Davido reveals he has been with his lover, Chioma, for 5 years

The singer revealed on twitter that he has been with Chioma for five years now. In that five years, he welcomed Imade, his first daughter with Sophia Momodu and Hailey, his second daughter with is Atlanta based lover, Amanda. See the twitter exchanges below...

 

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''N100m was spent on Dino Melaye’s failed recall'' INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu says

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, today disclosed that the electoral commssion spent N100m on the failed attempt to recall Kogi-West lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye.

INEC chairman disclosed this while denying claims made by PDP that the commission spent N100 billion in the failed exercise.

Members of Dino's Melaye constituency failed to turn out for the verification exercise to wrap up his recall last Saturday April 28th.

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Court orders police to relocate Dino Melaye to National Hospital Abuja

Justice Nasir Ajanah of the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja has given an interim order that embattled senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, be moved from police custody in the state to the National Hospital Abuja, for further treatment.

Recall that a magistrte court in the state yesterday ordered Melaye to be remanded in police custody till June 11th after he was arraigned for unlawful possession of arms and funding of a criminal group. 

Melaye is currently nursing injuries he sustained after jumping off a police van last month. 

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Photos: EFCC arraigns three NGO workers for stealing N4.5m from MTN Foundation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, have arraigned the trio of Owolabi Kayode Samuel, Esther Olubukola Mate and Abimbola David-Orugun before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing to the tune of N4, 576, 000.00 (Four Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-six Thousand Naira).

The defendants, who are staff of Hope Worldwide Foundation, a non-governmental Organisation (NGO), were arraigned alongside Cumulative Ventures Limited and Continental Best Buys Limited. 

One of the count reads: “That you, Owolabi Kayode Samuel, Esther Olubukola (a.k.a Bukky Mate, Bukola Mate), Abimbola David-Orugun, Cumulative Ventures, Continental Best Buys Limited, Olaoshebikan Candido Clement (at large) and Abosede Fasasi (at large), sometime in January, 2007, at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, conspired to steal money, property of MTN Nigeria Foundation, a subsidiary of MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, set up to cater for the less privileged people and HIV victims across Nigeria and committed commit felony, to wit, stealing contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Vol.2, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.”

Another count read: “ That you, Owolabi Kayode Samuel, Esther Olubukola (a.k.a Bukky Mate, Bukola mate), Abimbola David-Orugun, Cumulative Ventures, Continental Best Buys Limited, Olaoshebikan Candido Clement (at large) and Abosede Fasasi (at large), sometime in October,2011 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, dishonestly converted the sum of N3, 556, 000. 00 (Three Million Five Hundred and Fifty- Six Thousand Naira) property of MTN Nigeria Foundation, a subsidiary of MTN Nigeria Communications Limited , set up to cater for the less privileged people and HIV Victims across Nigeria and committed stealing contrary to Section 285(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC. 
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, K.M.A. Olushesi, asked the court for a short date for the commencement of trial.

However, in his response, counsel to the defendants, J.O. Odubela, SAN, informed the court that he had filed bail applications on behalf of his clients and also urged court to grant them bail on liberal terms.

Justice Oshodi granted the defendants bail on self-recognizance.

The defendants were also ordered to enter a financial bond of N2million each, which should be paid to the Chief Registrar of the Lagos State High Court.

Also, the defendants were ordered to deposit their international passports with the court’s Registrar.

The judge, however, said that the bail would be revoked, if the defendants fail to perfect the bail conditions within seven days.

Meanwhile, the judge ordered the commencement of trial, after the prosecution counsel, Olushesi, confirmed the presence of his witnesses in court. 

Led by the prosecution counsel, the first prosecution witness, PW1, Abasiekong Udobang, Programme Manager, MTN Nigeria, told the court how the defendants misappropriated about funds meant for the treatment of people living with the Acquired Immunized Deficiency Syndrom (AIDs) and the less-privileged in the society.

Udobang also informed the court that the money belonged to MTN Foundation, a subsidiary of MTN Nigeria, which was established for the purpose of giving back to the society, in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

In his further evidence, Udobang said that MTN, in 2005, engaged Hope Worldwide in order to implement two of its medical support programmes: Partners Against Malaria and Aids and Children and the Orphaned in the Community.

"MTN usually gives funds to Hope Worldwide Nigeria, since it is a non-governmental organisation, on a quarterly basis. Those funds were usually retired to MTN Foundation as a proof that the work was done. Every year, we usually work towards a new agenda until 2012 when we became suspicious of some of their retirements,” he added.

The witness further said that the case was reported to the Business Risk Units of MTN (BRM) for investigation.

He said "Following the information from BRM, we discovered that funds meant for buying drugs at the centres for HIV/AIDs victims were misappropriated. It was also discovered that documents were added in the names of two companies that we don't have any dealings with.
“After the findings from the BRM, the matter was reported to the EFCC for further investigation.”

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, J. O.Odubela, SAN, the witness confirmed that the money meant for the treatment of the AIDs victim was usually paid to Hope Worldwide quarterly.

The witness also stated that after the fraud was discovered, members from the NGO were invited for a meeting to tell them the findings of BRM and that a letter was written to inform them about the fraud.

Udobang, who further said that the discovery led to the termination of the contract with the NGO, insisted that the letter itemised the area where they suspected the alleged fraud.
He, however, could not present the letter written to Hope Worldwide in court.

Consequently, Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to June 26, 2018 for continuation of trial.

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Kogi court denies Dino Melaye bail, orders that he be remanded in police custody till June 11th

A Lokoja Magistrate Court has ordered that embattled Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial district be remanded in police custody till June 11th pending the commencement of hearing in the case brought against him and three others by the state police command. 

The charges the police brought against Senator Melaye bothered on criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, amongst others.

At the hearing in court this morning, counsel to Senator Dino Melaye, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued for his bail which was opposed by the Police prosecuting Counsel, Alex Iziyon who insisted that the offences preferred against the senator were ordinarily not bailable.

In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate Suleiman Abdullahi denied the bail application and ordered that Melaye be kept in police custody till June 11, 2018 when hearing in the case would commence. 

Dino, who is currently on stretcher will be in police custody for 38 days.

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Buhari’s current records cannot keep him beyond 2019 — Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan wednesday asked the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to call the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to order for peddling falsehood against his person.

Jonathan added that even after Osinbajo had been called upon repeatedly“to respect his supposed pastoral calling and stop his nasty habit of lying, he refuses to heed these calls and continues to spew falsehood.”

These were contained in a statement the GEJ Media Office issued yesterday, pointing out unfounded allegations the vice president had made at different times against the person of the former president.

Last Tuesday, Osinbajo had at The Platform, a programme organised by the Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos alleged that three unnamed persons stole $3 billion (N1 trillion) in the Jonathan administration.

On March 19, also, Osinbajo alleged that the Jonathan administration shared N150 billion two weeks to the 2015 elections while it spent a paltry N14 billion on agriculture in 2014; N15 billion on transportation and only N153 billion on infrastructure in three years.

But in a statement issued by his media office wednesday, Jonathan called Pastor Adeboye to caution Osinbajo to stop peddling falsehood against his person.

If Osinbajo fails to heed this advice, the former president urged the cleric “to remember that the RCCG ordains its pastors not to lie but to spread the word of God, “asking if “this is what Vice President Osinbajo is doing?”

Jonathan recalled that Osinbajo falsely alleged that he took N100 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in cash to his personal house in Abuja.

When challenged to provide proof of his fallacious claims, the former president disclosed that the vice president hid behind ‘sources’ and began to feed stories from anonymous officials to the media.

This time around, according to him, Osinbajo alleged that three persons working in his government looted $3 billion from the country’s resources without providing proofs to back his allegation against his administration.

He, thus, noted that the vice president “is a liar, forgetting or perhaps not caring that the devil is the father of all liars. I challenge him once again to prove me wrong by mentioning those three people and providing proof that they stole the amounts allegedly stolen.

“It is sad that at a time when the Buhari administration should be telling Nigerians what they have achieved after three years, they continue to blame and point fingers. The reason for this is because neither Buhari nor Osinbajo can point to any project that they have initiated, started and completed in three years,” he explained.

Jonathan noted that the people of Nigeria voted for Buhari and Osinbajo because they said subsidy was a fraud and would be stopped; that fuel would be sold at 40 per litre, and that fuel scarcity would end.

After three years, Jonathan said the Buhari administration “is paying more subsidy than former President Jonathan ever paid at 1.4 trillion annually. Fuel price was increased from 87 to 145 per litre, Fuel scarcity is worse.

“Faced with these facts, a desperate Buhari administration, wanting to be re-elected and knowing that it cannot run on its record, has devised a plan to distract attention from its woeful record of failure by making constant false allegations on my person.”

He lamented that the Buhari administration “has yet to tell Nigerians what happened to the $25 billion that was awarded in contracts without due process by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).”

He sought to know how “Maina was returned, reinstated, double-promoted and given armed guards or why the indicted Executive Secretary of Nigerian Health Insurance Scheme was reinstated despite a clear case of corruption or when Babachir Lawal would be charged.

“Instead, they continue to throw mud at those who have achieved what they have not achieved. If Osinbajo cannot stop his habit of lying, I hereby call on Pastor Adeboye to withdraw his pastorate before he brings the church of Christ into disrepute.

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President Buhari currently in the UK, presidency says ‘It’s a technical stopover’

 

President Buhari is yet to arrive Abuja two days after he left the US after his bilateral meeting with President Donald. Senior Special Assistant to the president on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, when asked why the president is yet to return to Nigeria, said President Buhari “had technical stopover in London and will be on his way back soon,”.

The president was expected to arrive Abuja on Wednesday May 2nd and was to leave Abuja tomorrow Friday May 4th for Daura to rest.

President Buhari’s official aircraft, Eagle One, left Joint Base Andrews military airfield in Washington on Tuesday morning as twitted by Bashir Ahmad, on this Twitter handle, @BashirAhmaad.

“President @MBuhari has departed Joint Base Andrews Airport for Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja after a Working Visit to Washington DC where he had a bilateral talks with US President @realDonaldTrump, and met with a group of business executives. #PMBinDC”.

Buhari was said to have arrived in London at 9:42 p.m., according to Flight Radar 24, which tracks air traffic across the world.

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Update: ''President Buhari to arrive Nigeria later this evening'' Femi Adesina

Femi Adesina gave an update on President Buhari's itinerary

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Governor Okorocha reportedly gifts Miracle a plot of land + scholarship for his CPL, gives Nina, Teddy A and Bam Bam N2m each

Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha hosted #BBNaija housemate Miracle Igbokwe and some of the ex-housemates Nina, Teddy A and Bam Bam. According to reports, the governor gifted Miracle a plot of land and scholarship for his Commercial Pilot License CPL. 

The governor also gave Nina, Teddy and Bam Bam N2 million each. He has also promised to support Nina in the completion of her course.

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PDP queries President Buhari’s London ‘Technical Stopover’

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Presidency to end their official secrecy and come clear on the reasons for President Buhari’s alleged ‘technical stopover’ in London.

In a statement released today, the party said Nigerians should note that President Buhari left the United States 48 hours ago and embarked on an unofficial visit to United Kingdom for undisclosed reasons without transmitting a letter to the National Assembly.

This is impunity and another constitutional breach. Continue to read their statement below

President Buhari had on Tuesday left the United States, where he had an embarrassing and fruitless outing and instead of returning to the country, detoured to the UK for another private visit without regard to full disclosure requirements of our constitution and laws.

Indeed, Nigerians are worried about the signal being sent out by this penchant for secret itinerary, particularly, given the poor reputation and governance transparency issues confronting our nation under the Buhari administration.

The Presidency must understand that President Buhari is not a private citizen and as long as his upkeep and itinerary is sourced from our hard-earned resources, there must be full disclosure, as citizens deserve to know the purpose of the visit and the cost to our nation.

This is especially as President Buhari’s foreign trips, which come at great costs, have not brought any gains to our country. Instead, the President has continued to de-market our nation in the international arena. The just concluded the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, where he cast aspersion at our enterprising youths and failed to return with any dividend readily comes to mind.

Furthermore, President Buhari’s admission at the Voice of America (VOA) that he was unable to reach any agreement with President Donald Trump on any matter of interest to Nigeria, during his US visit and that he has no future development agenda to validate his 2019 re-election bid, confirm our position that the Buhari administration has nothing to offer Nigerians.

The PDP therefore urges President Buhari’s handlers to adequately prepare him before international outings as well as ensure full disclosure on all his visits outside the country, since he embodies the image and integrity of our nation, until May 29, 2019.

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Lagos police arrest ‘one chance robbers’ along Apapa expressway

Yesterday, two suspected commercial bus robbers Sunday Oghenero and Daniel Johnson were arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for dispossessing passengers of money and valuables worth thousands of naira.  

Ogenero, 24, lives in Agausa area of Ajegunle in Apapa, while Johnson, 22, resides at Okoafo area of Badagry. Both are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing to which they have pleaded not guilty.

Police Prosecutor Benson Emuerhi, told the court that Oghenero and Johnson committed the offences on February 28 along Apapa Expressway at 7.30 p.m. Their accomplices remain at large.  Emuerhi said both men stole one Techno phone valued at N36,000, N34,000 cash and other valuables from one Tunde Mustapha while he was returning home from work.  

“The complainant, after the close of work, boarded a commercial bus heading towards Mile 2 area of Lagos, unknown to him that other occupants of the bus were robbers. The duo dispossessed him of the items but were caught by some passersby, who handed them over to the police,” Emuerhi said.  

The suspects faces a three-year jail term each for stealing if found guilty.  The Magistrate, Mrs O. Sule-Amzat, granted them N50,000 bail each, with two sureties each in like sum. The case was adjourned until July 5

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Melaye jumped from vehicle because he was being tear-gassed by police - Senator

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has confirmed that the lawmaker representing Kogi West in the Senate, Dino Melaye, actually jumped from a police vehicle.
Murray-Bruce alleged that Melaye jumped from the vehicle because he was repeatedly tear-gassed by police officers, Premium Times reports.
We notes that Murray-Bruce explained that he visited Melaye at the hospital on Monday, April 30 and was not happy with the condition he met him.
He tweeted: “Just met with @dino_melaye. Very sad to hear what transpired. Dino is asthmatic, yet while in transit, the police gassed him & he could barely breathe.
“Second time they gassed him, he had to force his way out of the vehicle. Dino literally escaped death. SAD!”
The police later took Senator Melaye to the National Hospital and monitored him on his sickbed. He was arraigned on Wednesday, May 2 for attempted suicide and destruction of property, amongst other allegations.

Meanwhile we previously reported that Senator Dino
Melaye was re-arrested after being granted N90 million bail by a Wuse Zone 2 chief magistrate’s court in Abuja on Wednesday, May 2.
Melaye was accused by the police of escaping lawful detention and was granted bail. He was picked up immediately by the police again who took him away in an ambulance.
An FCT high court in Apo, presided over by Honourable Justice Adeniyi, ordered that Senator Dino Melaye should be released by the police.

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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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