PDP crisis: Sheriff hails Jonathan for preaching political solution

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for insisting on applying political solution to the party’s crisis.
A statement by the national secretary of the party, Professor Wole Oladipo, disclosed that the position of the former President became the subject matter of a meeting held yesterday by the Sheriff-led national working committee.
It reads in parts: “Sequel to the official re-opening of our national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, the National Working Committee (NWC) met on Wednesday March 1, 2017 and resolved to commend the leadership role exhibited by former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in finding a lasting solution to the PDP leadership crisis.”
“The NWC notes with satisfaction the stand of the body of PDP governors on the need to adopt a political solution in bringing lasting peace to the party. The NWC restates its readiness to fully participate in the peace process.”
PDP governors had on Tuesday met with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja to find ways of resolving the crisis in the party.
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose told journalists at the end of the meeting that they want “political solution to the party’s crisis.”
The Ekiti governor said the meeting was at the instance of the former president, “who is genuinely interested in finding a solution to the crisis” and urged party members to refrain from making inflammatory statements that could compound PDP’s problems.

How we will fight fake news on social media – Presidency

Tolu Ogunlesi

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Digital Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, has revealed that the government is working on a social media policy, which will be ready before the first half of this year is over.
He stated this on the second day of the Social Media Week in Lagos, during an interactive session moderated by the Editor of The Scoop, Stanley Azuakola.
Ogunlesi admitted that government was still catching up with social media and its intricacies, but made it clear that people needed to be educated on the consequences of posting false news online.
He also said that self regulation among journalists, bloggers and owners of social media platforms, would go a long way to curbing the spread of fake news.
“Facebook and Google need to penalize people that publish fake news,” Ogunlesi said.
Ogunlesi said that the regulatory laws on hate speech and libel needed to be modified, to suit the rapidly changing social and digital media space of this new age, while admitting that government was still catching up with social media and its intricacies.
With reference to the ongoing Xenophobia in South Africa, the CNN Award winner remarked: “Some of the videos been circulated about Xenophobia in South Africa are fake and have nothing to do with South Africa, so we need to be careful.”

Boko Haram: Why I refused to detonate my explosive – Teenager

A teenager, Amina Yusuf, paraded by the military on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said she failed to detonate her explosive because she did not subscribe to Boko Haram ideology.
The 17-year-old told newsmen in Maiduguri that she was abducted five years ago alongside her parents in Madagali in Adamawa State, after a terror attack on the village.
Yusuf said: “I was abducted alongside my parents in Madagali in Adamawa after the terrorists attacked our village.
“We were taken to a camp in the bush where we were forcefully indoctrinated by the group.”
The suspected suicide bomber alleged that her parents were killed after they had refused to be indoctrinated.
Yusuf said: “My parents were executed because they did not join the group.
“I was married off to a Boko Haram militant, with whom I lived in the camp.
“One day I was asked to wear the bombs.
“I was brought to Maiduguri with an instruction that I detonate the bomb where there is large crowd of people.”
She said that she declined to detonate the explosive because she did not want to die.
Yusuf said: “They said I should press the button, but I refused and allowed security men to capture me alive.
“My four siblings are still with the terrorists in the camp.”
Major General Lucky Irabor, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, had presented her along with two unidentified girls to newsmen during a weekly briefing in Maiduguri

Trump nominated for 2017 Nobel Peace Prize

United States President, Donald Trump, has been nominated for 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Trump was nominated by an unidentified American who wants the US leader recognised for “his peace through strength ideology”.
A near-record 318 people and organisations are in the running for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Nobel Institute said on Thursday, a motley crew believed to include Syria’s White Helmets, Donald Trump and Pope Francis.
The names of the nominees are kept secret for 50 years, but those entitled to nominate candidates — including lawmakers and government ministers, former laureates and some university professors — are free to reveal the name of the person or group they have nominated.
As a result, the list is believed to include the White Helmets, jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, and Edward Snowden, who revealed the scope of America’s NSA electronic surveillance programme.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is highly critical of some of Trump’s first acts as president, is also believed to have been nominated.
Yet others include Pope Francis, nominated by a Norwegian member of parliament because “he is one of the rare ones to stand up to Donald Trump”, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin and former French president Jacques Chirac.
The only tidbit the Nobel Institute would disclose was the breakdown of the nominations: 215 individuals and 103 organisations.
This year’s number of candidates is the next-highest since the prize was first awarded in 1901, second only to 2016 when 376 names were in the running.
The Nobel committee, whose chairwoman Kaci Kullmann Five died of breast cancer on February 19, is expected to announce the 2017 laureate on October 6 though that date has yet to be confirmed.
Last year, the prize went to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his efforts to bring peace to his country ravaged by a half-century of conflict

Why police arrested Akor, 49 Peace Corps of Nigeria members

The Nigeria Police Force said on Wednesday that it arrested the National Commandant, Dickson Akor and 46 members of the Peace Corps of Nigeria in Abuja on Feb. 28.
The Senate had passed the bill seeking to legalise the corps and awaiting the assent by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Presenting the members to journalists in Abuja, the Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said the operations was aimed at halting and riding the country of illegal and unlawful security outfits.
He said that intelligence reports revealed that some illegal security outfits had started acquiring weapons and conducting covert military training across the country.
“The peace corps has unlawfully turned itself into a security outfit without the authourisation and establishment by the Federal government, “he said.
Moshood further said that the corps, under the leadership of Akor, was registered as a non-governmental organisation but was operating with disregard to the country’s law.
He said that during preliminary investigation, it was discovered that the personnel of the corps were extorting money from unsuspecting youths in the county.
“Anyone who must have paid money under any presence to the corps should report to the nearest police station anywhere in the country, “he said.
Moshood said members of the corps had no legal authority to wear uniform and for the corps to be paraded as security outfit.
He said that members of the corps use ranks, insignia, badges of ranks among others similar to the police and military without approval by Federal Government.
“The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies will not fold their arms and allow lawlessness to be unleashed on the society.
The police spokesman said that the joint security operations would be sustained to crack down on the activities of all proscribed illegal security outfits across the country.
Moshood advised parents and guardians to prevail on their children and wards to return from the illegal military camps owned by the corps across the country.
The spokesman said that the head office of the corps at the Jabi Lake, Utako, Abuja, had been sealed after the arrest.
Moshood said that the federal gazette in 2013 had dissolved and proscribed illegal security outfits in the country.
He said the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.
Reacting, Akor said that the corps’ activities were aimed at changing the character of the Nigerian youths and how to be responsible citizens.
On the payment of the N40, 000 by applicants, he said that the money was meant for the purchase of uniforms and their feeding adding that the corps was a voluntary organisation.
He said that the corps’ uniform was approved by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The commandant said that the corps had been given commendation by the UN on its activities toward the development of the youths.

Court strikes out six charges against Nnamdi Kanu

Justice Binta Nyako, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday struck out six of the 11 charges brought against detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, by the federal government.
The dismissed charges bordered on “ownership of unlawful society, illegal importation of radio transmitters and researching on how to make improvised explosive devices”.
Justice Nyako, in a ruling, held that the charges were not supported by the proof of evidence adduced against the defendants by the prosecution. She held that was no evidence before the court to prove that IPOB, which was allegedly managed by the defendants, was an unlawful society.
The court however sustained five other charges against Kanu and three other pro-Biafra agitators namely: Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi. They however entered a fresh plea of not guilty to the sustained charges.
The charges are based on conspiracy, treasonable felony, publication of defamatory matter and Kanu’s alleged importation of goods contrary and punishable under section 47(2) (a) of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap C45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In count three of the remaining charges, the federal government alleged that Kanu had in a broadcast he made in London on April 28, 2015, through Radio Biafra, referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as “a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil”.
Meanwhile, the court has fixed March 20 and 21 to commence full-blown trial of the defendants.
It would be recalled that a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Chukwuma Soludo; a professor of Economics, Pat Utomi, and some Igbo leaders on Tuesday called for the immediate release of Kanu.
Describing the trial of the detained leaders of IPOB as persecution, they called on the federal government to release him for the sake of engineering a new Nigeria.

Biafra: Release Nnamdi Kanu now – Soludo, Utomi, Igbo leaders tell Buhari

A Pan Igbo group, Nzuko Umunna, led by former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo, on Tuesday told President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group equally said Nigeria was becoming a failed state despite the fact that it has the potentials for greatness.
The position of the group was contained in a statement read on behalf of the members by Soludo at a news conference in Abuja.
The group said the Federal Government must obey court orders even when such orders appear unpalatable, including the one asking it to release Kanu on bail.
Others who signed the statement aside Soludo were Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Ebere Onwudiwe, Law Mefor, Rev. Fr. C. Jude C, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, Ferdinand Agu and Tony Nnadi.
Others are Dr. Sam Amadi, Innocent Chukwuma, Collins Ugwu and Andy Wabali.
The statement reads in part: “We demand for the urgent release of Nnamdi Kanu, his colleagues and all prisoners of conscience, as part of the process of the search for national cohesion and building a new Nigeria. There is a legitimate debate among Nigerians on the Biafra question, and there are indeed many Igbos who, like many other Nigerians, do not agree with Nnamdi Kanu’s objective or means. It needs to be stated, however, that no citizen of Nigeria deserves the kind of treatment meted to him and his colleagues. Government has declined to obey the orders of properly constituted courts in Nigeria for his release. Nnamdi Kanu is not above the law; but, nor should he be put beneath it.
“A situation where the state refuses to obey legitimate court orders for his release and holds him until it gets a favourable order; moves the goalposts endlessly through endless amendment of the charges against him; and now seeking to try him in secret clearly constitutes circumstances that would fall well short of the constitutional guarantees of due process. These also would raise questions about our country’s adherence to human rights, the rule of law and transparent judicial process. We worry that there is now a clear design to place Kanu beneath the law and basic constitutional guarantees of due process. Without the rule of law, no sustainable economic progress can take place.
“The treasonable felony charge, which is now levied against Nnamdi Kanu has previously been used against Joseph Tarka and Obafemi Awolowo. His trial reminds us of the travails of these historic figures in our country and, indeed, of the more recent military-era treason trial of President Obasanjo. Not many people believe that Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues can receive a fair trial based on the law. This makes Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues political prisoners or prisoners of conscience.
“At various times in Nigeria’s history, it became expedient to release such prisoners (e.g. Obafemi Awolowo; Yakubu Gowon and Odumegwu Ojukwu, as well as President Obasanjo) as part of national reconciliation and nation-building. Nigeria is currently a country at war with itself. Our considered view is that, for taking extraordinary steps to draw international attention to Nigeria’s failing state and the urgency of actions, Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues deserve to be engaged and not to be held interminably as political detainees.
“We demand that the right to freedom of association, assembly, peaceful protest, and expression must be accessible to all citizens of Nigeria as guaranteed by Nigeria’s constitution. Trying to criminalize anyone who talks about self-determination or attempts to use brute force to main and kill innocent protesters in a democracy is a strategy for a time that we no longer live in. This is 2017 and Nigeria is supposed to be a democracy! More than 200 years after 11 states in the US failed their secession bid, their Confederate flag still flies in several of them, even on government buildings.
“Since 2012, no less than 23 U.S. states had thousands of their citizens sign petitions to secede from the U.S. Currently, the State of California is still pressing for Calexit. There were protests all over the US following the election of Donald Trump. Similar examples can be cited in many democracies. But no one is killed, brutalized or incarcerated by the state.
“As a people, we believe that our country is big enough for diverse voices to be heard in the confidence that these voices in their respective ways seek to correct our imperfections; to have a stake in constructing a more perfect union. We convey our thanks to the Federal Government and the Acting President, Prof. Osinbajo for reaffirming recently that citizens have the right to peaceful protest, and we are happy that protesters were allowed to express themselves in Lagos, Abuja and other venues recently under police protection.”

I don’t know my true age – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has publicly admitted that he did not know his true age.
Speaking on Thursday at the 2017 International Youth Variety Day and Public Presentation of Olusegun Obasanjo’s Books for Children, as part of programmes for his 80th birthday, the former President said his late mother merely told him that she gave birth to him on a market day.
Obasanjo revealed that while growing up, he had the challenge of knowing his real date of birth, because his parents were illiterates but when he continued to pressure his mother, the information he was given by her was that she gave birth to him on an ‘Ifo’ village market day.
“At early stage in my life, I had the challenge of knowing my date of birth, and my peers always asked, while in return I persisted in asking my mother, who was an illiterate and had no records,” he said.
“When I continued to put pressure on my mother, she told me that she was preparing to go to market on the said day, and went into labour, and before others could return from the market, she had given birth to me.
“I’m not as lucky as some of my peers who know the dates of their birth. What matters to me is that I have chosen a date. If I don’t even know the exact date of my birth, at least I know my age group.
“When we were growing up, if people doubt the source of your wealth, you will be ostracised. If your father goes out every night, the conclusion would be that your father is a thief, and if a family is seen and known to have engaged in crimes, the community will keep its distance from such family. All those values are gone, and how do we bring them back?

I am not running for President – Tinubu

All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vehemently denied reports that he was planning to run for the presidency of Nigeria.
In a rebuttal by his media office, Tinubu said he will never stand in any contest against President Muhammadu Buhari or support anyone against him.
The statement titled: “Response to Thisday false news report” added that the former Lagos State governor was neither planning a team nor holding consultations with the intention of planning any presidential campaign.
Here is the statement in full: “The front page story of the February 28 Thisday newspaper alleging that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is actively planning a presidential run is an example of bad fiction masquerading as professional journalism.
“The story is a manufactured tale weaved by its authors to try to create division where there is none.
“Those who wrote this fantasy seek to place Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with President Buhari. Writing such a baseless report is a very foul and wrong thing to do.
“The story carried the headline ‘Tinubu Prepares for Presidential Run, Dumps PDP, Mega Party Alliance’. The headline is remarkable in the fact that every bit of it is utterly wrong.
“First, Asiwaju Tinubu is not gearing up for a presidential run. So there will not be any doubt about this core matter; we shall state Tinubu’s position clearly and unequivocally so that even Thisday reporters cannot misinterpret his position.
“As long as that patriotic and committed man named Muhammadu Buhari holds and seeks to hold the mantle as our president, then Asiwaju Tinubu stands behind him in unwavering support and confidence.
“Asiwaju Tinubu remains faithful to the mission of progressive reform and change that President Buhari, he and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have started.
“Tinubu was instrumental in the formation and success of the APC. His toil and efforts helped establish this government. He is not one to tear down something he laboured so dutifully to build.
“Instead of trying to convey the truth, the THISDAY report opted to gain false sensation by completely mocking the tenor of the brief banter Asiwaju Tinubu had with journalists at the inauguration of Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
When asked about future political office, Asiwaju said he could not discount that possibility if the nation called upon him for such service, provided, he emphasised, that all political conditions were appropriate; particularly the office in question would have to be vacant, even if it’s local government chairmanship. In our political lexicon, this means the office is not held by a member of the APC in good standing. We all know this.
“Moreover, if you really listen to his words, Asiwaju did not mention any office or any time-frame. The conditions he mentioned may not become ripe for years to come and they might not pertain to the presidency. In effect, all Asiwaju said was the position that any political figure would hold.
“As a politician, he cannot preclude the possibility of running for office in the future because no man knows what the future will hold. To translate this general statement of political reality into a tale that he is actively preparing for a 2019 presidential run is reckless in the extreme.
“For that newspaper’s reporters to have engaged in this great leap of counterfeit logic means they purposefully bowed to the pressure to create false headlines instead of following the ethics of their craft to follow the truth even if the truth is more pedestrian and less volatile than what the reporters would have liked to hear. “They have turned themselves into newsmakers instead of remaining true to their calling of being neutral conveyors of events.
“Asiwaju Tinubu has not held any planning meetings for any such presidential campaign and is not contemplating any such meetings. He has no present list of possible running mates because he has no present intention of running.
“The headline also libels Asiwaju by asserting he was going to join the PDP. This is as shameless as a lie can be. Asiwaju is acknowledged to be the intellectual father and the driving force behind the APC.
“It makes no sense that he would abandon the party that he worked hard to build in order to enter the dilapidated building the PDP has become. Asiwaju worked for over 16 years to break the PDP yoke on the nation.
“After breaking that yoke, it is not in his nature to voluntarily place it back on our necks. Anyone who has followed his career, even his staunchest critics, knows Asiwaju for his partisan consistency. He is not a party hopper. He is loyal and sticks with the party to which he belongs.
“After fighting for so many years to elevate his party to the position of national leadership, he would not give that away in order to join with those who blame him for their currently bleak political circumstance.
“We understand all too well the genesis of this false news report. For their own reasons, THISDAY has joined with those who seek to put Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with our President.
“This scam will fail. Asiwaju supports and stands behind President Buhari. He wishes the president well and that he returns soon. Whether the president is here or away, he has the full loyalty of Asiwaju Tinubu.
“President Buhari can rest assured on this point: Asiwaju Tinubu will never contest against him nor will he support anyone who does.”

Former Acting Governor Clarance Olafemi dumps Gov. Bello, pays homage to Hon. Faleke.

The former acting Governor of Kogi State, Rt. Hon. Clarance Olafemi has dumped Governor Bello due to what he described as leadership failure and lack of good governance in Kogi State.

While on a visitation to Hon. James Abiodun Faleke resident in Abuja, the former acting apologized for his misdeeds over the Kogi gubernatorial saga and call for peace between him and Hon. Faleke.
The former acting Governor said he was misled by Sen. Dino Melaye to betrayed him after the party nomination favours Mr. Bello. I have no peace of mind since i betrayed you, he said to Hon. Faleke.

Hon. Faleke in his responce said he has forgiven all who betrayed him before, during and after the whole gubernatorial saga, he said forgiveness belongs to God Almighty. Sir, as the Asiwaju of Okunland we all expected you to lead us but we were surprised when you decided to abandoned us, Hon. Faleke said.

Recalled that, the governorship candidate of the party APC Prince Abubakar Audu died before the election could be concluded. Prince Abubakar Audu's running mate Hon. James Abiodun Faleke was widely expected to replaced his late boss but could not when the party decided to replace late Audu with Mr. Bello as its candidate, the former acting governor Rt. Hon. Clarance Olafemi and the likes of Sen. Dino Melaye, immediately tolled the party line and fully threw their support behind Mr. Bello against their kinsman Hon. James Abiodun Faleke.

Recently, Sen. Dino Melaye also dumped Governor Bello and also begged for forgiveness for misleading the people of Kogi State. Who is next???