HELLO

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the constitution of a Presidential Committee to "constructively engage key members of Boko Haram and define a comprehensive and workable framework for resolving the crisis of insecurity in the country." Announcing the setting up of the committee, a statement by Dr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity stated that the committee's terms of reference will include: -Developing a framework for the granting of amnesty -Setting up of a framework through which disarmament could take place within a 60-day time frame -Development of a comprehensive victims' support programme -Development of mechanisms to address the underlying causes of insurgencies that will help to prevent future occurrences. The committee is made up of the following Nigerians: Committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges in the north 1.Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, Minister of Special Duties - Chairman 2.

Culled from SaharaReporters Three stewards working in the Akwa Ibom state governor's lodge in Asokoro, Abuja were on Friday summarily dismissed by the governor, Godswill Akpabio, over missing bundles of mint fresh dollars valued at over  $250,000 (N40 million) kept in the governor's bedroom. The governor who reportedly issued the instruction to dispense with the services of the political appointees personally found out on Wednesday during his visit to Abuja that four bundles of the foreign currency he left in his bedroom had been stolen while he was gone to a dinner with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa. Saharareporters gathered that the bundles of dollars kept in the drawers  in the governor's bedroom were  leftovers from stacks of hard currency stashed away in a private security safe. The governor reportedly expressed surprise at the theft saying that despite the near impregnable security in the lodge, coupled with the fact that the locks to that s

THE Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Pius Ewherido, has died. The one-time deputy speaker of Delta State House of Assembly re reportedly fell down three days ago and collapsed at his Abuja home and had been hospitalised at the National Hospital, Abuja in preparation for treatment in Germany when he suddenly died on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Delta State government has commiserated with his family over the loss. In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, government advised Deltans, particularly members of his Constituency to remain calm. "We pray that God grants his family, constituents and all of us, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss," it added.

US President Barack Obama flew from Senegal to South Africa on Friday to pay homage to his hero Nelson Mandela, after a visit largely overshadowed by the fading health of the anti-apartheid icon. DAKAR - US President Barack Obama flew from Senegal to South Africa on Friday to pay homage to his hero Nelson Mandela, after a visit largely overshadowed by the fading health of the anti-apartheid icon. Obama spent three days in Dakar talking up African democracy and paying a poignant visit to Goree Island, a potent symbol of the slave trade, on the first leg of a three-nation tour of the continent which will also take in Tanzania. Mandela’s ill health means the two men, who shattered racial boundaries on either side of the Atlantic, will not hold a long-anticipated meeting for the cameras. Mandela, who turns 95 next month, was rushed to hospital three weeks ago with a recurrent lung infection. On the eve of Obama’s visit, South Africa’s first black president was said to be in a cri

Justice Peter Kekemeke of an Abuja High Court has ordered the arrest of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde and an operative of the anti-graft agency, Friday Ebelo for disobeying a valid court order. Justice Kekemeke directed the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to arrest and detain them within the next two weeks except they apologize to a lawyer whose fundamental human rights were allegedly violated by the commission. Reacting to the order, spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who acknowledged that a copy of the order was served on the agency, said EFCC has perfected plans to get it vacated. The court had on March 8 and December 5, 2012, ordered Lamorde to release the call-to-bar certificate of one Mr Innocent Onwu, apologize to him through a national newspaper as well as pay him N50, 000 as compensation. Onwu who is an Abuja-based lawyer had on October 31, 2011, initiated a fundamental rights enforc

Daniel The Peoples Democratic Party in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun  State  has suspended  former Governor Gbenga Daniel for alleged romance with the Labour Party in the state. Twelve other members of the PDP in the area – Idowu Osho,   Gbenga Sadiku,   Yetunde Majolagbe,  Mabawonju Shitta,  Ayantola Lawal,   Raufu Jinad, . Oguntade Adeleke,   Gbenga Buhari, Yinka Sotunde,   Gbenga Sokoya, Zainab Lawal and  Olu Osho- were also suspended   for the same   offence termed “anti-party activities.” The Chairman of the PDP in Ogun East Senatorial District, Chief Doyin Fakoya,  announced this in Isara, Remo North Local Government Area, shortly after a meeting of party members in the area. Fakoya stressed that the party in the former governor’s Ward 12 decided to effect his suspension in order to restore discipline to the party. “As of today(Thursday), I am the  Chairman  of the PDP in  Ogun East Senatorial District. I have got a copy of the letter that Otunba  Daniel has  b

In a move that is seen as an attempt by the presidency to delicately navigate the crisis in the Nigerian Governors Forum, the seating arrangement at the monthly National Economic Council was slightly altered to play upa seeming neutrality of the presidency in the palaver. In a move that is seen as an attempt by the presidency to delicately navigate the crisis in the Nigerian Governors Forum, the seating arrangement at the monthly National Economic Council was slightly altered to play upa seeming neutrality of the presidency in the palaver. Cross Section of State Governors at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja on Thursday (27/06/13). But in order to balance the importance of the two dramatics persona in the crisis, the two governors laying claim to the seat were seated besides each other at the council chamber where the meeting between the thirty six governors with the Vice President and the ministers of \finance and National planning held.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), yesterday, said Nigeria was yet to receive about €175 million starched in a foreign account by late military dictator, General Sani Abacha. Adoke, who spoke at the 2013 ministerial press briefing held in Abuja, yesterday, to highlight the mid-term achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration as it pertains to the Ministry of Justice, said Federal Government had intensified its efforts to trace and repatriate Nigeria’s stolen assets abroad. He said: “In this connection, we have maintained effective liaison and communication with targeted jurisdictions to keep pace with asset recovery proceedings in those jurisdictions. Recovered monies “In 2011, our close liaison and negotiation with the Island of Jersey led to the recovery and repatriation of £22.5 million confiscated by the Royal Court of Jersey from Raj Arjandes Bhojwani, an Indian national and associate of General Sani Abacha, o

EMBATTLED Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday, maintained that only undemocratic governors were supporting his rivalry and Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang. Amaechi who spoke at a symposium on Review of the 1999 Constitution and its impact on the much needed judicial reforms, organized in Abuja by the Rule of Law Amaechi Foundation, said he was surprised that even Governor Jang, who he said participated in the election that saw his re-emergence as the NGF chairman, turned around to thwart a process he said was impeccable and highly transparent. He further stressed that aside Jang, all the other governors that attended NGF meeting on the day the election was held, voluntarily participated in the exercise. In attendance at the symposium were two former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Muhammadu Uwais and Dahiru Musdapher, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Justice Sylvester Nguta of the Supreme Cour

An Ikeja High Court on Tuesday issued a bench warrant on two oil marketers, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Habila Theck, for failing to attend their trial without cogent reasons. The warrant was issued by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on the marketers who are standing trial for an alleged N979.6 million fuel subsidy fraud. The  judge also revoked the bail earlier granted to the first accused (Ogunbambo). Ogunbambo and Theck were charged alongside their firm — Fargo Energy Ltd. — by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They were arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and use of forged documents. At Tuesday’s proceedings, the duo failed to appear in court, prompting the EFCC counsel, Mr Francis Usani, to ask the court to issue warrants on them. Usani said there was no medical report to back Ogunbambo’s claim that his absence was as a result of ill-health. He said the absence had stalled the hearing of the ap

A cold war appears to be brewing again, between the Presidency and the National Assembly following President Goodluck Jonathan’s outright refusal to assent the State of the Nation Address Bill, passed by the National Assembly on March 13, 2012, and forwarded to him for assent. The president, in a letter Tuesday, to the legislature, dated June 10, 2013, through the Senate President, David Mark, explained that his action was based on the grounds that the proposed law was a duplication of the extant law as contained in the 1999 Constitution. President Goodluck Jonathan He said the bill which was particularly transmitted to him on May22, 2013 by the Clerk of the National Assembly for assent amounted to what he referred to as “a duplication of Section 67 of the Constitution”. Both chambers of the National Assembly passed the State of the Nation Address Bill with the Senate passing it on March 13, 2013 having been earlier treated in the same manner by the House of Representatives.

The Senate resumes from its seasonal break and will sit for five weeks before embarking on a prolonged two-month break. In the five weeks ahead, Senators would have to confront five serious issues. Having ended its second legislative year on 6th June, the Seventh Senate resumes its third legislative session with a sense of optimism today after a two-week break. The legislators are expected to sit for another five or so weeks before proceeding on a  two-month break and is expected to resume on September 24, 2013. In the last two years the Senate was able to introduce about 160 bills with several in various stages of legislative consideration. Among them are 16 executive bills, the rest being members’ bills. Out of these, 17 bills were passed, 14 were read a second time and referred to relevant committees while two were negatived. The negatived bills were Equipment Leasing Bill 2013 and the Nigerian Search and Rescue Guards (Est.etc) Bill, 2013. Priority consideration According

BEFORE millions of Nigerians, via live television, in the presence of the President, Nigeria’s men and women of means stepped forward to announce donations to victims of the flood that ravaged the country. It was the worst flood in more than half a century. The sombre gathering only came to life as billions of Naira (some in foreign currencies) was listed as pledges from individuals and organisations. The donations totalled N11.35 billion; money could bring relief to the victims. More than seven months after the November 8 event, donors have defaulted. The Presidential Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee is threatening to name them after a June 30 deadline. The committee has asked them to “respect themselves and maintain their honour and integrity”, by redeeming their pledges. It is amazing that the committee still associates the defaulters with “honour and integrity”. They were not forced to give the money. They saw an opportunity to make a name; they milked the mileage

The story of how the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continues to act against its own rules and the price it is paying The fate of those who would come after me would be worse than what the party is putting me through”.  That was the curse placed on the Office of the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.  It was Barnabas Gemade who placed it. In 2001, after the shambles that attended the party’s move to dump Gemade as Chairman, the latter wanted a competitive election.  Gemade sought to engender an electoral process that would produce the new Chairman.  He wanted to re-contest, having failed to benefit from the additional one-year for the tenure of members of the PDP National Executive Committee, NEC.  And because the maximum party leader of the time, President Matthew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, no longer wanted to suffer Gemade, the latter “just had to go”. For the PDP, it sometimes obeys its own rules in the breach. It was in bitterness that Gemade made what has now t

Wednesday April 17, 2013, has gone down as the day members of the 29-member Delta State House of Assembly took the bull by the horns to override the veto of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on the bill stipulating death penalty for kidnappers. The governor had since November 2012 when the bill was passed and sent to him refused to assent to the bill. The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Charles Ajuyah (SAN), in this interview shed more light on the issue especially from the executive’s perspective. The governor during his midterm report on Democracy Day mentioned that Delta State has the highest number of kidnappers prosecuted, could you throw more light on this? Yes, I have the statistics. It is true that so far with my interaction with other Attorneys General, I think Delta State is up to the task. We are not sparing any effort at all in ensuring that suspects arrested are prosecuted. And because of the nature of kidnapping, what it takes and the elements of the

Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of an Abuja High Court, Wednesday, fixed July 10 to rule on an application that was filed before him by the former Chairman and Secretary of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on fuel subsidy probe, Farouk Lawal and Mr Boniface Emenalo, asking him to hands-off their trial. The embattled lawmakers who are facing corruption charge  entered against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, accused the judge of misappropriating the law when he held that the anti-graft agency successfully established a prima-facie criminal case to warrant their prosecution. Emenalo and Farouk Arguing through their lawyer, Mr Ricky Tarfa, SAN, the duo, insisted that the judge occasioned great injustice against them when he declined to quash the 7-count charge before the court for want of incriminating evidence, even as they maintained that the judge, on January 31, erroneously granted leave to the ICPC to file an “inco

President Goodluck Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said the excesses of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, must be curbed, not minding what it would cost the government. “The excesses of Boko Haram must stop. That is the decision of this present government now. It must stop, whatever it will cost the government, it must stop,” he said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an interview with journalists on the sideline of the 21st ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Africa Union. The President boasted that the government had the wherewithal to confront the reign of terror being unleashed by the sect members and that their actions were already being confronted with his recent declaration of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has filed a N10 billion libel suit against the Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network, Mr. Dino Melaye. Adoke is accusing the member of the House of Representatives and his group of discrediting him through publication of defamatory articles in both a Nigerian-based newspaper as well as an online news medium. The AGF said the publications quoted a letter sent by Anti-Corruption Network to President Goodluck Jonathan complaining of his (Adoke’s) alleged abuse of power, while asking the president to sack him. ACN alleged that Adoke had on December 2012, disclosed that the police killed 7,106 persons extra-judicially in four years, out of which 2,000 were detainees and suspects. The letter further questioned what the AGF did to ensure that drug convicts sent to prison in Lagos, did their terms since the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,NDLEA, is under his ministry. The petitioners were said to have also stat

As the military offensive to dislodge the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, from the Northern part of the country continued yesterday, Defence Headquarters said its mop-up operation had revealed that three soldiers were killed, one missing, and 14 terrorists confirmed dead. The mop-up operation also revealed that seven soldiers were wounded, 20 terrorists apprehended, while seven vehicles and 13 handsets, belonging to the sect members, were recovered. The wounded soldiers were being treated in a military facility.

Troops, yesterday, moved into Yola, Adamawa State capital and Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in response to Boko Haram insurgency which has claimed several lives and destroyed many property. Residents and journalists saw military trucks carrying over 2000 soldiers into Yola and Maiduguri, yesterday, in compliance with the president’s orders. The military launched the first phase of its campaign to secure the country’s borders and flush out all terrorists and insurgents from the northern states.