Global Naija Info

Wheat farm The Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) in Kano State on Wednesday commenced the registration of its members interested in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) anchored borrower’s programme. Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u, the state chairman of WFAN, said this in Kano. The registered wheat farmers are expected to use the loan to cultivate the commodity during this year’s dry season farming. The programme was introduced by the Federal Government to support farmers to boost rice and wheat production in the country. “We have commenced registration of our members for the CBN anchor programme ahead of the upcoming dry season. “We plan to register 75,000 wheat farmers who will benefit from the loan in the state,” he said. Rabi’u said the decision to commence the registration was borne out of the association’s effort to process the loan on time to enable farmers prepare before the dry season. According to him, farmers are required to open an account with one of the commercial

People on board an AirAsia flight bound for Indonesia on Wednesday were ordered to disembark the plane after a passenger uttered the word “bomb,” a police official said. AirAsia Flight AK423 was about to depart from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport when “one of the passengers was heard saying, ‘maybe there’s a bomb’,” Sepang district police Chief, Abdul Aziz Ali, told reporters. Airport officials did not allow the plane to leave and ordered the passengers evacuated. The flight was bound for Bandah Aceh in Indonesia. “A bomb disposal team was sent to the aeroplane and inspected all the cargo, but there wAS no bomb found,” he said. Abdul Aziz said the passenger who uttered the B-word was not allowed to leave and is being investigated by the police. “Our initial investigation showed the passenger does not pose security threat,” he said. AirAsia confirmed the incident, adding that the plane was allowed to leave early in the afternoon after it was declared safe by authorities.

A 63-year-old Australian woman and her 78-year-old partner have welcomed a baby girl A 62-year-old Australian has become the country’s oldest woman to give birth, local media reported on Wednesday. The unnamed Tasmanian mother gave birth to a girl in Melbourne. Australian Medical Association President, Michael Gannon, said that it was “madness, selfish and wrong” for the woman to have the baby and asked whether “anyone thought ahead to its teens. According to the report, the woman gave birth at 34 weeks through cesarean section. The mother and baby were reportedly both in good health. It said that the woman was implanted with a donor embryo in an operation outside Australia and was supported throughout the pregnancy by her 78-year-old partner.

Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami presenting certificate of office to the new Oba Hameed Taiwo The Lagos State Government has charged traditional rulers in the state to fight the menace of cultism and hoodlums in their domains. Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami gave this charge at the presentation of instrument of appointment and staff of office to Oba Hameed Saka Taiwo, as the new Oba of Orile-Alagbado in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, LCDA, of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. He said traditional rulers must abhor completely all forms of cultism, miscreants and hoodlums in their areas and promote peaceful co-existence among residents in their various communities. “As a custodian of the culture and tradition of your people, you should be seen as a rallying point for the maintenance of communal peace and social development irrespective of religion and tribe. “Let me remind you that the institution of tradi

Akin Kuponiyi FILE PHOTO: FIRS officials at NICON Luxury Hotel Abuja The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has filed a counter claim before a Federal High Court in Lagos, south west Nigeria challenging the claim of Acorn Petroleum Plc and urging the court to order the petroleum company to pay the sum of N226,561,446.56 being its outstanding tax liabilities and another N10 million as the cost of the counter claim legal action. The counter claim by the FIRS was as a result of the claim by Acorn Petroleum Company filed before the court, while not denying owing or being in arrears of tax payment, the energy company is urging the court to order FIRS to allow the company to pay its tax liability in installment and in the most convenient manner. In its claim filed before the court by a Lagos lawyer Eubena Amedu, the company alleged that on 6 March, 2014 it received several demand letters from FIRS relating to re-assessed tax liabilities computed by FIRS in respect to Withholding tax

FILE PHOTO: Lionel Messi poses with his unprecedented fifth Ballon d’Or award Undoubtedly, Lionel Messi is the best footballer on the planet but he has astonishingly been alleged to be rubbish in bed. The claim came from a certain Argentine model by the name Xoana Gonzalez. According to her, she slept with the Barcelona superstar after a party in 2011 and had been disappointed afterwards. She made the revelation while speaking on Peruvian TV, where she said, “It was many years ago. In truth, he was very young. But he knew what he was doing, was not minor, that was the important thing. “His security told me ‘got someone you want to know’. I was curious to see who it was and froze when I saw it was my idol, Messi. “I said that he is the wimp, though, because he sent his security to get me. There I noticed that he is very shy. “We talked about music and cannot remember if he told me he had a girlfriend or not. After a while, we went to his apartment in Puerto Madero. “When one pl

Buhari and Father Mbaka Popular Catholic priest and Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu State, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka has decried the suffering in the land and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the problems. Mbaka said Buhari must address the challenges in the country, or risk losing the 2019 elections, Punch reports. “I can’t keep quiet when things are going wrong,” he said. He urged the president to check his advisers so as not to be led astray. According to Mbaka, nobody is interested in “Saraki and Ekweremadu this or that”. “To feed is now a problem, and an hungry man is an angry man. Hunger and anger will lead to danger,” he added. His message which was delivered on Tuesday read in parts: “The issue is that Mbaka is speaking as the Spirit leads him – there is hunger everywhere. My job is to tell leaders the truth, the landlords are crying, the tenants are lamenting, sellers are crying, buyers are lamenting – there is hunger on the streets.

Governor Ayodele Fayose According to Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja held yesterday, the temporary order of attachment granted in relation to some identified assets of the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, there has been no violation of Section 308 of the constitution. The judge said the intention of the immunity clause granted to some public office holders is not to shield them from investigation by security agencies for the purpose of obtaining evidence for future uses. Justice Dimgba gave the ruling yesterday on an application by Fayose, whose lawyer Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had sought to vacate the order of interim attachment granted by the court on July 20 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The order was in relation to the EFCC’s investigation of some activities of the governor and some of his associates. The affected properties to which the order relate, include four sets of four-bedroom apartments at Chalets 3, 4, 6 and 9, Plot 100,

Mikel John Obi In attempting to clarify his actual name, the Chelsea veteran has just made everyone very, very confused. According to UK Mirror, John Obi Mikel has been called many things by Chelsea fans during his decade at Stamford Bridge, many of which are far too rude, to be repeated. However, while he may have got used to the abusive slurs hurled his way by a section of the Stamford Bridge support, it seems the Nigerian midfielder has finally had enough of people getting his actual name wrong. That is why the Chelsea stalwart has just officially changed his name to Mikel John Obi. For starters, it turns out that he was never actually called ‘Mikel’. The Guus Hiddink favourite was born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna, ‘Mikel’ only became a thing when the Nigerian FA mistakenly used Mikel instead of Michael on his submission form for the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championships. Just to muddy the waters further, Mikel liked the mistake. So much so, that despite the fact it’s not

About 5,000 members of the Reformed Oodua People’s Congress stormed the Imushin community, Ogijo area of Ogun State, to confront suspected militants in the area on Tuesday. The members of the ethnic militia, who reportedly arrived the area in more than 100 buses and cars, were said to have reinforced from Lagos and Ogun states. According to reports, members of the group moved around some of the areas after which they visited the Olumushin of Imushin, Oba Taiwo Bamgbose, who received them outside his palace. A palace source who spoke with The PUNCH said the OPC members did not carry any weapon but were only armed with charms, which they claimed had powers. He said, “They were over 5,000 and they filled the whole community. They carried all kinds of charms and a few of them even carried placards, protesting militant’s invasion of the South-West. “They said they were ready to enter into the creeks to face the militants and kill them and all they needed was the permission of the trad

By Okey Ndibe Professor Okey Ndibe I have often argued that the Nigerian state is, at bottom, a criminal enterprise, organized to serve the interests of its most unconscionable criminals, often chaps who go by the pompous designation of political stakeholders. And, save for cosmetics and a higher hypocrisy quotient, there is little in today’s political environment to warrant a revision of my dour opening claim. It is still their wont to serve themselves first, serve themselves next, and serve themselves last. They remain specialist profiteers from Nigerians’ collective misery. On any given day, members of Nigeria’s state and national legislatures—whose chief mandate is to propose or pass laws—provide proof that their country is a lawless, ethics-free, anything-goes space. The latest chapter of Nigeria’s absurd legislative drama is tied to what’s now known as “budget padding.” More than a week ago, Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives announced the removal of Abd