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Kaduna poll official result: APC 12, PDP 5
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in lere the returning officer prof aminu ahmed muhammed declared abubakar buba of the apc who scored 92854 as winner beating jumare tanimu magaji of pdp with 16 231 votes1 official results declared by returning officers in saturdays council elections in kaduna state indicate that the ruling all progressives congress apc won in 12 local government areas while the peoples democratic party pdp won in five local government areas1 the siecom returning officer for chikun local government dr samuel ndams who made the announcement said only results from seven wards out of the 12 wards of the area were submitted1 ndams said that results from five wards had not been submitted at the collation center therefore after due consultation with the siecom headquarters we decided to declare the lg polls in chikun local government inclusive1 nan reports that the siecom has announced apc as winner of birnin gwari local government area but results have not yet been released1 nan is yet to obtain the official results for kagarko and kajuru lgs while that of kaduna south is still being awaited. the apc has claimed victory in the three councils1 election did not hold in jaba and kaura local government areas1 in kubau muhammed tukur bashir the returning office declared alhaji sabo aminu of the apc who scored 46535 votes as winner of the polls beating alhaji umar abdullahi of the pdp who scored 13398 votes1 in giwa abu shehu lawal giwa of the apc won with 57005 votes defeating bello shehu kago of the pdp who got 2673 votes as declared by dr muhammed sani the lg returning officer1 the siecom returning officer of kauru local government prof musa yusuf also declared pdps shuaibu goma who scored 24393 votes as winner against alhjai bashir tanko of the apc with 21564 votes1 also john mallam lugards the returning officer for ikara lg has announced ibrahim salihu sadiq of the apc with 42312 votes as winner for ikara polls defeaating his pdp counterpart abdullahi aliyu who scored 9248 votes1 while results from three lgs are still pending the kaduna state independent electoral commission siecom on monday declared the local government elections results for chikun as inconclusive1 the returning officer for sabon gari local government dr micah victor announced mohammed ibrahim usman of the apc as winner after scoring 20 576 votes against pdps suleiman ibrahim gambo with 9580 votes1 similarly prof. ahmed babajo kofa returning officer for igabi local government announced jabir khamis of the apc who scored 47630 as duly elected chairman of the local government against abubakar abubakar of the pdp with 2449 votes1 in sanga mr samuel shamaki of the pdp emerged winner of the chairmanship contest with 20843 votes beating charles danladi of the apc who got 19757 votes1 similarly mr nuhu garba siecoms returning officer has announced pdps peter agite as winner in the kachia local government chairmanship contest with 42242 votes to beat his apc counterpart peter dan-baki who got 33 817 votes1 returning officer kaduna north lg umar hayatu announced apcs saleh shuaibu who scored 168572 votes as winner beating muhammad sabo babayaro of the pdp who got 12467 votes while the prp candidate had. 4956 votes1 in zangon kataf local government area mr elias maza of pdp won with 55643 votes against the apc candidate john hassan with 31514 votes1 in jemaa local government dr arnaold makeri the returning officer announced mr peter averik of the pdp winner with 45361 votes to beat mrs cecelia musa of the apc who got 25 973 votes1 alhaji lawal abdullahi-tukur returning officer for kudan lg also announced apcs alhaji shuaibu bawa-jaja with 72021 votes as winner in the chairmanship contest beating pdps alhaji kabiru isiaku who got 3394 votes1 dr aliyu umar returning officer soba lg also announced that mohammed mahmud aliyu of the apc who scored 40903 votes as the elected chairman against the pdp candidate muhammad surajo tukur who got 13835 votes1 in zaria lg aliyu idris ibrahim of the apc won with 42859 votes to beat pdps yusuf namadi with 16033 votes1 similarly dr musa abdullahi mahdi returning officer for makarfi lg said apcs kabiru musa mayere won with 25199 votes against ibrahim isyaku of the pdp who scored 13088 votes.1 -
Killer blow for Barajes nPDP as ultimatum expires
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as members of the then npdp we are aware that the last meeting that was held by the group was in 2014. since then no meeting has been called. where did alhaji baraje and olagunsoye oyinlola obtain the alleged resolution to write the said letter when and where was the meeting held who are those that attended the meeting1 another group of ex-peoples democratic party npdp leaders who joined the coalition that formed the all progressives congress apc in 2014 has slammed the kawu baraje group which claimed that the members were marginalised1 oyinlola had since joined the african democratic congress along with olusegun obasanjos coalition movement1 the ultimatum he and baraje gave expires today1 but in a blow to the claims by baraje another group of ex-pdp members in the apc not only debunked the claims of marginalization but also challenged the baraje group to state where a meeting was held that mandated them to write the letter to the party leadership1 senator abdullahi adamu chief theodore georgewill and house of representatives member abdulmumin jibrin in their letter said baraje had no mandate or the moral right to write and be making requests on behalf of the group1 according to them members of the so-called npdp had been taken care of in appointments. they described the baraje groups letter as self-serving and a personal agenda adding that the unseen hands behind the letter could be seen from the signatories1 they also faulted oyinlolas role since he had left the party to become the coordinator of former president olusegun obasanjos coalition of nigeria movement cnm when he signed the letter1 the adamu group insisted that should the party leadership or president muhammadu buhari call the baraje group to a meeting their group should also be invited as critical stakeholders1 the adamu group listed the positions being occupied by the former npdp members including senate president house speaker governors senators ministers and heads of government agencies. they wondered what else they expected from the buhari administration1 copies of the letter were sent to president buhari and apc stalwart asiwaju bola ahmed tinubu. reads partly1 we received with great shock and embarrassment the news that a former acting chairman of the pdp alhaji kawu baraje led four others to deliver a letter they claimed was on behalf of the npdp which is defunct and has long dissolved into the apc during the 2013 merger1 in the letter baraje stated that we members of the then npdp group are being marginalised maltreated and witch hunted in the apc and requested for an urgent meeting with the party and mr president within one week1 last week baraje a former acting chairman of pdp and a former secretary olagunsoye oyinlola submitted a letter to the apc leadership demanding a response and a meeting within seven days1 we ordinarily would have ignored such a joke but it is a dangerous joke taken too far. how can you explain that one of the two signatories to the letter olagunsoye oyinlola has since left the apc for the african democratic congress adp after going on awol to the obasanjo coalition for nigeria. yet same person is asking to meet the apc leadership to address grievances this clearly shows the sinister motive behind the letter which is not far from destabilising the party at this most critical time1 in any case the letter is full of contradictions false assertions misrepresentations distortion of history and facts and in many instances outright lies1 we as initiators and founding members of the defunct npdp therefore wish to condemn and disassociate ourselves from the letter and apologise for the obvious embarrassment the letter have caused to our party and government1 we wish to reaffirm our support and confidence in the party and mr president and we do not in any way feel marginalised or maltreated as we are clearly in the league of the biggest beneficiaries of the party1 they added that while the muhammadu buhari- led cpc got the president the asiwaju bola tinubu- led acn got the vice president. we the npdp as we then were eventually got the combination of senate president and speaker of the house of representatives though under somewhat questionable circumstances1 all of these offices control enormous amount of patronage and instruments of reward. it is strange that we did not see any qualms when the senate president and speaker dispensed about 200 appointments including committee chairmen without asking for nomination from mr president vice president the apc as a party asiwaju bola tinubu as party leader baba akande pioneer national chairman and a host of others. is that not marginalisation1 if we the npdp did not view that as marginalisation then we do not have the moral justification to accuse the president if he appoints his ministers without seeking for our nominees. all the key stake holders of the npdp were accommodated as follows1 senator bukola saraki senator and senate president hon yakubu dogara member of house and speaker house of representatives senator abdullahi adamu- senator and chairman senate committee on agriculture senator adamu aliero- senator and chairman senate commitee on customs senator magatakarda wamakko- senator and chairman senate committee on education senator rabiu kwankwaso- senator and chairman senate committee on national planning and senator danjuma goje- senator and chairman senate committee1 others include senator abdulaziz nyako- senator and chairman senate committee on special duties senator uchendu- senator and vice chairman governor aminu tambuwal- governor sokoto state governor abdullahi ganduje- governor kano state governor abdulfatah ahmed governor kwara state senator jibrilla bindow- governor adamawa state senator a bagudu- governor kebbi state alh kawu baraje- board chairman1 the letter said that many other members of the npdp became senators members of the house of representatives and occupy many other positions too numerous to mention1 the group said the only key members that were left with nothing are governor rotimi amechi and hon dakuku peterside who lost the rivers state gubernatorial election and were promptly accommodated by mr president. while rotimi amechi was appointed minister of transport peterside became the dg nimasa1 the case is the same at the party level. all the party officials promoted by key npdp stake holders are still holding their positions in the party. how can we then complain of marginalisation by the party1 a simple fact sheet is as follows senator danjuma goje- national youth leader senator wamako governor aminu tambuwal- national vice chairman north west alh inuwa abdulkadir senator rabiu kwankwaso- national treasurer alh bala gwargwarwa senator bukola saraki governor abdulfatah ahmed and national publicity secretary bolaji abdullahi governor rotimi amechi- national vice chairman south south governor bindow- national vice chairman northeast comrade mustapha salihu senator abdullahi adamu- natio1 -
Photos: Mammoth crowd receives Buhari in Hadejia
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a mammoth crowd welcomed president muhammadu buhari to the historic town of hadejia jigawa state where he went to commission the rehabilitated n9 billion hadejia valley irrigation schemehvis1 the irrigation scheme is located in auyo lga and the huge offered a pleasant surprise to the visiting president who was accompanied by his host governor muhammed badaru abubakar1 president buhari is in the state for a two day visit1 -
Senate backpedals on Omo-Agege, will allow him attend plenary sessions
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omo-agege a lawyer had challenged his suspension in court1 the nigerian senate said monday night that it will not stop senator ovie omo-agege from attending plenary on tuesday in compliance with a federal high court order1 but in a sudden twist the senate gave its new position in a statement by its spokesman senator sabi aliyu abdullahi chairman of the committee on media and publicity1 the senate leadership has been briefed by our lawyers on last thursday judgement of the federal high court abuja on whether the senate has the legal authority to suspend a member for certain misconduct or not1 we have equally filed an appeal against the judgement of the court and a motion for stay of execution of the judgement at the court of appeal1 as an institution that obeys the law and court orders the senate has decided that it will comply with the judgement of the federal high court and do nothing to stop senator ovie omo-agege from resuming in his office and at plenary from tomorrow may 15 2018 pending the determination of the application for stay of execution1 the senate has been advised that since the motion for stay of execution of the thursday may 10 2018 judgement shall be heard and possibly determine on wednesday may 16 2018 we shall therefore respect the subsisting high court judgement and await the appellate court decision on the pending motion said sabi abdullahi1 the senate backpedalling came hours after senator omo-agege vowed to attend todays session despite the reported beefing up of security by the national assembly authorities1 omo-agege spoke at the apc national secretariat citing his legal victory1 last week thursday a federal high court in abuja nullified the suspension of omo-agege for 90 days by his colleagues and declared it illegal1 justice nnamdi dimgba ordered his reinstatement with immediate effect1 the senator representing all progressives congress apc in delta central was suspended by the senate because he openly criticised the amendment of election sequence carried out by the senate1 he accused the senators of making provision for election sequence in the amended electoral act in disfavor of president muhammadu buhari1 the 2019 general election sequence released by the independent national electoral commission inec placed the presidential election first but the senators reversed it1 buhari refused to assent to the bill and the court had also ruled that the senate had no power to alter the sequence of election as fixed by inec1 the court also presided over by justice nnamdi dimgba declared omo-ageges suspension unconstitutional1 the senate had initially stated it would not respect the order since it has filed an appeal in a higher court1 dimgba said that the reason given by the senate and the senate president for suspending omo-agege was unconstitutional1 while the legislator has powers to take disciplinary measures against its members the reason given for the punishment is an unconstitutional reason1 i hereby nullify the suspension of the plaintiff omo-agege which was based on the recommendations of the senate committee on ethics privileges and public petitions with immediate effect1 dimgba also ordered the senate to pay omo-agege any outstanding salaries or allowances which were due to him during the period of the suspension1 the judge stated that the decision recommended by the committee to punish omo-agege for going to court was wrong and contravened sections 4 and 6 of the constitution adding that he had a right to go to court1 access to court is one key indicator of a democracy the exercise of his rights cannot be a basis for punishment1 the judge further stated that the court took judicial notice of the fact that while the suit was pending in court the senate went ahead to suspend the senator for 90 legislative days1 in sanctioning a legislator the legislature must act within the law. while this suit was pending and to the knowledge of the senate and the senate president they went ahead and imposed a sanction on him1 the judge also said that the 90 legislative days suspension was against order 67 rule 4 of the senate standing rules which provided for a lawmaker to be suspended for only 14 legislative days1 he maintained that suspending the senator for more than 14 days was denying his constituents the required representation1 he however held that the legislature had the powers to sanction any lawmaker who set out to make comments or act in a way that could bring disrepute to the institution1 but that the legislature went out of track and arrived at a wrong and false end by punishing the senator for exercising his rights1 according to him omo-ageges right was not breeched when the senate referred him to its committee on ethics privileges and public petitions as he erroneously believed1 omo-agege who represents delta central senatorial district filed the suit to challenge his suspension from the senate1 he asked the court to among other reliefs grant an order restraining the defendants their servants agents privies or officers from interfering with his rights and privileges as a senator and to make any order that it may be deem fit1 -
Israel massacres 55 Palestinians for US Jerusalem embassy
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tens of thousands had gathered near the border in protest while smaller numbers of stone-throwing palestinians approached the fence and sought to break through with israeli snipers positioned on the other side2 ivanka trump helped declare the new embassy open and a plaque and seal were unveiled before the 800 guests at the ceremony1 it was the bloodiest day in the israeli-palestinian conflict since a 2014 gaza war1 the dead included eight children under the age of 16 according to the palestinian envoy to the united nations. the gazan health ministry provided the overall death and injury toll1 israeli forces killed 55 palestinians on the gaza border in the conflicts bloodiest day in years on monday as clashes and protests coincided with the deeply controversial opening of the us embassy in jerusalem1 the embassy inauguration nonetheless went on as planned attended by a washington delegation that included us president donald trumps daughter ivanka and her husband jared kushner both white house aides1 the clashes which left more than 2400 palestinians wounded erupted before a white house delegation and israeli officials opened the embassy at an inauguration ceremony in jerusalem and continued throughout the day1 trump addressed the ceremony by video1 our greatest hope is for peace he said despite the palestinian anger the move has provoked1 the united states remains fully committed to facilitating a lasting peace agreement1 israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu told trump in his address that by recognising history you have made history1 protests and clashes1 -
Buhari declares revolution in agriculture
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president muhammadu buhari has declared that nigerias agricultural revolution is real and on course and assured nigerians that government will sustain the positive momentum in the sector by implementing the right policies1 he gave the assurance an event to mark the commencement of the rehabilitation and expansion of the 6000-hectare hadejia valley irrigation project in jigawa on monday1 buhari who is in the state on a two-day working visit promised that government would provide the needed financial resources to prosecute peoples oriented projects1 he was happy that the economic diversification and inclusive growth programmes of the government were already yielding positive results particularly in key food-producing states1 the president further applauded the world banks assistance to the project which when completed would increase water availability for all-season farming in jigawa and beyond1 on his part the minister of water resources suleiman adamu said works on the first phase of the project which started in the early eighties during the administration of president shehu shagari and received some funding under the petroleum special trust fund had suffered frequent abandonment due to lack of funds1 adamu however revealed that with some funds allocated under the us495 million world bank-assisted transforming irrigation management in nigeria triming project in five different irrigation locations in the country the project would be completed by 20211 by the time the project is finished in three years there would be about 6000 hectares of farmland and the jigawa state government also plans to key into the project that will benefit over 25000 farmers the minister explained1 buhari had earlier inaugurated the 42-kilometre tasheguwa-guri road and the 32-kilometre abunabo-kadira-guri road constructed by the state government 1 he also inaugurated the 250000 solar-powered water supply scheme in the state1 -
Doctors sabotage health workers strike
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the doctors drew the attention of government to the concluding part of their letter no. nmapresg030751 of 21st march 20142 the lingering nationwide strike embarked upon by health workers may suffered a set-back following resolve by doctors to render services and kick against the demands of the health workers2 josiah raised the alarm when he fielded questions from newsmen in abuja and also accused the ministry of health of collaborating with the doctors in suppressing johesus legitimate demands from the government2 johesu had on april 17 embarked on industrial action to press home its demands bordering on improved healthcare facilities and welfare2 the strike by the union has so far crippled healthcare delivery in public health institutions across the country but the doctors render service2 minister of health prof. isaac adewole had confirmed that negotiations were on with johesu to end the strike2 negotiations are still on with johesu and the minister of labour is leading the negotiation and we expect that we will conclude on all issues very soon2 the nigerian medical association nma had in a statement threatened to withdraw their services across health institutions in the country if the federal government acceded to the demands of johesu and other health workers2 the nma wishes to draw the attention of the federal government to our correspondence of april 21 2014 on the above in which we reminded government of the collective bargaining agreement we had with the federal government of nigeria in january 20142 the national chairman of johesu mr biobebelemoye josiah has therefore alerted of efforts by the doctors to frustrate ongoing talks to end the four-week-old strike2 it states in view of the above the nma painfully wishes to inform the federal government of nigeria that any award to the non-medically qualified health professionals that violates the january and july agreements of 2014 shall result in the resumption of the suspended withdrawal of service of 2014. please take this as a notice2 the above reminder is predicated on the extension of the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the amorphous body called johesu2 the basis of the strike is callous and ill motivated for pay parity between her members and doctors with the resultant erosion of relativity and further hierarchical distortion in the health sector vis--vis her clandestine romance with some top government officials2 for the avoidance of doubt the nigerian medical association wishes to restate her positions on the various demands of johesu2 we oppose vehemently any adjustment in conhess salary scale with resultant pay parity between doctors and healthcare professionals allied to medicine and hereby reaffirm that relativity is sacrosanct the statement read in part2 the president of johesu however alleged that the two ministers of health were not serious in ending the strike in view of their position in support of the demands of the doctors at the detriment of johesu2 he said this very agreement was entered into and then a memo was made to mr president as they claimed even though they gave us a copy later2 when they made this memo it was in december and the ministry of health defended her budget in february but did not deem it to include that the amount it worked for the payment or settlement of this very issue2 this goes a long way to show that there was dishonesty insincerity from the beginning on the part of the ministry federal ministry of health because most probably the minister is a doctor minister of state health is a doctor and minister of labour who is supposed to be the chief negotiator is also a medical doctor. nan2 -
Buhari congratulates Fayemi as APCs guber candidate
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muhammadu buhari @mbuhari4 peter ayodele fayose @govayofayose4 kayode fayemi 2018 @votefayemi4 he said that apc has taken internal democracy seriously and the success of the ekiti primary with more than 30 aspirants further validates our partys democratic credentials3 president buhari further applauded other aspirants who took part in the keenly-contested primary3 the president noted that the ruling party values internal democracy describing the success of the primary election as another testament to the apcs democratic credentials3 he also assured members of the party and nigeria that the party would continue to work hard to lead the country to the next level of its development journey3 congratulations to @kfayemi on winning the apc ticket to contest the july 14 2018 governorship elections in ekiti state. i have no doubt that dr fayemis track record as a reformistwith a passion for education health and welfarewill stand him in good stead in the elections3 congratulations to on winning the apc ticket to contest the july 14 2018 governorship elections in ekiti state. i have no doubt that dr fayemis track record as a reformistwith a passion for education health and welfarewill stand him in good stead in the elections3 the president extended his goodwill message to the minister in a series of tweets on his personal twitter handle on sunday3 i would also like to commend all the participants in the keenly-contested primary. i would like them to uphold the values and philosophy of the apc by joining hands to support dr. fayemi in the forthcoming elections3 he urged them to uphold the values and philosophy of the ruling party by coming together to support dr fayemi in the forthcoming election in a bid to ensure the apc emerge victoriously3 let me assure that we will continue to work hard to lead nigeria to the next level of its development journey3 fayemi reaches out to oni aluko bamisile 12 other co-contestants3 he was also optimistic that having won the partys ticket the former governor would leverage his track record as a reformist who has a passion for education health and welfare to reclaim the governorship seat when the state goes to poll on july 143 also in his reaction outgoing ekiti governor mr. peter ayodele fayose expressed happiness that apc has chosen a candidate that the people would reject3 in his tweet he said i thank the apc for giving ekiti people a candidate they love to vote against at all times. fayemi should not celebrate this pyrrhic victory yet because it is nothing but a flame that will be quenched on july 14. he should expect to suffer worse defeat compared to that of 20143 i thank the apc for giving ekiti people a candidate they love to vote against at all times. fayemi should not celebrate this pyrrhic victory yet because it is nothing but a flame that will be quenched on july 14. he should expect to suffer worse defeat compared to that of 20143 president muhammadu buhari congratulated the minister of mines and steel development dr kayode fayemi on his victory in the governorship primary election of the all progressives congress apc in ekiti state3 -
Police seal Kano House of Assembly
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we deployed our men to the assembly to ensure that nobody disrupts the peace1 the police in the early hours of monday sealed the complex of kano state house of assembly apparently to prevent the impeachment of the speaker1 the deployment of the armed policemen may be connected to the current move to remove speaker of the house mr. yusuf abdullahi ata and principal officers by some lawmakers1 the speaker had ordered for suspension of all activities in the house until after eid-el-fitr festivity1 the police public relations officer mr magaji musa majia confirmed deployment of police to the assembly1 majia stated that the deployment of the police personnel was to maintain peace in the complex1 reports say that the armed policemen were deployed to the house at about 2 am to prevent members from gaining access into the assembly complex1 we need peace in the state and therefore we will not allow anybody to tamper with existing peace and harmony being enjoyed by the people in the state1 ata who was sworn-in ten months ago after the previous speaker resigned following allegations of corruption has been accused of incompetence and failure to carry everyone along1 at least 21 members have signed the impeachment notice while six other signatures are needed to remove the speaker1 meanwhile the embattled speaker has confirmed the plans by the house to impeach him noting that he has accepted his faith1 he also denied allegations of incompetence1 -
We didnt know corruption during our time Gowon
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earlier nobel laureate prof wole soyinka said nigeria had been bled dry by corrupt leadership over the years and challenged the anti-graft agencies on the prosecution of past and current corrupt leaders1 former military head of state gen. yakubu gowon rtd said on monday that his regime never experienced anything such as corruption for the nine years it was in power1 the former leader said although some of his ministers were being accused of corruption the regime made sure that it did not happen1 during our time i can assure you we did not know anything of the sort such as corruption1 yes some of my ministers were being accused of corruption but i can assure you it was something that we tried to make sure it did not happen especially in the public service1 when i left office in 1975 apart from my salary it was those staff who were with me during the oau meeting kampala uganda that contributed their estacode to make sure that at least i had something to live on after i had been asked to leave office1 and i said i wish i had done something to provide for the future and i think it is that experience that probably made those that came after i left office to make sure they provided for the future1 gowon said he was saddened by reports in the media suggesting that all the countrys former heads of states or presidents were corrupt noting that such allegations were denigrating the office1 the former military leader therefore urged nigerians to make sure that those elected or appointed into public office were made to be honest transparent and accountable1 he also challenged participants at the conference to come up with effective measures not only to prevent looting of public funds but also recovery of stolen money and its use for the people1 gowon whose government ruled from 1966 to 1975 made the statement at the 8th commonwealth regional conference for heads of anti-corruption agencies in africa hosted by the economic and financial crimes commission efcc in abuja1 i took the trouble yesterday to visit the new headquarters of the efcc i wanted to see what would be the mode of hospitality for some of our leaders who will surely sooner or later pas through the doors of that beautiful building not far from here1 until we make sure that some of our leaders pass through those doors this struggle against corruption in this country will not be won1 i spoke to magu efcc acting chairman that i want to see the presidential wing in this place. i said i am a human rights person and i want to make sure you treat them right when they come here1 but he said sorry it is an egalitarian institution. and i said ok i will take that message back to them that they should get ready to go down a little bit in status when justice catches up with them1 soyinka said efccs major responsibility for now was to help the nation to recover the rest of the loot still hidden across the continent fill up its detention room with corrupt leaders1 the chief justice of nigeria cjn justice walter onnoghen called for more political will by governments in the continent in the fight against corruption1 onnoghen advised that the masses should be carried along in the process because anti-graft agencies could only effectively wage the fight with information from the people1 on behalf of the judiciary the cjn assured the countrys anti-corruption agencies of the judicial support to sustain their efforts in reducing corruption to its barest minimum1 in his address of welcome acting chairman of the efcc mr ibrahim magu said nigeria was lucky to have the administration of president muhammadu buhari which he said is committed to the anti-graft war1 magu said there had never been a more focused and committed team in the ant-corruption anywhere in africa than the current leadership in nigeria1 -
Buhari flags off rehabilitation of Irrigation scheme
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president muhammadu buhari who is currently on a two-day official visit to jigawa on monday flagged off the project for the rehabilitation of hadejia valley irrigation scheme hvis in auyo local government area of jigawa1 the project will be executed under the transforming irrigation management in nigeria triming that is supported by world bank1 the federal government is collaborating with the world bank for the implementation of the transforming irrigation management in nigeria triming project1 the triming project is a federal governments special intervention for sustainable development of irrigated agriculture in nigeria being a major tool for reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity1 the project was awarded to cgc-ysej joint ventures in 2018 to implement the rehabilitation of exiting gravity irrigation area of about 5346 hectares and expansion of about 778 hectares including rehabilitation of barrage1 the contract is in the sum of n9.4 billion with a completion period of three years1 the project would entail the rehabilitation of hadejia barrage and head works with 26.2 km embankment and storage capacity of 11.4 million cubic meter1 it will also include the rehabilitation of feeder canal and north main canal of about 30 km total length and the expansion of south main canal of 32.8 km total length with 25 sectors1 the project was first awarded in the early 1980s but was abandoned due to poor funding1 -
Photos: Osinbajo opens Commonwealth anti-corruption confab
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vice president yemi osinbajo san on monday declared open in abuja the 8th commonwealth conference of heads of anti-corruption agencies in africa1 the conference has as its theme partnership towards assets recovery and return. abuja1 it was attended by sec. gen. commonwealth baroness patricia former president of south africa thabo mbeki former nigerian leaders gen. yakubu gowon and gen abdulsalami abubakar ag. chairman efcc ibrahim magu and other members of the african commonwealth delegation1 photos by novo isioro1 -
CEO urges youths to acquire basic skills, shun violence
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on his part former gov. of kogi state captain idris wada particularly implored the youths in the country to embrace talents like music drama and other aspects of entertainment to make them engaged in the society1 the chief executive officer ceo of t.w records mrs faridah wada has called on nigerian youths to shun violence and acquire skills that will make them self-reliant1 she said that the studio was built out of passion for music and entertainment to bring creativity imagination and new dimension for opportunities1 at tw records we have learned that imagination is more important than knowledge because knowledge is limited while imagination encircles the world1 any person who never made mistake never tried anything new i encourage the youths to acquire basic skills to keep them self-reliant1 we make bold to tell our artist that everybody is a genius and all that is valuable in human society depends on opportunity for development she said1 the ceo said the studio would present job opportunities to develop crafts dreams and aspirations for the teeming youths in the country1 she challenged the youths to strive toward a better society by imbibing skills that would make them assets to the society1 farida made the call at the grand opening ceremony of tw records studio for music and entertainment on monday in abuja1 wada advised the youths to strive toward taking over leadership saying that such was only possible if they worked very hard and became productive1 if you want to succeed and be a leader you must be focused disciplined hardworking tolerant and dedicated towards your goals1 in every difficulty there are opportunities and i urge the youths to learn skills like drama music and entertainment to develop themselves and be useful to the society1 tw studio is equipped with state of the art facility and will offer youths the opportunity to showcase their talents in the entertainment industry wada said1 he however appealed to the government to initiate an agenda that would address the challenges facing young people to give them a sense of belonging that would contribute to societal growth1 the occasion featured comedy red carpet and stage performance by music artists1 dignitaries at the occasion include former senate president senator anyim pius anyim mr hosa wells sen. uche ekwunife and amb. ifeanyi ifedi1 -
37 Palestinians killed protesting US Jerusalem embassy
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tens of thousands had gathered near the border in protest while smaller numbers of stone-throwing palestinians approached the fence and sought to break through with israeli snipers positioned on the other side2 us ambassador to israel david friedman also spoke at the ceremony in jerusalem and trump was given a standing ovation when he mentioned him1 the united states officially opened its deeply controversial jerusalem embassy on monday in a ceremony preceded by violent clashes between palestinians and israeli forces along the gaza strips border1 the protests did not stop the embassy opening ceremony that included a video address by president donald trump1 trump told the ceremony that the united states remained committed to reaching a lasting middle east peace though the move of its embassy in israel from tel aviv to jerusalem has provoked outrage1 a plaque and seal was unveiled at the ceremony officially opening the embassy1 reports said 37 palestinians were mowed down by israeli firepower and hundreds more were injured in what has been called the bloodiest day in years1 friedman referred to the embassys location as jerusalem israel drawing wild applause1 us deputy secretary of state john sullivan led the washington delegation at the inauguration that also included trumps daughter ivanka and her husband jared kushner both white house aides as well as treasury secretary steven mnuchin1 some 800 guests attended the ceremony1 jerusalems status is perhaps the thorniest issue in the israeli-palestinian conflict1 israel considers the entire city its capital while the palestinians see east jerusalem as the capital of their future state1 -
Nigerias growth excites World Bank
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the group also visited the newly commissioned edo power plant in benin city which was a key project in the governments power sector reform agenda and is supported by three arms of the world bank group1 the world bank group is excited with the growth of nigeria and expressed satisfaction with the performance of the economy1 according to the statement the visit was to enable the banks management team get a better understanding of nigerias development priorities with a special focus on the energy sector1 the executive directors held discussions with the vice president of nigeria the minister of finance and governors of adamawa bauchi borno gombe edo lagos taraba and yobe other senior government officials1 the directors discussed the security challenges in the northeast and middle belt regions and how to achieve development in these challenging environments1 our visit to nigeria was to get a better understanding of the country assess the world banks interventions on the ground and support opportunities that will keep the country on a path of sustained development said1 we commend nigerias implementation of its new economic growth and recovery plan egrp and the power sector recovery plan psrp both of which are important for regional integration1 it will also ensure trade and capital flows which will ultimately lead to greater growth says world bank1 according to the statement the executive directors also met with beneficiaries of the world bank group supported projects in agriculture education health youth employment community development soil erosion and public financial management1 similarly they met with representatives of the private sector civil society organisations diplomatic missions and development partners1 the commendation was contained in a statement by the bank on monday after the conclusion of a visit to nigeria by 10 executive directors of the bank from may 9 to 121 the three arms are the international finance corporation ifc multilateral investment guarantee agency miga and the world bank1 in lagos the delegation visited microfinance clients mostly women to gain an understanding of how the funds they had received impacted their livelihoods1 they also had an interactive meeting with private sector executives which highlighted the need to sustain business reforms and provide affordable and reliable power to improve the living standards of all nigerians1 the executive directors observed that nigeria continues to implement institutional policy reforms for restoring macroeconomic resilience and growth across sectors with support from the world bank group1 they reiterated the world bank groups commitment to supporting nigerias growth in a way that is inclusive job enhancing and reduces poverty and inequality1 critical to this inclusive growth objective is reforming the power sector boosting critical investments in human development and mobilising finance for development by creating a conducive environment for private sector participation the bank said1 the bank also emphasised the importance of nigeria to the sub-region and therefore the countrys central role in its regional strategy for sub-saharan africa1 it will be recalled that nigeria has been one of ifcs fastest growing portfolios and represents ifcs fifth largest global country exposure with a committed volume of 1.6 billion dollars1 also nigeria is migas fifth largest country exposure in sub-saharan africa with current exposure of 334 million dollars1 the nigeria country partnership strategy extending to 2019 has an investment of 8.8 billion dollars through the international development association ida and international bank for reconstruction and development ibrd. nan1 -
Nigeria unveils killer of Immigration attache in Sudan
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nigerias foreign ministry on monday said that the immigration attach mr habibu almu who was assassinated in khartoum sudan may 10 was murdered by a female sudanese of nigerian origin1 she was identified as miss inas khalid maikano. on her facebook page where she last made a posting in april 2016 she wrote her name as enas maikano. she said she attended prime college in kano and now lives in khartoum sudan1 the ministrys spokesperson dr tope elia-fatile in a statement in abuja alleged that the suspect a student at the sudanese-canadian college in khartoum murdered almu in his official quarters on thursday1 he said that the suspect had been arrested and detained by the security agency in sudan1 consequently after several arrests and investigations by the host authorities it was established that the deceased was stabbed to death1 the suspect who isa student of sudanese-canadian college in khartoum is a sudanese of nigerian origin1 it was discovered during investigations authorities discovered that the suspect had stolen some of the deceased personal belongings including cash he said1 according to him the suspected allegedly confessed committing the crime and is being held in custody1 our mission in khartoum will continue to monitor and follow up the case to ensure that justice is done on this matter1 in the meantime the process of conveying the remains of the late almu to nigeria for proper burial is being finalised he said1 -
Fayemi Apologises to Ekiti People
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fayemi apologises to ekiti people1 dr. john kayode fayemi1 winner of the governorship primary of the all progressives congress in ekiti state has apologised to the people for all the errors of omission or commission he made during his first term as governor1 between 2010 and 20141 -
Salah breaks English Premier League goal record
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mohamed salah is now all alone with the english premier league goal record netting his 32nd in a season in the first half of the match between liverpool and brighton and hove albion on saturday2 the liverpool forward has set a new record for premier league goals in a 38-game season beating the 31 goal record held jointly by luis suarez cristiano ronaldo and alan shearer2 alan shearer made his goal haul at blackburn in 1995-96 while ronaldo recorded his during one of the years with manchester united. and luis suarez was also a liverpool player2 for salah it has been a remarkable year at anfield winning everything that ought to be won he is the premier league player of the year the pfa player of the year and fwa footballer of the year and liverpools player of the year. he was also named in the pfa team of the year2 overall salah had scored 44 goals this season with 10 of them in the uefa champions league. he is expected to be a star to watch as liverpool meet holders real madrid in the finals in kiev on 26 may2