IS IT BECAUSE IT IS BUHARI? - By Mustafa Yahaya Kano

A facebok user Mustapha Yahaya expressed his feelings on the current political trend in Nigeria comparing people's biased judgement on the past and present administration. 

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I marvel at the way and manner we think in this country, worst of it the way we think in the north. It is just a few months ago that we all continually lambasted president Jonathan's cluelessness, I referred to him as the "drunken master of Otuoke", and nobody harassed me, and now because they fear the power of the media that brought them to power they want to castrate the social media, with Buhari firing the first shot in an interview with Sahara reporters' Adeola in New York, why, is it because it is Buhari?

We demonstrated against pump price increment for petrol, government of president Buhari wants us to swallow the same pill we rejected a few months ago, yet some of my northern compatriots see nothing wrong with that, is it because it is Buhari? 

When three sons of Sheik Zakzaky were murdered during the Jonathan administration, El-Rufa'i called it genocide by the jonathanian army, now under Buhari more than 200 are killed, their mosque and houses destroyed under Elrufai's nose as Governor of the same state, he has not called it genocide by the Buharian army, is it because it is Buhari?

Under the Jonathan administration subsidy payments were termed as fraud, and there were hues and cries to crucify oil marketers, Buhari even called it a fraud himself, we also thought so, Six months later the same Buhari is paying for subsidy yet nobody is calling it a fraud, why, is it because it is Buhari?

We criticized Jonathan for keeping a large fleet in the presidential fleet and wasting monies on maintenance, only recently President Buhari's spokesman admitted 2 billion Naira was spent on their maintenance, when other presidents are even doing away with their jets, yet we sit down and watch helplessly, is it because it Buhari?

Fuel scarcity is biting harder, value of the Naira is going rock bottom, inflation is now on auto pilot, while profits are dropping, purchasing powers are becoming weaker, yet we are asked not to query them, is it because it is Buhari?
 
If we criticized Jonathan for cluelessness, we will also criticize Buhari for helplessness. While tribal and regional jingoist see nothing because it is Buhari, what I see first is Nigeria and not whether Jonathan is a southerner or Buhari is a Northerner, we cannot continue to be trapped in the closet of tribalism, regionalism and religious bigotry yet expect our country to remain one and grow. Yes! we might be of different orientation and background but what is good is good any where any time and what is bad is bad, I cannot be suffering and keep smiling because "my brother" is the president.

Enugu Assembly declares state of emergency

The Enugu State House of Assembly has declared a State of Emergency on all federal roads in the Southeast zone.
The development is sequel to a motion in the House, which called the attention of the lawmakers to the deplorable state of all federal roads in the zone.
In the motion, which was sponsored by Hon. Chinedu Nwamba of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Nsukka East constituency, the lawmakers called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps towards rehabilitating the roads.
Nwamba, in the motion, stated that “residents in Enugu State and its environs, for over a decade, are faced with myriads of problems as a result of the deplorable state of federal roads.

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“It seems the State is forgotten in the areas of construction of new roads, rehabilitation and maintenance of federal roads. Incidentally, this ugly trend has persisted despite promises made by the successive federal government regimes on the said roads. Among the roads in question are the Port-Harcourt-Enugu and Onitsha-Enugu highways.”
He added that “whereas, the Enugu to Onitsha road, which usually takes about 40 minutes in a journey when the road was in good condition now takes three hours. The road is so bad that almost every vehicle that applies it usually breaks down before completing a full journey. On the Enugu-Port-Harcourt highway the story is the same as the journey, which normally lasts for two hours is now five hours.
He argued that the bad condition of the roads is unsafe for Enugu inhabitants and has hampered economic, political and socio-cultural activities of the people, as countless accidents have been recorded on the roads.
He said, “There appears to be porous security on those roads since criminals use the opportunity of slow movement of vehicles to dispossess people of their valuables.”
Source: The Guardian
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National Assembly Crisis: House members Exchange Slaps

The crisis over composition of House Committees degenerated in a brawl on Tuesday as two members of the House Representative exchanged hot slaps
Report named Hon. Herman Hembe and Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki who are both members of the House of Representatives as the lawmakers who slapped themselves within the National Assembly premises as the disagreement over juicy committees worsened.
The fight was said to have occurred prior to Tuesday’s session of the House.
The slapping brawl was brought to an end by the intervention of Yusuf Lasun, the deputy speaker,House of Reps.
Hembe is the new chairman of the Committee on the Federal Capital Territory which is views as a juicy one.It was not however immediately clear who started the slap incident
The slapping incident came a day after some loayalists of Femi Gbajabiamila boycotted the inauguration of the Committees by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
Loyalists of Gbaja who are also APC members like the Speaker accused Dogara of sabotaging the APC by making opposition members share committee position almost 50-50 with the APC.
Defending his action, Dogara said there is nothing like juicy committee.He said every committee is important and there is the need to put national interest above every other consideration.
Former Deputy Speaker, Chibudom who addressed the Reps on Monday also dispelled insinuations about juicy committees.
The post House Committee Row: Two Reps Exchange Slaps appeared first on Newsdiaryonline.
Source:: newsdiaryonline
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Appeal Court throws out Saraki's case

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal filed by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, challenging his arraignment and trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, October 30, the court threw out all five issues raised by the Senate President before it.
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal delivered the judgment in the appeal seeking to dismiss the 13-count criminal charge pending against the Senate President, Olubukola Saraki, at the CCT.
Saraki had challenged the legal propriety of the 13-count charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The appellate court had earlier adjourned its verdict on the matter indefinitely, a situation that forced the Danladi Umar-led Tribunal to defer hearing on the case against Saraki till November 5, to await the outcome of the appeal.
The Tribunal took the decision to suspend full-blown hearing on the criminal case after the Moore Adumein panel of the Appeal Court, on October 21, postponed its judgment without adducing any reason.
More later…
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[Photos] MC Henz spotted in a club with Iyanya, Uti Nwachukwu, others

MC Henz on the dance floor

Omo see celebrity hang out...
MC Henz was spotted last week in a club with Iyanya, Uti Nwachukwu and other hot celebrities in an undisclosed club in lagos, eye witnesses said they spent hundreds of thousands on drinks.
below are some of the pics taken at the club

Iyanya and MC Henz

Uti Nwachukwu and MC Henz
 

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Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal By PDP Challenging Okorocha’s Election

The Supreme Court has dismissed appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in the April 11, 2015 election in Imo State, Mister Emeka Ihedioha, challenging the election of Governor Rochas Okorocha.

The seven-man panel of the Supreme Court presided over by Justice John Fabiyi, held that Ihedioha’s appeal lacked merit.
The Apex Court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Owerri to the effect that Ihedioha’s failure to properly serve Okorocha, his party, the All Progressives Congress, and other parties in the suit had robbed the Appeal Court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
The Supreme Court also held that failure to indicate the addresses of other respondents on the processes of the appeal was injurious to the case.
The immediate past Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, had appealed against the ruling of the Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which dismissed his petition ‎on the grounds that it was incompetence and contravenes the electoral act.
He appealed to the Court of Appeal which also on ‎September 3, 2015 dismissed the appeal against the ruling of the tribunal
The judgment of the Supreme Court lays to rest contention about the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state.
Source: Channels TV
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Senate defers confirmation of Amaechi and others

From Fred Itua, Abuja
THE Senate yesterday concluded the three-week-old confirmation screening of the 36 min­isters-designate sent to it last month by President Muhammadu Buhari. Again, it failed to confirm nominees that were grilled last week, as well as the last 11 that were screened on Monday and yesterday.
Senate President Bukola Saraki did not give reasons for the repeated delay of the confirma­tion of the ministers-designate, but it is hoped that the Senate may confirm the nominees to­morrow, after which the names would be for­warded to Buhari.
Members of the opposition Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP) yesterday met after plenary at the Senate Hearing Room One.
Although there was no official statement from the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, as at Press time, it was, however, gathered that the lawmakers met to restrategise on how to counter plans by All Progressives Congress (APC) Sena­tors to confirm former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as minister.
The PDP Senators had last week refused to participate in screening Amaechi. They had ob­jected to Saraki’s refusal to allow lawmakers debate the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Amaechi.
It is unclear whether APC Senators were also meeting.
Meanwhile, the last batch of nominees that were screened yesterday include Dr. Okechuk­wu Eyinna Enelamah (Abia), Prof. Anthony Gozie Anwuka (Imo), Mr. Mohammed Musa Bello (Adamawa), Mr. Adamu Adamu (Bauchi) and Ms Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto).
The exercise which commenced at about 11.40am, followed the submission of the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Pub­lic Petitions on a petition from Sokoto women against Ms Abubakar. The petition was, how­ever, withdrawn after which the nominee was given a nod to be screened alongside with other ministers-designate.
Thereafter, the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, moved a motion that the chamber dissolved into a committee of the whole. He was seconded by Akpabio.
The Senate adjourned at about 3.23pm till to­day, October 29.
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday queried the planned review of the contract for the con­struction of the second runway for the Nnam­di Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. It is es­timated at N63.5 billion. The chamber described the plan to splend such amount as an attempt to ‘steal and rape Nigerians of the country’s com­mon patrimony.
It therefore, urged the Federal Government to ensure that due process and diligence are fol­lowed in the award of contracts for the planned construction.
Its resolution was sequel to a motion by Sena­tor Dino Melaye, (APC, Kogi West), entitled, “The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, Second Runway Contract.”
The Senate, while calling on the government to drastically reduce what it termed, the unreal­istic cost, said the government must monitor the contract award process, even as it stressed the need for the immediate construction of the sec­ond runway at the airport.
Earlier in his presentation of the motion, Sena­tor Melaye noted that the exercise was cancelled by the last administration after allegation of over-inflation of contracts was established.
Source: Sun News
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Petrol queues may soon reappear across the country

 

By Adewale Sanyaolu
Petrol queues may soon reappear across the country as 70 per cent of the oil marketers have suspended fuel importation over the inability of the Federal Government to settle about N291 billion subsidy arrears.
The development may have been responsible for the pockets of fuel queues that resurfaced in major parts of Lagos two weeks ago.
The latest move to suspend fuel imports was disclosed by the former Minister of Interior and Managing Director of Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Iheanacho, at the opening of the 2015 Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL Africa) Downstream Expo in Lagos yesterday.
The Integrated Oil boss regretted that the inability of government to settle the subsidy claims when due leads to distortion in business plan, thus fuelling a regime of apathy and uncertainty.
He said despite an arrangement that subsidy would be settled within 45 days, payment lingered for as long as six months, a situation that has led to cut in credit line usually extended to importers by financial institutions.
Under the current situation, he said fuel scarcity would be a recurring decimal as long as government fails to meet the payment timeline of 45 days.
As a way out of the doldrum, the former minister canvassed deregulation of the downstream sector, for investors to see a profit incentive, to encourage massive investment.
“The subsidy we currently maintain in this country is for those who can afford it. Let government go ahead and remove the subsidy. There is a need to restructure the downstream sector,” he advised.
Recall that the Executive Secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore, had in June raised the alarm over the inability of the Federal Government to offset about N291 billion subsidy claims.
But the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as part of measures to douse the tension occasioned by non-payment of subsidy claims, had two weeks ago assured that it would explore new financing mechanisms to offset outstanding debts on subsidy claims, which the Federal Government owes petroleum marketers in the country.
Its Managing Director, Mr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, had said this during a meeting with MOMAN and the Depot and Petroleum Products Association (DAPPMA), explaining that these are parts of the extant measures it was taking to ensure that supply of petroleum products in the country is sustained even into the forthcoming yuletide.
He equally promised to, in the interim, arrange a meeting with the relevant creditors (bankers) to ease off pressure on marketers and extend the credit lines.
The NNPC boss noted that several financing mechanisms were being explored to offset the commitment to oil marketers, hinting at the possibility of exploring a monthly payment option.
“In future, we may explore some creative means to prevent backlogs,” he said.
Source: Sun News

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Amaechi, others know fate today... Amaechi may face setback

From FRED ITUA, Abuja
After three weeks of drama and interplay, the Senate will today round off the much-publicised confirmation of the 36 ministerial nominees sent to it about a month ago by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Already, the Upper Legistative Chamber two weeks ago confirmed 18 of the 36 ministers-designate, barely one week after the commencement of the screening. Other nominees some of whose screening was delayed because of petitions against their nominations, will either get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ verdict when the Senate considers them for confirmation today.
Former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who was screened last week after two weeks of delay, may face fresh setback today if members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decide to move against his confirmation.
The nominee from Sokoto State, Ms Aisha Abubakar, whose screening has repeatedly been deferred because of petitions written against her by some of her constituents, may be confirmed alongside other ministers-designate if the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions is considered.
Meanwhile, the Red Chamber, yesterday resumed the screening of more ministerial nominees. They include Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole (Osun), Hon. Bawa Bwari (Niger), Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu), Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna), Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali (Zamfara), and Pastor Usani Usani Uguru (Cross River).
The screening commenced at about 11.38am, following a motion moved by the Senate Leader Ali Ndume. He moved: “That the Senate do resume screening of the following nominees for appointment as Ministers of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in accordance with Section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”
The Senate thereafter dissolved into committee of the whole. Prof. Adewole was the first to enter the chamber for the day’s screening.
The erstwhile Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), got the first shocker when Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu alleged that he was favourably disposed to abortions in the country. He was also bombarded with questions relating to his field of medicine.
Bwari, a former member of the House of Representatives, was the next nominee to take the stand. As a former lawmaker, he was not grilled, unlike Prof. Adewole, who almost spent two hours. He was only questioned by Senate President Bukola Saraki after which he took a bow and left the chamber.
Onyeama, who spent several years abroad before returning to Nigeria, promised to rely on his rich wealth of experience to salvage any sector that will be entrusted into his care by President Buhari.
Ahmed, who is a former staff of the defunct NITEL, was asked how she will tackle issues in the telecommunications sector. Like her counterparts, she promised to adopt modern approach in dealing with the issues.
Ali, a retired Major-General, was grilled on how he will tackle Boko Haram menace. He said as a former General, he will devise new techniques that would end the insurgency.
The Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, raised a Point of Order. He interjected the nominee from Cross River State, Pastor Uguru, while making his opening remarks. Akpabio accused the nominee of hypocrisy, adding that as a former member of PDP, who served in various capacities, it was wrong for him to castigate the party.
Akpabio insisted that the nominee must apologize before he could address the Senate.
The Senate President, at this point, intervened. He politely told Akpabio to observe some decorum. The nominee who was apparently remorseful, tendered an apology. “I am sorry,” he said.
Lending his support to the nominee, Senate Leader Ndume said: “The issue of public declaration of assets is covered by the Constitution. The Constitution says that the person can declare his or her assets before confirmation or 30 days after such person assumes office.”
The remaining nominees expected to be screened today include Professor Anthony Anwuka (Imo), Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto), Adamu Adamu (Bauchi) and Okechuku Enelamah (Abia).
Sitting was adjourned at about 4.20 till today, October 28 for the final screening of the remaining nominees.
Source: Sun News

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Enugu State governor commisions N2Billion Naira Dam project in Enugu

The over N2bn Adada River Dam embarked upon by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Enugu state would be completed and delivered for use in July next year and it would generate and hold some 1.3m cubic metre of water all year round.

       Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state who inspected the dam project at the weekend also inaugurated a massive network of rural electrification project started early in June this year a few days after he assumed office and executed by the state’s Rural Electrification Board.

          Representative of the Water Resources Ministry, Robert Umezulike, a chief hydrologist who was at the site of the dam at the weekend when Governor Ugwuanyi inspected the mega project  and inaugurated a massive rural electrification project  assured that when completed, the facility would power the greater Nsukka water scheme which has been in the pipeline in the past decades.

         To strengthen the process of enhancing the project and boost economic activities in the vast rural communities that cut across Udi, Uzo-Uwani and Igbo- Etiti local council areas of the state, the governor inaugurated a completed massive rural electrification projected which would help in powering the dam on completion.

       Also the completion of the dam in 2016 and the present completion of the rural electrification project which would now ease up pressure from other electricity facilities around the Nsukka zone would further the resolve of the governor to upgrade the status of Nsukka to a befitting university town.

         The people of the three local council areas thronged Ezi-Nze, the site of the 2.5MVA injection substation opened for use by the governor who also cut the tape to inaugurate the civic centre in the community, and the joy of the people knew no bounds when the governor switched on the light.

          Umezulike assured the governor and the huge crowd that gathered during the inspection of the dam and explained that the construction was such that dam has the capacity to end water scarcity in the entire area.

Governor Ugwuanyi,during an inspection tour, expressed his administration’s  readiness to give it all the necessary support to facilitate its delivery on time with the specified job quality to actualize the aim of adding value to the lives of the various communities it is meant to serve.

While interacting with the governor, the site Engr of the project Justine Ihedioha hinted that the project would tentatively be completed by July 2016, adding that the first phase of the project has been completed while the entire project has assumed 30% completion status.

         They observed that when completed and full,  it would produce 1.3m cubic metre of water, all the year round.

         The governor who sought to know the capacity of the dam and its benefits to the people, urged the contractor handling it to deploy adequate materials for unceasing actions on it.

          The contractor, Justine Ihedioha, who lamented inadequate fund as the major setback to the progress of the work however assured the governor of quality job delivery, adding that all the preliminary work, including the dam foundation amounting to thirty percent had been completed.

Ihedioha explained that the dam has capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters of water supply all year round when completed and allayed fears of low strength of giving enough water needs of the target communities. 

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National PDP chairman, Mu'azu resigns

From TAIWO AMODU, Abuja
Former Bauchi State governor, Adamu Mu’azu, has finally succumbed to pres­sures on him to resign as Na­tional Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
Mu’azu’s letter of resigna­tion dated May 19, 2015 was addressed to the Deputy Na­tional Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, who had since assumed office as acting national chairman of the party.
In a related development, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, has stepped down from the posi­tion, citing the current state of affairs in the party as reason.
In a one-page letter he signed and sent to President Goodluck Jonathan dated May 20, and entitled: Notice of my decision to step down as Chairman, Board of Trust­ees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Anenih said his decision would enable President Jona­than to effectively assume the chairmanship of the BoT.
The letter read in part: “Your Excellency will recall that in a conversation I had with you a few weeks ago, I had offered to step down from the office of the chairman of our party’s Board of Trustees and pro­posed to handover to you as its new chairman in a ceremony that would have taken place on May 23. I had also repeated this position in our subsequent meetings.
“As a follow up to the above proposal and in view of the current state of affairs in our party, I have decided to formally put my offer in writ­ing to enable you effectively assume the chairmanship of Board of Trustees or approve a process that will enable any other member of the BoT, who is considered competent, to as­sume the position.
“Kindly accept, therefore, this letter as notice of my deci­sion to step down from the po­sition of chairman of the BoT of our party with effect from today, May 20, 2015.
“I am happy to inform you that, I remain a loyal founda­tion member of our great party and will continue to pray for the prosperity of Nigeria, our party, and for you and your family.
“Your Excellency, kindly accept the expression of my highest regards.”
The national chairman and some aides of President Good­luck Jonathan and PDP gover­nors had been trading blames in the last three weeks over which organ of the party was responsible for its failure to win the presidential election as well as the routing of the party in its strongholds in the gover­norship elections.
In the past two weeks, Mu’azu had successfully staved off moves by those smarting to unseat him by travelling out of the country, thereby frustrating the agita­tion for an emergency meeting of the party’s national execu­tive committee meeting. But he lost out at the weekend as President Jonathan instructed him to resign from his posi­tion.
National Publicity Secre­tary of the party, Olisa Metuh, confirmed the resignation of Mu’azu, but gave indication that he threw in the towel due to health challenges.
He further disclosed that Deputy National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, had assumed office as acting national chairman, pending replacement from North-East zone.
Also briefing newsmen, National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, acknowl­edged that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had received the resignation letter of Adamu Mu’azu. He was, however, silent on the fate of Chief Anenih.
“The NWC of the PDP at its 399th meeting today (yes­terday) received and accepted the voluntary resignation of the National Chairman of our great party Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu.
“Consequently, in line with the provisions of sections 45 (2) of the PDP constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, acts in place of the national chairman pending a replacement from the North-East zone.
“On the correct position of the status of the Chairman of BoT of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, the NWC will make its position public today,” Ola­dipo said.
He further disclosed that the PDP NWC resolved to set up a seven-memeber disciplinary committee with Chief Michael Addul as chairman while Tony Okeke will serve as secretary.
Daily Sun checks revealed that the committee might axe former Aviation Minister, who was Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presiden­tial Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, for his sustained criticism of the party national leadership.

Source: Sun News