Soccer Football - The Best FIFA Football Awards - Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy - September 23, 2019 FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi speaks after winning the Best FIFA Men's player award as FIFA President Gianni Infantino, presenter's Ilaria D’Amico and Ruud Gullit look on REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo
Lionel Messi beat Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the best men’s player award at the Best FIFA awards.
The Barcelona star scored more league goals than anyone else in Europe last season, registering 36 times as he helped the Spanish side win another La Liga title.
It is also the sixth time the 32-year-old has scooped the award, now seeing him move one ahead of rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The duo have dominated the award since 2008, with their string of victories only interrupted by Luka Modric last year.
It was the second award of the night for the Argentinean forward, who was also included in the men’s team of the 2018-19 season – as voted for by their fellow professionals.
A businesswoman, Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that she was raped by a federal lawmaker, Uju Kingsley Chima, on August 9, 2015.
Mrs Kamalu told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that following an incestuous relationship with Chima, the lawmaker offered to pay her N20 million if she was divorced by her husband, Mr Gabriel Igbibi.
Chima is the Member, Federal House of Representatives for Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency of Imo State.
She is seeking protection from Chima, who she alleged caused her to be arrested on 27th day of May, 2019 tortured, humiliated, detained for seven days by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and arraigned on a fictitious N40million theft charge.
Kamalu made the allegations in a fundamental rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/1458/19 which came up on September 11, 2019.
Her counsel, Chijioke Jiakponna, told the judge that Chima had been evading service. He alleged that when the bailiff called Chima on phone to inform him that he wanted to serve him, the lawmaker cut the call.
Justice Oweibo adjourned till yesterday to rule on whether to allow substituted service.
Monday, the court did not sit.
When The Nation phoned Chima on Saturday evening for his reaction to the rape and N20m allegations, he said “I’m inside a court now, can we talk later? I’m inside a court.”
Later that night and Monday, his number rang out.
In her August 22, 2019 Affidavit of Urgency, Kamalu said she filed the suit due to the “intimidation, mounting surveillance and or illegal oral invitation threat of life and annihilation of property.”
She said she had been living “in perpetual fear” of being further detained “indefinitely.”
Kamalu is seeking several reliefs including a declaration that her arrest and detention “by the respondent at the State CID Police Headquarters, Owerri, Imo State (SARS) for seven days was unconstitutional.”
Others include a declaration that her invitation by the police for another investigation while the case has been adjourned sine die at the Chief Magistrate Court, Owerri, violates her rights.
She also wants an order restraining the Respondents, from further arresting, pursuing and intimidating her.
“An order directing the 1st 2nd, 4th to 6th Respondents to release forthwith her Infinix Note 7 and lnfinix Note 8 illegally seized by the Respondents during the arrest and torture in Lagos.
“An order awarding damage in the sum of N50 Million to the Applicant for the unlawful arrest, torture, unlawful detention, insult, disgrace, intimidation and the embarrassing treatment meted out on the Applicant.”
In her August 22, 2019 Affidavit in support of her application, Kamalu averred that she and Chima began dating in 1993 while she was in secondary school.
“We dated for 10 years, after which he proposed marriage and we both agreed to settle down as husband and wife. Unfortunately, our parents kicked against our relationship on the ground that we are biologically related and that we were committing incest and could not get married, so I married another man called Gabriel Igbibi,” she said.
The applicant said she reconnected with the lawmaker when she needed assistance to execute a contract she secured and that after she refused his advances, “he raped me.”
“I lodged the case first at New Owerri Police Station wherein he influenced it and I wrote a Petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Force State Quarters, Abuja. The petition was assigned to Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia, Abia State.
“The 1st Respondent settled the police and they brokered peace between the 1st Respondent and me, wherein he promised to take proper care of me because he cannot withdraw himself from me.
She said following their reconciliation, they resumed their incestuous relationship “fully again”.
Kamalu added: “My husband got wind of the relationship between the 1st respondent and myself,” following which he filed for divorce.
When she informed Chima he allegedly gave her money to hire a lawyer for the case.
“The 1st Respondent promised that if the divorce succeeds, he will be giving me N20 million every six months and also buy me a property in any designated place in Lagos.
“The marriage was dissolved at the Ikeja High Court, Lagos. After the divorce, the 1st Respondent told me that before he will take the relationship serious, I will have to bear a child for him.”
According to her, she took in for him, but had a miscarriage. He then asked her to adopt a baby which would be his and claim that the baby was born in Canada, but that the baby also died.
She further claimed that he made her swear to an oath of loyalty, but she eventually caught him with another woman.
“I became infuriated and he became furious and warned me never to visit him again, that he is no longer interested in the relationship. I reminded him of the oath he forced me to take that no man must have any relationship with me again and the promise to be giving N20m every six months, buy me a property in a choice area, buy a brand new car every six months, which he had never fulfilled.
“I told him that I would tell the whole world how he has ruined my life and deceived me out of my marriage where I had four children.”
She told the court that this was why the lawmaker used the police to arrest her on May 27, 2019 and detained for seven days.
Over 30 cows were over the weekend struck to death by thunder at Ijare community in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The cows, which were 36 in number were said to had been moved by Fulani herdsmen into the community’s sacred groove located on the town’s mountain top when the disaster occurred.
The dead cows were seen scattered all over the mountain at the scene of the incident known as Oke-Owa. Following the mysterious death of cows at a ‘sacred land’ called Oke Owa in Ijare, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, the community was preparing to perform some traditional rites on the land and the dead cows.
Despite the supernatural interpretation by the traditionalists, police said the thunderstorm that killed the cows was a natural disaster.
It was gathered that the cows were struck dead at the rocky elevation said to be sacred to the community.
This government is sitting on a keg of gun powder. The Tunisian revolution that ignited other revolutions across other Muslim-African states wasn’t planned. The people just got tired; and some, bold enough, dared to challenge the status quo at whatever cost. They got something.
There’s a saying that people who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat mistakes made in times past.
The Nigerian government may not know, but I’m certain there are persons who’d gladly lay down their lives to push the case of the common man. We are being daily deceived. We are being lied to. We are daily being milked.
The youths want the power; good to know. Yahaya Bello is in his forties. He’s the youngest governor we have at the moment in this country. Do we see how he rules? He rules, not lead.
We want leaders, not rulers. We want men of character who wouldn’t compromise and neglect the common man; no matter what.
Fayose was the closest to leader we ever got pre-2019; but, at best, he’s a comic character. He’s also a ruler, who disguises his evil deeds by a seeming closeness to the common man. This man is a good ‘deceiver’. The other day, I saw a video wherein he claimed governors during his first term were forced to make donations to Obasanjo’s Presidential Library. That admission alone is enough to get him prosecuted in saner climes.
Corruption does not have to do with age. I agree with the youths; we should be given a chance. But, at what? Truth be told, majority of Nigerian youths are more interested in cyber crimes than in governance. I don’t entirely blame them. If you hear some tales they have to tell, you will understand why some do what they do.
But, that is not the answer. The Nigerian problem has to be addressed right from the root(s). A right approach is needed.
Love. I believe love is everything. If love finds her way into the heart of governance, every other thing will fall in place. Love will make a leader abstain from stealing the commonwealth of all. Love will make a leader reach out to opposition(s), and extend a hand of fellowship. Love will make the Executive enforce the laws of the land without favouritism. Love will see to it that the Legislature make good laws. Love will ensure the Judiciary rightly interpret the nation’s laws.
The day Nigeria chooses the path of Love is the day things start to work. No one Nigerian should be greater than the other. We all should be equal before the law. That’s the only way to address the many ills of this country from it’s very root.
My prayers are with Seyi Makinde. I pray as he has started well, he ends well. He’s making Oyo State live up to her ‘Pace-Setter’ slogan.
“Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” – Abraham Lincoln.
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i, has enrolled his six-year-old son, Abubakar, in primary one of a public school in fulfilment of a promise he made in 2017. Abubakar is now a pupil of Capital School Malali, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that El-Rufa’i had in a state broadcast in December 2017, promised to enroll his child in a public school when he turns six years.
“The move is part of reforms to revamp public schools in the state to make them more competitive.
“We are determined to fix public education and raise their standards so that private education will become only a luxury.
“As we make progress, we will require our senior officials to enroll their children in public schools.
“And I will by personal example ensure that my son that will be six years of age in 2019 will be enrolled in a public school in Kaduna State, by God’s grace,” El-Rufa’i had said.
Briefing newsmen shortly after he enrolled his six-years-old, El-Rufa’i affirmed it was a commitment that had been fulfilled.
“I made that commitment because I believe that it is only when all political leaders have their children in public schools that we will pay due attention to quality of public education.
“I went to a public school like this. In fact, the school I went to is not as good as this one, but here I am, because of the quality teaching I got.
“My intention is to ensure that all our public schools offer quality education, and so we are encouraging all our senior public servants to send their children to public schools.
“Once the public schools are improved to a point they are nearly as good or even better than private schools, no one will waste his money taking his child to private school,” he said.
Ummi El-Rufai, wife of the governor and mother of the child said: “l am glad that we are able to send a strong message to our leaders and the elites, that we need to start making things work from within our homes.
“By the time we start attending public hospitals and send our children to public schools, the system will get better. This is a very huge step,” she said.
On his part, the little child said: “I am sad that I will miss my old school, my friends and my teachers. But I have to help my father keep his promise.”
Big Brother Naija, BBNaija, housemate, Tacha again on Sunday boasted to fellow housemates about her stay in the reality show.
Tacha, who is one of the most talked-about and criticized housemates in the ‘Pepper Dem’ edition said this after her conversation with Ebuka about her reaction to Diane following the missing box.
DAILY POST recalls that Tacha rained insults at Diane and accused her of getting drunk after she forgot the red box at the Arena.
But, Cindy speaking to Ebuka on the incident described Tacha’s reaction as ‘senseless and uncalled for.’
However, Tacha after the eviction show told housemates that she would remain in the show till the 99th day no matter the hate and dislike from them.
“I would remain in this house till 99th day whether you like it or not. When you talk about me, you clout.
“I am bigger than the owner of this show, I was blown before big brother.
“If you have a problem with me, tell me and stop gossiping, you all are trending because of me,” Tacha said.
Acase of another contract scandal has been uncovered within the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The bid for the contract of the construction of independent power development of Abuja (1,350MW) and Kaduna (900MW), a project under the Gas and Power Investment Company Department in the NNPC, SaharaReporters gathered, was marred by “an egregious display of corrupt practices at all stages”.
The evaluation of bidders by the committee set up by the NNPC was fingered in cases of corruption from accepting late bidders to favouristism.
The Egalitarian Mission, in a petition written to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, explained what went down during the contract bid of NNPC while also highlighting corruption cases that took place during the evaluation of bidders.
The group highlighted the Evaluation Committee for the Abuja and Kaduna Power Plant Development headed by the Managing Director of Gas and Power Investment Company Limited (GPIC); NNPC Supply Chain Department; and all NNPC officials overseeing the projects as major players in the corrupt scheme.
The petition alleged, “Our observers learnt that in the not too distant past, the entire process had been tampered and tinkered with such that the perpetrators of this unwholesome act are changing the template for competitive bidding evaluation as well as substituting bids that had been adjudged to be more responsive for the ones that didn’t meet the standards and criteria.
“We, to our utmost chagrin noticed that one of the bidders (SIEMENS) submitted late technical/financial evaluation tender documents to the supply chain venue and rather than enforce the rules against late submission, NNPC accepted the tender while the bid opening was already ongoing.”
The group said it wanted the NNPC to create a level playing ground for all companies including local and foreign companies.
It noted that the government’s invitation to foreign investors to invest in any sector of the economy “should not be seen and treated as a leeway to undercut the set standards or lower the benchmark with a view to perpetuating all sorts of corrupt practices capable of denting and defeating” the ultimate purpose and good intentions of the government.
“International companies are expected to abide by the measures and timeline to ensure that they perform up to the required maximum,” the Egalitarian Mission in the petition to the AGF said.
Calling for an investigation into the matter, the Egalitarian mission stated Section 5, 15 (5), 16 (1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (amended) as well as Section 4 (a-d), 30, 58 (4f, 5a-b) of the Public Procurement Act and Section 6, 27 (3) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act No. 5 LFN 200 all frowns against corruption while issuing contracts stating that the laws provide protocols to combat it.
It also demanded that the AGF investigate the process of the contract bid and fish out all perpetrators of the corrupt act, using his “good office to quickly intervene in these projects” by requesting all the documents concerning these projects so as to propel NNPC to leave open their evaluation criteria for the award of contracts under these projects in line with international standards.
The group also requested a full-scale investigation to be launched into the circumstances surrounding these projects and that the NNPC makes open the entire evaluation process from the submission of tendering documents to the end, inclusive of the actual award of the contracts.
The mission also asked the NNPC to reject the late submission of tender and documents made in order to instill and enforce transparency in the implementation of the project while asking that a panel of inquiry be constituted to launch a full-scale investigation.
In response to the allegations, the NNPC in a letter to the Bureau of Public Procurement claimed that the contract issuance was only for evaluation process, noting that the contract is not for contract or procurement purposes.
The NNPC also noted that due diligence was carried out throughout the stages of the contract on each of the proposed partners.
A letter to the BPP said: “The 1350MW Abuja 900MW Kaduna Independent Power Plants (IPP) projects are tended to be funded by financiers (70% debt) and the participating Shareholders (30% equity). The development model shall be a Build, Own and Operate (BOO) through Public/Private Partnership (PPP) framework.
“To achieve the foregoing, NNPC invited proposals from reputable Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)/Companies to develop the power plants with NNPC. It is worthy to mention at this point that the proposals requested were strictly for the purpose of evaluating the technical and financial capacities of the potential strategic partners and NOT for contract or procurement purposes.
“After successful evaluation of the technical and commercial proposals, due diligence was also carried out on each of the proposed partners. At the end of the process, GE/CMEC and Siemens/BUA Consortia emerged as NNPC’s preferred strategic partners for the development of Abuja and Kaduna IPPs respectively.
“Sequel to the above, discussions on the structure of the JV have already commenced. NNPC; leveraging on its strength as a gas producer, will subscribe as Minority Shareholder in order to promote the development of the IPPs and provide comfort to the financiers of the projects.”
NNPC, however, said it was reviewing the allegation in line with its corporate procedures and would avail the BPP the outcome of its investigation and possible action.
Dr. Chris Ngige, Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said the country is on the verge of being consumed by social unrest due to increasing rate of employment in the country.
Ngige, who spoke in Enugu at the weekend, stated that Nigeria would become like Venezuela if the country does not begin to tackle unemployment immediately.
The minister highlighted insecurity and unemployment as major symptoms of a failing country noting that the two plagues Nigeria.
He said, “So, unemployment is growing into a big cankerworm. It is growing into a very vicious disease condition that has given rise to a lot of anti-social behaviours.
“The symptoms are there. Boko Haram is a symptom of unemployment in Nigeria. IPOB is a symptom of unemployment and desperation and people getting frustrated. Same goes for banditry in the North-West. Same goes for kidnapping all over the country. Avengers – the destruction of oil pipelines, OPC – all these are symptoms of very serious underlying disease condition called unemployment.
“All arsenals, everything will be put into place, so that we can fight unemployment. Otherwise, it will consume everybody. It will consume me and you.
“It is already showing when you are in traffic and people are knocking on your car window to ask you to give them your phone. If you don’t give them, they will attack you. “That is the big malaise.”
Ngige, however, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is tackling the two issues and would fashion a way out, DailyTrust reports.
A plot to remove Vice President Yemi Osinbajo gathered momentum at the weekend, with some allegations against him dating back to when he was acting president in May 2017, when President Muhammadu Buhari was in the United Kingdom on medical leave, consequent upon Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Some of the allegations against him were that, as acting president, Osinbajo “authorised payment of N5.9 billion to NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency) without approval from the National Assembly.
“Although he is chairman of the governing board of NEMA, he still needed parliamentary approval before money could be taken from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. He didn’t pass through the normal channel.
“Again, he signed for N25 billion for NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation), as ‘funding contract.’ He had no such powers,” said a security.
There are also allegations that disbursement of funds by the Federal Government-backed Social Investment Programme (SIP) domicilled in Osinbajo’s office were not transparent, with allegations of “traces of money exchanging hands between him and the FIRS boss.”
However, a Presidency source who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter dismissed the allegations as “recycled.”
He said: “The issues have not changed from the position that the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness report never indicted Osinbajo of corruption,” and insisted that attempts to resuscitate the allegations are “mere political contrivances intended to distract him.”
In November 2018, also on the same issue, a presidential political adviser, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, said the opposition was merely “in search of company for their acts of grand corruption, which brought Nigeria to its knees as of May 2015.
“Even the House Committee chairman has said there was no allegation of corruption against him.” Another Presidency source simply dismissed the allegations as “part of the smear campaign. Absolute falsehood.”
Also, last Friday, in Ekiti State, during the burial of Mrs. Moroluke Fakoyede, mother of the secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Ikere-Ekiti, Osinbajo said there were saboteurs and fifth columnists working against government’s plan to develop the country.
Regardless, possible replacements for Osinbajo are being assessed and top on the list are two candidates from the South West.
The vice president is from the South West (Ogun State) and is also a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. In shopping for his replacement, two Christians are being considered, with a serving governor in the region topping the list, as at last Wednesday.
A former governor from the South West was also considered but was knocked off the list because of the need to ensure “religion balancing.”
Meanwhile, another source in the Federal Capital Territory said the allegations against Osinbajo were all about political permutations ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
He said despite being the highest ranking South West politically-exposed person in the ruling government now, and since “he does not control any political bloc in the region, there is need for realignment of forces hitherto deployed in the region,” in previous elections for the All Progressives Congress (APC), as an ally of the North.
“Osinbajo has no political base in Yorubaland. The recent ministerial, board appointments from the region went through another ally who is now a big player in Abuja. The young Turks from the South West are ready to go into a new alliance with the North,” he said.
To gain foothold, if and when Osinbajo is removed, the new political realignment would see the new leaders paving the way for a northern presidential candidate in the APC and the People’s Democratic Party.
A source who was privy to the plan explained: “The North will present candidates for the presidency in APC and PDP. The South West is automatically ruled out because Osinbajo has been elected twice now, with Buhari. The South East and the South South are now the beautiful brides for Vice President.”
A former governor further explained why the North will present candidates in APC and PDP.
“In arriving as to why the North should be allowed to contest for the Presidency in 2023, let us go back to 1999.
“The South West had its constitutional eight years with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In the spirit of balance and rotation, the presidency moved to the North.
“Now, in 2007, it was the turn of the North, with late President Umaru Musa’Yar’Adua, who did not complete his four-year tenure before he died in May 2010.
“If he had lived, he would have had the right of first refusal in 2011. His first four-year tenure was completed by his deputy then (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.), who went on to contest in 2011 and left in 2015.
“The eight years of the North was not completed because the South South took it, having jettisoned an earlier agreement.
“Now, it would only be fair if you allow the North have another shot at the presidency.
“Besides, the 2019 general election has shown the underbelly of the South West.
“Lagos, which had the highest number of voters, going into the general election, could not even muster 1 million votes for Mr. President; yet, Borno that was even bombed on the day of election, saw people trooping out to vote for APC overwhelmingly. Kano lived up to its billing by giving APC more votes than Lagos.
“So, in terms of comparative advantage, if APC is to continue at the centre, it’s best to have a presidential candidate from the North and balance it with a vice president from the South East since South South has ruled before. The rotation principle can be applied after 2027 and not before,” he argued.
