Speakership: Gbajabiamila, Dogara split state caucuses

The jostle by four senators to succeed Senate President, David Mark, on June 4, has shifted to the aspirants going after their colleagues in the six geo – political zones, seeking their endorsements.

The four senators who have so far made public, their decision to contest the race are, Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central); George Akume (Benue North); Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North), and Ali Ndume (Borno South).

Our correspondent learnt that Saraki for instance, allegedly mobilised about 64 senators-elect drawn from both the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, to the Niger Hall at Transcorp Hotel in Abuja on Wednesday night where the lawmakers were said to have endorsed him.

Going to US is like jumping into fire —Kashamu

Senator-elect and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, on Saturday, denied any past trip to the United States and ruled out any possibility of ever visiting the country in the future.

In an interview with Sahara TV, which was monitored by our correspondent, the PDP chieftain likened such a visit to leaping into fire.

Asked by the interviewer to clarify his alleged involvement in a United States criminal case as detailed in a popular prison memoir-turned-TV series by American, Piper Kerman, Kashamu refuted the claims.

PHOTOS:Government Should not be Involved in Hospital, Education Management Business-----Obi

The former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi Saturday said Government should not be involved in hospital and education management business.

 He said this yesterday at the jubilee celebration of St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha.

Obi who was variously eulogized as the architect of the projects that were commissioned - ultra-modern School of Nursing and other projects- to commemorate the jubilee celebration, said that he decided to partner with the Church especially in education and health care delivery because the church was better at managing those institutions. Though he recognized the importance of government, but he said that Government role should best be supervisory. "I mean, look at the projects the hospital delivered in partnership with the Church. If it were entirely by the Government, I am sure today they will be in variation stage", Obi said.

Anambra excels in education again, clinches 1st position in ANCOPSS Quiz, … Retains title for keeps

Anambra State has continued to show its leading position in the field of education in Nigeria with the latest information revealing that students of the State posted excellent performances   in the just-concluded 2015 All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) Quiz competition organized for Nigerian students.

The State represented by Master Umeh Anthony Nnaemeka of Igwebuike Grammar School Awka   came tops in this year’s ANCOPSS Quiz Competition organized for all schools in Nigeria as a way of enhancing academic performance of students.

By the excellent performance of Master Umeh, Anambra State retains the cup for keeps, being the 3rd consecutive time students from the State are winning the cup.  

ANCOPSS organizes the Quiz and Essay competitions yearly for competition by all schools in the nation as a way of enhancing academic performance of students.

Tunisian Woman Invades Chris Brown’s Mansion, Cooks For Him And Waits Naked For His Return

Amira Kodcia Ayeb, a 21-year-old Tunisian native living in Los Angeles, California was arrested late Wednesday after multi-talented American recording artist, dancer, and actor Chris Brown and his crew found her naked on his bed at his rented California mansion.

Brown came home two days later after his birthday celebration in Las Vegas, to find Ayeb naked on his bed. He immediately alerted the Lost Hills Sheriff Department and Ayeb was taken into custody shortly after. The singer posted a photo of Ayeb on Instagram to vent about the ordeal.

“I get home and find this crazy individual in my house,” Brown wrote on Instagram. “She had broken the hinges off the doors. She found time to cook her several meAls (sic). She Wrote (sic) ‘I love you’ on the walls,” Brown said.

DELE MOMODU OF OVATION JOINS BEN TV.

Fellow Nigerians, let’s leave politics alone today and discuss personal issues. I’m very happy to tell you some positive development in my life. I was brought up by parents who taught me that atelowo eni kii tan nii je (all you can be sure of is the reward from your personal hard work). I’ve since imbibed that dictum like a sacrament. And it has never failed me.
I’m aware that many Nigerians believe that politics can be taken as a full time vocation but I’m of the view that it shouldn’t be so. Our country would be far better when leaders learn how to manage people and resources in their private capacity before attaining power. The essence of this sermon is that we should not expect much from those who gate-crashed into government without ever micro-managing their own lives. The most difficult task in a man’s life is how to grow a business from nothing to something especially in a particularly difficult terrain of Africa.
Many young ones have asked me questions about how they can make it in life but I’m not able to answer them one on one. It is my intention to paint my personal portrait today while hoping they can draw their own conclusions. It is not for nothing that it was said that Rome was not built in one day. Rome was seen and accepted as an epitome of majestic grandeur. But whatever is seen in that famous city was conjectured and actualised through the incredible vision of its architects and the tenacity of its energetic builders. There is thus no alternative to working assiduously for greatness.

FOUR NIGERIANS WIN BRITISH PARLIAMENT SEATS

Four Nigerians have won seats in the British parliament to represent their constituencies.
Chuka Harrison Umunna, Helen Grant, Chi Onwurah and Kate Osamor won the seats in the general elections.
Umunna is a member of the British Labour Party and has been a member of Parliament (MP) since 2010.
He is from Nigerian Igbo ethnic group and the current Shadow Business Secretary since 2011.
Another Nigerian, Grant, a lawyer, born on September 1961, won her seat under the British Conservative Party.
She is the current Member of Parliament for Maidstone and The Weald in Kent and the current Minister for Sport, Tourism & Equalities.
She was elected at the 2010 general election, replacing the constituency’s previous incumbent, Ann Widdecombe, who had decided to step down as an MP.
Grant was the first black woman to be selected to defend a Tory seat and her election made her the Conservatives’ first female black MP.

SHEKAU ESCAPES TO NORTH AFRICA

As the military deploys its special force units to track the fleeing lead¬er of the Boko Haram sect, Abuba¬kar Shekau, there are strong indi¬cations that the terror kingpin may have fled Nigeria through the help of Islamic State (ISIS) groups operating in East and North Africa.
Saturday Sun gathered that with the recent loss of his group’s caliphate headquarters, Gwoza to the Nigerian troops and the invasion of Sambisa forest by a detachment of the na¬tion’s special force units deployed from their base in Makurdi, Benue State, the Boko Haram leader saw his capture as imminent.
According to dependable military intelli¬gence sources, Shekau had to send emissaries to ISIS affiliates with strongholds in East and North Africa to pave the way for his escape to their region from where he intends to coordi¬nate his group’s activities or ultimately relocate to ISIS headquarters in the Middle East.
One of the sources revealed that “having discovered that he was being tracked through his Thuraya satellite phone, Shekau recently dropped the line and handset totally to evade capture. But the last satellite image of him and other intelligence pieced together by forces on the battle frontline show his desperation to es¬cape from the country to parts of East Africa or North Africa where ISIS is having some foot¬holds.”

What does Peter Obi really want? By Obiora Aghadinuno

The political tug of war going on between former governor Peter Obi and his successor, Chief Willie Obiano, the governor of Anambra State has continued to astound many observers. Coming against the backdrop of the former governor’s assurances of non-interference when he handed over power in March last year, the raging face-off between the two brothers remains a curiosity to people who had hoped that finally, Anambra had shrugged off the usual ego clashes between her leading citizens. That this needless ego clash has continued to fester against wise counsels and endless interventions by their mutual friends speaks to the deeper psychological inadequacies that characterize the lives of public servants in Nigeria.

In this case though, Mr. Obi seems to be the guilty party. After wrestling power from the strong men whose sole purpose of seeking political power was for personal enrichment and setting a record as the first governor to successfully hand over power to his anointed candidate, expectations were understandably high on Peter Obi. Many people had hoped that Obi would ascend to a higher grace; that he knew too well the cost of war to offer his successor peace. Many people had wished that Obi’s unassuming nature and loud simplicity would dictate his attitude to life after service. Alas, they were all wrong. It soon became clear that Obi was only willing to relinquish the office but not the power. The former governor has continued to act as though he is the alternate governor of Anambra State; stage-managing public functions for himself across the state where he is either flagging off a project or commissioning a new one with fanfare and robust media coverage. Obi’s recent visit to St Augustine’s Primary and Secondary School, Nkpor is one instance that stands out as not only unwise but needlessly provocative.

Obiano Condoles Family, NUJ on Death of Journalist

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has expressed his deep condolences on the death of Comrade Ifeoma Anumba, a journalist with the Federal Ministry of Information, Awka, to her family and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State chapter.

Chief Obiano who is away in United State of America for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) said the news of Ms. Anumba’s sudden death was sobering and depressing. ‘Every death takes something out of us but it is especially so when the deceased is plucked in the prime of life without warning as in the present case. Her sudden death has once more thrown up philosophical questions about the purpose and trajectories of earthly life.’