BUHARI: HOW I WILL CHOOSE MY MINISTERS

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed the ministerial lists in circulation on the social media as fake because his ministers will not emerge the way the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) picked members of its Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the last 16 years.
Buhari made this known in an exclusive interview he granted senior editors of Daily Trust at his country home in Daura, Katsina State on Tuesday.
As the May 29 handover date draws closer, there have been speculations about those who would make the next government’s ministerial list. Most of the persons who featured on the speculative list were picked from across the 36 states and the six geopolitical zones, to rhyme with the PDP’s tradition of appointing a minimum of one minister from each state of the federation and six others from the geopolitical zones.
In the interview, Buhari dismissed the speculations, by stating that “I am not speaking about it; I have not put anything on paper, so nobody has seen it and I haven’t discussed it with anybody; I am just keeping it close to my chest.”

THERE IS NO MAGIC WAND TO MAKE OUR ECONOMY BETTER OVERNIGHT – OYEGUN

Being the text of an address of welcome by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, at a two-day retreat for all APC Senators-elect at the Ibeto Hotel in Abuja on Saturday, May 23rd 2015
Protocols
Let me formally welcome our party’s torchbearers in the upper chamber of the incoming 8th National Assembly to this retreat.
This is the first formal interaction between our Senators-elect and the leadership of our party, since the conclusion of the 2015 General Elections.
While I congratulate all of you on your elections, I must quickly add that I don’t envy you. This is because you are being called to service at one of the most challenging periods in the history of our nation.
Unparalleled commitment, uncommon patriotism, unprecedented hard work and indeed a reservoir of your innermost strength will be required, as our party takes the centre stage in the next few days and begins to implement its programmes for the benefit of the long suffering people.
Make no mistake about it, the days ahead will be tough, and this is not crying wolf.
From the first day of this government, a total of 4.1 trillion Naira will be required for sundry expenses, including oil subsidy payment, arrears of salaries at federal and state levels and debt servicing, just to mention a few.

Obiano Storms Isuochi, Pays Glowing Tribute to Chukwumerije

The governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano today at ‎Ngodo, Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area, Abia State bid farewell to the Late Senator Chukwumerije describing him as an uncommon Nigerian who distinguished himself in the service of Ndigbo and his fatherland.

Governor Obiano who spoke to newsmen after interment service held at the Methodist Cathedral Isuochi, said that he is very happy to be part of those who came to honour the the late Senator and statesman. Said Obiano," I am happy because, although we mourn the late Senator,‎ he lived a fulfilled life. He was erudite, dedicated and God fearing and I believe he died a happy man."

Earlier in a Funeral Oration titled The Life and Times of Uche Chukwumerije, Dikeogu, the late Senator's son said of his father, "In private my father was the same mix of fire and steel. But the depths of love and compassion he carried, often not visible to those who knew him only from a distance, were everywhere on display the nearer one drew. There could not have been anywhere a better father."

U.S VISA APPLICATION: WHY NIGERIANS ARE DENIED VISA

Consul General of the US embassy, William Laidlaw, has expressed that contrary to popular opinion, US visa application processes are not as stringent as people think.
Speaking with newsmen, he stated that efforts are being made to improve visa processes better for Nigerians by decentralizing the process.
He also revealed that one of the most common reasons why Nigerians are refused visa, is because of failure to show evidence of social and economic ties.
Laidlaw stated:
To really qualify for a visit to the US, you have to show you have social and economic ties sufficient to meet the immigration terms we have in our laws.

MOSCOW ISSUES TRAVEL WARNING OVER U.S. ‘HUNT’ FOR RUSSIANS

Russia’s foreign ministry has warned its citizens travelling abroad of the risks posed by U.S. law enforcement bodies and special services, which it said were hunting for Russians around the world.
In a statement on Friday it also accused Washington of kidnapping Russians, citing cases such as that of Vladimir Drinkman, who was extradited to the United States from the Netherlands earlier this year.
“By believing that it is allowed to do all it wants, Washington goes as far as kidnapping our citizens,” the foreign ministry said.
Drinkman has pleaded not guilty to accusations that he conspired with at least four other men to install “sniffers” to comb through computer networks of financial companies, payment processors and retailers around the world.
“The threat of detention or arrest on the warrant of law enforcement bodies and special services of the USA in third countries still persists. It is quite real,” the ministry said in the statement, which was peppered with angry passages.

COUPLE LEAVES OVER $847K INHERITANCE TO THE US GOVT

A married couple, immigrants Peter and Joan Petrasek, from Seattle, who had no known relatives left all of their money and assets to "the government of the United States.

Peter Petrasek was born in the 1920s in what was then Czechoslovakia, and would have been 12 when the Nazis invaded.
Details about his early life are scarce, but at some point during World War II he was placed into a youth camp run by the German air force, according to The Seattle Times but applied for immigration status in the US and was granted. His sister and parents all died during the Nazi invasion.

Little has been reported about Joan's origins, other than that she was from Ireland. She married Peter in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1951.

GOVERNORS PLAN BOYCOTT OF HANDOVER PARADE

It is almost certain that some outgoing gover¬nors will not attend the May 29 official handover parade in their respective states. The governors, it was learnt, will be boycot¬ting the significant event for different reasons.
Some of the states where the incoming governors may not have the honour of re¬ceiving the baton from their predecessors include Benue, Plateau, Kaduna and Rivers.
Saturday Sun gathered that it is certain that Governor Gabriel Suswam of the PDP will not be physically present to formally hand over to his successor, Samuel Ortom of the APC. “The governor has hinted that it will be unsafe for him to be at the ceremony because of security report which shows that civil ser¬vants who are being owed for several months and angry youths will storm the parade ground to protest and boo him”, a source close to the incoming governor stated.
It was also gathered that the event, which will be at¬tended by the state deputy governor, Chief Steven La¬wani, will be low key and more or less informal. “This is so because the outgoing government did not give any money for any ceremony and the incoming doesn’t have that kind of resources for any major event. As a result, no formal IV is being sent out to our people”, the source added.
In Rivers, Governor Roti¬mi Amaechi of the APC will find it difficult to physically hand over to his political arch-enemy, Nyesom Wike of the PDP. APC is already at the governorship election petition tribunal to seek nul¬lification of the election that produced Wike on the ground that no election actually held in the state.

FG TO SPEND N2B ON BUHARI’S INAUGURATION, OVER 50 PRESIDENTS EXPECTED – DUKE

About N2 billion will be spent on the inauguration of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on May 29 which over 50 presidents and international figures are expected to attend.
The Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub- Committee of the Presidential Inauguration Planning Committee, Edem Duke, made this disclosure on Friday in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Eagle Square, venue for the inauguration is already wearing new looks with military personnel expected to have a match parade having their training ahead of the May 29 event.
Duke, who is also the Minister of Culture and Tourism, said: “As we speak the 54 countries of the continent of Africa have been invited. Very many of the head of states will be coming.”
“There has been a huge interest, especially, from head of countries in Europe to attend this inauguration and at the last count, I think we must have in excess of about 50 heads of state and delegation expected at this inauguration.”
He said that the week long programme started on Friday with Jumaat prayer at the National Central Mosque, Abuja.

KANO: MUSLIMS SET COURT ABLAZE OVER 'INSULT' TO MUHAMMAD

Hundreds of rioting Muslims set a Shariah court ablaze Friday in Nigeria's northern Kano city, protesting its decision to free a cleric accused of insulting the prophet Mohammed.
An AP reporter watched protesters throw blazing, fuel-filled tires into the building then start marching through streets to demand punishment for Malam Abdul Nyass.
Police monitored the crowd, which turned peaceful after the fire.
Nyass is accused of saying that the long-dead leader of the Tijanniyah sect is more powerful than the revered prophet Muhammad. Kano's mainly Muslim population adheres in almost equal numbers to the Sunni and Tijanniyah sects of Islam.

NDLEA OFFICIALS STORM BURUJI KASHAMU’S RESIDENCE

There are reports that officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have surrounded the residence of Ogun State Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu.
The drug law enforcement agency is said to be set to extradite the Ogun State born politician to the United States of America to answer drug related accusations proffered against him, according to Channels TV.