Things you need to know this Friday Morning

1:In the news is President Jonathan’s appeal to members of the National Assembly, yesterday when he asked them to expedite action on the 2014 appropriation bill so he could meet up with the needs of the people. Jonathan’s appeal became necessary even as some lawmakers from the opposition APC and his own party, PDP have termed the proposed budget as ‘anti-people’, calling for the head of the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iwaela.

2. Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has given a special reason why he gave up his ambition in 2003 when he had the chance to contest against his then estranged boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo. Atiku said he took the decision because he couldn’t have allowed his ambition to go against the decision of his party.

3. The Federal government yesterday read out modalities for the nomination of delegates to the National Conference. The government through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, announced that the conference will last for 3 months and will hold in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.


4. Equally in the news this morning, is Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s insistence that the defected G5 governors would never return to the PDP since the major reason they left the party was due to Jonathan’s disregard for constitutionalism and accountability. Amaechi said that they didn’t leave the party principally because of Bamanga Tukur.

5. The arrest of 24 persons in connection with an existing baby factory in Ondo state made the news headline this Friday morning. Report says five pregnant women, five nursing mothers, five babies, two of which are less than a month old and eight men who were responsible for impregnating the women were all nabbed. Also arrested was the proprietor of the baby factory, Mrs Happiness Ogundeji.


6. 11 Senators who have already submitted their notice of defection from the PDP to the APC yesterday protested the silence of the Senate over their defection notice. The Senators, led by Senator Bukola Saraki had questioned the House on why the notification letter was not read during the announcement session. The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu however said that the absence of David Mark was responsible for the Senate’s action, promising that the notification letter would be read as soon as the Senate President returns.


7. Report has it this morning that with the Thursday defection of a member of APC from Nassarawa State, Honourable David Ombugadu, to the PDP in the House of Representatives, the PDP has now regained its majority position in the House. PDP now has 174 members as against the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 172 members.

8. Nigerian and Uganda have been greatly criticised by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York for having given approval to laws penalising gay people. Both Archbishops, Justin Welby of Canterbury and John Sentamu of York in their letter to presidents of both countries, faulted their anti-gay laws, saying that the laws were dehumanizing and wicked.

9. Moves by lawmakers to simplify the impeachment of the nations President was yesterday rejected by the House of Representatives. The aim was to amend Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution to make the processes of impeachment of a sitting president, his Vice, Governors and their Deputies simple. However the Life Insurance Proposal for NYSC members got the lawmakers node, as majority of them supported the proposal.


10. The Presidency had on Thursday, described as untrue media reports that he said that former service chiefs were sacked because of unhealthy rivalry among them. President Jonathan through his Media Aide, Reuben Abati said he did not make such a statement during his visit to Yola.

FG releases guidelines for proposed National Conference …492 delegates to attend

Federal Government has released the modalities of the National Conference.
According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, at a press conference in his office, a total of 492 delegates will partake in the dialogue which shall be named “The National Conference”, adding that the conference will last for a total of three months.


Anyim said nomination of delegates commence Thursday 30th of January  to 20th of February.


While giving a breakdown of the proposed composition of the National Conference, the SGF said government gave expeditious consideration to the report of the Advisory Committee and after long and mature deliberations on the report accepted the following recommendation for immediate implementation.


He said the official name of the conversation/conference shall be “The National Conference”.


According to him, “The National Conference shall hold in Abuja; The National Conference shall tentatively last for three months and shall discuss any subject matter, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation, therefore the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable; A conference management secretariat shall be established to manage, administer and run the affairs of the conference; decisions at the National Conference shall be by consensus; but where it is not achievable; it shall be by 75% majority”, he said.



Anyim said further, “The National Conference shall advise the government on the legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating the decisions and outcomes of the national conference into the Constitution and laws of the country; and The National Conference shall have a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson of unimpeachable integrity”.


The SGF said the FG has since approved the next steps necessary towards actualizing the National Conference as follows:


30th, January to 20th February 2014 will be for the nomination of delegates; The inauguration of the Conference will follow soon after the delegate list is concluded.


A breakdown of the modalities for the nomination of the delegates is as follows:


Elder Statesmen: 1 per state and the FCT making a total of 37 will be nominated by the President;


Retired Military and Security Personnel which include 1 delegate per geopolitical zone each from the Military,  Police, State Security and National Intelligence Agency: making it a total of 18 delegates to be nominated by Stakeholders;


Traditional Rulers: 2 per zone and 1 from the FCT making a total of 13 delegates to be nominated by Stakeholders;


Retired Civil Servants: 1 per zone. A total of 6 to be nominated by Stakeholders;


Labour Representatives: the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) shall each nominate 12 delegates making it a total of 24 which would reflect Geo-political and gender balance;


The Organised Private sector: NECA, MAN, NACCIMA, NESG shall each nominate two delegates;


Nigeria Youth Organisations: National Youth Council of Nigeria, NANS, shall each nominate 6 delegates, one from each geo-political zone, while the Federal Government shall nominate 6 delegates, one from each geo-political zone for Other (Outstanding Youths and Role Models)  making it a total of 18 delegates;


Women Groups: National Council Of Women Society (NCWS) shall nominate 12 delegates, 2 per geo- political zone, while Market Women Association shall nominate 1 per geo-political zone. FIDA, NAWOJ, WINBIZ shall each nominate 2 Delegates;


Political Parties: parties that have representation in the National Assembly, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), APGA, Accord Party, Labour Party shall each nominate 2 delegates making it 10 delegates;


Christian and Muslim Leaders each shall nominate 6 delegates while Civil Society Organisations shall nominate 24 delegates across board;


Nigerians in diaspora ( Europe, America, Africa, Asia, and Middle East) shall nominate 2 delegates per location, making it 8 delegates;


People Living with Disabilities shall nominate 6 delegates, 1 per geo-political zone.


Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria shall nominate 2 delegates each;


Socio – Political/ Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups shall nominate 15 delegates each, per geo-political zone to reflect religious and ethnic diversities;


Professional Bodies including NBA, NSE, CIB, NMA, NIM, NIA, ICAN, ANAN, NIPR, AAPN, NIESV, Nigerian Environment Society and  Nigeria Economic Society, shall each nominate 1 delegate, making it a total of 13 delegates.


National Academies including the Academy of Science, Academy of Engineering, Academy of Education, Academy of Letters and the Academy of Social Sciences shall each nominate 1 delegate;


The President shall nominate 6 persons not currently serving on the bench from the Judiciary;


Former Political Office Holders including Former governors, Senators Forum, House of Reps Forum and the Association of Former Speakers shall each nominate 1 delegate per geo-political zone making it a total of 24 delegates;


The Federal Government of Nigeria shall nominate 20 delegates of which atleast 6 will be women;


The state governments shall each nominate 3 delegates while the FCT shall nominate 1 delegate based on Senatorial District atleast one of whom shall be a woman. The nomination shall be done by the state governors and where the state fails to nominate, the President shall nominate the required number from the state;


The ALGON shall nominate 1 Former Local Government Chairman each from the six geo- political zones;


The President shall nominate the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretary, observing geo-political spread.


“The list of nominees shall be submitted either online to www.osgf.gov.ng   or in hard copy to the office of the Permanent Secretary (Special Duties Office), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase 1, 3rd Floor, Central Business District, Abuja. The formal inauguration of the Conference shall follow as soon as the nominations are received and collated” he said.


Anyim, while fielding questions from journalists the SGF said that there is already a proposal for the funding of the Conference in the Budget.


He added that the Conference will be concluded before the next election season.

why I sacked Service chief--GEj reveals

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday January 28th 2014, said that he sacked the immediate past service chiefs because of unhealthy competition which made it possible for Boko Haram insurgents to attack the Air Force operational base in Maiduguri.

Jonathan said the terrorists destroyed fighter aircraft during the attack and went scot free because of the rivalry between the former service chiefs.

The service chiefs, who were sacked included the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim; Lt General Azubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, Chief of Naval Staff.

The President warned that any rivalry among the new service chiefs that threatens national security as was the case in the past, would not be tolerated.

He spoke in Yola at the commissioning of the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, Comprehensive Secondary School. He said a situation where Boko Haram terrorists succeeded in attacking a military installation because of unhealthy rivalry among the service heads would no longer be accepted.

Emphasizing that the insurgents’ activities and other crimes would be better tackled if the synergy between the services worked for the collective interest of Nigeria, the President said: “I urge you all to cooperate because in  recent times some mutual cooperation among the service chiefs and personnel have been lacking. This time around, we will not tolerate any unnecessary competition that would be retrogressive to this country.

“We charge you to work together and I believe that we would no longer experience any unpleasant situation we had in the past because of some obvious lapses,” he said adding, that the National Assembly along with traditional institutions can form the bedrock on which “we can move our country to the next level.”

Why I appointed Badeh CDS
Jonathan said he appointed Badeh as CDS because he was prudent in the management of resources allocated to the NAF.

He said the National Security Council meeting will hold next week when they would have been cleared by the Senate and the officers decorated with their new ranks.

At the palace of the Lamido of Adamawa, Mustapha Aliyu, Jonathan said that with the appointment of new service chiefs, the tempo of activities against the Boko Haram sect will be increased.


“Let me express our condolences to various families and various people that have lost loved ones in this unnecessary Boko Haram crisis. This thing was alien to us. It was never part of us or our culture. God willing, Nigeria will overcome this challenge,” he said

A Day with Iceprince.

Ice Prince (Panshak Zamani) was born to Mr. and Mrs.Nasara Zamani in Minna, Niger State and moved to Jos two years later.

He started performance and rap while in secondary school, (Science Tutorial College, Jos).In 2002, he got together with a couple of his friends and formed a group called the Ecomog Squad. They had a few performances as a group and split a year later.

In 2004, he hooked up with M.I, Jesse Jagz, Ruby, Lindsey, Eve, Taz and together they became what is now 'Loopy'.

His influences are Notorious B.I.G, Rakim, Jay-Z, Common, Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Lauryn Hill. M.I and Jesse Jagz who are his close friends as well have also influenced his music.


In 2004, 'Extraordinary' his debut single hit the waves in Jos and it gradually made him known in and around Jos city.

His most recent single 'OLEKU' has been on radio station charts in Abuja Lagos and nigeria. It has been on.Beat Fm, Rhythm Fm Top 7 chart, notjustok hype, Unilag Fm, Zain Central Station, Inspiration Fm; Top Fm's Top of the Morning, Cosmo Fm Top Hits, Africa Connect Chat Show, Kiss Top 20 Africa and has also been No.1 on Cool Fm, Vision Fm in Abuja.Also it has been the No.1 song of last year (2010) in most radio and Tv stations around the country.

He has had collaborations with M.I, Jesse Jagz,Dekunle Fuji,Rugged man,kennis st brown(KSB) , Banky W,Kel,Gino,Terry Tha Rapman,Sauce Kid,Djinee,da suspect,YQ,El Dee,Naeto C, Mo Cheddah,Whiz Kid amongst others.


He contested with artistes like Bez, Mocheddah, Blaise, Jimmy Flames at the Hennessy Artistry that held in Lagos all through September 2009 and was declared winner of the Hennessy Artistry 2009.

Performances and Appearances

- Chocolate City "The Jam Sessions" 2007 & 2008.
- Host, Sprite Triple Slam Tour (started April 2009) held in Lagos, Ibadan, Aba, Owerri, Onitsha, Asaba, Enugu, Nsukka.
- Benson and Hedges Lockdown Party – Lagos.
- Soundcity Music Video Awards (SMVA) - July 2009.
- MTV Base Advance Warning Party - July 2008.
- This Day International Music and Fashion Festival, Abuja - August 2008
- WAPI (Words and Pictures) - British Council, Abuja (2008).
- Rhythm Unplugged - Abuja and Jos 2008.
- Crack Your Ribs - Abuja (2008/2010).
- Hennessy Artistry, Lagos-September 2009 & 2010
- Rick Ross show Lagos 2010
- Rick Ross private show Abuja 2010
- NMVA (Nigerian Music Video Awards) 2010
- Rythm umplugged 2010
- Lokoja rocks 2010
- Basketmouth Lord of the ribs, Lagos 2010

Follow on Twitter: @Iceprincezamani
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/iceprincezamani
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/icezamani

D’banj Unveiled As The Face Of ONE “Year Of Agriculture” Campaign In Lagos

Music superstar D’banj will be at the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week to help ONE organization officially launch its “Year of Agriculture” campaign.

Banga Lee will also unveil the official name and logo of the campaign, as well as launch ONE’s online petition calling on leaders to invest more and better in agriculture.


In February, he will also lead top artistes from around the continent to record a song produced by Nigerian producer Cobhams Asuquo and music video. It is aimed at promoting agriculture among youths in Africa.

A press conference was held recently in Lagos, where D’banj was unveiled as the face of the campaign.

Naija Top10 GIFTED RAPPERS

Many talents and skills abound in nigeria, but these artiste in this list tops the chart. Their rap rules the airwaves at the moment.
10- MODE NINE
9- REMINISCE
8- ILLBLISS
7- IKECHUKWU
6- VECTOR.

5- OLAMIDE
4- PHYNO
3- ICEPRINCE
2- NAETO-C
1- MI
These rappers are so gifted that anytime they are on the M I C, they keep the flow steady. Their rap songs enjoy massive airplay, tops the charts at the moment.

NIGERIAN EAGLES vs BLACK STARS

A penalty by Kwabena Adusei was enough to earn Ghana a 1-0 win over the DR Congo at the State Stadium and book a semi-final date up against Nigeria. Yahaya Mohammed found space in the box and had the first shot at goal of the game in the fifth minute, unfortunately the striker could only drag his effort wide of the target. Ghana then came close once more, this time Theophilus Anobaah produced some fancy footwork to work his way through the DR Congo defence but he is effort is well blocked in the 26th minute. The Leopards then started to pile pressure on the Black Stars defence and Lema Mabidi fires from 25 yards but his shot was high and handsome with just over a half-hour played at the Free State Stadium. The Black Stars goalkeeper Stephen Adams then kept his side on level terms pulling off a brilliant save from striker Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele in the 39th minute. Kwabena Adusei then had the final chance of the first-half after he did well to bring down a free-kick in the box but he fired his effort just over the crossbar. Maxwell Konadu’s men then finally broke the deadlock when they were awarded a penalty for handball with 66 minutes on the clock that Kwabena Adusei slotted calmly past Robert Kidiaba. Seidu Bancey almost doubled the Black Stars lead in the 70th minute but his low shot was well saved by Kidiaba. Yahaya should have put the result beyond doubt when the striker was put one on one with the keeper but he fired his shot straight at the DR Congo shot-stopper in the final 10 minutes of the game. Ghana held on to secure their narrow win and book a date in the semi-finals against Nigeria next.

Amaechi carpets Jonathan at SRM rally, says “only a foolish man will vote for him"

Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday dared the odds, by visiting the volatile Bori in Ogoniland. This comes a week after hoodlums disrupted his rally, shooting sporadically into the crowd. Scores were injured after the attack. NaijaBubbles had Saturday morning reported that thugs, armed with different dangerous weapons are seen loitering around the venue of the Save Rivers Movement rally. We reported that sounds of gunshots were heard by residents as early as 3am. Sources say the action was to scare people away from the event. Speaking at the rally which eventually held under police protection in and around the area, Amaechi blamed the Police Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, for allowing militants take up arms against the people. ”The same people (militants) we chased away with the military are back to our state, fuelled by a man called Mbu and his cohorts in Abuja. “They do not mind that your lives are important. They want to sacrifice your lives just to earn the office of presidency and the office of governorship,” Amaechi told his supporters at Saints’ Anglican Church premises. He berated an ex-militant who was said to have masterminded last week’s shooting. ”In 2007, this territory (Ogoni) belonged to one man called Solomon. I learnt he came to shoot here (Bori). Nobody could gather. Police could not even gather here. They were being shot at. I bought for the police 7 APCs (Armoured Personnel Carriers). They were afraid,” he said. This time, the rally organised by Save Rivers Movement (SRM) was peaceful with armed policemen providing security in and around the area. He said the release of the funds would have transformed the four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme. “UNEP finished all it needed to do and recommended that at least $1 billion was required to cleanup Ogoni and develop the Ogoni people,” Amaechi said. He further took a swipe at President Goodluck Jonathan, saying “Have you seen the $1 billion (from the federal government) and they want you to vote for them? It will be a foolish man that will vote for the person, who denies you your rights. “ÜNEP asked Federal government to spend $1billion in Ogoni to change things, they said no. $49.8 billion is missing. If they say $49.8 billion is not missing, let them tell us where the money is. Let them publish. It is in their pocket.” “Without the UNEP report, the federal government cannot develop Ogoni. You are all suffering. You cannot fish. You cannot farm because your land is polluted.” He called on the Ogoni and the people of the state to stand up to whoever might want to intimidate them for political gains. Continuing, “I do not want to come back to Ogoni to hear that you were shattered. I do not want you to take the law into your own hands but I want you to make sure that nobody shoots at you. “They (gun-wielding militants) are all human beings. They are not ghosts. They are neither angels nor devil. They are human beings like you. If a man slaps you and gets away with it, tomorrow, he will come back. “The history of Ogoni is replete with struggle. They killed Ken Saro-Wiwa (during the regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha on November 10, 1995).Is the struggle over? “The man said you might take away my life but you would not take away the idea. You can kill the messenger, not the message. The idea of the liberation of the Ogoni people, is it not still on? I have been part of that idea.” On party politics, he said: “PDP claims to be the biggest party in Nigeria. APC is the fastest -growing party in Nigeria. Then, there was no ACN, no CPC, only PDP in Rivers State. Now, they have seen another party, why are they afraid? “Why are they fighting? Why are they shooting? Why are they using policemen? They should allow voting to take place.” In a solidarity message from his sick bed abroad, Senator Magnus Abe, who was hit by a rubber bullet at an earlier rally praised the people for attending the event, saying violence cannot subdue the spirit of a free people. Abe, an Ogoni, who monitored the inauguration and rally from London, noted that the successful hosting of the event “in the face of threats and intimidation was a confirmation that the principle of non-violence with which Ogoni heroes fought the then federal military government and multinational corporations was still the best weapon.” He praised Amaechi for his courage and exemplary commitment to Ogoni course, saying: “the governor was ready to take the first bullet for Ogoni. His courage, doggedness and commitment to truth continue to justify the decision of true Rivers people to stand with him in the defence of our state.”

Made In Nigeria SUV Cars Will Be Launched In April” – Nissan Motors

Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motors, Carlos Ghosn, has revealed that the first set of Made in Nigeria 4×4 SUVs will be rolled out by Nissan Motors in April this year. He disclosed this to President Goodluck Jonathan on the sideline of ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ghosn, who said the vehicles would be rolled out of the old Volkswagen Assembly plant in Lagos, noted it was possible to produce two to three million cars in Nigeria annually. According to him, this will lead to creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the country. He also told President Jonathan that Nissan intended to increase its investment in Nigeria and establish its own production plant in the country. “We are interested in producing popular cars, totally adapted to the needs of Nigerians,” Ghosn told the President, adding that the company also planned to bring its global suppliers to make vehicle components in the country. In his remarks, President Jonathan reiterated that the diligent implementation of the country’s new national automotive policy would rapidly develop Nigeria’s automobile industry.

Genevieve Nnaji signs “N100 Million” Etisalat Ambassador Deal!

Genevieve Nnaji is the new brand ambassador for telecommunications company - Etisalat Nigeria. The deal is reportedly worth N100 Million. The announcement was made at a press conference at the Wheatbaker Hotel in Lagos where other Etisalat ambassadors including Hakeem Kae-Kazim were present.
The Nollywood star will be the face of Easy Flex, a new package by the company. Genevieve joins the ever growing list of entertainers who are ambassadors for telecommunication companies in Nigeria.

Win $1200 in Season 3 of the First Bank Nigeria & The Naked Convos’ “The Writer” Online Reality Competition

The Writer Competition is an online ‘reality’ writing competition created by First Bank of Nigeria Plc. and popular online art and opinion magazine, The Naked Convos (www.thenakedconvos.com). The competition, now in its third year promises to be even bigger. Just like the first two season, contestants will be given a topic or theme to write on each week and you, the public, as well as the judges, assess them and vote to keep the best writers in the competition until one writer is left standing. Over the last two years, the competition has been exciting and keenly contested across West Africa but this year, everything changes. The competition is bigger and better with more evictions every week and more prize money at stake. The Process 12 Finalists will be shortlisted from the call for entries submissions. These writers will be mentored by 3 judges and will contest in 4 rounds of the online writing competition where three contestants will be evicted weekly. The competition will require all writers to send in their themed stories weekly by a fixed deadline. Posts from contestants will be put up for members of the public to read and vote on. At the end of the voting period, the panel of judges will evaluate the stories and score them using pre-communicated criteria. The public votes from the audience and the votes from the judges will be combined and based on this; contestants will be judged and eliminated weekly until a final winner – THE WRITER – emerges. Who is it for? The competition is for all Africans who love to write. There is no age, nationality or location restriction. All Africans or people of African origin are encouraged to send in pre-qualification entries to be considered. How to enter? To stand a chance to qualify for the competition, simply write and send in a flash fiction story that is not more than 500 words long (It can be less than this but definitely not more).
The theme for this year’s entry stories is “The First”. The first what? That’s entirely up to you. The first kiss. The first story. The first bite. The first child. The first car. The first man. The first word. Anything. It can be about a time or a place or a person or a situation or anything along the continuum. Be creative. Any Style, direction and format is allowed – the more creative and well written, the better your chances of qualifying. Send your entry to thewriter@thenakedconvos.com on or before midnight, Friday 21st February 2014. Submissions must be Flash Fiction stories. Poetry and Opinion pieces will not be accepted. Only shortlisted writers will be contacted. Writers will be contacted only by e-mail. Please include; -Your full name -Phone number and, -A valid e-mail address in your submission, which they will use for continued correspondence, even if it is the same email address you use to send in the entry. Only one entry is allowed per writer. The work must be the work of the person whose name is stated in the email. The Prizes At the end of The Writer competition, there will be three winners, First Place – $1,200 Second Place – $800 Third Place – $600 The schedule Deadline for submission of entries is Friday 21st February 2014. The Judges, sponsors and 12 Finalists will be announced and The ‘Show’ will begin on Monday 3rd March 2014. For more information about The Writer Competition, visit: www.thenakedconvos.com/thewriter

PDP Chair: Jonathan, Govs Choose Mu’azu

A former Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, has been chosen as the new Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party by President Goodluck Jonathan and governors. He will replace the former chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who resigned from his position on Wednesday. Mu'azu was picked as a consensus candidate at a meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors of the party at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Sunday night. The meeting ended at 1:22 am on Monday (today) morning. Investigations showed that the governors had rejected the choice of Mohammed Wakil by the President and his wife, Patience. Some reasons were said to have been adduced for the rejection of Wakil, a former House of Representatives Leader. The reasons included his alleged inability to carry people along when he was a principal officer of the House. A governor told one of our correspondents after the meeting that the President was bent on picking Wakil, who had undergone screening by the security agents for a ministerial position. The governor, who asked not to be named, said the President wanted Wakil at all costs but was vehemently opposed by the governors. He said the meeting lasted long because it was difficult for the President to accept defeat. The governor said, "Yes, we have picked Mu'azu. He will be presented to the members of the PDP NEC on Monday(today) for ratification." It was also gathered that the Governor of Bauchi State, Malla, Isa Yuguda, later agreed with the choice of Mu'azu, after his initial opposition. Before the two meetings, the President had a private meeting with Seriake ostensibly over who would emerge as the new chairman of the PDP. Before Sunday, a former National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Rufai Alkali (Gombe State); ex-acting National Secretary, Dr. Musa Babayo (Bauchi); and a former Minister of Commerce, Amb. Idris Waziri (Taraba), were touted as some of the five top contenders for the job. The ex-minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Ibrahim Bunu (Borno) and the current Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, who is believed to be the choice of the wife of the President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, were also in the race. During the meeting between Jonathan and the governors, journalists were asked to leave the venue.

Globacom Gets Angry With D’banj For featuring In MTN’s Kcee’s ‘Emmah’ Video

Kcee just Released his New Emmah Video featuring D’banj D’banj’s multi-million Naira brand endorsement deal with Globacom Nigeria is presently being threatened! Insiders tell NaijaBubbles that the reason is not unrelated with the fact that he featured in the music video of Emmah, a song by Kcee, an ambassador of MTN, Globacom’s main rival. You see, though endorsements are lucrative to artists, it prohibits them from associating with elements of their endorsing companies’ rivals. It was for this reason that Tiwa Savage could not perform at the prestigious Sister With Soul concert last year. She is an MTN ambassador and the concert was sponsored by Etisalat. Omawumi, another Globacom ambassador, was also affected by her endorsement last year as, when she wanted to shoot the video of Warn Yourself, the song in which she featured Wizkid, she had to cut his vocals from the video as she couldn’t feature him in it any longer because he was an MTN ambassador. You will also recall that Kunle Afolayan was dropped by Glo for featuring “Etisalat’s now MTN’s Saka’ in his hit movie, Phone Swap. Oh well… I wonder what fate shall befall D’banj!

Beverly Osu blames “Nigerians” for Breaking Up her Relationship with Angelo Collins

Beverly and Bimp

  The controversy that surrounded the Big Brother Africa: The Chase contestants made them instant media sensations.

Beverly who is over the relationship, is now the face of Prestige Cosmetics and has her mind set on a couple of projects.

She and fellow BBA housemate Bimp recently visited the Hip Hop World headquarters in Lagos. And of course, they had to ask her a few questions.

On her relationship with Angelo: ” We have broken up. Is it not Nigerians that caused it?”

On how Nigerians broke the relationship: “Today, one paper will say Beverly is with this man, tomorrow another paper will say another thing, I don’t know.”

On if she is dating Bimp: “We are close, everybody knows this right from the house. People think we are dating because he is always in Nigeria but we are good friends. Can’t I have a friend that is a boy?”

On being called one of the worst dressed celebrities by Venita “Vee Vee” Akpofure: “Now I want to talk about that issue. Two days after the Big Brother Africa show, I had not stepped out from where M-Net kept me because I had a bad leg and was taking treatment for it and when I came back I heard about the comment and I’m wondering where she saw me. Did she see me in her dreams? If it’s paining her she should buy me a fine dress since she is the best dressed celebrity.”

Bimp who was with Beverly at the Hip Hop World office, also dished on his relationship with Beverly.
“Bev and I are really close. To be with someone you see 24 hours a day in a house for three months and not getting to know the person better is not easy. You’ll realise that you will have a bond different from the friends you have out there. So we are close, I know a lot of people are speculating about us dating but we are really close.” he says.

Okay Bev and Bimp, noted you aren’t dating but that’s a very cozy photo.cozy photo.

“I Did Not Impregnate Any Artiste” – Phyno Defends Himself Amid Allegations

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Phyno

  Phyno is shutting down rumours that he is expecting a child soon.

On Wednesday, NaijaBubbles received a report that the “Ghost Mode” rap star and rising Nigerian signer Rita Edmond are expecting a child together.

The report claimed that an actress Bimbo who is a friend of Rita, revealed the details through a telephone conversation. The friend reportedly said Rita”has hammered big time” and spent the holidays in Dubai with Phyno.

It is also alleged that Rita wanted to “get rid of the baby” as to concentrate fully on her music career, but Phyno asked her to keep the baby.

Today in an interview just released via Punch, Phyno denies the reports and states he has never met Rita Edmond.

“Believe it or not, I’ve never met or spoken to anyone by that name. I haven’t made any woman pregnant either. If people need three seconds of fame I’m glad that my name could help.” he says.

Reporters at Punch contacted Rita Edmond to respond to the allegations, but she gave an evasive answer.
“The only information I can give you is that I am in love with a rap artiste. I don’t want to mention his name. Since different stories are flying around, I am trying to understand where everybody got their story from. Of course, I had a vacation in Dubai and I am back in Nigeria.” she says.

There you have it, no baby is on the way for Phyno.

Why Jonathan fired service chiefs

  ABUJA—Indications emerged, yesterday, why President Goodluck Jonathan sacked the service chiefs and appointed new ones. The sack of the service chiefs, Vanguard gathered, was to prevent an implosion in the Armed Forces that was capable of threatening the country’s democracy.

Their sack came less than seven months after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, declared the appointments of the Service Chiefs in the country by the President  without recourse to the National Assembly as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, in a statement, said that President  Jonathan “has in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria approved the following changes in the nation’s Military High Command:

“Air Marshal Alex Badeh takes over from Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim as Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General Kenneth Minimah takes over from Lt.-General Azubike Ihejirika as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin takes over from Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba as Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu takes over from Air Marshal Badeh as Chief of Air Staff.
“All the changes are with immediate effect.”
According to him, “President Jonathan has briefed the leadership of the National Assembly on the appointment of the new service chiefs and will, in keeping with the provisions of the law, request the National Assembly to formally confirm the appointments when it reconvenes.”

Badeh, Defence Chief; Minimah, Army Chief; Amosu, Airforce Chief and Jibrin, Naval Chief
Earlier court order on service chiefs
It will be recalled that Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Lagos, had on June 1, 2013 in his judgment in a suit by Lagos lawyer, Mr Festus Keyamo, filed in 2008 challenging the non-confirmation by the Senate of the service chiefs appointed by the President, maintained that it was unconstitutional, illegal, null and void for the President to single-handedly okay persons for appointment as service chiefs.
Justice Bello held that Section 18 (1) & (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, is in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and do not fall within the category of existing laws under Section 315 (2) of the constitution which any sitting President may by an order, modify its text to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the constitution.
Meanwhile, Keyamo said, that he had been “absolutely vindicated.”
I’ve been vindicated — Keyamo
Speaking to AFP, he said: “My appeal to all Nigerians is not to be afraid to approach the courts to ventilate your grievance if government has committed any illegality.”
Similarly, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, while reacting to the sack of the service chiefs, said it has nothing against President Jonathan’s decision to replace the service chiefs as it was his prerogative to reorganise the nation’s security whenever it was necessary.
Secretary-General of the organisation, Dr Joe Nwaorgu, said that only the President could explain the rationale behind the removal of the top military officers and the choice of those officers appointed to take over from them as it is purely a security issue.
One of the removed service chiefs, Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Ihejirika, is from the South East zone.

Igbo youths kick
But the Youth Wing of Ohaneze Ndigbo, sees the sack of  Ihejirika, differently, as it condemned same, saying that it was calculated to marginalize Ndigbo in the appointment of new service chiefs. It called on the National Assembly to reject the appointment as it lacked federal character.
Also, the Federated Council of Igbo Youths, FCIY, frowned at what it described as a planned attempt to put the Igbo nation in the back seat by the current administration and called on Ndigbo to resist the ongoing alienation of the race.
Reacting to the new appointments, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, wondered why in all the new positions shared, there was no person from the South-East considered worthy by President Jonathan to occupy any of the positions.

Why service chiefs were sacked
Indications emerged, yesterday that the retirement of the service chiefs was effected by President Jonathan with a view to preventing an implosion in the Armed Forces that was capable of threatening the nation’s democracy.
Before now, Admiral O.S. Ibrahim, who was the oldest serving military officer in the land was a Course 17 regular intake of the Nigerian Defence Academy; General Onyeabor Ihejirika was a Course 18 regular intake of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA while Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba was a Course 22 intake of the NDA.
Ordinarily, the officers by virtue of their years in service or age, ought to have been retired in consonance with the terms and conditions of service of the armed forces (TACOS), but the challenges brought about by the war on terrorism occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency and President Jonathan’s belief in their capabilities to tame the monster made him sustain the officers in office.
However, the sustenance of the very senior officers was causing underground murmuring, disaffection and grumbling among officers because it meant more junior officers, who would have gained promotion or risen to the top echelon of their services may never get there because they would be caught by age on rank or shortage of vacancies for postings, which may lead to early retirement.
For instance, while Admiral  Ibrahim was a Course 17 intake, next to him in the Navy, Vice Admiral Ezeoba was a Course 22 intake while their subordinates’ were courses 24 and above with implications that the next looming retirements of officers would have consumed up to Courses 25 and 26, who are the future of the Navy.
In the Army, Ihejirika as Course 18 and still serving meant that many of his juniors have gone on retirement and more would still have gone as the army had become top-heavy and there must be weeding out for the triangle to maintain its shape.

Need to avert implosion
Consequently, an internal explosion was imminent and the question arose, as to whether President Jonathan was unaware of the terms and conditions of service which stipulates 56 years of age and 35 years in service.
Moreover, many junior generals, Rear Admirals and Air Vice Marshals were being retired in compliance with the TACOS to the detriment of the armed forces.
Naijabubbles gathered that many of the retiring officers petitioned the National Assembly to bring to the notice of their representatives, the fate that may befall their junior colleagues if nothing was done about the anomaly, though they acknowledged that Jonathan has the prerogative to keep a service chief as long as he wanted.
Aside these reasons, Naijabubbles was told that the President was convinced that the dangers posed by the Boko Haram menace had been sufficiently curtailed by the service chiefs especially with the innovations brought about by Lt. General Ihejirika.

Minimah: New Army Chief
Regarding the new appointments, Major General Minimah, who hails from Rivers State and is a Course 24 intake of the NDA, was until his appointment, the Commander, Infantry Corps.
He was at several times, Brigade Commander 1 Brigade, Sokoto, and General officer Commanding 81 divisions, Lagos. He was redeployed to Jaji as the Commander of Infantry Corps after the unfortunate bombing of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College by Boko Haram terrorists last year. Minimah was born on July 27, 1959.

Jibrin: New  Naval Chief
Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin was at the Defence Headquarters before his appointment. He was at several times, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Chief of Logistics at Naval Headquarters and Commandant, Defence Intelligence School. He hails from Kogi State.
Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin was born on September 16, 1959 and joined the Navy as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 24 Regular Course.
Amosu: New Air Force Chief

Air Vice Marshal Amosu, the new Chief of Air Staff, hails from Lagos State. At several times, he was the Commander, Presidential Air Fleet, Director of Operations at NAF Headquarters and Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, Makurdi.
Air Vice Marshal Amosu was born on August 1, 1958 and joined the Air Force as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 25 Regular Course.

Badeh: Defence Chief
Air Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, formerly the Chief of Air Staff and now Chief of Defence Staff, hails from Adamawa state.

Badeh was born on January 10, 1957 and joined the Air Force as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s  21 Regular Course

"I Will Give Tukur A Tougher Job" – President Jonathan

  Announcing National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Bamanga Tukur's resignation, President Goodluck Jonathan assured a new chairman is expected to emerge on Monday.

Jonathan said Mr. Tukur personally submitted his resignation letter to him yesterday to "allow peace reign in the party". The speech was greeted with loud applause by party members.

"We have some internal problems that have been agitating the minds of people and let us really thank the working committee led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur," the President said. "They have done very well. He didn't just wake up to be chairman of our party, he has paid his dues. He had held several offices and worked for this country and he has done very well.

"For us to make sure that we rest these issues, the party chairman agreed to step aside. ... Myself and the chairman will go to the State House for some issues that we need to discuss. He is not guilty in anyway. I am going to give him a tougher job than that of party chairman."

Speaking about crises within the party, the President said it would mean the country is dead unless thing like these did not happen.

"We are going to meet again on Monday to get a replacement from the North East zone, in line with our party's constitution. We are going to meet with key stakeholders to get a man or woman that is acceptable to all."

Jonathan sacks military chiefs, appoints replacements

Former service Chiefs
  President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the heads of Nigeria’s armed forces and appointed new ones.

This development was disclosed by the President’s Special Adviser on Publicity and Media, Reuben Abati via Twitter.

Mr. Abati speaking through his handle @abati1990 stated that the service chiefs had been relieved of their duties.

See tweets:

President Jonathan has appointed new Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs. Air Marshal Alex Badeh now CDS. Details shortly…

— Reuben Abati (@abati1990) January 16, 2014



President Jonathan names Badeh, CDS, Minimah, COAS, Jibrin, CNS, & Amosu, CAS

— Reuben Abati (@abati1990) January 16, 2014
CDS- CHIEF OF DEFENCES STAFFS
COAS- CHIEF OF ARMY STAFFS
CNS- CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFFS
CNS- CHIEF OF AIR STAFFS

Evading Her Certificate Scandal, Aviation Minister Stella Oduah Takes ‘Medical’ Leave

Minister of Aviation

  Embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, has not returned to Abuja after NaijaBubbles broke the news of her certificate scandal, presidency sources said on Tuesday.

They told NaijaBubbles correspondent tat  the minister informed President Goodluck Jonathan that she was attending to her medical needs in Brazil, following which she apparently left for an undisclosed country.
Mrs. Oduah, who was also embroiled in a BMW purchase scandal prior to the certificate mess, reportedly took off from Nigeria after the report of a presidential panel indicting her for a string of corrupt practices was leaked to her. The panel reportedly went beyond its initial brief to unravel a string of corrupt acts of the minister including how she connived with commercial banks to receive kickbacks for renovation projects initiated at airports across the country.
The panel, which was set up by President Jonathan in October to look into how she squeezed the cash-strapped Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to purchase two armored BMW cars for $1.6million.  The story was also broken by NaijaBubbles.
Rather than face the consequences of her own actions, Mrs. Oduah has been telling anyone willing to listen that she merely “stepped on powerful toes” in the country.

As PDP crises Deepens, National Chairman Bamanga Tukur ‘Resigns’

Peoples Democratic Party

  Bamanga Tukur, the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has resigned. 

Sources say he tendered his resignation to President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja today, and the staff of the party secretariat is reportedly celebrating his departure.
Mr. Tukur’s resignation has not been made public officially according to party executives.
Tukur had insisted that he would not resign, saying that it was only the party's convention that could remove him, but he was said to have been pressured to resign by his son, Anwal.
The insistence by PDP governors and the passing of a vote of no confidence on him by the 37 state chairmen of the party on Tuesday night are said to have made Anwal to persuade his father to quit the job.
Anwal nurses dreams of becoming governor of Adamawa, the Tukurs’ home state, and a part of Bamanga Tukur’s problems at the National Secretariat concern the undemocratic methods he has employed in Adamawa in the past couple of years to ensure Anwal becomes governor.

Rivers State Senator Attacked By Police Moved To London For Treatment As Police Deny Shooting Him

Sen Abe being Rushed to UK hospital

  A Rivers State senator who was reportedly shot with a rubber bullet and teargas cannisters earlier today  by the Nigerian police in the state is on his way to London for further treatment according to sources in the state.

Senator Magnus Abe was hospitalized earlier today when policemen disrupting a peaceful rally organized by the opposition members in state shot at him with teargas and rubber bullets.
His doctor claimed that the senator’s chest was hit with an object that might have caused internal bleeding therefore necessitating his transfer to the UK for better medical care.
The police in the state however deny that its members hot the Senator, they instead that minimum force was applied in dispersing rally goers at the state’s College of Arts and Sciences because they did not obtain police permit before the gathering.

LETTER : Obasanjo Leaves PDP, Says He Can't Stand A Wanted Criminal As Zonal Chairman of SouthWest

President Obasanjo

  Former Nigerian leader, Olusegun Obasanjo has penned another letter, this time to Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, resigning his membership of the party.

In the one-page letter dated 7 january, Obasanjo declared that he would, temporarily, cease to be a member of the party or participate in any political activity at any level, unless the party dissociated itself from businessman Buruji Kashamu, who appears to be the leader of the party in Obasanjo’s Ogun state and the country’s western region.
Declaring Kashamu as unfit for any leadership post in the party, he described him as a drug baron who has cases to answer in the United States of America.

The full text of the three-paragraph letter reads:
Dear Chairman,
“While I believe that a good and truly national political party must be a microcosm of the nation in its membership, made up of all sorts of characters from near-saints to near-satan, I also believe that on no account should a known habitual criminal that is wanted abroad to face criminal charges levelled against him be extolled as a political leader in a respectable and wholesome nation-building political party.
“Buruji Kashamu has been so extolled in PDP in South-West geo-political zone which I personally find unsavoury. Politics played by any national political party must have morality, decency, discipline, principles and leadership examples as cardinal practices of the party. I have attached here recent documents that clearly indicate that your extolled PDP Zonal Leader in the South-West zone of Nigeria and an indigene of Ogun State is, to say the least, not a credit to the party as a member, let alone being a zonal leader.
“Since I stick in my practice of party politics to the hallowed and cherished principles enunciated above, I take this opportunity to let you know that while I continue to remain a card-carrying member of PDP, I cannot and I will not subscribe to a wanted habitual criminal being installed as my zonal leader in the party; a criminal for whom extradition has been requested by the US government. In the meantime, I will consider withdrawing my activity with PDP at local, state, zonal and national levels until the anomalous and shameful situation is corrected.”
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Olusegun Obasanjo

Buruji Kashamu’s issue featured in Obasanjo’s earlier letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. And Kashamu responded that although he was once arrested in the UK for alleged drug offences, he was freed and that he is not on the wanted list of the Drug Enforcement Agency of the United States.
Buruji also stated that he was Obasnjo’s political ally in the battle to hijack the PDP from former Ogun governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and wondered why Obasanjo now detested him when he once cavorted with him, when it suited him.

Jonathan Has Ordered 165 Terror Suspects To Be Set Free, Nigerian Military Says

EBELE JONATHAN
 The Nigerian military said on Friday it has been ordered by President  Goodluck Jonathan to release over 165 persons it apprehended in the course of military operations in the three states under emergency rule: Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

A statement on the presidential directive signed by the spokesperson for the military, Major General Chris Olukolade however said the suspects would be released to their state governments soon.
The suspects were earlier recommended for release by the Joint Investigation Team, (JIT) set up by the Defence Headquarters last year.  Of the number, 157 are from facilities in Borno, nine from Yobe and one suspect from Adamawa. The spokesman recalled that other detainees, particularly women and children, have previously benefitted from the same gesture, which started in May last year.  More suspects in this category are also to benefit in the present exercise, he said.
One analyst noted that the presidential gesture may have something to do with Mr. Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015, citing problems he is having with the electorate, especially in the northern part of the country.

St Paul’s College Confirms Stella Oduah Earned Bachelors Degree, But Not MBA

Stella Oduah

  Authorities of St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia, in the United States today confirmed to NaijaBubbles that Mrs. Stella Oduah did obtain a first degree in Business Administration at the institution in 1982, with concentration in Accounting.  

St Paul’s registrar, Ms. Helen Jackson, reiterated however, that the school has never had a postgraduate program.
Ms. Oduah would have been 16 years old at the time of admission.  Asked to make that confirmation, Ms. Jackson said she could not offer personal information about the student.
SaharaReporters began a series of exposes on the minister’s educational background on Monday night.  By Tuesday she had removed any mention of St. Paul’s College, the institutions where she initially claimed in citations, on Wikipedia and several personal websites that she earned a Masters Degree.
By yesterday, Naija Bubbles obtained her curriculum vitae but it curiously made no mention of the widely, previously-claimed MBA. However, she claimed to have obtained an “honorary Ph.D” from Christian Pacific University in Glendale, California.  That claim has also now been found to be false.
The Minister’s claim to an MBA in 1983 also conflicts with the year in which she supposedly served in the National Youth Service Corps.

Meanwhile, earlier today the ministry of Aviation disabled Ms. Oduah profile page which claimed she had “Bachelors and Masters Degree (in Accounting and Business Administration respectively) in the United States” only to restore the page apparently caught pants down with the false claims on her resume still intact.

Jubilations As Marvelous Da Don Wins Double Awards ¤ Naija bubbles grabs fastest growing blogsite of the Year 2013.

MARVELOUS DA DON

PRESIDENTS MERITS AWARD IN ICT

BEST BLOGGER AWARD 2013.

It was indeed a night of Glamour and Award for Excellence at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, as all the Bloggers in Nigeria and Africa gathered for 2013 edition of BLOGGERS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE. Among all the Bloggers Nominated for the Awards, MARVELOUS DA DON, whose real name is IGATTA TOCHUKWU MICHAEL, owner of Naija bubbles blog was crowned the BEST BLOGGER of the Year 2013. An Award for the most outstanding blogger
He also went home with the Presidents Merit Awards on ICT
His blogsite www.naijabubbles.blogspot.com won the Fastest Growing Classifield News & Entertainment blog  Year 2013.

Marvelous Da Don , As he is fondly called by his admirers couldnt hide his joys as he went home with cash prize of $15,000 and a Zinox computer courtesy of MInister for ICT.

Da Don, who was visibly happy thanked the Bloggers Association of Nigeria, BAN for believing in Him and promised to work tirelessly to Ensure that the News is being spread across the world without any slander or libel. He pledged to abide by the pinciple of Investigative journalism. He enjoined his audience to keep faith in Him as he used the Opporturnity to call on marketers/ business community to use the blog to reachout to their customers anytime, Anywhere. He said that without Advertizing, any business is bound to collapse.
 Also speaking at the Award ceremony, Linda Ikeji urged Nigerians to take bloggers as element of development. she asked marketers to patronise   bloggers if they wants their business to grow.
 Inyanya, Tiwa salvage, Duncan Mighty, wande coal, sean Tizzle and Phyno were all present to entertain Guest.

Apo killing: DSS opposes N500m compensation to victims

  ABUJA — As more revelations emerge on how 12  Boko Haram kingpins took over an uncompleted building situated behind the Apo legislative quarters in Abuja, the Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday, urged the Federal Government not to accede to a N500 million compensation demand by surviving victims of the September 20, 2013 midnight shootings.

Addressing the investigative panel of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, yesterday, the DSS said it was satisfied that most of the squatters in the uncompleted building were Boko Haram members, insisting that it was occupants of the building that initially opened fire on security agents that came for a search operation following a tip-off by an apprehended terror suspect.
Speaking through its senior lawyer, Mr. Clifford Osagie, the DSS, while imploring the Federal Government to, in the meantime, ignore demand by the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, NATOMORAS, that families of the deceased and injured victims should be compensated, said there was need to firstly ascertain that the eight persons that lost their lives during the operation were innocent.
The DSS, which took the position shortly after the Nigerian Army tendered exhibits before the NHRC panel, further maintained that its investigations revealed that eight persons that were arrested at the building on the day of the incident were die-hard Boko Haram members who were planning to unleash mayhem within the Federal Capital Territory and its environs.
No to N500m compensation
According to Osagie, “The position of the DSS on the N500 million compensation demand is very clear.
“We need to first ascertain and determine whether those people that were killed were actually innocent. Until you reach that decision you cannot pay compensation.
“Moreover, eight of the people that were arrested at the building on that day were Boko Haram members. It will be difficult for anybody to conclude at this point until investigation is concluded.
“This is why we think that the NHRC has a big task on hand. We must first ascertain the culpability or otherwise of those that died as well as determine the nexus between the occupants of the building and Mallam Suleiman who is currently at large.
“We have submitted a written submission to this commission where we articulated that the speed and manner with which the corpse of people that died during the shoot-out where removed, hampered our investigation and made it difficult for us to link them. We would have carried out a post mortem test on the corpses.
We came under fire
“Like we have said here repeatedly, we came under fire and we responded. Now if the government is to give compensation, it must be determined that the deceased persons actually fell under the bullet of security agents and not from Boko Haram elements in the building.
“Unless there is a pre-conceived notion by this commission that the institution is responsible already for the deaths, then we can start talking about compensation. We have no problem if you have reached a conclusive decision that they died innocently and therefore deserve compensation.
“However, we insist that this panel must first prove that the institution was responsible.
“Some of those that were arrested in the building were released on bail while we detained others we think have connection with the Boko Haram sect. We came under fire and under the rules of engagement for the operation, we were entitled to return fire.”

Nigerian mosque attacked in Kano village of Kwankwaso

 Gunmen have attacked a mosque in the northern Nigerian state of Kano, killing three worshippers and wounding 12 others, police say.

The attackers sprayed bullets into the mosque in the home village of Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

His elderly father was in the mosque, but escaped unhurt, witnesses said.

No group has said it carried out the raid. Islamist group Boko Haram has also staged several attacks in Kano, and elsewhere in northern Nigeria.

The run-up to elections in oil-rich Nigeria is often marred by violence between rival political groups.

Mr Kwankwaso was among five influential governors who defected from President Goodluck Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in November.

Heshimu Suleiman, one of the governor's supporters, said the attack was politically motivated to punish Mr Kwankwaso for defecting, reports the AP news agency.

The PDP has not yet commented on the allegation.

In December, Nigeria's ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo said it would be "morally flawed" for Mr Jonathan to seek re-election next year.

He said Mr Jonathan had failed to tackle Nigeria's many problems, including corruption and an insurgency led by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

Mr Jonathan defended his record in government, but has not yet declared his candidature.

Explosion Rocks Rivers High Court. ¤ Police Denies it

  IT was a day of fire in the Rivers State judiciary,  as two high court divisions; Ahoada and Okehi, were hit by an explosion and fire, leaving destructions behind.

The Ahoada High Court, where Justice Charles N. Wali sits, was allegedly hit by an explosion late Sunday, leaving the offices of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) destroyed.
Although the state police command denied the report of a blast in the court, it, however, confirmed a device suspected to be an explosive, which had since been evacuated by units of the command.
It will be recalled that the Ahoada High Court, precisely the parking lot of Justice Wali, was attacked with an explosive last December, an incident still being investigated by security operatives in the state.
The court was supposed to be receiving arguments for the vacation of the order on a member of the state House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, which restrained him from parading himself as speaker of the  state House of Assembly.
But responding to the explosion report at the court, the spokesman of the state police command, Ahmed Muhammed, said there was no explosion in Ahoada, adding that rather, a yet-to-be detonated explosive device was discovered and evacuated before it could go off.
“A good Samaritan sighted something within the premises of the Ahoada High Court, which he reasonably suspected to be a dynamite.
“He instantly alerted our men at the Ahoada division, upon which the men at the division quickly ran down and cordoned off the entire place and evacuated all the people inside the premises of the court.
“I believe by now, the anti-bomb squad of the command has reached that place. They would have removed that suspected explosive device and destroyed it. It had not exploded.
“There was no explosion before then, I was the one who heard the information and informed the DPO and immediately he got there, he confirmed to me that there was something like dynamite, but there was nothing like explosion,” Muhammed said.
At the Okehi High Court in Etche Local Government area of the state, presided over by Justice Christian Kiri Dappa-Aduo, an early morning inferno gutted the offices of the judge on Monday, destroying everything inside.
A community source, who volunteered information on the incident, said the fire started early in the morning, adding that before the people nearby could do anything to save the structure, the fire had spread round, destroying everything in its path.
The sitting area of the judge, all court papers and seats within the court building were destroyed, even as some tires and match sticks were seen within the wreck left of the court building.
“We came out early this morning to see people gathered in front of the court building, the place in flames. People ran round to save the situation, but before you could do anything, the fire had taken the whole place over”, the source said.
Police spokesman, Muhammed, responding to the fire at the Okehi court, said “it was not an explosion but a fire incident that gutted office of the judge only. However, the police obtained some clues that will aid us in investigating the incident.”
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the reported bombing of Ahoada High Court.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the state chairman on media, Jerry Needam, pointed the finger at the state government for the incident.
“The case that temporarily restrained Honourable Evans Bipi from parading as speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, was to come up today at the Ahoada High Court.
“Our team of lawyers, made up of over 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) from Abuja and Lagos, arrived at the court this morning to argue for the vacation of the interim order and saw the senseless and barbaric destruction of the court,” the statement said.
Reacting, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a statement issued by its state spokesman, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, decried the situation in the state, which it said was already transforming Rivers into another terrorists haven.
“It is very unfortunate and sad to note that Ahoada East High Court premises was bombed and set ablaze this morning by agents of undemocratic elements.
“It is on record that the state chapter of the PDP, sponsored by Chief Nyesom Wike, the Supervising Minister of Education, has, over the time, condemned this ruling of the Ahoada East High Court, because it threw a spanner in its plot to use the rebel lawmakers led by Bipi to impeach Governor Rotimi Amaechi in a House of 32 members.
“The record exposing the agenda of this misguided group for Rivers State and its people as violence prone was exhibited few days ago, when security agencies in Rivers State caught six youths with various sophisticated and dangerous arms at Ogu, the home town of Senator Sekibo and Honourable Bipi.
“The suspects have been linked to Senator George Sekibo and Honourable Bipi, both chieftains of the state chapter of the PDP led by Chief Wike, whose determination to destabilise the administration of Governor Amaechi is well known to all and sundry,” the statement said.
But Bipi refuted the report linking him and Senator Sekibo to suspects arrested on suspicion of firearms.
Bipi, in a statement, said none of the six persons arrested “are my supporters or that of the senator. I have no dealing or link with any of them as alleged by the report.”
He added that “it is noteworthy that none of those arrested made any confessional statement linking me or the senator to them.”
Bipi added that the report which linked him and Senator Sekibo to the suspects were calculated attempts by the Rivers State government and the opposition APC in the state to damage his political career and tarnish his reputation as speaker of the state assembly.
“I also believe it is an attempt by the Rivers government to divert attention from the murder case involving Chidi Lloyd,” he said.
Speaking on the attack at the courts, the member representing Omuma/Etche federal constituency, Honourable Ogbonna Nwuke, described the development as the handiwork of enemies of democracy.
Nwuke said the incident raised a lot of questions, while charging the law enforcement agencies to apprehend the faceless persons.
“This is the worst thing that should happen in this country. The law enforcement agencies should protect the interest of the common man, which the judicial process

Suspected Boko Haram Militants Kill Four Policemen In Kaduna

  NaijaBubbles has learned from a police source in Kaduna town of the killing by suspected Boko Haram sect fighters of about four policemen in the Tudun Wada area.

The suspected sect members are said to have monitored the policemen from the premises of a nearby GT Bank on Kaduna Western Bypass to a street in Tudun Wada area where they attacked their vehicle and shot them to death.
The suspects, after ensuring that the men were dead, stole their guns and other items and fled into thin air.  It is the first attack against the security agencies in Kaduna State in 2014.
Kaduna State police spokesman DSP Aminu Lawan could not be reached for comment, but a source in the community who asked for anonymity said the gunmen had sophisticated arms in their possession.
“We were inside and heard the sound of their firing, it was terrible and terrifying,” he told Naijabubbles.   “But I can also add that they are not from our area, because they just trailed [the policemen] and we don’t have such elements in our community.”

US COLLEGE DENIES GIVING STELLA ODUAH MBA DEGREE

   Stella Oduah, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation who is embroiled in a scandal of towering proportions in the ministry, faces new integrity questions as her Masters’ degree has been challenged by the United States school which supposedly awarded it.

Her resume, which she presented to the Senate as a ministerial nominee in 2011, indicated she obtained a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from St. Paul’s College Lawrenceville, Virginia, United States.
But SaharaReporters has learned from the President of the college that it has never in its 125-year history had a graduate school or graduate program.
The Provost Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the Vice President of Institutional Development said in response to our inquiries, “We don’t offer any graduate programs here.”
Similarly, the school’s website states: “Saint Paul's College is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate [bachelor’s] degrees.”  There is no mention of graduate degrees.

The Minister’s documentation shows she received an undergraduate degree in accounting from the college in 1982, but Dr. Claud Flythe, St. Paul’s current president, could neither confirm nor deny this during a phone conversation with SaharaReporters.  Further verification with the Office of Alumni Affairs is also currently impossible, the school said, because the college has been closed since June 2013 to loss of its accreditation.
“[Oduah] realized very early in life the indispensability of a sound education in her growth plans in life and therefore pursued her education with all diligence and sense of purpose,” her documents claimed, adding that a determination “to have the best education at the highest level” prompted her stay at the Virginia college in 1983 for the MBA programme.
As her public relations machinery marched on, in December 2012 The Sun newspaper published an article headlined “Stella Oduah: An Amazon of transformation,” which lauded her “MBA from St Paul’s College, Lawrenceville Virginia USA.”  The story also praised her for being an official who brought her “rich educational background to bear on the aviation sector by automating revenue centers in all the agencies and parastatals to boost their revenue profile and enhance transparency and accountability in the system.”
In October, SaharaReporters broke the story that Mrs. Oduah, a former campaign manager for President Goodluck Jonathan, purchased two bulletproof BMW cars worth $ 1.6 Million (N255m) through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, for her own use.
Following an investigation, the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation dismissed the Minister’s pleas of innocence and all her rebuttals during her testimony.  The committee’s report, which was subsequently adopted by the House, declared that no budgetary appropriation had been made for the purchase of the cars, and that the NCAA proposal for their purchase was rejected.
President Jonathan also set up a three-member administrative panel to investigate the matter, but he immediately travelled out of the country with Mrs. Oduah and Colonel Dasuki, the National Security Adviser who was to serve as a member of the panel.  Not only did the panel submit its report much later than the two weeks it was given for the assignment, Mr. Jonathan has refused to release its report.
Mrs. Oduah’s new certificate questions are certain to feed into national concern about her credibility as an elected official, but also about Mr. Jonathan’s credibility, and about the nation’s security apparatus which verifies official documents offered to the Senate for official nominations.
If Mrs. Oduah deliberately deceived the Senate, it remains to be seen if the Upper House will be sufficiently motivated to take up the matter with the Executive.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s aviation industry continues to face a massive challenge, with struggling airports and airlines, as well as financial and administrative pitfalls that hinder expansion and development.