UNESCO, FCT to train 50,000 women

The Director, FCT-Agency for Mass Education,
Alhaji Musa Yakubu, said on Saturday in
Abuja that UNESCO had arranged to train
50,000 women on literacy and different skills
acquisition by June.
Yakubu told the News Agency of Nigeria that
the training would cover the FCT and Rivers.
According to him, the training will be
organised by UNESCO in collaboration with
and agency and its Rivers’ counterpart.
“The training, which will last for three years,
is a pilot programme. It will commence in
Abuja and Rivers by June. They will learn
through the use of radio and television.
“They will teach them on how to read and
write through the ICT. 20,000 women will be
trained in the first year, 10, 000 for FCT and
10,000 for Rivers.
“They will not only be taught how to read and
write, they will also be taught some basic
skills such as catering services, tailoring and
soap making, among others.”
The director said that UNESCO would provide
instructional materials for the programme,
which would be coordinated by Procter and
Gamble (P and G), makers of sanitary pads.
“P and G is handling the programme because
most of its products, such as sanitary pads,
are being used by our women and girls. They
want to empower them. I think it is like
payback time.”
He said on its part, the agency would create
awareness, provide facilitators and arrange
for the venue of the programme.
“We have trained some facilitators already.
UNESCO is not giving us money. They will
support the training, facilitators and learners
with instructional materials.
“The project started in Dakar, Senegal, and it
was successful. That is why they want to
replicate it in Nigeria.”
He said the agency, with 582 centres in the
six area councils, had the mandate to provide
literacy to those that did not have the
opportunity to access formal education in
earlier in life.
“Our mandate is to make sure that every adult
is literate, including the youths that are out
of school,” he added.

Jonathan did not promise amnesty for Boko Haram – Presidency

The Presidency on Saturday said there was
nowhere in his speech on Democracy Day that
President Goodluck Jonaathan declared
amnesty for members of the Boko Haram
sect.
Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said this
while addressing State House correspondents.
Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Boni
Haruna, had on Thursday said Jonathan has
announced amnesty for members of the Boko
Haram sect as parts of his administration’s
youths-friendly programmes and policies.
While giving an overview of youth’s position
in the present administration’s
transformation agenda at a special event
tagged “A day with young leaders of Nigeria”
to mark the nation’s Democracy Day in
Abuja, the minister said series of integration
programmes have been lined up for members
of the sect who would surrender their arms
and embrace peace.
But Abati said the President did not use any
word like amnesty.
He said what Jonathan said was that
opportunity had been created for those who
want to denounce terrorism through the
Presidential Fact-Finding Committee and
Presidential Committee on Dialogue and
Peaceful Resolutions of Conflict in the North
Eastern part of Nigeria.
The presidential spokesman said, “Let me
refer you to the speech by the President. If
you read the speech line-by-line, you will see
that it contains the very message that the
President wanted to put across.
“In that speech, if you look at it, I don’t think
the President used amnesty, instead he spoke
about those who are willing to renounce
terrorism and those who are willing to
embrace peace.
“Opportunities have been created for them
through the fact-finding committee and
through the Presidential Committee on
Dialogue and Peaceful Resolutions of Conflict
in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. So I will
refer you basically to the speech by the
President.”
Abati said the President was sad when he
heard about the Friday killing of the Emir of
Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta, who was one of
the three emirs ambushed by members of the
sect on Biu-Azare-Garkida Road in Borno
State.
He said the incident had further portrayed the
insurgents as people who are desperately
threatening the peace and stability of the
country.
He however reiterated Jonathan’s position
that he would not rest until the days of peace
are restored in the country.

Nigerian Soldiers In Fierce Battle With Boko Haram Militants In Zhur Forest

Nigerian soldiers and members of Boko Haram
sect are currently engaged in a fierce battle in
a forest in between Garkida town under Gombi
local government in Adamawa state and Hawul
local government area of Borno state,
according to reports coming out of Maiduguri.
Dailypost reports that a top security source,
who did not want his identity revealed, stated
that the battle is taking place at Zhur forest
close to Sangere, a Fulani settlement.
It was gathered that some Boko Haram
militants pitched there tent in the area and
are terrorizing villagers and travellers along
Borno, Adamawa route.
The source informed that he entire Garkida
town is currently in panic and residents of the
town are scampering for safety. He added
that the Nigerian military has however,
dispatched its men to the area to calm the
people of the town.
* Members of Nigerian military on duty
"There are Nigerian soldiers in Garkida now
but you know the people have never
experienced the sound of war, they are all
afraid. We blocked the road so that people do
not get entangle or rush to unsafe places.
Network also has been showdown except for
GLO line to allow for communication in
Garkida," he said.
The source also opined that the security
operatives found out that the insurgents have
been going to villages in the area to collect
money from residents and also force their
young men to join the terror group or they get
killed.
*File photo of Boko Haram militants
"Last week, we received report that they
(militants) went to Shaffa, although they did
not cause trouble but they collected money
from some people and asked them to get
more money within a period of two weeks
otherwise they would come and run down the
whole village.
"The two weeks would elapsed tomorrow
(Saturday), but report came that they were at
Zhur with their fighters and the battle is taken
to their door steps," he said.
As at the time of compiling this report, the
Nigerian military has not made an official
statement concerning the attack.
Meanwhile, the Boko Haram insurgents were
reported to have killed over 50 people on
Thursday in a village in Borno State, north-
eastern Nigeria.

Bishop Oyedepo's message to Jonathan

Popular Nigerian clergyman, Bishop David
Oyedepo, has advised the Federal Government
on the wave of terrism being perpetrated by
the Boko Haram insurgents across Nigeria.
Punch reports that the founder and
Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun
State, told President Jonathan to find means
of resolving the crisis rocking some states in
the North so as to prevent the country from
turning into a war zone during a workshop
organised by the African Leadership
Development Centre on the university campus
early in the week.
Speaking on the theme: "The Leadership
Imperative: Conflict Management and Conflict
Resolution Demands for Inspiring
Transformation and Driving Change", Oyedepo
stated that though conflict was unavoidable in
any part of the world, it was important that
the leadership of the country dealt with such
in order to avoid a state of war.
* Bishop Oyedepo
"War is a sucker. It sucks the resources of a
nation. Only those who don't know its cost
propagate it. We must not have war in
Nigeria. We should not even think of it. Its
consequences are unimaginable. War is a
crime against humanity. It erodes human
dignity, destroys and devastates. It is staring
at us in the face but we must avoid it.
"I once saw a family in Iraq who were feeding
on leaves from graveyard. That is what war
can do. It destroys the humanity in us. There
is no life in war," he added.
Commenting further, the religious leader said:
"Nigeria must not see war again. This is not a
prayer but a clarion call for a new way of
thinking. Let us have real value for human
lives. We are human beings. We need to start
placing the appropriate value on human lives
again.
* Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau
"That is why we have to start to engage in a
new way of thinking. Nigerians need to start
building character, courage and capacity if we
want to avoid war breakout."
The Boko Haram insurgents have been
reported to have claimed at least 4,000 lives
since 2009 .
The terror group are currently holding no fewer
than 276 schoolgirls they abducted at the
Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok,
Borno State on 14 April, 2014.
In spite of calls for the militants to release the
girls, the leader of the group, Abubakar
Shekau, said they would only free the girls in
exchange for some of their members captured
by the Nigerian military.
* Some of the abducted Chibok girls
The Nigerian government has since stated
that its not going to negotiate with the
terrorists on the release of the schoolgirls,
promising to do whatever it takes to rescue
them.
With seven weeks elapsed since the girls'
abduction, Nigerians and the international
communities are hoping that the girls would
regain their freedom at the earliest possible
time.

How The Emir Of Gwoza Was Murdered In Open Street By Boko Haram

The Borno State Government has announced
the murder of the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa
Timta, by gunmen believed to be members of
the Boko Haram militant sect.
A statement signed by Ambassador Baba
Ahmed Jidda, the
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said
the emir was killed at about 9am today along
Tashan Alade on the way to Biu town,
headquarters of Biu Local Government Area in
Southern Borno.
He was in the company of the Emir of Askira,
Alhaji Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama
and Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza,
on their way to the funeral in Gombe today of
the late Emir of Gombe. The emirs had elected
to drive in the same vehicle to Biu to pick up
the Emir of Biu to travel with them.
The SSG gave the sequence of events as
follows: “The late Emir of Gwoza had visited
his counterpart, the Emir of Uba yesterday and
passed the night in Uba ahead of their
planned trip today. The two Emirs were this
morning, joined by the Emir of Askira. The
three drove in the same vehicle with the
intention of going to Biu to be joined by their
counterpart in Biu. Unfortunately as they were
driving in convoy to Biu, they were ambushed
by gun men around Tashan Alade, soon after
passing Garkida. The gunmen came after the
convoy, specifically targeted the vehicle
conveying the three Emirs and opened fire.
The Emir of Gwoza was unfortunately killed by
the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and
Uba escaped unhurt. A policeman in the
convoy was shot by the attackers but he
survived the attack.”
He described Alhaji Timta, a first class emir
following his recent elevation by Governor
Kashim Shettima, as a great man who worked
very hard to promote peace and progress in
Gwoza.
“He was a pillar and one of the rallying points
in Borno State,” the statement said, adding
that he has visibly worked very hard in the
search for peace in Gwoza since the
insurgency began.
“Borno State Government is terribly shocked
by this incident,” the SSG said. “The
Government prays that Allah admits the late
Emir into aljanna Firadaus and give family,
members of the Gwoza Emirate Council, the
people of Gwoza, the State Council of Chiefs
and the entire people of Borno State the
fortitude to bear this very traumatic loss
especially at a time the State is still dealing
with equally disturbing issues related with
security challenges in the State.”
He prayed for accelerated and lasting peace in
Borno State and the rest of Nigeria.

Hmm... Holy Divorce?! My Wife Is Always Angry And Bitter – Pastor Chris Says Of Anita Oyakhilome

Reports indicate that the famous couple cum
pastors of Love World Assembly aka Christ
Embassy Church, Pastor and Mrs. Oyakhilome
are having trouble in their marriage and may
have already separated or a divorce is in the
works. According to fresh reports from the
United Kingdom -where the couple resides –
members of the Christ Embassy Church over
there have begun to register concerns over the
absence of the wife, Rev. Anita Oyakhilome
from church. Pastor Chris while addressing
the pastors and Deacons of Christ Embassy in
the UK was said to have declared his
displeasure with the way his wife was running
the UK headquarters.
He allegedly said, “I already
started Christ Embassy before I married her. I
didn’t marry her and said we should start
Christ Embassy. I was already Pastoring. I
already set my sail and knew my direction
before I married her. I only said come and help
me. Be careful of the friends you keep. My wife
keeps friends who bring out the worst in her
and help her see the worst in people instead
of keeping friends that will help
hervision especially as the wife of a global
pastor like me. Bitterness is prolonged and
accumulated anger. My wife is always angry
and bitter. Allegations are either false or
twisted information. The current situation is
not as a result of what I did or what I didn’t
do. I didn’t do anything to have caused an
upheaval. You don’t join a woman to fight her
husband. I’m not teaching you what is wrong,
at least I have 2 girls who will one day marry
and I want to them to enjoy it.”