Malaysia slashes salaries of ministers
News & Trends •
at the news conference mahathir said malaysias debt is around 65 per cent of the countrys gdp1 malaysia has slashed salaries of ministers by 10 per cent and also cut public spending1 prime minister mahathir mohamad on wednesday the measures at the first cabinet meeting which was attended by more than a dozen of the newly sworn-in ministers1 we are concerned about the countrys financial problem mahathir told reporters after the meeting1 mahathir said he will not force other senior civil servants to follow suit but he said they can do so if they want to contribute towards reducing the cost of the running this country1 since taking power after the election victory mahathir has been focusing on implementing the commitments promised during the campaign including abolishing the six-per cent goods and services taxes which the rating firm moodys said could narrow the countrys tax base and strain fiscal strength1 the decision was taken to control spending as the new government deals with high-level debt the 92-year-old leader said exceeded more than one trillion ringgit 251.5 billion u.s. dollars1 aside from the pay cut he has been advocating other measures including forming a small cabinet downsizing the government and recovering some assets related to the 1mdb state fund overseas1 he said the land public transport commission will be disbanded with its previous functions placed under the transport ministry while several other non-essential institutions will be dissolved1 besides he touched on the review process of some mega projects saying the government is studying which will be scraped and which will be continued1 in addition he said the government is reviewing the contract for the search of the missing mh370 flight1 if we find that it is not necessary we will not renew the contract he said. xinhuanan1

kidnappers demand ransom in bitcoin to free teenager
News & Trends •
a criminal gang in south africa which kidnapped a teenage boy on sunday is demanding a ransom in bitcoin cryptocurrency of nearly 120000 dollars police said1 police spokesperson leonard hlathi said katlego marite 13 was dragged into a car while playing with two friends near his home in witbank a town in the eastern province of mpumalanga on sunday afternoon1 they demanded that the family should deposit a sum of 15 bitcoins not in rands he told news channel enca1 the parents dont even know what these bitcoins are. they are not dealing in those things. they are in tatters as we speak1

Shell Oil vs Nigerias Bodo community: UK court to deliver judgment Friday
News & Trends •
lawyers for spdc the nigerian arm of shell argued that the litigation should be struck off in1 a court in london will deliver judgment on friday in a case filed by lawyers for the bodo community in nigerias oil-producing niger delta1 the community was devastated by two major oil spills a decade ago1 the bodo oil spills have been the subject of years of legal wrangling1 in 2015 shell accepted liability for the spills agreeing to pay 55 million pounds 83 million dollars at the time to bodo villagers and to clean up their lands and waterways1 oil spills sometimes due to vandalism sometimes to corrosion are common in the niger delta a vast maze of creeks and mangrove swamps criss-crossed by pipelines and blighted by poverty pollution oil-fuelled corruption and violence1 the spills have had a catastrophic impact on many communities where people have no other water supply than the creeks and rely on farming and fishing for survival1 at the same time oil companies have run into problems trying to clean up spills sometimes because of obstruction1 and even violence by local gangs trying to extract bigger payouts or to obtain clean-up contracts1 after years of delays the clean-up in bodo is currently underway and litigation in the london high court is stayed or on hold1 the lawyers went to court in london to fend off what they said was an attempt by shell to kill off their litigation1 october 2018 or at the latest a year later and that it should only be re-activated if spdc failed to comply with its obligation to pay for the clean-up1 lawyers for the bodo community said that was unacceptable because the clean-up could go wrong for any number of reasons and that under shells proposal the villagers would be left without the recourse of going back to court1 the effect of what shell is trying to do is to kill off the case said dan leader the bodo communitys lead lawyer on the sidelines of the hearing1 its only because of the pressure of litigation that the clean-up is getting back on track1 but shells lawyers citing an earlier judgment compared the stayed litigation to a gun in the cupboard that1 the bodo communitys lawyers wanted to be able to hold to shells head at their convenience for years on end1 they said the litigation was a hindrance to the clean-up because it gave some local community members the impression that there was still the possibility of a bigger payout incentivising them to block the clean-up rather than cooperate1 the previous persistent delays to the clean-up process clearly demonstrate that litigating nigerian oil spill cases in the english courts does little to resolve the complex underlying security and community issues which can frustrate attempts to clean up areas impacted by oil pollution an spdc spokeswoman said1 we hope that the community will continue to grant the access needed for clean-up to progress as planned.reutersnan1

Anambra: FRSC identifies 572 faults in 390 vehicles
News & Trends •
the federal road safety corps frsc anambra command said it spotted 572 faults in 390 vehicles examined during the two-day free vehicle safety checks fvsc conducted by the command in anambra1 mr sunday ajayi sector commander of frsc in anambra said this in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan in awka on wednesday1 he said 183 commercial 196 private and 11 government vehicles were inspected during the exercise1 ajayi explained that through the fvsc programme the corps uses a checklist of possible vehicular faults to examine vehicles on the spot1 according to him poor lighting systems bad wipers and bad tyres were the most prevalent faults detected1 the sector commander said the checks were not meant to penalise motorists but to advise them on the conditions of their vehicles and recommend maintenance1 he said we conducted safety checks on 390 vehicles under the command which is entirely free and 572 faults were detected1 ajayi said the command had embarked on the evacuation of all broken-down vehicles and obstructions on the highways within anambra1 he said the evacuation was to enable motorists drive under a safer environment especially as the rainy season was close1 we have evacuated over 10 burnt vehicles since since we commenced the decongestion exercise two days ago he said. nan1

Pope Urges Chinese catholics to pay allegiance to Holy See
News & Trends •
francis and before him pope benedict xvi have tried to unite the two communities and in recent months vatican officials had expressed hope that a deal to resolve the key stumbling block to reconciliation was nearing completion1 pope francis urged chinese catholics on wednesday to show they are in full communion with the holy see1 francis made the comments during his general audience noting that many chinese catholics will be marking a feast day dedicated to the virgin mary this week in sheshan near shanghai1 francis prayed that all chinese faithful can live their faith with generosity and serenity and can make gestures of fraternity harmony and reconciliation in full communion with the pope1 chinas estimated 12 million catholics are split between those belonging to the government-backed chinese catholic patriotic association and an underground church loyal to the pope. these underground priests and parishioners are frequently detained and harassed1 the appeal is coming amid what appears to be another stall in the vaticans longstanding attempts to reach a deal with beijing over bishop nominations1 under the deal the vatican would recognize seven bishops not chosen by the pope who have been appointed over the years by beijing and two underground bishops named by the pope would step aside. going forward the pope would have effective veto power over beijing-nominated bishops according to a vatican official familiar with the talks1 but since the beginning of the year when word first emerged that an agreement was near china appears to have hardened its position. in february the government introduced new regulations on religious affairs and has hardened attitudes toward any organization outside the direct control of the communist party1 recent propaganda posters have been popping up around china saying god cant solve problems only the party can. go to church each day to study god no way the spirit can relieve your hardship reads one in henan province south of beijing. go with the party dont believe in god the party will bring us so much happiness1 supporters say the vatican-pushed deal would help the holy see achieve its years-long goal of bringing all of chinas catholics ostensibly under the popes wing. critics say the deal is selling out chinas long-suffering underground catholics to an authoritarian regime1 read more at httpswww.washingtonpost.comnationalreligionpope-to-china-catholics-make-gestures-showing-communion201805234fc17340-5e66-11e8-b656-236c6211

Buhari gateway for Igbo presidency
News & Trends •
buhari gateway for igbo presidency1

Diezanis election cash: Wikes aide Kobani docked for N750m
News & Trends •
kobani allegedly collected n50000000 out of the heist while okposo allegedly collected the remaining n7000000001 secretary to the rivers state government mr. kenneth kobani and a politician mr. samuel okposo were docked today in port harcourt for a six-count charge of money laundering1 all the three men appeared before justice b. bilikisu of the federal high court sitting in port harcourt rivers state1 according to the economic and financial crimes commission the accused collected the money from the garrison branch of a new generation bank in port harcourt rivers state on the eve of the 2015 general elections 1 the money was part of the infamous 115million diezani alison- madueke cash deployed to bribe many politicians and officials of the independent national electoral commission inec to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election 1 the amount involved was n750million part of the 115million pilfered from the treasury by former oil minister diezani alison madueke1 count one of the charge read that you samuel johnson okposo on or about the 27th day of march 2015 in port harcourt within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire and aid other persons yet to be charged to acquire and take possession and control of the sum of seven hundred million naira n700000000.00 from fidelity bank location garrison port harcourt reasonably knowing and or ought to have known that such fund or property forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed a1 count two of the charge read that you kenneth kobani on or about the 27th day of march 2015 in port harcourt within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire and aid other persons yet to be charged to acquire and take possession and control of the sum of fifty million naira n50 000000.00 from fidelity bank location garrison port harcourt reasonably knowing and or ought to have known that such fund or property forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contra1 when the charge was read to them they pleaded not guilty1 prosecution counsel c.a. okoli told the court that he was ready for trial and prayed that the defendants be remanded in prison custody. however the lead defense counsel c.a. okala san sued for the bail of the defendants1 justice b. bilikisu admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of n50000000 and a surety each in like sum. she adjourned the matter till june 4 2018 for trial1

Slain catholic priests are martyrsBishop Umoren
News & Trends •
also the primate of church nigeria anglican communion most rev. nicholas okoh reiterated the need for the government to protect the lives and property of citizens1 the auxiliary bishop of the catholic archdiocese of abuja bishop anselm umoren has called on the federal government to rise up to its responsibility to protect lives and property of citizens1 two catholic priests rev. fathers joseph gor and felix tyolaha and 17 worshippers were killed on tuesday april 241 they were killed when suspected herdsmen invaded st. ignatius quasi parish ukpor-mbalom in ayar-mbalom community of gwer east local government area lga during morning mass1 the bishop reminded the president muhammadu buhari of his inaugural speech in 2015 to protect the lives and property of all nigerians irrespective of their religion and tribe1 we are here today to remind our president about his promise to secure the lives and property of the citizens1 life is sacred it is only god that has the right to take life so there should be dignity for human life1 therefore we call on the government to defend the citizens1 we pray for the repentance of those killing innocent people that they may be converted because god wants them to repent from their evil deeds he said1 he however called on christians to pray for peace and justice to reign in the country adding that they should be people of clean hands and clear hearts1 umoren also urged christians not to allow the killings to affect their relationship with god and the country1 we should fear god who owns our body and soul we should not fear those that can kill our body only the bishop said1 umoren said the martyrs of benue would be remembered for their commitment to their god1 umoren made the call on tuesday in abuja in his sermon at the requiem mass for the slain priests and lay faithful in mbalon benue1 the army navy police and all the security agencies should be empowered to enter the bush and fish out these killers and deal with them1 they are human beings they have to prosecute them and bring them to face the law1 if this is not done this problem will not come to an end he said1 okoh urged christians not to be intimidated with the happenings but should remain steadfast in prayers1 he commended the catholic church for it contribution to peace and justice in the country and assured them of the support of the anglican communion1 in his remark dr samson ayokunle christian association of nigeria can president also called for the arrest of the perpetrators of the benue killings1 ayokunle was represented by dr stephen adeghita can director of social affairs1 we must continue to demand for justice the blood of the martyrs will not be in vain he said1 also speaking fct can chairman dr jonah samson said can is saying enough is enough we are saying no to killings brutality and wickedness of all sort he added1 there was massive turnout of christians at the christian centre in solidarity with the catholic church in mourning of the slain two catholic priests and parishioners1 the peaceful protest and rosary procession which started from the christian centre would end in our lady of queen of nigeria pro-cathedral garki1 the peaceful protest was led by the auxiliary bishop of the catholic archdiocese of abuja bishop anselm umoren in solidarity with some christian association of nigeria can officials as well as some christian leaders in the fct1

Super Eagles loose 2 - 3 to Athletic Madrid
News & Trends •
super eagles loose 2 - 3 to athletic madrid1

Shagari, 4 others arraigned for money laundering
News & Trends •
shagari1 4 others arraigned for money laundering1

Police arrest 2 offa Bank Robbery suspects
News & Trends •
offa bank robbery4 offa bank robbery suspects4 offa in the past had witnessed several attacks on banks leading to the closure of some branches in the highly commercial community which houses the federal polytechnic offa2 police arrest 2 offa bank robbery suspects1

Slain catholic priests: Onaiyekan cautions against anarchy
News & Trends •
this is our hope which is based on our trust in god the cardinal said1 john cardinal onayikan the cardinal of the abuja catholic diocese has called on nigerians to rise above religious political and ethnic divides to save the country from drifting into anarchy1 he said the killings across the country must stop and called on well meaning nigerians to unite in fighting the great evil that had befallen the country1 the cleric warned this must not be politicized. the nation is in a state of emergency. we demand for synergy division especially on tribal lines will only throw our nation to anarchy1 he called on the federal government to act decisively to end the spate of killings across the country1 the cardinal called on the people to be vigilant and be your brothers keeper1 he warned that if murderers were allowed to continue killing without checkmating them it will come to a time when people will begin to use other means of self defense1 onaiyikan called for forgiveness and warned against reprisals and said the souls of the righteous were in the hands of god1 he appealed for calm and advised the christian faithful to show appreciation to god in all situations1 onaiyekan handed down the advice on tuesday during a sermon for the burial of two catholic priests rev frs. felix tyolaha and joseph gor at ayati a small agrarian hilly village in the outskirts of ikpayongo in gwer east local government council of the state1 he described the death of the priests and the others as a horrific massacre which will not be forgotten for a long time1 the cardinal said the killed priests and their worshippers were martyrs of the church1 earlier the bishop of makurdi diocese most rev. wilfred anagbe said the decision to bury the victims of saint ignatius parish mbalom at the se sugh maria pilgrimage centre ayati was to honor them as martyrs of the church1 he said the barbaric acts perpetrated against the victims would attract the wrath of god and lamented the act of desecrating the church of god1 if our places of worship are no longer safe then where can we run to in this country anagbe said1 he expressed optimism that their blood would restore peace and end the killings in the state and across the country1 sympathizers mostly catholics dressed in their societal attires besieged the ayati prayer ground as early as 7a.m to secure seats for the historic event1 security around the burial site was tight as only identified dignitaries apart from the clergy were allowed entry1

Court dissolves mans 9th marriage
News & Trends •
in his response kasali consented to the divorce but denied attempting to poison mudijat and the children1 a mapo customary court in ibadan on tuesday dissolved a 15-year-old marriage between one mr akanmu kasali and his ninth wife mujidat over allegations of threat to life1 she told the court presided over by chief ademola odunade that she had suffered enough in the marriage and was no longer in love with kasali with whom she had three children1 my lord he beats me at will he once locked me and the children inside a room at night1 i have every reason to believe that he intends to kill me and the children if not why would he put poison in the food i was cooking. he is a threat to my life1 i am fed up with this marriage. i plead that you will allow us to go our separate ways she said1 the petitioner also told the court that kasali was uncaring1 mujidat approached the court with claims that her husband was wicked and troublesome1 i seduced her from another man about 15 years ago and we have three children1 the poison she mentioned was just special leaves we used in cooking beans for the entire family she is very much aware of this1 i did not lock her in a room1 however i am in support of divorce he said1 in his ruling odunade dissolved the union on grounds of irreconcilable differences1 he gave the custody of the children to mujidat and ordered kasali to pay n10000 monthly for their feeding1 you are to equally take responsibility of the childrens education and healthcare the president told kasali1

Saraki vs IGP Idris: Senate delegation meets Buhari at Aso Rock
News & Trends •
president muhammadu buhari is meeting with 10-man senate delegation raised to address the ongoing impasse between the senate president bukola saraki and the inspector-general of police over a criminal case involving some suspected cultists1 members of the senate delegation included former governors of nasarawa abdullahi adamu gombe danjuma goje and akwa ibom mr godswill akpabio1 nan observed that the senior special assistant to the president on national assembly matters senate mr ita enang also accompanied the senators to the meeting with the president1 it would be recalled that the senate had on may 9 passed vote of no confidence on the igp describing him as enemy of democracy over his failure to honour its invitations twice1 idris however asked the deputy inspector general of police operations joseph habila to represent at the senate1 senate president bukola saraki on wednesday also accused the igp of plotting to implicate him and gov. abdulfatah ahmed of kwara in a murder case involving some suspected cultists1 the senate on thursday raised a 10-man panel to meet with president buhari over the allegation leveled against the igp by saraki1

30,000 civil servants own houses Loans Board
News & Trends •
we have over hundreds of thousands number of civil servants that come under our purview they are so many she stressed1 dr hannatu fika the executive secretary federal government staff housing loans board fgshlb said that the board had helped over 30000 workers to access loans to own houses1 she said that public servants were the engine room of good governance adding that one way the government could encourage workers was to provide them with shelters1 she said it was for this reason that the current administration had used fgshlb to enable federal government workers to build houses1 fika disclosed that the board had helped over 30000 workers access loans to own houses and reaffirmed the commitment of the board to the welfare of public servants1 this is a change era the good thing any government can do for its workers is to provide certain basic welfare needs so that they too can work effectively diligently and willingly for the country1 until 1974 the programme was only situated in the lagos territory but was expanded to all the states of the federation1 so as of today from the statistics of loans that we recently disbursed we can proudly say that we have touched the lives of over 30000 federal public servants who now own their own homes through the fglshb revolving scheme she said1 fika said the housing deficit in the country might persist if the relevant agencies lacked the resources to operate1 we will continue to pressurise government to make fund available for housing programmes1 fika made this known in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan on monday in abuja1 she however said as long as funds are not there we have to utilise what is in the mortgage agency to be able to build these houses1 fika lauded the efforts of the present administration in providing houses for nigerians especially through the federal ministry of power works and housings projects in all the states1 according to her amendment to the act establishing the board is long overdue1 let me begin by saying this is a change era and the art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings. progress is impossible without change therefore change is inevitable1 the last amendment was in 1974 about 44years without sentiment there are provisions that are obsolete like section 3 1h of cap f.ii.lfn 2004 no longer exist in service she said1 she disclosed that some critical areas like area of partnerships required a law for sustainability appropriate designation of officers of the board offences1 according to her to participate in partnership for the affordability and availability of housing for eligible public servants the board signed memorandum of understanding mou with both government and private organisations1 she said that this was in an effort to look outside the box in order to address the housing need of teeming population of federal staff1 nan recalls that the board has disbursed over one billion naira as renovation loan to 2000 civil servants across the country1 the renovation loan was being managed by the loans board on behalf of the federal mortgage bank of nigeria as agreed in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2015 by the two agencies1

Buhari: Where is electricity, after billions spent by Obasanjo, others?
News & Trends •
on the mismanagement of the economy by previous administrations president buhari noted that the perpetrators lacked imagination and plans for the development of the nation1 president muhammadu buhari on tuesday said those who mismanaged nigerias economy in the past through fraudulent electricity projects and misuse of revenue earnings from oil had no love for the country1 the president stated this when he received members of the buhari support organisations bso led by the comptroller-general of customs col. hameed ali at the presidential villa abuja1 most of the electricity projects president buhari spoke about were awarded during the second term of the obasanjo administration2003 and 2007 and the result has only been creeping into the national grid to the extent that 11 years after nigeria is yet to enjoy stable power supply1 president buhari urged nigerians to remain vigilant and ensure that only people of conscience are in-charge of governance at all levels as the nation prepared for general elections in 20191 one of the former heads of state was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion dollars on power in nigeria. where is the power the president asked1 i challenge anybody to check from europe america and asia between 1999 and 2014 nigeria was producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil per day at an average cost of 100 dollars per barrel and it went up to 143 dollars1 when we came it collapsed to between 37 and 38 dollars and later was oscillating between 40 and 50 dollars1 i went to the cbn governor with my cap in my hand and asked if we had savings. he told me we had only debts no savings. some of the roads were not repaired since the petroleum trust fund ptf days1 i dont care the opinion you have about abacha but i agreed to work with him and we constructed roads from abuja to port harcourt benin to onitsha and so on. we also touched education and health institutions1 one of the former heads of state was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion dollars on power in nigeria. where is the power the president asked without mentioning any name1 sometimes i wonder about those who can afford to send their children abroad for studies and yet continue to sabotage the economy i wonder what kind of nigeria they want their children to return to and work. there is a lot of lack of imagination1 if you are working for the country then you shouldnt be misappropriating and misapplying public funds the way people did he said1 the president noted that under his watch the 2016 and 2017 budgets recorded the highest appropriation and releases in capital projects with over n2.8 trillion disbursements in two years1 the president urged nigerians to reject those bent on dividing the country along religious and ethnic lines warning that they do not mean well for the country1 i have said severally that we do not have any other country than nigeria and we will remain here and salvage it together1 we have nothing to regret. absolutely nothing. god has given nigeria everything. we are rich in human and material resources. let us keep on praying to god to put people of conscience in-charge at all levels1 on the activities of the support group president buhari apologised for not rallying them before announcing his intention to seek re-election in 2019 during a meeting of the national executive committee of the all progressives congress on april 9 20181 he thanked members of the group for their resolute support to him as a presidential candidate in 2015 and all through his term in office adding that their voluntary sacrifices were an indication of their trust and belief in the great future of the country1 in his remarks ali said the group and majority of nigerians are passionate about a second-term for president buhari because of his integrity honesty love and patriotism1 he noted that president buhari had entrenched fiscal discipline and prudent management of resources improved the nations security and delivered on his promise to revamp agriculture as a major revenue earner for the country.nan1

Omisore not in SDP, says secretary
News & Trends •
on the platform of the sdp i shall with the support of my supporters followers and the electorate of the state seek the nomination to contest for and by his grace be elected as the executive governor of osun state on september 22 20182 our quest for an alternative political platform is basically in pursuit of a credible political structure that would guarantee that our people enjoy the benefits of accountable leadership at the state level from now2 notwithstanding my enormous contributions over the past years or so to building the pdp after very deep thought and the widest consultations with my god my family my supporters in and outside osun state2 it is with great concern that i have made a very expedient decision today to withdraw my membership from the peoples democratic party pdp and join the social democratic party sdp a party that believed in a balanced equitable and truly functional nigeria2 we have a laid down procedure and rules in which an intending member must follow which he has not done not to talk of submitting letter of intent to contest on our platform awe said1 omisore a former deputy governor of osun state formally announced his switch to the sdp from the peoples democratic party on sunday1 the social democratic party sdp in osun state said it was not aware senator iyiola omisore has joined the party1 well in his usual style and way of doing things he has been announcing to whoever cares to listen that he has joined our party1 in actual fact omisore has not personally or officially met the party leadership to express his interest of becoming a member1 state secretary of the party elder femi awe told daily post that the party has no record of senator omisore as a card carrying member1 meanwhile a leading governorship aspirant of the sdp in the state chief yemisi oladeji has promised to give omisore a tough fight for the governorship ticket of the party1 oladeji in a statement sent to daily post on sunday said the former deputy governor is not more than a friend of sdp in the state1 this is just a wishful thinking brought about by certain elements trying to create confusion in the peaceful process of our partys primaries. from records available to us senator omisore is not a member of sdp in osun1 i advise chief omisore to first and foremost properly approach the party to regularise his membership and until that is done he is not a member of our party1 i would like to sound a note of warning to omisore that if he felt the primary process in pdp is rigorous he should wait and see a far more challenging one in sdp. if he opts for the membership of sdp and presents himself as a governorship candidate1 i want to assure him that i will give him a good and competitive run putting in all that it will legitimately require to clinch my partys ticket for the poll1 also we need to drum it loud and clear to the ears of omisores supporters that they should not think we will fall for their delusional belief that omisore has what it takes to win the governorship poll on any platform1 we need to remind them that even on pdp platform omisore lost miserably to aregbesola in 2014 even in spite of the backing of the federal government and all its security apparatuses. all those factors that guarantee electoral victory are no longer within the beck and call of otunba omisore1 on behalf of other aspirants on the platform of sdp we demand free and transparent primary. since we may end up having another aspirant bringing into the fold baggage of corruption cases damaged reputation and questionable personality i have resolved to give all that it legitimately takes to win sdp governorship ticket and fly our partys flag in the september 22 2018 poll1

Parallel congresses: APC will overcome challenges Chieftain
News & Trends •
the truth is the issue of congresses came in the midst of reconciliation and the various parties to be reconciled had to go for congresses that is why things happened that way2 a chieftain of the all progressive congress apc in lagos alhaji tajudeen olusi on monday said the party would overcome its present challenges and become more stronger2 he said the holding of parallel congresses in some states on saturday though an issue did not mean differences among members were not reconcilable2 according to him the development is not unusual as such differences are normal in a growing democracy like nigerias2 olusi said the issue should not be seen as an end to the partys ongoing reconciliation process being led by a former lagos governor asiwaju bola tinubu2 he said the parallel congresses would rather help the process to succeed as it had exposed all the places where the committee needed to do serious work2 the chieftain charged the tinubu committee to rise to the occasion expressing the optimism that the party would be more cohesive and stronger at the end of the process2 you see disagreements are normal in politics and we have seen that in the last congresses of our party but that is not to say there is big crisis or that the reconciliation process is dead2 i believe a reconciliation effort led by asiwaju bola tinubu is still on course2 olusi a member of the apc elders forum in the state made the remarks in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan in lagos2 the good thing is that the results of the congresses had shown the enormity of reconciliation the party has to do2 i believe the party is in control all grievances will be addressed as some held parallel congresses just to prove a point2 i think the party will overcome all of these problems to become better at the end of the day he said2 olusi however said he believed that only one congress was held in lagos saying any other one could not stand2 he said any other congress aside that of the party secretariat was a nullity but expressed the optimism that all issues in the state chapter would also be resolved2 there was no parallel congress in lagos you cannot build a house on nothing. there must be a foundation2 we had ward and council congresses and they were not challenged since there were no parallel versions of the previous congresses we cannot have a parallel state congress2 however i understand that some people are aggrieved we are all brothers and i am sure everything will be resolved he said2

Our members not involved in auto crash JOHESU
News & Trends •
johesu leadership feels and empathises with members of the public on the pains they are going through1 the joint health sector union johesu says none of its members was involved in an auto crash over the weekend in benin city1 the statement identified those involved in the accident outsourced staff working as cleaners in university of benin teaching hospital ubth1 it stated that most of the victims were from companies belonging to the chief medical director of ubth and managing directors of federal government owned hospitals1 the statement further described the rumour as a cheap blackmail by medical doctors for cheap publicity and propaganda1 we want to draw the attention of our members across the country that no johesu member was involved in the road traffic accident that occurred in benin edo state1 however our hearts go to the victims of the road crash as we join in wishing them a quick recovery1 we also advise nma to respect life by desisting from propaganda that disrespects the sanctity of man for the purposes of recruiting public sympathy especially through falsehood and rumours it said1 the union also described the purported court injunction ordering johesu to stop its on-going strike by some publications as rumour1 meanwhile the union said it was not unaware of the alleged machination and propaganda by the federal ministry of health and the nigerian medical association nma that were bent on thwarting the on-going nationwide action1 the union described as false and mischievous speculations that some of its members were involved in a road accident. this is contained in a statement signed by johesus national secretary mrs florence ekpebor and made available to the news agency of nigeria nan on monday in abuja.1 however we want to inform the general public that if it is true that there is court order to stop the strike we are not aware neither has johesu been served with any court processes or order to stop the on-going nationwide strike1 this is just a figment of the imagination of mischief makers busy bodies and interlopers1 members of johesu do not live in the moon they are nigerians who have a sacred duty to provide health services to the sick and the wounded1 therefore they also have mothers fathers friends sons daughters cousins among others who require medical services at this point in time but the ugly situation brought about by the insensitivity of the ministry of health for fairness in the health sector has brought us to this ugly situation the statement read in part1 it specifically noted that the union after several meetings had collapsed was left with no choice but to continue with its demands for a better health system where efficiency manpower development fairness and better remuneration would be the corner stone of the health system1 johesu appealed to president muhammadu buhari to order the ministers of labour and health to do the needful by bringing these unwanted circumstances to an end through the implementation of signed agreements and mou between the federal government and the union1 the leadership of johesu therefore insists that no amount of intimidation arm-twisting and harassment will cow us from pursuing our constitutional and fundamental rights to protest and strike1 therefore our members across the federation have been advised to stand firm and fight for the good of our country1 the ministry of health should be reminded that all over the world no mistreated worker can put in his best it stated1 the union however assured the federal government of its determination and desires of members to support this administration for better healthcare services to all nigerians1

Zimbabwe applies to rejoin Commonwealth
News & Trends •
foreign secretary boris johnson tweeted monday fantastic news that zimbabwe wishes to rejoin the commonwealth1 zimbabwe has applied to rejoin the commonwealth the group said monday marking a major step in the countrys international re-engagement after robert mugabe was ousted last year1 the commonwealth said it had received a letter dated may 15 from zimbabwean president emmerson mnangagwa applying to re-join1 member countries very much look forward to zimbabwes return when the conditions are right said secretary-general patricia scotland in a statement from london1 zimbabwes eventual return to the commonwealth following a successful membership application would be a momentous occasion1 scotland confirmed that the commonwealth would send observers to elections due in july or august the first polls since mugabe was ousted in november after a brief military takeover1 mugabe was replaced by his former deputy mnangagwa a veteran ruling zanu-pf party loyalist who was backed by senior military officers1 mnangagwa has vowed to hold fair and free elections and has pledged to revive the moribund economy by repairing international ties and attracting foreign investment1 scotland called for a credible peaceful and inclusive election that restores citizens confidence trust and hope in the development and democratic trajectory of their country1 britain said last month that it would strongly support zimbabwe returning to the commonwealth1 mugabe angrily pulled zimbabwe out of the bloc of former british colonies in 2003 after its membership was suspended over violent and graft-ridden elections the previous year1 zimbabwe must now show commitment to commonwealth values of democracy and human rights johnson added1 zimbabwe had fractured relations with the west under mugabe who had held power since independence from britain in 19801 the government in harare was not immediately available to comment1 if readmitted zimbabwe will become the fifth country to re-join the voluntary association of mostly former territories of the british empire after gambia south africa pakistan and fiji1 the gambia re-joined the commonwealth in february this year after the impoverished west african nation was in 2013 suddenly pulled out of the bloc by ex-president yahya jammeh1 the other countries to have quit the organisation are ireland which left in 1949 and the maldives which exited in 20161 the commonwealth brings together 53 countries representing 2.4 billion people under a charter pledging commitment to democracy human rights and rule of law1 the last country to join was rwanda in 20091 the organisation also holds an olympics-style multi-sport event every four years most recently in australias gold coast in april1 zimbabwe left the commonwealth at the height of violent land seizures when white farmers were evicted in favour of landless black people in a policy that wrecked the agriculture sector and triggered national economic collapse1