Photo Of Buhari In London, With Tony Blair, Saraki & Amosun

From left: Senator Ibikunle Amosun, General Buhari, Tony Blair and Senator Bukola Saraki.The picture was taken this morning during a courtesy visit at the country side home of Tony Blair in the UK.

20 Owners Of Richest Oil Blocks In Nigeria – Their Names Will Shock You

It’s more news the North wants GEJ out of
the way, so their licenses can be renewed
cos most of them are expiring from 2016
upwards.
Monumental injustice is being perpetrated
to the people of Niger Delta on whose soil
the oil was found.
These people constitutes the main
opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan
today. Please Read on:

(1) This oil block business is so lucrative
that Danjuma’s Sapetro divested of its
investment in Akpo condensate for
$1billion dollars. This business is second
to none in Nigeria. That is why any attempt
to investigate the activities in this sector
will always be futile. The money is so
much that they give bribes in millions of
dollars.
A birthday gift or child naming gift from an
oil block owner to a government official
could be as paltry as $2million dollars, and
if the official’s father died, the condolence
gift could reach mere $3 million dollars.
When they want to bribe legislators, it is in
millions of dollars and any ongoing
investigation ends within weeks. They are
so confident that with excess money they
can buy up Nigeria and they are
succeeding

(2) OML 110 with high yield OBE oil fields
was given Cavendish Petroleum owned by
Alhaji Mai Daribe, the Borno Patriarch in
1996 by Sanni Abacha. OBE oil field has
estimated over 500 million barrels of oil. In
layman’s language and using average
benchmark of $100 dollars per barrel,
translates to $50 billion dollars worth of oil
reserve. When you remove the taxes,
royalties and sundry duties worth about
60% of the reserve payable over time you
get about $20billion dollars worth of oil in
the hands of a family.                                        
(3) OPL 246 was awarded to SAPETRO, a
company owned by General Theophilus
Danjuma, by Sanni Abacha in 1998. Akpo
condensate exports about 300,000 barrels
of crude daily.

(4) NOML 112 and OML 117 were awarded
to AMNI International Petroleum
Development Company owned by Colonel
Sanni Bello in 1999. Sanni Bello is an
inlaw to Abdulsalami Abubakar, former
Head of State of Nigeria.

(5) OML 115, OLDWOK Field and EBOK field
was awarded to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi
from Niger State. Indimi is an inlaw to
former Military President Ibrahim
Babangida.

(6) OML 215 is operated by Nor East
Petroleum Limited owned by Alhaji Saleh
Mohammed Gambo.

(7) OML 108 is operated by Express
Petroleum Company Limited is owned by
Alhaji Aminu Dantata.

(8) cool OML II3 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo
Pet Ltd is owned by Alhaji W.I. folawiyo

(9)ASUOKPU/UMUTU marginal oil fields is
operated by Seplat Petroleum. Seplat is
owned by Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero,
cousin to the Central Bank Governor
Lamido Sanusi. This oil field has the
capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil daily.
This translates to $30million dollars daily
at average benchmark of $100 dollars per
barrel. Deducting all sundry taxes,
royalties etc , this field can yield $12billion
dollars daily for the owners .

(10)Intel owned by Atiku, Yarádua and Ado
Bayero has substantial stakes in Nigeria’s
oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and
Principe and Sao Tome.

(11) AMNI owns two oil blocks OML 112
and OML 117 which it runs Afren plc and
Vitol has substantial stakes in oil blocks.
Afren plc is operating EBOK oil fields in
OML 67. Vitol lifts 300,000 barrels of
Nigerian oil daily. Rilwanu Lukman, former
OPEC Chairman has stakes in all these
named three companies.

(12) OPL 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil&
Gas Company by Sanni Abacha. Dan Etete,
Abacha’s oil minister owns Malabu Oil. In
2000, Vice President Atiku Abubakar
convinced Obasanjo to revoke OPL 245
given to Malabu Oil. Etete had earlier
rejected Atiku’s demand for substantial
stakes in the high yield OPL 245 and it
attracted the venom of Ota Majesty who
revoked the licence. However, in 2006,
Obasanjo had mercy on Dan Etete and gave
him back his oil block worth over $20
billion dollars.

(13) OPL 289 and OPL 233 was awarded
during Obasanjo era to Peter Odili fronts,
Cleanwater Consortium, consisting of
Clenwater Refinery and RivGas Petroleum
and Gas Company. Odili’s brother in law,
Okey Ezenwa manages the consortium as
Vice Chairman.

(14) OPL 286 is managed by Focus Energy
in partnership with BG Group, a British oil
concern. Andy Uba has stakes in Focus
Energy and his modus operandi is such
that you can never see his name in any
listings yet he controls OPL and OML
through proxies

(15)OPL 291 was awarded to Starcrest
Energy Nigeria Limited, owned by Emeka
Offor by Obasanjo . Immediately after the
award, Starcrest sold the oil block to
Addax Petroleum Development Company
Limited (ADDAX) Addax paid Sir Emeka
Offor a farming fee of $35million dollars
and still paid the signature bonus to the
government. Emeka Offor still retains stake
in ADDAX operations in Nigeria.

(16) Mike Adenuga’s Conoil is the oldest
indigenous oil exploration industry in
Nigeria. Conoil has six oil blocks and
exports above 200,000 barrels of crude
daily.

(17)The oil block national cake sharing
fiesta could take twists according to the
mood of the Commander-in –Chief at the
particular time. In 2006, Obasanjo revoked
OPL 246 which Abacha gave to Danjuma
because he refused to support the tenure
elongation bid of the Ota Majesty. In 2000,
Obasanjo had earlier revoked OPL 241
given to Dan Etete under the advice Atiku.
However, when the Obasanjo-Atiku faceoff
started, the Ota Majesty made a u-turn and
handed back the oil block to Etete.

(18)During the time of Late President
Yarádua , a panel headed by Olusegun
Ogunjana was set up to investigate the
level of transparency in the award of oil
blocks. The panel recommended that 25 oil
blocks awarded by the Obasanjo be
revoked because the manner they were
obtained failed to meet the best practices
in the industry. Sadiq Mahmood,
permanent secretary in the Ministry of
Petroleum endorsed the report to then
president with all its recommendations. As
a result of the report Yarádua revoked
eleven oil blocks.

(19) In April 2011 Mike Adenuga attempted
to buy Shell’s OML 30 for $1.2 billion
dollars. The Minister for Petroleum and
Nigeria’s most powerful woman refused
the sale of the OML30 to Adenuga citing
national interest. This block was later sold
to Heritage Oil for $800 million dollars
eleven months later.

(20) In the name of competitive bidding,
which Obasanjo introduced in 2005,
Officials bring companies overnight and
through processes best described as
secretive and voodooist they award blocks
to party faithful, fronts and phoney
companies. They collect gratifications
running into hundreds of millions of dollars
which is paid into offshore account and the
nation loses billions of dollars of revenue
to private pockets.
During the third term agenda, Obasanjo
was deceived that the allocation of oil
block to party faithfuls is to fund the third
term agenda. With the failure of the third
term, the beneficiaries went home with
their fortunes and thanked God or Allah for
buttering their bread.
Senator Andy Uba co ordinate the award of
the last rounds of oil block by Obasanjo in
2005 and 2007. The then minister of
petroleum, Edwin Daukoru was a mere
errand boy who took instructions from the
presidential aide
The process of sharing Nigeria’s oil block
national cake is as fraudulent now as when
Ibrahim Babangida started the process of
discretionary allocation of oil blocks to
indigenous firms. Discretionary allocation
of oil blocks entails that a president can
reward a mistress who performs
wonderfully with an oil block with capacity
for cumulative yield of over $20 billion
dollars without recourse to any process
outside of manhood attachments.
Babangida, Abacha, Abdulsalami and
Obasanjo awarded discretionary oil blocks
to friends, associates, family members,
party chieftains, security chiefs and all
categories of bootlickers, spokespersons
and cult members without any laid down
procedures.
The recipients of such oil blocks will get
funds from ever willing offshore financiers
and partners to graciously settle the
benefactors, the awarders, facilitators and
the Commander-in-Chief through fronts.
These settlements mostly paid into foreign
accounts runs into hundreds of millions of
dollars according to the potential yield of
the block.
Sometimes, the awarder (sharer of national
cake and direct intermediaries) demand
additional stakes in the bidding company.
The awarder sends fronts as part of the
directorship and management of the
bidding firms without leaving a link to
them. That is how the oil block national
cake is distributed to a few Nigerians.
Signature bonuses which are paid when an
investor successfully bids, wins and signs
agreement with the petroleum ministry,
running into tens of millions and sometimes
hundreds of millions of naira ,is often
waived off. There is actually no waiver;
rather a diversion of what would have been
paid to government t coffers is paid into
private purse as appreciation gifts.
That is why those in the Petroleum Ministry
dread retirement as though it signifies
going to hell fire. No matter how little your
influence, something substantial must
enter your hands especially in hard
currency. The nation loses billions of
dollars in diverted revenue whenever any
round of auction occurs.
The regime of President Goodluck is not
showing any signs of changing the status
quo. Controversies have trailed the
activities of the Minister of Petroleum and
many players in the Industry accuse her of
demanding stakes from every oil deal. It is
hoped that President Goodluck Jonathan
will remember his transformational
promise to Nigerians and endeavour to
face the hawks in the oil industry.
The angst in the air is so much that if this
monster of illegal allocation of oil block is
not addressed, the much touted revolution
could begin all of a sudden and all who
condoned this illegality at the expense of
hungry Nigerians may have nowhere to
hide.
Culled from How Babangida, Abubakar,
Abacha, Obasanjo Shared Nigeria’s Oil
Blocks

Again!! Another Politician Tears PDP Membership Card in Public

Barely 24 hours after former president of Nigeria,Olusegun Obasanjo announced his exit from PDP by tearing his membership card in public,another PDP member has followed in his footsteps.
Photos of Abdullahi Muhammad, Senior Special Adviser on Security to Gombe state governor,Ibrahim Dankwambo, publicly tearing his PDP membership card, have hit the Internet.

Advantages of eating lettuce

Lettuce has been called “the perfect weight loss food” and “rabbit food,” but it is so much more. With amazing healing benefits and calories comprised of 20 per cent protein, it could be called “gorilla food” instead!

Discover all the benefits and history of this amazing powerfood, and a few dietary concerns.

Low calorie content

Lettuce has only 12 calories for one shredded cup.

This is why it is so good for weight loss.

Lettuce contains fibre and cellulose. Besides filling you up, fibre improves your digestion. Improving your digestion may not sound like a good thing for losing weight, but it is actually essential for long term weight control.

Fibre also helps remove bile salts from the body. When the body replaces these salts it breaks down cholesterol to do so. This is why lettuce is also good for your heart!

. Heart healthy

Lettuce’s vitamin C and beta-carotene work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. This prevents the build up of plaque.

Protein

Romaine lettuce’s calories are 20 percent protein. Like all whole foods, much of this protein is complete, but the amount can be increased by combining with balancing proteins.

Helps with insomnia

The white fluid that you see when you break or cut lettuce leaves is called lactucarium.

This has relaxing and sleep inducing properties similar to opium but without the strong side effects. Simply eat a few leaves or drink some lettuce juice.

Lettuce is alkaline forming

The minerals in lettuce help remove toxins and keep your acid/alkaline balance in order. Once you are balanced on this level there are a host of benefits including greater energy, clearer thinking, deep restful sleep, and youthful skin.

Fat-burning foods

It’s true: Certain foods have a very high thermogenic effect, so you literally scorch calories as you chew. Others contain nutrients and compounds that stoke your metabolic fire. Feed your metabolism with these…

Whole grains: Your body burns twice as many calories breaking down whole foods (especially those rich in fibre such as oatmeal and brown rice) than processed foods.

Lean meats: Protein has a high thermogenic effect: You burn about 30 per cent of the calories the food contains during digestion.

Green tea: Drinking four cups of green tea a day helped people shed more than six pounds in eight weeks, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports. Credit EGCG, a compound in the brew that temporarily speeds metabolism after sipping it. To up your intake, keep a jug of iced tea in the fridge.

Hot peppers: Capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick, heats up your body, which makes you melt additional calories. You can get it by eating raw, cooked, dried, or powdered peppers. Add as much cayenne or hot sauce as possible to soups, eggs, and meats.

Lentils: One cup packs 35 per cent of your daily iron needs – good news, since up to 20 per cent of us are iron-deficient. When you lack a nutrient, your metabolism slows because the body’s not getting what it needs to work efficiently.

Low-fat dairy products: Rich in calcium and vitamin D, these help preserve and build muscle mass – essential for maintaining a robust metabolism.

Obasanjo’s tearing of PDP card provocative, insulting -Fani-Kayode

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation reacted to the departure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the party, saying while he is free to leave, he does not have to spit in their faces by publicly tearing the party card.

In a statement by Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the PDPPCO said, “Watching our party membership card being torn up whilst President Obasanjo was standing there and smiling was painful and tragic.

“This is a party which he helped to build and on whose platform he was elected President for eight good years.

“The truth is that President Obasanjo is far better and far bigger than that. Such behavior is provocative and unacceptable.

“He is free to leave the party but does he have to spit in our faces by tearing up our party card in public and before the television cameras?”

The organisation noted that the ex-president’s action indicated that he had left the party for ever.

The statement added, “This knee-jerk reaction is most unlike President Obasanjo and it is very insulting. It is clear that he has burnt all the bridges and that he has left us forever.

“On a personal note, I feel saddened by this but the truth is that many in our party members have heaved a huge sigh of relief. Many of us love President Obasanjo and we shall continue to do so regardless of whether he is in our party or not but tearing up that party card was too much to bear.

“It spoke volumes and it was indicative of the deep hatred and contempt that he has for us and our cause.

Seun Kuti the son of the late afrobeat musician Fela Anikulapo kuti reaction to Obasanjo leaving PDP

Details On Why And How Obasanjo Tore His PDP Membership Card

                   

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday left his guests at his Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta with bated breath when he tore his People Democratic Party membership card in their presence.
The guests, who are leaders of the PDP from
Obasanjo’s ward around his former residence in Ita Eko, where he registered, visited the ex-president to express their concern with his recent utterances against the government of President Goodluck Jonathan and what he considered as the President’s role in the postponement of the
general elections from February to March.
Obasanjo had alleged on Saturday that Jonathan had a “grand plan” to scuttle democracy in the country through the poll shift, accusing the President of trying to win the presidential poll“through hook or crook.”
The guests in Abeokuta had told the former
Head of State that they had come to plead with him to stop his criticisms of the incumbent president.They also informed him of the feelers that they were getting that the leaders of the party were planning to expel him from the party.
Obasanjo asked his guests if they were with
their PDP membership card, which some of
them produced.He subsequently asked for his own, which someone brought to him.
He then directed the leader of the team to tear the card in shreds, telling the visitors that he was no longer a member of the ruling party.The former president had last year resigned his membership of the party, when he was the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees,arguing that he could no longer be in the same party and be led in the South-West by someone he referred to as a confirmed drug baron.
Source:- Punch

check the World’s Most Expensive iPhone 6 which goes On Sale For £2.3million

The most expensive iPhone 6 is out and it is
currently on sale for £2.3m which is
approximately, N790m when changed to our currency. The case is plated in 24-carat gold and it is encrusted with more than 700 diamonds,which makes it unique and special. Usain Bolt,David Beckham and music producer P Diddy already have one

How to maintain heart health

As a young person, if you start doing small things every day that keep your body healthy, you have a better chance of living a longer, happier and healthier life. The things that you do to keep your heart healthy will also make you less likely to develop many other types of diseases, like type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Avoid smoking/using tobacco products: If your friends ask you to try smoking smokeless tobacco, or electronic cigarettes, say no! Here’s why. Smoking traditional cigarettes or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vapes), or using smokeless tobacco (also called dip, snuff or chew) are some of the worst things you can do to your body. Using ANY tobacco product damages nearly EVERY organ in your body and can cause heart disease and cancer. Using smokeless tobacco is NOT a safe alternative to smoking!

Be physically active every day: Regular physical activity keeps your heart healthy and strong and it helps you build healthy muscles, bones and joints.

Eat a heart-healthy diet: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables; choose whole-grain foods; eat fish, especially oily fish like salmon, trout, herring, at least twice a week; limit your intake of saturated and trans fats; limit the amount of red meat you eat and choose lean meats and poultry; select fat-free (skim), one per cent fat and low-fat dairy products; limit your intake of beverages and foods with added sugars; learn about sodium and the common foods that have too much of it; if you want to snack, go nuts! Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Keep a healthy weight: As your body grows and changes, gaining and losing some weight is part of developing into a healthy young adult. Keeping your body weight in a healthy range goes a long way towards keeping your heart healthy.

Keep your blood pressure healthy: When your heart and blood vessels are healthy, the vessels are flexible enough to expand and contract.

ASUU, VC tackle Olawoyin over UNIOSUN’s chiefs’ suspension

The Academic Staff Union of Universities is set for a showdown with the Chairman of the Osun State University Governing Council, Prof. Gabriel Olawoyin, over the suspension of the Vice Chancellor of the varsity, Prof. Basir Okesina.
Olawoyin had accused Okesina, the Bursar  and the Registrar  of UNIOSUN of fraud and nepotism, handing the trio varying terms of suspension as a fallout of these allegations.
But the National President of ASUU, Prof. Nasir Fagge, in an address read on his behalf by the Chairman of ASUU, Ibadan zone, Prof. Segun Ajiboye, at a press conference in Osogbo on Saturday, called for the reversal of the vice chancellor’s suspension.
The national leadership of ASUU also accused the chairman of the governing council of victimising lecturers in the university, pledging to protect their members in the institution from harassment and intimidation.
The union condemned the setting up of an investigative panel by the chairman of the UNIOSUN Governing Council to probe those he accused of impropriety, saying it was unnecessary because the Visitor to the university, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, had already set up a visitation panel to probe activities in the varsity.
The National Treasurer of the ASUU, Dr. Ademola Aremu, also called on the governor to pay workers of the university their outstanding salaries.
He said it was not good that lecturers were being owned two months salaries.
Aremu noted that it would be impossible for workers to give their best when their welfare was not paramount to their employers.
Olawoyin declined comment when he was contacted on the telephone by our correspondent.
He said, “I am not interested in any newspaper interview. I won’t discuss UNIOSUN on the pages of newspapers. If they feel they have been wronged, they know what to do.”
The vice chancellor confirmed his suspension to our correspondent on the telephone.
He said, “The chairman of council  wrote a petition  to the governor against me. He called council meeting, where he discussed it and he is the one investigating the allegations. The same man is doing everything, you can imagine that.
“He signed my letter of suspension; it was supposed to be signed by the Secretary to the council. He appointed an acting vice chancellor, appointed acting bursar and acting registrar and has taken over the running of the university.”

Sad: 10 die in Ilesa-Ife highway crash

No fewer than 10 persons lost their lives in an accident involving a Toyota Sienna space bus and a  Toyota Hiace bus along the Ilesa-Ife Expressway on Sunday.
Our correspondent gathered that the accident, which happened at about 4pm, claimed the lives of some of the occupants of the passenger bus and the Sienna.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps were rescuing the injured at the scene of the accident as of the time of filing this report.
FRSC Sector Commander in Osun State, Mr. Mohammed Hussein, when contacted by our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday, said he had instructed officials of all neighbouring FRSC units to move to the scene to assist in the rescue efforts.

Dbanj and Banky W bag Ciroc endorsement deal

On the 6th of February, 2015, Diageo held a press conference to announce Dbanj and Banky W as the new ambassadors of Ciroc. The happy men celebrated at Club Cova later on that evening displaying & enjoying bottles of Ciroc!

Polls now March 28, April 11

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the rescheduling of the general elections from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11.

The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja Saturday night.

He said the decision was taken after several consultations with political parties, civil society organisations, members of the Council of State, INEC national commissioners and resident electoral commissioners.

With the shift, the Presidential and National Assembly elections originally scheduled for February 14 will now hold on March 28 while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections earlier fixed for 28 February will take place on April 11.

Jega said the decision to shift the elections was a difficult one, but added that it had to be taken because of the security implications of holding the election without the support of security agencies.

He said while the commission was ready to conduct the elections, the input of the security agencies was important.

He said, “Whatever the commission does may not be sufficient to guarantee the success of elections. There are others like security which is not under the control of INEC.

“On Thursday, February 5, I was invited to brief the Council of State on the level of preparedness to conduct the elections. I have detailed account of what the commission had been doing for the readiness of the elections.

“The summary of my presentation was that for matters under the control of INEC, the commission was ready for the elections despite the challenges of PVCs and we have been doing all we could do for that.”

He said that in the delivery of materials, INEC was ready for the election. He, however, stated that the commission was handicapped in some areas.

He said, “But there are other variables that are not under the control of INEC, which is security. While the commission has a good relationship with security agencies, it has become necessary for us to listen to the advice of the security agencies. We are an electoral body not a security agency. We rely on them to provide security for us.”

Because of the security agencies’ advice, he said it would not be wise for the commission to go ahead with the elections.

Jega said, “Last Wednesday, the office of the National Security Adviser wrote a letter to the commission on the issues of security in the North-East. The letter stated that security could not be guaranteed and this was re-echoed at the council meeting.”

In arriving at the new dates, he said the commission relied on the Electoral Act, which says that “where a date has been appointed for the election and there is reason to believe that there is serious breach of peace to occur, the commission may postpone the election and it shall appoint another date for the election provided that the reasons are cogent and verifiable.”

Jega said there would be no cost implications for the postponement, adding that majority of the materials to be used for the elections were already in the country.

Asked if a court of law could stop the commission from holding the elections, he said, “My understanding is that no court can stop the election. The power to schedule and election is in the hands of the INEC.”

On the call for his resignation by some supporters of President Goodluck Jinathan, led by Chief Edwin Clark, he said he would not resign.

He said, “I will not resign because my conscience does not say so. I have never met with anyone on how one candidate could win and the other could lose. If there are legitimate reasons for me to resign, I would leave. “

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress on Saturday described the decision by INEC to shift the 2015 elections by six weeks as a major setback for democracy.

The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, said INEC’s decision taken on the strength of a letter written by security chiefs that they cannot provide security for the elections nationwide, because of the commitment of resources to fighting insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country, is provocative.

He said, “This is clearly a major setback for Nigerian democracy, and our party is meeting in an emergency session to study its implications. We will inform Nigerians of its decisions in the next few days.

“In the meantime what has happened is highly provocative, I strongly appeal to all Nigerians to remain calm and desist from violence and any activity which will compound this unfortunate development. We must not fall into this obvious trap. Change we must. They can only delay it; No one can stop it.

“I want to assure all Nigerians that the All Progressives Congress will not abandon its commitment to change and will sustain the struggle to establish a new Nigeria.”

The Peoples Democratic Party however said the party welcomed INEC’s decision.

Jonathan absent at Sanusi’s coronation

The Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Saturday presented the staff of office to the 14th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.

The News Agency of Nigeria report that among dignitaries who attended the ceremony were the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar El-kanemi.

Others were Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Also in attendance were the governors of Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe, Niger, Edo, Kwara and Borno, members of the diplomatic corps and members of the business community.

President Goodluck Jonathan was, however, absent.

Sanusi was appointed the 14th Emir of Kano on June 8, 2014 after the death of Alhaji Ado Bayero, on June 6, 2014.

At the ceremony held at the newly constructed Coronation Hall at the Government House, Kwankwaso described the Emir as a knowledgeable person who acquired both the Islamic and western education.”

He said the appointment of Sanusi was based on his personal track record of service and education, which are important prerequisites

Poll shift: NEDG cancels presidential debates

Following changes in dates for the general elections, NEDG cancels presidential election debate, scheduled for Sunday, February 8, says new date will be announced.

Gunmen kidnap Plateau ex-gov, Dariye’s father

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Saturday kidnapped Pa Dariye Defwan, the 87-year-old father of the former governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Dariye.
A family source told our correspondent that the kidnappers had demanded $10, 000 as ransom.

The former governor, Dariye, who is also the Senator representing Plateau Central Zone, was said to be making effort to rescue his father.

INEC to decide on poll shift today

The Independent National Electoral Commission will take a final decision on whether to shift the dates for the elections or not in Abuja on Saturday (today).

But before the decision is taken, the National Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, will have consultative meetings with chairmen and secretaries of all registered political parties.

He is also expected to meet with the Resident Electoral Commissioners on the same day, Saturday, February 7.

On Thursday, Jega, was invited to brief the National Council of States on the preparedness of INEC to conduct the 2015 general elections.

The INEC boss has been under tremendous pressure to shift the polls. Some political parties and other stakeholders have been calling for the postponement of the election.

Jega made a presentation titled, “Preparations for the 2015 General Elections: Progress Report.

The National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dansuki and Armed Services Chiefs also briefed the Council on the current security situation.

The Chief Press Secretary to Jega, Mr. Kayode Idowu, confirmed this in a statement he signed in Abuja on Friday.

He said, “As a follow-up to that (Council of State) meeting, the Commission has scheduled a consultative meeting with chairmen and secretaries of all registered political parties, as well as a meeting with the RECs on Saturday, February 7, 2015.

“Thereafter, the Commission will address a press conference to brief the nation on its decision with regard to whether or not the general elections will hold as currently scheduled.”

Our correspondent gathered that the dates for the elections might be shifted.

Security agencies were said to have written to Jega, saying the security situation in the country does not warrant holding the election as scheduled.

Meanwhile, Jega, in his presentation to the Council of State said the NSA asked for a six-week postponement of the election.

His presentation read in part, “Although our state of preparedness may not be 100 per cent and although a bit of more time of additional preparation would enable us to improve and perfect the current level of preparedness, we believe that we’re ready for the elections as planned.

“However, we also believe that it is necessary to take into context the things outside the control of the commission, such as: attitude of politicians, political parties, candidates and voters; and significantly, security for election personnel, materials and voters, especially in areas under insurgency, which only the appropriate authorities can definitely speak on.

“No matter the extent of our readiness, if there are serious security concerns, the successful conduct of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections would be greatly jeopardised.

“INEC has been working with these authorities, especially under the inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, but our concerns have not been assuaged.

“Yesterday, for example, we received a letter from the office of the National Security Adviser informing us of recent developments in four of the North-East states, states that safety and security cannot be guaranteed during the proposed election period, adducing reasons why this is so, and strongly advising that INEC considers rescheduling the elections by at least six weeks, within which time span it is hoped to restore sufficient normalcy for elections to hold.

“This is a new development that INEC cannot certainly ignore or take lightly.”

Jega said the conduct of the elections could not be based on the electoral body’s preparation alone, adding that some factors outside the control of the body should be considered before holding the polls.

He said, “In determining whether or not INEC is adequately prepared to conduct the February 2015 elections as scheduled, we should separate what is under the control of the commission and what is outside its control.

“For the things under the commission’s control, our accomplishments are to such a degree that we can conduct the election, in spite of the identifiable challenges.

“Compared with the 2011 general elections, for instance, our systems are definitely more robust now. Among others, we have a gently improved registered voters, having removed over four million multiple registrants; voters will use PVCs; and accreditation using card readers will reduce the likelihood of fraud.”

According to him, only relevant authorities, not the commission, can speak on the issues.

Jega said, “No matter the extent of our readiness, if there are serious security concerns, the successful conduct of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections would be greatly jeopardised.

“INEC has been working with these authorities, especially under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, but our concerns have not been assuaged.”

Tribunal dismisses Omisore’s petition, affirms Aregbesola’s victory

The Election Petitions Tribunal, hearing cases arising from the Osun State August 9, 2014 governorship election in the state, has dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, challenging the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress.

In the judgment, lasting over seven hours, the tribunal dismissed the prayers of the petitioner, alleging malpractices and substantial non-compliance of the poll with the Electoral Act as amended.

The petition was dismissed in a unanimous judgment, which started at 9.10am and concluded by 4.38pm, read by  tribunal chairman, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime.
The judgment was read amidst heavy presence of security men at the court premises.
The tribunal held that Aregbesola, who  scored 394,684 votes credited to him by INEC, was validly elected and returned as the winner of the poll.
Omisore scored 292,747.
Three  issues were formulated for determination by the tribunal.
The first issues was  whether  the tribunal has jurisdiction  to hear the petitioner’s petition.
The second issue for determination was whether the election was vitiated by the reason  of alleged  substantial non compliance with the Electoral  Act and the third issue was whether the first respondent ( Aregbesola) was validly elected and returned as the winner of the poll.
The first issue of jurisdiction, which the first respondent complained against in an application, was resolved against him.
The only issue, which was resolved in favour of the petitioner, which allowed his petition to scale the first hurdle put against it by the first respondent, did not avail him of victory at the end as the tribunal went ahead to expose the weaknesses in the  allegations contained in his petition.
On the issue of substantial non compliance, the tribunal resolved the issue against the petitioner.

Osun tribunal judgment underway

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Osogbo over matters arising from Osun State governorship election held on August 9th 2014, has begun delivering its final judgment.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime and other members of the panel filed into the courtroom at High Court premises, Osogbo  at exactly 9am  and started reading the judgment which is almost going to two hours as of the time of filing this report.
The judgment is most likely going to be unanimous as the chairman said ” this is our  judgment” when she started.
The petitioner, Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party and the first respondent, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress were absent at the court but they were represented by leaders of their respective parties.
Security was beefed up around the court premises as security agents manned every available space at the venue of the judgment.
Lawyers, journalists and few politicians who were allowed inside the court room were thoroughly frisked by operatives of the Department of State Security and policemen.
The court room was also combed by members of  the Explosive Ordinance Department.

PVC: Sokoto declares Friday public holiday

Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, has declared Friday as public holiday to enable residents of the state collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

The holiday declaration was contained in a statement issued in Sokoto by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Press Affairs, Mr Abubakar Dangusau.

The statement said the holiday was to enable workers and other residents collect their PVCs.

It urged those yet to collect their PVCs to come out en masse and collect them, saying doing this would enable them to exercise their franchise during the elections.

“The PVC remains the only weapon the voters can use to elect the candidates of their choice during the forthcoming polls,” it said.

The statement added, “The state government warns the people of the state of the activities of members of a syndicate going round the state and buying off PVCs from unsuspecting eligible voters.

” This act is illegal and punishable by the laws of the country and such cards are useless on election dates due to the introduction of the use of card readers by INEC.”

Jonathan doesn’t deserve re-election –Soyinka 5 hours ago

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says President Goodluck Jonathan   does not deserve a second term.

He told a gathering of youths at a programme titled ‘Vision of the Child’ in Lagos on Thursday, that he had 60 reasons why Jonathan should not   be returned to office on February 14 when the presidential election would hold in the country.

Although Soyinka did not list the 60 reasons, he was specific on one: The April 14 abduction of over 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram insurgents from their hostel in Chibok, Borno State.

“I will not vote and I will not encourage anyone to vote for the continuation of this government, simply because your colleagues numbering over 200 were kidnapped,” he said.

The playwright, who last December described the Jonathan administration as being worse than Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, stated the President’s inability to locate and free the abducted girls represented leadership failure.

He noted that shortly after the girls were kidnapped, Jonathan failed to address the situation and went about as if nothing had happened.

Soyinka said it was, therefore, outrageous for anyone to say he was supporting the re-election of Jonathan.

He added,“It took the Jonathan government 10 days to even accept that the Chibok girls were missing. After that dereliction of duty; after that failure of leadership, after that betrayal of our future, for anyone to think or to put words in my mouth suggesting that I will vote or encourage anyone to vote for this regime is a travesty of intelligence.”

Speaking on the theme, “The Road to Sambisa”, the literary icon stressed Jonathan had not only betrayed children, he had failed as a leader.

“There has been a failure of leadership. Our children whom you represent today have been betrayed,” he said.

Soyinka warned members of the public not to believe every story written about him on the social media on his purported death.

Soyinka had also in September last year accused Jonathan of shielding sponsors of terrorism.

He urged the President not to take likely, allegations by Australian hostage negotiator, Stephen Davis, that there was a group within the Central Bank of Nigeria sponsoring Boko Haram.

The Nobel laureate noted that he personally knew Davis because they both worked together during the Niger Delta militancy crisis.

Soyinka   also alleged that information about a suspected financier of the terror group within the CBN was passed to Jonathan but he allegedly sat on it.

Also   at the event , the Secretary and Programme Manager for the Vision of the Child programme, Ms. Foluke George, said about 250 students   from 60 primary and secondary schools in Lagos would participate in a competition aimed at promoting creative skills.

According to her, the competition will focus on reading, writing, and painting for student aged between eight and 12 years.

FG Unveils Take-off Of High Speed Train From Abuja To Lagos

Nigerians who often feel unsafe in Nigeria’s
airspace and yet cannot endure a nine-hour road trip between Lagos and Abuja, have received cheery news from the federal government who announced the planned take-off of a three-hour high-speed train project between the two cities.

Announcing this in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar,disclosed the federal government’s partnership arrangements with private firms within and outside Nigeria towards the commencement of the project.
Umar made this disclosure at the public
presentation of a book, “Showcasing Goodluck Jonathan’s Monumental Strides: A Third Party Perspective,” authored by the Director-General of Citizens Network For Peace and Development in Nigeria, Mr. Dressmann Preye.

According to Umar who also said the Abuja-
Kaduna rail project would commence full
operation next month, the federal government equally carried out a number of feasibility studies with the plan to construct more standard gauge lines across the country.

He disclosed that the government had also
successfully completed feasibility studies in seven new corridors including, the Abuja-Lagos high speed train adding that different private firms within and outside Nigeria have expressed interests in the project. The project, largely expected to be private sector-driven, according Umar, would formally take-off in 2018,“The consultants who carried out the feasibility studies have submitted their reports. Part of the report contains the involvement of the private
sector to drive the project. This is because we want to develop these lines under a public,private partnership arrangements.
“We have already received a lot of expression of interests even ahead of advertisement for the purpose from various companies in the country and indeed, in other countries of the world.

“The idea is that, if we have this in place, the trains can move from Abuja to Lagos and from Lagos to Abuja in a maximum of three hours. We are intending to compete favourably with other transportation systems in carrying passengers from Abuja to Lagos.“When fully actualised, a train will leave Abuja to Lagos and Lagos to Abuja, every hour. The feasibility studies had been completed, it is not a question of story. The trains will start running within the next three years, say by 2018.”

He further explained that the federal government had completed the rehabilitation of western rail lines through the administration’s revivalist strategy in the rail transport sector, insisting that
Jonathan’s government is working towards the completion of the eastern line.
He said: “At the moment, the trains are moving from Port Harcourt all the way to Gombe – a distance of over 1, 000 kilometres but as soon as the security situation improves around Borno State, we will complete the line from Gombe to
Maiduguri.“While that is going on, we have constructed the standard gauge from Abuja to Kaduna. We have completed the laying of the track and very soon,President Goodluck Jonathan will inaugurate it and by March this year, we are going to commence full operation on that line.“We have placed orders for the procurement of locomotives and coaches that we are going to deploy on the track. It is a standard gauge. The
trains can move on an average speed of 150
kilometres per hour.“That means that in a maximum of one and half hours, you can leave Kaduna for Abuja and from Abuja to Kaduna by rail. It is the first standard
gauge to be completed fully in the whole of West Africa.”

He used the forum to drum support campaign for the re-election of the president for another term of four years, saying his re-election, would offer him the full fledged opportunity to complete the
projects in the works.Also speaking at the occasion, Preye, the author of the book, said the contents were drawn by a team of independent media practitioners as well as representatives of civil society organisations whom he said carried out an on-the-spot assessment of all projects executed by Jonathan’s government.
“I am convinced that this book, will serve not only as a research material but also, a proof that the transformation agenda is working and is yielding fruits,” he claimed.
In his submission, the book reviewer, Dr. Casimir Anyanwu, accompanied by his wife, Senator Chris Anyanwu, said the book embodied the landmark achievements of Jonathan’s government in 15 critical sectors of the economy.Such areas where he said federal government’s footprints had been visible were macro-economic management strategies; trade and Investment policies; infrastructure development; agricultural
transformation; oil and gas industry reforms;power and renewable energy; education and health reforms, among others.
Source:- This Day Live

PVC: Lagos declares Friday public holiday

The Lagos State Government has declared Friday (today) a work-free day for its workers.

The government also urged private Sector employers to release their workers early to enable those of them who are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards to do so.


A statement by the Head of Service, Mrs. Oluseyi Williams, said the government was desirous of ensuring that all public servants in the state participated in the voting process.

The statement urged the workers to take the opportunity of the holiday to collect their PVCs at their polling units.

The statement added, “Enjoining private sector employers to release their workers early today for the same purpose, Governor Babatunde Fashola said the desired prosperity and the brighter rewarding future being sought after by the people, both for themselves and for their children, would be determined by their willingness to sacrifice time to key into the election process by collecting their Permanent Voter Cards for the elections.”

300 foreign journalists accredited for February polls

The Federal Government has processed 300 applications from foreign journalists, who applied to cover the forthcoming general elections.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, disclosed this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday.

Yemi-Esan said, “In line with the mandate of the Ministry of Information to create media access to report on the activities of the Federal Government, it has so far processed 300 applications from foreign journalists to secure visas and come into the country for the elections.

“Hundreds of other applications received by the ministry are being processed at the moment.”

She added, “Those who could not secure their visas from Nigerian embassies abroad probably did not follow the due process to secure the accreditation.

“The Ministry of Information therefore appeals to foreign journalists wishing to come into the country to cover the elections to follow the due process in securing the accreditation including the presentation of official correspondence from their organisations.”

The permanent secretary added that foreign journalists could also apply online using the email address: epd@nigeria.gov.ng

6,000 Wamakko kinsmen dump Sokoto APC for PDP

An estimated 6,000 members of the All Progressives Congress in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Thursday defected to the Peoples Democratic Party.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the defectors were received in Wamakko by Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, Chairman of PDP in Sokoto State.

Governor Aliyu Wamakko is from the local government.

The spokesman for the defectors, Alhaji Abubakar Gedawa, said they joined the PDP to get justice and equity.

“We defected to the PDP from APC to ensure the success of the PDP at all levels in the upcoming general elections,” Gedawa said.

The governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, Senator Abdallah Wali, promised that he would ensure justice and equity in the state if elected.

A former governor of the state, Attahiru Bafarawa, called on the people of the area to vote massively for the PDP during the polls.

“I did my best to develop the local government when I was the governor of the state and Wali will continue from where I stopped, if elected as governor,” he said.

On his part, Milgoma said the leadership of the party would do its best to ensure that the APC-led state government was voted out of office on February 14.

“The PDP will sweep the forthcoming elections in the state and across Nigeria,” Milgoma, said.

Aregbesola/Omisore: Tribunal gives verdict tomorrow

The Election Petitions Tribunal hearing matters arising from the Osun State governorship election of August 9, 2014 is set to deliver its final judgment on Friday, January 6 (tomorrow).

Secretary of the Tribunal, Mr. Adamu Aliyu, confirmed the date on the telephone to our correspondent in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Wednesday.

“The judgement is coming up on Friday, January 6,” he said.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyiola Omisore, had dragged Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress to the tribunal.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime, had on January 23, during the adoption of written addresses by all parties, adjourned indefinitely for the final judgment.

The PDP candidate, who came second in the election with 292,747 votes against Aregbesola’s 394,684 votes, prayed the tribunal to sack the governor and declare him the winner of the poll.

Omisore’s counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), had told the tribunal during the address stage that Aregbesola admitted that he scored 234,971 votes, and not the 394,684 credited to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), who represented Aregbesola, explained that the governor did not admit scoring less than the number of votes credited to him.

He stated that what the table meant was that “assuming with our conceding that the tribunal cancel the result in the disputed units, the first respondent would still have won with the new figure.”

He argued that the petitioner failed to prove his petition.

The counsel referred to the objection of the first respondent to the petition at the hearing stage, saying he adopted the two applications filed to challenge the competence of the petition.

Based on this, Aregbesola’s counsel urged the panel to strike out the petition.

The counsel argued that the petitioner dumped the ballot papers used for the election and other electoral materials on the tribunal without demonstrating to the panel how they related to the case.

He further stated that the duplicate copies of Form EC8A tendered by the petitioner were inadmissible, and that those who tendered them were not the makers of the documents.

Counsel for the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) also urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition by Omisore.

Akeredolu adopted APC’s written address and at the same time adopted the arguments of the first respondent in the case.

He also said that he was not opposed to the objections raised by the first and third respondents in their written addresses, adding that the suggestion of the petitioner that the APC did not have locus in the case was strange.

Akeredolu argued that the purported certified true copies of documents tendered did not conform to the provisions of the law.

He said that the documents were not listed nor pleaded and those who tendered them were not the makers.

Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Ayotunde Ogunleye, had adopted the same argument by the first two respondents in the case.

Ogunleye had said that nobody came before the panel to give evidence that they were disenfranchised during the poll.

He further said that Omisore had failed to prove the burden of proof shifted to him and that his petition should be dismissed.

Controlling painful leg cramps

Several factors, including dehydration, use of diuretic medications or overuse of your muscles, can trigger leg cramps. They usually occur at night. Your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant if you have frequent leg cramps. To prevent leg cramps:

Stretch daily: At least three times a day, including before bedtime, stretch your calves and feet.
Stand two to three feet from a wall, place your hands on the wall, keep your heels on the floor.

Lean toward the wall and bend one knee. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Straighten your leg. Repeat with the other knee. Stretch each leg at least three times.

Drink plenty of liquids daily: Water and other fluids help your muscles contract and relax. To relieve leg cramps:
Stretch and massage: Straighten your leg and point your toes upward while you gently rub the cramp to help the muscle relax.
Stand up: For a calf cramp, put your weight on the cramped leg and slightly bend your knee. For a thigh cramp, keep both legs straight and lean forward at the waist. Use a chair to steady yourself
Apply cold or heat: Use ice or a cold pack if you have pain and tenderness. Use a warm towel or heating pad to relax tense muscles.
Source: mayoclinic.com

Controlling painful leg cramps

Several factors, including dehydration, use of diuretic medications or overuse of your muscles, can trigger leg cramps. They usually occur at night. Your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant if you have frequent leg cramps. To prevent leg cramps:

Stretch daily: At least three times a day, including before bedtime, stretch your calves and feet.
Stand two to three feet from a wall, place your hands on the wall, keep your heels on the floor.

Lean toward the wall and bend one knee. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Straighten your leg. Repeat with the other knee. Stretch each leg at least three times.

Drink plenty of liquids daily: Water and other fluids help your muscles contract and relax. To relieve leg cramps:
Stretch and massage: Straighten your leg and point your toes upward while you gently rub the cramp to help the muscle relax.
Stand up: For a calf cramp, put your weight on the cramped leg and slightly bend your knee. For a thigh cramp, keep both legs straight and lean forward at the waist. Use a chair to steady yourself
Apply cold or heat: Use ice or a cold pack if you have pain and tenderness. Use a warm towel or heating pad to relax tense muscles.
Source: mayoclinic.com

Slash your cancer risk

Filter your water: You’ll reduce your exposure to known or suspected carcinogens and hormone-disrupting chemicals, as home-filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water. Again, store water in stainless steel or glass to avoid chemical contaminants such as BPA that can leach from plastic bottles.

Stop topping your tank: Pumping one last squirt of gas into your car after the nozzle clicks off can spill fuel and foil the pump’s vapour recovery system that has been designed to keep toxic chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene out of the air, where they can come in contact with your skin or get into your lungs.

Skip the dry cleaner: A solvent known as perchloroethylene that’s used in traditional dry cleaning may cause liver and kidney cancers and leukemia. Where possible, hand-wash clothes with mild soap and air-dry them, spot cleaning if necessary with white vinegar.

Ask about breast density: Women whose mammograms have revealed breast density readings of 75 per cent or more have a breast cancer risk four to five times higher than that of women with low density scores. One theory is that denser breasts result from higher levels of estrogen, making exercise particularly important.

Block cancer with colour: Choosing your outdoor outfit wisely may help protect against skin cancer. Blue and red fabrics offered significantly better protection against the sun’s UV rays than white and yellow ones did.

Pay attention to pain: If you’re experiencing a bloated belly, pelvic pain and an urgent need to urinate, see your doctor. These symptoms may signal ovarian cancer, particularly if they’re severe and frequent.

Source: prevention.com

Africa Cup of Nations referee banned for controversial Equatorial Guinea penalty

Rajindraparsad Seechurn removed from list of top African officials.
His decision saved Africa Cup of Nations hosts and enraged Tunisia.
Rajindraparsad Seechurn of Mauritius, the referee at the centre of the controversial penalty decision that helped the hosts Equatorial Guinea reach the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations , the Confederation of African Football said in a statement on Tuesday.
He has also been removed from the list of top African officials, effectively ending his international career.
Equatorial Guinea were on the brink of elimination trailing 1-0 to Tunisia in the 90th minute when Seechurn ruled that Ivan Bolado had been fouled.
Javier Balboa equalised from the spot and they went on to win 2-1 in extra-time .
The Tunisia team, some of whom attempted to attack the referee after Saturday’s quarter-final defeat in Bata, were handed a $50,000 (£33,000) fine but no individual sanctions were announced.
Equatorial Guinea were also sanctioned for poor security at the match.

Ex-Reps Speaker Mrs. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh dumps PDP for APC

‎Former Speaker of House of Representative, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, has defected to the All Progressives Congress.

This is contained in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday by the media aide to the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon.

Etteh, who became the Speaker of the lower legislative chamber on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party led thousands of her supporters in Irewole, Ayedaade and Isokan Federal constituency in Osun to her new party.

The former speaker, after declaring for the APC at a rally led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, canvassed support for candidates of her new party in the general elections holding next week.

Etteh told the crowd at the rally that she decided to join the APC because of the party’s progressive policies and because of the party’s love for the masses.

She commended Aregbesola for the positive change she said the governor had brought to the state in the past four and a half years. The ex-Speaker noted that the transformation which the state had undergone under the APC was glaring.

‎Aregbesola while admitting the former Speaker and her supporters from Ikoyi, Apomu, Ikire, Araromi Owu, Orile Owu and Gbongan‎ stated that, everyone in the local government areas and the whole state should vote for all the candidates of APC in the general elections.

Aregbesola emphasised that the victory of August 9 governorship election in the state would be boosted with the party securing all the seats available both in upper, lower and the Legislative chambers.

He pointed out that change would only come when the APC presidential candidate, Maj.- Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ( retd.), won and sworn into power by May 29.

He said, “February 14 and 28 elections are significant for the change that Nigerians have been clamouring for, we need not say much. Our good work has been speaking for us, we plan do more than what we have done in the last four years.

“We can only do more with your support by voting all our party members in the forthcoming elections. I also want to use this opportunity to thank you for standing behind us during the last August 9 governorship election.

“We are here again to ask for your votes for our presidential candidate and every other candidate in your Federal constituency. We must show to the world that Osun is completely APC.”

‎He noted that for 16 odd years under the PDP, Nigeria had not gained anything meaningful and enduring.

“Our experience was a bad one with the federal government when we joyfully approached the President with the free offer of train coaches to the state from the Chinese government.

“The offer was given to us shortly after we came into office. Till date, the President failed to even acknowledge the application. All these will stop when the APC comes into power this year,” he added.

He charged people to go all out to collect their permanent voter cards at the INEC designated collection centres for them to be able to vote for change.

Explosives found at Cairo international airport

Two explosive devices have been found at the Cairo international airport, and an explosion has gone off in central Cairo, officials said.

Airport security officials told the AFP news agency that two “sound bombs” were also found near a parking lot at Cairo International Airport, adding that the devices were later defused.

Elsewhere in Egypt , a roadside bomb killed a bystander and injured two others in the beachfront town of Agamy, on the western outskirts of Alexandria.

Meanwhile, an improvised explosive device went off in the vicinity of Talaat Harb Square in downtown Cairo early on Tuesday, reportedly without causing casualties.

Alaa Abbdel Zaher, head of the explosives administration at the Cairo Security Headquarters, told news website Aswat Masriya that the explosion occurred at a passage near the square.

Initial investigations said an IED was placed inside an electricity booth. The explosion caused damage on the glass fronts of some shops.

“A small bomb hidden in a roadside electrical transformer went off, damaging the transformer but causing no casualties,” a police officer told the AFP news agency.

The explosion was heard throughout downtown Cairo, eyewitnesses said.

Violence erupted nationwide starting on Saturday, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the January 2011 uprising which toppled the government of former President Hosni Mubarak.

The anniversary day, Sunday, was marred by violence, with at least 23 reported deaths nationwide.

Several explosions have been reported nationwide since then.

ISIL loses key Iraqi province to govt forces

The Iraqi government and a powerful group of Shia fighters have declared victory over the the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group in the key Iraqi province of Diyala.

The offensive was led by the Badr Brigade, a Shia group backing the Iraqi army.

The group held a victory rally on Monday and said it was ready to move north into ISIL strongholds.

Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf, reporting from Iraqi capital, Baghdad, said that Shia militias, in particular the Badr Brigade, have overshadowed government forces in the conflict.

She noted that Hadi Al Amri, the brigade’s leader and a former tansport minister, said his group is working with tribes to take back the provinces of Anbar and Mosul from ISIL.

Shia fighters and government forces have also been accused of committing war crimes in Diyala province, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent.

“Around the capital of Diyala province, there is a town called Barwana, where surivors tell us that Shia militia forces along with Iraqi government forces killed unarmed civilians,” she said.

“Al Amri said the claims were being investigated and any culprits would be brought to justice.”

The central government forces, various tribes and Kurdish fighters controlled by the Kurdish government in northern Iraq have been battling the ISIL, which has also come under sustained air strikes by a US-led coalition.

ISIL captured large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria in an offensive last year, plunging Iraq into its worst crisis since US troops left at the end of 2011.

Defeat of ISIL in Diyala comes only days after another major blow to the armed group in neighbouring Syria. On January 26, Kurdish fighters in northern Syria took control of the fiercely-contested Syrian city of Kobane from ISIL forces after more than three months of fighting.

Alao-Akala, Oyo APC deny signing agreement

Former Governor of Oyo State and governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the state governorship election, Adebayo Alao-Akala, has denied that the Labour Party signed any agreement to work with the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming polls.

The former governor, who spoke through his Director of Public Affairs, Oludare Ogunlana, on Tuesday, said the LP and the APC had different ideologies, adding that the APC-led government in the state was only enriching a few capitalists at the expense of the masses.

In a statement by the APC chairman in the state, Akin Oke, which was signed by the party’s Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, Oke said there was no basis for any pact with the former governor and his LP since the ruling party did not need LP to win the forthcoming elections.

Alao-Akala said, “LP has its own ideology and it can never be like the APC, a party that has no sympathy for the poor masses. Rather than make sure the people benefit from its projects, the present administration continues to empower few capitalists and thereby inflicting untold hardship on the people.”

In his response, Oke said, “Our great party, APC, has not and will never enter into any unwholesome pact with Alao-Akala or LP, or any other character with tainted record of service.”

PDP paid pastors N6bn to attack APC -Amaechi

Ahead of the general elections, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party bribed some Christian leaders with N6bn to campaign against the All Progressives Congress and its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.).

Amaechi explained that the Christian leaders had been circulating documents to convince Nigerians that the APC and Buhari would Islamise Nigeria if allowed to win the forthcoming poll.

Speaking at the Rivers APC governorship rally in Emohua Local Government Area, the state governor maintained that Nigerians were too enlightened for any political party or an individual to change Nigeria to a Muslim country.

Calling on the religious leaders to return the money given to them to the Federal Government, Amaechi, who is the Director-General of Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, urged the pastors to stop commercialising the Christian faith.

The governor added, “Some pastors collected N6bn and they are circulating document and telling you not to vote for an Hausa man; not to vote for a Muslim; that they want to Islamise Nigeria. Tell them to return our N6bn.

“They gave them N6bn; they should return it to the Federal Government coffers. They will tell you that Buhari wants to Islamise Nigeria; tell them we are too educated.

“I am a Catholic, but no Catholic priest has told me that story right now in the Catholic church because I will ask him how? If any pastor tells you that, tell him to return the money.

“Nobody can Islamise Nigeria; they have commercialised Jesus Christ. They should stop commercialising Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Saviour. You know what Jesus Christ did in the temple; he chased them away.

“We shall chase away those pastors who have collected money from PDP to tell us lies. We shall chase them away on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The governor, however, described the elections in the state as a referendum between him and President Goodluck Jonathan, calling on the President to show what he had done for the people of the state.

“I told the President that the election in Rivers State is a referendum between him and me. I told him anywhere I go, I will show what I have done. Let him show what he has done,” Amaechi said.

Boy, 3, shoots parents with single bullet

A three-year-old has wounded both of his parents after firing a single bullet from a gun he found in his mother’s handbag, Sky News reports.

The young boy, from New Mexico, was looking for an iPod when he came across the loaded weapon.

His father was struck in the buttock. The bullet exited through his hip and hit the woman, who was eight months pregnant, in the arm.

The accidental shooting took place in an Albuquerque motel room where the family were living.

The father, Justin Reynolds, said he and his pregnant girlfriend Monique Villescas were preparing to order pizza when the weapon was fired.

A 9mm handgun was found by investigators inside the motel room

“All of a sudden we heard a gun go off and the next minute I realised my girlfriend was bleeding,” he told local station KOB.

“Then I sat down and realised I was shot too.”

He was released from hospital on Saturday afternoon, while Ms Villescas was in a stable condition.

A two-year-old girl who was also in the room was not harmed.

A 9mm handgun was found by investigators inside the room at America’s Best Value Inn.

Following the incident, social workers took custody of the children for 48 hours.

“If you are going to be a gun owner, you need to lock it up and keep it safe, especially around children,” a police spokesman said.

He told the Albuquerque Journal the parents would be charged with felony criminal negligence.

It comes just a month after an Idaho toddler at Walmart accidentally shot dead his mother with a gun he found in her handbag.

Don’t increase our tuition, students tell Ambode

Students of the Lagos State University, Ojo, have called on the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to ensure that the reversal in their tuition is sustained.

The students, who spoke through the Ambode-Adebule Youth Forum, said this while canvassing support for him in Lagos.

The Coordinator of the group, Mr.Olawale Ogungbon, said Ambode had promised not to hike their school fees if elected governor.

Ogungbon, who is a student of LASU, said the candidate had also invited students to sign a memorandum of understanding with him.

“About three weeks ago, we had an interactive session with the All Progressives Congress Vice-Presidential Candidates, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo. Also present where we deliberated on the need for a continuous total reversal in our school fees were Ambode and his deputy, Oluranti Adebule. No fewer than 300 students were there and he told us clearly that there was no basis to increase our school fees.

“He also assured us that students should come together and sign a memorandum of understanding with him that if he emerges as the governor of the state, he will never increase the school fees,” said Olugbon.

According to the Deputy coordinator of the group, Mr. Olaniyi Awesu, the forum comprises students of the Michael Otedola College of Education, Epe; Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin as well as the Lagos State Polytechnic and LASU.

Woow!! BBA Tayo Faniran buys Range Rover SUV

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Three rivals take on Blatter for FIFA presidency

Football’s world governing body FIFA announced on Monday that three candidates are bidding to unseat controversial long-time president Sepp Blatter.

Asian Football Confederation vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, former Portugal international Luis Figo and Dutch football chief Michael van Praag will go head-to-head with the 78-year-old Swiss, AFP reports.

Two others who had been considering making bids – former France international forward David Ginola and ex-FIFA executive official Jerome Champagne – both failed to get the necessary backing from five national associations.

A FIFA statement said that the candidature dossiers would next go before the investigatory chamber of an independent Ethics Committee to carry out integrity checks on the four men within ten days.

“Upon receipt of the results of the integrity checks, the (FIFA) Ad-hoc Electoral Committee will reconvene in order to review all of the submissions and validate their compliance with the applicable FIFA regulatory provisions.

“Following this process, the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee will formally admit and declare the candidates who are eligible for the office of FIFA President.”

After that the FIFA executive committee will meet in Zurich on May 29 and decide if Blatter will get a fifth term as president or bring in a new man.

The Swiss bureaucrat is seen as an outstanding favourite to win a new term despite a storm of protest over the way he runs the organisation.

His reign has notably been tarnished by accusations of corruption stemming from the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.

The controversies have seriously eroded his support and tarnished his reputation in European strongholds such as England, Germany and the Netherlands, but he still enjoys wide support in Asia, Africa and Oceania.

On top of that the success of last summer’s World Cup in Brazil, despite earlier fears over the state of the organisation, has further boosted his status.

Champagne, a former FIFA deputy general secretary, was for a long time the only man to declare his intention to challenge Blatter for the post.

But on Monday he announced his withdrawal from the contest in a letter to national associations where he blamed European-governing body UEFA and the “institutions” mobilising to eliminate him.

He said he had secured three nominations but other associations feared reprisals if they backed him.

“The reasons were numerous. Because they feared reprisals from their confederations having issued “recommendations”.

“Because their federations were candidates to host continental competitions. Because they relied too heavily on the financial support. Because they were committed to defend a united continental front.”

Ginola, whose late entry as a potential candidate took many by surprise, ended his bid on Friday after he failed to receive the required five nominations from football associations needed to continue.