Jonathan didn’t contest AU chairmanship – Presidency

President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked reports in a section of the media that he contested the AU Chairmanship position and lost to President Yayi Boni of Benin Republic at the 18th AU summit held in Addis Ababa.
In a statement, Monday,  by Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity),Reuben Abati; ” It is not true that President Yayi Boni “defeated” President Goodluck Jonathan in an election; there was no contest in the first place and President Jonathan was not a candidate for the AU Chairmanship position.”

Man docked for stealing of Policeman’s N30,000

By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE & CHIDIMMA OKEREAFOR
LAGOS — A 28-year-old man, Jamiu Surakat, who allegedly stole N30,000 belonging to a policeman, Sgt. Henry Okon, during the nationwide strike and protests against Federal Government removal of fuel subsidy, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos.

Supreme Court sacks Bayelsa, Adamawa, Sokoto, C/River, Kogi govs

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
The Supreme Court has in a judgement delivered, Friday morning, sacked the five governors of Bayelsa, Adamawa, Sokoto, C/River, Kogi state from their respective office.
In a unanimous decision, a 7-man panel of justices of the apex court, maintained that the affected governors exceeded the 4-years tenure that was specifically stipulated in section 180(2) of the 1999 constitution.
Counsequently, it made an order setting aside the two lower courts judgments that ab-initio elongated the tenure of the governors till this year.
The affected governors areTimipre Sylva(Bayelsa) Magatakada Wamakko,(Sokoto) Liyel Imoke(C/River) Ibrahim Idris(Kogi) and Murtala Nyako( Adamawa)

 

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/breaking-news-supreme-court-sacks-bayelsa-adamawa-sokoto-criver-kogi-govs/

FG urged to refund N350bn to states on federal roads repairs

BY DANIEL IDONOR
ABUJA — THE National Economic Council, NEC, comprising the 36 states and the Federal Government, yesterday, rose from its first quarterly meeting of the year with a resolution that the central government refunds the over N350 billion that states expended on the repair of federal roads in their respective domain.
At the end of the meeting, the state governors successfully secured a commitment from the Federal Government to accelerate the verification and payment of claims regarding the rehabilitation of federal roads.
Addressing State House correspondents, Governors Theodore Orji (Abia), Olusegun Mimiko, (Ondo), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) with some of his colleagues explained that the NEC mandated the Federal Ministry of Works to liaise with the state governments towards ensuring the resolution of the matter.

Lagos begins deflooding of 370 schools

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo
LAGOS – No fewer than 370 of the 623 primary and secondary schools identified to be flood prone are currently undergoing various channelization, aimed at combating the perennial flooding problem across the state.

Mechanic to die by hanging for stealing car stereo

By Austin Ogwuda, Asaba
A motor mechanic has been sentenced to death by hanging for armed robbery.  He was sentenced to death for robbing a University Lecturer of his car stereo at gun point in company of another accomplice, now deceased.

Girl born without limbs in Bauchi

By Emeka Mamah & Suzan Edeh
BAUCHI—A baby, girl, without hands and legs, has been born in Sandigalua village in Zaki Government Area of Bauchi State. The baby, named Fatima, was born to the family of Ahmadu Didda, a peasant farmer and wife, Rukaiyya, on January 13.

We're on Northern govs’payroll – Boko Haram

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor, AbdulSalam Muhammad, Victoria Ojeme & Ndahi Marama
LAGOS —The Boko Haram sect has cited the stoppage of its monthly financial support for the recent attacks on northern states, claiming that the group was until recently being bankrolled by some northern governors.

600 million new jobs needed in next 10 years says ILO

GENEVA (AFP) – The International Labour Organization on Tuesday released a pessimistic report for the global jobs market in 2012 saying urgent attention is needed to create 600 million new jobs in the next 10 years.
“Despite strenuous government efforts, the jobs crisis continues unabated, with one in three workers worldwide, or an estimated 1.1 billion people, either unemployed or living in poverty,” said ILO director-general, Juan Somavia, in the Global Employment Trends 2012 report.

Kano blast: Police confirm 186 dead

By AbdulSalam Muhammad
KANO—The Police authority in Kano yesterday confirmed that a total of 186 persons died from last Friday multiple bomb blast that rocked the ancient city of Kano
A statement signed by the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris in Kano put the civilian casualty at 150, while his Command lost a total of 29 personnel during the attack

Alhaja Odofin, 7-yr-old son declared missing

Former chairmanship candidate of Peoples Democratic party, PDP, in Eti Osa Local Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Odofin, popularly known as Eleshin has declared his wife, Alhaja Fatimoh Odofin and his 7-year-old son, Toheeb Odofin missing and appealed to anyone with useful information on their whereabouts to contact the nearest police station.
Alhaji Odofin said his wife and son left home on December 22, 2011, and have not been located since then. According to him, Alhaja Fatimoh Odofin whose maiden name is Fatunwase Abimbola Yetunde drove out with their son in their Toyota FJ Landcruiser car with registration number AP980EKY.

ICC denies deal for Kaddafi’s son to be tried in Libya

THE HAGUE (AFP) – The International Criminal Court denied Monday that it had agreed that Seif al-Islam, slain Libyan dictator Muammar Kaddafi’s most prominent son, can be tried in Libya.
“The ICC has made no decision on this matter,” court spokesman Fadi el-Abdallah told AFP in response to a claim by Libya’s Justice Minister Ali H’mida Ashur that Seif would be judged by a Libyan court.
The ICC said earlier in a Twitter message that it had received a reply from the Libyan authorities to questions asked by its judges by a Monday deadline.

Police thwart fresh attacks, find over 100 bombs in Kano

KANO  (AFP) – Nigerian police foiled fresh attacks in the city of Kano Monday, discovering eight bomb-laden cars and over 100 unexploded devices around sites attacked last week.
“So far we have discovered over 100 home-made bombs in the operation we have launched in bomb recovery in different parts of the city,” said a senior police official on condition of anonymity.
He said “lots of the unexploded bombs were recovered around the police headquarters” which was one of the targets struck in the deadly Friday attacks.

Emir of Kano weeps as Jonathan visits

By AbdulSalam Muhammad & Victoria  Ojeme
KANO—The pomp of royalty was set aside, yesterday, as the revered Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero broke down in tears as he recounted the loss of human lives that followed last Friday’s Boko Haram attack on the ancient city before a visiting President Goodluck Jonathan.
Right in front of his subjects while receiving President Goodluck Jonathan, the octogenarian monarch could not hold back his tears, while reflecting on the level of carnage and the hundreds of innocent souls who had been killed from bomb blasts by the Boko Haram sect.

DSP, army corporal, 8 others killed as explosions rock Bauchi

By Suzan Edeh with agency report
Bauchi— Barely 24 hours after explosions rocked several parts of Kano State metropolis, leaving 162 persons dead, two churches were destroyed when two bombs exploded in the neighbouring Bauchi State in the wee hours of yesterday while some unidentified gunmen invaded the Tafawa Balewa area of the metropolis killing eight civilians, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP,  a soldier and another unidentified police corporal. The deceased DSP was simply identified as Adeleke.
*warning: graphic image below*

Bombs, gunfire rock Nigeria; more than 140 killed

LAGOS, Nigeria — Coordinated attacks claimed by a radical Islamist sect left at least 143 people dead in Nigeria's second-largest city, a hospital official said Saturday.
The official said Saturday that the figure represented those in a mortuary at Kano's largest hospital, as well as those whose bodies have already been claimed by families for burial.

Wikipedia, Google protest Internet bills

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Wikipedia went dark, Google blotted out its logo and other popular websites planned protests on Wednesday to voice concern over legislation in the US Congress intended to crack down on online piracy.
Wikipedia shut down the English version of its online encyclopedia for 24 hours to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate version, the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

Soldiers ‘ll remain on the streets – FG

By Rotimi Ajayi, Henry Umoru & Gbenga Akanmu
ABUJA- THE Federal Government declared, yesterday, that it was not in any way prepared to withdraw soldiers who have been deployed to patrol the streets of Lagos and some other cities across the country until there was total peace in such areas. This came as Lagos lawmakers have joined others in condemning government’s action and called for the withdrawal of the soldiers.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed said that the deployment of soldiers became imperative following security reports that some persons had concluded plans to hijack the protests and rallies and make the government ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan even if the organised labour called off the strike. He explained that soldiers were deployed to give support to the Police.

Much ado about fuel subsidy

By TUNDE BAKARE –
DEFINITION: To subsidise is to sell a product below the cost of production. Since the Federal Government has been secretive about the state of our refineries and their production capacity, we will focus on importation rather than production. So, in essence, within the Nigerian Fuel Subsidy context, to subsidise is to sell petrol below the cost of importation.
The unsubstantiated claims of the Federal Government: The government claims that Nigerians consume 34 million litres of petrol per day. The government has also said publicly that N141 per litre is the unsubsidised pump price of petrol imported into Nigeria. (N131.70 kobo being the landing price and N9.30 kobo being profit.)

Soldiers rescue Eze Igbo from suspected Boko Haram

BY VINCENT UJUMADU
AWKA—IGBOS residing in Mubi, Adamawa State, are still having rough times in the hands of the dreaded Boko Haram sect as members of the sect weekend attempted to kill Eze Igbo in the area, Chief Malachy Agbazue. They were, however, unsuccessful as soldiers came to his rescue.
Agbazue was said to have been working with Lamido Mubi, Alhaji Issa Amoudu, to stop further killing of Igbos in the area.

Affordable malaria medicines: When will Nigerians begin to benefit?

By CHIOMA OBINNA
Little Nkem was the joy of her parents who were childless for over 15 years before her birth. From the date of her birth, Nkem was adored as the princess of the house. Her parents never ceased to thank God each day that breaks. But little did they know that their joy will be short lived.
It started like a fairy tale when Nkem all of sudden became ill. All efforts to bring down the high fever proved abortive. Sadly, there was no money to take her to a health centre. They, they resorted to self medication. Nkem was bombarded with different types of pain relievers in the absence of standard medical treatment in any hospital.

Puzzle as convicted Nollywood actress escapes prison custody

By TINA AKANNAM, Dutse
•She was aided internally -  Comptroller
PRISON officials at the Hadejia Prisons in Jigawa State are still battling to unravel the circumstances surrounding the ‘mysterious’ disappearance from custody, of a convicted Nollywood actress, Rabi Ismaila. The Kano -based actress said to have made her marks in Hausa home videos is popularly called Rabi Cecilia by her numerous fans.

Nigeria heading for civil war – Soyinka

LONDON (AFP) -  Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka warned on Tuesday that his country was heading towards a civil war, blaming political leaders who spread religious intolerance.

Asked whether he agreed with President Goodluck Jonathan that the current unrest was worse than the 1960s civil war, he told the BBC World Service: “It’s not an unrealistic comparison — it’s certainly based on many similarities.

Oil prices rally as traders monitor situation in Nigeria

LONDON (AFP) – World oil prices rose on Tuesday, in line with gains across global stock markets as buoyant US consumer data and simmering tensions in crude producers Iran and Nigeria provided support, analysts said.
New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in February, rallied $1.38 cents to $102.69 a barrel.

5 dead, 10,000 displaced after clashes in Benin

BENIN CITY (AFP) – Clashes that broke out after Muslims were violently targeted in Benin have left five people dead and more than 10,000 displaced, a Red Cross official said Tuesday.
“We have recorded so far five deaths — on both sides, those that have been attacked and the attackers,” said Dan Enowoghomwenwa, secretary general of the Nigerian Red Cross in Edo state, said
“We have over 10,000 internally displaced persons in various places."

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/5-dead-10000-displaced-after-clashes-in-benin/

Libya gets $20 bn of Muammar Gaddafi freed assets

TRIPOLI (AFP) – Libya has received roughly $20 billion in assets that were held overseas by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and frozen during the conflict that ousted him, the country’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
An estimated $150 billion (117 billion euro) Gaddafi’s overseas assets were frozen following United Nations Security Council sanctions against his regime during the popular uprising and civil war that led to the veteran dictator’s downfall.

Mandela’s life story to be turned into TV series

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela’s life story is to be turned into a six-part television mini-series co-created by his grandson, the producers behind the multinational project said Monday.
Entitled “Madiba”, Mandela’s clan name, the series “will take a broad view of the inner passions and outside forces that guided him,” they said in a statement.
With a budget of $30 million (24 million euros), the project will explore Mandela’s relationship with his mother, his political activism, imprisonment, rise as political leader and election as South Africa’s first black president.

Quintuplets: Three discharged, two still under intensive care

BY EBUN SESSOU
On Friday 23, 2011, the news of the Nigerian born quintuplets (five babies) who were born at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, spread across the country. The news was not just for broadcast only but for people to know that such a wonder also takes in this part of the world.
The three weeks old babies born into the family of Mr and Mrs Wale Shofunlayo are still hale and hearty but they are still at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where they are being taken care of.
At present, three of the children have been released to their parents while the other two are still under a close watch by the authorities of the hospital.

Counting the cost of a Greek gift

By Charles Kumolu
ISAIAH Danmaliki (not real name) works with one of the Federal Government parastatals in Lagos State. But for the recent increment of the national minimum wage he lived on a monthly salary of N18,000 before now.

In Rivers, food prices sky-rocket, fares now 300 percent higher

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME
PORT HARCOURT: Mrs Chigozie went to the popular Mile 1 market in Port Harcourt Wednesday evening to buy food items. As she was haggling with meat sellers, she did not know when she suddenly burst into tears. Later when she pulled herself together, she muttered to those around that she was forced to start weeping when she realised that the prices of things in the market had gone up by over a 100 percent.
Her experience has become almost a regular occurence at the market where periwinkle that sold for N100 a cup before the withdrawal of fuel subsidy now goes for N250.

Bonga oil spill: RA/FoE findings

Location: Odioama Community, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State
Following an alert from fisher folks in Odioma community on the discovery of oil slick suspected to be from Shell’s Bonga Field, ERA/FoEN monitors visited the Atlantic shoreline in the company of some of the fishermen where spreading spill was sighted.

Nigeria takes on Rwanda in 2013 Africa Cup of Nations draw

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – The struggle for places at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on the western island of Sao Tome e Principe this weekend — more than a month before the 2012 final is staged in Gabon.

Fayemi grants amnesty to 10 inmates

Ten inmates of the Ado-Ekiti Prison have been granted amnesty by Gov. Kayode Fayemi as part of the new year celebrations. They include eight males and two heavily pregnant female inmates of the prison.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olayinka Oyebode, said the two pregnant inmates, Bose Joseph and Omotosho Yetunde, were at advanced stages of pregnancy and there were fears that their prospective babies could suffer stigmatisation if allowed to deliver in the prison yard.
The statement said the eight other inmates had been under incarceration in the prison for between 12 and 14 years while awaiting trial.

Fire guts Wema Bank head office

LAGOS – Wema Bank Plc’s head office in Lagos, yesterday, was gutted by fire which emanated from the power generating set.
However, the bank was unable to ascertain the cost of damage that might have occurred as a result of the fire at press time.