Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Friday morning

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning: 1. It was a sad moment for Fulani militia yesterday when the Army invaded one of their illegal settlements in Nasarawa state, killing 20 of them while several others sustained injuries. Report says the army also recovered several sophisticated weapons. 2. There was a heavy disagreement yesterday at the National Conference when delegates disagreed over matters relating to their individual feeding. While some of the delegates were of the opinion that their feeding be monitized so they could source for food outside the conference, others kicked against the idea. 3. A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Federal Government, the State Security Service and the police to release without delays the passport seized from the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi. The court also directed that the police should Sanusi N50m exemplary damages for unlawfully detaining him and seizing his passport. 4. Report has it this morning that religious sentiment may tear the APC apart as members continue to disagree over its candidates for the 2015 general elections. The disagreement is said to be closely linked to religion as some are of the opinion that Muslim candidate will not augur well with the party. 5. The Director General of Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Mr. Bimbo Daramola, had on Thursday alleged that some suspected political thugs, who were in company of Governor Ayo Fayose during his returned to Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, shot a member of the All Progressives Congress. The PDP has since denied the allegation. 6. Former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu has said that the ongoing national conference was made up of old sleepy men who have nothing to contribute towards the development of the country. Kalu said for the country to attain its most desired transformation, the old geration of leaders must relinquish power to the next generation. Kalu was speaking at the Centenary Lecture organised by the Oyo State branch of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. 7. Lagos based Lawyer and Activist, Mr. Femi Falana has asked the Minister of Interior, Comrade Aba Moro to refund the the N1000 each that was collected from applicants in the last failed NIS aptitude test. Falana has argued that the money was an extortion since there was never any plan to recruit majority of them. 8. The General Officer Commanding, 81 division of Nigerian Army, Lagos, Major-General Tamunomieibi Dibi, yesterday, in Abeokuta said that an attack on Ogun state by Islamist Boko Haram was possible, hence the military should be battle ready to forestall a possible attack. 9. A 30-year-old Nwode Chukwudi Awam was paraded by the Ebonyi state police Command yesterday for beheading his father, Michael Awam, and eating the victim’s neck. The incident happened at Egwudinagu Obegu village in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state. 10. The Chief Judge of the Rivers State, Justice Peter Agumagu, has filled a suit against the National Judicial Council, NJC, at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. The CJ is challenging his suspension by the NJC. Agumagu is asking the court to restrain members of an investigation panel set up to investigate allegations against him, until after the determination of his suit.

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2015: Don’t over-stretch your ‘good luck’ by trying to remain in power – Tsav tells Jonathan

Elder statesman and a former Lagos State Police
Commissioner, Abubakar Tsav, has advised President
Goodluck Jonathan not to over-stretch his “good luck” by
remaining in power beyond 2015.
Tsav, who spoke with newsmen in Makurdi, the Benue
State capital on Sunday noted that the nation would
continue to retrogress as long as greed and corruption
remain in control, adding that 2015 would determine
whether Nigeria will still remain as one indivisible
country or not.
While he attributed this to the intention of Jonathan to
contest the 2015 presidential election, he urged the
president to burry his ambition in the interest of the
nation.
He said, “President Jonathan’s followers are saying there
would be war if he does not win in 2015. He should save
us that trouble by relinquishing his ambition in the
interest of the old and young people in this country.”
Tsav reminded Jonathan of how God made him to rise
from the position of deputy governor to president, even
as he urged him not to run for second term in office.
Adding his voice to the ongoing debate over the
inconclusive Anambra governorship election, Tsav
described the Attahiru Jega-led INEC as a shame to the
nation.
The former police boss asserted that the Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC, was not capable of
conducting credible elections in the country.
According to him, judging from the Anambra election,
the hope of conducting free, fair and credible elections
in the country has been dashed.

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Jonathan fires another aide, gives no reason

President Goodluck Jonathan had on Sunday sacked Mrs.
Aisha Umar as his Special Assistant on Social
Development.
The sack notice was contained in a brief statement issued
on Sunday in Abuja by Mr. Sam Nwaobasi, the Special
Assistant (Media) to the Secretary of the Government of
the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim with Ref. No:
PPR/OSGF/PR/02. However, the statement did not give
details on why the aide was relieved of her job.
The statement further stated that, the termination takes ”
effect from the November 25, 2013.”
Recall that the President had in few months back sacked
three of his aides. The first was the Minister of Youth
Development, Inuwa Abdulkadir, followed by the Special
Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Mrs. Joy Emordi
as well as his Special Adviser on the New Partnership for
Africa’s Development, Dr. Tunji Olagunju.

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If Nigerians don’t want you, please go in peace – Gumi tells Jonathan

Respected Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmad Gumi yesterday took a swipe on President Goodluck Jonathan when he accused him of being too desperate for power at the expense of the nation. The cleric also accused “Jonathan’s people” as being behind the crises facing the country, said the bombings from October 1, 2010 to date were largely scripted play being acted out. Gumi, who took to Facebook to pour out his anger, said Jonathan should kindly resign if Nigerians don’t want him. He however added that despite all the challenges, Nigeria will still survive. He said, “Yes, from the onset, Mr Goodluck was apparently in a struggle to grab power and to cling to power even if that is at the cost of innocent Nigerian lives. Well it turned out that his people were the culprits. “Like Boko Haram, Nigeria can only boast of its success on its survival. We see despite heavy fatalities and injuries of thousands of people and the grounded economic life of the North East, the purported Boko Haram leader can only boast on his ability to prove he is still alive. Just like Boko Haram, Nigeria is real but unrealistic, naïve and self annihilating, why? Because those that lead the two phenomena are dehumanised of all human sensibilities. They trade blood for power! “The mere survival of Nigeria as a unified entity is the only successful story in the 53 years of its independence. Mr Jonathan should know that power is no substitute for blood, i.e. you cannot spill other people’s blood to stay in power and remain flourishing. You should ask Assad about that. You can call (General) Sisi in Egypt and ask him about that. The psycho-trauma is enough to finish one’s life,” Gumi said. He further said that nobody was safe in the country today. “Anybody can be attacked and killed, or framed up and arrested. You see or hear of law and order, it is only in books and the compromised newspapers and media. Journalism is dead, justice in the court of law is absent, intellectuals are neutralised, and the populace is largely left poor and uneducated.” He said the late General Shuwa was gruesomely murdered under the very eyes of his army guards without resistance in Maiduguri and no military panel was set up to investigate the killing of such a national hero that fought to keep Nigeria a united country. “Jonathan has only one option left for him. Let him conduct a free and fair election in 2015, from PDP primary elections to the national elections. Let him not be deceived by those wolves that want to push him to his expiration for their corrupt lifestyles. Please Mr Jonathan, if Nigerians don’t want you, please go in peace,” Gumi said.

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Breaking News! Another Plane Crash in Nigeria! Plane Carrying 27

iSalute Media just got word there has been a plane crash in Nigeria. It is believe that former governor and former minister of Power’s Olusegun Aguagu family was on the plane with the dead body of the former governor. The family was flying the body home for burial. It is believed that the plane that crashed was a chartered-private jet. According to sources there have been 20 casualties but it has not been confirmed. According to a witness, the crash occurred at the local wing of the airport close to the section were JET-A1, plane fuel, is stored. Fire service officials were seen evacuating the occupants of the plane. The spokesman of the Nigeria aviation agencies, Yakubu Datti, asked for more time to get details of the incident, Premium Times reports.
The Ondo State Government has described the crash of the plane bearing the corpse of former Gov. Olusegun Agagu as it was taking off from Lagos, as shocking.
A statement on Thursday in Akure by Mr Eni Akinsola, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Olusegun Mimiko, said that a commissioner, family members, associates and other top government officials were involved in the crash.

“Information available indicates that there were casualties and a few survivors of this unfortunate crash. We are, however, still expecting more information.
“No doubt, this is an unfortunate disaster in the life of our dear state. We can only pray that God will visit the state with mercy and give us all the strength to bear these unfortunate losses.
“We ask all residents to be in a sober and prayerful mood at these trying times, as God is indeed the only person we should call upon in this period,” Akinsola said.
According to him, government assures that further and better information will be released on the crash as soon as they are available. (NAN)

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I did not have any agreement to serve only one term – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday affirmed that he never made any agreement with anybody that he would not run for the 2015 presidential election. The president also denied signing an agreement with some Peoples Democratic Party governors for only one term in office,contrary to the continuous claim by Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and other PDP aggrieved governors. The president affirmed that if an agreement was signed with regard to 2015 election, it must have been presented by those talking about it. Jonathan stated this while fielding questions from a panel of journalists during the Presidential Media Chat in Abuja on Sunday. Asked if he would contest the 2015 election, the President maintained that it was too early for him to decide since such was capable of disrupting the political system. He emphasized that declaration of interest to run or otherwise will generate so much turmoil , hence the need to remain silent over it, and continue to tackle pressing national issues. However, Jonathan asserted that the fact that he had not made his intention known yet, does not mean that other aspirants are stopped from doing so. Jonathan said, “There was no agreement with anybody that I will serve for only one term. If I had signed any agreement with anybody, they would have shown you the agreement. “I did not say that I will not contest in 2015. In Addis Ababa, that was when I advocated single term of seven years. My argument was that to be more productive, maybe we should consider single term of seven years. “ I said if Nigerians agree to that, I may not be involved. I did not say I will contest or not. Those who said I have signed an agreement, they should show the agreement.” Speaking on Boko Haram, Jonathan said the needless killings would have been avoided if the menace of the sect was curbed from the beginning. “Boko Haram did not start today. I was Vice-President in 2009 when (Mohammed) Yusuf (Boko Haram leader) was killed. People talk about Boko Haram as if Jonathan caused it. It started before 2009, but because it was not handled well, it has grown into a cancer and it has become terrible. If something happened and you don’t take the right action, it will continue. But I can assure Nigerians that it will be brought under control,” he added. When asked whether Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was truly dead, the President replied, “I don’t know whether he is dead or alive. I don’t know him and I have not seen him before.” On ASUU strike, the president called on the university lecturers to consider the plight of their students and the sincerity of government and call off the strike. The President, however, said it was wrong for ASUU to go on strike because of the state of infrastructure in universities when it was his government that initiated inventory of infrastructure in the institutions and returned a verdict that something drastic must be done. He said, “ASUU strike is very unfortunate. There is no time a government has taken inventory of property in schools, but we set up a technical team that visited all universities. When the report was presented, I said it must be presented to all governors during NEC. “We said things must change but it can’t be done overnight. For us to do that inventory shows that we are committed. For ASUU to go on strike for infrastructure is not fair. We are doing inventory for polytechnics and colleges of education too and they are not being done for fun. “We expect ASUU to work with us. It is unfortunate that the strike lasts this long because we have witnessed strikes before and most of them are called off when government don’t even do up to what we have done. “Politics have fallen into so many things. We may be seeing something different.”

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2015: Stop deceiving yourself, you can’t win without us – New PDP tells Jonathan

As the crisis currently rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continues to deepen, the ‘New PDP’ has told President Goodluck Jonathan that his 2015 second term ambition remains unrealistic without them. According to them, Jonathan should stop deceiving himself as those behind him are just wolves in sheep clothing, as they can not even deliver their own wards to the president come 2015. The ‘New PDP’ stated this in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze in Abuja on Wednesday. Eze said, “Mr. President should not be deceived by some party leaders who are making him believe that he can do without us. “Most of these leaders currently cannot under a properly organised free and fair elections win their wards. “It is obvious that no presidential election in Nigeria can be won without states like Rivers, Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kwara, Niger States, Jigawa and Kebbi states; and these are states we are controlling. “Check the past general elections and see that some of these media-created PDP leaders have no followers in their states at the moment, let alone making any impact come 2015.” The governors in the New PDP include the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido; Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko; Governor of Kano State, Mr. Rabiu Kwankwanso; Niger State Governor, Aliyu Babangida; Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed and the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. However, the inclusion of Kebbi State among other states was not clear at the moment as the governor, Alhaji Seidu Dakingari was yet to make up his mind. Eze also dispelled ongoing rumours that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo was behind the ongoing crisis in the PDP. According to him, “We view this as creating the impression that we are not mature enough to determine our political future and most importantly, it was an attempt to smear the international image of Obasanjo as a distinguished statesman and father of PDP and rubbish his current efforts to restore peace to a party which is being threatened by the undemocratic acts of some of its leaders,” the statement added,” he added.

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Sack of Ministers: Jonathan has right to hire and fire – Activist

A human rights activist based in Onitsha, Anambra State, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi has said that the sacking of nine ministers by President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, was within his powers. Umeagbalasi, who is the Chairman board of Trustees of International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law said Nigerians should concern themselves with the motive for the sack to know if it was done out of witch-hunt. He said Nigerians should not dwell on the basis of the action as the ministers had no tenure of office and could be sacked any day. According to Umeagbalasi, “It is within the rights of the president to appoint ministers, and in doing so, he must also appoint the ones that have integrity and would be able to carry out the job assigned them. “The sacking is not a problem; it can only be a case if the ministers are competent but sacked as a witch-hunt at the detriment of Nigerians. “Take for instance the case of the minister of education, she has not done anything remarkable in the sector to improve primary and secondary education, so why will the president not sack that kind of person. Foreign affairs minister is another case, he has not done much to propagate the foreign policies of the country. The killing of our people overseas, the Boko Haram killings and the Syrian crisis, what has he done? “These are things that are within the domain of the minister to speak up, to even go a step further by looking for a way to get the International Court of Justice to try these terrorists and jail them to make it serve as a deterrent to others. So if you look at the nine ministers removed, you will see that they have not really performed”. Umeagbalasi said that Nigerians should rather worry about who would be appointed to replace them rather than their removal, even though his organization has severally stood against the over-bloated number of Jonathan’s ministers, believing that his government is better off with the appointment of few but capable hands instead of using ministerial position as a sort of settlement for political jobbers.

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Shut up or I reveal your dirty linen – Farida Waziri warns Obasanjo

A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, yesterday blew hot, as she threatened to “open up” on former President, Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo had in a recent interview stated that Waziri became head of the anti-graft agency on her recommendation by the convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori. In a statement signed by her aide, the former anti-corruption boss said “I will like to warn that those who live in glass house don’t throw stones and as such, Obasanjo should not allow me open up on him.” While she denied knowing or meeting Ibori until long after she had been appointed head of the Agency, she also narrated how she initiated the investigation that eventually led to Ibori’s conviction by a United Kingdom court. The statement reads in part, “My attention has been drawn to a number of allegations made against me by Mr. Obasanjo. One of such was the alleged involvement of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, in my appointment. “While I hold the office of a Head of State, either serving or retired, in the highest esteem, I will like to put on record for the umpteenth time that this is totally unfounded, blatant lie and arrant falsehood. It is therefore worrisome when a man who has been twice a Nigerian Head of State can descend so low to peddle falsehood. “The truth is that I never met Ibori in my life until after months in office as chairman of the EFCC, when I used to see him in the Presidential Villa. It is on record today that I initiated the investigation that drove Ibori into the waiting hands of Interpol and Metpolice.” She reminded Obasanjo that ability to be used to witch-hunt political enemies in the rabid pursuit of a third term agenda has never been part of the qualifications for appointment as chairman of the anti-graft agency.” She alleged that the same “lies” were cooked up by “Obasanjo’s sit-tight pawns” to stop her appointment as EFCC chairman in 2008. She added: “Qualification for appointment as chairman of the Commission, as stipulated in its Establishment Act, says that the chairman shall ‘be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency, not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent; and possess not less than 15 years cognate experience.’ “Late President (Umaru Musa) Yar’Adua did not have to alter the Establishment Act when he was appointing me, unlike what Obasanjo did. Again for the records, I served in the Nigeria Police Force for 35 years and got to the pinnacle of my career before my appointment as EFCC chairman. “If Obasanjo’s real age has not blurred his memory, I will like to remind him that I was a Commissioner of Police, Admin Force CID, CP General Investigations, CP Anti-fraud, CP X Squad, CP Police Special Fraud Unit where I secured the first conviction in a case of Advance Fee Fraud in Nigerian history.” Waziri stated further that, “These are all prime investigative organs of the Nigeria Police, where I related with other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, across the world. I must place on record that at SFU, I did not only relate with FBI, Interpol and Metpolice, among others, we carried out joint operations at different times on a number of cases. I have also led the Nigerian delegation to the Interpol Headquarters in France.” She added that Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Lamorde (the past and present chairmen of EFCC respectively), had both worked under her, thereby making the allegation on qualification baseless. “This is in addition to my educational qualifications such as a first degree in Law, a master’s degree in Law and another master’s degree in Strategic Studies,” she noted. “I doubt if Obasanjo himself can boast of this level of educational qualifications. “I will also like to remind Obasanjo that no chairman of the EFCC has till date beaten my records in terms of investigation of high profile cases, prosecution, conviction and recovery.”

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PDM is now a party not a movement – Chairman replies Anenih, others

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Movement, on Wednesday, says the party is no longer a movement following its registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission as a political party. He was reacting to comments from some founding members of the PDM, including Chairman, Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who are insisting that the PDM was formed as a pressure group and will remain so. But Ibrahim in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria said, ”PDM ceases to be a movement as claimed by some politicians.“It has transformed into a political party and the decision to register PDM as a political party was taken by members of the movement. Speaking further, he said “Look at our trajectory from 1994 to date. Our plan has been implemented step by step until the movement is transformed into a political party. “It is time for the members of the movement to watch their languages as we all agreed to break from the past and transform into a political party.” He,however, said that the party still stands with its objective of being a bridge linking the North and South. Ibrahim said although there were deviations from PDM’s principle, the party would regain the original values of the movement. He said the PDM would unify the people and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

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Suntai’s wife blocks lawmakers from seeing husband; Assembly invites ailing governor

Taraba State House of Assembly has on Tuesday invited ailing Governor, Danbaba Suntai to come and defend his readiness to resume official duties after his arrival to the country. Danbaba flew in from the United States of America on Sunday, ten months after he survived an air mishap. The lawmakers’ invitation is in response to a letter by the governor, informing them of his return and desire to take charge. Attempts by members of the legislature to see him yesterday were futile as security operatives turned them back at the gate of the Government House, Jalingo. The Speaker of the Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, who briefed newsmen in his office after the Majority Leader, Joseph Albasu, earlier declared that Suntai had taken charge, confirmed that the Deputy Governor, Garba Umar, remains the Acting Governor. He insisted that Umar will continue until the Assembly decides otherwise. “Governor Danbaba Suntai has transmitted a letter to the House, but his Deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar, will continue to act, until this Assembly deliberates on the letter,” he said. “The governor must appear on the floor of the Assembly and speak to us, or some principal officers of the House must go and talk to him in the Government House.” Tsokwa, who also confirmed that Suntai’s wife, Hauwa, blocked them from seeing the Governor, said the legislature was keen to know his true state of health. Suntai was flown to Germany before being transferred to an American hospital for treatment following injuries he sustained in a plane crash on October 25, 2012. However, he has not publicly uttered a word since his return, a situation many see as a proof that he is still not physically and mentally sound. However, Adamawa state governor, Murtala Nyako, was allowed to see Danbaba on Monday at the Government House. Nyako, who reportedly went to see the Governor, thanked God for his life and wished him speedy recovery.

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Federal Government declares March 29, April 1 public holidays

Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1, 2013, have
being declared public holidays by the Federal
Government. This is to mark the celebration of Good
Friday and Easter respectively.
The Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro made
the declaration on behalf of the Federal government
on Monday.
He congratulated all Christians on the occasion of
Easter celebration, urging them to remain committed
to the exemplary attributes of love, tolerance and
peaceful co-existence which Jesus Christ exhibited
during his time on earth.
Easter is another Christian festive period when the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is
commemorated worldwide.

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AUSafrik set to launch services in Nigeria

AUSafrik, a brand communications company that started out in Ghana, is set to launch its services in Nigeria. Staffed by 21st century experts in the art and craft of designs and communications, the company acquired its office space in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, and plans to roll out its services from August 8 with a Press Unveiling and Tea Party. The company’s core services are hinged on Media, Advertising, and Public Relations. While addressing a cross-section of the media, the company’s public relations personnel, Mr. Kollins Ekanem, observed that the Nigerian market has evolved into one of the most vibrant and profitable markets in Africa for products and allied services. This has led to an influx of companies, who have taken advantage of the dynamism of the Nigerian economy and the massive potential offered through its market of 160 million people. With the promise of profit

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Angry youths burn down 20 houses over colleague’s death in Rivers State

Some angry youths in Omudioga community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State yesterday set over 20 ablaze in protest of the death of a youth, who was simply identified as Benjamin. Sources said the fuming youths speculated that the death of the late Benjamin might have been caused by some members of the community. The source disclosed further that security men had been deployed to clam the riotous situation. Some victims of the attack, said they had to flee their houses when it became clear that the rampaging youths were out of control. Chairman of the council, Mr Allen Nma, confirmed the incident, adding that the development had been brought under control. “Several houses were burnt and property worth millions naira destroyed. The Police had taken over the place to prevent any further attacks, but the youths, responsible for these evil acts must face the wrath of the law,” he said.

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We cannot implement budget fully by September – Okonjo-Iweala

Nigerians may soon witness the first successful impeachment exercise of a President as the federal government said that it cannot implement the budget fully by Semptember which was slated by the House of Representatives for President Goodluck Jonathan or get remove. Reacting on behalf of federal government in Abuja, the Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala explained that 56 per cent of the budget had been implemented with about N404billion cash released. The budget Bill signed into law on March 15 was N4.69trillion. The third quarter fund will be released within the next two weeks, according to the minister. Okonjo Iweala who was accompained by the Minister of Information Labaran Maku; Director General of Bureau for Public Procurement Emeka Eze and Director General of Budget Dr. Bridgt Okongu, said there had been a lot of improvement in the implementation of the budget, saying the 39 per cent recorded for the month of May had

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Fuel Subsidy Fraud: 21 indicted Oil firms to pay N382 billion to FG

Twenty-one oil firms have been indicted by a Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy payment over alleged fraudulent claims. The Committee, which is led by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, in a report submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan today, urged the President to commence the process of recovering the sum of N382 billion from the indicted companies. In the report, the said N382billion was part of the contentious N422 billion identified by the Technical Committee which was also chaired by Aig-Imoukhuede. Following the submission of the report of the federal government Technical Committee which looked into fuel subsidy management from 2010-2011, the President on July 5 constituted the Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel

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Two suspected Nigerian Al-Quaeda members arraigned by the FG

Two alleged members of the dreaded Al-Qaeda group scattered all over the world have been summoned by the Federal government. The two suspects are Babafemi Lawal and Luqman Babatunde, who hail from Ogun and Lagos states, respectively. The two were on Thursday arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court by the Federal Government. It has been alleged that Lawal and Babatunde had received the sum of N1m from the terrorist organisation, Al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula also known as AQAP in Yemen, in order to fund the recruitment and transportation of nigerians who are willing to join the terrorist organisation. It is said that such action is an offence as stipulated in Section 13(a) of Terrorism

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Sapele flood: Residents relocate

Residents of Sapele in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, who were trapped in their houses as a result of flood accompanied by the heavy downpour in the last few days, have been relocating to neighbouring villages, for safety. Residents of areas such as, Dure Numa Street, Water Street, Palmer Road, Boyo Road, Adidi Road, Owumi Road, Okpe Road and Mcpherson Road have started relocation. Some of the residents, relocating also attributed their movement to the stench emitting from soaring refuse dumps scattered all over the town. The hips of refuse dumps are increasing, despite a directive by the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, that the streets and gutters in major towns be cleared of refuse dumps. While blaming the increasing rise of refuse dumps on the contractor handling the waste disposal project in the area,Head of Personnel Management of Sapele Local Government Area, Mr. Olumami Oyibo said that the contractor had failed to do his job, despite repeated reminders. But the contractor, Cypress Point Engineering Ltd, in response, blamed his poor performance on Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, DESOPADEC, with office in Warri, which he said awarded the Sapele Waste Disposal contract to him but had refused to pay him for over seven months.
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Boko Haram: Lagos lawmakers say no to NYSC’s posting of Lagosians to North

The Lagos State House of Assembly has rejected posting of batch B of the National Youth service Corps, NYSC, members from the state to the troubled northern part of the country to serve their fatherland. Wahab Alawiye-King, Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology said this while receiving corps members from Lagos State University, LASU, who staged a peaceful demonstration to the Assembly in Alausa yesterday. According to Alawiye-King, the House at its plenary on Monday, passed a resolution to the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier-General Nnamdi Okorie-Affiah, urging him not to post graduates from Lagos State to unsafe Northern states where security of lives and property cannot be guaranteed. He said: “Lagos State House of Assembly is a proactive lawmaking body which put the welfare of the residents first before any other thing.” The visibly angry students

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Most Nigerian leaders are unpatriotic – Jonathan

Many Nigerians who are occupying top positions in the country, are unpatriotic, President Goodluck Jonathan said. He spoke while commissioning bullet proof vests for use by the nation’s armed forces and other paramilitary agencies. He said the nation will henceforth begin to look inward for the supply of its military wares. He said that only items that cannot be produced locally will now be sourced outside the country, adding that local content does not mean what is produced by Nigerians, but what is produced in Nigeria. President Jonathan said, “We have a number of Nigerians that are unpatriotic, even people holding high offices. “I must be convince beyond reasonable doubts that DICON cannot produce before any Federal Government agency will be allowed to buy something that is not produce here. “The management of DICON deserves commendation for their foresight and the work they have done. The venture is a joint agreement with DICON and MAROM

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