NEWS : Why Nigeria is crawling– Zik’s wife, Uche, others

 A team of Nigerian women has declared that the country would continue to stumble until women were allowed to play active role in governance.

They said the country had not made significant progress owing to the sidelining of women in the affairs of the country.

Prof. Mrs. Uche Azikiwe, wife of Nigeria’s ex-President, Late Nnamdi Azikiwe and a former first lady of Ebonyi State, Mrs. Eunice Egwu both made the declaration on the sideline of the launching of Power Women Forum in Enugu.

Mrs. Azikiwe said the country was standing on one leg and would hardly make any movement under such condition.

The University don said it was regrettable that the men were still hiding under culture and traditions to relegate women to the background.

According to her, “Women should be allowed to play their role, their role is to help the men to rebuild the society in any form or shape.

“That is why I said other countries have found that women are agents for development, if you overlook the women and their contributions, you are going nowhere, it seems as as if you have two legs and you are running with just one; you won’t go anywhere.

“One leg is the male, the other leg is the female but in our society, it seems as if it is only one leg we are running with, that’s why we are where we are now.

“Any nation that realizes that women constitutes the other leg, you will see the impact, the country will grow and develop, it is my area sociology of education and gender studies; It has been proven that without women contributing, if you still believe in patriarchy, you are going nowhere.

“The patriarchy is still in men; it’s like some men are afraid of allowing women to come up; they feel a woman should not be competing with a man, I feel advocacy is needed, that please, men, we are not coming to compete, there is no way a woman can be a man, I have my role to play, due to biological parts, a man has his own role to play, but if it comes to development of the society, both of them should work together.

“There is need for advocacy which we can do through our traditional rulers, people need to come together to advance this course; to assist the women to play their role, everybody was born with a potential, God created all of us equal.

“I have never heard any research that say the brain of a man is bigger or smarter than that of a woman, it is the society that made the woman not to develop her potentials. Men hold grip of positions and they believe it is the best for the society.”

Similarly, Mrs. Egwu urged that more opportunities be given to the women.

“Nigerian women are already doing a lot; I will plead that more opportunities be given to them.

“I see there is an awakening, women are striving and trying to change their situation; there are more women professors now than before, more women PhD holders, more women entrepreneurs, we just wish that they can be given more opportunity to excel, and I know that women have been encouraging each other, more the time they say that women pull each other down, we have overcome that stage now.

“So many women do all manner of menial jobs to make sure that their children go to school, I just want to encourage them,” she stated.

Earlier, the convener of the Forum, Prof. Joy Onyesoh said the group had already “started on that path to ensure that women have a say in their lives and also in contributing to the development of the society.

“We want to build the capacity of women, we also do recognize that women have a lot of capacities, we want them to come together and share it.

“One of the major objectives of this Forum is to ensure that there is that platform for women, globally to exchange information, build their capacity and also to impact on their immediate society, helping women to realize and unleash their potentials irrespective of whatever barriers they face.

“Women already have the expertize, it is just for them to unleash it.”

NEWS : Kankara Leave your cows, seek US support – Ezekwesili attacks Buhari

 

Oby Ezekwesili, a former minister of education has told President Muhammadu Buhari to leave his cows in Daura and prioritise the lives of students of GSS Kankara abducted recently in his State.

Ezekwesili expressing her outrage over the abduction, asked Buhari to stop being ‘inhuman and ‘coldly indifferent and rescue the students from the insurgents.

The BBOG Convener making reference to the kidnap of Leah Sharibu by Boko Haram, urged the president to seek the support of the US military immediately and save the students.

Ezekwesili on her Twitter page wrote: “President Buhari should leave his cows for once in preference for the lives of his fellow human beings. It is inhuman for a supposed leader of a country to be as uncaring as you are to the latest cries of parents of 333 Kankara boys . Why are you so inhuman Buhari?

“The outrage I feel about the tragedy of #KankaraBoys cannot be vocalized.That 6 years after Chibok Girls with 112 still unaccounted for? That two years after Dapchi girls with Leah Sharibu still unaccounted for? Now 333 Kankara boys abducted?

“The biggest shame on Buhari, what exactly is the grossly incompetent and coldly indifferent Buhari really doing in Katsina State while disconsolate parents of 333 Kankara boys cry their eyes out?

“Does the President know more than we are being told about the whereabouts of those students? In October, US military forces rescued their one citizen held hostage by terrorists within our territory. Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of Nigerian Army should please accord highest priority to the lives of 333 #KankaraStudents and seek US support immediately.”

NEWS : Prison decongestion Kogi CJ frees diabetic inmate, 3 others

 

In a bid to continually decongest the correctional centres and ensure quick dispensation of justice, the Acting Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Henry Adebola Olusiyi, has released an accused, Abdullahi Usman, unconditionally.

Usman, who was diagnosed of diabetes, and scabies, has been detained for over one year for alleged criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.

The Acting Chief Judge, who acted based on the medical report brought before him, said the accused has been detained for too long without trial.

While reviewing the cases of 210 inmates, which consist 50 convicts and 160 awaiting trials, Justice Olusiyi in his visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kabba, on Monday, also acted on the advice of the report of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Officer in Charge of Legal matters of the police

Ruling on Usman’s case, Justice Olusiyi said “The accused person has been in detention for more than one year, neither the DPP nor OC legal has details of him. It is not just to continue to keep him here any further. The accused is hereby released unconditionally forthwith.”

Another suspect, Zakari Yahu Abdullahi, who has been in custody since May 2020 for alleged trespass, shop breaking and theft, was also released by Justice Olusiyi after being remanded at Koton Karfe Correctional Center.

‘”The accused has been in custody since May and is enough for him to learn from his mistake. The accused should return to the society and turn a new leave,” he said.

In the same vein, Sayo Joseph, accused of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping, was released as Justice Olusiyi said the accused has no prima facie case to answer.

At the Okene Custodian Center with 74 inmates, 36 convicted and 38 awaiting trial, Tijani Abdullahi who had been in custody for 14 months (11th July, 2019 precisely) for theft and assault also regained his freedom.

“The defendant had stayed in custody for too long, hence, there is need to release him as he must had also learnt his lessons. The defendant is hereby released unconditionally”.

Justice Olusiyi, however, in his remarks lamented that the remands proceeding in the law is being abused.

Earlier, the station Officer in Charge of Kabba Custodial Centre, Chief Superintendent of Correction, Shuaibu Ishaku, in his welcome address, highlighted some of the center challenges which include insufficient water supply for inmates use, training workshop equipped with tools to enable the inmates have access to reformation skills and computer system for inmates training.

DAILY POST report that over 200 inmates cases were reviewed by the State Acting Chief Judge

NEWS : FG denies fixing new N162 per litre of petrol pump price

 

The Federal Government has said it has now taken a back seat in the issue of petrol pricing in the country.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, made this known while speaking at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa Abuja while inaugurating the bipartite plus technical committee on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, pricing framework on Monday.

A statement from Ngige’s media office, quoted him as saying that the government did not fix the new PMS pump price that took off in the country on Monday.

According to him, the new N162.44k fuel price was arrived at from the commercials like demurrage, transshipment and storage.

“Make no mistake about it. Government has taken the backseat. Government did not fix the price that took off from today.

“It was a price reduction gotten from the commercials like demurrage, transshipment and storage.

“This Committee is expected to do more to enthrone transparency in the area,” Ngige said.

Recall that at the last bipartite meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), held on December 7, 2020, an agreement was reached to lower the PMS pump price by N5, with effect from today, Monday, December 14, 2020.

NEWS : Boko Haram Terrorists attack Nigerian refugees in Timur, kill 51

 

Reports reaching DAILY POST from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital in the northeast region have it that insurgents have attacked Tumur Town, a community in Niger Republic, which houses more than 40,000 refugees from Nigeria.

The attack on Sunday according to some refugees, who called their relatives in Maiduguri, was very bloody, leaving over 51 people dead and causing many damages of property, including animals.

Most of the inhabitants of the town (Tumur) are people from Abadam Local Government Area of Borno state in Nigeria.

It could be recalled that a similar incident occurred in mid May this year, which prompted over 2000 households to relocate to Damasak in search of safety and protection.

Government officials and international organisations in Damasak told newsmen that the town of Damasak may experience continuation of movement of people from Niger (mass influx) in the coming days.

The officials called on the government and partners to begin to make preparation for essential items including food to respond to the immediate needs of the new arrivals.

NEWS : SSCE, WAEC, to punish cheating students, supervisors, schools

 The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has disclosed that students involved in examination malpractices would be barred from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, henceforth.

This was made public by WAEC’s Examination Committee after its 70th Meeting, on Monday.

A statement by the committee also vowed to blacklist supervisors involved in malpractices.

The committee, which is the highest decision-making organ of the council, said those affected would be banned for some years.

The committee also threatened to sanction schools involved in examination malpractice.

“In addition, some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such as barring them from sitting for the Council’s examination for a certain number of years, some schools will be derecognised for a specified number of years or have their recognition completely withdrawn, some supervisors that were found wanting in the discharge of their examination duties will be formally reported to their employers and blacklisted,” the statement reads partly.

NEWS : Tell Nigerians if Buhari is dead or alive – Pastor Giwa begs Pastor Adeboye

 

The Senior Pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa, on Monday, begged the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye to tell Nigerians whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari is alive or dead.

The cleric also urged the service chiefs to cover their faces in shame over the abduction of more than 300 schoolboys in Kankara, Kastina State.

In a statement sent to DAILY POST on Monday, Giwa, in his reaction to the ugly development begged “Pastor Adeboye and those who supported the APC to win the 2015 election to tell Nigerians whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari is alive or dead.”

Recall that more than 300 schoolboys are still missing after gunmen attacked a secondary school in Kankara, a town in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state, authorities said.

Attackers on motorcycles stormed the all-boys Government Science School late on Friday and engaged security forces in a fierce gun battle, forcing hundreds of students to flee and hide in the surrounding forest.

However, Pastor Giwa wondered why “the nation would have a president who could not lay his life for his citizens by protecting them.”

The cleric added, “By now, nobody should have advised the service chiefs to resign before they do so.”