Lastday

President Muhammadu Buhari …Says President’s actions’ll bring ruin, destruction to nation …Adds it’s no surprise enthusiasm for Buhari’s 5th anniversary celebration not shared by segments of the public FORMER military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, retd, has written to President Muhammadu Buhari to belong to all Nigerians and not a section or a particular tribe of the country. Col. Umar, who lampooned President Buhari on what he described as his skewed appointments into the offices of the Federal Government, said the President favoured some and frustrated others. He also said the action of the President would bring ruin and destruction to the nation, adding that the country’s political history was replete with great acts of exemplary leadership which, at critical moments, managed to pull the nation back from the precipice and assured its continued existence. In an open letter to President Buhari, Umar noted that the President had less than three years to

The deceased, Miss Vera Uwaila By Ozioruva Aliu – Benin City Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of a 100 level Microbiology student of the University of Benin, Miss Vera Uwaila, who died from injuries sustained after she was gang-raped and hit with a fire extinguisher in her church last Wednesday. It was gathered that the 22-years-old undergraduate was attacked and beaten to a pulp at the Ikpoba Hill branch of Redeemed Church God, in Benin, Edo State, where she had gone to read. The assailants, it was further gathered, left her for dead, but she was later rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) where she reportedly died Saturday. Vanguard gathered that on the fateful day, the church security officer had gone to collect keys to the church from its keeper when he was told that there was someone already in the church. He reportedly got to the church only to find the girl in a

…As ban on weddings, burials remain in force By Chioma Onuegbu – Uyo The Akwa Ibom State Government has approved the reopening of churches in the state beginning from Sunday, June, 7, 2020. The announcement of the reopening of churches in Akwa Ibom was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Udoh, and made available to newsmen Sunday night. The statement reads, “This is based on guidelines recommended by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) backed by an undertaking to comply and signed by representatives of all the blocs. “The State Government is confident that CAN; being a body full of integrity, will do everything within its jurisdiction to ensure that all churches adhere strictly to these guidelines as violators will be prosecuted. “A Joint Monitoring Team has been set up in each Senatorial District comprising of representatives of Government, Security agencies and Christian Association of Nigeria. ALSO READ:  Akwa Ibom people w

“I think the federal government should reopen all churches and mosques because coronavirus is beyond scientists. The nation as a whole needs the intervention of God so that our land will be healed and restored. All churches must however observe social distancing.” -Austin Precious, Writer Evidenced by increase in cases of new COVID-19 infections, I’m of the opinion that, reopening of religious centres should be put on hold. “Nigeria is one country at the moment, that’s under-equipped to contain the explosion of this pandemic. Let’s learn from the western world.” -Temi Olaniyan, Linguist “Religious activities should never be confused with the acceptable things by God. Social distancing is barely achievable for congregations with very large numbers. “For now, I believe the word of God has been reaching people via social media, although this is not what we’re used to.” -Sam Fafiolu, Youth Advocate “The country is being held at ransom by this pandemic, so why would any reasonable gov

..as Air Peace airlifts 312 India nationals from Nigeria to India By Lawani Mikairu India on Sunday celebrated the first direct flight from Nigeria when Nigeria’s Air Peace airline airlifted 312 India citizens from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA , Lagos to Kochi, India. According to the verified twitter account of Indians in Nigeria, @india_nigeria, the “repatriation of India nationals from Nigeria began today (Sunday) with the Lagos-Kochi Air Peace flight with 312 passengers. It is the first ever Nigerian airline to fly directly to India.” They also commended the Nigerian government, the Indian embassy in Nigeria and others that made the flight a reality. Speaking about the flight, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN , said “Air Peace flight P47812 pushed back by 1:15 am Nigerian time with 312 passengers and 15 crew members and was airborne by 1:28 am”. Also speaking about the direct flight, Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ola

Governor Seyi Makinde By Adeola Badru BARELY a month after the fire incident that razed the Dugbe market complex building and goods within the shops worth 500 million naira, the Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde has fulfilled his promise by doling out cash palliative to the owner and occupants of the building complex, as the victims of the inferno lauded the governor’s gesture on the support for them to move ahead with their lives. It would be recalled that on April 15, 2020, fire gutted the complex building that housed Pelly Foam and other shops situated at No 1, Lebanon street, Dugbe Alawo, Ibadan, the state capital, which the cause of the fire is yet to be unravelled. A day after the fire incident, Governor Makinde visited the scene and promised that the state government would launch an emergency fund to address disasters and emergencies. READ ALSO: Mobile Police Squadron base: Makinde urges stakeholders not to politicise security matters The governor, who described the

By Olumba Olumba Obu I CORINTHIANS 15:26: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Corinthians 6:13: “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them.” Philippians 3:18-19: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” I have told you before that I have not yet opened my bag containing the article of trade I have brought to the whole world. What I have tried to do so far, is to introduce the Father to you. From day to day, and as time goes on, I will continue to unfold to you the shortcomings and hindrances in your lives. Food Kills Today’s sermon concerns food, and the art of feeding, the evil of food, and food as the source of destruction. The last enemy is death. What is death? Is man death? Is death spirit or tree or any other thing

Five people were arrested in London on Sunday as thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters peacefully marched on the US Embassy in London, with hundreds more taking to the streets of Cardiff and Manchester, to demonstrate against the killing of George Floyd. Chants of, ‘I can’t breathe,’ rebounded across the Thames this afternoon, the words Floyd was heard gasping before his death as a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday. READ ALSO: Sancho grabs hat-trick, joins ‘Justice for George Floyd’ protest They defied the ban on mass gatherings to rally at Trafalgar Square before making their way to the gates of Downing Street and then south of the river towards the US Embassy. Three of the five were arrested for breaching coronavirus legislation, said police, while the other two were detained for assaulting officers. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Police have made five arrests during the gathering that took place outside the US Emb

Non-manufacturing index sustains decline Naira depreciates as I&E turnover falls 30% to $612.45m External reserves rises further to $36.5bn By Babajide Komolafe & Elizabeth Adegbesan THE Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index, PMI, dropped to 42.4 index points in May, 2020 from 51.1index points in March, 2020, the first contraction in the manufacturing sector in 37 months. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, disclosed this in its PMI report for May. The report also showed that Non Manufacturing PMI dropped sharply by 23.9 index points to 25.3 index points in May from 49.2 index points in March. This is the second consecutive months of decline in the Non Manufacturing PMI. The report showed that 30 subsectors, out of the 31 surveyed recorded contraction during the month. The contraction recorded across the 30 subsectors in May reflects the severe impact of the various COVID-19 induced restrictions and thus confirms that the nation’s economy is heading for another recession

Investment level up 89% Development will restore market stability – analysts By Nkiruka Nnorom Stockmarket LOCAL investors are taking advantage of the incredibly low prices of stocks in the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, to increase their investments following the prolonged downward movement in equity valuation since the advent of the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic on the Nigeria’s economy. Data on domestic and foreign portfolio participation in the NSE equity market shows that domestic investors committed N374.98 billion in the market at the end of the first quarter of the year (Q1’20), representing an increase of 89 percent compared to N198.39 billion in the previous quarter in 2019. This also represents 59.82 percent contribution to total investment (N626.87 billion) pooled in the first quarter of the year and 32.8 percent higher than N251.87 billion invested by foreign investors. Research analysts and securities dealers, who spoke to Financial Vanguard , attributed the dev

Amidst the concern over corporate performance and the macroeconomic impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, corporate organisations are now implementing various Business Continuity models. Financial Vanguard   investigations have revealed that key corporate institutions are now restructuring their business models to create more resilient operations, less vulnerable to any form of restriction to formal office settings and workstations. They are headed towards institutionalizing  work-from-home   or virtual office, while seamlessly interfacing with customers and creating more value at less cost. A top executive in one of the tier-1 banks told  Financial Vanguard  that the big blow on businesses following the involuntary shutdown of operations had made it imperative for the business continuity frameworks to run its full course even at the post COVID-19 era. READ ALSO: Mobile Police Squadron base: Makinde urges stakeholders not to politicise security matters In its latest advisor

By Dele Sobowaale A map of Nigeria   Every great enterprise starts off with enthusiasm for an exalted aim; and ends up bogged down in petty politics— Charles Peguy, 1873-1914, Vanguard Book of Quotations, P. 49 CAN you recollect when the news report that “the EFCC is investigating  allegations of N1billion fraud against Governor ABC” would send the governor scampering to the airport for the first flight out of Nigeria? Can you remember when entire States’ Houses of Assembly trembled if Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the first Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, merely mentioned that the lawmakers were under investigation? Do you even remember who Nuhu Ribadu is and does it matter anymore? Yet, the first visit of the former EFCC Chairman to Lagos to meet the media created a massive hold-up for hours. Attached to the EFCC chair must have been armed officers numbering close to two hundred. It was not so much a visit as an invasion.  Motorists on the roads, even wh

President Muhammadu Buhari TAKING it from the regime’s three-point agenda: revival of the economy, securing the country and fighting corruption, it can be safely said that nothing has really changed (except in many cases for the worse). The economy was sagging when he took over in 2015. It went into recession later that year and marginally broke the surface in late 2018. The nation has gone back to the debt trap under this regime, and more borrowing is likely to continue in the post-COVID-19 pandemic economy. Perhaps the area the Buhari government has made some impact is the anti-graft war. Though corruption is still very endemic in government, there is a great awareness of an ongoing anti-graft war, with many former governors jailed and lots of stolen funds recovered. The regime has failed to tackle the nation’s security challenges. Before Buhari took over, Boko Haram Islamic terror was the main problem facing the nation. Today, the Islamists are still active. More armed group

President Muhammadu Buhari By Owei Lakemfa THE Buhari Presidency last  Friday, May 29, composed songs of praise to mark its fifth year in office. In a child-like manner, its image-makers taunted perceived enemies and insulted Nigerians who do not think the administration should be celebrated. I am one of those who see no reason for any celebration in this season of global health crisis, lockdowns, mass job and income losses, economic meltdown with death lurking our hospitals and isolation centres. Our case is worsened by massive local and foreign loans for mainly non-tangible things; debts this administration is piling up for future generations to pay, or upon which they will be enslaved. I do not want to waste precious time debating corruption in this government. At least not in this lockdown when Nigerians are told billions of naira have been spent on the School Feeding Programme even before the child at home saw a grain of rice. I may be more willing to discuss insecurity.

By Adewale Kupoluyi IN the last one month, it has been tales of agony, pain and regrets for many people who lost their relatives and loved ones not to the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic but rather, what the novel virus has triggered off in terms of mismanagement and poor response to public health across the country. There is hardly any part of the country that is free from the tales and cries brought about by the deadly disease. For a long time to come, the pandemic would remain a nightmare considering the economic loss and devastation to the entire world. To date, nobody or authority can speak with certainty on what can be done to curtail coronavirus or when an effective remedy can be found for the pandemic that knows no age, race, status, gender and religion. It is natural to accord great priority and attention to ending COVID-19 and pushing it into the dustbin of history. It is no surprise that globally, all hands have been on deck to combat our common enemy within the availab

By Chike Anyaonu I got to know about this name, Bruce Mayrock, some four years ago through Barrister CHUDI Ofodile’s book titled The Politics of Biafra: and The Future Of Nigeria and published by Safari Books Limited, Ibadan in 2016. Ever since then, I have been trying to dig deeper and deeper into the archives to learn more about this young altruistic, dynamic and benevolent personality. An enigma of sorts, for that matter. Ofodile had, in chapter seven of his book, cited Bruce as one of “Biafra’s non- Igbo actors”, those who participated in one way or the other to fight the cause of the ill-fated Republic of Biafra that were not of Igbo origin. One of them who is still alive today is Wole Shoyinka. Though this write up is a kind of joint tribute to all of them, Bruce Mayrock, for me, deserves a special and everlasting mention. He was not an African, but a citizen of the United States of America. So what concerned a 20-year-old university student   in America with what was happe

Liverpool could win their first Premier League title at Wembley after the national stadium emerged as ‘the most likely venue’ for the Merseyside derby and their meeting with Manchester City. It was reported on Friday morning that Liverpool ‘almost certainly’ won’t win their first English championship in 30 years at their Anfield home due to fears over social distancing and policing. South Yorkshire Police later confirmed the “small number of fixtures” they would prefer to be held at neutral venues, as well as Everton against Liverpool at Goodison Park and Manchester City versus Liverpool at the Etihad. ALSO READ:  Chicharito slams Moyes over ‘error’ that ‘still haunts’ Man United They also highlighted “the game in which Liverpool could secure the league title” as another that could pose a risk with fans congregating outside. The Daily Mirror report that Liverpool would oppose plans to hold fixtures at any stadium other than the one they were scheduled at purely ‘because they do