A total of 84,606 applications have been rejected by the Police Service Commission during the ongoing recruitment exercise into the Constable Cadre of the Nigeria Police Force.

The Spokesman for the Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday said that so far, a total of 547,774 applications had been received in the Police Recruitment portal which closes next Sunday, November 26, 2023, after it was opened on the 15th of October 2023.

Ani noted that Kaduna State maintained its first position as the state with the highest number of applicants with 40,272 while Anambra had the lowest number with 1,664.

The statement read in part “Out of the 547,774 applicants, 358,900 were successful and have qualified for the next round of the recruitment process which includes the physical, credentials, medicals and strict background checks of the applicants.

“A total of 84,606 applicants were rejected for overage. Applicants are expected to be between the ages of 18 and 25.

“Kaduna State maintained its first position as the state with the highest number of applicants with 40,272 with Anambra Still stuck in the last position with 1,664. Adamawa State is second with 36,398 applications, and Bornu State is third with 32,048. Benue State with 31,122 is fourth, Katsina State with 30,202 is 5th, Bauchi State with 30,604 is 6th while Kano with 30,004 is 7th.

“Ebonyi State with 2132 applications is next to Anambra from the rear, followed by Lagos State with 2324 applicants. Bayelsa state is 4th from the rear with 2651 while Abia has 2796 and 5th from the rear”

The statement quoted the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, as expressing his satisfaction with the number of applications already received.

It added “He (Arase) observed that it is obvious that Nigerian youths have decided to show incredible interest in pursuing a career in the Nigeria Police, a development he said augurs well for the “new Police we are building”.

“He appealed once again to the youths of the South-East to change their indifference to Police work, insisting that embracing anti-government criminal gangs will not lead them anywhere.

“He advised that they should be concerned about what becomes of the region in the future as no development can thrive in terror-ravaged communities.

“He noted that the commission will do its best to ensure that the recruitment is strictly based on defined criteria with merit and justice prevalent throughout the processes”.

President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, felicitated with former President Goodluck Jonathan, on his 66th birthday, saying his wisdom, foresight and patriotism continue to inspire leaders aiming to make a difference in Nigeria and beyond.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, conveyed Tinubu’s birthday message to Jonathan in a statement he signed on Sunday titled ‘President Tinubu celebrates icon of democracy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, at 66.’

The President celebrates Jonathan, “for his unique demonstration of statesmanship and distinguishing achievement as a leader, who gave Nigeria and Africa a pride of place in democratic lore by upending the vitiating paradigm of those who seek to hold onto power by all means,” Ngelale revealed.

He stated: “President Tinubu shares the joyous occasion with one of our icons of democracy, whose humility continues to inspire hope for good governance in the country and on the continent.”

Tinubu believes the former President possesses a distinguished profile on leadership, rising up the ladder as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice-President and President, and now championing the cause of peace in Africa by bringing together and counselling leaders on harmonious co-existence for the benefit of the people they serve.

Therefore, he commended former President Jonathan for committing himself to the service of humanity and to strengthening democratic institutions, exemplified by his relentless peace missions and advocacy of non-violence in the peaceful transition of power across the African continent.

As the former President clocks 66, President Tinubu prays that God Almighty will continually sustain the former President and his wife, Patience, in good health and strength.

Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has finally openly declared to run for the post of governor months after the governor, Godwin Obaseki, took exception to his ambition and ostracized him.

The deputy governor declared that he’s the right man for the job and that the state which is bleeding and is in need of recaue does not need another experiment, in an indirect attack on the governor.

Shaibu who began to make the move months ago to contest the election came under attack from the governor who ensured he renounced his ambition.

He apologised to the governor on several occasions and various interventions from stakeholders and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, eventually calmed the situation.

But as the election draws closer, Shaibu, who restarted his desire for the governorship position met with the Edo State Journalists Forum in Abuja over the weekend where he said, “Those who know me know that I am not a friend to bankers,” in another shot at the governor.

“I have sunk boreholes, renovated many schools with private monies as Deputy Governor. I have built churches and mosques. I am not an advocate of keeping money in the banks. I have conscience, I am a Catholic,” Shaibu declared.

Speaking on Sunday, Shaibu said, “With the 2024 Edo Governorship Election fast approaching, the state could not afford to experiment again with someone who does not understand the politics of the state or the needs of the people.

“Edo people need practical governance and you cannot experiment again with somebody that does not understand the politics of a good state and the needs of the people.”

The News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governor as saying, “Everything we have to do should be assessed.

“You cannot know the needs of the people when you don’t live with them. So for me, competence and experience should be the watchwords as we go into the election in 2024.

“Who is competent? Who is more experienced? Who will hit the ground running from day one?

“Are we going to experiment with a new person again? And the person will spend the first four years learning on the job and he will spend another four years trying to embezzle, set up his businesses in the name of consolidating on the gains of the first term.

“Or we need a governor that from the day one will hit the ground running?”

He further explained that, “From my own experience, I have seen that for me to succeed as a Governor, there must be collaboration

“I understand the debt profile of the state and where I feel I can get funding to put up structure in the state. So, I won’t be coming to learn on the job, but to hit the ground running.”

Identifying what the problems are, Shaibu said, “You see, the problem, what we have in the system is that we have too many seminars, too many workshops, too many programs and you don’t have time to implement their outcomes.”

On the argument for or against rotational governorship, he said,

He challenged the argument that is being advanced for rotational governorship, noting, “There was not and had never been any convention in the state, either through political or traditional conferences where such position was zoned.

“Whoever talks about equity, must come with clean hands.

“Whereas other senatorial districts have had more than one turn in the governorship position in the state, Edo North had only one turn.

“We have had four governors from South, two from Central and only one from North.

“Just like my ambition to be the deputy governor was not mine, but I made myself available, so also the ambition to be governor is still not mine. I’m only making myself available.”

The Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party, on Sunday charged its presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Atiku Abubakar to emulate the President of Liberia, George Weah and congratulate President Bola Tinubu.

The Liberian President, Weah lost his re-election bid to opposition leader, Joseph Boakai.

Following his defeat, the former Ballon d’Or winner conceded defeat to Boakai.

However, the LP’s factional spokesman, Abayomi Arabambi, urged Obi and Atiku to team up with Tinubu in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.

A statement by Arabambi reads partly: “The Liberian Presidential Election, though still on as the electoral umpire is yet to declare the winner of the election, the results so far have compelled the incumbent President George Weah to congratulate the opposition candidate, Boakai, who is obviously the winner.

“The Labour Party believed that it’s instructive that elections like any competition would produce the winner and loser. This is why the behaviour and reaction of President George Weah even before the official announcement of the results of the presidential election in Liberia to his loss should be commended and African leaders should emulate.

“Nigerian leaders should emulate this spirit of sportsmanship.

“President George Weah of Liberia again has shown like Former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari that incumbency is not a tool to be used to rig election and opposition should not be intimidated by incumbency.

“The time is ripe for former Vice-president and PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of LP, Mr Peter Obi to congratulate the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the former had explored all the opportunities availed by the Constitution and the Electoral Law.

“As a responsible leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan also did the same as George Weah, and today he is being reckoned with as a great pillar of democracy.

“The Labour Party therefore appealed to Obi’ and Atiku to support the administration and have faith in ongoing reforms.

“We had expected the duo to have buried the hatchet and join hands with the president in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Peter Obi and Atiku should exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship and congratulate the president and join hands with him to revamp the economy and deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians.”

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Sunday affirmed the sacking of Hon. Rimvjat Nanbol of the People’s Democratic Party as the lawmaker representing Langtang Central State Constituency.

Nanbol had been sacked from the position by the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in September.

The tribunal declared Hon. Daniel Ninbol Listic of the Labour Party (LP) as winner of the state constituency election.

But the PDP Lawmaker approached the appeal court for final redress.

In a unanimous Judgment of a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal read out by Justice Okong Abang, they agreed that the Tribunal was right when it held it had jurisdiction to seat over internal affairs of a political party with regards to non-qualification and issue of sponsorship.

Abang upheld the Tribunal’s finding that the structure of PDP had collapsed after the Plateau State High Court declared in a judgment that the party failed to conduct a valid primary/Congress involving delegates from the 17 LGAs of the state.

“It is my view that without complying with court, there was no party by the name PDP in the election.

“It is a joke taken too far” for a political party to disobey an order of court, Abang held.

The judge explained further that a court of law has jurisdiction to entertain a matter bordering on a political party especially if that party disobeys a subsisting order of a court.

“The appeal lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed. The judgment of the Tribunal is hereby affirmed,” Abang held, adding that the LP candidate remains the lawmaker representing the said Constituency at the Plateau House of Assembly.

THE WHISTLER reports that with the latest judgment, about 5 PDP lawmakers have been sacked in relation to the invalidated primaries of the party.

The Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) on Sunday, in Badagry, Lagos, seized 50 sacks of cannabis sativa valued at N70 million from the Gbethrome neighbourhood.

According to Lt.Commander Kelly Umoru, FOB Base Operations Officer, the goods were taken by staff from an unfinished building close to the beach at approximately 6.30am.

Umoru said the navy agents took action in response to a tip-off on the whereabouts of alleged smugglers in the region.

“You will recall that on Nov.9, 2023, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Navy Command Operations, Rear Admiral Mustapha Hussain flagged off an operation codenamed ‘ Water Guard’ line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s directive..

“FOB Badagry on Sunday, Nov.19, acting on credible human intelligence, stormed Gbethrome and discovered 50 sacks of suspected cannabis sativa stored in an abandoned building near the beach.

“Each of the sacks contains about 200 parcels. The market value of the items is N70 million,” he said.

Umoru promised to give the goods to the relevant organisation to take the required steps.

Recall that the Nigerian Navy in Badagry handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) 27 sacks of cannabis sativa valued at N35 million on October 4.

The FOB Commanding Officer, Navy Capt. Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu said the objects were taken by agents on September 29 at Pako Beach in Badagry.

Seven years after his escape from prison custody following his conviction for drug dealing, a notorious distributor of illicit substances within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Ibrahim Momoh, popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, during a raid of his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of the national’s capital.

This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday issued by the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi.

Momoh was first arrested on 27th November 2014 with cannabis sativa weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on 22nd July 2015.

While serving his jail term at Kuje, he escaped from prison custody on 16th May 2016.

However, following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on 20th November 2022 stormed the warehouse of the fleeing ex-convict, Momoh, and recovered 81 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,278kgs.

The store was located within his poultry farm in the Dei-Dei area of the FCT.

Though Momoh was not around at the time, his warehouse manager, a 55-year-old Ghanaian, Richard Forson Gordon, was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail.

The Agency thereafter declared Momoh wanted.

The manhunt for the drug lord paid off on 5th November 2023 when operatives again raided his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja, where he was arrested with 56.9kgs of cannabis sativa and 42.7 grams of Diazepam.

Meanwhile, in another raid in the same area of the FCT on Monday, 13th November, a suspect, Yusufa Ibrahim, 27, was arrested with 75.3kgs of cannabis.

Nollywood actress, Angela Okorie has revealed that she dumped her estranged husband, Chukwuma Orizu because she “fell out of love.”

The mother of one said she became tired of marriage because of pressure from her husband’s family members who were constantly asking her to quit entertainment.

Okorie spoke in a recent podcast interview hosted by her colleague, Iyabo Ojo.

She said, “I won’t advise anybody to be in a marriage when you’re not in love with the man. I think that’s the reason a lot of women cheat. In this Lekki, you have too many women who cheat in their marriages.

“For me, I fell out of love. The man [my ex-husband] was a good man. I fell out of love because of what his family was doing. The family didn’t want me to continue acting. They didn’t want me to do anything acting. They were like, ‘If we are going to marry you, you’ll stop doing entertainment.’ And I will be like, ‘Even my mum can’t even stop me. That is my life. Do you know how many years it took me?’

“He [my ex-husband] was in support of me. He doesn’t even stress me but because of the whole saga, it was like I was in a place where the people didn’t even understand my vision. They don’t understand what I’m chasing. You need to chase it with me. This is what your wife wants. You can’t kill my dream. This is what I’ve worked for so many years to get here. So, you can’t just wake up and say, “Because you want to marry me, give up on my dreams.”

The Lagos State 2023 governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Funso Doherty, has queried alleged award of N2.1 billion to a consultant for engagement of loan facilitator and adviser on LRMT Blue Line project.

Doherty, who called for scrutiny of the contract award, said the state should not be engaging consultants for this purpose at a high fixed cost.

He stated this in an open letter dated November 17, 2023, to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu titled “Open Letter on Selected Public Procurement by LASG in the Period April – September 2023”.

“This award should be scrutinized for Value-for-Money. LASG should not be engaging consultants for this purpose at a high fixed cost. If deemed necessary, a modest engagement retainer (a fraction of this amount) combined with a more substantive fee that is contingent and payable upon successful fundraising, commercial and financial close should be negotiated through a competitive selection process,” Doherty stated.

The Blue Line commenced commercial operations in September. Doherty said the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure was planned to be on a public private partnership (PPP) and asked who is performing that function currently.

According to him, N70 billion was approved for the project in 2008 and it was expected to be completed by 2011, but added that only about half of it was recently completed.

“The Blue Line was planned to be operated and maintained by a qualified and competent operator on a PPP basis. This arrangement is not in place, but train operations have started Who is performing that function presently and who will manage, operate and maintain this Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Infrastructure that is now being procured by LASG from the main contractor (CCECC) at a cost of N40bn? Is it LAMATA? If so, does it have the capacity? How are safety, efficiency, accountability and financial results being assured, monitored and reported”?

“In 2008, N70bn was approved for the Blue line and it was expected to be completed by 2011. Phase 1 of the project, Marina to Mile 2, which is approximately half of the total proposed length, has just recently commenced limited operations in 2023. The overall cost incurred so far has not been disclosed. With this award of Phase 2 by LASG to the same contractor, at a cost of N218bn, what safeguards are in place to prevent a repeat occurence?” he queried.

Doherty pointed out that Advanced Engineering Consultants (AEC) and ROM Transportation have been engaged to update the Strategic Transport and Mobility Master Plan (STMP) for Lagos Mega City Area at a cost of approximately N5.5 billion, adding that AEC is implementing multiple aspects of the project as well as designing fourth Mainland Bridge.

“However the same company, AEC is also engaged by LASG in implementing multiple aspects of the STMP They have been awarded contracts for the Bus Corridors (see below), as well as the design of the fourth Mainland Bridge. It is not good practice and is a conflict of interest to engage a participating contractor with a vested interest in specific design or implementation contracts to develop or update the master plan,” he noted.

He also alleged in the letter that N18,468,000 was awarded to the office of the chief of staff for the supply and distribution of 2,000 Noiler chicken across the local government areas and wards in the state.

The politician further alleged that another sum of N440,750,000 was awarded to the office of the Chief of Staff for the procurement of a brand new Lexus LX 600 bullet proof Sport Utility Vehicle for use in the pool of the office of chief of staff.

“It is not clear why the Office of the Chief of Staff should be engaged in supplying and distributing Chickens across the state,” he said.

“This appears excessive and is out-of-tune with both the prevailing economic circumstances and mood of the people. It should be srutinized as to the need and justification for such a vehicle purchase and also value-for-money.”

Doherty also highlighted awards to the office of the governor also deputy governor. He said: “The sum of N7,475,000 also awarded for the “replacement of the liquid fragrance in the Office of Mr Governor, Lagos house, Ikeja.

“The office of deputy governor was awarded the sum of N30,000,000 for “monthly outreach of indigent citizens by wife of the deputy governor.

“Another N30,000,000 was awarded for monthly empowerment programmes of the wife of the deputy governor.

“The sum of N2,017,840,000 was awarded for the “provision of supply items (rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridge in the office of the deputy governor.”

Cindy Okafor, former Big Brother Naija reality show star has claimed she rarely regrets the departure of a man from her life.

Speaking in her latest interview with Saturday Beats, Cindy said she has never felt disheartened by someone’s exit.

While highlighting her strong feeling of independence, she revealed the only reason she might find it difficult to cope with a man’s exit from her life.

The reality star noted that the only scenario in which she could struggle to deal after a breakup is if a man purchased a house for her and then opted to quit the relationship.

“Perhaps if a man buys a house for me and decides to leave me, I might not be able to do without him.

“There’s no way I will say I can’t cope with a man’s exit from my life.”