Gbajabiamila’s loyalists back out, accept Dogara’s offer in zoning

Some former loyalists of former Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila and members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, loyalists group, on Saturday declared support for the House of Representatives Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

The lawmakers claimed that it was better to place the interest of the country ahead of all other considerations and accept the positions of the principal officers of the House as proposed by Dogara.

Gbajabiamila who has the backing of the Loyalists Group, had for long insisted that the office of Majority Leader must be zoned to the South-West and be held by him.

Members of the group who attended a joint news briefing in Abuja with the Speaker’s group were Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (Kano State); Mr. Mohammed Monguno (Borno State); and Mr. Pally Iriase (Edo State).

The APC leadership, in a June 23 letter to Dogara, had recommended to zone the majority leader to the South-West; deputy leader to North-West; chief whip to North-East and the deputy whip to South-South.

However, the Speaker opposed it, citing alleged violation of federal character principle, and instead, proposed to zone the majority leader to the North-West.

Dogara also zoned the deputy leader to the North-Central; chief whip to the South-South; and deputy whip to the South-East.

By the Speaker’s proposal, Ado-Doguwa will now become the majority leader, while a lawmaker from Kogi State, Mr. Buba Jibrin, will become the deputy leader.

Mr. Pally Iriase from Edo State, will become the chief whip, while the position of deputy whip which goes to the South-East will be occupied by Mr. Chike Okafor.

Ado-Doguwa, Monguno and Iriase were all Gbajabiamila’s men, but had made a U-turn to back Dogara.
They are now members of a new group, “Equity Forum.”

Dogara is set to name the principal officers on Tuesday when the House would have reconvened from its current four-week break.

Speaking on behalf of the loyalists group, Iriase claimed that their change of mind was due to the realisation that members had to comply with Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, which dealt with federal character.

Iriase added, “Let Nigerians know that the crisis in the House has been resolved.
“Based on the letter the speaker wrote to the APC, under Section 13 of the constitution, he is to ensure compliance with Section 14 (3) of the constitution.
“We have, therefore, accepted the Speaker’s proposal on the equitable distribution of the principal positions.
“The majority of APC members in the loyalists group have accepted these positions for the sake of promoting equity.”
According to Iriase, the loyalists group won a major victory over Dogara for being able to produce the majority leader, deputy leader and chief whip.
Ado-Doguwa also spoke at the session, saying he backed the position of the group as explained by Iriase.

He said, “We reached a point that we just agreed that the interest of the whole nation supersedes any other.
“Where we are now is okay for us as a group and we must sheathe our swords and move on,” he added.

On his part, Monguno looked weighed down when he said that by agreeing to team up with the Speaker, he knew he had become one of the biggest losers.

Monguno had wanted to be the Seaker, but stepped down for Gbajabiamila. He also contested the post of deputy leader and lost to the current occupant, Mr. Yusuf Lasun.

The APC later proposed him to be the chief whip but he also agreed to swap the position with Iriase, who was initially nominated as deputy whip by the party.

His case worsened when Dogara’s proposal excluded his zone, North-East, from the four contested principal offices.

“Ordinary, I should have been the last person to be part of this meeting, considering the fact that, all along, I have been the one making the sacrifice.

“Ultimately, I have become the loser in all of this. But, for the interest of the nation and the House, I have accepted to work with this arrangement,” Monguno stated.

The spokesman of the House Dogara, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, had also confirmed that the new development signalled the end of the crisis.

Jibrin promised that the loyalists group, particularly Gbajabiamila and Monguno, would be adequately compensated in the distribution of key committees in the days ahead.

He said, “We have commenced collection of signatures which has reached advanced stage to affirm the Dogara formula.

“All other interests, including those excluded from the principal officers, specifically, Gbajabiamila and Mongunu, will be duly accommodated with commensurate responsibility to serve.

“Since the Speaker has about 200 positions to share out, many members will have the opportunity to serve the country.”

Credit: PUNCH

Overzealous policeman kills taxi driver, sick passenger in Kano

A police corporal, attached to Yankaba Division, Kano, yesterday, shot  and killed a taxi driver who was transporting a sick female passenger to the hospital.

The passenger, unfortunately also died in the incident.

According to an eyewitness, Isa Tanko, the killings occurred around 9.30am between Hadejia Road roundabout and Haye quarters of Nassarawa local government area.

He said, “The cab driver was flagged down at a  security check point by officers of the Nigerian Police and, within two minutes, I heard gunshots that sent shivers down the spines of  onlookers “, Tanko said.

“We rushed to the scene and found the driver in a pool of his blood; so also was a woman gasping for breathe inside the cab who gave up the ghost before help could come her way.”

The eyewitness disclosed that the incident caused chaos as a crowd gathered to mob the suspected officer who eventually escaped in a police waiting van.

However, efforts to confirm the  incident from Kano State Police Image Maker, ASP Magaji Musa Majia, proved abortive.

Credit: Vanguard

Dead woman 'withdraws' over N500k from her bank account

Mrs Cordelia Iweg­buna Idowu Okocha was 50 when she died of breast cancer, on August 7, 2004, and was buried in Septem­ber 2004.

However, 4 years after her death, she ‘visited’ her bank and withdrew more than N527,500 from her savings account in a first generation bank (name withheld).

The statement of account of the dead woman indicated that she withdrew N500,000 by ‘self ’ on February 19, 2008. On Febru­ary 28, 2008, she made another withdrawal of N27,500 by ‘self’. She made all the withdrawals at the Awolowo Road branch of the bank.

She was survived by her only child, Chukwudi Uche Okocha who was 17 at the time of his mother's death.

He said, “My mother died on August 7, 2004 as a result of breast cancer and my dad died on February 1, 2006. He slept and did not wake up. I am the only child of my parents, I was 17 years old when my mother died. My mum was sick for about eight months, suffering from breast cancer before she gave up. Since my parents died, I’ve been managing, trying to cope through the help of family and friends.

There is a particular family that took me under their care and since then I’ve been living with them. And to God be the glory, they have been trying. I got admission into University of Lagos to study Mathematics in 2006. It has not been easy not having one’s parents around.

“My mother spent a lot of money when she was sick due to the nature of the sickness. We all know that it is not easy to manage cancer. But about a month before she died, she told me that she had something in her savings account; that was her salary account. She told me that whatever happened, there was something left in the account. When she died, she was paid her July salary. Before she died, she told me that she had over N200,000 left in her account and when she died her salary was paid into the account. So, there was over N500,000 in the account when she died.”

“But being the only one, I was not able to process the trans­fer of the money to my account. My dad was unable to process it before he died. Between 2008 and 2009, I tried to process the letter of administration of my mother’s estate through the Lagos probate court and they gave me the certificate to get the money in the account. That was when I applied for the balance and they told me that the balance was about N500. I was shocked because she told me what she had left in the account before she died and I know she did not go to the bank after she told me what she had in the bank. But even if there was no money, the July salary should have been there because it was paid after she had died. And I have a copy of the pay slip for the July salary. When I met Barrister Eluma, I complained to him that there was something wrong with the account.

“When we went to see the then branch manager of the bank, she asked if I was sure that my mother was dead. But she was not ready to disclose anything. So, I felt there was foul play somewhere and I decided to see a lawyer and see what we could do about it. We discovered that two withdrawals were made from my mother’s account in Febru­ary, 2008; that is four years after she died. Did she come from her grave to withdraw the money from her account? It is a savings account, meaning that she was the only person who could make withdrawals from the account. So, how come withdrawals were made four years after she died? The withdrawals were made by ‘self’ according to the statement of account. It means that some­body, most likely a staff, who knows she was dead or knows something about her withdrew the money.

“What I need now is for them to refund the money and pay some compensation for the inconveniences I have gone through over the years. If I had been able to access the money, it would have been very useful, particularly when I was in school. Again, the value of the money has depreciated in the past 11 years. You can imagine what I could have done if I had gotten the money then. So, they should compensate me.”

He has written a petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 2 Command, Nigeria Police, Zone 2 headquarters, Onikan, Lagos. Dated June 17, 2015, to help him retrieve the money.

Credit: The Sun

Selfie gone wrong; man gets billed $153k after trying to take a selfie with a rattlesnake

A San Diego man, Todd Fassler, was almost killed when he tried to take a selfie with a rattlesnake that he picked up from some brush. Unsurprisingly, the snake bit him.

Todd Fassler's treatment drained the anti-venom stock at two separate California hospitals as doctors tended to the horrific wound on his arm.

Fraser reportedly picked up the rattlesnake for a selfie and is lucky to be alive after the snake it him, though with a whopping six-digit hospital bill.

Todd Fassler shared a photo of the bill with KGTV along with a video showing his right arm nearly entirely purple after enduring the toothy attack.

His statement balance of $153,161.25 is listed as due on July 27 and does not list any insurance company as attributing to the payments, at least immediately.

The largest chunk of his bill, making up approximately 54%, is attributed to "pharmacy."

Photos: Senator Dino Melaye shares selfies taken on Dangote's yatch on Twitter

Davido shares adorable photo of his dad with his daughter

The little girl is so cute... proud granddad!

Photos: Obama visits root, dances to Kenyan music

President Obama learnt and danced to Kenyan music at the state banquet organized in his honor by the Kenyan government yesterday July 25th.

He was joined at the dance floor by President Kenyatta and his wife as well as his half sister, Auma Obama.
See photos after the cut...

CNBC apologizes to Ezekwesili over erroneous claim that Oteh is the first African woman to be World Bank VP

CNBC Africa yesterday acknowledged their mistake and apologized to the former minister on the error made yesterday where they had insisted that Arunma Oteh was World Bank first African woman VP.

Mrs. Ezekwesili has since accepted their apology. Excerpt of an apology posted in an article on their website below ...

"Oteh however is not the first African woman to be appointed to powerful positions at the World Bank.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was one of its managing directors (October 2007–July 2011) and Obiageli Ezekwesili, was vice president Africa Region (May 2007-May 2012)"

14 dead in a suicide attack perpetrated by a 12-yr-old girl in Cameroon

14 dead and over 20 injured in a suicide attack in Maroua, northern Cameroon today Saturday July 25th.

The perpetrator is said to be a 12-year-old girl. This is happening barely three days after twin attacks there by suspected members of Boko Haram.

Scott Disick seen kissing a blonde girl in Vegas

Scott Disick was seen in a club in Vegas last night sipping on water and seemingly on his best behaviour.
But it appears that Scott Disick had a little more fun than that, as new pictures have emerged of the newly single reality star getting close to a female party-goer at packed Las Vegas club 1 Oak.

The 32-year-old who was dumped by longtime girlfriend and mother of his 3 children, Kourtney Kardashian was seen leaning in to have an intimate conversation with a blonde before passionately locking lips.

The unknown female appears to be wearing a black crop top baring her midriff with long blonde hair.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is then seen as he placed his hand on her waist as he appears to enjoy a lingering smooch with party-goer.

Meanwhile, before the night was over, Scott was 'restrained' during the night and sipped from a small bottle of water while also regularly checking his phone.

Waku Accuses Tinubu Of Masterminding Toyin Saraki's Invitation By EFCC

A frontline politician and former Vice Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator JKN Waku on Saturday, pointedly accused a National Leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of being the mastermind of a petition over which the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Toyin Saraki, has been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The APC chieftain decried a situation where Tinubu will be exploring his personal relationship with the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, to embarrass and torment fellow party members as well as overheat the polity.

According to him, "I have chosen to speak out on this issue and make my findings on this issue known to the public. After days of painstaking enquiries, I discovered that both Tinubu and Lamorde maintain a mutually beneficial relationship since the days of Lamorde as the EFCC Director of Operations and based in Lagos between 2003 and 2007 when Tinubu was equally the governor of Lagos.”

Waku, who is also an ACF member of Board of Trustees (BOT), said: "I also discovered from my findings in EFCC that the so called petition against Mrs Saraki was personally given to Lamorde by Tinubu under the guise that he was submitting the petition on behalf of the APC leadership to punish Saraki for working against the party's leadership on the choice of National Assembly leaders.

"This was followed by a promise to help secure a second term for Lamorde as EFCC chairman."

Senator Waku said he is highly disturbed that EFCC is again being dragged into the political arena to settle political scores like some years ago.

Waku said: "I want to use this opportunity to caution our leaders that no individual's ambition to create a fiefdom for himself should be allowed to drag our party into unnecessary controversies and endlessly overheat the polity.

"The party has done its best to send lawmakers to the National Assembly to work for the nation and no particular political party, and as such, they should allow our Senators and Reps members to settle down and work in the overall interest of the nation, which is far and above every other sectional interest.

Credit: ThisDay

The Phones No Longer Ring By Reuben Abati

This piece from the former Spokesman of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati, will make you appreciate the fact that power is transient.

As spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan, my phones rang endlessly and became more than personal navigators within the social space. They defined my entire life; dusk to dawn, all year-round. The phones buzzed non-stop, my email was permanently active; my twitter account received tons of messages per second.  The worst moments were those days when there was a Boko Haram attack virtually every Sunday.
   
The intrusion into my private life was total as my wife complained about her sleep being disrupted by phones that never seemed to stop ringing. Besides, whenever I was not checking or responding to the phones, I was busy online trying to find out if the APC had said something contrarian or some other fellow was up to any mischief. A media manager in the 21st century is a slave of the Breaking News, a slave particularly of the 24-hour news cycle, and a potential nervous breakdown case. Debo Adesina, my colleague at The Guardian once said I was running a “one week, one trouble schedule”. There were actually moments when trouble knocked on the door every hour, and duty required my team and I to respond to as many issues that came up. Continue...

 
Top of the task list was the management of phone calls related to the principal. In my first week on the job, for example, one of my phones ran out of battery and I had taken the liberty to charge it. While it was still in the off mode, the “Control Room”: the all-powerful communications centre at the State House tried to reach me. They had only just that phone number, so I couldn’t be reached. When eventually they did, the fellow at the other end was livid.

“SA Media, where are you? We have been trying to reach you. Mr President wants to speak with you”

“Sorry, I was charging my phone.  The phone was off.”

“Sir, you can’t switch off your phone now.  Mr President must be able to reach you at any time. You must always be available.”  I was like: “really? Which kin job be dis?”
   
The Control Room eventually collected all my phone numbers. If I did not pick up a call on time, they called my wife. Sometimes the calls came directly from the Residence, as we referred to the President’s official quarters.

“Abati, Oga dey call you!”
   
If I still could not be reached, every phone that was ever connected to me would ring non-stop. Busy bodies who had just picked up the information that Abati was needed also often took it upon themselves to track me down. My wife soon got used to her being asked to produce me, or a car showing up to take me straight to the Residence. I eventually got used to it too, and learnt to remain on duty round-the-clock.  In due course, President Jonathan himself would call directly. My wife used to joke that each time there was a call from him, even if I was sleeping, I would spring to my feet and without listening to what he had to say, I would start with a barrage of “Yes sirs”! Other calls that could not be joked with were calls from my own office. Something could come up that would require coverage, or there could be a breaking story, or it could be something as harmless as office gossip, except that in the corridors of power, nothing is ever harmless. Looking back now, I still can’t figure out how I survived that onslaught of the terror of the telephone.
   
Of equal significance were the calls from journalists who wanted clarifications on issues of the moment, or the President’s opinion. I don’t need to remind anyone who lived in Nigeria during the period, that we had a particularly interesting time. The Jonathan government had to deal from the very first day with a desperate and hyper-negative opposition, which gained help from a crowd of naysayers who bought into their narrative. I was required to respond to issues. Bad news sells newspapers and attracts listeners/viewers. Everything had to be managed.  You knew something had happened as the phones rang, and the text messages, emails, twitter comments poured in. The media could not be ignored. Interfacing with every kind of journalist was my main task.  I learnt many lessons,  a subject for another day.  And the busy bodies didn’t make things easy.

If in 1980, the media manager had to deal with print and broadcast journalists, today, the big task is the dilemma of the over-democratization of media practice in the age of information. The question used to be asked in Nigerian media circles: who is a journalist? Attempts were subsequently made to produce a register of professionals but that is now clearly an illusion. The media of the 21st Century is the strongest evidence we have for the triumph of democracy. Everybody is a journalist now, once you can purchase a phone or a laptop, or an ipad and you can take pictures, set up a blog, or go on instagram, linked-in, viber etc.
   
All kinds of persons have earned great reputation as editors and opinion influencers on social media where you don’t have to make sense to attract followers. The new stars and celebrities are not necessarily the most educated or knowledgeable, but those who, with 140 words or less, or with a picture or a borrowed quote, can produce fast-food type public intellectualism, or can excite with a little display of the exotic -Kadarshian, Nicki Minaj style.  But I was obligated to attend to all calls. The ones who didn’t receive an answer complained about Abati not picking their calls.
   
My defence was that most editors in Nigeria have correspondents in the State House. Every correspondent had access to me. There was no way I could be accused of not picking calls, and in any case, there were other channels: instagram, twitter direct message, email, and media assistants who could interface with me. But this was the main challenge: while in public office, people treat you as if you are at their mercy, they threaten to sabotage you and get you sacked, every phone call was a request with a price attached, you get clobbered; you are treated like you had committed a crime to serve your nation. Relatives and privileged kinsmen struggled with you to do the job - media management is that one assignment in which everyone is an expert even if their only claim to relevance is that they once had an uncle who was a newspaper vendor!
    
The thinking that anyone who opts to serve is there to make money in that famous arena for primitive accumulation partly accounts for this. And that takes me to those phone calls from persons who solicited for financial help as if there was a tree at the Villa that produced money. Such people would never believe that government officials don’t necessarily have access to money. They wanted to be assisted: to pay school fees, to settle medical bills, to build a house, purchase a car, complete an uncompleted building, or link them up with the President. Everybody wanted a part of the national cake and they thought a phone call was all they needed.  If you offered any explanation, they reminded you that you’d be better off on the lecture circuit. Businessmen also hovered around the system like bees around nectar. 
     
But what to do? “Volenti non fit injuria,” the principle says.  There were also calls from the unkind lot. “I have called you repeatedly, you did not pick my calls. I hope you know that you will leave government one day!”.  Or those who told you point blank that they were calling because you were in the position as their representative and that you owed them a living.  Or that other crowd who said, “it is our brother that has given you that opportunity, you must give us our share!”
     
The Presidential election went as it did, and everything changed. Days after,  State House became Ghost House. The Residence, which used to receive visitors as early as 6 am, (regular early morning devotion attendees) became quiet. The throng of visitors stopped. The number of phone calls began to drop. By May 29, my phones had stopped ringing as they used to. They more or less became museum pieces; their silence reminding me of the four years of my life that proved so momentous. On one occasion, after a whole day of silence, I had to check if the phones were damaged! As it were, a cynical public relates to you not as a person, but as the office you occupy; the moment you leave office, the people move on; erasing every memory, they throw you into yesterday’s dustbin.  Opportunism is the driver of the public’s relationship with public officials.
    
Today, the phones remain loudly silent, with the exception of calls from those friends who are not gloating, who have been offering words of commendation and support. They include childhood friends, former colleagues, elderly associates, fans, and family members. And those who want interviews with President Jonathan, both local and international - they want his reaction on every development, so many of them from every part of the planet. But he is resting and he has asked me to say he is not ready yet to say anything. It is truly, a different moment, and indeed, “no condition is permanent.”
   

The ones who won’t give up with the stream of phone calls and text messages are those who keep pestering me with requests for financial assistance. I am made to understand that there is something called “special handshake” and that everyone who goes into government is supposed to exit with carton loads of cash. I am in no position to assist such people, because no explanation will make sense to them. Here I am, at the crossroads; I am glad to be here. 

Lady Who Accused Timaya Of Rape on Instagram Promotes Her Own Song

Lady who accused Timaya of raping her in Atlanta actually sings and now promoting her song.

Shella B who had said the singer forcefully had his way when she told him no, has used the opportunity of the fame she is presently enjoying to re-introduce her track titled No. 1, which was released last year December on her instagram page.

The lady who had additional 400 instagram followers in hours, quickly re-introduced the song on her page by adding a link of where people can go and listen to it.

Falconets Beat Liberia 7 - 0

The Nigerian under-20 women football team on Saturday in Abuja beat their Liberian counterparts 7-0 to progress to the next round of the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.

NAN reports that the Falconets qualified on a 14-1 aggregate after winning the first leg a fortnight ago in Monrovia 7-1.