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How General Murtala Muhammed was killed on Friday, February 13, 1976

Had the coup plotters led by Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka not noticed the door of General Murtala Muhammed's Mercedes Benz car open minutes after it was sprayed with bullets from AK-47 assault rifles, triggering another round of firing, perhaps the late Head of State would have survived the brutal attack.

The lone survivor and Orderly to the late Head of State, Staff Sergeant Michael Otuwu, broke his silence in a highly emotional interview with The AUTHORITY Daily, nearly 40 years after the tragic incident.

According to the Orderly, on their way to work on the morning of Friday, February 13, 1976, the Head of State left his personal house in Ikoyi and was headed to work in Dodan Barracks, the seat of government, which he said was being renovated at the time.

Otuwu disclosed that beside the Head of State was his ADC, Lt. Akintunde Akinterinwa, himself (Otuwu) directly seated in the front passenger's seat, with Sergeant Adamu Michika behind the wheels.


According to the Orderly, as the unsuspecting car of the Head of State stopped before a row of cars at a junction, he noticed a man in a traditional attire, babanriga (he later identified as Dimka) who approached the car, removed the flowing robe and pulled out an AK-47 rifle, shooting the driver in the head point blank.

According to the Orderly, having disabled the car by killing the driver, other soldiers clad in robes, ran towards Murtala's car and opened fire.

"The Head of State, his ADC and I all ducked while the shooting lasted," narrated the Orderly, sobbing uncontrollably as he recalled the traumatic incident. After the shooting, Otuwu continued, he heard the gunmen running towards the Radio House.

A few minutes later, he continued, he noticed that the injured ADC opened his door, apparently to come to the aid of the equally injured Commander-in-Chief.

According to the Orderly, the opened door alerted the assailants that the occupants of the vehicle were not dead – and this prompted the coup plotters to return a second time to, again, open fire on the car in order to finish them off. He passed out.

According to Otuwu, Generals TY Danjuma and Olusegun Obasanjo were lucky because they were also targets but escaped because they did not leave for their offices as early as Murtala did and they heard the radio announcement which may have fatefully altered their movement plans.


According to Otuwu, who enlisted in the Nigeria Army in 11 September, 1967, he had moved early that morning with the late Head of State from his Ikoyi residence to Dodan Barracks because the overthrown General Yakubu Gowon had not evacuated the official residence and it was not yet renovated.

His words: "I was his Orderly throughout to his last day during the Dimka coup. I was inside the car with him when he was killed.

"On the morning of that February 13, we were going to the office. Sergeant Adamu Michika was the driver; Sergeant Akintunde Akinterinwa, his ADC, sat behind the driver. As an Orderly, I was in front with the driver.

"While the Head of State sat behind me - I was the one who opens the door for him. That fateful day I came up in the morning to carry him to the office in Dodan Barracks. We got to the former Secretariat, now at Ikoyi, which was under construction.



Before the place they call Alag bon junction, near the labour office. The official car was a Mercedes Benz 600. It is still at the National Museum. There were about four or five vehicles in front of us. You know at that junction there was traffic. We didn't go with sirens. During his time we didn't go with escorts with the accompanying out-riders, road-closed signs and all that.

So when we got to the Alagbon junction, the traffic warden stopped the vehicle and we were in the queue. We were the fifth or sixth vehicle behind the forward vehicles that were stopped. That secretariat was under construction.

They put zincs around the compound behind that secretariat. Then some soldiers came in Agbada carrying AK-47 rifles. "They wore uniforms but covered them with Agbada. They had their Kalashnikovs with Agbada cover-up in form of camouflage. We never knew they were even waiting for us. Then one soldier from Golf Road shot and got our driver, Sergeant Michika. Our motor was neutralized.



"Between me and the driver was an arm-rest. On that arm-rest was Oga's brief case. In this brief case he puts civil dress he could use as needed. When he wants to go to Mosque, he does not like going back to Ikoyi to change.

"Then some other soldiers converged on us. I can't recall their number. They began to spray us from the back. All of us took cover. I fell on top of the driver; the blood of the driver covered my head. They thought the bullet got my head.

"After the first shooting and without return of fire they must have assumed that we were all dead. The shooting was actually in two phases. They ran to the NBC to announce the assassination. They shared themselves into three.

"There was a group waiting for Obasanjo when he was about to go to the office. Also another group was waiting for TY Danjuma at Bourdillon – our own was at Ikoyi Road. It happened we were the first target that moved early from the house to the office.



"Before Obasanjo and TY Danjuma moved to their offices they have already heard the radio announcement. By the time of the first shooting, we being the target and their running to NBC to go and announce that they have already finished their assignment, the ADC who was still alive, thinking they were gone, opened the door of the Benz.

"In the first spraying of the car, except the driver who was killed, the three of us were injured but not dead. On observing the car door opening, one of the attackers, still within range, a Major, called to the others: "he never die, he never die." He was calling his group to return.

"This time around when they came back they finished their entire magazines. That was what happened. They carried everybody to the mortuary at Igbosere Hospital, not far from Kam Salem Police Headquarters. Because of the extreme cold of the mortuary, my left hand started shaking and one of the attendants saw it and called the nurses or doctors and said somebody was still alive.



"From there they checked and confirmed I was still breathing. So they had to look for a vehicle to carry me to Dodan Barracks. From Dodan Barracks they looked for an ambulance and carried me to a hospital, Awolowo Road hospital, a military hospital."

Otuwu, who hails from Kogi State, spent six months in the hospital after his miraculous survival. He has not been recognized by the army or the state. Presently, he does a few jobs for late General Murtala's son, in Abuja.



SOURCE:   goodbooksafrica

Osinbajo becomes acting president

President Muhammadu Buhari has begun a short vacation, his office announced Friday.

The president will be on break from his official functions February 5 to February 10, 2016.

During his absence, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will perform the functions of the president, a statement signed by presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said.

“In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, President Buhari has dispatched a formal notice of his vacation to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” the statement said.
President Buhari is taking his first vacation only eight months since coming to office.

Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, dumps PDP

A former President of the Nigerian Senate, Ken Nnamani, has announced his departure from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, a political platform to which be belonged since 1999, and which, in 2005, made him the third most powerful man in Nigeria.

In a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, Mr. Nnamani said he was quitting the party because  the platform had abandoned “the path of its noble vision and values”.
Mr. Nnamani was elected to the Senate President in 2003, and was senate president between 2005 and 2007.
In his statement Saturday, entitled, “PDP, the Burden and My  Conscience,” the politician said he was fed up with the current status and direction of the PDP, and was therefore quitting “without any iota of bitterness” in his heart.


“I do not believe I should continue to be a member of the PDP as it is defined today,” Mr. Nnamani said, “This is certainly not the party I joined years ago to help change my country. I do not also believe that the PDP as it is managed today will provide an opportunity for me to continue to play the politics of principles and values which I set for myself as a young man on leaving graduate school and working for a large multinational in the United States in the 70s and 80s.

“Therefore, today I resign my membership of the PDP. In stepping out of partisan politics for the meantime, I will continue to be politically engaged. I will also continue to support the government and all the elected officers in Nigeria to repositioning the nation.

“I will also constructively criticize them when by commission or omission they take actions that could damage the prospects of transforming Nigeria into a productive, merit-based and honestly governed country.”

Mr. Nnamani later told PREMIUM TIMES on telephone that he was leaving because it had become crystal clear to him that nothing would change in the party in the foreseeable future.

He recalled that on November 10, 2015, he led a delegation of concerned party leaders to the Wadata Plaza national secretariat of the party to push for change.


“We were simply dismissed,” Mr. Nnamani said. “They simply said they would get back to us. We haven’t heard from them since then.”

He said even after the party was defeated in the 2015 general election, he and other like-minded party members believed that that defeat could be transformed to victory.

“We were hopeful and continued to push for reform,” Mr. Nnamani said. “But as you can see, that hasn’t work. Those who led us to defeat have continued to hold the party down.

“In the circumstance, I have to move on and get on with my life.”

N1.04trn fine: Court bars MTN from moving money out of Nigeria

Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday barred MTN Nigeria Communications Limited from moving any funds abroad it may have in Nigerian banks until the hearing of its suit challenging the N1.4 trillion fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The Federal Government brought a motion to restrain the 21 commercial banks, in which MTN has funds, from releasing money to the telecommunications giant.

"The FG seeks an order of Mareva injunction [a court order which requests assets be frozen] restraining the aforementioned banks from releasing, making a sale, transferring, or paying any of the monies maintained by the plaintiff MTN," the motion read in part.

In October, the telecommunications giant was originally hit with a massive $5.2 billion fine by the NCC for failing to disconnect unregistered

subscribers.This failure was in direct violation of regulations put in place by the NCC in order to combat the uptick in kidnappings and the Boko Haram insurgency, both of which often involve the usage of cell phones.

The fine was eventually reduced to $3.9 billion in December. However, MTN is suing the NCC and the Attorney General of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, contending that as a regulatory body the NCC does not have the right to assume all the functions of the state.

The Court however refused an application filed by the Federal Government seeking to freeze the account of MTN Nigeria Communications Limited in 21 commercial banks in Nigeria.

The application of mareva injunction, filed by Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), was to stop MTN from boycotting payment of the N1.04trn fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for its failure to deactivate unregistered subscribers.

Justice Idris Mohammed turned down the application on ground that the AGF had not shown enough facts to prove that MTN was about to empty its bank accounts and move its funds out of the country. The AGF had expressed fear that MTN could move all its funds out of the country before the N1.04tn fine could be enforced.

Consequently, he sought an order directing all the 21 banks to open a special interest- yielding account in the name of the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court and move N1.04tn out of whatever funds that was standing to MTN's credit in their possession.

Counsel to the AGF, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), in a 14-paragraph affidavit deposed to by his junior, Steve Nwabueze, had argued that MTN was in the habit of regularly repatriating its funds out of Nigeria.

He noted that between October 2007 and May 2009, a period of 19 months, MTN moved over $7.7bn of the money made in Nigeria to a foreign account.

He further pointed the court's attention to an instance when in one day, specifically on February 8, 2008, MTN transferred over $936m out of Nigeria to accounts in Mauritius, Cayman Island and British Virgin Island.

Okpeseyi maintained that MTN was under an obligation to pay the N1.04tn fine, because it was NCC's administrative decision, which remained final unless it was reviewed by the commission or nullified by the court.

He said though NCC had earlier given MTN concession on the fine and reduced it to N780bn, but since MTN had neglected or failed to pay on or before December 31, 2015, the fine remained N1.04tn.

Okpeseyi urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice to prevent the court's decision from being rendered nugatory if it went in the favour of NCC and AGF.

In his ruling, Justice Mohammed held that the case was sensitive and of public interest, adding that he would rather hear the case filed by MTN to challenge the fine and give a judgment within a short time.

Justice Mohammed ordered parties to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the suit and adjourned till January 22 for hearing.

MTN had assembled seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, to challenge the N1.04tn fine imposed on it by NCC



SOURCE: National Mirror

Iran broadcasts rare images of underground missile bases

At first glance it looks like the set of a James Bond movie -- a seemingly impregnable mountain base packed full of uniformed men and sinister-looking missiles on their launch vehicles parked along a long tunnel buried deep underground.

But this is in fact a real-life missile facility in Iran, according to the country's semi-official FARS news agency.

In a rare moment of openness, Iran on Wednesday broadcast pictures from The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force of a tunnel reportedly dug some 1,640 feet (500 meters) under a mountain.

The release of this footage comes just a few days after state media reported that Iran had test-fired new generation long-range ballistic missiles.
The weekend test likely violated a U.N. resolution, a U.S. administration official told CNN.

Based on information the administration has so far, the test appears to be in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929, which stipulates that Iran cannot engage in any activities related to ballistic missiles.

The U.S. official emphasized, however, that the test is not in violation of the nuclear agreement reached in July between Iran, the United States and five other world powers because that accord is focused on restricting Iran's path to a nuclear weapon.
A newer U.N. Security Council resolution, number 2231, implementing the deal and banning Iran from engaging in activities related to ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads is not yet in effect.

U.S. bases 'within range'
Iran is completely overhauling its missile technology, replacing the current stockpile with newer weapons, a senior general told state media.

"As of next year, a new and advanced generation of long-range liquid and solid fuel missiles will replace the current products," said Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

"The missiles in various ranges are mounted on the launchers in all bases and (are) ready to be launched."

The underground facility shown on television was only one of "numerous missile bases" scattered across the country, according to Hajizadeh.

Earlier this month in a speech at a university in Tehran, Hajizadeh said that all U.S. military bases in the Middle East were within range of Iranian missiles.

The revealing of the underground bases comes in the wake of a major deal reached by Iran and the so-called P5+1 group of nations -- the U.S., U.K., Russia, China, France and Germany -- over its nuclear program.

Under the deal, international sanctions on Iran will be lifted in return for restrictions on its nuclear program aimed at preventing it from being able to develop an atomic bomb.

Iran is a major regional military power and Revolutionary Guards forces have been active in Syria, working to prop up the regime of close Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad with military aid and advisers.


SOURCE: CNN

French Court Approves Third Gender

A French court has for the first time, recognised a third gender for a person born with both male and female genitalia. According to Joel Patard, vice-prosecutor, the plaintiff, whose identity was not revealed had been considered a man since being designated male at birth, can now use the term "neutral gender" on personal official documents as a result of the August 20 court ruling.The case is however subject to appeal.

The plaintiff was born with a "rudimentary vagina" and a "micropenis" but no testicles. "As a teenager I understood that I was not a boy. I didn't have a beard, my muscles didn't grow," the individual told the paper. "Today I finally feel I am recognised by society for who I really am."

Patard said the 64-year-old had approached the courts in June to seek the "neutral gender" civil status, not wanting such an "unequivocal" designation as male or female. Medical evidence and research showing that the individual was not unique were produced in the case, Patard said.
The plaintiff said at age 35, after doctors administered testosterone: "My appearance became more masculine. It was a shock, I no longer recognised myself. It made me realise I was neither a man nor a woman."

The vice-prosecutor said he was however appealing the court's decision, not because he fiercely opposed it but because he felt a higher ruling was necessary in a case that has "collided with current laws".

Several countries including Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Nepal officially recognise a third gender on official forms. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh also have an official third gender designation for so-called hijra citizens who do not identify as male or female.



SOURCE: TELL

Foluke Daramola: My Husband Kayode Salako Doesn’t Like Skinny Women, That Boosts My Ego

In a recent chat with Daily Sun, controversial Nollywood actress Foluke Daramola revealed that her marriage is working because her hubby Kayode Salako loves beautiful plus size women like her.

In her words:
''My husband doesn't like slim women. So, that boosts my ego. ''One thing about me is that I have self-confidence. I don't believe everybody has to be slim-shady.

Even though, I don't want to be slim shady, maybe I would want to lose a pound or two but I like myself just the way I am. I know if I am slim, I might not look good. I am cuter as a chubby person, so whatever anybody says doesn't affect my self-confidence.

don't wish to be like Genevieve Nnaji or anybody else, I love the way I am and that's the way I treat people's opinion about me.

2 weeks to wedding, corps member raped, murdered in Ibadan

A joy of a young corps member who would have was cut short after she was raped and murdered two weeks to her wedding in Ibadan.

It was a sad end for Omolola Abogunrin, a young female Youth Corps member, as she was allegedly raped and murdered on Sunday, October 4, by yet to be identified men, in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, reports The Nation Newspaper.
The worst part of the sad incident was that Abogunrin was murdered exactly two weeks to her wedding which was to hold on Saturday, October 17, a day she would have clocked 29.

According to the report, the young lady who was a graduate of The Polytechnic Ibadan, was reportedly murdered in the premises of an agriculture research institute located at Apata area of the ancient city after she was sexually defiled.

Her corpse was discovered beside a stream within the premises of the institute and according to police report, she must have been attacked on her way back from a church service.
A resident of the area told The Nation:
"We saw semen in her private part and nail wounds around her neck when we found her corpse. That was an evidence that she was raped and strangulated."
A member of her bereaved family said:
"Omolola was looking forward to her wedding which was scheduled for October 17, the day she would have been 29 years old.

She and her fiancé held their family introduction four months ago to pave the way for proper marriage ceremony, scheduled to take place at a Christ Apostolic Church in Ibadan."

Her fiancé, Olusola Babalola, was initially arrested by the police who detained him for four days before he was released.

The police based the arrest of Babalola on the fact that he was the last person who spoke with her on phone and she was actually raped and killed about 1,000 metres away from Babalola's house.

In June this year, a female National Youth Service Corps member, Yetunde Idowu, serving with Radio Kwara in Ilorin, was alleged gang raped to death by some men led by her 51-year-old man friend, Abdullahi Tanko.


SOURCE: Gboosa

Court Nullifies Another PDP Senator Election

An electoral tribunal in Taraba State looking into elections to the National Assembly yesterday nullified the election of the former acting Governor of Taraba State, Sani Abubakar Danladi, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The tribunal also ordered that fresh elections be held in more than 40 polling units in the Taraba North Senatorial district.

Ali Sani Kona of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had petitioned the tribunal requesting cancellation of the April 11 election, arguing that it did not conform to key provisions of the electoral act. After the tribunal approved the cancellation of poll figures collated from 40 polling units yesterday, Mr. Kona was leading by more than 9,000 votes.

Fresh elections are expected to hold within the next 90 days.

The nullification of Mr. Danladi's election was the second time a judicial panel invalidated the election of a PDP senator in Taraba State.

Tribunal sack Senator Kashama and others in Ogun

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ogun state has sacked Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Senator Buruji Kashamu a member of House of Representatives from Ijebu East /Ijebu North /Ogun waterside, Adekoya Adesegun and five members of the state assembly over non-compliance of electoral law.

The tribunal has therefore ordered a fresh election in the areas affected.

Yoruba Leaders Threaten Yoruba'll Break Away From Nigeria

Notable Yoruba leaders have threatened to break away from Nigeria alleged incessant and unprovoked attacks and invasion of their farmlands by some Fulani herdsmen,

The leaders held an emergency summit in Ibadan, Oyo State,entitled, National Insecurity and the Menace of Fulani Herdsmen in Yorubaland.

The meeting, presided over by former Governor of the Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo, warned that the Yoruba will no longer tolerate the present structure of the country, which they claim undermine self actualization of the people of the South West.

The summit cite incessant cases of rape, destruction of economic plants that form the bedrock of the livelihood of locals, the armed violence unleashed by the nomads coupled with the consequent cultural disequilibrium the displacement of people from crisis-ridden Northern Nigeria have brought to communities in Yorubaland.

He added that subsequent governments in Nigeria have come into power waving slogans that end up leaving the country worse than they met it.

They demanded an immediate end to lawless nomadic activities in the South West warning that any community who cannot establish ranches for their flock should retreat from Yoruba territories.

At the event were prominent Yoruba sons and daughters from the academia, politics and the Diaspora. The sponsors of the summit were Yoruba Council of Elders, (YCE), Oodua Foundation, Afenifere and the Yoruba Unity Forum, (YUF). Some of the participants included the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, who represented the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Sola Ebiseni, who represented the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, Pa Olanihun Ajayi, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Pa Supo Sonibare, Prof Banji Akintoye, Prof Toun Ogunseye, the first woman Professor in Nigeria.

Others were Dr Fredrick Faseun, Otunba Gani Adams, Dr Kunle Olajide, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun and the former Military governor of Lagos State, Brig-Gen Raji Rasaki among many others.

The Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG and many other Pan-Yoruba groups were however absent at the summit.


SOURCE:Nigerian Bulletin

99 Nigerians confirmed dead in Hajj stampede, 214 missing

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Thursday said 355 Nigerians were involved in the Mina Stampede, out of whom 99 were confirmed dead.
More than 769 pilgrims from across the world died and 1000 others injured in the Sept. 24 stampede in one of the roads leading to Jamarat Complex (stone throwing site) in Mina, Saudi Arabia.
Saleh Okenwa, the Commissioner in charge of Information, Research and Library Service, NAHCON, confirmed the new casualty figures to journalists in Mecca.

Mr. Okenwa also said 214 pilgrims were still missing, adding that investigation was ongoing to ascertain their whereabout.

He said out of the 355 pilgrims involved, 99 were confirmed dead, 42 injured and 214 were still missing as at Oct. 7.
He also said that of the 99 deceased pilgrims, 73 were transported by state pilgrims welfare agencies, and 26 by tour operators.

Mr. Okenwa also said the 42 injured pilgrims comprised 41 transported by state pilgrims' welfare boards and one by tour operators.

The commissioner said 194 Nigerians of the 214 pilgrims missing were airlifted by the state pilgrims' welfare agencies, and 20 by tour operators.
Mr. Okenwa said only seven of the 42 injured pilgrims were still on admission.

He said out of the 355 pilgrims involved, 99 were confirmed dead, 42 injured and 214 were still missing as at Oct. 7.
He also said that of the 99 deceased pilgrims, 73 were transported by state pilgrims welfare agencies, and 26 by tour operators.

Mr. Okenwa also said the 42 injured pilgrims comprised 41 transported by state pilgrims' welfare boards and one by tour operators.

The commissioner said 194 Nigerians of the 214 pilgrims missing were airlifted by the state pilgrims' welfare agencies, and 20 by tour operators.

Mr. Okenwa said only seven of the 42 injured pilgrims were still on admission.


SOURCE: premium times

Edwin Clark Dumps PDP, Hails Buhari

A former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has hailed the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari and knocked former President Goodluck Jonathan for lacking the political will to fight graft.

Clark, who said it was wrong for anyone to accuse President Buhari of fighting a selective war in his drive to return sanity into the polity, also declared that he had formally left the Peoples Democratic Party.

Clark called on Nigerians not to distract the President from achieving his goal, just as he appealed to the President to remain focused in his determination to rid the country of corruption.

The Ijaw leader spoke in Abuja on Wednesday when a group, Think Nigeria First Initiative, paid him a courtesy call in his Abuja residence.

He said, "Jonathan didn't have the political will to fight corruption. He's a gentleman. Drivers of yesterday are living in palatial buildings now under his government.

"In advanced countries, when you are living above your means, people query you. That's not so in Nigeria. Former governors, lawmakers are now asking for immunity."
Clark, who was a staunch supporter of former President Jonathan, however, said he had quit the PDP. But he said he would not join the governing party, the All Progressives Congress.

He said, "I no longer belong to the PDP. I won't go to the APC either, but I will continue to talk as an elder statesman and leader of this country. I have left politics.

"If anyone comes to me to say he's running for any elective position in the PDP or the APC, I won't support you. I'm not a member of the PDP anymore."

It was however not clear if Clark quit the party because of the defeat suffered by Jonathan during the last presidential election.

It will be recalled that President Buhari, who was the candidate of the APC, defeated Jonathan, who was the PDP candidate during the election.

Clark also accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of institutionalising corruption in the country.
He had also said that he and other supporters of former President Jonathan were worried because of the outcome of the last presidential election. He, however, added that there was nothing they could do since the former President had conceded defeat.

He said, "Some of us were worried when Jonathan conceded defeat. We were worried. If a man who contested election conceded defeat, who are you to say no?

"Elections had been held, winners had emerged and losers had agreed, what next? Buhari is now my President and the President of Nigeria.

"We should all try and support him, particularly in his determination to eradicate corruption in Nigeria. For eight years Obasanjo legalised corruption.

"Yet, he's the one talking about corruption today. Nobody should distract Buhari from fighting corruption. People should stop talking about sectional or selective justice."

Clark said those who ruled the country before Buhari, like the late President Umaru Yar'Adua and Jonathan didn't have the political will to fight corruption.
He specifically accused Yar'Adua of being a friend to the jailed former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

Clark said, "Yar'Adua became friend with Ibori, who is very corrupt and because of this, he could not fight corruption."

In his reaction to Clark's dumping of the PDP, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party would want to wish the elder statesman well.

"He is a man we respect so much. If he's leaving our party and wants to retire from politics, we wish him well," Metuh said.


SOURCE:The Punch

Buhari Meets Saraki, Dogara, Others In Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday night held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly at the First Lady's wing of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The National Assembly leadership was led to the meeting by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House, Hon Yakubu Dogara.

The meeting started as soon Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as well as some of their aides joined the lawmakers for the meeting at about 9:15.

The other National Assembly leaders who arrived the venue of the meeting alongside Saraki and Dogara at about 8:45pm included the Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume; Senate Minority Whip, Phillip Aduda; Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Bala Ibn Na'Allah and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio.

Others were Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun and House Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Also at the meeting from the presidency's side was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal. But the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu was absent during the meeting

LEADERSHIP gathered that the meeting, which started at about 9:30pm bordered mainly on efforts at uniting the Presidency and the National Assembly leadership after what seemed like a frosty relationship between the two arms of government since the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly.

The meeting was said to have been facilitated by the senior special assistant to the president on National Assembly Matters (SSA Senate), Sen Ita Enang and the SSA (House of Representatives), Hon Suleiman Kawu.

It was further gathered that the meeting was to create the needed cordial relationship between the executive and National Assembly after the bad blood that had been running between them over the appointment of the principal officers, particularly in the senate.

This was the second time Saraki would be meeting with Buhari in Aso Rock after his controversial emergence in June, the first being on October 1 during the Independence Day celebration.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the House of Representatives, following a motion last week had mandated Dogara to find ways of intervening in the lingering dispute between the Senate and the Presidency.

Mourinho stuck in “worst period” of his career

Jose Mourinho has described Chelsea's stuttering start to the season as the "worst period of my career."
The current Premier League champions are 14th after seven games where they have collected just two league victories.

Their poor form was underlined by a 2-1 defeat at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday and manager Mourinho believes it has never been as bad for him during his 15-year coaching career.

"I define it as the worst period in my career with the worst results in my career, which I see as a fantastic experience," said the former Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss ahead of Saturday's home game with Southampton.

"It is not one I want to repeat. I want it to finish tomorrow, but it's a good experience in my career.

"It comes too late. To come after 15 years is too late. It should come after three or four. But it's something that's helping me to be better.

"It's a great negative experience. It's the worst results. I've had big challenges all the time. But it's the worst period: I've never lost so many matches, that's a fact.

"When I am top of the league and the second team are a point behind that's the pressure I like. I don't like the pressure where we are, but I cope well with it.

"It's always about the next match. I'm waiting for tomorrow, want to play, so I cope. I cope."

Mourinho claims the lines of communication remain open despite the poor play on the pitch.
"When you make a big mistake, you know and you feel it," he said. "In here we speak openly. You did that, you could do that, you could help your mate, I did that mistake but you could do a bit better to compensate for my mistake. We communicate openly. No primadonnas crying. Everyone wants to do well and accepts the criticisms, knows the job and knows what let the team down.

"When you make mistakes you have to speak about it. You know what I call that? In football? 'Coaching, Coaching!'

"After the match I never have a bad reaction, not even after a specially good reaction. After the match it's about calming down and going home. Next day, I'm calm so I coach. I coach. And I don't have primadonnas who cannot be criticised."

Mourinho was less expansive on the Eva Carneiro situation after FA chairman Greg Dyke criticised the Chelsea manager on his treatment of the club's doctor.

Dyke has condemned Mourinho's "failure of personal judgement and public behaviour" which eventually saw Carneiro lose her job after being told to stay away from the first team following her treatment of Eden Hazard on the opening day.

But Mourinho refused to respond saying: "For the past two months I didn't open my mouth, and I'm going to keep it like this. One day I will speak, but I will choose the day.


"I'm quiet about it for a long time. I read and I listen and I watch, and I'm quiet. We can be here all day, my time to speak will arrive when I decide."

Meanwhile Mourinho revealed that a deal is close to bring in former AC Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia as cover for Asmir Begovic with Thibaut Courtois out until December.

"He is working with us," he said. "He is an experienced goalkeeper who knows what a big club is. He knows the responsibility.

"He's played Champions League, played national team. But, the last couple of years, he didn't play so much and he hasn't trained with a team for a few months. But what we need is some cover. Some stability until Courtois is back. Maybe he's the guy to give us that."


SOURCE: The Guardian

Over-billing: Abuja DISCO refunding money to customers

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) says it has complied with a Federal Government's directive to refund money to its consumers in the Federal Capital Territory for over-billing them.
The Managing Director of AEDC, Neil Croucher, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Croucher, who could not immediately tell how much had been refunded so far or the number of customers affected, said the process was ongoing.
NAN recalls that the Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Sam Amadi, recently told the Senate that the commission ordered the refund after series of complaints from AEDC customers.

Croucher noted that the issue of over-billing was a legacy problem, which the company was currently working hard to address.
"On the issue of bills not reflecting the amount of electricity consumed or customers pay and is not reflecting, this is one of the problems we inherited with the old billing system.
"That is why we have spent a lot of time and money in installing a new billing system that is centralised. It will soon be a thing of the past.
"But if any customer has a complaint he can come to us. We have teams in the field that will go and investigate.
"If in that process we identify that we have been over-charging, we will correct it," he said.
The AEDC boss said in the course of the ongoing adjustments in the company's billing system, many customers had also been found to be undercharged.
He cited the case of a customer who was being billed for 60 kilowatts per hour when he was actually consuming 100 kilowatts per hour.
He said all the anomalies were being corrected in the ongoing clean up of the company's customer data base.

Croucher said the issue of communities providing transformers and other power distribution facilities was abnormal, adding that it was part of the under-investment problems in the sector.
"In a normal situation it should not be so, but we have not normalised the sector. I have told you about the decades of under-investment in the sector.
"Now, the country is able to generate only about 4,000MW for over 140 million people. To get to a point where all these communities are electrified will cost billions of dollars.
"Clearly, that can't come overnight. In the short-term, we welcome communities who are prepared to assist then we can get that infrastructure in quicker than we might otherwise be able to do.
"I think it is a valid point about the need to compensate communities who make a direct contribution, and we should look at how to address such circumstances."
The managing director also said that distribution accounted for only 25 per cent of the cost of electricity used by customers.
According to him, the balance of 75 per is from generation, transmission and regulation.

"We must recognise that 75 per cent of the cost of every kilowatt of electricity has nothing do with the distribution bill; it's from generation and transmission.
"So, we only deal at that 25 per cent level, and if customers make a contribution towards that very last mile it is only a fraction of the overall cost of electricity they consume," he added.

SOURCE: pm news

Muslim Singer: My friend Azeezat Otibiya at Musteliffah in Hajj 2015

Bamanga Tukur quits PDP

Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Bamanga Tukur, has retired from the party and from partisan politics.
Tukur announced the decision on Thursday at the BMT African Garden, Abuja, in his address at a lecture entitled : "Enhancing Capacity Development For a Sustainable Regional Integration In Africa: Making The Dream a Reality" as part of activities marking his 80th birthday.

In the address entitled: "The Historical Background And Realities of My Earthly Sojourn, So Far", Tukur said, "I deem it fit to use this opportunity of my 80th birthday celebration to announce my retirement from partisan politics".
"It is time to say goodbye to formal politics. I have used several political platforms to serve my country. It is time to rest," he said.
The former PDP National Chairman, said he was leaving partisan politics for the younger generation, and that he wanted to be a statesman and an Adviser.
"At the age of 80, I feel I can serve our dear nation more in the capacity of a statesman and father figure," he said.
He, however, said his doors were open to all politicians, business men, business women, "and all Nigerians who may seek my advice or opinion on any issue affecting our country or beyond".
Amb. Tukur enjoined politicians to "play the game according to the rules" and to put the interest of the nation at heart.
In his lecture, Dr Toga McIntosh, Vice President, ECOWAS Commission, said over the last two decades or so, the socio-economic gap between the developed region and Africa had "progressively widened".

McIntosh identified weaknesses in effective planning, developing and utilising requisite African capacities, and "our uncoordinated approach to push from within, in a concerted way" among the factors responsible for the situation.



SOURCE: pm 🆕 news

PDP narrates how Alaibe donated N10bn for Obasanjo’s third term plot

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has described the governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Alaibe, as "a desperate power monger" who cannot be trusted with public funds.

The party also revealed how Alaibe allegedly donated N10 billion towards the realisation of the aborted third term plot of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, when he was Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The PDP State Secretary, Godspower Keku, in a statement in Yenagoa, said Alaibe's antecedents during his tenure as NNDC boss proved that he was a political baggage to any serious party.

He said, "It is a shame that somebody like Alaibe is coming out to say he wants to contest for governor of the state. The question to ask him is: what is he coming to offer? What was his antecedent at NDDC? In his years as the managing director of NDDC what did he do to better the lot of Bayelsans or the state in spite of all the opportunities available to him?

"Is it not true that instead of helping his own people he chose to empower his friends from the North and South West? Now is it not important to ask him if he actually loves Bayelsans; he should account for all the billions of naira budgeted and released for the construction of roads and water projects for Bayelsa state.

"Where are the roads and water projects in the state and what happened to the money so budgeted and released for this purpose? Who is Alaibe fooling? Surely, Bayelsans don't trust him. His tenure at NDDC was a complete disaster".

Keku who accused the governorship aspirant of "having donated N10 billion towards former President Olusegun Obsanjo's alleged third term plot", said that Alaibe had tried to contest for governor at three different times and on each occasion dropped out of the race after allegedly collecting money or appointment with the claim that he was "told to step down".

He also claimed that the APC aspirant is a "use and dump" politician, saying after his personal benefits on each occasion he tried to run for governor, he subsequently forgot his supporters.

"Is that a man that can be trusted? Is that the kind of leader Bayelsa needs? A leader who will mortgage the state and interests of the people for a pot of porridge?", Keku quipped.


SOURCE: daily post

Student union leaders budget N1.8m for phone calls

Student Union executives and legislators at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have budgeted N1, 837, 550 to make official phone calls between August, 2015 and January, 2016.

In a copy of the Student Union budget made available to our correspondent and debated by members of the OAU Student Representative Council on Sunday evening, the leaders also had a separate budget for internet facilities and sending of bulk Short Message Service.

The sum, which did not also include the one for purchase of phones, was budgeted by the leadership of the Central Executive Council and Students' Representative Council led by Mr. Omotayo Akande and Mr. Adebari Aare respectively.

Others are the clerk, deputy speaker, halls of residence executives, chairmen and secretary of transport, judicial, and budget and finance committees.

The student union leaders, who in totality budgeted N26, 090, 469 for their various needs, are expecting an income of about N15m.

A breakdown of the budget showed that the speaker, Mr. Adebari Aare, proposed to spend N232, 500 for official phone calls for 310 days, while the president of the union also proposed to make calls for 180 days with N108, 000.

Among other items that surfaced on the president's budget were fuelling at the cost of N270,000; bus maintenance, N300, 000; 'intervention', N300, 000; and security vote, N300, 000.
Contained in the speaker's budget is welfare costing N217, 000; long journey and short journey accommodation, N1, 250, 000; long and short journey trip, N500, 000 among others.

When contacted, the Chairman, Budget and Finance Committee, Mr. Abayomi Samuel, said the budget had not been approved.

Samuel, whose committee also budgeted N114, 000 for phone calls, added that some of the expenses had been reduced.

While speaking to our correspondent on the telephone and confirming the phone call expenses, Samuel said, "The budget has not been approved."

However, our correspondent gathered that students of the university are divided over the budget.

One of them, Sammy, said, "How will they say they want to make phone calls with that kind of money when we are all complaining of poor toilet facilities and lack of food in our hostels. This is extreme wickedness."


SOURCE: The Punch

I was there

Buhari, Osinbajo declare assets

Documents submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) show that he has indeed been living an austere and Spartan lifestyle.

A source at the bureau said the documents submitted by Buhari which officials say "are still being vetted and will soon be made public", showed that prior to being sworn in on May 29, the president had less than N30 million to his name.

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu confirmed later confirmed this in a statement on Thursday night.


As soon as the CCB was through with the process, the documents would be released to the Nigerian public and people can see for themselves, Daily Trust learnt.

He said the documents also showed that the president had only one bank account, with the Union Bank.

He emphasised that the documents also indicated that President Buhari had no foreign account, no factory, no enterprises, no registered company and no oil wells.

Garba also said Buhari declared however that he had shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank.
He said the documents also revealed that Buhari had a total of five homes, and two mud houses in Daura.
He said the documents also showed that President Buhari had two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt.

According Shehu, the documents revealed that the president is still trying to trace the location of the Port Harcourt land.

The source also disclosed that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who had been a successful lawyer before his foray into politics declared a bank balance of about N94 million and 900,000 United States Dollars in his bank accounts.

He said as revealed by the same forms, highlights of Osinbajo's asset declaration include his 4-bedroom residence at Victoria Garden City, Lagos and a 3-bedroom flat at 2 Mosley Road, Ikoyi. The Vice President also has a 2-bedroom flat at the popular Redemption Camp along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and a 2-bedroom mortgaged property in Bedford, England.
"Aside from these, the Vice President has no other landed properties on the form. Apart from his law firm, known as SimmonsCooper, the Vice-President also declared shareholding in six private companies based in Lagos, including Octogenerium Ltd., Windsor Grant Ltd., Tarapolsa, Vistorion Ltd., Aviva Ltd. and MTN Nigeria,"

Man Imprisoned For 5 Years For Setting Pregnant Lover On Fire

On Monday, a 37-year-old bar operator who was identified as Lucky Esonahae was arraigned on one count bordering on causing bodily harm by setting his pregnant lover on fire.

The prosecuting officer, Sergeant Ganiyu Yahya, told the court that the incident took place at Uwelu Quartres in Benin, and was reported by the victim, Stella Isaac, on July 6, the same day it occurred.
Yahya said Esonahae poured kerosene on Stella, who was said to be 7 months pregnant, lit a match and set her on fire.
He said that the victim was later rescued by one of her sons and her neighbours, who forced the door of her room open, as she had been locked in.
He said the victim, who was later rushed to the Central Hospital, where she received treatment sustained burns on her hands and forehead.
The police prosecutor also told the court that Esonahae had earlier accused the pregnant woman of infidelity for allegedly returning at about 6pm from her ante-natal care and had threatened to kill her, before she ran to her sister's residence.

The charge read:
"That you, Lucky Esonahae, on July 6, 2015, at Uwelu Quartres, Benin, in the Egor Magisterial District, did cause grievous harm to one Stella Isaac, by setting her on fire with kerosene, which cause her bodily harm and, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 355(B) of the Criminal Code Cap 48, Vol. II, Law of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, as applicable to Edo State."

The accused pleaded guilty to the offence and begged for leniency.
But the presiding magistrate, Igho Braimoh, said the court would not be lenient, adding, "for a 37-year-old man to set a lover on fire leaves much to be desired."
She, therefore, sentenced him to 5 years in prison with hard labour.

SOURCE: Information Nigeria

Forgery: Saraki, Ekweremadu, others shun court

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, as well as other Senate officials on Monday shunned a scheduled hearing in a suit seeking their removal from office.

The removal of Saraki and the other principal officers is being sought on the grounds of alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 used for the conduct of their elections shortly after the proclamation of the 8th Senate on June 9.

Plaintiffs in the suit, which is before the Federal High Court in Abuja, are Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuni, all supporters of Senator Ahmed Lawan for the Senate presidency eventually won by Saraki.

The six defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015, are Saraki, Ekweremadu, the National Assembly and the Clerks of both the National Assembly and the Senate.

None of the defendants was represented by their lawyers when the matter came up on Monday before Justice Adeniyi Ademola, to whom the case was re-assigned after he took over from Justice Gabriel Kolawole as the vacation judge of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

While delivering a ruling during Monday's proceedings, Justice Ademola noted that the choice of Monday for the hearing of the plaintiffs' motion on notice seeking an order restraining the Senate from going ahead to constitute its standing and ad hoc committees was with the consent of lawyers to the parties to the suit.

However, the plaintiffs' counsel, Chief Mamman Osuman (SAN), withdrew the motion on notice during the proceedings, saying the essence of the application had been overtaken by event with some of the committees already constituted.

Justice Ademola, while striking out the motion on notice in a short ruling, noted that the application contained the same set of prayers that were in the plaintiffs' ex parte application earlier dismissed by Justice Kolawole.

The plaintiffs had anchored their suit on the use of alleged illegitimate and unconstitutional Senate Standing Orders 2015 to conduct the election of the current leadership of the Senate on June 9.
The plaintiffs alleged that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 was "contrived" from the amendment of the 2011 version of the Orders without following its (the 2011 edition's) relevant provisions and those of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They argued that the said amendment was in breach of the "prescriptive procedures" stipulated by the extant provisions of section 60 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Rule 110(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended).

They therefore contended that the election of the current leadership of the Senate and other proceedings based on the unconstitutional Orders was null and void.

The senators are seeking, among other prayers, the declaration of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as null and void for being a product of an alleged illegitimate and unconstitutional amendment of the 2011 version of the standing orders.

They also want the court to nullify the amended order as well as the election of Saraki as the Senate President and that of Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, for being products of the alleged illegal orders.


SOURCE : The Punch 👊

Buhari orders probe of weapons procurement since 2007

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the National Security Adviser to convene an investigative committee on the procurement of hardware and munitions in the Armed Forces from 2007 till now.

The investigative committee's mandate is to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the Armed Forces.

Accordingly, the National Security Adviser has constituted the Investigative Committee as follows:
AVM J.O.N. Ode (rtd.) – President
R/Adm J.A. Aikhomu (rtd.) – Member
R/Adm E. Ogbor (rtd.) -Member
Brig Gen L. Adekagun (rtd.) – Member
Brig Gen M. Aminun-Kano (rtd.) – Member
Brig Gen N. Rimtip (rtd. – Member
Cdre T.D. Ikoli – Member
Air Cdre U. Mohammed (rtd.) – Member

Air Cdre I. Shafi'i – Member
Col A.A. Ariyibi – Member
Gp Capt C.A. Oriaku (rtd.) – Member
Mr. I. Magu (EFCC) – Member
Brig Gen Y.I. Shalangwa – Secretary
The establishment of the investigative committee is in keeping with President Buhari's determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria's public service.

It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops' morale.

The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment.

It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops' morale.

The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment.

SOURCE: pm news

G/Bissau: Buhari Appoints Obasanjo as Special Envoy

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed ex-Prrsident Olusegun Obasnajo as special
envoy to Guinea Bissau follwing the unfolding political situation in Guinea Bissau leading to the dismissal of the Prime Minister, Domingos Simoes Pereira and his cabinet by President Jose Mario Vaz.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina said Buhari called on the leadership in Guinea Bissau, including the military, to ensure respect for constitutional order, sanctity of life and safety of citizens, and avoid taking any further action that could threaten the fragile democratic institutions recently established in the country.

The statement said Buhari had already sent former President Olusegun Obasanjo as his Special Enoch to mediate and help find a solution to the civil brewing in that country.

Buhari said that in demonstration of true African solidarity and brotherhood, he sent former President Olusegun Obasanjo as his Special Envoy to mediate and help find a solution to the crisis brewing in Guinea Bissau.

The statement said Chief Obasanjo embarked on the first leg of his mission by consulting with the current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Macky Sall of Senegal in Dakar.

"It is regrettable that while Chief Obasanjo was still consulting with President Sall, President Jose Mario Vaz of Guinea Bissau proceeded to appoint and swear-in a new Prime Minister in the person of Mr. Baciro Dja, a development that has worsened the political situation in his country."

Buhari appealed for calm and called on the leadership in Guinea Bissau to exercise utmost restraint and ensure the maintenance of law and order as efforts continued to resolve the current crisis.

SOURCE: Desert Herald

Buhari to set up special courts for looters

The Federal Government has begun moves to establish special courts to try corruption-related cases as part of the efforts to fight graft in the country.

Saturday PUNCH's investigations on Friday revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was opting for a comprehensive onslaught against the problem of corruption in the country.

It was learnt that the President had concluded plans to submit a bill on the planned special anti-corruption courts to the National Assembly.

The PUNCH had on Monday exclusively reported that the Presidency had commenced the process of identifying fearless judges that would be saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting corrupt persons.

It was also gathered that the Federal Government was planning to establish 37 of the Special Courts to try corruption in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and the 36 states of the Federation.

A top operative of one of the anti-graft agencies, who confided in one of our correspondents, said that the Federal Government decided to set up the planned special courts because of the long delay by regular courts in deciding corruption-related cases.

It was further gathered that the President recently made a demand for 36 judges with the requisite integrity and boldness to decide cases in line with the law and not according to influence of the people or the pecuniary gains that come with associating with them.

The anti-graft officer said, "The President is being careful; he does not want people to do a wishy-washy job for him.

"Buhari is pressing for the establishment of special courts to try corruption cases. He wants the courts to be established in Abuja and the 36 states of the federation so that they can fast-track such cases."

Investigations further revealed that the Federal Government had contacted the National Judicial Council to provide judges with impeccable reputation to preside over the planned courts.

It was gathered that the NJC released the names of 100 judges from the 36 states of the federation to the leadership of three major anti-corruption bodies in the country after an internal process of selection.

The judges were screened by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission and the Department of State Security on Tuesday.

It was gathered that the focus of the on-going screening exercise is to identify judges with a passion for the law and the constitution rather than deference to personalities.

The officer stated, "On Tuesday, the NJC forwarded the list of 100 judges to the anti-corruption agencies for screening. The exercise is meant to select the judges for the special courts the President is moving to establish to try corruption cases.

"The plan is to get judges that are bold, courageous, and fearless. Many of them must have delivered sound judgements (in the past). They don't want those who play to the gallery.
The screening exercise is very intensive; they are passing through the NJC that has the list of all the judges. When the NJC is through with its screening, it passes the list of the judges to security operatives and the anti-graft agencies to continue with the investigation.

"And because this is a democracy, they have to go through acceptable legal channels; they have to amend the constitution to set up these courts. They want to start with speed; even the legislatures have to be involved to amend the constitution."

It was also learnt that the anti-graft agencies screened the judges by doing background checks on them, particularly looking at their history at the bench.

The source said, "We are working on the information we got about them (the judges). There are those who have been compromised in the past, who will not be part of the arrangement."

But the anti-corruption agencies are not saying much about the on-going screening exercise, which is said to have entered its second phase.

When our correspondent contacted the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on the telephone on Friday, he said that he was not aware of it.

"I am not aware of the exercise you are talking about," he said.

Similarly, the Resident Consultant, Media and events of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said that he could not comment on the story, when contacted.

"I can't comment on it," he said.

Also, the Acting Director, Information, National Judicial Council, Mr. Soji Oye, said he was not aware of any plan to create special corruption courts.

It will be recalled that the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had in 2012, when he was being screened by the Senate, called for the establishment of special courts for corruption cases.

He had said, "The reason for the clamour for special courts for certain cases has to do with the processes of law. Judges have corrupt cases and other cases to attend to, but if we have special courts for corruption cases, it would facilitate the process. I don't think it will be too much to ask that a special court be dedicated to corruption cases."

Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, and Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, described the plan to create special courts to handle corruption cases as a welcome development.

But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Nwobike, described the establishment of such courts as needless.

Keyamo, however, urged the government to put certain resources and laws in place for such special courts to achieve their intended goals.

He said, "Establishment of special courts will not solve the entire problem of anti-corruption cases and it will not solve all the problems of criminal cases. But it will go a long way if the courts are well equipped and have rules that will help fast track such cases.

"Special courts will not address the integrity of judges that will be sitting there. It is a welcome development and government should go ahead to establish them but some things should be put in place for the courts to achieve the intended goals."

Adeniran also described the establishment of special corruption courts as desirable. He said such courts would help in quick determination of corruption cases.

He said, "It is desirable to the extent that it will hasten up the adjudication on corruption cases and will make it easier for the judges to handle."

But Nwobike said that instead of creating special courts, government should focus on capacity building to enhance the competence of investigators and prosecutors.

He said, "It is needless. It will amount to waste of judicial resources to set up special courts to try corruption cases."

Boko Haram leader Shekau says he is 'still in charge'

The leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram denied he had been killed or ousted as chief of the jihadist group in an audio recording released Sunday attributed to him by security experts.


Boko Haram leader Shekau says he is 'still in charge'

In the eight-minute Hausa-language message, Abubakar Shekau rebuffed claims by Chadian leader Idriss Deby that he had been replaced and called the president a "hypocrite" and a "tyrant".

"It is indeed all over the global media of infidels that I am dead or that I am sick and incapacitated and have lost influence in the affairs of religion," he said in the recording released on social media.

"It should be understood that this is false. This is indeed a lie. If it were true, my voice wouldn't have been heard, now that I am speaking."

Deby declared on August 12 that efforts to combat neighbouring Nigeria's Boko Haram jihadists had succeeded in "decapitating" the group and would be wrapped up "by the end of the year".

Deby told reporters in the capital N'Djamena Boko Haram was no longer led by the fearsome Shekau and that his successor, whom he named as Mahamat Daoud, was open to talks.

"Gratitude be to Allah and with his help, I have not disappeared. I am still alive and I am not dead. And I will not die until my time appointed by Allah is up," Shekau said in the message.

The SITE Intelligence Group verified the authenticity of the message, and an AFP correspondent with extensive experience of reporting Boko Haram said it exactly resembled Shekau's voice in previous recordings.

- Taunts -


Shekau's absence from Boko Haram videos in recent months has fuelled speculation that he might have been killed or wounded.

He has not spoken publicly since he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in an audio recording released on March 7.

The jihadist commander refers to himself in the new recording for the first time as "leader of the west Africa wing" of IS and pays homage to its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, referring to him as the "Caliph of Muslims".

He taunted Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power on May 29 vowing to crush Boko Haram and ordered his military chiefs last week to end the insurgency within three months.

"This ostentatious person, a liar -- I mean Buhari, who raised arms to crush us in three months. You Buhari, why didn't you say in three years?" Shekau demanded.
"We will certainly fight you by the grace of Allah until we establish Allah's law everywhere on Earth."
Boko Haram has been waging a six-year uprising against the Nigerian state, which has claimed more than 15,000 lives.
The jihadists have repeatedly extended their northeastern insurgency into border areas of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
In recent weeks suicide bombers, many of them women, have staged several attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.
The four countries, plus Benin, have pledged troops towards a regional 8,700-strong force aimed at ending the insurgency and due to deploy within days.

- 'Global terrorist' -

Speculation about Shekau's condition -- and even his true identity -- has been rampant in Nigeria for years.
The wanted Islamist leader's whereabouts are unknown, but he has in the past made himself heard whenever he has been proclaimed dead.
Some experts and Nigerian security officials insist "Shekau" is a composite character, with different militant fighters stepping into the role at different times.
The original Abubakar Shekau -- the son of poor farmers who became radicalised in a series of theological schools before taking over Boko Haram in 2010 -- actually died months, or possibly several years ago, according to the security services.
But the United States and other experts have questioned the credibility of that claim.

"Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath," the insurgent leader, who has been sanctioned by the UN Security Council and declared a "global terrorist" by the United States, said in a video released in October last year.
He issued a similarly boastful denial in 2013 after the military claimed he may have died from a gunshot wound.

SOURCE: YAHOO News

Defection: Your action shameful, IYP tells Timi Alaibe, others

😤The Ijaw Young Professionals (IYP) on Monday berated members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State who set to decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing their action as "shameful and disgraceful."
It was widely reported at the weekend that many of the ruling party's leaders and members in the state were ready to switch camp to the opposition party at an event in the state capital on Saturday.
Listed among those ready to defec were the former Managing Director of Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe and former member of the House of Representatives, Stell Dorgu.
But in its reaction in a statement yesterday in Yenagoa, leader of the Ijaw Young Professionals, Barrister
But the Spokesperson of IYP, Seighfa Tonye-Brown, in a statement said the planned defection was "shameless and disgraceful."
He however expressed optimism that their defection from PDP "will not affect the chances of the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson, from being re-elected."
According to him, the reason for the impending defection was "greed and selfish interest rather than the desire to serve."
Tonye-Brown said based on that premise, the defectors will not enjoy the support of the people of Bayelsa State.
He said that these same people were those who conspired against former President Goodluck Jonathan in his reelection bid despite the enormous benefits they got through influential appointments "but was never reflected in whatever form in the lives of their people in the state."
This, he said, did not recommend them as worthy leaders to be trusted and called on Bayelsans to reject them ahead of the election.
Tonye-Brown said, "Our people must shine their eyes and beware of these characters because they do not mean well for them. We know the antecedents of these so-called leaders who are obviously desperate for power to satisfy immoral ends. We know for a fact that the only motivation for defecting is their noted greed and locust mentality.
"They are all fair weather politicians who are only concerned about themselves and their families. Curiously many of them have benefited so much from the Dickson administration as well as that of former President Goodluck Jonathan but what did they do for their own people? This is why our people must be careful not to be deceived by these so-called leaders. They are just selfish."
While calling on Governor Seriake Dickson not to lose sleep over the proposed defection, the group said Bayelsans were convinced about his sterling performance in office and will do everything possible to rally support for his re-election.

"Bayelsans are no fools. We will mobilise across the state and we are sure our people will recognise this betrayal by these so called leaders which will ensure massive support to re-elect the countryman governor. Without doubt this coming election is all about the ordinary people but never that of a gang of selfish elite who are out again to plunder our common wealth as they did in the past. They should know that Bayelsa State does not exist for them alone. Their selfish interest cannot take precedence over the collective wellbeing of our people", Tonye-Brown stated.


SOURCE: 247U reports

Don’t allow Tinubu produce an APC man as next Ooni – Bode George warns kingmakers

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George, has warned the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to steer clear of the process of selecting the next Ooni of Ife.

George, who is the Atona Oodua of Yoruba land, told The Punch on Monday that Tinubu should not use his relationship with the Osun State governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to manipulate the process.

"He will be making attempts to manipulate the process. They will do politics with it but it will blow up. They should allow the kingmakers do their work. If he manipulates the process, he will create a huge problem in Yoruba land.

"Let him allow the kingmakers do their job. He should not set Yoruba land on fire. Aregbesola should, instead, focus on paying salaries."

According to George, the politics of Ife is not like that of Lagos and Tinubu should not set a bad precedence in Yoruba land.

"He (Tinubu) tried it at the National Assembly but came back with a slap. He should, therefore, not go out of his way to bring in an APC-inclined man as the next Ooni. We want an Ooni that will be fair and not connected with all these politicians.

"We need an experienced person. We want the person that the kingmakers will approve of. As the Atona Oodua, I know how these things are done."

SOURCE: daily post

Ribadu told me he was being used by Obasanjo – Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has disclosed that the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, informed him while on exile in the UK that he realized late that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was using him as the EFCC Chairman.

Soyinka, who berated the former President for interfering in the war against corruption, wondered, in an interview with the latest edition of Zero Tolerance magazine, a publication of the EFCC, "Why should a President involve himself in what is already structurally established and dedicated to that purpose?"

According to him, "I warned your former boss, Ribadu, I told him that, your task will be done when in the course of your investigation; you discover that the source of the problem is the very person who appointed you.

"He looked shocked a bit, and eventually he and I met in London, after he was removed and (the current Governor of Kaduna State Mallam Nasir) el-Rufai was also in exile after they tried to kill him. We met and Ribadu refused to sit down. I asked him to sit but he said no, that until I accepted his apology, he won't sit down. I asked what apology? And he said 'I should have listened to you. I failed to listen to you.

"Something you have said to me and I failed to listen' Ribadu admitted that he realised very late that Obasanjo was using him.

"So we have to destroy that link between power and corruption. Audu Ogbeh confirmed what I am telling you. Then, it was 'go after this one, go after that one, ahh you did not arrest him? Arrest his mother! I am challenging Obasanjo to deny it.

"So, when you are looking for corruption, you should look at the entire stratum of the society, while some forms of corruption are direct, others are indirect".

The playwright further noted that he withdrew his support for former President Goodluck Jonathan because he was becoming authoritarian while in office, alleging that the former president also committed what he described alarming errors of governance.

Recounting why he marched alongside others in order to ensure that Jonathan was sworn-in as the acting President in 2010 against the wishes of the cabal, Soyinka asserted that the action was meant to protect the constitution and not just about Jonathan.

His words, "We marched in order to protect the constitution, not the person of Jonathan. We retained a cordial relationship during his tenure. However despite some attacks I felt compelled to launch on him – and his wife. Jonathan committed some truly alarming errors of governance. He was propelling himself towards outright fascism.

"Something you have said to me and I failed to listen' Ribadu admitted that he realised very late that Obasanjo was using him.

"So we have to destroy that link between power and corruption. Audu Ogbeh confirmed what I am telling you. Then, it was 'go after this one, go after that one, ahh you did not arrest him? Arrest his mother! I am challenging Obasanjo to deny it.

"So, when you are looking for corruption, you should look at the entire stratum of the society, while some forms of corruption are direct, others are indirect".

The playwright further noted that he withdrew his support for former President Goodluck Jonathan because he was becoming authoritarian while in office, alleging that the former president also committed what he described alarming errors of governance.

Recounting why he marched alongside others in order to ensure that Jonathan was sworn-in as the acting President in 2010 against the wishes of the cabal, Soyinka asserted that the action was meant to protect the constitution and not just about Jonathan.

His words, "We marched in order to protect the constitution, not the person of Jonathan. We retained a cordial relationship during his tenure. However despite some attacks I felt compelled to launch on him – and his wife. Jonathan committed some truly alarming errors of governance. He was propelling himself towards outright fascism.

"Asked by the interviewers if Jonathan was caged, he answered, "Correct. There are forces around Jonathan, you put your fingers around it, which he himself does not understand and that is why I stressed that, you've got to choose your circle of advisers very carefully, when you are in charge. He's been caged; things are going on in his ministry that he did not know about."

Citing an instance, he regretted that the former President did not know that King of Morocco had withdrawn his ambassador to Nigeria in March, 2015 until a week later.


SOURCE: dailypost