Nigeria’s Police Affairs Minister Accused Of Killing Former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, Says He Regrets Not Beating A Former Governor To Death-The Nation

Minister for Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan

By The Nation Newspaper

Minister of Police Affairs Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan has expressed regret for not flogging the first civilian governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, during the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) stakeholders meeting with the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo.
Adeleke alleged that the Osun State PDP governorship candidate, Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore, Adesiyan and a retired Customs officer, Mr. Sogo Agboola, beat him at a function a day before the state PDP governorship primaries, in which he planned to run.
Adesiyan, who spoke with reporters at the PDP state secretariat, Gbongan Road, Osogbo aat the weekend, denied beating Adeleke.
He however said he regretted that he did not flog Adeleke like a baby.
According to him, he refrained from beating Adeleke even when he provoked him because he was once his governor and more so because of his own position as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He vowed to fight Adeleke anytime they meet.
He said: “My regret was that I did not beat him as he claimed I did. If I had not been a minister, I would have flogged him like a baby. You know that he could not withstand one blow. You know Adeleke is sick; maybe he would have died that day.
“It was Sogo Agboola that gave Adeleke a dirty slap when he tried to caution him from being violent and he gave Sogo an elbow jerk, which Sogo quickly returned with a dirty resounding slap.
“I thought he was tough but he ran away immediately. He is lying if he says Omisore and I beat him. One upper or lower cut would have landed him in the hospital. You know me. Let me tell you, Adeleke is a liar. After running to his people in the APC, they perfected the story for him. You know they are very good at propaganda. Ta lo nje ode aperin ni waju ode apeyan (who is an elephant hunter in the presence of a hunter who kills human being)? I will one day leave office as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and anytime I leave office, I will fight  Adeleke.”
Adesiyan swore by the Quran that he never attacked  Adeleke.
He recalled the incident: “At about 1.00 a.m when I noticed that I was hungry because I had not eaten, I told Omisore and others at the meeting that I wanted to eat and we went to the pool side bar of the hotel to eat. As I was eating the fried plantain they served me, I noticed that some boys that looked like thugs were coming to our direction and all of a sudden, the light in the hotel went off.
“I was not afraid because nobody can terrorize me in my state though I felt there could be problem. The police did their jobs. They arrested the boys and collected their cell phones. Later, Adeleke, who was absent at the meeting on the ground that he was outside the state, came in and moved to me. He pointed to me and started shouting at me. He said he made me the Director-General. I thought he got carried away because he was able to free his boys after telling those who arrested them that he was a former governor and that they are his boys.
“If I had ordered the arrest of the boys, the police dared not release them without informing me. Adeleke was so furious that Sogo wanted to caution him by holding him back, but he gave Sogo an elbow and which he returned with a dirty slap and Adeleke ran away with his thugs.”

Adesiyan also said that nobody can insult Omisore in his presence, saying: “I would rather die there.”

Soldiers Insist On Searching Speaker Tambuwal’s Official Car In Kaduna

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal

By Citizen Reporter

Soldiers yesterday in Kaduna  briefly detained the Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, insisting his official car must be searched before he could be allowed into an international conference where he was due to deliver a speech.
Angered by the conduct of the soldiers, the Speaker came out of the car and trekked into the venue.
The incident occurred at Hotel 17, venue of an  International conference on security and development challenges of pastoralism in West and central Africa organized by the office of the National Security Adviser.
The Speaker,  who arrived the venue of the gathering at exactly 9.16 am for the 10.00 am opening ceremony, had his convoy stopped by soldiers who insisted they must search his official car before he could be allowed into the venue.
Despite much entreaties by security details attached to the Speaker,the soldiers refused, claiming they have “orders from above” to search the Speaker.
Incidentally, other VIPs, especially Governors,  who attended the conference were allowed access into the hotel without hindrance
The Speaker is the number four citizen in Nigeria’s official hierarchy after the President, Vice-President and the Senate President.
When contacted for his reaction, Tambuwal's spokesman,  Malam Imam Imam, decried the conduct of the soldiers, saying their attitude undermines the institution of the legislature.
"It is not about the person of the Speaker, but the office he is occupying. What we expect is for the security agents to show respect for the office of the Number 4 citizen of the country, " he said.

The soldiers did not search the speakers car after he walked into the venue.

Osun poll: Oyegun, Tinubu meet Oyinlola

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

The National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun, and the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, met a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Okuku, on Sunday.

It was learnt that Oyegun and Tinubu, who led leaders of the party to the hometown of Oyinlola, solicited the support of the former military administrator of Lagos State, saying they wanted him to be part of their new movement.

Oyegun, who spoke first, said: “The APC knows that you are the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the face of the law. But we want you to be a part of our new movement.”

Speaking after Oyegun, Tinubu reportedly shared the same vein with Oyegun, acknowledging Oyinlola’s leadership qualities.

In his response, Oyinlola thanked the leaders of the APC for their visit and acknowledgement, promising to make consultations with his followers over the meeting with the APC.

Oyinlola, who acknowledged that he remained a Peoples Democratic Party member, said he would fight the case of his removal as National Secretary of the ruling party to a logical conclusion.

Insinuations are rife that Oyinlola, who had been in talks with the leadership of the APP, might defect soon.

Ayo Fayose Beats Kayode Fayemi To Win Ekiti Governorship Election

Posted: Jun, 22 2014, 4:06AM

PDP candidate, Ayodel Fayose

By Saharareporters, New York

People’s Democratic Party Candidate and former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has defeated the incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi to win the governorship race in Ekiti state as earlier projected by Saharareporters.
Mr. Fayose defeated Mr. Fayemi by a wide margin, polling 203, 090 votes while Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) scored 120, 433 votes. The third contender from the Labor Party, Opeyemi Bamidele, only managed to win 18, 135 votes.
The election which was nearly marred by unprecedented use of security agencies to intimidate members of the APC was largely peaceful on polling day.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, Professor Isaac Azuzu made the official announcement in Ado Ekiti earlier today.

Tinubu has turned APC into private property – Ikimi

The estranged pioneer member of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Tom Ikimi, on Wednesday attributed his grouse with the party to the tyrannical approach to leadership by some of the leaders of the APC, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He said before Tinubu singlehandedly chose the former Edo State governor, John Odigie-Oyegun, he had threatened “fire and brimstone” if he did not emerge as the party’s national chairman at last Saturday’s national convention of the APC.

Ikimi said Tinubu operated caucuses whose membership varied from time to time subject to his whims and caprice.

He added that the current trends in the APC portended frightening prospects for the nation if the party wins the Presidency.

In a statement made available to The PUNCH, Ikimi, a former foreign affairs minister, said Tinubu had turned the APC into a private property and that some stalwarts of the APC were willing to accede to his whims which eventually turned the party’s Saturday convention to a “charade.”

The APC chieftain added that the party’s governors colluded with Tinubu to truncate democratic process in the national convention.

He said, “The governors and the Tinubu groups decided on a zoning process that was limited only to party offices as well as the choice of individuals to fill them. They proceeded in a manner that was neither open nor transparent. Most undemocratic and bizarre procedures then prevailed.

“The governors initiated a zoning plan that allocated the national chairman to the South-South. This proposal was reluctantly accepted by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whose well-known preferred option had been to retain Chief Bisi Akande as the chairman forever. Nevertheless, he in the circumstance, proceeded to draw up a list of his cronies for the entire national executive all by himself. Very strange as this may sound, it was the reality. Nothing was ever referred to the National Interim Executive Council for approval or even information.”

Ikimi also lambasted Tinubu for parading himself as the national leader of the APC, saying no one gave him such a position. He added that it was unfortunate that some members of the party had tried to justify Tinubu’s unilateral appointment of Oyegun as the national chairman as a concession done to him as the national leader.

He said his problem with the ex-governor began when he opposed the Muslim-Muslim presidential and vice presidential ticket of the party.

“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may recall that mostly for the same reasons I opposed his desire to run as vice presidential candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the Action Congress banner in 2007. We settled for Senator Ben Obi from eastern Nigeria.

“I know he nurses a grudge against me for the position I took which was strongly supported by leaders from five zones apart from the South-West. I have no regrets whatsoever for my courage to stand up against oppression or dictatorship. No matter what anyone might say against the PDP, no individual claims ownership of that party,” the statement read in parts.

When one of our correspondents contacted the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for a response to Ikimi’s statement, he said the party had no comment.

In a text message response, Mohammed said, “I have gone through his (Ikimi’s) statement and we have no comments at the moment.”

Keshi set to dump Osaze, Azeez

Osaze Odemwingie

Stoke City striker Osaze Odemwingie and Almeria midfielder Ramon Azeez may not see action in Saturday’s crucial World Cup Group F clash against Bosnia-Herzegovina,africanfootball.com has learned.

Osaze brought some urgency and creativity to the Super Eagles’ attack against Iran on Monday, but Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi said the former Russia-based forward defied his instructions even though he was playing an unfamiliar role.

Keshi is said to be disappointed with Azeez’s performance against Iran and has lined up Belgium-based Michael Uchebo to take his place.

Skipper Joseph Yobo is expected to keep his place in the first team after Turkey-based defender Godfrey Oboabona was ruled out of Saturday’s cracker as a result of a foot injury he suffered against Iran.

Yobo told africanfootball.com in Brazil that reaching a century of international caps would be an added bonus for him as he was already fulfilled to be at his third World Cup.

“I’m just happy that I made it here because towards the end of the season I got injured and it was difficult for me,” he said.

“Any other personal achievement will be great and I will enjoy it.”

Absenting Delegates Risking Their N4m Allowance — Confab VC

National Confab

By Saharareporters, New York

Delegates at the ongoing national confab who have made a habit of absenting themselves from plenary without valid reasons will not receive their allowances henceforth, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Vice Chairman of the confab has warned.
Speaking on Thursday, Akinyemi said it was important to draw the attention of members who had been disregarding the plenary to desist from the act. He gave them till Monday to start attending or forfeit their allowances.
“We don’t want to be treating delegates as secondary school pupils,” he said.\
“As from Monday, delegates who don’t show up will not be paid sitting allowance unless on medical reasons. We want you to know that this because we are all adults and we must be seen to be responsible.”
He conveyed the displeasure of government with the absence of more than half of delegates at the plenary, saying the sight of empty seats on televisions is a great disservice to the work of serious delegates.
“It is shown live and this is not good,” he said.
“They [the government] are now reminding us that there are government rules, and that when we are being paid sitting allowance, it must be seen to be so.
“Delegates have to learn to be responsible, because they were selected to deliberate over issues of national importance, which require the attention of everyone.”
Each delegate at the confab receives monthly allowance of N4 million per month. By the end of the confab next month, the delegates would have received a whopping N16 million each, following the one-month extension approved for the confab by President Goodluck Jonathan in May.

Ekiti 2014: APC lies to Nigerians on Kano governor’s air travel

APC said, “At least three Governors – Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano – have so far been prevented from making the trip”

The claim by the All Progressives Congress, APC, that federal officials prevented the plane carrying the Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from landing in Akure is false, PREMIUM TIMES can reveal.

At the time the APC was claiming that the Kano governor was being barred from getting to Ekiti, the spokesperson of the governor told PREMIUM TIMES his boss was in Kano and had no plans to travel to Ekiti.

The APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, claimed Mr. Kwankwaso and two other APC governors, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, were barred from getting to Ekiti to support Governor Kayode Fayemi’s re-election bid.

“At least three Governors – Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano – have so far been prevented from making the trip,” Mr. Mohammed said.

The spokesperson added that “the helicopter that was to ferry Governor Oshiomhole from Benin to Ado-Ekiti was refused permission to take off from the Benin Airport, while the plane that was flying Gov. Kwankwanso to Akure was denied permission to land”.

Ekiti has no airport and so travellers by air have to first land at Akure (neighbouring Ondo State) airport, then travel by road to Ekiti.

When the news of the denial first spread on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES called the Director of Press Affairs to Mr. Kwankwaso, Baba Dantiye, who said his boss had no plans to travel to Ekiti.

Mr. Dantiye said Mr. Kwankwaso was at an event in Kano State and had no plans of travelling to Ekiti State.

“The governor is in Kano here; he did not have plans of going to Akure, none that I know of,” Mr. Dantiye said.

Perhaps realising that his party had released a statement to the contrary, Mr. Dantiye called back to say he was at an event with the governor and would not “want to confirm or deny” the APC’s claim.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the event the Kano governor attended in Kano on Thursday was the graduation of 1120 mechanics and vulcanisers from the 44 local governments of the state.

Supporters of the governor posted pictures of the event on facebook.

Not all lies

While the APC apparently lied on Mr. Kwakwanso’s situation, the party’s claim that Mr. Amaechi was prevented from getting to Ekiti is true.

PREMIUM TIMES reported a statement by the Rivers State government that Mr. Amaechi was stopped from getting to Ekiti by road after his plane landed in Akure.

The governor was then detained by soldiers for several minutes before he was allowed to return to Akure but not to Ekiti to campaign for Mr. Fayemi in the Ekiti election that holds on Saturday.

“Governor Amaechi was ambushed and refused entry into Ekiti by military personnel acting on orders from above. He made to turn back and return to Akure where his chattered aircraft was parked but was chased and rounded by armed soldiers and security personnel in Odudu, Ondo state. According to the captain who led the operation, he had orders not to allow the governor entry or exit,” the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, said.

The spokesperson to the Edo State governor, Peter Ohiare, also told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Oshiomhole’s aircraft was barred from leaving Benin airport.

Mr. Ohiare said he was informed of the air travel ban by the Commander 81 Maritime Crew, Benin City.

The spokesperson of aviation agencies had told PREMIUM TIMES that the military had the power to regulate Nigeria’s airspace even without the permission of the civilian agencies.

Military reacts

When contacted on why soldiers detained Mr. Amaechi, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Olajide Laleye, denied that the incident occurred.

“That’s ridiculous, on what grounds? How could the military have arrested the governors? That’s not true, there was no arrest,” Mr. Laleye, a Brigadier General, said.

The military and the Nigerian Police have pledged to ensure security during the Ekiti election; but have been accused of aiding Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The three major candidates in the election are Mr. Fayemi of the APC, Ayo Fayose of the PDP, and Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party.

But Governor Amaechi himself confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that he was detained by soldiers who barred him from travelling to Ekiti. His aides later said he was released and allowed to return to Akure but that his plane remained impounded.

Jonathan appoints Bode George’s wife, Roli, as new NDLEA boss

The appointee is the wife of a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George.

President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Roli Bode-George as the new Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

The appointee is the wife of a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George.

Mr. George, a leader of the PDP in Lagos, is currently a delegate, appointed by the president, at the National Conference. His conviction for fraud, when he served as head of the Nigeria Ports Authority, by a High Court was upturned by the Supreme Court.

Mr. Jonathan’s spokesperson, Reuben Abati, announced the appointment on his twitter handle on Thursday evening. He said the appointment is with immediate effect.

Mrs. Bode-George takes over from Olufemi Ajayi, who was on Wednesday appointed the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF.

President Jonathan had in 2011 also appointed Mrs. Bode-George as a federal commissioner in the National Population Commission, NPC.

B’Haram invades Borno villages, kills 38

 

| credits: nigeriana.org

Men believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect have again invaded the Borno villages of Ngoshe and Kaigamari, in Gwoza and Konduga Local Government Areas, respectively,  killing 38 people.

The insurgents also set ablaze several houses and shops in addition to destroying mobile telecommunications masts in the area.

Ngoshe is located east of hilly Gwoza town, between Cameroon border with Nigeria, while Kaigamari is a remote settlement in Konduga, a town which has always been under the siege of the Boko Haram terrorists.

Gwoza is about 140 kilometres south, while Konduga is 40 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital.

It was gathered from a source that “the gunmen, armed with Improvised Explosive Devices, petrol bombs, AK 47 rifles and rocket propelled grenades invaded Ngoshe at about 10pm on Saturday and opened fire on the already sleeping and unarmed residents, killing 30 of them and inflicting injuries on several others, before setting ablaze some houses.”

Also in Kaigamari, no fewer than eight people were said to have been killed on Sunday when another set of gunmen attacked the village and torched some houses and shops.

An eyewitness, who said he was lucky to escape the attack in Ngoshe, Mallam Usman Jidda, told journalists in Maiduguri that the gunmen who were sighted some few days back in between the mountainous areas of Ngoshe and Limankara villages had a field day killing and destroying houses without being challenged by security operatives in the area.

“I thank God for sparing my life and those of the members of my family as we were able to escape the attack, we are now settling with one of my relatives in Gwoza council area. I can confirm to you that more than 30 people were killed by the insurgents in Ngoshe, apart from the destruction of property worth millions of naira,” Jidda stated.

The attack in Kaigamari village near the state capital was said to have forced surviving residents to flee the area to Maiduguri on Sunday.

The insurgents were also said to have attacked Hamsa in Gwoza Hills in Borno State.

Investigations revealed that the attackers came to the besieged area through Kwatara and encamped against the community at Tate.

The source said that the “operation started around 5pm on Saturday and lasted all through the night.”

Although, the source could not give the casualty figure in the latest attacks, it was stated that a relative of the leader of the Church of Christ in Nations in the area was among the dead.

But the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said on the telephone on Sunday that the operation to flush out the insurgents in the Gwoza hills was still ongoing.

He stated that the area was very vast as it extends to Adamawa State and Cameroon.

He said, “The operation to flush out  the insurgents is still going on; that place is very vast, the Special Forces have taken over a part of the hill; you know that  it extends to Adamawa and, Cameroon…”

However, Olukolade said in a statement on Sunday that several makeshift insurgents’ camps in the forest and mountains had been dislodged in ongoing ground and aerial bombardments

He stated that the security forces had noted the “presence of unarmed members of terrorist groups in some villages.”

He said that the Special Forces had been directed to ensure aggressive patrol of local communities to complement the ongoing assault on the insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, lamented on Sunday that the killings in the country under the guise of insurgency was spreading at an alarming rate.

The sultan, who spoke at the 50th Anniversary Lecture of the JNI in Kaduna on Sunday, asked the Federal Government to curb the ugly development.

He said, “We have discussed with government on the National Conference and how to make it a success. We don’t want another jamboree, we have been giving advice to our leaders it is left for them to take the advice or jettison them.

“Everyday we hear of people killed in different parts of the country. It is a nightmare that is spreading to parts of the country in the name of cattle rustling. We are worried about the Muslims, Christians and Fulani being killed because life is sacred.

“Why are we fighting one another in the name of ethnicity and religion; we should all go about our religion peacefully. Our non-Muslim brothers should join us to look at problems bedeviling the country and find solutions,” he said.

The Vice President, Namadi Sambo, assured that the Federal Government was doing all it could to arrest the ugly trend.

Sambo promised that the perceived imbalance raised by the Sultan would be addressed, noting that the government would ensure fairness and equity in all its dealings with Nigerians irrespective of religion.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Alhaji Lawal Tanko, said no  candidate for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Saturday was killed in the state.

Tanko was reacting to an online report that 200 candidates were killed in one of the centres in Maiduguri by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria that “I was directly in charge of the police operations to ensure safety of the candidates in all the examination venues in Maiduguri.”

Abuja Explosion: At least 71 dead, 124 injured – Nigerian Police

Hospitals create information centres for relatives.

The Nigerian Police on Monday afternoon confirmed that at least 71 people died in the bomb explosion at a motor park in Nyanya, the outskirts of Abuja.

The police spokesperson, Frank Mba, confirmed this to journalists in Abuja.

“So far, we have a total of 71 persons dead and 124 others injured and they are all, receiving treatments at various hospitals in and around FCT metropolis,” Mr. Mba said.

Estimates by witnesses and body count by our reporter at the scene indicate the casualty may go up as about 200 people are believed to have died from the blast.

During his visit to the blast scene and the hospitals, President Goodluck Jonathan appealed to the media to assist government in enlightening the public on security consciousness.

Mr. Jonathan was close to tears as he spoke at the blast site.
Some of the affected vehicles were seen littered around the park while the dead and the injured had been taken to hospitals.

Mr. Jonathan harped on the need for extra vigilance and for people to report suspicious movements in any part of the country to security agencies.

“You can see that I am here with Senate President, Senator David Mark. And the Chairman of PDP, Chief of Defence, service chiefs, National Security Adviser, and that the security agencies are also doing their best to handle the situation,” Mr. Jonathan said.

“Let us first express our collective condolence to the family of those who lost their lives and also commend the security agencies for their quick response.

“It is not the number, let me appeal to our country men and women, for them to continue to work, very hard on this issue of Boko Haram,” he added.

The president said government will do everything necessary to ensure that the country moves forward despite the activities of those who preferred to move the country backwards.

“We shall get over it. We want to appeal to our media to begin to come up with enlightenment programme for our people, to make citizens very aware of suspicious movement so that they can be reported promptly to security agencies,” he said.

“Let us become more observant and monitor the movement of people so that we can reduce. We will do our best, the security agencies will continue to work hard to ensure that we get over this issue of Boko Haram.”

Speaking on the casualties, the police spokesperson disclosed that those injured are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals around the Nigerian capital.

Mr. Mba said a total 16 luxurious buses were torched, while 24 others mainly belonging to individuals suffered damages in the blast that occurred at about 6:30 a.m.

He disclosed that security agencies were working with hospitals to create information centers for relatives to assist them in getting information on their loved ones.

“We promised you earlier on that we will continue to update you and it in that spirit that I want to update you as regards the casualty figures.

“In order to help families of the bereaved, the security agencies are working with hospitals encouraging most of the hospitals to open information centers that will help relatives, friends to get relevant information from those hospitals where the dead bodies are deposited and others receiving treatments,” he said.

Senate, House of Representative order probe of Nigeria Immigration recruitment deaths

Senate in session

The senate rejected calls for the removal of interior minister, Abba Moro

The Senate and the House of Representatives have ordered separate investigations into the death of more than a dozen job seekers at recruitment centres organized by the Nigeria Immigration Service Saturday.

About 18 job applicants died on stampedes after hundreds of thousands of people clogged at the venues for the screening across the country, sparking calls for the removal of the interior minister, Abba Moro, and head of the immigration, David Parradang.

Mr. Moro has accused the applicants of “impatience”, and said 520 thousand people jostled for about 4,000 openings.

The senate rejected calls for Mr. Moro’s sack, but mandated its committee on Interior to within one week, investigate the exercise and the circumstances that led to the deaths.

The senate also urged the Federal Government to come up with a `”marshall plan’’ to address Nigeria’s shocking level of unemployment.

Separately, the House of Representatives mandated its committees on Interior, Labour and Productivity, Public Service Matters and Justice, to conduct investigations.

Both houses will hold public hearings on the recruitment.

Senators spoke with rage about Saturday’s tragedy, and canvassed bipartisan support to tackle what they called a “national emergency”.

The chairman of the senate committee on interior, Atiku Bagudu, who raised the motion, said more than 700 thousand applicants were registered for the recruitment, and all of them charged N1,000, which was purportedly paid to a consulting firm.

“It is a security breach for a para-military organisation to contract a consultant for its recruitment exercise. This does not augur well for our national security,’’ said Abdulkadir Jajere said, a member from Yobe State.

APC Senators want minister dismissed

In an earlier statement, the caucus of the All Progressives Congress senators said the interior minister, Mr. Moro, should be immediately fired.

“We are calling on the Minister of the Interior, Hon. Abba Moro to resign his position, because he can’t be absolved from the activities that eventually led to this monumental tragedy,” a spokesperson for the caucus, Babafemi Ojudu, said in a statement.

The lawmakers lambasted the federal government for doing nothing about the growing unemployment and allowing its agencies to charge job seekers.

“Employment into government agencies has always been a social service and never a mercantilist aberration. But the President Goodluck Jonathan administration has redefined the concept, giving it a new, capitalist meaning altogether. It was hitherto unheard-of that government agencies would be requesting poor, unemployed youths to pay in whatever form before they could be offered employment.

The lawmakers also criticised the government’s failure to tackle unemployment.

“As in the past years since the current administration came into power, budgetary proposals for recurrent expenditure in the 2014 appropriation are three-quarters of the entire document. The budget is loaded with proposals for spending that are clearly frivolous – the Presidential fleet, travels and trainings, Office of the Secretary to the Federation, questionable welfare and purchases of computer software and vehicles, among many others. There are also repetitions of purchases that have become a yearly affair. So while the Executive has sustained its extravagance, attention to vital areas that could address the unemployment problem has direly suffered. So the problem has been inevitably degenerating,” the caucus said.

Governor Amaechi of Rivers State Swears In New Chief Judge

Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Justice Peter Nwoke Chukwuma Agumagu

By Saharareporters, New York

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State today swore in Justice Peter Nwoke Chukwuma Agumagu as the state’s new Chief Judge. The event took place in Government House, Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.
The swearing in ceremony took place after a Federal High Court dismissed a case seeking to bar Justice Agumagu’s appointment. Numerous interested parties in the state had attempted to prevent the governor from nominating Justice Agumagu as the chief judge. The new CJ had previously served as the President of the Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal.

At the ceremony, Governor Amaechi alluded to the series of legal disputes, but called on the new Chief Judge not to let the acrimony becloud his judicial decisions. The governor enjoined the state’s top judge to endeavor to be fair to all litigants.

Speaking further, Mr. Amaechi stated that he was “a bit worried with the way people in the judiciary fought over who would be the Chief Judge of the State.” He added that he was disturbed by efforts from some quarters to strip him, as state governor, of the prerogative of nominating a Chief Judge.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal High Court in Rivers for ensuring that justice was done. He then told Justice Agumagu not to view the opposition to his appointment as unusual, reminding him that appointments into every major office in Nigeria, including that of bishops, is often marked by tussles.

In a veiled reference to Abuja-based politicians from the state suspected to have masterminded the legal battle against the new CJ, Governor Amaechi said, “I would on behalf of Rivers State thank the Federal High Court for helping us out of this bondage.  I would say to the Federal High Court that our brothers who [have the] privilege of their position in high office should not abuse their office again.” He stated that appointments should be based on merit instead of cronyism, adding that he would like to see an end to political interference in matters of judicial appointments.
On his part, Justice Agumagu told reporters that he would focus on rendering justice, adding that he would work towards a reinvigorated judiciary. He also pledged to ensure that workers in the judicial sector have improved conditions.

APC National Convention holds May 24

All Progressives Congress

APC also condemned the suspension of the CBN Governor.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has fixed May 24 for its first National Convention. The party also stated that its Ward Congresses will hold on April 5, Local Government Congress on the April 12, and State Congress on April 23.

The dates were announced via a communiqué of the 9th meeting of the party’s Interim National Executive Committee, NEC, which held at its National Secretariat Abuja on Tuesday.

The communiqué also stated that the party’s interim NEC has commiserated with the families of the people who died on Saturday at several venues of the job test by the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS.

The party also extended its sympathy and prayers to those who were injured in the stampede, and wished them a speedy recovery.

“The needless deaths of our youth, which resulted from a combination of exploitation, corruption, greed and incompetence of the relevant authorities, represent a needless violation of their right to life and dignity. Out of sheer greed, 1,000 Naira each was collected from the over 770,000 unemployed applicants shortlisted,” it said.

Stealing from the jobless

The APC also said the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had used the employment exercise to fleece unemployed youth and their parents of N776 million using a consultant as conduit.

APC said the candidates were only made to suffer as the slots had already been allocated.

“Even then, the available vacancies of about 4,500 have already been filled through the back door by over 3,000 candidates of PDP Apparatchik and government officials,” it said.

The opposition party said “the pervasive corruption and incompetence that have become the hallmarks of the Jonathan Administration paved the way for this unprecedented greed in which hapless job seekers were extorted by the same government that has failed to provide jobs for them.

“Yet, this government has no social security or any form of safety net for the vulnerable army of the unemployed.”

It reiterated its earlier position that the government under Mr. Jonathan encourages corruption.

“It should be made clear that this government encourages and baby sits corruption stealing not only from the Pension fund of Nigerian citizens, but also from the unemployed and from our collective patrimony, the NNPC,” it said.

The party called for a criminal investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of innocent Nigerians, to find out who authorized the fleecing of job seekers by a government agency, what happened to the money realized from the heist and why the relevant officials did not ensure a better arrangement that could have saved precious lives.

It added that the job stampede deaths constitute the latest in a series of events that have turned Nigeria into a massive killing field in recent times.

“The orgy of killings in the past few weeks have left hundreds dead and many more maimed in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau, just to mention a few. Never in the peace time history of our dear country has there been such a high number of needless deaths,” it said.

Government does not care

The opposition party also claimed that in spite of the unprecedented killing of innocent Nigerians; the PDP-led Federal Government has been carrying on as if all is well.

It said after presiding over a wasteful centenary celebration, Mr. Jonathan has been “gallivanting around the country, addressing political rallies when he should be commiserating with families of the dead in the affected states, especially Yobe where innocent children were massacred by a cowardly band of terrorists, and Katsina which he visited a few hours after hundreds of people were killed”.

Plot to remove APC Governors thickens

The APC also said it has information that the imposition of a total state of emergency is being considered for Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, which, it claims, is a smokescreen to remove the democratically-elected Governors of those APC states.

“We condemn this move unequivocally and urge the President to jettison the idea, if indeed it is being remotely contemplated, because it will not advance the cause of peace in the affected states,” APC said.

It said against the background of the orgy of killings, the party is compelled to say that the Jonathan Administration has lost total control of events in the country, with the result that Nigerians are now being left to their own devices.

“It is clear that the situation in our country today, whether it is in the area of security, job creation, fight against corruption or even growing of the economy, is far beyond the capacity of those at the helm,” it said.

The party also said it has noted a string of ferocious attacks and blackmail mounted against Lamido Sanusi, the Governor of the Central Bank.

It said that someone who publicly disclosed the brazen theft of $20 billion dollars from the NNPC becomes a candidate for character assassination and blackmail is questionable and condemnable.

“Sanusi’s suspension is an affront to law and a threat to Nigeria’s institutional stability,” it said.

“This is also a government of double standard. Why is the Minister of Petroleum, Deziani, still in office when the major agency she superintendents is under investigation over the missing $20 billion?”

The party said, the only salvation for Nigeria is a purposeful and focused party like the APC.

“From the Road-map which we unveiled recently, it is clear that we recognize the enormity of the challenges facing our dear country, hence we made job creation our priority, followed by security and the fight against corruption, among others.

“We urge our compatriots not to despair or give up hope, because salvation is in the horizon. The APC today embodies the hopes and aspirations of our long-suffering people. We have no doubt that this country can and will work again, and we are up to the task of restoring hope to our beleaguered people,” the APC said.

The Interim NEC meeting was attended by members of the party’s Interim National leadership led by Bisi Akande, as well as, Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State. National leaders of the party present include Bola Tinubu, Muhammadu Buhari, Ali Sheriif, Ogbonnoya Onu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Olusegun Osoba, as well as Senators Bukola Saraki, Danjuma Goje and others.

Nigeria 2015: Jonathan dares Saraki, Governor Ahmed, other PDP defectors

Vowed that the ruling party would reclaim Kwara State

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday expressed optimism that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would reclaim all the seats it lost through defection of its members to the opposition.

He specifically declared that the 2015 general elections would provide a platform for the test of might between the PDP and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State.

Five PDP governors defected to the APC last November in what was considered a major political realignment in the country.

The governors are Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabi’u Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).

A number of the party’s senators and its members in the House of Representatives followed suit.

In Kwara State, its governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed; his predecessor and serving senator, Bukola Saraki; all the council chairmen in Kwara, and majority of state and federal lawmakers in Kwara left for the APC.

However, the ruling party approached the Federal High Court in Abuja in December, asking it to sack the defected governors.

It argued that the governors should be sacked from office on the ground that, due to their defection, they had forfeited their offices, which they said should revert to the party.

Receiving some PDP elders and political officeholders from Kwara in Abuja at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Mr. Jonathan said all stolen mandates would be returned to the ruling party on or before 2015.

“In 2015, we will know who owns Kwara and if God gives us the opportunity, which I believe, probably we will even test our strength before 2015,” he said.

“All stolen mandates will return to PDP and those who think that they can run away with our mandates, they should have a rethink.

“We must take over the state structures of the party, the governor and the state assembly; we must take all because it is easy to reach the grassroots through the states than the centre.”

Mr. Jonathan assured that the PDP would recover the state from the APC, adding that the ruling party’s secretariat in Abuja would provide the support to achieve that goal.

He added that some members of the National Assembly who decided not to defect to the APC would not regret their action.

The president, “As a member of the assembly who refused to defect, you will have nothing to regret. Just celebrate it. If they think that PDP will allow them to run away with it, they will see it.

“So, any state we are unable to win, members of the party in that state will continue to live like orphans. So, definitely, we are taking Kwara.

Mr. Jonathan expressed appreciation to the indigenes of the state for the reception accorded him and other members of the PDP during the last February rally by the party in the state.

Earlier, the spokesman of the delegation, Azeez Jimoh, said it was visiting Mr. Jonathan to express their support and solidarity to the president and the PDP.

He also expressed the gratitude of the Kwara PDP for appointing the state indigenes into government positions.

Mr. Jimoh, who spoke on behalf of the leader of the delegation, Bola Shagaya, assured the president that the party would win all elective positions in the state.