Nigeria News
Nigerians Pay TributeTo Iyaloja-General At 8th Day Fidau Prayer
Clerics at the 8th Day Fidau Prayers for late Iyaloja-General of Nigerian Market Women and Men, Alhaja (Dr.) Abibatu Mogaji on Sunday urged Nigerian leaders and all those in position of authority to emulate the life of service to humanity as exemplified by the late woman leader.
Alhaja (Dr.) Abibatu Mogaji, who until her death on Saturday, June 15, 2013 in Lagos, was the Iyaloja-General of Nigerian Market Men and Women, passed on peacefully at her residence in Lagos at the age of 96 years.
Delivering a lecture at the occasion which took place at the Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos, one of the clerics and Islamic Scholar, Professor Dawud Noibi, said the principal lesson to learn from the life of Alhaja Mogaji was the fact that she lived a life of God consciousness adding that only such a life could ensure a prosperous and united Nigeria.
Professor Noibi who delivered the second lecture of the day, said the time has come for Nigerian leaders to readdress themselves regarding their intention as to what they do as leaders adding that without God consciousness, the leaders would not be able to lead with wisdom and understanding of the needs of the people.
“The lesson we should take away from here is that we, as leaders must readdress ourselves regarding our intentions, especially as what we do as leaders in high places”, the Professor of Islamic Studies said adding that the whole of life is supposed to be devoted to the service of God.
Professor Noibi also urged Nigerian leaders to make the fear of God the basis for the nation’s Education policy adding that without inculcating the fear of God in the children, the effort to build a society where accountability, transparency, equity and justice are the norms would remain a mirage.
“Leaders should ensure that the fear of God is the basis for the education we give our children. Without bringing up our children in the fear of God, the hope of ridding our nation of such societal vices as corruption inequity and injustice will remain unattainable for all times”, the cleric said.
He further explained, “If leaders will lead with God consciousness, we will follow with God consciousness and their good deeds will be rewarded by Allah not only for their good deeds but for the good deeds of all those who follow them”
In his tribute read at the venue, the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, described the late Iyaloja-General as a loving mother, an inspirational matron, an activist, defender of the rights of women and the underprivileged in the society.
Consoling her son and National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the family she left behind, President Jonathan continued, “An accomplished business icon, a bridge builder across all social divides and a philanthropist of pre-eminent stature, her passing is no doubt a great loss to you and other members of the family”.
“You should, however, find some comfort in the fact that your dear mother has left behind a larger family that cut across the length and breath of the nation who all share the grief with you at this time”, the President said, adding, “As our beloved mother, Iyaloja-General, transcends to greater glory, it is my prayer, on behalf of my family, the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that her soul finds eternal rest in the bosom of the Almighty Allah”.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), in his tribute, said although Mama had passed on, her immortality has been secured “by her many good deeds etched permanently in the hearts of all whose path she crossed”.
The Governor, who said although the astute woman leader would not live forever he never associated her with imminent death, declared, “At 96 years of age she never showed any sign that death was imminent. My thought of her were never associated with any thought of death”.
“Perhaps that is why after the anniversary of June 12 at the LTV grounds in Ikeja, although my thoughts were with her, I opted to attend to other matters of public nature. In my thinking, I would see her the following Monday after the weekly Executive Council meeting as I usually did and had done as recently as Monday 3rd June, 2013. How wrong I was”, the Governor lamented.
Giving an insight into his closeness to the late Iyaloja-General, Governor Fashola, who said she always prayed for him each time he visited her, added she would also demand for employment for the several children of the men and women she led faithfully for decades.
“If I was in Mama’s good books, I got two prayers, one on arrival and the other when I was departing. The signs of a one prayer visit were always obvious immediately you arrive. She would be frozen and insulting. Sometimes she would throw her face in feigned anger. But those who Mama allow into her world knew the key into melting the ice. A big hug or a kiss or both, depending on her mood and she was back with you instantly”, he said.
Governor Fashola said the late Alhaja Mogaji always prayed that her children including the Governor and “all those younger than her” would survive her adding, “If that was her greatest wish, I believe it was answered. That is why many of us her survivors can now pay tribute; a tribute to a legend of a time before I existed and a legend of my own time”.
In his own tribute, former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), described the late Iyaloja-General as a great mobilizer, pointing out that “because of her magnanimity in philanthropy, fear of Allah, ability to communicate through genuine interfacing and interaction with people, she earned the respect of all who came her way”.
“Alhaja (Dr.) Abibatu Mogaji was a great business woman and a great woman of substance. Little wonder she was conferred with the honorary degree of Doctor of Human Letters (DHL) by a Special Convocation marking the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria because of the worthy recognition of service to her country that impacted positively in our national development”, the former President said.
Addressing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former Military President said, “Alhaja (Dr.) Abibatu Mogaji brought you up to be a well known, respected and admired leader who is committed to defend the fundamental rights of all people. Asiwaju, you are, therefore, roundly qualified to carry on her good deeds so as to keep alive the memory of her life”.
And praying that the Almighty Allah would grant the soul of his mother a peaceful repose and support the family she left behind in this time of grief, General Babangida further told Asiwaju Tinubu, “Your political ideals of truth, reach, structure and network are evidence of her labour in nurturing, guiding and educating you so as to be useful to humanity”.
Senate President David Mark, in his tribute, said Alhaja Mogaji’s love for the people and her concern for equity and justice would remain evergreen in the hearts of all Nigerians adding, “She was a woman of strong character and an ideal mother who contributed her quota to the peace and development of Lagos State in particular and Nigeria in general”.
In his tribute, Asiwaju Tinubu described his mother as ”a good thinker, passionate and compassionate”, adding “She has left a very good legacy for everyone. I take solace in the fact that she impacted in all those she came across during her 96 glorious years on earth”.
He confessed, “She was the one who asked me to look at the face of three women who had the challenge of paying their children’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) fee, which touched me. It isn’t the amount of money I pulled out of my pocket but as a Governor then, I began the legacy of paying WAEC fee of pupils in Lagos State public schools”.
“Those are the things that will fascinate anyone about my late mother. She taught everyone she came across contentment, love and the act of sharing especially to the needy”, the former Governor said adding, “I am very happy that she is my mother”.
And in an emotional tribute, daughter-in-law of the late national leader of market men and women, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said, “Since her death, I have been struggling to find the appropriate words to describe what she meant to me. I struggled for days within me for words powerful enough to give meaning to my feelings, words eluded me”.
“From the moment Mama’s son, now my husband, introduced me to her, I did not know what to expect. Mama was not the usual mother-in-law. She was much more, larger than life. I was forever challenged by her ways and standards, her devotion and her convictions. For years she smoothened my rough edges to make me a good wife and what I am today”, she said.
Others who paid tributes included former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governors of Ogun, Osun and Oyo, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Right Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Emir of Zauzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, the Alafin of Oyo and many others.
Some of the highlights of the event included the reciting of the whole Koran by Islamic scholars, lectures rendered in Yoruba and English languages by Sheik Abdullahi Al-Ilori (for Yoruba) and Professor Dawud Noibi (in English) in which they urged Nigerian leaders to emulate the life of service to humanity as exemplified by late Alhaja Mogaji.
The “Celebration of Life” was made colourful by the huge turnout of prominent men and women, politicians, traders and dignitaries from all walks of life including the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Hon. (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, wives of State Governors from the Southwest, members of COWLSO and other women leaders.
Also present at the occasion were governors of Oyo, Ogun, Osun States and Imo states, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Rochas Okorocha respectively, former Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, Chairman of Lagos ACN, Chief Oladele Ajomale, Senator George Akume, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Sarah Sosan, prominent Islamic leaders and scholars, party chieftains and associates of Asiwaju Tinubu, Islamic associations and traditional Yoruba Societies as well as top government functionaries at both the national and state levels.
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The Kano State Government on Saturday said it has transferred 1,098 ‘almajiris’ to different states of the country.
The commissioner for local government, Murtala Garo, disclosed this while presenting a report before the state’s task force on COVID-19 at the government house, Kano.
Almajiris are children who are supposed to be learning Islamic studies while living with their Islamic teachers. Majority of them, however, end up begging on the streets of Northern Nigeria. They constitute a large number of Nigeria’s over 10 million out-of-school children.
Mr Garo said the Kano government transported 419 almajiris to Katsina, 524 to Jigawa and 155 to Kaduna. He said all of them tested negative for coronavirus before leaving the Kano State.
Despite the coronavirus test done in Kano for the almajiris, the Jigawa government earlier said it would quarantine for two weeks all the almajiris that recently arrived from Kano.
Mr Garo said another 100 almajiris scheduled to be taken to Bauchi State also tested negative to COVID-19.
In a remark, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the COVID-19 situation in Kano was getting worse. He appealed for a collaborative effort to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
Mr Ganduje, who commended residents for complying with the lockdown imposed in the state, said the decision was taken to halt the spread of the virus.
Kano State, as of Saturday night, has 77 coronavirus cases, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The decision to transfer the Kano almajiris is part of the agreement reached between Northern governors that almajiris in each state be transferred to their states of origin.
However, even before the latest agreement by the governors, the Kano government had been transferring almajiris to other states and neighbouring countries after it banned street begging in the state, most populous in Northern Nigeria.
Despite the transfers, however, no concrete step has been taken to ensure such children do not return to Kano streets as there is freedom of movement across Nigeria although interstate travel was recently banned to check the spread of the coronavirus.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
By Ugochukwu Alaribe
Operatives of the Abia State Vigilante Service, AVS, popularly known as ‘Bakassi Boys’ have arrested 24 market women hidden in a container truck, at Ekwereazu Ngwa, the boundary community between Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The market women, said to be from Akwa Ibom State, were on their way to Aba, when they were arrested with the truck driver and two of his conductors for violating the lockdown order by the state government.
Driver of the truck, Moses Asuquo, claimed he was going to Aba to purchase stock fish, but decided to assist the market women, because they were stranded.
A vigilante source told Sunday Vanguard that the vehicle was impounded while the market women were sent back to Akwa Ibom State.
Commissioner for Home Land Security, Prince Dan Okoli, who confirmed the incident, said that smuggling of people into the state poses great threat to the state government’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID- 19.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
Operatives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba of the Lagos State police command have arrested one Mrs Nene Steve for allegedly killing her maid, Joy Adole
The maid was allegedly beaten to death by Nene for requesting for her salary at their residence located at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga area in Lagos.
Narrating the incident, Philips Ejeh, an elder brother to the deceased said that he was sad when they informed him that his sister was beaten to death.
He explained that the deceased was an indigene of Benue State brought to Lagos through an agent and started working with her as a maid in January 2020.
‘’She reported that her boss refused to pay her and anytime she asked for her salary she will start beating her.
She was making an attempt to leave the place but due to the total lockdown she remained there until Sunday when her boss said she caught her stealing noodles and this led to her serious beating and death,’’ Ejeh said.
He called on Lagos State Government and well- meaning people in the country to help them in getting justice for the victim.
The police spokesman, Bala Elkana, stated that the woman and her husband came to Bariga Police Station to a report that their house girl had committed suicide.
Detectives were said to have visited the house and suspected foul play with the position of the rope and bruises all over the body which confirmed that the girl had been tortured to death and the boss decided to hang up the girl to make it look like suicide.
He said: “The police moved on with their investigation and found a lot of sign of violence on her body that she has been tortured before a rope was put on her neck.’’
He added that the police removed the corpse and deposited it in the mortuary for autopsy to further ascertain the cause of the death.
Elkana said the matter has been transferred from Bariga police station to Panti for further investigation while the couple have been arrested and will be charged to court.
Ostensibly alarmed by the latest killings of dozens of soldiers by Boko Haram insurgents, President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned an urgent meeting of Service Chiefs to find ways to stop the trend.
He has also dispatched the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, to the neighbouring Republic of Chad for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart.
Knowledgeable sources said in Abuja on Friday that the president is worried by on the deterioration of security situation on the Nigeria – Chad Border that has led to the recently increased Boko Haram terrorism in the area.
The sources which did not want to be named in Abuja said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repeal the Boko Haram terrorist attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.”
The sources noted that Chad is believed to be having their own internal security challenges and this has reportedly led to their pulling away their own troops manning their own border around Lake Chad, saying: “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts. This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”
When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed that the Defence Minister is going to Chad but said he is unaware of the purpose.
Meanwhile, the military authorities are said to be in the process of identifying the families of the latest victims with a view to making contact with them.
Credible sources revealed that it is the reason the president is yet to make any pronouncement on the matter.
“The President has called an urgent meeting with the Service Chiefs, as well as the fact that families of the latest victims of the Boko Haram are being identified and contacts made before a government pronouncement on the tragic attacks. This, it is understood, is the reason for the silence of the government over the incident,” the source said.
Sourced From: Tribune
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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