Author

Folarin Kehinde

Africa & WorldHeadlines

Just In: VP Ruto wins Kenya’s Presidential Election

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The incumbent Vice President of Kenya, William Ruto, has been declared the winner of the just concluded presidential election in the East African country.

Mr Ruto polled 7,176,141 votes in last Tuesday’s election representing 50.07 per cent of the total votes cast and he achieved the minimum 25 per cent of votes in 39 counties.

Announcing Mr Ruto as President-Elect, Wafula Chebukati, chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), said, “in accordance with the Constitution and the law, chairperson of IEBC hereby declare that Ruto William Samoei has been duly elected as the President of the Republic of Kenya under the provision of Article 138 of the Constitution of the Presidential election held on August 9, 2022.”

Mr Ruto defeated his main challenger Raila Odinga who was endorsed by president Uhuru Kenyatta and as at this morning was polling 48 percent of the votes.

Details Later…

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
BusinessHeadlines

Aero Contractors Set To Resume Operations, Purchases Five New Aircrafts

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Aero contractors have now bought 5 new aircrafts in what looks like preparations to resume passenger operations, after the suspension of all its passenger flights on 20th July due to difficult operating environment.

The past few months were very challenging for the company, due to the high cost of maintenance, fuel, inflation and forex scarcity resulting in high foreign exchange rates, which are amongst the major components of airline operations.

However, a ray of hope has come for the airline company in the form of partnership between Hon. Mohammed Abubakar, owner of Umza and Aero contractors.

The new aircraft, which were purchased by Hon. Mohammed Abubakar, owner of Umza Farms, were part of the new partnership deal between his company, UmzaExpress and Aero Contractors, which would bring the airline back to operations.

Speaking at the Airport on the reason for venturing into aviation sector, Hon. Abubakar said: “We are diversifying to aviation despite the troubling situation because some people have to take the risk. So, we are taking the risk.

“This is not about benefits but what we can bring to the country. The issue of flight is no more a secret, the difficulties are there and everybody knows what is going on. For you to leave point A to B, sometimes, it takes you throughout the day for you to do that. Some people have to come to the sector to rescue the sector and to at least bring something to the people.”

On the choice of Q400, he said, “it is because of the prevailing time and issue of fuel and the rest, I think it is the best for now because of the fuel efficiency.”

Also speaking, the managing director of Aero Contractors, Captain Abdullahi Mahmud, said: “as you know, we have suspended our scheduled operations, so this is part of our recovery strategies since most of our aircraft are undergoing maintenance and we want to make sure that when we are coming back as we promised, we come back very strong.”

Explaining the partnership deal, he said, “it is a strategic business alliance that we have with the owner of the aircraft whereby they brought the aircraft and it is like a sharing formula. If you look at the aircraft, it is not like a wet lease because it is a Nigerian registered aircraft, so it is our crew that are going to operate it. Our pilots, cabin crew are going to operate it. We have finished signing the agreement with them.

“We are getting prepared to resume operation as soon as possible. I don’t want to give exact date that we are resuming but we are going to resume as soon as possible. So, we are working day in day out because we don’t want to rush coming back. We have taken time, taken a decision and you know when you are pressing a reset button, you want to make sure that you clean up the mess and once you are coming back, you are back well rather than resume in the same situation you were before and you start dragging and people start seeing delays and cancellations. So, we want to make flights safer to make our partners happy.”

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Africa & WorldHeadlines

Kenya Elections: Results To Be Announced Soon

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Kenyans are moving closer to learning the outcome of their closely-fought presidential elections after days of anxious waiting.

Kenyans voted on Tuesday last week in six elections, choosing a new President as well as senators, governors, lawmakers, women representatives and some 1,500 county officials.

Deputy President William Ruto was leading with slightly more than 51 percent of the vote against 48 per cent for Raila Odinga, based on official results from more than 80 percent of constituencies, according to a tally published by the Daily Nation newspaper.

Ruto, 55, is deputy president but is effectively running as the challenger after outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta threw his support behind his former foe Odinga, the 77-year-old veteran opposition leader making his fifth bid for the top job

Both men had on Sunday appealed for calm as the wait for the final results of the August 9 vote dragged on.

Polling day passed off largely peacefully, but memories of vote-rigging and deadly violence in 2007-08 and 2017 still haunt Kenyans.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is under intense pressure to deliver a clean poll in a country regarded as a beacon of stability in a troubled region.

Results must be issued by Tuesday at the latest, according to Kenya’s constitution.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Afenifere Group Endorses Peter Obi For 2023 Presidency

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Yoruba Socio-Political group, Afenifere Renewal Group, have expressed their support for Peter Obi in the upcoming 2023 general election.

The Afenifere group has been in existence before the independence of Nigeria as it was founded together with the Action Group (AG) political party in 1951 by late Yoruba leader, Pa  Obafemi Awolowo. It was responsible for much of the fight for Nigeria’s independence and constitution.

Over the years, they have pioneered political parties like the Action Group (AG), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and Alliance for Democracy (AD)Even after Awolowo’s death, the group still thrived till this day

A spokesperson of the Afenifere group who is also a member of their 9 man National Caucus Committee stated their groups decision regarding Peter Obi and the 2023 elections in an interview with PlusTv.

He stated that the Afenifere group has always been relevant in the political discourse of Nigeria with an ability to see trouble from afar. When Buhari was campaigning in 2015, they warned that he was not going now to do anything for Nigerians since he had nothing to offer. People did not listen, now look where we find ourselves.

He said that for equity, justice and fairness, the presidency has to be given to a candidate from the south east. According to him, Obasanjo from the South West has had 8 years of presidency, Buhari and Yaradua from the north have enjoyed 11 years (8 and 3 respectively) while Good Luck Jonathan from the South-South has enjoyed 5 years of presidency.

If power is to return to the South, then it is imperative that it is given to an Igbo person.

He expressed his disappointment on how the people who divided the country, brought it to its knees and made it ungovernable through Boko-Haram and other mercenaries are now the preferred candidates for the 2023 elections

According to him, after their groups interrogation and examining of Peter Obi, and looking at the issues at stake for the country namely our Structure, wasteful and woeful governance amongst others, the only person capable of putting this country back on track is HE Peter Obi.  

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

El-Rufai Mocks Igbos, Says 2 million March For Peter Obi in Kaduna Impossible

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Former FCT minister and sitting governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has gone on social media to openly abuse Igbo people and mock a planned 2 million march by supporters of Peter Obi in Kaduna State.

A twitter user whose name is Abdullahi Umar Zarma tweeted “Kaduna Two million march for Peter Obi” various times, ending the tweet with a hashtag #KadunaTwoMillionMarchforPeterObi.

Governor El-Rufai unprovoked, came to quote reply the tweet from Abdullahi. He responded to the tweet saying “In Kaduna? Not Kaduna twitter? /* Laughing emojis */, I hope you get two hundred persons on the streets, including those ‘imports’ that can’t open their shops on Mondays, and come on overnight bus last night!!! I jus’ dey laff, wallahi tallahi!!!.

Social Media users have lashed out at the governor for his lack of decorum and open tribalism towards Igbo people whom he referred to as ‘imports’, ‘overnight bus travellers’.

Popular Activist, Aisha Yesufu said that even shame is ashamed of Governor El-Rufai.

Many people have also reminded the governor to be more concerned about Kaduna state that is current plagued by terrorists and bandits. Kaduna residents are now afraid to ply the Kaduna-Abuja road for fear of being kidnapped.

Others used the opportunity to task politicians to stop putting out statements that is aimed at dividing Nigeria, and work on fostering unity among Nigerians.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

CORRUPTION: Termites Eat Up Documents On N17.158B Expenditure of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) has put the current and past management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) under scrutiny.

The committee said it discovered that the fund’s management failed to produce relevant documents to justify alleged spending of N17.158 billion in 2013.

Some of the documents to back the expenses were said to have been eaten up by termites.

The Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF), in its 2018 audit report – now being considered by the Senate panel chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South) – had queried the agency over the disbursed sums without appropriate supporting documents.

In his report, the AuGF said the N17.158 billion represented the total sum of money, transferred by the agency from its Skye and First Bank accounts, into various untraceable accounts belonging to individuals and companies between January and December 2013.

The OAuGF had, in its 2018 audit report, raised 50 different queries bordering on alleged misappropriation of funds against the agency.

The AuGF’s query reads: “Management of NSITF, as shown in statements of account number 1750011691 with Skye Bank Plc, for the period 1st January, 2013 to 20th December, 2013, and statements of account number 2001754610 with First Bank Plc for the period January 7, 2013 to February 28, 2013, transferred amounts totalling N17,158,883,034.69 to some persons and companies from these accounts.

“However, payment vouchers relating to the transfers together with their supporting documents were not provided for audit. Consequently, the purpose(s) for the transfers could not be authenticated.

“These are in violation of Financial Regulation 601 which states that ‘all payment entries in the cashbook/accounts shall be vouched for on one of the prescribed treasury forms. Vouchers shall be made out in favour of the person or persons to whom the money is actually due’.

“Under no circumstances shall a cheque be raised, or cash paid for services for which a voucher has not been raised.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee, Urhoghide, had summoned and interviewed NSITF’s past and present managements on where the said N17.158 billion was transferred to between January and December 2013.

It was learnt that no official of the former management could offer satisfactory explanation on the alleged multiple transfers with necessary documents.

Members of management in charge of the agency in 2013 had told the committee that relevant cash vouchers pertaining to the transactions were left behind by them.

But the current NSITF Managing Director, Dr. Michael Akabogu, was said to have claimed that no such documents were in the organisation’s custody.

“The container the said documents were kept by past management has not only been beaten by rains over the years but even possibly been eaten up by termites.

“As directed by this committee, I told the past management officers on the need for them to help us out in answering this query with necessary documents which have not been made available for us,” Akabogu allegedly said.

The Managing Director of NSITF from 2010 to 2016, Mallam Umar Munir Abubakar, allegedly claimed that he was aware of the query and had no explanations to render since the audit exercise was not carried out during his tenure.

But his successor, Mr. Adebayo Somefun, who was head of the agency from May 2017 to July 2020, allegedly insisted that those in the agency’s account section should be able to trace the documents.

But the current General Manager Finance of the agency allegedly said that the container in question had been under lock and key and abandoned in an isolated area within the premises of the organisation in Abuja.

In his ruling, Urhoghide expressed worry over the development and ordered both members of past and present management of the NSITF to re-appear before the panel with all necessary evidence concerning the transactions unfailingly on Thursday, September 22, 2022.

Source: NigeriaDispatch

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
SportsHeadlines

France Football Snubs Lionel Messi In 2022 Ballon d’Or Shortlist

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

For the first time since 2005, Seven time Balon d’or winner Lionel Messi was not among the 30 players shortlisted in 2022 Ballon d’or.

The Ballon d’Or committee has acknowledged that, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, the current winner Lionel Messi’s first season with Paris Saint-Germain was not good enough to get him on the shortlist for the 2022 award.

Top players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Mohammed Salah and others were included in the 30 men shortlist, so it was a disappointment for fans of the Argentine as he was not included.

Messi’s disappointing first season in Paris ended with him failing to make the final 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or for the first time in 17 years. He finished the season with 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 games, a dismal total by Messi’s high standards.

Fans were outraged by the decision to leave Messi off the shortlist, and France Football, the organisation behind the award, quickly put together a Q&A session to try to put their minds at ease.

“Inevitably, Lionel Messi, with his 15 appearances in a row since 2006, his seven Ballon d’Or victories, his title holder status, weighs very heavily when it comes to the final choice,” the organisers said.

“The Argentinian was part of the discussions to integrate the 30, but the new criteria for the Ballon d’Or were unfavourable to him: disappearance of the criterion of a player’s entire career, and new periodicity, modelled on a season of football and no longer over a calendar year, which does not make it possible to integrate the Copa America of July 11, 2021.

“And then, it must be admitted that his first season in Paris was very disappointing both in terms of the visual impression and the statistics.”

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
BusinessHeadlines

Microsoft To Partner With Nigeria In Digital Identification For Development Project

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

American multinational technology company, Microsoft Corporation says it is willing to partner the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project in the areas of capacity development and data protection.

Microsoft’s Government Affairs Lead, Nonye Ujam disclosed this during a working visit to the Nigeria ID4D project office in Abuja.

A statement by the Manager, Communications of the Nigeria Digital ID4D, Dr. Walter Duru explained that Ujam lauded the ID4D project for its timely intervention in the areas of data protection and digital identity in Nigeria, expressing the readiness of Microsoft to collaborate with the project to succeed.

“We are here to ensure that we support you to make things work very well. We are happy with the achievements Nigeria ID4D has recorded in such a short period.

“Microsoft Corporation has made a lot of investments and interventions in capacity development and cyber security. Beyond supporting governments in the area of capacity development, Microsoft meets their stakeholders where they are, hand-hold and close identified gaps. As people are working hard to upgrade and update themselves, that is how hard the bad players are working to update their skills.

This is why we must take data protection and cyber security very seriously,” the statement read.

Responding, Project Coordinator, ID4D Musa Odole Solomon expressed the readiness of the project to partner with Microsoft.

“We are open to collaborating with as many relevant stakeholders as possible to ensure that the project succeeds. We want the capacity of ecosystem implementing partners enhanced,” he said.

Speaking on data protection in Nigeria, Solomon stressed that: “the project is working very hard to ensure that a principal law is in place. We are constrained by time, considering the fact that elections are close. We are battling to ensure that we balance the urgency with quality. It will not just be done quickly, but also done very well. Stakeholders’ engagement is an ongoing activity and Microsoft is our major stakeholder. We are ready and willing to work with you.

“We are happy with your interest in capacity development. We operate an ecosystem model and our implementing partners need to benefit from the capacity building plans. It is one of our deliverables and we are willing to partner with Microsoft to close gaps in capacity.”

Solomon used the occasion to call on Microsoft Corporation to consider extending support to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other ecosystem implementing partners.

The coordinator used the occasion to invite Microsoft to the second leg of Focus Group Discussion on Nigeria’s Data Protection law, scheduled to hold at Lagos September 1, 2022.

Part of the activities lined up for the engagement is a courtesy call on the leadership of Microsoft Corporation in Nigeria. Conversations will center around data protection, capacity development and other areas of collaboration.

On the project coordinator’s team that received Ujam were the Internal and external communications Managers of the project, Dr. Duru and Mouktar Adamu.

The ID4D project is a Nigerian project, jointly funded by the World Bank, European Investment Bank and French Development Agency.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Environmental Rights Group Laments Slow Pace of Ogoni Clean Up

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Executive Director of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, has charged the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) to expedite action on the clean up and remediation of Ogoni land in Rivers State.

He was speaking during a Press Briefing on the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Assessment Report and Ogoni Cleanup Scorecard held at the ERA/FoEN International Secretariat in Benin.

Talking about HYPREP’s inaction, Ojo said among others that, “HYPREP was to take emergency relief measures to provide clean drinking water, placing signs near polluted wells and warning people not to drink the water, not to bath with the water and not to fish in it.

“As a temporary measure, water was trucked into communities, but this was halted in 2014. Signs were also posted at some riverbanks, but alternative water sources and livelihood support was not provided for people who continued to use the water despite the warning.”

Ojo demanded for the conduct of “a survey of all storage water wells that were found to be contaminated; inform people whose rainwater tested positive.

“Establish a public health registry for the entire Ogoni land population to determine health trends and take proactive action. Link the emergence of diseases that were not common in the Ogoni area. This has not been done and the likelihood of any work being done on this item is almost nil.”

On the UNEP scorecard, Ojo said, “HYPREP, the special purpose vehicle set up to implement the Ogoni clean up process has despite the best efforts of concerned stakeholders struggled to effectively deliver on any of the recommendations set out in the UNEP report.

“The agency lacks the manpower, strategies, expertise, and experience required to pull off a multifaceted cleanup, remediation, and restoration project of this magnitude. Their unpreparedness for the task was made even more glaring with the bungling of the first phase cleanup scoping and contract awards.”

Going further, Ojo stressed that “the cleanup process appears to have been jettisoned by the actions of the different Ministers of Environment who now run HYPREP as sole administrators. There have been six different Ministers of Environment since the project was launched in 2016.”

Source: popularnews9ja

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

20 RCCG Members Not Kidnapped – Ogun Police

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian Police, Ogun Command has debunked a report by a certain Pastor Gbenga Obaleye that bandits kidnapped 20 members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God( RCCG) at Kara in Ifo Local Government Area.

The Command said the report was false and inciting, insisting bandits were not targeting worshippers at the Redemption Camp.

Obaleye, who claimed to be an RCCG Pastor alleged that bandits kidnapped 20 members of his church on the way to the annual convention of the church.

In a post on his Facebook page, Obaleye urged the police and other security agencies to do something urgently, saying he could not believe that the criminal elements were operating everywhere.

According to him: “This is not spoiling any tribe, my members in my church were coming from camp this morning at 5:30. The Fulanis came out from the Kara where they use to sell cows. 20 people have been taken into the bush, that little bush, my members left the car and ran back shooting. They came back all money, laptop ATM have been taken, the phone they stole we used now to locate where they are as at 7am. Please police in Ogun axis pls help us not to disturb people in that area, truly they are all over I can’t believe this.”

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts