By Peter Amine

Mr David Young, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has condoled with the people of Plateau over the recent killings in the state.

Young, who extended his country condolence on Monday in Jos when he visited Gov. Simon Lalong, urged Nigerians to embrace peace and promote unity in the country.

He emphasised the need for the people to speak peace and work ways to ensure that the realisation of and affirm the need for peaceful coexistence among them.

The deputy chief of mission said that life was sacred, irrespective of who and where the citizens might belong.
Life is sacred, whether herdsmen or farmers, Christian or Muslim or whatever ethnic.

The violence should be a major concern to both the State and Federal Government and must be addressed adequately.
There is the need to put more efforts toward ending this menace in the country, he said.

Young stressed the need for the promotion of interfaith and interethnic dialogues to address causes of violence.

He, however, urged government to apprehend criminals perpetrating the act across the country.

Receiving Young, Lalong commended the American Embassy for the show of concern over the ugly situation in the state.

He said the recent incident that led to the loss of lives reminded the state government on the need to review its security structure.

The governor assured that the state government would continue to work to ensure that Plateau remains the home of peace and tourism.

Source: NAN

Only four of the Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach remain in the flooded cave as elite divers in a stunning rescue mission, hauled four more young footballers out, bringing to eight the number saved.

Hooyah, the Thai Navy SEALs, who have played a crucial role in the against-the-odds operation, said in a Facebook post as they announced that a total of eight members of the Wild Boars football team had been rescued on Sunday and Monday.

Thais have been fixated on the crisis, hoping desperately for the safe return of the 12 boys and their 25-year-old football coach, after they ventured into the Tham Luang cave complex after practice and became trapped by rising waters more than a fortnight ago.

The extraction of the four on Monday followed a similar pattern to the previous day, with the youngsters emerging in quick succession just before nightfall after navigating a treacherous escape route of more than four kilometres (2.5 miles).

The saga has dominated global headlines, with the team spending nine days unaccounted for inside the cave, before British divers found the emaciated and dishevelled group huddling on a muddy bank above the flooding.

Authorities then struggled to determine the best way to save the Wild Boars, with the group stuck on a shelf above the floodwaters in pitch darkness.

Among the ideas were drilling an escape route through the mountain, or leaving them for months until the monsoon season ended and the flooding subsided.

But with oxygen levels inside dropping to dangerous lows and the prospect of heavy rains flooding the area completely, authorities decided they had to move quickly, and take the group out through the water-filled tunnels.

Dozens of foreign divers and other experts from around the world were brought in to help the rescue effort, working alongside Thai Navy SEALs.

Rescue operations chief Narongsak Osottanakorn described Sundays initial rescue bid as D-Day when it was launched, and there were fears that any one of many potential pitfalls could prove deadly.

Among these were that none of the boys had scuba diving experience, and that they could easily panic while swimming underwater in darkness.

Source: NAN

In an imitation of the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2014, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today cobbled up together a loose alliance of about 30 political associations in readiness for the 2019 elections.

The new group, a replay of the alliance that toppled the Jonathan administration, was christened Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) at a meeting at the Shehu Musa YarAdua Centre in Abuja on Monday.

It was not clear whether they were going to seek INEC registration to run on the CUPP Platform as the alliance of ACN, CPC and ANPP did in 2014.

However, the collaborating partiessigned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aims of defeating President Muhammadu Buharis All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre, states, and the Legislature.

PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,former Senate President David Mark, and Chairman of the so-called R-APC Buba Galadima, were also present at the meeting.

Leaders of President Olusegun Obasanjo-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party of Nigeria (SDP), National Conscience Party (NCP), Labour Party, and a host of other newly registered parties were in attendance.

That the new group was the brainchild of the PDP was not in doubt as the party summoned all its presidential aspirants, former ministers and legislators to attend what it called a crucial meeting at the Shehu Musa YarAdua Centre in Abuja.

Source: NAN

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has confirmed that the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, applied for an exemption certificate.

Mrs Adeyemi Adenike, the NYSC Director of Press, said in a statement in Abuja on Monday, that the scheme would however, investigate the origin of the allegedly forged exemption certificate purportedly being used by the minister.

Our attention has been drawn to the issue of the alleged forgery of an NYSC exemption certificate by the Honorable Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.

Checking our records, Mrs Adeosun did apply for an exemption certificate. We shall investigate the origin of the purported exemption certificate in question, Adenike said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a media report published on July 7, which had gone viral, had claimed that the minister did not only fail to participate in the mandatory one year national youth service but procured a fake exemption certificate in 2009.

The year-long service, organised by the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), is compulsory for all Nigerians who graduate from universities or equivalent institutions and are less than 30 years of age.

Source: NAN

Ekiti state, where a crucial governorship election will take place on Saturday was teeming with many big guns of the All Progressives Congress on Monday, led by their national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ahead of the visit Tuesday by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Aside Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande , other leaders already in the state are former governors Segun Osoba, (Ogun), Segun Oni, (Ekiti) and the Deputy Chairman, South of the party, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, who was also the first democratically elected governor of Ekiti in 1999.

Others are, governors of Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and the Kebbi state governor, Alhaji Isa Bagudu, who is also the Chairman of the Campaign Committee of the Ekiti gubernatorial election for the APC, among other leaders. , has appealed to the people of Ekiti to vote for the party in Saturdays governorship election.

Tinubu in an interview with The News Agency of Nigeria appealed to the people of Ekiti to vote for the party in Saturdays governorship election.

He said the APC is the solution to four years of frustration, disappointment and poverty that had enveloped the state, since the emergence of Governor Ayodele Fayose in 2014.

He said the APC is the solution to four years of frustration, disappointment and poverty that had enveloped the state, since the emergence of Governor Ayodele Fayose in 2014.

Tinubu in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, said that APC is the only party that can improve Nigeria in all sectors.

NAN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari is expected in Ekiti tomorrow to meet with the traditional rulers, APC leaders and supporters in the state and as well close the rally of the APC candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, ahead Saturdays governorship election in the state.

Tinubu said: We thank the people of Ekiti for being kind and hospitable to us all along. We, the leaders of APC are here to greet Ekiti people and commend them for being tolerant to the maladministration of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) before the emergence of the APC at the Federal level and Ekiti, in particular.

We have had 16 years of maladministration, bad governance, misrule and series of complaints on our economy, education, non-development and several other segments of our country. It is all from the poor foundation laid by the PDP government for 16 years and thank God for our timely intervention at the federal level, the nation would have collapsed.

The only remnant of them is Ekiti. I therefore want to appeal to you that Dr Kayode Fayemi, the candidate of our party in the Saturday election is our brother and colleague and has learnt a great lesson about governance.

That is why we, the leaders in the party are standing as guarantors of the commitments that definitely Ekiti will experience rapid development if you vote for our party and we appeal to you to vote Dr Kayode Fayemi as the next governor of Ekiti, he said.

The former Lagos governor reminded the youths that the future is now, saying that, the future is yours and the government is ours. The APC is ready to lay the foundation for a better future for you. Dont because of two slices of bread today mortgage your future.

Dont because of intimidation of a lone ranger fail to exercise your franchise.The broom is a bunch of unity, the symbol we offer to you today is the broom. We want you to vote en masse, there will not be violence or intimidation. All I am appealing is that you should give APC a chance to show its worth to the people of Ekiti.

In another interview with NAN, former interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, said Saturdays election is a must for the party to win.

He said Ekiti cannot afford to be in the opposition in the Southwest.

The Saturday election will go in peace. It is therefore time for all Yorubas to come together. Ekiti cannot afford to be in the opposition. It is certain that APC will win on Saturday, he declared.

The governorship election in Ekiti is scheduled to hold across the 16 local government areas of the state on Saturday, while the new administration would be inaugurated on October 16.

*Remi Koleoso, 08038292995, [email protected]

Source: NAN

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday in Abuja, said it was considering a legal action against President Muhammadu Buharis Executive Order, authorising seizure of assets acquired with stolen public funds.

PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan described the order as illegal, unconstitutional, reprehensible and a dangerous step towards a descent to fascism.

The party described the asset seizure Executive Order as total disregard to the provisions of 1999 constitution.

Already, our lawyers are considering a legal action against the Federal Government on the illegality of Mr. Presidents action in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

The party said that the Nigerian constitution did not, under any section, confer such fascist powers on the President under democracy.

It said that there could be no legitimate latitude of interpretation placed on sections 5 and 15 (5) of the 1999 Constitution cited as justifications for the executive order.

PDP claimed that the Presidents Executive Order was a travesty of justice and rule of law as it vehemently seeks to hijack and usurp the powers of both the legislature and the courts.

It added that the president also vest to take the power on himself in order to use it at will, as a political instrument, to haunt, traumatize, harass and victimize perceived political opponents.

Mr President wants to change our democratic governance to a military regime, in line with his lamentation, two days ago, that the fight against corruption will be better under a military regime than under a democracy.

It is instructive to emphasize that the PDP is not in any way opposed to the fight against corruption.

Rather, the party holds that the imposition of this Executive Order, which is radically at variance with the provisions of the constitution, is totally unacceptable.

PDP takes this Executive Order 6 of 2018 as a re-enactment of the obnoxious Decree 2 of 1984, which incidentally was also an enactment under then military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari.

This must not be permitted in our current democratic dispensation.

PDP said that if the order was allowed, it would confer limitless powers on Mr President.

In a democracy, the role of the executive arm of government is to enforce court orders or judgments handed down based on the interpretation of existing laws.

Any suggestion to the contrary, as clearly intended by this Executive Order, is totally an aberration and inconsistent with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The party urged the judiciary and the legislature to save Nigeria by rejecting the executive order.

Nigeria is a democratic state run by the dictates of the law and the constitution and not by the rule of the thumb of any elected officer, it added.

Source: NAN

Mr Pelumi Olajengbesi, an aspirant for the House of Representatives seat in Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Osun State under platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged his rival, Wole Oke to a televised public debate.

Olajengbesi, in a statement on Saturday, said that his call for debate was necessitated by many unsavoury utterances credited to Oke and his media team.

He said that overtimefor four consecutive tenures the legislative ticket of Oriade/Obokun in the House of Representatives had been reposed in Oke by PDP, who trusted his capacity to deliver.

According to Olajengbesi, it is, however, puzzling to submit that Oke is the only one fit for said office in the whole constituency.

He said that he did not consider himself the most qualified or the only alternative in a constituency blessed with an abundance of acute minded men and women.

The legal practitioner said he believed that he was pre-eminently qualified to contest a position that should not be treated as the sole proprietorship of anyone.

Olajengbesi said that prospective public officers must be assessed on the basis of their pedigree and subjected to a fair contest for the peoples mandate by the public.

I contest on the merit of my qualifications and good plans for our people. I have utmost respect for Oke; I have respect for our party and I will always respect the decision of the leadership of the party.

It is much too simplistic for a constituency of great intellects and wisdom to make wealth the primary yardstick to measure ability or competence.

And that I can be abused by Okes media men for using vehicles donated to my campaign was not just a shame, it is more.

Yes people are donating their vehicles to us because they believe the ideas we share with them for Oriade/Obokun; that should be applauded not ridiculed. Money politics is bad politics, lets face real issues henceforth.

It is in view of this that I hereby humbly challenge Oke to a Public Debate organised by our great party in Oriade/Obokun and televised for general consumption.

He said that such public debate would help in keeping with the best standards in practice for such elections and more importantly to provide the voting delegates with an opportunity to adjudge or assess each candidate strictly on their individual merits, qualifications and grasps of issues relevant to our constituency.

Olajengbesi, who is the Executive Secretary, United Global Resolve for Peace(UGRFP), said that the much important public debate would afford listening public the opportunity to assess him and Oke on the basis of their individual strengths or inadequacies.

Source: NAN

Following the honour bestowed on MKO Abiola by President Buhari and the re-focused attention on Abiolas legacy, my daughter Oreoluwa, who, by the way, read Politics and Philosophy at Cambridge and was only one year old when MKO was killed, called me to find out more about him.

Here is how she put it: Dad, I know all about June 12 and how Chief Abiola was denied the presidency and later died in prison; but what kind of man was he?

Oreoluwas question set me thinking and it suddenly dawned on me that many younger Nigerians, certainly the twenty-somethings and even thirty-year olds may just have only a vague memory of MKO Abiola or none at all, let alone knowing who the real MKO Abiola was!

Because of Oreoluwa and others of her age, I have decided to reproduce in full, the first chapter of the Book, Legend of our Time: The Thoughts of MKO Abiola, which is a published collection of Abiolas key Speeches and Lectures, edited by Dr. Chidi Amuta and myself.

The book, which was published on the eve of his presidential campaigns, predates the June 12 saga.

Obviously, he will now for ever be remembered for his June 12 victory and as an embodiment of our democratic ideals. But he was more than June 12!

Indeed, June 12 was the culmination of a tremendously remarkable life.

In some ways, there was none like him and there probably would be none quite like him again.

He was, among other things, a man of prodigious intellectual talent, a true legend of our time. Just months before his death, I visited him in prison. Although tired and suffering from a lower back pain, he was, even in his dismal conditions, his old self. He oscillated between anger, anxiety, frustration and even optimism, but not bitterness.

Then, when a prominent, Egba Chief (now, late), came in to see him, apparently carrying with him some message from the Council of Islamic Affairs, in what seemed to be another of several previous visits, MKO flared up and his defiant self resurfaced! Then, after the Chief took leave of us, he turned to me and asked me how I thought he had done! I gave him the thumbs up!! Instantly, the young security guard who had listened in on our entire discussion told me it was time for me to leave. I never saw MKO again.

Again, there are seeming contradictions here. But what is a great man if not a bundle of opposites, contrasts and even contradictions? Isnt it the rich admixture of warmly human virtues and failings that change our admiration into love, especially too in our assessment of great men? And in the case of Bashorun Abiola, given his sheer vitality and energy, the contrast are sometimes even more dramatic and startling.

So, in reproducing this lengthy piece, which was written in late 1992 and titled Behind the Legend, I have felt no need to change, embellish or delete any details. The man I wrote about then, remained the man I saw in prison, months before his death in 1998, determined, defiant, uncowed and unbowed.

Because of this man, there is both cause for hope and certainty that the agony and protests of those who suffer injustice shall give way to peace and human dignity. The enemies which imperil the future generations to come: poverty, ignorance, disease, hunger, and racism have each seen effects of the valiant work of Chief Abiola. Through him and others like him, never again will freedom rest in the domain of the few.

Source: NAN

Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan has inaugurated volunteers drawn from 186 local governments in north west to drum support for President Muhammadus Buharis re-election.

The volunteers were inaugurated on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) North West chapter.

Lawan, represented by Sen. Abu Ibrahim, said that the volunteers were carefully selected to diligently work under the Buhari/Osibanjo 2019 Presidency Re-election Organization.

He added that they would propagate the policies and programmes of the administration and canvass support ahead of the 2019 general elections.

He stressed that the volunteers would highlight the landmark achievements of the Buhari administration especially in the area of security, economy, fight against corruption and infrastructural development with consequent redemption of hitherto soiled image of Nigeria in the comity of Nations.

There is no gainsaying that President Buhari took the mantle of leadership of Nigeria when it was almost on a brink of collapse evident in the activities of Boko Haram terrorist which had captured over 14 local governments.

The economy was battered by the government that Buhari succeeded to the point that payment of workers salaries was about to be impossible due to embezzlement, bribery and other related economic and financial recklessness.

Lawal noted that apart from decimating Boko Haram, the administration has so far succeeded in fighting corruption through the enforcement of Treasury Single Account which controlled government finances effectively and blocked the siphoning of public funds by fraudulent officials.

Other reasons why we voluntarily support Buhari /Osibanjo 2019 presidency includes his sincerity of purpose, integrity, transparency, accountability, discipline, ethics, trust and tolerance displayed over the years.
The strong desire of the administration for continuity in progress, readiness to create opportunities for leadership experience among the youth also makes a basic requirement for their re-election in 2019, he added.

Also, Chairman, Northern Senators Forum, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko, said that the administration had taken good measures within three years to address some of the challenges facing the country.

Wamakko said the diversification of Nigeria economy from old age reliance on oil as the mainstay of the countys economy to agriculture and mining had produced positive results.

Yet again, the government also engages in providing infrastructure service to Nigerian in terms of good roads, railways, houses across the country.

Also speaking Sen. Jibrin Barau ( APC Kano) expressed support for the laudable achievements of President Buhari, adding we must work together to sustain the good work as what President Buhari administration has done PDP has not done in their 16 years.

In his remarks, Alhassan Ado-Dogowa, Chief Whip in the House of Representatives, said President Buhari is for all Nigerians including the young women and old.

Ado-Dogowa said the President should be commended for accepting to contest for another term, declaring that his contest is a sacrifice for the betterment of Nigeria not for any selfish benefit.

We are for Buhari to continue come 2019 and we must make sacrifices to achieve it.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, represented by his Deputy, Bala Bantex called on the coordinators to remain steadfast in the task ahead to ensure success. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, is worried over the killing of another Nigerian in South Africa, describing it as unfortunate.

The Nigeria Mission in South Africa had on Sunday confirmed the killing of Mr Ozumba Tochukwu-Lawrence, by an unknown gunman in the country.

The Nigeria Consulate-General in South Africa said that the ugly incident was said to have occurred at 10 Koppe, Middleburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa, on July 6.

The mission said that Lawrence was shot six times by his assailant and died before reaching hospital.

Dabiri-Erewa in short message sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja described the recent killing as unfortunate.

She said that further enquiry over Nigeria issue with South Africa should be directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

All enquiries should be directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama who has vowed to take decisive action with the new Foreign Affairs Minister in South Africa.

Dabiri-Erewa expressed disappointment over an early warning signal put in place by both ministries, which she said, had still not been implemented.

She stated that no fewer than 117 Nigerians were extra-judicially killed in South Africa between 2016 and 2018 for one flimsy reason or the other.

She said that many more had followed since then.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that killing of Nigerians in South Africa had been on the increase in recent times.

Before the latest one, there was the assassination of ThankGod Okoro, who was reportedly shot dead in Hamburg, Florida West Rand, Johannesburg, on April 9, 2018, by the South African Police Flying Squad.

There was also the killing of Clement Nwaogu in April, a father of two who was burnt to death by his assailant.

These wanton killings of Nigerians in South Africa had sparked a number of protests there.

For demanding justice on behalf of their fallen compatriots, 14 of the protesters were taken into custody and branded drug peddlers.

Source: NAN