Contrary to media reports, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied that he will be in the United States later in the month.

Reports recently said Abubakar would speak at a trade and investment gathering in Washington DC later this month.

The organisers listed him as number one amongst dozens of personalities they said had been invited to the event.

Governors NyesomWike and Ibrahim Dankwambo, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Trade and Investment Minister, OkechukwuElelamah, are amongst those also said to have been invited.

“There is no such invitation to the former vice president,” his spokesperson, Paul Ibe, said yesterday. “We are not aware of such invitation and we do not know how they managed to put his name on their list.”

An e-mail to the organisers seeking clarifications was not immediately returned yesterday afternoon.

The report that the former vice president would be visiting America for the event scheduled to hold between June 24-26 has seen some people drawing conclusions that the possible visa restrictions placed against him have been relaxed.

Abubakar was named in a contract scandal involving Nigerian and American officials in mid-2000s.

Williams Jefferson, a serving US federal lawmaker at the time, was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to jail for his involvement in the fraud, which was largely about bribery, influence-peddling and contract inflation.

Despite claims that Abubakar was involved in the scandal, including a USSenate investigative committee report, the Nigerian politician continues to maintain his innocence.

The report and several other exhibits that led to the successful conviction of Jefferson, who was Abubakar’s political associate, are largely seen as the reason he cannot travel to that country.

Abubakar, who is a strong contender for the presidency in 2019, frequently travels to the United Arab Emirates and some Western countries.

He recently acknowledged that he has difficulties visiting the U.S, but said he should not be blamed for the dilemma.

He said he applied for U.S visa on past occasions, but was denied each time. He has rejected insinuations that his failure to enter the U.S could damage his political ambition, saying the Nigerian constitution does not require that a citizen must be able to enter the U.S to be eligible for elective office.

Moreover, he said some Nigerian leaders have been denied entry into the U.S in the past and later became president, including President Muhammadu Buhari whom he said was banned for 15 years.

Buhari has denied this claim, saying the former vice president should go and clear his name. The U.S Embassy in Abuja has refused to comment on the controversy for several years.

Following the 2-0 defeat suffered by the Super Eagles Saturday night in their opening Group D match against Croatia in Kaliningrad , ex- internationals, Henry Nwosu and Peter Rufai have advised Coach Gernot Rohr to change his playing pattern before their next match.

Ogenekaro Etebo own goal and a Luna Modric penalty ensured that the Gernot Rohr’s men began the tournament on a bad note.
The Super Eagles will on Fri at the Volgograd Stadium meet tournaments debutant Iceland in a must win game to keep their hope of qualifying from Group D alive.

In a telephone interview shortly after the match, Nwosu stated that it was surprising that the Greco- German coach did. not start the match with Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanachor who would have troubled the defence of their opponents from the first blast of the whistle noting that playing them as substitutes was an error of judgement.

” This is not the Super Eagles we use to know because they were lacking in every department of the game which gave Croatia enough room to operate.

” It is also surprising that Rohr chose not to start the game with Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanachor but rather used them as substitutes which affected the flow of the game.

According to the firmer Golden. Eaglet handler, all the loopholes detected in the first game must be corrected before Friday to give Nigeria a chance of progressing in the competition.

In his own reaction, former Super Eagles shot stopper, Peter Rufai expressed regrets that the Super Eagles could concede two goals without scoring any, warming that unless the team’s formation is changed, Nigeria might face an early exit from the Mundial..
“The performance of our players is disturbing and I hope the technical crew will do something urgent about it before their next match on Friday.

” There is need for the technical crew to do a stock taking and ensure only players who are fit,mobile and ready to take risk are paraded in the game against Iceland”, he stated.

Governor RochasOkorocha’s sisters, Mrs. Geraldine Obinali and OgechiOlolo, have been accused of plotting to pervert the course of justice following their alleged moves to secure an undeserved state pardon for a convicted murderer, one Madam ChifoaniOkorie, who was among those sentenced to death by hanging by the Supreme Court.
The governor’s sisters, it was learnt, were using their good offices to front for Okorie, who was sentenced to death over her proven role in the murder of Nze Dominic Duru of Amaudara Village in Izombe Community, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
In a statement released yesterday to Nigerian Pilot in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Engr. Emma Duru, on behalf of the family, disclosed that their father, a retired police superintendent, was murdered in cold blood on March 3, 2005 in his palm oil plantation by Okorie and her cohorts.
He stated that Mrs.Okorie, who also hails from the victim’s locality, bagged a death sentence from an Owerri High Court alongside seven other accused persons on May 13, 2013, lost her appeal at the Court of Appeal on July 9, 2013 and proceeded to the Supreme Court where she also lost, as the death sentence was given a final seal by the apex court.
Engr. Duru, who accused relations of the female convict of making frantic efforts to frustrate investigation and prosecution of the case,said immediately after the Supreme Court dismissed her appeal, the same people began another move to circumvent its verdict.
According to him, “the same conspirators met the eldest sister of the governor, Okorocha-Obinali to approach her brother to grant state pardon or prerogative of mercy to this murderer (ChifoaniOkorie) who had her conviction affirmed by the three level of courts in Nigeria.”
He hinted that Obinali’s decision to assist in freeing the murderer via a state pardon was based on an understanding that her family would support the governor’s choice of a successor come 2019, adding that they are perfecting the plan through the office of the governor’s younger sister, Mrs.OgechiOlolo, Commissioner for Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment.
Duru revealed that Okorie’s relations, acting in concert with the governor’s sisters, had, as part of their strategy to win OwelleOkorocha’s sympathy, said the sentence slammed on her was because the judges who handled the murder case were members of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (aka OOO), the church that a son of the late NzeDuru attends.
He described the allegation as baseless, saying the judges that handled her case are not members of the church, as the same judges also acquitted one Jonathan Nnadi, the fifth accused person in the murder case when his innocence was proven before the court.
“Though, the governor of a state may seem to have unfettered powers to grant pardon to a convicted person, such powers should not be exercised for political reasons. The powers are normally exercised in the public interest in cases where there was mistrial or a new evidence that was not available during the trial of the case which shows that the convict may not have been guilty of the offence he/she was convicted of.
“Such a pardon in a fitting case may be granted to a convict who has shown remorse for crimes he/she was convicted of and who may not pose a danger to members of the public if released. ChifoaniOkorie does not fall into any of these categories. Where such powers of granting prerogative of mercy are abused, it may unsettle a society and encourage self-help,” the aggrieved man submitted.
However, efforts to reach the governor’s sisters proved abortive as they did not pick their calls as at press time.

Catholic Bishop of Uyo Diocese, Most. Rev. John Ayah, said Catholic Bishops in Nigeria remain doubtful of the seriousness of President Muhammadu Buhari to fish out and prosecute herdsmen molesting communities and killing Christians in the north.

Ayah also queried the rationale behind appointing heads of most security agencies from the tribe and religion of the president.

The bishop told newsmen in Uyo yesterday that the president’s promise tocurb the killings appear vague and wondered why it took him so long to make a statement on the matter.

“The president has not made any major statement on the killings in question, it was only the other day that he said he was going to pursue all those who are killer herdsmen and we, the Catholic Bishops, are asking if he really means what he is saying. We are doubtful of this, because the statement is too vague.

“Many Nigerians think he is just making a political statement. I accept that many Muslim brothers and sisters have been victims of these killings, but I dare to say that the heaviest casualties were borne by Christians in different parts of the country. The recent killings in Makurdi, those in Southern Kaduna and in Jalingo,TarabaState, bear testimonies to this. In most of these killings, Muslims have been protected,” he explained.

Ayah expressed reservations over the appointment of security chiefs from only one part of the country, adding that the action may not be unconnected with his second term aspiration.

We are reliably informed that most if not all of our security chiefs are persons belonging to a particular religious persuasion, as our president himself. In other words, they are all Muslims, and to be more specific, Fulanis. Does it mean no other tribe in the country is fit enough to be included in the job of securing our beloved country?

“People seem to think that he is paving way for his second term by featuring only people of his tribe and religion as chief security officers. Many questions are being asked and I think there is an urgent need for him to provide answers. Briefly put, there is a break in communication between the leader and the led,” Ayah said.

The bishop, who commended the president for his stance on corruption, said the fight against corruption would continue to be seen by Nigerians as a witch-hunting exercise until politicians who joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are prosecuted.

“The president has tried in his own way, no one is perfect. But from what one reads in our daily tabloids, one observes that many of our corrupt politicians run from one political party to another where they feel they can be shielded from the long arm of the law. There have been concrete cases where people have moved from PDP to APC.

“By making this move, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has not even dared to investigate because if he starts probing those people who run into his party it will be like he is fighting or battling with his very self. I thought APC, for instance, would have put forward some stringent conditions, prescriptions or laid down rules about people decamping into its fold. That in part explains why many run away from other parties into the APC to find refuge.

“The fight against corruption is a tactical one; it is not something you can just win overnight. Corruption is endemic in this country and for any government that intends to fight it successfully, it needs to study the trends surrounding it very carefully, ask questions on how other democracies in the world have come to grips with this hydra-headed monster.

“The answers deriving therein will then guide government on how to go about this fight. As for our president, it may have been easy for him to fight corruption as a military head of state. The state in which he finds himself today is quite different. Any move he intends to take must be given the go ahead or approved by the Senate. Therefore, if the Senate fails to give its approval, he will obviously encounter some bottlenecks which will create problems for him, politically speaking,’’he concluded.

There was palpable tension as three soldiers of Operation Delta Safe, ODS, and a suspected sea pirate lost their lives during a shootout at Tunu flow station owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, in Letugbene, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to reports, the shootout occurred during an attempt by suspected armed sea pirates in four boats to invade Tunu flow station where the soldiers were stationed.
Attempts to reach the medical officer of the 16th divisional brigade of the Nigerian Army failed as his phone was switched off.
But a security source said the incident claimed four persons including three military personnel.
He said though he could not ascertain the identity of the armed youths, “the soldiers were deployed to guard SPDC’s flow station in the area. They engaged the youths in a shootout while trying to stop an invasion of the flow station.”
The armed invasion may not be unconnected with the conflict between indigenes of LetugbeneCommunity and Shell Petroleum Development Company over the ownership/recognition of Tunuflow station.
It would be recalled that on July 30, 2012, Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa and presided over by the Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri, entered judgment in favour of Letugbene community against SPDC and others in suit no YHC/31/1994.
The court declared LetugbeneCommunity as owners of all the lands and areas bordering Tunuflow station’s location operated by SPDC after more than 18 years of trial.
The appeal filed by SPDC at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was dismissed for want of prosecution on June 11, 2013 sequel to the community’s motion filed by its counsel, NnamdiUgwuka, with motion no CA/PH/297m/2013.

Youth and Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung has called on Nigerians not to relent in their support for the Super Eagles at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Dalung made the appeal in Russia after the Super Eagles lost their opening Group D match against Croatia.
He regretted the loss but assured that all hope was not lost yet.

“It is unfortunate that we did not win the opening match against Croatia which would have served as a morale booster at the group stage, but we will not lose hope. The Federal government is doing its best to ensure that the Super Eagles excel in Russia. Even the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari took time out to motivate the players and assured them of his unflinching support for the team . I personally added $5,000 to their winning bonus to motivate the team but we must still keep our hopes alive because this is just the beginning.

“I urge the players to remain focused while the technical department will have to put heads together with the coach to salvage our next two matches against Iceland and Argentina. If we win our next matches against Iceland and Argentina, then we can qualify from the group.”

Dalung however urged Nigerians to continue rooting for team.
“The Super Eagles are a work in progress. It is a very young team and we are nurturing them for greater exploits not only for now but for the future. We are not giving any excuses but we must continue to rally round our team irrespective of the result recorded on Saturday.

“I appeal to football loving Nigerians, supporters and well-wishers to rally behind the Super Eagles and pray for them ahead of their next game against Iceland. I strongly believe that despite the disappointing start, the Super Eagles will come out strong from the group”.

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denied fixing the price of its presidential nomination form at N12million, adding that its guidelines for the 2019 presidential primary election is not even ready.
The opposition party disclosed this yesterday in a statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Austin Akobundu.
According to Akobundu, the clarification became necessary following a publication by a national newspaper titled ‘PDP list guidelines for presidential aspirants, demands N12m for forms’.
“We wish to state categorically that the party is still in the process of drawing up guidelines for its presidential primary election. It is therefore misleading to claim that it has listed its guidelines not to talk of the cost of nomination forms.
“At the appropriate time, proposals will be presented to the NEC of the party which will approve as it deems fit. Only then can one say that it has guidelines for the presidential primary election,” he added.
While revealing that the authentic guidelines for the presidential primary election will be released as soon as they are considered by the organs of the party, Akobundu said the National Working Committee under the leadership of UcheSecondus remains committed to adhering strictly to the party’s constitution which empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to formulate guidelines for aspirants in any of its primaries.

Ahead of the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said 563,051 Permanent Voters Cards, PVC, have been collected by registered voters in Ekiti State, 27 days to the governorship election.
Spokesman of the commission in the state, Taiwo Gbadegesin, made this known while briefing the media in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday. He said the state has a total of 913, 334 registered voters, out of which 353,262 PVCs are yet to be collected by their owners.
On preparations for the election, Gbadegesan said INEC is 94 percent ready, adding that it has distributed “virtually” all the non-sensitive election materials to the 16 local governments.
According to him, the INEC Chairman, Prof. , would visit the state on July 10 to interact with candidates and officials of the 35 political parties, as well as other stakeholders participating in the election.
The spokesman said the agency is “committed to free, fair and credible election, so as to sustain the country’s democracy, as well as prove a point that votes count”.

We talk of “incumbency factor” in an election in which one of the competitors is the occupant of the position being contested. Otherwise, an election in which an incumbent is not involved is referred to as an “open seat” election.

The first election in the current Fourth Republic, the 1999 election, that pitted Olusegun Obasanjo against Chief Olu Falae, and that of 2007 which pitted Umaru Yar’Adua against Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, among others, could pass for an open seat election, while the presidential elections of 2003, 2011 and 2015 have been elections in which the incumbency factor played out. Obasanjo sought re-election in 2003, while Jonathan did the same in 2015. Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua who died in office in 2010 and was therefore an incumbent President when he contested and won an election of his own in 2011.

The incumbency factor, in political terms, refers to the advantages an incumbent has over his challengers. Such advantages include the power of the purse, the fact of visible achievements in office, the fact that they need no introduction, and, significantly, the fact that they can still do something great before election day to convince undecided voters about their capability and competence to continue to lead society to a prosperous future.

The incumbency factor, in its negative form, has been about perpetuating anti-democratic tendencies. The use of security agents to intimidate voters and opponents, bribing electoral officials to rig elections, bribing voters as well as men and women of proved influence in society for support in an election. In fact, anti-democratic incumbents use public funds to bribe potential opponents from small political parties to withdraw their candidacies and team up with the party in power regardless of their assumed ideological differences.

It is principally because of these factors, positively or negatively deployed, that it is rather difficult for a newcomer to defeat an incumbent in an election. An incumbent must have performed extremely badly for he or she to be defeated, and that is where the anti-incumbency factor comes into play. In the American 1980 election, the defeat of incumbent President Jimmy Carter was inevitable because of the state of the economy and the Iranian hostage crisis he had been unable to resolve.
Since 1900, only five of 14 American Presidents who sought re-election have been defeated. In Nigeria’s comparatively young democracy, Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election principally because of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East of the nation. Of course, religion and region are potent factors in Nigerian politics.

Hopefully, Nigeria’s incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, if seeking re-election in 2019, will not buy into the negative aspects of the incumbency factor which have for so long defamed our nation in the comity of civilised societies. It will be a great damage to his perception of being a man of integrity if he were to have inherited that crude culture from his predecessors. His recent proclamation of June 12 as Democracy Day is what one can describe as positive deployment of the incumbency factor in politics.
He has righted, what to many, is the injustice inflicted on society and an individual in the person of Moshood Abiola in 1993 when the results of a presidential election adjudged to have been free and fair were annulled by the then military government of Ibrahim Babangida. President Buhari might have undoubtedly earned himself new friends by that singular act.

I take the position that the new Democracy Day is welcome, while the erstwhile Democracy Day, May 29, can still be retained as Inauguration Day when a new President and governors are sworn into office. I take this position because it will ensure historical consistency in tradition, and Inauguration Day, after all, is a four-yearly affair while Democracy Day is yearly.

The number of public holidays will not be affected except by one in the year a new President assumes office. One admiration one has for the Americans derives from the historical commitment they have shown to their date of swearing in new Presidents. Moreover, the change made by Buhari will not be construed as an attempt by him to elongate his tenure by a few days. I am just making a suggestion here, anyway.

Be that as it may, it is in the nature of competitive politics that whatever a political leader does or does not do would be criticised by those who seek to profit from such criticism. There are those who have said that the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day was politically motivated, geared towards getting votes for Buhari’s re-election in 2019. One may ask, what does a politician ever do that is not geared towards securing support? Those who have consistently advocated what Buhari has now put into effect would, all things being equal, want to reward him in a future election.

To quite a number of others, that declaration has not changed anything. When Ronald Reagan signed the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr as holiday into law in 1983, after many years of campaigning for it, there were quite a number of states that showed lukewarm attitude to the development. It was not until 2000 that all the 50 states of the American federation upheld and marked the birthday of the great civil rights campaigner as a public holiday.

In the advanced democratic societies, most do not rush into declaring their support for electoral candidates many months ahead of elections as we tend to do in Nigeria. It is all about wait and see. A lot of things do happen in politics and that is why their opinion polls change just as frequently as Imelda Marcos would once change her shoes.

The independent or floating voter waits until the very last minute to convince themselves where the destination of their vote would be. For instance, in 1980, there were not a few who believed Carter could still have rescued his presidency if the Americans held hostage in Iran were to have been rescued in the last minute.

It would have been considered a great feat in a nation renowned for historical appreciation of strong leadership. In some of these advanced democratic nations, America and Britain, for instance, the independent or floating voter decides the outcome of elections. I believe we are close to getting there in Nigeria.

The absence of an Abuja Federal High Court judge, Justice Silvanus Oriji, yesterday, stalled the trial of former Inspector-General of Police Sunday Ehindero, and a former police commissioner, John Obaniyi.

The Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, arraigned the duo before the Judge on a five-count charge bordering on fraud and conspiracy.

The prosecutor, Mr O.G. Iwuagwu, had told the court that the duo are being tried for alleged N16.4 million fraud.

Iwuagwu told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offence between May 2006 and November 2006, when they allegedly conspired and used their positions to place N500 million in two fixed deposit accounts.

He told the court that the money was part of the N557,995,065 donated by the Bayelsa Government to the Nigeria Police Force for the purchase of arms and ammunition.

The prosecutor alleged that the said N500 million placed in fixed deposits yielded N16.4 million interest.

The defendants had denied the charges.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, the matter could not be heard due to the absence of the Judge and the case was adjourned to June 26, for continuation of hearing.

While there are various theories and postulations on how we got here as a nation and who is to blame, one thing that most Nigerians can all agree on is that we cannot continue to fester in this cesspool of failed systems, poor leadership at some levels of governance and missed opportunities. More than ever, there is an urgent need to change course before we find ourselves in more turbulent waters than the recent 2015/16 troubles, where our vulnerabilities were greatly exploited.

Certainly, we are on the road to the recovery, thanks to a few bold – and sometimes unpopular – moves of the current administration, evidenced by a reported 1.95 per cent growth in the Gross Domestic Product, improved investor sentiment, increasing ease of doing business and stability in the foreign exchange market.

However, now is not the time to fall back on our old ways of over-reliance on crude oil exports to the detriment of other vibrant sectors of the economy, nor is it the time to fold our arms and watch the progress we have made come undone if the political tides shift and bring with it a new dispensation.

Current realities demand an inclusive, participatory, transparent and revolutionary approach that includes all stakeholders within our society, individuals, institutions and governments alike.

At the heart of the successful transformation of any nation are inclusive, dependable, responsive and trustworthy political, judicial and economic institutions. The onus lies on the ability of existing institutions to take responsibility for their pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s development and prioritise it accordingly. Too often, the needs of ‘the one organisation/institution’ are prioritised over the needs of the federation and its people. This often results in underhanded practices that are detrimental to the whole and for which these entities are never held accountable.

There is, however, a call for a transition from self-serving methods of operation to more transparent and sustainable practices that transcend ethnic, religious, gender, political and socio-economic divides and embrace true nationalism.

We suffer greatly from a situation where electoral cycles constrain government leaders to focus on cyclical issues during their term(s) in office, thereby leaving out the structural transformational initiatives that can create sustainable progress.

At some point we had Vision 2010. Then there was Vision 2020. Now we have the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. But what happens when next power changes hands? We will again have a reset of our objectives as a nation because we lack consensus on where we want to go and who we want to be. Therein lies the power of a shared vision.

Key players within the national and sub-national spheres need to come together to agree on the vision of Nigeria. We need to set and agree on clear targets that will guide the activities of each era of governance at the federal, state and local government levels. This way, a succeeding government picks up the baton from where its predecessors left off and continues to run with it till the target is achieved.

Granted, it is no easy feat, but an impressive level of collaboration/partnership across several political parties, regions, states, private and public institutions, and the various arms and levels of government can indeed make this a reality. This would guarantee that the efforts of those at the top trickle down to the smallest unit of the nation effecting real change across board.

While proper political arrangement is crucial to the development of the nation, it is equally important that we build, elect and appoint transformational leaders right from the local levels all the way to the federal government.

What we need are servant-leaders who focus on building a solid foundation of shared goals by showing sincere interest in the needs and concerns of others, building a common vision and working to creatively build consensus.

The ills in the following – rent-seeking, ethnic and religious divisions, corruption, etc. – are now engrained in our culture. However, the culture is a product of years of repression, manipulation, misinformation and erosion of our people’s integrity by poverty and deprivation.

How do we then reverse the effects of abuse? It is by reorienting the masses. It will neither happen in a day nor be contained in a single message. Rather, every person of influence must speak about it in their respective spheres to teach their fellow countryman what it means to be a good citizen. Within our communities, religious leaders, social media influencers, entertainers, mentors, and every single person with a voice must be the agent of a change if we will make a difference.

Our goal is to, therefore, do whatever it takes to educate the population and equip them with the right skills to not only thrive within Nigeria, but to compete on a global scale in this 21st century. This does not speak to only formal avenues of education but extends to the proper organisation of even skills acquisition and spurring young Nigerians to innovation and creativity.

These efforts will, however, come to naught if we do not have the right environment to function. There is an urgent need for funding to support the massive infrastructural development that will sustain our efforts at economic development and the easiest identified approach is through Public-Private Partnerships.

Furthermore, the need for diversification is even more crucial. Ours is a country that is blessed with diverse natural and human resources which have not begun to scratch the surface. We need to deploy the full extent of our resources to explore these opportunities and more importantly, build the necessary capacity to move beyond exports of raw commodities to beneficiation.

Solution is not enough to fix Nigeria, neither is one person or even one government. It will take a reorientation of the people, a collaborative approach and a consistent pursuit of one shared vision.

President Muhammadu Buhari will sign the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law by noon on Wednesday.

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, made this announcement in a statement on Tuesday.

The National Assembly passed the budget of 9.12 Trillion naira on May 16, 2018 seven months after the President laid the documents before a joint session of the legislative houses, with a figure of 8.61 trillion naira.

The Presidency did not however receive the signed budget until May 25, 2018.

The President has also put the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting on hold for this week.

The Council, made up of all ministers and other top government functionaries like Vice President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the National Security Adviser as well as some key Presidential aides who act as observers

Adesina said in the statement that the cancellation was forced by the just concluded Eid-el-Fitr holidays.

“This is due to the Eid-el-Fitr holidays last Friday and yesterday, which affected preparation of Council memoranda,” the statement read in part.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State yesterday tackled his Anambra state counterpart, Chief Willie Obiano, for renaming of Abakaliki Street in Awka, the State capital, by Anambra state government.

The street which was hitherto known as ‘Abakaliki street’ was renamed ‘Club street’ by Anambra state government; a development that has generated huge reactions in the social media..

Similarly, Ebonyi state Commissioner for Sports and Youths Development, Hon. Charles Akpu-enika, who is a native of Anambra state, has also condemned Obiano and his administration for such decision. The Commissioner said such an act was most unguided especially at a time the Igbo race was doing its best to be united and have desired cohesion to gain its deserved attention and dues in the Nigerian nation.

Governor Umahi in a statement made by his Chief Press Secretary Emmanuel Uzor, frowned at the manner most states in the region especially Anambra always seizes every opportunity to look down on Abakaliki man and urged them to eschew this discrimination and see every Igbo man as a brother irrespective of where he or she comes from.

Umahi said though Mr Obiano has every constitutional right to rename any structure, be it road or any other infrastructure, however pointed out that “in doing so, what should come to mind should be the unity and perpetuation of legacies and sustainance of the sacred thing that holds us together as a people”.

Part of the statement read: “While he condemns in its entirety, the action, Umahi has put everything in place to ensure that Chief Willie Obiano reverses the action of bringing back the Abakaliki street, a name gazetted long time ago in the spirit of oneness in Igbo land”, said Mr Uzor.

“There should be no part of Igbo land that should be discriminated upon. Ebonyi State has received the highest discrimination even from among her brother states and this is not healthy especially as we fight to unite our people and form a formidable economic and political blocs”.

“The Governor has put a call through to his brother Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on how best to resolve the conflict of interest especially as regards the social media claims that the street was taken away from Abakaliki people because they are not qualified to answer such name of a major street in Awka”

“While we don’t want to rush into conclusions as regards the rumour making the rounds describing Abakaliki as a backward state, may we remind whoever that is taking any action against Abakaliki man based on the former toga and personality that Abakaliki had, that since inception of the administration of Governor David Umahi, Abakaliki has become the fastest developing state and the most beautiful state capital in Nigeria with great potential to overtake other states in the nearest future”.

“Therefore, renaming a street originally named after Abakaliki because of the stigmatization and the spirit of Wawa does not arise as Abakaliki has grown to become more developed than the city in question”.

A retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Sir Pius Olayiwola Aderemi, is dead.

The renowned jurist, who was once nominated by former president Goodluck Jonathan to chair the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, died on Monday at a hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Aderemi passed on after a brief illness.

According to a statement by his son, Olakunle Aderemi, Justice Aderemi, until his death, was a devoted Catholic, defender of the law and an exemplary and incorruptible justice.

He was once a member of the National Judicial Council, the Body of Benchers of Nigeria, and a Papal Knight of St Gregory the Great. Justice Aderemi is survived by children and grandchildren.

Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it was not hiding the report of the Engr. Abubakar Nahuche led committee it set up to look into the alleged Kano under-aged voting, contrary to speculation from certain quarters.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Commission’s Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated this when he featured on Ray Power breakfast show, Political Platform, yesterday.

He said the INEC has done the needful by briefing the media on the outcome of the committee it set up to look into the alleged under-aged voting in Kano state on 10th February, 2018.

Oyekanmi said, Local Government elections are conducted by State independent Electoral Commissions, SIECs, and the constitution made provision for INEC to furbish the SIECs with the voter register which the commission complied with.

The CPS stated further that, as earlier posited by INEC, the committee was not empower to look into the conduct of the election, as it has no jurisdiction over that.

“The committee was set up to investigate if INEC voter register was used at the polling units, and which it discovered the register was not used in most of the polling units”.

INEC will upload the committee’s report to the website soon, so that Nigerians can have unfettered access to the report, he added.

On the alleged overbearing influence of National Commissioner Amina Zakari, on the INEC Chairman Prof. mahmood Yakubu, he said the commission is made up of the Chairman and 12 National Commissioners representing the six (6) geo-political zones of the country. “The membership of these National commissioners comprised of people that are already accomplished, they cannot be tele-guided’.

“INEC has conducted elections so far into 180 constituencies including (5) governorship elections and they have not told us these elections were rigged, Aminat Zakari holds strategic position, she is in-charge of electoral operations. “She should be commended rather than condemned”, he stated.

The CPS equally reacted to the issues facing the Continous Voter Registration, CVR across the country, he admitted there were challenges confronting the exercise, but, since the registration commenced in April 2017, “we have registered over nine (9) million Nigerians, which is more than the population of some West African States”.

“INEC has got 16,000 staff from the chairman to the lowest person across the country”. We are trying our best we just want Nigerians to be patient as we have bought new machines, things have improved this is a big country with huge population.

Chairman, Abia State Amalgamated Tricycle Operators Association, ASATOA, Comrade Okechukwu Ijebuonwu, has blamed the unrest that took over Umuahi, the state capital last weekend on the opposition parties.

Asatoa Chairman disclosed this to Nigerian Pilot while reacting to spate of allegations leveled against his association that the state government is using them to collect arbitrary levy on registration of Keke to Abia colours.

He revealed that the Opposition parties are using the National association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Umudike tricycle operators of the branch to caused problem that erupted in the state few days ago noting that if there is further problem they should be held responsible.

Ijebuonwu hinted that NANS had insisted that they will not patronize Abia state colour because they have their own national colour and vowed to resist any attempt to force their members from collecting same.

He further accused opposition parties of using NANS, hiring Michael Okpara University of Umudike Students who came to Umuahia, the state capital to foment trouble by beating up those Keke operators that have registered and are operating with the state approved colours.

Tricycle operators boss explained that bad eggs infiltrated the rank and file of their members in the past thereby bringing bad name to their Association and what it took them get the government permission to get regulate their operations.

Deputy Majority Leader, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Ade Ebenezer Alagbada, has withdrawn his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and joins the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State.

Hon. Alagbada, who addressed newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital yesterday, said the irreconcilable breaking into factions of the PDP in Ekiti state, following the rancorous gubernatorial primary, necessitate his action in moving to the APC.

He said: “I use this opportunity to announce my defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, forthwith”

According to him, “I’m aware and it is a historical fact that during the 2014 PDP primary, Governor Ayo Fayose promised my constituency, Ise Orun, the governorship after his tenure.

We were therefore very hopeful when two of our illustrious sons, Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Barrister Owoseeni Ajayi, showed interests to contest for the PDP gubernatorial candidate”

My constituency was therefore shocked and surprised them when none of the two aspirants from my constituency was found worthy of support by the governor.

“Not only did he disdain them but worked ruthlessly to ensure their manipulation out as candidate of the PDP in preference for the Deputy Governor, Prof Kokapo Olusola Eleka who was nowhere when we risked everything to ensure the victory of the governor both at the primary and General Election”

Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Barrister Owoseeni Ajayi have since left in protest to join the APC. My constituency too, who elected me into the House of Assembly are also aggrieved and have directed me to follow suit with my leaders.

Consequently, in accordance with the directive, the good people of Ise/Orun constituency of Ekiti state House of Assembly, I have withdrawn my member of the PDP and joining the APC immediately.

Mother of three, Mrs Ijeoma Eze-Ezirike has reportedly bathed her housemaid, a 10-year-old orphan, Onyinye Nwaogu, with hot pepper after beating her because she went with her madam’s children to the house of the children’s class teacher.

According to eyewitness reports, the incidence took place at No. 1 Timileyin Avenue, Jikwoyi, Phase 1 Extension, a suburb in Abuja, on Thursday afternoon after Mrs Eze-Ezirike, who sells provisions at Karu market, returned home and found out that her housemaid had taken her children out to watch television at the teacher’s house behind their compound.

According to the teacher, Miss Dorcas, Onyinye had brought the kids to watch television in her house and left, but she was surprised when her madam brought her back and started beating her with planks, hit her head on a concrete wall and the girl passed out.

“Concerned neighbours who have gathered because of the girl’s cry pleaded Eze-Ezirike not to kill the little girl and told her the consequence of what she was doing to the child. We revived the little girl and her madam took her home but after a while, we heard Onyinye crying and shouting for mercy from a distance; we had to rush to the house,” Dorcas recounted.

According to a neighbour who pleaded anonymity, he witnessed the violence meted out by Mrs Eze-Ezirike as she continued beating the girl with planks under the rain.

“We had to rush out to rescue the girl from her grip and warned her to leave the child alone and she took the child home in disguise of going to treat her wounds and suddenly, from a distance we heard Onyinye screaming for mercy. On getting to Eze-Ezerike’s flat, she had stripped the little girl naked and bathed her with hot pepper from head to toe, including her eyes and vagina.”

Another neighbour, Mrs Rita Williams, who leaves close to Mrs Eze-Ezerike, said they were always woken up every morning from the cry of Onyinye, who wakes up as early as 5.30am most times in the cold and is the last to go to bed from house chores.

She said she had on several occasions pleaded with Mrs Eze-Ezerike to return Onyinye back to where she brought her from instead of killing her with beatings every day.

She said that on one occasion, Onyinye almost went blind after her madam had beaten her to a pulp and when she approached her to know what happened, it almost resulted into a fight between her and onyinye’s madam.

When Nigerian Pilot visited Jikwoyi Police Station, the IPO in charge, Mrs Ana, confirmed the incident, saying that onyinye suffered injuries from the beating and pepper bath she received from her madam.

She said onyinye was taken to the hospital for treatment because of the bruises she sustained and the pepper her madam put in her vagina, but after much pleading by Mrs Eze-Ezerike and her husband, the girl was released to the couple.

…Amidst fears of ISIS attacks

…DSS arrests 3 ISWA commanders in Abuja, Bauchi

…2 IEDs experts also arrested in Taraba

…Calls for increased vigilance especially in aviation sector

Barely 72 hours after the federal government intensified passenger screening and other tougher security measures at the nation’s airports following threats of renewed attacks linked to the deadly Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, the Department of State Services, DSS said it had arrested two Islamic States in West Africa, ISWA Commanders in Kukuntu village, Gwgwalada, Abuja.

According to a statement issued by an operative of the service, Mr. Tony Opuiyo in Abuja yesterday the suspects namely Bashiru Adams and Rufai Sajo were arrested on May 5 this year during special operations on identified targets.

Although Africa and Nigeria in particular appears not to be on ISIS immediate focus, the return to Africa of former ISIS fighters from Iraq and Syria, as well as the existence of ISIS-linked groups, such as the technically-suave Abu Musab Al-Barnawi-led Boko Haram faction, calls for increased vigilance in the aviation sector to counter possible new strategies in the ISIS terror campaign.

However, despite the fact that no imminent threats were immediately identified by the federal government, the reported influx of ISIS fighters displaced from Iraq, Syria and other Middle East territories into Nigeria must have triggered off fresh security alert at the airports.

It would be recalled that a spokesperson for ISIS, Abu Hassan Al-Muhajir, had said on April 22 this year that the group was plotting to “bring bloodshed to the skies” as part of its new global terrorism strategy.

The threat was circulated through ISIS propaganda channels in broadcast and online media. A man was said to have taken a knife onto a plane and seated in the aisle, indicating that the threats might be carried out using knives or other sharp objects.

Nigeria has recorded several fatal air accidents in the past, but none was ever linked to terrorism. But recent claims that ISIS fighters are entering Nigeria through its West African affiliate frequently unsettle federal government prompting new security measures.

Speaking further on the arrest, the DSS operative said that in a related operation on April 28, the service also arrested one Umar Dogo, a suspected member of ISWA at Muda Lawal market in Bauchi adding that the suspects were discovered to have concluded plans to perpetuate the ideals of the group in the area, and in collaboration with Boko Haram, carry out heinous violent attacks on innocent persons.

According to Opuiyo, following intelligence reports, two experts in Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, Adamu Hassan, aka Bale and Abubakr Abubakar aka Alhaji or Buba, were also arrested adding that two other members of Boko Haram, Mohammed Saleh, aka Azrak and Iliyasu Abubakar, aka Ruwa, were also arrested on April 12 and 19 at Gassol and Ardo Local Government Areas of Taraba state.

Opuiyo said in furtherance of the service`s operation, two members of the dreaded Basalube kidnap group, Usman, aka Siddi and Ibrahim Muhammed, aka Ganaja, were arrested on June 17 at Karu village in Abuja.

He said that during one of the operations, one of the group`s notorious members, Tambaya Umar was arrested on April 24 at Odigie village, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo and that Umar was arrested alongside Ibrahim Ali, Abubakar Mohammed, Aliyu Manu and Umar Mohammed for their complicity in the group’s numerous criminal acts.

He said that on March 27 the service also arrested five members of a kidnap syndicate at Calabar namely Simeon Paul, Emmanuel Etim, Eric Out, Famous Oleke and Felix Eshet.

He further disclosed that items recovered from them include: one AK-47 Rifle, three empty AK-47 Magazines, 38 rounds of live ammunition, two live rounds of 9mm ammunition, one Mossberg pump action rifle and 15 live cartridges of ammunition adding that between May 9 and 29, several associates of the dreaded kidnapper, Terwase Akwasa, aka, Ghana were also arrested at various locations in Benue.

He said that the during the operation, three suspects, Ada James, Tikaa Desmond and Joseph Ikpa were arrested with a Toyota Venza Sport Utility Vehicle while in another operation in Katibu village, Lau local government area of Taraba state, a joint team of the service, military and police encountered 100 armed herdsmen, adding that “during the confrontation, 10 herdsmen were killed and several others escaped with bullet wounds.”

Items recovered from them according to him include: two AK-47 Rifles, one G3 rifle, three Dane guns, two cutlasses, and four motorcycles.

The operative said that the service also arrested suspects in connection with kidnapping and cultism across Nasarawa, Edo, Delta, Osun, Lagos, Kogi and Ondo states stressing that with the arrests, calm would return to the otherwise volatile areas where the criminals had held sway.

“The Service is therefore poised to consolidate on these successes and bring about an atmosphere in which law-abiding citizens will pursue their legitimate businesses”, he explained.

He called on members of the public who have useful security information not to hesitate to volunteer same to the appropriate security agencies and formations.

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has commiserated with the government and people of Bauchi state, particularly, the victims of the devastating windstorm in the state as well as the fire incident that razed the
popular Azare Market.

According to the PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, “the PDP has been grief-stricken over the death of innocent Nigerians in the tragic windstorm, which had also traumatized many families with bereavements, materials losses, pain and anguish.

He said the PDP at the moment is deep in prayers and joins all people of faith across the country in supplications to the Almighty God for the peaceful repose of the souls of the faithful departed and fortitude to the bereaved to overcome their grief.

“In the same vein, the PDP consoles the victims of the Azare Market fire who are now confronted with huge losses, especially given that many of them are breadwinners for their families, struggling to make ends meet under the current excruciating economic condition of our nation.

“Indeed, our thoughts and prayers also go out to them as we pray God, in His infinite mercies to bring succor to them all.”

The PDP called on the Government of Bauchi state and all public-spirited individuals and groups to do all to come to the aid of the victims of these disasters at this critical time in their lives.

The PDP also urged relevant government agencies to put measures in place to mitigate the effect of natural disasters in the future.

The party further called on the state government to investigate the cause of the fire incident, as well as finding immediate solutions to the reported lack of access road into the market that resulted in the
inability of fire fighters to effectively contain the situation.