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My voice was cloned — Chuma-Udeh

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Mrs Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, The Anambra state Commisoner of Education has debunked a viral audio where she was heard abusing Job seekers during Teachers recruitment examination in Anambra state.

In an audio obtained by Metro Times correspondent, Udeh was heard saying “Madam, you are an idiot. You mean the computers are doing what?

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“I received a report by 12 noon that you people refused to stand in line. You refused to be identified. You mobbed and you were all trying to get into the hall at the same time. You refused to be disciplined up till this moment and you have the effrontery, you this stupid woman, you have the effrontery to call me on the phone to talk rubbish.

“Will you get out of my phone, you filthy thing! You really want to be a teacher? How will you tell your students to conform to instructions when you cannot stand line in line and move into the hall?

“You came for a test that will make you a teacher and you are behaving like a hooligan. Please, I have no pity for you and I have nothing to say to you.

“I received a report that they have already examined 1,400 out of the 2,000 plus we get there. So, your result is already made. Go home and find a place where people like you are supposed to be.

“You are not supposed to be found in the corridors of education. You are all hooligans! Thank you very much. I hope you understand me.”she said.

The viral audio had elicited nagative reactions from many residents of the state with many calling for her sack, but while responding, Mrs Chuma-Udeh, said the viral audio was cloned and edited conversation which she had with a supposed friend.

She said the caller was one of the teachers hired by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) during former Governor Willie Obiano’s administration.

He brought up the matter of a man who was caught writing exams for his children, we discussed very informal because he was supporting the man for writing the exams for his children.

“I expressed my disappointment on the 68yrs old man who retired as Permanent Secretary for the State who was involved in writing exams for his children during the Anambra teachers recruitment examination, so the conversation and my harsh words was for the 68yrs old man.

I was totally disappointed as Minister of Education seeing 68years-old man writing exams for his three children who will become a teacher in the State.

She said also that the teachers were busy destroying properties during the examination exercise most especially in places like Unizik and Nnewi examination centers.

An NCE holders can be a teacher in Anambra primary schools while HND holders can be a teacher at the secondary school level, she added.

She said “Education is the backbone of every society, we must fight to get it right”.

Ngozi commended Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for holding education very dear to his heart since his administration.

PHOTOS: Mohamed Salah transforming his village, Nagrig in Egypt.

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Liverpool and Egypt super star, Mohamed Salah has built a hospital, school, youth center and ambulance unit for his people in his village, Nagrig.

Salah built a $450,000 water treatment plant to provide drinking water for his people, he gives £3,500 to poor families monthly.

Salah donated thousands of tons of food worth $500,000 to his people in Nagrig during the Covid-19 lockdown.

He donated £2.5 million for the treatment of cancer in Egypt in 2019.

His ambulance unit serves 30,000 people.

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Donated oxygen tanks when some people died from Covid-19.

Salah donated £50,000 to Tanta University Hospital, Egypt in order for them to acquire modern medical equipment.

See list of Africa’s Most Expensive Players

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1. Victor Osimhen | Napoli | £72 million Nicolas Pepe | Arsenal | £72 million

3. Cedric Bakambu | Beijing Guoan | £65 million

4. Riyad Mahrez | Man City | £60 million

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5. Achraf Hakimi | PSG | £59.3 million

6. Aubameyang | Arsenal | £55 mil

7. Naby Keita | Liverpool | £53 million

8. Sebastien Haller | West Ham | £45 million Thomas Partey | Arsenal | £45 million

10. Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | £36.9m

11. Sadio Mane | Bayern | £35.2m

12. Mane | Liverpool | £34m Achraf | Inter | £34m Ziyech | Chelsea | £34m

IPOB blowing up oil pipelines, funded by foreign countries – Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari has linked oil theft and pipeline vandalism to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Buhari said the vandalism and oil theft carried out by IPOB is responsible for the shortfall of the daily production quota in Nigeria.

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He disclosed this during a question and answer session with Bloomberg, a United States, US-based publication.

The president urged foreign countries to designate IPOB as a terrorist organization.

He accused the international communities of funding the separatist group.

Buhari claimed IPOB was being funded through international financial networks.

“Criminality and terrorism in oil-producing regions hamper production, and it would help if our western allies designated IPOB as a terrorist group, given their complicity in damage to pipelines and infrastructure.

“We urge those same international partners to take additional steps costing them nothing, by proscribing another group – IPOB – as a terrorist organization.

“Their leadership enjoys a safe haven in the West, broadcasting hate speech into Nigeria from London, spending millions lobbying members of the US Congress, and freely using international financial networks to arm agitators on the ground. This must stop,” he said.

Herdsmen kidnap six pilgrims in Enugu

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Suspected armed Fulani men, reportedly wearing police uniforms, last Sunday, invaded Ibite Awhum community, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State and kidnapped six Christian pilgrims.

It was learnt that the victims were abducted near a monastery in town.

A source disclosed that the kidnappers took the pilgrims in broad daylight while they were praying at a popular hill near the Monastery and took them deep into the forest.

However, reports emerging g from the community on Tuesday indicated that that the victims had been rescued following the spirited efforts of forest guards from both the Udi and Enugu East Local Government councils.

A pilgrim, who witnessed the incident but managed to evade the marauders, was said to have raised an alarm that drew the attention of villagers.

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The security agents were said to have swung into action immediately they received the information and pursued after the kidnappers.

A source said the Forest guards in the area pursued the kidnappers and contacted their counterparts at Ogbeke Nike, Enugu East Local Government, who also mobilized from their own end.

Apparently seeing that they were being hemmed in from both ends, the kidnappers were said to have fled leaving the captives alone in their camp where they were discovered by the guards, along with a victim from another incident.

Narrating their ordeal, the victims, who were evacuated to the Monastery, said they were praying on the hill, adding that they were suddenly surrounded by about seven Fulani looking individuals wearing police uniforms.

They said the bandits took all their phones and ordered them into the forest.

They said that after a long trek, they go the bandits’ camp deep in the forest, where their colleagues numbering about ten were waiting for them.

They also found another kidnap victim there.

According to the victim, for reasons they did not know then, the kidnappers suddenly became panicky and subsequently ran into the forest leaving them alone and confused before the forest guards appeared.

Source disclosed that the State Government had been briefed on the incident.

Meanwhile, the police are yet to issue a statement on the incident.

2023: INEC reveals only way Lawan can return to Senate, advises Machina

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has explained the only way Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, could return to the Senate in 2023.

From INEC’s explanation, Lawan or any individual in his position is left at the mercy of the candidates who have been legally and constitutionally nominated by their political parties.

Although the INEC’s National Commissioner of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, who appeared on Arise TV on Monday morning, said he has not come across the names of candidates submitted by political parties, viral report has it that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Yobe North Senatorial District has replaced the name of Bashir Machina with that of Lawan.

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While Senator Lawan was battling for the APC presidential ticket, Machina was declared the winner of the Yobe North Senatorial District primary election.

Okoye said that the Commission monitored and has the reports of all the senatorial and House of Representatives primaries, adding that properly nominated candidates must write to INEC with a sworn affidavit, asking for a fresh primary, which would be conducted within 14 days before a replacement can be made.

He further advised Machina and others whose mandates have been taken from them to approach a well-constituted court of law to seek redress since INEC already has the reports from the primaries.

“I completely agree with you that someone who has not contested party’s primary should not be in a position to be nominated as party’s candidate,” Okoye said.

“But now the Independent National Electoral Commission is not in a position as at now to make a determination in relation to what you’re saying or to make a determination in relation to whose name was submitted by a political party.

“The Commission monitored the primaries of different political parties. Their senatorial and House of Representatives primaries and we have our reports. So if somebody emerged from the party primary and someone else’s name is submitted, it is the duty of that particular individual to utilise Section 285 of the Constitution, Section 84 and 29 of the Electoral Act to seek redress in a constituted court of law.

“Moreover, what the law provides is that at the end of this nomination process, if any of the candidates that have been properly and constitutional nominated withdraws in writing and sworn affidavit that the ‘political party that nominated me must and shall conduct fresh primaries within the period of 14 days and then make such replacement.’

“Then the person must do this through a letter submitted to the political party that nominated him with an affidavit indicating that he or she has voluntarily withdrawn. So that is the state of the law as at today.”

BREAKING: Court stops INEC from ending voter registration

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from ending voter registration on June 30, 2022.

Honourable Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon (Court 10) on Monday granted an order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument on motion exparte by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, disclosed this in a statement made available to MAIDAWAAREWA today.

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SERAP and 185 concerned Nigerians had early this month filed the lawsuit against INEC, asking the court to “declare unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights.”

In the suit, SERAP had asked the court for “an order restraining INEC, its agents, privies, assigns, or any other person(s) claiming through it from discontinuing the continuous voters’ registration exercise from the June 30 2022 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The suit is adjourned to June 29, 2022, for the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.

The suit followed the decision by INEC to extend the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties by 6 days, from June 3 to June 9.

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1034/2022 filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, and transferred to Abuja, SERAP is seeking the court to determine “whether the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration isn’t a violation of Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards.”

The organization is also asking the court for “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to extend voter registration by a minimum of three months and take effective measures to ensure that eligible Nigerians are able to register to exercise their right to vote in the 2023 general elections.”

JOS: Gunmen kidnap traditional ruler in Mangu

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Gunmen suspected to be bandits reportedly stormed the palace of the paramount ruler of Panyam town, His Royal Highness, Aminu Derwan, in Mangu Local Government Area of the Plateau State and kidnapped him

It was revealed that the bandits stormed the palace at the midnight on Sunday, and started shooting sporadically, to scare people

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Confirming, the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alabo Alfred, said, “As I am speaking to you now, efforts are in motion to rescue the victim.”

According to him, the DPO of the area, the anti-kidnapping unit and other tactical teams are there to ensure the rescue of the victim.

Gani Adams to UN, EU, others – Nigeria not safe anymore

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The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams has urged the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations to immediately intervene in the rising insecurity in Nigeria.

He said “no part of Nigeria is safe again.”

Adams disclosed this in a letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, and copies sent to the European Union (EU), African Union (AU), United States State Departments, Council on Foreign Relations, the International Association for Religious Freedom in the United Kingdom, and other international organisations.

In the letter entitled, “Avoiding a replica of the Bosnian War in Nigeria,” the traditional ruler warned that the present insecurity, if not tamed, could consume Nigeria.

MAIDAWAAREWA  recently reported that at least 40 people, including children and women, were killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, earlier this month.

Also, about 80 others picked varying degrees of injuries during the fatal attack.

The letter partly read, “Pitiably, terrorists moving from northern Nigeria to the South are being embraced, encouraged and empowered by powers that be in Nigeria.

“I am raising this alarm now because the effect of this dangerous trend may ultimately balkanise Nigeria and affect sub-Saharan Africa.

“Similar alarm was raised in defunct Yugoslavia and sadly, nobody put in check the pogromists whose actions led to the massacre in that geographical location.”

#Ekitidecide: INEC Announces Ekiti Guber Winner

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress winner of the 2022 Ekiti governorship election.

Mr Oyebanji polled a total of 187,057 votes to defeat his two closest challengers – Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bisi Kolawole of the People’s Democratic Party.

The SDP emerged in second place with total votes of 82,211 while the PDP was third with 67,457 votes.

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Mr Oyebanji is now set to replace incumbent Kayode Fayemi in October.

The election, which was marred with reports of vote buying and violence, was largely peaceful, independent observers said.

According to INEC, 988,923 registered voters were expected to participate in the exercise.

However, only 363,438 voters were accredited.

The polls officially opened at around 8:30am (WAT) on Saturday and was expected to close at 2:30 pm (WAT).