Remi Oyo Dies At 61!

Just a few days to her 62nd birthday, the Oyo family has announced the death of a one time Senior Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on media and publicity, and former Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dame Felicia Oluwaremilekun Oyo, in London on Wednesday.

In a statement, issued on Thursday, her husband, Mr Vincent Oyo, said she died peacefully on Wednesday, in London, where she was recuperating after receiving treatment from an ailment.

Born on Oct. 12, 1952, Oyo, a seasoned journalist, served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2003 to 2007.

She began her journalism career in 1973 in the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, now known as the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), as a reporter.

She later joined NAN as a Desk Editor in 1981 and left in 1985 as a Principal Editor, the first woman to attain such a high position in the Agency.

In NAN, she was responsible for editing copies for the General News and Foreign News Bulletin and headed the two desks at different times.

Owing to her professional astuteness, she was put in-charge of the control of news going out of the Agency.

In her role as the Control Editor, she had the responsibility for ensuring the standard for which NAN became known.

"All stories transmitted by the Agency had the stamp of Dame Oyo," the statement said.

She worked in NAN up to 1985 when she left to take up an appointment with Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS) as the Nigerian Bureau Chief.

She later became the Chief of IPS West African Bureau.

Oyo was elected President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and served for two consecutive tenures from 1999 to 2003.

She was the first woman to be so honoured and she had also served first as Secretary of the NGE, the professional body of editors running the country's media industry.

"As President of the Guild, she set up a functional secretariat which still exists today at the NAN complex, Iganmu, Lagos by the National Arts," the statement said.

Oyo was educated at the University of Lagos, where she studied Mass Communication at the Diploma level and graduated with distinction and the best graduating student.

She held a master's Degree in International Relations from the University of Canterbury at Kent and also earned a post-graduate Diploma in International Relations from the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.

In honour of her patriotism, the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, appointed her as a member of the 1999 Constitution Drafting Committee.

She is a recipient of Nigeria's National honour, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

She has also received many other awards, including the National Council of Catholic Women Organisation of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), and the Nigerian Institute of Peace Administrators.

"On Jan. 7, 2011, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, imparted Apostolic Blessing on her for the prestigious award of Papal Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great," the statement said.

Her union with Vincent was blessed with two children, Otome and Okiemuote, and three grandchildren.

A devout Catholic, Oyo was Vice-Chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Council of SS Joachim and Anne of the Catholic Church, Ijegun, Lagos.

Her primary education was at St. James Catholic Primary School in Ilorin and she attended St. Louis Girls Secondary School, Bompai, Kano.

Boko Haram Members Bag 75 Years Jail!

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday sentenced three members of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram to seven-five years jail.

Justice Ibrahim Buba, who gave a secret judgment in the case, sentenced each of the convicts to twenty-five years jail, after finding them guilty of terrorism charges.

The fourth accused, who was charged for funding terrorism, was however discharged and acquitted by the court on the basis that the Federal Government was not able to satisfactorily prove the allegation against him.

The trial was conducted in camera pursuant to application by the prosecuting authority, the Lagos State Government, that there was need to protect the witnesses in the case.

Initially, seventeen suspects were charged to court but we're later reduced to four following the withdrawal of the case against the suspects, leaving only four.
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Oil Subsidy Fraud Trial Resumes!

A Lagos High Court Judge summoned a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to appear before the court in in the ongoing trial of an oil marketer, Opeyemi Ajuyah, over allegations of fuel subsidy fraud.

Justice Lateefat Okunnu issued a witness summons on Engineer Kehinde Akinmoloyan.

Ajuyah and her company, Majope Investment, are standing trial alongside another oil marketer, Abdullahi Alao, and his company, Axe Eneryg Nigeria Limited, and Olanrewaju Olalusi, a staff of Sterling Bank Plc, over an alleged N1,1 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, EFCC Prosecuting Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that Akimolayan, who is a principal witness in the trial, had refused to honour invitations to give evidence in the matter.

Oyedepo claimed the witness had alleged that some persons were after his life and only recently attempted to gain entrance into his residential building.

He said that despite several assurances, the witness had remained adamant on not showing up before the court to give evidence in the case.

Oyedepo prayed the court to issues a witness summons against the witness before the next adjourned date of the trial.

Justice Okunnu subsequently granted the request and directed the court register to issue a summon against the witness.

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Okonjo-Iweala Disowns U.S.$9.3 Million Arms Funds!

There appear to be no end in sight yet in the search for the source or owner of the $9.3 million ceased from two Nigerians and an Israeli by the South African Government, as Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Ikonjo-Iweala says she has no knowledge of the fund.

 Nigeria's Finance Minister, Ngozi Ikonjo-Iweala 

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala told newsmen yesterday at the Yola International Airport after flagging off the Presidential Committee's distribution of relief materials to victims of Boko Haram in Adamawa State that her ministry was not aware of the funds purportedly meant for arms purchase.

"It is only the Ministry of Defence that can speak on that issue, we in the Ministry of Finance are not in the picture of such money or project, we are not arms project ministry," she said.

The minister further blamed government's silence on its activities on opposition parties for their attack on President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that no administration had performed better than the present one in terms of economic, human and infrastructure development.

"That the present government is not making noise over its activities does not mean it is not working, this government is doing everything possible to ensure that Nigerians are comfortable," she maintained.

Okonjo-Iweala further refuted the alleged political colouration in the distribution of the relief materials, saying the claim was fabricated by those afraid of Jonathan's scored card.

"We are here in line with the 'Safe School Initiative' of the Federal Government and to see that the relief materials are enough to carter for all victims that are able to find their way into the Yola refugee camp," she explained.

Also, the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Boni Haruna, who was on the entourage, said the Federal Government was packaging some programmes that would empower jobless youths.

He noted that the military success in Konduga, Borno State, and the killing of several insurgents, including their acclaimed leader, Abubakar Shekau, was a pointer that Jonathan's government was on top of the security crisis in the region. He urged the region and the entire north to support government's efforts in the development of the area.

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Ebola and the Media - Nigeria's Good News Story!

When an Internet message announcing a salt water solution for Ebola went viral in July, many Nigerians were quick to take heed. Twenty people were hospitalized and two died, reportedly from an excessive intake of salt.

Madam Franca was among those ready to believe in the power of salt water. "My niece, who happens to be a nurse, sent me an SMS that early morning, and I obeyed it," Franca explained. "I had to do anything to stop Ebola from coming close to me. I bathed with salt water, morning and night for two good days, but I did not drink. I am hypertensive. I also sent all my family and close friends the SMS."

Nigerians watched with growing unease as the Ebola outbreak spread through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Few believed the creaking health infrastructure or the government's managerial skills would be able to survive such a test. So when Ebola-positive Liberian Patrick Sawyer stepped off a plane in Lagos airport on 20 July, collapsed and died, social media exploded.

But it was not just the salt water claims and bogus pastors promising salvation that made the running: government agencies and proactive individuals also took to the Internet to quickly debunk the rumours and offer proper advice. The authorities also threatened to arrest anyone spreading falsehoods, starting with the salt water "cure". There was, after all, a plan in place.

A mass audience for messages

At 67 million users, Nigeria reportedly has the eighth largest Internet population in the world. It also had close to 166 million mobile subscribers as of June. (The country's population is 175 million.)

With so many Nigerians online, portals like ebolaalert.org set up by volunteer doctors, and the public/private ebolafact.com initiative, have become important channels to provide accurate information to help people stay safe. They complement telephone hotlines and more traditional public health approaches.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has also taken a role in the communications work on Ebola, using the SMS portal UReport. UReport Nigeria is a free SMS platform designed as a community-based two-way information exchange mechanism. According to UNICEF Communications Specialist Geoffrey Njoku, over 57,000 people received more than 3.6 million SMS containing key messages about Ebola and how to stay protected over a six-week period.

Comfort and confidence

For some who have used the service, like Dr Adoara Igonoh, an Ebola survivor, the advice given offered reassurance and quelled fears. "I began to think about my mother," Igonoh recalled. "She was under surveillance along with my other family members. I was worried. She had touched my sweat. I couldn't get the thought out of my mind. Hours later on Twitter I came across a tweet from the WHO [World Health Organization] saying that the sweat of an Ebola patient cannot transmit it at the late stage. That settled it for me. It calmed the storms that were raging within me concerning my parents."

Nigeria has won praise from the international community for its response to the outbreak. While Ebola continues to burn in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, in Nigeria it appears to have been contained with only 21 confirmed cases and eight deaths - with the last case reported on 8 September and tracing having proven effective.

"A key issue in the fight against Ebola after the provision of the necessary human and technical infrastructure is information management," said Tochuwu Akunyii, an online writer on public policy and international development. "In information management, the dissemination of accurate information is crucial; social media can be vital in this process." Akunyii pays particular tribute to Nigerian youth and its use of forums and platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

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Buhari Confirms Interest in Presidential Bid!

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday declared interest to contest for Presidency in the forthcoming 2015 elections.

Buhari, who would be aspiring for the plum job the fourth time now on the platform of the APC, told his supporters amidst a defeaning applause: "With your support, I intend to offer myself for the position of the president of the country on the platform of our great party. I intend to make a formal announcement soon and I hope I can count on your continuing support and sacrifice."

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

He assured that if the APC is voted into power, it would address the multi-faceted problems besetting the polity.

He said: "We are the alternative the nation has been waiting for. We are committed to democracy and entrenching its culture in Nigeria. We are committed to the principles of good governance and making them work in this country.

"We are committed to public probity and entrenching a culture of accountability in the conduct of government business. Because we are committed to developing the potentials of this nation into true greatness, we shall bring about transformative change in this country - change in the way things are done and change in the way things are undone; change in the way this nation is left unsecured and mismanaged; and change in the way corruption is pampered and worshipped; and we shall install a culture of openness in public affairs. We shall develop this land and go after prosperity and get it for our long suffering people."

He thereby urged his supporters to remain faithful to the APC irrespective of the outcome of the presidential primaries where he will slug it out with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for the ticket of the party.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) yesterday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to caution political parties who use third-party machineries to carry out political campaigns even as the time for electioneering campaigns have not begun as provided by the Electoral Act.

IPAC Chairman, Tanko Yinusa who made the call while speaking at the quarterly meeting of INEC and registered political parties yesterday at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja told the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, that the council at its last meeting on September 26, 2014 frowned at the new system of campaign whereby political parties use third-party machineries to carry out campaigns.

Yinusa alleged that senior government officials in power are behind the violation of the electoral guidelines, which he noted, stipulates that election campaign must start 90 days before the election.

In the same vein, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed INEC for acting too little, too late by issuing a warning on illegal public political broadcast and campaign, saying the commission's belated action is highly suspicious.

In a statement issued in London yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said INEC's action, coming after the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan have been campaigning endlessly for the 2015 elections, can only be to the disadvantage of other candidates and political parties.

The party said: "Is it a ploy by INEC to give undue advantage to the PDP and its adopted sole presidential candidate, President Jonathan, in next year's elections?

"When did INEC become aware that these actions are illegal, considering that Section 221 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which INEC quoted in its warning letter, says 'no association, other than a political party, shall canvas for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any political candidate at an election."

The IPAC chairman while urging INEC to, as a matter of urgency, stop the third-party campaign, disclosed that the council has given its total support to the proposal by INEC to create about 30,000 new polling units across the country, stressing that it was long overdue, especially with the increase in the population as well as other new settlements.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Jega said the commission's quarterly meeting with the registered political parties would now be conducted every month, adding that the desire of INEC and the political parties to constantly deliberate on how to make the forthcoming election free, fair, credible and widely accepted by majority of Nigerians and international community has given rise to the decision to meet every month.

He added that moving down the meeting from quarterly to monthly would make the commission and the political parties deliberate extensively on issues of mutual concerns, especially with regards to preparing for the 2015 general elections.

The INEC Chairman, while stressing on the need for all the registered political parties to collaborate fully with the commission towards ensuring the conduct of an election that would be rated high internationally and also devoid of violence.

Buhari further said: "If I get the party nomination, I expect you will redouble your effort and commitment until we clinch the Presidency. But in the event that it happens to be one of the other aspirants who wins, I expect you as good party men to extend to him your support. We are a united party, and united we shall remain, because our strength lies in our unity."

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Obama Congratulates Nigeria at 54, Pledges Support Against Terrorism!

United States President Barack Obama has sent his greetings and that of the American people to Nigerians on the 54th independence anniversary of the country.

In a letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, Obama acknowledged Nigeria's leadership role in Africa and at the United Nations (UN) towards promoting regional peace and stability.

The letter made available by the US Embassy in Abuja read in part: "At the heart of our enduring friendship is our shared commitment to democratic values, the rule of law, and economic development.

"We look forward to strengthening our relationship and working closely in the coming year, especially in promoting good governance and combating terrorism. As Nigerians observe this special day, we wish you a more peaceful and prosperous year." Obama added that the US was looking forward to strengthening its relationship with Nigeria in the coming year, especially on good governance.

In addition to Obama's congratulatory message, Senate President David Mark and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday urged Nigerians to sustain their faith in Nigeria and remain steadfast in the effort to promote peace and the unity of Nigeria no matter the challenges.

Mark, in a goodwill message to Nigerians to mark today's 54th independence anniversary, said the indivisibility of the nation was not negotiable as he recalled the nation's chequered political history since 1960, during which Nigeria went through a 30-month fratricidal civil war, various ethno-religious conflicts, adding that the crises were surmountable.

He dismissed as untrue the perception in some quarters that Nigeria had not made progress since independence, saying: "Let us cast our minds back a little and see the number of roads, schools, universities, health institutions, telecommunications infrastructure and a host of others.

"We may not have been where we want to be but we have made appreciable progress and we can do more. All we need to do is to strengthen our unity as one people with one mission and purpose.

"A stable democracy has offered us an opportunity to harness our abundant resources for good.

"Nigeria has passed through many challenges in the past and we came out of it. The security challenges; this Boko Haram can be defeated if we unite to fight them. I believe Boko Haram, terrorism or the insurgency is alien to us as a people. We have the capacity to defeat them and confine them to the dustbin of history."

He added: "We cannot correct perceived imbalances by taking up arms against our brothers, sisters and the nation. We must therefore continue to shun individuals or groups that encourage, preach and practise division among our people. We must shun every harbinger of hate and bond together as a people of common interest and destiny.

"As legislators we will continue to do our part to wit; provide the needed legislative framework for the executive arm of government to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.

"Let me use this occasion to remind our fellow country men and women that as 2015 elections approach, we must not lose sight of the fact that the election should not be seen as war. We must play the game according to the rules."

Source: ThisDay

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