A Methodist cleric, Rev Chibueze Nmesirionye, has urged fathers to live up to responsibilities as heads of their households.

Preaching a sermon to mark the 2018 Fathers Day at the Central Methodist Church, Uwani Enugu, Nmesirionye said that as gatekeepers of the family, fathers should endeavour to train their children in the way of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The cleric attributed increasing social vices among the youth to lack of attention by many fathers as they left the responsibility of child rearing to their wives.

A father is the head of the family, a leader, gatekeeper and an example to be followed and should drive the family on the right way to go, he said.

Nmesirionye also urged fathers to strive for peace in their homes and always participate in church activities and imbibe their children with good and strong morals.

The event featured presentations of gifts to fathers by individuals and groups in the church.

Fathers day is a celebration in honour of fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds and their influence in the society.

Source: NAN

No fewer than 32 persons were killed, while 84 others were injured when six suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDs), in Damboa local government area in Borno state on Saturday night.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that some locals alleged that the deaths arose from a misfiring by the Nigerian Armys artillery but the army denied the claim.

Malam Buba Shettima, a witness said that two separate bomb blasts occurred in Shuwari and Abbachari, at about 8:30 p.m.

The whole of Damboa was shaken by the unfortunate incident. We all scampered for safety as the blasts were coming from different directions. There were bodies everywhere.

We suspected that the many deaths recorded were a result of the military artillery,he said.

Mohammed Hassan, another local from the area who corroborated the claim, said: At about 8:30 pm of on Saturday night, an attack suspected to be from an artillery killed 31 innocent people in Damboa Shehuri and Abachari.

The attacks came from two separate directions. My house was among some of the houses destroyed,he said.

Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, denied the claim, saying the killings were caused by suicide attacks and not military artillery.

There was nothing like an attack from the military artillery. You can see the pictures of six female bombers who detonated their explosives and as a result, 20 persons were killed while others were injured, he said.

Rogers urged people to disregard the claim that people were killed by the military and not by suicide bombers.

Modu-Zannah Maina, The District Head of Damboa, who described the incident as shocking and disturbing said the attack was perpetrated by female suicide bombers.

Maina lamented that a lot of people that were affected were mostly children, adding that many victims were injured.

We are here in this hospital to check our people affected by Saturdays bomb blasts. So far, the victims have been responding to treatment,he said.

Meanwhile Demian Chukwu, the Borno Commissioner of Police, said On Saturday, at about 2045hrs, an explosion occurred at Abachari area, in the outskirt of Damboa L.G.A. of Borno State.

At the sound of the explosion, personnel of the Nigeria Police and Members of the civilian JTF mobilised to the scene and discovered twenty dead bodies and 48 injured persons in a suspected terrorist attack.

The wounded and the dead were evacuated to a hospital while the scene was sanitised by a deployment of police EOD unit.

Investigation is ongoing to unravel the nature of the attack,he said.

Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, the Chairperson of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who also confirmed the incident, said the agency had deployed its personnels to evacuate wounded persons to the hospital for quick medical attention.

Our team has been deployed to render life saving support to the victims of the blast. As you can see, they have been tirelessly working with ICRC since morning to evacuate the injured from the airport to the hospital.

We are all saddened by the unfortunate incident that occured in Damboa,said Kolo.

Source: NAN

Former governor of Edo, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, said his national chairmanship of All Progressives Congress (APC) chances had been boosted by support of leaders of the party and governors.

Oshiomhole stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin on Friday.

The National Convention of APC will hold on June 23, with no fewer than 6,800 delegates expected to participate.

Oshiomhole said, “I am enjoying the support of APC governors and other party leaders across the nation ahead the June 23 National Convention of the party.

“The reason for this is because they understand my person and because, by the Special Grace of God, if I will emerge through a consensus leadership, my loyalty will be to the party and no more.”

He said if elected, he would deploy his persuasive powers and negotiation skills in resolving the crisis in the party.

“If I have prominent people from the North, prominent people from the South, East, West and the center, no one will say `if not for my support you would not have been there.’

“If you are a product of one section, then you might remain detained by that section.

“But, when you have the privilege of a broad support from many leaders, then no one leader will say I put you there and you must listen to me.

“Let me also say that what is also qualitatively different about this support is that there is no question about what is influencing it.

“This is so, because in our political environment, we hear that those who have the deepest pockets tend to buy the support.

“But, this support is being offered from people who cannot be procured, which tells you that it is flowing from the knowledge of my person, because I have been fortunate to work with all the governors, including past governors.

“Those I did not meet in office, I met them when I was President of the NLC. We had engaged on one-on-one; they know what I stand for.

“So, they offered this support based on their understanding of my person, and not inducement and that makes a difference,” he stated.

Oshiomhole said that he was never a dictator as being alleged in some quarters.

He said certain things he learnt in the labour union were negotiations and never dictatorial.

According to him, even though I was the president of NLC, I cannot even control my deputy because he was voted the same manner I was elected.

“In the NLC, you must listen to everybody, unlike in government where as an executive, you can dictate decisions.

“So, what my background prepared me for is to be able to listen, and that is why I kept saying contestation and disputes are not dysfunctional, if you have the skills that I have to manage divergences.

“I have never exercised dictatorial powers. I have always exercised persuasive powers and negotiating skills, and those are my skills.

“And, when I negotiate with you and persuade and you accept, you will feel obliged to do what you have to do.

“But, if I dictate to you, when I am not watching, you will do your heart. So, I am not capable of being a dictator by the very nature of my background,” the former governor said.

Source: NAN

Democratic Republic of Congos parliament will, at President Joseph Kabilas request, hold a special session to consider legislation providing legal protection for former presidents, lawmakers said.

The announcement could be a further sign that Kabila intends to step down after an election in December despite speculation that he is trying to circumvent term limits that forbid him from running again.

Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala told Reuters this week that Kabila would not be a candidate, the clearest declaration yet from a senior government official on the matter.

But Kabila himself has refused to publicly commit to leaving office and some of his supporters have in recent weeks floated a legal rationale that would allow him to stand again.

At the request of the president of the republic, an extraordinary session will be convened, lower house speaker Aubin Minaku told deputies on Friday at the close of the latest parliamentary session.

We will examine several items including the law on the status of former chiefs of state, the designation of a new member of the constitutional court and the law on the tax to promote industry, he said.

It was not immediately clear when that session would take place.

Under the constitution, former presidents already receive broad immunity from prosecution as senators for life.

Modeste Mutinga, a senator from an opposition party, introduced legislation in 2015 to reinforce those protections in an effort to encourage Congos first ever democratic transition.

It stipulates that former presidents and their aides will not be liable for arrest for common law violations committed in the exercise of presidential functions. It also provides for bodyguards for ex-presidents and increases in their pension.

However the bill never came up for a vote.

As the initiative for taking up this law during the extraordinary session comes from those who blocked the law, we think that this time we are really going to examine (it), Mutinga told Reuters.

Kabila succeeded his assassinated father as president in 2001. He was required by the constitution to step down in December 2016 but the election to replace him has been repeatedly delayed.

Since then, security forces have killed dozens of anti-Kabila protesters while surging militia violence has raised the specter of a repeat of civil wars around the turn of the century that cost millions of lives.

The special session will also select a new Constitutional Court justice to replace Felix Vunduawe Te Pemako, who was named president of a separate court this week.

Last month, Kabila and parliament named two close Kabila allies to the court in moves analysts say could be geared either at securing a judgment that allows him to run again or bolstering the chances that his preferred successor will win.

Source: NAN

The national executives of Change Advocates of Nigeria (CAN), Nigeria and Diaspora have endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in office come 2019.

The body in a statement signed by its National Youths Leader, Gabriel Nwajei which was made available to newsmen on Saturday in Asaba also endorsed Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Edo Governor, for National Chairmanship position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2018 convention.

It said that the president has demonstrated courage in taking major decisions that had impacted the people positively which prompted its call on him to continue and complete the second term in office, adding, No vacancy in Aso Rock in 2019.

CAN listed the reasons it is rooting for President Buhari to be re-elected come 2019;

His anti-corruption fight and recovery of looted funds within and outside Nigeria.

For taking the nation away from economic recession, the increase in agriculture produce like rice, cassava, others and the N-Power Programme for our young graduates.

The President has given assent to the Not too Young to Run bill and granted autonomy for State Houses of Assembly and to state judiciary.

The presidential order for the posthumous award and investiture on Late M.K.O.Abiola and Amb. Babagana Kingibe, Chief Gani Fawehinmi among others and the making of June 12 our Democracy Day showed courage.

The body, however, acknowledged that there were still more to be done to make the nation great in the areas of security, restructuring, local government autonomy and in conducting a free and fair elections.

But as the sayings goes, Rome was not built in a Day

Our mission is to mobilize all youths with their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) across the country for the 2019 presidential project, it said.

Source: NAN

Angry villagers have cut open a pythons belly after it swallowed a 54-year-old woman Wa Tiba, in her farm in Indonesia.

Tiba went missing while tending to her vegetable garden near her village on Muna Island in Southeast Sulawesi province on Thursday, according to the village chief, Faris.

When her family went to look for her, they found only her belongings in the garden, including her sandals, a machete and a flash light.

The villagers subsequently launched a search for her but were horrified to find a 23-foot-long python with a severely bloated belly just 50 yards from the garden.

Faris said the villagers killed the snake and when they cut open its belly, they found the womans body still intact wearing all her clothes.

Local police chief Hamka, who only has one name like many Indonesians, said: Residents were suspicious the snake swallowed the victim, so they killed it, then carried it out of the garden.

The snakes belly was cut open and the body of the victim was found inside.

Local villager Ayu Kartika said: Everyone cried and was in shock. It looked like a horror movie. The people are terrified, afraid to go outside.

A taxi drove into a crowd of pedestrians near Moscows Red Square on Saturday, injuring eight people including two Mexicans in the city for the soccer World Cup which Russia is hosting, officials and eyewitnesses said.

The incident took place as residents and visiting soccer fans thronged the centre of Moscow on a balmy summer evening, a short distance from the Kremlin.

Moscows traffic management authority said the taxi driver had a drivers license issued in Kyrgyzstan, a mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic.

He was identified as Analbek Uulu from Kyrgyzstan.

Traffic management authority cited the driver, who was in police custody, as saying he had not driven into the crowd on purpose.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a post on Twitter: There was an unpleasant incident with a taxi. The driver lost control of the vehicle.

The citys police said they had opened a criminal investigation into a suspected violation of the traffic code.

Eight people were hurt and had been taken to hospital, Moscow citys healthcare department said in a statement. It said seven were in a satisfactory condition, while one woman was seriously hurt.

The Mexican embassy in Moscow said two Mexican women had been lightly injured. Also among those hurt were a Ukrainian and two Russian citizens, Russias TASS news agency quoted a source in the emergency services as saying.

Video of the incident posted on social media showed the yellow Hyundai taxi pull sharply out of a line of stationery traffic, accelerate and mount the narrow pavement, which was packed with pedestrians.

The vehicle drove for about 10 meters along the pavement, bowling over pedestrians, with some of them being carried along on the bonnet of the car.

The taxi came to a halt after hitting a traffic sign. As bystanders tried to pull open the drivers side door, the driver, dressed in black trousers and black T-shirt, jumped out and sprinted away.

More bystanders chased after him and could be seen trying to tackle him to the ground as the footage ended.

A witness told Reuters that some of the people hit were wearing Mexican team colours. Mexico take on Germany on Sunday in their first World Cup match at Moscows Luzhniki stadium, and thousands of Mexican fans are in the Russian capital.

A second witness at the scene told Reuters about the driver of the taxi: He was pulled out of the vehicle, he ran off but bystanders apprehended him. He was shouting: It wasnt me.

Another witness, Viktoria Geraimovich, said she called the emergency services on her mobile phone.

Describing the actions of the driver, she said: He ran into a group of Mexicans. There were shouts, moans. He was only stopped because he hit a traffic sign.

Someone gave him a punch in the face. He stayed in the car, people came up to him, said what are you doing, punched him in the face, he opened the door and tried to run away.

Its scary that it was in the center (of Moscow) and I was right opposite, she said.

Moscows traffic management authority said the driver was not drunk and Interfax news agency cited a source saying there was no alcohol in his blood.

The same source told Interfax the driver had said he fell asleep at the wheel and accidentally pressed the accelerator pedal.

Russian authorities have vowed to host a safe soccer World Cup, which Russia is hosting for the first time ever. It is taking place in 11 cities until July 15.

In central Moscow, authorities have installed heavy concrete blocks across the entrances to pedestrianized areas following a spate of incidents in European cities in which vehicles were used to mow down people.

The U.S. State Department on Friday updated its travel advice on Russia, saying terrorist groups were plotting attacks.

Source: NAN

Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta has intensified his war on graft by announcing that all public servants will undergo a compulsory lifestyle audit to account for their sources of wealth.

This latest announcement follows financial scandals that have rocked the country with revelations that millions of dollars were lost in various government agencies through corrupt deals that involved government officials.

Kenyatta offered himself to be the first leader to undergo the audit that seeks to identify corrupt public officials, saying the lifestyle audits would control the misuse of public funds. He said public servants would be required to explain their sources of wealth with an aim of weeding out those found to have plundered government funds.

You have to tell us, this is the house you have, this is your salary, how were you able to afford it? This car that you bought, (dont try to put it under your wifes name or sons name, we will still know it is yours), where did you get it? You must explain and I will be the first person to undergo the lifestyle audit, he said.

In the past month, various corruption scandals involving tenders and suppliers in government agencies have been unearthed. The corruption scandals as revealed have exposed the theft of hundreds of millions of shillings by state officials from several government bodies.

So far, more than 40 government officials, including businesspeople, have been arrested over the recent scandals.

Kenyatta has continued to express his frustration about the graft, which seems to have spiralled out of control since he came into office in 2013.

This issue of people stealing what belongs to Kenyans, I swear to God it has to come to an end in Kenya, Kenyatta said.

The president said the lifestyle audit will be key among other measures also put in place by the government to curb the vice.

Earlier in the week, Kenyatta issued an executive order requiring all government entities and publicly owned institutions to publish full details of tenders and awards beginning July 1, 2018.

For example, if this road is being built, we want to know: Who won the tender for the construction? How much was the tender? Who came in second and third? Why was the first person awarded instead of these two? All these reasons, we need to know. Kenyans need to know so that it is out there, that this company was awarded this tender, belongs to a certain person, these are the directors, these are the shareholders. There will be no more hiding, he said.

On June 1, Kenyatta ordered that all heads of procurement and accounting units be vetted again. He said the vetting would include subjecting the officers to polygraph tests to determine integrity.

Kenya scored 28 points out of 100 on the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. The Corruption Index in Kenya averaged 22.62 points from 1996 until 2017.

Reported by VOA

Source: NAN

Super Eagles’ head coach Gernot Rohr and captain Mikel Obi said the team is capable of delivering on its promise on Saturday against Vatreni of Croatia.

The Nigerian side will face Croatia at the Kaliningrad Stadium in their opening Group D match at the FIFA World Cup, needing to win for a bright start.

This will be against the backdrop of disappointing opening match losses by fellow African sides Egypt and Morocco on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Egypt had lost their opening Group A match at Ekaterinburg 0-1 to Uruguay, after an 89th minute goal by Jose Gimenez.

Morocco followed in their trail hours later with a 0-1 loss to Iran at St. Petersburg in Group B, falling to an own goal in added time by Aziz Bouhaddouz.

Rohr, who earlier in the day had addressed the media before the team’s training session, said he was sure that his team was in shape to get a good result.

“We know the importance of getting a good result. It is important that we set out well, and we have been doing our best to be in good condition, just like I said earlier today.

“Now that we are here and close to the hour, the players are in the right mood and ready for Croatia. We will do what is necessary,’’ he said.

Rohr assured that injuries were not the team’s worries at the moment, but how to get it right during the game.

“What we need to worry about is how to get our tactics right, and I am confident that we have done all that is necessary in this regard,’’ he added.

Team Captain Mikel Obi equally assured that his teammates were ready and raring to go against the Croats.

“As a team, we have done all that is needed, training and getting fit. We the players are also ready to do the job on the pitch as expected.

“I can assure Nigerians and all our other fans worldwide that we will do our best and ensure we do not disappoint them,’’ he said.

NAN reports that Africa’s two other representatives at the 2018 World Cup — Tunisia and Senegal — will join the fray on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

Tunisia take on England at Volgograd in Group G, while Senegal face Poland in Group H at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow.

(NAN)

In what appears to be a breakthrough, the Akwa Ibom Police Command says it has arrested 20 suspected cultists in Eket Local Government Area.

The Eket Area Commander, ACP Emeka Nwonyi, made the disclosure at an emergency security meeting with stakeholders on Friday in Eket.

He said the suspects had been terrorising residents of the locality before they were arrested.

Nwonyi said the police command was determined to fish out those perpetrating the act, adding that it would ensure that the arrested culprits faced the consequences of their actions.

“We are on top of the situation; they will not crush us, we will crush them, I feel bad when people don’t give useful information to the police to work with.

“I am appealing to you to give us useful information that will help us do our job effectively,” he said.

The Area Commander assured the people of Eket that the police would protect lives and property in the area.

He lamented that criminal activities, particularly those of cultists, had led to the waning interest in night life.

Nwonyi used the forum to charge traditional rulers, village heads, youth leaders and other stakeholders in the area to expose criminals to the police.

The council chairman, Mr Frank Archibong, on his part condemned the recent killings in Eket and its environs.

“I condemn this act totally, we cannot continue like this as a local government.

“We need practicable solutions in solving this issue. We need solutions that will put lasting seal on this matter,” he said.

He said the essence of the meeting was to strategise and find practicable solutions to ending cultism in the local government area and its environs.

“We will bring ideas on how we can best tackle this menace; but if we allow cultism to continue, it may degenerate to a level that we won’t be able to control again.

“We must begin to check the actions of our children and visitors because investigations show that 90 per cent of the people causing problems are not from Eket but other neighbouring local governments,’’ he said.

He said that the council would also evolve strategies to address cultism in secondary schools in the local government.

Mr Patriot Kings, Director, Department of State Services in Eket, said the department had done a lot to tackle violence occasioned by cultism in the area.

Kings, who said that the meeting was timely, added that all hands must be on deck to check the menace.

He said that the department was strategising with other security agencies to protect lives and property in the area.

(NAN)