I never cheated my husband, Tiwa Savage breaks silence

Songstress, Tiwa Savage has broken the silence over the series of infidelity allegations leveled on her by husband, Tunji Balogun, aka, Tee Billz.

The talented nigeria singer spoke on the troubling issues during an in an interview with an online news site, Pulse.ng one Mr. Azuka OThe talented singer spoke on the troubling issues during an in an interview with an online news site, Pulse.ng one Mr. Azuka Ogujiuba, in her Lekki,Lagos home emphasized that she never cheated on her husband. According to her :”I have never cheated on my husband…not with Don Jazzy, not with Dr Sid, not with 2face..and I am willing to take a lie detector test, I have never cheated on my husband. Not with Don Jazzy, Dr Sid, 2face Idibia or anybody. I have never cheated on my husband, and Tunji knows this. He knows that in his heart. (She breaks down in tears) Sometimes in the studio, one of the things that Don Jazzy and some of my other label mates say is that I am really good with interviews, with being diplomatic and knowing how to carry myself with difficult situations. This hurts. I have seen comments of what people are saying about me. It is not true.”

Referees ask Nigeria Football Federation {NFF} to hire a foreign coach for Super Eagles

The President of the Nigeria Referees Association, Tade Azeez, on Friday, urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to hire a foreign coach to re-position the Super Eagles. Azeez made the call in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.






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He said that hiring a foreign coach was the only way for the NFF “since indigenous coaches cannot separate coaching from business’’. Azeez said that indigenous coaches usually had their biases for some players, making such players to feature in tournaments, not minding the implication for the team. “If the board believes they can get a foreigner that will work very well and they know that they have a way of paying the salaries without affecting them, I support the agitation for a foreign coach. “This is because our indigenous coaches cannot separate their coaching abilities from business. “They are all businessmen, who have interest in one player or the other and because they want to make money, they force such players on Nigerians. “That has been the problem with them. “ They are not after the best players representing us and I think as professionals, they should be able to differentiate between coaching and business. I doubt if any of them can do that,’’ Azeez said. The Super Eagles have been without a substantive coach since the sudden resignation of Sunday Oliseh. On April 20, the NFF named a Technical Director, Shaibu Amodu, and Salisu Yusuf to take charge of the Super Eagles on interim basis. The duo are expected to lead the Eagles to two international friendly matches against Mali and Luxembourg’s national teams on May 27 and June 1, respectively. Yusuf is to take charge of the team, while Amodu is to supervise. To assist the duo are the coach of Rangers International FC of Enugu, Imama Amapakabo, and Kennedy Boboye, the coach of Abia Warriors FC of Umuahia. Aloy Agu remains the goalkeeper trainer. The match against Mali is to take place at Stade Robert Diochon in Rouen, France, while Luxembourg will host the Eagles in Luxembourg. (NAN)

Gorvenor Ambode visits Aso Villa, commends President Buhari’s economic drive

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, on Friday, paid a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, where he lauded the President’s recent overseas trips aimed at the attracting foreign direct investments into the country. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, during his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Villa, on Friday, April 29, 2016. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, during his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, April 29, 2016. Governor Ambode who spoke to State House
 

 Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, during
 his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Villa,
on Friday, April 29, 2016.
Correspondents shortly after the visit expressed high optimism that the President’s trips would in no short time begin to yield benefits in the interest of all Nigerians. The Governor specifically commended President Buhari for his purposeful leadership to restore the nation’s place in the comity of nations, saying his recent trip to China and the profitable discussions will go a long way move Nigeria forward, including Lagos. He said the investment pact signed with the Chinese Government will benefit the people of Lagos, especially with the coming of the Lagos-Kano Rail Project and the Lagos Metro-rail project expected to cost about $2.5billion. It would be recalled that President Buhari recently returned from a one week visit to China where Nigeria signed series of investment pact expected to yield about $6 billion investment for Nigeria and also expected to have positively huge impact on key sectors of the Nigerian economy including power, solid minerals, agriculture, housing and rail transportation. He said the visit was therefore to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his laudable plans for Nigeria and especially Lagos State.

The Workers’ Day Celebration: FG declares Monday as public holiday

The Federal Government has announced Monday, May 2, 2016, as a public holiday to commemorate the 2016 Workers’ Day Celebration. The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), disclosed this yesterday. In the statement which was released by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Bassey Akpanyung, Nigerian workers were congratulated for “their resilience, hard work and commitment to the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari, despite current challenges.” The workers were urged the workers to continue to support President Buhari in his fight against corruption and also in his aim to ensure security of lives and property; stabilize the economy through creation of jobs and diversify of the economy.

The Oba of Benin joins his ancestors

The Palace of the Oba of Benin in Edo state on Friday announced that the monarch, Oba Erediauwa, had passed on.

                                                                       Oba Erediauwa The Iyase of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe, who made the announcement in Benin City, said that the Oba passed on at Ugha-Ozolua, situated inside the palace. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before making the disclosure, Igbe, dressed in a red and white attire, performed series of consultations along with other palace chiefs, including the Esogban of Benin, Cheif David Edebiri. He said “the native chalk has broken. “All Benin sons should shave their hair and all major markets are expected to be shut down indefinitely’’. MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE

Police dismisses rumours of the fulani herdsmen invasion of the Enugu community

Enugu - The Enugu State Police Command on Thursday dismissed as false and unfounded rumours of alleged invasion of Umuchigbo Abakpa Nike community by herdsmen. This is contained in a press statement signed by the commands spokesman, Mr Ebere Amarizu and made available to newsmen in Enugu. It said that the rumours were engineered by those wishing to cause disaffection in the state. “The attention of the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the rumours making the round that some violent herdsmen have invaded Umuchigbo Abakpa Nike. “The rumour has it that the community and others closed to it have been deserted, but the command wishes to make it clear that this is not only false but baseless and unfounded.” It advised “members of the public particularly residents and people of the state to go about their normal pursuits without fear while rumour peddlers are warned to desist forthwith.” The statement stressed that the command in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies had fortified security along Umuchigbo axis to prevent any breach of the peace. The rumours had it that Umuchigbo Abakpa Nike community had allegedly received threats of The invasion from suspected herdsmen two days after the invasion of Nimbo community. The residents were said to be agitated, after similar threat by suspected herdsmen manifested in an attack on Nimbo community on April 23 which left scores dead and several people injured.

Why the secondary school leavers shun admission into polytechnics

The dichotomy between university and polytechnic graduates calls for government attention, as it appears to be one of the reasons many students are not willing to accept admission into Nigerian polytechnics. BscOver the years, students seeking tertiary education always wanted to attend universities. Few who are in polytechnics or have graduated from polytechnics did so as a last resort. Stakeholders in the sector are finding it difficult to persuade prospective students that university and polytechnic certificates carry the same weight; but experience shows variance with the claims.

Because of this, there are over one million admission spaces in the polytechnics and colleges of education, students are not willing to accept the offers. Why students don’t want polytechnics: My investigations revealed some of the reasons why students do not want the polytechnics. They include the minimum school certificate qualifications requirement for tertiary education. While universities require five credits, including English and Mathematics, polytechnics are satisfied with four credits, to include Mathematics and English. Some polytechnics even accept a pass in English. Poly students, graduates react Some polytechnic students and graduates bared their minds: Bidemi Kalejaiye said: “After I had tried to get admission into the university for four years without success, I decided to go to the polytechnic. I, however discovered that a university graduate is not better than a polytechnic graduate.” Joshua Yinusa said: “I always desired university education. But after I tried to get admission into the university for two years without success, I accepted polytechnic admission since all my friends whom we did WASSCE together were either in the university or polytechnic. After my NYSC, I will still enrol for a degree course in the university because of the disparities between the polytechnic and university graduates.” Onome Ogheneovo said: “Since I couldn’t get what I desired, I decided to like what I have. I tried to get into the university for five years without success. But within a year, I tried the polytechnic, I got it. The requirements were easy to meet.” Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/secondary-school-leavers-shun-admission-polytechnics/

Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe arrested by the police

By Solomon Okpere

Osogbo – Star Yoruba movie actress, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry, Wednesday had a bruise with some armed policemen in Osogbo when the vehicle she was traveling with was impounded by them. aigbeIt was gathered that while a minor misunderstanding between the actress and the policemen that impounded her vehicle appeared settled, and her seized vehicle particulars released, some armed policemen suddenly appeared and rearrested the actress and her driver. Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the actress who was travelling in gold-colour Honda end-of-discussion, was flagged down while driving towards Olaiya Junction in Osogbo. My Source added that the vehicle was allegedly arrested because its driver was making call while others claimed police cap was put on the dash board of the vehicle which attracted the policemen. Her presence immediately attracted large crowd at the ever-busy Orita-Olaiya, which nearly led to the policemen being mobbed. The visibly angry Aigbe-Gentry, was seeing making calls and had to be perceived before she agreed to leave the scene even as many of those gathered verbally attacked those that arrested her. However, when the artiste and her co-travellers were released, about five new armed policemen latter arrived the scene, and fired several shots into the air while the artist and others travelling with her were arrested and whisked away. Reacting, ASP Egbedele, the assistant Police Public Relations Office, PPRO, Osun state Police command, explained that the matter was a minor traffic issue, adding that it has been settled.

FG plans Big for SMART Nigeria

By Solomon Okpere Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, says the present administration is leveraging on the benefits of the digital revolution, innovation and convergence of technology to kick-start a new digitally SMART Nigeria. The Minister also said that the Federal Government is partnering with South Korea on e-Government on the Smart Nigeria initiative, adding that the collaboration would enhance Nigeria’s capability for efficiency, transparency and accountability in governance, with its attendant benefits trickling down to the citizens. He stated that with this initiative, IT outsourcing, e-Commerce can be used to create over 40 million jobs for unemployed Nigerians. He expressed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring a policy and regulatory environment that would attract the massive private sector investment via the Smart Nigeria plan required to continue accelerating the creation of a robust, pervasive and ubiquitous ICT infrastructure across the country in the next few years. That, according to him, necessitated the re-calibration of the existing policies and institutional configurations as well as the values that underpin these initiatives, to meet the present day realities. As part of measures to promote local content policy, the minister said the Federal Government would continue to draw attention of Nigerians to support local content policy, which demands that organisations and industries in Nigeria, including government agencies, patronize locally developed products from Nigeria. Shittu also said that the government is also fast-tracking initiatives to expedite the penetration of reliable and affordable broadband plan for robust internet services availability in the country, adding that it would increase economic development and several business growths.

Nigeria Football Federation [NFF] recalls Ideye for friendlies

Nigeria on Wednesday recalled Olympiakos striker Brown Ideye, who failed to justify a then-record club transfer to English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion, for two friendlies next month. Ideye has revived his career at the Greek champions after a difficult time at The Hawthorns, where he arrived in 2014 on a 10-million-pound ($14.5-million, 12.9-million-euro) transfer from Dynamo Kiev. The 27-year-old last featured for the victorious Super Eagles side at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. Brown Ideye Brown Ideye Nigeria take on Mali in Paris on May 27 before taking on Luxembourg away on June 1. Caretaker coach Salisu Yusuf has also kept faith with skipper John Obi Mikel of Chelsea, CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa and England-based youngsters Kelechi Iheanacho, of Manchester City and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi. Nigeria squad to play Mali and Luxembourg: Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG), Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United/RSA), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars) Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu (Uniao da Madeira/POR), Musa Muhammed (Istanbul Basaksehir/TUR), Elderson Echiejile (Monaco/FRA), Kingsley Madu (Trencin/SLO), Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa SK/TUR), Leon Balogun (Mainz 05/GER), Gbenga Arokoyo (Gaziantepspor/TUR), William Troost Ekong (Haugesund FC/NOR), Chidozie Awaziem (Porto/POR) Midfielders: Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio/ITA), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea/ENG), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City/ENG), Wilfred Ndidi (Genk/BEL), Raheem Lawal (Osmanlispor FK/TUR), Etebo Oghenekaro (SC Farense/POR) Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Moses Simon (Ghent/BEL), Victor Moses (West Ham United/ENG), Odion Ighalo (Watford/ENG), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal/ENG), Aminu Umar (Osmanlispor FK/TUR), Aaron Samuel (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Brown Ideye (Olympiakos/GRE) LIKE FACEBOOK PAGE

2baba releases fresh photos as Campari Ambassador

Last week, The Legendary International RnB superstar, 2Baba was announced as the brand ambassador for premium liqueur brand Campari, at the Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive), which was held at the Landmark Events Centre, Oniru, Lagos. 2Baba has now released new photos as ambassador. The announcement took place with some of the most important names in Nigerian entertainment in attendance including D’Banj, Banky W, Falz, Dayo ‘D1’ Adeneye, Ayo Animashaun, Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, Gbenga Adeyinka, Ubi Franklin, Joice Ize-Iyamu, Praise Adejo, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, amongst others. Commenting on Campari’s signing of 2Baba, Marketing Manager, Brian Munro, Abayomi Ajao said, ‘We are very proud to announce this deal with a wonderful gentleman who is a great brand in his own right. We were particular about partnering with 2Baba because he embodies the values that the Campari brand represents – originality, passion, maturity and universal appeal. It is a mutually beneficial relationship and we can’t wait to start working with each other.’ Giving his own thoughts on the deal, 2Baba said, “Campari is one brand that I have always had a lot of respect for and personally, I am a huge fan of the brand. When the opportunity came to create this partnership, it appealed greatly to me and I am very happy and proud that I have been considered suitable to be an ambassador for Campari. I hope we will work together for a long time!”

Fulani Herdsmen Attacks: Buhari working hard to fish out culprits – APC

Abuja – The South-East Leadership Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari was working round the clock to stop the alleged bloodletting by suspected herdsmen. This is contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja by the spokesman, APC South-East Leadership Caucus, Mr Osita Okechukwu. According to the statement, the government is also working hard to ensure that masterminds who equip the herdsmen are brought to book. “We appeal for calm and urge all to take solace on the truism that the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is quietly working round the clock to stop the bloodletting. “We are working to fish out the culprits and the masterminds who equip the herdsmen with sophisticated weapons,’’ the statement said. Okechukwu, in the statement, condemned the act of the attackers, saying it was painful that as the federal government was battling insurgency, other troubles were surfacing. “We condemn in very strong terms the sporadic wanton killings of innocent Nigerians and destruction of villages and farmlands by the so called Fulani herdsmen and the reprisals. “It is painful that while the Federal Government of Nigeria is doing everything possible to contain the Boko Haram insurgency, another virus in the name of herdsmen is dislocating the security architecture of our dear country. “Yesterday it was Agatu in Benue State; today it is Ukpabi Nimbo in Enugu State. It must stop,” said then caucus. It would be recalled that on March 5 suspected herdsmen allegedly razed down seven communities, including Okokolo, Aila, Adagbo Akwu, Omikuidi, Ocholonya and Odugbeho in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue, killing hundreds. It would also be recalled that some herdsmen, who spoke to newsmen, claimed that the crisis started after 10,000 cattle belonging to their members were killed by Agatu natives. Also, on April 25 herdsmen were reported to have killed about 40 persons at Nimbo in Uzo-Wani Local Government Area of Enugu State, attacking seven villages. The affected villages were Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara. The statement commiserated with the families of the bereaved, the people and government of Benue and Enugu states, and prayed God to heal all wounds.

President Buhari urges World Bank to facilitate speedy repatriation of the stolen funds

President Muhammadu Buhari made the call at a meeting with the visiting Managing Director of the World Bank, Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati in Abuja on Wednesday. According to him, the repatriation from Switzerland, of the additional 320 million dollars alleged to have been stolen from Nigeria during the Abacha regime, will help ease the current economic hardship in the country. The President assured Indrawati that his administration was taking appropriate steps to ensure that the public funds were no longer stolen or misappropriated by government officials. President Buhari said Nigeria needed the support of the World Bank for the repatriation of the funds. “We are as concerned as the World Bank about accountability. If such repatriated funds have been misapplied in the past, I assure you that the same will not happen with us. “320 million dollars is a lot of money and we will not allow it to be misappropriated or diverted,’’ he said. One of the conditions given by the Swiss Authorities for the repatriation of the funds is that it should be expended on the implementation of social programmes for the benefit of the Nigerian people in an efficient and accountable way, guaranteed by the monitoring of the World Bank. The President also assured the World Bank Managing Director that his administration would honour all agreements with the Bank that will help to stimulate Nigeria’s economy and reduce the level of poverty in the country. He said that Nigeria would welcome greater international assistance for the rehabilitation of damaged homes, schools, health facilities and other infrastructure in the North Eastern states affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. In her remarks, Indrawati told President Buhari that the World Bank was ready to use its knowledge, expertise and resources to help Nigeria achieve faster growth and development. ‘‘We will strongly support you to create jobs and ensure prosperity in Nigeria,’’ she assured. Indrawati also expressed the World Bank’s full support for the war against corruption being waged by the Buhari administration. The Managing Director, who also spoke State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the president, expressed satisfaction with Buhari’s economic, job-creation, poverty eradication and anti-corruption war. She said that the bank would continue support the objectives of the Buhari-led administration aimed at boosting the nation’s economy. “This is a very good opportunity to discuss with the government to understand the challenge the Nigeria’s economy is now facing, just like many other countries in the world we are faced with a weak global economy, low commodity price including oil price, the challenge of climate change and the security challenge. “These are all the issues that we discussed and have a good opportunity to meet with all the government officials to understand. “We also see that in Nigeria and the leadership of President Buhari is now launching the objectives of (government) first, of course, is restoring stability and security. “The second one is creating jobs, eradicating poverty and the third is fighting against corruption. I think this is a very commendable goal. “So, we discussed with the government about how we can support more in order for the government under the leadership of the president to achieve these goals,’’ she said. She said that the bank would support Nigeria’s efforts towards the diversification of its economy away from oil Indrawati also expressed the readiness of the World Bank to assist Nigeria in ensuring effective and transparent implementation of its annual budgets to achieve the desired goals. “We also discussed more in terms of the need of the economy to diversify away from oil. “We will want to support all those objectives in order for Nigeria to have healthy, stronger and transparent budget which can be very useful and effective in addressing the issue of poverty and creating a healthy and inclusive growth.’’ She stated that the meeting with Buhari afforded her the opportunity to discuss how the bank would assist in cushioning the hardships being faced by Internally Displaced Persons in the North East states of the federation.

Bloodbath in Enugu as the Fulani herdsmen kill 40

  Catholic church,11 houses burnt It’s a national issue, not ethnic —OKOROCHA Cattle owners, not herdsmen, should be questioned—OHANAEZE By Emeka Mamah, Clifford Ndujihe, Chidi Nkwopara & Chinenyeh Ozor NSUKKA—About 40 persons have so far been reportedly killed by some Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo in Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, sources told Vanguard at Nsukka Police Area Command, near the area yesterday. The incident took place barely 24 hours after stories filtered out that no fewer than 500 heavily-armed Fulani herdsmen sneaked into the community preparatory to launch an attack. About seven villages in Nimbo (Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara) were among the areas attacked. Ten residential houses and a church, Christ Holy Church International, aka Odozi Obodo, were also said to have been burnt by the herdsmen just as vehicles and motorcycles were destroed and domestic animals killed. A young man, whose name was yet to be ascertained, was burnt inside a commuter bus belonging to one Ejima, son of a prominent man popularly called ‘Are you there’ near the Christ Holy Church, Nimbo.

A Victims Story

 Kingsley Ezugwu, former Councillor, Nimbo Ward 2, was one of the victims of the attack. Speaking from his hospital bed in Nsukka, Ezugwu said: “I was coming out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated guns and machetes. “They pursued us, killed my friend and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used machetes on me until I lost consciousness.” He said one of them later discovered that he was alive and called on the others to finish him off. They ignored him. He said he crawled until a good samaritan helped him to the hospital.

To the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, the continuous killing of people across the country by herdsmen without any response from the Federal Government is a failure of governance. He said: “We are very sad and very disappointed that all over the country, not just the South-East, these killings by Fulani herdsmen have continued unabated and nothing concrete is being done by the Federal Government. “The first act of governance is protection of lives and property. It is complete failure of governance. There has been no response from the Federal Government and this is allowing the Fulani herdsmen to continue the killing spree. “Everybody is worried about the poor attitude of the Federal Government to this massacre across the country. Boko Haram is operating in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen are killing people all over the country. It is not the herdsmen that should be held responsible, but owners of the cattle.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/bloodbath-enugu-fulani-herdsmen-kill-40/

Dead bodies litter hospitals

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/bloodbath-enugu-fulani-herdsmen-kill-40/

Dead bodies litter hospitals

Read more at: h

Dead bodies litter hospitals

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/bloodbath-enugu-fulani-herdsmen-kill-40/

Dead bodies litter hospitals

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/bloodbath-enugu-fulani-herdsmen-kill-40/

To the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, the continuous killing of people across the country by herdsmen without any response from the Federal Government is a failure of governance. He said: “We are very sad and very disappointed that all over the country, not just the South-East, these killings by Fulani herdsmen have continued unabated and nothing concrete is being done by the Federal Government. “The first act of governance is protection of lives and property. It is complete failure of governance. There has been no response from the Federal Government and this is allowing the Fulani herdsmen to continue the killing spree. “Everybody is worried about the poor attitude of the Federal Government to this massacre across the country. Boko Haram is operating in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen are killing people all over the country. It is not the herdsmen that should be held responsible, but owners of the cattle. “The herdsmen are under the instruction of highly-placed Fulani people who own the cattle. They are heavily armed. How many cows can the herdsmen buy? Federal Government should stop this nonsense before it causes a catastrophe.” Meanwhile, police sources said it would be difficult to say the actual number of those killed, even as the killing is spreading to other parts of the local government. Similarly, member representing Uzo-Uwani constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, John Ukuta, said: “I am shocked that this has happened to my people. It is disturbing to learn that security men that were earlier assigned to ward off the rampaging herdsmen disappeared few minutes before they struck only to re-appear after they completed their horrifying assignment. “This situation has become a national epidemic. People are leaving their communities in droves. Security agencies should move in now.” VICTIMS The bodies of those recovered included that of an old man of about 85, and another young man whose throat was slit. One of the victims, who was simply identified as Mr. Ajogwu, father of the former Councillor for Nimbo Ward 1, Sunday Ajogwu, had his left hand severed. Another one had his stomach ripped open, spilling his intestines. The traditional ruler of Nimbo, Igwe John Akor, told Vanguard on telephone that the attackers struck at about 7a.m. when they had left for their farms. He said: “Most of those who were killed died in the early hours of the morning. We are still counting our losses. We have not started going into the farms and bushes to look for our dead brothers and sisters. “When the situation becomes very calm, we will start looking for the rest of the victims. For now, our prayer is that the Federal Government sends security men to restore peace.” Also reacting, the traditional ruler of Abbi community, Eze Fidelis Igwe, complained that his community had over the years suffered untold hardship in the hands of Fulani herdsmen, who he accused of maiming and gang-raping “our women at farmlands” in addition to robbing and kidnapping his people or stealing and destroying cash crops in the community. He said: “This is the fourth time Fulani herdsmen have invaded our community in three years. The losses are too much for us to bear. “The remaining people of the community have now taken refuge in neighbouring communities due to fear of another invasion by the herdsmen who do not give signs before striking. “We have made several appeal to the Police, Uzo-Uwani Local Government and Enugu State government demanding for the Fulani herdsmen to leave our community, but nothing has happened.” In his reaction, Igwe Herbert Ukuta of Igga in Uzo Uwani said: “I am appealing to the state government and the Commissioner of Police to send some detachment of police and military personnel to secure the lives of Igga community where I come from. “The Fulani herdsmen had earlier threatened that Igga community is among the areas they will attack. “They have now attacked Nimbo, which is among the areas they vowed to attack. Others are Echenwo and Abbi. Already, the people of other communities are fleeing their homes over fear of the herdsmen attack.” Already, the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, had visited the troubled community with the Area Commander for Nsukka, Monday Kuryasi, among other top police officers.

Afenifere slams FG over silence on the Fulani herdsmen killings

By Solomon Okpere Pointedly, the group wondered why the government through the Information Minister Lai Muhammed said it was working silently on the matter while killings were done openly by the fulani herdsmen. Rising from its monthly meeting held in Akure, the group rejected the statement credited to the minister saying several killing “cannot be going on openly and government is working silently”. ‎A communique issued at the end of the groups monthly meeting in Akure which lasted five hours was read by its spokesman Yinka Odumakin. They said “we reject the statement of Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed that the federal government is working silently on this matter. Several killings cannot be going on in the open and the federal government says it’s working silently, it is unfortunate that that statement is coming from the federal government of Nigeria. “There can’t be any silent working over these killing and the action of the federal government must be opened. They therefore called on President Muhamadu Buhari “to speak up on this matter and to take urgent action to restore the peace of people of Nigeria, especially in the south and middle belt. Yesterday’s meeting was attended by leaders of the group across the states at the Country home of their Chairman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti ‎According to the Communique “The meeting is worried about recent spate of killings by Fulani herdsmen across the country as evident in Agatu killings, the murder of Olu Falae’s guard in his farm, the killings in Ibadan and the latest being the heinous murder of over 40 Nigerians in cold blood in Enugu. “We are worried that federal government seems to have maintained indifference to the wanton killings going on across the country against the provisions of the constitution. “That the federal government has a duty to protect the lives and properties of every citizens of nigeria. “We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to speak up on this matter and to take urgent action to restore the sense of people of Nigeria, especially in the south and middle belt . “We are also worried that the DSS which highly went to the press to say that they discover a grave in the south east where they said they found the bodies of the Fulani men without any DNA has continue to maintain silence also over these killings across the country. “The DSS had failed to establish that the bodies is from any ethnic group. It’s an organization for all Nigerians and therefore should be concerned and should make the report on the killing across the country not just what they called the killing of people from certain ethnic among the over 250 groups in Nigeria. “In view of the fact that Yoruba nation has have more than fair share of this siege in the country by these Fulani herdsmen, we demand immediate meeting of all South west governors irrespective of their party affiliation. ” They should ensure that they meet to device means and ways to protect the lives of their citizens and properties against these invaders who are rampaging everywhere “We equally call on our member in the National Assembly to stand up and speak out on what is going on now so that they can be seen as true representatives of their people “We believe that given the fact that Nigeria is threading on the path of disintegration if the issue of Fulani herdsmen is not well handled, we demand the immediate implementation of the 2014 CONFAB report which provided solutions to most of the problems confronting Nigerians including the issues of the Fulani herdsmen.

Saraki Pushes for End to the Fulani Herdsmen-Attributed killings

The Senate President of Nigeria, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, today called for an end to the violence that has been recorded in various parts of the country, that have been attributed to nomadic cattle herdsmen. Speaking at the Senate Plenary on Tuesday, April 26th, 2016, the Senate President urged the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, to fast-track the execution of the report of the Senate Public Hearing aimed at addressing the herdsmen crisis. Immediately after plenary, Saraki took to his official social media pages on Twitter and Facebook to update Nigerians on the development, saying that: “It is important that the violence attributed to herdsmen is addressed and curbed to ensure the safety, well-being and unity of the people and the country.” Many will recall that in recent weeks, there have been attacks on communities by individuals said to be Fulani herdsmen. With violence occurring in Ibadan in the South-Western State of Oyo, Enugu in the South-East, and Agatu, Benue State in the North-Central, violence between herdsmen and communities is becoming more prevalent.

Why I insist that the Naira must not be further devalued – President Buhari

 By Solomon Okpere


   President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday
said that his reason for the insisting on no further
devaluation of Naira was that the recent ones never
paid Nigeria any good.
The president who spoke while meeting with the
members of the Council of Retired Federal
Permanent Secretaries, led by Otunba Christopher
Tugbobo at the presidential villa, Abuja stated that
he was yet to be convinced by anyone on doing the
contrary.
"When I was military Head of State, the IMF and the
World Bank wanted us devalue the Naira and
remove petrol subsidy but I stood my grounds for
the good of Nigeria.
"The Naira remained strong against the Dollar and
other foreign currencies until I was removed from
office in August, 1985 and it was devalued.
"But how many factories were built and how many
jobs were created by the devaluation?
"That is why I'm still asking to be convinced today
on the benefits of devaluation," he said.
President Buhari also accepted the Council's pledge
of support for the successful implementation of his
administration's change agenda, especially in the
priority areas of improving security, curbing
corruption and revitalizing the national economy.

China becomes 2nd largest venture capital destination after the U.S

 Deputy Head of the NDRC Lin Nianxiu said at a
news briefing that VC and angel investment are
growing rapidly, claiming there are over 3,000
funds managing more than 1 trillion Yuan (around
150 billion dollars).
``Chinese start-ups have become a new favourite
for investors.
``The number of new firms has continued to
increase due to easier market access.
``About 1 million companies were registered in
Q1, up 25.9 per cent from a year ago, while
emerging and modern tertiary sectors led the
trend,’’ Lin said.
Report says the service sector grows 7.6 per cent
year on year in Q1, outpacing a 6.7-per cent GDP
increase.

10 celebrities who have fought with Linda Ikeji(blogger)

 By Solomon Okpere



Olamide
‘Durosoke’ rapper, Olamide, bared
his fangs at the gossip-peddler in
2014 when she published a story that
he was expecting a baby with his
longtime girlfriend.
Olamide took to his social media
pages to vent that Linda never
publicises any good thing that
happens in his career, but she’s
always eager to post negative news
about him.
9ice
Alapomeji singer, 9ice is another entertainer that
doesn’t think too highly of Linda. The lanky singer
once issued a stern warning to the blogger never to
post any of his songs without his permission.
9Ice
He wrote, ‘I will kill…I will fight anybody that dares
put my song on the internet for free. Where was
Linda Ikeji when I was out with my first album?
Linda Ikeji, who are you? I don’t even know her;
Linda Ikeji, if you are expecting a dime from me; fa
fa foul. You pay me before you upload my music.’
Funke Akindele
Popular and well-loved thespian, Funke Akindele
didn’t find it funny when Linda reported in 2015 that
a post on Funke’s Instagram page was poking fun at
Toyin Aimakhu’s marital crisis.
Funke, who studied Law, thereafter threatened
Linda to take down the post within 24 hours, or she
would sue her.
Chris Okotie
When it comes to people who Linda Ikeji has
stepped on their toes, it cuts beyond the
entertainment industry.
Okotie
Popular cleric, Chris Okotie, also had his fair share
of ‘beef’ with Linda, when she published a story that
the pastor who presides over the Household of God
Church supports Christians having tattoos.
Okotie later issued a public statement in which he
wrote, ‘As you read this, a casual remark made by
Rev. okotie in response to a parishioner’s question
on the propriety of Christians having tattoos was
twisted to portray the man of God as endorsing the
untoward practice. One Linda Ikeji used her blog to
promote this falsehood…’
Tonto Dikeh
Newly-married actress, Tonto Dikeh, was also not
pleased with the kind of stories Linda Ikeji
publishes about her. She took to her Twitter page to
address the issue. She wrote, ‘When will you grow
up and learn? When really would you ever be happy
enough to ignore the hate you feel inside? You’re
suffering and I feel bad for you, but I’m praying for
you.’
Tonto-Dikeh
In another tweet, she wrote, ‘You choose not to
write about my success, f**king big deal, but you
reduce and embarrass yourself by picking fake
news from fake accounts. You’re dying slowly…’
RMD
Veteran actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), was
incensed when Linda reported in 2012 that he built
a N250million home in Ikeja.
Mofe-Damijo
In his reaction, RMD, who was a Commissioner in
Delta State at the time, wrote, ‘It has been brought
to my attention that one Linda Ikeji character who I
understand is a gossip has put up a story about my
N250m…I’d like to sound a warning to her to desist
from fabricating stories about me and get a life…’
Jim Iyke
Jim Iyke, as we all know, takes no prisoners when
he’s upset.
Jim Iyke
When Linda published a story that didn’t go down
well with him, he tweeted, ‘It’s my handle and my
space. I do with it what I please.
If that hermaphrodite witch, Linda and her lame
employees don’t like it, then hug a transformer!’
Toke Makinwa
Radio personality and party pooper, Toke Makinwa,
has also had some beef with Linda in the past.
Toke Makinwa
Toke once took to her radio show to say, ‘I don’t
think Linda Ikeji is a role model. She’s a gossiper,
she sells gossip.’
Yemi Solade
Handsome actor, Yemi Solade, called out Linda
after she took pictures of his family from his social
media page and posted it on her blog. The actor
was so enraged about her act and he put her on
blast.
He wrote, ‘I posted pictures on Facebook and some
funny Nigerians began writing stories from my
pictures. I have to mention Linda Ikeji; it’s not fair…’
Leke Adeboye
Frontline cleric, Pastor E. A. Adeboye’s son, Leke,
also had grievances with Linda, after she published
a story that his wife was pregnant.
At the time of publishing the story, Leke and his
wife had already welcomed their child. He took to
his Twitter page to write, ‘We done had the baby
already. For real gist, follow me. Your source is
slow and very unreliable.’

United state to feed half a million Zimbabweans until on October after drought

 It said in a statement on Thursday in Harare that
this was coming after government had provided an
extra 20 million dollars to help ease hunger in
twelve of the country's districts hit by the worst
drought in a generation.
``The additional 20 million dollars will bring to 55
million dollars the amount provided by the United state of America to
feed hungry Zimbabweans since last year in June.
An El Nino-induced drought, that has hit Southern
Africa and cut the output of the staple maize crop,
has left close to 4 million Zimbabweans needing
food aid.

Lack of strategy, poor leadership, Nigeria’s biggest challenges – Alile

by solomon okpere

 Former Director General of Nigeria Stock Exchange
and Acting President General, Chattered Institute of
Strategic Managers and Leaders, CIMSL, Dr.
Hayford Alile has said that apart from the systemic
economic leakage called corruption, lack of
overarching strategy and poor strategic leadership
and governance, remain Nigeria’s greatest
challenges.
He stated this while speaking at the inauguration of
principal officers of the CIMSL in Lagos.
He said: “As a result of this, any institution, public
or private, that focuses on the research, learning
and practice of strategic management and
leadership is an indispensable catalyst in driving
destiny fulfilment for individuals, organisations and
nations, anywhere in the world.”
CISML was conceived by management experts in a
bid to drive acceptable global standards through
the adaptation of global best practices to meet local
needs, thereby deepening standards in
management practices and enhancing corporate
performance especially among entrepreneurs.
At the inauguration of the principal officers, which
was for the African unit of CISML in Lagos, the
Registrar General of the Institute, Professor Joseph
Mba said CISML is purposed, among other things,
to develop theories in current global management
global management standards, best practices and
guidelines, and tailor them to solve emerging
continents, countries and organisational problems
and exploit emerging opportunities.
Some of the CISML Africa officers inaugurated
include: Apostle Dr. Hayford Alile as Acting
President General; Dr. Ghalib Fahad, Deputy
President General; Dr. Austin Izagbo, President/
Chairman CISML Africa; Mr. Reuben Djopong,
Deputy Vice President, CISML Africa; Col. Agbu
Kefas, President/Chairman CISML Nigeria; Pastor
Wale Oyeniyi, Vice President CISML Nigeria and
Mazi Dr. Sam Ohuabunwa as Chairman, Charter
Assessment Committee.
Speaking further, Prof. Mba said CISML will be
pursuing proactive responses by “being among the
world institute’s who knows through futurology,
how lives, organisations and nations will operate
and be managed in the future, and then innovate
theories, practices, best standards and models that
will favourably position people, organisations,
nations and continents for global competitiveness
today and strategic readiness for change
tomorrow.”
He disclosed that following the inauguration of
CISML Africa, the Global Council of the Institute will
now be concerned with establishing international
professional affiliates and collaborations in other
countries in Africa including Ghana, South Africa,
Tanzania/Kenya, The Gambia etc.
He therefore charged CISML Nigeria to focus on
growing membership and maximising CISML
impact in both the public and private sectors in the
country.

Naira sells at N322 to dollar at parallel market

   The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the
currency was stable in the previous week,
maintaining value of between N315 and N320 to a
dollar.
However, the naira traded at N450 and N360 for
Pound Sterling and the Euro respectively, at the
day’s transaction.
The naira also maintained N197 at the official
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rate.
Traders at the parallel market said that the
proposed currency swap deal between Nigeria and
China would shore up the value of the naira when
implemented.

Abductors kill corps members after the collection of N1.5m ransom

  THE Department of State Security, DSS, in Rivers
State has arrested five suspects allegedly behind
the abduction and murder of a National Youth
Service Corps (NYSC) member, Mr Sampson
Worlu.
The suspects, who allegedly murdered the hostage
after being paid a ransom of N1.5 million for his
release, are already facing charges at a magistrate
court in Port Harcourt.
They reportedly disappeared after the abduction
and collection of ransom until they were tracked by
men of the DSS.
Charles Worlu, a brother of the deceased hostage,
said all the family wanted was justice. He said the
kidnappers made the family pay them ransom
twice, the first being one million naira and the
second time, five hundred thousand naira and still
murdered the hostage.
The corps member was serving in Imo State before
his abduction at Rumuokoro roundabout in Obio
Akpor local government area of Rivers State. A
lawyer, he was called to the Bar on October 2015.

My wife’s throat slitted by terrorists because she wouldn't renounce Christ, man tells Pope

  Pope Francis spoke emotionally Sunday of his
meeting a day earlier with migrants on the Greek
island of Lesbos, which culminated with him taking
three Syrian families back to the Vatican.
Addressing worshippers at his weekly Angelus
prayer in St. Peter's Square, the 79-year-old pontiff,
who is himself the son of Italian immigrants in
Argentina, related his visit to a migrant processing
centre, where around 3,000 people are being held.
"We greeted around 300 of them, one by one," said
Francis, who was accompanied on his visit by
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop
Ieronymos of Athens.
"There were so many children. Some of these
children witnessed their parents and friends dying,
drowned at sea.
"I saw such suffering," he said, visibly moved.
The Roman Catholic leader then went on to tell of
one particular case, "that of a young man, who was
not even 40."
"I met him yesterday with his two sons. He was
Muslim and told me he had married a Christian,
(and that) they loved and respected each other."
But the woman fell victim to Islamist radicals, he
said.
"She had her throat slit by terrorists because she
would not renounce Christ and abandon her faith,"
said Francis, calling her a "martyr".
As for her grieving spouse, he said sorrowfully,
"this man was crying so much".
The pope's visit to Lesbos, one of the main ports of
arrival for people fleeing war, poverty and
persecution in the Middle East and Asia, was seen
as a lesson in solidarity for Europe, where the
doors to migrants are progressively being slammed
shut.
Declaring "we are all migrants", Francis used his
trip to emphasise that the arrivals were not mere
numbers, but people with "faces, names and
individual stories."

Letter to Chinese Govt:: Fayose is a ‘security risk', working against nigeria interest’

  Lagos --  More reactions have trailed the Ekiti Governor,
Ayodele Fayose's letter to the Chinese Government,
asking it to refuse President Muhammadu Buhari's
request of $2.2 billion loan.
Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in
Lagos State and other lawyers on Sunday
condemned Fayose's action, describing it as mere
irritation and inconsequential.
President Buhari had
last week paid a state
visit to the People's
Republic of China with
some of the state governors,
the Central Bank
governor and some
ministers.
The president had
concluded
negotiations for the
loan and a currency
swap deal with the
Chinese authorities as
part of efforts to
revive the Nigerian
economy in the face
of dwindling oil
revenues.
On April 12, Fayose had reportedly jetted out to
China while Buhari was there, urging the Chinese
authorities to refuse the facility being requested by
the Nigerian Government.
He said ``all Nigerians", irrespective of their
political and religious affiliations were against any
applications for new foreign loans."
This, he said, was on the grounds that servicing
current debt burden already gulps over 25 per cent
of the country’s annual budget.
Reacting to Fayose's letter, a former Chairman of
Ikeja Branch of NBA, Mr Onyekachi Ubani,
described the letter as of no consequence, since
negotiations had already been concluded.
"The letter by Fayose is similar to a situation of
bringing a motion for a court injunction for a
completed act.
"This letter is a mere irritation especially coming
from a sitting governor; I will urge Nigerians and
especially journalists to regard his letter as nothing,
but a mere irritation.
"Negotiations are already concluded and the
Chinese government are willing to release funds to
Nigeria.
"Although, it is very disheartening that such a letter
is coming from one of our governors, but I think it
serves no purpose," he told NAN.
Ubani, therefore, urged Nigerians to resist any act
capable of disrupting the smooth running of
government.
In the same vein, the Ikeja Branch Chairman of
NBA, Mr Yinka Farobi, described the letter as "over
stepping of one's boundaries".
"Fayose was elected as a state governor and not as
the president of Nigeria.
"His letter is clearly out of the purview of his
powers and I seriously condemn it," he said.
Farobi also urged Nigerians to be supportive of
moves aimed at transforming the Nigerian nation
for growth.
Again, the Ikorodu NBA Branch Chairman, Mr
Dotun Adetunji, described the letter as a show of
rascality.
He noted that although ``there is a provision for
immunity for a sitting governor, there must also be
a limit on the activities of a leader."
In his words: "There are 36 states in the federation
and out of these states, only one governor has
courage to write to a foreign authority, urging it to
refuse funds to its federal government.
"To my mind, such action is really reprehensible
and should be discouraged.
"There is no problem with being an opposition, but
If you want to be an opposition, you conduct such
opposition in a reasonable manner," he said.
Adetunji urged Nigerians to show support for the
incumbent government in a bid to promote
development.
"We must be careful as Nigerians for whatever we
do today will be recorded as our history
tomorrow."
Mr Spurgeon Ataene, a lawyer, said:``If the loan
being sought by the Federal Government is for the
purpose of revamping the battered economy, then
we should not have a problem with that.
``The only thing we should demand from the
government is that the loan should be used for the
purpose for which it is obtained in the first place.
``To that extent, all Nigerians must be watchdogs
and at all times demand that the benefit of the 2
billion dollar loan must trickle down to the masses.
Another lawyer, Mr Ola Ogunbiyi, said Fayose's
action fell short of the status of his exalted office.
"Fayose is a `security risk' working against national
interest, I think he has too much freedom and
should be cautioned all because we are in a
democratic rule.
"What he said was wrong, we all know the loan is
for our economic growth, for him to have written a
letter to another country is wrong.
"The picture he tried to paint is that there is no
unity, we have no united front by going to counter
the action of the president.
"We all know the President is trying to pave way for
the citizenry to have a good business relationship
with other countries, but we can see Fayose
blackmailing not only the government but the
nation as a whole." (NAN)

The Lagos Govt engages 1,200 teachers, charges them on professionalism

 Lagos - The Lagos State Universal Basic Education
Board has urged the 1,200 newly employed primary
school teachers in the state to see their
employment as a call to duty and service to
humanity.
This is contained in a statement by the Public
Affairs Officer of the board, Mr Seyi Akitoye, on
Sunday in Lagos.
The board, on April 15, issued appointment letters
to the newly employed primary school teachers.
This was in response to the directive of the state
Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode to employ 1200
primary school teachers to boost the manpower in
the public primary schools.
The statement quoted the Chairman of the board,
Dr Ganiyu Sopeyin as urging the teachers to help
the state to achieve its set goals in the area of
primary education.
Sopeyin, according to the statement, said the new
teachers were appointed following an open
competitive process by the state government, which
was adjudged to be of international standard.
He also reaffirmed that the present administration
had invested in education in order to make public
primary schools more attractive and competitive.
"The teaching profession is a noble profession
which demands high professionalism.
“The new teachers should remember they were
given opportunities which many are still seeking.
“This is a golden opportunity for you to contribute
your own quota to the development of the state.
"You are going to be teaching our wards who are
future leaders; we are entrusting you with our
future, therefore, we want the best from you," the
statement quoted Sopeyin as saying.
He warned that public service was guided by rules
and regulations, noting that diligence and hard
work would be rewarded, while any erring teacher
would be sanctioned.

Boko Haram crippled, can no longer take territory — President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says the Boko
Haram terrorists have been degraded to the
extent that the group can no longer be seized and
hold on to any territory in the country.
In a statement made available to the News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja, the
president made the remark at the 13th summit of
the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) in
Istanbul, Turkey.
Represented by the Minister of Education, Malam
Adamu Adamu, Buhari said 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.
He commended Nigeria’s neighbouring countries,
Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin and the
international community for their support in the
fight against insurgency in the country.
Buhari also commended the OIC for its efforts in
ensuring peace world wide.
On the theme of the summit: ``Unity and Solidarity
for Justice and Peace,’’ Buhari noted that the
current precarious situation in the Muslim world
was a source of great concern.
``A multiplicity of crises and conflicts litter the
entire landscape of the Muslim World – from West
and North Africa through Central Asia to the Indian
subcontinent; from Jammu and Kashmir to Jakarta.
``And from the Arabian Peninsula and the Near
East to the Balkans; many member-states are
embroiled in conflicts threatening their very
existence and taking an unacceptable toll in human
lives and destruction of critical infrastructure.
``Muslim minorities in non-member-states like
Myammar, Philippines, Thailand and China; and
Muslim migrants in the West are still facing serious
political, cultural and economic challenges or
outright persecution,’’ he said.
The president, therefore, called on member-states
of the organization to rededicate themselves to the
struggle for peace and justice for Palestinians.
He said that Nigeria stood in full solidarity with the
Palestinians in their legitimate quest for an
independent state.
``The situation in Palestine remains bleak; the
scourge of terrorism and violent extremism
remains unabated.
``The drums of Islamaphobia, especially in the
countries with minority or migrant Muslims, are
being beaten to achieve mischievous political
objectives.
``Nigeria identifies with and fully supports the just
struggle of the people of Palestine against the
unjust occupation of their land and the oppression
of their people by Israel,’’ he said.
Buhari urged the Muslim world to take the path of
knowledge, stating that the future lay with the
cultivation of knowledge as the mainstay of the
economy.
``Nigeria fully supports all OIC efforts towards
cooperation in education, science and technology; it
also supports measures put in place to develop
intra-OIC trade, socio-economic infrastructures,
micro-finance sector, agriculture and health.
``Nigeria is already in the process of signing the
statute of the newly created Specialized Institution
for Food and Security based in Astana, Kazakhstan.
``It is to share our experiences in the areas of food
security and the introduction of an e-platform for
agricultural services in rural areas,’’ he added

NDLEA arrests woman for feigning pregnancy with wraps of cocaine .

  National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA) on Saturday arrested a woman at the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
Lagos, who faked pregnancy with wraps of
substances suspected to be cocaine.
This is contained in a statement issued and signed
by the agency’s spokesperson, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju.
The statement alleged that the 41 year old mother
of three, Dorothy Onyekas, faked her pregnancy
with 86 pellets of white powdery substance that
tested positive for cocaine.
``The drug was intercepted during the inward
screening of passengers on an Emirates flight from
Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
``The substance has a total weight of 1.720
kilogrammes with an estimated street value of
N20.6 million,’’ the statement said.
The statement quoted the NDLEA commander at
the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, as saying that the
wraps of cocaine would have been easily mistaken
for pregnancy.
``It was discovered that the suspect kept 86 wraps
of cocaine inside a waist bag which was tied to her
stomach.
`Unfortunately, the drug was detected by NDLEA
officers on her arrival from Dubai. The drug was
immediately packed and weighed in her presence.
``It had a gross weight of 1.720 kilogrammes,’’
Ahmadu stated.
The statement also quoted the chairman of the
agency, Mr Muhammad Abdallah, as describing the
recent drug seizures at this airport a welcome
development that was capable of forcing drug
cartels to a retreat.
``In the past few days, the NDLEA has recorded
numerous arrests and drug seizures at the Lagos
airport.
``The drug cartels have also suffered huge losses
from these operations. This particular suspect
feigned pregnancy with wraps of cocaine but she
was caught by vigilant narcotic agents.
``Some of the suspects recently apprehended
concealed drugs in their socks and luggage while
others ingested wraps of cocaine in disregard of
the danger to their health.
``In spite of their craftiness, we are daily stopping
them from perpetrating their criminal act and
forcing them to a retreat.
``She will be charged to court soon,’’ Abdallah said.

Insurgency: Army promises a sustained collaboration with the media

 The Nigerian Army force has promised to sustain
collaboration with the media towards educating
Nigerians on its ongoing anti-terrorism operation in
the north-eastern part of the country.
Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff,
stated this on Saturday while inaugurating a newly
refurbished studio at the North East Headquarters
of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in
Maiduguri.
He said that sustained collaboration with the media
was imperative because of the role of the media in
disseminating information to the people.
``What happened was that I visited the station as
part of our media programmes to enlighten the
public on our activities in the countries.
``I was surprised at the state of facilities at the
studio and when I was asked to help I decided to
offer a helping hand,’’ Buratai said.
He, however, said the assistance he offered in
renovating the complex did not come from the
Nigerian army’s purse.
``The Nigerian Army does not have that kind of
money. What happened was that I sought for help
from a friend who offered to provide money for the
renovation work,’’ Buratai said.
He advised members of the staff of the station to
make maximum use of the studio by offering better
services to esteem viewers.

Our presidential candidate must be voted by all party members – PDP

 The Peoples  Democratic Party (PDP) said it was
planning to apply option A4 in electing its
candidates for all coming elections, including
presidential candidate for 2019 general polls.
It said that if approved by the membership of the
party, the application of the method may begin with
upcoming congresses of the party.
National Publicity Secretary of party, Chief Olisa
Metuh, disclosed this when he received the former
chairman of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) of
Ghana, Mr Peter Manu, at the party’s national
secretariat on Friday in Abuja.
Metuh said that the decision was part of the
reforms to reposition the PDP for the 2019 general
elections.
He said that the system would not be restricted to
presidential election as it would be applicable to
others elective positions such as governorship,
senatorial, house of representatives and down to
the wards.
He explained that with the proposed system, party
members would have to queue behind the
candidates of their choice.
``We are going to change our system to be that
our presidential candidate would be voted for by all
party members in the country. It would be at the
ward level.
``We will no longer elect presidential candidate at
the national convention. It will now be for every
party member to vote for whoever would be our
presidential candidate.
``Whoever would vie for our presidential ticket
would have to tour the entire country before he can
be elected.
``This is part of the reform we are coming up with.
``Basically, this would be the last convention
where we would have people to be elected at the
national convention. We are taking the party back to
the Nigerian people,’’ Metuh said.
He said that the proposed reform was part of Sen.
Ike Ekweremadu’s committee’s recommendations
on how to reform and reposition PDP.
He added that the proposed amendments had been
sent to the state chapters for their inputs in line
with ``our desire to have peoples opinion’’.
``After their inputs, the recommendation would be
sent to the National Executive Committee (NEC) for
approval.
Earlier, Manu had said that the process of electing
presidential candidate was one of the reforms his
party adopted after it lost election to opposition
party in Ghana in 2018.
``When we lost election, there was need to review
and make amends and these amends led to some
critical reforms in the party structure and
organisation.
``We realised for example, that the modus
operandi of how our presidential candidate was
elected had a hand in why we lost the general
election.
``There were as many as 17 presidential
candidates in our 2008 contest when our incumbent
president, John Kufor, was exiting and all the 17
presidential candidate were running for votes from
a mere 3,500 delegates.
``So, it was money, money, money until the day of
congress,’’ he said.
Manu said that NPP realised that the then
opposition party, which was now in government,
used that against his party ``and cast spell on us
as being corrupt, that we were throwing money at
the people’’.
`` So, the first thing I did as the national chairman
of the party was to expand the delegates system to
cover the nooks and cranny of the party structure.
`` So, the party structure was reorganized to start
from the polling unit level where a five-member
executive was elected.’’

Fayose hails the US govt, UK Telegraph reports on Buhari’s witch-hunt of the opposition

by Solomon okpere

 Governor Ayodele Fayose of the Ekiti State has hailed
the international community, especially the United
States of America and the United Kingdom for
joining lovers of democracy in Nigeria to speak
out against the All Progressives Congress (APC)
government of President Muhammadu Buhari's use
of State security apparatus to oppress opposition.
He called on the British Government to investigate
the allegation of the use of British foreign aid given
to Nigeria to help combat the Boko Haram terrorists to
fund a witch-hunt against opposition
politicians with a view to preventing continuous use
of fund belonging to the country wrongly.
Speaking through Lere Olayinka, his Special
Assistant on Public Communications and New
Media, Governor Fayose said the international
community must focus attention on Nigeria under
President Buhari, saying; "rights of Nigerians are
now being trampled upon with impunity."
In its report, the United States Department of
States, accused the Nigerian police, DSS and the
military of gross abuse of power which include
citizens brutality, arbitrary detention,bribery among
other scandals
Also, the United Kingdom based Telegraph
newspaper published this week that hundreds of
millions of pounds of British foreign aid given to
Nigeria to help combat Boko Haram terrorists was
instead being used to fund a witch-hunt against
opposition politicians.
Governor Fayose, who is presently in Guangzhou,
China to attend the 119th China Import and Export
Fair otherwise known as the Canton Fair between
April 14 and 19, said the United Kingdom Telegraph
newspaper was right in its report that the Buhari’s
government was using British aid money to target
his political opponents, particularly through anti
corruption agencies ans the Department of State
Services (DSS).
He said only the international community could
help prevail on President Buhari to respect the rule
of law and stop ruling Nigeria like a military
dictator.
The governor described the United States
Department of States report as another vindication
of his position on the Buhari-led government's
abuse of the rights of Nigerians, saying; "everything
I predicted about Buhari is coming to pass and the
international community must assist the country to
sustain democracy."

Falz the Bahd guy takes over from comedian Basketmouth as the host on the Bigger Friday Show!!

  wow!
A new season of popular Friday night comedy
programme ‘The Bigger Friday Show’ is set to
premiere with a twist in the coming weeks.
Previously hosted
by Basketmouth as
‘The Big Friday
Show’, the new
show sports a
revamped format
and it will be
hosted by a rapper
and widely
admired Internet
phenomenon Falz
The Bahd Guy.
‘The Bigger Friday
Show is one of the revamped entertainment shows
on MTV Base as the channel seeks to make young
African audiences the center of its content and
deepen audience participation and interaction.
The past edition of the show featured parody
videos, celebrity pranks and entertainment news
highlights.
Viewers can also be part of the new edition and
participate in the #BFSChallenge by submitting
personalized content on Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter using the hashtag #BFSChallenge
The show, which is a mixture of entertainment and
comedy, is part of the sparkling new entertainment
campaign led by MTV Base called ‘My Life, My
Base’ and it will premiere on MTV Base Channel 322
on Friday April 29, 2016.