President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with former Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Aliyu Gusau, on the death of his wife, Hajiya Binta.

In a condolence message by the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday, Buhari said the death of Hajiya Binta came to him as a great shock.

The President said: A wife occupies an important place in a mans life, a bond so strong that we treat them like our own flesh and blood.

My heart goes out to Gen. Gusau at this emotionally trying moment.

Death is inevitable and we are powerless against the will of God. No tears can wipe away our grief; the best tribute to the dead is to pray for them.

The President prayed Allah to comfort the retired army general and members of his family and grant them the fortitude to bear this great loss.

May the soul of Hajiya Binta rest in peace, May Allah reward her good deeds with al- Jannah, amen, he said.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with former Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Aliyu Gusau, on the death of his wife, Hajiya Binta.

In a condolence message by the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday, Buhari said the death of Hajiya Binta came to him as a great shock.

The President said: A wife occupies an important place in a mans life, a bond so strong that we treat our wives like our own flesh and blood.

My heart goes out to Gen. Gusau at this emotionally trying moment.

Death is inevitable and we are powerless against the will of God. No tears can wipe away our grief, the best tribute to the dead is to pray for them.

The President prayed Allah to comfort the retired army general and members of his family and grant them the fortitude to bear this great loss.

May the soul of Hajiya Binta rest in peace, May Allah reward her good deeds with al- Jannah, amen, he said.

Source: NAN

Thirty pregnant women have given birth at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Gandi village where victims of July 9, bandits attack in Raba Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto state are taking refuge.

Alhaji Ibrahim Dingyadi, the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) disclosed this on Saturday when the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, visited the IDPs to condole with them over the sad incident.

At present 4,996 displaced persons from nine villages affected by the incident are taking refuge in the camp, Dingyadi said.

He listed the villages to include, Tabanni, Gidan-Kare, Kursa, Warwasa, Rumbun-Tsamiya, Tudun-Kwasa, Dutsu, Illilu and Yankusar-kilawa.

Dingyadi commended Sultan for assisting the victims with 200 bags of grains adding that the State Government had been feeding them, in addition to taking care of their welfare.

According to him, World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), the State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency, the Federation of Muslim Women and some politicians have provided relieve materials to the IDPs at the camp.

Also speaking, the secretary of Raba LGA, Alhaji Aminu Gawo, said some victims have expressed readiness to return to their villages while others have requested to be settled somewhere else.

Gawo said many people were apprehensive on the happenings noting that the Minister of Interior retired Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau visited and deployed security personnel which assisted in calming the situation.

He however, appealed to the monarch to facilitate the use of Nigerian Air Force planes on the bandits due to the difficulty the ground troops encounter in accessing the area.

Responding, Abubakar said he visited to condole with the victims and interact with them over the incident which occurred when he was abroad.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday received some traditional rulers from Isoko communities in Delta State, who pleaded with government to extend amnesty programme to their area.

At a meeting with the president, they said the programme should be extended to the peaceful youths in Isoko and also to consider giving political appointments to the people.

They also asked the President to reward the Isoko community for being peaceful and protecting the nations oil and gas assets for over 15 years.

The President-General of the Isoko Development Union and spokesman for the traditional rulers, Iduh Amadhe, called on President Buhari to look into the spread of development projects in Niger Delta.

With eight oil fields of flow stations in Isoko land, we appeal to His Excellency to direct NNPC to establish a gas plant and a modular refinery in Isoko land.

It will be beneficial to the nation; it will create employment and generate revenue, he said.

Amadhe claimed that Isoko community had been left out in Federal Government appointments.

The area, he said, had also been ignored in the establishment of federal educational institutions, skill development centres, and infrastructure.

The leader of the delegation is the Odiologbo of Oleh Kingdom and Chairman, Isoko Traditional Council, HRM Anthony William Ovrawah Omogha 1.

Others are the Odiologbo of Owhe, HRM Inna 1, HRM Ovie of Uzere, Isaac Udogri 1,Ovie of Aviara, HRM Emaviwe,Ovie of Okpe, HRM Agbabe, Ovie of Enhwe, HRM Efekodha and others.

Source: NAN

Allegations of voter fraud are mounting in Zimbabwe less than 48 hours to the first polls since former leader Robert Mugabe was ousted last year,

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabes former ally in the ruling ZANU-PF party, faces opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party in a landmark vote for the southern African nation.

Zimbabwes military generals shocked the world in November when they seized control and ushered Mnangagwa to power, ending Mugabes 37-year reign in a few short days.

Mnangagwa, 75, who promises a fresh start for the country, is the front-runner with the advantage of covert military support, a loyal state media and a ruling party that controls government resources.

But Chamisa, 40, who has performed strongly on the campaign trail, hopes to tap into a young population that could vote for change as ZANU-PF has ruled since the countrys independence from British colonial rule in 1980.

Elections under Mugabe were marred by fraud and violence, and this years campaign has been dominated by accusations that the vote will be rigged.

The MDC has raised allegations of a flawed electoral roll, ballot paper malpractice, voter intimidation, bias in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and free food handed out by the ruling party.

But campaigning has been relatively unrestricted and peaceful compared with previous elections, and some analysts point to pressure for the vote to be judged credible to draw a line under the isolation of the Mugabe era.

The international community is looking for an election that will provide sufficient excuse to re-engage with Zimbabwe, said Showers Mawowa, an analyst at the Southern African Liaison Office rights advocacy group.

There are a lot of political and economic interests at play that are converging around the prioritisation of stability.

Mawowa said the risk of violence or military intervention could be highest after polling day.

There is reason to be anxious about whether or not the military will accept an opposition victory, particularly because they recently executed a de facto coup, he said.

Post-election violence might be a possibility, with the opposition making it clear that they are not going to accept an outcome that they would have not won.

Polling accuracy in Zimbabwe is uncertain, but a recent Afrobarometer survey of 2,400 people put Mnangagwa on 40 percent and Chamisa on 37 percent, with 20 percent undecided.

Mnangagwa, who is accused of involvement in election violence and fraud under Mugabe, has vowed to hold a fair vote and invited in international observers including the previously-banned European Union team.

This is the new Zimbabwe we want. We shall continue to grow and grow, he said opening a chrome processing plant this week.

Zimbabwe shall never be the same again. We preach peace, we preach unity and we preach tolerance.

Chamisa has launched blistering attacks on Mnangagwa and accused the much-criticised Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of trying to fix the election.

But he vowed not to boycott the vote, saying his party would still win.

We have a ZEC that has chosen to throw away the whistle as a referee and joined another team, he said on Wednesday. Winners dont boycott. Victory is inevitable.

The next government must tackle mass unemployment and an economy shattered by the Mugabe-backed seizure of white-owned farms, the collapse of agriculture, hyperinflation and an investment exodus.

Previously solid health and education services are in ruins and millions have fled abroad to seek work.

Life expectancy has only just recovered to its 1985 level of 61 years.

We need to see jobs, said Rest Maphosa, one resident of the capital Harare. I will be patient even if it takes me eight hours standing in the queue, because what I want is to vote.

With 5.6 million registered voters, the results of the presidential, parliamentary and local elections are due by August 4.

A run-off vote is scheduled for September 8 if no presidential candidate wins at least 50 percent plus one in the first round.

In 2008, then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off after attacks orchestrated by the state claimed the lives of at least 200 of his supporters.

Mugabe, now a frail 94, was finally ousted as he tried to position his wife Grace, 53, to be his successor.

In his only press interviews since his fall, he admitted only that some errors were done under his rule, adding that he now thought his country was topsy turvy.

*AFP

Source: NAN

He faces 24 candidates of which only one, Soumaila Cisse, 68, is seen as having a strong chance of ousting him. Both men are from the Saharan nations political elite, and IBK beat Cisse in a run-off at the 2013 poll.

Both held final rallies attracting thousands of people on Friday night.

There is still a lot to do. Thats why I am soliciting the Malian people to give us another term, not because Im thirsty for power, Keita said at a rally on a leafy square on the banks of the Niger river.

Everywhere Ive been I see a desire for change. Malians want nothing more to do with this regime, Cisse told his supporters at his party headquarters.

All candidates have promised to reverse Malis decline and help end pervasive poverty. Mali is 14th from the bottom on the U.N. Human Development Index, despite being Africas third biggest gold exporter and a major cotton grower.

A billboard in the exhaust fume-choked capital Bamako depicts Keita in flowing white robes and a skull cap, urging Malians to consolidate the peace.

Yet since he has been in power, violence has worsened. Civil society website Malilink recorded 932 attacks in the first half of 2018, almost double that for all of 2017 and triple 2015.

In the north, where French troops stepped in to halt a Tuareg rebellion and jihadi takeover before the last poll, jihadists have killed more than 160 U.N. peacekeepers.

Timbuktu, once a Sahara desert tourist spot, is unstable, hit by Islamist militants as well as tensions between Arab and Tuareg traders and black Malians from the south.

Islamist violence has also spread to central Mali, where militants have attacked the pan-regional G5 Sahel force. Killings have begun to take on an ethnic tone, as the Islamists exploit tensions over access to land and water.

Human Rights groups have unearthed evidence that Malian troops were implicated in mass graves in central Mali. The Defence Ministry pledged to investigate.

Keita has played down the countrys security woes.

There are pockets of violence, residues of terrorism that even (French forces) havent managed to vanquish from Malian soil, he said after a tour of Malis diaspora, one of about 150 costly foreign trips that have been criticised by opponents since he took office.

Are you going to blame all that on IBK?

Whoever is to blame, the violence could deter many from voting in a nation with consistently the lowest turnout in West Africa about 40 percent on average.

Violence in the Mopti region and northern region is really going to depress turnout, said U.S. researcher Bruce Whitehouse.

Discontent with IBK is palpable, and thousands protested against him in Bamako last month. Yet he has the benefit of incumbency and is likely to win, although probably only in a second round, diplomats say.

Though most expect a smooth election, there is a risk of a disputed poll turning violent. Opposition candidates are crying foul over alleged tampering with the electoral list.

Im sad to see a government that cheats, to see an electoral fraud in the offing, Cisse told Reuters after his rally. But we dont have a plan-B. We must go the polls.

If Mali can avoid a rancorous dispute over the result, that will sooth anxieties.

Thats the metric the international community will use: there you go, we had a peaceful election, Adam Thiam, a Malian analyst told Reuters in Bamako.

This election is all about showing Mali is stabilising.

Source: NAN

The outgoing Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Mr Denys Gauer, in Abuja said France has concluded arrangements to establish a cinema school in Lagos and some museums around the country.

The facilities are in addition to formalising an agreement on film production and the US$2 billion investment in projects in 10 years.

Gauer who paid a farewell visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday in Abuja highlighted the positive trends in the nations economy.

He told the President that more companies in his country have indicated interest to do business in Nigeria.

He also revealed that the French Agency for Development (AFD), which opened an office in Nigeria 10 years ago, has provided a total of $2 billion facility for projects in the country.

President Buhari commended the Republic of France for its commitment to strong regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism and cross-border crime in West Africa.

The President also appreciated the roles and contributions of the French government to peace, security and stability in countries in the sub-Saharan region, as well as Central Africa.

He said Nigeria has placed the issue of combating terrorism in the region on international agenda and has received support and solidarity from France in the area of training, information, intelligence sharing, technical and equipment support.

President Buhari noted the regional level where Nigeria was conducting joint patrols with neighbouring countries under the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

He was happy that France has continued to encourage regional cooperation among the nations francophone neighbours, aimed at addressing the security challenges and humanitarian conditions in the area.

The President also used the opportunity of the farewell visit to formally congratulate France for winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The victory is very important and historic for the country and I think it has raised a lot of positive optimism for French citizens, he said in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

President Buhari recalled the recent visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Nigeria, saying both countries would continue to maintain cordial ties and improve economic, cultural and political relations for their mutual benefit.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged supporters to slow down further campaigns for his re-election as they amount as a breach of the rules of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Mr. Femi Adesina, the media adviser to President Buhari sued for patience on Saturday in a statement. However, supporters are free to publicize the various achievements of the Buhari administration, he said.

According to INEC time-table, party primaries for the Presidential, Governorship, Federal and State Elections would begin on August 18 to end on October 7, 2018, while that of the FCT Area Council Elections will commence on September 4 to end on October 27, 2018.

The campaigns

The last day for the submission of nomination forms to INEC is December 3, 2018 for Presidential and National Assembly Elections; December 17 for Governorship and State Assembly and December 14, 2018 for the FCT Area Council Elections.

Presidential Election would hold on February 16, 2019, while Governorship and State Assembly Elections would be conducted on March 2, 2019.

Here is Adesinas statement: It has been observed that some fervent supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari have begun what may be interpreted as political campaigns in their advocacies and advertisements in the mass media.

We appreciate their enthusiasm, borne out of desire to garner support for an administration that is actuated by nothing else, other than service for motherland, but we hereby appeal for patience, so that the game can be played according to the rules.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a timetable for political campaigns, and we urge committed supporters round the country (and beyond) to be mindful of such. There will be ample time ahead to trumpet the good works of the Buhari administration, and solicit re-election, all for the good of our country and her people.

While a chronicle of the achievements of the administration is in order now, outright canvasing may amount to jumping the gun. We are an administration committed to due process and scrupulous respect for rules, law and order.

We appreciate our massive supporters nationwide, and urge them to exercise restraint till the race commences officially as stipulated by law.

Source: NAN

Another Nigerian has been killed in South Africa, bringing the number of those killed since January 2016 to 121.

Mr Chibuzo Nwankwo, 42-year-old Enugu State native was shot in the early hours of Friday at a local bar in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, following a disagreement with an unknown person.

The Nigerian community in South Africa on Saturday confirmed the killing of Nwankwo.

The community said that Nwankwo`s death brings to 121 the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa since January 2016.

Mr Habib Miller, the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the telephone from Pretoria on Saturday.

The deceased, a patron of the bar, got drunk and started harassing a female worker.

Information available to the union said that Nwankwo was chased out by security personnel, but he kept on coming back; became very aggressive and rude before the ugly incident occurred, he said.

Miller said that the South African police later intervened and arrested the murder suspect.

A murder case has been opened and investigation has started. We call on Nigerians to be calm and allow the law to take its course, Miller said.

He said the union was against at any form of violence, adding that it would monitor the case to ensure that justice prevailed.

The President of Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr Adetola Olubajo, had called on the South African authorities to arrest and prosecute killers of Nigerians in that country.

Olubajo blamed the incessant killings of Nigerians in South Africa on lack of prosecution of offenders by the authorities.

Olubajo said that the inability of the government to bring to book those perpetrating the heinous crimes against Nigerians has given the criminals free hands.

Lack of prosecution of these criminal activities has actually embolden a lot of people to feel that they can kill Nigerians without any consequence, he said.

He expressed concern that governments apathy to arrest and prosecute the killers has made the situation more complex.

People are embolden to perpetrate the crime with impunity and without consequences, because of lack of prosecution.

When there are no arrests, no prosecutions, criminals will have effrontery to go into crime without fear of retribution.

What we are demanding is that whosoever commits any crime should be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others, he said.

Olubajo also urged both Nigerian and South African authorities to work together to address the situation and reduce criminal activities against Nigerians in South Africa.

He, however, called Nigerians in South Africa to be law abiding and shun criminal activities.

(NAN)

Source: NAN

Ugandas Constitutional Court has removed the 75-year-old age cap, allowing President Yoweri Museveni, now 73, to run again as president.

The president has already spent 32 years in office and he is seeking a sixth term.

The court delivered its ruling on the consolidated presidential age limit petition at the High Court in Mbale on Thursday.

The three main issues the court was to rule on were the lifting of the age caps, extension of the term of Parliament and the raid on the House last year.

In the verdict, the five-judge bench, by a majority of 4-1, upheld the removal of the 75-year age cap that allows President Yoweri Museveni.

The court unanimously rejected the extension of the tenure of the presidency and Parliament from five to seven years.

It stated that it was unconstitutional to amend the law without subjecting it to a referendum. This means that elections are due in 2021.

On the raid by security operatives who evicted mainly opposition MPs from Parliament during the age limit Bill debate last year, the judges said the conduct of lawmakers necessitated some intervention but condemned the handling of the incident by police.

Source:

Source: NAN

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun state, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has been handed seven days to produce his secondary school certificate.

The Osun State High Court made the order on Thursday to the candidate in the Sept. 22 governorship election.

Messrs Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwaseun Idowu had prayed the court to disqualify Adeleke for not possessing a school certificate, as required by Section 177 (d) of the 1999 Constitution.

They also asked the court to set aside the July 21 primary that produced Adeleke as the partys governorship candidate.

In his ruling yesterday on the ex-parte application, Justice David Oladimeji,
advised Adeleke to present his secondary school certificate before the court on Aug. 1.

Oladimeji held that the ex-parte injunction has only seven days lifespan, adding there are still windows left open till August 8, according to the affidavits sworn to by the applicants.

It will be inequitable not to allow the respondent to come and show his certificate, if he has any. But if given the opportunity to present his side of the case, the balance, which is necessary for interlocutory injunction, would be adequately considered.

Justice Oladimeji adjourned the motion on notice till August 1 for hearing.

Also, Adeleke has accused those he called fifth columnists for his travail.

Addressing reporters in Abuja on Thursday, his Director of Media and Publicity, Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said fifth columnists were playing out an alleged destructive? script of their paymaster against the PDP.

Rasheed noted that while the campaign organisation recognised the right of any aggrieved aspirant to seek redress, the development, he said, raised discomforting questions about the real motive of the challenging camp.

Some PDPs governorship candidates had earlier dragged Adeleke court for alleged non-possession of primary school certificate.

The members are seeking that the court grant an interim order to set aside results of the governorship election that produced Adeleke.

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to grant an order restraining the PDP from presenting Adelekes name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the September 22nd governorship poll.

Source: NAN

A US military aircraft flew the remains of American servicemen out of North Korea on Friday, a move hailed by the White House as a positive step for the fragile detente between the two rivals.

The return of the remains on the 65th anniversary of the end of the Korean War marks the partial fulfilment of an agreement reached between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at their historic summit in Singapore last month.

After so many years, this will be a great moment for so many families. Thank you to Kim Jong Un, Trump said in a tweet.

The White House said it was encouraged by the return of the remains and the momentum for positive change.

Todays actions represent a significant first step to recommence the repatriation of remains from North Korea and to resume field operations in North Korea to search for the estimated 5,300 Americans who have not yet returned home, it said.

After leaving the North Korean port city of Wonsan, the C-17 cargo plane landed at the Osan US Air Base in South Korea at around 0200 GMT, where live TV images showed American soldiers lined up for a ceremony.

The United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea said 55 sets of remains were on board the plane.

It was a successful mission following extensive coordination, General Vincent Brooks, commander of the UNC and United States Forces Korea, said in a statement.

Now, we will prepare to honour our fallen before they continue on their journey home.

More than 35,000 Americans were killed on the Korean Peninsula during the war, out of which around 7,700 are still considered missing, including 5,300 in North Korea alone, according to the Pentagon.

Between 1990 and 2005, 229 sets of remains from the North were repatriated, but those operations were suspended when ties deteriorated over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programme.

The remains flown to Osan on Friday are expected to be sent to Hawaii for forensic identification, following a formal repatriation ceremony next Wednesday.

Trump has hailed his summit agreement with Kim as effectively ending the North Korean nuclear threat, although it contained only an ill-defined commitment on Pyongyangs part to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula a long way from the complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament demanded by Washington.

The issue of repatriating remains of American war dead was seen as a far less contentious one, and the summit agreement specified the immediate return of those remains already identified.

According to US officials, North Korea is estimated to have as many as 200 sets of remains ready for delivery.

Source: NAN

Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Arch. Barnabas Yusuf Bala Bantex will gun for the Kaduna South Senate seat, instead of running with Governor Nasir El-Rufai in the 2019 election.

By throwing his hat in the ring, Bantex will hope to displace the incumbent Senator Danjuma Laah, one of the senators, representing the state, who El-Rufai, in a fit of anger described as useless, after spearheading the rejection of a World Bank loan by the senate. Danjuma Laah belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party.

The Deputy Governor said his decision to run was taken to give his people quality representation and address national issues affecting them.

Bantex, who intends to contest on All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, said he took the difficult decision due to what his people have gone through in the area of insecurity in the last 10 years and the inability of their leaders to rise against it, when it could have easily been done, coupled with the need to give good leadership that would drag the zone from quagmire into greatness and progression.

In a speech titled Southern Politics is Bridge-Building, not a Pity Party, the Deputy Governor said, with utmost confidence in the fair mindedness, the results accomplished, and the work being done by the APC government of Kaduna state, under the leadership of Malam Nasir el-Rufai, I have decided to offer myself as the APC candidate for the Kaduna South Senatorial District in the forthcoming 2019 election.

I will continue to serve as Deputy Governor of Kaduna state while pursuing this aspiration. As Deputy Governor, I have had several opportunities to witness this commitment to equity, and I regret that some of the elected representation from my zone has not matched this broad-mindedness and constructive approach, in the interest of our people in Zone 3.

I have therefore come to the conclusion that it is worth leaving the office of Deputy Governor to put these issues on the ballot, to encourage more mature and sober political discourse in the area, in order to deliver the desirable quality of representation for our people, and attract the maximum dividend of democracy.

This has been a very difficult decision for me in view of the uncommon goodwill and brotherly relationship that I currently enjoy with Malam Nasir el-Rufai who has elevated the relationship between Governor and Deputy Governor to a level of mutual respect, engagement and involvement that is unparalleled in our democracy.

Bala, who was first elected chairman of APC in Kaduna state, said, I have had the great pleasure to work with a team that has achieved a lot in human capital development, making health and education more accessible to ordinary people, building infrastructure and vigorously promoting equality of opportunity.

He said the government has been able to resist blackmail by those seeking political patronage and forces accustomed to benefitting from deliberate stoking of ethno-religious fires, to achieve electronic voting, implementing TSA, remaking public service, recruiting qualified teachers, equipping primary health centres, building township roads and creating jobs in the public and private sectors.

He said is aspiration aimed at ensuring equitable development of his zone to ensure that the people enjoy improved commensurate dividends of democracy better than before.

It is my firm intention to run on the record of the el-Rufai government in promoting development across the state. I am fully prepared to challenge anyone that represents the failures of the past in delivering the best for our people. I am convinced that it is time for our people to firmly reject the poorest senatorial representation Zone 3 has had since 1999.

By Gods grace, and with the support of the people, I have been privileged to serve as a Member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the Action Congress. I understood that such an office imposed on me a duty of responsible representation, and this obligation led me to seek and maintain good relations with the State Governor at the time, Namadi Sambo despite his being of the PDP.

*Adapted from The Nation

Source: NAN

Huge drama is expected in Kwara state politics in the weeks ahead as Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed formally declare their defection to the Peoples Democratic Party from the All Progressives Congress.

Just as witnessed in 2014, when APC members left to join the PDP after Saraki joined the APC, a counter-defection from the PDP to APC or another political group is now easily predictable.

A sign of what to expect is the declaration by the Kwara State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, that he cannot work with the incoming defectors, especially Saraki and Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed.

Two senators, Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North) and Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South) as well as the six members of the House of Representatives from the state were among federal legislators who defected on Tuesday from the APC.

But Oyedepo, who spoke on the development on a radio programme in Ilorin, the state capital, said the national leadership of the PDP set up a committee to interface between his group and the defectors. The first meeting is slated for next week, he said.

The PDP chairman, who said he had just returned from a meeting with PDP leaders in Abuja, blamed the partys national leadership for being allegedly insensitive to the political configuration in Kwara State and allowing themselves to be swayed by funding capacity of the defectors. To him, the option now before the leaders is to choose between his group and the Sarakis.

If we agree to work with them (Saraki), just imagine myself and (Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed) Maigida standing on the same rostrum, pledging to do things for the people. It will be a shame; many people will look at me and wonder what has happened. So, it is better not to be in politics again. Instead of a dog being the treasurer for the lion, it is better for both to part ways and go on their separate hunting game.

We have not sat down with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the state governor, Alhaji AbdulFattah Ahmed, even though Im hearing several rumours that I have met with them and that they have offered me juicy positions. Those are all lies; the Senate President despite his humongous wealth, does not yet have what it takes to buy me. He cannot ever buy me because he cannot buy my integrity. If my bank account is not fat, my integrity account is very fat.

So they have not met with us but our national body said they have set up a committee to meet with the two sides next week and when that meeting comes up, we are going to tell the national body that we cannot accept the formula they have put down which is 60:40, 60 percent for a state defecting with the governor and 40 percent for the existing PDP members. And if they said what of 50:50, or 40:60 or 30:70 or even 10:90, we shall not accept; we cannot accept any offer. Anything less than our not working together we cannot accept.

So, we will tell our national body to choose between us and them and I know that they will not choose us because we dont have money but we are not worried. We will only know that an end has come to our journey and our relationship (in the PDP).

If we agree to work with them (Saraki), just imagine myself and (Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed) Maigida standing on the same rostrum, pledging to do things for the people. It will be a shame; many people will look at me and wonder what has happened. So, it is better not to be in politics again. Instead of a dog being the treasurer for the lion, it is better for both to part ways and go on their separate hunting game.

The blame is not from the Saraki camp; the blame is from our national leaders (in the PDP). Leadership in Nigeria is the conspiracy of the elite to punish the downtrodden. When they gave us the party, we inherited nothing and so whatever you see in the PDP today is the product of our efforts. For this alone we should not be interested in defecting from our own house but it is better we do so now and look forward to better future for our dear state.

Oyedepo is author of the book: Shonga and the Looting of Kwara State Treasury. He also wrote Letters to the Emir. Shonga offers an incisive and revelatory account of how Senator Bukola Saraki, a formergovernor of Kwara State, in collaboration with the rejected white Zimbabwe farmers ruined a thriving farming culture and thus manoeuvred the state into a debt trap.

*With reports by The Nation

Source: NAN

Senate President Bukola Saraki has now made a statement to the police, in respect of the investigation into the multiple robberies in Offa on 5 April, in which 31 people were killed.

The police in a short statement on Thursday night reported the Senate President made cautionary statement to the Police Investigation Team investigating the case of Offa bank robbery that occurred on 5th April, 2018.

The police said investigation is in progress on the matter.

The Inspector General of Police had on Monday invited Saraki to report to the Head of investigation team, of the Intelligence Response Team ( IRT) on July 24 at 8 a.m. in Guzape, Abuja. But Saraki ignored the invitation until Thursday 26 July.

The police had on 4 June asked for Sarakis reaction to the statement made by some of the suspects arrested in connection to the most deadly robbery in the history of Nigeria. Sarakiwrote a statement dated 7 June.

Idris ruled the statement inadequate.

After a careful perusal of your letter to the Police, it was discovered that the statement requires further clarification and coupled with the fact that you stated that the full text of the statements of the suspects were not shown to you, it is imperative you report to the Police to make further statements after giving you the full text of the statements of the suspects.

In a response, Saraki described the invitation as a mere afterthought which is designed to achieve political purpose.

The Police have obviously corrupted and politicized their investigations into the Offa robbery incident. They have turned it into an instrument for the party in power to suppress perceived opponents, witch-hunt issue for blackmailing people from freely choosing which platform on which they want to pursue their ambition and a matter for harassing the people whose exit from APC would harm the chances of the party in the forthcoming elections.

I want to make it apparent that I have no hand in either the robbery incident or any criminal acitivity. The Police in their haste to embarrass me sent the invitation to me at 8pm and requested that I report to the station by 8am tomorrow morning. This obviously demonstrated their desperation as I do not see why they are now in a hurry., Saraki said.

The invitation was later to be mired in controversy as a report by the Ministry of Justice was leaked to the media. The report by the Office of Federal Prosecutor said the Police had no evidence to hang any charge on Saraki, in connection with the robberies in which 31 people were killed same day.

The police clarified the position of the federal prosector, Samuel Ogundipe:

It is incumbent on the Force to educate the writer of the story that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federation in the legal advice did not restrain or restrict the Force from investigating further, the indictments against the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed by the principal suspects arrested in connection with the Offa bank robbery of 5April, 2018.

TheDPP advice did not exonerate the Senate President, it only called for further investigations into the matter

It is in the course of further investigations into the case that a letter of invitation dated 23July, 2018 was sent to the Senate President to appear on 24July, 2018 at 8.00am before the Investigation Team at Intelligence Response Team office, Guzape Junction, Abuja.

Consequently, the Force is hereby re-affirming that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki has case to answer by virtue of the facts that the statements submitted by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki earlier to the Investigation Team was not explicit and detailed enough, and was discovered to require further clarifications and interrogation, and coupled with the fact the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki in his statement, claimed that the full text of the statement of the suspects who indicted him in their confessional statements to the Police was not shown to him. It is therefore, imperative for the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki to report to the Police to make further statement after sighting the full text of the statement of the suspects.

Source: NAN

Senate Majority Leader Ahmed Lawan has said members of the National Assembly who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will return to the party before the general elections in 2019.

Lawan made the comforting statement the party’s senators met President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The lawmaker revealed that during the meeting which lasted for about 30 minutes, the President was briefed about the number of APC senators which he said was 53.

He added that the PDP has the largest minority with 48 members of the Senate while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has two senators.

Senator Lawan noted that less than 24 hours after 14 of their colleagues defected from the APC, they have shown willingness to retrace their steps.

He revealed that while the defection was as a result of disagreements in the party, the defected lawmakers expect some members from the opposition party to join the ruling party.

The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, also attended the meeting, although he said it does not mean all his grievances have been addressed.

Sani was confident that the leadership of the party chaired by former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole would be able to resolve all contending issues within the party.

Mr Oshiomhole, who also attended the meeting, told State House correspondents that those defected from the APC were misinformed.

John Abebe, the brother-in-law of former president Olusegun Obasanjo was remanded in Ikoyi Prison, Lagos today over an alleged forgery slammed against him by the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos ordered the remand after listening to a four-count charge of forgery, fabricating evidence, using fabricated evidence and attempt to pervert the course of justice.

One of the count reads: “That you, Dr. John Warimeme Abebe, on or about the 22nd day of June, 2010 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly forged BP Exploration Nigeria Limited’s letter dated 30th November,1995 to Inducon (Nigeria) Limited by inserting in page 2 of the said letter the following words: “Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option’ only applies to the pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of oil in any of our fields” and purported same to have been issued by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited and committed an offence contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.”

Another count reads: “That you, Dr. John Warimeme Abebe, on or about the 22nd day of June, 2010 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly used a fabricated evidence in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/224/2010 Between Dr. John Abebe, Inducon Nigeria Limited And Statoil Nigeria Limited, before the Federal High Court, which evidence was admitted and marked exhibit BB in the said suit and committed an offence contrary to Section 120 (2) of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.”

The defendant, who is late Stella Obasanjo’s brother, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

In view of his plea, Rotimi Oyedepo asked the court for a trial date and prayed for accelerated hearing.

“I urge your Lordship to invoke the spirit of Section 19 of the EFCC Act and I also pray your Lord to remand the defendant in prison custody.”

The defence counsel, Uche Nwokedi, SAN, however, informed the court of a bail application.

He also prayed the court to remand the defendant in the EFCC custody, pending the outcome of the bail application.

In his response, Oyedepo confirmed receipt of “the bundle of documents in court”, while the Judge was delivering a judgment (in another matter).

He, therefore, prayed for a short time to enable him respond to the application “because of certain allegations on oath that was deposed to.”

Consequently, Justice Dada adjourned the matter to August 2, 2018 and ordered the defendant to be remanded in Ikoyi prison custody pending the hearing of the bail application.

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the party’s deputy publicity secretary have offered a friendly advice to both Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara: to quit APC without delay or be expelled.

Abu Ibrahim who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs and an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena gave the advice on Wednesday.

Ibrahim said the failure of Saraki and Dogara to leave the party would lead to their expulsion.

The Senator, who represents Katsina South Senatorial District, also said the plot to impeach President Buhari would have begun today (Thursday) as planned by some lawmakers.

Ibrahim, who appeared to have spoken the minds of other APC senators, said developments in and around the National Assembly clearly showed that Saraki and Dogara could no longer be trusted in the APC.

The expulsion calls came as President Buhari met last night with APC senators following Tuesday’s defection of 14 senators and 37 members of the House of Representatives from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

With Senators Lanre Tejusoso and Adesoji Akanbi returning to APC, the APC now has 54 members as against PDP’s 48 in the Senate.

According to The Nation, Abu Ibrahim who is also chairman of Buhari Support Group, spoke in Abuja.

Speaking specifically about the defection of 14 senators and 37 House of Representatives members from the APC, Ibrahim said the defections were not only expected but did not come to him as a shock.

He said he concluded that no fewer than 13 senators would leave the APC.

He noted that the only defection he did not anticipate was Sokoto State Senator Abdullahi Danbaba’s.

I “I know that those who take Saraki like god will go. This is because wherever Saraki goes they will go. But the mistake they have made is not to realise that politics is local.

“Nobody will say Isa Misau and Suleiman Nazif (two Bauchi State senators) were voted because of Saraki. They were voted because of Buhari. They will lose their seats. Saraki will not save them. They can’t even go to their constituencies.”

On the speculation that some APC senators were quartered in a high profile hotel in Abuja on the night preceding Tuesday’s Senate plenary to plot change of leadership in the Senate, Ibrahim said: “I slept in my house. I was here in my office and left by 2pm. I was not quartered anywhere.”

He was categorical that the alleged plot to impeach President Buhari “would have started on Thursday (today)”

He said: “The impeachment of the President should have started Thursday. Everybody was planning. We knew they were planning.

“They realised and learnt that we knew. They knew that if they had remained up till today (Wednesday) a lot of things would have happened.

“We were planning. This is the National Assembly, the only place political parties meet. We were planning.

“Saraki and Dogara should resign today or the APC should send them away. They are no longer APC members.

“The only reason Saraki and Dogara have not left the APC is that they know that if they leave they will lose their seats. But we will force them to leave.

‘Left to me, I will recommend to APC to expel them. They are no longer needed in the party. We will be cured of cancer if they leave.

“Me as Abu Ibrahim, I am asking Saraki and Dogara to leave APC today. I will meet Oshiomhole (Adams) to expel them.”

Ibrahim insisted that the departure of Saraki and Dogara will not affect the electoral chances of APC.

He noted that if Saraki leaves APC, the party may lose Kwara and Kogi states and no more.

Ibrahim continued: “My position is that Saraki and Dogara should leave the APC. We can no longer trust or discuss APC issues with them again. We cannot afford to continue to harbour moles in our midst.

“Let people be courageous enough and be honest to themselves. We will not miss them.”

APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena, also called for an immediate expulsion of the Senate President.

In a statement, Nabena accused Saraki of being in cahoots with the defectors.

He said: “Being the ringleader, there was no justification for APC to continue to tolerate Saraki. He must go now. Or be shown the way out.”

Nabena, who said the party leadership and members were not surprised by the defections, said the people were rather shocked by Saraki’s utterances and body language.

“The news of the about 14 senators who defected from our party hardly came as a surprise to anyone. What, however, shocked political observers, especially democratic minds, was Senate President Bukola Saraki’s postures and expressions, which clearly communicated his unhidden complicity in the charade against his supposed party.

“Clearly, Saraki had a big hand in organising the events that transpired in the National Assembly. He has, therefore, lost the moral justification to remain in APC. The time to expel him from the party is now.”

Women cannot advance their dignity by using their beauty and sexuality. They are created as vessels of dignity already, therefore their sexuality or beauty cannot be used to advance themselves.

Text: Proverbs 31 v 10 - 31

Physical strength can be described in different ways. Beneath the female skin, women possess a source of power that even science has yet to fully understand. Women are better survivors than men. What’s more, they are born this way. Study has shown that under extreme conditions such as famines, epidemics and enslavement, women are able to survive for longer than men. See (Widow of Zarephath 1 Kings 17 v 7 – 16). Across modern populations, women outlive men in almost all instances. Out of the Worlds 43 oldest persons alive, 42 are women. Now adding the Supernatural Power of Christ to all the natural power in a woman, you have a Super Woman. Today, we shall be taking a look at Women of courage and character, strength and dignity who excelled wonderfully in the Bible and who did the female gender proud thousands of years before the likes of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Queen Amina warrior of Zazzau, Dora Akunyuli, Ameyo Adadevoh, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Oby Ezekwesili, Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel.

Queen Vashti - Esther 1 v 10 – 18

King Ahasuerus, after their one week drinking festival decides that he wants to show off his wife's beauty, so he commands Queen Vashti to appear before his male guests. Given the king's drunkenness and the fact that all his male guests are likewise intoxicated, the assumption has often been that Vashti was commanded to show herself in the nude – wearing only her crown. Vashti receives the summons and refuses to comply. Her refusal is yet another clue to the nature of the king's command. Moral Lesson: - Vashti is a heroine in her own right. She refuses to debase herself before the king and his drunken friends, choosing to value her dignity above submitting to her husband's excesses. Vashti is seen as a strong character who does not use her beauty or sexuality to advance herself.

Esther: – Esther 2 v 1 – 23: - After Vashti came Esther, of Jewish heritage who played for and won King Ahasuerus's heart at the behest of her uncle Mordechai. It wasn't because she thought he was such a great dude; it was a strategic move to ensure the safety of the Jewish people. She did the unthinkable, approach the king without being summoned, exposed Haman’s conspiracy and by so doing saving the Jewish people of the Persian Empire.

Rahab: Fearless and Full of Faith: - Heb. 11:31; Joshua 2 v 1 – 21: - Rahab, a harlot chose to have faith and trust in God even though she didn’t know what would happen to her and her family. She had faith in God that He was in control. Rahab trusted in a God she did not know, she had only heard of the great things that our God did for his people. She trusted the spies to keep their word and spare her family and she trusted God to keep her safe. Rahab married an Israelite called Salmon who fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered King David. That puts Rahab in the line of King David!!!

Miriam: – Exodus 2 v 1 – 10: - Miriam penned an entire song in the Bible — the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:19-21), incidentally, which was one of the most powerful songs about God's miracles that the Hebrews of old ever did hear. As Moses’s older sister, she watched over him when he was placed in a basket on the River Nile. The survival of the leader of the Exodus, Moses, depended on the courage and ingenuity of his sister Miriam. In the wilderness, she was their sole hookup for water. Because of God's fondness for Miriam, she was provided with a transportable well, which she shared with everyone.

Deborah: The Judge - Judges 4:5: - The only female judge mentioned in the entire Bible, Deborah, she practiced law under a palm tree. Deborah, like a true modern woman, also worked a few side jobs as a prophet and a warrior. Her multitasking was crucial, as the Israelites were, at the time, being oppressed by the people of Canaan. With a nudge from God, Deborah declared a revolt on Canaan, and correctly predicted that the Israelite would win the war.

Conclusion: - Women are built with power and made for resilience and persistence through tough times. Women of valor are fearless, full of faith, courageous, value their dignity with a strong character not using their sexuality or beauty to advance themselves. God values such women.

Water may not have an enemy but it is certainly not a ‘friend’ to all things. This is one stark reality that must have hit us at some point in life and sometimes that could come at huge cost. Many are the mobile phones that have been ruined by water even after they must have been subjected to heat [with the SIM card removed].

There is however a sure [and quick-fire] way of getting your phone to work perfectly well again after water must have entered into it. To do this, you must have a number of tools at hand; these include precision screwdrivers, toothbrush and methylated spirit.

To begin with, you should promptly remove the battery and SIM card(s) from the phone and then proceed to uncouple the phone. Now, gently take out the panel and clean it with the toothbrush that has been dipped into methylated spirit – the spirit will help to absorb the water and ensure quick evaporation. Thereafter, you should place the panel under the sun for a couple of minutes. With the panel fully ridded of water, you can bring the whole piece back together again and have fun using your phone.