PDP to APC: Nigerians are tired of your failed New Year promises

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpVKvgNNi8WtvaxTU3hUxqJxIiogblqaB07R8lV98-bLF-VGyg6nr1SMyTH-eAyqeYHsu7W4p_DZC7N0kQdc1EpxmWjH-u9nCynsKR6dTByqv9RlwdtDy1j8oFSuBbyf-NkpusRJ_zFF4/s400/pdp+apc+vs.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government not to issue any New Year promises to Nigerians since they have not fulfilled any of the promises contained in their previous messages since assumption of office.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said Nigerians have become overstretched by the litany of woes visited on them in the last two years by the incompetent and pretentious APC administration.<br /> <br /> It stressed that it would be the height of callousness for the ruling party and its government to spew another round of propaganda and false hope in the name of new year messages.<br /> <br /> “What else would they tell Nigerians apart from inventing new lies and propaganda as they had always done, particularly at the turn of each New Year”, the statement added.<br /> <br /> The PDP noted that the administration has been reeling out false promises year-in-year-out even when it has no intention of fulfilling them.<br /> <br /> The statement said: “What is the need for their yearly assurances when the only thing we see is an arrogant and incompetent government plunging the nation into economic recession and visiting the citizens with the worst forms of untold hardship.<br /> <br /> “What seriousness should any Nigerian attach to a government that takes governance for granted, puts off its Federal Executive Meeting meeting at the slightest whims and blame imaginary invasion of its offices by rats for the inability to meet required statutory functions?”

Latest-News PDP to APC: Nigerians are tired of your failed New Year promises

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government not to issue any New Year promis...

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Buhari orders NNPC to ensure the pump price of fuel is not increased above N145 per litre

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="412" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN5eZ8xlcFoC4BM_HWtTpO1es3H8AYhxHRnFAv3ZPLe6I9txACUX8GI8E3Za-qWDsuohPxEJsst97ybUFM5oTfqxKH4PS8Y2V-kLk-Vt2enPCFNtHnW2IKY5C4b6YshteZPhBv7L3sw2J/s400/buhari+kachikwu+145+fuel.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ensure the pump price of fuel is not increased above N145 per litre.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this to State House correspondents after observing Jumaat service with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.<br /> <br /> According to him, any marketer found hoarding fuel or selling above the official price of N145 per litre will be punished.<br /> <br /> He said: “I’m happy to report that we have tamed the monster that reared its head as a result of the rumoured price increase about three weeks ago.<br /> <br /> “Unfortunately, that rumour instigated a lot of marketers to become very greedy, and they decided that their fellow citizens should not enjoy the Christmas holiday and New Year with ease, and decided to profiteer by hoarding and diversion of products.<br /> <br /> “At the beginning, I did address the press, telling the world that we have sufficient products that will last us 30 days through the New Year into January.<br /> <br /> “But because the marketers wanted to inflict harm and pains on fellow citizens, they decided to hoard products, divert them and in some cases even smuggle products out of the country.<br /> <br /> “This has been tamed by the actions we took, and I personally led the war around Abuja and other teams led the war in Lagos and other parts of the country.<br /> <br /> “As of this morning, I have gone round the Abuja metropolis and I have seen that the queues have reduced significantly to almost normal level, and few motorists that I heard speaking on morning programmes concerning what I have seen said they have not spent up to 30 minutes to fuel their cars.<br /> <br /> “So the monster has been tamed in Lagos. The situation has been brought into normalcy as far as two days ago, and we are also aiming the same thing in all other cities.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “I promise that we have sufficient products that will last us for the next 30 days, and we keep bringing in 50 per cent over and above our normal consumption to the country.<br /> <br /> “And vessels have been lined up. At the moment, I have eight vessels discharging products at various ports around the country.<br /> <br /> “So, Nigerians should enjoy the new year.<br /> <br /> Baru said the President’s directive and guidance had been helpful in tackling the problem as they had helped to restore normalcy to a large extent.<br /> <br /> He advised marketers who had hidden products in odd locations to bring them out and sell to the public at N145 per litre, maximum.<br /> <br /> “If NNPC sold it to you at N133.28, you have sufficient margin within that ambit to be able to supply and sell to the public at maximum N145 per litre,” he said.<br /> <br /> “NNPC is selling at N143 per litre, so you should be able to sell at N145 per litre. If you go above that, the regulator, DPR and PPPRA, with the support of law enforcement agencies, particularly the Civil Defence, will make sure that the products are confiscated and given free to the public.<br /> <br /> “This is the directive from Mr. President that we are working on and is being executed to the letter.<br /> <br /> “Bring these products out and sell. We don’t have any shortage and we are making massive loadings.<br /> <br /> “Normally, we should be able to have 850 trucks to satisfy national consumption, but as at yesterday, we loaded 1,750 trucks to go round the country. So we will continue massive loading until we reach the former position whereby all the stations will have products and truck siding.”<br /> <br /> On the legal actions to be taken against errant marketers, he said: “We have met with the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Civil Defence who have helped us to mop up the people selling in Jerry cans and have also helped us to mop out some of the cars that have extra tanks in Abuja and environs and around the country.<br /> <br /> “The legal action is to apprehend the culprits first and then take them to the courts within the time limit that is speculated.”<br /> <br /> Asked about subsidy, he said: “Do you want me to remove subsidy? What I am saying is that the landing cost as should be sold in the pump without under-recovery should be N171.40.<br /> <br /> “However, Mr. President has directed that we should maintain all the parameters to ensure that it is sold at N145 per litre. And that is why we are selling at depot at N133.28.”

Latest-News Buhari orders NNPC to ensure the pump price of fuel is not increased above N145 per litre

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ensure the pump price of fuel is not increas...

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Prominent Nigerians who died in 2017

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1026" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9GT9JoijSJ2EbW-2q1yGoGtno4C9hYC7hfUwGXXgFT6s-2zKk10JPNBdI9RmIRNEzlqoOldPi_TtaE2-ao9aEDfYC3iNm8CoQuanNtwgEMyNYjB0JZ8NWZ3vB8Cn_kTKUsBjjOxkZ-cB/s400/Alex-Ekwueme.png" width="400" /></div> <br /> <br /> As we approach the new year, <i><b>NgerianEye</b></i> examines a list of prominent Nigerians who lost their lives in 2017<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> Dr. Alex Ekwueme<br /> <br /> Former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, GCON, was one of the dignitaries snatched by the cold hand of death. After celebrating his 85th birthday in October, Ekwueme was said to have had a fall at his residence in Enugu, which caused his health to deteriorate. After some domestic battles in spite of which he fell into coma, he was flown abroad on the ticket of the federal government for urgent medical attention. But he eventually gave up the ghost in a London hospital on Sunday, November 19.<br /> <br /> A product of Kings College, Lagos, Ekweme studied Architecture and City Planning in the US and later got degrees in other disciplines, including a Law degree from the University of London. He obtained a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Strathclyde. He was a founding member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) which eventually produced the President (Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari) in the Second Republic, with Ekwueme as the Vice President.<br /> <br /> Dr. Ekwueme became one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later vied for the party’s presidential ticket but lost it to Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) who later became the President. Reputed as a peacemaker and a philanthropist, he was later called upon by the party to head its Reconciliation Committee in the wake of PDP’s intra-party discord.<br /> <br /> <br /> Maitama Sule<br /> <br /> Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule, the Dan masanin Kano and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations passed away on 2 July 2017 in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, after suffering from pneumonia and a chest infection . He was 87 years old.<br /> <br /> Prior to his appointment as the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, he was a presidential aspirant of the National Party of Nigeria in early 1979 but lost to Shehu Shagari. After the re-election of President Shagari in 1983, Maitama Sule was made the Minister for National Guidance, a portfolio designed to assist the president in tackling corruption.<br /> <br /> Before his passage, the elder statesman who was born on October 1, 1929 was on two occasions- 2013 and 2016, speculated to have died but the rumour was subsequently dispelled.<br /> <br /> As a politician, Maitama frowned at the use of religion and ethnicity as political tools to attain power. He was critical of using them by politicians because he believed that they undermined the unity of the country.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> He came to national limelight as a member of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) and was elected into the House of Representatives, becoming the Minister of Mines and Oil from 1959 to 1966.<br /> <br /> Senator Isiaka Adeleke<br /> <br /> He was the first civilian governor of Osun state and a two time Nigerian Senator who represented the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State from 2007 to 2011 and was elected again under the banner of the All Progressives Congress in 2015. Sen. Isiaka Adeleke decided to aspire to lead the people of Osun in the next gubernatorial election. But little did anyone know that his dream will never be fulfilled. He returned from a political outing and met his death. His death raised a loud controversy which led to riots in Ede where he hails from. Mr Alfred Aderibigbe, a nurse, who was alleged to have administered overdose drugs on the late senator representing Osun West Senatorial District, denied the allegation before Coroner Inquest Panel, set up by the government, which was also suspected to have known something about his death.<br /> <br /> The death of Isiaka Adeleke, was eventually declared by Dr. Solaja Olufemi, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy examination on the late senator, aBy Paul Ukpabio<br /> <br /> nd who testified before the coroner inquest in Osogbo, to be linked to excessive dose of analgesics, sedatives and alcohol. Contrary to the claim of some people, who thought he was poisoned.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Adeleke In March 2008 instituted a scholarship award for about 100 indigent students in tertiary institutions across the country. He held a Bachelor of Arts Degree, and a master’s degree In Public Administration. He was Chairman, Governing Council, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, University of Calabar, Nigeria.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo<br /> <br /> He was a soldier, an elder statesman and a leader of the Yoruba Council of Elders. He was appointed Military Governor of the western Region, after the death of Colonel Adekunle Fajuiyi. After the civil war, he became chairman of the committee for the Reconciliation and Integration of Biafra.<br /> <br /> He retired in 1975. As a politician, he joined the National Party of Nigeria. He was in year 2013 appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan as the Pro Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. He is one lucky Nigerian leader whose son Niyi Adebayo became a governor of Ekiti state. He is said also to have been a notable leader who showed exemplary leadership and died on March 8, 2017, on the eve of his 89th birthday.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Dr. Sam Ogbemudia<br /> <br /> Ex-Military Governor of Mid-West State, which later became Bendel State, and Edo state, Dr Sam Ogbemudia, was one of those who joined his ancestors this year 2017. A soldier and politician, he was highly revered in Edo state and it was not a surprise to many, when Governor Obaseki, the present governor of Edo state, declared a seven day mourning after his death was announced.<br /> <br /> A political colossus who left his footprint in the sands of time, Dr Ogbemudia was also known for his peacemaking efforts among his kinsmen and Nigerian politicians. And many did seek out his advice, while he was alive.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> He was said to have battled diabetes and high blood pressure since 1970. Suffered partial stroke in year 2016 and he died on March 7, 2017 at the age of 84. He was buried in the grave he prepared before he died, besides his late wife’s grave.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo<br /> <br /> Perhaps he wouldn’t have died if armed robbery had not turned to a huge social menace in Nigeria. Perhaps Dr. Adinoyi Ojo, the ex- Managing Director of Daily Times would have been alive to spend this festive end of the year season with his friends and loved ones. But no, he fell to the attack of armed robbers on the Illesa – Akure road on his way back from Abeokuta to Abuja, after attending the 80th birthday celebration of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.<br /> <br /> Dr. Adinoyi-Ojo, who was former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s Senior Special Assistant, Public Communication, is said to have at a point in his life got what is general known as a good job with the United Nation. But he opted to be in Nigeria, working to help the development of the country.<br /> <br /> As a journalist, he was known to have had a good relationship with his professional colleagues, and was an author and playwright.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Prof. Abubakar Momoh<br /> <br /> Fondly known as the political whiz kid of the Department of Political Science, Lagos State University, Prof. Abubakar Momoh, the Director-General of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Electoral Institute, in Abuja, died at a time nobody expected he would.<br /> <br /> A renown Professor of Political Science, Momoh started his lecturing career in the year 1988. He went on to become the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences in LASU. At his death, the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University described his death as a huge loss and that the whole University Community is deeply saddened by the demise of the renowned Professor.<br /> <br /> Momoh served in several capacities on various boards and scientific committees in Nigeria and abroad. A former Vice President of the African Association of Political Science (AAPS), and National Treasurer, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), 1991-1995. He has been a researcher and lecturer at many universities across the world, as well as being a research Fellow.<br /> <br /> He served as Election Observer to several African countries on behalf of ECOWAS and the African Union, as well as to some European countries. Unfortunately, Momoh, lost his father earlier in the year. He was buried on May 29th 2017 at Auchi, Edo State, where he hailed from.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Prof. Andrew Nok<br /> <br /> He was the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Kaduna, who died at the age of 55 on November 21, 2017. Prof Andrew Nok was said to have been rushed to National Hospital, Abuja due to sickness, three weeks before his death. But he had recovered and he was expected to return to work.<br /> <br /> A former university don, he left the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, when on July 29, 2015, he was appointed Commissioner for Health and Human Services, and later became the commissioner of education, science technology on May 4, 2016.<br /> <br /> Nok who held a master and doctorate degree in biochemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was noted to have made some revolutionary contribution to the ministry of health in Kaduna state, whule there as a commissioner.<br /> <br /> He was a recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award in 2010 in the science category and several awards and research grants, including Alexander Von Homboldt Prize in 2013 for his work in finding a cure for Trypanosomiasis.<br /> <br /> He was also a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Alexander Von Homboldt Foundation and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Alhaji Gidado Idris<br /> <br /> Alhaji Gidado Idris was the former Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF). A well-known technocrat, he died this year at the ripe age of 82 year in Abuja after a brief illness. At his death, his friends described his as having been a “humble, thorough and simple man who was very accessible to whoever stepped into his office as SGF.”<br /> <br /> Alhaji Gidado Idris hailed from Zaria in Kaduna State. He was appointed SGF in 1993 and he retired in 1999 after a civil service career that started before Nigeria’s independence. He served variously in the military and civilian government in Nigeria before his retirement.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Teikumo Ikoli<br /> <br /> Nigerian Navy lost one of his able personnel when in April of this year, the Fleet Commander of the Western Naval Command, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Daniel Ikoli, was found dead at his Apapa, Lagos residence.<br /> <br /> Lieutenant commander Chinwe Umar, the spokesperson for the Western Naval Command, confirmed that gunshots was said to have been heard in the early hours of Wednesday April 5, 2017, in the vicinity where Rear Admiral Teikumo Daniel Ikoli resides in Apapa, Lagos.<br /> <br /> And when his room was opened, he was found dead. Ikoli, a rear admiral, was Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT and later appointed into the Presidential Committee on the probe of arms deal before he became Fleet Commander, Western Naval Command. It was gathered that the naval officer left the office, on Tuesday afternoon, after complaining he was not feeling too well. It was also suggested that he was depressed and had fears of possibly being assassinated due to his involvement in the arms probe.<br /> <br /> A suicide angle was also raised as he was found in the pool of his own blood. He was 52 years old.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Alhaji Kabir Umar<br /> <br /> The Emir of Katagum Emirate in Bauchi State, Alhaji Kabir Umar was also one of the prominent Nigerians who departed this year. He died at age 89. His death was announced by the state governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, who declared that the royal father was upright, just and kept the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad whose death is a great loss to the state and Nigeria as a whole.<br /> <br /> The late Emir it was recorded had 49 children as at the time of his death. He struggled with a protracted illness for a period of five years. He was buried at his palace in Azare.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> AVM Olufunsho Martins<br /> <br /> The death of Retired Air Vice-Marshal Olufunsho Martin was indeed a painful one. Martins who lived at Park view estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, died in a lone accident in a Ford Explorer Sports Utility Vehicle with his driver on the third Mainland bridge, after his car somersaulted and plunged into the lagoon.<br /> <br /> The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA which swung into a rescue action along with efforts of local divers, was fruitful in recovering the remains of the air Vice Marshal and his driver from the Lagoon many hours after the incident occurred.<br /> <br /> He was said to have just returned from the United Kingdom for a burial in Nigeria. AVM Olufunsho Martins held several appointments within the Nigerian Air Force. He was the commandant, Rehab Oshodi and AOL HQ NAF. As a businessman who owned and event centre and was also into estate business.

Latest-News Prominent Nigerians who died in 2017

As we approach the new year, NgerianEye examines a list of prominent Nigerians who lost their lives in 2017 Dr. Alex Ekwueme Former...

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$2.1 Billion arms deal: Dasuki’s family, associates demand release of ex-NSA

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98D5STmM9qBp-d366fN9tHf5x57bY4x-iji4DiaIdLQaLqlaPIMx4LEICkTtbkcJ2FtB5gAyK8rIJKMzcCeRmuh7YVU4swhGuGfjN6PXXEe8AumdfgMfj0-bgGUar2JYfq79Zaw8xx2KI/s400/Dasuki-arms-deal-fraud-court-4.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> After being in detention for two years, relations and associates of a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr. Sambo Dasuki, yesterday asked the Federal Government to release him.<br /> <br /> They said an Edict, titled Instrument No 1 of 1999, has shielded security agencies from external audit and investigation of their financial dealings.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> They alleged that since the Department of State Security Service (DSS) had depended on the Edict to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from arresting or interrogating the former DG of DSS Ita Ekpeyong, the ex-NSA has no case to answer.<br /> <br /> The affected relations and associates made their position known under the auspices of the Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki Progressive Association (SIDPA).<br /> <br /> A statement, released to the media in Abuja by the Secretary General of the SIDPA, Comrade Kabir T. Auwal, reads in part: “The Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki Progressive Association (SIDPA), for and on behalf of the entire members of the Sultan Dasuki family, wishes to request the Federal Government, under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari, to respect the rule of law in the case of our son, brother and cousin and the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), to release him from detention.<br /> <br /> “Today is two years since the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, was arrested and re-arrested in December 2015 after securing his bail condition, but ignored by the Federal Government.<br /> <br /> “ Since his incarceration, Dasuki has been arraigned before four federal courts which granted him bail, while the ECOWAS court, a sub-regional court not only ordered that the FG release him immediately, but also order his compensation to the tune of N15million.<br /> <br /> “The agents of the Federal Government, especially Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have refused to obey any of the court orders.<br /> <br /> “Meanwhile, just recently the DSS had prevented the EFCC from arresting or interrogating the former DG of DSS Ita Ekpeyong by relying on the provision of a proclamation approved by General Abubakar Abdulsalam in 1999.<br /> <br /> “The edict, titled Instrument No 1 of 1999, shields security agencies from external audit and investigation of their financial dealings, making them subject to only presidential review. Why is this not applied to Sambo Dasuki who supervised and coordinated activities of the intelligence services when the instrument has not been nullified or replaced by a National Assembly-enacted Act.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “In addition, just recently too, while receiving a report on National Intelligence Agency (NIA) over Osborne Tower Scandal from Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, President Buhari, in a statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said the scandal “must be understood that this (investigation) cannot be done in a manner that jeopardizes national security or exposes the operations of any intelligence agency, which must, by nature be conducted in secrecy.” Why is this not applicable to Sambo Dasuki who supervised those agencies during his tenure. “We and other right-thinking members of his family have deliberately remained silent on his ordeal and persecution, hoping in a democratic government, rule of law would be adhered to.<br /> <br /> “But surprisingly in over two years that Sambo Dasuki has been unlawfully and illegally detained without any court order or warrant, he has been subjected to media trial, scandalized, criminalized, insulted and humiliated not through any court of justice, but from the propaganda of the current administration through media trials of falsehood.<br /> <br /> “Suffice to say that Dasuki has served the nation with best of intentions, yet he remains the only public officer that has remained in detention in the last two years; the only officer that has been granted bail by four courts.<br /> <br /> “The FG’s sheer disregard for the rule of law in the last two years, especially as it affects Sambo Dasuki’s incarceration has become worrisome to the Dasuki family even when we lost our father, Sultan Dasuki. No nation develops in the absence of rule of law, in which case her extant laws and judicial structures are respected ýdevoid of sentimentality and grudging impunity.<br /> <br /> “We are all living witnesses to the fact that some suspects on grievous charges of treasonable offence were released by this same government after clamour and outburst by their people. In Dasuki’s case whose offences are all bailable and granted by the court, he was not allowed to enjoy his bail.<br /> <br /> “The disregard by the government agencies of these orders could not be without the express approval of President Buhari which is most painful and to his in-law. The judiciary should be encouraged to have the courage to exercise its powers without undue interference by the executive arm.<br /> <br /> “Since we are not in a military junta but a democracy, Nigeria’s constitution should not be turned to military decrees with which rights of citizens are trampled upon without question.<br /> <br /> “We strongly call on the ýFederal Government to respect the rule of law and allow Sambo Dasuki to enjoy his bail, except if the intention of government is to kill him in detention.<br /> <br /> “We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to release Dasuki on bail in compliance with the rulings of our competent courts while it continues with the cases in open court rather than in secret or media trial.”

Latest-News $2.1 Billion arms deal: Dasuki’s family, associates demand release of ex-NSA

After being in detention for two years, relations and associates of a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr. Sambo Dasuki, yesterday ...

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President Buhari prays for his injured son

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv2KYeFpvc7ECfMfE7U8ErlfJrkBrpElhC1SNgMo5cSLUGQvU3CIK7-DOj9qma8Hdliu2-mp3qtNBnpqhF56iS1OZEsxTy6pdvgh8JxC5kyJRGkLJMp6BU0WUIHlolPCZsEExlteS2OnJ/s1600/buhari+pray1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv2KYeFpvc7ECfMfE7U8ErlfJrkBrpElhC1SNgMo5cSLUGQvU3CIK7-DOj9qma8Hdliu2-mp3qtNBnpqhF56iS1OZEsxTy6pdvgh8JxC5kyJRGkLJMp6BU0WUIHlolPCZsEExlteS2OnJ/s400/buhari+pray1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> President Muhammadu Buhari and other Muslims on Friday prayed for the quick recovery of the his son, Yusuf.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> Yusuf was involved in a bike accident in Grarimpa area of Abuja on Tuesday night.<br /> <br /> He was prayed for by Muslims during the Jumaat prayers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.<br /> <br /> The Chief Imam of Aso Rock Mosque, Sheik Abdulwahid Suleiman led the prayer session.<br /> <br /> The session was graced by top government officials including Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Almakura and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru.

Latest-News President Buhari prays for his injured son

President Muhammadu Buhari and other Muslims on Friday prayed for the quick recovery of the his son, Yusuf. Yusuf was involved in a bi...

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Nigerians lament - 'Our Christmas was ruined, thanks to fuel scarcity'

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="891" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQV0TzrH-ccx1RRI9AKZYxMn04xX-h3epnNQ-KjRlR2JwjhaZD5Z6bab4CIr2OvxhcBlZOav9Wjnx8mNGoE2MtkZRx4bn8vf5qxpY_FIaxCQaXMTa0nRgE-j1M728AzP17iCRDID0Rh4P/s640/fuel+scarcity+d.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> Several  Nigerians have started to lament the hardship brought about by the lingering fuel scarcity across the nation. While many had looked forward to a blissful holiday season devoid of chaos and confusion, the opposite was what happened, as many were forced to spend long hours at fuel stations, thereby cutting down on the merriment and bliss of the Christmas season.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> Nightmarish. That was how Calabar –based banker Samuel Akpan described his experience searching for fuel in the days leading to, and during the Christmas festivity.<br /> <br /> Not many Nigerians would disagree with him. Others will probably go for harsher adjectives to describe what they went through during the period. And the agony is not yet over, despite promises by top government officials that the end is in sight for the fuel scarcity that has paralysed economic activities across the country for the their week running.<br /> <br /> “I think I have spent more time on fuel queues than I have with my family this Christmas,” 40-year-old Akpan told newsmen in Calabar.<br /> <br /> His decision to buy from filling stations rather than the black market stemmed, partly from his experience. He once bought fuel from the black market and he does not like what happened to his car afterwards: the engine was damaged apparently by the adulterated fuel he was sold then.<br /> <br /> Besides the quality of petrol, he said he could not bring himself to cough up between N250 to N400 for a litre of petrol by the road side. Consequently, he had to spend up to 12 hours on the queue at a filling station to enable him get fuel at the official N145 per litre.<br /> <br /> The nightmarish experience, according to him, ended up taking the joy out of the yuletide season, although he was quick to add that fuel scarcity at this time of the year in the country is not particularly new.<br /> <br /> “We must not forget that this is not new to us,” he said. “I see people make it seem like it is all about the president, Buhari. Let us not forget that in the past this always occurred during this season and I dare say, some even worse than what we are facing now.<br /> <br /> “We always seem to forget too easily. My disappointment with this government is that despite all its promises, it still allowed this situation to persist. We were thinking that with all the assurances it gave us, this kind of experience would remain in the past, but what we are experiencing right now is a real shame.”<br /> <br /> A fellow Calabar resident, Miss Affiong Etim, could not stand the hike in transport fares caused by the fuel scarcity.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Her words: “No light, no roads, no water, no money, and now no fuel. The money we don’t even have we now spend on transport alone. And it is not just transport, because as a market woman, I can tell you that the price of everything has gone up.<br /> <br /> “Transport fares have doubled or trippled. My brother, people are suffering. As I am to you, I have been standing here for close to one hour and I still cannot get a vehicle to enable me go and do my business. It is bad.”<br /> <br /> Mr Chinedu Nwosu, who was on his way to Umuahia, Abia State, said he had to pay N2,500 as against the normal fare of N1,500.<br /> <br /> Blaming government for the situation, Nwosu said: “I can’t blame transporters because it is business they are running and they buy petrol at this crazy price. It’s all government’s fault. It has to do something urgently about it.”<br /> <br /> The agony of motorists and commuters continues in Ilorin metropolis, the Kwara State capital, and other parts of the state like Offa, Ajase Ipo, Omu-Aran, Omupo and Idofian, as only a few filling stations are dispensing fuel.<br /> <br /> Only NNPC mega station and retail outlets along Asa Dam road, have regular supplies to sell. Same goes for Bovas filing stations along Fate and Offa Garage Roads.<br /> <br /> Sadly, there are long queues of vehicles waiting to buy fuel. Accordingly, transport fares have gone up astronomically.<br /> <br /> Black marketers are having a field day with five litres now going for between N1,800 and N2,200 in Ilorin township. The situation has also affected the prices of food items and other essentials.<br /> <br /> Recounting his ordeal, a motorist who gave his name as Johnson Abiodun, said he had to park his car at home.<br /> <br /> “I now take motorbike to my workshop,” he said. The situation is not palatable at all. It marred the Christmas celebration”.<br /> <br /> A Jos motorist, Monday Azi, is surprised that government’s promise that the increase in the pump price of petrol to N145 per litre would ensure an uninterrupted supply of fuel in the country has now failed.<br /> <br /> “That deregulation has gone on for two years over and market forces have not brought down the price of petroleum.”<br /> <br /> A commercial bus driver in Jos who chose not to be named said: “Since December 23, once I close in the evening, instead of going home to rest, I go and queue at the station to enable me get fuel for the next day.”<br /> <br /> Another commercial taxi driver in Jos, Sunday Abah, said: “For me to get fuel by 7 or 8 in the morning, I would join the queue by 10pm of the previous day.<br /> <br /> “It began as a joke; we thought it would end quickly. But here we are, nobody knows when we will be out of the problem”.<br /> <br /> A major fall out of the fuel scarcity in Jos is the December 15 tanker explosion at a filling station in the tin city. One of the five tankers waiting to off load their content unexpectedly exploded.<br /> <br /> Three of the tankers were completely burnt and the remaining two partly burnt.<br /> <br /> Two lives were lost in the inferno.<br /> <br /> A Port Harcourt commercial driver, Onwuchekwa Precious, revealed hat the situation was getting unbearable for him.<br /> <br /> “Things are so bad; the pain is unbearable. Sometimes I sleep at petrol stations to be able to get fuel to do my business. Christmas did not go as planned at all because since the fuel scarcity started, the price of almost everything has gone up. Times are very hard, I must confess.”<br /> <br /> Another commercial driver, who identified himself simply as Isaac, said: “We did not have a wonderful Christmas at all, if you ask me. It is just that we Nigerians are so used to suffering and smiling, according to the music icon Fela. The fuel scarcity ruined my plans for the Christmas.<br /> <br /> “I had planned to go home (Anambra State) with my family but I couldn’t do that because the cost of fuel was too high. I am buying petrol at the rate of N250 per litre and black marketers are selling at N400 per litre. As a result of this, I have no choice than to increase transport fare.<br /> <br /> A traveller, Sefiu Olabisi, said: “It is so bad we are ending this beautiful month on this note. I normally pay N4,500 for a bus ride from Port Harcourt to Lagos, but it suddenly went up to N10,000.”<br /> <br /> For Mr. Femi Olutade, a Lagos resident, this year’s Christmas will linger in his memory for ll the wrong reasons.<br /> <br /> “Transport fare increased four times over,” he lamented, adding: “I boarded Ketu to Berger, which was usually N50, at N200 on the 23rd and 24th December. Berger to Oshodi, which used to be N150, went up to N500.<br /> <br /> “This fuel crisis made Christmas to be less memorable for a lot of people who couldn’t travel to see their loved ones. Many motorists couldn’t do their businesses efficiently because it was hard to get fuel.<br /> <br /> “They were forced to cut down on the number of trips, hence reducing drastically the number of vehicles that could convey the teeming population”, he lamented.<br /> <br /> Mr Olutade believes that until the constitution of the country is strengthened and regulatory agencies become independent and transparent in their activities, fuel scarcity may persist.<br /> <br /> “Marketers wouldn’t have the nerve to hoard fuel if they know the DPR is watching and has the constitutional authority to arrest and prosecute any offender”, he submitted.<br /> <br /> Olumide Ogundele, an Osogbo resident, simply remained indoors during the festivity to avoid the chaos that characterized the period. The fuel scarcity made the Christmas holiday boring,” he said.<br /> <br /> “I had to stay indoors to maintain some sanity. The few places I had to travel to, I couldn’t get fuel and that means missing out of what would have been a wonderful celebration with my family.<br /> <br /> “Visiting some places within the metropolis also became a chore. Transport fare was jacked up and we even had to make do with squeezing ourselves, as four people were packed to occupy a space made for three persons”.<br /> <br /> It was the same case of retreat from fun activities for Amos Abah, a youth corps member, who couldn’t travel home for Christmas as a result of the fuel scarcity.<br /> <br /> “Fuel scarcity in Owerri gave my Christmas celebration a solitary and less exciting outlook. The ripple effect that resulted in a hike in transport fare within Owerri made me retreat to the comfort of my room to avoid engaging drivers in arguments over transport fare.<br /> <br /> “The fare from World Bank to Wetheral Road, which was usually N100, was doubled and in some cases quadrupled, with drivers charging outrageous fees whilst taking advantage of helpless passengers”.

Latest-News Nigerians lament - 'Our Christmas was ruined, thanks to fuel scarcity'

Several  Nigerians have started to lament the hardship brought about by the lingering fuel scarcity across the nation. While many had loo...

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Buhari appoints 209 chairmen, 1,258 board members

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="650" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-if9Fi9lOA3nloFmUrHscAY75vXVbxsK7Rm1tPyvNlQq1tYH8UIHKkln2Za7tFUy6gcPhUPYrhnlMmYwDKiYKd7qpfrVYT0vy6XPChUDhgOslnNMznCMForrORgJFEnsV1WAYoY1VxpQ/s400/buhari-resumes+signs.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed 209 board chairmen and 1,258 board members on Friday, according to a statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. This is obviously his largest set of appointments since assuming office.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> According to the statement, the president “approved the constitution of the Governing Boards of Agencies and Parastatals, under some Ministries, as well as the appointment of eminently qualified Nigerians to fill the Board positions, numbering 209 Chairmen and 1258 members.<br /> <br /> “Mr. President considered the approval for the constitution of the Boards as well as the appointments, very necessary, so as to provide a proper Governance and oversight structure for Government Agencies and Parastatals. The constitution of the boards with the appointments, is a demonstration of this Government’s efforts aimed at building strong institutions of Governance, and by extension, improving the quality of Policy formulation and supervision.<br /> <br /> “While these appointments represent a substantial number of hitherto pending board appointments, some more appointments are still being processed and will be released in due course.<br /> <br /> “The appointments take immediate effect and Honourable Ministers are advised to inaugurate the boards after letters of appointment have been issued.”

Latest-News Buhari appoints 209 chairmen, 1,258 board members

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed 209 board chairmen and 1,258 board members on Friday, according to a statement from the office o...

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