₦airaland Forum

The Edo State House of Assembly has impeached its speaker, Victor Edoror and his deputy Bright Osayande. The two presiding officers were impeached on Tuesday by 16 members of the assembly for “incompetence and gross misconduct”. Elizabeth Ative was elected as speaker of the assembly after their removal.

http://newsbreakers.ng/edo-state-assembly-speaker-deputy-i…/

“For every folly of their princes, the Greeks feel the lash.”Horace, 65-8 BC (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTES p 61)

“…I approached the President and the governors that we defer the loan deductions from the Federation Accounts entitlement….The aim of this is to ensure that we support them through this difficult period to be able to meet salary obligations.” Minister of Finance, April 21, 2016.

Nigerian workers and their dependents now round the clock feel the lashes of hunger, unpaid rent, cars that cannot be maintained, kids’ school fees outstanding, and having to make do with traditional medicine instead of going to a clinic.

That is now the situation in every state today and at the Federal level as well.

Certainly, it was in a desperate attempt to rescue your states from bankruptcy that the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum, NGF, approached the Federal Government for a bail-out late last year. Most states were recipients of various amounts, ostensibly, to pay accumulated salaries owed to their workers.

Some of us warned at the time about two unintended consequences of that plea for assistance. One, it had made the states more dependent on the Federal Government, which was not established as a bank. Two, it would probably not solve the problem permanently because the causes of the financial distress, in which the states find themselves had not been addressed at all.

Consequently, it would not take long before the states are back, cap in hand, begging the Federal Government for help again. This, unfortunately, is the situation in which the states find themselves now.

Last week, several state governors were seen embracing themselves as the relief announced by the Federal Minister of Finance was announced. That announcement, politically expedient in the short-run, is not even in the long-term interest of the states. Indeed, no PDP governor should accept it without thinking six times. The reason is simple. “He who pays the piper dictates the tune”. Governors rescued by this forbearance by the Federal government have placed their states under the mercy of Buhari and have surrendered a great deal of the autonomy which the constitution granted to the states. For very little money, the governors have betrayed their people and placed them at the mercy of Buhari.

The Minister disclosed the strategy for total subjugation of the states by pointing out that the relief is for one month only. So, every month represents another opportunity for the governors to turn to beggars and for the President to assume the position of one granting alms to destitute individuals. To the best of anybody’s knowledge, nobody has ever begged his way from poverty to wealth. Nigerian governors and their states will not be the first to do it.

At any rate, they have the wrong benefactor if that is their objective. The Federal Government now unwisely granting the relief to the governors is itself almost totally broke and exists on borrowing and begging. It might be kind-hearted or attempting to generate popularity on the cheap, but, it cannot long sustain the support. Actually, the timing of the announcement suggests that it is all part of a build up to the one-year anniversary. The idea might be to make public workers happy for April and May, and then bring them down to reality afterward. In that case, this is an old trick with a new twist.

Nigerians are incredibly deficient in history. With few exceptions, most of us don’t even remember what happened last year – not to talk of five years ago. By January last year, most states already owed their staff several months’ salary. But, as the elections approached, they borrowed heavily to pay for a few months. [Read my column tomorrow titled BAILING OUT STATES: FG’S EXERCISE IN FUTILITY]. With the election over, the pattern of failure to pay salary was re-started. Most likely, after the credit might have been claimed for bailing out states in April and May, states will once again be left on their own. When that happens, disaster will follow.

The signs are already there for those who can read the handwriting on the Nigerian sky. The Federal Government, States and Local Governments shared only N299.747BN for March 2016 against N338.765Bn in February of this year. Compare these with N473.832bn for November 2015 and N620.73bn in February 2012 and you need not be an economist to know what is in store for the states, as well as their benefactor – the Federal Government.

One of the first Executive orders to be given by Buhari was in connection with salaries which he instructed should be paid on the 25th of every month. Well, economics is no respecter of persons – even Presidents. That order had been quietly ignored for two reasons. First, by the due date, there is frequently insufficient funds to pay.

Second, with the Treasury Single Account, TSA, now in operation, MDAs remit all their funds first and make requests later. But, the main reason is still the lack of funds. If the FED experienced difficulties when the distributable revenue was N473.832bn, what will be the fate of Buhari’s workers when the income plummeted to N299.747bn or 63 percent of the November 2015 and 48 percent of February 2012 allocations? Those laughing in Aso Rock two weeks ago will soon find laughter far from them. But, there is a way out which the governors have not considered. That approach will buy them more time and put more money into the pockets of their states. But, will they listen?

YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS.

“An honest politician is one who when bought, will stand bought.” Simon Cameron, 1799-1889, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 190.

Read what a dishonest PDP politician had to say to others like him.

“The Jonathan Government did not have respect for Yoruba. It marginalized the Yoruba. The marginalization started under the regime. Yoruba was to be House of Representatives Speaker; they turned it down. Yoruba had no position from number one to six. Even if we were number six, it was not right. We were not six, seven, eight and nine. It was not a laughing matter. We are not slaves to other zones.”

Now guess who said that. The author was Dr. Doyin Okupe, who once called Jonathan his “messiah” – a great and unforgivable insult to the Redeemer. It was in the NATION of April 22, 2015, page 42. For over four years, Okupe served GEJ; told Yoruba that the man was the best thing to happen to them. Jonathan deserved the betrayal. Yoruba know better. We know those who point to the family house with the left hand.

YORUBA KILLED TWICE IN KOGI

“Supreme Court affirms death sentence on the father of five. A national newspaper, April 23, 2015.

People might not have missed the story of Mr. James Afolabi, a Yoruba man in Kogi State which is predominantly Igala. Afolabi persecution started when a herdsman Abubakar Mohammed, strayed into his cassava and yam farm destroying almost a year’s work. A confrontation ensued and in the fracas Afolabi allegedly shot Mohammed in the chest. The police waded into the matter because it was a Fulani man who died; if Afolabi had been killed, nothing would have been heard of the matter. Afolabi, in the absence of a lawyer, was forced to write a confessional statement admitting the killing even when there were no witnesses.

The Kogi High Court, relying on this forced confession, sentenced Afolabi to death. The Court of Appeal upheld the verdict. And now the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Herdsmen kill thousands of Nigerians with impunity, no court, not even the Supreme Court gives a damn. Yoruba people should make the case of Afolabi a Pan-Yoruba crusade.

This is a clear demonstration of the hostility of the Igala against Yoruba. The entire South West must retaliate if Afolabi is executed. We must also insist that, henceforth, we receive equal treatment as herdsmen or we go our way. Personally, I have had enough of this nonsense.

This is pure injustice and the Justices of the Supreme Court should be ashamed of themselves. Have they not heard of Miranda Case in the US, about police warning suspects that what they say without a lawyer might be used against them? Was Afolabi cautioned? Was he represented in the case which is a capital offense? I will no longer respect any of those (in)Justices of the Supreme Court. This is murder by the Judiciary.

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Pius Odubu, on Saturday, escaped an assassination attempt on his life when he was shot at by unknown gunmen. The ugly incident took place at the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Auchi as the deputy governor was receiving a delegation. The unidentified gunmen were reported to have stormed the secretariat and pumped bullets on the deputy governor and others at the meeting. [ 62 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/edo-deputy-governor-escapes-assassi…/

One-time education minister, Oby Ezekwesili has said that the economic policies of the Federal Government led by president Muhammad Buhari are similar to those he promulgated during the military regime he led in the 1980s.

The former minister stated this at a forum organized by the Covenant Christian Centre and convened by Pastor Poju Oyemade in Abuja.

She added that Buhari's economic policies are not only encouraging massive corruption and abuse of power but also hurting the poor they were intended to help.

According to her, "During the first coming of this our new president, a command, and control economic system were adopted. During that era, inflation spiralled.

"During that era, jobs were lost. During that era, the economic growth level dipped.

“That era wasn’t the best of eras in economic progress. What did not work in 1984 cannot possibly be a solution in a global economy that’s much more integrated.

“In over one year, the president is still holding on to the premise that command and control are the only way out.

“In a year we have lost the single digits inflation status we maintained in past administrations.

“The president comes into this economic philosophy on the premise that he does not want the poor to suffer.

"I can relate to that, a leader must not allow the poor to suffer, especially a leader who knows that most of his votes came not from the elite but from the poor.

“The problem though is that the intention and the outcome diverge. The weakest and the most vulnerable suffer the impact of inflation the most. Enormous power is being abused as a result of opaque economic policies.

“Companies are suddenly finding themselves unable to produce because they’re unable to access the foreign exchange.

“Mr President should sit with his team and look at the economic evidence that speaks loudly. It’s time to sit back and review the well-intended idea of command and control economic principle.

“He should do what the Americans say that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

The Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba Erediauwa Akpolokpolo I, is dead. His death was announced a moment ago by the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe. The late monarch has been battling an unknown illness for some time now.

http://newsbreakers.ng/breaking-oba-of-benin-is-dead/

The Nigerian Army has arrested some Boko Haram logistics members.

Colonel Sani Usman, Acting Director Army Public Relations made this known in a statement released on Thursday.

The statement said that the troops were aided by the efforts of the citizens.

“Following reports by some good citizens about Boko Haram terrorist activities and on hearing of very loud explosions near Dikwa this morning, Wednesday 27th April 2016, troops of 22 Brigade embarked on a patrol to Ajiri and Antul villages, South East of Dikwa along Dikwa-Gulumbagana road.

“The patrol made contact with Boko Haram logistics elements who specialised in using the 2 villages as a base for food storage and other logistics before moving them to Bama and then to Sambisa forest. In the encounter, 5 Boko Haram terrorists were arrested comprising 3 adults and 2 minors.

“The under aged male children were dressed in new Boko Haram uniforms we earlier reported. The troops recovered 1 truck, 2 Golf cars painted in mud, 4 bicycles and 3 x 5kva power generating set, as well as 55 bags of corn,” he said.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated security chiefs to see to the destruction of those behind the attack on Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu State on Monday. This directive came in an address by the president through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the presentation of a book, titled: Who will Love My Country: Ideas for Building the Nigeria of our Dream… [ 119 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/buhari-orders-destruction-rampaging…/

From 2017, Indian mobile phones would come with panic buttons. The numeric keys 5 and 9 will be used for panic buttons. This is to provide assistance to women. There would also be inbuilt GPS navigation that would be compulsory for all smartphones from 2018 as announced by India's telecom ministry so as to improve women's safety. India's telecom minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad in a statement was quoted as saying, "Technology is solely meant to make human life better and what is better than using it for the security of women?” [ 40 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/phones-india-come-panic-buttons-2017/

The Nigerian Army said on Tuesday that its troops had unearthed Boko Haram’s new mode of dressing and means of identification.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman.

According to the Army spokesperson, Boko Haram fighters are now identified with uniform made of green-colour material and use of ropes on their legs and neck.

Col Usman said the discovery was the latest progress made in the ongoing clearance operation against remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.

He said troops of 22 Brigade Garrison and 3 Battalion made the discovery on Monday while on a long range fighting patrol of Gima village in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno.

He said the troops came in contact with some members of the insurgents in the area who scampered to safety on sighting the team.

He said the team was, however, able to apprehend two terrorists in their new-styled uniform during the operation at Gima village.

He added that the patrol team recovered one Isuzu Canter lorry which was concealed with grasses, five motorcycles and two bags of Guinea corn.

The Army spokesman listed other items recovered in the operation as three Dane guns, a solar panel, three bows and arrows, among others.

He said the arrested suspected insurgents were currently being interrogated to further assist in the clearance operation.

Some men of the Nigerian Army, yesterday, brutalised and shot at a motorist for having an argument with a soldier over the right of way. The motorist, identified as barrister Olajide Sipe, was pursued in a hot chase by soldiers numbering about four from 23 Road Mobil petrol station. They eventually caught up with the barrister, dragged the helpless victim out of the car and beat him thoroughly with stones and sticks until he passed out. [ 431 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/soldiers-brutalise-lawyer-festac/

A Lagos-based radical lawyer and rights crusader, Yemi Omodele has insisted that the Nigerian senate remains a gathering of fraudsters who have the intention of perpetrating fraud to any point.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent at his Ikeja office, while reacting to the recent action of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), who had dragged the upper legislative chamber to the United Nations (UN), for attempting to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act at a time when its president, Senator Bukola Saraki, is facing corruption charges before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the legal luminary said, “You see, I have always been saying it that politicians are advanced thieves. What happened is that the senators at the National Assembly do not respect themselves.

“It is like they want to use the offices they occupy to subvert justice, which is very unfair. They should have waited so that the senate president or the senator facing the criminal charge or allegation faces it until the court arrives at a decision.

“Nobody was there when the said crime was being committed, those people assisting him to amend the law are questionable and their hands are soiled and at this moment, I call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the ICPC, the Code of Conduct Tribunal to make sure that the senator that proposed that bill is properly investigated with the intention of getting him prosecuted because that means he is a facilitator of corrupt act in Nigeria, he remains an agent of corruption.

“If they look into his record very well, they will discover that he is an international corrupt officer. The amendment they are proposing to carry out is contrary to the provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended.

“The Code of Conduct Bureau is an act of the national assembly; it is an act established by the constitution. Are they amending the constitution alongside with that law or that act or are they amending the act without amending the constitution? Two wrongs cannot make a right.

“With due respect to the senators, I am of the strong contention that the senators need what I call legislative tutorial so that they could be well tutored on what to do so that they will not just wake up one morning and say they want to amend the law or constitution as the case may be.

“The aim of that intended amendment is to cover up the evil deed of their godfather. It is bound to fail and the attitude of the senators is an international, local, judicial and constitutional fraud.

“They should put on their thinking caps. The senate remains a gathering of fraudsters with an intention to perpetrate fraud of the highest order.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged all university administrators to safeguard prudent management of scarce resources at their disposal.

Buhari made this appeal in Kano at the 32nd Convocation Ceremony of Bayero University Kano (BUK).

His representative, Hajiya Halima Umar, Director of Tertiary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, admonished university managements to be transparent.

Buhari stated, “Universities need to have managers that are prudent and transparent in the deployment of resources for infrastructural and educational development of citizens. We will continue to have zero tolerance for corruption.”

He reassured the audience that the Federal Government would continue to give universities the necessary support to enable them to discharge their duties effectively; adding that they should explore other avenues of raising funds to complement the efforts of Federal Government.

Buhari equally called on the private sector and non-governmental organisations to increase their collaboration with the Federal Government for the realisation of set targets for the development of education sector.

In a controversial and surprising move, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has issued a hearing notice regarding a jurisdiction case filed by lawyers representing embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki. Mr Saraki’s lawyers want the Court of Appeal to halt his trial now going on at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) before Justice Danladi Umar. The senator’s huge legal team, comprising 90 lawyers, is contending that the tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to try its client for false declaration of assets and corrupt enrichment.

http://newsbreakers.ng/saraki-moves-halt-trial-today/

In recent times, the media has been awash with news and opinion articles about the immediate past finance minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Most of the features have stemmed from people with questionable character; unfortunately, the local media have been complicit in aiding their spread. As if her continuous strides in the international horizon are touching old wounds, Okonjo-Iweala has been accused of too many things in recent times; from being the one behind the inability of the current administration to run the economy effectively to alleging that she blamed former president Goodluck Jonathan for not having political will. [ 764 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/afraid-okonjo-iweala/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen the account of the former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode. This development is coming on the heels of the report stating that the anti-graft agency is said to have stepped up its investigation into the alleged N4billion campaign cash received from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in the build-up to the 2015 elections. However, the former minister maintained that he knew nothing about the withdrawal of the cash from the CBN or funding of the campaign by the former National Security Adviser, Col. [ 1645 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/n4b-campaign-fund-fani-kayodes-acco…/

The family of Mr. Azibaola Robert, a cousin to the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to either take Robert to court or have him released unconditionally.

He was arrested by the EFCC on March 23 over the $40 million pipelines protection contract awarded to his firm by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

While speaking on behalf of the family, Dr Faith Robert condemned what he termed the continued detention of his elder brother by the EFCC after an Abuja High Court had granted him bail on April 7.

The family added that the remand order by an Abuja Magistrates’ Court relied on by the EFCC had expired on April 19.

ESUT Students Panic over Accreditation Withdrawal

The students of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT are jittery over alleged loss of accreditation of several departments following the institution’s disengagement of about 153 of its lecturers.

According to reports, ESUT management labelled the recruitment of the 153 lecturers as an "academic fraud," even as the affected university lecturers had lamented that they were sacked by ESUT authorities shortly after using them to scale the last accreditation exercise of some of its faculties/departments.

The Director of Information and Public Relations of the NUC, Mallam Ibrahim Yakassai, who confirmed the withdrawal of the accreditation of faculties/departments earlier given to ESUT authorities said that the NUC under the Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie frowned at a situation where some universities hired and sacked lecturers immediately after using them (lecturers) to get accreditation.

Malam Yakassai acknowledged that the Commission received several petitions from the dismissed lecturers from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

He reiterated; "Following the series of petitions from the disengaged staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, the NUC on February 12, 2016, withdrew accreditation of Mass Communication, Engineering, Psychology and some other departments. The NUC cannot sit down and watch such an ugly development."

In a letter titled; ‘Save Our Souls’ and sent to NUC through their lawyer, B. N Ugwu, the affected lecturers had alleged: "Sometime in May 2015, the authorities of ESUT under the headship of Professor Cyprian Onyeji advertised and offered employment to about 153 eligible applicants who scaled through in the pre-employment interviews and screening to different departments and faculties of the university.

"Since our employment in May 2015, none of us had been paid salaries notwithstanding that we played our roles in teaching, setting examinations, invigilating, marking papers, supervision of projects and submission of the result.

"We can now realize that the essence of our employment was for the university to pass the 2015 NUC accreditation. It is sad that we have been dumped after being used for the accreditation exercise."

They further revealed that ESUT authorities backdated the letters to October 2015, they were delivered to them, and they proceeded to advertise for their replacement.

"We cry wolf and shudder at this level of intimidation, indiscriminate and unlawful sack/disengagement aimed at short-changing our dreams and aspirations. We are law abiding citizens of Nigeria.

"ESUT authorities are skimming presently to employ new staff/lecturers to fill our vacancies. The ESUT authorities sooner or later will approach the NUC to demand fresh accreditation visit to renew their respective department accreditation based on the purported new lecturers that the institution is plotting to recruit to our detriment.”

"We are confident that the Commission's whip is potent enough to caution, correct, guide and direct any erring university authority in the country. The change regime of President Muhammed Buhari is a legacy, most importantly as the government frowns against corruption, un-patriotism, and their likes", they noted.

However, the ESUT Director of Communication, Ossy Ugwuoti said he was not in the position to make any comments until he gets approval from constituted authority.

Eminent lawyers in Nigeria have called on the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Danladi Umar, to withdraw from presiding over the ongoing trial of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki over alleged false assets declaration to ensure fairness in the matter. The legal pundits specifically quarrelled with the judgment of the Supreme Court of February 5, 2016, giving the CCT jurisdiction in the trial of Saraki. [ 577 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/cct-chairman-urged-to-withdraw-from…/

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has requested the National Assembly Service Commission to reverse the appointment of Mohammed Sani-Omolori, as the Clerk of the Assembly, to allow further consultations. Mr Sani-Omolori was named the acting Clerk to the National Assembly on Wednesday in a letter by the Executive Chairman of the NASC. He was until his appointment the Clerk of the House of Representatives. [ 116 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/saraki-rejects-omolori-as-nass-clerk/

Former Arsenal winger, Andrey Arshavin has said that the club's total dependence on Arsene Wenger has contributed to the collapse of their title challenge. The Gunners were at the top of the Premier League in early January, but a poor run of four wins from 13 games has left them 13 points behind Leicester with five to play. A 12th straight season without winning the Premier League is now a near-certainty, and Wenger is facing unprecedented levels of criticism from his own supporters, some of whom have long complained the manager is not properly held to account by his superiors. [ 224 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/arsenal-depend-wenger-much-arshavin/

Queen Elizabeth II, who is the longest-reigning British monarch celebrates her 90th birthday anniversary in grand style.

The office of the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo has released a press statement countering the false publication published by some online media that the vice president has resigned as a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). The statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande argued, ‘Our attention has been drawn to a false publication by a certain online medium, to the effect that Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has resigned as a Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. [ 68 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/i-still-serve-as-rccg-pastor-osinba…/

The Nigerian Senate has suspended the ongoing amendment of the Code of Conduct Act which was initiated and referred to its committees on Judiciary and Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions last week. The legislative body also resolved to suspend the amendment of Administration of Criminal Justice Acts (ACJA). Similarly, the report of the Ethics Committee on Kabiru Marafa, a senator known to be opposed to embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki, was also stepped down. [ 48 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/senate-suspends-amendment-of-code-o…/

It has come to the knowledge of the Defence Headquarters that Boko Haram terrorists have now devised another means of recruiting unsuspecting youths into their fold. In this clandestine dispensation, Boko Haram terrorists have resorted to providing loans to young entrepreneurs and artisans in the North East as a way of inducing them for recruitment. The major targets of the unholy business engagement are youths in the North East, especially the butchers, traders, tailors, beauticians and other vocational entrepreneurs who could be easily enticed with such loan without paying attention to sundry inherent dangers associated with the acceptance of such goodies from this satanic group or unfamiliar source. [ 163 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/breaking-boko-haram-now-gives-loans…/

The Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) and the two engineers who supervised the construction of the collapsed six-storey guest house owned by the church and their companies were on Tuesday arraigned before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja. The judge arrived at the decision after throwing out the separate applications filed by the defendants through their lawyers who had prayed the court for proceedings to be stayed pending their appeal at the Court of Appeal. [ 321 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/manslaughter-synagogue-church-engin…/

Residents of the Zambian capital Lusaka on Monday looted shops belonging to foreigners, accusing them of involvement in ritual killings, police said. The xenophobic attacks reportedly started at a house and a shop belonging to an entrepreneur from Rwanda in the low-income Zingalume neighbourhood, and it later spread to nearby Chunga neighbourhood. Zingalume residents stoned police, who responded with tear gas. [ 122 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/xenophobic-riots-erupt-in-zambia-ov…/

A Nigerian, Nneoma Nwankwo has won the “Undergraduate Student of the Year” in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech. This prestigious award recognises undergraduate students who have achieved overall excellence during their time at the university. The multi-talented student is set to graduate in May with a degree in Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. [ 478 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/nigerian-emerges-student-of-the-yea…/

The Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun has posited that the economic challenges currently facing the country are surmountable. She, therefore, insisted that same can be dealt with without having to take any loan from the International Monetary Fund. Speaking at the ongoing Spring Meetings of the IMF-World Bank in Washington DC, Adeosun maintains that the country was adapting to its new realities by implementing fiscal policies to steer the country back on track for stable growth with a diversified economy. [ 211 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/nigerias-economic-crisis-surmountab…/

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that Boko Haram terrorists have been degraded to the extent that the group can no longer seize and hold on to any territory in the country.

The president stated this at the 13th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Countries in Istanbul, Turkey.

Buhari argued that government forces had taken over all the territories seized by the insurgents and destroyed their camps.

The President also said that most of the leaders of the terrorist group had been arrested, while many others had surrendered.

The former finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Friday debunked the allegations claiming that she indicted the government of the immediate past president Good luck Jonathan over its alleged inability to save for the rainy day.

Okonjo-Iweala, in a statement signed by her Media Adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu, argued that while the Jonathan administration was willing to save for Nigerians, the plan was opposed by the state governors at the time.

According to the statement, "Some recent media reports have distorted comments made by former Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala regarding how the lack of political will negatively impact national savings over the past few years.

“Contrary to the slant, Dr Okonjo-Iweala did not indict the Jonathan administration in which she served.

“Rather, she was referring to what many Nigerians already know: the strong opposition by some governors to the Jonathan government’s efforts to save in the Excess Crude Account and the Sovereign Wealth Fund sabotaged this important national priority.

“The governors’ criticism of Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s many calls for the country to save for the rainy day is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians.

“It will be recalled that this opposition culminated in the governors taking the Jonathan government to the Supreme Court in furtherance of their position that the Federal Government had no right to ‘compel’ them to save.

“So the issue of Okonjo-Iweala indicting the Jonathan administration over this very public issue simply does not arise."

Read more: www.newsbreakers.ng

The Acting Director-General, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) Abuja, Abdulmalik Dauda has died in an auto crash.

Confirming the development, protocol officer to the late DG, Mohammed Aliyu, said the late DG died in an accident which occurred along Abuja-Kaduna expressway on Friday.

It would be recalled that late Dauda took over from Onyeka Onwenu on February 16, 2016, as a result of the removal of 26 heads of government agencies and parastatals.

He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has said Senate President, Bukola Saraki will face his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Saraki had approached the court asking it to quash the charges against him at the CCT for lacking in merit. The judge however dismissed it. “It appears to me all that the applicant is trying to do is to stop his criminal trial at CCT. [ 48 more words. ]

http://newsbreakers.ng/breaking-court-says-saraki-will-fac…/