Following directives of the leadership of the National Assembly, security operatives have blocked the entrance of the National Assembly complex preventing striking workers from gaining entry.

The security agents including the Nigeria Police and Department of State Services (DSS) operatives on Tuesday barricaded the main entrance with patrol vans.

The presence of the security operatives has led to restricted access at the three arms zone gate. Operatives are frisking persons including journalists and construction workers before they are allowed entrance.

Members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) are not allowed into the complex.

The leadership of the National Assembly had earlier directed the Police and DSS to ensure adequate security within the vicinity of the National Assembly from Tuesday morning.

This according to the leadership of the Senate, is to enable members and staff come in and perform their legitimate duties without any hindrance.

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Omolori, said on Monday that the directive was passed down after a meeting of the joint leadership of the two chambers with the management and representatives of the security agencies.

Workers of the National Assembly under the umbrella body of PASAN on Monday grounded activities at the National Assembly in protest of what they called poor working conditions.

A similar protest was held two weeks ago when the workers demanded increased salaries, promotions, among other things.

The demands of PASAN include a new condition of service for members, promotion, and payment of 28 per cent increment in salary captured as contained in the 2018 budget.

The leadership of the National Assembly has directed the Police and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) to ensure adequate security within the vicinity of the National Assembly from Tuesday’s Plenary.

A statement issued by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sanni Omolori, on Monday, urged the security agencies to take charge so that members and staff can come in and perform their legitimate duties without any hindrance.

The directive was passed down after a meeting of the joint leadership of the two chambers with the management and representatives of the security agencies.

The meeting was called by the political leadership to listen to the management led by the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) on efforts made so far to address the grievances of the striking staff.

“The leadership of the National Assembly called the meeting because they know that almost all the issues raised by the striking workers were being addressed by the management.

“After listening to the CNA, it was unanimously agreed that the management had made sufficient plans and efforts to address all the grievances of the workers and ensure their happiness.

“We were sure that the issues raised by the workers have been well attended to and that it is necessary for the business of the National Assembly to continue without any disturbance.

“Both chambers must hold their normal plenary tomorrow morning to prepare the ground for the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 to present the budget proposal to the joint sitting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“We have therefore mandated the security agencies to perform their duty of maintaining law and order in the National Assembly Complex and its surrounding.

“They must enforce the laws which allow the striking workers to down tools if they choose to and also the ones which restrain them from disturbing those who choose to work or stop parliamentarians from entering the chambers or their offices to do the work for which they were elected.

“Senators and members of the House of Representatives, their aides, other workers and people who have legitimate business within the National Assembly Complex are therefore advised to come in as they will be free to operate without any hindrance and molestation,” it said.

The National Assembly Leadership added that if the President Buhari is unable to present the budget proposal on Wednesday as scheduled, Nigerians should hold the security agencies responsible for failing in their responsibility.

This is the smallest unit of law practice in Nigeria and it is the most common. It is the unit of practice involving one legal practitioner practicing alone, but employing supporting staff (non lawyers) to assist him in the office. He establishes the law firm alone, practices alone, provides capital alone and manages the law firm alone. He does not employ any other lawyer, just non-lawyers as support staff.

The features of legal sole practitionership are:

• He provides the capital of the firm and manages the firm.
• He does the legal work since there is no other lawyer to whom work can be delegated.
• It is the smallest unit of organisation of a law firm in Nigeria.
• It is the commonest one in Nigeria as more than 70% of law firm in Nigeria are sole practitionership.

Advantages of Legal Sole Practitionership

• It enhances quick decision making as he does not need to consult anybody
• He keeps all the profit realized from the business.
• It is easy to set up as there is less financial implication and less administrative procedure to be followed before establishment.
• He is always more committed in the sense that he knows that his failure is the failure of the entire business.
• He enjoys freedom as he is not under control.
• He takes the full credit for the success of the law firm.

Disadvantages of Legal Sole Practitionership

• He bears all the risk and loss alone.
• He considers the issues in a brief alone and bears all the legal work alone
• He can only rely on his own understanding of the law as a beginner.
• He has a problem of attracting clients as he is alone in the business and so his client base will be small
• He has no time for holiday and relaxation and as such, he is affected generally and health wise.
• It does not encourage specialization in comparison with where there are other practitioners.
• His law practice dies with the sole practitioner.

By Felicia Imohimi

Saleh Ndaski, the Head of Nursing Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has called for adequate training and retraining, as well as motivation of nurses for quality healthcare delivery in the country.

Ndaski made the call at the annual national conference of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) Federal Health Institutions Sector in Abuja.

The conference has as its theme Nursing Models/Theories for Effective Nursing Practice.

The NANNM head described nurses as custodians of patients and the only healthcare providers who worked 24 hours.

He said nurses required continuous training to keep them abreast of emerging trends in the health sector.

He added that nurses require adequate training and retraining because healthcare problems are emerging and a lot of diseases are coming up and they need to be abreast with such problems and how to effectively tackle them.

Nurses require motivation to be able to provide the best of services required of them as majority of them are not well motivated and this is a major gap in quality care.

Ndaski noted that a lot of reforms were done in the profession with regard to scientific discovery.

He, however, added that a lot of theories and models that existed in the practice were not fully utilised by nurses due to lack of adequate knowledge, decayed infrastructure, among others.

He said that those theories and models provide nurses with perfect care and services, as well as quality healthcare delivery.

According to him, nurses are always concerned about patients having the best of care within the health sector, hence the theme of the conference.

Mr Wale Olatunde, the National Chairman of NANNM, reiterated the determination of the association to regulate the activities of Nigerian nurses and midwives in the most effective manner.

This, he said would ensure best practices and safeguard best healthcare delivery for all Nigerians.

According to him, the theme of the conference is carefully selected based on the nurses conviction that there must be shift from theory development to theory utilisation in health facilities.

Olatunde said this would help to restore proper relationship between theory and practice.

Nursing is now in the era of utilisation of philosophies, models and theories for clinical nursing practice, he said.

The chairman said that the theme was aimed at enhancing the capacity of the professionals and equipping them intellectually to select a theoretical work that would guide their daily clinical practice.

This remains one of the practical ways in which we can help to reverse the current rating of the countrys health indices.

The effectiveness of clinical nursing services remain critical in determination of quality health care services.

The conference, according to him, is part of the associations contributions toward complementing governments efforts in its drive to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the citizens.

Mr Faruk Abubakar, the Registrar, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, urged the nurses to deliver their duty with all diligence by prioritising the interest of patients.

Abubakar urged them to always discharge their duties to the best of their ability.

He said that nurses should consider the plights of patients in order to achieve quality care, which is the sole aim of nursing or other professional practices in the health sector.

Source: NAN

The federal government has proposed a meeting with the independent oil marketers as one of the measures aimed at averting fuel crisis this Yuletide season.

The oil marketers have threatened to shut down their depots over continued non-payment of oil subsidies by the federal government.

But the presidency and the National Assembly in a swift reaction, have appealed to the marketers to give them a little more time to sort out issues bordering on non-payment of oil subsidies within the next few days.

Making the disclosure after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa, said both the president and himself had critically examined the matter and a strong commitment would be made to promptly resolve the matter.

According to Marafa, delay in payment of the subsidies, which he said was inherited by the current government, was caused by technicalities bordering on forex differentials and attendant interest.

Marafa also said bureaucracy surrounding computation of figures had further

compounded the matter adding that the oil marketers are not happy with the Ministry of Finance over its handling of the matter.

That is what I said, so we are now talking of technicalities, there is fuel in the country, in our seas, in our depots all across the country. But there are some technicalities now regarding payment of subsidies, forex differentials and interest, which this government inherited.

They are not a creation of this government. However, government is a continuum and when the president came in, he was confronted with it and he agreed and said, fine, I have stopped subsidy but since there are claims, we will look into it and pay.

But now, the bureaucratic nature of the computations is what dragged up to this time and depot owners are not too happy with what the Ministry of Finance has done and maybe some other agencies.

So, we have been on it in the Senate and the House of Representatives for almost two weeks now. Finally, today, I have had quality time with the president and we have looked into the whole thing.

By next week, we will invite all the stakeholders. I believe we should be able to get to the root of the matter. As for the depot owners, we are going to plead with them again to give more time, especially now that we have discussed with the head of the executive arm of government.

So, Im sure everything will be resolved in the next few days, he added.

Marafa also said the need for diligent handling of the matter had become imminent if sabotage by some unscrupulous individuals who want to orchestrate fuel crisis, despite availability of fuel which can last for six months must be averted.

He added, There has been some disquiet in the industry regarding marketers payment with Ministry of Finance, (Debt Management Office) DMO and the Central Bank, which we feel if not carefully handled, some enemies of the administration might bring about technical issues that could lead to queues on the line, especially as government has provided enormous quantities of petroleum products across the country that can last the country up to six months through NNPC.

So, some people are not too happy about it and they want to sabotage the efforts of the government.

Source: NAN

Afro pop sensation, Ayodeji Balogun aka Wizkid, stormed Abuja to entertain thousands of residents on Sunday night.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that thousands of Abuja residents thronged out for the concert tagged Wizkid Live In Concert.

The event, held at Transcorp Hilton, was organised by Play Network.

The show caused a gridlock at the Wuse area as revellers trooped out to watch the Ojuelegba crooner perform.

Only Wizkid can pull this kind of ABJ crowd

Only Wizkid can pull this kind of ABJ crowd #wizkidliveinabuja #starboy pic.twitter.com/blqSajlGza

— Romzy David (@romzy_rhe) December 16, 2018

In his electrifying performance, Wizkid took the crowd on a memory ride, singing his hit songs from the early Tease Me and Ojuelegba to newest Soco.

NAN reports that the mostly-reserved Abuja crowd was obviously loosened up at the concert as they danced and sang along at the top of their voices.

Reacting to the concert, guests took to social media to appreciate Wizkid for the performance.

@Dres_knowsbest tweeted, Ive waited 5 years to see @wizkidayo live and it was amazing!! Thank u wizzes for grabbing my phone!

@PaulGaje said, @wizkidayo made my night. Please come again.

@ZhinnEmmanuel tweeted, Thank you so much @wizkidayo That was amazing.

Yesterday's show in PH a fan climbed the stage to hug Wizkid & was thrown down in WWE Style ☹😭#GCBA pic.twitter.com/i4rQPLs2gM

— KinG NomSo👑 (@ani_nomso) December 15, 2018

NAN reports that the concert comes after Wizkids performance in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Yesterdays show in PH a fan climbed the stage to hug Wizkid

The federal government says that talks with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have so far been fruitful, expressing optimism that the ongoing strikewill soon be called off.

The governments optimism, according to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige,is predicated on the federal governments consideration of some of ASUUs demands.

the demands include the submission of the unions list of outstanding payments, and the identification of some areas in the universities in need of revitalisation as containedin the signed 2009 agreement.

The minister said talks with the union have so far been productive and fruitful, adding that the federal government was optimistic that the strike would soon be called off to pave way for students to resume academic activities.

He said: There are areas that are still outstanding which we are going to address on the 17th. We have the issue of shortfall of salaries, that of some federal university workers. ASUU has given a list to the office of the Accountant General.

We agreed that by Wednesday that the list will be checked to find out really whether those universities were actually paid and they have to be visited and paid the outstanding lecturers there. So, the Accountant Generals office is to come back to us.

We have also the issue of Earned Academic Allowance and the issue of revitalisation. These are issues of 2009 agreement. We will look into the consideration and we have identified one area of the fund for revitalisation.

The federal government organs will be contacted and we do expect that we will have some words for ASUU. Same goes for the earned allowances. We will make sure that the issue of the outstanding amounts is handled in a way that all parties will be properly accommodated, he said.

Ngige revealed that during the talks, the quality of graduates from state-owned universities was brought to focus with a view to upgrading the standard of education in order to meet with global standards.

He said state owned universities are not producing graduates that can be employed as several are lacking in competitive skills. He said the federal government through the ministry of education will engage with the Nigeria Governors Forum and will chart a way forward.

We also discussed the issue of state universities and since education is on concurrent list, the universities should be properly funded and staffed, so that we do not produce half baked graduates from those universities. And towards realising that, the ministry of education will engage the Nigeria Governors Forum. The minister of education is taking steps towards that direction and will organise that interaction.

Engaging them directly and giving professional advice is what the ministry will do. These are some of the issues we discussed and to me; the discussions were fruitful. We want the children to go back to school, he added.

Meanwhile, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), has vowed to vehemently resist any attempt by the federal government to privatise public hospitals in the country. The unionwarned that privatisation of public hospitals is a threat to the survival of Nigerians in terms of health.

The MHWUN President, Biobelemoye Josiah, handed down the warning while donating items worth about N2 million to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Durumi, a community in Abuja Municipal Area Council.

Insisting that it was the responsibility of the government to provide affordable healthcare services to the people, the MHWUN president said: What we are saying is that public health institutions are institutions of public good. These are institutions that are meant to provide healthcare for the downtrodden, the poor and the vulnerable.

But there is a conspiracy by capitalists to ensure that they take these health facilities from the reach of the common man in the guise of privatisation. We are not against a private man using his own money to build a health facility, equip it and keep it for the affluent, especially those who have looted our country and have made it big.

They can establish these hospitals for them, but they should leave the public hospitals for the common man.Public Private Partnership (PPP) has failed in the health sector worldwide. There is no PPP that can make malaria treatment cheaper.

Go to all the hospitals that PPP has been introduced in Nigeria; it has taken healthcare away from the reach of the poor and the vulnerable, he said.

Source: NAN

26-year-old popular Nigerian musician, Mr David Adeleke, also called Davido, is gradually sliding into politics as he names Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike as his Godfather.

Davido of the popular and wealthy Adelekes family in Osun state, also on Sunday promised to work for the re-election of Wike, the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

I am also here to see my godfather, Gov. Wike and to support his second term bid.

I am planning a talent hunt show in Port Harcourt, one of the lucky artistes will perform at my show in Lagos on Dec. 27, he said.

The musician, who made the pledge in Port Harcourt on Sunday when he visited the Rivers Governor, also said he would also institute a talent hunt show for Rivers-based artistes.

He said the programme would be in line with his discussions with the State Government to support new generation artistes in the state.

The musician was in Port Harcourt for a musical show tagged: Plugged, where he was billed to perform alongside other Rivers-based artistes.

Davido said he was also in Port Harcourt to wish Wike a happy birthday, adding that in the forthcoming year, there were several things he was planning for the good of the music industry.

Davido who also celebrated his 26th birthday on November 11, was accompanied by the organiser of the show, Mr Chima Aguma, and Music Promoter, Soso Soberekon.

In his remarks, Gov. Wike promised to support the entertainment industry, to create jobs for the youth.

Davido, a singer, songwriter and record producer hit the wave in 2011 single Dami Duro.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Army has called for the closure of the Amnesty International offices in Nigeria, alleging there is credible evidence the organisation is working hard to destabilise the country.

The army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman said in a statement on Monday that the organisations attempt to destabilise the nation was noted through fabrication of fictitious allegations of alleged human rights abuses against the Nigerian security forces.

Usman also alleged the AI had engaged in clandestine sponsorship of dissident groups to protest, as well as unfounded allegations against the leadership of the Nigerian military.

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Enough is Enough, and BudgIT) have recently called for the probing of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) over the funding of the war against terrorism and other crimes in the country.

The CSOs alleged the army had not made commensurate achievement in the fight in line with the huge fund the federal government allocated to the fight.

The COAS, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had however explained that some of the allocated funds has yet to be cash backed and that it had not reached the army.

Usman said the Nigerian branch of AI that has hitherto been well respected has deviated from the core values, principles and objectives of the original parent body in the United Kingdom.

They have tried over the years using Boko Haram terrorists conflicts, Islamic Movement in Nigeria, some activists and now herders-farmers conflicts.

The NGO is at the verge of releasing yet another concocted report against the military, ostensibly against the Nigerian Army.

Consequently, Nigerians should be wary of Amnesty International (Nigeria) because its goals are to destabilise Nigeia and to dismember it.

The Nigerian Army has no option than to call for the closure of Amnesty International offices in Nigeria, if such recklessness continues.

It was not the first time the Nigerian army and Amnesty International would have some misunderstanding over the latters various reports on human rights in the country.

Source: NAN

Nigerian showbiz maestro and rights activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charlyboy, has formally walked his American wife, Diane, down the aisle after 40 years of cohabitation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the marriage produced three children.

Charlyboy and Diane exchanged marriage vows on Saturday evening at the Chapel of Sisters of Jesus the Redeemer Catholic Church in Gwarimpa, Abuja.

The low-keyed wedding was officiated by the outspoken Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Mathew Kukah, and had in attendance close friends and relatives of the couple, including the aged mother of Charlyboy.

The Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Diocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, was also in attendance among some other clergymen.

The couple exchanged the “I do” vows amidst cheers from the congregation.

They thereafter signed the marriage register.

Onaiyekan, in his exhortation, hailed the couple for staying together for over four decades.

He, however, urged them to be committed to their marriage vows by showing mutual love, understanding and respect for each other.

”I specially congratulate Charles and his wife for this Godly decision, and I pray God to keep them together.”

Charlyboy told NAN on the sidelines that he and his wife decided to wed in church to honour his aged mother who had been ‘pleading that we do the right thing’.

He told NAN that he got married as a teenager in 1974, and secured divorced after the union produced one child.

He noted that the Catholic Church observed a strict marital doctrine.

”This is not that kind of marriage with fanfare; I am doing it to please my aged mother and meet certain demands of the society.

”She has been pleading that we do the right thing, saying this is the woman I have been living with for 40 years.

”We have been following through with the process of annulment of my last marriage, and my former wife who has since remarried cooperated very well, and then in 2017, the marriage was formally annulled.

”My mother actually got the wife for me at the age of 19 because I was a little rascally with women as a young man; she thinks it would curb my sexual excesses,” he said.

Charlyboy, who is 67 years, has nine children from different women, and has 16 grandchildren.

He has, however, always regarded Diane as the mother of all his children. (NAN)

Students have joined Nigerian leaders, including ex-military leader Ibrahim Babangida to felicitate with President Muhammadu Buhari who will celebrate his 76th birthday on Monday.

The National Association of Nigerian Students’ (NANS) National Public Relations Officer, Mr Bestman Okereafor, issued a birthday message on Sunday in Enugu.

Okereafor said that Buhari, who is also the Chairman of Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), had displayed great commitment in repositioning Africa for growth and economic sustainability.

“The national secretariat of NANS joins the World, ECOWAS and Progressive minded Nigerians in wishing our beloved President and ECOWAS Chairman, Muhammadu Buhari, a happy 76th birthday.

“Mr President, no doubt, has consistently displayed an unrivaled commitment to a better Africa and Nigeria.

“Nigerian students both home and in Diaspora are sincerely praying that God upholds, strengthen and preserve you, Mr President.

“We also pray that God help you lead this country in the right direction of progress, peace and prosperity for all,’’ he said.

Okereafor, however, said that NANS was also calling on Buhari to consider a cabinet reshuffle.

“There is a need to bring on board young, fresh and capable hands into your cabinet to man critical and growing areas especially in some sectors of the nation’s economy,’’ he added.

Babangida had also heaped praises on President Buhari, acknowledging that the man he toppled in a coup d’etat in 1985 has remained focused and shown tremendous energy and vibrancy in running the affairs of Nigeria since 2015.

Babangida also acknowledged Buhari’s patriotism and commitment to serve the nation diligently with honesty and sincerity of purpose.

Babangida noted that President Muhammadu Buhari has been “an excellent role model to many young aspiring politicians and even to the not-so-young, because of the way and manner you have managed to sustain the survival of our country as an indivisible one nation albeit in the face of many daunting diversions.”

“You achieved great success in the fight against corruption, terrorism and other forms of insecurity in addition to getting our country out of economic recession.

“I wish to congratulate you for all the achievements you have recorded in your lifetime and particularly for your humility, deep sense of honesty and faith you have shown in the various aspects of governance, politics and democracy as our President.”

” As we get over our mid-seventies, we can say with all sense of modesty that we should celebrate every birthday anniversary with prayers in order for us to thank Allah for all the blessings and the bounties He showered upon us.

“It is only fair that we pause and reflect in our own different ways on all the life’s challenges we face day by day and the positive strides we have been blessed to attain.”

“ A typical day in the life of a Nigerian President requires faith, poise, patience, tenacity, experience, strategic thinking and quality character for one to get through it.”

“I join the first lady, Aisha and all your children and grandchildren in wishing you many happy returns of your birthday.

” Aisha’s loyalty and support, as the home front commander, is invigorating since by our age we require much comfort, care and affection at home. Welcome to our club of the over 75, ”he concluded.

President Buhari was born in Daura 0n 17 December, 1941 and after his early education in both Daura and Katsina, he joined the army in 1961, one year ahead of Babangida, who joined in 1962.

Also Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state felicitated with President Buhari and praised his resilience in trying to build the nation.