Ooni: Ife Women stay indoors over Oro ritual

Women residents of the ancient town of Ile-Ife remained indoors yesterday as the annual Oro festival entered its second day.

Although the organizers said on Friday that residents, especially women, should keep off the streets from 7pm, and that it has nothing to do with the speculated death of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the women did not want to take chances.

Oro is a deity worshipped across Yoruba land, which forbids women from going out at night during the period of the festival.

Some women told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it was better to be on the safe side by staying indoors during the period than to fall foul of the traditionalists’ warning.

Mrs Rebecca Olaide, a market woman, said she would remain indoors to avoid any unexpected circumstance.

Olaide said she had asked her eldest son to help her to manage her business until the festival is over.

Another woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had restricted her movement because of the Oro festival.

She said the Oro festival might not be unconnected with the reported demise of the monarch.

Another lfe resident who simply identified herself as Sade, said she had decided to remain within her vicinity to avoid any unexpected happening.

She said “although women were asked not to go out only at night, I decided not go out during the day too until the festival is over.”

However, palace sources said the Oro was an annual festival in the town to appease the gods to ward off evil and usher in an era of prosperity.

The source said people in Ile-Ife usually celebrate Oro festival and other traditional festivals like Olojo, Orunmila, Edi, Oranmiyan, Esu, Obatala among others annually.

He said the celebration of Oro festival had nothing to do with the controversial news about the demise of the Ooni.

“The Oro festival does not have anything to do with the reported death of the royal father. It is an annual festival in the town which normally holds for seven days and it is taboo for young and old females to go out during the period.

“During this period, traditionalists will perform necessary rituals that will make the town more peaceful,” he said.

The source, who maintained that the monarch was still alive, said the closure of markets for businesses and ringing of special bell were the two major significant signs to indicate an Ooni had joined his ancestors.

 

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Taraba: Tribunal rejects INEC"s relocation request

The Taraba State governorship election tribunal has declined a request by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relocate to the state.

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bilkachuwa, empowered by the Constitution to constitute election tribunals in respect of disputed polls, set up the Taraba governorship tribunal in Abuja owing to security challenges in the state.

Tribunal Chairman, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar, in a ruling on Saturday rejected INEC’s opposition to the tribunal’s sitting in Abuja and dismissed its motion challenging the tribunal’s jurisdiction to sit in the nation’s capital and hear a petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election, Hajia Aisha Alhassan and her party.

Justice Abubakar held that the tribunal was validly constituted by the Court of Appeal President in line with her constitutional powers.

INEC had in its motion, challenged the decision of the Court of Appeal President to direct the tribunal’s sitting in Abuja.

It argued that the tribunal ought to sit in the state where the election was held.

The commission  also noted that the state’s legislative election tribunal is currently sitting in Jalingo, the state capital.

 

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British oil firm investigated for alleged fraud

The Serious Fraud Office has opened a criminal investigation into British company Soma Oil and Gas.

The SFO said the matter was related to corruption in Somalia.

In a statement, Soma said it was “confident” that there was “no basis” to the allegation.

The company’s directors include former Conservative Party leader Lord Howard and Lord Clanwilliam, but Soma said “no suspicion whatsoever” was attached to either man.

The SFO released a statement saying whistleblowers were “valuable sources of information.”

It added: “We welcome approaches from anyone with inside information on all our cases including this one – we can be contacted through our secure reporting channel, which can be accessed via the SFO website.”

Soma said the allegations were from a third party, not from a current or former employee.

“Soma Oil and Gas has always conducted its activities in a completely lawful and ethical manner and expects this matter to be resolved in the near future,” it added.

The BBC understands that a United Nations monitoring group has also been investigating Soma over a capacity building programme which it signed with the Somalian government last year.

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States owing banks N685billion - Osinbajo

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo had defended the bail-out fund policy of the Buhari administration for states owing salaries of civil servants.

Speaking at a ceremony in honour President Mihammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Malam Garba Shehu, Osinbajo said this was not the first time the Federal Government is taking such a step.

The Vice President explained that the bail out for states was promoted by the fact that the 36 states of the federation are owing commercial banks N685 billion which he said has negatively hindered them to settle most of their commitments in respect of salaries and other entitlements.

According to him, the Buhari administration operates under zero tolerance to corruption, noting that the era where looting public fund bring politicians together is over.

He said that the Federal Government will also pursue to a logical conclusion, the implementation of social welfare policy that will alleviate poverty and ensure that democratic dividends gets to the door step of the common man.

He commended Malam Garba Shehu for being consistent and dedicated in the profession of journalism, adding that Garba’s honesty, simplicity integrity have continued to endear him to people he has met and worked with.

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Two policemen injured in Delta NURTW crisis

… 44 suspects arrested

Two policemen have been injured following the mayhem that trailed change of leadership by the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Uwvie Chapter in Delta State,
The State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Tina Kalu in statement made available to The Nation on Saturday said the violence which characterised the emergence of Ariyor Francis as Chairman informed the deployment of policemen to the area.
Kalu said a police team was mobilized to the scene but was attacked by protesters at Jakpa junction leading to the shooting of an Assistant Superintendent of police (ASP) in the buttocks.
Part of the statement reads, ‘ On 29/7/2015 at about 0700hr, the Area Commander, Warri received information that following the change of leadership by the National Union of Road Transport workers Union (NURTW) Uvwie chapter, leading to the emergence of one Ariyor Francis ‘m’ as chairman, pockets of violent protests erupted in the area.
” Based on the report, patrol teams were quickly mobilized to the scene, and at Jakpa junction, the protesters shot at the policemen, as a result of which an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) was hit on his buttocks by a bullet from one of the protesters. The victim was rushed to central Hospital Warri for treatment. ” Later, the police re-enforced and trailed the protesters to Agofure Motor Park on NPA –DSC express way Warri where the said protesters had gathered to cause more crisis and destruction and arrested forty-four (44) male suspects. Some of the protesters also on the same date at about 1140hrs attacked policemen on duty at Dofect motor park Effurun, shooting sporadically into the air and in the process, a police sergeant was hit by stray bullet on his right elbow. The injured policeman was rushed to Nigeria Navy Hospital Effurun for treatment.”
Kalu said the team following reinforcement trailed the protesters to Agofure Motors along NPA-DSC expressway where they had gathered to cause more crisis.
The police image maker said some of the protesters on the same date attacked another policeman in Effurun on guard duty at Dofecgt Motors sustaining gunshot injuries in his right elbow.
Kalu said normalcy has been restored.
The police, she said, arrested forty four protesters were arrested in connection with the violence.
Kalu said the injured policemen have been rushed to Warri Central Hospital and Nigeria Navy Hospital respectively.
She warned members of the public to respect the laws of the land and refrain from taking laws into their hands

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Kinsmen to Boroh: Don’t betray Buhari’s confidence

Kinsmen of the newly appointed Coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh have urged him not to betray the confidence reposed in him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Boroh hails from Trofani in Sagbama, the Local Government Area of the incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

The kinsmen under the aegis of the Trofani Patriotic Front (TPF) described Boroh as a seasoned professional, an administrator and hailed Buhari’s forthrightness for selecting him.

The Chairman of TPF, Mr. Christopher Abarowei and Secretary, Mr. Sunday Koinyan, who spoke to journalists on Saturday in Yenagoa asked Bororh to use his wealth of experience to positively affect lives.

Abarowei said: “Boroh is a true Kabowei son who has the highest level of integrity and dedication to the growth of his fatherland and therefore will not misplace the confidence reposed in him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We implore the new coordinator to proactively address issues affecting the amnesty Programme as it concerns the payments of tuition fees and other allowances especially of youths studying abroad”.

Abarowei urged Boroh to adopt novel approach in dealing with issues affecting the region and asked the youths to promote peace and unity.

“We also call on ex-militants and their leaders to give maximum cooperation to Boroh in his new assignment to make the Niger Delta particularly the Ijaw nation a peaceful and prosperous place to stay and create investment opportunities for a better future,” Abarowei.

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Islamic State leader killed in Egypt

Egyptian armed forces killed a leading member of the country’s Islamic State affiliate in a shootout outside his North Sinai home, the army spokesman said in a statement on Saturday.

Selim Suleiman al-Haram, identified in the statement as a leader of the militant group known as Sinai Province, was asked to turn himself in by a group of soldiers that surrounded his house in the town of Sheikh Zuweid, the army said.

He refused, opening fire on the troops and attempting to blow himself up before being shot dead, the army said.

Egypt is battling an increasingly brazen insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula that has killed hundreds of police officers and soldiers since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2013 after mass protests against his rule, Reuters says.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said militancy poses an existential threat to Egypt, the most populous Arab country.

Sinai Province, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, claimed responsibility last week for a bombing that the army said killed four soldiers near Rafah, a town on the border with the Gaza Strip.

The group claimed responsibility earlier this month for a rocket attack on an Egyptian naval vessel near the coast of Israel and Gaza, less than a week after claiming a bombing in Cairo that heavily damaged the Italian consulate.

It also assaulted several military checkpoints in North Sinai, in the fiercest fighting in the region in years.

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