Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has said there is no rift between him and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole. The governor said the assumed rift is created by third parties.

Obaseki spoke yesterday at St. Paul Catholic Church, Benin, at a mass to mark the 80th birthday of the first Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun

He said: “I thank you very much for the remarkable homily. I listened very attentively; I have taken every word to heart and very seriously. I assure you that we are in pursuit of peace and we will have peace in Edo State.

“We have met – me and my predecessor in office – and fortunately, we do not have any fundamental issues. And because we do not have any fundamental issues, I believe that whatever third parties are trying to propagate, we can talk over it. I assure you that very soon things will return to normalcy in Edo State.”

Governor Obaseki said the government, in line with the spirit of Nigeria’s national anthem, will not forget the labour of past heroes.

“Today, we are here to celebrate our own Chief Odigie-Oyegun. On behalf of the people and government of Edo State, I congratulate you on your 80th birthday,” he added.

The governor named the Civil Service Training Centre, still being built, after Chief Oyegun.

“For your contributions and what you have done for our dear state, I have decided to name the public service academy, which is under construction, after you. We know your passion for public service; we know and acknowledge the contributions you made to public service in Nigeria. Therefore, we have decided to name this edifice which will be completed in the next 60 days, by the grace of God, after you.

“President Muhammadu Buhari will open the academy with you standing beside him. It will be known as the John Odigie-Oyegun Institute for Public Administration,” Obaseki said.

Other dignitaries at the service include Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu; Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and wife Betty; Speaker of the House of Assembly Frank Okiye; Chief Judge Justice Esohe Ikponmwen.

Mr Adiele Ekeke, a Commissioner in the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission and a political leader in the Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State, on Monday, buried his two children, who died in a motor accident along with his wife.

The wife and her two children were said to have been travelling along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road on Sunday when their vehicle got involved in an accident that claimed their lives.

The third child survived the accident but was said to be in the Intensive Care Unit of an undisclosed hospital.

In a condolence message signed by Onyebuchi Ememanka, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu expressed deep shock at the news and prayed God to grant him the fortitude to bear the great loss.

A 43-year-old man, identified as Kabiru Bello, has allegedly committed suicide by drinking a substance suspected to be Sniper.

It was learnt that Bello, who lived at No. 77 Owode Ibeshe in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, died in his Volkswagen commercial bus with number plate AKD 724 XM at a mechanic workshop at the Ladylak bus stop, Shomolu.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, who said this in a statement on Monday, added that the deceased was rushed to the Adesola Clinic, Shomolu, where he was confirmed dead.

According to him, homicide detectives have visited the scene, where one empty bottle of a liquid substance suspected to be Sniper was recovered.

He noted that the corpse had been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.

Elkana stated, “On August 10, 2019, around 12.56pm, the Pedro Police Station received information that one Kabiru Bello, 43, of No. 77 Owode Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos, allegedly drank a liquid substance suspected to be Sniper inside his Volkswagen commercial bus with number plate AKD 724 XM while at a mechanic workshop at the Ladylak bus stop, Shomolu.

“He was rushed to the Adesola Clinic, Shomolu, where he was confirmed dead. Homicide detectives visited the scene.  One empty bottle of a chemical substance suspected to be Sniper was recovered.

The corpse has been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.”

Meanwhile, the command said it recovered two single-barrelled guns from some fleeing armed robbery suspects.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will soon take a decisive action on last week’s killing of three policemen in Wukari, Taraba State by soldiers allegedly mistaken for kidnappers, the Presidency said last night.

The three officers and a civilian killed by soldiers were said to be on legitimate criminal investigation activities to Taraba State, to arrest one Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume, allegedly indicted in a series of high-profile kidnap incidents in the state.

To get to the root of the matter, President Buhari constituted an investigative panel during the National Security Council meeting at the Presidential Villa last Thursday.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said Buhari was waiting for the outcome of the investigation by the Defence Headquarters.

The presidential spokesman on his Twitter handle, @GarShehu, wrote: “In response to press questions, I will confirm that a committee was set up during the National Security Council meeting to investigate the killing of three policemen and a civilian by soldiers in Taraba State.”

In another tweet Shehu wrote: “Contrary to those mischievous insinuations, President Buhari had ordered the Chief of Defence Staff to set up an investigation committee with representatives from all the security organisations in the country, including the police force.”

Disagreeing that Buhari was indifferent, he stated: “The President is not indifferent to the unfortunate incident, and would take decisive action as soon as the report of the panel is submitted to him.”

Shehu said: “He is following due process and procedure. Putting the cart before the horse is not President Buhari’s way of doing things.

“Nigerians should show patience while the President awaits the report of the panel from the Chief of Defence Staff.”

Attacking the Presidency, one of the verified tweets, the Twitter user, @PeterIjakpa, wrote: “The President is incompetent in all ramifications.”

Another tweet by @KentChidera, noted: “So, there is no time duration for the investigation? This kind inquiry may last till 2023.”

Worried by the continued influx of fake and sub-standard Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders into Nigeria, a cooking gas advocate has warned that Nigerian homes may start experiencing ‘bomb-like’ explosions in their kitchens, on account of fake cylinders.

The warning follows reports that N38m worth of cooking gas cylinders have been impounded by the Nigerian Customs Service in the latest clampdown on importers of fake cylinders.

On August 1, the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Aboloma, announced that hundreds of imported cylinders were impounded for failing to meet safety requirements.

Analysts say that N38m is capable of bringing up to 1.8 million cylinders into the country. They add that less than one million Nigerian homes currently use LPG for their cooking.

The Federal Government has recently launched a campaign to ensure that up to 13.8 million households adopt LPG for their cooking in the next five years.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Tuesday, a former National Coordinator of the Women in LPG group, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, expressed worry about the consequences of rampant cylinder explosions in Nigerian users’ kitchens.

She warned that such explosions would be unavoidable as long as fake and sub-standard cylinders continue to be imported into the country.

According to her, unrestricted importation of fake cylinders is a real and present danger because “it is like bringing explosives into homes, which can be deadly.

“More so, importing cylinders is harmful to the Nigerian economy and goes contrary to the quest by the nation to become self-reliant, because cylinders are now manufactured locally.

“Using fake cylinders also poses severe danger to our womenfolk, who face daily risk of death or injury in the event of explosion of fake cylinders in their kitchens.’’

Obi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Techno Oil Group, argued that there was need for government to come hard on countries dumping fake cylinders in Nigeria.

Obi, a long-time advocate of LPG adoption, lamented that continued importation of cylinders has been hurting Nigerian industrialists.

Two soldiers and a two-year-old girl were killed in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in the southern Philippines as the country marked the feast of Eid al-Adha, the military said on Tuesday.

The soldiers were travelling on a motorcycle along a busy road in Talipao town in Sulu province, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, on Monday when suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group opened fire at them.

The troopers were killed in the ambush, while two girls – a two-year-old and an 11-year-old – were wounded, said Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr, commander of a provincial anti-terrorism task force.

He added that the two-year-old died while being treated in hospital, while the 11-year-old was still in critical condition.

“We deeply condemn this very deceitful act of the Abu Sayyaf, who do not in any way represent the Islamic way of living,” said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, a regional military commander.

“We would like to extend our sympathy to the bereaved families of the victims of by Sayyaf’s inhumane act,

“Rest assured that all sorts of assistance will be provided as our simple way of commiseration,” he added.

Abu Sayyaf is the most violent Muslim group in the Philippines.

It is believed to be allied with the Islamic State terrorist network and has been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the country as well as high-profile kidnappings.

The Federal Judiciary Due Process committee headed by the National Judicial Council Member, Mr. R. I. Inga led other members of the committee to inspect on-going Industrial Court headquarters project for familiarization, comprehensive assessment, and situation report.

The august visitation witnessed the presence of Court’s president, Principal Officers; Management staff, Consultants and contractors working on the site situated at No 3, New Bussa Street, Area 3, Garki, Abuja

The President of the Court, His Lordship, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo, OFR took the committee round the entire project for inspection and articulated the finest appreciation for the committees for coming at the best time when the second face (Annex) of the entire project has already been put to use but awaiting commissioning.

The chairman, Mr. I. N. Inga in his remark, expressed utmost compliment and satisfaction with the level of work done and also commended the foresight and the vision of the court’s president, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo for providing a clear-cut leadership style to reposition the court to a global brand that they have no doubt that the gigantic edifice will go a long way in providing a better working environment for the progress of the Judiciary in our dear nation.

The chairman reflected on how the court struggled through countless legal, constitutional and administrative bottlenecks that hampered its effectiveness in the past, “with this structure am seeing here, the problems associated with labor Jurisprudence in Nigeria are no more.” Chairman Said.

His Lordship reiterated the court’s commitment to improve access to justice and to finish the remaining part of the project on time so as to complement total and efficient justice delivery system.

Lastly, Justice Adejumo appreciated all the Judiciary stakeholders for their respective contributions toward the success of the project.

Former governor of Lagos state, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has denied reports making rounds over an alleged 9.9bn linking to his account.

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had last two days secured an order from Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi to freeze the sum of 9.9bn linked to Ambode’s account.

The money was said to be domiciled in First City Monument Bank, FCMB, account number 5617984012; Access Bank account number 0060949275 and Zenith Bank account number 1011691254, respectively.

However, denying the report, Habib Aruna, Ambode’s aide said that none of his accounts contained N9.9bn let alone being frozen by the EFCC. His words according to Punch, “Those accounts were opened in the course of normal operations by the Lagos State Government for its administrative purposes and not for the former governor’s personal transactions as was being wrongly insinuated and have been operated to ensure smooth operations of government activities by previous and present administrations.

“The former governor was not and will never be involved in any unauthorized use of government property and resources.

“We strongly believe that after four demanding years as Chief Executive of Lagos State, Mr. Ambode is entitled to some deserved rest with his family and loved ones without the unwarranted attacks on his well-earned reputation.”

The Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Uchenna Obigwe, said the organised labour in Abia had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government ahead of an imminent strike over the unpaid arrears of workers’ salaries and allowances in the state.

The ultimatum was contained in a statement jointly issued in Umuahia on Friday by NLC, Joint Negotiationg Council and Trade Union Congress.

The group said that the ultimatum was a prelude to an impending strike.

It warned that labour should not be held responsible “for any breach of industrial peace and harmony in the state,” should government fail to address their concerns at the expiration of the ultimatum.

“A labourer deserves his wages,” it stated, adding that the organised labour was not satisfied with the “sectoral pattern of payment of workers’ salaries in the state since the inception of the present administration.”
It also stated that the unwholesome development “has placed an average worker in the state in a beggarly position economically.”

At first glance, it seems like a story straight from a Bollywood potboiler. Payal, a constable from Uttar Pradesh, first met Rahul Tharasana (30), a gangster, at a court in Greater Noida where his case was being heard.

Rahul was accused of murdering a trader named Manmohan Goyal and had been arrested on May 9, 2014.

He is also accused in over a dozen cases of loot and murder.

Payal met Rahul at the Surajpur court where she was posted and immediately fell in love with him.

She remained in touch with Rahul even as he continued to be in and out of jail.

Their love story flourished over the years and recently Rahul shared photographs of his marriage with Payal on the social media.