Imo blames opposition for attack on Uzodinma’s convoy

The Imo State Government has accused opposition political parties in the state of sponsoring the protesters who attacked Governor Hope Uzodinma’s convoy on Monday in Owerri.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, said the ban on illegal protests had been vindicated following the arrest of armed hoodlums claiming to be staff members of the state oil commission protesting against the non-payment of salaries, who attacked the governor’s convoy.

Emelumba said the fact that people claiming to be workers of ISOPADEC armed themselves with guns and machetes showed that they were hired thugs by the opposition, who were rattled by the public ovation that greeted the governor’s successful inauguration of new roads in Owerri on Friday.

“The opposition is smarting from the irredeemable shame the government’s successes are rubbing on their face and they quickly thought of another protest to take the shine out of the increasingly unbeatable trajectory of Governor Uzodinma’s successes story. But luck ran out of them this time,” Emelumba said.

Meanwhile, the state commissioner of Police, Isaac Akinmoyede, on Monday paraded 15 hoodlums for attacking the governor’s convoy.

https://punchng.com/imo-blames....-opposition-for-atta

 

punchng.com

Imo blames opposition for attack on Uzodinma’s convoy – Punch Newspapers

Chidiebube Okeoma, Owerri The Imo State Government has accused opposition political parties in the state of sponsoring the protesters who attacked...

Ogun pastor blames evil spirit for impregnating two sisters

The founder of Church of the Lord of Isreal, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ebenezer Ajigbotoluwa, who allegedly impregnated two underage sisters and duped their mother of the sum of N1.5m, has blamed an evil spirit for his actions.

The 57-year-old was paraded alongside 37 other suspected criminals at the state police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Monday.

He, however, denied impregnating the two sisters, claiming that he only impregnated one whom he was legally married to.

Ajigbotoluwa explained that he was deceived by an evil spirit to marry the girl.

The cleric, who admitted that he had sinned against God, said he would embark on prison evangelism if forgiven.

He said, “There is no man of God that Satan will not hunt, except the person that his time has not come.

“If I can have favour from God, Nigerians and the government, then it is my promise that I will turn a new leaf and I will be preaching to prisoners.

“I will be going to cells to preach to them; that is the kind of ministry I want to establish to change people if God can give me the grace.

“If I knew it was bad, I wouldn’t have done it; as it’s happening now, it is a disgrace to me.”

The embattled pastor asked people not to use his life to judge other Christian leaders.

“I am crying because of God, because the name of God should not be put to shame, especially when you’re talking of white garment church.


“For my sake, nobody should desert, abuse or harass them or say that there is no minister of God or say that there is no God or say that they will not worship God. I am only a sinner, somebody else might not be,” he added.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, while parading the 38 suspects, said they committed offences ranging from armed robbery to murder, cultism, rape, among others.

Ajogun added that the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state between July and August 2020.

He noted that assorted charms, locally-made double-barrelled pistols, live cartridges, among others, were recovered from the suspects.

The police boss, who stated that the police had begun house-to-house search for illegal arms, advised criminals to submit their ammunition to the command.

https://punchng.com/ogun-pasto....r-blames-evil-spirit

 

punchng.com

Ogun pastor blames evil spirit for impregnating two sisters – Punch Newspapers

Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta The founder of Church of the Lord of Isreal, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ebenezer Ajigbotoluwa, who allegedly impregnated two under...

FG suffers N1tn revenue shortfall in five months

The Federal Government on Monday released guidelines and instructions that must be followed by all its ministries, departments and agencies for the preparation of the 2021 budget proposal.

In its 2021 Budget Call Circular from the country’s budget office sighted in Abuja, the government stated that the document sets out the requirements and instructions that must be satisfied and followed in the preparation of the 2021 Federal Government of Nigeria budget proposal.

The circular disclosed that in the first five months of the year, the Federal Government suffered 38 per cent shortfall in its projected revenue. This translates to N1tn.

The document stated that all ministers/chief executives and accounting officers and other officers responsible for budget preparation were advised to read the budget call circular carefully.

The circular also touched on some aspects of the 2020 budget performance.

It stated, for instance, that as of May 30, the Federal Government’s actual revenue was N1.62tn (62 per cent of the N2.62tn pro-rata revised budget).

“The shortfall of 38 per cent is attributable to the under performance of both oil and non-oil revenue sources,” the document stated.

The circular further noted that the preparation of the 2021 budget estimates for MDAs should take into consideration the 2023 medium-term policies/strategies contained in the 2021 Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, which is the government’s pre-budget statement.

It stated that the MTEF/FSP outlined the development priorities of government for the period covered.

“Further to this, the Federal Government’s annual budget shall be prepared using the Zero-Based Budgeting approach and in line with the government’s policy thrust, as articulated in the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan, as well as other relevant circulars,” it said.



The circular said in accordance with the 2021-2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, the aggregate government revenue available for budget for the fiscal year 2021 was projected at N7.49tn.

It said the aggregate expenditure level was projected to be N12.66tn.

“This aggregate expenditure is made up of statutory transfers of N481.41bn, debt service of N3.12bn, Sinking Fund of N220bn, and recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N5.75tn,” it stated.

It put capital expenditure (exclusive of capital in statutory transfers) at N3.09tn, adding that of the capital expenditure, MDAs, capital was N1.49tn.

https://punchng.com/fg-suffers....-n1tn-revenue-shortf

 

punchng.com

FG suffers N1tn revenue shortfall in five months – Punch Newspapers

...projects N12.66tn expenditure in 2021 Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja The Federal Government on Monday released guidelines and instructions that must ...

What teachers should teach students about their names

There is something strange about the way many people who are below 30 years introduce themselves in speech and in writing these days. During an interview for a job or other issues, if you ask the interviewees to introduce themselves, you would most likely hear something like: “My names are Balogun John.”

The first strange issue is that of one person saying “my names are”, implying that the person has many personalities or identities. Only people with a shady character have many identities. The second issue is that of saying the surname first and saying the first name last, thereby confusing the listener.

The challenge these days is that when one hears or sees a name, one cannot easily know which is the first name or surname. For those whose names contain names that are regarded as traditional surnames, it may be easier to decipher which is the surname, but for some other people, it may not be easy. Imagine a young man whose name is Ikenna Chukwuemeka or Ayodele Olayinka or Hassan Musa or John Emmanuel introducing himself this way. For you to ascertain which is his first name or surname, you have to ask him to clarify that. But it is not all the time that someone has the opportunity to ask the owner of a name to make this type of distinction. That is why a standard way of writing one’s name was developed a long time.



When you write your name, which should come first: Surname or first name? The answer is evident. Your given name is called your first name. It should always come first.

Question: “What is your name?”

Answer: “My name is Azuka Onwuka,” not “My name is Onwuka Azuka.”

Your surname or family name is also called “last name,” because it is meant to come last. If you write a book or publish an article in a newspaper, your first name or initials come first while your surname or last name comes last.

Remember that you grew up hearing of William Shakespeare (not Shakespeare William), Chinua Achebe (not Achebe Chinua), Wole Soyinka (not Soyinka Wole), Nnamdi Azikiwe (not Azikiwe Nnamdi), Florence Nightingale (not Nightingale Florence) Abraham Lincoln (not Lincoln Abraham), Dele Giwa (not Giwa Dele), Diego Maradona (not Maradona Diego), Michael Jackson (not Jackson Michael), James Bond (not Bond James), etc.

However, when names are written alphabetically on a school list, bibliography, voter register, recruitment list, etc, the surname may be written first by those compiling the list, to make it easy to locate people’s names. But note that whenever the surname comes first, something MUST happen: a comma must come after the surname, or the surname must be in uppercase.

Example:

Abdulsalam, Ahmed Sanni



Balogun, Temitope Yinka

Onwuka, Azuka P. I.

Osagie, Aifuwa Omoh

Yala, Pam Dalong

Or

ADAM John Thomas

BENSON Jane Mary

CLINTON Robert Peter

The trend among those who are under 30 to always introduce themselves or write their names with the surname first is queer. First name is called first name because it is meant to come first.

Based on which is your surname, someone will know how to address you officially. If you introduce yourself as Rashidi Yekini, the person can then address you as Mr Yekini, not Mr Rashidi. When only one name is used with your title, it has to be with your surname, not your first name: Mr Onwuka, Miss Akpabio, Mrs Jonathan, Alhaji Jakande, Professor Usman, Chief Lar, etc.

Furthermore, on the issue of whether to say: “My name is Azuka Onwuka” or “My names are Azuka Onwuka”, let it be reiterated that each human being has only ONE name.

Please take a look at these two expressions:

Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga
The first is the real name of the great footballer Pele of Brazil. The second is the full name of the former president of Congo when it was known as Zaire. However, in spite of the length of the names, each of them is ONE name. Pele has ONE name and Mobutu has ONE name.

You should never ask someone: “What are your names?” And you should never tell someone: “My names are….” You are one person, not two or more people.

Yes, like most people, you may have a number of identifiers under your name, but they all form a unit known as your name. You can break them down into first name (or given name), middle name (second name), third name, fourth name, and surname (or family name or last name). But you only have ONE name and nothing more.

Some factors have made this issue of writing the surname first prevalent now. The first reason is the practice of emphasising the surname in schools. It has always been the practice that teachers address their students by their surname: “Onwuka, come here. Where is Akpabio?” But based on the feedback I have received from my probe into the matter, many teachers these names specifically teach their students to introduce themselves with their surname first.

The second reason is that even when teachers have not expressly told their students to always write their surname first, they have not clearly made the students to understand that outside the school environment, they should introduce themselves first with their first name. There is no distinction made about how one should write one’s name when filling a form and when introducing oneself.

There is also the factor of the rise of the Internet. There is a rise in the number of places where one can fill one’s details online. There are email accounts to create, social media accounts to create, and different websites to register with for one thing or the other. In addition, the banks also lay emphasis on surnames in the opening of accounts and issuing of the ATM cards. Agencies that provide identification documents like the passport, driving licence, voter card, national identity card and company’s identification cards lay emphasis on the surname too.

However, in spite of all the challenges in the environment on the issue of the order of names, the first name still remains the first name, while the surname still remains the surname. If any institution requires the surname to be written first while filling a form, give it to them in that format. But do not let that confuse you to introduce yourself or have your name displayed on your social media platforms with your surname before your first name, unless you clearly mark the surname off with a comma. That is the standard way. In addition, even though you may have a first name, a middle name and surname, you have only one name. Therefore, you should not ask someone: “What are your names?” or introduce yourself with: “My names are ….”

These issues should be taken seriously by teachers from the primary school to the university, because when it comes to learning, teachers wield the biggest influence on children. To most children, whatever their teachers say is right is what is right.

Excerpt from English Incorporated by Azuka Onwuka

https://punchng.com/what-teach....ers-should-teach-stu

 

punchng.com

What teachers should teach students about their names – Punch Newspapers

There is something strange about the way many people who are below 30 years introduce themselves in speech and in writing these days. During an int...

Man City Announce Silva Statue Plans Following Player’s Exit From The Club

Manchester City have announced that they will erect a statue of David Silva outside the Etihad stadium as a tribute to the player as he leaves after 10 years at the club.

City’s Champions League exit to Lyon on Sunday marked his final game after he announced in June that he would leave Manchester at the end of the 2019-20 season.

He won 11 trophies with the club including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and three Community Shield trophies.

“David Silva is a transformational player; a quiet leader who has acted quietly and deliberately and inspired everyone around him, from the youngest academy player to his senior teammates over the past 10 years,” City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarakn said in a statement.

“He has put a stamp on the team, on this club, its history and even the Premier League as a whole. In doing so he has been instrumental to the beautiful football philosophy you see today. He was the start of it.”

City announced in 2019 that a similar statue would be erected of former City captain Vincent Kompany and both statues are set to be unveiled in 2021.

Capped 125 times by Spain, Silva won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.

He told ESPN last year that he would like to end his career playing for Las Palmas, his hometown club on the island of Gran Canaria.

“Ten years for me is enough. It’s the perfect time for me,” he said of his departure.

“Initially, City were talking about two years, but I decided to sign [for] another one, so I finished at 10 years.

“It completes the cycle. It’s a nice round figure. I can never see myself playing against City for another team. So 10 years — that’s it.”

https://orientdailynews.com/sp....orts/man-city-announ

 

orientdailynews.com

Man City announce Silva statue plans following player's exit from the club - Orient Daily News

Manchester City have announced that they will erect a statue of David Silva outside the Etihad stadium as a tribute to the player as he leaves after 10 years at the club. City’s Champions League exit to Lyon o

Edo Assembly Confirms 2 Commissioners-Designate, 3 Others

The Edo House of Assembly on Monday confirmed two civil commissioners and three others as commissioners for Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC).

The confirmation was sequel to the adoption of the report of the House standing committee on Rules, Business and Government House chaired by the House Leader, Mr Henry Okhuarobo, (Ikpoba-Okha constituency)

Presenting the report to the house, Okhuarobo said that members of the committee had painstakingly gone through their curriculum vitae and found them academically qualified for the job.

The two civil commissioners-designate are Mr Lawrence Ogieva and Mr Alex Oleije, while Mr Charles Aideyan, Abdullahi Imodagbe and Daniel Enebi were confirmed as commissioners-designate in EDSOGPADEC.

The members of the house, who contributed during the screening of the nominees, spoke glowingly of the competence of the nominees with an assurance that they would discharge their duties creditably.

The Speaker, Francis Okiye, after their clearance congratulated them and urged them to join hands in complementing the efforts of the state governor to move Edo forward.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr Charles Aideyan is to represent Edo South in EDSOGPADEC, while Mr Abdullahi Imodagbe and Daniel Enebi are to represent Edo North and Central, respectively, in the commission. (NAN)

https://orientdailynews.com/po....litics/edo-assembly-

 

orientdailynews.com

Edo Assembly confirms 2 commissioners-designate, 3 others - Orient Daily News

The Edo House of Assembly on Monday confirmed two civil commissioners and three others as commissioners for Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC). The confirmation was sequel to the adoption of the report of the Ho

CP Urges Enugu Residents To Report Unlawfully Possession Of Firearms

Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Ahmad Abdurrahman, has called on residents to be vigilant and report cases of unlawful possession of firearms, within their neighbourhoods, to the Police.

The call is contained in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Monday.

Abdurrahman also warned persons and groups to voluntarily submit firearms in their unlawful possession, as offenders would not be spared.


“Following the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, on the clampdown on the proliferation of prohibited firearms in the country, the commissioner has ordered strict enforcement of the directive in the state.

“The commissioner has directed all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Heads of Tactical/Operational Departments of the Command to immediately identify, disarm, arrest and prosecute any person(s) or group(s) unlawfully possessing firearms.

“He further directs all DPOs to organise enlightenment meetings for personnel of neighbourhood watch, forest guards, vigilante and local security outfits in their areas of responsibility to ensure they operate in conformity with extant laws guiding their establishment and operations.

“Area Commanders are to coordinate, supervise and report outcomes of the meetings.

“The CP also warned persons or groups in unlawful possession of firearms to immediate effect submit same to the nearest police station, as offenders will not be spared,’’ he said.

Ndukwe said that the commissioner enjoined residents to remain law-abiding, urging them to volunteer useful information on criminalities through the Command’s hotlines – 08032003702, 08086671202, 08075390883 or 08098880172. (NAN)

https://orientdailynews.com/ge....opolis/enugu/cp-urge

 

orientdailynews.com

CP urges Enugu residents to report unlawfully possession of firearms - Orient Daily News

Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Ahmad Abdurrahman, has called on residents to be vigilant and report cases of unlawful possession of firearms, within their neighbourhoods, to the Police. The call is contained in a statement issued by the Polic

COVID-19: Asaba Airport Reopens, Records First Flight

The Asaba Airport on Monday recorded its first flight, four days after it was reopened by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), for meeting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols on COVID-19 pandemic.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the airport welcomed Aero Contractors flight from Abuja with the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, on board.

The airport and others were shut on March 27, to contain the spread of COVID-19.

On arrival, Aniagwu told newsmen that re-start of flight operations by Aero Contractors was an indication that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta had upgraded facilities at the airport.

He said, “There are prospects for other airlines to join and increase the flight options to and from Asaba.

“The arrival of Aero Contractors is a good omen for flight users in Asaba because it will give air travellers more options.

“Good enough, we have more airlines that will be coming into this airport.

“Ibom Air is resuming flight in this airport; we have always had AZMAN and Air Peace and this is Aero, we are also looking forward to having Arik back to the airport. So we are excited,” he said.

He lauded Mr Austin Ayemidejor, the Special Projects Director of the Asaba Airport, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the airport met NCAA requirement.

Ayemidejor said the state government had invested a lot to ensure compliance with regulatory protocol for the reopening of the airport.

He commended the governor for his commitment to the development of the airport.

“The airport got a very satisfactory approval from NCAA and we must ensure that the airport continues to operate in line with laid down protocols and international best practices.

“Our objective is to upgrade the airport to a new category to accommodate flights of all sizes because we are currently on Category 6,” Ayemidejor said. (NAN)

https://orientdailynews.com/li....fe-style/travel-and-

 

orientdailynews.com

COVID-19: Asaba Airport reopens, records first flight - Orient Daily News

The Asaba Airport on Monday recorded its first flight, four days after it was reopened by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), for meeting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols on COVID-19 pandemic. The News Agency of Niger

Post Oil Economy: Umahi’s Aide Seeks Support For Artisans, Craftsmen

Mrs Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, an aide to Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, has charged the nation’s private sector to support government’s efforts to re-engineer artisans and crasftmen in the current bid to reposition Nigeria’s economy for the post-oil era.

Adibe-Nwafor, who is the Special Assistant to Umahi on Inter-Party and Labour Matters, gave the charge on Monday in Abakaliki during a two-day capacity building workshop for members of the Artisan Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi chapter.

She described the workshop as apt, pointing out that artisans, craftsmen and entrepreneurs provided a window of opportunities for the nation’s post oil economy.


She said: “We are presently witnessing huge job losses occasioned by the decline in oil revenue and COVID-19 pandemic, which have negative effect on the economy.

“Nigeria has largely relied on oil as its main source of revenue because it supplies up to 90 per cent of the country’s gross earnings.

“Recent events, however, show a gradual but permanent decline in the dependence on fossil fuel with an anticipated partial or total non-dependence on petroleum in few years time.

“It is expected that by the time solar and wind-driven automobiles replace the ones that use fuel, craftsmen will still remain relevant and competitive in the nation’s economy.”

Adibe-Nwafor said that the state government had been proactive in this regard with the introduction of over 33-solar powered electric tricycles into the state’s commercial transport sector.

“The state became the first in the country to achieve such feat and similarly established a vocational college which trains the youth on ways of fabricating electric tricycles, among other areas of skills acquisition,” she said.

Mr Friday Eze, the state President of the association, said that the annual workshop was designed to introduce modern business techniques to artisans and craftsmen to enhance their businesses.

Eze said that the workshop was organised in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), which would soon post their members to various master-craftsmen for adequate training.

“We are using the ITF office as a training centre and this workshop will enable ITF to effectively handle these youth when they are eventually posted out for training.

“The trainees will be equipped with innovative ways of running their businesses and mindset to adopt new business techniques,” he said.

Mrs Chioma Egbobe, Head of Training, ITF, Abakaliki Area Office, said that the training would help the artisans to make informed decisions and adopt new techniques to improve their businesses.

“We will also equip them with the requisite knowledge and capacities to confront the challenging business environment in the wake of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic,” Egbobe said.

Miss Anna Item, one of the participants at the workshop, thanked the organisers for providing such opportunity and pledged to effectively utilise the knowledge garnered from it in her business. (NAN)

https://orientdailynews.com/ci....tyscope/post-oil-eco

 

orientdailynews.com

Post oil economy: Umahi’s aide seeks support for artisans, craftsmen - Orient Daily News

Mrs Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, an aide to Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi, has charged the nation’s private sector to support government’s efforts to re-engineer artisans and crasftmen in the current bid to reposition Nigeria’s economy for the post-oil era. A

Mikel Joins Stoke City

Stoke City have confirmed the signing of former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on a short-term deal.

The Nigeria star joined the Potters on a free transfer on Monday after leaving Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor during the coronavirus crisis in March.

Mikel is set for his second adventure in the Championship with Stoke City, having previously played for Middlesbrough in the second half of the 2018-19 season.

He is Stoke City’s fourth-summer signing ahead of the new season after Morgan Fox, James Chester and Steven Fletcher.

Following the completion of Mikel’s move, manager O’Neill disclosed the duration of his conversation with the 33-year-old and his ambition to end his career in the Premier League.

“We’re delighted to bring John to the club. His playing career speaks for itself and underlines his calibre as a player,” O’Neill said.

“I was really impressed with him when we met for the first time and he outlined what he wants from the next phase of his career.

“We spent four hours talking and he made it clear he wants to get back into the Premier League and finish his career there and hopefully he can do that with Stoke City.”

The ex-Nigeria international started his European career in Norway with Lyn after playing for Plateau United in the Nigerian top-flight.

He moved to Chelsea in 2006 where he spent 11 years before departing for China to join Tianjin Teda in 2017.

During his stay at Stamford Bridge, Mikel won the Uefa Champions League, Europa League, two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a League Cup.Article continues below

After Middlesbrough failed in their promotion bid in the 2018-19 season, he joined Trabzonspor on a two-year contract but left the Super Lig club by mutual consent in March after expressing his concerns over the continuation of football amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 33-year-old retired from international duty in July 2019 after he led Nigeria to clinch bronze at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

He played 91 matches for the Super Eagles and scored six goals before calling up his time in the national team.

https://orientdailynews.com/sp....orts/mikel-joins-sto