Pacquiao shocked as Islamic militants plan to kidnap him or his children

Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao expressed shock Thursday at President Benigno Aquino’s claim that Islamic militants planned to kidnap him, and said the alleged plot should not have been made public. Aquino released a statement Wednesday saying Abu Sayyaf, a notorious kidnap-for-ransom gang that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and beheaded a Canadian hostage this week, had planned to abduct Pacquiao or his children. PacquiaoPacquiao

Fulani Herdsmen Killings: Soyinka slams Buhari

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, yesterday, slammed President Muhammadu Buhari, over what he described as his government’s seeming inability to contain the violent activities of herdsmen across the country. Buhari and Soyinka Buhari and Soyinka In his address to the National Conference on Culture and Tourism, Soyinka said the President Buhari-led government was yet to come up with an articulate solution to tackle the menace, reports Premium Times. This came as Fulani herdsmen on Monday unleashed terror on Ukpabi Nimbo, a community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, killing dozens of people. The attack came weeks after a similar wave of violence by herdsmen in Agatu in Benue State. Soyinka said:

Modu Sheriff to G-84: I‘ll contest if...

AHEAD the National  Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in preparation for its national convention slated for next month, its national chairman, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff has told the members of the G-84 of the party his determination to seek re-election at the convention.

Senator Modu-Sheriff, according to a competent source at the party’s national secretariat, made his intention known to the group, comprising all the state chairmen of the party, ex-officio, deputy national officers and the zonal vice chairmen at a private meeting he held with them Sunday night in Abuja.

The source stated that the national chairman set the ball rolling at the meeting by thanking the members  for making it possible for him to be appointed the national chairman of the party in February.

According to the source, “the long and short of the  meeting was to lobby the G-84 to pass whatever the Zoning Committee presented to NEC on Thursday, at the proposed NEC meeting,

My prophecies have come to pass —Apostle Suleman

Apostle Johnson Suleman, founder of Omega Fire Ministries International, shares his prophecies for Nigeria, his thoughts on being labelled a false prophet and his recent crusade in Kenya. Tade Makinde brings excerpts:

It’s the second quarter of the year and some of your prophecies have come to pass. In spite of this, many describe you as a fake man of God. How would you react to this?
It doesn’t bother me what people say. All I know is that people can still verify online and in print what I said between December 2012 and 2016 that Alhaji Bamanga Tukur would be the last chairman of a united Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as there will be much internal crisis in the party. I predicted that the Chief of Defence Staff would be retired; that former President Goodluck Jonathan would lose someone precious to him either last year or this year and that a Central Bank of Nigeria governor would be made an emir, but that he needed to pray fervently for this to happen. I spoke about the problem that MTN would have with the government;

I’ll support Buhari’s policies if... —Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has declared his readiness to support any policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, as long as such will enhance the well-being of the people of the state.
He stated this when he received members of the local study group from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, near Jos, in his office, on Monday.

PDP has nothing to campaign with in Edo — Eribo

Mr. Crosby Osadolor Eribo is the member representing Egor constituency and chairman House committee on Appropriation. He was a three term Chairman of Egor Local Government. In this interview, he speaks on issues pertaining to the forthcoming local government elections, rebuffs allegations against Governor Adams Oshiomhole raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) among other issues. Excerpts: By Simon Ebegbulem Why is the Edo State House of Assembly seen as being subservient to Governor Oshiomhole? I categorically want to say that the Edo State Sixth Assembly is not an appendage of the executive arm of government. The fact that we in the APC are in majority does not mean we should not have good working relationship with our PDP brothers. And our views are always of the same opinion because we have not gone out of our way to do what is wrong. What people don’t even understand is that we check the executive seriously in house but it is not something we can go out to tell world about and that is why we are all proud with what the Comrade Governor is doing. Why was it then difficult for the Speaker to swear in the PDP lawmaker from Etsako? The whole world got it wrong. I happened to be in the Speaker’s office when the Speaker himself advised the gentleman to go to Abuja and authenticate his certificate of Return because I think there were one or two petitions as regards to that. And this would not have taken the gentleman one or two days to handle but unfortunately his party the PDP went round town to make noise about this. But I can tell you that the Speaker was not just being vindictive he was just following the rule of law whereby you as a lawmaker should abide by the constitution. The courts have decided and the gentleman has been sworn in and he is already part of us. As we are talking now, we are twenty members of the APC and four PDP members. People misunderstood the situation, it was just a mere advise but the PDP decided to blow it up. How is your party going to get credible person to succeed Oshiomhole? There is no shadow of a doubt about the forthcoming election that APC will win. Tell me what the PDP has done that they are going to use to campaign

I never contracted any native doctor to kill Oshiomhole

DEPUTY Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, yesterday, denied allegations that he sponsored native doctors to kill his boss, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, saying that the allegation was being fuelled by mischief makers and blackmailers who are bent on destroying his cordial relationship with the governor. Odubu also raised alarm over alleged plots by some persons to circulate fliers in Benin City with a view to further destroying his image and compounding the crisis between him and the governor. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Odubu said:

2016 BUDGET ROW: Saraki, other senators meet Buhari today

SENATE President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, will lead other senators to a crucial meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari today to find a lasting solution to the 2016 Appropriation Bill logjam. The meeting, billed to hold last Friday, was shifted because one of the personalities key to the meeting was out of town. Vanguard gathered yesterday that the meeting with President Buhari had become imperative as it would be an avenue to bring up grey areas identified in the budget and harmonize them in the overall interest of Nigerians. Also to attend the meeting are Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu; Senate Leader, Ali Ndume; Deputy Senate Leader, Ibn Na’Allah; Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye; and Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena. Others include Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha; Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda, and Senate Deputy and Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi. Also to be at the meeting are members of Appropriation and Finance Committees of the two arms of the National Assembly. According to a source, the Presidency is highly disappointed with the manner the 2016 budget sent by the executive was distorted, with figures allocated to projects reduced, thereby making it difficult for the government to perform if the budget was assented to by the President. After today’s meeting, the Senate is expected to softpedal on its bid to override President Buhari if he fails to sign the budget document into law at the expiration of the stipulated 30 days, in consonance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. The source noted that the Presidency sent a 28-page budget document with every aspect of the figures changed by the National Assembly, just as the senators, especially chairmen of committees blamed Senator Danjuma Goje, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, as the brain behind the mutilation of the budget. A member of the Appropriation Committee, who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said Goje and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, were the masterminds of the entire mess, having failed to carry other members along. According to him, members of the committee were not part of the appropriation process as Goje literarily left the work to Jibrin. He added that the action explained why last week’s closed door session was stormy and called for the removal of Goje as chairman of the committee. The source noted that in the letter to the Senate by the Presidency, dated April 16, the President explained that there were some priority areas that were affected in the budget which must be addressed for effective governance. According to the source, the Presidency frowned at the housing budget which was put at over N200 billion, but was reduced to N99 billion. The source told Vanguard that today’s meeting with the President would resolve that the Presidency should send in a supplementary budget, indicating areas of differences, adding that the Senate would give them accelerated approval, rather than resort to constitutional way of resolving the quagmire which would not be good for the country. Padded budget Meanwhile, indications emerged, yesterday, that the National Assembly padded the 2016 federal budget by about N500 billion above the revenue projection and built-in deficit, thus making it impossible for the President to implement, going by the current fiscal situation in the country, if signed into law. Vanguard learned from sources close to the Budget Office that “federal lawmakers went over board to raise the budget by about N500 billion beyond the projected revenue and the deficit built into the 2016 budget”. Those who know about happenings in the budget told Vanguard that the budget, as presented to the President, was not “implementable”. “The budget can not be implemented as passed by the National Assembly,” a source said. Besides raising the budget figures, the National Assembly members were said to have included projects such as provisions of boreholes, town halls, football pitches as constituency projects to be funded by the Federal Government. This, it was learned, angered the Presidency as these are issues that states and local governments should be funding. According to an official who knows about development in the budget, “the constituency issues can be overlooked or at worse not implemented but there are other fundamental issues in the budget as passed by the National Assembly. Vanguard also learned, yesterday, that the leaderships of the Senate and the House were not aware of these details until the President drew their attention to it. It was upon discovery of the frivolities and the undue transfer of funds from one budget head to another that the leadership of the National Assembly accepted to review the budget. The President was not ready to make any issue out of it but just requested understanding of members of the National Assembly to take a closer look at the provisions in the budget and review the unnecessary items and the undue transfer of funds from one budget head to another to make it easy for the executive to implement. Besides, the National Assembly may have begun reviewing details of the budget presented to the President last month, following his request that anomalies noticed in the budget document be amended to enable easy implementation. It was gathered that the two chambers of the National Assembly have decided to set up a small committee to quickly review the contents of the document and make necessary amendments in line with the request of President Buhari. A senior lawmaker said the team was expected to work closely with another team from the executive to fast-track the process and hopefully complete work by this weekend. The leadership of the National Assembly was scheduled to meet with the President and some relevant members of the cabinet weekend but the meeting did not hold because of the absence of one of the senior members of the National Assembly. Although the House of Representatives was ready to reconsider the budget when the executive cried foul when the details were submitted, the Senate insisted that the President must first assent to the Bill as passed and thereafter bring forward areas of concern in a Supplementary Bill. This position was said to have put the President off, prompting his insistence that he could not sign a budget he would not be able to implement. According to a source in the Presidency,

Fuel Scarcity: APC blames Fayose

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of alleged complicity in the fuel supply crisis in the state. In a statement by Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party said it was in possession of “incontrovertible evidence” that the governor is allegedly contributing to the scarcity of fuel in the state to sabotage the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Accusing Fayose and his aides of mischievously disparaging the President for not doing enough to make fuel available to Nigerians while they were the actual culprits, Olatunbosun said available information confirmed that daily allocations of fuel to the state were allegedly being diverted to other states with the alleged connivance of some NUPENG officials and the governor to allegedly sabotage the Federal Government in order to set the people against the President. “Records have revealed that 10 trailers of fuel for Ekiti State on Fayose’s request were diverted mostly to stations outside the state.

Breaking news: Many feared killed as Fulani herdsmen invade Enugu communities

– Scores of persons have been reportedly killed in the Fulani herdsmen invasion of Ukpabi,Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State in the early of hours of today. Armed Fulani-herdsmen Natives have fled to neighboring communities of Nkpologu and Uvuru, even as Nkpologu natives fled to Nsukka in fear of attacks. Police Public Relations Officer,Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the incident to Vanguard on the telephone. He said a combined team of police and Army have moved to the area. Details later. Read our earlier report on the invasion Tension as herdsmen plot invasion of Enugu community

2016 budget: FG targets 7,000 MW of power in one year

The Federal Government says it will optimise 7,000 megawatts installed power generation capacity and provide facilities required to transmit and distribute it in one year. This is contained in a document obtained by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, on Monday, in Abuja. The document, titled as “Strategic implementation plan for the 2016 budget of change”, is an implementation plan for a road map of key macroeconomic and sectoral policies. It is a strategic target for the 2016 fiscal year. President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the opening of a 2-day National Economic Council Retreat at the Statehouse Conference Centre on 21st March 2016.President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the opening of a 2-day National Economic Council Retreat at the Statehouse Conference Centre on 21st March 2016. According to the document, government will distribute the capacity through privatisation and concessioning under its priority strategies in power, rail and roads sectors.

Israel says finds tunnel from Gaza into Israeli territory – army

Israel’s military said Monday it had located and “neutralised” a tunnel extending from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, in the first such discovery since a devastating 2014 conflict. Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner said the tunnel he accused Hamas of building extended several hundred metres (yards) into Israel though no exit had been constructed. He declined to provide specifics on how it was “neutralised”. The operation was carried out “earlier this week,” he said.

Kaduna preaching bill is unconstitutional- Gumi

Prominent Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has described the preaching bill that has been generating controversy in Kaduna state as unconstitutional. Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who initiated the bill had said it was an updated version of an existing law required to curtail inflammatory sermons by faith leaders. Sheikh GumiSheikh Gumi But in an interview in the April edition of The Interview, Sheik Gumi said the bill had gone too far.

FG plans new prices for fuel, as scarcity lingers

Apologise to Nigerians, Sen. Ohuabunwa tells Buhari By Sebastine Obasi, Mike Eboh, Joseph Erunke & Ediri Ejoh LAGOS — Nigerians might have to pay more for petrol in the days ahead, as the Federal Government, yesterday, disclosed that it would review the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, next month. This came as the Acting Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo, called on the Federal Government to undertake the automation of PPPRA operations for improved efficiency and transparency and also develop a pricing framework to encourage local refining and discourage importation of petroleum products in the long term. A black marketer waiting for motorists along Kachia road,Kaduna.Photo:Ou Ajayi. A black marketer waiting for motorists along Kachia road,Kaduna.Photo:Ou Ajayi. Meanwhile, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians for allegedly creating hardship for them through his alleged inability to handle the country’s economy well, and for not providing solution to the lingering fuel crisis in the country. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria,

CCT:Saraki may resign any moment as senators mount pressure

ABUJA – AHEAD of the expected judgment of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, following yesterday’s commencement of his trial over false assets declaration when he held sway as governor of Kwara State, Senate President, Bukola Saraki may throw in the towel by resigning from his position any movement from now, Vanguard learnt. Senator Bokola Saraki Senator Bokola Saraki In other not to be humiliated while on the throne, some senators including those who had vowed to remain with him to the end of his trial at the anti-graft court, yesterday, asked the Senate President to consider the resignation option so as to save the Senate, as an institution. Vanguard gathered that the option was thrown to him at a special meeting held by a group of some loyal senators, who followed him to his Maitama residence, shortly after the end of yesterday’s trial at the court. But as Saraki is considering the option, senators of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC,

Stop blaming PDP for your failures, Sheriff tells Buhari

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has charged the All Progressive Congress led federal government to concentrate on providing solutions to the myriads of problems confronting the country rather than perpetually blaming the PDP for the failure of government. Senator Sheriff spoke Tuesday while inaugurating four committees of the party– the convention, Reconciliation, Finance and Zoning committees.

Truce with Fayose organized propaganda/drama – Aluko

EMBATTLED former secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko, has denied reconciling with the state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, saying the parley between them was an organised propaganda to stain his image and malign his integrity. Tope AlukoTope Aluko This is as Ekiti state government vowed to go ahead with its perjury charges against the former party scribe just as the All Progressives Congress, APC, says the purported truce will not alter anything on the revelations so far on the probe of the June 21, 2014 governorship election fraud. Aluko recants Addressing newsmen yesterday, in Lagos, Dr Aluko said the parley was a script aimed at misinforming Nigerians. The former PDP scribe, who recanted his earlier stance, said; “One fact remains clear, there is nowhere that I, Temitope Aluko, refuted anything I have earlier said before Nigerians and the whole world about the manipulations that characterised the 2014 Governorship election in Ekiti State.

Stop intimidating Fayose, others, PDP youths tell FG

Youths under the aegis of the Peoples’ Democratic Party National Youth Frontier, PDPNYF, has called on the Federal Government to desist from acts of intimidating Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and other members of the opposition PDP, as well as other Nigerians who do not share sympathy in the “change” mantra. Buhari Buhari The youths also drew the attention of the international community on the dangerous implications of attempting to gag the opposition voices in Nigeria. Speaking in Abuja, after a caucus meeting, National Coordinator of the PDPNYF, Okai Austin, described the situation as “a step towards the draconian era of military rule”. According to Okai, “President Muhammadu Buhari must realize that he is a beneficiary of democracy hence the least expected of him is to protect the rights of fellow citizens as that in itself is a constitutional responsibility he bears and must discharge to the fullest.” Reacting to the security situation in some states across Nigeria, Okai wondered why the situations in Ekiti, Akwa Ibom and Rivers state is still lingering. He said: “Nigerians have seen and are still seeing the extent this government can go to silence the opposition.

I criticise Buhari as most senior governor in Nigeria — Fayose

Lagos—Describing himself as the most senior governor in Nigeria, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State yesterday said his attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari flowed from his sense of responsibility and not related to any 2019 presidential aspiration as alleged by critics. FayoseFayose Speaking at an interactive forum in Lagos, Fayose said tying him with Senator Ali Sheriff, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the 2019 presidential ticket was an attempt to discredit him, even as he urged those canvassing for a second term for Buhari to have a rethink.

If baby resembles me, I will accept it – Lebanese boss accused of rape, impregnating 17-year-old housemaid

Rhoda

It has been a tug of war at the office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in Lagos where negotiation has been ongoing for some weeks over how 17-year-old Rhoda would be taken care of as she prepares for delivery.

Rhoda, as it happens, is now eight months pregnant, after she was allegedly raped by her boss, a Lebanese chef identified as Hassan Ali Husseini, an unmarried man in his 60s.

The teenager, who is now in the custody of NAPTIP, only came to Lagos from Plateau State, in June 2015, to make enough money to establish a business or go back to school, her brother, Joseph, told Saturday PUNCH.

No negotiation, no surrender, Boko Haram tells FG

Abubakar Shekau

A new video was released on Friday by the Boko Haram jihadist group, denying any suggestion that it might negotiate with the Federal Government.

This is coming just about a week after its leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in March that his time as the head of the group might be coming to an end.

The previous video showed Shekau, who appeared thin and spiritless, delivering his message without his usual fiery manner.

Obasanjo, PDP chairman seen together in Enugu

FORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday in Enugu had a nice time with dignitaries, including the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, where he charged state governors in the country to increase the tempo of their performances in their respective states so as to alleviate the suffering of the people.

PDP: Taking advantage of APC’s failings

, Since the defeat by the All Progressive Congress in last year’s general election, members of the Peoples Democratic Party have been forced to an unfamiliar position of being a party in opposition after sixteen years of calling the shots at the federal level. Gradually but steadily, members of the party, especially its leadership have come to accept that the years of dictating the pace of activities in the country are over; at least in the next three years when there would be another elections and the parties will seek the people’s mandate again. Alimodu-SheriffAlimodu-Sheriff But rather than wallow in self pity, the PDP appears to have be bracing up especially as euphoria that greeted President Buhari’s victory is waning following the harsh conditions Nigerians are now facing. First, after some months of seemingly rudderless leadership,

Police recruitment update: The vital link

TheNEWS reporter tried to open the website of the Police Service Commission at about 9.15 a.m  on Friday and  this time succeeded in getting access.
The PSC has really begun the process to recruit the 10,000 men.
But to access the form, we advice that you bypass both the NPF website and the PSC website and go straight to the portal promised.
Here is the link to the forms and instructions on how to get things done:
http://www.npfcareers2016.net/

US Republicans lay ambush for The Donald

Donald Trump

Mr Donald Trump may be riding high in the US Republican presidential race. He may end up bagging the highest number of delegates to the Republican Convention, but in this insightful piece by Bloomberg, he may go home empty handed without the ticket, because the convention rule books can forge such a scenario…We share the article by Bloomberg ‘ s Kevin Cirilli:
After months of tense dealings with Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, the Republican National Committee’s biggest challenge is beginning to take shape: how to navigate a scenario in which Trump leads his challengers in votes and delegates heading into the convention, but loses the nomination.
On Thursday in Washington, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus met with Trump and his inner circle, with the billionaire and his aides inquiring about delegate rules and protocol. Trump is poised to head to the party’s July convention just short of the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. His leading rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, is already stoking the flames of a “Stop Trump” movement, and organizing an elaborate operation to win every delegate at the Cleveland convention.
Trump has been adamant that the candidate with the most votes and delegates—even if that candidate misses the majority threshold—should be the party’s nominee. In an MSNBC town hall on Wednesday, he described the process as “unfair.”

Youths in Kaduna mark 12 months of blackout with protest

Youths of Janruwa and Bagado communities in Kaduna, on Friday barricaded streets in the city to protest over a one year power outage in the area.
The protesters barricaded the Ibrahim Yakowa Road as early as 6 am, causing gridlock for three hours.
Melchizedek Silvanus, who spoke on behalf of the communities, said the protest was necessary as the Kaduna Electric Distribution Company (KEDKO) had failed to remedy the situation.
He explained that the company removed the transformers serving the communities and had failed to provide new ones.

Police recruitment: NPF, PSC websites down

Police cadets

The websites of the Nigerian Police Force and the Police Service Commission  are down, obviously because thousands of Nigerians interested in joining the police are logging on to access the application forms.
Many attempts made by our reporter this morning failed to access the two sites. While the NPF site http://www.npf.gov.ng. opened partially, the Police Service Commission’s site,  http://www.psc.gov.ng/ just simply refused to respond, indications that the two sites are unable to cope with the upsurge in traffic. Certainly, they were not prepared to handle such huge traffic.
Last night, our reporter visited the two sites effortlessly and found that the free  application forms to be filled by applicants for the 10,000 police jobs have not been uploaded.
Instead, visitors were told to watch out for newspaper advertisements on the 10,000 jobs, approved by President Muhammadu Buhari last year.