Falana slams Buhari for taking Nigeria’s problems to G7 meeting

<img alt="Falana" class="size-full wp-image-121509" height="184" src="http://cdn.dailypost.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Femi-Falana.jpg?a1f46c" width="320" /><br /> <br /> <br /> Lagos-based activist and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has attacked President Muhammadu Buhari for taking Nigeria’s problems to the just concluded G7 meeting.<br /> Speaking on Wednesday at a civil society round table on the state of the nation organized by the Nigerians United for Democracy in Lagos, Falana said it was a wrong start for the president.<br /> According to Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, “Our president went to the G7 and we are happy. And he went there with a bowl, ‘please do this for us, do this for us.<br /> “Again we must interrogate that, has our situation become so bad that we have to ask for external support? When we have not mobilized the energy, the potentials of our people to turn this country around.<br /> “And please, let the new regime be told that the dangerous prescriptions of the IMF and the World Bank and the G7 that we have followed since 1986 that the Structural Adjustment Programme was imposed on Nigeria, those prescriptions have reduced Nigeria to a banana republic. Since then we have been managing poverty, what they call poverty alleviation, not poverty eradication, because this system can never abolish poverty.”<br /> The lawyer called on Nigerians to challenge the government over its choice of economic policies.<br /> “There are alternative economic programmes to the ones that are forced on Nigerians every time,” Mr. Falana said.<br /> “It’s either its privatization, which is the selling of our public assets, or retrenchment or downsizing of workers, or trade liberalisation so that all manner of goods are brought to our country to destroy our industries.<br /> “And that is what has happened today, all the textiles industries in Kaduna and Kano and Aswani all of them are gone. All those warehouses in Oregun, Apapa, and the rest were for storing goods produced locally. Now they are all becoming churches and event centres.”<br /> On some states’ inability to pay their workers, Falana blamed it on the indolence of their governors.<br /> “I’ve seen our media in the last week trying to concentrate all attention on Osun State, whereas Osun is owing six months,” said Falana.<br /> <div style="float: none; margin: 5px 0 5px 0; text-align: center;"> <ul class="wpp-list"> <li> Leave Tinubu out of National Assembly crisis – Senator Boroffice</li> </ul> </div> “There are states that are owing 9-10 months. I’m not saying this to justify what is going on. Please, can we have a broader perspective with respect to the management of the affairs of our country?” He added.

Falana slams Buhari for taking Nigeria’s problems to G7 meeting

TRENDGUY 0 6:47 PM

Lagos-based activist and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has attacked President Muhammadu Buhari for taking Nigeria’s problems to the just concluded G7 meeting. Speaking on Wednesday at a civil society round table on the state of the nation org… Continue Reading»

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Bailout: Governors Resolve to Meet Buhari

<img alt="r55-Abdulaziz-Yari.jpg - r55-Abdulaziz-Yari.jpg" height="180" id="page_content_Content9_oModuleContent_2_img_Banner" src="http://cdn.akamai.thisdaylive.com/0bef99d6-acf5-4e2c-9779-8fa02ba3fcd4/assets/r55-Abdulaziz-Yari.jpg?maxwidth=400&maxheight=540" width="320" /><br /> <br /> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;">  Want FG to pay debts owed to states</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">  Congratulate Saraki, Dogara, seek cooperation</li> </ul> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Chuks Okocha in Abuja</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Governors of the 36 states of the federation rose from a meeting in Abuja, resolving to meet President Muhammadu Buhari on the financial crisis crippling the affairs of the states.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Also, the governors congratulated the newly elected Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, pledging to cooperate with the 8th session of the National Assembly.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to the chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdulazeez Yari, who was also confirmed at the meeting, the governors viewed the financial crisis facing the states as a national issue as there are federal government agencies that are owing salaries for upward of seven to eight months.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The new chairman of the Governors Forum said, “We decided not to talk of the bailout directly, though the problem we observe is not only a state matter. It is a national matter. Some of the federal agencies are being owed for seven months and above. The federal government cannot do it alone because of the dwindling of the economy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “So, instead of requesting for the bailout, because we have to make sure that the federal government has liquidity, but where will the federal government find the liquidity? It is sending a very wrong signal that the states are asking for bailout and we all know that the economy of the country is in a very bad shape.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “So, instead of sending a bad signal and aware of the implications, we are asking the federal government to pay the states for the federal government jobs that have been executed by the states. The federal government is owing some states up to N10 billion for federal jobs executed. So, we would be asking the federal government to settle the backlog owed to the states. The federal government is owing some states N10 billion, N20 billion, N30 billion and Lagos state N50 billion.  So, if we can get back some of this money, we can settle some of the backlog of wages and salaries.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “It is on this that the governors would be meeting the President very soon.” Governor Yari said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Sources: <a href="http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+News/Africa/Nigeria">Newsnow </a></div>

Bailout: Governors Resolve to Meet Buhari

TRENDGUY 0 6:41 PM

 Want FG to pay debts owed to states  Congratulate Saraki, Dogara, seek cooperation Chuks Okocha in Abuja Governors of the 36 states of the federation rose from a meeting in Abuja, resolving to meet President Muhammadu Buhari on the financial … Continue Reading»

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Nigeria Governor Forum To Meet Today

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>According to <a href="http://www.naij.com/463314-nigeria-governor-forum-to-meet-today.html">Naij</a> The Nigeria Governors Forum are set meet on Wednesday to inaugurate the new board and perfect plans to demand a financial bailout from the Federal government to pay salaries.</strong><br /> <br /> It is no secret that for months now almost half the states in Nigeria are having difficulties in paying workers their salaries.<br /> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_252093" style="max-width: 800px;"> <img alt="Nigeria Governor Forum To Meet Today" class="wp-image-252093 size-large" height="492" src="https://i.onthe.io/vllkytaHR0cDovL2kuY2RubmFpai5jb20vby9sZmNjSzhtWGhta0lTaElQM0lRZkdHb28uanBn.prx.b457d6b1.jpg" width="800" /><div class="wp-caption-text"> A governorship Forum session in Progress</div> </div> The governor have blamed the Federal government allocations on the situation but the FG has said monthly allocations reduced due to falling price of oil.<br /> According to Premium Times, the NGF meeting is to take place at the Lagos/Osun Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja by 10 a.m.<br /> On Tuesday, the governors had met on their party paltforms; All Progressive Congress (APC governors) and Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP governors) to discuss ways they can liaison with the FG to bail them out.<br /> The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, while addressing journalists on Tuesday, the newly inaugurated APC government met a near empty treasury and the need to overhaul the economy cannot come sooner.<br /> An unnamed PGF governor who spoke to aPremium Times correspondent said, “<em>we would get update on the Federation Account Allocation Committee as well as the Excess Crude Account after which a proposal for bailout to states would be discussed. As it stands, we have no option than to approach Mr. President collectively on this matter.”</em><br />  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On ways to enhance state generated revenue, he said, <em>“we would discuss openly and collaboratively on how to enhance the revenue drive in the states, by sharing experiences and proposals, the belief is that we can collectively contribute to the best way out of the present quagmire.”</em></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The governors had also proposed</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Another issue to be discussed at the forum will be a proposal  to set up an <em><strong>“NGF Leadership Academy”</strong></em> to be run by the secretariat of the NGF.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Director General of the NGF, Ashishana Okauru is expected to brief the governors on the setting up of the academy and other matters from the secretariat.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, who was elected the Chairman of the NGF at its last meeting would be assuming office while a vice will be elected today as nobody was elected at the last session.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> To manage the dwindling financial resources in states, some governors and state lawmakers have began taking a paycut so as to use their allowances to pay staffs.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Governor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindo of Adamawa state <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">has promised to take a paycut while</a>, Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, says <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">he would cut his and his deputy, Mr Barnabas Bala’s, salaries by 50% </a>until the economic situation in the state improved.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> SOurce: <a href="http://www.naij.com/463314-nigeria-governor-forum-to-meet-today.html">Naij </a></div> </div>

Nigeria Governor Forum To Meet Today

TRENDGUY 0 6:35 PM

According to Naij The Nigeria Governors Forum are set meet on Wednesday to inaugurate the new board and perfect plans to demand a financial bailout from the Federal government to pay salaries. It is no secret that for months now almost half the s… Continue Reading»

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Saraki's Victory: Atiku, G-5 Govs Worked Against APC

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Reports have it that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the five governors, who in late 2013 defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party had a hand in the victory of Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara.</strong><br /> <br /> Saraki, an ex-governor of Kwara State had been elected as the new president of the Senate, while Dogara emerged speaker of the House of Representatives, yesterday, June 9, 2015.<br /> According to This Day report, Atiku and the governors were not comfortable with the national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his rising touted political wizadry so they decided to work against their party and ‘<em>cut Tinubu to size</em>.’<br /> <br /> They were said to have used their influence to make Saraki emerge Senate president, stopping Ahmed Lawan, who is believed to to be Tinubu’s candidate.<br />  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Aliyu Wammako, former governor of Sokoto state reportedly used his successor, the new governor of the state, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, to reach out to returning House members to support Dogara in emerging the House of Representatives Speaker. <br /> Few hours after the national leadership of the APC rejected Saraki and Dogara’s victory, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">Atiku issued a statement congratulating both men</a>.<br /> He stated that the eighth National Assembly as a partner in progress with the other arms of government should never lose the focus of its role. He also called on Dogara and Saraki to see their election beyond the narrow interests of respective parties.<br /> <br /> The Lagos state chapter of the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">APC has called on the national leadership of the party to punish Saraki and Dogara</a>, saying it was a sad development that Saraki could jump into bed with the Peoples Democratic Party in his desperation for power.</div>

Saraki's Victory: Atiku, G-5 Govs Worked Against APC

TRENDGUY 0 6:37 PM

Reports have it that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the five governors, who in late 2013 defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party had a hand in the victory of Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara. … Continue Reading»

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Army Chiefs Of Staff Visit Maiduguri To Assess Relocation

<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" height="183" src="http://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Security%20Chiefs.jpg?itok=6AZdel0f" width="320" /> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Nigerian Army and Air Force Chiefs visited Military Center of Command in Maiduguri , the capital of Borno State, yesterday. The visit was in compliance with President Buhari’s request.     </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah, and the Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosun, visited the center at 2:30 pm  on Tuesday. The two chiefs went to their respective areas of command to make assessments of their relocation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The two Chiefs spoke to the media before jetting out of the northeastern city that has been plagued by fighting.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Mr. Minima told journalists, that “with the arrival of the advanced party of the MCCC to Maiduguri days earlier to carry out reconnaissance of the existing structure, “it is very clear that the movement has started.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The presence of the Chief of Air Staff and mine, which is the very hierarchy of the Air Force and Army here today does not mean that we are taking the battle from the General Officer Commanding, who is here,” he said. “He still commands the operation as the GOC; we will be here to add further impetus to the operation.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said that the relocation will expedite the process of stopping Boko Haram.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “This is war, and in war, sometimes it is not mathematics; one will do all the preparations and it does not come out as planned,” he said. “We may say we will capture an area in two weeks and it would turn out that even in a month we may not have achieved that. But we are highly optimistic that this time, with this new drive, we will conclusively bring this insurgency to an end.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Amosun, had informed reporters at the 79th Composite Group Command, Maiduguri, about what the relocation of the MCCC was all about.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The essence of moving the MCCC to Maiduguri is essentially to ease the processes of discharging authority and giving direction and the apparatus that goes along with it,” he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “So this is what command and control is all about. In the armed forces generally, we operate on the </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> concept of centralized control, and the executive of this centralized command is often domiciled where the operation is taking place. We are just coming in to ensure that the time that will be lost is closed up; and that is why we are now here.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In addition he said along with the transfer to Maiduguri, “there would be some drastic changes especially in the areas of speedy response of administrative demands incidental to the counter insurgency operation.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Mr. Amosun added that with the spirited commitments of President Buhari, the war against Boko Haram will end soon.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

Army Chiefs Of Staff Visit Maiduguri To Assess Relocation

TRENDGUY 0 6:33 PM

  The Nigerian Army and Air Force Chiefs visited Military Center of Command in Maiduguri , the capital of Borno State, yesterday. The visit was in compliance with President Buhari’s request.      Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah, and the Chief… Continue Reading»

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Ondo Police Arrest Students For Internet ‎Fraud

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" height="240" src="https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Th%20Suspect..jpeg?itok=TdNXLRtB" width="320" /> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="first" style="text-align: justify;"> Three students Fisayo Adetoro, Emmanuel Omole, and Wale Ayeni‎ who specialize in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public through the internet have been arrested.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In a Press statement Ondo Police Imagemaker, Mr. Oluwole Ogodo, said that ‎the three undergraduate students were members of a notorious internet fraud syndicate.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Mr. Ogodo said that by using professional police tactics detectives from the Akure Area Command ‎nabbed the suspects at "Ilesha Garage and Delta Hotel" in Akure.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Mr. Ogodo disclosed that Fisayo Adetoro is a 300-Level, Computer Science student at the Joseph Ayodele Babalola University, (JABU) in Ikeji Arakeji, Osun state. The Police Spokesman added that Emmanuel Omole and Wale Ayeni were expelled students of the Federal University of Technology Akure, (FUTA). ‎Mr. Ogodo narrated the method in which undergraduate students have been defrauding their victims: ‎</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "Through online transactions, the syndicate had, sometime in April 2015, requested six i-phones valued at Nine Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand Naira (N984,000:00k) from Ajiboye Adeyinka Kabir of No. 3, Oyekunle Street, Ajegunle, Lagos State.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span class="ds-1col file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-embedded centered clearfix block-story-object block-story-object-resource block-story-object-resource-image"> <span class="block-story-object-asset"><img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" src="https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/The%20Suspect%20and%20their%20vehicle..jpeg?itok=9I0ShifR" /></span><span class="block-story-object-content"><span class="block-story-object-content-header"><span class="block-story-object-content-header-description"> </span></span><span class="block-story-object-content-footer"> </span></span> </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> They lied to Ajiboye that they were working at Government House, Akure.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "Ajiboye brought the six i-phones to Akure as requested by the syndicate on 10/5/2015. On arrival at Ondo garage Akure, the three fraudsters took him in their operational vehicle, a Nissan Armanda Jeep with Registration Number JS-28-EKY, and pretended to be heading for Government House, Akure.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "On the way, they made a detour to Fiwasaye-Ijapo Road, Akure where they forcefully took the I-phones from Ajiboye, and pushed him out of the vehicle in motion. Ajiboye sustained various degrees of injuries and was rushed by Policemen at Ijapo Division to the Police Clinic, Akure for immediate medical attention.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "On 25/5/2015, the syndicate also contacted one Akinola Segun of No. 29/31 Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos, and placed an order for another set of five I-phones valued at Eight Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira (N820,000:00k).</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "They again lied that they were lecturers at the Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin. On arrival in Akure on 25/5/2015 at about 16:30hrs, they conveyed Akinola in their operational jeep to a hotel on Ondo Road, Akure. The three then drugged his food with swinol tablets and made away with the five I-phones.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "The syndicate however ran out of luck on 2/6/2015 when they unknowingly contacted the same Akinola Segun on a different website and ordered five I-phones, and deceitfully presented themselves as lecturers from the College of Agriculture, Akure.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "Akinola Segun immediately contacted the Akure Area Command’s office where the Area Commander, ACP. Edward Ajogun psc, with his team of detectives employed professional tactics that lead to their arrest of the three students.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Police has impounded the alleged fraudsters’ operational vehicle,a Nissan Armanda Jeep, with Registration Number JS-28-EKY, valued at Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: 1.538em;">Other items recovered from the syndicate include: (i) three 16GB I-phones, (ii) one HTC phone, (iii) one Blackberry Q10, (iv) one Techno phone, (v) Gold rings, (vi) Gold necklace and (vii) Gold ear ring. These items are valued at Six Hundred and Sixty Seven Thousand Naira.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Police vowed to arraign the suspects in court.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Source: <a href="http://saharareporters.com/2015/06/10/ondo-police-arrest-students-internet-%E2%80%8Efraud">Saharareporters </a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

Ondo Police Arrest Students For Internet ‎Fraud

TRENDGUY 0 6:31 PM

  Three students Fisayo Adetoro, Emmanuel Omole, and Wale Ayeni‎ who specialize in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public through the internet have been arrested. In a Press statement Ondo Police Imagemaker, Mr. Oluwole Ogodo, said that ‎t… Continue Reading»

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Tinubu’s Political Career Is Over, Says Bode George

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" height="214" src="https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/1280px-Asiwaju_Bola_Ahmed_Tinubu_%285980497975%29.jpg?itok=AEnsDpXK" width="320" /> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has said that the political career of the National Leader, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is over.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George said this during a telephone interview with our correspondent while reacting to the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President ahead of Senator Ahmed Lawan, who was the preferred candidate of Tinubu.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Specifically, George said Tinubu should start preparing to quit politics as his political influence has grossly diminished.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The PDP leader said Nigerians had become fed up with Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande’s style of politics which he alleged involved imposition of candidates.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said having nominated the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; and the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Tinubu should have “taken things easy” but “Tinubu continued to push his luck too far.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said, “You know I predicted weeks ago that the APC is just a congregation of strange bedfellows. The most beautiful thing about what has happened is that Bola Tinubu’s political influence in Nigeria is coming to a sunset and it is about five minutes to midnight for him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “If he cannot see this now, then it will be foolish of him. He brought in the APC national chairman and the vice-president and he thinks Nigeria belongs to him. So, he thought what he did in Lagos was what he could replicate at the national level and they have shown him that he cannot continue to be the lord of the manor.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “So, if he is wise, he will slow down. President Muhammadu Buhari, as an army general, has fought more battles than him and has an understanding of things.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George said the re-election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President was a victory for the PDP.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said this was in line with his prediction that the PDP would bounce back. He praised the PDP senators for carrying out a successful ‘political manoeuvre’.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George said, “The PDP was never dead. We were only given a bloodied nose, not a technical knockout. So, this is an opportunity to start regrouping and getting ready for 2019. I want to salute the dexterity and perfect political manoeuvres for which the PDP is well known.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “People like Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande in Osun have always been local champions. Now, they have come to the national level of politics and they are now learning the tricks that all that glitters is not gold.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I congratulate Saraki and Ekweremadu. They understand what Nigeria is all about.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> George slammed the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for rejecting the outcome of the elections.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said the APC had no powers to sanction Saraki.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The APC would discipline Saraki? Is Saraki a child? They probably think they are playing local politics like the one they play in Lagos State. I welcome them to the real world,” he said.</div> <div class="clearfix after-story-ad-wrapper" style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="views-row col-small-6 col-large-4"> </div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Source: <a href="http://saharareporters.com/2015/06/10/tinubu%E2%80%99s-political-career-over-says-bode-george">Saharareporters</a> </div>

Tinubu’s Political Career Is Over, Says Bode George

TRENDGUY 0 6:28 PM

  A former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has said that the political career of the National Leader, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is over. George said this during a telephone intervi… Continue Reading»

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[PHOTOS] Meet The 7 Female Senators Of The 8th National Assembly

<img alt="F.S remi_tinubu" class="aligncenter wp-image-51281" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-remi_tinubu-240x300.jpg" width="256" /><br /> Of all 109 senators who will serve in the 8th National Assembly, only seven are women. Four of the female senators were elected on the Peoples Democratic Party’s platform while three are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).<br /> The PDP senators-elect are Stella Oduah (Anambra North), Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central), Rose Oko (Cross River North) and Fatimat Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti Central). Those elected on APC platform are Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) and Binta Garba (Adamawa North) and Monsurat Jumoke Sunmonu (Oyo Central), who is the immediate past speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly.<br /> <strong> 2. Stella Oduah (Anambra North)</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Stella-Odua.png"><img alt="F.S Stella Odua" class="aligncenter wp-image-51273" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Stella-Odua-262x300.png" width="279" /></a><br /> <strong>3. Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central)</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Uche-Ekwunife.png"><img alt="F.S Uche Ekwunife" class="aligncenter wp-image-51272" height="240" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Uche-Ekwunife-300x225.png" width="320" /></a><br /> <strong>4. Rose Oko (Cross River North)</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Rose-Oko2.jpg"><img alt="F.S Rose Oko2" class="aligncenter wp-image-51277 size-full" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Rose-Oko2.jpg" width="214" /></a><br /> <strong>5. Fatimat Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti Central)</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-fatima-raji.jpg"><img alt="F.S fatima-raji" class="aligncenter wp-image-51278 size-full" height="224" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-fatima-raji.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /> <strong>6. Binta Garba (Adamawa North)</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Binta-Garba.jpg"><img alt="F.S Binta Garba" class="aligncenter wp-image-51274" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Binta-Garba.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /> <strong>7. Monsurat Jumoke Sunmonu (Oyo Central)</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Monsurat-Jumoke-Sunmonu.png"><img alt="F.S Monsurat Jumoke Sunmonu" class="aligncenter wp-image-51275" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/F.S-Monsurat-Jumoke-Sunmonu-206x300.png" width="220" /></a><br />

[PHOTOS] Meet The 7 Female Senators Of The 8th National Assembly

TRENDGUY 0 10:15 AM

Of all 109 senators who will serve in the 8th National Assembly, only seven are women. Four of the female senators were elected on the Peoples Democratic Party’s platform while three are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP sen… Continue Reading»

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[PHOTO] Bukola Saraki Takes Oath Of Office As Senate President

<img alt="Embedded image permalink" class="aligncenter" height="208" src="http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHDIweOXIAAT_-G.jpg" width="320" /><br /> <br /> Bukola Saraki was elected Senate President like an hour ago.See photo of him taking his oath of office.

[PHOTO] Bukola Saraki Takes Oath Of Office As Senate President

TRENDGUY 0 10:13 AM

Bukola Saraki was elected Senate President like an hour ago.See photo of him taking his oath of office. … Continue Reading»

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You Wouldn’t Believe Tinubu’s Reaction To Saraki’s Victory As Senate President

<img alt="tinubu" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-46895" height="206" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/tinubu.jpg" width="320" /><br /> <br /> <span style="color: black;">According to sources, the events at the National Assembly has left Tinubu and other  All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders shocked and  speechless.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">As they left the International Conference Centre in Abuja where they were supposed to have a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, they could not comment on what may have happened at the National Assembly.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">It seems that the PDP not only robbed the APC of the top positions at the Senate but also the power of speech.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was not even able to make comments over Bukola Saraki’s winning of the post of the President of the Senate.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">“I have no comment, I have no reaction,” said the national Leader of the APC while leaving the International Conference Centre in Abuja where the APC leaders were waiting in vain for Muhammadu Buhari.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC National Chairman, added: “We just watched it (on TV) but we will address you when the whole situation has been re-examined.”</span><br />

You Wouldn’t Believe Tinubu’s Reaction To Saraki’s Victory As Senate President

TRENDGUY 0 10:12 AM

According to sources, the events at the National Assembly has left Tinubu and other  All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders shocked and  speechless.As they left the International Conference Centre in Abuja where they were supposed to have a mee… Continue Reading»

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Photos] Buhari And Fashola Goes For A Walk On The Streets Of Germany

<img alt="fasholabuhari" class="aligncenter wp-image-51353" height="235" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/fasholabuhari-300x220.jpeg" width="320" /><br /> President Muhammadu Buhari alongside Former Lagos state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola goes for a walk during their Visit in Munich, Germany for G7 Summit.<br /> Fashola, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, former Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman Dambazau among other officials were among the entourage who accompanied the president to present Nigeria’s ‘wish list’ to the world leaders at the one day event.<br /> Fashola and Dambazau have been tipped to be nominated as ministers with the latter tipped to be appointed as either the Defense Minister or National Security Adviser.<br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fashola.jpg"><img alt="Fashola" class="aligncenter wp-image-51352" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fashola-300x300.jpg" width="319" /></a><br /> <a href="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/fasholabuhari.png"><img alt="fasholabuhari" class="aligncenter wp-image-51356" height="320" src="http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/fasholabuhari.png" width="320" /></a><br />

Photos] Buhari And Fashola Goes For A Walk On The Streets Of Germany

TRENDGUY 0 10:11 AM

President Muhammadu Buhari alongside Former Lagos state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola goes for a walk during their Visit in Munich, Germany for G7 Summit. Fashola, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, former Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman … Continue Reading»

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House of Reps Speakership Election: Dogara Defeats Gbajabiamila

<div class="first"> <span class="block-story-object-asset" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" height="192" src="http://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Yakubu-Dogara.jpg?itok=jF0A7Wua" width="320" /></span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">The House of Representatives election for Speaker has just ended, with Yakubu Dogora (Tafawa Balewa/ Bogoro, Bauchi  constituency), defeating   Femi Gbajabiamila (Surelere, Lagos constituency).</span> <span class="ds-1col file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-embedded centered clearfix block-story-object block-story-object-resource block-story-object-resource-image"> <span class="block-story-object-content"><span class="block-story-object-content-header"><span class="block-story-object-content-header-description">Yakubu Dogara </span></span><span class="block-story-object-content-footer"> </span></span> </span> </div> <span class="container container-pod container-pod-short"></span> The election followed a controversial election in the Upper House in which Senator Bukola Saraki of Kwara Central Senatorial District emerged Senate President as he appeared to go into business for himself in  cooperation with the Peoples Democratic Party.  Other members of his party, the All Progressives Congress were holding a “peace meeting” elsewhere at the time, and were outflanked. <br /> In what appeared to be a pre-planned manoeuvre, Saraki was immediately sworn-in as the President of the 8th Senate.

House of Reps Speakership Election: Dogara Defeats Gbajabiamila

TRENDGUY 0 10:09 AM

The House of Representatives election for Speaker has just ended, with Yakubu Dogora (Tafawa Balewa/ Bogoro, Bauchi  constituency), defeating   Femi Gbajabiamila (Surelere, Lagos constituency). Yakubu Dogara The election followed a contro… Continue Reading»

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Senator Saraki 'Elected' Senate President While APC Senators Were Meeting With Buhari

<div class="first"> <span style="line-height: 1.538em;">Senator Bukola Saraki, backed by minority senators of the All Progressives Congress and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who earlier endorsed him today "emerged" as the President of the Senate. SaharaReporters learnt 57 senators were present at today's meeting at the National Assembly. The "election" was presided over by the Clerk of the National Assembly.The election held was majority of his party members were meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Center in Abuja, a meeting Saraki shunned.</span> <span class="ds-1col file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-embedded centered clearfix block-story-object block-story-object-resource block-story-object-resource-image"> <span class="block-story-object-asset"><img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" src="https://secure.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Senator-Bukola-Saraki.jpg?itok=IgLfoxol" /></span><span class="block-story-object-content"><span class="block-story-object-content-header"><span class="block-story-object-content-header-description"> </span></span></span></span></div> <div class="first"> <span class="ds-1col file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-embedded centered clearfix block-story-object block-story-object-resource block-story-object-resource-image"><span class="block-story-object-content"><span class="block-story-object-content-header"><span class="block-story-object-content-header-description">Senator Bukola Saraki </span></span><span class="block-story-object-content-footer"> </span></span> </span> </div> <span class="container container-pod container-pod-short"></span> <span style="line-height: 1.538em;">The Kwara state senator led a group of</span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> renegade senators from the ruling All Progressives Congress in a revolt against the party hierarchy which had chosen a different candidate for the office of Senate president.</span><br /> The Saraki's "election" was witnessed by some PDP leaders led by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State. Saraki and leaders of PDP met overnight and plotted his election pairing him with former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP. the election of Ejkweremadu was ongoing as at the time of publishing this report.<br /> Today election was witnessed by notable APC senators led by former Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano State, Dino Melaye, Shabba Lafiagi and Sanni Yerima Bakura.<br /> The "election" took place without the legal proclamation of the Senate by President Buhari.

Senator Saraki 'Elected' Senate President While APC Senators Were Meeting With Buhari

TRENDGUY 0 10:08 AM

Senator Bukola Saraki, backed by minority senators of the All Progressives Congress and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who earlier endorsed him today "emerged" as the President of the Senate. SaharaReporters learnt 57 senators were… Continue Reading»

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How Saraki, Dogara outfoxed APC leaders

<strong>A</strong><strong>BUJA — </strong>The dramatic election of four key officers of the National Assembly yesterday unsettled the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and breathed life into the Peoples Democratic Party which lost its prime position to the APC.<br /> At the end of intrigues and drama that followed the battle for the four presiding officers’ positions in the National Assembly, all the candidates of the APC lost to the candidates backed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.<br /> <div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_529319" style="width: 368px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=529319" rel="attachment wp-att-529319"><img alt="Saraki" class="wp-image-529319 size-full" height="350" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Saraki-SP.jpg.pagespeed.ce.qxGhtpWdwI.jpg" width="358" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki raising the gavel at the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly in Abuja, yesterday</div> </div> In his immediate reaction to the emergence of the National Assembly presiding officers, President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged that a constitutional process has occurred in the election even though he wished the process had followed the initiative by the APC.<br /> Senator Bukola Saraki of the APC was returned unopposed as Senate President as the game of intrigues which played through Monday night to the early hours caught the APC leadership on the wrong side. His emergence was facilitated by the solid backing of the 49-member strong PDP caucus with unalloyed support from APC Senators from Zamfara, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kogi and Kwara States. As part of the <em>quid pro quo</em> from the PDP, the Saraki elements backed the return of Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP as Deputy President of the Senate, the first time a bipartisan leadership was enthroned in the Senate.<br /> The emergence of Saraki and Ekweremadu bounced off negatively for the official APC candidate in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who lost to the unofficial APC candidate, Yakubu Dogara. Gbajabiamila was also widely reported to be strongly backed by the party leader and former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.<br /> The rout of the APC leaders’ choices was completed late last night when the party’s candidate for Deputy Speaker, Tahir Monguno also lost to the unofficial candidate backed by the PDP, Lashan Yusuf. The contest for the deputy was after Gbajabiamila had, after his defeat, spurned entreaties from the Dogara camp to take the position of Deputy Speaker. Rep. Leo Ogor, coordinator of the PDP in the chambers and Deputy Leader of the House in the Seventh House of Representatives also spurned the offer.<br /> Saraki’s emergence as Senate President was preceded by hard negotiations and intrigues that played for most of Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday.<br /> <strong>Game of intrigues</strong><br /> Having rejected last Saturday’s internal party caucus which it claimed was skewed to favour Senator Ahmad Lawan who emerged official candidate of the party, Senator Saraki had through Monday made moves to concretise an alliance with the PDP which came into the Eighth Senate with 49 members compared with the 59 seats occupied by his own party, APC.<br /> PDP leaders, including virtually all governors belonging to the party in meetings gave their commitment to Senator Saraki after it emerged that 41 out of the 49 senators-elect in the party were already committed to him. That was based on the strong lobby put forward by Ekweremadu, Senator Andy Uba and former Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio.<br /> The PDP senators, it was learnt, saw Saraki who served two terms as governor and a Senate term on the platform of the party as a prodigal son of better consideration than an enemy which they saw in Lawan.<br /> However, consideration was given to the strong support being given Senator Lawan by immediate past Senate President, Senator David Mark, who had for the past eight years had Lawan as part of his inner caucus. Besides was the lack of cordiality between Saraki and Mark. Upon the strong support for Saraki, governors and members of the PDP National Working Committee, NWC including the immediate past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih persuaded Mark to drop his objection to Saraki in the interest of party unity.<br /> Mark, according to sources, heeded the appeal and immediately brought relief to all present at the high-level meeting. However, the <em>quid pro quo</em> was that Senator Ekweremadu would run for the office of Deputy President of the Senate.<br /> Upon the agreement which was sealed sometime around 2.a.m yesterday morning, Saraki and his entourage moved over to Senator Mark’s Apo Mansion residence where he thanked the immediate past Senate President for his hand of conciliation and support. Mark, according to sources, was visibly moved by the entreaty from Saraki and further reaffirmed his support.<br /> The PDP quickly issued a statement following the agreement with a directive to senators-elect and members-elect on the platform of the party to vote for Saraki and Dogara in the leadership contest in the two chambers. The APC meanwhile had the previous night been making furtive attempts at reconciliation. A move by Lawan to reach Saraki according to sources was frustrated by Saraki who put himself out of reach to the party leadership.<br /> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_529307" style="width: 422px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=529307" rel="attachment wp-att-529307"><img alt="Dogara" class="size-full wp-image-529307" height="248" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Dogara-Speaker.jpg.pagespeed.ce.U4Dt8SVUe9.jpg" width="412" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Dogara</div> </div> <strong>APC summons meeting</strong><br /> Early yesterday morning the APC, apparently aiming to undercut the agreement reached between the Saraki/Dogara groups and the PDP, summoned a meeting with all senators-elect and members-elect using the name of the president, Muhammadu Buhari who had just returned from his outing at the G7 summit in Germany.<br /> To give vent to the meeting, security was tightened around the National Assembly complex and senators-elect and members-elect were initially refused entry. However, supporters of Saraki and Dogara were quick to dismiss the meeting as they alleged that the president did not summon the meeting as they accused the party leadership of using the name of the president.<br /> Meanwhile as if bound by some agreements, the rebel APC senators-elect shortly before 10.00 a.m. drove into the National Assembly complex within a ten-minute period to team up with the 49 senators-elect from the PDP.<br /> At exactly, 10:03, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, began the day’s business with the roll call, after which it was discovered that out of the 108 senators-elect, only 57 were in attendance, leaving 52 others, mostly of the APC fold still outside.<br /> At that time, the 33 senators-elect committed to Senator Lawan, the party’s official candidate were still waiting for President Buhari who was nowhere to be found at the International Conference Centre, about two kilometres away.<br /> Seated, waiting were members of the National Working Committee of the APC led by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Abia state governor, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and Yobe state governor, Ibrahim Geidam.<br /> Meanwhile in the Senate chambers, with a quorum in place, senators-elect were asked to confirm their attendance in a roll call.<br /> <strong>Saraki emerges Senate president</strong><br /> Remarkably, Senator Saraki’s entry into the hall was hailed by wide applause from the seated senators-elect.<br /> Following the roll call, the Clerk of the National Assembly read the proclamation address to him from the president. He thereafter, requested the senators-elect to nominate someone among themselves for the position of the Senate President and Senator Ahmad Sani, Yeriman Bakura (APC, Zamfara Central), immediately nominated Senator Saraki and he was seconded by Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West.<br /> After the first nomination, Salisu, again, requested for other nominations, but there was a deafening silence as no other nomination for the post of Senate President was made and he immediately closed nomination upon which Saraki was adopted as the sole candidate and returned unopposed as the Senate President.<br /> <strong>APC meeting breaks up</strong><br /> Meanwhile, word of the development in the National Assembly reached the ICC, forcing a break-up of the meeting as APC senators-elect waiting for the president started dashing back to the National Assembly.<br /> After his election, he was immediately sworn in by the Clerk of the National Assembly following which he asked senators-elect to make nomination for Deputy President of the Senate.<br /> Senator George Sekibo from Rivers State nominated Senator Ekweremadu for the position of the Deputy Senate President and he was seconded by his kinsman, Senator-elect, Olaka Nwogu.<br /> Senator Ndume was nominated for the same position, setting the stage for an epic battle that however, melted into an easy sail for Ekweremadu who won with 54 votes to 20. He becomes the first senator to be elected to the office three times and the first principal officer of the National Assembly in either House to be elected presiding officer three straight times.<br /> <strong>Saraki’s victory paves way for Dogara</strong><br /> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_529473" style="width: 347px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=529473" rel="attachment wp-att-529473"><img alt="Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara after inauguration, yesterday. Photos: Olugbemiga Olamikan/" class="size-full wp-image-529473" height="250" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Yakubu-Dogara.jpg.pagespeed.ce.epPu-2oHN9.jpg" width="337" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara after inauguration, yesterday. Photos: Olugbemiga Olamikan/</div> </div> The defeat of the official APC candidates immediately translated into a bounce for Dogara who had formed a partnership with Saraki in the rebellion against the official candidates of the party. The election of Saraki as the Senate President prompted wild jubilation on the floor of the House of Representatives, especially among the supporters of Dogara.<br /> Hon. Emeka Azubugu (Anambra PDP) brought the news at exactly 10.19 a.m. and Pat Asadu, (Enugu PDP) walked and signalled the victory of Saraki to the members.<br /> Amid the jubilations, members began to sing solidarity songs like “All we are saying, give us Dogara”, “solidarity forever, we shall always fight for our rights”. The songs later gave way to shouts of “Dogara, Dogara”, in unison.<br /> But the chants changed when Femi Gbajabiamila rushed in into the chamber from the ICC at 11.00 a.m. apparently to undercut a unanimous vote for Dogara.<br /> His entry also led to a chorus of his name by his supporters. While his fans shouted “Sai Gbajabiamila”, Dogara’s supporters in a surprise response loudly re-echoed “Sai Dogara”, meaning “It is Dogara”.<br /> The mother of all chants, however, came when Dogara walked into the chamber at 11:12 a.m. But feeling provoked, Gbajabiamila’s supporters joined the fray in the chants, showing a clear division of the camps. This continued until 11:58 a.m. when the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Maikasuwa came into the chamber and introduced himself as the clerk<br /> It took about 30 minutes for the house to get ready for the election. At exactly 12:33, the House was called to order with the clerk reading the proclamation letter from President Buhari. Following the letter, the roll call of members-elect was taken and it lasted for 25 minutes between 12:35 pm and 1:pm in alphabetical order of the states. In the end, 358 members were announced by the clerk to be present.<br /> <strong>Motion for nomination of candidates</strong><br /> In line with Section 60 of the 1999 constitution and Order 2, Rule 4 of the standing rule of the House, Hon. Abdulmumin Jubrin from Kano State nominated Dogara as a candidate for the speakership. The motion was seconded by Hon. Dike Okafor, a member from Imo State.<br /> Thereafter, Dogara stood up and acknowledged the nomination. He said: “I rise to accept my nomination as the speaker of the 8th House of Representatives”.<br /> His acceptance was greeted with standing ovation by his supporters, prompting shouts of “unopposed”. When this died down, Hon. Mohammadu Saleh from Bauchi State also moved another motion, nominating Gbajabiamila. The motion was also seconded by Hon. Shuaibu Philip from Edo State.<br /> “It is with great humbly and profound gratitude that I accept my nomination for the speakership position of the 8th House Of Representatives”, he said. With the rituals concluded at exactly 1:21pm, the clerk later said “We are proceeding with the election and according to the rule. The election will be by secret balloting.”<br /> Voting formally commenced at 1:27 pm and ended at exactly 3:31 pm with sorting and collation of results commencing almost immediately. In the end, Dogara was announced the winner with 182 votes to 174 votes.<br /> <strong>Gbajabiamila embraces Dogara</strong><br /> Sensing that he had lost the election even before the results were announced, Gbajabiamila stood up from his seat, walked up to where Dogara sat and embraced him, a development that was admired by many members of the House.<br /> Following his election, Dogara pledged to join the administration in waging war against the cancer of corruption, health problems, insecurity, bad governance among others. Hon. Lasun from Oyo State was also returned as Deputy Speaker having defeated Monguno from Borno State. The developments in the Senate and the House of Representatives drew different reactions from the PDP and the APC last night.<br /> <strong>APC rejects outcomes, says it’s treachery</strong><br /> The APC was quick to reject the outcome describing it as the height of treachery as it promised to sanction those who betrayed the decision of the party.<br /> “Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC and a majority of its National Assembly members-elect for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker. The party duly met and conducted a straw poll and clear candidates emerged for the posts of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, supported by a majority of all Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives. All National Assembly members-elect who emerged on the platform of the party are bound by that decision.<br /> ‘’The party is supreme and its interest is superior to that of its individual members,’’ the party said in a statement issued in Abuja Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.<br /> “Consequently, the APC leadership is meeting in a bid to reestablish discipline in the party and to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those involved in what is nothing but a monumental act of indiscipline and betrayal to subject the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration ‘’ it said. ‘’There can be no higher level of treachery, disloyalty and insincerity within any party,’’ the party said, vowing to resolve the matter using all constitutional and legal means available to it.<br /> Meanwhile, the APC has asked all its loyal Senators-elect to report to the Senate to be sworn-in in order to discharge their constitutional duties.<br /> <strong>PDP welcomes election</strong><br /> The PDP in its own reaction, however, welcomed the election saying that no section of the country should be neglected on national issues.<br /> PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Tuesday described the development in both chambers of the National Assembly as “victory for democracy and triumph of the time-honored value of the PDP that every zone and segment of the country must at all times be given a sense of belonging in governance”.<br /> The PDP assured that it would continue to partner with like minds in other political parties and groups to ensure that the nation’s democracy, which it nurtured in the last 16 years is sustained in the overall interest of the Nigerian people.<br /> “What is paramount to the PDP is the sustenance of our democracy and the wellbeing of our people, irrespective of creed, class or ethnicity. The PDP is therefore willing and ready to partner with like-minded individuals in other political parties and groups to sustain our democracy, ensure good governance and promote the unity and stability of our dear nation. Nigeria as a nation belongs to all of us. Its interest, therefore, must be put over and above personal, partisan or group interests at all times.<br /> “In this regard, the PDP notes with gratitude, the immense contributions of the immediate past Senate President ‘the Baba of the National Assembly’, Senator David Mark for the decency and mature manner with which he ensured the smooth take off of the 8th National Assembly”, the party said.<br /> The statement also commended the PDP Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus for successfully galvanizing PDP members in both chambers of the National Assembly, which contributed to the peaceful conduct of the elections.<br /> The PDP charged its members in the National Assembly to continue to uphold the tenets of democracy and enforce the constitutionally vested parliamentary role of check and balances to ensure the much desired accountability and probity in the polity.<br /> Finally, it urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop whining and accept the will of the people, respect the independence of the legislature, as the PDP is not responsible for their naivety and crass inexperience.<br /> <strong>Buhari lauds outcome of NASS polls</strong><br /> President Buhari on his part noted the outcome of the just-concluded election of leaders of the National Assembly.<br /> A statement issued by the Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, said the President would rather that the process of electing the leaders as initiated and concluded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been followed. Nonetheless, the President took the view that a constitutional process has somewhat occurred.<br /> “President Buhari had said in an earlier statement that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers elected,” Adesina said. “That sentiment still stands, though he would have preferred the new leaders to have emerged through the process established by the party”.

How Saraki, Dogara outfoxed APC leaders

TRENDGUY 0 10:07 AM

ABUJA — The dramatic election of four key officers of the National Assembly yesterday unsettled the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and breathed life into the Peoples Democratic Party which lost its prime position to the APC. At the end of i… Continue Reading»

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Simple Way To Get Upto 20GB On Your Mtn Sim Cards [Fresh imei]

<img alt="DON_PHEZTURZ" height="320" src="http://gltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/35_300296412_9deb9582b5.jpg" width="320" /><br /> <br /> Here we are again, mtn 3GB is back and better…<br /> So let keep rocking….<br /> <b>How Does It Works?</b><br /> <img alt="DON_PHEZTURZ" src="http://gltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/300300160_82c1416151.jpg" /><br /> <b>Latest Mtn 3GB imei…</b><br /> 352152070072436<br /> 352152070065537<br /> 860556025322100<br /> 863619015881144<br /> 863619015890000<br /> 863619015900000<br /> <img alt="DON_PHEZTURZ" src="http://gltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/300300164_7d2633fccb.jpg" /><br /> After successful Tweaking, just open ur sms bomber if uv gat one or go to your msg and text<br /> <b>free to 131</b><br /> Or<br /> <b>mifi to 131</b><br /> <img alt="DON_PHEZTURZ" src="http://gltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/300300161_a07485fbfe.jpg" /><br /> <b>Note</b>: u can only accumulate ur mb like mine above using ur sms bomber, go to playstore and download if uv gat none…<br /> <br /> Mtn magic sim also rocks on all devices, whatsapp @ 07056079601<br /> Drop ur testimonies…<br />

Simple Way To Get Upto 20GB On Your Mtn Sim Cards [Fresh imei]

TRENDGUY 0 6:24 PM

Here we are again, mtn 3GB is back and better… So let keep rocking…. How Does It Works? Latest Mtn 3GB imei… 352152070072436 352152070065537 860556025322100 863619015881144 863619015890000 863619015900000 After successful Tweaking, just open ur sms … Continue Reading»

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Airtel 8GB Is Back And Better, Working On All Devices…

<img alt="DON_PHEZTURZ" src="http://gltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/300300159_3d481f608d.png" /><br /> <br /> <b>Tweak this Valid IMEI<br /> Airtel 8GB</b><br /> VALID IMEI : <b>867889002378626</b><br /> in an SMS send <b>JOIN TO 141</b><br /> <br /> <b>HOW DO I CHECK MY DATA?</b><br /> Dial *123*133# to check your DATA VALIDITY.<br /> NOTE: THE DATA VARIES, I GOT 4GB A FRIEND<br /> GOT 1GB, ANOTHER GOT 8GB.<br /> Mtn Magic Sim Also Rocking Hard Here, whatsapp @ 08060518174<br /> <b>Note</b><br /> <br /> : wait for welcome msg from 232 b4 u send d command, if d msg take much time b4 it enters, just switch ur airtel sim to 3G only mode so d msg can come in….<br /> <br /> <b>ALL NETWORKS MAGIC SIM AND UNLIMITED BROWSING ROCKING HERE..</b><br /> WHATSAPP @ 08060518174<br /> I hope to read your testimonies.<br />

Airtel 8GB Is Back And Better, Working On All Devices…

TRENDGUY 0 5:45 PM

Tweak this Valid IMEI Airtel 8GB VALID IMEI : 867889002378626 in an SMS send JOIN TO 141 HOW DO I CHECK MY DATA? Dial *123*133# to check your DATA VALIDITY. NOTE: THE DATA VARIES, I GOT 4GB A FRIEND GOT 1GB, ANOTHER GOT 8GB. Mtn Magic Sim Also Rocki… Continue Reading»

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8 Ways Technology is Influencing Nigeria’s 2015 Elections

<img alt="TechCabal" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28252" height="178" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TechCabal-e1426079670823.png" width="320" /><br /> <br /> 2011 and 2012 was when citizens found a voice via social media in Nigeria. The OccupyNigeria movement is the biggest case in point. 2015 is when they will roar once more, because the general elections<br /> The elections, which shifted from its initial set date, February 14 to March 28, is now days away, and the most influential actors on the political stage are finding ways to manipulate and subvert the conversation in their favour. Every trick in the book is in play — spoof Twitter accounts, viral smear campaigns, blatant astroturfing…in response, civil society is trying to mobilise and use technology to cut through the noise and help citizens engage productively.<br /> In this war of interests, here are ways technology and internet are already impacting Nigeria’s upcoming election.<br /> <h3> Election Monitoring</h3> Local developers have designed mobile apps and websites that can aggregate real-time updates from polling units from across the country; some of them with geo-tagging function to track these updates by location.<br /> Nigeria Elections<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> is a mobile app. It aggregates news around the elections, and also provides the listing of polling booths, national constituencies, presidential candidates and their running mates. The results of the election will be uploaded on the app when it is officially announced.</a><br /> <img alt="7tec1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28235" height="350" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/7tec1.jpg" width="197" /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><br /></a> <img alt="7tec2" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28236" height="350" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/7tec2.jpg" width="197" /><br /> INEC<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">, names after the country’s electoral umpire – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) -allows users get information on polling units, the election process and the status of their PVC. Another similar election monitoring app is EiE’s Revoda.</a><br /> Pollwatchng.com<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> and Nigeriadecide.org are websites that which allow voters/observers submit situation reports about the elections in their locale. Users can upload images with cursory comments about the situation being reported.</a><br /> <h3> Online Conversations and Campaigns</h3> Traditional media: print, television and radio, remained the major sources of information dissemination in Nigeria, until enormous mobile penetration, data availability and cheap access.<br /> Internet usage in Nigeria grew by 16% in 2014, making a total of about 37.53% of Nigerians with internet access. Politicians have joined the growing online community.<br /> Political office hopefuls and their supporters have taken to twitter and sent out political messages with  hashtags like #GEJ_WINS, #CHANGE e.t.c.<br /> <br /> To show that they “get it”, both front-running political parties – APC and PDP – have staged Google Hangouts. Last month, the APC’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola answered questions from Nigerian youth. The PDP’s Google Hangout session was staged for its Lagos governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje.<br /> <br /> An overwhelming torrent of websites and apps also dot the internet designed by political parties to reach supporters. Forwardnigeria.ng, Apcgmbpyo.org are affiliated with the PDP and APC presidential candidates respectively. They have also embraced candidate-specific apps such as the General Buhari and the APC Situation Room for the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and the other for his party, APC. Forward Nigeria is for the incumbent president and PDP presidential flag bearer, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.<br /> <img alt="7tec" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28237" height="350" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/7tec.jpg" width="197" /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><br /></a> <img alt="7tec4" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28239" height="350" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/7tec4.jpg" width="197" /><br /> Individuals and civil organisations are also driving conversation via the internet. Enough Nigeria Coalition’s eie.ng is a website that provides information on candidates vying for political offices as well as beams INEC’s press releases. Sterling and Greenback, a Lagos-based enterprise, also created a sentiment machine that measures the level of support for different parties.<br /> <img alt="Elections" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28248" height="278" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Elections.jpg" width="600" /><br /> <h3> Online Advertising</h3> Sponsored posts are popping up at every click of the mouse as there’s a good possibility you encounter a political ad – thanks Adsense – while watching a youtube video or just reading through your favourite blog.<br /> Social media brand promoters also known as pirates of Nigerian twitter are also part of online advertising stratagem. They are throwing their online weight behind the highest bidding political party.<br /> <h5> <strong>Scripted message like these ones have become too popular on twitter. </strong></h5> <img alt="tweet-001" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28224" height="400" src="http://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/tweet-001.jpg" width="383" /><br />

8 Ways Technology is Influencing Nigeria’s 2015 Elections

TRENDGUY 0 5:36 PM

2011 and 2012 was when citizens found a voice via social media in Nigeria. The OccupyNigeria movement is the biggest case in point. 2015 is when they will roar once more, because the general elections The elections, which shifted from its initial … Continue Reading»

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The role of social media in the 2015 Presidential elections in Nigeria

<div class="media-body" style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On the 28th of March 2015, Nigeria held its Presidential Elections. The elections served as a test for the fledgling democracy which the country has built over the years. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Contrary to expectations, the elections were free, fair, devoid of wrangling. The opposition party held sway and gained the upper hand it the polls. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) also took the majority of the Senate seats and enjoyed wide support and acceptance from the populace. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It was also the very first time in which a ruling party lost elections to an opposition, as well as the first time in which an incumbent president conceded defeat and congratulated the winner at the polls. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The journey to the 28th of March however started way before that date. The APC understood early enough the need to involve the youths of Nigeria, which also prides itself as the most populous black country in the world as well as the largest economy in Africa. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Prior to the elections, the presidential and vice presidential candidate of the opposition party opened Twitter accounts and made their presence known on social media in which they engaged directly with the young people. Several issues were raised and the candidates were able to sell their programs and policies directly to those who mattered most. Posts were favorited and retweeted by thousands and the ripple effect meant that young voters had access to information on the go and were able to make up their minds as to who to cast their votes for. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Several campaigns were also started by young people in which they became volunteers, campaigners and actively canvassed votes for their preferred candidate. The "Change" slogan which the opposition party floated as its rallying call was mostly embraced by all. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Lively discussions, posts and virtual town hall meetings held almost on a regular basis on cyber space. People were able to air their opinions, and for once in the bistros if the country, the young people became actively involved politically. For any Government to actively involve and engage with its youths, it must go where they are. And right now, the youths spend most of their time on social media and the Internet. Information is available on the go and people make up their minds on issues in the split of a second. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On the day in which the results were being announced there was no electricity, which is one of the issues Nigeria faces at the moment and which, hopefully, will be addressed by the incoming administration. Still I was able to follow up with the trends, news and announcements on Twitter as several young people were tweeting the results on the go as they were being announced. Even though I couldn't watch the news, I was able to follow the developments as they happened on the go. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Indeed, social media helped shape the opinion of a lot of youths in the elections and increased the political awareness and consciousness of the youths of Nigeria, be it by offering a platform for the candidates to interact directly with the voters or offering a setting to hold virtual town hall meetings. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The presidential elections have come and gone, winners and losers now know their fate. But the elections have definitely raised the bar for civic participation via social media for future elections in Nigeria. </div> </div>

The role of social media in the 2015 Presidential elections in Nigeria

TRENDGUY 0 5:34 PM

On the 28th of March 2015, Nigeria held its Presidential Elections. The elections served as a test for the fledgling democracy which the country has built over the years.  Contrary to expectations, the elections were free, f… Continue Reading»

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The Role of Social media in 2015 elections

<div style="text-align: justify;"> ocial media allows candidates to communicate directly with citizens, keeping control of the content, distribution and timing of their messages, as well as reducing their dependence on traditional intermediaries. It also provides a way for politicians to monitor what is happening in the public </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/social-media-icons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="social-media-icons" class="alignleft wp-image-247506 size-full" height="316" src="http://cdn1.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/250x248xsocial-media-icons.jpg.pagespeed.ic.E2fwEgrtiC.jpg" width="320" /></a>sphere during an election campaign. The potential impact of social media campaigning first became evident in the 2008 United States (US) presidential election. President Barack Obama’s campaign included the use of social media platforms such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. Others included podcasting and mobile messaging. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The election, dubbed by many, as the ‘Facebook election’, saw nearly 70% of the vote among Americans aged 25 years and younger going to Obama</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> By 2011, Obama’s Twitter account – @BarackObama, which he used to promote legislation and support for his policies, was the third Twitter account in the world to have at least 10 million followers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> If Barack Obama’s social media team has taught us anything, it’s that images speak louder than words, with his most popular tweet (and the most retweeted tweet on the entire social network in 2012) consisting of a photo of him and Michelle Obama.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I believe that his Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) has been active on Facebook hitherto. He has been engaging the younger generation through his Facebook fan page for at least 4 years now, and his status updates are commendable.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Nigerian politicians who are not integrating active social media campaign into their arsenal may miss the opportunity to connect with the 45 million internet users in Nigeria. Their social media campaign should include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google Plus, among others.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> All over the world, old people do not embrace technology as compared to the younger generation. General Muhammed Buhari (GMB) may not be an exception. The way I see it, GEJ’s usage of social media to connect to, and build rapport with Nigerians is more targeted, innovative and effective. GMB may need to tighten his social media campaign, strategies and innovations.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Politics is all about connecting to the people, building rapport, and painting a mental picture of the future. I can call it a ‘mind’ game. The goal of an effective election campaign is to influence people’s perception and their decision. I see election campaign as marketing.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Marketing guru, Jay Conrad, author of Guerrilla Marketing says that people need to hear about your product or services for an average of 27 times before they make a purchase decision. In the end, purchase decisions are made in the subconscious mind.</div>

The Role of Social media in 2015 elections

TRENDGUY 0 5:32 PM

ocial media allows candidates to communicate directly with citizens, keeping control of the content, distribution and timing of their messages, as well as reducing their dependence on traditional intermediaries. It also provides a way for politic… Continue Reading»

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G7: France, Canada, Germany back Buhari on fight against Boko Haram

<div style="text-align: justify;"> President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Elmau at the G-7 summit, Germany,  reaffirmed his administration’s total commitment to ending Boko Haram’s insurgency in the shortest time possible. This is containded in a news release issued by the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_528674" style="text-align: justify; width: 310px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Germany-7.jpg"><img alt="Germany 7: President Muhammadu Buhari in a group picture at the Munich residence. In the picture are Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalgn of Ethiopia, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Ellen Sirleaf of Liberia, Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Ban ki Moon, Minister-President of the State of Bavaria, Mr Horst Seehofer, Chairperson AU commission, Mrs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, President of World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim and others." class="size-medium wp-image-528674" height="200" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/300x200xGermany-7-300x200.jpg.pagespeed.ic.OmcvXsVWnl.jpg" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Germany 7: President Muhammadu Buhari in a group picture at the Munich residence. In the picture are Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalgn of Ethiopia, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Ellen Sirleaf of Liberia, Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Ban ki Moon, Minister-President of the State of Bavaria, Mr Horst Seehofer, Chairperson AU commission, Mrs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, President of World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim and others.</div> <div class="wp-caption-text"> <br /></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The release said Buhari made the pledge at a meeting with President Francois Hollande of France after his participation in Monday’s G-7 Outreach Programme. According to the release, Buhari said that Nigeria will welcome greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations for its ongoing efforts to overcome Boko Haram and restore normalcy to areas affected by the group’s atrocities.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The President said at the G-7 that his administration was already taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and neighbouring countries against Boko Haram. Nigeria, he said, would appreciate more intelligence on the terrorist group’s links with ISIS, movements, training and its sources of arms and ammunition.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This, according to him, is to facilitate the perfection of fresh tactics and strategies being evolved to overcome terrorism and insurgency in the country and its sub-region. Buhari reiterated at the G-7 that there was absolutely no link between religion and the atrocities of Boko Haram.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “There is clearly no religious basis for the actions of the group. “Their atrocities show that members of the group either do not know God at all or they don’t believe in Him,” Buhari said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In his remarks, President Hollande commended President Buhari’s concerted efforts to galvanize Nigeria’s armed forces, security agencies and neighouring countries for more decisive action to eradicate Boko Haram. The French leader assured Buhari at the G-7 that France would give Nigeria and its coalition partners greater support against terrorism and insecurity, including military and intelligence cooperation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said the support was to help them to overcome the security challenge posed by Boko Haram and its global terrorist allies as quickly as possible. He also called for greater bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in other areas including trade, economic and cultural relations.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The release added that Buhari also received similar pledges of enhanced support from Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada and Chancellor Angela Merkel who he also conferred with before departing from the venue of the G-7 2015 Summit. The President is due back in Abuja early Tuesday.</div>

G7: France, Canada, Germany back Buhari on fight against Boko Haram

TRENDGUY 0 5:29 PM

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Elmau at the G-7 summit, Germany,  reaffirmed his administration’s total commitment to ending Boko Haram’s insurgency in the shortest time possible. This is containded in a news release issued by the Senior… Continue Reading»

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Boko Haram dares new govt: Suicide bomber lures scores with Buhari campaign songs, kills them

<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, barely one week ago, specifically May 29, 2015, Borno State, particularly Maiduguri, the state capital, has witnessed sustained attacks by insurgents. Buhari had said at the inauguration that the nation’s military command was being moved to Borno, the hotbed of Boko Haram, to end the insurgency.</div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_528171" style="text-align: justify; width: 300px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/babo.jpg"><img alt="President Buhari" class="size-medium wp-image-528171" height="300" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/290x300xbabo-290x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic.rWzduvgcji.jpg" width="290" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> President Buhari</div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But barely 24 hours after the swearing-in of the new administration, Boko Haram launched the first invasion. The May 30 attack came at about 12:30am when residents were asleep. The insurgents reportedly drove in a convoy of vehicles and motorcycles laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), rocket grenades and anti-aircraft guns.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> They entered Malari village, killed 15 residents and wounded 19 others in Bulunkutu Tsaleke, Gomari and Ajilari wards.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The killings, according to Ibrahim Yakubu of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), were caused by the insurgents’ sporadic gunshots, explosions and shelling on the wards that commenced from 12.35-2.45am that Saturday. “We were shocked about how these areas were targeted by Boko Haram last night. Among those killed were five children and two women sleeping in the open because of heat in their houses,” said Yakubu.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said the insurgents, after entering Malari through the northeast flank of Sambisa forest on dirt road, crossed River Ngadabul to launch their attacks on the communities. “The militants could not enter Maiduguri metropolis because of the trenches we dug that made their vehicles to get stuck. But they wreaked havoc on lives and property in the affected communities”, said the vigilante youth.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The extent of damage to lives and property could have been much higher if the Boko Haram gunmen had crossed the trenches”. Confirming the incident in Maiduguri, a source close to Borno Police Command said some residents of Gomari, Bulunkutu Tsaleke and Ajilari wards of Malari were killed in the attacks. “We are still collating the fatalities in the attacks, but 19 people have been hospitalized for injuries they sustained from gunshots and artillery fire that lasted over two hours in western part of Maiduguri metropolis,” said the source.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Mosque killings</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Later that Saturday, a suicide bomber sneaked into a mosque along Ali Kotoko Road, near Maiduguri Monday Market leaving 26 dead and 28 critically injured. A security source who assisted in the evacuation of victims said the incident took place at about 3:45pm when Muslim faithful gathered to perform their La,asar prayers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “A bomb blast exploded at the Adam Kolo Central Mosque along Ali Kotoko Road of Maiduguri Monday Market (MMM) during an afternoon prayer, and killed 26 people with about 28 critically injured on Saturday”, said Mallam Abba Shukura who was among those evacuating the victims. “I can confirm to you that many people in the mosque were killed or injured.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The mosque explosion, according to Modu Fugu of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), occurred when the prayer session was about to commence at about 3.25pm with dozens of people in the mosque. “We were terrified by the loud explosion that rocked the mosque near the bicycle sellers market and other shops. Worshippers fled to safety. But many were killed or injured,” Fugu stated.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Hamidu Isa, a shop owner near the mosque, told our correspondent that an IED had been hidden in a corner of the mosque in the morning before the suicide bomber came to detonate it at about 3.30pm”. Borno Police Command confirmed the mosque blast.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Grains looted</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Boko Haram gunmen, same day, attacked Fika and Ngalda in Yobe State; and torched several public buildings, telecom masts, houses and shops, before fleeing into Sambisa Forest. The insurgents, according to a resident, Mainasara Ali, looted several shops and barns of grains. Fika and Ngalda are farming and herding communities, and 155 kilometres and 176 kilometres respectively southwest of Damaturu, the state capital.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We were taken by surprise by the attacks on our houses and shops by the insurgents desperately looking for food to survive in the forest, but they did not kill any of our people. All our shops and barns were looted by the gunmen who also destroyed council offices and health centre, south of the central market,” said Ali. He said the insurgents chanted ‘God is great’ in Arabic before torching the public buildings in the towns.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to him, most of the houses of local officials in Fika and Ngalda were also burnt that night. “We will continue to fight whosoever identifies with government which we consider anti-Islam. We will not relent or surrender until we impose Sharia Law in Nigeria”, Ali quoted one of the insurgents as saying.</div> <div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_528177" style="text-align: justify; width: 310px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/boka.jpg"><img alt="Boko Haram" class="size-medium wp-image-528177" height="188" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/300x188xboka-300x188.jpg.pagespeed.ic.vN_rdMDurJ.jpg" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Boko Haram</div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Another resident, Ali Fika, said:  “Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday evening attacked Ngalda in Fika Local Government Area and razed the council secretariat, High Court complex, before looting shops and barns of grains which they carted away in their tracks.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said the insurgents, before embarking on the massive destruction, engaged soldiers at a military post. Our correspondent also learnt that several vehicles and motorcycles were set ablaze during the two-hour attack.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Sporadic shooting</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Chairman of Fika Local Government Council, Alhaji Baba Abare, who confirmed the incident, said: “The militants came to the two towns shooting sporadically to scare people away so as to have ample opportunity for their looting”. He said they targeted shops and looted food items as well as beverages but no life was lost during the assault.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Yobe State police commissioner, Mr. Markus Danladi, who declined comment on the violence, said the Military Joint Task Force was the only body authorised to speak on the matter. Fika and Ngalda have repeatedly suffered Boko Haram assault since the commencement of the insurgency as the communities share common border with Gujba and Gulani Council Areas captured by the militant group and liberated few months ago.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the post-Buhari inauguration era continued on Sunday, May 31 when an IED, planted at the Gambouru Market, Maiduguri, exploded, injuring four people. Eyewitnesses said one insurgent detonated the explosive, around 1.30 p.m at the peak of market hours. One of them said: “The bomb was buried in a heap of sacks at a spot where charcoal merchants have their stalls.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The explosion did not kill any one but injured four persons. One of the victims had his arm completely ripped off by the blast. “An insurgent could have planted this explosive device last night, when curfew was relaxed to 10pm from 7pm to celebrate Democracy Day in Maiduguri. Also, we suspect that the suicide bomber that blew himself at the market mosque of Adam Kolo might have collaborated with the suspected bomber of Gambouru Market that injured four traders and other passersby”.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The eyewitness said as he was attending to customers in the afternoon, a loud explosion went off across the market,forcing people to run in various directions for safety. “The rescue team of Nigerian Red Cross and other volunteers evacuated the injured ones to the hospital for treatment,” he said. The military and police condoned off the market to prevent further attacks and looting.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In another development, Boko Haram militants on Tuesday, June 2 attacked Moronti, a village close to Maiduguri, and killed five people, before soldiers repelled them. The gunmen, according to Hamisu Abba, a resident, then crossed into the village through Ngadabul River. He noted that the militants could have overrun Maiduguri, if there were no trenches dug around the Nigerian Army 333 Artillery premises near the village.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Our correspondent learnt that as the repulsion of the militants continued into the night; some villagers fled to neighbouring Gomari and Ajillari for safety. “It was the trenches around the army barracks of Giwa and Maimalari and the 333 Artillery near the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base that prevented the terrorists from wreaking havoc on Maiduguri metropolis,” said Kaumi Fugu, the village head of Moronti.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On how the village was attacked, he said: “Most of us were asleep around midnight when we started hearing gunshots and from Ajillari, near the river bank of Ngadabul. One of our neighbours lost two family members in his compound, while three others were killed about two kilometers from Ajillari.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Burial</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The village imam/ cleric, Mallam Yunus Mirgwi, told our reporter that the five slain villagers were buried Tuesday morning, according to Islamic rites. “By 1.45am, troops in patrol trucks moved in towards Moronti along the Maiduguri-Damturu Road, and commenced the repulsion of the insurgents by firing artillery shelling that lasted over an hour,” Mirgwi said..</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He continued: “After the insurgents attacked the village, we saw troops in trucks moving towards Moronti and then a NAF fighter jet pursued the insurgents, and killed some of them”.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The deadliest attack yet since the inauguration came on June 2. That day, a suspected Boko Haram insurgent believed to be a suicide bomber and disguised as a herbalist/traditional medicine seller stormed the Maiduguri abattoir section of the cattle market (Kasuwan Shanu), killing over 30 people and injuring 28 others.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It was gathered that the suicide bomber came into the market with a mobile tape recorder playing President Buhari campaign songs which attracted many people. When he realized that the music had attracted dozens, he detonated the explosives he was carrying. The incident took place at about 12noon when the market was at its peak. The attack left shattered bodies of victims mixed with slaughtered animal’s meat/ flesh at the scene.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Although, officials of  National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) claimed 10 people died at the spot, they admitted some died later among the dozens who suffered various degrees of injury. Umar Sadiq, Communication Field Officer of the International Community of Red Cross (ICRC), in an interview, said, “So far, 13 identified dead bodies were evacuated from the scene while many others sustained serious injuries and burns in the blast”.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A source at Borno State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri said over 30 bodies were brought there, even as he expressed the fear that most of those injured may not survive due to the seriousness of their injuries. “We have received six corpses at the emergency ward since those injured were brought in and I just learnt that another victim of the blast has given up and they are bringing the corpse as we speak.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A police inspector who did not want his name in print told our correspondent to be careful because many suicide bombers were said to have arrived Maiduguri following the battle with troops  on Monday night.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “ All security agencies in Maiduguri are on the red alert because these useless people according to signals we received have smuggled themselves into town with the intention of suicide bombing. On Monday (yesterday), about five suicide bombers were arrested at Tashan Baga and this one is another bad day for everybody. For your safety, be cautious while moving around because anything can happen. These bad eggs want to see where people gather so they can wreak more havoc,” he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Speaking with traders forced to abandon their sheds at the abattoir, our correspondent gathered that more than 70 people were hit by the explosion but they could not confirm the number of the dead. Aminu Sarki, a meat seller at the abattoir, said, “We just heard the loud sound of the explosion and everybody started running. We knew it was a bomb blast, but we could not wait to count the number of the dead, but it is unfortunate that many people were killed or injured in the blast.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Borno State police commissioner, Mr. Aderemi Opadokun, ordered the condoning off of the abattoir. “The situation is under control, as the scene has been condoned off. Suspected suicide bomber at Kasuwan Shanu in Maiduguri at about 11:30hrs of 2/6/15 invaded the market shouting Sai Buhari in Hausa Language and dancing in the market where he detonated  explosives (IEDs) strapped on his body when people had gathered around him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Four persons died including the suicide bomber in the explosion, while eight others sustained injury. Men were mobilized to the scene, corpses/injured persons were evacauted to the hospital, investigation in progress”.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Source: <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/boko-haram-dares-new-govt-suicide-bomber-lures-scores-with-buhari-campaign-songs-kills-them/">Vanguard </a></div>

Boko Haram dares new govt: Suicide bomber lures scores with Buhari campaign songs, kills them

TRENDGUY 0 5:27 PM

Since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, barely one week ago, specifically May 29, 2015, Borno State, particularly Maiduguri, the state capital, has witnessed sustained attacks by insurgents. Buhari had said at the inauguration that … Continue Reading»

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The money quarrel between Anenih and I – Prof Osunbor

<div style="text-align: justify;"> By Emman Ovuakporie<br /> FORMER Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor in this interview spoke on expectations from the new federal administration, his frosty relationship with Chief Tony Anenih, his governorship ambition among other national issues.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Y</strong><strong>ou</strong><strong> left the PDP to join APC at the very critical time when the party needed people like you most. Why did you?</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Well, the PDP didn’t show they needed people like me whether at the state or at the national level. The PDP never accorded me the respect I deserved or that many people felt I deserved.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So first of all, PDP traded off my position as governor of Edo State.</div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_528400" style="text-align: justify; width: 422px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/the-money-quarrel-between-anenih-and-i-prof-osunbor/osunbor-anenih/" rel="attachment wp-att-528400"><img alt="Anenih and Prof. Oserheimen " class="size-full wp-image-528400" height="250" src="http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/412x250xOsunbor-Anenih.jpg.pagespeed.ic.7IJ_QAzJKw.jpg" width="412" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text"> Anenih and Prof. Oserheimen</div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So, if PDP government gave me an appointment as the chairman of Nigerian Law Reform Commission, was that really a fair compensation for removing me? Because at that time, (Vincent) Ogbulafor, the National Chairman boasted to me that the PDP had 28 states and that the PDP was not bound to win everything. That the PDP was ready to concede some states to the opposition.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He told me if I didn’t succumb to Chief Tony Anenih I ran the risk of losing my seat. And after I was removed, he told me; ‘you see what I was telling you. Did you see what has happened?’ That if I had listened to him, I wouldn’t have been removed.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And when Adams Oshiomole came in, he gave three commissionership slots to Chief Anenih in appreciation for the help he gave him to become governor. That was before 2012. So when people claimed I supported Adams Oshiomole; who gave Adams Oshiomole more support, the PDP leadership or myself?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But, of course, I supported Adams Oshiomole in 2012 when it dawned on me that the PDP leadership was not ready to win the election. I knew that all the leadership wanted was to trade with PDP in that election and amass billions for themselves. And I was not prepared to be led by people who were out to use the party to enrich themselves.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Then I said to myself that if we have all decided to make things very easy for Oshiomhole, why should I withhold my support for him? After all, he did more work in four years than the PDP could have ever done in all its years as a ruling party in Edo State.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And as for the issue of begging Chief Anenih, the newspapers have reported the countless number of times that I have gone to beg Chief Anenih.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Personally, I don’t know what I did to him, other than he said, he borrowed N200 million to finance my election. I didn’t see any N200 million that Chief Anenih contributed to finance my election. But I’m aware that he contributed N100 million to the PDP in Edo State and as governor, I ensured that money was paid to him. So he was then saying that we never paid him any money, that he borrowed N200 million.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And if he spent N200 million of his money to install me as governor, how much contribution did he receive from the PDP national headquarters? The State House also sent out money to states for governorship elections in the states. How much was sent, I don’t know because the money was not sent to me. And how much did he get from other individuals and corporate bodies who were contributing money for the election in Edo State? I don’t know how much he was given, and if he borrowed N200 million for my election after all the contributions, I never saw any N200 million.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But in the interest of peace, I ensured that the one I knew he contributed was paid back to him. So what offence did I really commit against Chief Anenih that he doesn’t want to forgive? Of course it doesn’t surprise me because he had told me before when the relationship was rosy that he doesn’t forgive people. So if I have offended him in one way or another, I know he would not forgive because he told me he never forgives people.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Although, he is not my God, and he cannot influence my destiny or whatever God wants me to become in life. So, if I’m begging him does not mean he can make me anything, or can prevent anything that God wants me to achieve. I only asked for forgiveness in the interest of peace and the development of our people.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Do you agree with some that the PDP lost the last election because of the quality of advisers such as Chief Anenih that the president had?</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Let me say that I have been very reluctant in judging former President Jonathan. I wouldn’t want to judge him or any other man for that matter. I leave posterity to judge him. But there are a few groups, a few people, one of them you just mentioned now.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So essentially, he allowed some elements to create a fence around him and fence off a lot of people from reaching him. And this is a complaint that I’ve heard from different people across the length and breadth of Nigeria.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> People who did a lot to help him win the 2011 election and yet were unable to reach him one-on-one after the elections are too numerous to count. I’ve heard of people who held him hostage. People who were not necessarily political assets to him. People who were more of a political liability to him than assets. But as to why he allowed himself to be in that position is what I wouldn’t know. I think that’s as much that I want to say about Jonathan.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Except that he did his best under the circumstances for five years; but his best was not good enough, there is really nothing that anybody can do about it now. He is a lucky man. From not even having any political ambition, he became a Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President, then acting President and finally President of a country like Nigeria for a period of five years. I think it’s an achievement that anybody should be contented with for the rest of his life.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And I do hope, listening to former President Jonathan at his thanksgiving that he feels contented and grateful for having the opportunity to lead a country like Nigeria even though, he has his faults. No man is perfect. I also have my own faults. He has served his term and I wish him a happy retirement.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> What’s more important now is the present. We now have a President, Vice President who can be trusted to do a good job, though they have a government which is facing lots of challenges. And we do hope that they will be able to meet the very high expectations of Nigerians.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Some say that the government is starting on a very slow pace and given the continuing onslaught of the Boko Haram insurgents, do you think the government is doing well?</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Well, two quick comments on that. Nigerians should learn how to be patient. There is so much impatience on the part of Nigerians which is why traffic congestion, gridlock and jams on the road are always a recurrent decimal, due essentially not to the bad nature of the roads but due to the impatience of Nigerians.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> There are so many things wrong with Nigeria today due to impatience. The government has been in place for less than one week and already people are being impatient wanting to see magic happen. At least, let them give the government a period of grace to settle down. The fact that these appointments have not been announced yet doesn’t mean that things are not being done. Just a few days ago, the appointments of his media aides were announced.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This man was one of the best generals of his time. He had, as a former general confronted a lot of religious fanaticism in the North. He dealt with foreign incursion into Nigerian territory under President Shagari in the past. He knows very well what the terrain is like because he is from that region of the country which is more affected by terrorism.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> President Buhari is a war-time Presidential material who knows what strategies to adopt and get the job done.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So when he made the pronouncement of moving the military central command to the North East, I wasn’t surprised. He has set out to do things differently having realised that directing the pace and mode of operations from Abuja has not really worked. He understands the problem much more than any of us. So let’s give him the benefit of patience and time.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Let’s allow the government to settle down. He has not even appointed his security team. He has not appointed his ministers. What do you think should be the priority areas the new government?</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Well, I have been asked this question before by a journalist, and my answer was that a government should be judged by the manifesto of the party which produced it. If political parties and their elected officials work to implement their manifestos, then we will achieve a lot in Nigeria. Because, no party will ever put out a bad manifesto and hope to get voted into positions.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But there are also other key areas such as the economy and job creation and the issue of power supply which are all related to security.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> However, I want to say that not enough was done by the past government in this regard. Because you can’t have some elements bursting the pipelines all the time and the government was helpless and unable to do anything even when we heard that billions of the nation’s scarce resources were being paid to some contractors to safeguard these infrastructures.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A situation which drove the former minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo to tears, saying that despite the enormous efforts being made by government, these criminals kept bursting the pipelines and preventing gas supply to the power plants. But there was a government in place. Is it spirits who go to burst the pipelines? They are human beings, some of whom are even known, because there had been cases of oil thieves who were caught and set free following interventions from some highly placed people in the country. So that is for the problem of power. We must not be helpless as a nation to say oh, we don’t have electricity because some people are bursting pipelines which are supposed to supply gas to the generating plants thereby reducing the amount of power generated to the national grid for distribution. It is pathetic and unacceptable. And I hope that this government will not feed us </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> with that kind of apologies.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The other issue which is not very tangible is the issue of entrenching democratic institution in Nigeria and allow it to work well. And first, the independence of the Judiciary has to be addressed. Judicial reform and independence need to be a priority in the list of items the APC leaders are talking about. Because Nigerians must be made to have faith in our Judiciary. As of now, very few people will say with confidence that they are satisfied with the performance of the Judiciary. So I do hope and pray that something will be done in that sector. But then you cannot scrub everybody with the same brush. It is not every judge that is corruptible and indulges in the kinds of unprofessional things that go on in the Judiciary.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Which segment of the Judiciary then is the problem?</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> As you know, there are support staff in the management and adjudication of justice. Courts don’t just sit to pronounce judgements, they must serve summons, take applications and hear cases before reaching judgements. And in all of these processes, there are support staff who prepare summons, deliver them and even type verdicts as delivered by Judges. And in most cases, you find that these support staff sit on these processes waiting for people to come and grease their palms before they can do what is necessary. It is that bad. So many cases or judgement are delayed due to practises like that apart from the greed and mischief of lawyers and some judges whose behaviours have brought the system to disrepute.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>There are rumours that you left the PDP because you want to contest the next governorship election on the platform of the APC. Is it true?</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> That I’m now in the APC is no longer a rumour. Why I left the PDP is no longer a rumour. I have always been an APC supporter in Edo State. I only formally joined on the 7th of April. As for the reasons why I joined, I couldn’t exhaust the reasons, because there are so many of them. I mentioned </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> it before that PDP in Edo State is like a personal property of one man.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> If that one man who is the owner of PDP says he doesn’t like you and you have committed an offence that he will never forgive, would you still remain in that party if you were in my shoes?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Many people in Edo State left the PDP over the years on account of this one person. If you have watched the television when people were decamping, they were saying that they were leaving PDP because they were tired of the dictatorship of that one man. And the whole of Nigeria now knows who that one man is. So it’s not a secret or rumour that I left the PDP because the conditions in that party were no longer acceptable.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And I would say that the cancer or the disease that killed the PDP in Edo State was allowed to spread to the PDP at the national level. Somebody destroyed the party at the State, and then you now place the party at the national level on his laps, what did you expect? So people also left the PDP across Nigeria on the account of this same man. So that is one.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The other issue as to my governorship ambition, that also should not be a rumour. The newspapers, I think it was October last year carried news reports of some youth groups that visited my country home in Iruekpen in Edo State and made a passionate appeal for me to come into the race; come back and complete the work that I’ve started and I have not completed.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And in my response, I assured them that I would go into consultation with leaders of thought within my party, the APC and so many other people who have also made the same appeal for me to come back with the same vigour, determination with which I governed the State before. And I said yes, that I’m now ready and available to come back and serve the people of Edo State once more. So if your people show you so much respect and honour and they are calling on you that please, come back and govern us, I don’t think it is proper to say no to them. There is no greater feeling than for your people to come and say please, come and provide leadership for us. And I told you that – that is one of the reasons that made me to answer the clarion call by joining the APC. Of course I can only aspire on the platform of my political party which is the APC.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Do you agree with some in Edo State that the incumbent governor slowed down his performance in the second term?</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Well, like I said before, I don’t want to sit here and judge people. Like I didn’t want to judge Jonathan, I won’t judge my governor. If you want to know, Adams Oshiomole has done and is still doing very well. I supported him in 2012 because I saw what he was able to do with the meagre resources coming to the state. I saw that he was better, far better than the people in PDP. And he showed more commitment toward the common man in Edo State than the so-called political leaders in PDP had shown in so many years. Adams Oshiomole is by far a better human being than some of the so-called leaders in PDP who are only interested in their pockets, and not in the welfare of the people. Ask some of them. What have they ever done for the people of Edo State? Some of them have been in politics for as long as we can remember, can they compare themselves with what the APC government led by Adams Oshiomole has been able to do in less than eight years? Go round and ask what has this so-called PDP emperor done for his own people of Uromi, his Senatorial District or even his own camp, let alone the people of Edo State? Go and ask. But you can see what Oshiomole has done for his community, his Senatorial District of Edo North, what he has done for other Senatorial Districts and the people of Edo State generally.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And to address your question as to the good things the people remembered my administration for and asked me to come back and lead them, again the list will be inexhaustible. I won’t go too deep into that. But what I can say is that, if given another opportunity by my party and the people of the state to serve again, I will work to consolidate on the legacy of Adams Oshiomole, because he has set a clear standard that subsequent administrations should live by.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Nobody can undo that nor afford to do below what he has done. And you need creativity and courage to do what he has done, both of which our people must have seen in my short stay in the Government House which is why they asked me to come and serve again.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

The money quarrel between Anenih and I – Prof Osunbor

TRENDGUY 0 5:25 PM

By Emman Ovuakporie FORMER Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor in this interview spoke on expectations from the new federal administration, his frosty relationship with Chief Tony Anenih, his governorship ambition among other national… Continue Reading»

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