Shehu Sani pledges support for Buhari’s re-election bid, gives reason for not leaving APC

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, on Thursday paid a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina state.

Speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with Buhari, Sani said he visited the president’s country home to pledge his support for his re-election bid.

The lawmaker said they spoke about the need for the party to be united.

“I am also here to fully assure him of the support of my constituency, Kaduna central, to his aspiration for the second term,” he said.

“I’m also here to assure him of my own wholehearted support to the success of his administration and his return to office for the second term.

“Those were the basic issues that we discussed with him and other issues that border on the need to strengthen our party; the need to end all internal strife and also the need to put heads, hearts and hands together for the success of his administration and also for the success of the party.”

Sani said his decision to remain in the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because of the intervention of Buhari and the national leadership of the party.

“Well, there is no human being without any grievances but when national interest is put at the front side you have to put aside other parochial interests,” he said.

“What we need to do as politicians and as people representing those who elected us is to always put the country first and know very well that we have both constitutional and moral duty to work to the progress of Nigeria and of this government.

“So, I think these are the basic issues which we discussed, grievances are natural but we have to know that we have a country that we need to keep and also we have a country that we need to support, so that it can progress. I think the party had made it very clear and known to each and every person that there will be reward for loyalty but in every sense of the word due process of the party needs to be followed.

“And as far as we are concerned, what matters most to us is not simply about automatic ticket but about the peaceful and transparent conduct of the 2019 election and also the very need for us as a people and as a nation to know that the fate of the country is on our hands.”

Zidane ‘accepts’ to takeover from Mourinho at Manchester United

Former Real Madrid boss, Zinedine Zidane has informed close associates that he is interested in taking over at Manchester United.
Current United boss, Jose Mourinho is under intense pressure after public outburst with Paul Pogba and other players.

He is also not happy with Executive Vice-Chairman, Ed Woodward.

The Portuguese gaffer only brought in Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant in the summer transfer window.

This was despite his desperation to sign a top-class central defender.

The 3-2 defeat to Brighton raised tensions inside the club further still.

Although the former Chelsea boss has no plans to resignn, United’s board have already drawn up a list of possible replacements which includes former Real Madrid boss Zidane.

Now Daily Mail, UK, reports that Zidane has told friends that he expects to receive an offer from United if Mourinho loses his job in the coming months.

The former French midfielder also made it clear that he was interested in the role should it be made available this season.

The World winner has been out of a job since leading Madrid to a third successive Champions League title at the end of May.

Another federal lawmaker dumps PDP for APC

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nkeiru Onyejeocha, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Daily Sun reports that about six other lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Abia State House of Assembly were discussing with leaders of the APC in the state for possible defection to the party.

Onyejeocha, who represents Isuikwuato/Ummunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, was said to have formally registered for the APC in her ward on Wednesday after being convinced by former governor of the state and chieftain of APC, Orji Uzor Kalu, to do so.

Onyejeocha was a Local Government Chairman and Commissioner in Abia State during the administration of Kalu.

According to the report, more lawmakers, at both federal and state levels, may also join the APC in Abia State at the conclusion of discussion with leaders of the party.

It was claimed that other lawmakers who may defect are from Abia North, the Ukwa area of Abia South and part of Abia Central.

Militant herdsmen planning to kidnap and kill me, says Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom has raised concern over his safety following the enactment of the grazing law in the state saying that he got intelligence report that militant herdsmen were planning to kidnap him along the busy Makurdi-Lafia road and thereafter torture and kill him.

Governor Ortom who made the revelation Friday while addressing a session of the Church leadership,the Traditional Institution and other Stakeholders in the state towards a peaceful 2019 elections organized by the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, said the armed militant herdsmen behind the plot had already taken over a part of Guma local government area of the state.

He regretted that some indigenes of the state where working hand in hand with the enemies of the state to pull him down despite his selfless service to the people but assured the gathering that God would always defend him.

He said, “the armed herdsmen, according to the intelligence report, would ensure that all my security aides were killed after which they would Kidnap me, torture me before killing me. Already, l had reported the matter to the police and other security agencies and they are aware of this.

“Therefore anytime l sleep and wake up and my spirit doesn’t allow me to travel by road, I would call flight operators but just a few days ago, the federal government issued a secular directing that no flight should land in Makurdi airport again.”

The Governor appealed to the federal government to urgently end the herdsmen killings in parts of the country to pave way for peaceful election in 2019 lamenting that most of the polling units in the crisis affected communities of Benue state were destroyed and taken over by herdsmen who converted them to grazing fields.

According to him,”The killings across Nigeria is a deliberate attempt by some people either Boko Haram, armed bandits or herdsmen working for the same purpose to disenfranchise large proportion of Nigerians from voting for the leaders of their choice.

“Amnesty international had come out to disclose that over 19,000 people have lost their lives in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Plateau states to herdsmen attacks and this does not speak well of Nigeria nation especially as we are heading towards 2019,” he said.

Ortom who lamented that large number of Benue people had become refugees in their own land as a result of ceaseless herdsmen crisis said pockets of killings were still going on in Makurdi, Guma, Logo and Katsina Ala local government areas of the state despite efforts to stem the tide.

He pointed put that most of Benue’s frontline border communities with Taraba and Nasarawa States had been taken over by herdsmen who sacked the indigenous people from their ancestral homes.

“This is unacceptable because even though, a goat doesn’t bite, but when you continue to provoke the goat, the goat could turn around and bite you,” he said.

While calling on international community to show more concern on states affected by herdsmen crisis in the country, the Governor urged traditional rulers to enlighten their subjects on the need to register to obtain their PVCs stressing that it was the sure way to vote out leaders who failed to meet the expectations and yearning of the people.

Reacting to the allegation by the Governor, National Coordinator of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Alhaji Garus Gololo disassociated the group from the plot.

Gololo said, “We don’t have problem with anybody in Nigeria or Benue State. What business does MACBAN have with kidnapping? We are not kidnappers or a criminal organization. We are a peaceful organization and whoever gave such false information to Governor Ortom should stop dragging our name in the mud.”

Your action may cause anarchy – GPN warns Oshiomhole

The Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) has cautioned the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, against heating up the Nigeria polity with his persistent call for the impeachment of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

Recall that Saraki had last month, dumped the ruling APC for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

National Chairman of GPN, Chief Sam Eke, who spoke with newsmen in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, described the alleged move by the former Edo governor to instigate Saraki’s impeachment as undemocratic.

Eke warned that if Oshiomhole was not called to order, his action may lead to anarchy.

He said, “The call for Saraki’s removal is undemocratic. Because in the first instance, the APC really have to face the reality. Where there the one that actually installed Saraki as Senate President? The answer is capital No.

“The installation of a Senate President by simple majority was done by his co-senators, and if they want to remove him, it is up to them. They can remove him when they have two-thirds of 109, not 2/3 of those present. So, the due process must be followed.

“People should stop gunning for anarchy. We still maintain that the democracy is the best form of government. So, anyone that is trying to cause an anarchy for there to be an uproar in the polity, is a wrong one, and we condemn it,” the former governorship candidate in Abia said.

‘Your mother stole my tweet’ — Reno Omokri tells Blac Chyna

Reno Omokri, a bestselling Nigerian author, says the mother of American model, Blac Chyna, stole his tweet word for word without giving him credit.

Omokri, former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, says he tweeted the allegedly stolen quote about marriage and sex in 2017.

Tokyo Toni, Blac Chyna’s mother, recently shared the quote on her Instagram page.

“If sex can make men marry you, all prostitutes would be married. A man stays where he’s well loved, not where he is well sexed,” it read.

Omokri caught wind of the alleged plagiarism and addressed Blac Chyna on Twitter, sharing screenshots as evidence.

“Dear Blac Chyna,” Omokri tweeted on Friday.

“Your mother Tokyo Toni, stole my tweet word for word.

“She did not even attempt to hide her plagiarism. And she did not attribute my #RenosNuggets.

“If she is going to use the wisdom God gave me, she should at least credit me! @TMZ I tweeted this a year ago!”

Dear @BLACCHYNA,

Your mother #TokyoToni, stole my tweet word for word. She did not even attempt to hide her plagiarism. And she did not attribute my #RenosNuggets. If she is going to use the wisdom God gave me, she should at least credit me! @TMZ I tweeted this a year ago! pic.twitter.com/F80bEVQuEL

— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) August 24, 2018

Blac Chyna is famous for once dating Rob Kardashian and before that, rapper Tyga.

She also appeared on reality shows such as ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ and ‘Rob and Chyna’.

Neither the reality TV star nor her mother has responded to Omokri’s allegation.

Police kill four gunmen who allegedly attacked fuel station close to Akpabio’s home

The police in Akwa Ibom State have killed four of the five armed robbers whose operation at a petrol station led to claims of attempted gunmen attack on the country home of Senator Godswill Akpabio last Tuesday.

The masked gunmen, who operated with motorcycles were killed during an operation in a bank at Ikot Ekpene, after robbing ATM users and shop owners at gun point in broad daylight.

The state Police Commissioner Mr Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, who disclosed this to journalists in Uyo at the command’s headquarters Ikot Akpanabia Uyo, said that while four of the hoodlums were shot dead in a gun battle, one of them, Daniel Umoren, was captured alive after sustaining gunshot injuries.

According to the Commissioner, “Yesterday, being the 23rd day of August 2018, at about 5pm, five notorious armed robbers led by Kingsley Peter a.k.a ‘Morale’ who is the gang leader, using three motorcycles robbed some persons along Aba road by Ikot Osurua before proceeding to a banking area along the same road.

‘My men of Ikot Ekpene Division led by the Divisional Police Officer Benjamin Achegbani, trailed and engaged the hoodlums in a fierce shoot out , four of the armed robbers were shot dead while one Akwaowo Daniel Umoren of Ikot Inemme in Essien Udim LGA was arrested with an AK47 with 60 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.

” Items recovered from them include 5 locally made pistols, 8 live cartridges , 2 rounds of 5.5mm ammunition, 1 AK47 magazine,3 Expended cartridges , 2 masks, 6 assorted phones, three motorcycles and physical cash of N63,000.

“Our preliminary investigation revealed that the same armed robbers were those responsible for the robbery at Gulfsafrin Filling station, located at Ukana Ikot Ntuen close to the residence of Senator Godswill Akpabio.”

The commissioner attributed recent upsurge in robbery operations in Ikot Ekpene to infiltration of the commercial motorcyclists union by armed robbers who pose as commercial motorcyclists, warning that the curfew on motorcycles in the area would be sustained until the association fishes out fake members amongst them.

“The command is poised to sustain her fight against every form of criminality in Akwa Ibom and committed to protection of lives and property,” he said.

2019 poll: APC to pick guber candidates on Sept 24

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is proposing to hold its governorship primary election on September 24.
This is contained in a letter Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the party, wrote to Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a copy of the letter seen by TheCable, Oshiomhole asked the commission to be prepared to send officials who would monitor the exercise.

He listed the proposed dates for the federal and state assemblies, governorship and presidential primaries.

“Please be advised that our party has scheduled to hold its congresses and primary elections for the nomination of candidates in respect of the 2019 election,” read the letter dated August 17.

“This serves as a formal notification pursuant to the provisions of section 85 of the electoral act 2010 as amended. Kindly arrange your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly.

“While hoping to receive your cooperation, please accept the assurances of my highest esteem.”

Here are the dates:

Saturday September 8, nationwide congresses to elect delegates to the national convention (presidential).

Saturday September 19  national convention to elect the party’s presidential candidate.

Saturday September 19, house of representatives candidates.

Thursday September 20, pick senatorial candidates.

Monday September 24, pick governorship candidates.

Saturday September 29, house of assembly candidates.
Yekini Nabena, acting spokesman of the party, said the dates could be changed if necessary.

He had earlier denied that the party had fixed dates for primary election.

Court frees 114 women demanding IPOB leader Kanu’s whereabouts

IPOB women demanding Nnamdi Kanu’s release freed by Owerri court

A high court sitting in Owerri on Friday granted the unconditional release of 114 women alleged to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group.

The women who were remanded on the orders of a magistrate’s court in Owerri were arrested on Friday August 17 by the police for demanding to know the whereabouts of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu. They were also held for unlawful assembly.

NAN reports that the bail application filed by the lead counsel to the women, Ejiofor Uche was not opposed by the police..

Theaddus Oke, prosecuting for the police, told NAN correspondent that  the case had been referred to the state Ministry of Justice for advice.

He said that the police had no say in whatever decision that was taken by the court.

NAN recalls that the arrests sparked off widespread condemnation by residents of the state and sympathisers of IPOB.

2019: Buhari’s challenger, Adamu Garba appoints Fayemi’s ex-aide as campaign DG

Adamu Garba, presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has appointed Mr. Opeyemi Oriniowo, a former Special Adviser to the Ekiti State governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi, as the Director General of his 2019 presidential campaign.

Adamu Garba, CEO IPI Solutions also announced Iwuanorue Jackson as his Chief of Staff.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Friday in Lagos by Ayodele Adio, the official spokesperson and director of strategic communication for the Adamu Garba campaign.

Garba also announced the appointment of Aminu Mutawalli as campaign treasurer while Abba Kuri would act as the Deputy Director General.

According to him, Oriniowo would over see all campaign activities, including but not limited to, operations, fundraising, mobilization and strategy.

The statement reads, “It is with great delight I welcome Oriniowo, a patriotic Nigerian and fine gentleman to run “the people’s” campaign. I’m overly confident that this exceptionally brilliant and committed team will usher me to the Presidency come 2019″

“More than anything else,Nigeria needs Leadership, something I will provide right from my first day in office. My chief priority is to lift several million Nigerians out of poverty by creating jobs and building capacity.

“We have put together aMarshall plan that would grow the economy, deal with insecurity and strengthen our foreign policy. To achieve these hitherto ambitious goals, we have put detailed 26 policy objectives that would galvanize this country forward.

“Our farm to factory policythat would target specific crop choices for processing, packaging, and exporting, with the intention of creating 5 million jobs across the value chain. We propose to de-emphasize politics by transforming the 6 geo-political zones to 9 geo economic zones that would be completely driven by productivity. We will commercialize and privatize the NNPC, open our inland water ways, extend port facilities outside Lagos, guarantee the independence of the CBN, separate religion from state and reform our educational system.”

Daily Post

5,000 PDP members defect to APC in Lagos

PDP logo

No fewer than 5,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos state on Friday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors were received into the APC at an elaborate ceremony at the ACME Road secretariat of the party.

Some 500 members of PDP had on July 3 also defected to APC in the state.

The defectors, who are members of the United Niger Delta Forum, were led into their new party by Mr Gabriel Ese, the group’s leader.

They were received by the Lagos state Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, with some other party officials.

Speaking at the occasion, Balogun said the party was excited to receive the new members into the fold of the party.

He said the decision of the former PDP members to join the party reflected the growing confidence in the party.

Balogun commended the new members for their decision to join what he called the progressive train, assuring them that the party would do its best to give them a sense of belonging.

“We are happy that you have made the decision to join the progressive train today and we assure you that we will do our best to make you feel at home.

“Even as you are just joining us, we have accepted you as part and parcel of the APC and we will not discriminate against you.

“I assure you, you will not regret joining the APC. We shall work together like brothers and sisters to ensure that APC is greater than what it is in the state,” he said.

Balogun implored the new members to show commitment and give their best in order to ensure victory for the party in 2019 general elections.

The party chairman also advised them to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in order to participate in the elections.

Balogun said the party had commenced registration of members nationwide and urged the new members to register to be fully integrated.

Also speaking, Ese said he and other members of the group were delighted to leave the PDP to join “the progressive party”.

He said the decision of the group to leave the PDP was because of the strides of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos state.

Ese said they were also motivated by the charismatic leadership of the national leader of the party, Chief Bola Tinubu and the achievements of the APC at the national level.

“We are pledging our full allegiance to the party because we have realised this is the party to be.

“We are so happy to be here and we will do our best to take the party to the next level, ” he said.

Ese said that there were about 500,000 registered members of the group in the state, saying that they would be mobilised them to obtain their PVCs in order to vote for APC in 2019.(NAN)

Why I trekked over 800 metres on Sallah Day – President Buhari

Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his long distance trekking on Sallah day was not about testing his physical fitness but to show respect to thousands of people who wanted to greet him on the fateful day.

The President stated this when he received some socio-political groups from Daura Emirate Council, who paid him Sallah homage at his private residence in Daura, Katsina state, on Friday.

President Buhari said the trekking had nothing to do with his bid to seek re-election in 2019, adding that he had since made his intention known to Nigerians about his political ambition.

The President, who spoke in Hausa, said: “Let me react to some media reports about my trekking on Sallah day insinuating that I trekked to demonstrate my fitness for 2019 presidential election.

‘‘They were not seeing me so I came down so they could see me.

“I didn’t need to convince anyone about my health and the decision to contest for a second term- a decision that I made public in April this year.

“After the prayer, I noticed that many people wanted to see and I was in a black vehicle and security men were blocking them from seeing me.

“So, I opted to trek in spite of the security implications because I knew nothing would happen to me by the grace of Allah,’’ he said.

The President used the opportunity of his meeting with his kinsmen to inform them that he has directed the Ministry of Agriculture and the CBN to review the processes on the issuance of loans to smallholder farmers.

He said: ‘‘We want to make it easier for them to assess the loans, particularly the underprivileged people in the society.

“It has become necessary for the government to do this because banks will insist on collaterals which majority of farmers do not have.

“For our agriculture policy to succeed, we must be able to reach smallholders farmers with loans without collaterals.  Collaterals are always a problem with smallholder farmers.’’

President Buhari also highlighted the achievements of the administration on local rice productions, which had expectedly led to the reduction of imports by over 90 per cent.

The President expressed delight that young people were returning to the farms and reaffirmed the Federal government’s commitment to implement policies to promote agriculture.

Earlier, the spokesman of the group, Malam Yusuf Mai’adua, applauded the President on his numerous achievements.

‘‘You have made us proud, the economy is back on the path of growth and you have laid a solid foundation for the development of the country,’’ he said.

Mai’adua disclosed the plans of the groups to organise a massive rally for his 2019 campaign, “as soon as the ban on political campaign is lifted’’, and invited him to make out time to attend.(NAN)

Rep Jibrin admits there are ‘internal issues’ in APC caucus

Abdulmumin Jibrin, a member of the House of Representatives, on Friday admitted that there were “internal issues” within the All Progressives Congress, APC, caucus in the lower legislative chambers.

The lawmaker from Kano State however pointed out that the “internal issues” were nothing unusual.

In a tweet, Jibrin pledged his support for the House leader, Femi Gbajabiamila.

He wrote: “Against the backdrop of media reports, I wish to state that there is no crack in APC caucus of the House.

“We have internal issues and there is nothing unusual about it. However, these issues will be resolved internally. We have one caucus and @femigbaja is the leader. Thank you.”

Photos: Governor Udom challenges Akpabio’s hold on Akwa Ibom

Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom is set to dethrone Senator Godswill Akpabio as a kingmaker in the state.

Senator Akpabio who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) this month had in a show of supremacy mobilised thousands of his supporters to witness his defection. The crowd was so massive that many say Udom was finished.

But to show that he is still popular, Udom today mobilised thousands of his supporters to fill the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, during his declaration for a second term in office and to debunk claims by his erstwhile benefactor.

Hear Udom: “Once again I will stand before the good people of Akwa Ibom State not as a master but as a servant not as a boss but a co-labourer” –
@MrUdomEmmanuel

”I submit myself to continue with the good works that I have done and I seek your support for my candidature as Governor for second term under the PDP.”

Governor Emmanuel Udom and his wife c(entre) with other PDP officials at his declaration for a second term

The massive crowd of Akwa Ibom residents that attended Governor Udom’s declaration for a second term in office.

Hate speech: NBC to sanction Ondo Television

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) says it will sanction the Ondo State Television Service (OSTS) for broadcasting hate speech against Ekiti State Gov. Ayodele Fayose during the governorship elections in the state.

The Director-General of the commission, Mr. Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu, on Friday in Ilorin said that NBC would not tolerate impunity as the 2019 general elections approached.

He assured that the commission would be neutral and apolitical in the discharge of its statutory duties including the enforcement of the National Broadcasting Code.

“From the Ekiti elections, one interesting thing played out.

“We discovered that in a neighbouring state, Ondo, a broadcast station there, the Ondo State Television Service, was broadcasting hate speech against Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

“For us, in NBC this is against the national broadcasting code and we are going to be sanctioning that particular station.

“We do not pick and choose which station to sanction. We monitor all radio and TV broadcasting stations in the country, and when you flout the code you are going to be sanctioned.

“On a quarterly basis, we will bring out the list of those we had sanctioned and the reasons, and post it in our website and distribute to media houses,” he said.

Modibbo-Kawu said the commission recently studied the contents of live broadcast of political rallies and discovered that politicians from both the ruling party and the oppositions were guilty of hate speech.

He said broadcast stations would, henceforth, be held liable for such infractions against their practice code.

“Politicians tend to just say anything on air, they demonize the opponents, they profile them and say the most horrendous things.

“The political parties are not our licensees, so we cannot hold them liable. However, the TV stations that broadcast the rally live has an obligation.

“We are issuing the report on the studies to the government, political parties and broadcast houses that if you broadcast live materials that flout the national broadcasting code, you are going to be held liable.

“They have to get their acts together and begin to discuss with the people who come to pay a heavy sum of money to do a live broadcast, that there are certain things you cannot say,” he said.

The director-general said ahead of the 2019 general elections the NBC had become particularly visible, sensitizing its licensees to their responsibilities to the nation and the need to respect regulatory code.

“For instance, elections are coming very soon in Osun state. Two weeks ago, we were in the state, met the stakeholders – all the broadcast stations, political parties and security forces.

“We held a one-day workshop to emphasize the importance of adherence to the code.

“We have a responsibility to our country, to help to use broadcasting to assist the Nigerian people to make informed choices among the different political parties.

“But, we should not use broadcasting to cause confusion in our country. One of my pet phrases is that we must first have a country before we have broadcasting,’’ said Modibbo-Kawu.

The director-general recalled that in the lead to the Ekiti state governorship election, the commission ended up sanctioning a couple of stations especially the state-owned broadcast stations there.

“We were forced by the circumstances of the actions taken there to close the Ekiti Broadcasting Services (EBS).

“First of all, the state government had appointed the DG of the EBS as the DG of Campaign of one of the political parties.

“The appointment was not in consonance with the objectives of the NBC, so we wrote a letter to the broadcaster and the governor of the state, but they ignored us.

“Secondly, when President Muhammadu Buhari visited the state, the governor made a broadcast that the people should not turn out to receive the president.

“This was beyond politics, so we sanction the station,” he said.

“Soon after the elections, before INEC announced the results, the state governor went to radio and television to begin to announce his own results.
“We felt that was the point we had to act and we closed another station”.

Modibbo-Kawu said NBC also closed down a station which was on test transmission but engaged in political broadcasting against the national broadcasting code.

Photos: Callous mother dumps baby daughter inside bush

These are the photographs of a baby dumped inside bush by her mother who left a note with her that she can no longer keep her due to hardship.

A twitter user @Phunky brought this to the attention of the public.

Some women are just callous.

Who did this?

Sympathisers carrying the baby

The abandoned baby

Arsene Wenger Lands In Liberia To Receive Highest Honour From President George Weah (Photos)

Former Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger has arrived in Liberia to receive the country’s highest honour from president George Weah.

President Weah who was signed by the former Arsenal manager when he was coaching Monaco in 1988, is set to induct the Frenchman into his country’s Order of Distinction and given the title of Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption.

The award not only conveys their personal connection, but also that he ‘has contributed to sports in Africa and has given many Africans opportunities, according to Information minister Eugene Nagbe.

Weah is the only African to have been named World Player of the Year, claiming the honour in 1995.

Wenger, who resigned from Arsenal in April after 22 years, coached many African stars during that period, and others from his previous managerial stints in France.

President Weah has said that Wenger “took care of me like his son” when he went to Monaco, adding that “besides God, I think that without Arsène, there was no way I would have made it in Europe”.

Nigeria-bound ship filled with illegal arms held in South Africa

A Nigeria–bound Russian ship is being detained in South Africa for carrying illegal arms.

The cargo ship, LADA, was arrested on Sunday at the Port of Nura, near Port Elizabeth city, following a tip-off.

According to a report by Fletmon.com, security checks on the vessel revealed arms and explosives believed to be illegal in 20 containers.

It was learnt that an investigation by South Africa’s criminal investigation organisation – The Hawks – revealed that the cargo was heading for Nigeria’s commercial city Lagos and the United States.

In recent times, security agencies and the Nigeria Customs Service have been intercepting illegal arms and ammunition in large consignments at the nation’s ports.

The prevalence of small arms is believed to be the cause of the violent crimes being perpetrated across the country.

The detained ship had sailed since May from Ust-Luga, Russia, Baltic sea, visiting India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania ports prior to its arrival in South Africa.

Investigation of the matter was ongoing yesterday.

A total of 21.5 million arms and ammunition were shipped into Nigeria illegally between 2010 and 2017, according to data obtained from NCS headquarters.

A cache of 21,407 live ammunition was intercepted at the Apapa port in November 2010; 1,100 pump action guns were seized at Tin-Can Port, also in Lagos, in September, 2017.

Since the beginning of this year, many arms have also been seized.

This month, a conatainer-load of fake military camouflage was seized in Port Harcourt while 23 cartons of prohibited military boots comprising 460 pairs were imported by the Customs.

Veteran Nollywood actor, Chike Osuji is dead

Nollywood industry has continued to mourn the death of veteran actor, Chike Osuji, who passed on at the age of 65.

Osuji was a native of Umuokoro Awaka in Owerri North Local Government of Imo State. He is survived by his wife and four children.

The deceased featured in movies such as ‘The book of Harragon’, ‘40 Days in the Wilderness’, ‘The Governor’, amongst many others.

Recently, veteran actor Tony Aleg, popularly known as Green Onions, also died.

Aleg, who was also a director, died after battling an undisclosed ailment for a long time.

Festus Keyamo criticises Jonathan, Obasanjo, Saraki

The Director, Strategic Communications for the President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 presidential campaign, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), has said previous administrations before President Muhammadu Buhari’s government mismanaged Nigeria’s resources.

Keyamo also alleged that the previous leaders cared less for the masses and enabled the rich to loot the national resources to the detriment of the poor.

The lawyer said this on Thursday at the inauguration of the ward and local government canvassers in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, where he gave a lecture titled ‘Milestones of sustainable economic and social development in Nigeria.’

He argued that governments in the past 16 years established a system of sharing national resources.

The past governments in the last 16 years are those of the immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan; the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

The senior advocate added that Buhari with small earnings had achieved more in three years in the provision of infrastructure than what were provided by the past governments in the past 16 years that earned huge revenues.

Keyamo said, “For 16 years, the previous administrations before President Buhari’s administration re-established a warped system of government. It was an orientation they gave to our youths and all of us. It was a system of government that was based on a sharing formula. That was what they had before 2015.

“Most of those bad eggs that have left us in Kwara State and others, when you hear them talk of inclusiveness and not being carried along, what they mean by inclusiveness is a euphemism for a sharing formula. That is a system of government that was established before 2015 when Buhari came on board. And that is the system that Buhari had tried to change in the last years that has not gone down well with so many people.

“There is no government in the history of this country that has concentrated on the poor and vulnerable as much as this government in the last three years. No government! There is no government that has gone after recovering what belongs to Nigerians with serious mindedness like this government in the last three years. You saw the humongous amounts recovered in pit latrines, flats, water tanks, villages, graveyards. No government has done that.

“What Buhari has done in the last three years was to take the bullets from the rich in order to protect the poor. He has not bothered about re-election and political correctness in order to get a second term. He has not conceded anything to anybody. He has not made deals behind you.”

He added, “Presidents before Buhari sold you (Nigerians) out because they wanted political correctness. The former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in her book, said in order to appease the National Assembly, they had to insert N17bn for them to pass the budget. That is how all of us were sold off by previous governments. But President Buhari refused.

For six months, they (National Assembly members) refused to pass the budget and he was looking at them, they were looking at him. He said until we get to the end, they will not see one kobo. When they were tired, the same people who left us here in this state were the champion of these courses.

“Because monies have been diverted by people at the top for many years, they have not remembered the vulnerable. This is the first government that has the four cardinal programmes of social intervention programmes.

One of them is to give stipends to the venerable and certain amount to small and medium enterprises from N250, 000 and N300, 000 to start small businesses. The social intervention programme is an indication that the government is thinking more of the poor more than the rich.

“While President Buhari is boasting that he has provided social intervention programmes for the poor, the past government was boasting of how many rich people it created and how many private jets were parked at the international airports. That is the difference of philosophy.”

We will take over Lugard House – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kogi State has debunked media reports that the party is in crisis, saying the report of imposition of  governorship, Senate and House of Representatives candidates by former Governor Idris Ibrahim are fake, baseless and misleading.

The party said its rising popularity has become a source of fear for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and mischief makers.

The PDP in a statement by his Director General, Research and Documentation, Dickson Achadu, in reaction to reports published in some newspapers, yesterday with the title: Crisis Rocks Kogi PDP Primaries over alleged imposition of candidates, said: “The state governorship primaries is due for next year, we wondered how some mischief makers would be crying foul over a process that has not began and has no date. Having repositioned the PDP to take over the state in 2019, it is now more concerned about the State and National Assembly election.

“While we acknowledged that former Governor Ibrahim Idris remains the leader of the party, the report of imposition by him of his son as the sole candidate for the governorship election is a mischief taken too far by those scared of the PDP.”

He continued: “We commend  Ibrahim Idris whose efforts at rebranding the party has brought in former members like former Acting Governor, Clarence Olafemi, Chief John Odawun, Senator Nicholas Ugbane, and several others back to the party. The writers of the publication are people who are not in tune with the political timetable of Kogi State politics, we urged them to get themselves acquainted with information on when Kogi State Governorship election would hold. What is expected to hold in a few weeks time is State and National Assembly party primaries not governorship.”

The party said 18 aspirants of proven integrity and with the capacity to win the next governorship election have indicated interest to vie for for its governorship ticket at the primaries expected to hold between August and September, 2019, adding “the writers in an attempt to create disaffection for the party using blackmail, a plan their write up failed to achieve, stooped so low to have singled out a particular aspirant of the party all in an attempt to score cheap point.

How we felt when Ortom, Tambuwal, Ahmed dumped APC for PDP

Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha on Thursday described the defection of some governors of the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party as painful.

He said this in Daura, Katsina State when he led other APC governors to visit President Muhammadu Buhari to felicitate with him in the spirit of the season.

Okorocha said: “We had wished that none of them, especially the governors, had left the party. We had wished, and it pains us so much.

“The pain is because they had associated and related together as brothers.

“All of a sudden, you don’t see one of your own; we feel it.”
Recall that three governors: Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State; and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State recently defected to the PDP.

Okorocha,however, noted that despite their painful exit, he believes it had no further effect on the APC.
“The governors defection had no negative effect whatsoever on the APC. Within one week, people had forgotten and we have forged ahead,” he added.

PDP reps warn APC: Attempt to remove Dogara will be met with fire

The Parliamentary Democrats Group (PDG), a group in the house of representatives, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in the lower legislative chamber against an alleged move to remove Yakubu Dogara, the speaker.

In a statement on Thursday, Timothy Golu, a lawmaker from Plateau and spokesman of the group, said the attempt to oust Dogara would be met “with fire”.

Golu said Dogara has been performing well and is leading the house with the fear of God.

“We believe that it is the aftermath of the gale of defections that had hit the APC in recent times, of which more are being expected that is affecting the members,” the statement read.

“However, any issue that concerns the larger house will not cease to get our attention, especially the accusation by one group that another group is contemplating the impeachment of the speaker.

“We want to warn that such discussions should start and end at the APC secretariat or the secretariats of the various APC house groups. We are keeping our eyes and ears wide open for any such eventuality and to restate our readiness to return fire for fire on anyone thinking of it.

“If they claim that someone is thinking of becoming speaker in 2019 when the current tenure has not ended, it will not be out of place to suspect such motives. This is especially so when the same people have been talking strongly on the urgent need to address critical legislative issues.”

The lawmaker asked his APC colleagues not to distract the house from important issues.

“Our colleagues leading various splinter groups in the APC to allow the House to go on smoothly until June 9, 2019 or thereabout,” he said.

“We do not want the externally-influenced distraction taking place in the red chamber where some anti-democratic forces want to truncate democracy, to happen in the house. As true democrats, we are at alert, keeping vigilance and monitoring happenings with eagle eye wherever they are.”

APC ex-spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi to run for Kwara governor

The immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has joined the governorship race in Kwara State.

He will run under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and may like get the ticket considering his closeness to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the leader of the party in the state.

Abdullahi will seek to succeed incumbent two-term Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Dr. Muyideen Akorede, his Senior Special Assistant on Media announced Abdullahi’s declaration of intent to contest next year.

A post on his Facebook page Thursday night read: “Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi throws his hat in ring, declares for Kwara governorship, surrounded by friends and family”.

Abdullahi dumped the APC on Wednesday August 1, 2018.

Two days later, he announced that he had dropped President Muhammadu Buhari’s board appointment.

The former Minister was recently appointed spokesman of the coalition seeking to defeat his former party and President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

Abdullahi is now the head of Media and Publicity committee of the newly formed Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

The committee has Kazeem Afegbua and Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman of the PDP as members.

Abdullahi’s committee was among the several others inaugurated on August 6 in Abuja by the steering committee of CUPP.

Buhari to submit 2019 budget on NASS resumption

The federal government has hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari will present the 2019 budget to the National Assembly when the legislature reconvenes in September.

Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, explained that this was to restore the January to December budget cycle.

“Our aspirations is that we want to meet the requirements of the law to submit it by September but as you know the National assembly is itself away on recess and they resume by September”, she told Daily Trust.

The Minister disclosed that the N1.56 trillion spent by the federal government on capital projects was the highest amount ever spent on capital projects in the history of Nigeria.

According to her, the federal government released 60 per cent of the total N2.2 trillion budgeted for capital projects in 2017, the highest value ever.

The Minister said the 2017 budget did well as the country executed 100 per cent of the personnel component, ensuring that salaries and pensions were paid, including pension arrears.

Ahmed noted that despite the fact that production did not go up to the 2.3 million barrels per day projected for the year, oil and gas sector revenue hit 95 per cent largely due to increase in oil price in the international market.

“Non-oil revenue performance was not as high as we had expected.

“Because of the recession, a lot of businesses were struggling and couldn’t perform as they should and getting taxes will be as a result of the profit declared by companies.

“Taxes collected are also indicative of the performance of businesses in the economy,” the Minister said.

CLO wants US, UK, EU to revoke Oshiomhole, Akpabio, Omo-Agege’s visas

The Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, has petitioned the embassies of five western countries in Nigeria seeking the revocation of the visas of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Senator Ovie Omo-Agege among others for their seeming actions to truncate the country’s democracy.

The CLO, in the petition authored by its Executive Director Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, named Oshiomhole, Omo-Agege among others for their repeated actions to violate the sanctity of the National Assembly and other anti-democratic actions.

The embassies petitioned included the British High Commission, Embassies of the United States of America (USA), France, Canada, European Union (EU), among others, requesting the missions to sanction those it described as anti-democratic elements bent on upturning Nigeria’s democracy.

Others cited in the petition were Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, Senators Abu Ibrahim, George Akume, Abdullahi Adamu, Ali Ndume, Ovie Omo-Agege, Godswill Akpabio, Sunday Ogbuoji, Hope Uzodimma, Abdullahi Gumel, among others.

In a four-page letter titled: ‘Urgent Need to Rescue Nigeria’s Democracy: A Call to Sanction Anti-democratic Elements’, and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Ezike, CLO said: “As non-partisans, we hold the legislature as the sanctuary of democracy. We believe that democracy perishes once the executive arm commandeers the legislature, which is the people’s arm of government.

“We are horrified that whereas Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) explicitly provides that ‘There shall be a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by members of that House from among themselves’, there have been resolute attempts by the APC to impose executive stooges as the presiding officers of the National Assembly since 2015.

“The most recent and brazen were the raid on the Senate in session by armed hooligans escorted into the chambers by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to steal the mace of the Senate; simultaneous siege to the official residences of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President; and a siege to the National Assembly by hooded security operatives in clear attempts at illegal regime change of the Senate leadership.

“Although, the wishy-washy report of the Police investigation refused to name the politicians that worked in concert with the Department of State Services, DSS, to forcefully take over the National Assembly premises, the inciting public vituperations of the APC National Chairman and some serving Senators and leaders leave no one in doubt of the key actors behind the heinous attempts to ruin the nation’s democracy.”

“Without holding a brief for any of the political interests, Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution and Nigeria’s legislative convention allow bipartisan or even opposition headship of the parliament of which the APC has been the greatest beneficiary.

“CLO is, therefore, unable to figure out any justification, be it on grounds of law, convention, and morality, for the continuous overheating of the polity by APC leaders over the leadership of the Senate.

“Two presiding officers of the Senate have been removed since 1999, but on no occasion was any of them held hostage or the National Assembly overran by security agencies. Oshiomole has obviously overstepped his bound.

“We, therefore, urge your mission/government to not only help engage the APC-led Federal Government with a view to ending the rising political tension and barefaced impunity to an immediate stop, but also to suspend issuance of visas of your country to the listed anti-democratic elements and cancel all valid visas already held by them.

“CLO has continued to insist on calling the attention of the World and its leaders to the impending confusion in Nigeria because of the obvious monumental implications it will have on human rights and mankind at large in the event that such dastardly acts of these leaders drive our society into avoidable crisis.”

Uduaghan hints on dumping PDP for APC

Former governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Udaughan, has hinted on dumping the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Uduaghan confirmed the development to Vanguard Thursday evening.

The former governor, however, said there was no pressure on him to join the ruling APC.

He said, “The situation is more from the situation on ground in PDP and my political future. I am also looking at my political future and those of my followers. I have studied the political terrain and I believe the Delta should not be in opposition.

Asked if the National Chairman of the APC, Adam Oshiomhole was aware of his plans to join the APC, Uduaghan said, “Yes, I am talking with Oshiomhole, we are discussing like old colleagues, it is not a pressure, he would wish that I come over, but I also told him that I have a leader, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and they should have a discussion with him.”

Nigerians still in love with their oppressors – Ex-Ghana President, Jerry Rawlings

Jerry John Rawlings, former Head of State and President of Ghana, has said that Nigerians are still in love with their ‘oppressors.’

He stated this during a closed-door meeting with 2019 presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, in Accra, Ghana.

A statement on Thursday by Rachel Onamusi-Kpiaisi, Director, PR, Media and Communications of the Sowore 2019 Campaign Organization, said both men spoke on a wide range of issues that bordered on youth and leadership in Africa, and about corruption and effective solutions to the menace.

The statement reads in part: “It was a closed-door meeting, but one of the things that came out of it was that Rawlings said, ‘Chief, you know your generation should be the ones in power but there is huge problem, things are gonna be tight!’

“Sowore quickly interrupted, asking if it was about ‘money politics’, after which Rawlings took a deep breath and after a long drawn silence, stated: ‘You know, Nigerians are still in love with their oppressors.’

“If there is a reason that our leaders buy up luxurious apartments and send their children to school in Ghana, it is thanks in no small part to the tireless, uncompromising work of JJ Rawlings.”

It added that before leaving Accra, Sowore also held a town hall session with Ghana-based Nigerians.

Buhari weighs options as race for substantive DSS DG begins

President Muhammadu Buhari is considering confirming Mathew Seiyefa as the substantive Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) or appointing a new head.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was in acting capacity while Buhari was in London, fired the former DG Lawal Daura.

The sack followed the siege at the National Assembly by DSS operatives, a development which sparked outrage across the country and abroad.

Prominent individuals, groups and members of the international community condemned what they described as an attack on the country’s legislature.

But the president is still under pressure to reinstate Daura or give him another role in government.

However, dailypost reports that while some forces want the retention of the office in the North, others are urging the president to confirm Seiyefa.

According to the latter group, elevating the Bayelsa-born top officer to substantive DG will boost the president’s image and quell feelings that he is an “ethnic bigot” who has allegedly favoured the Northern region in security appointments.

However, Seiyefa has just about one year before his retirement, having spent 34 years in service.

Seiyefa was said to have “lost” the position to former DG Ita Ekpenyong in 2010, who was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sources say he may be favoured this time as compensation for his hardwork over the decades.

Seiyefa is the most senior deputy Deputy Director-General out of the four incumbent DDGs.

But if President Buhari decides to overlook them and pick someone below their rank, the quartet will have to retire.

Seal visits Femi Kuti’s Afrika Shrine(Photos)

Seal, left, and Femi Kuti, right at the Afrika Shrine on Thursday

Seal, the British singer with Nigerian roots, visited Femi Kuti at the new Afrika Shrine in Lagos  on Thursday.

He came with his son Henry and met with Kuti’s son, Made, and sister Yeni.

Yeni, the AfrikaShrine, all shared  on Instagram pictures  of the truly August visitor, whose real name is Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel.

Femi Kuti, Seal and Henry, Seal’s son from German model Heidi Klum

“Seal and I at the Shrine today! Awesome!!!”, wrote Yeni Kuti.

Brothers: Seal and Femi KutiFemi Kuti, Seal and Made Kuti, Femi’s sonSeal and Yeni KutiSeal and Femi Kuti

“My Brother Seal”, Femi announced on his own Instagram account, while @AfrikaShrine announced Seal’s departure. Femi was heard on the accompanying video telling Henry to feel free to come to Nigeria to spend his holiday.

However, Seal has not announced the visit on his own Instagram verified page.

Seal, a multiple award winner,  was born  in London to a  Nigerian mother, Adebisi Ogundeji, and a Brazilian father, Francis Samuel on 19 February 1963.  However, he was raised by a foster family in Westminster, London.

NAN

APC Presidential aspirant urges Buhari to drop 2nd term bid

Buhari

PRESIDENTIAL hopeful on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Unagha Mumakhai , has  advised President Muhammadu Buhari to drop his  re-election  ambition, saying that the  exercise would affect his integrity negatively.

Unagha who spoke at the national convention of the National Youth Council in , assuring that he would  take practical steps to create a robust economy that would  make youths active players if elected president of the country.

“I want to call on our father, president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Buhari, to have a rethink of his interest in 2019. If he wins, his integrity will be at stake and if he loses, the worst.

“You will all agree with me that the current political environment is not favourable to our youths to strive. You will equally agree with me that we have stayed in the dark for too long. It is against this background that I have chosen to come out to contest.”

You’re surrounded by corrupt people, PDP tells President

    Contrary to the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari that he was fighting corruption, the Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the President is surrounding himself with people who have corruption cases.

It therefore said that the claim of integrity by the President was questionable.

It further described the claim by the President that opposition could see that he was trying as an admittance of failure.

The President Buhari had on Thursday said members of the opposition cannot fault the efforts his administration had made in its three major areas of focus, namely security, economy and the fight against corruption.

The main opposition party insisted that the President had failed in the three cardinal promises he made to Nigerians when he was campaigning in 2015.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke with one of our correspondents in an interview in Abuja, also debunked the claim by the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, that the performance of Buhari’s government was satisfactory to God.

He said, “Here is a President who is surrounded by corrupt people, people who have corruption cases hanging on their necks. Where then is the much-touted integrity of the man?

“If you claim not to be a thief, but you are surrounded by thieves, you eat with them,  open your doors for them and play with them?  Are you not supposed to be worried?

“Where then is the integrity?  Every suspected corrupt person is becoming your friend.  Everyone being tried for stealing and corruption is wining and dining with you. Then you say you have integrity.  President Muhammadu Buhari has shown Nigerians his friends and we now know the kind of person he is.”

Ologbondiyan said the President could not have sincerely claimed to have succeeded in the fight against insurgency and revamp of the economy as well.

In the area of insurgency, he said the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan was able to restore normalcy to the North-East, adding that this was responsible for the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct elections in the zone in 2015.

He said, “The President has indeed failed in the three areas he promised Nigerians. The indices before Nigerians testify to this.

“He has not solved any problem at all. He made the promise that he would fight insurgency, fight corruption and also revamp the economy.

“The PDP government has fought insurgency to the extent that elections were held and results declared in all the local government areas in North-East by the Independent National Electoral Commission.  The outcome of the elections made the commission to declare President Buhari as the winner. Today, some areas in the zone have been taken over by insurgents.”

On the economy, he said Nigerians were worse off.

“Interest rates have gone up. Banks no longer have the capacity to grant loans. The lending facilities handed over to this government by the PDP government are all wiped off.

“Today, there is no middle class. So, where is the said performance?  When he is rejected by Nigerians next year, he will go to his village, regretting that he has disappointed the people who elected him to serve them.”

ADC to Buhari: Your govt has increased poverty, unemployment

The African Democratic Congress has disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that members of the opposition cannot fault the efforts his administration had made in its three major areas of focus, namely security, economy and the fight against corruption.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President who spoke on Thursday in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State, said he would continue to do what he was expected to do in the leadership position God had given him

Disagreeing with Buhari’s claim, the ADC Chairman, Chief Okey Nwosu, said it was unfortunate that Buhari had converted the exalted office of the President to a “lie manufacturing plant.”

Nwosu, whose party has been endorsed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said statistics from every credible organisation and even agencies of government showed that poverty and unemployment had worsened.

He further stated that the crisis in the Middle Belt had reached unprecedented levels under the Buhari administration and it was therefore deceptive of Buhari to claim that he had effectively tackled insecurity.

The ADC chairman said Transparency International  had exposed Buhari’s anti-graft war for the sham that it was and subsequently urged the President  to focus  on improving the lives of Nigerians rather than propaganda.

Nwosu said, “Buhari has turned the Presidency into a lie manufacturing plant. He has no right to evaluate himself. It is Nigerians that are supposed to assess his performance. However, the facts speak for themselves. Under Buhari, poverty and unemployment have worsened.

“He claims to have effectively tackled insecurity but every day new IDP camps are springing up. I recently returned from Borno State where I saw IDP camps all over the place.

[PHOTOS] Music House demolition: Ayefele, Alaafin, others meet Ajimobi

 
Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Thursday met with the popular musician, Yinka Ayefele, to resolve the impasse over the demolition of Ayefele’s Music House in Ibadan.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who was at the Governor’s Office in company with some monarchs, also pleaded with the governor to resolve issue.

See the photographs:

 

Credit Punch online

Big Names In R&B Booked to Perform at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

Bold names in the R&B music world have been booked to perform at the queen of soul Aretha Franklin’s home going service on August 31. Franklin passed away on August 16 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

According to CNN, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Yolanda Adams and Jennifer Holliday will be among the greats expected to perform at Franklin‘s funeral for close friends and family on August 31 at 10 a.m. ET at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.

The public is invited to attend public viewings on August 28-29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.

Stevie Wonder visited with Franklin before she died in her riverfront Detroit apartment.

“She did incredible music, incredible singer. She touched every genre. Every singer was influenced in some way by the way she sang. They will forever be influenced by her because of her voice, her emotion, her sincerity is unforgettable,” he said on CBS This Morning.

In the photo above, street artist Jules Muck paid tribute to the late great singer with a gigantic mural, in collaboration with Global Street Art, in the East London Shoreditch area.

Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images