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Organizers of upcoming concert '3 Thrones' have unveiled popular dancehall sensation Timaya as the latest addition to the list of artistes set to perform at the highly anticipated concert holding on the 23rd of October, 2016 at EKO Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The "oracle" (Timaya) will perform alongside the previously revealed headliners; Tiwa Savage, Davido and Phyno as well as the show's "guardians"; veteran DJ Jimmy Jatt and DJ Neptune.
Timaya
Speaking on his inclusion to the list of performers for the concert, Timaya said; "I'm just as excited as my fans are. I'm all for creativity and uniqueness and 3 Thrones embodies these qualities. I urge everyone not to miss this remarkable concert!"
The monarchical themed event is the first of its kind in the history of the Nigerian entertainment industry and promises unforgettable performances from its esteemed line-up of performers.
“First they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me”- Martin Niemoller (1892-1984).
If there were ever a time that Niemoller’s words were appropiate in the Nigerian context, this is it.
The cold claws of persecution, victimisation, terror and marginalisation have certainly taken grip in our nation.
Yesterday it was the politicians, members of the opposition, presiding officers and key members of the National Assembly, dissenters, government critics, bloggers, journalists, Shia Muslims, Christians and carefully selected serving and former military and security personnel. Today it is the judges.
Their homes were raided by hundreds of fully armed DSS commandos between 1.00 and 2.00 a.m.
Their streets were surrounded and sealed up. Their gates and front doors were smashed open and they were forcefully and violently arrested and detained.
Their families and loved ones were traumatised and terrorised.
Their staff and members of their household were held captive, threatened and sent scampering for cover under their beds.
Yet those that suffered these gross violations of their fundamental human rights, civil liberties and indignities were not wily and desperate politicians or hardened miltary men that were fighting and conspiring against the government or plotting a military coup d’etat.
They were not dangerous dissidents or Boko Haram terrorists.
They were not battle-hardened Niger Deltan Avengers or seasoned OPC and IPOB fighters.
They were not members of a dangerous and evil armed cult that were plotting to kill innocent people and they were not a group of radical and desperate secessionists or freedom fighters.
They were not angry students or trade unionists that were planning to block the streets, to stop all movement and activity, to bring the country to a standstill or to burn the nation down.
They were none of these things and included none of these groups or people.
Instead they were all senior and respected members of the Nigerian judiciary.
They included two Supreme Court judges, three Federal High Court judges and a number of others.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state was almost shot dead when he attempted to protect the home of one of the judges in Port Harcourt and stop them from arresting him.
The truth is that we are in trouble in this country. The motherland and all that we hold dear is under attack from the Presidency and government.
When those that are constitutionally charged and empowered to protect us from tyranny and the abuse of power by a violent, and lawless government and its security agencies are themselves under siege all hope is lost.
If the judges cannot protect us and if they themselves have become victims of tyranny then it is time for the people to rise up and resist and fight against our oppressors.
Sons and daughters of Nigeria, we must not give in to fear and we must not be silenced.
We must defend the rights of our people and fight for our homeland.
Now is the time to protest in any way that we possibly can and to take our country back. Now is the time to say “enough is enough!”
If we do not do so we shall be slaves forever. It is our God-given right and sacred duty to resist tyranny in every shape and form.
If nothing else history, scripture and all the Holy Books of the three great faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism teach us that.
Now is the time to shed our fears and to stand up like the true patriots and free men and women that we were born to be and do so.
Now is the time to say “thus far and no further” and to say “no more” and be our brothers keeper.
Now is the time to stop sitting on the fence and acting as if all is well.
If anyone doubts I urge them to kindly consider the following words, titled “A Brief Score Card On “Corrupt” Judges”, which were sent to me by a friend. He wrote,
“Justice Liman gave judgment against Modu Sheriff and that hurt the APC. Justice Liman also restrained INEC from announcing any results or figures howsoever generated or compiled purporting to be result of the re-run election for any or all of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Eleme and Tai Local Government Areas of Rivers State or any part of the re-run election scheduled for March 19, 2016 which election was subsequently suspended or postponed. Justice Liman narrowly missed been “stinged” by the DSS.
Justice Pingina insisted on due process in the Rivers State Governorship election tribunal sittings. He was removed midway during the sitting of the tribunal when APC saw that PDP was having the upper hand. The rest is history. Justice Pingina has just been “stinged” by DSS.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola, a brilliant judge, eldest grandson of a great former CJN of Nigeria, Adetokunbo Ademola was a judge who knew his onions. He came from a tradition.
He could not be pushed around by powers that be. He ordered thrice that Dasuki be released. This did not go down well with Buhari and his government. They disobeyed his orders and concocted a new offence to rearrest Dasuki.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja also in May 26, 2016 dismissed Buhari’s preliminary objection in a suit filed by an Abuja-based legal practitioner Mr. Nnamdi Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe concerning Buhari certificate (WAEC). Justice Ademola has just been “stinged” by DSS.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, a brilliant judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja was the judge who warned DSS to stop disobeying orders of court and told them not to come to his court again if they would not obey court orders. DSS was angry with this.
They wanted to “sting” him but got a wrong name. However, they succeeded in breaking into his house and beating up his brother only for them to look into the paper they had on them to discover that it was not his name that was on the paper. That sure hurt them.
JSCs Ngwuta and Okoro sat on appeals that gave decisions against APC interest. They have just been “stinged” by DSS. Nigeria, I hail thee”.
The author is absolutely right and whichever way the government and its numerous friends seek to spin it there is cause for concern.
Yet sadly it gets worse. The Greek tragic dramatis and philosopher Aeschylus (525 BC – 456 BC) said “in war, truth is the first casualty”.
It is in this context that one has to view the absurd claims by the DSS that massive sums of cash ranging from 2 million USD to hundreds of thousands of euros and pounds sterling were found in the homes of all the judges that were arrested in the early hours of saturday morning.
If anyone honestly believes that such large sums of cash were found in the homes of ANY of those judges then that person needs to have his head examined.
The DSS has to say these outrageous things and tell these shameful lies in order to attempt to justify their illegal actions before the world. It is called disinformation and misinformation and that is their stock in trade.
That is what intelligence and securiry agencies all over the world are paid to do. They destroy their victims before the world with lies and baseless allegations knowing that most Nigerians will believe anything and everything that the government says.
It is sickening and pathetic. In any case nothing can possibly justify the gestapo tactics that the state has employed in this matter.
The storming of peoples homes in the middle of the night and the brutalisation and traumatisation of their families, loved ones and households is archaic and barbaric. And let us be clear: none of the judges were sent letters of invitation before incident.
Worse still the security agencies refused to go through the lawful, acceptable and time-tested route of calling serving members of the judiciary to order which is the issuing of a query to the National Judicial Council before whom they are supposed to present any credible evidence of wrongdoing before criminal proceedings are initiated.
The DSS, and by extension our government, not only ignored due process in this matter but they have also treated the Chief Justice of the Federation and the National Judicial Council with utter disdain and contempt.
May the Living God fill us with His Spirit and grant us courage. May He strengthen and embolden us.
May He guide, lead, protect and deliver us as we move forward to confront the evil that plagues our land and as we speak truth to power.
May He, at the very end, bless our land and grant us victory.
Come November 20, 2016, Nigeria, among other countries, will slug it out on the stage of one of the biggest beauty pageants in the world, Miss Multinational.
This year's edition is to be held in Davao City, Philippines, and Miss Stephanie Korie has been selected to represent Nigeria at the prestigious event.
Stephanie Chinwendu Korie, who hails from Ihittte/Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State, is a HND 2 student of Computer Science at the Abia State Polytechnic. She was also Top 10 in Miss Garden City Beauty Pageant in 2011 and Winner of Miss Imo State Queen Nigeria in 2015.
Some months ago, the media was awash with the news of an alleged rift between singer, B-Red and his more popular cousin, Davido. It was said that B-Red wasn't pleased with Davido's new signee at the time, Mayorkun.
Some reports actually went further to state that B-Red was jealous of Mayorkun. At the time, Davido had also taken to his social media page to rail at his cousin who is signed to HKN Music, that, despite all what he has done for him, the dude has still yet to hug the limelight. It was this rift that reportedly led to Davido setting up a new record label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW).
However, the latest gist is that B-Red allegedly bought his latest song, 'Dele' from an unknown artiste. 'Dele,' a beautiful love song, talks about a guy who falls in love with a girl, and intends to take her home to mama.
According to the peddlers of the new gist, 'Dele' doesn't follow B-Red's style of rap-songs. They also argued that based on his past songs, B-Red does not have the creative expertise to pen such a melodic song.
However, in the course of Showtime's investigations, a source close to B-Red pooh-poohed the claims that B-Red bought the song. In his words, "Music is all about evolution. An artiste that does not grow will not last. After his past efforts, B-Red decided to take a break and re-strategise, and the result is 'Dele.' Even if he bought the song, is that a crime? That is the problem with Nigerians; we are too judgmental without considering facts. International artistes buy songs, and there's no big deal in it. Anyway, a lot of people are already loving the song, and that's what's important."
Controversies have continued to trail the comments of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari in an interview with BBC Hausa-language service broadcast last Friday, where she alleged that cabals had hijacked her husband’s party and that she might not support her husband should he decide to contest the 2019 elections.
President Buhari who is currently on a state visit to Germany has responded to his wife’s claims by saying she belongs to his kitchen and other rooms.
Wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari
However, below is the full transcription of the Hausa version of the interview the First Lady, Aisha Buhari granted BBC Hausa as translated by www.nishadi.tv,.
This is the full text from the interview of Fimrst Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, by BBC Hausa Service:
BBC Hausa: It has been One and a half years since President Muhammadu Buhari came into power, a lot of people are expressing their unhappiness over the way few acquaintance of the President have hijacked power while neglecting people that work for his success. Like we have promised, here is how the interview with Aisha Buhari and Naziru Maka'ilu from Abuja goes.
BBC Hausa: People have goodwill towards President Muhammadu Buhari, especially looking at the things he did before, but since coming into power things have not been working the way they should, what do you thing is the cause?
Aisha Buhari: I am not a government official, but in my opinion as a woman, a mother, what I think is it is well known that the first 4 years are not going to be easy. Firstly, it was people that brought the government into power.
More than half of those people are not appointed into the government. Some people that are not politicians, not professionals were brought into the government. They don't even know what we said we want and what we don't during the campaign. They even come out and say to people we are not politicians, but they are occupying the offices meant for politicians.
Some have parted with their wives, some lost their children lost, some women too have parted with their husbands because of politics, a lot happened during the time. The way things are going I too I am not happy.
We are just starting, we have not finished. Some people that worked for the government have been appointed. But those heading government agencies you can find one fighting his state governor, they contested together during election one in APC while in PDP. BBC Hausa: Who are those doing these kinds of things?
Aisha Buhari: Everybody knows them. Those people should know that people voted singly. Even Buhari too had one vote. Nobody voted 5 times. 15.429 Million People. That one that people are thinking too, he had only some 2 or 3 people. I am pleading to them to have the people at heart and embrace everybody so that we can all move together.
Not even now in 2016 or 17, lot of people are creating divisions within the APC, which is our source of concern. They think they have worked for the government while those appointed some of them had no voter's card. What I fear is uprising of 15.4 million people.
BBC Hausa: Is the President aware some people are subverting his government?
Aisha Buhari: Whether he knows or he do not, those that voted for him knows.
BBC Hausa: But you are the most closest to him, did you tell him?
Aisha Buhari: There is nothing I can tell him, he is seeing things himself. Out of the people he has appointed, take 50, 45 of them I don't know them. Perhaps he doesn't know them too. I have been living with him for 27 years.
BBC Hausa: Do you think there are some people that are dictating to the President things to do, not him?
Aisha Buhari: That is what I am saying, those that know they don't have voters card, they should give chance to those that have, they are the ones that struggled and knows what we want to do. Some of them if you go to a meeting with them they will tell you, we are not politicians, if somebody is wise, they will not accept to take any political office.
They didn't even work for it. Even if you are asked to, you should say it is not my profession. Those places not headed by politicians will cause people discontent.
BBC Hausa: One would wonder to hear you say some people have hijacked the government without him knowing, but who do you think are those people?
Aisha Buhari: I don't know them, I don't know them. I don't know them
BBC Hausa: But some people are calling names, saying 2 or 3 are the ones, do you that as well?
Aisha Buhari: Yes I agree. Because of those appointed apart from Fashola, Ameachi and some others, not much, I don't know them, most of us too don't know them, and he too does not know them
BBC Hausa: One would wonder that Buhari is not the one charge knowing him as a person who had leadership experiences, people would not believe
Aisha Buhari: Yes it is surprising; nobody thought it is going to be like this. But now that it is so.sometimes when one is doing something wrong without him knowing, but when people talk to them, they should listen. Because in the future, whether he is going to contest or not, it is that same people that would vote for APC. We hope those people don't come back, and everybody don't hope so too.
BBC Hausa: You said "Whether he is going to contest in the future or not", has he disclose it to you whether he is standing or not?
Aisha Buhari: He didn't tell me, but I have made up my mind.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he does not know which party his wife, Aisha belongs to.
Buhari made the statement while on a state visit to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany.
Buhari-Aisha
When asked, the AP news agency said Buhari laughed it off and said: "I don't know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room."
Recall that in an interview with BBC Hausa-language service broadcast Friday, Aisha Buhari had said that her husband did not know many top government appointees in his cabinet. She also accused them of not sharing the vision of her husband’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Although she did not mention any names, she however asked people to watch out for them on the television programmes.
Buhari has not said whether he will run again in 2019. but Aisha said, “He is yet to tell me, but I have decided as his wife that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again.”
In his comments to reporters, Buhari also said he hopes his wife will remember that he ran for presidency three times before succeeding on the fourth effort. “So I claim superior knowledge over her and the rest of the opposition, because in the end I have succeeded. It’s not easy to satisfy the whole Nigerian opposition parties or to participate in the government.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday wrapped up a week of Africa diplomacy aimed at slowing the flow of migrants to Europe from a continent battered by conflict and poverty.
She hosted Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, having also met Chad’s head of state Idriss Deby two days earlier following a three-day whirlwind tour of Mali, Niger and Ethiopia, the seat of the African Union.
As Germany, Europe’s top destination for people fleeing war and misery, looks to chair the G20 next year, she has pledged to step up efforts to help Africa and fight the causes of the mass migration.
“I think we will need to take a vastly greater interest in the destiny of Africa,” Merkel said at the start of her first major Africa trip in five years. “The well-being of Africa is in Germany’s interest.”
Data backs up that notion — while most asylum-seekers in Germany so far this year came from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, Germany has also taken in over 13,000 Eritreans and thousands from other African countries.
More than 10,000 came from Nigeria, the oil-rich economic giant now grappling with a plunge in crude prices and the Boko Haram jihadist insurgency that has claimed over 20,000 lives and spilled into Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
At a joint press conference with Buhari, Merkel stressed support for the country’s battle against Boko Haram, but also said that Germany would send back most Nigerians.
She said that while most refugees from war zones like Syria were granted asylum, “the approval rate for people from Nigeria is only eight percent. We presume that most of them came for economic reasons.”
– ‘Life-threatening journeys’ –
Merkel on her three-nation trip repeatedly warned Africans against crossing dangerous deserts and seas for an uncertain future in Europe.
President Buhari and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“Often it’s the young people who head for Europe with completely wrong ideas,” she said in Addis Ababa.
“They risk a life-threatening journey without knowing what’s waiting for them or even whether they’ll be able to stay.”
The best way to stop the mass flight would be to encourage greater stability in their countries of origin, Merkel said, picking up on the theme of an EU-African Summit held in Malta last year.
The list of goals is ambitious — promoting democracy, fighting terrorism and fostering prosperity through investment.
In Mali, Merkel said it was crucial that “African countries don’t lose their brightest minds” needed to develop their own countries.
Merkel said that as chair of the Group of 20, Berlin would next year host a conference on investment in Africa, especially in the transport and energy sectors.
In poverty-stricken Niger, a major migrant transit country, she pledged 10 million euros in military aid and 17 million euros to encourage human traffickers to switch livelihoods.
The aid was relatively modest compared to something on the scale of the “Marshall Plan”, the US’s $12 billion post-WWII assistance to Europe, that President Mahamadou Issoufou called for from the EU.
“Merkel’s trip was mainly a message sent to European and German audiences that said, ‘we are actively doing something’,” to reduce migrant flows, said Annette Weber of the German Institute of International and Security Affairs.
With huge youth unemployment, repression and conflict in many states pushing people to leave home, she said, the migratory pressures were unlikely to stop soon.
– ‘Accommodation centres’ –
Merkel — facing a backlash at home over last year’s huge migrant influx — is also working on more short-term solutions.
Berlin has proposed EU deals with North African countries modelled on the pact the bloc this year struck with Turkey, the main transit country for Middle Eastern migrants.
Under that controversial deal, the EU pledged billions in aid and eased visa access in return for Turkey taking back irregular migrants stranded on Greek islands and fighting traffickers.
The EU Commission has expressed skepticism about trying to apply the costly and uncertain approach in Africa.
Other approaches have also met with mixed success. Germany this year moved to declare Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia as safe countries of origin, to raise the bar for asylum requests.
But the bill has been stuck in the upper house for months over human rights concerns in those Maghreb nations.
On Thursday, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere suggested that migrants rescued at sea should be taken to “accommodation facilities” in north Africa.
“Their need for protection would be verified and we would put into place a resettlement to Europe with generous quotas, fairly divided between the European countries,” he told reporters in Luxembourg.
“The others have to go back to their home countries.
No fewer than 250 youths have been recruited by the Bayelsa government to combat oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the state.
The enlisted youths are to work with the Bayelsa State Oil and Gas Taskforce.
Inaugurating the task force on Friday, Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa said that the aim of the initiative was to meaningfully engage youths in the state in curbing revenue lost from pipeline vandalism.
The governor was represented by his Special Adviser on Oil and Gas, Mr Felix Bonny-Ayah.
Dickson said that securing oil infrastructure against vandalism, bunkering and other anti social vices for the good of the state and the nation was of strategic importance.
He also said that the taskforce would be used to shut down facilities of companies that violate laid down rules.
Dickson, however, warned the new employees not to see their recruitment as an opportunity to acquire wealth.
He also advised them to remain law abiding citizens of the state and the country at large.
The governor assured residents that vandalism and bunkering activities would be completely tackled in the state soon.
"The taskforce will work with security agencies and other relevant bodies saddled with similar responsibility,'' he said.
Mr Tare Porri, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, said he was confident that oil and gas companies in the state would support the move to ensure a safer environment.
Porri urged the task force to be loyal to the course of their operations, adding that the administration was committed to sustaining an economically viable state.
Mr Dao Duc, Head of Trade Office of the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Friday expressed his government's readiness to support Nigeria in the development of its non-oil sector.
Dao, who made the disclosure at the Nigeria-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NVCCI) Stakeholders' Forum in Lagos, advised Nigeria against over-dependence on oil as her revenue earner.
The theme of the forum is "Harnessing Export Strength of Products of Nigeria for Rapid Economic Advancement; Possible Lessons from Vietnam's Experience''.
"Nigeria and Vietnam are friends, and we know the current challenges being faced by Nigeria and this is really giving us concern.
"Oil cannot continue to be Nigeria's mainstay. Vietnam is really ready and interested in working with Nigeria in the development of its non-oil sector resources.
"We are ready to share our know-how and experiences with Nigerians for the development of their non-oil sector,'' he said.
Dao, however, said that it was currently impossible for more Vietnamese companies and investors to invest in Nigeria due to problems of infrastructure and other challenges.
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Beijing, China, Amb. Oluwole Coker said that there was a lot for Nigerians to learn from Vietnam in developing their country's non-oil sector.
Coker enjoined Nigerians to reduce their travelling to Vietnam for just buying and selling, but to visit Vietnam to learn things that would make Vietnamese companies come to establish in Nigeria.
He said that it was imperative for Nigerians to know that Vietnamese had new technologies, discipline and patriotism that they should learn from.
The NVCCI's President, Mr Oye Akinsemoyin, said that Nigeria should learn from Vietnam, which after devastating wars was able to transform her economy from being import-dependent to being export-oriented.
"Vietnam has been able to resourcefully turn itself from poverty to a force to be reckoned with in the Association of South-Eastern Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"She has been able to radically transform its non-oil external trade sector from being import-dependent to being export-oriented within a short period of time.
"Nigeria can choose to learn from Vietnam to be able overcome its current economic situation,'' he said.
The highpoint of the NVCCI's event was the conferment of Award as its Grand Patron on the former External Affairs Minister, Prof.Bolaji Akinyemi.
NVCCI also conferred its Honorary Award on the Chairman of Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), Prof. Pat Utomi.
ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari has laughed off his wife Aisha’s comment that she may not support him if he runs for election come 2019.
President Buhari and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
President Muhammadu Buhari, laughing off the comment, said, his wife the first lady, belongs to his kitchen and that he knows not which party she belongs to.
“I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.”
His comments to reporters in Germany promted German Chancellor Angela Merkel, standing at his side, to give him a short glare and then laughed.
Recall that in an interview with BBC Hausa-language service broadcast Friday, Aisha Buhari had said that her husband did not know many top government appointees in his cabinet. She also accused them of not sharing the vision of her husband’s party, the All Progressives Congress party. Although she did not mention any names, she however asked people to watch out for them on the television programmes.
Buhari, who was a military dictator in the 1980s, was elected in his fourth run at the presidency in 2015 on the back of a coalition that includes former foes and opportunists who abandoned the former governing party of defeated President Goodluck Jonathan.
Buhari has not said whether he will run again in 2019. “He is yet to tell me, but I have decided as his wife that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again,” Aisha Buhari said.
In his comments to reporters, Buhari also said he hopes his wife will remember that he ran for presidency three times before succeeding on the fourth effort. “So I claim superior knowledge over her and the rest of the opposition, because in the end I have succeeded. It’s not easy to satisfy the whole Nigerian opposition parties or to participate in the government.”
Buhari had campaigned on promises to crack down on corruption and turn the tide against the Boko Haram insurgency. His government yesterday announced the first negotiated release of 21 of 218 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014.
However, Nigeria’s northeast faces a famine that threatens to kill tens of thousands of children after Boko Haram disrupted the region’s transportation and farming. Some areas remain dangerous and inaccessible.
Nigeria has also fallen into recession amid slumped oil prices and lost its position as Africa’s biggest petroleum producer as militants attacked pipelines in the south
ABUJA - CITIZENS of Edo state, Friday, have stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) office in Abuja in a peaceful protest, accusing INEC of complexity in the just concluded gubernatorial poll in the state.
Protesters under Coalition of Edo State Youth for Democracy
The protesters, under the aegis of Coalition of Edo State Youth for Democracy, insisted that the result declared by the electoral umpire at the election was not the true reflection of the choice of the people of the state.
They were singing solidarity songs and carrying placards with various inscriptions such as; 'Edo People reject INEC Result', 'INEC no-longer Independent', 'PDP won election in Edo State', 'We Reject Vote Declared by INEC', etc.
However, they were blocked by fierce looking men of the Nigeria Police Force, who claimed that their letter to stage a peaceful protest sent to the force was not approved by the FCT Commissioner of Police, leading to a brief hiccup along the road leading to INEC office in Maitama area.
Speaking at the rally, a member of the Nigeria Youth Parliament, representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Hon. Prosper Iyere said; "We are here today to let fellow Nigerians known that democracy has been murdered, assassinated in Nigeria particularly the Edo state election."
"|The governor has orchestrated and tried to connive with INEC to rig the election without taking the people of Edo State into cognizant."
"They have denied us our votes; election was completely rigged and we are not comfortable with it. We have of course held the series of protests in Edo state, and again we felt we should come to the capital territory Abuja because of the same issue."
"We are marching to INEC office to register our complaint and displeasure and we are going to give them the copy of the petition letter that they should ensure our mandate is restored back to Pastor Iza moje of PDP that is why we are here," he said.
He also said that, "The issue is already in tribunal, and we think very strongly that this protest will also give sense of direction to the tribunal."
"We have a lot of evidences, we have video in CD plate and upon completion we are going to present it to all media houses for them to be guided and see that the election in Edo state was a rigged."
Also speaking, the Edo State People Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Leader, Thaddus Irabor maintained that "It's not good for someone to seat in comfort of his or her room and write the result of the election."
Protesters under Coalition of Edo State Youth for Democracy
"As it is now, democracy is threatened in Nigeria, because people of Edo state will not come out and vote again because they felt they have been cheated and their votes never counted. What is the need for them to come out to vote?"
"If they know they have power to rig the election after primary election declared the person winner, don’t let us waste our resources, don’t allow people to stress themselves to campaign."
"We have our results, each of the unit, we collated our result and it showed that we have won even with landslide Victory. So the result they announced, we don’t know where they got it."
"It's unfortunate that APC have removed the independence on INEC, they are no longer independent. Stealing peoples' mandate is height of corruption, Edo people have been deprived of their right to choose who they want to govern them."
Wales international footballer Ched Evans was found not guilty of rape by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday following a retrial.
Evans, who plays for third-tier Chesterfield, was accused of raping a woman in a hotel room near Rhyl, north Wales, in May 2011.
The 27-year-old was previously found guilty of rape, but the jury was told that the Court of Appeal had quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial.
The verdict, which the jury reached in just three hours after being asked to consider the evidence by trial judge Mrs Justice Nicola Davies earlier on Friday, ended Evans’s five-year fight to clear his name.
“Mr Evans you are discharged and you can leave the dock,” Davies told Evans as she brought the eight-day trial to a close.
Evans was seen crying and hugging partner Natasha Massey, who has been staunch in her support of his case, after the jury foreman read out the verdict.
Ched Evans during his time at Manchester City
From the start, Evans insisted he was innocent of rape, saying he had been invited to “join in” by a fellow footballer in the early hours.
He admitted to having sex with the teenager, and cheating on Massey, also his girlfriend at the time, but always insisted the sex had been consensual.
Defence lawyer Judy Khan QC said Evans answered every single question he was asked by police and that officers would never have known about the sex session had it not been for the footballer’s honesty.
In his defence, Evans said he walked into a hotel room where fellow footballer Clayton McDonald was having sex with the woman, adding McDonald then asked her if he could join in, to which she replied: “Yes.”
Evans was adamant he had consensual sex with the woman before leaving via a fire exit door when he realised he was cheating on his girlfriend.
Prosecutors, however, alleged that the complainant was too drunk to consent.
In her summing up of the evidence, Davies told the jury of seven men and five women that the issue of consent was key to the case, adding that drunken consent was still consent.
“Your decision must be made calmly, objectively and without emotion,” she said. “You are not here to judge the morals of any person in this case and this includes the complainant and the defendant.
Evans and Massey are still in a relationship. They plan to marry and have a nine-month-old son
ABUJA: Claims by the immediate-past governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, that he ran a very lean administration and consequently left billions for his successor, Willie Obiano have been faulted by one of the aides of the ex-governor, Benji Obi, saying his former boss was far from the truth.
Peter Obi
The former Special Assistant on inter-party Affairs to Chief Peter Obi, who spoke during a telephone chat with journalists in Abuja queried his former boss on the use of public funds for private functions. “Who built the first Helipad at the Government House in Anambra for his personal use?
“Peter Obi used helicopters to travel often while he was the governor, and he usually travelled alone or with one trusted aide. It was not a secret within the administrative circles in Awka. When he went to the burial of his wife's sister, he flew in a helicopter. He took off from the Government House”, he said.
The former governor who was an Independence Day guest at a church programme, The Platform, in Lagos had told his audience how he ran Anambra state successfully and left a huge amount of money for the incumbent governor.
"Peter Obi increased the money for his private kitchen at the Government House to N2million monthly and increased the feeding for the Police officers attached to him to N7million monthly”, he alleged saying the increase was never translated to increased feeding
He alleged that his former boss lied when he said he stopped the buffet-styled dinner being served at the Government House.
“What he did was to sack all the previous cooks and butlers and employed over 30 cooks/butlers/stewards from Akwa Ibom and expanded the kitchen budget. The bills are still there. It is verifiable. The Akwa Ibom cooks and stewards were over 20; who were they cooking for? Buffet was always there.
“Peter Obi purchased a bulletproof BMW for his wife and two bulletproof land cruisers for himself. He even bought an additional one for his brother, Damian.
“He was always using private jets to travel as often as any other state governor in Nigeria. The records are there and can be made public.
"Peter Obi should be careful the way he opens his mouth because we can expose him to the public enough to put him behind bars. Obiano does not want to probe him, so he should shut up.
"We have information that he is lobbying to avoid being probed. What he does not know is that President Buhari is a no-nonsense person. He does not take kindly to hypocrites and corruption”, he said.
According to Benji Obi, Gov. Willie Obiano has asked Chief Peter Obi for forgiveness for any perceived offence known and unknown to him. "Still Peter Obi goes around talking about the Anambra Governor with disdain. Dr. Chris Ngige did not vilify him the way he is trying to do to Obiano. It is not fair”, he stated.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), yesterday, approved a Special Secondary Market Intervention Retail Sales (SMIS) for airlines operating in the country.
Also, other critical sectors to benefit from the one-off exercise dedicated to the clearance of the backlog of matured Foreign Exchange obligations are raw materials and machineries for manufacturing companies and agricultural chemicals.
This resolution by the apex bank to intervene in the Inter-Bank Forex market through forward settlement is expected to engender market confidence, ensure access to Forex by the airlines to settle their obligations and sustain the integrity of the Nigerian Inter-Bank Foreign Exchange market.
The import of this peculiar exercise is that the CBN will not apply the relevant provisions under clause 2.4.3 (i) of its Revised Guidelines for the Operation of the Nigerian Inter-Bank Foreign Exchange Market which provides that "all SMIS bids shall be submitted to the CBN through the FXPDs". Consequently, CBN shall receive bids from all the Authorized Dealers.
The CBN will also not apply the relevant provisions under clause 2.4.3 (i) of the Guidelines which provide that "Spot Forex sold to any particular end-user shall not exceed 1% of the overall available funds on offer at each SMIS session".
According to the CBN, “Whereas the bids are on Spot Forex basis as the Authorized Dealers' accounts with the CBN will be debited in full for the Naira equivalent of the USD bid amount, the CBN will settle the bids through forward settlements of 2 months. Customers that are not willing to accept the settlement terms have been advised not to participate in this Special SMIS – Retail.”
Reacting to the development, Minister of State for Aviation has described the special intervention by the Central Bank as a great relief for airline operators in the country who have complained bitterly over their inability to access the required Foreign Exchange to settle their backlog of obligations and which has adversely affected their operations.
According to the Minister, the Aviation Sector is so critical to the nation's security and global image that it cannot be overlooked or toyed with, saying that the apex bank has taken the right decision that would not only strengthen existing airlines, but also inspire confidence in aspiring operators in Nigeria's aviation industry.
It will be recalled that Senator Sirika at a recent meeting with members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) promised to take up the issues with the authorities of the Bank after the operators had complained of lack of access to Forex, with many of them on the verge of folding up.
Controversies have continued to trail the comments of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari in an interview with BBC Hausa where she said cabals had hijacked Buhari’s government.
However, below are five takeaways from the said interview that has left some people’s mouths wide open in astonishment.
1] "Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position."
2] "The president does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years."
3] "You will know them [the people who hijacked Buhari's government] if you watch television."
4] "I have decided as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again."
Members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have suspended their five-day warning strike.
The doctors had on Wednesday commenced the strike to protest what they called insensitivity of the management to their plight and payment of half salaries to members.
The doctors are demanding that the hospital management must respect agreements reached over full lateral implementation of skipping and payment of outstanding salaries.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the hospital on Friday, however, observed that full medical services were ongoing and resident doctors were sighted attending to patients.
Dr Mashor Mbwas, the Public Relations Officer of the association, confirmed the suspension of the strike.
According to him, the industrial action was suspended following the intervention of some prominent Nigerians who prevailed on the management to make some commitments as regards the demands of the doctors.
He said that his members had since resumed at their respective duty posts in the hope that the management would honour its own part of the agreement.
Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of UCH, Mr Deji Bobade, said that the management would continue to explore all avenues to ensure peaceful co-existence in the hospital.
Abuja – The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has issued a 7-day ultimatum to department stores in the Federal Capital Territory to withdraw all Genetically Modified (GM) food items from their shelves.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Rufus Ebegba, gave the ultimatum in Abuja on Friday during a meeting with department store operators in the FCT.
Ebegba said the move was in line with the mandate of the agency to ensure safety of human health and the environment.
The director general said the agency would not hesitate to shut down or prosecute the management of any departmental store that failed to abide by the directive or contravened its Act.
He said that the meeting was to intimate the operators on the provisions of the Act establishing the agency so that they would not feign ignorance of it.
"This is in line with the Act of the agency to refocus Nigeria in the area of modern biotechnology practice to ensure proper regulation for safety of human consumption and the environment.
According to him, no GMO should be in any of the supermarket stores, either labelled or not, until permits are obtained from the agency.
"We have segmented our meeting with stakeholders particularly those in the food and agriculture sector.
"This meeting is for them to understand that some of their products need to be properly ascertained before they are imported so that they will not run foul of the law.
" We are aware that some of these stores import foods from countries that are already consuming GMs.
"We understand the economic benefits of these stores to the Nigerian economy, especially in the areas of job creation and markets, but we must know that the law is not a respecter of persons.
"The idea that Nigerian laws are not being implemented by government agencies should be ruled out of this.
"NBMA will not make the mistake in the enforcement of this. We are very serious about this,'' he said.
Ebegba said the agency was currently working with the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS) to ensure that permits were adequately issued.
Mr Umar Yahaya, the Customer Service/Surveillance Manager of NEXT Cash and Carry Mall, appealed to the agency to provide guidelines for the permit to enable operators comply with the laws.
Yahaya, who declined further comments, said that appropriate measures would be taken by the management of the store.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that representatives from Shoprite, a South African-based chain stores operating across the country also attended the meeting.
Some businessmen in Lagos on Thursday expressed hope that the economy would soon rebound as the Nigerian currency continues to appreciate in all the major segments of the forex market.
In separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos, they called on their fellow businessmen to exercise patience and do all it could to salvage the Naira.
Mr Uche Mba, a motorcycle spare-parts dealer noted that the appreciation of the Naira at the forex market was gradually breeding calm in the economy.
According to him, the development will sooner than later lead to price stability of goods and services. Mr Obi Edwards, an importer of gas cylinders said that the liquidity challenge in sourcing forex was already reducing as most Bureau De Change (BDC) operators were selling forex.
Edwards expressed the hope that if the situation continued unabated, it would reduce the fluctuation in the prices of goods and services.
Mrs Stella Shogunle, a dealer in female handbags, said that it was good news that the Naira had continued to appreciate at the forex market for about three weeks.
She called for patriotism from all Nigerians to ensure that currency speculators do not thwart the wind of progress in the forex market.
The Naira on Thursday continued to hedge against the dollar in all the major segments of the forex market. At the parallel market, the Naira closed at N460 to the dollar, from N468 it posted on Wednesday, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro traded at N560 and N510 respectively.
About 1, 700 BDCs in Lagos and Abuja sold dollar at N380, controlled rate, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro exchanged at N558 and 500, respectively.
The Naira closed at N304.50 at the official interbank market, maintaining same rate as at Wednesday.
Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) called on all genuine forex buyers to purchase it from its members at the official price.
Gwadabe called on currency hoarders to sell the forex at their disposal as the naira was steadily on its way to full recovery
