SARAKI’S TWEET ON APPOINTMENT OF SERVICE CHIEFS STIRS CONTROVERSY

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, alleged tweet on the appointment of Service Chiefs raised controversy on Tuesday.
Saraki, in a tweet on his Twitter handle on Tuesday, had said that “appointment of service chiefs remained the exclusive function of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He added that the Senate could only approve ministerial nominees and appointment of head of parastatals.
Saraki tweeted: “Appointment of service chiefs is an exclusive function of Mr. President. Senate can only approve ministerial, parastatals list etc.”
The Tweet was in reaction to Buhari’s pronouncement on Monday that the newly-appointed Service Chiefs would function in acting capacity until the confirmation of their appointments by the Senate.

NIGERIAN STUDENTS IN UK TO BE BANNED FROM WORKING, FORCED TO LEAVE

Foreign students, of which Nigeria accounts for a huge chunk of those coming from Africa, are to be banned from working in Britain under a fresh crackdown on immigration ordered by Home Secretary Theresa May. When their courses finish, they will have to leave the country before reapplying to return for a job.

Ministers say the new rules, which will apply to all those from outside the European Union, will stop colleges being used as a “back door to a British work visa”.

Official figures show that 121,000 non-EU students entered the UK in the 12 months to June last year, but only 51,000 left – a net influx of 70,000.

The government also estimates that the number of foreign students coming to the UK will rise by more than 6 per cent a year up to 2020. Home Secretary Theresa May has taken action against 870 bogus colleges, banning them from taking foreign students.

They want to stop student visas being used as an easy way to enter the UK before getting a job and claiming benefits. Under the new rules, non-EU students will be denied the right to work while in the UK and will not be able to apply for a visa extension when their course finishes.

I DIDN’T WITHDRAW $1BN FOR JONATHAN’S CAMPAIGN – OKONJO-IWEALA

The immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Monday denied withdrawing $1bn from the Excess Crude Account to finance the campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement by her Media Adviser, Mr Paul Nwabuikwu, the former finance minister described the allegation by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State that she spent $1bn out of the ECA to fund the re-election bid of Jonathan as a “ludicrously false statement that has unfortunately become a trademark of the Governor in his public campaign of falsehood.”

The statement said the comment by the governor was “just another example of the numerical diarrhea that seems to have afflicted His Excellency in recent times in his effort to damage the reputation of the former minister.”

It reads in part, “He has, within the last few months, asked Dr Okonjo-Iweala to explain all kinds of totally wild and unsubstantiated figures, ranging from $30bn, $20bn, $2.1bn, N720bn and now $1bn.

Questions To Answer For Buhari On Choice of New Service Chiefs

In an apparent bid to re-jig the nation’s security apparatus in the wave of growing insurgent attacks and suicide bombings, President Muhammadu Buhari, 45 days after assuming office, yesterday sacked all the service chiefs and appointed replacements whom he said were chosen on merit.

The new security helmsmen are Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin (Chief of Defence Staff); Major-General T.Y. Buratai (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Vice-Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff). The rest are Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan (Chief of Defence Intelligence) and retired Major-General Babagana Monguno (National Security Adviser)

Chadian Government Commences Plan To Arrest Women Wearing Hijab

Chadian police at the weekend warned that anyone found wearing the Muslim full-face veil would be arrested, after a Boko Haram suicide bombing in the capital left 15 dead, AFP reported monday.

Saturday’s attack in a bustling N’Djamena market by a man disguised as a woman in a full-face veil also injured 80 and spread panic across the city.

“This attack just confirms that a ban” on the full-face veil was justified, national police spokesman Paul Manga said, adding that “it now must be respected more than ever by the entire population”.

“Anyone who does not obey the law will be automatically arrested and brought to justice,” he warned.

Senator Ekwunife Condoles Awka Accident Victim's Family

Senator Uche Ekwunife, representing Anambra Central Senatorial Zone has condoled with Odenigwe family of Enugwu Ukwu, the Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry (aka Ebube Muonso), Rev Fr. Emmmanuel Obimma and Anambra state government over the death of Okey Odenigwe and some members of his family in an auto crash along Awka Enugu expressway on Sunday,when a trailer running away from FRSC fell on top the Family Car and crushed them to death.

Ekwunife in her condolence message described the incident that led to the death of Okey, his wife and one of his sons as tragic and a calamity for the entire family of Odenigwe and Anambra state government.

She called for special prayers for the repose of the deceased souls, adding that the sad news of the auto crash kept her awake all through the night as she meditated over the incident that almost wiped out entire family of six and called on Odenigwe family to bear the irreparable loss courage.

Again! Completion Of Second Niger Bridge Suffers Setback As Julius Berger vacates site, sacks 50

Nigeria Leading Construction company, Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd., has stopped works on the ongoing second Niger Bridge project. Ashiwaju.org  learnt that the company had in the last one month sacked over 50 workers on the site due to financial constraint.

The construction company had earlier stopped work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway due to paucity of fund. Our correspondent, who visited the project site at the Asaba and Ogbaru end of the bridge, reports that some of the heavy duty equipment working on the site have disappeared while only few security personnel and some foreign nationals were seen loitering at the site. The plant house along the expressway has also been shut.

Only security personnel were seen at the entrance of the plant. A source stated that there is funding gap for the project. The source said: “Oga, I don’t know what is happening; you can see the workers are no longer here.

Again, Greece Misses I.M.F Grants

The Republic of Greece has again  missed the International Monetary Fund  payment to late Monday, slipping further into the debt morass that has devastated the economy.

Including a missed payment at the end of June, Greece is in arrears to the I.M.F. for about 2 billion euros, or about $2.2 billion, said the fund, which is based in Washington.  the country failed to pay the fund €456 million.

The missed payment was overshadowed by the agreement among eurozone leaders  that would provide more aid to Greece and keep it in the eurozone, in return for a harsh program of budget discipline and measures intended to modernize the country’s economy.

NPF Arrest Female Policewoman For Alleged Killing of Cop Hubby

Delta State Police (DSP) have arrested a policewoman identified as Sergeant Helen for allegedly killing her estranged husband Kelechi Aririguzo, who was also a policeman.

Mr. Aririguzo was traveling to see his daughter in Ogwashi-Uku on Thursday of last week when his wife gathered a crowd that clubbed him to death, according to an eyewitness and Delta police.

A man who gave his name as Uche was eyewitness to the brutal murder and confided in a SaharaReporters correspondent that Mr. Aririguzo met his untimely death after he visited his daughter, who lives with his estranged wife in Umuokwe village.

NEW SERVICE CHIEFS: Buhari Appoints Best NDA student, oil thief ‘catcher’

ABAYOMI GABRIEL OLONISHAKIN (DEFENCE) The new chief of defence staff, a major general from Ekiti state, was until his appointment the head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger state. He topped his class at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). He is the most senior general in the armed forces with the retirement of the former service chiefs. He is only the third south-westerner to be Nigeria’s No. 1 military officer, after Alani Akinrinade (1980-81) and Seyi Petinrin (2010-2012).