President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on his victory in the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.

The President extended his goodwill message to the minister in a series of tweets on his personal Twitter handle on Sunday.

He was also optimistic that having won the partys ticket, the former governor would leverage his track record as a reformist who has a passion for education, health and welfare, to reclaim the governorship seat when the state goes to poll on July 14.

President Buhari further applauded other aspirants who took part in the keenly-contested primary.

He urged them to uphold the values and philosophy of the ruling party by coming together to support Dr Fayemi in the forthcoming election, in a bid to ensure the APC emerge victoriously.

The President noted that the ruling party values internal democracy, describing the success of the primary election as another testament to the APCs democratic credentials.

He also assured members of the party and Nigeria that the party would continue to work hard to lead the country to the next level of its development journey.

Congratulations to @kfayemi on winning the APC ticket to contest the July 14, 2018 governorship elections in Ekiti State. I have no doubt that Dr Fayemis track record as a reformistwith a passion for education, health and welfarewill stand him in good stead in the elections.

Congratulations to on winning the APC ticket to contest the July 14, 2018 governorship elections in Ekiti State. I have no doubt that Dr Fayemis track record as a reformistwith a passion for education, health and welfarewill stand him in good stead in the elections.

Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari)

I would also like to commend all the participants in the keenly-contested Primary. I would like them to uphold the values and philosophy of the APC by joining hands to support Dr. Fayemi in the forthcoming elections.

He said that APC has taken internal democracy seriously, and the success of the Ekiti Primary, with more than 30 aspirants, further validates our partys democratic credentials.

Let me assure that we will continue to work hard to lead Nigeria to the next level of its development journey.

He was also optimistic that having won the partys ticket, the former governor would leverage his track record as a reformist who has a passion for education, health and welfare, to reclaim the governorship seat when the state goes to poll on July 14.

President Buhari further applauded other aspirants who took part in the keenly-contested primary.

He urged them to uphold the values and philosophy of the ruling party by coming together to support Dr Fayemi in the forthcoming election, in a bid to ensure the APC emerge victoriously.

Fayemi Reaches Out To Oni, Aluko, Bamisile, 12 Other Co-contestants

Kayode Fayemi 2018 (@VoteFayemi)

The President noted that the ruling party values internal democracy, describing the success of the primary election as another testament to the APCs democratic credentials.

He also assured members of the party and Nigeria that the party would continue to work hard to lead the country to the next level of its development journey.

Also in his reaction, outgoing Ekiti governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, expressed happiness that APC has chosen a candidate that the people would reject.

In his tweet, he said: I thank the APC for giving Ekiti people a candidate they love to vote against at all times. Fayemi should not celebrate this pyrrhic victory yet because it is nothing but a flame that will be quenched on July 14. He should expect to suffer worse defeat compared to that of 2014.

I thank the APC for giving Ekiti people a candidate they love to vote against at all times. Fayemi should not celebrate this pyrrhic victory yet because it is nothing but a flame that will be quenched on July 14. He should expect to suffer worse defeat compared to that of 2014.

Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose)

Source: NAN

The police in the early hours of Monday sealed the complex of Kano state House of Assembly apparently to prevent the impeachment of the speaker.

Reports say that the armed policemen were deployed to the House at about 2 am to prevent members from gaining access into the Assembly Complex.

The deployment of the armed policemen may be connected to the current move to remove Speaker of the House, Mr. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, and principal officers by some lawmakers.

The speaker had ordered for suspension of all activities in the House until after Eid-El-Fitr festivity.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Magaji Musa Majia, confirmed deployment of police to the Assembly.

Majia stated that the deployment of the police personnel was to maintain peace in the complex.

We deployed our men to the Assembly to ensure that nobody disrupts the peace.

We need peace in the state and therefore we will not allow anybody to tamper with existing peace and harmony being enjoyed by the people in the state.

Ata who was sworn-in ten months ago after the previous Speaker resigned following allegations of corruption, has been accused of incompetence and failure to carry everyone along.

At least 21 members have signed the impeachment notice while six other signatures are needed to remove the Speaker.

Meanwhile, the embattled Speaker has confirmed the plans by the House to impeach him, noting that he has accepted his faith.

He also denied allegations of incompetence.

Source: NAN

Former military Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), said on Monday that his regime never experienced anything such as corruption for the nine years it was in power.

Gowon, whose government ruled from 1966 to 1975, made the statement at the 8th Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies in Africa hosted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.

The former leader said although some of his ministers were being accused of corruption, the regime made sure that it did not happen.

During our time, I can assure you we did not know anything of the sort such as corruption.

Yes, some of my ministers were being accused of corruption, but I can assure you it was something that we tried to make sure it did not happen especially in the public service.

When I left office in 1975, apart from my salary, it was those staff who were with me during the OAU meeting (Kampala, Uganda) that contributed their estacode to make sure that at least I had something to live on after I had been asked to leave office.

And I said I wish I had done something to provide for the future, and I think it is that experience that probably made those that came after I left office to make sure they provided for the future.

Gowon said he was saddened by reports in the media suggesting that all the countrys former Heads of States or Presidents were corrupt, noting that such allegations were denigrating the office.

The former military leader, therefore, urged Nigerians to make sure that those elected or appointed into public office were made to be honest, transparent and accountable.

He also challenged participants at the conference to come up with effective measures not only to prevent looting of public funds but also recovery of stolen money, and its use for the people.

Earlier, Nobel laureate, Prof, Wole Soyinka, said Nigeria had been bled dry by corrupt leadership over the years, and challenged the anti-graft agencies on the prosecution of past and current corrupt leaders.

I took the trouble yesterday to visit the new headquarters of the EFCC; I wanted to see what would be the mode of hospitality for some of our leaders who will surely sooner or later pas through the doors of that beautiful building not far from here.

Until we make sure that some of our leaders pass through those doors, this struggle against corruption in this country will not be won.

I spoke to Magu (EFCC Acting Chairman), that I want to see the presidential wing in this place. I said, `I am a human rights person and I want to make sure you treat them right when they come here.

But he said sorry, it is an egalitarian institution. And I said ok, I will take that message back to them, that they should get ready to go down a little bit in status when justice catches up with them.

Soyinka said EFCCs major responsibility for now was to help the nation to recover the rest of the loot still hidden across the continent, fill up its detention room with corrupt leaders.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, called for more political will by governments in the continent in the fight against corruption.

Onnoghen advised that the masses should be carried along in the process, because anti-graft agencies could only effectively wage the fight with information from the people.

On behalf of the judiciary, the CJN assured the countrys anti-corruption agencies of the judicial support to sustain their efforts in reducing corruption to its barest minimum.

In his address of welcome, Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, said Nigeria was lucky to have the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari which he said is committed to the anti-graft war.

Magu said there had never been a more focused and committed team in the ant-corruption anywhere in Africa than the current leadership in Nigeria.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari who is currently on a two-day official visit to Jigawa on Monday flagged off the project for the rehabilitation of Hadejia Valley Irrigation Scheme (HVIS) in Auyo Local Government Area of Jigawa.

The project will be executed under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) that is supported by World Bank.

The Federal Government is collaborating with the World Bank for the implementation of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project.

The TRIMING project is a federal governments special intervention for sustainable development of irrigated agriculture in Nigeria, being a major tool for reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity.

The project was awarded to CGC-YSEJ Joint Ventures in 2018 to implement the rehabilitation of exiting gravity Irrigation area of about 5,346 hectares and expansion of about 778 hectares, including rehabilitation of barrage.

The contract is in the sum of N9.4 billion with a completion period of three years.

The project would entail the rehabilitation of Hadejia Barrage and Head works with 26.2 km embankment and storage capacity of 11.4 million cubic meter.

It will also include the rehabilitation of feeder canal and North Main Canal of about 30 km total length and the expansion of South Main Canal of 32.8 km total length with 25 sectors.

The project was first awarded in the early 1980s, but was abandoned due to poor funding.

Source: NAN

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, on Monday declared open in Abuja the 8th Commonwealth Conference of Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies in Africa.

The conference has as its theme: Partnership Towards Assets Recovery and Return. Abuja.

It was attended by Sec. Gen. Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia, Former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, former Nigerian leaders, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ag. Chairman EFCC, Ibrahim Magu and other members of the African commonwealth delegation.

Photos by Novo Isioro.

Source: NAN

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of T.W Records, Mrs Faridah Wada, has called on Nigerian youths to shun violence and acquire skills that will make them self-reliant.

Farida made the call at the grand opening ceremony of TW Records Studio for music and entertainment on Monday in Abuja.

She said that the studio was built out of passion for music and entertainment to bring creativity, imagination and new dimension for opportunities.

At TW Records, we have learned that imagination is more important than knowledge because knowledge is limited while imagination encircles the world.

Any person who never made mistake never tried anything new, I encourage the youths to acquire basic skills to keep them self-reliant.

We make bold to tell our artist that everybody is a genius and all that is valuable in human society depends on opportunity for development, she said.

The CEO said the studio would present job opportunities to develop crafts, dreams and aspirations for the teeming youths in the country.

She challenged the youths to strive toward a better society by imbibing skills that would make them assets to the society.

On his part, former Gov. of Kogi state, Captain Idris Wada, particularly implored the youths in the country to embrace talents like music, drama and other aspects of entertainment to make them engaged in the society.

Wada advised the youths to strive toward taking over leadership, saying that such was only possible if they worked very hard and became productive.

If you want to succeed and be a leader, you must be focused, disciplined hardworking, tolerant and dedicated towards your goals.

In every difficulty, there are opportunities and I urge the youths to learn skills like drama, music and entertainment to develop themselves and be useful to the society.

TW studio is equipped with state of the art facility and will offer youths the opportunity to showcase their talents in the entertainment industry, Wada said.

He, however, appealed to the government to initiate an agenda that would address the challenges facing young people to give them a sense of belonging that would contribute to societal growth.

The occasion featured comedy, red carpet and stage performance by music artists.

Dignitaries at the occasion include, former Senate president Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Mr Hosa Wells, Sen. Uche Ekwunife and Amb. Ifeanyi Ifedi.

Source: NAN

The United States officially opened its deeply controversial Jerusalem embassy on Monday in a ceremony preceded by violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces along the Gaza strips border.

Reports said 37 Palestinians were mowed down by Israeli firepower and hundreds more were injured, in what has been called the bloodiest day in years.

Tens of thousands had gathered near the border in protest while smaller numbers of stone-throwing Palestinians approached the fence and sought to break through, with Israeli snipers positioned on the other side.

The protests did not stop the embassy opening ceremony, that included a video address by President Donald Trump.

Trump told the ceremony that the United States remained committed to reaching a lasting Middle East peace though the move of its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has provoked outrage.

A plaque and seal was unveiled at the ceremony officially opening the embassy.

US ambassador to Israel David Friedman also spoke at the ceremony in Jerusalem and Trump was given a standing ovation when he mentioned him.

Friedman referred to the embassys location as Jerusalem, Israel drawing wild applause.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan led the Washington delegation at the inauguration that also included Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both White House aides, as well as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Some 800 guests attended the ceremony.

Jerusalems status is perhaps the thorniest issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel considers the entire city its capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Source: NAN

The World Bank Group is excited with the growth of Nigeria and expressed satisfaction with the performance of the economy.

The commendation was contained in a statement by the bank on Monday, after the conclusion of a visit to Nigeria by 10 Executive Directors of the bank from May 9 to 12.

According to the statement, the visit was to enable the banks management team get a better understanding of Nigerias development priorities with a special focus on the energy sector.

The Executive Directors held discussions with the Vice President of Nigeria, the Minister of Finance and Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Edo, Lagos, Taraba and Yobe, other senior government officials.

The Directors discussed the security challenges in the Northeast and Middle belt regions and how to achieve development in these challenging environments.

Our visit to Nigeria was to get a better understanding of the country, assess the World Banks interventions on the ground, and support opportunities that will keep the country on a path of sustained development, said

We commend Nigerias implementation of its new Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP) and the Power Sector Recovery Plan (PSRP), both of which are important for regional integration.

It will also ensure trade and capital flows, which will ultimately lead to greater growth, says World Bank.

According to the statement, the Executive Directors also met with beneficiaries of the World Bank Group supported projects in agriculture, education, health, youth employment, community development, soil erosion and public financial management.

Similarly, they met with representatives of the private sector, civil society organisations, diplomatic missions and development partners.

The group also visited the newly commissioned Edo Power Plant in Benin City, which was a key project in the governments power sector reform agenda and is supported by three arms of the World Bank Group,

The three arms are; the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the World Bank.

In Lagos, the delegation visited microfinance clients, mostly women, to gain an understanding of how the funds they had received impacted their livelihoods.

They also had an interactive meeting with private sector executives, which highlighted the need to sustain business reforms and provide affordable and reliable power to improve the living standards of all Nigerians.

The Executive Directors observed that Nigeria continues to implement institutional policy reforms for restoring macroeconomic resilience and growth across sectors with support from the World Bank Group.

They reiterated the World Bank Groups commitment to supporting Nigerias growth in a way that is inclusive, job enhancing, and reduces poverty and inequality.

Critical to this inclusive growth objective is reforming the power sector, boosting critical investments in human development, and mobilising finance for development by creating a conducive environment for private sector participation, the bank said.

The bank also emphasised the importance of Nigeria to the sub-region and therefore the countrys central role in its regional strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa.

It will be recalled that Nigeria has been one of IFCs fastest growing portfolios and represents IFCs fifth largest global country exposure, with a committed volume of 1.6 billion dollars.

Also, Nigeria is MIGAs fifth largest country exposure in Sub-Saharan Africa, with current exposure of 334 million dollars.

The Nigeria Country Partnership Strategy extending to 2019 has an investment of 8.8 billion dollars through the International Development Association (IDA) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). (NAN)

Source: NAN

Nigerias Foreign Ministry on Monday said that the Immigration attach, Mr Habibu Almu, who was assassinated in Khartoum, Sudan, May 10, was murdered by a female Sudanese of Nigerian origin.

She was identified as Miss Inas Khalid Maikano. On her Facebook page, where she last made a posting in April 2016, she wrote her name as Enas Maikano. She said she attended Prime College in Kano and now lives in Khartoum Sudan.

The Ministrys Spokesperson, Dr Tope Elia-Fatile in a statement in Abuja alleged that the suspect, a student at the Sudanese-Canadian College in Khartoum, murdered Almu in his official quarters on Thursday.

He said that the suspect had been arrested and detained by the security agency in Sudan.

Consequently, after several arrests and investigations by the host authorities, it was established that the deceased was stabbed to death.

The suspect who isa student of Sudanese-Canadian College in Khartoum is a Sudanese of Nigerian origin.

It was discovered during investigations, authorities discovered that the suspect had stolen some of the deceased personal belongings including cash, he said.

According to him, the suspected allegedly confessed committing the crime and is being held in custody.

Our Mission in Khartoum will continue to monitor and follow up the case to ensure that justice is done on this matter.

In the meantime, the process of conveying the remains of the late Almu to Nigeria for proper burial is being finalised, he said

Source: NAN

Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, winner of the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti state has apologised to the people for all the errors of omission or commission he made during his first term as governor, between 2010 and 2014.

He made the plea in his speech after being declared winner of the hotly contested primary election, which featured 33 contestants, with one of them withdrawing on Thursday.

Fayemi got 941 delegate votes, out of the 2,313 valid votes cast.

His nearest competitor was also a former governor, Segun Oni, who got 481 votes.

Governor Tanko Al-Makura, who chaired the election committee announced the result after 11pm today in Ado-Ekiti and thanked all the delegates and contestants for their show of maturity, patience and perseverance.

He reserved special praise for the security agents, who were able to maintain peace, unlike last week’s show that ended riotously.

He congratulated Dr Fayemi for winning the party’s primary election and charged him to work together with the other aspirants to enable him achieve his desired goals and objectives in the forthcoming July,14, gubernatorial election.

Fayemi, who was followed to the podium by all the other aspirants, said he was delighted to emerge as the winner of the party’s primary election.

The APC flag bearer said his victory was not his alone, but belonged to all the contestants.

He announced the formation of a Candidate Advisory Committee, with all the contestants as members and said he would be ready to work with all of them to achieve victory for the APC.

” I am delighted to have won the party’s primary election, and am also happy because the delegates voted for me. It shows they believe so much in my abilities to change the lives of the Ekiti people for the better compared to what they are currently experiencing.

” All other aspirants ‎are my friends and colleagues, am going to work with them to ensure that our great party emerges as the winner in the forthcoming gubernatorial election,” he said.

Read Fayemi’s Full Speech:

This is the day the Lord has made, and we rejoice and are glad in it.Today, the people have spoken and their voice has been heard resoundingly.

· What we have witnessed today, is one of the essential elements in the electoral cycle in any democracy – the exercise of the collective will over the aspirations of many – the emergence of the candidate of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14, 2018 gubernatorial election in Ekiti state, out of many eminently qualified aspirants.

· Indeed, it has been a hard fought contest, and I am extremely humbled that our delegates have counted me worthy of the honour of bearing the banner of our great party. This victory is not mine alone, it belongs to all Ekiti people who desire a greater tomorrow.

· The free, fair and transparent process we have witnessed today is a testament to our great party’s democratic credentials that guarantees a level playing field for everyone aspiring to high office. This is a feat we must all be proud of.

· But the battle has only just begun – the contest to Reclaim Our Land and Restore Our Values. The fight to ensure our great party comes out victorious in the July 14, 2018 general election.

· Your Excellences, Distinguished Party Leaders, Honourable Delegates, Members of the press, Observers, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Without a doubt, Ekiti is in critical need of rescue. It is imperative that we urgently commence the task of purging ourselves of the bad reputation we have earned in recent years and restore good governance to the state.

· In my valedictory address in 2014, I said that future administrations would be judged by the standards we set during our time in office. It should be clear to any observer that over the past four years, Ekiti has retreated from the progressive values that we espoused in office and our grand ideals of human development.

· We have seen a cynical approach to politics that exploits the penury of the poor and the vulnerability of the marginalised. We have seen the entrenchment of the disdain for elders, traditional institutions, and all forms of constituted authorities.

· Instead of continuing the quest for freedom from ignorance, disease and want, what we have seen is a paradigm that deepens captivity to these ills. In short, the last four years has called into question all that we stand for as a people. The timeless values of honour, dignity, nobility and civility encapsulated in the Omoluabi ethos have been eroded.

· We must resume the march to break the yoke of ignorance that keeps our people down; liberate them from ill-health and other limitations that restrain them from achieving their potentials; and break the stranglehold of poverty which keeps people from living full creative lives.

· In practical and policy terms, what this means is that the APC administration to be sworn in on October 15, 2018, by the grace of God, must resume good governance that was cut short four years ago, and once again prioritise social investments in education, healthcare and other social protection programmes that reduce the cost of living, while raising the quality of life.

· In all electoral contests, tempers often rise and nerves are frayed. I therefore humbly appeal to all my supporters, and to my co-contestants and their supporters, to let go of past differences as we forge ahead to a new dawn.

· I furthermore very respectfully request the support of my brothers and sisters – co-contestants in this primary election. I plead that we put our differences aside and work together as one strong and indivisible party for success in the upcoming general election.

· I would be counting on all my co-contestants to share their wealth of experience, ideas and knowledge in furtherance of our collective desire to make Ekiti great again.

· As I have said ever so often, all those who contested the primary election today are eminently qualified to be Governor. I salute your courage and congratulate you all for enriching the process. However, together we are greater and stronger than the sum of our individual parts, and no individual, myself inclusive, is bigger than our great party.

· As I conclude, I must seize this opportunity to express my gratitude to members of the National Working Committee of our great party, and all those that have contributed to the free, fair and transparent conduct of this exercise.

· I also thank our party’s national leaders, especially those from the southwest that have worked behind the scenes to ensure this process is as free of rancour and strife as possible. We count on them following through with their promise to reunite and strengthen the cohesion of all stakeholders in our great party in Ekiti state in the coming days.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you, once again.
Alale Ekiti a gbe a o.
H.E Dr. Kayode Fayemi,

Source: NAN