2022 - Page 83 of 134 - SocietyGazette.com

Dangote, Al-Makura, Okocha, Others Get Nasarawa University’s Honorary Doctorate Degrees

Six prominent Nigerians including Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, have been conferred a Doctorate degree by the Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Naija News understands that the individuals received the award at the varsity’s 6th combined convocation ceremony held on Thursday, March 31, 2022.

The school management had notified the personalities in letters ahead of the event.

Other prominent citizens awarded with honorary doctorate degrees at the academic excellent event were a former Governor of Nasarawa State, currently serving senator representing Nasarawa South at the National Assembly, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and Malami Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director, NNPC.

Other recipients of the awards were Chief Peter Eloka Okocha, the Chief Executive Officer of Okocha Motors; Alhaji Aliyu Balarabe, businessman and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN.

Naija News reports that the ceremony which received the presence of dignitaries was held at the Convocation Centre of the institution.

Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions have announced that they will be embarking on a strike.

Naija News reports that the two-week warning strike action according to the association, will commence on March 27.

This was made known in a letter titled “Commencement of Two-Week Warning Strike”, released last week Friday by the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU and signed by SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi.

The national bodies of SSANU and NASU asked its members in universities and inter-university centres to begin the warning strike.

Jonathan Rejects Presidency Conditions For Getting APC Presidential Ticket – Source

Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan has rejected the conditions given to him by the presidency to clinch the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress in 2023.

A source that spoke with SaharaReporters disclosed that the presidency asked Jonathan to join the ruling party with some Peoples Democratic Party governors in the South-South and South-East regions.

The source further stated that the former president rejected the conditions and told the presidency that he doesn’t have an interest in the 2023 presidency again.

It was gathered the presidency was embarrassed by the response of Jonathan, describing him as a traitor.

The source said, “They are now accusing Jonathan of not fulfilling some of his promises after all the several meetings and soft-landing given to him.

“He was to come on board by converting some PDP states in the South-South and South-East to APC, and that way he would get the automatic ticket uncontested. Some other conditions were also given to him.

“But guess what? He told them he won’t contest again. They are now angry, saying he was deceitful. They said after getting some of his seized monies back, his wife’s monies returned to him, he finally decided not to contest.”

This is coming a few days after a former Minister from the South-South was reported to have said the former president is set to decide if he would join the APC with the convention of the ruling party now over.

Eguavoen Resigns As Super Eagles Technical Adviser After Failing To Qualify Nigeria For World Cup

Super Eagles interim Technical Adviser, Austin Eguavoen, has resigned following his failure to lead the team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Eguavoen’s resignation is coming two days after the Black Stars of Ghana clinched the ticket to Qatar in a contest between the two West African nations.

The Nigerian Football Federation made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday.

NFF said, “Following the failure of the Super Eagles of Nigeria to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the erstwhile Technical Adviser, Augustine Eguavoen has stepped down from that position with immediate effect.

“The NFF has in the meantime withdrawn the two-and-half year’s contract offered the coaches and terminated the appointment of the entire technical crew of the team with immediate effect.

“A new crew will be announced after a proper review to lead the new charge of reinvigorating the Super Eagles to face future challenges appropriately.

“We thank the coaches and team officials for their service to the nation and wish them success in their future endeavours,” said NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi.

Eguavoen who was appointed interim coach of the Super Eagles prior to the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON 2021, resigned the role to settle as technical adviser when Nigeria lost to Tunisia in the round of 16.

He has since then acted as the interim technical adviser, the position he had previously held.

The poor performance of the Super Eagles had led to the sack of former German coach, Gernot Rhor. The NFF had engaged the services of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro pending the outcome of the nations cup.

BREAKING! FIFA Bans MKO Abiola Stadium From Hosting Int’l Matches Over Violence

World football governing body, FIFA have slammed indefinite ban on Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja from hosting international matches, www.bestchoicesports.com.ng can report

The ban on Wednesday came after irate Nigerian fans invaded the stadium on Tuesday following their nation’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar

On Tuesday, the newly renovated turf hosted the final leg of Nigeria vs Ghana World Cup play-off but the Ghanaians snatched the ticket from their host in a dramatic fashion through away goal rule.

Angry Nigerian fans invaded the pitch after a 1:1 draw against Ghana forcing players and officials to run for their life into the changing room.

FIFA medical officer Dr. Joseph Kabungo who had cardiac arrest on his way to the dressing room was rushed to hospital but he passed on

Joseph suffered a cardiac arrest during the commotion and was pronounced dead soon after.

Dr. Joseph Kabungo is CAF medical committee member who was also recently appointed to the FIFA medical committee. He served as the Zambian team doctor from 2003 to 2016.

It is not clear what other sanctions FIFA and the regional body CAF could mete out to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF for failing to provide adequate security for the game but the too bodies frown at fans encroachment into the field of play

It could be recalled that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary committee in May 2006 sanctioned Nigeria with a $5,000 for poor crowd control at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, where the Super Eagles hosted Egypt in a Gabon 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier in March.

The organisers of the match allowed a crowd of over 40,000 inside the stadium designed to hold 25,000 spectators.

The Super Eagles and the Pharaohs drew 1-1 in that encounter, with the Egyptians subsequently defeating Nigeria 1-0 in the return fixture to stop the Eagles from qualifying for the competition.

World Bank Suspends Nigeria’s SoftTech IT Solutions, MD For Bribery

The World Bank has suspended SoftTech IT Solutions and Services Ltd, and its Managing Director, Mr Isah Kantigi, for allegedly bribing officials to renew consultancy deals.

SoftTech IT Solutions and Services Ltd is a Nigerian information technology solutions company based in Abuja.

The company has been suspended for 50 months, while the MD is facing a 60-month sanction.

The Bank made the disclosure in a notice titled ‘World Bank Group debars SoftTech IT Solutions and Services Ltd. and its managing director’, which was published on its website.

The corrupt practice is in connection with the National Social Safety Nets Project, according to the World Bank.

According to the bank, the project is designed to provide access to targeted cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households under an expanded national social safety nets system.

The World Bank said, “The World Bank Group today announced the 50-month debarment of SoftTech IT Solutions and Services Ltd., an information technology solutions company based in Nigeria, and the 60-month debarment of its managing director, in connection with corrupt practices as part of the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria.

“The debarments make SoftTech and Mr Isah Kantigi, a Nigerian national, ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by the World Bank Group.

“They are the result of settlement agreements under which the company and Mr. Kantigi acknowledge their responsibility for the underlying sanctionable practices and agree to meet specified corporate compliance conditions as a condition for release from debarment.

“According to the facts of the case, as an individual consultant, Mr. Kantigi made ‘appreciation’ payments to project officials as a reward for his receiving of a Bank-funded consultancy services contract.

“Mr. Kantigi also entered into an arrangement with other individual consultants and facilitated similar payments by them to project officials. This constitutes a corrupt practice under the World Bank’s Consultant Guidelines.

“SoftTech, acting under the direction of Mr. Kantigi, who is also the company’s Managing Director, served as the conduit through which he and the other individual consultants made the payments to project officials.

“Under the arrangement, SoftTech received into its bank accounts multiple payments from the individual consultants and then transferred the funds into the personal accounts of the project officials, effectively serving as a financial intermediary for these consultants. This constitutes a corrupt practice under the World Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines. “

The World Bank said the offence committed by both Kantigi and of SoftTech qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks (MDBs) under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.

Singer Portable Loses Canadian Show After Sacking Manager, Promoter Others

Fast rising Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable has lost the chance to perform at a forthcoming show organized by a comedian, MC Morris, in Canada.

MC Morris disclosed this in a statement on his Instagram account shortly after Portable sacked his manager, Deejay and his promoter.

The comedian wrote, “For those that are asking why I removed idamu adugboyin from my May 22 show. Talent is not enough, a beautiful song without a beautiful attitude is a beautiful nonsense.

“Two managers in less than a year, even sack innocent DJ that his job na to play song and scratch shaka shaka. I cannot koshi mero am sorry. All transactions canceled and ijoba danku am sorry.”

The Zahzoo crooner on his Instagram account had accused his manager and promoter of being dependent on him.

He said, “Am I your father or brother? Manager, DJ, promoter, I will feed una, buy cloth for una, put money into your accounts, I go con do like say I broke, ask the manager for money but he will tell me he has no money as if he is building a house.

“Deejay will also say he has no money, promoter will also say he has no money. They think the grace will finish but it won’t. If you are not gaining from me, maybe you should clear from me.”

Nigeria Vs Ghana: CAF doctor killed at Abuja Stadium

Dr Joseph Kabungo who served as the Confederation of African Football (CAF’s) doping doctor in Abuja has been confirmed dead following the stampede which broke out after Nigeria lost to Ghana on Tuesday in a world cup qualifier.

Kabungo lost consciousness after he was stepped on as unhappy Nigerian fans tried to make their way out of the stadium.

It is not yet clear if there are other causalities from the stampede.

Late Kabungo
There was pandemonium on Tuesday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria was beaten to a place in Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup by Ghana after playing a 1-1. The Black Star of Ghana qualified on an away goal advantage.

After the game, Nigeria fans, who were angry the Super Eagles did not qualify, invaded the pitch, trying to attack the players and destroying any objects in sight.

Nigeria would most likely be sanctioned by world football governing body, FIFA, for the ugly scenes that followed the final whistle on Tuesday.

Heartbreak For Nigerians As Ghana Stop Super Eagles From Qualifying For Qatar World Cup

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup after being held to a draw by the Black Stars of Ghana.

The World Cup qualifier second-leg encounter between Nigeria and Ghana ended 1-1 on Tuesday.

The Nigerian side lost by the away goal rule having held Ghana to a goalless draw in Kumasi.

Super Eagles defender, William Troost-Ekong, scored a penalty in the 22nd minute to level Ghana’s lead.
The Black Stars of Ghana took the lead in the 11th minute through a goal by Thomas Partey.

Tinubu cancels 70th birthday colloquium to honour Kaduna train victims

All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, cancelled his 13th Birthday Colloquium to honour the victims of Kaduna train attack.

He made the announcement at Eko Hotels in Lagos, the venue of the 13th Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium with the theme, ‘Pivoting Nigeria Into The New Order’.

According to him, the attack was a “national tragedy” and over 60 persons lost their lives to the terror.

He said, “Today is supposed to be a very joyful 70th birthday of mine living on earth. I give thanks to God Almighty for being able to survive to this age…

“I have just been informed of a very sad incident in our country, very sad indeed, that over 60 people and many more were killed and bombed on a train between Kaduna and Abuja just last night. That is a very serious incident about the security of lives in this country and it calls for a very serious sober reflection.

“For me to be here celebrating, dancing and enjoying myself doesn’t show enough concern of a statesman and a senior citizen of this country.

“This event should not be holding. I have consulted with the people you see around me here and they’ve agreed with me and being a very highly committed democrat, I have given myself to their suggestion that they agreed that this event be cancelled.”

The APC leader, alongside hundreds of others at the event, observed one-minute silence for the lives lost in the spirit of “national tragedy and concern”.

Tinubu urged the two clergies at the event to pray for the soul of the departed and for relief for their bereaved family members.

Terrorists had attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on Monday night with hundreds of passengers on board.

JUST IN: Ex-Kano Gov Kwankwaso Dumps PDP For NNPP

A former governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has defected to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Kwankwaso in a letter dated 29th March, 2022 and addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in his ward, said he was leaving due to some serious and irreconcilable differences.

The letter read, “It is with deep sense of humility that I write to notify you that, as a result of some serious and irreconcilable differences, I have reached the conclusion that my continued stay in the PDP is untenable.

“Therefore, effective from today, Tuesday the 29th of March, 2022 I have withdrawn my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party.”

Earlier, close political associates and supporters of Kwankwaso had defected to the NNPP.

The defectors include a former PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 general election, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, also known as ‘Abba Gida Gida’, as well as his deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.

THE WHISTLER had earlier reported how stakeholders in the PDP moved to withdraw the leadership of the party from Kwankwaso’s control over his ‘political romance’ with the NNPP.