I Support FG’s Ban On Twitter Wholeheartedly’ – Ned Nwoko

 Nigerian politician, Ned Nwoko has said he’s in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ban on Twitter.

“On the current issue with twitter, I wholeheartedly support the position of the federal government,” he said.

According to BluePrint Newspaper, Nwoko who spoke as guest speaker on Saturday at June 12 lecture organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Abuja Council also said he believes in one Nigeria.

Speaking on Twitter ban, he said “there are important justifications for some of the clamours, especially when you look at the South-east and the level of perceived injustice overtime.

“If I were to be cynical, I’d probably have said how are we sure that there would be election by 2023, let alone talking about elections. But I’m an optimist, I believe in the unity of Nigeria, I love Nigeria.

“I believe there will be a country called Nigeria by 2023. I believe the clamour for disintegration or regional powers is political. That is not to undermine the fact that there are important justifications for some of the clamours, especially when you look at the South-east and level of perceived injustice overtime.

“Nigeria of today is quite different from the Nigeria of three years ago when the federal government was just concerned with Boko Haram in the North-east.

“The federal government is not only distracted with what is happening in the North-east and North-west of Nigeria, but currently faces huge challenges in the South-east as well as North-central. A lot has been happening in Benue state and of course South-west as well. But I believe the federal government is equal to the challenges that we are currently facing.”

Speaking further on the issue of Twitter, he said there must be a measure of control and regulation for social media in countries where they have presence.

He also stated that the social media platforms must pay taxes to governments and provide employment for some Nigerians for the over 100 million population that subscribed to their services.

Bandits Kill 41 Farmers In Zamfara Fresh Attacks, One Police Officer Shot Dead

 BANDITS have again killed 41 farmers in Tofa and Samawa villages in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

An indigene of the area, who gave his name as Malam Balarabe, informed The PUNCH that the bandits invaded the area when the farmers were planting their crops and others were clearing their farms.

“They came suddenly and began to shoot at the farmers, killing many of them,” Balarabe stressed.

He further explained that the bandits also blocked the road leading to the two villages where they also killed other farmers returning to their houses.

Their mission was only to kill those who went to their farms,” Balarabe added.

The spokesperson of the state Police Command, Mohammed Shehu, said, “Combined Police Tactical operatives were not alerted until after they (bandits) might have finished their onslaught on Tofa community. We have yet to be ascertained the number of villagers that were killed.

However, as the bandits left Tofa on their way to Samawa village for similar attack, the Police Tactical operatives stationed at Samawa village were quickly alerted where they mobilised and engaged the assailants in a serious gun battle that lasted for hours.

“As a result of the encounter, unspecified number of bandits was fatally injured (killed), while others escaped with possible gunshot wounds. No loss of life from the community in Samawa, but regrettably, a police operative paid the supreme price during the gun battle with the bandits,” Shehu said

Source:- Punch Ng

How My Husband Died, His Last Moment – TB Joshua’s Wife

 Evelyn, the wife of popular televangelist, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua also known as TB Joshua has given an insight on how he died.

Recounting his last moment, Evelyn disclosed that TB Joshua spent his last moments prayerfully and was concerned about India, following the cases of COVID-19.

She disclosed that the popular prophet was found dead in his office after conducting a service in the church.

A source close to TB Joshua While speaking to DAILY POST, said that Evelyn recounted this during a meeting with some foreign visitors.

Evelyn was quoted as saying: “He ended the race prayerfully. She revealed that he spent about three hours in prayers before the last service on the mountain and was looking very healthy. She said he never showed any sign of illness or worry and that his main concern was about the prayer line they offered to Indians against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Afterward, he came up to shower and she left him to have some time to prepare for service as worship had started. Few Minutes later, he stepped out for ministrations. While MInistering. He spoke about a time to come and time to leave.

“According to her, his statements were spiritual and suddenly, he left the stage and went to his inner chambers. She waited a few minutes and thereafter decided to check on him. And she met him sitting on the chair like someone reflecting but unconscious. She quickly beckoned on his disciples who came and tried to revive him to no avail. Of a truth, he went home to be with the Lord and left us with a message, watch and pray.”

EFCC Narrows N10bn Fraud Probe To 10 PDP Items’ Spending

 As part of its ongoing probe of the finances of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has beamed its searchlight on at least 10 expenditure items in the party’s financial records.

This was sequel to a petition filed by a now expelled member of the PDP, Kassim Afegbua, who alleged, among other things, that the party leadership had yet to account for N10bn funds released from the sale of nomination forms.

A document obtained by The PUNCH in Abuja on Tuesday indicated that the items included a total of N243.8m as legal and other professional charges to consultants in 12 transactions and a total of N78.9m for transport and travel expenses.

Out of the N243.8m paid as legal fees, N78m was paid out on November 1, 2018, while N36.3m was paid out on November 14, 2018.

Under transport and travel expenses, where a total of N78.9m was paid out, N12.9m was said to have been used to charter an aircraft on October 4, 2018.

The EFCC is also seeking clarification on the payment of N264, 417,808 under the sub-head loan repayment.

A source privy to the investigations said, “What is of interest to the commission is the case of money laundering.

“Some of these payments were either not made through financial institutions or routed through personal accounts of individuals,” he added.

In a related development, the EFCC has invited the petitioner, Afegbua, to shed light on his petition.

He was asked to provide supporting documents and evidence if any to buttress his allegations.

Afegbua, a former Edo State commissioner for information, confirmed the development to our correspondent.

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He explained that he was invited to write a statement and share information.

“All I want is for my party to be accountable. We cannot hold the ruling party to account if we do not keep our house in order. The banking regulations say all transactions above N10m must pass through a financial institution; this was not the case with my party, the PDP, under the present leadership,” he added.

When reminded that he had been expelled from the party, Afegbua said, “My purported expulsion is an exercise in futility because it did not follow due process as stipulated in the PDP constitution which I have read several times over.

“There are clear guidelines on discipline. There are processes; it begins from the ward level before it goes to the state, then the zonal before it gets to the national.

“First and foremost, nobody laid a complaint against me; there was no committee set up to investigate any imaginary allegation against me. I was not invited to face any committee. Only yesterday, my ward executives in Okpella told the whole world that I remain a bonafide member of the party because they have no problem with me.

“Unless the process is initiated from the ward level, the national cannot take any action. So, what Secondus did using the state chairman is fraudulent.”

The PDP Board of Trustees, in response to the EFCC investigation, said the party was not answerable to the EFCC but the Independent National Electoral Commission, which was the constitutionally recognised body to oversee political parties.

The Chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, said the interest of the EFCC in the affairs of the party was strange.

He also accused Afegbua of ignoring the party’s time-tested procedure of lodging complaints with the relevant party organs before seeking external help.

Jibrin said, “INEC is the regulatory organ of all political parties and the PDP is inclusive. The PDP account has been audited by a reputable chattered firm and the report is with INEC and the body has not raised any objection on the account of the party.

“It is both constitutionally wrong for the EFCC to intervene in issues that are purely of political parties and Kasim Afegbua did not follow due process in this case.”

Source:- Punch Ng

2023 Presidency: More Cracks In APC Over ‘open’ Ticket

 By Saawua Terzungwe And Abdullateef Aliyu

There are more cracks in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over governors’ declaration that the 2023 presidential ticket is open to all party bigwigs across the six geo-political zones to contest.

Controversy is raging over zoning of the party’s presidential ticket and chairmanship between the North and the South ahead of the 2023 general poll.

Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Kebbi State Governor, Senator Atiku Bagudu, in a statement, last Friday, declared that all party members from all zones were free to contest any position in the next general election.

But credible sources in the APC confided in our correspondent yesterday in Abuja, that some APC governors and other party stalwarts were not comfortable with the development.

One of the sources said the governors, especially those from the South, were not comfortable with the statement alleging that there was no official meeting of the governors where the issue of zoning was extensively deliberated upon and decisions reached before the statement.

It was also learnt that some groups in the party were mobilising to revolt in the event the party’s “zoning formula” was jettisoned as they claimed the move was for the North to retain power.

Some stakeholders are arguing that power had resided in the North for a long time, and while the South-West had produced Olusegun Obasanjo as president for eight years, the South-South served for six years, hence the need to zone to the South-East for fairness and equity to prevail.

An elder statesman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, told Daily Trust in a telephone chat yesterday that the APC would hit the rocks if it jettisoned zoning of the 2023 presidential ticket.

Okorie, a former presidential candidate and chieftain of the APC, said the APC should respect the sensibilities and sentiments of Nigerians in order not to crash.

“Jettisoning zoning will not be in the best interest of the party. Of course, zoning is conventional and not constitutional; any political party that has subjected itself to the conventional approach to rotation of power, especially the presidential office, will only have to blame itself at the polls if it does not do the right thing,” he said.

A member of the APC National Caucus, Chief Sam Nkire, in a telephone chat with Daily Trust yesterday, said, “I’m sure that no Igbo governor will be part of that. I don’t believe that is going to be the position of the party. It is not written in the constitution but this is a gentleman agreement.

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“I believe the governors will change their position and not disgrace people. I don’t believe the matter is closed yet,” he said.

A chieftain of the party, Chief Jackson Lekan Ojo, told one of our correspondents yesterday that, “If we want to be fair enough, I think the presidential ticket of the APC should not go to the North, and should not go to the South-West, because Obasanjo has done eight years from the South-West; Jonathan has done six years from the South-South. Let the South-East take it.

“Secondly, when they said there was no zoning, they were just deceiving people; doing that to lure the aggrieved members to stay put in the party. So there must be zoning,” he said.

An aspirant for the position of the APC National Chairman, Mohammed Bello Mustapha, also said the ruling party must respect the zoning formula that was agreed upon at the inception of the party to enable it survive beyond 2023.

Mustapha, who is a lawyer, human rights and pro-democracy advocate, said based on the accord reached when the party came on board in 2013/2014, power should rotate between the North and the South.

This he said means that the presidency of Nigeria should go back to the South in 2023 and the party chairmanship should go to the North.

This, according to him, is important for the nation to remain united and peaceful.

Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the ruling Meanwhile, the APC National Caretaker Committee has said it is ready to hold the national convention of the party in June or at any time approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and other stakeholders of the party.

National Secretary of the Committee Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe disclosed this on Monday in Abuja shortly after an emergency meeting of the committee.

Source:- Daily Trust

Fiancée Of Pilot Killed In Kaduna Military Crash Pays Tribute To Him

 Bunmi Oladuntoye, the fiancee of  Flight Lieutenant T.O Asaniyi, who lost his life alongside the Chief of Army Staff and 10 other military officers in the plane crash at the Kaduna airport last Friday, May 21, took to Twitter to pen down a tribute to him.

Bunmi and Asaniyi had concluded their wedding introduction two months ago and were preparing earnestly for their wedding.

In a series of tweets on her handle, Bunmi paid glowing tribute to the man who did not live to become her husband.

Her tweets read;

”Femi I have not regrets walking this journey with you, you asked me to he your wife last year in August and I gave you a resounding yes. One of the last things to said to me was to keep on being humble and continue to give. You were a giver, oh you were such a giver. Femi mi.

To Nigerians and the world at large, my fiance FLIGHT LIEUTENANT TO ASANIYI was a great man who dedicated his life to serving this country. Pls pray for him , pray for his family and pray for me. Adigun miiiiii, Femi miiiiii, Hot choco miiii sun re o!!!!

serving this country. Pls pray for him , pray for his family and pray for me. Adigun miiiiii, Femi miiiiii, Hot choco miiii sun re o!!!! I want your blue diary so bad because you had lots of intelligent things written in there. You treated me already like we were married.

You treated me already like we were married. You would always say “babe don’t worry, everything will be fine, don’t worry” Hot choco miii, jo ma fimisile OLUFEMI TAIWO ASANIYI I love you now and forever.

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ODE TO THE ABSOLUTE LOVE OF MY LIFE!! Adigun miiiii, Asagas miiii , Oko mi You will reply me with “how are you” “fine girl”. Femi, you were everything and more. You were literally an angel in human form. So gallant, so disciplined, so kind, so brave, so hardworking. Femi”

Buhari Orders Nigeria Flag To Be Flown Half-mast For 3 Days In Honour Of COAS

 The president of Nigeria and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Muhammadu Buhari(rtd) has ordered that the national Flag of Nigeria be flown at half-mast in all public buildings and official residences across the country, from Monday May 24 to Wedenday May 26, 2021, Newspremises has learnt.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Presidency on Sunday, May 23, 2021.

President Buhari gave this order in honour of the late Chief of Army Staff and other military officers who died in Friday’s plane crash.

The President has also approved Monday May 24, 2021 as a work-free day for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Source:- Newspremises