Global Naija Info

President Muhammadu Buhari As part of its determined efforts to touch the lives of Nigerians positively the Buhari administration has started the payment of N5, 000 monthly stipends to the poorest and the most vulnerable in the country through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of its Social Investment Programmes, SIP. Under the CCT, one million Nigerians would receive N5000 monthly payments as a form of social safety net for the poorest and most vulnerable as budgeted for in the 2016 Budget. In the first batch that commenced last week, nine states would be covered, and many of the beneficiaries have already reported receiving their first payments by Friday last week, December 30, 2016. Funds for the commencement of the payments in four states were released last week to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) – the platform that hosts and validates payments for all government’s social intervention programmes. Funds for another set of five states to complete the first batc

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose An Associate Professor, Eniola Sikiru Olugbenga has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of humiliating the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Chief Dayo Adeyeye. “For long, the Pro Chancellor has been begging the Governor to release our subventions and pay our salaries. Till today, the Governor is still playing God,” he lamented The university lecturer revealed further that Fayose is daring the staff to do what they could, adding that: “We know the benefit of University Education and we implore Ekiti sons and daughters to prevail on the Governor to back down on this disaster prone mission. EKSU is not a parastatal and a Governor can only flex his muscle where he invests his personal money or the state money. All the modern buildings in EKSU today have no kobo of the Ekiti State Govt in their construction. “We are being owed in arrears of 5 or 6 months of subventions at the minimum. EKSU is not a comme

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Manchester United moved level on points with fifth-placed Tottenham after victory at West Ham, who played for 75 minutes with 10 men following the controversial dismissal of Sofiane Feghouli. Referee Mike Dean showed Feghouli a straight red card after the midfielder’s 15th-minute challenge on Phil Jones. Replays showed it was more of a coming together between two players committed to winning the ball than a reckless tackle meant to cause harm. Antonio Valencia was guilty of an astonishing miss for the visitors before Juan Mata scored from 10 yards after a clever pass by fellow substitute Marcus Rashford. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of three players offside when he doubled the lead after Pedro Obiang’s clearance fell to Ander Herrera. It was Jose Mourinho’s side’s sixth straight Premier League win and their seventh in all competitions.

Toyin Majekodunmi The Yoruba movie industry has recorded its first death of 2017 as one of its own, Toyin Majekodunmi, died today. The veteran actress, popularly known as Iya Kike in Yoruba movie circles, died on Monday. The cause of her death is not yet officially announced. Married to a fellow actor, Solomon Majekodunmi aka ‘Baba Kekere’, the news of her death was shared by actress and movie producer, Bimbo Success. Repeated calls to her husband were not answered but a top Yoruba actress cum producer, Bose Alao, who is close to the couple, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone chat, that her death was health-related. The late Mrs. Majekodunmi featured in numerous Yoruba movies and often starred alongside her husband. Prior to launching her movie career, she worked with the Lagos State Ministry of Information for many years. Her husband also worked in International Banking Division Department at First Bank Plc.

Aguero Ten-man Manchester City moved up to third as they withstood a spirited Burnley fightback in front of a relieved Etihad Stadium. Fernandinho was dismissed towards the end of an even first half for a two-footed challenge on Johan Gudmundsson. But the hosts improved after the break as Gael Clichy squeezed home a shot before Sergio Aguero, on as a substitute, fired home from a tight angle. Ben Mee smashed home via the underside of the bar shortly after but Burnley could not force a leveller despite a fine chance for Andre Gray late on. Beginning the day 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, anything less than victory would have prompted some to begin reading the last rites on City’s title challenge. As it is, Pep Guardiola’s side will look at the league table with renewed optimism as they closed to within two points of second-place Liverpool with one and possibly both of Chelsea and Tottenham to drop points when they face each other on Wednesday. Fernandinho’s red card was his s

Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji Market traders in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, are currently at war over the removal of Iyaloja of Ibadanland, Chief Labake Lawal. While Lawal is insisting that she remained the Iyaloja of Ibadanland, Alhaji Dauda Oladepo, the president of the traders’ association, said Lawal was unanimously removed by congress at the group’s meeting. But Lawal said that it was only the Olubadan of Ibadanland that has the authority to remove her. She stated that she still enjoyed the support of the Olubadan and threatened to sue the traders over what she considered her illegal removal. “As far as I am concerned, I am still the Iyaloja of Ibadanland and I have contacted my lawyer to sue anyone who takes any contrary action,” she said. Commenting on the feud between the traders, Mr Adeola Oloko, the media aide to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, said the reported removal of the Iyaloja of Ibadanland, Chief Labake Lawal, had yet to be form

Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor A financial expert on Monday called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to review the foreign exchange restriction placed on 41 items imported into the country. Dr Uche Uwaleke, the Head of Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, made the suggestion in an interview in Lagos. He said that the review had become important, especially those items critical to the economic development of the country. The CBN had in July, 2015, restricted about 41 items, including vegetable oil, poultry products, cosmetics and plastic and rubber products, among others, from access to foreign exchange from its official window. The apex bank said that the country has the capacity to produce those items locally. Uwaleke stated that the apex bank should, however, revisit the list of 41 items with a view to exempting a few, especially pharmaceutical items, considered critical to the health sector. Uwaleke, who was assessing the apex bank’s management

Toyin Majekodunmi The Yoruba movie industry has recorded its first death of 2017 as one of its own, Toyin Majekodunmi, died today. The veteran actress, popularly known as Iya Kike in Yoruba movie circles, died on Monday. The cause of her death is not yet officially announced. Married to a fellow actor, Solomon Majekodunmi aka ‘Baba Kekere’, the news of her death was shared by actress and movie producer, Bimbo Success. Repeated calls to her husband were not answered but a top Yoruba actress cum producer, Bose Alao, who is close to the couple, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone chat, that her death was health-related. The late Mrs. Majekodunmi featured in numerous Yoruba movies and often starred alongside her husband. Prior to launching her movie career, she worked with the Lagos State Ministry of Information for many years. Her husband also worked in International Banking Division Department at First Bank Plc. from Entertainment – P.M. NEWS Nigeria http://bit.ly/2i3nnqo via

File photo: Accident involving a female victim The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Monday confirmed the death of three persons in a road accident involving a black Honda CRV Jeep and a white DAF trailer in the Sagamu axis of the Lagos /Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State. FRSC’s Sector Commander in the state, Mr Clement Oladele, gave the confirmation in an interview in Sagamu. He said that the accident could have been caused by overspeeding. “The accident occurred around 2 pm and the rescue team were on ground to immediately manage the situation. “The accident, which involved a black Honda CRV with registration number KRD 933DD and White Daf Trailer with registration number JJJ 107 XD, was caused by route violation and speed limit violation. “The accident involved five persons, two male and three female, in which one male and one female got injured while one male and two female died, ” he said. Oladele explained that both the injured and the dead were taken to Olabisi Onab

Diego Costa of Chelsea FC Chelsea FC striker Diego Costa says he had wanted to leave the English Premier League club last summer. Costa had joined the Blues for £32 million (about N16 billion) in 2014, and was understood to be close to a return to former club Atletico Madrid after a difficult 2015-16 campaign. The Spain international has since scored 14 Premier League goals, as Chelsea have now taken an eight-point lead courtesy of 13 successive victories. “Did I want to go? Yes, yes, I was about to leave. But not because of Chelsea,” said the 28-year-old. “There was one thing I wanted to change for family reasons but it wasn’t to be, and I continue to be happy here.” Costa scored 20 goals in his first season in England, as Chelsea won the Premier League title under Jose Mourinho. But he had netted only four more by the time Mourinho was sacked in December 2015, finishing the season with 12 before being heavily linked with a move. Brazil-born Costa says he has also made a cons

Defoe converting a penalty kick against Liverpool Two Jermain Defoe penalty kicks meant hosts Sunderland twice came from behind on Monday to earn a point against second-placed Liverpool. The Reds took a deserved lead when Daniel Sturridge flicked in a header after Dejan Lovren’s mishit shot. Sunderland equalised six minutes later as Defoe scored from the spot following Ragnar Klavan’s trip on Didier Ndong, before Sadio Mane put the visitors back ahead with a close-range finish. However, Mane then handled in his own 18-yard box and Defoe converted the penalty kick to snatch an unlikely point. The result leaves Liverpool five points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, who play their game in hand on Wednesday at Tottenham. However, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will surely see it as two points dropped after his side led twice, had 71 per cent of the possession and had 15 shots on target. Only an inspired performance from Black Cats keeper Vito Mannone denied Liverpool further goals, b

Ayuba Wabba, NLC factional president With the formation of a new labour union in Abuja, many labour leaders are of the opinion that the Nigerian workers have lost the battle in their agitation for a new minimum wage to cushion the effects of recession on them. Top labour leaders argued on Monday that the formation of United Labour Congress (ULC) by 25 industrial unions would be a major setback to realising the demands for a new national minimum wage in the country. The leaders made the assertion in Abuja on the emergence of a new labour centre. The new labour centre emerged after a two-year internal crisis that split the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) into two opposing factions. It would be recalled that no fewer than 25 industrial unions had elected Mr Joe Ajaero as President of the new labour centre called United Labour Congress (ULC). Some leaders in the labour movement, however, expressed mixed views in achieving the new minimum wage in the present crcumstances. Mr Sunday Al

plantain flour Nigerians have been advised to patronise bread and other pastries made of plantain flour to enjoy maximum nutrition for a healthy living and to promote local production. The National President of the Concerned Youth Empowerment Association of Nigeria (CYEAN), Mr Noble Adaelu, made the call in Abuja on Monday. “The plantain flour is a healthier option to cassava and wheat bread for those with health challenges in particular. “Plantains are so versatile and nutritious; if you are looking for flour alternative, then, look no further because you can make pizza, chips, bread, dessert and many more from plantain flour. “The demand is on the increase due to more awareness of its health benefits as it is rich in iron, vitamins A, B, C, magnesium and phosphorus. “It has high resistant starch which helps to make people slimmer and healthier, they are diuretic and can help prevent ulcer, kidney and bladder problems and are essential for healthy pregnancy’’, he said. Adaelu

George-Ehusani Rev. Fr. George Ehusani has advised Nigerians, particularly Christians, to reduce their quest for material goods and focus on serving God. Ehusani, who is the Chaplain of the Lux Terra Leadership Foundation Chapel in Apo, Abuja, made the call on Monday in Abuja. According to Ehusani, a truly transformed Christian will be detached from material things and focus more on ensuring that the less privileged in the society has the basic needs. “It is over attachment to material goods that leads to anxiety, high blood pressure and depression, particularly in a recession such as the country is experiencing at the moment. “When Christians are truly transformed, they will realise that God created them not to acquire big houses, prestigious positions or fancy cars but to serve him.” While emphasising the need for Christians to pray for the country, he called on government to live up to its responsibilities by providing good governance to the citizens. He said that complaini

EEDC The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), on Monday said it was committed to providing its customers in five states of the South-East with smart meters in 2017 to reduce complaints about high bills. The Head, Communications Department, EEDC, Mr Emeka Eze, stated this in Aba on Monday. He said the company had started providing meters in Awkunanaw area of Enugu State, adding that other states will gradually be metered. “Metering is one major thing we are taking very seriously in the New Year. Over N9 billion had been invested in metering project so far in the last one year. “The metering gap is quite huge and we do not have the resources to provide meters for everybody at the same time. “We have more than 700,000 unmetered customers in our network. So it is something that will take us a while. The 700,000 are the ones we have in our books. “There are electricity consumers we do not have in our books and are the people we are trying to bring into our books through t

Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Inspector General of Police The Inspector-General of Police( IG), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has disagreed with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on the number of people killed in the Southern Kaduna crises. The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan had alleged that the unrest in Southern Kaduna had claimed over 808 lives, in 53 villages in the area. But Idris disputed the claim in Abuja on Sunday at the new year dinner organised by the Nigeria Police Force for its personnel. He stressed the need for religious, community and political leaders to be patriotic in their endeavors for peace to reign in the country. The IG cautioned Nigerians to avoid unnecessary tension which could lead to destruction of lives and property. He said that Nigerians had no other country than Nigeria, hence the need to do those things that would bring peace and unity to the country. Idris advised Nigerians to live in peace with one another in spite of religious and ethic differences

Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the latest extra judicial killing of a Nigerian in South Africa as “worrying and condemnable”. Dabiri-Erewa in a statement in Abuja on Monday said the latest gruesome killing of Tochukwu Nnadi by Police in South Africa, was unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria. The statement was signed by her Media aide, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun. She reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari’s calls to Nigerians to avoid crimes like drug peddling which attracts stiff penalties, sometimes death. The Presidential aide noted that the killing of Nnadi had brought to 20 Nigerians killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in 2016 alone. While appealing to Nigerians to avoid crimes, Dabiri-Erewa said the extra judicial killing of Nigerians is condemnable and unacceptable. “The barbaric behaviour of the perpetrators is not only unacceptable, but

Osinbajo leads other Nigerian leaders in a song for the yuletide Former Nigerian leaders, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ernest Shonekan combine with former deputies, Ebitu Ukiwe, Alex Ekwueme, Oladipo Diya and current vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo sing a hymn for a greater, united and peaceful Nigeria in 2017. The song is Isaac Watts hymn, “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past,” with the video recorded early December 2016. The video will surely give Nigerians the right vibes to begin another year’s journey. from Entertainment – P.M. NEWS Nigeria http://bit.ly/2iuvkFU via IFTTT

Osinbajo leads other Nigerian leaders in a song for the yuletide Former Nigerian leaders, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ernest Shonekan combine with former deputies, Ebitu Ukiwe, Alex Ekwueme, Oladipo Diya and current vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo sing a hymn for a greater, united and peaceful Nigeria in 2017. The song is Isaac Watts hymn, “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past,” with the video recorded early December 2016. The video will surely give Nigerians the right vibes to begin another year’s journey.

Bishop Martin Uzoukwu The Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Minna‎, Most Rev. Martin Uzorukwu, has said that churches cannot accomplish their projects due to the nation’s current economic recession. Uzorukwu said this in an interview in Minna on Sunday. According to him, the economic recession is a challenge to everybody, including the church, because some churches have projects to accomplish but cannot do so because of the recession. The cleric said the more the recession affected the church members, the more it affected the church. “The recession is an issue every church in Nigeria is committing to God in prayer because the church needs money for the work of God and for charity. ‎ “If patients go to hospitals, only to tell stories that they can’t pay hospital bills, the church writes it off for them,’’ he said. ‎ According to him, the recession has “increased our burden in paying school fees for many indigent students that their parents can’t help any longer “You do know that

Queen Elizabeth II: not celebrating big Britain’s Queen Elizabeth missed a New Year’s Day church service on Sunday due to a heavy cold, Buckingham Palace said, a week after the 90-year-old monarch missed a Christmas Day service for the first time in decades. The world’s longest-reigning monarch, who became unwell before Christmas, stayed indoors at her Sandringham country estate in Norfolk, eastern England, while other members of the royal family attended the service. “The Queen does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip, 95, were both suffering from heavy colds in the week leading up to Christmas and delayed their journey from London to Sandringham by a day, travelling there by helicopter on Dec. 22. Philip attended both the Christmas and New Year services. On Sunday he arrived by car before walking into the grey stone parish church of St. Mary Magdalene,

Soldiers on patrol The Nigerian Army says it has recovered one AK47 assault rifle and uniforms belonging to DSP Mohammed Alkali and his police orderly allegedly beheaded by cultists. The policemen were killed by suspected cultists at Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers during the Dec. 10 re-run legislative elections. Maj.-Gen. Kasimu Abdulkarim, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Port Harcourt, disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Sunday. Abdulkarim said that troops from the Division recovered the items during a raid on four militant camps and cultist’s hideouts in Ujju community near Omoku. According to him, troops also recovered assorted types of arms and ammunitions stashed away by bandits in the area. “Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area has over time witnessed criminal acts ranging from attacks on critical national infrastructure and brutal murder which affected economic activities of oil companies and citizens. “The barbari

Rescue officials carrying bodies of the victims to the hospital A woman and her four children died in a blaze in their flat in Jerusalem on Sunday, an Israeli police spokesperson said. Rescue workers broke down the door in an attempt to reach the family and tried in vain to save the 36-year-old woman and her children. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the woman was in her 30s, while her children’s ages ranged from 12 to seven, to an infant. “What we know until now is that firefighters and emergency units were called into Derech Hebron Road in Talpiot after five people were found there unconscious and later pronounced dead,” said Rosenfeld. Personnel are investigating whether a Jerusalem apartment fire, killing a mother and her four young daughters on Derech Hebron Road in Talpiot early Sunday evening, was a murder-suicide. While details of the fire remain unclear, United Hatzalah EMTs and first-responders from its Psycho-trauma Unit were dispatched to the apartment on the ma

Gunmen on rampage Some unknown gunmen have abducted a traditional ruler in Kogi, a family source said in Lokoja on Sunday. The monarch, whose name was given as Alhaji Isah Achuja, the Ohi of Ajaokuta, was returning from Lokoja, the state capital, on Saturday when his vehicle was intercepted on the Lokoja-Ajaokuta road at gunpoint and the ruler taken to an unknown destination. A member of the royal family, who did not want his name in print, told newsmen that an aide to the traditional ruler and his driver narrowly escaped being hit by the bullets of the abductors. He said the abductors had already contacted the family and demanded a N20 million ransom. The State Police Command’s spokesman, ASP Williams Aya, said the incident had not been reported to the command. He, however, promised that police would swing into action in a bid to rescue the monarch as soon as the details of the abduction were available.

Crime scene A gunman stormed a house party and killed 11 people, including his former wife and 8-year-old son, before shooting himself in the head during a New Year’s party in the southeastern Brazilian city of Campinas late on Saturday. Police in the state of São Paulo said the shooter, identified as 46-year-old Sidnei Ramis de Araújo, is believed to have been angry over a split with his wife, Isamara Filier, 41, and their son João Victor. Three other people remain hospitalized, police said, while four people survived the attack unharmed, including one party attendee who managed to flee to a bathroom and phone the police when the shooting began. Survivors, according to a police spokesman, said that just before midnight, the shooter jumped over a fence surrounding the house, burst through a door and began firing even as he berated Filier for taking their son. Araújo possibly sought to take advantage of the commotion of New Year’s Eve to disguise the shooting, police said. One ne