₦airaland Forum

The Olubadan-in-Council has in a letter, warned Dr Alex C. Alozie to stop parading himself as holder of the title of Eze Ndigbo of Igbos in Ibadan and Oyo State.
Meantime, Alozie yesterday protested against the letter
The letter addressed to the President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, marked LL8co/02/16 and signed by one Oladepo Abiodun Esq states that “Our instruction is to make it clear to you that your action and that of your group you purport to represent in Ibadan and Oyo State in general amounts to an act of insubordination, illegality and a calculated attempts to cause chaos and breed a state of anarchy in the state.”
But, responding Dr. Anozie said, “We had informed the whole world in the past of a high court judgment over the Igbo leadership tussle in Ibadan and Oyo State which favoured Dr. Alex Anozie and our association, ACDA, affiliate of Ohaneze worldwide.
Making reference to the letter from the council, he said the documents referred to were documents that featured between 1997 and 2010 when most people were confused by the deceit of his opponents.
While addressing newsmen at his ‘palace’ in Ibadan yesterday, he said “ the State High Court in Ibadan had ruled on the 18th of February 2014 which no other court has vacated, that only me, Dr Alex Alozie should be paraded as Eze Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo State.”
He further stated that “ it is quite unfortunate that most people were confused through disgruntled individuals who go about deceiving people and parading themselves against the judgment of the High court in spite of the fact that the judgment of the High Court has neither been vacated, nor have they got any stay of execution against the case.”
He further clarified that the title of Ezendigbo, Onyedu Ndigbo, Onyeisindigbo or Ochiigbo all mean the same thing in Igbo expression and that not withstanding anybody or group is at liberty to refer to him as any of those mentioned Igbo titles.

The crisis of confidence rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly took a new dimension on Thursday, as the faction loyal to the impeached Speaker, Honourable Momoh Lawal, relocated to Abuja, where they held a sitting of the assembly.
The lawmakers, who held their first sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, issued a summon to the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to appear before the assembly’s faction.
The faction also served impeachment notice on the state deputy governor, while also suspending the five members who impeached the speaker last week.
The governor is to explain reasons permanent secretaries, directors, accountants, cashiers of parastatals, agencies, ministries and councils areas have to be sent on compulsory leave.
Also, the five members, who sat and impeached the former Speaker, Hon Momoh Lawal, were suspended for acting contrary to the rules of the assembly and by “claiming to have sat without a quorum and forgery of signatures of 10 members in the purported impeachment.”
The suspended are : Honourables Friday Sani; Umar Imam; John Abah; Lawi A.T. Ahmed and Bello Abdullahi.
The Kogi State House of Assembly is made up of 25 members, five of them are taking part in the rerun election which takes place this Saturday. The rerun will take place in Ofu, Dekina 1&2, Idah and Ofu Constituencies. The rerun is a fallout of the outcome of the election petition tribunal set up to hear complaints emanating from the last year election.
Presently, however, 20 are authentic members of the state House of Assembly and five members out of them sat and reportedly impeached the Speaker, Lawal, last week.
A member, Honourable Omiata Jimoh (PDP Yagba East) had moved a motion, urging the assembly to summon the governor and begin the impeachment process on the deputy governor.
The motion, was seconded by Aliu Akuh (PDP Omala) during their sitting in Abuja, which was presided over by the embattled Speaker Lawal. The sitting had the Maze, the symbol of authority of the assembly strategically positioned.
Honourable Omiata, in a motion, stated that the dissolution of the Local Government Service Commission, which, he said, was a statutory body created by law, was illegal and should be reverted, adding that “abolishment of one per cent from the joint account of state and local government without repeal of the law be disregarded and the status quo be maintained within.”
He added that all “institutions or directives of the state government with respect to Local Government Service Commission, State joint Local Government Account, Universal Basic Education, Pension Bureau, contrary to the extant law establishing them, be disregarded.”
The lawmaker insisted that the House of Assembly, being an institution created by law, “whose operations are guided by prescribed laws and rules, have no reference to recognise any person or group of persons as the leadership of the assembly other than Honourable Momoh Jimoh Lawal , the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly.”
He explained that the governor of the State, Mr Yahaya Bello, should, by no means and in whatever guise, communicate, receive or recognise anything from the group of five led by Honourable Ahmed Umar and that any transactions from the executive to or from the group of five shall be considered as fraudulent and met with legal resistance.
Omiata, however, informed that the council chairmen embarking on exercises that were capable of breaching the peace of their council areas should desist and return to status quo and the back-up vehicle forcefully towed out of the official residence of Momoh Jimoh “ should be returned as a matter of urgency within the next 24 hours.”
The 14 members that sat and presided over by the Speaker, Lawal, adopted all the motions and adjourned till March 8

Harare – The 92-year-old Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, on Thursday in Harare maintained that even though is party would choose a successor, he planned to contest the next election in 2018.
Mugabe, who would be 94 by 2018, insisted that he would still seek his last five-year term under a new constitution that would see him through to 99 years old.

The 92-year-old Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, on Thursday in Harare maintained that even though is party would choose a successor, he planned to contest the next election in 2018.

He said with reference to the UN Chief, Ban Ki-moon statement calling on African leaders not to cling to power, Mugabe responded that he would continue “until God says ‘come’’.

Mugabe, who turned 92 on Sunday, said he had no intention of stepping down in spite being Africa’s oldest leader and the only president Zimbabwe has known since independence in 1980.

He said as the president he still remained in charge of day-to-day running of his government.
Grace, his wife, a powerful figure in ZANU-PF in her own right, told party supporters that he was the only one who could keep Zimbabwe “intact and peaceful”.

She added that she would push him in a wheelbarrow to work if he was unable to walk.
Eldred Masunungure, a political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, noted that from analysing the political situation, his political speeches, his political actions, it is increasingly becoming clear that he is gunning to be there for as long as he lives.

He said in spite his old age, Mugabe remained the glue holding together his fractious ZANU-PF, which dominates the political scene.
Masunungure said the president enjoyed support from the military, an institution that has been a major pillar of his long rule.
Meanwhile, many Zimbabweans followed his health with keen interest, especially after assertions by Wikileaks that he might have prostate cancer, which he denied.

They said with Mugabe having ruled for 36 years, some people fear the government could be paralysed and the country riven by instability, should he die without resolving the succession issue.

Zimbabweans recalled that in 2015 he read out the wrong speech in parliament, which the opposition seized upon to question whether he was still of sound mind, though the president’s spokesman blamed his aides.
They noted that his life presidency aspirations could frustrate the feuding big-hitters of his ruling ZANU-PF party, who have been trying for years to position themselves for a post-Mugabe political era.

Critics blame Mugabe for many of the problems facing the country.
They said his policies, including the seizures and redistribution of white-owned commercial farms, drove one of Africa’s most promising economies into nearly a decade of deep recession until 2008 that cut its output almost in half

A woman, identifed as Mrs. Bose Adebayo,is now cooling her heels with the men of the Ogun State Police Command for assaulting her grandchild,Tope Oke,over a bowl of rice.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the accused person stamped the victim, with a hot pot on her cheeks,because she ate the rice without her permission,thereby inflicting injury on her.
It was gathered that the grandmother was angered with the eight -year- old,and beat her black and blue.
‎An eyewitness account who does not want her name in print said the primary two pupil of St. Jame's Primary School,Ijeun-Titun,Abeokuta,was rushed to State Hospital,Ijaiye,for medical attention.
‎The development was reported to a non-governmental organisation,Child Protection Network and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
‎Nigerian Tribune gathered that the case had been reported at the Ibara Police Station.
When contacted,the State Police Public Relations Officer,Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the story,adding that the suspect would be charge to court

TheOoniof Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has disclosed that the the Ark of Noah and Tower of Babel are in Ile-Ife.
The highly-ranked monarch disclosed this via micro-blogging site, Twitter.
‘The Tower of Babel and The ark of Noah are both in ilé-ifè #AroleOduduwa,’ he posted on Twitter.
The handle, @OoniAdimulaIfe, though not verified, is known for tweeting activities of the king.
The profile reads, ‘Official tweets by His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife | Arole Oduduwa |’.
The story of Noah’s Ark is told in the Hebrew Bible in the Genesis flood narrative, and also in Sura 71 of the Quran. The biblical account is followed by the story of the Curse of Ham.
The Tower of Babel is an etiological myth in the Book of Genesis of the Tanakh (also referred to as the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament) meant to explain the origin of different languages. According to the story, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar. There they agreed to build a city and tower; seeing this, God confounded their speech so that they could no longer understand each other and scattered them around the world

The controversial Equal Rights and Opportunities for men and women bill, yesterday, failed to scale through the second reading at the Enugu State House of Assembly.
The Bill, sponsored by Hon. Dame Nkechi Omeje-Ogbu, Nsukka West Constituency and House Committee Chairman on Gender Affairs, which had earlier passed the first reading suffered a setback when most members kicked against on the grounds that it was anti-cultural as well as anti-African.
It was heading for eventual total rejection when the Speaker, Hon. Edward Ubosi intervened and suggested that they should step it down to make room for further consultations.
The sponsor of the bill, Mrs. Lidya Nkechi Omeje- Ogbu said that Enugu State equal opportunities bill if passed into law would protect all persons from discrimination on the basis of sex.
She said that the bill provided protection for women, integrity, human dignity and would affirm their rights to equal opportunities to realize their full potentials.
She added that the bill was seeking for positions and appointments to women of Enugu State, adding that neither marriage, divorce nor widow would deny women their rights.
She said that Enugu state women should be given equal opportunities as men and women attended the same school, and are awarded the same degree and wondered why they should be discriminated against.
Ogbu said that the purpose of the bill was to give effect to chapters 2 to 4 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Contributing to the debate before it was stepped down, Hon. Sunny Ude- Okoye member representing Awgu north constituency said that he would not be a party to such bill becuase here is Africa and not America.
Ude-Okoye suggested that if anybody wants such practice as suggested in the bill, such a person should go to America.
“I have risen to declare my stand. I have risen to take my stand that this is a colossal waste. The bill is talking about the women, the women. Who is deceiving who?
“Here is Africa. Anybody who wants to practice what Obama and Americans are practising should go to America”, he pointed out.
He pointed out that debating on the bill was a waste of time because the right of everybody, including women, had been provided for in the constitution.
“It is a total deceit. If you say 35%, it is deceit. Why not say 50%? I am saying that I am against the bill in its entirety and will never be in support of it”, Ude-Okoye maintained.
Hon. Iloabuchi Aniagu representing Nkanu West spoke like Ude-Okoye and said that the bill should be stepped down for further consultation.
Aniagu said the bill might be talking about gay marriage, pointing out that there could be some unseen hands at work.
“I can see some unseen hands in the bill”, he added

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has called on the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the April 11, 2015 governorship election, Dakuku Peterside to come and contribute his quota to the development of the state.
Wike, who made the call at an event held in Port Harcourt, said it was wrong for Dakuku to have described himself as an “orphan”.
The Governor was alluding to statements made by his opponent, Peterside at a stakeholders’ meeting he held with the hierarchy of the APC led by its National Chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun, where the former had allegedly referred to APC members in the state as orphans.
However, the Rivers state Governor urged Peterside to come and work with him to develop the state.
“Dakuku said they are now lIke orphans when they went to visit him (Oyegun). Dakuku, you are not an orphan. I am your father. I am here.
“How can you have a father and you say you are an orphan. I am your father. Come, I will bless you. Come.
“The Archbishop has said that I’m not the father of just PDP. I am the father of everybody. So, Dakuku cannot be an orphan. Come and contribute your quota to the state,” Wike said

Khd95:
Abacha was not corrupt

-pmb-

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday declared that he was happy during his incarceration in Yola prison.
Obasanjo was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1985 after he was convicted for his involvement in the plot to overthrow the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
He spoke at the 50th anniversary of the Bible Society of Nigeria held at the Muson Centre,Onikan, Lagos.
He presented a bible, regarded as world’s biggest, alongside other BSN patrons which included former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon; former Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Chairman, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Elder Felix Ohiwerei.
Delivering the BSN’s annual lecture titled: “Man in pursuit of happiness,” Obasanjo said, “When I was in prison, I had joy. I was always bubbly, teaching and preaching to other prisoners.
“It was because of the joy I had found in God, although it can be said to be abnormal that one is in prison and is happy.”
“I was put in jail, even though I didn’t deserve it.”
Gowon and Shonekan thanked the BSN for appointing them as patrons and urged the society to continue its good work

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Monday, disowned a comment on a twitter handle, which was supposed to be his contribution to the twitter exchanges between Senator Ben Bruce and Mr. Rotimi Amaechi as reported by a national daily.
Ekweremadu, through a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Uche Anichukwu, in Abuja, said the said twitter handle does not belong to the person or Office of the deputy senate president.
The statement read, “For the umpteenth time, Senator Ekweremadu does not own a Twitter handle and his other social media accounts were dismantled several years ago as explained in previous statements by the Office.
“Several of such fake Twitter and other social media handles were duly reported to the respective platforms and were taken down.
“While the deputy senate president does not shirk from airing his views on issues as he deems fit, he will not accept to be attributed comments he never made.”
The statement therefore, called on members of the public to discountenance such fictitious social media handles and comments, “as they have absolutely nothing to do with his person or Office.”
It also appealed to media houses, to always crosscheck with it, before going ahead to attribute comments on social media platforms to either the person of Ekweremadu or his office

A civil rights activist and member of the Buhari Media Support Group, Ms. Lauretta Onochie, has sued a blogger and US-based lawyer, Emeka Ugwuoye, over a libellous publication on Facebook.

The plaintiff, who is a volunteer in Buhari’s Support Organisation, is demanding N1bn as damages as a result of the publication, which she said did tremendous damage to her reputation.

According to her,if the defendant is not restrained, he will further publish injurious articles against her.

Onochie in the suit filed by her counsel, Festus Keyamo, at the High Court in Abuja, and obtained by journalists on Sunday, also demanded a retraction and an unreserved apology from the defendant for the words he had used with her photograph.

According to the court papers, no fewer than 163 persons have ‘Liked’ the post, while over 80 people have ‘Shared’ it with 198 ‘Comments.”

Ugwuoye had in the post entitled, “A major break in tracking of the Dubai Madams and their agents – A key Madam revealed as a socialite with apparent connections to (sic) Nigerian politicians,” published on January 21 2016, in his Due Process Advocates Facebook page, alleged that Onochie, using names like Aunty Lolly, Madam or Aunty, operates an international girls trafficking ring across the United Arab Emirates, Italy and Greece for prostitution.

The plaintiff, therefore, asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, whether by himself, agents, privies or servants from further publishing or causing to be published any libellous, injurious or defamatory words against her.

In her statement of claims, the plaintiff, who is a grandmother and a member of the All Progressives Congress, averred that the defendant falsely and maliciously described her as “an international human trafficker who belongs to a powerful network of criminal gangs and racketeers.”

While describing the allegations as false and untrue, she added that the defendant did not conduct any investigation before publishing them.

IBROHIM:
it's called greed!

…After stealing N450,000

From Ngozi Uwujare

THE greed of 30-year-old Frank Chukwuneye and Abdullahi Zakari, 25, was on steroids, when they conspired to steal N450,000 from their employer, Tom Wu, a Chinese businessman based in Benin city, capital of Edo State.

The evil duo of Chukwuneye and Zakari were employed three months ago by Wu, to serve respectively as his interpreter and security guard.

While Chukwuneye was placed on a monthly salary of N70,000, the Chinese paid Zakari N30,000 per month. He did so regularly.

But demon of greed took hold of their minds and the seed of conspiracy was sown. During the yuletide period, on December 29, Wu withdrew N450,000 from the bank. Upon reaching home, he asked Chukwuneye to put it on the top of the drawer in his bedroom. Later he went out with Chukwuneye.

Meanwhile, as Sunday Sun correspondent gathered from the Edo State Commissioner of Po­lice, Mr. Chris Ezike, Chukwun­eye had conspired with Zakari to steal the money. He gave Zakari the spare key to the bedroom of Wu and told him where to find the money. To ensure his coop­eration, he also promised to give him N100,000, and this sealed the conspiracy.

Narrating what happened next, Zakari told Sunday Sun in an interview at the headquarters of the State Criminal Investigation Department, where he and Chu­wkuneye are being held in cus­tody, as investigation progresses: “On December 30, 2015 when our Chinese master went out, I went to his bedroom, opened it with the key Frank gave me. I saw the N450,000 where they kept the money on the drawer. I took the N450,000, put in the hollow of a loudspeaker and then set the house on fire.”

Upon learning that his house was on fire, Wu rushed back home. Suspecting foul play, he went to Ugbor Police Station, accompanied by Chukwuneye, to make a formal report to the police.

The case was then transferred to the State CID Benin City, which commenced investigation immediately.

Ezike told Sunday Sun that the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chukwudi Ariekpare, SCID, told the officer-in-charge of general investigation, Supol Stella Ebikefe (SP), to dispatch a team of detectives. In course of investigation, the trail led to the two employees. When proper­ly questioned, they spilled the beans, confessed to the crime, and gave graphic details of the roles played by each of them.

Chukwuneye in his confession­al statement admitted that he was the mastermind of the evil act.

Recounting his role to Sunday Sun reporter, he said: “Three months ago, I was employed by the Chinese as an interpreter and he paid me N70,000 monthly. I masterminded the whole ugly incident; I gave the security man, Abdullahi, a spare key to the bedroom of our master and told him to set the house ablaze after taking the money.

“It was people in the neigh­bourhood who alerted me that the house was burning, but I pretend­ed as if I didn’t know what was happening. I followed my master to Ugbor Police Station to make a report.”

Expectedly, the victim, Wu, felt deeply betrayed by the two men he employed. He said: “I was shocked to learn that the two Nigerians I employed and made them comfortable and also paid them regularly committed the crime. I employed Frank as my interpreter and gave him every­thing he wanted, yet he betrayed me. He was the only person who knew that I brought N450,000 from the bank and put it in my bedroom. I want justice to be done and the police to recover my money from them.”

Ezike assured that the suspects would be charged to court soon.

Former Ekiti State Governor, Adeniyi Adebayo, on Thursday lamented the devastative roles of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the rigging of the June 21, 2014 governorship election of the state.
Adebayo, a founding chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), added that the former president allowed the incumbent governor of the state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, “to decimate an election process with reckless abandon.”
He expressed disappointment at Jonathan’s approach to the conduct of the June 21, 2014 election in a terse statement, thereby wondering why a sitting president could plot to subvert the will of the people.
The former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope K. Aluko had on Sunday alleged that former president though his agents funded Fayose’s primaries and elections respectively with $2 million and $35 million.
But in his statement, the former governor said the recent confession of former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope K. Aluko supported the report of a Panel of Inquiry the Nigerian Army set up on the roles of the military in Ekiti and Osun elections.
He said with the additional allegations provided by the former secretary of Ekiti PDP and right-hand-man to
Fayose during the 2014 gubernatorial election on Channels TV on Sunday, Adebayo said it was clear that the state’s former governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi lost re-election bid “is not just an APC issue.”
The former governor argued that Fayemi’s defeat “speaks to the very core of the corruption entrenched in the previous administration and how with the support of President Jonathan, Fayose was allowed to decimate an election process with reckless abandon.
“This falls under the jurisdiction on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police and the judiciary. You have Aluko here with the smoking gun, not only indicting the other cohorts in this morally despicable saga but indicting himself also in the process.
“If as alleged by Aluko, Fayose used $2 million approved by former president just to win the primaries within his own party, you can then begin to imagine how he had no limits in his desperation to rob the Ekiti people both through propaganda and physical means,” he explained.
The former governor therefore called for criminal prosecution of any person found to have committed a criminal offence, noting that any person indicted of criminal offences “must face the law.”
He argued that the fact that criminal prosecution “does not stop the federal government from functioning. It is not the President that is directing their investigations or day-to-day operations.
“There are organs of government that are directing them, such as the EFCC operatives and the Nigerian Police. It is not under the Central Bank or the Ministry of Finance. The fact that some people are being prosecuted takes nothing away from the federal government.
“If anything, it only brings better understanding to the our people about the challenges the government is facing due to the reckless damage done before the Buhari government came into office. The issue of the misappropriation of about $2.1 billion of government funds is just one small aspect of the probe.”
Adebayo charged the judiciary to take anti-corruption war, noting that the “does not have no choice. The anti-corruption battle is also in the judiciary itself. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the National Judicial Council (NJC) makes statements and pronouncements regularly.
“Whenever allegations are made against judges and justices, they are investigated, and those that are found culpable are sanctioned,” the former governor explained

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Solomon Arase, has said the time has come for police officers to take over from the military in the restoration of peace and normalcy in the North-east.


Also, as the war against terrorism is being gradually won, security experts have called for improved vigilance as a way to avoid more casualties.


Speaking at a roundtable meeting with strategic stakeholders on security stabilisation in the North-east yesterday in Abuja, Arase said with the increasing successes of the military, the time has come for the police to play its lead role in restoring civil authority in the war thorn areas.


He said: “I want to state that the unstable situation and wide range conflict created in the North-east has greatly denied citizens in the affected areas of the security which they constitutionally deserved to enjoy and it is for this reason that Nigeria Police Force is evolving operational strategies that will lead to the restoration of police primacy and restoration of civil authority in the north east.”


He, however, said all the necessary logistics needed for the police personnel on ground would be adequately provided them, not unmindful of their safety.


“Of course, I will not just post police personnel to North-east without first ensure their safety and provision of adequate welfare. That is why we have already sent the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations, to go beforehand and ensure adequate preparations towards the taking over of the place by the police,” he said.


Highlighting some of the things the stabilisation exercise will focus on, the IG said it is aimed at accomplishing the re-establishment and strengthening of public authority, safety and rule of law, rendering assistance to victims and communities in order to mitigate the losses and traumatic experiences of insurgency.


Continuing, he said: “The reconstruction of infrastructure and restoration of effective service delivery by public and private providers, restoring and strengthening productive economic activities and social activities.


Also speaking, the Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazzau (rtd), who was represented by a staff from the ministry said the internally displaced persons (IDPs) would only be allowed to go back to their home when there is adequate provision of security for them.


He said: “We know that the IDPs are scattered all over the country and that they have been itching to go back home but we cannot throw them back home without adequate security of the areas that have been liberated by the military. That is why this meeting is very vital in the overall concept of winning the war in the North-east.”


In his remarks, the Commandant of National Defence College, Rear Admiral S.I. Alade, pledged the commitment of the college to the restoration of peace and normalcy to the North-east.


He said: “The college is fully committed to quick return of peace and normalcy to the North-east and we are ready to collaborate with sister security agencies and other development partners to forge the way forward and bring about a lasting peace in that region, Nigeria and indeed Africa.


“I must say that this is a step in the right direction and has gone a long way to show your personal resolve and commitment to ensuring a hitch free transition from military dominance to police primacy in the North-east.”


Participants at the meeting also pledged their commitments to seeing that peace and normalcy return to the North-east region.

President Mohammadu Buhari has accused former Military President, General
Ibrahim Badabmasi Babangida of “killing” the Naira with the introduction
of the Structural Adjustment Program, SAP.
Babangida initiated the SAP program between 1986 and 1989 that involved a
drastic restructuring of the country’s economy. Under SAP, unemployment
rates soared, food prices increased significantly, and numerous user fees
for education and health services were imposed.
In 1986, Babangida regime declared a National Economic Emergency. The
options open to the country, Babangida said, were either to accept an
International Monetary Fund loan and the conditions attached or to embark
on more austere economic measures that would require great sacrifices.
However, at an interactive session with the BBC, Buhari recalled that the
introduction of the SAP was the origin of the problem facing the naira
today .
He said,” I went through devalue in 1984…it’s SAP that killed the naira. I
have asked governor of central bank and others to sit and see if they can
convince me to murder the naira. It’s disgraceful that Nigeria imports
toothpicks, rice and tomato purée.”
He lamented that most of young people in the country today could not get
jobs, adding that’s one of the biggest challenges administration was
facing

Wife of Edo State Governor, Iara Oshiomhole, has described rumour in social media that she filed for divorce as ‘most wicked and malicious’
Iara said she is currently enjoying her marriage and that there was no reason to divorce her husband.
She spoke in a press statement signed by Executive Director, Media and Public Affairs, Governor’s Office, John Mayaki.
Iara said she was in her office throughout the week holding meetings and brainstorming on how to better the lots of the less-privileged Women and Children in the state through her pet project: “We Care Trust”.
She stated that she followed her husband on project inspection to the World-Class Central Hospital, Erosion Control sites, Road Construction sites as well as visited four Orphanage homes in Benin metropolis to demonstrate her of milk of kindness drawing from the support of her husband.
According to the statement, “We Care Trust”, Mrs. Iara Oshiomhole’s pet project is embarking on training of Edo Youths. The project is christened: Project Focus. This is part of her efforts to uplift the socio-economic life of Edo people just as details of this event would soon be made public.
“The rumour mongers are well advised to find more productive engagements to deploy their energies rather than market inanities about public personalities all in their bid to sell their medium.”
“Which Court of Law was the alleged divorce initiated and to whom was it served? Which country, state, municipal or county, if any, is the Court situated? And when was the action/suit filed? Of course the writers didn’t bother to inform their readers. The truth however is that the answers only exist in the warped imagination of the purveyors of the lies.”

The Rivers State Government has said it will purge the state civil service of ghost workers.
The state government came up with the plan as a way of down-sizing the work force in other to be able to ascertain the wage bill of the state.
State Commissioner for Information, Fred Kpakol told newsmen in Port Harcourt that salaries of civil servants were gulping the state’s entire revenue.
Kpakol said a meeting of the Heads of Ministries, parastatals and other institutions of government had been called to hold next week.
“We are going to have a meeting of all the MDEs and we are calling on all the Permanent Secretaries, DFAs, all accountants, and Bursars of the state tertiary institution in Rivers state to attend.
“The essence of the meeting is that we really want to have the nominal role of our workers, to know those on our work force, those that work for the Rivers state government.
“We are going to re-audit the entire system because we are paying colossal amount for salaries. So, the governor has called for the total over-haul of the civil service,” he said

Locals from Dalori Village who came to claim their corpses at the State Specialist hospital in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital reveals how their village was attacked by the dreaded Islamic Sect, Boko Haramon SaturdayEvening killing 76 people in Dalori. According to them, the militants arrived the area at exactly6:10 pm, when they started shooting sporadically and coming towards the village.
Umar Kachallah, a relation of one of the victims told Our Correspondenton Sundaythat, the insurgents killed some soldiers and members of the Civilian JTF at the road block close to their village before they started attacking the villagers.
"We all ran into our houses,mother came and started burning the house, if you come out they would shoot you but the fire would also burn you if you stay inside, so most of us dash out running. We escape but many of us were killed in the process. There was no security or military that came to our rescued until the Boko Haram left." He said.
He said, pointing to the corpses at the State Specialists hospital, " This is my brother Mallum Goni,this is his wife Hussaina. They killed them. Come this is my wife and our child" He Sobs, "We did not do anything to this people, and they came and burnt my family"
When Our Correspondent started taking photograph, of the Corpses hospital officials at the Morgue stop him and asked him to go and obtain permission from the military who were station at the hospital gate and asked the hospital not to allow press access to photograph the corpses.
Speaking to one of the Soldiers at the hospital gate, he told Our Correspondent that, " We can only allow you to see but no pictures, that is the order given to us and you would not want us violating the orders for your sake. Keep your iPad in the car and go and see the corpses" the soldier said.
But there was already two pictures taken. And when Our Correspondent Went back to the morgue more people had arrived who were going through the corpses to fetch their own.
Ma'aji Bukar, one of the relations of three victims of the attack told Our Correspondent that the insurgents came with Six Helux Vehicle and 15 motorcycles. According to him, the attackon Saturdayincludes Wanori, Ngomari Karikari, Kofa and Dalori.
" About 30 people were killed in a Mosque at Ngomari Karikari, over 50 killed at Kofa and over 50 also at Wanori villages. Some of the attacks were suicide bombers while that of Dalori is mostly gunshots as well as those killed in the flames. Our people at Kofa village told us that it was the Soldiers that prevented them from running away during the attack. " he said.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Operation Lafiya Dole said, in their desperate efforts for reprisal attacks on strong, determined and committed members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and innocent citizen, yesterday 30 January 2016 BHT insurgent launched attack Dalori through Yale from ( rear of Dalori village).
An eye witnessed said that the insurgent came in two Golf cars, motorcycles, started opening fire and burning houses; their motive was to cause rancour and penetrate crowd with suicide bombers.
Similarly, while people were running for their dear lives to Gomari Kerkeri village three female suicide bombers attempted to make their way into the crowd but were intercepted and subsequently got blown up.
During the incident lives were lost while some people sustained injuries. The insurgents also attempted to penetrate Dalori IDP camp, but the attempt was resisted by the troop which resulted into detonation of IED by the suicide bombers.
In his condolence visit to Dalori, the Theater commander Operation Lafiya Dole Major General Hassan Umaru condole the District Head Alh Lawal Bashir and entire dwellers for the unfortunate incident.
He assured the people of Theatre's commitment in bring insurgency to an end soon.
General Umaru commended the villagers for their resilience and urged them to be strong and committed in the fight against insurgency.
He also commented NEMA, SEMA, Red Cross and other Stakeholders for their tireless humanitarian efforts

African leaders have told the United Nations (UN) that the continent will fight for its own identity, integrity and personality.
They emphatically called on the United Nations to reform the Security Council by making African nations its permanent members.
The chairman of the AU, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, made the call Saturday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the commencement of the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, with the theme “2016: African Year of Human Rights, with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women”.
Mugabe specifically told the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon, that African nations were independent and were supposed to be free.
He declared that African countries would certainly decide one day that they could not continue to be “artificial members” of the United Nations.
He also maintained that if the United Nations must survive, African countries must be equal members of the global organization, stressing that “There should be real uniformity in the UN Security Council”.
Mugabe, whose speech ignited a round of thunderous applause from his colleagues, asked Ki Moon to tell the United Nations that Africans are not ghosts, but humans who also belong to the world.
In a veiled reference to Ki-Moon’s call on African leaders to respect constitutional term limits, Mugabe, who had been ruling Zimbabwe since 1980, said the only thing “the imperialists” were persistently preaching to Africa was regime change.
Mugabe decried that the imperialists were still everywhere in Africa “if not physically, but through spies and pretenders who come to us and say they are our friends. What else is coming from them? Regime change!”
He said: “Mr Ban Ki Moon, we are independent nations and we are supposed to be free. We go to the UN General Assembly every September. We pay a lot of money to the UN year in year out, but the body in the Security Council says we shall never have the power they have. Reform the Security Council! I want to tell you, Mr Ban Ki Moon, that you are a good man, but of course, we can make you a fighter. We shall fight a fight for our own identity, integrity and personality as Africans. If we decide, as we shall certainly do one day, that we cannot continue to be artificial members of the United Nations…
“If the UN must survive, we must be equal members of it…We have said we have to be permanent members (of the UN Security Council) with a veto power, if the veto must be retained. Mr Ban Ki Moon, tell them (the UN) that we are also humans and not ghosts. We also belong to the world. Africa shall no longer tolerate slavery by any means; by denial of rights…I hope you will hear from us on the issue of the United Nations reform. You’re a good man, you’ve visited our countries where diseases have visited and where calamities and terrorism have taken place. We say thank you. That distinguishes you from others. We know where you come from” Mugabe said.
He thanked other African leaders for supporting him throughout his reign as chairman of the African Union.
_
Don’t use legal loopholes to occupy office – Ki Moon
Earlier, Ki Moon had warned African leaders against exploring unconstitutional means and legal loopholes to cling to power.
Ki Moon, who noted that 17 African countries would be going into elections this year, urged the leaders to emulate those who committed to stepping aside by respecting constitutional term limits.
The UN scribe, who urged the leaders to strive to protect their people, warned that the consequences of clinging to power through legal loopholes were bound to be tragic.
He said: “Participation is also crucial, and elections are another test of good governance. Seventeen African countries will go to the ballot box in 2016. Leaders should never use undemocratic constitutional changes and legal loopholes to cling to power. We have all seen the tragic consequences when they do. Leaders must protect their people, not themselves.
“I commend those leaders who committed to stepping aside and respect constitutional term limits. I call on all to follow their example”, Ki Moon said.
The UN Secretary-General also declared that “Leaders who stand by while civilians are slaughtered in their names must be held responsible”.
He said he was particularly concerned that leaders in South Sudan had again failed to meet the deadline to form a transitional government, observing that “Instead of enjoying the fruits of independence, their people have endured more than two years of unimaginable suffering”

Olisa metuh hosts british lawmakers.
Lalasticlala

Top chieftains of Social Democratic Party (SDP) from Osun and Oyo states
met on Thursday to strategise on how to wrestle power in the two
South-West states from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the
forthcoming elections
The meeting which took place at the state SDP Secretariat, along
Osogbo-Ikirun road in Osogbo had in attendance the Osun state Chairman of
the party, Chief Ademola Ishola and members of his Executive Committee
while Oyo delegate was led by the party’s governorship candidate in the
last general election, Mr. Seyi Makinke.
Makinde who had earlier been conferred with 2015 Merit Award by the Zone
IX of the Nigerian Police Command presented by Assistant Inspector-General
of Police, Kalafite Adeyemi explained during the parley that the only
party that can bring “true change” to Nigeria is the SDP, while urging
members of the SDP to work together towards achieving this goal.
“With what I have seen in SDP in Osun state, I know we are prepared to
chase away APC and Rauf Aregbesola out of Osun in 2018 and we are ready to
bring a party with a clear vision and mission to govern this state with
all sense of responsibility”, he stated.
He stated that every positive thing would be done to ensure that SDP takes
over the entire South-West from the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), adding that the party “is the only better alternative for the
Yoruba nation and Nigeria at large”.
Makinde praised members of the state SDP for their continuous mobilization
of more members into the party with assurances that both the Osun and Oyo
states members of the party would join forces in the 2018 governorship
election in Osun.
Also speaking at the meeting, Ishola reiterated the commitment of his
party members towards their efforts to win more people across the 30 local
governments of the state to its fold, saying this reflected in the just
concluded of its state congress.
“I also wish to say this that APC has no reason to remain in power in Osun
because our people are already disillusioned with the way Ogbeni
Aregbesola is conducting the affairs of this state. Our education system
has collapsed, the economy is down and we are being fed with lies every
day by the people in government.
“The same thing is going on in Oyo, Governor Ajimobi has not done better
and Governor Ibikunle Amosu has not done enough. We need to work together
to take over Ondo in 2017, Ekiti and Osun in 2018 and Oyo, Lagos and Ogun
in 2019. We can achieve this”
“We have called for Aregbesola’s resignation and we still stand by that
because he has failed in all aspect of governance”, he stated.
Delegates from the two states agreed that the meeting should be continuous
and expanded to the remaining four states of the South-West.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/olisa-metuh-resumes-work-hosts-british-lawmakers/