The Osby Blog : Army Sentences 54 Soldiers To Death Over Mutiny

The Osby Blog : Army Sentences 54 Soldiers To Death Over Mutiny: The Nigerian Army, yesterday sentenced 54 soldiers to death after they were convicted on a two count charge of criminal conspir...

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Army Sentences 54 Soldiers To Death Over Mutiny

The Nigerian Army, yesterday sentenced 54 soldiers to death after they were convicted on a two count charge of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny. Five others were however acquitted.

 The soldiers were the second batch of Nigerian soldiers sentenced to death by the Military courts for mutiny sometime in October.
According to the charge sheet, the soldiers conspired to commit mutiny against the authorities of the Army 7 Division where they were attached on August 4 at the Mulai Primary School Camp, opposite AIT Maiduguri, Borno State.
The convicted soldiers who were mostly officers involved in the on- going fight against the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East, were sentenced to death by firing squad. The soldiers include two Corporals, Cpl, nine Lance Corporals, LCpl and 49 Private soldiers.
The trial of the soldiers began on October 15 on the allegations they disobeyed orders to join operations against Boko Haram. But the soldiers pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Army Captain J.E. Nwosu, alleged that the accused soldiers had on August 4, in Maiduguri, refused to join the 111 Special Forces Battalion troops, commanded by Lt Col. Timothy Opurum, for an operation.
Nwosu added the operation was meant to recapture Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State from the Boko Haram terrorists. According to him, the offence is contrary to Section 52(1) (a) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The prosecution called the commander of the 111 Special Forces, Lt.-Col. Opurum, as one of the witnesses.
The statement of the commander was admitted by the court and marked Exhibit P1.
In his testimony in October, Opurum said soldiers Were tasked with advancing to recapture Delwa to clear the way for other battalions to pass through to recapture Babulin and Damboa from the insurgents.
He said he took off for the operation with only four officers and 29 soldiers as “tasked” after majority of the 174 soldiers in the unit refused to join the operation.
Opurum further said after he took charge of the Special Forces, he addressed and assured them that they could achieve the task given to them. He, however, said the soldiers were “hesitant to partake in the operation” in spite of the assurances.
Under cross- examination by lawyer to the accused, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), Opurum said 47 of the soldiers who initially refused, later re-joined the forces for another operation.
Opurum said the 47 soldiers joined after he called for reinforcement as they came under attack from terrorists, who out-numbered them and had superior weapons.
Asked if the soldiers refused to fight or refused to join the operation because of lack of superior weapons, he said all units in the North-East had requested for weapons.
On the disciplinary measure taken against the 47 soldiers, who initially refused, he said the process for that was to begin when they were court-martialled.
But Falana I had in an oral application, asked to the court for the record of weapons recovered from the 47 soldiers, when they initially refused to join the operations.
The President of the Court, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yusuf, said the application had been noted “for action.”
The General Court Martial was inaugurated on October 2 to try 97 soldiers, including 15 senior officers for mutiny.

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How Uduaghan’s loyalists sweep Delta Assembly tickets

        Governor Uduaghan
 Loyalists and appointees of Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, were last Saturday declared winners of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, House of Assembly primary election in 21 out of the 29 state constituencies, as some aggrieved aspirants vowed to challenge the outcome of the exercise.
It was reported that the exercise however did not begin until late Saturday evening against the earlier slated time.
Those who emerged winners in the governor’s camp are: Angela Nwaka, Aniocha South; Uzoma Idabor, Aniocha North; Isaac Ulebor, Ika South, Tim Owhefere, Isoko North; Orezi Esievo, Isoko South I; Johnson Erijo, Isoko South II; Peter Onwusanya, Oshimili South; Pat Ajudua, Oshimili North; Erhiatake Ibori, Ethiope West; Izeze Rume Reuben, Ughelli South; Samuel Mariere, Ughelli North; Prince Eric Oharisi, Ughelli North II; Arthur Akpowowo, Ethiope East and Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, Okpe.
Others are Efe Ofobruku, Uvwie; Godwin Toristseju Abigor, Warri South I; Denis Omovie, Warri South II; Daniel Mayuku, Warri South Wes; Dan Yingi, Burutu I; Jude Sinebe, Burutu II; Monday Igbuya, Sapele; Azuka Azaka, Ndokwa West; Alphonsus Ojo, Ukwuani and Pius Labo, Bomadi.
Okowa’s supporters clinched Ika North East and Warri North with Tony Elekeokwuri and Michael Diden respectively, while Elumelu’s campaign manager, Moses Odibo won in Udu with Obielum taking Ndokwa East as Friday Osanebi picked the ticket.
Other gubernatorial aspirants defeated in their various state constituencies include: Victor Ochie, Sylvester Monye and Elumelu.
It was gathered that some of the aspirants are already negotiating with the Obuh camp with the possibility of stepping down for him in the forthcoming primary.
The outcome of the election spurred wild celebration in the camp of one of the prominent gubernatorial aspirants, Tony Obuh, believed to be enjoying Uduaghan’s support.
However, it was reliably gathered that some aggrieved aspirants who lost in the weekend’s PDP primary, were already making moves to join forces with the opposition parties to test their popularity at the 2015 general elections.
One of the embittered aspirants confided in National Mirror that the development is true following the manner they were arm twisted to step down for aspirants believed to have been endorsed by the governor.

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Gunmen attack Damaturu, Yobe state capital

Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, came under heavy attack by gunmen  suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect this morning.
Yobe State University located in Damaturu was one of the first places to come under attack .
Eyewitnesses  said the gunmen attacked the town as early as 4am, and exchanged fire   with operatives of  the Police Mobile Unit.
“A military jet was deployed to push the insurgents back and the situation is now under control. The entire town has been cordoned off,” a source added.
Though casualty figure is not known, residents of the town were reported to be running in different directions, for safety

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How Diezani Emerged First Female OPEC President

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has been elected as the first female President of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, at the 166th meeting of the OPEC Conference in Vienna, Austria.

Her election comes as oil prices plunged further after the members of OPEC admitted that the cartel had lost its power to determine the price of crude oil in the world market.

Against popular expectation, the organisation rose from its crucial meeting in Vienna, Austria with the decision to leave its crude oil output unchanged at 30 million barrels per day.

The decision was taken mainly because of the awareness that non-member states, especially United States and Middle East nations now have the capacity to produce and export commercial crude oil to the world market.

Specifically, members of OPEC felt it would not make sense to effect a cut in its output as that would not impact positively on the global oil market.

Alison-Maduke takes over from Libya’s Vice-Prime Minister for Corporation, His Excellency Abdourhman Atahar Al- Ahirish, and her tenure takes effect from January 2015. Before her emergence, she was the Alternate President of the Organisation.

The Conference also elected His Excellency, Dr Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar and Head of its delegation as Alternate President.

Speaking at the meeting, Alison-Madueke said the US Shale oil and gas had a lot of impact on all major oil and gas producing economies stressing that it is a major game changer for all stakeholders in the energy mix across the globe.

The Petroleum Minister noted that in the months ahead, OPEC would provide a veritable platform for member countries to find a remedy and deal with the issue frontally noting that there are no quick fixes to the sliding oil prices.

The newly elected OPEC President stated that the burden of falling oil prices is impacting on both OPEC and non OPEC member countries.

Alison-Madueke said that the current trend would make Nigeria to look very stringently again at the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which is already before the National Assembly to ensure that the enablers therein are explored to make it more and more competitive in the global energy market.

On the plans by the Federal Government to prepare for the global fall, she said Nigeria has no recourse at this point in time other than to fully develop her gas infrastructure for domestic use.

The OPEC conference however confirmed the readiness of member countries to respond to developments which could have an adverse impact on the maintenance of an orderly and balanced oil market.

OPEC also directed its secretariat to step up its close monitoring of developments in supply and demand as well as non fundamental factors such as speculative activity and keeping member countries fully briefed on developments.

OPEC source, who preferred not to be named, stated in a telephone interview that the Alison-Madueke’s election was based on the confidence of the international community on Nigeria.

He stated, “Nigeria is a big player who deserves to be recognised and given increased responsibility in OPEC.”

“Moreover, past leaders, including Dr, Rilwanu Lukman, who served in that capacity did not disappoint OPEC member states,” he stated.

The minister, who is expected to work closely with the Secretary General would serve in that capacity for one year.

Specifically, she is expected to work towards the accomplishing the goals and objectives of OPEC, the intergovernmental Organisation that was created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10–14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

The five founding members were later joined by nine other members: Qatar (1961); Indonesia (1962) – suspended its membership from January 2009; Libya (1962); United Arab Emirates (1967); Algeria (1969); Nigeria (1971); Ecuador (1973) – suspended its membership from December 1992-October 2007; Angola (2007) and Gabon (1975–1994).

OPEC’s objective is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations, and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.

OPEC’s formation by five oil-producing developing countries in Baghdad in September 1960 occurred at a time of transition in the international economic and political landscape, with extensive decolonisation and the birth of many new independent states in the developing world.

The international oil market was dominated by the “Seven Sisters” multinational companies and was largely separate from that of the former Soviet Union and other centrally planned economies.

But OPEC developed its collective vision, set up its objectives and established its Secretariat, first in Geneva and then, in 1965, in Vienna.

It adopted a ‘Declaratory Statement of Petroleum Policy in Member Countries’ in 1968, which emphasised the inalienable right of all countries to exercise permanent sovereignty over their natural resources in the interest of their national development. Membership grew to 10 by 1969.

OPEC rose to international prominence during this decade, as its member countries took control of their domestic petroleum industries and acquired a major say in the pricing of crude oil on world markets.

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Bomb Blast Rock Kano Central Mosque, Scores Feared Dead

Another bomb blast has occurred at Kano Central Mosque today during Juma’at prayers. Many people observing their prayers are feared dead.
Kano Central Mosque is where the Emir of Kano usually leads prayers on Friday.
More details later.

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Youths Are Veritable Tools for Peace, Development- Onoja

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Benue State, Chief Mike Onoja has said that Nigerian youths can help tremendously to foster peace, unity, development, free and fair elections by engaging in a positive attitudes and actions.

Chief Mike Onoja who stated this in Abuja, said the youths are vibrant and more effective than the elderly and should be engaged in more productive ventures, rather then been used as political thugs by politicians.  

The former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defence who is aspiring to represent the people of Benue South Senatorial District in the Senate in 2015, said he is in the race to give the people of his Senatorial District quality representation.

While calling on the people of the state to support his candidature, he assured he’ll use his influence to attract federal government’s presence to the senatorial district and Benue State in general.

Chief Onoja also condemned the agitation for automatic ticket for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators to return back to the National Assembly in 2015, describing it as undemocratic and unfair. 

He said those calling for automatic ticket for serving Senators do not mean well for the people of Nigeria. He stressed that the only bases for Senators to be re-elected are their outstanding performance, adding that Senators should be bold enough to stand before their people to seek their mandate if they think they’ve lived up to the people’s expectations.

Chief Onoja further debunked the alleged reports that he has dropped his Senatorial ambition, saying, “It is not possible for me to drop my Senatorial ambition, I have been cleared by the screening committee and I have my certificate of clearance and in the next few days I am going to tour the Senatorial districts to let them understand my vision for running. And somebody of my standing and caliber cannot stat a project and not end it properly. I have to bring it to its logical conclusion, because I know the implication of dropping out”.       

“The youths can ensure transparent elections by making sure that the election is not rigged and by protecting the masses by ensuring that their votes count. The youths are more active and more vibrant in the process of voting than the elderly people. And if you do not really have the support of the youths, it will be difficult for you to carry out the elections properly. And so they can aid positively in protecting voter’s rights by not been involved in rigging and malpractices and contribute their own development to the process. Because without the youths you cannot have a very credible election, because they are more vibrant and useful in the electioneering process.

 “The issue of automatic ticket is undemocratic. What the automatic ticket issue seeks to address is whether you performed well or not, automatically you should be given the ticket. It does not take into cognizance the performance of the particular Senator. It doesn’t work that way, you have to go to the people and seek their mandate. You cannot stay in Abuja and give somebody an automatic ticket without considering the wishes of the people. It is undemocratic, it is unfair and unthinkable. Your ticket should be based on your performance and then if the zoning in your own state still favours you, then you can go and seek the people‘s mandate for a re-election. If you are not performing and you want an automatic ticket, it’s unfair, it’s undemocratic, it’s not practiced anywhere in the world”.

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FG Refutes MURIC's Allegation of Jewish Symbol on N100 Note

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FG) has refuted an allegation of in-scripting a Jewish sign on the centenary N100 notes by Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). The Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola had in a statement said that Pres. Jonathan was attempting to turn Nigeria into a Zion state through the introduction of a Jewish sign on the yet to be introduced N100 centenary commemoration note.
The Presidential spokesman Reuben Abati,while reacting to the allegations said:

"Our attention has been drawn to a press statement issued by the Muslims Right Concern and signed by Prof. Ishaq Akintola who is the Director of the group which made a number of allegations against President Jonathan while alleging that there is a Jewish symbol in the proposed commemorative new N100 note which will be officially issued on December 19. I find Prof. Akintola’s allegations rather curious and they can be dealt with as follows:

First, he needs to be told that President Jonathan is not anti-Muslim as he alleges. President Jonathan is the President of all Nigerians, whatever may be their beliefs. It is not true that President Jonathan is using the highest office in the country to promote Zion nation. I think that is a most unfortunate statement coming from Prof. Akintola of MURIC and for which they owe President Jonathan an apology.

 Two, the MURIC’s director also alleged that Muslims were marginalized in the national conference. Again, this is a very unfortunate thing to say.

The truth is that national conference organised by this administration has been praised and described as probably one of the best of such conferences ever organised in this country. It was a purposeful conference, a conference in which a lot of maturity was displaced. Religion did not become a big issue in that conference. Rather, the conference became a platform for addressing many issues of general concern to various groups, ethnic or religious. MURIC cannot claim not to know that that was a very successful conference.

Three, MURIC is also alleging that the security system in Aso Rock is saturated with Israeli security operatives. This again is a blatant lie. There are no Israeli security operatives saturating the security system in Aso Rock. To convince himself that this is true, we will like to invite Prof. Akintola on a visit to the Presidential Villa, to see whether indeed it is Israelis that are in charge of security.

The security operatives in the Villa are not foreigners, they are Nigerians and there is no connection with Israel whatsoever.” On the Jewish sign said to be on the N100 notes, Reuben Abati said it is a sign of security which would be used by Nigerians to determine if the note is original or fake and is not a religious sign as speculated by Prof Akintola. "The premised of the issue that formed the basis for Akintola’s vituperation is wrong and he is misinformed. The symbol his statement is referring to is the Star of David. There is no where on that proposed note as indicated in the specimen that has been widely publicized where there is any Jewish or Zionist symbol or the Star of David.

The Star of David is a hexagram which is two triangles of equal lines superimposed on each other. The hexagram is a very popular symbol but it is not on that naira note. The symbol that he is referring to is not a Jewish symbol. It is what they call spark security feature. It is an optical magnetic feature which enables the public to authenticate a currency note whether it is genuine or counterfeit. That is the function of that particular design.

That design is not an hexagram and it is not in any way associated with Israel or Jewish or Zionism. It is two squares merged into one with a Manila briquet, which is a symbol of the cowrie money used during the colonial era. It is an attempt on the part of MURIC to cause disaffection because on the design of that note, the value of that note is written out in the three major languages in Nigeria, recognised in the constitution: Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. No attempt has been made to use this proposed naira note to discriminate anybody and the attack on President Jonathan is undeserved, unwarranted and totally unkind. I believe that MURIC will see the need to quickly apologise for misleading the public and for issuing that kind of statement that can cause disaffection against the President” he said

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Tambuwal picks APC presidential nomination form

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has picked the notice of intent and nomination forms to run for the office of president of Nigeria on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, ‎APC.

Mr. Tambuwal recently defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In response, the federal government withdrew his security detail.

Mr. Tambuwal was earlier tipped to run as governor in his home state, Sokoto.

But the speaker received the presidential nomination forms Thursday, his spokesperson, Imam Imam, told PREMIUM TIMES.

“Earlier today, some friends and political associates of the Speaker notified him that they have bought the forms for him,” Mr. Imam said.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that several APC members in the House of Representatives trooped to the party’s Abuja office to purchase the forms on Mr. Tambuwal’s behalf.

Sources in the APC say Mr. Tambuwal is in the presidential race at the prompting of one of the leaders of the party, Bola Tinubu, who is a former governor of Lagos State.

Mr. Tambuwal’s indication of interest brings to five the number of persons who vying for the nation’s top job on the platform of the party.

Others who had earlier picked the forms are former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano state, and newspaper publisher, Sam Nda-Isiah.

The APC has said it will conduct a modified primary election in which delegates will vote for their candidate of choice from their home state, after which a national convention will simply collate and ratify the votes from across the country.

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Guess Who's Here!

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Military helicopter crashes in Adamawa state

A Nigerian military helicopter on surveillance mission has crashed in Damariea in Girei Local Government Area of the state. Residents of the area said the helicopter crashed close to the temporary camp of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, which is now being used as a camp for Internally Displaced people in the state. Details later.

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Court stops PDP lawmakers in House of Reps from reconvening

 

 House of Representative in session

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday granted an injunction stopping lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] from reconvening the House of Representatives from recess.
Justice Ahmed Ramat Muhammed said the PDP legislators cannot take a decision to reconvene the House at least until Friday when the case would be heard.
Justice Muhammed ruled that all parties to the suit must maintain the status quo until Friday, November 7.
The ruling came after members of the APC in the House filed a motion on notice asking the court to stop the Federal Government, the PDP and their agents from reconvening the House until December 3.
Lawmakers of the APC, led by House Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, had gone to court after they suspected that PDP lawmakers were planning to reconvene the House in defiance of its leadership.
The Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, had after defecting to the APC on October 28 adjourned the House to December 3.
In his ruling, Justice Muhammed also asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and the APC to serve the defendants with the motion on notice and ordered the defendants to come and show cause why all the reliefs being sought should not be granted.
The APC had three days ago alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan was plotting, alongside PDP lawmakers, to reconvene the House in violation of laid down procedures.
“We reject this meddling in the affairs of the Legislature especially given the resolution of President Jonathan and his close advisers yesterday at their meeting to ask the Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha to unlawfully reconvene the House before the adjourned date,” the party had said in a statement by its spokesperson, Lai Mohammed.
“May we remind President Goodluck Jonathan that under the House Rules, only a resolution by all principal officers of the House and not even the Speaker of the House can reconvene the House before the adjourned date not to talk of the Deputy Speaker.”
The spokesperson of the House, Zakari Mohammed, had on Sunday also said the lawmaking body cannot cut short its recess without the express approval of its speaker, Mr. Tambuwal.
PREMIUM TIMES and other media had reported moves by loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to reconvene the House before its scheduled resumption date of December 3.
An early resumption is reportedly being proposed to execute the removal of Mr. Tambuwal as Speaker of the PDP-majority House.
After Mr. Tambuwal defected to the opposition, his security details were controversially withdrawn.
In his statement, Mr. Mohammed, clarified the legal procedure to reconvene the House before December 3.
Read his full statement below:
The House of Representatives adjourned sitting of its plenary on 28th of October to 3rd December 2014 to allow members of the House carry out pre Pre- Budget oversight activities in preparation for the 2015 Budget and also to meet the political calendar of all the political parties.
This adjournment was unanimously approved by all the Principal Officers of the House without dissent and the motion was moved by Mulikat- Adeola Akande, the Majority Leader .The Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR, approved with the Gavel.
There has been intense media focus on this adjournment and media inquiries on the appropriate procedure for re- convening of the House of Representatives from its Recess, if it becomes necessary. The following clarification has become imperative.
The procedure for reconvening or Re-Assembly of the House is contained in the House Standing Orders made pursuant to Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which empowers the House to regulate its own procedure, including the procedure for Summoning and Recess of the House.
Order V , Rule 18(2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives provides as follows;
“Whenever the House stands adjourned either to a date fixed by Resolution or the Rules of the House, and it is represented by the Leaders of the Political Parties in the House to the Speaker that the public interest requires that the House should meet on an earlier or a later date or time than that on which it stands adjourned, the Speaker MAY give notice accordingly, and the House shall meet on the date and at the time stated in the notice.”
This means that the Leaders of all the political parties in the House especially the Majority and Minority Leaders respectively MUST consent before the representation is made to the Speaker who has a discretion to agree or not.
This briefing is for the information and guidance of all Nigerians.
Zakari Mohammed
(PREMIUM TIMES)

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Tambuwal Defection: APC Reps head for court today

 Aminu Tambuwal

The All Progressives Congress Caucus in the House of Representatives has gone to the court to stop the plot by the Peoples Democratic Party to  force the speaker, Aminu Tambuwal out of office. Tambuwal defected recently from the PDP to the APC.

The APC Caucus Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, dropped the hint just as it was learnt on Sunday that the PDP national leadership had summoned the party’s members in the House to an emergency meeting on Monday (today). It was gathered that meeting which will hold at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party was to further fine tune the strategies   for booting out Tambuwal.

Gbajabiamila   said, “We are ready for the PDP and all those people. They have their plans; we have our own as well.

“Our prayers in court will be similar in a way to those sought by the speaker, but different in other ways. Everything will be in black and white; we are coming out with a statement soon after filing our case.”

APC Reps are also expected to hold a meeting today (Monday) at their party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Mr. Ahmad Ali, said, “We are holding our meeting; PDP will hold theirs too as I hear.”

The Speaker, who on October 28 announced his defection ,   had on Friday filed a suit before the Federal High in Abuja asking it to halt any plan by the PDP to remove him from office.

He also challenged the power of the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, to withdraw his   security aides on the grounds of the provisions of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

It was  gathered   that the reported plan by the PDP   caucus   to reconvene the House   on Tuesday (tomorrow) may not materialise.

Tambuwal had adjourned the House to December 3 soon after he announced his defection . But the   PDP, expressing displeasure over the speaker’ defection, had reportedly directed it caucus to   resume legislative proceedings under the leadership of the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha.

However, as of Sunday, there were no indications that lawmakers would return to the chambers on Tuesday (tomorrow).

Although investigations showed that no member of the House had been communicated with the matter, PDP lawmakers were summoned to the Wadata Plaza national headquarters of the party   for   an emergency meeting with PDP leaders on today.

Findings showed that the meeting would likely take a position on the exact action the party PDP wanted its lawmakers to take.

When contacted on the possibility of the House reconvening on Tuesday, the Deputy House Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, replied that the PDP was yet to take a concrete stand on the issue.

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Boko Haram Attack: Army arrests six senior officers for fleeing

 Major General Chris Olukolade

Six military commanders, including an injured Lieutenant Colonel, have been arrested by the military for withdrawing from Mararaba, Michika, Madagali, Mubi and later Vimtim when Boko Haram insurgents attacked the communities last week.

It was learnt that   an unspecified number of soldiers were also in detention for allegedly abandoning the communities, thereby making it easy for the insurgents to have an upper hand.

A reliable military source, who made this known in Abuja on Sunday, said the movement of five of the commanders had been restricted to the officers mess in a military formation.

The source, who did not name the military formation, because of security reason, added that “one of them, a Leutenant Colonel   is receiving treatment at the MRS in Yola for   serious injuries he sustained when the car in which he was escaping with somersaulted several times.”

He said the injured officer   would join his colleagues in the officers mess on recovery.

Our source said, “Today (Sunday), the military authorities arrested five   commanders around the Mubi axis of Adamawa State. The sixth is a Lt. Col.

“Some of those arrested were at Mararaba, Madagali, Michika and other locations. I think the military leaders are saying that the soldiers did not resist the Boko Haram when they invaded the place.”

Our source explained that the Defence authorities had already commenced investigations into the activities of all its personnel in relation with the capture of Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa State and other supposedly “fortified locations,” including Vimtim, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh.

The insurgents had reportedly burnt Badeh’s residence, a clinic and a civic centre in the community on Thursday.

The source explained that the military authorities were determined to find out why the Boko Haram’s advance in the state was not resisted by the troops.

He said the military   chiefs   were of the opinion that the “tactical withdrawal” of the soldiers from their   positions was nothing but a “display of indiscipline and cowardice which   would not be tolerated.”

Our correspondents gathered that it was the military authority’s conviction that enough weapons and men were deployed in Mubi and other locations to frustrate the any attack by the insurgents.

On Thursday, the Minister of Defence, Lt.Gen. Aliyu Gusau; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah, declined to speak with journalists on issues relating to the capture of Mubi and the other communities by the insurgents.

When   contacted on the issue, the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, said, “Anyone found to have undermined the ongoing operation will face appropriate sanctions and this is well known to all military personnel.”

Another source, who confided in one of our correspondents, said soldiers had a grueling encounter on Sunday with insurgents at Bladeba about one and half kilometers from Mubi.

He said   the soldiers were able to take over some of the checkpoints captured by the insurgents.

It was   also learnt that some of the insurgents   in control of Mubi were moving towards Hildi   to avoid aerial bombardments.

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NMA opens endowment for Ebola

Nigerian Medical Association has opened an endowment fund as the country begins building up its preparedness for a probable re-emergence of Ebola virus disease.
The fund comes despite World Health Organisation certifying Nigeria Ebola-free after the disease was contained.
The fund is to pay for training and equipping healthworkers against Ebola, said NMA president Dr Kayode Obembe.
He spoke at the association's Physicians Week in Abuja, dedicated to "War Against Ebola".
Individual doctors will contribute to seed money for the endowment, kicked off on Tuesday with a N250,000 donation by Dr Ibrahim Wada.
"When you are fighting a war, you need finance. The believe will have to be diverted into fighting Ebola," said Obembe.
"There are so many areas we need the money for. We have to buy some of the personnel protective equipment, goggles, handgloves, boots we will be wearing. And when we donate these to some of the isolation centres, it will be creating awareness."
The fund adds to the NMA's N50m budget and will be at the recommendation of the association's special committee on Ebola.
The committee, set up at the start of Nigeria's Ebola outbreak, has proposed to expand preparedness to include other medical and health emergencies, including haemorrhagic fevers as Lassa, Yellow and Dengue fevers.
It proposes to produce and regulalry revise standard protocols for Ebola prevention at all relevant places and emergency preparation at national, state and council levels, according to Dr Michael Asuzu, professor of public health at University of Ibadan.
The committee also plans to press for a national system for emergency preparation and response.

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I won’t step down for anybody – Kwankwaso

    Rabiu Kwankwaso

The Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso yesterday said he will not step down for anyone in the race for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress.

The governor is among APC’s four presidential aspirants, the others being retired General Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah.
Since Senator Bukola Saraki announced he was shelving his ambition to be president last week, Kwankwaso is reported to have come under pressure to step down for Buhari in order to avoid rancour in the party.
There have also been calls for consensus candidacy in APC such that other aspirants would back the former Head of State.
But Kwankwaso told journalists in Kano yesterday he was staying in the race and was not under pressure to quit for anyone.
He also expressed preference for conducting primaries to going for consensus.
“I’m not under any pressure to step down for anybody. In fact nobody asked me to step down for anybody and doing that will not be even good for the party,” he said.
“You see many people are used to either small parties or let me say medium-sized parties where people sit down and choose somebody in a room. Now we are talking about APC mega party which is not ANPP, CPC, APGA or ACN.
“It’s a collection of all and we always tell people to look at the example of PDP. From 1999 to 2011, each election they had to go for primary elections not arranged election, but real elections.
“Even when we have sitting presidents in 2003 and 2011, there were elections, serious elections. And that’s why the PDP has been winning all along and all others who are making arranged elections are losing elections.
“As you can see as fate would have it, now PDP has decided to do their own primary in the Villa and the APC is going to the field. That shows us clearly that APC will win elections and the PDP will lose election in 2015.”
On the consensus arrangement, he said, “We have always been consistent, but you see many people who are soliciting a president for this consensus, many of them are having in mind that when people go and sit down they will give it to their candidate. That’s consensus to them that’s the main issue.
“And I believe that since this party is very strong, all candidates should go round the country and campaign, bring in more hands, more people. And that’s exactly what we are doing. In the last few weeks many people joined APC because of me and they will continue to join especially if I have a ticket.
“Most of the guys in the PDP, the good ones, are my friends and certainly once I declare and get a ticket, they will cross over to APC or stay there and work for me. One of the advantages that I have is that it is not only APC that will vote, the PDP will also vote for me in the general elections.”
Kwankwaso said he was confident the party will remain united after the primaries, and pledged to support any candidate who gets the ticket.
“If I win the primary election, I will be very happy and other contestants will work together, we are very close, all the three or four of us. And of course if anyone wins elections we will support him,” he said.
Kwankwaso urged for free and fair elections. “And that’s why we are saying to INEC and other people that they must not go and take dictations from the villa and come out and write figures because that will not be acceptable,” he added.
The governor said his formal declaration earlier slated for tomorrow has now been rescheduled for Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the delay was because of the refusal of the Federal Government to grant him permission to use the Eagle Square for the event.
“It was the issue of venue that made me to change the date of my formal declaration because they did not give us approval to use the Eagle Square. It is now going to be on the 28th of this month.  We are still looking for venue but if they don’t give us we will declare on the streets of Abuja because most of the venues are owned by them,” he said.

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Why WHO declares Nigeria Ebola-free

               Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu

The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday declared Nigeria officially free of the Ebola virus disease after six weeks passed without recording any new case.
The declaration by WHO representative, Rui Gama Vaz, in Abuja came 42 days after the last person in possible contact with the virus was taken off observation and three months after the virus was brought into Nigeria by the Liberian American, Patrick Sawyer.
Speaking in Abuja, Rui Gama Vaz who described Nigeria’s Ebola experience as a “spectacular success story,” said the period doubled the 21 days required for observation without recording any new case of Ebola, meaning that the chain of transmission of the virus was broken in Nigeria.
The WHO can declare an Ebola outbreak over if two incubation periods of 21 days pass without new cases. The last case reported in Nigeria was on September 5.
Nigeria praised, cautioned
A Liberian brought the disease to the country in July, but the spread through the country’s 170 million people, the largest population in Africa, has been avoided through swift response after Nigeria declared a national public health emergency.
“The virus is gone for now, the outbreak in Nigeria has been defeated,” Rui Gama Vaz said, adding: “This is a spectacular success story that shows to the world that Ebola can be contained but we must be clear that we have only won a battle, the war will only end when West Africa is also declared free of Ebola.”
Mr Sawyer, the Liberian, later died of the disease, followed by seven Nigerians, including Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, who diagnosed Mr Sawyer and was credited with helping to contain the outbreak at its source.  John Vertefeuille of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Nigeria had taken the right steps to contain the outbreak.
“Nigeria acted quickly and early and on a large scale,” he told AFP news agency. “They acted aggressively, especially in terms of contact-tracing,” he added.
But Rui Gama Vaz also cautioned that though the battle was won, the Ebola war continues until it is defeated in all countries. He urged Nigeria not to relax vigilance at all entry points to forestall any re-entry of the virus.
It was the first time Ebola hit an urban centre like Lagos, with a population exceeding those of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, amidst fears of spreading to millions.
Eight of the 19 people infected with the virus in Nigeria died before it was contained. All others were successfully treated without use of experimental drugs. Former Information Minister Labaran Maku called Nigeria’s success against Ebola “heart-warming.”

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US, investors to build $20bn power plant in Katsina

United States government officials and a consortium of companies have arrived in Katsina State for feasibility studies on a 1000 megawatts gas plant to be financed from the $20 billion Power-for-Africa grant from the US government.

Six other African countries - Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Liberia - are to benefit from the grant aimed at improving power supply on the continent.
The officials are looking at the possibility of laying a pipeline from the Soraz Refinery in Niger Republic to the project site in Kastina. Special Assistant to the US president on Power in Africa, Mr Robert Obrien, who led the delegation to the state, said under the agreement, the US government would provide $14 billion while the private investors would inject $6 billion.
An investor, Mr Peter Butt, said 300mgw of power from the plant would be stepped down in Katsina while the remaining would go to neighbouring states.
Governor Ibrahim Shema assured of his administration’s readiness to provide the needed infrastructure to ensure success of the project, saying the peaceful atmosphere in the state and its strategic location attracted the investors.
The state Commissioner for Works, Abdul-aziz Kaita, said the team had already visited many proposed sites for the project and several dams which could be used to cool the turbines, saying they were in talks with relevant government agencies on the actualisation of the project.
An environmental impact assessment is also expected to be carried out to ensure smooth take- off of the project, he said.

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Health workers begin nationwide strike Today

 














Health workers across the country will today begin an indefinite strike over alleged government’s refusal to accede to their demands.
The aggrieved workers ousted their grievances to include intractable leadership crisis in the health sector; non-commencement of residency training programme for health professionals, non-implementation of new call duty allowance and non-payment of arrears of CONHESS 10 skipping, among others.
National President of Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), an umbrella body of group of professionals like physiotherapists, medical laboratory scientists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, optometrists, dietitians, medical social workers, clinical psychologists and dental therapists, Comrade Felix Faniran,  at a news conference in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital said the strike would be total and indefinite.
Faniran, who accused  the Presidency as well as the Minister for Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu and the leaders of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) as  allegedly fueling and sustaining the crisis in the sector traced the origin of the present crisis to how NMA allegedly frustrated the bid to appoint the late Professor Dora Akunyili as Health Minister some years ago.
“When it became apparent that the late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua was unable to continue to discharge his duties as president of the nation due to ill health, his vice, Dr. Ebele Jonathan was sworn in as Acting President after the Senate had proclaimed ‘Doctrine of Necessity’. Mr. President dissolved the erstwhile cabinet and proposed a new one. The name, Professor Dora Akunyili, now of blessed memory and a prominent and vocal member of the previous administration made the new list.
“Most public commentators expected her to be named Minister for Health. Sensing this, the Nigeria Medical Association engaged in media blackmail against the appointment of Dora or any other person than a medical practitioner of NMA membership. This was the origin of the present crisis in the health sector, though, there has been other issues at stake whose roots were found in the administration of Gen. Babangida’s military regime, when Professor Olikoye Ransome Kuti, a medical practitioner, was made minister of health from 1985-1993. Three major challenges were noticed in the Ransome Kuti’s era which affected our people.”

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Taraba 2015: Northern Patriotic Front Rally Support For Acting Governor

Ahead of the 2015 governorship election in Taraba State, the Northern Patriotic Front (NPF) has called on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to give priority to the acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, in the contest for the state’s governorship election.

The group made the appeal in Abuja yesterday while briefing the media on internal democracy in the political parties as a major challenge in 2015 elections.

In a statement jointly signed by the National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Abacha and the Zonal National Vice Chairman (N/East), Hon. Manga Asha, the NPF said that there was a need for the ruling PDP and the people of Taraba state to allow Umar clinch the party’s ticket for the race.

They noted that since his assumption of office, the acting governor has made remarkable achievements in the areas of education, health, youth empowerment and general infrastructural developments among others.

They further stressed on the need for the acting governor to be given the opportunity to run on the party’s ticket to consolidate on the good work he is doing in the state.

“The acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar has shown purposeful leadership in directing the affairs of the state since he assumed office. He has also introduced an open door policy which has made for better interactions between the people of the state and the government.

“These are some of the qualities of a good leader, considering the fact that the state had almost been thrown into turmoil until his assumption of office. For stability, the acting governor must be allowed to contest. We urge the PDP leadership to do the needful in this regard .Since he assumed office in acting capacity, he has demonstrated high level of transparency and accountability in managing the state funds”,

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