See Photos from The Burial Ceremony of The Ooni of Ife


Dignitaries at the burial of Ooni of Ife include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors, etc. More photos...
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Unknown Gunmen kill Former Benue Assemly member,two others



APC logo
A former member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Ukum state constituency, Mr. Douglas Bergha, and two other persons were shot dead by unknown gunmen at Kundav, in the Ukum Local Government Area of the state.
Bergha, who was contesting the chairmanship election in the local government on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, was a Peoples Democratic Party member while in the Assembly.
Our correspondent gathered that the former lawmaker was trailed by the gunmen and murdered in the presence of his family members at his Kundav home around 7pm, on Monday.
It was also gathered that after killing the APC stalwart, the gunmen killed two other persons who have yet to be identified.
The Assistant Police Public Relations Officer, Matthew Oku, confirmed Benue State Command, the report but said only two people were killed.
Oku said the gunmen, after killing the former lawmaker, also shot dead a motorcyclist who reportedly stood in their way.
Meanwhile, the APC chairman in the state, Abba Yaro, described Bergha’s murder as unfortunate and called on security agencies to track the killers and bring them to justice.
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Benue APC may head to appeal if...



By Tor Vande-Acka Makurdi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State says it would appeal, should the ongoing governorship tribunal rule in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the April governorship elections.
The state governor, Samuel Ortom of the APC is currently locked in battle with PDP’s Terhemen Tarzoor who is challenging the eligibility of the governor as APC candidate at the elections at the tribunal.
Counsel to Ortom, Sebastine Hon (SAN), who spoke with a cross section of the media in Makurdi on Saturday, said: “I must point out that if at the end of the day judgement is not entered in our favour, we will not hesitate to challenge it at the appellate court.”
The APC Counsel who was reacting to the possible outcome of the judgement at the tribunal, insisted that his client (Ortom) would explore the option of heading to the Appeal Court if the judgement was not in his (Ortom) favour.
According to him, “It is a right that is available to every Nigerian and guaranteed by the laws of this country, so we will exercise that right (to appeal) if the need arose, there is no doubt about that, but we are hopeful.”
He however added: “We have put in our very best in the entire proceedings and we are hopeful that at the end of the day judgement will be entered in our favour.”
“As you are aware, in the course of the proceedings we had a couple of rulings in our favour and same with our opponents who also got some and lost some, which is normal in the course of every proceedings and hearings,” Hon explained.
The tribunal closed last Thursday to reconvene on September 7, when it would allow counsels to file their written addresses as well as allow them move preliminary objections.

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Group writes president Buhari on Fashola



Mr. Babatunde Fashola
Mr. Babatunde Fashola
A civil society group, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to consider the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), for appointment.
The Executive Chairman of the group, Mr. Debo Adeniran, told our correspondent during an interview on Thursday that Fashola’s administration was engulfed in several controversies which could not be overlooked.
Adeniran said his organisation was troubled by many dilapidated schools in the state. He noted that when the Socio-Economic Right Accountability Project invoked the Freedom of Information Act to know how the Fashola government spent a $200m World Bank education funds, the state government refused to disclose it.
He said instead, the state government continued to run its affairs in secrecy by claiming that the FOI Act did not apply to state governments.
Adeniran said independent investigations by his organisation showed that the 1.36km Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge which was reportedly built for N25bn, cost only N6bn.
He said he had written a series of petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe the various projects of the Fashola government in the face of the over N500bn debt left behind by the government.
He said he was shocked to find out that the commission had continued to ignore all the petitions despite the fact that Fashsola no longer enjoyed immunity, having left office over 60 days ago.
In a letter addressed to the President titled, ‘Don’t elevate Fashola,’ the group said if Buhari wanted to actualise his mission of ‘change’ he would need to distance himself from controversy.
The letter read, “Mr. President, we are constrained at this point in time to bring to your attention our critical reaction to the unbridled speculation making the rounds for some time now, from the members of the public as well as the media, as to the fact that the immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, is being considered by the presidency for higher national responsibility. Feelers have it that his name is prominent on the list of the president’s nominees for key offices in your administration.
“It is gratifying that you have promised at various fora that your appointments would be purely based on merit and that tested technocrats, with impeccable records, would be given their rightful places in your administration, as a way of ensuring good governance to the people of Nigeria. It is against this background that our organisation is appealing to you to please take the pains to dig deep into Mr. Babatunde Fashola’s record of performance as well as that of financial propriety on the part of his government while in office.”
Fashola’s spokesperson, Mr. Hakeem Bello, did not respond to telephone calls as well as a text message sent to his phone.
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Death Notification (Atese Elizabeth Mngunengen Ortiukyaa)



With heavy heart,I announce the passing unto great beyond of my sister,Atese Elizabeth Mngunengen Ortiukyaa Epraim,nee-Wan Azabiam.
Atese Elizabeth died on the 3rd August,2015,at paradise Hospital in Zaki-Biam after a brief illness.
Burial is fixed for 18th August,2015 at Tse-yese,mbayenge,mbaterem,Ukum LG Area of Benue state.
She is survived by a husband,Rev Ortiukyaa Epraim,6 children,immediate,and extended family members.
May the good Lord grant her soul enternal rest,and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Signed:
Chiata Azabiam Boniface-publisher/editor-in-chief,The Sky Gate(ISSN 2006-5418),www.skygatnews.com/MD,Chiata-Az Fire Armour Ltd RC 976390 

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Eggon Traditional Council strips Maku of traditional title


The former minister of information, Mr Labaran Maku, has been stripped of his traditional title of ‘Turakin Eggon’ by the paramount ruler of Eggon nation, HRH Bala Angbazo.
This was contained in a letter signed by the secretary to the traditional council, Mr Christopher Alaku, and made available to newsmen in Lafia.
Although no reason was officially offered for the stripping of the title, sources that pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the move was not unconnected with the manner the former minister treated the council of Eggnog elders in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
It would be recalled that in their bid to realise their dream of producing a governor in the state being the largest ethnic group, the Eggon traditional council constituted a council of elders to mediate between governorship aspirants of Eggon extraction with a view to fielding a consensus candidate who would deliver the goods.
After wide consultations, the elders endorsed the candidature of Senator Dolomon Ewuga, but that did not go down well with Maku, who held a parallel rally at Endehu on the same day Senator Ewuga was being presented by the elders at the Eggon Community Secondary School, Nasarawa Eggon.
Efforts to get the former minister to comment on the development proved abortive as he neither answered his calls nor returned them.
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Buhari appoints GMD for NNPC:Issues under consideration



President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday approved the appointment of Executive Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil Africa, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, as Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
This however did not come without some high level political horse trading that puts President Buhari’s celebrated integrity at stake, the Nigerian Times investigation can reliably reveal.
Nigerian Times can disclose that Kachikwu who has before the dissolution of the board of the NNPC been behind most of the administration’s directives in the oil and gas sector is the candidate of the biggest private players in the sector; the unabashed controllers of Nigeria’s hydro-carbon destiny.
Kachikwu was introduced to Buhari by a group of oil block owners that comprise of former President Ibrahim Babangida,his side kick business magnate, Nuel Ojei and Gen Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) before the elections. It wasn’t their first try.
Around 2013, the triumvirate met with then President Goodluck Jonathan and made him a proposal: accept Dr Kachikwu as Petroleum Minister in place of  Deziani Alison-Madueke and they would back him maximally in the 2015 elections. The negotiations dragged on and finally collapsed when President Jonathan called it off.
Then as the 2015 elections loomed and Buhari’s campaign had to contend with serious financial constraints, he turned to Gen. T. Y. Danjuma for help. Danjuma invited his friends, Babangida and Nuel Ojei for a meeting where a decision was taken to present their botched plan with Jonathan to Buhari.
Buhari accepted to give them the position of the petroleum minister as a reward for their funding. Thereafter billions of Naira flowed into the Buhari campaign. Indeed the group also contributed to the Jonathan campaign.
After Buhari’s inauguration, the triumvirate met him with their candidate in attendance. Sources abreast of the negotiations told the Nigerian Times that Buhari announced to the group a slight change in the plan. According to the source, he told them that a group he referred to as “my people” would not agree to cede the position to them as originally planned.
Danjuma was left fuming and was said to have challenged Buhari to be the man he claims to be by keeping to the original agreement. The President offered the GMD’s position which was flatly rejected. To juice up his offer, he promised both the GMD and minister of state, petroleum. Danjuma was said to have pointed out the sheer clumsiness of the proposal. That was the point IBB took over a mediatory role. It was not clear at press time if the additional offer of minister of state, petroleum was still on the table.
Kachikwu, a respected operator in the industry owes his rise in the industry to his beautiful mind and an array of godfathers in the industry. Nuel Ojei is the Delta State born oil industry player who came into untold riches when IBB was president. Even though, Buhari has repeatedly restated his readiness to fight vested interest, the latest appointment simply goes to show how those interests could easily overwhelm.
Kachikwu hails from Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State and a First Class Graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Nigerian Law School.
The new NNPC Chief Executive also has Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Law from Harvard Law School.
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New provost appointed for federal college of education,Oyo



Buhari in office 2

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Professor Kamoru Olayiwola Usman as the new Provost of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo.
Mr. Usman takes over from Dr Emmanuel Adeniyi.
A statement by the presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the appointment of the 51- year-old Oyo-born Mr. Usman is for an initial term of four years.
His academic qualifications include a Bachelors Degree in Science Education, Masters Degree in Education (Mathematics) and a Doctorate Degree in Education (Mathematics).
Until his new appointment, Mr. Usman was Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
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Banks reject Cash dollar deposits



Naira notes
Naira notes
The United States dollar will further tumble against the naira at the parallel market this week as Deposit Money Banks continue to reject cash deposit of foreign currencies into customers’ domiciliary accounts.
The naira had appreciated against the dollar from 245 to 220 at the parallel market last week after banks started denying their customers opportunity to make cash deposits of dollar, pound and euro into their domiciliary accounts.
Foreign exchange dealers told our correspondent on Sunday that the naira would likely appreciate further against the dollar at the black market this week.
A forex trader, who chose to speak under the condition of anonymity said, “We expect the naira to appreciate further this week at the parallel market.
“Banks have flooded the market with dollars and other foreign currencies. This is making the naira to appreciate. There is still a huge stock of dollars out there that the banks will be pushing into the parallel market this week.”
The Acting President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, also noted that large amount of dollars in the market would make the naira to appreciate further at the parallel market this week.
Banks had last week told customers that they would no longer collect cash deposits into domiciliary accounts.
Fidelity Bank Plc, in an email to customers, said the policy came from the Central Bank of Nigeria and it was only a temporary measure to curb speculative activities.
Guaranty Trust Bank Plc also told customers about the development in an email statement.
“Banks no longer accept dollar cash due to large speculation on the currency,” the Chief Executive Officer, First City Monument Bank, Mr. Ladi Balogun, told a conference call last week
He said the lenders would continue to receive dollar transfers from other banks.
The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, had two weeks ago said the naira was “appropriately priced” at its current level of 197 to the dollar on the interbank market.
The local currency has lost around 15 per cent against the dollar over the past year, with an official devaluation in November and a de facto one in February.
The naira had weakened on the parallel market, falling as low as 245, on persistent dollar shortages after the central bank last month limited importers’ access to dollars in order to save the external reserves.
Early last month, the central bank fixed the spread at which bureaux de change operators could sell dollars to individuals, and also limited the amount that bank customers would spend using their debits cards abroad.
Although the restrictions have angered investors and frustrated companies that need dollars for imports, Emefiele has rejected the idea of loosening the curbs, saying the central bank could not adopt an “indeterminate policy” of currency depreciation.
Global ratings agency, Standards & Poor’s, had also said Nigeria would have to devalue its currency at some stage, possibly by more than 15 per cent, though it saw the adjustments as likely to be gradual.
FCMB’s Balogun had also noted that the parallel market was beginning to see a reversal in the naira’s weakness as banks stopped taking dollar deposits.
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