Lagbaja returns — to perform alongside Simi

Bisade Ologunde, Afrobeats musician popularly known as Lagbaja, has returned to the news after years of laying low.

This time, he will be performing alongside Simisola Ogunleye at the Johnnie, Jazz & Whisky concert.

The event which will take place on Saturday will feature live performances from the ‘Konko Below’ and ‘Joromi’ singers.

Guests will be treated to various side attractions as they share in the delight of Johnnie Walker Black Label’s distinctive flavours – fruity, tropical, creamy & smoky.

Taking place at Central Park Arena in Abuja, the Johnnie, Jazz & Whisky concert will see Lagbaja give his first performance in years.

With a career almost three decades long, Lagbaga has become an icon in Nigerian music history.

Respected for his musical prowess, the singer is more recognisable for his masks which he says is an “icon of man’s facelessness”.

Simi recently released the extended version of her critically acclaimed album, ‘Simisola’.

The deluxe version carries two new remixes on top of 14 original tracks.

‘Original Baby’ remix featuring 2baba and ‘Smile For Me’ remix featuring  Sigag Lauren. - Thecablestyle

2017 : 970,000 People Died of AIDS

Fifteen thousands people from over 100 countries have gathered in Amsterdam, Netherlands for the largest AIDS Conference which would hold from 23rd to 27th of July.

Welcoming delegates across the world at the opening ceremony on Monday evening, the Minister of Foreign Trade in Netherlands, Sigriel Kaag noted that in 2017, 970,000 people passed away of AIDS adding that 27 million people are currently living with AIDS.

The Minister lamented that out of the 27 million, only 22 million of the people have access to therapy and adequate health care noting that over 30 per cent new infections are recorded yearly.

She stated that despite the fact that the infection have been in existence for over 30 years, experts and scientists have not been able to come about the root cause that causes the virus to grow.

Kaag called on governments of nations to look into ways of reducing the stigma faced by people affected with HIV/AIDS and ensure that their rights are protected.

She stated that the government of Netherlands is committing $10 million to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) which is a new way people can protect themselves from HIV adding that the funds would be meant for communities that have been unreached for so long.

In her address, the President of the International AIDS Society, Linda-Gail Bekker said the conference would look at the latest science innovation in HID treatment, cure and the latest underground strategies towards prevention.

She added that the conference would have 3,000 abstracts over 150 sessions in the period of four days. - The Nation

Osun 2018 : Court adjourns ruling on Senator Ademola Adeleke’s certificate scandal

The Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has adjourned till tomorrow, Thursday, the ruling on interlocutory order seeking to nullify the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship flag bearer.

This bordered on his alleged certificate scandal relating to his secondary school result.

Two members of PDP in the State had asked the court, among other things, to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting the name of Senator Adeleke as the party’s candidate in the September 22 governorship election.

After listening to the submission of counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Olufemi Ayandokun, the presiding judge, Justice David Oladimeji stated that he had to study the bulk processes filed by the applicants to be able to give ruling on the matter.

DAILY POST reports that following the primary election of the party held on Saturday, in which Adeleke was declared winner with 1569 votes, against his closest rival, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, who polled a total of 1562, some members of the party have rejected the outcome of the election, citing some irregularities.

Hundreds of the aggrieved members had on Monday blocked the Osogbo-Ikirun road, demanding for the cancellation of the exercise.

They accused the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus of complicity. - Daily Post

How SARS officers withdrew N20, 000 from my bank account – DELSU student

A final year student of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Johnson Oke, has giving details of how officers of the Nigerian Police attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) allegedly withdrew N20, 000 from his account to secure his release.

Narrating his ordeal to DAILY POST in Abraka, the victim, a final year student of Geology department, said “I was on my way from Site Three of the university and was going home around Bembo Area, Abraka, when the officers, numbering three stopped me and requested for my identity card.

“I showed them my DELSU Identity Card and they identified themselves as well; one of them goes by the name Hassan but I can’t remember the other name.

“Afterwards, they requested for my mobile phone, which I gave to them. One of them started scrolling and saw a white lady in my phone before concluding that I am a “Yahoo Boy”.

“Before I could explain myself, he seized me by the trouser and dragged me into their red vehicle parked close by. They said that they were taking me to Asaba, that I should call my master, the person teaching me the Yahoo job but I told them that I am not a “Yahoo Boy.

“After I declined being an Internet Fraudster (Yahoo Boy), they said they were taking me to Abraka Police Division since I was proving stubborn and that after they are through with catching other “Yahoo Boys”, they would take us to station.

“While on motion, they sighted another person buying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at Fejikev Filling Station close to the police station and was operating his mobile phone, before diverting into the station. One of them went to quiz the person, while the other two started negotiating prize with me to secure my release.

“Initially, they requested for N100, 000 but I lamented that I don’t have such money and instantly, the one in possession of my phone searched further and found my United Bank for Africa (UBA) bank application and requested that I provide my secret pin to the application but I declined, telling them that I was innocent, but the other pointed a gun at my head with strict warning that if I failed to cooperate with them, they will kill me and say I was an armed robber; fear gripped me because this is the first time a gun would be pointed at me since I was born.

“I gave them my secret pin, they checked my account balance and withdrew N20, 000 out of N21, 000 in it. They actually transferred the money to another account. They were not satisfied yet; so, as I was about to leave as they have released me, they searched me further and saw a Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and requested I provide the password but I refused.”

In a swift reaction, the police spokesman in the state, DSP Andrew Aniamaka said: “the reports we have is that the student is involved in Yahoo business, we are investigating the matter”. - Daily Post

Jungle : Nigeria may not have stable power in next 5 years – Electricity distributors

Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, has said that Nigeria may not have stable power supply in the next five years except the challenges confronting the sector were addressed.

Mr Sunday Oduntan, the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy of ANED disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to Oduntan, there are challenges inhibiting power sector efficiency and they include liquidity gap of N1.3 trillion, lack of improved generation due to mismatched electricity pricing, lack of much needed investment in transmission and distribution network and rising energy theft among others.

“Except these challenges are addressed, we may not have stable power supply in the next five years,’’ he said.

Oduntan said that the illiquidity in the sector must be prioritised because the sector could not afford to collapse.

“If the power sector collapses, many banks will collapse because in 2013 during privatisation, only one Distribution Company obtained foreign loan, others took loans from local banks in dollars.

“Privatisation was based on 30 per cent equity and 70 percent loan.

“The model was borrowed from New Delhi, India and it is working as we speak. If it is successful in India, why is it not working in Nigeria,’’ he added.

Oduntan decried the prevalent non-reflective tariff and called on the government to prevail on the military, Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to pay for energy consumed. - Daily Post

NSE proffers solution to Fulani herdsmen killings

The Nigerian Society of Engineers ( NSE) has called on governments at all levels to invest in the building of relevant multipurpose water infrastructures to check and prevent herdsmen forceful migration to areas of more favorable climate and explorable arable land.

The body explained that this is the major part of the solution to herdsmen killings in some parts of the country.

Rather than acquiring lands and spending billions of naira building ranches, the NSE said it is imperative for the federal government to recognize the fact that lack of access to water is the primary driver of migration in Nigeria.

Delivering the 2018 Ife Akintunde Annual Engineering Lecture at the Jogor Event Centre, Ibadan on Tuesday, the President, Nigeria Committee on Large Dams, Engr. Dr. Johnson Adewumi said rural urban drift can be curtailed through implementation of multipurpose water infrastructures in the country to check conflicts and bloodshed  in the land .

With massive investment in manpower and building of multipurpose water infrastructure from small, medium and large dams across the country, the engineers promised that the problem of electricity in Nigeria will be a thing of the past.

According to the lecturer, Nigeria has abundant potentials to become the power house of the African continent ” but we must get our priorities right “.

The maiden annual lecture was organised by Oluyole branch of the Nigeria Society of Engineers in honour of the the former Vice President, World Federation of Engineers, and former National President (NSE),  Engr. Ifedayo Akintunde.

The topic of the lecture is Building Multipurpose Water Infrastructure from Small, Medium and Large Dams in Oyo state:  Roles of Academics, Industrialists, and the Government”

Adewumi , while lamenting  the failure of the government t to fully utilize the abundant water resources in the country, noted that Nigeria benefits more than its neighbors from water resources of River Niger and Benue , and charged the  government to begin to look inward to addressing the infrastructure needs of the country.

For instance, he said South West region has good potential of surface water rate, but water use rate is lower when compared with the North.

He added that South West is deficient in water infrastructures to meet social, agricultural and industrial needs.

“Asejire which was built in 1972 with the capacity of 32.9m3 can generate about 5.8million KWHR per year. This is sufficient to run the water dam treatment works and generate income for Oyo state government. As it is today Asejire has no record of effective multipurpose use,” he stated.

Engr. Adewumi therefore called on the Oyo state government to upgrade Asejire Dam to serve multipurpose uses such as hydro power and irrigation, adding that the dam is currently under-utilized.

Earlier , the Chairman, NSE , Oluyole branch , Engr. Ademola Agoro explained that the maiden annual was intended to chart a road map to addressing water problems and unlocking  the potentials of building multipurpose water infrastructure in the state, and Nigerian . - The Nation

Labour ministry organised N88m empowerment exercise for ‘ghosts’

The federal ministry of labour and employment organised an N88 million empowerment exercise for individuals that could not be traced.

According to the 2016 report from the auditor-general of the federation obtained by TheCable, the supposed empowerment exercise were constituency projects for youths in Oyo and Ondo.

“Two (2) payment vouchers with amounts totalling N88,110,000.00 (Eighty-eight million, one hundred and ten thousand naira) were raised and paid to 2 (two) contractors for constituency projects executed in Oyo and Ondo states,” the report read.

“The payments were for empowerment and training of youths on livestock production and provision of starter packs in Ondo State and empowerment and training of youths on fish production and provision of starter packs in Oyo state.

“However, the following anomalies were noted:

“There was no verifiable proof like delivery note and store receipt voucher (SRV) to confirm that the starter packs were actually procured and delivered.

“The identity or names and signatures of the beneficiaries of the projects were not disclosed or produced.

“In view of the doubts surrounding these payments, I was unable to certify the genuineness or legitimacy of these payments. Therefore, the ministry was requested to forward all supporting documents to my office for verification, otherwise the sum of N88,110,000.00 (Eighty-eight million, one hundred and ten thousand naira) should be recovered. No response was received.

“Accordingly, the permanent secretary is required to confirm the status of these projects.”

Paid vouchers without beneficiaries

It was reported that the ministry paid N34.9 million on vouchers that did not carry the details of the beneficiaries, locations, account numbers or signatures.

“Fourteen (14) paid vouchers with amounts totalling N34,986,675.00 (Thirty-four million, nine hundred and eighty-six thousand, six hundred and seventy-five naira) were devoid of relevant details such as names of beneficiaries, location or venue, account numbers of beneficiaries, signatures of participants etc., contrary to the provision of Financial Regulation 603 which stipulates that all vouchers shall contain full particulars of each service such as dates, numbers, quantities, distances and rates, so as to enable them to be checked without reference to any other documents and will invariably be supported by relevant documents such as local purchase orders, invoices, special letters of authority, time sheets etc.

“The permanent secretary should provide these details, otherwise recover the sum of N34,986,675.00 (Thirty-four million, nine hundred and eighty-six thousand, six hundred and seventy-five naira) from the payees and forward evidence of recovery for verification.”

Anthony Ayine, the auditor-general of the federation, required by Section 85 (5) of the constitution to submit the report on the audit of the accountant-general’s financial statements to the national assembly within 90 days of receipt of the statements from the accountant-general.

In the executive summary, Ayine wrote: “The financial statements of the federal government for the year ended 31st December 2016 were first submitted to me by the Accountant-General of the Federation on 30th June 2017.

“Following my preliminary observations, the statements were significantly amended and resubmitted on 29th September 2017.

“Further amendments to the financial statements led to another re-submission on 29th December 2017 and 16th January 2018 before the final version was eventually submitted on 20th March 2018.” - TheCable