Buhari mourns Emir of Keffi

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbph37DkwJEixjK8Qlp96wdAu00MdA9YOcpjODuV-J9i9FDIYcfQf_-YpAWgosPrj18dINI7nOUz0uYOEdTOMhr3cRYa_L9wBIlaQP2sUj4_01gbWBZ_gf6uS1BLqabWEdrfeIfdRWp91/s1600/buhari+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbph37DkwJEixjK8Qlp96wdAu00MdA9YOcpjODuV-J9i9FDIYcfQf_-YpAWgosPrj18dINI7nOUz0uYOEdTOMhr3cRYa_L9wBIlaQP2sUj4_01gbWBZ_gf6uS1BLqabWEdrfeIfdRWp91/s640/buhari+new.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday commiserated with the government and people of Nasarawa State on the death of the Emir of Keffi and Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Alhaji Muhammadu Chindo-Yamusa II.<br /> <br /> In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President said he joined them and the educational community in mourning the traditional ruler who he said would be remembered as an advocate of peace and unity as a prerequisite for meaningful development in the country.<br /> <br /> The statement read in part, “The President believes that the late Emir will be greatly missed and remembered as one who generously contributed to national development through his fatherly counsel and advice to those in authority.<br /> <br /> “President Buhari particularly recalls the late Emir’s appeal to Nigerians to support the Federal Government’s effort to counter insurgency and other social vices in the country as well as his advocacy for education as bedrock for development.<br /> <br /> “The President prays that Almighty Allah will grant Alhaji Yamusa eternal rest and provide a successor who will do even more for the peace, development and prosperity of the people of Nasarawa State.”

Latest-News Buhari mourns Emir of Keffi

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday commiserated with the government and people of Nasarawa State on the death of the Emir of Keffi and Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Alhaji Muhammadu Chindo-Yamusa II. In a statement by his Special Advise…

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Emir of Keffi dies at 70

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOklbWeVovAnHwlrUHdRrbgeKmbZe0hC70E-1peex3e8ECTUFirbf3oJ2QyUi2mxZY8CYUjhObkbB7j8729YZtfWxI4tsPy2l1bJmy42c5UTvUlT2lsCpDvt3-TSF77xfgqUgec7EtR4B/s1600/Emir+of+Keffi+dies+at+70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOklbWeVovAnHwlrUHdRrbgeKmbZe0hC70E-1peex3e8ECTUFirbf3oJ2QyUi2mxZY8CYUjhObkbB7j8729YZtfWxI4tsPy2l1bJmy42c5UTvUlT2lsCpDvt3-TSF77xfgqUgec7EtR4B/s400/Emir+of+Keffi+dies+at+70.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> The Emir of Keffi in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Mohammadu Chindo Yamusa II, is dead.<br /> <br /> The Galadima of Keffi, Alhaji Abdul Usman, confirmed this on Friday at a news conference in Keffi Local Government Area of the state.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The Galadima, who is also the emir’s cousin, said that the late monarch, who took ill briefly, died in the early hours of Friday in his palace in Keffi.<br /> <br /> He said, “our emir, the promoter of peace and culture died this morning after a brief illness.<br /> <br /> “His death is heartbreaking, painful but God gives life and takes it at will.<br /> <br /> “The emir had contributed a lot to the development of not only Keffi, but to the development of Nasarawa State and the entire country while alive.’’<br /> <br /> According to him, the late emir was 70 years old and ascended the throne on May 11, 1978.<br /> <br /> The Galadiman Keffi called on the people of the state to pray for the family of the late emir, adding that the death was a huge loss to the Keffi Emirate Council and the state at large.<br /> <br /> The News Agency of Nigeria learnt that Yamusa II left two wives and 27 children and many grand children.<br /> <br /> NAN reports that at the time of filling this reports, traditional rulers, including the Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Mustapha Isah Agwai 1 and other sympathisers were trooping the late emir’s palace in Keffi.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, the final funeral rites and burial of the late emir would be performed after Juma’at prayer in Keffi in accordance with Islamic teaching.

Latest-News Emir of Keffi dies at 70

The Emir of Keffi in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Mohammadu Chindo Yamusa II, is dead. The Galadima of Keffi, Alhaji Abdul Usman, confirmed this on Friday at a news conference in Keffi Local Government Area of the state. The Galadima, who is also the emir…

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Ex-presidential candidate kidnapped in Kogi, Abductors demand N40 million ransom

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4XEZEPFI32cEmjNJVQbCIN2aT77o5f2Iqn5AdVFEP1O84Mic_mB0o3K0G9salmg8DQt9vsi9ASjupPolmrW-7-3AUThX8qYUgD3rOBJp9O2z9o2VItRuddxzb0C132UlkBel0yO3ob8r/s1600/lhaji+Ganiyu+Galadima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4XEZEPFI32cEmjNJVQbCIN2aT77o5f2Iqn5AdVFEP1O84Mic_mB0o3K0G9salmg8DQt9vsi9ASjupPolmrW-7-3AUThX8qYUgD3rOBJp9O2z9o2VItRuddxzb0C132UlkBel0yO3ob8r/s1600/lhaji+Ganiyu+Galadima.jpg" /></a></div> <b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>A former Presidential candidate and National Chairman of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima has been reported kidnapped at Obajana in Kogi State.</b><br /> <br /> The ACPN nominated Chief Galadima as its presidential flag bearer in the just concluded March 28, 2015 presidential election, but returned to man the affairs of the party shortly after he lost to president Muhammadu Buhari.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> It was gathered that the ACPN chairman was picked by his abductors after Obajana in Osaro, Kogi State while on his way to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital to attend the burial of one of his elder brothers.<br /> <br /> Confirming the development, the National Chairman of Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, Chief Peter Ojonugwa Ameh, said, yes, “My colleague has been kidnapped.”<br /> <br /> Ameh, who is also the Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, disclosed via a text message that, “My colleague, the National chairman and former presidential candidate of ACPN, in 2015 general election, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima has been kidnapped.”<br /> <br /> “He was kidnapped today in Osaro in Kogi State on his way from Abuja to attend the burial ceremony of one of his elder brothers in Ilorin,” he said.<br /> <br /> He revealed further that “Report reaching us has it that his abductors have made contact with his family and they are demanding for N40 million ransom.”

Latest-News Ex-presidential candidate kidnapped in Kogi, Abductors demand N40 million ransom

A former Presidential candidate and National Chairman of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima has been reported kidnapped at Obajana in Kogi State. The ACPN nominated Chief Galadima as its presidential flag bearer in the just con…

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Court declines moves to stop Kogi supplementary poll

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxZkyalxEOkochRrti8thyphenhyphenVeUrTielON9gzKmOO7OcWH6wNmhDBJn3Ethc9l80h9T436eZpUHEBQki2IYjZ1NitPp8fet2Bmf5KZF6sbFCV6oqQOpV1HX-4xwcvNqe2Gh_g3H5z4cNka8/s1600/law+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxZkyalxEOkochRrti8thyphenhyphenVeUrTielON9gzKmOO7OcWH6wNmhDBJn3Ethc9l80h9T436eZpUHEBQki2IYjZ1NitPp8fet2Bmf5KZF6sbFCV6oqQOpV1HX-4xwcvNqe2Gh_g3H5z4cNka8/s640/law+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ‎from conducting supplementary governorship election in Kogi State tomorrow.<br /> <br /> The court, in a judgement today, declined jurisdiction to resolve any of the constitutional issues that were raised in five separate suits challenging the legality of the planned run-off poll.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Justice Gabriel Kolawole ‎who gave the verdict, maintained that going by section 285(1) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, and section 87(10) of the Electoral Act, the Federal High Court, lacked the jurisdiction to grant reliefs that were sought before it by all the plaintiffs.<br /> <br /> Noting that the suits were fallout of the governorship election INEC held in Kogi State on November 21, Justice Kolawole, directed the plaintiffs to go and ventilate their grievances before the Election Petition Tribunal.<br /> <br /> Whereas one of the suits was lodged before the court by Kogi state governor, C‎aptain Idris Wada, retd, ‎the second suit was filed by ‎the governorship candidate of the People for Democratic Change, PDC, in the state, Hon. Emmanuel Daikwo.<br /> <br /> Likewise, a legal practitioner, Mr. Johnson Usman, a House of Reps member for Ahiazu Ezinaehitte Mbaise Federal Constituency of Imo state, ‎Hon. Rafael Igbokwe and an electorate from Omala LGA in Abelijukolo Ife of Eche ward in Kogi state, Mr. Stephen Wada Omaye, filed the two remaining suits‎<br /> <br /> Shortly after he dismissed the four consolidated suits, Justice Kolawole, in a separate judgment, also declined ‎to declare the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi state, Mr. James Faleke, as the governor-elect.

Latest-News Court declines moves to stop Kogi supplementary poll

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ‎from conducting supplementary governorship election in Kogi State tomorrow. The court, in a judgement today, declined jurisdiction to resolve …

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Fire destroys 65 shops in Kano market

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_mFP0PxAqmXIdZYNU2kcdC3-i0a_pXCkUHxSEluNAOL1rbyGKupgS1_6mrJeSSSzvoBjFFOJlY8AqWi2r6y27HY146ueMJekIB0s9ClwN8EuKW49d7JYj8SWaFGfIiK3vfI4tTfLFEy8/s1600/Fire+burnssssss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_mFP0PxAqmXIdZYNU2kcdC3-i0a_pXCkUHxSEluNAOL1rbyGKupgS1_6mrJeSSSzvoBjFFOJlY8AqWi2r6y27HY146ueMJekIB0s9ClwN8EuKW49d7JYj8SWaFGfIiK3vfI4tTfLFEy8/s640/Fire+burnssssss.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> No fewer than 65 shops were destroyed by fire in the furniture section of Sabon Gari Market in Kano on Thursday night, an official said.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The Director of Kano State Fire Service, Alhaji Balarabe Kabara, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the incident, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. affected permanent and temporary structures.<br /> <br /> Kabara attributed the fire to negligence but said the agency would meet with the affected traders to ascertain what they lost individually.<br /> <br /> “The main cause of the inferno is negligence because people are in the habit of playing with fire, especially now that it is harmattan period,” he said.<br /> <br /> Kabara advised the people to avoid unnecessary use of fire as any mistake could lead to fire disaster.<br /> <br /> Kabara recalled that seven female students recently lost their lives in fire incidents in two secondary schools in the state and advised school authorities to ensure proper monitoring of students.<br /> <br /> Kabara also advised students to desist from cooking and using electrical appliances, especially water heater and pressing iron, in their hostels to avoid fire outbreaks

Latest-News Fire destroys 65 shops in Kano market

No fewer than 65 shops were destroyed by fire in the furniture section of Sabon Gari Market in Kano on Thursday night, an official said. The Director of Kano State Fire Service, Alhaji Balarabe Kabara, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday…

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Don’t criminalize use of social media - Reno Omokri advices senate

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgLGliCjBh7t8DH7BgSwx68M5CMDEgJdicTUPColH5wkOBMqDpf5FO_Uf5vQjfHgi32yUcSqALTcc5UtHRe9PFHNylR8FMtTGjk2K1hco-SAATPcxsfkZkC1jvdirT2JsYpbg3Tobr2Ot/s1600/reno_omokri_jonathan+new+media+aide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgLGliCjBh7t8DH7BgSwx68M5CMDEgJdicTUPColH5wkOBMqDpf5FO_Uf5vQjfHgi32yUcSqALTcc5UtHRe9PFHNylR8FMtTGjk2K1hco-SAATPcxsfkZkC1jvdirT2JsYpbg3Tobr2Ot/s640/reno_omokri_jonathan+new+media+aide.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Former Special Assistant on New Media to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has urged the Nigerian Senate to do away with the bill, stressing that freedom of information is a necessity in any democracy.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The TV host in a series of tweets via his handle, @renoomokri argued that the 8th National Assembly led by Dr. Bukola Saraki, should take a cue from ex-president Jonathan who faced false reports, yet signed the Freedom of Information bill to law and never tampered with free speech. He added that throughout the 5-year reign of his former boss, no one was jailed for speaking his mind.<br /> <br /> Ministerial screening6“I call on the Senate to take a cue from ex-Pres Jonathan who faced false reports yet NEVER tampered with Free Speech”<br /> <br /> “Jonathan, at huge political cost to himself, signed Freedom of Information to law. Senate should let sleeping dogs lie!”<br /> <br /> “Throughout Jonathan’s presidency, no one was jailed for speaking his mind. The Senate should not reversed that legacy ”<br /> <br /> He urged the senate to allow sleeping dogs lie, stressing that he is not sure that president Buhari will assent to the bill if passed by the lawmakers.<br /> <br /> “What I know is that ex Pres. Jonathan would never sign such a law if it passes and I believe President Buhari wont either”.<br /> <br /> “To the Social Media community: When you cook soup with cannibals you have no one to blame if they use you as meat,” he urged users of social media.<br /> <br /> Recalled that Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Related Matters, sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South generated reactions on the social media as many alleged that a section of the bill recommended two-year jail term for false publication on the platform.

Latest-News Don’t criminalize use of social media - Reno Omokri advices senate

Former Special Assistant on New Media to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has urged the Nigerian Senate to do away with the bill, stressing that freedom of information is a necessity in any democracy. The TV host in a series of tweets via h…

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$2bn arms deal: Bode George denies sharing loots, meeting Dasuki while in office

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj5CGYa9SspB8hWk26pweEj03lFUndjkq6KwSVWxlM2QpROfgXDsUZAupilAtc49hyphenhyphenKx5CyVdx63j5M1oq-zF57qXNhdkQBoldTJ658b7uHQT07cvXB69zTLTnSX_Qzfx4aUsGc19q1w8/s1600/Bode-George1-398x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj5CGYa9SspB8hWk26pweEj03lFUndjkq6KwSVWxlM2QpROfgXDsUZAupilAtc49hyphenhyphenKx5CyVdx63j5M1oq-zF57qXNhdkQBoldTJ658b7uHQT07cvXB69zTLTnSX_Qzfx4aUsGc19q1w8/s400/Bode-George1-398x300.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Ex- Peoples Democratic Party Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, has reportedly denied setting his eyes on the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col.Sambo Dasuki, rtd, throughout his tenure in office, let alone collecting money from him.<br /> <br /> In a statement by Prof. Tejumade Akitoye – Rhodes of Lagos Collectives on behalf of George, yesterday, stressed that linking the latter with the collection of cash from the ex-NSA’s office was wrong.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The statement reads, “For the record, Chief Bode George did not collect a farthing from Dasuki or anybody else whatsoever. He has never even set eyes on the former NSA throughout his tenure in office talk less of collecting money from him. Dasuki of course is very much alive to corroborate this position.”<br /> <br /> <br /> George was earlier in the week arrested by security operatives for benefiting from the $2bn loot from the Office of the National Security Adviser. The money in question was meant for the procurement of arms for the Nigerian Armed Forces in its fight against insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country.

Latest-News $2bn arms deal: Bode George denies sharing loots, meeting Dasuki while in office

Ex- Peoples Democratic Party Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, has reportedly denied setting his eyes on the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col.Sambo Dasuki, rtd, throughout his tenure in office, let alone collecting money f…

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Kaduna hunters volunteer to help military in fighting Boko Haram

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgGutXWNQXpCQLaVjON4Fiyza8SzgEeZU0eses7NcDgXk_rgHTbgiXJzJ698W6x6nzfIorTa8qogEDJ51t9aptBAKEODlg4s2_Uxwtbjt0YeUN1P7-vIkUzDyt2dH18WxELf8AWC44mxV/s1600/vigilante+Civilian+JTF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgGutXWNQXpCQLaVjON4Fiyza8SzgEeZU0eses7NcDgXk_rgHTbgiXJzJ698W6x6nzfIorTa8qogEDJ51t9aptBAKEODlg4s2_Uxwtbjt0YeUN1P7-vIkUzDyt2dH18WxELf8AWC44mxV/s640/vigilante+Civilian+JTF.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Inspired by President Muhammadu Buhari’s charge to the military for Boko Haram terrorists to be capitulated by the end of this month, about 100 local hunters from Kaduna State have expressed their resolve to join in the anti-terrorism war in Maiduguri, Borno State.<br /> <br /> Leader of the local hunters, Alhaji Shehu Musa Al-Jan, who made this known to newsmen in Kaduna, disclosed that about 100 local hunters have declared their interest to go to Maiduguri and fight the dreaded Boko Haram, stressing that they are poised to end the activities of the sect by the end of December.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The hunters, who said they were aware of the December deadline given to the military authorities by President Muhammadu Buhari, said, ‘‘we are ready to go and fight the insurgents to a standstill.’’<br /> <br /> <br /> Noting that the fight against the Boko Haram was a call to duty, Al-Jan stated that, ‘‘the military alone cannot end the psychological war. We want to go there and assist them, we are not joking.<br /> <br /> “We have contacted our members across the Northern region and we know who and who are ready. We just want an invitation from the government, and we will land in Maiduguri without delay.<br /> <br /> “We are ashamed of ourselves and in spite of the fact that we have brave and courageous men in the region, we cannot fold our hands and continue to see the senseless killing of our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and wives by these blood thirsty and heartless men (Boko Haram).”<br /> <br /> While expressing optimism that the December deadline to end the insurgency is possible, he stated that, “with serious commitment among the various security agencies and the combined efforts of our members, we shall defeat the insurgents.”<br /> <br /> <br /> Al-jan, who also said his group members were involved in the recent recovering of stolen cows and ammunition at the Kumuku forest in Birnin Gwari, lauded the commitment of the state government under Mallam Nasiru El-rufai, saying the feat could not have been achieved without his support.<br /> <br /> “The state governor, Mallam Nasiru El-rufai has provided all the logistics support necessary to assist the security and our group in bringing the situation to the state in which it is now,” he stated.

Latest-News Kaduna hunters volunteer to help military in fighting Boko Haram

Inspired by President Muhammadu Buhari’s charge to the military for Boko Haram terrorists to be capitulated by the end of this month, about 100 local hunters from Kaduna State have expressed their resolve to join in the anti-terrorism war in Maidugu…

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Buhari’s foreign trips have started yielding fruits – Lai Muhammed

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBSZxGsWH-Tsi8CM1rqMBRtx4PQk3MJe3eR0-P90jrkuqNIcltwVCubdvlHU0C0bJA2IOcBtoTbJafmqaDpCmGKQj0OsUelb4gXha9sn9C4PqVieEOTnBPA8AW0Jm7-KiMSz5PO_nF_46/s1600/Lai-Mohammed-ne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBSZxGsWH-Tsi8CM1rqMBRtx4PQk3MJe3eR0-P90jrkuqNIcltwVCubdvlHU0C0bJA2IOcBtoTbJafmqaDpCmGKQj0OsUelb4gXha9sn9C4PqVieEOTnBPA8AW0Jm7-KiMSz5PO_nF_46/s640/Lai-Mohammed-ne.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips since he assumed office were critical to the implementation of his administration key policies of enhancing security, jump-starting the economy, creating jobs and<br /> fighting corruption.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Muhammed said this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.<br /> <br /> He argued against the position of some individuals who believe that the President was merely wasting the nation’s time and money on his frequent trips abroad.<br /> <br /> <br /> According to the minister, the trips have been anything but frivolous, and that they have started yielding fruits in terms of turning the tide in the fight against the insurgents who have been most active in the North-east, attracting investments in the range of billions of dollars, and securing global<br /> support for the administration’s anti-corruption fight.<br /> <br /> ”Nigerians, whether in the ruling or the opposition parties, have a right to ask questions about the activities of their President, but it is absolutely important that they do so from an informed, rather than partisan or sensational, standpoint,” he said.<br /> <br /> The Minister explained that most of the President’s trips – to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries of Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, as well as to Germany, the US, France and the UN – were devoted to rallying regional and global support for the war against terrorism.<br /> <br /> ”He was in Germany at the invitation of the G7 to solicit support from the Industrialized Nations for the war against terrorism. No one who has witnessed the killings and maiming in the past seven years by Boko Haram will call such trips frivolous. After all, the security and welfare of the citizens are the reason for the existence of any government.<br /> <br /> <br /> ”The President’s visit to South Africa was to attend the regular summit of the African Union; the trip to Ghana was aimed at fostering better relations with a brotherly country; the trip to India was for the India-Africa summit that provided the opportunity to explore ways of enhancing Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from Indian investors, while the trip to Iran was to attend the forum of Gas Exporting Countries, a veritable platform for discussing how to better harness Nigeria’s abundant gas resources for industrial/domestic consumption and export, at a time of dwindling oil prices.<br /> <br /> ”The President also travelled to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, from where he travelled to Paris for the UN Conference on Climate Change. The President’s second trip to South Africa since assuming office is for the China-Africa forum. On the few<br /> occasions that the President has embarked on a State Visit, he has tied that to an agenda that will further the quest for support for the war against terror and the efforts to enhance FDIs, thus stimulating economic growth and creating jobs,” the Minister said.<br /> <br /> He said that apart from rallying global support for the country’s wars on terror and graft or seeking foreign investments, it is important that Nigeria leverages on President Buhari’s brand, a high integrity quotient and an embodiment of committed and dedicated leadership, to further Nigeria’s relevance and visibility on the global stage.<br /> <br /> ”President Buhari is well respected on the global stage for his high integrity, his transparency, his patriotism and his purposeful leadership. It is important to leverage this respect in such a way that Nigeria can become a major player, either in the realms of economy or global diplomacy,” the Minister said.<br /> <br /> He said the President had embarked on the trips under a very stringent budget, cutting his delegations to numbers far below what his predecessors used to travel with, while even the trimmed entourage had received reduced allowances on the occasions that the host governments<br /> have provided accommodation and feeding.

Latest-News Buhari’s foreign trips have started yielding fruits – Lai Muhammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips since he assumed office were critical to the implementation of his administration key policies of enhancing security, jump-startin…

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MTN begs Nigeria to further reduce fine

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4Zg7aiO7yLBj5ZtAF5c9qtn2cfnXte7voIdWP9gnpXDFCPugqVISDW1UG4G3K4_u4ZehCDkgFZbBFLjWT71msQQvCIVITMAzQqxOSPK6zeRDeuvwWIff7K4supLk54NAxHiQpsqLSSwh/s1600/mtn+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4Zg7aiO7yLBj5ZtAF5c9qtn2cfnXte7voIdWP9gnpXDFCPugqVISDW1UG4G3K4_u4ZehCDkgFZbBFLjWT71msQQvCIVITMAzQqxOSPK6zeRDeuvwWIff7K4supLk54NAxHiQpsqLSSwh/s640/mtn+logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Telecommunications giant, MTN, is seeking a further reduction in the fine slammed on it by the Nigerian government.<br /> <br /> MTN had been fined $5.2bn by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers from its network.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> However, Nigerian authorities had slashed the fine by 30 percent to $3.2bn and gave the South African company Dec. 31 to pay up.<br /> <br /> <br /> It was gathered that the decision to reduce the fine was taken by President Buhari’s office, which passed on the information to the NCC on Wednesday.<br /> <br /> However, Reuters reports that management of the troubled company is still pleading with the Nigerian government to further reduce the fine.<br /> <br /> But the reduced fine, if enforced, is still more than two times MTN’s average yearly capital expenditure of about $1.5 billion over the last five years and can still cause a lot of trouble for the company.

Latest-News MTN begs Nigeria to further reduce fine

Telecommunications giant, MTN, is seeking a further reduction in the fine slammed on it by the Nigerian government. MTN had been fined $5.2bn by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers from its…

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Nigeria gives MTN December 31 deadline to pay N674 Billion fine

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rh4P4STHd3fY8dMbODz6WMTIuyUbH7HGwf566Y_rW4G5VGcos7sRyW9kKvbFNYgFcnHlm-H-N83fxOigkW2GI3G87c8hUYBFDVA9omx-QrUn1tyYTPaueRBn9wt9aNQi5vINA3gwFy4K/s1600/mtn+f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rh4P4STHd3fY8dMbODz6WMTIuyUbH7HGwf566Y_rW4G5VGcos7sRyW9kKvbFNYgFcnHlm-H-N83fxOigkW2GI3G87c8hUYBFDVA9omx-QrUn1tyYTPaueRBn9wt9aNQi5vINA3gwFy4K/s640/mtn+f.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has reduced the N1.04 trillion fine it imposed on MTN Nigeria to N674 billion.</b><br /> <br /> However, the commission has also mandated the telecom operator to pay the fine on or before December 31, 2015.<br /> <br /> The fine imposed on the telecom operator was due to what NCC described as MTN’s inability to disconnect about 5.1 million Nigerian subscribers improperly registered on its network, after several warnings in August and September 2015.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> In reaction, MTN has said it would carefully study the new development and would mandate its Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko, to immediately and urgently re-engage with the Nigerian authorities before responding formally.<br /> <br /> The reduction, which represents a 25 per cent slash, provides MTN with a reprieve, after series of meetings which have seen several officials from South Africa thronging the country to negotiate the fine.<br /> <br /> However, the reprieve did not come without costs as about three of the company’s top and finest management officials, including two Nigerians, Messrs Michael Ikpoki and Akinwale Goodluck, have been relieved of their duties following a management shake up as a result of the controversial fine.<br /> <br /> While Ikpoki was MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Goodluck was Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, until yesterday when MTN Group suddenly announced their resignation.<br /> <br /> In their stead, Ferdi Moolman and Amina Oyagbola take positions as CEO and Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, respectively.<br /> <br /> Earlier, the Group CEO of MTN, Mr Sifiso Dabengwa, had resigned in likewise manner, when the pressure of the fine began to build hard on the company.<br /> <br /> Acting Group CEO, Phuthuma Nhleko, said the shake up at MTN will strengthen leadership and improve operational oversight, as well as engender robust risk mitigation.<br /> <br /> According to him, “this revised structure and strengthened leadership will improve operational oversight and increase management capacity. This will enable MTN to continue to realise its strategy and vision, while also ensuring we achieve high governance standards and robust risk mitigation.”<br /> <br /> Informing its shareholders of the development, yesterday, MTN said after further engagements with the Nigerian authorities, it has received a formal letter dated December 2, 2015 from the NCC informing the company that, after considering the company’s request, it has taken the decision to reduce the fine on the MTN Nigerian business from the original N1,040,000,000,000 to N674 billion which has to be paid by December 31, 2015.<br /> <br /> However, “the company is carefully considering the NCC’s reply, and the Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko, will immediately and urgently re-engage with the Nigerian authorities before responding formally, as it is essential for the company to follow due process to ensure the best outcome for the company, its stakeholders and the Nigerian authorities and accordingly all factors having a bearing on the situation will be thoroughly and carefully considered before the company arrives at a final decision.”<br /> <br /> Shake up/new operating structure<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, the company also used the opportunity to announce a shake up in its management level and introduced new operating structure.<br /> <br /> The new structure will see three regions, South and East Africa, SEA, West and Central Africa, WECA and Middle East and North Africa, MENA.<br /> <br /> The group said the review was with a view to strengthening operational oversight, leadership, governance and regulatory compliance across its 22 country operations in Africa and the Middle East.<br /> <br /> It announced that “effective December 1, 2015, Ms Jyoti Desai assumed the new position of Group Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to the Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko.

Latest-News Nigeria gives MTN December 31 deadline to pay N674 Billion fine

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has reduced the N1.04 trillion fine it imposed on MTN Nigeria to N674 billion. However, the commission has also mandated the telecom operator to pay the fine on or before December 31, 2015. The fine impos…

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Saraki promotes Special Adviser on Intra-Parliamentary Affairs

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyvBC4Tfcns7tfyu-aGERPt6-M2q3rUtraZyi2NxdlPg-ieiQTmRXq01j5DJCzhZyQlWzGRcC0W0k-MyofyoCiMdyV1vsIe-916dhflJy53S_735iHKTEhXJsfXYoveXCCJWARQnt40cM/s1600/Bukola-Saraki1+nigerianeye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyvBC4Tfcns7tfyu-aGERPt6-M2q3rUtraZyi2NxdlPg-ieiQTmRXq01j5DJCzhZyQlWzGRcC0W0k-MyofyoCiMdyV1vsIe-916dhflJy53S_735iHKTEhXJsfXYoveXCCJWARQnt40cM/s640/Bukola-Saraki1+nigerianeye.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has promoted his Special Adviser on intra-parliamentary affairs, Hon. Moshood Mustapha.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> In a letter addressed to the honorable member who represented Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency in the House of Reps, in the 7th Assembly, the Senate President added to Mr. Moshood, the position of his Special Adviser on Special Duties.<br /> <br /> The letter dated 2nd December 2015, said Hon. Moshood’s new office will cover special assignments as designated by the Senate President, protocol and the general itinerary of the Senate President.<br /> <br /> Saraki stressed that he had all belief that Hon. Moshood will carry out the duties of his new office with passion and commitment, to the overall success of the office of the Senate President.<br /> <br /> Hon. Moshood who was Vice-Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Upstream, was made SA Intra-Parliamentary Affairs a few months ago, a post which has been attributed to his Midas touch displayed in his ability to network well with honorable members and Senators.

Latest-News Saraki promotes Special Adviser on Intra-Parliamentary Affairs

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has promoted his Special Adviser on intra-parliamentary affairs, Hon. Moshood Mustapha. In a letter addressed to the honorable member who represented Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency in the House of Reps, in th…

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VIDEO: TB Joshua heals snake man

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB6LapWyY6B_8jsRb2xxudJ7ewMdKIiDvQy_Lfn6S3ubMiqbial04UD8vT1QfezvSLuXEBugwPmZVH73l1h9hkICkepCZKWeYYeeochwA3zCda0Kw81aJhA_2SdCa33iOrtH4bXFpT89c/s400/Snake-Man-Screenshot.png" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua has released a controversial YouTube video purportedly showing the healing of a man with horrific snake-like scales across his body.<br /> <br /> Video below...<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RbZs-7F4B2w" width="640"></iframe><br /> <br /> The clip titled, ‘A Video You Will NEVER FORGET’ shows Mr Jude Oraka from Anambra State, Nigeria, receiving prayer from the popular cleric during a prayer service at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos.<br /> <br /> Oraka, a driver by profession, claimed he fell victim to a strange skin disease six years ago which "defied medical comprehension".<br /> <br /> Jude’s sister described him as a "walking corpse" whom the family had given up on.<br /> <br /> However, several months after receiving prayer, Oraka returned with smooth skin to testify that "he was healed by Jesus Christ through T.B. Joshua".<br /> <br /> The clip has already racked up over 100,000 views since its release and attracted hundreds of comments from both skeptics and believers alike.<br /> <br /> Joshua is not a stranger to controversy, making headlines this week for not showing up at a court case surrounding the deadly collapse of a building within his church premises last year.<br /> <br /> Emmanuel TV, which debuted on DStv and GOtv last month, is one of the most popular Christian television stations in Africa.<br /> <br /> It’s YouTube channel has over 265,000 subscribers, making it among the most subscribed Christian channels worldwide.

Latest-News VIDEO: TB Joshua heals snake man

Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua has released a controversial YouTube video purportedly showing the healing of a man with horrific snake-like scales across his body. Video below... The clip titled, ‘A Video You Will NEVER FORGET’ shows Mr Jude Oraka from…

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Supreme Court convicts Oscar Pistorius of murder

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUT1BGYiZuxtxRHDERfSOMvpj-M186W-tUHL9n1IpUL8UrNDWLbNYUxcYeVH5Bos3ATK5rWpMiJntLtwy_ctVIBsohORu8xBRQ0h1MyJI6rm-ZlqOGX7dUuQ0ayOqUxQFjPlMO0Cmn9s2z/s1600/oscar+pistorious.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUT1BGYiZuxtxRHDERfSOMvpj-M186W-tUHL9n1IpUL8UrNDWLbNYUxcYeVH5Bos3ATK5rWpMiJntLtwy_ctVIBsohORu8xBRQ0h1MyJI6rm-ZlqOGX7dUuQ0ayOqUxQFjPlMO0Cmn9s2z/s640/oscar+pistorious.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder after a South African appeals court overturned an earlier manslaughter verdict.<br /> <br /> He killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013 after shooting her four times through a locked toilet door.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> He is currently under house arrest after spending one year of his original five-year sentence in jail.<br /> Pistorius will have to return to court to be re-sentenced, for murder.<br /> <br /> It was earlier incorrectly reported that the court had ruled the manslaughter verdict would remain.<br /> South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the rule of dolus eventualis – whether Pistorius knew that a death would be a likely result of his actions.<br /> The minimum sentence for murder is 15 years but judges can apply some discretion.<br /> <br /> South African law does not make provision for someone to be placed under house arrest for more than five years, so Pistorius will be going back to prison, reports the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg.<br /> <br /> Reading the ruling reached by a panel of five judges, Justice Lorimer Leach said that having armed himself with a high-calibre weapon, Pistorius must have foreseen that whoever was behind the door might die.<br /> <br /> Pistorius always maintained that he believed that there was an intruder in the house but the judge said that the identity of the person behind the door was irrelevant.<br /> <br /> Justice Leach compared it to someone setting off a bomb in a public place not knowing who the victims might be.<br /> <br /> Ms Steenkamp’s mother, June, was present but Pistorius did not attend the hearing in Bloemfontein.<br /> The double amputee was released from prison on 19 October. Under South African law, he was eligible for release under “correctional supervision”, having served a sixth of his sentence.<br /> <br /> Pistorius can challenge the ruling in the constitutional court but only if his lawyers can argue that his constitutional rights have been violated.<br /> <br /> Legal expert Mannie Witz told the BBC that there do not appear to be any grounds for such an appeal.

Latest-News Supreme Court convicts Oscar Pistorius of murder

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder after a South African appeals court overturned an earlier manslaughter verdict. He killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013 after shooting her four times through a locked …

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VIDEO: 'Africa Investigates' exposes Nigeria's baby farmers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ESTUuE4Fh0EL6JvgAB2l-mcM_v3ZPMlJ5SK9mmrvNwSS9hgKAk7ThQ9croX8RL-z0or_9eHhm7tQqllZ0x6n5bckryGxOeRZ-U8NXniEwEL9YSSS0ZKUUdWsbBvViIF2MGYOEjnn21JU/s1600/Africa+Investigates+Nigeria%2527s+Baby+Farmers+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ESTUuE4Fh0EL6JvgAB2l-mcM_v3ZPMlJ5SK9mmrvNwSS9hgKAk7ThQ9croX8RL-z0or_9eHhm7tQqllZ0x6n5bckryGxOeRZ-U8NXniEwEL9YSSS0ZKUUdWsbBvViIF2MGYOEjnn21JU/s640/Africa+Investigates+Nigeria%2527s+Baby+Farmers+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> The third season of Al Jazeera’s award-winning Africa Investigates series continued last night with Nigeria’s Baby Farmers, where journalists Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Rosemary Nwaebuni went undercover to buy a baby in Nigeria.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GIKV0Bk8Fv8" width="640"></iframe><br /> <br /> UNESCO first reported on cases of ‘baby harvesting’ in Nigeria in 2006. “Here, childless marriages are sometimes seen as shameful, or even troubled by witchcraft,” says Anas. “At the same time, single mothers are frowned upon and abortion is illegal. Legal adoption takes a long time, so some couples try a short cut. And some unscrupulous people match the unwanted babies with childless couples for money, against the law.”<br /> <br /> Anas and Nwaebuni pose as a couple who have been unable to have a child in 12 years of marriage, and who are now being pressured to divorce by his parents.<br /> <br /> Equipped with a secret camera, they visit private clinics and orphanages to find out how easy it is to buy a child illegally, with no questions asked.<br /> <br /> They are offered a baby at Destiny’s Child orphanage in Ulakwo by Ada Ezeoyi, for $4 000 for a girl or $5000 for a male child.<br /> <br /> They are also offered a baby by Basic Clinic and Maternity Home in Imo State, owned by Doctor Ohaeri. They are asked for a similar figure.<br /> <br /> They also expose unethical medical practise by Akinbode Damilola, a so-called miracle doctor who operates from a pharmacy in Delta State offering bogus fertility treatments.<br /> <br /> “We were not able to care for a stranger’s child ourselves, so we backed out of the deal,” says Anas. “Our investigation has shone a light on parts of a sinister network. It involves genuine doctors and cynical staff in orphanages, who will sell vulnerable children to the highest payer. We have passed our evidence on to the authorities so that justice can prevail.”<br /> <br /> Africa Investigates is a groundbreaking Al Jazeera series that gives some of Africa’s best journalists the opportunity to pursue high-level investigative targets across the continent - using their unique perspective and local knowledge to put corruption, exploitation and abuse under the spotlight. Previous documentaries in the series have won One World Media and Mohamed Amin Africa Media awards.<br /> <br /> Nigeria’s Baby Farmers repeats on Al Jazeera English on 4 December 2015 at 04:30, 5 December at 17:30, and 6 December at 06:30 CAT.

Latest-News VIDEO: 'Africa Investigates' exposes Nigeria's baby farmers

The third season of Al Jazeera’s award-winning Africa Investigates series continued last night with Nigeria’s Baby Farmers, where journalists Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Rosemary Nwaebuni went undercover to buy a baby in Nigeria. UNESCO first reported on…

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INEC office burnt down ahead of Kogi Supplementary Poll

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy4rlJkZ3GT04j5P61lzQHAK_9JlbqxV-r0xxa6ayrdFDJfJw9Y0goKISJVanHrnjblFptMC9YW7QlIa71CCRyByjz8zQl8K-HBA9ZEsuYDuEur4xni_76xpoz_sJypIhB1QEpdfNmJL7/s1600/Kogi_State+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy4rlJkZ3GT04j5P61lzQHAK_9JlbqxV-r0xxa6ayrdFDJfJw9Y0goKISJVanHrnjblFptMC9YW7QlIa71CCRyByjz8zQl8K-HBA9ZEsuYDuEur4xni_76xpoz_sJypIhB1QEpdfNmJL7/s640/Kogi_State+map.png" width="640" /></a></div> <b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>With just few hours to tomorrow’s supplementary poll in some polling units in Kogi State, unknown arsonists have torched the Dekina Local Government Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission.</b><br /> <br /> Security operatives are looking for clues to why the office was razed and the people responsible for the arson.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> While many people believe it was aimed at frustrating the supplementary election slated for tomorrow, others said it may have been as a result of indiscriminate bush burning by some youths on hunting expedition.<br /> <br /> It would be recalled that protests rocked the the Eastern part of the state over the death of Prince Abubakar Audu and the decision of the of the leading party in the election, APC to replace the late Audu with Alhaji Yahaya Bello from Kogi Central.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, the governor of the state, Capt. Idris Ichala Wada has called on the citizens of the state to ensure maintenance of law and order, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja is poised to deliver judgement on the Kogi political impasse today.<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilbb_h1WP4xqeFOrFpXJpTo1dN4vy_GmNEV1cZUApWUZ_697PKAAuHBC-X2Pr0rn9zUnAYUse4tep05QdvEpmXt4sTbgvnqzjXqDIh_CxLxIjoLyrF4LYoRmh1qzhkZ3d2bDzyApWELKv/s1600/Idris-Wada+kogi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilbb_h1WP4xqeFOrFpXJpTo1dN4vy_GmNEV1cZUApWUZ_697PKAAuHBC-X2Pr0rn9zUnAYUse4tep05QdvEpmXt4sTbgvnqzjXqDIh_CxLxIjoLyrF4LYoRmh1qzhkZ3d2bDzyApWELKv/s320/Idris-Wada+kogi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor Wada</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br /> In a statewide broadcast to the people of the state, the governor asked the people of the state to refrain from taking laws in their hands, saying law enforcement agents will not hesitate to deal with trouble perpetrators.<br /> <br /> “You will recall that shortly before the polls, I made a broadcast in which I encouraged all our people to perform their civic responsibilities and vote the candidate of their choice. I urged you all to be of peaceful conduct during and after the Governorship elections.<br /> <br /> “As fate will have it, on the night of Sunday, November 22nd, I had to make another broadcast on the very sad and sudden demise of a former Governor of our state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu. May his Soul rest in Peace.<br /> <br /> “Understandably, the unfortunate event of his loss and the declaration of the governorship election as inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has thrown our state into deep uncertainties and apprehensions.<br /> <br /> ” To enable it complete the process, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ordered for a supplementary poll in 91 polling units across 18 Local Government Areas of the state. The events of the last one week have therefore combined to put our state on the edge. Indeed, these are trying times for democracy in our state and country.<br /> <br /> “However, we must never loose track of the fact that we are all brothers and sisters, hence, the need to preserve the peace for which our people have been known over the years.<br /> <br /> “My administration believes in the rule of law and the ability of the judiciary to do justice. I have therefore approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the resolution of the present stalemate. Judgment is expected to be delivered by the Court on Friday, 4th December, 2015.<br /> <br /> “The Nigerian judiciary has shown itself as the last hope of the common man. I therefore urge you all, to remain calm, orderly and law abiding as we await the decision of the Court. All our people across party lines and Senatorial Zones must remain peaceful. Nobody should contemplate taking the laws into their hands.<br /> <br /> “The Security Agencies will not hesitate to deal with anyone or group who may attempt any actions that may breach the peace and security of our state.<br /> <br /> “At the end of the day, I have no doubt that the current Kogi experience will enhance jurisprudence and democracy in Nigeria”.

Latest-News INEC office burnt down ahead of Kogi Supplementary Poll

With just few hours to tomorrow’s supplementary poll in some polling units in Kogi State, unknown arsonists have torched the Dekina Local Government Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Security operatives are looking for clues t…

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IPOB releases names of the victims shot death in Onitsha pro-Biafra protest, blames APC

<br /> <br /> The IPOB spokesman has released the names of some of the IPOB members that were shot dead, Wednesday, morning as Chima Onoh, from Enugu state, Kenneth Ogadinma from Abia State, Angus Chikwado and Felicia Egwuatu from Anambra State, including another, he said they got information was killed in Idemili side of Anambra State late Wednesday evening.<br /> <br /> He also said that the JTF killed a young lady that was later identified as Nkiruka and tried to take her corpse away.<br /> <br /> An eye witness, who took some photographs told newsmen that he was in his office watching as JTF men were shooting sporadically at Obodoukwu Road by Nigerian Customs Service Onitsha.<br /> <br /> He said Nkiruka is from Adazi Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, a 200 level student of Federal College of Education Technical, Umunze and the only daughter of the family.<br /> <br /> “Nkiruka was coming from Nigerian Customs Service by Asaba Onitsha Enugu expressway towards Obodoukwu Road and on hearing gun-shots, she ran into a restaurant and one of the JTF members shot her dead and was about taking her corpse away when her family came with an ambulance and spoke with the JTF men who later released the corpse to them.”<br /> <br /> However, the police from Anambra State had denied any killing by the JTF through the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Ali Okechukwu.<br /> <br /> IPOB, over continued incarceration of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu which led to the alleged killing of its members by members of Joint Military Task Force, markets, banks and schools in Onitsha and its environs remained closed, yesterday, in apparent solidarity with the protesters.<br /> <br /> The Building Materials International Market at Ogidi, near Onitsha, New Auto Spare Parts market at Nkpor and other major markets remained closed, just as banks and schools remained under lock and key.<br /> <br /> A detachment of stern-looking soldiers and mobile policemen were seen in their numbers standing on the roads and stopping all vehicles, a situation which led to a traffic gridlock from the former toll gate at Ogbunike to Bridge-head end of the Enugu/Awka/Onitsha express way.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society groups had called for immediate resignation of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Solomon Arase for his alleged shoot-at-sight order and roles in the Onitsha killings of protesting IPOB members.<br /> <br /> In a press statement released, yesterday, and signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, the coordinating principal of the coalition said it was equally important to inform that the Nigeria Police Force under Arase was already under the jurisdictional watch of the International Criminal Court as compilation and computation of cases of all police and military related extra judicial killings in the country were steadily in progress, adding, “for failing to heed our warning of 13th November 2015, we will be glad to ensure that IGP Arase and his named sub-commanders are handcuffed and flown to The Hague for the purpose of making them face international trial for crimes against humanity.”<br /> <br /> According to the coalition: “We call on the IPOB and its teeming followers to remain peaceful, non- violent and law-abiding at all times, not minding the violence recently visited and unleashed on them.<br /> <br /> “They must also watch their back and be extremely vigilant so as to ward off sustained efforts of some commissioned elements within the Federal Government, particularly its security establishments and stooges within the South East Governors Forum to implant elements of violence into their fold so as to destroy their globally -approved method of non- violence and peaceful means of agitation.<br /> <br /> <b>IPOB blames APC</b><br /> <br /> Still wallowing in the confusion that followed the killing of nine of its members, Wednesday, in Onitsha, the IPOB, also yesterday alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was behind the crisis that led to shooting to death of nine people and injuring of over 18 people that sustained various degrees of injuries at the Niger Bridge Head Onitsha and other parts of Onitsha and its environs.<br /> <br /> Spokesman of IPOB in Anambra State, Mr. Emma Powerful disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Onitsha, saying that it was a calculated plan by the APC government in the country which became unsettled with their peaceful and non- violent protests in South East, and had been looking for a way to provoke violence in their protests to justify the continued detention and incarceration of their leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

Latest-News IPOB releases names of the victims shot death in Onitsha pro-Biafra protest, blames APC

The IPOB spokesman has released the names of some of the IPOB members that were shot dead, Wednesday, morning as Chima Onoh, from Enugu state, Kenneth Ogadinma from Abia State, Angus Chikwado and Felicia Egwuatu from Anambra State, including another…

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$2bn arms deal fraud: EFCC uncovers another N600m scam

<br /> <br /> The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, yesterday, continued its arrest of high profile politicians and top military officers over the $2bn arms contract allegedly disbursed by the Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA.<br /> <br /> Suspects arrested, yesterday, included the former Chairman of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Marine Safety, Air Vice Marshal Salihu Atawodi.<br /> <br /> Atawodi was accused of alleged diversion of N600 million meant for acquisition of military boats for the use of the Nigerian armed forces.<br /> <br /> Others who are already being detained in connection with the arms deal include former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa and former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda.<br /> <br /> Chief Dokpesi reportedly told EFCC interrogators that the N2.1bn he collected from the NSA was meant for election publicity in media houses across the country, a disclosure strongly discountenanced by media operatives yesterday.<br /> <br /> Atawodi was said to have awarded the contract for the boats and fully paid for them while none was supplied at the end of the day, thereby making Nigeria lose the funds.<br /> <br /> According to a competent source in the EFCC, Atawodi, who recently retired from the Air Force, was arrested Wednesday and taken into EFCC custody for questioning.<br /> <br /> The former fighter pilot, the source claimed, is likely to be charged with conspiracy, abuse of public office and misappropriation of public funds.<br /> <br /> He awarded the contract to one Alhaji Rabiu’s Hypertech Nigeria Limited. The contractor was fully paid but the boats were never supplied.<br /> <br /> The source further disclosed that the contract award process violated the Procurement Act.<br /> <br /> AVM Atawodi who has been on the radar of the anti-graft agency since 2013, was quizzed for several hours on Wednesday, December 2, 2015, after he responded to the invitation extended to him. He arrived EFCC headquarters at about 11am.<br /> <br /> EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren confirmed Atawodi’s presence at the Commission, adding that he is assisting the investigation.<br /> <br /> At press time, the retired Air Force officer was still with operatives of the commission.<br /> <br /> His arrest added to the increasing number of high profile Nigerian politicians and top military officers implicated in the diversion of defence budget, which the Buhari administration has sworn to unearth and punish.

Latest-News $2bn arms deal fraud: EFCC uncovers another N600m scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, yesterday, continued its arrest of high profile politicians and top military officers over the $2bn arms contract allegedly disbursed by the Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA. Suspects arrested, …

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Reasons why we must cut N18, 000 minimum wage or sack workers — Nigerian Governors

<br /> Nigerian governors will eventually reduce the federal minimum wage of N18,000 or downsize because of the current economic crunch, the chairman of the body of governors has said.<br /> <br /> The chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Zamfara state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, said on Thursday that irrespective of public condemnations of the plan, it would not be economically feasible to retain the same workforce and pay same amount of money.<br /> <br /> According to him, funds allocated from the Federation Account could no longer sustain the expenses of the state as the internally generated revenue was still below par in some states.<br /> <br /> Governors had two weeks ago declared that they could no longer cope with the N18, 000 minimum wage. The pronouncement caused a stir as Nigerians kicked against it.<br /> <br /> The governors of Rivers and Edo rejected the plan.<br /> <br /> Emerging from a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House Abuja, on Thursday, Mr. Yari said the governors were considering the nation’s economic situation.<br /> <br /> “Let me make it very clear to Nigerians, governor’s forum is not the enemy of labour in any way. Rather, we have been working together. But what we are saying, (because not only Gov. Wike but also my friend in the comradeship, Adams Oshiomhole, kicked against the decision)…<br /> <br /> “What we said is that when the National Assembly enacted the law of paying N18, 000 minimum wage, then the oil was about $118 per barrel and today where we are oil is $41 per barrel.<br /> <br /> “So, if it continues like that definitely we will find it difficult to continue. We have to sit down with the labour and see how we can review; either continue or downsizing, or see what we are going to do.<br /> <br /> “We want to find a solution because we have to be realistic that we have so many things to touch. There is infrastructure deficit, there is need for security, there are other things like social lives of our people and nation as a state,” he said.<br /> <br /> The governor said from the federation account, some states received N400 million, N500 million while others received N55 million.<br /> <br /> “And there are other issues, not even the salary, their pension is over a billion. So, how can we continue borrowing and servicing the service aspect of our expenditure, or overhead. How can we do that?<br /> <br /> “We are telling the public that we are planning to sit down with the president and his team and the state governors as a team and the experts to come out with the way forward and how we are going to handle the poor state of the economy in the country.<br /> <br /> “But what we have on ground now will not be realistic if it continues the way it is without having other sources from the economy and still relying on oil that is being sold for $118 dollar per barrel and now down to $41 and think that we can continue behaving or misbehaving the way we are doing, if there is anything like that,” he added.

Latest-News Reasons why we must cut N18, 000 minimum wage or sack workers — Nigerian Governors

Nigerian governors will eventually reduce the federal minimum wage of N18,000 or downsize because of the current economic crunch, the chairman of the body of governors has said. The chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Zamfara state governor…

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Fayose’s claim to budget transparency fraudulent —Ekiti APC

<br /> <br /> The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State has reacted to the press statement by Governor Ayodele Fayose’s media aide, Idowu Adelusi, claiming credit for Governor Fayose for the budget transparency award by the Civil Resource Development Documentation Centre, CIRDDOC, a civil society organisation that tracks budget planning and implementation among state governments across the nation last year.<br /> <br /> Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement that it was regrettable that Governor Fayose was fraudulently laying claim to the feat achieved by his predecessor, former Governor Kayode Fayemi.<br /> <br /> He said Fayose was abusing the tenet of what CIRDDOC sought to achieve in its transparency test, noting that what the governor did was nothing but a fraud on the organisation and Nigerians in general.<br /> <br /> He said: “We are shocked that Fayose has taken his fraudulent practice beyond the corners of his government to defraud other organisations carrying out what would have helped to check fraud in the country.<br /> <br /> “Let us thank God that CIRDDOC stated clearly in its report that it obtained its data between July and December 2014. The result was the outcome of budget planning and implementation for 2014. Fayose did not prepare that budget.<br /> <br /> “The budget for the period between July and December 2014 was prepared by Fayemi who ran the budget from January till October 2014 before Fayose took over as governor.<br /> <br /> “Fayemi visited all the 177 towns and villages in 2013 to seek people’s inputs into the 2014 budget. It was the people who chose the projects they wanted in the budget and Fayemi did it faithfully. The result is what CIRDDOC released to the public praising Ekiti State for budget transparency and we wonder why a man noted for direct opposite of what Fayemi is noted for is now the one claiming credit for Fayemi’s achievement.”<br /> <br /> He expressed surprise at the eulogy of Fayose by Chief Afe Babalola, saying he expected the respected elder statesman to give honour to whom it is due instead of endorsing a behaviour that was clearly a fraud.<br /> <br /> Wants AGF, to prosecute Ekiti poll fraud<br /> <br /> Also, the APC in Ekiti State has called on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to prosecute suspects in the June 21, 2014 governorship election fraud in Ekiti State as captured in an audio tape secretly recorded by Captain Sagir Koli.<br /> <br /> The party stated that its latest action was informed by failure of the office of the Minister of Justice to act on its earlier petition of February 13, 2015 demanding probe into the audio tape detailing acts of treason by some PDP leaders in collaboration with some military officers to cause a change of government in Ekit State through means other than as prescribed by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

Latest-News Fayose’s claim to budget transparency fraudulent —Ekiti APC

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State has reacted to the press statement by Governor Ayodele Fayose’s media aide, Idowu Adelusi, claiming credit for Governor Fayose for the budget transparency award by the Civil Resource Development Doc…

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Army expresses worry over kidnap cases in Rivers

<br /> <br /> The Nigerian Army has described the spate of kidnapping in Rivers State as alarming.<br /> <br /> Brigade Commander 2 Brigade and Commander, Sector II of the Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, Brigadier General Stephenson Olabanji, who spoke yesterday at a luncheon for media men at 2 Brigade Headquarters, Port Harcourt, said that National Youth Service Corps members have become the most vulnerable group in the state.<br /> <br /> He said that the state governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, was driving the process to redress the issue, adding that all hands should be on deck in the renewed effort to rid the state of the challenge.<br /> <br /> “Kidnapping is the biggest challenge we are facing in Port Harcourt. We have observed that those behind it are mostly cultists. We are doing our best to tackle this problem. The governor is also spearheading the anti-kidnap crusade. Efforts are on to tackle the problem,” he said.<br /> <br /> The Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Olabanji, solicited the support of the media and communities in the state.<br /> “Communities should do more to help security operatives achieve results. I understand that kidnappers have coerced the people not to talk.<br /> <br /> Victims of kidnap do not talk after their release. When you want to debrief a released hostage, you see that he or she does not come up with much information,” he said.<br /> <br /> He said his men had burst several kidnap groups in the state even as he appealed for useful information from the public.<br /> <br /> He assured that security operatives will conceal identifies of those who disclose information to aid the anti-kidnap crusade in the state.

Latest-News Army expresses worry over kidnap cases in Rivers

The Nigerian Army has described the spate of kidnapping in Rivers State as alarming. Brigade Commander 2 Brigade and Commander, Sector II of the Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, Brigadier General Stephenson Olabanji, who spoke yesterday at a…

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Bayelsa poll: Security beef up in Yenagoa

<br /> <br /> Security has been beefed up in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and its environs as tension mounts ahead of tomorrow’s governorship election in the state.<br /> <br /> Part of the 14,000 policemen deployed in the state, drawn from 10 commands across the country, have started arriving.<br /> <br /> They are to be backed by three aerial surveillance helicopters for operational efficiency.<br /> <br /> This is beside the nine gunboats to be deployed in the waterways by the Joint Task Force code named Operation Pulo Shield to police the rivers and creeks during the election.<br /> <br /> Also, security operatives have been drafted to protect the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at the Swali suburb of the state capital.<br /> <br /> Security operatives were also sighted along the road leading to the commission’s office conducting stop and search on vehicles heading and coming out of the area.

Latest-News Bayelsa poll: Security beef up in Yenagoa

Security has been beefed up in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and its environs as tension mounts ahead of tomorrow’s governorship election in the state. Part of the 14,000 policemen deployed in the state, drawn from 10 commands across the country, have sta…

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Obafemi Awolowo university bans student union government

<br /> The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has banned the institution’s students union government till further notice.<br /> <br /> This is coming after the management had earlier announced that all students should proceed on a mid-semester break, but was resisted by the union’s leadership.<br /> <br /> According to a statement on Thursday issued by the university’s Registrar, Mr. D.A Awoyemi, some students were planning to cause trouble in the institution and so the activities of the union has been suspended till further notice.<br /> <br /> “The activities of the union is hereby suspended till further notice,” the statement said.<br /> <br /> “It has come to our notice that some students are yet to go home, a refusal to comply with these directives shall be regarded as violation of the university rules and regulation in general.”<br /> <br /> Reacting, the secretary General of the students’ union, Oketooto Oluwaseun, said the union would react after a meeting of its leaders.<br /> <br /> “We are in a meeting right now to discuss this latest development , though it is not acceptable,” he said.

Latest-News Obafemi Awolowo university bans student union government

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has banned the institution’s students union government till further notice. This is coming after the management had earlier announced that all students should proceed on a mid-semester break, but was resi…

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Gani Adams slams Senate over bill against social media

<br /> <br /> The National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams has faulted the Senate for seeking to introduce a bill aimed at making it an offence to publish any petition or complaint against a public officer without being supported with a sworn affidavit.<br /> <br /> Reacting to the bill, entitled ‘An act to prohibit frivolous petitions and other matters connected therewith’, Adams said such steps is dangerous for the nation’s nascent democracy.<br /> <br /> He, however, appealed to President Buhari not to bow to pressure from corrupt politicians to sign the bill into law, saying the people of the country are eagerly looking forward to the president’s promise to make democracy stronger.<br /> <br /> Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the OPC boss described the bill as the same with the obnoxious military Decree 4 of 1984, saying the trend is worrisome.<br /> <br /> According to Adams, with the introduction of the bill, the Senate is plotting a coup against the media in order to gag it.<br /> <br /> He said “I see this as a coup against the media, which by extension, is a coup against the people.<br /> <br /> It is disturbing that the same senate that got its mandate from the people is now seeking to gag them. I fear that something terrible is really wrong.<br /> <br /> “In 1984, during the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari, the Decree 4 was introduced and journalists were jailed for doing their job of writing. It is curious that a similar bill is being planned by the senate now that Buhari is a civilian president. The media is the life wire of democracy, and any attempt to gag it spells doom for our nascent democracy.”<br /> <br /> The OPC leader said the introduction of the Freedom of Information (FOI) act was expected to bring sanity into the system, with the belief that public officers would be wary of getting involved in any fraudulent activity, saying the introduction of the new bill may mean a free reign for public officers to deep their hands into the nation’s coffers, knowing that nobody is watching them.<br /> <br /> He said “I am not encouraging people to defame anybody. Rather, I am appealing to media practitioners in the country to do their job with every sense of responsibility and to see themselves as the pillar on which our democracy rests. I also believe that the courts is the last hope of the common man. Therefore, I will advise that instead of seeking to gag the media let anybody who feels defamed by another person approach the court for redress. I think that is a better way of strengthening our democracy.”

Latest-News Gani Adams slams Senate over bill against social media

The National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams has faulted the Senate for seeking to introduce a bill aimed at making it an offence to publish any petition or complaint against a public officer without being support…

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The Experience 2015 holds today

<br /> <br /> The 2015 edition of the annual gospel concert, The Experience, would hold today, with top gospel artiste, Don Moen and other renowned gospel ministers leading over 700,000 people and millions all around the world in praise and worship.<br /> <br /> A statement by the convener, Senior Pastor Pastor Paul Adefarasin of the House On The Rock Church, said the event would be an avenue for people to put aside denomination, tribe, colour and gender in other to praise God.<br /> <br /> Adefarasin is expected to minister alongside other anointed preachers from various denominations worldwide.<br /> <br /> The statement reads: ”Over the past decade, The Experience Lagos has proven to be a time of not just music and fun fare but a gathering of people longing for God, people truly wanting a place where worship is expressed like nothing they see or experience.<br /> <br /> ”It is truly the place where people come together setting aside denomination, tribe, colour, gender in other to praise the one true living God with One Voice and one sound. The Experience Lagos is a concert that brings healing, blessings, deliverance, joy, love, and testimonies.<br /> <br /> ”This year’s concert has a great line-up of artistes with renowned names such as Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Kim Burrell, Jessica Reedy, Sonnie Badu, Chioma Jesus, Nathaniel Bassey, Sammie Okposo, Midnight Crew, Micah Stampley, Frank Edwards, Julius Nglass and the Lagos City Chorale amongst others.”<br /> <br /> It was gathered that no fewer than 700,000 people are expected in this year’s edition, which is the tenth it’s series.‎

Latest-News The Experience 2015 holds today

The 2015 edition of the annual gospel concert, The Experience, would hold today, with top gospel artiste, Don Moen and other renowned gospel ministers leading over 700,000 people and millions all around the world in praise and worship. A statement b…

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No going back on social media censorship bill – Saraki

<br /> <br /> AS criticisms continue to trail the ongoing bill by the Senate to censor social media in the country, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said no amount of attacks arising from it would make the Red Chamber abandon the proposed law.<br /> <br /> Saraki, who acknowledged the roles of the social media in the development of the country’s growing democracy, however, said the Senate would not fold its hand to allowed it abused by some elements.<br /> <br /> Speaking Thursday, when Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West, raised the issue under matters of urgent importance, during the day’s plenary, the Senate President berated activities of some social media platforms, which he said, had published numerous materials to undermine the integrity of the Red Chamber.<br /> <br /> While flaying the criticisms that have greeted the proposed social media censorship bill, Saraki insisted that senators cannot be blackmailed to drop the bill.<br /> <br /> Saraki, while acknowledging the excesses of some of the social media operators, however, acknowledged the existence of freedom of speech in the nation’s law book.<br /> <br /> Even as he advised that the social media should be fair and accurate in their reportage, Saraki said the Senate cannot let `a few bad eggs’ taint the image of the social media.<br /> <br /> “People must be held responsible for their action. I believe what has been raised is important,” Saraki said.

Latest-News No going back on social media censorship bill – Saraki

AS criticisms continue to trail the ongoing bill by the Senate to censor social media in the country, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said no amount of attacks arising from it would make the Red Chamber abandon the proposed law. Saraki, who…

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Fayose suspends SSG over alleged incompetence

<br /> <br /> The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose has suspended the Secretary to the State Governor, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Alade, over alleged incompetence.<br /> <br /> In a statement in Ado Ekiti by Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Idowu Adelusi, said the suspension would last for three months.<br /> <br /> Fayose subsequently directed the State Head of Service , Dr Olugbenga Faseluka to oversee her office pending her resumption.<br /> <br /> Alade was the Treasurer of Ayo Fayose Campaign organization prior to the last governorship poll in Ekiti State before her appointment as the Secretary to the government.<br /> <br /> She retired from the State Civil service as a Permanent Secretary, during which she traversed many Ministries like Education, Local Government Affairs, among others.<br /> <br /> She hails from Ifaki Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the State.

Latest-News Fayose suspends SSG over alleged incompetence

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose has suspended the Secretary to the State Governor, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Alade, over alleged incompetence. In a statement in Ado Ekiti by Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Idowu Adelusi, said the suspens…

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Wife of Ebola survivor, Dr Adejoro delivers a baby girl

<br /> <br /> Barely a month after one of the ebola survivor Ada Igonoh delivered of a baby girl, the wife of Ebola survivor Mrs. Opeyemi Adejoro has been safely delivered of a healthy Ebola-free baby girl at First Consultant Medical Centre, Lagos.<br /> <br /> Ebola pix 2The hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri announced the birth of the baby who was delivered at 7.24pm on 1st December 2015.<br /> <br /> The baby girl, weighing 3kg at birth (its placenta 450g), a product of a term gestation was delivered following strict guidelines and recommendations from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), USA, through the pre-natal and delivery stages.<br /> <br /> It could be recalled that Dr. Adewale Adejoro husband of Mrs. Opeyemi Adejoro contacted ebola virus when he went to set an IV line for Mr. Patrick Sawyer on the night before his death, the patient reached out and shook the doctor’s hand just before the doctor slipped on his gloves. Still, Dr. Adejoro told Dr. Cleary that he could not say for certain whether that slip led to his Ebola infection. Between a week and 10 days later, Dr. Adejoro’s symptoms began.<br /> <br /> Dr. Adejoro found it “very, very difficult” to drink enough ORS to stay hydrated. He was the only one of the six survivors Dr. Cleary interviewed who received IV fluids, which aided his eventual recovery.

Latest-News Wife of Ebola survivor, Dr Adejoro delivers a baby girl

Barely a month after one of the ebola survivor Ada Igonoh delivered of a baby girl, the wife of Ebola survivor Mrs. Opeyemi Adejoro has been safely delivered of a healthy Ebola-free baby girl at First Consultant Medical Centre, Lagos. Ebola pix 2The…

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I didn’t receive a dime from Dasuki - Bafarawa

<br /> <br /> The ongoing investigation into the $2.1 billion arms deal involving a former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki‎ and some of his associates took another twist Thursday, with the former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa exonerating himself of any wrongdoing.<br /> <br /> There has been a chain of revelations as to how the money was dispensed, with the ex-governor’s name featuring prominently as collecting about N4.6 billion for “spiritual purposes”.<br /> <br /> However, an aide of the former governor who served under him as a Special Adviser on Youth and Students Matters, Alhaji Akibu Dalhatu told our correspondent yesterday that his boss has no such financial dealing with the former NSA nor did he collect any money from him for any purpose.<br /> <br /> “The former governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa did not receive any money from Col. Sambo Dasuki for any arms deal or for any purpose” Dalhatu said.<br /> <br /> Dalhatu who said had visited the former governor at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters, added that his boss was never arrested at home or anywhere else as has been alleged in some quarters. He said Mr Bafarawa merely honoured an invitation extended to him by the anti-graft agency.<br /> <br /> “The truth is that Governor Bafarawa went to the EFCC to honour an invitation made to him by the agency while he was abroad. He had informed them through a letter by his lawyers that he was abroad and would honour their invitation on return. Governor Bafarawa went to the office of EFCC with his lawyer and an aide” he said‎<br /> <br /> He was however quick to lament what he described as orchestrated media campaign aimed at tarnishing the image of the former governor noting that it “appears that the media is being used to play out a script that has been written long before now”<br /> <br /> “We have seen deliberate falsehoods published in the newspapers and social media platforms, designed deliberately to tarnish the image and person of Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa. Some of the writers and media outfits have access to Governor Bafarawa and his media advisers. It would appear that the media is being used to play out a script that has been written long before now” he added.

Latest-News I didn’t receive a dime from Dasuki - Bafarawa

The ongoing investigation into the $2.1 billion arms deal involving a former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki‎ and some of his associates took another twist Thursday, with the former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa exone…

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Two FIFA vice presidents arrested

<br /> <br /> Swiss authorities said FIFA Vice Presidents, Juan Angel Napout and Alfredo Hawit were arrested on Thursday in a pre-dawn raid at a Zurich hotel where several others were taken into custody in late May. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), said the arrests were carried out by Swiss authorities in the context of a U.S.-led investigation on charges of racketeering, money laundering and fraud.<br /> <br /> It said that Honduras’ Hawit and Paraguay’s Napout “are opposing their extradition” and Swiss would now request formal extradition requests from the U.S. The FOJ said in an earlier statement that according to the U.S. arrest requests, they are suspected of accepting bribes of millions of dollars.<br /> <br /> “The high-ranking FIFA officials are alleged to have taken the money in return for selling marketing rights in connection with football tournaments in Latin America, as well as World Cup qualifying matches. “According to the arrest requests, some of the offences were agreed and prepared in the U.S. while payments were also processed via US banks’’, it said.<br /> <br /> Police officers entered the posh Baur au Lac hotel through a side entrance at 06:00 local time (0500 GMT) and the detained were taken away in black limousines a few minutes later. FIFA said in a statement it “is aware of the actions taken today by the U.S. Department of Justice.<br /> <br /> FIFA pledged to continue to cooperate fully with the U.S. investigation as permitted by Swiss law, as well as with the investigation being led by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General. “FIFA will have no further comment on today’s developments.” The latest action came during a two-day meeting of the FIFA executive committee, which was completed without Hawit and Napout.<br /> <br /> On May 27, two days before the FIFA Congress, Swiss police arrested seven officials as part of the U.S. probe. They included then vice president Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands and Brazil’s Jose Maria Marin who have since been transferred to the U.S. The other five, Eugenio Figueredo, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas and Rafael Esquivel, opposed their extradition to the U.S. and their appeals against the FOJ’s rulings are pending before the Federal Criminal Court.<br /> <br /> The U.S. probe centres on the TV and marketing rights sales in the Americas and is not directly against FIFA. The Swiss authorities are probing the ruling body in a separate investigation which centres on the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.<br /> <br /> The latter investigation is also directed against FIFA President Joseph Blatter on suspicion of mismanagement and having made a “disloyal payment” to UEFA chief Michel Platini in 2011 for FIFA work done between 1998 and 2002. Blatter and Platini are both suspended over the issue and face sanctions from the ethics committee.<br /> <br /> As a result, neither Blatter nor Platini were able to take part in the executive committee meetings Wednesday and Thursday. Blatter was re-elected as president for a fifth term but said on June 2 he would step down at an extraordinary congress on February 26, when the reform package is also to be approved for good.

Latest-News Two FIFA vice presidents arrested

Swiss authorities said FIFA Vice Presidents, Juan Angel Napout and Alfredo Hawit were arrested on Thursday in a pre-dawn raid at a Zurich hotel where several others were taken into custody in late May. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), said…

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MASSOB dissociates self from Onitsha violence

<br /> The Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Thursday dissociated itself from the violence being perpetrated by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB‎ which has resulted in the killings and destruction of property.<br /> <br /> Speaking to newsmen in Asaba, zonal leader of MASSOB in Delta North, Mr Chinedu Amaifeobu, said MASSOB was not a violent group and condemned the acts of violence being perpetrated by the IPOB.<br /> <br /> Amaifeobu said: “MASSOB is not in support of the killings and destruction of property. We are not against any group in Iboland but not to the extent of killing ‎innocent people and destroying property. ”<br /> <br /> Disclosing that there was no faction in MASSOB as allegedly being speculated by one Uchena Nmadu, he said Mr Raphael Nwazilike remain the founder and leader of the group worldwide.<br /> <br /> Alleging that the said Uchena Nmadu was sacked from MASSOB since last year for misconduct, he alleged IPOB and Uchena Nmadu and his group were the ones terrorizing Onitsha.<br /> <br /> Amaifeobu expressed confidence that they would actualize Biafra without violence and urged the media to reach to them in any of their offices for verification of information concerning MASSOB before going to press.<br /> <br /> Insisting that MASSOB has offices in all parts of the Biafra zone, he held that MASSOB under the leadership of Nwazilike was committed to the Biafra struggle.

Latest-News MASSOB dissociates self from Onitsha violence

The Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Thursday dissociated itself from the violence being perpetrated by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB‎ which has resulted in the killings and destruction of property. Speaki…

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Gunmen kill APC deputy ward chairman in Bayelsa

<br /> <br /> Tension heightened Thursday among among members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the killing of Diseye Dickson, the deputy ward chairman of APC, Ward 1 in Odi, Kolokuma-Opokuma council area of then state by unidentified gunmen.<br /> <br /> The deceased, Diseye Dickson was reportedly shot dead at Odi community at about 11pm Wednesday by the gunmen allegedly clad in military uniform.<br /> <br /> Though report claimed that the deceased was shot dead during a shoot out between policemen and the gunmen, about eight in number, in a failed kidnap attempt of Chief Watson Ogoriba, a businessman and elder brother of the former member of the Federal House of Representatives and chieftain of the APC, Hon. Warman Ogoriba.<br /> <br /> A community source said, “It was the case of failed kidnap attempt. It is not about PDP or the APC. When the kidnappers arrived the community, the vigilante people alerted the Police in Kaiama Divisional Command and they engaged the suspected kidnappers in a shoot-out. The victim may have been caught in a cross fire.”<br /> <br /> The source further revealed that aside from the deceased Dieseye Dickson, a Woman was also injured in the buttocks by a stray bullet.<br /> <br /> A member of the Federal House of Representative representing Yenagoa-Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency, Hon. Douye Diri, who confirmed the incident, said it was a case of foiled kidnap attempt and not a party conflict.<br /> <br /> But the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state through the Sylva/Igiri campaign Organisation alleged that the killing was carried out by suspected thugs hired by the PDP.<br /> <br /> The Director of Media and Publicity of the Sylva/Igiri campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba, in a statement said, “As at this morning, the corpse of Mr. Dickson, was still lying in a pool of his own blood where he was killed. Do note that this is the second killing being carried out by the PDP since the campaigns started.<br /> <br /> “Recall that Mr. Andrew June, a ward chairman of our party in Ekeremor LGA was macheted to death.We condemned this act of desperation by the PDP to continually attack and intimidate our supporters.”<br /> <br /> “This killing is wicked, unwarranted and provocative. The APC and the campaign organization has repeatedly called on the police and other security agencies to step up their patrol to forestall any further attack on the APC members. Killers of these people must not be allowed to go unpunished.”

Latest-News Gunmen kill APC deputy ward chairman in Bayelsa

Tension heightened Thursday among among members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the killing of Diseye Dickson, the deputy ward chairman of APC, Ward 1 in Odi, Kolokuma-Opokuma council area of th…

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SERAP drags Senate to UN over repressive anti-media freedom, social media bill

<br /> <br /> Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an urgent appeal to Mr. David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, requesting him to “you use your good offices and position to urgently request the National Assembly of Nigeria, specifically the Senate, to withdraw a bill which if passed into law would undermine the internationally recognized right to freedom of expression and press freedom on the internet in the country.”<br /> <br /> Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was copied in the urgent appeal.<br /> <br /> In the urgent appeal dated 3 December 2015, and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni the organisation said, “We are seriously concerned that the National Assembly of Nigeria will any moment from now pass a bill to jail for two years and fine anybody or group of persons who send any alleged false text message or post false message on the social media against another person.”<br /> <br /> “SERAP is concerned that rather than increasing universal and inclusive access to the Internet for all Nigerians, the National Assembly of Nigeria is working to undermine access of citizens to the Internet. Yet, freedom of expression entails the ability to both speak and receive information, including through the social media and other generated content services such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and chat applications,” the organisation said.<br /> <br /> The organisation also said that, “By initiating this bill, the National Assembly is impermissibly restricting the ability of the citizens to use these tools to communicate, connect, and seek independent sources of information.”<br /> <br /> “SERAP also contends that the bill will restrain access to internet and social media, curtail the freedom of the press, and online content in illegitimate, disproportionate, or otherwise unlawful and abusive ways. The real targets of the bill are social media and human rights defenders that might be critical of government policies or report on corruption involving high ranking government officials,” the organisation also said.<br /> <br /> “International law provides that any restriction to rights online must be provided in law, pursuant to a legitimate aim, and limited to only what is necessary and proportionate. SERAP believes that the bill falls far short of international requirements of legitimacy, necessity and proportionality,” the organisation added<br /> <br /> According to the organisation, “The bill will also have chilling effect on freedom of expression in the country, as it will create an atmosphere of fear among bloggers and online activists who may not post critical commentary on Facebook or other social media platforms for fear of being sent to jail. The Internet cannot enable citizens and others to participate in governance or critique government policy if they cannot freely access information, use social media services, or if they fear being sent to jail simply for expressing their views.”<br /> <br /> According to the organisation, “The Senate has set in motion a process to accelerate the passage of this obnoxious bill. SERAP is seriously concerned that if passed into law the bill would contravene Nigeria’s international legal obligations, including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a signatory,” the organisation said.<br /> <br /> The organisation said that, “While it is important to protect personal integrity in social media, a clean, transparent and accountable government that has nothing to fear will not use this ground as an excuse to undermine the sacred right to freedom of expression.”<br /> <br /> SERAP therefore asked the Special Rapporteur to:<br /> <br /> Publicly express concerns about the proposed bill and insist that the National Assembly of Nigeria should withdraw the bill.<br /> <br /> Urge the National Assembly in particular the Senate to protect freedom of expression online in line with international standards.<br /> <br /> Urge the National Assembly to allow free space for expression without fear of criminal prosecution, and not to contemplate impermissible restrictions to access internet and social media.<br /> <br /> Urge the National Assembly to promote and facilitate access to the media in the country<br /> <br /> Urge the National Assembly to ensure that in the exercise of its legislative duties it complies with Nigerian international human rights obligations and commitments<br /> <br /> The bill, titled: “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith”, is sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South. The bill provides for an option of N4 million for persons convicted of false newspaper, radio and television statements and N2 million for offenders of false phone text messages or messages on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or WhatsApp. The bill also punishes alleged malicious intent to discredit or set the public against any person or group of persons, institutions of government.<br /> <br /> On the social media, the bill read: “Where any person through text message, tweets, WhatsApp or through any social media post any abusive statement knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of N2,000,000.00 or both fine and imprisonment.”

Latest-News SERAP drags Senate to UN over repressive anti-media freedom, social media bill

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an urgent appeal to Mr. David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, requesting him to “you use your good offic…

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Man gets 25 years jail term for infecting villagers with HIV

<br /> <br /> A Cambodian man was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday for infecting 270 people with HIV while he was working as an unlicensed doctor in a village. Yem Chrin, 57, was arrested in December 2014 after a routine health check revealed unusually high numbers of HIV-positive villagers in Battambang province’s Roka commune in western Cambodia.<br /> <br /> On Thursday, he was found guilty of torture with aggravating circumstances, operating a clinic without a licence, and intentionally spreading HIV, said Toch Sopheakdey, a spokesman for the Battambang Provincial Court of First Instance. Besides a 25-year sentence, Chrin also faces a five-million-riel fine (1,235 dollars).<br /> <br /> “This sends a clear message to the other doctors nationwide who are providing medical treatment without a licence to be aware,” Sopheakdey told newsmen. An investigation by UNAIDS, the World Health Organization and local authorities traced the outbreak to Chrin and his reuse of tainted needles.<br /> <br /> In Cambodia, it is common for medication to be administered by injection, which is perceived as more effective than oral medication, according to UNAIDS country coordinator Marie-Odile Emond. At least 10 villagers in Roka commune have died from complications related to HIV, primarily the elderly and very young children.<br /> <br /> Anti-retroviral drugs have been provided to the villagers, and the government plans to build a referral hospital in 2016. Cambodia has slowed HIV transmission since its peak in the late 1990s. There are 75,000 people living with HIV in a population of 15 million, according to UNAIDS 2014 data, and it remains primarily a heterosexual disease spread through the sex trade.<br /> <br /> The case of Roka village had also drawn attention to the fact that many rural communities are regularly treated by unlicensed medics like Chrin as the country has one of the worst shortages of doctors in Asia. According to the CIA World Factbook, Cambodia had only 0.17 trained physicians per 1,000 people in 2012, a lower rate than Myanmar, Laos and Afghanistan. In September, the Ministry of Health estimated about 4,000 unlicensed clinics operate in Cambodia

Latest-News Man gets 25 years jail term for infecting villagers with HIV

A Cambodian man was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday for infecting 270 people with HIV while he was working as an unlicensed doctor in a village. Yem Chrin, 57, was arrested in December 2014 after a routine health check revealed unusually…

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FIFA to expand World Cup to 40 teams in 2026

<br /> <br /> FIFA is considering expanding the World Cup from 32 teams to 40 in 2026 and will discuss the proposal at a future meeting, with support particularly strong among Asian and African representatives.<br /> <br /> No formal agreement on the matter was reached at FIFA’s Executive Committee meeting on Thursday, but ExCo member Wolfgang Niersbach said it will be discussed at a later date.<br /> <br /> “No decision was taken on expanding the World Cup to 40 teams from 2026,” Niersbach said in a written statement. “The Asian and African representatives on the executive committee were in favour of it. This matter has been put off until a future meeting.” The debate on extending the World Cup came as a corruption scandal engulfing the organisation widened with fresh arrests.<br /> <br /> The World Cup had been a 16-team competition before being expanded to 24 nations in 1982 and then to 32 for the first time in France in 1998. The bidding process for the 2026 World Cup was postponed in June due to the corruption scandal which has centred around the attribution of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 finals to Qatar.<br /> <br /> Two leading FIFA officials — Alfredo Hawit, the Honduran head of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and South American Football Confederation chief Juan Angel Napout — were arrested on Thursday in a dramatic dawn raid at a luxury hotel in Zurich.<br /> <br /> The arrests were carried out at the five-star Baur au Lac hotel, a favourite of FIFA’s officials, and the same spot where seven top football executives were arrested in May on suspicion of involvement in tens of millions of dollars of corruption dating back decades.

Latest-News FIFA to expand World Cup to 40 teams in 2026

FIFA is considering expanding the World Cup from 32 teams to 40 in 2026 and will discuss the proposal at a future meeting, with support particularly strong among Asian and African representatives. No formal agreement on the matter was reached at FIF…

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Erdogan says Turkey has proof of Russian involvement in IS oil trade

<br /> <br /> <br /> President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said Turkey had proof Russia was involved in illegal oil trade with the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, countering “immoral” Russian allegations that his own family was importing oil from the jihadists. “We have the proof in our hands. We will reveal it to the world,” Erdogan said in a televised address in Ankara.<br /> <br /> The Russian defence ministry on Wednesday accused Erdogan and his family of involvement in the illegal oil trade with IS jihadists after Ankara’s downing of one of Moscow’s warplanes last month which plunged the two countries’ relations into a crisis. “In recent days a fashion led by Russia has emerged. Actually, Russia does not believe this either,” said Erdogan, referring to the alleged oil trade with IS group.<br /> <br /> “Look, Russia has to prove that the Turkish republic buys oil from Daesh, otherwise this is a slander,” he added, using an Arabic acronym for IS extremists. “The immoral side of this issue is involving my family in the affair,” Erdogan added. Erdogan repeated that he would resign if Moscow proved the allegation and said it was actually Russians who were involved in oil dealings.<br /> <br /> “Who is buying oil (from IS)? Let me say it. George Haswani, holder of a Russian passport and a Syrian national, is one of the biggest merchants in this business,” Erdogan said. In November, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Haswani, who was also placed on an European Union sanctions list, for serving as a middleman for oil purchases by the Syrian regime from the IS group.<br /> <br /> Erdogan said Thursday “a famous Russian chess player” was also involved in the oil business with IS, without giving a name. “He’s also in this race,” he said. The new US sanctions also apply to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, a wealthy Russian businessman and long-standing president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) who was formerly president of the southern Russian region of Kalmykia.

Latest-News Erdogan says Turkey has proof of Russian involvement in IS oil trade

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said Turkey had proof Russia was involved in illegal oil trade with the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, countering “immoral” Russian allegations that his own family was importing oil from the jihadists. …

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Putin swears to make Turkey regret plane downing

<br /> <br /> Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday vowed Turkey’s leadership would be made to regret the downing of one of Russia’s warplanes as Moscow announced a halt to talks on a major gas pipeline project. As Putin fired another salvo in his mounting war of words with NATO member Turkey his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared he had “proof” that Russia was involved in illegal oil trading with the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.<br /> <br /> Turkey has become Moscow’s prime international sparring partner after it shot down a Russian jet on its border with Syria on November 24 — sparking fury in Russia and economic sanctions from the Kremlin. Erdogan’s allegations of Russian complicity with IS echo allegations made by Putin against Turkey and its leader in recent days.<br /> <br /> “We will not forget this complicity with terrorists. We always considered and will always consider treachery to be the ultimate and lowest act. Let those in Turkey who shot our pilots in the back know this,” Putin told lawmakers in his annual state of the nation speech, which also focused on Russia’s airstrikes in Syria.<br /> <br /> Russia has accused Erdogan and his family of personally profiting from the oil trade with Islamic State, which controls a large chunk of Syrian territory, including a number of oil fields. “We know for example who in Turkey fills their pockets and allows terrorists to make money from the stolen oil in Syria,” Putin said.<br /> <br /> “It is precisely with this money that the bandits recruit mercenaries, buy arms and organise inhuman terrorist acts aimed against our citizens, the citizens of France, Lebanon, Mali and other countries.” Erdogan has furiously denied the allegations against him and his family and said Turkey had proof that Russia was, in fact, involved in trading oil with IS.<br /> <br /> “We have the proof in our hands. We will reveal it to the world,” the Turkish leader said in a televised speech in Ankara. Putin, whose administration has already announced sanctions against Ankara, including a ban on the import of some Turkish foods and reintroducing visas for visitors from the country, insisted Turkey would be made to regret its actions.<br /> <br /> “We will not rattle our sabres. But if someone thinks that after committing heinous war crimes, the murder of our people, it will end with (an embargo on) tomatoes and limitations in construction and other fields then they are deeply mistaken,” Putin said. “We will not stop reminding them of what they did and they will not stop regretting their actions.”<br /> <br /> – Pipeline talks halted –<br /> <br /> Immediately after the speech Russia’s energy minister Alexander Novak announced the suspension of talks between Ankara and Moscow over the major TurkStream pipeline project. Negotiations over the project to pipe Russian gas to Turkey under the Black Sea have been floundering since Moscow launched air strikes in Syria in late September in support of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, which Ankara fiercely opposes.<br /> <br /> But the official announcement of the break-off in the talks dealt another blow to floundering Russian-Turkish ties, as Putin lamented the damage to a relationship that he has spent years nurturing. “Only Allah, most likely, knows why they did this. And evidently Allah decided to punish the ruling clique in Turkey by depriving them of their intelligence and reason,” he said.<br /> <br /> The latest furious exchange comes as the two countries’ top diplomats gear up for their first face-to-face meeting since the plane incident. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to hold talks later Thursday with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on the sidelines of a conference in Belgrade after Putin on Monday snubbed Erdogan at the UN climate summit in Paris.<br /> <br /> There appears, however, little chance that the two sides will lower the tone as the two strongmen leaders insist the other should apologise over the incident. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday accused Moscow of running a “Soviet propaganda machine”.<br /> <br /> “There was a Soviet propaganda machine in the Cold War era,” Davutoglu told reporters in Ankara. “They were called Pravda lies,” he said, referring to the daily newspaper that was the mouthpiece of the Communist Party.

Latest-News Putin swears to make Turkey regret plane downing

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday vowed Turkey’s leadership would be made to regret the downing of one of Russia’s warplanes as Moscow announced a halt to talks on a major gas pipeline project. As Putin fired another salvo in his mounting…

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Fresh arrests in FIFA corruption investigation

<br /> <br /> More than a dozen people were arrested on Thursday in Switzerland in connection with corruption allegations at football’s international governing body, a FIFA report said. Some of the pre-dawn arrests were made at the same hotel where other FIFA officials were arrested in May, the report said.<br /> <br /> The raid was carried out by Swiss authorities in the context of a US-led investigation. The charges, expected to target South and Central American football leadership, would include racketeering, money laundering and fraud, the report said.<br /> <br /> Suspended boss , Sepp Blatter, was not among those arrested, the report said, citing law enforcement officials. The raid followed a two-day FIFA Executive Committee meeting in Zurich ahead of a February congress to elect Blatter’s successor.

Latest-News Fresh arrests in FIFA corruption investigation

More than a dozen people were arrested on Thursday in Switzerland in connection with corruption allegations at football’s international governing body, a FIFA report said. Some of the pre-dawn arrests were made at the same hotel where other FIFA off…

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CCT trial: Supreme Court decides Saraki’s fate Feb 5

<br /> <br /> The ‎‎Supreme Court, today, fixed February 5 to determine ‎the appeal seeking to quash the 13-count criminal charge that the Federal Government preferred against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki before the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCT.<br /> <br /> A seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, adjourned to deliver judgment on the appeal after it ‎entertained arguments from both Saraki and the Federal Government today.<br /> <br /> Saraki is facing trial over allegation that he falsely declared his assets, contrary to the constitutionally requirement.<br /> <br /> He was accused of deliberately manipulating the assets declaration form that he filed prior to his assumption of office as the Senate President, by making anticipatory declaration of assets, as well as, operated foreign bank account while in office as a public servant.<br /> <br /> The offence was said to have been committed while Saraki held sway as a governor.<br /> <br /> Whereas Saraki, through his team of lawyers led by Chief J.B.Daudu, SAN, ‎prayed the apex court to quash the charge for want of competence, the government on the other hand, sought the dismissal of the appeal, insisting it has successfully established a prima-facie ‎criminal case against the Senate President.<br /> <br /> While persuading the apex court to allow the appeal by halting Saraki’s trial, ‎Daudu, SAN, relied on the provision of Paragraph 15(1) to the Fifth Schedule‎ of the 1999 Constitution,as amended, and argue that the Justice Danladi Umar-led panel of the CCT was not properly and legally composed to try his client.<br /> <br /> ‎He further argued that the CCT, not being a court that is constitutionally equipped with criminal jurisdiction, lacked the powers to dock the Senate President on the basis of the 13-count charge that is pending before it.<br /> <br /> “An attempt to make the CCT a court having criminal jurisdiction will have far reaching constitutional consequences” Daudu contended, adding that the tribunal was not among the courts established under Section 6 ‎of the 1999 constitution.<br /> <br /> Besides, it was his‎ argument that the fact that there was no substantive Attorney-General of the Federation as at the time the charge was filed, rendered it incompetent.<br /> <br /> However, while praying the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal, government lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, relied on the provision of section 4(2)(b) of the interpretation Act, to insist that Saraki was properly charged before the CCT.<br /> <br /> Rotimi argued that going by the provision of section 284(4) of the Constitution, the two-members of the CCT panel, formed a quorum that can hear and determine the criminal case instituted against the Senate President by the federal government.<br /> <br /> After listening to all the parties, the CJN who headed the apex court panel, adjourned the matter for judgment.<br /> <br /> It will be recalled that a previous panel of the apex court headed by Justice John Fabiyi who is now retired, suspended further hearing on the case pending against Saraki before the CCT.<br /> <br /> The Justice Fabiyi’s panel which is now disbanded by the CJN, specifically directed the CCT panel to “tarry awhile”, to enable the apex court to hear Saraki’s appeal.

Latest-News CCT trial: Supreme Court decides Saraki’s fate Feb 5

The ‎‎Supreme Court, today, fixed February 5 to determine ‎the appeal seeking to quash the 13-count criminal charge that the Federal Government preferred against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki before the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCT. A seven…

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Indian national arrives Lagos on bicycle

<br /> <br /> An Indian national, Mr Somen Debnath, on Thursday said that he arrived Lagos on bicycle after visiting 110 other countries in the last 11 years through same means.<br /> <br /> Debnath told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Nigeria was among the 191 countries he would be visiting to promote Indian culture.<br /> <br /> He added that the tour was also to create awareness on the effects HIV/AIDS among young people.<br /> <br /> “The whole essence of my `Around the World Bicycle Tour’ programme is to promote Indian culture and raise global awareness on HIV/AIDS through the education of young men and women worldwide.<br /> <br /> “As a youth myself, I strongly believe that youths in every community globally can make the much desired change we all need.<br /> <br /> “I am in Lagos to sensitise young Nigerians in universities and colleges on what they should know about HIV/AIDS.<br /> <br /> “So far in the last 11 years, I have visited 111 countries including Nigeria on my bicycle,’’ he said.<br /> <br /> Debnath said that he started the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in his hometown in Sundarbans, India, in May 2004, with visits to NGOs, schools, colleges, universities, commercial sex workers and restaurants.<br /> <br /> He said that he had visited some students of universities and colleges in Lagos to create awareness among them on how to avoid being infected with HIV/AIDS.<br /> <br /> Debnath , a graduate of Zoology from the University of Calcutta, India, said that it was imperative for young Nigerians to abstain from unprotected sex, but to engage in safe sex by using condoms.<br /> <br /> He also enjoined Nigerians not to stigmatise or discriminate against persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA)in their communities, but to always show them love and care.<br /> <br /> He, however, said that his tour had been fraught with dangers and challenges.<br /> <br /> These include : being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan, robbed six times in Central Asia to being beaten eight times by skinheads.<br /> <br /> Debnath said that during his tour, he also had to contend with wild animals including Rhinos, Elephants, Cheetahs, Pythons and other life-threatening ones.<br /> <br /> He commended the Indian Government, Indians in the Diaspora and people in the host countries for supporting his global HIV/AIDS campaign tour.

Latest-News Indian national arrives Lagos on bicycle

An Indian national, Mr Somen Debnath, on Thursday said that he arrived Lagos on bicycle after visiting 110 other countries in the last 11 years through same means. Debnath told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Nigeria was among the 191…

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