Pension: EFCC To Prosecute Defaulting Companies – PenCom.

The National Pension Commission (PENCOM) is currently compiling list of companies and companies defaulting in remitting employees contributions to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).

The Commission also said it would involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other law enforcement agencies to prosecute defaulters.

Director-general of PENCOM, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, who disclosed this in Lagos yesterday at a world press conference to announce the third edition of the World Pension Summit Africa which would be hosted by the agency in Abuja between September 27 and 28,said it is a criminal act for any one or bodies to collect employees’ fund for pension purpose and refuse to remit same to the relevant PFA.

The PENCOM boss said her agency’s current effort was designed to continually nurture transparency in pension administration in Nigeria.

“In its 12years of existence, PENCOM has painstakingly built a strong, transparent and dependable pension system in Nigeria, which is overseen by a dynamic and efficient regulatory structure. Its efficient regulation has enabled generation of pool of long-term funds in the region of N5.73trillion as at the end of June 2016,”she said.
She said of the 24 states that have embraced the employees scheme, only 10 had since commenced full implementation of same.

She added that her agency is desirous to ensure that all the states in the country as well as the self-employed in Nigeria embraced the scheme so that employees would have something to fall back on at retirement age.
On the summit theme: “Pension Innovations: The African Perspective,” the DG said the topic was chosen because her agency seeks to drive the revolutionary strides and achievements of African governments in the area of pensions and social benefits.

“PENCOM also seeks to galvanize not only the Nigerian pension system but also those of other African countries towards sustainability and socio- economic impact,” she added.

The take home from the above are stated below:
1) Companies that have failed in the past to make deductions should start with immediate effect.
2) Where any employer had made deductions but failed to remit same, now is the time to remit all outstanding deductions.
3) For those that have not correctly account or keep proper records of the amount deducted and remitted, it is high time you corrected all past mistakes and also ensure such errors are avoided going forward.



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Nigerian Pilgrims’ Cocaine Scandal : Buhari Angry With NDLEA.

• Mass transfer of officers imminent

• Agency introduces stringent screening

• Panic, anxiety in Kwara

…orders probe of officials

Strong indications emerged last night that President Muhammadu Buhari may have ordered a “thorough” probe into the circumstances that led to the arrest of three Nigerian pilgrims, who were alleged to have trafficked cocaine to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The probe, it was gathered, emerged on a day the Federal Government in a bid to “redeem” its image begun an enhanced screening of pilgrims to the holy land, following the arrest of the pilgrims.

It will be recalled that three pilgrims from Kawara State were recently arrested for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia and the Presidency has issued a threat to punish some agencies for negligence.

An impeccable source at the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), who confided in this newspaper, stated that the “embarrassment” caused the President as a result of the arrest had contributed in making the president “sad”, hence the probe of the drug agency to unravel the circumstances which led to the arrest of the Nigerians in foreign land.

According to the source, who pleaded not to be mentioned, the president “was hugely embarrassed and as such felt those who allowed the unholy incident leave the shore of the nation’s borders must be made to explain what happened.”

The source, who also hinted that a woman pilgrim was among those were arrested, noted that the president also felt that “travelling standards” were compromised by the NDLEA officials, which negated the Federal Government’s stance on corruption.

To underscore this fact, the source stated that: “The president is very angry because he believed that standards were compromised. In fact, the Federal Government is already considering a total overhaul and restructuring of the NDLEA.

In the past, for instance, the culture had been that any pilgrim travelling is allowed to come in with his relatives and luggage. “But since this occurred, relatives are not allowed again including helping their relatives who are going on the pilgrimage.

This is a sharp contrast and a departure of the past. Here every pilgrim carries his or her luggage and awaits officials to screen them individually.” In another vein, Saturday Telegraph gathered that government has commenced full scale investigation to unravel how the drug was not detected by the Nigerian security operatives at the Hajj camps across the nation.

There were indications that heads are likely to roll over the incident as a high powered investigative team had been set up to determine if there was a compromise or just security laxity at the camps.

Spokesman for the NDLEA, Ofoyeju Mitchell, who confirmed this, said the Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (retd.), had ordered investigation into the arrest of the trio in Saudi Arabia, in connection with substances suspected to be cocaine.

Abdallah who expressed disappointment over the unfortunate incident constituted a panel of inquiry headed by the Director of Operations and General Investigation, Mr. Olugbenga Mabo, to immediately investigate the incident.

He stated that the agency would address the situation with every sense of seriousness and urgency, while also stressing that the agency had also deployed more investigators to all the screening camps nationwide.

Although, Mitchell could not speak further on how far the investigation would go, but sources said the problem might lead to the reshuffle of operations heads in most of the states and heightening of screening and searches of all remaining intending pilgrims.

The sources further stated that there is no full proof security anywhere in the world, stressing that even in the United States, there is tendency to miss some details. Most times, security at the camps is relaxed because of the belief that pilgrims are going to perform holy rites. According to the NDLEA boss, “narcotic smuggling is criminal and the involvement of pilgrims is utterly reprehensible.

This is unfortunate and we are working very hard to get to the root of it. The agency is handling this case with every sense of seriousness and urgency because this action has negatively affected the image of Nigeria.

We have also taken measures to intensify the on-going screening of pilgrims who are yet to depart to Saudi Arabia to prevent a reoccurrence of the sad incident.”

Meanwhile, the NDLEA boss also called on pilgrims to uphold the principle of probity, patriotism and eschew any act capable of bringing the image of the country to disrepute.



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Bolt bids farewell to Olympics with nine golds.

Usain Bolt bid farewell to the Olympics by powering to a record third straight sweep of the sprint medals and a final chance to declare himself “the greatest.”

No one had the power on the track nor the courage off it to contradict the 29-year-old whose blistering run gave Jamaica victory in the 4x100m relay.

Allyson Felix hit her own landmark with a fifth gold as the US women won their 4x100m relay, a day after winning a reprieve into the final.

The track drama Friday and the prospect of a Brazil football final on Saturday almost overcame the shame felt by many Olympians after star swimmer Ryan Lochte had to apologise for inventing a story that he had been mugged in Rio.


Victory was not guaranteed when Bolt took the baton for the anchor leg, but he powered down the straight to cross in 37.27sec before soaking up the acclaim from an adoring crowd. A surprise Japan quartet came second, followed by the United States, who were disqualified to give Canada bronze.

A third straight 100m, 200m and 4x100m clean sweep put Bolt alongside Carl Lewis and Paavo Nurmi on nine track and field Olympic golds.

Bolt, who said at the start of the week that he would be an “immortal” if he claimed the ‘triple triple,’ had no doubt that he deserves more acclaim.

“There you go. I’m the greatest,” said the Jamaican, who kissed the finish line as he played to the crowd and the cameras.

And how did he achieve greatness? “Dedication. I wanted it the most. I was never satisfied.”

“I hope I’ve set the bar high enough that no one can do it again,” said Bolt whose departure is a second blow to the Olympics after the retirement of swimming legend Michael Phelps with his 23 career golds.

The United States women’s sprint team brilliantly beat Jamaica to complete a remarkable comeback from disqualification.

Felix, long jump gold medallist Tianna Bartoletta, English Gardner and Tori Bowie combined to clock the second fastest 4x100m relay ever run, in 41.01 seconds. Felix is the first women athlete to reach five golds.




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Brazil win first ever Olympic football gold.

Neymar struck the winning penalty as Brazil claimed a first ever Olympic football gold medal with victory over Germany on penalties at Rio’s Maracana on Saturday.

The 5-4 shoot-out win exacted revenge for a humiliating 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany two years ago.

Olympic gold was the only major title to have escaped five-time world championsBrazil in their history.

But Barcelona star Neymar righted that historical wrong as he fired the winning penalty into the top corner before breaking into tears.

In front of the biggest crowd of Rio’s Games, including nine-time Jamaican gold medallist Usain Bolt, Neymar’s brilliant free-kick handed Brazil a first-half lead.

In honour of the retiring sprinting great, Neymar even adopted the “lightning bolt” celebration, whilst chants of “ole, ole, ole, Neymar” rang around Rio’s most iconic arena.

However, Germany captain Max Meyer enjoyed a special celebration of his own as he taunted the raucous 78,000 crowd at the Maracana by kissing the number seven on his shirt when he swept home Jeremy Toljan’s cross just before the hour mark.

The first eight penalties in the shootout were all successful before Brazilgoalkeeper Weverton stopped Nils Petersen’s effort to set the stage for Neymar.

And he didn’t disappoint as, with the weight of a nation on his shoulders, he rifled the ball into the top corner.

In stark contrast to the empty seats on show across the Games, even at times when Bolt has been running, there wasn’t a seat to be had at the Maracana — where Germany won the World Cup against Lionel Messi’s Argentina two years ago.

However, it was for the 7-1 mauling in Belo Horizonte five days previously thatBrazil were seeking revenge.

None of the players that took to the field that day started on Saturday.

Neymar missed the darkest day in Brazil‘s football history due to two broken bones in his back suffered during a bruising quarter-final win over Colombia.

Yet, the good fortune that escaped Brazil on home soil two years ago was certainly with them in the first-half as Germany were desperately unlucky to go in behind at the break.

Julian Brandt’s fine curling effort came back off the bar, whilst Sven Bender also hit the woodwork from close range.

In between times, Neymar had opened the scoring via the bar with a sumptuous dipping effort from 25 yards for his third goal of the tournament.

Weverton made a fine save from Meyer and Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos was fortunate when his mishit clearance flew inches over his own crossbar.

However, Weverton was beaten for the first time in the competition just before the hour mark when Meyer swept home Toljan’s low cross.

Brazil piled on the pressure in the final half hour of normal time as Gabriel Jesus turned Renato Augusto’s dangerous cross just wide, substitute Felipe Anderson fluffed his lines and Neymar’s effort from distance flew just off target.

The hosts had the better chances in extra-time too as Luan burst clear only to see his shot blocked before Anderson was denied when one-on-one with Horn.

Thankfully for Rogerio Micale’s men they were far more clinical from the spot as Augusto, Marquinhos, Rafinha and Luan all netted to hand Neymar the chance to live up to his billing as the host’s poster boy for the Games.

AFP





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Under-23 team, 23 troubles, One (1) Olympic bronze.

Everything that could have gone wrong for Nigeria’s U-23 team went wrong. Indeed their bronze medal feat at Rio 2016 is the Cinderella story of the Olympics but their troubles far outnumbered their name, reports ’TANA AIYEJINA.

The journey of a thousand miles, they say, begins with a step. But for Nigeria’s U-23 team, the trip to a bronze medal outing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, began with and was tainted with controversy after controversy.

Head coach Samson Siasia first led the team to a silver medal outing at the 2008 Beijing Games but his second coming to the side left much to be desired right from the build-up to the 2015 All Africa Games to the African qualifiers for the Olympics and then the Olympics proper.

Siasia led the team to considerable success winning the 2015 U-23 African Cup of Nations despite the challenges and qualifying for Rio but the squad faced a tumultuous time before winning the bronze on Saturday, courtesy of a hard-fought 3-2 defeat of Honduras.



Below are some of the troubles they faced on their way to the podium in Rio:

Bonus row ahead of AAG

Players of the team rejected the $1,000 offered each of them by the Nigeria Football Federation after their 4-1 victory over Gabon in a 2015 All Africa Games qualifier last year.

The players were reportedly set for a showdown with the federation, insisting that the money was too small for them despite the federation’s complaints of lack of finance.

“It is not good that after the victory in Libreville, all they could give us is a meager $1,000,” a player told Africanfootball.com.

Team media officer Timi Ebikagboro, however dispelled the story.

‘Wash-and-wear’ Nike contract

At last year’s All Africa Games, players of the U-23 team had just one jersey, which they had to wash themselves after each game. “It’s embarrassing; we don’t have training kits up till now. We wash and wear. People see the finished product but they don’t see what we go through,” coach Siasia said in Congo.

Pinnick abandons team in Pointe Noire

NFF boss Amaju Pinnick, an Arsenal fan, came under a barrage of criticisms when he travelled to London to watch the Community Shield game between the Gunners and Chelsea at the expense of the U-23 team and the Super Falcons, who were both involved in matches leading up to the Rio Games.

The Falcons lost 2-1 to Equatorial Guinea in Bata and crashed out of the Olympics, but the U-23 team held the Congolese to a 0-0 draw in Pointe Noire, to qualify for the 2015 U-23 AFCON in Senegal.

Siasia’s mother kidnapped

While in Gambia preparing the squad for the U-23 AFCON, which serves as qualifiers for the Olympics, Siasia’s mother, Beauty, was abducted by gunmen at Odoni community of  Sagbama Local Council Area of Bayelsa State and forcefully whisked away on a motorcycle. The 72-year-old woman regained freedom 12 days later after pleas from Siasia and members of the family.

NFF queries Siasia

Last October, the NFF queried Siasia over what they described as a “media outburst” after the coach publicly accused the federation of neglecting his U-23 team, with a month to the Olympic qualifying tournament in Senegal.

Siasia said the NFF owed him match bonuses, allowances and his three months’ salaries, adding that he should not be blamed if the team failed to qualify for the Olympic Games. But the NFF officials, who were “highly embarrassed” by Siasia’s comments, issued him a query, demanding to know why he should not be sanctioned.

Coach faces the sack

The future of Siasia as coach of the team was however left hanging in the balance as angry officials set out to sack the ex-international.

Angered by Siasia’s outburst in the media, the federation reportedly contemplated deploying  Salisu Yussuf as the U-23 team head coach with Fatai Amao and Gbenga Ogunbote as assistants, but Siasia held on like the proverbial cat with nine lives.

Playing without NFF logo

At the Africa U-23 AFCON in Senegal late last year, Nike omitted NFF’s official logo from jerseys of the U-23 team, leading to insinuations that the kits were probably bought at a sports shop as the details of the contract deal between the NFF and Nike was largely kept secret from Nigerians.

Players threaten AFCON final boycott

The players threatened to boycott the 2015 U-23 AFCON final against Algeria in protest against their unpaid allowances at the tournament in Senegal.

It took the intervention of the sports ministry, whose officials flew to Dakar with cash in foreign denominations, to restore parity just hours to the final victory against the North Africans.

Dalung denies team

The U-23 team arrived in Atlanta early in July without money as they prepared ahead of the Olympics. The Atlanta 1996 gold-winning side and their 2008 counterparts, who won silver in Beijing, had their trainings ahead of both Olympics in the US.

The present team according to their coach, Samson Siasia, had to resort to begging to make ends meet, with reports saying they played friendly games wearing different jersey brands.

But the Rio-bound team were left to rue their fate after sports minister, Solomon Dalung, distanced himself from their Olympic preparations.

“That our U-23 team is suffering in the United States is news to me because we do not know what they are there for. Also we do not know who actually took them to the United States of America. We are not part of the team’s trip to the USA; we were not told about the trip, so what they are facing on their trip is not our business,” Dalung stated.

Mikel’s $30,000 drama

Team Nigeria captain, Mikel Obi, who joined the squad in Atlanta late on, reportedly donated $30,000 to the cash-strapped Olympic team after the team had lamented the terrible conditions they had been training. But the Chelsea midfielder dismissed the reports, saying he didn’t give out any money to the squad.

Dalung sidelines Siasia for Mikel

While in Atlanta to visit the squad with less than 48 hours to their opening game in Manaus, Dalung ordered Mikel to take charge of the team, in an apparent move to spite coach Siasia, who had complained bitterly in the media about the state of the team and his unpaid five months salaries.

The minister stated, “There is no doubt that the ministry was not considered while plans were being made for the Olympic football team. Nevertheless, we shall intervene to remedy the situation. I have appealed to the captain (Mikel) to assume control of the team and restore sanity.

“For officials who decided to violate the code of their profession and take to the media to secure cheap blackmail, their conduct will definitely be measured with existing rules.”

Squad stranded in Atlanta

The African champions were locked in a race against time to make it to Brazil for its opening match on August 4, following a ridiculous mix-up that left the players stranded in Atlanta.

The squad finally left the US on the morning of their game, boarding a flight that landed in Manaus with just hours to spare ahead of their Group B clash with Japan.

Mikel named Nigeria captain

The sports ministry’s announcement of Mikel as Team Nigeria captain created yet another controversy, as some felt that it was the duty of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, who are in charge of the team, to do so. Some others also felt seven-time Olympian Segun Toriola should have been given the honour of leading the country in Rio.

Unknown national anthem

The squad arrived in Manaus just in time for the game against Japan but the players stood transfixed and could not believe their ears as the organisers played another anthem instead of Nigeria’s. Reports say the mix-up was due to the non-submission of the anthem by the Nigerian officials as a result of the late arrival of the team.

Team missing at opening ceremony

Just as Mikel’s announcement as Team Nigeria captain generated concerns in the media, so it did when the England-based player and the U-23 team failed to show up at the opening ceremony of Rio 2016, a day after they beat Japan 5-4. As captain, Mikel was saddled with waving Nigeria’s flag during the ceremony; instead, it was assistant captain, Olufunke Oshonaike, who did the job in his place.

Padded team list

The team was also engulfed in a ‘padded list’ controversy, after it was discovered that several unaccredited players and officials of the squad abused the use of the Personal Identification Cards (accreditation cards).

A furious Dalung then set up a three-man panel to investigate the allegations on receiving the mail from Lenny Abbey, Head of National Olympic and Paralympic Relations and Services Committee, intimating him of the abuse of the cards by the team.

“I have asked the three men to verify the players with official accreditation and remove the rest from the hotel and camp so that we can report back to the IOC that we have complied. Our football federation came with excess players and officials but we have taken steps to rectify it. We don’t want any of our players to be found in possession of the counterfeit PVCs,” Dalung said.

Dalung sends team members home

Dalung sent two players and three officials of the team back to Nigeria on Monday due to the inability of the sports ministry to continue to fund their stay in Brazil.

Those sent back were the two alternate players Stanley Dimgba and goalkeeper Yusuf Mohammed alongside the team’s media officer, Timi Ebikagboro, curator and the team coordinator. They were sent packing from the Games and flew out of Brazil to Nigeria on Monday night.

Dalung said eight — four players and four officials – unofficially accredited persons had been with the team since they left Atlanta for Brazil.

“The organisers of the Games, the International Olympic Committee, are only responsible for 25 accredited players and officials including feeding, flights and accommodation. We have been carrying the rest along. In Manaus, we were forced to pay camp allowances to the extra four players making 29,” Dalung added.

Team threaten boycott

The team, who skipped training penultimate Thursday, also threatened to boycott their quarter-final match against Denmark unless they were paid their outstanding allowances at the Games, and the coaches also paid their five months salaries and allowances.

Players denied allowances

To the disbelief of the players, Dalung stated that the national U-23 football team were not entitled to match bonuses in Rio on the eve of their defeat to Germany.

Dalung stated, “I spoke with the captain of the team Mikel Obi and I explained to him that match bonuses are only paid to players during the World Cup or Africa Cup of Nations but not at the Olympic or Commonwealth Games. This is their first appearance at the Olympics so the players may not know that they don’t pay match bonuses at the Games.”

Dalung’s stance on Siasia’s salary

Dalung also caught the eye with his handling of Siasia’s unpaid five months salaries, which almost led to the team’s boycott of their last eight clash with Denmark.

He stated, “On Siasia, the federation has admitted that they owe him five months salaries. He was owed before he agreed to take the team to Atlanta, so making it an issue now after qualifying for the quarter-finals is not in the interest of the country.”

Siasia quit threat

Amidst all the troubles encountered by the team, reports from Rio said Siasia had threatened to call it quits midway into the Olympics. The coach was reportedly not happy with the overbearing influence of Dalung and sports ministry officials, who he felt were a distraction to his team.

Siasia, it was also learnt, was unhappy over Dalung’s decision to sideline him in Atlanta while the squad endured a torrid time ahead of their trip to Manaus.

Sao Paulo hotel drama

There was drama at the Sao Paulo hotel of the national U-23 team just before the Denmark game, when the team were prevented from leaving the hotel over unpaid bills of eight of their unaccredited players and officials.

Siasia, was forced to wake up Dalung, as tempers heightened in the hotel, with the hoteliers insisting on being paid their money before the team would be allowed to leave the place.

Reports said Team Nigeria captain Mikel Obi paid the hotel bills but Dalung denied the news, saying the ministry and not the Chelsea man, paid the bills. However, the ministry later admitted that Mikel had paid the hotel bill, which they refunded.

Players bar Dalung from camp

Ahead of the Germany game on Tuesday, the players allegedly warned Dalung —now a regular face in their dressing room — and his delegation to stay away from them during the game, saying they were a distraction to the team.

Abdulsalami Abubakar at the Innoson Motor plant.

The 1st Made-in-Africa automobile brand created to eradicate “tokunbo” (foreign used) cars from around the world, Innoson Motor, today played host to Fmr Head of State Gen Abdusalami Abubakar at their factory today.


Pictures after the cut:

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PDP crisis: Ex- govs, ministers attack Sheriff.

Peoples Democratic Party chieftains, including former governors and ex-ministers, have condemned the spoiler role allegedly being played by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff within the party.

Most of the prominent politicians and elder statesmen, who spoke in separate interviews with our correspondents across the country on Saturday, specifically accused Sheriff of being a mole in the PDP and recommended stiffer punishments for him.

Among them were a former PDP governor in Ogun and Plateau States, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Senator Joshua Dariye; Secretary of the ex-PDP Ministers Forum, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman; former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode; and a former FCT Minister, Senator Jeremiah Useni.

Others were the PDP candidate in the 2014 Osun State governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore; a former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State, Idongesit Nkanga; the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor; Ebenezer Babatope and Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, and the Northern Youths Movement, among others.



Sulaiman, a former minister for National Planning, told one of our correspondents that it was surprising and unfortunate that Sheriff was holding the PDP to ransom.

He accused Sheriff of being an agent  of the All Progressives Congress, planted within the PDP to destabilise and weaken the major opposition party in the country.

Sulaiman said, “It is quite unfortunate that Nigeria is undergoing this kind of political mess. There are a lot of allegations against him, though yet to be proved.

“It is surprising that such a character could be allowed to hold the party to ransom and that the ruling party could allow Sheriff to wield influence (over the judiciary). We had two court rulings in a day. The APC government decided to take the one that favoured Sheriff.”

Fani-Kayode, in his contribution said he was the first to say publicly that Sheriff was being used against the PDP and that the activities of the former governor of Borno State had proved him right.

He said, “His (Sheriff) brief is to destroy the party because the APC knows that it cannot win in 2019 if the PDP is strong and united. He is a destroyer and he has come to destroy.

“He fooled everyone at the beginning but he didnt fool me. The PDP Ministers Forum was the first to blow the whistle and we stood against the Governors Forum who brought him.”

A former Ogun State helmsman, Daniel, lamented over the crisis in the PDP and urged the party to begin to look inward and rebrand to face its challenges.

He said, “What is required is rebranding and fine-tuning of our ideological underpinning, refocusing and getting serious.”

Similarly, Dariye asked the party leaders to resolve the current crisis amicably, saying he could not make further comments because there were cases pending in courts on the matter.

Another chieftain of the PDP, who had served as a minister and military governor, Useni, said, “What is happening in the PDP is unfortunate but with God, everything will be okay.  “What the judges are doing right now need immediate intervention of the NJC.”

On whether the party should punish Sheriff, Useni said, “This is politics. Our concern now is to get over the problem first.”

But Omisore, a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, disagreed with Daniel and insisted that the Federal Government was allegedly using Sheriff to destabilise and weaken the Peoples Democratic Party.

The former deputy governor of Osun State told SUNDAY PUNCH that the PDP made a mistake by allowing Sheriff to join the party.

Nkanga, who also frowned on the development, noted that the ruling party did not have to destroy the opposition.

He said, “Nigerians should rise up and say they want democracy; they want freedom of choice. They should be allowed to do that. This is what will take this country forward.”

Ogor, who spoke on behalf of PDP lawmakers in the lower legislative chamber of the federal parliament, described Sheriff as, “an agent of the APC-led Federal Government, on a mission to destroy the party.”

He said, “There was a clear court decision that the police should provide adequate security and there was another decision by a court of the same jurisdiction. However, the police went ahead to seal off the venue of the convention.”

Meanwhile, the Northern Youths Movement has said the PDP will remain in crisis as long as Sheriff remained in the party.

The NYM, in a statement by its Chairman, Mallam Ishaya Jato, alleged that Sheriff and Senator Buruji Kashamu were agents of the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai ,and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

Sheriff, however, denied the allegation, saying the PDP governors should be held responsible for the crisis in the party.

He said if he was being used by the APC, then the governors that came to beg him to lead the party must have been sent by the APC.

Speaking through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh, Sheriff urged Nigerians and members of the PDP to ignore such a claim.

He said, “I was in my house when they came to lead the party. The governors came. Were they sent by the APC?”




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Onyemaechi Christian Wins Cartoon Networks Africas Best Cartoonist 2016

Eleven year old Nigerian pupil, Onyemaechi Christian Yobo was today recognised by Cartoon Network and it's partners, DSTV as the winner of Imagination Studios Art Competition 2016. An award ceremony was held in his honour at the premises of the school he attends.

The primary six pupil of Rosyland Nursery and Primary school emerged the best cartoonist (story category) in the 2016 edition of the annual art event. The competition is organised by Cartoon Network across all the countries in Africa where DSTV and Cartoon Network operates.

Officials of Africa's biggest broadcast media organisation, DSTV and Cartoon Network were on ground to present a galaxy tablet, an art contract, art books and materials to the winner while the sum of one hundred thousand naira was given to his school for producing the winner. Cartoon network would also open an art studio in the school as part of its effort to promote art and creativity in the continent.

See pictures below....

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Rio Olympics African Medal Table

Take a look at the African medal table at the ongoing 2016 Rio Olympics.

Success only comes from adequate preparation and I hope Nigerian sports ministry will understand that having "HOPE" alone wouldn't give you any type of medal, but adequate preparation and support from the Federal Government.

Luckily, we are able to grab Bronze at the football tournament, all for the efforts of our football team despite the set backs.

To the top 10 countries who are leading on the medal table, I say a big congratulations.

By tomorrow, the medal tables would be adjusted to reflect new victories and medals awarded.

Congratulations Africa. Congratulations world.

Rio 2016 current medal table.

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Breaking: Nigeria 3, Honduras 2. Japanese billionaire Katsuya Takasu in Nigerian Team's Base, set to make good his pledge.

Rio Olympic football tournament. Finals, third place.

Nigeria 3    Honduras 2

Japanese billionaire Katsuya Takasu in Nigerian Team's Base, set to make good his pledge.

Siasia: We Won’t Return To Nigeria Without Bronze.

As Nigeria confront Honduras in the Rio Olympics bronze medal match today in Belo Horizonte, Coach Samson Siasia has said his team would not return to their country without the bronze medal.

“We still have something to play for,” Siasia said. “We didn’t deserve to win against Germany with the way we played, so we should just forget about it and look forward to the next one and at least we will try to have the bronze medal going back home.

“You’re better off having a bronze medal than not having anything at all. That’s the only way we can motivate them and it’s going to be very, very tough. They wanted to go to Rio but you need to earn it to go there.”

Honduras will present a different challenge than Germany from a tactical perspective, but make no mistake, Los Catrachos will be hungry to respond positively after a disappointing outing in Rio de Janeiro against Brazil.

“We need to play [against them] the same way we’ve been playing,” Siasia said. “There were too many mistakes and against a German side like we came up against, if you don’t utilise your chances, it becomes a problem and that’s what actually happened. It was a learning experience. We’re all learning every day.”

Nigeria started Rio 2016 full of energy and promise with a thrilling 5-4 win over Japan and then a 1-0 victory against Sweden. They fell 2-0 to Colombia in their final group stage match but they were already guaranteed a first-place finish before that game. In their quarter-final against Denmark, Nigeria looked comfortable and shored up their defence to win 2-0 before coming up against Germany.

“We’ve been very great. The mentality has been right. What did we want? We wanted the gold medal and that’s what we were shooting for. They came out without reservation and went all the way and tried to see if they could get it.

“Everything in life is a learning process. If you find yourself at a stage like this again, you want to do better. It’s all about the bronze now. You don’t want to go home without anything.”



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INEC Can’t Guarantee Conclusive Elections In 2019 – Chairman

Gbenro Adeoye and Tunde Ajaja

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, says given the challenges and malpractices that have marred elections both in the past and in recent times in the country, the commission cannot guarantee that the general elections in 2019 will be conclusive.

He said any attempt to give such assurance at this time would be second-guessing the outcome of the election, noting that it had become inevitable for the commission to declare some elections inconclusive.

The INEC boss, who spoke when he led some staff of the commission, including a national commissioner, Mr. Solomon Soyebi, on a visit to PUNCH Place, the corporate headquarters of PUNCH Nigeria Limited in Magboro, Ogun State, on Friday, stated that if everyone, including the staff of the commission, the voters, politicians and other stakeholders, play by the rules, there would be no inconclusive election.

He said, “We can’t second-guess to say this is the outcome of an election before it happens, unless we are not conducting elections. We hope it won’t lead to that, but if it happens, the constitution has a way out of it.

“There is no way the commission will declare any election conclusive where the threshold is not met. We can only declare an election conclusive when we are satisfied with the law and electoral act because all elections are governed by constitutional provisions, provisions of the electoral act and our guidelines. This is the challenge that we face, but we must express it because we (INEC) will not compromise.

“The constitution of this country provides condition for making return in an election. If that threshold is not met, can INEC make a declaration? We can’t, under the law, and if you do so the court will nullify the election and then we incur costs to do the election again.

“As to what will happen in 2019, only God knows, but we will abide by the provisions of the constitution, the electoral law and our guidelines in making declarations. We can only hope for the best.”

The INEC chairman, who spoke extensively while responding to questions on the inconclusive elections conducted by the commission, explained that majority of the 137 elections conducted by the commission in the past eight months were conclusive, dismissing insinuations that the commission had been organising inconclusive elections.

He explained that people had been used to conclusive elections on first ballot, pointing out that the political terrain has changed completely. He added that most of the elections were a product of the 2015 general elections and that there were no less than 680 court cases emanating from the 2015 general elections.

“It is not strange. More than any commission in the history of this country, we have conducted more elections outside the context of general elections. People often forget that we had inconclusive elections in the past.

“The first inconclusive election in Nigeria was in 1979, and that was the election that brought Shagari into power. We have forgotten about the mathematics of what two-third of 19 was, whether it was 12 or not. Eventually, the matter wasn’t resolved by the commission. People like Richard Akinjide went to court, and eventually the court decided the winner in 1979.

“In recent times, we have had series of inconclusive elections. The governorship election in Bauchi State was inconclusive because of post-election violence and INEC concluded the election after two weeks. The same thing happened in Imo; the first election that brought in Rochas Okorocha was inconclusive, until two weeks after. In 2015, Taraba, Abia and Imo were inconclusive and there were other constituency elections where elections were inconclusive.

“The most difficult election for the commission to conduct are off-season elections, because the attention of everybody focuses on a particular constituency and the political actors and gladiators and their antics have time to mobilise nationwide to descend on a particular constituency, which made the conclusion of such elections very difficult.

“What I want Nigerians to understand is that our democracy is maturing. If it matures, it cannot be the way we used to do things before. The mindset would have to change. Days were long gone when politicians do everything they can to be declared winners, knowing that the case would end up in court.

“So, let’s hope for the best, but it is everybody’s responsibility to make this democracy work. Citizens can protect their mandate. If we play by the rules and we are patient, I’m sure we will minimise all these issues leading to inconclusiveness.”

However, the INEC boss said apart from power play by political gladiators, emergence of strong political parties had made the elections more competitive. “When we had one dominant political party and other smaller parties, elections were always conclusive, but now, by evolution, not by imposition, we have two strong political parties, fielding strong candidates, making the elections extremely competitive,” he added.

When asked if he was being teleguided by the executive as rumoured in some quarters, he said there was no such thing, noting that both the opposition and the ruling parties had accused him of being teleguided by the executive anytime their party didn’t win an election.

“I have made a commitment to this country that the day I think I cannot perform this job in good conscience, I would leave, afterall I have a job to go back to; teaching. So, it’s not true that we are being teleguided,” he said.

Yakubu equally lamented that the nation had not been penalising electoral offenders, saying it was painful that over 1,000 persons died as a result of post-election violence in Kaduna in 2011 and nobody was arrested or prosecuted.

He added that it was also regrettable that the recommendations of the Mohammed Uwais-led committee and the Ahmed Lemu-led committee had not been implemented, saying time had come for the government to set up an electoral offences commission and tribunal, to which all violators of electoral acts would be subjected, including staff of the commission.

He said, “Under the electoral act, INEC is supposed to penalise electoral offenders and what are the steps: first, we have to make arrest, but INEC has no police, so we can’t arrest. Secondly, we have to investigate to be able to have evidence that can be tendered in court during prosecution, but we have no power to investigate, and for me, most extraordinarily, that means INEC is supposed to prosecute its own staff. How can INEC prosecute itself?

Meanwhile, when asked what the commission had done in punishing some of its staff found guilty of electoral offences, the INEC chairman said over a hundred of its staff, both serving and retired had been invited by the EFCC in connection with the allegation of financial misappropriation leveled against the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Maduekwe.

The EFCC had alleged that some key staff of INEC benefitted from the $26m allegedly shared by the former Minister in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.

Yakubu said, “The first one when I came in was the revelation coming out of what you people in the media call DiezaniGate.  So far, over a hundred staff of INEC had been invited. At a point, we toiled with the idea of speaking to the EFCC to see the weight of evidence they have so that we can take administrative action against our own staff, but they are innocent until they are proven guilty. They have to be charged to court, but we have taken notice and we have a complete list.

“If you hear a certain number this week, the following week, it would have increased, arising from the interrogation of more staff, so we have not got to the end of it, and it’s not good for the commission to take decision in pieces, but eventually, some of them who are culpable will be charged to court.”

He, however, assured that the commission would continue to deepen the use of technology, learn from what happened, make the smart card reader better and add new initiatives. “We are committed to ensure that every ballot counts and is accounted for,” he said.




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I Knelt And Begged Him, Yet He Slaughtered My Daughter In My Presence – Mother.

The inch-long scar on the neck of 53-year-old Mrs. Christiana Ashinwo, is one of the physical reminders of the horror of Sunday, April 24, 2016.

She sat on a chair quietly in the sitting room of a house in Agbado area of Lagos, which she built with the sweat and suffering of many years as a single mother and plank vendor. Her head was bowed when our correspondent went to meet her.
But when Mrs Ashinwo looked up, her eyes were glazed with a faraway look that would easily giveaway the fact that she could have witnessed trauma, great trauma that she obviously had yet to recover from.
Who would blame her? Watching her daughter killed before her presence, is enough to give her chills every moment for the rest of her life. The horrific incident she witnessed and survived few months ago in Kwara State remains so fresh on her mind.
Our correspondent had reported on April 30 how Mrs. Ashinwo and her daughter, 30-year-old Oluwatosin Ashinwo, an employee of MTN in Ilorin, Kwara State were attacked by a knife-wielding obsessed suitor of the young lady, 45-year-old David Ogundele.
Mrs. Ashinwo survived the attack, her daughter didn’t.
The older woman’s injuries were no less extensive, as she spent many days in the emergency unit of a hospital in Ilorin as doctors battled to save her life. She would later spend another two months in the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Our correspondent paid her a visit in Lagos, days after she was discharged and brought back home.
With a very raspy voice and intermittent cough that came out with each word, one would conclude that all was still not well with the woman, who was left for dead in the pool of her own blood in Ilorin that fateful day.
For her, the agony she feels with each morsel of food and gulp of liquid passing through her knife-damaged throat was nothing compared to the daily torment of thinking about how she lost her first child, breadwinner, and daughter.
“I knelt down to beg my daughter’s killer as he held the knife that later took my daughter’s life. I thought kneeling would pacify him,” she said.
The story Mrs. Ashinwo told was one of agony, climaxing at the moment she laid in a pool of her own blood and tried with every ounce of her waning strength to crawl to where her daughter laid lifeless.
“I was dead; I don’t know why God brought me back. But I am sure I was dead that day. I tried to crawl and touch my daughter but my strength failed. I could see she was not breathing. There was blood everywhere; mine and my daughter’s,” she said.
According to her, the day of the attack was the first time he would meet the killer, Ogundele.
Mrs. Ashinwo said, “The first time we spoke, he called me and introduced himself as Engineer David. He told me he was my daughter’s friend and I should help him to appeal to my daughter to marry him.
Mrs Ashinwo
“I was surprised but I told him that my daughter was a 30-year-old woman. She was free to make her own decision about who to marry.
“He called again some weeks later and said he and my daughter had settled the issue.
“The next time, he called, he was very angry. He said he had never been humiliated the way my daughter humiliated him. It was few days after my daughter’s birthday. He said he organised a birthday party for her and invited his friends and even bought a car as gift but she did not honour the invitation.
“I did not know what to say. My daughter already had a car and already has someone else she wanted to marry. I told him not to be annoyed and forget about the issue since my daughter had made up her mind.
“Prior to April 30, I started having some bad dreams about my daughter and became really concerned. I decided that it was time to go and check on her to know how she was doing.
“On my way to Ilorin, the man (Ogundele) called again and said as soon as I get to Ilorin, he would come and pick me at the park. I said nothing. But since I did not even know him I went straight to my daughter’s place without calling him.
“When I met my daughter, she took me to a woman, who seemed to be her confidante. We ate and the woman told me that my daughter had a fight with one man called Engineer David that day and the man threatened to kill her.
“I did not waste time; I stood up and told her I must report to the police. But my daughter told me to let the matter go. She said I was just making a big issue out of a small matter.
“She said that was why she did not like telling me some things some times. I let the matter go because I did not want to be like an overzealous mother.”
But that was one decision that would haunt Mrs. Ashinwo every second of every day.
The following day, Sunday April 30, without any hint about the danger that lurked in the shadow, she and her daughter had just got home from somewhere that day. As they entered Oluwatosin’s flat, Ogundele, who was said to be have been hiding around the flat, cornered them in the flat.
Mrs. Ashinwo said, “He entered and locked the door behind him and put the key in his pocket. I had just finished bathing when my daughter called out to me that he was in the flat. I quickly dressed and prepared to meet the man that had been disturbing me so much with calls. When I saw him, I said ‘Good day, pleased to meet you’ and he replied that, ‘there is nothing good about today.’
“As soon as I saw him, I sighted the knife he was holding. I asked him what the problem was and he kept quiet. I did not understand what was happening. He was saying so many things I did not understand. I asked him if my daughter owed him anything. I promised to pay back everything. He said she did not owe him anything. He was just angry.
“I told him that even if they offended each other, it should not be that bad that it would require the use of a knife. I told them they could still be friends. When I realised he had no intension of dropping the knife, I went down on my knees. I was begging him to drop the knife. Then, he came to where I knelt and carried me up.
“Just when I thought the issue would end, he rushed at Tosin and held her down on the bed. He started stabbing her furiously. As my daughter screamed, I rushed at him. I could not just stand and he stared stabbing me too over the body.”
Scars from stabbing on Mrs. Ashinwo’s back
By the time the attack was over, Mrs. Ashinwo had been stabbed at least 10 times in her torso, with the knife going through her throat in the
As all became quiet in the room where the dying women lay, Ogundele, dropped his weapon, the bloody knife and locked his victims in the room,Saturday PUNCHlearnt.
Minutes went by as Mrs. Ashinwo tried to call out to her daughter who was bleeding from every parts of the body.
She said she was so weak she could not even call out to her daughter who had become lifeless at that point.
Lucky for her, she heard someone in a kitchen behind her daughter’s window. The woman said she used the last ounce of her strength to call the person, who later raised the alarm.
By the time the door was broken down, it was too late for Oluwatosin. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
As Mrs. Ashinwo told this story, there was no doubt it was with tremendous agony as she relived the gory details.
Saturday PUNCHhad earlier reported that Ogundele was arrested in Osun on Saturday, May 14, after the police tracked him down with undercover agents.
But Mrs. Ashinwo said the police have not even contacted her to give evidence. She said she could not understand why Ogundele has not been charged to court.
The spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, said he did not have information about the prosecution of the suspect when our correspondent called him.





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A Dog Named Buhari And A Hippo Named Patience By Reno Omokri.

I never believed that true life is stranger than fiction until I read the case of Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, the young man who named his dog after his hero, Buhari, only to be arrested and detained by the Nigerian Police on the excuse that his actions were likely to breach the prevailing peace in his community of Sango-Ota, Ogun State.


Really? Is this how low Nigeria has sunk?

About two weeks ago, Chinakwe's hero, President Muhammadu Buhari, ordered the police to reopen the cold case murder mysteries involving Bola Ige, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Chief Aminasoari Dikibo, a one time ex-Deputy National Chairman, South-South, of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Little or nothing has been heard from the police since that order was given only for Nigeria to wake up to the almost telenovela tale of a dog named Buhari. When they are meant to deliver results, the police is busy delivering activity. Comical activity.

Perhaps what I find most interesting is that a man can be arrested for naming his dog after his hero yet in this very same country no one thought it wrong when the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, called a man, and not just any man, but a governor at that, a 'mad dog'!

Now I get it! In today's Nigeria, you can name a man after a dog without consequence but you cannot name a dog after a man without consequences!

Do you see how low Nigeria has fallen? Perhaps our police would like to visit the netherworld to arrest the late English novelist, George Orwell, for naming the pig in his allegorical novel, Animal Farm, after the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Didn't Chinua Achebe write that “when an adult is in the house, the she-goat is not left to suffer the pains of parturition on its tether.”

But why should I be surprised? Hasn't Nigeria degenerated to become an 'Animal Farm'? Just like in Orwell's novella, we are living in a country where animals have displaced humans.

Why won't our morals become warped to the extent that we care more for animal rights than for human rights when elders like Professor Wole Soyinka did not see anything wrong in calling the wife of a seating President a 'Hippopotamus'?

Why won't our morals go to the dogs when our government is more interested in protecting the rights of cows via grazing reserves rather than protecting the lives of its own citizens by way of prosecuting killer herdsmen, who, as our president assures us, are from 'Libya'? These marauders, who have killed thousands of innocent Nigerians in the last 18 months have for some reason become so bold even as our security agents have become so timid before them.

And the case of Joe Fortemose Chinakwe exposes a troubling pattern. We seem to have a government that cares more for the right of certain categories of foreigners than for the right of its own citizens.

Why do I say so?

Well consider that the complainant who lodged a complaint with the police against Mr. Chinakwe is allegedly a foreigner from Niger Republic (by the testimony of Mr. Chinakwe). On the strength of a complaint by a foreigner that he feels offended by the name a Nigerian chose to give his dog, the Nigerian police swung into action and became so efficient overnight that it sent its men to fetch the erring Chinakwe and locked him up for his audacity.

Then also consider that the herdsmen (notice I said herdsmen, not Fulani herdsmen) that have killed thousands of Nigerians are said, by no less a personality than our President, to be foreigners from faraway 'Libya' and perhaps other nations in between.

Now we have established the pattern. But why is the pattern troubling?

It is troubling because it is beginning to seem that when the interests of Nigerian citizens clash with the interests of certain classes of foreigners, the interest of the foreigner prevails over the interest of the Nigerian.

And there are more instances to prove my hypothesis.

I was recently in Nigeria to preach at a church in Abuja and I noticed that foreigners clear through immigration faster than Nigerian citizens at our airports. At foreign airports the reverse is the case. Citizens clear faster than foreigners.

I am betting that I am not the only one who has experienced this anomaly.

What is it with Nigerians? It is this same attitude that makes us worship anybody with a foreign accent. We do not like ourselves and we like foreigners and yet we expect foreigners to like us.

Foreigners are not fools, you know. They will find it difficult to like us if we do not like ourselves. After all we know ourselves better than they know is, and if we do not like ourselves then that sends a red flag to the foreigner.

And to the Nigerian police, let me say that the popular flutist Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli has a dog named Obasanjo (seriously, he does). Should he also prepare for arrest?

What more can I say? Nigeria never ceases to amaze!

Omokri is the founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California, author of Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God and Why Jesus Wept and the host of Transformation with Reno Omokri.



Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/dog-named-buhari-hippo-named-patience/



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How Adamawa doctor removed patient’s only kidney.

Isa Hamman, 23, from a village in Fufore LGA in Adamawa State, is currently on admission at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, where his life totally depends on dialysis as he lacks a single kidney. Born with only one of the important organs, the Fulani herder lived a normal life until the 8th of July when he approached Jimeta Clinic, a private hospital in Yola, to seek medical attention for persistent abdominal pains.


Accompanied by a relative, the young man reluctantly obliged to the doctors quick recommendation for surgery. After subjecting the patient to clinical tests, the doctor, Yakubu Hassan immediately demanded for N50,000 fee for the surgery which the patient’s family managed to raise.
The patient’s uncle, Hamman-Seyu told journalists that immediately after the surgery, Dr Hassan handed him his nephew’s kidney. Three days after, he got disturbed when he observed that the condition of his nephew deteriorated as he failed to urinate for three consecutive days.
Following series of protests by the family, the doctor  referred the patient  to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe where it was discovered that the patient had no kidneys at all and had to live on dialysis.


Shocked by the discovery, the management of the Teaching Hospital then lodged a formal complaint with the Adamawa State government against the misconduct of Dr. Hassan. The hospital also referred the patient to the Federal Medical Centre Yola where he is currently undergoing dialysis at a weekly fee of N48,000.

Lamenting the cost, Hamman-Seyo appealed for assistance from government and the public, saying the family sold all their cows to settle hospital bills.
A letter of referral signed by Dr. Abubakar M.S. of the Teaching Hospital in Gombe and addressed to the Consultant Nephrologist at the FMC Yola disclosed that the ill-fated surgery had rendered the patient with no kidney.

The spokes man of the Ministry of Health in Yola,  Abubakar Muhammad who spoke to Daily Trust on behalf of the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Fatima Atiku Abubakar confirmed receipt of the  letter of complaint from the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe about the misconduct of the. doctor, recommending disciplinary action. He said the Medical and Dental Code of Conduct committee had since commenced in investigation in to the matter.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer,  SP Othman Abubakar on Wednesday confirmed  the arrest of the doctor for investigations.
Since the ill-fated surgery, local activists launched a campaign to draw public attention to the incident, calling on government to assist the victim and social media has been awash with condemnation of the medical blunder.

Several attempts to speak to the embattled doctor were not successful, as he was not available during visits to Jimeta Clinic.

Experts say Hamman will require a kidney transplant, which is out of reach of his financially overstretched family.


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Saudi Arabia discovers "world's oldest human bone".

Saudi Arabia announced on Friday in Riyadh the discovery of the "world's oldest human bone" in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, which announced the find, said the bone was discovered during excavations at Tayma, where a large oasis exists with a long history of habitation.

It said that the discovery was made by a joint research team of Saudi archaeologists and experts from Oxford University.

The commission noted that the bone is the middle part of the middle finger of a human being believed to have lived 90,000 years ago.

``This renders it as the oldest human trace found to date in the Arabian Peninsula.

The commission disclosed that the team is part of the Green Arabia Project, a Saudi-British survey and excavation undertaking aiming to perform several environmental and archaeological studies of various historical sites in Saudi Arabia. (Xinhua/NAN)


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Shelve your planned demonstration, Pro-Buhari Group begs BBOG

Group says BBOG can't claim monopoly of patriotism and humanity over the government by seeking to undermine the silent efforts of the military to map out strategies to safely rescue the girls.

The Buhari Media Support Group, (BMSG) has appealed to the "BringBackOurGirls"  (BBOG) to shelve its proposed demonstration to the Presidential Villa.

The group in a statement signed by Muhammad Labbo said shelving the demonstration was necessary to avoid complications and anything capable of undermining efforts of the government to rescue the girls unharmed.

Labbo noted that playing politics with the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls was unhelpful and embarrassing to the government and counterproductive to the silent efforts of the military to rescue them.

‪He said the government would take serious exception to the mobilisation of the parents of the kidnapped girls to score political advantage or exploiting the tragedy to play to the gallery.

Labbo said dragging the parents of the victims to Abuja for endless demonstrations would only compound a bad situation, and give them the impression that a rescue mission "is as simple as abc."

‪According to him, the Bring Back Our  Girls Group should not claim  monopoly of patriotism and humanity over the government by seeking to undermine the silent efforts of the military to map out strategies to safely rescue the girls.

‪He said if there was a formula for rescuing the girls within 24 hours unharmed, government would have done that, reminding the Bring Back Our Girls group of the complexities and sensitivity of hostage rescue missions.

‪"The terrorists have no rules of engagement and therefore, would not mind killing all the hostages if the Nigerian military attempts any rash action."

‪He urged the group not to blackmail and stampede the government into doing something which might lead to the large-scale deaths of the hostages, adding their captors had no regard for the sanctity of life.

‪"Any rescue attempt that leaves the kidnapped girls dead would not worth it.

"Our armed forces have been working hard on plans and strategies of how to rescue the girls but don't have to publicise their plans because absolute secrecy is needed.

‪"The primary objective of any rescue mission is to get the hostages alive and unharmed," he said.

He advised the Bring Back Our Girls Group to support the government in its efforts to deal with the challenge rationally.

‪Labbo said the BMSG reject efforts by the Bring Back Our Girls group to portray the government as insensitive or inhuman because it did not act according their idealistic theories of easy rescue mission.

"If a reckless rescue effort results in disaster for hostages, the advocacy group would be the first to crucify the government for sacrificing the lives of the girls."

‪He noted that the recent Boko Haram video clip was a propaganda effort to force the government to surrender to terrorists and release their members in custody.


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Turkey transfers Nigerian students to public schools over failed coup.

Some Nigerian students studying in private Turkish universities have been transferred to public schools owing to the closure of their institutions as a result of the failed coup in the country.

Hakan Cakil, Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, disclosed this, saying the students will pay little or no tuition in their new place of study.

According to Bem Goong, deputy director of press and public relations in the ministry of education, Cakil revealed this when he paid a courtesy call on Adamu Adamu, the minister of education.

“All students affected by the closure have been moved to public varsities nearest to them,” Goong quoted Cakil as saying.

“No Nigerian student would be allowed to suffer the effects of the closure… Any student electing to return to Nigeria will be doing so as a matter of choice.”

Responding, Adamu expressed profound gratitude to the Turkish government “for paying special attention to the wellbeing and safety of Nigerian students”.

He assured the envoy that the government of Nigeria would continue to work hard to deepen educational cooperation with Turkey as well as boost the overall bilateral relationship between the two countries.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was almost killed in the attempt of a faction of the military to overthrow his government.

Erdogan had called on the people to troop out to the streets, and defend his government.

Later, forces loyal to the government overpowered the rebellious soldiers.

Turkey has accused Fethullah Gullen, a US-based cleric, of being behind the botched coup, demanding his extradition.

The Turkish government also called on the Nigerian government to shut down 17 Turkish schools over their alleged links to Gullen’s movement.

Gullen has since denied all the allegations.


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Police shortlist 110,469 for recruitment exams.

The Police Service Commission said yesterday that it has shortlisted 110, 469 applicants for police recruitment aptitude tests to start on Monday in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Chairman of the Commission, Mike Okiro who make this known at a press conference in Abuja, said all categories of applicants shortlisted are to write examinations at designated schools in their states.

Okiro said the applicants to write the exams include Cadet Assistant Superintendents of Police, 22,454, comprising 10,290 general duties and 12,164 specialists; Cadet Inspectors, 24,456, made up of 11,639 for general duty and 12, 817 for specialists and Constables, 63,559, comprising 40,492 for general duty and 23,067 for specialists.
He said state governors have been asked to place adverts on radio and television to inform their citizens about the examination and the venues. The chairman also said 115 applicants were arrested for breaches ranging from forgery to impersonation and others, adding that they had been handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.



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I am the greatest, says ‘triple-triple’ Bolt.

Usain Bolt stormed to an unprecedented ‘triple triple’ of Olympic golds at the Rio Games on Friday, promptly declaring himself “the greatest”.

Bolt won gold medals in the 100m and 200m made it a repeat of Beijing 2008 and London 2012 by helping the Jamaican team to anchor the title in the men’s 4x100m relay.

Bolt and his compatriots, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake and Nickel Ashmease, bossed the race to win in 37.27 seconds.

The US finished second but were disqualified, promoting Japan into silver and Canada up to bronze.

“I told the guys that if they didn’t come through for me I’d beat them up!” Bolt joked.

“They really came through for me and I’m happy to have done what I came here to do.

“I’m just happy and relieved.”

After completing the triple triple he declared himself the greatest.

“I’ve done it and it’s unreal. I never knew from the start that this was going to happen to me and now it has it’s a brilliant feeling. I am the greatest.”

The world’s fastest man, who celebrates his 30th birthday on Sunday, signed off from his sport’s biggest stage in trademark fashion as he took the baton from Nickel Ashmeade and, knees high and arms pumping, stormed away from second-placed Japan to huge cheers.

Usain Bolt won all three events at the previous two Olympic Games, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

The 30-year-old was competing in his last event at an Olympic Games when he ran on Friday night

Bolt is now a nine-time Olympic champion.


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Be selfless and you’ll have more sex, new research suggests.

After reading this, many may begin to question their moral values and perhaps, make some life changing decisions.

Two studies published in the British Journal of Psychology assert that being selfless may increase one’s chances of having sexual intercourse.

The studies which were conducted at the University of Guelph and Nipissing University suggest that altruistic people have it better, sexually.

“Altruistic individuals reported more lifetime sex partners, more casual sex partners, even more sex within their romantic relationships,” said Steven Arnocky, lead researcher of the project.

Arnocky added: “It appears that altruism evolved in our species, in part, because it serves as a signal of other underlying desirable qualities, which helps individuals reproduce.”

But how much of a factor does selflessness play in attraction and sexual intercourse?

The researchers interviewed about 800 people regarding their relationships and propensity for helping others, and the altruist candidates came out with a higher success rate.

However, “it’s a more effective signal for men than for women,” said Pat Barclay, psychology professor at the University of Guelph, who helped design the second study.

“There’s very good theoretical reasons as to why we might predict people will want a generous partner, as opposed to someone who’s kind of stingy, and maybe kind of a jerk.

“So there’s good reason for that, even though it contradicts, you know, the popular wisdom that nice guys finish last,” Barclay said.


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I got into politics by accident — Oyegun.

The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has described his foray into politics as “accidental.”

Odigie-Oyegun, who clocked 77 last Friday, said this while speaking in Abuja, weekend.
He said he was tactically co-opted into politics by his late friend who was a general in the military.
He said: “I visited a friend in Ikoyi Hotel, the late General Liene. He said he had a meeting in his house in Benin, but he was in Lagos then and he asked me if I could attend (meeting). I said no. But he told me that, ‘we just want to borrow from your wisdom and benefit from any advice you want to give us.’ So, as his friend, I said okay. So, I went to this meeting. It was held behind his house, not knowing that he had set the big trap for me.

“They were setting up committees. I spoke once or twice on the setting up of committees. They ended up saying that Chief Oyegun would be a member of that committee. In spite of all protests, I finally settled down.
“But I said I would be a back bencher by interacting with them and giving advice.  I would assist with the best of my ability. I was in politics, but not in elective politics at that stage. I was contented to be a back bencher. I didn’t want anything at all. We started during the early IBB days when all associations were established.”
The APC national chairman recalled that he became an aspirant during the period after his rejection of another aspirant who was being sponsored by the opposition.
Odigie-Oyegun, who served from January 1992 to November 1993 as civilian governor of Edo State on the SDP platform before he was removed from office after General Sani Abacha seized power, said the high-point of his political career was reached when his election was annulled.
He said that he knew the election would be annulled because he recalled that a member of the tribunal from Borno State visited him twice.

“Of course, those days, we didn’t think of giving bribe. I didn’t know if that was what went wrong. He came a second time and he started saying: ‘Well, look, whatever way this thing goes, we are sure even if the election would be held again, you will beat Lucky Igbinedion hands down, no fear about that. Whatever may happen, just take it and face it.’ I said: ‘haha! What is going to happen? I put two and two together. I said it was clear that the election would be annulled. It was annulled. But that was why I think that episode as one of my finest moments because the entire country converged and described it very revolting and unacceptable. The chairman of that tribunal had to be smuggled out of Benin. He was virtually rejected by members of his family. So, it was pleasant. The whole state rose up like one man.”
“IBB was in East Africa then. The situation was so charged that he had to cut short his tour. I got my election back. I was reinstated. The rest, as they say, is history.”


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PDP replies Oyegun: We handed over a better Nigeria to Buhari.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday refuted the claim by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, that it was responsible for the current economic challenges Nigerians are facing under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that the chairman of the ruling APC had on Thursday said the Nigeria is currently in intensive care unit after it was rescued from PDP.

The PDP reacting to the statement through its Director of New Media, Deji Adeyanju, said the PDP handed over to Buhari, a Nigeria significantly better than the one presided over today by him.
“We read the statement by Chief John Oyegun, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to the effect that PDP has no right to speak about Buhari’s economic failures and felt compelled to respond for record purposes. First off, Section S39 CFRN guarantees all Nigerians the right to freedom of expression. Chief Oyegun and his party would do well to stop its many attempts at violating this right,” the party said.

“Secondly, we will not follow Chief Oyegun’s path by responding with an invective rejoinder. We will let the facts speak for themselves. For the avoidance of doubt these are some of the economic indices inherited by the Buhari administration.
“No 1 destination for Foreign Investment in Africa with $395m in investments in Q1 2015 alone. Single digit inflation. It was 9.6% at the inception of the Buhari admin. It stands at 16.5% now; a GDP at an average growth of 8% p/a in the last 10 yrs. Nigeria is experiencing its first -five GDP growth since 1999.
“A telecoms sector that has received more than $32b in investment since 2001.The largest economy in African valued at over $500b. – An economy that was reducing the employment rate”.
“An economy that had successfully increased per capita income from $299.4 in 1999 to $2640 in 2015. A stock market valued at N11.66t. The Nigeria Stock market has lost more than N1t of its value since the inception of the Buhari admin.
“An economy that had reduced its food import bill from well over N1t to N684.7 billion as at December 2013 and was on target to meet its target of producing 20million MT of food annually.
“An economy that was diversifying by exponentially increasing non-oil revenue for the federation. A successfully unbundled power sector with a suitable environment for investment. An economy that had successfully reduced its personnel cost over the last five years.
“Several tools for combating corruption such as IPPIS, TSA, GIFMIS, EFCC and ICPC. In the past year, the APC led FG has detained and publicly accused Col. Sambo Dasuki and members of our party for corruption.
“We find it surprising that the FG is asking for secret trials for the accused persons. We urge the FG to try them openly and in accordance respect for the rule of law.
The party further said: “We feel compelled to remind Chief Oyegun that not all monies generated from crude oil sales accrue to the FG. Monies from crude sales accrue to Nigeria and its various JV partners.
What accrues to Nigeria is then shared between the FG, States and LGAs subject to the deduction of operational expenses.
“It is either a rookie mistake, or deliberate misrepresentation to state that the Jonathan admin could not account for money it is under no obligation to account for.
“Having said that, we urge the Buhari admin to audit NNPC if he feels the need to and  to prosecute anyone found guilty of misappropriation of public funds according to the law.”
The statement said there were no economic indices anywhere in the world by which the Buhari admininistration can be rated better than anmy previous PDP administration.
“His performance as President thus far has been shambolic and on a daily basis he reverses the gains we made. Chief Oyegun should be reminded that we handed over a significantly better Nigeria to Buhari than we received from the military. The Chairman should also be reminded that Buhari played a significant role in the state of Nigeria handed over to us – first as Head of State between 1983 and 1985, then as a member of the government of the Late General Sani Abacha.
The Party added that the APC chairman would do better to advise President Buhari on how to reverse the recession his policies have brought on the nation, how to resolve the humanitarian crises in the North East; and how to reverse the polio outbreak recently discovered in Nigeria after the PDP’s policies had seen an eradication of scourge from more than half of the world’s polio cases in 2009 to 6 in 2014 and 0 in 2015.




Source: The Sunnesonline