BTSMEDIA

Buhari leaves Abuja Saturday for Poland BTS MEDIA  November 30,2018  President Muhammadu Buhari will jet out of the country on Saturday to Katowice, Poland. The Presidency has just said that Buhari will be in Poland to attend the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP24) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It takes place from December 2-4, 2018, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina. The COP24 Summit, which will be held at the International Conference Centre and the adjacent Spodek Arena in Katowice, is being convened under the Presidency of Poland. According to the organisers, the conference is expected to finalise the rules for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) – the rule book for implementation. The presidential aide stated that, during the Leaders’ Summit at COP24, President Buhari ...

73 parties field candidates for 2019 presidential election —INEC BTS MEDIA  November 30,2018  The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that a total of 73 political parties fielded candidates for 2019 presidential election, as the deadline for withdrawal and substitution of candidates for the election draws near. The National Chairman of INEC,  Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a two-day capacity building workshop for journalists on Friday in Abuja. The  News Agency of Nigeria  reports that the commission had earlier announced receipt of 79 candidates as of the close of submission of nomination forms in October. Yakubu said, “At the end of the period for the substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the presidential election, a total of 73 political parties have now filed their nominations. “Even so, a few parties have nominated candidates below the mandatory age of 35 years as presidential and v...

Amnesty condemns Deji Adeyanju, others’ arrest, detention BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  Amnesty International has condemned the arrest of an activist and convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju; Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams, and detention in Keffi prisons, Nasarawa State, for protesting against alleged partisanship by the police. The three accused persons had led a protest against the police to the Force headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday, for sealing the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, when they were picked up and hastily arraigned in court. The Nigerian chapter of Amnesty International, on its verified Twitter account, @AmnestyNigeria, said, “Arrest of @adeyanjudeji by @PoliceNG is an appalling sign of increasing shrinking of civic space in #Nigeria. Protest is a human right. #FreeDejiNow.” The protesters were charged with criminal conspiracy, public nuisance, disturbance of public peace, and threat to public security and safety, criminal defam...

Fayemi closes defence, as tribunal adjourns for adoption of final addresses BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Thursday closed his defence before the state’s Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Apo, Abuja, where his victory at the July 14, 2018 poll is being challenged by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo. Following the development on Thursday, the Justice Suleiman Belgore-led three-man panel adjourned till January 9 for all the parties in the case to adopt their final written addresses. The PDP and Kolapo had filed their petition before the tribunal alleging that the election characterised by vote-buying, violence, rigging and other forms of electoral malpractices. The petitioners prayed the tribunal to declare them as winners of the election on the grounds that they polled the majority of the lawful votes. They joined Fayemi, his party, the All Progressives Congress and ...

UTME: JAMB to commence 2019 registration in December BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Thursday said it was set to commence registration for 2019/2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in December as scheduled. The Head of Media of the Board, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, announced this while addressing newsmen during the conduct of promotion exercise for the Nigerian Customs Service at the board’s Computer Based Test Centre in Abuja. According to Benjamin, no specific date has been fixed for the commencement of the registration yet. He, however, said that plans were underway to do so as soon as possible, as the board was initially waiting for the pronouncement of the presidency on the reduction of the examinations fee, which was formally announced on Wednesday. The  News Agency of Nigeria  reports that the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the downward review of the examination registration f...

No plan to impeach Emmanuel, says APC BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  The All Progressive Congress says it has no plan whatsoever to impeach Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom as being speculated in some quartres. Mr Ime Okopido, the state APC Chairman stated this while speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, while reacting to the crisis in the state House of Assembly. Okopido said that the APC and its lawmakers would not waste precious time to institute a process of impeachment on the governor, who has about three months to leave office. He described the statement credited to the state PDP Chairman, Mr Paul Ekpo, on Nov. 27, alleging that the APC lawmakers met to impeach the governor as faulty and misleading. “Let me state categorically clear that we in APC have never discussed plans to impeach the governor, and indeed, we are not interested in moving for his impeachment. Rather, we are eagerly waiting for March 2, 2019, when Akwa Ibom people will vote out thi...

Resign now, PDP tells INEC chairman, Police IG BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, on Thursday called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Yakubu Mahmoud, to resign over his alleged inability to conduct free, fair and credible election. He also called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, to resign, as he alleged that police officers were being used to undermine the democratic process. He spoke during the 83rd PDP National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja. Secondus said, “We want to do this advance warning that we are lovers of democracy and peace. “We want the peace of our nation; so, let them note all they have done, even in the case of Kwara and Bauchi, where we warned clearly that they announced different results. “That will no longer be acceptable. We therefore call on the INEC leadership headed by Prof. Yakubu to quietly resign beca...

PDP will win 2019 elections -Atiku BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, says he is convinced beyond any doubt that 2019 elections will be a victory walk for the PDP. Abubakar said this during the party’s National Executive Committee meeting on Thursday in Abuja. He said that going by the momentum the party had gathered through its transparent primaries and the people working together, victory was awaiting the party. He urged the leadership of the party to build on the momentum from its National Convention and the just concluded primaries. Abubakar said he was surprised when the party leadership invited him and informed him of the details of the money realised from the primaries, saying that had never happened before and had posed a very big challenge to him. “I said that should we win and we must win the Presidential election, we will have to enthrone the best fiscal responsibility this country ha...

2019: Don’t remain in Abuja, go to the grassroots, Secondus tells PDP members BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, has advised leaders and members of the party not to stay back in Abuja but go to the grassroots and work for the party’s victory in the 2019 general elections. Secondus gave the advice at the National Executive Committee meeting of the party held at the party’s National Secretariat on Thursday in Abuja. He said that it was not time to stay back in Abuja and expect things to workout. “This is the time we must be ready to go down to the grassroots, to do away with the style of gathering in Abuja, because I believe that the campaign structure will be a smart and very effective one. The matter is not in Abuja. It is directly at the grassroots. I believe that after this meeting, some people will have to relocate to their homes. “We are aware of what happened in 2015, where we gathered at...

Reduction in JAMB, SSCE fees welcome but not enough, Nigerians tell FG BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  Mixed reactions have trailed the Federal Government’s review of fees for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation  Examination, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and Basic Education Certificate Examination. Some stakeholders, who spoke to the  News Agency of Nigeria  in Abuja on Thursday, commended the gesture and urged the government to overhaul the education sector. NAN  reports that the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the downward review of the examination registration fees which will take effect from January 2019. An entrepreneur, Mr Sunday Ukachukwu, described the action as a “good step” in the right direction. “I give the Federal government credit for the downward review, but I think they can still do better because the reduction is not so significant. “If they reviewed the fees by 50 per cent,...

PDP to field 14 female, two male candidates in Lagos East —Party chieftain BTS MEDIA November 29,2018  The Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Lagos East Senatorial District, Mr. Taiwo Benedict, on Thursday said the party was presenting 16 candidates for the various seats in the zone in the 2019 general elections. The Lagos East senatorial zone comprises Ikorodu, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Kosofe and Somolu. Benedict told the  News Agency of Nigeria  in Lagos that the candidates would vie for the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senatorial seats in the zone. He said out of the 16 flag bearers of the party in the zone, 14 are women, while the remaining two are men. Benedict said the party was fielding a woman in Princess Abiodun Oyefusi to contest the sole senatorial seat in the zone in the general election. The chieftain said the emergence of more women as candidates was a demonstration of the party’s belief that women should have...

Strike: We want to save our varsities from rot, ASUU tells parents, students BTS MEDIA  November 29,2018  The Academic Staff Union of Universities has called on parents and students to show understanding in repositioning and saving the country’s university system from total collapse. The ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made the appeal in an interview with the  News Agency of Nigeria  in Lagos on Thursday. NAN  reports that university lecturers had on November 5, embarked on strike, demanding for the implementation of the 2009 agreement it entered into with the Federal Government. The lecturers are also calling for the full implementation of the Memorandum of Action agreement with the Federal Government in 2017; improved working conditions and welfare package; and upgrade of facilities in universities across the country. According to Ogunyemi, the strike is not to short-change neither the students nor the parents and other key st...

Senate okays higher institutions for President’s hometown, nine other BTS MEDIA November 29,2018  The Senate on Wednesday approved the establishment of 10 new higher institutions across the country. The resolution was made after the federal lawmakers adopted the report of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund. The committee’s chairman, Jibrin Barau, presented the report for consideration. The 10 new higher institutions approved by the Senate include one polytechnic to be located in the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari, Daura in Katsina State. The federal lawmakers agreed that the establishment of the institutions would open up the education space in the country. They also expressed the belief that the step would assist the country to fight illiteracy. The Senate also said that the approval of the establishment of the institutions was in line with the policy to establish polytechnics across the states. The approved institutions inclu...

Buhari reduces cost of UTME, SSCE forms BTS MEDIA  November 28,2018  President Muhammadu Buhari has reduced the cost of forms for some terminal examinations like the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, organised by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board, the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Examination Council, as well as the Basic Education Certificate Examination. This was revealed by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, after the Federal Executive Council meeting in State House, Abuja. According to Tolu Ogunlesi, the Head of Digital Communications for President Buhari, on his Twitter handle, @toluogunlesi, who shared the news, the reduction will take effect from January 2019. He tweeted, “President Buhari has approved the reduction in the cost of Forms for JAMB UTME, NECO SSCE and the Basic Education Certificate Examination. With effect from January 2019, the cost of JAMB UTME Form will drop from N5,000 to N...

My re-election a done deal – Ayade BTS MEDIA  November 28,2018  The Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, says his re-election for a second term in 2019 was a foregone conclusion. He stated this on Wednesday at the exco chamber in his office during a parley with journalists in the state. “Elections are two months away and Cross River is not feeling anything because there is no opposition. “I am not worried about the election. In 2019, I am a winner,” he said. The governor stated that with all his achievements and employment of over 6,000 aides and still counting, he believes he will be re-elected in 2019. “I am not campaigning because I am concentrating on the projects I am executing,” he said. He said he plays politics with ethics and valued his father’s name than the office of governor he occupied. Ayade also spoke about how he inherited a state neck-deep in domestic and foreign debts and was in recession, adding that he had to create a brand...

2019: Abdulsalami’s Peace Committee drums support for INEC BTS MEDIA  November 28,2018  Former Head of State and Chairman, National Peace Committee, Retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar has called for the support of stakeholders for the Independent National Electoral Commission, ahead of the 2019 general elections. Abubakar made the call shortly after his committee met with management of INEC led by its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday in Abuja. The former leader said political parties, journalists, Civil Society Organisations and security agencies were critical stakeholders needed by INEC to succeed in 2019 general elections. He said the outcome of the meeting indicated that INEC was ready for the elections, but there was a need for stakeholders to support it and make the elections free, fair, credible and peaceful. “INEC briefed us on the preparations for elections, the challenges and what it is going to do in order to make sure that there is a pea...

2019: Ortom orders arrest of those buying, selling PVCs BTS MEDIA  November 28,2018   The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday, directed security agencies in the state to arrest people buying the Permanent Voter’s Cards. Ortom gave the directive on Wednesday in Makurdi while interacting with newsmen. He said that the security agencies had been notified of the ugly trend, stressing that anybody found buying PVCs or selling them would be arrested and prosecuted. Ortom said that he was aware that members of a political party in the state were buying PVCs. He warned that security men would arrest them. “I advise members of the public to be wary of those who will want to dispossess them of their cards under whatever guise,“ he said.

Minimun wage: Onaiyekan says wage not best for low income earners BTS MEDIA  November 28,2018  The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, says the proposed minimum wage by the organised labour will not help low-income earners to meet their basic needs. Onaiyekan made this known at the first National Catechetical Summit, on Thursday, in Abuja. He said that there was need for the minimum wage to be approached in a way it would benefit both low and higher wage earners. “The whole issue of minimum wage has been so problematic in Nigeria. “Whenever the minimum wage is increased, it is not the low-income earners that gain, but the senior workers along the ladder who earn bigger salaries. “It should be done in such a way that it really targets those who need it and not be used as an excuse, to increase the wage of those who are not within the minimum wage,” he said. The clergy called on the Catholic Church in Nigeria to conside...