Breaking: President Buhari Mourns As Aisha loses Son
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed condolences to Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, the former Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment following the death of her son, Aliyu Abubakar.
In a message to the father of the deceased, Alhaji Kabiru Mukhtar and the former Minister, which was delivered by his personal aides, President Buhari described the death of the young Aliyu as extremely sad.
The President prayed for quick recovery for two brothers and sister of the deceased, who are currently on admission in hospital following a road accident that claimed the life of the deceased.
He urged doctors, nurses and other health workers to do their best for other victims of the accident under their care.
President Buhari also prayed to Allah to repose the soul of the deceased and grant fortitude to the family and the friends of the deceased to bear the loss.
Aides who delivered the message from the President are Ya’u Darazo, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Special Duties, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity and Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, State Chief of Protocol.
The Minister thanked the President for sending the delegation and expressed appreciation of the family for his demonstration of love and care for them.
Real Reason Why Buhari Sacked Two Of His Ministers
President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed why he relieved two of his Ministers of their duties on Wednesday.
It was earlier reported that President Buhari on Wednesday sacked the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, and the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman.
The President, however, directed the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar, to take over the Ministry of Agriculture while the Minister of State for Works, Abubakar Aliyu, has been deployed to the Ministry of Power.
A statement on Wednesday signed by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the two ministers were sacked due to the independent and critical review of their ministries.
According to Adesina, the review of the two ministries was done through sector reporting during cabinet meetings and at retreats.
He revealed that the review had helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.
The Presidential spokesman added that the continuous rejig of the cabinet should be expected until the desired objective is met.
He said: “The changes were sequel to the tradition of subjecting our projects and programmes implementation to independent and critical self-review.
“These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.”
BREAKING: Gunmen Suspected To Be Bandits Attack Zamfara School, Abduct Students
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted many students of Kaya Junior Secondary School in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara state.
SaharaReporters gathered that the gunmen who came on motorcycles stormed the school on Wednesday afternoon, shooting sporadically.
“There was an abduction of students just now in Kaya town, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara state. The gunmen who were in large number came to Kaya Junior Secondary School and abduct large number of students,” a source told SaharaReporters.
Niger, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and many other states in North-west and North-central Nigeria are bedevilled by bandits’ attacks.
The bandits kill and kidnap at will despite the large deployment of police officers and soldiers to the affected states.
The latest incident comes a few weeks after bandits abducted students and teachers of the College of Agriculture in the Bakura Local Government Area of Zamfara state.
In the early hour of July 5, over 100 students of Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state were abducted.
In February 2021, gunmen struck the Government Secondary School in Kagara, Niger State, abducting school pupils, teachers, and workers.
Also on December 11, 2020, 344 secondary schoolboys were abducted from Kankara in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, while he was there.
In February 2018, 110 schoolgirls were also abducted by Boko Haram from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. Five died in the process while others were later released, except Leah Sharibu, a Christian girl who refused to renounce her faith.
Hundreds of schoolgirls were also kidnapped in Chibok in 2014 by Boko Haram, some of whom have not been released till date.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday relieved two of his Ministers of their duties with immediate effect and also announced their replacement.
The affected officials are the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, and the Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mamman.
The President also directed the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar, to take over the Ministry of Agriculture while the Minister of State for Works, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, has been deployed to the Ministry of Power
The development was confirmed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
ASUU Next Line Of Action Revealed After FG Fails To Honour initial Agreement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has revealed its next line of action after the Federal Government failed to honour the agreement it entered into with the union.
ASUU president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, had earlier alleged that the government has not been picking calls pushed through by the union.
The varsity lecturers had called off their eight-month-old strike in December 2020 after ASUU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government. Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige had met with the lecturers on August 2 to review the level of implementation of the MoU after several complaints by the academic union.
Ngige at the time assured ASUU that government will through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), release N30 billion as a revitalisation fund to the union the following week.
However, the government has not yet fulfilled its promises to the union and the month of August has ended.
ASUU, in this regard, said it will hold an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) this week with its leaders and principal officials to decide its members’ next line of action.
The varsity union said it will follow up its NEC meeting with consultations with all its chapters should the government fail to respond positively to the aggrieved lecturers.
ASUU said Nigerians should hold the government responsible for their next action. Naija News understands that the Federal Government has not spoken on the latest agitations by the varsity teachers.
Osodeke stressed that the union’s NEC would convene to weigh available options and take a position.
Amaechi Denies Saying Stealing Public Funds Is Done Quietly Under Buhari Government’
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has denied reports quoting him as saying that stealing is done quietly under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
It was reported that the minister had said in an interview with Daily Trust on Sunday that stealing of public funds under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government is not done in the open.
Speaking on the legacy of the Buhari administration, the former Rivers governor said that the present administration has handled Nigeria’s resources very well.
He said: “I want Nigerians to be honest; can you openly take money in this government? I am not saying whether we are corrupt or not.
“Let us assume we are corrupt, can you openly take money in this government? In the past governments, what happened? You can take money in the streets. Corruption was so pervasive that nobody was talking about it. It was not hidden that people completely and openly displayed their wealth.
“Most of those who did that had nothing to do to show for it. They did not have a carpentry shop, but they were billionaires. They did not hide it; but here, if you are stealing, it is done quietly. I am not saying it is good, it is a sin punishable. In the previous government, you could steal and you won’t be caught. If you were caught, there won’t be consequences. But in this government, if you steal there are consequences,” Amaechi added.
But in a telephone interview with the same media outlet on Tuesday, the minister denied saying that corruption is prevalent under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
According to the former Rivers governor, he was misrepresented and misquoted in the widely circulated interview.
Amaechi added that the administration has succeeded in curbing impunity and corruption, unlike the previous governments.
He claimed that during the previous government, someone without any means of verifiable livelihood could become a billionaire due to corruption.
Refuse Covid-19 Vaccination And Get Sanctioned – FG Tells Nigerians
The Federal Government has stated that it is considering sanctioning eligible Nigerians who refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Speaking on Tuesday during a media briefing in Abuja, Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib, said the decision will soon be taken following the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.
The NPHDC boss added that the government may punish eligible Nigerians who refused to be vaccinated but put other people that have been vaccinated in danger.
Shuaib added that the Presidential Steering Committee and the Federal Ministry of Health are exploring ways of making vaccines more available to all Nigerians.
He said: Nigerians who refuse COVID-19 vaccination“The Presidential Steering Committee and the Federal Ministry of Health is exploring ways of making vaccines more available to all Nigerians including federal civil servants and corporate entities.
“Once these vaccines are made equitably available to all Nigerians, then we would need to have a frank discussion about justice, fairness and liberty that exist around vaccine hesitancy.
“If some individuals refuse to take the vaccine, hence endangering those who have or those who could not due to medical exemptions, then we have to apply the basic rule of law which stipulates that your human right stops where mine begins.
“So, you have a right to refuse vaccines, but you do not have the right to endanger the health of others.”
Meanwhile, a federal high court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital has disagreed with Governor Godwin Obaseki on his decision to ban residents of the state who are yet to be vaccinated from entering public places.
The Court in its ruling on Tuesday in a suit with reference number: FHC/PH/FHR/266/2021 filed by Charles Osaretin told the Governor to stay action until some matters are settled.
Naija News recalls Obaseki had declared that starting from the second week of September, people in the state will be required to show their COVID-19 vaccination cards before gaining access to public spaces.
Following his declaration, Osaretin had taken the matter to court and urged the court through his lawyer, Echezona Etiaba (SAN) to prevail on the Governor to maintain the status quo.
After hearing the argument, a vacation judge, Justice Stephen Dalyop Pam ruled that all parties should maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights.
The court also granted the request to serve the respondents by publishing the court’s processes in a national daily newspaper circulating in Nigeria.
The case has now been adjourned till September 10 for a hearing of the substantive motion.
Kidnappers Invade Bishop Oyedepo’s Church In Kogi, Abduct Members
It was learnt the kidnappers invaded the church during the weekend, shooting indiscriminately to scare people away before successfully whisking their victims away.
Three members of the Living Faith Church Worldwide founded by Bishop David Oyedepo have been kidnapped at Osara community in the Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
It was learnt the kidnappers invaded the church during the weekend, shooting indiscriminately to scare people away before successfully whisking their victims away.
The assailants reportedly invaded the church while some members were holding a meeting.
The chairman of the local government area, Joseph Omuya Salami, confirmed the abduction of three members of the church to journalists, through his special adviser on media and publicity, Habeeb Jamiu.
He said the council chairman and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Osara Division had visited the crime scene, and that the council was working with security agents to rescue the victims.
“Even before now, we had a series of meetings with the people of Osara community and entire farm centre. And I told them to restrict every night activities for now, and whoever that want to hold any activity in the night should get appropriate quarters informed and also get their approval to ensure that adequate security is provided, but out of their disobedience, they chose otherwise.
“We all know the security challenges of this country, and the administration of Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello is doing everything humanly possible to keep Kogi State safe, protect lives and property. So, all hands must be on deck to strengthen the peace in our various communities,” he said.
A 20-year-old woman has been left disturbed after giving birth to a baby that looks like an old woman.
The South African woman gave birth to the baby with a rare condition called progeria, a progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly.
Progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is caused by a mutation (change) in the lamin (LMNA) gene.
The woman from Libode in Eastern Cape, delivered the baby girl at home two months ago. Local mid-wives including the baby’s grandmother noticed that she exhibited signs that were different from most babies. Her hands are deformed and her skin was wrinkled. She is currently in hospital with her mother.
“When she was in labour we called an ambulance but it took long to come. So she gave birth here at home. But the delivery got complicated and we hired a van to take her to hospital,” the grandmother said.
“We were told there that she’s disabled. I noticed during her birth that there was something strange with her. She did not cry and she was breathing through the ribs. I was shocked because that was strange. Now I hear that people are calling her names. That hurts a lot. If I had means, I would put all of them in jail,” she added.
Photos of the baby have been circulating on social media. Some users likened her to an ape, causing outrage and anger among those who sympathize with her.
Director of children’s rights organisation, Khula Community Development Project, Petros Majola, believes communities need to be educated about this condition.
“Communities must know that the mother did not apply for her baby to be like this. In a woman’s womb, there is no construction or factory that builds babies. People need to embrace this child for who she is,” says Majola.
Medical experts say the genetic condition occurs randomly and is not inherited. Doctor Martha Mayer, a neonatologist at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital says the syndrome is very rare.
“Progeria is a genetic condition that makes the baby age faster. Another thing is that these children also develop heart diseases and their life span is very short. We have never had a child with that condition in this hospital. It is very rare, maybe it happens to one in four or eight million people.”
Progeria affects about 1 in 20 million people around the world and there is no known cure.
Ontlametse Phalatse, who captured the hearts of many South Africans for her brave battle with progeria, died at the age of 18 in 2017.
Sunday Igboho Wins Again, defeats Malami, Nigerian Government in Court
Activist, Sunday Adeyemo alias Sunday Igboho has yet again emerged victorious against the Nigerian authorities in court.
The Nigerian government, Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami have lost another application seeking the vacation of an order by the Oyo State High Court restraining the government from arresting, intimidating, harassing Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.
The court had also blocked the government from freezing the bank accounts of Igboho.
It was learnt that Justice Akintola on August 4 granted an order of interim injunction restraining the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies from arresting the activist.
Counsel for the AGF, Enoch Simeon had appealed to the court to vacate Judgement on the restraining order
However, in a recent ruling, Justice Akintola said the application by the AGF is against fair hearing and the fundamental human rights of the applicant because it has to do with his free movement.
Akintola refused to grant the application and therefore adjourned the case till September 7 for further hearing.
