VISION 202020; Experts harp on Establishment of National productivity measurement system (PMS)

Federal government has been advised to establish a nationally coordinated productivity measurement system (PMS)for the country that will consists of National Productivity Centre(NPC) as the coordinating agency , National Bureau of statistics as Data gathering agency, Nigeria institute of social and economic research (NISER) as policy based research institute while the central bank of Nigeria will be the funding agency.

   Experts at the may 2015 NISER research seminar series (NRSS)  made the recommendation at NISER headquarters in Ibadan.

The theme of the seminar ‘computing productivity in the Nigerian economy’; issues and challenges. A presentation of  Alhaji Jibril Musa Yelwa , director ,productivity  measurement and statistics, National Productivity Centre(NPC) Abuja.

In his presentation, Alhaji Jibril Musa Yelwa stated that productivity plays an invaluable role in the economic growth and development of any nation. He also stated that any country with high productivity tends to become a dominant in global market with their citizens enjoying a relatively higher quality of life. While those with low productivity output become increasingly marginalized with relatively low quality of life.

    According to him, should vision 2020 not be a mirage, Nigerians need to double their contributions towards the GDP in other to reach the expected level of productivity.

The special guest at the seminar, Paul M. Bdliya Director General,  National Productivity Centre Abuja emphasized that NPC was established by NPC Act (Ap270 of LFN 2004 specifically charged with the responsibility of stimulating productivity consciousness towards the attainment of higher levels of productivity in all sectors of the Nigerian economy and to promote international cooperation for the enhancement of national productivity and as well with vision to become a world class productivity institution and a key player in the realization of our nation’s overall growth with development objectives.

              Adding “my organization broad aim is to assess the performance of economic sector in the Nigerian economy through productivity indices in other to provide valuable information that will inform national policy directions.”

While pledging his organization deep relationship with NISER . Paul M.Bdliya optimistic that contributions at the seminar will move both organizations forward.

Earlier in his opening remarks, NISER director general, Pro. Olufemi Taiwo observed that since our nationlive in a competitive world which requires high  investment to get good productivity result and if really the objective target of Nigerians is to become one of the 20^th largest economy in the world by the year 2020. It is important to compute Nigeria’s productivity level in other to monitor the trend and determine the existing gap in the economy . All these according to the NISER DG will help  us in identifying the deficiencies or hindrances that may likely prevent the nation from achieving the set target.

Adding , ‘ without productivity, the country cannot move forward’.

Prof. Taiwo later confirmed that NISER now  have its own archive where researchers can go through any of there publications since 1960

In Ukraine Security chief accuses Russian soldiers of killing serviceman

Ukraine's state security chief on Monday accused two captured Russian servicemen of participating in the killing of a Ukrainian soldier and said they would be prosecuted for 'terrorist actions'.

Valentyn Nalivaychenko told journalists that the Russian soldiers, who were said to have been seized on Saturday near Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, were part of a Russian military group that acted "with terrorist aims and with a gun in their hands against our citizens".

Russia on Monday restated its position that there were no Russian troops in Ukraine.

"We're willing to merge with other parties" -PDP

Following its shocking loss in the 2015 general election, 'former' ruling camp, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has indicated the possibility of merging with other parties.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, May 17, the party publicly acknowledged its failures and wrong doings of the past, stressing the need to rebuild a new PDP that will be formidable even in the face of adversaries. 

For 16 years, PDP produced leaders who determined the fate of Nigeria and ruled in different capacities – Presidency, Senate, Governorship, House of Assemblies, Federal and State Parastatals, and at Local Government levels.

But the March 28 and April 11 general elections in Nigeria changed it all. PDP was shown the way out.

The outcome of the election dealt a deadly blow on the 'ousted' powerhouse party, as most of the key government offices, Federal and State, were won by the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

The effect of the unbelievable loss is the ongoing internal crisis in the party, with bickering and attacks renting the air of Nigeria's political space.

The party said it is ready to start afresh, open to new ideas and opinions – apparently PDP is regrouping ahead of the 2019 political dispensation.

Some the party’s tweets read, “We are willing to merge with other parties but we ruled out a change of name.

We are ready to listen to you &hear what you think. We require genuine & sincere advice from you because a one party system not an option.

We have tried our best as a political party but must be quick to point out that we were not perfect. We never claimed to be.

We want to run a new PDP that welcomes criticism & see it as a necessity to make amends."

Buhari, Osinbajo: See official portrait of President-elect and VP-elect

The media team of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari rtd.,  May 17, released his official portrait and that of his deputy, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

The two leaders are meant to assume office on May 29, 2015, when the handing over ceremony to usher in a new Nigerian government will be held.

Buhari, under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress, defeated incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 28 Presidential election.

The landslide defeat, which was across board – State and Local Government levels, ended the 16-year rule of the PDP.

Jonathan. Pa OBJ. Amechi parleys

It is no longer news that there has been no love lost between President Goodluck Jonathan, former president Olusegun Obasanjo and the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.

However, the last Council of State meeting hosted by President Jonathan yesterday, offered an opportunity for the three men to reconcile even if it was for the camera.

Before the commencement of the Council meeting, the governors across party divide were seen joking, back slapping one another and discussing in groups.

President Jonathan was also seen laughing, shaking and holding hands with Obasanjo.But the one that caught everyone’s attention was when the President, while waiting for the valedictory photo-session at the fore court of the Presidential Villa, had a handshake with the governors around him, and on sighting Amaechi, playfully hit him severally, with his fist on the shoulder and the Rivers State governor bowed, laughing and holding the President’s hand all the while, saying “Your Excellency.”

Obasanjo has been a constant critic of Jonathan’s administration, the latest being in February, when the elections were postponed.

The former president, had at his Hilltop Mansion residence in Abeokuta, likened the politics played by Jonathan to “the do-or-die” politics played by the former President of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo.

Also, Obasanjo, while reacting to the postponement of the general elections, said it was a grand plan by Jonathan to perpetuate himself in office till the situation became clear that the presidential election would favour him.

President Jonathan had in a swift reaction, fired back, saying the allegations were baseless and absurd.

Obasanjo had also in an 18-page letter a year ago, accused the President of deceit, deception, dishonesty, incompetence, having a killer squad and clannishness among others.

The Rivers State governor on his part, had always pointed fingers at the president and his wife, Patience on any crisis in his state.

Moved by the camaraderie seen inside and outside the Council chambers, a journalist later asked Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State how that could be translated to the common man on the street, and he replied: “I told you that one of the former heads of state moved for all these to be recorded, so that we make it as part of the tradition. Politics is not war.

Yes, there is a price, but the moment there is a decision and someone gets the price, everyone should come back and wait for another chance.

“So, the camaraderie that you noticed, is how it should be and we should send it down to our communities, to our people; so that even in one house, you can afford to vote for different parties but the moment results are announced, you will remain brothers and not enemies.”

President appoints new Supreme Court Justice

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Justice Amiru Sanusi as a Justice of the Supreme Court.

This was disclosed on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, by the Acting Director of Information of the National Judicial Council, Soji Oye.

The statement announcing Sanusi’s appointment reads:

“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Hon. Justice Amiru Sanusi, OFR as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.”

“Hon. Justice Aminu Sanusi, OFR will be sworn-in by the Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, GCON, on Thursday, the 14th day of May, 2015 at 11 am in the Supreme Court Complex.”

Sanusi’s appointment brings the number of Supreme Court Justices to 18.

Lady says she has been engaging in sexual relations with her dead spouse for 4years

A 30-year-old woman from Bulawyo, Zimbabwe, identified as Marie, is in a big dilemma after her husband who died four years earlier has refused to let her have a normal life as he keeps coming back to have sex with her.

The widow who said her husband died when she was 26, believes she is under a kind of spell and wants help from some Sangomas (witch doctors), to free her from the grip of her late husband.

Hear her:

"I have gone through enough of this spiritual warfare. I'm a 30-year-old widow and my husband died 4 years ago when I was 26 years old. We had just gotten married when he died in a horrific car accident and died on the spot.

That was five months after we had been married. I got so emotional pain that I would mysteriously see him every night. He would be crying whilst looking at me and I thought I was dreaming.

Three months later, I felt like someone was waking me up at night and I was shocked to see him in my bedroom, sitting by side of the bed. I wanted to scream but he held my mouth and said he had come to help me since he had seen that I was suffering a lot.

I asked him how that was possible when he was dead and he said although we had buried him, his spirit had not departed. He said he still wanted to be with me for some time. He said he would look after me but he warned me against telling people about this development.

He said I should not tell even his own mother and I agreed not to. Since then, we have been living together as husband and wife with the ghost of my dead husband. He would buy groceries, pay rentals and all.

Then there is a church I visited early this year and the pastor preached about not interacting with the dead. So now I want to stop living with this dead man but I don't know how to go about it.

I really loved my husband and even up to now, I still love him dearly. He has never changed. He still is exactly like he was before he died. But what I have noticed is that he is not growing older. He still is exactly as he was when he died four years ago.

I don't even have feelings for any other man. I feel like I'm a married woman. Our sex life has never changed. It's still as it was before my husband died. But now I'm scared that I'm living with a corpse in the house. Maybe it's because I'm now going to church. I have also not stayed with anyone in my house since my husband died. I always live alone.

At church, our pastor was once attacked with the demon of another man and the man of God collapsed, then became conscious later on. It's evident that if I ask him to pray for my husband's spirit to go away, that would be way beyond his powers.

I'm also afraid of telling my husband that I don't want to live him with anymore. How do I tell him when he loves me so much? When visitors come to my house during the day, my husband mysteriously disappears and only returns when they are gone.

I have never told anyone about this strange encounter, this is my first time to open up about it. One day he told me that his spirit would depart when I breathe my last. So to him, as long as I'm alive he wants to be with me.

Is there any pastor or Sangoma who can solve this spiritual problem? I have been to well known local prophets, but they all failed to detect my dead husband's spirit.

I wanted to come across a prophet who would first detect that I'm living with a dead man before I could narrate my ordeal to him. I am now born again and I now want to live a normal life. Please help me win this spiritual warfare."

At Least Five Dead In Philadelphia Train Crash

At least five people have been killed after a train derailed near Philadelphia, leaving 10 carriages overturned.

Some passengers climbed out of windows to get away from the Amtrak train, which was reported to have been travelling at around 60mph when it left the tracks.

More than 140 people have been taken to hospital, six of them with critical injuries.

Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter described the scene as "an absolute disastrous mess" and said not all of the more than 240 people on board have been accounted for.

He said: "I've never seen anything like this in my life.

"It is a devastating scene down there."We walked the entire length of the train area, and the engine completely separated from the rest of the train, and one of the cars is perpendicular to the rest of the cars.

"It's unbelievable."

The train, which was travelling from Washington DC to New York, was carrying 238 passengers and five crew members.

It was going into a turn when it started to shake before coming to a sudden stop.

Passenger Paul Cheung said "the train started to decelerate, like someone had slammed the brake".

"Then suddenly you could see everything starting to shake," he said."You could see people's stuff flying over me.

"The front of the train is really mangled. It's a complete wreck.

"The whole thing is like a pile of metal."

Daniel Wetrin, who walked off the train, said it was like something out of a film.

He said: "There were people standing around, people with bloody faces.

"There were people, chairs, tables mangled about in the compartment ... power cables all buckled down as you stepped off the train."Roads around the crash site have been blocked off, and people have been told not to go to the scene.

Several of those injured, including one man complaining of neck pain, were taken away on stretchers.

The cause of the crash is being investigated.

Amtrak workers are examining the wreckage and a team from the federal National Transportation Safety Board will arrive at the site later on Wednesday.

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