Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted a 24-member committee to reconcile feuding members of the Executive and the Legislature.

The resolution, according to the Leader of the Senate, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, was taken at a meeting between the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and the APC Caucus in the Senate, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Lawan said after the meeting that membership of the committee would be drawn from the Executive, Legislature, the Governors Forum and the partys National Secretariat.

He said that the team would be charged with the responsibility of reducing the level of misunderstanding among members of the party across board.

Lawan explained that constitution of the committee was pertinent in probing the disagreements at different levels of the party so as not to allow them to cause clog in its fortunes ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Discussions at the meeting, he explained, centred on how to forestall crisis envisaged from the reordered sequence of elections adopted by the National Assembly in the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill.

The meeting discussed happenings in the party across the country and across all levels of government.

Senators took turn to express the way out of some of the issues bedeviling the party and I believe that it was a worthwhile, very frank discussion.

The party will soon constitute a team that will comprise of the executive, the legislature, the party itself and representatives from our governors and we have 24 of them.

We are very happy as a caucus that the interaction was worthwhile and I am sure that our party was also glad to be here with us this afternoon.

We, as members of the National Assembly are and will remain committed to ensuring that we continue to support the change agenda of our administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The party is the platform for all of us, both the legislative and executive and in my own view, the party has done well by coming.

This is our party; this is our government, our administration. We shouldnt be fighting dirty in the open, the lawmaker said.

In his remarks before the closed-door meeting, National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun, said the meeting was aimed at discussing issues that had arisen in the polity recently.

He said happenings in the polity necessitated the party leadership to meet with the Senate caucus to reason and strategise for 2019 election.

We hope to have a better party after the meeting, he said.

The NWC was led to the meeting by Odigie-Oyegun while President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, led the APC Senate Caucus to the meeting which lasted two and half hours at the national assembly. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy blasted what he said was a lack of evidence for the corruption charges against him.

He is being accused that late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi funded his 2007 election campaign.

In his court statement published Thursday morning after he was charged in one of Frances most explosive political scandals in years, the 63-year-old rightwinger said he had been in living hell since the allegations first emerged in 2011.

Demanding he be treated as a witness rather than a suspect, he urged magistrates to consider the violence of the injustice if it was proven, as he claims, that the accusations are a manipulation by the dictator Kadhafi or his gang.

In the 24 hours of my detention I have tried with all my might to show that the serious corroborating evidence required to charge someone did not exist, Sarkozy said in his statement.

I stand accused without any tangible evidence through comments made by Mr Kadhafi, his son, his nephew, his cousin, his spokesman, his former prime minister, he added.

Judges decided they had enough evidence to charge the combative one-term president Wednesday after five years of investigation and two days of questioning in police custody.

Sarkozy, who served from 2007-2012, was charged with corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealment of Libyan public money.

Ive been living the hell of this slander since March 11, 2011 when Kadhafi first made the allegations, Sarkozy said.

And he lashed out at Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine who claims to have delivered three cash-stuffed suitcases from Kadhafi in 2006 and 2007, when Sarkozy was preparing his first run for president.

Takieddine, who claimed he provided 1.5 to 2 million euros ($2.5 million) in 200-euro and 500-euro notes, has highly suspect characteristics and the questionable past, Sarkozy retorted. (AFP)

Source: NAN

The Federal Government has accused the opposition Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) of plumbing the depths of infamy for saying the abduction
and release of the Dapchi schoolgirls were stage-managed.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister ofInformation and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said such postulationportrays the PDP as an inhuman, insensitive, unpatriotic and unworthyparty.

He said since the release of the Dapchi girls were negotiated byfriendly countries and reputable international organizations, it wouldhave taken a conspiracy of global proportion to have stage-managed the
adoption and release of the girls.

Alhaji Mohammed said the reaction of the PDP amounts to an expression
of sour grapes, especially because the party failed woefully when itwas in power to quickly resolve a similar abduction of schoolgirls.

As we have said many times since the abduction of the Dapchischoolgirls, no government is exempted from its own share oftragedies. What makes the difference is the way such tragedies aremanaged. Whereas it took the PDP all of 18 days to even acknowledge
the abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014, the APC Federal Governmentacted promptly and responsively when the Dapchi schoolgirls wereabducted 19 Feb. 2018, hence their quick release, he said.

The Minister said it is unfortunate that the PDP that failed woefullyas a ruling party has also failed grievously as an opposition party,going by its insensitive and crude response to the release of theDapchi schoolgirls a development that calls for non-partisancelebration.

In its 16 years in power, the PDP redefined governance ascluelessness, massive looting of the public treasury and crudeexhibition of power. In its over three years in opposition, the PDP has again shown it does not understand the role of the opposition in ademocracy. How then can the PDP convince Nigerians that it has learntits lessons and that it is ready to rule the country again? Nigeriansmust say never again to this primitive and soulless party, hesaid.

Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government has not been responding to
the amateurish and jejune statements from the PDP precisely becausethe party has failed to learn the ropes of being an opposition party,even when we have advised them to take a crash course on the role ofthe opposition in a democracy.

We broke our own rules this time because the PDP over-reached itselfand scored an own goal at a time it could simply have congratulatedthe government and people of Nigeria on the release of the girls or
just keep quiet, he said.

The Minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government willintensify the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining Chibokgirls and return them safely to their families, just like over 100
other Chibok girls who have so far been released, unlike the PDP thatcould not secure the release of even one of the girls before it wasbooted out of power.

Source: NAN

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it may declare former Governor of Plateau, Sen. Jonah Jang, wanted for refusing to honour its invitations.

Indication to this was given by Spokesperson of the commission, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

She said that Jang was being investigated over alleged fraud involving about N5.6 billion, but that he had continued to evade invitations to appear before the investigating team.

According to Okoduwa, the Commission has been on the trail of the former governor, now a senator, since October, 2017, when it opened investigation into alleged corruption-related activities during his tenure.

Evidence before the ICPC so far indicates that Sen. Jang allegedly committed the offences in March, 2015.

He allegedly received N2 billion in cash illegally out of the money which was allocated to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), under the pretext of a loan to be spent on classified expenditure.

She alleged that the former governor also illegally received N400 million of funds meant for Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

She added that Jang also allegedly caused a former Commissioner for Finance in the state to illegally transfer N3.2 billion of SUBEB funds to the project account of the Ministry of Finance.

ICPC has sent several invitations to Jang through both the Senate President and the Clerk of the National Assembly to come and clear his name but he has refused to honour the invitations.

Also, efforts to procure an arrest warrant from two different Magistrates Courts in the Federal Capital Territory have been futile.

The magistrates declined to sign them even after the requisite sworn affidavit had been presented by the Commission.

In the light of the foregoing, the Commission may have no other option than to declare the former governor wanted, Okoduwa said.

Source: NAN

The President of the Senate Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, met with Microsoft Founder, Bill Gates and African Business Mogul, Alh. Aliko Dangote to proffer solutions to financing healthcare in Nigeria.

Saraki who was accompanied by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, had the breakfast with the business magnates and philanthropists at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

Top on the agenda of the meeting were: Polio eradication, sustainable health financing and primary health care strengthening.

Our correspondent reports that the meeting was also attended by other federal law makers, the Nigerian Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole and other internation NGOs and Foundations.

The meeting aims to strategise on how to; Provide legislative leaders with a good understanding of the Gates Foundations engagement in Nigeria, and work with the Dangote Foundation.

Discuss ways to ensure continued polio commitment.

Share information on long-term vaccine financing challenges.

Hear thoughts from legislative leadership on government commitment and leadership to primary health care strengthening, and discuss possible areas to work together.

Speaking at the meeting, the American business magnate, Gates, commended Saraki for his efforts in the healthcare systems in Nigeria especially in the fight against polio.

Gates particularly hailed the Senates President for his role in 2009 as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) saying that his intervention then was a turning Point in the fight against polio in Nigeria.

Some of the talking points of the meeting include: Recognition of the important role that Nigerian legislators play in improving health care delivery in Nigeria through appropriate legislation and accountability.

Updates on polio in Nigeria and discussion of ways to ensure continued effort and appropriate resourcing.

Gates and Dangote Foundation investments in immunization, and challenges Nigeria may face in long-term financing, including transition from Gavi.

Source: NAN

The 23-year-old Mark Conditt, serial bomber whose deadly attacks terrorized Austin, Texas, for weeks left a 25-minute video confession on a cell phone.

The phone was found after he blew himself up on Wednesday as officers closed in to make an arrest, police said

Conditt, an unemployed man from the suburb of Pflugerville, detailed how he made all seven bombs that have been accounted for five that exploded.

One of the bombs was recovered before it went off and a seventh he detonated as officers rushed his vehicle early on Wednesday.

But the video failed to reveal a coherent motive for the attacks spread over the past three weeks, police said.

He does not at all mention anything about terrorism, nor does he mention anything about hate, but instead it is the outcry of a very challenged young man, talking about challenges in his personal life, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters.

I would classify this as a confession, Manley said.

Conditt, who had never before been in trouble with the law, killed two people and wounded five with a campaign of violence that began on March 2, authorities said.

Based on their search of the suspects home and his video statement, authorities said they felt confident that there were no other bombs and that the public was safe from further harm.

FBI special agent Christopher Combs said investigators believe the suspect would have continued his attacks had he not been apprehended.

Police recovered a target list of addresses for future bombings, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing U.S. Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Even so, the video gave no explanation for the individuals and addresses singled out as recipients of the bombs that were planted or shipped, Manley said.

Police previously said they had considered the possibility that the attacks were racially motivated, noting that the first several victims, including the two who died, were either African-American or Hispanic.

Conditt likely recorded the video between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to Manley, Conditt said he believed police were getting very close to him, and he was right. Authorities filed a criminal complaint and issued an arrest warrant around that time.

Read more:

Source: NAN

The Federal Government has accused the opposition Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) of plumbing the depths of infamy for saying the abduction
and release of the Dapchi schoolgirls were stage-managed.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister ofInformation and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said such postulationportrays the PDP as an inhuman, insensitive, unpatriotic and unworthyparty.

He said since the release of the Dapchi girls were negotiated byfriendly countries and reputable international organizations, it wouldhave taken a conspiracy of global proportion to have stage-managed the
adoption and release of the girls.

Alhaji Mohammed said the reaction of the PDP amounts to an expression
of sour grapes, especially because the party failed woefully when itwas in power to quickly resolve a similar abduction of schoolgirls.

As we have said many times since the abduction of the Dapchischoolgirls, no government is exempted from its own share oftragedies. What makes the difference is the way such tragedies aremanaged. Whereas it took the PDP all of 18 days to even acknowledge
the abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014, the APC Federal Governmentacted promptly and responsively when the Dapchi schoolgirls wereabducted 19 Feb. 2018, hence their quick release, he said.

The Minister said it is unfortunate that the PDP that failed woefullyas a ruling party has also failed grievously as an opposition party,going by its insensitive and crude response to the release of theDapchi schoolgirls a development that calls for non-partisancelebration.

In its 16 years in power, the PDP redefined governance ascluelessness, massive looting of the public treasury and crudeexhibition of power. In its over three years in opposition, the PDP has again shown it does not understand the role of the opposition in ademocracy. How then can the PDP convince Nigerians that it has learntits lessons and that it is ready to rule the country again? Nigeriansmust say never again to this primitive and soulless party, hesaid.

Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government has not been responding to
the amateurish and jejune statements from the PDP precisely becausethe party has failed to learn the ropes of being an opposition party,even when we have advised them to take a crash course on the role ofthe opposition in a democracy.

We broke our own rules this time because the PDP over-reached itselfand scored an own goal at a time it could simply have congratulatedthe government and people of Nigeria on the release of the girls or
just keep quiet, he said.

The Minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government willintensify the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining Chibokgirls and return them safely to their families, just like over 100
other Chibok girls who have so far been released, unlike the PDP thatcould not secure the release of even one of the girls before it wasbooted out of power.

Source: NAN

India Thursday successfully flight tested its supersonic BrahMos cruise missile in the western state of Rajasthan, the countrys defence minister said.

The missile was flight tested from Pokhran test range in Rajasthan on Thursday morning.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted: the precision strike weapon with Indian-made seeker flew in its designated trajectory and hit the target with pin-point accuracy.

The successful test will further bolster our national security.

The land and sea variants of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile are already operational with the Indian army and the Indian navy.

In November 2017, India successfully flight tested the air version of BrahMos missile from its fighter jet Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal.

NAN reports that a BRAHMOS is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine as its first stage which brings it to supersonic speed and then gets separated.

It is the worlds fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN

By Philip Yatai

The Kaduna State Government said on Thursday that it would establish Technology Production Centres in all its technical colleges to further develop the technical skills of students.

Mrs Kande Bage, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, gave this hint in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

According to her, the effort is to promote skills development, creativity, innovation and invention for self-reliance, and to encourage local production of goods in Nigeria.

Bage, who said that the centres would be equipped with all the needed facilities and equipment to make the project a success, noted that the development would boost the morale of the students.

The permanent secretary expressed optimism that the centres, when established, would encourage the students to produce those things that they know how to produce with ease.

She said that the State Government would ensure that the host communities of these technical colleges as well as government ministries, departments and agencies patronise them.

We were recently at the Technical College, Kajuru; and I can say that I am particularly fascinated by the kind of products the students of the college were producing.

They were fabricating soya beans threshing machines as well as producing folded chairs, tables, beds and so many other fascinating products of high quality.

If they continue with this tempo, I assure you that most of them will become self-reliant.

This will help to eradicate poverty and promote locally made goods, Bage said.

She said that the State Government had distributed tablet computers to the students of the college to encourage technical skills and innovation.

We have so far distributed 15,000 of these computers to 31 boarding schools in the state, as part of the efforts to equip our students with Information and Communication Technology skills, Bage said.

The permanent secretary said that she was at the college to inspect the facilities and to solve a problem in one of the hostels.

Source: NAN

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

The President of the Senate Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, met with Microsoft Founder, Bill Gates and African Business Mogul, Alh. Aliko Dangote to proffer solutions to financing healthcare in Nigeria.

Saraki who was accompanied by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, had the breakfast with the business magnates and philanthropists at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

Top on the agenda of the meeting were: Polio eradication, sustainable health financing and primary health care strengthening.

Our correspondent reports that the meeting was also attended by other federal law makers, the Nigerian Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole and other internation NGOs and Foundations.

The meeting aims to strategise on how to; Provide legislative leaders with a good understanding of the Gates Foundations engagement in Nigeria, and work with the Dangote Foundation.

Discuss ways to ensure continued polio commitment.

Share information on long-term vaccine financing challenges.

Hear thoughts from legislative leadership on government commitment and leadership to primary health care strengthening, and discuss possible areas to work together.

Speaking at the meeting, the American business magnate, Gates, commended Saraki for his efforts in the healthcare systems in Nigeria especially in the fight against polio.

Gates particularly hailed the Senates President for his role in 2009 as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) saying that his intervention then was a turning Point in the fight against polio in Nigeria.

Some of the talking points of the meeting include: Recognition of the important role that Nigerian legislators play in improving health care delivery in Nigeria through appropriate legislation and accountability.

Updates on polio in Nigeria and discussion of ways to ensure continued effort and appropriate resourcing.

Gates and Dangote Foundation investments in immunization, and challenges Nigeria may face in long-term financing, including transition from Gavi.

Source: NAN