Soccerinfox: May 2015

Friday 29 May 2015

Read President Buhari’s Inaugural Speech

Inaugural speech by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari following his swearing-in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29th May, 2015. I am immensely grateful to God Who Has preserved us to witness this day and this occasion. Today marks a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to celebrate her freedom and cherish her democracy. Nigerians have shown their commitment to democracy and are determined to entrench its culture. Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the determination of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have today a truly democratically elected government in place.

I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation. Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country.

Rafa Benitez Confirms Napoli Exit, Silent on Real Madrid Link

Rafa Benitez has announced in a press conference that he is leaving Napoli, although he has refused to discuss an expected move to Real Madrid. Benitez’s future has been the subject of sustained debate in recent days with Florentino Perez thought to be keen to anoint him successor to Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked after failing to win a trophy this season. The former Liverpool and Inter coach – who won La Liga twice with Valencia, in 2002 and 2004 – was said to be “99%” sure to land the Madrid job by Ancelotti’s agent.

The Belgium international was given just three Premier League outings by the Blues boss and says he will not return to Chelsea while he is still in the hotseat. Wolfsburg winger Kevin de Bruyne has given suitors Manchester City a boost by hinting he would welcome a return to England – but not to a Chelsea side managed by Jose Mourinho. De Bruyne moved to Stamford Bridge from Genk in 2012 but was initially loaned to Werder Bremen. Having been recalled for the 2013-14 season he made just three Premier League appearances under Mourinho before completing a permanent move to Wolfsburg last January.

The 23-year-old's agent, Patrick De Koster, has claimed Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the race to sign the Belgium international following a fine season in the Bundesliga, though the player himself says he would be open to another Premier League move. But it will not be Chlesea while Mourinho is in the hotseat: "I think, to be honest, I would not return to Chelsea as long as he is in charge," he told Bild.

A choreographer who accused Michael Jackson of years of molestation cannot pursue his allegations against the singer's estate because he waited too long to file the legal action, a judge ruled. Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff wrote in his ruling Tuesday that Wade Robson's claim is untimely and should be dismissed. Robson had previously denied the pop superstar molested him and testified in Jackson's defense at the singer's criminal trial in 2005. Robson also spoke favorably about Jackson after the singer's death in 2009.

However, Robson sued Jackson's estate in May 2013 over the molestation allegations. Attorneys for Robson said Jackson molested him over a seven-year period. Attorneys for Jackson's estate have denied the allegations. Robson's attorney Maryann Marzano wrote in a statement that Beckloff's ruling will be appealed, and the molestation claim will be pursued against Jackson's business entities. Jackson estate attorney Howard Weitzman praised the ruling and noted Robson's previous testimony about Jackson. "Mr. Robson testified under oath in a courtroom that Michael never did anything improper with him," Weitzman wrote in an email.

Despite the painful loss of the Presidential election to his opponent of the All Progressives Congress, President Goodluck Jonathan, has said that he has no regret over his defeat. And rather than whine over the historic defeat of an incumbent president, Jonathan has moved on in his strides, describing the sad development as an act of God. The President, who is handling over the mantle of leadership to Buhari on Wednesday, spoke at a grand House Reception organised in his honour by the Chairman Emeritus of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, owners of AIT and Raypower.

The elaborate send forth event, which attracted top Nigerians from all walks of life, was held at the Daar Communications Headquarters, Kpaduma Hills, Asokoro and was attended by many top Nigerians from all walks of life, including the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and Chairman and publisher of Vanguard, Mr. Sam Amuka.

The FIFA bribery scandal has reached diplomatic proportions with Russian president Vladimir Putin accusing America of trying to meddle in FIFA affairs. The world of football has been stunned by a series of developments since news emerged in the early hours of Wednesday that nine senior FIFA officials had been arrested and charged by US authorities alleging a rampant, systemic and deep-rooted” plot over decades to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks”. In a simultaneous operation, Swiss authorities announced an investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, to be held in Qatar, as they raided FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

US attorney general Loretta Lynch said in a press conference that FIFA would be forced to decide whether the next two World Cups should go ahead as planned, given the persistent claims of corruption which have plagued them. Russia sports minister Vitaly Mutko, though, insisted his country had "nothing to hide” as an embattled FIFA insisted the World Cup will not be changing hands. And now Putin has accused America of trying to meddle in foreign affairs and unseat Blatter, who has been given the backing of the Russian leader.

Mr Issa Aremu, Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Thursday said political office holders should publicly declare assets to facilitate easy tracking of ill-gotten wealth. Aremu gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kaduna. “The President-elect has promised to publicly declare his assets. Let all public officers follow. We can then know who has what and who is having an eye on our commonwealth. “Let nobody earn more than what is recommended by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission,’’

He described Nigeria’s system of governance as most prohibitive with very low dividends for the people. “Nigeria system of governance is the most prohibitive. “Worse still is that it delivers low benefits to citizens; poor roads, lack of water, irregular electricity, insecurity and of late scandalous non-sale of petroleum products while government officials remain indifferent.’’ Aremu attributed the situation to greed and mismanagement by public office holders. “May be we should talk of high cost of mis-governance or high cost of no-governance.

South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula on Thursday denied allegations that huge bribes were paid to win the right to host the 2010 World Cup, saying that public money had not been given to “criminals”. FIFA has been engulfed in a bribery scandal that includes accusations from the US attorney general that FIFA officials took cash in return for awarding the tournament to South Africa.

The US indictment alleged that bundles of cash in a briefcase were handed over at a Paris hotel as a bribe by a “high-ranking South African bid committee official”. It also alleged the South Africa government agreed that $10 million that was due to be paid to South Africa to run the World Cup was instead transferred from FIFA’s funds to pay bribes to former FIFA vice president Jack Warner.

Malaysia's Deputy Home Affairs Minister says the government believes 139 people are buried in a group of graves discovered in a remote location on the country's border with Thailand. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told reporters Thursday that investigators believe there is one body in each of the graves discovered, rather than multiples, as was first suspected. He said each of the bodies, suspected to be linked to human traffickers, was wrapped in white cloth and buried according to Muslim tradition.

Malaysia's National Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar first announced the discovery of the graves on Monday, saying they were found at 28 suspected human trafficking camps that likely housed from 20 to 300 people per camp. The discovery of the camps and the graves followed a similar one earlier this month on the Thai side of the border. Southeast Asia is battling a humanitarian crisis involving thousands of people smuggled from Myanmar and Bangladesh into Malaysia and Indonesia through Thailand.

Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court have called on Ivory Coast to hand over former first lady Simone Gbagbo, upholding an earlier ruling that she stand trial in The Hague. Polish Judge Piotr Hofmanski said Wednesday that Ivory Coast must stand by its obligation to surrender Gbagbo without delay. He said Ivorian authorities had failed to offer proof that could counter the ICC’s initial decision against holding Gbagbo’s trial in Ivory Coast, noting that the information they supplied was vague. The appeals ruling also found Ivorian officials had not proved in a timely manner that they were investigating the former first lady for the same allegations of crimes against humanity that she faces in The Hague.

Football's governing body Fifa is due to open its annual congress despite warnings from sponsors that they may review ties over the arrest of senior officials on corruption charges. Visa says it will reassess its sponsorship unless Fifa makes changes. Coca-Cola and Adidas voiced concern. The European football body Uefa will decide whether to boycott Friday's vote for the next Fifa president. Seven top Fifa officials were arrested on corruption charges on Wednesday. Fifa provisionally banned from football-related activity 11 of the 14 people charged by the US authorities on Wednesday. They are accused of racketeering, fraud and money laundering. But it said the election on Friday - in which Fifa president Sepp Blatter is seeking a fifth term - would go ahead.

Nigeria's total external merchandise trade decreased by N110.2 billion to N4.87 trillion in the first quarter of the year (Q1 2015) compared to N4.98 trillion in the previous quarter, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The bureau explained that the 2.2 percent drop occurred despite a rise of N275.6 billion or 9.3 percent in the value of exports compared to the preceding quarter. The country's structure of exports was dominated by crude oil, which accounted for an estimated N2.25 trillion or 69.7 percent of the value of total exports in the period under review.

The statistical agency said a decline of N385.8 billion or 19 per cent in the value of imports resulted in an overall decline in the value of merchandise trade. According to the Foreign Trade Statistics for the first quarter of 2015 which was released yesterday, the rise in exports and decline in imports however, improved the country's trade balance which increased by 71.6 percent from the preceding quarter to N1.5 trillion. Compared with the corresponding quarter of 2014, however, the value of total merchandise trade decreased by 639.5billion or 11.6 percent, while the trade balance decreased by N839.1 billion or 34.6 per cent.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has accused the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, of mismanaging the nation’s economy in the last four years and feeding Nigerians with half-truths. Oshiomhole, in an article in which he review the nation’s economy in the last four years, said Okonjo-Iweala ran the Excess Crude Account as a one-man show, adding that her recent outcry that oil marketers were falsifying subsidy claims might have been done in fear of the incoming president, Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor said: “As the country transits from one democratic dispensation to another, there is no gainsaying the fact that the state of the nation’s economy is the focal point, especially with the unending fuel scarcity which is gradually grinding the nation to a halt. No doubt, the best person to explain the state of the economy today is Dr Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, whose management of the nation’s resources these past four years has elicited different reactions from Nigerians.

Nigeria’s main oil union has shut down the local operations of the United States oilfield services provider, Halliburton Co. in protest against job cuts, the trade body told Reuters on Tuesday. The Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), said the group halted operations on Monday, saying it was opposed to Halliburton’s decision to sack 46 local staff members. The union accused Halliburton of not following due process. Halliburton’s staff cuts in Nigeria are part of a company-wide jobs cut announced earlier this year to counter a sharp downturn in global oil prices since last summer that has shrunk profits.

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, said that if the incoming president, Muhammadu Buhari decides to probe upon assumption of office, he should not single out his (Jonathan) administration. He asked Buhari to extend it to other administrations before him. Jonathan argued that limiting the probe to only his administration would amount to a witch hunt.

In a speech at the valedictory session of the Federal Executive Council, ahead of his handing over to Buhari tomorrow, President Jonathan said his comments followed calls from different quarters for his administration to be investigated, even as he scored his administration high despite the difficult operating environment that prevailed during his tenure. He attributed the on-going fuel scarcity and strike by some unions in the oil sector to acts of sabotage by some persons who are bent on bringing his administration to its knees “even with just few days” to go.

The Nigeria Army at the Rukuba Barracks in Jos, Plateau State, has dismissed about 200 soldiers from service for their failure to capture the Sambisa Forest, a notorious hideout for Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State. They were dismissed for laxity and cowardice in the course of duty. One of the affected soldiers, Aguloye Sunday, an indigene of Ondo State, who confirmed the dismissal to journalists in Jos, said they were arraigned on a two-count charge of “failure to perform military duty and disobedience to standing order.”

He, however, argued that they would seek redress in court as the charges pressed against him and his colleagues were “untrue, false and malicious.” Denying the claim by the army authorities that the soldiers abandoned their duties and ran away, Mr Sunday explained that sufficient weapons were not provided for them to fight the terrorists and, therefore, they ran out of weapons. He also said the weapons provided for the troops were obsolete. According to him, “the bombs given to us were made in 1964; they were expired, so we could not use them.

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday declined to issue an ex parte application to stop the chief judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Kate Abiri, from swearing in the Rivers State governor-elect, Chief Nyesom Wike, on May 29, 2015. According to Justice Ibrahim Buba, granting such an application would amount to “adding insult upon the injury” of the people of Rivers State, who currently “have no judiciary.” The court also held that though the applicants had a meritorious cause of action because the issues bordered on the sanctity of the constitution, granting their ex parte application may occasion a state of anarchy in Rivers State.

“I am of the firm view that no court should make the order ex parte to further compound the problems in Rivers State,” the judge stated. In the suit filed by three Lagos lawyers; Monday Ubani, John Nwokwu and Gabriel Okoro, the plaintiffs argued that Justice Abiri cannot swear Wike in because the constitution only allows the chief judge of the state or the president of the Customary Court of Appeal of Rivers State to do so.

Don’t Prosecute Jonathan, Bayelsa PDP Chieftain Begs Buhari

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa state and former commissioner for Agriculture, and Environment, Chief Lionel Jonathan –Omo, has appealed to the incoming president elect, Muhammad Buhari to exercise caution in probing the outgoing administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. According to Chief Jonathan -Omo, attempts to prosecute Jonathan by the incoming administration might cause violent uprising in the Niger Delta and should be avoided completely.

Jonathan-Omo made the remarks Wednesday in Yenagoa during a chat with newsmen while presenting a 54 page letter to President-Elect Muhammad Buhari and titled, “Road map to Success.” Addressing Buhari, he said: “As you take over power please don’t prosecute or persecute President Jonathan, you will indirectly provoke a recrudescence of violence in the Niger Delta. Young boys will hang on that as a subterfuge to cause violent uprising again in the Niger Delta. Avoid it completely.”

Sunderland coach Dick Advocaat has confirmed he will leave the Black Cats after helping them avoid relegation from the Premier League. “At certain moments in your life you have to make a decision and I am almost 68 years old now. A number of clubs contacted me but the decision was always Sunderland or nobody," he told the club's official website. “I would like to thank the chairman, Lee, the staff and of course the fans. We gave everything in our time there and achieved what we set out to. Sunderland has been one of the highlights of my career.”

BREAKING NEWS - Fifa Bans 11 Officials For Ethics Breaches

The world football governing body took the action 12 hours after seven of its members were arrested ahead of the presidential election Fifa has banned 11 football officials in the aftermath of Wednesday's spate of arrests and indictments over corruption charges from US legal authorities. Seven people were detained in a joint operation between the US Federal Office of Justice and the Swiss police ahead of the 65th Fifa Congress, in which either Sepp Blatter will be re-elected or Prince Ali bin al Hussein will take his place at the helm.

Fifa claimed it was the "damaged party" and said it backed the "cleaning up" of the world football governing body, which has been hit by a string of reputation-damaging incidents since it handed the World Cup finals of 2018 and 2022 to Russia and Qatar under a cloud of bribery claims. Following the FBI and Inland Revenue Service (IRS) giving the "red card" to Fifa in a damning press conference, the world football governing body reacted by banning 11 personnel from operating within the sport.

Waiting a few minutes to clamp the umbilical cord after birth could boost a child’s co-ordination and social skills, according to new research. A study found waiting at least three minutes to cut the cord after birth led to improved development in boys. They not only had a more 'mature' pencil grip, but also better scores on tests for certain social skills. This is because delaying clamping allows more iron-filled blood to transfuse into the baby, which is important for its development.

Previous studies have linked low iron levels in babies to impaired learning, speaking and understanding, and conditions like ADHD. For the new study, the researchers followed up on 263 Swedish children born at full term to healthy mothers about four years earlier. As newborns, the children had been part of a larger study in which a total of 382 babies were randomly assigned to either early cord clamping (within 10 seconds of birth) or late cord clamping (at least three minutes after birth).

A traumatised father killed himself out of guilt over failing to stop his daughter being attacked by burglars, an inquest heard. Gareth Reeve, 47, was a 'happy-go-lucky' truck driver who changed completely after witnessing the brutal assault on his daughter, Jessica, Winchester Coroner's Court was told. Mr Reeve was found hanged in woods near Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire, on February 24 after a police helicopter search. The inquest heard how Mr Reeve, from Havant, Hampshire, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing the serious attack in September.

Life-long friend Malcolm Boniface told police: 'He felt it was his fault and he couldn't do anything about it, he just froze.' Mr Reeve, who underwent counselling sessions, was reported missing on February 22 by his mother Norma after he failed to come home. Two days later he was found hanging in the woods and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of vice-chancellors for the four federal universities of education and a Federal University of Health Sciences. Notice of the appointments is contained in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday in Abuja. The statement was signed by Mr Sul Ya’u Sule, the Senior Special Assistant, Public Relations and Protocol to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Minister of Education.

The statement listed the Vice-Chancellors as Prof. Martins Aghaji for Federal University of Sciences, Otukpo, Benue and Prof. Richard King for Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo. Others are Prof. Sadiq Abubakar for Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, Prof. Victor Awonusi for Federal University of Education, Kano and Prof. Ibrahim Kolo for Federal University of Education, Zaria.

Following the refusal of the operatives of the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to vacate Senator-elect Buruji Kashamu’s Lagos residence despite Tuesday’s court order to do so, the Nigerians In the Diaspora Organization, Paris has petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The petition dated May 27, 2015 which was addressed to Mr. Joachim Rücker, President of the Human Rights Council, Said that the Nigeria’s anti-drug agency should stop committing crimes against humanity by denying Mr. Buruji Kashamu his due freedom.

Signed by the group’s Board Chairman, Comrade Williams Odeyemi, the petition which was sent through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais Wilson 52 rue des Pâquis, CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland, urged the NDLEA chairman to obey the court order which asks him to withdraw his men that have been laying siege on the Lekki residence of the PDP chieftain since last Saturday.

An Ikeja High Court in Lagos on Wednesday adjourned a N150 billion libel suit filed by former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, against the African Independent Communication (AIT) till June 30. Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe adjourned the suit to enable Tinubu’s counsel respond to the counter-claim filed by AIT. It can be recalled that Tinubu had instituted the suit against Daar Communications Plc, owners of AIT, for airing a documentary entitled, “Lion of Bourdilion”.

In the suit, he alleged that the documentary, which started airing on March 1, was libelous and aimed at tarnishing his image. At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, AIT’s counsel, Mr Jeffery Kadiri, informed the court that the defendant had filed a counter-claim which had been served on the claimant. Responding, Tinubu’s counsel, Mr Ayodele Adedipe, said that the process was served on the claimant only two days ago, adding that he needed time to respond.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal filed by Sen. Iyiola Omisore, challenging the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which affirmed Gov. Rauf Aregbesola’s election victory in Osun. Omisore, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the election held on August 9, 2014, had challenged Aregbesola’s victory at the Election Petition Tribunal, and lost.

He appealed against the tribunal’s judgement at the Appeal Court but lost again as the court upheld the tribunal verdict. Not satisfied, Omisore approach the Supreme Court to set aside the Appeal Court’s judgement, claiming that there was miscarriage of justice in the process. But the apex court’s panel of seven justices, in its judgement read by Justice Centus Nweze, held that Omisore’s appeal was devoid of merit and dismissed it entirely.

The death toll from extreme weather in Texas and Oklahoma has risen to 17 after a man's body was found in the Brays Bayou area in Houston. Meanwhile, the search went on for at least 11 people who were still missing in Hays County, including a group that disappeared after a vacation home was swept down the river and slammed into a bridge. Flood waters are slowly starting to recede this afternoon in Houston, where a record-setting four inches of rain in just a few short hours wreaked havoc and led to at least three deaths. Interstate highways in the nation's fourth-largest city turned to raging rivers, neighborhoods became lakes and hundreds of people had to be rescued from flooded homes and stranded vehicles. The flooding had one other horrifying consequence - snakes and other creatures that were flooded out of their homes crept into homes and vehicles in search of high ground.

Two criminal investigations into corruption at football's world governing body Fifa are under way, with seven senior officials arrested in Zurich on US charges. Separately, Swiss prosecutors have launched a criminal case into the bids for the 2018 and 2022 world cups, to be held in Russia and Qatar respectively. The seven are among 14 indicted on corruption charges, US authorities say. Fifa says it plans to go ahead with elections for president on Friday. Incumbent president Sepp Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term, was not one of the seven high-ranking officials arrested. Fifa also said on Wednesday there would be no rerun of the World Cup bidding processes which saw Russia awarded the tournament in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, despite the Swiss inquiry. Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein of Jordan - Mr Blatter's rival for the Fifa presidency - described the arrests as "a sad day for football".

The Anaconda star's rapper boyfriend has spoken about the rumours that the couple are set to tie the knot. Nicki Minaj's boyfriend Meek Mill says they have no plans "to get married yet." The 28-year-old rapper presented the 32-year-old star with a 15-carat heart-shaped white and yellow diamond ring last month, but insists they aren't engaged. Asked about their relationship, the 'Amen' hitmaker said: "It's definitely real. But it ain't really time to get married yet. We're still learning each other, feeling each other out." The 'Anaconda' hitmaker, who split from Safaree Samuels in late 2014 after 12 years of dating, caused a frenzy when she posted a photograph of the ring on her Instagram profile in April, shortly after writing: "I wish every night could feel like last night."

The al-Shabab militants who have long battled for control of Somalia also have recruited thousands of young people in Kenya, leaving many families bereft. Al-Shabab recruiters roam Isiolo town, targeting idle youths. In the Kenyan town of Isiolo, a key target of a new al-Shabab recruitment drive, there is agony, fear and lost hope. At a relatively quiet open-air restaurant three kilometers outside Isiolo, several women meet to talk about their fears, their struggles to get loved ones back from the Somali militant group al-Shabab, and how to keep others out of the hands of recruiters. For Zainab Hashi, the wound is still fresh. Her son left home May 1 for what she thought was to be an Islamic retreat. A week later, she received a phone call.

The Out-going Rivers State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has challenged the state governor-elect, Mr Nyesom Wike, that he (Amaechi) was not afraid of his administration being probed. Speaking at his 50th birthday public lecture in Port Harcourt, Amaechi said “Listening to the governor-elect, Wike, I am trying not to respond to him because he has been accusing me of corruption, forgetting that he was the Chief of Staff to this government and knows well how this government is being run. So, how can he turn back and accuse me of corruption? Then he must be part of the corruption himself.” Meanwhile, Amaechi at Government House during the inauguration of the 22 local government chairmen, elected at Saturday’s council elections, said that Wike cannot dissolve the 22 councils elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as such power only lies with the court.

President Goodluck Jonathan, Wednesday, forwarded the report of the National Conference, Confab, to the Senate for consideration and necessary legislative actions. Jonathan in the letter transmitting the report of National Conference reminded the Senate that while setting up the Confab committee, part of the terms of reference to the committee was to discuss any issue about Nigeria with particular emphasis on finding lasting solution the unity of the country. He also said that the committee was barred from discussing any issue that would lead to the disintegration of the country.

‎A Civil Society Organisation, the Incorporated Trustees of Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and Development Initiative, has ‎asked the Federal Court in Abuja to stop the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, from administering oath on the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari on May 29. ‎The group, in an originating summons that was filed by its lawyer, Mr. Philip Ekpo, insisted that Buhari is not legally fit to take over as the President of Nigeria. The plaintiff argued that Buhari did not meet the qualification enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, and ought not have contested the April 11, 2015, presidential election. Cited as respondents in the suit were Buhari, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

At least 37 persons consisting men, women and children have been confirmed dead after Boko Haram terrorists attacked Gubio town in Gubio local government of Borno State, security sources and government officials have confirmed. The terrorists attacked Gubio on Sunday evening. Yesterday, the state governor, Dr Kashim Shettima, visited Gubio, a town located 93km away from Maiduguri, the state capital, to assess the situation in the community. Over 400 homes, including government buildings, schools (both western and Islamic), 22 vehicles and dozens of motorcycles were found burnt as the governor’s convoy arrive at Gubio. A military base was also seen to have been overrun by the terrorists, but it could not be ascertained immediately if soldiers had suffered any casualties.

The inspector general of police, IGP Solomon Arase, yesterday heaped the blame for corruption in the Police Force on Nigerians and sent out an appeal that Nigerians should stop corrupting his officers and men. Arase made the appeal while fielding questions from journalists during his meeting with deputy inspectors general of police, assistant inspectors general of police and command commissioners of police, where he called on the public not to corrupt police personnel by giving them bribes. “I am appealing to the members of the public; do not corrupt my policemen. It takes two to tango. If they ask you for bribe and you refuse to give, and you have avenues where your grievances can be ventilated, I do not see any reason why you should give them bribe.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday vowed not to partake in any action that could result in Nigeria’s disintegration and advised the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari to impact positively on the lives of Nigerians, in order to reckon with the contributions of all citizens. Speaking when he received members of the Universal Peace Foundation who conferred on him an award of Peace-Loving Global Citizen in Aso Rock, Abuja, Jonathan said the predictions that Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015 would have unfolded into reality if he had not conceded defeat in the March 28 presidential poll. Jonathan pointed out that he took the bold step, so that Nigerians could still have a country to call theirs.

No One Is Perfect, Says Okonjo-Iweala

Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said managing the Nigerian economy under the present administration might not be perfect but the government made good efforts to improve the lives of Nigerians. She spoke in Abuja, Sunday night, at a reception organised in her honour by Ndi-Igbo Youth Organisation in partnership with Voice of All Arewa Youth, in Abuja. The minister, who also received a certificate for meritorious service, said she will never regret serving the country under President Goodluck Jonathan despite the criticisms and attacks she has been receiving because, the lives of Nigerians, especially youths and women improved significantly under the Jonathan administration.

The Federal Government said yesterday that the nation has recorded a loss of over 2,000 mega watts in the national grid due to shortage of gas supply to the thermal plants. The government in a statement signed by the Chairman of the National electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi explained that only five out of 23 power plants are currently generating electricity. Dr. Amadi said that the Commission noticed with concern the acute shortage of power supply and the attendant hardship Nigerians are passing through. He said “In the last couple of months, electricity supply has been generally poor on account of increase in vandalism in the run up to the April 2015 elections. But this bad supply condition has worsened in the last few days.”

The Federal Government yesterday night released details of how N6.21tn was shared from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) by the federal and 36 state governments between 2011 and 2014. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, released the breakdown through a statement by her Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu. Okonjo-Iweala had last week promised to make details of the account available, following a demand by the state governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) that she should explain how she had managed the over $20bn in the ECA between June 2013 and April 2015. But in the document issued yesterday, Okonjo-Iweala said she needed to make public the details in order to “to clarify issues thrown up by recent claims made by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State on behalf of some governors.”

Breaking News - 26 Suspected Cultists Killed in Rivers

At least twenty six suspected cultists have been reportedly killed by men of the Rivers state Anti Robbery Squad, SARS , in a forest around Obesemini community in Egi part of Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government area. A resident of one of the nearby communities told Vanguard the incident happened yesterday afternoon. The source who chose to be anonymous said other communities around the forest were Akabta, Oyioga, adding that the security operatives stormed the hideout of the suspected cultists. ontinuing, the source said the security men abandoned the corpses of the deceased in the bush.

Their marriage may well have scrutinised over recent months, but there was little sign of trouble in paradise as Jay Z and Beyonce took a romantic stroll on Thursday evening. The couple are currently in picturesque Italian city Florence, where they were arm in arm for a walk through its famous winding streets. Evidently keen to capture the moment, R&B star Beyoncé, 33, brought along a large digital camera that she later used to take pictures of the surrounding architecture. The 45-year-old rapper was seen using his free hand to raise a smart phone and take snaps of the buildings - and Beyoncé - at every available opportunity. At one point she was seen striking a pose while leaning against a stone bridge while Jay captured the moment with another snap.

A suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a Shi'ite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing or wounding dozens of people. The blast hit during afternoon prayers at the Imam Ali mosque in Qatif, a governorate on the east coast of the predominantly Sunni Muslim kingdom. The state-run Saudi Press Agency confirmed the attack. Pictures posted on social media show injured or dead victims in blood-soaked clothes being brought out of a building into ambulances parked outside. There have been no claims of responsibility and no confirmation of the number of casualties.

Islamist rebels continued to make gains in northern Syria Friday, taking over a hospital where government forces had been under siege for weeks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al-Qaida affiliated al-Nusra Front had taken "complete control" of the hospital on the outskirts of Jisr al-Shughour. Dozens of government soldiers and others had been holed up inside the hospital since late April. Their fate is unknown, though al-Nusra said via Twitter the soldiers were being pursued. Last month, al-Nusra took control of Jisr al-Shughour, a key town that had been one of the government's last strongholds in Idlib province.

Dressed in his brother's old British army fatigues, Mohan Ghale is rebuilding his mother's home stone by stone, after returning to Barpak village, high in the Himalayas, which was demolished by last month's earthquake. Ghale had been working as a plumber a full day's journey away in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, but with his brother overseas and father away for work, it fell to him to remake the family home at the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude quake that killed 8,633 people nationwide. "I came back to rebuild and to help my mother. I had to," said the 30-year old, who put off the promise of a job in Japan to return to the rubble of his childhood home.

The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) and Tanzania’s East Africa Community Minister are meeting with all stakeholders in Burundi in a bid to resolve the political unrest there, says Assah Mwambene, spokesman for the government of Tanzania. East African foreign ministers met on Monday after a recent regional heads-of-state summit to find solutions to the crisis in Burundi, following President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial re-election bid. The heads of state called on all parties in Burundi to respect the country’s constitution. Mwambene says the two EAC officials have called on both the government and opponents to ensure peace and stability is restored ahead of next month’s vote.

The president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, has again commended President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat in the just concluded presidential election. Buhari, who gave the commendation in Abuja on Thursday when he received Nigerien President, Issoufou Mahamadou, said Jonathan’s action turned around Nigeria’s nervous political process. While disclosing the outcome of the meeting he had with Issoufou to journalists, Buhari said: “The Nigerien president purposely came to congratulate me on my victory and President Jonathan for the maturity and statesmanship that he exhibited by accepting that he had lost the election. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the president-elect said: “His action actually doused tensions and averted crisis in Nigeria. “Not only Africa but the world has commended the president for that because if he had disputed the elections, there would have been crisis in the country.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved merchant bank licence for FBN Holdings Plc through its subsidiary Kakawa Discount House Limited, the Group Chief Executive Officer of FBN Holdings, Mr. Bello Maccido, said yesterday. Speaking at the company's third annual general meeting (AGM) in Lagos, Maccido said the final approval was granted to the company by the apex bank on May 19. According to him, the new business line would afford additional avenue to sell investment banking products to its esteemed customers. "To have a merchant banking licence will be beneficiary to the shareholders medium to long-term. It will also afford the company the opportunity to pay enhanced dividend in the nearest future," he said.

Hundreds of Muslim youths on Friday morning burnt a Sharia court situated at Rijiyar Lemo area and took to the streets protesting an alleged blasphemous comment by a sect member of Tijjaniyya, Malam Abdul Nyass. The youths marched from various parts of the state holding placards condemning the statement made by the sect member against the holy prophet Muhammad. Our correspondent saw the aggrieved youths protesting towards Mandawari and Dandago areas as they marched to the Emir of Kano's palace to lay their complaint. The youths and some old men were on the streets along with Muslim women condemning the culprit and calling for his punishment according to islamic rites.

The star became a millionaire after making a name for herself at Spearmint Rhino, Playboy, and now with her own webcam stripping busines. X Factor reject Chloe Mafia has given us an inside glimpse at her incredible transformation, as she lives out her very own rags to riches story. The star - who is dating the founder and CEO of Spearmint Rhino, John Gray - has posed up for a jaw-dropping new photoshoot with everything from flashy sports cars to her stunning new mansion, which she shares with the millionaire businessman. The star - also known as Chloe Khan - was ridiculed after appearing on the X Factor but has since gone on to make a fortune from setting up a webcam business and working as a model.She now travels the world in the lap of luxury, flying in private jets, driving fast cars and wearing designer clothes.

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