REVEALED: Why Bill Gate refuses to visit Nigeria again

REVEALED: Why Bill Gate refuses to visit Nigeria again

 

 

 

United States richest man and philanthropist, Bill Gates  says cancellation of his  planned official visit to Nigeria scheduled for March  27  was not connected to the  controversial presidential but a very tight schedule .

 

Bill speaking through Communications officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Amy Enright exclusively told www.ayodelenews.blogspot.com

via e-mail that recent news reports about the reasons for the postponement of an upcoming trip by Bill Gates to Nigeria are false.

 

Amy  said changes to Bill’s travel schedule sometimes happen for a variety of reasons.

 

Amy said, “ Bill has visited Nigeria often, closely follows Nigeria’s polio eradication and routine immunization efforts and is always keen to see the work of our partners in the field. He looks forward to visiting Nigeria when his schedule will permit.”

 

Ayodele Samuel  a Bureau Correspondent with  Abuja based Peoples Daily Newspaper and blogger, seeked clarifications from Bill Gates media office in the US over reportedly cancelation of his visits to Nigeria to express dissatisfaction to President Goodluck controversial pardon to corrupt ex-convicts Diepreye Alamieyeseigha  and Shettima Bulama.

 

 

ABOUT BILL GATES

 

Bill Gates

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                  

 

Bill Gates
Gates in 2012
Born	William Henry Gates III (1955-10-28) October 28, 1955 (age 57) Seattle, WA, US
Residence	Medina, WA, US
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Harvard University (dropped out)
Occupation	Co-founder and Chairman of Microsoft Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO of Cascade Investment Chairman of Corbis
Years active	1975–present
Net worth	US$ 67 billion (2013)[1]
Board member of	Berkshire Hathaway
Religion	Agnostic[2][3]
Spouse(s)	Melinda Gates (1994–present)
Children	3
Parents	William H. Gates, Sr. Mary Maxwell Gates
Signature
Website
Bill Gates

William Henry "Bill" Gates III (born October 28, 1955)^[4] is an American business magnate, investor, programmer,^[5] inventor^[6] and philanthropist. Gates is the former chief executive and current chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company, which he co-founded with Paul Allen.

He is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people^[7] and was the wealthiest overall from 1995 to 2009, excluding 2008, when he was ranked third;^[1] in 2011 he was the wealthiest American and the second wealthiest person.^[8][9] During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of CEO and chief software architect, and remains the largest individual shareholder, with 6.4 percent of the common stock.^[a] He has also authored and co-authored several books.

Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Gates has been criticized for his business tactics, which have been considered anti-competitive, an opinion which has in some cases been upheld by the courts.^[12][13] In the later stages of his career, Gates has pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000.^[14]

Gates stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in January 2000. He remained as chairman and created the position of chief software architect. In June 2006, Gates announced that he would be transitioning from full-time work at Microsoft to part-time work, and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He gradually transferred his duties to Ray Ozzie, chief software architect, and Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer. Gates's last full-time day at Microsoft was June 27, 2008. He remains at Microsoft as non-executive chairman.

 

 

EARLIER REPORT

Alamieyeseigha: Bill Gates cancels visit to Nigeria

  by Niyi Odebode, John Alechenu, Olusola Fabiyi, Olalekan Adetayo and Friday Olokor

 

Chief Dipreye Alamieyeisegha

United States richest man and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has cancelled his planned official visit to Nigeria scheduled for March  27.

 

Gates’ action, it was believed was part of an unfolding diplomatic row between the US and Nigeria following the controversial pardon granted by President Goodluck Jonathan to ex-convicts Diepreye Alamieyeseigha  and Shettima Bulama.

 

He was scheduled to   meet President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health on the  polio eradication campaign  of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

Diplomatic sources said the trip was cancelled, two days after the US government expressed disappointment with the Federal Government for pardoning convicted money launderers.

Gates was reported to have already instructed his staff to inform the Nigerian Presidency, the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Federal Ministry of Health that he was no longer coming.

 

“The State Department has advised him that Nigeria is not conducive for such visit at this time,” a source said.  “We hope that the Nigerian government will get the message and return to the path of sanity.”

 

The controversial pardon granted Messrs Alamieyeseigha and Bulama had on Friday sparked fierce diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United States,  with the Americans threatening to punish Nigeria over  Jonathan’s action and Nigeria accusing the Americans of meddlesomeness.

 

“We see this as a setback for the fight against corruption, and also for our ability to play the strong role we’ve played in supporting the rule of law and legal institution-building in Nigeria, which is very important for the future of the country obviously,” State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, had told reporters in Washington.

Gate is the biggest foreign supporter of the campaign to eradicate polio in Nigeria and has worked consistently with the Nigerian authorities since 2009 over the matter.

 

His foundation has developed a six-year strategy through 2018 that will help combat polio in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan and has set aside $1bn per annum for the purpose.

 

He had scheduled this March’s visit to consolidate on that alliance, meet with Jonathan, state governors and other stakeholders with a view to generally revving  up the war against the pandemic.

Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, said on Monday that the visit had been rescheduled.

 

He said, “As far as we are concerned, the visit has been rescheduled. But I cannot say when that would be. It would be make known as soon as we get a new date.”

 

Also, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyewuchi Chukwu, said, “I am not privy to Mr. Gate’s itinerary”

Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode said he was not aware of the visit.

Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, Anti-Corruption Network, on Monday reacted to the cancellation of Gates’ proposed visit to Nigeria.

The Founder/Executive Secretary of the ACN and former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye, in an interview with The PUNCH said the President should “realise that he is President of Nigeria and not the Ijaw nation.”

Melaye said, “This is a demonstration of a failed government, the world is now a global village. Therefore, no country can hide under the cover of non-interference on domestic matters to perpetrate  the evil of corruption. This again have exposed the myopic, porous and parochial advisers of Mr. President. By this unpardonable pardon, the President has finally announced his romance, marriage and union with corruption.”

Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, also said it was an indication that Nigeria was a failing state.

 

He said, “This is an indication that Nigeria is a failed state. Granting amnesty to a criminal, who jumped bail and declared wanted in saner clime, mocks our sensibility as Nigerians and is also a slap on the nation where the accused is standing trial.”

 

Meanwhile, the Presidency on Monday said it was not true that the planned visit of Gate to Nigeria was cancelled because of the US opposition to Alamieyeseigha’s pardon.

 

Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, said this in an interview with State House correspondents.

Abati said contrary to the reports, his interaction with the Bill and Melinda Foundation showed that the planned visit was put off because of the inavailability of some partners.

 

Abati said, “The foundation said that Mr. Bill Gates’ travels are often dependent on the schedules and availability of many other people and partners and that in this particular case, because these other people and partners will not be available at the time he is presently scheduled to visit Nigeria, they have to reschedule the visit.”


COMPILED BY: Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Thursday, March 21, 2013

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'Ghana’s ICT park’ll impact positively on Nigeria’

'Ghana’s ICT park’ll impact positively on Nigeria’

 

Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio
| credits:

Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, and his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola, have said the Information Communication Technology-driven park located in the outskirts of Accra, Ghana would enhance the development of Nigeria and Africa.

 

At the inauguration of the park called Home Office People Environment (Hope City), the governor’s commended the initiative, according to a statement on Tuesday.

 

Aregbesola, during the commencement of the park in Ghana, explained that the project would increase ICT knowledge and compliance in Osun.

 

“RLG is now training 20,000 youths on how to maintain, repair, assemble, manufacture and market current digital equipment, and therefore, the HOPE CITY will definitely impact positively on the ICT growth of Africa,” he said.

 

Also, Akpabio noted that HOPE CITY was a project  that would transform the information technology industry and the economy of Ghana and Africa in general.

 

He said, “The City is a bold and commendable attempt to increase ICT penetration in Africa. Akwa-Ibom is already in talks with the initiators of the project to form a formidable synergy that will benefit indigenes of the state.”

 

Ghana’s President John Mahama, urged investors to look in the direction of Ghana for similar investment, promising tax exemptions and other friendly policies.

 

“Wealth and economic growth is no longer dependent on natural resources but the power of knowledge and ideas and that is why the advanced nations are investing heavily in the service and knowledge economy,” he added.

 

 

 

culled from: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS 

 March 13, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Wednesday, March 13, 2013

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Group trains farmers on agri-business

No fewer than 43 farmers were trained on modern farming system and strategies for the  attainment of world best practices for maximum yield during a one-week seminar organised by the Agbekoya Farmers Association.

 

The farmers were also trained on how to use modern farm equipment, cooperative farming, arable and livestock farming, bio-security measures and reproduction, as well as marketing.

 

The President, AFA, Mr. Kamorudeen Aremu, who spoke during the closing ceremony of the training on Saturday, said it was meant to orientate the farmers on the importance of merchandise farming.

 

He said, “This is to champion merchandise farming so that our farmers will move ahead of their usual subsistence farming to a commercial farming system. We are having problem with food production in the country because our farmers lack adequate training.

 

“We brought experts from the field of agriculture to train them and I am sure this will go a long to help them in their day-to-day farming activities. The government must not relent in its efforts to provide adequate training for the farmers because it is the only way for the country to be self-reliant.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Olatunji Bandele, explained that training was necessary to transform the agricultural sector of the economy.

 

 “We feel that to transform the agricultural sector, the players of such sectors must be transformed. It is necessary for farmers to be exposed to modern farming techniques so that they can go commercial,” he said.

 

One of the beneficiaries, Adekoya Aguntor, commended the effort of the organisers, saying the training was comprehensive.

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Wednesday, March 13, 2013

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LASU killings: 34 arrested students face extra year

Damoche

No fewer than 34 students of the Lagos State University have missed the first two days of the first semester examinations which begun on Monday.

 

The students were detentained by the police following the killings of two students of the institution. They were released on Tuesday evening.

 

PUNCH Metro lernt that the students would automatically carry over the courses missed in the two days.

 

A source at the university said the development could also lead to some of them having extra year because some of the courses were prerequisite to other courses.

 

PUNCH Metro had reported on March 5, 2013 that over 70 students were arrested in connection with the killings of two students of the school, Hip Hop artiste, Damilola Olaniyan aka Damino Damoche; and Kabiru Atoyebi.

 

It was learnt that after the suspects were screened at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, about 36 students were released while others remained in custody.

 

The Students Union Government of the institution had appealed to the school authorities to ensure the suspected students were allowed to participate in the examination, while their interrogation continued.

 

According a source in the school, who pleaded anonymity, the SUG feels that the students do not deserve to be treated like criminals since they had not been found guilty.

 

He said, “The students were indiscriminately arrested in their hostels by policemen and abandoned in the cell, since March 3, 2013. Even now, they would not be able to sit for examination today (Wednesday) because they have not obtained exams clearance.”

 

But the SUG’s Public Relations, Adeleke Stephen, said, “This is a clear example of the effect of cultism. For the good of all, I advise all students on campus to avoid engaging in cultism and all acts that may lead to disorderliness.”

 

All efforts to speak with the spokesperson for the institution, Sola Fosudo, proved abortive as all calls made to his telephone rang out.

 

The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. John Obafunwa, when contacted, directed our correspondent to his deputy.

 

However, a senior official of the school, who craved anonymity, said it was not LASU’s fault that the students missed “few days” of examination.

 

He added that the school would not make any concession for them.

 

He said, “The students were arrested on suspicion of murder and cultism and murder is a capital offence.

 

“A few students cannot hold the entire school to ransom and I’m sorry but no concession will be given to the affected students.”

 

Meanwhile, the state police commissioner, Umar Manko, said students in all tertiary institutions across the state must shun cultism or be ready for war with the police command.

 

Manko urged students of LASU to go about their school activities, assuring them of police protection.

 

The CP said investigation into the killings at LASU was still ongoing.

 

culled from: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS

March 13, 2013 by Eniola Akinkuotu and Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Wednesday, March 13, 2013

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Latin America elected as Pope

Cardinals in the Vatican City have elected a new Pope as white smoke emerged from the chimney on Wednesday night.

The new Pope for the 1.2 billion-member Catholic Church is Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina.

He becomes the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church.

He has chosen to be called Pope Francis de 1st.

The 115 cardinals held a first inconclusive vote in the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday as they began the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month aged 85.

Morning smoke at around 11.30am Italian time (10.30am GMT) on Wednesday was black - signalling that the second vote had again produced no two thirds majority for any one candidate.

The evening smoke at around 7pm local time (6pm GMT) showed white smoke meaning that a new pope has ben elected.

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Wednesday, March 13, 2013

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Senator empowers women in Lagos

 

Senator Gbenga Ashafa
| credits: File copy

The lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, ‘Gbenga Ashafa, has empowered about 300 women across the five local governments and 11 local council development areas within his district.

 

According to the senator, the empowerment programme held in Epe and Eredo on Friday, is a means to boost women in their economic activities.

 

He said, “At a Town Hall meeting, I made a promise to assist our women in their businesses. The fulfilment of that promise is what we all seated here today to witness.

 

“I congratulate the beneficiaries of this programme and also advised them to use the fund judiciously.”

 

Some of beneficiaries of the over N10m project are Mrs Fatimoh Salaudeen from Somolu LG; Mrs. Daramola Mushrafat, Epe LG; Mrs. Ajayi Dorcas, Kosofe LG; Mrs. Rashidat Ojikutu, Ikorodu LG and Mrs. Agbabiaka Sidikat.

 

The beneficiaries commended the senator for not forgetting the people that elected him.

 

One of them, Rashidat Ojikutu, said, This will go a long way to help my business. It is a means to show the importance of women in the society.”

 

 

CULLED FROM: PUNCH NEWSPAERS

March 13, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Wednesday, March 13, 2013

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Report: Man Caught Selling Human Part in Osun

Report: Man Caught Selling Human Part in Osun
 (Viewer Discretion Advised)

An online publication, Pakurumo has reported the alleged catching of a human part seller in Osun State.

It said, "The whole of Oke-Opo area in Ilesha Osun State was thrown into panic when human butchered and parts seller was apprehended by the Police after tip off by the residents of the area.

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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Church condemns sack of corps member over refusal to wear trousers

 

Corps members

vanguard ABEOKUTA – Reactions have started trailing the decamping of 2013 Batch A, female corps member, Ms Tolu Ekundayo, by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Ogun State for wearing skirt at the Shagamu orientation camp.

In a press conference organised by Ekundayo’s church, Faith Revival Apostolic Church, FRAC, in Lagos, the expelled corps member  said she was asked to leave the camp at about 11.00pm on March 8, 2013 by the Ogun State NYSC Co-ordinator, for her refusal to put on trousers.

 She explained that her refusal to wear trousers was not in disobedience to NYSC authorities but in line with her belief and faith in God.

Also speaking, Apostle Paul Adenuga condemned the manner in which Ekundayo was expelled from the camp in the dead of the night without considering her safety and called on the Director-General of NYSC and the federal government to look into the matter before it gets out of hand.

“I call on Nigerians, mostly Christians that stand for the truth, not only to jointly condemn this barbaric and bestial act but to engage in constructive dialogue with the concerned authority for the change of such policy if it is official.”

NYSC reacts
When contacted, the Ogun State NYSC Co-ordinator, Mrs T.I Anosike maintained that the Service did not expelled anybody. According to her, Ms Ekundayo opted to go instead of abiding by the rules and regulations of the scheme.

She said wearing anything outside approved NYSC kits during the orientation programme was not allowed in the camp. This she said was the reason why every corps member was made to signed undertaking on cultism and dress code.

“Nobody asked her to leave. She was asked to comply with the NYSC directives or leave. So she decided to leave. When she said that she won’t comply, we asked her to put it in writing which she did. So we didn’t expel her, she left on her own.”

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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Cardinals’ first day of voting ends without a pope

Cardinals’ first day of voting ends without a pope
   

VATICAN CITY (AFP) – First black smoke from Sistine Chapel signals no new pope.

The famous smoke from a chimney to indicate whether cardinals locked away in the Sistine Chapel have elected a pope is not created just by burning used ballots, the Vatican said Tuesday.

“We use smoke flares,” Paolo Sagretti, who was in charge of setting up the chapel for the election conclave, told AFP.

The ancient signalling system — still the only way the public learns whether a pope has been elected — used to involve mixing wet straw with the ballots to produce white smoke, and pitch to create black smoke.

After several episodes in which greyish smoke that could be interpreted as white or black created confusion, the Vatican introduced the surer system starting with the last conclave in 2005.

The Vatican now uses a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulphur to produce black smoke and potassium chlorate, lactose and rosin for white, the Vatican says on its website.


Two stoves stand in a corner of the chapel, one for burning the ballots and the other for the chemicals, with the smoke from both stoves going up a common flue.

An electronic control panel allows the choice between the two, and the correct compound is burned at the same time as the used ballots.

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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Lafarge Cement Wapco rewards customers for loyalty

 

Lafarge Cement
| credits: lafarge.in

Lafarge Cement Wapco Nigeria Plc has rewarded outstanding customers with prizes and awards in appreciation of their loyalty and patronage.

 

The company, which organised its 2012 Customers Award Ceremony in Lagos on Friday, commended its customers for their support.

 

Awards were given to top distributors, highest volume contributing region, evergreen award, emerging customer and corporate patronage categories, among others.

 

Customers who emerged winners in the awards were given trucks, Hyundai cars, tricycles, electronics sets, power generator sets, plaques and cash.

 

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Cement Wapco, Mr. Joe Hudson, congratulated the winners and urged all customers to keep believing in the company.

 

He said, “As you are aware, our customers’ award ceremony is a platform for rewarding and giving back to our customers. In all, 50 customers will be benefiting from various valuable prizes that we will be presenting in a short while. It is an opportune moment to appreciate, through the Evergreen Award; our long-time customers who have stood by us come rain, come shine over the past 53 years of our production of quality cement in Nigeria.

 

“Our customers have made us proud and we feel there is the need for us to pay them back. This is one of the means among others. We are a long-term investor in this country and will continue to contribute our quota to develop Nigeria through different initiatives targeted at our key stakeholders: customers, communities, shareholders and employees.”

The customers, who commended the company for its support, urged it not to relent on its relationship management.

The Chief Executive Officer, Oyinbashy Enterprises, Mr. Basiru Atinsola, whose firm emerged as the highest volume company, advised other customers to be diligent in their dealings.

 

He added, “This business is a lucrative business. It is a business that one can easily succeed in depending on the level of integrity and transparency. If you are trustworthy, you can easily make way in this business. People will be willing to help you provided you can be trusted.

 

“One of the challenges many customers have is that they are not reliable. If you are hardworking, prayerful and honest, you will thrive in this business.”

 

Another customer from Mabos Ayok Investment Limited, Mrs. Ayoka Ipadeola, said there were several opportunities for job creation in the business.

 

“Both the youth and adult can engage in this business. It has many opportunities in it provided you do not betray those you are dealing with. When you are given goods on loan, make sure you pay back,” she advised.

 

CULLED FROM: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS

 

March 11, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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Alamieyeseigha, my political benefactor – Jonathan

 

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits:

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday described the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, as his political benefactor.

 

The President also called on the political class in the state to put aside their grievances in the collective interest of the state.

 

Alamieyeseigha was detained in London on charges of money laundering in September 2005. He escaped from the UK in December 2005. He pleaded guilty before a Nigerian  court  to six  charges in July, 2007, and was sentenced to two years in prison on each charge.

Jonathan spoke at the Government House Castle, Yenagoa, while

 

addressing leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party at a state caucus meeting convened by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.

 

Though the relevance of the meeting to the 2015 ambition of Jonathan was not clear, a statement by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, described it as “an expanded caucus meeting of members of the party”.

 

The statement read, “President Jonathan who stressed that politics ought to be seen as tools for the development of the people and service to fatherland, said up until now, he could not fathom what went wrong during the last expanded caucus meeting of the PDP in the state.

 

“Describing Chief Alamieyeseigha as his benefactor in politics, the President called on the political class to learn to be supportive of one another and put aside their grievances in the collective interest of the state, rather than creating undue tension in the polity.”

 

Our correspondent gathered that part of the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was part of moves by the governor to mobilise support for Jonathan and unite members of the party.

 

The statement, which was made available to our correspondent shortly after the meeting, said members of the party resolved unanimously that Jonathan should be the leader of the party in the state.

 

Before now, Dickson was regarded as the leader of the party in the state by virtue of his position as the governor.

 

 

The statement said Dickson moved the motion that Jonathan be made leader of the party in the state.

The motion was said to have been seconded by Alamieyeseigha and later adopted by about 28 members of the party’s caucus after a voice vote initiated by the Senator representing the state’s Central Senatorial District, Mr. Emmanuel Paulker.

 

The statement was, however, silent on members of the party, especially federal lawmakers, that attended the meeting.

 

Jonathan, who insisted that his former boss brought him into political limelight, thanked Dickson for convening the meeting and promised to attend subsequent meetings.

 

Jonathan described politics as a tool for the development of the state.

 

The President denied influencing the selection of candidates for the forthcoming local government elections.

 

“I don’t want to be in Abuja and be seen as influencing political contestants; I will not condescend to get myself in the selection of candidates, am not interested because it won’t be fair since leadership is all about hierarchy,” he said.

 

CULLED FROM:  PUNCH NEWSPAPERS

  by Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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Jonathan pardons ex-convicts, Alamieyeisegha, Bulama, others

FG denies granting pardons to ex-convicts, Alamieyeisegha, Bulama, others     

       

The Federal Government  has denied the runour that it granted pardons to ex-convicts. It said no pardons have been granted to any persons.

Uncorfirmed reports had stated that the Council of States headed by President Goodluck Jonathan, Tuesday afternoon, granted state pardon to his former boss and ex-Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreiye Alamieyeisegha.

The former governor, who was convicted for embezzling state funds while he was Bayelsa Governor, was pardoned alongside another convict and former head of the Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama.
Mr. Bulama, like Mr. Alamieyeisegha was investigated and later prosecuted for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Newstrawl learnt that sources at the meeting say the Council meeting, attended by three former heads of states and some state governors also granted state pardon to some of those convicted for coup plotting by the Sani Abacha administration.


EARLIER REPORTS

Ex-convict Alamieyeseigha may get presidential pardon today

 

 

Barring any last minute change in plans, President Goodluck Jonathan will today request the National Council of State to ratify a presidential pardon for the disgraced former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

 

A presidency source told PREMIUM TIMES  Mr. Jonathan will bring a memo to the meeting requesting pardon for Mr. Alamieyeseigha, and some “nondescript northerners”.
Presidential spokespersons, Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe, did not answer or return calls seeking comments.

Our source said a former Chief of General Staff,  Oladipupo Diya, was initially on the list but that the list has now been changed. It is not clear whether Mr. Diya’s name will return before the meeting begins.

“These other names were merely added to balance out,” our source said. “The main target is Alamieyeseigha.”

On Mr. Alamieyeseigha, Mr. Jonathan will tell council members that the former governor  requested a presidential pardon long ago but that he was reluctant to bring it before members because he wanted to be sure that the former governor was now contrite.

The president, our source said, would stress how important Mr. Alamieyeseigha is to the Ijaw nation and the great role he could play in maintaining peace and security in the Niger Delta region.

Mr. Jonathan will further argue that his former boss had shown remorse and that he should be given opportunity to contribute his quota to the process of nation building.

Mr. Alamieyeseigha, who Mr. Jonathan recently described as his political mentor,  was impeached by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in December 2005, following his arrest by the London Metropolitan Police over allegations of corruption and money laundering.

Afterwards, he was arrested and prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on money laundering and corruption offences. On July 30, 2007, M.L. Shuaibu, a judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, sentenced him to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

After the former governor was impeached, prosecuted and jailed in Nigeria for corruption and his assets, valued at about £17.7 million confiscated, the Federal Government went ahead to institute proceedings against him, his wife, Margaret, and two of his companies in a bid to seize his assets in the United Kingdom.

The National Council of State comprise the president, all former heads of the government of the Federation, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, all the governors of the Federation and the attorney general of the federation.

The body advises the president on prerogative of mercy, awards of national honours, appointment of members of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Judicial Council and the National Population Commission and national population census issues.
PREMIUM TIMES

 

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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Shonekan, Alele-Williams seek improved educational standard for pupils

A former head of state, Chief Ernest Shonekan, and a former vice-chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, have urged governments and stakeholders in the educational sector to work harder at improving the sector.

The two, who spoke at the inauguration of the Nofisat Yeside Funsho Memorial Library at CMS Primary School, Bariga, Lagos, said there was the need for corporate bodies to contribute to the growth of the educational sector and the development of the country.

Shonekan said, “The future belongs to the children, as they contribute about 40-50 per cent of the population. We must not compromise anything for a standardised education in the country which must start from the grassroots.

“Although the population of pupils today may make it very difficult to provide the kind of quality education we have then, but we can maintain it.”

Shonekan, while encouraging the effort of City Profs Academy for the initiative, advised that pupils should make adequate use of the opportunity provided to them.

 “We need to contribute to the growth of the education sector as well as the development of Nigeria. Government and the corporate bodies must accord the sector the priority it deserves. During our own time, we never had the opportunity to surf through the internet and there is then a difference between literacy and illiteracy, but today the pupils have a great benefit from it. They can do a lot of research with it. The pupils must also learn to give back to their community in multiples,” the former head of state said.

CULLED FROM: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS

March 16, 2012 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Thursday, March 07, 2013

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Wema Bank inaugurates educational products

Wema Bank Plc has introduced Royal Kiddies and Purple Account to empower children and young adults educationally.

The Executive Director and Head, Lagos and South-South of the bank, Mr. Ademola Adebise, said in Lagos on Wednesday that the products were introduced to satisfy the yearnings of the customers’ demand for a future savings account for their children.

“The accounts were borne out of feedback from customers and years of collaboration with various stakeholders to develop a niche product that can serve the yearnings and needs of the young people in Nigeria whilst also providing an assured foundation for their future,” he said.

The Divisional Head, Retail Bank, Wema Bank, Mr. Akinlolu Ayileka, said that the products would facilitate entrepreneurial development in the country.

He stressed that the products had been dedicated to provide for the educational needs of children and adults.

He said, “We understand that education is the bedrock of development for the economy. Everything is dependent on knowledge and skills, which the Royal Kiddies and Purple Account has been specially designed to meet. It will also help parents and guardians to meet the specific needs of their children and young adults.”

The Product Manager, Omolola Omoyele, explained that the account had benefits that put the future of any child in a safe mode with life assurance cover of 10 times the account balance.

“The Royal Kiddies Account is for children between the ages of zero and 13 with life assurance of up to N10m in case of accidental death or permanent disability of parent or guardian.

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May 24, 2012 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Thursday, March 07, 2013

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LG boss makes case for vocational education

The Chairman, Apapa Local Government, Lagos State, Mr. Ayodeji Joseph, has urged Nigerians to support vocational education for the country to grow.

 

Joseph gave the advice during the inauguration of Apapa Skills Acquisition Centre on Thursday in Lagos.

He explained that the centre was constructed to empower school leavers in the community, stressing that it was important to encourage youths without the capacity for formal education.

He said, “When we promised that education is the area we would love to be most remembered for, we were not oblivious of the fact that education has a broad spectrum and it is not only restricted to formal classroom.

“The concept of 6-3-3-4 system of education is premised on the fact that while some learners may be very versatile in academics, others will  have flair for vocational or non formal education.

“Therefore, if about 60 per cent of learners in our schools are academic oriented, it will be unfair to neglect the remaining 40 per cent that is not. It is this vacuum between formal and informal types of education that we decided to fill in constructing the centre.

We believe that both formal and non-formal educational sectors must complement each other.”

The chairman, while urging the trainees to maximise the opportunity offered to them, said adequate measures had been put in place against project neglect.

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March 1, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Friday, March 01, 2013

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Commissioner urges the rich to fund poor pupils’ education

 

Primary school pupils
| credits: feelfree.co

The Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Ademorin Kuye, has called on wealthy Nigerians to contribute massively to the education of poor pupils.

Kuye said this when the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area in Lagos distributed free school uniforms to 8,000 pupils in the 10 public primary schools within the council area.

A statement from the council quoted Kuye, who was a special guest at the event, as saying the call became necessary because education remained a major tool to fight poverty, ignorance, disease and crime out of the country.

The commissioner also described the council’s gesture as a demonstration of high level of passion for education.

According to the statement signed by the Information Officer, Ejigbo LCDA, Mr. Rabiu Hassan, Kuye, the free uniform initiative was aimed at helping pupils whose parents could not afford to send their children to school.

“Some children have been sent away from school because of their parents inability to buy school uniform for them. The chairman of the council has done well with the free uniform project. It will take off burden from the poor parents,” he said.

Kuye advised the children to see the action of the council as part of their learning process.

To parents, Kuye said they had no excuse not to send their children to school, as both the state and local governments in the state had done enough to improve the standard of primary education.

Kuye also urged the council’s chairman Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, to pay attention to the welfare of primary school teachers, stating that there was need to train and equip them on information technology to enable them to perform better.

”Unless the teachers teach the pupils well, the uniform will amount to nothing,” he said.

The statement further quoted Bamigbetan as saying that the distribution of the uniform was the third phase of the exercise started by his administration in 2008, with 4,200 pupils as beneficiaries.

He added that 7,200 pupils benefited from the second phase of the project in 2011.

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March 1, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Friday, March 01, 2013

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Unqualified teachers doing damage to children’s future – Principal

 

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Principal, Faith Academy, Lagos, Mr. Olusola Bamidele, has said the major challenge affecting the standard of education in the country is the use of unqualified teachers to train pupils.

Bamidele wondered why a school would employ pupils to teach pupils, noting that schools engaging in such acts are toying with the future of the children and the country.

He spoke after the school’s 12th inter-house sports competition, which was declared open by  the wife of Delta State Governor, Mrs. Roli Uduaghan.

He said, “Teachers in many schools are not well trained. Some schools keep Senior Secondary Certificate Examination graduates, some of whom did not even pass the examination in classes to teach pupils and this is unfortunate because the foundation matters a lot. The foundation is where you should pack the best of all brains to teach the pupils.

“If you call somebody a teacher, he/she must know more than the learner. For you to be able to teach the right values to the children, you must also be sound. The teachers are to train the children. If the teachers are not trained then they will not be able to train others.

 They can only teach what they know. What they don’t know they cannot teach. For you to have a child that is fully equipped under the educational system, the teacher must be trained and retrained.”

He explained that it was necessary for teachers to be regularly trained for the educational system to develop and meet international standards.

He added, “Teachers must continuously undergo training even while on the job. The educational system should not be developed in a way that a child will be taught how to read and write alone, it must be built in a way that the children can learn, relearn and unlearn. In our school, we develop education along three major areas – academic, religion/moral and creativity.

“Education should be a complete package that would enhance self reliance. For instance, when you see pupils dressing indecently, it means there is a problem. Then, schools must initiate a disciplinary method to stop it.”

The principal, who lamented the decreasing standard of education, argued that the challenges of insecurity facing the country could be solved if the educational system was developed.

He said, “You cannot see any graduate that knows his/her worth being recruited for illegal acts. The type of education we give to the children has a way of either enhancing insecurity or helping security.  You can imagine that many schools don’t even have equipment to teach the pupils and that is why they engage in examination malpractices. We should give our children the best we can and show them good examples.

“The basis of any educational system is to teach morals and competency. When you have graduates that cannot speak correct English and are incompetent, nobody can employ them which makes them idle and participate in bad activities.”

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March 1, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Friday, March 01, 2013

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Muslims protest punishment of pupils for wearing hijab

Muslims protest punishment of pupils for wearing hijab

Muslim Students under the aegis of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, on Thursday protested the punishment of two pupils in Lagos by their principals.

The principal of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute Meta, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, allegedly flogged Aisha Alabi because she wore hijab, a head scarf worn by female Muslims, on the school premises.

Mafoluku Senior Grammar School principal, Elizabeth Omidele, was accused of harassing Barira by telling her to pull off her hijab outside the school premises.

The protesters, who turned the office of the Lagos State Governor into a praying centre, insisted on seeing Goveror Babatunde Fashola before they would end the protest.

When our correspondent left the scene of the protest at about 2.45pm, the protest was still on.

Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Religious Matters, Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Kosoko, had earlier assured the protesters that government would attend to the matters judiciously.

He said, “The governor is not around. He is not in the state. If he is around, he would have attended to you on the matters. Our governor is a friendly person and does not want crisis in the state.”

The group’s secretary, Shuaib Okuneye, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, complained that the pupils were deprived of their rights.

He said, “Ironically, these principals have no problems with other female students wearing mini-skirt and mini-gowns as school uniform.”

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March 1, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

By: NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE On Friday, March 01, 2013

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