Sokoto Pays N5,000 Monthly To 10,120 Families To Keep Girls In Schools

More than 10,120 families in Sokoto State receive government’s N5,000 monthly stipend aimed at enhancing girl-child education, according to Malam Musa Lumu, Chairman, Gwadabawa Micro Finance Bank, Sokoto.

Lumu revealed on Sunday in Sokoto that his bank and four other Micro Finance Banks were handling the payments via a conditional cash transfer scheme introduced by the state government.

“The stipend is expected to support the families’ economies so as to discourage parents from sending their children to hawk.

“It will also assist the parents to provide kits and other minor demands that would enhance educational pursuit,” he said.


He said that the state government had invested much toward supporting child education programmes from basic to tertiary levels, and urged parents to take advantage of such gestures to educate their children.

Lumu said that the gesture by the government and development partners would encourage parents to send their wards to schools so as to prepare them to compete for opportunities in future.

He said that the state government had provided N 500 million as counterpart funding toward executing UNICEF education projects comprising the cash transfer scheme and other interventions.

Careless Danfo Driver Kill His Conductor

                             

A 25-year-old commercial bus driver, John Okoye, who allegedly drove recklessly, causing his conductor to fall off the vehicle and die, was on Monday brought before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Okoye, who resides at Adensin Street, Igando, a Lagos suburb, is facing a charge of manslaughter.

The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Uche Simeon, told the court that the accused committed the offence on April 14, 2017, at 8pm along Iyana-Iba/Igando Road, Ojo Lagos.

Simeon said that the accused, on the fateful day, drove his Volkswagen bus with Registration No. LND 374 XU in a reckless manner.

“The conductor, Matthias Nwoge, fell off the bus in motion due to the driver’s reckless driving while in a haste to carry passengers at the bus stop

“Nwoge was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead,” he said.

The offence contravened Section 227 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 227 stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty of the offence.

In his ruling, the Magistrate, Mr A. A. Adesanya, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He said one of the sureties should be a blood relation of the accused and the other a community leader or a clergy.

Adesanya adjourned the case until March 12 for mention.

“We always land in the police station after our fight, in fact, we are regular customers at the station" Man Wants Divorce

A Pastor identified as , Bernard Towoju, has urged an Igando Customary Court, Lagos to dissolve his marriage to his wife, Abosede, for allegedly using her private part to invoke curses on him.

Towoju, 53, said in his divorce petition on Monday that “I cannot continue to make love with a woman who always goes unclad and swears for me with her private part”.

According to him, Abosede is stubborn, wayward and troublesome.

“She once came to my office to fight me and tore my clothes in the presence of my colleagues. We fight on daily basis and hurt each other a lot.

“We always land in the police station after our fight, in fact, we are regular customers at the station,’’ he said.

The petitioner accused his wife of threatening his life, adding that his wife always hit him with dangerous weapons whenever they quarrelled.

“I had to run away from the house I built 10 years ago to rent an apartment for safety.

“She chased me with cutlass, bottles and sticks; our neighbours can testify to that.

“I am afraid, I cannot sleep under the same roof with her with my two eyes closed,” he said.

He begged the court to dissolve the marriage that the love he once had for her had faded and he could no longer tolerate her ill-nature and troubles.

The respondent, Abosede, a fashion designer, accused her husband of calling her a witch.

“He said everywhere he went for a solution to his problems, they always tell him that I am behind his predicament.

“My hands are clean; I know nothing about his woes.

“Towoju abandoned me and the children 10 years ago, I have been taking care of the children,” the 46-year-old woman added.

The mother of four urged the court not to grant her husband’s request for the dissolution of the marriage, saying “I still love him”.

In his judgment, the court President, Mr Akin Akinniyi, said the petitioner was adamant despite all mediation from the court and family.

“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the wife still claims she loves her husband.

“The court pronounced the marriage between Pastor Bernard Towoju and Mrs Abosede Towoju dissolved today, both parties henceforth ceased to be husband and wife.

“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances and molestation,” Akinniyi ruled.

Source (NAN)

Alex Ekwueme's Body Arrives Nigeria

The remains of the former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme has arrived Nigeria. It arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja today.

The body was flown in from London. Those who received his body are his family members, cabinet members and top government officials. A parade of honour was also held for him. Another photo...

Nigerian Club, MFM FC, Involved In Auto Crash

Nigeria Professional Football League side, MFM FC, on Sunday suffered an auto crash on their way from Jos back to Lagos.

The Olukoya Boys were in action against Plateau United on Saturday; losing by a lone goal and they were heading back to their base to prepare for their next game which is against Wikki Tourist.

It was gathered that Sunday’s accident was caused by a brake failure and it left some players and Coach injured.

There was no loss of life in the accident.

I Fought To Save My Marriage After Infidelity-Jayz

                          

Jay Z says he was straight with Beyonce and dealt with his infidelity head on to save his marriage, because she was his soul mate and it was definitely worth fighting for.

Jay appeared on CNN's Van Jones show Saturday night where he said issues like infidelity have to be addressed head-on, and if they're not the marriage is going to blow up.

He says, "For us, we chose to fight for our love, for our family, to give our kids different outcome, to break that cycle for black men and women."

The famous couple hit up Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party Saturday night ... and there's little doubt their marriage is now strong.

NBC Declares 'Science Student' Unfit For Broadcast

              

The broadcasting watchdog, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission,(NBC) has slammed a Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB) warning against a recent song by rapper Olamide entitled, Science Student.

The notification proscribing the song from being broadcast was sent to all radio and television stations across the country during the week.

Also, the Head of Public Affairs, NBC, Hajia Maimuna Jimada confirmed NBC’s stand on the trending song to Saturday Tribune, stating that while the regulatory body did not ban the song outrightly, it considered it unfit for broadcast.

“NBC does not ban music. Our mandate is on what goes on Radio and TV. Olamide’s Science Student has been declared ‘Unfit for broadcast,’” she said.

Buhari Has Spent Over N1bn On Ekwueme's Burial-Ngige Reveals

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, yesterday said the Federal Government has spent over N1 Billion on Ekwueme’s burial.

This is even as all the roads leading to Oko community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State have been given facelifts in readiness for the burial of the late Second Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme on Friday.

The Minister of Labour and Employment and member of the national burial committee, Dr. Chris Ngige, after visiting Oko to inspect preparations for the burial, expressed satisfaction with the level of work already done.


He said: “I am reasonably satisfied with the preparations. I was here last week for inspection and between then and now, work has progressed. The contractors have assured us that all the roads leading into Oko will be very motorable before the burial ceremonies start on February 1 at Oko.

“The tomb, which is being financed by the Federal Government, is okay and the contractors have assured us that it will be handed over to us on Tuesday.

The helipad, which the Vice President will use, has also been identified. “Anambra State government is also cooperating because it is constructing some internal roads in Oko and its environs to facilitate movement.

The leader of the medical team, Professor Igwegbe of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi is already on ground with his men and I believe that in the next 48 hours, everything will be in place.”

Ngige said apart from the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, top federal government officials were also expected to attend the burial, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to give the former vice president a befitting burial.

While giving details of the efforts being made by the Federal Government to ensure a successful burial for Ekwueme, the Minister further said: “So the insinuation in some quarters that government has not done much is not true. What Buhari has committed into the burial is nothing less than N1 Billion. The family can also not say that it is not carried along because they are represented in all the burial committees.

“The first son of the late Vice President, Pastor Obi Ekwueme is a member of the national burial committee and the committee permitted him to send a member in all the sub-committees we have,” Vanguard reports.

100 People Killed In Kabul Bomb Blast

                              

There was unrest in Kabul on  Sunday, a day after a huge bomb hidden in an ambulance killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores more, highlighting the ability of insurgents to strike at the heart of Afghanistan.

At least 95 people were killed and 191 wounded in the lunchtime attack claimed by the Taliban, which caused panic in the war-torn capital and overwhelmed its hospitals.

US President Donald Trump called for “decisive action” against the Taliban over the assault — the second it has carried out in the city in a week — as other international leaders also condemned the attack.

“We have 95 dead and 191 wounded from yesterday’s attack in Kabul,” health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told reporters on Sunday.

Most of the injured were men, he added.

Ordinary Afghans took to social media to express their anguish and sorrow at rapidly worsening security, as the Taliban and the Islamic State group step up attacks on Kabul, turning it into one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

“We are so heartbroken in Kabul that we don’t know how to start our new day,” Freshta Karim wrote on Twitter.“Shall we stay home or go to work, shall we meet our friends and cry or shall we force ourselves to create an illusion of hope? How are you starting your day in Kabul?”

Naser Danesh tweeted: “In Kabul starting a day without explosion, it would be a surprise. One could only imagine that kind of a day.”

On Facebook, Naweed Qaderi wrote: “It is a big shame for the government, they repeatedly fail to protect people. The leaders must lose a son or daughter to feel the pain of poor people.”

The blast happened in a crowded area of the city where several high-profile organisations including the European Union have offices.

The force of the explosion shook the windows of buildings hundreds of metres away and caused some low-rise structures in the immediate vicinity to collapse.

The scene of the attack was scattered with body parts, blood and debris. Children were among the wounded.

The government has blamed the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network, which Afghan and Western officials suspect of involvement in at least some of the recent attacks in the capital.

The suicide bomber passed through at least one checkpoint in the ambulance, saying he was taking a patient to Jamhuriat hospital, an interior ministry spokesman told AFP on Saturday.

“At the second checkpoint he was recognised and blew (up) his explosive-laden car,” Nasrat Rahimi said.

Rahimi told a news conference later that most of the victims were civilians. Four suspects had been arrested.