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Charly Boy, others protest secrecy of National Assembly’s budget

Charles Oputa (aka Charly Boy) led hundreds of protesters to the National Assembly yesterday to demand public disclosure of the budget of the Federal lawmakers.
The protesters also demanded that immunity from criminal procedure against the President, Vice President, governors and deputy governors be removed from the constitutional.
Besides, the protesters, under the aegis of Office of the Citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, backed the anti-corruption crusade of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
It insisted that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Legislature and the Judiciary, be subjected to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to curb wastages and corruption in government.
To reduce the burden of governance, the protesters said the Senate be scrapped with the controversial constituency intervention projects.
Charly Boy, who said corruption had robbed Nigerian youths of their future, noted that death penalty should be introduced to check corrupt public office holders.
The entertainer assured that his group would not relent in protesting what he called the gross injustice against Nigerian youths until positive commitments were obtained from the lawmakers.
He said: “I was happy that some youths are doing what young people should do. I am just here to encourage them to take their rightful place in the society.
“I have also advised them on the need to go back to the drawing board and come out massively because this is a cause for the few men and women of integrity left in Nigeria to come and speak out against this oppression.
“I see that most of the youths these days are just handicapped by the great poverty, unemployment and uncertainty of tomorrow. This is because we have a government that does not work; we have a government that cannot arrest corruption.
“I am here to encourage them because when next we come here, the whole place will be filled up. This is a movement. I am telling young Nigerians that if they do not do something about their future, their future has been stolen.
“So, if you don’t fight to retrieve it, you will die for nothing in this country. There will be nothing for you, if you don’t agitate.
“I am here to encourage that culture of agitation, the culture of standing up for your bloody rights because nothing will change until you do so.”

Boko Haram kills another army officer in ambush

Boko Haram

Another army officer has been killed in the battle against Boko Haram insurgents.
Lt. Col B U Umar, the commanding officer of 114 TF battalion, was killed barely two weeks after Lt. Col. Muhammed. Abu-Ali died in an ambush.
A senior Officer said Umar was ambushed alongside his troops on Monday on the way to Bita, in Borno state.
According to him, the late officer and his troops were returning from Mubi, Adamawa state, a town reclaimed from? Boko Haram, when his vehicle stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The military source said details of the incident would be released as soon as the military concluded the necessary arrangement.
He however denied that there was heavy casualty saying only Col. Umar was fatally wounded in the incident.
The late Col. Umar was a member of the 48 Regular Course in the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA).
In response to fresh attacks from the sect, the Air Force has launched a new offensive aimed at further degrading the ranks of the insurgents.
Planes carried out attacks on the insurgents’ location at Malkonori in northern Borno State.
Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said the attack was a follow-up to the close air support operation that repelled the insurgents who attacked Air Force ground soldiers at Kangarwa.
Famuyiwa said survivors among the insurgents fled to Dogochuku where they were also attacked by NAF fighter aircraft and forced to relocate to Malkonori.
Ground forces confirmed a number of the insurgents were killed and their vehicle destroyed from the latest air strike at Malkonori

Senate rejects Buhari’s would-be envoys list

•President Buhari

The Senate yesterday rejected the President’s list of 46 non-career ambassadors-designate. The list was dumped over President Muhammadu Buhari’s new understanding with governors, lawmakers and All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, it was learnt.
The rejection will enable the Presidency to review the list in line with the new consultative deal.
Sources said names of most of the nominees were smuggled into the list by some members of the President’s Kitchen Cabinet  who were asked to “harmonise” the names.
The choice of the nominees topped the agenda of the session between the President and APC governors last week.
The issue was also raised at Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s Monday meeting with APC governors and National Assembly leaders
A source said: “By the time the President realised that the list of non-career ambassadors was compiled by a few, he felt disappointed. But he did not want to recall the list in order not to hurt anyone.
“Some states were not happy because the list affected power sharing formula and it could lead to inter-tribal crisis.
“The President took time to explain to stakeholders that he knew only a few of the nominees. I think about three or five. But he said he gave the responsibility to some key aides who did a shoddy job.
“It was embarrassing to the President when some of the nominees rejected their appointments because they were not consulted.
“As a way out, the President left the fate of the nominees to the Senate to decide. The President has now floated a new consultative platform between the Presidency and other stakeholders, including governors, National Assembly leaders and party leaders.”
The source added: “A window that was immediately agreed upon was for the Senate to reject the list to pave the way for the Presidency to take a second look at the non-career ambassadors.
“So, the list was rejected in line with the new deal between the President and other stakeholders. All groups in the party will now have input into the compilation of the fresh list which will be sent to the Senate.
“In the next few days, wider consultations will be done in a manner that will make all the stakeholders to be happy. The President has chosen to leave everything open.”
During plenary yesterday, the Senate rejected the list of 46 non-career ambassadors but approved, after hesitation, another list of 47 career ambassadors earlier forwarded to it by the President and nominees screened.
Senate Leader Mohammed Ali Ndume said in view of numerous petitions submitted to the Senate against the non-career nominees, the Senator Monsurat Sunmonu-led Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs recommended that the list be returned to the President to rework and resubmit for consideration and approval.
Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio seconded the motion. More than 250 petitions were submitted to the Senate against the nominees.
A governor wrote to disown the two nominees from his state.
The inability of five of them to recite the National Anthem during their screening almost robbed the affected nominees of confirmation.
The intervention of Senator James Manager, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, saved the day. He blamed the inability of the affected nominees to recite the National Anthem on nervousness.
He recalled that “in 2004, a ministerial nominee collapsed when Senator Uche Chukwumerije fired four questions at him at a go”.
He insisted that it was not easy to appear before the Senate.
Senator Gbenga Ashafa also argued in the same line and asked that the nominees be confirmed.
Those whose nomination was confirmed are: Obinna Chukwuemeka (Abia); Salisu Umaru (Adamawa); Inyan Udo-Iyang(Akwa Ibom), Okeke Vivian Nwanaku(Anambra), Liman Munir(Bauchi), Ndem Jane Ada(Benue), Mohammed Hassan Hassan(Borno), ; Martin Young Cobham(Cross River) ; Janet Omoleegho Olisah(Delta) and Itegboje Sunday(Edo).
Others are: Olatunde Adesesan(Ekiti) Lilian Ijeukwu Onoh(Enugu) ; Manaja Tulah Isa(Gombe) ; Ngozi Ukaeje(Imo) ; Bello Kazaure Husseini(Jigawa), Enoch Pear Duchi(Kaduna), Garba Baba(Kano), Usman Bakori Aliyu(Katsina) Umar Zainab Salisu(Kebbi); Momoh Sheidu Omeiza(Kogi) and Kadiri Audu(Kwara).
Others who also made the list are: Balogun Hakeem (Lagos) ; Inusa Ahmed (Nasarawa) Ibrahim Isah (Niger) Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye (Ogun) Ibidapo-Obe Oluwasegun (Osun) Ogundero Sakirat (Oyo) Eric A. Bell-Gam (Rivers) Attahiru Halliru (Sokoto) Rahmatu Dunama (Taraba) ; Musa Mamman (Yobe) and Kabiru Bala (Zamfara).
Others on the list include Adamu Shuaibu (FCT)  , D.A Agev (Benue) , T.K Gongulong (Borno) , Ibrahim Hamza (Katsina) , K.C Nwachukwu (Imo) , Q.I Worlu (Edo) , E.K Oguntuase (Ekiti) , A. I. Paragalda (Adamawa) L.A Gasharga (Borno), Olufemi Abikoye (Kwara) , Habu Abubakar Ibrahim(Gombe) Rabiu Akawu (Kano) , Nonye Udo (Anambra) Odeka Janet Bisong (Cross River)  and Sonaike Adekunbi Abibat (Ogun).

Dino Melaye Asks Buhari to Grant Presidential Pardon/Amnesty to Treasury Looters

Dino Melaye

 

 

 

 

Senator Dino Melaye had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to give presidential pardon and amnesty for treasury looters according to the Vanguard.

Melaye in statement said, “Though an unrepentant advocate for integrity and forthrightness especially from public office holders, I however sincerely want to recommend that Mr. President grant Presidential Amnesty/Pardon to all those who looted our treasury provided they return all proceeds of their loot to the government within six (6) months of the declaration of the Amnesty.

“This, I believe will encourage the voluntary return of the the looted funds, empower the government financially to immediately commence the implementation of projects and programmes that will stimulate the economy and raise the peoples’ standard of living, and save the judiciary and other law enforcement agencies the agony of fruitlessly pursuing the looters in and out of the courtrooms.

"In the long run, this would be a win-win situation for both the government and people of Nigeria,” he said.

“At the expiration of the six months’ ‘Moratorium’, all those who failed to comply would then be made to face the reality of aggressive and expeditious prosecution and eventual jail terms for convicts in accordance with the laws of the land”, he said.

‘His Excellency and Distinguished’ from the names of President, Vice president, Governors and Senators respectively.

"In this regard, I recommend that henceforth no President, Vice President, Governor, or Deputy Governor should answer the name ‘His Excellency’ until the material condition of ordinary Nigerians has also become ‘Excellent’.

No Senator should continue to answer ‘Distinguished’ until the the masses of the people begin to experience a distinguished existence and no Federal or state Legislator should wear the badge of ‘Honourable Member’ until the ordinary citizen is himself living a life that can be classified Honourable in every material particular.

Wicked World! See How a Mother Dumped Her Newborn Baby in the Bush Path in Delta (Photo)

The baby

 

A newborn baby has been made to go through a most dehumanizing experience after its mother did a terrible thing to it. 

A newborn baby has been killed after it was abandoned by someone thought to be the mother.

 

The lifeless body of the day old baby was at the weekend discovered in Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.

 

According to report, residents woke to the sorry sight on Saturday, in a bush path in the community along the Odoro Road area.

 

When the state Police Command’s spokesperson, Celestina Kalu, was contacted, her number was not available for comments as at press time, but it was gathered that the baby, with a placenta attached to it, was heard crying at night and was later found dead by passers-by who raised alarm.

 

Indications are that the baby was abandoned by the mother in the late hours of the previous day, as it was discovered that the body fell out of a polythene bag placed atop a heap of building blocks.

Top Nigerian Actress Expelled from the Movie Industry...Read What She Did

Rahama Sadau

 

 An Hausa female actor has been expelled from the Hausa movie industry after acting against the code of conduct and ethics of the entertainment body.

The Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria has expelled Kannywood actress, Rahama Sadau, from the Industry.
Sadau was expelled for featuring in a romantic musical video by Jos born singer, ClassiQ. Sadau’s offence was that she featured in a 4 minute 19 seconds romantic musical video by ClassiQ.

 

ClassiQ and Rahama Sadau in the video

Reactions poured in immediately the video went viral on social media, with some fans of the popular actress criticising her role in it.

“Rahama has crossed the boundary line this time around. The video is all revealing and this is not proper for a Muslim girl to go this extreme in an open video,” a fan, Maryam Umar, told a correspondent.

The announcement of the actress’ expulsion was contained in a statement by the association and was made available to Premium Times on Sunday.

The statement was signed by Salisu Mohammed, the Secretary of the association.

The association also warned other actors and actresses to henceforth follow the rules binding their participation in the Kannywood film industry.

 

A communique issued by Motion pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria MOPPAN and signed by it secretary, Salisu Mohammed, stated reasons for Sadau’s expulsion from acting and participating in any Kannywood activities.

 

It should be noted that MOPPAN is a coalition of associations that set rules and regulations governing the conduct of actors and actresses, as well as production of movies in northern Nigeria.

 

The circular reads:

“Sequel to the recent meeting in which a resolution reached by all guilds and associations under the unified body of Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPA). That Rahama Sadau has been expelled from the Hausa indigenous film industry popularly known as Kannnywood.

‎“This is as a result of her recent immoral appearance in a certain video song where she appeared in series of visuals (video and pictorial) hugging and cuddling the music artist ClassiQ in his newly released video.

“The leadership of the industry has taken this decision for her violation of its codes of ethics known to all it practitioners.

“By this resolution, the leadership of the industry will no longer tolerate behaviours that are against conduct and ethics laid by the constitution governing the unified leadership of the industry.

“More so, the leadership hopes that this will serve as a deterrent to the actors and actresses to check their public behaviour as they are expected to be good ambassadors to the society they represent.

“Furthermore, a committee has been set to receive and deal with reactions and feed backs to this resolution in respect to the affected actress especially those producers that currently engage her in their projects.

 

 

Sadau is currently on vacation in India and is yet to react to her expulsion from the conservative Hausa movie industry as at the time of this report.