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ACTS 5 VS 1-11
1. Acts 5 vs 1- "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property". They both agreed to sell one of their property to help the less privileged, which was a very good idea but the points is, when you have good idea, do you allow the Spirit of deceit to ruin you by not been true to yourself. No one forced or begged them to sell their property, if we see from Acts 4 vs 32-37,believers gave what they have. Are you giving what you have with the whole of your heart, hope you arent giving because you want to be praised or you want others to see that you are giving.
Do it willingly- 2Corinthians 9 vs 6-8
2. Acts 5 vs 2- "With his wife's full knowledge, he kept part of the money"-> The both of them did not have the Holyspirit which will direct their steps(Lack of Holyspirit in the life of couples leads to misbehavior)
b. You dont join multitude to do evil, if the wife was a believer and the man had planned evil and he told the man about it, she would have advised the man not to do it or would have prayed to God to stop the man from keeping part of the money.(John 5 vs 14-15)
C. "He brought the rest to the apostles"-> You dont give God a blemished offering;you dont give God a offering because others are giving, you dont give to God what doesn't come from your heart. Give to God the offering and tithe that comes from your mind, so it can be acceptable.
3. Acts 5 vs 3-> You can pretend to be pure to a man but you can never pretend to GOD because he sees all(Jeremiah 17 vs 9-10) Dont let satan fill your heart (Luke 6 vs 43-45) Let GOD dominate and fill your heart with good things(Romans 10 vs 9-11, John 8 vs 31-36, 1John 3 vs 7-9) (Romans 8 vs 13-16)
4. Acts 5 vs 4-> When we test the work of your hands with fire what result will it bring out(1Corinthians 3 vs 12-13) if your daily activities are brought to light now,what will the result be. 2Corinthians 5 vs 10
5. Acts 5 vs 5-6-> Every wrong doing is a sin-
1Corinthians 15 vs 34,56- come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God-I say this to your shame. The sting of death is sin.....(3John 11, Hebrews 9 vs 27)
6. Acts 5 vs 7-8-> God hate lies; lying is a sin. Endeavour to stop lying. It doesnt add to your glory. To those who think they are smart liars, its only brings forth the son or daughter of whom you are(the devil because he is the father of lies from the beginning of the world-John 8 vs 44, 1John 3 vs 9) lies makes you worthless in the sight of God- Proverbs 6 vs 16-17
7. Acts 5 vs 9- Dont test the Spirit of God( Deuteronomy 6 vs 16)Matthew 4 vs 7
8. Acts 5 vs 10-11-> Dont let your life be an evil example. Let your life bring forth light that shows good example of whom Christ want you to be- Philippians 2 vs 5.
Proverbs 6 vs 16-19. Isaiah 29 vs 13- what is stopping you from getting closer to God? Is it that sin that easily entangles you like lying- Hebrews 12 vs 1- Pray concerning it, be willingly and determined to leave your sinful life and allow God deal with it for you.
Make use of James 4 vs 7-8-Submit yourselves, then,to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.-(the only way you can resist the devil is by obeying the words of God and stop obeying the devil's words-1John 3 vs 9. 3John 11
And finally Romans 10 vs 9-11. I CALL YOU BLESSED

I knelt to pray but not for long;
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done.
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long, I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends.
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do;
That was my constant cry.
No time to give to souls in need,
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord.
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands, God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said,
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down
But never found the time."

A lot of people make decisions based on their present situation not knowing their present situation is not going to be their permanent situation. John 16 vs 13- make decisions based on where you are heading to and not where you are which will definitely change at anytime. Your present situation which seems stagnant is not going to be permanent because you belong to a greater place.
A young lady got married at age 23. She did not have a job before she got married. Her husband is rich but she doesn't want to stay at home and depend on her husband's money despite the fact that her husband doesn't want her to work with government but have a business of her own.
After some years she got a job which paid her well but she doesnt have time for the children. Her husband told her to leave the job because she doesn't have time for him again. She disagreed and said; she knows her husband is rich but he cannot pay her what the company is paying her monthly. The man kept quite for some months but he wasn't satisfied with her not spending time with him and the children.
One day, he thought of scaring her with his words, so he confronted her then said to her, you either choose between your job or me, she smiled with full confidence, she said her job. She went inside and packed all her belongings, as if she had been expecting the question before. Weeks passed by but her husband never heard from her, after three months it was a divorce letter the husband got.
After two years she was sacked. She went back to meet her husband, he rejected her, families rejected her because she didn't tell anyone before taking such step. After been unable to pay her house rent worth 350k yearly, She rented a room, unable to pay because of the location, she moved to a village where no one knows her. she's now selling fish in the village. She thought she had arrived with the money and salary she was collecting but she does not know what await her.
Pray before making decisions. Proverbs 16 vs 9, Proverbs 20 vs 24.Be very careful in making decisions. Don't make decisions based on the sweet and interesting time or base on the bad time in your life. The good time in your life might turn to worse time, then how do you cope when things changes, the bad time might turn to good time, how do you cope. Many have lost their life because they feel the good time is forever, so when the trials come, they cant withstand it, some even cant balance up their life when the bad times come for them, they end up poisoning themselves because they cant withstand the disgrace that befalls them. No one knows tomorrow except God, let him lead you rightly, be true to yourself by living rightly, don't do to others what you wont want them to do to you. Don't leave friends or families in their trails. Its not their permanent situation, they might also be the only one standing by you in your own trials tomorrow. You don't know what life will bring forth for you. When God blesses you, don't abandon people and think you cant need their help again because of the wealth you have, you don't know what will befall you tomorrow. Be kind to everyone you meet. No one knows tomorrow.
Live has the LORD lead you.
Lastly; learn from King Saul- 1Samuel 13 vs 7-14
I CALL YOU BLESSED

Manchester United defender, Chris Smalling has finally revealed what Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi, said to him following his side’s 1-0 defeat to Ernesto Valverde’s men in the Champions League quarter-final first leg tie.
A first-half own goal by Luke Shaw gave the La Liga champions all three points against the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
Smalling left Messi with a bloodied nose after an aerial challenge with the 31-year-old during the match.
The centre-back said he spoke with Messi after the match and the Argentine international told him that he “knew” the clash he had with him was an “accident”, adding that they both shook hands and wished each other good luck in the return leg at Camp Nou next week.
“Yeah we spoke after. I didn’t realise at the time actually that I had caught him like that,’ Smalling told BBC Radio 5 live.
“But after the game we had a brief chat, shook hands and he said he knew it was an accident.”
Smalling added: “Luis Suarez after as well, we had a good tussle and he just shook my hand after and said good luck and we just said good luck.
“So it’s nice when you can have that battle on the pitch and then obviously there’s full respect after the game because ultimately you’re just trying to do your best and enjoy the game.”
Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/04/12/champions-league-lionel-messi-told-smalling-man-uniteds-defeat-barcelona/

Two people, including a soldier and a vigilante, were killed when two female suicide bombers detonated their explosives in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, military and militia sources said Friday.
The bombers quickly blew themselves up on Thursday in the bid to evade arrest when they were stopped by troops and militiamen outside the garrison town of Monguno.
“We lost a soldier and a civilian vigilante in the explosion which also injured another soldier,” a military officer who did not want to be named, told AFP.
“Two female suicide bombers were involved in the incident,” he added.
One of the bombers panicked when they were being questioned and detonated her explosives, killing her while her accomplice “took to the heels”, added a militia leader in the town.
“The soldiers and the vigilante pursued her and when she realised they were closing in on her she exploded, killing a soldier and a civilian JTF (militia),” said the militia, who didn’t want to be identified for fear of official sanction.
He said another soldier sustained injuries in the incident.
Monguno, 135 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, houses a military base and camps for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The town which lies in the Lake Chad area has been repeatedly attacked by the jihadists who have made several failed attempts to overrun the base.
Suicide bombings are the hallmarks of the Boko Haram faction loyal to longtime leader Abubakar Shekau, targeting civilian targets like mosques, markets, schools and displaced camps.
Another IS-affiliated faction focuses on attacks on military targets including raids on bases.
Boko Haram’s decade-long conflict has killed more than 27,000 people and displaced 1.8 million others in the northeast.
The violence has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting the regional military response to fight the Islamist group.
Source:
guardian.ng/news/nigeria/national/two-killed-in-suspected-boko-haram-suicide-attack-in-borno/

Candidates writing the 2019 Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) examination at Kaduna State University ICT Center in Kaduna on Thursday (11/4/19).
The board’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dr Fabian Benjamin disclosed this in a telephone interview on Friday in Abuja.
Benjamin also said that the release of the results would not be immediate as the board was taking time to process before releasing them in order to avoid multiple cancellations.
On the biometric verification, Benjamin said that the board was looking into all reported cases and would take a decision soon.
“We will look at the cases brought before us to know if they are actual challenges or part of malpractice.
“This is because we discovered that some candidates have done something they intend to take advantage of the biometric verification challenge as an excuse, so we need to be ascertain the genuiness of these cases.
” I assure you we are looking at it and would do something,”
The 2019/20 UTME which commenced on Thursday, April 11, nationwide was not totally hitchfree as some candidates complained of inability to be verified through the biometric process, either at the beginning or end of the exercise.
However, some centres recorded a smooth conduct of the process as over 1.8 million candidates who registered for the exercise were expected to sit for the examination from April 11 to April 15 in the 698 Computer Based Test (CBT) centres across the country. (NAN)
UTME: Biometric verification only mode of allowing candidates into exam centres —JAMB
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/2019-utme-jamb-to-investigate-inability-of-candidates-to-do-biometric-verification/

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed worry over the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the new minimum wage bill.
The bill, which seeks the payment of N30,000 as minimum wage to civil servants, was passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting the assent of the President.
In an interview with NAN, Peter Ozo-Eson, the NLC General Secretary, said the President has held onto the bill for too long.
He said Nigerian workers are eagerly anticipating the approval of the bill by the President, as it will improve the standard of living in the country.
“We had thought that given all processes before arriving at that point, the long delays in setting up a tripartite committee, the long period before the tripartite committee to now finalise and all the debates that had gone on, the president would have signed the bill into law,” he said.
Ozo-Eson, however, told the President to sign the bill before the celebration of the 2019 May Day, an annual day to celebrate workers in Nigeria.
He said : “We thought that this was something Mr. President would assent to very quickly, because as we had earlier indicated, we would want this implementation to be before May.
“Our position is to call on Mr. President to, without further delay, assent to the New National Minimum Wage Bill, so that workers can start to enjoy the new minimum wage implementation before May Day.”
Source:
www.tori.ng/news/120291/nlc-gives-buhari-fresh-ultimatum-to-sign-new-minim.html

Actor, Mofe Duncan's marriage has joined the long list of failed marriages in Nollywood.
The handsome Nigerian actor married his wife, Jessica who is of Indian descent three years ago.
Jessica recently spilled the beans during a question and answer session with social media users. The cause of the marriage failure remains unknown.
The pillars of their marriage shook in 2016 after a leaked chat showed the actor flirting online with a lady known as Zainab.
The couple got married in August, 2015 and have always made a beautiful show of their romance on social media.
Jessica, while eulogizing her hubby when the going was good said she thought marriage was all about the cuddles and kisses but later realized that it was beyond that.
Source:
www.tori.ng/news/120277/actor-mofe-duncan-marriage-crashes-after-three-yea.html

A resident of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, Miss Esther Nmecha, has solicited financial assistance from good-hearted Nigerians to enable her to settle her hospital bills, Punch Metro reports.
Nmecha is currently battling for survival from the injuries she sustained from an attack by suspected armed herdsmen on Sunday, March 31, 2019.
Narrating her ordeal, she said trouble started around 4pm on the fateful day when herdsmen encroached on her business premises along Peoples Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba.
She said an appeal to the invaders to leave the premises fell on deaf ears as they threatened to kill her.
Nmecha stated, “In making real their threat, one of the Fulani herdsmen brought out his machete and targeted to cut my neck.
“It was in an attempt to defend myself that he missed his target and cut off my four fingers.
“I was rushed to the Police Clinic at the Central Police Station, Aba, where they immediately referred me to the Aba General Hospital as a result of the critical nature of my case.
“But due to paucity of funds, my treatment has been stopped, because I am unable to raise the N60,000 deposit demanded by the hospital.
“I’m appealing to all Nigerians of goodwill to come to my aid and help me to raise the N60,000 deposit being requested by the hospital to enable me to continue with my treatment.”
She said her aged mother was not financially buoyant to take care of her hospital bills.
Source:
www.tori.ng/news/120273/the-sad-story-of-abia-woman-who-got-attacked-by-su.html

Ahead of the resumption of the match-day 34 of the English Premier League, EPL, on Friday night, where Leicester City will tackle Newcastle United at the King Power Stadium, below are the current top-21 highest goal scorers chasing the Golden Boot in the English-flight league:
Manchester City striker, Sergio Aguero currently tops the EPL goal chart with 19 goals.
Liverpool star, Mohamed Salah scored in his side’s 3-1 win over Southampton last week to take his goals tally to 18.
See EPL top-21 highest goal scorers:
19 goals: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).
18 goals: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
17 goals: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Sadio Mane (Liverpool).
16 goals: Eden Hazard (Chelsea).
15 goals: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jamie Vardy (Leicester).
13 goals: Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal).
12 goals: Raúl Jiménez (Wolves), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Richarlison (Everton), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Heung-min Son (Tottenham Hotspur).
11 goals: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Callum Wilson (Bournemouth), Joshua King (Bournemouth), Glenn Murray (Brighton), Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace).
10 goals: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).
Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/04/12/epl-highest-goalscorers-premier-league-see-top-21/

IBADAN —THE Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, yesterday, set aside a motion filed by a former governor of Oyo State, who is Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja seeking to set aside the approval of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his decision to gazette the matter.
Governor Ajimobi, after setting up a judicial inquiry to review the 1959 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration, installed 48 kings in the state and further went on to gazette it to make it legal.
Ajimobi, who was dissatisfied with the January 20, 2018 decision of Justice Olajumoke Aiki at the Oyo State High Court, appealed the judgment of the lower court.
The appellate court led by Justice Nonyerem Okoronkwo, ruled that the thrust of the relief sought was trying to invoke the court to set aside the gazette which approved the crowning of the kings.
Other members of the panel that set aside the motion included Justice A. Talba and Justice F. Ojo.
According to them, the gazette which Ladoja is praying the court to set aside was not the subject matter at the lower court.
The three-man panel said: “We refuse to entertain the issue and urged the appellant to incorporate it in the main appeal and the motion is hereby strike out. The matter was then adjourned to May 27, 2019 for hearing of the main appeal.
When Vanguard called some of the new kings for comments on the ruling, they said they had not got the full gist of the ruling.
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/ibadan-royal-tussle-court-of-appeal-strikes-out-ladojas-motion-on-gazette/

In a statement, JNPSNC Chairman, Trade Union side, Abdrafiu Adeniji and Secretary, Alade Lawal, argued that the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage and the National Assembly had done a good job by approving N30,000 as monthly national minimum wage and accordingly deserved commendation.
According to the statement, “all that is now left is for the president, as the father of the nation, to sign the bill into law and bring the national minimum wage saga to a positive conclusion.
“Nigerians, including millions of workers, gave President Buhari a resounding victory at the poll for his second term in office and as such we expect him to reciprocate this gesture by signing the N30,000 monthly national minimum wage bill into law without further delay.
“The current N18,000 monthly minimum wage has become very much inadequate and workers are finding it extremely difficult to cope with daily challenges thrown up by skyrocketing prices of goods and services.
“This underscores the need for the president to sign into law the N30, 000. national minimum wage bill so that appropriate bodies that will work out the consequential adjustments arising from the new National Minimum can be put in place. The State and Local Governments should also be prepared to implement the National Minimum Wage to boost the morale and productivity of their workers.
“We urge the three tiers of Government to realise that the welfare of the people is the main reason why Governments exist in the first instance. They should, therefore, take a special interest in the well-being of their workers that oil the wheels of governments by implementing the new National Minimum Wage as soon as it becomes law.”
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/public-service-negotiating-council-begs-buhari-to-assent-to-minimum-wage-bill/

Former Manchester United star, Paul Ince has provided some stinging criticism of three key players of the club following their loss at home to Barcelona in the Champions League quarter final on Wednesday.
Manchester United lost 1-0 to Barcelona through Luke Henshaw’s own goal during the first leg at the Old Trafford.
Ince was quick to criticise the performance of influential players such as Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford.
The three stars that made up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s attack were kept quiet by Barcelona.
And Ince who spoke exclusively to Paddy Power News, hit out at the three player, blaming them for the loss.
“The big players didn’t even turn up for United last night,” Ince told Paddy Power News.
“You’ve got to have a go at Barcelona, what are you scared for? They gave them far too much respect.
“On the night, you’re looking at the so-called big players like Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku to make something happen. You look at those to get the team going – and it didn’t materialise
“Another off day for Pogba, which I didn’t expect considering how he’s been playing and Lukaku once again looked incapable of scoring a goal.
“He spent most of his time out on the wing, he just needs to play between the two goal posts. What use is Lukaku out on the wing? It doesn’t make sense to me.
“They never had a go at Barcelona or tried to, in such a massive game where the fans are up for it. It’s a sad sight that at Old Trafford, in the Champions League, United aren’t having a shot on target.
“That Barcelona team were probably expecting a different performance from United.
“They’d have been expecting that resurgent Ole side who come at you from the off, that get in your faces, but that didn’t materialise.”
Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/04/12/champions-league-paul-ince-names-three-man-united-players-caused-1-0-defeat-barcelona/

Somewhere, within Damaturu, Yobe State, Maisandari, a suburb of the state capital, sitting on the eastern flank of Damaturu, some natives in the environs spotted strange visitors. Insurgents were already set out to unleash a horrendous attack on a defenceless population.
The locals sighted unusual racing Hilux vans in a convoy on nearby labyrinthine routes, with armed men. It was the evening of a Tuesday in April at about 5pm. the community as preparing to wind up for the day to retire home for a night rest. The evil visitors announced themselves with the loud sounds of yelping tyres, which raised a maze of dust as they sped past localities. In their barely visible sight covered by dust, the natives could still spot the occupants wielding heavy guns in the air and the trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.
Danlami a farmer tending to his vegetable farm sensed trouble. He quickly drew the attention of Usman who was on a nearby farm to the gang he has sighted. Both were house neighbours in Maisandari.
Usman agreed seeing them too. The two farmers all concluded that they were “Mai Boko Haram,” a local coinage referring to Boko Haram insurgents.
Instantly, Danlami grabbed his cellphone and put a call to troops of Sector 2, Operation LAFIYA DOLE and alerted them of the strange movement. They averred soldiers with detailed description of the exact location the terrorists’ invaders on evil mission to attack Damaturu were spotted.
Shortly after, residents heard sporadic gunshots. The assailants announced their presence in the community in this manner. Perhaps, the insurgents were eager to celebrate a penetration of the localities or nearness to their target, Damaturu and to scare off Naija troops in order to freely kill and abduct people.
Loud chants of the familiar slogan, “Allah Akbar,” (God is Great) was heard as gunshots rented the air. It confirmed the identity of the assailants as Boko Haram terrorists.
Residents scurried for safety as people locked themselves into living rooms scared to the pants, as town criers hastily went round announcing immediate retreat into houses by civilians. Similarly, vehicular entry and departure from Maisandari was also restricted and the entire village cordoned.
The Commander Sector 2, Col “Sting” instantly swung into action, after Danlami’s distress call, by signaling his troops already on red alert to advance towards the vicinity of the enemy forces.
Within the shortest time, troops laid ambush for the Mallam Abubakar Shekau’s foot soldiers a few metres head of Maisandari village where the messengers of death in numbers were racing towards Damaturu.
Back home Danlami and Usman also kept vigil together around their houses quietly. Danlami first broke the silence; “The planned attack now was auspicious for two reasons,” and “what are the reasons,” inquired Usman.
“Insurgents are excited to launch a successful operation during religious festive seasons like Christmas and Sallah celebrations,” Danlami replied to Usman, while reflecting on the fresh trouble.
“I know the intended attack on Damaturu was to put people in pains and agonies for the Easter season,” retorted Usman.
News of the presence of insurgents circulated rapidly among the locals like whirlwind. A police officer, Sgt. Atiku attached to the police Outpost in Maisandari engaged his office colleagues in a conversation on the Boko Haram raid.
“You know, our leader, Sai Baba is in Dubai on an official visit?” Yes, replied a female Cop.
Atiku continued, “Sai Baba informed the Nigerian community in Dubai during a parlay that Boko Haram was occupying 17 Local governments in the Northeast before he came to power. But they have been routed out and the areas reclaimed under his administration.”
“But that’s the truth,” the female Cop admitted. “But terrorists and their agents hate to hear anything about them losing the war,” the female Cop stressed.
Atiku said, “Even if you believe Sai Baba, I don’t believe what he said anyway.”
“But what’s a lie or false on what Sai Baba said, we are here together, can you name just one local government still under Boko Haram captivity? ”asked the female Cop. Atiku could not answer; he became speechless and abruptly terminated the discussion.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Dubai where Sai Baba met the Nigerian community, a Boko Haram media officer who lives in the city monitored his speeches. He heard firsthand, Sai Baba’s utterances on the defeat of Boko Haram insurgency.
Minutes later, the Boko Haram media officer was on a telephone chat with Mallam Shekau, who is still recovering from his injuries at a hideout somewhere in the mountainous forests of Cameroun.
The terrorists Media officer bellowed angrily, “You heard what Naija leader is saying boastfully?”
“I have heard him too. But the remnants of our foot soldiers are getting lean by the day. Naija troops have caged us. We can neither recruit or train fighters,” decried Shekau.
“But we’re doing something, we shall release our best squad from the remnants to counter him on the battlefield to regain our lost grounds and put Naija military on tension,” Shekau feebly added with a pained voice.
“I have directed our top commander to respond to Naija on the field, right in the heart of any location in the Northeast,” Shekau added. The terrorists media officer heaved a sigh of relief, and promised Shekau to give it ultimate publicity when the atrocious act of attack is committed. But it turned out the opposite way.
So, the residues of insurgents fleeing the fire of MNJTF from the fringes of Chad, Niger and Cameroun came fully prepared in 14 Hilux vans and armed with anti-aircraft guns to repeal possible air strikes from government forces, gun trucks, 1.60 Millimeter Mortars, General Purpose Guns, AK 47 rifles and assorted ammunitions.
Nonetheless, the terrorists rather met their waterloo. Col. Sting who led the operation positioned his troops strategically on both sides of the road in the bush. When the insurgents got to the spot of the ambush, they were caged by troops and, a fierce gun battle ensued.
The Naija ground troops, assisted by air strikes overpowered the insurgents with superior fire force. A good number of the invading terrorists were killed in the encounter. Only a few insurgents were lucky to escape, as they abandoned weapons.
“Give them a hot chase,” the Commander ordered his troops. Naija troops raced after the terrorists and cordoned the entire Maisandari in a mop-up operation.
Inside Shekau’s camp at the forests, caves and mountains of the Cameroun, news of the defeat of the assailing terrorists by Naija troops hit him hard like a thunderbolt. He was shocked and lost appetite for a whole day. He couldn’t eat.
Cold shivers ran down his spine. Shekau reminisced how in 2013 he personally led his foot soldiers who almost captured Borno and Yobe states Government Houses. He silently marveled at the strength of Naija troops now.
But Shekau’s incarceration since middle of last year from wounds he sustained during an encounter with Naija troops has detached him from reality of terrorism on the field. Today, it is Naija winning the war unstoppably and not insurgents.
When Sai Baba asserted that Boko Haram has been defeated, those abreast with the war never doubted him. But Shekau and his media officer in Dubai, doubted and dared him to their peril.
Shekau misfired! Sai Baba has absolute trust in his troops led by Gen. TY Buratai, unlike the weak and poorly equipped Army Shekau and his men encountered on the battlefield in his heydays. The tale has changed and Sai Baba’s words on Boko Haram can be taken to the bank any day.
Buratai told the Commander-In-Chief that Boko Haram terrorism has ended and he believed him. Those who are still doubting Thomases, the Maisandari incident has cleared all doubts by the massive “waste,” of insurgents on an atrocious voyage in a scenario resplendent of a blockbuster movie.
Shekau should concentrate on nursing his wounds in the hideout of the Camerouns. But the message is clear that Naija troops today are properly trained by Gen. Buratai so amazingly and in top form for any assignment on their hands.
It is evident in the series of frustrations of Boko Haram insurgents in fruitfully executing gruesome attacks on any village in Naija, without meeting stiff resistance and the eventual defeat of the assailants. Maisandari is the latest statement of the practical proof of the worth of Naija troops led by Gen. Buratai.
And elsewhere, in the Northeast Naija troops are warming up for any emergency that may sprout out as Christians look forward to celebrating a blissful Easter. Normal life has since returned to Maisandari.
Okanga writes from Agila, Benue State.
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/damaturu-and-boko-haram-wept/

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has reacted bitterly as some hijab wearing students were reportedly denied entry into the examination hall by invigilators and supervisors in the ongoing Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
The Islamic group, in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Friday, said it denounced the action of the invigilators and supervisors at the examination centers involved.
MURIC’s statement was signed by its founder and Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Daughter of a former ace broadcaster, Sulaiman Aledeh, was among several hijab-wearing female students who were denied entry at a JAMB examination center in Lagos yesterday, according to MURIC.
The Islamic organisations said this was revealed in a tweet sent by the ex-broadcaster at exactly 8 am on Thursday, 11th April, 2019 on his twitter handle @aledeh.
The tweet said, ‘My daughter is writing her @JAMBHQ today but she just called me now that she’s been asked to remove her hijab before she’s allowed in at the center at New Ocean School, Megida, Ayobo. Is that the rule please? She’s NOT the only one cos they’re from a MUSLIM school.’
MURIC’s statement added, “We are aware of the refusal of some JAMB invigilators and supervisors to allow female Muslim candidates who wore hijab to the centers to sit for the examinations.
“This action is despicable, repugnant and barbaric. It is also illegal, unlawful, illegitimate and unconstitutional. When will Muslim-haters grow up? When will they become democracy-compliant? When will they respect the rule of law?
“The law says hijab is constitutional (Section 38 (i) and (ii)) but they will rather follow their whims and caprices. The Muslims of the South West are being taken for granted.
“Our love for peaceful coexistence and our reluctance to take the law into our hands is being mistaken for cowardice. But we will like to warn that there is a limit to patience.
“We remind Muslim haters in the South West that there are no more ‘stupid monkeys’ in Idanre. The only remaining monkeys over there are smarter than homo sapiens. Everyday may be for the oppressors and Muslim-haters but certainly there will be one day for the oppressed Muslims.
“This profiling of Muslims particularly through the denial of hijab rights has been on for a long time. The Muslim victims cry out daily. Many cases of hijab denial are in the courts.
“Yet the various state governments pretend as if nothing is happening. Worse still, the Federal Government has ‘decided not to interfere’. The message is very clear. The authorities are telling us that the fate of Muslims is in the hands of Muslims.
“MURIC therefore calls on Muslims in the South West to prepare for a long, intellectual and nonviolent struggle. Female Muslim students are hereby instructed to carry recording gadgets on their persons. We want all provocations, victimisations and acts of stigmatization to be secretly recorded wherever they occur because it will be impossible to get a conviction if there is no concrete evidence.
“We charge Islamic organisations, particularly the Muslim lawyers Association (MULAN), the Muslim Teachers Association (MUTAN), the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisation (NACOMYO), the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), The Muslim Congress (TMC) to re-engineer their mobilization strategies towards deflating this rising persecution ego among Muslim-haters in the sub-region. It is high time some fanatical Muslim-haters are made to face the full wrath of the law.”
The human rights organization also alleged that a male invigilator touched the female candidates in an improper manner at the same center under the guise of carrying out searches on candidates.
“We strongly object to the way a male invigilator touched all parts of the female candidates at the center under the guise of conducting searches. It is highly unprofessional, immoral, improper and paedophilic. Men should search male candidates while women officials search female candidates. That is the global best practice.
“We aver that improper touching has occurred in this circumstance and somebody must be held accountable for it. Most of the female candidates are underaged and their parents have entrusted them into the hands of JAMB as a social contract. It is child abuse. JAMB authorities have a duty to ask questions and get appropriate answers from the center.
“Those behind this victimization hide under official assignments to perpetrate their evil acts. Unfortunately, all the government institutions which they represent declare their actions illegal. For instance, all the examination bodies have declared that hijab is allowed in examination halls. But no ad hoc or permanent staff has been punished to date for stigmatizing female Muslim students.
“Are these authorities and examination bodies waiting for the time when Muslim youths will mobilise themselves, lay in ambush and take officials who victimize female Muslims to police stations? Who shall we blame at that point? Are the Muslims in the sub-region being pushed to the wall deliberately because some people want to flex muscles or score a religious or political point?
“Although some of the JAMB candidates were later allowed to enter after being made to stay outside for a long time, we still consider this measure as unfair, uncharitable and very provocative. Muslim candidates were delayed outside the examination hall while their Christian counterparts continued writing in an examination in which all the candidates will stop at the same time.
“Is this fair? Is it just? Is it equitable? It will be difficult for female Muslim candidates who were intimidated outside the hall to gain their emotional balance immediately. It is also expected that candidates who were delayed outside while their colleagues had already started writing the examination have been disadvantaged. This is one of the methods being used by Christian officials to favour Christian candidates at the expense of their Muslim counterparts.
“It is also important to note that those who persecute female Muslim candidates in hijab have never attempted the same in any part of the North. Perhaps they know the expected consequence.
“We are placing it on record for the day when records will become priceless. More importantly, we are calling the attention of the whole world to the persecution being meted out to Muslims in South West Nigeria. Our detractors are adept at spreading false propaganda.
“Although they are the perpetrators of injustice, they are always the first to rush to the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Nations, etc. Also, they always find a way to sway media sentiment to their side. But we find solace in the knowledge that truth is constant and it will always overwhelm falsehood no matter how long.
“MURIC calls on the JAMB authorities to carry out full investigation into the victimization of female Muslim candidates at New Ocean School, Megida, Ayobo. The circumstances surrounding the improper, immoral and paedophilic searches by a male on underaged girls must also be investigated.
“Before we draw the curtain, we affirm that in view of the incessant violation of extant rules by staff andad hoc workers and the continuous criminal molestation of female Muslim candidates, JAMB and other national examination bodies like the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) owe it a duty to issue memoranda and publish advertorials containing permission to female Muslim candidates to use hijab and a clear warning to invigilators and supervisors who disallow it.
“Only thus can the examination bodies assure Nigerians that they are not collaborators in the age-long persecution of Muslims in the South West.”
Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/04/12/jamb-2019-islamic-organization-blows-hot-invigilators-stop-hijab-wearing-students/

The police have confirmed the arrest of an officer caught on camera harassing a young Nigerian for being in possession of an iPhone.
A video clip posted on Twitter on Tuesday showed a young man being picked out by the police officer among other passengers inside a commercial vehicle on the highway.
The Twitter user said he shot the video, about 44 seconds, on Tuesday in Okpe, Delta State.
The man, looking confused, is seen standing beside the officer who was checking through the phone.
“Two hundred and fifty thousand,” the young man is heard saying, in the video, when the officer asked him how much he bought the phone.
Police arraign 23-year-old man for allegedly robbing, raping passers-by
“No wahala! Una dey hear-am so?” the officer said in Pidgin English.
“Me, wey I dey work for over 13 years now, I never see motor buy for N250,000,” the officer added, apparently suggesting the young man was living above his means of income.
Officer arrested
Meanwhile, the police through its official Twitter handle on Wednesday said the officer reported to have harassed the innocent Nigerian is now in its custody.
“The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command has confirmed that the police sergeant reported having harassed and embarrassed an innocent student is now in police custody.
“The force wishes to state that such behavioural pattern is not a true reflection of Nigeria Police Force, especially under the leadership of Inspector-General of Police, Acting IGP M.A. Adamu.”
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/police-arrest-officer-who-harassed-victim-for-possessing-iphone/

A self-acclaimed professor, identified only as Jide, has been arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, after he was caught assisting his daughter during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in the Jabi area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board confirmed Jide’s arrest on Thursday, which was the first day of the UTME, noting that the man sneaked into a Computer-Based Test centre in Jabi but he was later arrested by operatives and was now in custody.
Our correspondent learnt that Jide was arrested at the Brix Academy CBT Centre in Jabi while the UTME was on, trying to assist his daughter in the examination.
The JAMB Head of Information and Public Affairs, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in an interview with our correspondent, said the NSCDC would go on with Jide’s prosecution at the end of its investigations.
He said, “In Brix Academy in Jabi, a man penetrated the system, broke all security barriers, went into the examination hall and assisted his daughter. When arrested, he claimed to be a professor and also the owner of a non-governmental organisation. He has been picked up and he is with the security operatives. We believe that in no distant time, he will be prosecuted.
“He was not able to carry out his nefarious activity. He claimed to be a professor from a university outside the country.”
Benjamin noted that the outing for the UTME on Thursday was “successful and impressive,” adding that despite a few challenges in some centres, the board believed that the examination would get better.
A total of 1,855,643 candidates would be taking the UTME which would run till Monday.
Source:
www.tori.ng/news/120271/professor-arrested-in-abuja-for-aiding-daughter-to.html

The Federal Government has said the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has the right to challenge the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election in court.
It, however, called on the former Vice-President to allow the court to determine the merits or otherwise of his petition against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the election.
It said it was wrong for Atiku to resort to self-help in his desire to claim victory in the election.
The government said Atiku should know that losing an election should not be seen as the end of the world.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who stated the government position at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, also condemned the resurgence of posters bearing the picture of Atiku, with the inscription: “THE PUKKA, H.E. ATIKU ABUBAKAR, THE REAL AND THE RIGHT,” which have surfaced across major streets in Abuja.
“The appearance of these posters coincide with the media report that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has hired a US lobbying firm to convince the United States not to recognise the re-election of President Buhari until the Supreme Court has ruled on the suit by the PDP presidential candidate,” the minister said.
He said, “Yes, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has lost an election. But he will not be the first or the last person to lose an election, and he should realise that losing an election is not the end of the world.
“He has challenged the result of the election in court. That’s just as well. However, he should not give the impression that he does not have confidence in the judicial process, which his resorting to self-help implies.
“He should stop overheating the polity and quit trying to instigate a political crisis in Nigeria. No citizen, no matter how highly placed, is above the laws of the land. Enough is enough.”
Mohammed, who was flanked at the briefing by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the posters and the alleged hiring of the US lobbyists, had triggered questions about what Alhaji Abubakar was up to.
He said, “Is he starting a fresh campaign after the elections have been won and lost? Has he rescinded his decision to challenge the results of the presidential election in court, perhaps after realising that the results he claimed to have obtained from the INEC server are cooked? Is he now going for self-help? What really is Atiku’s motive?
“We are aware of media reports that the PDP presidential candidate on Wednesday distanced himself from the posters that are circulating in Abuja. He also reportedly denied hiring the US lobbyists, claiming tongue-in-cheek that the APC fabricated the report.
“If the media reports are right, it means that the former Vice-President has suddenly realised the grave implication of his actions, hence has decided to beat a quick retreat before it is too late.
“As a self-avowed democrat, he should realise that the only lawful channel for challenging the result of an election is through the courts. Resorting to self-help, as he seems to be doing now, is an act of desperation and the consequences are dire.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has the right to do whatever is lawful to challenge the outcome of that election. But he cannot get through the back door what he couldn’t get through the front door. That will be a pipe dream.”
Mohammed however said that there was no doubt that Atiku was equally thinking of replicating the Venezuela’s model in the country.
He said, “There is no doubt that the PDP presidential candidate, out of desperation, is thinking of replicating the Venezuelan model right here in Nigeria. But he should realise that Nigeria is not Venezuela, and that the situations in both countries are not the same.
“President Muhammadu Buhari won the February 23, 2019 presidential election fair and square, with a margin of 3,928,869 million votes.The election’s credibility was attested to by local and foreign observers.
APC, Presidency plotting to set up Atiku, says PDP
However, the National Working Committee of the PDP on Thursday accused the APC and the Presidency of engaging in plots to set up Atiku.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement stated that no amount of fabrications, attempt at set-up as well as veiled and open threats allegedly by the APC-led Federal Government would stop Atiku from reclaiming his mandate at the tribunal.
He said, “The party notes that a series of orchestration against Atiku and the PDP by agents of the Federal Government, officials of the Presidency and the Buhari Media Organisation expose a well-coordinated plot, which includes a resort to unfounded claims of links with a foreign lobby group, to attempt to frame Atiku, cause tension and ultimately derail the recovery of the stolen mandate at the presidential election petitions tribunal.
“Such orchestration is also targeted at instilling fear, causing apprehension in the citizenry and creating opening to further suppress genuine public opinion and the course of justice in the quest by Atiku Abubakar and the PDP to restore the will of the people.”
He added, “Part of the motive is to use lies, fabrications, threats and sponsoring of Atiku campaign posters to portray Atiku Abubakar and the PDP as being desperate and ready to subvert the rules in the pursuit of our mandate; and by so doing discredit our candidate in the eyes of the judiciary and the public in general.
“This explains why the agents of the APC-led government fabricated and pushed into the public space, bogus and laughable claims that Atiku Abubakar paid $30,000 to a US lobby group to assist in the quest to reclaim our mandate only for the Federal Government and the Presidency to turn around to feast on the fabrications with threats against Atiku Abubakar.”
He called on Nigerians to take note of the alleged threats by the Presidency through the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, to jail Atiku based on trumped-up charges, while describing him as “ one who is lucky to be walking free.”
Source:
www.tori.ng/news/120269/losing-election-not-end-of-the-world-fg-tells-atik.html

Plateau State government has denied allegations by the opposition that it diverted N20 billion meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
The denial came during the 2019 budget breakdown by the Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Sylvester Wallangko, at the ministry’s conference hall of the cabinet office.
Wallangko explained that it would be callous to divert any money meant for IDPs, stressing that the state runs a responsible and accountable government.
“Opposition is not correct. If something like that happened, we would declare it. N20 billion is a huge sum of money that could not be paid secretly. So, the allegation is baseless. If N20 billion comes in, it will be made public. Those who are making the allegation should think twice,” he warned.
The ‘Budget of Rescue and Infrastructural Growth’ has a size of N153.5 billion, the commissioner disclosed during the budget breakdown, pointing out that N68 billion (44.33 per cent) was for capital projects, while N85.4 billion (55.37 per cent) was for recurrent expenditure.
Similarly, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, has demanded humanitarian aid and protection to 10,000 Borno residents who relocated to Maiduguri.
The residents were on Monday relocated from Jakana, Mainok and Auno communities to Bakassi IDPs camp to give way for military operations in the Maiduguri-Damaturu axis.
All the communities are located along the 132-kilometre Maiduguri-Damaturu road.
Kallon said in Maiduguri: “The military ordered the immediate departure of and forced relocation of 10,000 civilians in the middle of the night, without prior warning.”
Shettima calls on Maiduguri residents to come out and vote, express appreciation with election process
He said the residents of communities were transported by the military in buses or trucks to the Bakassi IDP camp in Maiduguri.
According to him, the military relocated the civilians for security reasons ahead of planned operations in the area.
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/plateau-denies-diverting-idps-n20b/

The vendors who sell newspapers around the vicinity of Ibom Plaza, a central business hub in Uyo, complained that some of them had been beaten and unduly harassed on regular basis by the Ibom Plaza Management officials.
Chairman of the Association, Otobong Udofia, who spoke on behalf of the vendors, accused the management of harassing his members on a daily basis, adding that efforts stop them had fallen on deft ears.
“The management of Ibom Plaza has been coming to harass our members on daily basis, so we don’t understand what is the stand of newspaper vendors in the state, if they don’t want us to be in the state, they should let us know.
“When they come, they will demand money from vendors that we are the reason people come to steal at the plaza. But we asked questions, how do pickpocket in the area concern vendors? They say the government said we should leave the plaza.
“We insisted and said that by right, vendors cannot pay a fee of N2000 monthly demanded by the management because our commission is only N40.00.
“A lot of people have been reading papers online, papers don’t sell again and before we labour to sell 1000 copy a day, we will go round Uyo. We have been supporting the government, we wonder why the government is against us.
“We don’t sell up to N2000, so it will be difficult for us to raise N2000 and pay, we eat from the amount and pay transport from there.
“When they come, they harass our members and our people will run away and many papers have been reported missing in the process.”
However, the Chairman of the Ibom Plaza Plaza Management, Ima Umoh, denied the alleged harassments of vendors by his members.
He said the idea was to sanitise the place against hoodlums, adding, “We asked them not to display their papers wrongly because by doing that they attract hoodlums. We had an issue, their leaders came and we have settled. They should go back and sell their papers.”
When contacted the state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mr Charles Udoh said, that government was not aware of the situation.”
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/newspaper-vendors-protest-alleged-harassment-by-aibom-govt-agents/

How do you want God to feel, with the way you are living. His he pleased with your life? Are you earthly recognized without heavenly recognition. Are you living to to please God or you are living to please the devil- John 8 vs 42-47- Are you obeying God's command or obeying the devil's command. 1John 3 vs 7-10. Are you free- John 8 vs 31-32 or you have stock yourself into the bondage of slavery- John 8 vs 34. Romans 8 vs 5-8.
Do not allow the death of Christ over you be in vain. The Bible says- You see,at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for our ungodly. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us- Romans 5 vs 6,8. What are the sins in your life that you are covering in other to cover it daily, you keep on sinning daily just not to expose it to God, covering sin by sinning(Lying) wont help you to go far, its only takes you far from God.
James 5 vs 16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed...., Proverbs 28 vs 13-He who conceals his sins does not prosper..... Isaiah 59 vs 1-8.
Look at the life of those who covered their sins and thought no one saw them, see what happened to them
1. David- 2Samuel 11 vs 2-4, 14-17 and 2Samuel 12 vs 11-18. It came to pass- 2Samuel 16 vs 21-22. David took another's man wife which cost him the life of his son and brought disgrace to him later on has God spoke concerning him
2.Ahab and Jezebel- 1Kings 21 vs 1- 29(1Kings 22 vs 36-38- Ahab's death) (2Kings 9 vs 30-37- Jezebel's death)
3. Gehazi- 2Kings 5 vs 19-27.
4. Ananias and Sapphira- Acts 5 vs 1-11( They lost their lives the same day)
5. Judas- Matthew 26 vs 14-16. He got himself hang because of his guilt- Matthew 27vs 1-10.
There are so many people like that who thought they are covering their sins but has forgotten God sees them. Confess your sins so you can find mercy- Proverbs 28 vs 13. Covering it only bring disaster has you have seen it above in the life of those people. Stop been in bondage of the devil, dont let him put the Spirit of fear in you. Confess your sins and give your life to Christ- Romans 10 vs 9-10
Read your Bible daily to know him the more- Joshua 1 vs 8.
You are set free has you take the step of faith- John 8 vs 31-32,36
Read- John 8 vs 31-47. REMAIN BLESSED.

How do you want God to feel, with the way you are living. His he pleased with your life? Are you earthly recognized without heavenly recognition. Are you living to to please God or you are living to please the devil- John 8 vs 42-47- Are you obeying God's command or obeying the devil's command. 1John 3 vs 7-10. Are you free- John 8 vs 31-32 or you have stock yourself into the bondage of slavery- John 8 vs 34. Romans 8 vs 5-8.
Do not allow the death of Christ over you be in vain. The Bible says- You see,at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for our ungodly. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us- Romans 5 vs 6,8. What are the sins in your life that you are covering in other to cover it daily, you keep on sinning daily just not to expose it to God, covering sin by sinning(Lying) wont help you to go far, its only takes you far from God.
James 5 vs 16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed...., Proverbs 28 vs 13-He who conceals his sins does not prosper..... Isaiah 59 vs 1-8.
Look at the life of those who covered their sins and thought no one saw them, see what happened to them
1. David- 2Samuel 11 vs 2-4, 14-17 and 2Samuel 12 vs 11-18. It came to pass- 2Samuel 16 vs 21-22. David took another's man wife which cost him the life of his son and brought disgrace to him later on has God spoke concerning him
2.Ahab and Jezebel- 1Kings 21 vs 1- 29(1Kings 22 vs 36-38- Ahab's death) (2Kings 9 vs 30-37- Jezebel's death)
3. Gehazi- 2Kings 5 vs 19-27.
4. Ananias and Sapphira- Acts 5 vs 1-11( They lost their lives the same day)
5. Judas- Matthew 26 vs 14-16. He got himself hang because of his guilt- Matthew 27vs 1-10.
There are so many people like that who thought they are covering their sins but has forgotten God sees them. Confess your sins so you can find mercy- Proverbs 28 vs 13. Covering it only bring disaster has you have seen it above in the life of those people. Stop been in bondage of the devil, dont let him put the Spirit of fear in you. Confess your sins and give your life to Christ- Romans 10 vs 9-10
Read your Bible daily to know him the more- Joshua 1 vs 8.
You are set free has you take the step of faith- John 8 vs 31-32,36
Read- John 8 vs 31-47. REMAIN BLESSED.

Once you are living, the devil cannot keep quiet, because his aim is to bring one down.
John 10 vs 10- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.....
Luke 4 vs 13- When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
This is to tell us that, because you are a believer, once he tempt you and you dont fall, he will always come with another way just to pull you down.
Dont be deceive the devil wont die. Dont be deceived, as long as you are a believer still on earth, the devil will test your faith so you can fall into temptation.
Dont forget Jesus had shut his mouth with the word of God but that was just for that moments, that doesnt stop him from coming to test him again. Dont let the devil rule over you- John 8 vs 42-48
So many people will be used to test your faith in God- Make use of Mark 14 vs 38-Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.... Remember Colossians 4 vs 2,5-6-(vs 2- Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Vs5-6- Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders: make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.) Matthew 24 vs 13- ...he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
The devil never stops trying, in your trails please remember this- James 1 vs 2-8, 12. God is always with you and he will never forsake you,keep standing firm in Christ. Dont look back- Hebrews 6 vs 4-12. Keep moving- Philippians 2 vs 12- 14
The devil always wait for the appointed time, so please dont let him use anything or anyone(Matthew 18 vs 7)to make you loose the race- 1Corithians 9 vs 24-27 and Remember Matthew 11 vs 12-....the Kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. (Colossians 3 vs 1-3, 1John 3 vs 9)
I call you blessed.

The lawyer representing Senator Kabiru Marafa and 140 others in the suit challenging the APC primaries in Zamfara state has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw Certificates of Return from APC candidates in the state.
The lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) in a letter to the Chairman of INEC, said the certificates of return were issued in error based on the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Sokoto voiding the APC primaries in Zamfara state.
He said “the legal consequences of the voided primaries are that no certificate of return shall be issued to a person who participated in the so called ‘election’ that never took place in the eyes of the law, having been predicated on a non-existent ‘primaries.”
Ozekhome said where a certificate of return has already been issued, “to such a pretender to the office, same is liable to be withdrawn forthwith, having been issued in grave error and breach of extant laws.”
He said in the event that the respondents in the suit appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, there is ample 60 days between the filing of the appeal and the decision of the Supreme Court on the appeal.
He said this means that there is sufficient time between the final determination of the suit at the Supreme Court and the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly.
“We humbly urge you to use your good offices to withdraw the Certificates of Return already erroneously given to some Respondents in the above appeal,” Ozekhome concluded
source: www.dailytrust.com.ng/zamfara-withdraw-certificates-of-return-from-apc-candidates-marafas-lawyer-urges-inec.html

The lawyer representing Senator Kabiru Marafa and 140 others in the suit challenging the APC primaries in Zamfara state has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw Certificates of Return from APC candidates in the state.
The lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) in a letter to the Chairman of INEC, said the certificates of return were issued in error based on the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Sokoto voiding the APC primaries in Zamfara state.
He said “the legal consequences of the voided primaries are that no certificate of return shall be issued to a person who participated in the so called ‘election’ that never took place in the eyes of the law, having been predicated on a non-existent ‘primaries.”
Ozekhome said where a certificate of return has already been issued, “to such a pretender to the office, same is liable to be withdrawn forthwith, having been issued in grave error and breach of extant laws.”
He said in the event that the respondents in the suit appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, there is ample 60 days between the filing of the appeal and the decision of the Supreme Court on the appeal.
He said this means that there is sufficient time between the final determination of the suit at the Supreme Court and the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly.
“We humbly urge you to use your good offices to withdraw the Certificates of Return already erroneously given to some Respondents in the above appeal,” Ozekhome concluded
source: www.dailytrust.com.ng/zamfara-withdraw-certificates-of-return-from-apc-candidates-marafas-lawyer-urges-inec.html

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, has said the enormous natural gas reserves in Africa is capable of unlocking the huge natural resource potentials, such as gold, diamond, iron ore and steel in the continent, to enable a wide range of industrial clusters built around petrochemical, manufacturing, agro-business and fertilizer production.
Dr. Baru disclosed this while delivering the 36th Monthly Gas Lecture held at the Headquarters of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.
A statement by the corporation’s spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu, said the NNPC GMD, who was represented at the occasion by its Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power, Engr. Saidu Mohammed, spoke on the theme “Natural Gas: Catalyst for Africa’s Economic Development and Integration.”
The delegation also included Nigeria’s country representative to the GECF, Mr. Bala Wunti, amongst members.
Dr. Baru said Africa’s huge gas reserves currently stood at about 614 TCF, even as Nigeria had the continent’s largest reserves with 199TCF, Algeria (159TCF) and Mozambique (100TCF) occupying the second and third positions respectively.
According to Dr. Baru, GECF member-countries currently produced 93 percent of Africa’s natural gas, a significant assurance which highlighted the continent’s future in the natural gas landscape.
The GMD explained that the focus in gas development in Africa was to intensify efforts in in-continent conversion which would ensure value addition across the entire natural gas value chain, with a view to improving the continent’s economy.
He said in deliberately channelling natural gas development towards meeting up with domestic and export aspirations, Nigeria’s strategic plan had been hinged on three key areas.
“This focus will be on developing natural gas to meet Nigeria’s gas-to-power aspirations, gas-based industrialization and harnessing our gas for export credentials,” he said.
source: www.dailytrust.com.ng/africas-gas-reserves-can-unlock-gold-diamond-other-potentials-baru.html

Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has said that the national budget will continue to perform abysmally until it passes integrity test.
This was as he argued that it would be so where national values and priorities of Nigerians are reflected in budget preparation, as against the present practice where only the values and priorities of the drafters of the budget are reflected.
The speaker also condemned the hypocrisy behind producing a budget that, right from its preparation, is heading for failure in both planning and execution while explaining that the National Assembly organises public hearings on the budget to make the process more inclusive and transparent, and to allow all stakeholders participate in the making of the money bill.
Hon Dogara, who stated this at the opening of the 2019 national budget hearing organised jointly by the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives at the National Assembly, noted that the House of Representatives plans to pass the budget upon resumption from its suspension of plenary activities.
He said, “Over the years, the main problem with our budget as submitted by the Executive is that it does not reflect National values and priorities. The budget, more often than not, only reflects the values and priorities of those who help the president in drafting it. The integrity of the project selection process has always being the bane of our national budgets. I regret to say that until we eliminate these problems, we will always have non implementable national budgets which cannot be relied upon by policymakers in establishing spending priorities.
“It is very painful that for some years now, our budget process has been an exercise in either or a combination of audacious optimism and/or hypocrisy involving key actors putting together a budget that they fully know will at best be implemented up to 45% which is by all standards below average. How many of us will be proud of a child who consistently performs below average in his exams? How many of us here are proud of our below average budget performance all these years? Our below average budget performance is the main reason why Nigeria has remained a major promise as our national potentials cannot be released without effective budget planning and execution.”
The speaker also disclosed how the presidency has consistently frustrated attempts by the legislature to make the Budget more effective, including declining assent to a Constitutional amendment Bill which sought to compel the Executive to submit the Budget proposals to the National Assembly not later than 90 days to the end of the fiscal year and also to limit expenditure that can be incurred in the absence of the Appropriations Act from six (6) months to three (3) months and the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) establishment Bill which was closely modelled after the American Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
“Consequently, efforts to enact a Budget Process Bill which will spell out timelines for every activity concerning the budget is stalled because it would be ineffective to enact a law that will run contrary to Section 81(1) of the Constitution which allows the President to submit the Budget estimates, “AT ANYTIME” before the end of the financial year,’ he added.
Also at the event, Hon Dogara again stressed that by Nigeria’s constitutional design, the president’s role in drafting the budget estimates cannot be assailed but the “power of the purse” is the function of the Legislature, including the fact that expenditure can only be made in consequence of express legislative authorisation and the authority to create and collect taxes, borrow or raise money through loans when the need arises.
But despite the late submission of the budget to the National Assembly “on December 19, 2018, just 12 days to the end of the year and the earliest time an Appropriation Bill has ever been presented to the National Assembly in this dispensation was on November 7, 2017”, the 8th National Assembly will “like to make haste slowly”, he stated, while charging heads of MDAs to help in this noble effort by making appearances, in good time, before their relevant committees to defend their estimates as some have started doing.
source: authorityngr.com/2019/03/28/budgets-ll-continue-to-perform-badly-unless-it-passes-integrity-test-dogara/

Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has said that the national budget will continue to perform abysmally until it passes integrity test.
This was as he argued that it would be so where national values and priorities of Nigerians are reflected in budget preparation, as against the present practice where only the values and priorities of the drafters of the budget are reflected.
The speaker also condemned the hypocrisy behind producing a budget that, right from its preparation, is heading for failure in both planning and execution while explaining that the National Assembly organises public hearings on the budget to make the process more inclusive and transparent, and to allow all stakeholders participate in the making of the money bill.
Hon Dogara, who stated this at the opening of the 2019 national budget hearing organised jointly by the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives at the National Assembly, noted that the House of Representatives plans to pass the budget upon resumption from its suspension of plenary activities.
He said, “Over the years, the main problem with our budget as submitted by the Executive is that it does not reflect National values and priorities. The budget, more often than not, only reflects the values and priorities of those who help the president in drafting it. The integrity of the project selection process has always being the bane of our national budgets. I regret to say that until we eliminate these problems, we will always have non implementable national budgets which cannot be relied upon by policymakers in establishing spending priorities.
“It is very painful that for some years now, our budget process has been an exercise in either or a combination of audacious optimism and/or hypocrisy involving key actors putting together a budget that they fully know will at best be implemented up to 45% which is by all standards below average. How many of us will be proud of a child who consistently performs below average in his exams? How many of us here are proud of our below average budget performance all these years? Our below average budget performance is the main reason why Nigeria has remained a major promise as our national potentials cannot be released without effective budget planning and execution.”
The speaker also disclosed how the presidency has consistently frustrated attempts by the legislature to make the Budget more effective, including declining assent to a Constitutional amendment Bill which sought to compel the Executive to submit the Budget proposals to the National Assembly not later than 90 days to the end of the fiscal year and also to limit expenditure that can be incurred in the absence of the Appropriations Act from six (6) months to three (3) months and the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) establishment Bill which was closely modelled after the American Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
“Consequently, efforts to enact a Budget Process Bill which will spell out timelines for every activity concerning the budget is stalled because it would be ineffective to enact a law that will run contrary to Section 81(1) of the Constitution which allows the President to submit the Budget estimates, “AT ANYTIME” before the end of the financial year,’ he added.
Also at the event, Hon Dogara again stressed that by Nigeria’s constitutional design, the president’s role in drafting the budget estimates cannot be assailed but the “power of the purse” is the function of the Legislature, including the fact that expenditure can only be made in consequence of express legislative authorisation and the authority to create and collect taxes, borrow or raise money through loans when the need arises.
But despite the late submission of the budget to the National Assembly “on December 19, 2018, just 12 days to the end of the year and the earliest time an Appropriation Bill has ever been presented to the National Assembly in this dispensation was on November 7, 2017”, the 8th National Assembly will “like to make haste slowly”, he stated, while charging heads of MDAs to help in this noble effort by making appearances, in good time, before their relevant committees to defend their estimates as some have started doing.
source: authorityngr.com/2019/03/28/budgets-ll-continue-to-perform-badly-unless-it-passes-integrity-test-dogara/

Founding Chairman of Daar Communications Plc. High Chief Raymond Alegho Dokpesi has raised alarm over fresh attempts by the Federal government to seize his international passport and prevent him from legally accessing medical treatment abroad.
Dokpesi was last Friday March 22 detained for about 55 minutes by immigration officers attached to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on his return from a medical treatment in Dubai.
Narrating the ugly experience on Wednesday to the Press at the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Headquarters Abuja, Dokpesi said he was invited by the Service for further interrogation alleging that there was a clear instruction to NIS officers to seize his international passport and prevent him from undertaking medical vacation legally under the guise of Order 6.
He said, “I just returned from a medical trip overseas last Friday, March 22nd 2019 when I was arrested for 50 -55 minutes at the Airport. I was told that they have instructions from above to arrest me on my return but after a few phone calls, the immigration officer at the Airport told me that he has instructions from above that I can leave and he gave me back my passport and told me that I should go and that they will reach me subsequently.”
Dokpesi said that government is making frantic efforts to arm twist him into submitting his travel document which he has already returned to the Federal High Court Abuja that had earlier released it.
He said, “On Monday, I received new information and in line with the normal process, I returned my passport to the federal high court since I travelled under a judicial approval or permission. So I returned my passport that I have gone and came back and gave notice that I might have to go for a medical check-up so that they will ensure that the operation was successful and that all the organs and everything are properly healed.
“So when I got the letter yesterday 26th, I replied that same yesterday 26th notifying them that I have returned the passport to the federal high court and that it has been duly acknowledged and added all the necessary information and so on. But the officers who interrogated me said that they had expected me to go back to the federal high court and obtain the passport with their letter of invitation and I told them that I totally defer from that line of thought.
“I have returned it, I got the passport from the federal high court, I have returned the passport to the federal high court. If you the immigration service with the instruction from above require my passport then write directly to the federal high court and request for the passport. If you like, you can copy me for me to be able to go there and say, look I am supposed to be a courier, has the Court approved it and I will return it clearly, but that did not happen and that made us have altercations and tempers went very high.
“But I stood my ground and said, well I am a Nigerian citizen, I have travelled out for my medical treatment, I am back to the country and I voluntarily came back and has handed over my passport to the appropriate authority. They were telling me that passport was a property of the federal government and federal government has a right to withdraw it at any time.
“I am also a citizen of the federal Republic of Nigeria and there is a judicial process, there is a rule of law, why should we not go through the judicial process and be able to define what is required.”
Dokpesi expressed optimism that his passport could have been impounded had he honoured the invitation with the document.
“Definitely if I had brought my passport today, they would have impounded it, that is what it is. There are no two ways about it but the passport is with the Court. But even if they decide to do so, like I said the passport is a property of the federal republic of Nigeria, so they can request for it” he narrated.
On his next line of action, Dokpesi replied, “Honestly there is nothing I can do, I am already in court, we have challenged Order 6 and all the Orders that are there, I am a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is through my own sweat that I went for treatment.”
Meanwhile the Immigration Service says that Dokpesi’s invitation is nothing extraordinary but a routine official duty of the service details of which will not be made public until investigation is concluded.
The Public Relations Officer of NIS Assistant Comptroller James Abraham Sunday while speaking with The AUTHORITY described Dokpesi as a high profile Nigerian.
He said, “Mr. Dokpesi is a high-profile individual so until we are able to finish the issues we are looking at, we can’t disclose them.
“Immigration is just doing its official assignment and when it is due for the public to know the outcome, they will know.
“All Nigerians are treated the same way, with high Standards particularly when it is related with the operation of the Immigration service. We don’t undermine Human Rights and we don’t undermine the standard of practice. Every person that is treated by the NIS is treated with the best practice.”
There are indications that Dokpesi’s recent interrogation is connected with Executive Order 6 of 2018 (EO6) signed by President, Muhammadu Buhari on 5th July 2018, which is a part of the anti-graft law of the Federal Government to “restrict dealings in suspicious assets subject to investigation or inquiry bordering on corruption in order to preserve such assets from dissipation and to deprive alleged criminals of the proceeds of their illicit activities which can otherwise be employed to allure, pervert and/or intimidate the investigative and judicial processes.”
source: authorityngr.com/2019/03/28/fg-planning-to-impound-my-passport-dokpesi-raises-alarm/

The Federal Government on Wednesday, shared N619.85 billion, as revenue generated in February to the three tiers of government.
The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, said the amount showed an increase of about N9.49 billion from what was shared for January allocation.
Idris, who was represented by the Director of Funds, Office of the AGF, Mr Mohammed Usman, made this known during a news conference at the end of the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja.
A breakdown of the revenue accrued in February, showed that the mineral revenue increased by N23.57 billion, moving from N326.52 billion in January to N350.09 billion in February.
The non-mineral revenue, however, decreased by N46.27 billion, from N170 billion in January to N124.32 billion in February.
According to him, in February, the federation crude oil sales rose by 46 per cent, resulting in increased federation revenue from 425 million dollars in January to 574 million dollars in February.
Idris said; “Shut in and shut down persisted while some terminals remained closed due to leaks and maintenance.
“Petroleum Profit Tax increased significantly while Companies Income Tax recorded a marginal increase.
“Revenues from value added tax, oil royalty import and excise duties decreased in February, 2019.”
Idris said that the Federal Government received N223.15 billion, states got N113.18 billion and local governments received N87.26 billion for the February allocation.
In addition, N45.09 billion, representing 13 per cent of the mineral revenue was shared to oil producing states.
source: The Federal Government on Wednesday, shared N619.85 billion, as revenue generated in February to the three tiers of government.
The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, said the amount showed an increase of about N9.49 billion from what was shared for January allocation.
Idris, who was represented by the Director of Funds, Office of the AGF, Mr Mohammed Usman, made this known during a news conference at the end of the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja.
A breakdown of the revenue accrued in February, showed that the mineral revenue increased by N23.57 billion, moving from N326.52 billion in January to N350.09 billion in February.
The non-mineral revenue, however, decreased by N46.27 billion, from N170 billion in January to N124.32 billion in February.
According to him, in February, the federation crude oil sales rose by 46 per cent, resulting in increased federation revenue from 425 million dollars in January to 574 million dollars in February.
Idris said; “Shut in and shut down persisted while some terminals remained closed due to leaks and maintenance.
“Petroleum Profit Tax increased significantly while Companies Income Tax recorded a marginal increase.
“Revenues from value added tax, oil royalty import and excise duties decreased in February, 2019.”
Idris said that the Federal Government received N223.15 billion, states got N113.18 billion and local governments received N87.26 billion for the February allocation.
In addition, N45.09 billion, representing 13 per cent of the mineral revenue was shared to oil producing states.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Wednesday issued Certificates of Return to a total of 26 governors-elect and members-elect of State Houses of Assembly who were elected at the March 23 Governorship and State Assembly elections.
The certificates, which were issued at the various states by INEC National Commissioners, along with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC), were in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, which certifies the recipients as been duly elected at the polls to govern their various states.
Based on the list from INEC, while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) so far got majority of 19 states, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 13 states.
Also, while the APC produced elected first term governors in six states (Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Nasarawa, Kwara, Lagos), its incumbent governors won second term tickets in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Plateau and Niger states.
The APC also controlls Ondo, Ekiti and Kogi states, where governorship elections were not held on March 23, due to political developments that staggered theirs from the normal general election period.
The PDP on its part, recorded an improvement recording upsets in Bauchi, Benue, Sokoto and Oyo, states, where they defeated the ruling APC.
The PDP is also leading in Adamawa and Rivers states, where election results have not been fully collated and declared.
The commission had however withheld the Certificate of Return for the Governors-elect of Zamfara State, Muktar Umar, and all the state’s Assembly members, following the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which nullified the APC primary election in the State.
Prof. Ibeanu, while presenting the certificates to the Imo State Governor-elect, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, congratulated him and others on their victory at the polls and wished them well.
Ibeanu enjoined the governor-elect to be a leader and a representative of the state and not just for his party, for a successful administration.
INEC also reiterated that all the candidates whose results were announced under duress will not be issued their Certificates of Return.
Hon. Ihedioha promised to work to uplift the overall interests of the people of the state and pledged even development to every part of the state.
He reiterated his resolve to assist uplift the youth, who he noted were under the pangs of frustration and depression since their interests and welfare were jettisoned for a long time.
Recall that the Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state was alleged to have allegedly compelled INEC officials to declare him winner of the Orlu Senatorial Zone elections. He was therefore not issued with any certificate during the ceremonies at Owerri, yesterday.
Also, there were some candidates from Bauchi, Benue and Akwa Ibom states who were also denied Certificates of Return for being declared winners allegedly under duress.
Speaking at the Justice Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna, Niger State, the National Commissioner in-charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau states, Prof. Anthonia Simbine, however said those affected by the process are free to seek judicial remedy.
According to her, “most of these people who compelled our officials to declare them winners will not get their Certificates of Return now. They can seek redress in court.
“Unfortunately, the 2019 general elections were marked by a new trend in which some of our parties and candidates forced Returning Officers to declare them winners of the election.
“The Commission views this trend with great concern and has decided that all those who were returned under duress will not, for now, be issued Certificates of Return. This is a decision that INEC has taken across the country and we all know that there are many examples”.
Prof. Simbine, who spoke while presenting Certificate of Return to the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, his deputy and elected members of the State Assembly on Wednesday, also decried the level of violence that took place in some states across the country saying “if people can resort to violence to ensure that they are declared, what happens to the whole thing. Why should we bother to do the process”?
According to her, “If everybody should pick up arms and asked to be declared ,it will be a different world altogether. We don’t want that to continue.”
In his remarks, the Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sam Egwu, called on stakeholders to shun all vices that will impede the electoral process.
Also, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello while commending the people for their role in re electing him, called on his main opponent, the PDP candidate, Umar Nasko, to join hands with him in moving the state forward.
source: authorityngr.com/2019/03/28/26-governors-elect-assembly-members-collect-inec-certificate-of-return-in-36-states/

*Plans to block PDP, others from choice of Assembly leadership
*It’s winner takes all, party tells opposition
*Asks Ndume to subordinate to party
By Ezeocha Nzeh (Group Politics Editor)
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, gave an insight on how it intends to pick the leadership of the 9th National Assembly, during its inauguration in June.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in Abuja that the party does not envisage there would be an election on the floor of the Senate or House of Representatives for the purpose of electing the Assembly leadership.
Issa-Onilu stated that the ruling party could resort to providing the names and offices to be occupied by its elected members, insisting that this time around, “it’s winner takes all”.
He emphasised: “Once you win, you take whatever you won. There is no room for power sharing. We do not need it because we do not need them (PDP), to run this government”.
“I have listened to the PDP react to this and in their usual style, they exhibited gross ignorance. What we practice in Nigeria is the Presidential System of Government and in such a system, it’s winner takes all.
“We have enough number to run this government and in any case, when we were campaigning, we never told Nigerians that we were going to share power with any other party”.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had insisted that all elected Senators and members of the House of Representatives are constitutionally eligible to seek election into any leadership office, including the office of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The opposition party maintained that the two portfolios are not the exclusive preserve of any political party, but a constitutional right of every all elected lawmakers in the two chambers.
National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, had on Tuesday said “it amounts to empty grandstanding and self-delusion for President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, to posture as if the presiding offices and committee chairmanship in the National Assembly are the exclusive rights of the APC.
“For emphasis, Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is clear in providing that there shall be:- (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves; and (b) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves”.
“Section 92 (1) makes the same provision for the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of State House of Assembly,” Ologbondiyan said.
PDP reminded Buhari and Oshiomhole that the APC had in the past benefited from the provisions of section 50, with the defection of then Speaker Aminu Tambuwal from PDP to the APC, on October 2014, without relinquishing the speakership of the House to the PDP, a development the PDP recalled was applauded by Buhari, as then opposition leader, and the APC, through its then National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed.
Also, a leading APC contender to the position of Senate president, Senator Ali Ndume (Bornu South), while opposing the APC insisted that such endorsements run contrary to provisions of section 50 (1A) of the 1999 constitution.
However, defending the APC’s position, Issa-Onilu said although what happened in 2015 was not undemocratic, it was considered political treachery, adding that Nigerians have punished the people involved in the infamy, having retired them compulsorily from politics.
He said: “We patterned our Presidential system of government after the USA. When last did you see them go to the floor to elect their Speaker? Any party that has the majority automatically has the speaker.
“If you remember, Nancy Pelosi was the Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Immediately, the Republicans got a majority, she became the Minority Leader.
“It is automatic, except where you have traitors; people who do not have a commitment to values whose only interest are to foster their own selfish desires.
“In the last election in the US, when Democrats became the majority, Pelosi reverted and became the Speaker.
*We don’t envisage an election
Continuing, he said: “All the Principal Officers are determined by the simple majority and because Nigerians have given us more than what we had even in the out-going dispensation, we have enough to elect all our officers.
“We do not need a single vote from the PDP and in any case, we don’t actually envisage any election on that day because we are going to present to our members to occupy these positions and it is the collective position of the party and all our members are very experienced politicians who understand what this means.
“When they get to the floor, they are going to read out the names and if the PDP so desires, they can bring a candidate and follow that candidate with the number they have got.
“So, it will be an exercise in futility for PDP to nurse the ambition to share from what Nigerians have taken from them.
“It is not the party that will determine whether there will be an election or not. By the time we announce these names, having a clear majority on the floor, anyone that wants to oppose would have to present his candidates, backing them up with numbers.
“So, there is only one person being put forward and then you have a consensus. So even if there is going to be an election, it would be a mere formality,” Issa-Onilu stressed.
*Asks Ndume to subordinate to party
The APC spokesperson maintained that Sen. Ali Ndume, who had expressed interest in contesting against Lawan was merely expressing his democratic rights, adding that he must subscribe to the dictates of the party.
“The day he subscribed to be a member of the APC, he signed off to abide by the dictates of the party, and we take what has happened in the last 24 hours as an expression of how badly the news hit him, but we are also conscious of the fact that Sen. Ali Ndume is a respected member of the APC, he is a leader in this party and we know he knows the right thing to do and on whose side he rightly belongs, and that also includes any other persons who have such grievances,” he added.
source: authorityngr.com/2019/03/28/nass-leadership-apc-rules-out-voting/

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, has described former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu, as the architect and icon of contemporary Nigerian politics.
Governor Lalong stated this through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mark Longyen, as he felicitates with the APC leader on the occasion of his 67th birthday, which comes up on Friday, 29th March, 2019.
According to the Governor, Tinubu had over the years carved a niche for himself as a “dogged and uncompromising fighter for democracy, justice, honesty, fairness, equity and equality”.
He said, “Your Excellency, your 67th birthday anniversary presents an opportunity for me to join your numerous admirers nationwide and globally to felicitate with you and to thank God for the six decades plus seven years of an impactful, fulfilled and fruitful life that you have lived to date.
“My dear Asiwaju of Lagos, the Jagaban of Borgu, the Lion of Bourdillon, and National Leader of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, you have over the years carved a niche for yourself.
“This has deservedly culminated in your becoming the indisputable, indefatigable architect and icon of contemporary Nigerian politics and a mentor to countless politicians today.
“Undoubtedly, your service to the nation is a source of pride to those who know you. Your political partnership particularly with President Muhammadu Buhari, has succeeded in bringing Nigeria out of the woods of economic woes.
Lalong maintained, “This has no doubt moved Nigeria to the next level and has made her a respectable country of preferred destination in the international community.
“On behalf of the government, the good people of Plateau State and the APC Family in the state, I congratulate you on this auspicious occasion of your birthday anniversary.
The Governor wished him many more years in “good health, strength and wisdom and may the Almighty God expand your coast like never before”.
source: authorityngr.com/2019/03/28/why-tinubu-is-architect-icon-of-contemporary-nigerian-politics-gov-lalong/

Speaking at the 2019 edition of Eledumare Festival, Adams said: “When the journey for democracy began in 1999, we believed there were hopes for Nigeria and took the risk.
“The long years of the military was our poor past and all that we wanted then was democracy.
“But, sadly, our democracy, today, is gradually becoming a different thing entirely.
“I think one of the problems of this country is the weak institution. No free health services and welfare packages for the poor and the old.
“In Rwanda, after the unprecedented genocide and economic downturn, the country later found its feet and bounced back.
“In Nigeria, school children are usually traumatised on daily basis, yet, we churn out graduates in all our universities every year, only for many of them to face unemployment and societal stigma after graduation.
“If you want to know why Nigeria has never worked, just take a look at the attitudes of our politicians, especially, before, during and after the just concluded general elections.
“Their attitudes present a perfect picture of what a democracy should never be.
“They illustrate the absolute befuddlement that Nigeria has descended into. It is sad that after 20 years of uninterrupted democracy, our political class are yet to learn their lessons that the voice of the people is the voice of God. Vox Populi vox dei.
“In an ideal world, democracy offers the best opportunity for people to choose their leaders;
leaders who are ready to serve, leaders who have the interest of the country at heart, leaders who are ready to build strong institutions for Nigeria to attain its potential.
“These are the kind of leaders Nigerians need most, as we journey through the next dispensation. As Nigerians, we must set forth a future we want, not only for ourselves, but for the generations yet unborn. So that the future of our children, and that of the next generation can be secured and guaranteed.”
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/why-nigeria-has-not-worked-adams/

The annual event, which was initiated in 2013, was motivated by the strong drive of the association to contribute to the developmental progress of the country.
Secretary General of NACJ, Charles Okhai, said the event is scheduled for Friday, at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
He said: “We reasoned that for us to effectively contribute our quota to the progress of Nigeria, we must, of a necessity, solve, at least, one of the problems facing the country. In view of the fact that corruption is one of the major factors pulling back the country’s wheels of progress, we had to develop a panacea called integrity, to curb the menace of corruption.
“We believe integrity is the direct opposite of corruption. If Nigerians, as a people, are mentally integrity conscious, especially our leaders in the corridors of power, the spate of corruption in our society will be drastically reduced.
“We make bold to say we are not in the business of giving people award for the giddy excitement of it, rather, we are propelled and driven by the need to get rid of the societal monster called corruption. For us, this is a worthy venture, because no nation can attain her potential development with the scourge of corruption like we have in Nigeria today.”
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/nacj-honours-men-of-integrity/

The Ikeja sleep gallery is an addition to the seven others across the nation.
World Sleep Day is an initiative of the World Sleep Society to recognise sleep and its significant impact on health. This annual event focuses on the many burdens of sleep problems, as well as importance of healthy sleep at any age. The 2019 world sleep day is themed: “Healthy sleep, healthy ageing’.”
Speaking at a press conference, Mouka Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Raymond Murphy, said quality sleep is a treasured function and one of the core pillars of health.
Murphy said when sleep fails, health declines, decreasing the quality of life, and this explains Mouka’s relentless commitment to providing the mattresses, pillows and other products to enhance quality sleep.
Corroborating Murphy’s claims, National President of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapist (NSP), Rufai Ahmed, said sleeping on a wrong mattress would alter the natural curvature of the spine, thereby, resulting in musculoskeletal problems and possible injury.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/mouka-celebrates-world-sleep-day/

The governorship election in my state from the standpoint of my community was okay even though we had some internal hitches in our party. At that point everyone was struggling to make sure that they deliver their wards to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In Ohafia Local Government, there was no incidence apart from the usual Nporo issue. Nporo is a small community in Ohafia with about eight small villages that constitute three wards in Ohafia LGA. My own ward is Okamu made up of four villages. Mysteriously, they usually churn out large number of votes in past elections that would make nonsense of votes that come out of the larger communities and questions have always been asked why it is so. In the presidential election, we had a similar case where an entire ward was cancelled because they did not use card reader. It happened again in the governorship election where most of the results that came from Nporo as far as I was made to understand did not go through the card reader. There was also violence there. But generally speaking, the governorship election was relatively calm but that does not exclude the issue of malpractice. Those who felt that they were affected by the malpractices have taken the right step by going to the tribunal.
How would you rate the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the general election?
INEC performed better than in any election I have witnessed since 1979. This election was one in which INEC surprised a lot of politicians because people thought it will be business as usual where results would be written in someone’s residence. But INEC made sure that all the results were validated through the card reader. They made sure that the number of accredited voters was not less than the number of people who voted and through that, they ensured the credibility of the process. So INEC did well in that context.
On the other hand, I will score this election as the worst in terms of security because in some cases, we heard the cases of ‘over security’ where people employed the services of security agencies. But in some other areas which constitute the vast majority of people who should be protected, we saw an entire Local Government with less than 20 Policemen and when you distribute them according to polling units, you would see that in an entire ward of more than 20 polling units, there would be only one policeman. So when you have such development, the electoral process is left in the hands of who the strongest person is and that person may end up snatching the ballot box and running away with it. The lack of security we experienced during this election was ameliorated by the card reader to make sure that what came out of the field was verified before they were collated. Even when politicians tried to capitalise on the lack of security to manipulate the process, they ended up not achieving much because when you come to the collation point, the manipulation was of no use.
Was the deployment of the military a good development for our democracy?
In answering your question, I would say that it not a good development. What is bad is bad. I do not see the business of the military in a democratic election with guns. It is a negative development. But there are some scenarios where politicians employ the services of thugs to disrupt elections especially in rural areas. When you have such a situation, it would not be out of place to deploy soldiers to maintain order because some of these thugs come with the intention to kill. So I would not blame INEC in such a situation.
Some interest groups are advocating that the Senate presidency should go to the South East, while others are saying that it should remain in the North because the South East does not have many ranking Senators-elect. What is your take?
A lot of people have asked me this before and my answer has always remained the same. We talk about the APC as if there is something special that differentiates it from the PDP. I have consistently said that the only difference between APC and PDP is President Buhari. If the APC makes the same mistake that it made in 2015 in managing victory, then they would meet their waterloo in 2023. If APC does not come out as a political party to make a statement about power sharing, then PDP will take over government in 2023 and that should be the fear of every APC member. We should distribute power equitably among all the geo-political zones. As a party, we should not concentrate power in one section of the country. Whether we produce two or 10 senators from the South East, what we should ask is if those senators are qualified to take up leadership positions in the Senate. Once you are elected and you are qualified to occupy a leadership position, why should you be stopped especially if your region is disadvantaged in the political setting such that it would be detrimental to your party in 2023?
Who are the APC ranking senators from the South East?
We have two ranking Senators- elect from the South East; they are Orji Kalu from Abia State and Benjamin Uwajimogu from Imo State. Uwajimogu is a current senator who won his re-election and Kalu was a member of the House of Representatives in 1992. What parliamentarians mean when they say someone has to be a ranking senator is the person’s experience in lawmaking. If you have been there once, you are regarded as a ranking lawmaker because you know the process of lawmaking and that qualifies you to be the leader of the National Assembly.
I believe that the South East should be given the Senate presidency for the sake of justice and equity. The APC needs to be very fearful because if you examine the outcome of the election, you will realise that the party lost heavily to the PDP. We used to have 23 APC governors, now we are struggling to retain 19 or even less. In the Senate, there was no major breakthrough in APC’s numbers. As the numbers of APC Senators stood in 2015, that is how it still stands in 2019; there has been no improvement. Buhari is an institution who commands up to 12 million votes in his kitty. But if you mistake Buhari’s popularity with APC’s popularity, you will be making a mistake, because there is no one in APC from the North that can maintain 12 million votes. Even the great Atiku Abubakar could not muster such a number. If the party does don’t manage victory properly, what it would have is a resurgent PDP that has national spread and has governors in every geo-political zone in the country taking over power. The only way to balance the equation is for APC to zone the Senate presidency to the South East.
Like I said, there are two ranking APC senators from the South East and Orji Kalu is one of them. There is no APC member in Nigeria who has the kind of political network that he has within and outside the country and that is a fact. When the ninth Senate resumes, he will be one of the strongest voices of the South East and one that Igbo will be proud of.
There are speculations within APC circles that the Senate Presidency will not be zoned to the South East because the zone didn’t contribute substantially to Buhari’s victory and the APC didn’t perform well there. What do you think?
That argument does not hold water politically because Buhari got the required 25 percent of the total votes cast in most South East states. That is a huge improvement from what he had in all his previous four elections from the South East. Those who are pushing such sentimental arguments are not being realistic. In 2015, there was no APC Senator from the South East but now we have two that, to me is a big breakthrough. You cannot compare the South West and the South East because unlike the Yoruba, the Igbo didn’t have any stake or incentive to vote APC. A zone that produced the vice president is not expected to produce the same number of votes with the South East. There was no single incentive or promise officially made by APC to the South East that when it wins, they would be compensated. The South East had no incumbent Vice President or super minister with powerful portfolio like the South West has Yemi Osinbajo and Babatunde Fashola. So there was no incentive for anyone to now say they should have produced the same number of votes with other zones. There has been political consistency in the South East that is trustworthy but in the South West, PDP won Oyo State governorship and also won the presidential election in Ondo State. In Osun State, Buhari won by a slim margin and Lagos was seriously struggling to deliver victory for Buhari. If you compare how the South West voted for APC in 2015 to 2019, would you say they progressed or retrogressed? To me, the South West retrogressed but APC made more progress in the South East this year than it did in 2015.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/south-east-must-produce-senate-president-else-apcll-lose-in-2023-ikoh/

Makinde and Olaniyan won the March 9 governorship election on People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) platform.
The official presentation, which was done at the Banquet Hall of the Premier Hotel, Ibadan, had in attendance INEC National Commissioner in charge of Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states, Adedeji Soyebi; and Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State, Mutiu Agboke.
Certificates of return were also presented to 32 members-elect of the House of Assembly, including 26 from PDP, five from All Progressives Congress (APC) and one from Action Democratic Party (ADP).
Wife of a formal governor of the state, Mutiat Ladoja; Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Oyo state, Pastor Benjamin Akanmu; Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Dawood Makanjuola; an elder statesman, Michael Koleosho; Director of National Orientation Agency in Oyo State, Mrs. Dolapo Dosunmu; as well as representatives of service commanders in the state were also present on the occasion.
Makinde, who spoke on behalf of the elected officials, thanked all stakeholders for the confidence reposed in them, and promised they will all work together to take Oyo State to enviable heights. He said the Ninth Assembly would be formed by members of PDP, APC, and ADP.
“Together, I believe we can make a difference in Oyo State. The electioneering is over. It is reality now. It is time for hard work, to give good governance and take Oyo State to greater heights,” he said.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/inec-presents-certificates-of-return-to-makinde-olaniyan-lawmakers-elect-in-oyo/

APC said it cannot intervene in Okorocha’s matter with INEC because he is on suspension.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday.
Issa-Onilu also reacted to the protest that the ruling party should have suspended the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over what many considered ‘anti-party activities,’ in his involvement in the yet-to-be concluded Rivers State governorship election.
“On the refusal of INEC to issue Certificate of Return to governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, who was announced winner of the Imo West senatorial election, this party cannot take any action. Don’t forget he is on suspension.
“As far as this party is concerned, that situation remains and there is no way we can say that somebody is on suspension and still go ahead to intervene in his case. In any case, he has not even come up to inform the party of his problem because he must have realised he is on suspension. Therefore, if the suspension is vacated, the party will now step in to intervene, as a party member who has a problem to resolve,” Issa-Onilu said.
In his reaction to Amaechi’s activities in Rivers, the ruling party spokesperson said: “On whether what Rotimi Amaechi did in Rivers governorship election amounted to anti-party activities, I will emphatically say ‘no’ because if you liken it to the situation in Imo and or Ogun states, it would be wrong.
“In Rivers state, APC does not have any candidate and, as a party, Rivers state is very important to us. The state has been in the hands of pillagers for too long. If we have the opportunity of working with a party willing to abide by our principles, then, it is within our right to work with such a party; to ensure we free the people of Rivers from the locust.
“In this case, he has not abandoned a particular candidate who belongs to the APC for a candidate of another party. They are entirely different issues and, in that case, there is no anti-party. Whatever Amaechi has done is completely normal and acceptable to this party; as far as working with the other party is concerned,” he said.
Issa-Onilu equally assured that the ruling party would not spend the next four years blaming the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for any failure.
“On our plans in the next four years, to avoid blaming the opposition party, let me tell you that we were faced with a PDP one leg in the last four years, which continued to give the country too much problem. We limped all over the nation in a very dangerous manner.
“Nigerians, on their own, have cut off the remaining leg, making PDP a foregone issue. The actions we are taking, in earnest, is to ensure that those pitfalls that came from that limping PDP, which made the National Assembly to be in rivalry with the Executive, in the last four years, will not happen again. We will not have reason to complain again.
“However, despite the challenges, this party has achieved in the past four years, with little resources, more than the entire 16 years of PDP put together; even with huge resources at its disposal.
“We will take Nigeria to the next level, not in theory, but practically, in terms of infrastructure, robust economy, productivity, diversification of the economy, stable power supply, productive and functional education system. We have survived the PDP and the stage is set for us. We are welcome to the new Nigeria,” he said.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/certificate-of-return-why-we-cant-save-okorocha-apc/

In spite of opposition within, the ruling party said it has no iota of regret officially adopting the senator representing Yobe North district to succeed Dr. Bukola Saraki when the parliament is inaugurated in June.
The party spokesman, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said at press conference, in Abuja, yesterday, that if election to select the principal officers of the National Assembly would hold, it would only be mere formalities.
He reinforced the earlier declaration by the party National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, that the ruling party would not share any position in the National Assembly with members of the People Democratic Party (PDP).
“In a presidential system of government, it is winner takes all. There is no room for power sharing with PDP. The news on whether the party has settled for Lawan has been out. There was an interaction with the senators-elect, with the president, governors, leaders of the party and NWC members where it was presented to the stakeholders that the ruling party has decided on who will be the next senate president according to what the democratic rule says and the person’s name is Senator Ahmed Lawan.
“Since that news broke, this party has not come out to contradict itself. So, that has been done but it’s left for the party to cross the ‘ts’ and dot the ‘I’s to get that sorted out. Let me take that further that my emphasis on the fact that we are not going to share power with the people that Nigerians have rejected including the fact that what the PDP people call juicy committees and we in APC call strategic committees is exclusive for APC.
“We don’t need them to head any committee where they are going to compromise on the promises we have made to Nigerians. Nigerians cannot give us a mandate to take part of it and hand it over to the people they have rejected. We cannot betray the people of this country and we will not do it.
“So, the zoning arrangement for the other position is in the work and just as the media and Nigerians have been informed on who our preferred candidate for the senate president is, we will come out to tell you what the zoning formula is for the remaining offices in the sen- ate and also in the House of Representatives,” he said.
The PDP, on Tuesday, declared that its elected senators and members of the House of Representatives were constitutionally eligible to seek election into any office in both chambers of the National Assembly.
But the APC spokesperson insisted that the ruling party would not expect a single vote of the PDP senators to decide who the next principal officers will be in both chambers of the ninth Assembly.
“It will be a betrayal of trust to go ahead and start sharing power with a party, particularly the PDP that has been rejected by Nigerians. We are smarting from the last experience, what hap- pened when some traitors within the APC fold sold our birth right to an opposition party. Some people now con- sider that to be normal, it is not. In fact that action was not democratic,” he said.
Ali Ndume had, on Tuesday, flayed the endorsement of Lawan, saying that Oshiomhole’s announcement did not have the backing of President Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and many other senators and party supporters.
In order to avert a repeat of what happened in 2015 in which the opposition party determined who emerged the senate president, President Buhari, governors on the platform of the APC and senators-elect of the party had agreed on a consensus candidate.
But the decision di not gone down well with some lawmakers elected on the platform of the APC.
Senators who have shown interest in the senate plum office include Abubakar Goje, Adamu Abdullahi and Ali Ndume.
However, spokesman for Lawan for Senate President Group of senators, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, told news- men in Abuja that APC senators-elect were carried along in the adoption of Lawan.
Though Abdullahi did not mention Ndume’s name, he was categorical that “it’s not good for somebody to peddle lies.”
The lawmaker added that when Oshiomhole announced the adoption of Lawan, he spoke in the presence of some governors, including those of Oyo, Kebbi and Borno states.
He quoted Oshiomhole to have appealed to senators- elect to support Lawan to avoid the mistake of 2015.
“Immediately he said that, there was instantaneous and spontaneous applause by senators who were there. For somebody to say there was surprise and shock following the announcement, he was economical with the truth. There was no shock, rather there was relief,” he claimed.
He said there was no clear directive by the party in 2015, a situation which led senators to go their different ways in the chamber.
The APC, he noted, has a great role to play in who emerges the Senate President.
“If the party has promised Nigerians good governance, it is only fair and proper for the party to play some role to deliver that good governance. For me, we have learnt our lessons from whatever happened in 2015.
“Even when I’m walking on the street, people say please you people should make sure you learn from your past mistake. As far as I’m concerned, we have unity of purpose.
“We, senators-elect, have made a choice. We have the right to say this is who we want. Our choice is Ahmed Lawan. Do you expect
that Mr. President and the party should abdicate their responsibility? This is what they accused us of in 2015. Now they have spoken, why are you complaining?”
He insisted that the an- nouncement by Oshiomhole should have been sufficient for a genuine party loyalist to abandon his ambition and toe the line of the party.
Abdullahi said there was no doubt that Nigerians would be the best for the emergence of Lawan.“Is it good for you to have bills that are not assented to?” he asked.
On the winner takes all posture of the APC, he said that it did not necessarily mean that the party’s sena- tors would take all positions.
The position of the party chairman on the issue, he said, was that the majority would have its way while the minority will have its say.
Abdullahi, who said that they had been engaging PDP senators-elect, noted that contrary to insinuation, the PDP senators-elect were not interested in any fight.
On the slot of Deputy Senate President, he noted that the party has the responsibility to zone positions.
“One thing I know and which is certain is that the party has zoned the Senate President to the North East. As for Deputy Senate President, I don’t know, the party will decide. When the party decides, there will be no dissent. If you dissent, it will be like a fly that wants to follow the corpse to the grave,” Abdullah said.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/no-going-back-on-lawan-apc/

Prof. Ihemeje, who was the Presidential and National Assembly Returning Officer for Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, was being questioned in a video on the internet, on why he appeared alone without the laid down electoral procedure of accompanying a local government result with the local government electoral officer and security operatives to a collation centre.
In a statement made available to newsmen, in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, and signed by the group’s Co-ordinator and Secretary, Akuagba Ezerendu and Uche Ndudim, respectively, the group urged INEC chairman and security operatives to probe the activities of Ihemeje on the said day, and, also, look into the result he presented, as it could attest to the enormous electoral frauds allegedly perpetuated against mostly President Muhammadu Buhari in the South East zone.
It recalled that it was the same Ikwuano local government that had an issue of the INEC electoral officer arrested by the police, when trying to smuggle out unclaimed voters cards in their thousands.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/abia-probe-election-activities-of-prof-ihemeje-group-urges-inec/

The electoral umpire added that the exercise in Enugu State, unlike in some states, witnessed no case of “violence, snatching of ballot boxes or all sorts of electoral malpractices.”
The INEC commendation was made by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, during the presentation of certificates of return to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, his deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, and elected members of the Assembly, led by the Speaker of the House, Edward Ubosi.
Okoye, who congratulated the recipients, on behalf of the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for their victory at the polls, said the exercise “is a formal statutory and confirmatory process that you have won an election in accordance with the constitution and electoral dictates.”
He also congratulated “the people of Enugu State for taking ownership of the electoral process and driving it in a peaceful and conducive atmosphere that fused power and sovereignty back to them.”
Earlier in his opening speech, the INEC state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Emeka Ononamadu, who rated the peaceful conduct of the elections in Enugu State high, “with all the promises of fairness, openness and neutrality intact,” maintained that the exercise “was a tortuous journey that did not come at zero cost, but, it is also a journey that the entire nation is poised to learn from Enugu.”
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/enugu-elections-exceptional-says-inec/

Addressing journalists during a press conference, yesterday, the spokesman of the coalition and state chairman of the Nigerian Elementary Progressive Party (NEPP), Alhaji Musa Aliyu, alleged that the elections were marred by myriad of flaws.
This, he said, rendered its results null, void and unacceptable.
Aliyu, who was also a governorship candidate was flanked by the state chairmen of the political parties.
He said: “We, the members of the above coalition, have vehemently rejected the outcome of the 2019 governoship elections as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commissin (INEC).
“Our decision was rightly informed by the fact that the elections were marred by myriad of flaws, which had rendered the results null, void and unacceptable.
“The members of the coalition have observed that the polls were characterised by acts of violence, massive vote buying, intimidation, non use of card reader machines as well as duplication of voting in polling units where the polls were earlier conducted, which contravened electoral laws and the constitution of the country.
“With these reasons and more, we are also in total support of the action of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek legal redress for the injustices meted to it, its gubernatorial candidate and his running mate.”
Regardless, the People’s Democtatic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State, has asked APC and its governorship candidate to accept defeat.
In the statement issued by PDP’s spokesman in Sokoto, Abdullahi Yusuf, the party also accused the opposition party of trying to rig the election to its favour, through the use of political thugs and vote buying.
“We wish to express our gratitude to Allah (SWT) on the victory bestowed on us with a margin of 342 votes. We want to put it on record that a candidate will be regarded as duly elected into the office of governor of the state where he has the highest number of votes cast at the election. Thus, the constitution is explicit about the winner of the election in Section 179 (2).
“Even though we had won the election based on the first result announced by the INEC during the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial election, the opposition insisted that INEC must declare the elections inconclusive.
“With the declaration of the election as inconclusive as a favour to the opposition APC, the party used the period to garner the support of neighboring states and sourced over N5 billion through the treasuries of two states of Zamfara and Kebbi as well as some selected Federal Government agencies.
Meanwhile, the ruling APC in Adamawa has called on its supporters in the state to get prepared and participate in the governorship supplementary election today.
The State Organising Secretary of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, gave the directive, yesterday, in Yola, the state capital.
Lawal said the party reviewed its earlier decision to boycott the poll and had resolved to fully participate in the poll.
He, however, said in spite of INEC’s refusal to heed their call for a rerun, the APC would still win the election.
He appealed to the APC family and supporters not to be deterred by INEC’s action and urged them to go out en mass to vote for the candidate of the party.
“Having consulted all the party stakeholders, we’ve resolved to participate in the supplementary election fixed for tomorrow (today).”
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/28-political-parties-reject-sokoto-guber-election/

He said the legal team has been directed to stepped up efforts and file a petition at the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.
Useni spoke during the expanded meeting of the party’s state campaign council to review the outcome of the poll.
“I want the officials and supporters of the party to remain calm, I’ve stepped up the processes to challenge the outcome of the election in the tribunal.
“I appeal to party members not to worry as all hope is not lost, I assure you that we’ll fight to the end. The people’s mandate freely given to us will be recovered,” he said.
He assured that he is absolutely committed to the cause and will not let the people of the state down.
Useni also promised to continue working for the unity of the PDP, adding that he will give purposeful guidance and not allow the party to disintegrate. He said there was an overwhelming evidence at hand to institute and pursue the case at the tribunal.
Regardless, former governor of the state and the senator representing Plateau North, Jonah David Jang, expressed strong support in the outcome of the elections.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/election-ill-recover-my-stolen-mandate-at-tribunal-useni/

Doing this, the group said, would not only strike a political balance among the geo-political zones of the country, but will also assuage expressions of marginalisation from the South East.
Addressing newsmen after a meeting of executive members of the Forum, from the 17 councils of the state, Chairman, Emeka Adile, said the decision was “reached after taking into cognizance the political development in the country and to make our position known on burning national issues. We urge the APC-led Federal Government and its national executive to, as a matter of urgency, zone the office of senate president to the South East. It is our belief that, if South East is given the opportunity to head the Ninth Senate, it would end the agitation of people of the zone.”
The gesture, the AGF chairman noted, would “douse the fears of Ndigbo who feel marginalised in the scheme of things in the country.”
The AGF congratulated winners of the last election including President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Senator representing Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, and called on all National Assembly members from the state to work as one family.
source: www.sunnewsonline.com/forum-urges-apc-leadership-to-zone-senate-president-position-to-region/

Aina, 25 is one jolly good fellow many people see from afar and want to be like. When she is at her best she radiates positive energy. She is beauty. She is brain. She is the life of the party you hear people talk about. But behind that glamour lies a woman carrying a burden of pain.
When it is time to experience her monthly cycle, Aina undergoes a monthly ritual of agony, fire and death; the kind that turns her into a mess for five full days. It is a period her life is at a pause. It is the time people call her the daughter of the rivers- they say it may be the sacrifice she has to pay for the beauty the gods had given her. Better put, they say for her to look beautiful for the next month, she must undergo the mounding of the gods prior to that month.
It is a period she is highly misunderstood even by her family members and close friends. Those who should care say she exaggerates the pain. They say there is menstrual pain but not to the point of incapacitation and character summersault. They say she has no reason to stop attending school or communicating with people.
But they are all wrong. Aina is suffering from what the Founder, Endometriosis Support Group of Nigeria (ESGN), Dr. Abayomi Ajayi has described as Endometriosis; a painful condition in which tissues that normally line the womb grows outside of it.
In a bid to establish that none of what people think of her was true, Aina sought medical advice, but she was told nothing was wrong with her. For every medical facility she approached, the results were the same. She however knew the clean bill of health she was been given was because she was being misdiagnosed.
To this anomaly, Ajayi said a doctor that does not think of Endometriosis as a condition, will never be able to diagnose it even when a patient with the condition is staring at him. This was what Aina went through for over a decade before she finally knew what she is suffering from.
Though she has undergone a surgical procedure once, the pain still persists. To alleviate this, she lives on painkillers whenever it is time.
“I am usually a happy person, but it is hard to be happy when you are in so much pain, and that time of the pain is the worst part of my life,” she said.
Aina is not alone. Kate is a business woman in her early 40s. Since 12, she has never experienced a painless menstruation. Overtime she accepted that that was who she was and decided to live with it while living on painkillers.
But it became a concern for her after marriage. She realised in addition to the monthly pain, she also suffers from pain during s*x. Then by the tenth year with her husband, it was clear the condition had also taken a toll on her reproductive life.
Kate is currently accessing treatment with Nordica Fertility Centre for the management of the condition as well as invitro fertilization.
The Grim Picture
Aina and Kate are just two among the 10 per cent of Nigerian women affected by the condition with majority still living in confusion as they cannot tell what really the issue with them is.
Worse still, only few Nigerians, including health experts really know what this women go through as the condition is still shrouded in mystery.
About 180 million women worldwide are currently living with the condition, while almost 40 per cent of such women may be affected by infertility, according to available reports.
Curbing Misdiagnosis
Ajayi believes it is time health experts are aware the condition is real, emphasising that doctors can only think of diagnosing a condition if they also think of that condition as a possibility.
He said one of the issues health experts have is that Endometriosis as a condition presents in more ways that could suggest other conditions.
“For instance, an Endometriosis patient can present as suffering from epilepsy even as she continues to have severe pain around the abdomen. With that, a general practitioner or a gynaecologist may miss the underlying condition unless he probes beyond the surface presentation of epilepsy.
“Sometimes too, an Endometriosis patient could bleed while coughing; giving an impression it is tuberculosis. The diagnosis would however be easily done if this presentation occur around the monthly cycle of the patient,” Ajayi said.
Ajayi who spoke during a pre EndoMarch press briefing to commemorate World Ednometriosis March in Lagos, organised by the ESGN in collaboration with the Nordica Fertility Centre, said there is increasing great methods of diagnosing endometriosis in the country, noting that these include the use of CT scan, Laparoscopy, among other.
He also said one important thing was for the patient to present to the right facility and medical diagnostic Laboratory.
Good Looks as Precursor for Endometriosis?
Ajayi said studies may have shown that the qualities that lead to a woman’s good looks also predispose her to the painful gynaecological conditions.
“You know female attractiveness is linked with higher estrogen levels, and it is possible that the hormone might favour the development of aggressive and infiltrative endometriotic lesions,” he said.
Link Between Endometriosis and Infertility
Ajayi, who is a fertility expert said being diagnosed with endometriosis – and the fertility problems that come with it – often brings emotions of shock, denial, anger, and depression, particularly if the person is planning to start a family.
He said: “From the wish to have a baby to the diagnosis of reproductive problems, the experience of infertility on its own can cause anger, confusion, depression, a sense of helplessness, and frustration. Having to cope with endometriosis on top of all this is challenging.
“Imagine this scenario: You have experienced painful periods and discomfort for years before being diagnosed with endometriosis. Worse still, you’re having trouble conceiving. Put together, it’s a combination of emotions that require attention.
“It’s normal to feel anxious, sad, and stressed, especially with the pain that comes first even before the infertility issues. Pain is physical and emotional with endometriosis. So you may have been dealing with such difficult issues for a while.”
He however said not all women with endometriosis are infertile, as many women have children without difficulty, have children before they are diagnosed, or eventually have a successful pregnancy.
He said while Endometriosis and infertility are serious and uncomfortable conditions, the good news is that help is available.
”Getting pregnant with endometriosis is possible, though it may not come as easily as expected. It has been established that up to half of the women with endometriosis will have trouble getting pregnant; however, the likelihood of having fertility problems depend on your age, your partner’s fertility, and how severe the endometriosis is.
“If you’re struggling to conceive, surgery or fertility treatments like IVF help. Perhaps you have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for some time, and now, after a fertility evaluation and diagnostic laparoscopic surgery, your doctor has diagnosed you with endometriosis.
“Or maybe you haven’t even started thinking about having children yet. However, after experiencing pelvic pain or severe menstrual cramps, investigation and diagnosis show you have endometriosis.
“It is natural to wonder if you have any chance of conceiving. If you have been diagnosed with Endometriosis before you even thought about getting pregnant, you may wonder if it’s worth trying to get pregnant on your own before seeking fertility treatment. The answer is yes. You can conceive with endometriosis. It’s not a guarantee, but it is possible,” he added.
source: www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/03/28/dealing-with-endometriosis/?amp

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday told the Special Envoy of the President of Republic of Congo that without social, political and economic stability, it will be difficult for any country to effectively manage its resources.
He received Mr Jean Claude Gakosso, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Congolese in Diaspora, at State House, Abuja, who conveyed a special message on behalf of President Denis Sassou Nguesso, and also congratulated President Buhari on what he called his “brilliant performance” at the recently held presidential election.
Republic of Congo is a medium oil producer in Africa, and President Buhari pledged continued collaboration with the country, “so that we can get the best for our respective countries, and invest for development.”
Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, stressed the need for peace and stability, so that the resources of a country can be used for the good of the people.
“Stability is critical, if a country would manage its resources effectively. I am aware of the problems of our own country. We are very large, deficient in infrastructure, and trying to improve on political and economic stability. In my last lap in office, I will give it my best,” President Buhari said.
He noted that developing countries that had oil used to be very powerful in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), due to their production capacities, but as a result of technology, the United States no longer depends on them for her oil and energy needs.
The Special Envoy, on behalf of his President, wished President Buhari wisdom and good health, so that he can continue to lead his people efficiently and effectively.
source: thenationonlineng.net/buhari-to-congo-envoy-stability-key-to-efficient-resources-management/

AMEN.

Amen and you too.

A 40-year-old man, Ayodele Saheed Olaniyi, is currently cooling his heels in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office for allegedly duping people of sums totaling Three hundred and forty-three million, eight hundred and eighty thousand naira (N343,880,000).
Olaniyi was arrested by the commission following a petition addressed to the EFCC’s Executive Chairman, and filed on February 13, 2018.
Signed by a lawyer, Mr. Jimoh Ayofe Tijani of E.F.A. Adeola & Co, the petition was prepared at the instance of 89 individuals, who claimed to be victims of the suspect’s alleged fraudulent acts.
The petitioner alleged that they were hoodwinked by Olaniyi into investing in a network business called Beerbanc Traders’ Network.
The business required that they pool resources together to establish a beer retailing business with the promise that the proceed would be shared every month among the investors and the coordinating company.
They further alleged that after collecting their money, Olaniyi neither share profits with them since October 2018 nor return their invested sums, even when it was apparent that the business would not fly.
Upon receipt of the petition, the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, had assigned detective officers to look into its merit, who later made shocking findings, according to a source in the Commission.
In the course of their investigation, the detectives discovered that the suspect was operating eight different bank accounts through which he enlisted 114 people into the phoney scheme.
It was also established that a total sum of N396.5m found in the accounts was never invested in any business as promised by Olaniyi when he was luring his victims into the ‘business idea’.
Again, EFCC investigators established that the company under which Olaniyi tend to operate the business was not registered with the Central Bank of Nigeria as other financial institution as required by law.
After taking his statement and conducting a search on his house and business address at Oluyole, Ibadan, the commission granted the suspect an administration bail, of which he was yet to meet the conditions.
However, having realised that the bubble had burst and there is likelihood of him facing the consequence of his actions, Olaniyi tried playing it smart on the commission.
He feigned suffering from hepatitis B to aid his release without meeting the bail conditions. The lie failed as medical laboratory test conducted on him established that he never suffered from the health condition he simulated.
The source however added that Investigators are fine-tuning their findings to prepare the suspect for prosecution.
source: thenationonlineng.net/efcc-nabs-man-over-n343-8m-phoney-investment-scam/

Ondo State Government on Thursday sealed off a private hospital in Okitipupa reportedly owned by Dr. Odusola Aribo for training auxiliary nurses against the established law.
The Acting Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Dipo Durojaye, after being briefed by the Ministry’s Monitoring team, who monitored hospitals in Okitipupa, said Aribo also started a hospital without following laid down regulations.
Durojaye added Aribo did not register the hospital with the State Ministry of Health, which makes it illegal.
He said it would not be business as usual in the State health sector as government will descend heavily on quacks and those opening hospitals indiscriminately.
The Acting PS vowed that any private health institution indulging in the training of health personnel would be sanctioned stressing government will not allow the life of the people to be endangered.
He also warned Patient Medicine Stores operating as hospitals and treating patients to desist from such acts, which according to him, posed great threat to the well-being of the society.
The Director Hospital Services, Dr Richard Adesoji, said quacks are dangerous to the health sector as they were not properly trained and could not make correct diagnosis.
He disclosed hospitals that cannot employ qualified Nurses can make use of Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWS) as agreed at the National Council on Health.
The Director Nursing Services, Mrs. Alice Ogundele, who led the monitoring team to Okitipupa, said it was alarming that some hospital in that locality had more than 50 quacks in training when even some accredited Schools of Nursing and Midwifery were only allowed to admit 50 or less.
Mrs. Ogundele said this trend was dangerous to the nursing profession as it will not allow qualified nurses getting jobs as these quacks are source of cheap labour.
Some other hospitals visited in Okitipupa are St. Peter’s Hospital, Akingbola Hospital and Oresanya Hospital where student trainees took to their heels on sighting the monitoring team.
The three hospitals were served letters of warning to desist from acts that are capable of endangering the health of the people or face seriously sanctions and eventual.
source: thenationonlineng.net/ondo-shuts-hospital-for-training-quack-nurses/

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on Thursday cleared air on its decision to withhold certificates of return of Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and three others.
Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Electoral Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, said the decision “does not amount to shifting goal post at the middle of a match.“
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Awka that INEC only issue certificate to people who genuinely won elections.
“Issuance of certificates of return is a statutory function of INEC, it is only issued to those who won election and must be done through free will of a returning officer.
“In the case of Imo West Senatorial zone where Okorocha contested, the Otu-Opi Federal Constituency in Benue, Ag*yi State Constituency and another in Akwa Ibom.
“What INEC is saying is that you can’t engage in bad electoral behaviour and expect INEC to reward you with a certificate.
“Our certificate is only for those who won freely,” he said.
Okoye said the commission has the right not to issue certificate to such persons as it would amount to abnormality.
He said INEC action is not targeted at the voters who voted people of their choice but to address excesses of those who wanted to use unconventional means to win elections.
“Once we have such case, INEC will not issue certificate, but ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.
He said at the moment that contenders of the positions in all the four affected areas are in court adding that INEC is awaiting for the outcome of the pending matters.
Okoye said if the court orders INEC to issue certificates of return to the people involved, it would do same.
He said if a consequential order is made directing INEC to conduct fresh election in the areas, the commission would do same .
source: thenationonlineng.net/why-were-withholding-okorochas-certificate-of-return-inec/

A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled judgment for May 27 in the trial Robert Azibaola, said to be a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, on charges of money laundering.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba chose the date on Thursday after lawyers to the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses.
Azibaola is being tried on a two-count charge, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He is charged with a firm, One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited, over allegation that he received $40million from the detained former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, retd, without any contract agreement.
The prosecution, on January 23, 2017, closed its case after calling ten witnesses, following which Azibaola, who denied any wrong doing, testified in person and called a witness, Iyeryfama Jaja.
The defence closed its case on February 6 after calling two witnesses – Aziboala and Jaja.
On Thursday, Sylvanus Tahir (for the prosecution) and Chris Uche, San, (for the defence) adopted their final written addresses, following which Justice Dimgba adjourned for judgment.
It is the prosecution’s case, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/ 113/2016, that Aziboala, while being the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) and a signatory to the Zenith Bank account of One Plus Holdings Nig Ltd, on or about September 8, 2014, took possession and converted the $39, 999, 958 out of the $40million, and transferred same to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nig Ltd with Zenith Bank Plc Account No. 5070365750.
It said the 40m was released from an account the Office of the National Security Adviser operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, upon a transfer mandate Ref. No. 128/S.5LX/139, on the guise that it was meant for the supply of Tactical Communication Kits for Special Forces.
The prosecution added that the defendants reasonably ought to have known that the fund was part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity by Dasuki, adding that they had by their action, committed an offence contrary to section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.
Earlier, on March 29, 2018, the court partially upheld a no-case-submission made by the defence and struck out seven out of nine counts originally contained in the charge, which had Aziboala, his wife, Stella, and the firm as defendants.
The court discharged and acquitted Aziboala’s wife on the premise that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie criminal charge against her.
In his defence, Aziboala has consistently maintained that the money, okayed by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was deployed to solve oil bunkering and pipeline destruction in the Niger Delta region.
He told the court that the federal government, perturbed by the level of oil bunkering and the vandalization of oil facilities in the region, which he said drastically disrupted oil output and reduced the nation’s cash inflows, engaged his firm to implement strategies he said brought such economic sabotage to an end.
Aziboala said the “assignment” that was handed to him through the ONSA, was discreetly executed, insisting that it achieved the desired result.
source: thenationonlineng.net/alleged-40m-fraud-court-to-decide-jonathans-cousin-fate-may-27/

The Nigeria Optometric Association, Enugu State Chapter (NOAESC) have advised teenagers to shun activities that can damage their eyes including artificial eye lashes, mascara and tampering with eye lids.
The optometrists made the call during sensitization of students of some selected secondary schools in Enugu State on Thursday to educate them on the need to care for their eyes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for the programme is ‘The need to pay attention to childhood blindness and eye care services.’
NAN reports that the association visited Government Secondary School, Abakaliki Road, Enugu.
Dr. Gilbert Enechi, the team leader at the GSS, Enugu, said they focused on teenagers this year because they engaged in certain habits that could cause eye blindness and prevent them from attaining their goals in life.
Enechi, who is the Chief Optometrist, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), urged students to also stay away from frequent scratching of their eyes.
“As future leaders of tomorrow, these our young ones still have a long way to go in their career path and how far they will go depends largely on the perfect state of their eyes.
“Students engage in certain activities that can damage the eyes but which were often thought to have no effect on the eyes.
“Some of the practices involve reading while facing up, frequent scratching of the eyes, using of eye glasses not recommended, reading in a poorly lit environment and straining of the eyes.
“Others are the use of fireworks, knockouts and the application of foreign objects such as eye lashes, mascara and turning the eye lids inside out which causes allergies and eventually aggravate to eye defects.
“Eye defects common among students and teenagers are glaucoma, progenital cataract, crossed eyes, astynopia, astigmatism, short and long sightedness.” he said.
Dr. Enechi, therefore, said the easiest way to detect any of the eye defects was to make use of the visual acuity chart available to the school by standing six meters and closing one of the eyes.
The Chief Optometrist, therefore, said early detection and treatment would help prevent total blindness promising to offer students free eye care treatment.
“It will interest you to know that there are 500,000 cases of childhood blindness yearly and 60 per cent of them eventually die of the cause of blindness.”
Enechi also seized the opportunity to enjoin students to consider being Optometrists as a career and help cover the numerical gap of Optometrists that Nigeria needs to adequately cater for its citizens.
The principal of GSS, Mr Onyia Ifeanyi, appreciated NOESC for the initiative saying he was delighted that the world was beginning to shift attention to eye care needs of students and the young ones.
Onyia noted that with the sensitization, the notion that eye defects in young ones are hereditary and not caused by certain habits and behaviours would be corrected.
The Senior Prefect of the school, Miss Otoo Eva-Akunna said she was privileged to have been sensitized because she had thought that her frequent itching of the eyes were normal.
“My parents used to say it was because of the insect that entered my eyes a long time ago but with this sensitization, I now know there is the need for me to go for treatment.
“I need my eyes more now and I need to treat it before it deteriorates and cause more expenses in the form of surgery.” Miss Otoo said.
The sensitization programme taking place in the three senatorial district of Enugu State is part of the many activities lined up for the 2019 World Optometrist Week which began on March 26, 2019 and ends on March 30.
source: thenationonlineng.net/blindness-optometrists-caution-against-artificial-eye-lashes-mascara/

Policemen on Thursday morning allegedly killed a motorcyclist identified as Ademola Moshood in Surulere, Lagos Mainland for refusal to part with N200.
The incident was said to have occurred few blocks away from the victims’ house at the wee hours of Thursday at Kilo.
It was gathered that the policemen involved in the alleged murder were attached to Soloki Police Station, Surulere with two of their names given as AK, Patrick.
According to a witness, the policemen were on patrol when they sighted and stopped the deceased by Kilo Bus Stop in a bid to extort him.
A resident alleged that when Ademola refused to part with the usual N200 bribe on ground that he had closed business for the day and was homebound, one of the cops, an Inspector, went close to him, placed his gun on the man’s head and shot him.
They were said to have fled the scene with the man’s motorcycle, abandoning his body on the ground after shooting him dead.
It was gathered that residents who witnessed the incident stormed the police station in Aguda in protest and sighted the culprits who hid behind a van.
They demanded justice, insisting that those involved be charged with murder.
Police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) said the Commissioner Zubairu Muazu had ordered that the culprits be detained and tried.
“A petition was sent to the CP on the matter and he has ordered that those involved be detained and tried,” he said.
source: thenationonlineng.net/policemen-allegedly-kill-man-over-n200-bribe-in-lagos/

An angry mob in Ugep in Yakurr local government area of Cross River State snatched a suspected motorcycle thief from the police and set him ablaze The Nation gathered Thursday.
It was gathered the mob snatched the ill-fated young man from the palace of the Paramount Ruler of Ugep.
According to eyewitness from the area, the suspect had allegedly stolen the motorcycle in nearby Adim community in Biase local government area and had brought it to Ugep where someone recognized the stolen machine.
The person who recognized the motorcycle raised alarm and the suspected thief was apprehended and taken to the palace, where the police was called.
When the police arrived it was learnt a mob that had gathered refused to allow them go and overpowered the policemen, collected the suspect and burnt him to death.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, said an investigation would be launched into the incident.
She said no one has the right to take anybody’s life.
source: thenationonlineng.net/mob-burn-suspected-motorcycle-thief-to-death/

A huge fire in a Dhaka office block has killed at least 17 people , an official said Thursday, with desperate workers leaping to their deaths in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladeshi capital .
“ The death toll has risen to 17 ,” Khurshid Alam, a fire service officer, told AFP , adding the toll may continue to rise as rescue crews search the torched building .
Three died after jumping from the blazing 22 -floor building in Dhaka while two others appeared to have died from the effects of the blaze , officials said .
People were seen shouting for help from windows, while media reports said at least six people had been seen leaping from flaming windows.
source: punchng.com/17-die-as-high-rise-office-building-catches-fire/

Rivers State Governor , Nyesom Wike , has inaugurated a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the violence , killings and other related matters that occurred during the February 23 and March 9 , 2019 general elections in the state.
Wike also inaugurated a panel into the violent invasion and attack on the Rivers State Judiciary and destruction of public properties , which occurred at the state judiciary complex in Port Harcourt on May 11 , 2018 .
The governor inaugurated both commissions on Thursday at the Government House , Port Harcourt , with a charge that they should submit their reports within 30 days.
Justice Monina Danagogo was appointed as the Chairman of the Judicial Commission on Election Violence, while Justice Simeon Amadi chairs the commission on the invasion and attack on the state judiciary complex .
Wike explained that though the function before the two judicial commissions of inquiry would be tasking, he urged the members to work diligently to deliver within the scheduled period .
For the panel on violence , killings and related matters during the 2019 general elections, the governor said some of their terms of reference are to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the violence, killings and other related acts /matters , which occurred during this year’ s general elections in the state.
“ Identify the sponsors and perpetrators of the various acts of violence and killings in the state during the period of the aforesaid elections. Identify the victims of the violence , including those killed during the said elections.
“ Identify the motives , if any , behind the said violence , killings and other related acts /matters during the aforesaid general elections in the state, ” he added.
The governor said that the panel investigating the violence during the 2019 general elections has 10 terms of reference .
For the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the invasion of the State Judiciary, Wike explained that the panel had 14 terms of reference .
Some of them are, “To ascertain and identify the immediate and remote causes of and /or the motives behind the violent invasion and attack on the Rivers State Judiciary and destruction of public properties, which occurred at the judiciary complex , Port Harcourt on 11 th May, 2018.
“ Identify the persons who participated in, masterminded, counselled or procured others to participate in the violent invasion , attack, disruption of activities of the Rivers State Judiciary and destruction of public properties.
“ Identify and ascertain the targets of the said invasion , violence and disruption of activities at the Rivers State Judiciary Complex on the aforementioned date.
Wike said that it is unfortunate that anyone would plot the attack on the Judiciary, which he described as the last hope of everyone.
He pointed out that a former Rivers State governor , who shut down the courts, was the first to seek refuge when the courts were re- opened.
Responding, Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence , killings and other related matters during the 2019 elections, Justice Monina Danagogo , said that the commission would carry out its duties in line with the extant laws.
Also , Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the violent invasion and attack on the Rivers State Judiciary, Justice Simeon Amadi , said the invasion of the state judiciary complex would not be swept under the carpet .
Amadi described the desecration of the temple of justice as anathema to any democracy .
source: punchng.com/wike-sets-up-panel-to-probe-2019-election-violence-in-rivers/

The Plateau Police Command has arrested a 42- year- old man, Gundumi Saya, over the death of his married lover, one Mrs . Hajara Markus, who died while spending the night with him .
According to the Police charge sheet currently before Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau State High Court , Jos, Saya, who has three wives and 14 children , is a resident of Zango- Dinya in Bassa Local Government of Plateau .
The accused , who is being charged with culpable homicide , allegedly committed the offence on November 21 , 2018.
The Police alleged that the suspect, on November 21, committed the act of adultery with the deceased when he lured her out of her matrimonial home to have s*xual intercourse with her, an offence that contravened Section 368 of the Penal Code .
The charge sheet further said that the suspect intentionally dumped the body of the deceased by the road side , after he realised that she had died in his custody while he was having s*xual relations with him .
It said that the accused refused to inform the Police of Hajara ’s death, thereby contravening sections 189 and 102 of the Penal Code.
The suspect, in a confessional statement, however, denied killing his lover, stating that he woke up to make love to her in the middle of the night , only to find her dead .
“ I have known Hajara before she got married ; I have been in a relationship with her for a long time. In-between, she got married and got divorced twice , but we still kept on seeing each other until she got married again a few years ago .
“ Whenever I wanted to have s*xual relations with her, I invited her to the bush where we will catch our fun, and she will return home .
“ On the said date, we arranged to meet at my friend ’s place , one Ojukwu , who is also married , after she had told her husband that she was going for a wedding in Bauchi State .
“ As agreed , we met at Ojukwu’ s house and he ( Ojukwu) gave us a room to pass the night .
“ Ojukwu’s wife later sent a boy with garri (cassava flour ) and kuli -kuli (groundnut cake) to Hajara , which she soaked and took after which she retired to sleep .
“ I woke up at 2 a . m. to make love to her, but discovered that she was motionless. I quickly ran to Ojukwu’ s room to alert him, but his wife told me that he did not sleep at home .
“ I called him on phone to tell him what happened; when he came , I suggested that we should report the matter to the Police, but he told me not to do that because I would land in serious trouble.’’
The statement quoted the accused as claiming that Ojukwu advised him to dump the body by the roadside, which they both did, and went their separate ways .
The statement said further : “Six days after we dumped Hajara ’s body, I heard some commotion in front of my house and when I peeped , I saw policemen who came to arrest me.
“ I ran to the bush and stayed there for three days after which my daughter called to tell me that my elder brother had been taken away by the Police .
“ I felt bad when I heard that sad news and decided to surrender myself to the Police. ’’
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Jos, Saya maintained that he had no hand in the death of the late woman.
“ I did not kill her. But I may not know if my friend’s wife poisoned the garri she gave her because that was the last thing she took before going to bed. ’’
Husband to the deceased, Mr. Markus Jagaba , 44 , in his statement, said his late wife took permission from him to attend a wedding at Jakandangiwa village in Bauchi State .
Jagaba said he allowed her to go because it was a family occasion and he did not suspect that she was going to meet another man.
“ My wife told me she was going to attend a family occasion at Jakandangiwa village in Bauchi State . I did not argue with her. I simply allowed to go because I didn’ t know she had other plans .
“ I became worried when she did not return home after the wedding and did not respond to my phone calls. I called her family members and was shocked to learn that she was not at the wedding.
“ When we did not see her after searching everywhere, my family and I reported the matter to the Police, after which I was called by the Police, some days later, to come over and identify the corpse which I confirmed to be my wife’s . ’’
Elder brother to the suspect, Mr. Yakuba Saya, told NAN that no one in the family knew that he ( suspect) , was dating a married woman until the Police stormed their house to make the arrest .
“ I was at home when the Police barged in to arrest my brother . When they could not find him , they arrested me, ’’ he said ; adding that his brother ( the suspect) confessed to him that he actually dumped the body of his lover on the roadside.
“ He told me he actually dumped the body of the woman on the roadside, but he insisted that he was not behind her death.’’
NAN reports that the Police have charged the suspect to court on three counts of adultery, culpable homicide and failure to give notice /information to a public servant.
Saya is to be arraigned on Monday , April 1 , before Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos.
source: punchng.com/married-woman-dies-while-spending-night-with-polygamous-lover/

A Federal High Court sitting in Awka , Anambra State has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to prosecute the Senator- elect for Anambra South Senatorial District , Ifeanyi Ubah , and the Returning Officer , Prof M. N Umenweke over criminal allegations levelled against them in the February 23 election in the area.
The order came following an application of mandamus sought from the court by the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the district, Chris Uba in suit number : FHC /AWK /CS / 29/ 2019.
Handing down the order, the presiding judge , Justice I .B Gafai asked INEC to within 14 days conduct investigation into the matter for the purpose of prosecuting the respondents .
The order read in part,” Upon the honourable court having delivered a considered judgement today , it hereby ordered as follows: The 1 st Respondent ( INEC) shall within 14 days from today conduct or cause investigation into the criminal allegations of the Applicant ( Chris Uba ).
“ Prosecute , if the investigation result so warrants, the third Respondent ( Ifeanyi Uba) and any other person (s ) implicated in its investigation.
“ Where it considers it inexpedient to prosecute through its legal officers, consider at its liberty , the appointment of the Applicant’ s solicitors in this suit for the purpose of such prosecution” .
Uba also asked for “ A further order of mandamus compelling the 1 st Respondent to prosecute the second ( Prof MN Umenweke ) for announcing or publishing a false result to the effect that the 3 rd Respondent had won the election held on the said 23 /2 / 2019 even when they both knew that the said election was inconclusive and from which no genuine result had thereby been generated. ”
source: punchng.com/anambra-poll-court-orders-inec-to-prosecute-ubah-returning-officer/