Oh! The Joy of the death of a Saint: Billy Graham, 99, Dies

Rev. Billy Graham, died on Wednesday at his home in Montreat, N.C. He was 99.

His death was confirmed by Jeremy Blume, a spokesman for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Mr. Graham had dealt with a number of illnesses in his last years, including prostate cancer, hydrocephalus (a buildup of fluid in the brain) and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Mr. Graham spread his influence across the country and around the world through a combination of religious conviction, commanding stage presence and shrewd use of radio, television and advanced communication technologies.

A central achievement was his encouraging evangelical Protestants to regain the social influence they had once wielded, reversing a retreat from public life that had begun when their efforts to challenge evolution theory were defeated in the Scopes trial in 1925.

But in his later years, Mr. Graham kept his distance from the evangelical political movement he had helped engender, refusing to endorse candidates and avoiding the volatile issues dear to religious conservatives.

“If I get on these other subjects, it divides the audience on an issue that is not the issue I’m promoting,” he said in an interview at his home in North Carolina in 2005 while preparing for his last American crusade, in New York City. “I’m just promoting the Gospel.”

Mr. Graham’s reach was global, and he was welcomed even by repressive leaders like Kim Il-sung of North Korea, who invited him to preach in Pyongyang’s officially sanctioned churches.

Fulani Herdsmen: Benue Governor cautions Defence Minister

Benue State governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, yesterday faulted Minister of Defence,  Mansur Dan-Ali for attributing the invasion of the state by killer herdsmen to the enactment of anti-open grazing laws.

He said it was unfortunate that the minister prefer conferring immunity on cattle to human beings.

He said herdsmen attack on farmers is a monster that has the capacity of consuming the entire country. 

He said as at Thursday, there were reports of killings in Guma part of the state.

Ortom, who reacted to the Minister’s claims at the Benue People’s House, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the minister.

He said: “It is unfortunate, but I want to console myself that,  that thing is not coming from the Honourable Minister. But if it did, I’ll say that it is very, very unfortunate. Then the solution to the security challenges we have in this country is not in sight having those kinds of people in position who are not able to give quality advice and to also proffer solution to the security problems we have here."

“For instance, if you say it is because of the law that killings by herdsmen are going on in Benue, is there any law prohibiting open grazing in Adamawa State? Is there any one in Plateau State? Is there any law in Kaduna, Ondo, Bayelsa, Imo, Ebonyi, Delta or Edo State?"

“In Edo State, cattle have taken over even schools. This is provoking. It is like dancing on the graves of those people who were murdered and slaughtered in this state on the first of January. “It’s unfortunate that you have those kinds of people who are saddled with the responsibility of providing security for our country. I do not want to join issues with him, but I will personally see him and try to find out why he had to say that."

JAMB Announces 2017 Admission Deadline; Speaks on Validity of UTME Results

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has directed all institutions to end their 2017 admission by January 25. 2018. 

This was disclosed by the Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, during an interview with newsmen. According to him, candidates who have gained admissions into various institutions and are yet to register or do not have admissions by January 25 should begin to make preparations to purchase the 2018 UTME form.

Dr. Benjamin equally emphasized that the UTME results are valid for only one year and not three years as widely rumored. 

He, however, said that if changes are made on the validity of UTME results, the board will communicate that to the public. 

He further reiterated that the UTME examinations would take place between March 9 and 17 while the mock exams would take place in the first week of February, and advised candidates who wish to purchase the UTME and Direct Entry Form to do so before the deadline, which is February 6^th, 2018.

He confirmed that both the UTME and Direct Entry Forms will end on the same date.

EFCC in fresh moves against Patience Jonathan’s $8.4m, N7.3bn found in 15 bank accounts

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in fresh moves to seize funds in 15 bank accounts linked to Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

The funds, which the EFCC is seeking to seize, include a total of $8,435,788.84 and over N7.35bn.

The EFCC had appeared before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos with an ex parte application, seeking the forfeiture of the funds. 

The move was, however, interrupted by a train of Senior Advocates of Nigeria led by Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the ex parte application.

They told the judge that the funds, which the EFCC seeks to seize, were already a subject of litigation.

But counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, maintained that the SANs had no right of hearing in the court, since his application was ex parte, wondering how they got wind of the move by the anti-graft agency.

In view of the development, the judge adjourned the case till January 23, 2018 and directed the EFCC to file an affidavit to convince it that there were no pending lawsuits relating to the funds before other courts.

UTME: Police arrest two over alleged illegal registration in Lagos

The Police have arrested two men in Lagos for allegedly engaging in an illegal registration of candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Lagos State Coordinator of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Mr Sunday Aladegbaye, confirmed the arrest in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Lagos. 

“Two men and co-owners of a computer-based test centre, Vision Computer Academy, were on Saturday night arrested for allegedly engaging in the illegal registration of candidates for the 2018 UTME.

Benue massacre: Miyetti Allah want compensation for herdsmen affected in crisis

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has appealed to the Federal Government to pay compensation to herdsmen affected by all forms of crisis in the country.

The National Secretary of MACBAN, Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, made the appeal while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday on the position of the association to the crisis between farmers and herdsmen across the country.

Ngelzarma said the decision was the position of members reached at the end of its National Council meeting.

Slave trade: We’re not to blame- Libyan government

Following the pool of reactions trailing the alleged slave market in Libya, the Libyan government has finally opened up, saying that there is a campaign of calumny against its government.

The Charge d’Affaires/Ambassador-Designate of Libya to Nigeria, Dr Attia Alkhoder, who spoke with some select government-owned media in Abuja, said the press conference was coming “at a time of fierce media and political campaigns against Libya, claiming that there is human trade market in its territory.”

The Libyan envoy said “the claim followed media assumption carried out by the Cable News Network (CNN) channel of America and political comments follow it.” Recall that there were media reports last week about Nigerians being sold off in Libya at a paltry sum of $400.

The development generated public outcry, with the Charly Boy-led group, OurMumuDonDo, occupying the Libyan Embassy located within the Asokoro district of Abuja on Thursday.

But Alkhoder said “It seems barraging in relation to smuggling them to their destination (Europe) as immigrants not as slaves. The barraging is about the cost of transporting them to Europe, not capture their freedom in order to savage them.”

He, however,  said the Government of National Accord of Libya renewed its condemnation of the criminal practice of trading and trafficking of human beings on all levels, be it a national, regional or international.

“We would like to confirm that any deed that happens to immigrants right is not more than individual action and not the practice of Libyan people. We condemn and reject in totality, the criminal practice of trading and trafficking of human beings on the basis that any relation with immigrants should be conceded with human dignity.

“The Government of National Accord wonders at the fierce and blind campaigns that were carried by the international media and participation of some political officials of friendly countries who should be aware of the immigrants’ situation, and the exceptional condition.

“In Libya, what worries us deeply is the objectives of this campaign which was carried by countries that reject accepting immigrants and do not assist to bear any cost of this phenomena which Libya is most harmed by. It constitutes danger to its security, social constructions and loads on its initial weak economy.

“Libya renews its call to put an end to exploitation, suffering of the ambitious African man looking for better life in Europe and human trafficking, right from the country of source, route and target country.

“Libya calls to initiate international campaign to put an end to these phenomena by providing security, border control to end Libyan crisis, unify its government institutions and end the transition system that contribute a lot in the weakening control of territory, hence allow for smugglers to be more active on their illegal activities,” Alkhoder said.

The Libyan envoy also said the Libyan authority had immediately instructed the relevant agencies to carry out a comprehensive investigation on the criminal claim according to the Libyan law and reveal its findings to local and international community, apprehend and punish persons responsible for it, be it human trafficking of immigrants or human trading.