President Buhari Never Ordered Sale of Presidential Fleet---Presidency

Contrary to reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the immediate disposal of nine of the 11 VIP transport aircraft in the presidential fleet, the presidency on Friday denied knowledge of any such directive.
Ashiwaju.org newspaper had quoted unnamed sources as saying the president had directed the selling of serviceable and unserviceable aircrafts to cut maintenance costs in line with the government’s policy to drastically reduce its annual expenditure.
Eight of the planes in the fleet, including Boeing 737, two Gulfstream 550 jets, Gulfstream V jet, two Falcon 7X planes, the Hawker Siddeley aircraft and Augusta Westland chopper, the report said, are reserved strictly for the president’s movement.
Other aircrafts, including two Falcon 900 planes, the Dornier, the Cessna Citation, the Beechracft King Air, and two AugustaWestland choppers, are reserved for the airlifting of the Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as visiting African heads of states.

PATHETIC: Three Boys Gang Rape A Female Friend

In an act, which has shocked residents of a neighbourhood in Iju area of Lagos, three friends – Habeeb Adisa (25), Kehinde Aderinoye (25) and Ilyas Ogundimu (27) – have raped one of their female neighbours, a young woman,who is their close friend in the neighbourhood.
The victim, 19-year-old Adenike (not real name), a hair stylist, volunteered to speak with Saturday PUNCH, saying she summoned the courage to speak about her ordeal because she did not want them to go free and do the same to someone else.
Narrating how she was violated by the three men whom she trusted most in their neighbourhood, Adenike told our correspondent that not once did she suspect within the two years she knew them that they had such a heinous plan for her.
Calmly, but with a lot of anger and pain showing in her eyes, Adenike said, “I became friends with them as neighbours two years ago when my mother first rented an apartment in the area.
“Kehinde began to make advances to me. But I told him we were friends and did not want to be in a relationship with him. I have always rejected his advances.
“Later he would tell Habeeb and Ilyas to approach me to appeal on his behalf to accept his proposal, but I made them to understand that I could not go out with him. But we still talked and sat together in the neighbourhood as friends.”
Unknown to Adenike, the gentle disposition of her three friends was just a façade for the plan they had hatched on how to sexually assault her.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2015, an opportunity presented itself for the rapist friends to put their plan to work.

WIKE SETS UP PANEL TO PROBE AMAECHI

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Friday inaugurated a seven-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the immediate past administration of Mr. Chibuike Amaechi.
Wike said at the inauguration that the probe was in conformity with section 2 (1) of the Commission of Inquiry Law of Rivers State.
He charged the commission to ascertain the sale of valued assets of Rivers and other related matters with a view to finding out the legality of such transactions.
The panel was also charged to investigate the sale of Omoku 150 MW Gas Turbine; Afam 360 MW Gas Turbine; Trans-Amadi 136 Gas Turbine and Eleme 75 MW gas Turbine.
The panel is also to investigate the withdrawal and expenditure of the accrued N96 billion from the Rivers Reserve Fund without compliance with Rivers State Reserve Fund Law N0. 2 of 2008.
The governor, who restated his administration’s commitment to due process, also asked the panel to investigate the non-execution of some contracts, major part of which had been paid for.
The commission is also to investigate the non-execution of the contract for the construction of Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital after the payment of $39,200,000 to the contractor.
Chairman of the commission, Justice George Emereji, promised to ensure that the truth prevailed as they would pursue their terms of reference with firmness and sincerity.

WHY I VISITED OBASANJO – BUKOLA SARAKI

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Friday said his visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo was to receive his blessing and consult him on how to assist him in moving the Senate and the nation forward.
Mr. Saraki made this known to journalists during an interview after his over two hours closed-door meeting with Mr. Obasanjo at his Hilltop home in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
The senate president said he and members of his delegation also came to tap from Mr. Obasanjo’s wisdom and knowledge.
“I’m here with some of my colleagues,” Mr. Saraki said. “Since I’ve been the Senate President, as one of our fathers, the former president, we are here to pay our homage to him, to seek his advice, to get his blessing and also to consult.

NSCDC Parades Woman For Adulterating GOYA Anointing Oil

In the bid to stem the tide of criminal activities and call for restrain in crime wave in Anambra state, the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps has arrested a suspect who deals on adulterated Olive Oil.

The state commandant, Assistant Commandant General Ben Dikoro, disclosed this while parading the suspect at the command headquarters Awka, noted the corps resolve to step up their ante to ensure criminals are chased out of the state.

He advised residents to ensure they report unsuspecting individual engaging in sharp practices that could pose threat to the life of the community.

ACG Dukoro, who spoke through the Command Public Relation Officer, Superintended Rajunor Egbe warned that the Civil Defence Corps Anambra Command was ready in collaboration with other agencies to stamp out criminals activities from the state.

Ashiwaju.org learnt that the suspect, who was apprehended  at Npkor, Idemili Local Government of the state, declined comment after much persuasion to relay her involvement in the allegation on the product.

Ben Bruce to Osun govt: I will not respond to your attack during Ramadan

THE lawmaker representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, has said that in the spirit of the month of Ramadan observed by Muslim faithfuls, he will not respond to critics over his decision to donate half of his wardrobe allowance to the unpaid workers in Osun state.
“I’ll take whatever attacks come my way but nothing & nobody can dissuade me from doing what my conscience directs in helping my fellow man.
The month of Ramadan is here. Many unpaid workers will fast. With what will they break their fast? I thought of that and it moved me to act.
I may not be a Muslim, but I respect Islam and I believe that it is wrong for me to respond to any attack during the Holy month of Ramadan.

Aftermath 2015 General Election: Bishop Ezeokafor Urges Religious Leaders To Shun Hate Prophesy In Future Elections

 BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA

In the scripture, we had prophesy. But what we have in the world today are fake. I don’t believe in hate prophesy.Nobody can reveal tomorrow except God. If people can reveal the future, life wouldn’t have been as it is now. They speculate, they guess, and sometimes God allow such to happen, and they claim to have earlier predicted it. It is a lie. 

These are words of the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor who was reacting on what he tagged fake prophesies from religious leaders during the  build-up to  the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.

The Catholic Prelate who stated this at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka,  said 'If indeed those pastors and prophets knew the actual winners, people would not have campaigned. The winners won because they actually campaigned, while the losers lost for not campaigning well.  

According to the Bishop, 'Religion mould people’s conscience. I strongly believe that thought remains the conscience of people. What inform individual’s conscience empower them to take rightful decision.

In case of election, the bible, sermon, commandments and doctrines add in making good politicians, who are Christians  to be good Christians.

MIMIKO EMERGES NEW CHAIRMAN PDP GOVERNORS’ FORUM

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has been elected the chairman the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors’ forum.
Mr. Mimiko was elected at a meeting of the PDP governors in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The Ondo governor was deputy to the former chairman of the forum, Godswill Akpabio, the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, said: "the forum of PDP governors unanimously elected Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State as the chairman of the PDP Governors' Forum" but did not give reasons for the absence of five of their colleagues.

Oko Polytechnic Management Denies Allocation Marks to Deceased Student

The Management, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra has described as malicious, misleading and inciting ‘’rumours” that a certain deceased student was awarded marks by the management, saying that it was a deliberate ploy to tarnish the image of the institution and further discredit the innovation of the Computer Based Test, CBT, by those whose nefarious activities were stopped through the exercise.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Obini Onuchukwu, who spoke on the issue, told South East Voice that those making the alleged malicious allegations that a deceased student was awarded marks due to the irregularities in the CBT were mischievous.
Obini, who spoke on behalf of the Management, explained that after an investigation into the matter, it was discovered that a student of Science Laboratory Technology, late Uche Henry, participated in all academic work, including examinations in August 2014 but died at about 9p.m. on Sept 17.
He said that the deceased student having passed all his course work had his results released along with those of his mates, but unfortunately some staff cashed on the situation with some few students in the department to blackmail the institution.

NASS ELECTION: SARAKI’S AMBITION HAS RESURRECTED PDP — SEN KWANKWASO

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso immediate past governor of Kano State in this interview with newsmen in Abuja gives his views on the crisis arising from the National Assembly leadership contest. Excerpts:
You were one of the senators at the ICC when the leadership contest started in the National Assembly?
Honestly speaking, it was on the morning of that day that I saw a text message that we should go to the ICC, unfortunately for me I had so many people who came from Kano, so I was trying to receive them when I got a call that members and senators were waiting at the ICC. As I was moving out of Hilton Hotel, somebody called again that they were at the National Assembly and were just about to start election. So I diverted the driver, instead of going to the ICC I thought now that election was taking place, I said instead of going to ICC, it was more important for me to go the National Assembly and in any case I was sure that those who were at the ICC will not want to stay there when election was taking place. So I drove straight to the National Assembly, moved straight to the chamber. It was when I entered that I saw Bukola being sworn in as Senate President. So I wasn’t at the ICC, I was at the National Assembly but I arrived after the election and I was there calling them to come unfortunately they didn’t come so I had to follow them to ICC and other places. That was what happened that day.
Did the president summon that meeting?