SENATE PRESIDENCY BID: EX-GOVERNORS QUEUE BEHIND SARAKI AS ONE OF THEIR OWN FOR SENATE PRESIDENT SLOT

Some Peoples Democratic Party Governors-elect on Tuesday night attended a meeting held by some of their All Progressives Congress counterparts rooting for the emergence of former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki as the Senate President.
The PUNCH learnt that the meeting which held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja had 65 senators-elect in attendance.
A source who attended the meeting listed Godswill Akpabio, Theodore Orji and Sam Egwu among the PDP senators-elect that were in attendance.
Our source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said some of the PDP senators-elect were backing Saraki because it appeared that the APC leaders were in support of Ahmad Lawan.
The source said, “For now, the PDP has not endorsed any candidate but some of us are in support of Saraki because the APC leaders appear to be supporting Lawan.”

South African Airways enabler for tourism and driver of economic growth

South African Airways enabler for tourism and driver of economic growth
Movement of people and goods by air more important than ever before.
South African Airways (SAA), the South African National Flag Carrier, has a specific and important role to play as an enabler for tourism and a driver of economic growth through trade. The movement of people and goods by air is more important than ever before.
Nico Bezuidenhout, SAA’s Acting Chief Executive, emphasised at the Durban Tourism Indaba SAA’s continued support of the economy and tourism through the effort the airline has made in bringing stability by implementing its 90-Day Action Plan.

Obiano’s wife acquires land to build elderly people’s home

Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano, receiving the Ambulance keys from Dr. Obi and Barrister (Mrs.) Rosaline Ifezulike, with wife of Anambra East LGA Chairman, Mrs. Jennifer Udeanoh (extreme right) during the presentation of Ford Ambulance to CAFÉ

The dream of the wife of the governor of Anambra State, Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano to touch the lives of the young and old people through her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ) appears realizable as she has acquired sizeable hectares of land for the establishment of Old People’s Homes in the three Senatorial Districts of the State.
Speaking in an interactive session with pressmen in Awka,
Chief (Mrs.) Obiano said that her passion for taking care of the aged over the years exposed her to the realization that what the old people in our society need most is attention and care.  According to the governor’s wife, “you would agree with me that the social safety-net imbued by our practice of the extended family system is not as strong as it used to be. Today you find the older folks not getting the necessary attention they deserve because the younger ones are busy struggling to build their own life. Even where it exists, you find out that what the elderly desire most is the company of others. That is one cushion they will get in the proposed Old peoples’ home.”

Obiano Commiserates with Azikiwe Family

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano has condoled the Azikiwe Family and Obi of Onitsha on the death of Chief Chukwuma Bamidele Azikiwe, Owelle of Onitsha, eldest son of Nigeria’s first president, the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe on Sunday May 11, 2015, aged 75.

Obiano in the condolence message stated that he was shocked when he got the news of the demise of Chief Chukwuma Azikiwe, a 1964 Harvard Business graduate whom he described as a political leader in his own right.

PHOTO; FORMER BRITISH PM TONY BLAIR MEETS WITH MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE DEFENSE HOUSE ABUJA

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari meets with Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the Defense House in Abuja on May 13th 2015 ...The former PM also met with the vice-president elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo -as he congratulated both on their victory at the presidential polls

NURSING MOTHER TREKS FROM MINNA TO ABUJA WITH HER 40 DAY-OLD BABY

Since the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28 presidential election in Nigeria, many Nigerians have been trekking in solidarity and celebration of his victory from different directions of the country to Abuja, the nation’s federal capital city. The latest in the league of the trekkers is a 35 year old nursing mother, Mrs. Alice Daniel, who is now on her way from Minna to Abuja to fulfil a promise she made also, just before the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections. Narrating her story in an exclusive interview with Newsline, Mrs. Alice, a mother of five, said it all started when her husband, Abdulwasiu informed her that he had a dream that President Goodluck Jonathan was going to lose the presidential election to Gen.Buhari. She said she told her husband that it would not be possible for an incumbent president to lose the election to an opposition candidate, adding that even if he won, he would not be declared winner as was the case in the 2007 and 2011. At the time, she said, she was heavily pregnant and due for the labour ward. Mrs. Alice said prior to the election, the issue came up again in one of their discussions with her husband and three other people present, where she promised that if Gen. Buhari won the election and was declared winner she would trek from Minna to Abuja to personally congratulate him for the victory

PRESIDENT PIERRE NKURUNZIZA OF BURUNDI OVERTHROWN

A top Burundian general on Wednesday announced the overthrow of President Pierre Nkurunziza, following weeks of violent protests against the president’s bid to stand for a third term. General Godefroid Niyombare, a powerful former intelligence chief, announced the coup attempt hours after the president left for neighbouring Tanzania for talks with regional leaders on ending the crisis.
“President Pierre Nkurunziza is removed from office, the government is dissolved,” General Niyombare said in the radio broadcast. “All people are asked to respect the lives and property of others,” he added. Niyombare is a highly respected figure who was sacked from his position as the central African nation’s powerful chief of intelligence in February. The general said on private radio that he was committed to the democratic process and would work with others towards holding elections.
He said he would form a “committee for the restoration of national harmony,” a temporary body whose “mission, among others, is the restoration of national unity… and the resumption of the electoral process in a peaceful and fair environment.” There was no immediate reaction from Nkurunziza, who was in neighbouring Tanzania to meet with leaders of the five-nation East African Community (EAC) — made up of Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda as well as Burundi — who are trying to mediate an end to the crisis.

PHOTOS; ATIKU ABUBAKAR AND BOLA TINUBU WELCOME MAN WHO TREKKED FROM YOLA TO ABUJA IN HONOUR OF APC

Abubakar Wali, the man who trekked from Yola-Abuja in honour of APC's victory has been welcomed by the former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar and APC national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was welcomed in Abuja on Tuesday (yesterday) at the residence of the ex vice president after a meeting with APC executives from Bauchi state.

Ex-IGP Abba removed for indiscipline in the force —Police Service Commission

                                                                   Suleiman Abba
The Police Service Commission explained, yesterday, that the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba was removed from office because of increasing cases of indiscipline in the rank and file of the force.
The explanation came on a day the Police Council confirmed Mr. Abba’s successor, Mr. Solomon Arase as the substantive Inspector General of Police.
The chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro, who spoke with newsmen after the Council of State meeting, yesterday, said the President told members of the council that the former IGP was removed because of increased cases of insdicipline among the rank and file of the force.
His words: “I’m not part of the Presidency that removed him, so I cannot give adequate answer. Though at the meeting President Jonathan tried to explain to members, based on the question raised by one of the governors that Nigerians may want to know why the former IGP was removed.
“The President, who was very brief in his response said, during the period of the former IGP, a lot of indiscipline was noticed among the Police rank and file  and as such he felt that a new IG should come and try his luck. That is what he said, though I cannot give details of that.”

Arase confirmed as IGP

The Police Council yesterday confirmed Mr Solomon Arase as the new Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

His confirmation came exactly three weeks when he was appointed ‎Acting IGP on April 21 after President Goodluck Jonathan sacked former IGP Suleiman Abba.

Arase,  who is the 18th  IGP, is one of the fastest police bosses to be confirmed.

This is even as President Jonathan explained that Abba was sacked because  the rank and file under him were very indisciplined.