Obasanjo to chair LASU 22nd convocation lecture
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nan reports that the senior staff association of nigerian universities ssanu the national association academic technologists naat and the non-academic staff union nasu embarked on an indefinite strike on december 4 2017 under the aegis of joint action committee jac1 by rukayat adeyemi1 the universitys spokesman mr adekoya martins made the disclosure in aninterview with the news agency of nigeria nan on friday1 martins said that arrangements for 20162017 convocation were in top gear1 he said that obasanjo would be the chairman of the convocation lecture to be delivered on may 22 by prof. abubakar rasheed executive secretary national universities commission1 according to the spokesman the lecture is entitled role of education in promoting social cohesion and peace opportunities and challenges for nigeria1 he noted that lasu held convocations in march saying that the 2018 edition was rescheduled due a nationwide strike by non-academic university workers1 former president olusegun obasanjo is to chair the 22nd convocation lecture of the lagos state university lasu as the institutionplans students graduation formay 23 and may 241 the union blamed the strike on governments non-implementation of some parts of an agreement it had with jac on sept. 20 20171 following understanding jac had with agreement the government the workers however suspended the strikeon march 151 martins told nan that activities heralding the convocation would beginon may 171 he told nan that the convocation cup competition for staff would take place on may 17 jumat service may 18 and a special thanksgiving service may 201 there will be coconut breaking festival and command performance on may 21 according to martins1 the official told nan that award of first degrees in all faculties would take place on may 23 while higher degrees and honorary doctorate degrees would be awarded on may 241

Court orders Kogi govt to pay civil servants salary
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the court went further to order the restoration of the claimants monthly salary of n153298 from march 2014 till date within one month1 by glory abuh-adejoh1 onoja had approached the court to seek redress when he was told that his salary was stopped because he had attained the compulsory retirement age1 justice david isele in his judgment held that evidence before the court showed that the claimant had not reached the mandatory retirement age of 601 isele also said neither has the claimant spent 35 years in service as required by civil service rule before retirement1 the national industrial court abuja on friday ordered the kogi government to pay a civil servant ameh onoja whose salary was stopped in march 20141 daniel onuh the claimants counsel told the court that his client was born on oct. 1 19601 onuh also said the claimant joined the civil service in 1983 as a class teacher with the benue government and in 1995 transferred his service to kogi1 onuh said his client is still serving as the vice principal academics of ogugu community secondary school in olamaboro local govt. area of kogi state1 he said since no disciplinary action has been instituted against the claimant for any misconduct and he has not received any dismissal letter he is entitled to his salary from when it was stopped till date1 also joined in the suit are the kogi civil service and ministry of justice1

My husband denies me sex, practises juju, woman tells court
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in addition my husband stopped having sex with me ever since i gave birth to my baby who is a year and six months old now1 by blessing ibegbu1 ekpa told the court that her pastor husband gideon adejoh had ruined their marriage and killed the love she had for him1 she said that she married adejoh on april 18 2015 according to native laws and custom of the igala people in kogi1 she said that the union was blessed with a child1 shortly after our marriage my husband began to do awful things in the house like practicing juju and seeking extra-powers1 a housewife mrs sandra ekpa on friday begged an upper area court in mararaba nasarawa state to dissolve her three-year-old marriage because her husband allegedly practices juju and also denies her sex1 i have made all efforts to see that he changed for good but all proved abortive rather he kept telling me to pack and go if i cannot stay1 the divorce-seeking woman told court that there was no longer love in the marriage and as such i cannot continue again because i have lost the love and affection i had for him1 she pleaded for immediate dissolution of the marriage and for the court to grant her custody of the only child from the union1 ekpa also asked the court to compel the respondent to pay her n30 000 monthly for the childs upkeep1 however adejoh denied the allegations pleading with court to give him time to enable him and his wife to discuss and appraise the issues1 the presiding judge mr ibrahim shekarau adjourned the case until may 3 to allow the parties settle out of court1

Man flogged in court for stealing fan
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a kubwa grade 1 area court on friday sentenced 30-year-old man musa jimoh to five strokes of the cane for stealing a standing fan1 the judge mohammed marafa however warned jimoh who was charged with one count of theft to be of good behaviour and to desist from committing crime1 earlier the prosecutor babajide olanipekun had told the court that jimoh dishonestly stole a binatone standing fan from peace mass transit company mpape abuja on april 81 olanipekun said that jimoh took the fan to byazhin kubwa abuja in an attempt to sell it but was caught and arrested on april 10 and the fan recovered from him1 he said that the offence contravened section 286 of the penal code1 jimoh pleaded for leniency saying that he stole the fan in order to use the proceeds to travel for his late mothers burial1

Saraki visits the injured staff during NASS invasion
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saraki9 ekweremadu told state house correspondent that the briefing was aimed at preventing future occurrence of such act in the legislature to forestall breakdown of law and order2 national assembly invasion1

Breaking: Trump invites Buhari to Washington
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nigerian president muhammadu buhari will be the guest of us president donald trump on 30 april in washington the white house announced on sunday1 according to the statement trump will discuss issues such as promoting economic growth and fighting terrorism with buhari1 the relationship of the united states with nigeria is deep and strong and nigerias economic growth security and leadership in africa will advance our mutual prosperity the statement said1 nigeria has been combating the terrorist organization boko haram since 20091 the state department under trump approved the sale of 12 high-technology attack planes and equipment worth 600 million to nigeria last year after the obama administration halted the sale because of accusations that nigerias air force was bombing civilians1 the scheduled meeting will be the second between the two leaders. last year september the two leaders met on the sidelines of the united nations general assembly during a luncheon trump held for a select group of african leaders1 president buhari who came to power in 2015 announced last week monday that he plans to seek reelection in 20191 the nigerian leader who left abuja for the u.k. on monday will attend the commonwealth heads of government summit which begins in london on 18 april and ends on 20 april1

Breaking: FG releases fresh 23 PDP looters
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7. air marshal adesola amosun n21.4 billion. n2.8 billion recovered in cash. 28 properties and 3 vehicles also recovered1 the federal government has reacted to the barrage of attacks by some of the named treasury looters and has gone further to name 23 others most of them members of the peoples democratic party1 mohammed also said those complaining that the list was too short apparently did not understand that it was strategically released as a teaser1 at the press conference where the list was released i did say it was a tip of the iceberg. apparently this does not mean anything to people whose style is to comment on issues they barely understand or just to shoot down anything coming from the government he said adding that the federal government has a large number of alleged looters on its list.1 alhaji mohammed slammed the pdp for daring to challenge the federal government over an issue that the party knows is its weakness looting of public treasury.1 what was the pdp expecting when it challenged the fg to name the looters of the public treasury under the partys watch did the pdp actually believe that the massive looting under its watch was a joke did they think it is april fool he queried.1 the minister said the pdps reaction to the looters list has shown that its recent apology is an election-induced act contrived to deceive unsuspecting nigerians to vote for the party in the 2019 general election even when it has not come clean on its looting spree during its time in office1 the hysterical and panicky reaction from the pdp has shown that the party is not at all sincere about its choreographed apology. were it not the case the party would have followed in the footsteps of one of its leaders senator ibrahim mantu who simply owned up to his role in the partys rigging in the past elections and said he had turned a new leaf.1 it is said that a true confession is done in humility with an attitude of repentance. it is clear that the pdp does not know this hence its resort to hubris instead of humility and genuine penitence he said.1 alhaji mohammed said the federal government will neither be intimidated nor blackmailed into silence adding that it will also not rest until all those who looted the public treasury have been brought to justice.1 second batch of alleged looters and the amount allegedly embezzled1 1. former nsa sambo dasuki based on efcc investigations and findings alone this is beside the ongoing 2.1billion military equipment scandal a total of n126 billion over 1.5 billion and 5.5 million british pounds was embezzled through his office. a good number of these monies were simply shared to persons and companies without any formal contract awards.1 2. former petroleum resources minister dieziani alison-madukwe in just one of the cases the efcc is investigating involving her about n23 billion is alleged to have been embezzled. she is also involved in the strategic alliance contracts of the nnpc where the firms of jide omokore and kola aluko got oil blocks but never paid government taxes and royalty. about 3 billion was involved. the federal government is charging omokore and aluko and will use all legal instruments local and international t1 3. rtd. lt.-gen. kenneth minimah n13.9 billion. n4.8 billion recovered by efcc in cash and property1 4. lt.-gen. azubuike ihejirika n4.5 billion. n29m recovered by the efcc so far1 5. alex barde former chief of defence staff n8 billion and efcc recovered almost n4 billion in cash and property already1 6. inde dikko former cg customs n40 billion and n1.1 billion in cash recovered in cash and choice properties1 in a press statement minister of information and culture alhaji lai mohammed said the list of alleged looters which government released on friday was based on verifiable facts including the amount involved the date the amount in question was collected and from where it was taken.read1 8. senator bala mohammed former fct minister n5 billion. interim forfeiture order on some property secured1 9. senator stella oduah n9.8 billion. interim forfeiture order on some property secured1 10. former niger state governor babangida aliyu n1.6 billion from nsa1 11. senator jonah jang former plateau state governor n12.5 billion1 12. bashir yuguda former minister of state for finance n1.5 billion. 829800 recovered1 13. senator peter nwaboshi n1.5 billion1 14. aliyu usman former nsa dasukis aide n512 million1 15. ahmad idris former nsa dasukis pa n1.5 billion1 16. rasheed ladoja former oyo governor n500 million1 17. tom ikimi n300 million1 18. femi fani-kayode n866 million1 19. hassan tukur former pps to president goodluck 1.7 million1 20. nenadi usman n1.5 billion1 21. benedicta iroha n1.7 billion1 22. aliyu usman jawaz close ally of former nsa dasuki n882 million1 23. godknows igali over n7 billion1

John Yusuf pension thief to refund N22.9b, jailed 6 years
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that since the 90th day was a sunday and by virtue of s. 15 5 of interpretation act a sunday is a holiday the next day which the notice of appeal was filed is within time hence the appeal is competent and is therefore allowed1 john yusuf the pension thief who five years ago was given a slap on the wrist by justice abubakar talba of the federal capital territory high court for stealing n32.8billion police pension money has finally gotten his deserved sanctions1 justice talba had sentenced him to two years in jail with the option of paying a fine of n750000. the judgment triggered national outrage1 the ruling by the appellate court was the climax of the appeal by the economic and financial crimes commission which on april 26 2013 approached the appellate court to set aside the judgment of the lower court1 the five grounds of the appeal bordered on the exercise of discretion of the judge in imposing sentence on the respondent who pleaded guilty to the three count charge in which he admitted converting an aggregate sum of over n24 billion of police pension fund into his personal use1 the efcc asked the appeal court to decide whether the trial judge exercised his discretion judicially and judiciously when having convicted the respondent of a three count charge of conversion of over n3billion contrary to section 309 of the penal code his lordship imposed two years imprisonment with an option of fine of n250 000 on each of the three counts1 yusufs lawyers on 10 june 2015 raised a preliminary objection on the competence of the appeal for which they argued that the notice of appeal was filed outside the mandatory 90 days and therefore in contravention of s. 242b of the court of appeal act 2010 as amended and therefore urged the court to dismiss the appeal1 the justices of the court of appeal dismissed the preliminary objection on the grounds that having considered the computation of time volunteered by both parties the question to be answered was whether the day the judgment of the trial court was delivered was to be inclusive in the computation of the mandatory 90 days for which a notice of appeal was to be filed1 that the day the judgment of the trial court was delivered being the 28january 2013 was not to be included in the computation of the 90 days1 that since the day of the judgment is not included the 90 days starts running from the 29january 2013 and the 90day will fall on a sunday1 that by virtue of s. 152 of the interpretation act cap 123 where the last day is a holiday the counting shall continue until the end of the next following day which is not a holiday1 a three-man panel of the court of appeal abuja division headed by justice abdul aboki on wednesday jailed him six years and also asked him to refund n22.9billion1 ruling on the substantive matter the justice emmanuel agim who delivered the unanimous judgement of the court of appeal held that the three counts involving the respondent counts 17 18 and 19 clearly stated the amounts for which the appellant alleged that the respondent converted for his personal use1 the judges ruled that since the respondent pleaded guilty to the three counts and thereby admitted to the conversion of an aggregate sum of about n24billion to his personal use the judgement of the lower court was light lenient and the fine unreasonably low1 they therefore ruled that the sentence of the lower court does not serve as deterrence to both the convict and others. consequently they ruled that the sentence is hereby quashed and deserves to be reviewed as follows1 on counts 17 the respondent is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment with an addition of fine of n20billion naira1 on counts 18 the respondent is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment with an addition of fine of 1.4billion naira1 on counts 19 the respondent is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment with an addition of fine of 1.5billion naira1 the prison sentence will run consecutively and the fine is to be cumulative1 in a related development the supreme court on march 9 dismissed the appeal by onyia ifeanyi seeking to upturn his conviction and sentence to 7 years imprisonment on november 28 2013 by the federal high court enugu presided over by justice m.l. shuaibu as he then was for the offence of obtaining by false pretence and being in possession of documents containing false pretence1 dissatisfied with his conviction the appellant had lodged an appeal against it at the enugu division of the court of appeal which affirmed the decision of the trial court1 still not satisfied with the decision of the appellate court the convict proceeded to the supreme court. the apex court in a unanimous judment on march 9 affirmed the decision of the court of appeal1

Military kills one insurgent, repels others
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one insurgent has been killed in a successful operation to repel rampaging boko haram at gamboru-ngala in borno1 brig.-gen. texas chukwu the director army public relations in a statement said that several others fled in the operation1 chukwu said troops of 3 battalion on operation lafiya dole had successfully repelled boko haram terrorists attack at gamboru ngala borno state1 one boko haram terrorist was neutralised during the encounter while other members of the group fled following a superior fire power from the troops1 unfortunately one soldier lost his life during the attack1 chukwu disclosed that the troops recovered one rocket propelled gun seven tube one anti aircraft gun two ak 47 rifles and two empty magazines1 the army spokesman called on the people to cooperate with troops provide useful and timely information to security agencies. nan1

Cancer prevention, treatment: Toyin Saraki hosts stakeholders
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i would want to quote margaret meade in saying we must never doubt the power of a small group of people united with a common purpose and our purpose is to prevent cancer detect cancer and provide infrastructures to be able to respond to the needs of our people in relation to all types of cancer2 in a bid to create awareness for the prevention early detection and control of cancer the founder-president wellbeing foundation africa mrs toyin saraki hosted key stakeholders to a meeting to review the cancer assessment report2 the rapid assessment of the prevention and control of cancer in nigeria report is a collaborative study undertaken by the wellbeing foundation africa with support from amref health africa2 speaking at the vent mrs saraki who is the wife of the president of the nigerian senate told the stakeholders that she was optimistic that the review meeting will proffer solutions that can key into the national cancer control plan2 i want to thank everyone who has made this event possible and i believe that those of us present can harness our wealth of knowledge to key into the national cancer control plan2 we must teach our people and engage them to stop high risk behaviours and to be best positioned to detect cancer at the early stage when it is most cost-effective to treat2 the biggest challenge in development is transforming global goals and national goals into grassroots actions2 the meeting which held in abuja brought together minister of state for health dr. osagie ehanire the vice-chairman senate committee on health senator clifford odiar the west africa regional director amref dr. sylla thiam the country director janssen pharmaceutical companies of johnson and johnson mitchelle akande among others2 i would like to again thank everyone present amref health africa for your partnership and the federal ministry of health for giving civil society such a role in taking the traction from what you have begun she said2 mrs saraki who was recently named by devex as a global uhc champion and global goodwill ambassador for the international confederation of midwives icm urged the stakeholders to come up with recommendations that will help address the problem of cancer in nigeria2 also speaking at the opening of the meeting the minister of state for health dr osagie ehanire said that the government was currently pushing to strengthen the training of cancer-related healthcare workers2 he said that it was the plan of government to improve infrastructure and strengthen service delivery for cancer care including prevention and palliative care2 we welcome inter-sectoral collaborations as well as partnerships with local and global stakeholders in order to improve awareness and information on preventive practices as well as encouraging early diagnosis and management of all cancers he said2 dr. sylla thiam of amref she commended wellbeing foundation africa for carrying out the study stressing that the timing was very apt considering that the disease has taken a toll on the country2

Kaduna Electoral Commission building on fire
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fire on saturday razed the two-storey building of kaduna state independent electoral commission kadsiecom few weeks before the local government election in the state2 the election in the 23 lgs and 255 wards has been scheduled for may 122 eye witness told the news agency of nigeria nan that the huge fire was noticed around 11 24 a.m. on top of the building located along sokoto road gra kaduna2 ibrahim musa told nan the huge flames followed a thick smoke that was noticed from the top floor of the building earlier2 the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained even as fire fighting officials were seen putting out the fire2 the agency had said it procured six thousand electronic machines and card readers for the may 12 lgs elections2 as at press time chairperson of the commission mrs saratu dikko who arrived at the commissions premises with other officials declined to comment2

Photo News: Adeosun, Elumelu, others at IMF/World Bank meeting
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the minister of finance mrs kemi adeosun and the central bank governor on sunday left nigeria for washington dc to join other economic experts from around the world in discussing issues affecting global economy3 the discussions is taking place under the auspices of the world bank group and the international monetary fund imf3 the spring meetings of the imf and the world bank will bring together central bankers ministers of finance and development parliamentarians private sector executives representatives from civil society organisations and academics3 they will discuss issues of global concern including the world economic outlook poverty eradication economic development and aid effectiveness3 also featured are seminars regional briefings press conferences and many other events focused on the global economy international development and the worlds financial system3 below are some pictures from the meeting3

Enugu LG Chair promises electricity to all households
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ezinwa said that with constant electricity the issue of pipe-borne water would be tackled as there would be electricity to power generating sets in mini-water schemes in the council area3 mr chukwudi ezinwa the chairman of ezeagu local government in enugu state says his priority is to provide electricity to all households in the council area3 according to him he has made contact with the enugu electricity distribution company eedc and other rural electrification agencies and partners on how best to achieve this within record time3 my foremost priority now is to improve the infrastructure of the council area especially the extension of electricity from one community to another3 this will ensure that areas not currently energised in the council area would be energised with electricity so that the lives of rural dwellers can be touched he said3 ezinwa made the promise in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan on saturday in enugu3 the chairman said he would also focus on staff welfare and education during his two-year tenure3 he said that there must be a harmonious relationship between the government and its staff because the workers being the creator of the wealth must work hand together with the government to move the administration forward3 no government can survive without taking adequate care of its staff3 another area of importance to my administration is education. most of the primary schools in the council area are dilapidated3 they need effective renovation for us to put them to normal shape so that pupils can go back to the classrooms and learn like their counterparts in the cities he said3

23 cultists, 15 vandals in trouble
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the goc further said that the troops of the 81 division also raided some suspected pipeline vandals at ilara and imagbon areas of ikorodu to stop them from vandalising the countrys pipelines3 the nigerian army has arrested 23 suspected cultists who were conducting physical training for new recruits and initiation and involved in robbery and kidnapping3 maj.-gen. enobong udoh the general officer commanding goc 81 division of the nigerian army reported at a news conference at the 174 battalion ikorodu area of lagos on saturday3 udoh was represented by the brigade commander brig.-gen. moundhey ali3 the goc who said the suspects were arrested at different times and locations explained that the arrests were a result of intensive surveillance and intelligence report3 in continuation of the crackdown on criminal elements and cultists in and around lagos and ogun states the troops of 81 division arrested 23 suspected cultists in ikorodu area on april 163 over 50 suspected cultists from eiye confraternity were conducting physical training for new recruits initiation and planning for robbery and kidnap activities3 their arrest was preceded by a shootout between the troops of 174 battalion ikorodu and the cultists after which 23 of the suspected cultists were arrested while others escaped he said3 the goc said that two of the suspects sustained gunshot wounds adding that one of the suspected newly-recruited cultists died as a result of injuries inflicted on him during the cult initiation3 however one of our gallant soldiers while combatting the cultists sustained a gunshot wound on his left leg during the encounter and was immediately evacuated3 the soldier and the 2 wounded cultists are receiving treatment at the battalions medical reception station3 items recovered from the suspects include one locally-made double barrel pistol five live cartridges five machetes four jack knives two table knives three locally-fabricated axes with nail like edges and five mobile phones3 also recovered from them are one parcel containing substance suspected to be indian hemp. others are two atm cards eight identity cards nine passport photographs packets of condom rings and a variety of charms he said3 the army also arrested 15 other persons suspected to be pipeline vandals and recovered 31 jerry cans of refined petroleum products in the process3 the suspected vandals armed with ak-47 rifles fired sporadically and fled on sighting the troops3 during the operation sabotaged portions of the nigerian national petroleum corporation nnpc pipelines were observed in imoro creek in imagbon3 items recovered from them include one wooden boat 40 empty jerry cans each weighing 50 litres and a 1000-metre-long hose ostensibly used in siphoning products by the suspected vandals3 the recovered items were destroyed and no arrest was made udoh said3 the goc also said that seven impersonators were arrested alongside eight suspected vandals on april 17 in lagos and ogun states3 while on anti-bunkering patrol along imoro creek in ikorodu troops discovered sabotaged points along the nnpc pipeline including a loading area in the creek for siphoned products where eight suspected vandals were arrested3 items recovered from them include 10 vehicles 31 jerry cans loaded with refined products 77 empty jerry cans three coolers nine mobile phones and substances suspected to be hard drugs3 another set of 1320 empty jerry cans were also discovered and destroyed3 in addition seven suspected impostors were arrested by troops while on operation checkmate he said3 udoh expressed appreciation to the general public and particularly the people of lagos and ogun states for their continuous cooperation3 he urged them to always give timely information that would help the division in its operations3 he pledged not to relent until the area of responsibility of the division was completely rid of all forms of cultism vandalism and other violent criminal activities and elements3 the suspects are undergoing preliminary investigation after which they will be handed over to the appropriate security agencies for further investigations and prosecution he said. nan3

Buhari: Gani Fawehinmi was a pacesetter
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in 1984 when lawyers in nigeria boycotted the anti-corruption tribunals set up by the buhari led military regime to try corrupt politicians fawehinmi decided to appear before the tribunals. consequentlyhe was isolated by the nigerian bar association. but gani was undeterred3 as part of the posthumous celebration of the human rights advocate the lagos state government will unveil a new statue in his honour at the gani fawehinmi memorial park in ojota3

Crisis rocks Ekiti delegates congress of PDP
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the major gladiators are governor fayose former minister of works mr. dayo adeyeye and senator representing ekiti south sen. abiodun olujimi3 by ariwodola idowu3 aluko was beaten up by persons suspected to be political thugs over allegation that he was working against ikere agenda fashioned by gov. ayo fayose in support of his deputy prof kolapo olusola3 aluko who led a group of youth to the secretariat of the party to register his protest over alleged subversion of the oppositions will was chased away from the congress3 the supporter of former works minister mr dayo adeyeye was beaten with canes and cudgels and his sparkling apparel heavily stained3 aluko accused the deputy governor and a member of the house of assembly representing ikere constituency 1 mr. wale ayeni as the masterminds of the attack3 our group won election at ogbonjana ward 7 and we were rejoicing only for these thugs to pounce on me and started beating me3 i have reported the case to the police and proper action will be taken against the sponsors he added3 the fragile peace brokered recently in the party broke down as the political gladiators squared up in virtually all the 177 wards where elected delegates were expected to emerge preparatory for the may 8 governorship primary3 crisis on saturday rocked the delegates congress of the peoples democratic party pdp in ekiti leading to an attack on a former chairman of ikere local gvernment mr. mr banji aluko3 they engaged in battle of wits in the delegates election3 while fayose is backing his deputy olusola to succeed him in the july 14 governorship poll the duo of adeyeye and olujimi were also contesting the same seat3 adeyeye described the congress as a charade calling for outright cancellation of the exercise to prevent anarchy3 adeyeye said the election was brazenly manipulated in all the 177 wards accusing the leaders of pdp ad hoc committees sent to the 16 local governments of diverting the materials meant for the election3 former senate president david mark led other top hierarchy of the party to conduct the congress3 the national chairman of the pdp chief uche secondus and members of the national working committee as well as senator mark were in ado ekiti last wednesday to mediate between the opposing camps3 tension was particularly high in ikere ekiti hometown of the fayoses deputy as factions fought over the control of the ikere local government delegates in all the eleven wards in the council3 adeyeye who spoke through his media assistant niyi ojo said there was no election anywhere in the state. those loyal to fayose sat somewhere and wrote the list of delegates3 what really marvelled us was that the committees sent by the national headquarters to conduct the election didnt go to the wards they diverted he alleged nan3

Buhari returns to Abuja from London
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kifordu said nigeria is attractive to investors because of buharis fight against corruption in the country4 he claimed that the previous administration gave room for rot and corrupt activities4 we have a president in nigeria that people can look at and trust that if i invest in nigeria my investment will not be stolen4 when we talk of security he has done security in terms of boko haram and in terms of the niger delta he said4 explaining further how president buhari is resetting the country kifordu said it is the primary role of the police and not the military to protect nigerian citizens and president buhari is enforcing this4 the police is the number one organisation that takes care of our security. it is only when we are under attack that the military comes in4 in past years we have seen the issue when the military jumps on board without paying regard to the police. then suddenly when something happens in nigeria mr president says deploy the police people are saying dont deploy the police4 however an earlier statement in abuja by the presidents senior special assistant on media and publicity malam garba shehu said the shell investment ventures would lay the foundation for the next 20 years production and domestic gas supply bringing with it all the attendant benefits both to the economy and the wider society3 but like oliver twist we ask for more investments. we are encouraging more british companies to come to nigeria3 we appreciate the support you have given in training and equipping our military particularly in the war against insurgency but we want to also continue to work with you on trade and investment3 buhari also briefed the prime minister on the strides in agriculture which he said had put nigeria firmly on the road to food self-sufficiency3 i am very pleased with the successes in agriculture. we have cut rice importation by about 90 per cent made lots of savings of foreign exchange and generated employment3 people had rushed to the cities to get oil money at the expense of farming. but luckily they are now going back to the farms. even professionals are going back to the land3 we are making steady progress on the road to food security he said3 the president recalled that the all progressives congress-led government had campaigned on three major issues to secure the country revive the economy and fight corruption3 according to him as the 2019 general election approaches politicians are already pre-occupied with the polls while he is bothered more about security and the economy3 we have elections next year politicians are already pre-occupied with the polls but i am bothered more about security and the economy he stressed3 prime minister may in her remarks said britain would continue to work with nigeria in the areas of training and equipping the military3 she also said that her country would continue to assist nigeria on the rehabilitation of abducted schoolgirls freed from by boko haram3 on april 18 president buhari delivered his keynote address at the commonwealth business forum at guildhall london where he enjoined leaders of the commonwealth to avoid trade wars and work collectively to preserve the global trading order3 the commonwealth business forum cbf with the theme making business easier between commonwealth countries was part of events at this years commonwealth heads of state meeting chogm- 253 president buhari said if we are to make business easier between our countries and going beyond the commonwealth we must avoid trade wars and work collectively to preserve the global trading order support regional initiatives as well as support domestic structural reforms that focus on the priorities of individual countries3 he reiterated his belief in wealth creation and employment opportunities within the commonwealth3 president buhari called on the members of the commonwealth business forum and prospective investors to participate in the 2018 uknigeria trade and investment forum at the london stock exchange3 the president also met with the chief executive officer of royal dutch shell plc mr ben van beurden in connection with shell and other partners plan to invest 15b in nigerias oil industry3 nan observed that no statement was issued on the outcome of the meeting which was held behind closed doors3 the president on april 9 left abuja for london after he announced his intention to seek re-election in the 2019 general election3 president buhari also met with the archbishop of canterbury his grace justin welby and chieftain of the all progressives congress apc asiwaju bola tinubu in london3 archbishop welby said it was always a delight to see president buhari whom i have tremendous respect for3 you have my best wishes on your recent decision. i read your declaration speech3 we are neutral as a church but we will pray for you. great statesmen are those who run for the good of their country. we will be praying for you3 the archbishop presented president buhari with a copy of his recent book reimagining britain. foundations for hope3 president buhari on april 15 received members of the buhari diaspora support organisation led by mr charles sylvester. he reassured the group that his administration would always justify the trust and confidence reposed in it by nigerians3 he saidwe will do our best to justify your trust in us and that confidence wont be abused3 i am happy that people like you are here on your own defending the country. you have shown courage and sacrifice3 i assure you that your confidence in us wont be abused we will do our best to justify it3 president buhari also said that nigeria was gifted with tremendous human and natural resources but regretted that the failure of some of the leadership we had in the past led to our not being able to capitalise on resources to improve the lot of the people3 the president said his administration has not done too badly benchmarked against the state of the nation in 20153 he explained that government was doing its best to recover looted funds noting however that it was impossible to identify and recover all the loots3 nan reports that the presidents visit to london witnessed various rallies in support of his administration3 on april 20 some nigerians converged in front of the nigerian high commission in london to rally in support of the apc-led federal government3 the president is resetting the country on the path of growth and development said mr. stephen kifordu from delta state the leader of the group3 according to him there is no credible alternative to buhari and vice president yemi osinbajo in the 2019 election noting that the group represents the aspiration of many nigerians who want progress for nigeria3 president muhammadu buhari has returned to abuja after his visit to the united kingdom where he held bilateral talks on nigeria british relations and also participated in the commonwealth heads of government meeting chogm3 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the presidential aircraft which left london at about 1p.m.nigerian time landed at the presidential wing of the nnamdi azikiwe international airport abuja at about 7.10p.m3 president buhari was received at the airport by service chiefs minister of the federal capital territory alhaji muhammed bello and chief of staff to the president malam abba kyari3 others at the airport to welcome the president included the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity malam garba shehu and other presidential aides3 while in london president buhari on april 16 held bilateral talks with british prime minister theresa may where he asked for more british investments in nigeria3 buhari commended british companies unilever cadbury and many others3 the president noted that the companies had stood with nigeria through thick and thin. he said they remained in nigeria even when the country fought a civil war3 president buhari is resetting our country. he is bringing us back to the way things should be3 this support rally came 24 hours after a group bearing biafran flags staged a protest in front of the commonwealth house in westminister london3

Manchester United break Spurs hearts for FA Cup final
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manchester united inflicted more fa cup semi-final misery on tottenham hotspur as they recovered from a poor start to win 2-1 at a packed wembley stadium on saturday3 tottenham playing on the ground which has been their temporary home all season got off to a dream start3 dele alli scored from close range but alexis sanchez equalised with a header and ander herrera fired uniteds winner midway through the second half3 while united can look forward to the prospect of finishing the season with some silverware tottenham must pick themselves up after an eighth successive fa cup semi-final loss3 the usual spursy argument will be made and there will come a point when this undoubtedly talented side must back up the bouquets it gets with actual trophies the true currency of success3 spurs flew out of the blocks but simply could not put united away and there was an air of desperation and frustration3 there was also the questions of pochettinos decision to persist with michel vorm in goal and keep first-choice hugo lloris on the bench3 while it is harsh to place defeat solely at vorms door he certainly could have done better with herreras winner3 harry kane could not find his usual sure touch and son heung-min superb this season had one of those days when nothing went right3 standing between united and a record-equalling 13th fa cup triumph will be chelsea or southampton who play on sunday3

Sex-for-marks girl Monica Osagie speaks
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let the university do what they are supposed to do by giving her proper invitation. they have all her records because she is their student. the panel has never invited her so when the panel invites her today she would come2 miss monica osagie the student at the centre of a sex-for-mark scandal rocking the obafemi awolowo university ile-ife has denied shunning an invitation by the panel probing her audio tapes of her conversation with disgraced professor richard akindele who demanded five rounds of sex for marks2 her proxy abiola akiyode-afolabi founder women advocates research and documentation centre a non-profit organisation said that the university did not at any point invite miss osagie to face the panel2 she challenged the university to bring evidence that she was formally invited by any means to appear before the panel2 before the matter went viral the university was aware of it and they did not do anything. if the case did not go viral the university probably would have not done anything and it would have been swept under the carpet2 i think that we should focus more on whether the act of that professor amounts to sexual harassment whether it was a breach of the schools code of conduct whether it was a breach of terms of contract for lecturers or whether he abused the relationship that should exist between lecturers and students2 afolabi stated that the university should be responsible and responsive in addressing issues of sexual harassment because miss osagie is ready to come out whenever the university extends a proper invitation to her adding that it appears the school wants to protect its reputation at the expense of the young lady2 she made the denial via proxy and said she was awaiting an invitation by the panel the saturday sun newspaper reported2 akiyode-afolabi further noted that even though miss osagie made the recording to serve as evidence against her lecturer she didnt release the audio. she got the evidence and it was given to one or two people when she was seeking for help. so definitely one of them released the audio and she cannot be blamed for it2 akiyode-afolabi stated that there has not been any threat made against monica. we are not comfortable with the university saying they invited her when they didnt invite her. her name is already out the whole world is aware so we cannot say because of security and safety we wont allow the truth to prevail2 according to the panel report only the suspended lecturer honoured its invitation while the lady neither showed up before the panel to defend her case nor wrote a formal complaint to the institution to defend the leaked audio2 we will like to reiterate that oau will continue to do everything legally and morally acceptable in pursuance of its avowed commitment to zero tolerance for sexual harassment intimidation and or coercion the universitys vice-chancellor prof eyitope ogunbodede said in a statement2 akiyode-afolabi said monica hasnt done anything wrong and is unapologetic about what she did2 i think society should focus on what really happened and whether such should happen in higher institutions of learning and not about what she did2

Al Jazeera: Buharis school feeding revolutionises education
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this has created a well-structured market for the farmers since they now know how much to produce and when it is needed said tinuola shopeju oguns programme manager3 dozens of children cheer at the baptist nursery and primary school compound in bode-ijaiye suburb of abeokuta city the capital of ogun state as their friends try to outpace each other on a 100-metre dash in a dusty field3 away from the laughter and shouts of encouragement on the field four female cooks with aprons on top of traditional indigo-dyed adire gowns ladle porridge mixed with vegetables and fish into hundreds of stainless steel bowls with lids3 as the cooks ambled into a nearby classroom and began to place bowls on wooden desks the 64 pupils remained quiet. after the dish was served the students stood and began to sing bless this food o lord for christ sake amen. then they sat down and began to eat3 i want to say a big thank you to the federal government of nigeria and the ogun state government for providing food for us 10-year-old ramon samuel told al jazeera before opening the lid on his bowl3 samuel and his classmates receive free meals every school day thanks to a national programme which aims to provide nutritious meals to young schoolchildren in order to increase enrolment help them stay in school and reduce malnutrition particularly among children from low-income families3 the home grown school feeding initiative a movement launched in 2003 is driven by national governments to improve the lives of schoolchildren and farmers alike. it is practised across the continent including in ghana kenya mali ethiopia namibia botswana ivory coast and south africa3 the concept is not confined just to the continent as brazil japan and italy have similar programmes aimed at keeping children fed while promoting local agriculture3 though the scheme began in december 2016 in nigeria it is not entirely new here. nigerias former president olusegun obasanjo launched a pilot programme in 13 states in september 2005 but after a few years only southwestern osun state maintained it3 the school programme operates in 20 out of nigerias 36 states and has fed nearly seven million pupils in about 40000 public schools the programmes manager abimbola adesanmi told al jazeera. she said more than 68800 jobs have also been created through the initiative3 the plan was reintroduced by president muhammadu buhari in december 2016 as part of his administrations multi-million dollar national social investment programmes to address poverty hunger and unemployment in nigeria3 adeleke adewolu is the commissioner of special duties and inter-governmental affairs in ogun state. he said the meals are not only nutritious but also serve as a social safety net for low-income households3 if children eat nutritious food it will enhance their learning ability and this will have a knock-on effect on their cognitive development and help to encourage enrolment and retention adewolu said3 the programme provides income for thousands of people including farmers cooks recruited from local communities and those involved in the processing and transportation of food he said3 in ogun the coordinating team collaborated with the ministries of education health agriculture womens affairs and community development to divide farmers into cooperative groups and link them to about 3000 cooks who were trained and deployed to more than 1500 schools. farmers received training in seed quality and fertilisers to grow enough food to meet demand3 the cooks who are responsible for procuring ingredients for the daily meals are given a budget of 70 naira 0.23 per child each day. with help from the state government they received 57000 naira 188 in loans to purchase water drums pots bowls uniforms and cooking utensils3 it gives me great joy to help in feeding the children in baptist primary school said omole imoleayo who left a career in banking to join the programme. we receive our payment without delays and i have more time for my family now3 sourcing foods locally helps millions of small farmers who produce up to 90 percent of nigerias food but are mired in grinding poverty3 ogun state inter-school football and track-and-field competitions are just around the corner and teachers want to prepare the children physically and mentally for the task ahead3 shopeju said the initiative is a perfect model for addressing food insecurity and improving local agricultural production in nigeria which imports about 20bn worth of food annually3 the menu differs daily and every state adopts its own meal schedule. in ogun schoolchildren get rice stewed fish and beans but also delicacies such as ikokore a dish made from water yam3 deworming nigerias programme also offers health services including deworming children in public primary schools across 17 states. adesanmi said worms affect the health of schoolchildren potentially causing anaemia malnourishment and the impairment of mental and physical development.3 in the short term children with worms may be too sick or tired to attend school or to concentrate. basically we do not want to feed worms rather children she said3 teachers in ogun say the programme is not only helping young students stay in school but also attracting those from private schools. ogunkola adefunke deborah headteacher of baptist nursery and primary school said her pupils now come to classes regularly and are very punctual3 we have over 80 new pupils most of them came from private schools she said. before you hardly see parents coming here but now they come to ask us why their kids beg to be brought to school early and why they always return home with their pocket money3 deborah shared an anecdote of a boy who refused to go home even when he was sick because he didnt want to miss a meal3 rebecca faronbi 72 was devastated when her son died and left her with four grandchildren to take care of. her three-year-old granddaughter now receives the free meals at school3 until the feeding programme started i was struggling to feed the children. my granddaughter wakes me up before 7am and tells me she wants to go to school because she will get free food there faronbi said in the yoruba language which is widely spoken in southwestern nigeria3 rampant malnutrition research has shown that 42 percent of schoolchildren in nigeria suffer malnutrition and this has caused a high rate of absenteeism.3 unicef estimates about 2.5 million nigerian children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition each year with about half a million children dying from it3 with a quality assurance tracking system known as trackwithus the programme handlers have urged nigerians to visit nearby schools to check if meals meet the required standards and report any cooks who arent serving proper food3 several cooks were fired in southern cross river state last november for serving biscuits in lieu of meals3 the campaign has helped us track activities in schools and strengthened our existing monitoring and supervision mechanism adesanmi said. since there is a reward and sanction system in place we have been able to name and shame cooks who do not comply with our standards3 a major barrier to the programmes success is the inability of state governments to scale up the meals to senior classes in elementary schools. the federal government caters to pupils from grades 1 to 3 but with many states struggling to pay salaries pupils in higher grades are not being fed3 experts hope the government will not repeat the same mistakes made a decade ago when a combination of inadequate funding poor logistics and corruption crippled the scheme3 we need to promote community participation community ownership community implementation community monitoring strong institutional arrangements and multi-sector partnerships adesanmi said3