Eleven States Resume Today After Forced Ebola Holidays

Schools in at least 11 states of the country are
set to resume a new academic session today
(Wednesday) after a forced holiday occasioned
by the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak.
The states which had earlier shunned the
September 22 resumption date announced by the
Federal Government, picked October 8, as a more
realistic resumption date to enable them to put
in place the logistics required to prevent the
spread of the Ebola Virus Disease and also
observe the Eid-el-Kabir holiday.
Some of the states commencing academic
activities today include Rivers, Benue, Lagos,
Ekiti and Oyo.
Others are Kano, Kogi, Akwa -Ibom, Ebonyi, Ogun
and Kwara states.
However, some states such as Niger, Zamfara
and Adamawa, will resume on October 13.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent
on Tuesday, the National President, Nigerian
Union of Teachers, Mr. Michael Alogba, said the
resumption was not nationwide as schools in
some states had earlier resumed classes, having
received the preventive equipment from the
government.
The NUT had ordered its members to stay at
home until the materials, such as digital non-
contact thermometers, soaps, sanitisers and
basins were provided.
“I’m sorry I don’t have a comprehensive list right
now. But I know Lagos and Ogun states are
resuming tomorrow. Our directive was that state
wings of NUT should monitor the degree of
compliance with the provision of safety measures
and formally notify us. But the resumption
tomorrow (Wednesday) is not nationwide. Some
have resumed earlier. Many of them have
reported total compliance to us and they include
Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ebonyi states,” he said.
Asked what lessons were learnt with the Ebola
Virus Disease scare, Alogba said that the disease
had revealed the underbelly of the education
sector.
“It has exposed the deplorable state of hygiene
in our schools. Ordinarily, we don’t need to cry
to the high heavens before we could have water
in our schools. But the EVD has exposed our
shortcomings. Let everybody begins to do what
is right. Government should know that it is
accountable to the people,’’ he added.
However, the fate of pupils attending Federal
Government colleges still hangs in the balance.
Alogba, who admitted issues in the unity schools
said, “The problems in the Federal Government
colleges are multi-dimensional. Aside from the
Ebola-imposed holiday, there are other issues
with the members of staff. As long as those
problems persist, the Federal Government
colleges will continue to remain under lock and
key.’’
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of
Nigeria had last month ordered its members to
go on strike over the inability of the Federal
Government to pay their promotion arrears from
2007 to 2010.
In a statement, the ASCSN Secretary-General,
Mr. Alade Lawal, said, “By this decision, the 104
Federal Unity Colleges will not re-open for the
next academic session scheduled to begin on
September 22. Records available to us indicate
that the Federal Ministry of Education had
collected the money meant for the settlement of
these arrears from the Federal Ministry of
Finance,’’ he said.

Di Maria Voted United’s Player Of The Month

Angel Di Maria has rounded off an impressive September with a Player of the Month award at Manchester United.

The club’s record signing has already become an influential player for Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford and was the clear winner of the award winning 68 per cent of the vote.

Ander Herrera and Rafael were given 23 per cent and 9 per cent of the votes respectively, but the Argentinian playmaker won the ManUtd.com online poll.

Di Maria opened his Manchester United account against QPR, before scoring an early goal of the season contender against Leicester.

“I am very happy to have received the award but I’ve got to stress that it’s all about the team,’ Di Maria told ManUtd.com. I’m happy that my career here at Manchester United has started very well, and I hope that what I’m doing out there on the field is helping us to pick up points and victories.”

Residents Scooping Fuel As Tanker Crashes In Kwara

Danger may currently be lurking in Osin
community in Ilorin East Local Government Area
of Kwara State as residents of the settlement are
scrambling to scoop fuel spilled in the area after
a fuel tanker crashed on Saturday.
A resident of the village, who made a desperate
call to PUNCH Online on Saturday, feared that
the worst might happen if concerned authorities
failed to respond to their calls urgently.
The resident, a male(name withheld), alleged
that four days ago, there was an accident in the
community, located along the Ilorin-Jebba Road,
saying the State Emergency Management
Agency, which promised to come to the scene,
failed to show up.
“Today again, this morning, a fuel tanker crashed
some minutes ago; its content is currently
spilling around and people are scooping fuel in
the area. We have called the same management
agency but as I’m talking to you now, they
(members of the agency) have not shown up,
though they promised they would come,” says
the resident.
“There is still fuel in the tanker that had an
accident in this place four days ago, it has not
been evacuated. If any place goes up in flame
around this area, every body will be in trouble.”
Our correspondent called Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba,
the Chief Press Secretary to Governor
Abdulfattah Ahmed, who promised to call on
relevant agencies to race to the scene and put
the situation under control.

Senate President David Mark and former Lagos State Governor and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Friday held separate closed-door meetings with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The meetings were held at Obasanjo’s Hilltop residence in Abeokuta.

Both Mark and Tinubu said the issues discussed bordered on the state of the nation.

Tinubu came ahead of Mark. Emerging from the venue of the meeting, he said he had discussion with Obasanjo on “some of his former boys” who would vie for elective positions in the 2015 general elections, especially the Presidency.

He said, “We are here to pay homage to our former President and discuss with him because he has a number of influences in the political sphere.

“We need to talk to find out his thinking about Nigeria and the future. We need to seek his observation on some of his former boys who are running for Presidency in our party.”

He, however, said there was nothing worth celebrating about Nigeria’s 54th independence anniversary since the country remained “an invalid baby in incubator.”

Mark who arrived the Hilltop residence at about 2.0pm left around 3.45pm.

He also described Obasanjo as the father of the nation with a wealth of experience.

The Senate President told journalists after the meeting that he had come with his team, including Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; the Peoples Democratic Party Women Leader, Mrs. Josephine Anenih; and Senator Polycarp Nwite, among others to discuss with the former President and raise some basic issues that affect both the party and the nation.

He said, “We discussed issues that will move Nigeria forward because Chief Obasanjo’s love for Nigeria is unquantifiable. So, we had a good discussion with him.”

DHQ reacts to video dismissing Shekau’s death

Abuja - The Defence Headquarters said on
Thursday it was studying the claims made in a
video purportedly released by terrorists showing
their leader, Abubakar Shekau as dismissing his
death.
A statement posted in the DHQ website said
that from immediate observation, the video did
not indicate when it was shot and any proof “of
life or currency such as screen time or date.”
“The video also did not make any reference to
anything that has happened since the
impostor’s reported death,” it said.
The statement noted that air plane mentioned
in the video had been missing before he
(Shekau) was killed.
“It should not surprise anybody if the terrorists
decide to manipulate pictures, clone another
Shekau or upload a pre-recorded video all in a
bid to prove invincible.”
“As far as we are concerned, the individual who
was appearing in video and claiming to be the
leader of the terrorist group was killed in the
Kondunga battle in September.”
“The resemblance of the corpse and that of the
eccentric character was incontrovertible. His
identity was equally corroborated by people
who knew him before we announced his death,”
it said.
The statement restated that justice would be
served to whoever bore that name or
designation and whoever engaged in any act of
terror.
It will be recalled that the DHQ confirmed the
death of Mohammed Bashir alias Abubakar
Shekau on September 24, saying he was killed
in an operation in Konduga.
Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, the Director, Defence
Information, who confirmed it, had vowed that
the military would serve justice to whoever bore
that name or designation.

I Saw The Synagogue Tragedy Coming - TB Joshua

The founder of the Synagogue Church of all
Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua, has claimed
that he saw a vision of the incident that killed at
least 115 persons in the church guesthouse.
The victims, mainly South Africans, died when a
six-storey guesthouse belonging to the church
caved in on September 12.
The embattled clergyman, who said he knew
something tragic was to befall his ministry,
noted that he prepared his parishioners on how
to handle the tragedy.
In a statement posted on the SCOAN’s official
Facebook page, TB Joshua warned his critics
against accusing him of failing to foresee the
disaster that befell his ministry.
“For those who are outside the Lord, they would
not know. When you are outside God, you will
not know what I am talking. When you are
outside the light, you cannot understand what I
am talking.
“For the three weeks before the incident, if you
heard my message and sat down, you would
know I was giving you a vision and prophetic
word on how to handle the situation at hand.
Trials and tests are for our belief. I go by the
directives of God,” TB Joshua claimed.
Accusing his critics of being “used by Satan,” the
televangelist said they were just out to “disturb”
the faith of his local and international members
with “negative words.”
According to him, all the “Satanic agents”
criticising him over the circumstances
surrounding the incident, would soon “suffer for
it.”
Since none of his critics is unable to help him
raise the victims from death, TB Joshua argued
that they should stop rubbishing his ministry or
risk paying dearly for it.
Those who could not stop what happened
(building collapse), he said, should be “careful of
their tongues” as “anybody can go for it.
“I have been on this journey for 27 years. Do you
think God can close His eyes and rubbish
everything here? They are asking God to bring
more evidence of whether He is the one who
called me. Warn everyone to be very careful.
This issue at hand is a delicate issue.
“People are using this to gain money and friends.
This is a warning. Whatever people want to write
let them write; they will be the ones to read it. I
said our God would get back to them. He has
started somewhere. He is coming. If your brother
is involved, unless he can resurrect the people
who died, he will join them. If you can resurrect
the people who died, you can go free.
“The servants, the people who sent them; the
people who heard the stories all around and
those who want to use it for themselves and to
disturb my spirit, you may likely join them. Be
careful. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Let
us be very careful with our tongues,” he warned.
Urging those questioning his calling not to sway
his followers, he added that they should extend
love and affection to the victims and relations of
those involved in the tragedy.
The prophet insisted that the 115 victims were
martyrs, adding that their relations would see
the continuation of the work of God “they died
and suffered for.
“Your responsibility is to the victims and the
relations of the victims and martyrs of faith. If
you say you are born again, wherever the victims
and their relations are, wherever the relations of
the martyrs of faith are, look for them. Let them
know you are praying for them. What you eat; let
them eat it.
“What you wear; let them wear. What you have
on your table, let them have it on their tables,
too. Share what you have with them – your love,
prayer, affection and strength. Share it with them
at this time. This is what we call ‘born again’ –
my pain is your pain. Your joy is my joy.
“The multitude of people who claim to be with
T.B. Joshua in prayer – if the same people turn
to the families of the victims and martyrs of
faith, don’t you think life would be better for
them than before? Join them; look for them, as
many other things they are doing now,” TB
Joshua added.

Jonathan consoles with people of Kano over Galadiman's death

Abuja - President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday
commiserated with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji
Muhammadu Sanusi II, and the people of Kano
over the death of the Galadiman Kano, Alhaji
Tijani Hashim.
Hashim, who was one of the most powerful
members of the Kano emirate council, died in the
early hours of Monday in Abuja at the age of 79.
This is contained in a statement issued by the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, in Abuja.
It stated that Jonathan said the deceased served
his people admirably over many years as a
regional minister in the first republic and as
member of the emirate council.
"Jonathan believes the eminent Kano prince and
highly revered community leader will always be
remembered and honoured for his laudable
contributions to peace, stability and progress in
his community and country.
"The president prays that God Almighty will
receive the late Galadima’s soul and grant him
eternal rest.
"He also pray that the Almighty will bless the
good people of Kano with a worthy successor to
the late prince,’’ the statement stated.