Okorocha’s administration is insensitive, wicked - Imo pensioners voice grievance

- A group of pensioners in Imo state, on the platform of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has cried out over the government's inability to pay accrued pension
- In favour of the group, the National Industrial Court ruled that the development was “insensitive, wicked and unlawful"
- The Court further said in its judgment that the state government has no right to owe the pensioners
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), the Imo state chapter, has described the state government’s effort to reduce the pensions of retirees, despite recent judgment by the National Industrial Court over the act as being “insensitive, wicked and unlawful.”
The NUP in a press release signed by its state chairman and principal state secretary, James D. Osuigwe and Evangelist Livinus Asiegbu respectively, said: “The union recalls that Imo state government has only paid gratuities below N500,000 to affected pensioners and refused to pay gratuities above N500,000 since it came to power seven years ago, The Vanguard reports
This is in spite of several bailout funds advanced by the Federal Government, to clear arrears of pensions and gratuities.”
Moreover, the senior citizens raised the issue that the Rochas Okorocha administration “deliberately avoided harmonising pensions since it came to power seven years ago.”
Substantiating their allegation, association remarked: “The government has failed, refused or neglected to pay the six percent increase of 2003, 15 percent of 2003 and 33 per cent of 2010, approved by the Federal Government and long implemented by our neighbouring states.
“It is embarrassing that Imo State Government has continued to claim falsely that it has cleared all pension arrears and gratuities owed Imo pensioners.”
With reference to specifics, the union leaders said that Imo Broadcasting Corporation retirees are owed between 47-59 months, civil service pensioners, 33 months, retired primary school teachers, 43-63 months and Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, 50-90.
The NUP said: “It must be said that the government’s announcement, purporting to remove allowances in pension, amounts to contempt of court and breach of the verdict of the National Industrial Court.”
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The court’s judgment read in part: “There is no law permitting the Imo State Government to alter or withhold any part of the pension of pensioners in the public service of Imo State. The Imo State Government or any of the defendants do not have the authority or power to alter or withhold any part of the pension of any retired civil servant.”
We reported that a group of pensioners in Imo state on Thursday, January 6, said the state has accumulated a backlog of 77 months pension debt.
The pensioners in a protest decried the nonchalant attitude of the state governor Rochas Okorocha over their plight.

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*EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS: HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE IS NOT A HUMAN RIGHT*

*Judgment of the Human Rights Court of Strasbourg -France*

*Unanimously, the World Court of Human Rights has established, verbatim, that "there is no right to homosexual marriage." The 47 judges of the 47 countries of the Council of Europe, which are members of the full Court of Strasbourg (the world's most important human rights court), issued a statement of great relevance that has been surprisingly silenced by information progressivism and its area of ​​influence. In fact, unanimously, the 47 judges approved the ruling that "there is no right to homosexual marriage." The sentence was based on a myriad of philosophical and anthropological considerations based on natural order, common sense, scientific reports and, of course, positive law.Within the latter, in particular, the judgment was based on Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This is equivalent to the articles of human rights treaties, as in the case of 17 of the Pact of San José and nº 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In this historic but not disclosed, Resolution, the Court decided that the concept of family not only contemplates "the traditional concept of marriage, that is, the union of a man and a woman", but also that they should not be imposed on governments to "obligation to open marriage to persons of the same sex". As for the principle of non-discrimination, the Court also added that there is no discrimination, since "States are free to reserve marriage only to heterosexual couples."*

It is important and absolutely necessary to spread this kind of news because governments and sympathizers of such lobbies will not want people to know. Help spread if you want! Obviously, it does not interest the media to publicize this news.

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Unknown gunmen burn down INEC office In Rivers State

As the June 16 local government election in Rivers State approaches, gunmen on Friday burnt down the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISEC) in Bori, the headquarters of Khana local government area.  

The gunmen left on their trail expended bullets and destruction of many vital and sensitive documents slated for the conduct of the local government election. Bori, which is also the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni ethnic nationality has a record of electoral violence. In 2015, the liasion office of Senator Magnus Abe and the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were set ablaze by arsonists.  

The Director of Public Affairs and Civil Education, Mrs. Menney-Amgbare Sarah Hope, confirmed that some sensitive documents meant for the conduct of the election were burnt. She disclosed further that some expended bullets were recovered at the scene of the incident. No live was lost.

Ahead of the election, there have been accusations and counter accusations by aspirants into various councillorship positions under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that some persons have been imposed on the party as favoured candidates for election against rules of the party.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State is boycotting the election because of a case it instituted against the government over the sacking of council chairmen and councillors elected under the APC government.

They argued that the planned election is subjudice to the court case.

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''President Buhari will be the first African president to meet US President Trump at the White House'' presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad says

President Buhari is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on April 30th. According to presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, President Buhari will become the first African president to meet Donald Trump in the white house.

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Paris Club Refund: Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of N1.4bn

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday,  April 27, 2018, ordered the final forfeiture of a sum of N1,222, 384,857.84 ( One Billion, Two Hundred and Twenty Two Million, Three Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Seven Naira and Eighty Four Kobo) only, recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from the account of Melrose General Services Company Limited.

Also to be forfeited to government is another sum of N220,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Twenty Million Naira) only, also recovered by the EFCC from two other companies:  Wasp Networks Limited and Thebe Wellness Services, to the Federal Government.

Justice Olatoregun had, on Friday, October 13, 2017, ordered an interim forfeiture of the money,  following a motion ex parte filed by the EFCC.

In granting EFCC prayers, Justice Olatoregun had ordered anyone interested in the money to appear before the court within 14 days to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The judge had also directed the Commission to publish in any newspaper for anyone who is interested in the money to appear before the court to show cause why the order for the final forfeiture should not be granted. Following the publication of the order,  one Prince Godwin Maduka and a company,  Linas International Limited, appeared before the court, praying separately that the funds should be forfeited to them.

Maduka had claimed that his firm, Udemgaba Maduka & Associates, had been engaged in 2011 as a consultant by Zamfara State government to help to recover some "hanging funds", with an agreement that it would be paid 20% of the recovered funds.

On its part,  Linas International Limited had told the court that it was entitled to the payment of $6m from the NGF.

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President Buhari is leaving Nigeria tomorrow to meet with President Trump

President Buhari will leave Abuja on 28th April 2018, on an official working visit to the United States of America, on the invitation of President Donald Trump.

He will have bilateral meeting with President Trump and a working lunch on Monday 30th April 2018. The meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and to advance shared priorities, such as: promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security.

The meeting will further deepen the US-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigeria’s economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership.

Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry. Ahead of the visit by President Buhari, meetings have been scheduled on 26th and 27th April, 2018, between senior Nigerian Government officials and executives of major US companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation.

In the area of aviation, the Nigerian officials will be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project. On agriculture, they will meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment.

In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession.

In the interim phase, a substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalized to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated $2bn, to modernize the rail line from Lagos to Kano (Western Line) and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri (Eastern Line). During the meeting, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed.

The Nigerian officials will also meet with US-EXIM Bank and the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements.

It is noteworthy that in 2017, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the United States Department of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote and encourage commercial and investment ties between Nigeria and the United States, with initial focus on infrastructure, agriculture, digital economy, investment and regulatory reforms

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Governor Ortom warns Fulani herdsmen: The fact that we have chosen to be law-abiding does not mean that we are weak

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom on Thursday, cut short his leave abroad and returned to Nigeria following the killing of two priests and worshipers by Fulani herdsmen.

Speaking with newsman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, he appealed to Nigerians to rise and stop the ongoing killings nationwide.

"The fact that we in Benue have chosen to be law-abiding does not mean that we are weak. I call on every Benue man and woman to remain resolute. The enemies cannot take our land away from us." he said.  Excerpts:

Question: You have cut short your vacation, what informed that decision?

Governor Ortom: There is no way my state would be on fire with the magnitude of what we are seeing today and I’ll still be on vacation. I cannot be on vacation when the entire state is on fire to this magnitude. I never expected what is happening to have taken place. I know my Deputy, the Acting Governor is doing his best. I’ve been in touch with him on daily basis but at this particular time he needs me and other stakeholders of the state to come together, and of course the Presidency, to stop this pogrom that is going on. This is unwarranted. There is no basis for this whatsoever. The fact that we have chosen to be law abiding should not be seen as weakness on our side but we’ve chosen that we’ll support government and ensure that at all times we follow due process, we respect the laws of the land and that is why we’ve not taken laws into our hands. I’ll continue to appeal to our people to be law abiding but this thing has to stop. Like I keep saying after Benue it’ll be another state. So it’s not just about Benue. You can see the killings going on all over the place. But the climax of this is the killing of clergymen worshiping in the house of God. That is what has led me not to even think about sleeping but to come back. I believe that the Presidency would definitely act on this. We appreciate Mr. President for coming out to condemn this act and I believe he will also direct that these people must be arrested because they are known. The security operatives know where they are and there is every need for us to support the security agencies because I’ve also appreciated the fact that they’re really overwhelmed with the situation. The communities must come together and do everything that is law abiding to defend themselves. I’ve always said that self preservation is the first law of nature. There’s no point running away. I’m aware that people who ran away to IDP camps were also killed so why are you running? Those who did not run were killed, those who ran were killed. So it is better, if you make some attempts and support the security agencies, you may have some way of helping so there is no point running away. The Federal Government is aware of this, the state Government is aware of this, and the security agencies are aware of this but they are completely overwhelmed. Nigerians, Benue State people must rise up so that together we can work with security agencies and see where we can come in whether by way of logistics, by way of physical support to the security agencies to ensure that they overcome this. It’ll be better for all of us. There is no point running away. Every Benue State man and woman must be prepared because Benue State is under siege and we have no other place to go. We can’t go to any other state and take over the land of another state. It’s a land we have and we must stand to defend it but we must be law abiding in all that we’re going to do. I believe that based on the statement from the Presidency action would be followed and these killings would stop. I want to condole Benue people especially the Catholic Church. This is unwarranted, people who have made sacrifice of their lives to preach peace and bring love for mankind to pass through this kind of thing I think it’s unwarranted and this will not be accepted.

Question: The National Assembly summoned the President to appear before it and explain the killings in Benue and other parts of the country. What’s your reaction?

Governor Ortom: I’ve reacted on the operations of the security agencies before and I’ve just said it now. The Federal Government and the National Assembly also have a role to play. They’re doing their role, let’s see how it ends. All that I’m calling for is that let’s all team together. Let’s all work together. There’s no point in a blame game but the focus should be how we can overcome this and whatever can be done whether by the National Assembly or the Presidency should be done to stop this killings, that’s what I’m saying. This has to stop. It is not right and nobody will accept this. This has been going on since 2011 in Benue State so it is time now to effect a change. That is what our government represents. The All Progressives Congress, APC government represents change. We must change the way of doing things in this country by ensuring that we stop the killings. Life is precious and when it goes to the point of killing Reverend Fathers in the church who were not armed then that is where it is more daring on all of us so every leader in this country should bury his head in shame on this matter because it’s something that we must collectively work together to surmount at this particular time.

Question: Some people blame you for doing an amnesty programme and disarming Benue people thereby making them vunerable for the ongoing killings. What’s your reaction?

Governor Ortom: I can never support lawlessness, I can never support it. I still stand by the amnesty programme I did. I did the amnesty programme to disarm youths who were using their weapons to terrorize the people. They acquired these weapons illegally. I did not do amnesty to collect arms from various communities. I never did. If I did to one community let them come out and say it. But I collected arms from criminals and destroyed them in the presence of the Presidential Committee of Small Arms Proliferation, PRESCOM, and the United Nation’s observers. This is the right thing to do, you cannot continue to be lawless in a society. Two wrongs can never make a right. The people that I collected arms from were all criminals. It was not community weapons that I collected and so if people come out to blame me for collecting weapons, I dont understand what they mean. As far as I’m concerned I did the right thing and given another opportunity I’ll do the same thing. Even today the criminals don’t go to fight the insurgents. They stay around and rob market women, rob our fathers and mothers and children and business men. These are the kind of people I collected weapons from and I challenge any one who has a contrary view to bring it up on this matter. I want to also say that for those who are blaming me also for enacting a law, I did not just enact it. A Governor cannot enact a law alone. It’s a whole process generated from the people to me in the executive. The bill went to the State Assembly, there was public hearing and as I talk to you the bill that I signed into law is a very popular law in Benue State. Even the small children, the old men and women who are displaced and all the people are still in support that there is no going back on this. And if those insurgents, if those who are perpetuating this, if those powers that be somewhere and are sponsoring these insurgency against Benue State and are thinking that one day we will have a rethink to rescind the law, they are wasting their time. This law is a popular law generated from the people and the people are standing with me and I have their firm commitment that I should stand with it. There’s no going back on the law. It’s not accepted that they think that they will use this as opportunity to do ethnic cleansing and bring Jihad and so on it will not be accepted. I want to continue to say that security agencies should arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who threatened and are perpetuating these acts. They brought these foreigners whether they are from Libya, they are ISIS or ISWA or where ever they are, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore led by Bodejo and Hassan Saleh brought them into this country. I’ve reported them to security agencies. Until they stop these killings, we’ll continue to cry out. Whatever it will cost us we are ready to pay the supreme price for this cause that we’re fighting that is right, it’s just and the only way that can restore peace in this country.

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APC and PDP youths, supporters clash at Benin Airport over motion moved by Senator Matthew Urhoghide to impeach Buhari

Youths and supporters of the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) clashed at the Benin Airport over the motion moved by Senator Matthew Urhoghide seeking the invocation of Section 143 of the Nigeria’s Constitution.

It took the intervention of the State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo for a free for all not to take place at the airport.

The PDP supporters were at the airport to give a rousing welcome to Senator Urhoghide for moving the motion for the Senate to begin impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari.

But the APC supporters who had earlier protested through the street of Benin City disowning Senator Urhoghide were at the airport to express disappointment with the motion.

Tension was rife as more supporters besieged the airport either for the APC or the PDP.

Both sides sang anti-Buhari and anti-PDP songs.
The Police Commissioner had to personally stand between the protesters to prevent a free for all.

Source: The Nation

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Pharmacists Council of Nigeria seal 360 fake medicine stores in Sokoto State

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), appear to have saved thousands of lives in Sokoto State after it sealed off 352 patent medicine stores and eight unregistered pharmacies for various offences.  

Anthonia Aruya, the PCN Director, Inspection and Monitoring, who addressed a news conference on Friday, said their offences included operating without registration and failure to renew premises licence. Aruwa listed other offences as dispensing ethical products without supervision of a pharmacist, poor sanitary conditions among others.  

She explained that the PCN is a Federal Government’s agency charged with the responsibility of controlling education, training and practice of pharmacy in all aspects.  “The core mandate is to ensure rational distribution and dispensing of medicines that are safe, effective and of good quality to the public.  

“The PCN cannot guarantee drugs sold in unregistered outlets that have not complied with the statutory production and distribution laws,’’ Aruya said. At the end of the enforcement exercise in Sokoto, she said 513 premises comprising 26 pharmacies and 487 patent medicine shops were visited.  

She added that the PCN observed that many pharmaceutical premises began operations without fulfilling the minimum requirements for registration while many failed to renew their licences.  “Some of these premises stored products in environments where the quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products cannot be guaranteed. They exposed public lives to serious danger, as many have no requisite knowledge or skills to handle ethical drugs and control medicines in their facility,’’ she added.

She said the exercise was part of the measures to arrest the ugly trend, as similar exercises were conducted in other states of the federation. This, she noted, has prompted owners of such unregistered facilities to troop into the PCN office in Sokoto to regularise their operations, even as she lauded the activities of the state task force in this direction.  Aruya said the National Assembly had directed the PCN to close down all illegal premises nationwide and called on the public to patronise only registered medicine stores or pharmacies.

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Buhari’s Bauchi visit, a call to jihad in Nigeria – Fani-Kayode says

Femi Fani Kayode has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Bauchi is a call to Jihad in the country.

President Buhari on Thursday arrived Bauchi for a two-day official visit.

Buhari while speaking to Bauchi residents, was said to have conversed with them in Hausa.

Fani-Kayode, in response to the president’s speech in Hausa, warned Nigerians to be at alert against religious war.

On his Twitter page , he wrote “In Bauchi, the despot spoke in Hausa and kept talking to “Alumma”, meaning Muslims.

“What do we make of this? Full scale jihad in our country. Everybody wake up: everybody watch out.”

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CAN Reveals Why Another Civil War Looms In Nigeria

The northern Nigeria chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the federal government to address the killing of Christians in the North before it gets out of control.

Chairman of the association Rev. Yakubu Pam made this known on Thursday in reaction to the murder of two Catholic bishops and 17 others, on Tuesday in Benue state, as well as the killing of 44 persons on Wednesday, in the same state and Nasarawa.

The attacks are believed to have been carried out by herdsmen.

“My fear is that if the federal government and the NGF do not do something urgent, the killing of Christians in the North would degenerate one day into civil war. People are being killed on daily basis, yet, nobody has ever been arrested and nothing tangible has been done by the federal government,” he said.

“Looking at how professional the attacks are being carried out, I believe that these people are terrorists, they are Boko Haram and government, at all levels, need to respond swiftly; to curtail the menace before the people are pushed to defend themselves which will lead to civil war.”

“I have the firm belief that these attacks are beyond ordinary herdsmen, they are terrorists who unleash terror on innocent persons in the North.

“Government has to declare these people as terrorists and investigate the recent killings in the North.”

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Breaking: Senators call for President Buhari’s impeachment

Mmebers of the Nigerian senate this morning moved a motion for the impeachment of President Buhari. According to Premium Times, the senators moved the motion because the President did not seek the National Assembly's approval before the withdrawal of the $496 million used for the purchase of aircraft from the United States.

Section 143 of the Nigerian constitution provides for the removal of the president from office.

Senator Matthew Uroghide who moved the motion for the impeachment, said President Buhari’s move was a violation of the Constitution and thus, he should face the consequences. He prayed the Senate to invoke Section 143 to start the impeachment process of the President.

Seconding the motion, Senator Chukwuka Utazi spoke in support of the move.

“This is an impeachable offence,” an obviously angry Senator Utazi, said.

On Wednesday, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, read a letter from President Buhari informing the house that the money had been withdrawn and paid to the United States for the 12 Super Tucano aircraft, ahead of legislative approval. The planes will be delivered in 2020.

“Recently, approval was granted by the United States government but with a deadline, within which part payment must be made otherwise the contract relapses. In the expectation that the National Assembly will have no objection to the purchase of these highly specialised aircraft, which is critical to national security, I granted anticipatory approval for the release of $496,374,470. This was paid directly into the treasury of the United States government. I am therefore writing seeking approval of the Senate for the sum of $496,374,470 (equivalent to N151,394, 421,035) to be included in the 2018 Appropriation Bill which the National Assembly is currently finalising. The balance of the requirement for critical operational equipment is still being collated from the different security services and will be presented in the form of a supplementary appropriation bill in due cause.”

Most of the senators argue that this is a breach of the constitution and that President Buhari must face the consequence.

More Details later…

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EFCC gets no share on assets recovered- Ibarhim Magu

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Wednesday, April 25th told the House Committee on Public Accounts and Finance that the Commission does not generate revenue or get any percentage on assets recovered or forfeited to government.

“All recoveries by the Commission are paid into the consolidated revenue fund account after due processes had been followed”, he added

Magu made the clarification while responding to issues raised by the committee regarding revenue generation by the Commission as well as assets recovered or forfeited to the government through its efforts. 

The EFCC boss was at the lower chamber to present report on financial activities of the Commission covering 2015 and 2018 to the House Committee on Public Accounts and Finance.

Magu, while praying for a united front said, “We are partners in progress as our roles are intertwined. This is the first time EFCC is appearing before the Committee and we are ready not only for our weaknesses to be exposed but to support the Committee in any area of assistance needed to move the country forward".

According to him, the hearing was a good step in the right direction as it would help put government agencies on its toes and further reduce the burden of work of the EFCC. 
He added that the EFCC would create a desk to deal with enquiries raised by the Committee and also provide avenue for dealing with issues expeditiously.

Kingsley Chinda, Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts and Finance, commended the EFCC for its prudence and commitment to the fight against corruption. 

Chinda, while explaining the responsibilities of the Committee said, “We are looking at monies entrusted to public agencies including EFCC, to see the extent the funds have been utilized and what value it had added to the Nigerian society”.

According to him, the EFCC and the National Assembly had crucial roles to play towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the handling of government funds, and for the fight against corruption to be won. 

Documents presented at the sitting include: Background Review Document on the Activities of the EFCC submitted to the House of Representatives on Public Accounts, 2018; Detailed Financial Information; List of Capital Projects Executed and Ongoing; Evidence of Submission of the Account of the Audited Account to the Auditor General; Income/Expenditure Profile January 2015/February 2018 and Contract Files with respect to the Head Office Complex as well as the EFCC Nominal Roll.

Some of the 46 member committee present at the sitting include Hon. Dutse Abdullahi, Babatunde Kolawole, T. J. Yusuf, Rimande Shawulu and Jisalo Zaphaniah. 
Also in attendance were representatives of the office of the Auditor General and Accountant General as well as top Management Staff of the EFCC.

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Breaking: Bill Cosby found guilty and convicted on all three counts in indecent assault trial

The jury in Bill Cosby's retrial found the TV icon guilty of all three counts of aggravated indecent assault today for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in a Philadelphia suburb in 2004.  

The 80-year-old comedian faces up to 10 years in prison on each count, but is likely to serve them concurrently. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, and he remains out on bail. Cosby did not have an audible reaction to his conviction, but erupted shortly afterward.

Minutes after the verdict, prosecutors asked the judge to revoke Cosby's bail because they say he is a flight risk and has a private plane.

Cosby, who did not testify in the trial and has sat quietly throughout the proceedings, then stood up and yelled in a loud, booming voice: "He doesn't have a plane, you asshole."

Judge Steven O'Neill ruled that Cosby should not leave his Pennsylvania home, and that he would need to be fitted with a GPS tracking device. The case was the first celebrity sexual assault trial since the #MeToo movement began last fall, and as such, represented a test of how the cultural movement translates into a courtroom arena.

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MTN Holding Talks With Nigeria’s SEC Over N500m IPO

A source at the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) says MTN has reached out for talks over its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A senior management staff at the SEC told the News Agency of Nigeria that the commission was committed to investors’ protection and that their interest would be protected in the ongoing discussion.

The company has been making moves to prepare its listing on the stock exchange market.

 The firm engaged Standard Bank Group Ltd. And Citigroup Inc. on the disposal of up to 30 percent of its Nigerian unit on the NSE.

An indigenous investment firm, Chapel Hill Denham, was appointed by MTN as the lead manager for the planned sale of its shares. South African financial companies, Rand Merchant Bank, Renaissance Capital and Vetiva Capital were also named as joint issuers to the offer.

Seven other firms were chosen as placement agents to market the shares. A source at NSE informed NAN that no filing has been made by the telecommunication multinational yet.

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$496m Withdrawal: Tension As Hon. Chinda Moves for Buhari’s Impeachment

There was tension in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as Hon. Kingsley Chinda, the member representing the Obio/Akpor federal constituency of Rivers State moved a motion for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari over the withdrawal of $496 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft, without seeking approval of the National Assembly on Tuesday. 

This was after a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting National Assembly’s approval for payment already made for procurement of the aircraft from the US government.

In the letter sent to the National Assembly, the president said the U.S. government had given a payment deadline for the aircraft purchase, hence, the need for the hasty approval and payment.

Nevertheless, the Rivers lawmakers said the action of the President constituted an impeachment offense, citing Section 80 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria which deals with the withdrawal of funds from the consolidated revenue funds account.

“Section 80 particularly subsection 2 reads, ‘No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the fund by this Constitution or where the issue of those moneys has been authorized by an Appropriation Act, Supplementary Appropriation Act or an Act passed in pursuance of section 81 of this Constitution.’

“Mr Speaker, subsection 3 reads ‘No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, unless the issue of those moneys has been authorized by an Act of the National Assembly,” the lawmaker said while pointing out that there is nothing like “Anticipatory Approval” in the constitution

He added that the president has committed an impeachable offense by spending funds from the national purse without approval from the National Assembly.

“Is this National Assembly a rubber stamp? Must we approve whatever comes from the executive arm of the government? Accepting without conceding that there is something like anticipatory approval, when the approval does not come and expenditure has already been incurred, what happens? We are supposed to be a watchdog over the properties of the Nigerian people which include the funds of this country but today, it is as if that watchdog can only bark but cannot bite.”

He then called for the impeachment of the president saying that it is a clear evidence of what has been happening in the system: “There is no misconduct that is more serious than this kind of infraction and there is no country where this can fly when you have a democracy. If we are talking about security issues, for the past three years, there is no day people are not being killed.  I propose that we commenced the impeachment based on this very constitutional infraction that Mr. Speaker has mentioned to the house.

It was however reported that the motion did not make any headway, though it received the support of lawmakers across party lines.

According to the newspaper, few members who were against the move cited the need to adhere to the House rules in dealing with the issue.

According to them, the correspondence from the president to the speaker ought not to have been debated on the same day it was read, as stated in the rule book of the House.

But proponents of the impeachment bid said such rules apply to bills and not letters, insisting that the issue be trashed out Tuesday.

It was apparent that those in favour of commencing the impeachment process were concerned that if the matter was deferred to a later date, members may be compromised through lobbying to abandon the move.

It was at this stage that the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Emmanuel Oker-jev, intervened, stating that by the House rules, debating the president’s letter would have amounted to putting the cart before the horse as “this is just the first reading”.

Seeking clarity, the Speaker Yakubu Dogara sought to know if there were instances of first reading concerning letters received by the House.

“The letter is asking for appropriation and there’s no way to appropriate because it’s not a bill. But let’s operate within the ambit of the rules,” Dogara said.

Agreeing with Dogara and Oker-jev’s position, Hon. Iorember Wayo (APC Benue) said: “The wrong thing has been done and there are infractions of the Constitution. But let the issue be properly brought to the floor. Let’s wait until that day.”

However, Hon. Sylvester Ogbaga (PDP, Ebonyi) countered Wayo, saying that the president’s letter was a mere communication and not a bill.

He said: “It doesn’t enjoy first or third reading. It’s consistently out of order to subject it to a first reading.”

Hon. Pally Iriase (APC, Edo) said though such unapproved expenditure could no doubt instigate anger, “a letter from the president should be slated appropriately, as this is the first time.”

At a point in the debate, it was difficult to reach a consensus on the matter.

Eventually, the speaker had to resort to the House rules to defer the formal debate on the president’s letter to another day but was curiously silent on the precise date the debate would take place.

According to him, “We have a procedure of doing things. Normally, we will commit it to another date for debate.”

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University Of Ibadan Advises 408 Students To Withdraw

The Senate of the University of Ibadan has advised 408 students to withdraw from the institution after failing to meet the minimum academic requirements.

The Senate of the school ratified the withdrawal of the students at its meeting where results of graduating and non-graduating students were considered and approved.

Most of the affected students were admitted to the school when the post-UTME test was not conducted because of opposition to the exercise in the 2016/2017 session.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Prof. Adeyinka Aderinto, told journalists in Ibadan that the school would not lower its academic standards despite the financial difficulty it currently faces.

He said, “The University of Ibadan will continue to uphold its standards despite dwindling funding to the university, by adhering to global standards."

“I call on parents to monitor their children to ensure that those who have been asked to withdraw from the university do not lie and continue to extort money in the name of being a student at the university."

“The conduct of UI Model of Post-UTME screening has helped to separate men from boys and helped the institution in maintaining its historical standards as a global brand."

“Being admitted to the UI is a privilege that requires students to be up and doing in their studies."

“There are minimum academic requirements a student must meet at the end of the session and those who fall short of that would have to leave the university."

“UI has been able to invent its own model of screening applicants and it has shown that those who we screened performed far better than those not subjected to our screening after taking JAMB.”

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INEC to begin Dino Melaye’s recall process and announce result on April 29th

A stakeholders meeting on the process of the recall (verification) of the Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West took place today at Hope Confluence Hotel Hall, Lokoja, Kogi State.

According to INEC resident electoral officer in Kogi, 'the verification exercise will be done on 28th April 2018 in 560 PU’s in the Kogi West senatorial District and the declaration of the outcome will be done at the INEC Local government office Lokoja on 29th April 2018.- Prof. James I APAM. REC, Kogi State'.

He went on to say, 'On the appointed day, d verification shall commence at 8:00am and end at 2:00pm in the PU’s in d Senatorial District provided all petitioners are on the queue by 2:00 pm. Only those who signed the petition are expected to turn up at their PU’s for verification. It is important to state that, according to the constitution and the Electoral Act, the petition would only be said to have been verified if at least 50% plus one of the Signatures or thumb prints of the Registered voters in the Constituency are verified'.

'We ve concluded all arrangements in line with our schedule of activities and are set for the exercise. Ad-hoc staff have been trained at the State and Local government levels and materials procured and sent to RACs ready for movement to the PUs on the day of verification'.

INEC Nigeria

✔@inecnigeria

Stakeholders meeting on the process of the recall (verification) of the Senator representing Kogi West took place today at Hope Confluence Hotel Hall, Lokoja Kogi State.

2:55 PM - Apr 25, 2018

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INEC Nigeria

✔@inecnigeria

The verification exercise will be done on 28th April 2018 in 560 PU’s in the Kogi West senatorial District and the declaration of the outcome will be done at the INEC Local government office Lokoja on 29th April 2018.- Prof. James I APAM. REC, Kogi State.

3:18 PM - Apr 25, 2018Twitter Ads info and privacy

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INEC Nigeria

✔@inecnigeria

On the appointed day, d verification shall commence at 8:00am and end at 2:00pm in the PU’s in d Senatorial District provided all petitioners are on the queue by 2:00 pm. Only those who signed the petition are expected to turn up at their PU’s for verification - REC, kogi State.

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