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Ojukwu’s family denies relationship with ‘son’ of Biafran warlordPublished on March 20, 2019 By Chijioke Jannah

The family of the late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has again denied having any relationship with late Sylvester Debe Ojukwu, who before his demise laid claim to being the first son of Ojukwu.


Addressing journalists on Wednesday in Nnewi, Anambra State, spokesman of the Ojukwu dynasty, Mr. Ifeukwu Ojukwu, described Debe, who died in Lagos on November 3, 2018, as an impostor, saying that, “the man’s real name before he changed it was Mr. Sylvester Udeh.”

He maintained that the funeral of Sylvester is not their business but entirely the affair of his family.


Ifeukwu said: “He was born Sylvester Udeh. He later changed his name to Ojukwu at the age of 21 years. Ikemba never accepted him as his child. Even now, his Will where he listed all his children, his name is not there.

“Members of the Ojukwu family have not been notified of his death and they are not aware of the burial. This man that was claimed in the obituary poster as the first son of Ikemba, had his family buying a land where they buried him.

“How can Ikemba’s first son buy a land where he would be buried? Ikemba never accepted him even in his death. He said it is the father that knows the son not the other way round. If Ikemba was a poor man, will Sylvester be coming out to claim him? He was just trying to force himself on him. So these are the questions that we should be asking.


“How can you claim to be the first son of Ikemba and there is no provision for where you will be buried? How can you change your name and the document you went to school with? He was answering Sylvester Udeh in the secondary school at Federal Government College Umuahia. People that went to school with him know him as Sylvester Udeh. That is why he can’t bring his Birth Certificate.”

While explaining that in Nnewi culture, when somebody dies, the kinsmen would be called with kola nut and drink to formally make the announcement, Ifeukwu said nothing like that has happened, “so, the family has nothing to do with the burial”.

Responding to a question on whether Barrister Debe Ojukwu should have put in more efforts while Dim Ojukwu was alive to press home the point of his sonship, Ifeukwu replied: “It’s just that we don’t consider him as one of the sons of Ikemba. After the burial of Ikemba, he sued the family, but he lost the case. Justice Abba told him that the onus is on him to prove his paternity through DNA.



“Ikemba brought Emeka to Nnewi and introduced him to his Umunna (kindred) as his first son. He did it when he was alive. When somebody writes his Will and list all his children and says anybody that is not here is the not my child, it should be taken that way.

“Sylvester Udeh, which I call him, is a complete conman. If you ask him, he will tell you that his mother was Ikemba’s first wife. His mother never married Ikemba. So how can he say his mother is Ikemba’s first wife?

“I can tell you who Ikemba’s first wife is. The first wife was a nurse, but she did not have a child for Ikemba. The second wife was Emeka Jnr’s mother. Bianca is the fourth wife because he also married Stella Onyeador from Arodinzuogu.



“Sylvester was a DSP in the police and Ikemba called former Nigerian Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, and told him that there is an impostor using his name. They later transferred him to Sokoto and a few months later he was forced to resign from the Police. After his resignation, the family became sympathetic. If someone says you are not his son, it can affect you psychologically but if I were him, I would have just gone my way. So the family became sympathetic and asked him to go and collect rent and manage the family estate on the basis of 30%. He was supposed to remit 70% to the family. This is unheard of. This guy collected the rent 100% and did not remit a dime. It is part of the reason why this happened. This case was dragged to court and judgment was given against him. It is rumoured that the judgment affected him and he died of heart attack.”

Ifeukwu noted that late Ikemba did not raise Debe in any way, neither did he pay his school fees, adding: “Sylvester met Ikemba when he was an adult. Ikemba claimed the daughter of a Hausa woman as his child, so there must be a reason best known to him why he should disown Sylvester.”

http://dailypost.ng/2019/03/20/ojukwus-family-denies-relationship-son-biafran-warlord/

A bus filled with 51 schoolchildren was hijacked and set on fire by its driver who told them ‘no one will survive’ on Wednesday.

The driver, named as Ousseynou Sy, 47, reportedly asked the teenagers to leave the vehicle before he set it alight on the outskirts of Milan, according to Italian media.

All 51 children escaped unhurt in what is believed to be a protest against migrants drowning in the Mediterranean.

Police spokesman Marco Palmieri said: ‘He shouted “stop the deaths at sea, I’ll carry out a massacre”.’

Sy was identified by police as an Italian citizen of Senegalese origin. Firefighters arrived at the scene to put out the blaze. Twelve teenagers were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, hospital sources said.

Sy was arrested at the scene. He had been taking two school classes from a school in Vailati di Crema to a gym, but took a different route – heading for Milan’s Linate airport, local reports said. The bus can be seen in a video completely destroyed.

This comes after Italy’s Senate refused Wednesday to lift Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s immunity to face possible charges for refusing to allow migrants aboard an Italian coast guard ship to disembark at a Sicilian port.

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/20/bus-carrying-51-schoolchildren-hijacked-set-fire-driver-italy-8957049/?ito=cbshare

The Etsu of Patigi Local Government Area(LGA), Alhaji Ibrahim Chatta Umar died around the late hours of Tuesday after a short illness.

He died in Abuja and was buried in the Patigi palace on Wednesday 20th, March 2019 at 2pm.

The Senate President of Nigeria Bukola Saraki has expressed sadness and condolences over his death, he described him as a man of peace. Here is what he stated in his Twitter account:

"Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Umar Chatta Ibrahim, was always a man of peace. My prayers are with his family, his subjects and all the people of Kwara State at this time. May Almighty Allah grant the soul of the departed Royal Father a place amongst the righteous ones in Aljannah Firdaus."


The governor elect of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has also expressed deep sadness over his death, stating that his death is shocking. Here is what he stated on his official Twitter account:

"I commiserate with the immediate family and people of Pategi on the sad loss of the Etsu of Pategi, Alhaji Ibrahim Chatta Umar. He was a good leader that was uncompromising about the peace and development of his community. May Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus. "

https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2019/03/kwara-mourns-death-of-etsu-ibrahim-chatta-of-patigi.html

House of Representative member-elect Kayode Akiolu (APC-Lagos), said that he took advantage of the “Not Too Young to Run” act to win the Feb. 23 election.

Akiolu, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja said that the act paved the way for young people to seek political office in the country.

“In Nigeria today, more than half of our population are younger than 30. So, if we’re old enough to vote, we’re old enough to run for office too.

“That’s the idea behind the #NotTooYoungToRun. The campaign initially launched in support of Nigeria’s Age Reduction Bill.

”Signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on May 31, 2018, it has given young Nigerians like me the opportunity to serve my constituency and my Nation,” he said.

According to him, between 1999 and 2015, the average age of the country’s representatives rose from 43 to 50.5 years.

“All the while, Nigeria’s population trended younger and younger, until reaching its current median age of 18.

“As one of the first few young Nigerians who have benefited from the movement, I will make sure that the act will not be out of order.

“Let’s not forget that the absence of youth in decision-making processes in government has created disillusionment among Nigerian youths with regards to Nigeria’s political parties and the ruling class.

“Presently, Nigeria has a high unemployment rate, most of them youths, but there are lesser policies than those required to halt this problem. If the youths of a country are jobless, then there is bound to be an increase in vices,” he stated.

Akiolu said that since politics was a way addressing social issues in Africa, priority would be given to such issues when he assumed office.

He added that the interest of the people that elected him would be uppermost in his agenda.

“I scored 12,988 votes to defeat the candidate of the PDP, Adamoh Olagbenga, who scored 4,345 votes; the people of my constituency longed for change to get me here and I won’t disappoint them. Being a young person and having confidence in me, their interest will be uppermost,” he explained.



He stated that his constituents had conferred on him the right to legislate on their behalf and represent their interest at the House of Representatives.

Akiolu stated that such trust would motivate him to attract developmental projects to his constituency as well as to partner with the State Government in moving the state towards good governance and progress.

According to him, economic opportunity is the leading domestic issue of the time and the key to reinvigorating the economy is quality education.

Akiolu said he would work to provide ideas on improving education, training and jobs to close the opportunity gap in his constituency.

“I have vowed to increase the standard of education of my people and to ensure that more Federal Government presence is attracted to my constituency in terms of projects and social welfare interventions.

“As a legal practitioner of over a decade, I joined politics to use my experience and the instrumentality of the law to bring about positive legislation that will impact the lives of the people of Lagos Island federal constituency 2, Lagos State and the nation as a whole, ‘’ he said.

He, however, added that he would be accessible and accountable to his constituents, not forgetting the elderly, the less privileged and the physically challenged.

The Not Too Young to Run bill was an initiative pushed by about 54 youth’s organisations in the country, calling for more youth inclusion in the nation’s politics and policy-making.

The initiators requests include reducing the age required to contest for the posts of the president, governors, senators and House of Representative.

The act now provided for Nigerians to contest for President at the age of 35 and Governor or Senator at the age of 30.

It is a change from the initial 40 and 35 years limit, which was mandated by the Constitution.

The bill also stipulates “that 25-year-old people can now legislate in the National and State Assemblies across the country.”

Akiolu, who is 38 years, is the son of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu. (NAN)

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/i-took-advantage-of-not-too-young-to-run-act-lagos-rep-elect/

Division 2 players may have noticed a chest in the White House base of operations that requires 8 ivory keys to unlock. Because Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment are layering The Division 2 with some secrets, like hidden bosses, the game never explains what this chest is for or how to get ivory keys.

In order to get ivory keys in Division 2, players will need to kill the Hunter bosses that are hidden around the open world map. These are the same Hunters that players can kill in order to unlock cosmetic masks. However, while the masks are a guaranteed drop the ivory keys are not.

Taking on a Hunter in Division 2 is no easy task, as they are level 35 and designed to react like a real player. We highly recommend taking a group along for attacking these Hunters, not just for the extra damage but also for a reason we will get into later.

Division 2 players have found all 12 Hunters in the game, and activating their encounter can range from fairly straightforward to a little complex. One Hunter boss, for example, requires that players shoot out a light in the dark in order to make it appear. For info on all these fights, make sure to check out our Hunter mask guide.

So for those looking to get 8 ivory keys, it is merely a matter of luck. As of yet, there is no known way to entice a drop from a Hunter; you just have to hope that RNG is on your side.

That being said, there is a way to get additional shots at the ivory keys by joining friends and taking on the Hunters in their world. Once a Hunter is dead in your Division 2 world it is gone for good (currently), but it is possible to join on a friend and help them with their Hunter. This doesn’t increase the drop rate or the odds of getting an ivory key but it does increase the chances.
white weapon skin

As far as what the ivory key chest offers, it includes a Hunter’s Axe keychain for players’ backpacks, a white weapon skin, and a high-end weapon. The weapon will be random so players may want to wait until they are a higher gear score before opening the ivory key chest and claiming its reward. That’s a smart idea anyway because taking on a Hunter is no easy task.

The Division 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

https://gamerant.com/division-2-ivory-key-chest-reward-white-shader/

A British man from Oldham has been detained in Greater Manchester after he made a post on Social Media making reference and showing support for the shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand which 49 people where killed in two mosques.

The Greater Manchester Police report says the 24-year-old from Oldham was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of sending 'malicious communications'. No details has been given about the content of what he is alleged to have written.

Here is what a spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Police said:

"This is a very difficult time for people. The events in New Zealand have reverberated around the world. Many people are in deep shock and are worried."

"It is at times like this that, as a community, we stand together."

"Where the law permits and people cross the line, we will take robust action, which may include arrest and prosecution."

Meanwhile, The New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has expressed deep condolences to the Muslim community and the families of the victims of the Christchurch Shooting, and has also promised that the country's gun law would be changed in the wake of the attack.

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https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2019/03/new-zealand-mosque-shooting-49-people-reported-dead.html?m=1

Scores of people were thought to be inside the primary school when the building crumbled during lessons today. It is not yet clear how many children have been rescued, and how many have survived.

Rescue efforts are underway, with video from the scene showing at least one child covered in dust being carried out of the rubble as onlookers cheered.

The three-storey building collapsed in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. Hundreds of people stood in narrow streets and on rooftops of rusted, corrugated metal as a yellow excavator scooped at the ruins.

Sani Datti, a spokesman with Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, said officials from the agency and other emergency services were at the site. ‘For now we don’t have any word on casualties as we are still busy with rescue work,’ he said.

Building collapses are all too common in Nigeria, where new construction often goes up without regulatory oversight.

The collapse comes as President Muhammadu Buhari, newly elected to a second term, tries to improve groaning infrastructure in Africa’s most populous nation.

‘Nigeria’s infrastructure is generally less than half the size than in the average sub-Saharan Africa country and only a fraction of that in emerging market economies,’ the International Monetary Fund has noted.

‘The perceived quality of the infrastructure is low.’

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/13/dozens-children-trapped-nigerian-primary-school-collapses-8897014/?ito=cbshare

Audio has been released apparently showing the moment Saudi flight SV832 from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur requested permission to return to King Abdul Aziz International Airport.

The pilot says: ‘May God be with us. Can we come back or what?’ They then start talking about protocol as they’ve never experienced anything like that before.

The operator says: ‘This flight is requesting to come back…a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing.’

They then ask for confirmation of the reason they want to go back to the airport.

The pilot says: ‘We told you, a passenger left her baby in the terminal and refuses to continue the flight.’ ‘Okay, head back to the gate.

This is totally a new one for us!’ Flight tracking data show the plane took off an hour late on Saturday.

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/12/plane-forced-return-airport-mum-forgets-baby-departure-lounge-8887061/?ito=cbshare

As Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of the All Progressive Congress(APC) in Kwara State takes lead in the governorship election, his supporters have taken to the streets of Ilorin to celebrate him as he is predicted to win the election.

He has polled a total of 208, 518 votes of the 11 local Government Areas(LGAs) results that have been announced while his main opponent, Hon. Razaq Atunwa has polled 72, 167 votes so far.

The APC is leading with a margin of 136, 351 votes.

Source: https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2019/03/apc-supporters-rejoice-ahead-of.html?m=1

The Kwara State All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Mr Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, is leading in the governorship election held on Saturday.

As of 9.30am on Sunday, results declared in 11 out of 16 local government areas in the state showed that the APC candidate had polled 208,518 votes.

Meanwhile, his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Mr Abdulrazaq Atunwa, polled 72,167 votes.

Hence, Abdulrazaq is leading with a margin of 136,351 votes.

The results for the remaining five local government areas in the state were still being awaited.

Source: http://www.dailyggists.com.ng/2019/03/breaking-apcs-abdulrazaq-leads-pdp-with.html?m=1

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sent out a tweet celebrating the International Women's Day, see the tweet below:

"My experience in Yola with our microfinance initiative which has lifted 45,000 families out of poverty, has convinced me that our families, communities, Nigeria and the world at large will be better for it when we empower our women. -AA #IWD2019 #BalanceforBetter"

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has offered congratulations to Senegal and Nigeria on holding their presidential elections successfully.

In a Friday statement, Qassemi wished success for Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Macky Sall of Senegal who managed to be re-elected as the presidents of their respective countries after securing the majority of the votes.

He also expressed the hope that Tehran’s ties with Abuja and Dakar would further develop in light of the results of the recent elections in the two West African states.

Buhari was re-elected for a second four-year term on Wednesday. The 76-year-old defeated his main rival, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, with a margin of nearly four million votes.

Abubakar’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the result. Turnout was a record low at just 35.6%.

Sall also won a second term, of five years, following last Sunday’s election in Senegal.

He took 58% of the vote in the poll in which he faced four challengers, but was accused of preventing some of his main rivals from running.

Two well-known opposition figures were barred from taking part because of corruption convictions.

The opposition candidates have rejected the results, but say a court challenge would be futile.

Source: https://ifpnews.com/exclusive/iran-congratulates-senegal-nigeria-on-holding-successful-elections/

The number billionaires on the African continent has dropped from 23 to 20 according to Forbes list of African billionaires.

Aliko Dangote, the Chief Executive of the Dangote Group has held the top spot on the Forbes African billionaires for an eighth time in a row.

His net worth dropped by close to R2 billion less after there was a 20 percent drop in the Dangote Cement stock price.

In terms of billionaires by country South African and Egypt tie for first place with five billionaires each. Then Nigeria follows with four billionaires and Morocco has two billionaires.

1. Aliko Dangote, 61
Net worth: $10.3 billion
Origin of wealth: cement, sugar, flour

2. Mike Adenuga, 65
Net worth: $9.2 billion
Origin of wealth: telecom, oil

3. Nicky Oppenheimer, 73
Net worth: $7.3 billion
Origin of wealth: diamonds

4. Nassef Sawiris, 57
Net worth: $6.3 billion
Origin of wealth: construction, chemicals

5. Johann Rupert, 68
Net worth: $5.3 billion
Origin of wealth: luxury goods

6. Issad Rebrab, 75
Net worth: $3.7 billion
Origin of wealth: food

7. Naguib Sawiris, 64
Net worth: $2.9 billion
Origin of wealth: telecom

8. Koos Bekker, 66
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Origin of wealth: media,investments

8. Isabel dos Santos, 45
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Origin of wealth: investments

8. Mohamed Mansour, 70
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Origin of wealth: diversified

8. Strive Masiyiwa, 57
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Origin of wealth: telecom

8. Patrice Motsepe, 56
Net worth: $2.3 billion
Origin of wealth: mining

13. Aziz Akhannouch
Net worth: $2.1 billion
Origin of wealth: petroleum, diversified

14. Mohammed Dewji, 43
Net worth: $1.9 billion
Origin of wealth: diversified

15. Othman Benjelloun, 86
Net worth: $1.7 billion
Origin of wealth: banking, insurance

16. Abdulsamad Rabiu, 58
Net worth: $1.6 billion
Origin of wealth: cement, sugar

17. Yasseen Monsour, 57
Net worth: $1.5 billion
Origin of wealth: diversified

18. Youssef Mansour, 73
Net worth: $1.2 billion
Origin of wealth: diversified

19. Folorunso Alakija, 68
Net worth: $1.1 billion
Origin of wealth: oil

20. Michiel Le Roux, 69
Net worth: $1.1 billion
Origin of wealth: banking

Source: https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/sa-egypt-have-the-most-billionaires-in-africa-18784825

A 14-year-old and her 12-year-old sister were arrested for stabbing and shooting their mother to death — a brutal payback after they were punished for trying to run her over with the family car, neighbors and officials in Mississippi said.

The teen, Amariyona Hall, and her younger sister were taken into custody late Friday after deputies in Pike County responded to the family’s mobile home in Magnolia, where Erica Hall, a 32-year-old mother of four, was found stabbed multiple times and shot once in the chest with a handgun, authorities said.

Emergency workers tried to resuscitate Hall, whose relatives found her bloodied outside her home just minutes earlier, but she could not be saved. Investigators then zeroed in on Hall’s daughters, Pike County Sheriff Kenny Cotton told the McComb Enterprise Journal.


“They found out the daughters — two teenagers, juveniles — allegedly did it,” Cotton said, adding that both girls are scheduled for mental evaluations. “They’re charged with murder and we’re going to apply the law.”

Cotton said deputies reported that Friday’s attack followed an incident days earlier in which the girls tried to run Hall over with the family’s car. That prompted Hall to punish her daughters, leading them to respond with the fatal assault, according to investigators.

“With something like that, she should have made charges and had them arrested then,” Cotton said of the earlier alleged assault.

Neighbors told WAPT that Hall was killed days after taking away her daughters’ cellphones. It wasn’t clear if the mom took the phones away before or after her daughters allegedly tried to mow her down.

“I can’t imagine what’s going on inside their minds to process that,” he told the newspaper. “A mom is a mom no matter what.”

A message seeking additional comment from sheriff’s officials was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Amariyona Hall, who has been charged as an adult, is being held on $150,000 bond at the Pike County Jail. She’s due to return to court for a preliminary hearing Jan. 29 after appearing for a bond hearing Saturday, the newspaper reports.

Hall’s younger daughter, who was not named, remains in custody at the Adams County Juvenile Detention Center.

Hall’s aunt, Robin Coney, said her niece — who worked at poultry producer Sanderson Farms in Summit — initially was attacked inside her residence and managed to stagger outside to take her final breaths.

“She was stabbed in the back,” Coney told WLBT. “The knife was still in her back.”

Coney said the girls denied stabbing Hall, telling her, “Tee Tee, we didn’t do this,” she told the station.

“And I was like, ‘OK, if y’all didn’t do it, where were y’all when the people that was doing it did it?’” Coney continued.

Coney said the killing followed an argument at the family’s home late Friday.

“It was [Erica’s] gun,” Coney said. “It was her car. So they had got it out. So I guess when they were doing all that to her, she was probably trying to get to her gun to fight for her life.”

The girls calmly went to a neighbor’s home after the killing to ask for a ride because their grandmother just died, Coney said. But the neighbor called to confirm that with Hall and got no answer, WLBT reports.

Coney said the girls then walked to another relative’s home as Amariyona Hall’s younger sister, Ebony, went to the home and found her mother lying outside.

Source:
https://nypost.com/2019/01/08/teen-12-year-old-sister-arrested-for-brutally-killing-their-mom/

Militants have seized a Nigerian town and a key base for a multinational force fighting Boko Haram insurgents, raising their flag and sending many people fleeing, residents and military sources said Friday.

One military source said reinforcements trying to retake the town have been repelled, with some casualties. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

The attack on the northeastern town of Baga comes as President Muhammadu Buhari seeks a second term in February's election. He took office in 2015 vowing to defeat the Boko Haram militants, who have split as one faction pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

One fleeing resident, Musa Hajaye, said the militants "have hoisted their flag and warned us of the evil fate of saboteurs." Residents said the attack began on Tuesday night, with the military base seized on Wednesday.

Many residents have fled to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and the birthplace of Boko Haram.

The fighting continued on Friday in Baga, said the chief of army training and operations, Maj. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun.

"It's a ding-dong situation but we are engaging them," he said. "We are not in total control but the Boko Haram have not taken control of Baga, either. We are dealing and almost done with the situation."

Baga, close to the border with Chad, hosts the Nigerian base of the multinational task force fighting Boko Haram. Its weapons, ammunition and other equipment are a key target for the militants. Insurgents also overran the base in 2015.

The Islamic State West Africa Province, the largest ISIS-linked group in Africa, claimed to kill or wound "dozens" of soldiers in the latest attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group that monitors militant communiques.

Nigeria's military rarely announces death tolls in such attacks, but the government in November acknowledged dozens of soldier deaths in what it called an militant resurgence.

The government also for the first time confirmed the insurgents had begun using drones, calling it a "critical factor" in the rise in attacks. Buhari at the time held an urgent meeting with member countries to "enhance the capacity" of the multinational force.

The nearly decade-old Boko Haram insurgency has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and thousands of abductions. The unrest and displacement of millions of hungry people have turned northeastern Nigeria into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

https://www.stripes.com/news/africa/boko-haram-militants-seize-key-military-base-in-nigerian-town-1.562405

The Presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party(PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has told President Muhammadu Buhari not to blame the Nigerian System for his failure to fight corruption but to own up to his responsibilities. Atiku said this on Wednesday in a response to President Muhammadu Buhari's statement on his fight against corruption when he reacted to critics referring to him as "Baba go slow" and said he his not slow but rather, it is the Nigerian system that is slow, but in his reaction, Atiku Abubakar said that the problem with President Muhammadu Buhari's anti corruption war is not the system, but the President
himself.

Atiku Abubakar said further that Buhari admitting that his administration is slow shows the failure of his administration and tackling corruption. He said the President's response corroborates Transparency International whose latest corruption perception index shows that Nigeria is more corrupt today than it was under the previous administration.

According to him, the system allows for the arrest, trial and conviction of people like the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, who was fingered in a major corruption case, but that President Muhammadu Buhari chose to let him go scot-free, thereby tolerating his tolerance for the SGF's corruption.

Atiku stated that it is action such as this that have led to an unprecedented capital plight which have caused joblessness and mad Nigeria the world headquarter for extreme poverty under President Buhari's watch.

President Muhammadu Buhari alongside his Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and All Progressives Congress National(APC) Chairman Adams Osiomole, earlier, joined Christians in singing"We Wish You". The President sent a massage accompanied with a video posted on his verified and official Twitter handle, said Christmas is a message of hope and salvation that Jesus Christ embodies and covey.

President Buhari;

At Christmas we reflect on the humble, symbolic and divine birth of a young child thousands of years ago in Bethlehem, Judea; and the message of hope, compassion, salvation, reconciliation, forgiveness and peace that Jesus Christ embodies and conveys.

Merry Christmas to All!

Meanwhile, Nigerians reacted online pointing out that the President has never joined Christians to sing the popular Christan jingle since his assumption of office since 2015. Some Nigerians on Twitter noted that with curiosity the timing of the rendition with the 2019 elections less than two months away while others simply appreciated the move.

See full article and reactions at: https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/president-buhari-vp-osibanjo-and-apc-national-chairman-adams-oshiomole-joins-christains-in-singing-we-wish-you.html?m=1

The Tsunami in Indonesia first report says twenty people have been killed in the Sunda Strait. The reports are the Tsunami hit the Sunda Strait which is the channel of water between the islands of Java and sumatra. The Government Disaster Mitigation Agency has issued a statement saying that a hundred and sixty five other people had been injured, that is on top of the twenty that have been reported to have died.

The Tsunami is started on Saturday night, hitting beaches in the area. The authorities are investigating now, whether the Tsunami was caused by the nearby volcano 'Krakatoa'.

In Indonesia, officials are warning people to stay away from the coast as a high wave warning remains in place after Saturday's Tsunami. Rescuers are trying to find survivors, about 220 people have been killed and more than 800 others have been injured.

The first wave struck at 9:20pm on Saturday evening, crashing into resorts and homes along the coast line in the Sunda Strait. According to sources, the government is telling people to stay away from the beaches, as this was an unusual and very unpredictable Tsunami and they believed it was triggered by volcanic activity at Anak Krakatoa, the volcano that sits out in the Sunda Strait.

Read more- https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/indonesia-tsunami-hundreds-of-people-still-unaccounted-for.html?m=1

The US Government will remain partially shut down over Christmas after politicians in the Senate failed to resolve their differences over the budget during a special session. Democrats oppose President Trump plans to use Federal funds to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

There is further bad news for President Trump as his top officials in the fight against circled Islamic State quit over the decision to pull US troops from Syria.

According to reports, In the United States, some government buildings have been closed and many Federal employees have been told not to go to work, not because of Christmas, but because of the government shut down. Senators where called to a special session of Congress to try to find a funding deal acceptable to all, but without any sign of compromise, Democrats and Republicans were left simply blaming each other.
"They brought this about because they are under a lot of pressure, we all know this, when they are far left and feel compelled to disagree with the President or almost anything and certainly this". US Senator Mitch McConnell(R-Ky) said while speaking in the Congress.

The rise about President Trump's long promise for a physical barrier along the border between Mexico and the United States, he has been unable to get Mexico to pay for the controversial border wall in the US.

Democrats have refused to give the President the five billion dollars he says he needs to build the wall.
"So Mr President, President Trump if you wanna open the government, you must abandon the wall, plain and simple". US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in the Congress.

Relationships between the White House and some Republicans in the Congress were damaged during the last week after President Trump made a suprise uncertain decision to pull US troops out of Syria, this led to the resignation of Defense Secetary Jim Mattis and then another member of his administration is leaving as a result of the President's plans.

Read more: https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/us-federal-buildings-close-as-president-trumps-top-officials-quit.html?m=1

The recognized National Working Committee Governorship Candidate of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressive Congress(APC) Abdurrahman Abdulrazaq has said the party is not bothered about the judgement of the Ilorin High Court which affirmed the Balogun Fulani's led APC as the Chairman of APC in the State.

According to Abdulraqaq while speaking yesterday during a 1km trek in support of his election and in the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, Abdulrazaq said the case before the court is not Chairmanship case but a caretaker case which the APC has gone beyond in the state and found at the rate at which the opposition party is playing politics in the state.

While speaking on Balogun Fulani's Chairmanship position, Abdulrazaq said that Balogun Fulani is not a member of the APC allowing the constitution of the party.

Source: https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/abdurrahman-abdurazaq-says-apc-is-not-bothered-about-court-ruling-on-balogun.html?m=1

A top Somalian Journalist is among at least a dozen of people who were killed in a bomb blast in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu. Awil Dibar and his driver died in the first blast, a suicide car bomb that detonated at a checkpoint near the Presidential Palace.

Atleast seventeen people were injured in the explosions. Mr Dibar has been based in Mogadisu for years and is regarded as one of the horns of African Countries Journalists that worked to revive the media industry in that area.

Al Qaeda affiliated militant group Al Shabab, claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabab has waged an Islamist war on Somalia for over a decade, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions of others.

Crushing the militant group is one of the President Muhammad Abdullah's pledge, one which he has continued to reiterate.
https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/two-killed-in-mogadishu-bomb-blast.html?m=1

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress, APC, of plotting to fleece Nigerians through the extortion of N1.2 billion from poor beneficiaries of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, to fund the President 2019 re-election bid.

The party has, therefore, challenged the Buhari Presidency to clear the air on the alleged fleecing of Nigerians to the tune of N2.6 trillion through hidden illegal N48 tax per litre of petrol, which motorists in the country have been bearing since the fuel price increased from subsidized cost of N87 to presumably unsubsidized cost of N145.

In a statement, yesterday, by National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP urged Nigerians to take their President to task on why they should re-elect him in 2019. The party said: “Information at our disposal also reveals that the Anchor Borrower’s scandal is yet another scheme by the Presidency to siphon public funds and surreptitiously route same to Mr. President’s campaign.

“To achieve this ignoble scheme, the Presidency and the APC shamefully constituted a phony Anchor Borrowers Farmers’ Association, which they claimed has 12 million members, and through which they plan to siphon and launder money from public coffers to fund President Buhari’s campaign.”

“Our check reveals that no such association exists and that the membership figure is just a ruse, another fabrication and attempt at procurement of fake endorsement by the Presidency, to create the impression that Nigerians are supporting President Buhari and the APC.

“Further investigation reveals how the Presidency has been secretly diverting huge part of various social intervention funds to the Buhari campaign while handing paltry sums to Nigerians.

This is in addition to agents of the Presidency carrying out APC’s vote buying project, particularly the Trader-moni scheme, have been illegally collecting 10 percent kickback from beneficiaries.”

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/12/pdp-raises-alarm-over-alleged-plot-by-presidency-to-siphon-n1-2bn-farmers-fund/

The Democratic Republic of Congo election board has told his participants in Sunday's Presidential vote that it cannot organize the ballot on time. Electoral Commission summoned candidates to a meeting on parliament today, after media report of a delay due to problems with vote materials.

One of the candidates, Theodore Ngoy was at the meeting said in a statement that Senate President Kengo Wa Dondo announced the commission was technically unable to carry through the elections planned on Sunday.

The election is meant to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila who is due to step down after 18years in power in what will be Congo's first Democratic transition. There was no word on the new time table.

Preparations for Sunday's vote already postponed repeatedly since 2016 were disrupted by fire last week which the commission said destroyed 80% of Kinshasa voting machines.

https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/drcs-election-to-be-postponed.html?m=1

Political and religious leaders convened at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to urge the Trump administration to address the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region of Africa.

"As we approach the Christmas holiday there's an ongoing crisis that we need to speak about," Republican congressman Ron Estes (Kansas) told those in attendance. "Sadly, Christians in Nigeria are under fire in what many are calling a genocide by sectarian groups like Boko Haram."

Citing growing food scarcity and increases in human trafficking, Estes stated it was important to "shed light" on the plight of the "more than two million individuals" displaced by violence.

The Lake Chad region—Cameroon, Niger, Chad, and Nigeria—has been wracked with violence and political unrest since 2009 when Boko Haram launched an insurgency against the Nigerian government. In recent months the Islamic jihadist group, which until recently was affiliated with ISIS, has escalated its attacks on Christians in areas where they constitute the ethnic minority.

In his remarks, Estes called on the Trump administration to move past humanitarian aide and appoint a special envoy to work directly with foreign governments and international organizations in preventing further bloodshed.

"It's important to note that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Ambassador Sam Brownback, and other government agencies are doing a lot to support peace and stability in this region," the congressman said. "However, we know more can be done to end the violence and save lives."

"The problem is serious and time is running out," Estes added.

Calls for a special envoy come amid an uptick in violence against Christians in Nigeria. Since the start of this year alone, more than 2,300 Christians have been killed in the country, according to the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. By some reports, more than 16,000 Christians have been slaughtered in the region over the last three years.

The majority of the violence has been perpetrated by Boko Haram and the Fulani, one of Nigeria's largest ethnic Muslim groups. Fulani herdsman and Boko Haram have launched an aggressive campaign of raids on farming communities in northern Nigeria, where Christians are the minority.

The raids have proven devastatingly effective as nearly 900 churches have been burned and countless women and children have been kidnapped and trafficked. Despite strong evidence to the contrary, the Nigerian government has sought to play down the violence as a minor disagreement between different ethnic groups.

Speaking alongside Estes was former Republican congressman Frank Wolf (Va.), Archbishop Benjamin Argak Kwashi of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, and Faith McDonnell of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, among others.

The event was organized by the Save the Persecuted Christians Coalition, a group that partners with religious and humanitarian organizations to alleviate religious oppression across the globe.

Wolf, who was noted for his human rights advocacy in Congress, said it was imperative to take a stand given the strategic importance the region held to global security and stability.
"Nigeria is the largest country in Africa," Wolf said. "If it unravels it will pose an existential threat to Europe and many other countries…. I plead with the administration … to appoint a special envoy."

The sentiment was echoed by Archbishop Kwashi, the leader of the largest Anglican diocese in northern Nigeria.

"This is a nation that is very rich, a nation that would reduce the burdens of America if it was properly harnessed. One that could help the other African countries," Kwashi said. "But it has been bedeviled and over time the structures of democracy that [should] strengthen a nation internally have been weakened."
The bishop claimed it was impossible to dismiss the genocide being perpetrated by Islamic extremists as a simple "clash between farmers and herdsmen."
"If you look at the geography of the killings from the beginning of Boko Haram, and even before that, you would have noticed that the killings are systematic," said Kwashi.

"They are deliberative, they are calculated and those carrying them out are well trained. Everyone knows that they are trained either by Al-Qaeda or ISIS. Everyone knows that they are well armed, they kill soldiers, they kill police. They overrun villages … in the most inhuman ways."

Kwashi expressed "hope" that an American envoy could stand in a "neutral place" of "authority" and pressure the Nigerian government to protect its people, regardless of religious denomination.

"We need an envoy whose heart and voice will carry the weight necessary to stop the killings," the bishop added

"We are [appealing] to the kind-heartedness of the Americans, the energy, the care, and the concern for justice."

https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/political-religious-leaders-urge-trump-to-address-prosecution-of-christian-in-nigeria.html?m=1

The Yoruba people are an ethnic group of southwestern and north-central Nigeria, as well as southern and central Benin at almost 40 million people in total. During transatlantic slave trade which involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas, a small portion of the Yoruba community was transported to countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Brazil. They ended up staying in most of these countries and expanding the culture down to generations who now inhabit the country as full citizens.

Brazilian people over time has been influenced by Yoruba culture centuries later. There is a linguistic influence in Brazilian Portuguese, with such everyday words as ‘ase’ (‘axe’), ‘odun’ (‘festival’) and ‘akaraje’, a bean cake like the akara of Yoruba origin. This latter word also shows how the Yoruba culinary heritage has become part of the nation’s cuisine.

The Brazilian Federal Government established a programme to foster this interest in the culture by introducing the compulsory study of African History and Yoruba language into the primary and secondary schools curriculum. Over the weekend, they also recently adopted it as one of their Foreign languages

The minister spoke at an event where the Institute of African Studies, University of Sao Paulo, in Brazil paraded important dignitaries including Nigerian artists and historians, as well as professors of arts and African studies at a lecture on the importance of Yoruba language in the Brazilian culture and tradition.

Nigerian carnival artist, painter, and illustrator, Adeyinka Olaiya, living in Salvador, Brazil, is like living in any of the western states of Nigeria where the Yoruba are predominantly located.

He said, “Most of the cultures and traditions in evidence in Brazil are all of the heritages brought along to the Latin American country by the majority Yoruba families, victims of the BARCO NEGREIROS, the NEGRO BOAT that forcefully brought the enslaved West Africans to Brazil in the 13th century.

The Yoruba people are an ethnic group of southwestern and north-central Nigeria, as well as southern and central Benin at almost 40 million people in total. During transatlantic slave trade which involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas, a small portion of the Yoruba community was transported to countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Brazil. They ended up staying in most of these countries and expanding the culture down to generations who now inhabit the country as full citizens.

Brazilian people over time has been influenced by Yoruba culture centuries later. There is a linguistic influence in Brazilian Portuguese, with such everyday words as ‘ase’ (‘axe’), ‘odun’ (‘festival’) and ‘akaraje’, a bean cake like the akara of Yoruba origin. This latter word also shows how the Yoruba culinary heritage has become part of the nation’s cuisine.

The Brazilian Federal Government established a programme to foster this interest in the culture by introducing the compulsory study of African History and Yoruba language into the primary and secondary schools curriculum. Over the weekend, they also recently adopted it as one of their Foreign languages

The minister spoke at an event where the Institute of African Studies, University of Sao Paulo, in Brazil paraded important dignitaries including Nigerian artists and historians, as well as professors of arts and African studies at a lecture on the importance of Yoruba language in the Brazilian culture and tradition.

Nigerian carnival artist, painter, and illustrator, Adeyinka Olaiya, living in Salvador, Brazil, is like living in any of the western states of Nigeria where the Yoruba are predominantly located.

He said, “Most of the cultures and traditions in evidence in Brazil are all of the heritages brought along to the Latin American country by the majority Yoruba families, victims of the BARCO NEGREIROS, the NEGRO BOAT that forcefully brought the enslaved West Africans to Brazil in the 13th century.

President Muhammadu Buhari today, proposed 8.8trillion Naira budget for 2019 to the joint session of the National Assembly. The presentation of the budget was presented under a rowdy session as
opposition lawmakers repeatedly boo the President as he listed his achievements. The President also cautioned Lawmakers in the joint session of the National Assembly to comport themselves as they are on television and being watched around the world.

"May I appeal to the honorable members that the world is watching us and we are supossed to be be above this", The President said and was applauded by some of the lawmakers.

The budget proposal was prepared based on fully assumptions, all priced $60 per barrel of oil production rate with 2.3million barrels per day with an exchange rate of #305 to $1.
Real GDP growth rate of 3.01% inflation rate of 9.9%.

All of the 2019 budget break down includes; Recurrent 4,04trillion Naira, debt servicing 2.14billion Naira, statuary transfer 492.36billion Naira, sinking fund 120billion Naira and capial expenditure 2.301trillion Naira.

https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/lawmakers-boo-buhari-as-he-list-out-his-achievements-while-presenting-the-2019-budget.html

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to understand him and give him more time to translate his intentions for the country. The President made this call on Monday in Abuja after a special parade organized in his honor by the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army to celebrate his 76th birthday.

The President called on Nigerians to pray for him and the country at large, charging them to continue to show more understanding of his administration's policies aimed at transforming the nation. He said the government would continue to remind Nigerians of his achievements in the last three and half years.

The President and his Party Leaders have repeatedly told Nigerians that the challenges being faced are caused by the People Democratic Party(PDP) which governed the country for sixteen years until 2015. The President said he was impressed by the honor shown to him by the army today.
Read more: https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/president-buhari-celebrates-76th-birthday-urges-nigerians-to-understand-him.html

The Socio Economic Right And Accountability Project(SERAP), Enough Is Enough (EIE) and BudgeIT have demanded details of spending on operation Lafia Dole and operation Crocodile Smile from the Chief Army Staff LT Gen Tukur Burutai. To ensure their demand is met the three groups sent a joint Freedom Of Information(FOI) request to the Army Chief, specifically, they want General Tukur Burutai to urgently provide information on the 2015, 2016 and 2017 budget implementation reports of the Nigerian Army.

The information demanded includes; the amounts released "financial allocations" and expended in the fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for various operations the army carried out. All three Organizations disclosed their demands in a joint statement today and signed by Bamisope Adeyanju for SERAP, Seun Akinyemi for Enough Is Enough(EIE) and Atiku Samuel for BudgeIT.

Other army operations for which they demanded information for the amount released and expended in 2015, 2016 and 2017 are; Operation Safe Havens, Operation Python Dance, Operation Ruwan Wuta, Operation Delta Safe, Operation Mesa, Operation Harbin Kunama, Operation Awatse and Operation Tsera Teku.

According to the groups, the funds allocated to the military have not yielded desired results. Hence, the request. The groups also intends to follow the call up request with legal action if it is not successful.

https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/12/right-groups-asks-the-nigerian-army-to-account-for-money-spent-on-fighting-boko-haram-and-others.html?m=1

Read Other Articles: WWW.ABDULMUSABLOG.COM

The backlash is growing, the Democrats and Senior Republicans have sharply criticized Donald Trump after he said he would not punish Saudi Arabia for the murder of the journalist Jamal Kashoggi. The President went further that with the Crown Prince had knowledge of the killing saying maybe he did or maybe he didn't.

Today, he tweeted his thanks to Riyadh for the full in oil prices, Senators from both parties have attack Donald Trump with moves planned in the Congress to force more robust action.

"We are not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars in orders and let Russia, China and have everybody else have them, for me, it is very simple, it is America first. Saudi Arabia, if we work with them, i think the oil prices will go through the roof, i have kept them down the have helped me keep them down, right now we have lower oil prices or relatively i'll like to see it go down even lower, but i think that it is a very simple equation for me, i'm about making America great again and i'm about America first", President Trump said.

A number of Scientists and Congressman from both the Republicans and Democrats have been highly critical of the President's statement. The Republican Senator and Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate Bob Corker. He has called for further investigation into Muhammad bn Salman's links to the murder of Jamal Kashoggi.

Please follow on Twitter, description link is contained in the article link here:
https://www.abdulmusablog.com/2018/11/democrats-and-republicans-criticizes-president-trump-over-decisions-on-saudi-journalist-murder.html?m=1

A mass grave containg about 1500 bodies have been discovered by the Syrian Government Forces. According to reports, they lost their lives during the US led coalition fighting the terrorist group, Daesh Takfiri that carried out airstrike attacks on Raqqah, the northern province of Syria.

Jamal al-Isa, The Head of Raqqah Medical Center recently told the al-watan newspaper on Wednesday that the bodies was discovered around the district in the city which is located about 283 miles northeast of Damascus.

"Everyday, more crimes are being uncovered which were perpetrated by the Daesh terrorist group and the illegal US led military alliance in Raqqah", Jamal al-Isa stated.

Meanwhile, the US have not made any comment regarding this but according to what the Syrian ambassador to the UN Bashar al-ja'fari said at the United Nations Security Council meeting in New York City on mid October of this year, the US led coalition is targeting anything in Syra but not the terrorist group, he said.

"We are surprised that the UN special envoy to Syria had ignored the crimes of this coalition against the Syrian people. The illegal US led international coalition continues to perpatrate crimes in Syria, the last of which were in the villages of al-sousa and al-bubadran, where 62 people lost their lives", Syrian Ambassador to UN Bashar al-Ja'fari said.

http://abdulmusablog..com/2018/10/1500-bodies-found-in-a-mass-grave-in-syria.html?m=1

Also read:

NIGERIAN ARMY OPENS FIRE AT ZAKZAKY'S SUPPORTERS-
http://abdulmusablog..com/2018/10/nigerian-army-opens-fire-at-zakzakys-supporters.html

MUSLIM-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES RAISE FUNDS FOR PITTSBURGH'S SHOOTOUT VICTIMS-
http://abdulmusablog..com/2018/10/muslim-american-communities-raise-funds-for-pittsburghs-shootout-victims.html

Nigerian soldiers attacked hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) as they took part in the march for the release of Sheikh Zakzaky in the capital Abuja on Monday.

Witness said some victims were lying on the ground on a road in the area of Kugbo on Abuja's outskirts following the army assault.

Rights groups have accused Nigeria's military of killing more than 300 IMN supporters and burying them in mass graves during the 2015 confrontation, a charge the military strongly denies.

This comes after at least 10 people were killed in an attack by Nigerian security forces against Muslims on Saturday. Reports in local Nigerian media said scores of people had also been injured after Nigerian security forces opened fire on Muslim worshipers gathering for a procession in Zuba in Gwagwalada area of Abuja.
James Myam, a military spokesman, claimed in a statement released on Sunday that soldiers opened fire on the IMN members after they "pelted the troops with stones." He also accused mourners of "illegal roadblock" in the area.

http://abdulmusablog..com/2018/10/nigerian-army-opens-fire-at-zakzakys-supporters.html?m=1

But the IMN disputed the claim, calling the military account "false" and "unsubstantiated." Musa said the army had attacked a peaceful mourning procession. "We categorically refute the storyline of the Nigerian army."

Nigeria’s crackdown on IMN followers began in December 2015 when the army attacked a religious ceremony in the city of Zaria in the northern Nigeria. Nigerian forces later raided the house of IMN leader Sheikh Zakzaky and arrested him after killing those attempting to protect the prominent Muslim cleric.
Scores of Zakzaky’s followers were arrested during the brutal raid by security forces on the cleric’s IMN headquarters in December 2015.

http://abdulmusablog..com/2018/10/nigerian-army-opens-fire-at-zakzakys-supporters.html