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Malawian Minister Kills Self For Losing Parliamentary Election

Godfrey KamanyaA Malawian minister, Godfrey Kamanya has shot himself dead early today, supposedly after losing his parliamentary seat in Tuesday’s general elections.
Reports said that Godfrey, who was the former deputy minister for Local Government, was found dead in his Lilongwe home in the early hours of today.
His spokesman has however denied claims that the minister’s suicide is linked to being voted out of his Lilongwe Msozi North seat.
In his suicide note, the former minister asked President Joyce Banda to care for his daughter and provide for her schooling.
This tragic incident is the latest twist in a Malawian political saga marred by allegations of fraud and ballot stuffing, riots and wholesale system failures.
Earlier today, elections officials admitted they have had to use email and fax to tally votes and share results after their electronic counting system crashed.
Elections chief Willie Kalonga said that the system “is refusing to take the information from the ground where our data clerks are stationed to send the results.”
Around 7.5 million people were eligible to vote in the fifth democratic elections since the end of the Kamuzu Banda dictatorship 20 years ago.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will only announce results when 30% of the votes have been counted.
Tallying, however, is currently “not anywhere in the neighbourhood” of that figure, MEC chairman Maxon Mbendera said.

Presidency Shuts Gates Of Aso Villa To #BringBackOurGirls Protesters

protestNigeria Presidency, today, shot the gates of Aso Villa, the seat of government, to the former minister of education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili who led hundreds of protesters to attract comments from President Goodluck Jonathan over the abduction of female students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state on April 14 by members of Boko Haram. The protesters staged the march to the Presidential Villa under the canopy of #BringBackOurGirls
It was learnt that as early as 6.00am, heavy detachment of  anti riot security operatives had taken position at strategic places around the Presidential Villa.
It was learnt that when the protesters arrived, they were not allowed to go beyond the Federal Ministry of Justice, which is more than 1,000 metres away from Aso Villa. The protesters were stopped in front of Eagle Square by a long chain of police personnel who sealed off the road.
The protesters decided to sit on the ground and refused to be addressed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
A protest letter addressed to President Jonathan was later read by Mrs. Maryam Uwais, while the protesters were addressed on behalf of the President by the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs. Olajumoke Akinjide.
The protesters had set out from Unity Fountain and marched through the major high ways around the capital city to the point where they were stopped from moving further to the Aso Villa to see President Jonathan for the purpose of directly hear from him on efforts being made to the rescue the abducted female students.
The rally was attended by the biggest crowd witnessed since the protests started on April 30.

Diezani Begins Legal Battle With National Assembly, Says It Is Not Competent To Invite Her Over Alleged N10 Billion Fraud

Nigeria's Minister of Petroleum Diezani Allison-Madueke speaks at a media briefing on a new gas price regime in the capital of AbujaThe minister of petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has embarked on a legal battle with the National Assembly, challenging its competence to invite her and management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) for probe over the N10 billion allegedly spent by the Ministry to maintain its jet.
In a legal suit filed by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Mrs. Diezani and NNPC are seeking for an order forbidding the National Assembly from inviting them to give evidence over the matter.
Trouble started when the National Assembly mandated its Committees to investigate the alleged squandering of N10 billion over a two-year period on the arbitrary charter and maintenance of a Challenger 850 aircraft for unofficial use by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke
The Applicants wants the court to determine whether the National Assembly has the power to personally probe or conduct investigation into allegations of fraud or other criminal activities, when such probe is not for the purpose of enabling the National Assembly to make laws or correct any defect in existing laws.
They also want the court to determine whether the National Assembly acted ultra vires (above) their powers and functions by sending out invitations to the Applicants when such invitations are not for the purpose of enabling the National Assembly make laws, or correct any defect in existing laws.
They further want the court to restrain the National Assembly from summoning them for the purpose of giving evidence or producing any papers, books, records or other documents, which relate to their unpublished official records without the consent of President Jonathan.
They want the court to order the National Assembly to restrict themselves only to directing the appropriate agencies of the Federal Government, i.e. the Police, the EFCC, ICPC, so authorized by law, to conduct such probe or investigation with respect to allegations of fraud, corruption, or other criminal offences alleged to have occurred in the agencies under the Applicants’ supervision, or control.

Senate Works On Take Off Grant Of N3.9 Billion For College Of Alternative Medicine

Minister_of_HealthNigeria senate is working towards the establishment of College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Nigeria with takeoff grant of N3,9 Billion. Second reading on the bill in that direction was passed today.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Clever Ikisipo (Bayelsa East) said that the take-off grant will cover consultancy, capital costs, personnel emoluments, and cost of specialized training  for staff, among others.
Presenting the lead debate on the floor of the senate, Ikisipo noted that the bill is aimed at providing constitutional backing for the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, created as an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health in 2007.
He explained that ensuring legislative backing for the college would ultimately complement federal government’s efforts at encouraging alternative medicine practice which had already been embraced by medical practitioners in most Europe, Asian and African countries.
The college he said, is saddled with the responsibility of training and retraining alternative medicine practitioners in the health care delivery services.
He also said that the institution will carry out clinical and research as well as provide an alternative method of treating ailments.
“Complimentary and Alternative Medicine is the branch of medicine whose philosophy is grounded in the enhancement of the body’s own healing power through the use of natural means.
“This branch of medicine is coming to the forefront of health care in most Asian countries,  African countries,  European countries and America today, thus having the effect of a healthier and stronger society and enhancing our very valuable human resources. “
Since its establishment in 2007, he said the college had done research into various remedies that can cure major diseases like cancer, cholera, VVF, as well as advanced management and cure of HIV/AIDS.
Ikisipo however, regretted that the college had been producing remedies for ailments over the years without the proper legislative framework necessary for its development and progress.
“At present, the college is the first of its kind in Africa teaching osteopathy, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Natural Medicine and other related disciplines in one single institution.”
The senator assured Nigerians that the institution is capable of increasing life expectancy in Nigeria from 45 to 75 years, based on the quality and effective healthcare services it is capable of providing.

Police Declare Delta Monarch Wanted

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan

The police in Delta State have declared as illegal the coronation of one Chief Nzefili Nwadukwe as the traditional ruler of Abala-Obodo Kingdom in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.
Nwadukwe was crowned king on April 5, 2014 by a faction of the community.
But the state Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba on Wednesday said the coronation was illegal because there was an existing traditional ruler at the time of Nwadukwe’s purported coronation.
“The illegal coronation was done in contravention of an existing law banning the creation of parallel monarchies in a community.
Nzefili Nwadukwe is by this publication declared wanted and will be hunted down to face the law.”
The commissioner warned persons or groups intending “to usurp a government recognized monarchy in contravention of the law to have a change of mind and follow the due process of the law in pursuit of their ambitions.
“This is more so, as the command will not fold its arms to watch any person or group of persons attempting to truncate the relative peace we have so far achieved in the state as we will not hesitate to visit the full wrath of the law on such culprits, please.”
Meanwhile, one Mavin Aliemeke has been arrested for robbing a teenage girl at gunpoint of N100,000 and six telephone handsets in her custody.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the suspect and others now at large using an unregistered Lifan CG 125 motorcycle attacked the 18-year-old girl at Micon Mighty Filling Station, Ogbagidi quarters, Ekuku-Agbor in Ika South LGA of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the arrest, said two locally made single barrel guns were recovered from the suspect who would be charged to court at the end of investigation.
She said the police were on the trail of the fleeing colleagues of the suspect.

My Life Is In Danger, Chieftain Of PDP In Rivers State, Solomon Ndigbara, Cries Out

Governor Rotimi Amechi
Governor Rotimi Amechi

A cheiftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who described himself as Ambassador for Peace in Ogoni land, Chief Solomon Ndigbara has raised alarm over threats to his life by agents of the state government.
In a petition copies of which he sent to the federal government of Nigeria, the United Nations High Commission For Human Rights, the United States Government, the U.K government and all lovers of peace and free societies, Chief Solomon appealed that they should prevail on governor Rotimi Amaechi’s led All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state to spear his life.
He said that the recent allegation that minister of education, Chief Nyesom Wike paid the sum of N25million to him during his last visit was a calculated attempt not just to smear his good name but a direct plot against his life by the Rotimi Amaechi’s led All Progressive Congress in Rivers State.
“It is on record that there had been several attempts at my life by the Rivers State Government which led to the institution of a legal action against the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Senator
Magnus Abe, the Hon. Attorney General of Rivers State, Commissioner of
Police and others in Suit No. FHC/PHC/CS/583/2011 where the cause of action was infringement of my fundamental human rights as a citizen of
Nigeria.
“As you may be aware, judgment was given in my favor and ever since then, I continue to receive threats even though they are yet to comply with the orders of the court with the payment of the N50million to me.
“Rather than paying me the compensation awarded by the court, they now seek to kill me.”
Chief Solomon wanted APC in the state to know that lying against him and placing
their spies to monitor his personal life will not guarantee their
success in the forth-coming elections in Rivers State.
“As usual, the APC in Rivers State wants to send me away so that they can do their manipulation and terrorism in Rivers State ahead of the 2015 elections.
“At a time I have committed my personal resources to peace building in Ogoniland, the APC in Rivers State wants to deceptively use lies to hatch their plot against my life.”

Insecurity: Governor Uduaghan Declares Demoracy And Children Day Celebrations Fasting, Prayer Sessions

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state has said that the 2014 Children’s and Democracy Day celebrations will not be celebrated with the usual fanfare as a result of the security challenges currently facing the country.
Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, to kick-start the Democracy Day programme of activities in Asaba, the Governor explained that the Democracy and Children’s Day celebrations would be marked in the state with fasting and prayers for the nation.
Uduaghan who led those Journalists to observe a minute silence in honour of those that died in a Jos explosion observed that Nigeria is going through trying times.
“Two days ago, there was twin blast in Jos train terminal and several persons lost their lives. This calls for deep sober reflection and vigilance by all.
“Because of the situation of things in the country, we have decided that 2014 is not a year of celebration but a year of serious prayers. On May 27, Children’s Day, we are going to get our children to fast and pray.
“Our children will pray for Nigeria, they will pray for their colleagues who have been kidnapped, and they will pray that our children should be encouraged to be educated rather than be discouraged from being educated.”
The Governor said that on May 29th, “we will also pray because there is nothing God cannot do.”
Governor Uduaghan said that as a state, Delta state too has its challenges but that they would be overcome through prayers.
He said that President Goodluck Jonathan and his team are doing a lot to deal with  the security challenges, adding: “let me assure all of us that the life and property of all Nigerians are dear to the heart of the President.”
Governor Uduaghan disclosed that his administration has taken proactive steps to ensure that Delta State is kept safe from any form of attack even as he asked residents of the state to be security conscious.
“We must be conscious of our environment. We must be conscious about the people around us. We must be conscious about cars parked in public places. We must be conscious about who we give our houses to as landlords. We must be alive to security challenges.”
He said that due to the excesses of cattle rearers which has led to destruction of farmlands, rape of women and killing of some Deltans, security operatives in conjunction with the Nigeria Immigration Service have embarked on a mission to remove all illegal immigrants and Nigerians with evil intents.
“We had challenges of other nationals invading Delta State. Some were coming in trucks, some coming in as cattle rearers, but as a matter of fact, non-Nigerians who are here illegally are being taken care of by the immigration.”
The Governor explained that the exercise is not meant for Nigerians with legitimate businesses in the state even as he warned: “we shall not allow those who are not legally acceptable to be with us.”
On the 2015 general elections, Dr. Uduaghan said that all aspirants for political offices should be free to pursue their consultations and ambition peacefully and should avoid actions capable of causing breach of the peace.
“We are not against anyone’s ambition. What we are against is anybody overheating the system. A life lost in your attempt to get a position is a life that cannot be replaced. Don’t incite people either by publication or action. Don’t accumulate weapons because you may not have opportunity to use them.
“If you are in my cabinet and you want to campaign for elective position, you are free to leave my cabinet. My responsibility is to guide the transition process in a very peaceful manner so that no life is lost and those who are going to vote for their candidates do that without threat of any kind.”
Dr. Uduaghan stated that besides the peace and security that his administration has restored to the state, tremendous success has been recorded in the infrastructure and human capital components of his three point agenda.

Asari Dokubo Beats Drum Of War, Asks Southerners To Prepare For War With North

asari-dokuboLeader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Asari Dokubo has asked the people of the South-South region to prepare for war, even as he said, the ongoing onslaught by Boko Haram is designed to unleash terror on the people of the region.
He warned: “Goodluck no get mouth to say he won’t contest the next election. I will be 50 years on the first of June, I have twenty children and all my children from the age of ten can shoot gun, all my children are trained in martial arts, they can disable an able man. We must prepare for it, now I have gone back to the village because a war is coming, the time of ‘no victor, no vanquish is gone’, this time it is ‘no retreat, no surrender’.”
Asari who spoke at the 10th annual Major Isaac Adaka Boro Public Lecture in Ughelli, Delta State, called on the different ethnic nationalities in the region to unite to fight the invasion of the northern imperialists.
He emphasized that the growing onslaught of the Boko Haram is a war rehearsal of the ‘Fulani feudalist’ against the region which produced the country’s economy mainstay
He said that the people of the region must act fast to foil any attempt to be enslaved, adding: “What Boko Haram is doing is military exercise, its war rehearsals in the north. They  are coming down. Sorry for Urhobo , sorry for Benin , sorry for Esan land , sorry for Isoko land, na here dem go pass come meet Ijaw people.
“Ijaws alone cannot fight this battle, we are not strong enough to fight this battle, we need the collective strength of every one of us, and this is the last battle.”
 

Wild Allegation On Boko Haram: Legal Battle With PDP Begins, El-Rufai Goes To Court, Claims N1.5 Billion

Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai

Political cross-firing over Boko Haram between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has gone into legal battle as the chieftain of APC, Malam Nasiru el-Rufai dragged PDP to court claiming N1.5 Billion damages.

El-Rufai sued PDP along with the party’s national publicity secretary, Olisah Metuh for linking him with the Boko Haram sect. Former military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari has also been threatening to take PDP to court on the same ground.
In the libel suit he filed before an Abuja high court sitting at Gudu, El-Rufai, insisted that the defendants should be compelled to pay him the sum of N1.5billion for tarnishing his public image via a press statement that alleged that both himself and the All Progressive Congress, APC, are connected to the Boko Haram insurgents.
He told the court that Metuh, in another publication that was sponsored by the PDP, alleged that he  (El-Rufai) collected N5bn as consultancy fee from the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Metuh was said to have made the claims in the March 17 and 23 editions of This Day Newspaper.
In the suit dated April 2, 2014, El-Rufai, equally joined the newspaper as the third defendant in the matter.
The former minister insisted that the publications greatly damaged his reputation and occasioned an irreparable damage to his hard-earned public image by portraying him as a corrupt, money laundering, reckless, lawless, greedy and unscrupulous public figure.
He maintained that the publications were “in furtherance of the defendants’ campaign of calumny” against him.
Meantime, Justice Abubakar Talba has adjourned the case to June 5 for mention, even as he ordered service of the court processes on all the defendants.
Specifically, the plaintiff is seeking an order awarding N1bn as general damages against Metuh and PDP.
He is further asking for another order awarding additional N500m as general damages jointly and severally against all the three defendants.
Moreso, the ex-Minister, is urging the court to award cost in his favour for “the injury, embarrassment and distress suffered by the plaintiff in respect of the loss of reputation and goodwill as a result of the malicious, unwarranted and defamatory utterance against the person of the plaintiff.”
He prayed for an order declaring that he was “deservingly entitled to a written apology from the defendants, published with the same prominence as the offending publications”.
More so, he wants the court to give an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further defaming him.

Labaran Maku Declares: War Against Boko Haram Is A Nigerian War

MAKU

Nigeria’s information minister, Labaran Maku has declared the war against Boko Haram in particular and terrorists in general as a Nigerian war.

He said that it is the cooperation of all Nigerians that will defeat it, adding: “it is our understanding that will isolate the evil. It is the unity of purpose in the country that will lead to victory over terrorism.”
Maku, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa today said: “We need greater unity to be able to break into what is going on and defeat it, and that is why the grandstanding and politicking that is associated with the fight against terror is increasing the tempo of the activities of terrorists.

“The variety of opinion amongst the political class feeds into the confidence of terror groups because their objective is to divide public opinion and continuously penetrate the Nigerian society and destroy it. ‘And so, we continue to plead that all of us in the politics of this country need to think again to understand that the challenge we face is not to the advantage of anybody. We need to understand that politics aside, we need to save our country first.”
The minister stressed that all Nigerians need today, the kind of work that will enable every religious preacher and every religious leader  to speak to their followers to be able to sensitize people to give support to what is going on.
“Every state in the North needs to go back to the basis. Which means that today, to deal with terror, every of the 19 Northern states must reorganize their people from the smallest unit of the smallest village to hamlet, to wards, to towns, to districts;  there must be a proper organization of communities for proper information about movement of people and activities that could lead to destruction of lives and property.”
Maku said that federal government “is a fire fighter” and that it does not own any constituency in the 19 Northern states.

“The federal government only sends soldiers and policemen when there is fire on the roof to put out that fire. But the real ground where terrorist is operating is at the local level, at the unit level, at the state level, and until we have every state government determined, not rhetorically but practically, to sit back and organize their people and to take proactive measures in terms of information gathering, in terms of preparing people to be able to report to confront to be able to report, to confront, to organize themselves, we will not be able to defeat terror.

“So, to defeat terror means that every community in Northern Nigeria today must be prepared by the state government to attune their minds with their neighbours, with their communities, in their schools, in their town unions, in their tribal unions, in their religious organizations. We need to be able to reorganize ourselves to prepare for the new challenges we face.”
The information minister regretted that federal government has not seen this preparation going on which is why he said, it has become so sad that in spite of terror operating for this period of time, there are still lapses as witnessed in Chibok, Borno state.

He said that at the moment, the greatest challenge Nigeria is facing is for every state governor to go and focus on the reorganization, adding that that was why when the President declared state of emergency; he did not remove the governors.

He said that the President decided that we needed the machinery of the state government to be able to organize the people and work in synch with the federal government “and I think that is the real work that has to be done now.

“Instead of all the grandstanding, media bliss and altercations, it is expected that every state must know that the war of terror in his own territory is a war not only for the soldiers and policemen that are sent there, but it is even more so a real political war of community organization, of community cooperation, of sensitization, of getting the communities to link up to be able to link terror.
“If this happens, I can tell you that even for terrorists to keep girls for two weeks it will not take place, because they will be travelling across villages and communities and places. If we are really doing the work we need to do at the state and local level, and organizing our people and making them sensitive to what is going on, I believe the job will be easier for the security forces.”

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