BREAKING NEWS! 

PMB  RELEASES  N5 BILLION TO BOKO HARAM  VICTIMS SUPPORT FUND

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, to facilitate the immediate release of the N5 Billion pledged by the Federal Government since August 2014 for the Victims Support Fund (VSF), spokesman Femi Adesina said in a statement on Friday.

President Buhari, Adesina said, gave the directive after receiving a briefing from the VSF Presidential Committee headed by Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

General Danjuma had told the President that out of the N55.92 billion pledged at the fund-raising dinner for the Fund in August last year, N33.54 Billion  was still outstanding, including N5 Billion from the Federal Government.

He said that the VSF currently has N23.33 billion in four bank accounts and that the Committee received approval from the immediate past administration to incorporate the fund into a Trust Fund, to “insulate it from political interference”.

General Danjuma had urged the President to use his office to persuade all organizations and individuals to honour their pledges to the Committee.

Buhari urged the Committee to ensure proper coordination with other government agencies providing support and assistance to victims of terrorism.

The President assured General Danjuma and members of the VSF Committee that his administration was taking proactive steps to defeat terrorism in the country.

He said that despite the challenge of acquiring much needed strategic equipment and weapons to confront the terrorists, the Nigerian military has recently gained much ground in its effort to defeat and degrade Boko Haram.

He added that the full deployment of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), under the auspices of member-states of Lake Chad Basin Commission, will further boost ongoing military operations against the insurgents.

WHAT CHANGED?
GMB was conferred with chieftaincy title by the Enyi of Aba .
His name was changed by Ndigbo to Muhammadu Okechukwu Buhari, the Ogbuagu 1 (the Lion-Killer) of Aba.
The event held at the Palace of the Enyi of Aba and was witnessed by supposed APC stalwarts like Chris Ngige,Chibuike Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha, and Ogbonanya Onu. ‪

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The naira, which had fallen sharply in the parallel market, staged a major recovery thursday, as it appreciated to a band of N225 to N230 to a dollar, compared to N240 to the dollar at which it sold in the last few weeks. Forex dealers attributed the naira’s gain to excess supply of the greenback in the market, even as it looked like a lot of speculators would lose their shirts. THISDAY gathered from a reliable source that commercial banks that presently have dollars in excess of $1 billion in their vaults have started taking desperate measures to mitigate currency risk. In fact, the source, a bureau de change (BDC) operator, disclosed that banks have stopped accepting dollars because they have too much cash in their vaults. According to the source, as a result of the development, banks have been rejecting dollar deposits into domiciliary accounts, but customers are allowed to withdraw cash from their accounts. “The reason the banks have too much cash is due to speculation and money laundering. A lot of people have been speculating against the naira and amassed so much cash. Then there are those who have been amassing dollars obtained illicitly and want to launder the money, “So bank vaults are awash with dollars, largely driven by speculation and money laundering. The banks made it very clear that they want to get rid of the dollars in the system, so if you want to withdraw you can, but you cannot pay in dollars into your domiciliary account,” the source explained.

Confirming the development, an official of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the banks even offered the dollars to the central bank and sought its assistance to help them to wire the funds overseas, which the CBN rejected. Following the rejection, the banks were left with no option than to stop accepting dollar deposits from customers, hence the sharp depreciation of the dollar to the naira in the informal forex market. “By the time CBN refused to wire the cash abroad, the banks led by Stanbic IBTC stopped accepting cash from their customers. Stanbic IBTC sent an email two days ago to its customers that it would not accept dollar deposits for the time being and this was followed by ten other banks,” he divulged. He said the situation was compounded by CBN’s insistence that BDCs obtain the Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) of their customers before transacting any business with them. “The central bank introduced this measure so that it can track the wire transfer BDCs carry out on behalf of their customers. That way, a money trail can be established to ensure that the funds being wired out are for legitimate transactions and not illicit transfers. “Another option available to the CBN is to give BDCs prepaid debit cards in denominations of $1,000 instead of selling them cash so that these cards could be used for legitimate transactions that are traceable,” the official explained.

Also, an analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, who spoke to THISDAY, attributed the naira’s surge to the directive by the central bank that all licensed BDCs in the country must provide the BVNs of their customers for all transactions. “I have been watching the market in the past few days and since last week’s directive by the central bank for the inclusion of BVNs as one of the requirements for accessing the interbank market, the naira has been appreciating. “As the enforcement of the BVN commences next week, I think we would see more transparency in that market. I have always said that what is driving the parallel market is speculation and that is what the CBN has always said. “So once the BDCs start complying with the BVN requirement, we might see the naira appreciate further in the parallel market,” Ezun said in a phone chat with THISDAY last night.

The CBN about a fortnight ago also directed the BDCs to provide the BVN of all their directors before August 15, as failure may affect their continued participation in the forex market. It also directed that information on all transactions by customers be included in the BDC returns to the CBN. It added that for corporate customers, the BVN of a director or an authorised signatory of the entity must be provided. The CBN said the move was to ensure greater transparency in the transactions of licensed BDCs in the country…Thisday Newspaper

“How PDP rigged Abia North senatorial seat election”

The Abia State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, was told Thursday how the Peoples Democratic Party allegedly manipulated the Abia North Senatorial election in favour of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.
The facts came to light when two witnesses in the consolidated petitions challenging the outcome of the Abia North senatorial poll, Ihekweaba Chukwugoziem and David Ogba Onuoha-Bourdex, entered the witness box.
Testifying during the start of hearing into his petition, the principal witness and petitioner, Mr. Onuoha-Bourdex, disclosed that he won the election by scoring majority of the lawful votes.
He said out of error, the Independent National Electoral Commission returned Mao Ohuabunwa as winner based on fictitious results.
He alleged that out of desperation and exasperation, the PDP and its candidate decided to hurriedly inflate results of some polling units at the ward collating centres to upturn the result.
Giving instances of the large-scale irregularities that took place at the collation centre, Mr. Onuoha-Bourdex alleged that based on the inflated results, even dead persons were brought back to life to vote in the Abia North senatorial election on March 28, 2015.
He stated: “If you look at the voters register, you will find that even dead people voted. They were supposed to have woken up, voted and then went back to their graves.”
He alleged that in certain polling units, the first respondent inflated votes on the result sheet by prefixing the figure before the original votes recorded for him from the votes tally.
 “For instance in Arochukwu local government area, at Ovukwu polling unit 002 where the first respondent scored 56, the figure was inflated on the mutilated Form EC8B to read 156; in 003 instead of 42 votes it scored, 142 was recorded and in 004 where it scored 24 votes the result was inflated to 124,” he disclosed.
The chief witness revealed the pattern of inflation was followed in Ohaeke, Ohafor 11, Arochukwu 11, Eleowa/Ihechiowa, Ututu, Isu, Arochukwu 111 and Ikwun Ihechiowa.

In Ohafia LGA, which has 11 Wards, and where INEC credited the first respondent, Mao Ohuabunwa, with 13,756 votes, the entire LGA two wards of Ndi Elu and Ndi Agbor in Nkporo, where elections did not hold, produced 7,538 votes and were recorded in favour of Mr. Ohuabunwa.
While urging the tribunal to restore his mandate and declare him the rightful winner of the Abia North senatorial election, the APGA candidate maintained that it was wrong for INEC to have declared Mr.Ohuabunwa the winner since, according to him, the PDP candidate did not score the highest number of lawful votes cast.
He said Mr. Mao lost even in his own ward and that he, the APGA candidate, won in all the three wards in Arochukwu kingdom.
He rebuffed the suggestions of counsels to the first respondent and INEC, Donald Dee-Wigwe (SAN), and Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), respectively that his depositions were false.
Mr. Onuoha-Bourdex reiterated that the senatorial election was manipulated to favour the PDP candidate.
“I won the election,” he said. “If the votes were properly computed, I scored 37,115 lawful votes while the respondent who was declared winner got 28,800 votes. The figures were sourced from the collated votes from the polling units in possession of my polling agents across the five local governments that constitute the Abia North senatorial zone.”
In answer to a question by counsel to the first respondent that he was not entitled to the reliefs he was seeking, the petitioner countered that he was the rightful winner of the election and should be so declared.
He said he relied confidently on the reports submitted to INEC by the collation officers as tendered and admitted by the tribunal.
When it was time for the returning officer for the Abia North Senatorial election, Mr. Chukwugoziem, to testify, a mild drama ensued as counsels for the first respondent rejected his cross examination on the grounds that he was a subpoenaed witness and that his witness statement should have been served on the respondent before his testimony and that as such he should only tender the report of the INEC Committee alongside his affidavit of facts.
The Counsel to the petitioner, Chris Uche (SAN), after a long argument, conceded that the INEC returning officer could submit the documents. He said although he was not among the petitioner’s witnesses, he could be recalled at a later date in the course of the trial.
However, in his affidavit of facts, the returning officer deposed that he was an Associate Professor in Computer Engineering at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, adding that he was appointed the Returning Officer for the Abia North Senatorial election by INEC.
He noted that after the election on March 28, 2015, results from the five local government areas that made up the senatorial district were slow in coming adding that after waiting till Sunday evening for the results from Arochukwu, Bende, Umunochi and Isuikwuato to come in in vain, the atmosphere in Ohafia local government council headquarters, which was designated the headquarters of the senatorial district, became heavily charged.
“Hoodlums and thugs came threatening to take over the office and to burn down the place and kill the Electoral Officers including myself if the results were not produced,” he said.
He said at that point he communicated the situation to the REC and requested for security.
He noted that at last when the results came from the five local government areas, irregularities were discovered in many of them.
Mr. Chukwugoziem added that the same irregularities were noticed and recorded by the security agents at a conference room in the INEC headquarters at Umuahia.
While pointing out that result of the election held on March 28, 2015 could only be made public on April 1, 2015, the RO explained that based on the discrepancies noted in most of the results, a committee was set up by the REC.
 “Upon the committee’s sitting, several irregularities were discovered in the results and the results shown not to have emanated from the field of election,” he said. “This was observed and recorded by the security agencies. That up and until April 1, 2015, the anomalies and irregularities were still being unearthed and so none of the candidates could be returned as winner of the election as the committee had not concluded the exercise and collation of the results not yet done.
“That I have not collated the results and have not declared any of the candidates as winner of the election in view of the issues that are yet to be resolved.”
Absolving himself from the use of wrong data to return a candidate of the election, the RO indicated in his report to the Abia State REC on the election in Abia North Senatorial district that: “As a law-abiding citizen and the person entrusted with the responsibility of making the return in line with the law, it has become difficult for me to contain with signing the produced document which did not emanate from me as the returning officer since there are issues with data contained there as observed by the committee members including security agents.”
He disclosed that several threats were made to him, his friends and relations.
“The evasive persuasion to announce a pre-arranged result which was not in tandem with the law, could not go down well with me as well as my conscience, further convinced me that something was really wrong,” he said.
The committee on the verification of election results in the two contentious local government areas, Arochukwu and Ohafia, in its report, said it discovered that in Arochukwu local government area, 51 Polling Units had their results either mutilated or inflated in favor of PDP while 15 PUs had no results.
It said a total of 66 PUs were found to be deficient in the form EC8B(I).
The report was endorsed by the following INEC officials: Charles Mbanaja, (Admin Secretary); Gilbert Okolie, (HOD Operations); Barrister Sunday Nwigboke, (Head, Legal Service Unit) and Edwin Enabor, (HOD, Voter Education and Publicity).
It noted that while considering the complaints by the APGA candidate, Mr. Onuoha-Bourdex, it discovered that in Ohafia only one PU had a mutilated and altered result while in Arochukwu 57 PUs had their results either mutilated or inflated in favor of PDP even as seven PUs had no results recorded.
“A total of 64 PUs was found to be deficient in the EC8B (I),” he said.
Owing to the interest generated by the Abia North Senatorial election, the entire premises of the new High Court in Umuahia was filled with people.
The counsel to the petitioner,  Chris Uche, (SAN) told reporters after the sitting, “We are happy with the progress made today, because results from the polling agents were tendered and received by the tribunal. The petitioner took the witness box and performed creditably.”
In his own contribution, counsel to the first respondent, Mr  Dee-Wigwe (SAN) said the petitioner wants to pull his client out of the senate, stressing that his questions were to ensure that he does not
Abia State Secretary of APGA,  Onukwubili Sunday, commended the tribunal for their mature approach saying that the justices gave room for both parties to operate.
He regretted that the respondents in the petition were bent on confusing the court.
He said  by trying to oppose the returning officer from rendering a narration of how the rigging took place, the respondents gave the impression that they did not want the whole truth to be revealed.

BREAKING .....

The Riot In Aba; 3 Dead, Ariaria Market Deserted as Police man suspected to be from the north kills a trader.

There is serious riot in Aba now at The Ariaria Market. The market is now deserted. Some eyewitnesses said the riot started when a team of policemen shot dead three traders in the shoe zone of the market while the police were pursuing some drug dealers. The police station in the area have been reportedly set on fire by the irate mob while prisoners in the police cell have been set free. These are some of the first pictures from the riot.

Some of these photos are shady because of teargas all over as our reporter on the ground is dodging bullet from the police…. Safety first.
Journalism no be small tin ooo

let The Lawmakers Move On and Work for Nigeria
By Yusuph Olaniyonu
Tuesday resumption of the two chambers of the federal legislature resumed after five weeks suspension of plenary. The recess scheduled for July 21 had been postponed by one week, obviously to allow more time for the reconciliatory process going on then among the legislators in both chambers of the National Assembly.

As a result of the media hype and sensationalism surrounding the crisis, obviously fuelled from outside the parliament, many had believed that the resumption day was going to be the real day of trouble in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. They expected the lawmakers to freely break the law by resorting to fighting. Some others talked about the possible collapse of the leadership in both chambers. The ground for this latter belief was laid by a Senator, Kabiru Marafa who kept on making incendiary statements. One would have thought that based on the Senator's statements, the Senate Chambers would collapse on the resumption date.
All these negative expectations were against the background of the efforts by the Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to mend fences between the groups in the National Assembly. The Governors met with the various groups but no solution seem to have been found, at least as presented by those using the division in the legislature to underscore their own importance and relevance.
However, what happened in the chambers of the National Assembly last Tuesday was a positive anti-climax. First, in the Senate where members sat before their colleagues in the House of Representatives, the plenary was devoid of any problem. Members came in and exchange banters and greetings in a manner which suggested the holiday had cooled tempers. Then, the legislative debates began.
The icing on the cake was a motion sponsored by 81 Senators expressing a vote of confidence on the leadership of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki. With 81 Senators which when added to the duo of the Senate President and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, both of whom could not vote, the motion enjoyed the support of clearly more than two-third of the legislative house. It therefore, should require no need for voting. Yet, the Senate President still gave the nay sayers the opportunity to express themselves. Surprisingly, no single voice said no. This then made the vote of confidence on Saraki and the rest of the Senate leadership, a unanimous decision of the 108 members presently in the Senate.
With that symbolic signal that peace has finally returned, the Senate was able to return to normal legislative transactions in which two main motions that could solve the problem of bad roads and environmental degradation across the country were rigorously debated.
Also, in the House of Representatives, Speaker Yakubu Dogara successfully announced names of principal officers and the choice seemed to have finally settled all the hitherto prevailing differences. The Representatives also went on to discuss motions of relevance to their constituents. In settling the issues in the House of Representatives, the meeting President Muhammadu Buhari had with all the legislators the previous day is widely believed to have played a key role. the President's intervention made possible the shift of positions which led to the return of peace.
Now, where do we go from here? With the return of peace, the legislators have no option than to get cracking. They need to start working for Nigeria. They need to start coming out with legislations, embark on oversight functions, debate policies and programmes which can form the basis for advocacy work. They must start making creative, out of the ordinary and ingenuous suggestions which can help the executive to change the landscape of the entire country for the better. Our people have suffered from want in the midst of plenty for too long.
This time around, the people voted for change, positive and progressive one for that matter. That is why the legislators represent not only the diversity of Nigeria, but also the rich nature of her human capital. They represented the different professions, men and women with varied experiences and world views. Fortunately, they have the fortune of working with an executive led by a determined, courageous and popular retired army General, Buhari as the chief executive of our state.
What is now required is for the legislators to support President Buhari in finding solutions to all the problems keeping Nigeria down. This is where Buhari has a role to play in consolidating and utilising the newly achieved peace in the National Assembly. The President should maintain his earlier position not to get involved in legislative politics. He should immediately send out the right signals and body language that he is ready to encourage the new initiative by the legislators to resolve their internal differences on their own. The President should make it known to those who use the legislative chambers as a front for shadow boxing to steer clear and allow the lawmakers to do their work.
A way to send the right signal that he is ready to help the National Assembly build on the new found unity is for the President to now openly meet and relate with the leadership of both chambers. He should be ready to gainfully engage with them on how to prosecute his war against insecurity, unemployment, corruption and economic recession. The President should immediately create a platform for exchange of ideas on the role he expects the legislative houses to play in backing up his multifarious programmes, policies and projects aimed at addressing the four-point agenda he has set up for himself.
We need to put behind us the past experience in which the President travelled to the United States for crucial bi-lateral discussions on several issues without any member of the legislature. That was on opportunity missed to give legislative backing to executive engagements. Buhari was obviously trying to avoid getting involved in the problems in the National Assembly. However, the gaffe will not be lost on the host President Barrack Obama who on his last trip to Kenya and Ethiopia went with over 20 Congressmen.
My advice therefore is for all Nigerians to let the legislature work. If we give them all the co-operation they need, it becomes easy to access them as an institution and as individuals on how far they have gone in fulfilling the aspiration of their electors.
Olaniyonu is Special Adviser to Senate President.

Buhari taking credit for Jonathan’s achievements – Rep

A ranking member of the House of Representatives, Linus Okorie, has decried President Muhammadu Buhari’s lack of acknowledgment of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s legacies and achievements while in office.

Mr. Okorie asked President Buhari to take note of the natural law that “what goes around comes around”, adding that if Mr. Buhari cannot be fair to his predecessor, he should expect the same treatment when he leaves office.

Mr. Okorie, who represents Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency in Ebonyi State, said he is worried with the pattern of appropriating achievements of the immediate past administration and called on President Buhari to acknowledge the contributions of former President Goodluck Jonathan to nation building.

He cited examples of projects that were either completed or close to completion before ex-President Jonathan’s exit, noting that it is unfair and unjust for the Buhari administration to take credit for the achievements without acknowledging the role of the initiator and executor.

“Just like the opposition that must be constructive in criticizing the government in power, the sitting government owes its predecessor, itself and the wider Nigerian public the moral and social duty of acknowledging the positive accomplishments of their predecessors,” said Mr. Okorie.

He enumerated some of former President Jonathan’s feats currently being credited to Mr. Buhari such as President Buhari’s acceptance in his recent visit to the United States of America that the U.S. denied Nigeria arms, technology and personnel to fight Boko Haram, which the ex-President had noted but was lampooned by Mr. Buhari’s political party, the APC.

Mr. Okorie also cited the recent launch of Kano-Port Harcourt intercity mixed rail service without acknowledging the Jonathan administration that reactivated the railway; the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries reactivation now refining up to 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day after successful turnaround maintenance initiated and completed by President Jonathan’s government.

Mr. Okorie also lamented that President Buhari has been all over the media celebrating Nigeria’s one year polio free anniversary without any reference to President Jonathan and his policy team that achieved the feat.

“The Jonathan administration introduced cutting edge anti-corruption technology based Public Finance management tools including IPPIS, GIFMIS and TSA, which the present government is now laying claim to for ghost workers elimination and funds accountability and transparency monitoring, without giving credit appropriately.

“The Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) has also announced that the Abuja rail project, conceived and implemented by the Jonathan administration is 67 percent completed. This credit should also be formally attributed to the past government.

“I hold the view that the Buhari administration should imbibe the necessary humility and courage to give credit as necessary even as it continues to put the out-gone government to task in established areas of weakness or malfeasance. That is leadership. I also appeal to the media as social engineers to also encourage the Presidency in this onerous responsibility. We owe posterity that much,” said Mr. Okorie.

Buhari taking credit for Jonathan’s achievements – Rep

A ranking member of the House of Representatives, Linus Okorie, has decried President Muhammadu Buhari’s lack of acknowledgment of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s legacies and achievements while in office.

Mr. Okorie asked President Buhari to take note of the natural law that “what goes around comes around”, adding that if Mr. Buhari cannot be fair to his predecessor, he should expect the same treatment when he leaves office.

Mr. Okorie, who represents Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency in Ebonyi State, said he is worried with the pattern of appropriating achievements of the immediate past administration and called on President Buhari to acknowledge the contributions of former President Goodluck Jonathan to nation building.

He cited examples of projects that were either completed or close to completion before ex-President Jonathan’s exit, noting that it is unfair and unjust for the Buhari administration to take credit for the achievements without acknowledging the role of the initiator and executor.

“Just like the opposition that must be constructive in criticizing the government in power, the sitting government owes its predecessor, itself and the wider Nigerian public the moral and social duty of acknowledging the positive accomplishments of their predecessors,” said Mr. Okorie.

He enumerated some of former President Jonathan’s feats currently being credited to Mr. Buhari such as President Buhari’s acceptance in his recent visit to the United States of America that the U.S. denied Nigeria arms, technology and personnel to fight Boko Haram, which the ex-President had noted but was lampooned by Mr. Buhari’s political party, the APC.

Mr. Okorie also cited the recent launch of Kano-Port Harcourt intercity mixed rail service without acknowledging the Jonathan administration that reactivated the railway; the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries reactivation now refining up to 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day after successful turnaround maintenance initiated and completed by President Jonathan’s government.

Mr. Okorie also lamented that President Buhari has been all over the media celebrating Nigeria’s one year polio free anniversary without any reference to President Jonathan and his policy team that achieved the feat.

“The Jonathan administration introduced cutting edge anti-corruption technology based Public Finance management tools including IPPIS, GIFMIS and TSA, which the present government is now laying claim to for ghost workers elimination and funds accountability and transparency monitoring, without giving credit appropriately.

“The Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) has also announced that the Abuja rail project, conceived and implemented by the Jonathan administration is 67 percent completed. This credit should also be formally attributed to the past government.

“I hold the view that the Buhari administration should imbibe the necessary humility and courage to give credit as necessary even as it continues to put the out-gone government to task in established areas of weakness or malfeasance. That is leadership. I also appeal to the media as social engineers to also encourage the Presidency in this onerous responsibility. We owe posterity that much,” said Mr. Okorie.

BREAKING NEWS
ABA BOILS AS TRIGGER HAPPY POLICE MAN KILLS AN INNOCENT MAN

A Young man was today shot dead in front of his work place by a police man  in Aba.

We gathered that his colleagues ( line members) who are incensed by this incident angrily went to Ariaria police station to demand for justice. Two policemen was dealt a terrible blow and their guns were carted away by the raging mob.

Some police from other divisions had to  come down to Ariaria police station, spray tear gas inside & outside the market in order to bring the turmoil under control.  Our reporter confirmed that the actual cause of the crisis was that police went to an area notorious for indian hem smoking and shot at the man who it was reported was not among the smokers

Nigeria, Cameroon Promises Cooperation against Boko Haram

President Muhammadu Buhari and his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya, pledged on Thursday to improve the exchange of intelligence and security cooperation along their border in a bid to tackle the Boko Haram sect.

Concluding his first visit to Cameroon since he was elected in March, President Buhari and his Cameroonian host voiced support in a joint statement for a planned multinational task force to fight Boko Haram, which has sworn allegiance to Islamic State, Reuters says.

Buhari’s visit came after the insurgents launched a wave of attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger that has killed hundreds of people in the past two months.

The attacks follow a four-month military campaign by Nigeria, Chad and Niger that drove Boko Haram out of the towns in northeast Nigeria.
“The two heads of state note with satisfaction the weakening of the operational capabilities of Boko Haram,” read a joint statement in French.

“They expressed their common determination to eradicate Boko Haram and in this respect agreed to intensify intelligence sharing between their security services.”

The 8,700-strong task force of five nations near Lake Chad – Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin – was due to start operations from July 31, but has been dogged by questions of funding, coordination and political will.
“As a result of the promises made by the G-7 to help the region to defeat Boko Haram, we are expecting some input in terms of training and equipment,” Reuters  quoted Buhari as saying to Cameroonian state television before his departure aboard a Nigerian air force plane.

Daura the APC kingpin being used by Buhari to attack tribunal members and intimidate PDP members

Gov. Amosun loses bid to stop PDP candidate from challenging his election

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.

The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, and his party, All Progressives Congress on Thursday lost their bid to stop the application of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in April 11 election, Gboyega Isiaka, from challenging Mr. Amosun’s victory at the poll.
Mr. Isiaka had earlier filed an application before the Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal seeking an order of the court to have unfettered access to materials used in the last governorship election in the state. The application was granted.
Delivering ruling, chairman of the three-man panel, Henry Olusiyi, said the application had considerable merit.
He also held that the counsel to Mr. Amosun, Olumide Ayeni, failed to show to the court how granting the application would be prejudice.
The counsel to the petitioner, Funminiyi Adeleke, moving the application dated July 10, 2015 which was brought pursuant to section 77 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended, said the document being sought would assist in the determination of the substantive petition before the court.
The counsel pointed out that granting the application would be in line with the fundamental human right to fair hearing by the petitioner and would further strengthen the will of justice.
However, opposing the application, Mr. Ayeni argued that the application was grossly incompetent and the tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to entertain it and should be struck out.
However, counsel to the governor and his party, described the application as a fishing expedition for evidence and “an utter and complete ruse calculated to pull a wool across the eyes of the Honourable Tribunal and mislead it.”
Mr. Ayeni explained that all the documents being sought were in the custody of the petitioner as demonstrated by the available information before the court.
Mr. Olusiyi, while granting the application, said the lone issue for determination was resolved in the affirmative in support of the applicant stating.
“Counsel to the 1st respondent failed to show how granting the application would prejudice him. There’s considerable merit in the application, it succeeds and is hereby granted.”
The chairman further declared and directed that representatives of the 1st and 2nd respondent should be available from the beginning to the end of the inspection adding the petitioner had only seven days to complete the exercise.
The tribunal had earlier struck out two preliminary objections filed by both Mr. Amosun and APC for lack of merit.

OBIANO ASSURES ANAMBRA WORKERS OF REGULAR SALARIES AND PROMOTIONS
Anambra Workers The governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has reiterated his commitment to Anambra workers assuring them that he would do everything within his power to give them a new lease of life.
Speaking at a special event held to mark the Civil Service Day in Awka, Governor Obiano described the state civil servants as the cornerstone of his administration, pointing it out that the social health of a state can be gauged from the condition of its civil servants. According to him, Anambra State under his watch had demonstrated a great deal of sensitivity to the plight of workers in Anambra State and assured them that “your plight is my plight, your pain is my pain and your joy is my joy.”

Speaking further, Governor Obiano told the workers they were important to him saying that “any government that does not place the people first is doomed.” The governor assured that the prevailing economic depression in the country would not stop him from striving to improve the lot of Anambra workers.
“We increased salaries at a time when oil prices were crashing and governments were looking for bailouts. In spite of the prevailing difficulties, we have kept our promise to always pay your salaries regularly,” he declared.
Arguing that any government that does not place the people first is doomed, Governor Obiano assured the workers that he would always be there for them.
Said he; “No responsible government goes to sleep when its workforce is having sleepless nights. Let me assure you once again that I shall continue to always stand by you; I will be there for you!” Enumerating his various efforts to improve the lot of Anambra workers, Governor Obiano recalled that a few weeks after he was sworn in as governor, he rolled out four mass transit buses to ensure a smooth transportation of workers from Onitsha-Otuocha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia to Awka in order to ease out the difficulties usually encountered by workers on these routes.
He also recalled that less than one year after he was sworn in, he increased workers’ salaries by 15% and subsequently cleared the three-year old outstanding cumulative salary of the state Water Corporation staff. Promising to do more to alleviate the plight of workers when the present economic meltdown elapses, Governor Obiano observed that no government can improve the lot of its citizens without the cooperation and support of its civil servants.
He therefore urged them to “put in your very best efforts in the service of Anambra State. I urge you to show greater appetite for work, a determined drive for excellence and a commitment to a better Anambra State. I can assure you that your efforts will not go unnoticed nor your labour go unrewarded.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Head of Service, Chidi Ezeoke, acknowledged the special attention governor Obiano has paid and continue to pay to the public servants of the State and their welfare, adding that “he has shown uncommon understanding and sensitivity to matters concerning the Public Servants and the Service.”
He enumerated some of the achievements as regular payment of salaries, pensions and allowances, prompt promotions and conversions of entitled public servants, development of housing units for Public Servants at Isiagu, and regular training and capacity building of Public Servants including overseas trainings.
Mr. Ezeoke expressed immense happiness with the choice of the theme which according to him, is in tandem with the domination of womenfolk in virtually all sectors of the public service including teaching, civil judicial and medical services, among others.
Assuring the governor of the commitment of the workers, Ezeoke said, “I wish to assure you that the Public service of our state is in good health, but continuously striding towards improving its performance because we realize that there is room for improvement.”
Highlight of this year’s event was the presentation of 2015 African (Nigerian) Public Service Awards to 30 public servants including Okeke Josephine (Office of the Governor), Mrs Edokobi Amaka (Office of the Deputy Governor), Mrs Benedicta Ndidi Okonkwo (Office of the Secretariat to the State Government), Barr (Mrs) Christy Nwabundo Obiano (Office of the Head of Service and Mrs Nweke Elizabeth Civil Service Commission.

25 Senators declare support for Buhari
Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Thursday in a press briefing has condemned an alleged malicious publication against certain 25 Northern APC Senators who are said to be working against President Muhammadu Buhari.

While addressing the Media on the development, Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Dino Melaye expressed that Mr President was highly respected for his honesty and integrity and there was no way anyone could work against him, especially from among the lawmakers.

He added that power struggle in the Senate should not be misconstrued to be against President Buhari.
Senator Melaye opined that the 81 Senators that passed a vote of confidence on Tuesday’s plenary were actually those behind Mr. President and that was why whatever that have been sent from the Executive have always have expeditious treatment at the Senate.
“I do know those 81 Senators, out of which 25 of were of APC fold are actually those supporting Mr President.”, Dino said.

BREAKING NEWS
7.Am News! ...Our party the APC should describe in it entirety what it means by inclusiveness..the south east region by the recent constitution of the principal officers is not fairly treated as they put up a good fight in the the change process today
-Chike Okafor in an interview on Federal Radio Corporation Abuja.

APC Forum Urges Buhari To Consider South-East Region
The All Progressives Congress (APC) State Assembly Forum in Nigeria’s Southeast region has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to consider the Southeast region in his administration.

Addressing reporters in Aba, the commercial centre of Abia State, the Chairman of the forum, James Chikwendu, urged the President to carry the Igbos along in the list of appointments, so as to remove doubts of marginalisation.

Mr Chikwendu said that it was worrisome that nobody from the Southeast had been considered yet in the list of appointments recently made by the Presidency.
The forum then pledged their support for President Buhari, for his determination to recover the country’s stolen funds, fight corruption and end insurgency.
They also urged those elected on the platform of the APC to fulfill their campaign promises and ensure good governance to the people.

B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G News!!!
Go Back To Work Or I Will Fire You. - Gov Okorocha To Imo Workers.
**“Because Of Just 4 Months Of Unpaid Salaries You Won’t Work?” - Okorocha.

The Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has ordered the striking civil servants to resume work immediately or risk being summarily sacked.
The governor also sent a group of youths to attack the protesting workers, branding them as unpatriotic and economic saboteurs, Majority of them were injured.
He later received the young boys that disrupted the workers protest at the Government House in Owerri, thanking them for their love for the state.
He added, that "It is sad that because of 4 unpaid Months salaries, the workers refused to work". He said that that he is left with no option than to sack them from service.
The month of July will be the 5th Month that Imo workers will go home without their salaries, Pensioners are owed over 19 months of their Pension.

Responsible govt shouldn’t sleep with unpaid salaries – Obiano
July 29, 2015
--"we increased salaries at a time when oil prices were crashing and governments were looking for bailouts.
In spite of the prevailing difficulties, we have kept our promise to always pay your salaries regularly.”---

Anambra State Governor, Mr. Willie Obiano, on Wednesday described as irresponsible governors who “sleep” without paying the salaries of workers in their state.
Obiano stated this at the Jerome Udoji secretariat, Awka, the state capital, during the 2015 civil service day celebration, where he reassured the state workers of regular salaries despite the prevailing economic difficulties.
The governor, who described the civil service as the cornerstone of his administration, said, “No responsible government goes to sleep when its workforce is having sleepless nights.”
He said in the past one year, his administration had demonstrated a great deal of sensitivity to the plight of workers. .
He added, “A few weeks after I was sworn in as your governor, we took bold steps to look into the difficulties workers were having in transporting themselves to Awka from various parts of the state.
“Consequently, we provided four buses to convey workers from Onitsha, Otuocha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia to and from Awka. We also donated three buses to NLC, NUC and JNC.
“Similarly, less than one year into my administration, we increased workers’ salaries by 15 per cent.
“I also assured you that I would do more if our Internally Generated Revenue grows. Interestingly, we increased salaries at a time when oil prices were crashing and governments were looking for bailouts.
“In spite of the prevailing difficulties, we have kept our promise to always pay your salaries regularly.”

 The suppliers of 4000 Barrels Of Fuel, Food and ammunition to Boko Haram nabbed by Nigerian Airforce.

• Question: In which country do they fill up this volume Of petrol? Cameroon? Chad, Niger or Nigeria? This cannot be done without the knowledge of local authorities.

Nigerian Airforce Cuts Boko Haram Supply Routes

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) through its intensified and persistent efforts in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) has intercepted over 4,000 drums and jerry cans of petroleum products and other smuggled items. The items, suspected to be supplies meant for BOKO HARAM, were confiscated from the smugglers in Pepe, Dashin-Hausa, Belel Bilachi, and Konkul villages located along the Nigeria-Cameroon Borders on Tuesday, 28 July 2015.

The NAF was able to achieve the recent feat through its air patrol activities, covering both land and water, along the Nigeria-Cameroon boarders. The NAF has continued to identify and destroy BOKO HARAM camps and resupplies by employing surveillance and combat aircraft. Intelligence gathered revealed that these efforts have greatly strained the supply efforts of the BOKO HARAM.

SSS director general a “card-carrying APC member” — PDP

New Director General of SSS, Lawan Daura. He takes over from Ita Ekpenyong who was removed Thursday

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the State Security Service, SSS, to order, and to ensure the agency does not harass electoral officials.
The PDP said the new director general of the SSS, Lawal Daura, had been a card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and must be cautioned.
The party made the call in a statement Wednesday.

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party at its meeting on Thursday thoroughly considered a number of very important issues pertaining to the state of affairs in our nation.
The NWC brings to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to some disturbing development in the polity which, if not nipped in the bud, might significantly affect our democracy and stability as a nation negatively, and that is the growing and unwarranted intrusion of some over-zealous security operatives on issues bordering purely on politics.
In particular, the NWC wishes to draw the attention of the President to the continued intimidation, harassment as well as the hounding, arrest and detention of Electoral Officers and members of election tribunals by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and other PDP states.
The NWC notes that this unfortunate development has been the case since the appointment of the new Director General of the DSS, Lawal Musa Daura, whom we learnt was a critical intelligence stakeholder of the APC as a card-carrying member of that party during the campaigns. This is ungodly and unacceptable.
We do hope that in his new job, the Director General of DSS is not mixing issues on the APC presidential candidate and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hence the need for Mr. President to rein him in as the development is capable of eroding the cherished independence of the judiciary and the electoral commission, a sine qua non for a virile democracy, which guarantees our unity and stability as a nation.
Similarly, we urge Mr. President to take a critical look at the issue of the appointment of Amina Zakari as Acting Chairman of INEC for which our party has severally raised some salient issues why she is not suitable for that position. It is incontrovertible that Mrs. Zakari by virtue of her blood relationship with Mr. President cannot preside over the affairs of an Independent National Electoral Commission.
Nigeria belongs to all of us irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliation and as a responsible political party we shall not fold our hands and watch while our nation drift along dangerous line.
Furthermore, the NWC commends and congratulates the PDP caucuses in the Senate and the House of Representatives on the smooth emergence of the Minority leadership in the National Assembly. We note that the process was without any interferences whatsoever from the leadership of our great party in keeping with the dictates of the independence of the legislature.
Finally, the NWC deliberated on the state of the party in Ekiti State and resolved that it only recognizes the state Exco led by Chief Idowu Faleye. The NWC however summons all critical stakeholders in the party administration in Ekiti State to a meeting with the national leadership on the issues in the state chapter.