The Egyptian army has overthrown President Mohamed Morsi, announcing a
roadmap for the country’s political future that will be implemented by a
National Reconciliation Committee.
The head of Egypt's armed forces issued a declaration on Wednesday
evening suspending the constitution and appointing the head of the
constitutional court as interim head of state.
In a televised broadcast, flanked by military leaders, religious authorities and political figures, General Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi effectively declared the removal of elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
Sisi called for presidential and parliamentary elections, a panel to
review the constitution and a national reconciliation committee that
would include youth movements. He said the roadmap had been agreed by a
range of political groups.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Aluu 4 Update
Court adjourns murder case of UniPort students to August 1
The suspects allegedly lynched the four students of the University of Port Harcourt.
A Port Harcourt High Court on Thursday adjourned the case against 11 murder suspects for the killing of four University of Port Harcourt students in Aluu community to August 1.
The suspects are facing trial for their alleged involvement in the murder of the students in the community October 2012.
Three of the suspects could not engage the services of lawyers and as a result the court could not take the pleas of the accused.
Adjourning the case, the judge, Ledan Nyordee, asked the three whether they would defend themselves or seek the services of lawyers.
They said they would need the services of lawyers.
The judge, thereafter, referred the matter to Legal Aids Council to assign lawyers to defend the accused in their trial.
Onueze Okocha, counsel to eight of the accused, had argued that the suspects should be tried separately rather than ‘’lump’’ them together.
‘’We have bail application for eight of the accused,’’ he said.
Rufus Godwin, the Rivers Solicitor–General, who led the prosecution team, said the application was premature as the pleas of the accused had yet to be taken.
He argued that every step in crime prosecution counted, saying, applications could only be accepted after pleas had been taking.
(NAN)
Ogun PDP suspends Daniel
| Otunba Gbenga Daniel |
Gbenga Daniel and twelve others were suspended from the Ogun State chapter of the PDP for anti-party activities.
A former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, has been suspended by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over alleged anti-party activities.
Mr. Daniel’s sack emanated from his ward 12, Sagamu Local Government of Ogun East Senatorial District.
Twelve other persons were sacked for the same offence.
The Chairman of Ogun East senatorial district of the party, Doyin Fakoya, announced Mr. Daniel’s suspension at the PDP Remo- North federal constituency meeting which held at Isara in Remo-North Local Government Area of the state.
He said the former governor was assuming the position of ‘God’ within the party, hence needs to be checkmated.
Mr. Fakoya said that Mr. Daniel’s suspension was carried out so as to bring back discipline into the party.
“Daniel has been suspended from PDP by his ward, ward 12 Sagamu constituency 2. As of today ,I am the Senatorial Chairman of Ogun East Senatorial District. I have got a copy of letter that Otunba Gbenga Daniel has been suspended. He is no longer a member of the PDP; he has been suspended by ward 12 Sagamu constituency 2”.
Others suspended include Idowu Osho, Gbenga Sadiku, Yetunde Majolagbe, Mabawonju Shitta, Ayantola Lawal, Raufu Jinad, Oguntade Adeleke, Gbenga Buhari, Yinka Sotunde, Gbenga Sokoya, Zainab Lawal and Olu Osho.
The party also released the report of an eight-man disciplinary committee led by Gbenga Salako, dated June 3. The report contains the notification of the suspension of the ex-governor and other 12 members who were accused of not attending the party’s meeting at the ward level over a long period of time.
The report also indicted Mr. Daniel for anti-party activities including defecting to the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), before the 2011 general elections.
The report held that some of the suspended members refused to appear before the panel for clarifications, hence the need to invoke the party’s constitution 2012 (as amended) Article 58 (1) a,c, e, f and j to suspend them.
“Some members in different guises have defected to PPN and subsequently Labour Party. All party members who are loyalists of Otunba Gbenga Daniel defected to PPN and contested against the party in the last general elections and presently they have joined the Labour party while OGD still parades himself as a PDP member. He cannot be in PDP and Labour Party at a time,” the report stated.
Mr. Fakoya, flanked by party chairmen in Sagamu, Ikenne and Remo-North local government areas, said the disciplinary committee set up to look into the allegations leveled against Gbenga Daniel and others, found them guilty of the allegation.
“Otunba Gbenga Daniel was the one that brought the PPN to Ogun State; he is now financing Labour Party at the moment. You cannot be in two parties at the same time, you cannot be in PPN, PDP and Labour Party at the same time.
“Otunba Gbenga Daniel is like any other citizen that jumps political party, he was fortunate that he governed Ogun State for eight years, is that the reason for being in three political parties at the same time,” he added.
Monday, June 24, 2013
NIGERIA COULD RETALIATE AGAINST BRITAIN OVER £3,000 CHARGE TO ENTER ENGLAND-ABIKE DABIRI
It
is no longer news that the U.K's Home Secretary is initiating a pilot
scheme where citizens from certain "high risk" countries, including
Nigeria, pay £3,000 as a surety bond before being allowed entry to
Britain.
British Home Secretary, Theresa May was quoted by the media as saying that Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party is serious about cutting immigration and abuses of the system.
“This is the next step in making sure our immigration system is more selective, bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain,” May was quoted as saying.
“In the long run, we’re interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services,” she added.
A Home Office official said the six countries highlighted were those with “the most significant risk of abuse.”
Reacting to the development, Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa said that Nigeria could retaliate.
She said: “I have not studied the new policy and I don’t understand what they (UK) classified as high risk. However, if indeed all this is true, the principle of reciprocity should apply. You can recall there was a time South Africa had some policy for Nigerians, when the then Ambassador Mohamed Marwa introduced same to South Africans coming to Nigeria; they suspended the policy.”
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Amedu Ode (Deputy Director Communications), when contacted on phone last night said, “I am sure you know that Nigeria has a mission in the UK. By tomorrow, I will speak with the Nigerian High Commissioner in London on the matter first before I can say anything on it.”
In a related development, bilateral tie between Nigeria and Portugal may soon snap following outbreak of diplomatic row between both countries.
Barely a week after Nigeria was entangled with the East African country, Kenya, over “illegal deportation of Nigerians,” the Federal Government at the weekend refused to accept another Nigerian deported from Portugal.
The Federal Government had said that the deportation of the Nigerian, simply identified as Raymond Junior, did not follow due process.
A Portuguese plane, which registration number could not be ascertained at press time, had brought Raymond into the country from Lisbon, Portugal through the cargo session of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
However, officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, attached to the airport refused to accept him, citing irregular process.
A source close to the NIS confided in our correspondent that the officials on duty, after making phone calls to their boss in Abuja, ordered the plane to return the deportee to Lisbon and told the pilot and the Portuguese officials to follow the law on deportation of Nigerian nationals before he could be accepted into the country.
The source insisted that Portugal did not file a proper documentation before Raymond was deported, stressing that Federal Government only asked Portugal to take back the deportee and comply with international law before bringing him back to Nigeria.
The same situation is playing out between Nairobi and Abuja following the deportation of three Nigerians, with the Federal Government claiming that Kenya flouted all known international laws in deporting her citizens.
The Kenyan government brought a legislative order from its Minister of Interior to deport foreign nationals.
Media had reported last Thursday of the grounding of a Kenyan plane with the American registration number 5Y-SAS belonging to Cavok Airlines in Kenya.
The aircraft, which is still grounded at the airfield of the Lagos airport, had arrived the country about 6.36pm on June 3 with 18 passengers, including three deportees from Kenya.
British Home Secretary, Theresa May was quoted by the media as saying that Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party is serious about cutting immigration and abuses of the system.
“This is the next step in making sure our immigration system is more selective, bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain,” May was quoted as saying.
“In the long run, we’re interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services,” she added.
A Home Office official said the six countries highlighted were those with “the most significant risk of abuse.”
Reacting to the development, Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa said that Nigeria could retaliate.
She said: “I have not studied the new policy and I don’t understand what they (UK) classified as high risk. However, if indeed all this is true, the principle of reciprocity should apply. You can recall there was a time South Africa had some policy for Nigerians, when the then Ambassador Mohamed Marwa introduced same to South Africans coming to Nigeria; they suspended the policy.”
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Amedu Ode (Deputy Director Communications), when contacted on phone last night said, “I am sure you know that Nigeria has a mission in the UK. By tomorrow, I will speak with the Nigerian High Commissioner in London on the matter first before I can say anything on it.”
In a related development, bilateral tie between Nigeria and Portugal may soon snap following outbreak of diplomatic row between both countries.
Barely a week after Nigeria was entangled with the East African country, Kenya, over “illegal deportation of Nigerians,” the Federal Government at the weekend refused to accept another Nigerian deported from Portugal.
The Federal Government had said that the deportation of the Nigerian, simply identified as Raymond Junior, did not follow due process.
A Portuguese plane, which registration number could not be ascertained at press time, had brought Raymond into the country from Lisbon, Portugal through the cargo session of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
However, officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, attached to the airport refused to accept him, citing irregular process.
A source close to the NIS confided in our correspondent that the officials on duty, after making phone calls to their boss in Abuja, ordered the plane to return the deportee to Lisbon and told the pilot and the Portuguese officials to follow the law on deportation of Nigerian nationals before he could be accepted into the country.
The source insisted that Portugal did not file a proper documentation before Raymond was deported, stressing that Federal Government only asked Portugal to take back the deportee and comply with international law before bringing him back to Nigeria.
The same situation is playing out between Nairobi and Abuja following the deportation of three Nigerians, with the Federal Government claiming that Kenya flouted all known international laws in deporting her citizens.
The Kenyan government brought a legislative order from its Minister of Interior to deport foreign nationals.
Media had reported last Thursday of the grounding of a Kenyan plane with the American registration number 5Y-SAS belonging to Cavok Airlines in Kenya.
The aircraft, which is still grounded at the airfield of the Lagos airport, had arrived the country about 6.36pm on June 3 with 18 passengers, including three deportees from Kenya.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
CONTENDER FOR ACCOUNTANT-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION IN RITUAL MESS
The
Director of Finance, Bayelsa State Ministry of Special Duties, Federal
Project, Office of the Governor, Dr Isaac Ogugu is now embroiled in a
ritual mess in his desperate moves to become the Accountant-General of
Nigeria.
Dr
Ogugu a self-acclaimed pastor with winner’s chapel church in Yenagoa,
is now telling his stories of what he knows about the list of candidates
submitted to a herbalist for elimination. The living faith pastor left
his office and his church to seek spiritual power in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti
State, to enhance his chance of becoming the Accountant –General of
Nigeria, and because of his mother which he tagged a witch.
Indeed the high octane scandal revealed the desperations of Public servants in Nigeria.
Dr.
Ogugu, in a letter headed paper with the emblem of the Bayelsa State
Government, submitted the list of allege competitors for the office of
the Accountant General of the Federation for elimination to pave way for
his candidature. The list includes that of his boss in the office and
other contenders for the post of the Accountant –General, for spiritual
affliction submitted to the spiritualist to cast spells on them.
On
the day of the ritual, according to our investigation, Dr Ogugu lodged
at Havana hotel in Ikere and the marabouts came to visit him there, in
the early hour of the fateful day according to our source, he was taken
to a notorious shrine where the sacrifice was made and he was made to
bathed with human blood.
May
26th 2013 was then given to him as the appointed date that he will
resume as the Accountant –General of Nigeria, when the date passed and
he did not received any letter or calls to that effects he ran back to
the spiritualist and another date 15th June 2013 was mentioned as the
appropriate date.
When
Dr Ogugu was contacted on 4th June 2013 in his office in Yenagoa
Bayelsa state, he first denied the allegation but later confessed in the
face of the overwhelming evidence. In his narration, his ordeal started
with oneSunday a pastor, that said he will help him break the unseen
pot that has been affecting and deterring his progress since birth,
according to himSunday later told him that his power cannot handle the
people behind his problem, he later introduced him to Baba Makinde and
Aworo at the Ikere-Ekiti shrine, Dr Ogugu recalled the day he lodged at
Havana hotel that a big pot was brought out from his hotel room after
which they followed him to Yenagoa and brought out another bigger pot
from his bedroom.
About
the post of Accountant –General, Dr Ogugu confirmed to us that he went
for the examination and interview for the post and he passed, that he
will resume as the next Accountant-General of the Federation on 15th
June 2013, we want to know the genesis of the crisis between him and
some top officials of his ministry and why he brought their names to the
shrine to cast spells on them, he was confronted with the contents of
the documents he wrote the name of his serving Commissioner and
Permanent Secretary, he said he wrote their names for the spiritualist
so that any one of them that did not want his progress or want to be a
stumbling block for the post of the Accountant–General should not have
progress, he referred our crew to the contents of the document with an
emphasis that “any one that want to be stumbling block for his ambition
let happiness be far away from them, so that it’s not a crisis to me,
any one that want my progress will have progress too” he specifically
mentioned the name of one Sanni as co contender for the plum job, that
the said Saani have more money to spend than him so he has to go
spiritual to enhance his chances.
Investigation
on the matter continues, we are making frantic efforts to have the
views of the Hon Commissioner and his Permanent Secretary on the
lingering crisis within the ministry, also other pictures and documents
related to the wife and families of Dr Ogugu, the activities and the
names of spiritualist that gave Dr Ogugu several unseen dates to
attained the post of the Accountant-General of Nigeria will be made
public at the end of our investigation.
SOURCE: GLOBAL VILLAGE EXTRA.
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA Clarification on allegations made by CAN and Islamic Council of Nigeria
Press Release
The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to some reports being circulated in the media to the effect that the CBN had ordered the freezing of the accounts of some religious organisations, citing alleged suspicion of links with terrorist groups.
We wish to state as follows:
1. That the CBN has NOT ordered the closure or freezing of the bank account of any religious body or any institution whatsoever as alleged in the publications and posts. There is, therefore, no iota of truth in these allegations.
2. Prior to 2006, Nigeria was the infamous list of the Non-Cooperating Countries and Territories (NCCTs) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global watchdog financial crimes.
3. Nigeria was removed from this undignified list on account of stringent actions taken by the Nigerian Government.
4. However, by 2007, as a result of loopholes in Nigeria’s legal and regulatory system, the country was included in the ‘grey list’ of countries that had not made appreciable progress in their Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime by FATF. It was therefore incumbent on Nigerian authorities to ensure that her financial processes and procedures as well as the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act (MLPA) of 2011 and the Prevention of Terrorism (PTA) Act of 2011, were in conformity with FATF recommendations and international best practice.
5. Consequently, all Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) operating accounts in all financial institutions in Nigeria were required to update their account information to ensure that their respective businesses and vocations were registered as stipulated by the relevant statutes.
6. DNFBPs refer to dealers in jewelry, precious metals and stones, cars and luxury goods, audit firms, tax consultants, clearing and settlement companies, lawyers, notaries, other independent legal practitioners and chartered accountants, trust and company service providers (who provide services to third parties), hotels, casinos (including internet and ship-based casinos), supermarkets, real estate agents, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious and charitable organisations, or such other businesses or professions as the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investments, or appropriate regulatory authorities may, from time to time, designate.
7. The only requirement to this effect is:
· The presentation of evidence of registration, specifically, certificate of registration showing registration number with the Special Control Unit Against money Laundering (SCUML)
8. On August 2, 2012, the CBN issued a circular requiring all such account holders classified as DNFBPs to update, within 6 months, their account information in their respective banks.
9. This deadline was extended by another 3 months through another circular dated February 25, 2013.
10. On June 18, 2013, following exhaustive discussions with various interest groups, the CBN conceded yet another 8-month extension to December 31, 2013, for all such account holders to comply.
11. It is, therefore clear that the new deadline has neither come nor is the measure targeted at any institution or person, be it religious, financial or social.
12. The circulars are in line with global best practice and consistent with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
13. We wish to state, however, that upon the expiration of this final deadline, the CBN shall ensure that FATF rules are complied with. We, therefore, urge all affected DNFBPs to comply as soon as possible.
14. Once again, we appeal to reporters and publishers to exercise great circumspection in the publication and circulation of rumours and fabrications that undermine the good intentions of public policies.
Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor
Director, Corporate Communications
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Obasanjo's Atrocities As President Including The Murder Of Bola Ige & Harry Marshall part 2
( PRESS RELEASE) Jonathan regime and the politicization of Nigeria’s security- CPC
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is aware that the pre-eminent
desire of Nigerians under this Nation-space is Security, which under
this PDP-led regime, has been an elusive phenomenon. This is sadly so
because the Jonathan regime prefers Political profiting from the menace
of insecurity to obliterating the scourge from the Nation’s landscape.
After the Monday the 15th April, 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the
American President, Mr Barack Obama reassuringly told a traumatized
Nation: “We do not know who did this. We will find them, and we will
bring them to Justice.” In less than five days, the two suspected
bombers have been decapitated. On 1st October, 2010, there were bomb
blasts near the Eagle square, Abuja. The Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck
Jonathan, being more preoccupied with gaining some electoral credit
through guiding public opinion to a decided outcome, declared to the
Nation: “it is not MEND!” It did not matter anymore that formal
investigation and subsequent litigious procedure had confirmed the
culpability of MEND in the bombing. In essence, the Nigerian President,
not only showed insularity unbecoming of National leaders, but was only
pre-eminently concerned about winning his Party’s nomination while the
Nation burned!
The post-election violence in April 2011 that
disrupted the peace in some parts of Northern Nigeria was seen as a
spontaneous reaction of the people to the subversion of their electoral
rights. Pastor Ayodele Oritsejafor, the President of Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) and President Jonathan’s side-kick, called a
Press conference and bizarrely demanded the arrest of General Muhammadu
Buhari. It did not matter that the fashionable Cleric did not possess
verifiable evidence to support his claim. This was seen as President
Jonathan’s attempt at polarizing the Polity along religious lines in an
iniquitous divide-and-rule scheme. As a fitting reward for that
execrable service and many others, Pastor Oritsejafor was rewarded on
10th November, 2012 with the gift of a Bombardier Private jet at a
ceremony in which the President was physically present! We were later
told the Cleric’s congregation made the donation.
After the
initial Presidential reticence in agreeing to amnesty for the Boko-Haram
insurgents, and when confronted with reasoned argument, President
Jonathan decided on commencement of talks ostensibly leading to amnesty.
Yet again, Pastor Oritsejafor continued to obdurately urge the
government not to yield to the dialogue option. As the President’s
confidante, was he projecting the President’s unexpressed desire? This
double-faced posturing by the Federal government is, undoubtedly, a show
of its insincerity, which has quite rightly alienated some of the
members of the proposed amnesty committee. Is it not a matter of concern
that the more money voted to combat insecurity brings more insecurity,
thereby giving justification for more Security allocation?
In
the last two years, the Nigerian government has been patronizing
ex-militant lords with hefty security contracts in a manner that showed
abandonment of the constitutional function of the Nigeria Police. This
government’s action, perceived as deleterious to the Socio-Political
harmony of the land, is being intensified in other regions of the
Country, ahead of the regime’s preparation for another election in 2015.
The regime’s Propagandist machine has caused the Boko Haram phenomenon
to defy reasonable logic. In February 2013, a French family of seven
persons was held hostage by Terrorists in Cameroon. Boko Haram was
reported to be responsible. They were allegedly brought to Nigeria by
Boko- haram. The hostages were freed last week in Cameroon and released
to the French government. Was it the ‘ghostly’ Boko haram that
negotiated the hostages’ release with the French? Was any insurgent (in
captivity in Nigeria) released in exchange for the hostages? How did
Boko Haram cross (at will) Nigeria’s borders, with all the hostages,
without the knowledge of Nigeria large security apparatus? Shall we
assume that Boko Haram has spread its operational base to Cameroon?
Undoubtedly, this leaves many more questions than answers!
As a
Party, we are not unaware of the desperation of the Jonathan regime
ahead of the 2015 general election. The regime, in a despicable manner
that is unprecedented, played up the fragile fault lines of ethnicity
and religion for its own aggrandizement in delusive electoral victory in
2011. A regime that is unwilling and incapacitated in implementing none
of the fundamental objectives (entrenched in the Nation’s statute book)
now seeks to use unconscionable schemes to delude, confuse and over-awe
the citizenry, ahead of the next general election in 2015. We stand
shoulder to shoulder with the Nigerian people in ensuring the noble
ideals of the rule of law reign in our land. We shall continue to
campaign against the vestiges of impunity and all forms of corruption
and corruptive tendencies that are prevalent in this PDP-led
administration.
God bless Nigeria.
Rotimi Fashakin (Engr.)
National Publicity Secretary, CPC
(Sunday, April 21, 2013).
Bayelsa will no longer sponsor AMAA,Governor Seriki Dickson....Why?
Organizers
of the African Movie Academy Awards demonstrated courage and
independence Saturday night when they declared banned film, Fuelling
Poverty, winner of the Best Documentary Category of the 2013 edition of
the awards held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
The hall
erupted in thunderous cheers after the documentary, which was banned
two weeks ago by the Nigerian government, was pronounced winner, in an
event which had top government officials in attendance.
The
Minister of Tourism and Culture, Edem Duke, the Bayelsa State Governor,
Seriake Dickson, and other government officials at the event looked on
helplessly as the organizers declared Fuelling Poverty (Nigeria) as
having prevailed over Gun To Tape (South Africa), Swimming The Zambezi
(South Africa), Give Me Back My Home (Kenya), and The African Cypher Fly
On The Wall (South Africa).
“This is an humiliation for the
Nigerian government,” says Femi Falade, an Ijebu-Ode based writer and
media consultant. “It is a shame that a man the government declared a
person non grata is now being lavishly celebrated right in President
Goodluck Jonathan’s home state.”
watch the video of the banned documentary below...
Friday, April 19, 2013
(PHOTO SPEAK) IF YOU ARE THIS DANFO DRIVER WHAT WILL YOU DO?
This is really crazy, Fashola needs to talk to his boys this lawlessness must stop.....
Photo coutesy of Hope For Nigeria.
Photo coutesy of Hope For Nigeria.
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