PDP bent on inciting hatred against Buhari — Campaign Organisation

By Charles Kumolu

LAGOS — THE Buhari Campaign Organisation has called on Nigerians to disregard what its described as ongoing misinformation about the personality and record of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, noting that the PDP is bent on arousing hatred against Buhari.

It also regretted that rather than focusing on issues of national significance, the PDP spokesmen have stuck to the tactics of demonising Buhari.

A statement by Mr. Dele Alake, Director, Strategic Communications of the organisation, called on the PDP to avoid dishonouring the Abuja non-violence accord through inflammatory statements.

Hand-over to military: APC’s claims malicious, mischievous — Okupe

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — THE Presidency, yesterday, described as mischievous and malicious, claims by the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress, APC that the government had concluded plans to hand over to the Military rather than its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari(retd)

It said that the APC should use its energy to clear the name of its candidate from what it termed the mess of not having prerequisite academic qualification to govern the country, rather than resorting to diversionary tactics.

In a statement yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the Presidency said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu, where he alleged that an official of the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President posted some comments on the social media suggesting that “government will rather hand over power to the military rather than to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the event that the APC candidate wins the elections.

“We categorically deny that this statement was ever made by anyone in this office. The APC claim is absolutely false, mischievous and malicious.

“The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs personally handles his Twitter, @doyinokupe and other social media platforms and continues to use such as a legitimate medium of advancing the cause of democratic good governance and institutional integrity which President Goodluck Jonathan represents.

“Dr. Okupe has never and will never associate himself with thoughts or actions which run contrary to the tenets of democracy, rule of law and the right of Nigerians to freely elect those who govern them.
“We urge the APC to concentrate on clearing the name of its presidential candidate from the mess of not having prerequisite academic certificate and incapacity to govern Nigeria rather than seek a cheap diversion from a phantom post by some persons on the social media.”

Source: Vanguard

FG reduces petrol price to N87 per litre

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Ben Agande

THE Federal Government  last night announced a reduction in the price of premium motor spirit  (petrol)from N97 to N87 per litre.

The reduction follows the crash in the price of crude oil in the international market.
The Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, made the announcement on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, last night. She spoke from the presidential villa apparently after consultations with President Goodluck Jonathan.

She said: “I will like to announce the reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit by N10. Therefore, the reduction would be from N97 per litre to N87 per litre and this would be effective from midnight Sunday, January 18, 2015. In line with this I have directed the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources to ensure that there is strict adherence of this regime as it takes effect from midnight Sunday, January 18. I do hope that the entire country will benefit immensely from this reduction of the pump price.”

The price of petrol was fixed at N97 in January 2012 after the administration made an abortive move for the full deregulation of the downstream sector which initially saw petrol price rocket to more than N140 per litre. The move was challenged by a general uprising across the country led by the Occupy Nigeria movement which organised city shutdowns across some of the major cities in the country.

The move by the civil right activists was coupled by a general strike by organised labour.

The strike was called off on January 16 after the administration drew back from full deregulation and agreed to a reduction of the price to a fixed N97 that would be varied according to a template based on the price of crude in the international market.

Source: Vanguard

I’m hale and hearty, still in Nigeria – Buhari

Clears air on health, certificate, PTF, foreign trip

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Accuses PDP of playing politics of desperation
 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA—All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, dismissed doubts about his medical and educational fitness for the presidency describing such allegations as distractions by the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to deviate from the core campaign issues of corruption and incompetent leadership.

Accusing the PDP of desperation having run out of ideas, Buhari at a press conference in Abuja, further challenged the ruling party to address the fallout from the poor management of the economy which he claimed made many Nigerian workers to spend the last Christmas hungry.

The press conference by Buhari, the first by any of the major presidential candidates followed wild allegations of his alleged ill-health and lack of the educational qualification for the election.

The speculations around Buhari followed newspaper reports at the weekend which alleged that the former head of state was about to travel abroad on account of his alleged ill-health.

Debunking the reports, Buhari described the medical report widely circulated online at the weekend as forged as he said that the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital which reportedly issued the report has disclaimed it as a forgery.

My health — Buhari

According to him: “I was at Nasarawa and Benue states yesterday (Saturday). Tomorrow I am going to be in two states. The day after tomorrow in two more states. I am doing two states per day. How they got the impression that I was sick I do not know although I got cold and that did not stop me from going through my schedule.

“I don’t know of this desperation. The issue we are telling Nigerians is that of corruption in this country for the last 16 years PDP has literally destroyed this country. This is the issue and what has my health got to do with that one?

“Document have been put in the papers, on twitter that I am sick but the ABU said they are forged documents. This desperation is beyond my understanding.”

When asked by a reporter to make a categorical statement on his state of health, Buhari jokingly asked the reporter: “How old are you? 50 years? I am telling you if we go to the field, you would not last the time I will last in the field.”
The alleged trip

Campaign officials further disclosed to Vanguard, yesterday, that the proposed trip by Buhari was upon a request by the United States Department of State which was desirous of sounding him out on his views. The trip according to a campaign official scheduled by the State Department towards January ending had not been agreed to by the Buhari campaign team.

“Yes Buhari was invited by the State Department for an interaction but he has not been able to fix a date for it because of the hectic campaign schedule and it is our view that he may not have the time for the trip,” the campaign official said.
 

Academic Certificates

On the issue of his certificates, Buhari expressed surprise that all hell has been let loose on the issue, wondering where his accusers were when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, cleared him to contest the previous elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

“I have contested three times under the same rules set by the INEC. I was allowed to contest all these elections because my certificate was in order and there were individuals that wrote to the United States War College and the college answered them and it was published by some of your papers. So really this desperation of misinformation that is being passed around will do nobody any good because our minds are being taken away from the serious issues of corruption and incompetence by the PDP”, he said.

Petroleum Trust Fund

Buhari, who was chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, also responded to renewed accusations of corruption against him in the management of the PTF.

 

“That one has been cleared. There was no fraud in PTF. There was an investigation and General Obasanjo has answered that question. He confirmed that there was an investigation and the report was brought to him and there was nothing on the ground as far as my management and chairmanship of the PTF was concerned. So what else can I say when the person who did the investigation because he was the Head of State cleared me? So what else can I say?”

On the current state of the economy, Buhari slammed the PDP, saying they should concentrate on paying workers’ salaries than playing politics with his health.

“Well, the country is broke now. How many states could not pay their workers’ salaries? 

Even in December most families were hungry during Christmas because they could not pay their salaries, yet they are talking about an individual’s health instead of paying the people”, he said.

Source: Vanguard

Chad, Cameroon join forces against Boko Haram

STANDING UP AGAINST TERROR: Protesters at the Trocadero Place in Paris, France against Boko Haram’s activities...yesterday.

•Sect kidnaps 80 in Cameroon •5 die in Potiskum blast

International troops are set to battle Boko Haram – the fundamentalist sect responsible for the insurgency in the Northeast and across the border in Cameroon.
Boko Haram struck in Cameroon yesterday, attacking a village. It kidnapped 80 citizens, including children and women.

In Potiskum, the commercial capital of Yobe State – one of the three states under the sect’s brutality, the others being Borno and Adamawa -  a suicide bomber believed to be working for the sect detonated an explosive device at a motor park. Five people, including the bomber, died.
Yesterday, Chadian troops were deployed in Northern Cameroon to join forces with their hosts to fight the sect across the border with Nigeria.

The African Union (AU) will next week take a decision on whether to create a force to fight Boko Haram.

Ghana President John Mahama, Chairman of Sub-regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) told Reuters news agency that ECOWAS will seek approval from the AU next week.

A contingent of soldiers from Chad has arrived in northern Cameroon where it will deploy to the Nigerian border as part of efforts to contain the Boko Haram insurgency, a spokesman for Cameroon’s Defence ministry said yesterday.

Boko Haram, which aims to carve out an Islamist state in northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks as Africa’s biggest economy prepares for a Feb. 14 presidential election.

The group has expanded its operational zone into northern Cameroon over the past year, prompting Yaounde to deploy thousands of additional forces, including elite troops, to its border with Nigeria.
A convoy of troops from Chad arrived in Maroua, the main town in Cameroon’s Far-North Region, late on Saturday, Colonel Didier Badjeck said while declining to say how many soldiers had been dispatched by N’Djamena.

“In the coming days, they will be deployed in the war zone on the border with Nigeria so that they can join our defence forces to crush and prevent incursions of Boko Haram into Cameroonian territory,” he said.

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, who recently appealed for international assistance against Boko Haram, announced last week that he was expecting the arrival of a large Chadian force to support his country’s efforts against the militants.

Chad has a reputation as one of the region’s best militaries and helped French forces drive al Qaeda-linked Islamists from northern Mali in 2013.

Despite the growing cross-border nature of the threat posed by Boko Haram, efforts to deploy a joint force from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon to take on the Islamist fighters have faltered.
Following increasing involvement of Chadians and Nigeriens in Boko Haram insurgency, the Federal Government may protest to the two countries.

It was also learnt that hope has finally dimmed on the negotiation between the Federal Government and Boko Haram being facilitated by Chad.

The military has, however, begun the interrogation of five Boko Haram insurgents, who were captured last week in Biu.

It was learnt that the five suspects had been relocated to a discreet military facility where they have been making “ useful statements” on the operation of the sect.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the Federal Government is no longer comfortable with the involvement of Chadians and Nigerien in Boko Haram insurgency.

Security reports on the invasion of Biu clearly confirmed the high presence of Chadian mercenaries among the insurgents, most of whom were killed.

It was learnt that the government was baffled that the same Chadian government had allegedly been assisting the Federal Government to negotiate with Boko Haram.

The two  circumstances were described as “tactically irreconcilable” by the government, a top military source disclosed last night.

The highly-placed source said: “The Federal Government may protest to Chad and Niger Republic over the increasing involvement of their nationals in Boko Haram insurgency.

 “In the spirit of Paris Pact, President Goodluck Jonathan has wielded enormous diplomatic goodwill to carry these neighbours along but they are not reciprocating. Nigeria cannot understand why Chadian troops withdrew from Baga before the insurgents struck and killed over 150 people.
“From the tactical analysis of the insurgency so far, there are sufficient clues to show that Boko Haram has well-established bases or outposts in these countries.

“We are in the process of making all our findings on the high number of Chadian elements in Boko Haram.”

But there were indications last night that hope might have finally dimmed on the ongoing negotiation with Boko Haram being coordinated by the Principal Secretary to the President, Mallam Hassan Tukur.

A top source, privy to the negotiation in government who spoke in confidence, said: “There is no serious headway because the sect has refused to respect ceasefire agreements.

“And with more Chadians fighting for Boko Haram, the element of trust in the negotiation is a bit shaky. The insurgents have not been forthcoming at all.”

The interrogation of five insurgents captured in Biu last week has started at a discreet military 
facility.

A competent contact said: “Those captured had been relocated to a military facility for intense grilling where they have made useful statements.

“We will keep you posted on our findings after a comprehensive investigation is concluded.”
On the ongoing dismissal of soldiers in some Army formations, the source added: “These were those who refused to fight in spite of the modern equipment provided for them.

“The law provides for jail terms, life sentence or death sentence. When some of them were sentenced to death, there was public outcry. Are you saying the military must not act when there is obvious case of indiscipline?

“We also discovered that some of those who spoke with CNN were those dismissed for deliberately refusing to fight against Boko Haram.”

Suspected Boko Haram fighters from Nigeria kidnapped around 80 people, many of them children, and killed three other yesterday  in a cross-border attacks on villages in northern Cameroon, army and government officials said.

The kidnappings, among the largest abductions on Cameroonian soil since the militants began expanding their zone of operations across the border last year, came as neighbouring Chad deployed troops to support Cameroon’s forces in the area.

“According to our initial information, around 30 adults, most of them herders, and 50 young girls and boys aged between 10 and 15 years were abducted,” a senior army officer deployed to northern Cameroon told Reuters.

He said the early-morning attack had targeted the village of Mabass and several other villages along the porous border with Nigeria. Soldiers intervened and exchanged fire with the raiders for around two hours, he added.

Government spokesman Issa Tchiroma confirmed the attack, in which he said three people had been killed, as well as the kidnappings, but was not able to say with certainty how many people had been taken in the raid. Around 80 homes were destroyed, he said.

Source: The Nation News

FG reduces pump price of fuel; statement by the Petroleum Minister

What Diezani Alison-Madueke said this evening as she announced a reduction in fuel price...

As you may be aware, there has been a lot of volatility in the oil market in the past few months and due to this the importation prices of our petroleum products have been impacted.

Therefore, with the approval and directive of Mr. President and by virtue of Section 6 clause 1 of the Nigerian Petroleum Act, it is my responsibility as Minister of Petroleum Resources to hereby announce a reduction in the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (Petrol) from the current Ninety Seven Naira (=N=97) per litre pump price down to Eighty Seven Naira (=N87=) per litre pump price, effective from twelve (12) midnight Sunday, 18th of January 2015.

Accordingly, I have directed the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to ensure strict compliance of this price adjustment by all marketing companies.

It is my hope that all Nigerians will benefit from this adjustment.  I thank you and God Bless you all.

Diezani Alison-Madueke (Mrs.) CON

Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources

Looks like Ini Edo just got another SUV, a brand new Range Rover

A few weeks after she bought a N38million G-Wagon, looks like actress Ini Edo has bought another SUV. A brand new Range Rover. One of her close friends, Amaka Ezeh, shared the pic on her instagram page and congratulated Ini. When a follower asked her if Ini had bought another car, she replied yes. Wow! Balling things. See the convo after the cut...

Ini Edo with Amaka (left).

Check these out...

Breaking news! Petroleum Minister announces reduction in fuel price

Petroleum Minister Alison-Madueke has announced a N10 reduction in pump price of petrol from N97 per litre to N87 per litre effective midnight tonight January 18th. Just watched her announcement on NTA! Great stuff! 

Hello all! what do you think about these? kindly comment...

Photo of Muna Obiekwe on a dialysis machine, prior to his death

There are so many people who don't believe Muna Obiekwe is gone. I understand your reservations. He was a young, vibrant, talented guy whose illness we all didn't even know about. So his death is hard to take. Unfortunately it's true. Here's a pic of him on a dialysis machine, prior to his death. And a pic of him when he arrived at the hospital this afternoon is circulating on Twitter. He collapsed at home and they rushed him to the hospital where doctors confirmed him dead on arrival

Just one month after they got married, couple are killed in their home

Newlywed South African couple, Wamukelwa Memela and Wendy Campbell who got married this past December 2014 were killed by intruders at their home in Bryanston, South Africa on Thursday January 15th. The couple were strangled to death by the bandits who carted away only their electronic devices. Imagine! How so sad! Continue...

According to the father of the husband, Sandile Memela, police investigations carried out so far suggests that his 29 year old son argued with the intruders, who then hit him with a garden tool, dragged him to his bedroom and tied him up along with his wife.

After ransacking their house and stealing their electronics, they then murdered the couple.

During the commotion, Memela’s cousin who lives in a cottage on the premises – heard noises, but thought the couple were arguing. He went back to sleep.

“The cousin told me that when he woke up to go into the house, he saw that the electronic items were missing, He then saw the blood and rushed into the main bedroom where he was confronted by the bodies. He first thought they were unconscious, but found they were dead.”the father said

The father said he and his son had taken time out last week to set their goals for this year. Meanwhile police investigations into the murder is ongoing.