What Team From England Will Get Furthest In This Season’s UEFA Champions League Competition?

This is a historic season for participants from England. There are five teams in the group stage for the first time due to Manchester United’s qualification via their Europa League triumph, and they are also joined by Scottish champions Celtic after their admirable negotiation of the qualifiers. Former Chelsea coach, Jose Mourinho’s side look like having a fairly comfortable return to Europe’s top table in their group. Benfica are opponents who should not be underestimated though. Chelsea face an Atletico Madrid side dealing with a player registration ban and a rebuilding Roma, while Manchester City must beware of Napoli’s deadly attack. Shakhtar Donetsk, also had a record-breaking return to prominence under Paulo Fonseca last season. Tottenham face a tough task with reigning Champions, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund on their way to Wembley. Celtic also have a fighting chance of a Europa League spot behind Bayern Munich and PSG, with rivals Anderlecht having started their title defence badly. Once the competition get into the knockout stages, the picture will become less clear, as it obviously gets tougher, and one wonders if City have the defensive leadership to stand up to the very best forward lines in Europe. Antonio Conte has yet to prove he can sustain domestic dominance and a strong Champions League campaign. Mourinho’s tactical ingenuity will be put to enormous test in the Champions League knockout stages, as they are expected to progress to that stage. Maybe Liverpool, with new recruitment, Mohamed Salah adding even more pace and incision to their attack, have the versatility to surprise a few. Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund always thrived by counter-attacking against teams who play on the front foot, and his current side are built in a similar fashion. Which of these English teams do you think will get furthest in this season’s UEFA Champions League competition?

Champions League!! Mbappe, Neymar Score As PSG Beat Celtic 5-0

Celtic sustained their heaviest ever home European defeat as Neymar led the way for Paris St-Germain in the Champions League group stage opener. The world’s most expensive player coolly finished and then had a hand in PSG’s second, which was finished emphatically by Kylian Mbappe. Edinson Cavani converted a penalty for the visitors’ third before the break. Mikael Lustig’s own goal was followed by Cavani’s second of the night, a diving header. Elsewhere in Group B, hosts Bayern Munich won 3-0 against Anderlecht, who had a man sent off.

Champions League!! Magical Lionel Messi Scores Twice As Barcelona Hammer Juventus 3-0

Lionel Messi scored either side of half-time as Barcelona brushed aside Juventus 3-0 in their opening Champions League Group D clash on Tuesday night. Messi made the breakthrough in the final minute of the first half, the first time the playmaker had scored against Gianluigi Buffon in his career. Ivan Rakitic then doubled the Catalans’ lead with a composed finish 11 minutes after half-time, before Messi completed the scoring 21 minutes from time with his 515th goal for the club. Both goalkeepers were called into making impressive early stops, with first Marc-Andre ter Stegen getting fingertips to Mattia De Sciglio’s well-struck effort, before Buffon did equally well to palm Luis Suarez’s effort over the bar. However, just as it looked as though the first half would end goalless, Barca struck through that man Messi, who played a neat one-two on the edge of the area with Suarez, before placing a low left-footed effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. The home side nearly added to their score when the irrepressible Messi crashed a thunderous effort against the inside of the post seven minutes into the second period. That close shave was soon forgotten, though, when Barcelona added a second moments later.

Champions League!! Romelu Lukaku Scores As Man United Thrash Basel 3-0 At Old Trafford

Manchester United made a winning return to the Champions League with a deserved home victory over Swiss side Basel. Marouane Fellaini, who came on for the injured Paul Pogba in the first half, rose highest to head United ahead from an Ashley Young cross with 10 minutes to go to the break. Romelu Lukaku strengthened their grip on the encounter by converting from among a group of players in the box from a Daley Blind cross following a short corner. Marcus Rashford fired in his side’s third from a Fellaini low cross seven minutes after coming on. The striker has now scored in his first appearance in the Champions League, Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup, League Cup and for England. The scoreline could have been even greater for Jose Mourinho’s dominant side, making their first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition since 2015, having qualified by winning the Europa League in May. They created numerous clear-cut chances, the best of which Henrikh Mkhitaryan side-footed against the post from close range after being found by a Lukaku cut-back. Basel were pinned back in their own half for much of the game but could have forced a different outcome had Luca Zuffi not fired wide from an unmarked position in the box just before Fellaini’s opener. Mohamed Elyounoussi also forced David De Gea into a fine save with a rising shot from inside the box as the visitors became more ambitious in the final quarter of the match.

Champions League!! Bakayoko, Batshuayi Score As Flying Chelsea Destroy Qarabag FK 6-0 (Read)

After a year away, Chelsea returned to the Champions League with a comfortable victory over Qarabag as two new signings found the net. Davide Zappacosta and Tiemoue Bakayoko hit their first Chelsea goals as the Blues returned to the Champions League with a rampant 6-0 group-stage win over Qarabag at Stamford Bridge. After a year away from European competition, the three points never looked in doubt for the Premier League champions after Pedro kicked off their Group C campaign with a fifth-minute goal. A bizarre strike from full debutant Zappacosta followed before the interval, Cesar Azpilicueta added a third and there was still time for substitute Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi to get in on the act. Gurban Gurbanov’s visitors – becoming the first side from Azerbaijan to play in the main draw of Europe’s premier club competition – never threatened to spring a surprise and Thibaut Courtois will enjoy few easier outings this season. This is a fourth straight win for Antonio Conte’s men in all competitions but three points here were the bare minimum.

UEFA Ready To Boost PSG Out Of Champions League For Breaking FFP Rules (See Details)

UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, is ready to boot Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League. French newspaper, L’Equipe, claims the Ceferin wants to become as popular as former UEFA boss, Michel Platini, by taking a radical decision. “If I want to attain the same popularity achieved by Michel (Platini), I know I need to exclude PSG from participating in UEFA organised competitions,” he is quoted as saying. Ceferin reportedly made this claim at last week’s European Club Association meeting. PSG are under investigation after spending £198million on Neymar this summer. The Ligue 1 giants also signed Kylian Mbappe on loan from Monaco and will pay £166m to make the deal permanent next year. UEFA are considering whether the club have breached their Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

Premier League!! This Former England Manager Has Been Named As New Crystal Palace Boss

Former England boss Roy Hodgson has been named as Crystal Palace’s new manager on a two-year deal. Hodgson replaces Frank de Boer, who was sacked on Monday after 77 days and five matches in charge. The 70-year-old has been out of management since resigning as England boss after defeat by Iceland at the last-16 stage of Euro 2016. He will take charge for Palace’s Premier League game against Southampton on Saturday at Selhurst Park. Hodgson, who began his playing career at Palace, has previously managed Blackburn, Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom in the Premier League. “This is very much the club of my boyhood. It is very rewarding to find myself here now, in different times, as manager at a club that I have always loved and admired with a huge potential,” he said.

Be Wise – 6 Things To Observe Before Buying A Laptop In Nigeria

Many people have been asking us which Nigeria’s online stores is the best to buy their laptop in Nigeria. Perhaps this is to help them get the best deal. But the simple answer to that question is that there is no perfect store. Here is why. Some store may give you a low price today, then a higher price tomorrow. Some will even tell you that your favourite laptop will be delivered in 5 days, only for you to realize that the laptop is not even available anymore at their store. But we believe that you can still make the right decision if you read this article carefully. Today, there are many online stores in Nigeria. Notable Nigeria’s online stores that sell quality laptops are Jumia, Konga, SLOT, and Kara. But before buying your laptop in any of these e-commerce stores, we think you need to ask yourself this question, “why should I buy my laptop in Nigerian online stores?” If you are bereft of ideas, here are some good reasons why you should consider buying your laptop in online stores. One, it is more convenient and less stressful than going to the market to buy it. Another good reason is that it saves time. If you are the type that don’t have time to go to Computer Village or any popular markets in Nigeria, you will be better off buying your laptop in some of online stores we’ve just mentioned. Besides having a lot of good reasons to buy it at online stores, you need to take some other smart decisions. In order words, we think to avoid any stories that touch the heart, you need to consider 6 things before going ahead to purchase your desired laptops from any Nigerian online stores. 1. The Reliability Of The Online Store With many online stores in Nigeria springing up every now and then, you need to be careful when buying laptops online. While some popular online stores in Nigeria like Jumia, Konga, SLOT and Kara are already known brands, you won’t be hurt still to find out which is the most credible. Questions like, which of these stores offers the best computer deals and how are Nigerian buyers reacting to their services on their sites, should help you make an informed decision. Also, you should check if the online store offers a warranty of at least 12 months before you buy from them. 2. Online Shopping Best Price If you’re considering buying a laptop online in Nigeria, you should check for the online stores in Nigeria that offers best deals on computers. Sure, you wouldn’t want to hurriedly settle for a laptop at a given price only to realize that another online store offers much less price for the same product. So the best decision would be to do a price comparison.. This will help you to get your desired laptop that fits your budget. The best price comparison site is Kiniprice. 3. Battery Life Are you kidding me! Do you want to get a laptop whose battery is as good as dead? Of course not. A good battery makes you enjoy using your laptop. If your laptop battery only lasts for a few minutes, you won’t enjoy it at all. Before you even finish your task, the battery is dead. And if you always work on your laptop for long hours, you should get a laptop with the best battery life. 4. Processor Before you decide to buy your laptop, you should try to know the processor it comes with. The central Processing Unit (CPU) is the power of a laptop. The bigger and stronger it is, the better the laptop’s performance. If you buy a laptop with core i3, core i5 or core i5 Intel processor, you won’t bother about loading speed at all. And working very fast on many tasks at the same time becomes easy. 5. Ram Capacity Do you want a laptop that loads fast even when you run powerful software, huge files and graphics on it? Then consider its Random Access Memory (RAM) before shopping online in Nigeria for it. RAM helps you store vital information on your laptop for a short while. So if you’re a student buying a laptop with at least 2 GB of RAM is okay. But if you’re a business person or graphic designer, you need a laptop with at least 4GB RAM. In any case, a big RAM size would ace your productivity. 6. Your Budget To buy a laptop in any store online in Nigeria, you should look for the one most fitting for your budget. If you’re considering buying a cheap laptop, you can get the best cheap laptops in Nigeria in top online stores. You can get your desired mini computer in any of these stores. They offer the best computer deals at affordable prices.

ASUU STRIKE CANNOT LIMIT YOU – See The 6 Helpful Tips For Making Money As A Student

There is a lot students can do to earn an income while actively working to garner their degree qualifications. Below are the 6 helpful tips for making money as a student; 1. Do Freelance Writing For Blogs or Businesses If you’re good at writing, you can consider doing freelance writing for blogs as one way of earning an income as a student. Aside blogs, many businesses are looking for freelance writers to help them meet their writing and content creation needs, so you can take advantage of this and apply for freelance jobs with these businesses. 2. Consider Doing Online Design Work For students who consider themselves artists, have a knack for graphic design and are really good with Coreldraw, Photoshop or other graphic design software, doing online design work, like making small graphics for advertisements and full site redesigns for websites and businesses, can be a great way to earn an income. Students can also consider entering design competitions that offer monetary awards for winners, and stand a chance to get paid a good amount of money if they win. 3. Consider Becoming a Voice-Over Artist Doing voice-over work for production companies and advertising agencies is another great way to earn an income as a student. If you have a great voice and some broadcasting talent, you can apply for voice-over opportunities and get paid doing voice-over work for people and businesses. 4. Do Printing Jobs Considering the fact that students, especially university students, do a lot of printing work, you can set up a mini-printing business with an easily affordable deskjet printer whose inks can be easily refilled, and start printing for students at your own rates. You can set up this business close to any student’s hostel or even from your room, and be on your way to making some side income as a student. 5. Real Estate/House Agent As a student, if you are conversant with your locality, you can use your free time to search for accommodation for freshers and fellow students in your school environment, charging them a commissions/agents fee for your service. 6. Sell Your Skills Whatever skill you have, offer it as a service to people at a cost. If you are good at cooking, considering providing catering services to those in need of it at a reasonable cost. If you are good at sewing, considering making clothes for people at a cost. If you’re good at phone or computer repairs and maintenance, also consider providing this service to people at a cost. You only need to ensure that you market your skills well, and put yourself out there so people can see what you have to offer. You can also sell your services on online sites like Fiverr, Jumia Food etc.

ACU 2017/2018 Hall Of Residence Requirements For Newly Admitted Students

This is to inform all  newly admitted students of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State that the management has released the list of items allowed and not allowed in the halls of residence for 2017/2018 academic session. ITEMS ALLOWED IN THE HALLS OF RESIDENCE Below is a list of the minimum required items that a student will need during his/her stay  in the hall of residence. Items on this list are highly recommended to ensure that students enjoy a comfortable and stress-free stay in the Halls of Residence. Please keep in mind that storage space for each student is limited. Students must endeav our to bring only items of necessity to avoid congestion in the room(s). S/N      ITEMS               QTY 1. Blanket/Bedspread        1 2. Bed Sheets with Green and Blue background and  pillowcases to match 4’x7’Bed           4 3. Mosquito Net       1 4. Set of Cutlery       1 5. Plastic Buckets         2 6. Padlock and Key-Ring       1 7. Hangers               6 – 12 8. School Bag           1 9. Raincoat or Umbrella          1 10. Toiletries 11. Electric Kettle/Jug (Cordless) 12. Reading Lamp with 40Watts Bulb or one (1) Fluorescent tube 13. Feeding Allowance per Semester 14. Books, Exercise Books, Hard Cover Notebooks, Writing  Materials, etc. 15. Suits, Shirts, Ties and Trousers for Male Students 16. Skirt Suits, Dress Suits, Shirt Blouses, Trouser Suits, Skirts and Trousers for Female Students 17. Decent Outfits for Church Services 18. Sportswear and Tennis Shoes 19. Durable sturdy travelling boxes with security ITEMS NOT TO BE BROUGHT TO THE UNIVERSITY  Below is the list of items that are NOT ALLOWED on campus and should therefore  not be brought to the University. 1. Jeans 2. T-Shirts 3. Sleeveless and/or Transparent Blouses/dresses 4. ¾ Length Trousers 5. Leggings 6. Cooking Utensils 7. Knives/weapons 8. Boiling Ring 9. Hot Plate 10. Cooker/Kerosene stove 11. Candles PLEASE NOTE: NO COOKING IN THE HOSTEL. ALL FRESH STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO COME ALONG  WITH THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS  (Original and 5 Photocopies for Items 1-6) ON RESUMPTION: 1. O’ Level Result(s). 2. JAMB Result. 3. Admission Letter. 4. Affidavit from the Court on non-membership of  any cult or secret society. 5. Birth Certificate. 6. Reference Letters from Parent/Guardian and Pastor. 7. Ten (10) Passport photographs. Signed: Adenike T. Fatogun (Mrs) Registrar

ACU 2017/18 26 Fresh Law Students Admission Revoke- [See Full Names Here]

This is to inform the general public especially candidates who applied for admission into Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo that the management has released the names of candidates whose admission was reverse for 2017/2018 academic session. The underlisted candidates who were offered admission into Faculty of Law Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo were given up till 1st September 2017 to accept the offer by payment of acceptance fee failing which the admission lapse. They have failed to meet this deadline and are hereby informed that their admission into Faculty of Law, Ajayi Crowther University is hereby invalidated. These positions have been offered to other eligible candidates. LIST OF CANDIDATES WHO HAVE NOT PAID ACCEPTANCE FEE AS AT 01,SEPTEMBER 2017  ADMISSION NO.     NAMES    COURSE   1 ACU20170024 OKEKE, Harry Nnamdi Law 2 ACU20170025 OSHANISI, Mercy Temiloluwa Law 3 ACU20170026 SANDA, Benjamin Abner Law 4 ACU20170029 JACOBSON, Evans Ore-Ofe Law 5 ACU20170032 ONI, Inioluwa Oluwasemilore Law 6 ACU20170035 AKEREDOLU, Damilola Esther Law 7 ACU20170052 AYEJOTO, Iyinoluwa Helen Law 8 ACU20170054 ADEKOYA, Yetunde  Adedayo Law 9 ACU20170055 OROKUNLE, Japhet Oluwafemi Law 10 ACU20170068 EFEKEMERAYE, Sarah Erhigba Law 11 ACU20170069 EKO, Lotanna Ebunoluwa Law 12 ACU20170078 OGIDIOLU, Oluwaseun Blessing Law 13 ACU20170079 ADEDOYIN, Stephen Ifeoluwa Law 14 ACU20170115 AJAYI, Olawande Temidayo Law 15 ACU20170148 AKPORUFUOMA, Precious Oghenekev Law 16 ACU20170149 EGBULA, Chukwuka Williams Law 17 ACU20170151 OMANCHI, Emmanuella Otsanya Law 18 ACU20170155 JACOBSON, Evans Oreofe Law 19 ACU20170158 INYANG, Sarah Edidiong Law 20 ACU20170161 UMEADI, Fiona onyebuchi Law 21 ACU20170167 AREMU, Mary Olabisi Law 22 ACU20170170 JOHNSON, Timileyin Adedamola Law 23 ACU20170187 OWOLABI, George Ife Law 24 ACU20170194 ESOMOJUMI, Ayowale Abraham Law 25 ACU20170197 KOMOLAFE, Oluwatunmise Benjamen Law 26 ACU20170248 ANYAFULU, Thelma Isioma                                law

FUNAAB’s SSANU, NASU, other join strike

Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, was deserted on Monday as members of the Senior Staff Association of Universities (SSANU), Non – Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) and National Association of Technologists (NAAT) of the embarked upon industrial action in compliance with directives from their respective national bodies. The SSANU chairman, Rotimi Fasunwon, said they began the indefinite strike as directed by national leadership to compel the federal government to implement the 2009 agreement with the union, adequately fund the nation’s universities and fractionalization of salaries among others. Also, his NASU counterpart, Com. Isiaq Odunjo, said part of the reason for the strike is non registration of university pension scheme, bad governance and corruption in the university system. But Mr. Adewale Kupoluyi of the Directorate of Public Relations, FUNAAB told The Nation that the striking non – academic staff were acting on the directive of their national bodies. “The decision taken by the non-teaching staff unions, under the aegis of Joint Action Council (JAC), to embark on strike, was a national one. What happened in FUNAAB, could be seen as a response to the national directive,” Adewale said. Meanwhile, the non-teaching staff of Nigerian universities on Monday said they would meet to decide on a date to meet with Federal Government over the indefinite strike embarked by the unions. It will be recalled that the non-teaching staff of universities under the auspices of Joint Action Committee (JAC) had threatened to embark on an indefinite strike from Monday, September 11 over non-implementation of the 2009 agreement. Mr Samson Ugwoke, the President of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) made this known in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja. “We have commenced the strike today; the strike is total, comprehensive and indefinite. We only just got a letter from the Ministry of Labour and Employment inviting us for a meeting today,” Ugwoke said.

10 ways to ensure success in Post-UTME

The Joint Admission Matriculation Board(JAMB) recently announced 120 as the cutoff mark for candidates to qualify to write the post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination ( UTME ). With the lowered mark from 180 last year, more candidates will have the opportunity to write the examination and better chance for admission. Based on past experience, here are a few tips and tricks on how to succeed in the exercise. 1.READ UP PAST QUESTIONS This is very important for any student that wants to succeed in the upcoming examination Past questions serve as a guide to writing the examination. It gives you a clue on the area of concentration and makes you well equipped on what to expect from the examiners. Furthermore, so many tertiary institutions have been known over the years to repeat questions from the previous examinations. Some of the questions might be repeated and if a student has revised the past questions booklet thoroughly,he is sure to succeed. 2. ATTEMPT FAMILIAR QUESTIONS FIRST You should start with quesstionos that you are really good at as this will give you the confidence to take on the rest. A student who focuses on the questions he or she knows best will do better than the one who doesn’t. It is always advisable to focus on the questions you know before you go for the ones you don’t know 3.TIME MANAGEMENT Time is part of the examination. They test your ability to work with time. Manage the little time given for the examination and don’t waste much time on questions you don’t know. Answer all the ones you know and then come back to the unknown questions before the time lapses. 4. BE CONVERSANT WITH YOUR ENVIRONMENT Visit your exam venue some days before the date. If you must arrive that day, arrive on time so as to make new friends that you can revise possible questions with. This will help you to get over the pressure that go with examinations. 5.GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF EXAMINATION TECHNIQUES OF YOUR SCHOOL OF CHOICE Different schools have different techniques for their Post-UTME. While most Nigerian universities have adopted the computer based test(CBT),others have stuck with the old PPT (paper and pencil test) Whatever the case may be, to succeed in the examination, you should be conversant with the techniques of your examination before entering the exam hall. You may find computer based examination trials on the internet and practice well so as to get used to the procedure if this is your first time. 6.OBEY ALL EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS You must read all instructions before you start to answer the questions. This is very important. Failure to read instructions can make any student fail an examination. Be sure to come to the examination hall with the right materials required of you to avoid disqualification in the examination hall 7. DO NOT CHEAT In order to succeed in the post-utme examination, do not indulge in any form of examination malpractice. Do away with materials such as pieces of papers containing answers or gadgets and communication devices that can implicate you and be disqualified. 8.DRESS APPROPRIATELY According to a popular saying –“dress the way you want to be addressed.” When going in for the examination,be sure to dress decently and appropriately to avoid harassment from examiners and security personnel. 9.REVIEW YOUR ANSWERED QUESTIONS BEFORE SUBMISSION Don’t submit your questions without reading through them over and over again to check for mistakes and probably questions you missed. Be sure to dot your I’s and cross your T’s before submission. There is no award for the first person to submit. It is not about how fast, but how well. 10.PRAY BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXAMINATION It is pertinent to always commit whatever you do into the hands of your creator. So, as a candidate ensure you pray before and after the exam so as to succeed in your endeavour.

UNILAG postpones Post-UTME test

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has postponed its 2017/2018 Post-UTME Aptitude test previously scheduled for Monday 18th to Friday 22, September. A new date according to an announcement by the institution on Tuesday will be on the University website. Candidates are to visit www.unilag.edu.ng for information on the new date. The postponement does not affect the on-going application for the Post-UTME screening which will close on Friday, September 15 as scheduled.

NLC to name, shame Govs not using Paris Club refund well

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said on Tuesday that it was prepared name and shame state governors who failed to utilize the Paris Club refund for the purpose it was meant for, insisting that the President demand the state governors to account for the money before any further release is made to them. Reacting to a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari accusing the governor of misdirecting the Paris Club refund, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said it was unfortunate that despite their promises to use the money to pay workers salaries and pension, the governors have refused to live by their words. He said that some of the state governors have even refused to disclose how much they received and how it was utilized, pointing out that the Chairman of the Governors Forum who made a commitment on behalf of his colleague has, himself not utilize the money judiciously. Wabba said the President was actually reacting to its letter asking him not to approve the release of the third and last tranche of the fund to the governors until they account for what they have received. He said: “It is our letter he was reacting to. At our CWC meeting, we called on him not to release the last tranche of the Paris Club refund to the states because the governors have not kept their word. “You remember that Chairman of the Governors Forum alluded to the fact that they are committed to using the money to address the issue of liability of pension and salaries. Unfortunately, the Chairman of the Governors Forum has not lived up to those words. “As you are aware, our workers in Zamfara have shut down the state. He himself that ,are the pronouncement could not honoured the words that he pronounced on behalf of his colleagues. That is to show the level of deceit that is actually in the system and that is why we decided to write to the President to ensure that, there is a level of accountability to show that he is actually on the same page with the governors. “Before the second tranche was released, they made commitments and used the payment of workers salaries and pensions as a bait to get the President to approve and get the money across to them. But immediately they got the money, majority of them diverted the money. Right now, we have a standard data as to what the situation is in all states of the Federation. “Let me make the point that some has actually judiciously untilise their own, but states like Ekiti, Kogi, Benue, Zamafara among is even refused to make available how. Ugh they received. “You remember what happened at the Kogi state House of Assembly where a member raised a motion to demand accountability on the issue of the Paris Club refund and that resulted in the chaos we witnessed in the Assembly. That member had his head broken and the Speaker removed. That is the level of decay that is prevailing in some of those states. “It means that Mr President is in touch with the real issues that is happening in every state. The fact that he is aware that some of the governors have not utilized the money in the direction that he appealed to them means that he is aware of what is happening. “So, I think that going forward, we must demand for accountability. We are also aware that a lot of information is already in the public domain where a lot of them resorted to the use of consultants. “We learnt that about 5 percent was deducted from source and used for the payment of consultants which eventually ended up in peoples pocket. We are also aware of those that diverted the money to build hotels and pay mortgages. It is really a bad situation. “If we must fight corruption, those issues are issues that we must follow up and fight the, to their logical conclusion. Having made that pronouncement, I think k he should be commended, but we must also demand accountability from these people. “In some of the states, our members used the freedom of information act to demand how these money were utilized, but there has been no responses and I think that is most unfortunate. We have records of those states. We have also promised that we are going to name and shame those states that has not adequately utilized the bail out. “We are working on the data and once they are ready, we will make the, available and we are going to engage states that has not transparently utilized the bail out fund for the purpose that it was meant for and for the benefit of their people. That is where we are now and it is not a good situation at all and that is why the situation of workers have not improved. “Despite the fact that some efforts have gone in, the situation of workers have not I proved because there has been no transparency in some states in the utilization of those funds. Let me emphasized that some states have done extremely well and we are going to point this out very clearly.”

Buhari Tells Governors: No Excuse on Workers’ Pay

The Federal Government has released N760.17 billion in two branches of the Paris Club Loan Refund to states for outstanding salaries and pensions, but some governors are believed to have spent the cash on other things. President Muhammadu Buhari told traditional rulers at a meeting in Abuja that he was “living with the problems of this country day-by-day, and mostly those of ordinary people.” “There are Nigerians that haven’t been paid for six months; there are Nigerians that have not been paid their retirement benefits for years.” “I’m appealing to the governors (that was why we voted money; we borrowed money), please make sure anybody under you, pay them because most of them depend on that salary to pay rent and school fees,’’ he said. He stressed that the mismanagement of the national revenue over the years was responsible for the economic challenges facing the nation. Buhari promised to pursue programs and projects that would better a lot of Nigerians. Nigeria, he said, should use its huge population to advantage. The President spoke also on security, saying all hands were on deck to secure the country. On unity, he said: “We know our limitations, we have to continue to strengthen our constitution, to strengthen the resolve of our people to live together, work together.” On agriculture and this year’s planting season, Buhari said: “We are luckier this year than last year, and this year the rainy season is good. If it were not good I must confide in you that I was considering which country to run to.” “But God answered the prayers of many Nigerians. The rainy season last year was good and this year, with the report I’m getting, it is good. We thank God for that; otherwise, there would have been a lot of problems in this country.” Members of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria were led to the meeting by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, who thanked God for bringing the President back in sound health. He urged the President to tighten his belt and take on the mantle of leadership.” He said with a monarch from each of the geopolitical zones assuring Buhari of their support, the President should take their comments as honest and the tonic he needs to work hard for the nation. “We will continue to preach peace and stability, justice, transparency and accountability and anti-corruption,” he said. One traditional ruler each from the six geopolitical zones spoke at the meeting. For the Southwest, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwunsi, thanked God for the President’s safe return and for restoring him to good health. Buhari was away in London for 103 days due to medical reasons. “From the Southwest, we thank God for your life and we pledge to support you from our communities because we are closer to our people. We will continue to preach to our people that we should continue to foster peace in our country. We will continue to caution our youths against hate speeches,” he said. “We cannot leave the development of the country all to the government, but we have to work hand in hand. We assure you that we will support all your initiatives.” For the Northwest, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the traditional rulers identified with Buhari’s commitment to national security. For the Southsouth, the Jaja of Opobo said: “We express our commitment to your programs. “We know there is tension here and there, but as traditional rulers, we don’t eat politics. The economy has to be fixed. Coming from the region that produces the mainstay of the economy, even though the country will soon diversify the economy before we diversify, let’s protect the one that we still have.” “We are pleased to work for peace and stability in the region so that we can all see the benefits of the commodity,” he said. For Northcentral, the Gbom Gwom Jos, Jacob Buba Gyang, also thanked God for bringing the President back to celebrate Sallah with fellow Nigerians. “The issues of health and security are not issues to play politics with, but issues in which we should put heads together so that the country can progress,” he said. “We commend your efforts on security and agriculture.” “A few days ago, just when we thought peace had returned to the plateau up, it was truncated with the attack on Ancha village in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, leading to 20 deaths.” Mr. Gyang praised the President for ordering the security agencies to fish out those responsible for the attacks. Speaking for the Southeast, South East Traditional Council Chairman Eberechi Dick said: “Our hearts are full of joy that you are back. You shook our hands when you came in and that shows you believe in one Nigeria. We prayed for you and you are back. We prayed for you because your agenda for Nigeria is good.” “As your children, when we cry, it is for you to ask us to stop crying, that you will fix whatever is making us cry like the bad roads.” Speaking for the Northeast, the Lamido Adamawa said Nigerians were happy to have the President back to the country hale and hearty. “God brought you back to Nigeria and we are all very happy. We will continue to pray for God to strengthen you more and give you the courage to continue to do more for the country,” he said.

Kano State Bans ‘Okada’ In Capital

The Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) has banned the use of motorcycles to carry passengers in the Kano metropolis. It has also reactivated mobile courts to try anyone found to be using them to carry people for commercial or private purposes. Addressing journalists in his office on Monday, the managing director of KAROTA, AIG Mohammad Hadi (Rtd,) revealed that the re-introduction of the restriction was part of security measures against the resurgence of Book Haram in Kano. “Information reaching us clearly indicated that Kano is now a soft target for the Boko Haram insurgence and we have no choice than to deploy all necessary measures to ensure security of lives and property in our state,” he stated. “Due to the military bombardment in the Northeast, information at our disposal revealed that the group are now looking for other locations, especially Kano, to perpetrate their devilish acts.” The KAROTA boss reminded the journalists that the law restricting passengers on motorbikes in Kano was enacted in February 2013 during the tenure of Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso as governor, when investigations showed that most attacks were being carried out using motorcycles. “So, part of the security strategy was the ban of passengers on motorcycles.” He said that the law was only relaxed to make life bearable, sequel to the relative peace enjoyed in the state in the last few years. He noted that while some states have restricted movement of motorcycles entirely, Kano is only stopping the carrying of passengers, whether commercial or private, having found reason to reactivate the enforcement of the law The former AIG maintained that the operation, which is being executed in collaboration with other security agencies, has prosecuted 607 offenders since enforcement began seven days ago, adding that no stone would be left unturned to sanitize the system. Under the new law, those found guilty would be charged to six months imprisonment or a fine of N10,000 fine, or both. On the notion that the fine is merely meant to drive revenue into government coffers, Mr. Hadi said the intent is simply meant to enhance security. A few days ago, the Department of State Security (DSS) was said to have arrested some leaders of Boko Haram in Kano. Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje,who hinted about that development during the Sallah celebration, cautioned residents to be security-conscious while going about their lawful businesses.

Mr. President, Python Dance Is Unconstitutional By Aloy Ejimakor

Yes, I will say it again that – ‘Operation Python Dance’ or Egwu Eke 2′ – is unconstitutional. Below are the points and authorities: 1. According to the Army press release, the President acted pursuant to Section 218 of the Constitution which gives the President the “power to determine the operational use of the armed forces of the Federation.” But that power is NOT absolute as it is unarguably qualified by Section 217, which clearly sets forth the situations/conditions for the exercise of that power. The circumstances/conditions are: (i) for the defense of Nigeria from external aggression. (ii) for the maintenance of the territorial integrity and securing the borders of Nigeria from violation on land, sea and air, AND … (iii) for suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President; subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. In this last scenario, that is – suppression of insurrection and assistance to civil authorities – the President can only invoke such powers on terms prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. Python Dance was predicated under this subsection. Think! 2. To be sure, the power to deploy troops to suppress an insurrection is exactly what it says … suppressing insurrection, not fighting kidnapping, armed robbery, killing of priests and certainly not in suppressing ‘unarmed’ agitation … as the army press release stated. To be clear, ‘agitation is garden variety expression of political opinion/peaceful assembly expressly protected under Chapter IV of the Constitution’. It’s easily distinguishable from ‘internal insurrection’, which bears two elements – active bearing of arms; and actual levying of war against the federal government. In the interim, there’s no such thing in the Southeast. And all the reasons adduced for Egwu Eke are prevalent in all parts of Nigeria. 3. There are three recent and closely related judicial pronouncements (two from Federal High Court, one from Court of Appeal) that are considered locus classicus on the issue at bar. The details are as follows: (i). In a January 2015 judgment, Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court Sokoto invalidated President Jonathan’s unilateral deployment of soldiers for the June 2014 Ekiti State guber election. The judgment restrained Jonathan “from engaging the service of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the security supervision of elections in any manner whatsoever in any part of Nigeria, without an Act of the National Assembly.” (ii). On appeal, the Court of Appeal, per Justice Abdul Aboki, in a judgment delivered in February 2015, held that “the President of Nigeria has no powers to call on the Nigerian Armed Forces and to unleash them on peaceful citizens”. The court maintained that ‘Section 215 of the 1999 Constitution makes the maintenance of internal security, including law and order the exclusive responsibility of the police’. (iii). The following month – in March 2015 – the Federal High Court (in Gbajabiamila v. President Jonathan, et al) ruled on the same issue, and that is: deploying soldiers to civil duties. Justice Buba of that court stated that deployment of soldiers to civil duties such as elections was a contravention of Section 217(2) (c) of the Constitution and section 1 of the Armed Forces Act, noting particularly that the ‘military was not needed for civil duties’. The judge said that ‘the law does not make provision for the military to be involved in civil activities’. He also said that ‘the appellate court directly interpreted the Constitution when it held that Sections 215 and 217 jointly limit the president’s power to deploy soldiers to the suppression of insurrection and to aid the police to restore order when it has broken down’. 4. The foregoing three separate judicial pronouncements have clear support in judicial history. They are: (i). The Court of Appeal in Yussuf v Obasanjo (2005) 18 NWLR (PT 956) 96, held that “It is up to the police to protect our nascent democracy and not the military, otherwise democracy might be wittingly or unwittingly militarized. This is not what the citizenry bargained for in wrestling power from the military in 1999. Conscious step or steps should be taken to civilianize the polity to ensure the survival and sustenance of democracy.” (ii). On the same issue, the Supreme Court in Buhari v Obasanjo (2005) 2 NWLR (Pt. 910) 24, at 520 – 521, Nsofor, JCA, stated as follows: “There was no state of war in any of those States, no emergency declared therein. On the other hand there was peace and calm and tranquility”. 5. Let it be clear that at issues in the foregoing precedents as well as Python Dance are two … (i). The power of the President to deploy soldiers to civil or police duties. So, if the Courts did not find, as in the foregoing precedents, that ‘electoral violence’ is sufficient cause to deploy soldiers to police/civil duties, it’s more than likely that the justifications offered for Egwu Eke would be summarily struck down; AND … (ii). Should the President find cause to deploy soldiers to deploy soldiers suppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order, he MUST first seek the permission of the National Assembly. On the basis of the foregoing, I predict that a flurry of lawsuits will be levied against Python Dance in the next few days.

Abducted Adeyemi College Student Escapes From Kidnappers’ Den

Oluwaseun Mary Olaniyan, a student of the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE) in Ondo State who was declared missing last week, has escaped from her kidnappers’ den. Ms. Olaniyan escaped on Monday evening after spending eleven days in captivity. The 100-level student from the department of history was said to have stormed the campus with her close friends in a joyful mood after escaping from captivity. Student sources who spoke to SaharaReporters revealed that Ms. Olaniyan, shortly after regaining her freedom, walked into a campus fellowship for a thanksgiving. Details later…

Buhari May Not Drop Alhassan

President Muhammadu Buhari may not sack Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, despite calls for her to get the push following her comments, a source said yesterday. Mrs. Alhassan shocked many when she said she would not support Buhari, should he decide to run in 2019. Her loyalty, she said, is to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This is the third time the minister has made such comments against the President and his administration. The minister was alleged to have: Visited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national caretaker chairman Lambasted the administration during a session at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Paid Sallah homage to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Yola A member of the President’s cabinet, who spoke in confidence, said Buhari knew Senator Alhassan as a die-hard Atiku loyalist before appointing her as a minister. “Buhari is not going to sack or dismiss her. The attitude in the Presidency is to let her go on her own if she has 100 per cent loyalty to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” he said. “Some of you may not know that this is not the first time the minister has attacked the President and his administration.” “Aisha’s loyalty to Atiku is not new to the government. She has been with him all along as well as during the presidential primaries. It is nothing new.” “And for Aisha to say that she was appointed a minister on the basis of her strength is false. The President appointed her on the basis of his conviction despite her loyalty to Atiku. Even the near miss she had with the governorship election in Taraba State was because of Buhari. Without Buhari’s popularity, she would not have garnered votes as much as she did,” the source added. ​ “They are making noise now in order to draw out the President. She won’t be sacked or dropped because she will now make noise as if an injustice has been meted out to her.” “Certainly, the presidency will take up issues with the minister and her godfather.” Another source said some of the President’s strategist met at the weekend and opposed Mrs. Alhassan’s sack. The “strategists” met in Abuja and concluded that taking action against the minister might cause distractions for the administration. “We want her to remain in government and exercise her freedom of expression to the fullest. No one will tamper with her rights and privileges. We need to learn from the past.” “We also want to demonstrate that there can be opposition in a government without any consequences. This is the essence of democracy,” the source said. Also yesterday, Mrs. Alhassan denied threatening to expose Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai’s alleged role in the kidnap of the Chibok girls. According to her, those behind the statement were out to tarnish her image. A statement released by her in a text message to our reporter said: “The attention of the Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, has been drawn to a statement allegedly made by her against Governor Nasir El Rufai.” “The statement allegedly made by her is another ploy by mischief makers to tarnish her hard earned reputation.” “The current APC government under President Buhari inherited series of problems from the past administration; the kidnap of the Chibok girls by the dreaded Boko Haram happens to be one of them, and President Buhari and our military have been able to rescue some of them and checked Boko Haram’s excesses.” Senator Jummai is not in possession of any security report, and therefore, will never have made the statement allegedly made by her against the person of Governor El-Rufai.” Mrs. Alhassan shocked many when she said she would not support Buhari, should he decide to run in 2019. Her loyalty, she said, is to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This is the third time the minister has made such comments against the President and his administration. The minister was alleged to have: Visited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national caretaker chairman Lambasted the administration during a session at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Paid Sallah homage to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Yola A member of the President’s cabinet, who spoke in confidence, said Buhari knew Senator Alhassan as a die-hard Atiku loyalist before appointing her as a minister. “Buhari is not going to sack or dismiss her. The attitude in the Presidency is to let her go on her own if she has 100 per cent loyalty to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” he said. “Some of you may not know that this is not the first time the minister has attacked the President and his administration.” “Aisha’s loyalty to Atiku is not new to the government. She has been with him all along as well as during the presidential primaries. It is nothing new.” “And for Aisha to say that she was appointed a minister on the basis of her strength is false. The President appointed her on the basis of his conviction despite her loyalty to Atiku. Even the near miss she had with the governorship election in Taraba State was because of Buhari. Without Buhari’s popularity, she would not have garnered votes as much as she did,” the source added. ​ “They are making noise now in order to draw out the President. She won’t be sacked or dropped because she will now make noise as if an injustice has been meted out to her.” “Certainly, the presidency will take up issues with the minister and her godfather.” Another source said some of the President’s strategist met at the weekend and opposed Mrs. Alhassan’s sack. The “strategists” met in Abuja and concluded that taking action against the minister might cause distractions for the administration. “We want her to remain in government and exercise her freedom of expression to the fullest. No one will tamper with her rights and privileges. We need to learn from the past.” “We also want to demonstrate that there can be opposition in a government without any consequences. This is the essence of democracy,” the source said. Also yesterday, Mrs. Alhassan denied threatening to expose Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai’s alleged role in the kidnap of the Chibok girls. According to her, those behind the statement were out to tarnish her image. A statement released by her in a text message to our reporter said: “The attention of the Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, has been drawn to a statement allegedly made by her against Governor Nasir El Rufai.” “The statement allegedly made by her is another ploy by mischief makers to tarnish her hard earned reputation.” “The current APC government under President Buhari inherited series of problems from the past administration; the kidnap of the Chibok girls by the dreaded Boko Haram happens to be one of them, and President Buhari and our military have been able to rescue some of them and checked Boko Haram’s excesses.” Senator Jummai is not in possession of any security report, and therefore, will never have made the statement allegedly made by her against the person of Governor El-Rufai.”