Buhari masquerading as progressive—group

Yoruba leaders under the aegis of Yoruba Progressives, have accused the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari of ‘masquerading’ as a progressive within the APC.

The leaders in a statement by the Secretary General of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Senator Femi Okurounmu, recalled how the former Head of State reportedly attacked progressive movement during his regime.

According to the group, Buhari insulted Chief Obafemi Awolowo, surrounded his house with troops and seized his international passport and shortened his life by denying him a medical trip overseas.

“The APC presidential candidate incarcerated governors of Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN and also cancelled the Lagos Metroline Projects. President Goodluck Jonathan deserves a second term considering his achievements in the areas of economy, democracy, human rights and rule of law in the face of politically promoted insurgency,” he said.

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No place for interim government -Mark

Senate President, David Mark, has added his voice to the list of oppositions to an Interim National Government in the country.

This was also as he assured that the May 29, 2015, deadline for the hand-over to a new democratically elected president must be respected.

Mark in a brief welcome address to the senators after resumption from a one month election break yesterday, expressed concern that the issue of interim government has been given undeserved prominence in the nation’s national discourse.

He restated that interim government was completely alien to the 1999 Constitution, noting that those who are pushing for ING are on a voyage of futility.

The Senate President said: “I am alarmed that the issue of Interim National Government, ING, has been given undeserved prominence in our national discourse. This is imprecise, sordid and strange. Interim National Government is alien to the 1999 Constitution (as Amended). Therefore, those calling for ING are pushing for an exercise in futility. This Senate is committed to the provisions of our constitution, which we swore to protect and we will not do anything to sabotage the democratic process.”

Mark who decried the current political tension in the country cautioned that as statesmen and women, the senate must rise to the occasion and help reduce tension in the polity.

Justifying the essence of the short address, Mark remarked that, “Ordinarily, we would have commenced our legislative activities this morning without a welcome address. But, these are not ordinary times in our nation. There is palpable tension in the land and the comments and even the body language of the political class further exacerbates the tension.”

Popular Pastor Caught With Hard Drugs Worth N609m in Lagos

The NDLEA, Murtala Muhammed International Airport command, has apprehended Prophet Michael Raji, a popular Lagos based pastor, for drug trafficking.

It was learnt that Raji, who is pastors a white garment church at Ikotun in Lagos, was arrested at about 12pm on Monday while he was trying to smuggle 174 kilogrammes of narcotic drugs to South Africa.

NDLEA said three international passports bearing different names were also recovered from him.

A team later led Pastor Raji to the church, where bags containing 91kg of Methamphetamine and 83kg of Ephedrine with an estimated value of N609m were recovered.

It was also learnt that a jeep was impounded during the operation.

It was gathered that a preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect was a member of a wanted drug syndicate operating in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.

The 60-year-old pastor told investigators that he was tempted to the act by the devil. He said, “I received the drugs from my friend and I kept them in the church since October 2014. This is a great temptation for me and I pray to God to overcome it.”

NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, described the Pastor as a “smooth operator.”

Umar said, “The drugs were brought to the airport for export to South Africa. Investigation eventually traced the movement of the drugs to his church premises where he was arrested. He had three international passports bearing his photographs with the names Michael Raji and Kadigun Ola.

“It was equally discovered that the church premises, where he ministers, also serves as a warehouse for narcotics. The seized drugs, concealed inside large bags of foodstuffs, were found to contain 91kg of Methamphetamine and 83kg of Ephedrine with an estimated street value of N609m.”

The Chairman of the agency, Ahmadu Giade, said the seizure was phenomenal and promised that the pastor and his fleeing accomplices would be brought to book.

Federal Executive Council Approves Postal Reform Bill

Plans to reform the Nigerian postal sector and restructure the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) received a boost with the recent approval of the Nigeria Postal Commission Bill 2014 by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The Bill will be forwarded to the Legislature to be passed into law. The Postal sector in Nigeria has grown over time with more than 1,200 post offices owned by government, close to 2,000 postal agency outfits managed by individuals, and over 290 registered private courier companies. However statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics show that whilst year-on-year growth is increasing, the contribution of the Post and Courier Services sector to GDP (at 0.03%) is still low. The Nigeria Postal Commission Bill 2014 is designed to reform and reposition the postal sector in line with global trends and international best practices.

It promotes a postal sector that is efficient, cost effective, better funded and capable of delivering service that meets universal obligations embedded in National policies and programmes such as the Transformation Agenda and Vision 20:2020. The postal sector is managed by NIPOST, therefore the growth of the sector is intrinsically tied to the reform of NIPOST. The process of reforming NIPOST began in the early 2000s, the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), through the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), started with objectives that included: Establishing a low cost universal postal service that provides a solid communication medium and link nation-wide, providing a safe and efficient postal service that is sustainable and keeps pace with development in the rest of the world, introducing private sector participation and the development of the postal service into a commercially viable enterprise and creating a convenient means of savings mobilisation and payment and/or funds transfer system for the entire country through the postal network.

However, whilst the conceptual framework for reform was developed, the process of its ownership and actualisation has suffered significant delays and action, and on some aspects has stalled. For example it may be recalled that a number of (private members) Bills to amend the Nigerian Postal Service Act, 1992 have been considered by the legislative arm of Government but none passed into law. Since 2011 and the start of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, the focus of reform has been to promote NIPOST as a “necessary tool for the promotion of social, financial and digital inclusion”. The Administration has sought to restructure NIPOST along business lines through the establishment of a new management style that focuses on operational excellence, quality improvement, customer focus, result-oriented management, and cost control. In a bid to empower NIPOST to respond more effectively in a very competitive environment, the deployment of massive ICT infrastructural system with focus on carrying out ICTbased services, including on-line and automated services in post offices is being implemented (in stages). The anticipated result will be improvement in the quality of service and process efficiency, and through that the regaining of public confidence in service delivery.

Jonathan Remains Likely Winner of Elections – Campbell.

Former United States’ ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell has said that President Goodluck Jonathan remains the likely winner of the

March 28 polls despite the strength of the opposition.

Campbell made this declaration in a new report published and released by the US’ Council on Foreign Relations.

The report titled Nigeria’s 2015 Presidential Election: Contingency Planning Memorandum Update,’ read “The APC is stronger than its predecessors (Action Congress of Nigeria and Congress for Progressives Change) and reflects a splintering of the political classes.

“The government’s inability to defeat Boko Haram, the economic hardships brought on by falling oil prices, and a growing public perception that the Jonathan administration is weak has fuelled support for the All Progressives Congress. Though the APC’s voter base is in the North, it enjoys support all over the country, unlike the opposition in 2011.

“It is uncertain whether any provisions will be made for voters in the three northern states placed under a state of emergency because of Boko Haram, as well as the estimated one million people displaced by the insurgency.

“These displaced voters would likely support Buhari and the APC; their exclusion would benefit Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Thus despite the strength of the opposition, Jonathan remains the likely—but not certain—winner.”

Obasanjo is Nigeria's number one enemy

Obasanjo is Nigeria's number one enemy, he is a cancer in PDP - Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the number one enemy of Nigeria.

He equally described him as a “confusionist, who has lost his status as a statesman and Nigerians should simply ignore him”.

The governor, who expressed confidence that President Goodluck Jonathan will be reelected to complete his eight-year term, added that; “Obasanjo is only fighting President Jonathan because he prevented him (Obasanjo) from ruling Nigeria from his Ota Farm”.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said “Obasanjo is a cancer in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Nigeria that may never get cured in a lifetime.

“The moment Obasanjo is not the one controlling a house, he will want the house pulled down but this time around, he has failed”.

The governor said; “Obasanjo has always benefitted from the misfortune of others and he is living with the impression that he is the wisest person in the whole world.

“When Murtala Mohammed was murdered in 1976, Obasanjo was the beneficiary.

“In 1993, he said the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief MKO Abiola was not the Messiah Nigeria needed. Instead of Obasanjo to join the clamour for the actualisation of Abiola’s mandate, Obasanjo was canvassing for an Interim National Government, which he was scheming to head.

“MKO Abiola died in detention in 1997 and Obasanjo became the beneficiary of his (Abiola) death.

“Despite the fact that it was the blood of MKO Abiola that Obasanjo matched on to power, not even a street was named after Abiola throughout Obasanjo’s eight years as president.

“Today, Obasanjo is fighting President Jonathan, the man who has done what he failed to do for Abiola, the Yoruba people and Nigerians as a whole when he was president for eight years, simply because he does not want anyone to equal his record as Nigeria’s longest serving president.

“President Jonathan has made it impossible for Obasanjo to run his presidency for him and for this reason, he is supporting Buhari, hoping that he will be the one to nominate ministers for Buhari if he becomes president.

“However, I have this bad news for Obasanjo. Nigeria is not his football that he can kick around as he likes. President Jonathan will be reelected, and Nigeria will be freed from his (Obasanjo) bondage once and for all”

Locals Arrest Military Vehicle That Dropped Damaturu Female Suicide Bomber At Park

There are new serious details about the Damaturu female suicide bomber whose detonation today took at least 7 lives and injured over 30 at a busy motor park.

Witnesses reveal that the suicide bomber was brought into the motor park by a military Hillux car which dropped her where cars traveling to Gashua are located.

As soon as the military car along with 3 soldiers got to the gate of the park, the bomb exploded! Eye witnesses immediately rushed to the gate and prevented the military Hillux from leaving the park. The soldiers were then apprehended and handed over to the state military command.

We are following for more details as well as contacting the Nigerian security services for their official statements.

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