Gistlite

Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, Mike Okumagba, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as God sent.


Okumagba told newsmen yesterday that the Urhobos in particular and Delta State had a bright economic and political future under the Buhari administration, urging the people to support the polices of the government.

He said: “We will come out of the present economic recession stronger. Nigeria would have been worst off if not for the emergence President Buhari.

“You would agree with me that the word ‘Buhari’ is synonymous with discipline and accountability.

“We should be patient a little bit and in no distant time, we shall enjoy the benefits of the recession”.


On why he decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to APC, Okumagba said “I just want to key into President Buhari’s philosophy of change which has been paying off.

“Joining the progressives will benefit me and the Urhobos of Warri politically.”

“With the likes of the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun who is maternally from Warri Urhobo, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Chief Great Ogboru and Olorogun O’Tega Emerhor it will be wise for the Urhobos to support President Buhari and APC in 2019″, he added.

While urging the Urhobos of Warri to always be proud of Chief Oyegun as one of their own, he said “there is no division in APC.

“We are waxing stronger hence they are peddling the unfounded rumor of disunity in APC.”

Executive Secretary, ‎National Commission for Mass Literacy (NMEC), Prof. Abba Haladu, has disclosed that Nigeria has about 50 million number of non-literate adults in the country.

Haladu said this on Tuesday in Abuja to mark the 50th International Literacy Day with the theme: “Reading the Past, Writing the Future.”

He noted Nigeria was experiencing increased numbers of non-literate adults, while other countries were making progress.

Prof. Haladu said: “Tremendous progress has been made in the fight against illiteracy in the last five decades, yet the world is still home to at least 758 million illiterate adults, and about two thirds of them are women.

“In Nigeria in particular, the illiteracy situation is still troubling. With an estimated figure of over 50 million adult illiterates and 11.5 million out of school children, the problem of illiteracy remains one of Nigeria’s greatest obstacles to development.

“In fact, UNESCO 2016, contends that as other regions of the world are recording progress in the fight against illiteracy, Sub-Saharan Africa, in which Nigeria has the highest number of population, is unfortunately experiencing rising absolute numbers of non-literate adults.”

Haladu, urged government at all levels, non governmental organisations and the organised private sector, to ensure the necessary material support needed to eradicate illiteracy were adequately provided.

In his address, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment towards addressing the challenges of adult literacy.

Represented by the Director, Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Ann Okonkwo, the minister said adult illiteracy would affect the status of women, fertility, children’s development, economic productivity and political processes.

“Efforts would be made to strengthen equity and access, equality, funding, teacher quality, effective curriculum implementation, human resource development and provision of infrastructure, to equip young people and adult learners with the right knowledge and skills for global citizenship”, he added.

Meanwhile, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola, has predicted that many parents will by next year not be able to pay the tuition fees of their children studying in universities.

Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro who was the former Minister of State for, has returned to Nigeria in an apparent move to present himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC after being accused of fraud.

Mr. Obanikoro has been having a running battle with the anti-graft agency on allegations bordering on financial crimes.

He left for the United States shortly after his party lost the 2015 elections and he ceased being a minister.

The EFCC accused him of using his children to take out government contracts that were never executed.

According to source, Mr. Obanikoro was also implicated in the Ekiti elections scandal which is on a separate charge. It is not immediately clear if he was prepared to answer questions about that, too.

At first, he vowed not to return to the country alleging persecution by the government as a means to discredit him.

It is not immediately clear when he planned to submit himself to the EFCC, but Demola Olarewaju, an associate of the politician confirmed his arrival.

Mr. Olarewaju said Mr. Obanikoro had moved to Abuja from Lagos and could visit the EFCC headquarters on Monday.

The federal ministry of education has denied some media reports on the cost of building VIP toilets in riverine areas – The ministry says the toilets cost N6million and not N50million.

Six toilets in upland areas also cost N4million and not N40million, the ministry says The federal ministry of education has denied some media reports which wrongly quoted the cost of building VIP toilets in riverine areas.

Nigeria’s minister of education, Adamu Adamu The deputy director, press in the ministry, Ben Bem Goong, said in a statement distributed to journalists, that the N50m and N40m quoted as costs in a recent report was for three projects depending on location which included

“VIP toilets and bathrooms in hostels and classroom areas, provision of modern kitchen and renovation of dining halls and borehole and reticulation of water.

“It is not a repetition of the same project in the 2014 and 2015 budgets, rather the same project is being replicated in different schools,” part of the statement read. 

Goong stated that it was wrong to pick one item and give it the cost of three projects. He also said the project is ongoing across 104 unity schools, adding that government would continue to roll it over until all the schools benefit.

According to him, a VIP toilet means pit toilet with improved ventilation, incorporating features to enhance sanitation and health, and not luxury toilets.
Meanwhile, the federal government of Nigeria is set to realise N20 billion from the sale of two presidential jets.  Sources quoted in the report says the estimate is based on the current market value of the jets – Falcon 7X and Hawker 4000. Aviation experts also corroborated the valuation of the aircraft.