LIVE UPDATES: House Investigative Committee Commences Hearing On Maina’s Case

The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the disappearance, return and reinstatement of the embattled former Minister of chairman of the Presidential Pension Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina has commenced hearing.

Among those being quizzed are the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior Abubakar Magaji and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Oyo–Ita Winifred Ekanem, Acting Chairman of the EFCC Ibrahim Magu, Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service Mohammed Babandede, Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun, Director General of the DSS among others.

Stay tuned for updates.

Abubakar Magaji is questioned first. He says he was not in office when the process of Maina’s reinstatement began.

Abubakar Magaji says from records available to him, the ministry conducted a senior staff committee meeting for Maina’s reinstatement after receiving a letter from the office of the Head of Service to reconsider the earlier position taken by the ministry in dismissing Maina for reinstatement.

Abubakar Magaji says a meeting was held in the presence of the representative of the Head of the Civil Service and the Federal Civil Service Commissioner.

Abubakar Magaji says in the meeting, the decision to reinstate Maina was made.

Abubakar Magaji says a copy of the minutes of the meeting, was sent to the office of the Head of the Civil Service for further necessary action.

Abubakar Magaji insists the Head Of Service endorsed the letter for Maina’s return.

Winifred Oyo-ita insists she was not part of the reinstatement of Maina.

Mohammed Babandede says Maina has not been passing through the borders.

Kemi Adeosun says Maina is not getting salaries from the Federal Government.

Ibrahim Magu says the EFCC has no record of any collaboration between it and the Maina-led pension reform.

Ibrahim Magu says Maina did not hand over any assets to the EFCC

Lawal Musa Daura says Maina’s name was not placed on the dss list so he could not be arrested.

Abubakar Malami explains how letter reinstating Maina emanated from his office but stands by his earlier submission that he did not sign it.

Chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee, Mr Aliyu Madaki challenges Malami on this position, making reference to letters signed by him.

Another House committee member quizzes the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service and the AGF, asks Malami why he failed to take immediate action on the letters allegedly signed by him, which he claims he did not consent to.

Abubakar Malami defends that he did not take immediate action on the said letter because there were certain issues revolving around it which he needed time to review.

Abubakar Malami says he had reservations about the case and therefore needed time to investigate it to allow him time to take the appropriate steps.

Abubakar Magaji says the constitution of Nigeria gave the mandate of appointing, promoting and giving discipline only to the Federal Civil Service Commission, “so if anybody is carrying a letter that he is being appointed by a ministry or whoever, that letter is null and void – It is only a letter issued by the Federal Civil Service Commission that is valid for any appointment, reinstatement, and promotion”.

Abubakar Magaji says a copy of the reinstatement letter was sent to him and he acted on it immediately.

Winifred Oyo-Ita says all along, the Attorney General of the Federation never wrote directly to the office of the Head of Service as he only communicated with the office of the Federal Civil Service Commission concerning the reinstatement of Maina.

Winifred Oyo-Ita says there was no posting instruction for Mr Maina to report to the Ministry of Interior from the office of the Head of Service.

Winifred Oyo-Ita says an officer who is being reinstated or employed afresh into any ministry, ought to report to the office of the Head of Service before he is given a posting to whichever MDA.

Winifred Oyo-Ita says Mr Maina was never issued a posting instruction to the Ministry of Interior.

Mohammed Babandede says every Nigerian by birth, has the right to acquire another nationality and that is why Maina at a time had three passports and they were all valid.

Mohammed Babandede says when Maina was about to travel in 2013, he wasn’t seen at any of the borders. Says if he was found to have travelled by evading immigration officers, it is an offence by law.

Trump Pilloried For Retweeting Anti-Muslim Videos

President Donald Trump drew fierce condemnation Wednesday after he retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime.

Trump’s actions drew criticism from many quarters, including the British government at 10 Downing Street, which said Trump was “wrong” to promote the group’s “hateful narratives.”

The White House scrambled to limit the fallout, saying even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading, Trump was pointing out a real problem.

“The threat is real, and that’s what the president is talking about,” said Trump’s spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

One of the videos claims to show a Muslim beating up a Dutch boy on crutches. Another is described as showing an Islamist mob pushing a teenager of a rooftop. The veracity of both is in doubt.

The third allegedly depicts a Muslim throwing down and smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.

The footage was originally posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, which hailed Trump for his support.

“THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN’S TWITTER VIDEOS!” the group tweeted in triumph.
“DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

Fransen was found guilty last year of a hate crime after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.

Britain First, which was formed in 2011 and is known for picketing outside mosques, has run and lost in several British and European parliament elections.

Brendan Cox, widower of MP Jo Cox who was murdered by a right-wing extremist last year, said: “Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he’s trying to do it in ours. 

“Spreading hatred has conseque

“US Can Defend Itself Against N. Korea Missiles”

The US military remains confident it can — at least for the moment — protect against any North Korean missile threat, a US official said Wednesday after Pyongyang tested a new rocket type.

North Korea earlier launched a previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missile, which it called a Hwasong 15, that was capable of carrying a “super-large heavy warhead” to any target in the continental United States.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said the missile flew higher than any other from North Korea, and warned that Pyongyang could soon threaten “everywhere in the world.”

The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that America has not changed its assessment that its various missile defense systems can stop a North Korean missile attack, though the guarantee cannot be ensured indefinitely.

“I don’t think they could successfully nuke the US at this time,” the official said.
“There is a general sense we can stop whatever North Korea has right now. For the future, I don’t know.”

The United States has spent decades and billions of dollars developing technologies to stop an incoming ballistic missile, and Congress is throwing billions more dollars at the Pentagon to step up its efforts.

To protect against an ICBM, the military has the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)system, which is designed to fire an interceptor missile into space and use kinetic energy to destroy the incoming target.

America has 44 interceptors in place at Fort Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

It was put to the test in May, when the military successfully launched a GMD interceptor from the California base.

– Checkered record –
The missile blasted outside Earth’s atmosphere and smashed into a dummy ICBM target, destroying it in a direct collision.

But the GMD system has had a checkered record in previous tests — failing in earlier launches against slower-moving targets.

The official said the GMD system can shield the entire continental United States and its territories, so it is not yet necessary to install the system on the East Coast.

The GMD can stop a small number of missiles from a rogue nation but would be overwhelmed by an all-out strike from a nuclear superpower like Russia.

Such a move would likely trigger retaliatory action in what is known as Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

Some questions remain over the North’s mastery of the technology required to guarantee any warhead would survive atmospheric re-entry — the key element it has not yet demonstrated.

The official said that the angle of re-entry demonstrated in Wednesday’s test, in which the missile went very steeply up and down, did not prove that a re-entry vehicle could survive a flight along a lower arc.

That is because the heat and friction generated by an angled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere are far greater.

The US military and its allies have other missile defense systems available, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system capable of destroying short, medium and intermediate-range missiles in their final phase of flight.

National Assembly Condemns Libyan Slave Trade, Demands Action

The National Assembly has condemned the modern day slavery in Libya and called the executive to find a solution to the issue and the menace of migration.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives considered the issue based on separate motions on Wednesday and pushed for talks between the Nigerian government and its Libyan counterpart.

In its resolution, the Senate urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to invite the Libyan Ambassador to Nigeria and discuss how to end the slave trade in the country, which has drawn widespread condemnation.

The outrage over the slave trade comes after a video emerged showing migrants that have been enslaved and brutalised being sold off.

The lawmakers called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the opportunity of the ongoing European Union and African Union Summit in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to table the matter before the Libyan delegation.

Senator Baba Kaka Garbai (Borno-Central), who brought up the issue with a motion entitled, ‘Urgent Need to Protect Nigerian Citizens from the Libya Slavery Auction’, decried the “barbaric” sale of migrants, many of who are Nigerians.

Senate President Bukola Saraki described the development as a slap in the face and called for more steps to be taken to protect citizens.

“As a country, truly, it is a slap in the face of all of us if Nigerians can be treated in this manner. Like somebody said, Ivory Coast that is not as big as us is taking action to see how they can bring their own citizens back. We need to be doing similar things,” he said.

When a similar motion was moved at the House of Representatives, the reps urged the executive to liaise with the government of Libya with a view to finding a lasting solution to the reported menace of illegal migration and slavery in the North African country.

A joint committee of the house is also to interface with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to identify factors that encourage people to embark on the dangerous journey, proffer solution to discourage intending migrants as well as recommend how Nigerians caught in the web, can be returned home.

The condemnation of the slave trade by the National Assembly comes the same day President Muhammadu Buhari promised to ensure that Nigerians stranded in Libya are repatriated and illegal migration is checked.

BREAKING: Adeosun Suspends SEC DG, Two Others

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has suspended the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Mounir Gwarzo.

Gwarzo is suspended in order to allow for an unhindered investigation of several allegations of financial impropriety leveled against him.

This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Director, Press, Federal Ministry of Finance, Patricia Deworitshe on Wednesday, November 29.

The suspension is in line with the Public Service Rules (PSRs) 03405 and 03406.

The Minister has therefore set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry (API) to investigate and determine the culpability of the Director-General.

The statement added that “She has directed the suspended SEC Director-General to immediately hand over to the most senior officer at the Commission, pending the conclusion of the investigation by the API.”

“Also suspended are two management staff of the Commission – Mr Abdulsalam Naif Habu, Head of Media Division and Mrs Anastasia Omozele Braimoh, Head of Legal Department – who have been alleged to engage in financial impropriety in the Commission.”

Allegations against Director General include an alleged collection of severance package in the sum of N104,851,154.94 while still in service.

He is also reported to be the Director of Medusa Investment Limited which is a violation of Public Service Rules (PRS) 030424.

He is also reported to have awarded contracts to the same company and other companies to which he is related, thus resulting in a conflict of interest, among other allegations.

Three More Russian Bobsleighers Banned – IOC

Three more Russian bobsleighers were named and shamed for doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics by the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday.

Alexander Kasy’anov, fourth in the two-man bobsleigh, Aleksei Pushkarev and Ilvir Khuzin, both fourth in the four-man bobsleigh, had their results annulled and were given lifetime Olympic bans.

The trio were punished following ongoing hearings by an IOC commission into allegations of state-sponsored doping in Russia at the 2014 Games, hosted by Russia.

In the past week, Alexander Zubkov, Aleksei Negodailo and Dmitrii Trunenkov have all been stripped of their four-man bobsleigh gold medal with Russia losing the team title.

Zubkov also had his two-man title scrubbed from the record books.

Wednesday’s latest sanctions brings to 19 the number of Russian Olympians punished on the recommendation of the commission headed by Swiss sports official Denis Oswald.

In a statement from its Lausanne headquarters the IOC announced that “more hearings concerning other athletes will be held over the next few weeks”.

It added: “The Oswald Commission has announced that all hearings for active athletes who could qualify for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 will be completed shortly.

The IOC meets next week (December 5-7) to decide whether Russia can compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The statement confirmed: “The decision with regard to the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 will be taken by the IOC Executive Board in December based on the findings of the IOC Disciplinary Commission chaired by Samuel Schmid, a former President of Switzerland.”

AFP

We Will Bring All Nigerians Stranded In Libya Back Home – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the illegal migration of Nigerians declaring that all Nigerians stranded in Libya and other parts of the world will be brought home and rehabilitated.

The President, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this on Tuesday night in Abidjan while addressing Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Shehu in the statement released on Wednesday said Buhari also vowed to reduce the number of Nigerians heading for Europe illegally through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea by providing basic social amenities such as education, healthcare, and food security at home.

The statement revealed further that the President, in an interactive session with members of the Nigerian Community in Cote D’ Ivoire, on the margins of the 5th AU-EU Summit, President Buhari said all necessary steps will be taken to stem the tide of illegal migration by Nigerians.

Buhari, also reacting to the report of the death 26 Nigerians in Mediterranean sea said it is very difficult to know the origin of the people who died, while attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, because of lack of documentation.

“When it was announced that 26 Nigerians died recently in the Mediterranean before they proved that they were all Nigerians they buried them. 

“But the evidence I have from the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, (Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa) is that only three of them were identified as Nigerians. But I’ll not be surprised if the majority of them were Nigerians.”

The President then advised Nigerians in Cote D’ Ivoire to be good ambassadors in their host country, warning that the Embassy will not hesitate to repatriate those who tarnish the image of the country abroad.

Trump Asks China To Use All ‘Levers’ To Influence North Korea

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday spoke to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and called for Beijing to use “all available levers” to press North Korea.

The White House said that Trump and Xi discussed North Korea’s latest ballistic missile test, with Trump again pressing China to take a tougher line against its neighbor.

AFP

A Guy Killed As A Result OF Street Fight Between Two Guys (Photos)

By Wings Express Blog

This guy was killed in Azege village in Tombo an in Logo local government area Benue state 

this guy and two other guy were fighting beside the road in Azege village and they over powered him and slaughter him due to the conflict they were in.

More photos below....

Meghan Markle Will Be Baptized Into The Church Of England Before Her Wedding To Prince Harry

More details continue to emerge about the May 2018 royal wedding between Prince Harry of Britain and American actress, Meghan Markle.

Its already been confirmed that the wedding would take place at Windsor Castle in May next year. The wedding is likely to fall after another big royal occasion as Prince William, and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, are expecting their third child in April.

After the wedding, Markle will become the fourth patron of The Royal Foundation, a charitable organization set up in 2009 by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace, the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. One of Markle's two dogs, Guy, is already in the UK, while the other, Bogart, is now with friends of Markle's in Canada.

The chuurch wedding will hold at St George's Chapel at Windsor which follows royal tradition. Although Markle has been married before, that will not pose any obstacle to a church wedding as the Church of England permits divorcees to remarry.

Kensington Palace said she would be baptized into the Church of England before the wedding.

EU To Spend N10bn To Fight Corruption In Nigeria

The European Union on Tuesday said it would spend €23.3m (N9.9bn) on a four-year programme that would focus on tackling corruption in Nigeria.

The EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Kurt Cornelis, said this in Abuja during the inauguration of the four-year Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme in Nigeria.

He said, “The European Union is providing €23.3m for the initiative, to be implemented at the federal level and in four states of Adamawa, Anambra, Kano and Lagos. Corruption and an ineffective justice system undermine Nigeria’s effort at economic and social development and fighting poverty.” 

Cornelis, who disclosed that the British Council office in Nigeria would implement the programme, said the EU had affirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria to improve the justice sector and strengthen the fight against corruption through the financing of the programme tagged, RoLAC. 

The envoy added, “Criminal justice reform and the fight against corruption are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Corruption is both a cause and driver of poor governance and performance of the criminal justice system. 

“At the same time, a strong Nigerian criminal justice sector, able to dispense timely and effective justice would strengthen the fight against corruption, as incentives to engage incorrupt practices are reduced. 

“The overall objective is to enhance good governance in Nigeria by contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law and curbing corruption. More specifically, it will target and support: The implementation of the Nigerian criminal justice reform agenda to improve on the timeliness, effectiveness and transparency of the system.”

Buhari Okayed Malami’s Meeting With Me –Maina

The embattled former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, says he helped President Muhammadu Buhari recover N1.3tn in January.

Maina, who is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said this in a video sent to Channels Television.

He further claimed that while he was out of the country, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), paid him a visit during which he (Maina) told Malami about the N1.3tn.

“When this government came in, the President (Buhari Muhammadu) gave the nod that ‘go and sit down with Maina, I’ve given you the approval.’ 

“They sat down with me after the security agencies had cleared me. Nobody has ever taken me to court in Nigeria, I want Nigerians to know; 

I have never been taken to any court of law. I have sued all the security agencies that they are talking about and I have won, I have four court judgments.”

Maina said, “As soon as this current government decided to sit with me, after the meeting, I told them that I would not allow them to return to Nigeria without giving them a gift. I told them I will give them something and the Minister of Justice (Malami) laughed and he asked what the gift was.

“I gave him a document and said go here and here; that there is N1.3tn which they want to steal because they have been stealing every year. 

He was shocked and said it wasn’t possible but I told him that sir, with all due respect, could you try what I said? 

“The minister thought it wasn’t possible but when he got back, he realised that I gave him the correct information.”

The former PRTT boss urged President Muhammadu Buhari to give him some form of immunity which would allow him to appear before the National Assembly without being arrested.

He said if he testified in public, many secrets would be revealed.

Maina said some of the people working for the President were insincere and not telling the truth.

The former PRTT boss said, “People around the President portray themselves as saints but it is a lie. My team recovered N282bn in cash; aside that, we were able to bring information that led to the arrest of 43 pension suspects. N1.6tn cash investment and properties were recovered.

“They have threatened my brothers, sisters and even my lawyer. They said I would be killed. They said my family would be annihilated if I testify. 

I have asked the President specifically that if he wants to know the truth and wants to be fair to the nation, he should give me the opportunity to present (evidence). 

“I am appealing to Mr. President. There are so many things that people are not telling you. If I get to that hearing, 

I will tell you some things that no one has ever told you because I have not had the opportunity to sit down with you and I am telling Mr. President that I will give you information and documents that will help you recover over N3tn now in Nigeria.”

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile

North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile on Wednesday, according to the South Korean military Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The missile flew eastward from South Pyongan Province according to Yonhap news agency, which said the South Korean military and United States were analysing.

The South’s unification minister said Tuesday that signs of unusual activity had been detected in North Korea.

AFP

Trump Briefed About North Korea Missile Test

United States President Donald Trump was briefed on a North Korea ballistic missile test while it was still in the air, the White House said Tuesday.

Trump was visiting Congress at the time of the launch and “was briefed, while the missile was still in the air, on the situation in North Korea,” according to press secretary Sarah Sanders.

The US president has since returned to the White House and will deliver remarks from the White House later Tuesday, officials said, following the missile test and with the United States facing a rising risk of a government shutdown.

The White House said that Trump would deliver remarks from the Roosevelt Room at 3 pm (2000 GMT), but did not provide details of the subject.

Key Dates, Steps In North Korea’s Missile Development

North Korea has fired a new ballistic missile, South Korean military officials said, in the first such launch since mid-September.

Here are the key steps in the development of the regime’s banned weapons and nuclear programme.

– The beginnings, 1970s –
North Korea starts working in the late 1970s on a version of the Soviet Scud-B with a range of around 300 kilometres (around 200 miles), carrying out a first test in 1984.

Between 1987 and 1992 it begins developing longer range missiles, including the Taepodong-1 (2,500 km) and Taepodong-2 (6,700 km).

The Taepodong-1 is test-fired over Japan in 1998 but the following year Pyongyang declares a moratorium on such tests as ties with the United States improve.

– First nuclear test in 2006 –
It ends the moratorium in 2005, blaming the Bush administration’s “hostile” policy, and carries out its first nuclear test on October 9, 2006.

In May 2009, there is a second underground nuclear test, several times more powerful than the first. Kim Jong-Un succeeds his father Kim Jong-Il, who dies in December 2011, and oversees a third nuclear test in 2013.

– 2016, Japanese waters reached –
There is a fourth underground nuclear test in January 2016, which Pyongyang claims is a hydrogen bomb.

In March, Kim Jong-Un claims the North has successfully miniaturised a thermo-nuclear warhead and in April it test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

On August 3, it fires, for the first time, a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters; later that month it successfully test-fires another submarine–launched ballistic missile.

There is a fifth nuclear test on September 9.

– 2017, Japan and Guam under threat –
Between February and May, the North tests a series of ballistic missiles that fall into the Sea of Japan or that it claims are exercises to hit US bases in Japan.

A test on May 14 is of a “newly developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket, Hwasong-12”, Pyongyang says. It flies 700 kilometres before landing in the Sea of Japan.

Ahead of the first meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-In and US President Donald Trump, the North tests a rocket engine that could be fitted to an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The following month it says it has successfully tested an ICBM capable of reaching Alaska, a gift for the “American bastards”. There is a second successful ICBM test on July 28.

Hours after Trump threatens Pyongyang with “fire and fury” over its missile programme, the North says it is considering strikes near US strategic military installations in Guam.

On August 29, it fires a ballistic missile over Japan that Tokyo says is an “unprecedented, serious and grave threat”.

– Largest nuclear test yet –
On September 3, North Korea conducts its sixth and largest nuclear test. Monitoring groups estimate a yield of 250 kilotons, which is 16 times the size of the 15-kiloton US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

On September 15, less than a week after the UN adopts an eighth series of sanctions, North Korea fires a intermediate-range missile over Japan, at a distance of 3,700 kilometres (2,299 miles), according to Seoul.

On November 20 Washington declares North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a day before it heaps pressure on the hermit state by slapping it with fresh sanctions.

On November 28 North Korea fires a new ballistic missile, which flies east from South Pyongan Province, the South Korean military Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) says.

AFP

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Maina Reveals Meeting With AGF, How He Got Reinstated

More than one month after the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, found himself in yet another major controversy, he has shared his side of the story in an exclusive interview with Channels Television.

In the interview, Mr Maina claimed that he met with Nigeria’s Minister of Justice after President Muhammadu Buhari approved talks between officials and him. He also insisted that security agencies also cleared him ahead of the talks which were held outside the country.

“When this government came in, the President went and gave his note that ‘go and sit down with Maina. I have given you the approval’. They sat down with me after the security agencies cleared me of any wrongdoing,” he said.

During the meeting, he said he gave the Minister of Justice a document which aided the government in preventing the theft of N1.3tn.

“As soon as this current government decided to sit with me, and after sitting with me, I decided that ‘I will not leave you to go back to Nigeria with empty pocket, I’m going to give you something to put in your pocket’. And the Minister of Justice laughed, and said ‘what are you going to give us?’” 

“I said ‘I’m going to give you guys a gift’. What is the gift? I gave him a document and said ‘Go here, here, here, here… there’s N1.3 trillion, they are going to steal it because they have been stealing it every year’.”

He said although the minister was shocked at his revelation and the amount involved, he did not believe that the document was authentic.

“When I gave them that, the minister thought it was not possible. When he got back, he realised I gave him a correct information.”

Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar Lead Male-Dominated Grammy Nominations

Jay-Z's soul-baring album on love, life and social fractures led the Grammy Award nominations on Tuesday with eight nods in a list that saw women sidelined in some major categories and Katy Perry excluded completely.

Jay-Z's "4:44" album was nominated for album of the year, one of the top three Grammy accolades. The album's title track and "The Story of O.J." songs were nominated in song and record of the year.

"4:44" will compete for album of the year against R&B star Bruno Mars' "24K Magic," New Zealand pop singer Lorde's "Melodrama," hip hop artists Childish Gambino's "Awaken, My Love!" and Kendrick Lamar's "Damn."

Lamar landed seven nominations overall, Mars got six including the top three categories and Childish Gambino, the alter-ego of actor Donald Glover, scored five nominations.

"Despacito," the hit from Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee landed three nominations including record and song of the year.

The 60th Grammy Awards, music's biggest night honoring the year's achievements across more than 80 categories, are scheduled for Jan. 28 at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Music released between October 2016 and September 2017 qualified for this year's awards and will be voted for by members of the Recording Academy, made up of music industry professionals.

Newcomer R&B singer SZA was the most-nominated female artist with five nods including best new artist, in which she will face singers Julia Michaels, Alessia Cara, Khalid and rapper Lil Uzi Vert.

Taylor Swift's "Reputation" album will not be eligible this year due to its November release, but she garnered two nominations including writing country group Little Big Town's "Better Man."

The most notable omission from Tuesday's Grammy nominations was Canadian hip hop artist Drake, whose "More Life" album dominated streaming, charts and radio play since its March release.

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, whose "Divide" album topped charts around the world, garnered two nominations in the pop categories. Lady Gaga and Kesha landed two nods each in the same categories as Sheeran.

Pop star Katy Perry, who is yet to win a Grammy award, did not score a single nomination for her "Witness" album.

The absence of some of the biggest female artists marked a stark contrast with the 2017 awards, when Beyonce led the nominations and Britain's Adele swept the top awards. Neither released new music this year.

Ivanka Trump's India Visit Raises Questions About Her Brand

Ivanka Trump is making a significant solo outing by headlining a business conference in India, but her trip highlights questions about whether her message of empowering poor women matches her actions.

Trump landed Tuesday in the southern city of Hyderabad and is scheduled to make the opening address at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit later in the day.

"Thank you for the warm welcome," Trump tweeted. "I'm excited to be in Hyderabad, India for #GES2017."

The city has cleared away beggars and filled potholes ahead of the visit by Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump and a senior presidential adviser.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join her at the opening and will later host her for dinner at the luxurious Falaknuma Palace Hotel.

"Women entrepreneurs help drive innovation and job creation, as well as address the world's greatest and most critical challenges," Modi tweeted.

Many in India are excited about Trump appearing at the conference, which is being co-hosted by the United States and India.

"It's cool that she's coming," said Amani Bhugati, a medical student. "She's glamorous, beautiful and powerful. It's like a combination of Hollywood and politics."

Others marveled at the improvements made around Hyderabad. "All new," said Gopal, a taxi driver who gave only his first name.

But he also pointed to the potholes that remain on many smaller streets. "She's not coming here, so they didn't fix it," he said.

More than 1,200 people are expected to attend the three-day conference, although not everyone is thrilled about Trump's presence.

"It's now being called Ivanka Trump's summit. It totally overshadows all our work," said Sangeeta Agarawal, the chief executive of U.S. startup Helpsy Health. "We feel that's it become more about her."

And the conference's focus on female entrepreneurs raises questions about some of the commercial decisions made by Trump and her famous namesake brand.

Critics have faulted her for failing to use her leadership role to call out labor and human rights abuses, particularly in China, where the bulk of her U.S. merchandise ships from. And they point out that she has failed to take a public stand on alleged abuses in her brand's own supply chain.

Trump stepped back from day-to-day management of her brand before taking on an official role as White House adviser, but still retains an ownership interest.

Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, has called supply chain integrity "a top priority," but the brand has not joined the growing number of companies that publicly identify their manufacturers.

A September investigation by The Associated Press showed that Trump's supply chain has become more opaque than ever since she took on her White House role, making it impossible to know who her company is doing business with around the world. The brand has said supply chains are the responsibility of its licensees.

Earlier this month, 23 rights groups signed a letter urging Trump, her brand and two licensees to publish the names and addresses of suppliers.

They also urged Trump and her brand to publicly demand that the Chinese government not prosecute three activists detained this past summer while investigating the brand's supply chain, and allow independent monitoring of factories.

In India, the cleanup of Hyderabad, a southern technology hub, began a month ahead of the conference, when the city began rounding up several hundred homeless people and beggars.

Officials said the drive against begging was launched because two international events were taking place in the city — the entrepreneurship summit and the World Telugu Conference in December. Begging is a criminal offense in India and can be punished by as much as 10 years in prison, although the law is rarely enforced.

Beggars tend to crowd around cars at traffic signals, knocking on windows and asking for food and money. They include children as young as 5, who weave through dangerous traffic and often perform small acrobatic acts.

At least one traffic overpass on the road that leads to the city from the airport has been painted in the colors of the rainbow. At night, laser beams dance across the overpass, turning a routine traffic stoplight into a psychedelic experience.

The annual entrepreneurship conference has a theme this year of "Women first, prosperity for all," and involves networking, mentoring and workshops.

Trump is expected to host at least two panel discussions, where she will be joined by Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, before leaving Wednesday. She is not planning to address the media during the trip.

Istanbul Bombing Organiser Possibly Killed In Georgia

A Chechen warlord suspected of organising the 2016 suicide bombing at Istanbul’s airport may be among those killed last week during a counter-terror operation in Tbilisi, Georgia said Monday.

“We suspect that maybe it’s (Akhmed) Chatayev,” the spokeswoman for Georgia’s security service, Nino Giorgobiani, told AFP.

Media reports had already suggested that the one-armed leader of an Islamic State group cell in Istanbul was killed during Wednesday’s operation on the outskirts of the Georgian capital.

“We can only give a definitive answer after experts conclude their work,” Giorgobiani said, adding that “the relevant United States agencies joined in with the investigation.”

Authorities said one suspected member of a “terrorist group” was arrested and three more were killed on Wednesday during the operation in Tbilisi’s suburban Isani district.

Georgia’s security service has said it was working to identify the group, with the help of international counter-terrorism organisations.

In an earlier statement, Giorgobiani said that the three men “refused to surrender, opened fire with automatic rifles and threw hand grenades at counter-terrorist units,” killing one serviceman and wounding four others.

Turkish media have identified Chatayev as the organiser of the June 2016 triple suicide bombing at Istanbul’s main airport in which forty-seven people were killed and 200 wounded.

Forty-six suspects went on trial in connection with the case earlier this month. The three bombers are believed to be from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and entered Turkey from Syria’s Raqa, IS’s de-facto capital at the time.

Chatayev, who reportedly found accommodation for the bombers, was in 2015 put on a terror blacklist by the US Treasury and the UN Security Council for his allegiance to IS and Al-Qaeda.

Georgia has no recent history of major terror attacks.

Some 50 Georgians are believed to be fighting alongside IS extremists in Syria and Iraq, officials have said.

Most are ethnic Chechen Muslim minority residents of the Pankisi valley in the country’s northeast, which has developed a reputation as a jihadist hotbed.

BREAKING: Buhari Departs Nigeria To Attend EU-AU Summit

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja to attend the fifth European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on November 28 and 29.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, has earlier released a statement on Monday saying Buhari would participate in working sessions during the summit with the theme: “Investing in the Youth for a Sustainable Development.”

According to the statement, the president is also expected to meet with a number of African Heads of State and their European Union counterparts on the margins of the summit.

He would also attend the official luncheon to be hosted by the government of Cote d’Ivoire in honour of visiting Heads of State and Government and other delegations.

Buhari Inaugrates 30-Member Minimum Wage Committee

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated a 30-member National Minimum Wage Committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The tripartite committee has the task of negotiating a new National Minimum Wage for Nigerian workers.

Details Later…

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Maina Breaks Silence, Begs Buhari For Chance To Prove Innocence

Embattled former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, has finally broken silence on the allegations of corruption levelled against him.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Channels Television which aired during News At 10 on Monday, Mr Maina insisted that he was innocent of the allegations preferred against him.

He, however, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to give him an opportunity to prove his innocence, claiming that the President was being deceived by the people who surround him.

“Thank God our President stands for the truth, the unfortunate thing is that some people around him whom he has given trust are lying to him; this one I can attest to and I can give you instances, I can give you documentary evidence,” Maina said. 

“I’m appealing to you Mr President, there are so many things people are not telling you; when I get to that public hearing I will tell you some things that nobody ever told you Mr President because I never had the opportunity to sit down with you.”

The reinstatement of the former pension boss had sparked criticism and controversy from Nigerians after he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2015.

While the anti-graft agency said it was working tirelessly to arrest Maina, President Buhari had ordered his immediate dismissal from the Federal Civil Service.

Meanwhile, more reactions and revelation have continued to trail the controversy, with the Presidency saying at least 66 accounts were used in pension fraud associated transactions.

Maina who denied any involvement in pension fraud, however, said his team recovered about N282billion cash for the government and that his life was in danger.

He said he was ready to prove to the President that he was innocent of the allegations against him by recovering N1trillion in three months if given the opportunity.

“I recovered money for the last administration and I recovered money for this administration. Most people may not understand this but let me explain this to Nigerians because I want the truth to be told and I want Nigerians to understand the truth and know what is going on in Nigeria. 

“Listen, I am not afraid of anybody, I am saying the truth. People portray themselves as if they are saints around the President; it’s a lie, they are not. We recovered as a team, N282billion cash. Aside from the N282bn, we were able to bring information and caught 43 pension suspects. 

“They have threatened me, they have threatened my lawyer, they have threatened my brother, sister; they have threatened us all that I will be killed. 

“Mr President, I will give you information and documents that will fetch you over N3trillion now in Nigeria, give me nine months. Within the first three months, I will show you N1trillion just like I showed you N1trillion in this 2017,” he said.

Buhari Orders Payment Of Paris Refund Balance

President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed that 50 per cent balance of the Paris Club refund should be paid to the states of the federation.

President Buhari gave the directive on Monday during a meeting with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The governors were led to the meeting which held at the Presidential Villa by the NGF Chairman and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who brief State House correspondents after the closed-door meeting, also confirmed the President’s directive.

He the governors agreed that workers’ salaries at the state level would be paid in time for the yuletide subject to the receipt of the Paris Club refund.

More to follow…

Looters’ Trial: NJC Committee To Engage EFCC, ICPC

The Corruption Financial Crimes Cases Trials Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO) has resolved to actively engage prosecutorial bodies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in furtherance of its mandate.

Director of Information, National Judicial Council (NJC), Soji Oye, revealed this in a statement on Sunday.

He, however, said no date has been fixed for the planned interface with the anti-corruption bodies.

Mr Oye said the committee has received 2,306 ongoing alleged corruption cases that were already receiving attention from the four sub-committees it had been divided into.

The sub-committees COTRIMCO include practice directions, training, feedback, as well as engagement and awareness.

They were constituted at the meeting of the anti-graft panel, under the leadership of the Chairman of COTRIMCO, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd).

For ease of monitoring and evaluation of the said cases, the committee also divided the country into three zones – Zone A (Abuja FCT), Zone B (Northern Zone), and Zone C (Southern Zone).

Chief Judges of State Divisions who were yet to submit the list of the alleged corruption cases to the committee have been reminded to do so without delay while COTRIMCO has directed its Secretary, Gambo Saleh, who is also the Council’s Secretary, to write the defaulting chief judges.

The statement read in part: “At the last count, Zone A in Abuja has 554 pending alleged cases, Zone B has 347 cases, with Zone C having 1,405 cases. The Committee, after brainstorming on all the pending alleged corruption and financial crime cases submitted to it by the Heads of Court that had complied, also indicated that a new ‘practice direction’ would be issued to judges handling the said cases.”

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, had directed the Heads of Court to designate courts and judges that would solely handle the ongoing trials on daily basis to fast-track all the pending alleged corruption cases.

Meanwhile, the Practice Directions sub-committee has commenced a review of various practice directions by leveraging both local and foreign comparative jurisdictions to meet global best practice.

According to the COTRIMCO, it is imperative that other critical stakeholders buy into the mission of the body.

To this end, the committee directed that regular updates and advocacy postings on sub-committees’ activities must be a permanent feature of the project.

Syria Regime Bombing Kills 23 Civilians Near Damascus – Report

Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire killed 23 civilians on Sunday across the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital Damascus, a monitor said.

The deaths come despite the area falling within a so-called “de-escalation zone” put in place under a deal between government allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey.

Eastern Ghouta is already in the grip of a humanitarian crisis caused by a crushing regime siege of the area since 2013 that has caused severe food and medical shortages.

Sunday’s air strikes on the towns of Mesraba and Madira killed 21 civilians, while artillery fire on the town of Douma killed two others, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

Several people were also wounded in the air strikes, and an AFP reporter who visited a hospital in Mesraba saw doctors and nurses treating those injured.

Among them was a baby whose head was wrapped in a blood-stained bandage, as well as men and children who sat on the floor as they received first aid.

A small girl cried as a doctor bandaged her head while nearby a man sat against a wall, sobbing silently with his face pressed against his folded arms, the reporter said.

In a room of the hospital a morgue staff is placing identity tags on bodies wrapped in white sheets, victims of the air strikes, the reporter added.

“The toll could rise further because of the number of wounded people in a serious condition,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Among the dead were four children, the Observatory said.

Regime bombardment of Eastern Ghouta in the last two weeks has killed more than 100 people, according to the Observatory.

Rebels have also fired from the region into Damascus, killing several people.

Humanitarian access to Eastern Ghouta has remained limited despite the implementation of the truce zone, and a United Nations official referred to the region as the “epicentre of suffering” in Syria.

More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

AFP

Buhari Approves N164.7m For Freed Chibok Girls

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the payment of N164,763,759 for the tuition fees of 106 Chibok girls that have regained freedom from the Boko Haram terrorists.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu.

According to the statement, the money is meant for the second semester school fees of the Chibok girls at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

The President, who was reviewing the progress report submitted to him in line with his commitment to personally monitor the rehabilitation and reintegration into society of the freed Chibok girls, said the Federal Government would provide full support for their education.

He also renewed his commitment to bringing back the remaining girls held by the terrorists through all possible means, just as he commended the progress made in the rehabilitation the 106 freed girls who are already back in school.

“According to the progress report received by the President, the decision to pursue avenues in addition to military action to free the abducted girls is in the resolve to protect the lives of all Nigerians, to end the insurgency in the North East of the country, and to fulfil one of the campaign promises of the President. 

“In line with this, the Federal Government entered into negotiations with the Boko Haram terrorist group for the release of the Chibok girls who were kidnapped from their school dormitory on the night of April 14, 2014. So far, two batches of 21 and 82 girls have been freed as a result of those negotiations. 

“Three additional girls were rescued by the gallant efforts of our armed forces, bringing the total number of freed Chibok girls so far to 106,” the statement read in part.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar Dumps APC

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has resigned from the party.

Mr Abubakar’s aide, Mr Paul Ibe, revealed this in a tweet this morning.

“H.E. @atiku has resigned from the All Progressives Congress,” the tweet read.

Mr Abubakar contested against the president, Muhammed Buhari alongside three others for the ticket of the APC in 2014.

He lost out in the primary but collapsed his structure to support the president at the 2015 presidential campaign.

Atiku was the Vice to former President Olusegun Obasanjo when Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.

EFCC Did Not Receive Any Property From Maina

The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has denied the allegation that officials of the anti-graft body shared 222 properties which the the former Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina’s panel seized from pension fund thieves.

The chairman of the senate ad-hoc committee investigating the reinstatement of Miana, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, made the allegation during Thursday’s public hearing.

In a statement, the EFCC described the claim as disturbing, as the agency was never invited by the senate committee to explain the status of assets seized from suspected pension thieves.

“No 222 properties anywhere that were shared by anybody. The EFCC did not receive a single property from Abdulrasheed Maina. 

“All the pension fraud assets that are in the recovered assets inventory of the commission were products of independent investigation by the EFCC, for which Maina and his cohorts had no clues.”

Furthermore, the agency reaffirmed that a record of all the recovered assets from both the police pension and the pension office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation remains intact.

Police Arraign Fulani Herdsman For Violating Anti Open Grazing Prohibition Law In Benue State (Photos)

A Makurdi chief magistrate court presided by Justice Isaac Ajim today remanded a Fulani herdsman for open grazing, criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms.

When the case was mentioned, the Prosecutor Asp Imo Edward told the court that on November 2, 2017 at about 7 pm, the DPO Logo Division received a distress call from the unit commander Police mobile force 13 squadron on special duty at Ayilamo that some Fulani herdsmen stormed Azege village shot and killed one Ortse Kwaghdoo aged 40 and also shot one Mr. Akaa Hingir in the chest and he sustained serious injury.

He said during Police investigation, one Mallam. Gambo Ibrahim Mohammad was arrested and a locally made pistol was recovered from him.

The prosecutor informed the court that Mallam Gambo committed an offence under section 97,248,222 of the penal code Law of Benue State and section 19(7) of the Anti Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment law of Benue State 2017 punishable under section 3(1) of the robbery and firearms act.

No plea was taken on want of jurisdiction. The accused was remanded at the Federal Prison and the case adjourned to February 9th, 2018 for further mentioning.

It would be recalled that the Anti Open Grazing prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law was signed by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on the May 22nd, 2017 but went into effect on November 1st, 2017.

Mallam Gambo who committed the offence on the November 2nd, 2017 is the first offender since the law came into effect.

When contacted, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Barr Micheal GUSA said the law is made to protect both herdsmen and farmers and it would not spell anyone who breaks it.

He urged the public to report trespasses to security agencies and the Livestock Guards and warns against people taking laws into their hands.
Gusa commends security forces for a job well done.

Grammy 2018 Nominee Predictions: Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran Set To Dominate (Photos)

When the 60th Annual Grammy nominations are announced Nov. 28, look for Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar to be nominated in each of the top three categories

 Album, Record, and Song of the Year. This would mark the second year in a row that a British pop star has squared off against a contemporary R&B or hip-hop star for Grammy glory. Last year, Adele went up against Beyoncé in all three of these categories.

Here are the likely nominees and a few runners-up in the “Big 4” categories, including Best New Artist. The winners will be announced in New York City on Jan. 28.

Buhari Sends Military After Bandits In Zamfara -See What They Did

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a military crackdown on bandits operating in rural communities in Zamfara State.

President Buhari gave the order on Wednesday in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, following fresh attacks on some communities in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

He also approved some new measures to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Military and other security agencies in tackling the activities of Boko Haram terrorists in the Northern part of the country.

“To enable the Army carry out this new mandate, the President has approved the request of the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), for the stationing of a full battalion of Special Forces in Zamfara State, and the operationalisation of the newly-established 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto in the new Order of Battle (OBAT),” the statement said.

The President further approved the relocation of One Brigade of the Nigerian Army from Sokoto to Gusau, the Zamfara state capital, following the take-off of the 8 Division.

He equally approved the setting up of an Intelligence Fusion Centre to tackle the desperate actions of the terrorists who make use of mostly female, especially underage girls for suicide missions in the North East.

The centre is to be set up in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for the purpose of gathering and sharing intelligence among the security agencies in the country.

“This phase of the war will be intelligence-driven and the new centre is expected to intensify the harvesting and sharing of intelligence so as to bring to an early closure, the desperate last-minute activities of the terrorists,” the statement added.

The statement comes a day after the President directed the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to visit Zamfara State and report back his findings of the deadly attacks.

He had also ordered the police boss to deploy more police personnel to prevent further attacks by armed bandits in the state.

Notorious Gang ‘Behead Man’ Near Washington

An ultra-violent Latino street gang that President Donald Trump has vowed to wipe out beheaded a man and cut out his heart before burying him in a park near the US capital, reports said Wednesday.

The victim, who has not yet been identified, was stabbed more than 100 times in the attack in Wheaton, Maryland just outside Washington DC, according to a statement by the Montgomery County Police Department.

Authorities have so far arrested Miguel Angel Lopez-Abrego, 19 and an alleged member of the MS-13 gang, on first-degree murder charges. Other suspects are being sought.

Charging documents obtained by Montgomery Community Media and WBALTV11 added the victim was decapitated and had his heart removed from his chest, in an attack planned for weeks and involving up to 10 people.

Detectives began investigating in September thanks to a tip from an informant who said he knew of a murder committed in the spring in a Wheaton park, the Washington Post reported, quoting court records. The informant led police to the gravesite deep side the park.

The grave was prepared before the attack, the paper said. It added that gang members lured the victim to the park and spoke to each other on walkie-talkies as he arrived, the paper added.

The charging documents do not cite a motive for the slaying, which investigators believe the attackers had been preparing for about two weeks, the Post said.

Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, is estimated to have 10,000 members in the United States.

The gang works as an umbrella grouping of units known in Spanish as “clicas,” some of which are larger and more violent than others.

It has become a focus of Trump’s crackdown on crime, which he claims has surged as a result of borders easily crossed by gang members.

Most members trace their heritage to El Salvador, Honduras or Guatemala, and among the members there are as many immigrants as there are US citizens. Many were born in the United States.

Authorities last week announced they had netted 214 members of the gang in a month-long nationwide sweep.

More than half of those picked up in the action which was led by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, were arrested on immigration violations. But 93 were dealt federal criminal charges including murder, robbery, drugs and racketeering.

AFP

Gov. Tambuwal to Sponsor 200 Indigenes to Study medicine in India-Official

Sokoto State Government says it has commenced the process of sponsoring 200 students to study medicine and other related courses in India as part of its scholarship scheme to indigenes.

Malam Imam Imam, Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal on media and public relations said this in a statement he signed on Sunday in Sokoto.

Imam said, “Beside this, the state is encouraging its indigenes to advance their studies in institutions of higher learning, within and outside the country, especially in the fields of science and technology.”

He quoted the Executive Chairman of the state Scholarship Board, Alhaji Altine Kajiji, as saying that the state government had paid a over N3 billion scholarship to its students from 2015 to date.

The governor’s aide said beneficiaries of the tuition fees and upkeep allowances include students studying in U.S.A, United Kingdom, Cyprus, Turkey, Sudan, Antigua, Bangladesh, India, Uganda, and Niger Republic.

‘’The scholarship also includes payments to more than 10,000 Sokoto students in public and private schools across Nigeria. 

“Most of the tuition fee payments are up to date, especially for our students in Sudan and Niger Republic. 

‘’Efforts have been intensified to make disbursements to students in places where we are not yet up to date in payments. 

“Let me state on record that the scholarship Board is receiving all necessary support for the payment of tuition fees and allowances of our students despite the lean financial resources of the state,” he said.

According to Imam, 37 law graduates of the Nigerian Law School who are indigenes of the state have received upkeep allowances to cover the duration of their stay in law schools.

“In addition, their tuition fees were paid in 2016 and each student was also given a laptop to help him or her in the course of his or her study. 

‘’The same arrangement has been concluded for this year’s law graduates who just got admitted into law schools. 

“The modest achievement so far recorded by the present administration is a clear indication that the state of emergency declared in the educational sector is on the right track. 

“We are, therefore, calling on all indigenes to rally round and support the state to enable it achieve the desired objective of making education available and affordable to all Sokoto indigenes.” (NAN)

China Slams 'Wrong' US Sanctions on N. Korea-tied Traders

China on Wednesday rejected new United States sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Korea as "wrong", stressiNews,ng that it has enforced UN sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear provocations.

The Chinese companies were hit by punitive measures along with North Korean shipping interests after US President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Trump warned this week that the sanctions announcement would be the first in a series of moves over the next two weeks that would reinforce his "maximum pressure campaign" against Kim Jong-Un's regime.

As had been expected, the US Treasury Department's measures unveiled on Tuesday make use of existing US directives against North Korean trade, but expand their scope to take in more companies and individuals.

Most importantly, they expand the list of Chinese firms accused of doing business with the North despite promises from Beijing that it will honour UN-backed punitive measures.

"We consistently oppose any country adopting unilateral sanctions based on its own domestic laws and regulations and the wrong method of exercising long-arm jurisdiction," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.

Trump met China's President Xi Jinping earlier this month and is bullish about the US-China relationship, but concerns remain that Beijing is not ready to take tough measures against Kim.

"China has been comprehensively respecting and strictly implementing (UN) Security Council resolutions and our efforts on this regard are witnessed by all," Lu said.

The spokesman called on Washington to provide "any solid evidence" that Chinese companies have violated the UN sanctions.

He said that if any companies or individuals have violated domestic laws, "we will severely deal with that in accordance with our laws and regulations".

- 'More should be done' -
While China has backed the UN measures, it has been reluctant to take the more drastic step of cutting off oil supplies through a pipeline to North Korea's lone refinery, fearing that regime collapse could lead to chaos on their common border.

And, according to US officials, some Chinese-based banks and trading firms continue to do business with the North in defiance of UN sanctions and US threats of unilateral measures.

China has pressed for dialogue, saying this week that "more should be done" to hold talks to resolve the crisis.

A Chinese special envoy also wrapped up a four-day trip to the North on Monday, during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear standoff.

Beijing has pushed for a "dual track approach" which would see the United States freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programs.

Washington has rejected that approach.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions would not only increase Pyongyang's isolation but also expose "its evasive tactics."

"These designations include companies that have engaged in trade with North Korea cumulatively worth hundreds of millions of dollars," Mnuchin said. 

"We are also sanctioning the shipping and transportation companies, and their vessels, that facilitate North Korea's trade and its deceptive manoeuvres."

In all, the new measures add one individual, 13 trading entities and 20 ships to US sanctions lists.

Any property or assets of the firms involved found to be in areas under US jurisdiction are to be frozen, and Americans are banned from trading with them.

Three Chinese firms -- Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade, Dandong Xianghe Trading Company and Dandong Hongda Trade -- are said to have sold computers, minerals and ore to North Korea.

Chinese businessman Sun Sidong and his company Dandong Dongyuan Industrial are accused of exporting vehicles, machinery, radio navigation and "items associated with nuclear reactors."

- 'We suspended trading' -
A woman who answered the phone at the company said it was not doing business with North Korea and suggested that the firm had halted its operations.

"We are not operating," she said. 

Another woman at Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade denied knowing about the sanctions. 

"We have temporarily suspended (trading)," she said.

In addition to slapping sanctions on the firms and North Korean ships, the Treasury added the Korea South-South Cooperation Corporation to its sanctions list.

The firm is alleged to have sent North Korean guest workers to China, Russia, Cambodia and Poland. Foreign workers are a major source of income to the regime.

The White House has said it will not tolerate the North's testing or deployment of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities.

Experts believe Pyongyang is within months of such a threshold, having carried out six nuclear tests since 2006 and test-fired several types of missiles, including multi-stage rockets.

Despite Trump and Kim's belligerent rhetoric, US officials say their main goal is for Pyongyang to back down and agree to discuss disarmament.

BREAKING: Farmers, herdsmen clash kills 30

At least 30 people were killed when farmers attacked Fulani herdsmen in Adamawa state, police said Wednesday.

State police spokesman Othman Abubakar said the attack on the Fulani communities in the Numan district happened on Monday.

More Details later....

BREAKING: Buhari inaugurates audit committee for recovered loot

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday inaugurated the Audit Committee on recoveries of assets by government agencies.

The committee has three members and is to submit its report in four weeks.

Members include Mr. Olufemi Lijadu, Mrs. Gloria Chinyere Bibigha and Mr. Mohammed Nami.

Mugabe Resigns, Ending 37-Year Reign Over Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe’s president on Tuesday, swept from power as his 37-year reign of autocratic control and brutality crumbled within days of a military takeover.

The move looks set to bring an end to Zimbabwe’s worst political crisis since the country won independence from Britain in 1980.

The bombshell announcement was made by the Speaker at a special joint session of parliament which had convened to impeach the 93-year-old who has dominated every aspect of Zimbabwean public life for decades.

On the streets, the news sparked an explosion of wild celebration.

Car horns honked and people erupted into ecstatic cheers and frenzied dancing.

“I Robert Gabriel Mugabe in terms of section 96 of the constitution of Zimbabwe hereby formally tender my resignation… with immediate effect,” said the letter which was read out by parliamentary speaker Jacob Mudenda. 

“My decision to resign is voluntary on my part. It arises from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and my desire to ensure a smooth, peaceful and non-violent transfer of power that underpins national security, peace and stability.”

In a highly symbolic scene, a man in a white shirt took down a portrait of Mugabe from the wall of a room inside the building where parliament sat for its extraordinary session. Another bystander replaced it with an image of Mnangagwa.

Outside, a man held up a smiling new-born wearing white pyjamas, prompting rapturous cheering from the crowd.

It capped an unprecedented week in which the military seized control and tens of thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans took to the streets in an extraordinary show of defiance to demand that Mugabe leave.

’37 years under dictatorship’

“I am so happy that Mugabe is gone, 37 years under dictatorship is not a joke. I am hoping for a new Zimbabwe ruled by the people,” Tinashe Chakanetsa, 18, told AFP.

Men were breakdancing, women were singing and children were in tears as the news began to sink in, all brandishing national flags and praising General Constantino Chiwenga who led the army takeover.

“It’s shocking, that guy is powerful, very powerful,” said Barber Wright Chirombe who was also taking part in the euphoric celebrations.

Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe almost unopposed since independence — but efforts to position his wife Grace as his successor triggered fury in the military that had underpinned his regime.

His grip on power was shattered last week when armoured military vehicles took to the streets, blockaded parliament and soldiers placed the president under house arrest in an operation that had all the hallmarks of a coup.

But the generals stressed they were simply “arresting” criminals around Mugabe — a reference to Grace’s supporters — and they even allowed the one-time liberation hero to deliver a televised speech and appear at a public function.

As the crisis grew, the ruling ZANU-PF party, an instrument of Mugabe’s ruthless decades-long rule, removed him as party leader and began parliamentary proceedings to have him impeached.

“The man had run out of options. The writing was on the wall… He was in a state of denial,” said Innocent Gonese, chief whip of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change party.

“Mugabe might have been hoping that the impeachment process would not succeed, that it might stumble in getting the numbers together. But I think when he saw the turnout (of lawmakers) he probably realised he’d better jump before he was pushed,” said Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies.
Mnangagwa in the wings

His likely successor is former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose dismissal on November 6 triggered the crisis.

A former close ally of Mugabe, Mnangagwa had been Grace Mugabe’s chief rival to succeed him. Grace has not been seen since the start of the crisis.

However, under Zimbabwe’s constitution, it is second Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko who would ordinarily take over as head of state.

“I think we’re going to see Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in very quickly… As far as I understand Mphoko is not in the country. Then the cabinet should meet if there’s no president or vice president and appoint one,” said Matyszak, the analyst.

Gonese, the opposition politician, agreed suggesting that the ruling party could appoint a successor in “less than two hours”.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the resignation gave Zimbabwe “an opportunity to forge a new path free of the oppression that characterised his rule”.

The United States embassy in Harare described it as an historic moment for Zimbabwe.

On Saturday, in scenes of public euphoria not seen since independence, huge crowds marched and sang their way through Harare and other cities in peaceful celebrations to mark his fading power.

Such open dissent would have been routinely crushed by security forces before the past week’s shock events.

Most Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe’s rule, which was defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation.

AFP

China Sends Envoy To N. Korea, Trump Hails 'Big Move'

China dispatched a special envoy to North Korea on Friday, a trip hailed as a "big move" by US President Donald Trump, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally.

Diplomat Song Tao was travelling to the North on behalf of President Xi Jinping to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party congress and other "issues of mutual interest", foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies as China has backed United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast.

Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to Beijing last week that time was "quickly running out" to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter on Thursday to hail the mission as "a big move, we'll see what happens!".

The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime.

But experts doubt Song's visit will yield major breakthroughs.

"China has virtually no political influence on North Korea. Its influence is derived from economic leverage," Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP. 

"Relations are extremely stressed. Perhaps the lowest point since the Korean War," she said. "Perhaps (the mission) will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration."

- Ties at 'lowest point' -
China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North.

But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse.

Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited.

Geng gave scant details about the trip, saying he did not know if Song had arrived in Pyongyang, who he will meet or what topics he will discuss. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said it had spotted him at Beijing's airport earlier on Friday.

China's relations with North Korea are currently at "the lowest point they've been in history", leaving the North diplomatically at its most isolated, said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea's top leaders, he said.

"As far as North Korea is concerned, China's opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention," Lu said.

- 'Freeze for freeze' -
As nuclear tensions have soared, Xi has pushed for negotiations and a "dual track approach" in which the United States would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes.

Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy.

"We believe that at the moment, this is the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan," Geng told a regular news briefing.

Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney, expects little from Song's mission.

"We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes," Yuan said.

The visit is "more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes" because China's top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said.

Song would likely "assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions."