By Sunday John

There was no celebration of Democracy Day in Nasarawa State, inspite of the declaration of the day as the new Democracy Day in Nigeria to honour Moshood Abiola, the winner of June 12, 1993 Presidential election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, did not line up any activity to mark the day.

NAN also reports that this was supposed to be the first Democracy Day with Sule as the governor of the state, and no reason was given for the development.

Meanwhile, Lafia and some towns in the state were quiet just as most of the highways were largely deserted due to the public holiday declared by the Federal Government.

However, some private schools in Akwanga and Lafia did not observe the public holiday as students and pupils were seen receiving lessons in classes when NAN correspondent visited the schools.

When NAN interviewed some residents of the state, they commended President Muhammadu Buhari for honouring Abiola more than two decades after he was denied his mandate.

Bala John and Musa Ahmed told NAN that the new Democracy Day is really worth it given the sacrifices that were paid to entrench democratic rule in the country.

The duo, however, called on political parties to ensure they present highly qualified candidates with vision and patriotic zeal to lead in every election just like it was the case in June 1993.

They explained that in 1993, Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for Abiola because of his passion for the country inspite of that himself and his deputy, Amb. Babagana Kingibe were Muslims.

Source: NAN

By Abiemwense Moru

President Muhammadu Buhari, has promised to take 100 million Nigerians from poverty to prosperity in the next 10 years.

Buhari disclosed this in his opening speech at the inaugural June 12, Democracy Day celebration on Wednesday in Abuja.

The President said that his administration would ensure rapid and positive growth in the economy to move Nigeria away from poverty.

Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow by 2.7 per cent this year.

Our external reserve have risen to 45 billion dollars enough to finance over nine months of current equal commitments.

This administration has laid a foundation of taking bold steps in transforming our country and delivering our people from shackles of poverty.

First we will take steps in integrating the rural economy to national economic grade by extending access to input to rural farmers as well as credit to rural micro businesses and opening up many critical feeder roads.

Secondly, all small scale enterprises in towns and cities would share facilities currently available so that we can continue to encourage and support domestic production of basic goods to improve our lives, he said.

The president added that in the next four years his administration would remain positive to improve the lives of people by consolidating on efforts to address many issues.

Source: NAN

By Taiye Edeni

President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Nigerian security agencies for conducting free and fair general polls in 2019 that brought him to power for second term.

Buhari made the commendation during the June 12 Democracy Day celebration at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

He said that INEC was given all the necessary support by providing the commission with all the resources needed for successful electoral process.

According to him, the various security agencies in the country must be commended for maintaining peace and order and for laying down their lives to protect the nation.

He said today, we are privileged to mark the 9th secretariat of unbroken democracy leadership and peaceful transfer of power; we have won a democratic election government for another four years in Nigeria.

Throughout the last four years, I respected the independency of INEC, I ensured that INEC got every resources needed to independently conduct impartial management of elections in the country.

Political parties can agree that the recent elections, except for pockets of unrest, were free, fair and peaceful. I thank all the people who worked for our party, who campaigned and who voted for us.

I thank my fellow Nigerians, who, since 2003 consistently voted for me.

I and Nigerians must collectively commend our Armed Forces and other security agencies for working round the clock to protect us by putting themselves to protect our future.

Buhari said that the issue of terrorism was a worldwide phenomenon that even the best secured countries were experiencing increasing incidences of unrest.

He, however, said that the present administration would consolidate on the achievements of the last four years.

Source: NAN

All Nigerias former Presidents including Olusegun Obasanjo, failed to attend the June 12 Democracy Day celebration which held on Wednesday at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

The former presidents and Heads of state were scheduled to be seated at the venue of the event at 9:35 a.m., but they were conspicuously absent at about 10:06 when President Muhammadu Buhari arrived the venue.

The event is the first since Buhari approved June 12 as Democracy Day in honour MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election.

It would be recalled that May 29 had been observed as democracy day since the return of democracy in the country in 1999.

Buhari took his oath of office for his second term on May 29, but major events of the programme were moved to June 12.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as well as Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives are in attendance.

While Yakubu Gowon, former head of state, attended the May 29 event, he was conspicuously absent at the one of June 12.

Aside Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Ibrahim Babangida, also former heads of state as well as Ernest Shonekan, former interim president, were absent at the celebration.

Ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan also shunned the event. But world leaders majority of whom are from Africa where on hand to celebrate the day with the leadership of the country.

The world leaders in attendance were President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania; President Paul Kagame of Rwanda; President George Weah of Liberia; President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo; and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.

President Macky Sall of Senegal; President Adama Barrow of Gambia; President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic; President Jos Mrio Gmes Vaz of Guinea-Bissau and President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic were also present at the celebration.

Source: NAN

Protocols

All Praise is due to GOD Almighty Who spared our lives to be present at this great occasion. We give thanks also that the democratic process has been further entrenched and strengthened.

2. Twenty years ago, a democratically elected government took over from the military in a historic transfer of political power for our country.

3. Today, we are privileged to mark the longest period of unbroken democratic leadership and 5peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another in Nigeria.

4. Throughout the last four years, I respected the independence of INEC. I ensured that INEC got all the resources it needed for independent and impartial management of elections in the country.

5. All interested parties are agreed that the recent elections, which except for pockets of unrest, were free, fair and peaceful.

6. I thank all the people who worked for our party, who campaigned and who voted for us. I thank my fellow Nigerians, who, since 2003 have consistently voted for me.

7. Victory is your greatest reward; peace, unity and greater prosperity will be our collective legacy.

Your Excellencies, Fellow Nigerians,

8. I and Nigerians collectively must give adequate thanks to our Armed Forces, Police and other law enforcing agencies for working round the clock to protect us by putting themselves in harms way and defending our values and protecting our future.

9. Terrorism and insecurity are worldwide phenomena and even the best policed countries are experiencing increasing incidents of unrest and are finding things hard to cope.

10. The principal thrust of this new Administration is to consolidate on the achievements of the last four years, correct the lapses inevitable in all human endeavors and tackle the new challenges the country is faced with and chart a bold plan for transforming Nigeria.

11. Fellow Nigerians, I have had the privilege of free education from Primary school to Staff College to War College.

12. I received my formative education in Katsina and Kaduna and my higher education in England, India and the United States.

13. I have worked and served in Kaduna, Lagos, Abeokuta, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Ibadan, Jos and finally here in Abuja. Throughout my adult life, I have been a public servant. I have no other career but public service. I know no service but public service.

14. I was involved at close quarters in the struggle to keep Nigeria one. I can therefore do no more than dedicate the rest of my life to work for the unity of Nigeria and upliftment of Nigerians.

15. In 2002-2003 campaigns and elections, I travelled by road to 34 of the 36 states of the Federation. This year I travelled by air to all 36 states of the Federation.

16. Before and during my time in the Armed Forces and in government, I have interacted with Nigerians of all ages and persuasions and different shades of opinion over a period of more than fifty years.

17. And my firm belief is that our people above all want to live in peace and harmony with their fellow Nigerians. They desire opportunity to better themselves in a safe environment.

18. Most of the instances of inter-communal and inter-religious strife and violence were and are still as a result of sponsorship or incitements by ethnic, political or religious leaders hoping to benefit by exploiting our divisions and fault lines, thereby weakening our country.

19. And our country Nigeria is a great country. According to United Nations estimates, our population will rise to 411 million by 2050, making us the third most populous nation on earth behind only China and India.

20. We have water, arable land, forests, oil and gas and vast quantities of solid minerals. We are blessed with an equable climate. However, the bulk of our real wealth lies in Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Mining. We possess all the ingredients of a major economic power on the world stage.

21. What we require is the will to get our acts together. And our strength is in our people our youth, our culture, our resilience, our ability to succeed despite the odds.

22. A huge responsibility therefore rests on this and succeeding Administrations to develop, harness and fulfil our enormous potential into a force to be reckoned with globally.

23. Thus far, we Nigerians can be proud of our history since Independence in 1960. We have contributed to UN peace-keeping responsibilities all over the world; we have stabilized Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and two years ago we prevented the Gambia from degenerating into anarchy.

24. Without Nigerian influence and resources, the liberation of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and ultimately South Africa would have come at greater cost. This fact had been attested by none other than the late Nelson Mandela himself.

25. Elsewhere, Nigeria is the Big Brother to our neighbours. We are the shock-absorber of the West African sub-region, the bulwark of ECOWAS and Lake Chad Basin Commission. We can therefore be proud to be Nigerians. We must continue to be Good Neighbours and Good Global Citizens.

26. At home, we have been successful in forging a nation from different ethnicities and language groups: our evolution and integration into one nation continues apace.

27. When, therefore we came to office in 2015 after a decade of struggle we identified three cardinal and existential challenges our country faced and made them our campaign focus, namely security, economy and fighting corruption.

28. None but the most partisan will dispute that in the last four years we have made solid progress in addressing these challenges.

29. When I took the oath of office on 29 May 2015, insecurity reigned. Apart from occupying 18 local governments in the North East, Boko Haram could at will attack any city including the Federal Capital, could threaten any institution including bombing the United Nations building and Police Headquarters in Abuja.

30. Admittedly, some of the challenges still remain in kidnappings and banditry in some rural areas. The great difference between 2015 and today is that we are meeting these challenges with much greater support to the security forces in terms of money, equipment and improved local intelligence. We are meeting these challenges with superior strategy, firepower and resolve.

31. In face of these challenges, our Government elected by the people in 2015 and re-elected in March has been mapping out policies, measures and laws to maintain our unity and at the same time lift the bulk of our people out of poverty and onto the road to prosperity.

32. This task is by no means unattainable. China has done it. India has done it. Indonesia has done it. Nigeria can do it. These are all countries characterized by huge burdens of population.

33. China and Indonesia succeeded under authoritarian regimes. India succeeded in a democratic setting. We can do it.

34. With leadership and a sense of purpose, we can lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

35. Following the 60 percent drop in oil prices between 2015 and 2016, through monetary and fiscal measures, we stimulated economic growth, curbed inflation and shored up our external reserves.

36. We now have witnessed 8 quarters of positive growth in the economy and our GDP is expected to grow by 2.7 percent this year.

37. Furthermore, our external reserves have risen to billion enough to finance over 9 months of current import commitments.

38. This Administration is laying the foundation and taking bold steps in transforming our country and liberating our people from the shackles of poverty.

39. First, we will take steps to integrate rural economies to the national economic grid by extending access to small-scale credits and inputs to rural farmers, credit to rural micro-businesses and opening up many critical feeder roads.

40. Secondly, for small-scale enterprises in towns and cities, we shall expand facilities currently available so that we continue to encourage and support domestic production of basic goods and reduce our reliance of imported goods as I will outline later.

41. For the next four years, we will remain committed to improving the lives of people by consolidating efforts to address these key issues as well as emerging challenges of climate change, resettling displaced communities and dealing decisively with the new flashes of insecurity across the country, and the impacts on food scarcity and regional stability.

42. We are not daunted by the enormity of the tasks ahead. Instead, we are revived by this new mandate to work collaboratively with State and Local Governments, Legislators, the Diplomatic Corps and all Nigerians to rebuild and reposition our country as the heartbeat and reference point for our continent.

43. Fellow Nigerians, Your Excellencies, Ladies

By Joan Nwagwu

Former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, says the recognition of June 12 as National Democracy Day by President Muhammad Buhari indirectly recognised MKO Abiola as a past president of Nigeria.

Osoba said this during the celebration of the first National Democracy Day on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that the Day was significant as past presidents from 1999 had refused to recognise the day or Abiolas sacrifices for Nigerias democracy.

He said that the late Abiola, who refused to surrender his mandate, suffered and died in the struggle for democracy for the country.

I have lot of very bad memories about June 12, as a lot of people lost their lives for the struggle, a lot of families also suffered incurable damages, also a lot of people sold their properties to survive.

I also suffered in the hands of Seargent Rogers, who made two attempts to kill me and I was in hiding for almost a year, along others who paid the price.

I also recalled that when I was a governor with a former president from my state and all efforts that we should do something to immortalise Abiola did not make any impact.

You can therefore see why we are grateful to President Muhammad Buhari who recognises the significant of June 12.

The significance is the full price paid by Abiola that is making us enjoy democracy that is 20 year old now.

One of my own benefited from Abiola sacrifice to become president but here is Buhari who indirectly accepted that Abiola was once past president of this country, so those sacrifices that we also suffered are no more in vain, he said.

He commended the President, saying that democracy have come to stay in Nigeria.

Source: NAN

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• have successfully completed an undergraduate degree program at AQF 7 or equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0 or GPA 6.0/10.0 or 60% average overall or equivalent.

How To Apply:Interested applicants are advised tosubmit your admission application through the online application system, or through an education agent.

Visit The Official Website For More Information

Application Deadline:November 15, 2019, for semester 2 and 3 2019, and February 24, 2020, for new semester 1.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

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The bursary will provide the amount worth up to per annum tax-free to a student for a maximum of 3 years. It is comprised of a ,000 stipend plus an annual ,000 budget for research costs such as conferences, overseas study, and minor expenses.

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Eligibility:

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Visit The Official Website For More Information

Application Deadline:31 October for Australian applicants or 31 August for International applicants

Source: Scholarships And Aid

The David Oyedepo Foundation scholarship program is our major platform for promoting our vision and goals. The scholarship program awards scholarships to qualified individuals who are indigenes and residents of African countries, and have been offered admission to specific universities in Nigeria.

The DOF scholars program grants individuals the opportunity to acquire a first degree at top schools in the African continent. It grants individuals the opportunity to build up the leadership potentials that are so evidently lacking in the leaders of our todays society, through the yearly programs and community development initiatives.

Eligibility Criteria

The David Oyedepo Foundation Scholarship program is open to Young Africans who meet the following criteria:

• Are citizens and permanent residents of any African Nation
• Are between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of application submission
• Are eligible to receive a Nigerian student visa
• Are proficient in reading, writing and speaking English
• Have a record of exceptional performance at the secondary school level which is benchmarked by:
  • At least 20 points above JAMB cut off points (for Nigerians only)
  • 80% recorded average or 0GPA/5.0 in Secondary/High School Transcript
  • Already have begun admission applications to Covenant or Landmark University

Note: The application for the scholarship does not guarantee admission to the specified Universities; all admission to the University is to be secured independently by going through the Universitys admission process. Hence, award of the scholarship is CONDITIONAL on University admission.

Applicants not meeting the above technical eligibility requirements will not be forwarded to the selection committee.

David Oyedepo Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship.

Full Academic fees for a maximum of 5 (In accordance to the University stipulated time for duration of chosen course).

The scholarship does not cover;

• Travel allowances
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• Any other fees outside University generated Academic fees for a course at any level.

David Oyedepo Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship Selection Criteria.

The David Oyedepo Foundation Scholarship Program selection process is a need dependent, merit based open competition. After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel. Following this review, chosen finalists will be interviewed by the David Oyedepo Foundation team, through an online video conferencing platform. If advanced to the final round, applicant must provide;

• Proof of application to Covenant or Landmark University
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Selection panels will use the following criteria to evaluate applications (not in order of importance):

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DAVID OYEDEPO FOUNDATION APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE:

GENERAL APPLICATION TIPS

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General/Contact Information Section

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Education Section

Recommendation Section:

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• Note that parents or guardiansCANNOTto be listed as referees

Essay Section

• This section includes 5 essay questions that must be Each essay has a word limit of 500 words and must under no circumstances be exceeded. Your responses would give an opportunity to the selection committee to better understand you as a leader, including your desire to participate in the program.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

• English language proficiency is required for participation in the Scholarship All activities and communication would be done in English without the opportunity for translation. Please fill in the portion of the application evaluating your language skills as accurately as possible.

APPLIATION SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The deadline for applications for the David Oyedepo Foundation Scholarship Program is11.59 pm GMT + 01.00 on 14th July, 2019.

APPLY HERE

OFFICIAL LINK

Source: Scholarships And Aid

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