A Nigerian Cleric based in Kaduna, Pastor Yohanna Buru, has urged Nigerians to always show love to the physically challenged and less privileged in the society so as to make them feel loved.
Buru made the appeal when he led a delegation of Christian leaders of Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry, to orphanage homes called the home of hundreds destitute in Kaduna to mark the Saint Valentine’s Day.
He said their choice of the vulnerable groups was to show them love and care because they need it; stressing that, many of them were been neglected and rejected by the society due to their nature, which makes live and survival extremely difficult.
According him, the best way to celebrate valentine is to spend the whole day with less-privileged in the society, which include; Handicapped kids, children with Deformities, Deaf and dump, the blind, those with leprosy, Widows, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the Inmates.
“As people around the world celebrate valentines’ day with their loves ones, sharing beautiful flowers and many Good things of joy and happiness, we deem it fit to select less privileged, orphans and refugees in other to make them understand that we loved them. We pray for God to help them overcome all their daily challenges,” he noted.
While calling on government at all levels and philanthropists not to relent in assisting the less privileged and vulnerable in the society, Pastor Buru said, these people are faced with so many challenges, hence the need for all and sundry to assist them.
“Last year I celebrated the valentine’s day with over 500 Inmates, Refugees, and the physically challenged. I also used the opportunity to sensitize them on the importance of sharing love irrespective of one’s religion or cultural background because we all are from one God, with Adams and Eve as our original biological parent,” added.
While expressing happiness over the gifts received, one of the physically challenged kids, Musa, said the Pastor always remember them in all festivities throughout the year. He prayed for God’s blessings upon the Pastor for his kind gestures.
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Recruits into the National Unity and Peace Corps in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria, have accused the command of asking candidates to pay money in order to get ranks.
A recruit who spoke with AFRICA PRIME NEWS expressed bitterness and disappointment in the State Command for already indulging in corrupt practices, even before the Nigerian President, signs the bill into law.
“It is bad enough that I had to pay the sum of 40,000. Asking me to pay for a rank is insulting because I have a degree in accountancy and think I deserve an appropriate rank when the time comes. Some of my counterparts have made payments and most of them are O level holders.
“I feel exploited. I wanted to get my deployment letter and was told to pay for it, the whole thing was frustrating and I told them I would not pay.” I decided to report this to one of the officers and he told me if he was in my shoes, he would be thinking of how to pay for a rank. I was disappointed.
“I also had some confusion during my registration for the training. I got a form for Peace Corps of Nigeria and was told I had to train under Nigeria Unity and Peace Corps. There is a lot of confusion concerning this whole arrangement. Well, I hope the whole thing works in my favour,” he said.
An Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) holder, currently undergoing training with the Corps in Kaduna has confided in AFRICA PRIME NEWS that she paid N120,000 for assigning her a rank.
She said, I had to sell my fridge and other items to raise the amount so as to get a higher rank when the posting is out.
“I am not regretting paying for it, I know overtime I will recoup my money..
When contacted, Kaduna State Commandant for Peace Corps of Nigeria, Patriot Sunday Baye, told AFRICA PRIME NEWS that he has been confronted with complaints of such allegations, but assured that his team has not been a part of the said corruption.
He said, “There is a difference between ‘National Unity and Peace Corps’ and the ‘Peace Corps of Nigeria’.
“National Unity and Peace Corps is taking money from candidates on grounds of assigning ranks to them – this is ruining the reputation of ‘Nigerian Peace Corps’ (the new name approved by National Assembly having passed the bill seeking the establishment of the body).
Peace Corps of Nigeria says it has written a petition against the National Unity and Peace Corps.
Mr. Baye also said Peace Corps of Nigeria has no hand in asking candidates to pay money for ranks.”
The Kaduna State Commandant of the National Unity and Peace Corps, Victoria Makama, who said she was attending a seminar in Abuja, at the time of the call, also denied the allegations in few words, “No, that is not true.”
There was a rumour that National Assembly has merged the National Unity and Peace Corps and the Peace Corps of Nigeria to form the Nigerian Peace Corps.
A local media had quoted the Nigerian boss of the Peace Corps, Dickson Akoh saying, “The Peace Corps Bill is very clear, the Senate passed the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill alongside ours.”
“He added that the National Assembly passed the Peace Corps of Nigeria Bill as Nigeria Peace Corps with provision in clause 37 (g) that any organisation, body or association that demonstrate interest in being member should approach the Peace Corps of Nigeria.
Meanwhile the National Unity and Peace Corps led by Chinedu Nneji, and Nigerian Peace Corps, led by Dickson Akoh are at war for leadership and supremacy.
Nneji goes by the rank, Commandant General, while Akoh prefers to be called National Commandant, and the two bodies are battling over the right name to be adopted by the merged unit.
Debating on the issue of supremacy, Nneji says, “As a matter of fact, there is no capacity of anybody heading Peace Corps that will match my own because if I give you my track record, my qualification in the university, you will see that you are talking to someone who groomed himself as a leader.
“I left the university in 1996 and I served with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) here in Abuja. I completed my service in 1998 and I went back to do my Masters Degree Programme from 1998-2000. I completed in 2000 and remained in Abuja. I completed my PhD until 2011 before I secured my PhD. But within this period, I was running my consultancy programme with the World Bank.”
Akoh defended his position saying, “I have been working for the Peace Corps of Nigeria since 1989 and no neophyte should take over the running because it is capable of rocking the boat.
The Act establishing Nigerian Peace Corps has adopted more of his bill than that of Nneji’s National Unity and Peace Corps; what was dissolved is Peace Corps Nigeria to form Nigerian Peace Corps.
The Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to creating more job opportunities to reduce youth restiveness in the society.
Lawal stated this during a special service in Kaduna State (North-west Nigeria) organized by the Kaduna Baptist Conference, aimed at seeking divine Intervention on the Security and Economy challenges faced in the country.
According to him, poverty and unemployment are some of the causes of insecurity in the country, as such there is need for government to work hard to address those challenges.
While calling on the youths to support all government programs for sustainable development, he urged them to shun all criminal activities and embrace the various empowerment programs of the Federal Government aimed at empowering them.
On unity of the country, he tasked leadership of the Church in Nigeria to engage in preaching the gospel of love and peace that will unite the country rather than preaching hatred which will divide the country, adding that, Nigerians should continue to pray for the present administration, as they are doing all within its power to fight corruption and restore the lost glory of the country.
He further enjoined citizens of Kaduna state and Nigeria as a whole to work towards peaceful co-existence, saying government is willing to develop the country but development can only take place under peaceful atmosphere.
Earlier, the President of the Kaduna Baptist Conference, David Dagah, said it has become necessary for the church to stand in the gap and pray for the peace, unity and development of the country.
Port Harcourt (Nigeria) — FOR almost half a century, they have been living in isolation, and still sentenced to a life of misery. It is not The their fault. It’s a glaring act of sheer neglect, and abandonment by government. Successive governments only made promises, a seeming fake promise of rebuilding the Ukpagada Bridge in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross Rivers State. Nothing is happening yet, and the misery of the electorate there continues.
The only bridge linking the community with the outside world that was built by the British in the cause of colonialism, was bombed by Nigerian troupe during the civil war of 1967/70. Since then, the incident has been fueling poverty, environmental degradation, threat to life, and the like, in Ukpagada.
It is only a stony heart that will refuse to bleed as the local people narrate their ordeals to us as we listen to their testimonies: They talk about how they are detached from the rest of the world since the bridge was bombed, and that not until this year, Dr. Ray Ugba Morphy, a public spirited individual who hails from Ogoja, takes it upon himself to rebuild the bridge.
Their Ordeals In 2016, at about midnight, Mrs. Elizabeth Sunday, 28, was in severe labour at home. She did not anticipate it. The family needed the Ukpagada Bridge to take her to the nearest health professionals. But the bridge was not there. They had to resort to an unscientific method to save her. Many like Mrs. Sunday in needed urgent medical attention never lived to tell their stories.
The bridge connects other nearby communities like Bakor and Nkum. Since she couldn’t be taken to health professionals, the expectant mother had to deliver at home. “It was a harrowing experience and I could have died if not for providence. Although, I survived during the cause of giving birth but some others were not lucky, due to the out-of-the-way road caused by man,” she says.
Her experience also re-echoes in the neighbouring local government areas like Obudu, Yala, Ikom, Etung, Boki, Abi and Biase, all in the same Cross River. John Obo, an entrepreneur says, “Businesses are collapsing and human rights are trampled on because of the Bridge.”
The community is suffering from a long neglect by government, which has resulted to untoward flooding last year that damaged many of the towns and villages, because there’s hardly any proper drainage constructed.
“In October, seven local government areas in the state were wrecked by flood resulting to hundreds of thousands of people rendered homeless and over two hundred farms washed away. Farmlands that included rice, yams, cassava, cocoa, cucumber, palms, vegetables and others were mostly affected by flooding,” says Peter Jonas, a village head.
When the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. John Inaku evaluated the adversity, he awestruck the people that climate change was the culprit for the flood debacle. “The disaster was as a result of climate change as envisaged by Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET,” he said.
Some of the residents nonetheless feared that the flooding was as a result of government neglect of overflowed bank of Aya River that crisscrossed the northern part of the state. This was even as Mr. Inaku gave the people hope that government was making sure that the victims did not lack.
Succour Coming At Last! Moved by the tales of woes of the community, Morphy has taken the bull by the horns. On January 12, 2017 he offered to renovate the bridge with his personal resources.
“I decided to reconstruct the Ukpagada Bridge given its chronological archives, no matter the cost. It is not about showing off that I am wealthy; it is about knowing the true meaning of essence,’’ he says.
Adding, he says, “I learned that the Bridge was built by the British in the cause of colonialism in the country called Nigeria today and was bombed by the Nigerian troupe fighting with the Biafran side during the 1960-1970 war in the country.
“While that project has been taken, all well meaning sons of Ogoja and indeed those of Bakor extraction, should know that we still require to put a grader on that road that has been reduced to a motor-bike highway for over 47 years of neglect.”
Morphy who last year quitted Governor Ben Ayade’s job as Special Adviser, Strategy and National Contact, due to some pressing differences, on January 29, said, “I am delighted to inform all those concern that an Ogoja daughter in the UK and a member of the royal Morphy family, Mrs. Paulina Morphy-Fogg and her dear husband, Eric Fogg, have both decided to follow the pathway set by their brother (me) to undertake the construction of the second mini bridge to push further the connectivity link between Ukpagada and the world.
“The project is set to commence in the next two weeks as all necessary logistics shall be carried out to ensure a smooth take off.”
Hopefully, the likes of Mrs. Elizabeth Sunday will not have to go through what her family and she went through during labour again. They will not deliver their babies in the bush again as there are prospects of motor vehicles conveying them to health facilities, and economic activities coming alive again courtesy of the kind gesture of Ray Ugba Murphy.
Odimegwu Onwumere is a Poet, Writer and Consultant based in Rivers State. He contributed this piece via: apoet_25@yahoo.com
Hello – Adele – WINNER Formation – Beyoncé 7 Years – Lukas Graham Work – Rihanna Stressed Out – Twenty One Pilots
Song of the year
Formation – Beyoncé Hello – Adele – WINNER I Took A Pill In Ibiza – Mike Posner Love Yourself – Justin Bieber 7 Years – Lukas Graham
Best rap album
Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book – WINNER De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody DJ Khaled – Major Key Drake – Views Schoolboy Q – Blank Face LP Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
Best urban contemporary album
Beyonce – Lemonade – WINNER Gallant – Ology King – We Are King Anderson Paak – Malibu Rihanna – Anti
Best country solo performance
Love Can Go To Hell – Brandy Clark Vice – Miranda Lambert My Church – Maren Morris – WINNER Church Bells – Carrie Underwood Blue Ain’t Your Color – Keith Urban
Best rock song
Blackstar – David Bowie – WINNER Burn the Witch – Radiohead Hardwired – Metallica Heathens – Twenty One Pilots My Name Is Human – Highly Suspect
Best pop duo/group performance
Closer – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey 7 Years – Lukas Graham Work – Rihanna Cheap Thrills – Sia featuring Sean Paul Stressed Out – Twenty One Pilots – WINNER
Best new artist
Kelsea Ballerini The Chainsmokers Chance the Rapper – WINNER Maren Morris Anderson Paak
Best pop vocal album
Adele – 25 – WINNER Justin Bieber – Purpose Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman Demi Lovato – Confident Sia – This Is Acting
Best pop solo performance
Hello – Adele – WINNER Hold Up – Beyoncé Love Yourself – Justin Bieber Piece By Piece (Idol Version) – Kelly Clarkson Dangerous Woman – Ariana Grande
Best R&B performance
BJ The Chicago Kid – Turnin’ Me Up Ro James – Permission Musiq Soulchild – I Do Rihanna – Needed Me Solange – Cranes In the Sky – WINNER
Best R&B song
PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake – Come See Me Bryson Tiller – Exchange Rihanna – Kiss It Better Maxwell – Lake By the Ocean – WINNER Tory Lanez – Luv
Best rap performance
Chance The Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz – No Problem – WINNER Desiigner – Panda Drake featuring the Throne – Pop Style Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana & Infared – All the Way Up Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West – That Part
Best rap/sung performance
Drake – Hotline Bling – WINNER Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar – Freedom DRAM featuring Lil Yachty – Broccoli Kanye West featuring Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream – Ultralight Beam Kanye West featuring Rihanna – Famous
Best R&B album
BJ The Chicago Kid – In My Mind Lalah Hathaway – Lalah Hathaway Live – WINNER Terrace Martin – Velvet Portraits Mint Condition – Healing Season Mya – Smoove Jones
Best rap song
Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana & Infared – All The Way Up Kanye West featuring Rihanna – Famous Drake – Hotline Bling – WINNER Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz – No Problem Kanye West featuring Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream – Ultralight Beam
Best metal performance
Baroness – Shock Me Silvera – Gojira Korn – Rotting In Vain Megadeth – Dystopia – WINNER Periphery – The Price is Wrong
Best rock performance
Alabama Shakes – Joe (Live from Austin City Limits) Beyoncé featuring Jack White – Don’t Hurt Yourself David Bowie – Blackstar – WINNER Disturbed – The Sound of Silence (Live on Conan) Twenty One Pilots – Heathens
Best dance recording
Bob Moses – Tearing Me Up The Chainsmokers – Don’t Let Me Down – WINNER Flume – Never Be Like You Riton – Rinse and Repeat Sofi Tukker – Drinkee
Best dance/electronic album
Skin – Flume – WINNER Electronica 1: The Time Machine – Jean-Michel Jarre Epoch – Tycho Barbara, Barbara, We Face A Shining Future – Underworld
Best music video
Beyonce – Formation – WINNER Leon Bridges – River Coldplay – Up and Up Jamie xx – Gosh OK Go – Upside Down and Inside Out
Best country song
Keith Urban – Blue Ain’t Your Color Thomas Rhett – Die A Happy Man Humble and Kind – Tim McGraw – WINNER My Church – Maren Morris Miranda Lambert – Vice
Best country duo/group performance
Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King – Different For Girls Brothers Osborne – 21 Summer Kenny Chesney and Pink – Setting the World On Fire Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton – Jolene – WINNER Chris Young With Cassadee Pope – Think of You
For full list of nominees and winners of the 2017 Grammy Awards in all categories, click here
Governor of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, Akinwunmi Ambode says his administration will revive the National Arts Theater and restore it to life, as part of national plan to revitalize monuments in the country.
Gov. Ambode expressed interest in the structure when he joined Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to inspect the National theatre at Iganmu, Lagos.
“I am here at the National Theatre in continuation of my collaboration and partnership with the Honourable Minister of Information, Culture.
“We both believe that we must join hands together to uplift our national monuments, irrespective of where we are working.
“As part of our own vision, we have always said that we will use arts and culture to promote national heritage and this visit is just one of those visits.” he said.
The National Theatre Art is a centre for performing arts in Nigeria, established to preserve and promote arts and culture in the country.
It was fashioned after the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria – contract for its construction was signed on April 24, 1973 and the construction was completed in 1976 in readiness for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977.
Nigerians resisted a move to sell the theatre in 2001, barely two years after the country returned to democratic rule.
Recently the country’s Minister of Information and Culture had warned against destruction of monument in the country. Some developers had destroyed a 190 year old Brazilian style house built in 1956 by returned slaves.
Responding to Ambode’s gesture, Lai Mohammed said, “I cannot be happier today that I have got the firm commitment of the governor that he is going to partner with Federal Government to bring back the National Theatre to what it used to be.
“I see this as a hand of friendship between the state and Federal Government in the area of reviving the creative industry.
“This is the first major step in transforming the creative industry to creative economy,’’ Mohammed said.
Ghana’s first medal winner coach, Sam Arday died Sunday, after brief illness at 71. He was Former technical director of a football academy in Ghana, Gomoa Fetteh Feyenoord, now West Africa Football Academy (WAFA).
Arday, fondly called ‘multi-system’ led his country to victory on several occasions including, leading Ghana’s Olympic team to winning a bronze medal in 1992.
He also steered the under-17 football team, the Black Starlets, to the 1995 FIFA U-17 World title and the African Under-17 Championship in Mali.
Ghana’s president, Akuffo Addo, while mourning the loss of the icon sends a condolence to the family from his tweeter handle, @NAkufoAddo , saying, “Saddened by the news of the death of Sam Arday. Undoubtedly, one of the most brilliant coaches Ghana has produced.
“My condolences to his family, and may his soul rest in perfect peace.”
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Kaduna State in northern Nigeria has announced the destruction of the recently laid foundation for the construction of military barracks by unknown persons.
Spokesman of the governor, Samuel Aruwan, announced on Saturday that the governor received the news of the act with shock.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of the state, and Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai laid the foundation last week at Ungwan Yashi area of Zangon Kataf Local Government as a response to the incessant killings occurring in Southern Kaduna since 1980.
Aruwan quoted the governor describing the development as, “unfortunate, and further confirms that the conflict entrepreneurs are determined to continue to create obstacles and setback to our stabilization and peace building efforts.”
Aruwan’s statement further quoted the governor saying, “I want to use this medium to appeal to all men and women of conscience to remain firm and optimistic, while government in collaboration with security agencies, civil society, religious and traditional institutions will continue to work assiduously for peace and security of life and property.
“Finally, all those that have their hands in the destruction of this structure will not go free. The security agencies will fish out the perpetrators, and those found to be involved, or engaged in omissions that led to the destruction of public property will be brought to justice without fear or favour.”
A Nigerian Cleric based in Kaduna, Pastor Yohanna Buru, has urged Nigerians to always show love to the physically challenged and less privileged in the society so as to make them feel loved.
