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FG will take 100m Nigerians out of poverty in next 10 years—Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government will take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.
Osinbajo’ spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement in Abuja, said the vice president made the pledge on Thursday during a visit to Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar, the Emir of Gwandu in Kebbi State.
The vice president, who thanked the traditional ruler for hosting him, said he was in the state to “do a lot of things” one of which was to inaugurate the Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs).
He said he would also take a look at the new markets that had been rebuilt after the fire, and also ensure that some of the schemes being implemented to boost living standards were truly in place..
“ One of the very important schemes is what is called the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, which has the TraderMoni and MarketMoni.
“ TraderMoni is the scheme where we give petty traders N10,000, and when they pay back, N15,000, then N20,000 and it goes on and on to N100,000.
“The president’s desire for this programme is that every hard-working citizens of this country should be able to have some support from government, no matter how little their inventory.
“Today, at the market, I passed a woman who was selling vegetables and I asked her how much her whole inventory was, the whole thing was N500; it is for such people, such petty traders, that the TraderMoni N10,000 is meant, so that they can buy more.
“The President has promised that by the grace of God, we are going to take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.
“I believe very strongly that we are going to achieve that, but we can only achieve it with the able support of the state governments,’’ the statement quoted Osinbajo as saying.
September 13, 2019
Back pain, neck pain treatable with physiotherapy- Expert
A physiotherapist, Dr Michael Egwu, has said that back pain, neck pain, urinary retention, spinal dysfunction and cervical headache can be treated effectively through physical and manual methods of physiotherapy.
Egwu made the assertion in his address during the Nwuga Physiotherapy Foundation Distinguished Annual Lecture on Thursday in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture was entitled: “Nwugarian Techniques of Manipulative Therapy (NTMT): A Solution to Myriads of human ailments’’.
According to him, the manual NTMT method of physiotherapy can help a lot of people suffering from different debilitating ailments over medication and surgery.
“Millions of people are suffering from problems relating to the back and many of them have given up hope on ever finding relieve.
“Back pain is a long recognised ailment challenging clinicians till date and it is conveniently treated using surgery and chemotherapy.
“In developing countries, pain especially back pain is culturally interpreted as a harmless experience that accompanies ageing, ” he said.
According to Egwu NTMT which was named after its inventor, Emeritus Prof. Vincent Nwuga, aims to improve the sufferer’s quality of life, reduce human suffering, relieve pain and restore function.
The physiotherapist said that the NTMT method of manipulation attempts to rectify inadequacies inherent in traditional physiotherapy techniques.
“The Nwugaruian technique discovered that physiotherapist who are trained in conventional practice often are not able to identify the problem, causes and also lack the skills to resolve the problem.
“The use of NTMT by physiotherapists will breathe a new air of professionalism into the practice and improve wellness of humanity and improve quality of life.
“Rendering better and more qualitative physiotherapy services to humanity will make the world pain-free and full of laughter, ” he said.
The President, Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy, Dr Rufai Ahamad, said that interprofessional collaboration was key to delivering qualitative healthcare to Nigerians.
“There is no way one profession alone can take care of all the problems of patients, every specialty has a scope of practice.
“Physiotherapists play important role in healthcare delivery.
“A physiotherapist is a highly trained healthcare professional who provide treatment for people suffering from physical problems arising from issues like injury, disease, illness and ageing.
“We aim to improve a person’s quality of life and lessen the effects of any dysfunction, “he said.
Ahamad, who is an associate professor at Bayero University, Kano, urged physiotherapists to continually update their career potential. (NAN)
September 13, 2019
Xenophobia: FG seeking compensation for Nigerians, says Dabiri-Erewa
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, says the Federal Government is pressing for compensation for affected Nigerians in the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Dabiri-Erewa stated this at the maiden Diaspora Lecture of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
The lecture was entitled: “Role of Africans in Diaspora in the Transformation of a University of Technology.”
Dabiri – Erewa, who was represented by Mr Abdul-Rahman Balogun, her Special Assistant on Media, noted that the Nigerian government was also putting in place measures to ensure perpetrators were prosecuted and justice given.
According to her, those that have been evacuated to Nigeria would be well taken care of.
Dabiri-Erewa also enjoined all state governments to create a Diaspora Desk, saying Nigeria has the highest diaspora potentials in Africa and the third in the world.
Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Otuoke, and guest lecturer at the occasion, said Nigerian universities of technology should ensure that they have foreign students’ enrolment through scholarship programme for them.
Aluko, also a Special Adviser and Director-General, Office of Transformation, Strategy and Delivery Office in Ekiti, urged universities to sustain regular academic calendar.
He also called for a conducive environment for learning in universities while parents should develop scientific mindset in their children.
“We need to start to develop scientific minds in all our children . We should not stop them from being inquisitive and they should walk in groups because nobody achieves anything individually.
” They should be given little problems to solve right from their primary school level,” he said.
In his remarks, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, the Vice Chancellor of FUTA, said that Africa was blessed with great human and material resources.
Fuwape noted that Nigerians in particular had continued to contribute immensely to the global economy.
He promised that FUTA would give fresh impetus to collaboration between researchers in Nigeria and abroad to promote national development.
“This programme would assist us a great deal to identify gaps in transformation trajectory needed for Africa to take its pride of place in the comity of nations,” he added.
NAN reports that Dabiri-Erewa, Dr Mohammed Mustapha Lecky and Dr Babatope Agbeyo were given Goodwill Ambassador awards by FUTA management.
September 13, 2019
Presidential Tribunal verdict: South West PDP says justice was not done
The South West Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has expressed disappointment over Wednesday’s verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Daybreak recalls that the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had approached the tribunal in Abuja seeking the nullification of the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Feb. 23 poll.
But delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Mohammed Garuba dismissed all the grounds of the petition.
The position of the PDP in the South West Zone was contained in a communiqué issued on Thursday at the end of its stakeholders meeting held at the Government House, Ibadan.
The communiqué was read by Dr Eddy Oyefeso, the party’s National Vice Chairman.
It stated in part: ”PDP takes serious view of the petitions of our party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and therefore put on record our disappointment that justice was not done.
”In view of the plethora of evidences laid before the tribunal, we resolve to support the party to appeal against same at the Supreme Court.”
On the Osun governorship case, the party said ”due attention is accorded to the verdicts of both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on the Osun state’s governorship election.”
”While we continue to accord due respect to the judiciary, it is essential that its rulings and verdicts command the respect and confidence of the citizenry in the interest of the nation.”
The party further resolved that PDP must review the conduct of off-season elections in the South West.
Meanwhile, the party said that moves of Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State confirmed his determination and preparedness to drive the frontiers of development to new heights in the state.
Makinde implored every PDP member in the zone, especially its leaders to be more united so as to achieve its goal of capturing all the states in the zone in the next general elections.
He asserted that the leaders must have a common goal of capturing states, irrespective of who had the ticket of the party in the states.
Among the dignitaries at the forum were Mrs Bucknor Akerele, Mr Jimi Agbaje, Prof. Olusola Ekeka and Chief Tajudeen Oladipo.
September 13, 2019
House of Rep. leadership crisis: PDP Board of Trustee to meet
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees Sen. Walid Jubrin has said that the board would meet on Sept. 19 to discuss reports of its committee set by the board up to investigate the House of Representatives Minority Leadership crisis.
Jubrin disclosed this in a statement he issued on Thursday in Abuja on the committee set up to investigate the Minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu and other PDP minority principal officers of the House of Representatives.
Jubrin said that the mere submission of the committee chaired by Sen. Iyochia Ayu, set up to investigate PDP elected lawmakers’ disobedience to party directives, did not imply clearance and clean bill of health to those involved.
Jubrin said that there were different three committees within the party set up to investigate the disobedience to PDP directives during the voting of principal officers of the 9th National Assembly.
According to him, there are still reports from the disciplinary committee headed by Chief Tom Ikimi and the report headed by Sen. Adolphus Wabara that would be considered.
“We have three other committees and the outcome of the Ayu’s committee will not be in isolation of other committees like the Tom Ikimi Disciplinary committee and the Sen. Adolphus Wabara committee.
“It is true that the committee has submitted its report but the BoT will meet Thursday next week to discuss and take a decision on the recommendations,” he said.
Jubrin however said that he did not know why the secretary of the committee, Austin Opara left.
“It was when the report of the committee was submitted that I noticed that his column for signature was not signed.
“I am not a member of the committee. Since the inauguration of the committee, I have not spoken to them, I have not visited or interfered with their work or given any input in the course of their work.
” He did not write or tell me why he left or did not sign after the submission of their work. As far as I’m concerned, I will leave that for discussion next Thursday when the BoT will meet.
” But, I will not condemn any member of the committee without any proof of evidence of corruption,” he said.
Jubrin challenged any member of the party with proof of allegations against any member of the committee to speak out as it was not enough to cast aspersions on respected Nigerians.
“I challenge any body any where to provide proof to any allegations of corruption. He who alleges must show evidence of corruption. It is not enough to accuse anyone of any wrong doing.
“I call on anyone, both party member or non party member to come forward with evidence of corruption and you will see what I as chairman of the BoT will do,” he said.
He said that as the chairman of the party’s BoT that he would not take any side with anybody as the board of trustees remained the soul and consciousness of the party.
“I call on us not to take side with anybody since the issue or issues will be openly discussed among ourselves,” he noted.
He said: ”We should be concerned with how to move the party forward and make the party strong “
Jubrin also noted that the BoT would soon embark on a strategic visit to members across the nation with the first visit to Dubai to see and interact with formerVice-President Atiku Abubakar.
September 13, 2019
FUOYE investigates attack on Fayemi’s wife
The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti(FUOYE), Prof. Kayode Soremekun, has constituted a panel to unravel the circumstances leading to Tuesday’s protest by students and the attack on Ekiti governor’s wife, Bisi Fayemi.
The vice-chancelor said that the 12-man investigative panel headed by Prof. Abayomi Fasina, a Deputy Vice Chancellor in the institution, would also suggest ways to prevent a recurrence.
Daybreak reports that panel has Mrs Blessing Eyiorunpe as Secretary.
It would be recalled that students of the university had staged a protest in Oye Ekiti over incessant power outage in the institution.
The protest had turned violent, with two persons reportedly killed while several others were injured.
Several vehicles were also vandalised in the incident.
Meanwhile, the police in Ekiti have announced the arrest of two students of FUOYE in connection with the attack on the wife of the governor.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Asuquo Amba, also told newsmen in Ado Ekiti that two of his men were wounded while two police vans were burnt during the attack.
” Two persons have been arrested and one of them has already confessed to committing the crime
” When a crime is committed, we don’t fold our arms and watch. Even a civilian can effect arrest if crime is committed in front of him and hand the suspects over to the police,” Amba said.
The commissioner condemned the attack on the police while discharging their duties, saying it was wrong for his operatives to have been brutally attacked for trying to restore order.
” It is sad that the police are being attacked by criminals and the civilians who we are protecting are also attacking our people
“We won’t rest until all the perpetrators of this dastardly attack are arrested and brought to justice,” Amba said.
The police boss added that the two rifles stolen from the police during the attack had been recovered. (NAN)
September 13, 2019
Osinbajo warns against fake news, pledges improved engagement with media
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged media practitioners to address the issue of fake news and provocative information.
Osinbajo, who made the call when he hosted media practitioners to a special appreciation dinner on Thursday in Abuja, also pledged improved engagement with them.
The vice president said the advent of social media had made the issue of fake news complex, noting that “fake news or provocative information can cause chaos, civil unrest, war or even death.”
“I think all of us in the media, social media, print, TV, all of us, should begin to do something serious about fake news before it begins to consume us, ” he said.
He called on media practitioners to be curious about fact checking and do simple but thorough investigation over any contentious issue for the public to know the truth.
Osinbajo said that the lies about President Muhammadu Buhari’s certificate went far and deep because no one bothered to unravel the truth early until it got to the court.
“Just take the allegation of Mr President’s certificate for example, someone said Mr President did not have a certificate but Mr President said he sat for and obtained his West African School Certificate in 1961 at the Kastina College.
“The examination body then was Cambridge University, the same Cambridge University we know. I expect any media organisation to do a simple investigation to establish whether it is true or not.
“But nobody did it, and the matter went to court,” he said
He said that there was also a time a WAEC official was asked about the certificate on television and he said he was not the one that signed it.
“And the television said that the WAEC official denied Buhari’s certificate, which is false, completely false.
“It sounds funny because the WAEC official only knows about WAEC certificate, but this is a West African School Certificate by Cambridge University.
“But because nobody bothered to find out, the public believed the lies for so long.
“So with the increase of social media and anonymity every day the problems of the free media are becoming more and more complex and even more dangerous,” he said.
The vice president, who also solicited for greater support from the media, pledged to improve engagement with them.
He said that one of the books he co-authored as a law lecturer was Media Law in Nigeria.
“I am a believer in the freedom of the press, whether it a responsible press or irresponsible. I just believe in the freedom of the press.
“Every morning, I receive a summary from most of the newspapers, I also receive trending news from social media from my media assistant.
“Added to that, I also receive a special pack that contains latest news, cartoons or insult from the social media,” he said
He said that atimes, some of the cartoons or social media comment were very insulting and provocative but they never bothered him because of his belief in press freedom.
September 13, 2019
We’ll not muzzle press – FG
The Federal Government says it will not muzzle the press as it performs the important work of providing the public with reliable and quality information.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, gave the assurance at a dinner organised in honour of Editors and media partners by the Media Unit of the State House Abuja on Thursday.
Mustapha maintained that no real democracy could exist anywhere in the world without freedom of the press.
He, however, called on media organisations to partner with relevant stakeholders in combating the menace of fake news and disinformation in the society.
According to him, fake news are inimical to the wellbeing of any organised society.
”We will continue to support an independent media that gives the public credible news, enlightens us to think more critically and act more honourably to address pressing national challenges.
”We will equally support efforts from media organisations to combat disinformation in all forms, especially fake news which are detrimental to the peace, security and unity of the nation,” he said.
On the appreciation dinner with editors and media partners, the SGF observed that the event was a manifestation of the fact that ”this administration values the contributions of the media in nation building.”
”That is why in the past four years, the PCT has provided a platform for key government officials to regularly engage Editors and Media Managers in-camera briefing sessions to exchange views on some pressing challenges facing our dear country,” he said.
He further noted that the quarterly briefing sessions had provided an opportunity for the government to showcase its agenda to the Nigerian people and forge stronger partnerships and synergy for the benefit of the citizens.
He said: ”I make bold to say that since I assumed office as Secretary to the Government of the Federation we have run a government that is accountable to the public by all standards.
”The Buhari administration has laid a solid foundation for Nigeria’s economic development through massive investments in agriculture, power, transportation infrastructure and manufacturing.”
Mustapha also revealed that the Federal Government had taken measures to tackle leakage in public resources, saying that billions of naira had so far been recovered from corrupt individuals and organisations.
”The anti-corruption fight is upbeat. The control measures to tackle leakage in public resources have saved us billions of naira, while those who stole our common patrimony are being made to return what they illegally acquired for themselves and their cronies through the legal process,” he said.
He gave an assurance that the Buhari administration would continue to partner with the media in its determination to place Nigeria on the path of rapid growth and sustainable development.
”We will always count on your role as the watchdog of the society, partners in progress, and the conscience of the nation,” he added.
September 13, 2019
THREE NEW COMMISSIONERS TAKE OATH OF OFFICE IN BORNO
From Dauda R Pam
Professor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borni state has charged the three newly sworn in Commissioners to do their best in discharging their responsibilities, especially in the area of Reconstruction,Rehabilitation and Resettlement, as one of the cardinal 10-point Agenda of the administration.
The occasion took place at the Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri, amidst tight security, with pomp and pageantry.
He said, government is ‘service to the people’, and that is why the choice for members of the new cabinet was done based on integrity and merit.
According to Profer. Zulum, the three commissioners were suppose to participate in the first segment of the swearing in which took place last month, but due to their absence while in the Holly Land (Saudi Arabia) for the 2019 Hajj exercise and could not be part of that ceremony until today (Thursday).
He noted that, Borno which is the most affected in the activities of insurgents with minimal resources at its disposal, need collective efforts in developmental strides, adding that, the Commissioners would inject their wealth of experience in moving the state forward.
And that as a way to ensure open door policy, he used the occasion to direct the relevant organ to embark on renovation of his second office at the Musa Usman Secretariat which has been neglected for decades, to enable him attend to some official issues aimed at moving the civil service for better performance and development.
Responding on behalf of the new Commissioners, Barrister Kala Shehu Lawan,who is billed to be the helmsman of Ministry of Justice, thanked the Governor for finding them worthy of the appointment and promised to discharge their duties without fear or favour.
Also sworn-in were the former State Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Bello Ayuba and Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo.
September 12, 2019
China stays rational to cope with external uncertainties

By Zhong Sheng
On Sept. 11, the Customs Tariff Commission of China’s State Council announced the first group of US imports for exclusion from the initial round of additional tariffs.
Sixteen types of US products will be excluded from the first round of additional Chinese tariffs with effect from Sept. 17, 2019, and affected import enterprises are allowed to apply for refunds of collected duties.
It is a rational decision eying the overall picture.
There is no winner in a trade war. China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one and it will fight one if necessary. China’s position on this has never changed. The country’s countermeasures are a just act responding to the US who unilaterally launched and continuously escalated the economic and trade frictions.
The exemption lists reflect China’s rationality and restraint it has always exercised in dealing with the China-US trade disputes. All the countermeasures taken by the Chinese side are not for the sake of confrontation, and the tariff increase is not aiming at earning more tariffs, either.
Since China started the tariff exclusion process for US imports on a trial basis on May 13, relevant Chinese departments have carefully examined eligible applications and taken on board related suggestions.
Will the additional tariffs make it difficult for enterprises to find substitutes? Will they cause negative structural impacts on relevant industries? Will they lower the life quality of Chinese citizens? These questions have all been taken into consideration, which demonstrates the responsibility the Chinese government is fulfilling for its own people and enterprises in China.
However, some people in the US distorted the exemption lists unveiled by China, saying the lists are a signal that China is not able to take the impacts of the trade friction.
What these people said is one-sided and is intended to make hypes. Chinese economy is resilient and China is not afraid of any external challenge. China has the only complete industrial chain in the world, and this chain cannot be easily destroyed by the US tariff rise. In the short term, the US tariffs will only highlight the value of China in the global industrial chain.
According to a survey by US-China Business Council, 87 percent of interviewed US enterprises had no plans to leave China. Rhodium Group statistics showed that US enterprises invested $6.8 billion in China in the first half of 2019, which is 1.5% more than in the same periods of the previous two years.
China has always been staying lucid in doing its own things well. The measures it has taken to continuously take off external pressure, such as promoting high-quality development, expanding opening-up and improving business environment, have been lauded by the world.
Tim Stratford, chairman of American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), said recently that the confidence of AmCham China’s members in opening up market by the Chinese government is at a historic level, and over half of its members still consider China as one of their top three investment destinations worldwide.
The increasingly strong appeals shown by the Chinese market well responded to the unreal “decoupling” illusions of some US politicians.
Over the past more than a year of trade frictions, China has spared no effort to inject impetus into sustained and healthy economic development and to improve the life quality of its people. Facts once again prove that China is making the optimal choice by exerting rationality, doing its own things well and maintaining its own stability when facing various external uncertainties.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

September 12, 2019