11 Questions For Okonjo-Iweala On Abacha Loot – SERAP

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has rejected the accusation of political agenda by the immediate-past Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, saying that “the issue of how over $5 billion recovered Abacha funds were spent under her watch deserves serious attention.”

‪#‎BayelsaDecides‬: 10 Suspects In Police Net, 6 Guns Recovered

DIG Hashimu Argungu briefing newsmen on the latest updates available to the police on the gubernatorial election Bayelsa state.
Police authorities in Bayelsa state have confirmed the arrest of 10 suspects for various offenses in connection with the ongoing governorship election in the state.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Hashimu Argungu who is heading the security arrangement of the election made the confirmation Sunday morning at a press briefing held at the Police Officers Mess, in Yenagoa.

‘Obasanjo Only Person Living Or Dead That Has lead Nigeria For 11 Years’

Abuja – President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he enlisted the assistance of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to mediate in the political crisis in Guinea Bissau because of his wide political and military experience.
A statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, quoted President Buhari as saying that he took the decision because Obasanjo was also strongly committed to the unity of Nigeria and Africa.image

Bello Won’t Be Governor In Kogi – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party has said the declaration of the All Progressive Congress’ Yahaya Bello as governor-elect of Kogi State is a waste of time, resources and ridiculous shadow-chasing.
INEC had declared Bello as winner of the governorship election early this morning, saying he had satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the majority votes.
However, the PDP alleged that the INEC, in the bid to satisfy the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government, had succeeded in making a mockery of itself and the entire electoral process, by trying to install an individual who it said, was not a valid candidate for the election.
The party also alleged that Bello merely scored, under his name, a paltry 6885 vote in the supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada in the overall election.

Biafra: Hausa In Onitsha Go Into Hiding

Members of the Hausa community in Onitsha, Anambra State, who fled the town following the two-day pro-Biafran agitation fracas, which resulted in the death of about nine persons and destruction of properties, are still into hiding.  When our correspondent visited Onitsha on Saturday, the baristas, shoe menders, green grocers, barbecue sellers and allied workers, who are of northern origin, had yet to open shops. Investigations by our correspondent showed that most of them were still in the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police barracks in the area, apparently for fear of attacks.

Kachikwu Removed As OPEC President After Two Days

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has removed Ibe Kachikwu as its conference president.
Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum, became OPEC president only on Wednesday, replacing Diezani Alison-Madueke.
However, a fresh election was made on Friday at the 168th ordinary meeting of the organisation in Vienna, Austria, Kachikwu’s first meeting at the helm.

Nigerian Government Reacts To Biafra, Says Protest “Completely Legitimate”

The federal government has described the agitations by some Nigerians, largely in the South-East, as “completely legitimate.” There have been mass protests by Igbos in South-East Nigeria for an independent country of Biafra. The protests have sometimes gone violent with reported deaths of about six people, allegedly at the hands of security officials

Saraki: If I Was Not Senate President, I Won't Have Business With CCT

Notwithstanding his many battles, including an ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged falsification of his Assets Declaration Form, the President of the Senate, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is settling in as the head of the National Assembly. In this interview with Ayo Arowolo, Bolaji Adebiyi, Iyobosa Uwugairen and Omololu Ogumade, he spoke about the initial storm that heralded his leadership, dismissing it as the rants of frustrated people from outside the Senate chamber, who were not motivated by the interest of the people. He also bared his mind on several issues of national importance, including the vexed issues of fuel subsidy, corruption and the ailing economy

Social Media Bill: No Blackmail Can Stop Us From Making Laws - Na’Allah

Thunderous criticisms have continued to trail the bill on social media sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South). The bill proposes a two-year jail term or N2m fine or both for anybody that posts or broadcasts false or abusive statements on the social media. In this interview, Na’Allah who is the Deputy Leader of the Senate defends the rationale for the bill and reiterates his resolve to see to its passage into law.

Nigerians Expelled From Senegal Stadium For Displaying Biafra Flags.

 Some Nigerian football fans were on Saturday expelled from a football stadium in Senegal for displaying Biafran flags. The fans were expelled minutes after they displayed Biafran flags alongside Nigerian flags at a football match between Nigeria and Algeria at the U-23 African Cup of Nations holding in Dakar, the Senegalese capital. There have been protests in South-East Nigeria by Igbos who demand for a separate Biafran country.

$6 Billion Arms Scandal: Suspects Detention Is Legal – Falana.

Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not commit any illegality for detaining suspects arrested in connection with the $6 billion arms scandal. Falana, in a statement titled, “$6 billion arms gate: suspects’ rights not violated” issued Sunday contended that “the detention of the suspects is in strict compliance with the rule of law”. He was reacting to criticisms against the commission and the government that the detention of the suspects by the commission was an act of illegality.

Senator Melaye Operates US Bank Account, Violating Nigeria's Code Of Conduct

Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District has since 2010 illegally operated bank accounts in the US, according to bank statements obtained by SaharaReporters.

Senator of the Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye
Sahara Reporters Media


Mr. Melaye, who once styled himself an anti-corruption activist, opened two accounts--one a current account, the other a savings account--in the name of “Daniel Din Melaye,” posing as a student.

Suspected PDP Supporters Chase Away APC Supporters At Opolo Ward 5

Armed men suspected to be PDP members stormed the Opolo Ward 5 and disrupted the entire electoral process chasing away all known APC supporters as voting was about to commence in all the seven units that make up the Ward.
The few APC supporters who were seen around are being offered ten thousand ( N10,000.00) each to vote for PDP.
Leadership Newspaper.

Buhari’s Spartan Discipline Already Yielding Result – Obahiagbon

Buhari’s Spartan Discipline Already Yielding Result – Obahiagbon Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon (aka Igodomigodo) is the Chief of Staff to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. In this interview, Obahiagbon assesses the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. He also speaks on some issues affecting Edo, asserting that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stands no chance in the guber election scheduled to be held in the state in 2016. You ran in the senatorial primary of the APC for Edo South ahead of the 2015 polls but lost to Hon. Samson Osagie. How were you able to move on? Moving on was nothing of a quagmire at all and that is because as a student of mysticism and hermeticism,I hold the view very tenaciously that “as above so below”, meaning that nothing happens in the life of a student of light by accident.

Change Would Come Only When Leaders Lead By Example – Lai Mohammed

Abuja – The Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed says the Federal Government has done “very” well in the fight against corruption and terrorism in the country.
Mohammed said this in Abuja at the weekend.
The minister stated that one major achievement of the Federal Government’s fight against corruption is that for the first time in a long time, people have begun to appreciate the fact that corruption is an ill.
He said that in its anti-corruption war, the present administration would go beyond prosecuting people, to changing the way Nigerians did things.
Mohammed, therefore, said that the government would soon launch its change initiative tagged: “Change begins with me”.
“We did campaign majorly on creating jobs for our youth, building the economy, fighting corruption, and addressing insecurity.

Bamanga Tukur Escapes Attempt On His Life

A former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, narrowly escaped an attempt on his life along Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday.
In a statement, his Media Assistant, Oliver Okpala said the incident occurred while the elder statesman was on his way to Owerri via the Abuja airport to receive a doctorate award the Federal University of Technology, FUTO, Imo State.

Declaring Yahaya Bello Kogi Governor-elect A Waste Of Time, Says PDP

…..Insists Wada Is Clear Winner
The Peoples Democratic Party PDP describes as a waste of time, scarce national resources and ridiculous shadow-chasing, the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in declaring one Yahaya Bello, purported to be of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and who did not participate in the overall election, as Kogi state Governor-elect.
The PDP said INEC, in the bid to satisfy the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government, succeeded only in making a mockery of itself and the entire electoral process, by trying to illegally install an individual who, apart from not being a valid candidate, scored, under his name, a paltry 6885 vote in the so-called supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada in the overall election.

AFTER ONITSHA MAYHEM: Pro-Biafra Activists In Fresh Mobilisation Leaders bitterly divided

Protesters threaten national security — Defence Headquarters
THE business community of Onitsha, Anambra State has started recovering from the effect of last week’s pro-Biafra violent protests that left nine people dead and property worth millions of naira destroyed. After the Wednesday’s mayhem in the city and the subsequent dismantling of the barricade used by the protesters to block the Bridge Head and other entry points in Onitsha,indication emerged that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, were regrouping on Thursday to begin another round of violent demonstration.

Week Nine of the Russian Intervention in Syria: the Empire strikes back

Considering the remarkable success of the Russian intervention in Syria, at least so far, it should not have come as a surprise that the AngloZionist Empire would strike back. The only question was how and when. We now know the answer to that question.

Cartoon by NaT Cartoonist and illustrator Site: http://natcartoons.daportfolio.com/

On November 24th the Turkish Air force did something absolutely unprecedented in recent history: it deliberately shot down another country’s military aircraft even though it was absolutely obvious that this aircraft presented no threat whatsoever to Turkey or the Turkish people. The Russian Internet is full of more or less official leaks about how this was done. According to these versions, the Turks maintained 12 F-16 on patrol along the border ready to attack, they were guided by AWACS aircraft and “covered” by USAF F-15s in case of an immediate Russian counter-attack. Maybe. Maybe not. But this hardly matters because what is absolutely undeniable is that the USA and NATO 

World War III: Why Russia will bury the West

by Rakesh Krishnan Simha

source: The Russia India report

In June 2014, the Pentagon conducted a “table top” exercise – a sort of war game between Russia and NATO. The scenario was Russian pressure on NATO member Estonia and Latvia. Would NATO be able to defend those countries?

“The results were dispiriting,” Julia Ioffe writes in Foreign Policy. Even if all US and NATO troops stationed in Europe were dispatched to the Baltics – including the 82nd Airborne, which is supposed to be ready to go on 24 hours’ notice – the US would lose.

“We just don’t have those forces in Europe,” explains a senior US general. “Then there’s the fact that the Russians have the world’s best surface-to-air missiles and are not afraid to use heavy artillery.”

The method behind the madness in Syria

by Nauman Sadiq

It’s a plausible fact that the US does not directly supports the Syrian jihadists, it only sets the broad policy framework and lets its client states in the region like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and Turkey do the actual financing, training and arming of the insurgents. For instance, the US strictly forbade the aforementioned clients from providing anti-aircraft weapons (MANPADS) to the militants, because Israel off and on carries out airstrikes in Syria and Lebanon and had such weapons fallen into the wrong hands, it could have become a long term threat to the Israeli Air Force. Lately, some anti-aircraft weapons from Qaddafi’s looted arsenal in Libya have made their way into the hands of Syrian jihadists but for the first two years of the civil war there was an absolute prohibition on providing such weapons to the jihadists.

Turkey Breaking Loose? Su-24 Downing Followed by 'Invasion' of Iraq

By shooting down a Russian bomber and sending forces to neighboring Iraq, Ankara is adding fuel to the fire in the Middle East to prevent major powers from joining forces to defeat Daesh, also known as ISIL, Russian Senator Franz Klintsevich told RIA Novosti.

"The Su-24 tragedy, as well as the invasion of Turkish troops in Iraq are linked. The Turkish regime is trying to escalate tensions in the region to prevent a counterterrorism coalition from being formed," Klintsevich observed.

End of ‪#‎dollar‬ ? Gold-Backed Yuan, Ruble to Trigger Global De-Dollarization

A gold-backed ruble and gold-backed yuan could start a 'snowball exit' from dollar F. William Engdahl notes, adding that it will diminish America's ability to use the reserve dollar role to finance Washington's perpetual overseas wars.

The irony of the situation is that the central banks of China, Russia, Brazil and other countries "diametrically opposed" to US foreign policy course are forced to stockpile dollars in the form of "safe" US Treasury debt in order to protect their economies, American-German researcher, historian and strategic risk consultant F. William Engdahl stresses.

US Preparing Airbase in Northeast Syria

TheUS technicians are reportedly supervising work on an airfield in the Hasakeh town of Rimelan in the northeast Syria

The US is reportedly esbalishing an airbase in northeastern Syria. The forces deployed there should assist to the so-called “Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)”, de facto Syrian Kurds, to make gains in Syria.

Turkey invaded Syria, Captured Tal Ziyab

The Turkish army invaded the Syrian territory and took control of the hill Tal Ziyab. Troops crossed the border accompanied by bulldozers.

After occupying the high ground (50 meters), the Turkish force built fortifications. Also, 3 battle tanks, 2 armored infantry fighting vehicles and several SUVs were deployed there.

Considering the location of Tal Ziyab, Turkey wants to cover the smuggling route of the Syrian oil which is taken out of the ISIS-controlled Raqqa.