Protest In Kebbi As Government Removes Monarch For Abusing Governor

The village head of Babban Dutsi in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Alhaji Umau Marafa, was yesterday removed for abusing Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, of the state, NewTelegragh reports. His removal was sequel to his involvement in active politics and for accusing Governor Bagudu of incapable of providing the right leadership in the state.

The village head was removed on the directive of the Deputy Governor, Ismail Yombe, who instructed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that the monarch should be removed.

Reacting to the sack of the monarch, supporters of the deposed village head and the villagers resorted to violent demonstration in protest against the decision which led to the burning of over 12 houses and a thatched food store.

But reacting to the allegation leveled against him while briefing newsmen yesterday, the deposed village head, Alhaji Umar Marafa, denied the allegation, saying that he neither abused Governor Bagudu nor was he involved in politics.

He said before the governor was elected, he was one of his ardent supporters. “I never abused Governor Bagudu, even when he was a senator; I supported him, talk less of now. I also don’t engage myself in politics.

My deposition was hatched by some politicians, but as you can see, my people love me,” he added.

Man Faces Jail Term For Insulting King’s Dog

A 27-year-old man is facing a jail term for insulting the King of Thailand’s dog, the AFP reported.

Thanakorn Siripaiboon has been charged by police with lese majeste for a “satirical” Facebook post aboutKing Bhumibol Adulyadej and his dog, his lawyer Pawinee Chumsri told the AFP.

Lèse majesté is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state and it has been prohibited by the law of Thailand since 1908.

Chumsri was quoted as saying, “There was a post including three photos on his Facebook page on December 6 with a message that satirised the king s dog.”

Apart from being charged for insulting the mongrel called Tongdaeng, Siripaiboon also faces charges of sedition and computer crimes for clicking “like” on a doctored photo of the king and sharing it as well as an infographic on a growing corruption scandal engulfing the junta.

The New York Times reported that Siripaiboon was arrested at his home in suburban Bangkok last week and authorities charged him with writing a “sarcastic” Internet post.

The Times said the 27-year-old faces up to 37 years in prison for the violation of the country’s stringent laws against insults aimed at its monarchy.

It noted that last week, the number two film at Thai box offices was Khun Tongdaeng: The Inspirations, an animated picture inspired by a book King Bhumibol wrote in 2002 about his pet.

According to the AFP, Thailand has one of the world s harshest royal defamation laws.

Anyone convicted of insulting the revered but ailing 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or the queen, heir or regent can face up to 15 years in jail on each count.
On Wednesday, reports emerged that a Thai woman will spend more than nine years in prison for defaming the monarchy.
A Thai military court sentenced Chayapa Shokpornbudsri, 49, to 19 years in prison aftershe pleaded guilty for “threatening state security and violations of the computer crimes act” through her Facebook posts.

According to the AFP, even the United States ambassador faces a police investigation for royal defamation over a speech last month in which he expressed concern at the lengthy sentences.

Bhumibol, the world s longest-serving monarch, is seen as a unifying figure in the deeply divided nation and his economic and social teachings are relentlessly promoted in Thailand.

Over the last decade the dog, an adopted stray, which is praised for her loyalty and obedience, has been used to outline his vision of how Thais should behave.

Trump Rips Time Magazine, Insults Angela Merkel After Being Snubbed For Person Of The Year

Real-estate mogul Donald Trump panned Time magazine on Wednesday for its Person of the Year declaration.

The magazine selected German Chancellor Angela Merkel, praising how she handled Europe’s currency and refugee crises.

Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, was among the finalists.

He wrote on Twitter that he was the “big favorite” and Merkel was “ruining Germany.”

On the campaign trail, Trump often criticizes Merkel for opening up her country to Syrian refugees despite the terror threat emanating from the Islamic State group, which is based in Syria and Iraq. Trump has repeatedly warned that the Syrian refugees coming to the US could be a great “Trojan horse” for terrorists to launch a military attack.

Time’s editor, Nancy Gibbs, announced the magazine’s Person of the Year award on the “Today” show. Trump finished in third place, she said, behind the Islamic State’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“We’ve never named a presidential candidate as person of the year,” Gibbs said of Trump.

Credit: B.I

Kourtney Kardashian Insults Scott Disick For Flaking On Their Children

The Keeping Up With the Kardashian star, 36, doesn’t hold back in a clip from the upcoming episode, calling Scott Disick a “real f**king a**hole,” for flaking on their children.

The video shows Scott getting emotional while sitting down to talk with Kris Jenner about how he couldn’t get into Kourtney’s house, despite the two agreeing on an open door policy.

“I feel like I’m missing a piece of the story,” the Kardashian matriarch explains, and calls her oldest daughter to get the full story.

“Scott seems a little confused because he thought there was an open door policy, that he could come by whenever,” Kris asks Kourtney on the phone.

 “There was, but that has changed,” the mom of three responds. “He was flaking too often, every time I tried to have him sit and have dinner with them, he sits in the other room on his phone. He flaked on going to the kids’ first day of school, he says ‘I can’t go because I hate school s**t, I get anxious,’ when really he went out and partied through the next day, just like a real f**king a**hole.”

“His main concern is himself, not the kids, and that’s what’s important here, is the kids,” she adds.

Credit: Yahoo

‘Charlie Hebdo’ Unveils Message To ISIS On Issue Cover

French publication Charlie Hebdo has unveiled the cover of its next issue, which responds to the deadly attacks the Islamic State group, or ISIS, carried out in Paris on Friday. The upcoming issue of the French satirical publication is scheduled to hit newsstands on Wednesday.

In French, the cover reads, “They have weapons … Fuck them, we have champagne!” Some translations put that a touch more lightly, reporting that the cover reads “screw them.”

Credit: AP

President Obama Actually Writes Back To People Who Call Him An Idiot

It’s been said you should never feed the trolls, but President Barack Obama isn’t heeding that advice.
In an interview with “Extra” airing Thursday, Obama sat down with correspondent Jerry Penacoli, who thanked the president for the Affordable Care Act and the impact it had on his battle with stage III melanoma. Obama said hearing from people like Penacoli and others who write him letters reminds him that his work makes “a difference in a lot of people’s lives.”
“I get 10 letters a night out of the 40,000 letters and emails and messages that we get,” Obama said. “Some of them are just saying ‘thank you,’ for something, some of them are saying ‘you’re an idiot.'”

The president said he does reply to his critics.
“Are they surprised?” Penacoli asked.
“I think sometimes they are,” Obama said. “I try to address their concerns.”
Watch the “Extra” clip Below

Obama Video Here

Ministerial Appointment Tussle: Enugu APC Leaders Trade Insults At Each Other

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State in the April 11 governorship election, Okey Ezea, on Sunday insisted that he was attacked by the party’s national vice chairman in the South East, Emma Eneukwu, over ministerial slot in the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He said Mr. Eneukwu attempted to slap him in the presence of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, a senator, Chris Ngige; and other leaders of the party at a meeting in Abuja but that he used his hand to block his attacker. Mr. Ezea had in a text message to some journalists on Friday alleged that he was attacked by the national vice chairman.

The text reads: “Emma Eneukwu slapped me today because I told South East leaders that Nsukka has not been minister since 1999. He did this before Rochas, Ngige, Izenaso, J.O.J, General Eze, Ucha etc. I just said the truth and requested justice and equity in the affairs of our party and Enugu State. Emma wants to be minister by violence. Emma is from Udi LGA which has minister since 2007, including the incumbent, Chinedu Nebo. We must fight injustice and oppression. APC is change.” But Mr. Eneukwu denied the allegation, saying there was no such meeting.

Speaking in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES at the weekend, Mr. Ezea said the national vice chairman actually attempted to slap him but that he defended himself.

He said Mr. Eneukwu took offence when he suggested that his zone, Nsukka also called Enugu North Senatorial District, should fill the ministerial slot to be allocated to the state in the Buhari administration.

While the governorship candidate is from Nsukka zone, Mr. Eneukwu hails from the Enugu West Senatorial Zone.

“The guy attacked me. I didn’t want to engage him in a fight. I won’t do that. I did not make up the story. If you are in doubt go and ask Governor Rochas Okorocha or Julius Ucha, Chris Ngige, Izunaso and others that were there,” he said.

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