Update: All boys rescued out of Thai cave
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the football teams coach ekkapol chantawong was waiting to be brought out1 abcsaid the last person to leave the cave ledge would be australian1 this story has transfixed the world1

El-Zakzakys trial: Police ban processions in Kaduna
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the kaduna state police command has announced total ban on all processions ahead of the trial of shia leader ibrahim el-zakzaki on wednesday1 a statement issued tuesday by the command spokesman dsp mukhtar aliyu said there would be heavy deployment of security personnel to safeguard the general public1 he said residents should be extra vigilant of their environment persons around them activities of suspicious persons so as to prevent miscreants disturbing the peace1 the law abiding people of kaduna state are to note that adequate security has been put in place for a hitch free court appearance1 he said that part of the strategy put in place would be traffic diversion on independence way bida road and all roads leading to ibrahim taiwo road1 aliyu stressed that the ban on all forms of processions or demonstrations in the state was still in force and the police would deal with any person or group that violates the ban1 the kaduna state police command uses this medium to call on the general public to report suspicious activities or persons around them to the nearest security agency he added1

Obasanjo in cameo appearance at PDP rally
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former nigerian president olusegun obasanjo on monday made a cameo appearance atthe rally of oladipupo adebutu one of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the peoples democratic party in ogun state1 adebutu who represents remo federal constituency in the house of representatives and his supporters were at the rally held within the olusegun obasanjo presidential library when the former president arrived in his toyota jeep in a convoy of other cars1 this threw the supporters into jubilation as obasanjo alighted from the vehicle1 the former president who is also an in-law to the aspirant said i am just passing by and decided to say hello and wish you well1 immediately he extended his pleasantries he jumped into the jeep and he left with the convoy of cars in his trail to his residence situated within the premises1 obasanjo had reiterated that he had quit partisan politics when he established his coalition for nigeria movement which later fused into the african democratic congress1 he however said his doors remained open for consultations by all nigerians who shared his views of a united country1 before the rally adebutu had earlier visited the alake and paramount ruler of egbaland oba adedotun gbadebo in his palace to seek the monarchs support and blessing1 he was accompanied on the visit by some pdp chieftains in the state and he had earlier donated electricity transformers to four communities in the abeokuta metropolis1 reported by punch1

Outcry in FRCN over poor working conditions
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we should be ashamed of ourselves being a federal government establishment that is supposed to set the pace for state and private broadcasting houses to follow suit he said1 it was a day of reproof in the federal radio corporation of nigeria frcn as staff members across the country protested lingering and unbearable working conditions1 members of staff trooped out in black outfits to register their protest1 some of the workers demands included replacement of obsolete equipment and operational vehicles1 others were payment of outstanding allowances expansion of manning levels to enhance promotion of staff regular training for optimum performance as well as improved staff welfare1 mr nofiu busari the chairman of the nigeria union of journalist nuj frcn ibadan chapter said the essence of the peaceful protest was to draw attention to the state of facilities in the organisations stations across the country1 busari said the protest was being held simultaneously across all frcn stations in the country1 we want the federal government to hearken to our plea. our facilities are over 16 years old1 no doubt salaries are being paid as at when due but we want to justify what we are being paid for1 members of staff are using their personal funds to facilitate the running of frcn and this must stop he said1 adewunmi faniran the chairman of the state council of the nuj in oyo state said there was an urgent need for government intervention in redressing the challenges facing the organisation1 we are the hen laying the golden egg and as such shouldnt be killed. weve realised that they are eating both the hen and egg1 nan von nta frcn and others need help. that they are not talking doesnt mean all is well in their operations. they are suffering in silence1 all equipment here at frcn are obsolete they are nothing to write home about. in ibadan here there are over 20 media outfits1 we are operating in a competitive environment but with little or no facilities to aid production. we have equipment here in ibadan that had been in use since the 80s and 90s1 we want the government without delay to look into our needs and i must emphasise that this protest is not targeted at anyone but for the benefits of members of staff said faniran who is also a member of staff1 mrs bolanle owoyemi deputy director marketing on behalf of the management commended the workers for the peaceful protest saying it was for the good of all members of staff of frcn1 she said that the director was away to the abuja headquarters of the organisation over the issues raised1 the management is on top of the development and a meeting is scheduled for today in abuja over this matter1 no management wants a down turn in operations everyone wants a good working environment and i believe everything will be put back in place as soon as possible she said1 in akure workers in the organisation also embarked on a peaceful protest at the poor working conditions and obsolete equipment1 the chairman of frcn akure chapel mr john ebiofini said no improvement had been made on the equipment at the station since its debut 16 years ago1 ebiofini said the equipment at the station could not cover the nooks and crannies of the state1 today due to deplorable condition of our outdated equipment we cannot boast of covering ondo state where we are located1 the protests spread through abuja ibadan akure enugu kaduna and other stations as the aggrieved staffers bared their grievances at the organisations operations1 similarly the chairman of the radio and television theatre and arts workers union at the station mr gabriel afolabi said the protest was to send signals to the federal government through the management1 there is a big one ahead unless it does everything possible to avert that before the 21-day ultimatum ends he said1 also speaking the nuj chairman in the state mr james sowole urged the federal government to send a delegation to assess the deplorable condition under which the workers were carrying out their duties1 sowole described frcn as a leading radio station in the country which must not be allowed to collapse due to obsolete equipment and poor working conditions1 at the same time their colleagues shut down the kaduna station staff at the frcn in abuja staged a protest against non payment of their allowances and insurance levy1 all of them wearing black clothes the workers decried poor treatment of the corporation and its staff by the federal government1 we dont have power and water in the building. we have not been paid our transport allowances and arrears since 2010 we dont even have insurance the worker said1 also no seats in the office reporters dont have office equipment like midgets staff are to buy equipment and fund assignments themselves without getting paid. we also dont have office materials like papers to print in the office1 the radio television theatre and arts workers union rattawu secretary in the office ishaku musa said that the situation at the headquarters was bad beyond control1 we are mourning today and the protest is tagged black monday. things have gone bad beyond control when you look at the staff welfare it is nothing to write home about he said1 the working condition at frcn is something that you can never agree that frcn is like this. when you look at the staff themselves they dont have working materials they dont have seats to use in the offices. most of the allowances are not being paid and that is why we have called for this black monday and started this protest mr musa said1 the permanent staff have not been paid since 2010 their t1 mr musa also complained that frcn does not use the in-house training certificate in promotions1 talking about training and retraining of staff we are facing a serious problem in that sector. we have frcn training school in lagos which has now been changed to national broadcast academy. within our operation the management does not recognise it as a step for promotion. only the outside broadcast recognise the academys certificate1 similarly the financial secretary of rattawu frcn headquarters adaora nzekwe said staff of private stations that go for training at the school were getting promoted by their organisations1 they would ask you to go but you wont get your payment. they would hold you for that whole period that you would be there some of the programmes are meant to hold for four to eight weeks but when you go you are meant to receive your feeding and accommodation allowance before going1 at times you go there and getting back one year two years you have not gotten your money back after you have spent your own personal money doing that which is not supposed to be so1 asked if the union served any notice before embarking on the peaceful protest musa said it notified the management and got the go ahead with conditions that it must be a peaceful protest without destruction of any government property1 musa said that the director-general mansur liman addressed the protesters and told them to exercise patience stating that the problem was coming from the federal government and something would be done about it1 protesting staff in the premises of the frcn headquarters radio house abuja1 he said liman told them president muhammadu buhari had publicly promised to do something about their complaints saying with time the equipment would be replaced with digital tools as in use by other fm stations in the country1 efforts to reach the director-general but his special adviser haruna idris directed our reporter to get the full statements from the union1 premium times contributed to this article1

May appoints Jeremy Hunt as new foreign minister
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reutersnan2 british prime minister theresa may appointed jeremy hunt as foreign minister on monday after predecessor boris johnson resigned in protest at the governments plans for a close trading relationship with the european union1 while johnson was one of the most high-profile brexit campaigners hunt backed remain during the 2016 referendum campaign1 hunt told lbc radio in october 2017 however that he had changed his mind on the issue in part because of what he said was disappointing arrogance in the eus behavior during negotiations1 last month hunt said it was inappropriate for businesses like airbus to issue warnings about moving jobs because of brexit and that they should instead be getting behind may in her push for a good deal on leaving the eu1 huge honour to be appointed foreign secretary at this critical moment in our countrys history he said in a tweet after his appointment1 the appointment of hunt the long-serving health minister sees a close may ally replace the maverick johnson and could alter the brexit balance of mays top ministerial team1 hunt 51 had served as health minister for more than 5-12 years the longest term of any in the history of the state-funded national health service weathering doctors strikes public discontent with funding levels and other challenges1 hunt said it was a massive wrench for him to leave the department adding i know some staff havent found me the easiest health sec1 matt hancock replaced hunt as health secretary while attorney general jeremy wright was appointed as minister of digital culture media and sport hancocks old job1 mays office said geoffrey cox would be the new attorney general1 time to back our pm to get a great brexit deal its now or never1

Kenyatta like Buhari, seeks return of looted funds
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source63 desperate to recover stolen wealth president uhuru kenyatta of kenya has taken after president muhammadu buhari clamouring for repatriation of loots stashed overseas1 kenyatta and his visiting swiss counterpart mr. alain berset on monday in nairobi oversaw the signing of an agreement that clears the way for the recovery of assets1 these assets were acquired through corruption and crime in kenya and stashed in foreign countries1 the agreement called a framework for the return of assets from corruption and crime in kenya fracck is also supported by the united kingdom and the jersey island1 it would create a mechanism for kenya to recover money stolen by corrupt individuals and hidden in the three countries switzerland the united kingdom and jersey island1 buhari african union au anti-corruption czar has led the way for other african countries to fight corruption in its facets1 the framework which is in line with the united nations convention against corruption provides the principles to guide the recovery of stolen assets1 in the spirit of the global forum on asset recoverys principles for disposition and transfer of confiscated stolen assets in corruption cases returns should proceed in a transparent and accountable manner with the mutual consent of both kenya and the partner offering the return said the new agreement 1 to avoid complications of asset recovery the framework says that recovery should follow executable judgments1 a steering committee comprising the executive office of the president the attorney general the national treasury the assets recovery agency ethics and anti-corruption agency and envoys or representatives representing the partner countries will be established to implement the deal1 the agreement also has a provision to allow other nations willing to cooperate with kenya in the recovery of stolen assets to join1 kenyatta said the signing of the agreement at state house in nairobi was part of his resolve to eliminate corruption in the country1

UN to reactivate Peace Committee ahead of Nigerias 2019 polls
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the un chief noted the preparedness for the 2019 presidential election and other political developments in nigeria1 as nigerias 2019 general election draws near the un said there is the need to reactivate the national peace committee which played critical roles in ensuring a peaceful 2015 presidential election1 the national peace committee followed the signing of the abuja peace accord on jan. 14 2015 by former president goodluck jonathan of the peoples democratic party then all progressives congress candidate muhammadu buhari and other presidential candidates1 the committee comprised of respected statesmen and women traditional and religious leaders who include former head of state gen. abdulsalam abubakar bishop mathew kukah and alhaji saad abubakar iii sultan of sokoto1 guterres said his special representative for west africa and the sahel mohammed chambas continued to support efforts to sustain peace in the region by promoting and supporting inclusive national political dialogues constitutional and democratic reforms and transparent credible and peaceful election1 the un chief said cognizant of the politically active environment ahead of the nigerian polls in 2019 he conducted consultations with political and religious leaders in abuja from 18 to 21 march1 national stakeholders concurred on the need for the full reactivation of the national peace committee of nigeria which had been instrumental in facilitating dialogue prior to the countrys elections in 20151 through the peace accord the candidates committed to take proactive measures to prevent electoral violence before during and after the elections1 they also expressed determination to avoid any conduct or behaviour that will endanger the political stability and national security of nigeria to place national interest above personal and partisan concern1 they further reaffirmed their commitment to fully abide by all rules and regulations as laid down in the legal framework for elections in nigeria1 un secretary-general antonio guterres stated this in the report of the secretary-general on the activities of the united nations office for west africa and the sahel unowas presented to the un security council1 he said in nigeria political developments centred on preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections set to take place in february 20191 on 9 april the president muhammadu buhari declared his intention to run for a second term. former vice-president atiku abubakar also announced his candidacy for the presidential election1 a demand made by the house of representatives in april following an increase in violence in the middle belt and the north of the country to dismiss national service chiefs and security advisers has not been carried out1 in addition the decision of the national assembly to summon mr buhari to provide a briefing on the increased insecurity in the country prompted a debate on whether the legislature had such power over the executive1 guterres noted the not too young to run bill which would reduce the age limits set for candidates for elected positions and the adoption of the electoral act amendment which would regulate the general elections1 on security trends guterres said asymmetrical attacks were carried out by boko haram terrorists against security forces local authorities and civilians in nigeria and other west african state1 the un chief said extremist armed groups continued to harass civilians carry out targeted abductions or killings burn down schools and threaten teaching staff1 in nigeria multiple clashes between farmers and herders in the middle belt states as well as in the southern states of edo ebonyi and kogi resulted in numerous casualties population displacement and destruction of property1 guterres also noted the continued protests by the islamic movement in nigeria over the detention of its leader decreased violence in the niger-delta and southeast regions and militant groups threat to resume attacks1

Trump nominates Kavanaugh for Supreme Court
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judge kavanaugh will protect our religious liberties uphold the rule of law and interpret the constitution as it was originally understood by our founders trump said1 u.s. president donald trump has announced the nomination of judge brett kavanaugh a conservative federal court of appeals judge to the supreme court1 trump while announcing kavanaugh said one of the most profound responsibility of the president of the united states selection of a supreme court justice1 i often heard that other than matters of world peace this is the most important decision a president would make1 the supreme court is entrusted with the safeguard of the crown juror of our republic the constitution of the united states1 the u.s. president paid glowing tribute to justice kennedy for a lifetime of distinguished service to the u.s. and for his assumption of senior status1 he said in nominating kavanaugh he took into account a judge who would not allow his political views affect the interpretation of the u.s. constitution1 trump explained what informed his selection i do not ask about a nominees personal opinions1 what matters is not a judges political views but whether they can set aside such views those to do what the law and the constitution require1 he said kavanaugh had earned a reputation as a brilliant jurist with impeccable legal credentials and universally respected for his intellect as well as his ability to persuade and build consensus1 kavanaugh a judge of the u.s. court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit would fill the supreme court vacancy created by justice anthony kennedys retirement1 he pointed that this was the second time he would be faced with this task of nominating a u.s. supreme court judge1 in 2017 trump nominated justice neil gorsuch to the supreme court saying he knew gorsuch would be a faithful servant of the u.s. constitution1 the nomination of kavanaugh came after a selection process marked by a historic public disclosure of a list of 25 highly qualified potential nominees to the supreme court1 kavanaugh has served as a judge on the u.s. court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit since 2006 authoring more than 300 opinions including 11 that have been affirmed by the supreme court1 before becoming a judge he served in the george w. bush administration first as an associate counsel and then senior associate counsel and subsequently as assistant to the president and staff secretary1 a graduate of yale college and yale law school judge kavanaugh clerked on the supreme court for justice kennedy and for judges on the third and ninth circuit courts of appeals1 kavanaugh thanked trump for the nomination and vowed to interpret the constitution as written1 however kavanaugh faces a bruising battle in the senate which voted 54-45 in april 2017 to approve gorsuch1 senate liberals know that we have the opportunity to reshape the supreme court for an entire generation and they are ready to obstruct and unleash a smear campaign against our nominee trump said1

Kalu berates Buharis accusers
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he told the czech ambassador that his friendship with nigeria goes beyond his stay in the country. we will remain friends after your departure1 the former governor of abia state orji uzo kalu has berated those accusing president muhammadu buhari of not doing enough to stop the killings in some parts of the country1 leaders should stop backbiting about the killings and all the rest of it. killing is not a good process no president would want to see his people dying1 president buhari has taken a new step he was in benue and plateau the other time he is committed to make sure that this killing stop he said1 kalu condemned the unwarranted killings when he spoke at a party in honour of the outgoing czech ambassador to nigeria mr pavel mikes in abuja1 the all progressive congress apc chieftain described the killings as a big challenge for the country after the federal government defeated the boko haram1 it is embarrassing to see human beings killing their fellow human beings. it is not acceptable by anyone created by god he said1 it is embarrassing when some people accuse the president of supporting one group to kill another. it is not possible for anyone directly elected by the people1 he also thanked the envoy for his efforts as dean of european diplomatic corps in ensuring that all levels of government in nigeria maintain rule of law1 when government fails to put rule of law as an instrument that can be of a great change is a problem because rule of law is more important1 it is a software of a democratic process. once you have the software right the hardware will also be right he said1 kalu expressed appreciation to the european union for ensuring that nigerias democracy stands1 in his remarks the outgoing czech ambassador described nigeria as a great complex county and that he enjoyed every moment of his five-year duty tour in nigeria1 mikes extolled the virtues of the former abia governor saying he is passionate about the future of nigeria working hard to promote the country in the world1 he is a man for whom nigeria lies dearly in his heart and does everything possible to improve the lives of nigerians1

Hope diminishes for Brexit as senior negotiator resigns
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in his resignation letter davis said the common rule book policy hands control of large swathes of our economy to the eu and is certainly not returning control of our laws in any real sense1 britains hope of exiting the european union has been dealt a big blow with david davis the most senior official in charge of the negotiation resigning two days after prime minister theresa may announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government to support the plan1 his resignation sunday night undermined mays already fragile government which has lost several ministers in the past year over sexual misconduct allegations and other scandals1 davis was a strong pro-brexit voice in a cabinet divided between supporters of a clean break with the bloc and those who want to keep close ties with britains biggest trading partner1 the staunchly pro-brexit conservative lawmaker andrea jenkyns tweeted fantastic news. well done david davis for having the principal and guts to resign1 jenkyns said steve baker a junior minister in the brexit department had also quit. there was no immediate comment from baker1 less than nine months remain until britain leaves the bloc on march 29 2019 and the eu has warned britain repeatedly that time is running out to seal a divorce deal1 on friday davis and the rest of mays fractious cabinet finally agreed on a plan for future trade ties with the eu1 may is due to brief lawmakers monday on the plan hammered out during a 12-hour meeting at chequers the prime ministers country retreat1 it seeks to keep the u.k. and the eu in a free-trade zone for goods and commits britain to maintaining the same rules as the bloc for goods and agricultural products1 some brexit-supporting lawmakers are angry at the proposals saying they will keep britain tethered to the bloc and unable to change its rules to strike new trade deals around the world1 davis who was brexit secretary told may in a letter that the governments proposals for future trade ties with the bloc will leave us in at best a weak negotiating position and possibly an inescapable one1 he said he was worried the governments negotiating approach would lead to further demands for concessions from brussels1 it seems to me that the national interest requires a secretary of state in my department that is an enthusiastic believer in your approach and not merely a reluctant conscript he wrote1 in a letter to davis may disagreed with his characterization of her plans saying the deal she seeks will undoubtedly mean the returning of powers from brussels to the united kingdom1 daviss resignation could embolden brexit-supporting conservative lawmakers to challenge mays leadership1 conservative lawmaker jacob rees-mogg a leader of the partys hard brexit faction compared mays plan to an egg so softly boiled that it isnt boiled at all1 a very soft brexit means that we havent left we are simply a rule-taker he said1 some brexiteers dream of replacing may with a staunch brexiteer such as foreign secretary boris johnson who in the past has disagreed publicly with his boss1 johnson has not commented publicly since friday. but some senior pro-brexit ministers have backed mays plan1 environment secretary michael gove said sunday that it did not contain everything he wanted but im a realist1 all those of us who believe that we want to execute a proper brexit and one that is the best deal for britain have an opportunity now to get behind the prime minister in order to negotiate that deal he told the bbc1

Your votes will count, INEC assures Ekiti electorate
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be assured that no election material will be tampered with if anything we have introduced additional safeguard measures of transparency to protect the integrity of our manual and electronic processes as well as procedures he said1 by ariwodola idowuopeyemi gbemiro1 yakubu spoke at a stakeholders meeting held on monday in ado-ekiti which had in attendance some of the gubernatorial candidates and their party officials1 he said the commission had trained all the ad hoc staff required for the election while it had made adequate arrangements for the delivery of personnel and materials to all polling units1 i wish to assure you that the choice of who becomes the next governor of ekiti state is strictly in the hands of ekiti people1 please take my words your votes will count only the choice made by the ekiti people will determine the outcome of the election1 we have listened to the views and concerns expressed by different political parties and their campaign organisations1 please note that the commission would not take any action to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate1 ahead of saturdays governorship election in ekiti prof. mahmood yakubu the chairman of the independent national electoral commission inec has assured the electorate that their votes will count1 the inec boss added that three national commissioners and five resident electoral commissioners had been deployed in the state1 also speaking the inspector general of police ibrahim idris said the force had put in place adequate security measures to tackle those who may want to disrupt the exercise1 idris said the a security cordon was in place to check intrusion from the neigbouring states of kogi osun ondo oyo and kwara1 he warned that anyone caught fomenting trouble in any part of the state would be made to face the consequences no matter how highly placed1 idris also warned politicians and their followers against attempting to bribe any of the police officers on election duty saying adequate arrangements had been made for their welfare1 dont arm your thugs dont wear party insignia to voting venues dont blow siren dont ignore restriction order on human and vehicular movements dont bribe any policeman1 dont attempt to steal votes or manipulate the process. whoever that does any of these will be made to face the consequences he said1 nan reports that high point of the event was the signing of a peace pact agreed to by the candidates1

PDP leads CUPP Alliance to battle APC in 2019 elections
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in an imitation of the formation of the all progressives congress in 2014 the opposition peoples democratic party pdp today cobbled up together a loose alliance of about 30 political associations in readiness for the 2019 elections2 the new group a replay of the alliance that toppled the jonathan administration was christened coalition of united political parties cupp at a meeting at the shehu musa yaradua centre in abuja on monday2 it was not clear whether they were going to seek inec registration to run on the cupp platform as the alliance of acn cpc and anpp did in 20142 however the collaborating partiessigned a memorandum of understanding mou with the aims of defeating president muhammadu buharis all progressives congress apc at the centre states and the legislature2 pdp national chairman uche secondus former vice president atiku abubakarformer senate president david mark and chairman of the so-called r-apc buba galadima were also present at the meeting2 leaders of president olusegun obasanjo-backed african democratic congress adc social democratic party of nigeria sdp national conscience party ncp labour party and a host of other newly registered parties were in attendance2 that the new group was the brainchild of the pdp was not in doubt as the party summoned all its presidential aspirants former ministers and legislators to attend what it called a crucial meeting at the shehu musa yaradua centre in abuja2

2019: Group drums support for Okories governorship ambition in Ebonyi
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by douglas okoro3 we are committed to positive change in our state and we want every eligible adult voter to be part of the change we all need by participating in choosing who becomes the next governor of the state igwe added1 okorie is among leading apcs contenders for the governorship position in 20191 the group coordinator mr boniface igwe made declaration at a briefing in abakaliki on monday1 igwe said that the group would throw its weight behind okorie if given his partys nomination1 he said that the groups support for okories emergence was predicated on his leadership track record and achievements as a commissioner in the state1 igwe said that the group is non partisan but that it is committed to promoting and entrenching good leadership and qualitative governance in all aspects of political leadership1 he noted that okories leadership prowess manifested during his tenure as the general manager of the ebonyi water corporation where he made epileptic public water supply regular and uninterrupted1 igwe said that the apc governorship aspirant demonstrated similar sterling leadership quality when he was appointed as commissioner for works and transportation under gov. sam egwu led-administration1 he also said that former gov. martin elechi appointed okorie as the pioneer commissioner for environment which was created by the administration1 forum for good leadership in ebonyi fgle has declared support for dr paul okorie the all progressives congress apc governorship aspirant in ebonyi1 okorie has demonstrated these qualities because of his achievements in those sectors that he had presided over1 the edifice housing the offices of ebonyi ministry of water resources was built by okorie as a general manager of the defunct ebonyi water corporation1 he also built the works and transportation office complex as commissioner for works transportation and housing1 we have carried a discreet investigation into the political and leadership credentials of the other governorship aspirants and discovered that okorie is the man fit for the job1 we are appealing to his party apc to field him because he belongs to grassroots and remains the only person who can defeat the incumbent gov. dave umahi1 we are sadden by leadership failure of the ruling peoples democratic party pdp hence our clamour for leadership change igwe said1 he said that the group had embarked on sensitisation in the 13 local government areas to mobilise all eligible electorate to register and obtain their voter cards to enable them to vote1 power belongs to the people hence we are persuading our people who are of voting age to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration to go and register and obtain their permanent voter card pvc1 at a time our state is seriously in search of a leader to steer the ship of the state. the best man for the job is a man with right leadership skill selfless and patriotic1

Life is sacred U.S. condoles Plateau over killings
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by peter amine2 the governor assured that the state government would continue to work to ensure that plateau remains the home of peace and tourism1 young who extended his country condolence on monday in jos when he visited gov. simon lalong urged nigerians to embrace peace and promote unity in the country1 he emphasised the need for the people to speak peace and work ways to ensure that the realisation of and affirm the need for peaceful coexistence among them1 the deputy chief of mission said that life was sacred irrespective of who and where the citizens might belong. life is sacred whether herdsmen or farmers christian or muslim or whatever ethnic.1 mr david young deputy chief of mission u.s. embassy in nigeria has condoled with the people of plateau over the recent killings in the state1 young stressed the need for the promotion of interfaith and interethnic dialogues to address causes of violence1 he however urged government to apprehend criminals perpetrating the act across the country1 receiving young lalong commended the american embassy for the show of concern over the ugly situation in the state1 he said the recent incident that led to the loss of lives reminded the state government on the need to review its security structure1 the violence should be a major concern to both the state and federal government and must be addressed adequately. there is the need to put more efforts toward ending this menace in the country he said.1

Only 4 Thai Schoolboys, coach remain trapped in cave
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authorities then struggled to determine the best way to save the wild boars with the group stuck on a shelf above the floodwaters in pitch darkness1 only four of the thai schoolboys and their soccer coach remain in the flooded cave as elite divers in a stunning rescue mission hauled four more young footballers out bringing to eight the number saved1 thais have been fixated on the crisis hoping desperately for the safe return of the 12 boys and their 25-year-old football coach after they ventured into the tham luang cave complex after practice and became trapped by rising waters more than a fortnight ago1 the extraction of the four on monday followed a similar pattern to the previous day with the youngsters emerging in quick succession just before nightfall after navigating a treacherous escape route of more than four kilometres 2.5 miles1 the saga has dominated global headlines with the team spending nine days unaccounted for inside the cave before british divers found the emaciated and dishevelled group huddling on a muddy bank above the flooding1 hooyah the thai navy seals who have played a crucial role in the against-the-odds operation said in a facebook post as they announced that a total of eight members of the wild boars football team had been rescued on sunday and monday1 among the ideas were drilling an escape route through the mountain or leaving them for months until the monsoon season ended and the flooding subsided1 but with oxygen levels inside dropping to dangerous lows and the prospect of heavy rains flooding the area completely authorities decided they had to move quickly and take the group out through the water-filled tunnels1 dozens of foreign divers and other experts from around the world were brought in to help the rescue effort working alongside thai navy seals1 rescue operations chief narongsak osottanakorn described sundays initial rescue bid as d-day when it was launched and there were fears that any one of many potential pitfalls could prove deadly1 among these were that none of the boys had scuba diving experience and that they could easily panic while swimming underwater in darkness1

PDP leads CUPP Alliance to battle APC in 2019 elections
News & Trends •
in an imitation of the formation of the all progressives congress in 2014 the opposition peoples democratic party pdp today cobbled up together a loose alliance of about 30 political associations in readiness for the 2019 elections2 the new group a replay of the alliance that toppled the jonathan administration was christened coalition of united political parties cupp at a meeting at the shehu musa yaradua centre in abuja on monday2 it was not clear whether they were going to seek inec registration to run on the cupp platform as the alliance of acn cpc and anpp did in 20142 however the collaborating partiessigned a memorandum of understanding mou with the aims of defeating president muhammadu buharis all progressives congress apc at the centre states and the legislature2 pdp national chairman uche secondus former vice president atiku abubakarformer senate president david mark and chairman of the so-called r-apc buba galadima were also present at the meeting2 leaders of president olusegun obasanjo-backed african democratic congress adc social democratic party of nigeria sdp national conscience party ncp labour party and a host of other newly registered parties were in attendance2 that the new group was the brainchild of the pdp was not in doubt as the party summoned all its presidential aspirants former ministers and legislators to attend what it called a crucial meeting at the shehu musa yaradua centre in abuja2

NYSC confirms Adeosun applied for NYSC exemption certificate
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the national youth service corps nysc has confirmed that the minister of finance mrs kemi adeosun applied for an exemption certificate1 mrs adeyemi adenike the nysc director of press said in a statement in abuja on monday that the scheme would however investigate the origin of the allegedly forged exemption certificate purportedly being used by the minister1 our attention has been drawn to the issue of the alleged forgery of an nysc exemption certificate by the honorable minister of finance mrs kemi adeosun1 checking our records mrs adeosun did apply for an exemption certificate. we shall investigate the origin of the purported exemption certificate in question adenike said1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that a media report published on july 7 which had gone viral had claimed that the minister did not only fail to participate in the mandatory one year national youth service but procured a fake exemption certificate in 20091 the year-long service organised by the national youths service corps nysc is compulsory for all nigerians who graduate from universities or equivalent institutions and are less than 30 years of age1

Ekiti teems with APC big guns, Tinubu urges voters sweep away PDP poverty
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the only remnant of them is ekiti. i therefore want to appeal to you that dr kayode fayemi the candidate of our party in the saturday election is our brother and colleague and has learnt a great lesson about governance1 ekiti state where a crucial governorship election will take place on saturday was teeming with many big guns of the all progressives congress on monday led by their national leader asiwaju bola ahmed tinubu ahead of the visit tuesday by president muhammadu buhari1 others are governors of ondo rotimi akeredolu ibikunle amosun of ogun and the kebbi state governor alhaji isa bagudu who is also the chairman of the campaign committee of the ekiti gubernatorial election for the apc among other leaders. has appealed to the people of ekiti to vote for the party in saturdays governorship election1 tinubu in an interview with the news agency of nigeria appealed to the people of ekiti to vote for the party in saturdays governorship election1 he said the apc is the solution to four years of frustration disappointment and poverty that had enveloped the state since the emergence of governor ayodele fayose in 20141 tinubu in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan in ado-ekiti on monday said that apc is the only party that can improve nigeria in all sectors1 nan reports that president muhammadu buhari is expected in ekiti tomorrow to meet with the traditional rulers apc leaders and supporters in the state and as well close the rally of the apc candidate dr kayode fayemi ahead saturdays governorship election in the state1 tinubu said we thank the people of ekiti for being kind and hospitable to us all along. we the leaders of apc are here to greet ekiti people and commend them for being tolerant to the maladministration of the peoples democratic party pdp before the emergence of the apc at the federal level and ekiti in particular1 we have had 16 years of maladministration bad governance misrule and series of complaints on our economy education non-development and several other segments of our country. it is all from the poor foundation laid by the pdp government for 16 years and thank god for our timely intervention at the federal level the nation would have collapsed1 aside tinubu and chief bisi akande other leaders already in the state are former governors segun osoba ogun segun oni ekiti and the deputy chairman south of the party otunba niyi adebayo who was also the first democratically elected governor of ekiti in 19991 that is why we the leaders in the party are standing as guarantors of the commitments that definitely ekiti will experience rapid development if you vote for our party and we appeal to you to vote dr kayode fayemi as the next governor of ekiti he said1 the former lagos governor reminded the youths that the future is now saying that the future is yours and the government is ours. the apc is ready to lay the foundation for a better future for you. dont because of two slices of bread today mortgage your future1 dont because of intimidation of a lone ranger fail to exercise your franchise.the broom is a bunch of unity the symbol we offer to you today is the broom. we want you to vote en masse there will not be violence or intimidation. all i am appealing is that you should give apc a chance to show its worth to the people of ekiti1 in another interview with nan former interim national chairman of the party chief bisi akande said saturdays election is a must for the party to win1 he said ekiti cannot afford to be in the opposition in the southwest1 the saturday election will go in peace. it is therefore time for all yorubas to come together. ekiti cannot afford to be in the opposition. it is certain that apc will win on saturday he declared1 the governorship election in ekiti is scheduled to hold across the 16 local government areas of the state on saturday while the new administration would be inaugurated on october 161 remi koleoso 08038292995 [email protected]1

PDP mulls legal action on seizure of assets acquired with stolen funds
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it is instructive to emphasize that the pdp is not in any way opposed to the fight against corruption1 the peoples democratic party pdp on friday in abuja said it was considering a legal action against president muhammadu buharis executive order authorising seizure of assets acquired with stolen public funds1 the party described the asset seizure executive order as total disregard to the provisions of 1999 constitution1 already our lawyers are considering a legal action against the federal government on the illegality of mr. presidents action in the interest of nigeria and nigerians1 the party said that the nigerian constitution did not under any section confer such fascist powers on the president under democracy1 it said that there could be no legitimate latitude of interpretation placed on sections 5 and 15 5 of the 1999 constitution cited as justifications for the executive order1 pdp claimed that the presidents executive order was a travesty of justice and rule of law as it vehemently seeks to hijack and usurp the powers of both the legislature and the courts1 it added that the president also vest to take the power on himself in order to use it at will as a political instrument to haunt traumatize harass and victimize perceived political opponents1 mr president wants to change our democratic governance to a military regime in line with his lamentation two days ago that the fight against corruption will be better under a military regime than under a democracy1 pdp in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary kola ologbondiyan described the order as illegal unconstitutional reprehensible and a dangerous step towards a descent to fascism1 rather the party holds that the imposition of this executive order which is radically at variance with the provisions of the constitution is totally unacceptable1 pdp takes this executive order 6 of 2018 as a re-enactment of the obnoxious decree 2 of 1984 which incidentally was also an enactment under then military head of state general muhammadu buhari1 this must not be permitted in our current democratic dispensation1 pdp said that if the order was allowed it would confer limitless powers on mr president1 in a democracy the role of the executive arm of government is to enforce court orders or judgments handed down based on the interpretation of existing laws1 any suggestion to the contrary as clearly intended by this executive order is totally an aberration and inconsistent with the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria1 the party urged the judiciary and the legislature to save nigeria by rejecting the executive order1 nigeria is a democratic state run by the dictates of the law and the constitution and not by the rule of the thumb of any elected officer it added1

Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency: Olajengbesi challenges Oke to public debate
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i contest on the merit of my qualifications and good plans for our people. i have utmost respect for oke i have respect for our party and i will always respect the decision of the leadership of the party1 mr pelumi olajengbesi an aspirant for the house of representatives seat in oriadeobokun federal constituency osun state under platform of the peoples democratic party pdp has challenged his rival wole oke to a televised public debate1 he said that overtimefor four consecutive tenures the legislative ticket of oriadeobokun in the house of representatives had been reposed in oke by pdp who trusted his capacity to deliver1 according to olajengbesi it is however puzzling to submit that oke is the only one fit for said office in the whole constituency1 he said that he did not consider himself the most qualified or the only alternative in a constituency blessed with an abundance of acute minded men and women1 the legal practitioner said he believed that he was pre-eminently qualified to contest a position that should not be treated as the sole proprietorship of anyone1 olajengbesi said that prospective public officers must be assessed on the basis of their pedigree and subjected to a fair contest for the peoples mandate by the public1 olajengbesi in a statement on saturday said that his call for debate was necessitated by many unsavoury utterances credited to oke and his media team1 it is much too simplistic for a constituency of great intellects and wisdom to make wealth the primary yardstick to measure ability or competence1 and that i can be abused by okes media men for using vehicles donated to my campaign was not just a shame it is more1 yes people are donating their vehicles to us because they believe the ideas we share with them for oriadeobokun that should be applauded not ridiculed. money politics is bad politics lets face real issues henceforth1 it is in view of this that i hereby humbly challenge oke to a public debate organised by our great party in oriadeobokun and televised for general consumption1 he said that such public debate would help in keeping with the best standards in practice for such elections and more importantly to provide the voting delegates with an opportunity to adjudge or assess each candidate strictly on their individual merits qualifications and grasps of issues relevant to our constituency1 olajengbesi who is the executive secretary united global resolve for peaceugrfp said that the much important public debate would afford listening public the opportunity to assess him and oke on the basis of their individual strengths or inadequacies1