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Purported resignation: Osinbajo dismisses fake news alert

Purported resignation: Osinbajo dismisses fake news alert

By Chijioke Okoronkwo
Resignation
Abuja, Feb. 21, 2019 (NAN) Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has dismissed a trending social media fake news alert suggesting his resignation in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Osinbajo’s spokeman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said the vice president gave the clarification at a meeting with young Christian leaders on Wednesday in Lagos.
Osinbajo dismissed the purported resignation being circulated on some social media platforms and described it as deliberate propaganda.
“They are deliberate propaganda. Today (Wednesday), they’ve been spreading some information around that I have resigned.
“They said I didn’t attend a security meeting yesterday. I was too busy in my office.
“The same security people were meeting with me that same evening. Must I attend every meeting? Can’t the President hold a meeting with the security chiefs without me?
“They said I was so angry that they didn’t bring me to that meeting, that I was excluded, then I resigned! I have not resigned,” he said.
In continuation of the Next Level engagements, Osinbajo visited Ikeja, Lagos State, where he met with the Hausa community.
He then proceeded to Yola, Adamawa, where he met a group of Christian leaders.
On his return to Lagos on Wednesday, the vice president held an interactive session with young Christian leaders at Muson Center, Onikan, where he cleared the aire on the fake news.
Osinbajo is expected in Kwara and Abia States today in continuation of the Next Level engagements. (NAN)
CJ/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

FG warns corps members against hate speech, fake news

FG warns corps members against hate speech, fake news
By Yashim Katurak
Swearing-in
Abuja, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has warned corps members against promoting hate speech and fake news because of their destructive effect on the society.
He also advised them to be vanguards of the change mantra “Change Begins with Me”.
The minister said this in Abuja on Thursday while addressing corps members sworn-in for the 2018 Batch ‘B’ Stream II service year at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp, Kubwa.
Bello was represented by Oladimeji Hassan, Secretary, Social Development and Chairman, NYSC FCT Governing Board.
The minister urged the newly sworn-in corps members to complement Federal Government’s efforts by consistently carrying messages of oneness, solidarity and indivisibility of the nation.
He also urged corps members nationwide not to flout government’s directive banning the promotion, advertisement and sale of tobacco products in all orientation camps and public spaces.
Bello said that anyone caught flouting the directive would be made to face severe sanctions and urged the corps members to ensure their acts and deeds fell within the ambit of the law.
He charged the corps members to be disciplined and be ready to make sacrifices as the task ahead of them was quite enormous.
Bello advised them to reject and denounce all forms of social vices which had been identified as the most critical impediment of the nation’s development process.
“I must warn you against hate speech and fake news. You must strive towards complementing government efforts by consistently carrying messages of oneness, solidarity and indivisibility of our great nation, Nigeria.
“Let me reiterate the extant ban on promotion and advertisement on all tobacco products in all the stadia and NYSC orientation camps nationwide by the Federal Government.
“You must not flout this directive throughout your service year in the FCT and beyond as the reverse could carry grievous consequences.
“Few weeks ago, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) honoured 72 corps members who distinguished themselves during their service year in the territory.
“I urge you to aim towards this recognition and honour by provoking your creativity towards innovative projects that will stand you out at the end of the service year,” Bello said.
The minister said that plans were underway to introduce an All-inclusive Talent Hunt in the territory to unravel the creative and innovative works of corps members.
He said that the project was part of a collective drive towards youth development and empowerment amid socio-economic development of the FCT and the nation.
Bello said that the federal government was determined to arouse the confidence of youths at all times particularly by utilising their energies and forces in a bid to improve technology in line with global best practices.
The minister said the criterion for selection would be tailored alongside the NYSC model.
He urged the corps members to take advantage of the skills acquisition initiative provided by the NYSC to equip themselves for the task of nation building.
Besides, Bello urged them to see the skills training as key to self-reliance and sustainability in this time of acute shortage of white-collar jobs.
The Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, administered the oath of service on 2,261 corps members for the 2018 Batch ‘B’ Stream II service year in the FCT.
Justice Bello was represented by Justice Muawiyah Idris at the occasion.
On his part, Mr Bello Ballama, the NYSC FCT Coordinator, said the orientation course would last for three weeks after which corps members would be posted to organisations in the public and private sectors for primary assignment. (NAN)
KRY/MO/MST
Edited by Omolade Michael/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Amaechi Vs Oshiomhole, fake news – Organisation

Amaechi Vs Oshiomhole, fake news – Organisation
By Chioma Ugboma
Disparage
Lagos, July 26, 2017 (MAN) The President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation has described as fake news speculations that its Director-General, Mr Rotimi Amechi, disparaged the APC National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole.
Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), the Director, Strategic Communications of the organisation, said this in a statement issued to the New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“Our attention has been drawn to a news item purporting that the Director-General of President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, His Excellency, Rt. Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, disparaged the Chairman of our great party, the APC, His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to the effect that he is “bad luck” to the Party.
“This news item is a classic case of the much-touted `fake news’ that has become a tool in the hands of desperate politicians. It is also an unsuccessful attempt to create a division between both great leaders of the Party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state without equivocation that Rt. Honourable Rotimi Amaechi did not at any forum, whether in private or public, utter such words or anything close to those words in reference to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He holds Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the highest esteem possible.
“We have since discovered that this `fake news’ was concocted, released and circulated by the sinking main opposition party. Indeed the combination of Rt. Honourable Rotimi Amaechi and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is an obvious nightmare to them.
“From our intelligence sources, we wish to alert the general public that as the campaigns draw closer, many of such fake news would be released and circulated by the opposition that is presently clutching at straws and harvesting chaff to survive.
“For them blackmail, outright lies, falsehood and now fake news have become their campaign strategy.
“For us, we shall continue to alert the general public anytime such fake news is released and urge them to continue to ignore such stories.
“However, on our part, we are set to run an issue-based campaign,” Keyamo said. (NAN)
CHOM/MST
Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

(Video) NAN News Highlights for Wed., July 11, 2018

 

  1. President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the presidential villa, Abuja, behind closed doors.

The two presidents would discuss issues of mutual interest to both countries particularly security and economic matters and the increasing killings of Nigerian citizens in South Africa.

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  1. Arrangements have been concluded for the official commissioning of the Abuja Light Rail, first of its kind in West Africa.

The 45,245 kilometer rail project which has taken 11 years to complete, and runs from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to the Abuja Metro Station, will be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 12.

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  1. The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun says the Federal Government will thoroughly examine the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) before signing it.

Adeosun said government had embarked on nationwide consultations with state governments, local government authorities, manufacturers and other stakeholders to ensure that the interests of the people were protected.

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  1. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged members of the media to verify and authenticate all information before dissemination to the public.

Mohammed, at the launch of the National Sensitisation Campaign Against Fake News, in Abuja, cautioned about its risks and consequences, citing examples of the genocide in Rwanda and other parts of the world.

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  1. The United Nation Population Fund has called on governments to fulfill their commitments to universal access to sexual and reproductive health care, as agreed at the 1994 International Conference on Population Development and in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Executive Director of the fund Dr Natalia Kanem represented by Eugene Kongnyuy, Acting Country Rep. of UNFPA, noted that about 214million women still lacked safe and effective family planning methods.

General news

Civil society cautions against fake news

Civil society cautions against fake news
NAN-H-44
Fake-news
By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
Abuja, Oct. 21, 2017 (NAN) Mr Mukhtar Akoshile, the National Secretary,
League of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, has cautioned Nigerians and media organisations to against spreading fake news to avoid over heating the polity.
Akoshile made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
He said fake news hampers positive development of the country especially when good people in government were involved.
“We noted with dismay the publication of a report in an online Newspaper, Premium Times on the 20th Oct. 2017 with the caption: “SHOCKING: Buhari administration recalls wanted ex-pension boss sacked for alleged corruption.
“The newspaper had claimed in its report that multiple sources confirmed to it that “Mr Abdulrasheed Maina was secretly recalled and promoted to the position of director in charge of Human Resources in the Ministry of Interior.

“We wish to state categorically that the said report, written by the duo of `Abdulaziz Abdulaziz and Kemi Busari’ of Premium Times was a fake story pivoted on absolute falsehood,’’ he said.

Akoshile also pointed out that items claimed by the writers of the alleged fake news “were corruptibly obtained to cast aspersion on the integrity of Maina’’.
He maintained that such fake news could culminated to mistrust by Nigerians on the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari and the excellent work he has been doing to move the country forward.
He explained that it was on record that Maina was absolved of any wrong doing while he headed the Pension Reform Task Team.
“You will recall that on Wednesday, March, 27, 2013, Federal High Court in Abuja headed by Justice Adamu Bello (Rtd) granted a perpetual injunction restraining his arrest.
“The court also set aside an earlier warrant of arrest issued on him.
“The judge also noted that the Senate failed to annex all necessary documents to aid the dismissal of Maina’s request before the court,’’ Akoshile said.
He emphasised that it was pertinent to disabuse the minds of the public who have read the said fake story from the media orgainsation.
He added that story quoted an imaginary EFCC source who claimed that Maina was still on their wanted list.
He stressed that such falsehood had no positive impact in the development of Nigeria adding that, “the truth eventually triumphed’’
“The final triumph came in the Federation civil service commission which was magnanimous enough to uphold both the Ministry reversal illegal letter of dismissal and the court that invalidate his wrongful dismissal from service.

“Maina was ordered to be reinstated into his rightful position as a Federal Director and so the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR obeyed the erudite pronouncement of the judiciary.
“Maina was reinstated as a Director in the civil service of the federation.
“Nigerians has gone beyond the era of propaganda, lack of investigative journalism, fake news and bidding of pension looters game.
“We see the Premium Times report on Maina as deliberate distraction and ill motives to pervert the end of justice.
“We hereby enjoin members of the public to disregard and discountenance the unfounded publication, ’’ Akoshile maintained. (NAN)
CMY/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola