Comrade Adeshola in an interview with Vanguard also disclosed that the new policy of the Lagos state government under the leadership of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is collaborating with the association to give Bus Conducting profession a new look.

According to him, “presently Lagos state government through the Lagos State Drivers Institute, LASDRI is training and accrediting conductors in the state, adding that after the training the graduands would be employed as Bus Conductors and would be on the payroll of the government with a salary worth of N50,000 per month.

“The objective is to make the job of bus conducting attractive, respected and dignified as obtainable globally”, he said. Adeshola explained that there is a project in the pipeline by the state government to change the face of transportation system to enhance security and also provide employment opportunity in the state.

Speaking on the vision of the association, he said, since the establishment in 2008, it has been working relentlessly with the federal government through the national assembly as well as some state governments to establish its presence.

President Muhammadu Buhari formally married off his daughter, Fatima, to Malam Yau Gimba Kumo on Friday in Daura, his home town.

The wedding took place at the president’s residence on Mai’adua road, Daura at about 2.40 p.m.

The groom, who was a former Managing Director of Mortgage Bank, paid N100,000 as the bride price.

The marriage was contracted in accordance with Islamic injunctions and was attended by top Federal and States’ Government officials.

They included the governors of Gombe, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo, and his counterpart from Bauchi, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar. The Ministers of Interior, Mr Abdurrahman Dambazau; Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; Controller-General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, and Director-General, Department of State Service, Mr Lawal Musa Daura, also graced the occasion. Minister of Steel and Mines, Kayode Fayemi was also there. Others were Senators Rabiu Kwankwaso(Kano), Mustapha Bukar (Katsina North); Ahmed Sani from Zamfara and Danjuma Goje from Gombe state.

Guests had unhindered access to the president’s residence, venue of the marriage, in spite the heavy presence of security personnel. However, only few prominent personnel had access to the main sitting room where the wedding took place. Praise singers and drummers were not left out of the ceremony as they added glamour to the event.

Thousands of stigmatized ‘Witch Children’ have found refuge at CRARN center, in Akwa Ibom.

The children were branded as “witches” by church ministers and have been cast out by their families and shunned by society.

One of them is six-year-old Israel Effiong, from Ikot Uso Ekong, Eket, who was accused of being responsible for his father’s illness. Fearing for his life, he ran away and hid in a bush for a year before he was rescued by Edoho,a volunteer with the organisation.

Edoho, himself is former child at CRARN Children Center. He now serves as one of the volunteers who rescue children to the centre.

“When my father became ill and taken to a hospital, my stepmom asked if I knew anything about his illness. I told her that I could not think of anything bad about my father because he’s the supporting me,” Effiong recounts.

“When his illness took a turn for the worst, my stepmom became angry with me.
In the nights, she’ll wake me up, tie my hands and legs then poured wild ants all over my body while asking me to relieve my dad from the witches coven. At times she would tie my hand and legs, began to hit my heads with sticks and electrical wires.

She stopped giving me food and locked me out of the house. I went and told the neighbors living close to us. She said she could not allow me to stay with her because my stepmother will be angry with her.

“The people living around us began to hate me and asked not to come close to their children. I went and slept in the village town hall. One night, some men came and saw me there, they brought me out and asked me to dance as witches. When I told them that I didn’t know witches dance, they used sticks and matches to beat me. A man who was passing by came and told them not kill me. They left me and warned me not come there again. I went and stayed in a bush and be coming out in the night to pick up leftover from the market garbage

“One day, I was tired and slept off in the market, a boy by name Edoho came and saw me there and told me he would come back and take me to a safe place where other children like me are living. I told him where I normally stay in the bush.

Yesterday, he came and took me the CRARN Children Center, Eket. I’m very glad to stay here because I would go to school again and sleep without fear of the unknown.”