EPL Weekly Match Preview (Game-Week 7)

West Ham VS Middlesbrough
West Ham is in relegation zone sitting rather surprisingly in 18th place and Dimitri Payet failing to replicate anything close to last season’s awesome performance. The Hammers were taunted by Southampton supporters last weekend who sang ‘You should have remained at Boleyn Ground’ an apparent reference to the fact that they have yet to settle into the London Stadium, winning just a league game on home soil and all season.

Middlesbrough is not too far from their host on the Premier League table, despite a better start to the season. Aitor Karanka knows his team must begin to do better especially away from home. This particular fixtures represents one in which Boro could create an upset with Alvaro Negredo in particular an obvious source of worry for the lacklustre Hammers defence.

Manchester United VS Stoke City
Former United hero, Mark Hughes returns to Old Trafford and should not be expecting any favours as his battered Stoke City side confronts a resurgent Manchester United team in Sunday’s early kick-off. Manchester United dominated the entire proceedings in their last home game against the champions and it’s only natural to expect an even better performance against a lesser opposition on paper although Stoke City on their day could prove a tough nut to crack.

Paul Pogba gave a commanding display on Saturday while Daley Blind and Juan Mata weighed in with assists and goals. Wayne Rooney surely looks to continue on the bench as his continuous inclusion has altered the balance and rhythm of the side. Rumours have surfaced of Mark Hughes displeasure regarding the attitude and contributions of Wilfried Bony but 'Sparky' has quickly denied those insinuations insisting the Ivorian forward works well behind the scene. Perhaps a surgical change is needed in the Stoke City line-up if they are to mount any sustained pressure on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur VS Manchester City
A game involving the only teams yet to lose a game this season; first versus second, though Tottenham have dropped 4 points while the well-oiled Manchester City machine has won all games comfortably in the Premier League.  Often times last season, Tottenham was accused of going to sleep during the big games though they recorded a resounding victory over Manchester City at home under a different manager and system. The attack of Spurs might prove to be their greatest undoing in this encounter as Vincent Janssen hasn’t got the ball rolling in the likely absence of Harry Kane while Son Heung-Min for all his obvious talent and recent scoring form has consistently failed to deliver the goals in the big matches.

Sergio Aguero is on-fire at the moment netting twice on his return from suspension. The Argentine has a good scoring record against Spurs and with his current form and confidence nothing short of at least a goal should be expected from him. A real test for Pep Guardiola as he confronts another young, brilliant Spanish speaking manager in the last big Premier League encounter before the international break.

Leicester City VS Southampton
The champions are broken and just as predicted before the season started they are struggling to combine the pressure and demands of champions and playing mid-week in Europe. Claudio Ranieri has looked clueless at times this season as his team has been torn apart with reckless abandon. The defence has looked a shadow of itself from last season, leaking goals like it’s going out of fashion. Demarai Gray came on Saturday to net a fantastic goal from range and his performance was one of the bright spots as the young English man looks to finally push for a starting spot in the team.

Super Eagles vice-captain, Ahmed Musa’s lack of Premier League action must be a source of worry as he has failed to make the match day squad in the last few Premier League outings. Southampton is confident heading into this following a win on the road last weekend as Claude Puel finally has something to cheer about. The Saints have won 4 games consecutively in all competitions and they travel to the home of the champions with the intention of making that five wins in a row.

Burnley VS Arsenal
Burnley is gradually making their home ground a fortress following surprise and impressive performances in home wins against Liverpool and Watford this season. They press opponents from the front, showing good tactical organisation whenever they are not with the ball. Jeff Hendrick was instrumental to their Monday night victory and he will once again need the support of the other attacking cast.

Alex Iwobi has developed this season into Arsenal’s key man, gradually becoming the key man for assists and through which most of the Gunners productive attacks are initiated through. Alexis Sanchez has found his scoring form this season and his pace should be a good test for Michael Keane. Arsene Wenger will want to outwit Sean Dyche in this encounter to prove his 20 years in the top flight is no fluke against a relatively inexperienced opposition manager.

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LOVE: A TRIBUTE

What was it that ran through me? I really could not decipher; a cold shiver; a hot burning sensation or; a shrill lightening? It just all caught me in a moment. There I was, staring blankly at the picture on my phone’s screen. Moments passed before I came back to consciousness. What had happened? I have finally lost her, to regain her no more.

l started on April 27, 2013, when I met her at a post admission registration gathering, there in the University, both of us in a queue for submission of our final screening forms. Standing alone, enjoying the excitement created by the murmuring, chatting, boisterousness of the Alpha-Males and the coyness of the elegant females. These I was supping into my subconscious until my eyes caught her. Chatting away with another, she looked so beautiful. The naturalness of her beauty and simplicity of her look blew me away totally. Was I seeing an angel? Immediately I was drawn to her. Made a courageous step and tilted towards her position.

More like James Bond, I deduced she would be attracted by a daring show. Went into acting superman straight up. I made myself noticeable to her. Then as if I knew the officers in charge of the registrations, walked in without apologies to no one. Thank my stars I was not embarrassed. This gave me another impression about her, it boosted my morale. After this fit, I went straight to her, who by now has her eyes on me. Told her she looked very much like a friend of mine and would like to also meet her. To cut the story short we became friends from onward.

To be continued...

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Courtois is worst keeper in the Premier League - Report

Thibaut Courtois appears to be the worst goalkeeper in the Premier League, according to statistics published by the Daily Mail.
Despite displacing Petr Cech as Chelsea’s first choice keeper, the Belgian is currently he worst in his position in the English top-flight according to the statistics.
Courtois began the season brightly, but everything appears to have unravelled after successive defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal.
According to the stat, he has a save percentage of 47.1 so far this season, meaning he is letting more opposition shots on target hit the back of his net than not.
The man whose place he took in the Chelsea starting line-up finds himself eighth in the league table, with a more than respectable save percentage of 70.8.
But leading the way at the top are Manchester City and Tottenham No 1’s Claudio Bravo and Hugo Lloris, who have stopped 77.8 per cent of shots on target each.
Bravo's position on the list may provide early vindication for Pep Guardiola's decision to replace Joe Hart in favour of the former Barcelona shot-stopper.
Surprisingly, it is Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton who follows those two in third place.
With a save percentage of 76.5 he is statistically the best English goalkeeper in the Premier League, despite earning just one senior cap so far in his career.
Trailing just behind is West Brom’s Ben Foster, on 75 per cent, though he has not played for England since the 2014 World Cup.
Last season's title-winning No 1 Kasper Schmeichel is sixth in the table with a save percentage of 72.7, ahead of Sunderland's Jordan Pickford and Cech.
David de Gea's place in the bottom-half of the table at 13th is a surprise, with the Manchester United No 1 saving only 65 per cent of shots on target.
He sits ahead of Liverpool's Simon Mignolet, who saves only just over half of shots on target at 55.6 per cent, though he has recently lost his place in the first-team to Loris Karius.
Alongside Courtois in the bottom three are Middlesbrough's summer signing Victor Valdes and England hopeful Fraser Forster of Southampton.

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Student military training uses bottles for balance

The Changsha Aeronautical Vocational and Technical College in central China’s Hunan Province initiated a tougher military training to its freshmen on Tuesday.

The students were asked to march in step with a water bottle on their head in order to train their sense of balance. During the training, students must keep the bottle upright if they want to pass the final review.

The students also needed to perform squats, standing up, and turns with the bottle staying on their heads.

Military training is usually a requirement for Chinese freshmen attending university, and aims to cultivate in students the spirit of teamwork both physically and mentally while in a new environment.

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Nigeria at 56: Anything to celebrate? by Ademola Orunbon

Can a man be a toddler at 56? This is the question confronting Nigerians from all walks of life as the nation marks 56 years of independence from British colonial rule tomorrow. Though this is the longest run of civil rule in the Country after the enthronement of democratic rule in May 1999, many ills still bedevil the sleeping giant of Africa 17 years on.
With an inept leadership, Nigeria, the seventh largest oil-producing nation in the world, massive corruption, insecurity, poor infrastructure (lacking of electricity, bad roads, and a moribund railway system for example), a dilapidating education and health system, have combined to leave Nigerians seeking redemption from their self-inflicted woes through several unorthodox means.
Indeed, assessing a country that has witnessed many military and civilian governments in her 56 years of existence cannot be a tea party. Nigeria has seen over 30 years of military regimes and a total of 26 years of civilian administrations. And while a total of eight soldiers had ruled the country, civilian administrations had produced only seven leaders. Interestingly, while the military rulers-General Aguiyi-Ironsi, Yakubu Gowon, Murtala Muhammad, Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammad Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha and Abdul Salam Abubakar-were believed not have impacted much on the growth of the country because they were soldiers whose regimes in modern language were termed aberration, Nigerians have not ceased to bemoan the reality of their faring badly under democratic administrations.
Indeed, it has been canvassed over time that the problem of the nation lies at the doorstep of bad leadership. Perhaps, for the exception of Nigeria’s first generation leaders in the class of the late Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahamdu Bello and their band of independence fighters, nearly all that had subsequently held leadership positions, especially in the political realm, had been found wanting.
As the nation gets set for her 56th independence anniversary, questions and more questions have cropped up. Has the country come of age? Is there need for celebration? Are there hopes of better tomorrow?
So as the 56th anniversary begins, Nigerians look forward to the actualization of the dreams and visions packaged by the founding fathers of this country. They also look forward to seeing a realistic improvement on the inherent inadequacies that have stood in the way of attaining peace, harmony, tranquility, progress and unity, in the first instance, and the accomplishments of all the tasks that will make room for true attainment of a Nigerian Nation

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Don advises campus journalists

A senior lecturer at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) in Ondo State, Mr Sunday Afolayan, has advised campus journalists to ensure the development of their writing skills and to be very inquisitive in sourcing for news.
He said this while delivering a lecture as a guest speaker during the inauguration of a new set of executives of The Press Council (an offshoot of Nigerian Union of Campus Journalists), RUGIPO chapter,.
The event held at the 800-seater lecture theatre of the Institution last Friday.
Speaking on the theme: “Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This is your right”, Afolayan stressed the need for journalists to mirror themselves as the conveyor and transmitter of information who see their job as a herculean task and work assiduously to dig out information that are classified.
He further explained that society cannot live without information. Therefore, campus journalists should resist all forms of oppression, bribery, information mismanagement and ultimately, write for the benefit the polytechnic community and beyond.
In his speech, the out-going chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the Press Council, Eniola Olurankinse Samuels, thanked the Acting Rector of the institution and other members of the management team for their support during their one-year tenure. Giving an account of his stewardship, Eniola said he led the council to begin a weekly newspaper.
“The Council has been able to eradicate the culture of pasting press release around the wall of the institution which was replaced with weekly newspaper. Though, funding has been our major challenge but we were able to scale through with the help of the management team.
“Our weekly publications which carry various news stories and several articles that astonish the polytechnic community, importantly, our editorials have been the selling point as well as setting agenda for the Students’ Union Government,” said Eniola, a National Diploma (ND) student of Mass Communication.
The event also featured a dinner/award presentation for outstanding reporters as well as presentation of certificates to the outgoing members of the Council.
Franklin Akintomide replaces Eniola as chairman. Others are: Fidelis David (Editor); Ayobami Ore, Deputy Editor; Angela Samson, General Secretary; Vincent Olagodo, Production Manager; Gbemisola Abeni Advert Manager; among others.
In his acceptance speech, Akintomide promised to keep the flag of the council and the NUCJ flying, and sustain the weekly publication.

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Iheanacho battles Iwobi, Rashford for Golden Boy award

Nigerian duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi are among a 40-man shortlist for the 2016 Golden Boy Award.
The annual award was established in 2003 by Italian newspaper Tuttosport to reward the exploits of youngsters under the age of 21 who have excelled in a calendar year.
The winner will be picked after votes by a panel of journalists from around the continent.
Iheanacho and Iwobi will battle the likes of Dele Alli (Tottenham), Gabriel Barbosa (Inter Milan), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) and Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich) amongst others for the coveted prize.
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is the current holder of the award while past winners include Wayne Rooney (2004), Lionel Messi (2005), Paul Pogba (2013), and Raheem Sterling (2014).

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NJC sacks 3 judges

Three judges have been sacked by the National Judicial Council
– The decision to sack the judges was taken after the council’s seventy eighth meeting which held on Thursday , September 29

Three Nigerian judges have been sacked for various offences by the National Judicial council.
The judges – Ladan Tsamiya, the presiding justice, Court of Appeal, Illorin division; I. A. Umezulike, the chief judge of Enugu state and Kabiru Auta of the Federal High Court in Kano state – were sacked on Friday, September 30.
The NJC in a statement signed by the acting director of information Soji Oye, said Tsamiya and Umezulike has been compulsorily retired from service while Auta is dismissed completely with immediate effect.
The council said the decision to sack the judges came after its 78th meeting which was held on Thursday, September 29.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the NJC Mahmud Mohammed has also said that three judges involved in giving the conflicting rulings that caused the crisis among the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently under investigation.

The NJC chairman said this during the swearing in of the new senior advocates of Nigeria in Abuja.
Read the full statement from NJC below:
The National Judicial Council, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, GCON, at its 78th meeting which was held on 29th September, 2016 recommended compulsory retirement from office of Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike, OFR, Chief Judge, Enugu State and the dismissal from service of Hon. Justice Kabiru M. Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano state with immediate effect.

In the case of Hon. Justice Kabiru M. Auta, he is to be handed over to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 1, Kano, for prosecution.
Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal was recommended for compulsory retirement from Office to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, pursuant to the ‘Findings’ by the Council in the petition written by Nnamdi Iro Oji against him and Hon. Justices Husseini Muktar, F. O. Akinbami and J. Y. Tukur, all Justices of Court of Appeal who sat on Election Appeal Panel in the Owerri Division of the Court during the 2015 General Elections. The Petition contains the following allegations, among others.
Corruption, malice and vindictiveness; and giving perverse and conflicting decisions on the same issue in similar matters in Appeal CA/OW/EPT/SN/50/2015: Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex Vs Hon. Mao Onuabunwa & Anor;
CA/OW/EPT/SN/47/2015; Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu & Anor Vs Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa & Ors; and CA/OW/EPT/HR/61/2015: Nnamdi Iro Oji Vs Nkole Uko Ndukwe & 16 Ors.
During deliberations, Council found as follows:-
That there was evidence that the Petitioner met with Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya thrice, in his residence in Sokoto, Gwarinpa, Abuja and Owerri where on each occasion, he demanded from him the sum of N200,000.000 (Two Hundred Million Naira) to influence the Court of Appeal Panel in Owerri or risk losing the case;
That the allegations of giving two conflicting judgements on the same matter was not true as the two judgements were in respect of two different appeals: one was in respect of House of Representative Seat, a Federal Constituency, while the other was in respect of a Senate Seat which covered one third of the state.
That there was no allegation and no evidence that the Petitioner ever met or discussed with Hon. Justices Husseini Mukhtar (JCA), F. O. Akinbami (JCA) and J. Y. Tukur(JCA) in respect of the appeal before them.
In the Light of the foregoing that Hon. Justices Husseini Mukhtar (JCA), F. O. Akinbami(JCA) and J. Y. Tukur (JCA), were exonerated.

Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike, OFR, Chief Judge, Enugu state was recommended to the Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for compulsory retirement sequel to the findings by the Council on the following allegations levelled against him by Barrister Peter Eze.
That the Hon. Chief Judge failed to deliver Judgement in Suit No E/13/2008: Ajogwu V Nigerian Bottling Company Limited in which final Addresses were adopted on 23rd October, 2014. The judgement was however delivered on 9th March, 2015, about 126 days after addresses were adopted, contrary to constitutional provisions that judgement should be delivered within a period of 90 days.
That Hon. Justice Umezulike, OFR, in Suit No E/159M/2014, Ezeuko Vs Probate Registrar, High Court of Enugu State and 3 Ors ordered the arrest of Mr. Peter Eze by police and be brought before his Court after the matter was amicably resolved and judgement entered on terms of Settlement.
That the Hon. Chief Judge in a speech delivered by him to the Eastern Bar Forum on Friday 4th March, 2016, openly made uncomplimentary remarks containing vulgar language against the Petitioner, contrary to Rule 1.3 of the National Judicial Council Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
That at the time of the book launch of the Hon. Chief Judge, donation of N10 million was made by Prince Arthur Eze during the pendency of the two cases in His Lordship’s Court, both of which Prince Arthur Eze has vested interest.
That there have been many instances of abuse of Judicial powers, by the Chief Judge, particularly against the two defendants in Suits Nos. E/6/2013 and E/88/2016. The Chief Judge clung to these two suits to remain in his court, despite all genuine efforts made by the defendants to get the suits transferred to another court.

That the Chief Judge sitting at a vantage position of Senior Judicial Officer and Head of Court for that matter, should not have allowed his emotions to dictate his judicial functions to the detriment of the defendants in both suits.
In the case of Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano State, he was recommended to the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for dismissal and be handed over to the police for prosecution following the findings of the Council on the allegations levelled against him by Alhaji Kabiru Yakassai as follows:-
That the Petitioner paid the sum of N125, 000.000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-five Million Naira) into an account approved by the Hon. Judge.
The Petitioner also made cash payment of N72,000,000.00 (Seventy-five Million Naira) to Hon. Justice Auta in several instalments through his Personal Assistant, Abdullahi Bello, ostensibly for the purpose of assisting a former Chief Justice of Nigeria who had just been appointed to secure accommodation and for the Petitioner to be in turn rewarded by the award of some contracts by the said Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria.
That Hon. Justice Auta facilitated telephone communications in his house between the Petitioner and purportedly the former Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria on the other end.
That Hon. Justice Auta facilitated meetings between the Petitioner and a lady who introduced herself as the purported Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria in a Prado Jeep, escorted by armed Police Officer in a hotel in Kaduna.
That after the Petitioner suspected foul play and reported the matter to the police, Hon. Justice Auta agreed to pay the Petitioner the sum of N95, 000.000.00 (Ninety-five Million Naira) as part of his claim while Abubakar Mahdi was to pay the sum of N125, 000.000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-five Million Naira) to the petitioner.
That pursuant to the agreement, Hon. Justice Auta made a part payment of $11, 000.00 (Eleven Thousand U. S. Dollars) and N16,000.000.00 (Sixteen Million Naira) cash to the Petitioner and undertook to pay the balance before the commencement of the Fact Finding Committee set up by the National Judicial Council to investigate the allegations.

That Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta admitted accepting to pay the money as agreed in AIG’s Office in Kano according to him “having suffered humiliation, and incarceration and had nowhere to go for help and in order to protect my image and the image of the judiciary”. He however, said that the settlement was for him to pay N35 million and not N95 million and that to that effect, he paid N20 million so far including the $11,000.00; and
That Hon. Justice Kabiru stated in his evidence, that the purpose of the petitioner visiting his house at times was that as a friend, he used to seek favours for his people who had matters before him, a conduct that is in itself self-indicting and a serious abuse of Judicial Oath.
The above allegations against the three Judicial Officers constitute misconduct contrary to Section 292 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and Rules 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 3.2, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 8.4a, 13.1, 15.2 of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the National Judicial Council, in the exercise of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, has suspended Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike, OFR, Chief Judge of Enugu State and Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court from Office with immediate effect, pending the approval of the recommendations of the Council for their compulsory retirement and dismissal respectively, from office by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR; Governor Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR, of Kano State, respectively.
Soji Oye, Esq.
Ag. Director (Information)

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See the drone made by a physics student of ABU

Nigerians are talented and brilliant. People keep coming up with one invention or the other. This is coming at the right time considering the things going on in the country.

Nigerians are starting to rise to the occasion; there are a number of things going on in this country. The government has serious issues to focus on since we are either facing one crisis or the other.
People have come to realize that the time has come for them to make their own contributions. As much as the government is trying to make people comfortable, we also have our own obligations to fulfill as citizens.

The Chibok girls are still missing, innocent souls are being killed by terrorists and the exchange rate is depressing. As torn up as we are, it is imperative for us to stay focused in order to proffer solutions to some of the problems we have.

A physics student of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, has built a drone in Zaria. He did this as his final year project and named it ‘Hope For Chibok Girls’. It is touching to know that this student kept the problem of the country at heart while working on his final year project.
He has contributed his own quota by making something that could help in the search of the missing girls. This drone was tested in a stadium where it worked to the delight of those present.

Hopefully, the young man’s effort will not be laid to waste. It will be good for his invention to be used in the rescue of these girls.

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Nigerian girl who does POP designs for a living

The youths of this generation as sensitive to certain job requirements; they are not willing to get dirty or do anything

The older folks in the society believe money can be gotten in the bush and places that require hard work. Youths do not want to do anything that will crease their bodies with dirt even though they want to make money quickly.
It is only a few people in this generation that will welcome the concept of farming. Everyone wants a white-collar job that will bring them millions when they sit on a desk for about five hours. With the situation of things in the society, this is quite unrealistic.

Presently, ladies in the society are wasting away as they would rather sleep with men rather than do something meaningful with their lives. They are found in every street and corners looking for men they will dupe or cling to for financial support.

What in God’s name happened to dignity in labour? Why is it that the word diligence has no weight to the ladies of this generation. A young lady has done something remarkable in the society again.

Ebiminor Preye is a Nigerian lady who has decided to stand apart from all the wayward girls in the society. She is a POP designer who understands the depth of life. The young lady prefers to get her hands and clothes soiled with cast rather than doing something that will not make the world to be proud of her.

Even though this job is dominated by men, Preye has decided to try her luck and set a landmark for other women that may be interested in it. This Nigerian girl has chosen a field that is unique and has decided to make the most from it.

She took to her social media page where she gave the wild girls a piece of her mind. She charged girls to find something worthwhile to do rather than texting idly and sexting with men who want to get in between their legs.
The female POP designer advised ladies to be serious with their academics, she encouraged those who do not have access to education to be diligent with their jobs.

Preye has strong words for women who believe in taking money from men; she is baffled that they do not invest properly as they end up buying beauty products. Being responsible and taking responsibilities for one’s actions is her idea of being brave.

This young lady is smart enough to understood that men do not want to get married to women that will be liabilities to them. She raised this point while admonishing the loose ladies out there. Having no skill is not sexy to her. Preye admires ladies that are beautiful and brilliant.
The POP designer encouraged girls like her to learn skills like hair making, tailoring, make-up and other things that could be of interest to them. All she wants is to see young ladies who are willing to develop themselves.

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Court Remands 4 Undergraduate Students of UNILAG over Alleged Cultism

A Magistrate Court in Lagos has remanded 4 undergraduate students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) over alleged membership of a secret cult,
‘Aloral Bucania’, The Nation reports.
The suspects, Raheem Yusuf, 21, Adedoyin Adeyemi Abraham , 24, Olanrewaju Idowu , 36, and
Safraini Oluyemi Peters , 24, were arrested by police officers on August 4, around 9:30AM, in Room 318, Biobaku Hall of the institution.
They were alleged to have conspired among themselves to commit an offence likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The prosecutor, Adebayo Oladele , arraigned the quartet on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy to cause a breach of public peace and belonging to an unlawful and secret society.
Chief Magistrate Adelaja granted the defendants N200,000 bail with two sureties each in the like sum after they pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges.
Adelaja said that the sureties must show evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State government, affidavit of livelihood and be residents of the state.

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Building better Graduates! NBC Storms UNIBEN, UNILAG and ABU Zaria for its 2016 Campus Recruitment Drive

As part of its strategic approach to promote a culture of academic excellence and encourage young students to continually strive to be the best in their various academic fields, the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) a member of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, embarked on its 2016 Campus Recruitment Drive in leading Nigerian universities – University of Benin, Edo State (UNIBEN), University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU).
The NBC Campus Recruitment Drive started over a decade ago and is aimed at providing a unique opportunity for undergraduates who are high fliers and are passionate about building a world-class career in a world-class organization. This initiative has also been identified by the company as a unique platform to attract the best and to support the transformation of its business by the year 2020 and even beyond, and human resources plays a very important role in the achievement of that vision.
The 2016 NBC Campus Recruitment Drive events themed – ‘Careers with NBC & Life Success after Graduation’ witnessed large turnout of students from various faculties and provided an opportunity for students to interact with top management executives from NBC, as well as to learn about the company and its well-loved brands.
Speaking during the Campus Recruitment Drive held at the University of Benin, Edo State, the NBC Public Affairs Manager, East & Central Region,
Ekuma Eze stated that the company will continually invest in the development of its Human Resource Capacity through various initiatives in order to attract and retain the best quality of individuals available across the country.
Ekuma Eze further revealed that the Company is expanding the capacity of its production facilities in order to meet up with the demands of consumers and the resulting market growth.
“
“Currently, there is a need to inject new talent and employees to drive the actualization of NBC vision, hence the great opportunity the Career Fair offers to join NBC after fulfilling necessary academic requirements expected for their various degree programmes”.
Also speaking during the event held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), NBC Public Affairs Manager, Lagos and West Region, Ifeoma Okoye explained that the NBC Campus Recruitment Drive is conceptualized to attract, retain young talents and groom them to attain the highest height of their chosen career. She stated that the platform is designed to prepare and empower students with the basic knowledge required to cope with the demands of a standard working environment.
While engaging the participants in the institutions of higher learning, NBC Talent Resourcing Manager, Ayodele Olowosejeje , stressed that the Company is committed to welcoming new talents, developing employees and engaging people from outside as part of its organizational renewal.
Top ranking officials from the universities, commended NBC for bringing the career expo to their institutions, and that their students were privileged to benefit from the magnanimity of the Company’s noteworthy gesture. All the Deans present at the various career expo acclaimed that, NBC would be a great place for the graduating students to start and grow a fulfilling career, after fulfilling necessary academic requirements for their various degree programmes.
As an equal opportunity employer, NBC promotes diversity and sound workplace practices, providing livelihood to many in its value chain. The NBC Campus Career Expo is aimed at engaging young talents in different institutions of higher learning across the country and offers them great opportunities to build their career. As a sign of confidence in the country’s educational system, NBC Limited has continued to make strategic investments in improving the standard of basic education, while positioning itself as an employer of choice.
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Davido Buys Ice Cream For Fans At Shoprite In Lagos (pics,)

Davido surprise hundreds of fans as he bought them ice cream at shoprite Shop in Lagos. Davido Fans Where very happy as the celebration was awesome.
Watch the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFlA0F3IQ3Q

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Is the House of Reps right to suspend Jibrin?

The matter is in court already. I think the House should be wary of running foul of contempt charge. You cannot be a judge in your own court. The House committee should maintain a certain level of neutrality. A House committee cannot say it has suspended him when the case is still in court. It is more of playing to the gallery. Every society that wants democracy should promote due process, respect fundamental human rights and seek development.
Due process and respect for fundamental human rights are critical components necessary to engender development. If any of the three is absent, democracy and development are at risk.
The House just played to the gallery. I don’t think the decision it reached is fair to the young man.
• Alaye Moore of Ido-Osun, Osun State, Oba Aderemi Adedapo (Secretary, Board of Trustees, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria)
I don’t think it is right for the legislature to suspend a former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin.
The suspension only defines the conspiracy theory of the ruling class against the masses. A man exposed alleged criminal activities perpetrated by some people and what do we have; the man is being hunted by those he exposed. I don’t think Jibrin should be hunted. I think the issues he raised should be properly investigated. The hastiness in seeing that Jibrin is nailed at all cost underlines what I call the conspiracy theory against the Nigerian masses. The leadership of the House has not done the right thing. It should have set up a committee to investigate the allegations raised by Jibrin. The Speaker and the leadership of the House must come clean in this matter. They must prove to Nigerians that they are above board by truly investigating the issues. The allegations thrown up by Jibrin will continue to haunt the House. Rather than try to silence Jibrin by force, the House should have provided a pedestal for Jibrin to prove his case. Doing so would also have provided the platform for those accused to state their own side of the case, leaving Nigerians to judge.
The suspension has turned Jibrin into a hero. He is now being seen as a man, who is fighting against the established order that has kept Nigeria down. Suspending Jibrin is an infringement on his freedom of speech. Is this the change promised Nigerians by the ruling party? • Declan Ihekaire (National Coordinator, Activists for Good Governance)
The House is not right to sanction Jibrin. I don’t like the decision of the House. They should allow investigators to do their job. They are making the whole issue appear as if they have something to hide.
The House is not right because Jibrin has not really done anything wrong to warrant being sanctioned. The issue is beyond the House now because the country’s anti-graft agencies are looking into the matter. The action of the House is tantamount to jumping the gun. They should allow the case to be investigated. •Modupe Oloye (CEO, Dulano Ventures)
The House is being too clever by half. The truth of the matter is that the problem wouldn’t go away by suspending Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin. At the end of the day, comprise would be the solution. Our legislators should come to terms with the fact that they can no longer sweep anything under the carpet. Democracy calls for openness. This is the righteous way for those in public office. Openness is the acceptable way.
The case against budget padding has now put on the front burner the argument against constituency projects. The concept of constituency project is anachronistic. Legislators are representing Nigerians across the country. It is an indictment on the sense of judgment and planning acumen of the executive arm when lawmakers are to dictate where projects are to be located. In any case, constituency projects have become an avenue to enrich many lawmakers, albeit corruptly. •Tajudeen Kareem (Chief Consultant, Proedge Ltd)
Nigerians deserve true representation. Our leaders must, at all times, seek the collective good of the citizenry. When we sing discordant tunes, our progress would be arrested. Our leaders should be selfless and sincere in bringing the dividends of democracy to us. We elected our leaders so that they could make life more meaningful; when they fight on materials things, it shows that they are not serving our interest.
Also, it is not wholesome when we hear rumblings in our legislatures resulting from the sharing of materials things among members.
The fight in the House of Representatives was most unbecoming. It shouldn’t have happened at all. Suspending Jibrin did not answer the posers he raised in his various petitions. It’s like sweeping the whole issue under the carpet. The hoonourable thing to do was for the House to conduct an open investigation into the allegation and bring culprits to book. •Chief Felix Ojo (Olumose of Igede-Ekiti)
Although the suspension of Jibrin is unfortunate, it is not surprising. What has played out is a classical case of solidarity of the oppressors. This clearly shows how far gone we are from redemption from the forces that have held us down as a people. The good thing, however, is that the young man’s courage in speaking out has won him plaudits and all men of goodwill should rally support for him in order to ensure the triumph of good over evil.
• Stanley Adiele (Advertising practitioner)
The development is most unfortunate. What is at the root of the crisis? What is the cause of the dirty fight? Neither of the two parties to the crisis is honest, decent or selfless. Greed is at the root of the crisis. Jibrin openly admitted that he and some principal officers committed some startling misdemeanours. He admitted that he had soiled his hands and that some other members of the House had soiled their hands too by taking money that doesn’t belong to them. He admitted that the House of which he is a member padded the budget. What do we have in return of these gory revelations? A passive nation that has lost her sense of morality; a nation that wallows in corruption and self-pity looked on, unperturbed.
In a saner country, the revelations of Jibrin would have provoked protests of immense proportions. The whole House would have been consumed. Every principal officer of the House would have lost their positions. Nigeria’s democracy must be rooted in honesty, fairness, truth and godliness. We cannot continue to run our country like this and expect development. Greatness would continue to evade us if corruption, bloodshed, deceit, selfishness and greed remain the foundations of our democracy. •Victor Peterson (A pastor)
The crisis in the House of Representatives underscores the rot in our political system. It shows the rotten underbelly of our legislature. The suspension of Jibrin was not done in good faith. This, however, does not make Jibrin a saint because he is part of the rot that has characterised our politics. Nigeria is the only country I know where public servants and politicians are stupendously richer than the masses who are the wealth creators.
It is high time we took our collective destiny in our hands. We must strive to evolve a system that protects the weakest in our society. Nigeria is a country where the weak struggles to survive. Nigeria is a country where it is a sin for you not to be rich or connected. •Funmi Abegunde (A retired banker)
Compiled by: Tunde Odesola

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Sony concludes $750m buyout of Michael Jackson’s stake

Sony said Friday that it had closed its $750 million purchase of Michael Jackson’s stake in a music venture behind a vast trove of hit songs.
The Japanese company announced in March that it was buying the Jackson estate’s 50 percent stake in Sony ATV Music Publishing, which owns the rights to several million titles.
Sony in a statement said it closed on the purchase after meeting conditions including regulatory approval.
The European Commission announced on August 2 that it was approving the deal, seeing no threat to competition in the music market.
Jackson became active in music publishing as he rose to superstardom in the 1980s after a chat with Paul McCartney who explained the significance of such companies, which collect and distribute royalties to songwriters.
Sony ATV Music Publishing, set up in 1995 as a joint venture between Jackson and Sony, owns rights not just to the late King of Pop’s hits, but songs by other music legends including The Beatles, Marvin Gaye and Bob Dylan.
It also features songs by younger stars such as Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Lady Gaga.
Sony said that closing the deal would not affect the company’s full-year earnings.
AFP

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I’ll continue to blame my predecessors for Nigeria’s woes – Buhari

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said despite the criticisms of many, he would continue to blame his predecessors for Nigeria’s woes.
He said passing the buck, which people have been frowning at, was important in order for Nigerians to know what went wrong with the country.
Buhari spoke at an event tagged, “The Conversation: An evening with creative youths,” held inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The event, attended also by the President’s wife, Aisha; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife, Dolapo; as well as governors and other top government officials, had “Creative youth as drivers of the change agenda” as its theme.
Buhari said, “I am going to bore you with what we met. I know that I am being accused in the papers of passing the buck, but passing the buck is sometimes absolutely necessary to remind people who take things for granted.
“When we came in, I screamed to high heavens because I had promised a lot while seeking votes.
“I said where is the saving? There was no saving. There was no infrastructure, power, rails, roads, there was none. What did we spend the money on? I was told buying food and petrol.
“Where were the billions going? We conducted a study and found out that the oil marketers were committing fraud on at least one third of what they were importing, which is about 25 per cent of our foreign exchange.
”The youth must watch our elite, especially with the condition we found ourselves. It is unpatriotic for anybody to pretend that economically we have no problem.
“I have bored you with this long explanation because there are things that could be hidden from you by those that have mismanaged the country in the last 16, 17 years.”
The President therefore tasked Nigerian youths to be alive to their responsibilities of holding their leaders and the elite accountable.

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US debate, lessons for Nigeria

It was fascinating to watch the first presidential debate leading to the election for the President of the United States scheduled for November 2016. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the leading candidates, went with the dictates of their conscience in their campaigns. It takes big picture players in today’s world to say what they truly believe in without bowing down to group-philosophy.
Even though Trump scored less than Clinton in my estimation, he scored high for me in the area of the massive responsibility that the US takes charge of, helping countries around the world, defending the world, funding NATO mostly alone.
Did you see Trump in the spin room backstage after the debate? He believes in himself so much not minding whether the establishment loves him or not. But the establishment needs to follow Ronald Reagan’s advice to “elect your colleagues and support the party.”
But Clinton was strong on cooperation with members of the international community, international diplomacy, race relations within, taxes and job creation. She was so strong that she boxed Trump who became entrammelled in his past challenges and could only respond to them instead of articulating well-oiled policies. It is hard to tell who will win the election in November at this stage. After all Reagan’s career got boosted not before but only after his superb nomination of Gerald Ford at the 1976 Republican National Convention and again not against Jimmy Carter but against Walter Mondale – at a time when his popularity was becoming a liability.
But unlike at the US presidential debates where beliefs and principles tower above all for country, in Nigeria, at political campaign rallies, I see party henchmen on national television dancing seriously on-stage before the delivery of basic promissory speeches to party members and the electorate. It doesn’t seem like democracy is our forte.
Why should politicians be grinning from ear to ear and dancing in the midst of a recession? Both Trump and Clinton pledged to accept the outcome of the election. In Nigeria, a peace committee must be put up, and agreement to accept the outcome of elections must be signed and a superpower nearby to kibitz for peace if it is elusive after elections. Many times, even after peace pacts, they must continue to oil their ammunition for wars. In Nigeria, there is nothing to show that there is an ideological push into the regions after elections, they quarrel perennially on all issues.
The Jews in America belong to both political parties (Democratic and Republican), yet in most regions in Nigeria, we hold on to the ethos and bathos of one political party bowing down to forces of partisan group-think.
The United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child is gender-neutral and girls need not be discriminated against due to their unsought for gender over which they do not have any control. Sadly, discrimination against girls is a religion in Nigeria. If Clinton were a Nigerian, she would never have been the frontrunner of a major political party. Not only would she have been discriminated against by men but by the womenfolk.
Remember Edward Ted Heath Prime Minister of the UK (1970-1974) and Margaret Thatcher? Despite opposition from the Conservative Party establishment about his continued stay as opposition leader having lost a general election, Heath traipsed on. Then came Thatcher, an establishment player and his former education minister whom Heath scoffed at as not a serious challenger to his seat only because she was a woman. History tells us who was wrong.
It’s time our politicians began to promote inclusive democracy and refrain from creating chasms and alienating people and bellyaching the establishment and rocking the national boat. Instead of only attacking the policies of the establishment and not the destruction of the establishment. Creating trouble in Nigeria by acting too superior but who are politically so inferior that they lack a grasp of establishment politics. Every troubleshooter comes around mouthing inanities, shilly shallying instead of discussing issues to benefit mankind. To them, I say this: You can negotiate your way to power. Power negotiated is better than power obtained through gunboat diplomacy.
Simon Abah,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State

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How to use smartphones in classrooms

The potential of smartphones, supported by a strong classroom management system, can be summed up with what is called ‘The Five C’s’, which are Collaborate, Communicate, Create and Coordinate/Curate. Of the 44 ideas below regarding smartphones, 12 can be accomplished with a simple mobile phone. Look at the enormous potential.
Use smartphones to collaborate
Have students peer-assess their classmates’ essays through a Google Form embedded on teacher page, and allow them to view real-time constructive criticism. Afterwards, polish up the spreadsheet and share with students. Believe it, they will be interested.
Allow texting in class to peer-edit and offer constructive criticism for writing projects. Just imagine students sharing thesis statements and introductory paragraphs without ever saying a word. This is just one of the strategies to use to create a quiet and successful writing atmosphere in Studio 113.
Make brainstorming visible via a projected image with Polleverywhere.com and
Wallwisher.com. Using these two sites really is too simple. Although Wallwisher requires an Internet connection, students may use a mobile phone for Polleverywhere.com.
Create a shared list of notes by making a Google Form available. Most tech people usually embed Google Forms on the teacher page for easy access. Afterwards, they make the spreadsheet of notes available to all students.
Have students post relative links of videos, websites, etc. for a unit of study. Some tech geeks like to think of this as the ‘Army of Talent’ completing a task in a fraction of the time it would take one teacher hours to finish. This strategy is highly effective as it invites students to co-create their learning environment and unit. A Google Form would easily serve this purpose.
Make thoughts visible by having students post videos and text or by having them phone in their answers to Voicethread.
Engage readers in real time as they work through the assigned reading by collaborating with their peers via a Twitter hashtag,
Polleverywhere.com, Todaysmeet.com, or
Wallwisher.com.
Have students call in-class peers during an interactive learning structure.
Use smartphones to Communicate
Use FaceTime on the iPhone to add outside audience members during class discussion or learning activity. This is perhaps one of the coolest things some teachers and students have recently done in class.
Allow students to read from their smartphones during SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) while sharing interesting articles via
Polleverywhere.com.
Allow students to video or audio record your assignment instructions.
View student exemplary products from school YouTube channel.
Augment lessons with excellent videos from
Ted.com or RSA.
Use a Twitter hashtag to augment the in-class lesson or extend the conversation after class.
Establish a Twitter class account to share class assignments and reminders. If students do not want a Twitter account, make it easy. Embed the
Twitter feed on your teacher page.
Send students reminders in-class/after-class through ClassParrot and Remind 101.
Have a silent discussion via Todaysmeet.com.
Capture learning moments. Ever had a student raise a hand, make a connection, and say, “Have you seen the video that….?” Ask students to email pertinent links during class and show the video in minutes.
Have students assess the teacher through a Google Form.
Use Google Translate to break down language barriers.
Use Instagram or Twitter to advertise class projects.
Use smartphones to create
Write with apps such as My Writing Spot and Evernote.
Set up a portable writing station by connecting a keyboard to smartphone via Bluetooth.
Use dictionary and thesaurus apps.
Use Dragon Dictation for struggling writers. Interested? Click here.
Write on-the-go during a field trip or active lesson on campus with Tripline.
Create “How-To” guides using apps such as SnapGuide.
Write to Blog Post via the Blogger app.
Peruse playlists while double-checking the lyrics on the Internet to create a soundtrack that applies to current studies.
Create Twitter parodies of certain characters, historical figures, chemical equations, geometry theorems, and animals of study in biology class.
Create a mini-presentation, skit, or formal response to a prompt and email the video to teacher’s Posterous blog spot.
Use smartphones to coordinate/curate
Relax and write with apps like Nature Music or iZen Garden.
Listen to music as a source of inspiration for creative projects.
Have students access their peers’ blogs by sharing a Symbaloo webmix on teacher page.
Point students in the right direction for creative tech tools.
Save time and paper by accessing documents on teacher’s website.
Share spreadsheets of notes with Google Drive.
Get to know your students by having them complete a Google Form.
Research key sites to bolster students’ projects.
Manage students’ knowledge of current lessons by having them take a quiz directly from their smartphones via Socrative.
Allow students to check their grades via online gradebook or learning platform.
Have students question peers outside class and send their recorded opinions to Voicethread or Posterous.
Use apps like Reminders and PocketLife Calendar to plan study times and project times. The Weather Channel app is handy for avoiding weather conflicts during outside project time.
Use the calculator app to calculate scores during gamified learning structures.
Use the stopwatch and timer apps to manage class time.
#Quick fact
The world’s first scientific psychological study of a smartphone-based treatment was conducted at the University of Linköping. It investigated whether a completely new treatment for depression, administrated via smartphone, could reduce dysphoria and improve life quality.
The study was specifically targeted at those who felt low or depressed, and had a smartphone. Two ways of working with depression through smartphone was tested in the study.
One was based on behavioural activation, the other one on mindfulness practice.

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Protests as INEC declares Obaseki winner

The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Thursday, declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Godwin Obaseki, the winner of the Wednesday, September 28 Governorship Election in Edo State.
A short but heavy rain momentarily dispersed a crowd that had started gathering at the popular Ring Road in the state capital.
The APC supporters later regrouped to celebrate the victory in the keenly contested election, where Obaseki defeated the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, declared Obaseki the winner of the election at about 4.08 pm amid tight security.
The APC candidate polled 319,483 votes to defeat Ize-Iyamu of the PDP, who scored 253,173 votes in the election.
Soremekun said Obaseki “having satisfied the requirement of the law, scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
The announcement of the results was, however, not without a drama.
Soremekun fought off stiff resistance from the PDP’s State Agent, Mr. Chris Agbonwanegbe, who refused to sign the final result sheet.
Agbonwanegbe had, during the collation of results, demanded the cancellation of the election.
When called to sign the final results, he protested that the results were “rehearsed and produced.”
The submission jolted Soremekun, who could not hide his shock.
Agbonwanegbe said, “Mr. Chairman, please don’t disagree with me; let us say it the way it is.
“The theatre has been on for some time, it has now been finally produced. I can’t endorse it (final result). I want it to be on record that I refused to endorse it. I can’t sign this document.
“I made a request that you should look at the collation of Etsako West and other local governments, you said I should go to court instead of looking at it. Even when some of your officers said they were threatened with guns. I can’t endorse the result”
While the collation of the results from the local governments was going on, angry supporters of the PDP stormed the INEC’s office in Benin.
The protesters alleged that INEC connived with the APC to manipulate the results of the governorship poll.
They sang solidarity songs to protest alleged cancellation of results of some poling units and manipulation of result sheets by INEC officials.
They brandished placards with inscriptions such as “Oshiomhole must go”, “Ize-Iyamu won the poll”, “Peace not war, INEC,” and “Poll results unacceptable to us.”
Riot policemen, stationed in front of the INEC office, tried to pacify the protesters to no avail while a police helicopter hovered in the sky to monitor the situation.
One of the PDP leaders, who led the protesters was the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Urhoghide.
Addressing journalists at the INEC’s office, Urhoghide said, “I came here to tell the Resident Electoral Commissioner about my disgust about the results that the commission has been announcing. I voted at Ward 2, Unit 9, Oredo Local Government Area.
“The exercise was very peaceful there and there was no record of violence. I was, however, surprised to hear INEC say that results of two units in the ward were cancelled owing to electoral violence. I felt highly dehumanised and disenfranchised.
“The figures they are brandishing now do not correspond with the large turnout of voters yesterday. We hereby demand that the result of the cancelled units should be announced.”
As of 11.am, the protesters had increased in number, and were becoming more aggressive.
After results had been announced for nine of the 18 local government areas in the state, the INEC officials announced a break. This further aggravated the supporters.
The police deployed in the area fired canisters to disperse the angry protesters. Many residents, who were observing the exercise, scampered for safety.
On resumption, the Collation Officer for the Etsako West Local Government Area, Prof. Adewole Atere, while defending the cancellation of 10,158 votes in some polling units, alleged that Obaseki’s running mate, Philip Shuaibu, threatened to attack INEC officials at collation centre.
He said this while reacting to an allegation by the APC State Agent, Samson Abu, that he (Atere) mutilated the result sheet for the area during the announcement of local government results at the state headquarters of the commission.
Abu had protested the cancellation of results in Wards 5, 7, 11 and 12, where he said his party’s candidate was popular.
He stated, “The collation officer, from the record before me from our agents, the result sheet was mutilated by you, if you can produce it and sample it for everybody here to see. For example, in Ward 5, three units (were) cancelled. In Ward 11, units 1, 5, 6, 12, 15, 16 cancelled. In Ward 12, two units cancelled. In Ward 7, one unit cancelled.
“The excuse you gave our agent was that as a result of error in calculation committed by you. You know, in these areas, I suspect foul play, although I’m not from that place, because the running mate to the APC governorship candidate is from there and is very popular.
“All the areas that you cancelled the votes for one reason or the other are the areas that harbour the family of the running mate to the APC governorship candidate.”
But Atere said, “I thought we would just allow the sleeping dog to snore. It was the same candidate of yours who accosted the CO in Unit 11 with about six guns and drove him (CO) to the corner of the collation centre, forcing him to mutilate. I did not mutilate any paper; my papers are here.
“Number two, this same candidate went to the office of INEC to repeat the same thing on the electoral officer and later came to the collation centre, where I served with 10 gun-toting men, threatening to kill all of us.
“I want to say that this same candidate several times told the man, who handled that Ward 11, that he was a dead man. He repeated it three times and that was why we managed to put him (electoral officer) on the security vehicle to get him to Benin City here.”
When asked by the Action Alliance candidate, Ishaka Paul, if he reported the incident to the police, Atere said, “For the case of the man who handled Ward 11, all the security men deserted him. For the EO, he was locked up in his room. In our own case, we were rescued by the men of the quick intervention force, who drove the Auchi vigilante people out of the place. They were actually coming for me, when the men of quick intervention came in. So, the police are aware of it.”
Meanwhile, the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP said that its agents were currently collating results of the governorship election.
Spokesperson for the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led committee, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the committee would react to the result by INEC on Friday.
Adeyeye added, “We are collating the results of the election as obtained by our agents.
“When we finish doing that, we shall react to the release of the result by INEC tomorrow (today). For now, we have no reaction.”
Also, the factional National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, said he had not accepted the result of the election, adding that his reaction might not be different from the general position adopted by the majority members of the PDP.
He stated this in a statement by his media aide, Inuwa Bwala.
“We have had situations in the past where results were released via the media only for the official results to turn out otherwise,” Sheriff stated.
Ize-Iyamu, rejects results, cite irregularities
Also, Ize-Iyamu rejected the result of the governorship election, describing it as predetermined.
The PDP candidate said the result of the election, held across the 18 local government areas, did not reflect what was collated by agents of the party and independent observers.
He also alleged that there were irregularities during the exercise, adding that a plot was orchestrated to ensure that the PDP lost the election.
According to him, before the earlier scheduled date of the election, serial numbers of result sheets were allegedly released to parties on September 8, adding that that information was used to write fake results.
Ize-Iyamu was flanked by the state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who declared that the results announced by the presiding officers at different polling units revealed that the PDP was ahead of the ruling APC by a minimum of 30,000.
Orbih further alleged that in areas, where the PDP was declared winner, the party’s votes were removed on the excuse of faulty card readers, a plot he said the party had alerted Nigerians and other relevant stakeholders on.
Ize-Iyamu, a former Secretary to the State Government in Edo State, also alleged that between N3bn and N4bn was spent by the state government to induce voters in the presence of security agents on Election Day.
Ize-Iyamu explained, “The delay in announcing the official result by INEC was clearly predetermined and designed to announce fabricated results that are completely at variance with what happened at the units.

“To show that the result was predetermined, if you look at the result, it does not even reflect the huge turnout they (APC) even attested to. Even their national chairman commended the huge turnout.
“The result was written without taking into cognizance the huge turnout. We have told our agents to bring out their results; we do not want to rely on the messages sent to us.
“In the next three or four days, we shall have the complete record of the results. I can, however, tell you that from our findings, a lot of manipulation took place.”

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AAUA Mgt commissions new lecture theatre, relaxation centre

A new Lecture theater was Commissioned today alongside A new Rc opposite Agric Faculty.
Both the RC and the new Lt were commissioned by the Vc and other governing members of the university.
The New Lt is located behind Ent Unit along The senate Building
Features of the New Lt
512 seating capacity
A Gallery
An Electronic Board
5 mini Conference rooms with Projectors etc…
Credits: BaseHitz Team

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