Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is eyeing the presidency in 2019, has stressed the need for the youths to be properly mentored before venturing into politics.

He spoke as a special guest of honour at a symposium tagged The Man Atiku organised by Turaki Youth Ambassadors (TURAYA) on Saturday in Abuja.

The Vice President from 1999 ft0 2007 on the platform of PDP, identified poor quality of education as one of the factors affecting youths participation in high quality politics in Nigeria.

The presidential aspirant who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to his former PDP again, was represented by the Chairman, All Atiku, Support Group, Mr Oladimeji Fabiyi, at the Symposium with the topic Politics qua politic: Atiku Abubakar, the Youths and the Nigerian state.

Abubakar said that in developed countries, young people who had the potential of being politicians were identified in schools and exposed to political activities along their academic programmes.

By the time they graduate from school they have mastered the political terrains of their countries. They also try to empower themselves before going full blast into politics.

Abubakar, however, said that in Nigeria, a large chunk of youths get involved in politics by accident, adding that they ventured into politics because politics was seen as a quick way to make money.

He said that a lot of them crashed in and crashed out of politics because they failed to achieve their targets within a short period.

I have come to realise that the damage that poor quality of education has done to Nigerian youths.

This is a matter that has to be addressed to raise high number of intellectually sound youths to play high quality politics.

They also need exposure and financial empowerment in their quest to wrestle power from the older generation who have mastered the game over time.

Remember, the older generation of Nigerian politicians ventured into politics when they were young and since politics is addictive it is not usually easy to quit.

The reality is that young persons must work hard and should device superior arguments and strategies to send the older generation into retirement and to achieve their political targets, Abubakar said.

He noted that a lot of mentorship is required in the countrys clime to come out of smoky political terrain.

I did mine with the late Shehu YarAdua just as am impacting my knowledge, skills and experience on young persons I come across.

He advised Nigerian youths interested in politics to subject themselves to mentorship.

Earlier, the president TURAYA, Mr Ayo Akinrimisi, said that Abubakar has paid his dues to be the next president of Nigeria, saying he has empowered many Nigerian youths.

He pledged that TURAYA formed in 2003 would work with over 500 support groups now working and other available groups to elect Abubakar in 2019. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Mr Kayode Fayemi, defeated in the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti state, is to contest for the position again on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The current Minister of Mines and Steel Development was defeated by incumbent Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Fayemi said on Sunday that he will contest the July 14 gubernatorial election.

He made his ambition known at a news conference at his Isan-Ekiti country home in Oye Local Government Area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fayemi had hosted leaders and scores of members of the party from all the 16 Local Government Areas and the 177 Wards of the state.

He said he was driven by his past records of positive achievements, especially for workers, retirees and pensioners while in office in the state.

He explained that his decision to seek re-election was to deliver the state from incompetent and dubious hands and take her to where it is supposed to be.

NAN reports that the former governor becomes the 35th person to formally indicate interest in the governorship poll in the APC alone, aside the dozen others whose campaign posters and billboards are already out on the streets without formal declaration.

Fayemi said he would formally submit his letter of intent to the state secretariat of the APC as soon as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifts ban on campaigns on April 15.

On the issue of a White Paper, indicting him for corruption and consequently banned him from seeking public office for 10 years, Fayemi said he was not bothered.

He declared that the said White Paper cannot stop his ambition, describing the document as final result of several months of political witch-hunt launched against him by the Ayo Fayose-led administration that cannot stand the test of time.

Regardless of whatever anybody may think, I know I am eminently qualified to contest the election. If I am not qualified, I would never have come to tell you I want to contest.

Most of the negative things Fayose and his government said or alleged of me were deliberately concocted out of malice to either malign my character or score cheap political goal; but the truth will always prevail.

Same goes for the manipulated debt profile of the state which was a clear case of exaggeration and distortions.

Can you imagine, Fayose said he issued White Paper banning me from holding public office, but today, I am giving him red card. By the end of the gubernatorial poll exercise, we will know who is right between the two of us, he said.

The Minister vowed to dislodge Fayose and his deputy in the poll if picked at the May 5, 2018 gubernatorial primary of the party in Ado Ekiti.

He advised other aspirants against divisive tendencies by their followers, stressing that whoever that eventually emerges from the coming primary must be embraced by all since the national secretariat of the party had promised that the whole exercise would be open, free and fair.

He promised to use his second-term to correct all past mistakes and improve on the good ones, saying he had learnt his lessons since leaving office about four years ago as governor.

Fayemi, therefore, asked all those he offended while in office as governor to forgive him, while also saying he had forgiven all those who erred against him, in the interest of the party.

He warned Fayose not to attempt to remove or destroy his campaign posters and billboards the way his government was currently doing to some opposition posters.

Source: NAN

Jury selection for the retrial of US comedian Bill Cosby on sexual assault charges was set to begin in a Pennsylvania court on Monday.

The 80-year-old is charged with three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting accuser Andrea Constand at his home in 2004.

He was originally tried in June last year but the court case ended with a mistrial after the 12-member jury was unable to agree on a verdict.

Cosby, a household name in the US, hired a new legal team for the re-trial, including Tom Mesereau, who is best-known for his part in Michael Jacksons acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005.

More than 50 women have come forward to publicly accuse Cosby of drugging and raping them, but the trial is focused solely on accusations from Constand, a former employee at Temple University in Philadelphia, Cosbys alma mater.

She alleges that Cosby gave her pills and sexually assaulted her as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

At a pre-trial hearing last month, the judge said the testimony of five other women who allege similar misconduct by Cosby would be allowed, local media reported.

The African-American actor started his career as a stand-up comic in the 1960s.

His biggest success was the television sitcom The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984-92, in which he played obstetrician Cliff Huxtable, the wise and loveable patriarch of an affluent black family in New York.

The trial is scheduled to start on April 9 in Norristown, Pennsylvania.(dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo has called on families to teach their children to be God-fearing, truthful, persevering, and honest to save their future.

Badejo in his Easter message on Monday said that no matter what people were passing through in the course of life, they should be steadfast.

Christianity teaches us to be truthful, peaceful, forgiving, generous and God fearing, otherwise we cannot be salt of the earth and light of the world.

Trouble must come and tribulations may occur but through it all we must not allow anything to take all that goodness away from us, he said.

The cleric said that through the sad abduction and non-release of teenager Leah Sharibu, God was reminding the people what it really meant to know him.

He said this had shown how wicked some people could be to an innocent teenager in the name of religion?

No matter how things go, Leah has become a blessing and model to her family and to our generation. May she be released soon and unharmed to a glorious Easter.

He urged both Muslims and Christians to shun false religion that could force people to believe anything saying that God is not violent or wicked.

He urged the political leaders, business men, civil servants and everyone to emulate Jesus Christ through the example of teenager Leah.

Be courageous in doing what is right and pleasing to God. At the end of it all, God will vindicate you.

May God hear the prayers of Nigeria for the release of all who are in captivity! May God release all Nigerians from greed, wickedness and false religiousity.

May our land come to know peace and victory which Jesus Christ won for us on the cross of Calvary so that we all go from this Calvary of sin to the glory of Easter, he said.(NAN)

Source: NAN

By Chinyere Joel Nwokeoma

An economist, Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, on Monday advised Nigerians not to expect much from the nations economy in the second quarter following continue delayed in the passage of 2018 budget.

Tella, a Professor of Economics from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye in Ogun, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to him, the economy will not witness meaningful growth unless the budget is passed on time to complement the monetary policy to be introduced by the newly inaugurated Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

It takes time for implemented policies to have effect on the economy. Therefore, we should not expect much improvement in output of the capital market and the economy at large, Tella said.

He said that the capital market was largely bearish in the first quarter of the year, while the economy remained sluggish in spite of positive indices.

Both are symptomatic of an unsettled economy where governments macroeconomic policy is unpredictable.

This was so because both fiscal and monetary policies have not been put in place due to the perilous activities of the legislature.

We can recall that up till now, the 2018 budget has not been passed.

So, fiscal policy and fiscal actions were put on hold throughout the period.

The Central Banks Monetary Policy membership committee was not properly constituted to meet and fashion out monetary policy due to failure of the legislature to approve new members submitted for consideration by the Executive.

Where you have such situation, the policy environment cannot be conducive for business activities to thrive, Tella said.

NAN reports that the National Assembly had on March 27 postponed the approval of 2018 until May.

This is contrary to the expectations that the 2018 budget estimates of N8.612 trillion would be passed by April.

The Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Rep Mustapha Dawaki, had on Tuesday explained that if the budget was not passed by April 24 then, the N2.06 trillion 2017 capital budget would run until May 31.

Dawaki made this known at the 2018 National Budget Hearing in Abuja, which was jointly organised by the Senate and House Committees on Appropriation.

NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had, in his presentation of the 2018 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on Nov.7, 2017, called for speedy passage of the budget.

The President said that this would allow for implementation of the January to December budget cycle.

However, the two chambers of the National Assembly had attributed the delay in the budget passage to refusal of heads of Ministries, Departments and parastatal Agencies (MDAs) to come forward and defend their respective budget proposals. (NAN)

Source: NAN

A leaner and lighter Anthony Joshua weighed in some six pounds heavier than Joseph Parker on Friday for the battle of the undefeated heavyweight world champions in Cardiff.

The Briton tipped the scales at 17 stones four pounds and two ounces at the weigh-in, attended by a crowd of more than 4,000, compared to the New Zealanders 16 stones 12 pounds and seven ounces.

Joshua, the reigning WBA, IBF and IBO world champion, is also taller and with a six inch reach advantage over Parker, who will be bringing his WBO belt to the Principality Stadium for Saturday nights unification fight.

The Briton had stepped into the ring against Cameroonian-French opponent Carlos Takam in Cardiff last October, for a defence he won in 10 rounds, at a career-high 18 stones and two pounds.

Ive been running well, training well, said the 2012 Olympic champion, who has a 20-0 record with all his fights won by knockout.

Losing that little bit of extra weight has made things that little bit easier.

I feel betterif everything goes to plan, youll see Ill be a lot sharper and my reactions and timing will be a lot better, the Briton told the crowd.

Joshuas camp had made much of just how seriously the 28-year-old was taking training, his obsession with shedding the pounds and how that had been paying off in his ringcraft and training.

Parker, 24-0, took it as a compliment ahead of what will be the biggest fight of his career, with an 80,000-strong crowd expected through the doors on Saturday.

It makes me think that hes taking this fight really seriously, hes trained very hard, he said after standing face to face and staring into the eyes of his opponent for the last time before they meet in the ring.

Hes in good shape, Im in good shape. Theres not much of a weight difference, which is good. were both going to be fast for tomorrow night, were both going to move well and throw some big bombs.

Parker said he saw confidence in Joshuas eyes, and was ready for anything.

Im here for a good fight, Im here for war, he declared. Youre going to have to give me everything to beat mehes got a bigger crowd but that doesnt matter, that doesnt faze us.

Saturdays fight will bring the heavyweight title a step closer to undisputed status and put the focus even more on American Deontay Wilder, who holds the WBC crown and is undefeated in 40.

Source: NAN

American John Isner outplayed Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro 6-1, 7-6(2) to reach his first MiamiOpen final and fourth career Masters 1000 final.

It was the first semi-final match of the day, with the American dominating proceedings and del Potro, playing out-of-sort.

Big serving Isner will know his final opponent after the the match betweenPablo Carreno andAlexander Zverev later today.

The final match will be played on Sunday.

As ATPWorldTour.com reported the American did little wrong against Del Potro, who was on a 15-match win streak and leads the ATP World Tour with 21 wins this season.

Isners serve, as usual, was dominant, but his groundstrokes and volleys carried him to victory.

He swung freely and played aggressively on serve and return. The American finished with 39 winners, including 16 aces, to only 10 from Del Potro.

The last time Del Potro lost was more than a month ago, on 23 February against #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe at the Delray Beach Open.

Since then, the Argentine had captured back-to-back titles in Acapulco and Indian Wells. Del Potro had to save three match points against No. 1 Roger Federer in the BNP Paribas Open final to win his maiden Masters 1000 crown.

Isner broke in the third game, pounding Del Potros backhand before hitting a forehand volley winner at net. After only 27 minutes, he had a one-set lead, thanks to his 19 winners, compared to zero from his opponent.

Del Potro, behind a boisterous Argentine crowd on Key Biscayne, recovered in the second set. But Isner was too strong, too aggressive, too confident. He never faced a break point all match, and in the tie-break, his volleys were the difference. A backhand dropper pushed him into Sundays final.

Source: NAN

North Korea President Kim Jong Un is committed to sending teams to the next two Olympics, the IOC chief Thomas Bach said Saturday.

He unveiled the commitment of North Korea after a rare meeting with the leader of the nuclear-armed regime in Pyongyang.

Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, also said the IOC will make a proposal for a potential joint march and other shared activities between the North and South Korean teams at the Tokyo games.

Last months Winter Olympics in South Korea saw competitors from the two countries march together at the opening ceremony and field a joint womens ice hockey team.

The Winter Games triggered a fast-moving rapprochement that will see Kim sit down with the Souths President Moon Jae-in in late April with a US summit with President Donald Trump planned for May.

Bach told reporters after landing in Beijing that his talks with Kim on Friday had been very open and fruitful.

They announced (to) us that they will definitely participate in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as well at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and all editions of the Youth Olympic Games, Bach said.

And this commitment was fully supported by the supreme leader of DPRK, he said, using the official abbreviation for the country.

North Koreas official KCNA news agency said Kim thanked Bach for helping to bring about a dramatic thawing of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Bach arrived in the country on Thursday and his visit, which concluded Saturday, was the result of an invitation extended by Pyongyang in January.

The isolated regime rarely hosts foreign dignitaries but recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomacy, with Kim making his first foreign trip as leader to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and inviting him to visit Pyongyang.

Kim told Bach that the Olympics had opened a new chapter of concord between the north and the south, KCNA said.

He said that the once frozen north-south relations greeted a dramatic thawing season with the Olympics as a momentum and it was totally attributable to the efforts of the IOC which offered an opportunity and paved a path for it, the agency reported.

Bach told reporters the IOC will continue to support the athletes from DPRK to prepare well for the next Olympic Games.

The IOC will make a proposal for a potential joint march, for potential other joint activities for Tokyo and maybe also for Beijing, at the appropriate time, he said.

The two men also held discussions about the development of sport in the North and attended a womens football match.

North and South Korea plan to hold a summit on April 27.

Trump is then due to meet Kim before the end of May for talks on Pyongyangs denuclearisation.

Bach has hailed the reconciliatory mood, saying previously that the Olympic spirit brought two sides together and the two neighbours sent a powerful message of peace to the world.

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Source: NAN

Romelu Lukaku became the first Belgian to reach 100 Premier League goals as Manchester United quickly regained second place in the table from Liverpool with a comfortable 2-0 win over Swansea City on Saturday.

The powerful striker put his team in front within five minutes from a pass by Alexis Sanchez, who added the second quarter of an hour later.

United, with record signing Paul Pogba back in the side, were dominant, although David de Gea did have to make two saves from Tammy Abraham.

Swansea, revitalised under Jose Mourinhos friend and compatriot Carlos Carvalhal, remain three points above the relegation zone but drop down a place to 15th.

Swansea improved after the break, with Tammy Abraham twice denied by David de Gea, but United were always in control.

Jose Mourinhos side re-opened a two-point gap over third-placed Liverpool, who won 2-1 at Crystal Palace earlier on Saturday. (Reuters)

Source: NAN

Former world number one Novak Djokovic has parted company with head coach Andre Agassi after struggling to rediscover his form following a long elbow injury layoff.

With only the best intentions I tried to help Novak. We far too often found ourselves agreeing to disagree, American Agassi said in a statement broadcast by ESPN.

I wish him only the best moving forward.

The split leaves Djokovics coaching staff down to Czech Radek Stepanek, who joined on a part-time basis after eight times grand slam winner Agassi came on board ahead of last years French Open.

Djokovic, the winner of 12 grand slams, suffered a sharp decline in form after lifting his maiden French Open title in 2016 to complete a career slam.

After failing to retain his title at Roland Garros, the Serb retired against Czech Tomas Berdych in the Wimbledon quarter-finals and was side-lined for six months with a recurring elbow injury.

Following a last-16 Australian Open exit to South Korean youngster Chung Hyeon in January, the 30-year-old Djokovic had elbow surgery but has struggled to make an impact since returning to action.

He suffered successive defeats this month to Japans Taro Daniel in the first round at Indian Wells and to Frenchman Benoit Pare at the Miami Open, looking a pale shadow of his former vintage self.

Djokovic is due to play at the Monte Carlo Masters, which is scheduled for April 14-22.

Source: NAN