Gov Umahi flags off empowerment programmes for 12,000 workers, youths

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has flagged off his administration's empowerment programmes for civil servants and youths in the state.
The beneficiaries of the first phase of the programmes comprise 8,000 civil servants and 4,000 youths.

At the ceremony which held at the Abakaliki Township Stadium in Abakaliki, the governor noted that a lot of people keyed into the programmes and expressed his gratitude to them for believing in the initiatives aimed at boosting food production in the state and economic potential of the people.
While he explained that no amount of money would be enough to satisfy the yearnings of the people in time of economic recession, Umahi advised those profiled for the schemes to properly utilise the funds in order to increase their income.
The governor, according to a statement on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya, said, "I'm very convinced that God wants to use Ebonyi State to set example for the project of Nigeria.
"The speed and the spirit at which our civil servants have demonstrated in support of this programme can be nothing other than divine. I've said that no governor and nobody in the kind of society we are now can permanently please all the civil servants. It is not possible.
"It is the fault of the situation we've all found ourselves but we offer you an opportunity to change our world and better our days."
The governor, who announced that Thursdays and Fridays had been declared work-free days for participants to enable them go to their farms, stressed that opportunities abound in agriculture, especially in the areas of fishery, rice and cassava cultivations.
"Some people may not have full understanding of what we are about to begin but go and talk to those that benefitted from FADAMA III last year. Talk to those that benefitted from IFAD last year. If 6,000 plus got N4 billion into their coffers within four months, then find out whether we are joking," he said.
To prove that his government was prepared to make the programmes a success, he added, "Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be working days only for those who are participating in this programme but then Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the civil servants participating will be expected to be absent from their work places so that they can go to their farms and do their work."

The governor later distributed symbolic cheques to some beneficiaries of the empowerment programmes.
Contributing, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Empowerment programmes, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, emphasized that the schemes were in fulfillment of Governor Umahi's promise to prosper the people.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and Job Creation, Chief Donatus Njoku and the State Head of Service, Dr. Chamberlain Nwele as well as the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor appreciated Umahi for his commitment towards the welfare of the people.

Pastor sells anointed umbrellas for N5,000 each in this Recession (photo)

Prophet Freddy, the leader of Goodness and
Mercy Ministries made his congregants
part with their $10 (about N5000) each to
buy what were termed 'anointed
umbrellas'.

According to Prophet Freddy, the divine
umbrellas will protect everyone who
has it from lightning and storms during
the rainy season. The umbrellas were
also said to have the ability to protect
congregants from evil spirits.
Pastor sells anointed umbrellas for N5000 each
“God instructed me to pray for these
umbrellas and there will be no member of
this church who will buy the umbrella
and get struck by lightning or will be
tormented by demons. 2017 is a year of
overtaking and this year we shall
overtake if you have faith, God will use
these umbrellas to perform miracles,
signs and wonders,” said prophet
Freddy.
H-Metro reports the joyous church
members sauntered to the altar in their
numbers to buy the umbrellas. There
was also stampede and some people got
injured when the pastor offered to give
one of the umbrellas out for free. One of
the ladies who was part of the scuffle,
said she was injured as she tried to get
the umbrella.
“I was pushed by another woman who
also wanted the umbrella and I
dislocated my arm but I don’t regret
what happened to me and I believe I will
be healed since I was injured in the
house of God. I was not doing something
wrong to anyone so I know these injuries
will come to pass,” she said.

‘Operation Python Dance’ was successful in South- east, says Army

From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

THE Nigerian Army yesterday said that
despite the initial disinformation,
agitation and misplaced apprehension
about the Exercise Python Dance
launched by the military during the
festive period, the record of
achievements was huge and highly
acknowledged by well meaning locals
and visitors across the Southeastern
region.
Deputy Director, Army Public Relations,
82 Division, Enugu, Col. Sagir Musa in a
statement said that due to intensity of
patrols, road blocks, raids and other
activities in the Military Line of
Operation, miscreants and criminals were
denied freedom of action.
Musa said that as a result of the military
exercise, most of the criminal elements
fizzled out of the region into neighboring
Delta and Rivers states.
He commended the media for the
wonderful role they played while the
exercise lasted, noting that the accounts
of peace, law, order and secured
environments in the entire Southeastern
region occasioned by the exercise was
widely circulated by the media.
He noted: “The political leadership, some
elite and the locals in Abia, Anambra,
Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States
appreciated and differently voiced their
commendations about the Nigerian Army.
“Also, most of the security challenges
such as intra and inter communal crisis,
farmers-herdsmen clashes, kidnapping,
armed robbery and cultism as well as
“trading in human misery” in the region
were grossly reduced to the barest
minimum. These menaces are and have
been the focus and targets of this
exercise and have so far been effectively
achieved.
“Similarly, violent secessionist agitators
and related divisive irredentist groups
were silently suppressed. Consequently,
the region was stabilised with an
increased level of free movements and a
boost in economic and social activities.”
Musa noted that even the annual gridlock
on the Niger Bridge at Onitsha during the
yuletide season was effectively remedied,
while the yearly sufferings,
inconveniencies and insecurity arising
from traffic jam on the Asaba-Onitsha
axis of the bridge were curtailed.
He said the seamless flow of traffic was
achieved by own troops working in
synergy with the Federal Road Safety
Commission (FRSC) and the Nigerian
Police Force.
He said the exercise has further raised
the image and reputation of the Nigerian
Army in its struggles to end insurgency,
crimes and criminalities across the
nation, adding that a lot was learnt on
real time situations during the exercise.

•FC Ifeanyiubah: NPFL: Show of shame in Kano as FC Ifeanyiubah abandons league opener against Pillars

Stories BY MONICA IHEAKAM

It was a show of shame in Kano, as the
opening game of the 2016/2017 Nigeria
Professional Football League season
between Kano Pillars and FC Ifeanyiubah
abruptly ended in chaos.
Sunday Sun Sports inquires revealed
that Ifeanyi Ubah, abandoned the match
in which hosts Pillars where where
leading 1-0 courtesy of Gambo
Mohammed’s goal.
It was gathered that the first half ended
on a controversial note with the centre
referee Folusho Ajayi from Oyo State
disallowing what FC IfeanyiUbah players
insisted was a legitimate goal. On
resumption of the second half, the game
was abandoned just five minutes into
proceedings when the referee sent an
FC IfeanyiUbah official into the stands
for un-sportsmanly behaviour with the
away side refusing to continue play
despite appeals by the match
commissioner.
Many dignitaries including Kano State
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the
LMC boss Shehu Dikko, were understood
to be present at the Sani Abacha
stadium to watch the first game of the
season in the NPFL.

Mega Party formation: Buhari’s ministers, govs named as sponsors

FROM ADE ALADE and IHEANACHO
NWOSU, ABUJA
The intrigues and political manoeuvring
that will shape the 2019 general
elections have begun to unfold with
revelations that some serving ministers
and governors on the platform of the two
major political parties are deeply involved
in the formation and funding of the much
touted mega party; Action Democratic
Party, ADP, which this week began its
registration process.
Saturday Sun gathered that beside the
serving ministers and governors, a former
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Dimeji Bankole, his father, Chief Alani
Bankole and a minister of state for
Agriculture under President Goodluck
Jonathan, Alhaji Awodele Najeem
Adewale have been named among
notable promoters of the emerging party
from the Southwest zone.
One of the top leaders of the yet to be
registered party from the North who
pleaded anonymity, told Saturday Sun on
Thursday that “our support base cuts
across party lines and cadres” when
prodded to name some of the ministers
involved in the party, said “it would be
suicidal to mention their names now. But
they are people not happy within the
system but should they be dropped in the
imminent cabinet shake-up, Nigerians will
surely know them.”
On the governors in secret romance with
the party, the source gave the same
excuse “for fear of persecution.”
Further investigations by Saturday Sun
however, revealed that a prominent All
Progressives Congress, APC governor in
the Northwest and another Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP governor from the
South-South are among the chief
promoters of the party , aside their
colleagues in the two major political
parties.
Most of the big personalities involved in
the new party, who are chieftains of the
ruling APC, it was learnt are still playing
hide-and-seek with the President
Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, in
order to avoid any backlash.
However, operatives of some security
agencies who are fully aware of the
clandestine moves, have continued to
trail the “big actors involved, especially
the movement of money to fund the new
party and may move against them
anytime soon.” According to a security
source, “ we are on the trail of the
party’s sponsors still hibernating in APC
and others. When we start asking for the
source of the funds they are moving
around, we hope they won’t start
shouting political persecution, that is if
the party’s registration even scales
through.”
Nonetheless, those saddled with the
responsibility of organizing the party are
pushing fast by setting up physical and
administrative structures for the party
across the country. On Tuesday this
week, it was gathered that its protem
national officers had relocated to Abuja
to prepare for the party’s registration and
national convention. This followed the
zoning of positions in its National Working
Committee, NWC and that of the National
Executive Committee to the various geo-
political zones of the country. According
to the new party, the National
Chairmanship position has been zoned to
the North Central; South west gets
Deputy National Chairman; South East,
National Secretary; National Organising
Secretary goes to the North West, South
East gets National Legal Adviser, while
the South South gets National Treasurer.
The new party also made provision for
two zones to produce the position of
Deputy National Chairmen as it was
during the early days of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, just as it created
a novel office, National Diaspora Adviser.
According to the breakdown, North
Central has the National Welfare
Secretary; National Vice Chairman; Vice
National Organising Secretary; Deputy
National Woman Leader; Assistant
National Secretary; Deputy National
Treasurer; National Vice woman leader;
National Vice Youth Leader and ex-
official. The North West aside the
position of National Organising Secretary,
has the positions of National Woman
leader; National Vice Chairman; Vice
Publicity Secretary; Deputy National
Secretary; Deputy National Youth Leader;
Deputy National Welfare Secretary;
National Vice Woman Leader and Ex-
Officio. The allocation also shows that
the North East has the positions of
Deputy National Chairman; National Vice
Chairman; National Auditor; Deputy
National Financial Secretary; National
Vice Woman Leader; National Vice Youth
leader and Ex- Officio.
APC KICKS, SAYS MEGA PARTY
ALREADY DOOMED
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has
shrugged off the speculation that some
of its governors and chieftains are
discreetly promoting the planned mega
party, Action Democratic Party of Nigeria
(ADP).
National Publicity Secretary of the APC,
Bolaji Abdullahi said the rumour that
some APC bigwigs are secretly funding
and promoting ADP has not elicited the
attention of the leadership of the party
and dismissed it with a wave of the
hand.
“It is all hearsay, we have not discussed
the speculation”, the ex-minister of
Sports told Saturday Sun . He added “
APC is focusing on delivering good
governance to the people but not
listening to hearsays.”
He described APC as a great party and
wondered why key members would go
and promote another party. The APC
spokesman stressed that there had not
been any report that any of the governors
or chieftains are engaging in anti-party
activities which he said, supporting or
funding the new party would amount to.
He said “ there is no case of anti party
activities by any of our governors and
stalwarts which what you are talking
about represents. It is all hearsay”.
This is the same way the National
Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-
Oyegun recently declared that the ruling
party does not feel threatened by talks of
the formation of a mega party that will
wrestle power from it, advising
proponents of the emerging party to
focus on providing formidable opposition
to his party.
He also absolved a leader of the party,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar from the
rumoured formation of the planned mega
party, recalling that he had met with
some of the leaders of the APC,
including the leadership of the National
Assembly and the former vice-president.
His words “We don’t feel threatened at
all. I don’t know where the name mega
party suddenly came from in the lexicon
of politics in this country. When two
people gather to have a meeting, it is a
mega meeting.
“We don’t feel threatened, we will in fact,
encourage a mega party because with
the gradual collapse of PDP, we want a
party that can make us sit upright and be
on our toes in terms of delivery of
services to our people.”
MEGA PARTY, DEAD ON ARRIVAL –
SULE LAMIDO
A former Minister and immediate past
governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, in
his reaction to the emergence of the
new party, said it was dead on arrival
because it was built on betrayal.
“You see, to be honest with you, those
who are talking about mega party are
just reckoning by the mood of the
moment. They are just trying to indulge
in some kind of self-help or what you call
escapism. And they are even calling
names, some even say those who left
the PDP to join the APC, want to return
to the PDP, but would prefer to return on
a different platform, because they are
probably ashamed of returning to the
PDP. So, those of us who stayed back in
the PDP are shameless?
“Has the APC mega party worked? It
cannot work because it is a party that
lacks history, and hurriedly put together,
just for the purpose of election. The
formation was driven by anger. But the
Nigerian problem is still there. It has
been there before, and it will still be
there. So, whether major or mega party,
Nigeria’s problem is still there. The
challenge is to face it.
“When they talk about change, Nigerians
fell for it. Where is the change today?
They said everything under PDP was evil,
yet the so-called mega party, that is
today in government is doing worse evil.
When Jonathan increased pump price of
petrol by just N10, there was a protest
led by Buhari and the APC chieftains,
saying, fuel subsidy was a fraud. So,
under Jonathan, because it was PDP, a
party of evil, the increase too was evil.
But when Buhari increased it, by over
100 percent, over and above what
Jonathan did, they said because it was
coming from a pious person called
Buhari, if you come out to demonstrate,
they would beat you.
“Today, the mega party has introduced
the culture of coercion and intimidation,
as an act of governance. Whereas,
leadership should instill trust, respect and
confidence, what we have today cannot
do all that. When you fear leadership,
there is a problem. There is no trust, no
respect, no faith, since all that you do is
based on fear, not out of love for the
leadership. And fear, has its own
limitation, because by the time you know
what is called fear, you’ll no longer fear
again. When you are about to be
circumcised as a boy, you get scared.
But after going through it, you discover
it’s no big deal and you no longer fear
again. “ I doubt if Nigerians will be afraid
of any mega party again today. Two,
rather than indulge in self-help, I think we
should face the country’s challenge
squarely and solve it because from what
we have seen so far, solving the problem
does not require the coming together of
any mega or major party. Three, which
parties will the PDP merge with to form
the mega party? There is no partner to
merge with, so merger, for the PDP, is
out of it”, Sule Lamido who is poised to
contest the 2019 presidential election
declared.

Diego Costa and Antonio Conte fight in training

Reports from England claim Diego Costa
had a traning ground bust up with Chelsea
boss Antonio Conte after received a
lucrative transfer offer from the Chinese
Super League.
Sources at the club who spoke with ESPN
FC claim Costa has trained alone at
Cobham for the past three days after
becoming embroiled in a heated
argument with a fitness coach over an
injury.
Antonio COnte has brought out the best in
Costa so far this season.
Conte however got involved and decided
to punish his striker after siding with
his staff in the dispute.
Chelsea head to the King Power Stadium
on Saturday hoping to preserve their
five-point lead at the top of the Premier
League.
Costa is the division's top scorer with 14
goals in 19 appearances this season, has
not travelled with the rest of the squad
for the clash with the Foxes.
Chelsea declined to comment on the
matter Friday however Costa posted a
support message for Chelsea in
Instagram.
Diego Costa posted this on Instagram
According to the Telegraph, a Chinese
club has informed the Spain
international they are willing to offer
him £30 million-a-year after taxes to
leave Stamford Bridge in January.
Costa's contract runs until June 2019
and while Chelsea were reportedly keen
to tie down their star striker to an
extension prior to the recent dispute.

Breaking! Nigerian footballer dies in ghastly motor accident

Samson Folorunso who plays for Nigerian
National League (NNL) club Crown FC of
Ogbomosho has been confirmed dead after
he was involved in an accident.

Late Samson Folorunso before his death
Reports say he was on his way to
Ibadan from Ogbomosho on Saturday,
January 14, 2017 when the tragic
incident occurred.
Get the latest news on Naij.com Sports
app
Although details of the incident as at the
time of filing this report remain sketchy,
relatives and friends of the youngster
have besieged his Facebook timeline to
pay condolences.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte named manager of the month for a record third time in a row… and it has taken him just five months to match Mourinho

LiiChelsea's Antonio Conte has been handed the Premier League manager of the month award for December
The Stamford Bridge boss posed with 10 members of his backroom staff and the trophy, including his brother
It is the third time in a row the Italian manager has been given the prize since he took over at Stamford Bridge
After just five months in the job, he is the first boss to win three consecutive accolades in top-flight history
Conte has now received as many manager of the month prizes as Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho

Antonio Conte has become the first manager in Premier League history to be awarded the manager of the month award three times in a row.
To mark the occasion, the Chelsea boss posed with the award and 10 of his backroom staff , including his brother Gianluca and former goalkeepers Carlo Cudicini and Henrique Hilario.
The Italian boss oversaw victory in each of his side's six games in the final month of 2016, with Manchester City, West Brom, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Stoke all beaten by the league leaders.
The award for December comes on the back of previous successes in November and October, fuelled by a winning streak of 13 consecutive league wins for the Italian and his team.
The three prizes puts Conte in the record books and also see him draw level with another former boss at Stamford Bridge - Jose Mourinho - and he has collected his personal accolades in just five months.
Mourinho took over from Claudio Ranieri, a five-time winner, at the beginning of 2004, but had to wait until March 2007 to pick up his third, and amazingly still his most recent, Manager of the Month award.
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Chelsea in talks over pre-season tour of China and Japan in effort to boost Blues' profile in the Far East
Claudio Ranieri tells Leicester fans to be kind to N'Golo Kante on his return to the King Power Stadium with Chelsea: 'He was our champion'
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack meets Blues boss Antonio Conte on a return visit to the club
The lack of recognition has irked the current Manchester United boss throughout the years, and in Rob Beasley's book last year - Jose Mourinho, Up Close and Personal - it was revealed the Portuguese was convinced there was even a campaign preventing him from picking up the award.
Beasley wrote that Mourinho asked him: 'Do me a favour, try to (find out) who decides that s*** Manager of the Month.
'I don't care (about) that s*** but till the end of November I was, from day one to the last day, top of the league and zero defeats. (But) I didn't win in August, September, October or November!
'The last one was (Alan) Pardew – lost in November against West Ham and I won all, including Liverpool away and drew at Sunderland. This isn't normal!
'I need to know who are the people? Four years in Premier League, two titles, two seconds and I won manager of the month twice eh, eh, eh.'
While Conte has already caught up with his United rival, he still has some way to go to catch those at the top of the manager of the month hall of fame.
Ranieri is the next former Chelsea boss and current top-flight coach in the Italian's sights with five awards.
Of the current crop of Premier League bosses, only Sam Allardyce on six, David Moyes on 10 and Arsene Wenger with 15 have more than Ranieri.
But all still have a mountain to climb when compared to the man at the top of the list, Sir Alex Ferguson.
During his time at Manchester United the Scot collected 27 Premier League manager of the month awards to go alongside his 13 league titles.
THE MANAGER OF THE MONTH ALL-TIME LIST
Current Premier League managers in
bold.
27 - Sir Alex Ferguson
15 - Arsene Wenger
10 - David Moyes
8 - Martin O'Neill, Harry Redknapp
6 - Sam Allardyce, Rafa Benitez, Bobby Robson
5 - Kevin Keegan, Claudio Ranieri
4 - Carlo Ancelotti, Roy Hodgson, Joe Kinnear, Manuel Pellegrini, Gordon Strachan
3 - Alan Curbishley, Antonio Conte, Gerard Houllier, Ronald Koeman, Jose Mourinho , David O'Leary, Alan Pardew, Stuart Pearce, Mauricio Pochettino , Brendan Rodgers
RELATED ARTICLES
10 things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend: N'Golo Kante's return to Leicester, Manchester United's Anthony Martial in form and Sam Allardyce back at West Ham
Chelsea in talks over pre-season tour of China and Japan in effort to boost Blues' profile in the Far East
Claudio Ranieri tells Leicester fans to be kind to N'Golo Kante on his return to the King Power Stadium with Chelsea: 'He was our champion'
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack meets Blues boss Antonio Conte on a return visit to the club
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MOST READ SPORT
DON'T MISS
Chelsea's coaching staff pose with the award: (left to right) Chris Jones (first team fitness coach), Carlo Cudicini (club ambassador and head coach assistant), Steve Holland (assistant first team coach), Gianluca Conte (assistant first team coach), Julio Tous (first team fitness coach), Gianluca Spinelli (goalkeeper coach), Antonio Conte (manager), Angelo Alessio (assistant first team coach), Constantino Coratti (assistant first team fitness coach), Paolo Bertelli (fitness coach), Henrique Hilario (assistant goalkeeper coach)

A clear sign of how human make sin grow

Patronizing Sin
.
"We're both Christians and our relationship is not hidden in the church", she stated.
"What happened to those vigil-turned-emotion outbreak, are they prayer points too?" Don't patronize sin!
.
Cheating is wrong as Christians but I don't mind sitting near someone who does. I cannot fornicate or commit adultery but I can let out my room to someone who wants to do so... patronizing sin.
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I notice that these days it's now common to see Christians loitering around sin. One thing I love about Joseph in the Bible is that, he did not stay with Potiphar’s wife to say stories like 'madam let's start small small', 'let's arrange for somewhere outside the house', all in the name of I'm only saying it to 'scope' her and I'll be free from her. He fled and even left his garment, he didn't smell what he's not willing to eat.
.
Loitering or patronizing sin can bring troubles like it did to Dinah. It can bring curse like it did to Dinah's brothers (Gen. 34). It can lead to defilement, more sins and even death too.
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If you don't want a brother, my dear sisters, please let go of him and don't keep collecting his gifts and brother let go and stop wasting her time if you don't have serious commitment with her.
.
Love for Christ is not merely a feeling or affection but a commitment to follow Him all the way. ‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’
.
Do not loiter in Satan's corridor and expect to have Jesus' pat on your shoulders. You can't continue in sin and expect grace to abound. Remember, the devil will not spare any idle Christian that patronizes sin. Be committed to what you profess and flee every appearance of evil!

Ritualists lures victims with the promise of a job in Aba

Pls don't stop spreading

Some kind of evil is actually going on, which people don't really know about.
Mostly in Abia state precisely (Aba).... people should be mindful of posters that read.... "JOB VACANCY CALL SO SO NUMBER"  some do write the salary.... the people  in CHARGE are evil RITUALISTS.
In Aba They will ask you to come to a place called Bata around  the park where they will pick you up...their scheduled date is always Wednesdays. When they pick you, you are actually gone for ever without trace..
..................................
A girl was picked up with her fellow  job applicants. On getting to an  unknown destination precisely a house (duplex)  they queued up and were given numbers with a tag, as people they wanted to interview for a job. Her number was nine(9).  The first person entered the so called office for the interview and they later called the second person, and then the 3rd, the 4th  the 5th, none of these called people came back out.
But They still continued. The girl became  uncomfortable  and she summoned courage and went to the security man at gate and told him that she didn't know what was actually happening  here .... that none of the people that went in for the interview came out to say how the interview went. The man told her that  it was the spirit of God that directed her to him. He then leaked the secret to her that those people that entered for the interview had been butchered for rituals.
So spirits don't shout. Fear gripped her and she begged the man to open gate for her. He told her it was too late  but the only solution was for her to enter the boot of their errand car which she did. When it was her turn no:9  she was no where to be found. They searched for her every where  with the fear that she might be a ghost that came to spoil their business.  God saved her through  the gate man who later drove out with  the car to buy ritual items for them.