Tinubu congratulates Obaseki

 Former Lagos State Governor and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has congratulated the party’s candidate in the Edo State governorship election, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on his victory in the election, saying Edo people had made their choice.

A statement from Tinubu’s Media Office quoted the politician as describing Obaseki as a tested technocrat who is experienced enough to take over and continue the good work done by the outgoing Governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole.

The APC leader also praised Oshiomhole for his achievements in Edo, which helped in retaining Edo for the APC.

With the election of Obaseki, Tinubu said Edo had taken after Lagos in the continuity model, which has worked well for the people of Lagos State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Obaseki, as the governor-elect.

Obaseki scored a total of 319,483 votes to defeat Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 253,173 votes.

Obaseki won in 13 out of the 18 local government area of the State.

Liverpool can win the Premier League,says Scholes

 The former Manchester United favourite believes that Jurgen Klopp's men have the attacking quality to mount a serious title challenge this season

Paul Scholes has tipped Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title in 2016-17 on the back of their positive start to the season.

Jurgen Klopp's men have taken 13 points from their opening six games and sit fourth in the standings at the end of September.

And former Manchester United star Scholes believes they have enough goals in the team to mount a serious title challenge.

"Liverpool look like they're a team who can win the league," he told BT Sport. "I think it's a big test for United to go there [on October 17] and try and get something out of the game.

"I think they'd take a draw now. I was a little bit worried about them defensively but you have to say, the attacking quality they're showing at the minute, they look like they're going to score goals against anybody.

"I hope they don't [win the league]!"

Kogi PDP exco suspends chairman

 The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday suspended the state’s party Chairman, Sam Uhuoto.

The suspension was contained in a letter dated September 29, 2016 and addressed to Uhuoto.

It was signed by 30 members of the state executive committee of the party.

The members, at a meeting held at the secretariat of the party in Lokoja, the state capital on Thursday, accused Uhuoto of violating the provisions of Chapter 10, Section 58 (1a, b, c, d and h) of the constitution of the party.

According to the members, the embattled chairman had deliberately refused to call the meeting of SEC since he assumed office, adding that he hardly come to the office in Lokoja from his Abuja base.

Speaking on behalf of the state executive committee of the party, Mohammed Muhammed, who is the party chairman for Lokoja Local Government Area, said a committee had been constituted to meet with all tiers of leadership of the party to prevent the decision to degenerate into crisis.

He said the committee would meet with the various tiers of leadership in order to make the PDP regain its lost glory in the state.

The letter addressed to Uhuoto read in part, “The state executive committee of the party wish to bring to your notice that we no longer have confidence in your ability to lead and carry the party to its desired destination due to your constant and deliberate violations of the provisions of our party constitution.

“You have deliberately refused to pass any information to the members of the state executive committee, which has led to lack of party activities in the state, local and ward levels. The party, as it is today in the state under your leadership, has remained stagnant.

“You have constituted yourself into a one-man executive, where you take and implement decisions without following the laid down provisions of the party. After the loss of the party in most of the elections, you didn’t deem it fit to call for meetings to discuss the supplementary election to make the party strategise for those elections and how assistance can be rendered to our various candidates involved in these elections.”

Malaysia GP 2016, Practice One: Nico Rosberg fastest from Lewis Hamilton but Renault catches fire

 World championship leader Nico Rosberg set the pace in a Practice One session for the Malaysia GP overshadowed by the Renault car of Kevin Magnussen catching fire.

The Renault burst aflame as it returned to the team's garage with Magnussen forced to leap out of the car as flames engulfed the RS16.

"We had a fuel leak from a breather and we were running some experimental parts for Mexico," Renault technical chief Nick Chester told Sky F1. "But everyone is ok and that's the main thing. Fortunately the car doesn't seem to be too badly damaged."

When the session resumed, it was Rosberg, who has won the last three races to take the lead of the championship, who set the pace on soft tyres. The German's benchmark lap of 1:35.227 was almost half a second faster than the best of Lewis Hamilton. However, Hamilton's fastest time was set on the slower medium compound.

Mercedes' one-two at the top of the timesheets was their 10th in the last eleven Practice One outings although both Rosberg and Hamilton ran off the track during the session as they explored the limits of the relaid track.

Despite Malaysia being a firmly-established presence on the calendar, the session amounted to a leap into the unknown for the teams after substantial alterations to the Sepang circuit.

"The tarmac has been completely renewed, including alterations to kerbs, drainage and the camber of some corners, we're therefore approach this weekend as if it were a brand new circuit," reported Mercedes technical chief Paddy Lowe.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was third quickest, just ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel, but a second adrift of Rosberg.

Still searching for their first win of the season, Ferrari are running a new floor on both of their cars and are expected to trial a fresh rear wing later in the weekend.

Fernando Alonso was fifth for McLaren in another improved showing from the recovering superpowers. But the Spaniard will be forced to start Sunday's race from the back oft he grid after fitting an upgraded Honda engine. Team-mate Jenson Button, who will use an older power unit, was 10th behind Red Bull pair Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, and Force India duo Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez.

Malaysia GP Practice One timesheet

1. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:35.227 (soft tyres)
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, + 0.494 (medium tyres)
3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, + 1.088 (soft tyres)
4. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, + 1.104 (soft tyres)
5. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, + 1.283 (soft tyres)
6. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, + 1.526 (hard tyres)
7. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, + 1.746 (medium tyres)
8. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, + 2.286 (hard tyres)
9. Sergio Perez, Force India, + 2.374 (medium tyres)
10. Jenson Button, McLaren, + 2.386 (medium tyres)
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, + 2.620 (soft tyres)
12. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, + 2.634 (medium tyres)
13. Romain Grosjean, Haas, + 2.659 (medium tyres)
14. Esteban Gutierrez, Haas, + 2.694 (medium tyres)
15. Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso, + 2.828 (medium tyres)
16. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, + 2.957 (soft tyres)
17. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, + 3.086 (medium tyres)
18. Felipe Massa, Williams, + 3.112 (medium tyres)
19. Jolyon Palmer, Renault, + 3.921 (medium tyres)
20. Esteban Ocon, Manor, + 4.809 (medium tyres)
21. Pascal Wehrlein, Manor, + 5.400 (medium tyres)
22. Kevin Magnussen, Renault, no time set

PDP chair, APC chief trade blame

 The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, Dan Orbih, has slammed a  former House of Assembly member in Edo State, Oghuma Johnson, for accusing him of using  policemen to chase away All Progressives Congress members in Ogbona village in  the Etsako Central Local Government Area during Wednesday’s governorship election in  the state.

Oghuma had alleged that many APC members were unable to vote in the village because the police allegedly chased  them away.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, Oghuma said the development affected  the  performance of his party in the area.

The APC chief  said, “Orbih influenced  the policemen in Ogbona. Many APC members were driven away while PDP members were busy thumb-printing. Even a retired Commissioner of Police is aware of this. As a party leader in the unit, I tried to contact other APC leaders. I could only watch from afar. This affected us in the area.”

But  Orbih  dismissed the allegations, saying Oghuma was out to please Governor Adams  Oshiomhole.

He  said,  to a large extent, the election was peaceful  in the local government area.

Orbih said, “I wouldn’t have loved to take  issue with a man of his status because we are worlds apart. I would  rather want to answer Oshiomhole and other people. But considering the  allegations he raised, all he is trying to do is to impress his masters by telling unsubstantiated lies.

“Observers, who visited the polling units,  saw that the election was free and fair.

“After casting my vote, I went back to my house. The election, to a large extent, was free of violence in Etsako Central. He should find  other means and ways to curry favours from his political masters rather than telling lies.”

Emulate Edo voters, APC begs Ondo people

 THE All Progressives Congress has called on the people of Ondo State to emulate the electorate in Edo State, who voted against the emergence of a Peoples Democratic Party-led government in the South-South state.

The APC maintained that the people of Edo State had made the right choice by voting in Mr. Godwin Obaseki as their governor, adding that the governor-elect would continue the good work of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Rivers State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistance on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, congratulated those who made the election in Edo peaceful.

Ikanya also urged Obaseki to embrace Oshiomhole’s developmental vision and continue with the provision of democracy dividends for his people.

He said, “We urge the great people of Ondo State to emulate the Edo people during their own gubernatorial election and save their people from the dying and destroying PDP spirit.

“There is no doubt that Edo people have made the right choice because Mr. Godwin Obaseki is the best man for the job.

“INEC, the security agencies, the Edo State Government and the great people of Edo State have proved that with commitment and proper planning, we can make our country great and even export our brand of democracy to other African countries.

“We are so pleased with the functionality of the card reader machines and believe that the National Assembly should set in motion the machinery for a law formally approving electronic voting for future elections in all parts of the country,” Ikanya said.

The Rivers State APC chairman hailed Oshiomhole and the APC faithful in Edo for defeating the Igbinedions and Raymond Dokpesis in their various local government areas.

Protests as INEC declares Obaseki winner

 the Independent National Electoral Commission, on Thursday, declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Godwin Obaseki, the winner of the Wednesday, September 28 Governorship Election in Edo State.

A short but heavy rain momentarily dispersed a crowd that had started gathering at the popular Ring Road in the state capital.

The APC supporters later regrouped to celebrate the victory in the keenly contested election, where Obaseki defeated the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

The Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, declared Obaseki the winner of the election at about 4.08 pm amid tight security.

The APC candidate polled 319,483 votes to defeat Ize-Iyamu of the PDP, who scored 253,173 votes in the election.

Soremekun said Obaseki “having satisfied the requirement of the law, scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

The announcement of the results was, however, not without a drama.

Soremekun fought off stiff resistance from the PDP’s State Agent, Mr. Chris Agbonwanegbe, who refused to sign the final result sheet.

Agbonwanegbe had, during the collation of results, demanded the cancellation of the election.

When called to sign the final results, he protested that the results were “rehearsed and produced.”

The submission jolted Soremekun, who could not hide his shock.

Agbonwanegbe said, “Mr. Chairman, please don’t disagree with me; let us say it the way it is.

“The theatre has been on for some time, it has now been finally produced. I can’t endorse it (final result). I want it to be on record that I refused to endorse it. I can’t sign this document.

“I made a request that you should look at the collation of Etsako West and other local governments, you said I should go to court instead of looking at it. Even when some of your officers said they were threatened with guns. I can’t endorse the result”

While the collation of the results from the local governments was going on, angry supporters of the PDP stormed the INEC’s office in Benin.

The protesters alleged that INEC connived with the APC to manipulate the results of the governorship poll.

They sang solidarity songs to protest alleged cancellation of results of some poling units and manipulation of result sheets by INEC officials.

They brandished placards with inscriptions such as “Oshiomhole must go”, “Ize-Iyamu won the poll”, “Peace not war, INEC,” and “Poll results unacceptable to us.”

Riot policemen, stationed in front of the INEC office, tried to pacify the protesters to no avail while a police helicopter hovered in the sky to monitor the situation.

One of the PDP leaders, who led the protesters was the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Urhoghide.

Addressing journalists at the INEC’s office, Urhoghide said, “I came here to tell the Resident Electoral Commissioner about my disgust about the results that the commission has been announcing. I voted at Ward 2, Unit 9, Oredo Local Government Area.

“The exercise was very peaceful there and there was no record of violence. I was, however, surprised to hear INEC say that results of two units in the ward were cancelled owing to electoral violence. I felt highly dehumanised and disenfranchised.

“The figures they are brandishing now do not correspond with the large turnout of voters yesterday. We hereby demand that the result of the cancelled units should be announced.”

As of 11.am, the protesters had increased in number, and were becoming more aggressive.

After results had been announced for nine of the 18 local government areas in the state, the INEC officials announced a break. This further aggravated the supporters.

The police deployed in the area fired canisters to disperse the angry protesters. Many residents, who were observing the exercise, scampered for safety.

On resumption, the Collation Officer for the Etsako West Local Government Area, Prof. Adewole Atere, while defending the cancellation of 10,158 votes in some polling units, alleged that Obaseki’s running mate, Philip Shuaibu, threatened to attack INEC officials at collation centre.

He said this while reacting to an allegation by the APC State Agent, Samson Abu, that he (Atere) mutilated the result sheet for the area during the announcement of local government results at the state headquarters of the commission.

Abu had protested the cancellation of results in Wards 5, 7, 11 and 12, where he said his party’s candidate was popular.

He stated, “The collation officer, from the record before me from our agents, the result sheet was mutilated by you, if you can produce it and sample it for everybody here to see. For example, in Ward 5, three units (were) cancelled. In Ward 11, units 1, 5, 6, 12, 15, 16 cancelled. In Ward 12, two units cancelled. In Ward 7, one unit cancelled.

“The excuse you gave our agent was that as a result of error in calculation committed by you. You know, in these areas, I suspect foul play, although I’m not from that place, because the running mate to the APC governorship candidate is from there and is very popular.

“All the areas that you cancelled the votes for one reason or the other are the areas that harbour the family of the running mate to the APC governorship candidate.”

But Atere said, “I thought we would just allow the sleeping dog to snore. It was the same candidate of yours who accosted the CO in Unit 11 with about six guns and drove him (CO) to the corner of the collation centre, forcing him to mutilate. I did not mutilate any paper; my papers are here.

“Number two, this same candidate went to the office of INEC to repeat the same thing on the electoral officer and later came to the collation centre, where I served with 10 gun-toting men, threatening to kill all of us.

“I want to say that this same candidate several times told the man, who handled that Ward 11, that he was a dead man. He repeated it three times and that was why we managed to put him (electoral officer) on the security vehicle to get him to Benin City here.”

When asked by the Action Alliance candidate, Ishaka Paul, if he reported the incident to the police, Atere said, “For the case of the man who handled Ward 11, all the security men deserted him. For the EO, he was locked up in his room. In our own case, we were rescued by the men of the quick intervention force, who drove the Auchi vigilante people out of the place. They were actually coming for me, when the men of quick intervention came in. So, the police are aware of it.”

Meanwhile, the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP said that its agents were currently collating results of the governorship election.

Spokesperson for the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led committee, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the committee would react to the result by INEC on Friday.

Adeyeye added, “We are collating the results of the election as obtained by our agents.

“When we finish doing that, we shall react to the release of the result by INEC tomorrow (today). For now, we have no reaction.”

Also, the factional National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, said he had not accepted the result of the election, adding that his reaction might not be different from the general position adopted by the majority members of the PDP.

He stated this in a statement by his media aide, Inuwa Bwala.

“We have had situations in the past where results were released via the media only for the official results to turn out otherwise,” Sheriff stated.

Ize-Iyamu, rejects results, cite irregularities

Also, Ize-Iyamu rejected the result of the governorship election, describing it as predetermined.

The PDP candidate said the result of the election, held across the 18 local government areas, did not reflect what was collated by agents of the party and independent observers.

He also alleged that there were irregularities during the exercise, adding that a plot was orchestrated to ensure that the PDP lost the election.

According to him, before the earlier scheduled date of the election, serial numbers of result sheets were allegedly released to parties on September 8, adding that that information was used to write fake results.

Ize-Iyamu was flanked by the state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who declared that the results announced by the presiding officers at different polling units revealed that the PDP was ahead of the ruling APC by a minimum of 30,000.

Orbih further alleged that in areas, where the PDP was declared winner, the party’s votes were removed on the excuse of faulty card readers, a plot he said the party had alerted Nigerians and other relevant stakeholders on.

Ize-Iyamu, a former Secretary to the State Government in Edo State, also alleged that between N3bn and N4bn was spent by the state government to induce voters in the presence of security agents on Election Day.

Ize-Iyamu explained, “The delay in announcing the official result by INEC was clearly predetermined and designed to announce fabricated results that are completely at variance with what happened at the units.

“To show that the result was predetermined, if you look at the result, it does not even reflect the huge turnout they (APC) even attested to. Even their national chairman commended the huge turnout.

“The result was written without taking into cognizance the huge turnout. We have told our agents to bring out their results; we do not want to rely on the messages sent to us.

“In the next three or four days, we shall have the complete record of the results. I can, however, tell you that from our findings, a lot of manipulation took place.”

Lagos gunmen kill man, two sons, injure wife, daughters

 There was a bloodbath on Thursday in the Ipakodo, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, after some gunmen invaded a residence and shot dead a man and his two sons.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the attackers, who were suspected to be sent, after killing the man, Celestine Nwokoye, and his sons, also shot his wife and his two daughters, leaving them for dead.

Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred on Thursday on Agbose Street in the Ebute, Ipakodo area around 5am.

It was learnt that policemen from the Ipakodo division removed the victims’ corpses.

The wife and the injured daughters were said to have been rushed to the Ikorodu General Hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the two deceased sons were three years old and two months old.

A resident of Ebute, who visited the scene, but did not want his name in print, said the attackers were suspected to be sent.

He said, “The man’s house is located on Agbose Street, off Oluodo Junction. He worked at a taxi park in the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. The killers came on Thursday morning. They shot him and all the members of his family. He and two male children died instantly, while they left his wife and the two daughters with bullet injuries.

“The attackers were not robbers; they went to only the man’s apartment. I was told that they did not take away any property. That is why everyone suspects that the killers were sent. They shot all members of his family presumably, so that no one would be able to report to the police.

“But policemen from the Ipakodo division later came to our area to take photographs and remove the bodies. The policemen were all over our area.”

A landlord, identified only as Abimbola, told PUNCH Metro that the attackers could also be suspected rapists, known popularly in the area as Badoo, who had been terrorising and attacking residents.

 “A week ago, a man and his child were attacked and stabbed to death in the Oke-Awori community in the Ibeshe area. Armed rapists, known as Badoo, attacked the man and his child. They stabbed them to death. So, I suspect the attackers of Nwokoye could be Badoo. The police have a lot of work to do in our area,” he added.

A police source said Nwokoye and his family members were attacked on the premises of a church in the area.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the deaths.

She added that the command had got some leads on the incident, and investigation was ongoing.

She said, “There was a report that the man and all members of his family were found in a pool of blood. He and his two male children were confirmed dead.

“His wife and two daughters were also seriously injured and they have been taken to a hospital for treatment.

“The command is working assiduously to unravel the occurrence. We have some leads which we are working on, and we are optimistic of breaking through.”

Obaseki’s victory fraudulent – Ikimi

 A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, has rejected the outcome of the Edo State    governorship election, claiming the result was manipulated in favour of the All Progressives Congress.

The Peoples Democratic Party chief, who hails  from Igueben Local Government Area  in Edo Central Senatorial District of the state, insisted the APC didn’t deserve victory in the poll.

APC’s Godwin Obaseki defeated the candidate of the PDP, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, by 319,483 to 253,173 votes.

Ikimi,  in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday,  said the election did not represent the wish of the people.

He said, “All I can say is that I dispute the election completely. I take the view expressed by our candidate that the outcome of the election as announced by INEC is completely at variance with what happened on the  ground.

“So we dispute it completely and we will seek redress through constitutional means.”

Asked if he was surprised at the conduct of the election, he said, “I’m not totally surprised at the process of the election.

“But I take the view that INEC and all those who were responsible for the conduct of the election will abide by the attitude that is being openly expressed by President Muhammad Buhari that they should not interfere in the electoral processes.

“The president is one person who has gone through this process in the past. And he knows very well that everyone should have a free and fair election. That is why we feel this shouldn’t have been like that.

“Like I said before I abide by the position that my party has taken on the election. It is at variance with the anti-corruption stance of the Federal Government.”

Anybody in government looking for money is mad–Osinbajo

 

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday said it was sheer madness for anybody occupying public offices to be looking for money.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari told him repeatedly that at his age, his only heart’s desire was to see a great Nigeria.

He said Buhari had no other objective in office than that.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, the Vice-President spoke while receiving a delegation of Christian Ministers Welfare Initiative also known as the Pastors’ Forum, Taraba State, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“This morning, I had a meeting with the President and he repeated to me twice, he said ‘at my age, there is only one thing I am looking for, I want to see a great Nigeria.’ He has no other objective and I feel very inspired by that,” Osinbajo reportedly told his guests.

He said anybody who had the opportunity of being the President of the country should only be thinking of how to improve the lot of the people.

Osinbajo said, “It is madness for anybody in our position to be looking for money.

“According to him, God put people in a position of authority for them to be able to do something for their people.

“I think if any Nigerian gets the chance to be President of the country, there is nothing he/she is looking for anymore, except that, while there, you improve the lot of the people.”

Osinbajo reiterated his position that no economy could tolerate the level of corruption seen in Nigeria without the consequence.

He regretted that while Nigerians were being killed by the Boko Haram fighters, people could not account for $15bn meant for the purchase of security equipment to fight the insurgents.

The Vice-President also explained how vandalism of oil installations had contributed to the recession being witnessed in the country.

He said Nigeria had lost several millions of barrels of crude oil due to the activities of militants in the Niger Delta.

On power, the Vice-President said the country was producing 5,000MW of power for the first time by early 2016, but by February 2016 the Forcados terminal was destroyed by militants.

As a result of the vandalism, he said 40 per cent of the gas used to fire the power plants was lost and the country was down to 2,500MW of power.

He observed that at the time the militants started blowing up oil and gas installations, the amnesty stipends were still being paid, insisting that they went violent because of ongoing investigation of corrupt persons.

“Nothing changed, the only reason is that we are investigating people who have stolen money,” Osinbajo said.

He added that the country was losing one million barrels of oil a day, nothing that, that was 60 per cent  of the country’s revenues, and there was nowhere such an amount of revenue would be  lost that people would not experience economic challenge and  recession.

While expressing optimism that the country would come out of the recession, Osinbajo stated that “there is no question at all, God has a reason for bringing us in at this time and God helping us, we will see a change in this country.”

He urged the Church and all religious leaders to stand up against corruption, stressing that if this government had been doing the right thing by fighting corruption, the Church should support it.

He also assured his guests that the Federal Government was working hard to end the problem of the ravaging herdsmen.

Osinbajo said the President had instructed the police and the military to act and deal with the herdsmen’s menace.

He said those behind the herdsmen’s violence were criminals.

While calling on honest men in the country to work together, Osinbajo said God had structured Nigeria in such a way that no one could dominate another.

Naira in free fall, plunges to 480/dollar

 The naira plunged further against the United States dollar to a new record low of 480 on Thursday, down from 472 it recorded on Wednesday.

The currency had continued its two-week free fall on Monday, closing at 445 to the dollar after tumbling to 439 on Friday.

On Tuesday, the currency closed at 452 to the greenback. Also on Tuesday, the external reserves hit an 11-year low of $24.61bn.

“Dollar is very scarce in the market right now because many people don’t know how low it will fall in the near term, so people are holding on to their hard currencies in order to watch the direction of the market,” one dealer said.

The President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators, Aminu Gwadabe, told Reuters that forex traders from neighbouring countries and some importers had also been moving in recently, mopping up dollars and putting pressure on the naira in a possible speculative bid.

Chronic dollar shortage plunged the local currency to a wave of depreciation, which economic and financial analysts have linked to speculative attack on the naira and increased demand from companies and individuals.

After trading between 423 and 425 for several weeks, the naira plunged to 428 last Wednesday. This came a day after the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee retained the lending rate at 14 per cent contrary to calls by the fiscal authority, economists and stakeholders.

Analysts have dismissed that recent declines had links to the MPC decision to retain the lending rate at the current rate.

However, at the interbank market on Thursday, the naira closed at 305.31 to the dollar, up from 312.99 on Wednesday.

Gwadabe said that the planned commencement of distribution of forex by Travelex could not hold due to some bottlenecks.

Travelex, an international money transfer organisation, ought to have begun the distribution forex to the BDC operators on Monday.

Its intervention was postponed to Wednesday, but again, it could not hold.

The ABCON leader had said the sale of forex to the BDC operators by Travelex would help to stem the tide of volatility in the exchange rate and subsequently close the huge gap between the official and parallel market rates.

He could not tell when Travelex would commence the sale of forex to the BDCs.

According to him, Travelex has the technology to sell forex to about 1,000 BDCs in a couple of hours, which is a major advantage.

He said the latest decline in the naira value was as a result of the activities of speculators.

A currency analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, said, “The rising exchange rates we are seeing at the parallel market now are not realistic. They have to do with the activities of speculators.

“However, we cannot rule out the fact that there is an acute and chronic shortage of FX; there is a genuine demand that the supply cannot match simply because inflows have dropped significantly.”

Gwadabe said, “Several sharp practices have been going on in the forex market and these elements want to continue making profits from the status quo. This is why they are speculating against the naira.

“They are attacking the naira. This is why the fall in the value of the naira is partly caused by the activities of speculators.”

CCB to probe Amaechi, Ngige, Fashola, AGF, others’ assets

The Code of Conduct Bureau has begun massive verification of assets declared by top serving and former public officers at the federal, state and local government levels.

A statement by the Chairman of the CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, released by the Press and Protocol Unit of the bureau on Thursday, stated that the exercise involved physical appearance of the concerned public officers before the bureau for conference and field verifications of their declared assets.

Conference verification requires public officers to present documents relating to their declared assets to designated officials of the bureau.

On the other hand, field verification involves public officers taking CCB officials to locations of their declared landed, fixed and other assets that could not be conveniently moved to the bureau’s office.

He stated that by virtue of Paragraph 11 of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), “every public officer is required to submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all properties, assets and liabilities and those of his/her spouse (if not a public officer) and his unmarried children under the age of 18 years.”

He added that any statement in the declaration, found to be false by any authorities or persons authorised to verify it, “shall be deemed to be a breach of the code”.

He stated, “To this end, the Bureau has commenced its 2016 4th Quarter Cycle of Conference and Field Verification of Assets of top public officers. Accordingly, letters of invitation have been dispatched to ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, service chiefs and other top public officers.

“All invited public officers are to note that failure to honour the invitation by the CCB in this regard is a breach of the provisions of the constitution and could lead to prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

“Public officers not yet invited are to await their letters of invitation.”

He listed 76 public officers that had been invited by the bureau with a threat of the possibility of prosecution if they fail to honour the invitation.

Among the 76 invitees are 30 ministers whom, according to the bureau, have yet to submit themselves to the exercise.

According to the bureau, ministers who have yet to submit themselves for the verification are Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation); Babatunde Fashola (Power, Works and Housing); Ibe Kachikwu (Petroleum Resources (State);  Abubakar Malami (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice); Adebayo Shittu (Communications); Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Solid Minerals and Steel Development); Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture and Rural Development).

Others include Senator Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs and Social Development); Solomon Dalung (Youths & Sports Development); Osagie Ehanire (Health (State)); Usani Usani (Niger Delta Affairs); Prof. Anthony Anwukah (Education (State)); Lai Mohammed (Information and Culture), and Gen. Ali Mansur (retd.) (Defence).

The list also includes Senator Udo Udoma (Budget and National Planning); Ibrahim Jibril (Environment (State)); Suleiman Adamu (Water Resources and Rural Development); Mustapha Shehuri (Power (State)); Prof. Claudius Daramola (Niger Delta Affairs (State)) and Kemi Adeosun (Finance) as those who have not submitted themselves to verification.

The rest are Prof. Isaac Adewole (Health); Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade, Investment and Industry); Geoffrey Onyema (Foreign Affairs ); Muhammadu Bello (Federal Capital Territory); Senator Hadi Sirika (Aviation (State)); Hajiya Khadija Bukar (Foreign Affairs(State)); Senator Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment); Heineken Lokpobiri (Agriculture and Rural Development (State));  Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (Science and Technology); and Abubakar Bwari (Solid Minerals (State) ).

The rest of the public officers still expected to submit themselves to the bureau are the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Oyo-Ita Ekanem; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olanishakin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Sadique; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibas Ibok.

Also on the list are the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase; Chairman, Police Service Commission, Chief Mike Okiro; Controller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Babatunde Mohammed; Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Waziri Adio; Director-General of National Pension Commission, Mrs. Chinelo Amazu; and Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo.

Also yet to turn up for the CCB verification are the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps, Brig.-Gen. Sule Kazaure; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Sao-Tome & Principle Joint Development Authority, Kashim Tumash; Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru; Controller-General of Federal Fire Service, Anebi Garba; Director-General, Budget and National Planning, Mr. Ben Akabueze, and Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission, Ibrahim Umaru.

Others include the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Prof. Abubakar Adamu; Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mrs. Hadiza Usman; Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Ahmed Kuru, and Controller-General of MSCDS, Muhammad Abdullahi.

The Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, who are on the list, are Ntom Chukwu, Folusho Adebanjo, Emmanuel Inyang, Maigari Dikko, Joshak Habila, Shuaibu Gambo, and Hyacinth Dagala.

An Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Abdul Bube, is also on the list.

Military officers, whose names appear on the list, are Real Admiral Joseph Osa (Commandant, Operation Delta Safe) and Major General M. A. Koleoso (GOC Tradoc).

The CCB also listed a number of Federal Commissioners of the Civil Service Commission and three Group Executive Directors of the NNPC, who are yet to submit themselves to the CCB’s verification.

In the statement, the CCB stated that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and five other ministers, among 15 other former and serving public officers, had submitted themselves to the asset verification.

Buratai recently became the target of scathing public scrutiny when reports of his choice $1.5m properties, which he claimed were acquired in the name of his wife in Dubai, hit the public space.

Saba, confirmed to our correspondent on the telephone that all the 15 persons, whose assets had been verified, had been issued a certificate of Conference Verification/Field Verification.

“The Chief of Army Staff was the first to be issued his certificate. We started issuing to others last week,” he said.

Responding to further inquiry about whether the certificate issued by the CCB implied that the cleared public officers were free from liability of criminal prosecution, Saba stated, “Even though the tribunal (Code of Conduct Tribunal) is the institution with the power of adjudication in asset declaration breaches, the certificate means that from our own end, we are satisfied with the verification that we have done.”

The five cleared ministers are Abdulrahman Dambazau (Interior); Zainab Shamsuna (Budget & National Planning); Adamu Adamu  (Education); Aisha Abubakar (Minister of Trade, Investment & Industry (State)); and Amina Mohammed (Minister of Environment).

The rest of the former and serving public officers already cleared by the CCB are the immediate past Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim; Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood; a former Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, and a former Controller-General, Nigerian Prisons Service, Ezenwa Peter.

They also include the Acting MD/CEO, Niger Delta Development Commission, Semenitari Tamunoibim; Controller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Ibrahim Ali (retd.); Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Boboye Oyeyemi; and Federal Commissioner, Civil Service Commission, Hope Ikrirko.

The CCB boss commended those that had turned up for the exercise.

New details emerge in Jose Fernandez's deadly boating accident

 A day after 24-year-old Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was killed in an early morning boating accident, new details of the crash are being made public.

According to USA Today, Fernandez and two friends, identified by WSVN.com as Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Macias, died in a crash on Government Cut, a Miami Beach jetty that gives boats direct access to the ocean. The boat, a 32-foot SeaVee Center Console fishing vessel named the Kaught Looking, did not belong to Fernandez, and he was not driving it at the time of the crash. It belonged to one of the other men who died in the accident, though according to Lorenzo Veloz, an official with the Florida Wildlife Commission, Fernandez was often seen on the boat with Marlins teammates.

The boat was apparently traveling at full speed, which can be between 55 and 65 mph, when it hit the jetty, capsized, and landed upside down on the rocks.

While it’s not clear what time the crash occurred, Veloz said in a press conference that the Coast Guard was called in at 3:15 a.m. when a patrol noticed the boat on the rocks. The jetty is low to the water, and it’s possible that the driver of the boat didn’t see the rocks in the darkness.

Veloz confirmed to USA Today that Fernandez died as a result of the impact of the crash and did not drown. Even though none of the passengers were wearing lifejackets, due to the nature of the crash the lifejackets may not have helped them.

Veloz also said during the press conference that it didn’t appear that alcohol or illegal drugs were a factor in the crash, as none were found at the scene. However, they won’t know for sure until the toxicology report is made public. TMZ is reporting that the autopsies have been performed, but results have yet to be released.

Trump boasts at debate that he did ‘good job’ on birther issue

 

Hillary Clinton sharply criticized Donald Trump for pushing a “racist birther lie” about President Obama during a heated exchange at Monday night’s presidential debate at Hofstra University.

Moderator Lester Holt asked Trump to explain his yearslong campaign supporting the conspiracy theory questioning Obama’s citizenship and birthplace.

“I was the one that got him to produce the birth certificate, and I think I did a good job,” Trump said.

“We’re talking about racial healing in this segment,” Holt interjected. “What do you say to Americans—?”

Trump cut him off. “I say nothing,” he said, again congratulating himself for getting Obama to release his long-form birth certificate from Hawaii in 2011. Trump continued to push the issue for years after.

Clinton quickly pushed back at the debate, noting that Trump walked off the conspiracy in the days leading up to the debate. “He tried to put this whole racist birther lie to bed,” she said. “But it can’t be dismissed that easily. He has really started his political activity based on this racist lie that our first black president was not an American citizen.”

She said Obama was upset by the rumors. “Barack Obama was a man of great dignity, and I could tell how much it bothered him and annoyed him that this was being outed and used against him,” she said.

Trump accused Clinton’s campaign of starting the birther conspiracy theory during the 2008 primaries, and of circulating a photo of Obama in traditional garb. (Clinton did not start the birther conspiracy, but her campaign was accused of circulating the traditional garb photo.) “When you try to act holier than thou, it really does’t work,” he said.

Usain Bolt and David Beckham Share a Starstruck Moment: 'No Caption Needed'

 What does it take to impress someone who's already a legend for being the fastest man in the world? Meeting another legend.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt had a starstruck moment with soccer star Beckham when the two bumped into each other at a restaurant. The two posted photos with each other early Monday morning on their Instagram accounts.
Bolt is a big fan of the now retired soccer player as well as of his old team Manchester United. Just yesterday Bolt tweeted updates of the Manchester United soccer match. Beckham was equally honored to snap a picture with the 30-year-old nine-time gold medalist. He captioned his photo, "Fastest man in the world.. I think that's all I need to say…pleasure to meet the best." As for Bolt, it seems he was speechless, captioning his photo, "No caption needed."

Swizz Beatz Hit With $42M Lawsuit for Supercar Fraud

 Swizz Beatz is being sued for $42 million for his alleged role in civil racketeering. A lawsuit filed last week in Brooklyn federal court levies a claim that Swizz Beatz leased at least 10 supercars, including McLarens, Bentleys, Porsches and Ferraris, using a company named Metro Gem Leasing and Funding to bankroll the leases, then illegally resold the vehicles.

Metro Gem Leasing and Funding, who filed the suit, says they put up the capital required to help Beatz, real name Kasseem Dean, and his wife Alicia Keys lease a slew of high-end rides. They thought the cars, including a Bentley Continental and a Ferrari F12, were to be used by Beatz and Keys. However, Metro Gem’s lawyer says that Beatz allegedly conspired with a car dealer named Macky Dancy (yes, seriously) to sell the supercars at an absurdly marked up price. While Keys was mentioned in the filing, she was not listed as a co-defendant.

A representative for Swizz Beatz told the New York Post that Beatz and his cohorts were merely “innocent pawns in a years-long, multi-million dollar dispute.” The Post couldn’t reach Macky Dancy for comment, and a woman reached at the Dancy Auto Group said the dealership has since been renamed and Dancy is no longer associated with the organization.

Beatz himself uploaded a video message to Instagram, remarking that people are “giving me too much credit” and to “$42 million? What am I buying? Spaceships?” He goes on to say fans should, “stop believing everything” and “I don’t know these people. I’ve been fresh since 17 with the whips. It’s cool because only the haters believe this type of stuff.”

Wayne Rooney no longer good enough for Manchester United

 At age 30, Wayne Rooney is no longer good enough to play for Manchester United in the Premier League.

Frankly, Rooney is a captain without a position on United because he is simply not good enough to play anywhere on the park at this point in his career. That reality, however harsh, was hammered home on Saturday at Old Trafford in the Red Devils’ convincing 4-1 victory over defending Premier League champion Leicester City.

With Rooney left out of the starting lineup, Juan Mata got to play in his natural No. 10 role for the first time this season. As United’s prime playmaker, Mata was everywhere against Leicester and scored his second goal of the season, one more than Rooney.

On that goal (the only one that didn’t come off a corner kick), Mata moved from the left side, to the furthest man forward, to the right side and to the middle of the park, where he was playing deeper than central midfielder Paul Pogba. He linked up with the Frenchman on a give-and-go type of run, but Pogba’s return chip found Jesse Lingard, who managed to get a clever touch to get the ball back to Mata for the finish.

Man United boss Jose Mourinho, when he was in charge of Chelsea, famously sold Mata to United in 2014 under slightly suspicious circumstances. Mata joined the Blues as a central playmaker in 2011 and won the club’s player of the year award in 2012, when it won the FA Cup and the Champions League. He also received Chelsea’s top individual honor in 2013 before Mourinho came back to Stamford Bridge and moved him to United.

Because of that past transaction, most observers predicted a quick summer exit for Mata. But the 28-year-old arguably has been Manchester United’s best player this season, while Rooney has been by far the most criticized player in the team – and with cause. Some pointed to teenage sensation Marcus Rashford as the reason Rooney was left out of the starting XI, but that simply wasn’t the case. The reason was Mata.

Even in instances where he lost the ball on Saturday, Mata immediately pressured the ball with enough gusto to collapse any possible advantage resulting from his errors. The only consistent criticism leveled at the Spaniard has been his tracking ability and his defensive effort, but the way he fought for the ball out of possession in the first half, one could not criticize his defensive effort. In any case, Mata reacted exponentially more positively to his turnovers than Rooney tends to do and had far fewer crucial turnovers than Rooney puts together in his outings.

The funny part of all this is that United’s purchase of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund expected to be the catalyst for Rooney’s eventual demotion. Mkhitaryan, though, has struggled with fitness, so Mourinho continued forward with Rooney until United stumbled to three straight defeats. After Rooney failed to score against lowly Northampton in the English Football League Cup on Wednesday and looked like one of the weaker players on the pitch, the Portuguese manager put out his best team against Leicester City, with Mata as the No. 10 and Rooney on the bench.

Anyone who followed Mkhitaryan at Dortmund will laugh at the thought of Rooney keeping the Armenian out of the team. In effect, United has two No. 10s that are considerably better than Rooney in the vital role. At some point, Mkhitaryan will surely make that fact abundantly clear. Heck, even Pogba would be a better option than Rooney in that role.

So where can Rooney play?

At striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is clearly the top choice. However, one would definitely take the 18-year-old Rashford and probably pick Anthony Martial over Rooney should the Swede miss games via suspension or injury. Rashford is a teenage sensation, while Martial joined the club as the most expensive teenager in the history of the sport, with the contract costing up to an estimated 60 million pounds (about $80 million).

As the fourth best striking option and the fourth-best No. 10 option, Rooney no longer deserves to play in either role for Manchester United. But Rooney playing as a winger is even more laughable. The England captain isn’t quick enough on either side of the ball to play on the wings. Rooney may be able to put in a cross, but to say that he should be the man out wide serving balls in is a joke.

Rashford and Lingard started on the outside on Saturday, and their pace created chances and put pressure on Leicester City in and out of possession. Rooney simply doesn’t offer that type of pace. Also, his propensity to lose the ball would immediately lead to crushing counter attacks.

In one particular instance on Saturday, Rashford ran half the length of the pitch to perfectly receive a ball in the box from Ibrahimovic on a lightning quick counter. Unfortunately for United, the 18-year-old’s shot caught the ball on the wrong bounce. That sort of chance would never have been possible with Rooney on the pitch.

Is Rooney the right man in midfield?

The only conceivable option would be to push Rooney deeper in the midfield, which is where former manager Louis van Gaal placed the diminished forward. The problem, of course, is that Manchester United already has a logjam at the position with players that are naturally fit to play the role (i.e. they’re clearly better than Rooney for the job).

Pogba is the most expensive player in the history of the sport, so he assumes one midfield spot without question. For pure muscle and physical play, Marouane Fellaini is a better option than Rooney and seemingly a favorite of Mourinho. For possession, Ander Herrera is a better passer and more aware from a positional standpoint than Rooney. Herrera played the role on Saturday and looked great in keeping the ball and helping build attacks. Even 35-year-old Michael Carrick is a better option than Rooney in the middle of the park, and that’s without getting into curiously overlooked options like Morgan Schneiderlin.

Without going too far on the limb, even Daley Blind would be a better option than Rooney in midfield, though the Dutchman had an impressive outing at left back against Leicester City. He did especially well on delivering corners.

If Rooney is fourth-choice as a striker, he’s seventh-choice as a central midfielder. He is no longer good enough to warrant a position in United’s starting 11 on any occasion in any position. Sure, he may regain his form and return to the side at some point, but the player that has slogged through the first month and a half of the season is nowhere near worthy of a starting spot and has not even made a strong case to be included on the Red Devils’ bench.

If Rooney did not wear the armband and had not spent the bulk of his career at United, he would probably be doing passing drills with Bastian Schweinsteiger in the reserve squad. While excommunicating Rooney does not appear to be in Mourinho’s plans, the manager would be wise to only play the out-of-form forward in cup competitions. So, the English Football League Cup, the Europa League and the FA Cup can all feature Rooney because, frankly, those cup competitions will not make or break United’s season. Van Gaal won the FA Cup and got sacked before he could even celebrate the title.

The Premier League, however, is far too important a competition to put out a player who regularly turns over the ball, cannot properly press, has trouble finding goals, lacks pace and is not good enough of a passer to feature in attack or in the midfield.

Simply, 30-year-old Wayne Rooney is no longer good enough to start for Manchester United, and Saturday’s decision to bench him should be the rule, not the exception.

Father-of-Two Fatally Shot After Chicago Wine Tasting as Sister Chases Down Suspect

 A suburban father-of-two was fatally shot while leaving a wine tasting in Chicago's Millennium Park Saturday following an alleged argument with another man, police confirm to PEOPLE.
While Peter Fabbri, 54, of Berwyn, Illinois, lay bleeding on the ground, his sister, Shelly Fabbri, chased down the suspect, who had jumped on a bike, helping police to bring him into custody, Peter and Shelly's brother, Bruno Fabbri, tells PEOPLE, relaying Shelly's account. "Our family is devastated," says Bruno. Fabbri, the father of two adult daughters, died just before 6 p.m. Sunday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. Authorities are questioning the suspect, who was taken into custody Saturday night, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Police Department tells PEOPLE. Detectives are still investigating the shooting and have not released the suspect's name. The trouble began after Fabbri left a wine tasting with his sister and girlfriend on Saturday night near Millennium Park, one of Chicago's most popular destinations. He was walking about ten feet behind the two women, says Bruno. Near the intersection of East Monroe Street and South Michigan Avenue, Fabbri allegedly got into a verbal altercation with another man, the police spokeswoman says. "The altercation turned physical and the offender pulled out a handgun and shot him," says the spokeswoman. Police have not said what they were arguing about. One witness told CBS 2 that Fabbri and the other man were allegedly arguing over politics.
However, Bruno says, "That doesn’t sound like my brother. He wasn't into politics that much." • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
When gunshots first rang out, says Bruno, "My brother ran up to my sister and said, 'Run! I've just been shot!'" Bruno says. He'd been shot in the torso, and as his sister cried for help and called Bruno, the suspect allegedly shot Fabbri in the head, says Bruno. "The next thing I hear is her running and breathing real hard," Bruno says. Shelly had begun chasing the suspect, who had taken a bicycle and tried to get away, says Bruno. Fabbri was rushed to the hospital, says Bruno. His family took him off life support on Sunday. They are left "with a broken heart and tears in our eyes and down our faces," his niece, Nina Parks, wrote on a GoFundMe page she set up to help pay for his funeral expenses.
She described her uncle as "a huge hearted man and was always there for anyone if he could be." Fabbri worked with Bruno as a home improvement contractor. "He was very caring," says Bruno. "If a customer was short on money, he would help them. He would give you the shirt off his back and if he didn’t have a shirt, he would make one for you." His brother attended the wine tasting mostly because he loved Lake Michigan, near the park. "He thought it was beautiful," says Bruno. Bruno says he and his family still cannot believe Fabbri is gone. "It's overwhelming," he says. "The violence has to stop."

We issued sit-at-home order, not street protest – IPOB

 The Indigenous People of Biafra said it issued a stay-at-home order  and not a street protest, thereby declaring successful last Friday’s protest by the group.

IPOB was reacting to the belief that the protest called by the organisation in the South-South and the South-East geopolitical zones to protest the continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government was not successful.

IPOB Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Powerful, on Monday said the protest was successful in the entire South-East geopolitical zone as directed.

Powerful, in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Owerri, the Imo State capital, said IPOB never planned to embark on any street or road protest to press home its demand for the immediate release of Kanu and other members of the group still being held by the police.

He said the group only gave a “sit-at-home order” for all residents in the South-East which was well observed across the zone.

He said, “At no time did the group say that they would take to the streets.

 “We only directed the people to shelve their various engagements for that day which was interestingly and beautifully complied with.

 “It was a sit-at-home and not a threat or a road protest and about 95 countries in the world participated in it. We are impressed.”

IPOB also said Biafra had come to stay with or without a referendum.

The group was reacting to a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari over the continued agitation for Biafra.

In a statement by Powerful, IPOB said it was unfortunate that the President was confused about the struggle for Biafra and had continued to deceive the general public about the whole thing, stressing that the statement credited to Buhari in the US proved that he was under pressure by the agitation for Biafra.

He said, “Meanwhile, IPOB wants to ask Mr. President, if the United Nations passes a resolution that a referendum should be conducted in Biafra land, will President Buhari go against it?”

He added, “In faraway US, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, made a speech in the United Nations that small nations should be granted autonomy and Palestine should be created out of Israel. But back home in Nigeria, he ordered the killings of unarmed civilians and members of IPOB who were using peaceful means to ask for their freedom.”
     

Ter Stegen eyes new Barcelona deal

 The German shot-stopper has established himself as first choice in Catalunya after Claudio Bravo's exit and he now wants to extend his stay at the club

Marc-Andre ter Stegen's agent has hinted the Barcelona goalkeeper would like to sign a new contract having established himself as first choice at Camp Nou.

Ter Stegen signed for Barca from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014 but spent his first two years in Catalonia splitting time between the sticks with Claudio Bravo.

But, following Bravo's switch to Manchester City, the Germany international is now considered the undisputed number one and is eyeing an extended spell at the Spanish champions having spurned interest from elsewhere in the recent transfer window.

His agent Gerd vom Bruch told Diari Ara: "He wanted to play more and there was interest in him from some big clubs.

"Barca said that there was no way they would let him go, though, and we accepted that.

"Now Marc's in the position which he himself had set as his target, starting in the league and in Europe. He can see himself renewing his contract with Barca."

Ter Stegen's current deal expires in 2019 but he is now expected to follow in the footsteps of Sergio Busquets and Neymar and sign fresh terms.

In the more immediate future, Ter Stegen is a likely starter as Barca visit his former club Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Akeredolu says APC’ll overcome crisis, youths knock Oyegun

 The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has assured members of the party that the current challenges facing the party would soon be over.

He also expressed the assurance that the party would defeat the Peoples Democratic Party and all other parties that would be contesting the November 26, 2016 governorship election in the state.

Akeredolu stated this while addressing members and supporters of the APC at the party’s state secretariat on Oyemekun Road, Akure, the state capital, on Monday.

Akeredolu, a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, was declared the winner of the primary of the APC held in Akure, on September 3, 2016.

Though the Electoral Appeal Committee of the party had recommended cancellation of the primary following petitions by three of the aspirants – Chief Olusola Oke, Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Dr. Segun Abraham – the National Working Committee of the party submitted Akeredolu’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the candidate of the party for the forthcoming election.

Addressing his supporters, the APC candidate said, “Whatever the challenges, we shall overcome without any fear because of our belief and trust in God. We have character and integrity to bring good governance to Ondo State.

“The Ondo State APC’s delegates, in their wisdom, voted for me to become the candidate of our great party and by the grace of God, the APC will win Ondo State in the governorship election.”

He commended the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and members of the NWC of the party for their steadfastness during the struggle, saying “the ‘change’ has started in Ondo State.”

Meanwhile, some APC youth leaders across the state have expressed their displeasure over the alleged refusal of Odigie-Oyegun to implement the recommendation of the Electoral Appeal Committee of the party that the result of the primary that produced Akeredolu should be cancelled while another primary should be conducted.

This was contained in a communique signed by 13 out of the 18 APC youth leaders across the 18 local governments areas of the state after their meeting in Akure, on Monday.

At the meeting, which was presided over by the state Deputy Youth Leader, Mr. Saheed Lateef, the APC youths insisted that the September 3  primary was marred by irregularities, saying it was wrong for Odigie-Oyegun to have overruled the recommendation of the appeal committee which had nullified Akeredolu as the candidate.

90% of awaiting trial women are pregnant, says NHRC

 The National Human Rights Commission says 90 per cent of women awaiting trial in prisons across the country are either nursing mothers or pregnant.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, made this known when he received the National President, National Council of Women Societies, Mrs. Gloria Shoda, in his office in Abuja on Monday.

Angwe said that the percentage was derived from the commission’s recent prison audit in the country.

He said that the commission needed the collaboration of the NCWS to provide an immediate intervention in this regard.

“In our prisons today, we have a lot of nursing mothers who are being locked up with their children and are nursing these children in the prison cells.

“We also have instances where such women who are still carrying babies in prison are also pregnant.

“It is also sad to note that more than 90 per cent of these nursing mothers are still awaiting trial. These are women that should have been released on bail while awaiting their trial.

“But they are kept there in prison with their children who are made to serve prison terms when their mothers are not yet convicted,’’ Angwe said.

Angwe said that the commission was particularly concerned because there was no amount of compensation that would be given to such a child or even the mother that would be commensurate with the hardship endured.

“One therefore wonders how in a situation where such mothers are eventually discharged as innocent citizens, how much compensation can be given to a child who is made to pass through the conditions that we presently have in our prisons.’’

The executive secretary also said that in spite of several campaigns both internationally and nationally to end discrimination against women, it still existed in form of cultural practices.

“We must recognise the fact that in spite of the huge campaign toward eliminating all kinds of discrimination against women, we still have in existence some form of discriminatory acts against women.

“Many of these acts are hidden under what we call culture and this has contributed largely to the huge number of cases we receive that represent the violation of the rights of all women.”

He also said that some parents were still preventing their female children from going to school, saying that this was unacceptable.

“In Nigeria today, many parents are still discriminating against their female children with respect to enrolment in schools.

“Many parents are still unwilling to invest their resources on their female children and tend to consider the male as being their priority, this is unacceptable.’’

Angwe advised the executive of the NCWS not to allow politicians to use the association to score cheap political points.

“The society which comprises of over 80 million women should not be used for political purposes.

“The NHRC will not stand back and watch the leadership of the NCWS follow politicians during campaigns because you are supposed to be neutral.’’

Earlier, Shoda had said that they were at the commission in light of an MoU the association signed with the NHRC on the protection of the rights of women, youths and children in June.

She said the visit was specifically to evolve the best ways to execute the MoU, particularly with regards to issues of gender-based violence and the Child Rights Act.

The NCWS president gave the assurance that the association would work with the commission to promote the rights of women, youths and children, particularly sensitisation campaigns.

The NCWS was set up in 1958 as the umbrella body of all women associations and groups in the country to promote gender-related matters.

It is currently operating in the 36 states and the 774 local government areas of the country as well as the FCT.

City youngster Diaz signs three-year deal

 The teenager made his club bow during the League Cup win over Swansea, and his promise has been rewarded with a professional deal at the Etihad Stadium

Brahim Diaz has signed a three-year contract with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

The 17-year-old attacking midfielder made his senior debut as a substitute during last week's 2-1 EFL Cup win at Swansea City and has now put pen to paper on his first professional contract.

Diaz joined City from Malaga last year and is widely regarded as one of the finest talents in the club's youth academy.

"I couldn't be happier signing my first professional contract with City," he told their official website.

"It's a dream for me and a big moment. I want to keep that dream going and hopefully I will get more opportunities to train with the first team."

Diaz shone on City's run to the FA Youth Cup final last season, while he scored in the semi-final and final as Spain finished as runners-up in this year's European Under-17 Championship.

Tinubu, Oyegun row splits APC NWC members

 The call for the removal of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, by the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has divided the APC’s National Working Committee, The PUNCH learnt on Monday.

Tinubu had, in a statement on Sunday, accused the national chairman of allegedly working against the ideals of the APC in the handling of its governorship primary in Ondo State.

He had alleged that the National Working Committee of the APC had voted in favour of a fresh primary in Ondo State but Odigie-Oyegun overruled the NWC and submitted the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the governorship candidate of the APC.

The statement added, “If Tinubu is to choose between John (Odigie-) Oyegun and progress toward a better Nigeria, the choice has already been made. For those who care about Nigeria and its chance for a better tomorrow, now is the time to stand against this brewing evil before it grows to encompass all we have built and all we hold dear.”

It was gathered in Abuja that members of the NWC, especially those from the South-West, were backing Tinubu, whom they argued was at the verge of being disgraced.

Tinubu is also said to be receiving support from some party chiefs, who were said to have felt they had been sidelined in the party under Odigie-Oyegun’s leadership.

A member of the party’s leadership, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said, “I was one of those who cautioned our chairman about the handling of this Ondo palaver.

“He (Odigie-Oyegun) was the one who said we should put the recommendations of the panel to vote, which we did. He asked us to pray but used the opportunity to leave the hall.

“I personally think he is dancing to the tune of some individuals around Mr. President. He should simply step down.”

Asked to comment on the division within the party’s NWC, he said, “Our last meeting made that very clear.

“Six out of the 11 of us present at the meeting voted in favour of a re-run of the Ondo primary; five voted against. Yet, the choice of five was upheld. Is that democracy? You tell me.”

Another member of the NWC said Odigie-Oyegun should not be crucified because he made “an honest mistake here and there. I think this situation is not yet beyond redemption.”

In an interview with The PUNCH, another NWC member said, “Let’s be honest, the APC does not belong to any individual. It is a give and take thing. Tinubu asked for and got the VP slot; he has members of his political family in the cabinet and even heads of government agencies. What else does he want?”

A top source in the APC stated that an emergency National Executive Committee meeting might be summoned after the Edo State governorship election to iron out some of the contending issues.

The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Mr. Seguin Oni, in response to enquiries by The PUNCH on the issue, said, “Yes, we have issues within the party but we are resolving them.

“You must give us some credit. We are a relatively young party with members drawn from diverse backgrounds. There are bound to be issues but we have the internal capacity to deal with our issues and we are doing it; be patient.”

The acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Timi Frank, backed Tinubu’s call for Odigie-Oyegun’s resignation.

He said he saw this coming long before now, stressing that many did not take him seriously.

He said, “I said there was crisis within the party. At that time, I was alone; nobody saw what I saw coming. The crisis of this party came up when the issue of the National Assembly came up; the position of the party leadership against its own party members, Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, for the party to close its eyes to the travails of these two men.

“Today, God has vindicated me after the Ondo primary. A national leader of our party, a founding father of the party has agreed with my earlier call that Odigie-Oyegun should resign as National Chairman. I knew from day one that the person that we have as national chairman could not give what he does not have.

“It is now clear that (Odigie-) Oyegun cannot take this party to where it is going. Can we now deny that one of the founding fathers of this party has come out clear to say Oyegun should resign?’’

Meanwhile, Odigie-Oyegun has said he will not take  issue with Tinubu.

Odigie-Oyegun, who spoke on Monday in Benin, said Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, was a respected leader in the party, adding that he would have to consult with other party leaders before making a statement.

He, however, said “most” of the allegations in the media report were “not true,” noting that the party would focus on the September 28 governorship election in Edo State, which he said was his “priority”.

He said, “Asiwaju is a well respected leader of our party; so, I cannot be seen speaking evil against him. I have to consult properly with other leaders of the party before we make any definite statement. Again, you know we have a crucial election here in Edo, which is my priority right now.

“We do not want to lose focus and I know Asiwaju also wants us to win because we all have worked hard for this. So, maybe, after the election, if there is need, I will speak. If (there is) no need, I will relax. But all I can say now is that most of the things said in the papers about me are not true.”

Odigie-Oyegun stated that he had always believed in internal democracy and the credibility of primaries, which must be taken seriously.

The former Edo State governor added, “I believe that if primaries of parties are not credible, it may derail any democracy.  So, I do not play with these things at all. Everybody knows me and I do not joke with my credibility and I have tried to maintain it.’’

“But maybe after Edo election, after we must have emerged victorious, we may speak on some of the issues raised. So, there is no problem at all.”

It was learnt that Odigie-Oyegun came under serious pressure on Monday not to respond to Tinubu’s call on him to resign as the APC national chairman.

The outburst of Tinubu was said to have confirmed the internal wrangling in the ruling party.

However, Odigie-Oyegun, who was said to have been seriously jolted by Tinubu’s accusation, was said to have been prevailed on by some ministers and governors from the APC not to respond to Tinubu’s attack.

A minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity with The PUNCH in Abuja, said he, along with some of his colleagues, had called the party chairman not to speak.

He said while it was true that the former governor of Lagos State had every reason to be embittered, allowing the party chairman to respond would further portray the ruling party as uncoordinated.

The top party chief stated, “Though it is painful when you are accused of something and you feel you needed to reply, but we have told him to keep quiet because we don’t want the opposition and the media to feast on it.

“The matter is being looked into and I think the leaders of the party, especially President Muhammadu Buhari, must act fast, otherwise, the party will die under his Presidency.”

Reacting to the crisis in the APC, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, elder statesman and former aide to ex-President Shehu Shagari, called on Tinubu to condemn what he described as the current injustice in the party before it degenerated.

Claiming that he “foresaw” the current crisis, Yakasai also urged Tinubu to tackle Buhari, alleging that Tinubu’s political travails were well-thought-out and plotted in the Presidency.

Yakassai said, “From all indications, every right thinking person will figure out a sinister plot to bundle out Tinubu from the hierarchy of the APC; and I want to believe this is coming from the Presidency.

“The situation at the moment is that apart from the CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) members, everybody in the government is a mere onlooker.’’

Also, one of the Ondo State governorship aspirants of the APC, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has asked Tinubu, to accept the result of the APC governorship primary in the state “instead of chasing a lost cause.”

Abayomi said this during an interview with The PUNCH on Monday while reacting to Tinubu’s statement, demanding the resignation of Odigie-Oyegun.

Abayomi urged Tinubu to behave like a true democrat and accept Akeredolu.

He said, “Asiwaju Tinubu is a respected leader of the party and is also a champion of democracy. “He needs to understand that in life, you cannot win every battle. You win some and you lose some. Now that he has lost, he should accept the outcome and act like a true leader by accepting the outcome of the primary.”

Clinton, Trump clash in fiery first debate

 Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump bickered and traded insults in a fiery US presidential debate Monday, as they aggressively pitched their case to tens of millions of American voters.

With the White House rivals in a dead heat six weeks before election day, Clinton from the get-go painted her Republican rival as out of touch and having a tenuous relationship with the truth, willing to say “crazy things” to get elected.

“You live in your own reality” said the 68-year old Democrat, who accused Trump of launching his political career on a “racist lie” — the birther conspiracy theory that questioned President Barack Obama’s citizenship.

Trump, who faces tough questions about his suitability for the Oval Office, started out with a more restrained tone — he even ditched his red power tie for a more statesmanlike blue.

But he quickly went on the offensive, repeatedly interrupting Clinton with verbal jabs.

The celebrity businessman branded Clinton a “typical politician. All talk, no action. Sounds good, doesn’t work.”

In feisty exchanges on the economy, Trump reprised the themes that have catalyzed his improbable campaign, blaming Clinton and the political class for losing jobs to Mexico and China through bad trade deals.

“Our country is suffering because people like secretary Clinton have made such bad decisions in terms of our jobs and in terms of what’s going on,” he said.

He demanded Clinton — a former secretary of state, first lady and US senator — account for her time in government: “You’ve been doing this for 30 years. Why are you just thinking about these solutions right now? For 30 years, you’ve been doing it.”

Clinton responded by accusing Trump of having “stiffed” small businesses throughout his business career.

Demanding Trump release his taxes, in keeping with election custom, she accused him of backing an economic platform amounting to “the most extreme” package of tax cuts for the wealthy in US history.

“I call it trumped up trickle-down, because that’s exactly what it would be,” she quipped.

Trump said he would release his tax returns, “when she releases her 33,000 e-mails that have been deleted,” alluding to the Democrat’s use of a private email server as secretary of state.

This Super Bowl of politics took place at Hofstra University on Long Island, a mere 60-minute drive from Manhattan and chaired by NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt.

This first 2016 presidential debate could be pivotal in deciding whether Clinton will become the first woman president, or if Trump can pull off the greatest upset in US political history.

When the celebrity businessman launched his campaign in June 2015, bookmakers put his odds at 100/1 and he was roundly mocked.

But the 70-year-old weathered allegations of bigotry and sexism to triumph in a vicious Republican primary campaign.

He now has a real shot at being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on January 20.

Six weeks out from election day the polls have tightened to a virtual dead heat.

Trump’s biggest handicap may be accusations that he has a weak grasp of policy — which he sought to counter by accusing his rival of sowing chaos in the Middle East during her tenure as secretary of state.

“It’s a total mess, under your direction, to a large extent,” Trump said.

But he appeared on shaky ground as he defended his refusal to reveal his plan for defeating the Islamic State group.

“You’re telling the enemy everything you want to do. No wonder you’ve been fighting ISIS your entire adult life,” he said of the group that only came to prominence in the last decade.

Clinton — perhaps the most qualified presidential candidate since George Bush senior or Dwight Eisenhower — has a massive organizational advantage, a bigger campaign warchest, a lead in the popular vote and is in a notably stronger position state-by-state.

But she remains deeply unpopular. In a country split 50/50 between Democrats and Republicans, only 40 percent of voters say they have a favorable view of her.

In the last two presidential elections, young, black, Hispanic and Asian-American voters turned out in record numbers for Obama.

Clinton’s campaign has struggled so far to match that level of enthusiasm.

Only 47 percent of voters aged 18 to 34 say they will definitely vote this time round, that is down from 74 percent when Obama was first elected.

AFP

Terror threat: UI bars hawkers, food vendors

Authorities of the University of Ibadan have barred hawkers and recharge card vendors from operating in the institution, finding by one of our correspondents revealed on Monday.

This comes as the university also enforced the ‘no parking’ order at its gate.

These measures, it was learnt, were put in place to check the threat message purportedly sent to some workers of the institution by a terrorist group, al-wilayat al-Islamiyya Gharb Afriqiyyah on Friday.

 One of our correspondents, who visited the school on Monday, observed that a police van was stationed in front of the gate with policemen conducting stop and search on vehicles and individuals entering the school.

Many of the recharge card vendors and other hawkers who used to occupy the school gate were not there, just as the ‘no parking’ order usually flouted by commuters was strictly enforced.

But the Director of Communication, Olatunji Oladejo, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said the institution had taken other necessary security measures to safeguard lives and property in the school.

Oladejo said the institution was collaborating with security agencies to forestall any attack on the ivory tower.

He said, “We thank the various security agencies working with us but I must state that there is calm in the school. Apart from the presence of police and other security agencies at the school gate and around the campus, the university’s security outfit is also well equipped, trained and staffed to complement the effort of the police and other security agencies. We are not taking anything for granted.”

At the Sango Police Station, a few kilometres away from the school, an armoured personnel carrier was strategically parked in front of the station.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the command had deployed its intelligence officers to monitor the movement of people in and around the ivory tower.

Meanwhile, the Head, Directorate of Public Relations, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mrs. Emi Alawode, on Monday, said that the ivory tower had put adequate security measures in place.

Apart from the private security arrangements on campus, the institution, she said, was liaising with the security agencies, such as the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Alawode also noted that the institution had deployed the ‘town and gown’ strategy, in order to ensure regular stakeholders’ meeting within the school and its environs.

She said, “Within our host communities, there are also Fulani herdsmen. We have started holding regular meetings with members of the host communities. The idea is that they can inform us of the new faces in their midst.”

The Director of Information, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Mr. Niyi Oduwole, said the security men in the institution had always been on guard, as the institution had perfected an effective security arrangement.

He added, “Modern security is intelligence-driven and that is what we do here.”

In a related development, the National Association of Nigerian Students has called on the Federal Government to beef up security in the universities in the South-West.

Its South-West Deputy Coordinator, Mr. Saheed Afolabi, said security agencies must ensure that adequate security arrangements were in place to prevent any attack in the institutions.

 Afolabi said, “The threat to bomb the University of Ibadan by the terrorist group should not be taken with levity. Security measures should be in place to prevent this.”

Househelp beheaded over murder of employer's child

 An Ethiopian housemaid has been beheaded by the Saudi authorities after being convicted of the murder of her employer's child three years ago.
In a statement issued by the Interior Ministry on Monday, September 26, the ministry noted that execution was carried out following an endorsement of the death sentence by the king.
The convict reportedly confessed to stabbing her six-year-old ward to death in June 2013 in an alleged retaliation for the ill-treatment she suffered at the hands of her employers.
The total number of beheadings carried out since the beginning of this year in Saudi Arabia comes to 119, including the executions carried out today.
Saudi Arabia is reported to have imposed the death penalty for murder, armed robbery, banditry, rape, drug-trafficking and witchcraft.

Angelique Kerber: I'm ready for the pressure of being No 1

 

Angelique Kerber is relishing the challenge of being the new world No 1, when she opens her account at next week's Wuhan Open in China.

Victory at the recent US Open moved the German to the top in the WTA ranking, while ending the 186-week reign of Serena Williams.

During 2016, the 28-year-old from Bremen won two Grand Slam titles - in Melbourne and New York - reached the final at Wimbledon and claimed an Olympic silver medal at Rio in August.

But rather than feel the pressure of defending her position at the top of the women's game, Kerber is positively looking forward to it .

"I know that I have the pressure on my shoulders because now nobody has anything to lose against me," she said. "The pressure is always on my side but I'm actually more excited.

"But I am really looking forward to taking this challenge. It's a new situation for me. I will try to not think too much about this because I learned from the years before that I have to really focus on every single day here.

"It's a new tournament, new opponents. That will be my focus this week.

"Every player would like to beat me now. So I will just try to go out and not think about this.

"I think when I'm going in with this focus in the match, like I did also the last few months and tournaments before, that worked. So I will try to continue that."

Another player who has moved in the right direction is Karolina Pliskova who lost to Kerber in the final of the US Open earlier this month.

The 24-year-old from the Czech Republic is No 6 in the world and also looking forward to the future.

She said: "For me it doesn't change anything if it's Serena or Angelique at the top, there is still somebody else other than me.

"There's still some players in front of me, not only her, a few more.

"This is not my goal until a few years. I said I would like to win a Grand Slam next, then to become world No 1.

"But obviously when it's a girl at No 1, you know you beat her a few times, it's a big chance to get there, as well."