Omojuwa, Dangote, Patoranking Nominated For 2016 Peace Achievers Awards

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGC5j50hj0I9cF7bP-UHhEOjcNJHTgwz-1SYNG9P4_Mqfb_AMbyu-tl8MpsoHpRRGoy1lYZraA6ui2-jl07iLaOCHP4_R2OVw7AjbuOU-TkodlSI_fWJYX9_7P8kvDIxUeFTUp1TMup9mj/s1600/Peace-Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGC5j50hj0I9cF7bP-UHhEOjcNJHTgwz-1SYNG9P4_Mqfb_AMbyu-tl8MpsoHpRRGoy1lYZraA6ui2-jl07iLaOCHP4_R2OVw7AjbuOU-TkodlSI_fWJYX9_7P8kvDIxUeFTUp1TMup9mj/s400/Peace-Awards.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57206" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57206" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57206" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57207" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Popular blogger and social commentator, Japheth Omojuwa has been nominated for the 2016 Peace Achievers Awards alongside Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote and popular dancehall artiste Patoranking. Other nominees for this year’s award include Governor of Lagos State Akinwunmi Ambode, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, veteran comedian AY, and award winning film maker and producer Kunle Afolayan.</span></div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57240" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57207" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57208" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57209" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Rwanda Paul Kagame and Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, and three other individuals were nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Patoranking was nominated alongside Olamide, Diamond Platnumz, Ycee, Stonebwoy and Davido for Africa Fast Rising Artiste of the Year.</span></div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57241" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57209" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57210" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57211" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Each year, the Peace Ambassador Agency recognizes individuals and organizations in Africa who have demonstrated strong commitment to serving their community while maintaining a global mindset. Founded in 2012, the Peace Achievers Awards encourage leaders and organizations in Africa to continue to be forces for positive change, to inspire thoughtful dialogue about the issues facing our community and our world, and to bring together the best and the brightest in Africa to work together towards a more peaceful future.</span></div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57248" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57211" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57212" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57213" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57214" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peace Achievers Awards will be held in Sheraton Hotels, Abuja on the 24th September, 2016.</span><span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57216" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> <div id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57217" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57218" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Check out the nomination list on </span><span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57219" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57220" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.peaceachieversawards.com/vote" id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57221" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.peaceachieversawards.com/vote</a></span></span><span id="yiv0768753209yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1471039788750_57224" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> and vote for your favourite nominee.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> </span></div>

Omojuwa, Dangote, Patoranking Nominated For 2016 Peace Achievers Awards

Popular blogger and social commentator, Japheth Omojuwa has been nominated for the 2016 Peace Achievers Awards alongside Africa’s ric...

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7 Feared Dead In Clash Between Hausa/Fulani & Imo Community

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPB_cPBcOgnR97rt8NLCZtcjMCWm8sDF0xTK76sCsCeCeiBRckGvhZqLQBSSkFgbnK7tJILmUjenMCB7abNXrssn7SHAU_A6D6wy2_LzIKlp9LhLOw0sbtSSrwfUzSk8GK6dJ-hC66Meax/s1600/Agatu-communal-clashes-770x470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPB_cPBcOgnR97rt8NLCZtcjMCWm8sDF0xTK76sCsCeCeiBRckGvhZqLQBSSkFgbnK7tJILmUjenMCB7abNXrssn7SHAU_A6D6wy2_LzIKlp9LhLOw0sbtSSrwfUzSk8GK6dJ-hC66Meax/s320/Agatu-communal-clashes-770x470.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> No fewer than seven persons were feared dead yesterday evening in Akokwa community in Ideato North council of Imo State, following a bloody clash between the Hausa/Fulani community and the indigenes.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> It was gathered that trouble started when a member of the Hausa community whose name could not be ascertained as at press time had allegedly attacked and killed two of the indigenes and thereafter killed himself.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />Angered by the dastardly act, the indigenes in a reprisal attacked the Hausa community, where four persons were killed as well as the destruction of several properties and houses.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />According to the a source, “ an Hausa man who lives in Akokwa community had run amok, attacked and killed two indigenes and then killed himself, and angered by the terrible action of the Northerner who attacked an killed innocent indigenes of the community, and in the reprisal attack by the indigenes to avenge the deaths of their kinsmen, four other persons were killed with several properties and houses burnt down.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />The source added, “ as I speak to you now many people have fled the community for fear of further attacks.”.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Imo State Police Command Mr. Andrew Enwerem, said that only three persons were killed in the fracas.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Credit:</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> <iframe class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="WElkGf1ufo" frameborder="0" height="369" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" sandbox="allow-scripts" scrolling="no" security="restricted" src="http://sunnewsonline.com/7-feared-dead-in-clash-between-hausafulani-and-imo-community/embed/#?secret=WElkGf1ufo" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="“7 feared dead in clash between Hausa/Fulani and Imo community” — The Sun News" width="500"></iframe></div>

7 Feared Dead In Clash Between Hausa/Fulani & Imo Community

No fewer than seven persons were feared dead yesterday evening in Akokwa community in Ideato North council of Imo State, following a bl...

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Budget Padding: Abdulmumin Seeks Court Protection From Arrest

<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/08/13/budget-padding-abdulmumin-seeks-court-protection-from-arrest/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;"></a></strong></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/08/13/budget-padding-abdulmumin-seeks-court-protection-from-arrest/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l3Epwos-Oo0RJH-LiEIfIwDag02V4vkpJIMHbpcmLA41RXCAoouG8FkEBaTR3bAqwWrE8LDJB-Vw-aqACKsVFnjkh0nWF2aon0Jzd4SGDSiHVRJcx0R7cxY7geYy1XKfoz_gDnZ8ETwt/s1600/Jibrin-300x185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l3Epwos-Oo0RJH-LiEIfIwDag02V4vkpJIMHbpcmLA41RXCAoouG8FkEBaTR3bAqwWrE8LDJB-Vw-aqACKsVFnjkh0nWF2aon0Jzd4SGDSiHVRJcx0R7cxY7geYy1XKfoz_gDnZ8ETwt/s400/Jibrin-300x185.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> In a dramatic twist to the row over the 2016 budget padding allegations causing disharmony in the House of Representatives, the hunter now appears to be the hunted, going by emerging development.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> The erstwhile Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin Abdulmumin, who made the budget-padding allegation, has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to restrain the Nigerian Police from arresting him.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> </div> <div class="td-g-rec td-g-rec-id-content_inlineleft " style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> </div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> The respondents in the suit are the Nigeria Police, the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police (FCT), Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Hon. Yusuf Lasun, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Hon. Leo Ogor and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />The lawmaker, in his tweets and statements had given the impression that he was enjoying the cooperation of the police, over the allegations against Dogara and others.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> But Abdulmumin, in the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja with No: FHC/ABJ/CS/595, said there was a police siege on his home and that up till the time of filing the suit on August 9, 2016, the siege was still in force.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> The affidavit deposed on his behalf by his legislative aide, Mr. Bashir Bello said this was “in a bid to arrest him unlawfully and achieve their pre-determined aim of tampering with his fundamental human rights.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Abdulmumin, in the suit, accused the police of plotting to “nab him and also put him out of circulation and so as to lay their hands on the said documents and destroy the evidence therein, and avoid a leakage of their roles in the budget issue.”<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />The embattled lawmaker, in a separate suit, also sued Dogara, the Clerk of the House and others, to restrain the lower chamber from suspending him.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Read More: <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/08/13/budget-padding-abdulmumin-seeks-court-protection-from-arrest/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;">thisdaylive</a></strong></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/08/13/budget-padding-abdulmumin-seeks-court-protection-from-arrest/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></a></strong></div>

Budget Padding: Abdulmumin Seeks Court Protection From Arrest

In a dramatic twist to the row over the 2016 budget padding allegations causing disharmony in the House of Representatives, the hunte...

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Pope Francis Meets 20 Former Prostitutes

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXcsUAN2S_SPkOv0Jtw6Q4gGtPGKJ4mmJXE2QycN3blcJpYjdkp2kjzzJaO_87C6QSFgTqjogZU4M1Mw2U177PjOTvlnkXaJO27bqPgZkHqN792mWHVlDfC60QpMrKFcO05kYh0GPcCRM/s1600/Pope-Francis1-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXcsUAN2S_SPkOv0Jtw6Q4gGtPGKJ4mmJXE2QycN3blcJpYjdkp2kjzzJaO_87C6QSFgTqjogZU4M1Mw2U177PjOTvlnkXaJO27bqPgZkHqN792mWHVlDfC60QpMrKFcO05kYh0GPcCRM/s1600/Pope-Francis1-300x225.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Pope Francis left the Vatican on Friday to visit a Catholic charity that is giving shelter to women rescued from forced prostitution, the Vatican said on Friday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Francis met 20 women at the Community Papa Giovanni XXIII in Rome, including six from Romania, four from Albania, seven from Nigeria and the rest, each from Tunisia, Italy and Ukraine.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> “Today’s visit by Pope Francis is another call to conscience to fight the trafficking of human beings, which the Holy Father has on several occasions defined as ‘a crime against humanity,” a statement said.</div> <div class="code-block code-block-1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> This year, on one Friday per month, the pope pays special visits to honour the Jubilee of Mercy, an 11-month Catholic festival that ends in November.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Previous destinations for Francis’ Fridays of Mercy includes the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a migrant centre on the Greek island of Lesbos, and facilities around Rome for the elderly, mentally ill and recovering drug addicts.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Credit: NAN</div>

Pope Francis Meets 20 Former Prostitutes

Pope Francis left the Vatican on Friday to visit a Catholic charity that is giving shelter to women rescued from forced prostitution, t...

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Buhari: Oil Price Crash Has Made Nigeria Poor

<div class="copy-paste-block" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b_ld4L-03Ba4F_7vZimsvRy4xZzOFBxEaqJaiUoXYQC_qED3MofU-PJRp3aOaafYcUYSlBjq7oMhAqHspjDQ7pm6wYM_ip4kEKVCqtJX29WzYjCBYXMNehioxNy8jdP3K2rpbGvisbX0/s1600/buha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b_ld4L-03Ba4F_7vZimsvRy4xZzOFBxEaqJaiUoXYQC_qED3MofU-PJRp3aOaafYcUYSlBjq7oMhAqHspjDQ7pm6wYM_ip4kEKVCqtJX29WzYjCBYXMNehioxNy8jdP3K2rpbGvisbX0/s400/buha.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div class="story" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dvtopStory" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="story" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dvtopStory" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div class="story" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dvtopStory" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday  said  the crash in world oil prices has suddenly made Nigeria poor, adding that  the past one year has been very difficult for his administration.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />He spoke at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja while receiving the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director and Under Secretary General, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin.<img height="0" src="http://cat.fr.eu.criteo.com/delivery/lg.php?cppv=1&cpp=Yj9Y4XxCSHZaajYzdDl2Y29rK2NnRXJTT2NvY2ZTRlo3YmI5U3VlL2RrVmdNMWkrUFJueHJjQTB4YS9Td2VzbnprUWVFQU9sVWxKRGx2K01kWStaVDUxQlkyUGFoTjFWZDZldy9ZNUlVUHY4UzlxdWlYbjJINUVBQVBFSkxiMTdRKzhQQWRQTEdaWDMyRmJUalVUK0VJVW1BU1BUcmxWK3ZiSHVuZ2Y1MFYvelE5a3dSMEYzNnNhRytWTE80bytKamU5VkpPMzlrV2hnOXhnaEhnQjlZVURkUGNMSFA3ODRvb3RCa3NTQVQrRit2ZFI4PXw%3D" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="0" /></div> <div class="fleft" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dvbtmStory" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Buhari, however, said despite severe shortage of resources, commitment to transparency and accountability was serving his government in good stead.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />“It has been a very difficult year for Nigeria. Before we came to office, petroleum sold for about $100 per barrel. Then it crashed to $37, and now oscillates between $40 and $45 per barrel. Suddenly, we’re a poor country, but commitment to transparency and accountability is not making people know that there is severe shortage,” he said.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />Buhari appealed to UNFPA to bear with Nigeria in whichever area the country could not live up to its responsibilities for now.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />He noted that an exploding population and different cultural practices in the country provided a fertile ground for research by organisations like the UNFPA.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />The president described reports from the North-east of the country as encouraging as people were returning to their farmlands with a guarantee of relative security. He thanked UNFPA for its commitment to saving lives in Nigeria.</div> </div> </div> <div class="copy-paste-block" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> Read More: <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/oil-price-crash-has-made-nigeria-poor-buhari/158713.html" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;">dailytrust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> </a></span></div>

Buhari: Oil Price Crash Has Made Nigeria Poor

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday  said  the crash in world oil prices has suddenly made Nigeria poor, adding that  the past one ...

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Kim Kardashian puts her hot body on display

<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7WqSf3IAZDuQN2eMpooEeAnx_CNuiU-cYhNQsM0PRS-o7sruxWJKDnzaUNdlVdnhO8hGlcKVjjlO8VOMh08JZq62eRRZpOhLzQLc2ZMc2dhZWMQoKVJg2U12TxAxqYesFl-8bVSq9ogE/s400/1a3.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="180" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlBXvy7gs-FcjceHamg-GDmVNzA0mWH1l5vwof7cHPfX9XluJO67ynC1NSe8Aue-LJlHHeV6o-wWvIRuzFjb2Z5uxS20HGkzzMqM9d19-lmZtA_zPI4iqj8cqbqbNxrz5yRQvSuWsYRrp/s400/1a2.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="272" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Business entrepreneur and mother of 2, Kim Kardashian put her amazingly toned body on display during a walk to the studio on Friday afternoon. She seems to have reached her goal of 120 pounds, which she said was her pre-pregnancy weight, a feat she said she didn't think she could achieve after she had her second child, Saint West. More photos after the cut...</div> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtkvU_iop553fbcFLLGIBcIUeivWKFAv37HcR42NHFLQdJgYO9emxAWGIaC3g_7rtRJFB4ouRAkAtW03MJ1TW_H3nZ3dn1lxdMSlR5MQvVxZ6zPMF_gdTbt2LW_IjNHUpVsg5I0E7bxJN/s400/1a5.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="282" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMXDIzw2LZAGSfoKwnvfF99goDmbH01-IcquhL6G1g5xfaXqKNamBFk1KPzRCjBbnGEe-m8KSQwHyaWccCXoIHlntmg3fSxn4Q3zWFFPxUV0OiKnZKpFW1P6pRMKf3DtRWTzCBWHPQBzl/s400/1a4.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="180" /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_9RZouraQYxlnAZ0nHtvKN4DZtdDKPl08bBkPejHAlHgwAxHe-tdm28Znpvutj_FTgT72CdCLSdXWev6Nj015icKfbG_4Rh5QXNjwdO87oGpaS9BeSGNkEI4CIa40mRuDp2C9l_-zg4K/s400/1a7.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="153" /></div> <br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2F5PNakh6Gsf-HxmaaFfrq0GlRy08NbvuykfEbJsiSYlwEaLUFc_0FDvepwe1qSpx0ezzrigKSXuZdOY9YlmoBkMwB8WzkmQ-0twAboqeJYVgICyYLSI85kQdIHq_8TqPP61uVBd92rS/s1600/1a6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2F5PNakh6Gsf-HxmaaFfrq0GlRy08NbvuykfEbJsiSYlwEaLUFc_0FDvepwe1qSpx0ezzrigKSXuZdOY9YlmoBkMwB8WzkmQ-0twAboqeJYVgICyYLSI85kQdIHq_8TqPP61uVBd92rS/s400/1a6.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="287" /></a></div> <br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6EPoP3r8jHSxqhrdsShSAjxcdGqnx7n2RZcn8fBwIp623l2Go51lun2QQXEt_OZh_4WkFKcZNeZ1IdPv-bbmKtSHC7nQeALdYso4bgPtKlfoZboYQoVx6Uy-2mzc0r2I0iS99BaB5Gs1/s1600/1a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6EPoP3r8jHSxqhrdsShSAjxcdGqnx7n2RZcn8fBwIp623l2Go51lun2QQXEt_OZh_4WkFKcZNeZ1IdPv-bbmKtSHC7nQeALdYso4bgPtKlfoZboYQoVx6Uy-2mzc0r2I0iS99BaB5Gs1/s400/1a8.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="312" /></a></div>

Kim Kardashian puts her hot body on display

Business entrepreneur and mother of 2, Kim Kardashian put her amazingly toned body on display during a walk to the studio on Friday after...

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We never knew Nigeria's economy was this bad- APC National chairman

<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8G28K9TCkqD5o-8ngYDq0kDo70pfzUo7wLvz8kCyBYDZi4aIHfE27521JuxXPNf5AEVE4UP5hxdEZU4rslggNK64L-9FnXCcU82DlxD0U5dGBYT54HwKI7LdzzLTtL3Oq5ax3zIUjRXN4/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8G28K9TCkqD5o-8ngYDq0kDo70pfzUo7wLvz8kCyBYDZi4aIHfE27521JuxXPNf5AEVE4UP5hxdEZU4rslggNK64L-9FnXCcU82DlxD0U5dGBYT54HwKI7LdzzLTtL3Oq5ax3zIUjRXN4/s400/unnamed.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">APC National chairman John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said during the election campaigns in 2015, their party knew that things in Nigeria were bad but never knew how bad it was. Oyegun said this while speaking at a surprise birthday party held for him by staff of the APC national secretariat in Abuja yesterday August 12th.</span><br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “It has been tough times for the nation. When we were campaigning and it is necessary to continue to hammer on this part, we were not in government.<br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>We knew things were very bad, but we did not know they were as bad as we eventually found them and the revelations that come out everyday continue to buttress that fact. Nobody ever expected the price of crude to collapse in the way it has done and one can only repeat what Mr. President said a few days ago.</blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> That is for being a nation that had an excess crude account, today because of the collapse of the price of crude, a lot of states of this country do not have enough resources to meet their basic functions, responsibilities. That we would never again depend on a single crop whether it is oil, whether it is solid minerals, whether it is agriculture.</blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The president is laying a single foundation, very solid foundation, for the take-off of this nation such that all the resources that God has endowed this nation with, whether it is in solid minerals that it is plentiful, whether it is in agriculture, we can grow virtually anything in this nation of ours we have been blessed with rich soil.</blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Nigeria of tomorrow would be a Nigeria that produces, the Nigeria of tomorrow would be a Nigeria that can give employment to its youth. The Nigeria of the tomorrow would be a nation that would provide plentiful opportunities for its people that is the Nigeria Buhari is presently constructing.”he said</blockquote>

We never knew Nigeria's economy was this bad- APC National chairman

APC National chairman John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said during the election campaigns in 2015, their party knew that things in Nigeria wer...

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$15bn arms deals: Panel traces N2bn to five children of ex-Army Chief

<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZjHB34slA6PLhpojNGNBtAfFC_c4_2G8U-q__U9veP36AkWV3WK3Itf1m6fk3ASd8OF2I7h5_Qx6h4noxNNq6UjFkaM5FYwNd8gT1Vm1p9OcABGMNQYbgdVGksZdiNBl-aE9QQe2Fb6b/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZjHB34slA6PLhpojNGNBtAfFC_c4_2G8U-q__U9veP36AkWV3WK3Itf1m6fk3ASd8OF2I7h5_Qx6h4noxNNq6UjFkaM5FYwNd8gT1Vm1p9OcABGMNQYbgdVGksZdiNBl-aE9QQe2Fb6b/s400/unnamed.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="400" /></a></span></span></div> <span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i>The Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP) has traced about N2billion meant for the purchase of vehicles for the Nigerian Army to the accounts of five children of a former Chief of Army Staff. <a href="http://thenationonlineng.net/15bn-arms-deals-panel-traces-n2bn-five-children-ex-army-chief/" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Nation</a> reports that the report by the panel states that the children of the ex-Chief of Army Staff allegedly used two companies for the deal. Read it after the cut..</i></b></span></span><br /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “The committee reviewed the procurement carried out by Chok Ventures Ltd and Integrated Equipment Services Ltd, two companies that shared the same registered office, had one name as common controlling shareholder and sole or mandatory signatory to the various banks accounts of the companies. <span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The committee further established that between March 2011 and December 2013, the two companies exclusively procured various types of Toyota and Mitsubishi vehicles worth over N2, 000,000,000.00 for the Nigerian Army without any competitive bidding. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most of the contracts awarded to the companies were also split, awarded on the same date or within a short space of time at costs and mobilization higher than the prescribed thresholds. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For instance, on <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2047423247" style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">February 13 and 15</span></span>, the two companies were awarded contracts worth N260, 000.000.00 and N315, 000,000.00 respectively for supplies of various vehicles. The Nigerian Army could not justify the exclusive selection of these vendors against other renowned distributors of same brands of vehicles procured. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">More seriously, the committee found no credible evidence of delivery of the vehicles by the two companies as there were no receipt vouchers, but only unauthenticated delivery notes, invoices and waybills that were purportedly used for the deliveries. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nevertheless, the vendors were fully paid based on job completion certificate authenticated by the then Chief of Logistics, Maj Gen D.D. Kitchener (rtd). The payments were also made without deduction of Withholding Tax (WHT). Furthermore, analyses of the various bank accounts of the two companies showed transfers to individuals , some of who are believed to be children of the army chief. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thus, the committee recommends further investigation to determine delivery of the vehicles and relationship of funds beneficiaries with the former COAS and the two companies. Furthermore, the panel said that Lt Gen O. A. Ihejirika (rtd), Maj Gen D. D. Kitchener (rtd), Col A. M. Inuwa and Mr Chinedu Onyekwere should be held accountable for the issues arising out of the contracts.”</span></span></span></blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The panel during its findings discovered that contracts in the Nigerian Army were awarded without due process. <span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It said a company was registered on November 17, 2014 and awarded $125,179,299.10 on the same day.</span></span></span></div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The Nigerian Army, between April and August 2014, entered into four contract agreements with Societe D’Equipmenteux Internationale  (SEI Nig Ltd)  for procurement of Cobra Armoured Personnel Carriers, Shilka Self-Propelled Artillery Guns, Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) as well as various ammunition and spares funded by the ONSA. <span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The contracts for the Cobra APCs and Shilka Guns were not executed as they were not funded. However, the costs for procurement of the AFVs; ammunition and spares were $398,550,000.00 and $484,765,000.00 respectively totalling $883,315,000.00. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In November 2014, the ONSA awarded contract to Conella Services Limited for procurement of 72 various arms and ammunition that included MRAP vehicles, Mi-17 helicopter at the cost of $125,179,299.10. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The committee observed that the company was registered in Nigeria on 17 November, 2014 and awarded the contract on the same date, while the EUC for the procurement was issued a day later on 18 November, 2014. Furthermore, the ONSA paid $36,996,530.00 and N2,209,582,296.00 to the vendor between November 2014 and 15 April, 2015.</span></span></span></div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> However, the Nigerian Army denied receipt of any procurement from Conella Services Ltd.</span></div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Similarly, the committee tried in vain to reach officials of the company to confirm execution of the contract. There is, therefore, the need for further investigation of Conella Services Ltd. <span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The committee observed that SEI and its two associated companies, APC Axial Ltd and HK-Sawki Nig Ltd, were incorporated in May 2014 with two Nigerien brothers, Hima Aboubakar and Ousmane Hima Massy as the only directors. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Between May 2014 and March 2015, the ONSA mandated CBN to release various sums totaling $386,954,000.00 to SEI and the two associated companies for ‘procurement of technical equipment’, without tying the money to particular items of procurement. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thus, the allotment of the funds was left at the discretion of the vendor without input or consultation with ONSA or the Nigerian Army. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Furthermore, some of the funds transferred preceded the formalization of SEI contracts with the Nigerian Army. There was also no evidence of any contract to justify the payments made by ONSA to the SEI associate companies. Consequently, it had been difficult for the ONSA, the Nigerian Army and SEI to reconcile the accounts vis-a-vis the equipment delivered.”</span></span></span></div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The panel also uncovered that 42 units of Armoured Personnel Carrier(APC) which were rejected by Iraq were later sold to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram insurgents. <span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It claimed that some of the APCs were either expired or unsuitable leading to loss of lives.</span></span></span></div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The committee observed that one of the new equipment SEI procured for the Nigerian Army from Ukraine was BTR-4E APC.”</span></div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, according to the Ukraine’s state enterprise, Lviv Armour Repair Plant, the designers of the equipment, “some of the products sold to Nigeria in 2014 were actually among 42 units designed for Iraq which subsequently rejected them due to poor performance rating”.</span></div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px none; font-size: x-small; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px none; font-family: inherit; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The Nigerian Army did not also undertake the mandatory pre-shipment inspections provided for in the contract agreements. Instead, the NA deployed an infantry officer, who lacked the technical knowledge to assess the capabilities and shortcomings of the equipment, to oversee the shipment of the items for the Nigerian Army from Ukraine. <span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Additionally, the two-week training availed the technicians and operators was inadequate for them to comprehend the technical workings of the newly introduced equipment. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The committee’s interactions with the field operators revealed that although the platforms and ammunition procured by SEI were deployed for the NE operations, some of them were aged or expired, lacked spares and prone to breakdown without immediate recovery equipment. </span><span style="border: 0px none; line-height: 22.4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Therefore, failure to carry out pre-shipment inspection and inadequate training resulted in procurement of some unreliable equipment that reduced the capacity of the Nigerian Army in the North East operations and resulted in the loss of lives and equipment.”</span></span></span></div> </blockquote>

$15bn arms deals: Panel traces N2bn to five children of ex-Army Chief

The Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP) has traced about N2billion meant for the purchase of vehicles...

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#FG Finally Takes Senator Ben Bruce's Advice on #BuyNaijaToGrowNaira

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-2o_h8ze1GG3vL9E-vIp12lBSWtEp3aYNj3T151vb34H7n8tPto42DfuJSNlkVwIpzkwbXb-rAsdles-xOk0FOALWx8Z3NjEz6O1Jq5ipNZnzvtXJtyPZyNlCJj8TRfku8qJYToh8Xnl/s1600/IMG_20160518_212304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-2o_h8ze1GG3vL9E-vIp12lBSWtEp3aYNj3T151vb34H7n8tPto42DfuJSNlkVwIpzkwbXb-rAsdles-xOk0FOALWx8Z3NjEz6O1Jq5ipNZnzvtXJtyPZyNlCJj8TRfku8qJYToh8Xnl/s400/IMG_20160518_212304.jpg" /></a></div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr"> <br /></div> <div dir="ltr"> The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the ministry will soon embark on “Buy Nigeria Campaign’’ to raise awareness on local contents.<br /> The minister made the disclosure when the management of Omatek Ventures Plc demonstrated its locally made Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs and fluorescent in his office.<br /> The company also demonstrated its locally assembled computers, solar panels and components for generating power into homes and offices.<br /> Mohammed said that the campaign would help to sensitise the public to the benefits of patronising Nigerian products.<br /> The minister underscored the need for Nigerians to develop the habit of conserving power, stressing that “when you reduce power consumption, you create energy.’’<br /> He said most homes and offices had the negative habit of leaving their lighting points to be glowing and even their fans and air conditioning units on when they did not need them.<br /> The minister said that such homes wasted energy and stood the risk of suffering fire outbreaks.<br /> Mohammed said the country might have to legislate and enforce the use of LED lighting products which use less energy and last longer than other types of lighting systems.<br /> Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Omatek, Mrs Florence Seriki, explained that LED bulbs and fluorescent tubes save energy, were brighter than other products, do not get hot and last for minimum of five years.<br /> According to her, while a conventional bulb consumes 66.9W, an LED bulb with brighter light consumes just 7.3W.<br /> Credit: <u>Theboss</u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div>

#FG Finally Takes Senator Ben Bruce's Advice on #BuyNaijaToGrowNaira

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the ministry will soon embark on “Buy Nigeria Campaign’’ ...

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Pendulum: TIME TO EASE THE UNEMPLOYMENT LOGJAM

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTH0qMoxfVv6yuHrfj6QxsM5XpwVxSgpsy0zgEa75_T_vsg9V7z2lv5_YRIUbZvQQ88XAj1joSQgXewXx9XF-f6E6q7BOH7VcFg6OutT8NCHGRs0z0x6WfpEr16Td2moVeHVk4ap43y8j3/s1600/IMG_20160520_210245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTH0qMoxfVv6yuHrfj6QxsM5XpwVxSgpsy0zgEa75_T_vsg9V7z2lv5_YRIUbZvQQ88XAj1joSQgXewXx9XF-f6E6q7BOH7VcFg6OutT8NCHGRs0z0x6WfpEr16Td2moVeHVk4ap43y8j3/s400/IMG_20160520_210245.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr"> <br /></div> <div dir="ltr"> By Dele Momodu </div> <div dir="ltr"> Fellow Nigerians, let me say right away that the biggest problem confronting our world today is that of mass unemployment. I have decided to address this issue today as it portends grave danger and unprecedented chaos especially in Africa where we lack even the basic necessities of life. The situation is so dire in our country, Nigeria, and needs to be urgently tackled in order to avert a total breakdown of law and order. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the security challenges Nigeria is battling emanated from this endemic lack of jobs for the young able-bodied men and women who have been driven to the limits of frustration.<br /> Let’s not blow too much grammar and go straight to my humble suggestions. The usual excuse from government quarters for the lack of jobs is that Nigeria is broke. And there is a cast-iron alibi for that hypothesis; the price of our staple export, oil, has suffered a cataclysmic fall. All well and good! But it cannot, and should not, end just like that. We should be honest with ourselves once in a while. I refuse to subscribe to the fact that Nigeria is so broke and comatose that we are merely on life support. I say without any equivocation that a nation as exceptionally endowed as Nigeria is cannot be broke and it is a misnomer to describe ours as a poor country. I know that statistically, our federal budgets are less than the budgets of some multinationals in the “developed” economies but in Africa those budgets are significant and considerable. We are stranded in backwardness because we have all refused to do what we all know we must all do to get out of this monumental mess.<br /> I repeat, Nigeria is still potentially one of the wealthiest nations on earth. Our potential wealth derives from our significant population, great human potential and uncommon natural resources, all three of which we have blatantly refused to harness. Our governments have been groping hopelessly in darkness by refusing to perform their rudimentary role of laying the basic but solid foundation for our ultimate launch into the orbit of civilisation.<br /> Nigeria is moderately rich but the riches are still being wasted and frittered away by politicians, civil servants, technocrats, and all of us. But the biggest blame naturally should go to the various governments. The amount being spent on servicing our leaders alone is enough to grow many nations. Nigerian leaders are still the most outlandishly expensive and excessively flamboyant in the world. This is the reason every government appointment is a big deal to every appointee. And it has become almost impossible to get certain appointments without the intervention of godfathers and this works to the detriment of meritocracy. Some of the best brains in Nigeria today have been left in the lurch for that ungodly reason. It is sad to note that this is not about to change soon. And naturally, once you enthrone mediocracy at any stage, you can only expect that mediocre to plumb the depths for an even more mediocre person in order to look better than the next person! A vicious cycle is thus perpetuated.<br /> Nigeria is great and we have a President who is generally believed to be incorruptible but he now seems manacled hands and legs and by politics, politicians and a volatile Constitution that makes it impossible for him to take certain drastic decisions that may help the nation. He is no longer a military dictator (he shed that toga over 30 years ago), he is now a born again democrat who ordinarily must take certain instructions from a political party that finally catapulted him to power. Appointments must be shared on recommendations that are often based on primordial sentiments. And Nigerian leaders are expected to be controlled from the geographical regions that produced them, which means certain strategic appointments must be considered and made no matter how senseless they may appear to ordinary folk.<br /> I do not envy President Muhammadu Buhari. He obviously wanted to be President so badly that he contested for an unprecedented four times spanning 12 agonising years but I’m sure he did not bargain for what he is getting now. He no longer has the power he had between 1983 to 1985. It takes time and mental energy to navigate the polluted waters of Nigerian politics. This is why many Nigerians think he is slow and underperforming but it can’t be entirely his fault if we want to be fair to him at all. Head or tail, whatever he does is subject to controversy. The biggest headache he has is his avowed war against corruption. No matter his actions in this area, he would always be accused of bias. How would he investigate and prosecute the big toads in his party without endangering his own platform? While he is busy trying to unravel this jigsaw, the people continue to suffer especially our unemployed youths.<br /> On the other hand, nobody can gainsay the progress made by President Buhari in the area of security particularly the success in the war against Boko Haram.<br /> The relocation of the Nigerian Military Command Centre to Maiduguri, since late May 2015, has contributed in no small measure to the success witnessed by this administration in the fight against insurgency and terrorism in the North Eastern part of the country. Since December 2015, the well-motivated, better equipped and rejuvenated Nigerian military have regained all Nigerian territories previously under Boko Haram control. Continuous monitoring of activities, in the formerly war torn region, through the use of satellite images and geographical information system has helped in fighting insurgency and succeeded in strategizing against the enemy with the resultant successes both in containing the terrorist menace and in rescuing victims. As at February 2016, the total number of persons rescued by the Nigerian troops during the ongoing operations in the North East came to almost 12,000 persons. The introduction of the motor cycle battalion which was established to enable the Nigerian Army travel to remote areas that were not previously accessible to cars/trucks has greatly contributed to the success enjoyed by the military against Boko Haram. As I posit further below, employment is one of the major issues that this Government and future governments must grapple with if Nigeria is to emerge from the doldrums that have depressed us into regression and lack. One of the ways that the insurgency we are fighting can be turned into a positive is in the employment which can ensue. There is a need not just for additional soldiers but also for policemen, immigration officers and customs officers. The porous nature of our borders is a strong contributory factor for the insurgency that has threatened to destroy the very fabric of our society and there is a need for more hands to be recruited to deal with the scourge.<br /> Where then do we go from here? There are decisions that can be taken without much fuss. The first is that the cost of governance must be crashed and crushed urgently. This would have to go beyond the superficial instructions to Ministers not to fly first class or reduction in salaries. We all know where the largesse is usually hidden and it is in over-inflated contracts and gratifications for favours granted against due process. That is the most difficult battle. But we can start from stopping the tradition that allows government operatives to act like every day is Christmas. I have said repeatedly that we cannot practise capitalism without capital. The austerity measure should start from the very top. The Federal Government is still too large and unwieldy. If no conscious effort is made to reduce the atrociously high bills then Nigeria is doomed.<br /> Let us sell off most of our Presidential jets and choppers. Let our public officials begin to fly Arik (at least this airline has some new planes that fly across Africa, Europe and America) and save the country from maintenance costs of the current flights of fancy. Nigeria will gain a lot from this. Arik will be able to upgrade its current fleet and employ more Nigerians from government patronage. Most of the Presidential jets are either idle most of the time or used for frivolous trips. Let government functionaries face the task of rebuilding Nigeria and stop the culture of travelling at the slightest opportunity. No one can accept Nigeria is broke with the way and manner we gallivant about and waste government resources.<br /> I expect Nigeria to instantly earn over N20 billion from selling off most of those jets. Do you know what that can do for our youths? I will tell you based on my projection when I contested the Presidential election in 2011. My blueprint was similar to what eventually became YouWin in the Jonathan administration. N20 billion will empower 20,000 millionaire entrepreneurs who are able to employ 10 to 20 people immediately. N100 billion will create 100,000 millionaire businessmen and women. The indirect employment that would be further created and generated by this direct employment can only best be imagined.<br /> One of the best initiatives of the Jonathan government for me was YouWin and it must be urgently re-energised to power our job revolution. It must be noted that it must not be another job for political appointees but for a committee of already made men and women like Dr Tony Elumelu who can work without expecting any remuneration from government. If Dr Elumelu can set aside $100m, over a period of ten years, to empower African youths, why can’t our governments, at different tiers, emulate such private foundations?<br /> Nigeria needs to get more serious about improving the quality of education speedily and this is not so difficult. Education is the bedrock that can liberate most people from the vestiges of ignorance and poverty. We must return to those days when we had technical colleges to train our poorly prepared artisans. We can borrow a leaf from Ghana where President John Mahama is upgrading polytechnics to universities of technology. Some of our higher institutions that are not so derelict can be upgraded first to the highest standards to compete against the multitude of private institutions. I’m sure most of those in mushroom universities would prefer to have their degrees from Ife, Ibadan, Lagos, Zaria, Maiduguri, Jos, Benin, Ilorin if and when they attain international standards and would be ready to pay for tuition and accommodation. A situation where graduates of English can’t speak or write good English is unacceptable and should be reversed. Educational institutions have the potential of employing many academic and non-academic staff. Many companies would also be delighted to employ some of the world-class graduates produced locally. These days more of those employed are those with academic degrees and job experience from abroad.<br /> The second way to generate employment is by turning serious attention to our dilapidated infrastructure. We must rebuild and rehabilitate our roads, railways, airports, hospitals, and so on like the ones we are seeing in Ghana. I’m always inspired ours is not impossible if Ghana can fix most of its own challenges before our very eyes. Similar progress has been noticed in Rwanda and even Ivory Coast despite the fratricidal wars that ravaged those two countries. The beauty of working on infrastructural development is the opportunity it offers to employ those we used to call “labourers” who are usually in the majority of the labour market. There is dignity in labour and we do our honest, diligent and hardworking “labourers” a great disservice when we scoff at the fantastic contributions they make towards the enhancement and success of our <u>economy</u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div>

Pendulum: TIME TO EASE THE UNEMPLOYMENT LOGJAM

By Dele Momodu  Fellow Nigerians, let me say right away that the biggest problem confronting our world today is that of mass unempl...

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Speed Limit Device On Commercial Vehicles to be implemented From Oct 1st - FRSC

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Speed Limit Device On Commercial Vehicles to be implemented From Oct 1st - FRSC

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Why I Cannot Be Interrogated, Tried for alleged padding - Dogara

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAovpAYqm4nJnx1ErpFR86fZfxrtHCRdcz7QFbeIjPSkrHzGxpnOizGNV4P07v7L6yODuNPL8RbmUU5YpoVIuPVUMQ1gPgcbgLLcbN5tROJXK93RuGGunrnvmRkiLzZDK4rnncIKWBzmba/s1600/Jibrin-300x185-1-300x185-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAovpAYqm4nJnx1ErpFR86fZfxrtHCRdcz7QFbeIjPSkrHzGxpnOizGNV4P07v7L6yODuNPL8RbmUU5YpoVIuPVUMQ1gPgcbgLLcbN5tROJXK93RuGGunrnvmRkiLzZDK4rnncIKWBzmba/s400/Jibrin-300x185-1-300x185-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> </div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Thursday, gave reasons why he failed to surrender himself to be interrogated by the Police Special Investigating Panel over alleged padding of the 2016 budget. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara after inauguration, yesterday. Photos: Olugbemiga Olamikan/ Dogara, who spoke at an interactive session with Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, in Abuja, on one-year review of the 8th House of Representatives Legislative Agenda, said he enjoys statutory protection under the Legislative Houses Powers & Privileges Act.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> The event was organized by the Policy &Legal Advocacy Center, PLAC, in collaboration with the House of Representatives. While responding to questions, the Speaker, maintained that no one or agency has the powers to pry into activities of the House, saying “most of the things we do in the National Assembly are privileged”. According to him, legislative business of the House, “cannot be grounds for any investigation or any procedure or proceeding to be commenced in court against a member of parliament, either the Speaker or even the Senate President, once they are done in exercise of their proper function. “The law is there. Both communications, whatever it is, they are privileged. That is in order to give independence to the legislature. If the legislature is not independent we can’t do anything. If whatever you say on the floor or before a committee or whatever you communicate is subject of litigation then all the members will be in court and at the end of the day when debate come you cannot even air your views”. However, Dogara took time to narrate his own side of the story, stressing that the House of Reps under him, had the powers to tinker with the budget proposal that was sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> Read more</div> :<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/budget-padding-cannot-interrogated-tried-dogara/</span><br /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 5px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"> <br /></div>

Why I Cannot Be Interrogated, Tried for alleged padding - Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Thursday, gave reasons why he failed to surrender himself to be interrogat...

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Wole Soyinka pays courtesy visit to Pres. Buhari in Abuja (photos)

<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-6qxzqxPoac8fp-JU5jMVOl3bFZiDLheb8NVG_EiIKIby3vIEWv2cBMAHcsjw6M53hapMEYSE7BCnn3SxUiud7dKIoLsMnTHDIetnOrJUq_StwkJGYgHmdswdpraNwIEs7kDaVR-fMPk/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-6qxzqxPoac8fp-JU5jMVOl3bFZiDLheb8NVG_EiIKIby3vIEWv2cBMAHcsjw6M53hapMEYSE7BCnn3SxUiud7dKIoLsMnTHDIetnOrJUq_StwkJGYgHmdswdpraNwIEs7kDaVR-fMPk/s400/a.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="400"></a></div> <br>

Wole Soyinka pays courtesy visit to Pres. Buhari in Abuja (photos)

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Hon. Olasupo: We are elected to pad budget

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhth9Yp-x_O58VZZdOH7u7NDiBEGcVQh0zeNWR0CxidtrFdqRYufb-eybaZcjghRzurijS5AiOseLI5GOMUkSota_nNf5lQNoVkz3czacdLOVZ-VZIjD1hCSo4ZeOXskAdFqXtZ3HKXsxE8/s1600/unnamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhth9Yp-x_O58VZZdOH7u7NDiBEGcVQh0zeNWR0CxidtrFdqRYufb-eybaZcjghRzurijS5AiOseLI5GOMUkSota_nNf5lQNoVkz3czacdLOVZ-VZIjD1hCSo4ZeOXskAdFqXtZ3HKXsxE8/s320/unnamed.png" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="274" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: center;"> </div> <b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">As the controversy surrounding the alleged padding of the 2016 budget continues, a member of the </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">House of Representatives and Chairman House Committee on Legislative Compliance, Abiodun Olasupo, says they were elected to pad the budget as it is their constitutional responsibility to pad the budget. According to the Nation, Olasupo said this while inspecting some projects within his constituency in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State yesterday August 10th.</span></b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></a><br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> "If you look at the Nigeria Constitution, what Honourable AbdulMuminin Jibrin refer to as padding is tantamount to what the constitution defines as the function of a member of House of Representative because the constitution guarantees the three major function of making law, appropriation, and over sight. In appropriation it is either for us to add, subtract or change and what Hon Jibrin has been trying to say is that we are changing, inserting and adding, so if that is what he calls padding then that is what the constitution expects the house of representative to do. In my own opinion been an active member during the budget defence, I was involved in the budgeting system of up to six ministries, I participated in FERMA, NAVY, health institutions, governmental agencies and a whole lot of them. The entire budgeting system make it possible that if you are elected as a member of national assembly and you are not ready to do what Muminin Jibrin calls padding then you are a failure, because basically the budget that is been brought to the national assembly does not reflect the principle of federal character as guaranteed by the constitution” he said</blockquote> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Olasupo also said</span><br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> "When the executive are bringing the budget they are not considering my constituency, so they will bring a budget to me and I am expected to approve it, and if it doesn’t have the interest of my constituency you want me to keep quite, no I won’t, what I will also do is to insert what will favour the people of my constituency which is what Jibrin calls padding. I am not saying somebody is wrong or right but I do not see what is bad in attracting projects to my constituency. For the first time in the history of this country a budget presented by the executive was reduced when a president personally presented the budget to the national assembly personally. It means that we are shifting away from impunity, and corruption that has characterized the government of the past.”</blockquote>

Hon. Olasupo: We are elected to pad budget

As the controversy surrounding the alleged padding of the 2016 budget continues, a member of the  House of Representatives and Chairman ...

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Police in Canada shoot dead terror suspect during an anti-terror operation

<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppw5yZzDvRTysNOJLnbA4HMWBkwSED6DrQV8bWNDgiGmxCotQB56AWVKiQNbj6DVcljNnd14bQtGiHQ9023v-76vfz8tpKblcRkGU9l-stvs7s5-euhqZSGH4zCz4HEZXKfjRcXnqW60C/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppw5yZzDvRTysNOJLnbA4HMWBkwSED6DrQV8bWNDgiGmxCotQB56AWVKiQNbj6DVcljNnd14bQtGiHQ9023v-76vfz8tpKblcRkGU9l-stvs7s5-euhqZSGH4zCz4HEZXKfjRcXnqW60C/s400/3.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) today shot dead a suspect in an anti-terror operation in the Canadian province of Ontario, according to several media reports.</span><br /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Canadian media reports say police had raided a property in Strathroy, about 225km (140 miles) south-west of Toronto and the 'terrorist suspect' named  as Aaron Driver, 24,  was arrested last year for openly supporting ISIS on social media.</div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></a> </div> <div class="separator" style="border: 0px none; clear: both; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> RCMP said in a statement  it had received "credible information of a potential terrorist threat".</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> "A suspect was identified and the proper course of action has been taken to ensure that there is no danger to the public's safety," it added.</div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">  </div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> "As this is still an unfolding matter and the investigation is still under way, we are not able to provide further comment at this time."</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> According to CTV network, his alleged plan was to use a homemade bomb to create mass casualties.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Driver, a Muslim convert, came to the authorities' attention in 2014 for tweeting in support of IS, using the alias Harun Abdourahman.</div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> He was taken into custody and interrogated by police in July 2015 over concerns he would become involved in planning an attack.</div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">  </div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Aaron was not charged, but released on bail and had to wear a GPS ankle bracelet and undergo religious counselling. </div> <div style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Aaron's family have confirmed his death.</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br style="border: 0px none; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Source: BBC</div>

Police in Canada shoot dead terror suspect during an anti-terror operation

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) today shot dead a suspect in an anti-terror operation in the Canadian province of Ontario, accord...

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Pres. Buhari: Crashed oil price has made Nigeria a poor country

<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4gYNKNOUtoRWb-29ZON6k9g3xvxN93eRfSN6-2CY7OLOK706IxGQFXGFsviyS8wDmQSDIGDyYqByuVdzj-Y2VQInrxm5yqdlqE-FubZCHf8zzVsnDc43UM_tCT1ltSPCA2KiWPfAWj8B/s1600/l.png" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px none; color: #990000; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4gYNKNOUtoRWb-29ZON6k9g3xvxN93eRfSN6-2CY7OLOK706IxGQFXGFsviyS8wDmQSDIGDyYqByuVdzj-Y2VQInrxm5yqdlqE-FubZCHf8zzVsnDc43UM_tCT1ltSPCA2KiWPfAWj8B/s400/l.png" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">President Buhari today said the sudden fall in oil price in the international market has made Nigeria to become a poor country. He said this while speaking at a meeting with the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and under secretary-general of the United Nations, Babatunde Osotimehin, at the state House Abuja today August 11th </span><br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “It has been a very difficult year for Nigeria. Before we came to office, petroleum sold for about $100 per barrel. Then it crashed to $37, and now oscillates between $40 and $45 per barrel. Suddenly, we’re a poor country, but commitment to transparency and accountability is not making people know that there is severe shortage.”he said</blockquote>

Pres. Buhari: Crashed oil price has made Nigeria a poor country

President Buhari today said the sudden fall in oil price in the international market has made Nigeria to become a poor country. He said th...

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El-Rufai accuses CBN of causing massive job loss all over the country

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5plid_3cCEw2r9GDFt6dK-03coyWPWfUQxJ6Mh8HkucI9fWgND9vesgosIxRcEgG19c6tTHYcRiK7QTx7V8vCJEiJv7jtbhogRS-Pu4LnL3xUToGpeoaPa5NGDYhWCQ80EmYpfDyUbQa/s1600/1a2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5plid_3cCEw2r9GDFt6dK-03coyWPWfUQxJ6Mh8HkucI9fWgND9vesgosIxRcEgG19c6tTHYcRiK7QTx7V8vCJEiJv7jtbhogRS-Pu4LnL3xUToGpeoaPa5NGDYhWCQ80EmYpfDyUbQa/s400/1a2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, at a special edition roundtable organised by Women in Business, a non-profit women advocacy organisation, in Abuja on Wednesday, lamented the Central Bank’s prevailing fiscal regime, saying the bank’s 14% monetary policy rate has led to massive job losses all over the country. He added that CBN risked losing its power to set lending rates for commercial banks unless it immediately addresses the current dire situation.<br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><br /> He said only those who don't operate genuine business could successfully operate under the current fiscal policy atmosphere.<br /> He said:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> “We have a Central Bank that has an MPR at - what?- 14%  and banks lending at 20%. Only traders and drug dealers can make money at this interest rate. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> “I have said it before and I will repeat it again, unless the Central Bank and the banking system make a conscious decision to bring interest rate down, one day we would legislate it.” </blockquote>

El-Rufai accuses CBN of causing massive job loss all over the country

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, at a special edition roundtable organised by Women in Business, a non-profit women advocacy o...

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