Former President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the National Chairman of People’s Democratic (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff of telling lie against him by alleging that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike gave him N50 million to organize the recent stakeholders meeting in Abuja.
Jonathan who spoke through his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, dismissed Sheriff’s claim and described it as untrue.
He said that he intervened in the PDP crisis because of his genuine commitment to bring about peace in the party that made him president, saying: “I don’t think anybody will believe that Jonathan collected money from anybody to organize the meeting. It was out of his genuine concern to bring peace to the party.
“He has been meeting with members of the party; he met with Sheriff severally, he also met with Makarfi severally. He met with the governors. I don’t see any reason for anybody to say that Jonathan collected money from anybody to organise the stakeholders conference.” [myad]
The former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has agreed that he actually built the house in Lagos, in which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered about N12 billion earlier this week.
Media reports have traced the ownership of the building, located at 16, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos to Mu’azu, who is also the former Bauchi governor.
In a statement, Mu’azu said that he actually built the said property but later sold to buyers of individual flats in the building.
“My attention has been drawn to the news making the rounds that I own the building on No.16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. I want to state clearly that I built the said property and sold to prospective buyers of individual flats.
“I have been a property developer since 1983 and I have developed and sold several properties all over the world, the property in question happens to be one of them. I acquired the land and jointly developed it using a bank loan, I obtained about nine years ago.
“However, all the flats have been sold to prospective buyers in order to pay back the loan. I do not own or occupy any of the apartments. I sold all the apartments through established estate agents as such I have no knowledge or interest in who purchases or rents any of the flats.
“I commend the efforts of the official of the EFCC and the government’s drive at fighting corruption and also the media in informing the public on illicit and corrupt proceeds.
“My response is not intended to jeopardize or interfere with the ongoing investigation of the anti- graft and security agencies but to clear the misconception that the house in question belongs to me. I strongly believe that the efforts being made will surely unveil the real owner of such flat and the monies recovered.” [myad]
Professor Pius Abioje, of the Department of Religions in the University of Ilorin has described prophesies in “Nigerian miracle churches” as nuisance and that they are against the tenets of Christianity.
Professor Abioje, who spoke today, Friday in Ilorin while delivering the 167th Inaugural Lecture of the University entitled: “Christian Prophets and other Prophets in Nigeria,” lamented that some Nigerian prophets “have become nuisance” as they claim to perform wonders which they use in confusing unsuspecting members of the public.
The Professor who advised Nigerians not to be gullible and susceptible to their divination and prophesies, questioned why many titular Christian prophets “avoid social and ethical issues and focus basically on divinatory and esoteric aspects of prophesy.”
The Don, who recalled the history of Christian Prophetic Movement in Africa, said that it was characterized by burning of magical objects and claims of casting out evil spirits rather than engagement in issues of social justice.
He said that there were some non-conventional prophets who stood for the truth at all cost such as late Chief Gani-Fawehinmi.
The professor called on Nigerians to strive to be critical prophets who speak against evils on behalf of God and try to live holy lives. [myad]
Governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna state has alleged that a private memo he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari in September last year was leaked to the media by someone in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said that it was not the first time he would be writing and submitting such memo to the President with honest intention to guide him and his government for the greater achievements for both the President and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor spoke to news men today, Friday, shortly after the Friday (Jum’at) prayer alongside President Buhari at State House Mosque, Abuja.
In the 30-page document, which he wrote to the President on September 22, 2016, Governor El-Rufai alerted the President that he was losing the vision and the momentum with which All Progressives Congress (APC) started its Change Agenda.
The governor advised the President to effect changes in the leadership of some federal agencies and establishments, and to communicate constantly with Nigerians, so they will know the plans of his government.
El-Rufai expressed disappointment that a private communication to the highest office in the land can be leaked and it was leaked from the villa, adding: “this is a fact. I was told by those who published it…
“We live in an age where anything you write or say can be leaked. I have no ill motive but I wanted to communicate with the president what many Nigerians are talking about and what steps can be taken to improve governance of the country and move the country forward.
“That was my motive and if tomorrow, like I said, I see anything that the president needs to know I will discuss with him and I will articulate and put it into writing and on the record for him to have a reminder document to work on.”
The governor, who also reacted to insinuations that he had been banned from entering the State House on the strength of the memo, said that such insinuations are unfounded and that nobody can stop him from visiting the Villa.
The governor explained that he stopped frequenting the villa because the President needs quality time to rest and also attends to challenges of governance.
“No one ever stopped me from coming to the villa and no one can stop me from coming to villa.
“As a governor I come here, I have blank cheques, no one checks me at the gate but I believe what the President needs is for those that love him to keep away from him and allow him to rest.
“The President needs quality time to rest because it is meeting too many people that strains leadership.
“I am a governor and I know that when I meet 10 people in a day I get really tired, it is not the paperwork, it is not really the memos approving them or asking questions that strain a leader, it is the stream of visitors.
“I do not want to contribute to the President’s problem by coming here every day. I am in touch with him,’’ he added.
The governor, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to show more understanding and love to the president by allowing him to rest and also concentrate more on his private and official engagements, saying that “visitors stress leaders’’.
“Let me appeal to all of us that love the President to please allow him some space so that he will recover.
“We need him and the country needs him, it is in our interest for the stability of the country, we should just let him be.
“It is absolutely necessary lets us leave him to do his work in the privacy of his room or his office without strings of visitors. Visitors stress leaders.’’
El-Rufa’i also described his relationship with Buhari as cordial, saying that the relationship had never been strained in anyway.
He, however, acknowledged that there were people within the presidency “that like me and there are those who don’t and it is normal.
“My relationship with the President has never been strained in anyway. I met with him last night,
“I did not talk about things like that but our relationship with him is like that of father and son and it is privilege for me.”
Meanwhile, Chief Imam of the State House Mosque, Sheik Abdulwaheed Sulaiman, has called on Muslims and Christians to unite as brothers and sisters, given the common Abrahamic origin of their religions. [myad]
Turkish President, Recep Erdogan has rejected the idea that he would bring federalism to the country if he wins an upcoming constitutional referendum, as he faced last-minute pressure from hardline nationalists whose support might be crucial.
The pressure came from Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who has backed Erdogan’s bid for expanding presidential powers and is an ally in the campaign ahead of the vote on Sunday.
NAN reports that Turkish citizens will head to the polls to vote on a new draft constitution which could dramatically increase the powers of Erdogan.
If voters approve the constitutional reforms on Sunday, Erdogan would get greater powers to influence politics and justice, including the right to declare a state of emergency by himself.
Bahceli voiced concern on Thursday night over remarks by an advisor to the president, who reportedly said a “state” system could be possible for Turkey.
Nationalists have long supported Turkey’s unitary state; for example, provincial governors are appointed by the central government.
On the other side, Kurdish nationalists and many leftists have been vocally supportive of federalism in the country of approximately 80 million.
Speaking in Konya, Erdogan was quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency as saying about federalism or any state-based system: “None of these have ever been on our agenda, and will not be.”
The MHP, which in terms of votes, came third in the last parliamentary election, is sharply split over the referendum.
Though Bahceli has supported Erdogan, many other prominent members have come out in favour of a “no” vote.
Polls have indicated the race is tight, though the “yes” camp appears to be ahead.
“We are as sensitive as our nationalist brothers on the unitary state issue,” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said.
The Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Benin, capital of Edo State, has dismissed the election petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, against the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki, who won the 2016 Edo State governorship poll,
The three-man tribunal, led by Justice Ahmed Badamasi, today, Friday, said that Ize-Iyamu and the PDP’s petition lack credible evidence to prove their case. The tribunal, therefore, upheld the election of Governor Obaseki.
Ize-Iyamu and the PDP had challenged INEC’s declaration of Obaseki as the winner of the Sept. 28, 2016 election.
Reacting to the judgment, Ize-Iyamu said that he would take the case to a superior court, saying that he hoped to win. He told party leaders and supporters at a forum attended by the state chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, that the judgment would be appealed at a higher court.
“From the snippets I heard, the tribunal’s judgment cannot stand in the higher courts. This case must be pursued up to the Supreme Court.”
This was even as Chief Dan Orbih assured the party supporters that the “journey ahead would be shorter.
“I want to thank God that we have all been able to reach this part of the journey. What gladdens my heart is that God will vindicate us in the long run.
“Do not be dismayed. We are still hoping for your support. I urge you all to be calm and refrain from being provoked.
“We reject the judgment of the tribunal; it is not acceptable to us and we have told our lawyers to appeal the judgment as the issues raised in the petition were not addressed by the tribunal,” he said.
A financial accountant at the headquarters of telecommunications giants MTN in South Africa has been arrested for allegedly stealing R24 million (about N546.72 million using the exchange rate of one Rand to 22.78 Naira.
A report by South Africa’s TMG Digital quoted Hawks officer Capt Ndivhuwo Mulamu as saying on Thursday: “Investigations into her accounts came after a bank contacted MTN’s management about ‘suspicious activity’ in her account.
“It is alleged that the suspect fraudulently transferred money from the MTN bank account into her personal bank account for the period between July 16 2015 and April 4 2017.” Mulamu said.
The report disclosed that the woman, whose name was not made public, was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious
Commercial Crime division, at MTN headquarters in Fairlands on Tuesday.
It added that the suspect had been scheduled to appear before the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for fraud and theft. [myad]
Economic and Financial experts have warned President Muhammad Buhari not to listen to calls by some key ministers and politicians in the country to float the naira, saying that the move could jeopardize the efforts of the government to pull the economy out of recession.
The experts said that those who are pushing for such economic policy are indirectly asking for the collapse of the President Buhari’s government.
“If you float the naira, the economy will crumble. It is as simple as that. If we float the naira, Nigeria will take a flight to Zimbabwe via Venezuela. There is no way the government can withstand the stress.
“The pressure on the government would be too much that it will just crumble. This will create enough fertile ground for the impeachment process of the Buhari led government. I believe those pushing for such economic policy are not friends of the president. They are fifth columnists who want the government to fall,” one of the experts said on condition of anonymity,” one of the experts cautioned.
This is even as another one said: “those that are pushing the CBN to float the naira have an agenda. They want the naira to fall to say, N1000 to a dollar so that they would buy off every available assets in the country and turn Nigeria into a private enterprise. It is unfortunate and Nigerians must resist this move.”
The economic analysts also attributed the continuous slide of the naira against major foreign currencies to the huge amount of illegally acquired monies in circulation in the country even as they called on the Federal Government to deploy high intelligence strategies to recover such monies from private individuals in the country.
“No economic magic can solve this problem, even the best economic policies in the world will fail under the present realities in Nigeria. No magic banker in the world can restore the naira unless corruption money is curtailed,” the source said adding that “corruption money is the root of the Forex crisis in the country. If you raid the homes of 2000 top Nigerians today, the naira will appreciate overnight. The naira will exchange for less than N200,” one of the sources said.
The source lamented the craze for ill-gotten wealth in the Nigerian society, saying: “there is hardly any influential person in this country today that does not have money stashed in their homes or private property. Government must adopt a strategy to recover these monies otherwise we won’t be able to achieve anything tangible.” [myad]
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has made it clear that he is seeking for a place in Adamawa, North East of Nigeria to make a home where he would be spending weekeneds long after he leaves office.
The Vice President who was conferred with a traditional chieftaincy title of Jagaba of Adamawa by the Lamido of Adamwa when he was there today to commission some projects, said that though he had been in that state three times.
“Now that l am the Jagaban of Adamawa State. l intend to get myself a small place here to live so that every once in a while, l can come and spend my weekend and holiday here in Adamawa State.”
He told the people of the state that the Federal Government had since began to implement its innovation and technology initiatives with the establishment of hubs in each of the six geo-political zones, even as he announced that Adamawa State would host the innovation hub for the North-East region.
“The Federal Government’s proposed innovation hub for the North-East will be here in Adamawa State in partnership with the American University and other institutions.
“The first step will be a mega-fund working with the ICRC Global Innovation Team which will give an opportunity to the internally displaced persons to become active part of the process to provide solution to the problem they face everyday using technology. This will give Nigeria an opportunity to work with international organizations to export innovative humanitarian solutions to other parts of the world.
“But we are here today at the Faro junction to commission this state-of-the-art road network and this again is one of the major demonstrations of the excellent works the governor has been doing and I am exceptionally pleased to be associated with the success he has made in a very short time.” [myad]
65 year old groundbreaking black jurist who became the first Muslim woman to serve as a U.S. judge, Sheila Abdus-Salaam, was found dead in New York’s Hudson River yesterday, Wednesday.
Police said that the woman, an associate judge of New York’s highest court, was found floating off Manhattan’s west side at about 1:45 p.m. EDT, a police spokesman said.
Police pulled Abdus-Salaam’s fully clothed body from the water and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her family identified her and an autopsy would determine the cause of death, the spokesman said.
Abdus-Salaam, a native of Washington, D.C., became the first African-American woman appointed to the Court of Appeals when Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo named her to the state’s high court in 2013.
“Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam was a trailblazing jurist whose life in public service was in pursuit of a more fair and more just New York for all,” Cuomo said in a statement.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History said Abdus-Salaam was the first female Muslim to serve as a U.S. judge.
Citing unidentified sources, the New York Post reported that Abdus-Salaam had been reported missing from her New York home earlier on Wednesday. Attempts to reach her family were unsuccessful.
A graduate of Barnard College and Columbia Law School, Abdus-Salaam started her law career with East Brooklyn Legal Services and served as a New York state assistant attorney general, according to the Court of Appeals website.
She held a series of judicial posts after being elected to a New York City judgeship in 1991.
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