Less than three weeks after the defection of Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state to opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), no fewer than 10,000 have dumped his new party.

A former PDP Chairman in Sokoto State, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu-Tambuwal, led the 10,000 supporters to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Tambuwal Local Government Area of the state.

Addressing a crowd of supporters on Sunday in Tambuwal, Shehu-Tambuwal, said they made the decision freely based on their concern to participate in politics that would facilitate good development.

He said they were convinced to join the party because of the viable policies and projects of the APC-led government.

He stressed that leadership and democracy should be about enhancing infrastructure and ensuring development for the people.

Shehu-Tambuwal is also a former Commissioner for Education in the state.

Alhaji Umar Maitafsir, the Chairman of APC in Tambuwal Local Government Area, said no fewer than 100,000 people from Yabo, Kebbi, Tureta, Dange/Shuni, Bodinga and Shagari local government areas had also decamped from the PDP to the APC.

Maitafsir described the defection as a landmark in the political history of Sokoto South senatorial district, attributing the move to Shehu-Tambuwals credibility and political contribution in the zone as well as the state.

Speaking while presenting the APC membership card to each of the new members, the Chairman of the state chapter of the APC, Alhaji Sadiq Achida, assured the defectors of a level-playing ground.

Achida said President Muhammadu Buharis APC-led government would continue to address the challenges being faced by Nigerians through various projects and policies and urged the people to support the party to succeed at all levels. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the official result of the Lokoja/Kogi House of Representatives by-election, declaring Alhaji Haruna Isah, candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), winner.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, who announced the results on Sunday in Lokoja, said Isah polled 26, 860 votes to defeat Alhaji Bashir Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 14, 845 votes.

Ajayi said that Ahmed Imam of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) scored 2, 916 votes, while the candidates of the Accord Party and Alternative Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 149 votes and 2,984 votes, respectively.

The Labour Party scored 90 votes; Democratic Alternative scored 159 votes; while Megga Party of Nigeria scored 50 votes, Ajayi stated.

He said that 19,960 votes from 17 polling units were cancelled due to violence and other malpractices, saying that 15 of the affected polling units were in Lokoja Local Government Area, while two were from Kogi Local Government Area.

Giving a further breakdown of the election results, the Returning Officer said that 51, 669 voters were accredited for the election while only 50,036 actually cast their votes.

According to him, valid votes are 48,165, while rejected votes are 1,871.

The by-election was conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill the vacancy created by the death of the former occupant of the seat, Umar Buba Jibrin, on March 30.

Jibrin was also of the APC.

INEC had similarly declared APC candidate, Ahmed Babba Kaita, winner
of the Katsina senatorial election.

Kaita scored 224,607 votes, while his elder brother and a retired customs officer, Alhaji Kabir Babba-Kaita of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 59,724 votes.

Of the 855,092 registered voters, 308,500 were accredited at the 1825 voting points and 1577 polling units and 128 wards in the district, a huge turnout considering the apathy that had greeted past bye-elections in the country.

The Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Dr. Mustapha Inuwa has commended the people of Katsina North Senatorial District for coming out massively to vote in the bye-election on Saturday.

He said the victory of the All Progressives Congress was a sign of success in the 2019 election.

Inuwa said the voter turnout was encouraging especially considering the number of the accredited voters and the 294,050 people who cast their votes. He described the keenly contested election as peaceful.

Inuwa added that the result was a clear evidence that the All Progressives Congress(APC) was in full control of the state and added that the government appreciated the resilience and understanding exhibited by the electorate especially the party members.

The APC, Inuwa said, would emerge victorious in future elections, using the landslide victories recorded in Bauchi and Kogi states as proofs of the partys popularity among Nigerians.

He said the APC led government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to salvaging the nation from the socio-economic and political predicament which the moribund peoples Democratic Party (PDP) left as legacy in its sixteen years of misrule.

NAN reports that the conduct of the bye election was sequel to the death in April this year of Senator Mustafa Bukar who represented the district.
(NAN)

Commerce is a branch of production which is concerned with the distribution, exchange of goods and services and all activities which assist or facilitate trade, e.g. banking, insurance, transportation communication, tourism etc. It is the process of buying, selling and distributing goods and services.

The process of living involves three major activities which are production, consumption and exchange. The central focus of commerce is exchange. In a commercial sense, exchange would concentrate on the transfer of goods and services from their producers to the customers. Commerce is therefore concerned with trade and activities which assist trade. This include the distribution of raw materials to manufacturers and finished products from the factory to the consumers. Commerce creates time and place utilities. Commerce developed as a result of specialization. Commerce embraces trade and the ancillaries to trade.

What is Trade

Trade is one of the two main diversions of commerce. It is the most important aspects of commerce. Trade is the act of buying and selling of goods and services. Trade is generally classified into two: Home Trade and Foreign Trade.

Home Trade
Home trade is a branch of commerce which comprises wholesaling (Wholesale Trade) and retailing (Retail Trade). Home trade is the act of buying and selling of goods and services within a geographical area of a nation. It can be referred to as domestic or internal trade. Goods are sold within the country, hence the same currency is used.

Wholesaling
Wholesaling is the process of buying goods in large quantity or bulk from the producers and making them available to the retailer in small quantities. The wholesaler, therefore serves as the intermediary between the producer and retailer.

Retailing
Retailing in concerned mainly with the buying of goods in small quantities from the wholesalers and making it available in units to the consumers. Retail trade is the business activity of selling goods and services to the final consumers. The retailer is the final link in the chain of distribution.

Foreign Trade
Foreign trade is the trade between nations. It is the process of buying and selling of goods and services between two or more countries. Foreign trade which is also referred to as international trade can be bilateral or multilateral. It involves the use of different currencies. International trade is divided into export, import and entrepot.

Export
Export is the sale of goods (raw materials and finished goods) to other countries. The goods or services are paid for a foreign currencies. Export trade can be visible or invisible e.g. in Nigeria, cocoa and palm oil represent visible trade while invisible trade include banking, aviation etc.

Import
Import is the act of buying of goods and services from other countries. Goods are imported either in response to direct orders or on consignment. Import can be visible or invisible. Examples of imported goods in Nigeria include electronics, automobiles, etc.

Entrepot
Entrepot is the process of importing goods and services for re-exporting to other countries. It is also referred to as re-export trade.

Difference between Home Trade and Foreign Trade

Home Trade:

• It involves the use of local currency

• Trade occurs over short distances

• There are no artificial barriers

• Factores of production can be easily moved out

• Trade occurs within a country

Foreign Trade

• Foreign currencies are used

• Trade occurs over long distances

• There are artificial barriers

• They cannot be easily moved out

• Trade occurs among countries

Aids to Trade
Aids to trade are the ancillaries to trade. They are activities which facilitate trade i.e. make trade possible. Aids to trade are banking, insurance, transport, advertising, warehousing, communication and tourism.

Purpose can be anything. Without love as a purpose, we might not be able to live a fulfilled life, because it was Love that made Jesus Christ die on the Cross for us all. Jesus chose love as a purpose just like Mother Theresa, whom nobody would have learnt about if she had not chosen love as a purpose.

Some people choose creativity as a purpose, e.g Albert Einstein, The Wright brothers, Henry Ford and a host of others. These all discovered their purpose. You must first understand that you were created for a specific purpose, having known that fully well, the next step is then discovering that purpose. The question we all hate to answer is:- "Have you discovered your purpose?". If having discovered it, are your then fulfilling that purpose?

Ideas rule the world you know? Yes!!! The, what is your idea? what are you meant to create or produce? Which lives are you meant to impact? When these questions resonate through your daily thinking, you'll eventually carve out a life driven with purpose. I try as much as possible to impact, positively those living around me, whether through prayers, cash and kind, anything you name it. I have made it a habit to constantly pray for my neighbors, that the Lord should Advance them like he advanced Mose and Aaron. 1 Sam 12 v 6

Any Life driven by purpose shall always be in focus

Spiritually, our gathering is for a purpose. The Bible says, unto him shall the gathering of the people be - Gen 49 v 10. Jesus Christ testified of his purpose:- Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18 v 37 (English Standard Version)

When Tabitha died, in Acts 9 v 36 - 41, the widows cried and wailed in that city. She had good reports, meaning she really attained a life of purpose. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifies - 1 Cor. 8 v 1; that we can learn from the life of Tabitha. It tells me and you that we must be ready to deal our bread to the hungry at all times. (Isaiah 58 v 7).

I tell you a short story. A colleague ran to me on a fateful day, and told me how his distant sister, a mother of six or so was in dire state of need. She was of another denomination, and her husband was incapacitated, she's almost having high blood pressure because of the issues of life; no food in the home, kids hungry, nothing at all to fend for the day. I heard his plea and i got the push to send my widow might to her. I got her account number and i sent what i could. After the funds left my account, i saw an alert with my balance, and my heart was filled with worry. In my mind, i thought i had more never knowing i had far less i had envisaged. I must have used the funds and didn't remember. I thought about my wife and daughter, and how would we fend for the rest of the month, in fact it was the first week of the month after the week we all collected our salaries.

I was troubled. An hour or so later, a very stingy friend called me that he want's to come and see me. He also works around the Ikeja axis. Besides he never came to my office before. He had been troubling me to help him fix something, but never serious about it. His call this day was so intense, i had no option than to schedule a meeting with him. After we discussed, to my wild surprise, he collected my account details and sent 6x what i had sent to the anonymous lady in need earlier in the day. This was a friend whom i said was and is very stingy, he loves freebies, he could never pay upfront for anything, but here he was paying the entire sum upfront before even working. I now remember the Bible verse that says:- "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom." Luke 6 v 38a

Remember, i said i got the push or leading to help her; please don't just go about helping people randomly without been led or urged to by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says:- "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:" 1 John 4 v 1. I got the leading to help her and i also received my reward. Helping others is also part of God's Purpose for our lives.

Other Purpose for which God created us:-

• Were created to know him: Phil. 3 v 10 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" To have a relationship - John 6 v 35

• Created we were for his Glory:- Psalm 104 v 3 - "The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works." The Lord rejoices when he sees you, not only seeing you, but seeing you achieving his purpose.

• Created to use our talents:- You were created to use your talents. At death, those talents are no longer needed, but now that you're alive, all that God has endowed you with, glorify God with it. We all have roles to play which ought not to be minimized. We are all important and working for a common goal or purpose just like the parts of a body.

Some people's purpose might be to offer periodically free medical services maybe once in a quarter or once in a year; some to provide free food to the needy, some to clean their environment with their resources, some to address a gender cause, some to build schools, some to educate and so on and so forth. The bottom line is that, were all created for a purpose and the bottom line is that our life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be unraveled.

Our Lord Jesus paid in full for the purpose of our existence on earth. He paid dearly for the redemption of mankind, thereby fulfilling the purpose for which the Father sent him to the world to achieve. Are you going to frustrate his Grace and love over your life by living in Sin and nailing him to the cross the second time? I guess not; then beloved, i implore you to please surrender your whole life and being to him today and allow Him to take over your life and pass you through God's divine purpose and realization and grant you safest journey to eternity.

God Bless you.

Shalom!!!

Comrade Bunmi Ojo, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state has been killed.

The former Special Assistant to former Governor Segun Oni was shot on Friday night by unidentified gunmen.

He is reported to have been shot around a football viewing centre in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

The death of Ojo has attracted comments in the social media with Adebayo Adebolu tweeting: “The way politicians and their urchins snuff life out of souls in Ekiti is way too bad. These killings must stop. Ekiti lost a vibrant comrade.’’

Rasheed Rasheed ‏ @rasheedsenior said: “Another senior cadre gone! Another candle broken! First it was Willy Olawuyi Aiyegoro, now Bunmi Ojo. Both shot dead in Ado-Ekiti!!! Hmmmm’’

DeclanIfeanyi1 @DeclanIfeanyi1 “Comrade Bunmi OJO, an APC member and close aide of former Governor Segun ONI, has just been shot dead some minutes ago by an unidentified assailant at a viewing centre, along Adebayo road, Ado Ekiti.’’

Comrade Bunmi OJO, an APC member and close aide of former Governor Segun ONI, has just been shot dead some minutes ago by an unidentified assailant at a viewing centre, along Adebayo road, Ado Ekiti.

Interesting times ahead... pic.twitter.com/2EqA7M1Uir

— DeclanIfeanyi1 (@DeclanIfeanyi1) August 10, 2018

(NAN)

Swimming instructor, lifeguard and adventurer Yane Petkov - Bulgaria’s answer to Houdini and Michael Phelps combined - reclaimed on Tuesday the Guinness world record for swimming along with his hands and feet tied while fully wrapped inside a sack.

Petkov, 64, swam 3,380 meters in Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid, beating the record of Indian fisherman Gopal Kharvi, who in 2013 swam 3,071 meters in the Indian Ocean - though not in a sack.

The Bulgarian swimmer already had one entry in the Guinness Book of Records in 2013 with 2,030 meters, but he only held it for three months until he was overtaken by Kharvi.

Before his latest attempt, Petkov said he had planned to swim 3.5 kilometers, and Guinness observers were present for his swim, organized by the Red Cross and the waters sports clubs of Ohrid and Petric.

Petkov took around three hours to worm his way along through the water, face-up and feet first, before he emerged on the shore in the ancient town of Ohrid, a popular holiday resort.

The race starter stood up and shouted: “Ready, steady, slow!” The crowd cheered, but the competitors remained stuck at the start line. Welcome to the world snail racing championship.

More than 150 snails took part in the annual event, held at a summer fete in Norfolk, eastern England on Saturday where a silver tankard stuffed with lettuce leaves was the prize.

The snails are placed on a special damp cloth marked with three concentric circles and the creatures race 13 inches (33 cm) to the outer ring.

“We take this seriously,” snail racer John McClean told Reuters.

“We have got training slopes. We look at diet, we are drug compliant as well. It is the whole thing when you look at elite sports.”

The competition has been held since the 1960s with each race lasting several minutes. Competitors are able to select a snail from the organizers’ stash or bring their own.

Jo Waterfield from the nearby village of Grimston found the eventual winner among her plants.

“I pulled him out this morning and told him if he didn’t win I would squash him,” Waterfield told Reuters.

Reuters

A leaked report of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on the reckless and unauthorised blockade of the National Assembly on Tuesday by masked DSS operatives has buttressed suspicions that it was ordered by the sacked Lawal Daura at the behest of some ‘powerful politicians’.

The IGP said the blockade was done with the intent to “incite and weep up sentiment of the National Assembly members against the Federal Government of Nigeria”.

The report said Daura was not officially invited by the leadership of the National Assembly to send his hooded and masked men to mount the blockade on 7 August and there was no crime committed prior to the invasion.

He did so on a “claimed intelligence report that unauthorised persons were planning to smuggle “undisclosed weapons and incriminating items into the National Assembly Complex. He did not inform the Acting President, neither did he share the information with the Nigerian Police Force or other security agencies.”

And to underscore the false premise of the so-called intelligence relied upon by Daura, he did not deploy anti-terrorist forces or EOD experts or specialists to the National Assembly, the IGP said.

Instead Daura sent armed officers of the DSS, who were wearing masks to disguise their identities, and who acted more like “mercenaries, hired to carry out executions.”

The Police boss concluded: that “it is crystal clear that the principal suspect, Lawal Musa Daura may be acting the script of some highly placed politicians to achieve selfish political goals, hence his unilateral and unlawful decision to invade the `National Assembly Complex”.

In a related development , Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, told Channels TV on Wednesday that the government was shocked to see hooded operatives of the DSS at the National Assembly. And he revealed that contrary to the video images circulating on social media that some PDP legislators were prevented from entering the National Assembly, about 25 of them were found sitting at the lobby, inside. There was no single APC legislator around.

“It was very embarrassing to the Acting President. People started calling us to say that it was on television that APC members were being allowed in while PDP members were not. I was immediately instructed to go there and find out what was happening. I went and found about 25 PDP lawmakers sitting in the lobby. I looked around and couldn’t find a single APC lawmaker. I went back and asked because what we were told was that the APC senators were inside trying to impeach the Senate president and I found out it was not true.

” So What was happening? I asked the DSS operatives – if you barricaded the gate because you anticipated trouble, then how did the legislators inside gain access? Who did you discuss with?

“The acting President was not aware so who authorised you to mount the barricades? If you are going to take such a measure as a security Chief, then you must consult the commander-in- chief.

“He needed to be consulted and then he would tell you whether or not to go ahead. But he was in the dark and did not know anything about it. He got to find out about that incident like you and me.

“The PDP is given to drama and misleading the public. The other time they alleged that the police had stormed Saraki’s house and it later turned out that the vehicles that were used to block his house belonged to the operatives that were attached to his security detail.

“Something is wrong somewhere. I think they are trying to work on the people’s imagination and get some kind of sympathy so they concoct these stories. A member of that PDP caucus alleged that he was kidnapped and had to hide in a tree for 11 hours. All those things are just drama. It is all part of their plot.”

On why Acting President sacked Daura, Ojudu responded:

“President Buhari is on vacation and if you look at the provisions of the constitution, the president committed a letter to the National Assembly indicating that the Vice President would act in his position. He has all the powers of the president. The question of whether or not he consulted the president is not important. What is important is that the Acting President found something that was wrong and he acted quickly to assure Nigerians and the rest of the world that our democracy is on course.”

Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso , the 61-year-old former Kano state governor, who recently defected to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again been publicly humiliated by members of the public.

At the close of Jumat service in Kaduna on Friday, the politician seeking presidential ticket of PDP, walked into the waiting hands of hostile crowd who chanted “Sai Buhari’’.

As he waved, the jeering crowd surged shouting “Sai Buhari’’, an indication of his rejection.

The twitter video of the incident is succinctly captured by the twitter handle of APC United Kingdom.

[BREAKING: KWANKWASO ROASTED AGAIN!] Second time within the week:

Sen. Kwankwaso got the SAI BABA treatment AGAIN at Jumu'a Mosque in Kaduna after the Abuja airport 'roasting' earlier in the week!@OfficialAPCNg @fkeyamo @DeeOneAyekooto @dgebis @hbgumi @gebusites @ToksAfikuyomi pic.twitter.com/NY5VsYBbcS

— APC United Kingdom (@APCUKingdom) August 10, 2018

He was similarly humiliated at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where passengers and onlookers booed, shouting “Sai Buhari’’.

ROASTING OF THE DAY:

Sen. Kwankwaso got the SAI BABA treatment at the airport. Tough times ahead .... pic.twitter.com/l4rdBtRDWz

— APC United Kingdom (@APCUKingdom) August 6, 2018

Kwankwaso was two times Governor of Kano State from 1999–2003 and 2011–2015 and he was the first governor of Kano State in the fourth republic who was elected under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (Nigeria).

Kwankwaso lost re-election bid in 2003 to Ibrahim Shekarau and was in July same year appointed Defense Minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 2015, Kwankwaso unsuccessfully contested the presidential primaries nomination under the opposition All Progressive Congress, but lost to Muhammad Buhari.

He then swap to contest the senatorial seat for Kano Central Senatorial District.

He recently defected again to PDP, causing some ripples in APC, but recent public reactions speak of his acceptability level.

Source: NAN

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 smartphones contain a microchip security flaw, uncovered earlier this year, that has put tens of millions of devices at risk to hackers looking to spy on their users, researchers told Reuters.

The Galaxy S7 and other smartphones made by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd were previously thought to be immune to a security vulnerability known as Meltdown, which researchers said earlier this year was present in most of the world’s PCs, smartphones and other computing devices.

But researchers from Austria’s Graz Technical University told Reuters they have figured out a way to exploit the Meltdown vulnerability to attack Galaxy S7 handsets.

Samsung said it rolled out security patches to protect Galaxy S7 handsets from Meltdown in January, followed by a further software update in July.

“Samsung takes security very seriously and our products and services are designed with security as a priority,” the company said in a statement.

The Graz team plans to release its findings on Thursday at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. It is looking in to Meltdown’s impact on other makes and models of smartphones and expects to uncover more vulnerable devices in the near future, researcher Michael Schwarz told Reuters.

“There are potentially even more phones affected that we don’t know about yet,” he said.

“There are potentially hundreds of million of phones out there that are affected by Meltdown and may not be patched because the vendors themselves do not know.”

The Galaxy S7 is used by some 30 million people worldwide, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Samsung has released two new versions of its flagship Galaxy line of smartphones since the S7 debuted in 2016.

A Samsung spokeswoman did not comment on how many Galaxy S7 smartphones had been sold. She said there were no reported cases where Meltdown had been exploited to attack an S7 handset and that no other Samsung phones were known to be vulnerable.

Meltdown, and a second vulnerability known as Spectre, can be used to reveal the contents of a computer device’s central processing unit - designed to be a secure inner sanctum - either bypassing hardware barriers or tricking applications into giving up secret information such as passwords or banking details.

There are no known cases of hackers exploiting either vulnerability in a real-world attack, but disclosure of the widespread hardware flaws has rocked the computer industry, forcing chipmakers and device manufacturers to scramble to contain the fallout.

Reuters

The President of the Senate Dr, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu have raised the alarm over an alleged plot to implicate them and some of their colleagues in the PDP in the National Assembly invasion saga.

This is contained in a statement co-signed byYusuph Olaniyonu,Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to President of the Senate and Uche Anichukwu,Special Adviser on Media to Deputy Senate President.

According to the statement, they alleged that the Federal Government plans to implicate them inlast Tuesdays Invasion of the premises of the National Assembly by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The Federal Government had sacked the DG of DSS Lawal Daura over the invasion, a move which the National Assembly leadership had earlier commended.

The presiding officers of the Senate however alleged that after receiving the interim report submitted by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Idris Ibrahim, the Presidency has today constituted a closet panel to review the report and submit a final recommendation.

The mandate of this closet panel, the two legislators stated, is to turn facts on the head and blame the invasion of the National Assembly on the two leaders of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, who will then be presented as having worked in tandem with the sacked Director General of the DSS, Mallam Lawal Daura to stage the parliamentary security breach.

We have been reliably informed that instead of the Presidency to set up a public inquiry or judicial commission to probe last Tuesdays early morning Invasion of the National Assembly as being demanded by the general public, they have commenced a process of manipulation and fabrication.

The Presidency has set up a closet panel, which would work to a predetermined conclusion in which they will now claim that the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President worked in collusion with ex-DG of DSS, Lawal Daura to stage the invasion.

They want to shield the fact that the previous night before the invasion and up till the early hours of Tuesday, there was a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senators and that the plan was for them to be moved in a coaster bus into the National Assembly complex later that morning for them to purportedly remove us and select a new Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

Their plot only failed because the media, particularly social media, Nigerians and international community responded very swiftly as some legislators who came into the complex were refused entry by gun-wielding, hooded security operatives.

Now, they want to turn the facts on its head and blame us for their botched plot against democracy. We are hereby alerting all Nigerians and members of the international community that the present Nigerian government will stop at nothing to destroy, suppress and incapacitate the opposition. This is their new tactic and plot as we approach the period of the 2019 polls.

We hereby reiterate our earlier position that the coup against democracy as represented by last weeks invasion must be probed through an independent judicial commission of inquiry which will produce a comprehensive report. We reject any manipulated and fabricated investigation, Saraki and Ekweremadu stated.

The presiding officers added that they have also uncovered a sinister plot in which the government plans to use the anti-graft and security agencies to incarcerate them and some members of their families from next week, all in a bid to break their will and effect their removal.

Source: NAN

Pioneer Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has cautioned Nigerians against stealing so as not to hand over a failed nation to their children.

Ribadu gave the advice at the presentation of First Year Report of Corruption Anonymous (CORA) project by African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that there were many challenges facing the country and that though the resources to address them were available, corruption was stalling the processing of addressing them.

We need to stop this corruption and get to use the resources we have maximally to address the problems in our nation, if not we will continue to be in problems.

This will continue for years and our children will inherit failure; the only way to stop it is if we stop stealing and taking public money.

What is corruption? It is simply stealing, and stealing from our common wealth, taking what ordinarily belongs to all of us that ought to be used for all of us.

Money that should be used to make our police workable and functioning is being stolen.

Police that will work and not steal from the people or a military that will be able to do its work to stop insurgency in a short period of time, he said.

Ribadu added that Nigeria was not emulating other countries, asking why is the military in other parts of the world succeeding? Why are we not?

Why should we allow our own insurgency to linger for 10 years?

Why is Algeria, Mali stopping it in one year, why not Nigeria? I am telling you its all because of corruption.

He said that corruption was the cancer that destroyed and rendered institutions ineffective and useless because it would not make Nigeria have the equipment to get results like other countries.

He urged Nigerians to collectively join hands regardless of their level, put away politics of selfish interest and address the issue of corruption for the good of the nation.

On his part, Deputy Director, MacArthur Foundation, Mr Dayo Olaide, said that the foundation had committed itself to helping Nigeria to fight corruption.

Olaide said that there was need to strengthen Nigerians to embrace the anti-corruption fight because it could only be won with synergy between citizens and government.

He also stressed the need for corrupt Nigerians in Diaspora to be brought under the whistle-blowing policy, adding that the law should not exempt anyone.

Olaide urged the government to have the willingness to strengthen the protection of Nigerians under the policy.

He also called on the National Assembly to pass the numerous anti-corruption bills before it to strengthen the fight against corruption.

Mr Chido Onumah, Coordinator, AFRICMIL, said that the organisation launched CORA to engage civil society organisations and Nigerians in tackling corruption.

Onumah said that the project was aimed at creating awareness about whistle-blowing and making Nigerians to see the need to adopt whistle-blowing as a tool for reducing corruption in the country.

Source: NAN

Dr. Elishama Ideh, a Presidential aspirant under the platform of the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN), has pulled out of the party, alleging that the party has been hijacked.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Dr. Ideh said that she would not be participating in the Partys Convention scheduled for Saturday August 11.

According to her, the principled upon which she joined the party has been eroded and replaced with a new order completely different and with corrupt tendencies of the past.

She stressed that she remains resolute in her determination to birth a new Nigeria but added that she would do that under a new platform which she would disclose at a later date.

As things stand at the moment, the party structure has been hijacked by a certain character, Interestingly, up till now, this character has not as much as declared his interest in running.

It is evident that theres no level playing field for aspirants on the platform of the party and we are being sidelined in the agreed processes.

To this end, I will not be participating in the partys CONVENTION scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, August 11, 2018.

I am not desperate to be in a particular political party, I have principles and values that have regulated my life up until now and they are that have invested me with the passion and zeal for a new Nigeria.

For me, I am here to cause a total shift from the old and stinking thinking politics that has held us in servitude to backwardness and poverty. Never must new wine be put in an old wine skin. It certainly will burst, Ideh said.

She however insisted that she was not backing away from her aspiration to be the President of Nigeria.

Let it be clear that I stand on the right side of history and that this ship of destiny is still very much on course to bring Nigeria into a new day of prosperity and progress.

My desire is to serve my Fatherland with integrity, compassion and purpose and to entrench the principles of SHARED VISION, SHARED VALUE and SHARED RESPONSIBILITY in our nation.

This easily is the pathway for our nation to emerge out of the present quagmire into the true freedom of productive nations.

And this, I am totally committed to as annunciated in my 7 point agenda required to eradicate Extreme Poverty that cover the following fundamental areas:

Security, law and order: Human capital development: Great, affordable and accessible healthcare: Good governance: Industrialisation and Infrastructure: Women and youth inclusion and sports and tourism, she said.

She added that she would announce a new party on a later date.

Source: NAN

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is to visit Zamfara on Tuesday to inaugurate some projects, Alhaji Lawal Liman, the Chairman, state governments 7th anniversary committee, has said.

Liman made this known on Friday while inspecting some of the projects to be inaugurated in Talata-Mafara and Bakura local government areas as part of activities to celebrate the 7th anniversary of Gov. Abdulaziz Yaris administration.

Liman, who is also the state Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC), said that the projects to be inaugurated included Government Girls College, Talata-Mafara, Talata-Mafara Bypass road and Abubakar Tinau Special Primary School, Mafara.

Others are the Semi-Urban Water Project in Gamji town and the renovated General Hospital, Bakura.

According to him, over 100 completed projects have been listed to be inaugurated between and November to celebrate the anniversary.

Liman said that President Muhammadu Buhari was also expected to visit the state in September to inaugurate some projects.

He urged the benefitting communities to assist government in maintaining the projects.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that committee also inspected the 61-km Kaura/Namoda-Birnin/Magaji-Dauran Road and the Birnin-Magaji General Hospital still under construction.

Source: NAN

Many feared dead as gunmen launched fresh attack on villages in Katsina-Ala Local Government area in Benue state, on Friday.

Unconfirmed reports put the number of people killed at more than 11.

The attacks, said to have started in the morning, occurred in Tse-Ujoh- Tiev inside Katsina-Ala local government area.

Governor Samuel Ortom described the attack as unacceptable urging security agencies to step up their game.

The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, assured the people of Katsina-Ala that steps had been taken to prevent further attacks in the area, adding that three persons had been arrested in connection with the attack.

The statement further said, Governor Ortom reassured the people of the state that his administration will not allow armed militia to continue to terrorise communities.

He encouraged anyone with information that can lead to the apprehension of the gang to contact the police, Department of State Services or the military, the statement said.

The State Command spokesman, DSP Moses Yamu, confirmed that nine people were killed.

We got information that some militia suspected to be of Shitile, attacked Tse Ujoh village of Ikyurav-Tiev council ward where nine people were killed, Yamu said.

Source: NAN

The All Progressives Congress (APC) took off the gloves and knocked Senator Bukola Saraki, with bare knuckle on Thursday, declaring him unfit to be President of the Senate.

The party said this in a blistering statement issued by Mr Yekini Nabena, its acting National Publicity Secretary in Abuja.

It was the first reaction from the party, since Saraki addressed a press conference Wednesday posturing himself as a defender of democracy, against the backdrop of a reckless blockade of the National Assembly by the sacked director-general of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura.

Saraki heaped the blame on the executive, a claim debunked promptly by the sacking of Daura and condemnation of the action, by acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

The APC was obviously not impressed by Saraki’s grandstanding and declared that he should be put where he belonged.

“The Senate must do everything possible to put Saraki where he rightly belongs; the back seat.

“He is definitely not a fit and proper person to preside over the country’s upper and revered legislative house,”the statement said.

It noted that in every democratic country, the position of the Senate President was one of the highest political offices one could attain.

Such position the statement said, was reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.

It added that in terms of exemplary personage, the reverse was the case in respect to Saraki.

According to the statement, Saraki has been “a dismal failure” and has been involved in one controversy or the other since he became the President of the Senate.

This, it noted included; budget padding, legislative rascality, and sabotage of matters of national interest, among other criminalities too numerous to mention.

“Having suffered under the 16-year misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Saraki will go down in our country’s history as the worst Senate President Nigeria has had the misfortune to have.

“Since his usurpation of the coveted seat, achieved through a wicked conspiracy with members of the opposition PDP, it has been from one controversy to another.

“The code of conduct trial for false declaration of assets; conspiracy with his deputy to fraudulently alter the rules of the Senate and links to the deadly armed robbers who wasted many lives in the Offa robbery attack.

“It is alleged that some of the robbery suspects were his political thugs used to rig elections; a common adage says: “show me your friends and I will tell you who you are,”it said.

The statement stressed that Saraki was definitely not a good example for political leadership in the country.

It further stressed that all over the world, the leadership of the legislature was provided by the political party with majority members.

It added that in spite of this, Saraki would in the absence of many members of his former party, the APC, connive and conspire with members of the opposition PDP to emerge Senate President.

The statement noted that in the process, Saraki traded off the Deputy Senate President position to the opposition PDP.

It said that even with Saraki’s defection to the opposition PDP, and with APC in the majority in the Senate, he still had the impudence to present himself as the President of the Senate.

The statement maintained that political ambition should be made of nobler stuff.

“One is of course not surprised as Saraki’s greed, selfishness, treachery, disregard for protocol and constituted authority is well-reported.

“In terms of treachery, Dr Saraki’s public humiliation of his late father and sister comes readily to mind; a traitor will always be a traitor, however the time and place,”the statement said.

The party added that a man who betrayed his father, sister (many times), and the APC administration by sabotaging the executive and defecting to the PDP had no character, principles, values and integrity.

The statement added that Saraki was only interested in his personal interest.

“The question is not if he will defect again from PDP if Bukola Saraki’s interest is not served, but WHEN he will do so. Such mean men are not interested in the Nigeria of our dreams,”the statement said.

The Full Statement

In every democratic country, the position of the Senate President is one of the highest political offices one can attain. It is a position reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.

In terms of exemplary personage, the reverse is the case in respect of the current Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who has been a dismal failure and has been involved in one controversy or the other – budget padding, filibustering, legislative rascality, sabotage of matters of national interest, among other criminalities too numerous to mention.

Having suffered under the 16-year misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Saraki will go down in our country’s history as the worst Senate President Nigeria has had the misfortune to have. Since his usurpation of the coveted seat, achieved through a wicked conspiracy with members of the opposition PDP, it has been from one controversy to another – the Code of Conduct trial for false declaration of assets; conspiracy with his deputy to fraudulently alter the rules of the Senate and links to the deadly armed robbers who wasted many lives in the Offa robbery attack. It is alleged that some of the robbery suspects were his political thugs used to rig elections; a common adage says: “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”.

Dr. Saraki is definitely not our good example for political leadership.

All over the world, the leadership of the legislature is provided by the political party with majority members. But Dr. Saraki would in the absence of many members of his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), connive and conspire with members of the opposition PDP to emerge Senate President, and in the process tradeoff the Deputy Senate President position to the opposition PDP – a political betrayal and treachery even the devil would be envious of.

Even at this time he has defected to the opposition PDP, and with APC still in the majority in the Senate, Dr. Saraki still has the impudence to present himself as the Senate President. Political ambition should be made of nobler stuff.

One is of course not surprised as Dr. Saraki’s greed, selfishness, treachery, disregard for protocol and constituted authority is well-reported. In terms of treachery, Dr. Saraki’s public humiliation of his late father and sister comes readily to mind.

A traitor will always be a traitor, however the time and place. The Senate must do everything possible to put Dr. Saraki where he rightly belongs – the back seat. He is definitely not a fit and proper person to preside over the country’s upper and revered legislative house.

A man who betrayed his father, sister (many times), his party PDP in 2014, the APC in 2015 by conspiring with opposition PDP senators to emerge Senate President, APC administration by sabotaging the executive and defecting to the PDP in 2018 has no character, principles, values and integrity. His only interest is Bukola Saraki, Bukola Saraki and Bukola Saraki. The question is not IF he will defect again from PDP if Bukola Saraki’s interest is not served, but WHEN he will do so. Such mean men are not interested in the Nigeria of our dreams.

SIGNED:

Mr. Yekini Nabena

Ag. National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

Gareth Bale has served notice that he is ready to shine without Cristiano Ronaldo, factoring in both goals as Real Madrid wrapped up their US tour with a 2-1 win over Roma on Tuesday.

Bale and Marco Asensio scored for Real Madrid who put on a strong performance especially in the first half of the International Champions Cup friendly at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Real Madrid is hoping Bale is ready to fully evolve into the player they signed for a world record fee in 2013.

The 33-year-old Ronaldo ended a nine-year spell at Real Madrid by recently signing with Italian champions Juventus.

Were scoring goals and were winning matches, so were doing well, Bale said. We have to keep improving and were really looking forward to starting the new season.

Asensio, with his third goal of the preseason, opened the scoring just two minutes into the contest. Bale delivered a brilliant pass to the foot of Asensio and he found the back of the net.

Real Madrid struck again in the 15th minute as Bale would score this time, taking an equally superb pass from Dani Carvajal. Bale walked in and beat goalkeeper Robin Olsen to make it 2-0.

Real Madrid wasnt nearly as dominant in the second half as most of their starting squad was subbed off.

Kevin Strootman made it interesting by scoring in the 83rd minute for Roma.

Strootman was left wide open off a throw-in and headed pass and all he had to do was hammer it past the startled Real Madrid goalkeeper.

Source: NAN

Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who became the oldest player in World Cup history in Russia, has announced his retirement from international soccer at aged 45.

El-Hadary earned the last of his 159 caps for the national team in a 2-1 group stage defeat by Saudi Arabia as Egypt crashed out of the tournament with three losses.

The veteran overtook Colombias Faryd Mondragon, who played the last five minutes of a group game in Brazil four years ago, at the age of 43 years and three days.

After 22 years, four months and 12 days, I saw it as the best moment to hang up my gloves, El-Hadary said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Im proud to have played with the national team in 159 internationals, participating in unprecedented achievements.

I hope I have succeeded in my mission over the past years.

I extend my thanks and gratitude to my family, who have borne the difficulties of my life and supported me in all my steps.

Source: NAN

Chelsea are splashing a world record 80 million euro or $92m on Athletic Bilbaos goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga after they agreed terms with Real Madrid for the transfer of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

No fee was revealed for the transfer of the Courtois, who had just one more year to run on his Chelsea contract, although Spanish media claimed that the deal is worth around 35 million euros.

Chelsea added in a statement that subject to the completion of the Courtois deal, Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic would join the Blues from Real on a season-long loan.

The English giants have been forced into finding a replacement for Courtois, 26, after he failed to report for pre-season training on Monday.

Courtois joined Chelsea from Genk in 2011, but spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid before returning to London where he won two Premier League titles in four seasons.

And with his two children still resident in the Spanish capital, Courtoiss agent claimed earlier this week family commitments were a motivating factor in forcing a move to the European champions.

He has made it clear to the club that the best option for him is to move to Madrid, Christophe Henrotay told the Sun newspaper.

For him this is a big decision because he wants to be near his family, and there is an offer in place for Chelsea to accept.

Just weeks after Liverpool broke the record transfer fee for a goalkeeper in a deal worth up to 72.5 million euros for Brazilian international Alisson Becker, the inexperienced Arrizabalaga, 23, is now set to inherit the title of the worlds most expensive goalkeeper.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bilbao confirmed that Arrizabalaga had paid his buyout clause at the leagues headquarters in Madrid to free him from his contract with Athletic.

Arrizabalaga has played 53 times in La Liga for Bilbao over the last two seasons, and made his international debut in a 5-0 friendly win over Costa Rica in November 2017.

He was also in the Spain squad for the World Cup in Russia as back-up to David De Gea, but has yet to make his competitive debut for Spain.

But for a late change of course due to the wishes of former Real boss Zinedine Zidane, Arrizabalaga could have joined Madrid himself in January when his buyout clause was just 20 million euros.

However, after that move collapsed, he signed a new seven-year deal with the Basque side that dramatically increased his release clause and has cost Chelsea dear.

Source: NAN

Australian teenager and midfielder Daniel Arzani hasjoined England champions Manchester City from sister club Melbourne City.He is expected to be sent out on loan.

The 19 year-old Iranian born player was hailed as one of the countrys brightest young stars by a Manchester City director after he signed for the Premier League champions on Thursday.

He was the youngest ever member of an Australia squad for a World Cup finals and played in all three of their group matches in Russia.

Arzani who put down his talent to playing street football in his birthplace of Khorramabad follows compatriot Aaron Mooy, in treading the same path to City.

Mooy is now at Huddersfield Town where he played a pivotal role in their promotion to the Premier League in 2017.

In a short period of time, Daniel has developed into one of Australias brightest young stars and has demonstrated the drive and raw talent required for success at the highest level, Brian Marwood, the managing director of global football for City Group, told the club website.

This pathway was first forged by Aaron Mooy just two years ago, and we are all delighted to see another Australian-grown talent make this move.

Arzani who was also the youngest player at the World Cup finals joined Melbourne City in 2016, the following 2017-18 A-League campaign became his breakthrough season, where his exciting attacking play saw him win a host of admirers, culminating in him being named the leagues Young Footballer of the Year award.

However, an immediate spell with City will not be the avenue they explore preferring Arzani who was six when his parents emigrated to Australia accrue experience elsewhere.

Manchester City are now exploring a development pathway for Arzani, and a further announcement regarding a loan to progress his career will be made in the coming days, said the club in a statement.

Source: NAN