Senate: New Twists Place PDP In Driving Seat

By Fred Itua, Abuja

AT last, the trial of the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), over his alleged under-declaration of assets when he held sway as governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011, has commenced. Although it is still too early to predict where the pendulum will shift to at the end of the trial, interest groups are already aligning and plotting on how to succeed the embattled Senate President in the event that he is convicted by the tribunal.

Economy Has Stopped Working, Labour Tells Buhari

The organised labour on Sunday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the opportunity of the planned economic conference to come up with policies that could be implemented to get the country out of its current economic woes.

The two labour centres in the country– the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress – said the economy had stopped functioning.

NLC and TUC believed that the state of the economy had not been as bad as the prevailing scenario since the civil war.

The organised labour demanded quick solutions to the current economic challenges.

Lagos To Eradicate Motorcycles, Danfo –investigation

Lagos State government may soon phase out commercial motorcycles popularly known as okada the ‘yellow’ buses otherwise called as ‘Danfo,’ according to investigation. The move, impeccable sources in the state Governor’s Office said, was meant to bring sanity into the transportation sector, beginning from eradication of the operation of the commercial motorcycles in every nook and cranny of Lagos.

Dakuku Peterside To Be Prosecuted For Murder

Press Statement: Dakuku Peterside To Face Prosecution For Murder


All is now set for the prosecution of Dakuku Peterside, defeated Rivers State Governorship Candidate and NIMASSA Managing Director who on Sunday directed his security details to murder an aide to the Chief of Staff to Governor Wike while fleeing with some result sheets from Ikwerre Local Government Area.


The incident took place at the UTC junction in GRA after Dakuku Peterside instead of taking Ikwerre Local Government Area result sheets snatched from collation officers to INEC office drove with it towards the GRA.

Patrice Talon Wins Benin Presidential Election

..Zinsou concedes defeat

Businessman Patrice Talon won the second round of Benin's presidential election on Sunday, his adversary and incumbent Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou told AFP before the release of official results.

"The provisional results point to a decisive victory for Patrice Talon," Zinsou told AFP by telephone. "The difference is significant, (Talon's) electorial victory is certain.

"I have called Patrice Talon this evening to congratulate him on his victory, wish him good luck and put myself at his disposal to prepare for the handover."

Some 4.7 million people were eligible to cast their ballots in the vote to elect a successor to Benin's outgoing President Thomas Boni Yayi.

Fayose Dares Buhari On State Of Emergency In Ekiti, Rivers, Says It Won't Work

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on Monday said any attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Ekiti or Rivers State would be resisted.

Fayose spoke with State House correspondents shortly after taking part in the economic retreat organised by the National Economic Council inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The governor said he was aware that Buhari was planning a state of emergency in Rivers State over the bloody election rerun that took place in the state over the weekend.

Buhari: I'm In Dilemma Over Power Privatisation

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration is facing what he calls "the classic dilemma" over the privatisation of the power sector.

He said the privatisation of the sector had yet to show any improvement in the quality of service, saying it was difficult to determine whether it was done in public interest or with profit motive.

President Buhari, however, noted that since the privatisation of the sector had started, the process had to be completed.

Rivers Rerun: What Happened Today Between Wike And Amaechi At Mile 1 Police HQ

The Facts About The Mile 1 Police Divisional HQ Election Incident – Ibim
We have received with bemusement the attempt by the Rivers State Government and its image managers to retell the facts of the incident of Sunday, March 20 which occurred at the Mile 1 Police Divisional headquarters in Port Harcourt when Rivers State Governor, Ezebuwon Wike, in company with a retinue of aides, invaded the police station, held the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Collation Officer for Port Harcourt Ward 10, Mrs. Ekwi Adebisa, hostage.

Nigeria Spends $1bn To Import Tomato Paste —UNEP

ABUJA — THE United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP, has lamented that the Nigerian government spent about $1 billion on importation of tomato paste.

The African Regional Coordinator of UNEP, Dr. Richard Munang, who made the revelation, weekend, during the official inauguration of the Nigeria branch of Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly, EBAFOSA, also noted that over 75 per cent of tomatoes were wasted in the country because of lack of storage facilities.

He expressed regrets that about 240 million people in the continent go to bed hungry and that malnutrition was high, affecting nearly 200 million people which in turn resulted in the death of over 50 per cent of children below five years.

Senate To Contractor: Stop Work On Otuoke Road Project

YENAGOA —IRKED by the level of work on the 16 kilometre Otuoke Road project in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Projects, has ordered the contractor handling the project to stop work and vacate site immediately.
The Senate Committee, which was on an inspection tour of various NDDC projects in Bayelsa State, expressed anger over the poor performance of the contractor handling the road project which connects former President Goodluck Jonathan’s country home, Otuoke, with Yenagoa, the state capital.

DPR Issues 21 Licences For New Refineries- The National Mirror

Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has issued 21 licences to investors to establish new refineries in the country Four investors had earlier been issued licences to construct new plants in the country. This was disclosed by DPR in a statement at the weekend. The statement said: “There are currently 25 private refinery licences granted to companies with 21 in the Licence to Establish, LTE, category, while four are in the Approval to Construct, ATC, category.”

INEC Releases 10 Results, Suspends Rivers Elections

• PDP wins eight state constituencies, one House seat, APC victorious in one constituency
• Wike, Peterside’s security aides in shootout, one killed
• Amaechi, governor clash over ‘abducted’ collation officer
• Army explains arrest of SSG, police say four dead, 24 apprehended

By Ernest Chinwo, Segun James and Shola Oyeyipo in Port Harcourt
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the results of nine state constituencies and one federal constituency in which rerun elections were held in Nigeria’s oil hub, Rivers State, on Saturday, but the commission was forced to suspend the electoral process in all other constituencies in the state where results were not announced due to the widespread violence that marred the elections.

Lagos State Govt begins integrity tests on Lekki Gardens buildings

Less than two weeks after a building under construction by Lekki Gardens collapsed, killing no fewer than 35 people, Lagos State Govt says stability tests on buildings constructed by the building company to ascertain their structural integrity have commenced.

According to the acting General Manager of the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, Rasheed Balogun, the test is to ascertain the 'liveability status' of all buildings constructed by Lekki Gardens.

Another proof they (the West) are aiding boko haram

  80 abducted Chibok girls were found by US, UK surveillance & then left in captivity- Former UK ambassador to Nigeria says

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, a UK Newspaper, former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock, says that 80 of the Government Girls College Students who were abducted by Boko Haram members in April 2014, were spotted in Sambisa forest by a team of British and American surveillance but they could not rescue them as the Nigerian government made no request for help.

Don't forget the master plan has been to invade, divide conquer and rule each region so as to try to contain China's massive dive in Nigeria,West Africa. 
How?
By installing an Africom chain of bases in West Africa and other part of the continent.

Those Asking Me To Account For Abacha’s Loot Are silly — Obasanjo

*Justifies Buhari's frequent foreign trips
*Says no regret putting Jonathan forward as President By Gabriel Olawale, with agency repiorts

LAGOS — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed angst against those asking him to account for recovered Abacha loot, describing them as illiterates and silly people. He also said there was nothing wrong in President Muhammadu Buhari’s frequent trips as, according to him, Nigeria needs to be in touch with important centres of the world. Obasanjo, who stated this in an interview, weekend, said the role of his office was to facilitate the recovery process and not how it was put to use.

The Iranian political system, the 2016 elections & consequences

By Aram Mirzaei

Three weeks ago, the first round of the Iranian parliamentary elections & Assembly of Experts elections took place. The elections for the clerical institutional body known as the “Assembly of Experts” is considered to be crucial, as they are believed to be faced with the choice of selecting a new Supreme Leader. Understanding the complexity of Iran’s political system requires a historical insight.

The historical political landscape in Iran

Kurdish Autonomy – partition or master plan

by Ghassan Kadi

No one can claim to understand what goes on within the Kurdish mind except the Kurds themselves, perhaps not all the Kurds do either.

It is rather amazing that non-Kurds expect Kurds to have one voice, one aspiration, one political orientation, and as if all other nations are united in a manner that is manifested in a single voice. How interesting! Is there a single nation on earth that fits such bill?

US Army Meets Skynet: Computer Pulls the Plug on Artillery Test

The US Army probably thought that nothing could derail its long-awaited test of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in the state of Washington, but the computer system disagreed and pulled the plug on the drills.


The test was aimed at determining noise levels in communities located close to JBLM, a training and mobilization center located to the south of Tacoma. This is where the Army wants to conduct HIMARS training from now on. For the time being, the drills take place at the Yakima Training Center in central Washington.
Approximately one acre of trees was chopped down to prepare the firing site for the three-day exercise, but apparently that was not enough.

Wike doing everything to eliminate me – Dakuku Peterside

Dakuku Peterside who was Governor Nyesom Wike’s opponent in last year’s governorship election in Rivers state has stated that it is now evident that the governor wants to kill him and that he is prepared to do everything possible to eliminate him.


Wike & Dakuku back then
Peterside made the claim after an assassination attempt on his life in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital on Sunday.
Speaking on the incident he said:
“Today’s experience is not only terrifying but also shows the parlous state of security in
Rivers state.

Rivers govt deny Wike's COS was arrested for attack on Dakuku, release pics & statement

River State Government has denied reports that said Governor Wike's Chief of Staff, Chukwuemeka Woke was arrested over an attempt on the life of NIMASA DG, Dakuku Peterside.


Woke talking to the press at the DSS office
According to them, Chief Woke was shot at by Dakuku's security agents. Read the statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Social Media, Oraye St. Franklyn.

Photo: 17 year-old girl sells her baby girl for ₦500k

The Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police at the weekend paraded a nurse, Mrs Chibuzor Okoye, for selling a baby belonging to a 17- year-old girl, Miss Tessy Obianua, to a couple in Onitsha, Anambra State, for the sum of N500,000.



The State Commissioner for Police, Mrs. Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison said five persons were involved in the case.

According to her, Tessy fell a victim of a specialized child trafficker, Mrs. Chibuzor Okoye, who convinced her to sell the baby to Mr. and Mrs. Sunday Kalu, who were desperately looking for a
baby.

Rivers rerun: Drama as Wike, Amaechi, Peterside clash at police station -

There was mild drama early Sunday morning at the Mile 1 Police Station, Port Harcourt when Governor Nyesom Wike confronted former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the DG of NIMASA, Peterside for allegedly plotting to hijack the result sheet of Ward 10, Port Harcourt Constituency II.


According to NewTelegraph online, a woman, an ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who lectures at the University of Port Harcourt, had absconded since Saturday with the election result sheet, and other voting materials.

Rivers Rerun Election: INEC Cancels Elections In Two More Local Government Areas

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled elections in two more local government areas in Rivers State following irregularities. The local governments are Etche and Asaritoru. Some of the reasons adduced by INEC for the cancellation include non-compliance of electoral laws, snatching of ballot boxes and violence. INEC had already cancelled elections in four local governments on Saturday, the day the rerun poll was conducted.

Week Twenty-two of the Russian Military Intervention in Syria: Putin announces new strategy

This article was written for the Unz Review: http://www.unz.com/tsaker/week-twenty-two-of-the-russian-military-intervention-in-syria-putin-announces-a-new-strategy/

These are amazing times indeed. Only two weeks ago I outlined the likelyhood of a dramatic escalation of the war in Syria, and this week Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal of what I would call the “tactical air strike” component of the Russian task force in Syria. How is that possible? How could the Russian warn about Turkish troops poised to invade Syria and then suddenly pull out a major chunk of their Syrian-based firepower.

Teenage Serial Killer Shoots Retired Headmistress Dead In Edo

A teenager, who has been on the wanted list of the Nigeria Police as a serial killer, Happy Agbangbanyan, has killed a retired headmistress, identified as Clara Uwaifo.

Clara, aged 65, was shot dead in front of her residence at 27, Oviawe Street, off Upper Siluko road, Ogida, Benin-City, at about 3pm.  She was said to be returning from the hospital where she went to see her daughter when she was killed.

Late Clara retired last year from Uwelu Primary School in Ikpoba Okha Local Government.