Amaju Pinnick on Thursday won the presidential election of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
He retains his seat as the federation’s president.
Nollywood actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, has reacted to a statement posted on Instagram by a female fan claiming that he had a one-night stand with her.
Ibu, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, said that although he posed for a photo shot with the fan in question, he never had sexual intercourse with her.
Recounting what happened, he said, “The woman approached me to take a picture with me alongside her husband. She said she happily posted those pictures she took with me without any write-up. It was when a blog carried the picture that a write-up appeared from nowhere.
“I initially called police to arrest the woman, but she came to my house with her family to apologise that she would not have posted the picture had she known it would cause trouble. She swore that she would not have a child, if she ever wrote anything evil about me. I believed her. I told her that she did nothing wrong by posting the picture.”
The actor described the offensive statement as the handiwork of unknown enemies who were planning to tarnish his image.
Pleading with members of the public not to believe everything they read online, Ibu also claimed that some people, in an attempt to rubbish his name, had hacked into his social media accounts and impersonated him.
He said, “I know that I have enemies. They were the ones who put that write-up to tarnish my image, but they can never succeed because I have never stepped on anybody’s toes and I will never do it. I only want to upgrade people and make them happy.
“Some people are trying to pull me down. I’ve witnessed instances where hackers used my account to defraud other people and upload all sorts of nonsense about me. But I always tell people that I am not the owner of those accounts.”
Punch
The Chiarman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has appointed Chief Titus Anagbogu as his special adviser on Intelligence and Election Monitoring.
The chiarman who made this known in a press release signed by the party’s National director of Publicity Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, said Chief Anagbogu’s Experience and technical knowledge was a key instrument in the last gubernatorial election victory of Dr. Willie Obiano, making him fit for the job.
PRESS RELEASE:
APGA : DR OYE APPOINTS ANAGBOGU
SPECIAL ADVISER I.E.M.
The national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),Ozonkpu Dr Victor Ike Oye, has appointed Chief Titus Anagbogu, Ugwumba Aguata,his special Adviser on Intelligence and Election Monitoring (IEM).
Chief Anagbogu is a stoic and an astute politician, a tactician and a political juggernaut. He is a very loyal and committed party member since its inception.Before this appointment, he has been the chairman of the Anambra South senatorial zone of the party, for more than a decade. Also, he is the chief executive officer of Orthon Palace Hotels in Ekwulobia, Anambra State,a former Chairman Tourism and Hotel management Board of Anambra State as well as a former Chairman of Nnewi market management committee. He holds several Professional certificates in hotel management and its allied industries.
He was one of the major contributors to the uncommon,overwhelming and unprecedented victory the party recorded in the last Anambra State governorship election.
Chief Anagbogu is expected to bring his political savvy and wealth of experience over the years in electioneering, to bear on the new job.
Ifeanacho Oguejiofor
National Director of publicity.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has again accused President Muhammadu Buhari of unduly favouring Muslims from Northern Nigeria in federal appointments.
CAN was reacting to three of the latest appointments approved by Mr Buhari in different federal agencies.
In a statement by the association on Monday, its President, Samson Ayokunle, restated its earlier allegation against Mr Buhari, describing the recent appointments as lopsided and against the spirit of a united Nigeria.
“Mr Buhari on September 1 appointed Abbas Umar as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, on September 13 he appointed Yusuf Magaji Bichi, from Kano State to replace Matthew Seiyefa from Bayelsa who had been operating in an acting capacity since Lawal Daura was sacked in his absence; and on September 14, he also appointed Zainab Ahmed as the acting Finance Minister to replace Mrs Kemi Adeosun who resigned as a result of her failure to participate in the NYSC programme and for parading a forged NYSC Certificate of Exemption.”
“The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few state or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”
The federal government has repeatedly denied that Mr Buhari’s appointments favour any particular section of the country, saying proponents of such do not take a holistic review of the president’s appointments.
The explanation has, however, not calmed CAN and many other Nigerians who make the accusation.
Last week, upon the appointment of Mr Bichi, some elders from Southern Nigeria and the Middle-belt condemned the appointment; saying Mr Buhari bypassed six competent senior hands in the State Security Service, who were from the South, to appoint Mr Bichi, a Northerner who had retired from the service.
In its statement on Monday, CAN, which has been very critical of the present administration, also accused Mr Buhari of neglecting Nigerians and allowing the persistence of the Fulani herdsmen crisis.
“By failing to curb the attacks of the Fulani herdsmen President Buhari has failed to uphold Section 14, Para. 2 (b) in the Constitution that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has been threatening those who condemn their nefarious activities in the Middle belt where thousands of our members are being killed with impunity, yet the association that has a lot of things in common with terrorist organisations are not only being treated with kid gloves by the security agencies, but their aggressive attacks on the innocent people are being justified by the President, the Defence Minister, the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Information and the Inspector General of Police.
“The Boko Haram Islamic terrorist organisation has not ceased attacking and killing our people, they are abducting our members on a daily basis and despite all our hues and cries, the federal government and the security agencies have refused to liberate Leah Sharibu and others in the enclave of this blood-sucking terrorist group because of their faith,” the Christian association said.
Premium Times
The Diocese of Ekiti West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), on Sunday advised politicians against making unrealistic promises to the electorate as the 2019 general elections approaches.
It also admonished Nigerians against the practice of vote buying, which it noted, had also been gaining ground in the country, saying that the practice aimed at stifling people from making free choice of their candidates.
These were some of the resolutions reached at the 1st Session of the 7th Synod of the diocese which ended on Sunday.
It was presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese, Rufus Adepoju.
NAN reports that the four-day synod which held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Idagba, Efon Alaaye, in Efon Local Government Area of the state, had as its theme: “Be Ye Steadfast”.
A communiqué issued at the end of the synod, stressed that vote buying could give a bad candidate with loads of funds an undeserved edge to the detriment of the people in the long run.
The synod urged all eligible Nigerians who had registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in order to be able to perform their civic responsibility of voting.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the church noted that empty promises had dampened the interest of Nigerians in the electoral system.
“The Synod admonished some of our politicians who are in the habit of making empty promises to desist from such practices, which only heighten people’s expectations only to disappointed at last.
“This practice contributes to disaffection for people in governance and politics.
“Synod appealed to governments at both states and national level to promptly pay salary and pension arrears to serving workers and pensioners.
“The non-payment of these deserved salaries and pension has brought untold hardship to families, especially those where the husband and wife are civil servants.”
According to the communique, Synod expressed concern over the scourge of political and religious motivated killings, kidnapping and other anti-social behaviours.
It urged the federal government to deploy adequate security resources to tackle the menace and eradicate them.
(NAN)
Work on the second Niger Bridge linking Asaba in Delta and Onitsha in Anambra, has reached 50 per cent completion, Mr Wkscont Ajani, Federal Controller of Works, Anambra, has said.
Ajani said in Awka on Thursday that 310 out of the 615 piles in the project had been driven in addition to one pipe culvert and four box culverts.
He said that seven pile caps at 100, 110, 120, 290, 300, 310, and 320 had also been completed.
“At the Asaba end, abutment has been completed while preparation of reinforcements for the piles, pile caps, pier stems and box culverts are in progress at the Onitsha main yard,” he said.
Ajani who did not state the current cost of the project said it was awarded to Julius Berger construction firm in 2014 at the initial cost of N200 billion.
The federal controller of works said that the contract had four years duration and was awarded under Public-Private-Partnership.
He noted that the first Niger Bridge was constructed in 1965 to achieve Federal Government’s policy of expansion and upgrading of transport facilities.
He said that the bride was built to support the nation’s development and economically link the then regions.
“However, since the construction, commuters and vehicles travelling on roads in the South-East have increased as a result of population growth, increased income and urbanisation,” he stated.
Ajani said because the existing Niger Bridge could no longer sustain the increasing volume of traffic, government decided to construct a second one.
The federal controller of works said the new bridge would form an important link within the key national transportation corridor.
He said it would provide a strategic access point for people of the south-east and the south-south zones in particular, and Nigeria in general.
“The benefits of the bridge include reduction in the strain on the current bridge infrastructure and easing traffic flow.
“It will improve safety and security in the area by potentially reducing traffic congestion; and improve the commercial viability of the immediate states and the country.
“Local residents will have opportunity to work on site during the construction phase, thereby improving their economic prospects.
“This will improve capacity building for young Nigerian engineers in different areas of engineering, especially highway engineering,” he said.
Ajani said the bridge would go a long way in improving the local content during its construction.
He also said that on completion, farmers in the area would have more access to a larger market within a reduced time frame.
NAN reports that the construction firm has commenced building of a new site yard at Ogbaru in Anambra to ensure ease of work.
However, the heavy rains recorded in the area in recent the weeks have slowed down work on the project.
A staff of the company who pledged anonymity told NAN at the project site that work stopped around 12 noon on Wednesday due to the rain which started as early as 6.00.
He said that the water level in the river was on the increase and added “as soon as the water level reduces, full work will continue.
“We are working on some access roads while the federal ministry is still negotiating with land and building owners over compensation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the people of the riverine communities of Amakom and Oko-Analu in Delta have appealed to the federal government to expedite action on the project.
According to them, the slow pace of work on the project is not desirable and disappointing.
Mr Uzoma Achidike, a teacher at Amakom Primary School, said the pace of work was a major source of concern to the people because they had expected government to give it priority attention.
“Here in the community, we have expected that government would take this project very seriously by ensuring prompt provision of logistics and strict supervision to enable the contractor deliver.
“Regrettably, the reverse is the case here. As you can see, the whole place is just sand and sand pilling every day. There has been no major work going on here.
“For instance, the slow pace of the sand-filling is presently causing a huge pain to us because it has caused heavy flooding in our communities.
“Flood has sacked many people in Amakom and Analu, and many of them, mostly farmers, have abandoned their farms to seek refuge in either Asaba or Onitsha,” Achidike said.
Also Mr. Boniface Okelue, a youth leader in Amakom, said the pace of work had not been encouraging.
Okelue said that the locals had expected quick action on the project to solve the perennial traffic problem on the 53-year old first Niger Bridge.
“We had thought by now massive work will be going on here, but that has not been the case over the past two years.
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“Go and see people suffering at the old bridge every day due to heavy traffic. Sometimes people sleep there till the next day,” Okelue said.
A farmer, Mr. Donatus Ebenuwa, said work on the road connecting the bridge to Oko mainland had been slow.
“The work is very slow; the sand-filing job is not even going on regularly. When you see them today, you will not see them again for the next three days.
“Our roads and primary school have been over-flooded; government should ensure that the project is completed quickly,” Ebenuwa said.
When NAN visited the Asaba end of the project site, only security men guarding the heavy equipment including cranes, cabins, corrugated metal pipes, culvert rings and tractors, among others, were seen.
(NAN)