We need more money for food in Aso rock, Presidency tells Senate(VIDEO)

The Presidency on Wednesday asked the Senate to increase the N1, 305, 292, 050 set aside in the 2013 budget for refreshment and meals and other miscellaneous expenses in the State House. A breakdown of the Miscellaneous sub-head in the Presidential Villa's budget shows that N203,752,432 was allocated for refreshment and meals; N107,412,768 would be spent on honorarium and sitting allowance while N37, 277,825 will be for publicity and advertisement. The State House Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Ogbile, who appeared before the Senator Dahiru Kuta-led Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, defended the N14, 715,566,104 budget for next year. Via Channels TV

Put All General Overseers In Prison and Nigeria Will Change –Pastor Bakare

In his usual style, Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly has challenged his fellow religious leaders to reflect on what is going on in Nigeria and feel the pains of the masses.

"All General overseers and religious leaders must go to prison, so they can feel the Nigerian situation.

Stop The Fraudulent PROMOS Now! –NCC Bans Telecoms Promos

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has banned all promotions and lotteries being run by telecoms companies with immediate effect. This is because the commission, in recent times, had been inundated with complaints from consumers and industry stakeholders against such fraudulent promos.

In a statement by the NCC’s Public Affairs Director, Mr. Tony Ojobo, the commission said the ban would remain in force until the commission deemed fit.

Check out Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor's jet

 

According to Sahara Reporters, Pastor Oritsejafor’s jet is a Canadian-made Bombardier jet with US registration number N431CB. The jet was manufactured in 1994 and previously belonged to two different owners in the US. The private jet was last used in New Jersey by C R BARD IN of Murray Hill, New Jersey.

The jet was flown out of the US from Morristown, New Jersey in September 2012 to be retrofitted and serviced before delivery last week to Mr. Oritsejafor. Records accessed by SR on the Internet indicated that the jet’s owners in New Jersey listed it for sale in July 2012. The data also showed that the jet had once been upgraded to give it more engine power. The jet’s interior is furnished with gold accents in the toilet and bathroom area.

FG Knows How To Stop Boko Haram; I Can't Talk For Them –Buhari

Retired General Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said he will not be a mediator in the proposed talks with Boko Haram as he did not know any sect member and has nothing to do with the group. 

The former head of state spoke in Abuja in reaction to his reported nomination to be among mediators in dialogue with the sect, whose three-year campaign of violence has left at least 3,000 people dead according to estimates by Military authorities.

A purported spokesman for Boko Haram said last week the group was willing to discuss a ceasefire, and named

Four injured as trains collide in Lagos

Many passengers escaped death when two trains collided in Lagos on Wednesday.

Four people were however injured.

It was learnt that the accident was due to the absence of signal operator at the Mushin Station terminus in Lagos.

An eyewitness, who identified herself simply as Bisi, said when one of the trains, which was coming from Ijoko in Ogun State got to the terminus, it stopped for passengers to disembark.

UNILAG student hospitalised after outing with Facebook friend

A 21-year-old student has been hospitalised, after she was allegedly pushed down from the third floor of a building in  Lagos, following a disagreement with a man she met on the social network, Facebook.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Akabugu Nkiruka sustained multiple injuries, including a pelvis fracture, and was undergoing surgery at the General Hospital, Marina, Lagos, on Tuesday.

Nkiruka, a Linguistics student of the University of Lagos, told NAN on her hospital bed that she met the young man through the social media, barely a week before the November 1 incident.

NYSC members to acquire martial arts skills

Deputy Director, Publications of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Mr. Peter Atilola, has said NYSC members were being trained on martial arts to defend themselves when the need arose.

Atitiola told newsmen in Abuja: “NYSC is collaborating with all states, local government areas and security agencies to provide adequate security and protection for them and their property.

Okada rider beaten and stripped naked by policemen (Photos)

A LIB reader who witnessed this incident yesterday sent in the report and photos. According to her, the naked man in the picture is an Okada man who violated the new Lagos state traffic law. 

He was arrested at the junction adjoining University road and St Finbarrs college road Akoka by policemen in mufti, and before anyone could say anything, the policemen descended on the Okadaman, beating him mercilessly and then stripping him naked.

Why Akwa-Ibom Dep Gov, Ekere, resigned

The political landscape in Akwa Ibom State was in tremor, yesterday, after the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Nsima Ekere, resigned from office.

Ekere in a two-paragraph letter to Governor Godswil Akpabio claimed to have resigned for personal reasons.

However, it was generally believed last night that the resignation was tendered to stave off an impeachment notice from the House of Assembly which it was learnt had been articulated.

Ekere, who until now had been considered as one of the leading candidates to succeed Governor Akpabio in the 2015 election, Vanguard gathered, was caught up in the intrigues surrounding the 2015 race.

His resignation followed orchestrated moves by the state House of Assembly to present an article for his impeachment today.

It was gathered that as many as 20 members in the 26 member House of Assembly had already signed the article of impeachment of the deputy governor.

In the resignation letter, dated October 31, 2012, Ekere said: “Pursuant to Section 306 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), I kindly notify you of my resignation from the office of Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State forthwith on personal grounds.

“I want to thank you immensely for the opportunity to serve Akwa Ibom State and wish you and the good people of Akwa Ibom State well in the remaining years of your administration.”

The resignation letter personally signed by Mr. Ekere was received by the governor, yesterday.

However, close aides of the governor were as at last night claiming ignorance of the development and the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, could not be reached as his telephones were off.

Ekere’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Inemesit Ina, however, confirmed the development in a statement yesterday evening, saying: “The Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Nsima Ekere, has resigned from office.’’

The impeachment move against Ekere

Earlier yesterday morning, as the move against the former Deputy Governor gathered pace in the House of Assembly with the collection of signatures, his Press Secretary had denied the move when Vanguard sought his reaction to the unfolding development.

But while denying the move, he at the same time sought to know how many members were involved in the plot.

The impeachment move and consequent resignation, Vanguard gathered, was a direct fallout from Ekere’s moves to position himself in pole position to succeed Akpabio.

Akpabio, it was gathered, had quietly positioned moles in the camps of some of the leading contenders for his job. One of such moles, it was learnt, fed Akpabio on how Ekere planned to assume the governorship in 2015 in a move that reportedly seriously perturbed Governor Akpabio.

While the move to undo the Deputy Governor started underground since last week, Ekere’s efforts to stop the impeachment and save his job could not see the light of the day.

Before he threw in the towel yesterday evening, Mr. Ekere could only count on the support of six members of the House.

The decision to resign it was learnt, was apparently aimed at staving off the negative constitutional impediment of an impeachment that could jeopardise any political ambition of his in the future.

Mr. Ekere is the second deputy governor to serve under Mr. Akpabio. The first was Mr. Patrick Ekpotu who served in the first term between 2007 and 2011.

Ekere had contested the bitter 2007 governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP contest with Akpabio and Mr. Ita Ekarika who was reportedly favoured by the then incumbent governor, Obong Victor Attah.

Following the inconclusive primaries Ekere had stepped down to stop further bickering a decision that at that time prompted Akpabio to propose him as his deputy.

However, upon Attah’s insistence on having a representation on the ticket, Ekpotu, who served as his commissioner for Information was nominated as Akpabio’s deputy for the 2007 election.

Ahead of the 2011 gubernatorial election Akpabio, however, dropped Ekpotu and picked Ekere as his running mate for the last election.

Opinion on the development was mixed last night with major political stakeholders preferring to keep mute on the development which is bound to shake up the 2015 contest.

Jonathan congratulates Obasanjo on new appointment

President Goodluck Jonathan has felicitated with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his appointment as the Country Representative for Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Dr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

Abati said that the President in a congratulatory letter, expressed confidence in Obasanjo on the “new honorific position”.

The President said that Obasanjo would ensure that the trust generated the resources required to fund legacy projects in the name of Queen Elizabeth through his wide network of contacts across the Commonwealth.

Jonathan said he considered the appointment, not only a personal honour to the former President, but also to Nigeria as a country.

He wished the former President success in his new endeavour. (NAN)

(PHOTOS)We Are Proud Americans! Not Nigerians, Williams Sisters Cry Out

The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus have declared that they are purely Americans, saying they have no origin from Nigeria as widely believed in Africa.

Serena, who joined her elder sister, Venus to train some selected kids the rudiments of tennis at the Ikoyi Club in Lagos Wednesday evening, said their parents may be black with slight traces from Africa, but she insisted that they are from the United States of America, USA.

26,358 ex-militants donate N2,000 each to flood victims

THE 26,358 ex-militants and beneficiaries of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme from the Niger Delta have donated relief materials worth over N52 million to flood victims in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River states.

Amnesty Programme Head of Capacity Building, Mr. Joel Bisina, made this known, yesterday in Benin, while presenting Edo State’s share of the materials on behalf of the Amnesty Office to the state government.

He said the ex-militants, who were touched by the plight of the flood victims decided to contribute N2,000 each from their monthly stipends to procure the relief materials.

Bisina, who represented the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, said though the Amnesty Office was not directly responsible for the provision of the relief materials, it was however prepared and ready to collaborate with other agencies to take pro-active measures in mitigating the sufferings of the victims.

Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, Chairman of the State Relief Committee, Hajia Maimuna Momo-du, said for ex-militants to make such contribution showed that there was hope for the country.

Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor tenders resignation(Letter inside)

 Mr. Nsima Ekere 

According to TheWill, Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere has resigned from office with immediate effect. TheWill said Ekere tendered his resignation letter this morning after he was tipped of an advanced plot to begin impeachment proceedings against him on Thursday, following heightened tension between himself and Governor Godswill Akpabio over his governorship ambition in 2015.

Political analysts in Akwa Ibom say Akpabio is backing his current SSG as his successor in 2015.TheWill exclusively obtained the deputy governor's resignation letter. See it after the cut...

Beware! Hurricane Sandy Fallout Coming to Lagos

Difficult times might be ahead for Nigerians living and doing business in Lagos. The Lagos State Government on Tuesday warned residents of the state to prepare for the ripple effect of Hurricane Sandy in the state.

Hurricane Sandy is a 2012 late-season violent tropical storm that has affected Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the eastern seaboard of the United States of America.

The Commissioner for Waterfront Development and Infrastructure, Mr. Adesegun Oniru, said the government was projecting that within seven to 14 days, the state would experience the ripple effect of the hurricane in its coast lines.

He explained that the government based its projection on, “experience, records and study of past happenings” and had started taking precautionary measures.

I Am Now Ready To Go After Corrupt Governors –Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan talked tough on Tuesday, syaing no corrupt governor or subsidy thief would go scot-free. He assured that the Federal Government would go after them and ensure their prosecution.

“We are going after governors who commit various economic crimes and corrupt practices with impunity," he said while stressing that his reform agenda relies on a corrupt-free system in order to build strong institutions that would guarantee sustainable development.

"As you may be aware, government is taking every legal measure to ensure that those who defrauded the government in the petroleum subsidy scheme are made to pay back the stolen funds. They will also be severely punished,” he added

Jonathan spoke through Vice-President Namadi Sambo at the formal presentation and launch of a book, “Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria,”in Abuja. The book was written by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The president said that the problem of creating jobs and fighting corruption needed urgent attention. “Reforms perform better in an atmosphere of democracy and freedom and we are continuing to work to ensure that sound democratic principles are held in the country.

“The challenges of creating jobs and fighting corruption need urgent attention and I am glad to reiterate that these concerns are already being tackled in the current transformation agenda of this administration,” he said

Kaduna: Bomber targeted to kill over 1000 – Yakowa

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State ,yesterday, said the aim of the suicide bomber that blew off himself and killed eight worshippers at St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Badarwa, Kaduna last Sunday was to kill the entire 1000-plus worshippers attending mass that day.

The governor, who returned from a one-week holiday, Sunday evening, took a tour of the bombed church and visited the injured taking treatment in five different hospitals, saying government will foot their bills and “assist” owners of  affected property near the church.

Normalcy returns
Meanwhile, normal activities have resumed in the town with schools, markets, shops, and all public offices opened. But, a convoy of armed soldiers patrol the major streets of Kaduna to establish their presence.

Speaking at a press conference, yesterday, after what he said was a five-hour tour  to see for himself what happened, Yakowa said:  “I have gone to the affected church, and I have visited all the injured patients and I am deeply saddened by what happened, but I thank God, because it could have been worse.

“I met the officiating Priest  during the Mass Service. His name is Rev. Father Mike Bunni. He was able to tell me that the bomber was very determined to kill all the over 1000 worshippers in the church. And you could  see how daring he was. He did not go through the gate. He drove straight against the fenced wall of the church.

“The Priest said if the fence of the church was not strong, he could have driven through the walls of the church and detonated the bomb there. But the bomb went off just outside the  door of the church and brought it down. That was why the casualties were not that much. Four were killed. That was what I was told. About 100 were injured.  So, you see, we have to thank God for his infinite grace, because the situation could have been worse.


“I was at the 44 Army Referral Hospital, St Gerard Hospital, Garkuwa Hospital Barau Dikko and Multi-Clinic Hospitals. I want to say that though they are in various degrees of pain, they are all in high spirits. I spoke to them, and they all said it was an act of God.

No amount of terror will frustrate me from worshipping Christ —Priest
“The Priest told me that no amount of terror will frustrate him from worshiping Christ, and that terror cannot dictate how we worship God.

“I want to use this opportunity to also say that no amount of wickedness of terrorism will deter us from pursuing our agenda of peace, development and security. The few evil ones in this state cannot frustrate the state.

“All the victims will be treated at the expense of the state government, and I have assured all the Medical Directors of these hospitals. We will also assist the owners of the damaged property near the church. And this means that we have to spend on what we have not planned for.”

He then thanked all that came out to assist the victims and praised Christian youths for not going into reprisal attacks.

The Deputy Speaker, Kaduna House of Assembly, Dr. Dogara Matto, spoke at the press conference and said the House was ready to pass into law under 24-hours any law that would improve peace and security in the state.

The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, also addressed the press and said: “I want to appeal to all our youths to always refrain from taking the law into their hands by taking on innocent people each time this kind of evil takes place. Evil cannot set the pace on how we should leave with one another. I thank them for heeding to this advice.”

Boko Haram Training Camp Traced To Mali --Intelligence Report

The search for a lasting solution to the perennial campaign of violence by the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has taken President Goodluck Jonathan and his National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (retd) to Bamako, the capital of Mali, for a secret meeting with the civilian and military authorities in the troubled West African country, following a strong intelligence report which shows/identifies that Mali’s northern region is being used as the operational base of the dreaded sect.

The presidency had, in a statement by presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, announced on Wednesday, October 17 a two-day working visit by President Jonathan to Niger Republic and Mali. While the president was scheduled to attend a meeting of the High Authority of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission, in Niamey, with President Issoufou Mohammadou of Niger Republic to revitalise and reposition the 41-year-old commission, as a primary platform towards addressing emerging cross-border challenges, the statement added that on his way back on Friday,

October 19, he would make a stopover in Bamako, the Malian capital, for further consultations on efforts by ECOWAS and the UN Security Council, to restore normalcy to that country.  Saturday Sun, however, gathered from diplomatic and presidency sources that the meeting in Niamey was a mere decoy for President Jonathan to “seek collaboration and cooperation of both the military and civilian authorities in Mali on how best the operational base of Nigeria’s Boko Haram in the north of Mali, which is under the firm control of Islamist groups and Tuareg rebels, who took control of the region following a coup in March.” A reliable diplomatic source revealed that rather than making just a stopover in Bamako, as announced by Abati in his statement,

“the Nigerian president actually left Niamey, Niger Republic on Thursday, October 18 and went straight for the main goal of his trip, which is to hold talks with the Malian authorities, as part of efforts to dismantle the main structure of Boko Haram in the North of the country (Mali).” It was gathered that a recent intelligence support for Nigeria had confirmed that Boko Haram militants were being trained and armed in northern Mali, where the leader of the sect, Sheik Mohammed Shekau, is also believed to be hiding and coordinating attacks on Nigerian targets.

Based on this, the diplomatic source revealed that Nigeria became more interested in the politics and political stability of Mali. The military junta in Mali, headed by Captain Amadou Sanogo, had seized power on March 22, accusing the democratic government of President Amadou Toumani Toure of failing to deal effectively with a Tuareg rebellion that had started in January. Islamist groups then took advantage of the chaos and seized all the region’s major towns, including the historic city of Timbuktu.

Former parliament speaker, Diouncounda Traore later emerged as interim president, following international pressures on the military junta to relinquish power. It was further gathered that President Jonathan’s last week visit was to consolidate on recent visits and discussions by the NSA and some top officials of the defence and foreign affairs ministries to Mali.

Part of the discussions, at the meeting, between President Jonathan and Mali’s interim president Traore, was “to stabilise the civilian regime of Traore, mobilise African and ECOWAS forces to Mali, with a view to flushing out all islamist groups and rebels, including Boko Haram leaders that had taken control of North of Mali.” In a separate discussion with Captain Sanogo, President Jonathan was said to have offered him a political asylum in Nigeria to pave the way for Traore’s full control of Mali’s armed forces, which are still loyal to Sanogo. “If the Nigerian government can get Traore relocated to Nigeria, the stability Nigeria needs in Mali to fight its own enemy hiding and operating from our territory would have been achieved half-way,” a diplomatic source privy to the development told Saturday Sun. It was, however, not yet clear at press time whether Traore has accepted the offer of asylum from President Jonathan.

“What is certain is the success of the war against Boko Haram depends largely on the stability in Mali and the ability of the African and the entire international community to dislodge all rebels and Islamist groups operating in northern Mali because if you observe closely, they share the same religious ideology and modus operandi with Boko Haram militants. If you follow developments there, you will notice that the Islamists have imposed a harsh interpretation of Sharia in the areas they control in the north of Mali and there are reports of people being stoned to death and having their limbs amputated,” the source added.

Mother Leaves Day-Old Baby To Die On The Road In Calabar

A two-day old baby abandoned by an unknown mother was found dead behind the Medical Students Hostel, University of Calabar near the office of the Cross River State first lady, Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke. Mrs. Imoke in the last five years had been waging war against teenage pregnancy and child abandonment through her pets’ projects and had been able to put a stop to rampant baby abandonment in the state despite alleged campaign of calumny carried recently against her.

 Speaking at the scene where the dead baby was abandoned, special assistant to the Governor on Public Health/ NGO and Special Projects, Dr. Regina Ejemot-Nwadiaro said her attention was drawn to the incident by an anonymous caller which prompted her presence at the scene. 

 Nwadiaro said that immediately she got to the place, she called the Calabar Urban Development Authority, CUDA, who quickly responded to the call and subsequently alerted the Police. She condemned the perpetrator of which she described as a dastardly act, callous, inhuman and outright wickedness.

 According to her, “for the past five years the wife of the State Governor Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke, has been championing the stamping out of teenage pregnancy child abandonment in the state through her project; Mothers’ Against Child Abandonment (MACA). “It is thus, disheartening that in spite of the consistent efforts by Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke and the MACA team, people could still dump babies.”

University Cultists Force Female Students To Act Lesbian Film

The Nigerian Army in Enugu has paraded 21 Enugu State University of Science and Technology students for allegedly torturing and forcing some female students to have stuff among themselves.

The students, most of who confessed to being cultists, told journalists that they took video shots of the lésbian act because they had been offered money by some influential Nigerians.

The idea, the suspects said, was to take tapes of the scenes to their partners in Europe.

Shortly before parading the suspects on Saturday, the General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Maj. Gen. Sarkin Yaki Bello, who spoke through the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said the cultists, were arrested in their hideouts at Agbani on the outskirts of Enugu between July 8 and 12, 2011.

Bello said the patrol team of 103 Battalion moved to the ESUT following persistent gunshots at the institution on July 4 and arrested one of the masterminds of the crime, Mr Franklin Anikwe, with five rounds of ammunition.

The GOC said he had directed that a thorough investigation be carried out in order to fish out the pepetrators.

He said, “It was the preliminary investigation conducted by the division’s intelligence group that led to the arrest of the 19 other suspects. Some of the items recoverd from them are four locally made pistols, 10AA cartridges and video clips where the female students were forced to have illicit stuff with themselves during the raid.”

Also recovered were 10 mobile telephone handsets, including the one used for recording the dirty scenes.