Tag Archives: Reject

BREAKING: Senate Rejects Magu’s Nomination Over Security Report

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The Senate on Thursday afternoon announced the rejection of the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over security report at its disposal.

 

Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, told members of the Senate Press Corps that the Senate cannot proceed with the confirmation hearing of Magu and other nominees into the commission based on the security report sent to the Upper Chamber by the Department of State Service (DSS).

 

He added that the Senate consequently returning the nominations back to President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

Details later…

Zaria Clash: Shiites Reject Kaduna White Paper

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The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, has rejected Kaduna State Government’s White Paper on its clash with the officers of the Nigerian Army on December 15, 2015.

The state government, on Monday, released a White Paper on the clash and branded members of the IMN as terrorists, having banned the movement in October, based on the recommendartions of its Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

Regardless, addressing journalists, yesterday, Head of IMN’s Shuhadah Foundation, Sheikh AbdulHamid Bello alleged that the state government ignored 99 percent of the recommendations of the commission and recognised only those which called its restriction.

Asked if IMN is a registered organisation, Sheikh Bello said all organisations under IMN are registered, and added that, “IMN is not a body, it is a phenomenon. It is not an organisation, it is like Islam and Christianity. Can you register Islam, can you register Christianity?. So, all organisations under IMN are registered.

“From our preliminary analysis of the so-called retroactive White Paper, Kaduna state government rejected 99 percent of the core recommendations of the Jcommission and only accepted the ones which suggested the unconstitutional restriction of IMN activities in Nigeria and continuation of hostile activities towards its properties.

On Monday, Kaduna officially branded the IMN as  terrorists in a White Paper released by media aides of Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai.

The state government indicated readiness to prosecute detained Shi’ite leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, holding him solely responsible for the December 2015 clash and deaths, therefrom.

Meanwhile, Senator Danjuma Tella La’ah has described comments ascribed to Governor Nasir el-Rufai that he paid Fulani herdsmen to stop killings in Southern Kaduna, as nonchalant attitude to the plight of 19 affected communities.

Senator La’ah, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also faulted a threat by the state government to arrest and prosecute those calling on the people of Southern Kaduna to defend themselves since government has failed in that responsibility. The lawmaksaid he should be the first to be arrested as he has also suggested same.

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http://sunnewsonline.com/zaria-clash-shiites-reject-kaduna-white-paper/

DisCos Reject Call For Reversal Of Privatisation

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The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) has rejected the call for the reversal of  power sector privatisation.

Billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, had made the call while speaking at the Senior Executive Course 38 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State.

Dangote said some of the people who bought power assets do not have an understanding of what they bought.

He advised the government to negotiate with them and find solutions to the problems confronting the sector.

“We should be as open as we can if government doesn’t intervene by taking back these assets and giving them to people who really have money that they can really inject, we will not be able to deliver on power,” he had said.

But the distribution companies (DisCos)  said they have been doing their best, and that there can be no “overnight” solution to a sector that had been mismanaged for over 63 years.

“Anyone who has followed the privatisation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) would recognise that the sector has been bedevilled by a number of challenges that would make the most hardened risk-seeking investor to run in the opposite direction,” ANED said.

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DisCos reject call for reversal of privatisation

Nigerians may reject APC in 2019 – Waku

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Former senator representing Benue North-West in the National Assembly, Chief Joseph Waku, has said Nigerians might reject All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2019 if the party failed to deliver on its promises.

Waku, who recently turned 70, spoke yesterday while warning the ruling party not to take Nigerians for granted after making several promises and leaving the people with so much expectations.

He said: “The ruling APC should not to take Nigerians for granted over the promises they made. Because failure to meet their expectations may lead to rejection of the party in 2019.

“My sincere worry is that President Muhammadu Buhari has good intentions, but there are many saboteurs around who do not want him to succeed.”

On the proposed sale of national assets, Waku described it as primitive, saying “you cannot sell off the sovereignty of the country. How much are the national assets worth? Can their sale solve the present problems?”

“There is no country in the world that can run without foreign loans to be repaid within agreed terms. Some Nigerians who have tried brining foreign partners have been blocked.

“There are lots of opportunities we can exploit to get out of this recession within the shortest possible period. But it all depends on the willingness of the federal government to exploit such.”

He commended the federal government for dropping the case of forgery against the Senate president and his deputy.

Senate Reject Request To Summon DSS Boss Over Judges’ Raid

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Senate Reject Request To Summon DSS Boss Over Judges’ Raid

The Senate on Tuesday reject a proposal to invite the Director General of the State Security Service, Lawan Daura, over the clampdown on suspected corrupt judges.

In a motion brought as matter of urgent national importance by Joshua Lidani (PDP-Gombe), the Senate was asked to look into the action of the SSS which led to arrest of seven judges in the early hours of Saturday.

One of the resolutions canvassed by Mr. Lidani was that the Senate should invite Mr. Daura to explain why his agency carried out the action the way it did without deference to the constitutional responsibility of the National Judicial Council.

When Mr. Saraki called for vote to uphold Mr. Lidani’s prayer, Senators yelled “ayes” and later “nay” in somewhat equal proportion.

Then, Mr. Saraki put the question again resulting in similar response as the first.

He then ruled “the nays have it”, translating to defeat of the proposal to invite Mr. Daura.

Specifically, Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, supported the prayer that Mr. Daura be invited.

But other Senators did not touch that part of the prayers sought.

The Senate however condemned the raid on residences of the Judges.

Credit:

http://leadership.ng/news/554172/senate-reject-request-to-summon-dss-boss-over-judges-raid

Senate throws out bill on statutory grant for Lagos

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The Senate on Wednesday rejected a Bill seeking statutory grant and recognition of Lagos State for its `strategic socio-economic significance.’

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), was rejected by most of the lawmakers who argued that it contradicted certain constitutional provisions.

Tinubu had urged her colleagues to support the bill for Lagos to be granted one per cent of revenue from the Federation Account as statutory grant.

“Lagos is of strategic, social economic significance as the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. Today, Lagos serves as the commercial capital of Nigeria.

“The strategic importance of Lagos State is inherent in several sectors of the economy.’’

She said statistics indicated that six out of 10 international passengers arrived in Lagos while eight out of 10 departed from Lagos.

“Lagos is home to the major ports that served Nigeria. It accounts for over 90 per cent of all maritime exports.

“The state delivers much of the funds and charges that go into the coffers of the Federal Government. It is incontrovertible that Lagos state generates much of Nigeria’s income outside its oil sector.

“According to FIRS report in 2008, 86.2 per cent company income taxes were collected in Lagos, including 56.7 per cent value added tax.

“As a city which caters for the welfare of residents and visitors, Lagos is placed under a huge strain that affects its infrastructure and has welfare implications for residents and transient citizens of other states in Nigeria.

“This grant will be utilised in meeting the public infrastructural need of Lagos state, including rail infrastructure to decongest the roads’’, she added

In the same vein, Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC-Lagos West), drew the attention of his colleagues to the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos.

He said if the grant was approved, it would not only benefit the state but the entire nation.

Sen. Fatima Rasaki, wife of former Lagos administrator representing PDP Ekiti Central, said the bill was overdue adding that the state deserved the grant as a former capital city.

However, many senators voted against the bill, arguing that one state could not be `so favoured’ over other states.

Sen. James Manager said that although he was in support of the bill, it would not be possible to pass it as it contravened certain sections of the constitution.

The argument in support took a complete turn when the Majority Whip, Sen. Olusola Adeyeye spoke on the bill.

Adeyeye said Lagos State deserved 13 per cent like states in the Niger Delta.

He countered Sen. Philip Aduda’s plea that the Federal Capital Territory be considered also for a similar grant.

He further stated that the FCT had enjoyed so much attention from the federal government, describing the territory as a “rotten pampered child.”

His comment irked many senators and generated mild commotion in the chamber until he retracted the comment with the intervention of Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu who presided.

When the question was put, many senators in voice vote, voted against the bill.

In a related developement, the Senate passed for second reading a Bill seeking to protect Nigerians from lynching or extrajudicial killings.

The billed is titled: “A Bill for an Act for the Prohibition of and Protection of Persons from Lynching, Mob Action and Extrajudicial Execution and other Related Offences, 2016.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dino Melaye, received the nod of the Senate and was referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to be returned in four weeks.

Senators Reject Buhari’s Emergency Powers Bill, Say It’ll Turn Him Into A Tyrant

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The move by President Muhammadu Buhari to secure emergency powers aimed at addressing the nation’s economic crisis may not see the light of the day, as senators yesterday rejected the proposed bill, saying Buhari was seeking to transform himself into a tyrant and would foist a dictatorship on the nation.

The bill entitled, “Emergency Economy Stabilisation Bill 2016”, will be sent to the National Assembly by the president upon resumption from its summer vacation and after the Eid el Kabir holidays.

However, given the reaction of some senators to the proposed emergency powers being sought by Buhari through the bill, the legislation may be thrown out.
Several senators, who spoke on Monday, vehemently kicked against it, adding that it was “dead on arrival”.

According to the senators, who did not want to be named, some of the provisions in the bill were unnecessary, describing it as nothing more than a subtle way of avoiding counterpart funding by the Buhari administration.

According to them, if the bill is passed as proposed, the president will gradually transform himself into a dictator and draw Nigeria back to the path of military rule, which it exited 17 years ago.

They said without the so-called emergency powers at his disposal, Buhari has continued to trample on the powers of the legislature, explaining that if given further powers, he would more or less reduce the National Assembly to a rubber stamp like the kinds of legislature that exist in China and Russia.

Read More: thisdaylive

50 Republican National Security Officials Reject Trump

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Fifty senior Republican national security officials have issued a stinging rejection of their party’s White House nominee Donald Trump, warning he would be “the most reckless president in American history” if elected.

The group, some of whom already announced they would not vote for Trump, included former homeland security chiefs, intelligence directors, senior presidential advisors and a former US trade representative. They served under Republican presidents from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush.

“We are convinced that he would be a dangerous president and would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being,” they wrote in a statement published in The New York Times on Monday.

Their disavowal of the Republican presidential candidate was followed by another setback for Trump, when influential US Senator Susan Collins said Tuesday he was “unworthy” of America’s highest elective office, and will not receive her support.

“I will not be voting for Donald Trump for president. This is not a decision I make lightly, for I am a lifelong Republican. But Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country,” Collins wrote in an op-ed article appearing in Tuesday’s Washington Post.

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http://guardian.ng/news/50-republican-national-security-officials-reject-trump/

I Feel Like, ‘Let’s Cry For America’, Kofi Annan Expresses Reservations Over Trump

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A former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, has expressed reservations about the candidature of the Republican Party in the upcoming US election, Donald Trump.

At a conference held in Salzburg, Austria,  as part of the Nestle Salzburg Festival on Saturday, Annan expressed worry over Trump’s adventures and noted that he was sorry for the US.

He said, “I feel like, ‘Let’s cry for America.’ How can a country with so many talents end up with someone like him as a candidate?”

Also part of the discussion moderated by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nestle S. A., Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, were a former Mexican President, Ernesto Zedillo; Professor of Economic Policy, University of Mainz and Insead Singapore, Beatrice di Mauro; and another international scholar, Patrick Aebischer.

While all the speakers noted that the US had made progress in terms of economy, they lamented the political uncertainties that pervaded some countries that included Turkey.

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http://punchng.com/kofi-annan-rejects-trump/

Nigerians Reject Immunity For Lawmakers

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No fewer than 1,236 respondents, representing 59.6 per cent, in the six geopolitical zones have rejected extending immunity for leaders of the National and State Assemblies.

A total of 2,073 adults both male and female, cutting across various professions, rejected the idea in a nationwide survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The result of the random sampling, showed that only 293 people or 14 per cent approximately supported the proposal to extend immunity to the lawmakers while 76 people were undecided. Of the 18 respondents in Abuja, 15 opposed the suggestion to extend immunity to leaders of the legislative houses in the country.

NAN reports that only three persons reasoned that immunity should be extended to legislators to protect them from distraction.

Similarly, 12 people also opposed maintaining the status quo on immunity for governors, while six respondents said it should be maintained.

The survey, however, showed that 12 respondents advocated that immunity clause should be expunged from the constitution, while six people wanted it retained.

In the South-West, comprising Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, and Ekiti, 600 respondents were recorded.

Three hundred and sixty-six of that number, representing 61 per cent, opposed the inclusion of the leaders of Nation Assembly and their state counterparts in the immunity clause.

However, 36 per cent wanted them to be included in the immunity clause as provided by the Nigerian Constitution.

On immunity for governors, 419 people representing 69.8 per cent of the 600 respondents, opposed it while 165 people or 27.5 per cent supported the idea and the remaining were undecided.

In the North-East comprising Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Yobe, the respondents overwhelmingly rejected extending immunity to leaders of the legislature.

NAN reports that of the 600 people sampled, 506 respondents or 84.3 per cent, said ‘No’, 32 people or 5.3 per cent voted ‘Yes’, while 62 others or 10.3 per cent were undecided.

On immunity for governors, 354 people or 59 per cent, voted ‘No’, 209 people or 34.8 per cent, supported it, while 37 people or 6.2 per cent declined comments.

Also, 339 people or 56.5 per cent, said immunity should be expunged from the constitution, 219 people or 36.5 per cent voted against, while 42 people or seven per cent were undecided.

In the South-East made up of Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Enugu, the respondents also rejected any form of immunity for leaders of National Assembly and Houses of Assembly in a poll conducted among 100 respondents.

Twenty respondents in each of the states approved the current immunity being enjoyed by state governors.

However, 77 respondents voted against immunity for legislators, while 15 respondents voted in its favour and eight respondents undecided.

Fifty three respondents supported immunity for governors while 42 people said no and five were undecided.

Similarly, 47 respondents voted that Section 308 of the constitution which provides for immunity for governors should not be expunged while 41 want it expunged with eight undecided.

In North-West, 155 people or 56.7 per cent voted that governors should continue to enjoy immunity, while 65 others voted against it in Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Katsina states.

NAN reports that of the 273 questionnaires administered in Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto, 165 respondents or 60.4 per cent, said that immunity clause should not be expunged.

Ninety-four people from the three states in the zone voted against the inclusion of leaders of the legislative houses in the clause.

In North-Central, comprising Plateau, Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger, all respondents unanimously rejected the extension of immunity to leaders of the legislative houses.

Also, 98 respondents supported immunity for governors to protect them from distractions while in office, while only two persons were undecided on the issue.

In the South-South states of Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo and Delta, majority of the respondents opposed any form of immunity for legislators.

Credit: Guardian

BoT Gives Jonathan March Deadline To Reject Sheriff

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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders are still quarelling over the choice of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as Acting National Chairman.

Some former ministers and members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) have raised a committee to meet with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who is to be told —reject Sheriff or face a mass exodus. The deadline is March.

Sheriff barged into a BoT session yesterday but members only promised to get back to him on his plea for acceptance.

The BoT resolved not to endorse Sheriff. It may advertise the job, a source hinted.

But the  anti-Sheriff forces in the party and some members of the National Working Committee(NWC) are pushing for the tenure of the acting chairman to end in March.

Credit: Nation

Pro-Biafra Groups Reject South East Govs’ Resolutions

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The South East governors have failed in their effort to end ongoing protests by members of the Movement for Actualization for Sovereign State of Biafra and Indigenous People of Biafra, over the continued detention of the director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement on Wednesday, MASSOB rejected the resolutions, arguing that it did not address the major reason for the protest – the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.

Igbo leaders including present and past governors, ministers, national assembly members, held a meeting and resolved to set up a committee to dialogue with the pro-Biafra agitators.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who spoke to reporters on behalf of the participants after their meeting at Government House in Enugu on Sunday, said a committee would be set up to dialogue with the pro-Biafra agitators with a view to ending the crisis.

But the National Director of Information of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, said the only way to end the crisis is the unconditional release of Mr. Kanu.

The group also said it was worrisome that South East governors met without their counterparts from the South South region, which also witnessed some protests.

Credit: PremiumTimes

More Lawmakers Reject House Committees’ Leadership

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Five more lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress in the House of Representatives are said to have rejected the chairman and deputy chairman positions offered them by the Speaker of the House.

This will bring to seven the number of members who have rejected the positions given to them, as two members had rejected their positions last week.

Speaking in the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Monday, some of the members of the loyalist group accused Speaker Yakubu Dogara of working against the interest of the ruling party.

The members are demanding that the Speaker should reverse the current order and reconstitute the committees in favour of the All Progressives Congress.

Credit: ChannalsTV

PDP Senators Reject Amaechi’s Confirmation

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There was a mild drama yesterday during Senate plenary when Senators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refused to support the approval of the votes and proceedings of last week Thursday.

PDP Senators had walked out of the Chamber when their All Progressives Congress (APC) counterparts subdued them to confirm a former governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, as a minister.

Amaechi was accused by the state government of mismanagement of the resources when he was governor. On that basis, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions investigated the claim and recommended that the Senate should not confirm him (Amaechi) since the matter was still pending in court.

After intense dialogue, persuasion and disagreements, the ruling party confirmed him, demonstrating that in democracy, minority will always have their say and the majority will have their way.

Credit: Sunonline

Lamorde Urges Western Nations To Reject & Return Stolen Funds

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Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, has asked countries keeping Nigeria’s stolen wealth to quickly reject and return the funds so as to prove their rejection of corruption.

Lamorde threw the challenge Monday when he hosted the leadership of Amnesty International, an international human rights advocacy, who met with him in Abuja.

The chairman claimed that the funds being stolen and stashed abroad by corruption officials in Nigeria, was preventing the country from providing basic services to the people thereby adding to the poverty level in the land.

He described corruption and impunity as the worst form of human rights abuse, which AI must help to end to move society forward.

Lamorde said: ‘‘Western countries must end the impoverisation of developing countries. They must reject and return stolen funds, so that respective governments of the affected developing countries could use the money to better the lives of the poor in their countries.

“It is the common wealth of the people that has been diverted for private use. So, it is the worst form of human rights abuse. When corruption and impunity become the order of the day, human rights abuses flourish.

‘‘When you consider the cause of water-borne diseases suffered by people in rural areas, it is because someone has diverted the funds meant for pipe borne water in those areas.

“Also, when you consider the fact that our hospitals lack the basic amenities, it is because some people have kept the funds allocated to the hospitals to themselves…”

Read More: vanguardngr

Nigerians Reject Immunity For Senate President, Speaker

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Mixed reactions have trailed the proposal by the national assembly to grant immunity to its presiding officers? with many Nigerians describing the move as unnecessary and Ill timed.

The minority leader of the House of Representatives Hon. Leo Ogor was quoted as saying that the national assembly was proposing to amend the constitution to grant immunity to the presiding officers as well as the head of the judiciary as enjoyed by the president and his vice and governors and their deputy.

According to a lawyer, Barrister Manasseh Ejiofor, the proposal was uncalled for and smacks “legislative rascalism?”

“Why are they bringing up the issue of immunity now? Whose interest are they serving? There are so many issues for the national assembly to address the least of which is the issue of immunity for its presiding officers. They should concentrate on making laws for the benefit of Nigerians and not their selfish selves.

“For instance, why can’t the national amend some of our laws that are obviously regain and needs to be brought in tune with modern realities. Granting immunity to the presiding officers of the National Assembly is the least problem that we have now. It is being done in bad faith” he said.

Read More: vanguardngr

Saraki, Dogara, Reject APC’s Choices Of Principal Officers For Senate, House

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The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have yet again defied their party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, rejecting the APC’s nominees for top leadership positions in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Messrs Saraki and Dogara defeated candidates nominated by the APC for the positions of Senate president and House Speaker respectively.

Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila were the APC’s official candidates for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker.

On Tuesday, the party wrote the two leaders directing them to adopt candidates who lost at the elections as principal officers.

In its letter, the party picked Mr. Lawan as Senate Leader; Sola Adeyeye as Chief Whip; George Akume as Deputy Senate Leader; and Abu Ibrahim as Deputy Whip.

For the House Representatives,Mr. Gbajabiamila is the party’s choice to emerge House Leader, while Mohammed Monguno would serve as Chief Whip; Alhassan Doguro Deputy Speaker; and Pally Iriase as Deputy Whip.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Presidential Villa Authorities Reject 253 DSS Officials

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Authorities of the Presidential Villa, Abuja have rejected about 253 officials of the Department of State Services recently transferred to the Presidential Villa. Investigations on Wednesday revealed that the affected security operatives were deployed from different state commands of the DSS across the country.

According to their redeployment signals that emanated from the service’s National Headquarters, the officers were directed to report at the Presidential Villa last week Monday. They were said to have been directed to ensure that they return to their respective former duty posts across the country the following day (last week Tuesday).

One of the affected officials, who was transferred from one of the states in the South-West, said that all of them were left to their fate without any transfer allowance.

Read More: Punch

Reps Reject Removal Of Fuel Subsidy

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Memberw of the House of Representatives, Tuesday unanimously rejected a motion seeking the removal of fuel subsidy.

This was sequel to a motion promoted by Rep Sunday Kareemi, PDP, Kogi entitled:’The recurring crisis of fuel subsidy’ which was killed on arrival by members of the House.

Lawmakers in turn roundly condemned the motion saying it is anti-people to remove fuel subsidy.

Details On: vanguardngr

Group Rejects Sitting Of Rivers Election Tribunal In Abuja

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A non-governmental organisation, Society for Good Governance, has called for the relocation of the Rivers State Election Petitions Tribunal from Abuja, where it is currently sitting, to Port Harcourt.

The group’s coordinator, Mr. Tamuno Greg, said that there was no basis for the tribunal to sit in Abuja. Rivers State is among the four states whose governorship and legislative houses elections petitions tribunals are to sit in Abuja.

The other states whose election tribunals are to sit in the Federal Capital Territory are Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

It was learnt that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, decided that the tribunal for those states are to sit in the FCT for security reasons.

But Greg faulted the directive by Bulkachuwa, arguing that Port Harcourt was peaceful and that there was no threat whatsoever to the lives of the tribunal members.

Read More: punchng

Find Out Which Ministerial Nominee PDP Rejected

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Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba have rejected Senator Joel Ikenya as a ministerial nominee from the state. The members under the aegis of Coalition of Organized Forums within the PDP, said Ikenya’s nomination would rob the party of victory in the general elections.

The aggrieved party members, in a protest letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, said its unfair and ill-timed for the PDP to nominate Ikenya from same Southern Taraba that produced the PDP governorship candidate, Darius Dickson Ishiaku .

The group wondered if the PDP does not want the support of the Taraba North and Central zones which fortunately have the highest numbers of eligible voters and PVC collection.

Read More: PremiumTimes

I would have Rejected MEND’s Endorsement- Jonathan

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In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, noted that for a faction of MEND that had attacked venues where the President was presiding over events at least two times, the attack on the person of the President did not come as a surprise.

President Jonathan therefore advised General Mohammadu Buhari not to “place any stock on his purported endorsement by the renegade faction of MEND which is led by a convicted and unrepentant terrorist with whom no leader who truly means well for Nigeria should be associated”.

The statement reads:

“We have noted with amusement, the vituperations against President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by the renegade faction of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) headed by the convicted terrorist, Henry Okah in a statement issued to endorse the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

“While we thank all people of the Niger Delta, including the former militants whom MEND claims to represent who have already disassociated themselves from the statement issued by the faceless Jomo Gbomo and reaffirmed their unflinching support for President Jonathan’s re-election, we will like to state that the latest assault on the President by Henry Okah and his stooges did not come as a surprise to us at all.

“It was very much to be expected, coming as it did from an individual and group who have never hidden their vengeful personal animosity against the President and who have even gone to the extent of launching murderous assaults on venues at which the President was present on two occasions.

“It is most regrettable indeed that rather than show remorse for the terrorist acts against his fatherland for which he is now rightly serving a term of imprisonment in South Africa, Henry Okah continues to pursue a pointless personal vendetta against President Jonathan who continues to advance and protect the interests of the people of the Niger Delta which Okah and his group threatened with their misguided actions.

“The vituperations against President Jonathan in the MEND statement endorsing General Buhari are mischievous, baseless and deliberately styled to denigrate the good works of the President.

“It is well known that President Jonathan played a significant role in ending the militancy and insurgency in the Niger Delta.

“Under his watch, the destruction of oil facilities and the incessant kidnapping and killing of expatriates in the Niger Delta waterways have become a thing of the past.

“The attempt by Jomo Gbomo’s MEND to rewrite history by tarnishing the person of President Jonathan for selfish, pecuniary and political gains will amount to an exercise in futility.

“All patriotic and right-thinking Nigerians must consider an endorsement from a convicted criminal and his group who harbor evil intentions against the unity and progress of their country as a poisoned chalice.

“President Jonathan would never have accepted such an endorsement from terrorists and renegades.

“The President therefore advises General Buhari not to place any stock on his purported endorsement by the renegade faction of MEND which is led by a convicted and unrepentant terrorist with whom no leader who truly means well for Nigeria should be associated”

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