Newborn baby dumps outside a motel

The baby boy

A baby, estimated to be about 3 days old, was found near a motel in Abule Egba Lagos.

Lagos State Police said that the baby was found abandoned in the early hours and People living within the area believed the baby was dumped by one of the prostitutes working in the mote.

Police launched an investigation, and are trying to locate the mother, meanwhile, the baby was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition.

Buhari to ban importation of rice, tomato if elected.

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd)

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen. Muhammad Buhari (retd), on Monday said if elected on February 14, he would ban the importation of basic items like rice and tomato in order to enhance local production of the products.

He also said his administration would focus on agriculture, mining, infrastructure and job provision at the top of its economic agenda.

Buhari, who gave a summary of how he intended to revive the economy in a meeting with the Organised Private Sector in Lagos, said his government would place emphasis on three key issues of security, tackling corruption and reviving the ailing economy.

The meeting, which had all the key members of the APC in attendance, was hosted by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

“How can Nigeria be importing virtually everything? How can we be importing even tomatoes? If I am elected, basic items like rice and tomatoes, which we have the capacity to produce, will be banned from being imported,” Buhari said.

The APC presidential candidate said his commitment to the Nigerian people would be governed by the highest consideration for how his policies would create jobs.

He also said he would focus on the provision of infrastructure such as power and roads.

Buhari, who said he agreed with the current administration on the privatisation of the power utilities, however, said there would be a need to also privatise the transmission segment.

According to him, the privatisation of the power sector has yet to achieve the desired result because after the handing over of the assets to private investors, the hard work to connect the various parts of the power chain, supply gas, install transformers and complete substations has not been done.

PUNCH NEWSPAPER.

Philanthropist Okoya-Thomas dies at 79

Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas

One of Nigeria’s most prominent businessman and philanthropist, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, is dead, he died on Monday at the age of 79 years.

The Nigerian Table Tennis Federation announced the death of Okoya-Thomas, the Asoju Oba of Lagos, He was a philanthropist and sports enthusiast who solely sponsored the popular annual Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship in Lagos for more than four decades

Okoya-Thomas was the chairman of CFAO Nigeria Limited, a Lagos-based industrial conglomerate engaged in the wholesale trade of automobiles, building materials, technical equipment, electrical equipment, and agricultural equipment.

. He held the Nigerian national honor of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, and was a recipient of the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, the highest national honor given by the French to a foreigner.

CAC launches 24-hour online registration portaV

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on Monday in Abuja launched a 24-hour online registration platform to fast track its business services to its customers. Dr Olusegun Aganga, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said that the new online registration portal was developed by CAC to make registration of business easy and accessible to its clients.

The Wired World: A graphic representation of the Internet

“Nigerians will no longer have to incur extra costs and will not travel to the CAC’s office to register their businesses,’’ Aganga said. He added that it was a joint initiative with the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology under Government Service Portal initiative.


He explained that the portal was robust enough to accommodate all platforms such as inter-switch, e- transaction and visa card. Others include Verve card, American express and other forms of electronic payments. Aganga explained that any person that wanted to register his business would now do so easily in any part of the world without physically coming to CAC.


He listed easy access to payment of the commission’s services, reduction in cost for the accredited agents and ordinary persons as many benefits of the new online portal. Aganga said that the Federal Government was committed to deploying more positive initiatives towards a friendly business environment climate in the country.


He demonstrated the use of the portal which took him only 15 minutes to register his business name, adding that the online registration would reduce the cost of doing business in Nigeria. Aganga said that the registration was in line with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan to fast track the development of the nation’s economy.


Earlier, Dr Omobola Johnson, the Minister of Communication Technology, said that online registration would enable users to make payment services from the comfort of their homes. Johnson said that the portal would assist in revenue general for the commission as well block all financial leakages.


She said that the portal was developed with local content in ICT initiative and was done to increase the participation of Nigerian companies in the ICT sector. Johnson said that the portal was designed by a team of Nigerian software developers and engineers from OasisSeamfix. She explained that the company had met international benchmarks and best practices stipulated by DFID sponsored consultant.


Mr Bello Mahmud, the Registrar General of CAC, said that the new portal would save a lot time in doing business with the commission, adding that the public, other than accredited agents, would carry out transaction directly with CAC. Mahmud noted that the Federal Government recently approved the reduction of 50 per cent in the filing fees for new business registration in the country.


Mahmud expressed appreciation to the World Bank, and DFID for their assistance in establishing the online portal. He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Communication Technology for contributing over 60 per in funding the portal.


Vanguard.

Funny T-Shirt

Yes o, granma we read you loud and clear.

3-year-old boy shoots father and pregnant mother

(CNN) — A 3-year-old boy shot his father and pregnant mother over the weekend inside a hotel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Police say the boy removed a handgun from his mother’s purse Saturday and fired one shot, striking his father in the lower backside.

The bullet apparently exited through the father’s hip and hit the mother in the right shoulder. She is eight months pregnant, said Officer Simon Drobik of the Albuquerque Police Department.

The father was treated and released from the hospital while the mother was hospitalized in stable condition. The condition of her unborn child is unknown.

The boy and his 2-year-old sister, who was also in the hotel room, are under the care of the Children’s Youth and Families department. They were not injured in the incident.

Drobik says the case has been sent to Albuquerque District Attorney’s Office, which will determine whether the parents will be charged with criminal negligence.

Police did not identify the family.

Gone too soon indeed! Muna Obiekwe

Muna Obiekwe candlelight procession.

Friends and colleagues of actor, Muna Obiekwe gathered today and held a candlelight procession in his honour.

The procession started from Masha roundabout to Ojez restaurant in Surulere, Lagos, the renowned Nollywood actor who passed on, on Sunday Jan. 26th in Festac Lagos, after a silent battle with Kidney disease will be buried on Tuesday 3rd February in Anambra state.

Rest in peace Muna.