Nigeria doesn’t need a strong leader who has power but lacks competence - Jega

Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says strong leadership is not a prerequisite for competence.

He said the country does not need a leader who has power but lacks the capacity to lead.

Jega said this on Monday while speaking at 58th conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja.

The immediate past INEC chairman said: “What we require most are the competence and capacity of leaders to take decisions and be assertive in ensuring that those decisions are actually implemented.

“So, we have to be very careful in thinking that a strong leader can really help.

“Just like a weak leader can wreck an institution, a strong leader, who has just that power and courage, but lacks the capacity, ability and competence to lead, can also wreck strong institutions.

“Competence of leadership is a very important variable in bringing about the stable political transition, good governance and deepening of democracy.”

The professor said electoral integrity is key to stable political transition.

“From my experience, I am convinced that electoral integrity is key to stable political transition and to ensuring that there is a framework for good governance and societal development,” Jega said.

“Electoral integrity is not just about the integrity of the election management body. It is also the integrity with which the key stakeholders engage with the electoral process.

“We must emphasise professionalism, impartiality and non-partisanship. This is because quite too often, you have good and strong institutions, but once partisanship is introduced and partiality become the norm, as many public institutions in this country, then those institutions would not be able to deliver effectively on their mandates.” - TheCable

Mum threatens to sue LASPOTECH over son’s assault

Mother of a student of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) allegedly assaulted by the school’s security men on July 11 for wearing earrings has threatened to go to court.

Ms Folake Sokoya said she was injured when she went to enquire why her son, Boluwatife Olowu, was beaten up.

She described as false LASPOTECH’s claim that she attacked its security men.

In a statement, she said she had video and photographs to prove her case.

Boluwatife is a National Diploma II student in the Hospitality Management Technology Department.

The statement reads: “Reading through the purported press release, I find it misleading and false as the narrative of the Public Relations officer (PRO) does not depict the true account of what happened that day.

“It may interest the general public to know that there are pictorial and video evidences on the true account of what transpired between both parties that fateful day.

“The pictures of how I was battered with my son are enough evidence that their publication is false and misleading. My son and I were not in an accident but were battered mercilessly by LASPOTECH guards. I have resorted to seeking legal redress in quest for justice and my lawyer has been consulted and briefed on the matter.”

In a petition, Sokoya said she lost some valuables to the attack.

She said her son’s $300; stud earring, N70,000 earrings, a gold chain and pendant worth $800, a swatch wristwatch ($250) were lost. She claimed that her two Samsung J3 prime phones worth N40,000 each got damaged.

The school denied the allegations in an earlier statement by its Deputy Registrar (Information and Public Relations) Olanrewaju Kuye.

It described Ms Sokoya as the aggressor, alleging that she attacked its security men when she came to the school over the seizure of her son’s earrings. - The Nation

FG approves N2 billion for establishment of Nigerian Army University

The Federal Government has approved N2 billion for the establishment of Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State.

Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Abdullahi Baffa, made this disclosure when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, visited the agency in Abuja on Monday.

Baffa said approval for the funds was given by the Federal Executive Council, noting that the establishment of a university for the military was overdue.

“The FEC has approved N2bn for the establishment of the Nigerian Army university in Biu, Borno State. I also want to congratulate the Chief of Army Staff and the entire Nigerian Army in the tremendous successes that are being recorded in the fight against insurgency, militancy, rustling, brigandage and in the fight to keep Nigeria one.

“Congratulations for such huge successes that are being recorded and we will continue to see them record more success in their quest to keep us safe, to keep us being one,” the TETFUND boss said.

Buratai said the university would be tailored to meet the needs of the military and also develop the science and technology base of the nation. - DAILY POST

57 homosexuals arrested in Lagos

Lagos State Police Command on Monday said it has arrested 57 persons suspected to be involved in homosexual activities in the Egbeda area of the state.

The Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, confirmed the arrest to newsmen during a news conference.

NAN quoted him as saying that the suspects were picked up on Sunday at 2 a.m. while they were performing gay initiation rites for newly recruited members.

“Intelligence gathered revealed that some youths will be initiated into a Gay/Homos*xual Club between 1 a.m and 2 a.m. at Kelly Ann Hotel/Events Centre, located at No. 3-7, Adenrele St., Egbeda, an action contrary to Section 1 (1) of Same S*x Marriage, Act 2014.

“Consequent upon this, some operatives from the Shasha and Idimu Police stations stormed the venue and met no less than 80 young men.

“They were taking different types of drinks, including banned substances such as Tramadol, and Shisha laced with substances suspected to be marijuana.

“As soon as they sighted the Police, they ran into different directions, but the team arrested 57 of them,” he said.

The CP said that investigation into the case was ongoing and that the suspects would be charged to court soon.

However, some of the suspects who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria on the sidelines of the press conference denied the allegations.

They said that they were at the hotel to attend wedding and birthday parties.

One of the suspects, James Obialu, said that he was a dancer and had come to the party to perform before he was arrested.

“I’m not gay, I’m a dancer and I was there to perform before I was arrested. I’m a responsible citizen and I work at the Alimosho General Hospital as a counsellor for those living with HIV,” he said.

Another suspect, Samuel Olarotimi, 22, a graduate of Mass Communication from the Yaba College of Technology, said that there were other females in the hotel who were not arrested.

“I was there for a birthday party which started late. About eight ladies were at the bar with us, while some other ladies were dressing up in their rooms.

“I don’t know why the Police refused to arrest the females but brought us here as alleged homosexuals,” he said.

One of them, Bob China, said that he accompanied his friend, a caterer, to deliver food at the party but was arrested while waiting outside the hotel. - Daily Post

National Assembly joint committee okays N143bn for 2019 elections

A National Assembly joint committee has okayed the N143 billion component of the N189 billion requested by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

Rising from a meeting at the National Assembly complex in Abuja Monday, the lawmakers said they chose to adopt the N143 billion as presented to the federal legislature by President Muhammadu Buhari in July.

Citing funding constraint, the President had, in his letter to the legislature, asked the lawmakers to first consider the N143 and wait for the remaining N45 billion to be co-opted into the 2019 national budget.

Going by the electoral commission’s schedule for the 2019 elections, the N143 billion ought to have hit INEC’s coffers by August 15, to meet up with a minimum of 180 days to the first round of election (February 16, 2019).

The INEC had, during previous deliberations, pleaded with the joint committee to process the entire N189 billion at once, citing the usual delay in the passage of the annual national budget.

But the lawmakers had countered that doing so would overshoot the 2018 budget template, stating however, that the executive could as well present the N45 billion through supplementary budget as soon as possible.

Speaking after a closed door session that lasted about 40 minutes, the chairman of the panel, Senator Suleiman Nazif, called on the INEC to prioritise its expenditure schedule on the N143 billion.

Nazif said, “The joint committee sat and has come up with the resolution to adopt the N143 billion presented by Mr. President.

“It is also the wish of this committee that INEC present their budget of N143 billion as requested by Mr. President.

“Therefore, INEC has an opportunity to prioritise its expenditure on the N143 billion and this committee is ready to receive them tomorrow.

“This committee will be reconvening tomorrow (today) by 1pm so that we can consider the presentation by INEC”. - The Nation

APC: PDP placed Nigeria’s economy on life support

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the government of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) placed the country’s economy on life support.

On Saturday, Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, said Nigeria’s economy is on life support owing to a rising debt profile.

Thereafter, PDP challenged the APC to a debate on good governance.

But in a statement on Monday, Yekini Nabena, acting spokesman of the APC, said PDP’s request is laughable.

“We view this request by the PDP as another laughable example of the PDP’s selective amnesia on the 16 years of locust it wrecked on Nigeria during its defunct rule,” the statement read.

“Perhaps the PDP needs to be reminded of the reason why Nigerians voted it out unanimously in 2015 to give way to a progressive administration which is rebuilding the country in all facets from the foundation.

“A party synonymous with impunity, institutionalised corruption, diversion of counter-insurgency votes to political cronies and funding of political activities, illegal purchase of bullet-proof SUVs, limousines and private jet shindigs for ministers at public expense; non-remittance of $20 billion oil revenue; among other atrocities too numerous to mention, cannot be in a position to debate on good governance

“A party whose administration placed the economy on life support through its voodoo economics and fiscal recklessness cannot be in a position to debate on good governance.

“The PDP in its desperation to position itself as the 2019 general election approaches cannot hoodwink Nigerians on who they truly are.”- TheCable 

PL news : Liverpool appoint specialist throw-in coach

Premier League club Liverpool have appointed Thomas Gronnemark as their specialist throw-in coach as Jurgen Klopp looks to improve every aspect of his team, according to a report on ESPN.

Gronnemark holds the world record for the longest ever throw-in when he threw a football 51.33 metres in 2010.

The 42-year-old is familiar with the players after having worked with them during pre-season but Klopp has made his move to Merseyside permanent as he looks for ways for his side to improve.

Klopp wants his team to retain possession of the ball as much as possible and that includes throw-ins.

Liverpool has also created a bit of history with this appointment as they become the first Premier League club ever to appoint a throw-in coach.

Young full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are likely to have sessions with the Dane in an attempt to boost their throw-ins. Losing possession from a throw-in could have a disastrous outcome as teams around the world now look for quick turnovers as their means of attacking and Klopp is eager to avoid that.- Read Sport

African countries’ underdevelopment linked to low industrial capacity

The Commonwealth Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa (CAPA) has linked the continent’s underdevelopment to low industrial capacity.

The association said the continent was consuming a lot of goods and services manufactured in foreign countries which had little value to Africa’s natural resources.

CAPA’s Secretary General, Olubunmi Owoso, said this at a briefing in Abuja ahead of the organisation’s conference which starts in Abuja today.

The conference has: “Enhancing technical capacity and partnerships for industrial and sustainable economic development in Africa” as its theme.

He said: “The reason why African countries are underdeveloped is because our industrial capacity is slow, we are consuming a lot of goods and services manufactured in foreign countries and we have little value to our natural resources.”

He urged the governments of African countries to invest more in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

“African countries are doing much better than before. They can do a lot much better. We have the issue of under funding in many of our TVET institutions, we have the issue of governance of TVET in many member countries and we have the issue of low perception of TVET in many of our member countries.

“There is a lot government can do to raise TVET to the centre stage, to make it more attractive, to invest more in infrastructure development such that technical skills can improve in our economy,” he added.

CAPA is a Pan-African organization that was established following a resolution of the 7th Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers that was held in Accra, Ghana in March 1977.

The organisation has the mandate to support professional and skills development and to promote policy advocacy in favour of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). - The Nation 

PL news : Cahill prepared to stay with Chelsea

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has no intention to leave the club this summer and will fight for his place under Maurizio Sarri, according to claims from the Telegraph.

England international Cahill was regularly used by Antonio Conte during his two-year tenure at Chelsea but has since been ignored by Sarri, who has favoured a defensive partnership of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger.
This has prompted speculation surrounding Cahill’s future at Chelsea. The likes of Galatasaray have been linked in recent times but the experienced centre-back appears to be intent on winning his place back with the Blues.

The 32-year-old remains Chelsea’s club captain and is one of the Blues’ most experienced players in the first-team squad. However, it seems Sarri does not view Cahill as a part of his plans for the future in West London.

Cahill is currently far down the pecking order under Sarri but is keen to stay for the time being. It’s claimed by the Telegraph, though, that he will reassess his options when the January transfer window arrives. - Read Sport

Abiri, journalist detained for two years, seeks N200m compensation from FG

Jones Abiri, a Bayelsa-based journalist, has asked the Abuja federal high court to compel the federal government to pay him N200 million as compensation for spending two years in detention.

In July 2016, Abiri, publisher of Weekly Source Newspaper, was arrested by Department of State Services (DSS) and accused of being the the leader of the joint revolutionary council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, a separatist group.

The journalist was also accused of threatening oil companies and demanding money from them.

He was arraigned for the first time after two years in July following public outcry. Abiri was granted bail in August.

In the application already filed at the court by his lawyers led by Femi Falana, Abiri said the DSS violated his rights and tortured him.

The journalist argued that his prolonged detention without a trial violates his dignity of person and freedom of association.

The application could not be heard when it was called on Monday as G. O. Agbadua, counsel to DSS, had not filed an affidavit, replying to the motion brought against his organisation.

Agbadua told the court that he would need more time to respond to the motion.

The matter was then adjourned till September 3. - TheCable

Transfer news : Bayern will not make Martial move

Bayern Munich will not be looking to replace winger Kingsley Coman with Manchester United’s Anthony Martial.

Coman was injured in Bayern’s opening Bundesliga match on the season on Friday night, a 3-1 win over Hoffenheim.
According to GOAL, Bayern will not be signing a short-term replacement for the forward between now and Friday’s transfer deadline.

Coman is expected to be out for three months, which comes as a massive blow to Bayern.
Anthony Martial has previously been linked with a switch to Germany, but the report claims that he will not be coming in during the current transfer window.

The 22-year-old, Coman, has made almost 100 appearances for Bayern in all competitions and scored 16 goals.
The French international has previously played for PSG in France and Juventus in Italy.
Martial has struggled for game-time with Jose Mourinho and is thought to be considering his long-term future in England. - Read Sport

Shocking !! I have over 55 sex styles to unleash on women – Popular prophet declares

The Founder and Leader of the Heaven’s Gate Ministries, Nicholas Osei, popularly known as Prophet Kumchacha, has revealed that he has mastered over 55 sex styles to satisfy women.

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Hitz Fm, the pastor noted that God had blessed him with an exceptional strength that makes satisfying any woman he meets in bed very easy.

Kumchacha was speaking on the need for Christian men and women to be romantic in bed.

He further stated that he has fifty-five different kinds of sex styles which he tries out on ladies whenever he engages in the act.

According to him, “Every individual has a style he or she prefers during sex. For me, I have fifty-five sex styles and when I meet you in bed, I will unleash them to satisfy you.”

He said most Pastors and Christians are not romantic but advised that during sexual intercourse, they release the beast in them. - Daily Post

2019: Shun idea of Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba presidency – Obi of Onitsha tells Nigerians

The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe has said that it was high time Nigerians shunned the idea of Igbo, Yoruba, or Hausa Presidency, and root for a President that would treat all the regions equally.

According to him, restructuring rather than Igbo Presidency in 2023 should be the concern of the people.

He stressed that there was a need for the country to be restructured in a way that would allow the different regions to thrive independently.

The monarch spoke with journalists, weekend, after paying a courtesy visit to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State.

Achebe said he was in Jos for the Anambra Cultural Day held on Saturday, which was attended by all the indigenes of the South-East.

When asked if he believed in Igbo Presidency in 2023, he said regional Presidency was defective and laced with crises.

Achebe said, “I think you are going into politics now; it is a shame that people are talking about Igbo Presidency, Yoruba Presidency and Hausa Presidency. Nigeria should have a President who will attend to the needs of all Nigerians. That is the important thing. What is important for my people today are basic necessities of life, including employment for our children and health services.

“I don’t believe in regional Presidency, I don’t believe in Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa Presidency. It sounds divisive; we want a President of Nigeria that is elected by all Nigerians to take care of the interest of all Nigerians without showing any bias. That is what we are looking for.

“It is the basic necessities of life that matters; it doesn’t matter whether it is provided by Igbo President or Hausa President. There should be a President that should be a President for all Nigerians and not the President for one section or the other. Igbo Presidency? It has to be President for the whole of Nigeria.”

According to him, Nigeria should be restructured in line with the regional system of government used by the British colonial administration before the country’s attainment of independence in 1960.

He said, “Yes, I think that most Nigerians also believe in restructuring because if the constitution is restructured, we will be going back to our independence constitution when we had the regions which were autonomous and yet, we also had a Federal Government in place.

“But the regions can now develop at their own pace; they will be happier and more united. But there is no one solution to the problems in Nigeria. It is an institutional solution; there are other problems in Nigeria. If the regions can have their own priority, then they will do the things to solve the problems. It is not one-size-fits-all solution.” - Daily Post

Nigerians And The Love For Their Oppressors

It is a pity that in this modern age, Nigerians are still very much love with their Oppressors. 

At every opportunity the oppressors will oppress Nigerians and their families all the time and everywhere.  

This is what we see everyday on the internet and off internet, very pathetic. Borrowing one of Fela's popular hits, suffering and smiling, despite that many of these Nigerians are feeling this slogan in their daily life activities they still slug it out on the net and off net to defend their oppressors. It is a very common thing in many places... place of work, place of worship, political sojourn. 

The former president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings  describes Nigerians as those who are still in love with their oppressors when he hosted Sowore, the presidential aspirant for AAC in Ghana. Rawling's verdict on Nigerians vis-A-vis their oppressors should not come as a surprise to anyone if you really understand  Nigerians and the peculiarities of the country.... ethnic-ism, religion, nepotism, tribalism, materialism and so on. The biggest card they play is materialism when it comes to oppression. Ours is a country where we worship wealth without consideration for the source of the wealth.

Nigerians encourage oppression in all forms when it comes to wealth acquisition. As a result majority of rich people take advantage of this by enslaving and brain washing Nigerians including many educated ones.

I will keep my discussion on oppression to politics and political office holders because the issue here centred on electorates and political office seekers. The point Rawlings painted during his meeting with Sowore was that Nigerian voters still love to vote for those political holders that have denied them all the basic things of life.

And these set of electorates will be on internet defending these political criminals with all their strength and mobile data whereas the children of those they are defending have access to the best education and healthcare money can buy. Though very few of these e-rats and internet thugs are pay very little money for feeding and data at the expense of having basic amenities of life. The off-line electorate thugs too are ready available across the land.

Nigeria is a crazy place where people will do away with their conscience when offer money to vote even the educated ones and some with reasonable financial resources are not left out. But in 2015 the uncommon thing happened during the general presidential election that brought Buhari to power. The few people I spoke to in Lagos made me realized that they did not collect a penny for voting for Buhari  even they reject out-rightly the money offered by Jonathan's team. 

Before the coming of Buhari , all political office holders are oppressors of the electorates at various levels of government from 1999- 2015. They failed to provide the basic things of life for Nigerians rather they all sent their kids abroad for the best education and for any medical issues and sometimes to Dubai for party with tax payers money. Upon all these the e-rats and internet thugs failed to condemn and kick against this abuse of office, instead they go berserk on the net writing all sorts of congratulation messages on their oppressors' time line whenever the press or their oppressors show stuffs like graduation photo of their children in foreign land even when their schools are still closed because of ASUU strike and their parents and families are not getting the needed medical attention in government hospitals. In addition these fools are not having light and portable drinking water at home. 

The Nigerian electorates might be the most docile people in the world I have ever seen.

Now that Mr integrity in person of Buhari has joined the league of Nigerian oppressors because he too has failed to deliver , it is crystal clear that both APC and PDP are parties of highly rated oppressors in the country. 

It is very sickening to believe that APC and PDP oppressors will turn the county around for good when none of their children or immediate families are attending public schools and public hospitals or using public transports. These two parties will continue to provide poor and sub-standard services in areas of basic things of life to the electorates because they and their families are not using these service except for the areas where they live. 

Looting and stealing still remain the order of the day at the expense of quality service.

The alternative sources for the electorates on education and healthcare delivery are private service providers which are mostly below standard and where superb are very expensive for common man and majority of the workers.

This is the time for alternative parties and INEC to invest their time and resources to educate the electorates and Nigerians on the danger of vote buying and important of voting on the election day. 

Besides, other serious parties and mega parties need to engage in aggressive campaign and enlightenment on why Nigerians should vote them instead of PDP AND APC. 

Furthermore, the time has come for the young, serious minded and vibrant candidates in other parties to come together and form alliance and take advantage of huge number of young electorate's population in the country. Somebody like Sowore and his African Action Congress should join hands with other young aspirants and present a formidable person so that Nigerian electorates can have a genuine alternative platform ahead of 2019.

Alas !!! In 2019 if PDP or APC manage to smuggle themselves back to power Nigerians are in for another four years of oppression and that will be political suicide for the OPPRESSED. - Irunmole-nla 

NBA blames institutional failure for insecurity

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abubakar Mahmoud have urged politicians to play by the rules as the nation prepares for the next general elections.

While Onnghen urged  politicians to ýconduct themselves lawfully so as not to endanger the peace and stability of the country, Mahmoud appealed to political actors, including those holding the reins of power at all levels, to respect and remain faithful to the Constitution.

They spoke at the opening ceremony of NBA’s 2018 national conference, with the theme: “Transition, transformation and sustainable institutions.”

Onnghen stressed the need for the continued protection of the independence of the Judiciary to enable it function effectively to safeguard the nation’s democracy.

The CJN noted that the Judiciary would be bold “to play its role without fear or favour” if its independence was guaranteed.

Mahmoud blamed the rising cases of insecurity on the failure of state institutions.

The NBA President, who said he recently led a team to assess the security situation in Zamfara State, said: “it appears to us that at the heart of these conflicts is a weakened state system.

“There appears to be systemic collapse of institutions of governance both at the local and state levels.

“In many parts of the state, as we have seen in other places, there is clear evidence of failure of the justice system.

“In Zamfara State many ordinary people complained to us about how the police, the court systems and traditional institutions have become avenues of extortion and oppression, and how the authority of bandits and other non-state actors is supplanting that of state agents.

“At our town hall meeting in Gusau many speakers narrated stories of failure of formal systems of dispute resolution.

“Many spoke openly of the persistent absence of the governor from the state and his failure to provide effective leadership on the ground,”he said.

Mahmoud also blamed the nation’s inability to overcome its economic and developmental challenges on the absence of viable state institutions.

He said: “The NBA remains deeply concerned that our transformative journey to a stable prosperous country remains hampered by the absence of strong accountable and sustainable institutions.

*We are convinced that our huge potentials either as a country or as a continent, cannot not be unleashed until we overcome the challenge of institution building.

*Rule of law and democracy can only be guaranteed or anchored on strong institutions built on clear, fair and transparent processes with predictable outcomes.” he said.

Mahmoud commended the government for its prompt intervention during the last invasion of the National Assembly by security personnel.

He added: “We call on all security agencies to remain professional in their roles and also uphold the constitution whilst remaining loyal to constituted civil authority.

“The Nigerian Bar Association will remain vigilant in the defense of the constitution and the rule of law,” he said.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to address the conference today “to offer some insights into Ghana’s promising transformative strides and perhaps some lessons, even if tentative for us here in Nigeria.”

TheNBA President said Ghana, currently ranked above Nigeria, has made great strides from which should learn.

Mahmoud noted that: “For instance Ghana remains ahead of Nigeria on ease of doing business.  Ghana’s global ranking out of 190 Countries Ranked by the World Bank in Ease of Doing Business, Starting a Business and Getting Electricity is 120, 110 and 136 respectively compared to Nigeria’s rankings of 145, 130 and 172 respectively.

“In the field of administration of justice, Ghana has made encouraging progress in the reform of its justice system, in creating functional and more efficient commercial courts, in fighting corruption in the judiciary and generally improving the justice sector.

“Notably, only in July President Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed four new justices to the Supreme Court of Ghana among them, a senior private practitioner and an academic in a bold move to and strengthen and bring diversity to the Ghanaian Supreme Court.” - The Nation