Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

By Friday Idachaba

Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), has scheduled Dec. 12, for conduct of elections into the 21 Local Government Areas in the state and presented a timetable and schedule of activities for the polls.

Mamman Nda-Eri, chairman of the Commission, disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting for the official declaration of Notice of Conduct of the elections on Wednesday in Lokoja.

Nda-Eri said that the commission which was inaugurated on March 11, had the core mandate to conduct free, fair and credible local government polls in the nearest time possible but was constrained by the COVID-19 pandemic.

I urge all of us to ensure the conduct of elections devoid of rancour and acrimony in our various domains. We will not only be unbiased but seen to be unbiased.

On our own path, we pledge our unalloyed loyalty to the people of Kogi to conduct free, fair and credible elections in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).

According to the time table and Schedule of Activities for the council polls presented by Nda-Eri, the activities started Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the stakeholders meeting.

He said that collection of nomination forms from political parties will start on Sept. 24, and end on Oct. 2, while Oct. 6, until Oct. 13, is scheduled for conduct of party primaries including resolution of disputes arising from such primaries.

This, according to him is to enable political parties to democratically nominate candidates for the elections as required by law adding that all issues relating to the primaries must be concluded on or before Oct. 13.

The commission chairman added that among other activities the last day for submission of names of polling agents by political parties would be Nov. 25, while Dec. 10, is the last day for political party campaigns.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ede Ayuba, assured that security agencies in the state would collectively provide the needed security and provide level playing ground for all candidates and parties.

We will be fair to everybody and to all and play the game by the rules and, except you contravene the provisions of the Electoral Act, will be friendly he said.

Chairman of the state Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Iliyasu Badanga urge the commission to maintain the highest level of probity and accountability to produce free, fair, credible and believable elections come Dec. 12.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olujumu of Ijumu, Oba Williams Ayeni; the Chairman of Jamatul Nasir Islam (JNI), Alhaji Isa Adeboye; and representative of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Idris Miliki; all called for conduct of free, fair and credible council elections. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Rev. Samson Ayokunle CAN president

By Imelda Osayande

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo chapter, in conjunction with the Light of Peace for Africa Foundation on Wednesday said it has slated Sept. 16, for fasting and prayers for the conduct of peaceful state elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the state governorship election is slated for Sept. 19.

The Chairman of the Association, Bishop Oyonnude Kure, who tagged the event, The Unbeatable God, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Benin ahead of the event.

Kure said there was the need for the heads of blocs and God fearing people in the state to come together in one voice to seek the face of God to avoid bloodshed and violence.

According to him, seeking Gods grace before, during and after the election cannot be overemphasised because a peaceful election is critical to the destiny of the citizens of the state.

CAN hereby calls on all churches, all pastors, all Christians, all God fearing and all good people of Edo for a one-day prayer and fasting for peaceful elections in Edo.

The prayer service is very crucial and critical to the destiny of the state.

We all in humility and reverence stand in prayers to call on God Almighty for divine intervention in His mercy and Almightiness for peace like a river in the state before, during and after elections, Kure said.

The leader of CAN described the Sept. 19, governorship elections as a very crucial moment in determining the destiny of the state bearing in mind the future of the state, and the future of its children.

He noted that integrity, faith and the sustainability of the developmental strides that had since placed the state in an enviable position in the comity of states of the Nigerian federation must be considered while casting the votes.

Bishop Kure urged the Christians and non Christians in the state to foster, promote and maintain peace in the land.

He also tasked them to vote wisely and conscientiously on the day of the election without any fear. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

FBN holdings

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

FBNQuest Funds, the merchant banking and asset management arm of FBN Holdings Plc, on Wednesday said that it had invested over N20 billion in private equity since 2003.

The companys Vice President, Alternative Investments, Mr Christian Ekpo, disclosed this at a virtual FBNQuest engagement session organised to provide some industry insights into its business.

Incorporated in 2003, FBNQuest Funds is an alternative investments platform of FBNQuest.

The company is one of the oldest private equity firms in Nigeria originally created to manage a pool of funds set aside by FirstBank for SME investment.

Ekpo said that the private equity firm had invested over N20 billion in roughly 70 companies and assets across portfolios since inception in 2003.

Since our inception in 2003, we have deployed in excess of N20 billion in over 70 companies and assets across various portfolios.

We partner with our portfolio companies in delivering growth, capital and providing value creation support through revenue enhancement, margin improvements and capital efficiency.

Our asset mix is comprised of investments in real estate, direct private equity investments, venture capital funds and third party managed equity.

The asset mix gives us exposure to high growth sectors like real estate, hospitality, leasing, technology and consumer business, Ekpo added.

On the outlook of the equities market for H2 2020, Mr Tunde Abidoye, FBNQuest Head Equity Research, said the fragility still exists.

Abidoye observed that companies and entities were still vulnerable to any macro shock in the environment.

Banks have structured about 40 per cent of loan books but the possibility of these loans still existing is there despite forbearance packages, he said.

He urged investors to stake their funds in blue chip companies that would withstand macro economic shocks.

Abidoye said the most pressing challenges for banks were asset quality and rise in cost risk.

According to him, banks have to contend with downward pressure, following the subdued interest rate environment and regulatory fee cuts on e-banking transactions.

Banks have to contend with downward pressure on non interest margin following the subdued interest rate environment and regulatory induced fee cuts on e-banking transactions, he said.

Speaking on an overview of the Nigerian economy, Ms Chinwe Egwim, Senior Economist FBNQuest, said COVID-19 had presented the Federal Government with the opportunity to deliver in part on its mandate on fuel price deregulation and completion of core infrastructure projects.

Egwim said: Nigeria will have a recession in 2020 and a weak recovery next year. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Stock Exchange Market building Lagos

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) extended losing streak on Wednesday for the third consecutive days with the market capitalisation declining further by N38 billion.

The market capitalisation dipped N38 billion to close lower at N13.263 trillion compared with N13.301 trillion on Tuesday.

Also, NSE All-Share Index shed 72.41 points or 0.28 per cent to close at 25,424.91 points.

Similarly, the overall market capitalisation size shed N38 billion to close at N13.264 trillion.

The downturn was impacted by loses recorded in large and medium capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Okomu Oil, Unilever, Zenith Bank, C

Serena Williams

Serena Williams was forced to dig deep to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-2 U.S. Open quarter-final victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday.

The victory kept alive her latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.

Williams, a six-times champion in New York, struggled with Pironkovas slice forehand early and was at risk of her earliest U.S. Open exit in 14 years.

But that was until she used her experience to find a way back against a resurgent Pironkova.

Im happy to be standing here because at one point I was pretty close to not being here, Williams said during the on-court winners interview.

I keep fighting and thats one thing that I am super excited about. I never give up.

For Pironkova, who dropped to 0-5 in career head-to-head meetings with Williams, the loss marked the end of a surprise New York run.

This is in view of the fact that this was her first professional tournament since Wimbledon in 2017.

Pironkova was back after an absence of more than three years, during which she had a baby in early 2018.

She made a nice start as she consolidated a break to go ahead 4-2 in the first set.

After Williams saved two set-points on serve to pull within 4-5, the Bulgarian held her nerve and secured the opener with a backhand cross-court winner.

In the second, Williams won a 24-point rally.

It helped to break and open up a 5-3 lead and then, after falling behind 15-30 on her serve, fired three consecutive aces to force a decider.

Williams broke to start the third set in a game during which she even hit a left-handed shot, and never looked back as Pironkova suddenly started to run out of gas.

Definitely (I) was feeling it in my legs, Williams said of her flat start.

In the beginning I was a little bit fatigued for whatever reason. So, obviously I cant do that if I want to keep winning. So, I am going to try to figure that out.

Williams has been stuck on 23 Grand Slam singles titles, one shy of Margaret Courts record, since winning the 2017 Australian Open.

Up next for the 38-year-old Williams, who has been pushed to three sets in her last three victories, will be either Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens or former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in Thursdays semi-final. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has charged the Nigerian Army to sustain the current peace and security in the Niger Delta region.

Okowa gave the charge when Maj.-Gen. Olubunmi Irefin, the new General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port-Harcourt visited him in Asaba on Wednesday.

The governor pledged his governments continued partnership with the military and other security agencies to ensure peace and order in the state.

He said that the state government had enjoyed a robust relationship with security agencies.

According to him, the partnership between Delta and security agencies has helped to ensure peace and security of lives and property, adding that it has also made Delta an investors destination.

We are happy that sea piracy has reduced in Delta and we pledge the support of the South-South states to ensure protection of oil installations in the region.

I assure you of our cooperation at all times because we have had very warm working relations with the division since inception.

The military and other security agencies have worked quite a lot with us to ensure peace within the state.

There is still a lot to be done but we have done quite a lot, the governor said.

The governor commended the army formations for cooperating with other security agencies to ensure peace in the Niger Delta.

I appreciate your division, the brigade and other military formations for all your efforts in ensuring peace and security in the entire Niger Delta.

Sea piracy is still there, but it has largely reduced in Delta and we will continue to work hard and provide the needed support because when there is a perfect working relationship, the support becomes easier.

Information sharing is necessary to secure our state, and here in Delta, community conflicts are stepped into as quickly as possible because of various peace mechanisms we have put in place.

We have had a very good working relationship and we hope to continue in that direction, he said.

Earlier, the GOC said that he was in Delta to familiarise himself with the government and people of the state.

Irefin commended the governor for the tremendous support he had given to 63 Brigade as well as the level of peace and security in the state.

He said that the governors development and youth empowerment programmes had helped to reduce crime and criminality in the state.

He further lauded Okowa for the infrastructure development across the three senatorial districts of the state.

The GOC pledged his commitment to partner other security agencies to sustain the prevailing peace and security in the states within the division.

Source: NAN News

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the virtual training of the teachers, tagged Eko Educators Webinar Performance Series 3.3 on Wednesday.

By Florence Onuegbu

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has pledged to give 20 cars to deserving teachers across the six education districts in the state.

Sanwo-Olu made the promise on Wednesday during the virtual training of the teachers tagged Eko Educators Webinar Performance Series 3.3.

He said that his administration was committed to rewarding excellent service delivery in Lagos State Post-Primary Teaching Service.

According to him, teachers are key change agents who will be remembered for shaping future generations of leaders.

He urged them to embrace technology in improving the quality of teaching to enhance their productivity.

This is the era of technology and it is working well for us. Technology has become a very strong tool that we cannot do away with in our everyday lives. With technology, we can think locally and act globally, Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor said that great teachers were always remembered for the lives they shaped, just as they derived satisfaction in seeing their students become role models and future leaders.

On her part, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, said that any school system thrived on the quality of teaching and learning which was exhibited through the quality of teachers with a multiplier effect on the students.

Adefisayo commended Lagos State teachers for indulging in self-development to complement the government organised training.

Adefisayo also commended the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) board for the idea of the virtual training, which was vital to the progress of the education sector in the state.

She said that as the present administrations battle against the COVID-19 continued, teachers were expected to put in their best in guiding the children aright, especially those who might had gone through different forms of abuse and trauma during the lockdown period.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Chairman of TESCOM, Mrs Elizabeth Ariyo, said that the webinar was a conscious effort of the commission to improve teaching styles, optimise the teaching profession and enhance the lives of the children, and ultimately, their future.

Ariyo said that the webinar was organised for Post-Primary School Teachers in Lagos State as a way of elevating their level of preparedness and pro-activeness in teaching and learning in order to meet the challenges of the new normal.

The platform intends to address teachers wellness and well-being, as well as update them on new trends to improve their teaching skills, she said.

Ariyo appreciated the generosity of Gov. Sanwo-Olu for the approval of the Teachers Exit Replacement programme with over 1,000 new appointees and the Retrospective Course approval for over 700 Teachers which had lingered since 2013.

She also commended the governor for the approval of digital training of all Post-Primary Schools Teachers on Microsoft Teams platform; and Capacity Enhancement of Teachers in Lagos State among other initiatives, which had boosted proper integration of TESCOM in the new normal.

The Permanent Secretary, TESCOM, Mrs Toyin Awoseyi, said that the presence of the governor at the webinar, affirmed his commitment to education.

Awoseyi urged the participants to put in their best for the development and progress of the sector in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

EPL logo

Premier Leagues hopes of bringing fans back into stadiums in early October could be hampered after the UK government said it would review the plans and limit test events for sports.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a Downing Street news conference that pilot events for sports in September would be restricted to a maximum of 1,000 fans per event.

We must revise plans to pilot larger audiences in venues later this month and review our intention to return audiences to stadiums from Oct. 1.

But that doesnt mean we are going to scrap the programme entirely. We are just going to have to review it and abridge it, he said.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said on Twitter that changes to the plans would be announced shortly, following an increased number of COVID-19 cases in the UK.

Work continues round the clock with the ambition of having audiences back much closer to normal by Christmas, Dowden said.

The new Premier League season starts Saturday and, as with the games played since the resumption of last season in June following the coronavirus lockdown, they would be closed to fans.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said the league remained ready to carry out test events with the goal of getting some fans back in grounds by Oct. 1.

We are always subject to a government decision and they havent made that decision yet.

All I can say is that the Premier League and the Premier League clubs stand ready, willing and able to continue with our test events and test proposals and open our turnstiles from Oct. 1 if we are given permission to do so, Masters told reporters.

If Project Restart taught us anything it is that we have to be flexible and be willing to meet the bumps in the road, he said.

Masters said the absence of fans had an economic impact beyond the affected clubs.

There are implications. With every match round that goes by without fans, there are significant financial implications for every club in the football pyramid. So, it does have an impact.

Its not just the loss of matchday revenue.

Every Premier League match on average generates about 20 million pounds for the economy both local and national. So, we want to play our part in helping the economy to recover as well, he said. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege

By Kingsley Okoye

Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, has urged Nigerians agitating for state creation to reach out to elected representatives and groups from other geopolitical zones in the country.

This, he said, was to get support of legislators, groups, as they were key in determining if such demands could scale through in the ongoing constitution amendment exercise.

Yomi Odunuga, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, in a statement indicated that Omo-Agege made the call when he played host to members of the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU), in Abuja on Wednesday.

Omo-Agege, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review said:

Let me also make this clear that the constitutional review exercise is not a tea party by any means.

It is a very tedious exercise. If you check Section 9 of the Constitution, it lays out a very difficult procedure that you must go through before you can achieve success with respect to the amendment.

I dont know what is in your submission but what I hear from the grapevine is that there is likelihood that UPU is asking for a state.

If that is right, I am sure you also know the provisions of Section 8 of the Constitution.

That is even more tedious than every other procedure because unlike other sections of the constitution that recognises a constitution amendment bill to pass with two-third majority of both chambers here it adds two-thirds majority of state assembly, for state creation, which is under Section 8.

It requires four-fifth of majority. Even more majority than the regular two-third.

But that is not to say it is impossible, If the demand is genuine and legitimate, there is no reason it should not succeed.

But you have to do the needful,you have to reach out to others,you have to lobby as to why this should be the case.

As the chairman of this committee, I am not supposed to take a position,you have to reach out to people, different geopolitical zones and make your case.

If they see the merit in your argument, then they can, acting through their members in the house of representatives and senate, go with you and vote in support.

You have to go out and lobby. You dont stay at home and they reward you with a free state.

It is only in the military that states are created by Fiat. But under democratic setup in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the procedures are well laid out under Section 9 of the constitution.

So I like to believe that before making this submission, I assume you have your Legal Adviser in the UPU, who may have taken you through some of the processes that you have to go through.

But as for us in the national assembly, you can always count on our support because you sent us here, he said.

He assured the UPU representatives that federal lawmakers from the area would not support anti-Urhobo legislations in the national assembly.

He said: As the representative of the people, we recognise and acknowledge that sovereign power resides with the people at home. They are the ones who sent us here.

Without them, there will be no deputy president of the senate, there will be no member representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency, neither will there be a member representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency.

So, power resides with our people.

The consequence of that is, we will do what our people want. We will do what is expected of us. We will be guided by the content of your submission, he said.

Members of the House of Representatives from Delta Central including Rep. Francis Ejiroghene Waive (Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency) and Rep. Efe Afe (Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency) joined Omo-Agege in receiving the guests.

Earlier, Leader of the group and Okobaro of Ughievwen Kingdom, Dr Matthew Ediri, said they decided to pay a courtesy visit to the deputy president of the senate after submitting their memorandum to the Secretariat of the Constitution Review Committee.

He urged the lawmaker to always protect the interests of Urhobo, using his position as the nations number six citizen. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Scene of suicide bomb attack in Somalia

At least three persons were killed and seven others injured in a suicide car bombing in Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, a government official confirmed.

Ismael Mukhtar Omar, government spokesman, said a suicide bomber, who blew himself up, targeted Blue Sky restaurant in central Mogadishu.

Three people were killed and seven others injured in suicide bombing outside Blue Sky restaurant, Omar said in a brief statement.

Witnesses said the suicide bomber blew up himself outside the restaurant near the heavily fortified presidential palace in Mogadishu.

The latest explosion came after a security warning of an imminent terror attack in the restive capital. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News