[Full text] Jonathan’s speech at handover note presentation

REMARKS BY
HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE
JONATHAN, GCFR,
ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF HAND
OVER NOTES
TO THE PRESIDENT-ELECT,
MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR
THURSDAY, 28 MAY, 2015
PROTOCOLS

1. I welcome you all to this occasion of the formal
presentation of the Hand-over notes of my
Administration to the in-coming Administration of the
President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.

2. This event and tomorrow’s inauguration of a new
administration are truly historic as it is the first time in
the history of our nation that we are witnessing the
democratic and orderly transfer of power at the Federal
level from one political party to another.

3. The Hand-over notes which we now present, contain the
governance philosophy, strategies, policies,
programmes and activities of my Administration for the
period – 2011-2015. Also to be found in the notes are
the objectives, targets and implementation strategies,
achievements and challenges of our key policies,
schemes, initiatives as well as the status of
commitments and liabilities of the various MDAs.
4. As we hand over the affairs of the nation, it is
appropriate to recall that at inception, in May 2011, we
committed ourselves to consolidating national unity
through democratization and good governance. Our
assessment then, and our firm belief ever since, is that
the unity of Nigeria, the security, well-being, greater
freedoms and opportunities for all citizens must remain
the primary objectives of government.
5. The Agenda for National Transformation which we did
our best to implement consisted of clear and consistent
governance strategies, policies, plans, programmes and
projects, in all facets of our national life. Emphasis was
placed on human and state security, democratization,
sound economic management, as well as structural and
institutional reforms.
6. Our foremost concern was the unity of Nigeria.In
keeping with that concern, we engineered a process that
began with a review of issues outstanding from
previous Constitutional Conferences by the Belgore
Committee. After that, we widened political
consultations through a National Dialogue that was
orchestrated through the Okurounmu Committee. These
culminated in the all-inclusive National Conference
which unanimously reaffirmed that Nigeria must remain
united and indivisible.
7. The Conference also made resolutions and
recommendations for serious constitutional, political
and governance reforms, which we have forwarded to
the National Assembly for appropriate legislative action.
It is our hope that the incoming Government will accord
the Report of the National Conference the very high
priority that it deserves, as a genuine expression of the
will of our people.
8. The recognition that the starting point for good
governance is the legitimacy of the government itself
informed our commitment to promoting free and fair
elections.
9. It also motivated innovations in the management and
conduct of elections which we undertook. Hopefully, in
the years ahead, those innovations will be properly and
fully implemented so that Nigerians will be even more
assured of the integrity of the electoral system and the
legitimacy of any government that it produces.
10. To strengthen the social contract between the
government and the governed, we institutionalized the
rule of law as well as the independence of the legislature
and the judiciary.  We also promoted group and
individual freedoms. As a result, there is vast expansion
in democratic, social and economic space for all
citizens.
11.Our nation and citizens faced many new challenges over
the past four years but the greatest was the vastly
increased menace of Boko Haram with their mindless
terror, mass killings, utter ruthlessness, kidnapping of
innocent children and other unspeakable acts of brutality.
12. We should all remember that Boko Haram’s
emergence predated our administration going as far
back as 2002. The group however became extremely
malignant with the killing of its leader, Mohammed
Yusuf in July 2009.
13. It therefore became an urgent task for us to effectively
confront the great threat Boko Haram posed to the
security and well-being of our people. To do so, we
overhauled and virtually reinvented our security
architecture to confront Boko Haram and its insurgency.
We re-organized our security apparatus. We re-
equipped and fully motivated our forces.
14. Victory is now in sight and within our reach. However,
the cost in blood of citizens and heroes; and the
diversion of national treasure from urgent needs for
development have been very high. While more than 500
women and children have been rescued from the
clutches of Boko Haram thus far by our security forces,
it remains my sincere hope and prayer that our beloved
daughters from Chibok will soon be reunited with us.
15. I wish to thank the Nigerian people for their resilience
and patience. I also wish to pay very special and
personal tribute to all the men and women of our valiant
armed forces and security agencies. Their sacrifice and
dedication have brought us thus far.
16. While striving to overcome our national security
challenges, we still gave necessary attention to
economic development. Our goal was to achieve long-
term economic growth and stability, improve the quality
and quantum of infrastructure and enhance human
capital development.
17. Our financial system reforms included the Treasury
Single Account [TSA] that unified the structure of
government accounts for all MDAs and thereby brought
order to cash flow management; and Government
Integrated Financial Management Information System
[GIFMIS] was introduced to plug leakages and waste of
resources. The Integrated Payroll and Personnel
Information System [IPPIS] weeded out 60,450 ghost
workers in 359 out of 425 MDAs, yielding N185.4 billion
in savings to the Federal government.
18. Improved Revenue Mobilization was achieved through
improvements in the laws and compliance measures. In
2013 alone, these measures resulted in a 69% rise in
Federal tax revenues from N2.8 trillion to N4.8 trillion.
Also, Waiver Policy and Trade Facilitation were
reformed to create a more rational regime. Our
emphasis shifted to granting waivers to specific sectors
instead of individual companies and the Sovereign
Wealth Fund was established to provide stabilization
from external shocks, provide funding for critical
infrastructure and savings for future generations.
19. Our Financial Sector reforms addressed the issues of
inefficiencies in the coordination and monitoring of the
financial system. Our policies promoted transparency,
better risk management, new banking models and
payment systems. We established the Assets
Management Corporation of Nigeria as a resolution
mechanism for toxic banking assets. We strengthened
banking supervision and enhanced public confidence in
Nigerian Banks.
20. Similarly, we undertook innovative reforms for job
creation and repositioned the manufacturing, agriculture
and housing sectors. Specifically, it was observed that
over the years, job creation did not keep pace with
economic growth. Thus unemployment, especially
amongst the youth was assuming alarming dimensions.
21. To address this, my administration made job creation
a key consideration for all programmes in the
Transformation Agenda. Emphasis was also shifted
towards empowering youths to become entrepreneurs
rather than job seekers, through such initiatives as
Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOU-WIN),
Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), the SURE-P
Technical Vocational Education and Training
Programme (TVET) and the Youth Employment in
Agriculture Programme (YEAP).
22. Manufacturing in Nigeria faces many challenges,
including poor power supply, high cost of input, high
cost of doing business, multiple taxation, poor
infrastructure and lack of synergy with the labour
market.  To address these problems, we launched
several programmes and initiatives including the
National Industrial Revolution Plan and a new National
Automobile Policy designed to boost domestic car
production and expand existing capacity. Since then,
five new private vehicle assembly plants have been
established.
23. Agriculture is critical to national survival and yet the
sector was besieged with many problems. By year 2010,
Nigeria was the second largest importer of food in the
world, spending about N 1.3 trillion on the importation of
fish, rice and sugar alone.
24. The reforms we introduced in agriculture dramatically
increased local production of staple food and saved us
vast amounts of money that we would have spent on
the importation of food items.
25. To address the glaring inadequacy of critical national
infrastructure, we focused on the Power Sector, Roads,
Railways, Aviation, Ports and Harbours as well as on
Water and Sanitation, Information and Communication
Technology.
26. My government introduced the Power Sector Roadmap
in 2010.Since then, we have privatized the generation
and distribution aspects in a most transparent process.
Obstacles to the private sector investments in power
supply were removed and we developed cost effective
electricity tariff to make the sector more attractive. It
remains our hope that the successor companies to
PHCN and also the private sector will step forward with
the necessary investment to make the power reform
work.
27. The major challenge in the road sector in Nigeria is the
high cost of building roads and it continues to rise. The
other challenge is the fact that because of regular use,
roads are one of the fastest depreciating assets in
developing countries.
28. To address this, Government has developed the
required legal and regulatory framework and created
opportunities for Private Public Partnership (PPP) in
road construction and maintenance.
29. From Ore/Benin Road, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway to the
Kano/Maiduguri dualisation projects, we made
concerted efforts to address age-long problems of
delays in construction, design defect, neglect and
ineffective maintenance. The construction of the historic
Second Niger Bridge has also commenced, and on
completion, it will open new and far-reaching
opportunities for greater trade and interaction among
our people.
30. In the Aviation Sector, our government developed a
Master Plan to institutionalise safety and security, and
to develop infrastructure at the airports and local
airlines. We embarked on the reconstruction and
rehabilitation of 22 airports nationwide. Construction
work on five new international terminals in Lagos,
Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu are also on-
going.
31. There has been a revolution in rail transportation. We
rehabilitated the old narrow gauge network and ensured
that it has served our people steadily for three years
running with new coaches and improved expanded
services nationwide.
32. We are in the construction stages of a new national
network for standard gauge speed-train services, with
the new rail line segment, from Abuja to Kaduna,
successfully completed. In addition, we have initiated
the process for the construction of an ultramodern
coastal rail line that will run from Lagos to Calabar, with
a link to Onitsha.
33. We have also successfully completed the dredging of
River Niger, from Warri in Delta State to Baro in Niger
State, and completed construction works for the Onitsha
River Port. Other River Ports at Baro, Lokoja and Oguta,
are at advanced construction stages. Working with the
states and development partners, we have facilitated the
process towards the development of two new deep sea
ports at Lekki in Lagos, and Ibaka in Akwa Ibom. We
have also implemented reforms to streamline the
clearing regime in existing ports, increasing cargo
turnover time and easing business for all users.
34. In the oil and gas sector, our local content policy has
continued to empower Nigerian companies, particularly
in technical and engineering projects. The Gas
Revolution Industrial Park in Delta State is
unprecedented in the subsector, and will not only deliver
Africa’s biggest industrial park, but all the
accompanying benefits to local industry and job
creation.
35. We recognized Human Capital as the most important
agent for transformational development. Our reforms in
this sector focused on Health, Education and Social
Development and also on Women and Youth
Empowerment and Social Safety Nets.
36. In the Health sector, the comprehensive National
Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) of 2011
laid the foundation for widening access and improving
the quality of healthcare with lower infant mortality
rates and higher life expectancy for the populace.Our
effective curtailment of the Ebola epidemic has
continued to receive worldwide acclaim as an example
in prompt and effective national disease management.
On our watch, guinea-worm has been eradicated from
Nigeria and we are on the verge of wiping out polio
entirely.
37. In the Education sector, our objectives are clear and
precise. They emphasise expansion of access and the
upgrade of quality. I am proud that we have widened
access by establishing 18 more Federal Universities and
other specialized polytechnics. We strengthened
TETFUND and used it to boldly address the problems of
inadequate infrastructure in the existing institutions.
38. I am particularly proud of our efforts with regards to
Early Childhood Education and Out-of-School Children.
We provided modern hybrid Almajiri Education
Programme in the North, attended to schooling needs of
boys in the South-East and ensured the construction of
special girls’ schools in 13 States of the Federation to
improve girl-child education. We expanded opportunities
for open and distance learning and provided
scholarships at all levels to help improve access to
quality education for bright and promising Nigerians.
39. We have promoted gender-mainstreaming with
commensurate priority and opportunities for our
womenfolk, beginning with ensuring that not less than
30 per cent of key Federal appointments go to women.
Other initiatives that we have taken include: the National
Gender Policy, Establishment of Gender Units in Federal
MDAs, Women Empowerment Training Programmes,
Micro-Credit for Women, Social Safety Net Programmes
and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Scheme.
40. My Administration has emphasized giving a free hand
to our Anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the
Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). We
preferred that they mature into strong institutions
instead of being the images, the hammer and the anvil
of a strong man. We must encourage them to abide by
the rule of law and due process instead of resorting to
dramatic or illegal actions orchestrated for cheap
applause.
41. Beyond the very impressive records of enhanced
convictions by statutory anti-corruption agencies like
the EFCC and ICPC, our other strategy has been to
fashion economic policies that deliver higher deterrence
and frustrate concealment. In this regard, the Bureau of
Public Procurement has played a central role and
impacted strongly on the fight against corruption.
42. In Sports, we have improved our national performance
in team and individual events. The disappointment of
not qualifying to defend our African Football
Championship was cushioned by a decent FIFA World
Cup appearance, an Under-17 World Cup win in addition
to other victories in other international football
tournaments and the Paralympics. We have also
encouraged excellence in other sports, apart from
football, resulting in exceptional performance in
international sporting events, especially in athletics.
43. Our foreign policy position remains strong. In October
2013, Nigeria was elected as a non-permanent member
of the United Nations Security Council for the second
time on our watch. Our country had only served in that
capacity thrice before 2011, since independence in
1960. Our Administration also played a leading role in
the resolution of security and political challenges in our
sub-region, particularly in Niger, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali,
Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso.
44. In addition, we increased engagement with Nigerians in
the diaspora who contribute so much in remittances to
their fatherland. Our Administration successfully
encouraged more of them to invest in Nigeria and others
to return home and join in the task of nation-building.
45. In summary, Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and
gentlemen, our administration has done its best to
intervene robustly and impact positively on key aspects
of our national life.
46. There is no doubt that challenges still abound, but they
are surmountable and overwhelming national
transformation remains realisable, with continuity,
commitment and consistency.
47. Nigeria is blessed with citizens that will always remain
faithful, firmly committed to national unity, accelerated
political, social and economic development.
48. As we hand over the reins of government, I believe that
our nation is secure, our democracy is stable, and the
future is bright. Let us all work together, and with
greater resolve, continue to build a stronger and more
prosperous nation.
49. May God Almighty continue to bless our dear country,
Nigeria.
50. I thank you all.

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UNIOSUN VC Sacked

The Governing Council of the multi-campus Osun State
University (UNIOSUN) has sacked three principal officers.
The council recommended for approval of the Visitor,
Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the termination of the
appointment of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bashir Okesina.
The council, on Tuesday, gave letters of termination of
appointment to the Registrar and the Bursar, Dr. Julius
Faniran and Alhaji Fatai Lasisi.
The termination of their appointments followed the
recommendations of the Visitation Panel set up by the
governor.
The panel probed the allegations of financial
misappropriation and mismanagement in the university.
But the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) has rejected the decision.
In a statement by its Chairman, Dr. Abiona Oluseye and
eight other officers, the union said the action was done in
bad faith.
The union also said the sack was prejudicial and violates
the principle of equity and fairness.
It said: “It is instructive to state that a visitation panel was
constituted by the governor and the report submitted.

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Don’t single me out for probe, Jonathan tells Buhari

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday advised the
President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, not to single out his
administration in any probe he may want to carry out after
his inauguration on Friday.
He said all those advising Buhari to probe his
administration must also advise him to extend his probe
beyond his regime or else, the probe will be seen as a witch-
hunt.
Jonathan made his position known at the valedictory
session of the Federal Executive Council which he presided
over at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He also said those calling for his administration’s probe
should add that the probe should be extended to the way oil
wells and fields were allocated in the past.
A former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma,
had over the weekend joined the growing number of
persons calling on Buhari to probe the Jonathan
administration.
Jonathan said, “Some people are even calling for the probe
of this government. I agree that in Nigeria, there are a
number of things that we will probe; very many things.
“Even debts owed by states and this nation from 1960 up to
this time. They are saying it is Jonathan’s administration
that is owing all the debts.
“I believe that anybody calling for probe must ensure that
these probes are extended beyond the Jonathan
administration, otherwise to me, it will be a witch-hunt. If
you are very sincere, then it is not just the Jonathan’s
administration that should be probed.
“A number of things have gone wrong and we have done
our best to fix them. The Attorney General is aware of the
massive judgement debts, if we aggregate all of them, it is
about $1bn. How did we come to this kind of huge
judgement debts? These issues should be probed.
“How do you allocate our oil wells, oil fields, marginal wells
and others? Do we follow our laws? All these should be
probed. I believe all these and many more areas should be
looked at.”
Jonathan said regardless of what critics might say about
his administration, he and his team had done well under a
difficult situation.
He advised those who criticise him to endeavour to
compare his administration’s performance with those of the
administrations before him on a sector-by-sector basis.
The President listed some of the daunting challenges faced
by his administration to include the prolonged industrial
action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, terror
attacks and the ongoing fuel scarcity.
Jonathan described the ongoing fuel scarcity as an act of
sabotage.
The president claimed that those who felt they must bring
his government to its knees were the ones behind the
scarcity.
He wondered why marketers would choose to go on strike a
few days to the end of his administration.
“Even this last fuel scarcity, to me one can clearly say it
was an act of sabotage. This government has few days to
go, that is definitely not the time you expect massive
strikes, using marketers and unions. Unions asking for
increase in salaries at a time oil prices have dropped and
volumes have dropped,” he said.
The President made it clear that he had not dissolved his
cabinet as all ministers were expected to attend the
inauguration dinner on Thursday in their official capacity.
Earlier, the Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, had thanked
Jonathan for finding him worthy to be his running mate in
2011 and 2015. He said he did not at any time lobby the
President for the position.
He promised to remain a member of the Jonathan family
and his ambassador anywhere he found himself.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), said the
administration had impacted on the lives of millions of
Nigerians.

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Fuel scarcity is an act of Sabotage - President Jonathan

During the Federal Executive Council valedictory session
earlier yesterday , President Jonathan said his administration
has witnessed various degrees of political manipulations,
particularly the ASUU strike which according to him is one
of the longest strike ever as well as the recent fuel scarcity
which he said is a clear act of Sabotage. He said if it wasn't
a case of Sabotage, how come the strike by the marketers
happened just few days before the end of his government.
He said the actions of the marketers was clearly to bring
his government to its knees.

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103 year old identical twins die within weeks of each other

After living most of their lives together, Gleyns Thomas and
Florence Davies, reportedly the world's oldest twin sisters,
passed away within weeks of each other.
Thomas died on April 23, according to The Telegraph, and
her heartbroken sister passed away less than a month later
on May 20.
The twins were born in 1911 in Wales.
For most of their lives, they were nearly inseparable, even
sharing a room until one of them got married. In their final
days, the sisters were living at the Abermill Care Home in
Caerphilly, Wales in adjoining rooms.
The sisters were thought to be the oldest living twins in the
UK and perhaps even the world, though Guinness World
Records say the record for oldest female living twins has
been unassigned since July 2014.
They are survived by a total of five children, 12
grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Relatives
attributed the sisters' longevity to a simple life enjoyed
within a tight-knit family and community.

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ASUU condemns UNIOSUN council for recommending VC’s sacking

The Academic Staff Union of Universities at the Osun State
University has condemned the Governing Council of the
institution for recommending the termination of
appointment of its suspended Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bashir
Okesina.
Although the alleged recommendation of the council,
headed by Prof. Gabriel Olawoyin (SAN), has not been
made public, the ASUU, in a statement by its Chairman, Dr.
Oluseye Abiona, and other members of the executive,
kicked against the recommendation describing it as
prejudicial.
The statement was also signed by the ASUU Secretary, Mr.
Wende Olaosebikan; Treasurer, Mr. Sunday Sasona;
Welfare Officer, Mr. Samuel Kayode; Internal Auditor, Dr.
A.A. Adewumi; and Legal Officer, Nasir Adeniyi.
Others are Prof. A. W. Gbolagade (member); Dr. Kola
Olusanya (member), and Dr. A.O. Popoola(member).
The statement read, “ASUU UNIOSUN wishes to state
categorically and condemn in strong terms the termination
of appointments of the university bursar and registrar as
well as the recommendation for termination of appointment
of the vice chancellor.
“We view the sacking of these principal officers as
prejudicial and done in bad faith on the strength of the fact
that it violates the principle of equity and fairness.
“It is instructive to state that a Visitation Panel was
instituted by Governor of the State of Osun and the report
submitted.
“ASUU UNIOSUN is of the opinion that it would have been
better for the council to wait for the White Paper on the
report to be released by the Governor before assuming the
position of a judge in their own case.
” Against the backdrop of the foregoing, ASUU UNIOSUN
hereby calls for the immediate reversal if this decision.”
Efforts to speak to the chairman of the Governing Council
proved abortive as Olawoyin rejected a call put across to
him by our correspondent and he had yet to reply the text
message sent to him to confirm the recommendation.
The VC, Okesina, said he was not aware of the
recommendation for the termination of his appointment.

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Rivers killings: Amaechi, Wike in war of words

THE feud between the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi
Amaechi, and the Governor-elect, Chief Nyesom Wike,
reached a boiling point on Tuesday when the former
accused the latter of being responsible for the deaths
recorded in the state during the 2015 general elections.
Amaechi had declared during a public lecture in Port
Harcourt to mark his 50th birthday that God would not
allow a killer to be the governor of Rivers State.
But Wike, who had attended another public lecture in the
state capital, said he had no record of killing anybody and
expressed displeasure that a public officer like Amaechi
could speak in manner that was not expected of him.
Wike expressed optimism that he would be sworn in as the
governor of the state on May 29, despite moves by Amaechi
to scuttle his inauguration.
Speaking further, Amaechi stated that the governor-elect
should realise that he (Wike) was his chief of staff, adding
that Wike’s record was with him.
Explaining that he will never kill anybody because of
personal ambition, the governor dismissed Wike’s
description of him (Amaechi) as a corrupt person, adding
that the governor-elect was accusing him of corruption
because he (Wike) was looking for a way to negotiate with
him (Amaechi) and his supporters.
Amaechi said, “In a bid for Wike to be governor, he hired ….
an ex-militant. They killed a young man in Okrika and cut
off his private parts. They slashed a young man’s throat
and decided to hang his head on a tree.
“When I wanted to become governor, God took me aside
and allowed Rivers people to vote for Celestine Omehia and
He brought me back. So, nobody died. In 2011, the
opposition joined us to vote for us; nobody died.
“But because of one man’s ambition, we were losing human
beings everyday. Walking like a thug, killing people like a
thug. The God I worship will answer our prayers. God will
not allow those who kill people to be governor of Rivers
State. God will allow only those who worship Him. I am not
perfect.
“Even some of you pray more than me. My priest told me
God said we would defeat Nyesom Wike. God said so. The
same way God told me in 2007 that I would be governor.
God will not allow us to make a killer, somebody who has
killed human beings, to become the governor of Rivers
State.
“I have been listening to Mr. Nyesom Wike and I have been
trying not to reply him. He has been accusing me of
corruption and I have been trying to keep quiet over the
issue of corruption. A thief cannot call me corrupt. The first
lesson he needs to learn is that he was Chief of Staff to my
government. If I have no records, I have records on him.
“Why Nyesom Wike is talking the way he is talking is that
they are looking for us to come and negotiate with them, so
that they can illegally stay in office. They cannot stay like
that. We are already in court (tribunal),” Amaechi said.
Recalling how he decided not to probe his predecessor, Dr.
Peter Odili, the governor pointed out that the people would
at the end ask him about his achievements and not the
number of people his administration probed.
However, Wike, who spoke through his Media aide, Mr.
Simeon Nwakaudu, added that Amaechi’s comment against
him was an indication that the governor was not worthy of
holding public office.
He said, “Only a man who is irresponsible would make such
a comment. It shows that he is not worthy of the public
office he occupies. He (Amaechi) is making comments that
are completely out of place for people who should be in
leadership position.
“To begin with and contrary to what Governor Amaechi
said, the governor-elect is a God-fearing person, who
believes in the rule of law. He is not involved in any killing
and he will never be involved. He has never done anything
that is outside of the law.
“Such unguarded comments should be disregarded by
members of the public and well-meaning persons just like
Channels Television did and apologised seriously to
Nigerians. Amaechi promoted insecurity everywhere.
“God has already made it possible for Barrister Nyesom
Wike to be governor. The people have already endorsed it
as they voted for him massively. Amaechi is too small to
stop the will of the people. On May 29, 2015, that will would
be consummated during the swearing-in of Barrister
Nyesom Wike.”

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Group asks court to stop Buhari’s inauguration due to falsification of certificate

A group, Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and
Development Initiative,has filed a suit before the Federal
High Court in Abuja seeking to stop the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, from swearing the
President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari in.
The suit is also seeking an order to nullify the certificate of
return issued to Buhari by the Independent National
Electoral Commission.
They filed the suit on the allegation that Buhari did not
qualify to contest the presidential election because he gave
false information about his academic qualification to INEC.
The Group's lawyer, Mr. Philip Ekpo, alleged that Buhari did
not meet the qualification in the 1999 Constitution and the
Electoral Act to stand for the March 28, 2015 presidential
election.
Buhari, INEC, the CJN are the 1st to the 3rd respondents in
the suit respectively.
The group wants an order of interim injunction restraining
the CJN “or any person acting in his capacity” from
swearing in Buhari as President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria on May 29, 2015 or any other date thereof pending
the determination of the motion on notice.
The suits declares states that the plaintiff seeks among
other orders,
“A declaration that the 3rd defendant be stopped
from swearing in the 1st defendant as President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as the issue of
perjury involving the 1st defendant has not been
resolved.
“An order restraining the 3rd defendant or any
person appointed for such purpose from swearing in
the 1st defendant as President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2015 or any future
dates whatsoever for giving false information to the
2nd respondent on oath.
“An order annulling the Certificate of Return given to
the 1st defendant by the 2nd defendant.”
“The 1st respondent (Buhari) gave false information
in the affidavit he presented to the 2nd respondent
(INEC) and on the strength of which he contested
and purportedly won the presidential election which
was conducted by the 2nd respondent on March 28,
2015.
“The 1st respondent deposed to an affidavit dated
November 24, 2014 that his West African School
Leaving Certificate is in the custody of the Secretary
to the Military Board.
“The Nigerian Army on January 20, 2015, said that
in the personal file of the 1st respondent with the
Nigerian Army, they do not have the original copy of
his West African School Leaving Certificate nor does
the Nigerian Army have the Certified True Copy of
his WASC results neither do they have a photocopy
of the said result.
“The 1st respondent has not met the qualifications
enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, Cap E6,
Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010 (as
amended) to have contested the position of
President of Nigeria at the 2015 general elections.
“That the authority conferred by Section 140 of the
1999 Constitution (as amended) on the 3rd
respondent to administer oath of office to any
person who will occupy the office of the President of
Nigeria cannot be exercised in respect of the 1st
respondent who has not fulfilled the requirements of
the same constitution and the Electoral Act as it
relates to his eligibility to occupy the office of
President of Nigeria.”
The case is still pending as it has not been assigned to any
judge.
Punch.

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Photos: Man treks from Jama'are to Bauchi - and no one was there to welcome him

The 35 year old trekker Isa Kwarawanga of Zubo village in
Shiraz LGA who trekked from Jama'are to Bauchi to
congratulate the victory of the state governor-elect Barrister
Mohammed Abubakar reached his destination yesterday
but found no one there to welcome him. Lol. I'm sorry for
laughing but this is hilarious. Mallam Isa trekked for five
days and had informed the APC in Jama'are that he was
trekking to Bauchi and had expected the APC in Bauchi to
welcome him...but there was no one there. At least
someone should give him transport fare to take a bus back
home...:-)

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Unpaid salaries: Oyo, Osun workers begin strike

Groaning under crushing economic hardship caused by
unpaid salaries, workers in Oyo and Osun states have
embarked on strike.
Specifically, labour unions in the two states directed their
members to embark on strike in order to press home
demands for the payment of owed salary arrears.
In Osun, the state Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr.
Jacob Adekomi, who addressed a news conference in
Osogbo, on Monday, called on workers to begin a strike
today after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum given to
the state government.
Adekomi, who read from a text said, “That the 14-day
ultimatum issued to the government expired today
(Monday, May 25, 2015).
“That an indefinite strike action be commenced by all the
workers in the State of Osun as from Tuesday, May 26,
2015 due to the failure of the government to accede to our
legitimate demands, as contained in our letter to the
government dated May 12, 2015.
“The indefinite strike action will be total. Workers are
advised to stay at home while pressing home our demands.
That no worker should resume work until an anouncement
is made by the labour bodies to that effect.”
The labour union leader said that apart from the salary
issue, the state government had refused to remit the
contributory pension deductions from workers’ salaries to
their respective retirement saving accounts.
A factional state Chairman of the NLC, Mr. Gambi Yusuf,
when contacted said his faction was in support of the strike
since it was aimed at fighting for the right of the entire
workers in the state.
He said, “I am in support of it provided it is to fight for the
welfare of workers. It is okay by me. But these are the
same set of people who said before that the government
did not owe them.”
But the state Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has appealed
to the workers to show understanding with him on the
issues.
Speaking through his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, the
governor said he had tried to ensure a prompt payment of
workers’ salaries despite the decline in allocation to the
state before the issue degenerated.
Okanlawon said, “At the heart of all these issues being
raised is insufficient fund. And regardless of the terrible
revenue crisis that has led us to this state as a country, we
must bear in mind the very prudent manner the
Aregbesola’s government has managed the affairs of Osun.
“Therefore, workers can be certain that once the revenue
complications are solved, all these issues will vanish. And
as a responsible government, we still appeal to workers to
show understanding – bearing in mind that at times when
even other states had started experiencing delays, Osun
used all it had to ensure workers did not feel the pang of the
national revenue crisis.”
Other unions present at the news conference included the
NLC, Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Union of Teachers,
Nigeria Senior Civil Service Union, Nigeria Union of
Journalists, among others.
The Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress on
Monday said that in line with the directive of the national
leaders of NLC, all workers in the state should begin an
indefinite strike on Tuesday (today).
Chairman of the union in the state, Waheed Olojede, stated
after a meeting of the state executive that the action
became necessary after the state government owed months
of workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions. Olojede revealed
however that the state council had been in negotiation with
the state government for some months on the issue and
that an agreement had yet to be reached when the national
body of the NLC directed that the strike should commence.
He said, “You are all aware sufficiently that in the last few
months in Nigeria, many state governments have owed
salaries and pensions of their workers. Oyo State is one of
those states. In the last few months, we have commenced
negotiation with the state government on how best to pay
outstanding salaries and pensions of the workers and
retirees.
“We were on the process until last Friday when the national
headquarters of the NLC issued a directive, instructing all
state councils of NLC where governments are owing
salaries and pensions to begin industrial action as from
today, Monday 25, 2015. We have got in touch with the
national leadership of the NLC to make clarification on the
action.
“Even when we notified them that the state NLC had
commenced negotiation with the state government, the
directive from the national headquarters insisted that
notwithstanding our local arrangement, we must comply
and begin industrial action. Because of this and the fact that
no state council has the power to defy the authority of the
national NLC, we immediately called a meeting of the state
executive to review the directive and our process of
negotiation.
“We therefore resolve that because of the law that
established the NLC, no state congress is higher than the
national body. Arising from this position, we have therefore
resolved that we are left with no other option but to direct
all workers in Oyo State to respect the national directive and
stay at home from Tuesday (today).”
While expressing the optimism that the negotiation with the
state would still resolve the issue, Olojede called on the
state government not to abandon the negotiation, adding
that as soon as a resolution was reached, the state council
would approach the national headquarters of the NLC with a
view to getting the permission for the workers to resume
work.
“We appeal to the state government to show understanding
on this directive. The only condition that can make us
appear before the leadership of NLC is to have with us a
mutually agreed Memorandum of Understanding spelling
out how best and quickly salary and pension arrears can be
paid and how the state will continue to pay them promptly,”
he added.
NUT begins strike in FCT
Meanwhile, primary and secondary school pupils in the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, were on Monday sent home
following an indefinite strike called by the Nigeria Union of
Teachers.
The union went on strike over some policies adopted by the
FCT administration that were not favourable to teachers.
The chairman, FCT Wing of NUT, Mr. Hassan Jibir, told The
PUNCH that the union had directed its members “to remain
at home and schools closed definitely until their demands
are met by the FCT administration.”
The contentious issues include reinstatement of 27.5 per
cent Teacher Salary Structure allowance; non-release of
promotion for teachers for years 2012, 2013, 2014 and
2015 and non-payment of 100 per cent rent allowance to
teachers.
He said, “Some categories of teachers and supervisors and
those working in the offices were affected by the TSS. In
2012, six secondary schools were affected while for
2013/2014, all primary, junior secondary and senior
secondary school teachers were affected.
‘‘For 2015, they are supposed to start the process but have
not done that till now.”
Jibir also called on the Minister of the FCT, Bala
Mohammed, to do the right thing so as to avert a crisis in
the FCT.
According to him, the minister did wrong with the policy on
the rent allowance for teachers which has been in line with
the Federal Government’s policy.
He said, “During the administration of Mallam Nasir el-
Rufai’, teachers on Grade level 1 to 6 received rent
allowance of 50 per cent of their basic salaries while those
on level 7 to 14 got 60 per cent of their basic salaries. Also,
level 15 to 17 were receiving 75 per cent of their basic
salaries.
“But when he discovered that the 50 per cent can’t pay rent
in FCT, el-Rufai made it 100 per cent. Former Ministers of
the FCT who succeeded him, Adamu Aliero and Abdulkahi
Moddibo, continued from where el-Rufai stopped.
“But Bala Mohammed came and reverted it to 50 per cent,
60 per cent and 75 per cent whereas rent in FCT has
increased tremendously since then. Instead of increasing it,
he reduced it.
“We are, therefore, asking for a reversal to the 100 per cent
that was started by el-Rufai, even if he can’t increase it.
This is our grouse.”
When one of our correspondents visited some schools in
the FCT, many parents were seen taking their children
home.
In a similar development, workers under the aegis of the
Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service
Technical and Recreational Services Employees have
threatened a showdown against state governments owing
salaries in the country.
This decision was reached at the 19th plenary session of
the association held in Akure, on Monday.
Speaking at the meeting, the National President of the
association, Solomon Adelegan, said the non-payment of
salaries to workers had increased the poverty rate across
the country.

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Nigerians count the cost as oil marketers resume supply .

Loading of petroleum products commenced at fuel depots
in Apapa, Lagos, on Monday afternoon, although Nigerians
are still counting the cost of the crippling energy crisis.
The resumption of product loading followed the suspension
of the strike by marketers and workers of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation.
Two marketers confirmed the development to one of our
correspondents in separate telephone interviews.
The marketers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
Nipco and Capital Oil loaded products on Monday.
One of them, who is a member of the Major Oil Marketers
Association of Nigeria, said all the major marketers were
likely to commence loading today (Tuesday).
It was gathered that other depot owners aside from Nipco
and Capital Oil could not start loading on Monday because
they did not have facilities for overnight loading.
Another marketer said normalcy would likely return to the
depots by Friday as the current product scarcity had
already eaten deep into the system.
In Abuja, marketers of petroleum products resolved to
mobilise their members for the immediate distribution of
fuel across the country at a public hearing organised by the
Joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources
(Upstream and Downstream).
The Co-Chairman of the joint committee, Senator Magnus
Abe, who read a communique signed by the representatives
of the major stakeholders, explained that the Minister of
Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and others at the meeting
unanimously agreed to the deal in interest of the nation.
He also explained that following the intervention of the
Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, Dr. Joseph Dawah, the strike embarked upon
by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association
of Nigeria had been called off.
Abe said that the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers
Association of Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, had agreed to
direct members of the body nationwide to start lifting
petroleum products from 7pm on Monday, while the body
equally agreed to pay the National Association of Road
Transport Owners the transport cost for the products that
would be determined by them.
The energy crisis currently rocking the nation has thrown
the manufacturing sector into a near state of redundancy.
While lots of the manufacturers have embarked on working
half schedules to cope, others are planning to shut down
production completely until the situation improves.
Some of the manufacturers, who spoke to one of our
correspondents in Lagos, said they had decided to cut down
their working hours because of the acute shortage of
petroleum products and electricity to run their factories.
A pure water maker, Mandu Obi, said he was buying diesel
for N800 per litre instead of the previous N150.
“My plant needs about 1,000 litres of diesel to work every
day. For a small business owner like me, I don’t see how I
can keep up with such expenses. I had 1,500 litres of diesel
left from last week and this morning, I decided to top it only
to spend four times what I usually spend on a litre of
diesel,” she recounted.
The President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr.
Frank Jacobs, said manufacturers were losing a lot of
money as a result of the energy crisis.
He added that no one could put a figure to the amount
being lost, but admitted that the manufacturers were losing
a lot of money.
The Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Mr. Muda Yusuf, said the situation had completely
crippled the manufacturing sector.
He said, “A lot of people are cutting down their working
hours. Some companies have also shut down. It is a very
bad situation. It is crippling businesses that depend on
diesel and fuel.
“It is affecting productivity because instead of working for
eight hours, companies are forced to work for only two or
three hours.
“The public power situation is not reliable and the fall-back
position is diesel or petrol. Now, both of them are not
available. There are very few businesses that can be run
without energy.”
Most civil servants were absent from work in Abuja on
Monday as a result of the nationwide fuel scarcity.
Only a few people reported for work at the Federal
Secretariat located in the Central District, a part of the city
that is always crowded.
By 2pm, most offices at the secretariat had been deserted
as the few civil servants who turned up for work had gone
home.
The fuel scarcity also took a toll on the banking sector as
five prominent banks in the country had to close their
branches in the Federal Capital Territory by 1pm on
Monday.
They are Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Skye
Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc and First Bank of
Nigeria Limited.
Similarly, many banks and insurance companies in Kwara
State closed early on Monday because of the lingering fuel
scarcity.
The situation was not different in Lagos as the banks and
other offices closed early.
Our correspondent, who monitored the development in
Ilorin, the state capital, observed that many of the banks
stopped allowing customers entry into the banking halls
from 1pm as against the normal 4pm.
Most filling stations visited by one of our correspondents in
the FCT on Monday were not dispensing petrol, thus
increasing the hardship of the residents many of whom
were seen trekking long distances due to hikes in transport
fares.
It was learnt that a bus ride from Nyanya to Wuse, which
hitherto cost between N150 and N200, went for N300 on
Monday.
Taxi fares have also doubled as the operators now charge a
minimum of N1,000 for journeys that normally cost
between N500 and N700.
In Ondo, some members of the state Chapter of the National
Union of Road Transport Workers staged a protest against
the acute scarcity of refined petroleum products.
For almost two hours, commercial vehicles in Akure, the
state capital, were stopped from operating, especially on the
popular Oba Adesida and Oyemekun roads, by the
protesting NURTW members while some drivers who had
already taken passengers were forcefully ordered to drop
them.
As a result of this development, the commuters did not have
any alternative but to continue on their journeys by trekking,
while those who could not trek returned home.
Business activities were substantially paralysed in
Abeokuta and most major cities in Ogun State on Monday.
Some of the banks in Abeokuta shut their doors against
their customers around 12noon, while some did not open
for business.
Many civil servants resumed late for work, whil e some did
not bother to leave their homes due to the few number of
commercial vehicles on the road.

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Fuel crisis worsens nation’s power problems

The current nationwide scarcity of refined petroleum
products has reached a crisis point with a litre of petrol
selling for between N200 and N600 in many parts of the
country, while diesel, household kerosene and liquefied
natural gas have also become elusive.
Also, with power generation dropping to an all-time low of
1,327 megawatts, most Nigerian households are now living
without electricity as they have also run out of fuel to power
their generators.
Even before the dip in power generation, most Nigerian
households have been relying on generators as the main
source of their power supply while using the public power
supply as a backup. However, the fuel shortages which
started over a week ago, have made it impossible for
households to even get fuel to power their generators.
Although, daily fuel consumption nationwide is about 40
million litres per day, it is estimated that a sizeable
proportion of the demand goes into fuelling of generators.
“It is now impossible for me to get a four-litre fuel to run
my small generator,” a man who was in the queue in one of
the filling stations, told one of our correspondents on
Sunday.
Also, a resident of one of the upscale estates in Magodo,
who identified himself as John Adebayo, told one of our
correspondents that he had been unable to run his
generator for three days because he could not get diesel to
buy.
“I have money to buy diesel but it is just not available
anywhere. I can’t even pump water, it is really pathetic,”he
lamented.
Already, the situation has started affecting companies with
some firms like MTN and Airtel saying that they could not
get diesel to run generators at base stations.
Unless urgent steps are taken by the Federal Government
and all concerned stakeholders, many citizens will find it
difficult to get to their various places of work and business
as from today (Monday) due to the crippling scarcity of
refined petroleum products occasioned by the refusal of
marketers to import them and a strike by tanker drivers.
Our correspondents reported on Sunday that petrol had
dried up in almost all the filling stations nationwide, while
black marketers capitalised on the prevailing scarcity by
selling the product in jerry cans for between N200 and N600
per litre in places like Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Kaduna and Oyo
states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The situation affected vehicular movements in many parts
of Lagos and Ogun states on Sunday, with attendance at
religious centres unusually low, while commercial transport
operators raised their fares by over 300 per cent.
All the filling stations owned by major oil marketers visited
by our correspondents were under lock and key. Majority of
the independent petroleum products marketers were also
not selling petrol on Sunday.
The very few independent marketers with petrol were selling
the product for between N150 and N400 per litre, while
black market dealers were selling for between N500 and
N600 per litre in some of the stations visited.
A motorist plying the Berger-Mowe route traversing Lagos
and Ogun states, who simply identified himself as Ola,
expressed disappointment with the slow response of the
government to the problem, adding that with the situation
on the ground, workers would have to part with a lot of
money to get to their offices on Monday (today).
A commercial transport operator in Ikorodu, Lagos, told one
of our correspondents that he bought 30 litres of petrol for
N12,000 instead of N2,610 at the regulated price of N87 per
litre.
It was gathered that virtually all the filling stations in Osun
State had run out of petrol as of Sunday, thereby forcing the
residents to stay indoors.
A major petroleum products’ marketer told one of our
correspondents that the Federal Government had refused to
meet them to resolve the lingering issues surrounding the
payment of the subsidy arrears owed the marketers.
The marketer, who pleaded anonymity, said since the last
meeting they had with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, on May 4, nothing had changed.
The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of
Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Olawore, said though the marketers
had reached out to the President-elect, Muhammadu
Buhari, on the lingering fuel supply problems, they had yet
to get a positive response.
He confirmed that the marketers were not importing petrol
at the moment, because they did not have the wherewithal
to do so.
The spokesperson for the Department of Petroleum
Resources, Mr. Saidu Muhammed, said the product scarcity
was primarily due to the ongoing workers’ strike in the
NNPC.
He said, “Products are not coming out from the depots and
there’s virtually nothing anybody can do for now. But
hopefully, when they resolve the strike, things may become
normal.
“The strike by the NNPC workers is affecting all the depots.
And until the strike is called off, there will be no loading.
There is no loading in almost all the depots across the
country and so products are not coming out.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry
has noted with concern the current energy crisis facing the
country, which it describes as unprecedented.
In a statement signed by its President, Alhaji Remi Bello, the
LCCI called on President Goodluck Johnathan to bring a
halt to the imminent collapse of economic and social life in
the country.
Bello said, “There should be an immediate engagement of
stakeholders in the petroleum industry to discuss the
outstanding issues of indebtedness and related labour
matters in the interest of the economy and the citizens. The
situation should not be allowed to degenerate any further.
“The Lagos Chamber urges the incoming administration to
immediately deregulate the oil and gas downstream sector
on assumption of office in order to provide an enduring
solution to the recurring problem of petroleum products’
scarcity, corruption inherent in the subsidy regime, the
collapse of refineries, lack of investment in the downstream
sector, loss of jobs and so on.
“Options available to the incoming administration in this
matter are very limited. The current regime of subsidy and
government’s direct involvement in the operations of oil and
gas sector should be discontinued. Government needs to
get out of the way, so that the sector and the economy as a
whole can make progress. This will pave the way for the
restoration of normalcy in the sector and attract private
capital, boost investments and create jobs.”
Similarly, a Global System of Mobile communications
provider, Airtel Networks Limited, said in a statement that
its commitments to delivering best-in-class quality of
service and seamless telephony experience to all Nigerians
was being affected by its inability to procure diesel for its
base stations.
The company stated, “While we are currently doing
everything within our means as well as going the extra mile
to ensure that all our base stations and switches are up and
running, it is sad to note that it is becoming increasingly
difficult to replenish current stock of diesel due to the
lingering scarcity of the product.
“We are also concerned that, if the situation persists, it may
have adverse effects on our network, impacting both voice
and data services.”
MTN Nigeria had issued a similar statement on Saturday.
A faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress led by Mr. Joe
Ajaero said on Sunday in Kaduna that the current fuel
scarcity across the country was a war against Nigerians.
It, therefore, warned that should the scarcity persist,
organised labour would have no choice than to embark on
an indefinite strike.
This was contained in a statement by the factional Deputy
President of the NLC, Alhaji Issa Aremu, which was made
available to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday.

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Kim Jong-Un’s brother goes missing after attending concerts in London

34 year old Kim Jong-chol, older brother of North Korean
leader Kim Jong-un, has gone missing after attending a pair
of Eric Clapton concerts in London last week.
Jong-chol, the middle son of former North Korean leader
Kim Jong-Il, attended Clapton’s concerts at London’s Royal
Albert Hall on Wednesday and Thursday according to
reports.
Jong-chol is reportedly a big fan of the British blues rocker
and has been photographed attending concerts in several
different countries over the past few years, including in
Germany in 2006 and Singapore in 2011. Jong-chol had not
been seen in public since his father’s death in 2011.
In video, Jong-chol could be seen arriving at the Thursday
concert wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses and
surrounded by aides.
“He was just like any other fan, but there were officials all
around him,” said a witness. “They were obviously not
Clapton fans, and looked really out of place. But he was
having a great time, singing along to all the words.”
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, Jong-chol
and his entourage stayed at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel in
West London, where rooms can cost up to $3,290 per night.
However, Jong-chol went missing over the weekend after
attending the concerts. He had reportedly been scheduled to
depart Moscow and arrive in Beijing on Saturday on his
way back to Pyonyang, but his name was not listed on the
flight registry from Moscow to Beijing, and he has not been
seen since.
Jong-chol and his younger brother Kim Jong-un were born
to Kim Jong-il’s third wife Ko Yong-hi, who died in 2004.
Jong-chol was passed over for North Korea’s leadership
position because his father thought he was too effeminate.
The eldest brother, Jim Jong-nam, was first in line to
succeed his late father after his death, but fell out of the
line of succession when he was caught trying to enter
Japan with a fake passport in 2001 on a trip to visit Tokyo
Disneyland

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FG didn’t incur $60bn debt, Okonjo- Iweala refutes Osinbajo's claims

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has refuted
claims by VP-elect Yemi Osinbajo that the outgoing
administration owes $60billion in local and foreign debts.
Speaking with finance correspondents, Okonjo-Iweala said
that the nation’s current debt stock stands at $63.7 billion
and it encompasses domestic and multilateral loans by all
the federal and state governments since 1960. She said
various states of the federation accounted for 20% of the
nation’s total debt stock.
Of the $63.7 billion debt, the minister said $9.7 billion or
15% is external while $54 billion or 85 per cent represents
domestic debt. She said between 2007 and 2011, a debt of
$17.3 billion debt was recorded while between 2012 and
2015, the debt stood at $18.1 billion

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20 more women and children rescued from Sambisa forest by Army

The Nigerian military has rescued 20 more women and
children from Sambisa foest. According to a statement by
the defence headquarters, the women and children were
rescued during its ongoing offensive in the forest yesterday
May 22nd. Scores of terrorist were also killed during the
operation. The statement signed by Defence spokesperson,
Gen Chris Olukolade reads in part;
"Despite continuous encounter with large number of
land mines, which still litter the Sambisa Forest,
troops have forged ahead with the ongoing offensive
operations as scores of the terrorists died in the
assault on their bases on Friday. A total of 20
women and children were rescued at the end of the
Friday operation.
They have all been airlifted out of the forest. The
wounded soldiers have also been moved out for
necessary treatment. Two major ammunition
dumps, maintained by the terrorists in the forest
were also destroyed, along with the four additional
terrorist’s camps that were smashed in the
operation of Friday". 10 vehicles, 70 motorcycles
and 15 tricycles were destroyed during the
operation.

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Man hacked to death for confronting herbalist

Itoro, the first son and the breadwinner of the family, was
allegedly hacked to death by a herbalist, Ette Okon on
Friday, following a misunderstanding.
Rita Emmanuel, a cousin of the  deceased, a commercial
motor cyclist, told the story of the murder. According to her,
Itoro lived with his parents in their grass house in Ikot
Abasi Effiom, in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross
River State until he  rented a room in a house close to his
parents'.
“About a month ago, he decided to rent  a room in
the next street so that his wife who was about to
deliver a baby could have more space and we all
agreed that it was okay. He got a room in Ette
Friday’s house and moved there”.
Rita explained that everything was fine until Ndarake, Itoro’s
wife, gave birth and the baby died within days. After  the
death of the baby, the wife, according to the cousin,
became sick and suffered epileptic seizures.
Friday, described as a herbalist, was said to have claimed
he could heal the woman and asked for N5.000 to get
materials to heal her.
Rita stated that after Friday took the money, he assured
Itoro that his wife would soon recover and commenced
treatment but that didn't happen.
Rita said:“Last year, Itoro lost his first wife after she
gave birth to their second daughter; so he was
worried that his second wife taking care of the two
children was going to die too. He asked the herbalist
why the state of his wife was getting worse when it
ought to be improving since the man had been given
the money he demanded and he assured that he
would treat the woman . The man did not say
anything; he simply went inside his shrine and
brought out a machete and cut Itoro’s throat”.
A resident, who gave his name as Monday, said when
people heard Itoro’s cries that night, they rushed to the
herbalist’s house and met Itoro in a pool of blood.
According to him, when the herbalist saw them, he
threatened them with a machete. This, he said, angered the
residents who took matters into their hands, overpowered
him, cut his own throat, dumped the body inside the shrine
and set the place ablaze.
“The remains of the herbalist were eaten by dogs which he
deserves because we could not  understand why he should
kill a young man for asking why the state of his wife whom
he was treating was worsening rather than improving”.
Mr Hogan Bassey, the spokesman for the Command, said
the matter was being investigated.
Vanguard

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Scott Disick has slept with Kourt, Khloe, Kendall & now Kylie *sigh*

This family may be a little different from ours but they can't
be that dysfunctional, can they? Scott has been accused of
sleeping with Khloe and Kendall, now he's being accused of
sleeping with Kylie. C'mon! Below is what In Touch
magazine reported...
"Khloe and Scott did sleep together, several years
ago," says a source close to Khloe. But it gets much,
much worse. "Scottsyas over New Years, he also
slept with Kourtney's younger sister Kylie.

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Lecture theater at OAU - they don't want to fix the ceiling? (photos)

This is the 1000 Lecture theater of the Obafemi Awolowo
University. Students say the ceiling has been like this for
close to four months now, and the school authority hasn't
done anything about it. Students want the ceiling fixed
before it falls and injures a student or even a lecturer...

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Magazine cover of a model mom breastfeeding her child that has everyone talking

Australian model mom, Nicole Trunfio brought her newborn
baby boy along for her Elle Australia shoot and a photo of
her breastfeeding him landed on the cover.
Some people think it is offensive while others think it's
magnificent because it shows the bond between mother and
child.

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Osun State Civil servant tries to kill himself over unpaid salary

Mr. Ojo Owolabi, a senior civil servant in the Obokun Local
Government Area of Osun State,tried to kill himself by
drinking a large quantity of insecticide.
It was gathered that Owolabi tried to kill himself because his
salary hadn't been paid for the last 6 months, hence was
unable to feed his family.
According to Punch, the incident which took place last
Saturday caused panic in the neighborhood when the news
spread that Owolabi had tried to commit suicide.
Owolabi, who is a sanitary officer at the council was
receiving treatment at a hospital.
A source close to Owolabi said he became frustrated
because he couldn't take care of his family.
The source said: Baba Ibeji (Owolabi) drank
herbicide. He was frustrated because he has been
unable to feed himself and other members of his
family. You are aware that the state government has
not paid workers for some months now. I think he
just lost hope and decided to take his life by drinking
Gramoxone.
Members of his family rushed him to a hospital in Ile Ife,
where he was admitted.
A factional Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr.
Gambi Yusuf, said the unpaid salaries had caused the
workers untold hardship. Yusuf said:
Anybody who is not paid for six months is a walking
corpse. What do you expect him to eat? Even if the
workers can fast, won’t they break their fast? How
do you expect them to feed their children? The
government of the day should be more serious
about workers’ welfare. We are appealing to the
government to pay workers because workers
deserve their wages.”
Owolabi’s wife and children could not be reached for
comment.
Punch.

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Nigerians petition Yale Univeristy to withdraw Honorary degree from Okonjo- Iweala

A Nigerian, Sunday Iwalaiye has started a petition on
change.org calling on authorities of Yale University to
withdraw the Honorary Degree it bestowed on Minister of
Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-
Iweala on May 15th.
Sunday, in his petition stated that Dr Okonjo-Iweala is not
deserving of the honorary degree as the Nigerian economy
has taken a nose dive since she assumed office as Minister
of Finance. A thousand Nigerians have so far signed the
petition.
His petition below
"YALE UNIVERSITY GAVE ITS PRESTIGIOUS HONORARY
DOCTORATE DEGREE TO AN UNDESERVING
NIGERIAN":Ngozi Iweala, the outgoing Nigeria's finance
minister was awarded a honorary doctorate degree by Yale
University on May 15, 2015.
The citation from the Yale University reads:"Ngozi Okonjo-
Iweala, Doctor of Humane Letters. You are a citizen of your
country, your continent, and the world. Shaped by
challenging experiences during your childhood in Nigeria,
you have made social and economic reform your mission.
As Nigeria’s coordinating minister of economic
development and minister of finance, you have tackled
corruption, created a vision and path to long-term economic
stability, and worked to build a culture of transparency. At
the World Bank, you made food security a priority and
provided policy advice and capital for the world’s poorest
countries.
With wisdom, a fierce dedication to doing what is right, and
unflagging energy, you have transformed the economic
landscape of your nation. We are proud to name you Doctor
of Humane Letter" This citation from the Yale University
does not reflect nor represent everything that has happened
under the watch and the supervision of the Nigerian
economy by Ngozi Iweala as the nation's finance minister.
There is no tangible evidence of any economic development
in Nigeria under the leadership of Ngozi Iweala in all reality.
Nigeria's economy is still an oil-dependent economy that is
debt and borrowing ridden as well as 100% consuming and
importing in nature.
Nigeria's debt profile has risen rapidly under Ngozi Iweala
and Nigeria has borrowed over $2 billion in the last four
months alone to pay salaries of the federal and state civil
servants. Our foreign reserves and excess crude oil
accounts have both depleted heavily under Ngozi Iweala.
The recurrent expenditures in the federal budgets reached
the highest levels which made capital development
practically impossible in Nigeria under Ngozi Iweala.
The board of regents of this ivy league school missed it
completely by awarding their prestigious honorary
doctorate degree to an undeserving Nigerian in all truth,
honesty and reality. The Nigeria's economy has remained
the same under Ngozi Iweala without any evidence of its
diversity from oil.
The Nigerian Naira crashed to its lowest value in its history
under Ngozi Iweala. The true picture that Yale University
missed is the fact that the economy of Nigeria has almost
grounded to its final halt today which will makes its a
daunting task for the incoming administration of General
Muhammadu Buhari to meet its campaign promises.
The menace of official corruption and financial scandals
have both reached their peaks in Nigeria under Ngozi
Iweala. A central bank governor was fired for disclosing
that $20 billion was missing from the federal coffers and
this allegation was investigated in a shady and questionable
manner. The oil subsidy scam that cheated Nigeria's tax
payers of trillions of Naira was coordinated and supervised
by Ngozi Iweala.
The culture of official corruption and state resource
mismanagement were both honored, celebrated, protected
and defended under the leadership of Ngozi Iweala as the
supervising coordinator of the Nigerian economy. To give a
honorary doctorate degree to an undeserving Nigerian by
this world's reknown university is the biggest slap on the
faces of the 180 million Nigerians in 2015. I am using this
social medium to appeal to the board of regents of this
prestigious university to withdraw this honorary degree that
they awarded to this Nigerian immediately and without any
further delay for the sake of posterity

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Borno Governor said: Chibok girls are now living in Bunkers with Boko Harams......READ

The Governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima
says there are indications that missing Chibok
girls might be living in Bunkers in Sambisa
Forest with Boko Haram members. He called on
the military to liberate the girls as they carry
out their operations in the forest.....He gave an
indication in a paper, he wrote and was
presented by the Secretary,
"We are suspecting that Chibok girls are living
with the insurgents in bunkers. I think the
military must carry out their operations beyond
the surface earth. They (Boko Haram) were also
known to have dug tunnels to enable them
move from house to house. So, having been left
unchallenged for such a long time, such
possibility cannot be ruled out which poses
serious obstacles within the forest. The
insurgents used their bases in the Sambisa
Forest to launch deadly attacks and make quick
retreat to their base which enabled them
capture and take over control of all the local
government areas bordering Nigeria with
Cameroon, Chad and Niger, thus effectively
cutting off the three neighbouring countries
thereby declaring what they assumed was their
independent territory (caliphate). Unless and
only if the Sambisa Forest is effectively
recovered from the terrorists shall we think of
defeating the Boko Haram and begin to embark
on a holistic approach for the reconstruction
and rehabilitation of the North East. In fact, at
several stages the Borno State Government had
intervened to reconstruct destroyed schools,
health centres, homes, markets and so on, only
for the insurgents to attack and destroy them
again."he said

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Deyidam. Com's intro party

ENTERTAINMENT UPDATE!!!

WWW.DEYIDAM.COM

In collaboration with

CA$IMAWOO ENTERTAINMENT

              Presents

   RAP BATTLE COMMPETITION!!!
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Date: May 22, 2015
Time: 6pm
Live with Dj Kenny + Mc Sleeky & Mc Gideon

             GUEST ARTISTES:
Havoc, Damova, Eze, Twinzy, Pow Peezy, Jay Boi (Da Skinny), Melvin & D awar-winning Dancer - Cee Jaey

NB: Form 4d Rap Battle Competition is 500 naira only +
D winner of d Rap Battle wld be awarded a Cash Prize + a free Recording Studio Session & will be Deyidam Ambassador for one year.

Proudly Supported by:
                  Oau Socials
        Ca$imawoo Entertainment
                Fortress Clothing
                   Eleos Media
                     Igba Tv
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                    Neonatar.
For sponsorship or enquiries, add up: 7f50392c or call: 07060477805, 07065828588 or 08071035250

Don't be selfish. Kindly Re bc. *run*

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Davido Snubbed As Wizkid & Yemi Alade Gets Nominated For BET Awards 2015 (See Full List)

Its yet another awards season as Black
Entertainment Television officially rolled
out the comprehensive and detailed list of
nominees in different categories featured
at this year’s BET Awards edition.
Interestingly, the category that recognizes
the impressive artistry of our ever tireless
and hardworking (African) acts, records
the names of comeback nominees, Sarkodie
and Wizkid with new additions, Yemi
Alade, Fally Ipupa, AKA, Sauti Sol,
Stonebwoy and The Soil to snag it out for
the coveted “Best International Act: Africa“
category.
Check out the full nominees list below:
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT: AFRICA
AKA (SOUTH AFRICA)
FALLY IPUPA (DR CONGO)
SARKODIE (GHANA)
SAUTI SOL (KENYA)
STONEBWOY (GHANA)
THE SOIL (SOUTH AFRICA)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
YEMI ALADE (NIGERIA)
BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
BEYONCÉ
CIARA
JANELLE MONÁE
JHENÉ AIKO
K. MICHELLE
RIHANNA
BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
AUGUST ALSINA
CHRIS BROWN
JOHN LEGEND
THE WEEKND
TREY SONGZ
USHER
BEST GROUP
A$AP MOB
JODECI
MIGOS
RAE SREMMURD
RICH GANG
YOUNG MONEY
BEST COLLABORATION
AUGUST ALSINA F/ NICKI MINAJ – NO
LOVE (REMIX)
BIG SEAN F/ E-40 – IDFWU
CHRIS BROWN F/ LIL WAYNE & TYGA –
LOYAL
CHRIS BROWN F/ USHER & RICK ROSS –
NEW FLAME
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND – GLORY (FROM
THE MOTION PICTURE “SELMA”)
MARK RONSON F/ BRUNO MARS –
UPTOWN FUNK
BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
BIG SEAN
COMMON
DRAKE
J. COLE
KENDRICK LAMAR
WALE
BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
AZEALIA BANKS
DEJ LOAF
IGGY AZALEA
NICKI MINAJ
TINK
TRINA
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
BEYONCÉ – 7/11
BIG SEAN F/ E-40 – IDFWU
CHRIS BROWN F/ LIL WAYNE & TYGA –
LOYAL
CHRIS BROWN F/ USHER & RICK ROSS –
NEW FLAME
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND – GLORY (FROM
THE MOTION PICTURE “SELMA”)
NICKI MINAJ – ANACONDA
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
BENNY BOOM
BEYONCÉ, ED BURKE & TODD TOURSO
CHRIS ROBINSON
FATIMA ROBINSON
HYPE WILLIAMS
BEST NEW ARTIST
BOBBY SHMURDA
DEJ LOAF
FETTY WAP
RAE SREMMURD
SAM SMITH
TINASHE
BEST GOSPEL ARTIST
DEITRICK HADDON
ERICA CAMPBELL
FRED HAMMOND
LECRAE
MALI MUSIC
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
BEST ACTRESS
GABRIELLE UNION
KERRY WASHINGTON
TARAJI P. HENSON
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS
VIOLA DAVIS
BEST ACTOR
ANTHONY ANDERSON
IDRIS ELBA
JUSSIE SMOLLETT
KEVIN HART
TERRENCE HOWARD
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
JACOB LATIMORE
JADEN SMITH
MO’NE DAVIS
QUVENZHANÉ WALLIS
ZENDAYA
BEST MOVIE
ANNIE
BEYOND THE LIGHTS
SELMA
THINK LIKE A MAN TOO
TOP FIVE
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
BRITTNEY GRINER
CANDACE PARKER
SERENA WILLIAMS
SKYLAR DIGGINS
VENUS WILLIAMS
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
CHRIS PAUL
FLOYD MAYWEATHER, JR.
LEBRON JAMES
MARSHAWN LYNCH
STEPHEN CURRY
COCA-COLA VIEWERS’ CHOICE AWARD
BEYONCÉ – 7/11
DEJ LOAF – TRY ME
KENDRICK LAMAR – i
NICKI MINAJ F/ DRAKE, LIL WAYNE &
CHRIS BROWN – ONLY
RAE SREMMURD F/ NICKI MINAJ & YOUNG
THUG – THROW SUM MO
THE WEEKND – EARNED IT (FROM THE
“FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)
CENTRIC AWARD
AVERY SUNSHINE – CALL MY NAME
JAZMINE SULLIVAN F/ MEEK MILL –
DUMB
MARK RONSON F/ BRUNO MARS –
UPTOWN FUNK
SAM SMITH F/ MARY J. BLIGE – STAY
WITH ME
THE WEEKND – EARNED IT (FROM THE
“FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT: UK
FKA TWIGS
FUSE ODG
LETHAL BIZZLE
LITTLE SIMZ
MNEK
STORMZY

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Haaa!! Five Men Plan To Trek To Mecca For Buhari

A group of five married men have vowed
to trek from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia to
celebrate the victory of the president-elect,
General Muhammadu in the March 28
presidential poll.
Speaking with newsmen in Bauchi on
Sunday, the men; viz. Mohammed Inuwa,
45, Dahiru Aminu, 33, Abdullahi Usseini,
45, Abubakar Danjuma, 45, and Kabiru
Saleh , 35, explained that their decision to
embark on the foot journey was fueled by
the undying love they have for the
incoming leader.
Speaking on their behalf, Mohammed
Inuwa said, “He has tried to be president
for 12 years but Allah did not make it to be
possible.
We believe he always won because he had
the support of the majority.
This time around Allah has given him the
power and so we decided to trek to Mecca
by road to register our unflinching support
to General Buhari”
They said they were ready to give their
lives for the mission but, “we pray Allah
will protect and guide us because we are
committed to show our appreciation to
General Buhari.”
They disclosed that they have consulted
widely with families and friends and have
made adequate preparations for the
journey which they estimated will take
them at least, three months and will see
them transverse countries of Chad, Sudan
before reaching their destination in Mecca.
The men said that they hope to begin their
trek on May 30, a day after the swearing-in
of the incoming administration and asked
Nigerians to pray for them to succeed in
their mission.
Source: DailyPost

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Police Arrests 21 Men With 122 Condoms In Ibadan For Belonging To Gay Cult

The Nigerian Police have arrested 21 young
men under the age of 25 for allegedly
belonging to a gay cult.
The men were arrested in Ibadan last week
after allegedly being caught at a birthday
party with about 122 condoms.
Although the organizer of the event
claimed that it was just a birthday party,
the policemen accused them of holding an
initiation into an ‘evil gay cult’ after the
discovery of 122 condoms and the absence
of females.
The policemen said that they had received
a tip claiming that the occupants of the
room were gay.
The police also said that the absence of
females corroborated with the claim of
their informant that it was indeed a gay
cult.
A human rights organisation, The Initiative
for Equal Rights (TIER) has since spoken
out against the arrest of the young men
after receiving a call on May 10, 2015.
“At the point of arrest, the young men
were physically assaulted and treated in a
manner unbecoming of any legal process:
they were photographed in their
underwear, made to write statements
under duress and locked up in an
overcrowded cell,” the spokesman of the
organization said.
The police initially refused to grant the
young men bail and transfer of the case to
the state courts until the intervention of a
lawyer from the International Center for
Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights
(INCRESE).
They were given different bail notices from
N5,000 to N10,000. The organiser of the
party had to pay N21,000.
In spite of the way they were treated, the
arrested young men refused to appeal
against the treatment on order to prevent
being branded as gay.
Reports revealed that 11 out of the 21 had
been bailed by their family and friends,
while 10 were left in detention. INCRESE
however provided the fund for bail for the
remaining 10 detainees and took them to a
safe house.
The 21 claimed that the police further
extorted money from each of them when
they all returned to the police station on
May 14, 2015 before they were allowed to
leave.
“It is obvious that there is a need to create
more public awareness and the need for
victims to take up cases with solid support
of the movement. Without this, cases like
this will continue to occur with limited or
no option for proper adjudication for
justice”, the TIER spokesman said.

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Finally, Lagos Assembly Honours In Style, Airport Cleaner Who Returned N12 Million

After many weeks of commending Miss
Josephine Ugwu, the cleaner who returned
the sum of N12 million in foreign
currencies which she found at the Murtala
Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja,
Lagos to the Airport security in January,
the Lagos State House of Assembly on
Monday honoured her at a plenary in
which she was present.
Miss Ugwu honoured the invitation by the
House attending the sitting with some of
her friends and co-workers.
Deputy Speaker, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo who
presided over the sitting, presented a letter
of commendation and an undisclosed sum
of money to Miss Ugwu.
The letter and the monetary gift were “for
her act of honesty and patriotism for
returning the sum N12million on Friday,
23 January, 2015.”
The Deputy Speaker also thanked Ugwu for
leveraging the country through the act of
returning the money.
According to the letter, her action is a great
inspiration to many who believe in the
future of Nigeria.
“Your conduct has positively affected the
image of Nigeria internationally. It is an
act worthy of emulation, because of this we
decided to hold a special parliamentary
session to celebrate your honesty, integrity,
uprightness, sincerity, truthfulness and
patriotism. We truly believe in you,” the
letter stated.
One of the lawmakers at the sitting, Segun
Olulade, while commending her earlier,
urged the House to give Ugwu employment
in the Assembly or recommend her to the
state governor for employment to
encourage other Nigerians to emulate her.
Also contributing, Rotimi Olowo, another
lawmaker, added that the state government
should honour her by naming any state
institution or monument after her to drive
home the need for honesty and integrity
among the youths in the country.
Deputy Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru,
said he was very happy that his motion on
Ugwu has seen the light of the day.
Abiru congratulated Ugwu, who he called a
great lady, for being a proud Nigerian who
has demonstrated to the world that there is
hope for the Nigeria as nation.
Thanking the House for the gesture, Ugwu
said she was very happy.
“I never expected that I will be honoured
to be in this Assembly talk more of been
recognised and honoured by this
institution,” she said while adding that she
was only doing her duty according to the
rules of the organisation she works with
and according to the training she received
from her parents.
“My family trained me not take anything
that does not belong to me.
“I also want to prove to the world that
Nigeria is a good country with people of
integrity unlike the wrong impression they
have about the country,” she said adding
that this was the third time since December
2014 that she would be returning money
left behind by passengers to the Airport
security.
Source: PmNews

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Buhari Meets with the much talked about Tunde Thompson He Jailed (See Photo

Muhammadu Buhari, on yesterday met  Tunde Thompson, one of the journalists jailed for violating Decree 4 in 1984 when he was a military Head of State.

Buhari met with him when he hosted members of his Media Team and Social Media Influencers at the Defence House, Abuja on Tuesday.

The President-elect cracked jokes with Thompson and praised him for rising above his jail experience to forgive and support his presidential bid.

He reminded Thompson, who is a member of his media team, that what happened under his military regime was one of the challenges of that period.

Buhari also applauded his campaign media team led by Mallam Shehu Garba for running “a very decent media campaign” despite the hate campaigns mounted against him by the PDP.”

"I want to commend you especially for two things. First, is the decent media campaign you conducted despite the PDP’s dirty tactics, you stayed focused on issues and avoided the temptation to sling mud."

The President-elect particularly commended Garba for providing leadership that led to the success of his team.

He said, “I thank you for your uncommon motivation to do the work. Despite the lean budget on which we ran our campaign, you did not allow the lack of adequate remuneration to stall the work at any point in time. You continued to give your best.”

Buhari also praised INEC for deploying technology in the conduct of the last election.

punchng

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