Lagos to experience 7-hour power outage today, says Eko Disco

Eko Disco

Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKED) has said that there will be seven hour power supply interruption to some areas within its network in Lagos on Thursday, (today).

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Mr Godwin Idemudia, Assistant General Manger, (Public Affairs) of the company and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The statement said that the interruption would take place between the hours of 10 am to 4 pm on Dec. 18.

54 soldiers sentenced to death by firing squad

Nigerian soldiers to die by firing squad

Fifty-four Nigerian soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad on Wednesday by a Military Court-Martial sitting in Abuja.

A competent source within the military high command, who confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said five other soldiers were discharged and acquitted.

2015 budget: FG maintains 65 dollars oil price, introduces charges on luxury goods

Okonjo Iweala presenting the budget

Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, said Federal Government would continue with the proposed 65 dollars oil benchmark for the 2015 budget in spite of volatility in the global oil price.

Okonjo-Iweala disclosed this at the public presentation of the 2015 budget on Wednesday in Abuja.

``We have put the following benchmarks, which are operated in the 2015 budget; oil production remains at 2.27 million barrel per day, as I said, benchmark oil price at 65 dollars per barrel.

``We are using an exchange rate of N165 to the dollar and we are projecting a fiscal deficit N755 billion or 0.79 per cent of Gross Domestic product (GDP).

``And we are keeping domestic borrowing at a downward trend, the same as last year at about N570 billion which is comparable to the N572 billion for 2014,’’ she said.

According to her, GDP growth is projected at 5.5 per cent as also projected by the National Bureau of Statistics.

FG explains challenges in 2014 budgets

The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday named oil pipeline vandalism as one of the challenges in the achievements of revenue projections for 2014 budget.

Okonjo-Iweala, who said this during the Public Presentation of the 2015 Federal Budget in Abuja, said the resulting shorting in oil was also one of the key challenges.

According to her, ``we faced a quantity shock in the sense that the oil produced averaged about 2.2 billion barrels per day in the first three quarters of 2014''.

She said the figure fell short of the 2.28 million barrel projected in the budget and the effect was compounded further by the more recent fall in price.

Anger and grief as Pakistan buries students massacred at school

Pakistan parents mourning

A shocked Pakistan on Wednesday began burying 132 students killed in a grisly attack on their school by Taliban militants that has heaped pressure on the government to do more to tackle the insurgency.

People across the country lit candles and staged vigils as parents bade final farewells to their children during mass funerals in and around Peshawar, the volatile city on the edge of Pakistan's lawless tribal belt where the school was located.

Grief mixed with anger as people looked to the authorities - long accused of not being tough enough on extremists - to stem spiraling violence in a nation which has become a safe haven for al Qaeda-linked groups.

Why I stepped down for Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate – Tinubu

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

The national leader of the All Progressives Congress and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has explained the reason he had to step down for his former State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as the vice presidential candidate of the party despite his widespread endorsement by the party.

Tinubu, in a statement on Wednesday said though he deserved the VP slot having  worked extra hard moving the party from being merely an idea in the minds of a few into being a political organization that might win this election and govern the nation in way that gives the people the hope and opportunity they seek,  he had to withdraw from being considered for the APC vice presidential position in the interest of the country.

“I have labored hard to move this party from being merely an idea in the minds of a few into being a political organization that might win this election and govern the nation in way that gives the people the hope and opportunity they seek.” He said.

Rivers PDP congratulates Amaechi for losing APC VP’s slot

Amaechi

The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has congratulated the outgoing Governor of the State, Rotimi Chubuike Amaechi for losing his bid to grab the Vice Presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a statement signed by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser, on Media to the State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah,on Wednesday, the party said it is excited that Amaechi has been confirmed as a serial loser who lacks the capacity to win any competitive contest and can only excel in incivility and loose tongues.

Most disturbing, the party noted, is the billions of tax payers’ money the outgoing governor had allegedly spent on lobbying for the APC VP ticket at the expense of infrastructural development, provision of portable drinking water in the State and payment of salaries and allowances of civil servants and pensioners.

The man, Pastor Osinbajo, APC’s game changer

Pst. Osinbajo

The man, Yemi Osinbajo, 55, is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Senior Partner in the Law firm of Simmons Cooper Partners, a law firm, where he earns his living.

He is married to the house of Obafemi Awolowo, arguably the greatest Yoruba politician ever and a distinguished public administrator described by the late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu as “the best president Nigeria never had”.

 Oludolapo, his wife and mother of his three children, is a granddaughter of the late sage. 

 Yemi is from Ogun state originally, but he served Lagos as commissioner and is therefore also from Lagos.

At last, Buhari unveils Redeemed Pastor, Osinbajo as running mate

Buhari unveiling Osinbajo yesterday

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari, has, at last, unveiled his running mate in the 2015 presidential election scheduled for February 14, 2015.

The running mate is the former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a senior pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Buhari unveiled Osinbajo at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Reduction of tertiary institution fees still stands, Ogun govt

MAPOLY

Ogun state government has debunked the allegation that the pronouncement of reduction in the tertiary institution fees in the state was a fluke, noting that, the reduction remains.

There has been rumour making rounds by students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Ojere, Abeokuta that the state government has implemented the reduction since it made the announcement.

It would be recalled that the state government had in September 2014 announced the reduction of school fees for all tertiary institutions across the state, hinting that, education should be given utmost priority in the state.

Lagos SSG, Oluranti Adebule is Ambode’s running mate

Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Oluranti Adebule, (L) with Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye (R)

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has picked the serving Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, as the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Akinwunmi Ambode.

It was reliably learnt that Dr Adebule was the natural choice for the party when the leadership finally agreed to give the slot to a Muslim female.

Electricity consumers in Lagos lament crazy bills

Electricity protest 

Electricity consumers in Lagos on Wednesday condemned the recent outrageous bills received from electricity companies in spite of poor power supply in November.

They rued arbitrary and excessive billing of consumers when electricity supply was not regular.

For instance, Mrs Chinansa Oke, a resident of FESTAC Town, said the attitude of electricity companies amounted to cheating consumers.

Female genital mutilation offenders in Ogun risk jail term

Female genital mutilation 

Ogun Commissioner for Woman Affairs and Social Development,  Mrs Elizabeth Sonubi, , on Wednesday, said the state government would prosecute anyone caught practising ``Female Genital Mutilation.’’

The commissioner disclosed this in Abeokuta during a news conference to celebrate the "16 Days Activism on the Elimination of Gender Based Violence’’ with the theme ``Let us Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Woman.’’

According to Sonubi, offenders are liable to one year imprisonment.

Tenant sues landlord for enticing wife

A tenant, Nengak Monday, has dragged his landlord, Danjuma Goshit, before an Upper Area Court, Pankshin, Plateau, for alleged enticement of his wife.

Monday also sued his wife, Hanatu, for allegedly stealing 16 bags of his maize.

Goshit of Vel Area, Pankshin Town, is being tried for enticement contrary to Section 389 of the Penal Code.

The complainant told the court that his wife packed out of his house and went away with 16 bags of maize.

SON destroyed sub-standard goods worth N5 billion in 11 months

Sub-standard goods seized by SON

The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) said on Tuesday that it destroyed substandard goods worth N5 billion in the first 11 months of 2014.

The Head, Inspectorate and Compliance of SON, Mr Bede Obayi told journalist during the destruction of some of the goods at the agency's dumpsite in Shagamu, Ogun that they were impounded from several locations in the country.

He said that most of the goods found their way into the country through unapproved routes along the borders in different parts of the country.

Buhari might announce Tinubu as running mate today

Asiwaju Tinubu, APC National Leader

The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the running mate for the party’s presidential candidate for the 2015 general election might be announced on Wednesday.

Odigie-Oyegun, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday at the end of National Working Committee meeting of the party, said that the presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, would make the announcement in a news conference.

He said that the party had reached agreement on presidential running mate but insisted that it would be made public by Buhari.

2015: South West will vote en masse for Jonathan/Sambo, says Mimiko

Mimiko and Jonathan

Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo said on Tuesday that the South West zone would cast their votes massively for the Jonathan/Sambo ticket in the 2015 Presidential election.

Mimiko, who was fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, assured that the electorate in the South West would vote for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) even if the All Progressive Congress (APC) picked its vice-president from the South West zone.

Jonathan congratulates Buhari on his 72 birthday

Jonathan congratulates Buhari

President Goodluck Jonathan has written a congratulatory letter to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on his birthday.

Buhari clocks 72 today, Wednesday.

Police recover 231 stolen cattle in Niger

CATTLE

The Police in Niger said it had recovered 231 cows and 34 sheep from cattle rustlers in the State.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Emmanuel Amore, made this known when he showed the suspected rustlers to newsmen in Minna on Tuesday.

He said that the arrest was made possible through the active collaboration of members of the public that gave useful information to the police.

Oil price slump will not ground Lagos economy -- Fashola

The continuous fall in crude oil price at the international market will not ground the Lagos State economy, Gov. Babatunde Fashola said on Tuesday.

Fashola said this at the formal presentation of the state`s 2012-2025 Development Plan in Ikeja.

According to him, the Lagos economy was not built to rely on earnings from any extractive resource.

``The uncertainties in the oil market cannot have serious effects on the state`s economy.

Oil price fall didn't take us by surprise -- Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday in Abuja said that the falling price of crude oil did not take his administration by surprise.

Jonathan stated this while launching the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) and the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said that government foresaw the crisis hence the launch of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) three years ago designed to diversify the country's revenue base.

2015: Amosun picks Onanuga as running mate

Yetunde Onanuga

 Ahead of the governorship election in 2015, the APC in Ogun on Tuesday chose Mrs Yetunde Onanuga as the running mate of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun.

Onanuga, 54, hails from Aparaki in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

Until her selection, she was a Director of Finance and Administration in the Ministry of Environment in Lagos State.

Maku calls for cancellation of Nasarawa PDP gubernatorial primary election

Labaran Maku

Just like some of his former minister-colleagues who lost out in the just concluded PDP governorship primaries elections, former Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, has called on PDP leadership to cancel the governorship primary election in Nasarawa State due to alleged irregularities.

Maku’s call is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Director of Publicity, Maku Campaign Organisation, Mr Zakari Edege.

DSS arrests 7 in the fake negotiation with Boko Haram

DSS agents

The Department of State Services (DSS), has vowed that it will serve justice to all those who sponsor or partake in the publication of subversive reports against the country.

Ms Marilyn Ogar, spokeswoman for the service, made the promise when she showed seven suspects to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

She said the suspects colluded with Steven Davis, an Australian, to negotiate with Boko Haram sect members.

Why Nigeria is affected by dwindling crude oil price- Omar

Omar, NLC President

Malam Abdulwaheed Omar, the President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said that the dwindling crude oil price is affecting the country because Nigeria has never imbibed the culture of saving.

Omar spoke at a briefing on the ongoing strike by NUPENG and PENGASSAN on Tuesday that it was the refusal of government to fulfill agreements reached with the unions that led to strike.

Power supply drops to 3,500MW due to gas challenges - Special Adviser

The Senior Special Adviser on Gas to the Minister of Power, Frank Edozie has said that power generation dropped to 3,500 megawatts due to sabotage of pipelines and inadequate gas supply.

2015 elections: Court to rule on Jonathan’s eligibility Jan- 12

An Abuja Federal High Court on Monday reserved ruling until Jan. 12 in a suit filed by Olatoye Wahab and Adejumo Ajegbe, seeking to disqualify President Goodluck Jonathan from seeking re-election.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed reserved the ruling after listening to the submissions of both counsel to the plaintiffs and Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The plaintiffs had urged the court to determine whether the President was constitutionally eligible to seek re-election, having participated as candidate and emerged winner in two previous presidential elections.

Court refuses to sack Tambuwal as Speaker

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, refused to grant a fresh ex-parte application seeking to restrain Mr. Aminu Tambuwal from further acting as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The application was filed before the court by a member of the House House of Representatives, Mr. Abiodun Akinlade.

The applicant, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the House, had in his application, prayed the court to stop Tambuwal from parading himself as the Speaker, pending the determination of the suit challenging his continued stay in office.

Aside the ex-parte application that was declined by the court yesterday, Akinlade is in his substantive suit, seeking a “judicial interpretation” of an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Evoh Chukwu of the same Federal High Court in Abuja, where the court held that there was no division in the PDP.

Ugandan maid bags 4 years jail for abusing toddler

A Ugandan maid has been jailed for four years for abusing a toddler in a case that shocked the country after a graphic video of the assault was made public.

The 22-year-old maid, Jolly Tumuhiirwe, originally pleaded guilty last week to torture, but later the charge was reduced to abuse, to which she also pleaded guilty to on Friday.

Tumuhiirwe on Monday remained apparently emotionless as her sentence was handed down in a court in Kampala.

Okorocha seeks second term, promises continuity

The Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has promised all Imo citizens that if elected into office for the second time, there would be total consolidation and continuity of his rescue mission agenda.

Governor Okorocha also promised to ensure he took the state to an enviable height through his developmental programmes.

The Governor made the promises at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri, the Imo State capital, upon his return to the state after the All Progressives Congress’ presidential primaries held in Lagos State.