₦airaland Forum

.Andrew Menck didn’t bother to vote in the last seven midterm elections but, determined to deliver a rebuke to Donald Trump’s presidency, he joined the lines outside his local polling station that built up before dawn.

“I disapprove of the president’s actions,” said the 34-year-old, a Chicago voter who sees his ballot as a chance for real scrutiny of a president who has enjoyed a largely free hand from the Republican-controlled US Congress.

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“I don’t know if he’s necessarily held accountable. Republicans hold the House and Senate.”

Menck was among millions of Americans heading to the polls Tuesday in the first major voter test of Trump’s chaotic, often controversial presidency.

Massive early numbers — more than 35 million ballots have been cast ahead of polling day compared with fewer than 20 million in 2014 — sparked optimism that heavy rain in the eastern United States would not depress turnout.

A suburban Chicago polling station reported twice the number of voters compared to 2016 — a presidential election year — while in downtown Chicago, people gathered before polls opened at 6:00 am (1100 GMT).

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“The message that I’m going to send is: We’re not okay with the direction that this president is leading our country,” said Rory Mabin, a 34-year-old Chicago resident who votes in every midterm election.

“I’m not okay with traveling abroad and being ashamed for the first time to say that I’m American.”

James Gerlock, a 27-year-old Republican, said, however, that he was happy with the economic growth the country has seen under Trump’s presidency and “just (loves) the deregulation.”

In the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, at a church along a leafy street, 500 people had voted in the first two hours of the morning — twice as many as two years ago, according to poll worker David Mendalski

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The United States Institute of Peace has said that President Muhammadu Buhari may win the 2019 election .
USIP noted that though many Nigerians stated that his government had not met their expectations , this may not cost the All Progressives Congress its hold on power .

The Institute said this in a report on the forthcoming general election , which it claimed was based on its interactions with Nigerians from different sectors .
The USIP report contradicted the two predictions by The Economist magazine, which stated that Buhari would be defeated in the February poll .

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The USIP report read , “Many Nigerians feel their hopes have not been met . Some respondents suggest the electorate is sufficiently disappointed that voter apathy will be greater in 2019 than it was in 2015, with the unifying narrative of change that helped elect the APC in 2015 much less compelling as a factor in mobilising the electorate , and perceptions that another defeat of the presidential incumbent is less likely to happen in 2019 .”
On the possibilities of electoral violence, the report said there may be violence during the elections in Adamawa , Anambra, Ekiti , Kaduna, Kano , Lagos , Plateau , Rivers .

The USIP , however , noted that this could be prevented by the combined efforts of political parties, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission .
The report said that Nigerians expected INEC to perform better than it did in 2015, noting that any regression could set the stage for electoral violence .
“Of all the state ’s institutions , most respondents felt that peaceful elections in 2019 are contingent on the performance of Nigeria ’s INEC ,” the report stated .

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The USIP added , “Given the relative success of the 2015 elections , they ( Nigerians ) felt that INEC ought to be able to deliver credible elections again in 2019.

“They feared, however , that any regression from the level of performance achieved in 2015 could lead to violence because some would view the failings not as a result of incompetence but as deliberate attempts to frustrate the will of the voters .
“INEC should at least match the standards it set in 2015, and any regression could set the stage for violence. ”
The report further said despite the projections of violence, there were signs that conflict- mitigation might help in preventing violence across the country .

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A Police Inspector, Idowu Haruna, yesterday told a Lagos High court sitting at Igbosere, how suspected kidnap kingpin Chukwuemeka Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, regretted the atrocities he committed and kept asking God for forgiveness of his sins. Evans Truck dealer sentenced to 3 years jail term for stealing N1.6m Haruna, who was giving evidence as a prosecution witness in the trial of Evans and three others in two separate charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that Evans admitted kidnapping and killing people in his statement. Rivers APC crisis: A-Court strikes out motions by factions Evans has however disowned his statement saying he made it under duress following his torture by his interrogators.

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The court therefore ordered a trial within trial before proceeding with the substantive charge. At the hearing yesterday, the counsel to the first and third defendants Mr Noel Brown told the court that he could not go on with the trial, as the lead counsel Mr Chino Ogbiagwu SAN, was with the case file and asked for adjournment. Justice Adedayo Akintoye however insisted that the trial must go on, as the counsel had been part of the defense team since the commencement of the trial.

At the trial within trial yesterday, the police inspector said “on the day I recorded Evans’ statement, I cautioned him and asked if he had a lawyer who could guide him before writing his statement but he said no and that he was ready to narrate the whole story to the police. “Evans said he didn’t have any lawyer and didn’t know anyone because of the kind of job he did. And the only thing he kept saying was for God to forgive him his sins because he has kidnapped and killed”. According to the witness, Evans in his statement to the police said that he had four AK47 rifles, two pistols and chains which he used on his victims as well as a Lexus Jeep he used in kidnapping his victims to their hideout at 21, Prophet Asaje Close Igando Lagos.

Haruna, who is a member of the Inspector General of Police Intelligent Response Team, is the seventh prosecution witness, in the second charge, involving Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba. He said that Evans narrated to the police that he was the only one who negotiated for ransom and also arranged how to pick the ransom. Evans did not involve the other members of the gang in the negotiation and only gave them small portion of the ransom. Evans also told the police that he usually used the fourth defendant, Victor Aduba a serving Army Officer as an escort during operation in order to have free passage on their way to their hideout.

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According to Haruna, Evans further said hat he was the leader of the gang and that the gang started operation since 1997. They were involved in kidnapping, and armed robbery in different parts of the country, as they had no other job. Haruna who was being led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution Titilayo Shitta-Bey, told the court that when Evans was arrested, he gave the police information that led to the arrest of the other defendants. He also said that the first defendant informed the police that the job of the third defendant Linus Okpara, was to look for victims and would then give him information before the victims were kidnapped.

The witness said that Evans was never tortured, as it was against the ethics of the Nigeria Police Force. The defendants had through their counsel Mr Noel Brown, Ogedi Ogu and Emmanuel Ochai, informed the court that their statements were not voluntary as they were beaten and tortured before the statements were taken. The second defendant Joseph Emeka, in the open court told his counsel Ogu, that he was beaten to stupor, before his statement was taken. The Inspector, who said that the defendants’ statements were taken at Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS Ikeja Lagos, added that none of them was tortured, nor were they put under duress, when they volunteered their statements.

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The Managing Director, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Mr Adewale Ladenegan, said welders trained under the Petroleum Technology Fund programme would be employed to work for the refinery.

The PTDF disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja, on Tuesday, after the graduation ceremony of the second batch of PTDF-trained welders on Post Training Attachment Programme.
He said that the refinery required the services of welders to function effectively and optimally.

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He said collaboration between the refinery and the Fund in enhancing the skills and competencies of Nigerians for active participation in the oil and gas industry would maximize value in the industry.

“KRPC requires the services of the welders to function optimally. You can see in the refinery, we have pipelines all over and the only way that we can maintain them is through welding.

“We need skilled welders to be able to carry out maintenance activities. We believe that the trainees have been given the best skills that anybody can be given in the industry.
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“We believe they are good and therefore we have the plan that when we want to recruit, they will be considered first because they have worked with us and we know what stuff they are made of.

“Let me add this also that we must encourage them not to rely on paid employment. In this country, everybody should be encouraged to first look at the option of being self-employed because it’s more fulfilling,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the Executive Director, Operations, Mr Thaddeus Tsavnande, said the idea to employ the trained welder to work in the refinery was a step in the right direction.

“As a build up to this graduation ceremony, I asked the people directly responsible for the training, if they can employ these trainees. The answer was in affirmative.

“I’m saying this because the refinery cannot do without welders. We have over a million pipelines and to repair or patch them is by welding; So, I want to congratulate my future staff members.

“In the near future, we will be looking for people like you and of course you have got the training.
“And I’m sure it will be easy for us to absorb you, so that you seamlessly enter the job,’’ he said.

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A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Thursday restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from arresting or detaining contractors, lawyers, professionals and service providers, who have rendered services to the Rivers State Government.

The presiding judge, Justice Hilary Oshomah, had also restrained the anti-graft agency and the Attorney-General of the Federation from inviting and detaining officials of the Rivers State government for alleged investigations.

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Justice Oshomah in Suit Number FHC/PH/CS/101/2018, which was filed by the Rivers State Attorney-General against the EFCC and AGF, stopped the EFCC and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation from interfering with the accounts of the Rivers State Government pending the determination of the substantive suit.

“An order of interlocutory injunction restraining 1st and 2nd defendants/respondents (EFCC/AGF) from inviting or further inviting, arresting and or detaining contractors (engaged by the Rivers State Government to carry out projects), professionals (including lawyers) or service providers to the Rivers State Government who have been paid by the State Government, for the purpose of investigating, probing and or interfering in any manner whatsoever with the management of the Rivers State consolidated fund.

An order of interlocutory injunction restraining 1st and 2nd defendants from giving any effect or further effect to the letter dated 7th August, 2018 wherein EFCC invited some officials of the Rivers State Government on the 20th of August or any date for that matter,” the court ruled.

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Justice Oshomah also restrained the EFCC and AGF or their agents, servants and privies from retrieving/demanding the Bank Verification Number of any officials of the plaintiffs, contractors executing projects, lawyers or vendors who have received payment for the purpose of probing or interfering with the accounts of the Rivers State Government pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The judge restrained the EFCC and AGF from directing Zenith Bank and Access Bank to furnish them with the bank account details, record books and/or any document for the purpose of probing, investigating or interfering with the accounts of the Rivers State Government until the determination of the substantive suit.
The court, however, ruled that the preliminary objection dated 3rd September, 2018 filed by the EFCC against the suit lacked merit.

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Although some gospel artistes sometimes venture into singing secular music; for Bisi Alawiye, who is currently on a tour in the US; the thought has never crossed her mind.

“I have never thought of going into secular music because for every commission, there are rules; for every season, there is a reason, He has commissioned me into the gospel music ministry, so I don’t need to deviate so as not to miss it. Read Romans 8:30,” she said.

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Acknowledging those who have supported and motivated her in the music industry over the years, Alawiye noted that if she began to list the names of her mentors she might end up offending people.

She, however, added that she was predestined by God to be a gospel musician.

“If I should begin to list the names of my mentors; I may end up offending all the people that have had an impact on my life one way or the other, but the most important thing is that Jesus Christ has remained the sole mentor of my ministry.


“My parents were never against my chosen career. Also, it is something that has been ordained and predestined from above and I thank God, the manifestation is evident for all to see,” she said.

Alawiye, who has several albums to her name, also added that challenges were bound to happen in life but with God, she would overcome them.

“Challenges are bound to happen but John 16:33 made us understand that we should be of good cheer for it will not have any impact on us. So, instead of challenges to slow me down, the Lord has continually been my speed.

“My fans should go out in their large number to get our latest album, I pray the Lord will continue to sustain and replenish their purse,” she said.

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Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said that his latest endorsement by The Economist Magazine, has put to lies the recent claims made by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that the international media is askance of his (Atiku’s) candidature.

Atiku said the newspaper’s endorsement was the second having been endorsed by Policy magazine.
The former Vice-President said that the endorsement was based on the clarity of vision and the detailed policies of his candidate when compared to what he called “the vague and empty promises of the incumbent All Progressives Congress administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

See More>> https://www.freshreporters.com/2018/10/the-economists-endorsement-vindicates.html

Atiku, in a statement from his media office in Abuja on Friday, said that as ‘the Economist’ rightly states, the issues in 2019 are “popular frustration over the rise in joblessness and poverty (two of the biggest voter concerns) on Mr. Buhari’s watch, as well as growing insecurity in central Nigeria.”
He added, “No other candidate has the capacity to address these challenges, like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, under whose watch as Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, Nigeria had her highest growth in job numbers.
“Indeed, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, is poised to translate the significant success he has made in his private business empire to the public sector.
“This anticipation is responsible for the momentum he now enjoys in all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

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“For the past one year, Mr. Abubakar has traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria, selling his plans, vision and policies to Nigerians.
“Unfortunately, rather than do the same, the All Progressive Congress has focused on negative campaigning by slandering Mr. Abubakar’s past.
“We are not surprised by their actions. When a man’s future intimidates people, they focus on lying about his past because they cannot compete in the present. However, we thank The Economist for proving that no matter how far and fast falsehood has travelled, it must eventually be overtaken by the truth.”
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