Buhari appoints Adesina, Shehu as spokesmen

President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the first set of appointments into his administration.
The President on Sunday evening, named Mr Femi Adesina and Mal. Garba Shehu as his spokesmen. Femi Adesina will serve as Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) while Garba Shehu will be the new Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity).
The President has also approved the appointment of Mal. Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure as the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP).
Mr Adesina is the current President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and serves as the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers.
Garba Shehu served as the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. He was the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors sixteen years ago.
Abdullahi Kazaure is a career Foreign Service official and currently serves in Aso Rock Villa as a Special Assistant (Presidential Matters).

Vanguard News

Over 60 persons burnt to death in Onitsha petrol tanker accident (graphic images)

No fewer than 69 persons were burnt to death Sunday evening when a trailer loaded with Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as petrol that was descending from Army barracks side of Onitsha Enugu express way lost control and rammed into the Asaba Motor Park at Upper Iweka Onitsha and exploded.
Eleven vehicles mostly commuter buses and two motorcycles inside the Asaba Park Onitsha including the 40 foot tanker laden with petrol burnt beyond repairs inside the park.
Governor Willie Obiano and the Anambra State Commissioner wept on seeing the number casualties when they visited the scene of the accident, the Governor told the relations of the victims to take heart and promised that the state will help in ensuring that the living victims are well taken care of in their respective hospitals

The Nigerian Red Cross Society officials were the first to arrive at the scene of the incident, and according to its Chairman Prof. Peter Emeka Kathy “we have sixty nine burnt to dead persons as at now, there are other 30 casualties, a casualty is a living person, a dead person is no longer a casualty, so 69 persons are dead, and they have been evaluated to various mortuaries in Onitsha, from Toronto to St Charles Boromneo Mortuaries and others in town”.

See photos after the cut:

Buhari Appoints Secretary to the Government of the Federation

Barely 72-hours after former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, was inaugurated as Nigeria’s president,  he has appointed Ogbonaya Onu as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

Dr Ogbonaya Onu, the new SGF.

This detail was made public moments ago by the APC Situation room.

Though this latest development has not been confirmed by the presidency, we bring to you five episodes of Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s biography:

1. Date of birth: December 1, 1951.

2. State of origin: Ebonyi (Ohaozara LGA).

3. Eductaion: Izzi High School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; the College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu (distinctions in physics and chemistry); UNILAG (chemical engineering, 1976); University of California, Berkeley, California, USA (PhD in chemical engineering, 1980)

4. Professorial career:
– president general of  Izzi High School, Abakaliki, Old Boys Association;
– teaching at St Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi state;
– teaching at the University of Port Harcourt. He served as the acting dean of the University’s Faculty of Engineering and was also elected as a Member of the Governing Council of the university;
– president of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, the chairman of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers of Old Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States’ Chapter;
– the pioneer National President of the Raw Materials Society of Nigeria;
– a member of the First Board of Governors of the Federal Government Raw Materials Research and Development Council;
– founded the Abia State Polytechnic at Aba, the College of Technical Education in Arochukwu and attracted the Michael Okpara Federal University of Agriculture at Umudike, near Umuahia;
– established the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State, the National Ambassador Newspapers.

Dr Onu is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. He was also one of the longest served Directors of the Nigeria Cement Company, Nigercem, Nkalagu, Ebonyi state. He was the Visitor of Abia State University, Uturu.

5. Political career:

– elected the first governor of old Abia State (1991);
– the first chairman, Conference of Nigerian elected Governors;
– the first presidential flag-bearer (1999) of the then All Peoples Party, later transformed into the All Nigeria Peoples Party. He remained in the ANPP since its creation in 1998, till its merge into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013;
– the national chairman of the now-defunct ANPP since September 2010. Dr Onu entered the dialogue with the now-defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and other political parties. The common efforts resulted in the historic emergence of the APC, on July 31, 2013.

Dr Onu and other party leaders willingly gave up their positions as INEC withdrew the registration of the ACN, the ANPP and the CPC.

His emergence as the SGF was predicted earlier by the analysts, who said it was only Rotimi Amaechi who could have challenged this appointment.

Wike sworn-in, reinstates sacked lecturers, appoints Chief Judge

Newly sworn-in Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has announced the appointment of Justice Daisy Okocha as the Chief Judge of the state.
Wike made the appointment in his inaugural speech immediately after being sworn-in by the Chief Judge of Bayelsa state, Justice Kate Abiri.
He also directed that all the state owned courts which has been under lock be opened with immediate effect.
The new governor further announced the reinstatement of some Lecturers of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology who were relieved by the Amaechi-led administration.

Judiciary crisis: NBA suspends Amaechi’s aide

Following the lingering judicial crisis in Rivers State, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Worgu Boms, was on Thursday suspended by the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt branch.The NBA took the decision to suspend Boms and declare him a persona non grata during the association’s meeting in Port Harcourt, presided over by the Chairman of the branch, Mr. Dennis Okwamkpan.
The NBA explained that the actions and declarations of the state attorney general had been detrimental to the welfare and survival of lawyers in the state.

Ninety-two members of NBA had voted in favour of sanctioning the Justice commissioner while 18 voted against the decision. Twenty persons were, however, absent at the meeting.

It will be recalled that the courts in the state had remained under lock and key since June 9, 2014, a development that had made it impossible for litigants to take their grievances to court while the accused have not been able to defend themselves in court.

Okwamkpan explained that parts of the resolutions at the meeting were, “That the Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms, is hereby declared a persona non grata.

“That Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice,. Worgu Boms, is hereby suspended from all the activities of the NBA, Port Harcourt branch, for the time being.

“He was suspended for his gross insensitivity to the plight of lawyers in the state following the closure of courts since June 9, 2014. He was also suspended from the NBA for his actions and declarations, which are detrimental and impacted negatively on the welfare of lawyers in Rivers State.

“He was suspended for his questionable role in the closure and continued closure of the courts in the state. We see that his role in the continued closure of the court is questionable.

“We feel that as an attorney general, he has not lived up to the expectations of that office and he did not do what was expected of him as a stakeholder in the justice sector, that is why the courts have remained shut.”

source:Punch

Dear Nigerians, meet our new president, Mohammadu Buhari (pics)

Mohammadu Buhari has been sworn-in as the president of Nigeria! Congrats to him. More photos after the cut...

Two teen brothers build mobile web browser

The duo of Osine Ikhianosime and Anesi Ikhianosime have rekindled hope in the future of nigeria as they entered their names in the catalogue of application developers when they built a mobile web browser that is already in use globally. Osine Ikhianosime 13, and Anesi Ikhianosime 15 who co-developed ‘Crocodile Browser Lite’ were born of same parents and both are Year nine and 11 students of Greensprings School, Anthony Campus, Lagos. While both brothers write code, Anesi designs the user interface.

Osine Ikhianosine and Anesi Ikhianosime

Osine and Anesi launched the mobile browser on the Mobango app store before moving to Google Play Store to try and reach a wider audience. As you read this piece, the browser currently has around 100 to 500 downloads and they do not have ads in the app yet. They both began developing an Android web browser, which they named Crocodile Browser Lite, about a year ago out of boredom.
Due to their strong interest  in technology, they decided to create a functional, fast browser for feature and low end phones because, according to them, “We were fed up with Google Chrome.” Osine who told TechCabal in his pitch mail said: ‘’I write the code, my brother designs it.”
Born April 28, 2001, his interest in computers began at age seven. It was also at this age that he and his brother, Anesi Ikhianosime, who was 9 at the time, came up with the idea of starting a company.
Recalling how it started, Osine said, they first named it ‘Doors’ with Microsoft’s Windows, but when they discovered that the name was already in use, they had to change the name to BluDoors. Relating his experience, Osine said: ‘’When we decided to learn to code at age 12 and 14 respectively, I didn’t let my uncle’s belief that it would be a tough feat to achieve deter me.”
On his part, Anesi said: “I learnt to code by myself. I started in 2013, I used sites like Code Academy, Code Avengers and books like ‘Android for Game Development’ and ‘Games for Dummies’,” said Anesi. Meanwhile their mother, Mrs Ngozi Ikhianosime, who is a Mathematics teacher said: “Osine could already use a PC before he could read at age three. It is all he does since he learnt to code.”
The mother who ascribed the success to Greensprings Schools, said students of the school have access to computer and internet facilities, just as personal laptops are made available to each of them at home. “After Anesi is through with his secondary school education, he will attend A levels, after which he will go to MIT in Boston for his first degree, because the university has the facilities he needs to learn.” She said.
Their father Mr Philip Ikhianosime, who is the Head of Management Services and Human Resource Manager at an Insurance Company says the boys developed interest in PC usage very early. He agrees as well, that his children’s school is very instrumental in their continued interest in programming.
Anesi says that he’d like to develop another app that solves real social problems, such as traffic and communication. The brothers are releasing a new version of Crocodile Browser Lite 3.0 this April

By Dayo Adesulu
Vanguard News

BREAKING NEWS: Adesina elected as AfDB president

Nigeria’s outgoing Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, on Thursday emerged the 8th President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Mr. Adesina, 55, will succeed incumbent president, Donald Kaberuka, at the end of his second term as President of the Bank in August 2015.
The new AfDB President emerged winner at the end of the election conducted by the Board of the Bank during the annual meeting of the African Development Bank Group in Abidjan.
Mr. Adesina’s victory was announced by the Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire, Albert Toikeusse Mabri, who is currently the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Bank.
Mr. Adesina defeated seven other candidates, including Sufian Ahmed, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development of Ethiopia; Jaloul Ayed, President, MED Confederation of Tunisia; Kordjé Bedoumra, Minister of Finance and Budget, Republic of Chad; and Cristina Duarte, Cape Verdean Minister of Finance and Planning, who was also a former Director, Private sector development and competitiveness programme, World Bank Project, Cape Verde.
The others were Samura Kamara, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone;  Thomas Sakala, a Zimbabwean and former Vice-President, Country and Regional Programmes, AfDB; and Birama Sidibé, a  Malian, who is also Vice-President, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The election was held in line with the amended rules of procedure governing the election of the President of the African Development Bank (Article 1).
The amendment requires that the bank holds election for its President during the Annual Meeting.
Mr. Adesina’s ambition to head the body was supported by President Goodluck Jonathan and the incoming president, Muhammadu Buhari.
He will assume office on September 1, 2015.
The AfDB operates under the leadership of the President, who serves as its legal representative, and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and the Chief of Staff of the Bank.
The President conducts the business of the bank, under the direction of the Board of Directors.
The President is elected by the Board of Governors and serves a five-year term, renewable once.
The current President, Donald Kaberuka, a national of Rwanda, was elected in July 2005, and commenced his first term on September 1, 2005.
Following his re-election in May 2010, he commenced his last five-year term on September 1 2010.
Below is a brief biography of Mr. Adesina as published on the website of Nigeria's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Dr. Adesina is a distinguished agricultural development expert with 24 years of experience in developing and managing successful agricultural programmes across Africa.


He graduated with Bachelors degree in Agricultural Economics with First Class Honours from the University of Ife, Nigeria (1981), where he was the first student to be awarded this distinction by the University. He obtained his PhD degree in Agricultural Economics in 1988 from Purdue University, USA, where he won the Outstanding PhD Thesis for his research work.
Until his appointment as the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2011, he was the Vice President, Policy and Partnerships Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Dr. Adesina has held senior leadership positions in some of the foremost agricultural institutions in the world.
He was Principal Economist and Social Science Coordinator for the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan (1995-1998); Principal Economist and Coordinator of the West Africa Rice Economics Task Force at the West Africa Rice Development Association (1990-1995); and Assistant Principal Economist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. He was Associate Director, Food Security at the Rockefeller Foundation where he was in senior leadership positions from 1998- 2008; Regional Office Director and Representative for Southern Africa.
He has published extensively and served on Editorial Boards of several leading journals. He was the President of the African Association of Agricultural Economists from 2008-2010. He has received several international awards for his work and leadership in agriculture.
In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious YARA Prize in Oslo, Norway, for his leadership in pioneering innovative approaches for improving farmers’ access to agricultural inputs in Africa. He was awarded the Borlaug CAST Award in 2010 by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, USA, for his global leadership in agricultural science and technology. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University in 2008 and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Obafemi Awolowo University, in 2009. He was awarded Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Franklin and Marshall College, USA, in 2010 for his global leadership on agriculture and improving the lives and livelihoods of the poor.
He was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon as one of the 17 global leaders to spearhead the Millennium Development Goals. His passion is to use agriculture to end hunger, create wealth and jobs and drive equitable economic growth in Africa to lift millions out of poverty. He has brought that passion to his native home Nigeria, in his present position as the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, where he is already spearheading major reforms to transform Nigerian agriculture.

Jonathan formally submits handover notes to Buhari

President Goodluck Jonathan has formally submitted his handover notes to President elect Muhammadu Buhari.
The president handed over the notes on Thursday at the council chamber of the State House, Abuja.
Mr. Jonathan also presented a copy of the report of the National Conference which held in 2014, to Mr. Buhari.
The presentation was made after the outgoing president took the incoming president and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo, around the Aso Rock presidential villa.
Mr. Buhari will be officially inaugurated tomorrow, Friday, as Nigeria’s new president. He won the March 28 election.

Anambra State Government announces ban on Motorcycles, Tricycles from 1st of June, 2016

Anambra State government has followed in the footsteps of Lagos state to ban motorcycles (Okada) and tricyles (Keke Napep) from operating the major highways in the state with effect from June 1, 2015, Daily Independent reports. In a statement jointly signed by Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Uju Nwogu; and the Commissioner for Transport, Chuma Mbonu, in Awka, the state capital, the state government said the new regulation affects all private and commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators.

Hence, it would be illegal for all motorcycles either private or commercial to ply the designated roads.

In Awka, it will be forbidden to ply Enugu-Onitsha expressway, Arthur Eze Avenue and Ziks Avenue, while in Onitsha, okada and keke should not be found on Onitsha-Owerri expressway, Awka Road, Borromeo-Upper Iweka-Bridge Head road, Old and New Market roads and Oguta Road.

In Nnewi, Nnewi- Nnobi road and Nnewi – Oba road are expected to be okada and keke free. These roads are believed to be the busiest in the state.

The government said all commuters who want to use the aformentioned roads are to use tricycles or the taxis and buses provided by the state government and other commercial vehicle owners. Also, it will be illegal for tricycles to ply the expressway both in Awka and Onitsha.

The government said law enforcement agencies, in the state have been directed to ensure strict compliance to the directive, warning that failure to comply will lead to confiscation of the cycle(s) on payment of N5,000 and N10,000, respectively to serve as a deterrence.

The statement said, “Any motorcycle or tricycle operator caught violating this directive will have his motorcycle or tricycle impounded, retrievable by the payment of a fine of five thousand naira for motorcycles and ten thousand naira for tricycles for first offenders.

“Subsequent arrest for a second violation of this directive will attract outright confiscation of the motorcycle or tricycle by the state government.” News of the ban will not sit well with the operators who had on Monday announced that they will resist any attempt by Governor Obiano to ban their operations in parts of the state.

The motorcyclists under the platform of Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN), issued a warning that  the ban on their operations in the state will lead to a surge in crime rate because some people will be unemployed.

GRAPHIC IMAGE: Power Bank Electrocutes Sleeping Ghanian Girl

A young Ghanian girl identified as Blandine was on the 25th of May, 2015 electrocuted to death after the power bank she was charging her phone with got overheated and stuck to her skin.

The report gotten from Dumsor, Ghana says that she was chatting with friends when she fell asleep having placed the power bank which she connected her phone to, on her breast area. She had connected the power bank to an electricicity source in order for it to charge when power is restored. As power was restored to her area, there was power surge which got the power bank heated and stuck to her naked skin electrocuting her to death. Her parents found her dead in the morning.

See her picture below:

So sad!

Internal Democracy: APC feels the heat

The internal disagreement within the All Progressives Congress, APC on who emerges Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives is a new dimension to the end of impunity the party promised in its election campaign.

Senator Lawali Shuaibu, the Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC smiled wryly not too long ago when Vanguard sought his opinion on what it was like to be transformed from 16 years of playing opposition politics to inclusion in the camp of the ruling party.
“I have also asked myself and I remember telling my colleagues in the National Working Committee that we have to be a little careful this time because we are now the hunted and no more the hunters,” the former Senate Minority leader said in an interview.
His smile and reference to a transformation of roles from hunter to the hunted is now a matter of worry among the different contenders for prime position in the new government about to be formed by the APC.

Danjuma Goje, Bukola Saraki,Abdullahi Adamu and George Akume
Just as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the APC National Working Committee had zoned many of the offices about to be shared among the zones. That zoning had projected the office of Senate President towards the North Central, but no sooner had the decision on the Speaker of the House of Representatives been made it was immediately engulfed in controversy over the real intentions of the NWC. Some reports had it that it was zoned to the Southwest while some others had it that it was zoned to the Northeast, but whatever, the decision on the speakership tore the party hierarchy into two, leading to the crisis that has just emerged.
Remarkably, an internal party retreat for senators-elect on the platform of the party last weekend ended in a fiasco after contenders for the office of Senate President broke the meeting into two. The senators-elect are divided into two camps, the Bukola Saraki bloc and the Ahmad Lawan/George Akume bloc.
Another meeting with members-elect of the House of Representatives that started last night to end today, it is now feared, may end up similarly in controversy.


Ahead of the meeting supporters of one of the popular candidates for speaker, Yakubu Dogara issued a statement announcing that 213 members-elect had endorsed their man for the post of speaker.
That was followed almost by the revelation by supporters of his main rival, Femi Gbajabiamila, who claimed to have garnered 179 members-elect in support of his aspiration. Their claim was also buttressed by the assertion that Gbajabiamila should ease into the position on the premise that as the outgoing minority leader, that he has paid the price.
Their point was, however, not much of a soothing comfort to supporters of Dogara, who are pointing at what they describe as his outstanding qualities in their support for him.
Remarkably, members of the APC are concerned about the development but reassure themselves that the unfolding development is all part of the internal democracy that many of them criticised was absent in the PDP.
It is thus significant that a number of the concerned party members have called for the unfolding democratic experience to be allowed to go the full hog without the intervention of party leaders.
Particularly, some are anxious that the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari may intervene into the process. However, sources disclosed that repeated efforts by interested stakeholders to get the president-elect to intervene into the issue have been rebuffed by Buhari who has insisted that the election of the principal officers of the legislature should be left in their hands.
In an interview with the Sunday Trust, Buhari had said as much.
“The National Assembly has its own standard of picking its leadership and it is not for me, the president-elect, to come and pretend that whatever happens it is I, the president-elect, who should determine it. I don’t want to start on the wrong footing with the National Assembly,” Buhari had been quoted as saying in an interview.
It is a development that has understandably gotten some members of the party on edge. Especially affected are those whose aspiration are being pushed on the patronage of party leaders who it is feared may come out worse in a competitive contest on the floor of the House or in an internal caucus of the party.
Noting his determination not to intervene into the emergence of the new National Assembly leadership, Buhari in the same interview said:
“Constitutionally, we are three separate arms of government – the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. For example, I cannot say that once I am sworn-in I will change the set of the Supreme Court judges. It is not possible. Neither is it possible for me to come out, and I say I want this person for Senate President, or I want that person to lead the House of Representatives. I think it is wrong, and I cannot come out to support anybody for the leadership of the legislature because they have their ranking, as they call it.”
Buhari’s decision to stay aloof in the emergence of the new National Assembly leadership is undoubtedly a result of the experience of what happened in the relationship between his predecessors and the National Assembly.
All the presidents who sought to foist leadership on the National Assembly had problems with the legislators. Of particular mention were President Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.
Indeed, in the House of Representatives members who are smarting from the way and manner they rebuffed Jonathan’s aspiration to foist Mulikat Akande on the House in 2011 are vowing to do a repeat with Dogara if the party leadership that they claimed is inclined towards Gbajabiamila decides to foist him without an internal competitive process.
Besides the reference to the Aminu Tambuwal uprising, party stakeholders are also drawing the attention of the party to the fact that President Jonathan’s problems within the PDP was exacerbated by his decision to recognise Governor Jonah Jang who polled 16 against the majority decision of 19 governors who supported Rotimi Amaechi in the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF leadership election.
The APC as it is now is pitched between the devil and the deep blue sea on how it resolves the issue of the leadership contest. On one hand, a number of stakeholders are calling on the party to adhere to the principle of zoning and implement the zoning policy articulated by the party’s NWC. On the other hand a number of stakeholders are in support of the claim by the interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande who told newsmen in Lagos last week that there was nothing like zoning in the party.
Those who flay the claim say that the emergence of some of the party’s victorious candidates, notably, Akinwunmi Ambode as governor of Lagos State was on the basis of zoning.
Whether it is in the Senate or in the House of Representatives, positions have been taken by many members of the Eight National Assembly putting the party in a quandary on what to do should any of the losing contenders lose. Such worries are indeed reflective of a change that the party promised in the period leading to the election; to wit, that impunity would be brought an end.

Jonathan to Buhari: Don’t limit probe to my administration

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday said any probe to be done by the incoming government of President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, should not be limited to his administration alone.

Speaking during the valedictory meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja, the President said that those calling for probe should ensure it goes beyond his administration.
Limiting the probe to his administration, he said, will amount to witch hunting.
According to him, his administration has done its best for Nigeria.
He also disclosed that the cabinet will be dissolved at the end of all official functions on Thursday.

Nigerian Asisat Oshoala Wins The Inaugural BBC Women's Footballer Of The Year (photos)

Nigerian National Women’s Team footballer, Asisat Oshoala, was announced winner of BBC’s Inaugural Women’s Footballer of the Year award. Oshoala also plays for Liverpool based in the United Kingdom.

The 20-year-old was a key player in the Under-20s World Cup Tournament in Canada last summer, and helped the senior Nigerian team win the African Women's Championship in October.

Oshoala beat Spain's Veronica Boquete, German Nadine Kessler, Scot Kim Little, and Brazilian Marta in the BBC World Service honour, which was voted on by football fans around the world.

This January she was the first African player to be signed to the Football Association Women's Super League in Britain.

We Lied to Nigerians, Sure-P Fund Does Not Exist: Gov. Aliyu

Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, on Tuesday maintained that fuel subsidy is a major source of corruption in the country.

Aliyu added that funds believed to be coming from SURE-P are actually from the federation account.

The governor said this in Minna at the inauguration of a three-star hotel constructed jointly by the Niger State Development Company Limited and the State SURE-P.

He believed that a total removal of subsidy from petroleum products by the Federal Government remains the best solution to stop the endemic corruption in the system.

Aliyu said, “I have been vindicated. When some years back I took a principled position as one of the few governors who said ‘remove fuel subsidy’. It is a cartel for corruption.

“Many people did not understand that time, some publicists didn’t agree with me. They said ‘don’t remove it, it is the common man that will suffer’, but I said ‘which common man, when already the time you are talking about subsidy, the common man goes to buy it triple the price, that you call subsidy’.

“Earlier, we deceived ourselves that there was SURE-P money, but it was the money from our federation account that they were giving to us as SURE-P fund. But we are happy, at least they have set that aside. For me, you will remember when I said ‘remove fuel subsidy’, they burnt my town. People were imported from outside to burn Minna.

“There is no government out there, you are the government. Anything that is done, is for your welfare, own it, take it and don’t allow somebody to come and reduce you and make you a pauper and then he will go back to his village and start sinking things. Own what is yours. Government is not all about the officials alone.

“Therefore, I ask, subsidy for whom? In the whole of Niger State at that time, even the government’s fuel station were not selling at the subsidised rate. Yes, they were selling lower than the commercial filling stations, but they are also above the subsidised rate.

“Why were we having the problems? It is because those who have been enjoying the subsidy have seen the sign that it may be removed and they are afraid. Subsidy is a cartel for corruption.

“People must know how their resources are being expended. I kept crying that we could not rely on the oil revenue. Now, the truth has come in our own time. I thought we will leave the scene before the crash, but the crash has come.

“The removal of fuel subsidy will also ensure the activities of ‘mafias’ in the oil business are stopped while also guaranteeing regular supply of the product in all parts of the country.”

Source: Punch

Photos: Top FIFA officials arrested in Zurich this morning for collecting bribe

As FIFA leaders gathered for a meeting in the 5-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich this morning May 27th, Swiss law enforcement officials arrived unannounced and arrested 7 of the highest-ranking football officials in the world, at the request of the US Department of Justice.
Read full story below..
Seven FIFA officials were arrested in dawn raids on charges of receiving millions of US dollars in bribes. A separate criminal investigation into the how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated was also launched by Swiss authorities.
Sepp Blatter faces Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in Friday's election as he seeks a fifth term as FIFA president.

Fifa, world football's governing body, has been dogged by allegations of corruption and wrongdoing in recent years.

The latest developments are another major blow, although Fifa communications director Walter De Gregorio insisted the organisation was continuing to reform.

"This is good for Fifa," he told a news conference following news of the arrests. "It hurts, it is not easy, but it confirms we are on the right track."

The seven Fifa officials were arrested after the US Department of Justice issued a 47-count indictment charging 14 defendants with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in a 24-year scheme.
"The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted," said New York attorney general Loretta Lynch.
"It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks."

The charges allege:
Nine current or former Fifa officials, including Jeffrey Webb and former Fifa vice president Jack Warner, charged with corruption. Four individual and two corporate defendants - including former Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer and Warner's son Darayn plead guilty.
Alleged scheme "fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created uneven playing field"
"Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks and bribes became a way of doing business at Fifa" - US DOJ.
Majority of the scheme involved corruption over media and marketing rights to matches and tournaments.

Here Are the FIFA Officials Indicted on Corruption Charges of up to $100million

Jeffrey Webb: President of Concacaf, one of the six regional confederations that compose FIFA, and vice president of FIFA
Jack Warner: Former president of Concacaf and vice president of FIFA
Eugenio Figueredo: Former president of Conmebol, the South American federation, and outgoing FIFA vice president
Eduardo Li: President of Costa Rican federation, set to join FIFA executive committee this week
Julio Rocha: President of Nicaraguan association
Costas Takkas: Former president of Cayman Islands federation
Rafael Esquivel: President of Venezuelan association since 1988
José Maria Marin: Former president of Brazil’s federation
Nicolás Leoz: Former president of Conmebol and former member of FIFA executive committee
Alejandro Burzaco: Argentine sports media executive
Aaron Davidson: President of Traffic Sports USA — a promoter of soccer events — and chairman of the board of North American Soccer League
Hugo Jinkis: Soccer media executive
Mariano Jinkis: Soccer media executive
José Margulies: Charged as intermediary who facilitated illegal payments
What About Sepp Blatter?
Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA since 1998, was not charged, though the soccer officials who were indicted might present prosecutors with information that is damaging to Mr. Blatter. An election, seemingly pre-ordained to give Mr. Blatter a fifth term as president, is scheduled for Friday in Zurich. It will go on as planned, a FIFA spokesman said.

Source: BBC/New York Times

OMG!!! See what a lady claims she found in her Chivita juice pack, NAFDAC reacts

Unbelievable! This lady claims she saw whatever that is in her pack of Juice and shared photos on instagram. Someone CCed NAFDAC and they have asked the lady to bring the pack to their office so they can investigate. NAFDAC recently shut down Chocolat Royale over expired goods so I guess they are taking these things very seriously now.

See more photos after the break:

APC denies Bukola Saraki's tweet, says they never zoned Senate Presidency to North Central

It appears APC is having a silent battle over who becomes the next senate President. A day ago, Senator Bukola Saraki who is gunning for the seat of the Senate president, tweeted that the party had reaffirmed its position to zone the seat of the Senate Presidency to the North Central.
A few hours later, his claim was refuted by a statement released by the party's National Secretary Mai Mala Buni, which was shared on the Facebook wall of Kaduna governor-elect, Nasir El Rufai.

Recall that the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu had told press men last week that the party will not be zoning the position of the Senate Presidency and that they will not compromise merit during the process for the emergency of a Senate President.
See Saraki's tweet and APC's statement after the break..

PHOTO: Nigerian jailed for 5 years in Cambodia for raping a Norwegian tourist

A 26 year old Nigerian man, Ekwegbalu Ugochukwu Udok, has been sentenced to 5 years in jail by a Municipal court in Cambodia for beating and raping a Norwegian tourist, 27 year old Nodia Ebert, in December 2014. According to the presiding judge, on the day of the incident, the young lady had just stepped out of a night club when she met Udok who pretended to be a taxi driver and asked that she take a ride with him.

“Udok pretended to be a taxi driver, and asked her to take a ride from him. He said that he would bring her to the Okay Boutique Hotel, but instead, he brought her to his rental house. After arriving at his room, he raped her.” the presiding judge, Im Vanak said while presiding over the case.

Udok however says he will be appealing the court's judgement at the Cambodia Supreme court

"I believe that the court’s verdict was unjust for me, and I cannot accept it. I will bring the case to the Appeal Court.” Udok said outside the courtroom.

CHANGE: This is Akwa Ibom - World Class Hospital Commissioned (Photos)

Last week Governor Godswill Akpabio commissioned a World Vlass Specialist Hospital (Ibom Specialist Hospital, ISH) in Akwa Ibom. The hospital has a 308 Beds facility, VIP & VVIP Wards, 1.5 Tesla MRI 640 Slides CT Scan, Digital Mammogrphy, Endoscopy Surgery, Open Heart and Transplant Surgeries, Highly Sophisticated Intensive Care Unit (ICU, Paperless and Pneumatic Delivery Device, Fully Automated Laboratories and Dialysis Units, Medical Glas Plants, Helipad for Emergency Evacuation, 43,560 sqm or 7.8  Ha Landmass, International Certified Operators.

See photos after the break: