Politics

Threat to impeach Buhari laughable – President’s in-law

No Comments

Alhaji Sani Mohammed Sha’aban, an in-law to President Muhammadu Buhari and a former House of Representatives member and 2023 All Progressives Congress’ Governorship Aspirant in Kaduna State, has described threats to impeach the Nigerian leader as a joke.

Sha’aban who accused lawmakers of being partly responsible for the economic and security challenges bedeviling the country, alleged that they’ve failed in their oversight functions, especially on security and economy.

He also claimed that the national assembly members who failed in their representative duties and lack what they will tell their constituents in their re-election campaigns, were behind the impeachment saga, as they want to use President Buhari as scapegoat.

Sha’aban said;

“I look at the stand they (National Assembly members) took as a huge joke. In fact, it is laughable.

“One thing we should know is that Nigeria is not operating in isolation, the rest of the world is watching us. We are in a democracy, even though we borrowed the system from the western world, the other part of the world doesn’t practice democracy the way we are practicing ours.

“We should realize that in the House of Representatives, the Senate, they function under various committees and those committees are in charge of what we call oversight functions but what is happening today? Where are the oversight functions? What happened to reports of activities within the security apparatus?

“So, if anybody will wake up today, coming from the Senate or House of Representatives and points accusing fingers on President Buhari on security, I challenge that person to go and impeach Buhari tomorrow if he dares.

“As you point your finger, millions of people from your constituency will point finger at you. You say you are representing them, is it when it pinches most that you will find a scapegoat? And you want to make Buhari a scapegoat?”

“Was there any time when there was financial request and he passed it and the heads of agencies, the service chiefs and others in charge of security…. was there any time they were punished by the National Assembly? So, why President Buhari? Who is deceiving who? So, let us treat this matter very seriously.

“I happen to come from Zaria and there’s no place in the world that I can cherish, respect and value than my origin.

Wherever I go in the world, I don’t feel comfortable until I step foot in Zaria, because that is where I come from. But today, Zaria is under the siege of bandits, you can hardly sleep.

“So, this is not a joke. Our farmers cannot go to farm, our schools are closed down, so many institutions are close down, we can barely go out to carry out our basic activities for the day without the fear of being kidnapped, bandits are coming from left, right and centre.

“Look at Giwa, look at Birnin-Gwari, Chikun, Kajuru. All these are parts of Kaduna that, today whether you like it or not, you cannot afford to stay beyond 6:00pm, you have to move.

“But then, somebody will just come because he feels the time is here to recontest and come back to the National Assembly and he doesn’t want his people to ask him what he has done as their Senator or Rep member. So, he can be saying it is the fault of Buhari. That is bullshit. We must tell ourselves the truth.”

Politics

There’s consequence for using religion to manipulate politics – Bishop Kukah warns

No Comments

Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto State has warned that using religion to manipulate politics will have a devastating effect on the development of the country.

Bishop Kukah highlighted what happened in Germany during the reign of Adolf Hitler and added that using religion to manipulate polictics would come with a grave consequence.

He made the observation on Tuesday, August 30, in Abuja during the presentation of his new book, “Broken Truth,” as part of activities lined up for his birthday. Kukah, who turns 70 today, August 31, said that the problem is that the Nigerian political elites lacked the mental capacity to understand the consequences of the fire they were stoking.

He said:

“If you look at history, there’s a consequence for using religion to manipulate politics. We just need to look at Germany, the consequences are there to see in Hitler.

The problem is that the Nigerian political elites lack the mental capacity to understand the consequences of the fire they are stoking because there is nothing to suggest, the average person who is living in the north, who is Fulani, who is a Muslim, who is Hausa, can say that they are proud of the Nigerian political system, beyond a very tiny percentage.

“And I have said that Buhari’s recruitment process has the tendency to cause a threat because we have lost the moral right to quarrel with Boko Haram who say except you accept our way, you will die.

“If you decide that you want to give privilege to a religion or an ethnic group, what will happen is that others automatically become outsiders.”

World News

NCC fixes $0.10 for international calls termination

No Comments

The Nigerian Communications Commission has set $0.10 as the new fixed International Termination Rate for voice services paid by overseas telecom carriers for ending international calls on local networks in Nigeria.

The ITR pertains to the cost of bringing call traffic into Nigeria, and it was increased from the $0.045 initially presented in December last year as a floor price.

The Commission said the new rate, which would take effect September 1, 2022, was the fixed rate for ITR services.It added that international operators were mandated to pay local operations in dollars.

This is according to a document on the Determination of Mobile (Voice) International Termination Rate (As Amended) as of August 25, 2022, which is available on the NCC website.On the reason for backtracking on the floor price to a fixed price, the NCC noted,

“While the Determination had set a floor price at $0.045 and gives the MNOs room to negotiate on commercial terms with carriers, there were related indications that MNOs took advantage of this latitude to engage in discriminatory pricing that favours their related international carrier partners to the detriment of the Nigerian transit/IDA operators.

“To check the incidence of such anticompetitive disposition, it was agreed by all parties at the meetings that a fixed rate should be adopted by the Commission, in place of the floor rate which had provided a platform for negotiations with various carriers at a rate above the floor.

“It was further agreed that the present Determination should be amended to include this new fixed rate.”

Lifestyle, Politics

Peter Obi Hails 11-year-old Gymnastics Champion, Stephanie Onusiriuka

No Comments

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has sent a congratulatory message to gymnastics champion, Stephanie Onusiriuka.

Onusiriuka, 11, bagged a gold medal at the African Junior Gymnastics Championship in Pretoria, South Africa. In a statement on his Twitter handle on Tuesday, Obi said,

“Our Dear Stephanie Onusiriuka has just written her name in gold. Having won a Gold Medal at the African Junior Gymnastics Championship in Pretoria, South Africa at age 11. Hearty congratulations on achieving such a great feat.”

Lifestyle

Two friends land in court after one borrowed the other her business money to plan her upcoming wedding that was later cancelled

No Comments

Two friends have dragged themselves to court after one borrowed the other her business money to plan for her upcoming wedding that was later cancelled.

A Twitter user who shared the story online wrote;

”Your friend borrowed you her business money for your wedding preparations (a?? ebi). Sadly, fiancee cheated and wedding was called off. Time to refund money, you are saying the friend should let it go.

Court and the owner said no that you should say a date you want to pay back and you are saying 3 years! Where do you see these kínd of friends tho?”

Lifestyle

You have the right to do video recordings but why do it to taunt, provoke, patronize and sometimes obstruct police officers on duty? – Lagos police PRO asks Nigerians

No Comments

SP Benjamin Hundeyin who is the spokesperson of the Lagos state police command has said that Nigerians have a right to record a police officer who stops them for a search, but wonders why they do their recordings to “taunt, provoke or sometimes obstruct the officers carrying out their duties.”

He shared a copy of the criminal act which states that assaulting a police officer or obstructing him while carrying out his duties is guilty of felony and liable to three years imprisonment. See his tweet below…

Lifestyle

Nigerian lady narrates discrimination Nigerian students who fled Ukraine are being subjected to by Ukrainian universities

No Comments

A Nigerian lady has narrated the discrimination Nigerian students who fled Ukraine following the ongoing war with Russia, are being subjected to by universities in the European country.

@Chylady revealed that Nigerian students who fled Ukraine are being pressurized to pay their fees for September and return to the country without their safety being guaranteed.

She also said the Ukrainian universities are threatening to expel the students if they don’t pay their fees and are also frustrating their requests for transcripts to transfer to other universities.

It was also alleged that while these universities are facilitating the transfer of Ukrainian students into European universities, they threaten African students who request for their transcripts and also insist they must pay they must their school fees or risk getting expelled.

Lifestyle, Politics

Dethroned Zamfara Emir dies in Dubai

No Comments

The dethroned Emir of Zurmi in Zamfara State, Abubakar Atiku, has died in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Atiku died in a private hospital following a protracted illness.

Recall that the deceased was dethroned along with the Emir of Dansadau, Husaini Umar on April 27, 2021, for allegedly aiding banditry in their respective emirates.

A family member, Sani Zurmi, who confirmed the death to Punch, said that the remains of the deceased were yet to be brought to Nigeria for burial.

“His remains are still in Dubai due to non availability of flight to bring the deceased back home for burial,” said Zurmi.

Lifestyle

Truck crushes Taekwondo athlete to death in Nasarawa days after winning silver medal

No Comments

A Taekwondo athlete, Maria Uchenna Raphael, has been killed in a motor accident in Nasarawa State.

The deceased, who won a silver medal for team Nasarawa in the just concluded Bayelsa Open Taekwondo, was crushed to death by a truck in Lafia, the state capital on Friday, August 26.

The Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, in a statement on Saturday, said the deceased had gone to purchase some items from a grocery store along UAC road few hours after returning home from the championship in Yenagoa, which ended on August 24th, 2022.

The statement signed by spokesperson of the ministry, Uche Amos, described the death as an unquantifiable loss, adding that her immense contributions to sports in the state would be sorely missed.

“Words fail us as we were greeted today by the ugly news on the sudden death of one of our illustrious medal-winning athletes, Maria Raphael,” the statement read.

“We gathered from reliable sources that Maria was crushed to death by an articulated vehicle(trailer) along UAC road, Lafia, while on her way to purchase some items from a grocery store in the evening of Friday, 26th August, 2022, few hours after returning home from a championship in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where she represented Nasarawa State.

“At the 15th edition of the Panamai West African and Cottage Mills Taekwondo Championship held early this month in Lagos, the late Maria Raphael was one of the athletes who inspired Team Nasarawa to finish 4th position on the medals’ table as she won a Bronze medal in the -46kg Women’s Category at the Championship.

“She also won silver medal for Team Nasarawa at the recently concluded Bayelsa Open Taekwondo Championships held from 21st to 24th August, 2022, in Yenagoa, South-South Nigeria.

“The deceased was a committed, dedicated and focused athlete, winning medals of different categories for Nasarawa State, ranging from Cadet, Junior, and until her untimely demise, Senior Category

“Maria brought lots of glory and honour to Nasarawa State at different sporting championships.

World News

Nigerian man and his Indian wife arrested for allegedly duping government employee of over N15m

No Comments

A Nigerian man and his Indian wife have been arrested in Delhi for allegedly duping a government employee out of Rs 30 lakh (N15,838m) through honey-trapping.

The accused identified as Emmanuel Nnamani and his wife, T. Suchim Tikhir, a native of Nagaland, were arrested from Delhi’s Maidangari area by Cyber Crime & Economic Offence Police of Balasore on Saturday, August 27, 2022.

Earlier this month, another Nigerian national, Samson Emeke Alika, was arrested in connection with the case. The complainant alleged that he came in contact with a woman who claimed to be from United Kingdom (UK) through Facebook and they had chatted through Whatsapp.

The woman allegedly informed the complainant of having sent a gift of huge value containing gold biscuits, a Rolex watch, and an I-phone.

Later the complainant received a call over the phone, the caller identifying himself as a Customs Officer informed that a gift of high value in his name has arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) from London for which he has to pay Customs charges to receive the gift.

The complainant kept depositing Rs 2 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, and Rs 4 lakh at different instances to the tune of around Rs 30 lakh. Then the complainant realized that he has been duped and lodged a complaint at the Balasore Cyber Police Station.

Following the investigation, Balasore Cyber Police arrested Alika from New Delhi earlier this. His passport had expired in 2018 and another passport in his possession appeared to be a forged one.

Amresh Kumar Panigrahi, additional SP, Balasore, said they have seized two laptops, one Hyundai i20 car, one Dangal, two invalid passports, one SBI passbook, two gold chains and seven mobile phones from the couple’s possession.

The three persons worked as a team to cheat the victim from Balasore district. Further investigation into the case is on, to nab other people involved, Panigrahi added.

Politics

Nigeria is on drip and oxygen – Governor Samuel Ortom

No Comments

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, has said that Nigeria is currently on “drip and oxygen.”

The governor spoke at the Port Harcourt International Airport when he returned to the country alongside Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, and Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia governor on Friday, August 26.

Recall that the PDP governors met with former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo and Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in London. They also met with their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Speaking shortly after their arrival, Governor Ortom who has never hidden his disdain for the Buhari-led government said;

“We are looking at how we can harness ideas and put ourselves together to ensure that we get out of the present challenge we are in Nigeria today.From top to bottom, consider what has happened from 2015 and where we are today. So, what we are doing is a concern that we have for our country, Nigeria.

This is beyond partisan politics. We are looking at how we can come together and find a way of ensuring that Nigeria survives. Nigeria is on a drip, Nigeria is on oxygen and it is about how can we get out of this.

We have individually also had earlier commitments in Europe even if consultations are still going on because nothing concrete has been decided. The consultation is going on and will continue to go on. We are still going to meet here.”

Lifestyle, Videos

Man in viral video assaulting a police officer arrested, to be arraigned in court

No Comments

The Nigerian man who was caught on camera assaulting a police officer in Lagos state has been arrested and will be arraigned in court.

According to the Lagos state police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the accused identified as Billy King Tokunbo, drove against traffic and was arrested.

He said the accused man’s Toyota Corolla car with registration number LSR 430 FT has been impounded and that he will be arraigned in court for his traffic offence and assault on a police officer.

World News

137 borders in Nigeria are unguarded – CDS Lucky Irabor

No Comments

Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff has said that 137 out of about 261 borders in the north-east and north-west regions of the country are unguarded.

Delivering a lecture on “security, defence & development in Nigeria” at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos on Thursday August 25, Irabor noted that porous nature of the borders has made it easily accessible for terrorists and bandits to enter the country to commit mayhem.

He said;

“Our borders are largely unmanned. The penetrability of our vast unmanned land areas – the north-east and north-west zones, particularly Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina states – with neigbouring countries such as Niger Republic and Chad among others has continued to be a key source of criminality and violent crimes in those parts of the country.

“The porous nature of the borders has made it easily accessible for terrorists and bandits to enter the country to commit mayhem. For instance, there are about 364 approved international border points in Nigeria with about 261 in the north-east and north-west regions.

Out of this 261 only 124 are manned leaving the remaining 137 unmanned by security agencies. Intelligence suggests that violence actors are using some of these normal border points to move freely from countries into Nigeria to cause mayhem.”

Irabor who advocated for use of technology as a tool in strengthening the Nigerian borders, erection of physical structures and an effective management, added that there is a need to have a broad based integrated border management system to be established.

He said;

“So I am looking ahead, when we bring technology to bear in the management of our borders, in addition of course, to physical, structures that need to be established across the length of our borders, then we cam contribute to the overall security of our land.“We move to correct this but the point remains that a good number of borders remain unmanned.”

Lifestyle

Delta state police declare man wanted for shooting 11-year-old boy dead while testing a gun in Delta

No Comments

The police in Delta state has declared a 27-year-old man identified as Kome Ogaga wanted for allegedly shooting an eleven-year-old boy identified as Hossana Merritt dead.

A tweet released by the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Bright Edafe, said the suspect shot the deceased dead while he was testing a locally made gun on August 22.

”On monday 22/8/2022, This suspect Kome ogaga age 27years while testing a locally made gun, shot and killed one 11year old boy Hossanna Merritt. The suspect abandoned his house and ran away. Pls whoever knows his whereabout should help so that the little boy can get justice.”

Lifestyle, Politics

We speak of ‘japa’ but many Nigerians are returning – Abike Dabiri-Erewa says

No Comments

The chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said that despite the number of Nigerians aiming to leave the country, there is also a significant number returning to the country.

Dabiri-Erewa, who spoke at a press briefing at the state house in Abuja on Thursday, August 25, said a number of persons are returning to Nigeria to invest in the agricultural and healthcare sector.

“We speak of “japa” as a one-way phenomenon, but we also have Nigerians constantly returning home. There are examples of Nigerians returning home, occasionally or permanently, to do interesting things, in agriculture, healthcare, etc.

The hospital where the VP was recently treated was set up by diaspora doctors. I’m not saying Nigeria’s not a challenging environment, but we must also acknowledge those who are coming back home to do impactful things” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa said the commission is making an effort to see that Nigerians in the diaspora are allowed to vote.

“The national assembly is still not interested in diaspora voting, but we will not relent and continue to engage with them.

Because I believe everyone should know that the diaspora should be able to vote. So we hope that we continue to engage with the parliament. There’s a big deal about diaspora voting” she said

Politics

People want to serve Nigeria but they also have to eat – Sanusi speaks on brain drain in different sectors in the country

No Comments

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, has asked presidential candidates to prioritize health and education sectors to enhance productivity.

Speaking at an event organised by the board and management of Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi Foundation (MAMF) in Lagos, on Wednesday August 24, Sanusi said Nigerian politicians, especially presidential candidates, must have a clear plan and utmost respect for the two sectors as they had failed abysmally.

The former Governor of Central Bank also noted that doctors and teachers have not been treated well, hence, the brain drain experienced in the sectors.

He said;

“Education and health are the foundation of the economy, if we don’t prioritize these sectors, then we are finished. The rate of brain drain is high because prepared budgets in the health and education sectors have been embezzled and mismanaged.

“You can’t treat your teachers and doctors as if they are nothing. That is the reason they are leaving the country in droves. We must reverse brain drain by respecting the demands of teachers and health practitioners.

“As a people and most especially as governments, we have lost our respect for the professions that should be respected. Teachers and doctors are not looking for money but the amount of money we invest in training our children in becoming doctors and teachers can never be earned in salaries in this country but people deserve a decent life and also respect.

“People want to serve but they also want to eat. They are humans who have basic responsibility, they want to educate their children. We have created an economy where everybody on a narrow salary is being impoverished.”

He also pointed out that while there is high inflation in the country where the average doubles every hour, salaries of doctors and teachers are not increased to accommodate the inflation leading to lack of motivation to serve the nations.

Politics

Actor Kenneth Okonkwo defects to Labour Party weeks after his resignation from APC

No Comments

Actor Kenneth Okonkwo has defected to Labour Party. This comes weeks after his resignation from APC following the party’s decision to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Okonkwo announced his defection on his Instagram page this morning August 24.

”It was an honour and a privilege to be welcomed into the Labour Party on the 23rd of August, 2022, at the Supreme God House, Apo, Abuja, by the entire executive of the FCT Labour Party, representing the National Executive of the Party.

I feel loved and cherished by the visit of these distinguished officials of this peoplecentric Party to our Chambers which culminated in my officially joining the Labour Party as a member.

This will enable me assist in my own humble way to the enthronement of His Excellency, Peter Obi, as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023 for the good governance of our dear country which is so blessed by God but has been so battered by bad leaders.

I thank the Dynamics Ambassadors for Peter Obi (DAPO), which I am its National Spokesperson, for facilitating this my membership of Labour Party for the enthronement of good governance in Nigeria.I enjoin all citizens of Nigeria to join in this movement for the actualization of this divine mandate of Peter Obi come 2023.”he wrote

World News

Appeal Court upholds life sentence of two Nigerians and others jailed for drug smuggling in Cambodia

No Comments

The Phnom Penh Appeal Court has upheld the life sentence given by the municipal court to two Nigerian men, a Filipina and Cambodian woman, in connection with smuggling of more than 2.5 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil to Cambodia in 2014.

Presiding Judge Ky Rithy said, “After having a clear consideration in this case, the Judges’ Council of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court has found that the sentences given by the Phnom Penh Appeal Court is appropriate and fit for their offence.”

The four convicts have the rights to appeal against the judgement to the Supreme Court within a month.

Judge Ky Rithy named the four as 49-year-old former nurse from Philippines Macoy Mavill Villamor; Nigerian cloth vendors Emmanuel Thankgod, male, 41; and Michael Sunshine, male, 39; and Cambodian Meng Sinuon, 38, a former waitress working with a French-owned-restaurant living in Chamkar Mon district’s Phsar Doeum Thkov commune.

Macoy was sentenced on September 16, 2014 by the Municipal Court with a life sentence while Sunshine got 30 years, Thankgod 27 years, and Meng Sinuon got 22 years in prison.

Besides, all the convicts were slapped with fine of $10,000 each. They were charged with ‘drug transport and trafficking’ under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control.

Macoy was arrested on February 12, 2014 at the Phnom Penh International Airport in a joint operation by the police in the anti-drug department at the Ministry of Interior, the excise and customs police officers and immigration police.

Police seized a total of 2,513 grammes of cocaine powders from Macoy and her confession led to the arrest of Nigerians who arrived to receive the drug from her.

Lifestyle, Politics

This may be false news to tarnish the good job of Buhari and El Rufai – Twitter user tells man who said his mother was shot by bandits along Abuja-Kaduna highway

No Comments

A Twitter user, Ibrahim took to the platform on Monday, August 22, to disclose that his mother was shot by bandits along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

According to him, the bandits also abducted one of his relatives during the attack.

His family member, Saleem Quardir, who confirmed the incident, said the victim was shot and dumped alive along the road.

Commenting on the tweet on Tuesday, a user said it may be a false news posted to tarnish the ‘good job of President Buhari and Governor El Rufai.’

Meanwhile, Ibrahim in an update, said his mother is receiving treatment in a hospital.

World News

UK Govt in talks with Nigeria to receive migrants rejected for asylum in the UK

No Comments

Nigeria is among five more African countries reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ with the UK government over a Rwanda-style deal.

The UK-Rwanda deal seeks to remove illegal immigrants from the UK for processing their asylum claims out of Europe.Now, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, Niger, and Ghana are all in discussions with the UK government about receiving migrants rejected for asylum from the UK, The Times reports.

This comes after 25 boats were intercepted by Border Force and the Royal Navy on Monday and escorted into Dover and Dungeness in the morning, before hundreds more people were brought ashore into the evening amid a large number of migrants crossing the Channel to the UK.

According to reports, as many as 1,000 people may have arrived yesterday, after three days without crossings.

August is set to become a record month for the year with around 6,000 migrants having crossed the Channel so far, The Telegraph reports.

The highest ever total in a month is 6,878 in November. And yesterday the yearly total reached 21,000. The total did not pass 20,000 until November in 2021.

It was also revealed that the Foreign Office has been taking up the task of establishing a list of countries interested in agreeing on a Rwanda-style deal.

An initial list of 20 countries was quickly reduced when ambassadors warned that seeking such agreements would damage relations.

Albania, North Macedonia, and Moldova were on the initial list but were removed following the negative media coverage.

Close Menu

Privacy Policy