₦airaland Forum

Hundreds of women yesterday staged a rally in Lagos in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The placard-carrying women stormed the Freedom Park at Ojota, Lagos and specifically asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to keep quiet and allow Nigeria work.

The event, tagged “The Freedom Rally for One Nigeria” was organized by Africa Women Arise for Change Network.

The placards read: ‘We are for progress and development under President Buhari’, ‘Time for Obj to keep quiet and allow Nigeria Work’, among others.

The group’s executive director, Josephine Okpara said the rally was “to remind us all that we should not allow those who once tried to destroy the country to succeed.”

She said Buhari was bold enough to marshal the political will and determination to break away from the destructive cycle that was once the norm in the land.

She said Buhari’s war against corruption had yielded results as monies were being recovered on a daily basis.

The group slammed Obasanjo for criticizing Buhari, saying the ex-president failed to build systems and tighten robes against corrupt elements.

Okpara said: “We are for progress and development under President Buhari. It is something we want to continue. But unfortunately, those that have truncated the fortunes of the country want to be allowed to keep sabotaging the country.

“Most tragically but unsurprisingly, a former president, Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, is the arrowhead of this misguided group. He has used the pedestal of the esteemed office he once occupied as a platform to launch attacks on a government that has succeeded in delivering to Nigerians what he failed to deliver in the eight years he led the country and things his party was not been able to deliver in the sixteen years it held Nigeria hostage.

“Had Obasanjo and his party laid the right foundation for Nigeria, the country would by now be past the stage where the present government has to begin building the nation afresh from the ground up.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/stop-attacking-buhari-women-warn-obasanjo-264859.html

Six members of Kano State House of Assembly on Wednesday defected from ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The decamped lawmakers are members representing Gwarzo, Gwale, Gezawa, Rogo, Madobi and Bichi local government areas of Kano state.

Details later...


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/breaking-6-kano-lawmakers-defect-to-pdp-264793.html

The Presidency today said there was unanimity on the sack of the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Daura.

Daura was booted out of office on Tuesday by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo following the invasion of the National Assembly by the operatives of the DSS. The invasion, according the acting President was done without approval.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Presidential Spokesperson, Femi Adesina said the," Presidency is one" and that the acting President has all the powers of a President.

Describing the Acting President as a decent man, he said," there is no tussle for power, there is no tough battle between him and the president.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/no-power-tussle-between-buhari-and-osinbajo-over-daura-sack-presidency-264812.html

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has cautioned Nigerians, especially the media against the spread of fake news, saying this could led to civil war.

He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at a two-day international conference themed “Democracy and Disinformation: How Fake News Threatens our Freedom and Democracy in Nigeria: organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and MacArthur Foundation.

According to him, fake news is the greatest threat to democracy and security in Nigeria as it played a role in the civil war in the country and that Nigeria could not afford to fall victim to the same circumstances that led to the war.

“The government has been doing its best in educating the public on the dangers of fake news through various avenues. The ongoing infrastructure projects across the country like the agriculture empowerment programs are part of government deliberate effort to stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities. Every one of us must verify information sent to them for authenticity before circulation,” Mohammed said.

Also, the Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, said that the regulation of media stations by the commission was to protect lives and property.

Kawu, who was represented by the Director of Policy and Research in the commission, Mr Mujtaba Sada, said that the regulation was necessary in order to protect citizens from the menace of fake news circulation.

On his part, a Senior Fellow at CDD, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, said the conference was meant to strategize on how to protect the future of Nigeria.

He said the conference was also to protect the nation’s democracy against the threat of fake news, as fake news was like a machinery aimed at distorting Nigeria’s election management and the electoral integrity.

He cited many examples of fake news from the social media including the monkey pox scare in 2017, when the army was alleged to be injecting school children with the deadly disease in the South-eastern part of the country.

On her part, the Director of the CDD, Idayat Hassan, said the conference was the culmination of months of research, planning and the realisation that with the upcoming elections, Nigerians must come together, at all levels to deal with the menace of fake news, misinformation and disinformation.

“The experience in the country in the last few weeks is noteworthy. Following the killings of innocent Nigerians in several communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State in June this year, the media went agog quoting Mr Danladi Ciroma, a leader of Miyetti Allah in the North-Central, as saying the killings were a retaliation of previous acts of deadly aggression against Fulani residents and pastoralists in the state.

“It was later revealed that the statement credited to him was untrue as there was no evidence to back up the claim. Had Mr Ciroma not cleared the air on this matter promptly, we may not have imagined how it will further damage already battered relationships,” Hassan said.


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-fake-news-can-lead-to-civil-war--lai-mohammed-264677.html

Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba representing Sokoto South Senatorial district says they would not regret dumping the APC for PDP as insinuated, just as he warned against attempts to impeach Senate President Bukola Saraki.

“How can you impeach him, you cannot impeach a leader like the Senate President without having 2/3rd, you need 73 senators to be able to impeach him.”

He stressed “The issue is we do not simply allow people to be operating government the way they want, we allow people to operate government based on the rules and provision of the Nigerian constitution.”

Reacting to call by a group for Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal to resign following his defection, he said there was no justification for that.

“He cannot resign because it is not APC alone that gave him the mandate, but the people of Sokoto state,” he asserted.

“The fact is that we contributed to the success of that election so if you want to ask Governor Tambuwal to resign, it means we will go back reflect on what transpired, we have to extract our votes that counted for him to become governor and then add the number of votes that PDP garnered, then the PDP candidate would have been declared the winner of the election.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/you-can-t-impeach-saraki-senator-danbaba-264612.html

Up PDP!

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senate, Sen. Ita Enang, says the national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be in Akwa Ibom State to formally receive Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate Minority Leader, into the ruling party.

Speaking yesterday in Uyo on the rumoured defection of Akpabio, Enang said the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as well as high powered delegation from the presidency would be in Ikot Ekpene tomorrow, Wednesday, to receive Akpabio.

“We are expecting the arrival of the National Chairman, Comrade Oshiomhole, and the leaders of the party led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and leaders of government from the presidency. The essence is to formally receive Akpabio to APC.

“The leaders of the PDP in the Senate considered the problem in the Senate as not in the national interest and that they should cross to APC to work for the interest of the nation and the president,” Enang said.

The confirmation from Enang has put to rest speculations surrounding the rumoured defection of Akpabio.

When contacted, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the story remained a rumour until tomorrow when Akpabio defects.

The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Ini Ememobong, said the party could not speculate why Akpabio was leaving the party until he made his reasons known.

Ememobong said: “We cannot speculate why he is leaving the party except a direct testimony from Akpabio because there is no way to decipher the mind’s construction on the face. He must state why, we cannot speculate.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/apc-leaders-ll-receive-akpabio-tomorrow-enang-264552.html

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has described the anti-corruption war by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government as dead.

Frank in a statement in Abuja on Monday, alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accommodated those it once termed as corrupt and looters of the economy.

"It is now clear that Buhari is not fighting corruption. The President has killed the anti-corruption crusade.

“If not, how do we explain the administration’s open arms reception for defectors from opposition political parties that it hitherto tagged corrupt into the APC?

“They now wine and dine with opposition political party members - both in Nigeria and in diaspora - they have all along termed corrupt in order to reap political benefits from their states of influence during the 2019 elections.

“However, they want unsuspecting Nigerians and members of the international community to believe that the wide scale violation of the fundamental human rights of innocent Nigerians is a sign that the anti-corruption war is being prosecuted in the interest of the country,” he stated.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-s-anti-corruption-war-now-dead-timi-frank-264469.html

President Muhammadu Buhari met with the Senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio in London ahead of the lawmaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Presidency sources told Daily Trust yesterday.

The President met with Akpabio, 48 hours after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo met with him at the Presidential Villa. Daily Trust exclusively reported the Thursday’s meeting of the Vice President with Akpabio.

It was gathered that the meeting of the President and Osinbajo with Akpabio were in connection with the defection of the former Akwa Ibom governor to the APC.

Buhari commenced his 10 days vacation in London on Friday. Our correspondent reports that his meeting with Akpabio was his first public engagement since the commencement of his vacation.

Contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang confirmed the president’s meeting with Akpabio.

Enang who is also from Akwa Ibom State, said the meeting held yesterday morning in London and was in connection with the former governor’s defection to APC.

“He has finished the London meeting with the President. He is the minority leader and for someone of his status to come over to your party you need to discuss with him at the highest level,” Enang said in a phone interview.

He said the former governor would be received in Akwa Ibom on Wednesday by Osinbajo and other APC stakeholders.

Our correspondent reports that if Akpabio decamps, he would be the second senator from Akwa Ibom to join APC. In January last year, Senator Nelson Effiong (PDP, Akwa-Ibom South) joined the APC.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/why-buhari-met-akpabio-in-london-264323.html

Senate President Bukola Saraki is coming under pressure to reconvene the National Assembly to consider President Muhammadu Buhari’s request on the budget for the conduct of 2019 general election, among others.

But lawmakers loyal to Saraki are interpreting the move as a plot to ease him out as Senate President having defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The National Assembly had on July 24 embarked on its annual recess which is scheduled to last till September 25.

President Buhari had in a letter dated July 11 requested the approval of the lawmakers for N242bn for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence preparations for 2019 general elections. The fund, according to the letter read by Bukola on July 17, should be provided through supplementary or virement.

Leading the call, the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, urged his colleagues to reconvene in order to consider the president’s request on INEC budget, saying there was urgent need for the lawmakers to do so.

Also, speaking last night, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Abdullahi Adamu, said the senators should not have adjourned without considering the president’s request on the election fund.

“Nobody will deny the fact that we have a serious job to do. The president presented the supplementary budget for the forthcoming elections but the leadership deliberately left the request. Something of national interest, they deliberately don’t want to take it because they want to sabotage the government. They brought our recess forward by two days to achieve their plot. Definitely, there is need for us to reconvene to attend to the request. No doubt about that,” he said in a phone interview last night.

Also, a ranking senator told Daily Trust that no matter what Senate President Bukola Saraki tried to do, the Red Chamber must be reconvened and that the Senate President cannot escape removal.

“Not only election fund, there’s the issue of the confirmation of the ICPC nominees, which is key to the fight against corruption of this administration.

“We also have the confirmation of nominees for FERMA and the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, National Judicial Commission ‎(NJC), all these are still pending. We’re supposed to consider them, and between now and September 25 is a long time.

“Like that of INEC, it’s very critical because they have to procure some equipment, sensitive and nonsensitive materials ahead of the elections.‎ All these are matters of urgent national importance, unless he’s bent on sabotaging the democracy. If he doesn’t reconvene, we know the action we’ll take.

“They’re talking about constitutional requirement for the impeachment of the Senate President, but we don’t really need that. What we’re going to do is not impeachment but removal. The two are not the same. In the case of impeachment, we need to tell him his offences, but in this case we say we just don’t want him.”

However, a lawmaker, who recently dumped the APC, said the National Assembly did not do anything wrong by going on recess, adding that those calling for it to reconvene have sinister motive.

“It is clear that what they want is leadership change. It is more than just reconvening to consider the election fund. Whatever their plan, we are ready for them,” he said.

Presidency appeals to NASS to reconvene

The Presidency on Sunday also appealed to the National Assembly to reconvene and consider urgent matters pending before it as they may affect the running of Nigeria and matters affecting Nigerians.

The Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, made the appeal at a news conference in Lagos.

“We are appealing to Senate leadership and all caucuses of the National Assembly to see this as a clarion call for the good of the nation.

“As the Liason Officer between the National Assembly and the federal government, I know it is not the intention of the Lawmakers to make Nigerians suffer.

“The National Assembly vacation is usually planned to coincide with school vacations so that members can spend time with their children.

However this is an election year and the budget has just been appended to hence the urgent need to give approval for Supplementary funds for it.

“We are not compelling them, we are appealing to them. As a liaison officer between the Presidency and the National Assembly, my duty is to make sure that both arms stay together and work in harmony,” he said.

‘Saraki can’t prevent sitting’

Meanwhile, a ranking senator has alleged moves by the senate leadership to frustrate access to the upper legislative chamber to prevent possible sitting that could lead to the Senate President’s removal.

The senator also said that the Senate must reconvene before September 25 to attend to some matters of urgent national importance.

“They’re ready to do anything to hold on to power including hiding the keys to the Senate chamber. But what they don’t know is that if we want to remove the man (Saraki), we don’t need to do it inside the chamber.

“We can do it anywhere in Abuja provided we have the symbol of authority, which is the mace,” the senator, who did not want to be named for strategic reasons, said.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, declined comment on the matter and referred our correspondent to confirm from the National Assembly management if at all Saraki directed them to hand him over the keys to the Senate chamber.

PDP: APC wants to force Saraki, Ekweremadu out

The PDP said ‎any attempt by the ruling APC to forcefully take control of the National Assembly would lead to crisis and anarchy.

‎The party in a statement last night by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that there was a grand plan “by the APC and its agents” to forcefully oust the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

‎”Any attempt to tempt the will of the people in this direction is a clear recipe for very serious crisis.

“This caution by the PDP comes against the backdrop of yet another plot by the APC and its agents to flood the National Assembly with armed plain clothed security operatives to compromise the security architecture to enable the forceful takeover of the leadership of the Senate by minority APC senators.

“The laid down rules for reconvening the Senate whenever it is on recess, which must be followed when it becomes compelling to reopen the senate on a date order than the earlier adjourned date, are clear and direct.

“In such a circumstance, Order 12(2) of the Senate Standing Rule (2015) clearly vest such powers and functions on the Senate President, who shall give notice of such new date and time.

“Anything outside the provision of the law is a direct coup not only against the National Assembly but also on our entire democratic system.

“It is a clear recipe for anarchy of monumental proportion capable of disarticulating our nation,” the party said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/pressure-mounts-on-saraki-to-reconvene-n-assembly-264319.html

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hmmmm

A group, Niger Delta Youths, Women and Security Movement for Buhari (NDYW&SMB), said yesterday that its support for the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari is hinged on the peace and development being sustained by the APC administration in the Niger Delta region.

The president of the group, Mr Felix Ubokan, who stated this in a statement, said their support for Buhari was not for selfish or political reasons, stressing that they trusted the president and believed in the commitment he made to provide basic social amenities in an atmosphere of peace and dialogue devoid of militancy.

“We know this administration has words of hope for the region; our people are patiently expecting its materialization. We have made our people to appreciate the fact that any government on board is ours to support and there is no government without good plans and programmes for its citizens,” Ubokan said.

The Niger Delta activist also decried activities of some politicians who were allegedly promoting violence by forming militant organisations “in order to destabilise the region for personal gains and to bring the Buhari administration to its knees.”

“The only way we can get what we want is by supporting this government to ensure there is peace in the region. It is only in an atmosphere of peace that good governance, political stability and economic prosperity can thrive,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/niger-delta-group-endorses-buhari-s-second-term-bid-263578.html

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The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, has disclosed that bandits attacking Zamfara State and others are being funded by politicians.

He spoke in Bauchi weekend while commissioning Small Arms Shooting Range and personnel quarters at the Air Force Base.

“Some of these groups are being funded, supported and encouraged by certain unpatriotic Nigerians for self-centered political interests,” he said.

He said air operations in Zamfara and other places were being carefully organized, adding that personnel and assets would soon be deployed to support “Operation Sharan Daji”.

He said the NAF had deployed about 1,000 special forces and supported other security agencies against threats.

The Chief of Air Staff said 12 super aircraft were also expected to arrive from the United States.

Governor Mohammed Abubakar said the Bauchi said his administration was planning to hand over Lame Bura Forest to the Air force to establish an air range for its fighter aircraft pilots.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/politicians-funding-bandits-others--air-force-boss-263397.html

President Muhammad Buhari said all recovered illegally acquired assets would be sold in the administration’s renewed anti-graft campaign.

The President, who was responding to a question during an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Togo at the Nigerian Embassy on Sunday night, said when the recovered assets are sold the money would be paid into the country’s treasury.

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu who disclosed this, said the President, assured that his administration had remained steadfast in keeping to its three campaign promises of providing security, improving the economy and fighting corruption.

The President noted that if past governments had utilised 25 per cent of the huge oil revenue available to them, Nigerians would not be complaining today.

He cited the $16 billion reportedly spent on electricity and yet Nigerians could not see the power.


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/all-recovered-illegally-acquired-assets-to-be-sold-buhari-263398.html

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Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Monday described his impeachment threat by eight members of the House of Assembly as a 'shithole.'

Ortom said it had became clear to him that what President Donald Trump of the United State of America (USA), meant about Africa as a shit hole was true after all.

He noted that the purported impeachment against him cannot stand the test of time.

Detail later...


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/breaking-ortom-reacts-to-benue-lawmakers-impeachment-threat-263296.html

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said no fewer than 41 persons have been convicted for various forms of human trafficking across the country in the last one year.

The Director-General of the agency, Dr Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after a road walk to sensitise people against human trafficking in Abuja on Monday.

Okah-Donli explained that 359 people had so far been convicted for different offences of human trafficking since 15 years of establishment of NAPTIP.

She said that agency was now more committed and determined than ever to prosecute anyone involved in human trafficking no matter how highly placed in the society.

She stated that NAPTIP had now focused attention on those using under-aged children as house helps, pointing out that anyone caught in the act would face the wrath of law.

According to her, there is need for the general public to give the agency relevant information that will lead to arrest of suspects of child trafficking.

The NAPTIP boss said that since she assumed duty as head of the agency, she had been doing more on awareness creation to sensitise people on the danger of human trafficking.

She emphasised the need to take the sensitisation campaign beyond cities to rural areas where most human trafficking activities take place.

Okah-Donli enjoined international organisations, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders to continue to support NAPTIP to win the war against human trafficking.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/41-persons-convicted-for-human-trafficking-offences-naptip-263291.html

beautiful mama

UP PDP

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Dasuki’s family petitions NBA against Malami

The family of former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki has petitioned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over comments by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami (SAN).

The family are accusing the AGF of professional misconduct and promoting disobedience to the lawful order of court by the Federal Government.

The petition dated July 23, 2018 was signed by Dasuki’s wife, Hajia Bintu Sambo Dasuki; his son, Abubakar Atiku Dasuki and his nephew, Senator Umar Dahiru.

The family requested NBA to probe Malami for allegedly making “an unprofessional statement to denigrate the court, violate the Constitution and encourage the continued breach of the fundamental human rights of Dasuki, who has been clamped into detention since December 29, 2015.”

Malami was on July 19 quoted to have told the BBC that based on public interest, and the death of 100, 000 persons in the Boko Haram insurgency, the Federal Government will not release Dasuki as ordered by courts, the latest by an Abuja Federal High Court on July 2.

The Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the AGF, Salihu Othman Isah said NBA should be allowed to look into the petition, adding that he was sure the AGF would be given fair hearing.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/dasuki-s-family-petitions-nba-against-malami-263218.html

Sai baba