian Conference (GNC), is scheduled to hold on Monday April 25, 2022 by 11am at Executive Hall of the International Conference Centre, Abuja.According to a statement from the GNC Media Officer, Collins Steve Ugwu, the conference is aimed at mobilising Nigerians of all levels such as, elders, opinion leaders, politicians, the youths and entrepreneurs, from north and south, east and west, for a rational dialogue on the moral standing of South-East’s quest for Nigerian president to come from the zone.The statement read, “As the elections for Nigeria’s Presidency in 2023 takes centre stage amongst parties, stakeholders and citizens, NzukoUmunna, a global Igbo Think Tank is set to unveil a stirring national conversation to persuade Nigerians to see the fidelity of a Nigerian President from the South East region, as the fairest national consensus, Nigeria should make to them, especially now, for equity, justice and fairness to be seen as our unifying cornerstone.“Conceived as the Greater Nigerian Conference, GNC, the significant event billed to hold at Executive Hall of the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on April 25, 2022 by 11am, is geared to gather Nigerians of all persuasions and substance, the elders, opinion molders, politicians, entrepreneurs, the youths, from the north and south, west and east, to a rational dialogue on the moral force of South East’s quest for Nigerian president from their zone.“The initiative for this consequential conference by the nonpartisan foundation for a greater Nigeria is to underscore the need for progressive good governance, equity in diversity and fairness by inclusion, in the conscience of our national politics.“We are convinced that Nigeria is never better ripe for a highly marginalised South East, to earn their desire for Nigerian Presidency through such deliberate sacrifice, as a steadfast reinforcement of our common nationhood, the statement from the GNC Media Office emphasised.”We are determined by the eminence of the leading lights of this conference, in the persons of former governor of Enugu State, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, and distinguished Senator Victor Umeh, both former Chairmen of prominent national parties in Nigeria, as Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the GNC Organizing Committee respectively, to ask Nigerians to give the Southeast region the opportunity to make history for one Nigeria.“Highlighting the imperatives that make the event a necessity, the Executive Secretary of Nzuko Umunna, Mr Ngozi Odumuko, noted that, at no time better than now, is best to cast the net of presidential recruitment to the Southeast, given the inspiring stature of men withproven capacity, competence, fitness and knowledge, eager for fair consideration to serve this country as President, the way others regions have faithfully done unhindered.“The Greater Nigeria Conference with the theme “Together We Can” will build on the strength and determination of all lovers of peace, justice and progress, to work better together, listen to each other more, and act selflessly in a pan Nigeria spirit to remove the yoke of South East exclusion to the highest office in their country.“The occasion which will have all Presidential aspirants from Southeast, Governors from Southeast and Southern Nigeria in attendance, will be graced by special delegation from Ohaneze Ndigbo, South West Afenifere leaders, Middle Belt Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum, Pan Niger Delta Forum amongst others.“Already, confirmations of attendance and participations from Nigerians in the diaspora, and within are great, in what will be a frank engagements to preach the message of solidarity to all, that Southeast region is worthy of their trust, and ready to serve this country, as their President since the unfortunate civil war more than fifty years ago.”
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E2%80%98ekwueme%E2%80%99-gospel-singer-osinachi Senate President Demands Police Probe Into Death Of ‘Ekwueme’ Gospel Singer, Osinachi
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has urged the police and all relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate the death of gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu who sang the popular ‘Ekwueme’.Lawan made the call during plenary session on Thursday, a statement from Ezrel Tabiowo, his special assistant noted.
The Senate President said the life of every Nigerian citizen matters and must be accounted for by security agencies and relevant authorities where death occurs.Coming under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Orders on Personal Explanation, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South), drew the attention of the chamber to the mysterious death of the singer.Reacting to the widely reported news of her demise, the Senate President called for an investigation to unravel the actual cause of her death.He said, “The authorities should investigate the death of this citizen, and the lives of every citizen must matter. This is one death too many.”SaharaReporters had reported that Osinachi’s death was announced on Friday night.Some reports had said the singer died in the hospital after suffering from domestic violence from her husband.Osinachi’s sister, who is the first daughter of the family and was identified as Ms Favor Made, confirmed the reports on Sunday, saying that Osinachi died as a result of a cluster of blood in the chest.She said the late suffered from a blood clot after the kicking she received from her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.
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E2%80%99s-attacks Electoral Body, INEC Suspends Voter Registration In Imo Community After Gunmen’s Attacks
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the Continuous Voter Registration Exercise (CVR) exercise in the Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State.This trailed an attack by gunmen on INEC officials who were carrying out registration in the area.
The gunmen, numbering about 12, stormed the area on Thursday and attacked some ad hoc staff members of the electoral commission who were registering members of the community for the 2023 general elections.Reacting in a statement, the National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, explained that a staff of the commission, Nwokorie Anthony, was shot dead at Nkwo Ihitte (PU 004) in Amakohia Ward (RA02) of Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area.Two other staff involved in the registration exercise at the polling unit are also missing.INEC said it was making efforts to locate their whereabouts.Okoye said, “Prior to this incident, the Commission had suspended the CVR in Orsu and Njaba Local Government areas of the State on account of insecurity while the exercise is taking place only at the INEC LGA office in Oru East, Oru West, Orlu and Ohaji – Egbema Local Government Areas of the State.“The Commission extends its condolences to the family of Nwokorie Anthony and prays that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the loss. The incident has been reported to security agencies to unravel the circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident and bring the culprits to justice.“We enjoin the President General of the various Town Unions in Imo State as well as all the critical stakeholders to protect the staff of the Commission engaged in national assignment.“The safety and security of staff is of paramount importance to the Commission, particularly with the devolution of the voter registration exercise beyond our State and Local Government Area offices nation in our determination to serve Nigerians better.”
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Parents Of Government College Pupils Warn Governor Makinde Against Handing Over School To Old Boys’ Association
The Parents Teachers Association of the Government College Ibadan has petitioned the Oyo State Government over the transfer of the school to the Wale Babalakin-led Old Boys Association.The parents demanded an immediate reversal of the policy.
The parents described the move as a betrayal of trust between the government and the masses of the state.The letter was signed by Prince Adeniji Adeniyi, the P.T.A. Chairman for the Senior School; Owosibo Olusegun, PTA Chairman for Junior School 1 and Adebamiji Olatunde, P.T.A. Chairman for Junior School 2.According to them, the school will now serve only a selected few as it alleged that those behind the College takeover are after the school’s resources for their own selfish interest.The association noted, “The handing over of Government College, Ibadan to the Government College, Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA) has come to the attention of GCI Parents Forum as widely reported in different dailies with particular reference to the headline in The Guardian Newspaper of Wednesday, March 23rd 2022, capturing ‘Oyo Set to Hand over Government College to Old Boys Association’.“This has raised a lot of concerns and questions in the interest of the public, the GCI community, Apata Community, Ibadan People and the good people of Oyo State, with the request to consider the concerns of the parents and other stake holders on the matter.“It is instructive to note and state here that: We (Parents) find this action as nothing but a betrayal of trust between the Government and the masses of the State, especially in the education sector as clearly stated in the inaugural address by Your Excellency during the Swearing-in-Ceremony at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan on May 29, 2019.“The College that ought to serve the community is now to serve the selected few and the Government is indirectly ceding the heritage of the State to the selected few.“The people behind the College take over are after the resources in the school, most especially, the land mass and the staff quarters scattered within the College environment for their own selfish interests.“The Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA) under the Trustee Incorporated that is taking over the College has members in School Governing Board (SGB).“One of them is even the Chairman of the Board. If not for the ulterior motives, why can’t the GCIOBA support the College through this avenue instead of complete takeover?“During the last School Governing Board meeting held in the GCI conference room on Monday April 4th 2022, the Chairman of the board, Engr. Femi Babalola who coincidentally is an Old Boy, reported that he was directed by the President GCIOBA, Dr. Wale Babalakin, to brief the board on the handing over matter. “The PTA chairmen present at the meeting requested for the MOU signed with the Government for us to see the details inside the document. To our surprise, the request was declined by the Chairman but we were rather referred to the Government of Oyo State for the details of the MOU.“With this reaction, the PTA as a body saw this as a ploy to hide certain things from the public which calls for greater concern. “It is on record that Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA) has a big hall that generates money for them periodically. The hall has generated almost N2,000,000 between the month of January and March this year.“Sadly enough, the school authorities are made to pay for the services of this hall for programmes like Valedictory service and the likes. Over the years, money generated from this enterprise is kept solely with the association and nothing goes to the government as a form of tax or revenue.“It is believed that the same mindset is going to be replicated in the running of the College, thereby, the public will be shortchanged. Also, the College is to be run as an elitist school as the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) claims that Government College, Ibadan will be for the GIFTED thereby creating inequality and discrimination in our educational system.“The original intent and purpose of making the College a Ministry of Education controlled school have been defeated. Government College, Ibadan serves as a learning ground and a training school for the Education Officers who will in turn become Inspectors of Education and Policy Makers in the nearest future.“There is no law in Oyo state that empowers the Governor to give a public school out to the old students and as a matter of fact it is unlawful for the Governor to unilaterally cede the school that was established by extant education laws in Oyo state to an organization unknown to law in Oyo state.“The handover of the College to some for-profit executives/associations is a comedy of errors. But why don’t they (the profit making organisation) organise one from scratch? Besides, the structure of Governing Board proposed in the Agreement is not different from the structure of Governing Board in operation in all the Public Secondary Schools across Oyo State.“Having considered the above factors, this is our humble prayer. PRAYER: 1. We want Government College Ibadan to stay public 2. We want the relevant agencies to beam their searchlight on the activities of the Old boys at Government College Ibadan. i. The Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue to look into the affairs of the Profit making Hall erected on Government landed property without any returns to the State Government, in terms of taxes or revenue. ii. The Auditor General to look into the acclaimed Balanced Sheet of the association on how they generate funds and how the billions of naira spent over the years are sourced.“3. The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, the Office of the Surveyor General and the Office of the Auditor General to document and evaluate all the assets of Government College Ibadan and differentiate it from the assets of the Association. 4. The Government should ensure that no asset of Government College Ibadan is used to obtain loan or used as collateral in whatever circumstances.“5. Government to call for stakeholder’s meeting to address the educational situation in the State in order to find a lasting solution to the inadequate funding and save the State from opportunists.”
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Cholera Outbreak Claims 55 Persons In Adamawa State
No fewer than 55 persons have died in the Cholera pandemic in Adamawa State.The state government said 55 deaths were recorded during the recent Cholera outbreak in the state following a declaration of outbreak of Cholera in July 2021.
Isa Abdullahi, Commissioner of Health, who addressed journalists in Yola, the state capital, said since the beginning of the Cholera outbreak in the state, a total of 1,959 suspected cases with 55 deaths were recorded.Abdullahi said, “Since we have not recorded any case despite heightened surveillance for Cholera for several weeks, we (government and partners) are happy to declare the Cholera outbreak over.”Since the beginning of the outbreak, a total of 1,959 suspected cases with 55 deaths translating to case fatality ratio 2.8% were recorded.”However, critical stakeholders have questioned the haste in making claims of declaring the state as cholera free, arguing that the commencement of rainy seasons have been characterised with cholera outbreaks.Dr. Amos Ujulu of the Adamawa State Health Insurance Scheme said, “Cholera outbreak usually occurs at the end of the rainy season, because of water scarcity. However it is also common to experience cholera outbreaks at the beginning of rainy season, just like now.”
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E2%80%93-unicef Over 11,500 Schools Closed In Nigeria Since 2020 Over Insecurity – UNICEF
No fewer than 11,536 schools have remained closed since December 2020 as a result of abductions and security related issues.The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) made known on Thursday in a statement signed by its Communication Specialist, Samuel Kaalu, noting that the closure had impacted the education of approximately 1.3 million children in the 2020/21 academic year.
According to Samuel, the interruption of learning contributed to gaps in children’s knowledge and skills, which it feared may lead to the loss of approximately $3.4 billion in the children’s lifetime earnings, stressing that it perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality.UNICEF is collaborating with the government of Nigeria to protect children’s right to education in a safe and inclusive learning environment, he said.According to him, the programme involved; building the capacity of School-based management committees (SBMCs) on school safety and security and strengthening community resilience.It also called on the authorities in Nigeria to make schools safe and provide a secure learning environment for every child, especially for girls, to increase their enrolment, retention, and completion of education.The first known attack on a learning institution in Nigeria took place on 14 April 2014, when 276 students at Government Girls Secondary School Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by Boko Haram members, Samuel explained.He said since then, there had been a spate of attacks on schools and abductions of students, sometimes resulting in deaths.He lamented that the incidents had become recurrent in the last two years, especially in the north-west and north-central regions of the country.“Since December 2020, 1,436 school children and 17 teachers have been abducted from schools, and 16 school children lost their lives,” he said.
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E2%80%99s-husband-exposes-their-family-photo Estranged Lover Of Nollywood Actress, Funke Akindele’s Husband Exposes Their Family Photo
Mella, the estranged lover of Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele’s husband, Abdulrasheed Bello, also known as JJC Skillz, has threatened to expose the actress’ family if hers is exposed.In a post on her Instagram page on Thursday afternoon, Mella shared a photo of the actress, her husband, and their twins.
This is despite the actress’ recent statement that she purposely concealed the identity of her twins.She captioned the photo, “If you don’t want me to expose your family, then don’t expose mine. Funke and Abdul Bello.”Rumours on social media had it that Funke Akindele’s marriage was reportedly facing serious troubles.Benito, one of JJC’s children took to the comment section to speak about the actress.He claimed that he lived with them for two years and that the experience was terrible.He said, “I lived with her for two years, the house was a horror site. She is not what y’all think she is.”However, in a post shared on his Instagram, JJC, who is presently in London, insinuated that their marriage was steady.He wrote, “The only rock that stays steady and the only institution I know that works is marriage. London is cool but I’m missing home @funkejenifaakindele my love have loads of fun with the children. See you soon at home.“Don’t let anyone spoil your vibes, Bellos forever #devilisaliar.”
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Buhari To Meet Military Chiefs Next Week Over Worsening Insecurity
Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, will on April 19, hold a meeting with military chiefs and heads of security agencies.Abubakar Badaru, governor of Jigawa, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking with state house correspondents after the meeting of the Council of State.
The meeting, which will be the second of its kind within a space of three weeks, comes amid attacks across the country — including the recent killing of over 100 people in Plateau and Benue states.Speaking on the scheduled meeting with the service chiefs, the Jigawa governor said the president will discuss with the agency heads on the recommendations and comments by the Council of State on the worsening insecurity in the country.In recent weeks, the country has witnessed a spike in security challenges.Ranging from the destruction of public facilities to attempted jailbreaks, kidnapping, train attacks, and killings, the country has been beset by various challenges.
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Young Lady, Toyosi, Arrested By Police In Lagos After Faking Kidnap, Rape To ‘Chase Clout’
A young lady named Toyosi has been arrested by the police in Lagos after faking being kidnap and raped just to become popular online.The lady with the Twitter handle @_misteriouss, had earlier on Thursday morning raised the alarm that she was being kidnapped and raped at number 78 Obayan Street, Pako, Akoka, Lagos, and needed help desperately.
She dropped a mobile phone number alleged to be that of her attacker shortly afterwards for people to call and trace him in case worse things happen to her.But after social media users alerted police to the situation and also bombarded the number with calls in a bid to rescue Toyosi, she tweeted that she was fine and that people should stop threatening or calling the number.However, despite the young lady’s tweet, Nigerians, worried that she could have made the post under duress, kept on calling the line and police to make sure she was not hurt further.In a matter of minutes, about three police vans arrived at the address Toyosi had dropped in her distress tweet earlier in order to rescue her.But in a remarkable turn of events, the young lady posted another tweet, saying, “I posted earlier that I was kidnapped and raped. It’s false. I’m so sorry for this. Please stop calling and threatening the numbers.”Enraged by her admittance of misleading members of the public, social media users called on the police to arrest and prosecute the young lady to serve as deterrent to others, who may want to try such in future.A Twitter user with the handle @GoziconC, while reacting to the incident said, “The police must do their job. First they will make sure you are really fine and this video was not done under duress.“Secondly, if you actually made this video for clout, you will explain that in cell.”Another tweep, @Oluwatayofem, in his reaction said, “There is no length some sorosokes won’t go for chasing clout but either ways, someone must face the consequences of such actions.”In his own reaction, another user of the micro-blogging platform, Abdulazeez Asekome, said, “If she was forced to make the video, she should come out and tell the police, they’ll do something about it.“The more she hides herself, the more people continue to think this is really true.”Heeding the calls of angry Nigerians, Toyosi was later arrested and taken to Bariga Police Station ahead of her arraignment in a special offences court for disturbing public peace.As at mid-day on Thursday, the issue was the number one on Nigerian Twitter trends.
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