NASS member regrets comments on rape debate, apologizes to Nigerian women

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Ahmed Jaha (APC-Borno), has regretted the comments he made at the Thursday’s plenary, apologising to Nigerians, especially women.

Jaha, at an interview with journalists on Saturday in Abuja, recalled his comments at the debate that women should cultivate a habit of proper dressing to avoid unnecessary harassment from men who could not control themselves.

The lawmaker, representing Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno, said he regretted making such statement as it affected the sensitivity of women.

“I have made a mistake that has offended the sensibilities of fellow Nigerians and indeed, fellow human beings, particularly women who are our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.

“While I totally reaffirm my position that rapists should face death sentences, I regret the part that talks about the dressing of women.

“I deeply apologise for this position, because as some have rightly argued, my comments, could imply that women who are victims, share the blame of being raped.

“This clearly, could not have been the intention of someone who suggested death penalty for rapists,” Jaha said.

The lawmaker said that there were three sets of people who never made mistakes: “the dead, those incapacitated and those that are healthy, but useless to the society”.

According to him, mistakes are for those who make efforts, but gets it wrong; it is then left to them to own up to their mistakes, take responsibility, tender apology and dedicate themselves to genuine repentance.

Jaha said that a woman’s choice of dressing could not justify rape, saying that if women who were the weaker sex show discipline by looking away when men were not well dressed, men should even do better.

“I know that it is a divine responsibility for every good man to protect and preserve the pride of a woman.

“Most women are born with natural strength of endurance, that is why they are able to go through childbirth, to nurture families, take care of relations and still able to earn descent livelihoods.

“Women do things with completeness. I admire this so much because I have benefited from the sincerity and commitment of women.

“I hold women with the highest respect, with great pride and with so much love that is pure and responsible,” the parliamentarian added.

Jaha also apologised to his colleagues in the house and his constituents who might have been disappointed by his comments, especially female lawmakers.

He called for the domestication of Violence Against Persons and Prohibition Act and other relevant laws against gender-based violence in the country.

NAN

Buhari Sitting On A Chair Inside Mosque: This Is What It Means

Buhari Sitting On A Chair Inside Mosque: This Is What It Means

There have been discussions on why President Muhammadu Buhari sat on a chair inside the mosque during Friday Jumat service.

The first time Buhari was seen sitting on a chair to observe prayers was during the recent Eid-il-Fitri prayer with his family in the Aso Villa in Abuja.

Before now, the President is not known for sitting on the chair to observe any form of Solat, be it obligatory or ceremonial. Even after he returned from a medical tourism then, he attended the Jumat services praying on the mat like other worshippers.

The question is, what has changed? Is anybody allowed to sit on a chair inside the mosque?

As we are ageing, the body also changes. Our health is also affected and that may mean different things in different parts of the body to different individuals.

To some, their legs are affected as they age. Some, their eyes and so on.

Performing prayer while sitting on a chair is not allowed for people who have the ability to perform the prayer in a normal way.

That is, anybody who has the ability to perform the prayer, by paying due regard to all the postures of prayer like qiyam, ruku`, sujud, etc should do so without any excuse.

In Islam, it is only the sick and travelers that are allowed to pray in the sitting position, lowering their heads a little bit for ruku` and more for sujud.

In fact, sick people people are allowed to pray in whatever position they deem convenient, even while lying down.

For those who are not sick, it is forbidden to pray sitting down on a chair, whether they are praying in private places or public. In Islam, all the postures of prayer must be observed.

A Saudi Islamic lecturer and author, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid says “Standing is an essential part of prayer, if a person fails to stand during the prayer, from the initial Takbeer to the final salam, with no valid excuse for that, his prayer is invalid.”

According to Al-Baqarah: 238, Allah says: “And stand before Allah with obedience”.

For obligatory prayers, if a person sits down to pray when he is able to stand, his prayer will be invalid before Allah. Truly, such prayer will not get any reward. More so, this is actually counted as a sin.

As a result, it is important to tell those who perform prayers sitting on the chairs during the obligatory prayers that it is not allowed for them to do so if they are able to stand.

This is allowed unless they find it extremely difficult to stand.

Get it right, somebody must find it extremely difficult to stand or to observe all postures. A slight difficulty is not an excuse.

I have seen people asking if Buhari is bigger than God for sitting on a chair during Eid and Jumaat prayers.

It is not a matter of being bigger than God. It is a matter of the condition of the body.

Many people commenting on the issue have no idea what it means to observe prayers sitting on the chair. 

The Eagle Voice

FAYEMI MOURNS DEATH OF SIR REMI OMOTOSO

FAYEMI MOURNS DEATH OF SIR REMI OMOTOSO

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi has mourned the death of boardroom guru and former Chairman of the Board of Standard Chartered Bank, Sir Remi Omotoso, who passed on Friday, after a brief illness.

Omotosho, a seasoned administrator and industry leader in Nigeria’s financial sector, hailed from Ayedun-Ekiti. He was aged 75 years.

Dr Fayemi, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, described the late Omotoso as an illustrious son of the Land of Honour, a dynamic leader in the financial sector and a patriot who served his fatherland diligently and made Ekiti proud through numerous achievements.

He described the late Omotoso as a frontline investor, thoroughbred professional, seasoned administrator and impactful community leader who lived a life of service to God and humanity.

Dr Fayemi, who hailed the contributions of the late Omotoso to national development, noted that the deceased served meritoriously in several top management positions he held in the last four decades including as Chairman of the Board of Standard Chartered Bank of Nigeria, DN Meyer Paints and Greenwhich Trust Limited; as well as Group Managing Director of Odua Investment Company Limited and Director General/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry at different times.

Omotoso was also chairman, PPP Committee of Ekiti State during Governor Fayemi’s first term and served actively in the State Covid-19 Response Resource Mobilisation Committee, where he served as Chairman of the Funds Management and Evaluation Committee and the Dederal Government Relations Committee.

Governor Fayemi said: “Despite Sir Omotoso’s busy schedule, he invested, his time and resources and energy on many laudable initiatives that impacted positively on the lives of the people and was always ready to support successive administration in the state with his wealth of experience and extensive national and global contacts.

“For us in Ekiti, this is a huge loss. Sir Remi Omotoso was an exemplar. He represented our very best in Ekiti and made great impact in almost every aspect of life.  He remained a source of pride and inspiration to generations after him.

“Though we shall miss his wise counsel and positive disposition to developmental issues, but we are comforted by the fact he lived a good life and left behind legacies of  service and honour. He remains our pride in Ekiti”.

“Our prayer is that God will grant him eternal rest and comfort the family”, the Governor added.

 

Signed

Olayinka  Olayinka Oyebode

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekiti State

Statement From Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, On The passage Of His Excellency, Late Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua

“I received the news of the death of Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua with shock and pray that the Almighty God would comfort those that he left behind. I pray that God would forgive the departed his sins and accept his soul."

Evangelist Olumilua was a reputed career diplomat who worked assiduously and served with utmost probity and distinction; and his passing has created a deep void within the political space as he will truly be missed.

His time as Former Governor of Old Ondo State, we saw a heightened period of cooperation between  the state and the Federal Governments; that created several opportunities for the benefit of the State. I also wish to acknowledge the contributions of Late Olumilua as former Chairman of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission and Chancellor of the Ekiti State University (EKSU).

I reckon that these are tough times for the Olumilua Family and our State; and we will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this time of deep sorrow."

Indeed, Ekiti has lost an illustrious son and a committed public servant. May his soul rest in perfect peace and may perpetual light shine upon him."

Signed:

Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi, Senator Representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, National Assembly, Abuja.

Fayemi meets religious leaders, raises committee on opening worship centres

 

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Friday met with religious leaders as part of steps to reopen worship centres shut to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Governor at the meeting inaugurated a committee to fashion out modalities and come out with workable protocol that won’t compromise lives of worshippers after the religious centres might have been reopened.

The committee is made up of representatives of the state government, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, Fayemi gave the committee one week to submit its report to the state government.

Fayemi who stressed that the lives of the people of the state are very precious to him noted that the meeting was in fulfillment of the promise he made in tbe statewide broadcast he made on May 31.

The Governor emphasized that attention will be paid to working out modalities that would not jeopardise the lives and tb health of worshippers.

Nigeria confirms 350 new cases of COVID-19, total now 11,516

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 350 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 11,516.

The centre disclosed this on thursday night via its verified Twitter handle.

“350 new cases of #COVID19; Lagos-102 Ogun-34 FCT-29 Borno-26 Kaduna-23 Rivers-21 Ebonyi-17 Kwara -16 Katsina-14 Edo-10 Delta-10 Kano-10 Bauchi-10 Bayelsa-9 Imo-8 Plateau-4 Ondo-3 Nasarawa-2 Gombe-1 Oyo-1.”

The 102 cases confirmed in Lagos brings the total number of cases at the nation’s epicentre of the virus to 5,542. Also, 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have recorded more than 100 cases of COVID-19.

Considering the number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Nigeria, Kano State has the second highest after Lagos with 980 confirmed cases; FCT -792; Katsina -385; Edo -351; Borno -322; Kaduna -320; Oyo -318; Ogun -316; Rivers -290; Jigawa -274; Bauchi -256; Gombe -170; Kwara -127; Delta -116; Sokoto -115; and Plateau -113.

Going by the NCDC report, Cross River is the only state in Nigeria with no case of the coronavirus. The Centre has reported three cases of the virus in Kogi State.

The recent report by the NCDC also noted that 3,525 persons infected by the virus have recovered and were discharged while unfortunately, 323 people have lost their lives to the virus.

This bring the total number of active cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria to 7,668.