Buhari to flag-off Abuja-Kaduna rail line July – Amaechi

President Muhammadu Buhari will within the first week of July flag-off the Abuja-Kaduna rail line for commercial operations.
Making this announcement in Abuja Wednesday after the first official test run of the rail line at the Idu Train Station, Minister of Transport, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, said barring any further hitches the rail line will come into full commercial operations after the Presidential flag-off within the first week of July.
The Minister after embarking on a supervisory train ride from the Idu train station in Abuja to the Kubwa station stated categorically that all prospective passengers for the trains must have a valid national identity cards for security purposes.
“We want to know the identity of who is boarding the train.We are going to work with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure strict compliance with the directive.”
He explained that the reason why the rail operations can not take off immediately is because they also had to take into consideration the religious obligations of the President, so that he can be invited to officially flag-off the operations.

Lady posing as Wizkid defrauds victims of N18.3m in Facebook scam

A lady who has been posing as music star, Wizkid, on the social media, especially Facebook, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.
But this was not before she had fleeced her victims of not less than N18.3 million.
According to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, the lady was at the game for so long before she was caught.
This was even as Owoseni said 10 people had been arrested for bank frauds in different parts of the State.
Those duped by the lady, whose name was not revealed, included students of the University of Lagos.
Also duped by the lady of Dollars were two people living abroad.
She fleeced them of over $53,000, which in Naira value is about N18.3 million.
One of the victims was defrauded $49,000, while she milked the second victim $14,000.
According to Owoseni, the suspect was arrested after Whizkid reported the case to the police command, complaining that someone was impersonating and collecting money for shows.
The suspect opened a Facebook account in Whizkid’s name and displayed the star’s picture.
She started chatting with friends on Facebook, pretending to be Whizkid.
When people started accusing Whizkid of collecting money for shows and not turning up to fulfill his part of the bargain, the music star reported the matter.
Owoseni said that the suspect was arrested through investigation.
He warned members of the public to be alert to the activities of fraudsters.
He said: “A lady was arrested for defrauding people on Facebook. She was posing as Wizkid. She was arrested yesterday. The lady duped two people. The two victims are outside Nigeria. Members of the public should be very careful on sending money to people they met online. The lady collected money from people in USA and they thought they were paying money to Wizkid to come and perform. They didn’t know they were dealing with fraudsters. Nigerians should warn friends and relatives overseas to be careful in sending money to anyone, especially someone they didn’t know or hadn’t seen.”

PDP Reps to sue APC defectors

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives on Wednesday threatened to sue Tony Nwoye (PDP-Anambra) and Emmanuel Udende (PDP-Benue) who defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the House.
The two lawmakers through separate letters read by Speaker Yakubu Dogara during the plenary, announced their intentions to dump the party, owing to the factionalisation within the leading opposition party in the country.
The estranged lawmakers alleged that they could no longer serve their electorate effectively owing to the crisis trailing the leadership of PDP at the aborted National Convention of the party in Port Harcourt a fortnight ago.
Ali Modu Sheriff, immediate past PDP acting National Chairman; Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, and Prof. Jerry Gana, are heading the three factions.
While reacting to the decisions of the two lawmakers, Leo Ogor, Minority Leader who issued the threat notice, vowed that the party would ensure that the two lawmakers vacate their seats in the Lower Chamber.
Ogor who described their resignation letters as unconstitutional, argued that Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that any member who must resign on the platform where he/she was elected must declare his/her seat vacant.
“I have told those who care to listen that there is no division in the PDP. Clearly, the PDP is one family, and in line with the Constitution, in line with Section 68g, which I quoted on the floor is
clear on this. We had a national convention, signed by then by Ali Modu-Sheriff, the national chairman.
“The party itself went for that convention in Port-Harcourt and you know that the party convention is the highest organ of the party. It has the power to elect and remove anyone, and we saw the decisions that were taken in Port-Harcourt. And no court of competent jurisdiction has today ruled that there is any faction in PDP. Neither is there any recognised faction.
“There is a Supreme Court ruling on this matter. I pity those young men. They really don’t know what they have done. But for me, I am a
Law-abiding citizen and I can tell you that by tomorrow morning, my party will be headed to court once I have the Order Paper for the day.
“We will be in court to make sure we vacate those seats, then we go for an election to replace those interlopers. They think they can go to APC, so easily but they are wrong. So long as we have a Supreme Court ruling on this matter, I am sure, they are history,” he said.
Ogor who expressed shock over the development, frowned at the decision of the two lawmakers for failing to consult with the PDP caucus before making their decision public on the floor of the House.

E‎kweremadu condemns killing of pro-Biafra protesters‎‎

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has condemned in strong terms the reported killing of pro-Biafra protesters by security operatives in parts of the South East.
Ekweremadu made the condemnation at the plenary session of the Senate on Tuesday.
He came under Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule to draw the attention of the Upper Chamber to the bloodbath in the South East region of the country on Monday.
Over 50 pro-Biafra protesters were killed across South East States and in Asaba, the Delta State capital, where two policemen were reportedly among those who died.
The Deputy President of the Senate further noted that the country had recorded so much bloodshed in various parts of the country in the past and as such security agencies must apply caution in quelling perceived disturbances in any part of country so as to prevent young men and women from being sent to their untimely graves.
Hear him: “Those of us who had the opportunity of looking at the papers this morning would know that most of the newspapers had front page stories of bloodbath in the South-East.
“Yesterday, I had a number of calls about the disturbing clash between youths in different parts of the South East, South South and security agencies, leading to the death of many people; both the young men and security personnel.
“I would like to use this opportunity under Order 43 to say that the security agencies must apply caution in trying to quell disturbances.
“We have had so much of bloodbath in this country under different circumstances and we cannot continue to lose our young men because the future of this country belongs to them.
“It is important that we rise to condemn any act of killing in any part of this country, especially the ones that concern the major part of our future, which remains the young men and women of this country.
“We are now in a democracy and people should be entitled to speak their minds; to assemble under responsible and lawful circumstances; and the security agencies must also be responsible in dealing with those circumstances to ensure that lives are not lost unnecessarily.
“I wish to bring this to the notice of the Senate for us to take note and possibly for the States involved to set up enquiries to find out what led to these clashes; the number of people lost and to ensure that this does not happen in the future.”

Fayose’s aide resigns over “economic crisis”

Governor Ayo Fayose

The Special Assistant on Parliamentary Matters to Governor Ayodele Fayose, Mr. Samuel Ajibola, has resigned his appointment.
Ajibola, in his letter of resignation, said he quit Fayose’s administration “on basic developmental issues and the economic situation in the state which he can no longer pretend over.”
In his May 28 letter, Ajibola said, “I humbly write this to formally notify you that I am resigning from my position as your S.A on Parliamentary Affairs.
“Sir, within my personal conviction, I am satisfied that I have in honesty and utmost loyalty served the PDP, the people of Ekiti and government in general.
“Therefore, I premise my resignation on some basic developmental issues and the economic situation in the state which I cannot continue to pretend over. My resignation takes off immediately.”
Ajibola was the only Peoples Democratic Party member of the House of Assembly before Fayose came to power on October 16, 2014.
He was later joined by six All Progressives Congress lawmakers who defected on the day Fayose was sworn in.
Fayose, has, however, approved the appointment of Mr. Alexander Adeojo to replace Ajibola.
The governor thanked Ajibola for his meaningful contributions to the administration and development of the state while he was Special Assistant, Parliamentary Matters to the Governor.

You can’t fight FG – NDLF rells Tompolo, Avengers

Government Tompolo

Spokesman for the defunct Niger Delta Liberation Front (NDLF), Capt. Mark Anthony, has urged members of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and High Chief, Government Ekpemukpolor, to lay down arms to save innocent people of the region, especially Gbaramatu kingdom, from untold hardship and toe the path of peace and dialogue.
In a statement in Warri, Delta State, the NDLF spokesman said: “We are appealing to the NDA to surrender and accept the path of dialogue” saying no group or individual can fight the federal government.
Continuing, the NDLF said: “We also appeal to Tompolo to surrender himself to the authorities on the path of peace to reign in Gbaramatu communities and parts of Niger Delta.”
He noted that the NDLF had staged war with the federal government and up till date it was still nursing the wounds.
It further appealed to the federal government to employ internationally accepted military practices in the Niger Delta, saying that it could recall during the unfortunate experience in which the federal government bombed and burnt down Ayakoromo town and killed several innocent persons.
According to the NDLF, similar genocide is about to take place now if caution is thrown to the wind by both parties and repeated their position that the Avengers and pipeline bombers are criminals fighting a selfish course over failed business empire with the present administration under President Buhari.
NDLF maintained that they were in support of the Buhari administration just as they supported former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

Dialogue with Niger Delta Avengers not an option – Army

Tukur Yusuf Burutai

The Nigerian Army said on Tuesday that dialogue with the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, whose operations in the oil rich region have cut down ‎daily oil production output, was not yet an option.
The Army, justifying its recent operations in Gbaramatu, Delta State, said the use of force was for now the only available option until leaders of the militant group were apprehended.
Representing the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Brig.-Gen. J. Hamakim, said this at the ‘State of the Nation Conference’, organised by the Nigerian Bar Association and held in Abuja on Tuesday.
During the conference on Tuesday, the Army was accused of failing to explore dialogue with the Niger Delta militants and resorting to use of force which could lead to a war situation in the region.
The Army was also accused of attacking members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who were allegedly demonstrating peacefully in Onitsha, Anambra State on Monday.
But Hamakim, in his response, said there was no sign that the Niger Delta Avengers’ members were ready for dialogue.
He said, “I quite agree that dialogue is very important. But where ‎it is not too obvious that the adversary is ready to come out and talk, you can also force such a person.
“I think that is what the Nigeria Army is trying to do. Yes, we don’t know the group’s leader, for now; that is the only option, possibly we have to bring the people out to know who you can dialogue with.”
He said the activities of the group were affecting Nigerians as the nation’s oil production had recently further plummeted t‎o 1.1 million barrels per day.

He debunked the allegation that soldiers, who were involved in the operations in Gbaramatu, were killing innocent residents and raped women.

“We have done our investigation and nothing like that is happening,” he said.
He also said the demonstrations by IPOB, leading to a clash between the protesters and security forces which left two policemen and 30 others dead in Onitsha, Anambra State on Monday, were not peaceful.
‎Hamakim said, “Remember that lives were lost, policemen were killed, some were thrown overboard‎ and the military has rules of engagement.
“The question is how peaceful is the peaceful demonstration‎. How peaceful was the demonstration at that time? If it was that peaceful, how come we lost security agencies.
“The rule of engagement is that if you feel threatened, you have the mandate to respond. What we can say is that was not at all a demonstration that you can say was peaceful‎.”
Various heads of anti-corruption and security agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase; Controller-General of Prisons, Ahmed Ja’afaru; and Director-General of the Department of State Service, Lawal Daura; were represented by officers of their agencies at the event.
NBA President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh; the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Nasiru Ajanah‎; Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Anti-Corruption, Mr. Babajide Akinloye, two contenders for the office of the NBA presidency, Messrs Abubakar Mahmud and Joe Kyari-Gadzama, among many other Senior Advocates of Nigeria were at the event.
A member of the House of Representative, Linda Ikpeazu, represented the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, as the Chairman of the event.

IPOB, N’Delta Avengers: Buhari not learning from the past – Atiku

Following the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta and related agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has said that the All Progressives Congress-led government under President Muhammadu Buhari, has not learnt from the past administrations on how to tackle such challenge.
Atiku, an APC stalwart, also called for a restructuring of the country’s unity, because every section of Nigeria virtually feels marginalised, “meaning, they believe that other segments of society are prospering in ways they are not.”
Atiku was the number two citizen between 1999 and 2007 under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book; We are all Biafrians, written by a journalist and scholar, Chido Onumah, the former vice-president said, the current “federal government is too big and too powerful relative to the federating states; that situation needs to change, and calling for that change is patriotic.”
When asked to comment on the farmers/herdsmen skirmishes and similar agitations in some parts of the country and efforts by the current administration to nip them in the bud, Atiku said:
“Again, here we come back to the same economic challenges that are facing the country, but we also have leadership that is not prepared to learn from the past and the leadership that is not prepared to lead.”
While noting that the “amnesty programme in the Niger Delta should be about stick and carrot approach,” the APC leader, recalled that he decided not to serve on the power committee under his former boss, Obasanjo, because the administration did not agree with his gas-to-power idea.
By this approach, he said, the system would be compartmentalised, whereby power will be generated from multiple sources, hence there won’t be heavy reliance on gas.
While recalling some of his blueprints as a presidential aspirant in 2011, he listed amnesty programme, the creation of Ministry of Niger Delta right in the region, introduction of coast guards, as some of the ideas he propounded.
On the state of the economy, the former vice-president urged Nigerians to be patient with President Buhari, even as he commended the administration for properly tackling the issue of Boko Haram insurgency.
Speaking on the nation as presently constituted, Atiku said, “Nigeria is not working as well as it should.
And part of the reason is the poor way we have structured our economy and governance especially since 1960.
“We must refrain from assuming that anyone calling for restructuring of our federation is working for the breakup of our country. Absolutely not. And I reject that notion.
“An excessively powerful centre does not equate to national unity. Absolutely not. If anything, it has made our unity more fragile, our government more unstable and our country more unsafe. We must re-negotiate our union in order to make it strong.”
While urging Nigerians to support a restructured nation, he said: “Greater autonomy, power and resources for state and local authority will give the federations units greater freedom and flexibility to address local issues for their priorities and peculiarities.
“It will reduce the premium placed on capturing power at the centre. It will reduce insecurity. It will promote healthy rivalry amongst federations units.”
Continuing, the ex- VP said what the nation desired now is, “first, a smaller, leaner federal government with reduced responsibilities; this means devolution of powers and resources to states and local governments. State and local governments should control education, health, agriculture, roads and other infrastructure.
“A true federal system will allow the federating states to keep their resources, while the federal government retains the power of taxation and regulatory authority over standards.
The result will be a political and governmental system that empowers local authorities and gives them greater autonomy to address peculiar local issues, while enhancing accountability and contributing to the general good of the country. Such a robust federal system would reduce the tensions that
are built into our current over-centralised system.
“Second, autonomy for the component states and localities to determine their development priorities and wage structures.For instance, there is no reason for the governor of Akwa Ibom state to earn the same salary as the governor of Benue state or for a teacher in Orlu to earn the same salary as the one in Abuja or Port Harcourt.
The costs of living and revenue generating capacities vary widely across the country.
“Third, a tax-centred revenue base; modern democracies derive their revenues from taxation whether or not they have fossil fuels and other natural resources – personal income tax, property tax, sales tax, corporate tax, licences, and duties.
Taxation is a sustainable revenue base and one that compels governments to promote increased economic activities, and respond to the demands of their taxpaying citizens.”
Speaking on the motive of the author, the book reviewer, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, said the book is never about the breaking up of the country, rather, the author is very passionate about the unity and oneness of Nigeria.
According to him, the book is an appeal to all Nigerians to embrace a country where equality, fairness and justice reign.

Niger Delta Avengers blow up Chevron oil well

The Niger Delta Avengers on Wednesday claimed it had struck at an oil well of oil giant, Chevron.
The Avengers, in a tweet in the early hours of Wednesday, said it carried out the operation despite the heavy presence of the military in the Niger Delta.
It said the attack was carried out at about 3:44am.
It tweeted: “With the heavy presence of 100 Gunboats, 4 Warships and Jet Bombers NDA blew up Chevron Oil Well RMP 23 and RMP 24 3:44am this Morning.
“This is to show the whole world that Nigeria Military is good in harassing innocent Civilians.”

AUDU / FALEKE GROUP CONDEMNS SOLDIERS INVASION OF KOGI ASSEMBLY

AUDU / FALEKE GROUP CONDEMNS SOLDIERS INVASION OF KOGI ASSEMBLY
The Audu / Faleke Political Organisation in Kogi State has described yesterday's invasion of Kogi State House of Assembly premises by heavily armed soldiers under the guise of providing security cover for the G5 Lawmakers as an unfortunate and shameful affront on the constitution of the country.
Heavily armed soldiers were reported to have escorted the G5 legislators from government house in Lokoja to the House of Assembly, barricaded the gates to the Assembly and threatened to shoot anyone that moved near the gates including the G5 members and even the Police contingent deployed to maintain security in the area.

A Press statement released by the spokes person of the organisation, Hon Duro Meseko, said the action of the soldiers was a direct affront on the rule of law and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"Pray, what is happening to our state? Are we back to the Hobessian state where everything is nasty and brutish? How can soldiers under the Nigerian Army paid with Tax payers fund turn themselves to pawns in the hands of political merchants? How can the soldiers disregard a competent order of the Federal High Court in Abuja that restored the G15 back to the leadership of the Kogi Assembly? Why would the soldiers threaten to shoot members of the G15 Lawmakers including policemen attached to the Assembly? The Chief of Army Staff must investigate this show of shame and bring culprits to book without delay".
The group expressed concern with the level of impunity going on in Kogi State at all levels and the attendant deafening silence of the Federal Government.
"Are we saying there is a different type of constitution guiding the affairs of the Yahaya Bello government in Kogi State? Are we saying the rule of law has no space under his administration? For how long are we going to reel under the jackboot of local dictatorship?
The time has come for well meaning Nigerians to rise up to the brazen attack on the laws of the land by Yahaya Bello led government in Kogi State", the statement concluded.