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Teachers dare government, vow not to honour resumption date

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
As resumption date draws closer for schools across the country, the crisis between primary school teachers and Edo State Government over poor condition of services has taken a new dimension as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo state has rejected the September 2, 2019, resumption date for schools. The teachers had last week issued a three-week warning strike notice to the state government, if it failed to meet its demands. The demands include rejection of competency test for teachers, releasing of the approved N60million termly subvention to schools, payment of EDO BEST stipends of 2018 and 2019 to teachers, recruitment of teaching personnel into public primary and secondary schools in the state. A statement signed by Moni Mike Itua, assistant general secretary, NUT and made available to newsmen in Benin, the union directed members to disregard the circular letter by SUBEB directing them to resume on September 2, 2019, for the First Term of 2019/2020 academic session, as against the approved September 9, 2019, by the state Ministry of Education. Itua urged the board not to constitute itself into a “parallel ministry of education” as well as usurping the functions of the ministry by ordering a different resumption for primary school teachers in the state. “In continuation of your board’s insensitivity to human dignity and plight of our primary school teachers, the attention of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Wing, has been drawn to your circular letter–SUBEB/A/7VOL.IIT/90 of 20th August, 2019, where you directed teachers to resume for the 2019/2020 first term academic session on the 9th of September, 2019 on the other hand, in a twist, you further directed the same teachers to also resume a week earlier than the pupils (that is, on the 2nd of September, 2019) to enable them put all arrangements in place for effective take-off of teaching/learning process. “Arising from the above directives by your board, the state wing executive council of NUT want to inform you that, public primary school heads and their teachers are not the ones to clean up classrooms or cut grasses in their school compounds, but shall only act as supervisors to the pupils in executing such assignments on their resumption, if your board lacks the capacity to provide or employ cleaners and gardeners in the schools. “Your board’s unending shenanigans and arm-twisting of our teachers which are now dovetailing into full scale tramping on their rights should stop henceforth.” While directing school heads and their teachers to disregard the board’s circular letter regarding the September 2, 2019 resumption date, Itua urged them to adhere strictly to the union’s directives. A circular letter from the Human Resources Department of SUBEB dated August 20, 2019 directed teaching and non-teaching staff in public schools across the 18 Local Government Education Authority to resume school on Monday, 2nd of September, 2019. The circular was signed by Mrs Ehigiamusor I.Lydia, Director, Human Resources and Management on behalf of the executive chairman of the board, Mrs Joan Oviawe. The circular letter was copied to all education secretaries and local government education authorities across the 18 local government area. According to her, “I am directed to humbly refer to the above subject and to inform teachers of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board across the 18 LGEAs that school resumes for the 1st term 2019/2020 academic session on Monday, the 9th of September, 2019. “That the Board wishes to return to the usual practice of teaching/non-teaching staff resuming a week earlier than the pupils. This practice the board has considered very necessary to enable teachers put all arrangement in place for effective take off of teaching/learning process immediately, upon resumption. “In the light of the foregoing, teaching and non-teaching staff in our schools across the 18 LGEA are therefore to resume school on Monday, 2nd of September, 2019.”

As resumption date draws closer for schools across the country, the crisis between primary school teachers and Edo State Government over poor condition of services has taken a new dimension as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo state has rejected the September 2, 2019, resumption date for schools.

The teachers had last week issued a three-week warning strike notice to the state government, if it failed to meet its demands.

The demands include rejection of competency test for teachers, releasing of the approved N60million termly subvention to schools, payment of EDO BEST stipends of 2018 and 2019 to teachers, recruitment of teaching personnel into public primary and secondary schools in the state.

A statement signed by Moni Mike Itua, assistant general secretary, NUT and made available to newsmen in Benin, the union directed members to disregard the circular letter by SUBEB directing them to resume on September 2, 2019, for the First Term of 2019/2020 academic session, as against the approved September 9, 2019, by the state Ministry of Education.

Itua urged the board not to constitute itself into a “parallel ministry of education” as well as usurping the functions of the ministry by ordering a different resumption for primary school teachers in the state.

“In continuation of your board’s insensitivity to human dignity and plight of our primary school teachers, the attention of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Wing, has been drawn to your circular letter–SUBEB/A/7VOL.IIT/90 of 20th August, 2019, where you directed teachers to resume for the 2019/2020 first term academic session on the 9th of September, 2019 on the other hand, in a twist, you further directed the same teachers to also resume a week earlier than the pupils (that is, on the 2nd of September, 2019) to enable them put all arrangements in place for effective take-off of teaching/learning process.

“Arising from the above directives by your board, the state wing executive council of NUT want to inform you that, public primary school heads and their teachers are not the ones to clean up classrooms or cut grasses in their school compounds, but shall only act as supervisors to the pupils in executing such assignments on their resumption, if your board lacks the capacity to provide or employ cleaners and gardeners in the schools.

“Your board’s unending shenanigans and arm-twisting of our teachers which are now dovetailing into full scale tramping on their rights should stop henceforth.”

While directing school heads and their teachers to disregard the board’s circular letter regarding the September 2, 2019 resumption date, Itua urged them to adhere strictly to the union’s directives.

A circular letter from the Human Resources Department of SUBEB dated August 20, 2019 directed teaching and non-teaching staff in public schools across the 18 Local Government Education Authority to resume school on Monday, 2nd of September, 2019.

The circular was signed by Mrs Ehigiamusor I.Lydia, Director, Human Resources and Management on behalf of the executive chairman of the board, Mrs Joan Oviawe.

The circular letter was copied to all education secretaries and local government education authorities across the 18 local government area.

According to her, “I am directed to humbly refer to the above subject and to inform teachers of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board across the 18 LGEAs that school resumes for the 1st term 2019/2020 academic session on Monday, the 9th of September, 2019. “That the Board wishes to return to the usual practice of teaching/non-teaching staff resuming a week earlier than the pupils.

This practice the board has considered very necessary to enable teachers put all arrangement in place for effective take off of teaching/learning process immediately, upon resumption.

“In the light of the foregoing, teaching and non-teaching staff in our schools across the 18 LGEA are therefore to resume school on Monday, 2nd of September, 2019.”

Shock As SARS Officers Beat Up 98 Year Old Woman With AK-47

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
Shock As SARS Agent Beat Up 98 Year Old Woman With AK-47

Policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Anambra State Police Command have allegedly beaten up a 98-year-old woman, Cecilia Okpalaku of Achina in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state, over a family dispute.

“The policemen said they were looking for a document in my house but they ended up taking my granddaughter from me and assaulted me with an AK-47 riffle,” the nonagenarian told PUNCH Metro.

It was gathered that the incident happened when the cops invaded the family home of one Emeka Okpalaku in Achina on the invitation of his estranged wife, Chiemerie Nzekwe, from the same local government area.

Emeka, a Japan-based businessman, our correspondent learnt, was married to Esther from Uga some years back.

While Emeka was in Japan, Esther and their daughter stayed back in Achina with the mother-in-law, Cecilia.

A family source, who begged not to be named said, “Emeka was occasionally visiting home to see his wife and daughter. But trouble started when the husband visited home recently and observed certain strange things.

“It was Esther’s inability to explain some of these things that made Emeka to threaten to opt out of the marriage.

“Emeka, having sent his wife away, left their only daughter in the custody of his nonagenarian mother, Cecilia.

“His embattled wife stormed the husband’s place in Achina with some SARS operatives to forcefully take away their daughter.”

It was alleged that the SARS operatives assaulted Cecilia in the process as she tried to stop them from taking away the child.

The nonagenarian’s family has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for his intervention in the matter.

In the petition by its lawyer, Charles Asadu, the family decried the alleged assault on Cecilia by the police over a matrimonial issue.

The petition read in part, “We have been briefed and our legal services have been retained by Messrs Josephine Anudu and Euphemia Ekwebele of Umuezeiyi village, Achina in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“Information reaching us is that armed police men with Ak-47 rifles and wearing black T-shirts with the inscription, F-SARS, in company with Mrs Chiemerie Okpalaku, invaded the premises of our client and physically assaulted their aged mother, Mrs Cecilia Okpalaku, 98.

“The reason behind the attack was that Mrs Chiemerie Okpalaku is an estranged wife of Emeka Okpalaku, son of the aged woman, who resides abroad and has been in marital problems.

“We gathered that it was the aftermath of the matrimonial faceoff that prompted Chiemerie and the officers to attack the aged woman.

“They ransacked the entire household, damaged the doors of the rooms and went away with so many household items belonging to our clients.

“In an effort to subdue our clients, the police used the butts of their AK-47 rifles on the aged woman, who according to our clients, is now admitted in one of the hospitals in Achina.”

When contacted on the telephone, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident.

Mohammed said the persons in dispute were not formally married, adding that the command had commenced investigation into the matter.

He said, “The real fact of the issue is that the man confiscated the credentials of his fiancée in order to deny her the opportunity of reporting for the National Youth Service Corps orientation.

“The complainant’s lawyer sent in a petition to the Anambra State Police Command and the Commissioner of Police ordered a discreet investigation into the matter.

“However, as soon as the suspect sighted the police, he escaped through a window. The police then used the power of ingress to gain access into the house.”

Gernot Rohr Speaks On Leaving Nigeria

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr says he feels loved by Nigerians, a major reason he’s attached to the country and the national team.

But the German, who holds a French passport, admits that there’s a section of Nigerians from whom he “doesn’t feel this love.”

The German led the Eagles to a third-place finish at last month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt but claims “one category” of people didn’t show him love especially after the AFCON.

“We have difference between Francophone countries and Anglophone countries but I didn’t have any problem adapting (in Nigeria) because I was welcomed by everybody, not only in the team but the staff, and also from Nigerians,” he said.

“When I go out, I feel this love, I feel it everywhere. The only people I don’t feel this love from, there is only one category especially after the AFCON, and you know who it is. But everywhere, if it is here or in other places, I feel this love, this is a reason for me, which makes it very hard to leave because there is human relationship which is important also.

This is the most passionate(job) because the passion around me is giving me also the passion, enthusiasm and desire to do well. This job here is very different because we speak English, which I did not speak for a long time, since my school time. But I have learnt back quickly; the mentality is also different.

2022 World Cup: Emmanuel Adebayor out of Togo squad for qualifiers

By
concoursemedia
-

Captain Emmanuel Adebayor has been left out of the Togo squad for next month’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Comoros.

The 35-year-old is not in coach Claude Le Roy’s 23-man provisional list for the preliminary round double-header which takes place in Comoros on 6 September and in Lome four days later.

No official reason has been given for the omission of Adebayor who has been without a club since leaving Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir at the end of last season.

The former Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Real Madrid striker was last left out for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Gambia last October.

Another key player overlooked by Le Roy is 35-year-old midfielder Jacques-Alaixys Romao who plays for French Ligue 1 club Reims. Romao has played for Togo since 2005.

James Olufade, whose eligibility to play for Togo was unsuccessfully challenged by the Gambia Football Association during the 2019 Nations Cup qualifiers, returns to the Sparrow Hawks squad.

Among the new faces in the squad are players who have featured for Togo’s local-based national team, including Agbozo Klousseh, Aigba Abdul Mubarak and Mubarak Abdul Bode.

BBC Sports

AFC approves $230m loan for struggling 9mobile

By
concoursemedia
-

Telecom company, 9mobile, has announced the approval of a $23 million loan by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

The company said in a statement on Sunday that it will use the money to honour existing debts, finance its costs and invest in growth.

Formerly called Etisalat Nigeria, 9mobile is Nigeria’s fourth-biggest telecoms operator behind MTN, Airtel and Globacom.

It was formerly operated by Abu Dhabi-based Etisalat until the local company defaulted on its debt, forcing lenders to step in to find new investors.

The Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) recently announced that it had slammed 9mobile and Airtel with a total fine of N136m for violating various industry regulations.

The NCC, in its 2019 first quarter enforcement report, stated that the network providers flouted different rules such as automatic renewal of data subscription, wrongful disconnection of an interconnect carrier and breaking the Do-Not-Disturb directive.

Unilorin professor discovers anti-cancer, anti-TB drugs, seeks commercialization

By
concoursemedia
-

Professor Joshua Obaleye of the Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin has announced the discovery of anti-malaria, anti-cancer and anti-tuberculosis drugs by a team led by him.

He said the drugs can be mass-produced to save lives.

Obaleye told newsmen in Ilorin that the team had tested numerous world-class metal compounds from his laboratory for the treatment of various diseases.

According to him, studies show that when a metal is attached with a pharmaceutical, it increases the efficacy of the drug.

But the don, who is also the President, America Chemical Society, Nigeria Chapter, and Chairman, Nigeria Chemical Society, Kwara State Chapter, said he lacked funds to commercialize the drugs.

According to the professor, he has also produced anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamins.

He said:“We need to commercialize all these drugs and invite the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and other regulatory bodies to come over to examine what we have produced to confirm if what we say we have is what we have.

“When they investigate us and find out what we say is authentic, maybe they will be happy to help us.

“We have produced metal anti-tuberculosis, metal anti-malaria, metal antibiotics and many more. We have produced a lot of them in this lab.

“Most of these drugs we have produced in our lab have other applications; even structural studies of them is enough. We can even use them as raw materials for other drugs.”

Obaleye called for effective collaboration among researchers in
the same discipline as well as interdisciplinary collaboration in order to come out with
world-class discoveries.

He said that collaboration had given him great opportunities to come up with groundbreaking researches.

“We are making a lot of achievements, we have many collaborators from India, we have collaborators in Malaysia, Japan and so many other countries.

“We work with people we know are experts in those areas; if you don’t collaborate, you just be a local champion without any progress,” he said.

The Nation

Liverpool Rips Arsenal Apart In 4 Goal Thriller

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-

For David Luiz, this was an introduction to Arsenal and their infamous defensive fragility. For Arsenal, this was an introduction to David Luiz and his infamous defensive fragility. The very thing that Arsenal feared when they signed Luiz from Chelsea came to pass in only his second game as Unai Emery’s side were once again ripped apart by a Liverpool team that seemingly enjoys nothing more than pummelling their visitors from north London.

Make that 15 goals scored by Jurgen Klopp’s team in Arsenal’s last four trips to Anfield. A new season brought new faces and a new threat from Unai Emery’s side, but the same old problems were exposed by the same old faces in red. Chief among them was Mohamed Salah, providing Luiz with a very personal torment in a thrilling second half performance that reminded the league just how hard it will be to stop Liverpool this season.

When Luiz swapped Chelsea blue for Arsenal red, he would not have imagined spending his second match trailing after a motoring Salah, watching the Liverpool winger disappear further and further into the distance. Neither would he have envisaged being so careless as to pull Salah’s shirt and award the Egyptian the most foolish of penalties in the crucial moments after half-time.

This, it is safe to say, is not what Luiz was signed for. Where was the defensive leadership, the organisation, the calmness? Frankly, it was all at the other end of the field, where Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk were occasionally ruffled by Arsenal’s attackers but ultimately sturdy under pressure. For all the talk of the opposing strikeforces before the match, it was the defenders who made the difference at Anfield, for good and for bad.

Liverpool go top, then, and they do so with another humbling of a ‘big six’ opponent.

EPL: Tammy Abraham Delivers First Win For Lampard’s Chelsea Against Norwich

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
EPL: Tammy Abraham Delivers First Win For Lampard's Chelsea Against Norwich

Tammy Abraham Delivers First Win For Lampard’s Chelsea Against Norwich City

Chelsea on Saturday beat Norwich 3-2 to emerge victorious in the encounter.

The Blues’ goals were scored by Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount, while Norwich showed effort with two goals by Todd Cantewell and Teemu Pukki.

In the third minute of the match, Tammy Abraham opened up the goals which was rapidly equalised by Norwich City via Tod Cantwell in the 6th minute. Mason Mount spurred the blues forward in the 17th minute but was quickly rebuffed by Teemus Pukki in the 30th minute. Tammy Abraham however sealed Frank Lampard’s first win in the EPL

EPL: Crystal Palace Records Their First Ever Win Against Manchester United

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
EPL: Crystal Palace Records Their First Ever Win Against Manchester United

Crystal Palace have a first league win at Old Trafford since 1989 and Manchester United have questions to answer.

In a frantic finish an 88th-minute Daniel James curler seemed to have grabbed United a point yet as added time arrived Paul Pogba squandered possession and Palace moved upfield before Patrick van Aanholt beat David de Gea from close range.

Marcus Rashford had earlier taken over penalty duties following Pogba’s miss at Wolves on Monday yet the No 10 could only cannon the ball off Vicente Guaita’s right post, missing the chance to equalise Jordan Ayew’s first-half opener.

That had been Palace’s first goal of the season and Van Aanholt secured their first points.

I Dumped PDP For APC, Babangida Introduced Kidnapping To Me – Wadume Makes Shocking Revelations

By
Shalom Ekelaka
-
See Photos Of Soldier Who Released Kidnapper Wadume From Police Custody

Notorious kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, has made some shocking revelations about his criminal activities.

Wadume, who said he dropped out of school after junior secondary education, also revealed that one Babangida Musa introduced him to crime.

The kidnap kingpin also revealed that he is currently a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, after dumping the PDP and helped the party win election in the presidential and senatorial election in Ibi town.

Wadume also revealed how the policemen who arrested him were killed by men of Nigerian Army who rescued him.

According to him, “I am 34 years old and married to four wives. I have only four children as two of my wives are yet to conceive. We are eight of us from my mother’s womb and my parents are dead. Due to financial constraint, I had to drop out of school after Junior Secondary School. I attended Government Secondary School, Ibi,” he was quoted by Saturday Sun as saying.

“In Ibi, we are farmers and my father used to be a fisherman. Based on the experience I got when I normally followed him to the river, I started buying and selling fish. It is not easy to catch it by yourself because of the waves and for fear of dying, I decided to restrict myself and was only buying and selling fish. I used to make as much as N5, 000 on a daily basis. I did that for years till I gathered enough money to start my own fish pond.

“I continued in that business till six years ago when my friend Babangida Musa introduced me to the business of buying and selling guns. He imports them from neighbouring countries and sell to me. I am a youth leader, so I have a strong relationship with a lot of bad boys that is why I knew that I would surely excel in the business.

“I started buying only AK-47 rifles from him at the price of N400, 000 and sold them to my customers at the price of N750, 000. Some of my customers are Yakubu Yamaza and one Halilu. Yakubu buys them in large quantities because he normal sells the guns to Fulani bandits and others. He is one of my constant buyers.

“Halilu is a notorious kidnapper and I preferred selling AK-47 rifles to him as a way to guarantee that he will not pick me up one day. In fact, his gang members almost got me but when I told them who I was, they released me. I cannot recall the number of AK-47 guns that I sold to him. I swear to God, I have never kidnapped anybody but I know a lot of them who are kidnappers. They normally buy AK-47 guns from me.

“I was making so much money, so I decided to use the money to buy cars and motorcycles for commercial purpose. I am also a politician and a youth leader. I made so much money from politicians.

“I joined politics about 10 years ago while I was a fish farmer. I was very active and that was why I was made the Sariki Matata (youth leader) of Ibi town. I started as a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and switched over in 2015 to All Progressives Congress (APC). In the 2019 election, APC won the presidential and senatorial election in Ibi town. During the governorship election, I switched over to PDP and assisted them to win. In politics, if you want to make money, one needs to join the winning team. I couldn’t get the ticket of PDP or APC to contest for State House of Assembly. Luckily, Young Democratic Party (YDP) accepted me but I still lost the election.

“As a youth leader, money meant for the youth was given to me. I am to mobilize them, hire thugs where necessary and make arrangement for weapons that can be used to protect our people. There is a lot of killing in my state, so it’s wise to always protect yourself in-case of any attack. It was during 2015 and 2019 elections that I made so much money to acquire cars and houses.

“On the day he was rescued by some soldiers, he added “On August 7 at about 6pm, I was in my house with some family and friends when policemen arrived and arrested me. Everyone was begging them, but they said that I am a kidnapper and handcuffed my legs and hands.

“On our way, we passed through three checkpoints. The first was that of the army and after identification, they allowed us to go. The second one was that of mobile policemen and they also allowed us to continue. It was at the third checkpoint that we wasted a little time but they allowed us to go after the policemen convinced them that they were real.

“Five minutes after we left that point, an army patrol vehicle started shooting at us. Our vehicle got hit and summersaulted severally. When we finally crashed and stopped, everybody was alive except for bullet wounds. The bullets hit part of my scrotum.

“The soldiers quickly rescued me and took me to a red saloon car and we drove off immediately. Initially, I thought they were bandits dressed in military uniform and wanted to kidnap me. It was when we got to Captain Balarabe’s house that I knew that I wassafe.

“The Captain was there and he called the DCO of Ibi Police Division, one ASP Aondona Lorbee. He came to the house and told the Captain that he could not find the key. They then brought an iron cutter and cut the handcuffs on my hands and legs.

“I was outside when I saw the soldiers drive in with four dead men. They dropped them on the ground and I realized that these were the people who arrested me. I was shocked because they were all alive after the vehicle summersaulted.

“Even the DCO saw the dead bodies and just looked at them and left the compound. While the dead bodies were still on the ground, I decided to find my way before anyone will know that I was there. One of the boys that I saw in the compound used his motorcycle to take me to the house of one of my friends, Saidu.

“By then the news of my arrest and escape has spread everywhere. I immediately rented a speedboat and escaped to Tunga village in Nasarawa. I slept there and also used the opportunity to contact my family members. The ones in Ibi told me that soldiers came to the house to look for me, that they asked that I should not allow police to catch me. It was better for me to come to them first as they will guarantee my safety.

“I refused to go back because I was already scared that they killed those policemen. I knew that if they catch me, I will be killed. I ran to my Uncle’s house in Kano. I went there because, he is related to my late mother and the house that he is living in belong to me. He only advised me to report myself to the police and stop running. I decided to stay away from the border because it’s guarded by the military and my face is now known by all.

“It was my uncle who called a doctor to treat the bullet wound that affected my private part. It is possible that I cannot use it again because of the damage and I discovered that when I wake up in the morning, I no longer have erection.

“While I was hiding, friends who knew where I was collected N3 million from me. They said that they were going to use it to pay journalists, so that they will be writing good report about me. It was when I was arrested, that I knew that they did not do anything. I was terrified when men in mufti broke into our house in Kano. I thought they were hired to kill me till I discovered they were policemen.

“I did not ask soldiers to kill anyone. I was happy they rescued me, but I’m happier that police has rearrested me and I’m still alive.

“I am not a kidnapper but I supply arms to different gangs. I make enough money as a businessman. I know that I have committed a crime selling guns; I am willing to change for good.”

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