A YEAR WITHOUT ADORABLE DORA!

Exactly a year today, Prof Dora Akunyili passed-on after a two-year battle with cancer
Fondly known as “Adorable Dora”, the internationally renowned pharmacist, pharmacologist, erudite scholar, administrator, and visionary leader, is best remembered as the no-nonsense Director General of the National Agency for Foods, Drugs and Administration and Control, NAFDAC.

As Director General of NAFDAC, Akunyili distinguished herself as a diligent, dedicated and dogged public servant, restored sanity into the system and set a new standard in food and drug administration and control, such that has been difficult for her successors to surpass

She was an Amazon of excellence whose public service record was as exemplary as it was inspiring in that she epitomized the rare values of integrity, diligence, dedication, courage and selflessness in the various capacities that she served the nation.

DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE UNDERGOING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT?

That's what Sahara Reporters is reporting. Read below..

Nigeria’s immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is undergoing a new round of treatment for breast cancer, according to a family source knowledgeable about her condition.
The source disclosed that Mrs. Alison-Madueke is currently in a hospital in London where she started a fresh round of therapy on Friday. The treatment was described as a daily therapy that will last for one week, said the source. Mrs. Alison-Madueke left Nigeria on May 23 and has not returned to Nigeria since that trip.

SaharaReporters source also disclosed that Mrs. Alison-Madueke, underwent surgery last year to remove tumors from her breast.

APC PICKS LAWAN AS SOLE CANDIDATE FOR SENATE PRESIDENCY

The governing All Progressives Congress,APC, has nominated Senators Ahmed Lawan from Yobe and George Akume from Benue State to run as the party’s candidates for the office of Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively in Tuesday’s election at the National Assembly.
In an election held at the International Conference Centre Abuja Saturday night, Mr. Lawan scored 32 votes, while Akume got 31 to emerge as Deputy Senate president.
Two votes were declared invalid.
The APC has 59 Senators in the 109- member Senate.
Announcing the result, the returning officer of the election, Mala Buni, who is the APC’s national secretary, said by the result, Messrs Lawan and Akume are now the recognised candidates of the APC for the office of Senate president and Deputy respectively.
Senators loyal to another candidate, Bukola Saraki, boycotted the election.

Jonathan does not deserve hero’s status – Sylva

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva weekend declared that the decision by former President Goodluck Jonathan to concede defeat to President Mohammadu Buhari during the last presidential election does not make him a hero.
He insisted that Jonathan’s attempts to scuttle the election disqualified him from benefiting from such heroic status.
Sylva, whose ambition of contesting for second term was scuttled by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP due to pressure from the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, said though the decision to concede  defeat was inevitable and would have been suicidal for the former President, the heroic status is a clear show of lack of value and indication of how cheap a man could earn such status in Nigeria.
The former governor, who spoke in an interview in Yenagoa said the decision by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to concede defeat should not be considered an achievement but an inevitable act from a defeated President.

Bacelona Defeat Juventus 3-1

Barcelona won its fifth European Cup with a 3-1 defeat of Juventus, giving the Spanish side three major trophies this season.
Goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar gave Barcelona the Champions League title. Juventus had come back to tie the game early in the second half of European soccer’s biggest club competition.
Barcelona becomes the first European team to win the Champions League, its domestic league and cup competitions in the same season two times. Barcelona also won La Liga and the Copa del Rey this year, while two-time European champion Juventus won Italy’s top league and the Coppa Italia.
Rakitic opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Every Barcelona player but the goalkeeper touched the ball before the goal, which came after 16 passes.

APC PICKS GBAJABIAMILA FOR HOUSE OF REPS SPEAKERSHIP

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has selected the member representing Surulere Federal Constituency, Lagos, in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to run for the office of Speaker of the House.
Mr. Gbajabiamila was elected at a primary election for APC members organised by the leadership of the party on Saturday in Abuja.
Mr. Gbajabiamila scored 154 votes, while his challenger, Yakubu Dogara, who stormed out of the venue of the election before voting commenced, scored 3 votes.
Four votes were declared invalid by the returning officer, the national vice chairman, north east Babachir Lawan.
The House of Reps is expected to elect a new Speaker on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dogara has rejected the election.

APC CONDUCTS MOCK ELECTION TO PICK CANDIDATE FOR HOUSE OF REPS SPEAKERSHIP

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is currently holding an election to select who will be nominated as the party’s candidate for the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The election is holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Femi Gbajabiamila is expected to pick the ticket after his main rival, Dogara Yakubu, stormed out of the venue with his supporters alleging irregularities.
It was gathered that the Consolidation Group, comprising members loyal to Mr. Dogara would also carry out a parallel primary at a different venue.
We cannot confirm if the rival election is taking place presently.
However, the spokesperson of the APC, Lai Mohammed, informed us that the party is just trying to be democratic by allowing the members select their speaker on their own.
“Out of 218 members, 160 are already here and minority cannot hold majority to ransom,” he said.
On why Mr. Dogara and his group left, Mr. Mohammed said the argument of the group was that they were not given notice of election.

Former Information Minister, Labaran Maku Emerges As APGA National Secretary As Party Elects New National Executives

The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA has elected  new National executives headed by Dr.  Victor Ike-Oye and the Chairman and Former Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku as the Secretary respectively.

That party National convention, which was held in Awka, Anambra state capital , played hosts to delegates from the 8 representing states, including Anambra with the view to elect new national officers to==who will  continue from where the out gone stopped.

Following the alleged court order  gotten from a Plateau state high court, the former National Chairman of the party, Victor Umeh open the convention with a clarification module requesting the party Legal Adviser Fergusson Okpara   to clarify the matter  before the mammoth crowd, which was latter dispelled as an act to misinformed the public on the state of the impending suit lying in the court…

In a remark, former National  chairman of the party chief Victor Umeh urged the new executives of the part to place the interest of the party above personal interest, lamented that though the party under his leadership had undergone over 76 court cases in their two term in office but  encouraged the incoming to be resolute and ensure APGA becomes a National party .

BUHARI MOVES TO SLASH OWN SALARY, ALLOWANCES

There are strong indications that in fulfilment of his campaign promise to reduce the cost of governance, President Muhammadu Buhari may have concluded plans to slash his salary and reduce his personal emoluments.
It was learnt that the President expected the Vice-President and other political appointees to take a similar decision.
Saturday PUNCH gathered in Abuja on Friday that the President would have made his decision public but chose to consult with his close associates on how best to approach the issue without being seen as dictatorial.
According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, President Buhari will earn a monthly salary of N3, 514, 705. He is also entitled to a regular hardship allowance and 50 per cent of the basic salary, which is N1,757,350.50.
There is however no information yet as to what percentage of Buhari’s salary and emoluments will be slashed.
But it was reliably learnt that the President would also reduce State House budget.
Other areas being considered by the President included appointment of aides and the possibility of implementing the report of the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.
Buhari, had on Tuesday sought the approval of the National Assembly to appoint 15 special advisers, unlike former President Goodluck Jonathan, who had 23 special advisers and scores of special assistants.

Buhari’s anti-corruption war takes off

President Muham-madu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade appears to have taken off in earnest barely a week after assuming office with a stern warning to ministers not to dabble into approving payments for contractors.
The government came boldly yesterday with a clear policy directive asking only the heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs not to abdicate their core functions to ministers who are political appointees but to do their jobs in strict compliance with the policy guidelines of the administration.
The Head of Service of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi, made the new position of the government known at a media briefing in Abuja.
According to the Head of Service of the Federation, the government wants to keep the political class away from issues of finance so that development of our country can be sustained.
He said: “If a minister travels out and payment is due, we cannot afford to wait for the ministers to come back before we pay.”