Fayose - i will not support sheriff

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, has ruled himself out of the campaign for a joint presidential  ticket with the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, saying he is not interested in being the president or vice-president of the country.

Besides, the fiery governor also ruled himself out of a senatorial ticket when his tenure expires, noting that the campaign would be an exercise in futility as he would not contest for another position in 2019.

The governor made it clear that he would never support any presidential move by Sheriff, adding that if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman has such dream he should jettisoned it forthwith. He said he is the most senior and most experienced governor in the country having served during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

 Fayose told those flying the kite of Sheriff/Fayose joint ticket that it will not fly.

“I will not support him now and I will never support him in 2019,” he insisted.

Again, Fayose took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he  (Buhari) has no capacity to rule the country.

Fayose was also angry at those already campaigning for a second term for the president  when he is barely one year into his first tenure to desist from the move as  the country is on edge of collapse both political and economically under the president.

He said Buhari is the most unlucky president the nation has ever had as the economy is always performing at its worse each time he comes to power.

He stressed that the president must change his attitude, warning that no investor would come and invest in a nation where the president not only believes that he is the only incorruptible person but calls his citizens corrupt.

Fayose advised the president to stay at home to grapple with the many problems facing the nation instead of jetting out of the country at every opportunity.

He noted that the president was using the opportunity of the office to tour round the world as he never had it in the past.

“Buhari has no luck. The economy may shut down anytime from now because of the inconsistency of the government policy. The president must learn to stay at home,” The governor stated.

He lamented that every policy taken by the government in the last one year has been revised, saying such inconsistency has been the bane of the country and the economy.

Man rapes 14-year-old girl, threatens to kill entire family if police is informed

The Lagos State Police Command at the weekend arrested one Chinego Wasiu, for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl, simply identified as Favour in Boundary, in Ajegunle area of the state.

The victim at about 9.30pm on March 21 was sent on an errand to a nearby kiosk when Wasiu reportedly accosted and raped her, warning her not to disclose the incident to anyone.

Wasiu, apart from forcefully having canal knowledge of the teenager, was said to have led a gang of thugs to Favour’s house on Alayabiagba Street, after he was accused of rape, to beat up her father, threatening that if the family made a noise about the rape, he would kill them all.

The threat, notwithstanding, the victim’s family reported the matter at the Ajegunle Police Division the following day.

Wasiu, knowing that the family had lodged complaint with the police, allegedly led a gang of hoodlums to the victim’s father’s house again and injured him with broken bottles on Tuesday (one day after the incident).

Consecutively, on Wednesday, Wasiu reportedly appeared again and was said to have threatened to kill the family members if they followed up the matter with the police, The Punch reports.

Favour’s older brother, who simply identified himself as Simeon, said Wasiu covered her sister’s mouth with clothes while he raped her.

He noted that the family members had also reported at the Juvenile Welfare Department of the police station.

Simeon said, “My sister was sent to buy a candle and noodles in the neighbourhood. It was some minutes before 10pm. She was accosted by the rapist, and when she raised the alarm, he covered her mouth with clothes and raped her.

“The annoying part was that the man came to our house and threatened to deal with us if we made a noise over the incident.

“He came with thugs and beat up my father. He was injured; broken bottles were used on him, he threatened to kill me too.

“I took pictures of the broken bottles and my father’s bloodstained clothes.

“We reported at the Ajegunle division and the case is presently at the Juvenile Welfare Department of the station,” Simeon added.

A social worker with the Child Protection Network, Toyin Okhlagogo, had reportedly assisted the girl to the Mirabel Centre for treatment.

According to Okhlagogo, “The girl was raped in the Boundary area while running an errand for her family. The girl’s family threatened to take the suspect’s family up on the matter.

“The suspected rapist came with partners in crime to beat up the victim’s father. He was injured. The victim had been taken to the Mirabel Centre for medical examination,” the social worker noted.

Meanwhile, following the manhunt launched by the Ajegunle police command, Wasiu, was at the weekend, arrested and some of his gang members are still on the run.

Confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Dolapo Badmos, said, “The suspected rapist has been arrested.

“We have begun investigation into the case,” the PPRO said.

Egypt court bans demolition of churches

The court based its ruling on a previous ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court that equated the legal status of churches to that of mosques.

An Alexandria administrative court stopped on Monday an order to demolish a Church in Beheira governorate and banned the demolition of churches in Egypt.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Rashid had sold a piece of land two decades ago that included small shops and a church.

The new owner later decided to demolish the church, claiming it was abandoned, but the Coptic Orthodox Church intervened to challenge the demolition and entered a legal dispute to stop the order for another decade.

"The Coptic Orthodox Church has already offered to buy this church in Rashid," Mounir Sami, the legal adviser of the Greek Patriarchate in Cairo, told Ahram Online.

Sami said that the sale of the church by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate was legally invalid.

"Legally this church is considered of public benefit and should not be demolished or treated like [a common shop]," said Sami.

The administrative court stated in its ruling that churches cannot be demolished or used for anything other than worship.

It also added that the Greek Orthodox Church's decision to sell the church for the purpose of demolition was "against public order."

The court based its ruling on a previous ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court that equated the legal status of churches to that of mosques.

Churches, like mosques, "are houses of worship that, once used for prayer, are no longer owned by people but are owned by God," the court stated in its ruling 12 years ago.

The court consulted with Al-Azhar – the foremost religious authority in the Sunni Muslim world – regarding the status of churches under Islamic law.

Al-Azhar stated that non-Muslims living in majority Muslim lands had a right to protect their places of worship, therefore churches are not to be demolished and are to be rebuilt if they are.

Pope Tawdros II used the opinion of Al-Azhar to argue his case.

The principles of Islamic Sharia are the main source of legislation according to the second article of the 2014 Egyptian constitution.

The administrative court also demanded that parliament as the main legislating power in Egypt draft a long-awaited law on the building of houses of worship, which many believe would solve numerous problems related to the status of churches in the country.

Taliban murders at least 70 in attack on Christians at Easter

A group related to the Taliban has murdered at least 70 people in Pakistan as it targeted Christians celebrating Easter.

It's believed mostly Christians were murdered in the suicide bombing by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction, which happened at a funfair in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in the city of Lahore on Easter Sunday evening.

Women and children are among the dead.

Christians were at the funfair as part of Easter Sunday celebrations, when a suicide bomber blew himself up just metres from the entrance.

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, told Premier:

"This recent attack is a clear targeting of Christians during their Easter celebrations.

"Families celebrating the resurrection of their Lord and Saviour have lost mothers and children as a consequence of this depraved violence.

"Pakistan is not safe for Christians as there is a genocide taking place there.

"Not a genocide that is state sponsored in it's entirety but a genocide nevertheless.

"Unless western governments wake up to this problem the death toll for Christians living there is set to rise exponentially."

Tyga Warns Rob Kardashian: Having A Baby With Blac Chyna Will Destroy Your Life

 Rob Kardashian, 28. That’s the advice of his pal Tyga, 26, who thinks having a baby with his baby mama Blac Chyna, 27, will ruin his life. Tyga’s thinking behind this is that it could cost Rob his fortune.

Blac and Rob have been dating for just over a month, and already there’s been baby talk with the rumors rife that the model is pregnant. Tyga thinks that Rob could be in over his head if that’s the case.

Tyga thinks Rob’s about to make a huge mistake if he has a baby with Blac. “Tyga’s already told Rob not to have Blac’s baby because if he does, it’s going to cost him a fortune. Ouch in the wallet!

Tyga has had to shell out for his son King Cairo, not that he minds. Over the past few years, he’s laced Chyna with so much money for King it’s ridiculous. “Granted, there’s no dollar amount too large for Tyga to spend on his son. He simply wants to do it himself and not fork it over to Blac.”

An insider claims that at the end of the day he’s just looking out for Rob. “It’s just a brotherly warning Tyga gave. But then again, it’s Rob and Blac’s life and they can do what they want. Tyga would hate to see Blac get another man for his dollars. Rob hasn’t really worked in a while. But let him have Blac’s baby and she doesn’t get her way! Rob will be working until he’s 90 years old, and then some.”

It’s a tough situation to call, with Rob continuing to seem happy with Blac. Who can’t deny him such happiness, and maybe Tyga’s being over-sensitive. We’ll soon see!

There are saboteurs in my government - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has categorically stated that not all the members of his government are fully loyal to him and the cause of his administration.

Buhari said there are ‘certainly’ saboteurs in his government, during an interview with Al-Jazeera, which was aired on Saturday, March 5.

He expressed doubts over the fidelity of the government officials he inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party-led Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Speaking on the recent agitation for the creation of the Republic of Biafra, the president said Nigeria would not tolerate any attempts to secede.“People who want to be fair to us to sit and reflect; from the President to the ministers to the permanent secretaries, they were all taken over after eight successive governments of those who are now in the opposition. So, we cannot assume that all of them are 100 per cent loyal to this government.”

Buhari said those orchestrating the Biafra agitation were joking with security while adding that it was unfortunate to still be pushing the agenda after two million people were killed during the Biafra war.

He said: “At least two millions Nigerians were killed in the Biafra war. And for somebody to wake up, may be they weren’t born. Looking for Biafra after two millions people were killed, they are joking with security and Nigeria won’t tolerate Biafra.” 

Furthermore, Buhari maintained that he would not devalue the naira in spite of the recent suggestions made by the International Monetary Fund.

He said Nigeria cannot afford to devalue its currency, owing to the country’s heavy dependence on the importation of basic goods, and almost every other item.

“If it is against our national interest, why can’t we go against the IMF advice?” Buhari asked.

“I have explained that countries that play around with their currencies are countries that have enormous production capacities. They have factories in place. Their infrastructure, in terms of power, communications, and security, are virtually perfect. Nigeria imports virtually everything from rice to toothpicks. Now, if we don’t have the money to import those things, what is the value of further devaluing our naira?”

Speaking on the activities of Islamic terrorist sect, Buhari insisted that they have been largely defeated.

“I have not failed. When we came in, Boko Haram was effectively in 14 local governments. Nigeria has 774 local governments. They hoisted their flags and they said they had a certain caliphate but today they no longer have the capacity to hold any local government.”

“They have reverted to improvised explosive devices blowing soft targets, and that will be a kind of terrorism which will be difficult to eliminate because it is technological, but they cannot hold any local government again.”

“They are using technology but they cannot carry out organised attacks, overrun police post, attack military installations, they cannot do that now.”

UN chief: IS a great threat for Libya’s future

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that the future of Libya, and the stability of the whole Sahel region, is at stake as it faces the “terrifying threat” of the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

UN secretary General Ban ki-moon

But he warned international powers not to “stoke the fires of conflict” in the country.

Ban left Mauritania on Saturday and headed to Algeria as part of a tour of West and North Africa.

While meeting Mauritanian leaders, including President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Hademine, in the capital Nouakchott on Friday he said he was “deeply concerned about the situation in Libya”.

Chaos has engulfed Libya since the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of dictator Moamer Kadhafi and rival administrations are being urged to sign up to a UN-brokered national unity government to help restore stability. 

“There are alarming reports of widespread human rights violations, including serious abuses that may amount to war crimes,” Ban said in his comments Friday. “All those with influence must use it to calm the situation and stop the fighting. 

It is utterly irresponsible for any outside player to stoke the fires,” he added. Ban said that his special representative Martin Kobler “is facilitating talks on a national unity government” as “we face the terrifying scourge of Daesh (IS) expanding in Libya and beyond its borders.” 

Delays would only worsen the dire humanitarian needs, he warned, adding that “Libya’s future is at stake” and “the reverberations echo far”.Success in stabilising Libya would also benefit the whole Sahel region and “our world” in general, he added .

NNPC Secures Delivery of 930,000mt of Petrol for March

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Saturday night disclosed that it has already secured about 31 cargoes of petrol to take care of Nigeria's consumption for the month of March.

NNPC said that each of the 31 vessels would bring in about 30,000 metric tonnes of petrol, thus translating to a cumulative volume of 930,000 metric tonnes (MT). It added that at least one of the 30,000MT vessels would be delivered into the country every day.

The corporation said that the 30,000MT translates to 40 million litres of petrol which is what the country currently needs to meet its daily consumption.

Its Group Executive Director for Investment and Commercials, Babatunde Adeniran said these to reporters in Abuja when he inspected the operations of a few petrol service stations in the city. Adeniran was with the Managing Director of the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMA), Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue during the inspection.

"As for products, we have products and the minister has given an instruction that he wants to see supply on a 30 days basis and we have the supply for March and that is for the whole days in March.

"Nigeria's consumption is one vessel cargo of 30,000 metric tonnes per day and we have 31 vessels already lined up for the month of March and that excludes nine that are already discharging at the various discharge points in Lagos, Warri and Oghara," said Adeniran.

He also disclosed that the corporation which got a 78 per cent petrol import allocation quota from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in the first quarter (Q1) was already doing 100 per cent of products importation into the country.

According to him, the corporation has being working hard to cope with such task of meeting up with the gaps.

"Regarding what has happened, our supply today is coming from NNPC 100 per cent. Under normal situation, NNPC is supposed to supply 48 per cent but the other complimentary marketers are not bringing in products that is why NNPC has to step in," he said.

While providing an update on the current supplies and distribution challenges which had resulted in scarcity of petrol across the country, Adeniran said: "Since Thursday, we've made special intervention arrangements to bring in trucks, parts of which are coming in today and if you go round the streets of Abuja, you will see that most of the filling stations have started selling."

"20 trucks have arrived Abuja as part of the first batches and we are expecting another 25 and 30 through next week. These trucks are 60,000 litres capacity trucks and as we keep receiving, we will keep circulating through Abuja and its environs.

Nigeria

Boko Haram Sells Stolen Cattle to Fund Terror

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday directed a newly constituted management committee to take full charge of … see more »

MH370 probe team to meet Mozambique DCA tomorrow

The Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 investigations team has arrived in Mozambique yesterday and will be meeting the country's civil aviation authorities tomorrow.



Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the Malaysian team arrived on Saturday and they would be speaking to the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute director-general on the discovery of a piece of debris, suspected to be related to MH370. 

Speaking to reporters after officiating the new Kepong MCA building here today, Liow said details on arrangement for the debris to be flown to the inspection centre would be discussed tomorrow. He said: "Our investigation team has arrived. Even the Australian team has arrived. 

They will be discussing matters pertaining to the debris found." On whether a time frame would be given for the analysis to be done, ‎Liow said it would take time and it was important to respect them. Flight MH370 disappeared without a trace on March 8, 2014 and it has 239 passengers including crew member onboard.

Obasanjo: EFCC, a Toothless Bulldog

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission became a “toothless bulldog” after the exit of its pioneer chairman, Mallam Nujhu Ribadu. He noted that successive leadership after Ribadu failed to lead the fight against economic and financial crimes with the same endearingly fervent drive that had made the organisation popular before Nigerians at its inception. Obasanjo made the assertion in Abeokuta during a ceremony at the Obasanjo Presidential Library to mark his 79th birthday.

EFCC was established in 2003 by the administration of Obasanjo as a law enforcement agency to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, such as advance fee fraud (419 fraud) and money laundering, with Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as its first chairman. The commission’s establishment was, partly, in deference to the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which named Nigeria as one of 23 non-cooperative countries in the international effort to fight money laundering.

But speaking yesterday during his birthday celebration, Obasanjo lamented EFCC’s relapse to inertia after Ribadu’s exit. He, however, praised Ribadu’s era at the helm of the organisation as representing the great moments in the commission’s history.
The former president stated, “Honestly, when Nuhu was handling EFCC, he handled it in such a way that people coined the saying that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of Nuhu Ribadu and, then, the thing you will ask is, how did we go down? How did we lose that?

“Nuhu Ribadu is still here, he’s still alive, the institution we started together is still there, but what made the institution to become a toothless bulldog? What? And that is the matter we have to keep looking at so that we don’t take two steps forward, one step aside and three steps back.”
Ribadu was chairman of EFCC from 2003 to 2007, when he was removed by Obasanijo’s successor, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua. Mrs. Farida Waziri took over from Ribadu and led the commission between May 2008 and November 2011. Ibrahim Lamorde led EFCC from November 2011 to November 2015, when he handed over to the incumbent chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

Magu’s tenure has seen some effort to restore the effectiveness of EFCC.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo has advocated the use of technology in the fight against terrorism. He said this during his birthday ceremonies. Obasanjo said if the terrorists could deploy technology in the pursuit of their nefarious mission, it was imperative to also adopt technology to counter them.

According to the former president, “The world is interested in what can be done to stem the tide and I think what we did yesterday, we made our own contribution in a way that we believe will serve our country, serve our sub-region, West Africa, our region of Africa, and, indeed, the world we live in.

“I summarised that the solution lies in six areas: at home, in the community, in the church/mosque, in the schools/colleges, in the local, state and federal governments, and in the international community. At each of these, we do things that we should not do and we leave undone what we should do.

“Therefore, people have or they see perceived injustice or perceived grievances and they try to react but as I said yesterday, when you have to treat violent extremism and radicalisation as an issue, then it costs you more. What we should do, which will be cost effective, wise and cheaper, is to prevent, and if we do what we should do at all those areas, we should be able to prevent.

“One of the things we now have to take seriously is technology because technology impacts on our daily life. It’s built to our homes, it’s in our pocket and if those who want to do anything to make life unbearable for us in terms of security (use it), then we must also use technology as the antidote and the means by which we can ward off what they may want to do against us.”
Some of those at the event eulogised Obasanjo for his contributions to democracy and nation-building.

Ministers of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogonnaya Onu, and Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, in separate submissions, described the former president as an institution, a gift to Nigeria, and a detribalised Nigerian.

Onu said, “Obasanjo is a man who has become an institution, a special gift that God gave to Nigeria. At every time the nation faces challenges, God has used Obasanjo to get it out of the problem and there are so many parts to this unique personality.”

The Senate Minority Leader and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, described Obasanjo as a man who loves justice, adding that the ruling class believes in his leadership, vision and prophecy.

The Senate President was represented at the occasion by the senator for Ogun Central senatorial district, Senator Lanre Tejuoso.
Other dignitaries at the event included Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; Segun Oni; former governors of Osun, Cross Rivers and Adamawa States, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Liyel Imoke, and Bala Ngilari, respectively.

In a related development, Senate President Bukola Saraki and his predecessor, David Mark, yesterday congratulated Obasanjo as he marked 79 years. The two statesmen, in separate statements by their media aides, described Obasanjo as an unrepentant proponent of Nigerian unity and a pillar of contemporary Nigeria.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, described Obasanjo as a worthy statesman as he prayed God to grant him good health, wisdom and more years of fruitful service to his fatherland.

“President Obasanjo is a national leader who has not only led this country meritoriously as a military head of state and civilian president but has continued to guide the nation with his wise counsel even in retirement. He is one true Nigerian whose passion for the unity and development of Nigeria is unparalleled. I wish him many more years of invaluable service to our country,” Saraki said.

In his own statement signed by his media assistant, Paul Mumeh, Mark described Obasanjo as an outstanding nationalist and statesman who laboured to keep Nigeria as one.
He said Obasanjo remained one of the pillars of contemporary Nigeria, adding, “His belief in one united Nigeria where everyone is free to do his or her legitimate business is unquestionable.”
Mark described Obasanjo as a father figure to the nation on whose shoulders “we lean when it matters,” as he recalled the former president’s role in Nigeria’s civil war as well as his leading role towards nurturing and sustaining democracy.
He also commended Obasanjo for his consistent and untiring efforts towards sustaining the peace and progress of the country and the continent.​