Daily Trust Foundation trains corps members, interns

By Idowu Isamotu

Daily Trust Foundation, a non-profit making arm of the Media Trust Limited, Publishers of Daily Trust Newspapers has again trained its members of staff, corps members and students on internship on some aspects of journalism with a view to enhancing their news writing capacity.

Staff members of the organisation were trained on Inforgraphics, while corps members and interns were taken through the basics of investigative journalism.

The Chairman of the DTF, Dr Theophilus Abba, while making his opening remarks during the training, urged all participants to maximize the opportunity by being attentive throughout the training sessions.

Oil spill victims to get £30m from Shell

Victims of the two oil spills caused by Royal Dutch Shell in Bodo community of Gokana Local Government Area, Rivers State, in 2008, will be paid £30 million as compensation. Dutch Shell declared willingness to pay up to £30 million (N7.5 billion) after a London court rejected a larger claim, Reuters reported.

About 15,000 residents of Bodo community represented by a law firm, Leigh Day, appealed in 2011 to a London court for more than £300 million in compensation.
Claimants say that the two spills resulted in the leakage of 500,000 barrels of oil, but Shell estimated the volume at around 4,000 barrels. Shell has already offered some compensation for the spills.

A Shell offer in September 2013 to settle the case for £30 million remained on the table. The lawyer representing the claimants rejected the sum.
“Shell has consistently sought to underestimate the damage whilst paying only lip service to an apology.

These spills, which are some of the largest oil spills in history, have devastated a community of many thousands of people and ravaged the environment.
“The offer of £30 million had been made before, but rejected by our clients, who found it insulting and derisory. Nothing has changed this view,” Martyn Day, said in a statement.

A trial is planned to start in May 2015 in Nigeria, but Shell urged the claimants to reach a settlement beforehand.
“From the outset, we’ve accepted responsibility for the two deeply regrettable operational spills in Bodo,” Mutiu Sunmonu, Managing Director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company in Nigeria,  said in a statement.

“We hope the community will now direct their United Kingdom legal representatives to stop wasting more time pursuing enormously exaggerated claims and consider sensible and fair compensation offers,” Sunmonu said.

Obiano's aide denies demanding N500m from Obi

Obiano

Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Inter-party Affairs, Chief Ben Obi, has denied demanding N500 million from former Governor Peter Obi, saying those making the allegation were only out to malign him.

Obi, who served in the same capacity during the administration of the former governor, told reporters that he had never complained to anybody that he was not fairly treated by his former boss who hails from his town.

According to him, those making the allegation are people bent on tarnishing the image of Mr. Peter Obi who he described as the best governor Anambra State has had.

We will retaliate any Boko Haram on Igbo soil- Group

PAN Igbo socio-political organisation, Obigbo, has warned Boko Haram insurgents to regard the South East as a no go area, noting that any attack on Ndigbo on Igbo soil would be met with reprisal attacks.

It also said that Ndigbo would not be part of any activity that will disintegrate Nigeria, adding that the Igbo would not watch while her people were killed in Igbo- land.
Briefing newsmen in Lagos, National Leader of the group, Chief Charles Ahize, urged all the governors of the south eastern states to tighten security in the region.

His words: “We want to make it aboundantly clear to the Boko Haram insurgents that if any life is lost on Igbo soil, there will be a reprisal of monumental proportions that the country will find difficult to contain.

“It is no longer in doubt that there is a clear and present danger to the lives and property of Ndigbo in Igboland. Obigbo, hereby, sounds a clear note of warning to the Boko Haram insurgents and their financiers that the South East is a no go region. Any attack on Ndigbo on Igbo soil would be considered crossing the rubicon."

My visit to Ojukwu's grave—Umeh

Still basking in the euphoria of his victory at the Court of Appeal which affirmed his position as national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor, has again visited the grave side of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, saying he did so whenever he won a court case because the Ikemba Nnewi was always behind his political successes.

Umeh, who stormed the late Biafran warlord’s Nnewi country home with hundreds of APGA supporters, venerated in front of Ojukwu’s mausoleum and showered praises on him, explaining that his strength was usually renewed whenever he visited Ikemba’s graveside.

Umeh said: “I am here to renew and recharge my strength. Ojukwu groomed me for five years. Ikemba as the national leader of APGA for five years and me as the national chairman of APGA, shared many secrets together on how to guard the interest of Ndigbo in Nigeria."

IF THIS IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE— FAYEMI

A speech by Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti conceding defeat to gov-elect Ayodele Fayose in the guber election.

Fayemi and wife about to cast vote

Fayose casting his vote

If This Is the Will of the People
Concession Speech
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode FAYEMI
Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Following the
2014 Gubernatorial Elections
Government House, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Sunday, June 22, 2014

Protocols

In o kun o Ekiti kete.

Yesterday, Ekiti State decided. Following the gubernatorial elections held in the land of honour, Ekiti State, Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially returned the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election.

If indeed this is the will of the Ekiti People, I stand in deference to your will. If the result of the elections is an expression of the voice of our people, we must all heed your voice.

I have just spoken with my brother, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, congratulating him on his victory. In a few hours from now, I would be meeting the Governor-elect to discuss the future of our dear state and how we would work together to institute a smooth transition programme.

It has been a hard fought election. As expected, in the course of the campaigns, there were unsavory episodes as the candidates toured the nooks and crannies of the state to sell ourselves to the people. Elections tend to be highly divisive affairs that often see brother rising against brother. Despite our diverse party affiliations, and regardless of which way we voted on Saturday, we must remember that we are all sons and daughters of Ekiti State. Ekiti is ours to build together.

On our part, over the course of the campaigns, we presented our scorecards before the people of Ekiti State. We never at any point took your support for granted. We campaigned, we canvassed and we traversed the nooks and crannies of this State. Our performance and achievements in office will remain the backdrop against which the next government and indeed future governments will be assessed. We are proud that with the support of Ekiti people, we have raised the bar of excellence in governance. In all, we gave our best, for conscience and for posterity.

Indeed a new sociology of the Ekiti people may have evolved. However, the task of understanding how the outcome of this election has defined us as a people will be that of scholars. For us as an administration and a cadre of political leaders in Ekiti State, we have fought a good fight, we have kept faith.

To members of our party, our campaign team and indeed all Ekiti people who defied the siege on our state to cast their votes for our party, I salute your exemplary courage and doggedness in the face of harassment. Thank you for staying the course. The incidences of brazen harassment, intimidation and allied infractions on fundamental human rights, which many of you suffered in the hands of agents of the state, would be documented and communicated to the appropriate authorities, for the records.
I thank you all for listening.

May God bless the land of honour, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi
Governor, Ekiti State
Sunday, June 22, 2014

Anglican church suspends 34 knights

No fewer than 34 Anglican knights have been suspended by the Anglican Diocese on the Lake over alleged inactivity in the church.

The Bishop, Rt. Rev. Chijioke Oti, announced the suspension at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Oguta, during the investiture service of 13 new knights.
“The 34 knights, who now stand suspended, have not been participating in diocesan activities, especially programmes of the Council of Nights in the Diocese,” Bishop Oti said.

The Anglican cleric was particularly irked that the affected knights brazenly flouted his earlier directive that all knights should not only get registered but must participate in the 2014 diocesan synod.

“Let me, however, say that any of the suspended knights who showed serious signs of remorse, and reapplies for possible reconsideration, would be re-admitted into the fold,” Bishop Oti said.
He reminded the new knights that knighthood was neither a secret cult group nor a place for fun-seeking individuals but a call to serve God and man.

Delivering the sermon during the service, the Bishop, Diocese of Egbu, Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Okorafor, said knighthood was not a status symbol.
The bishop said: “Knighthood is not a status symbol. I urge you all to shun pride, arrogance and insubordination. You must see yourselves as soldiers of Christ.”