Two boys were caught red handed with different categories of pants, in Benin City

They allegedly wanted to use it for rituals before being apprehended. 

Watch video 

source : 

https://www.made4naija.com/2019/01/two-boys-were-caught-red-handed-with-different-categories-of-pants-in-benin-video/

A woman and man met their untimely end following a ghastly accident which is said to have occurred on Saturday (yesterday) night. 

According to Facebook user James who hails from Anambra, the woman who was on a bicycle was reportedly hit by an SUV along the highway as another man was also crushed to death by the same vehicle. 

The victims were said to have died on the spot before help could come their way.

It was learnt that the corpses of the victims have been evacuated.

May their souls rest in peace. 

See more; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2019/01/woman-on-a-bicycle-man-crushed-to-death-by-suv-graphic-photos.html

The man pictured below identified as Ezra was apprehended last night at Vom junction with three children he kidnapped from Taraba state.The kids are from a place called Mumuye in Taraba.He has been taken to Bukuru Divisional Police Station. Anybody who knows the children should contact the above named police station


Source:http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2019/01/kidnapper-caught-last-night-with-3-kids.html

There was chaos, this morning, at St. Jacob’s Parish, Orba, Enugu State, as the statue of Virgin Mary’s was set ablaze.

It was gathered that a lady waited till the end of the morning mass before entering the Virgin Mary Grotto with a gallon of fuel and burn it down.

The suspect was later apprehended and she is currently undergoing interrogation to know the motivation behind her action.

See more: https://zenithnaija.com/lady-sets-virgin-marys-statue-ablaze-after-morning-mass-in-enugu/

Gist From HgsMediaPlus

A 45 - year- old man , Yusuf Ibrahim, has lost his life in jungle justice after a mob lynched him over a car battery allegedly stolen at Nato Park , Tin Can Island, Apapa , Lagos .

It was later discovered that the battery was found with one Yusuf Yahaya , who works around Tin Can First Gate – some distance from the park.

Our correspondent learnt that the incident happened on Monday, January 7 , 2019, around 7. 30 am .

The victim was said to be one of the destitute people who sometimes passed the night on the premises, where trucks are parked .

It was gathered that when one of the truck drivers resumed duty that morning , he discovered that the battery of his vehicle was missing .

He raised the alarm and a search party was formed to fish out the perpetrator .

A commercial motorcyclist ( popularly known as okada rider ) in the area , who identified himself only as Salisu, told reported that some drivers suspected Ibrahim and accosted him .

He said , “I was on my motorcycle , coming from Liverpool , Apapa that morning when I saw a crowd at the park. I moved closer and saw a man ( Ibrahim) covered in blood . He had been beaten to a pulp. I asked people what happened and they told me he stole the battery of a truck .

“ The man had lost his strength and he was almost dead . Passersby were afraid to take him to a hospital . I later left the scene for fear of being implicated . ”

Salisu said about 30 minutes later , he went back to the scene and was told that some policemen had come to remove Ibrahim’ s corpse.

He said sadness overwhelmed him when he learnt that the battery was found with somebody else.
“ It was discovered that the battery was actually stolen by a young man called Yahaya. I learnt he worked around Tin Can First Gate ,” the
okada rider added .

Another eyewitness , who identified himself as Danladi , said entreaties by some people to stop the mob from lynching Ibrahim were rebuffed.

He said the mob dispersed the scene upon noticing that the victim was dying , adding that some suspects had been arrested by the police .

Continue Reading: https://www.hgsmediaplus.com.ng/2019/01/mob-beats-wrong-person-to-death-over.html?m=1

Quote:Premium Times, an online news medium, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the withdrawal of the planned arraignment of Walter Onnoghen, Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN).

Mr Onnoghen is scheduled for arraignment before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Monday, January 14, for allegedly omitting to declare his assets.

He is also accused of illegally operating five domiciliary accounts in various foreign currencies with Standard Chartered Bank since 2011.

Since the development was made public, Nigerians, including the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are reading political meanings to the six-count charge against the CJN, particularly because of the role the judiciary will be playing as the nation elect its leaders next month.

Advising the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led administration to withdraw the charges against the jurist, the online news portal not only described the charges as illegal it added that there were unconstitutional. It cited some rulings of the judiciary to back up its claim.

“The most important reason why the CJN ought not to have been charged before the CCT, let alone being prepared for arraignment is because the charge is illegal and unconstitutional,” Premium Times said in a review report published on its website.

Premium Times argued that the head of the country’s judiciary cannot be prosecuted while in office until he is oust by the National Judicial Council which must take the decision if the judicial officer is found wanting after its investigation brought against any judge.

“The CJN is, in the eye of the law, presumed innocent, until he is proved and found guilty. Being charged at all, however, implicates his right to fair hearing, as many will start arguing that he should step down from office. In other words, once charged and arraigned, the likelihood is that calls will be made for him to vacate office, albeit temporarily, for integrity reasons. If, in the end, he is found not guilty, irreparable damage would have been done to his reputation and the integrity of the Judiciary.

“In NGANJIWA V. F. R.N, 2018, 4NWLR, Part 1609, Page 301, at page 339, para. G-page 352, para. E, the Court of Appeal (Lagos Division) held that no serving judge in Nigeria can be investigated or tried in a court of law, without first being removed from the Bench. A petition first must have been written against the judge, and he must have faced an administrative disciplinary process of the NJC for an alleged violation of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, found guilty, recommended, by the NJC, for removal from office, and removed from office by the Executive arm of government. In short, only dismissed judicial officers can be investigated and prosecuted by the anti-corruption agencies. That decision is being appealed by the EFCC at the Supreme Court.

“The position we took when that decision was handed down was that the judgment had no constitutional basis. Judges ( unlike the President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy Governor) enjoy no immunity from investigation, arrest and prosecution, while they are in service. They do not enjoy executive immunity and are not covered by Section 308 of the Constitution. The Court, therefore, cannot grant to the judiciary an immunity the Constitution does not vest in it. The concept of judicial immunity only covers the exercise of the judicial powers of a judge and his jurisdiction. No civil action or criminal action may be taken against him in respect of his judicial work or decisions, but he is not shielded from criminal culpability if he commits a criminal offence while he is in office.

“The NGANJIWA Decision, however, remains the law in Nigeria today. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy under the rule of law. By virtue of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the judgment is binding on all authorities and persons in Nigeria, including the Executive Branch of Government at the “Federal” level, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the CCB and CCT.

“We support the fight against corruption in the public sector and in the Judiciary in particular. But this fight must be done in scrupulous conformity with the rule of law.

“In the light of the foregoing, we call on the President of Nigeria to direct that the charges filed against the CJN be withdrawn forthwith for its incompetence, even as the Administration continues to explore other legitimate and constitutional means to continue its fight against corrupt practices in our public life.

The allegations against the CJN may be grave, but justice cannot be served by resorting to patent illegalities,” the online paper said.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/13/close-courts-buhari-madness-judiciary-reversed-ozekhome/

One of Nigeria’s senior lawyers, Mike Ozekhome, has called for a total shutdown of courts across the country to protest President Muhammadu Buhari’s “onslaught against the judiciary.”

Mr. Ozekhome also urged Nigerians to defend the nation’s democracy, adding that a strong judiciary is one of the fundamental platforms for any meaningful constitutional government.

According to him, the Buhari administration is setting the stage to scuttle the nation’s democracy by using strong hand and brute force.

He argued that the government has been consistently intolerant of dissenting voices and had invaded the homes of judges, laid siege on the National Assembly and the residences of Senate president and his deputy.

“It is clear that this government, which protects its own members, however corrupt and despicable, has blown into full maximum dictatorship, totalitarianism and absolutism. Nigerians must say no to fascism,” Mr. Ozekhome stated.

“The latest onslaught is against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, a man of great nobility, erudition and lucidity of thought.

“It has come to light that the government has hurriedly filed charges against Onnoghen, even with a motion (most curiously and unusually), that he should recuse himself from his Chief Justice-ship until the case filed against him is finally determined by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

“This is to force him out of office. The phoney and ridiculous charges are that Onnoghen failed to declare his assets and that he also maintains domiciliary accounts, contrary to the provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act,” Mr. Ozekhome said.

He insisted that the charges are political, and designed to intimidate the judiciary ahead of the 2019 presidential election and force out Justice Onnoghen, who, as the CJN, will constitute the Presidential Election Tribunal that will entertain disputes arising from the election.

According to him, many facts support the theory including that the petitioner, committed the Freudian slip by anchoring the petition on “bearing in mind the imminence of the 2019 general elections and the overwhelming role of the judicial arm both before and after…”

The second fact, he said is even after the recommendation of Mr. Onnoghen as CJN by the NJC on October 13, 2016, it took Vice President Yemi Osibanjo to appoint him as CJN on March 1, 2017.

He said the appointment followed outrage by a majority of Nigerians, and at a time the president was abroad on medical vacation.

The third fact is Justice Onnoghen became the first Southerner to be made CJN in 30 years, after the last Southerner, Justice Ayo Irikefe, occupied that exalted office in 1987.

Ben Murray-Bruce, the Senator representing Bayelsa East, has reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government’s order that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen should immediately vacate his office.
The Federal Government will on Monday, January 14, 2019, arraign the CJN before the Justice Danladi Yakubu led-Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja on charges of failures to declare his assets as required by law and for operating Bank Domiciliary Foreign Currency Accounts.
The charges against Justice Onnoghen were filed and served on him on Friday at his official residence in Abuja preparatory for his appearance at the tribunal.
Reacting, Bruce took to his Twitter page to call on Buhari’s government to ask Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano state to resign, not Onnoghen.
He wrote: “If the government wants to pressure anyone to resign then they should start with Governor Umar Ganduje and not CJN Walter Onnoghen.
“Ganduje is guilty but patronised. Onnoghen may or may not be guilty but is persecuted. Double standards. Leave Justice Onnoghen alone.”


Source:
http://dailypost.ng/2019/01/12/sack-ganduje-ben-bruce-reacts-buhari-led-apc-govts-plan-arraign-cjn-onnoghen-monday/

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the offers made to it early this week by the Nigerian government.
According to PREMIUM TIMES , the President of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said upon reviewing the offers made by the government, members of the union across various campuses and zones rejected it.

Mr. Ogunyemi, who described government’s offer on the outstanding revitalization fund of N1.1 trillion as tokenism, said members are insisting that government should release at least a tranche of N220 billion spread over four quarters of 2019.
He added that on earned allowances, government’s proposal should not be lesser than the total amount released “the last time” out of the verified balance.
Recall that as part of the agreement reached between the union and the government before ASUU ended its industrial action in September 2017, the Federal Government released a total N22.9 billion for earned allowances of both academic and non-academic staff across 22 Federal universities.
Of the amount, academics under ASUU got N18.3billion, while non-teaching staff belonging to the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) got N4.6 billion.
Mr Ogunyemi said; “Our members have rejected tokenism with respect to outstanding revitalization fund of N1.1 trillion. They are insisting that government should release at least one tranche of N220 billion spread over four quarters of 2019.
“On earned academic allowances, our members said government’s proposed amount out of the verified balance should not be less than the total amount released last time, while evidence of mainstreaming the allowances into the 2019 budget should be shown. Also, timeline should be attached to payment of the balance of the arrears.
“The revitalization fund and earned academic allowances are the two critical areas on which our members feel strongly about. They expect necessary adjustments on the part of government before they can reconsider their decision on the ongoing strike action.”

By Emmanuel Aziken 

Political Editor Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State Saturday cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against succumbing to the pleas of his advisers to give Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen the ‘Bukola Saraki’ treatment for the purpose of having their way in the election tribunals.  Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen Speaking at the flag-off of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP election campaign in Bodinga Local Government Area today evening, Tambuwal said that after desecrating the legislature that the Buhari administration had set its sight on the judiciary in a brazen effort to return itself to power. 

He noted among other indications of President Buhari’s fear of the forthcoming election, his refusal to give assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment Bill) 2018 which he said, set a new template for free and fair elections. Besides Tambuwal, other PDP candidates including Alhaji Aminu Shehu Shagari, the House of Representatives candidate for Bodinga federal constituency were presented to the overwhelming crowd. Governor Tambuwal said: 

Assets Declaration: FG slams 6-count criminal charge against CJN, Onnoghen “I hope and I hope that the Federal Government is not wanting to frame up the Chief Justice of the Federation and give him the Bukola Saraki treatment. “This same Federal Government had tried to destroy the legislature with the trial of the Senate President but he was tried and found not wanting. “I hope it is not true and I am appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari not to destroy this country through this move. “The CJN should be given the opportunity to defend himself.” Noting that the moves against the CJN arose from fears that the judiciary would not support the APC’s moves to rig the forthcoming General Election. The Sokoto governor said that one of the indications of the APC’s inclination to rig was President Buhari’s refusal to give his assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018 at three different times. “I am appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari not to listen to those who want to set this country back,” the governor said as he observed that the PDP handed over an unblemished electoral template in 2015. He added to his honour, that President Goodluck Jonathan lost and handed over peacefully. He urged Buhari to follow that example. While urging voters to vote PDP, he flaunted his record in education, health among others.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/tamb...treatment/

South-South governors to meet today over Chief Justice Onnoghen planned arraignment









The Six governors of the South-South region will hold an emergency meeting today January 13th to discuss the planned arraignment of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen. In a statemet released by the Bayelsa state governor Seriake Dickson, the governors say they felt duty-bound to prevent this development which could escalate into a crsis with far reaching consequences.

Quote:“It is a grave and dangerous escalation, coming a few weeks to the general elections,” the statement read

by Linda Ikeji at 13/01/2019 8:10 AM
|

150 SANs to defend CJN Walter Onnoghen in court









No fewer than 150 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) have volunteered to represent the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen at his planned trail at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) tomorrow January 14th.

Recall that the federal government last Friday January 11th, filed a six count charge against the CJN over his alleged failure to declare his assets as required by law and for operating Bank Domiciliary Foreign Currency Accounts.

Constitutional lawyer, Sebastine Hon, SAN in a telephone chat with Daily Trust on Saturday said the number of eminent lawyers that have volunteered to defend the CJN might even be more than 150.

 


by Linda Ikeji at 13/01/2019 8:13 AM
|

The move against the CJN Onnoghen is a political assault on the sacred temple of justice - Shehu Sani







 















The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen will be tried at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) tomorrow January 14th on a six count charge over his alleged failure to declare his assets as required by law and for operating Bank Domiciliary Foreign Currency Accounts.




by Linda Ikeji at 13/01/2019 8:57 AM
|

2019 Presidency: Plateau APC Rep Defects To PDP, Gives Reasons
Sunday, January 13, 2019  politics
                              
The APC rep representing Jos South/Jos East federal constituency of Plateau state, Edward Pwajok, has defected to the PDP

- Pwajok cited lack of leadership focus, amongst other things, as the reason for his defection

- The lawmaker will be officially received by Atiku during a rally scheduled for Saturday, January 12, in Jos

The lawmaker representing Jos South/Jos East federal constituency of Plateau state in the House of Representatives, Edward Pwajok (SAN), has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) alongside his supporters.

Pwajok who is the chairman of House Committee on Rules and Business and member announced his defection on Friday, January 12, while addressing his political associates and hundreds of his supporters at his residence in Jos.

The Sun reports that Pwajok said there is no political future in the ruling APC.

His words: “I call you here to inform you of my intention to defect from the APC to PDP, a platform on which I was elected to the House of Representatives. It is clear that the leadership of APC lack focus and does not have regards for its members.

“Since I lost the senatorial primary in which I came second, nobody has consulted me for any party activities.

“We have just few weeks to the presidential election, I have not seen any serious activities going on in the APC in Plateau and nobody has informed me of any role ahead of the election.”

Pwajok described his defection to PDP as a homecoming. He will be reportedly received officially by the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday, January 12, in Jos, during his campaign.

He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2015 on the platform of PDP but defected to APC in 2016 and now, he is back to the PDP.

His supporters who spoke during the interactive section pledged their loyalty and vowed to move with him to the PDP.

The Plateau state PDP chairman, Damishi Sango, in a statement on Friday, January 11, alleged that the party had gotten credible reports that sponsored thugs were preparing to harass, intimidate and attack PDP officials at the scheduled rally on Saturday, January 12, at the Polo Field, Jos.

Buhari not fighting corruption efficiently, says Olawepo Hashim

The presidential candidate of Peoples Trust (PT), Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim on Saturday criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption.

Olawepo-Hashim said his administration is not fight corruption to achieved positive result.

Corruption, he said will be tackled effectively if the minimum wage is above N18 thousand.

Olawepo-Hashim promised to pay N50 thousand minimum wage if elected.

He spoke in Abuja at the party’s presidential campaign flag off.

Olawepo-Hashim vowed that the party if voted into power will put an end to poverty and deal with issue of insecurity in the country.

His words: “We are a party that is determined to build a better Nigeria. We want to put an end to poverty, and under development that has been the hallmark of the incumbent government. We will fight corruption in a way that it will be done scientifically. It will not just going to be a police action. You cannot fight corruption when majority of the people are extremely poor.

“A people that pay its workers minimum wage below 18 thousand Naira cannot fight corruption efficiently. We will raise the minimum wage to N50 thousand at the first anniversary of our government. You can trust this party.

“We will exchange instability for security. We are at the point where we will stop hatred and violence and be unity, where the lives of every Nigeria will count equally. By the time I am elected by the Grace of God, we will build a truly United Nigeria. Today 11 out of 19 states of northern Nigeria have been overrun by bandits from across the border and violent that is caused by agents of disunity and destruction.

“The southern states of Nigeria have been over taken by kidnappers, robbers and all form of social vices and this affects the economy of the country. Now we have more youths that are unemployed than those that are employed. Our resolve is to build a new economy that will guaranty job for our youths. We will restructure the way power is organize between the state and the Federal Government.

“We will empower the states to have their own police side by side with the federal police so that the internal security can be enhanced.”

The national chairman of the party, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN, urged Nigerian especially party faithful to voted massively in the forthcoming presidential and other elections for a new, United Nigeria.

He vowed to make everything positively possible to ensure that the party is victorious.


The party’s flag was also presented to candidates contesting for various political positions who came from across the country for the event.

http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-not-fighting-corruption-efficiently-says-olawepo-hashim/

Press statement

Frank to Buhari: Don’t set Nigeria ablaze over CJN, Onnoghen

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has described the devious effort by President Muhammadu Buhari to topple the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, as being akin to igniting an incendiary material that would completely ravage the country if not immediately reversed.

Frank who gave this admonition in a statement in Abuja, said the cancerous Buhari administration has resorted to a fast-track in their efforts to finally put Nigeria to social, political and economic ruination which they commenced on May 29, 2015.

He said: “This is a supposedly democratic government but they are totally averse to the rule of law. Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, Deji Adeyanju and Dino Melaye, just to mention but a few, are today languishing in jail in varied subhuman conditions following the hostile and anti-people policies being executed by Buhari and his Cabal.

“Buhari and his cabal have done everything outside the law to whittle down the powers of the National Assembly through spurious charges against and trial of their presiding officers and other lawmakers and his criminal refusal to assent to critical bills like the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill and the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill. 

“Buhari has refused to replace ministers that have left his government thereby denying critical sections of the country of any form of representation in the Federal Executive Council as required by law.

“Buhari has illegally ensured that all heads of security agencies in the country are of northern extraction against the letters and spirit of the Federal Character Principle as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Buhari has also advanced his parochial act of governance by ensuring that all the Service Chiefs who are overdue for retirement have their tenures elongated thereby frustrating the career progression of serving military personnel - a situation that has torpedoed morale in the Officer cadre and consequently serious and dangerous reversals in the gains made in the fight against insurgency and other dangerous criminal elements across the country. He is right now seeking legal opinion on how to extend the tenure of the Inspector General of Police whose tenure has since expired - in flagrant breach of extant laws.

“Of all his hateful, lawless rhetoric and his 97/5% nepotistic ideology, he is again desperate to remove a serving CJN - who is no where near his retirement age - based sentiments which are largely religious and ethnic. Enough is enough!

“Today Nigerian students in Universities and Polytechnics across the country are languishing at home due to strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and their polytechnic counterparts due to the lackadaisical approach to education by the administration.

“Besides, N30,000 minimum wage bill is no where near the National Assembly for passage into law in favour of the suffering Civil Servants in the country. Rather than fast-track the presentation and passage of the Bill, Buhari has vowed to renegotiate salaries of public servants earning above N30,000. 

“This is a government of destruction and not of development,” he stated.

He warned Buhari and his cabal to immediately retrace their step and back-off, as the illegality they have chosen to undertaken by removing the CJN may spark unfathomable resistance from the overly marginalized sections of the country capable of determining if indeed the nation will remain one indivisible country as presently composed under his regime. 

He called on the International Community to hold Buhari and his Cabal responsible for any breach of the peace which may result from their tyrannical and sadistic actions against the CJN and other Nigerians suffering from persecution under this regime. 

“Nigerians are fully ready to defend their country. Enough is enough!” he stated.

Signed :
Comrade Timi Frank 
Former APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary 
Abuja

EXCLUSIVE: What CJN Onnoghen told CCB over asset declaration
January 12, 2019Evelyn Okakwu
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen
PREMIUM TIMES has obtained details of a statement given by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, to the Code of Conduct Bureau which is accusing him of false asset declaration.

In one note seen by this newspaper, Mr Onnoghen said he “forgot to update his asset declaration, after the expiration of his 2005 declaration”.

Mr Onnoghen also explained that he believed that the form SCN 000015 filed in December 2016 after he emerged acting CJN would cover for the period after his confirmation as CJN.

The case against Mr Onnoghen came after a group, the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative, sent a petition against him alleging wrongdoing in his asset declaration.

The group said the CJN, Nigeria’s most senior judicial officer, maintained illegal accounts containing foreign currencies and did not declare them.

The group’s head, Denis Aghanya, is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and a former publicity secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change.

The group said, its petition was brought “bearing in mind the imminence of the 2019 elections and the overwhelming role of the judiciary both before and after the election.”

A statement by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Saturday, said Mr Onnoghen would be arraigned for alleged false asset charge on Monday — seven days after the petition was brought.

Some lawyers have alleged the trial is politically motivated.

Sebastian Hon, a senior advocate of Nigeria, told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday it is “more political than it is honest”.




“While I know that the Chief Justice of Nigeria does not enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution, I see this move by the Federal Government as dangerously political and tendentious,” he said.

“Suddenly, we woke to see a petition leaked to the informal or social media, allegedly received by the Code of Conduct on 9th January, 2019. Suddenly, we are told charges have been filed against the CJN. Why this supersonic rush?”

In his response to the queries raised by the CCB, Mr Onnoghen wrote as follows:

“My asset declaration form numbers SCN 00014 and SCN 00005 were declared on the same day, 14/12/2016 because I forgot to make a declaration of my assets after the expiration of my 2005 declaration in 2009. Following my appointment as acting CJN in November, 2016, the need to declare my assets anew made me to realize the mistake.

“I then did the declaration to cover the period in default. I did not include my standard charted bank account in SCN 000014 because I believed they were not opened.

“I did not make a fresh declaration of asset after my substantive appointment as CJN because I was under the impression that my SCN 000015 was to cover that period of four years which includes my term as CJN,” Mr Onnoghen said in his statement dated January 11.

Mr Onnoghen was first appointed acting CJN on November 10, 2017 following the retirement of the former CJN, Mahmoud Mohammed.

His appointment as acting CJN came amidst criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to forward his name to the Senate for confirmation as the most senior judge.

On February 8, 2017 Vice President Yemi Osinbajo returned Mr Onnoghen’s name for confirmation to the Senate on March 1.

Mr Onnoghen was subsequently sworn in to office as Nigeria’s 17th CJN on March 8, 2017.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/305421-exclusive-what-cjn-onnoghen-told-ccb-over-asset-declaration.html

2019: INEC has serious credibility deficit -Obaze
Sunday, January 13, 2019  politics

                              
As the 2019 general elections draw near, questions have been asked of the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and credible elections. This is even as the Chairman of Atiku/Obi Campaign Council in Anambra State, Mr. Oseloka H. Obaze, says he is doubtful of INEC's ability to remain a neutral umpire.

Speaking at Onitsha on Saturday, during an interactive radio program on Sapientia 95.3FM, Obaze said recent events have put a serious credibility deficit on INEC. He said the controversies surrounding by-elections and state elections of the last couple of years, especially that of Ekiti and Osun states have placed serious credibility deficits on INEC. 

According to him, “INEC has a very recent track record that makes it impossible for my party or any other party, and indeed for Nigerians to say that they have implicit confidence in the ability of INEC to deliver free, fair, transparent and sufficiently credibile elections in 2019.

Obaze said the strength of the government, in any established democracy, derives from public confidence in statutory institutions which INEC is one. He called on the electoral umpire to live above the fray and ensure that the votes of Nigerians truly counts in the coming elections.

Obaze, also the candidate of the PDP in the Anambra 2017 governorship election, faulted President Muhammadu Buhari's refusal to assent the amended electoral act.

Obaze opined that, “Amina Zakari has been flagged for a potential conflict of interest. It will serve collective good if she recuses herself or be made to do so in the National interest.” 
When asked about his party’s chances in the coming elections, Obaze said that the incumbent administration's abysmal performance in office has bolstered the chances of the PDP at the polls. He said Nigerians are hungry under this present administration and are rallying behind PDP’s Atiku-Obi ticket which they have come to see as a credible alternative. He however warned INEC to ensure that the coming elections are not rigged.

An 18-year-old Grade pupil at Vorentoe High School, committed suicide at her home in Klipspruit, South Africa after allegedly being bullied by her teacher.

Nicole Mnguni took her own life on Tuesday, January 8, after returning from the school to fetch her report, which they allegedly refused to give to her. She left a 
note which details the alleged abuse by the teacher. 

She also stated she wanted peace and to be with her father.

Mnguni is said to have been a victim of harassment and bullying by her teacher, and the school is aware of the case, but had allegedly not taken any action to address the case.

Her mother, Jessica Mnguni is demanding justice. She old Soweto Urban she could see that her child’s self-esteem was dead.

“Nicole is so bubbly but that woman killed her self-esteem, so she couldn’t take it. There was a time I went to the school, this teacher asked, are you Nicole’s mother?

“I said yes… She said your child, I was even shouting at her, she’s not doing well in class. I don’t know why she doesn’t drop it, and she’s not going to be anybody in life. I am not hurt, I am finished.”

Her friend, Mmathabo Makibelo, described her as an amazing soul who had a vision.

See more: https://zenithnaija.com/18-year-old-pupil-committs-suicide-after-allegedly-being-bullied-by-teacher-photos/

A group of notorious cultists have been apprehended in Akwa Ibom state.

According to reports, the hoodlums have been disturbing residents of C line, maitama, in Ewet housing, Uyo, the state capital before their capture.

The gang members reportedly specialised in snatching of phones and other valuable items at gunpoint. 

Luck ran out of them yesterday when they snatched a phone from a young man at gunpoint. The man submitted the phone without hesitation and later regrouped to give them a hot chase.

They were nabbed and beaten to pulp by the mob before being handed over to the police. 

See more; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2019/01/notorious-cultists-nabbed-after-snatching-mans-phone-in-akwa-ibom.html

•Shooting, clashes mar Imo APC South-East rally

Quote:Tension heightened in Imo State yesterday, after the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari disagreed with Governor Rochas Okorocha, after the governor boasted that his son in-law, Uche Nwosu will win the governorship election rather than the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma.

The governor’s comment angered the APC leaders and women who came from the five states of the South East, forcing them to leave the stadium.

The first lady spoke at the South East Women and youths rally in Owerri yesterday. The mammoth crowd was watching keenly the show of force between the governor’s men and supporters of Senator Hope Uzodinma who flooded the stadium.
The Master of Ceremony hired by the state government refused to recongnise the presence of Senator Uzodinma and Senator Ben Uwajumogu.

But pressure from party leaders who came from Abuja and APC supporters in the state forced the MC to recognize their presence even though he praised Uche Nwosu who the APC supporters protested his presence at the stadium, throughout the programme.

Initially the state government and their agents were seen destroying posters of Senator Uzodinma but Uzodinma’s supporters came out to stall the move and insisted that the posters of the governorship candidate of the APC must be displayed.
After several altercations they overwhelmed the governor’s forces who were pasting Uche Nwosu’s posters inside the stadium.

As a matter of fact, there were gun shots from security operatives when the wife of the Imo State governor was addressing the crowd. Two women sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to the hospital.

Security agents had to check the looming fight between the two camps so as to save the situation. The governor’s wife refused to recognize Senator Hope to the chagrin of APC supporters. The angry crowd booed her.

However, the National Woman Leader of the APC, Hajia Salamatu Bewa Eluma, urged the crowd to vote President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Hope Uzodinma and all APC candidates in the South East. Other speakers concurred and called for votes for APC candidates which did not go down well with governor Okorocha who is supporting his inlaw Uche Nwosu the candidate of the AA.

But governor Okorocha who looked visibly angry, lampooned the APC, asserting “ the APC has not been fair to us, we are only being calm because of President Muhammadu Buhari, who already has won in Imo State. We are going to support Buhari but let me tell you people, after we were cheated by the APC, in order to deliver the President, we formed an alliance with other political parties and leading among them is AA led by Ugwumba Uche Nwosu.

“Do not be deceived, Uche Nwosu of AA will win the governorship election in Imo State because he is on ground. We have no other candidate; we will not support those with stolen mandate”.

But the first lady represented by Mrs Osinbajo, disagreed and urged the crowd to vote all the APC candidates both in the state and the South East.

“I am happy with the crowd we saw today it shows that Imo is APC and I want to urge all our youths not to fight, avoid any form of crisis because President Buhari is a peaceful man. From what we have seen today President Buhari has won the South East the same way all our APC candidates have won” she stated.

She further urged APC faithful to remain steadfast, asserting that “ a vote for Buhari is a vote for progress. APC has done well and we must all support all APC candidates”.

The Ogun State Police Command has intercepted a mini truck conveying 34,865 live cartridges through Ilara border from the Republic of Togo to Onitsha in Anambra States.

The police also arrested three suspects, including a Togolese, Isa Muhammad and two Nigerians, Alabi Fayemi and Seyi Bamgbose in connections with the crime.

The truck and the suspects were arrested by a stop-and-search border patrol team at Olohunda, a border town between Abeokuta North and Imeko Afon local government areas of the State.


While parading the suspects at the Imeko Police Station, Saturday, the Commissioner of Police in the State, Ahmed Iliyasu said the suspect were arrested by border patrol led by an Assistance Commissioner of Police, Shettima Muhammad.

He said, “Our operatives on border patrol led by ACP Shettima Muhammad while on routine patrol of the border area based on intelligence, intercepted a Toyota Dyna Mini truck with registration number KSF 254 XX with some cartons neatly concealed therein.


“The mode of the concealment aroused the suspicion of our men consequent upon which the vehicle was stopped and properly searched. Upon the search, 34, 865 live cartridges were discovered in cartons neatly concealed inside the vehicle.”

Isa Muhammad who is the prime suspect while speaking with journalists said the vehicle was given to him by one of his Nigerian customers based in Onitsha to help drive.

Isa said since he doesn’t not have a valid drivers licence, he approaches another friend of his, Bamgbose, who is a qualified driver to help in driving the vehicle while he serve as motor boy.

According to him, the vehicle was successfully brought into Nigeria from Republic of Togo and they were enroute Abeokuta for a repair work on the vehicle when they were arrested by the Police.

While denying knowledge of the ammunition, Isa said he didn’t know the name of the man that gave the vehicle to him and would have taken the vehicle to Onitsha thinking it was empty.

Corroborating Isa, Bamgbose, also claimed that he was only called upon by Isa for them to collaborate and engage in charcoal business.


He said, “I know Isa in Idi Iroko border and he used to sleep in my house whenever they come to Nigeria with his boss. One day I told him I don’t have a job again because my vehicle was sized by the Customs.

“Recently, he called me that a vehicle is available and I was happy because he told me it was a new vehicle. We went to Togo where the vehicle was packed, I observed that the vehicle was registered with Nigeria number.

“When we got to Nigeria, some of my friends told me that the spring of the vehicle was too small for charcoal business and I told him we should go to Abeokuta to repair the vehicle.

“While on the way, we were arrested at Imala and when I was asked to park, I complied because I know all the officers and I was sure the documents were up to date.

“I was even expecting the police to name their price since I know all of them but the story was different. Initially I thought the vehicle documents were not genuine but they told us later in the day that there was Indian hemp and ammunitions in the vehicle and I stated laughing because it was an empty vehicle.

“We were taken to the Station, this morning and even when we got to the station, I insisted it was an empty vehicle but when they started offloading, I was equally astonished, I didn’t expect what I saw from the vehicle because it was right in our presence that the content of the vehicle was offloaded.”

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/01/13/ogun-police-seize-34000-cartridges-arrest-three-suspects/?amp

Quote:The Senior Pastor and founder of House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin has advised his Church members to make Peter Obi their friend, saying that he, himself is Peter’s friend.

He said this during the just concluded Communion Service at the Rock Cathedral, Lagos.

On the reasons that informed his position, Pastor Adefarasin said that having followed Mr. Obi over the years, that he saw in him the embodiment of those virtues House on the Rock continues to preach which those in public service required to uplift the society in accordance to the ethics of Christ.

The pastor charged all those aspiring to leadership to be humble in full realization that serving the people well and faithfully is also a way of serving God.

A member of the Church who introduced himself as Gbenga Oloye also said that he had followed Mr. Peter Obi and was in total agreement with what the Pastor said.

He said: “For people like me, the pastor was only preaching to the converted.” He said he was sure that if Obi would remain the Obi of Anambra State in terms of the work he did in the State as Governor and his conduct in public service that Nigeria would become a changed place.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Peter Obi called on Nigerians to remain prayerful for the country and her leaders so that the leaders would realize that using the resources of the state to work for the state is a win-win for everybody.

https://www.independent.ng/peter-obi-is-my-friend-befriend-him-too-adefarasin-tells-church-members/amp/

Quote:An Osun state-based cleric, Bishop Seun Adeoye, has warned Nigerians against reelecting President Muhammadu Buhari in next month’s presidential poll.

According to him, reelecting the All Progressives Congress candidate for the election will bring a “double portion of hardship.”

He urged voters to vote for candidates capable of developing the country.

Adeoye, who is the presiding Bishop of Sufficient Grace and Truth Ministry, Okinni, Osun State, in a statement on Friday said many people ignored his warnings against electing Buhari in 2015.

The statement reads, “A few days to the 2015 presidential election, I circulated a statement warning that if Buhari was elected as the president his government would bring hardship to Nigerians. Not many people listened to me. They were overwhelmed by the ‘change’ campaign. Buhari was elected and the rest is history.


“To further sound a note of warning, I held a one-man rally in Osogbo, where I emphatically declared that Buhari’s government did not bring change but ‘chain’. A few days after the protest, I was visited by six heavily armed men in police uniform.”

He added, “Even with all these, I still asked God, ‘will Nigerians be better if Buhari is reelected?’ What I heard worried me and if it happens, ‘Buhari’s reelection will bring a double portion of pains and hardship to Nigerians’ was the reply.

“Nigerians have several options before them and they are free to choose who will rule over them.”

Original Source: https://punchng.com/buharis-reelectionll-bring-more-hardship-bishop/

The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which prevented First Bank of Nigeria Limited from paying the plaintiffs community a judgment debt now totaling N134 billion to the plaintiff community represented by 10 Ogoni Chief of Ejama Ebubu community of Ogoni in Rivers State.

In a ruling on Friday, Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs said the notice of appeal filed by the oil giant was incompetent and struck out based on Order 8 Rule 7 of the court’s rules.


Justice Akaahs also said motion filed by Shell on July 16, 2018 had no leg to stand on it ought not to have been filed.

The Supreme Court consequently awarded N500,000 against Shell for filing an incompetent appeal in the court.

Citing authorities to back up his submission, the apex court held that since the notice of appeal filed by Shell sought to be amended was incompetent, no valid amendment could be effected because issues of fact or mix law and fact were raised in the original notice of appeal with leave of court.

He agreed with the submission of the lead counsel to Shell, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) that an appellant who has a valid and subsisting appeal can seek the leave of court to do so, adding that in the instant case, there is no such valid notice of appeal that could be amended.

“Where the grounds of appeal are based on mixed law and facts and the leave of either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court is not sought and granted, the appeal is incompetent and neither the Court of Appeal nor the Supreme Court will have any jurisdiction to entertain the appeal.

“As the notice of appeal sought to be amended was incompetent, no valid amendment could be effected even though issues of jurisdiction were raised in the proposed notice of appeal.

“Learned senior counsel for the appellants stated that correct legal position that the appellant who has a valid and subsisting appeal can seek the leave of court to do so but in the instant case, there is no such valid notice of appeal that can be amended, Justice Akaahs held.

The suit was first commenced in 1991 before a Rivers State High Court sitting at Nchia Division, when the Ejama community represented by Isaac Osaro Ogbara, Victor Obari, John Oguru, Joseph Ogusu, G. O. Nnah, George Osaro, and Adanta Obelle, had sued Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Netherlands, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, United Kingdom, and SPDC over alleged oil spills in 1970 that occurred when Shell operated in the community. Judgment was entered for the sum of N6Billion in favour of the community by the Nchia High court. That judgment was conceded on appeal because the Supreme Court had in a sister case decided that States High Court have no jurisdiction in oil related matters. The Plaintiffs in 2001 refiled the suit at the federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

However, this 2001 case, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba claiming N17billion and interest thereon went through full trial. Justice Buba, after listening to the submissions of the parties in the suit, in his judgment in 2010, awarded N17 billion to the representatives of the Ogoni people.

The court equally granted the Ogoni chiefs 25 per cent interest charge on the principal sum of about N17 billion.

SPDC then appealed against the judgment and applied for a stay of execution of the judgment pending the appeal.

As a condition for granting the stay of execution, the court required Shell’s bankers, FirstBank, to provide a guarantee of the judgment sum plus interest.

This condition was complied with. But Shell’s appeal failed on merit because Shell failed to file a brief of argument in support of their appeal but instead claimed that they were granted leave to file an amended brief of argument, which the Court of Appeal found not to be correct.

Against that judgment, Shell proceeded to the Supreme Court where its lawyer, Olanipekun, SAN now leading Olawale Akanni (SAN) who was the company’s lawyer at the Court of Appeal when that appeal was dismissed, filed a fresh application asking for leave to amend the original notice of the appeal filed by Akoni in the Port Harcourt court of appeal registry in order for him to argue fresh points not raised at the court below and in order for him to argue 36 additional grounds of appeal.

Upon the new application at the apex court, the respondents’ lawyer, led by Lucius Nwosu, SAN, filed a preliminary objection. It must be noted that the appellants against whom judgment was entered at the court of appeal are Shell companies – Shell International DV of the Netherlands, Shell International of UK, and Shell Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.

Nwosu, assisted by Lawal Rabana, SAN and others, argued that the findings of the Court of Appeal dismissing their appeal were based on facts, adding that the law is that an appeal must arise out of the decision complained against.

He stated that if the decision complained against was based on findings of fact, the constitution requires that you cannot appeal them except you first seek leave of the Court of Appeal.

The respondents’ lawyer contended that since that notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal was filed without leave, it meant that, that notice was incompetent and cannot be amended because it would mean putting something on nothing and expecting it to stand.

However, in December 2017, the judgment creditors (Ogoni chiefs) commenced garnishee proceedings at the Federal High Court in Owerri presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa.

They urged the CBN to pay them N122.53 billion out of FirstBank’s account in its custody.

THISDAY gathered that they calculated the principal sum of N17 billion and the accrued 25 per cent interest charge per annum to arrive at the sum of N122,533,403,392.

In January 2018, Justice Allagoa granted them a temporary order (garnishee nisi) ordering the CBN to pay them the sum from FirstBank’s account with it.

But the CBN asked the court not to make absolute the temporary garnishee order it granted six chiefs representing the Ogoni community, compelling it to pay the sum of N122.53 billion on behalf of FirstBank.

CBN’s lead counsel, Professor Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) while responding to the garnishee proceeding, stated that making the order absolute and compelling the CBN to pay out the huge sum would be against the interest of justice because the matter was still pending at the Supreme Court.

He also argued that compelling the CBN to pay the N122.53 billion from FirstBank’s funds domiciled with it could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s oldest and biggest lender by assets and deposits, and a systemic impact on the rest of the financial system and wider economy.

With the dismissal of the Shell’s appeal last Friday, it is not clear if the application filed by the Ogoni chiefs seeking garnishee absolute against FirstBank and reserved for ruling by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos would not be granted.

Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment yesterday, Nwosu said: “With this decision, therefore, all arguments of FirstBank that Shell was on a further appeal at the Supreme Court for which they were renging from honouring their obligation that was due by virtue of their guarantee has completely collapsed and as of today, the guarantee is standing at N134 billion, contingent liability of First Bank’s assets. And that there is a garnishee order nisi attaching First Bank’s money at the CBN which since had been served on the Central Bank.

“With this judgment now, the central bank is under an obligation to set aside that amount of money with interest still running from First Bank’s account to satisfy that judgment debt based on what the law says under garnishee orders.”

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/01/13/n134bn-ogoni-judgment-debt-shell-loses-appeal-at-supreme-court/?amp

Lagos 2019: Vote Out Thugs And Undesirable Elements — Agbaje
Sunday, January 13, 2019  politics

                         
Jimi Agbaje, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, has called on voters to end the reign of impunity and hooliganism in Lagos State with their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in the coming governorship election.

Agbaje who spoke against the background of recent troubling developments in the camp of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC warned that Lagos State will not witness that great transformation it urgently needs if APC is allowed to remain in office.

“The trouble with Nigeria, according to the famous novelist Chinua Achebe, is leadership and I agree completely with him. So, we must quickly tackle this problem especially in Lagos State where we are in dire need of responsible and responsive leadership.

“This is so because no society develops when it gives power and responsibilities to questionable people. We can no longer afford to allow thugs and undesirable elements in strategic positions. These thugs should also not be allowed to be drivers of our vision during campaigns because they do not know what the issues are. For us as a government, our plan is to engage every idle hand and where necessary, rehabilitate those who need rehabilitation.

“Our government will not engage thugs who unfortunately, are also victims of poor leadership as hooligans at our rallies; this is not in our character. You saw them recently in their true colours when they disrupted the peace of our dear state.

“This is why we remain the only alternative. We are in this election without baggage because our records speak for us. We know Lagosians can vouch for us because they know the company we keep. We can never resort to violence over disagreement because we are responsible politicians who are in this contest to serve the people.

“I therefore urge the good people of Lagos State to be circumspect about the temperament of candidates as individuals and political parties. In this election, a lot is at stake, so we must join hands with peace loving people to rescue our state and bring it to where it rightly belongs.”

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday described the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst Federal Government ever in the country’s history.

Wike, who spoke during a mobilisation meeting at Unit 7, Ward 9 of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, said Nigerians had suffered beyond measure under the Buhari administration.

The governor maintained that Nigerians should not expect any good from the Federal Government which he said had been fighting everyone.

He said that the current administration had also been fighting the judiciary so that they could manipulate the forthcoming general elections.

The governor stated, “The APC Federal Government is fighting everyone. They struggled to destroy the National Assembly and failed. They are also fighting the judiciary; so, they can rig the forthcoming elections. They are trying to intimidate the judiciary.

“This government has suffered Nigerians beyond measure. There is nothing good that will come out of this government. It is the worst Federal Government ever.”

Wike also called on Rivers people to vote out the APC-led Federal Government on February 16 to attract benefits to the state.

The governor said that Rivers people would queue behind the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the general elections.

He stated that in the 4,442 polling units in the state, the voters would vote out the APC Federal Government in unison, adding that since 2015, the Buhari administration had not executed any project in Rivers State.

The governor said that mobilisation for votes was happening at the unit level to carry all Rivers people along in the move to oust Buhari from the power.

He said, “Vote out Buhari and vote in Atiku Abubakar. Let Buhari and APC pack and leave the Presidential Villa. Buhari’s tenancy has expired.”

Wike urged the people of the state to be alert at their respective units to ensure that PDP got victory at all levels.

However, several calls and a text message to the state APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Chris Finebone, for him to react to the governor’s claim were neither answered nor replied as of press time.

https://punchng.com/buhari-govt-worst-ever-says-wike/

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SUNDAY, 13TH JANUARY.

HE DOESN’T KEEP RECORD OF SIN.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 8:12).

Too many are enslaved by the memories of their past. They could be cheerful one moment and depressed the next, all because they remembered something they did in the past. But did you know that from the moment you were born again, your past ceased to exist?

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “...if any man be in Christ, He is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” The Christian is a new creation, and the new creation has no past; he never existed before.

Your old nature, the old you and everything about your earthly, natural human life was supplanted by the life and nature of God at the New Birth. When God looks at you now, He doesn’t see an old, wretched, struggling “sinner saved by grace”; rather, He sees Christ, because you’re in Christ. And in Christ, you’ve been made righteous; you’re the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

Something so extraordinary that Jesus accomplished for us is remission of sins. Our sins—past, present, and future—were remitted ever before we came into Christ; this was legal. But we came into the vital experience when we were born again. So, even when you remember a past mistake and you feel bad and ask God to forgive you over and over again, He doesn’t have the record; He doesn’t remember.

Speaking to Israel, concerning this new covenant, He said, “…their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17). Do you think He’d relate to us any less, considering that we’re fruits of this new covenant, established upon better promises?

Christ Jesus paid the full penalty for sin in His death on the Cross. The Bible says it was necessary that Christ should suffer for our sins (Luke 24:46); and now we walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” You’re forever blameless in the sight of God, because Jesus died to “…present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Colossians 1:22).

PRAYER

Dear Father, I thank you for the understanding and insight your Word has brought to my spirit today. My past, present, and future sins are remitted in Christ. Thus, I’m forever blameless in your sight. Thank you for the righteousness of Jesus Christ in my spirit that gives me right-standing with you, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Acts 13:38-39 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

1-Year Bible Reading Plan
Matthew 10:1-23 & Genesis 31-33

2-Year Bible Reading Plan
Matthew 5:41-48 & Genesis 13



#TALKINGSESSION

13TH JANUARY.

KINDLY SAY THIS WORDS OUT LOUD.

Dear Father, I rejoice for all that you’ve done for me in Christ Jesus. More than ever, I’m inspired to do your will and fulfil my ministry in you without reproach. I thank you for opening my understanding to my abilities in Christ, and the things I can accomplish through the power of the Spirit working in me. Out of my belly flow

rivers of living water! I bring forth good things today from within me because I have an excellent mind; I have insight into mysteries and secrets and bring forth creative ideas because Christ has been made unto me wisdom. I initiate success, victory, and prosperity from within, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

God bless you

Quote:Embattled Justice Walter Onnoghen to Be Replaced by Justice Tanko Ibrahim Mohammed by Cabals


The Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen has come under FG radar and will be docked in the CCT’s accused box on Monday. The FG accused the Justice of irregularities in his asset declaration. Recall that the last high profile case handled by the CCT was against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, where-in the case was quashed for having no substance and basing its findings on hearsays. Onnoghen who upheld the verdict of the court, has today come under investigation and further litigation by the code of conduct Bureau. 

Following the inability of the ruling APC to secure the interest of Nigerians ahead of the 2019 polls, the ruling APC has resorted to rigging plans and also seeking legal backings for them. While the rigging plans are in full force with the recent appointment of Amina Zakari as head of collation, the APC-led FG also needs legal backing for their plans to fully materialize. This is the reason why they have turned on Justice Onnoghen, who has been a clog in the wheels of their nefarious activities. 

Upon this, lots of legal luminaries have volunteered to help the embattled Justice win the case. The cabals have however picked a favorite; Justice Tanko Muhammad, as the next Chief Justice of the Federation if their plans fall through.

…. To be Arraigned on Criminal Charged

The Federal Government has declared war against the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen asking him to immediately vacate his exalted office as Head of the Nation’s judiciary over alleged sundry asset declaration issues.


In a move to force Justice Onnoghen out of office, the Federal Government will on Monday January 14, 2019 arraigned the CJN before the Justice Danladi Yakubu led- Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja on charges of failures to declare his assets as required by law and for operating Bank Domiciliary Foreign Currency Accounts.

The charge sighted against Justice Onnoghe has already being filed and served on him last Friday at his official residence in Abuja preparatory for his appearance at the tribunal.

The Federal Government among others is accusing Nigeria’s Head of the Judiciary of refusal to declare his assets in breach of the provision of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act.

He is also being accused of maintaining Domiciliary foreign currencies account which comprised Dollars Account, Pound Sterling Account and Euro Account which are alleged to be contrary to relevant laws, especially for public office holders.

Justice Nnoghen whose appointment suffered unprecedented delay by President Muhammadu Buhari over undisclosed issues may be the first CJN in Nigeria to be arraigned for criminal charges by the Federal Government.

Apart from putting the Chief Justice in the dock on Monday, PRNigeria learned that motion on notice is to be filed against him praying the tribunal to order him to vacate office and recuse himself office so as to prevent alleged interference in his arraignment and trial.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria names withheld has been engaged by Federal Government to lead the onslaught against justice Onnoghen, while PRNigeria could not ascertain names of those who will lead the defence team for CJN.

However, it is gathered that eminent lawyers have volunteered to put their services at the disposal of Justice Onnoghen in the bid to rescue him from the claws of the government.

It would be recalled the President of the Senate of Nigeria, Dr. Bukola Saraki was in 2015 shortly he emerged the Head of the Legislature arraigned at the tribunal but the charges against him were quashed and he was discharged and acquitted by the tribunal on the ground that the charges against him by government were based on hearsay that could not stand in the face of the law.

Saraki’s discharge and acquittal was upheld by the Supreme Court under the leadership of Justice Onnoghen.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/breaking-fg-asks-cjn-onnoghen-to-vacate-office-over-asset-declaration/

An unidentified middle-aged man was in the early hours of Saturday found hanging from a tree on Catholic Mission Road, opposite the Court of Appeal in Lagos Island.

The man, clad in Ankara native attire, was found hanging on a rope which looked like a braided long scarf, tied to a fruit tree.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who was at the scene of the suspected suicide, reports that the episode drew the attention of a mammoth crowd who stood in groups chatting and wondering what could have pushed the man to hang himself.

Policemen at the scene of the incident confirmed the happening, but told NAN that they were not allowed to comment on the issue yet until proper investigation was carried out.

They said they would not loosen the noose around the man’s neck or search his pockets for identification purposes until doctors arrived to confirm him officially dead.

Some of the people, who had gathered at the scene, busied themselves taking pictures, but no one could identify the man hanging from the tree.

Mr Ige Adedoja, a resident of the area, who was at the scene of the incident, said that traditional rites needed to be performed before anyone could loosen the noose from the man’s neck.

He said that he met many people at the scene and that no-one but doctors could confirm the actual time of death.

The man was still hanging as at press time.

See more: https://zenithnaija.com/unidentified-man-commits-suicide-by-hanging-in-lagos-photo/

A student of the Adekunle Ajasin university, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, has set the room of her ex boyfriend ablaze for ending their relationship.

According to reports, the boyfriend, Dele, told Joy, on Thursday, that he was no longer interested in the relationship and he traveled shortly after.

However, angered by the abrupt end of the relationship, Joy broke the window of the room on Friday and through the opening, set the room ablaze. .

The fire allegedly destroyed everything inside the room. The case has since been reported to the police.

Watch video 

source : 

https://www.made4naija.com/2019/01/aaua-student-set-her-ex-boyfriends-room-on-fire-for-dumping-her-in-ondo/

Residents were left shocked after popular priestess denounced her fetish practice in Enugu state.

The priestess of Inyama Ogbanje in Amalla-Egazi, Udenu local government area, renounced her Vodoo/'Juju' and reportedly repented of all her evil ways. 

According to reports, the priestess who got converted on Friday, January 11 (yesterday) and accepted Jesus Christ, cleared all the charms in her shrine. A bus load of charms/juju was removed from her house.

The residents couldn't believe what they saw due to the large number of fetish items that she had. 

See more; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2019/01/priestess-inyama-ogbanje-renounces-her-juju-in-enugu-state.html

The police are on the trail of a hit -and- run driver who allegedly ran over four friends at Mosalasi Bus Stop , Gowon Estate, Lagos , killing them .

It was learnt that the victims – Wasiu Ayinde , 28 ; Azeez Adeleke , 26 ; Ibrahim Balogun , 30 ; and one Samuel aged 27 – had attended a carnival at Iyana Iba last Saturday .

They lived in Ijoko , Ogun State and were said to be returning home with five others when the car knocked them down at the spot around 5 am on Sunday . Three of them reportedly died on the spot .

It was gathered that they had boarded a bus from the venue to the bus stop and were waiting for the next available bus when the incident occurred .

Report learnt that residents sent a distress call to the police at the Gowon Estate Division and the corpses were evacuated to the Mainland General Hospital morgue .

Ayinde ’ s father , Mutiu , a butcher , told our correspondent that he was at work when he received the sad news .

He said , “ I did not sleep at home last Saturday when Wasiu (Ayinde ) attended the carnival with his friends and he did not inform his mother before he left home . I was at work when my wife called me that Wasiu and his friends were involved in an accident around Gowon Estate. He and three other friends died. He was the third child in the family . He was married with a child .

I learnt they were invited to the carnival by their friends . ”
Mutiu described the death as a great loss to the family and urged the police to ensure that the driver was arrested .

A relation of Adeleke , Kazeem Jimoh , said the family knew about the accident through those who sustained injuries .

He said Adeleke , a plumber , was survived by parents , a wife and a child who had since been thrown into mourning .

https://www.hgsmediaplus.com.ng/2019/01/hit-and-run-driver-kills-four-friends.html?m=1

Falz Needs To Be Protected At All Cost! – Rapper MI reveals on social media

Nigerian Rapper, falz the badguy latest single talk has drawn nation wide attention and many already feel he might be targeted by politicians.

Ace rapper MI Abaga has also reacted to the music via twitter.

According to MI, Falz needs to be protected at all cost. “Falz needs to be protected at all at all all all cost people!” He wrote emphatically.


Falz has continued to make himself a mouthpiece of the people against social injustice and political matters so much that he has been referred to as the Fela of our time.

https://www.creebhills.com/2019/01/protect-falz-at-all-cost-rapper-mi-cries-out.html

A man identified as Ojo Enesi was brutally killed in cold blood by unknown gunmen yesterday night in Kogi state. 

Natasha Akpoti, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate running for a senatorial seat in Kogi Central constituency, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being the responsible for the murder.

Reno Omokri leaked audios of Rotimi Amaechi allegedly bad-mouthing his boss, President Buhari.

Journalists who sat with Rotimi Amaechi in the Amaechi Leaked tapes scandal said it was really 'doctored.

They made an attempt to explain what really transpired during the interview. 

Watch the video HERE and hear what he said about the leaked audio tape scandal. 

See reactions....

Source: 
http://www.thefamousnaija.com/2019/01/journalists-who-sat-with-rotimi-amaechi.html?m=1

A woman in Ibadan brutalized her housemaid for allegedly stealing milk, according to a Twitter user.

According to the report, the girl is currently in the hospital, while the woman has been arrested.

"My attention has just been called to this....

The madam did this to her house maid because she was accused of stealing milk. 

She's in the hospital and the woman arrested. But justice must prevail.

Location is at ibadan."

https://www.amagitesblog.com/2019/01/woman-brutalizes-her-housemaid-in-ibadan-for-allegedly-stealing-milk-graphic-photo.html

About 61 political parties have rejected what they termed “over 8 obnoxious clauses” inserted into the 2019 election guidelines by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The National Chairman of the Action Peoples Party (APP) and the Publicity Secretary of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Chief Ikenga Ugochinyere said in a statement Friday that the 61 parties argued the new clauses would ruin the 2019 polls.

Chief Ugochinyere said the political parties rejected the clause in the guideline which “allows unduly accredited voters” who have PVCs to vote even if their names were not on the voters’ register.

The parties threatened to therefore, pass a vote of no confidence on INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu if he goes ahead to release the “contentious guidelines” on Monday, without further consultation with political parties.

“Political parties demand retention of 2011 and 2015 separate accreditation time and separate voting time to help forestall rigging with the presence of voters at the polling unit instead of INEC 2019 simultaneous accreditation and voting.

“Political parties demand announcement of accreditation figures by 12 noon on election day and recorded in a signed form and given to party agents before voting starts, to forestall doctoring of election figures during collation.

“Political parties demand stoppage of PVC collection 10 days to the election day and disclosure of the total number of PVC collected on polling unit basis to political parties.

“Political parties demand transparency in collation and transmission of results with accredited representatives of election observers and political parties monitoring.

“Political parties reject the creation or usage of secret polling units called voting point settlement and demand full list and location of such units.

“Political parties demand the redeployment of Amina Zakari as head of collation centre and replacement with Federal Commissioner incharge of Operation, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu to ensure credibility and balancing,” the statement said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/61-political-parties-reject-inecs-draft-guidelines-for-2019-elections.html

There is a deluge of pictures of Nigerians on social media, countering Mr. Buhari 4+4 sign, with a 4+0 sign instead.

Nigerians would provide four fingers with a fist, to indicate that the Nigerian President is better of in Daura after June 12, 2019, than Abuja.

Join the 4+0 campaign.

Pictures from Kunle Oshobi Facebook wall.

Quote:Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday described as selfish scheming by some notable Yoruba leaders for the South-West presidency. Some Yoruba leaders, including Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; former Lagos State Governors, Senator Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, had urged the people of the South- West to vote massively for President Muhammadu Buhari in this year’s general election to enable the zone grab power in 2023. But Ohanaeze, which said it was not interested in 2023 Igbo presidency but on restructuring of the country, described those pushing for the South-West 2023 presidency as over ambitious and selfish. According to the group, restructuring will tackle the scheming of the South-West to produce the 2023 presidency, Speaking to Saturday Telegraph in Abakaliki, the National Publicity of the group, Prince Uche Achi- Okpagha, expressed regret that while the 2019 elections were still to be conducted, some selfish politicians were already scheming to become president in 2023. He said: “The most important thing like we will always say is that Nigeria needs to be restructured. If you restructure Nigeria, scheming and maneuvering to become the president will subside appreciably. When you restructure, you downsise the enormous powers that are vested in the Federal Government, when you do it, the interest will be less. “When you restructure this country, these political maneuvering and so much thuggery, all of them will reduce. Can you see how selfish politicians can be? We have not had 2019 general elections and somebody is already scheming to become the President in 2023. “Our interest is not even in 2023 presidency, our interest is on restructuring. If they restructure Nigeria, they can rule forever but let them restructure Nigeria so that the people will feel the impact of government.

We must be united – Imo Senator

On his part, the senator representing Imo North at the Senate, Benjamin Uwajumogu, said Buhari was committed to handing over power to the Igbo upon completion of his second term in office, urging the people of the zone to massively support the president’s re-election bid. Uwajumogu said it would take the Igbo at least eight years to think of producing the country’s president should former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar win. He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari will hand-over power to Ndigbo in 2023. I am assuring you of that. Ignore the shenanigans and just focus on returning the president a second time. The president is honest and he is committed to it. There is nothing else to do or add to this assurance except casting your vote for the APC come February. “It will take Ndigbo at least eight years if the PDP presidential candidate wins. The Igbo should be proud of President Buhari, he is the kind of president this country needs now.” Uwajumogu also claimed that the president had been fair and just to the people of the southeast geopolitical zone in the distribution of projects and dividends of democracy.

Igbo’s presidency dream, a charade-Coalition

The Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), a body of Igbo Intelligentsia, clergy, elders, patriots, women and gouth in its reaction, advised all well-meaning Igbos to regard the much talked about promise of Igbos producing a Nigerian President in 2023 as mere election gimmicks. The president general of ADF, Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, told Saturday Telegraph that the Igbos of today were politically vulnerable and must think of gaining internal strength and controlling its political structure on the home phase more than issue of presidency which he said is being talked about in insulting manner. He said: “Let me say this frankly, given the present alignment of forces or political configuration of Nigeria, nobody is going to give the Igbos presidency either now or 2023. Nobody is going to do that and that’s the pure truth.”

CLO chides S’West leaders

Also reacting, the Chairman of Aba Unit of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Prof. Charles Chinekezi, said Osinbajo demonstrated his high level of political insensitivity in his comment about 2023 presidency going to the South West. Chinekezi said the Igbo presidency of 2023 is an issue of the political right of Ndi-Igbo as part of the strong tripods on which Nigeria stands and not centred on the Re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari. He said: “Prof. Osinbajo’s comment is just a narrow sense of judgement that is based on tribal sentiments. For a professor of criminal law and justice who ought to understand the political landscape of Nigeria, the multiplicity of ethnic groups, tribes and races with high sense of the dominant tripod of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba grouping to go ahead and make such comment is quite unfortunate. “For him to have discountenance the Igbos who have been skimmed out of the political settings of Nigeria since after the civil war is unbelievable. As far as we are concerned, the most logical stand of anybody who claims to love Nigeria and wants its progress and peace should be for Igbo presidency in 2023. “Even the North and most Yorubas have talked about it. Even former president Obasanjo said not long ago. I’m sure Osinbajo knows the truth and he is far smarter than the proposal he’s putting forward for his people for 2023. He knows that his proposal cannot even fly anywhere in Nigeria even in Yoruba land. “He should be discountenanced as Ndi-Igbo forge ahead to get their mandate. We all can build a better Nigeria. The issue of Igbo presidency is the issue of right of the South East and anybody who wants to thwart or discountenance it is only smoking a pipe dream and of course that person wants to blow up this country into pieces. “So, let’s be specific, it’s not in the hands of President Muhammadu Buhari or Vice President Osinbajo or any other person. It’s in the hands of generality of Nigerians, right thinking Nigerians who understands how a sovereign nation is built.” Chief Jerry Obasi, the leader of the APGA breakaway faction, ‘Authentic APGA’, while reacting, said that there are strong indications that the APC has no plans to allow the Igbo fly its presidential flag in 2023. Obasi further urged President Buhari to clear the air on the call by Osinbajo and Fashola, for the South- West zone to vote for him in 2019 in return for power shift to the zone in 2023.”

Igbos’re lukewarm- Amaechi

Similarly, First Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazurike Amaechi, has lamented that the lgbos are showing indifference over the prospects of producing the next President in 2023. Amaechi who spoke to our correspondent in Awka yesterday said that power is not given on a platter of gold, adding that the South West has shown stronger interest in the position. He said: “Power is not given on a platter of gold and the idea that Igbos will produce the next President of Nigeria in 2023 is not sacrosanct because there is no section in Nigerian construction that talked about rotation of power “The Yorubas are serious about this and they are working hard to get it and I expect our people in Igbo land to work hard and show seriousness. “Our politicians in the South-East should wake up and show that we are interested but the Yoruba are more serious than us. “If tomorrow the position goes to the South West we do not have any body to blame because they deserve it going by the way they are fighting the agenda.”

Gist From HgsMediaPlus

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Boss Mustapha , says he believes the All Progressives Congress has won the 2019 elections .

According to him , the APC is only waiting for the Independent National Electoral Commission to announce the results.

Mustapha said this on Thursday during the Gombe State APC ’ s governorship campaign rally at the Olusegun Obasanjo Stadium in Kaltungo , Gombe .

The SGF said , “ We are only waiting for the announcement of the results. Just make sure you come out with your PVCs (Permanent Voter Cards ) and cast your votes because the Peoples Democratic Party cannot deceive again .

“ Today , the lies of PDP have finished because we are here in Kaltungo to uproot the roots of the PDP .

“ In 2015 , the PDP deceived you that our party , the APC was a Boko Haram party, they told you that if you voted for the APC , all of you would be islamised , there was nothing they didn ’ t tell you .

“ Today , if Buhari plays politics of religion , he wouldn ’ t have appointed me the SGF because I am a Christian. If he were to be a religious politician , he wouldn ’ t have taken (Yemi ) Osinbajo, a pastor, and made him the Vice -President . ”

He listed some of the Christians appointed by Buhari to key positions in his administration as former Minister of Finance , Kemi Adeosun, and the CBN Governor , Godwin Emefiele .

Mustapha said , “ You people of Gombe South , come out and vote for the APC from the top down to the bottom .”

A former governor of the state, Senator Danjuma Goje, said Christians in the North did not enjoy key national appointments until the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari .

He said , “ Although (Yakubu ) Dogara has left the APC , he benefited from the party. He became the Speaker of the House of Representatives .”

On his part , Osinbajo said the APC was a party for everybody .

Continue Reading: https://www.hgsmediaplus.com.ng/2019/01/apc-has-already-won-2019-elections-sgf.html?m=1


Re: APC Has Already Won 2019 Elections –SGF by kahal29: 1:41am
Op you go kill some people with this news.. 


https://punchng.com/apc-has-already-won-2019-elections-sgf/

Dr. Davidson Akhimien, the Presidential Candidate of the Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN), says his party will fish out and name sponsors of terrorists if elected.

Akhimien told newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday that de-mistifying sponsors of insurgents in Nigeria was the quickest way to end terrorism in Nigeria.


“If voted into power, my priority and that of my party will be security. The party will not leave any stone unturned to fish out the sponsors of terrorists.

“By the time we get the sponsors and stop their funding, then we are halfway into decimating the terrorist groups,” he said.

He noted that if elected, he would also ensure that Nigeria had the required accuracy and sophisticated weapons, saying that the terrorists now deployed very sophisticated weapons.

“We need to get modern weapons for our troops to use, we need to improve on the morale of our youths, their salaries and allowances should get to them as at when due. Insurance for members of their families must be enhanced.

“We have mapped out how we are going to do it; Nigeria will sleep with their eyes closed when I become president. Security is my call.

“Today, Sambisa forest is our area of shame but when I become president, Sambisa will become our area of fame because we are going to turn Sambisa into one of the greatest ranching locations in Africa,” he said

On kidnapping, Akhimien said that the party would decentralise the police into three tiers — the Federal Police, State Police and Provincial Police to curb security threats.

On economy, the presidential candidate said that efforts would be made to promote ease of doing business to rejig the economy and embark on job creation.


He said that unemployment was largely as a result of the mismanagement of the public resources, decay in infrastructure and security situation which had led to shutting down of many companies.

The GDPN candidate said that the party had devised measures to tackle both security and economic problems facing the country if elected.


He said that GDPN is the new face in the Nigerian political landscape and urged Nigerians to shun politicians, especially those who kept promising but failing.

“It is very sad that Nigerians don’t see this time that there is need for them to begin to develop a new political experience based on the new parties and based on the emergence of new political elite that will chat the course for a new Nigeria.

“It is a defining moment in the history of our country and Nigerians need to grasp that and run with a new thing.

“We know we are the one that will bring solace to the Nigerian people. We are growing members and Nigerians are embracing us,” he added.

Akhimien said that his government would look at agriculture, industrialisation, improve power supply of rural communities in addition to setting up mechanised agricultural settlements across the six geo-political zones.

Akhimien said that he was not intimidated by any one or any other political party.

“We are a party that has a very sound ideology; we stand by our ideology; we have a political philosophy that we stand by.

“I am not intimidated in anyway because we are a party that is out to rescue Nigeria and out to bring about the dividends of democracy to the majority so that the critical mass of Nigerians may enjoy their country again.

“We have been blessed as a country, endowed with enormous resources both human and material, why is it that we are not benefiting from what God has blessed us with?.

“It is not about the party, it is about the actions. The actors have not delivered the deliverables of democracy to the people and so, there are new actions (in GDPN). Our party is a game changer,” he added.

According to him, the party has structures in the 36 states of Nigeria and is climbing.

He said that people were embracing GDPN because they desired a new Nigeria.

In Nigeria, it is considered an influence brought in by the British, her colonial masters. It dates back to the 20s, gaining more prominence in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s via card games, dice and even traditional games such as ‘ayo olopon’.

At a time, it was illegal and associated with miscreants, men considered lazy and others seeking quick cash.

However, its legitimacy came with the pool, a popular kind of betting involving numbers.


In the 70s and 80s, it was common to hear statements such as palm three from four. It was also common to see men sitting in small shops, glaring at old newspapers cuttings.

At other time, boards with numbers meaningless to the average passer-by, but very meaningful to a betting fan were commonplace.


Those were the early days of betting in Nigeria.

Today, what was once considered a vice is now legitimate via several online sports betting and lottery companies.

Unlike in the past when patrons were frowned at by the society, today sports betting has now been accepted, almost totally.

Until recently when the Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima asked betting companies, including the duo of NairaBet and Bet9ja to leave the state as part of his efforts to fight social vices among youths, sports betting was legal in all of the 36 states of Nigeria and Abuja.

Considered by some as a blessing to a country like Nigeria and other third world nations where unemployment looms largely, Obinna Eze, a student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), who is a regular face at a 9jabet shop located at Ajah Bus Stop, Lagos State explained how important sports betting is to the average youth while speaking with Saturday Akelicious.

“Have you been to viewing centers in recent time? If you have, you would have seen boys and men with long sheets of papers occasionally glancing at their stakes once a major incident like a goal is scored in a match. They are seeking extra cash legitimately,” he said.


“Sports betting is important to the average Nigerian youth. It might have been perceived as a vice in the past, but today it is far from that. It is now a legitimate means of income for a lot of people including myself.

“Unlike in the past when young men would rather settle for crime, today they have the opportunity to make good money from betting and avoiding crimes, while supporting their teams and even teams that are not theirs,” Eze told Saturday Akelicious.

“Money is what makes a lot of young people turn to crimes like ‘Yahoo’, but if they know that they can make money legitimately, they will rather do sports betting than turn to crime,” he concluded.

His position is supported by Ola Aina; a mechanic, who was eager to speak with Saturday Akelicious. The mechanic explained that since finishing his training, he has been augmenting with money from sports betting. “At times, I win something big and at other times, it’s just small. I also lose my money at times, but I am not really bothered when I lose because it is just small money like N100 or N200.

“My father is the type that believes that once you have been trained in a vocation he owes you nothing. Having finished my training, I took sports betting, as an additional source of income and it has not been bad.”

Aina went on to say that a lot of people have turned sports betting into their regular job, as all they do is to invest an amount of money and continue to turn it around. “What will they do when they don’t have regular jobs?” he asked.

Asked if he has a football team that he supports, he revealed that “I don’t really have a team I support, but I have had to keep a close tab of developments in different leagues to know how to bet my money.”

A veteran businessman within Lagos metropolis, Joseph Akinbusote, tells an interesting tale of his brother who is doing well today having started what he calls an investment company.

Akinbusote told Saturday Akelicious that his brother, Gerald, started by investing N150,000 on Naira Bet monthly. He revealed that after months of doing this, he became more than comfortable. “At a point, a lot of people thought my brother was into ‘Yahoo’ because he hardly left his home. Indeed, the sports betting industry is a lucrative one.”

Available statistics in Nigeria hardly add up to world recognised growth pattern of 2.5 per cent from year to year.

A 2016 PwC report projected that the industry would grow at an annual rate of 16% each year to $147 million (N45 billion) in 2019.

Another report by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) is quoted to have said that 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 years are involved in active sports betting.

Analytically, that is about 30 per cent of the country’s population. These are indeed alarming figures.

Shocking also is the fact that N2 billion is spent on sports betting daily in Nigeria although Ademola Adebajo, head of Gameon, one of the football betting services providers operating in the country puts the daily betting amount at N5 billion or over $25 million.

These funds are spent via major betting companies such as NairaBet, Premier Bet, Bet King, Western Lotto, Bet Naija, Merrybet, Bet 365, Betway, Bet9ja,Naijabet, Lovingbet, Surebet247, Supabets, 1960bet, Nairastake, Parknbet, 360bet, Sportybet, Plusbet, Skybetnaija, 9jadollarbet, Visabet, Winnersgoldenbet and others.

NAN’s analysis of N2 billion a day translates to nearly N730 billion annually, while Adebajo’s analysis of N5 billion daily translates to N18. 2 Trillion annually.

According to data obtained from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), owned by the Central Bank and licensed banks, there were 14 million web payments platforms worth a total of N132 billion ($420 million) in 2016. Transactions leaped to 29 million worth N185 billion in 2017 and in the first quarter of 2018, there were nearly 10 million worth N61 billion.

Another 2016 report by KPMG on gambling in Africa revealed shocking numbers from the sports betting industry in Nigeria. As at 2016, the leading sports betting company, Bet9ja raked in an average monthly turnover of $10m, while Naira Bet made an average turnover of $3m-$5m, a 20-30% margin on profit.

These statistics might be attractive and may translate into good business for the economy and government, however, there are also unpalatable sides to sports betting, as it is also known to have negative consequences like addiction, loss of savings, idleness and increased crime.

Indeed, not all stories relating to sports betting are palatable; as there are also records of huge losses via betting.

This position is supported by Lanre Gbajabiamila, Director-General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, who described the lottery industry as a very risky but also lucrative one.

Akin Martins (not real name) told us how N6million borrowed from his dad went down the drain because he wanted to be an agent of a sports betting company.

Martins revealed that while he set up the company and got patronage, he just couldn’t explain how the capital for the business disappeared after less than a year in business.

This other side of the supposedly lucrative industry has led to questions such as what is responsible for the cult followership which sports betting has gotten in Nigeria.

One factor which has been linked to the rise in the country is the love of sport especially football, explained Tayo Olubayo.

Olubayo, who owns and operates a football viewing center explained to Saturday Akelicious that the fact that Nigeria has the largest followership of European football around the world has caused a chain reaction that has sparked off prosperity in sports betting and associated businesses.

“This crazy football passion is what has been instrumental to sports betting shops springing up in nooks and crannies of the country.

“Betting in these shops continue unabated despite the fact that most of the clubs supported fanatically are abroad.

“Logically, as the clubs gain popularity and become more successful, so too does the amount wagered on the game increases and other businesses surrounding football such as souvenir production, jersey sales, and others increases.”

Findings by Saturday Akelicious also indicate that the high use of mobile phones and the internet also contributes to the increase in access to online contents. 40 per cent of Nigerians have access to the internet, while 50 per cent have mobile phones, making access to football content easy, thus increasing betting.

General Manager SureBet247, Ajala Adeyinka Samson, however, explains the rise in sports betting thus “I think that first and foremost, this country has been receptive of the benefits that technology can afford us. Like we all know, betting has been in existence in advanced countries for many years and we also are trying to emulate what’s happening in the other parts of the world.

“Now with N100 you have hope that something better can happen. I have seen a lot people who come here to collect cheques of N7 million, N9 million and much more than that with bets of N200. So, this is giving people hope. And especially for the fact that when they win, they get the money, it stimulates them.”

The simple process of setting up a betting company, a lack of proper regulation and the rush for new opportunities have also contributed to the many sports betting shops springing up.

In Nigeria, to set up a betting company is as simple as establishing any other firm. Asides from obtaining a license which appears, the biggest challenge, every other thing seem regular.

However, the Lagos State Lotteries Board holds a different opinion, as it insists it has been carrying out enforcement and ensuring fair play in the industry.

When Saturday Akelicious visited the Lagos State Lotteries Board, a staff of the board who spoke with us in anonymity, revealed that the board has been trying in its job as a regulator. “We do our enforcement, we suspend lottery companies when they err, and we have even withdrawn some licenses. If we hear that something is happening in Ikorodu, with just the press of some keys, we can know what is happening there. It is not like I am saying we have everything covered, but we are doing well. We also encourage people to report what they see and hear especially issues of underage betting. We have a whistleblowing policy that we take seriously,” he added.

The need to ensure proper monitoring, punishment, and ban where necessary can’t be overemphasised. This is in order to checkmate excesses of the budding industry before they get out of hand.

https://www.independent.ng/billion-naira-sports-betting-industry-takes-over-nigeria/amp/

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has accused the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu of inducing civil societies organisations (CSOs) with the sum of N300 million.

Frank, in a statement claimed that the monies were doled out to the CSO’s as part of the grand design by INEC to rig the general election for the APC. While warning Yakubu not to set the country ablaze, he demanded for separate accreditation of voters on Election Day with the figures recorded, announced and issued to political parties’ agent before voting. Frank, who is an ally of the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, urged Yakubu to disclose the source of the N300 millions he allegedly shared to the CSPs and some political parties for them to support his plot to impose rigging plan on them.

Frank expressed confidence that there would be a repeat of the defeat of the ruling party in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the forthcoming election in Nigeria. He commended the people of Congo for their courage and strong desire in the face of intimidation by the government of Joseph Kabila-led ruling party, expressing confidence that Nigeria experience similar feat in next month’s presidential election.Frank warned INEC to emulate the electoral body in Congo by refusing all forms of pressure from the APC and cabals in the presidency to rig the forthcoming elections.

https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria/timi-frank-accuses-inec-of-inducing-csos-with-n300m-to-rig-elections/amp

.....…shunned campaign meeting to spite national leader

Quote:By Olalekan Osiade and Johnchuks Onuanyim 





Fresh facts have emerged on the reason for the absence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the inaugural meeting of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council for the 2019 election. The governors elected on the platform of the party had on Thursday shunned the meeting meant to consider and approve the structure and operational modalities of the campaign for the reelection bid of President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari had on Monday inaugurated the APC Campaign Council with the appointment of the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the co-chairman of the council to fully take charge of the campaign. Though the party had denied insinuations that the governors’ absence was as a result of disaffection, credible sources within the party however confided in Saturday Telegraph that the governors stayed back due to their non support for Tinubu’s appointment.


Lead your campaign –CUPP

This is coming as the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) asked Buhari not to leave his campaign to Tinubu, while doubting the president’s fitness. Addressing journalists at a news conference in Abuja, CUPP chairman, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said Buhari would go down in history as the first President to hire a proxy in a presidential contest. The group of over 46 political parties said Buhari must also debate against its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and account for his stewardship to Nigerians. “President Buhari has, indeed, said Senator Bola Tinubu would do the campaigns on his behalf. We hope he was misquoted. Otherwise, Nigerians should simply ask him to step back from the contest and let his party put Tinubu forward as its candidate. “Buhari would go down as the first candidate in history to hire a proxy in a presidential contest. He is the one contesting, he should not be afraid to be the one to interface directly with Nigerians.”

“We urge Nigerians to insist that President Buhari must show that he is fit and able for the nation’s top job by leading his own campaign and by being at the presidential candidates’ debate.” Checks by our respondent show that aside being unhappy with the rising profile of Tinubu within the corridors of power, some of the governors kicking against Tinubu’s co-chairmanship of the council believed that he is wielding too much powers that could place them at his beck and call. Denying that there was any rancour, APC spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, had said that the Thursday’s parley was not the inaugural meeting and that it was not one meant for everybody.

“The agenda for the meeting had to do with drawing the timetable and deciding on the messaging, it didn’t require everyone in the council to be present. “This is not the inaugural meeting. After the inauguration on Monday, there have been not less than three meetings of the council”, Issa- Onilu had said. However, one of the sources, who happened to be a close aide to one of the governors, revealed that his boss had informed his kitchen cabinet that there is misgivings over the announcement by Buhari. Explaining that they were taken by surprise when the announcement was made, the source said most of the states’ helmsmen were not happy with the situation. He further explained that many of those who witnessed the inauguration went home unhappy, as they were baffled with Buhari’s statement. “If you had noticed the countenances of some of those around, they were not happy but had no choice than to agree with the president.

They just couldn’t believe it. In fact, there was a meeting that day where some people vowed not to work with Tibubu. Another source told our correspondent that the major-ity of the governors shunned the parley because they believed that given such position to Tinubu would be placing him above the governors.

The second source, who was a member of the 2015 campaign team said the governors believed that, with the announcement, Buhari had effectively placed Tinubu above them. “Tinubu knows how to wield powers and giving him such position is as good as equating him with Buhari which will make him be above the governors.

“Before this time, he had been trying to wield powers but he wasn’t giving much chance, now, he will show that he is in charge” The source also linked the governor’s action with Tinubu’s rumoured 2023 presidential ambition, saying that the former Lagos governor had been scheming to worm his way into the heart of the party’s hierarchy in order to succeed Buhari. “All these are nothing but scheming towards the 2023 election, we all know it, it is an open secret within the party. The man is positioning himself for 2023 to succeed Buhari and this is another good opportunity to prove that he can deliver. “If he can deliver Buhari’s election, who says he won’t deliver himself when the time comes? The announcement by Buhari was a good one for him but the majority of the governors are not happy with the situation”, he said.

The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, also denied that there was any rancou r while giving reasons for the absence of the governors. “Because they are governors, they are governing their states. Don’t forget that elections are not defined in Abuja, it will take place in the 36 states and I am sure there are APC members who are campaigning for the House of Assembly, various federal house and senate constituencies, even governorship. “So, it will not be helpful to bring them to Abuja. Here, it is about policies, it will consummated and translated to practice across the 36 states, 774 local governments and wards’ he said, reiterating that the party remains one indivisible body. Meanwhile, Tinubu has dismissed the report of his collapse. Tinubu, who was reported to have collapsed on Wednesday, reacted, after 72 hours that the news of his collapse was fake.

The APC chieftain, who spoke when the Yoruba traditional rulers visited him in Abuja, also punctured the report that the APC governors stayed away from the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Campaign Council. According to him, the report of the governors boycotting the meeting was also fake. The APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, had said while reacting to the governors boycotting Presidential Campaign Council that they were not part of the meeting. He said: “The agenda for the meeting had to do with drawing the timetable and deciding on the messaging. It didn’t require everyone in the council to be present. Meanwhile, this is not the inaugural meeting. After the inauguration on Monday, there have been not less than three meetings of the council.” Also asked why the governors were not at the meeting of the APC PCC, Tinubu said: “That is negative and fake news too. “The point is, the governors had to stay back home because we all don’t have to converge on one place to decide certain modalities when we can easily go back to them on what was discussed and what we expect from your state. “That is what we call structuring in an election. There are some jelly fish reporters around Nigeria these days.”



‘My collapse, fake news’

On his collapse, he said: “Fake news. Whoever is manufacturing it, you better not believe them.” Addressing the traditional rulers on the character of the opposition Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he said, Atiku was Vice President of this country when the local government allocation for Lagos State was seized. “When we led a protest to Atiku then, he said go away. Go and comply. Without those allocations, you cannot bring development. When we said we needed power to power Lagos and the industrial base in our region, they said no. “They were taking away N250 million from our allocation every month for being innovative and creative. Everywhere we turn; they rejected us and punished us. But we never gave up.

“Today, we are in that progressive development championed and led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Thank you for not looking back. Thank you for visiting and encouraging him.” Speaking on the visit of the traditional rulers and their message, he said: “I am very happy and proud of the very promising situation. When you have the endorsement of your royal fathers, it means you have the people with you and the voice of the people is the voice of God.” On their message of peace, he said: “When you have believed that you can get a proper result, you work hard because you want peace. When you believe that you can win, you don’t want violence. “We all love our children, our brothers and our followers and none of us would want our followers to become sacrificial lambs. We won’t encourage violent disruption of any election because we are confidence of winning. “Those who are crying wolf before the election have already accepted defeat before the election as far as I am concerned.” Ooni of Ife in his reaction said: “My message to Nigerians in this time of election is peace. Peace and peaceful coexistence all the way.

“The power of every Nigerian and every electorate lies in the thumb. As traditional rulers, we are father to all and in playing that role, we pray that there should be peace in this country. “That is what we are preaching and it is very important to all of us to know that Nigeria is greater than any of us. So, we should continue to preach peace and identify with good things that will be beneficial to the nation. That is why we are here.”

Yesterday, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) received votes from all universities Chapters across the country to seek if the on going strike should continue or be called called off. These are the results

FOR THE STRIKE TO BE SUSPENDED THE FOLLOWING UNIVERSITIES VOTED:

DELSU
UNILAG
FUTA
IMSU
UNIOYO
UDU
FUTMINA

FOR THE STRIKE TO CONTINUE THE FOLLOWING UNIVERSITIES VOTED:

UNN
UNICAL
UNIPORT
EBSU
UNIABUJA
UNIBADAN
LASU
ABU

Meanwhile, some universities are not here because their votes is not yet confirmed.

Drop update from your school if not listed above

A lady identified as Miss Ashetu was shot dead this evening by unknown gunmen in Benue at Bemoa Office in Katsina-ala.Katsina-ala is one of the unsafe places in Benue

Source:http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2019/01/unknown-gunmen-shoot-lady-dead-in.html

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SATURDAY, 12TH JANUARY.

THINK THE WORD.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).

Many are defeated in life because of their thinking; they’re enslaved by their wrong mentality. You’re not different from the way you think. Through months and years of continually thinking in a certain way, your mind becomes programmed in that direction, and that’s the direction your life will go.

Philippians 4:8 says, “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” It’s actually an exhortation to think on the Word. Spend time to meditate on God’s Word. Whenever you’re in a challenging situation, instead of thinking about the problem, think on the Word. As you reflect or ruminate on God’s Word, there’ll be a transformation, a transfiguration that’ll bring about a solution and permanent change.

For example, it doesn’t matter that the economy of the country where you live is in the doldrums; refuse to see yourself as a victim. Think, and affirm like the psalmist, “The Lord has brought me out into a wealthy place” (Psalm 66:12). Psalm 18:19 says, “He brought me forth also into a large place…” that means a place of abundance, a place of wealth.

Your prosperity and success are independent of the principles and economics of this world. You’ve been abundantly endowed and imbued with all the grace, wisdom, and power you need for an eternally triumphant life. Have this consciousness. Think, and live as a victor, for that’s who you are in Christ.

CONFESSION

I’m making progress by the Word, triumphing over adversities by the power of the resurrected Christ. The Lord is exalted and glorified in me today, and His righteousness is revealed in and through me. I effect changes in my life through the application of God’s Word. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY:

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

1-Year Bible Reading Plan
Matthew 9:18-38 & Genesis 29-30

2-Year Bible Reading Plan
Matthew 5:31-40 & Genesis 12


#TALKINGSESSION

12TH JANUARY.

KINDLY SAY THIS WORDS OUT LOUD.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for setting up your headquarters in me and making me your centre of operation. You’ve made me a success for life because I love you and keep your Word; I acknowledge your mighty power that’s at work in me mightily. I thank you for imparting the divine
life into my spirit through your Son Jesus Christ.

That life in me destroys, paralyzes, and renders ineffective the works of the devil and his attempts in my life, family, finances, and business. Thank you for making me the dispenser of your glory, wisdom, grace, and excellence, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God bless you

Quote:By Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja 



Senate President Bukola Saraki has raised the alarm, alleging threat to his safety and that of the members of his immediate family in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Addressing reporters in Abuja on Friday, Saraki fingered thugs allegedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the police as instigators.

Saraki, who is the Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, described the alleged conspiracy against him by the thugs and the police as sinister, uncivilised and unfortunate.

He said: “I call you today to bring to your attention the sad development in my home state, Kwara State, and the role of the security agencies in giving cover to people who are unleashing violence on our people because they are surprised and cannot understand how and why the people continue to give massive and overwhelming support to the PDP across the state.

“Also Yesterday (Thursday), these same APC thugs shielded by policemen went to my family quarters in Agbaji in Ilorin and vandalized houses, shops and inflicted wounds with matchete on three people.

“All these destructions took place in the presence of policemen who came with them but watched without any care, as the APC thugs and supporters unleashed violence on our people.

“For me, personally, I believe the decision to attack people and properties in my family ancestral compound is a direct affront and attack on my person.

“And whatever signals these APC elements with support from the police believe they are sending is definitely sinister, uncivilized and unfortunate”.

He expressed regrets that the police have continued to show undisguised hostility toward him and his supporters in the state.

According to him, this latest round of violence was part of efforts to jeopardise and undermine his personal security and that of his immediate and larger family members.

Narrating his ordeals further, Saraki said: “Three incidents will illustrate what I am saying to you. Yesterday, after the APC concluded their campaigns in Ilorin, some of their supporters and thugs moved around town and in areas like Adewole/Adeta, Ile Otan and Ubandawaki/Pakata where they saw our people gathered holding their weekly ward meetings.

“They disrupted the meetings by shouting their party slogan and when our people responded by mentioning our own slogan, they fired gunshots into their midst in Adewole/Adeta.

“They also inflicted matchete cuts on some of them. As a result of this attack, two people suffered bullet wounds”.

The former Kwara State Governor said reports of the attacks were filed in relevant police stations in Ilorin but expressed doubts that anything tangible and constructive would come out of the reports.

He stated further that as part of the plot, the police, under the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, had, on Thursday, commenced the transfer of Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) out of Kwara State.

Saraki called on Nigerians and the entire world to hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to him and members of his family.

“While the police are free to take decisions on the deployment of their personnel, we found the postings in Kwara State strange and more than a mere coincidence.

“It should also be noted that IGP has posted three different Commissioners of Police to Kwara State in the last six months.

“In fact, the previous and current Commissioner of Police in the state got strict instructions from the IGP not to relate or engage with the Senate President,” Saraki added.

According to him, the usual practice has been that the Commissioner of Police personally ensures the security of the Senate President whenever he visits his home state.

He said all his predecessors were accorded that security cover whenever they visited their home states and that he also enjoyed it in his first year in office from 2015 to 2016.

Saraki expressed apprehensions over his personal safety as the ward to ward electioneering campaign is about to begin across the state.

According to him: “We need to make it clear to the entire world that now that ward to ward campaign is about to begin in the state and I am set to participate in that grassroots campaign, as I have always done, nobody is sure what instructions Mr. Idris has given to the police command in the state.

“Thus, the entire world should hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to members of my family and myself.”

Deploring the role of the IGP in the entire plot, Saraki continued, “Do not forget that before now, this same IGP has tried several tricks to implicate me in some criminal charges.

“First, he arrested some cultists and was about to compel them to claim they worked for me. We exposed the trick early enough and the media also pointed out holes in his story. He quickly withdrew that.

“Later, he went on to the Offa robbery case and politicised the investigation in order to rope me.

“In the process of forcing suspects to implicate me, the principal suspect died in their custody.

“He has also not succeeded with that plot. Who knows what else he may have planned.

“Now, that full campaign is on, which requires my going round, I want the world to hold him personally responsible if anything happens to me.”

Budget: FG proposes N1bn, N390 million for construction of new Enugu terminal building, FAAN headquarters

FEDERAL Government has proposed the sum of N1billion and another N390m for the construction of a new terminal building at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and on the completion of new headquarters for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Abuja respectively.

These were contained in the 2019 budgeted submitted by the Federal Government to the National Assembly last December.

Government also proposed in the 2019 budget, the sum of N306.4m for the construction of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano and the sum of N325.5million for the fabrication and installation of conveyor belts at Enugu and Port Harcourt Airports, which it also said was ongoing.
Also proposed was N192.2million for the production and installation of information desk at Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port-Harcourt and Enugu Airport, which is ongoing.

Recalled that in 2018 FAAN had received myriads of complains about the Enugu Airport leading the agency, the NCAA to carry out an assessment where it was discovered that the state government had a role to play to ensure that some of the challenges were addressed.
Among which was the inability of FAAN to install the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procured for the airport due to the incursion by schools, markets and television masts.

Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of State for Aviation, had disclosed that government would remove some structures to ensure that the ILS was installed after a facility inspection around the airport.

Sirika said the Federal Government had released N1.7billion for construction work to continue at the international wing of the airport, noting that more money would be made available when the 2018 budgetary provision was released for completion of work.
But, the project, which was marked “ongoing” in the 2019 budget proposal to the National Assembly was also included in the 2019 budget
But, rather than the N1.7billion announced for the project in March 2018, the government proposed N1,008,722,145 in this year’s budget.
Apart from this, the government also proposed additional N390 million for the completion of ongoing new headquarters for FAAN in Abuja.

Senator Sirika, the Minister of State for Aviation had in July 2018 inaugurated a project team for the construction of the proposed new office complex and staff quarters for FAAN in Abuja.

Sirika had lamented that FAAN that had the mandate of building and managing airports in the country did not have a befitting office complex in the federal capital.

He had said that the decision to construct the office complex and residential quarters was through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, which he said was to ensure that what would be delivered would be of a high quality that represented value for money.
 

Baby rescued from traffickers by all -female Air Peace crew

ANOTHER baby was on Sunday rescued from the jaws of traffickers by an all-female crew of Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, foiling an attempt by a middle-aged woman and her collaborators to traffic the three-day-old baby boy through the Port Harcourt Airport to Lagos.

The eagle-eyed crew comprising Captain Sinmisola Ajibola, Senior First Officer Onohi Agboighale, Mojoko Ewane, Taiye Abbey, Victoria Ukpiaifo and Ngozi Ezeamaka had noticed the awkwardness of the alleged trafficker and decided to dig deeper and insist she performed her motherly functions which became an issue.

According to reports, the suspect had booked Air Peace Port Harcourt-Lagos Flight P4 7393 on Sunday. During boarding, the Lead Crew of the flight, Mojoko Ewane observed that the suspect was handling the baby in an awkward manner and decided to question her.

When she was questioned at the boarding door of the aircraft, the suspect claimed the baby was three days old. She, however, later told her interrogators that the baby was born on January 5, a day before her aborted trip. The suspect said she gave birth to the baby shortly after travelling from Lagos to Port Harcourt on an Air Peace flight on January 

A call was later placed to the contact numbers the suspect said belonged to her husband and the doctor who handled the birth of the child. While the alleged husband claimed that his wife was actually pregnant, the alleged doctor’s number rang unanswered.
When the suspect was asked to breastfeed the baby, she could not as there was no breast milk.

The suspect tried to create a scene, rallying other passengers on the flight to prevail on Air Peace crew to allow her fly, but the crew stood their ground.
When the crew informed the suspect that the carrier’s standard operating procedure barred them from allowing passengers fly with a week-old baby on grounds of health, she claimed to be a nurse and insisted that the baby’s health would not be jeopardised.

The airline, it was gathered, later invited personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Port Harcourt Airport to take over the case for further investigation.

Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah confirmed the incident on Wednesday, saying the airline was proud that its crew professionally discharged their responsibility to ensure passengers’ safety and assist government in fighting crime.

A DSS source in Port Harcourt also confirmed that the suspect had been transferred to the zonal office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for further handling.
The source claimed that the suspect confessed that a lady gave her the baby. The DSS source commended Air Peace crew for foiling the attempted child trafficking with their vigilance.
In June 2018, Air Peace crew also exposed a suspected trafficker of a three-month-old baby on its Lagos-Banjul flight.

GAT records 228, 239 passenger traffic in December

DECEMBER 2018 saw a record total passenger traffic at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) hit 228, 239 with inbound passengers at the terminal standing at 104,168 while a total of 124,071 passengers were processed out during the period under review.
These statistics were made available by the Terminal Manager of the GAT, Mr Aderigbigbe Adekunle, who said the management of the terminal before the Yuletide took several measures aimed at ensuring seamless passenger facilitation by servicing the conveyor belts, cooling systems and screening machines.
Adekunle said that the upsurge in passenger traffic was envisaged hence it was seamless passenger’s facilitation while some flights were moved to a less busy terminal for easy passenger facilitation.
“We have two terminals here, the Zulu and Alfa, what we did was to move some flights from the busy terminal to the less busy terminal for passengers comfort. Calabar, Port Harcourt and Uyo flights were moved to the Zulu terminal to ease the Alfa traffic where Airpeace operates from”
According to Mr. Adekunle, the Agege motor road construction work almost marred the airport free flow of traffic as the construction work had a spilled over to domestic airport users but remarked that it was carefully handled by FAAN officials at they terminal end.
“The only challenge was the construction work on the Agege motor road, passengers find it difficult to to move out of the terminal to connect to Agege motor road. The traffic extended to the terminal and passengers expressed bitter experience during the Yuletide period”
The Terminal Manager also revealed that the automation of the domestic car park by FAAN early last year brought sanity to the area as some people who were not travellers took undue advantage of the non automation of the park to leave their vehicles there.
He said with the billing system introduced, the number of vehicles at the park had gradually reduced through proper monitoring.
Mr Adekunle while acknowledging the small size of the domestic car park, explained further that there was plan by the management of FAAN to construct a new multi storey car park at the domestic Wing noting that when completed will cater for the decongestion of traffic at the terminal.
On the indiscriminate washing of vehicles by the domestic airport car hire operators at the park, the manager noted that the management will continue to sensitize them on the need to use the designated car wash area at the park.
He explained that touting activities have been reduced at the airport with various arrest made on daily basis by FAAN security personnel warning that anyone caught touting within the airport will be apprehended and handed over to the law enforcement agents.
He expressed appreciation to the management of FAAN for the evacuation order that led to the removal of all abandoned aircraft from the tarmac which has created enough space at the domestic end of the tarmac.

Quote:Death has befallen an African Archbishop right in front of his own church members while baptizing some people.

Andries Moeti was a South African Archbishop died during baptism, Daily Sun SA reports.

The cleric usually went under water for a minute to pray before baptising new members. However, on Sunday, the 36-year-old leader of New Heaven Apostolic Church in Marobjane Village, Limpopo, drowned in front of church members who were queueing up to be baptised.

When people realised the archbishop had been under water for a while, they screamed for help as they were afraid to go in and rescue him.

His mum, Elisa Moeti (60), told Daily Sun it was hard for church members and his family to accept Andries’ death.

“We are still shocked because he always went to the stream to pray and baptise people. He would go into the water for a minute before letting his congregants go in for prayers.

“I believe his death was God’s will because those who were there when he drowned told us the incident was mysterious,” said Elisa.

His dad, James Seshoka (57), said it was a sad moment when the search and rescue unit recovered his body from the water. Church members were fainting and crying.

The archbishop will be laid to rest in Marobjane tomorrow.

He leaves behind his wife and three children.

Elisa, who worked closely with her son, said she would look after the church and his family.

A petrol tanker explosion which happened today along the Calabar-Odukpani Highway in Odukpani local government area of Cross River State, has left many dead, according to reports..

It was gathered the petrol tanker fell while trying to negotiate the bend with residents rushing to the scene to scoop petrol.

Eyewitnesses reported the clamour for petrol resulted into a spark as some of the residents used metal containers to scoop the product.

This led to an explosion which killed several people at once.

At the scene, the police tried to contain the situation as the fire raged.

A majority of the victims sustained third degree injuries and are currently at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

See more; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2019/01/scores-dead-after-tanker-explosion-in-odukpani-cross-river-state.html

A woman has been caught by her husband having sex with another man despite not agreeing to the husband’s repeated request for sex.

William Masiiwa Chakanyuka, 58, a businessman at Juru Growth point in Zimbabwe, is accusing Witness Mutize of seducing his wife identified as Primrose Chimutsa after he caught the two red-handed caressing in a car sometime before Christmas.

The estranged lovers could not enjoy the Christmas together after the wife was exposed.

The businessman did not take justice into his own hands, however, but approached Chief Chikwaka to resolve the issue.

Chief Chikwaka, real name Murambiwa Bungu, confirmed the incident and stated that the trial was due this Sunday.

”One of our local businessmen claims that he caught his wife in the arms of another local businessman,” said Chief Chikwaka.

Chakanyuka told the H-Metro that he suspected that his wife had been cheating on him for some time since she had been denying him his conjugal rights.

Chakanyuka assumptions where only confirmed when he caught Primrose in Mutize’s arms.

”I am still to believe that my colleague has been giving me a false smile when he was busy dipping his stick into my well,” said Chakanyuka.

Gist from Gistmore - http://gistmore.com/wife-caught-having-sex-with-another-man-while-she-stabs-husband-of-sex

A man allegedly poured acid on his ex-wife’s lover, after which he also reportedly stabbed him to death.

The suspect reportedly attacked his former wife’s lover while the woman and her lover were in a room at her father’s house.

The Benue Police Command on Friday arraigned the suspect, one Abunde Goja, 32, who allegedly killed his ex-wife’s lover.

Goja was charged with conspiracy, culpable homicide and membership of unlawful society before a Makurdi Upper Area Court.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Veronica Shaagee, said that Goja attacked and killed Mr. Terdoo Shitov of Judges Quarters, Makurdi,

She said that the murder occurred in the ex-wife’s father’s house.

Shaagee said that Goja, a resident of Achusa, Makurdi, conspired with several others and attached Shitov with machete and acid.

She told the court that the case was transferred from B Division Police Station, Makurdi, to the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department on January 7.

“While she (Goja’s ex-wife) was in her room with her boyfriend, Terdoo Shitov, in her father’s house, her ex-husband, Bunde Goja, conspired with his cult members now at large and attacked and ‘macheted’ Terdoo Shitov to death and also poured acid on his head.”

The prosecutor said that the accused was arrested during Police investigation and that he confessed to committing the crime.

She said that a machete stained with blood, a plank, an axe, an acid rubber container and a blood-stained cloth were recovered from the scene of the crime.

Shaagee said that investigation into the matter was still ongoing, and requested for an adjournment to enable the Police to complete it.

She said the offences contravened Section 97, 222 of the Penal Code, Law of Benue, 2004, and Section 11(2) of the Abduction, Hostage- Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition Law, 2017.

The court did not take the plea of the accused due to want of jurisdiction.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Fatima Akintomide, ordered that Goja be kept at the Federal Medium Prison, Makurdi, and adjourned the case to February 15 for further mention.

Gist from Gistmore - https://gistmore.com/benue-man-allegedly-pours-acid-on-ex-wifes-lover-stabs-him-to-death

Quote:Masked persons suspected to be policemen have reportedly stormed the Police Clinic in Garki, Abuja, whisking away embattled Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye.

He was believed to have been taken to Lokoja, Kogi State, for interrogation over the alleged shooting of one Sgt. Danjuma Aliu by suspected political thugs.

A close associate of the Kogi senator confirmed this to our Correspondent.

Our correspondent learnt that the evacuation of the lawmaker was carried out around 2:15 pm Friday in commando style.

Melaye, who has been having a running battle with the Force, was rushed to the clinic for medical attention after he slumped last Friday.

Before he was moved to the clinic after slumping, the lawmaker had barricaded himself in his house in Maitama, Abuja, for eight days, vowing never to give himself up for arrest.

The Force PPRO at Force Headquarters, Abuja, Jimoh Moshood, promised to get back to our reporter when he was called for confirmation of the news.

The Police, on Friday, arraigned a 28-year-old Husseini Abdullahi in a Karu Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly duping his fiancee of money and phone totalling N56,000.

The defendant, who resides at Ruga, Mararaba in Nasarawa State, is being tried for criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal misappropriation.

He, however, denied committing the offences.

The prosecutor, Vincent Osuji, told the court that the victim, Khadijat Ahmed, of Old Chief Palace, Karu, Abuja, reported the matter at the Karu Police Station, Abuja, on December 3.

Osuji said Khadijat alleged that the accused breached the agreement between them and duped her of N56,000.

“Sometime in August, 2018, Khadijat and the defendant started dating and in the process, she took the defendant to her parents, who did not approve of their relationship because of the defendant’s appearance.

“However, the defendant lured Khadijat to Kano, collected a cash sum of N20,000 and one Infinix Hot 3 phone valued at N36,000 under the false pretences that he would marry her.

“Realising that Khadijat had reported the matter to the Police, the defendant began to threaten her through his friends,” Osuji said.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 312, 322 and 309 of the Penal Code.

The judge, Sani Mohammed, granted the defendant N200,000 bail, with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case until February 6 for hearing.

Gist from Gistmore - http://gistmore.com/man-allegedly-dupes-fiancee-of-money-phone

A ghastly motor accident just occurred few moments ago in Imo state, which is feared to have claimed an unspecified number of lives. 

It was learnt that two vehicles collided with each other after one of the drivers lost control at Okwudor junction, along Njaba road in the local government area of the state.

The number of causalities are yet to be determined as at the time of filing this report. 

The "infamous" Njaba road has claimed many lives following series of reoccurring accidents. Some time ago, over 20 people were killed in  an automobile crash, at Njaba bridge. 

The same road claimed the lives of seven family members after a fatal crash few months ago.

An Imo indigene, Sunny Ndukwu, has joined other residents to call for serious prayers against tragedy on the highway. He wrote; 

Which kind of Marine Spirit is operating at the popular Njaba road! Men of God should please do something in that area, the rate of auto crash and loss of lives along that road is alarming! This happened just few minutes ago at Okwudor junction, Njaba LGA of Imo state.....
 
See more; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2019/01/accident-along-njaba-road-in-imo-state.html

JJC Skillz shared this lovely photo of himself and his twin boys on his Instagram page and also declared his love for his wife and mother of the twin boys, Funke Akindele Bello.


Recall that Funke welcomed the boys last year. JJC on his IG wrote


"Isaiah 61:7


Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs. #thankgoditsfriday #doublejoy love you my queen @funkejenifaakindele".

https://hitng.info/1871/jjc-declared-his-love-for-his-wife-funke-as-he-shares-lovely-photo-with-their-twin-boys/

A man allegedly poured acid on his ex-wife’s lover, after which he also reportedly stabbed him to death.

The suspect reportedly attacked his former wife’s lover while the woman and her lover were in a room at her father’s house.

The Benue Police Command on Friday arraigned the suspect, one Abunde Goja, 32, who allegedly killed his ex-wife’s lover.

Goja was charged with conspiracy, culpable homicide and membership of unlawful society before a Makurdi Upper Area Court.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Veronica Shaagee, said that Goja attacked and killed Mr. Terdoo Shitov of Judges Quarters, Makurdi,

She said that the murder occurred in the ex-wife’s father’s house.

Shaagee said that Goja, a resident of Achusa, Makurdi, conspired with several others and attached Shitov with machete and acid.

She told the court that the case was transferred from B Division Police Station, Makurdi, to the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department on January 7.

“While she (Goja’s ex-wife) was in her room with her boyfriend, Terdoo Shitov, in her father’s house, her ex-husband, Bunde Goja, conspired with his cult members now at large and attacked and ‘macheted’ Terdoo Shitov to death and also poured acid on his head.”

The prosecutor said that the accused was arrested during Police investigation and that he confessed to committing the crime.

She said that a machete stained with blood, a plank, an axe, an acid rubber container and a blood-stained cloth were recovered from the scene of the crime.

Shaagee said that investigation into the matter was still ongoing, and requested for an adjournment to enable the Police to complete it.

She said the offences contravened Section 97, 222 of the Penal Code, Law of Benue, 2004, and Section 11(2) of the Abduction, Hostage- Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities Prohibition Law, 2017.

The court did not take the plea of the accused due to want of jurisdiction.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Fatima Akintomide, ordered that Goja be kept at the Federal Medium Prison, Makurdi, and adjourned the case to February 15 for further mention.

Gist from Gistmore - https://gistmore.com/benue-man-allegedly-pours-acid-on-ex-wifes-lover-stabs-him-to-death

Olagunsoye Oyinlola, chairman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), says President Muhammadu Buhari should allow Bola Tinubu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), contest the president election.

Addressing journalists at a news conference in Abuja on Friday, Oyinlola said Buhari would go down in history as the first president to hire a proxy in a presidential contest.

He said Buhari must debate against other presidential candidates and “account for his stewardship to Nigerians”.

“President Buhari has indeed said senator Bola Tinubu would do the campaigns on his behalf. We hope he was misquoted. Otherwise, Nigerians should simply ask him to step back from the contest and let his party put Tinubu forward as its candidate,” he said.

“Buhari would go down as the first candidate in history to hire a proxy in a presidential contest. He is the one contesting, he should not be afraid to be the one to interface directly with Nigerians.

“We urge Nigerians to insist that President Buhari must show that he is fit and able for the nation’s top job by leading his own campaign and by being at the presidential candidates’ debate.”

Oyinlola also accused the APC of plotting to rig the 2019 elections by refusing to sign the electoral bill.

He noted that the amendments were made in order to have better legal frameworks for delivery of free and fair elections.

He said: “We, therefore, see the president’s decision not to sign the bill as a direct, open threat to the integrity of the elections and it is not funny.

“We call on him, therefore, to have a rethink and sign the bill into law without any further delay.”

https://www.thecable.ng/oyinlola-buhari-is-first-candidate-ever-to-hire-a-proxy-in-a-presidential-contest/amp

Quote:By Christopher Okafor

A middle aged man simply identified as Ifeanyi escaped being lynched by whiskers on Wednesday after allegedly being caught stealing ladies pants at a student residential quarters at Mgbakwu, Awka north Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Orient Weekend gathered that the suspect who hails from Umuneke in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State confessed that he had already stolen over 58 women pants before luck ran out on him as he was caught red-handed by a woman in the early hours of that Wednesday.

A witness to the melodrama told our reporter that Ifeanyi had broken into the house around 2am and headed straight to the rope where some pants where hung and was harvesting the under wears when the unidentified woman who came out to urinate saw him and raised alarm.

“The woman raised an alarm and he was caught; his cloth tore as he was beating mercilessly by angry mob,” the source told our reporter at the popular Nkwo Mgbakwu market, where the suspect lay gasping for breath after intense beating from angry mob.

This paper learnt that the suspect was once caught in the act at one white colour painted storey building where both students and non-students live at Amaezike village in Mgbakwu.

Ifeanyi had earlier confessed that he had been in the business of stealing ladies pants, washed and spread by the owners at their respective homes and that he usually sold them to a man known as Emeka Ofor at the rate of N500. “I steal them (pants) from women hostels. I used to sell them to Emeka Ofor, who also hails from Umuneke Udi LGA at the rate of N500 (five hundred naira) per piece,” he confessed.

The suspect claimed he dropped out of school at the Senior Secondary school (SSII) because of mental health challenges, but however blamed his travails on devil and promised never to steal women pants anymore.

He equally urged youths still in the business of stealing ladies pants or other criminal activities to repent and give their lives to Christ. It was gathered that after making passionate appeal for clemency, the suspect was later forgiven by the mob and allowed to walk away. A source later confided in Orient Weekend that he later fled the area at night after being handed a shirt and shot.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State command, SP Haruna Muhammed, said the police had not been briefed on the development, and promised to make it public when they receive the information. Stealing of ladies pants for money-making rituals, a development that has sent shockwaves in parts of Delta state have become a rampant criminal activity in recent times, forcing many ladies to adopt various mechanisms including going pantless to safeguard their future. Reports indicate that pants won by ladies between 14 and 30 years of age are sold as high as N400,000 in some parts of Warri in Delta State.

American rapper Juelz Santana weds longtime girlfriend Kimbella ahead of his prison sentence.

Juelz Santana proposed to his girlfriend Kimbella in November of 2018 at the Apollo Theater while performing alongside his Dipset brothers.

American rapper Juelz Santana weds before heading to prison

They had just dropped their Diplomatic Ties album, and the mood was right.

“This my lady. She’s been rocking with me for a long, long time,” Juelz told the theater audience.
“She stuck it out with a nigga through the ups and downs. I love you, baby. You’re my queen and I want to do this in front of everybody right here.”

The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony on Thursday. As expected, Cam’ron, Freekey Zekey, and Jim Jones were in attendance.

Juelz Santana proposed while he was facing several years in prison for a gun charge. The Dipset rapper was traveling at Newark International Airport when TSA found a gun and prescription pills in his carry on.

Juelz fled the scene, but turned himself in soon after.
Although many on the internet have questioned the timing of Santana’s proposal, he’s not worried about what other people think.
“If I was worried about someone taking her the [sic] I wouldn’t of did it,” wrote Juelz in a clap back comment on Instagram.
“If someone take ya lady, a ring ain’t gonna stop nothing. U jus gonna be out of a ring n a lady. What u saying makes no sense… Stay blessed tho fam.”

Paris first naked restaurant is closing due to lack of customers, despite France’s reported 2.7 million practising naturists.


The nudist restaurant in the east of Paris, called “O’Naturel”, opened in November 2017 and got rave reviews from customers who were expected to shed their clothes in the cloakroom and leave it there along with mobile phones to prevent people from sneaking a photo of other customers.
They were then given slippers to wear to the dining area, although women were allowed to keep their heels on if they wanted. In spite of the positive reviews, they still couldn’t get enough customers.
Twins Mike and Stephane Saada, who own the restaurant said they will close for good on February 16.

“It is now or never,” they urged the curious “wanting to experience a last nude dinner in Paris”.

“We are counting on you to support us,” they wrote on Facebook. “We thank everyone for taking part in this adventure. We will only remember the good moments and the great people we met.”

News of the closure sent a chill through the French naturist world, but campaigner Cedric Amato said the restaurant was ahead of its time.
“It may have been a little early” for an all year round nudist establishment in Paris, he told AFP.
“I ate there many times and it was very good,” but the fact that it was in a residential area and did not have a terrace for good weather counted against it, he said.

Andy Murray has announced he’s retiring from tennis after Wimbledon, due to an hip injury that has plagued him since 2017.


The 31-year-old made this known during an emotional press conference where he made it known that he still plans to take on the Australian Open but could walk away from tennis this month if his condition doesn’t improve.
At the press conference ahead of the Grand Slam, he started crying after telling everyone he wasn’t feeling great. He had to leave the room for several minutes so that he could calm down. He said;

“Obviously I have been struggling a long time and I have been in pain for about twenty months now.
“I’ve pretty much done everything that I could to try and get my hip feeling better and it hasn’t helped loads. I’m in a better place than I was six months ago but still in a lot of pain. It’s been tough.
“I’m going to play here. I can still play to a certain level, not a level I’m happy playing at. It’s not just that. The pain is too much really, I don’t want to continue playing that way.
“I’ve tried pretty much everything I could do but it hasn’t worked. In the middle of December I spoke to my team and told them I can’t keep doing this. I thought I needed to have an end point, because I was playing with no idea of when the pain was going to stop.
“I said to them maybe I could get through this until Wimbledon, that is where I would like to stop playing but I am also not certain I am able to do that.”

He said he’s in so much pain that he’s not enjoying the sport he loves. But not only is he afflicted with physical pain, but also the mental drain that comes with it. He added:

“Everyone I bump into that’s all they want to talk about [his health], it’s pretty draining. I have spoken to psychologists about it. It’s not fun or enjoyable.”

Murray walk away from tennis with two Wimbledon wins, a US Open title and two Olympic gold medals.

A documentary titled ‘Leaving Neverland’ which is based on how Michael Jacksonsexually abused men is set to be released soon.


As ‘Surviving R Kelly‘ is drawing lots of reactions, late king of pop Michael Jackson is set to have a documentary about his sexual molestation allegations released soon. Sundance describes ”Leaving Neverland”:

“As one of the world’s most celebrated icons, Michael Jackson represents many things to many people—a pop star, a humanitarian, a beloved idol. When allegations of sexual abuse by Jackson involving young boys surfaced in 1993, many found it hard to believe that the King of Pop could be guilty of such unspeakable acts.
In separate but parallel stories that echo one another, two boys were each befriended by Jackson, who invited them into his singular and wondrous world. Seduced by the singer’s fairy-tale existence and enthralled by their relationship with him, both boys’ families were blind to the manipulation and abuse that he would ultimately subject them to.

Through gut-wrenching interviews with the now-adult men and their families, ‘Leaving Neverland’ crafts a portrait of sustained exploitation and deception, documenting the power of celebrity that allowed a revered figure to infiltrate the lives of starstruck children and their parents.”
However, Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine Jackson has described the work as a defamation because Michael was cleared of all charges by a court. He issued a statement on his Facebook page:
“A documentary titled “Leaving Neverland” is planned to be shown to 40,000 people at the Sundance Film Festival. The producer of the film is Dan Reed.
This film is based on the falsified claims of molestation by the hands of Michael Jackson. As Michael’s innocence was proven by a court of law and a 10 year FBI investigation, this is legally considered defamation of character. This mendacious documentary should NOT see the light of day.”

It has emerged that the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos’ marriage has crashed and a serious divorce in the loom.According to report, the Amazon Boss and his wife are separating over his affair with a mistress who he reportedly exchange sex chats with during the time of their relationship.

See sex chat with mistress that crashed Jeff Bezos’ marriage
Among media exchanged between the duo were shirtless selfies, a photo of his genitals, steamy text messages and more to married Lauren Sanchez while they carried on an eight month affair that sometimes saw them hook up in both their marital homes, in hotels and in private jets.
The relationship between Amazon billionaire and his mistress, TV host Lauren Sanchez, has been going on long before Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie decided to divorce.
Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie seen in September heading to Senator McCain’s funeral
Jeff, 54, and Lauren’s relationship involved private jet rendezvous, intimate dinners and sleepovers at each other’s marital homes, it has been claimed. They also stayed in hotels together, including one in Boston hours after the rest of the Bezos family had left the hotel.
It was claimed the family was in town to attend Bezos’ son’s graduation from MIT. While they were at the ceremony, Sanchez, it is claimed, was put in a room in the same hotel where they were occupying a private suite. Once the family left, Bezos is reported to have stayed and loved-in with Sanchez until the following day.

The National Enquirer magazine followed the love birds for four months after snappingLauren Sanchez and her sister getting off Bezos’ private jet in October.
The Enquirer claims that Bezos only announced his divorce on Wednesday morning because he knew they were about to expose his affair with Sanchez.
The magazine also alleges that Jeff Bezos desperately tried to stop them from running its series of photographs which document their affair, and he even asked one friend: ‘Can’t I buy the story from them?’
MacKenzie, Jeff Bezos’ wife of 25 years, uncovered the affair between her husband and Lauren Sanchez when she looked at her husband’s plane’s flight manifest and found Sanchez’s name was the only one on the passenger list.
According to the Enquirer’s sources, Bezos is ‘in love’ with Sanchez and has told her:
We don’t have to worry about the parachute opening because we are jumping together.
We are sharing the parachute and it will land safely. We have chosen each other.
It was also revealed that asides meeting in each other’s homes, Bezos once booked a private bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel for them to spend the night in just five blocks from his marital mansion.
It has also emerged that the pair exchanged steamy text messages, dating back to April last year. Bezos sent raunchy text messages to Sanchez, who is married to Hollywood mega agent Patrick Whitesell and has three children (two with him and one from a previous relationship with an NFL star).


In one, he reportedly told the 49-year-old:
I love you, alive girl.  I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon.

In another, National Enquirer claims he said:

I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight.… I want to kiss your lips…. I love you. I am in love with you.

Others are more X-rated including one where he is said to have told the former TV host:
I miss you. I want to kiss you right now and tuck you in slowly and gently.
And maybe in the morning wake you up and not be quite so gentle with you.

In another, he allegedly said:
Your energy and ideas and competence and SPIRIT turn me on. You make me better. You’re meant for me.

Another is said to have read:
I am so full of love for you. My heart is growing just so it can have room for you.
It’s bigger than it’s ever been and still swelling.

Other remarks he reportedly made to her include:
I want to hold you tight.… I want to kiss your lips…. I love you. I am in love with you.
You know what I want? I want to get a little drunk with you tonight. Not falling down. Just a little drunk. I want to talk to you and plan with you. Listen and laugh … I basically WANT TO BE WITH YOU!!! Then I want to fall asleep with you and wake up tomorrow and read the paper with you and have coffee with you.

In addition to shirtless photographs he took standing in front of mirrors, including one in a steamy room where the magazine claims he was wearing just a towel, he also sent Sanchez an ‘unsparing’ photograph of his genitals which it said was too graphic to publish.

It was previously reported that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez didn’t start dating until they were both separated from their spouses. But National Enquirer says they had been dating since June, months before Lauren separated from her husband, Hollywood mega-agent Patrick Whitesell, and nine months before Bezos announced his split from his wife, MacKenzie, on Twitter.
It is believed that Lauren Sanchez met Jeff Bezos through her husband Patrick. Sources tell The Enquirer that the affair has ‘blindsided’ Sanchez’s husband Patrick.
Over the last several years, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos and Patrick Whitesell and Lauren Sanchez have been photographed together at glitzy events including the Vanity Fair Oscars party.
Bezos reportedly propositioned Sanchez behind her husband’s back while they honored the Oscar-winning film Manchester By The Sea.
He whispered to her: ‘You can’t fight chemistry’.
Amid the relationship saga, it has emerged that Sanchez was voted ‘Biggest Flirt’ by her classmates at Del Norte High School (Sanchez left in 1987).

Nigerian big boy Abroad Husshpuppi shares shocking revelation on his social handle on how people in Nigeria are going through a lot of struggles to make something out of nothing. 

He wrote :- 

Quote:Hushpuppi I am writing this from the point of view of a kid that was raised with little or no resources from Nigeria but has “desire” for greatness. 

For me I believe the starting point of all achievement is desire which except you are blind and dumb then you won’t be able to tell how weak the desire of our present rulers are when it comes to our lives, our safety, our wellness, our struggles as a hardworking people who have been categorized as lazy Nigerians.

I have learnt through the years that weak desires only bring weak result just as small amount of fire makes small amount of heat. We all have one way or the other experienced the amount of heat, suffering this government has brought upon the nation. As someone in his 30s, who was told as a child is the “leader of tomorrow” now i am experiencing today not as a leader and tomorrow which they referred to will probably when I’m 50 right? 

That’s 4 more terms of government before I am 50, with every president wanting two terms, what is the possibility that any of us will be the leader of tomorrow when in reality the same people have been ruling us from childhood? very slim or no chance right? 

If we are then going to be realistic with each other, we then deserve to at least pick one of the old ones who won’t make life unbearable for us, Buhari has failed us in every sector of governance, we don’t deserve to give suffer a second chance in our lives, I have never experienced so much suicide by Nigerians since my birth until Buhari took power, who is next that will be pushed to kill themself due to so much suffering? It could a person close to home next. 

If I have to pick among the two old people who are our prime options (Buhari and Atiku) pls pick ATIKU, don’t say he chop our money before at least we or our parents didn’t commit suicide or turn internet beggars, we didn’t have to steal pants and endanger the lives of our women to survive, our economy was not in a stand still, our graduates didn’t have to go and explain what 5k can do in their life under giveaway posts on the internet.

Please do what is right young and old people out there. Nigeria doesn’t need prayer, it needs right decisions. #LetsGetNigeriaWorkingAgain