Eminent Nigerians, others honour Bishop Idahosa at 52nd birthday

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Bishop Idahosa (left) and Ayefele at the event in Lekki, Lagos.

Friends, family, associates and other eminent Nigerians have in Lagos joined a dynamic minister of God, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, to celebrate his 52nd birthday.

He is the General Overseer and Presiding Bishop of God First Ministries International as well as Senior Pastor of Illumination Assembly with headquarters in Ajah, Lekki, Peninsula, Lagos.

Dr. Idahosa who has been decorated by the Lagos State Government as one of the few LASTMA Mayors has also received a United Nations Peace Ambassador award for his immense contributions to the growth of humanity and peaceful co-existence through evangelism and pentecostalism.

For the Edo State-born preacher, it was a celebration galore at the Illumination Assembly as people gathered from far and near to celebrate him. They included captains of industry, politicians, clergymen and other eminent personalities such as Pastor Ayo Orishajafor Prof. Pat Utomi, Senator Solomon Ganiyu among others.

In his own unique way of doing things, the celebration kicked off with a night of praise on with Sammie Okposo and other anointed men of God in attendance. It climaxed with a special thanksgiving service on Sunday.

Gospel Juju music maestro, Yinka Ayefele was on the bandstand as he led the bishop and the congregation in singing and praising God. Ace comedian Akcapela was also at the service to add glamour to the event.

Speaking at a special lecture organised to commemorate the birthday, Utomi, a 2011 presidential candidate, urged the congregation to pray to God to grant Nigerian leaders wisdom to lead the people to the promised land. He emphasised that Nigeria needs a serious rebuilding of its institutions and God-fearing leaders, who are educated enough to rescue the country from collapse.

He called on politicians and leaders to always lead by example and work assiduously to create an enabling environment for investment in the country.

Ganiyu hailed the wonder working God of Idahosa. His words: “If we asked for something and we do not get the exact thing, we asked for, it is not that God did not answer the prayer but because he knows the best than we humans and of course we have a good governor in Lagos state today, that is an indication that God answers our prayers.”

He also asked the bishop and the congregation to keep praying for Nigeria and the present administration and God’s guidance.There was also representation from the School of the Blind. They came to associate with the bishop who has been a source of help and inspiration to them. He has, through his Isaac Idahosa Foundation, given gifts items to the pupils such as learning materials. A four-in-one inspirational book written by the bishop was also dedicated at the event.

Speaking during the dedication of the book, Pastor Alex Ososoa from United Kingdom said that Idahosa is a man of God whose life has been a perfect example of Christianity from inception and a good example to all minsters of the Gospel.

Earlier in a phone conversation with the bishop, Oritsejafor, the immediate past President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), prayed for long life and more exploits for Idahosa. He informed him that the whole body of Christ in Nigeria was proud of him. There were several other goodwill messages from South Africa, Europe and America.

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Ambode urges Lagosians to support new environmental initiatives

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Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has assured Lagosians that the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, which reviewed the state’s environmental laws, will reduce rather than increase the hardship faced by the people with the imposition of stringent taxes.

Ambode, who stated this in a media chat, described the initiative as a creative solution to the seemingly intractable refuse problem combating the state of aquatic splendor and a frontal attack to reduce public expenditure. He added that the initiative was borne out of his experience.

“Cleaner Lagos Initiative is borne out of my experience as a Lagosian. I have lived in Lagos for over 50 years. When you are coming into Lagos from Ibadan, the first thing you see on the right side is the dumpsite. Should I sit and continue to watch, the answer is no. Even for imagination sake, that thing can work; all I need is players and team members. The city is very dirty. It is not healthy and so our total wellbeing and health is defined by our health status and our productivity,”Ambode declared.

“I think by now people should know that I am a dreamer and I want people to dream along with me. This is like a vision. I sit down here as Governor. I have been given the opportunity to process something and improve on it and I don’t want to misuse it,” he revealed.

He said the initiative will give equal attention to all nooks and crannies of Lagos State from Ikoyi to Ayobo, adding that the consortium will divide refuse collection into layers and make the existing PSP operators bankable to carry out the job of commercial refuse collection while the consortium tackles collection of domestic refuse across the state.

“We will make their business bankable and then push them to commercial refuse. So they can go to companies around and collect their monies directly. With that, the PSP operators that really do not have enough capital will be able to employ more people and be bankable. They can go to the bank and say I have this quantum of business every month so give me a particular amount to buy new equipment”, he elucidated.

Governor Ambode said under the initiative, the people would need to pay their public utility levy once in a year and their refuse will be collected every day, adding “ the template we are using is that every ward will employ 100 street sweepers which translates to 27,500 people that will be kitted the same way all over the state. Lagos State will invest in equipment just like in London and have a zero tolerance for dirt on our streets.”

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Babayaro queries Rohr’s choice of Osimhen over MFM’s Odey…See full details

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Flying Eagles’ striker, Victor Osimhen

Former junior international, Emmanuel Babayaro, has questioned Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr’s choice of Wolfsburg’s Victor Osimhen, over MFM FC striker, Stephen Odey, in the team list released for the friendlies scheduled for England this month.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had sealed two tune-up matches for the Super Eagles against Senegal and Burkina Faso in London, in preparation for both the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers coming up later in the year.

Osimhen was the highest goal scorer at the 2015 U-17 World Youth Championship in Chile, but he is yet to find his feet at his club in Germany. Odey currently sits on top of the scorerers’ chart with six goals in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

According to Babayaro, Osimhen should be left alone to find his feet at Wolfsburg, instead of inviting him. He added that Odey should have been a superior choice after taking the NPFL by storm this season.

“I cannot understand the thinking behind Osimhen’s invitation, yet it appears everyone is silent because the decision was taken by Rohr, a coach who can do no wrong in the eyes of some people.

“Rohr is human and can make mistakes as well, and to me the decision to leave Odey out for Osimhen is pure injustice. The outcry would have been at its peak if the decision had been taken by a Nigerian coach,” Babayaro concluded.

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Opel takeover by Peugeot comes after years of crisis

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Peugeot

The imminent takeover of General Motors’ European subsidiary Opel by French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen comes after almost two decades of crisis for the historic manufacturer.

Despite remaining a familiar sight on German roads, the carmaker with the “Blitz” (lightning) logo and its British sibling Vauxhall haven’t booked a profit since 1999.

Recent woes cast a pall over the firm’s storied history, dating back to its founding in 1862 by Adam Opel as a sewing-machine and later bicycle manufacturer.

Based in Ruesselsheim outside Frankfurt, the company was Germany’s largest carmaker for decades before being overtaken by northern rival Volkswagen.

As GM lets go of a subsidiary it has held since 1929, here are some of the problems prospective new owner PSA will inherit:

– Brexit –

Opel hoped to finally return to profit in 2016, three years into the tenure of chief executive Karl-Thomas Neumann.

The carmaker’s future had been in doubt before his arrival, as GM mooted selling it off in 2009 — a year when the US giant was itself bailed out by taxpayers after going bankrupt — before changing its mind.

After a flurry of short-lived CEOs, Neumann managed to reduce losses and stop the slide in Opel’s market share only to run up against a slump in the value of the pound after Britain’s vote to quit the EU last June.

The UK is the biggest market for the Insignia and Corsa models, sold there under the Vauxhall brand, and Opel ended up booking a 257 million-euro ($271-million) loss for the year.

By contrast, Cologne-based competitor Ford Europe managed to make a pre-tax profit in 2016 even as sterling plummeted.

“Brexit is a false excuse” for Opel, industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of the CAR automotive research institute argued, pointing to the manufacturer’s other problems.

– Overcapacity –

Experts agree that Opel has not matched the success of other manufacturers like Ford or PSA — the French group behind Peugeot, Citroen and DS — in reducing overcapacity at its factories.

The situation has worsened since the 2008 financial crisis, which sent car sales in Europe tumbling.

Operating production sites below their maximum output weighs carmakers down with costs, and Opel’s 2014 shuttering of its plant in the western German city of Bochum with the loss of 3,000 jobs has not staunched the outflow.

“Opel suffers more from overcapacity than other European carmakers, meaning it has to offer big discounts to keep up a certain level of production and that hits its profitability,” Stefan Bratzel of the CAM research institute explained.

– Caged in –

Fearful of cannibalising market share for its Buick and Chevrolet brands, Opel parent GM never allowed the German firm to expand outside of Europe — especially into the lucrative Chinese market.

“All the western carmakers have been making their money in the Chinese market these past few years,” said Marc Staudenmayer, a partner in the Advancy management consultancy.

“Opel wasn’t allowed to do that, which explains its underperformance since 2005,” he continued. “Opel was reined in too much by GM.”

Locked into Europe, the firm has battled fierce competition in a crowded market against the likes of Volkswagen, Peugeot, Renault and Fiat.

– Failure to stand out –

Under Neumann’s tenure, Opel has turned to celebrities like beloved former Borussia Dortmund manager Juergen Klopp or model Claudia Schiffer to boost its image.

The high-profile endorsements have been the most visible part of a campaign to re-energise the brand, which lacked clear positioning abroad and suffered from a bad image at home.

Opel has achieved a “spectacular revival of the brand in terms of its image,” Advancy’s Staudenmayer said.

“Managers managed to wake up the brand from its sleep” and make it attractive to young people again, he argued.

But Dudenhoeffer countered that “Opel’s biggest mistake has been investing too much money in marketing at the expense of its products.”

– Where are the SUVs? –

Opel also remains reliant on too-generous discounts to attract customers and has not developed the right cars to excite buyers, the experts charge.

“There are market segments where Opel isn’t very strong, like SUVs,” Staudenmayer said.

That gap in its offering has left the firm missing out on a profitable product category even as other brands have been making hay.

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Lagos: Still grappling with affordable housing for low-income earners

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Epe Housing Estate

Govt: We Are Reviewing The Mortgage Scheme
Housing is a basic necessity of mankind. Perhaps that is why issues around it are taken seriously globally.

According to the United Nations Habitat, 30 per cent of the world’s urban population resides in slums, with deplorable conditions, where people suffer from several deficiencies, including lack of access to improved water, absence of sewage facilities, living in overcrowded conditions, and in buildings that are structurally unsound.

There are conflicting figures about Nigeria’s housing deficit, but experts often quote between 17 and 21 million.

According to the Lagos State government, about 187, 500 new homes are needed over the next five years to reduce housing deficit in the state.

Owning a home in the urban part of Lagos, does not come cheap and this is the reason for the constant outcry for government’s intervention in the provision of housing, especially for the poor and the not-too-poor in the society, who cannot afford hefty fees charged by private sector estate developers.

Lagos State has over the years been doing its bit regarding the provision of affordable housing. Specifically, during the tenure of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, one project many won’t forget in a hurry is the massive housing units built across the state. The over 30,000 housing units were built in Amuwo-Odofin, Ijaiye, Dolphin, Oke-Afa, Ilasan-Lekki, Abesan, Iponri, Ipaja, Abule Nla, Epe, Anikantamo, Surulere, Iba, Ikorodu and Badagry.

The houses were for the poor within the society, and that explains why they were called low-cost housing estates.

Jakande also ensured that a larger chunk of those allotted the flats were those it was meant for. Since then, no government in the state or outside of the state has matched that feat.

Under the immediate past administration of Babatunde Fashola, efforts were made to provide some housing units. Even though direct government intervention in housing should necessarily impact the poor and average citizens positively, many questioned whether Fashola’s housing intervention was for these classes of people, considering the rate each unit went for.

For instance, some of those units constructed in Igando, Mushin, Amuwo Odofin, Epe, Ikorodu and Ikeja among others went for between N17m and N18m, especially the three-bedroom flats. These are figures clearly beyond the reach of low-income earners.

While the estates in Ilupeju and Mushin have been completed, those of Amuwo-Odofin and Igando have been taken over by grasses, even though a section of the Igando Estate is nearing completion.

The Epe Housing Estate, which plays host to bungalows, unlike the others, which are storey buildings, also requires finishing touches before they can be habited.

Generally speaking, these estates are predominantly in the state they were when Fashola handed over to the incumbent administration, even as all contractors have left site.

However, the state government has reviewed downwards, the price of each of the units, with the new rates ranging from N1.5m (for a room and parlour) in Epe, but three-bedroom flat in Iponri remains at N25m.

Figures from the state government indicate that those interested in two-bedroom flats in Igando, Iponri and Sangotedo, other than paying the five per cent down payment, are also expected to make a monthly payment of N68, 555; N210, 938 and N105, 469 respectively.

For Esther Oromidayo Thontteh, a lecturer in the Department of Estate Management, University of Lagos, after Jakande’s era, there has not been housing projects targeted at the low-income earners, if the rates the units are sold for are taken into consideration.

“And because we run a capitalist economy, housing projects are executed with profit as the ultimate goal, which should not be,” she stated.

She noted that when the present governor came into office, he promised to consolidate on Fashola’s efforts, so it is expected that he would consolidate on the Lagos HOMS Project initiated by his predecessor.

The university teacher, however, maintained that with the price tags placed on the units, the Lagos HOMS Project is not for low-income earners, especially when considered from the United Nations standpoint, where an adult is not expected to spend more than 30 per cent of his/her income on housing.

“Let us take the N4.3m apartment as an example. You are expected to pay the 30 per cent down payment and the rest over 20 years. The minimum wage is N18, 000 and the annual cumulative is N216, 000.

“Thirty per cent of the N4.3m apartment is N1.29 million and monthly payment would be N25, 083.00, which is higher than the basic salary. Since the United Nations said you should not spend more than 30 per cent of your income on housing, the 30 per cent of the basic annual income is N64, 000.

“It means a Level One officer should not spend more that N65, 000 annually on housing, because it is assumed that from his earnings he would make provisions for transportation, school fees and feeding. So, you know he cannot even afford it and it is not affordable.”

Thontteh disclosed that an analysis of Level One to Level 15 officers in the public service was conducted, and surprisingly, workers on Grade Level 14 cannot afford the two-bedroom flat at Ogba, which is about N14 million.

“When you add the interest rate of about 9.5 per cent, the total sum goes to about N17m to N18m to be paid over 10 years. So, it is obvious you are not also planning for middle-income earners. So, the Lagos HOMS is still feeding the high-income earners.

“A Level 14 officer should have put in an average of 10 years of service, but in spite of that, he cannot key into the state housing project. If such officer cannot, then whom are they planning for? Things like this kill motivation among the workforce.

“For instance, someone is earning N150, 000 per month, minus 30 per cent present accommodation need, minus other needs, including school fees and feeding. What would be left that would serve as disposable income that can be put into housing programme? So, first and foremost, I cannot afford the 30 per cent down payment from my salary. It becomes a burden and I begin to wonder how long it would take to own a house in Lagos.”

Thontteh said though the state government is trying, it is not taking the poor masses, that is low-income earners into consideration, and this is the particular group that is truly in need of housing units through government’s intervention.

“Until we are able to provide housing that artisans can afford, that is when the people would say that government thinks about them,” she added.

Still ruing the skyrocketing cost of getting a personal accommodation in Lagos by low-income earners, she said: “Lets say we want to buy a plot land in the Ilupeju or Gbagada area of the state. Averagely, a plot land in these locations goes for between N15m and N25m. If I get one for N25m, it would take me about 10 years savings, as a lecturer to make the payment, and if it takes 10 years to buy a plot of land, how long will it take to build the house?

“So, this is the pressure the working classes are actually facing. And if one’s savings cannot buy a plot of land within three years, it means there is a problem. And most workers’ savings cannot buy them land within three years,” she lamented.

Thontteh called on governments to make deliberate efforts to factor in the poor and low-income earners in subsequent housing programmes they embark on.

“With that, low-income earners would have some housing units targeted at them. It could be a policy of the government and it could really work, as it has worked in other climes.”

According to the state Commissioner for Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, the Ambode-led administration met the different housing projects at different stages of completion. Some were as low as 10 per cent and others as high as over 85 per cent, but the government decided to complete those above 85 per cent and give them out, as quickly as possible.

He stressed that the present administration also decided to recreate the entire mortgage scheme, taking into cognizance, the demography of the residents.

“And with the demographic report by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, we were able to see that the ability of residents to pay had reduced.

“Another reason we decided to review the mortgage scheme is because of the economic downturn, as we looked at the ability to pay including those within the scheme, who were struggling to meet up with their monthly payment. This was why we came up with the rent-to-own policy, whereby an applicant pays five per cent of the cost of the unit and spreads the balance across ten years. And we felt that would be the best with six per cent interest rate.

“We also introduced rental services where a tenant comes in with a deposit of an extra month, and renews his monthly rent. So, we have rent-to-own policy for those who want to own a house and rental services for those who could not pay the five per cent. The outright payment we retained for those who want to go ahead with it.”

Lawal also informed that the recession battering the country made the government to look at the prevailing market prices and to reduce it for some of the housing units, especially those that the prices had already been fixed, and not those still under construction.

“Among units that we reduced the prices are the two-bedroom houses that were going for N7.2m and the one-bedroom facility, which went for N4.3m. Now, the one room and a parlour facility goes for N1.5, while the two-bedroom goes for N3. 5m and the one-bedroom for N2.3m.”

On claims by some that the Ambode-led administration has done little in the area of provision of accommodation for low-income earners, as well as the alleged discontinuation of construction work at the estates, the commissioner said: “It is not true. You are not a builder, so you cannot determine whether it was the last administration that worked there last. This administration has done 18 months, yes. But you saw the estates from the outside, did you go inside to see the kind of work we have done. And that was why I told you that we met some at advanced stage of completion and we completed them.

“The Ilubirin Housing Project is a different ball game, as it is now a Public-Private-Partnership project. What we had before the private developer came in is the equity contribution of government and the developer is adding about N200 billion to be executed in five years. It is going to be residential and commercial.

“Work is ongoing at the Amuwo Odofin Housing Project. When we came, it was below 35 per cent completion, but we decided to complete those that were about 65 per cent completed. The economic situation did not allow the government to complete those that were below 50 per cent, as we had to weigh our options.”

Lawal said the state government will continue to intervene in these projects and was doing all it could to bridge the housing gap.

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QUEENS COLLEGE: ‘Since my daughter came home for break, she has been stopping, vomiting’

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By Elizabeth Uwandu

Lagos—Emotions ran high as parents of Queens College students and sympathisers gathered at the requiem mass on Monday night in honour of Vivian Osuyi, a Junior Secondary School, JSS 2 student of the school who allegedly died of diarrhoea.

The death of Vivian and another unnamed student has drawn the ire of parents as they allege negligence by the school authority.

The Vice Chairman of the school’s Parents Teachers Association, PTA, simply identified as Alhaja Shittu who was present at Monday’s event, was challenged by the parents to give graphic details of the circumstances of the students’ death.

The parents also accused the former principal of the school, Dr Lami Amodu, transferred in the heat of the crisis to another school in Edo state, of incompetence because of the way she  handled the crisis.

Parents, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard, said the victims died from cholera outbreak caused by the contamination of the school’s water system, a development they claimed the school authority knew about, yet it allowed students to drink the water.

They also alleged that the school facilities, especially the toilets, were not properly maintained, hence the spread of cholera  infection.

Dead student’s father laments

For Mr Michael Osuyi, father to late Vivian, who was a boarder, her death was caused by gross misconduct on the part of the school authority.

According to Osuyi, Vivian, who was released by the school to her parents after an hour’s notice of her being seriously sick, was given anti-malarial drugs despite the symptom of stooling and vomiting.

He said the girl took the drugs judiciously yet her condition deteriorated resulting in her been taken to two hospitals where doctors confirmed her dehydrated.

“ My question is: why did the school authority give my daughter and other students who complained of being sick, malaria drugs?

‘’When the Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association, Mr Ofor Dike, called to commiserate with my family, did he not admit that the school’s water supply was contaminated?

“Why was no immediate treatment given to the students, rather the Chairman alleged that he personally bought 3,000 bags of pure water for the students?

‘’Why were students banned from calling their parents in case of emergency? And why was my family called at 5pm on Saturday, February 11, to inform us of Vivian’s deteriorating health? These are the questions I’m asking Queen’s College,” Osuyi lamented.

More experiences

Another  parent, who gave his name simply as Pastor Emmanuel said his daughter, a JSS 2 student, who escaped death by the whiskers, would have been a victim also but for the timely treatment given to her over a toilet infection during the Christmas holiday.

He said she was also medically checked after she came back from the recent mid-term break.

Narrating his daughter’s ordeal, Emmanuel said: “My only daughter contacted toilet infection which affected her private part from the school when she came back for the Christmas holiday. Again, after she came back for this mid-term break, we had to send her for medical check-up because of the circumstances under which the two students died.

“One of the tests conducted on her showed that she had acute typhoid. Her case would not have been different if not for God’s intervention, he added.

One other parent who craved anonymity, said he was not sure of his daughter’s fate. The girl,  a JSS 3 student is currently receiving treatment for diarrhoea.

According to him, the victims of diarrhoea outbreak in Queen’s College would have been more  but for the mid-term break that made parents  rush their wards for medical check-up and treatment where necessary.

“Since my daughter came home for the break, she has been stooling and vomiting. She was admitted and diagnosed of diarrhoea, however she has been discharged but she is still taking her medications. I fear for her as I don’t know what her fate will be,” he said.

Another parent, Mrs Obi said: “How can a Principal tell parents to disregard what took the lives of two students and also put over 200 students in critical condition as mere rumour? This is a clear case of the spread of an epidemic.

‘’Rather, than seek solution to the crisis, she blamed the report of the deaths on rumour mongers, claiming that it was only one JSS  2 student that died in her parent’s home two weeks ago.

“I am still at a loss over this development. We had our inter-house-sport on Wednesday and the students immediately left for home for midterm break.

“As I’m speaking to you, there is no student in school, so where is the rumour of the epidemic coming from? Who is behind this new round of rumour?”

Another parent added that, “We don’t mind our children staying at home until this issue is resolved.”

 

The post QUEENS COLLEGE: ‘Since my daughter came home for break, she has been stopping, vomiting’ appeared first on Vanguard News.

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In Osun, Aregbesola appeals to protesting traders to remain calm

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Rauf Aregbesola, Governor State of Osun

Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has appealed to the traders in Aiyegbaju International Market to embrace a peaceful resolution of their grievances, instead of taking to the streets.

The governor’s appeal was conveyed through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Semiu Okanlawon. This came on the heels of the protests organised by the traders last week, when they accused the government of breaching the agreements with them over the operation and ownerships of the market.

The traders alleged that despite the huge amounts they paid to acquire the shops, the market lacked necessary infrastructure such as electricity, water and others, almost two years after the reconstruction.

They also alleged that the state government had reneged on the original agreement of ownership of the shops for 99 years, saying: “The government suddenly changed the tenure of ownership from 99 years to 28 years.”

Okanlawon said government had taken cognisance of their grievances and would look into the issue but they should go through the right channels instead of taking to the streets.He said the matter was not beyond peaceful resolution if properly addressed.

Meanwhile, some traditional rulers in the state have expressed concern over the tactics some politicians are deploying to achieve their ambition ahead of the next governorship elections scheduled for August 2018.

The monarchs, who for now preferred to remain neutral but not silent on the development, urged the traders to beware of undue influence by desperate politicians, who were out to disrupt the peace in Osun.

However, a reliable source from the state described the protest as a deliberate attempt to embarrass the government and it no doubt has political undertone.

Supporting his skepticism about the protest, which he said was sponsored, the source produced the Certificate of Statutory Right of Occupancy signed on June 1, 2012, number 42 at page 42 in volume 202 of the Land Registry in the office at Oshogbo, Osun State, saying: “What was stated in the document was 30 years from the date of presentation out of which two was used for construction, leaving 28 for ownership instead of the 99 as claimed by the traders.”

He also contested the allegation of lack of necessary facilities claimed by the traders, saying: “It is the onus of the traders to prove whether they (traders) have complied with the payment of services charges as stipulated in the deeds of agreement.”

While he appealed to them for a peaceful resolution, the source dismissed the allegation that government reneged on its agreement with the traders.

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Security agents disrupt pro-Buhari rally in Abuja (Read full details)

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A rally in support of President Muhammadu Buhari administration organised by the Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative in Abuja …yesterday.<br /> PHOTO: LUCY LADIDI ELUKPO.

• President will outlive enemies, says SGF

A rally held yesterday in Abuja in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was disrupted by over 100 security personnel.The protesters, comprising young and old people, had converged on the Unity Fountain in Abuja, from where they later marched to the Presidential Villa to register their support for the government of Buhari.

The development underscores the support of many Nigerians the president still enjoys despite the protests against his administration across the country last week over the state of the economy.

The protesters were, however, stopped just before the first gate of the villa by heavily armed security agents who insisted the rally must not go beyond the vicinity of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) where they were forced to stop.

While an argument, which ensued between the conveners and the security personnel lasted for about two hours, more soldiers and armoured police vehicles were drafted to the scene. But this could not deter the protesters as they insisted to be addressed by the authorities in the villa.

Shortly after, they made a return to their takeoff ground at the Unity Fountain where a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu addressed them.

Shehu had not completed his solidarity speech when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal also arrived at the scene, apologising for the action of the security personnel.

While addressing the rally, Lawal said: “President Buhari will outlive those wishing him dead.” He attributed the anti-Buhari protests to those who looted the nation dry and are now bent on causing confusion despite the president’s efforts to redirect the country on the path of genuine development.

“The government of the day is encouraged by such support from patriotic Nigerians. With such solidarity, the government is being gingered to do more in the interest of all.”

He told the people that Buhari did not anticipate the degree of the current challenges bedeviling the country, expressing optimism that Nigerians would start reaping the full dividends of democracy in every form in a year’s time, even as he called for more support for the government to fight corruption to the finish.

The convener of the rally, Moses Abdulahi described the gathering as the most patriotic stance taken by those present, saying it couldn’t have come at a better date.Abdullahi attributed the current economic hardship to the level of corruption witnessed under the previous administration.

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Senate asks agency to verify Ezeibe’s claim on HIV/AIDS cure (Read full details)

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AIDS

Panel queries minister over poor revenue from culture, entertainment sectors

The Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare, Communicable and Non Communicable Diseases has asked the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to verify the claim of Prof. Maduike Ezeibe that he had found a cure for Human Immuno Virus (HIV).

Chairman of the committee, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP, Abia) made this request yesterday during the budget defence of the agency in Abuja. Ohuabunwa expressed misgivings over the manner the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) dismissed Ezeibe’s claim.

According to the senator, “Coming out with a disclaimer immediately is not the right thing,” Ohuabunwa said.However, Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said they were satisfied with the stand taken by NACA and the Centre for Disease Control.

Shuaib said anyone announcing cure for any disease must follow some rigorous steps to test the findings. “That process has not been followed by the professor. It is strange.”

The Senate also yesterday subjected the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to intense questioning over poor revenue generation from the culture and entertainment sector.

At a budget defence session with the minister and other officials of the ministry yesterday, the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism declared that it was unfortunate that the ministry presented only N620, 000 as total revenue generated in 2016.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, noted that the budget should not only be about expenditure, but also about the revenue profile. He said the Senate frowns at the said amount of N620, 000.00, saying it was too low.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2lO1ayT

Guggenheim celebrates immigrant roots in age of Trump

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NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 09: Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation Richard Armstrong speaks at 'Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim' sponsored by Lavazza at the Guggenheim New York on February 9, 2017 in New York City. Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Lavazza/AFP<br />Ilya S. Savenok / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

The Guggenheim Museum is highlighting the work of some of the visionaries who shaped its collection, using the occasion to note immigrants’s contributions to American art weeks after President Donald Trump signed a travel ban.

A show opening Friday in New York features works collected by founder Solomon R. Guggenheim’s niece Peggy Guggenheim, who along with art dealer Justin K. Tannhauser came to the United State to flee Nazi Germany.

Paintings and sculpture acquisitions by immigrant art dealer Karl Nierendorf, as well as those of two other Guggenheim contemporaries — German-born artist Hilla Rebay and Katherine Dreier — are on display for this tribute to the Guggenheim Foundation’s eight decades of support for radical experimentation in art.

These collectors held many works by European artists, including Marcel Duchamp, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso and Vasily Kandinsky, the Russian painter whose art is at the heart of the Guggenheim collection, which holds 150 pieces.

There are also works by Americans like Alexander Calder, who created a series of beloved moving sculptures known as “mobiles,” Jackson Pollock, Irene Rice Pereira and Claire Falkenstein.

“It’s no secret that we’re going through times with fundamental principles like tolerance and critical thinking being challenged,” said Richard Armstrong, director of the Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, in previewing the exhibit.

“Many similar challenges faced some of the visionaries of creative expression… We find inspiration in individuals whose beliefs was that art can change human behavior.”

His comments were a clear reference to Trump’s conservative immigration policy.

The show is also a reminder of a time when “artists and also dealers fled an earlier war… and found refuge, home and freedom in the United States,” Armstrong added.

Ever since Trump’s election, the art world has expressed its unease in various forms, be it fashion, song, video or photography.

A streaming video performance installation that aimed to provide a forum for anti-Trump expression was shut down after it became “a flashpoint for violence,” New York’s Museum of the Moving Image said.

And another New York venue, the Museum of Modern Art, is exhibiting works by artists from the seven predominantly Muslim countries targeted by Trump’s executive order, currently on hold after a series of court defeats.

– ‘Fertile period’ –
With the advent of war and Nazism in the 1930s, several of the European artists presented by Guggenheim through his public collection immigrated to the United States.

In the 1940s, New York catered to an “exciting cultural milieu where you had European and American artists encountering one another. It was just a really exciting moment. It was a really fertile period,” said curator Megan Fontanella.

In all, 160 works by 70 artists are featured in “Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim,” which runs through September 6.

It includes a broad range of artists from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century.

The oldest piece is a painting by Camille Pissarro from 1867. The most recent is Pollock’s “Alchemy,” from 1947.

For the curator, the Guggenheim, whose museum was established in 1939 but only occupied its spiral building near Central Park in 1959, benefitted directly from the creativity of artists from abroad.

“So many artists and culture figures found refuge here and ultimately helped shaped our institution,” said Fontanella.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kZ3xRz