PAPABAKS

IT'S TRUMP!

2016-11-09T09:49:00.001+01:00

Washington (CNN) Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States, CNN projects, a historic victory for outsiders that represents a stunning repudiation of Washington's political establishment.

The billionaire real estate magnate and former reality star needed an almost perfect run through the swing states -- and he got it, winning Ohio, North Carolina and Florida.

The Republican swept to victory over Hillary Clinton in the ultimate triumph for a campaign that repeatedly shattered the conventions of politics to pull off a remarkable upset. Clinton conceded to Trump in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Speaking at a victory party in New York, Trump was gracious toward Clinton and called for unity.

"We owe (Clinton) a very major debt of gratitude to her for her service to our country," Trump said. "I say it is time for us to come together as one united people."

He added: "I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans."

Trump won with 288 electoral votes compared to 215 for Clinton, according to CNN projections.

Latest election results

Trump's supporters embraced his plainspoken style, assault on political correctness and vow to crush what he portrayed in the final days of his campaign as a corrupt, globalized elite -- epitomized by the Clintons -- that he claimed conspired to keep hard-working Americans down.

America votes

His winning coalition of largely white, working-class voters suggests a populace desperate for change and disillusioned with an entire generation of political leaders and the economic and political system itself.

Now, Trump faces the task of uniting a nation traumatized by the ugliest campaign in modern history and ripped apart by political divides exacerbated by his own explosive rhetoric -- often along the most tender national fault lines such as race and gender.

Trump is sure to follow his own playbook

Trump will be the first president to enter the White House with no political, diplomatic or military executive experience. His victory will send shockwaves around the world, given his sparse foreign policy knowledge, haziness over nuclear doctrine, vow to curtail Muslim immigration and disdain for US alliances that have been the bedrock of the post-World War II foreign policy.

His promises to renegotiate or dump trade deals such as NAFTA and to brand China a currency manipulator risk triggering immediate economic shocks around the globe.

Global markets already began tumbling late Tuesday.

Trump, 70, will be the oldest president ever sworn in for a first term and will take the helm of a nation left deeply divided by his scorched-earth campaign. His victory was built on fierce anger at the Washington establishment and political elites among his grass-roots voters, many of whom feel they are the victims of a globalized economy that has resulted in the loss of millions of jobs.

His victory ends Clinton's crusade to become the first woman to ever rise to the nation's highest office. It's a humiliating chapter in the long political career of Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Trump's win also deals a painful rebuke to President Barack Obama, whom he pursued for years with his birtherism campaign built on the false premise that Obama was born outside the United States. Now Trump will have the power to eviscerate Obama's political legacy -- including the Affordable Care Act, the latter's proudest domestic achievement.

But there are deeper, more fundamental questions about Trump's presidency that will be key to his capacity to unify a deeply divided country and appeal to Americans who will feel outraged and disgusted by his victory.

He's got the attention of the whole world

Trump's campaign was built on rage, falsehoods and singling out culprits for the ills of modern America, including undocumented migrants, foreign nations such as China and Muslim immigrants.

He mocked a disabled New York Times reporter, vowed to use the power of the presidency to put Clinton in jail and pledged to sue women who accused him of sexual assault.

Trump has promised to build a wall on the southern border and make Mexico pay for it, and to deport undocumented migrants. He has vowed to reintroduce interrogation methods for terror suspects that are more extreme than waterboarding.

So the demeanor that Trump will adopt as president and the manner in which he will behave will be closely watched -- not just in the United States, but among nervous leaders abroad.

One of the many uncertainties about Trump's coming presidency is how his White House will interact with Republicans in Congress — and whether he and GOP leaders will heal their rift from the campaign.

Republicans repelled a Democratic bid to recapture the Senate, giving the GOP control over Capitol Hill and the White House.

That means it would fall to the GOP either to rubber stamp policies likely to mark a break from conservative orthodoxy or to provide a check on the power of Trump, who has shown every sign he will use executive power aggressively.

House Speaker Paul Ryan will face intense pressure from pro-Trump members of his own coalition to cooperate with the new president.

Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are likely to hold Trump's feet to the fire to ensure he lives up to his promise to appoint justices who could ensure a generational conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court.

What the world wants to know about the US election

Clinton apparently failed to reassemble the diverse coalition that helped Obama win the presidency in 2008 and 2012.

The events of Clinton's terrible final week on the campaign -- the revival of her email controversy by FBI Chief James Comey and a damaging drip, drip, drip of revelations by WikiLeaks which her campaign says was orchestrated by Russian intelligence -- could have helped consign her to defeat.

There also is the question of Trump's temperament. Clinton repeatedly warned that he was unfit to control the nuclear codes because he could be baited with a tweet.

Obama passionately denounced Trump as intellectually and temperamentally unfit to succeed him in the Oval Office.

But now, he will be forced to greet his successor on the morning of Inauguration Day in January, and look on while he is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

Pollution and fishing in the Niger Delta

2016-09-21T08:15:00.001+01:00

Written by the Editorial Bard of The Guardian Newspaper

The consistent lamentations by various civil society groups over the plight of fishermen and peasant farmers in the oil-rich Niger Delta who have deserted their long-established fishing and farming occupations due to pollution of their environment appropriately capture the pains of the devastation of the ecosystem of the oil bearing communities.

Non-governmental organisations (NGO) have over the years appealed to pipeline vandals, militants, illegal oil bunkerers and indigenous and multinational oil companies to halt the destruction of the environment in the region through their activities, a position shared by all Nigerians and even the international community.

Vandalism of oil facilities by oil bunkerers and destruction of oil installations by aggrieved militants, no doubt, are impacting negatively on the environment and living standards.

The failure of multinational oil companies to adhere strictly to environmental best practices in the Niger Delta region coupled with the activities of pipeline vandals stealing oil are also affecting the region’s environment, with the result that fishermen and farmers are being forced out of their occupations.

The destruction of the once fertile Niger Delta and the negative impacts of that on people’s livelihood system are at the root of restiveness in the region. Added to this is the failure of the Federal Government to adequately address the plight of the ravaged communities, an inaction that has persisted for decades and given rise to militancy and vandalisation of oil pipelines.

A couple of weeks ago, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, expressed similar sentiments over the woes of the oil communities.

Different communities in the region have over the years registered their anger over the degradation of their environment. Many court cases have been instituted against the oil companies in an attempt to seek redress.

The verdict given not long ago by the Supreme Court against Shell for oil spills it caused in four Niger Delta communities of Obotobo, Sokebolo, Ofogbene (Enzon Brutu) and Ekeremor Zion (Ezon Ase) in which the company was ordered to pay some money was a typical example of the legal battles.

The horrible state of the oil communities is well known and has been at the root of armed agitations. The injustice to the people has drawn international attention. Decades of oil prospecting and exploitation have blighted the communities, leaving the inhabitants in pitiable condition with their livelihood systems devastated.

Oil pollution and gas flaring have degraded both land and water surfaces, thereby rendering fishing and farming impracticable.

Although, the Muhammadu Buhari administration recently launched the Ogoniland cleanup programme, as prescribed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), real action is yet to commence, even, though the project represents a tip of the iceberg, given the magnitude of degradation and devastation in the entire region. The reclamation of Ogoni alone is billed to take 30 years.

The health implications are enormous. People would be dying from hunger and disease. Great opportunities would be lost in fishing, which is the natural occupation of the people. And foreign fishing companies are compounding the problem by fishing illegally in the region. This should be stopped.

It is strange that with the quantum of pollution in the Niger Delta, there has been no effective national response to tackle the problem and the people are left to bear the brunt of a degraded environment. Nigeria ought to follow the example of the national response given to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill in New Orleans. Shortly after the disaster, more than 1,000 scientists and public officials gathered in New Orleans to review scientific information on the short and long-term effects of the spill on the natural systems in the Gulf and on the people who live and work there. The gathering explored new fishing areas and new investments were made to ensure that neither the people nor the natural environment suffered as a result of the spill.

Such commitment and actions ought to be part of the peace-making process in the Niger Delta. Sadly enough, President Muhammadu Buhari has not even deemed it fit to visit the region to identify with the people even when he knows that his visit alone will send a strong message that his government understands the people’s plight.

The state governments in the Niger Delta should also take the lead in the effort to rehabilitate the people and restore their environment. They should stop waiting for the Federal Government to initiate every action. At least they should spearhead the moves for research into how to revive the fishing industry on which the people must live.

Ambode nominates Subair as new LIRS Chairman, approves Engr. Abiodun Dabiri as LAMATA MD

2016-08-29T15:34:00.000+01:00

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday nominated Mr. Ayodele Hamzat Subair for confirmation by the State House of Assembly as the new Chairman of the Lagos Service (LIRS).

In a letter to the House of Assembly read on the floor of the House, Governor Ambode, said that following the retirement of the erstwhile Chairman, Mr. Folarin Ogunsanwo who held the post since September 2015, it became expedient to quickly seek a suitable replacement in view of the vital position of the LIRS towards its revenue generation drive and in attainment of the set target of his administration to deliver good governance to the citizenry.

Subair, who was born on May 21, 1960, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the Metropolitan University of Manchester, United Kingdom and a Masters Degree in Business administration from the University of Lagos.

He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), member of both the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN).

Subair has over thirty-four years working experience which started with the Price WaterHouse Chartered Accountants before venturing into private practice in 1987 with the Hamzat Subair and Co. Chartered Accountants where he is the Managing Partner.

He was the pioneer Director of Lagos State Lrector of Lagos State Lotteries Board and has worked with various international agencies such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Governor Ambode said that Subair’s presentation to the House of Assembly for confirmation was in conformity with Section 2 of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law (2006).

In a related development, Governor Ambode has also approved the appointment of Engr. Abiodun Dabiri as the new Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

Engr. Dabiri, born on January 2, 1964, holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos.

He is a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), corporate member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN).

Dabiri joined LAMATA in 2008 and was until his appointment the Head of Procurement/Operational Contract Manager for the Agency.

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How to ‘defeat’ EFCC or die trying! – By Japheth Omojuwa

2016-07-15T08:29:00.000+01:00

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission “carry” you? What’s there? It simply means you have arrived! Whatever you do, never plead guilty! The EFCC’s budget is not even up to N15bn, yet as a bonafide big thief worth N25bn, you already know you can match the EFCC naira for naira. Remember that its budget will not even be used to fight you alone, it has to fight other big thieves like you. When broken down per capita thief per thief, the EFCC probably has just about N100m to fight you. Before the battle gets started, your advantage over the EFCC cannot be over-emphasised but you must do more.

This is the time to remember you are a Christian and do not forget that the President is a Muslim. Every political battle is a battle of narratives before anything else, so you must make sure to sponsor analysts to critique the President’s inclination towards only going after thieves who are Christians. Some “oversabi” people will try to point out to you that he is also going after Muslims but that is not your business; your business is to focus on your agenda and spend and spend until you believe your narrative is actually the truth. In this game, the truth takes the shape of the glass you want it, the truth is not absolute here. Remember to let people know that the EFCC is coming after you because you are not from Daura. Have you not noticed that nobody from Daura has been charged by the EFCC? So, scream until Nigerians believe you. Let me tell you something about an average crowd, they do not exactly care for the truth, they care for who is able to dress their own truth best.

This is not the time to be wearing suits up and down; wear your traditional attire. You will need to be seen as being persecuted because of the “continued marginalisation of our people!” Who cares? It is not your business whether there is federal character in the comity of thieves. You will need to hire ethnic entrepreneurs whose nuisance value amounts to political value at this time. They are the ones to organise widows with husbands at home who just need the N1000 you pay to their wives after a successful protest against the government for “witch-hunting” you. I suggest you do not even use “witch-hunt” because it has been over-used and is now faded. Don’t say, “I am being witch-hunted,” because people will say that is all the big thieves say when they are caught; so, you must differentiate brand from those other thieves by saying, “I am being isolated for persecution.”

You cannot do this on your own. The easiest way to perish as a thief in Nigeria is to try to eat alone. You eat alone, you go down alone! So, organise some money for social media, you need people using your photo on their profile pictures and the #FreeBigThief (replace your name with Big Thief) hash tag will come in handy. This one is not expensive, you can give some of those people N5,000 and you are good to go. See, spare some money for analysts who cannot defend you directly but can scatter the conversation so that people can no longer understand if President Muhammadu Buhari is even fighting corruption or he is abusing human rights. These analysts are easy to identify; just look for the people that are quiet when people return stolen money or people who never bother to speak about human rights when the poor are abused. They are very loud when the conversation is about human rights and the rule of law but only when this rule is about how it applies to big yet-to-be-convicted thieves. Your media agenda will not be complete without some strategically placed articles in the newspapers.

Nigeria is a complex country; you must use that complexity to your advantage. Tweet about how you just finished hosting another student group and some tweets showing the visit to your house by Nigerians of other ethnic coloration does your national credibility a lot of good. Power is nothing without control, a Nigerian politician equals to zero without a sell-out crowd! Do not be naïve asking how to get a crowd screaming your name. N1000 times 2,000 is just N2m. So, with N5m, you can have a crowd of 5,000 people welcome you home on your return having secured a N500m bail. See, no one dares a loud crowd motivated by money!

Your job is not done! You need an international agenda to do with your local moves. You know Buhari used to be known as a dictator, all you need now do is wear him that cap again! You should be smarter than to think he will agree to wear such in this modern world where being a dictator is being regarded as being the modern Mussolini. He won’t agree to wear the cap but you can dress him in absentia. There are many willing foreign media consultants especially in Washington and London who will help you pen strategic, “Is Nigeria’s Buhari Really the Born-Again Democrat He Claims To Be?” or even more direct ones like, “Buhari Is The Reason Nigeria Is Failing!” Look, the credibility of the author does not matter, it does matter if even in his or her own country, the author is worth the price of two used tissue papers; what matters is that the article is on a foreign platform. Nigerians may not buy whatever you sell but once you package it inside a foreign attire, we “go buy am samsam!”

Your job is still not done. To whom much is given, much is expected so to whom Baba Daz sent too much money, much he must do, to survive the onslaught of the law! If you do all these and you don’t get the best lawyers, you will amount to a big fool who spent millions of naira trying to host a party but without good food and good music. It will only end in a disaster! Whether you are a Christian, Muslim or a mixture of one of them and some African religion, you must know that once the EFCC is after you for stealing, your prayer must now go straight to your lawyer o! That prayer will of course fail if not backed by the right billions. See, lawyers never lie; they only want to win in court. Meanwhile, do not steal N25bn and then hire a N25,000 lawyer, you will go to jail faster than it takes Usain Bolt to finish a 100m race and you’d have deserved it. Because not only are you a thief, you are a dishonourable thief! LOL. No one steals to “chop alone”, you steal most of it for yourself; you leave some for a possible refund or where you don’t want to be seen as a chicken that budged easily, you leave some for all of the above.

All of these would be useless without an illness. It does not matter that you have been hale and hearty through all your years of fruitful stealing, an illness is your fastest route towards getting a bail and possibly an opportunity to go see your doctors abroad. You are the only one who needs to know your doctor is simply the person in charge of helping to move your loot to safe havens.

By the time you do all of these, Buhari’s tenure would be closing in on its full mandate. Who knows, the next president could even apologise to you, return the money collected from you and even top it up with a national award. Except of course Buhari institutionalises the war and makes it hard for the next president to reverse the gains against unrepentant thieves like you. You do not want that, you must begin to identify the thief you want to run as president even now. See, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, your own head will carry fire! Corruption must fight back, it needs you as a soldier! A Looting Continua!

Nigeria’s sovereignty is negotiable – Wole Soyinka

2016-06-30T11:17:00.000+01:00

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has lent his voice to the growing calls for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation, saying the sovereignty of the nation is negotiable.

Speaking during a visit to PUNCH Place, the corporate headquarters of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Kilometre 14, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, on Tuesday, Soyinka said decentralisation of the nation would ensure healthy rivalry among the component units.

The laureate said it was wrong for previous administrations in the country to say that Nigeria’s sovereignty was non-negotiable, submitting that the position was antithetical to development.

Soyinka added, “I am on the side of those who say we must do everything to avoid disintegration. That language I understand. I don’t understand (ex-President Olusegun) Obasanjo’s language. I don’t understand (President Muhammadu) Buhari’s language and all their predecessors, saying the sovereignty of this nation is non-negotiable. It’s bloody well negotiable and we had better negotiate it. We better negotiate it, not even at meetings, not at conferences, but everyday in our conduct towards one another.

“We had better understand it too that when people are saying ‘let’s restructure’, they have better things to do. It’s not an idle cry; it is a perennial demand. The Pro-National Conference Organisation was about restructuring when this same Obasanjo said it was an act of treason for people to come together to fashion a new constitution. Those were fighting words; that you’re saying, ‘I commit treason because I want to sit with my fellow citizens and negotiate the structures of staying together’ and ask the police to go and break it up and arrest us.

“I remember that policeman, who said if we met, that would be treason. I wasn’t a member of PRONACO at the time. That’s when I joined PRONACO. If you’re saying to me, ‘I am a second-class citizen; I cannot sit down and discuss the articles, the protocols of staying together’ and you’re trying to bully me, I won’t accept.”

He said Nigeria could not continue with a centralisation policy, which encouraged what he described as “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop” mentality.

Soyinka said the over centralisation of government had resulted in resentment among constituent states, adding that the phenomenon was insulting and promoted anti-healthy rivalry among states.

He stated, “We cannot continue to allow a centralisation policy which makes the constituent units of this nation resentful; they say monkey dey work, baboon dey chop. And the idea of centralising revenues, allocation system, whereby you dole out; the thing is insulting and it is what I call anti-healthy rivalry. It is against the incentives to make states viable.”

He said the centralisation of government led to the proliferation of states during the military era when, according to him, a state was created because the girlfriend of a certain military leader hailed from the state.

He said it was high time government established state police to check the rising security challenges in the country, stressing that policing was more effective when localised.

Soyinka added, “I know people get nervous about that expression. If you go to a place like England, you sometimes see two, three, four police (officers) just walking casually unarmed, but they are observing everything.

“Now, if policing is all of that, then I think the police are more efficient if they are based within a smaller constituency than a larger one. Within such constituencies, the policeman virtually knows everybody. A federal, centralised system of police lacks that advantage.

“So, I find it very difficult to accept that people can be nervous about the state police. State police has been abused. Nobody is denying that; it’s historical. Don’t tell us because we know already. But isn’t centralised police also abused? Look at what’s been coming out from the last elections, not just the police, but the military.”

Condemning the killings perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen across the country, the Professor of Comparative Literature said the phenomenon had become an albatross that must be tackled frontally by the Federal Government.

Soyinka said the intrusive nature of Fulani herdsmen was no longer a remote problem for him personally, alleging that some Fulani herdsmen had invaded the privacy of his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

“It is no longer a remote problem for me. It is an actuality,” he said, recalling that the killings carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Enugu some months ago was mismanaged by the government.

“In Enugu, why did it take so long to investigate the killings? It’s like the case of Ese Oruru. What is all this? What is security for? That thing should have been addressed immediately. (In Enugu), they shouldn’t have waited for directives from Buhari or anybody. This is a crime against humanity. There should be no debate about it.

“The military should have been drafted there immediately; the police, first of all, and the military – if necessary. I found out that the victims were arrested; what’s all that about? This menace is underestimated. If they had reached my secure place in Abeokuta, then it is no longer a remote problem.”

He faulted the proposal to create grazing reserves for herdsmen in the country, saying rather than do that, ranches, where members of the public could go to buy cows and goats, should be created.

The octogenarian said the term “grazing reserve” would convey the meaning that government had carved out some people’s land for herdsmen to use for their commercial enterprise.

“The word ‘reserve’ is the problem. If there are ranches, it doesn’t matter where they are built, ranches are a commercial proposition, it isn’t a Fulani issue. You can create ranches so that cows, goats could be bought there. This shouldn’t be an instrument of politics, race or ethnicity.

“But when you talk about reserves, it suggests that people can bring cattle from Futa Djallon, Senegal, and if they get here, they can get reserve. If it’s a ranch, it’s a pure commercial proposition, you want to trade. I will like to see these cattle people go back to the position they were before in which there was mutual collaboration between them and farmers,” he said.

Soyinka called on Buhari to consider the report of the 2014 National Conference convened during the tenure of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, lamenting that the country had been moving round in circles without direction.

“We have a habit of consigning files to the dust shelves and then we start all over again. The (confab) report that came under Jonathan is even more superior to the one that I participated in as a member of PRONACO and I think that should be addressed seriously.

“The recommendations strike me as workable, practical, and in fact, as answering some of the anxieties of this nation. This is something I think that Buhari should tackle seriously,” he said.

Lionel Messi appreciated with a statue

2016-06-30T11:10:00.000+01:00

Barcelona star Lionel Messi may have abruptly ended his international career after yet again losing out in the final of a major tournament, but that has not stopped Argentina from giving their due thanks to the attacker.

The Albiceleste lost to Chile on penalties in the Copa America final for the second year in a row, adding to the misery they suffered in the 2014 World Cup at the hands of Germany.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner announced immediately after the game that his international career is over.

Argentina fans, Diego Maradona and Mauricio Macri, the country's president, have all pleaded with the Barcelona star to remain with the national team since his announcement.

And the government of Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires, has taken new steps to try to convince him to turn out for Gerardo Martino's men in the future by unveiling a statue of him.

So-called forgery case against me is another wanton abuse of the judicial process- Saraki

2016-06-23T13:20:00.000+01:00

Senate President Bukola Saraki, has described the allegations of forgery of senate standing order leveled against him and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu by the Federal government as another wanton abuse of the judicial process and making a mockery of the institution of justice.

In a statement released by his special adviser on media and publicity, Yusuf Olaniyonu yesterday June 22nd, Saraki said some people were trying to implicate him in keeping with their declared vow to ensure that even if their current efforts to nail him through the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) fails, they would find other ways to carry out their vendetta.

The statement in part reads

“The police in their investigation were conscious that the incumbent senate president was not in office prior to June 9, 2015 and that was why in their letters inviting some individuals for their investigation, they only mentioned officers of the seventh senate. The last of the letters was written to the clerk of the national assembly on June 7, 2016 and he was not among those invited.

Those who decided to smuggle the name of the senate president into the charge sheet after the fact knew perfectly well that only the leadership of the seventh senate were invited for investigation. But they needed to implicate him in keeping with their declared vow to ensure that even if their current efforts to nail him through the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) fails, they would find other ways to carry out their vendetta. This so-called forgery case is another wanton abuse of the judicial process and making a mockery of the institution of justice.

As the senate earlier stated, the sponsors of this plot are not only gunning for Dr Saraki, what they have just launched with this latest antics is a grand onslaught on the foremost institution of our democracy. The only institutional difference between dictatorship and democracy is the presence of the legislature. Therefore, by seeking to cripple the national assembly, they have declared a war on our hard-won democracy and aimed for the very jugular of our freedom.

“Let us restate the fact that the senators who initiated the police investigation in the first place had raised the same matter on the floor and were overwhelmingly overruled. They also filed a civil suit and were told by the court that neither the judiciary nor the executive can interfere in the internal affairs of the legislative arm.

These needless distractions will do nobody any good. In fact, it will not help in delivering on the promise of bringing positive change to the lives of our people who voted for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last elections. The senate president does not see what value this current attempt to shut down the senate by dragging its presiding officers before a court for a phantom allegation of forgery will add to the attempts to solve the problems confronting the nation.”

'It's a disgrace to Nigeria that 27 out of 36 states can’t pay salaries' - President Buhari says

2016-06-23T13:11:00.000+01:00

President Buhari yesterday said it was disgraceful that 27 out of the 36 states in the Federation are grappling with inability to pay their workers salary. President Buhari said this during his interactive meeting with workers at the state house Abuja.

"27 out of the 36 states cannot pay salaries. This is a disgrace to Nigeria. It is a disgrace up till now that most of the states cannot pay salaries.

What happened to all we have gotten over the years? We look up and down, left, right and centre, what have we saved? There was nothing because we developed a consumption culture that we were not supposed to develop. Most of your colleagues that have left service, I doubt if they are getting benefits. That is the situation we find ourselves in”he said

Jamie Vardy signs new 4year deal with Leicester worth £100k per week

2016-06-23T12:58:00.000+01:00

Leicester city sensation Jamie Vardy has ended all speculation about his future by signing a new four year deal with Leicester City, the current English premier league champions, hereby ending all rumors linking him with a move to Arsenal. Announcing the news Vardy was staying at the club, a Leicester statement on their official website read;

'Leicester City have today agreed with the representatives of Jamie Vardy to extend the England international’s contract with the Premier League champions for a further four years. 'Both parties hope that this announcement will end recent speculation regarding Jamie’s future and confirm his long term commitment to Leicester City Football Club. 'Jamie will continue to focus all of his efforts on trying to achieve success with the England team at the European Championship in France. 'There will be no further comment from either the club or the player on this matter until the conclusion of the tournament.'

2016-06-23T12:54:00.002+01:00

Video: Fayose speaks on how he funded his campaign during the 2014 Ekiti state election

2016-06-23T12:54:00.001+01:00

At a press briefing in Ekiti state yesterday June 22nd, Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state spoke on how his 2014 governorship election campaign was funded. According to him, Zenith bank, donations and sales of political souvenirs all formed the sources of the funds he used for his campaign.He denied claims of receiving any money from former NSA, Sambo Dasuki...

"My election was funded two years ago by Zenith bank plc, fund raising, donations from friends and associates as well as sales of campaign souvenirs. I have no financial transacts whatsoever with the office of the National Security Adviser under Colonel Sambo Dasuki rtd and former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro either by cash, cheque or electronic transfer. I challenge the EFCC to publish statements made by Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, his son or any other person associated with money from the NSA office where they claimed that they gave me money for the election"he said

Aisha Buhari blasts Fayose over alleged role in Halliburton scandal

2016-06-22T09:38:00.000+01:00

Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, has rebuked the governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, over allegation that she was involved in the Halliburton scandal.

“Enough is Enough Fayose. A mad dog that isn’t chained. I refuse to keep quiet,” the First Lady posted on her verified Twitter handle.

Earlier, the Presidency has said that Fayose acted so infantile by linking Aisha to US Congressman William Jefferson’s bribery scandal for which the American lawmaker was convicted in 2009.

Following the blockage of account of the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, which he operates with Zenith Bank Plc, the governor has vehemently reacted to the development, alleging that President Muhammadu Buhari and his family members are not saints after all.

Accusing President Muhammadu Buhari and his family of being corrupt, the Governor said in a press release by his Chief Press Secretary Mr Idowu Adelusi, that,

”Even the President cannot claim to be an angel. The estate he built in Abuja is known to us. His wife was indicted over the Halliburton Scandal. When that American, Jefferson, was being sentenced, the President’s wife was mentioned as having wired $170,000 to Jefferson. Her name was on page 25 of the sentencing of Jefferson. We can serialize the judgment for people to see and read.”

Ogun river suddenly turns into a 'dry land overnight'

2016-06-20T09:02:00.000+01:00

A part of the popular Ogun River which flows under the Kara Bridge around Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State has suddenly gone dry.

Unidentified green plants are seen on the river while the water body has given way.

The Kara cattle market community under the bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway has become a Mecca of some sort with residents of the community and passers-by trooping to see the dried section of the river which once provided water for the Kara cattle and ram market.

Traffic in bound Lagos slowed down and Road Safety officials tried to make light the gridlock.

Before the unusual incident, the water body once served as means of transportation for canoe owners but residents say they woke up to see the channel blocked on Saturday morning.

There were initial suspicion that this could be water hyacinth but the surface of what used to be the flowing river hard become a firm ground.

Some people were seen testing the solidity of the green that has taken over the waterway by walking across the river and some found it a readymade recreation ground.

Surprisingly, on the other side of the Kara Bridge, the river is seen flowing freely.

Michael Fagbenro, a panel beater with a workshop located at the Kara riverbank, said those in the area began to notice the plants surface at about 8am on Friday.

He said, “It started gradually; the plants were flowing with the river. But by 12pm, the water began to flow forcefully and brought a lot more plants. It accumulated at a very rapid rate.

“By Friday afternoon, it had completely covered the river. I have been here for over five years and this has never happened. It is obviously not normal. This is unbelievable. When I saw it, I was afraid because it is so strange.”

Asked if he had attempted taking a walk on the seaweed, Fagbenro exclaimed frighteningly, “Who, me? I don’t have the courage to walk over it! I am not one of those born here and I cannot swim. I am even sure that when the plants leave, they will take someone with them.”

Mrs. Christiana Monday-Egbu, a local trader, similarly said she and other workers at the site were fearful at the occurrence on Friday.

The cassava processing business owner, who set up shop by the river over a year ago, said, “It was around 10am when the water started gushing, carrying the plants with the waves. It wasn’t even raining when it started.

“People were startled when it started. It all happened so fast. I have never witnessed such a strange occurrence in my life. Everyone rushed out to watch with surprise.”

Another Kara-based trader of over three years, Mrs. Love Itoro, said prior to the strange development, canoes plied the river, conveying passengers, mostly traders, from one side to the other.

The food vendor explained that at the climax of the incident, a canoe was caught in the middle of the river with five passengers who were meat sellers.

“When the plants started coming in large amounts, it blocked the boat and almost made it sink. The driver quickly came down onto the plants to help the passengers carry their meat. People from the other side then threw a rope and pulled the boat back to safety,” Itoro said.

Mrs. Ability Udoh, a trader at Kara for five years, said the occurrence was not entirely strange. According to her, occasionally, the river would bring sea-based plants.

Udoh, however, admitted that she had never witnessed it in such magnitude.

“We are happy that nobody died,” she said.

Two other traders, Mercy and Blessing of Calabar extraction, said they were shocked and afraid when the incident occurred.

Mercy said, “I too was so scared because I have never seen something like this.”

Blessing added, “I saw someone lying down on the plants on Friday; I was so scared. I cannot believe how daring some people are.”

According to Dr. Folorunsho Adetayo of the Department of Geosciences, University of Lagos, the identified plants are seaweed.

According to the environmental geoscientist, seaweed is a regenerative product of algae.

Adetayo said, “The plants are not harmful. People can come in contact with them without being harmed. The rainy season definitely contributes to it. I cannot say that it is the first time this is happening.

“It could have happened in the past. During certain periods of time, the algae proliferate and are formed around the river course.”

He also dismissed claims that the river had dried up, noting that the algae had the ability to reproduce and regenerate itself at a rapid rate within hours.

He said, “No, the river cannot just dry up in the rainy season for that matter. It is an experience that is not restricted to Nigeria. At least, personally, I have witnessed it in Qingdao, China, two years ago.”

Adetayo however warned, “The government, however, needs to remove the plants because if allowed to stay long, it can become toxic to plants and animals, including human beings.”

A Professor of Applied Geophysics, Department of Geosciences, UNILAG, Elijah Ayolabi, in an electronic mail, also explained that the occurrence was not strange.

He said, “To the ordinary man, this may be strange, but to those of us who have conducted geophysical investigations and geological mapping around that area, it is not strange. However, I will like to see it myself and provide scientific deductions of the occurrence.”

WHY MUST WE WAIT FOR OUR HEROES TO DIE BEFORE WE CELEBRATE THEM IN NIGERIA?

2016-06-16T11:10:00.001+01:00

I woke up about 5:30am on 7^th of June, 2016, had my morning devotion and went about getting ready for the day’s work. I was really not expecting any surprises like the one I got when I took a quick glance at my phone on my way out for any messages and news updates. The first news that popped up at me was a rude shock, Stephen Keshi is dead! At first, I thought it was one of those fake news so I decided to confirm the authenticity of the news from Channels news website, and loo and behold the news was there confirming Stephen Keshi’s death. Sudden sadness welled up within me as I decided to right there on the spot observe my one minute silence in honour of the departed hero.

Some hours later, I started seeing lots of tributes trooping in for the late Legend of football in Africa and the world at large; tributes from people like FIFA president, NFF president, Super Eagle’s captain Mikel Obi, Former Super Eagle captain Joseph Yobo, Samson Siasia, CAF President, Kelechi Nwakali, Flying Eagles coach Emmanuel Amuneke, Kanu Nwanko, JayJay Okocha and loads of other international and Local football players. Within hours, all the media platform, traditional, new and social, become frenzy with condolences and tributes to the family of the late icon.

Amidst all the condolences and tributes pouring in from all directions even from those we knew never said anything good about him while he was alive, I was struck with the thought of WHY MUST WE WAIT FOR OUR HEROES TO DIE BEFORE WE CELEBRATE THEM IN NIGERIA?

Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Keshi popularly called the big boss, served Nigeria passionately and became one of the only two indigenous coaches to have won the African Cup of Nations trophy and also qualify the country for the World Cup both in 2013. Keshi played for the Nigerian national team and also featured in 1994 FIFA world cup. He played five African nation cups and was the captain of the team that won the 1994 African cup of nation. He was a former coach of Togo and Mali national teams and surprisingly helped the later to their first world cup tournament in Germany in 2006.

Despite the Big Boss brilliant performance as a player and as a coach, he was not well celebrated for his roles in promoting Nigerian Football, which I believe it’s not quite encouraging for upcoming footballers and coaches in the country whom would have loved to sacrifice and give more if not their all to the progress and development of the Nigerian football.

Most of the time, it was more of negative criticism and name calling when he reigned as the head coach of the Nigerian national team. These criticism came more from those that should know better and support the local brand.

The way and manner we treat true patriots and individuals that give themselves in service to achieve national glory and honour will continue to define and influence how the upcoming youths will risk their lives to defend our dear nation.

It’s high time we started to celebrate our heroes and appreciate their little efforts towards building our nation, no matter how small. Let us celebrate them while they are still alive and let others see them being celebrated, then we can later talk about how we want to immortalised them after their death.

Keshi was said to have had heart attack and died en-route the hospital in Benin City Nigeria. He is survived by four children and his mother.

He has done his own and gone, what will people say about you when you are gone?

May His soul continue to rest in peace.

Bakare Oluwaseun

@papabaks

Buhari begins first phase of homegrown school feeding across the country

2016-06-16T10:30:00.000+01:00

No counter-part funding required to start, but state govts welcome to complement
N70 per meal estimated
Caterers to be paid directly by the federal government
Programme expected to spur Agric, and create jobs
Will also foster children's nutrition and learning

To ensure the effective implementation of the National Home-grown School Feeding, HGSF, Programme, the Muhammadu Buhari presidency has already provided enough funds in the 2016 budget that will ensure that in the first instance 5.5 million primary school pupils would be served one free hot meal a day.

Making this explanation Tuesday afternoon in Abuja was the Senior Special Assistant, Media & Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, who added that while states are an active participant in the school feeding plan, their counterpart funding is not required to start the programmer's implementation.

Willing states are however being encouraged to complement the programme so it can reach more pupils, but state governments cannot and will not be compelled to do this. However the support of the states is vital whether they are able to fund in addition to what the FG will do or not, according to the SSA, saying "we want the states to embrace this programme, it is good for the people, it's a win-win for everyone."

Akande who was responding to media enquiries and requests for clarifications on the issue stated that "the school feeding programme is not a counter-part funding arrangement model, no. What we have is a plan where the FGN provides 100 % feeding costs for pupils in primary one to three in all public primary schools in the country."

According to him, "let me be clear about this, the Buhari presidency has made adequate arrangements for the HGSF to happen and by the grace of God, we are going forward to do exactly that."

But what is interesting, he continued, is the fact that some states have actually gone ahead to start the school feeding programme on their own, while some others are also making such a plan. In that case he noted, "more primary school pupils would be fed in the final analysis."

If a state is not able to fund the school feeding in Primary 4-6, Akande made it clear that the FG will not abandon such a state but instead go ahead and feed pupils from Primary 1-3.

Specifically he discloses that "5.5 million school children would be fed free of charge for 200 school days in first phase of homegrown school feeding programme starting this year."

But when the programme is completed, over the course of the elected four year term of the presidency, the number will rise to over 20 million.

At least 5.5 million Nigerian primary school children -ie starting first in

18 states-three per geopolitical zones-would be fed for 200 school days under the free Homegrown School Feeding Programme, as N93.1B has been appropriated for this in the 2016 budget.

The Senior Special Assiatnt explained further that HGSF programme creates jobs along the value chain and improves family and state economies-"because it is a localized menu that is provided for the pupils by the small-holder farmers from within the community who in turn also benefit."

For example he continued, "a food vendor who to prepares meals for say 100pupils per day, has to interact with small-holder farmers who grow yam, egg, condiments vegetables fruits. She has to interface with transporters as well as sellers of fuel etc. thereby exchanging income along the value chain.

Besides fully funding the programme for pupils in primaries 1-3, the federal government will also provide technical assistance that will allow states design their context-specific state owned models, Akande said, adding that such assistance comes with partner experience and support in key areas of health education and agriculture, allowing the managers of the program to understand the concept of the “home grown” school feeding.

Regarding how the funds would be disbursed, Akande said the money will come from the federal government coffers and go straight to caterers and other beneficiaries at a rate of N70 per meal.

The school feeding program though a part of the APC manifesto, is also African Union inspired scheme to grow th continent while ensuring pupils go to schools.

The programmes is also embedded within the national school health policy and the Universal basic act of the FGN 2004.

Muhammad ‘The Greatest’ Ali (1942-2016)

2016-06-10T08:40:00.000+01:00

Written by the Editorial board of The Guardian Newspaper

Boxing great Muhammad Ali who has just died aged 74 was the hand that fitted the gloves – unique, supremely gifted and arrestingly good looking. Long before he announced himself to the world with his victory over Sonny Liston as a 22-year-old challenger in 1964, declaring himself The Greatest at the heavyweight world title fight, or even his first professional fight in October 1960 against Tunney Hunsaker, the ‘Loiusville Lip’ (famous for having plenty to say) had a focus: to be the superstar in his own galaxy. To capture the essence of Muhammad Ali in a short space then is to do injustice to his life and times. That essence is and would ever remain a reference point in boxing and global sport history.

As he finally departs today, following his 61 fights with a shining record 56 wins, five losses and 37 knock outs, he has definitely left the mark as the first to win the heavies three times. The last great fight off the squared ropes he lost, medically, to an affliction (Parkinson’s) that has been with him for decades. A biographer once described Ali as a victim of a sport that destroys its heroes. How apt!

Like any other mortal, he had his own weaknesses. Of course, he was not perfect. President Barack Obama said this much in a tribute. “For all his magic in the ring, he could be careless with words and full of contradictions as his faith evolved,” Obama observed. Ali had ended up not having a settled life even with four wives in tow at different points of his life. However, this imperfection or complication in marital life could not diminish his stature one bit. He remains even in death the greatest, “the king of the world.”

Since his passing into immortality a week ago, the world has seen an unprecedented outpouring of tributes to its best known citizen. It could not have been otherwise for a man whose success transcends barriers. Ali was an inspiring figure, always on top of his game and was globally acknowledged.

Obama literally summed up Muhammad Ali’s life when he said that “he was not just as skilled a poet on the mike as he was a fighter in the ring but a man who fought for what was right. A man who fought for us.” He was the fighter who shook up the world and made it better. In recognition of his greatness, he collected a Presidential Medal of Freedom from then President George W. Bush at the White House in 2005.

The mouth was as quick as his hands; his wit almost as fast as his fists too. He was a master of rhymes, of philosophy – too many to recall but which were all inspirational to humanity. The Thriller in Manilla with one of his tough opponents Joe Frazier he recalled as an experience nearest to death. “We went in as young men but both of us came out as old men,” Ali quipped.

Master of his trade, he was very adept at waging psychological warfare against opponents. Against the deadly George Foreman, he said he would “let Foreman swing until he could swing no more in Zaire’’ and Zaire was where he delivered a historical performance in the ring with a new strategy of “rope-a-dope”. In spite of ego of the self, he showed respect to hard opponents and they paid him back in kind. Upon his death, some of these opponents (some he derided even in the course of fights as men without hard punches) paid him deserving, glowing tributes.

His trainer of 50 years, Angelo Dundee saw the human side of Ali much. “In his heart he was always a happy human being…he’s a good guy. Everybody would remember Ali. Forever. I have gone to places, little places, and they knew me because of Muhammad. It’s a nice feeling. But it’s a heartbreaker too when you know a guy from when he was a boy and you see him with Parkinson’s and he could hardly walk.”

Dundee also described how Muhammad Ali would buy total strangers breakfast and lunch because he loved people. “His whole life was a party. He used to say he was living his movie.” How else could greatness be defined in a man who made the welfare of other human beings a priority?

Obviously, he was the most impressive being to climb the roped scaffold during his time. Even iconic South African leader Nelson Mandela gave him his due when Ali visited the statesman before his death. Such was his stature as a global brand that heads of government were eager to welcome him.

His ring opponents would not be left out in commendations. George Foreman whom he knocked out in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974 in Zaire said of him: “Ali is a universal treasure.” Former British boxing icon Lennox Lewis who would have the honour of being Ali’s pallbearer today sees Ali as “Boxing’s greatest ever ambassador.”

As an anti-establishment showman, he transcended borders and barriers, race and religion to become an emblem of strength, eloquence, conscience and courage, one whose fiery commentary was lauded by anti-war activists and black nationalists. He was reviled to be revered. Born in Loiusville Kentucky in the U.S. on January 17, 1942, he grew up as Casius Marcellus Clay, having been so named by his father who was a sign painter but as a man of principle and upon his religious conviction, he ended up as Muhammad Ali. He was jailed for his belief (until his conviction was overturned in 1971 by the U.S. Supreme Court.) He won’t be cowed into submission by stripping him of a title because as he said, “my conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother.”

He was proud to be Black. Ali died a black man every youth wants to be. He was a man who used his talent to box his way to fame and stardom, showed that education is good, but everything was not about the book, at least for some. Talent made him great, in fact the greatest pugilist that has so far passed through this world.

Muhammad Ali, The Greatest, showed up as the brightest light on the sporting planet. That shooting star now extinguished, the world will miss Muhammad Ali the king, The Greatest, and his radiance.

Nigerian Govt opts for ranching

2016-06-10T08:34:00.000+01:00

The Federal Government may have jettisoned the idea of developing grazing reserves across the country, preferring instead to pursue the development of ranches.

No fewer than 14 states have provided 5,000 hectares of land each amounting to 70,000 hectares for grazing reserves.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who disclosed government’s new direction in Abuja yesterday while declaring open stakeholders’ meeting on ranch development, said Nigeria must embrace modern ways of livestock development.

“Grazing reserve is meaningless if there is no appropriate grass, water and medical service for the cattle. And don’t forget, these animals also carry diseases, particularly tuberculosis and trypanosomiasis, to mention just two. Past experiences in the creation and management of grazing reserves have shown that many stakeholders were left out of the planning and management which eventually led to the loss of these facilities to buildings and farmlands.

“Nigeria is taking this bold step by clearly breaking away from the traditional livestock rearing practices and we have to embrace modern methods involving private sector development in animal production, processing and marketing where direct interests of pastoralists, investors, development partners and small-holder positions along the livestock value-chain is incorporated,” he said.

Ogbeh added that as part of the efforts to stabilise cattle rearing through the establishment of large hectares of paddocks, government would also provide irrigation for all year round, growing of grasses, boost production of fodder in all parts of the country as well as pursue the establishment of dairy farms.

The minister also said in furtherance of the intensified efforts to add value along the livestock value-chain, schools and hospitals would be established for families of cattle farmers where large ranches are located.

He appealed to critics of government’s initiative of developing ranches to understand that herdsmen are also farmers who equally deserve government support, stressing that rice, coffee, cocoa, wheat and sorghum farmers had variously received support from government.

Ogbeh noted that it was the years of neglect suffered by cattle farmers that prompted them to resort to self-help in an attempt to breed their cattle.

“Of course, the violence is bad, but the fact is that the cattle farmer is an important segment of our agricultural development programme,” he said.

Attempt by government to reactivate 415 grazing reserves in the country and the creation of new ones had met stiff opposition because of the perceived security threat posed by the presence of herders, especially in the Middle Belt region and the Southern parts of the country.

Sun News

INEC employs blind Ex-NYSC member who lost his sight during 2011 elections

2016-06-10T08:32:00.000+01:00

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has employed an ex-youth Corps member, Daniel Oluwatobi, who lost his sight while serving as INEC ad hoc staff in Yobe State for the 2011 elections.

Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who led a team of INEC’s National Commissioners, Secretaries and Directors to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) headquarters for the presentation ceremony, praised Corps members for their patriotism, dedication and commitment to election duties.

He described them as part of “our most committed, patriotic and non-partisan election duty staff. There is no way we can have a successful election without this crop of dedicated staff.”

Yakubu recalled that he promised to employ Oluwatobi when he visited the NYSC headquarters to condole with the Director-General, Brig. Gen Sule Kazaure on the death of a youth Corps member, Samuel Okonta.

“Today, we are fulfilling that promise. Oluwatobi has requested to be posted to Ogun State, and to Ogun State he has been posted,” he said.

He then presented the appointment letter to Brig. Gen Kazaure, who in turn handed it over to Oluwatobi.

Kazaure thanked the INEC Chair for the gesture. He stressed the need for a review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between INEC and NYSC, in the areas of security, transportation, allowances and insurance cover for corp members.

Oluwatobi gave a salute and a shout to acknowledge the gesture.

We Won’t Stop Bombing, Militants Tell FG

2016-06-01T09:20:00.000+01:00

Meanwhile, militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, said yesterday that in spite of the federal government’s deployment of fighter jets and the military in Delta State, it would not relent in its violent attacks on critical oil installations in the region.

The group, which said the heavy presence of the military would not stop them from their planned action that would shock the whole world, noted that Gbaramatu, now under military siege, was just one kingdom out the several Ijaw kingdoms spread across seven states.

The group, in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Brig-Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, said emphatically, “it is not our business what goes on in Gbaramatu Kingdom but our concern is the innocent children, women and aged people whom the Nigerian military has chased away from their homes now taking refuge in the forest”.

It alleged that some people (names withheld) benefitting from contracts for pipeline surveillance were behind the military invasion of Gbaramatu Kingdom in the guise of looking for the Niger Delta Avengers.

It queried: “The question is, why the innocent people of Gbaramatu, why the innocent pregnant women, why unleash terror on the aged people of Gbaramatu? Must you waste all these innocent blood just to secure the pipeline surveillance job?”

The militant group berated the International Community and the United Nations for looking the other way while the military occupied the kingdom.

The NDA also took a swipe on Tompolo for accepting the treatment being meted on his people wondering whether he would still refer to them as criminals.

The railings of the militants provided the opportunity for the Nigerian Army of not wanting to embrace dialogue yesterday.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, who was represented by Brig.-Gen. J. Hamakim, at the ‘State of the Nation Conference’, organised by the Nigerian Bar Association in Abuja yesterday said the Army had not ruled out dialogue with the group

Speaking on the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers in the oil rich region, Hamakim said that dialogue with the group was not yet a realistic option.

He was responding to a submission that government should explore dialogue with the Niger Delta militants instead of applying force that could further worsen the nation’s oil production in the region.

Hamakim, said in his response, that there was no sign that the Niger Delta Avengers’ members were ready for dialogue.

He said: “I quite agree that dialogue is very important. But where it is not too obvious that the adversary is ready to come out and talk, you can also force such a person.

“I think that is what the Nigeria Army is trying to do. Yes, we don’t know the group’s leader, for now; that is the only option, possibly we have to bring the people out to know who you can dialogue with.”

He said the activities of the group were affecting oil production as the nation’s production had recently further plummeted to 1.1 million barrels per day.

He debunked the allegation that soldiers who were involved in the operations in Gbaramatu were killing innocent residents and raped women.

“We have done our investigation and nothing like that is happening,” he said.

He also said the demonstrations by Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) leading to a clash between the protesters and security forces in Onitsha on Monday, were not peaceful.

Hamakim said: “Remember that lives were lost, policemen were killed, some were thrown overboard and the military has rules of engagement.

“The question is how peaceful is the peaceful demonstration. How peaceful was the demonstration at that time? If it was that peaceful, how come we lost security agencies.

“The rule of engagement is that if you feel threatened, you have the mandate to respond. What we can say is, that was not at all a demonstration that you can say was peaceful.”

He regretted that other security agencies in the country had been “overwhelmed”, a situation which he said had necessitated the Army to move “from the last line of defence to the first line of defence”.

In a related development, the Flag Officer Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, Commodore Mohammed Garba, said last night that five suspects had been arrested in connection with the bombings of NNPC crude pipelines in Batan community in Warri South West Local Government.

Briefing journalists at the NNS Delta, Warri, Commodore Garba disclosed that two of the suspects have been moved to another military location.

He said another three were arrested while siphing crude oil from an oil well head close to the bombed Batan community where the NNPC crude lines were bombed in Batan community.

Commodore Garba denied intimidation of innocent people in the search for members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in both Delta and Bayelsa States.

He said the operations were in line with international best practices noting that the “enemies of the state are resorting to propaganda to win sympathy.

The naval boss explained that the deployment of fighter jets and gun ships were to aide the Joint Military operations going on in the region.

But spokesman of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, has accused President Muhammadu of not having a grasp of the issues in the Niger Delta.

‘’He’s in power , but he cannot grasp the issues in the Niger Delta. He was in the military, but he was mostly about capturing, molesting and gaining ground for the government. But in a democratic government it’s not like that.

‘’He’s still saying he’s going after this and that. He can go after criminal elements but a situation where you make people less human, doesn’t make sense,’’ the Ijaw chief said.

He added: “He (Buhari) should change his approach of ‘I will kill you, I will destroy you’. The avengers have a bad approach, but what is pushing them is beyond the knowledge of the president.

‘’A holistic approach is needed, the amnesty programme is just scratching the problem. The problem of molestation, deprivation, hunger and telling the people that they are not good enough to be educated. Stopping work at the maritime school is saying the same thing’’, he said.

In another development, some lawmakers from the Niger Delta have warned the military against compounding the crisis in the region.

Reacting yesterday to the invasion of Gbaramatu community in Delta State by the heavily armed soldiers, who claimed to be looking for members of the Niger Delta Avengers, a new militant group who had recently claimed responsibility on the attacks of oil facilities, Hon. Daniel Reyeneiju, representing Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State, said deployment of troops and aerial bombardment to the region was a wrong move and may aggravate the situation.

Speaking with THISDAY, the lawmaker said the same hard approach had been deployed in the region before, and only served to aggravate the militancy.

Reyeneiju recalled that at the height of militancy at the inception of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Administration, oil production dropped from 2.2 million bpd to 800,000.

“We must have institutional memory, and be able to examine how the issues were resolved then,” he said.

He said that while it is necessary to bring those involved in ‘’economic sabotage’’ to justice, deployment of troops — who would harass innocent civilians, is also an act of injustice against the people of the region.

“Nobody seems to know what has caused the resurgence of militancy in the region, because even the Avengers have not come out with any demands, and this makes us all worried,” Reyeneiju said.

He advised the federal government to work closely with the state governments and leaders of the Niger Delta states.

In the same vein, Hon. Diri Nonye from Bayelsa said the scenario of the Odi invasion, where several civilians were killed by soldiers, is being replayed.

“Vandals have destroyed and on the run, innocent Ijaw residents are now targets of military invasion. This is not acceptable,” he said.

Nonye called in the military to be proactive and properly target the vandals involved in destruction of pipelines, instead of harassing civilians.

On his part, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers PDP) lamented that the current administration, even though a civilian one, seems bent on militarising the Nigerian state.

“It is unconscionable to assault, harass and gruesomely murder innocent citizens including pregnant women under the guise of searching for perceived criminals’’, Chinda said.

“This marks the difference between a civilian democrat and military born again Democrat. I call on the commander of the armed forces to immediately withdraw the solders and fight crime in line with the rule of law and conscionable standards.”

Power Sector Illegally Sold, Fashola Says

2016-06-01T09:12:00.000+01:00

The Federal Government and labour agreed yesterday that the power sector was illegally privatised but they differed on how to redress the “illegality.”

Labour leaders are demanding for the cancellation of the sale and reversal of 45 percent increase in tariff effected in February.

However, the government said though it agreed the deal was fraudulent there were legal issues that might make it impossible to reverse the sale.

Speaking at a Senate public hearing on the electricity tariff yesterday, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said government’s interests were illegitimately sold to some private businesses.

“As a minister, I inherited a power sector where government’s interests have been illegally sold and, therefore, I don’t control how power is distributed.”

On the electricity tariff increase, the minister said that the tariff could not be reversed.

“The DISCOS made it very clear to us that if we did not give them the market reflective tariff it means that government would have to carry the continuing cost that accumulated in the region of about a trillion naira.

“The tariff was increased in 2015 and then reversed because of the electoral significance. But the debts that they created were not reversed and they continued to accrue into this administration.

“We are not insensitive to Nigerians, owing to their challenges. We were looking for the best way to solve what has become an over 60-year problem, since 1950, when TCN was first created. I guess tariffs may initially look excessive but when we count and measure the down times and how much time is lost when there is no sustainable electricity and measure them against the expectation of sustained electricity overtime, perhaps it would seem cheaper.”

Fashola, who admitted that power supply in the country had not significantly improved, said confidence had been restored in the sector.

“Yes, service hasn’t improved but confidence has come into the system. Like you have the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) in the telecommunication industry, NERC is for us in the power sector.” In his remarks, Anthony Akah, the acting chairman of NERC, said it was not possible to reverse the tariff.

“The review of the tariff is possible but its reversal is not,” he said.

“The tariff was essential and meant to trigger the necessary investment in the sector. The hike in the tariff was not different from what is happening in other sectors of the economy,” he added.

In his submission, the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Joe Ajaero, said that the privatisation of the power sector was not properly done and must, therefore be reversed.

Also speaking, the representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Chris Okonkwo, said that the power sector was better off before its privatisation.

He said that the investors in the power sector lacked the technical expertise and finance to turn around the sector.

He said: “Consumers are bearing the brunt of the inefficiencies of the investors. We, at the TUC, are of the opinion that tariff increase was not the solution to the problems of the power sector.”

Former Vice President AtikuAbubakar had in April last year advised then president-elect Muhammad Buhari (Rtd) to reverse the privatisation exercise of the power sector.

Atiku spoke at the 36th Kaduna International Trade Fair’s Seminar organised by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA). He said the Obasanjo-led administration sunk billions of dollars into the sector, but failed to address the problem of the power sector.

The Senate had in February asked NERC to halt the 45 percent increment, following the outcry that trailed it.

The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South), recently called for the revisiting of the privatisation process and its possible revocation.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja Ndume said the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission had no reason to increase the tariff.

The senator said the companies bought the nation’s electricity infrastructure for almost nothing and rather than investing in them, were calling for hike in tariff.

He said: “These people took over these companies for peanuts and they have not invested. I have not seen how they will just come and be charging people indiscriminately like that.

“This is not a competitive market where you say the market forces determine the price. They just want to take advantage of Nigerians. I am against that completely. In fact, I am against the privatisation completely.”

Finally, One Of The Missing Chibok Girls Has Been Reported Found In Nigeria

2016-05-18T14:29:00.000+01:00

Finally, one of the missing Chibok girls Amina Ali has been reported found in Nigeria, according to Oby Ezekwesili @obyezeks.

If the report is true, this will be the first success story since the Chibok Girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram militants two years ago.

A total number of 276 girls were kidnapped from their secondary school in north-east Nigeria by the Islamist fighters in April 2014.

Mrs Oby Ezekwesili announced it on her twitter handle @obyezeks that Amina Ali was found by a vigilante group on Tuesday in the Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon.

She was reportedly identified by a civilian fighter who recognised her and also confirmed by the Chairman of the Chibok Parents.

Beautiful new photos of footballer, Asisat Oshoala playing football in high hills

2016-05-06T08:40:00.000+01:00

The beautiful picture of Asisat Oshoala, The Super Falcons and Arsenal star player looking very elegant in her new photo shoot. See more photos after the cut...

Teebillz tests negative for cocaine & other hard drugs

2016-05-06T08:33:00.000+01:00

Tunji 'Teebillz' Balogun has tested negative for hard drugs. The father of four, who was accused by his estranged wife, singer Tiwa Savage, of taking cocaine, told friends that he hadn't touched drugs in two years.

A source told LIB exclusive that Teebillz was taken to Lancet Laboratories in V/Island today by his friends to test him for drugs and he tested negative to not only cocaine but also other hard drugs.

Teebillz Suicide Mission Was Aborted by Peter Okoye, Banky W and Mr Chukwuma Ani on Lekki-Ikoyi Toll Bridge

2016-04-28T14:40:00.000+01:00

When Teebillz shared his suicide note this morning on IG while pouring his heart out about the demise of his marriage to Tiwa Savage, many of us thought/hoped he was just talking, but he wasn't. Tunji 'Teebillz' Balogun tried to commit suicide this morning by jumping off the Lekki- Ikoyi toll bridge and this is fact!

According to an eye-witness named Chukwuma Ani, who witnessed the incident and was one of the men who pulled Teebillz off the bridge, he told LIB exclusively that around past 9 this morning while driving on the Lekki-Ikoyi toll bridge, a car hit his own from behind, damaging his car. He said he came out of the car and approached the driver of the vehicle that hit his. He didn't know who the man was (it was Teebillz) but he said he berated him for hitting his car and asked the man to come out and assess the damage caused to his car. The man looked at him and told him to leave...that he was there for a reason. That he was planning to commit suicide and Chukwuma Ani would hear about it later...

Not knowing who the guy was or understanding why he was talking suicide, Mr Ani said he kept insisting that the driver must come down from his car and see the damage he had caused to his car. He said he noticed alcohol on the floor of the driver's car so thought the man was drunk. He said while shouting and berating the driver for hitting his car, the guy just suddenly drove his car with speed to the front.

Ani said he got into his own car and gave chase and was surprised to see the driver of the car parking his car in the middle of the bridge as other cars drove past. He said he parked in front of the driver and approached the man again, telling him that he couldn't even apologize for hitting his car and was instead trying to drive off. He said as he was berating the man, he (Teebillz) got down from his car and walked to the bridge railing.

He said he stood there wondering what the driver was trying to do and it was at that point that two other cars approached them. He said as he was trying to figure out who the new comers were, Teebillz had moved to the bridge railing and was trying to jump. Mr. Ani said a light skinned guy came out from the first car and began running towards Teebillz screaming and that was when he realized what was going on..

"I thought I was watching a movie" Ani told LIB "the man held the railing and tried to jump over it and that was when the yellow man held him and started shouting for help. The two of them nearly fell into the water. I quickly joined the yellow man to pull the guy out and while we were struggling with him, one PSquare twin (Peter Okoye) and Banky W joined us to pull the man out " Ani said

LIB called Peter Okoye to confirm he was there but he refused to say anything "Even if I was there, I can't say anything about it" he said.

We hear Teebillz is doing okay now and is surrounded by family and friends. People need to take depression seriously in Nigeria - a lot of people are so depressed and struggling and don't usually have anywhere to turn to for help. Let's always lend a helping hand. Hope Teebillz gets better.

Tunji Balogun (TeeBillz323) Vs Tiwa Salvage, Family Rant!

2016-04-28T13:29:00.003+01:00

We woke up very early this morning Thursday 28th April, 2016, a day after Tiwa Salvage lunched her new single (If I Start To Talk), and saw series of rants from Tunji Balogun aka Teebillz, accusing his wife (Tiwa Salvage) of extramarital affairs in his Instagram page.

He started with Old picture of Tiwa slavage saying that "This was you when i met you with 100% insecurity. I remember when Wale called me about a girl that's got talent and u told him i wasn't interested"

Minutes after, he posted another picture saying " I hope the fuc***g in Tiwa savage brand brings you peace, I used my money, soul and everything I had for you and everyone knows i hustled hard with passion for you to get to where you at today. You will never find peace with your career"

I think someone need to tell Oga Tunji that he doesn't have to blow hid own trumpet about EPPing someone.

He even went as far as accusing her of sleeping with Don Jazzy, Dr Sid and 2face. I think this is like opening a can of worm...

I hope TeeBillz will not come out later to tell us that his Instagram account was hijack, because some hours after the post all the pictures and messages was deleted from his account.

Waiting to hear 2face, Don Jazzy, Dr Sid, Tiwa Salvage Mum and Mr Balogun Snr side of the story.

And we hope Teebillz doesn't commit suicide real life!

The question is, what could have gone wrong with this beautiful couple?