NOA Rewards Airport Cleaner Who Returned N12m


NOA Rewards Airport Cleaner Who Returned N12m


The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has given Josephine Ugwu, female contract staff of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos with the NOA Citizen,s Responsibility Award, The Cable is reporting.

This award is in recognition of her outstanding display of honesty.

The NOA DG, Mike Omeri noted that the NOA was honoring the cleaner for returning the N12 million which was forgotten by a traveler at the airport's screening centre.

Such honesty was typical of true Nigerians, he said, and in line with the national core values.

“She is one of the many Nigerians who, through their noble character while performing their routine duties, show their commitment to the national pledge of faithfulness, loyalty and honesty. She deserves to be honoured and celebrated as an icon of doing the right thing,” he said.

Ugwu is now one of 15 other Nigerians who received the NOA Citizen's Responsibility Award for outstanding character. This number includes seven of the police officers who investigated the Cynthia Osokogu murder in 2013.

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PDP TO BUHARI: COME CLEAN ON GAY PROMISE

PDP TO BUHARI: COME CLEAN ON GAY PROMISE


Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is now in dilemma over how to manage the position it has allegedly been forced into by its presidential candidate, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who had, during his recent medicals in the UK, also, allegedly dangled legalisation of gay unions before pro-gay western nations, in the bid to win their financial support. To this end, Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) has challenged the party to come clean on the allegation and tell Nigerians whether or not its presidential candidate has dropped the idea. Director of Media and Publicity of the PDPPCO, Chief Femi Fami-Kayode, in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, said this was more important to Nigerians than the issues that had been raised as a consequence of Morocco’s withdrawal of its envoy from Nigeria.

According to Fani-Kayode, “Our attention has been drawn to the unpatriotic stance of the APC on the issues that have been raised as a consequence of Morocco’s withdrawal of their Ambassador from Nigeria. “It is very unfortunate that rather than join hands with the Federal Government and endeavour to stand shoulder to shoulder with their compatriots and their country when it comes to the conduct of international affairs, the APC are always ready to assume the worst about their government and about their President. “Our counsel to them is to grow up, get real and stop playing politics with such sensitive matters that border on the interest and credibility of our nation and our people. “If they want a clarification about the Moroccan affair, they ought to go through the appropriate channels and perhaps attempt to reach our Foreign Minister in order to find out what really happened. “That is the proper and responsible thing to do.

They do not need to make a song and dance about the whole thing and they certainly should not try to gain political mileage out of it or join forces with those from outside our shores that do not wish Nigeria or the Nigerian people well. “We are fully aware of their obvious and pronounced intellectual limitations when it comes to such matters; yet, regardless of that, they must always endeavour to remember that we are, first and foremost, Nigerians and regardless of whichever side of the political divide we find ourselves or whichever political party we belong to, we must always seek to protect our nation’s interest before anything else. “For the APC to even begin to assume that it is true that our President or any of our government officials lied in this episode with the King of Morocco and for them to so readily accept the suggestion that we have done anything wrong or that we have somehow misled our people about what actually transpired speaks volumes.

“Our President is certainly not a liar. The only liars here are the APC and their perfidious and conflicted spokesman, Lai Mohammed. Our President and our government have done Nigeria proud when it comes to the conduct of foreign affairs over the last few years and when it comes to building bridges with other nations. This is particularly so when it comes to our relationship with other African countries. “Our military collaboration with the nations of Chad, Niger and the Cameroons in the fight against Boko Haram and the great successes that we are jointly recording in that bitter fight is a glaring testimony to that. “Any Nigerian or any Nigerian political party that joins hands with foreigners to denigrate our nation, to belittle our foreign policy, to undermine our credibility in the comity of nations or to work against our country’s vital core interests by assuming the worst about the conduct of our foreign affairs is simply a traitor and is not worthy of being called a Nigerian.

“Once again, the APC has shown, by their plea for a clarification on this matter, that they are a party that simply cannot possibly comprehend or grasp the complexities of national leadership or the conduct of foreign affairs. “They have proved that they will always put their own personal and narrow party interests before the interests of our people and our nation. The basic lesson that they need to learn is this: in a time of war, you do not join hands with foreign governments or foreign kings to undermine the interest of your nation or to denigrate your President. “Instead of talking about the King of Morocco and who spoke to who, the APC should tell us whether it is true that their presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, in response to a request from some western countries, is considering scrapping the anti-gay laws in our country and pushing through legislation that would allow same sex marriage. “We are far more interested in that than in the King of Morocco because if it is true that that is what they are planning, it would be a reflection of their moral depravity as a party and it would be a negation of our values as a God-fearing nation”, he said.

Boko Haram War in Gombi: NigPhotoseria's Troops Release Aftermath

Boko Haram War in Gombi: NigPhotoseria's Troops Release Aftermath


Following the battle with Boko Haram in Gombi, the Nigerian military has released images of the successful outcome. x vehicles and a number of motorcylces belonging to Boko Haram were destroyed.

Daily Post reports that "weapons and ammunitions recovered include 3 anti-Aircraft guns, one-50 inch Browning Machine Gun and one General Purpose Machine Gun.

"Others are 5,000 rounds of 12.7 milimetre ammunitions, 2 boxes of .50 inch ammunitions, 1,000 rounds of Light Machine Gun ammunitions and one Rocket Propelled Grenade 7 tube."

See images below:

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Fulani Leaders Dump Buhari

Fulani Leaders Dump Buhari


An umbrella association, with sole responsibility of guiding affairs of Fulani people across the country, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, said yesterday that all its leaders have been mandated to mobilise their subjects, especially in northern parts of the country, to ensure victory for President Goodluck Jonathan. National President of the association, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo stated this weekend, in his office at Masaka in Nasarawa State.

He said the association has adopted a robust campaign strategy in such a way that it would be able to attract all Fulani pastoralist across the country to vote for President Jonathan on March 28. “No votes will miss out from the Fulani in the coming elections. They are all going to vote for the PDP”, he said.

The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hotore leader described President Jonathan as “a man of transformation, trusted and reliable person who have the Fulanis at heart all the time”. “Without Jonathan, the Fulanis would have been backward by now; he is committed to achieving the agricultural transformation agenda by 2015.

“He had also provided an enabling ground for all Fulanis by providing huge sums of money for their resettlement schemes and provision of grazing reserve for their businesses,” he added.

The Fulani leader who restated his unflinching support and commitment assured that he would continue to do everything possible to ensure victory for Jonathan. He therefore appealed to the teaming supporters of PDP to come out en-masse and vote the President. Stating the opposition of the Fulani to Buhari, Alhaji Bodejo said the former military Head of State no longer has anything to offer the country.

He stated that Jonathan had done a lot for the Fulanis, adding that “we must support him”. “If you take a good look at the ministries and parastatals in the country, you will find out that it is dominated by Fulani men as we want to pay President Jonathan back by ensuring that he is re-elected”, he said

Shettima May Face Prosecution Over Chibok Girls

Shettima May Face Prosecution Over Chibok Girls


Governor Kasim Shettima of Borno State has been put on notice to prepare for prosecution over the alleged curious manner with which the Chibok girls were exposed to the attack and abduction of insurgents under his watch. The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said this yesterday in a statement noting that, should the governor be found culpable after investigation, he would be prosecuted. Fani-Kayode berated Governor Shettima, for allegedly ignoring security reports and the counsel of the Federal Government against holding the 2014 May/June West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Chibok 330 days ago.

Fani-Kayode said the abducted Chibok school girls would have been saved the ordeal to which they have been subjected these past 329 days had the governor taken the advice and acted in accordance with the security reports that the town was not safe for the examinations. He stressed that Governor Shettima should be ready for investigation and prosecution after leaving office if found complicit in the circumstances that led to the abduction of the girls. Fani-Kayode who was responding to Governor Shettima’s attack on his comments on the fate of the Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram, the PDP-PCO spokesperson was quoted to have said: “Shettima will not be governor forever and when he is no longer in office, his role in the Chibok affair would be investigated and, if found wanting, he would be prosecuted.” He accused the governor of reflecting the thinking of his party over the whole mess that his insensitivity allowed to happen.

The statement reads: “The governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima is the most irresponsible, insensitive and callous governor in Nigeria. He is a wicked man whose mindset reflects the thinking of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC). He, more than anybody else, is responsible for the abduction of the Chibok girls. “And he should bear full responsibility for it. The man should shut up and bow his head in shame because it was due to his irresponsibility as the chief security officer of Borno State that those little girls in Chibok were abducted, raped, sold into slavery and subjected to terror. “The circumstances that led to the abduction of the innocent girls, who were writing their examination in an environment that was everything but secure, underscored the governor’s negligence.

How Jega Will Be Removed

How Jega Will Be Removed


There are indications that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, may have started clearing his table and preparing hand-over notes preparatory to the commencement of his terminal leave which is expected to begin on March 24. What this means is that Jega may not conduct the 2015 general elections despite insistence by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) that he must supervise the elections. The UNION learnt yesterday that Jega, who had severally been blamed for shoddy preparations for the election prior to the February 14 date, may actually be on his last days at the commission. It was gathered that due process will be applied in Jega’s removal as had been applied in other such circumstances including the removal of Charles Soludo as CBN governor.

According to The UNION findings, Jega, whose four-year tenure expires in June, is entitled to a renewed tenure but at the discretion of the President. Rule guiding Jega’s appointment as INEC chairman, gives the president the powers to either remove or retain him upon expiration of his tenure. However, it was learnt that if Jega was to have a renewed tenure, his name ought to have been forwarded by the Presidency to the National Assembly, for consideration, as at March 6th. “In the event that that has not been done so far, it means he is not being considered for another term of office.

That means he will have to leave by March 24”, our source which is close to the electoral commission said. According to the source, “if he does not get a letter informing him of the submission of his name for re-appointment at least two weeks to when he is supposed to commence his terminal leave, it means that he will be expected to write government informing of his decision to commence his terminal leave on March 24; if he does not write, then, he will get a letter from the office he reports to, telling him who to handover to on March 24. “If that happens, it means he will not sit in office by March 28 and April 11 when the elections will hold”, our source informed. “That is what the procedural rules say”,

On the effect this will have on the election dates, our source informed that “elections can be conducted by anyone at the commission. It is not a Jega personal affair. INEC has national commissioners and executive secretary who could handle such responsibility. Who says it must be Jega?” Jega, our source noted, is not unaware of his fate with dates which, according to him, was the reason he hurriedly fixed elections for Feb 14. “He is aware of all that and that was why he fixed the elections for February 14. Come to think of it, we have always held our elections in April since 2003. So, what was so special about this that it was brought forward to February?”, our source noted. Jega had come under serious criticisms for his alleged closeness to the opposition APC leading to calls by different groups, for his removal.

Specifically, southern leaders represented by Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Edwin Clarke and others, had at a press conference in Abuja, called for Jega’s removal over alleged connivance with the opposition party to derail the electoral process. Former Anambra State governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, had also stated, in an interview, that the elections may not hold until Jega was removed. According to him, Jega had compromised his position by allegedly working too closely with the APC and seeking to deliver a quarrelsome election. Though Jega had during his appearance before the National Council of State in February made specific request for extension of time for the commission to be fully prepared for the election, he however shifted the burden of responsibility to the security agencies when he told Nigerians that the commission was ready to conduct the election but for security operatives.

Death-Row Nigerian Loses Appeal

Death-Row Nigerian Loses Appeal


The days are now counting for a death-row Nigerian in an Indonesian prison, known as Raheem Agbaje Salami, as a court in the country refuses jurisdiction in an appeal he filed seeking a review of the case for which he was condemned to die. Salami’s lawyers had appealed against President Joko Widodo’s rejection of his clemency plea in the Administrative Court. The appeal was thrown out yesterday. Dismissing the appeal, the court said it lacked jurisdiction over presidential decisions. Two Australians, also on death-row, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, suffered the same setback last month. However, Salami’s lawyer, Utomo Karim, has said he would appeal. Two other Nigerians, Okwudili Ayotanze and Sylvester Obiekwe, are also waiting for the hangman in Indonesia.

Ayontanze, is said to have become a gospel singer and jams with prison guards. He has also released albums from his Nusakambangan prison. Obiekwe, according to agency reports, has angered authorities by continuing to run a drug syndicate from behind bars. Meanwhile, a senior counsellor from the Nigerian embassy in Jakarta, Ibrahim Babani, has said the Nigerian government was fighting for the lives of the citizens. “We passionately believe that all three should be given a chance,” Mr Babani said, adding “if you go deep into their cases there are reasons they should be allowed to live.” Mr Babani said lawyers for the three men had indicated they were pursuing legal action. But Salami’s lawyer, Karim, disclosed that he will also seek a judicial review for his client in the Surabaya district court tomorrow, on the ground that the entire prosecution of his case was illegal because it was based on the man’s fake identity.

This, it is believed, could further delay the death of the 10 drug felons after the Attorney-General’s office indicated it would put executions on hold pending the outcome of several court cases. A man purporting to be Raheem Agbaje Salami, from the southern Spanish city of Cordova, was arrested in 1998 smuggling 5.3 kilograms of heroin into Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city. However Raheem’s passport was false. His real name is Jamiu Owolabi Abashin, a Nigerian national. And although he was arrested 17 years ago, Indonesian authorities continue to use the fake name in prison on Nusakambangan. Mr Utomo will argue the prosecution of his case was illegal because his fake identity was used from his arrest to his conviction in the district court right through to the rejection of his clemency plea. Three of the others on death row – Filipino migrant worker Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, Frenchman Serge Areski Atlaoui and Indonesian Zainal Abidin – are also seeking judicial reviews of their cases.
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