APC chairmanship: Saraki, Dogara, Okorocha for Oshiomhole
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dogara2 apc chairmanship saraki1 okorocha for oshiomhole1 apc chairmanship election1

Student goes naked in class over discrimination
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an international male student agreed with the professor1 students and their teacher were left confused after a cornell university new york senior letitia chai delivered her honours thesis after stripping down to her bra and underwear in the class to protest against oppressive beliefs and discrimination1 chai removed all her clothes except for her undergarments during her acting in public presentation saturday as a demonstration against her professor rebekah maggor who questioned her attire during her talk about refugee relocation1 when i got up to start my professor said is that really what you would wear1 your shorts are too short1 chai who said she was filled with rage and disbelief after the incident took to her facebook to write about the confrontation1 she recalled wearing a long-sleeve blue button-down shirt and denim cut-offs which she alleges her professor told her was inviting the male gaze away from the content of my presentation and onto my body1 at least two dozen of the students also undressed in solidarity1 chai said maggor tried to justify her question by explaining she was addressing her from the point of view of a concerned mother to which chai replied that her mom is a feminist gender sexuality studies professor who wouldve been proud of her for her outfit1 in the classsyllabus students dress is one of the course requirements1 for your performances dress appropriately for the persona you will present the syllabus reads for example how would you dress for a specific job interview1 how would you dress when introducing a famous speaker at a particular conference how would you dress to give a speech at a protest rally1 the students in the class while still supporting chai wrote ajoint letterdefending the professors comments but nevertheless the faculty will undergo training in diversity equity and inclusion as a result of the exchange according to an email chaiposted onmonday1 maggor and chai refused to comment further on the issue1

Melaye: Police hit back at Senate, will not be intimidated
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moshood in a statement in abuja explained that under the provisions of the police act and regulations the i-g could delegate a deputy or assistant inspector-general of police to represent him in an official capacity at any function1 the nigeria police have spurned the resolution of the senate describing it as deliberate blackmail witch-hunting unfortunate and mischievous and vowed not to be intimidated1 the force noted that the i-g and the nigeria police force would not be deterred by blackmail from any individual or group no matter how highly placed from the enforcement of law and order1 the nigeria police force therefore owes no apology to any individual or groups in its effort to ensure preservation of law and order and supremacy of the law of the land police force public relations officer mr. jimoh moshood said on wednesday1 moshood implored the public to disregard and discountenance the resolution of the senate on the i-g1 the nigeria police force as a law abiding organization will continue to hold the senate of federal republic of nigeria in high esteem but wishes to impress on the senate not to harbour criminal elements among its fold or condone criminality1 the force will not be intimidated by any individual groups or institution constituent or otherwise to abdicate from its constitutional responsibilities of protection of lives and property he said1 the senate at plenary on wednesday declared the idris as enemy of democracy and unfit to hold any public office within and outside the country for failing to honour its invitation thrice1 the senate had refused the deputy inspector-general of police in-charge of operations and other senior police officers to represent the i-g when he was invited on april 261 police see the senates resolution declaring the inspector-general of police i-g mr ibrahim idris as enemy of democracy as a deliberate attempt to blackmail him1 he explained that idris sent representatives because he was on an official assignment with the president of federal republic of nigeria to bauchi on same date1 the delegated officers went with a brief of the inspector-general of police on the matter to the senate but the senate refused to listen to the officers1 he said that again on may 2 the senate refused to accord some senior officers delegated to represent the i-g when he was on an official duty to birnin-gwari area of kaduna state1 the spokesman said that the i-g on may 8 sent a letter to the president of the senate explaining why he would not be appearing before the senate on may 91 this he said was due to legal restraint as a result of pending cases before the courts filed by sen. dino melaye against the i-g and the nigeria police force1 it is pertinent that the force informs the members of the public that other reasons for which the senate has summoned the inspector-general of police is official and not personal1 the action of the senate in its resolution against the i-g today is a deliberate blackmail witch-hunting with mischievous motives to hand-twist the i- g to pervert the end of justice1 the nigeria police force is the first defender of democracy and all democratic institutions in nigeria and will continue to do so1 it is factual and verifiable that sen. dino melaye was discharged and certified fit to stand trial by the national hospital abuja before he was arraigned in chief magistrate courts in wuse abuja and lokoja he said1

Congo hits Ebola outbreak with quick response
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on tuesday democratic republic of congo confirmed two cases of the viral disease2 the congo and world health organisation who have hit the outbreak of ebola with quick response to contain the deadly disease2 very clearly the u.n. agency learned its lesson from the crisis he added2 ebola is endemic to congo a vast country whose eastern ebola river gave the deadly virus its name when it was discovered there in the 1970s2 this is the ninth time ebola has been recorded in congo and comes less than a year after the last outbreak killed four people2 at least 17 people have died around the village near the northwestern town of bikoro where the virus was detected this week health officials said2 who is conducting an investigation to see how many people may have come in contact with the infected 2 the organisation is prepared to use a new experimental vaccine if needed said fall2 six months after an ebola outbreak was confirmed in west africa in march 2014 the world health organisation declared an international emergency and called for help2 the disease went on to ravage three countries and kill over 11000 people2 i think with this rapid response we will be able to contain it who emergencies director for africa ibrahima soce fall told the media on wednesday2 that same day who helicoptered in a team of experts to the scene and released one million dollars in funding2 the agency was criticised for its slow response to the 2014-2016 ebola outbreak in liberia guinea and sierra leone which was the largest in history2 in the past we didnt have this emergency system2 its completely different fall said adding that this response was also faster than that in congo last year2 the cases were first reported on may 3 and medical teams supported by who and medical charity medecins sans frontieres msf went to take samples two days later2 that seems to me to be about as fast as you can reasonably expect said jimmy whitworth a specialist in epidemiology and public health at the london school of hygiene and tropical medicine2 whitworth said the situation was worrying but congo may be better prepared to detect and manage ebola than other countries since it has had more experience2 if people exposed to the disease are identified and quarantined rapidly it can likely be contained in an isolated area he added2 bikoro lies not far from the banks of the congo river an essential waterway for transport and commerce2 it runs past capital kinshasa and brazzaville capital of neighbouring congo republic. reutersnan2

Fidelity bank records over N100bn savings deposits in 2017
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by racheal ishaya6 the banks gross earnings increased by 18.3 per cent from n152 billion to n179.9 billion and profit after tax grew by 93.7 per cent from n9.7 billion to n18.9 billion1 balarabe who said this at the final draw of fidelity banks get alert in millions promo in abuja on wednesday said the feat was made possible due to the implementation of financial inclusion strategy adopted by the bank1 he said that through the promo the banks customer base increased in 2017 leading to the triple digit growth in savings deposits1 savings is a very important culture that is critical for the economy and the individual1 on a personal level you should save for a rainy day and also to bring into fruition that business you have always dreamt about1 as a bank promoting savings culture has also been very profitable for us1 we have grown our savings deposit tremendously. in the past one year we have grown by over n100 billion and that is a major feat for us he said1 balarabe said fidelity bank had given out n110 million to 185 customers through its get alert in a million promo which commenced in oct. 2017 and ended in may1 mr mohammed balarabe the deputy managing director of fidelity bank plc said the bank recorded an increase of over n100 billion in the banks savings deposit account in 20171 ms nwasike chidera and ms augustine nkiru won n3 million each from the bi-monthly draws for the south east and south-south respectively1 similarly ms imoedemhe osi and jennifer nnanna from south-south and south east won n2 million each1 nnalue the star prize winner said he would invest the n10 million in his hide and skin business in aba1 meanwhile mr malachi oahimire of the national lottery commission said the commission monitored the selection process and the winners were indeed randomly selected in accordance to lay down rules1 fidelity bank has given out over n355 million to its loyal customers since 2007 while many others have won houses scholarships electronics and other consolation prices1 the bank in its 2017 audited report filed with the nigerian stock exchange nse reported a 94 per cent growth in profit for the year ended dec. 31 20171 this followed the banks return to the international capital market and successful issuance of a 400 million dollars eurobond that was over-subscribed by over 200 per cent1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that an aba-based entrepreneur mr batholomew nnalue won the n10 million star prize of the promo1

Iran attacks Golan Heights prompting Israeli barrages against Syria
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iran vowed retaliation after a suspected israeli air strike last month killed seven of its military personnel in a syrian air base1 iranian forces in syria launched a rocket attack on israeli army bases in the golan heights early on thursday israel said prompting one of the heaviest israeli barrages against syria since the conflict there began in 20111 dozens of israeli missiles hit a radar station syrian air defense positions and an ammunition dump syrian state media said underscoring the risks of a wider escalation involving iran and its regional allies1 i hope we finished this chapter and everyone got the message israeli defence minister avigdor lieberman said at the herzliya security conference near tel aviv on thursday morning1 israel said 20 iranian grad and fajr rockets were shot down by its iron dome air defense system or fell short of the golan targets. the quds force an external arm of irans revolutionary guards carried out the launch israel said1 it was commanded and ordered by quds force chief general qassem soleimani and it has not achieved its purpose military spokesman lt.-col. jonathan conricus told newsmen1 israel struck back by destroying dozens of iranian military sites in syria conricus said as well as syrian anti-aircraft units that tried unsuccessfully to shoot down israeli planes1 we do not know yet the iranian casualty count he said1 but i can say that in terms of our purpose we focused less on personnel and more on capabilities and hardware to inflict long-term damage on the iranian military establishment in syria. we assess it will take substantial time to replenish1 israeli schools in the golan heights opened as usual on thursday morning after sirens had sent residents to shelters during the night1 i do not reside on the border of new zealand-australia. we are located here facing syria and lebanon and this is the reality which we will overcome together especially with the israel defence forces said alex gudish a golan settler1 the israelis fear that iran and its lebanese ally hezbollah are turning syria into a new front against them. israel says its occasional strikes in syria aim to foil that1 the attack on the israeli-occupied golan heights just past midnight marked the first time iranian forces have hit israel from syria where they have deployed along with iran-backed shiite militias and russian troops to support president bashar al-assad in the countrys civil war1 israel regards iran as its biggest threat and has repeatedly targeted iranian forces and allied militia in syria1 expectations of a regional flare-up were stoked by u.s. president donald trumps announcement on tuesday that he was withdrawing from the iranian nuclear deal1 hours later israeli rocket rockets targeted a military base in kisweh a commander in the pro-syrian government regional alliance said1 that attack killed 15 people including eight iranians the syrian observatory for human rights said though the commander said there were no casualties. israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility1 the trump administration cast its hard line against the iranian nuclear deal as a response in part to tehrans military interventions in the region1 the golan flare-up with israel is just further demonstration that the iranian regime cannot be trusted and another good reminder that the president made the right decision to get out of the iran deal white house press secretary sarah sanders told fox news1 the tensions worry russia which wants to stabilize syria1 thursdays flare-up came hours after israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu returned from a visit to moscow where he discussed syria concerns with russian president vladimir putin1 conricus said israel forewarned russia of its strikes on thursday which syrian state media first reported hit baath city in quneitra near the border. further waves of missiles followed. syrian state media said israeli missiles had been brought down over damascus homs and sueida1 air defenses confronted tens of israeli rockets and some of them reached their target and destroyed one of the radar sites syrian state news agency sana reported citing a military source. another rocket hit an ammunition warehouse it said1 syrian state television broadcast footage of its air defenses firing and playing patriotic songs. damascus residents described explosions in the sky from air defense systems1 lebanons national news agency reported israeli jets circling over lebanese territory early on thursday before exiting. reutersnan1

Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for releasing 3 U.S. prisoners
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trump said it would be held in a few weeks time1 president donald trump welcomed three former u.s. prisoners at a military base near washington on thursday thanking north korean leader kim jong un for their release and sounding upbeat on a planned summit between the two sides1 frankly we didnt think it was going to happen and it did trump said after thanking kim for releasing the men1 were starting off on a new footing. this is a wonderful thing that he released the folks early1 trump said he believed kim wanted to bring north korea into the real world and was hopeful of a major breakthrough at their planned meeting1 i think we have a very good chance of doing something very meaningful trump said1 my proudest achievement will be this is part of it when we denuclearize that entire peninsula1 trump and kim engaged in a bellicose exchange of rhetoric last year over north koreas development of nuclear missiles capable of reaching the u. s. in defiance of un security council resolutions1 tensions began to ease coinciding with the norths participation in the winter olympics in south korea in february1 details of the planned summit have yet to be announced but one u.s. official said singapore had emerged as the most likely venue1 trump and his wife melania boarded the plane for about five minutes before the men stepped out shaking hands with the president and waving to waiting media and military personnel1 a white house spokeswoman said the three former prisoners would be taken to walter reed national military medical centre in nearby maryland for further medical evaluation1 they are korean-american missionary kim dong-chul detained in 2015 and sentenced in 2016 to 10 years hard labor kim sang-duk also known as tony kim who spent a month teaching at the foreign-funded pyongyang university of science and technology pust before he was arrested in 2017 and kim hak-song who also taught at pust and was detained last year1 i was treated in many different ways but overall i had to do much labor and when i became ill i received some treatment kim dong-chul said via a translator1 the three had earlier given their thanks in a statement released by the state department as their plane stopped over in alaska1 we would like to express our deep appreciation to the united states government president trump secretary pompeo and the people of the u. s. for bringing us home the men said1 we thank god and all our families and friends who prayed for us and for our return. god bless america the greatest nation in the world1 north korean state media said they were arrested either for subversion or hostile acts against the government1 until now the only american released by north korea during trumps presidency was otto warmbier a 22-year-old university student who returned to the united states in a coma last summer after 17 months of captivity and died days later1 the release of the last u.s. detainees in north korea appeared to signal an effort by kim to improve the tone for the summit and followed his recent pledge to suspend missile tests and shut a nuclear bomb test site1 a u.s. official speaking on the condition of anonymity said singapore had emerged as the likeliest location for the planned summit after trump ruled out holding it at the heavily fortified demilitarised zone between north and south korea.reutersnan1

Gun running ring from Anambra busted in Benue - Taraba Axis
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benue3 benue clashes3 benue state 180 federal university of petroleum resources2 herdsmen and southern kaduna crisis2 herdsmen attack benue community again2 taraba and adamawa and we have recorded great successes during the visits2 taraba state2

2026 World Cup: North America dangles $11billion to FIFA
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north american bid leaders meanwhile provided a detailed breakdown of forecast revenues predicting record ticket sales of 5.8 million and record gate money of 2.5 billion. commercial hospitality would also generate another 1-1.5 billion cordeiro said1 leaders of north americas bid for the 2026 world cup urged fifa voters to ignore the politics of the moment on tuesday as they promised to deliver a record-breaking 11 billion profit for the global football showpiece1 i can announce today that working with fifa we expect that a 2026 world cup in north america would generate a new record more than 14 billion in revenue for fifa said cordeiro one of the three co-chairs of the bid1 this includes profits for fifa of nearly 11 billion. in other words the most successful and profitable fifa world cup ever cordeiro added in prepared remarks to aips delegates1 the us-canada-mexico joint bid is battling against a rival bid from morocco for the right to stage the 2026 tournament. fifa members will decide the winner of the bidding race at a vote in moscow on june 131 long seen as the clear front-runner for 2026 the north american bid is facing an increasingly stiff challenge from morocco which is bidding to become only the second african nation to host the world cup1 cordeiros remarks on tuesday sought to underscore the commercial appeal of staging a world cup in north america at a time when fifa president gianni infantino is keen to boost revenue for world footballs ruling body1 a source told afp earlier this month that fifa has spent 600 million of its financial reserves in the past three years1 infantino who is said to favour the north american bid also hopes to oversee the creation of a money-spinning fifa club world cup1 in an address to the international sports press association aips in brussels united states soccer federation president carlos cordeiro said the 48-team tournament would hand world governing body fifa a record 11 billion 9.25 billion euros profit1 cordeiro also projected a sponsorship bonanza with fortune 500 companies eager to sign on for the world cup leading to another 3.6 billion1 although moroccos bid has emphasised that its time zones make it attractive for european television schedules cordeiro said media revenues from a north american world cup would top 5 billion for the first time1 above and beyond that the television rights from our united bid and our bid alone would deliver a 300 million guaranteed bonus payment to fifa and global football he added1 meanwhile cordeiro made a veiled reference to recent remarks by us president donald trump who last month appeared to warn unnamed countries not to lobby against the north american bid1 it would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the u.s. bid trump wrote on twitter. why should we be supporting these countries when they dont support us including at the united nations1 trumps intervention which followed disparaging remarks made by the us leader towards some countries in the caribbean and africa earlier this year were viewed as potentially damaging for north american bid chiefs as they attempt to woo fifa voters from more than 200 countries1 however cordeiro on tuesday said he hoped fifa members would set aside politics when they go to vote next month1 let me acknowledge upfront that as with many international bids over the years the question of who will host in 2026 has at times become mixed with geopolitics cordeiro said1 we are asking that we be judged not on the politics of the moment but on the merits of our bid1

Alex Ferguson now talks with family members
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the whole football world is incredible but outside of that as well from all corners of the globe and different walks of life people have shown their support he told mutv1 former manchester united manager alex ferguson is sitting up and talking to his family following emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage media reports said tuesday1 britains mail online said the scot who retired in 2013 was out of a coma and showing promising early signs of recovery following the haemorrhage on saturday1 surgery went very well and the 76-year-olds response to treatment has given encouragement and cautious optimism to those close to him the report said1 however they recognise it will still be a slow road to full recovery as he continues to be assessed1 the prognosis is good and his closest friends in football are being kept abreast of any developments a source told the sun newspaper1 united midfielder michael carrick who played under ferguson has spoken of the respect in which his former boss is held1 widely considered to be the most successful manager in the history of british football ferguson 76 won 38 trophies in more than 26 years in charge of united including 13 premier league titles and the champions league twice1 thats the effect he had on people. it was the effect he had on everyone. he means a lot to me as he does to this club1 we were all praying for him and thinking of him cathy and the family said carrick. its a tough time for everyone but im thinking positive and hoping he will pull through1 united have thanked the many well-wishers including premier league managers arsene wenger pep guardiola and jurgen klopp who have spoke of their admiration for ferguson1 wenger enjoyed a long and at times fractious rivalry with ferguson as they battled for premier league supremacy in the first decade of the frenchmans long reign in charge of arsenal1 however they later became friends and with wenger leaving arsenal at the end of the season ferguson presented his old adversary with a memento on his final visit to uniteds old trafford ground just last weekend1 i was with him on the pitch last week. i went to see him in the box after the game and he looked in perfect shape said wenger after his final home game as arsenal boss on sunday1 he told me he is doing a lot of exercise and he looked very happy but that kind of accident can happen. we wish him all well and to recover very quickly. he is a strong man and an optimistic man1

Southampton stay, West Brom out of EPL
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however after picking up just four points from a possible 30 tony pulis was sacked two days after losing 4-0 at home to chelsea and was replaced by gary megson who temporarily took charge of two games1 west brom were relegated from the premier league on tuesday following southamptons 1-0 win over swansea at the liberty stadium joining stoke in the championship next season1 after more than 70 minutes of frenetic action substitute manolo gabbiadini provided the decisive moment for southampton when he reacted quickest to charlie austins parried shot in a crowded goalmouth1 gabbiadini had only been on the pitch for four minutes and it was only his fifth goal of a difficult season for the italian1 the result means southampton move up to 16th in the table three points clear of 18th-place swansea who are favourites to be the third side to be relegated1 southamptons win confirmed west broms return to the championship after eight seasons in the top flight with an eighth-place finish the best the baggies managed during the 201213 season with steve clarke in charge1 west broms season started well with six points taken from a possible six after successive 1-0 wins at home to bournemouth and away to burnley1 darren moores side needed a draw between the saints and swans in south wales to take west broms fight to avoid relegation into the final day of the season on sunday1 alan pardew was named permanent manager but his arrival failed to deliver the improvement needed to guide the side away from relegation1 pardew who led the baggies to an fa cup fourth-round victory at liverpool only had a 2-0 home win against brighton to show for his efforts in the premier league1 problems off the pitch added to the disappointment on it when a mid-season trip to barcelona made the headlines for the wrong reasons1 four senior players including captain jonny evans and england midfielder jake livermore were forced to apologise after a taxi was stolen from outside a fast-food restaurant1 on april 2 pardews time was up and he was replaced by moore until the end of the season becoming west broms fourth manager of the campaign1 since moores appointment west brom have taken 11 points from a possible 15 to keep alive the hope of a great escape1

Atletico chief blasts Barcelona over Griezmann pursuit
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he said atletico would be demanding compensation from barcelnoa should the player exercised his right to nullify his contract due to their pressure throughout the season1 atletico madrid chief miguel angel gil marin attacked barcelona on tuesday over their pursuit of highly-prized striker antoine griezmann saying he was fed up with the catalan clubs attitude1 the atletico ceo said the clubs stance was very clear1 not once have we negotiated for griezmann nor do we have any intention to do so he said in a statement issued on the teams official website1 a few months ago i personally expressed to barcelonas president that our player isnt for sale nor are we going to sell him he continued1 at the same time i let him know that his inappropriate conduct was against the integrity of the competition1 the uncertainty over griezmanns future could not have come at a worse time for atletico as they prepare for next weeks europa league final against marseille1 marin added were fed up with barcelonas attitude1 that a president player and a board member speak the way theyve done about the future of a player with an existing contract and just a few days before disputing a european final is an absolute lack of respect towards atletico1 marin issued his strongly worded rebuke hours after a spanish radio station reported that barcelona were poised to pay the french internationals 100 million-euro release clause1 he finished off by declaring enough is enough. i hope this statement serves its purpose and that us atletico fans can enjoy this moment and prepare ourselves for a final like we should1 marins plea followed a report by cadena cope radio station that barcelona have told atletico madrid they are going to pay antonie griezmanns get out clause. and atletico know the player will be leaving at the end of the season1 that came after atletico president enrique cerezo refused to clarify griezmanns future after domestic media suggested cerezo had met the player for dinner in a bid to persuade the frenchman to stay at atletico with the promise of a bumper new contract1 cerezo has denied meeting griezmann for talks but the atletico president was also not definitive on the 27-year-olds future1 i can tell you one thing antoine griezmann is an atletico madrid player as of today cerezo said1 i cannot tell you anything else because i do not know anything else1 barca were forced in january to deny publicly they had agreed a deal to sign griezmann who has indicated he wants his future resolved before the start of the world cup1 barca coach ernesto valverde on tuesday described griezmann as a great player1 but we have to be very cautious about saying anything about a player that is not ours and making sure we respect our rivals he added1

Group want Bauchi APC ward congress cancelled
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according to them voters waited from morning till evening on the day of the congress without seeing anybody to conduct the election1 by ayinde abdulsaheed olaide1 addressing newsmen in bauchi on tuesday through their spokesperson alhaji shehu ningi the members under the platform of apc supporters network said the exercise was not only fraudulent but also a scandal that ought to attract the attention of icpc1 we find the declaration of the ward congress in the state a success as objectionable and condemnable1 members of apc and members of the general public in bauchi are living witnesses to the fact that no ward congress took place at all throughout the state they insisted1 they alleged that no electoral officer or member of the election committee was seen at almost all the venues for the congress1 some members of the all progressive congress apc in bauchi state have called for the cancellation of the party ward congress held in the state on may 5 describing the exercise as fraudulent1 in view of the fraud we are therefore calling for the cancellation of the ward congress purported to have been carried out on saturday 5th may 20181 we are also calling for a repeat of the ward congress to be conducted by a different state election committee1 failure to listen to us will definitely jeopardize the hitherto brilliant chances of the party at the polls come 2019 general elections they said1 news agency of nigeria nan recalled that the chairman of the congress committee mr tony macfoy had earlier told newsmen that the congress was conducted peacefully and successfully1 all the grievances within the party stakeholders were amicably resolved before the conduct of the congress he had said1

Ekiti APC governorship primary holds Friday
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the rescheduled governorship primary of the ekiti all progressives congress apc will now hold on friday 11 may1 the party announced the new date today following an emergency meeting of its leadership malam bolaji abdullahi the national publicity secretary said1 the primaries held last saturday was disrupted after dozens of aspirants allege rigging by former governor kayode fayemi1 it was not clear if the party had resolved the issues raised by many of the 33 contestants who accused the governor tanko al-makura committee of attempting to rig the election in fayemis favour1 the contestants who also passed a vote of no-confidence on the committee and asked that the election be held afresh and votes already cast by delegates from five local councils be cancelled1 the ruling party in the state the peoples democratic party is holding its primary today to pick its torch bearer for the election that will take place in july1

PIB: Dont induce lawmakers Saraki tells oil firms
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this is the position of leadership on this issue. we must ensure that everything is above board because this is not just a bill for today but for future generations. we must make sure that in our time it is done properly he stated1 president of the senate dr. abubakar bukola saraki on tuesday urged the international oil companies and oil producers trade section iocopts operating in the country not to induce lawmakers during the consideration of other sections of the petroleum industry bill1 saraki who stated this when the leadership of the iocopts visited him in abuja1 according to a statement by his chief press secretary sanni onogu in abuja he said that the leadership of the 8th national assembly has made it clear to all lawmakers involved in the process to live above board1 he called on the leadership of the oicopts to report any lawmaker who seeks any personal favour when the process of passing the bills commences this month of may1 saraki said let me also use these opportunity to just make some ground rules clear. we as the 8th national assembly i told you at the beginning that the two houses will be on the same position on the remaining bills. i think we have shown that on the first bill we passed1 i am confident that for these other bills too we will do the same. i want to assure you that it is in our own interest and the leadership has made it clear to all the members involved that this must be a transparent process1 we are doing it in the interest of the country. leadership is not going to tolerate any hanky-panky. no favours. no gifts. nothing must be given to get this work done1 and we want to mandate you that if you see any of these you should be able to bring it to the attention of the leadership. all we want to see is a bill that is in the interest of nigeria and we have read the riot act to all our members that nobody should approach anybody for any interest towards any benefit and i want to make this very clear1 the fiscal and host communities bills a components of the petroleum industry bill is currently before the national assembly for consideration and passage1 saraki said that after the passage of the pigb by the national assembly which is now before now before the presidency for assent the process for the passage of the fiscal and host communities bills will soon commence to pass a petroleum bill that will be a win-win for all stakeholders1 he said this is where we are now and this is where it concerns those of you who are operators to see that we can pass a petroleum bill that is a win win for all1 a petroleum bill that will be a win for nigeria on the revenue side investment side and jobs creation and it is also a win for those who are investing in nigeria. because we appreciate that it is a very competitive world out there and we must make nigeria competitive1 the only way we can do that is through engagement. we cannot do it by just passing a bill and just putting it at your doorstep because we are not the ones that will do the investment. so it has to be a bill that we all believe is in the interest of all those who are involved he said1 it would be recalled that the national assembly assembly has commenced the process of passing the fiscal and host communities components of the petroleum industry bill after the passage of the petroleum industry governance bill pigb now before the president for assent1 earlier the leader of the delegation of the iocopts and managing director of shell nigeria limited mr. osagie okunbo said the visit is essentially meant to assure the leadership of the national assembly that the iocopts will make its memorandum on the bills available to the relevant committees of the national assembly during the public hearing1 he said that it is important to ensure that the pib that will be passed is one that will essentially promote investment1 our primary concern is that at the end of the day we both lay the years of uncertainty to rest but even more importantly that a bill that is passed eventually is one that we can all be proud of and the one that we can say will encourage investments in all parts of the oil industry okunbo stated1

Fayoses candidate Olusola-Eleka wins Ekiti PDP ticket
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governor ayo fayoses candidate prof. kayode olusola-eleka has emerged the governorship candidate of the peoples democratic party pdp in ekiti state for the july 14 election1 he is at present the deputy governor of the state1 in the primary held on tuesday olusola polled 1190 votes to defeat dayo adeyeye who had 771 votes1 the delegates accredited for the election were 1961 with 7 of the votes voided according to the leader of pdp electoral committee gov. ifeanyi okowa of delta1 nan reports that mr dayo adeyeye who left the venue at about 8p.m accepted the outcome of the primary election which he agreed was conducted under free and fair atmosphere1 in his acceptance speech eleka thanked the delegates for finding him worthy1 he expressed gratitude to mr dayo adeyeye for exhibiting courage throughout the period the pre-primary election1 the deputy governor who praised gov. ayo fayose for standing by him vowed to defeat the candidate of all progressives congress apc in the coming july 14 governorship election in the state1 also reacting gov. fayose promised to embark on meaningful reconciliation by reaching out to aggrieved party leaders especially the duo of dayo adeyeye and mrs abiodun olujimi so that the pdp in the state can be a united house once again1

Leaders, aspirants meet over logjam in Ekiti APCs primaries
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he added that the meeting took a decision on what would be best for the party and the country generally1 south west leaders have stepped into the logjam in ekiti governorship primaries of the all progressives congress apc involving 33 aspirants1 former national chairman of the party chief bisi akande said after the meeting that they would advise the partys national leadership on the proposed fresh primary in ekiti1 we are going to talk to the party about what the aspirants have said and what we all think is best and we know that the party will take the right decision1 we are going to convey our resolution to the party and the party will be able to tell you he said1 the leaders met on tuesday in abuja with the aspirants for the partys ticket for the july 14 governorship election in ekiti1 on whether a consensus candidate would be considered for the election akande said that may be an option for the aspirants1 consensus is already in our constitution and it is an option also primary election is already in our constitution1 but what we want is the general happiness of the leaders of the party the contestants and our party he said1 he however added that the aspirants were asked to think about arriving at a consensus candidate ahead of the rescheduled primary slated for friday1 the party on saturday conducted a primary election to pick its candidate for the ekiti poll but the exercise was marred by violence which led to its cancellation by election committee. nan1

In Pictures: Saraki visits EFCC new office complex
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if we are going to build a better society in our country one of the main things we must tackle is the issue of corruption and how we can do that is by strengthening these institutions1 in a surprise move which he termed efforts to build institutions the president of the senate dr bukola saraki has visited the new office complex of the economic and financial crimes commission efcc1 the senate rejected the appointment of magu as the chairman of the commission over allegations of corruption by the department of state security dss. however the executive had insisted on not substituting magu while he magu continues to allege that some members of the senate are corrupt1 however in a surprise move saraki went on an inspection tour of the headquarters of the commission1 speaking to newsmen after the inspection he said that will continue to support efforts to build and strengthen the nations institutions irrespective of any differences1 he said that he was particularly impressed by the quality of work done and the fact the building was designed by a nigerian architect1 he said he is duty bound to visit the completed project as part of his oversight functions in view of the contributions of the national assembly to its realization1 the senates president said that the nation must continue to build institutions as well as strengthen existing ones to realize its dream of becoming a great democratic country1 i think the most important thing as far as we are concerned is that i have always said that we must always continue to build institutions and that is what is important and we must continue to support in building these institutions1 there has been no love lost between the 8 senate and the efcc especially as it concerns the confirmation of the acting chairman of the commission ibrahim magu1 my presence here is to say that whatever we do in our job the most important thing is that we all represent institutions and we must work and see that it is in the interest of the country1 so my presence here is after a building like this where the national assembly has played a great role it must be my responsibility to see how the money was spent and i can see that that has been done properly and we should continue to work together to see that that goes well for the entire country1 if you look at most projects in abuja i dont think any project like this has been well-funded and that shows that despite all the noise you will hear the national assembly has supported where it matters because this is where it matters and i think we have done that1 if you look at what has been achieved in the last two and half years in putting this building up and bringing it to completion i think it is a remarkable achievement he said1 as the head of the legislature i have responsibilities that goes beyond whatever issues there may be. you see you guys in the media like to hype things. the most important thing is that we must always do the right thing1 we might disagree on what those right things are but at the end we must ensure that we build institutions we support institutions and do what is right and we must continue to do that he said1 saraki said that the fight against corruption must continue in order to bequeath a better future to both present and coming generations1 he insisted that there was no way nigeria can be built if corruption is not fought to the barest minimum1 i have always said that my own strong will is that as we fight it we must fight it in ensuring that we strengthen the institutions and what you see here is part of the process of strengthening that institutions so that whoever comes here will know that this is what we must fight if we want to build institutions he said1

Bayelsa enrolls 80,000 in health insurance scheme
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by nathan nwakamma3 he said that the quick impact of the scheme was informed by the direct result of the determination of the bayelsa government to improve the health status of its citizens2 agadah made this disclosure in yenagoa while signing a memorandum of understanding with an heath maintenance organisation united healthcare international for the schemes technical support2 the state government started an health insurance scheme for its workforce in june 2017 with a plan to extend the scheme to cover the informal sector in due course2 agadah who said that the enrollment was ongoing added that the feedback from the registration desk was encouraging2 he said that in spite of the growing number of enrollees in the scheme government had also met its financial obligations to health care providers2 according to him feedback from the enrollees and other stakeholders in the health sector shows that the scheme is doing well2 the executive secretary attributed the success so far recorded to the adoption of the template already put in place by the national health insurance scheme of the federal government2 the bayelsa health insurance scheme has registered more than 80000 public sector enrollees less than a year after it began operations its executive secretary dr zuoboemi agadah said on wednesday2 agadah said that such collaboration was to overcome the teething problems of the scheme for the benefit of stakeholders2 he said that the scheme was able to face the challenges at the initial stages through an effective quality assurance and compliance management system2 agadah applauded the united healthcare international for its expertise and support for the scheme since inception in june 2017 resulting in high standards in its overall implementation2 he said that the scheme made available quality and affordable health care to enrollees who paid just 10 per cent of the cost of drugs in addition to the monthly premiums paid by civil servants2 agadah lauded gov. seriake dickson of bayelsa for establishing the scheme adding that plans had reached an advanced stage to cover the private sector2 in his response dr kazeem mustapha the executive director united healthcare noted that the zeal and commitment of the managers of the bayelsa health insurance scheme was commendable2 he said that the bayelsa health insurance scheme was also collaborating with other states of the federation where similar schemes were being run2

North Korea frees 3 American prisoners
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a north korean official came to the hotel shortly afterwards to inform pompeo that kim had granted their release according to a senior us official present for the exchange1 north korea released three american prisoners and handed them over to u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo on wednesday clearing a major obstacle to an unprecedented summit between president donald trump and north korean leader kim jong un1 the release appeared to signal an effort by kim to set a more positive tone for the summit and followed his recent pledge to suspend missile tests and shut pyongyangs nuclear bomb test site1 while kim is giving up the last of his american detainees whom north korea has often used as bargaining chips with the united states a release could also be aimed at pressuring trump to make concessions of his own in his bid to get pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arsenal something it has not signalled a willingness to do1 but wednesdays announcement gave trump a chance to tout a diplomatic achievement just a day after his decision to pull out of the iran nuclear deal drew heavy criticism from european allies and others1 i am pleased to inform you that secretary of state mike pompeo is in the air and on his way back from north korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. they seem to be in good health trump wrote in a post on twitter1 the family of tony kim one of freed prisoners thanked trump saying in a statement we are very grateful for the release of our husband and father tony kim and the other two american detainees1 south korea heralded the move as positive for upcoming talks between trump and kim and called on pyongyang to also release six south korean detainees1 the fate of the three korean-americans had been among a number of delicate issues in the run-up to the first-ever meeting of u.s. and north korean leaders1 as pompeo returned to his pyongyang hotel from a 90-minute meeting with kim the secretary of state crossed his fingers when asked by reporters if there was good news about the prisoners1 trump said the three men who were freed after pompeo met kim were on the way home from pyongyang on the chief u.s. diplomats plane. the president planned to greet them when they land at andrews air force base outside washington at 2 a.m. edt 0600 gmt thursday morning1 pompeo replied thats great according to the official1 you should make care that they do not make the same mistakes again the north korean official was quoted as saying. this was a hard decision.they were in the air less than an hour after leaving custody1 the three are korean-american missionary kim dong-chul kim sang-duk also known as tony kim who spent a month teaching at the foreign-funded pyongyang university of science and technology pust before he was arrested in 2017 and kim hak-song who also taught at pust1 north korean state media says they were detained either for subversion or committing hostile acts against the government. many of the foreigners detained by north korea in the past have said the government forced them into making confessions to false or trumped up charges1 speaking to reporters as he returned from north korea pompeo said a place and date had been set for a one-day summit in good productive conversations between u.s. and north korean officials. but he did not offer specifics1 trump viewed the release of the three americans as a positive gesture of goodwill ahead of the planned summit the white house said. it is planned for late may or early june1 the white house said the three americans appears to be in good condition and all were able to walk without assistance onto the plane1 i think there is reason for some optimism that these talks could be fruitful u.s. defense secretary jim mattis said of the coming summit1 there was no immediate sign however that pompeos visit had cleared up the question of whether north korea would be willing to bargain away nuclear1