A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
Hillary Clinton on Sunday sharply criticized Donald Trump over his “absolute allegiance” to Russian policy aims, saying it raised both “national security issues” and new doubts about his temperament.
Trump, her Republican rival in the race for the White House, responded defiantly, saying that he had “no relationship” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and had never met nor spoken to him by phone, but that “if our country got along with Russia, that would be a great thing.”
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump AFP PHOTO
He said in an ABC interview that he was not about to disavow it if Putin praised him as a “genius” (some Russian speakers say “colorful” was a better translation of the word).
But perhaps further fanning controversy, Trump added that as president he would at least consider acknowledging Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014 in the face of widespread international condemnation.
“The people of Crimea, from what I’ve heard, would rather be with Russia,” Trump said.
He said, however, that he was not involved in Republicans’ softening of their platform language to remove a call to provide Ukraine with lethal weaponry.
The dispute over Russia is part of a broader disagreement over US engagement abroad, as Trump argues that a weakened America must retrench and demand greater contributions from its allies, while Clinton asserts that decades-old US commitments to foreign partners must be maintained.
– Backlash over emails –
Clinton, in her comments, was responding on “Fox News Sunday” to allegations of Russian involvement in leaks of Democratic Party emails that embarrassed her on the eve of the just-ended Democratic national convention.
As that convention was underway, Trump urged Russia to find and release several thousand emails that disappeared from Clinton’s private server while she was secretary of state.
“Russia, if you’re listening,” Trump said then, “I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will be mightily rewarded by our press.”
That call, of a sort nearly unprecedented in US presidential politics, drew sharp rebukes from Democrats and some Republicans.
US cybersecurity experts said it raised questions about whether Russia had attempted to influence the American campaign in Trump’s favor. Leaked emails published by WikiLeaks revealed the distrust of some key Democratic leaders of Bernie Sanders, Clinton’s former rival for the Democratic nod.
Trump’s seeming encouragement of Russian hacking, Clinton told Fox, “raises issues about Russian influence in our election.”
“And for Trump to both encourage that and to praise Putin despite what appears to be a deliberate effort to try to affect the election, I think, raises national security issues.”
– ‘Not temperamentally fit’ –
When an interviewer noted that Trump had claimed he was being sarcastic, Clinton replied: “If you take the encouragement that Russians hack into email accounts, if you take his quite excessive praise for Putin, his absolute allegiance to a lot of Russian wish-list foreign policy issues,” it suggests that “he is not temperamentally fit to be president and commander-in-chief.”
Trump had earlier unnerved NATO member nations by questioning the long absolute US commitment to defend any member of the Atlantic alliance should it be attacked by Russia.
In an interview with The New York Times just before the Republican convention, Trump said that if Russia attacked NATO member nations he would decide whether to come to their assistance only if he decided that they had "fulfilled their obligations to us.”
Trump has also said he might withdraw US troops from European and Asian countries if they failed to pay more for American protection.
"We are going to take care of this country first," he told The Times, "before we worry about everyone else in the world."
The father of a slain Muslim American soldier assailed Donald Trump as a “black soul” Sunday in an impassioned exchange with the Republican presidential candidate over the qualities required in a US leader.
Khizr Khan electrified the Democratic convention last week with a tribute to his fallen son that ended with a steely rebuke that Trump had “sacrificed nothing” for his country.Trump
Trump defended himself in an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” insisting he had made “a lot of sacrifices” while suggesting that Khan’s wife, who stood silent on the convention stage as her husband spoke, had not been allowed to talk.
But Khan shot back in interviews on US television news shows, while his wife Ghazala explained in a Washington Post op-ed that she had been too grief-stricken to speak.
“Without saying a thing, all the world, all America, felt my pain,” she wrote. “Whoever saw me felt me in their heart.”
Their son, US Army captain Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq in 2004 in a roadside explosion at the gates of a military compound.
Khan, speaking on CNN, accused Trump of lacking the moral compass and empathy needed to be the country’s leader.
“He is a black soul. And this is totally unfit for the leadership of this beautiful country,” Khan said.
Trump has courted controversy and sparked outrage during his drive for the US presidency with disparaging remarks against immigrants, Muslims and women.
His call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States has drawn criticism even from leaders of his own party.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, implicitly criticized Trump in a statement Sunday. He called Captain Khan “an American hero,” praised the sacrifices of families like the Khans, and said he agreed with them that “a travel ban on all members of a religion is simply contrary to American values.”
Yet Trump, despite his high negatives and penchant for controversy, has attracted a fervent following among working class white males, and he stands near even with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the polls.
In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Clinton took aim at Trump’s positive view of Russian President Vladimir Putin and accused him of “absolute allegiance” to Moscow’s foreign policy objectives.
Trump responded defiantly, saying in the ABC interview that he had “no relationship” with Putin, but that “if our country got along with Russia, that would be a great thing.”
The jousting on policy was overshadowed, however, by the emotional back and forth between Trump and Khan.
“I work very, very hard. I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I’ve had tremendous success. I think I’ve done a lot,” Trump said about his sacrifices.
Trump questioned whether Clinton had been behind Khan’s address, which the naturalized Pakistani immigrant said he wrote with his wife Ghazala.
“Who wrote that? Did Hillary’s script writers write it?” Trump said in the interview.
“If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say,” Trump said, adding: “Maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say.”
– ‘A dark heart’ –
Khan said he had invited his wife to speak, but she declined, knowing that she’d become too emotional.
He said that running for president does not entitle Trump “to disrespect” the relatives of soldiers killed in combat.
“Shame on him! Shame on his family!” he told ABC News. “He is not worthy of our comments. He has no decency. He is void of decency, he has a dark heart.”
In a statement late on Saturday, Trump praised Captain Khan as “a hero to our country,” adding, “we should honor all who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe.”
But Trump took issue with Khan’s convention night speech, including his claim that the billionaire candidate had never read the US constitution.
“While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr Khan, who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the constitution” and “say many other inaccurate things,” Trump said.
Clinton criticized Trump’s treatment of the Khans during a campaign stop at a church in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Mr. Khan paid the ultimate sacrifice in his family, didn’t he?” she told the African American congregation. “And what has he heard from Donald Trump? Nothing but insults, degrading comments about Muslims, a total misunderstanding of what made our country great — religious freedom, religious liberty.
“It’s enshrined in our constitution, as Mr. Khan knows, because he’s actually read it.
Eight prisoners were still on the loose following a jail break in Kogi Stae, while five other escapees have been recaptured, the head of the prisons service said on Sunday.
Ja’afaru Ahmed, the controller-general of prisons, said in a statement the incident happened on Saturday at Koton Karfe prison in Kogi state.
“Five pre-trial detainees out of the escapees had been recaptured with the assistance of other security agencies and local vigilante groups,” he said.
Ahmed said an inquiry has been launched into the incident.
Jail breaks are commom in Nigeria’s underfunded and crowded prisons.
Although Nigerians typically argue against the placement of aged parents under any form of external care, the spate of loneliness and neglect suffered by senior citizens in the country is becoming a cause for concern. Consequently, in a deliberate attempt to make old-age enjoyable, no fewer than six daycare centres have been billed for set-up by Care Companions Limited for senior citizens in different parts of Ogun State.
Monarchs donating lands for the non-profit project include HRM Dr. Joseph Adeogun Oguntona Ogunjobi, Oba Igbore, Orile Obafemi Owode LGA; HRH Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, Afin Olu Owode Egba; HRM Oba Fatai Akamo, Olu Of Itori Land; HRH Femi Ogunleye, Oba of Akinale; Oba Dosumu Olowu of Owu and the Alake of Egbaland, HRM Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III.
According to Mrs Elizabeth Akin-Abiola, Director, Care Companions Limited, the centres would take-off with temporary structures due to the urgent need to engage senior citizens with people of like-minds, and address the growing problem of depression amongst them; while fund is being raised for permanent structures.
Speaking while addressing a Council of Obas' meeting at the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, in company of her team of professionals, Abiola emphasized the need to bring total respite to senior citizens across the country, adding that Care Companions' services in Ogun and its environs would not be limited to providing daycare centre.
"Our services will include the provision of homecare services, live-in care, escort care services, domestic services, medication services, personal care services (including hygiene services), to mention but few, which will however not be non-profit.
These commercial services, she explained, would help address youth unemployment in the state, adding that with a minimum of O'level certification plus an unquestionable character and ability to render care services, interested youths in the state would be recruited, trained and placed by Care Companions.
Responding on behalf of the council of Obas, HRM Adedotun Gbadebo said the initiative was timely due to its double benefits- respite for senior citizens and jobs for youths. "Loneliness is bad for anyone. I remember how my aged father would look out through his window in want of somebody to chitchat with during the day when everyone had gone out. Whoever passed by, he would invite to come have lunch with him because he knew the process would afford him someone to spend time with and feel very, very happy."
High Chief Raymond Dokpesi has said that the corruption charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will not affect his ambition to become the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stating that he is innocent until proven guilty by a competent court.
Dokpesi
He said the charges cannot be used by the federal government or the All Progressives Congress, APC, to hoodwink him if he is elected as the chairman of the opposition, PDP.
He said this on Sunday during his meeting with delegates from Kwara state at the party’s secretariat in Ilorin.
“The case is in court and I don’t want to comment on it but I will not join APC or be a stooge because of it. I respect Buhari as the president of Nigeria but what he is doing now is not different from what he did as a military head of state. He locked up Nigerians for 200 years, some 150 years. As the Chief of staff of Gongola state, I was locked up and my charge was that I held political office,” he said.
“If you are an hotelier and someone spent three days in your hotel and paid for services rendered but days later, DSS came to arrest you that the money the client paid you was from illegal proceed from CBN. ….. Let me stop there as the judge will decide,” he said of his current charges.
On Sheriff, he said governors and other stakeholders are reaching out to him for reconciliation and peace.
Meanwhile, the Kwara state PDP chairman, Barrister Akogun Oyedepo, praised Dokpesi and assured him of support, stating that he had set a standard for others to follow.
“We have not seen any other candidate that can match your credentials. We will go with you because you are a pioneer. PDP that is almost crumbling needs someone like you. APC is jittery already because of Dokpesi credentials. We need to return the party to the people and that is what you are doing by meeting delegates. We have heard you and we will make you accountable for your words,” he said.
Other PDP stakeholders in the state, including Senator Idris Haliru Gunu and Senator Ajadi Makanjuola hailed his determination to lead the party.
By Emman Ovuakporie and Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA – INDICATIONS emerged Sunday that security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara may be withdrawn on the orders of the Federal Government over the controversy surrounding the 2016 budget.
It was also gathered that a document linking the Majority leader of the House, Femi Gbajabimila with constituency projects worth over N4 billion which is domiciled in Osun and Niger States against the initial N1.8 billion constituency projects allocated to him was in circulation.
This is just as the secretariat of the House Appropriation Committee was on Sunday still under the watch of about four security operatives.
Security sources hinted that the withdrawal of security aides to the principal officers allegedly fingered in the budget brouhaha was ensure that there was no obstruction on the course of investigations.
Investigations revealed that the security personnel that were guiding the appropriation committee secretariat were not the regular operatives from the National Assembly.
Meanwhile about 27 civil society organisations have raised the alarm of alleged conspiracy with external forces against the leadership of the House of Representatives, saying that if nothing was done to apply caution, it would threaten the democracy in the country.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the national coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko alongside other 26 CSOs, said “It is disingenuous for the sacked Appropriation committee chairman, Abdulmumin Jibrin to make any claims of exposing massive corruption in the House, accusing speaker Yakubu Dogara of moves to personally smuggle N30bn into 2016 budget.”
He said that the understanding of the powers of the National Assembly seems to say that the legislature is constitutionally empowered to vet proposed budget since these elected officials were not rubber stamps of the president.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd left), with Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Herbert Wigwe (right), being shown the Architectural design of the Eko Pearl Towers by the Chairman, Eko Pearl, Mr. Elias Saad (left) during the Governor's inspection visit to the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, LagosR-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Chairman, Eko Atlantic City, Mr. Ronald Chagoury; Special Adviser, Lagos Global, Prof. Ademola Abass; Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Engr. Adebowale Adesanya and Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Roosevelt Ogbonna; during the Governor's inspection visit to the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, LagosR-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Chairman, Eko Atlantic City, Mr. Ronald Chagoury; Special Adviser, Lagos Global, Prof. Ademola Abass; Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Engr. Adebowale Adesanya and Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Roosevelt Ogbonna; during the Governor's inspection visit to the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, LagosR-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; his Special Adviser on Urban Development, Mrs. Yetunde Onabule; Special Adviser, Lagos Global, Prof. Ademola Abass; Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Chairman, Eko Pearl, Mr. Elias Saad, admiring the Architectural design of the Eko Pearl Towers during the Governor's inspection visit at Victoria Island, LagosL-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), with Chairman, Eko Pearl, Mr. Elias Saad; Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Chairman, Eko Atlantic City, Mr. Ronald Chagoury and Special Adviser, Lagos Global, Prof. Ademola Abass during the Governor's inspection visit to the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode is leading other Governors in the poll organised by the African Leadership Magazine to determine Nigeria’s top performing Governor.
The poll, tagged ‘Good Governance Polls for Nigeria's Top Performing Governor’ started two weeks ago with Governor Ambode maintaining the lead with 36.1 percent of the total votes cast.
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano is closely trailing Governor Ambode with 25 percent.
The Poll, according to its organisers, was designed by the group as part of its strategic engagement tool to monitor performance and gauge the mood of the electorates in Nigeria in line with its objective of providing credible information and support to leaders in Nigeria and Africa at large.
An overwhelming 35 percent popularity rating for Governor Ambode, among other governors, clearly shows his popularity as he continues to deliver good governance, promoting infrastructural development and people-centred policies that better the lives of the people of Lagos.
Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun is in the third place with 8.8 percent, while Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is in the fourth position with 7.9 percent of the total vote casts.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai sits in the fifth position with 5 percent, while as at press time, voting is still ongoing and is expected to close in the next four days.
By BEN AGANDE, ABUJA. Factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has said that the former chairman of the board of trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih can only be readmitted into the board if he answered the query issued to him for alleged anti party activities.Alimodu-Sheriff
Senator sheriff was responding to a letter written by the secretary of the National caretaker committee, senator Ben Obi readmitting chief Anenih into the Board of trustees party.
Senator Obi had in the letter said: "With a view, to finally clearing all issues relating to this matter and based on your request to meet with the current Caretaker Committee, and the agreed meeting which took place on July 13, 2016, the Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, wishes to thank you for appearing before it to finally clear all issues relating to this matter.
"Having heard from you, and made some consultations, the Caretaker Committee has reviewed the whole episode and decided to withdraw the said letter from and by the defunct National Working Committee”.
But in a statement signed by Hon. Bernard Mikko on behalf of Sheriff, the faction noted that the “National Working Committee (NWC) issued a query to Chief Tony Anenih in April 2015 as part of disciplinary procedures for his anti party activities in Imo state during the 2015 General elections in line with Article 57(4) of the PDP Constitution 2012 (as amended). Chief Anenih did not respond to the query but chose to tender a letter of resignation as BoT member. Up till date, the query remains unanswered and his resignation remains valid.
“Any effort to re-admit the chief will have to follow due process which is well known to all party members . If the chief is desirous of returning as member of the BoT, he should re-apply to the party, with his response to the pending query for consideration. Party members are hereby assured that no individual or group will be prejudiced in the enforcement of discipline and the application of the rule of law” he said
Our attention has been drawn to a report titled, "Any Govt. owing salaries shouldn't exist- Amosun," published on page 10 of the Vanguard Newspaper on Friday, July 29, 2016.
The erroneous report, which was curiously repeated on Friday, July 29, was first published by the same newspaper on Thursday, July 28 with the title, "Any Govt. owing salaries not worth existing- Amosun."
While we are still at a loss as to why a reputable national daily would repeat the same report for two days consecutively, we are even more surprised considering the fact that the re-hashed report was not only false, but clearly a figment of the imagination of the writer.
For record purposes, we will like to state the true picture of what transpired as follows:
1. That on Wednesday, July 27, 2016, the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, attended the opening session of the 3rd Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, which was held in Abeokuta, the state capital.
2. That the governor shortly before declaring the conference open took time to address some of the issues that the workers had slated for discussion in the course of the conference.
3. Expectedly, one of the main issues was the current financial challenges facing the nation and the inability of some states of the federation to pay salaries as and when due.
4. The Ogun State governor while addressing this issue, explained that whereas the Ogun State government was not owing salaries, in most states of the federation, governors (including himself) are having sleepless nights trying to ensure that workers are paid their wages as and when due
5. He used the situation in Ogun State as an example, stating that the revenue accruing to the state from the Federation Account in some months is not up to N1bn, whereas the state has a wage bill of over N9bn to pay on monthly basis.
6. The governor further stated that in the face of this reality, governors still have to ensure that social amenities like security, infrastructure and other social services are maintained.
7. Given this scenario, Governor Amosun explained that he and most of his brother governors are constantly under pressure to meet the needs of the workforce in their states knowing full well that "a labourer is worthy of his wages."
8. The Ogun State governor said, "I am not making a case for governors but we are Nigerians too." He added that governors are not happy when they are unable to pay salaries and they are all trying their best to ensure that workers are happy but "we are no magicians."
9. Governor Amosun said he and his colleagues are not oblivious of the need to meet the wage bills. He said, "Any business that cannot pay its workforce is not a business, including a state. A state that can't pay salaries, there is a problem. We know it, I know it and I know my colleagues know it too."
10. The governor further explained that the realization of this fact gives him and other governors sleepless nights as they work day and night to meet the needs of their people
11. The governor, therefore, solicited the support and understanding of workers at this critical time in the history of Nigeria saying that, "you are our landlords. If we are going to succeed, it is with your cooperation and support."
12. He appreciated the workforce in Ogun State for their cooperation and called for their continued support, which he said was responsible for the state's ability to pay salaries as and when due.
From the foregoing, it is clear that at no point did the governor say "states that are unable to pay salaries are not worth existing," as erroneously claimed by Daud Olatunji, the Vanguard Correspondent in Abeokuta who incidentally has been in the habit of twisting the governor's comments and reporting them out of context.
For the avoidance of doubt, this is not the first instance where the reporter in question would concoct reports totally at variance with the reality of what the governor might have said.
For instance, whereas on July 28, the Vanguard reporter falsely claimed that the governor said, "States that are unable to pay salaries are not worth existing," other newspapers that covered the same event did not have a similar report. The Sun Newspaper, for instance, correctly reported the governor as having said that "Governors Are not Magicians."
In another instance on July 20, 2016, the same Vanguard Reporter wrote a report with the headline "Salary Default: Govs Fail to Think outside the box- Amosun." Whereas there is no direct quote in the body of the report to support that misleading headline, the Guardian newspaper of the same day, correctly reported the governor with a report titled, "Govs have not been mismanaging funds, Amosun insists."
Similarly, on May 24, 2016, the Vanguard newspaper was once again the only newspaper that erroneously reported under the headline, "Poor Economy: Govs should think out of the box - Amosun." Reporting the same event, on the same day, the Nigerian Tribune's headline read, "Ogun Revenue rises by 98% – Amosun;" the Guardian reported, "Ogun Surpassed revenue target despite challenges, says Amosun;" while the Nation newspaper reported with the headline, "Amosun: diversification boosts Ogun IGR by 97 per cent."
This is a disturbing trend. We therefore hope that you would use your good offices to ensure that professional standards and integrity, for which the Vanguard newspapers, has come to be known over the years, are sustained.
Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the brutal jihadist murder of a priest, the latest in a string of attacks.
More than 100 Muslims were among the 2,000 faithful who packed the 11th-century Gothic cathedral of Rouen, near the Normandy town where two jihadi teenagers slit the throat of 85-year-old Father Jacques Hamel.
“I thank you in the name of all Christians,” Rouen Archbishop Dominique Lebrun told them. “In this way you are affirming that you reject death and violence in the name of God.”
A few policemen and soldiers stood guard outside but did not conduct searches, seeking to reassure a jittery population after the second jihadist attack in less than a fortnight.
In the southern city of Nice, where a jihadist carried out a rampage in a truck on July 14, claiming 84 lives, local imam Otaman Aissaoui led a delegation of Muslims to a Catholic mass.
“Being united is a response to the act of horror and barbarism,” Aissaoui said.
Notre Dame church in southwestern Bordeaux also welcomed a Muslim delegation, led by the city’s top imam, Tareq Oubrou.
“It’s an occasion to show (Muslims) that we do not confuse Islam with Islamism, Muslim with jihadist,” said Reverend Jean Rouet.
Muslims were responding to a call by the French Muslim council CFCM to show “solidarity and compassion” over the priest’s murder on Tuesday.
Said a woman wearing a beige headscarf who sat in a back pew at a church in central Paris: “I’m a practising Muslim and I came to share my sorrow and tell you that we are brothers and sisters.”
Giving her name only as Sadia, she added softly: “What happened is beyond comprehension.”
At the Saint Leger church in the northern city of Lens, around 30 Muslims attended mass wearing T-shirts emblazoned with messages such as, “Terrorism has no religion or identity”.
Father Hubert Renard told the congregation: “We are not alone; our Muslim brothers are here too.”
Many were moved to tears during the sign of peace, a regular part of the liturgy when the faithful turn to greet each other in the pews, either shaking hands or kissing.
Muslims also attended Catholic masses in Italy, notably at Rome’s Santa Maria di Trastevere church, in response to a call by the Sant’Egidio community known for its international mediation efforts. Other joint services were held in Milan, Naples and Palermo, Sicily.
The killing of Father Hamel fanned fears of religious tensions in France and renewed recriminations over perceived security lapses.
Both of the 19-year-old attackers — Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean — had been on the intelligence services’ radar and had tried to go to Syria.
– Jihadist’s cousin charged –
Prime Minister Manuel Valls called Sunday for a new “pact” with the Muslim community in France, Europe’s largest with around five million members.
Also Sunday, dozens of prominent Muslims published a joint letter pledging: “We, French and Muslim, are ready to assume our responsibilities.”
Meanwhile a Syrian refugee who was taken in for questioning after a photocopy of his passport was found at Kermiche’s house has been released, a source close to the investigation said.
“Nothing suggests he had any involvement” in the attack, the source said.
However Petitjean’s 30-year-old cousin was charged on Sunday with “criminal association in connection with terrorism”, the Paris public prosecutor said.
The suspect, named as Farid K., “was fully aware of his cousin’s imminent violent action, even if he did not know the precise place or day,” the prosecutor said in an earlier statement.
Media reports say Petitjean and Kermiche met through the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
By Tony Ubani Elegant Table Tennis star, Funke Oshonaike would lead out Team Nigeria at the Opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics, at the Maracana stadium on Friday, August 5.Oshonaike
The graceful and stylish ping ponger who would be competing in her sixth Olympics is also the assistant Team captain to Mikel Obi who at the weekend was also named captain of the Football team, thereby making him a double captain to the Games.
Funke Oshonaike, no doubt, would treasure to be the flag bearer as marching with her fellow athletes in an opening ceremony is considered by many athletes as the pinnacle of their Olympic journey.
Table Tennis, is indeed, honoured with yet another player, Segun Toriola whose incredible willpower and perseverance sees him as the Nigerian with seven appearances at the Olympics.
The Opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics would also see an athlete take the Olympic Oath during the Opening Ceremony, ”In the name of all the competitors”.
Meanwhile, Seven wrestlers, five females and two males, who remain the hope of the nation in winning medals at the Summer Rio Olympics depart Nigeria today for the Games.
Expectations for medals from the wrestling team is buoyed by the fact that they are handled by one of the very good experienced coaches and a gold medalist in the sport, Daniel Igali.
The wrestlers are(females), Mercy Genesis, Odunayo Adekuruoye, Aminat Adeniyi, Blessing Oborududu and Hannah Reuben as well as two males; Amas Daniel and Soso Tamara.
”If you talk about efforts, we have done well and put in over 100% for this Games. All we need is prayers from our people and luck on the wrestlers”, Igali who won Gold medal for Canada in the Olympic said.
As many sports are complaining of inadequate preparation, Igali said that his wrestlers have been preparing for the Rio Olympics since 2013. ”We’re ready but I’m not making promises”, he modestly said. ”I’ll be happy if they will approve our sparring partners to travel. They’re the ones who keep these wrestlers in tip-top shape”.
Head Coach of the Nigeria Olympic team, Samson Siasia has appointed Chelsea midfield ace John Mikel Obi as captain of the team going into the men's football tournament of the 31st Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Making the announcement on Saturday while meeting with players and other officials, Coach Siasia said the choice of Mikel Obi was automatic as he is the captain of the Super Eagles and also the captain of Team Nigeria to the Games. “It’s just natural for me to pick Mikel as our captain.
John Obi Mikel . AFP PHOTO File photo
Aside the fact that he is the captain of the Super Eagles, he is also Team Nigeria captain, so after meeting with both of them and explaining my position, I am pleased to say Azubuike who has been our captain understood and was happy to hand over the captain's band to Mikel.
“It is a thing of joy for my team to produce the first footballer to captain Team Nigeria to the Olympics. This, to me, is more than gratifying.”
The players unanimously accepted Mikel Obi as their captain and expressed delight at the role he has been playing since he joined the team. On his part, Mikel expressed joy at being made the captain of the Dream Team and said he sees it as an honor that must yield result in Brazil.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria U23 will now depart Atlanta, United States of America for Brazil on Monday, 1st August. The earlier arrangement was for the team to depart for Brazil in batches due to difficulties in securing seats for team, but the Nigeria Football Federation decided against that movement and is now thinking of either getting them to Brazil as a team or chartering a private plane to take the team directly to Manaus, venue of the first team's first match.
The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Ikechukwu Anyene, has confirmed that two Nigerians were killed in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.
Anyene told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Port Harcourt in a telephone interview from Pretoria that the two men were killed on Friday, July 29, at different areas of Johannesburg.
President Muhammadu Buhari and President Jacob Zuma of South-Africa
He said that the first victim, Gideon Ogalaonye, an indigene of Onitsha, Anambra, was allegedly shot dead at 7 p.m. while on a visit to the residence of his daughters.
He said that the second victim, Nnamdi Michael, an indigene of Enugu state, was allegedly stabbed to death by a Zimbabwean national at Yeoville at 8 p.m on the same day.
Anyene said witnesses said the assailant first demanded money from Michael, which was not given and later attempted to forcefully remove his phone.
He said the assailant stabbed the victim, adding that Nigerians at the scene pursued and arrested him.
Anyene said: "The Zimbabwean has been handed over to the police and we will follow the case.
"The two incidents have been reported to the Nigerian mission in South Africa and the South African police.
"The Nigerian community in South Africa are not happy with the killings.
"We urge the Federal government to persuade its South African counterpart to investigate and prosecute incidents of killings of Nigerians in that country.
"We are getting worried about these incessant killings and we want the culprits prosecuted."
NAN recalls that Ikejiaku Chinedu, a 35 year-old Nigerian businessman, was killed on July 26 at Mokopane town, Limpopo Province by operatives of a private security firm.
By Tony Ubani Representatives of Team Nigeria would take the centre stage on Wednesday(August 3) by 10 a.m. when the Mayor of Rio, Eduardo da Costa Paes among other army of dignitaries welcome the largest black populated nation in the world to the Games Village of the Summer Rio Olympics.
Each team from the 206 countries is welcomed to the Village in a special ceremony led by the Village Chieftains as well as athletes and officials of the countries.
Team Welcome Ceremonies are a key occasion for athletes, team officials and their guests. It acknowledges their journey to the Games and marks the start of their residency in the Village.
The brief but impressive ceremony would see all Nigerian athletes in their national colours. The Nigerian Green, White, Green flag would be raised and the national anthem played. President of Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr Habu Gumel who is also a member of International Olympic Committee(IOC), and other Nigerian officials would be in attendance.
Brazilian officials have promised to make sure that the largest athletes’ Village in history provides a comfortable, welcoming and inspiring place for all the competitors. Team Nigeria would be housed in Block 11, occupying four floors with the Nigerian flag fluttering on top of their Block.
In the Village,Technogym has installed a state-of-the-art gym, P&G will be managing a beauty salon and Samsung will provide each athlete with a free smartphone on arrival.
Rangers are back on top of the Nigeria league table after they forced a 1-1 draw in the 'Oriental Derby' against champions Enyimba.
Rangers are now top of the table with 48 points from 28 matches, a point ahead of Wikki Tourists, who lost their leadership after they lost 3-0 at Akwa United, also on Sunday.
Striker Stephen Chukwude gave Enyimba the lead in the 45th minute when he fired home a low, left-footed shot beyond goalkeeper Itodo Akor off an assist by Joseph Osadiaye.
However, moments later Rangers restored parity through Godwin Aguda with a cut-back from Bobby Clement.
In other matches, Shooting Stars defeated Sunshine Stars 2-1, Lobi hammered Warri Wolves 3-0, Plateau upstaged hosts MFM 1-0 and Niger Tornadoes stopped Abia Warriors 2-1.
IfeanyiUbah extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches after they defeated Kano Pillars 2-1, while the match between Rivers United and Ikorodu United was shifted after the Port Harcourt outfit were involved in a road accident.
By LAIDE AKINBOADE-ORIERE Abuja – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday said it has withdrawn the list of recommended candidates for admission earlier sent to the tertiary institutions.
In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, he said the withdrawal is to ensure the university senate perform its statutory responsibility.
?The statement reads ; “This is to ensure that the University Senate perform its statutory responsibility of conducting the selection of candidates and refer it to JAMB for confirmation in line with the admission criteria of merit, catchment and educationally disadvantaged states as directed by the Hon Minister of Education at the policy committee meeting.
“The earlier list was sent to help fast track the process of admission so as to allow other tiers of institutions also conduct their admission.
“Candidates should not panic because this is part of the process of the 2016 admission exercise. JAMB regrets any inconvenience this decision would have caused the tertiary institutions
“The Board regrets any inconvenience it’s proactive step would have caused the tertiary institutions”.
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), yesterday, lamented the rising spate of attack by herdsme?n on farming communities across the country, while it called on the Federal Government to take decisive actions to disarm Fulani herdsmen, so as to stem the growing wave of attack and killings of harmless farmers.
He said “The Synod notes with dismay the prevalent attack on farming communities by Fulani herdsmen in different parts of the country and demand that more decisive actions should be taken by the government to disarm the herdsmen to stem the rising wave of attack and killing of harmless farmers as this is inimical to its desire to diversify our economy through agriculture.” He also called on Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to take a defensive stand against the slaughtering of Christians in the name of protecting their religion, while he urged the three arms of government to guard the constitutional provision of freedom of worship and association enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria and spare the church.
On corruption battle, the church appreciated the efforts of the government, urging the anti-corruption agencies to adopt a strategy that will cut across all arms and tiers of government, agencies and departments with carefully thought out long term institutionalize framework.
The church enjoined well-meaning Nigerians to partner the government for effective result.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the state of Osun has stated that according to a report by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Africa led the global begging troupe with a total aid outflow to Africa in 2013 at $46 billion, only followed by Asia in a distant second with $25 billion.
The governor stated while delivering keynote at the 2016 emancipation celebration of the pan African historical, arts and culture festival (PANAFEST), which held at Cape Coast, Ghana, on Friday July 29, 2016.
The governor who took participants at the event on the historical role the west played in under-developing and subjugating Africa said Africans are not yet totally free as long as she remains the poorest and the biggest beggar region of the world.
On aide being delivered to the continent, Aregbesola stated that ehe figure for Asia topped $25 billon only because Afghanistan alone got a disproportionate amount of $11 billion that year. In Africa, one out of every two persons is poor.
"In a 2015 World Bank estimate of GDP per capita, the average for sub-Saharan Africa is $1,571.3 compared to Middle East and North Africa's $7,342.3, or EU's $31,843.2, North America's monstrous $54,580 and even the world's average of $9995.6. Even then, this average is this high because a few rich countries like Seychelles has per capita income in excess of $25,000 whereas there are poorer countries whose income is less than $400."
The Ogbeni further stated that. "We are not free as long as the continent remains the hotbed of proxy wars between superpowers and now the theatre of religious and ethnic conflicts instigated by the elites and their foreign allies. Freedom and true emancipation must consist in the development of the continent's human and material resources for the benefit of its 1.2 billion people."
