₦airaland Forum

The Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, on Monday, asked victims of the Boko Haram attack in Monguno to see the ​incident as “ordained by God”. He also prayed for God’s intervention to bring an end to the security challenges.


http://www.thefocusng.com/shettima-said-boko-haram-attack-in-monguno-ordained-by-god/

The Abia State Traditional Rulers’ Council has asked the traditional ruler of Eziama Aba, Eze Isaac Ikonne of Aba North to step down as Chairman for installing the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) Gen. Mohammadu Buhari as Ogbuagu 1 of Aba kingdom.

The Council had few days ago disowned the action by Ikonne, saying he has no powers to do so.

https://www.thefocusng.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/buhari-in-Abia-300x160.jpg

Reacting to Ikonne’s action in a press briefing in Umuahia, the Chairman, Abia State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Eze Eberechi Dick, said “that Aba is made up of two Local Government Areas- Aba North and Aba South and over 400 communities as a zone, while Osusu where Ikonne is resident has a traditional ruler and therefore, Ikonne is incompetent to give somebody title on behalf of Aba”.

According to him, the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers are happy with Governor Theodore Orji and President Goodluck Jonathan for their people-oriented governments.

He condemned Ikonne over the unwarranted attack on the Abia State government and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He hinted that the council was aware that Ikonne was influenced to do what he did and would investigate it and take appropriate actions.

In his remark, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. ACB Agbazuere advised Eze Ikonne to desist from his consistent and incoherent attacks on the state government as it was subversive.

Source: http://www.thefocusng.com/abia-traditional-rulers-sacks-monarch-who-bestowed-title-on-buhari/

Vice President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Issa Aremu, has expressed concern over non payment of workers salaries by 22 state governments in the country.

In a statement he issued in Kaduna on Thursday, Aremu described the development as a wage theft, wage robbery and economic crime. Saying the situation is unacceptable.

The NLC Vice President explained that the same governors who had failed to pay workers their salaries for more than three months, were able to mobilise funds to pay their delegates during the just concluded party primary elections across the states.

He therefore called on the governors of the affected states go to the same place they got they money to pay delegates and settle the workers’ salaries without further delay.

“We see that delay in payment of salaries as wage theft, wage robbery. It is actually an economic crime because Nigeria Labour law says thou shall pay the worker as and when due. In fact by 22nd of every month you must have paid the workers fully.

“We never heard of any delegate being owed a single penny during the primary elections, but they cannot get money to pay the workers. In fact, some of the delegates even bought new cars and properties after the primaries because the money they got in just few days is much more than what workers earn in many months”.

The NLC Vice President further noted that it was time for the Federal Government to review upward the national minimum wage in order to reflect with emerging economic challenges and also warned against any attempt by government to further impoverish the Nigerian workers with reduction in pay or loss of jobs on account of the recently announced austerity measure by the Federal government.

He also noted that the $65 per barrel of crude oil as captured in the 2015 budget confirmed that Nigeria is an oil dependent economy contrary to the claim of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy that the budget is projected on a non oil revenue basis.

Instead, the union believed that sustainable budgets were the ones based on revenue arising from real sector of the economy such as domestic manufacturing and exportation of finished goods.

Mr Aremu said that the National Assembly, while debating the budget proposal, should put policies that will grow the real sectors of the economy and also ensure that the Central Bank of Nigeria lowers the interest rate and stop the free fall of the Naira which will undermine purchasing power of the working people.

He also asked the National Assembly to make sure the budget captured practical measures on reducing cost of governance which must start with drastic reduction of pay and allowances of the Executive and Legislature.


http://www.thefocusng.com/22-state-governments-owe-workers-over-3-months-salaries-nlc/

The Lagos State government has deported 70 northerners, found publicly begging, which has been banned in the state,

Some of the deportees, according a local Hausa radio program monitored in Kano, complained that they were held for months and exposed to hardship before they were brought to Kano.

The deportees are presently in Kano State after being bundled out of Lagos, where they were stationed. Some of them were said to be originally from Niger, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

It will be recalled that in 2013, Lagos State government had deported at least 70 beggars and homeless people to the eastern part of the country and dumped them at the Upper Iweka Anambra state.

Most of the deportee were found not to be indigenes of Anambra State. Some of them are from Ebonyi State; some are from Imo State among other states.

The affected people claimed that before being deported to Onitsha, they were first detained in Ikorodu for over six months by the Lagos State Kick Against Indiscipline, which had accused them of wandering and other minor offences. Some of the affected people however claimed that they were going about their normal business when they were arrested.

The deportees took the Lagos State government to a Federal High Court in Lagos for forceful deportation to Anambra State

They alleged that Lagos State Government arrested them and transported to Onitsha against their consent in July 2013 on the ground that they were not indigenes of the state

They therefore seek declaration that their said alleged arrest, remand and forceful transportation was a breach of their rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and freedom from discrimination.

The case was however dismissed by the court saying it did not find any substance in the case of the applicants


http://www.thefocusng.com/again-lagos-state-government-deports-nigerians-sends-70-northern-beggars-packing/

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in Rivers State, Tonye Princewill, has accused Governor Rotimi Amaechi of selling assets of River State to an indigenous oil company, Sahara Energy, and using the fund that accrued from the sale to finance the activities of the All Progressives Congress, APC.


http://www.thefocusng.com/amaechi-sold-assets-of-river-state-to-fund-apc-buhari-tonye-princewill/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday held a fund raising dinner at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.in support of the re election did of President Goodluck Jonathan

The Fund Raising Dinner was chaired by Mr. Tunde Ayeni, who donated N2bn. The Party realized N21.27bn to support its campaign for the 2015 presidential election. The donations came form businessmen, multinational organisations, interest groups and individuals donors.




http://www.thefocusng.com/fund-raising-dinner-pdp-nets-n21-27bn-for-jonathan-re-election-bid/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday held a fund raising dinner at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.in support of the re election did of President Goodluck Jonathan

The Fund Raising Dinner was chaired by Mr. Tunde Ayeni, who donated N2bn. The Party realized N21.27bn to support its campaign for the 2015 presidential election. The donations came form businessmen, multinational organisations, interest groups and individuals donors.


http://www.thefocusng.com/fund-raising-dinner-pdp-nets-n21-27bn-for-jonathan-re-election-bid/

Former Governor of Nigeria central Bank and the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Muhammad Sanusi II, has relied the Boko Haram leader, Shekau, saying that he remained protected against any evil attack and nothing was going to happen to him except the will of Allah, the creator.


http://www.thefocusng.com/nothing-will-happen-to-me-sanusi-replies-boko-haram/

The news that the first daughter of Muhammad Buhari, is married to a man from Anambra State, and had converted to Christianity is not only false but misleading.

http://www.thefocusng.com/buharis-daughter-not-married-to-anambra-man/

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) , Chief Victor Umeh has threaten to “deal” with an aide to former governor of Anambra state, Valentine Obienyem, if he continues to cast aspersion on his person


www.thefocusng.com/victor-umeh-goes-wild-threatens-obis-aide/

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague have said they are withdrawing charges against Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta.


http://www.thefocusng.com/icc-prosecutors-withdraws-charges-against-kenyas-president/.

The Peoples Democratic Party has suspended its former chairman, Bamanga Tukur for instituting a suit against the current chairman, Adamu Mu’azu without first exhausting internal redress avenues.


http://www.thefocusng.com/pdp-suspends-former-national-chairman-bamanga-tukur/

Erhiatake Ibori, daughter of jailed former Governor James Onanefe Ibori of Delta State , has won the PDP House of Assembly ticket for Ethiope West constituency Delta State

She won the PDP House of Assembly which held last Saturday, November 29th amidst protest from the constituency

A day before the primary, social and commercial activities were brought to halt in Ogharefe, headquarters of Etiope West Local Government Area recently as no fewer than over 600 men including some House of Assembly aspirants in Ethiope West Local Government Area, besieged the premises of the local government Secretariat and the palace of the Ovie of Oghara Kingdom, HRM Noble Oyibo Eshemitan protesting the alleged imposition of Miss Erhiatake Ibori, daughter of former governor of Delta State Chief James Onanefe Ibori as candidate to represent them in Delta State House of Assembly.

She emerged winner after other aspirants boycotted the primaries, alleging imposition by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)


http://www.thefocusng.com/iboris-daughter-wins-pdp-house-of-assembly-ticket-amidst-protest/

There is report that Facebook is in advanced talks with Avanti, a UK based satellite operator, regarding a project that will see it provide free internet access across Africa. The project is part of the Internet.org initiative, spearheaded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

http://www.thefocusng.com/facebook-plans-to-give-africa-free-internet-access/

Desmond Olusola Elliot

see details.
http://www.thefocusng.com/desmond-elliot-wins-apcs-lagos-assemby-ticket/

You are playing the ostrich, presidency replies Soyinka

The presidency has reacted to a statement by Prof. Wole Soyinka, in which he described Goodluck Jonathan of being worse than King Nebuchadnezzar.

In a text message sent to newsmen, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said Prof. Wole Soyinka was only playing the ostrich by accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of being worse than King Nebuchadnezzar.

http://www.thefocusng.com/you-are-playing-the-ostrich-presidency-replies-soyinka/

The States of Jersey the biggest territory in the Channels Island is set to return £ 315 million Abacha loot to Nigeria.

http://www.thefocusng.com/channels-island-set-to-return-315m-abacha-loot-to-nigeria/

Leaders of All Progressives Congress today lead some APC members in a protest to headquarters of Nigeria Police Force in Abuja. The protesters blocked the entrance gate and also destructed vehicular along Shehu Shagari Way , Abuja. They were protesting alleged involvement of police in politics. The protesters were led by the National Chairman of APC, John Oyegun and Governor of River State Chibuike Amechi.

The protesters carried placard that decries the involvement of police in Nigeria politics particularly the withdrawal of security details of the embattled speaker of house of representative. Some of the protester attacked motorists with sachet water. The police had a tough time controlling the protesters.

Reacting to the incident, the Inspector-General of Police called on political leaders and the political class to take their campaigns to the electorate, rather than engage in disruption of public peace and government activities. In a statement made available by the force public relation officer, Ag.CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, The Inspector-General of Police adviced members of the political class and their followers who have grievances to seek redress in the court of law, rather than disturb the peace of innocent, law abiding citizens.

A motorist reported that the protested threw sachet water into his car while some other people were molested by the protesters. There is no official reaction yet from the National Publicity Secretary of APC Mr Lai Mohammed


http://www.thefocusng.com/oyegun-amechi-led-protesters-to-police-headquarters-abuja/