The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has released a statement addressing the death of three corp members Elechi Chinyerum Nwenenda, Oladepo Ifedolapo and Asuquo Ukeme Monday in Bayelsa, Kano, and Zamfara states recently.

According to them, welfare of every Nigerian corp member is the NYSC management’s top priority. They regret the deaths of the 3 corp members and have also set up a high-powered committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the loss of the 3 Corps members.

Read their statement below:

The National Youth Service Corps regrets the loss of three Corps members, Elechi Chinyerum Nwenenda, Oladepo Ifedolapo and Asuquo Ukeme Monday during the on-gong 2016 Batch ‘B’ (Stream I) Orientation Course in Bayelsa, Kano and Zamfara States respectively.

The death of the trio followed brief illnesses and after medical teams in the camps battled to save them in line with established procedures. Their demise, coming in their prime time when they were bracing up for further roles towards advancing their respective families, the nation and the rest of humanity, came as a rude shock to us in the NYSC family.

On behalf of the Management, staff and Corps members nationwide, I wish to express our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased Corps members. May the Almighty God grant them eternal rest and give their families and the rest of us the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses.

While we mourn the demise of these Corps members, who, out of patriotic zeal, answered the clarion call to serve their fatherland, we are constrained to correct the impression of negligence being created in some quarters.

Management wishes to state that the welfare of Corps members has always remained topmost in the priorities of the Scheme, and we have continued to strive to give our best in that regard. The policy of the Scheme regarding healthcare during Orientation course provides for the setting up of camp clinic manned by qualified Doctors and other Corps Health Personnel.

The clinics, which are also provided with drugs and other basic equipment, are detailed to render round-the-clock medical services on camp with standing arrangement to refer and ensure immediate movement of patients to more sophisticated health facilities when necessary.

We want to inform the public that medical teams in our camps have always been guided by the procedures of practice and in the most professional ways possible.

However, in view of these unfortunate incidents in Bayelsa, Kano, and Zamfara states, Management has set up a high-powered committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the loss the Corps members.

Management appreciates the concern of stakeholders, and wishes to assure the general public, especially serving and prospective Corps members as well as parents and guardians that the Scheme will continue to take measures aimed at ensuring the security and general well being of youths enlisted to serve the nation on the platform of the Scheme.

Signed:
SZ Kazaure
Brig Gen
Director-General

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Nigeria’s Super Falcons on their victory over the senior female football team of Cameroon at the final game of the women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Yaounde.

The President described the hard-earned victory over the Indomitable Lionesses as “very sweet and well-deserved”.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari commended the Falcons for their “indomitable spirit, resilience and teamwork” which spurred them to victory in spite of a vociferous home crowd.

President Buhari noted that the Nigerian team achieved “this feat of being African champions for the 8th time”.

According to him, this development has lifted the spirits of sports-loving Nigerians.

He enjoined other Nigerian sports men and women to emulate the exemplary attitude of the Super Falcons who placed the interest of the nation above personal interests,

The President assured that the Federal Government would not relent in doing its best to promote sports within available resources.

President Buhari also saluted the technical competence of the coaching crew, which enabled the Nigerian players to overcome their hard-fighting opponents throughout the competition.

The Super Falcons defeated hosts Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0 after Desire Oparanozie’s 84th minute goal, to win the 10th women’s Africa Cup of Nations for their 8th continental title.

Source: Vanguard

Three Nigerian nationals have been arrested and approximately 26.1kg of methamphetamine seized following a joint operation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Border Force (ABF) and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

The arrest followed the interception of three consignments containing 180 tins of liquid glue, originating from Mexico by ABF officials in October this year.

Operation Shepody began after these three consignments were referred to the AFP for investigation. An examination of the consignments, located a total of approximately 180L of methamphetamine mixed into the industrial glue. The illicit drugs have an estimated street value of $15.6 million.

On 13 October, the AFP conducted a controlled delivery of the consignments to an address in Edgecliff, NSW. A 45-year-old Auburn man, a 41-year-old Miranda man and a 49-year-old Pendle Hill man were subsequently arrested on Thursday 24 November, after the AFP executed a number of search warrants in Auburn, Pendle Hill and Miranda.

AFP acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan, National Manager Crime Operations, said the AFP’s cooperation with its partner law enforcement agencies has never been stronger, both within Australia and overseas.

“Working with our partners, the AFP has arrested three men and stopped almost $16 million worth of a very harmful substance making its way into the Australian community. Law enforcement agencies will continue to work together to target those who believe they are above the law,” AFP acting Assistant Commissioner Sheehan said.

“My message to those contemplating bringing these dangerous drugs into our country is that you will get caught, regardless of how creative your concealment method,” he said.

ABF Assistant Commissioner Investigations Wayne Buchhorn said the successful resolution to this operation was evidence of the excellent work of law enforcement agencies and the ABF’s layered approach to border security.

Our highly skilled officers are at the border 24-hours a day, 365-days a year to detect and deter harmful illicit substances before they reach our shores,” Assistant Commissioner Buchhorn said.

ACIC Executive Director Intelligence Col Blanch said the ACIC has assessed that methamphetamine poses, by far, the greatest threat to the Australian public of all illicit drug types, and by a significant margin.

“The ACIC is committed to working with our partners, to discover, understand and respond to the threat that methamphetamine poses to our community,” Mr Blanch said.

Two of the men appeared before Sydney Central Local Court on Friday. 25 November. The third male will appear before Court at a later date.

Source: Australian Federal Police (AFP)

Pastor Ernest Mbanefo believed to be behind the popular money doubling scheme known as MMM, has denied the allegations against him, stating that he has never met with the founder of the scheme in person.

Pastor Mbanefo, according to reports on Friday, December 2, had been quoted as the Nigerian founder of the ponzi scheme, with the Nigerian Communication Week (NWC) reportedly stating that he registered the scheme as MMM-Nigeria.net on June 7, 2016.

The South Africa-based clergyman has now cleared his head from the whole issue, saying he was neither the founder, nor has he met with Sergei Mavrodi, believed to be the Russian who founded the scheme.

“I do not own MMM Nigeria. The original website of MMM Nigeria is nigeria-mmm.net.

“All I’ve done is to use my knowledge of web designing to launch mmm-nigeria.net,” Pastor Mbanefo said, adding that “I have never met Sergei Mavrodi before. Mavrodi does not not even know about my activities in the MMM programme.”

Meanwhile, media reports about the crash of the website of one of the ponzi schemes in Nigeria, Ultimate Cycler, has unsettled Nigerians who have invested their money in MMM.

The Ultimate Cycler acclaimed popularity among Nigerians following its promise to pay 300% return to its investors within 45 days.

The huge return on investment offered by the scheme lured many to join it with some even abandoning MMM Nigeria which offers 30% returns on investment.

But as reports filtered in on Thursday morning, December 2, around 10.30am that the site had crashed, a wild wave of panic was visible among Nigerians who have patronize similar schemes.

The remains of footballer, Joseph Izu, was laid to rest at his hometown in Okarki village in Rivers State today December 3rd.

The grieving parents of the slain Shooting Stars defender, Izu Joseph, Mr & Mrs George Joseph, have joined others to call on the Federal Government to bring the killers of their son to books.

The calls came shortly after the burial rites of the player whose life was cut short by the bullets of armed security personnel in Okarki area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on 16th, October, 2016.

It was indeed a free flow of tears, wailings and teeth gnashing when the body arrived at the burial site and a complete shut down of activities on all the streets passed by the long convoy.

In his sermon by the grave side, Rev. Father John said everyone comes from dust and to dust we shall return! He admonished people to live Lord dominated life with total dedication, reminding everyone to brace up as death would come unannounced.He later prayed to God to hold the family together at this time of grief.

Reacting shortly after the interment, Shooting Stars’ Akinwumi Akinyele described Izu Joseph as a committed player who is already being missed by the club.He called on the appropriate authority to act fast at bringing the killers to justice.

Also, toeing the same line was the General Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress, Victor Butubo who believes the Federal Government should not turn deaf ears as Izu’s killing is already a dent on its image.

Responding few minutes later in his residence, Pa George Joseph said he is only interested in getting justice for his son but frown at perceived lopsidedness in the posting of security personnel to Niger Delta areas!

“I only need justice for my son.And I should say this too, the policy of posting particular ethnic group in the Army to Niger Delta is not good for the unity of the country”, he concludes.

The burial events attracted people from all walks of life. Izu Reuben Joseph, 24 is survived by wife, a daughter, parents and siblings!

After several months of sourcing for funds for the survival of their child, the Sam family has lost 13month-old Michelle Sam to Symptomatic Heart Disease.

Michelle was suffering from several heart conditions that lay undetected until she fell sick and was diagnosed of Symptomatic Heart Disease last April.

Later on, the family cried out for help of N6m from the general public for a heart surgery in India. Luckily for them, they met the target and preparation started for the family to fly out the little girl out of the country to begin her treatment.

However, the family was told the chances of Michelle surviving the surgery is very slim.

This prompted the father to channel his search to several American hospitals.

But unfortunately, the surgery could cost them from 30 to 40million Naira as against the initial cost of 6million in India.

In preparation for the America surgery, the family have to travel to Ghana to rerun some test before setting off to America for her treatment.

The consultants however, cut short their plans when, they were told, the hospital waiting list is too long for her to have the procedure in time, so her parents put all their efforts into raising money for a private operation to save their daughter’s life at the National Hospital in Abuja.

The mother said she knows other patients have been waiting a year for treatment, but Michelle can’t wait that long.

Mrs Sam said her baby was always in and out of hospital and was prone to a lot of infections.

She also disclosed that the pressure was already tough on the family, who desperately did not want to lose their daughter.

She said:

‘I have collapsed two times in hospital because of the stress, and have had to have counselling to help me deal with things. My husband had to be strong for the family and continue working as I’ve been off work for the last couple of months, looking after Michelle.

‘All I wanted was to help my baby, more than anything else in this world.’

Fast forward to November 15, the surgery was successfully carried out in Hospital for Humanity in Abuja by league of American doctors who were concerned about Michelle health and flew down to Nigeria for the surgery.

The joy of seeing their child recuperating was cut short on November 28, when 13 months old Michelle couldn’t bear the pain any longer and succumbed to death.

However, the left over proceeds from the donations from well meaning Nigerians has been used to set up a foundation in the name of Michelle Sam to help others going through the same predicament overcome it at early stage.

The family had also donated massively for another patient suffering from Heart surgery in Abuja few days after losing their own daughter.

Symptomatic Heart Disease is a birth defect of the heart in which there are holes between chambers of the heart, and the valves that control the flow of blood between these chambers may not be formed correctly.

This means that blood flows where it normally should not be able to, and extra blood flows to the lungs.

Culled From LailaBlog

Musa Amadu, 10, suffered first degree burns on his hands after one Yawale, his teacher at a Qur’anic school in Kura, Kano State, scalded him with hot water, for allegedly, failing to run an errand for him, back in September.

Yawale, had, reportedly, told Amadu to wash his cloth, but the boy gave an excuse that he was sick. Unhappy with his response, Yawale allegedly beat him up, boiled some water and immerse his hands in it.

However, Yawale, who was said to standing in for the head teacher, at the time of the assault, has now been arrested. Doctors at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital have amputated the fingers of Amadu, who was sent to study Qur’an in Kano, from Jigawa State. Crdt: Rariya

Civil servants in Cross River State on Friday condemned the decision of the state governor, Ben Ayade, to pay their December salary on the first day of the month.

Our correspondent learned that some civil servants had on December 1 received alerts for the month’s salary, as against the 25th of every month.

It would be the second time that workers would be receiving salaries on the first day of the month as they had in May 2016 got a similar gesture from the governor in commemoration of the Workers’ Day celebration.

The aggrieved workers said the decision to pay their salaries in advance would later cause untold hardship as the Yuletide approaches.

A top civil servant in the Ministry of Environment, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The state government’s decision to pay December salaries of some civil servants within the first three days of the month will make us suffer in due course.

“The government should have employed caution by delaying December salary payments to a later date. Our governor may want to score a political point with this payment, but I think that those of us receiving this money stand to lose fiscally when January comes.”

But one of the governor’s aides, who pleaded anonymity, said the workers should applaud the governor instead of complaining.

The source said, “People are so impossible to please. There are states in this country where salaries are not paid as and when due, but in Cross River State, our governor pays salaries and even pays ahead to cater for special occasions like the Workers’ Day and this Yuletide.

“Instead of applauding him, some people say he shouldn’t have paid. Nigerians are difficult to please.”