By Ibukun Emiola

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure surplus of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and stall the speculated end-of-the-year scarcity.

Mr Wole Akinyosoye, the Zonal Operations Controller of DPR, Lagos Zonal Office stated this at the 2018 Annual DPR and Petroleum Marketers Meeting in Ibadan on Tuesday.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event organised by DPR Ibadan field office had the theme: Making Safety and Integrity the Hallmark of our businesses.

We are confident that the right lessons have been learned from all sides from the 2017 experience and all hands are now on deck to ensure it does not repeat this year.

Government is leaving no stone unturned. NNPC is working round the clock to keep up with supply and bridge all gaps in all areas; especially in shoring up strategic reserves.

DPR is also committed to constant surveillance to ensure fair practice at the forecourts. We therefore require your support you who are the last line to the consumers to keep the product lines flowing to the general public, Akinyosoye said.

Akinyosoye stressed the importance of following DPR guidelines and safety in setting up retail businesses; especially when as pertained to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) business which had gained ground momentarily in the last few years and had wreaked havoc in most homes across the country.

Let us remind ourselves that it is also illegal to operate an LPG skid even in DPR-approved petrol stations.

Holding a license to operate a petrol station does not entitle a dealer to set up a gas skid without obtaining the due approvals for the operation from the department, and the dealer must always take care to operate in safe manners even under license, he said.

Mr Oluyemi Olaonipekun, the Operations Controller of DPR Ibadan said that DPR would maintain its statutory role of ensuring high level of compliance to government policies as relating to the petroleum industry.

As the downstream petroleum industry continue to grow and evolve; it is imperative that we all brace up to live up to the expectations of government and beneficiaries of our services.

Safety of lives and property including our assets should not be taken with levity at this time. No cost incurred on safety is too expensive when compared to the cost when accident occurs, Olaonipekun said.

While reviewing the activities of DPR till date, the Head Operations, DPR, Mr Danjuma Sadiq charged petroleum marketers on global best practices and safety.

According to him, there are 170 licenses yet to be collected by petroleum marketers, while 279 have been abandoned in retail outlets in both Oyo and Osun states with 2,436 retail outlets operations.

Source: NAN

A cross-section of workers on Tuesday in Abuja, expressed mixed reactions on organised labours suspension of the Nov. 6, proposed strike to press for the implementation of a new national minimum wage.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC), was scheduled to commence strike by 12 midnight of Nov. 5, but suspended the action on Monday night after a meeting of the Tripartite committee .

Some workers who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) commended the unions and the Federal Government for reaching an agreement.

Mr Idris Abdullahi, a civil servant, praised the unions for being resilient.

According to him, before the suspension of the industrial action, the union leaders are sure that the government will not renege.

Is a good thing the strike was called off, it shows that the government is on the same page with organised labour, he said.

Mr Lonnie James, a health worker, commended the unions for ensuring that the government obliged workers demand.

The truth is that workers do not want to shut down the economy, but workers are suffering and the only way to get the government attention is through strike.

I am glad that the issue was resolved without going on strike.

Mrs Joy Hassan, a civil servant, said that the strike was called off in a hurry, adding that they did not tell Nigerians, how much government agreed to pay.

I think NLC should have informed us the amount reached at their last meeting, before suspending the strike, as government can change its mind anytime.

If tomorrow the Federal Government comes out to tell us that they cannot pay more than N24,000, labour will find it difficult to regroup.

She stressed that Nigeria workers need the increment, adding the suffering is too much.

Mr Yusuf Mustarpha, a teacher at the Government Secondary School, Wuse, expressed dissatisfaction on the way the strike was suspended, stressing that the must ensure implementation of agreement reached.

According to him, the proposed N30,000 that was initially agreed on, should be seen as a starting point.

Labour leadersshould follow up until implementation, in order to put smiles on the faces of workers that have endured for so long.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, had explained that the strike was suspended after agreements and documents were signed.

Having reached this position and agreements signed, the proposed strike is hereby suspended, he said.

Wabba, however, refused to disclose the exact figure agreed by the committee.

He said that the amount would only be made public after presentation of the report to President Muhammadu Buhari. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Distressed and depressed by the ethno-religious killings in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged religious, community and traditional leaders to do more in promoting peaceful co-existence.

He also appealed to Nigerians to learn to live together in peace and harmony.

The president made the appeal when he received leaders of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), led by Rev Dr Dachollom Datiri at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.

As an organised institution (COCIN), I have no reason to doubt your report on the atrocities being committed in your communities including the killing of Idris Alkali, a retired Maj.-Gen., the dumping of his car into a pond and the body of the deceased thrown into a disused well.

The communities (in Plateau) have lived long enough to know that there is nothing they can do without each other than to live together in harmony.

As leaders, we must persuade the upcoming generation, using every channel particularly the educational institutions to live together with our neighbours.

Buhari, who used the occasion to underscore the important role religious leaders play in engendering peace, lauded the exemplary role of the Imam in Plateau State who risked his life to save hundreds of Christian families fleeing attacks in June.

It is not all Muslims that are against Christians and neither are all Christians against Muslims.

The leadership in the respective religions have to work harder to make sure they convince the coming generation that they have to live together in the same country, he said.

Buhari assured the Christian delegation that he would continue to exert pressure on the Nigeria Police Force to do the needful in protecting lives and property.

In our security arrangement, the police is in the frontline in making sure that communities irrespective of ethnic or religious bias, live together in peace, he said.

He added that Nigeria could not afford to take its unity for granted and allow a return to the unfortunate perils of a civil war.

In his remarks, Datiri, while condemning the recent killing of an Army General in the state, chronicled recent attacks against Christian communities in Plateau and neighbouring states, resulting in the displacement of thousands of persons.

The cleric appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the safe return and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their communities, in addition to the rebuilding of places of worship destroyed in the unfortunate incidents.

The COCIN president also called on the Federal Government to take adequate measures in ensuring the release of Leah Sharibu and other abductees of Boko Haram terrorists.

Datiri also requested the President to use his good offices to persuade some northern states to allocate land titles to Churches, in addition to directing the Ministry of Education to allow the teaching of Christian Religious knowledge in schools in the region. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Cameroons President Paul Biya, in power for almost 36 years, was sworn into office for seven more years on Tuesday, after winning Octobers election in a landslide.

The 85-year old, one of Africas longest-ruling leaders, won the October presidential poll for the seventh time, in spite his questionable record that includes corruption and human rights abuse allegations.

During his inaugural speech, Biya acknowledged the frustrations of people in the English-speaking north-west and south-west regions, who feel marginalised in the otherwise French-speaking country.

The president promised to fast-track the decentralisation process to render local councils more autonomous, but condemned Anglophone secessionists, who have held regular protests over the past two years and sometimes stage violent attacks.

War mongers, who are jeopardising our national unity and preaching secession should know that they will face not only the full force of the law, but also the determination of our defence and security forces, said Biya.

However, the president remained mum about Sundays abduction of 79 students, their principal, the schools driver and another staff member from a Christian secondary school in western Cameroon.

The abduction seems to be part of a plan by Anglophone secessionists to shut down all schools in the disputed regions, in a move to make the area ungovernable.

Biya was declared winner of the presidential poll with more than 71 per cent of total votes cast on Oct. 22.

His main opponent, Maurice Kamto has since called for a resistance movement against what he said was a flawed electoral process.

Biya was born on Feb, 13, 1933. He has been serving as the President of Cameroon since Nov. 6, 1982.

A native of Cameroons south, Biya rose rapidly as a bureaucrat under President Ahmadou Ahidjo in the 1960s, serving as Secretary-General of the Presidency from 1968 to 1975 and then as Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975 to 1982.

He succeeded Ahidjo as president upon the latters surprise resignation in 1982 and consolidated power in a 19831984 fake attempted coup where he eliminated all his rivals.

Biya introduced political reforms within the context of a one-party system in the 1980s. Under serious pressure, he accepted the introduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s.

Biya is at present the longest-ruling non-royal leader in Africa and the oldest ruler in Sub-Saharan Africa after Robert Mugabe stepped down during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup dtat.

Biya has maintained Cameroons close relationship with France, one of Cameroons former colonial ruler besides the United Kingdom.

Source: NAN

By Kate Obande-Okewu

The Government of Rwanda has handed over to Nigeria the keys and strategies which led to the successes recorded by the country in the last decades.

Dr. Claudine Uwera, Minister of State for Economic Planning Rwanda who spoke on behalf of the country, advised Nigerian government to practice inclusive system of government to ensure sustainable development.

Uwera gave the advice on Tuesday in Kigali, while receiving Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of the Nigerian Civil Service.

The Rwandan minister said that gender equality, home grown innovations and solutions, good governance as well as visionary leadership was key to the success of Rwanda.

Uwera added that the visit was a platform to share knowledge and learn from each others experiences.

Earlier, Oyo-Ita who led a delegation on a Post-Conflict Learning Visit to Kigali, informed the Rwandan Economic Planning Minister how Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari struggled to restore normalcy to the North East.

She however said that Nigeria still needed to learn from a Country that had perfected its peace building having come from a devastating genocide, hence the need for the visit and experience sharing.

Restoring Infrastructure in the frontline states that faced the crises is not enough, we also need to rebuild the public service.

And Rwanda is the best country to study and learn from considering the genocide the country experienced in 1994, she said.

Godfrey Kabera, Director General, National Planning and Research in the Rwandan Ministry, educated the Nigerian delegation on the National Planning Tools: Development vision, priorities and donor coordination framework of Rwanda.

He said that engaging of development partners in budget planning process to help identify priority areas was essential to development.

He added that the poverty rate in Rwanda had reduced drastically through their economic and result oriented policies.

He noted that one of the key factor to the success of Rwanda was the determination to succeed, accountability and sustainability on the part of government and the citizens.

Kabera said that the government had also reduced inequality and promoted regional and international integration in the country.

He disclosed that the country already has a development plan tagged vision 2050 which is aimed at making Rwanda a country with high living standards by 2050.

Part of the activities by the Nigerian delegation was a visit to the Ministry of Health in Rwanda to also learn from their health sector ways to rebuild the health system in the North East.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Rwanda Mr Nyemazi Jean Pierre said that the vision of the health sector was to provide equitable and accessible quality health care services.

He said the vision was in line with the vision 2050 adding that the health sector had been decentralised from National to the district levels.

He also said that every district in Rwanda currently has a hospital catering to the health needs of over 200,000 people.

The Permanent Secretary,told the delegation that it takes less than an hour for a citizen to access health facility and see a doctor.

According to him, the country utilises and harnesses home grown innovations for their development as well as citizen centered policies.

Source: NAN

Former Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has been announced as the running mate to Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

The Chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Tunde Balogun announced Hamzats choice at a news conference on Sunday at the party secretariat, Acme Road, Ogba area of Lagos.

Sanwoolu also tweeted the choice and presentation:After consulting widely with stakeholders and our political party, I am delighted to announce Dr. as my Deputy Governorship candidate. With this decision, Lagosians should be rest assured of the best as we will work assiduously to transform every aspect of our lives.

The presentation only formalised an open secret in the state. Hamzat had been the preferred choice of the leaders, after he stepped down in the governorship race for Sanwoolu late September.

Balogun said Hamzat was selected after wide consultations by the Apex decision making body of the party with other important stakeholders.

He described Hamzat as a competent hand, saying the party had no doubt of the complementary role he would play in helping Sanwoolu move the state forward

The highest decision making body of APC together with all the relevant stakeholders of APC in Lagos State have endorsed Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat as the running mate to the candidate of APC in Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

After the endorsement, it is important for me to publicly and officially present Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat as the running mate of our candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the 2019 gubernatorial election in Lagos State, he said.

Sanwo-Olu, commended the choice of Hamzat as his running mate, expressing confidence that the former Commissioner would help realise a better Lagos.

He said he had known Hamzat for years personally and professionally and that he could vouch for his competence and integrity to help deliver a better Lagos.

Dr Obafemi Kadiri Hamzat and I have been players in the same political matters for many years.

We have been friends and brothers for close to two decades and he is a man of deep intellectual knowledge. He is a man of high level of integrity.

He is competent and I know he is going to help greatly to deliver the Lagos of our dream. With a technocrat like Hamzat, we will take Lagos to the next level, he said.

In his acceptance speech, Hamzat thanked the party for choosing him and Sanwoolu to fly its flag in the elections.

He said he and Sanwoolu knew what was required to deliver a better Lagos, promising to do his best if the party gets the mandate.

Lagos is dear to all of us and If Nigeria will be great, Lagos must be great. And as such the party decided to look for somebody who has the experience to run the state, in the person of Mr Sanwoolu.

We are now a global village and what we do in Lagos affects everywhere in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

So, I am very happy. I feel very happy and I feel a sense of responsibility that the party after sitting together, have selected me to be his running mate so that we can work together with our experience.

We have known each other for over 15 years professionally and personally. So, we have the chemistry and I dare say that we understand the geography of Lagos.

Mr Sanwo-Olu and I understand what it requires to cook what Lagosians desire. So, we promise to do our best to deliver the Lagos of our dream, he said.

Hamzat, son of a political juggernaut in the state, Alhaji Hamzat, was born September 19, 1964.

He graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1986 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and subsequently furthered his studies at home and abroad, resulting in both an MSc. in Crop Processing Engineering (1988) and a Ph.D. in System Process Engineering (1992).

Sequel to this, he garnered about two decades of work experience in several organisations, including the City of New York, RTP Consulting Services, Columbia University, Merrill Lynch Inc, Morgan Stanley and Oando Plc.

In August 2005, Hamzat was appointed Commissioner for Science and Technology during the tenure of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He retained his position when Governor Babatunde Fashola assumed office in 2007. It was during his tenure as Commissioner for Science and Technology that Hamzat enforced the application of modern technology in the states ministries, thus changing the face of data and record keeping in Lagos and at the same time eliminating the trend of state ghost workers.

It is reported in some quarters that this single act was largely responsible for his elevation as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure at the commencement of the second term in office of Fasholas administration. The office had gone on without a commissioner during Fasholas first four years, with only a Special Adviser reporting directly to the governor.

Source: NAN

Nigeria should resist politicians who are using religion and ethnicity to divide, threaten peace and unity ahead of the 2019 election.

The Senior Pastor, Fathers Touch Ministry Church, Nyanya, Abuja, Pastor Evans Idoko, also said it was regrettable that the unity of Nigerian is only strengthened during sporting activities.

It is an indication that politicians have taken pleasure in using religion to divide Nigerians against themselves for political or selfish reasons.

It must stop forthwith! Nigerians must resist it because it will take us nowhere, he said.

Idoko told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja that as 2019 political activities gather momentum, we appeal to politicians seeking elective offices to eschew hatred and bitterness, and promote courses that will promote peace and unity among Nigerians.

He recalled with nostalgia how Muslims and Christians lived together peacefully some years back irrespective of religious or ethnic differences.

He said such divisions have been responsible for the obvious hatred among Nigerians, which, he said, has slowed down socio-economic and political development in the country.

Idoko advised that the church should take the front row in moblising Nigerians to participate in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

It doesnt come by words alone. We have to take a step further to empower people educationally, financially and otherwise so they could have voice and knowledge to take their rightful place in Nigerian political and economic discussions, he said.

He explained that the church could partner with the Social Exchange Market, to disburse financial grant to citizens not minding their religion or ethnicity.
We are all one body in Christ Jesus, he said.

The cleric said that such empowerment initiative should be borne out of utmost desire of the church to rekindle the hope of Nigerians.

He, however, encouraged churches, corporate organisations and individuals with financial ability, to assist to lift the poor off poverty so they could confidently participate in political and economic activities.(NAN)

Source: NAN

After boasting about the economy and raising fears over immigration, US President Donald Trump is facing pushback from his predecessor Barack Obama in the run-up to the midterm elections.

The former president has taken on a prominent role in the final weekend, campaigning for the Democrats, in an election on 6 November in which Republican control of Congress is threatened.

The election is also seen as a referendum on President Trumps stewardship.

With rallies taking place in Montana and Florida, a state he had already visited on Wednesday, Trump is keeping up his relentless campaign schedule before Tuesdays ballot.

The campaigning comes one week after a gunman, who allegedly hated immigrants and Jews, killed 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and after a fanatical Trump supporter was arrested in Florida on charges of mailing homemade bombs to more than a dozen Trump opponents, including Obama.

At a moment of deep national division, with the political temperature soaring, the presidents critics say he has helped create an atmosphere in which the two attackers felt comfortable to carry out their crimes.

A Republican Congress means more jobs and less crime. A Democratic Congress means more crime and less jobs, very simple. I like that. Nothing like simplicity, Trump told supporters in Belgrade, Montana.

Trump says his Republicans are in a good position ahead of the midterm congressional elections, particularly with new employment figures out showing the economy booming.

But polls point to the Democrats capturing at least the House of Representatives, threatening the billionaire president with the spectre of an opposition finally able to block policies and dig into his highly opaque personal finances.

In the last stages of the campaign, Trump is duelling with Obama, who returned to the public eye at a Florida rally on Friday.

Obama is set to campaign again Sunday in his adopted hometown of Chicago, as well as in Indiana, where the seat of Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly is in danger.

Obama explained his reemergence at a Georgia rally in support of Stacey Abrams, who is seeking to be the first black female governor of any US state.

Im here for one simple reason: to ask you to vote, Obama said. The consequences of any of us staying home are profound because America is at a crossroads The character of our country is on the ballot.

Trump has brought an unprecedented brand of confrontational politics to the White House, and clearly enjoys a fight.

The latest official jobs figures, which showed 250,000 net new positions in October ahead of forecasts gave him a golden opportunity to crow over what he almost daily claims to be the worlds hottest economy.

But if, on the one hand, the president has been touting the United States as a land of plenty with jobs for all, on the other he has stirred fear and loathing.

Even as illegal immigration has dipped to a quarter of what it was in 2000, Trump claims that the country faces an invasion of Central Americans.

He has ordered regular army troops to the US-Mexican border as a caravan of a few thousand impoverished migrants slowly marches toward the boundary. They are currently marching toward Isla, in Mexicos state of Veracruz, with some headed toward the vicinity of Mexico City.

He has also announced tent cities to detain people demanding political asylum, and claimed the power to scrap the right to citizenship for anyone born on US soil until now protected by the US Constitution.

A military spokesman said that more than 7,000 US soldiers will be positioned in states bordering Mexico by the end of the weekend.

Newsweek reported that it had obtained documents which showed intelligence officials did not anticipate high involvement of criminal gangs among the migrants, and that the administration expects only a minority of those in the caravan would actually reach the border.

Democrats are openly encouraging millions of illegal aliens to break our laws, violate our sovereignty, overrun our borders and destroy our nation in so many ways, Trump said at a rally in Pensacola, Florida that lasted about 80 minutes.

We got the reports from the countries, we got the reports from Mexico, you have a lot of bad people coming into our country, and were letting them come into our country, he added, with Air Force One parked on the tarmac near the stage.

In Montana, he had quipped that barbed wire, used properly, can be a beautiful sight.

Obama decried Trumps troop deployment as a political stunt serving to get folks angry and ginned up.

Theres just constant fear-mongering to distract from the record, he added.

Source: NAN

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has predicted that President Muhammadu Buhari will win the 2019 election.

The organisation made this known in a report it released on the forthcoming general election saying its report is based on its interactions with Nigerians from different sectors.

USIP said though many Nigerians feel that the current administration has not met their expectations, this is not likely to cost the All Progressives Congress (APC) government its hold on power.

Many Nigerians feel their hopes have not been met. Some respondents suggest the electorate is sufficiently disappointed that voter apathy will be greater in 2019 than in 2015, with the unifying narrative of change that helped elect the APC in 2015 much less compelling as a factor in mobilising the electorate, and perceptions that another defeat of the presidential incumbent is less likely to happen in 2019, the report read.

Comparing the 2015 elections to the forthcoming one, the report said there is a greater chance of the occurrence of election violence, listing Adamawa, Anambra, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Plateau, Rivers as the eight of 36 states with greater risks of election violence.

While it stated that it is up to the combined efforts of political parties, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to curb violence in the election, it said the greater work lies with the electoral body.

Important shifts in Nigerias political and security context have occurred since the 2015 elections, presenting both evolving, and new, risks to the 2019 elections, it read.

Of all the states institutions, most respondents felt that peaceful elections in 2019 are contingent on the performance of Nigerias INEC.

Given the relative success of the 2015 elections, they felt that INEC ought to be able to deliver credible elections again in 2019. They feared, however, that any regression from the level of performance achieved in 2015 could lead to violence because some would view the failings not as a result of incompetence but as deliberate attempts to frustrate the will of the voters.

INEC should at least match the standards it set in 2015, and any regression could set the stage for violence.

Yet, while the potential for election violence exists, there are signs of hope. Some states have developed successful election conflict-mitigation practices. In the short amount of time remaining, INEC and the police should undertake a number of key reforms, it said.

The United States, along with other international supporters of the electoral process, should also intensify their efforts to reinforce the work of these key Nigerian institutions.

Beyond institutional support, rather than apply a conventional approach to electoral violence mitigation, donor programming should adapt to Nigerias current context, political shifts, and opportunities, and be sufficiently flexible to respond to the risks distinct in each of Nigerias states.

In advance of the election, international diplomatic efforts to preempt electoral violence need to be intensified. Regional and international actors should convey their expectations that political parties effectively address their internal disputes, and be ready to put on notice politicians responsible for escalating these disputes.

Source: NAN

At least 19 suspects arrested in connection with the disappearance and death of Maj.- Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd) have been paraded by the police in Plateau state.

Mr. Terna Tyopev, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the State Police Command, presented the suspects to journalists on Sunday in Jos.

Alkali was declared missing on Sept. 3.

He had left Abuja and was on his way to Bauchi, via Jos. He never reached his destination.

On Sept. 29, his car and other personal effects were found in a pond in Dura-Du community of Jos South Local Government Area of the state.

On October 31, the body of Alkali was found in an abandoned Well at Gushwet in Shen community of Jos South LGA and was buried by the military on Nov. 3 in Abuja.

According to Tyopev, the 19 suspects paraded include the 13 earlier handed over to the police command by the military, while the remaining six were among the eight the police declared wanted in connection with the crime.

He said two among the eight suspects declared wanted are still at large.

On Oct. 17, the military handed over 13 suspects to us in connection with the disappearance and death of Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).

After a painstaking interrogation on Oct. 21 we also declared eight suspects wanted. Six out of the eight reported themselves to the police, but two are at large.

So, the 19 suspects paraded today consist of the 13 handed over to us, and the six that reported themselves to us, he said.

The PPRO said the suspects were interrogated and found to have strong links with the crime, adding that they would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

He said efforts are being intensified to ensure the two remaining suspects are arrested. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Plateau Police Command has presented 19 suspects in connection with the disappearance and death of Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd) and said investigations have not ended.

DSP Terna Tyopev, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the State Police Command presented the suspects to journalists on Sunday in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Alkali was declared missing on Sept. 3. He had left Abuja and was on his way to Bauchi, via Jos. He never reached his destination.

On Sept. 29, his car and other personal effects were found in a pond in Dura-Du community of Jos South Local Government Area of the state.

On October 31, the body of Alkali was found in an abandoned Well at Gushwet in Shen community of Jos South LGA and was buried by the military on Nov. 3 in Abuja.

According to Tyopev, the 19 suspects paraded include the 13 earlier handed over to the police command by the military, while the remaining six were among the eight the police declared wanted in connection with the crime.

He said two among the eight suspects declared wanted are still at large.

On Oct. 17, the military handed over 13 suspects to us in connection with the disappearance and death of Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).

After a painstaking interrogation on Oct. 21 we also declared eight suspects wanted. Six out of the eight reported themselves to the police, but two are at large.

So, the 19 suspects paraded today consist of the 13 handed over to us, and the six that reported themselves to us, he said.

The PPRO said the suspects were interrogated and found to have strong links with the crime, adding that they would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

He said efforts are being intensified to ensure the two remaining suspects are arrested.

Source: NAN

By Aminu Ahmed Garko

Aggrieved youths at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Muye, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger on Sunday attacked officials of ActionAid Nigeria in the community after distributing relief materials to recent flood victims there.

A witness who pleaded anonymity, said though none of the officials was injured, a Hillux van with registration number Abuja BD826KWL belonging to ActionAid had its windscreen smashed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there are about 10,000 families in six IDPs camps in Niger.

A total of 2,160 households will benefit from the assistance, out of which 1,850 will receive material supports and 310 household in hard-to-reach communities will get N30, 000 each from the ActionAid.

The IDPs and camps arose as a result of the last floods which sacked the people from their ancestral homes.

Mr Anicetus Atakpu, Programme Manager, told newsmen in Minna that the mob was not unconnected with the trauma at the IDPs are going through.

We are not disturbed, we always expect this kind of thing, Atakpu said.

The irate youths in IDPs were disappointed that only women were selected to be given relief materials by the ActionAid, whereas all of them were affected by the flood.

The youths expressed their disappointment at the beginning of the distribution of the relief materials but we told them the segment of the intervention was primarily for women.

They waited for us to finish the exercise and as we were leaving, they started throwing stones and other objects at us.

Some of us were hit but the real damage was to the windscreen of the vehicles in which we traveled to the IDP camp, we had to run for our lives, he said.

He, however, assured the youths at the camp that the organisation would very soon implement another programme for them, saying that the proposed scheme would target how they would be gainfully employed.

Atakpu pleaded with the federal and state governments to improve the standard of infrastructure, especially roads in the rural areas of the state because they served as hindrance in the discharge of their assignments.

NAN reports that ActionAid Nigeria has distributed rice, semovita and blanket worth N18 million to flood survivors in four IDP camps in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Edith Ike-Eboh

The Nigerian National petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has assured motorists that it has adequate petroleum products that will serve the nation, irrespective of the proposed strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress.

The Corporation gave the assurance in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Ndu Ughamadu in Abuja on Sunday.

The corporation had 39 days petroleum products sufficiency and about 25 days products availability on land

Motorists and other consumers of petroleum products are assured of adequate stock to meet their energy needs, he said.

Ughamadu further dispelled insinuations of any impending petroleum products scarcity in the country.

He said that providing information on the petroleum products stock level became imperative to dispel suggestions that the threat of strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) would result in a slip into a round of products shortages across the country.

Ughamadu advised motorists not to engage in panic buying as the corporation would do all it could to ensure the strike did not impact negatively on fuel distribution nationwide.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and volunteer information to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) or any law enforcement agency around them, on any station that attempts to take advantage of any prevailing situation in the country at the expense of the consumers.(NAN)

Source: NAN

Project Management 101 Tips

A Project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.

What are the Characteristics of a Project?

• It must be smart

• Is Temporary (Clear start and end dates that correspond to what is required on the project schedule)

• Is Undertaken for a purpose

• It Consumes resources like Time, effort, money etc.

• Unique. It results in a single verifiable end product.

• One person responsible for each task assigned.

How do we know when we have gotten to the end of a project?

• When the objective will or cannot be met.

• When the need for the project no longer exists

• When the project objectives have been achieved

• If the client wishes to terminate the project.

Examples and Difference between Project and Operations

Designing a new website for a Law Firm - Project
Providing support for an already developed system - Operations
Delivering a Parcel to a client - Project
Handling an order for materials for a building - Operations

Factors to Consider - Difference between Project and Operations

• Duration

• End Results

• Resources

• Level of Uncertainty

• Team Requirements (Guidelines vs Rules)

• Types of Changes

• Level of Automation

• Differing objectives

• States (Disequilibrium vs Equilibrium)

What is Project Management

• It is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities.

• It has Ten knowledge area.

• It involves five process groups.

• It is concerned with achieving project goals and objectives in a timely, orderly and organized manner.

• It is a shared understanding of what it takes to deliver products and services effectively and efficiently, individually as well as collaboratively.

10 Knowledge Areas of Project Management

• Project Integration Management

• Project Scope Management

• Project Schedule Management

• Project Cost Management

• Project Quality Management

• Project Resource Management

• Project Communication Management

• Project Risk Management

• Project Procurement Management

• Project Stakeholders Management

The Police Command in Benue has confirmed the killing of a man and his three children by his wife, who also took her life.

The man, Mr Nicholas Adetsav, a staff of Makurdi Local Government Council, and his children, were killed on Friday night in Makurdi.

His wife, believed to be responsible for the death of the quartet, also killed herself.

From information available to us, the woman has been having issues with her husband which might have culminated into this, Mr Moses Yamu, the commands spokesman, told the News Agency 0f Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday in Makurdi.

Yamu said that the couple, who lived at Vandeikya street, were both staff of Makurdi Local Government Council.

They have been having issues; just yesterday(Friday), the woman was seen with a pestle trying to smash her husbands car. No one knows the cause of their frequent fights.

He said that Police personnel sent to the house found the man foaming in the mouth, the three kids already dead, while the woman, also dead, was found holding a knife in her hands.

The incident happened at 8:30 p.m. on Friday; from what we have gathered, the couple fight on daily basis, he told NAN.

Yamu said that investigation had begun toward determining the reasons for the actions, while the corpses had been deposited at the St. Theresas Catholic Hospital, Makurdi .

The Chairman, Makurdi Local Government Council, Mrs. Akange Audu, confirmed that the couple were employees of the local government council.

The husband worked in the Department of Finance while his wife worked with the Department of Agriculture, she said.

She also confirmed that the couple were always fighting, adding that the woman had warned neighbors to stay off their fights.

A cross section of the neighbours, who spoke to NAN, said that the couple had been having issues.

They said that the couple had been fighting since Friday afternoon, but no one appeared sure of the cause of their fights.

One of the neighbors told NAN that she stopped intervening on their quarrels when Mrs. Adetsav threatened her with a knife during one of such interventions. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Buhari administration is fixing the nations dilapidated infrastructure despite its lean resources, occasioned by the fall in oil prices.

The Minister stated this in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, on Friday when he visited the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Oladele Adeoti.

Things have gone so bad in the country before the advent of this Administration and these are what we are working to fix. Before we came to power oil prices soared but nothing was done with the money.

But, upon assumption of office, the price went down significantly. Even at that, we have done more with the little resources than the previous administrations, he said.

While responding to the Obas plea for the development of more infrastructure in the area, Alhaji Mohammed said the contract for the Ilorin-Omu-Aran-Kabba-Lokoja road has already been awarded, adding that he would soon inspect the project to find out what is hindering its timely execution.

He congratulated the Oba on his ascension to the throne of his forefathers and equally condoled with him over the death of the first Military Governor of Kwara State, Brig.General David Bamigboye (Rtd), who hailed from Omu-Aran.

In his remarks, the Olomu appealed to the Federal Government to establish an institution of higher learning in the community due to its rich history and population.

He also called on the Federal Government to immortalize the Late Gen. Bamigboye as a mark of honour for his patriotism and selfless service to the people of Kwara State.

He did a lot as a Governor of the old Kwara State in the areas of education and infrastructural development. We want the Federal Government to immortalize him by naming a street in his honour in the Federal Capital Territory, the traditional ruler said.

Meanwhile, the Minister also on Friday paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Gen. Bamigboye.

Mohammed described the late General as a statesman who laid the foundation for the socio-economic development of Kwara and Kogi States.

The General left his indelible marks in the sands of time, especially as it relates to Kwara State. What you have witnessed today in terms of socio-economic development is largely due to the effort of the late General, he said.

The Minister said despite his young age when he assumed the leadership of the old Kwara State, Gen. Bamigboye showed uncommon foresight and wisdom in governing the state.

Source: NAN

Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in a thrilling semi-final at the Paris Masters on Saturday to extend his winning run to 22 matches ahead of his return to world number one next week.

The Serb outlasted Federer in just over three hours to prevail 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3).

He will meet Russias Karen Khachanov in Sundays final as he looks to pull level with Rafael Nadal on 33 career Masters titles.

Djokovic, who will replace an injury-plagued Nadal at the top of the rankings on Monday, now leads Federer 25-22 overall and has not lost to the Swiss since 2015.

Novak is obviously on a roll. You can feel it. At the end it came down to a few things here and there, said Federer, who returned to play in Paris this week for the first time in three years.

But overall Im happy with my game. Its better than last week in Basel. There I won the tournament and here I played in the semis and it needed somebody of Novaks calibre to beat me.

So thats all right. And Im looking forward to a rest now and a good preparation for London (ATP Finals).

Djokovic will go in search of a fifth Paris trophy after denying Federer a shot at a historic 100th title, although the Wimbledon and US Open champion was pushed all the way by his 37-year-old rival.

Djokovic watched four break points, one of which Federer saved with a magnificent reflex volley, go by as he led 4-3 in the opening set, before saving a set point on his serve in the tie-break.

A Federer backhand drifted wide to hand Djokovic the lead, although two more break points passed the Serb by in the first game of the second set with the Swiss on the ropes.

The missed opportunity proved costly when Federer conjured up just a second break point of the contest at 6-5, converting in style as he gambled on Djokovic going cross-court before batting a winner down the line to force a decider.

Federer fended off two more break points to open the third set as Djokovic hit the deck when his ankle appeared to catch in the surface.

The Serb threw his racket down in frustration as Federer again escaped from 15-40 down to move 5-4 ahead, but the 20-time Grand Slam champions magic fizzled out as the final set headed to a tie-break.

Djokovic reeled off six successive points to bring up five match points, clinching victory at the third attempt when Federer picked out the net to end a tense concluding rally.

Earlier, the 22-year-old Khachanov advanced to his first Masters final after beating Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1.

Im really happy to achieve this, to make it to the finals. But the tournament is not over. I mean, Im looking forward to play finals tomorrow, said the 18th-ranked Khachanov.

Going into the Paris Masters, Khachanov had won just three of his 19 matches against players in the Top 10 but it took him just 71 minutes to add the scalp of world number eight Thiem to those of John Isner (9) and Alexander Zverev (5) whom he beat earlier in the week.

The 1.98m Khachanov dominated from the baseline and attacked the Thiem service, breaking the Austrian in his final five service games of the match.

The Russian number two now has 15 match wins at this level this year, including a trip to the semi-finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

Khachanov has also won two ATP World Tour titles in 2018 with triumphs in Marseille and at the Kremlin Cup.

I am very happy with the way I have been playing, said the Russian who is assured of climbing at least to 12th in the ATP rankings when they are published on Monday.

Source: NAN

Alexandre Lacazette extended Arsenals unbeaten run to 14 games and dealt a blow to Liverpools quest to win the Premier League for the first time in nearly three decades by salvaging a 1-1 draw at the Emirates on Saturday.

James Milners opener just after the hour mark looked set to send Jurgen Klopps men three points clear of champions Manchester City, who host Southampton on Sunday, at the top of the table.

However, that lead is now a solitary point as Lacazette struck eight minutes from time to give the hosts a well-deserved point from an enthralling encounter.

After a baptism of fire in defeats to City and Chelsea in his first two matches as Arsenals first new manager for 22 years, Unai Emery has impressively put his stamp on the Gunners.

However, in a run of 12 wins and a draw before Liverpools visit, Arsenal hadnt faced any side that finished ahead of them in Arsene Wengers last season.

In contrast to their last visit to the Emirates when they conceded three times in five minutes, Liverpool needed to show their new-found defensive resolve as a confident Arsenal started the brighter.

Alisson Becker spread himself well to block from Lacazette before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyangs deflected effort from the edge of the area flew just wide.

Granit Xhaka fired too close to Alisson from a well-worked corner, but the Brazilian international was fortunate when he rushed from his goal and was beaten to a floated cross by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose header drifted inches wide.

However, Liverpool also had plenty of chances in a thrilling first half that somehow lacked only goals.

A dubious offside decision denied Sadio Mane the opening goal and Virgil van Dijk twice should have scored when he was first repelled by Bernd Leno and then flicked a header against the post with the German keeper caught flapping.

Leno didnt get so lucky with his next mistake as he palmed Manes dangerous cross back into the heart of the box and Milner drilled into the unguarded net.

However, Leno made amends with a fingertip stop to again deny Van Dijk and Liverpool a crucial second following a towering header from a corner.

And Emerys decision to sacrifice Aubameyang rather than Lacazette with his substitutions was vindicated when the French international kept his composure to brilliantly curl into the far corner after being forced wide by Alisson.

Both sides poured forward in a frantic finale, but Klopps decision to withdraw Mohamed Salah for Joel Matip in stoppage time showed the German was happy to protect Liverpools unbeaten league start.

A return of five points from a possible nine from visits to Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal is already a drastic improvement on Liverpools record of a single point from away games against top six opposition last season.

Yet, even that upturn may not be enough to keep pace with a City side showing no let-up after romping to the title with 100 points.

Source: NAN

The fate of a Pakistani Christian woman, Asia Bibi accused of blasphemy was in limbo Saturday after the government allowed Islamist hardliners to appeal against her acquittal and put her on a no fly list.

Bibis lawyer who saved her from the gallows left the country early Saturday after threats to his life.

Bibi, who had been on death row since 2010, was acquitted of all charges by Pakistans Supreme Court on Wednesday, triggering protests by Islamist hardliners who paralysed the country for three days blocking roads and disrupting traffic in major cities.

The protesters, however, ended their action Friday night after the government reached a controversial deal to put Bibi on the no-fly list and saying it would not object to an appeal against the verdict, which was filed earlier in the Supreme Court.

We have requested the Supreme Court to put Asia Bibi on the Exit Control List as soon as possible so that she could not fly out of the country, Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry, the lawyer of Qari Salam who filed the case against Bibi, told AFP.

We fear that she would be flown out of the country so we have requested the court for an early hearing of the case, he said, adding that he would exploit all legal remedies to make sure Asia Bibi is hanged according to the law.

Bibis lawyer Saif-ul-Mulook and Pakistani media criticised the government for caving in to the Islamist hardliners after Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier appeared to stand up to them following the court verdict.

Mulook said the Islamist outcry was unfortunate but not unexpected.

Whats painful is the response of the government. They cannot even implement an order of the countrys highest court, he said, adding that the struggle for justice must continue.

Dawn, the countrys oldest newspaper, blasted the deal as another surrender in an editorial on Saturday.

Yet another government has capitulated to violent religious extremists who neither believe in democracy, nor the constitution, it read.

According to the agreement, which came after a failed first round of talks, legal proceedings will follow to impose a travel ban on Bibi and stop her leaving the country.

Her life would be more or less the same, either inside a prison or in solitary confinement for security fears until a decision on the appeal, said Mulook.

Bibis husband Ashiq Masih called on authorities to protect her, saying he worried she may be attacked.

The situation is dangerous for Asia. I feel that her life is not secure, he told German Deutsche Welle radio. So I appeal to government to enhance Asias security in jail.

Blasphemy is a massively inflammatory charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam and its Prophet Mohammed can provoke death at the hands of vigilantes.

Mulook himself left Pakistan early Saturday, citing threats to his life from Islamist hardliners and other lawyers.

In the current scenario, its not possible for me to live in Pakistan, the 62-year-old lawyer told AFP before boarding a plane to Europe. I need to stay alive as I still have to fight the legal battle for Asia Bibi, he said.

Life in the major cities of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad returned to normalcy as shops opened and traffic resumed after the protesters dispersed Friday night.

The Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party (TLP), which has largely led the demonstrations, announced an end to the mass protests after reaching a deal with the government.

Source: NAN

By ibironke Ariyo

The Vanguard against Drug Abuse (VGADA), a Non Governmental Organisation, has taken the campaign against drug abuse to the streets, sensitising men, women, children, teenagers, and drivers among many others against the menace.

The President of the Organisation, Dr Hope Abraham, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja, said that the rising cases of illegal drug consumption in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) called for concern.

Abraham explained that the rate people consumed various types of illicit drugs had increased, adding that it had made them irresponsible to themselves and the society.

Intake of prohibited substances has adverse effect on health; drug abuse is dangerous and these should be avoided for sound health, he said.

He explained that the group embarked on the campaign to sensitise the community and particularly the commercial drivers against all forms of drug abuse in order to ensure the peace and safety of the entire members of the community.

We dont intend to stop there, as we are planning to organise more campaigns across the country.

The campaign is a continuous thing and it will dwell more on consumption of various prohibited substances by Nigerians, he said.

He said that circulation of hard drugs was actually high in rapidly developing cities, including the FCT.

The President of the organisation, however, said that the group would ensure that prohibited substance was not found in the territory, adding that the aim of the organsation was to ensure a society free of drug abuse.

He appealed to the residents of the FCT to join hands with the organisation and relevant agencies to ensure a responsible society free of social vices.

Source: NAN