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23 Nov 2015 By Anietie Ekong It is often stated that a Prophet is without honour in his home. But this assertion was broken penultimate week when the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, a foremost socio-cultural group the fourth largest ethnic group, the Ibibios, rolled out the drums to celebrate the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio for his accomplishment during his tenure as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. The occasion was the 19th Obong Sampson Udo Etuk lecture, dinner and excellence awards ceremony held at the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio International Secretariat/Community Centre in Uyo. Obong Sampson Udo Etuk is widely regarded as the father of Nigeria’s socio-cultural development. In 1928, he and his friends got together to form Ibibio Welfare Union and was subsequently elected the first National President of the Ib...

By Paul Obi in Abuja The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that attempts by the 36 governors of the federation to slash the N18,000 minimum wage over their inability to meet the wage obligations to workers will amount to a declaration of war. In a statement on Sunday, NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, expressed concern over the move by the governors, who met under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) last week and made the pronouncement at the end of their meeting, to reduce the minimum wage. He said: “The Nigeria Labour Congress is shocked by the statement credited to the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari, that the N18,000 national minimum wage promulgated into law in 2011 was no longer sustainable because of the fall in the price of crude oil. “The governor who was speaking on behalf of his colleagues at the end of a meeting of the forum also claimed that the national minimum wage...

1 By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 National PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Buruji Kashamu repre­senting Ogun East sena­torial district, have peti­tioned the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa de­manding the disbandment of the Ogun State Court of Appeal panel sitting in Ibadan. In two separate petitions to Bulkachuwa, the PDP and Kashamu alleged that the state Court of Appeal might be compromised with respect to the appeal arising from the outcome of the National Assem­bly Elections Petitions in Ogun State. Last month, a three-man tribunal, headed by Justice Ebiowei Tobi nul­lified Kashamu’s election. Kashamu and PDP’s allegations were raised in separate petitions to the Court of Appeal presi­dent. In a November ...

2 By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 National By Zika Bobby IGBO leader and a Board of Trustees (BoT) of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Rommy Ezeo­nwuka, has called on the Federal Government to be cautious in handling the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other pro-Biafran groups. The Ogirisi Igbo urged the government not to repeat what happened to Yusuf Muhammed, self-styled lead­er and founder of Boko Haram with Nnamdi Kanu’s case. “It Yusuf were alive today, there could have prob­ably been an end to Boko Haram. Rather, Boko Haram is spreading because the leader that knows its secret code has been killed and no one knows how to decode it. Every activist has a special message from God. Asa­ri Dokubo, Tompolo and others emerged to pro...

6 By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 Trending From David Onwuch­ekwa, Nnewi FEW days after Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka said he would support pro-Biafran agitators only if “their sponsors take the lead in any protest,” the General Overseer of Mount Zion Faith Global Libera­tion Ministries (a.k.a By Fire By Fire), Nnewi, Anambra State, Rt. Rev. Bishop Abra­ham Chris Udeh has called on Catholic Bishops to call the fiery priest to order. Bishop Udeh said Fr. Mbaka was dancing to the dictates of those he de­scribed as the ememies of the Igbos who also alleg­edly sponsored him to work against his Igbo brothers. He claimed that Fr. Mbaka allegedly worked against former President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2015 general elections leading to his loss, claiming he had...

0 By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 COVER South-East govs, IPOB, MASSOB, Ohanaeze, others in crucial meetings From Chidi Nnadi, Petrus Obi , Enugu and George Onyejiuwa, Owerri IGBO leaders, made up of governors, top politicians and traditional rulers have resolved to send a delega­tion of elders to meet with President Muhammadu Bu­hari on the protests by the Indigenous People of Bi­afra (IPOB) and the Move­ment for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Bi­afra (MASSOB) and also the state of infrastructure in South-East, among others. This was the highlight of separate meetings convened by South-East governors, top politicians, traditional rulers, IPOB, MASSOB, Ohanaeze and South-East/ South-South Professionals in Enugu, yesterday. IPOB and MASS...

1 By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 COVER His life and times By Willy Eya Yesterday, darkness figuratively descend­ed on Kogi, the confluence state, as the gov­ernorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu, slumped and died. The APC candidate, who was already in a clear lead in the governor­ship poll conducted on Saturday, died of undisclosed medical reasons before the In­dependent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the elections inconclusive. His death, which initially started as rumour, threw the entire state into confusion, when it was later confirmed that Audu, who governed the state between 1999 and 2003 on the plat­form of the All Peoples Party (APP) had in­deed, joined his ancestors. Most politic...

0 By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 COVER From Clement Adeyi, Osogbo PRINCE Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, will, today be crowned the new Ooni of Ife, few hours after leaving Ilofi, Iremo late Sunday evening. The crowning, Daily Sun gathered, would not be made public as it is ex­pected to herald the official public inauguration sched­uled for December 7, in the ancient city. The new Ooni began tra­ditional rites at Ilofi, a sa­cred place of spiritual ori­entation for a new king, on Thursday, October 29, af­ter his entry into the town, having emerged from the Giesi Ruling House. He was expected to have left Ilofi on Thursday, No­vember 19, when the 21 days he was expected to spend there elapsed. But, informed sources said a few m...

0 By Our Reporter on November 23, 2015 COVER Nigerians in shock over Abubakar Audu’s death How the candidate died in his hometown,Ogbonicha From Taiwo Amodu, Romanus Ugwu, Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja SUNDAY , November 22, was meant to be victory dance for Prince Abubaka Audu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Audu was APC’s gover­norship candidate and was already in the driver’s seat , coasting home to victory, having cast his vote 24 hours earlier, on Saturday, Novem­ber 21. On Sunday evening, a dark, tragic script, which no one could have predicted, played out. First, the election was con­sidered inconclusive by the Independent National Elec­toral Commission (INEC) after 49, 953 votes were can­celled, even after he led his rival, Governor Idris Wada o...

A French mayor, Robert Chardon, is calling for governmental legislation that will ban Islam. He said in a recent statement: We must ban the Muslim faith in France. He also stated, “It’s the only solution for most of France’s problems,” and, “We also need a Marshall Plan to send Muslims to countries where the religion is practiced .” This man is the mayor of Venelles, a French town with a population of about 8,000 people, and he is more righteous than any of the politicians in Paris. It is amazing how small town people have a better understanding of how to deal with evil than do metropolitan people. Chardon also said (and this is what makes his statements even better) The Republic should promote the practice of the Christian faith. This makes Mr. Chardon superior to those secular conservatives who just say, “Ban Islam, but allow homosexuality,” and all of the other drivel that they say. I believe, at times that the French can get falsely accused of ultra-lib...

By Our Reporter on November 16, 2015 COVER Supreme Court erred on directive to CCT –Falana By Akeeb Alarape IN a radical departure from the past, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has promised to make public, the National Assembly’s 2016 budget. Saraki’s spokesman on New media, Bamikole Omisore made this known yesterday. Omisore explained that the release of the budget was intended to combat “falsehood.” Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and former president of West Africa Bar Association (WABA), Mr. Femi Falana, has picked holes in Supreme Court’s directive to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to halt its trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki Last Thursday, the apex court ordered the tribunal to ‘tarry a while’ in Saraki’s trial pending his appeal...

By Our Reporter on November 16, 2015 Editorial THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently imposed a hefty fine of $5.2 billion (N1.04 trillion) on mobile telephone service provider, the MTN, for reportedly failing to deactivate 5.2 million unregistered Subscriber Identification Module cards, or SIM cards, as demanded by the industry regulator. The fine is undoubtedly the biggest penalty ever imposed on any mobile telecoms service provider in the country. The sum of $5.2 billion fine was arrived at by multiplying N200,000 for each card with the 5.2 million SIM cards that MTN failed to disconnect as stipulated in the NCC Registration of Telephone Subscrib­ers Regulation, 2011 as published in the Federal Government of Nigeria Official Gazette No 101 Vol.98. Section 20(1) of the regulation states that “any licensee who activate...

By Our Reporter on November 16, 2015 COVER We’re monitoring situation with all seriousness –DHQ By Job Osazuwa THE Nigeria Army has as­sured residents of South West that there is no cause for alarm over rumoured threats of terror attack by Boko Haram. Acting Director of De­fence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar asked resi­dents not to lose sleep as the military and other security agencies are monitoring the situation with all serious­ness. Abubakar, in a statement yesterday, insisted coordi­nated attacks on Boko Ha­ram by the military has left the sect weakened and in­capable of carrying out any attack, either in the South- West or in any part of the country. “While the military and other security agencies have made tremendous successes in degrading and decimat­ing the terrorists who are now in disa...

 Senator Shehu Sani By John Shiklam in Kaduna The senator representing Kaduna North Senatorial zone, Kaduna state, Senator Shehu Sani, at the weekend alleged that the new  agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra was being sponsored by pro-Jonathan forces who lost the 2015 general elections. According to him, their aim is to destroy the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari by igniting a national conflict , chaos and confusion in the country. Sani, who spoke on Sunday when a youth group from  southern  Kaduna paid him a courtesy call in his office in Kaduna, described the renewed agitation for Biafra as misguided and ill conceived. "The Biafra agitation is a new attempt to destroy the Mohammadu Buhari administration and to ignite a national conflict and cause chaos, pandemonium , confusion in the country. "I  see it as a plan B action of the pro-Jonathan forces who lost election in the 2015 national elections. I will also say that the agitati...

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose By Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has restated that Nigerians won’t tolerate military dictatorship from  President Muhammadu Buhari since the country runs a constitutional democracy that allows citizens to speak their minds on national issues . Fayose was emphatic that the statement credited to the  Special Assistant on Public Communications to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu warning the governor against speaking on the running of the economy by the federal government was tantamount to dictatorial mentality. A statement on Monday by Fayose’s Special Assistant on Public Communications , Lere Olayinka, said it was undemocratic and saddening for  the presidency to  be warning a Nigerian, who is heading one of the country’s federating units on what to say and what not to say. DETAILS LATER

Governor Idris Wada     •     Expresses confidence in PDP winning  poll    By Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja
     Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State has said there will be a limit to President Muhammadu Buhari’s factor in the November 21 governorship election in the state, adding that the credibility of those running would be the determinant factor.    The governor who said he did not feel threatened by the emergence of former Governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) standard bearer in the election, also enthused with confidence that Audu had been defeated in 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2011 by his predecessor, former Governor, Ibrahim Idris, and as such, would suffer the same fate in the November 21 by losing to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).    Wada spoke yesterday in an exclusive interview with THISDAY. Asked if he feels threatened by the emerg...

This action is coming following  the retirement of 34 officers on Friday, October 30, and the voluntary retirement of 5 Deputy Comptrollers-General of the NCS on Thursday, October 29.  There are reports that some of the officers slated for retirement next week were said to have disregarded re-deployment orders as well as influenced their promotion even when they were not due to be promoted. Some of these officers refused to show up at their new postings, instead they obtained notes from legislators, to stop such re-deployment. READ ALSO:  7 Things You Should Know About Nigeria Customs Boss According to industry executives, the sudden retirement of Deputy Comptrollers–General appears unsettling as the development had brought public attention to the activities of NCS. Many within the Customs circle believe that the retirements of the Deputy Comptrollers General will create room for Customs Comptrollers who have been idle for some someti...

Press statement from the PDP The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws the attention of Nigerians to the harmful consequences of the unabated negative statements from the very father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the economy and the general image of the country. The party said “it is worrisome that in the last six months, the President, instead of making efforts to harness resources and grow the economy, has rather continued to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly, to demarketing the nation and scaring away investors through negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy”. The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Sunday said the President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and social system. ...

    Irate youths of Umabor community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State weekend invaded Nigeria police division in the area, smashing police vehicles over alleged indiscriminate arrests and detention of youths by officers and men of the division. Vanguard gathered that the youths in their numbers invaded the station when men of the division allegedly swooped on them at a football viewing centre,  at about 8pm. Investigations revealed that the youths have been complaining of Police intimidation, harassment and mass arrests. When Vanguard visited the police division, a Police Hilux van  a Mercedes Benz car belonging to the Divisional Crime Officer, and one other vehicle were smashed by the irate youths while broken bottles used to shatter the windows of the station were seen all over the premises. A source who did not want his name in print at the division  disclosed  that  ...