News cases of Ebola disease recorded in Liberia

Two new cases of Ebola virus disease have been recorded in Liberia.

The new cases come two weeks after a 17 year old boy died from the deadly viral disease on June 28th.

Liberia's deputy incident management system leader Francis Keteh confirmed the new cases and said this brings to five the number of Liberians that have contacted the very contagious disease.

He added that 11 high risk cases and 42 low risk cases who had all come in contact with the 17-year-old while he was ill have been quarantined and are beeing closely monitored.

Source Linda Ikeji

Man accused of killing 18 year old gf & burning her 3yr old son alive

Prudencio Ramirez stands accused of killing his 18 year old girlfriend and her three year old son in Washing ton State.

Family members suspect jealousy may have led to the grue some slayings of the teen and her son, who were found shot and severely burned in a remote part of Franklin County.

Maria G. Cruiz-Calvillo, and Luis F. Lopez-Cruz were identified on Monday July 6th as the bodies found last week inside a vehicle that was set on fire in a ravine near the intersection of Scootney and Ridge roads.

Luis likely was still alive when the car went up in flames, according to Franklin County coroner.

Luis would have turned four years old on today Thursday July 9th...

Fragos-Ramirez was arrested hours into the investigation at his home less than a mile from where the bodies were found.

Prosecutors say Fragos-Ramirez was deported in 2014 and got back into the country illegally.

Family members had never met Fragos-Ramirez, though Cruiz-Calvillo talked to her mother about a guy she was seeing, whom she apparently referred to by the nickname “Loco,” Rodriguez said. “(The family) thinks she never wanted a serious relationship with him,” Rodriguez said. “It’s jealousy.” Family members last saw Cruiz-Calvillo the afternoon of her death as she was leaving Othello with Luis for Pasco to make a car payment, court documents said.

She routinely went to Pasco to make car payments.

“We checked with the bank,” Rodriguez said. “She made the payment at 3:43 (p.m.).” 2 neighbors saw Cruiz-Calvillo and Luis arrive at Fragos-Ramirez’s home about 4:40 p.m., court documents said.

The neighbors recognized the mother and son because they frequent the house on Hog back Road.

Between 10 and 20 minutes later, the neighbors saw the pair and Fragos-Ramirez walking towards Cruiz-Calvillo’s car, court documents said.

They didn’t see Fragos-Ramirez return to the house and did n’t see him again until about 7 p.m.

Smoke was spotted coming from the ravine where the bodies were found about 20 to 30 minutes after the trio was seen leaving the home.

It took detectives eight minutes to drive from the home to the spot where the bodies were found.

Detectives were able to track down Fragos-Ramirez for an interview after Cruiz-Calvillo’s brother, Arturo Calvillo, remembered meeting a man who matched the description of Fragos-Ramirez while at a house on church business.

Calvillo took Detective Jason Nunez to the house, and Nunez contacted a woman there.

The woman told Nunez she had a brother who was at the house when Calvillo came over.

She called Fragos-Ramirez and handed the phone to Nunez, who then set up an interview.

Fragos-Ramirez told Nunez he last had contact with Cruiz-Calvillo about 2:30 p.m. the day she was killed and had not heard from or seen her since.

Nunez arrested Fragos-Ramirez on an out standing warrant and booked him in to jail.

After Nunez spoke to the neighbors, he interviewed Fragos-Ramirez again.

Fragos-Ramirez claimed Cruiz-Calvillo came to his house about 5:10 p.m. to bring him cigarettes.

“He said he last saw (Cruiz-Calvillo) and her son leaving his property in her vehicle,” Nunez wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

“He said her son was in the back seat in a child seat.”

Nunez searched Fragos-Ramirez’s home and found three clean boxes of .9-mm ammunition stashed in a tire in a dusty shed on the property, court documents said.

Fragos-Ramirez admitted to recently having a .9-mm hand gun, but claimed he s old it to Cruiz-Calvillo three days before the murders for $300 “because he needed the money for a party he was throwing that day.”

Fragos-Ramirez claimed his brother, Isabel Fragoza, had seen him sell the gun to Cruiz-Calvillo.

Fragoza denied the claim and told Nunez he had seen his brother with a hand gun recently, but didn’t know what happened to the gun.

Authorities booked Fragos-Ramirez for two counts of first-degree murder after determining he was seen with the victims shortly before they were killed and that he was unaccounted for when they died.

Prosecutors said in court Monday that Fragos- Ramirez could possibly be charged with aggravated first-degree murder, which carries an automatic sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Rodriguez said her family is having trouble understanding how someone could take the life of a child so violently.

Insurgency Deteriorates Under Buhari – Ekweremadu

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed worry over the alarming spate of insurgency in the country.

He noted with dismay that the unfortunate development had attained a worrisome dimension since President Muhammadu Buhari took over power on May 29, 2015.

READ ALSO: Plot To Remove Ekweremadu: Ohanaeze Ndigbo, WIC Send Warning He said, “I am worried about the insurgence of the Boko Haram activities in Nigeria.

Shortly before the inauguration of the present government, the country had almost rolled back Boko Haram and its activities in every part of Nigeria – from Adamawa to Borno to Yobe.

“I was hoping that when we come back in the 8th Assembly, that I will work with our colleagues from the North-East to develop a plan of action that will help to rehabilitate that part of Nigeria.

I feel so concerned about the suffering of our people from the North-East of Nigeria.

“I had hoped that by now we would be tasking our selves on how best to rebuild that part of Nigeria.

Regrettably the actions of Boko Haram seems to have resurfaced now not only in Borno, they have carried out their activities also in Plateau, they have gone to Adamawa, Kaduna.

“I am worried that if nothing is done, the next target would be Abuja.

Maybe they start going to South.

It is important for us as those in government, whether Executive or Legislature, to come together to find solutions to these problems.”

He there fore appealed to neighbouring countries and the international community to support the country to fight Boko Haram, stressing that there was no way the nation could achieve progress in the country when security problems linger on.

He said the Buhari administration should, as a matter of urgency, “deal with this security challenge no matter what it would cost us.”

He also called for collaboration between the Executive and the Legislature in order to deal with the menace.

READ ALSO: Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu Issues Warning To APC Ekweremadu said, “We must be on the same page on this matter.

I believe that it is time for us to have meetings with the Executive as well as the security agencies in order to find out exactly what has happened – why the resurgence of these Boko Haram activities and what we can do as a people to ensure that this matter is dealt with decisively.”

He expressed sympathy with the Boko Haram victims and called for an immediate action to stop the menace.

FG pays Maiduguri varsity N30m IDPs’ medical bills

The Federal Government has, through the National Emergency Management Agency, paid N30m to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital to boost timely response to medical cases of Internally Displaced Persons and victims of Boko Haram attacks in Borno State.

Plan is said to be under way to extend similar gesture to other major hospitals in Maiduguri, the state capital, which had treated victims of insurgency in the state.

Speaking at a press briefing of stakeholders in emergency management in Maiduguri on Thursday, the North-East Zonal Coordinator of the NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar, said the agency had supported the state government to pay the medical bills of IDPs referred from camps and victims of bomb blasts.

Kanar added, “NEMA has given N30m to the teaching hospital as support to enable them to timely respond to the needs of health cases referred to them.

Similar support will be provided to other major hospitals in due course.”

The NEMA coordinator explained that the agency and the Borno State Emergency Management Agency were coordinating all activities in collaboration with humanitarian organisation’s and lined ministries, IDPs’ committees and LGA officials.”

Kanar, who was at the press conference with other stakeholders, including officials of UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, MSF and ACF, said the activities under taken in the camps included supervision of daily food cooking, supervision of shelter and identification of gaps and psychological support to affected population among others.

The Way I Dress Does Not Mean I'm Promiscuous - She Baby

Controversial Yoruba actress and singer, Seyi Ariyo, popularly known as Shebaby has made it known that the way she dresses should not make people think she is promiscuous.

In a new interview with Seun Manuel Faleye, the actress who has been in the entertain ment industry for 15 years talked about her career, controversies and lots more.

Read excerpts below: Preparation for your 15years anniversary is in upbeat, what are the details going into the preparations and what should we expect from the event?

A whole lot is going into the event in terms of preparations.

There are going to be performances by the likes of Obesere, Pasuma and so on.

And we have our Co-operate Sponsors too like Pepsi, Unilever, G.S.K, Big Kola, Solink, Astorial Foods and so on.

A whole lot of cooperate sponsors are going to be identifying with us on that day.

Is this going to be the regular Asoebi celebration? Of course there will be Asoebi.

The reason for choosing Asoebi is for the purpose of uniformity, we want to see the fashion and styles of our guests (celebrities).

We want people to see how beautiful they all look on traditional attire.

The Asoebi will not degrade or reduce the value of the programm in anyway.

READ ALSO: Fabulous Photos! Laide Bakare Goes Shopping The Big Girl’s Way In US Looking back now how will you define your career so far in the last fifteen years and what are the basic lessons you have picked?

So far so good, there have been a lot of challenges along the line, I started in 1998, but professionally in the year 2000.

There has been so many challenges, so many ups and downs; I have had both positive and negative part of the entertainment industry.

I keep growing stronger and getting better by the day.

I have been able to produce eleven movies and to my credit five music albums in succession.

Have you had any time you felt like backing out of Entertainment?

What challenges have you had to cope with as a film maker.

Asides the problem of piracy, the last fifteen years has been great.

If not for the passion I have for this business I would have dropped a long time ago, because it’s not like one is actually making a huge amount of money from it, but because of the passion and for the fact that I just want to be relevant and just want people (My fans) to keep seeing my work.

I’m into entertainment because its my passion and it gives me joy.

So anytime I have a bad experience, I just shake it off and move on.

What informs your style? Basically my mood affects my style.

Most of the time it is my mood that determines my mode of dressing.

Sometimes I just dress to impress; everyone does that.

I dress to stair up news, just get people talking.

One thing people should just understand is that the fact that you dress in a particular way does not mean you are promiscuous.

I just love to express myself. I know how to use controversy to my advantage.

It works for me as a brand, not everyone can handle it.

What Are you working on at the moment My next job is “Itara Ife”, there has never been anything like that before in the industry.

It’s a full length feature film Pantomime.

It is a movie with no dialogue, no subtitle, no narration and it is a one hour thirty minutes movie, trust me you will get value for your money when you watch it, we have the likes of Femi Adebayo, myself and other stars in it. That’s my latest work.

Presidency faults PDP on N713.7bn bailout for states

The Presidency on Wednesday took on the Peoples Democratic Party and those it called the party’s agents over their position on the relief released to state governments by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, accused the PDP of creating unnecessary controversy over “the well- intentioned effort” of the President.

He described as “banal and ludicrous” the claim by the party’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh, that the past government should be given credit for saving the money that was disbursed.

The statement read in part, “Mr. Metuh’s claim that a significant amount of the funds came from savings accumulated in the Excess Crude Account and handed over to the Buhari administration is completely false and deliberately intended to mislead the public.

“As we clearly stated yesterday (on Tuesday), the funds approved by President Buhari for sharing to the three tiers of government on Monday came entirely from dividends and taxes paid to the Federation Account by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company, not from the Excess Crude Account.

“The disbursed NLNG dividends and taxes were paid into the Federation Account in June this year and confirmed by the Central Bank’s statement to the Federal Government on July 7, 2015.

“The funds cannot, there fore, be considered ‘savings’ by the Jonathan administration which left office in May, 2015, as disingenuously claimed by Mr. Metuh.

“Instead of being repeatedly impugned and castigated by the PDP and its agents for honestly telling Nigerians that the nation’s treasury has been immensely depleted and its resources looted or squandered under previous administrations, President Buhari should be commended for the openness, transparency and accountability which he has now brought to the management of national funds.

“It was in keeping with that disposition that the President promptly disclosed the accrual of the NLNG dividends and taxes to the Federation Account at his recent meeting with state governors and approved the convening of a special session of the FAAC to share it.

“As a state governor, who was present at the meeting, remarked, under the past administrations, the states never had the benefit of such disclosures.

“Mr. Metuh and others, who now ungratefully see Monday’s disbursement of the NLNG proceeds as their “legitimate” earnings and not a “bailout” from the Federal Government, may wish to tell Nigerians if such earnings were ever disclosed by the PDP Federal Government and paid to the states in the past.

“The public may also wish to note that the Buhari administration itself has never referred to the actions which it was taken to ease the current financial difficulties of states as a “bailout.”

Abandoned mother of triple twins receives cash from group, who also offered scholarship to one set of twins

More help came for Mrs Ruth Uche, the abandoned mother of triple set of twins, as a humanitarian organization called Voice of Divine Truth Int’l Outreach, (aka Voice of Change Network) gave her a cash donation, and offered her 2nd set of twins scholarship from primary to university level.

This came on the heels of the Speaker’s visit and the Governor’s kind gesture to her. Sitting in her dimly lit one room which doubled as her bedroom and her sitting room, the President of the group, Mr Gregory Azemobor expressed gratitude to God for the life of the children and their mother.

He also stressed the fact that the children need to be given a future.

He also called on well-meaning Nigerians to do what they can in supporting this woman and her six children.

Ruth who earns a paltry N10,000 monthly salary as a teacher in a day care Centre narrated her ordeal of sending her children to school.

According to her, the children’s fees is N10,000 per child, but thanks to the management of the school who asked her to pay N5,000 instead.

She narrated how she uses her two months’ salary to pay her four children’s fees.

As for the books and feeding, she says she teaches an evening class of six children who pays her #1,000 each monthly, which brings in additional #6,000 for the feeding and the upkeep of the family.

The question is ’how can #6,000 cater for the needs of a growing family of seven?’

Ruth is only one of such people in our society who needs to be shown love. Let’s not wait for the government.

You can do something no matter how little, to make life easier for someone.- Austin Edoho

Source Linda Ikeji

“LNG bailout fund Jonathans savings”- PDP insists - advises presidency to deal on issues & stop personal insults & abuses

Press statement from the PDP....

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) insists that contrary to claims by the Presidency, the $2.1 billion Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) component of the bailout for states was actually saved by the immediate past President Jonathan-led PDP administration.

The party said in actual fact the LNG dividend stood at $5.6 billion even before the hand over date of May 29th and would have been shared but for the insistence of former President Goodluck Jonathan that it be left for the incoming administration to manage.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in statement on Wednesday thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for making it possible for Nigerians to know that monies were left behind by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The party said despite attempts by the APC-led administration to hide the truth, the issuance of the bailout with funds from the LNG proceeds and the Excess Crude Account (ECA) has exposed the fact that the PDP administration actually left behind huge sums of money, contrary to the impression earlier given to Nigerians and the international community that the new administration met a virtually empty treasury.

“It is gratifying to note that gradually the evidence of monies left behind by the PDP-led administration is coming to public light despite effort by the new government to hide the facts.

The public had been made aware that $2 billion was left in the ECA for which the Accountant – General and the APC confirmed approvals for the with drawal of $1.7 billion.

“We know that surely, though slowly, a lot of other monies saved by the PDP and which are now under the control of the APC government will eventually be unveiled by this administration them selves and without any effort on our part what so ever.

The PDP says it believes that President Buhari must have realized that he was earlier misdirected on the actual state of the nation’s finances and should as a respected statesman apologize to his predecessor, President Goodluck Jonathan who also ensured that he handed over to him a peaceful and stable environment to operate.

The party said “President Buhari as a leader on whose shoulders lies the mandate of the Nigerian people and the burden of governance for the next four years should strive to disentangle him self from the intrigues, propaganda, blackmail and machinations of some leaders in his party and focus on delivering on his campaign promises for which he was elected.”

The PDP also urged the APC as a party in power to rise above board and endeavor to be honest in its dealings, especially if it wants Nigerians to take it seriously.

It said a situation where a ruling party will resort to a dishonorable act of altering a statement where it earlier acknowledged the approval for the with drawal from the ECA, just to hide the truth, leaves much to be desired.

Finally, we want the public to note that all our statements and engagements have been based on facts and issues.

Consequently, we urge the Presidency to focus on issues and stop trending on personal insults, threats and abuses.

Bailout: Metuh’s statement banal, ludicrous, says presidency

The Presidency on Wednesday took on the Peoples Democratic Party and those it called the party’s agents over their position on the relief released to state governments by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, accused the party of creating unnecessary controversy over “the well- intentioned effort” of the President.

He described as “banal and ludicrous,” the claim by the party’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh, that the past government should be given credit for saving the money that was disbursed.

The statement read in part, “Mr. Metuh’s claim that a significant amount of the funds came from savings accumulated in the Excess Crude Account and handed over to the Buhari Administration is completely false and deliberately intended to mislead the public.

“As we clearly stated on Tuesday, the funds approved by President Buhari for sharing to the three tiers of government on Monday, came entirely from dividends and taxes paid to the Federation Account by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG), not from the Excess Crude Account.

“The disbursed NLNG dividends and taxes were paid into the Federation Account in June this year and confirmed by the Central Bank’s Statement to the Federal Government on July 7, 2015.

“The funds cannot there fore be considered ‘savings’ by the Jonathan Administration, which left office in May, 2015, as disingenuously claimed by Mr. Metuh.”

The statement further read, “Instead of being repeatedly impugned and castigated by the PDP and its agents for honestly telling Nigerians that the nation’s treasury has been immensely depleted and its resources looted or squandered under previous administrations, President Buhari should be commended for the openness, transparency and accountability which he has now brought to the management of national funds.

“It was in keeping with that disposition that the President promptly disclosed the accrual of the NLNG dividends and taxes to the Federation Account at his recent meeting with State Governors and approved the convening of a special session of the FAAC to share it.

“As a state governor who was present at the meeting remarked, under past administrations, the states never had the benefit of such disclosures.

“Mr. Metuh and others who now ungratefully see Monday’s disbursement of the NLNG proceeds as their ‘legitimate’ earnings and not a ‘bailout’ from the Federal Government may wish to tell Nigerians if such earnings were ever disclosed by the PDP Federal Government and paid to the states in the past.

Another Untethered container accident in Lagos today

Pictures from an accident in Anthony Oke, Lagos today involving a trailer and a car.

The government needs to act fast & handle the issue of untethered containers on all roads.

More photos after the cut...

Source Linda Ikeji

Telkom to lay-off 4,400 workers

South African fixed-line telecoms operator, Telkom, said on Wednesday it would continue with its plan to lay-off 4,400 staff.

This is after a court on Wednesday ordered it to halt job cuts until workers were consulted about the process.

“It is a temporary delay.

The restructuring must continue,” the firm’s spokes woman, Jacqui O’Sullivan, said. O’Sullivan said the company needed to cut 7,800 jobs on total.

Telkom, in which the government owns a stake of about 40 per cent, is in the middle of a turnaround plan that aims to bring down costs and better compete with wireless operators, MTN Group and Vodacom.

Three labour unions had taken Telkom to court, arguing that workers were being left out of the process.

“The court ruling is a huge victory for us, because it gives us an opportunity to participate in the process,” Solidarity Deputy General Secretary Johan Kruger said.

“There is a possibility that there will eventually be job losses but by being able to participate in the process, we can try and save jobs.”

Telkom employs about 18,000 people.

Residents plead as flood destroys 115 Sokoto houses

The Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency said the flood that occurred in Butuku-Babba village of Bodinga Local Government Area on June 25 destroyed 115 houses.

The Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Hassan Maccido, made the disclosure at a news conference in Sokoto on Wednesday while reacting to pleas by victims of the disaster for urgent assistance.

Maccido said the agency had dispatched a technical team to the village and had since assessed the extent of damage during the flooding.

He added, “It was based on the team’s report that we sent a memorandum to Governo Aminu Tambuwal on what to provide as relief materials to the victims.

“The governor had since approved some money, which we will use to buy the items and donate to the victims as soon as possible.’’

according to him, the items include building materials and food items to alleviate the sufferings of the victims.

The director-general appealed to the victims to be patient with government as it would soon come to their aid.

Some of the victims had lamented that 13 days after the disaster, only one business man based in Bodinga town, Alhaji Sahabi Bojo, had assisted them with N200,000.

The Hamlet Head of the area, Alhaji Magaji Mallam, and another victim, Malam Barmo Abubakar, called for urgent assistance from the three tiers of government and other emergency management agencies The Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency said the flood that occurred in Butuku-Babba village of Bodinga Local Government Area on June 25 destroyed 115 houses.

The Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Hassan Maccido, made the disclosure at a news conference in Sokoto on Wednesday while reacting to pleas by victims of the disaster for urgent assistance.

Maccido said the agency had dispatched a technical team to the village and had since assessed the extent of damage during the flooding.

He added, “It was based on the team’s report that we sent a memorandum to Governo Aminu Tambuwal on what to provide as relief materials to the victims.

“The governor had since approved some money, which we will use to buy the items and donate to the victims as soon as possible.’’

According to him, the items include building materials and food items to alleviate the sufferings of the victims.

The director-general appealed to the victims to be patient with government as it would soon come to their aid.

Some of the victims had lamented that 13 days after the disaster, only one business man based in Bodinga town, Alhaji Sahabi Bojo, had assisted them with N200,000.

The Hamlet Head of the area, Alhaji Magaji Mallam, and another victim, Malam Barmo Abubakar, called for urgent assistance from the three tiers of government and other emergency management agencies.

MC Galaxy Pays Komolop Cholop Dance Competition Winners

PArtistes have now device a new means of promoting their new songs.

This is by organizing dance competition for the new song.

Mo’Hits records of Don Jazzy and D’banj were the first to experiment with this idea for their single ‘Oliver Twist’ and the song went viral.

Sekem crooner, MC Galaxy, tapping into it organized a dance competition on Instagram which he used to promote his latest single, ‘Komolop Cholop’.

And he promised to pay the winner $3, 000 cash prize.

The competition which began on the April 2 ended on the May 2, 2015 and winners emerged as expected from the competition.

But two months after winning the competition, the singer refused to pay the winners.

It took the winners going on social media pages to air their disappointment in the artiste whom they have held in high esteem for MC Galaxy to pay the winners of the dance competition.

Girl plunges to her death while taking a selfie on a bridge in Russia

A 21 year old Russian woman named Anna Krupeynikova fell off a bridge while trying to take a selfie according to local media reports.

Anna and some of her friends had been traveling in a bus while sightseeing around Moscow when they stopped at the bridge to take photos.

Anna moved away from the group to take a selfie with her camera in front of her, unfortunately the fence she leaned on to take the pic was in bad condition, and gave way. She plunged 40ft to her death.

Suicide bombers kill three in Borno

Two suspected female suicide bombers detonated explosives at Sabon Gari Market in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, killing three persons.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Aderemi Opadokun, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri.

Opadokun said that five other persons were also injured in the incident, which occurred at about 11am He said the explosives were strapped to their bodies.

Why NDDC Failed To Provide Jobs For Niger Delta People

Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw , chairman, Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),said non- remittance of over N800 billion funds has adversely affected the operations of the commission.

Ewe-Henshaw, in company of other members of the board, including the managing director and chief executive officer of NDDC, Bassey Dan-Abia, yesterday, July 7, 2015, paid a courtesy visit to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state.

L-R: Governor Adams Oshiomhole , Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, Board Chairman, NDDC and Bassey Dan-Abia MD/CEO NDDC Giving his remarks, NDDC board chairman explained the money was legally due to the commission but has remained unremitted since 2001.

He lamented poor funding has prevented the commission from creating the right business investment and employment opportunities for the people of the region.

READ ALSO: Read What Ex-Militants Want From Buhari He affirmed that the commission is still committed to helping the plights of the Niger Delta,hence, urged Oshiomhole to intervene on behalf of the commission to get the funds released “We are not unaware of the negative perception of our people, but as a board we have come determined to change that.

Vision of the board is one that can provide a platform and the avenue for integrating and developing the Niger Delta sub-region through strategic intervention and key infrastructure development in road, rail and education,” Ewa-Henshaw said.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole, in response, promised to present the issue for discussion when the governors of the South-South region meet later in the month.

He added they will discuss how they can collaborate to help the commission fulfills its responsibilities and get support from appropriate authorities.

Oshiomhole urged the NDDC board to embark on major infrastructure projects that will benefit the people of the region.

He noted that the condition of the South-South will be effectively serviced with an efficient and effective rail system irrespective of political party affiliations.

“One major weakness I have observed in the running of the commission is that it has been over-politicized.

It was not meant to be a political vehicle.

Nigeria has opted for a multiple political democracy and our people from time to time could replace a government and a political party.

No party will be too good to govern forever.

Regardless of the government, there are certain key principles that must never be sacrificed, namely that composition of the Board must be made of people who bring to it the aspirations of their respective states” he advised.

READ ALSO: Jonathan Had A Chance To Change The Niger Delta But…

Edo governor also advised the commission to liaise with appropriate authorities in each state.

He however, assured the visiting team of Buhari’s support “I am very confident that President Muhammadu Buhari, given his passion for development as a trusted friend of the poor masses which is his own main constituency, will do everything possible to look at the letter and the spirit and do what ever has to be done to ensure that the law of NDDC is complied with.” he assured.

#DareToBeBig: Paradigm Initiative Nigeria conducts ICT training for 27 Secondary schools in Imo State

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria in partnership with Youth for Christ, Owerri hosted 27 secondary schools spread across 6 zones in Imo State and a total of 1, 212 students at ‘Dare to be B.I.G.’ in Imo State.

Dare to be B.I.G (Brightest ICT Guy or Girl) is an exciting ICT quiz competition bringing early unique opportunities, positive peer pressure and show casing Africa’s budding ICT talents from Secondary Schools.

The event was spread over four days, from the 2nd to 5th June 2015, and featured the ICT training for the 27 schools participating schools leading up to the quiz competition on the final day of the event.

Some participating schools were Anara Community Secondary School, Government College Owerri,Bishop Lasbery Girls’ Secondary School, Chosen Secondary School, Mgbidi;Living Word Academy and Orlu Girls’ Secondary School among others.

The ICT quiz competition took place on Friday, June 5th at FSP Park, with 23 schools participating in the competition.

At the end of heated rounds of the competition, CRM International Secondary School Mgbidichi took the much coveted first place winning a trophy for the school and Etisalat Cliqlite Tabs for students who represented the school.

Chosen International Secondary School- Mgbidi and Urban Development Secondary School- Umunawere in2nd and 3rd positions respectively also winning trophies, Samsung Galaxy star phones and Infinite Hot phones.

The principal s and teachers from the participating schools were present, and they found the event very motivating.

It spurred them on to believe in the future of Nigeria through the young sters, and to aim to deliver quality training always.

Dare to be B.I.G is an initiative of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, has held in Lagos state and Ondo State in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Another edition is scheduled to hold on Nassarawa in October 2015.

The project features a regional quiz competition for secondary schools in Nigeria, with a deliberate focus on ICT knowledge and application.

Our team visits participating schools in the region, meeting with students in their school halls and introducing them to the benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the advantages of starting early.

The ICT quiz competition and training is at no cost to the students or schools.

Source Linda Ikeji

Man who killed his son and left another almost dead is spared jail term by judge

A dangerous driver who killed his young son and left another with life-changing injuries has been spared jail by a judge who said the father had suffered enough.

Abdul Mosa, 43, was driving on the wrong side of the road when his family's car hit a lorry head-on, killing his seven-year-old, Alin, and injuring six-year-old Ara.

The family from Leeds, West York shire, had been returning from a holiday in France and had just left the Channel Tunnel terminal in their Kia Soul when they crashed on the A20 at Hythe, Kent.

Mosa's wife, Huzan, and one-year-old daughter, Arda, were also seriously hurt in the collision last August, while lorry driver Anthony Brown was left with career-threatening injuries.

Mosa escaped with just minor injuries, thanks to his airbag, and sobbed loudly as Canter bury Crown Court heard how he cradled dying Alin in his arms.

The court was also told that two of the children were not wearing seat belts, and that Mosa had ignored other motorists as they tried to warn him he was going the wrong way.

Mosa admitted five charges of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving and was facing a prison sentence as a deterrent, only for Judge James O'Mahony to spare him from jail.

'I do not know a greater deterrent for this defendant to know his mistake ended up with the killing of his own child,' said Judge O'Mahony.

Stephen Shay, prosecuting, said Mosa had just exited the Eurotunnel and had travelled at least 200 yards in the right-hand lane - ignoring clear signs posted along the route.

'It would seem that he simply forgot and was driving in European conditions,' said Mr Shay.

'This was a mistake, a brief mistake with appalling consequences.

' Mosa later told police he thought he was on a one way road - but the prosecution added the clear road markings made that unlikely.

Lorry driver Mr Brown spent eight days in hospital after suffering a series of fractures to his right arm.

And he is now unable to use one of his fingers, which was injured when part of the Kia's roof rack was hurled through the lorry's windscreen in the impact of the crash.

Andrew Nuttall, mitigating, said little Ara will now 'never lead a normal life' because of his injuries. He said:

'This is an appalling case which arose out of a simple mistake.

'This defendant started his punishment the moment his son died in his arms and he realised the enormity of his mistake.

'The harsh reality is that this defendant is going to be punished every minute of the rest of his life.

'He has to live with the consequences of his mistake... there can be no greater punishment in this world than that.'

The court heard that Mosa was now 'the glue' holding his 'fragile family' together, and Judge O'Mahony added that despite the aggravating features in the case, jailing him would probably result in his surviving children being taken in to care because his wife was unable to cope. He said:

'That would further punish the victims of these offences.'

Instead, Judge O'Mahony imposed a two year sentence, suspended for two years, and banned Mosa from driving for three years.

Source Linda Ikeji

Lagos planning to reconstruct Ladipo market road

The Lagos State Government on Sunday indicated plans to reconstruct the popular Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market Road and other connecting roads to enhance vehicular movement within the areas.

Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Bamgbose Martins, said this when he led government officials on inspection of some road networks in the Papa Ajao and Ladipo Spare Parts Market areas in Mushin and Oshodi/ Isolo Local Government Areas of the state.

He also disclosed government’s commitment to commence rehabilitation of the roads to ease vehicular movement in the areas.

Martins said plans were under way to get the contractor, working on the Daleko Road, back on site to complete the remaining portions of the road.

“We need to get the contractor back on site, have them fill it up at least, so that it becomes motorable,” he said.

Martins, who was joined by the General Manager, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, Ayotunde Sodeinde; the Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna; and other officials of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, said palliative measures would be applied by the Public Works Corporation on other roads and craters in the Papa Ajao area.

On the state of Ladipo Market Road, he ruled out the option of carrying out palliative work, saying what the road needs was total reconstruction.

“One of the things you would observe here is that the road here is gone, in terms of standard road, it’s gone.

It’s not a case for palliative; it’s not a case for patching.

This is a case where the road has to be totally reconstructed.

“In other words, we need to redesign it to fit into the habits and the use that is here. It’s a market.

There are rocks here, so it is still motorable, even if it rains, it is motorable.

So PWC can’t come here and put asphalt because it’s not going to last.

If they put asphalt, the next rain, it will wash off,” he said.

He however said the state would include the road in its plan of work for next year as some other roads in the state needed urgent attention.

“It is still passable now, but what we need here is a full construction.

When we are going to do anything, we are going to redesign it and then, we have to reconstruct from the beginning.

That’s the situation here; but for now, at least, it’s motorable,” Martins added.

5 Things That Do Not Belong in Grownup Rooms

So you’re in your 30s and your house still feels like it belongs to a college student. Many of us have been there. When you’re in school, or just starting in the workforce it can be tough to afford furniture and décor, so most of us tend to fill our spaces with hand me downs and random fun things we can find for cheap. And that’s great when you’re young, but as we grow up the things that were fun and cute a few years ago start to look kitschy and immature.

If you want your home to look like it belongs to a grownup it’s time to eliminate these 5 items.

Stuffed Animals

We know, your precious stuffie has been with you since childhood, or your high school sweetheart won it for you at a carnival when you were 16. We know it makes you happy and you don’t want to part with it. But if you want your house to look like it belongs to an adult the stuffies have to go. The best way to part with them without feeling bad? Give them to another child who will enjoy them and love them as much as you did.

Futons

Nothing says “a student lives here” like a futon. Yes they’re practical for places where you need furniture to do double duty, but as a general rule they’re not the most comfortable or stylish. Futons tend to have a cheap look about them that can be hard to mask. Once you’re in your 30s it’s time to upgrade to something a little more grownup.

Strings of Lights Indoors

White twinkle lights are lovely outside at any time of year, or inside around the holidays, but inside all year round? Not so much. Sure occasionally you’ll see a room where twinkle lights are used in a unique or stylish way, but generally speaking strings of lights inside look very “college student”. Fun when you’re young, but immature once you get older. Save them for outside where they’ll look their best.

Unframed Movie Posters

Some movie posters are really fantastic works of art, and they can be great collectors items, but if you’re going to hang them in your home please make sure to have them framed. Unframed movie posters with the edges curling up look cheap and messy and don’t do your room any favors. Custom framing is an option (albeit an expensive one), or you can pick up some simple frames at a big box store. When it comes to movie posters simple frames are generally best as they don’t detract from the image.

Empty Wine Bottles as Candle Holders

Entertaining by candlelight is always lovely. The light is flattering for everyone and it creates a great atmosphere, but if you’re going to do it, do it right – invest in some nice candleholders. They don’t have to be expensive, but they should be actual candle holders. Empty wine bottles do not count. Sure, taper candles fit perfectly in them, but don’t kid yourself, they look cheap and messy. Return the wine bottle, collect the 10 cents, and start a collection for some real candle holders.

This article was submitted by Lauren Flanagan

Payment Status: UNPAID
Free-ID: Pub-5254662864658

Nigerian football star, Fikayo Tomori signs professional contract with Chelsea

The 17 year old defensive player, who was born in Canada, shared the good news on twitter.

Seven things to know about the new DG DSS

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday sacked the Director General of the Department of State Service, Mr. Ita Ekpenyong.

The Director of Communications in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Haruna Imrana, announced the appointment of Mr. Lawal Musa Daura as the Acting DG of the DSS.

Here are seven things to know about the new DG:

1. Daura was born on August 5, 1953 in Daura, Katsina state.

2. He attended Ahmadu Bello University between 1977 and 1980.

3. He started his career in the State Security Service and then rose to become a director in the service.

4. He served as the State Director of Security service in Kano, Sokoto, Edo, Osun, Imo and Lagos States before his retirement.

5. He was also a one time Deputy Director, Presidential Communication Command and Control Centre at the Presidential Villa Abuja between 2003 and 2007.

6. He attended various professional courses including the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.

7. President Buhari recalled him from retirement on July 2, 2015 to be the Director General of the State Security Service, replacing Ita Ekpeyong who occupied the position between September 7, 2010 and July 2, 2015.

Nigerian Troops Arrest Chibok Girls' Kidnap Leader

Babuji Ya’ari, the business man accused of leading Boko Haram in their abduction of over 200 female students of Chibok secondary school in Borno state, has been arrested.

The Nigerian troops, who effected the arrest have revealed that the business man is a member of a vigilante group that was infiltrated by the dreaded insurgents before effecting the infamous abduction of the school girls over a year ago.

According to Major-General Chris Olukolade, spokes person of the Defence Head quarters (DHQ), the suspect was the head of a “terrorists’ intelligence cell” for Boko Haram under the guise of the self-defence youth vigilante group.

This Day also reports that soldiers told the Associated Press (AP) that some of their comrades belong to the extremist group.

“The arrest of the business man … has also yielded some vital information and facilitated the arrest of other members of the terrorists’ intelligence cell who are women,” Olukolade was quoted to have said in a statement Tuesday night.

The DHQ spokesperson, who did not reveal when the arrests were made or how many people were arrested, alleged that Ya’ari has since 2011 coordinated several deadly attacks on Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, and spearheaded the May 2014 assassination of the Emir of Gwoza, a religious and traditional ruler who was targeted for speaking out against Boko Haram’s extremism.

While some of the girls have escaped, there are many others within the camp of the insurgents as speculations are rife that some of these girls may have been converted to suicide bombers by the islamic sect.

READ ALSO: Bomb Blast In Maiduguri As Osinbajo Visits Among other revelations by the defence troops was that of a woman arrested, Hafsat Bako, who confessed to coordinating the payroll for operatives paid a minimum of N10,000 a job. In another development, Oby Ezekwesili, convener of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, disclosed on Wednesday that she has been able to secure a meeting with president Muhammadu Buhari, to discuss how the remaining school girls would be released.

Pres. Buhari meets Gbajabiamila, other APC House of Reps members

President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo met with some APC House of Representative members led by Femi Gbajabiamila at the presidential villa yesterday July 1st.

Femi Gbajabiamila was the APC House of Reps choice for the Speakership position but he lost out to Yakubu Dogara.

Source Linda Ikeji

7 Women Arrested For Prostitution, Child Trafficking

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Ondo State command detained seven women on suspicion of prostitution and child traf ficking.

The women were arrested at a brothel on Car Street, in Akure, Ondo state after some church members reported a suspected commercial sex worker and trafficker, Susan John, to police for luring a girl, Faith Ekepemephia, into prostitution.

READ ALSO: Pathetic Story Of How Nigerians Are Forced Into Slavery, Prostitution In Britain While giving testimony Faith Ekepemephia said:

“A girl from my village in Akwa Ibom, who re sides in Akure, Ondo State, told me that one madam she currently works with needed the service of a house help.

The girl said I would be helping the madam do house chores and will be paid monthly.

I arrived Akure last Tuesday for the house help job only to be lodged in a hotel.

It was later that I discovered that I have been lured in to prostitution.

I cried and told them that I want to go back to my village as this was not the type of work she told me about, but she threatened me.

READ ALSO: Sex Ring Forcing Nigerian Women In Prostitution Smashed In Spain The woman always collected the service money from me any time I meet with a man.

I have made up to N6,000 and slept with more than three men since my arrival.”

After being paraded by the command, the suspects had been handed over to National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, for further investigation.

Name Alleged Abductors - Pro-Lawan Senators Tell Saraki

Following the allegation the senate president, Bukola Saraki made about being a target for abduction on the day the National Assembly was inaugurated, the senators loyal to the candidacy of Senator Ahmad Lawan in the recent election for senate presidency, have challenged him to name the suspect.

Saraki being sworn in as senate president Vanguard reported that senators, who are strong members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisted that Saraki must name those allegedly behind the abduction he claimed to show that he was not economical with the truth about development preceding his emergence as Senate President.

READ ALSO: Why My Support For Saraki Is Not Disobedience – APC Senator The senators who spoke under the auspices of senate unity forum noted that they would not join issues with Saraki for now, but that said his proof of the allegation was necessary so that they can reply him properly.

This reaction from the pro-Lawan senators was made through their spokesman, Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC) Zamfara Central tasking Saraki to name those who wanted to kidnap him before getting full reaction to his allegation.

Meanwhile, at a recent interview with journalists in Abuja, Saraki alleged that before the inauguration of the 8th Senate on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, there were plans by some big guns within the party, who were blatantly not in support of his aspiration as president of the 8th senate, to abduct him in a bid to deprive him from being present at the inauguration to accept the nomination for the position in person.

During the interview which has gone viral from last weekend, Saraki stated that he escaped the abduction allegedly planned against him that day by refusing to report at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel where all federal law makers elect were billed to gather at 8:am for onward movement to the National Assembly.

READ ALSO: READ What APC Leaders Will Do To Saraki, Dogara The senate president noted at the interview that instead of joining his colleagues at Transcorp Hilton Hotel at the slated time, he moved faster than everybody by getting to the premises of the National Assembly as early as 6:am that day and hid in a car at the car park for four hours where he was quiet and somewhat unnoticed.

Fast rising actor Daniel K Daniel shines in new movie, Mummy Dearest

Fast-rising Nollywood sensation Daniel K. Daniel (a.k.a DKD) who was recently nominated for the 2015 Afrifimo Awards and Film/Music Festival (AAFMF) Best Upcoming and Best Supporting Actor Categories for his role in the movie “Bambitious” was a major feature at the recent premiere of Mummy Dearest, an exciting new Nollywood family comedy/drama, which premiered on Thursday 25th June 2015 at the Film house Cinemas, Spar Port Harcourt Mall in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The highpoint of the premiere weekend was the ‘meet and greet’ by Daniel K. Daniel and the rest of the cast to the delight of the movie fans.

In spite of the fact that the major lead actress in the movie, veteran Liz Benson who gave a flawless performance as the Matriarch in the film, wasn’t available at the premiere, the fans still had a great time hanging out with the other stars in the movie and they were particularly excited to meet DKD, whose stellar performance in the movie had received rave reviews.

Mummy Dearest which was produced by Chioma Willis Ikedum and directed by Willis Ikedum, is now showing in cinemas nation wide and is sure to be one of the best loved movies of 2015!!! Check out pictures from the premiere and watch the preview and be sure to check it out at a cinema near you.

Daniel K Daniel has recently joined the cast of the hit TV series Tinsel.

Check out the video trailer and pictures from the "Mummy Dearest" Premiere

Source Linda Ikeji

Displaced persons face uncertainty as S’Africa camp closes

The last camp in South Africa hosting displaced foreigners following a series of xenophobic attacks across the country in April, is scheduled to close on Tuesday, officials from the municipality where it is located have told Al Jazeera.

Tozi Mthethwa, Head of Communications for the eThekwini municipality, told Al Jazeera on Monday that the Chatsworth camp, which at one stage hosted more than 5,000 people displaced by the violence, would be closed after a municipality assessment found that the situation had normalised.

“After assessing the conditions and conducting extensive community dialogues through the Provincial Department of Community Safety and Liaison, the city is pleased that the situation has normalised which there fore means that the shelter should cease to operate,” Mthethwa said in a statement issued to Al Jazeera.

“African immigrants at the shelter have been offered an option of being reintegrated into the communities they once lived in, while others have requested to be repatriated to their countries of origin.”

At least eight people were killed and thousands of others displaced in a series of attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa in April.

The violence started in Durban and quickly spread to areas around Johannesburg, prompting world wide condemnation.

There are still 212 people, mostly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, living at the camp, and they say it is too dangerous to move back to their communities around Durban, or return to their home countries.

Police arraign manager for stealing N2m beverages

The police have arraigned a ware house manager, Akokhia Joseph, before an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing beverages estimated at N2.2m, belonging to his employer, one Vivian Osian.

It was learnt that Akokhia was to give the goods out based on orders from the management of the company.

He allegedly diverted some of the goods, replacing them in the warehouse with empty cartons.

He was said to have also allegedly deleted stock data from the computers to cover up the crime.

It was learnt that several times, goods had been discovered missing in the warehouse, but Akokhia usually returned the monetary value of the goods, claiming that he later found and sold them.

Our correspondent learnt that after his employer noticed some inconsistencies in the computer data and the missing warehouse goods, an auditor was invited to analyse the records, leading to the discovery of the theft.

The 24-year-old was arraigned on Monday on one count of stealing.

The police told the court that Joseph stole from the warehouse between September 1, 2014 and January 12, 2015.

The charge read, “That you, Akokhia Joseph, between September 1, 2014, and January 12, 2015, at Ojuelegba Road, Surulere, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal Nestle products valued at N2,264,597, property of one Vivian Osian, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 285(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011” The defendant pleaded not guilty, while his defence counsel, Saka Bello, applied for his bail in liberal terms.

The Magistrate, O. A. Komolafe, admitted him to bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum.

He said, “Both sureties must have the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency ID card.

One of the sureties must be a relative, while the other must be a level 10 civil servant working with the Lagos State Government.”

The case was adjourned till July 27.

Buhari MUST Sack Jonathan's Last-minute Appointees

If president Muhammadu Buhari has to go by the recommendation of the Ahmed Joda-led transition committee, all the last minute appointees of former president Goodluck Jonathan will soon be sacked.

In less than two months, ex-president Jonathan, not previously known to readily hire and fire, sacked dozens of top officials and replaced them before leaving office, especially after losing the March 28, presidential election.

President Buhari

READ ALSO: Salary And Subsidy: Buhari Source For Funds The committee has now urged president Buhari to terminate all Jonathan’s dubious appointments and review all contracts awarded by the administration in the last 18 months because it will help the new government take aside ineptitude and waste, and scale up its revenue base.

In its 800-page report submitted to the president which contains extensive analysis of Nigeria’s key challenges, with suggested responses for the economy and finance, governance and social welfare, the report obtained by Premium Times, detailed a list of prompt, medium and long term decisions president Buhari must take, or authorise, with in 30, 45, 60 and 90 days of taking office.

READ ALSO: Transition Committee Tell Buhari To Appoint Only 19 Senior Ministers It said: “non-strategic contracts that have not commenced or where no payments have been made can be cancelled,” adding that the president must negotiate exits for projects where mobilisation payments have been made but work not commenced in order to “save expenditure on non-strategic projects, and can free up cash flows for other vital initiatives.”

The Joda-led committee also said that the president should review all appointments made by Jonathan in the last nine months, and “for strategic agencies requiring professional leadership, the government should terminate all appointments not based on merit.”

Recall that the same committee alleged that the administration of the former president virtually destroyed the nation’s economy, alleging that no ministry was free of corruption.

Group Urges Buhari To Cancel Anti-Gay Law

President Muhammadu Buhari, has been urged to take a cue from the United State and cancel the same sex marriage prohibition Act of 2014.

This comes days after the Supreme Court of the United States of America finally legalised same sex marriage through out the whole country.

In a report on Sahara Reporters, specifically aimed to attack the “Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014”, leading human right s organisations, PEN America and PEN Nigeria urged President Buhari to scrap the law as it en courages evictions, mob attacks, police torture, and public whippings against gays.

The report called for Buhari to repeal laws that legalise discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and people who are inter-sex and transgender.

READ ALSO: TB Joshua, Femi Fani Kayode React To New Gay Law This was disclosed by the PEN Executive Director, Suzanne Nossel, in the report titled “Silenced Voices, Threatened Lives:

The Impact of Nigeria’s Anti-LGBTI Law on Freedom of Expression.”

She said: “The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014 punishes gay relationships with 14 years in prison and belonging to a gay associations with 10 years in prison.

It also criminalizes a failure to report homosexual activity to police which threatens the friends and families of gays living in Nigeria.

“Nigerian human rights groups have documented 105 violations against gays including assaults, mob attacks, and black mail since the passage of the law.

One case in Bauchi, an under cover police officer joined a group being counseled about AIDS pretending to be gay.

He arrested the 38 men there, tortured them, and provided their names to the public, leading to a witch-hunt.

Many gay people fled Bauchi as a result of this incident.

“The anti-gay law, while purporting to target same sex marriage, has infringed upon rights to free speech, access to health care, housing, and employment, interfered with civil and political rights, and led to wholesale impunity for violence against LGBTI people.

“LGBTI Nigerians cannot express their identities, write or publish about their experiences, or even advocate for their own human rights.”

Protesters of the Anti-gay law She added:

“The law is essentially self-enforcing, barring most challenges to its own legality as prohibited LGBTI advocacy and effectively legalizing vigilante justice against gay individuals.

“Free expression of one’s own identity and opinions is the bedrock of all human rights.

Where this right is denied, all forms of personal freedom are in jeopardy—for not just the LGBTI community, but also the population at-large.”

The group also argued that the anti-gay law distracts local populations from prevalent problems like poverty, corruption, and failed education systems under the banner of “uniting in homophobia.”

Despite protests from some countries, groups and activists, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan signed the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act into law in 2014. Some foreign embassies were shocked by the development leading to ‘curious’ inquiries from

the federal government, but despite the inquiries, the FG said there was no going back.

The bill which was passed by the Senate in November 2011, and affirmed by law makers in the House of Representatives on May 29, 2013.

According to former president Jonathan, the decision to pass the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014, is owing to the fact that most Nigerians were opposed to the bill, saying the parliament acted in line with the wish of the majority.

NEC Sets Up Committee To Probe NNPC Accounts

In the last three years, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) withheld and spent N3.7 trillion oil revenue with out budgetary provision and approval.

Adams Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo state, disclosed this after the National Economic Council meeting, which was held at the presidential villa in Abuja.

The governor said that out of N8.1 trillion generated from the oil sales during the period only N4.3 trillion was remitted to the federation account.

Oshiomhole also disclosed that Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, the former minister of finance, spent $2 billion from the Excess Crude Account between November 2014 and May 2015 with out approval.

READ ALSO: President Buhari’s Full Speech At The NEC Inauguration

“This is the first time we had a National Economic Council meeting in which under the instructions of the president, NNPC and the office of the accountant general of the federation was compelled to provide information in black and white on issues as it relates to the total sales of Nigeria crude from 2012 to May 2015.

This never happened before.

“What we saw from those numbers, which I believe Nigerians are entitled to know, is that where as the NNPC claimed to have earned about N8.1 trillion, what NNPC paid into the federation account between 2012 and May 2015 was N4.3 trillion and NNPC with held and spent N3.7 trillion.

“The cost of running NNPC is much more than running the federal government.

That tells you how much is missing, what is mismanaged and what is stolen.

There are huge figures,” he stressed.

The NEC chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo set up a four-member committee to probe the accounts of the NNPC and the Excess Crude Account managed by the last administration.

READ ALSO: North Strategises To Take Over NNPC Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara state, who was also present at the meeting, told journalists:

“On that line, a four-man committee consisting of the governors of Edo, Gombe, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom state was constituted to go through the books of NNPC and Excess Crude as well as the federation account.

”The four-man committee will check the books of NNPC, most especially the issue of excess crude and what is not remitted into the federation account.

“The FG, in conjunction with the CBN, will look in wards to see how to support, how much they will give to states especially on the issue of out standing salaries owed by the states and even the federal government.”

It would be recalled last week Buhari sacked NNPC board of directors.

Commenting on the president’s decision, Femi Adesina, presidential aide said:

“You can’t make changes without having new leadership”.

He also added that Buhari remains “committed to cleaning up the system, and wants account ability and transparency in the oil industry.”

Nigeria Court remands ex-FCT Minister’s aide, others

The Nation Online ---- Justice Abubakar Talba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja Monday ordered that Yau Mohammed Gital, the Chief of Staff to the immediate past FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed and two others be remanded in prison.

The judge’s order followed their arraignment on a 10-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, conspiracy and forgery involving about N192, 000,000. Also arraigned with Gital, who was said to be a member of the Land Allocation Committee, Federal Capital Territory Administration, include his former Special Assistant, with Shuaibu Yakubu and the Managing Director, Jibmir Ventures Nigeria Limited, Jibril M. Tahir.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated in the charge that the three accused persons to obtained money from various unsuspecting persons under the false pretence that the money was for processing and facilitation of land allocation by the Federal Capital Development Authority.

The three pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them, following which their lawyer, Nura Imam applied to the court to grant them bail pending their trial.

The judge adjourned to July 2 for ruling on the bail application and ordered that the accused persons be held in prison before the next date.

Boko Haram Spy Nabbed In IDP Camp

Security agents at an Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp in Damaturu, Yobe state, yesterday arrested a suspected Boko Haram member accused of spying on the camp.

An IDP Camp in Yobe

A security official who spoke to the Daily Trust, said that suspect was apprehended after vigilante agents close to the camp reported seeing a unknown man loitering the area.

The official said: “We arrested him.

He claimed to be a Ghanaian who came from a nearby village.

We took him to the JTF head quarters for interrogation where he confessed to be a Boko Haram member spying on the area.”

READ ALSO: After 8 Months Break, Mubi Poly Reopens Despite Boko Haram Terror A resident added that the strange man was seen around the camp around 7am in the morning and residents decided to report to relevant authorities.

He said: “Nobody knew him in the area and we became suspicious of him.”

The residents then alerted the Civil Defence Service Corps guarding the IDPs camp.

The corps then arrested the man and handed him over to the military.

Meanwhile, President Muhammudu Buhari has reacted angrily to the latest Boko Haram attacks on Borno and Yobe states.

The president slammed the insurgents for attacking Muslims during the Ramadan month adding that his government will use all availiable resources to crush them.

AU will not observe elections in Burundi – Spokes person

The African Union will not observe Burundi’s legislative elections scheduled for Monday, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the commission of the AU, has said.

In a communique released on Sunday, Dlamini- Zuma said the “AU reiterates the imperative need for dialogue and consensus for a lasting solution to the crisis in Burundi”.

“[The AU] will not observe the elections scheduled for 29 June 2015,” Dlamini-Zuma said.

Echoing the AU’s remarks, the UN said on Sunday that Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon was concerned about “the Government of Burundi’s insistence on going a head with elections on 29 June despite the prevailing political and security environment.”

Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa, reporting from the capital Bujumbura, said some supporters of President Pierre Nkurunziza are wondering why Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir was seemingly protected in South africa at the AU summit in Johannes burg just over a week back, while their president seems to have been abandoned by the AU.

Burundi has been in turm oil since April, when Nkurunziza said he would seek a third term, triggering weeks of protests, and an abortive military coup last month.

Dlamini-Zuma said the AU was disappointed that proposals put forward to postpone elections were not accepted.

“Noting that the necessary conditions are not met for the organization of free, fair and transparent and credible elections .

the AU commission will not observe the local and parliamentary elections,” the statement read.

Nkurunziza’s opponents say his decision to stand again violates the constitution as well as a peace deal that ended a civil war in 2005 The latest developments come as clashes continued on the streets of the capital Bujumbura, as the country inched to wards the controversial poll.