No fewer than 5000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Olusola Nenuwa, the leader of the defectors, said they decided to dump the APC because the ruling party had failed the people of the country.

Nenuwa said the President Muhammadu Buhari government had ruined the country’s economy in the last three and a half years, increasing the rate of unemployment and hunger.

He urged Nigerians to vote for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in 2019, adding that the former vice president had the capability to take the nation out of the its current situation.

Nenuwa, who was a member of the Rotimi Akeredolu campaign committee in 2016, promised that the new PDP members would work hard to mobilize support for all candidates of the party in the state in order to achieve victory.

“In 2015, we thought APC would change things for better, especially in the area of the economy. We thought President Buhari was the messiah we needed.

“But to our surprise, the country moved from pan to fire. Instead of changing our story to a better one, they have worsened the situation.

“There is suffering in the land and you can see a lot of crime everywhere because of the hunger in the land. They have said now that they will take us to the next level of suffering.

“We have decided to join the moving train of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. He has what it takes to deliver us in this country. He is one of the highest employers of labour in Nigeria. He knows how he will improve the economy,” he said.

Abiodun Omonijo, the Akure South PDP chairman, who received the new members on behalf of the state chairman, commended them for taking the decision.

Omonijo promised the defectors that they would be fully integrated into the party and allowed to enjoy equal rights with old members.

He said: “The APC is losing members to our party everyday, even including those with appointments in government. That has to tell you that people are no longer comfortable with the ruling party.

“There is hunger on the face of everybody. PDP is the only party that can give hope to Nigerians. Atiku is the answer. God has brought him this time to come and save Nigeria.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/17/2019-5000-members-dump-apc-pdp-give-reason/

A group of lawyers under the auspices of Concerned Patriots Front (CPF) has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigerian Police Force to begin immediate action to curb the menace of fake lawyers as they are growing in their numbers.

According to the group, the call has become necessary at this time due to rise in reports received on the fraudulent activities perpetrated by these fake lawyers on unsuspecting Nigerians.

“We hereby call for the urgent intervention of the Nigerian Police and the NBA to rescue innocent Nigerians by cracking down on these fake lawyers before they run the noble profession of law to the ground,” the group noted.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/17/clamp-fake-lawyers-now-group-tells-nba-police/

Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade’s second term bid got a huge boost at the weekend when thousands of commercial drivers in the state declared total support for him.

At a rally in Calabar, the state capital, the drivers, under the aegis of Unified Commercial Drivers Association of Cross River State, said after a diligent assessment of all the gubernatorial candidates, they came to the conclusion that Ayade’s re-election was the best for the state.

Chairman of the association, Pastor Thomas Effiom Okon assured the governor of their votes saying: “Our digital Governor has achieved so much in three and a half years and therefore deserves a re-election.”

Describing Governor Ayade as a final man, one stop shop, the man with the spread, flare, style and panache, the cabs association boss said: “We as a body have come to a conclusion after due consultation that your programmes are laudable and deserve a pat on the back. Your second term is therefore, non negotiable.”

The group, while recalling how the governor had in the past waded into their plights occasioned by the constant harassment at the hands of the state’s commercial drivers’ regulatory body, DOPT, noted: “We know you feel our pains, that is why we want to say thank you today for being there for us.”

Responding, Governor Ayade reiterated his determination to ensure that no one in the state lacks sustainable economic empowerment.

“This is the reason for my government’s aggressive industrialization drive. I am building the industries to create jobs, to empower the people,” he said, describing himself as a former taxi driver.

“I used to drive taxi. I am one of you.This is where I started; I know your importance”, the Governor told the cheering drivers”.

He explained that he has been able to manage Cross River’s meagre financial resources effectively because, according to him, he is not a full time politician: “If I was a full time politician, we will be owing salaries.I know my circumstances, I know my history.”

The Governor who was made the grand patron of the association announced that 120,000 brand new cars will be made available to the drivers to replace the rickety cabs the association had earlier complained do not befit the status of Calabar as the tourism capital of Nigeria.
He also announced the allocation of land to the association.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/16/2019-commercial-drivers-declare-total-support-ayade/

Former Premier League champions, Chelsea have won the race ahead of Manchester United and Liverpool over the signing of Borussia Dortmund forward, Christian Pulisic.

Pulisic, who is contracted to Dortmund until 2020, has been linked with a move to join Liverpool and United over the past few years.

According to Daily Mail, the Blues won the race ahead of United and Liverpool after the 20-year-old decided that he wants to join manager, Maurizio Sarri’s men.

The report claimed that Chelsea are set to make an announcement next month for the youngster ahead of a summer switch.

The report also claimed that a transfer fee is yet to be agreed between Dortmund and Chelsea, but the deal is expected to be worth around £60million.

Meanwhile, Pulisic spoke last month that he would love to play in the English Premier League someday.

“England, the Premier League, is a league where lots of kids dream of playing so there is no reason why maybe one day I won’t play in the Premier League,” Pulisic said.

“As you can see, we are having a great year at Dortmund and I am enjoying every moment of that.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/16/epl-chelsea-beat-man-united-liverpool-signing-dortmund-star/

Only 10% of Manchester United’s dressing room still support manager Jose Mourinho, with the rest waiting for the club to sack him, the UK Sun reports.

Mourinho has endured a tumultuous third season at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils in sixth place, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Liverpool.

The Portuguese has had run-ins with Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Eric Bailly and Antonio Valencia already this season and is furious at the club’s board, for what he perceives as a failure to back him in the transfer market.

However, the Sun claims United’s 2-2 draw against Southampton at the start of the month, was a turning point for the squad.

They found themselves two down against Mark Hughes’ Saints and though they mounted a comeback, they failed to claim three points.

One senior star who still backs Mourinho, is said to have revealed the squad has now almost unanimously turned against him and believe he will be sacked.

His backroom staff are also said to have been irked by his behaviour and believe they will outlast him at Old Trafford. 

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/16/epl-manchester-united-players-waiting-mourinho-sacked/

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the success in the fight against corruption, insurgency and other security challenges.

In a congratulatory message to president Buhari on his 76th birthday on Saturday, the former leader praised the president for providing focused leadership and showing tremendous energy despite his age.

President Muhammadu Buhari will clock 76 on Monday 17, December, 2018.

IBB noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had been “an excellent role model to many young aspiring politicians and even to the not so young, because of the way and manner you have managed to sustain the survival of our country as an indivisible one nation albeit in the face of many daunting diversions.

“You achieved great success in the fight against corruption, terrorism and other forms of insecurity in addition to getting our country out of economic recession.

“It is heartwarming that at 76, in spite of the numerous onerous challenges of leadership, you have managed to remain focused and have shown tremendous energy and vibrancy in running the affairs of state with your acknowledged patriotism and commitment to serve our nation diligently with honesty and sincerity of purpose,” IBB said.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/16/ibb-praises-buhari-tackling-insecurity-challenges-despite-age/

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday declared that the war against Boko Haram “is a fight to the finish”.

Buhari made the declaration while addressing the extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin in Abuja.

The President lamented that the Boko Haram crisis had worsened the already bad situation in the Lake Chad region.

He lamented that the “Lake Chad region has suffered decades of neglect and poor infrastructural development.”

Stressing that the neglect has been worsened by Boko Haram attacks, Buhari called for cooperation from the leaders to tackle insurgency.

He stressed that “the time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end.”

Buhari urged the leaders to “remain resolute and committed in our collective efforts at attaining peace as well as eradicating terrorism and violent extremism from the sub-region”.

“The time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end.

“I am sure that this summit will take the right decisions in this regard. This is a fight to the finish. We must, and we will, by the grace of God, wipe out terrorism from our sub-region,” he said.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/15/buhari-talks-tough-says-war-boko-haram-fight-finish/

The U.S. has warned against violence during the February 2019 general elections in Nigeria, saying it will “remain intensely focused” on the elections in the coming months.

U.S. Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, Jr., stated this in his testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives, Sub-Committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organisations.

The title of the hearing was ‘Nigeria at a Crossroad: The Upcoming Elections’, which transcript was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York by the U.S. Department of State, on Friday.

Nagy shared many of the areas of concern that the legislators had voiced assuring that the U.S. was monitoring and messaging both publicly and privately – to mitigate a few key areas of risk that could jeopardise a free and fair process.

Some of the concerns included potential attacks on the legitimacy of INEC and the electoral process for political gain, intimidation and partisanship by security forces.

Others were heightened insecurity, terrorist attacks on elections institutions, or violence toward voters, observers, or electoral officials and an inability of large numbers of internally displaced persons or persons with disabilities to vote.

Voter suppression, the use of armed gangs for voter intimidation, and other drivers of electoral violence, including a lack of official condemnation of hate speech and disinformation; and wide-spread vote buying that challenges the integrity of the electoral process, were also raised.

“On Nov. 18, the start of official campaigning, our Mission in Abuja released a statement with 25 like-minded missions to express our desire to see free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections, specifically naming many of these concerns.

“I can assure you we will be watching closely for instigators of violence or those attempting to undermine the democratic process. Many of you have expressed particular concern about violence around these elections.

“I can tell you from my impressions during my travels and my previous service in Nigeria that I fear there will be some violence around these elections, as has been the case with previous elections.

“I do not anticipate large-scale nation-wide conflict, but rather localised violence. We are already seeing increased tensions and polarization as the election approaches.

“We assess that politicians are turning to narratives of identity politics in an attempt to improve their popularity, with potentially serious consequences for national unity.

“However, Nigeria’s political system and society have weathered such tensions before.”

Nagy underscored that the U.S. government took the risk of any loss of human life extremely seriously, adding, preventing electoral violence was one of the U.S. three main objectives for its diplomacy and programmes.

He said: “When I was in Nigeria, I asked officials from both major parties to sign pledges that their candidates would conduct peaceful campaigns, and both major candidates have now signed a peace pledge.

“In assessing potential ‘hot spots’ for violence, we look at places that are historically volatile around elections such as Rivers and Borno states.

“We look at states that are currently tense, especially if state-level politics are contentious like those in Benue, Plateau, as well as those in high-stakes locations with large populations such as Kano”.

Nagy said the U.S. regularly engaged with civil society organisations working in those ‘hotspots’ and support their peace building efforts.

According to him, the U.S. Agency for International Development programmes and the country’s public diplomacy campaigns also support peace campaigns across Nigeria, such as #VoteNotFight.

The U.S. envoy said through the Young African Leaders Initiative Network Nigeria campaign, Nigerians have made over 10,000 pledges to boost voter participation, reject violence, and vote with integrity.

“As I said in a speech in Nigeria, only the Nigerian people can determine lasting solutions and a path forward toward peace and stability.

“2019 will be a significant year for Nigerian democracy – it has been 20 years since the country returned to democratic rule and this election’s youngest voters have never known a Nigeria without democracy.

“The upcoming elections provide Nigerians an opportunity to shape their country and solidify its place as a democratic leader in Africa,” Nagy concluded.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the federal government had many times denounced hate speech and at a time wanted to declare it act against the state to act as deterrent.

Also early in the week, the major political actors committed to a violence-free polls by signing a peace accord in Abuja as was done in the 2015 general elections which the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of PDP lost to Muhammadu Buhari of APC.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/14/2019-election-u-s-warns-violence-nigeria/

The Federal Government is working toward early implementation of new minimum wage which has caused a lot of controversies in recent times, Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has said.

Mustapha made this known on Thursday in Abuja at the opening of a one-day symposium on the 25th anniversary of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) which has “Overcoming the Challenges of Compensation and Productivity in Nigeria” as its theme.

Represented by Mr Olusegun Adekunle, the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the SGF, the SGF said that the present administration was committed to the welfare of Nigerian workers.

He said “I wish to point out that the focus of the national minimum income wage is on government employees, this critical sector ought not to be left behind and nobody will be left behind.

“Such employees are also dominantly found in the informal sector and the small scale organisations.

“However, it is important to know that the revision of the minimum wage should be taken through due process and all key stakeholders carried along.”

Mustapha said that the pay relativity question could not be resolved without the development and implementation of a new job evaluation scheme.

He, therefore, urged the NSIWC to commence the process, adding that government had also observed that productivity needed to take the centre stage in wage determination.

He also urged the commission to leverage on the pilot schemes it was working on in collaboration with the National Productivity Centre to raise a production team in the public service.

The government scribe said that public office holders must bear in mind that remuneration packages for their various offices were appropriately spelt out in the law.

He added that it would be inappropriate for anyone to allow himself to be paid higher than what the law stipulates, noting that “any infraction reported by NSIWC in the course of carrying out its mandate shall be investigated and punished by the anti-graft agencies in future.”

According to him, government is concerned about the spate of strikes in the country as it affects the economy over the last decade, especially the public sector.

He called on labour unions to resist the urge to resort to work stoppages without exhausting alternatives and more peaceful options for conflict resolution.

He said that the Federal Government remained committed to the stability and development of the economy and service delivery to the public as stakeholders in the nation. (NAN)

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/14/minimum-wage-work-top-gear-early-implementation-sgf/

President Muhammadu Buhari is under intense pressure to sign the controversial Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill into law.

Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili yesterday joined those urging the President to have a rethink on his decision not to sign the document.

Both candidates spoke at the secretariat of the Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar National Peace Committee (NPC) in Abuja after signing the pact for all presidential candidates to make the 2019 hitch-free.

President Buhari last Friday returned the bill to the National Assembly without appending his signature. He told the lawmakers that his decision was in the best national interest.

It was the fourth time the President would return the bill after its passage by the Senate and the House of Representatives over what he observed as fundamental flaws.

House of Representatives Majority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila blamed the flaws in the bill on the National Assembly’s legal department.

To Atiku and Mrs. Ezekwesili, the President will be demonstrating his sincerity to conducting free and fair elections next year by signing the bill.

Atiku, a former vice president, expressed concern about the forthcoming elections, adding that the only way to ensure a free and fair polls is for the government to be fair to all political parties and stakeholders.

The PDP candidate vowed to play by the rules and remain committed to free, fair and credible elections.

His words: “We are committed to free, peaceful, fair and credible elections and we have always said that and we believe in that. I am a democrat. I was never converted. I fought the military to return this country to a democracy.

“However, the best way to guarantee peace in any election or any human interaction is to ensure manifest justice to all concerned.

“I am delighted that President Muhammadu Buhari has agreed to sign this peace accord. But we want to appeal to him to also sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill. Mr. President needs to understand that as long as he refuses to sign this bill, we will have doubts that this government is thoroughly committed to free, fair and credible elections.”

Gen. Abdulsalami apologised on behalf of the main opposition PDP for being absent at the Tuesday signing of the peace pact, stressing the commitment of everyone to the peaceful conduct of elections in 2019.

He said: “We are here to sign the peace accord. I must apologise for the PDP for not being able to attend that ceremony. In order to counter the saying that the PDP boycotted this signing of the peace accord, I spoke to the PDP presidential candidate and party officials in order to disabuse the minds of our people and to make Nigerians aware that everybody involved in this project cares for peace and wants a peaceful election.

“It was not only PDP that was not there yesterday (Tuesday). One or two parties were also not there.”

PDP’s National Chairman Uche Secondus also signed a portion of the peace accord document.

Mrs Ezekwesili, after signing the pact, urged President Buhari to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill without delay.

At the ceremony was the Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Richard Young.

Dr. Ezekwesili said the President cannot rush to sign the peace accord and still refuse to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018.

She said: “The first thing that the President needs to do in order to build trust among all candidates is to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018 into an Act.

“Because he has not done that, I find it very strange that he quickly was at the event yesterday (Tuesday) to sign the peace accord.

“It is contradictory. He needs to be exemplary in all the things that he does. He cannot confuse the system by taking one measure that mill out another measure. That is not the way to go,” the former Education minister said.

On why she did not sign the agreement on Tuesday, Mrs. Ezekwesili said there was no communication and could not have been at an event when she had no communication.

Speaking earlier, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah apologised for the inability of some candidates to sign the agreement on Tuesday, even as he maintained that the NPC had at its disposal, documentary evidence of the invitation of all candidates.

He said: “Our doors are open and we are really very sorry for whatever may have happened, but we have documentary evidence that we did send out our communication to the offices of all the 91 political parties and we have evidence that our correspondences were received.”

The peace accord document, read by the Director of the Kukah Centre, Fr. Atta Barkindo, stipulates that political parties pledge to run issue-based campaigns at national, state and local government levels.

“In this, we have pledged to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious incitement, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by ourselves and by all agents acting in their names; party, any public statements, pronouncements, declarations or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence, before, during and after the elections.”

It reads in part: “We, the undersigned presidential candidates of the under-Iisted political parties for the forthcoming elections in February 2019 have attended a one-day Conference in Abuja under the auspices of the NPC.

“In the course of the Conference, we listened and discussed extensively on the need to ensure that we politicians create a favourable and conducive environment for the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

“Furthermore, we discussed the theme of Trust as a key ingredient in the conduct of our affairs. In the end, we have resolved to adopt the same principles that guided the very successful 2015 elections and therefore commit ourselves to the following;

“To commit ourselves and political parties to the monitoring of the adherence to this Accord by a National Peace Committee made up of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders.

“To support all institutions of government, including INEC and the security agencies, to act and be seen to act with impartiality

“To forcefully and publicly speak out against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence whether perpetuated by our supporters and/or opponents.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/13/sign-electoral-amendment-bill-now-atiku-ezekwesili-tell-buhari/

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Peace Accord ahead of the general elections in 2019.

The President joined other presidential candidates in forthcoming polls to sign the agreement on Tuesday at a ceremony in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Some of the items on the accord include running an issue-based campaign, and refraining from speeches that would incite violence.

The accord also entails the candidates to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free and fair process, among others issues.

President Buhari was accompanied to the event by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.

However, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and that of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, were among prominent candidates absent at the signing ceremony.

The Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, and former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, urged various candidates to shun violence and support a peaceful exercise.

A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi Adeyeye, also admonished the candidates to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner.

Two similar agreements were signed in 2015, which required the candidates to avoid any act that may lead to the outbreak of violence, before, during and after the election.

•Sourced from a Channels TV report

• President Buhari signs the peace accord ahead of the coming elections at an event in Abuja on December 11, 2018.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/12/atiku-ezekwesili-absent-as-buhari-and-other-candidates-sign-peace-accord/

Senate Tuesday had a hectic time at plenary over the confirmation of nominees for appointment as chairman and members of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, as well as members of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

This is because most lawmakers from the South East geopolitical zones accused the presidency of exclusion and marginalization of the zones in most federal appointments.

They also alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari has been breaching the provisions of the principle of Federal Character as enshrined in the constitution against the zones.

The rowdy session was sequel to the contribution from senator Victor Umeh representing Anambra Central on the report of the Senate committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes for subsequent confirmation.

Umeh asked that the confirmation be stepped down and sent back to the presidency for reconsideration on the premise of the observations.

Umeh in his explanation specifically raised an objection to the confirmation of the nominees. He affirmed that the nominees did not reflect the federal character principle as provided by the constitution on section 14c.

He pointed out that the EFCC was made up of six members namely the chairman, secretary and four other members.

He said, “On the basis of equity and compliance with the Federal character principle. Following that one member of the commission must come from each geo-political zone without any controversy. Already we have the chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu from the northeast. Also, secretary of the commission came from the south-west and was confirmed two weeks ago.

“Today, the four members that will complete the total members. Yet, one nominee called Adeleke Adebayo Rafiu is from the south-west. And another nominee called Lawan Mamman is from the northeast.

“So, I consider this to be wrong. This is because the South-South and South-East have no nominees.

“If we go ahead to confirm them, it will amount to a miscarriage of justice”.

However, this situation resulted in a shouting match as debate degenerated into party lines that led the plenary dissolving into a committee of the whole.

But eventually, the Senate dissolved into executive session and resolved to step down the confirmation for further legislative action.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/11/senate-confirmation-of-efcc-icpc-nominees-suffer-setback-over-alleged-exclusion-marginalization/

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, on Monday alleged that the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have listed critical players in opposition including himself, the PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar, his Vice Peter Obi, the Senate President Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, other top party leaders and their associates for arrest on frame up crimes.

The PDP National Chairman came hard on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, saying that he has made himself a willing tool to carry out the APC script on how to cage and crush PDP.

“The country is in a keg of a gunpowder at the moment as a result of your hatchet job for the ruling government and I warn you to get away from this illegitimate job of using instruments of state to harass and intimidate opponents,” Prince Secondus said in a statement through his Media Office signed by his Media Adviser Ike Abonyi.

He said that available intelligence shows that former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio are presiding over clandestine meetings and developing strategies for the APC which is aimed at freezing critical leaders of the opposition.

He said that aside arrest and detention of opposition leaders, their family members and business associates have been lined up for intimidation and harassment including freezing their business interests and their bank accounts.

Secondus described as an afterthought fabrication, the EFCC denial that the son of the PDP Presidential Candidate was not the target in the raid of an apartment housing him in Abuja insisting that the game plan privy to the party was clear on who was the ultimate target.

Prince Secondus reminded Nigerians that these acts of impunity is in continuation of the embarrassment they caused our Presidential candidate and former Vice President of this country on Novemeber 11, 2019 when he was thoroughly searched at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by operatives of the state on his return from overseas on November 11, 2018.

“After that embarrassment and harassment which was aimed at intimidating the candidate and nothing incriminating was found on him, no apology was extended to him as a former number two citizen.

“They followed it up with the freezing of the Bank account of our Vice Presidential Candidate as well as that of his friends and family members as part of a large scheme to keep the party distracted from its focus of regaining power in 2019.”

According to the script, “PDP will be brought to their knees so that by January they would be finally grounded with their leaders framed up and put behind bars,” Secondus said.

He said that in the script, APC and the Federal Government believe that the party can only bark and not bite as observed in the case of Osun and Ekiti states while indeed they are set and determined for the worse rather than lose the election.

Prince Secondus warned that “while PDP believes and cherishes all ingredients of democracy including the rule of law, it cannot guarantee any situation that aims at cowing the opposition and thwart the will of the Nigeria people.”

He chided “Magu and other characters of his type who are willing to assist the APC in undermining democracy, to look back at history and know that the consequences are always not palatable.”

The PDP National Chairman called on “all lovers of democracy and rule of law especially international community to rein in President Buhari, Magu and the APC to observe the tenets of democracy that respects the sanctity of the opposition and human rights.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/11/atiku-obi-secondus-saraki-dogara-listed-for-arrest-pdp-%e2%80%a2says-families-and-associates-also-targeted-tinubu-akpabio-co-ordinating-plot/

A chieftain of the Kwankwassiyya Group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano, Brigadier-General Idris Bello Danbazzau (rtd), has defected to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

Danbazzau, who is an ardent follower of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, on Monday declared his loyalty and support to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration, in a mini-rally that took place at the Kano Pillars’ stadium in Sabon Gari.

He defected along with hundreds of his supporters.

According to him, “we have decided to come back home. We have decided to embrace APC because of the kind of injustice meted out to us in the Kwankwassiyya Movement and the PDP.

“We have come to appreciate the good work being done by our leader and Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. We have decided today to be part of the progressives, because we don’t want to be left out in this project to take Kano to greater heights.”

In his address, Governor Ganduje commended Danbazzau and his teeming supporters for the bold step, pointing out that, “today, you have seen the light and we are happy to welcome you back. Together we shall achieve victory for the development of our dear state.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/10/2019-kwankwassiyya-leader-dumps-pdp-for-apc/

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday ordered the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and all relevant security agencies to henceforth strictly enforce the provisions of the State traffic laws to bring about sanity on the roads.

The Governor also ordered the State Attorney General and the Ministry of Justice to immediately increase the number of Mobile Courts in the State to twenty to summarily prosecute traffic offenders to serve as deterrent to others who might want to indulge in the violation of traffic laws.

Speaking to reporters after a strategic session with LASTMA leadership and heads of other security agencies in the State at LASTMA head office in Oshodi to address the traffic situation and the unfortunate killing of a LASTMA officer last week, Governor Ambode said the State Government would not fold its arms and allow the violation of the laws, hence the decision to order enforcement of the laws with immediate effect.

“For Lagosians, it is very clear that government will not continue to fold their arms and allow our officers to continue to be in areas of danger. First, I will appeal to all of you that we must obey traffic laws. Secondly, we cannot turn this state into a state of lawlessness. So, from this moment onward, all our security agencies and also all the officers that are concerned have been directed to discipline any traffic offender that is arrested.

“Government will go down and deal squarely with any traffic offender from this moment onward. We cannot allow people to continue to commit offences for which we need to discipline for. We don’t want people to take advantage and say this is Christmas or election period, we have majority of our people to protect and we have the majority of our people to also make sure that they use the roads safely. So, we will not allow traffic offenders to go scot-free anymore,” Ambode said.

The Governor added that aside the Mobile Courts, Police officers have been increased to patrol the nook and cranny of the State to ensure security and free-flow of traffic.

According to him, “We have also directed the Attorney General and also the Ministry of Justice to increase the number of Mobile Court to twenty immediately and traffic offenders will be tried instantly on the spot and where the case is that we might not allow offenders to take that option of fine, we will send them to community service or make sure that our Magistrates take the hardest part of the options so that they will act as deterrent to others that are complying with the rules and regulations of traffic and everything that we have on the roads, as we proceed.

“I want to also let Lagosians understand that we have increased the number of police officers that we have deployed to all the nooks and crannies of the State and we assure everybody that we will enjoy a crime-free holiday and also a crime-free elections in this State, while police officers have also been directed to compliment the efforts of traffic officers and also to ensure that the streets are safe and everybody that is law abiding goes about his or her business without any fear and molestation,” he said.

While commiserating with LASTMA over the killing of one of its officers, Mr Rotimi Adeyemo, Governor Ambode said the incident was one too many, revealing that a total of 18 officers were lost to such unfortunate situations, and 24 permanently incapacitated in various hospitals in the last one year.

“Just last week, we lost one of our LASTMA officers in the person of Rotimi Adeyemo who met his untimely death while controlling traffic. So, I have come here on behalf of government to commiserate with all the LASTMA officers in their office. Now, I want Lagosians to understand something and that is as at today, we have lost eighteen LASTMA officers while performing their lawful duty on behalf of the State, and another twenty-four are permanently incapacitated in various hospitals just this year alone as I speak.

“We have not been churning out this data just because we believe Lagosians will understand that these men and women that we put on the line of duty are harmless and they don’t have anything to protect them than just traffic laws which they are enforcing.

“This is a sober moment for us but again I need to encourage and further appeal to all our law enforcement officers, most especially LASTMA officers that this government is with them and we would do everything to protect their lives and also create an atmosphere to allow them to do their work properly,” the Governor said, just as he announced the approval of N10million compensation to the family of the deceased officer.

Also, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal said the synergy between security agencies and traffic officers would now be intensified to ensure that they are safe and they work longer periods, just as he urged Lagosians to continue to be law abiding and promptly report any security breach around them.

Among those who attended the meeting are heads of all security agencies, members of the State Executive Council, CEO of LASTMA, Chris Olakpe; General Manager of the agency, Mr Olawale Musa; Chairman, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, DIG (retd) Israel Ajao; Lagos State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Mr. Hyginus Omeje; State Commander, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, Mr. Tajudeen Balogun among others.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/10/gov-ambode-orders-strict-enforcement-of-traffic-laws/

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has said the 2019 presidential election will be won and lost based on the capacity, performance and incompetence of the candidates rather than sentiments as was the case in 2015. According to the forum, the ideal Nigerian president should be a patriot, committed nationalist, bridge-builder and unifier of all Nigerians, irrespective of tongue, tribe and religion.

Speaking with journalists in his Arewa Farms in Zaria yesterday, convener of the forum, Prof Ango Abdullahi, also revealed that power brokers in the North will not support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election in the 2019 polls because he has woefully failed to address abject poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

He said, “No one should take the North for granted, and it is not for sale. The North will no longer vote based on sentiments. It will resist shedding its blood for any candidate, and will critically scrutinise all politicians who have betrayed the hopes and mandates of our people. “They should be prepared to suffer rejection, in the same manner the votes of the North rejected the attempt to continue with impunity, corruption and indifference of the Jonathan administration,” Prof Ango warned”.

On the kind of presidential candidate Nigerians should vote for in 2019, Abdullahi who will clock 80 years on December 13, 2018 said, “The ideal presidential candidate for 2019 should be a patriot, a committed nationalist, a bridge-builder and unifier of all Nigerians.

“He must believe in, and must have demonstrated in practical terms, a strong commitment to the principles of our common humanity and the transformation of our diversity into sources of strength. “He must inspire, by personal disposition, the confidence and trust of all Nigerians that they can expect fair and just treatment and leadership that is inclusive of all sections and interest”.

On why the forum are against Buhari’s re-election, Abdullahi stated categorically that President Buhari has fallen short of the expectations of Nigerians, especially the Northern elite on whose back he rode to power in 2015 after 12 years of failed attempts. He said, “It is unfortunate that most supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari, including the president himself, think that he won the 2015 presidency because of what they described as ‘Buhari Magic.’

If Buhari had any magic at all, how come he could not win the presidency in 2003, 2007 and 2011? For 12 years, he failed to make it to Aso Rock, until we rallied round him and helped him to power in 2015. “I, Prof Ango Abdullahi, stuck out my neck for Buhari’s cause. I was nearly killed for my support for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

I was attacked in Bauchi and nearly got killed. There were 11 bullet holes in my Jeep. The Late Maitama Sule, I and other Northern elders of like minds tried to advise him, but he arrogantly ignored us. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed was the one who took our advisory letter to him.

And even after he followed up with another copy of the letter after the President claimed to have forgotten receiving any such letter, we never got any response from till date”. Abdullahi said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the 2015 general elections basically because its leadership reneged on the agreement of eight-year tenure for the South and eight years for the North. He continued: “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo served eight years; and then it was the turn of the North. He made an attempt at a third term, but we fought him vehemently and he failed. He then brought Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

He spent three years in office and died. Initially, we didn’t want his choice, but the late Sunday Awoniyi pleaded with us to give Yar’Adua a chance and we rallied round him. “The Constitution says the vice president should step and complete the tenure in the event that the president dies. Ideally, the PDP leadership need not argue that it was indeed the turn of the North. “And then Goodluck Jonathan was allowed to contest the 2011 presidential election.

The argument was that it was about Nigerian president and not a Northern president. There was no quarrel. But when towards the end of Jonathan’s first tenure he said he was not aware of any power shift in the PDP, it became a serious problem. And this was what eventually led to the defeat of the party in 2015”. Abdullahi further maintained that the Northern elite believe that only the candidate that can measure up and is clearly capable of meeting the very high demands of leadership with personal integrity, unblemished record of selfless service, sound health and commitment to Nigeria’s unity and survival should be trusted with the leadership of the country in 2015.

He lamented that under President Buhari, Nigeria’s economy is characterised by significant loss of output, massive youth unemployment, a rising level of poverty, instability and irregular migration of skilled and unskilled labour, a situation he described as a national embarrassment and a disgrace to a country that is endowed with abundant resources.

He said another four years of Buhari administration would be catastrophic with the current government’s unprecedented incompetence and enthronement of mediocrity in dealing with the horrendous spate of killings and general insecurity across the country. He warned that no Northern politician, including the president who is seeking re-election, should expect to be voted in the 2019 general election unless they demonstrate a willingness to champion a massive assault on poverty and underdevelopment in the North.

“All political office holders from the North are, hereby, served notice that they have failed the test to lead the region towards economic recovery and growth”, he added.

Our sister publication, LEADERSHIP, had reported last Wednesday that members of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Tuesday sang discordant tunes on the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari. While some members, led by zonal conveners, Sani Zangon Daura (Danmasanin Daura) and Maj-Gen Paul Tarfa; and director of Logistics, Capt Bashir Sodangi, had dismissed claims of a search for President Buhari’s replacement in the North and threw their weight behind his second term bid, others on the side of the convener of the forum, Prof Abdullahi, vehemently opposed the president’s re-election.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/09/2019-north-will-not-vote-on-sentiment-says-elders-forum/

Tiger Woods has given the strongest indication yet that he will tee it up as a rare playing captain in the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

Woods (United States) and fellow golf great Ernie Els (Internationals) were earlier this year announced as captains for the biennial event, to be held in Melbourne next December.

But 14-time Major winner Woods has declared he will accept the role of playing skipper — which has happened just once — if he is to earn automatic qualification for what will be a star-studded American team.

“If I am part of the top eight, yes, I will play,” Woods told AAP in Melbourne.

U.S. team standings are calculated from FedEx Cup points accrued on the PGA Tour during a weighted two-year period leading up to the Tour Championship. Both teams will have eight qualifiers and four captain’s picks, with the U.S. likely to feature superstars Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and three-time Major champion Brooks Koepka.

Although his stunning injury comeback has him ranked No. 14 in the world, a 10-month surgery hiatus last year means Woods sits 16th on the U.S. team standings.

“It’s still a year out from the event,” he said.

But eight-time Cup veteran Woods also has the option to select himself.

The 42-year-old hinted he would remind the team of his Presidents Cup credentials – owning the tournament record for most points (six) won in singles matches.

“If I’m not (a qualifier), it’s up to myself, the vice captains and the players (to determine) who we round out the team with,” Woods said.

“If we think it’s me, then how I can I best serve this team?

“Is it playing or just captaining? We’re going to figure that out when it’s time.”

Only three-time major winner Hale Irwin has played the Cup as a captain when he performed dual roles in the inaugural 1994 event.

Woods, who claimed his 80th career PGA Tour victory in September, is in Melbourne on a promotional trip for next year’s competition.

He made his Cup debut at Royal Melbourne in 1998 – the only edition the Internationals have won.

Woods also played the 2011 Cup at Royal Melbourne and said the iconic Melbourne sandbelt course hadn’t changed in the seven years since he last visited Australia.

“It really hasn’t; it looks about the same,” Woods said.

“(Royal Melbourne) is one of the most unique courses you can play; it’s so short, so fast and so tricky.

“But it’s always been one of my favourite (trips) to come down here because we don’t often get chances to play venues like this.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/08/tiger-woods-eyes-role-in-presidents-cup/

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has reacted to the defection of Lagos State Commissioner for Energy, Olawale Oluwo.

The party accused Oluwo of serial opportunism despite the faithfulness of the party to him.

The APC said this in a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Joe Igbokwe on Thursday.

“It is on record that Oluwo first made an attempt to reap from the challenges of internal party democracy in our progressive movement when he teamed up with one of the losers in the 2007 primaries of the Action Congress to stop Babatunde Fashola’s sure victory at the polls. The unfortunate political adventurism failed woefully.

“However, in the conventional demonstration of mercy and forgiveness, Oluwo’s principal, Sen. Tokunbo Afikuyomi was accommodated in the second term cabinet of Governor Babatunde Fashola as the Commissioner for Tourism.

“A similar milk of mercy and kindness led to the consideration Of Oluwo as a member of the Lagos State Executive Council under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the hope that he has purged himself of opportunism, disloyalty and vaulting desperation for power.

“Oluwo had hardly resumed as the Commissioner when he began his plot to use that office to advance his quest for political fiefdom. The object of his ambition was the positioning of his wife as the chairman of a local government.

“However, alert party men and women raised alarm about his anti-party antecedents wondering why someone who recently joined the party would want to use his position as commissioner to impose his wife on the constituency.

“The party rank and file aborted this abuse of power and reckless peddling of influence and everybody thought the lesson had been learnt. He, apparently, had not.

“As soon as the procedures for the general elections began, Oluwo once again became the only commissioner to seek his wife as the member of House of Assembly for Eti- Osa.

“By now the pattern of his ambition had become clear. The intrigue that enabled him to make his wife the first- term commissioner’s wife to become the chairperson of the committee which organised the annual National Women Conference became clear. It was meant to achieve undeserved visibility.

“This obnoxious attempt to deceive party members was again foiled and it is the aggravated frustration that has led to this defection.

“It has been necessary to put this in true context so as to dismiss the false and capricious insinuation that his resignation was in principled objection to the party’s last primaries. Far from it.

“He was only playing true to type, seeking as he had done in 2007 to reap from the primaries.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/07/2019-election-apc-reacts-to-defection-of-gov-ambodes-commissioner-oluwo-to-pdp/

The Nigerian Senate on Thursday urged the Federal Government to direct all concerned agencies to pay the subsidy arrears as approved by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and passed by the National Assembly within two weeks.

The upper chamber also asked the oil marketers to rescind their 7-day ultimatum for government to look into their demand in line with all outstanding liabilities and put an end to all subsidy claims.

It would be recalled that oil marketers had last Sunday gave the Federal Government seven-day ultimatum to settle outstanding debts totalling N800 billion, failing which depots would cease operation across the country.

And the lingering delay in the payment of the arrears have increased the debt from about N249 billion to one trillion naira between June 2017 to date and would continue to increase due to bank interest charges and forex.

But the resolutions of the upper chamber followed an adopted motion, entitled ‘Urgent Need to avert looming crisis in fuel supply due to non-payment of approved subsidy arrears to oil marketers’ sponsored by senator Kabir Garba Marafa representing Zamfara Central with other twenty-six senators as co-sponsors.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/06/oil-marketers-ultimatum-senate-urges-fg-to-pay-subsidy-arrears-in-two-weeks/

Reno Omokri, former New Media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has reacted to the joke made by American popular comedians, Jimmy Kimmel and Trevor Noah, on President Muhammadu Buhari being ‘cloned’ and replaced by ‘Jubril of Sudan’.

Buhari had been subject of media speculations for some weeks after the pro-Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in his message to world, said President Buhari was ‘dead’ and has been replaced by a double, Jubril Aminu Al-Sudani.

However, President Buhari himself told the Nigerian community in Poland that he was the real deal and not a clone.

Meanwhile, in a viral video of American late-night show, aired on ABC news in the US, Kimmel cracked jokes about Buhari being perceived as dead and cloned.

His colleague, Trevor Noah also joined him on stage as they mocked speculations around the president.

Reacting to the video, Omokri tweeted in condemnation of the jokes on Buhari, stating that the president has turned himself into the butt for international joke.

Omokri wrote: “Find me someone who does not matter. Like the President of Nigeria”.

“What this video. This is an exact quote. First it was CNN. Then Jimmy Kimmel. Now it is Trevor Noah.

“Sad that Buhari has turned himself and his government into an international JOKE!”

VIDEO: https://twitter.com/renoomokri/status/1070670532641619968

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/06/jubril-of-sudan-omokri-reacts-as-kimmel-noah-mock-buhari-cloning/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a N1.4 billion fraud charge against the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), at the the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Justice Muslim Hassan fixed December 10, 2018 for the EFCC to arraign Usoro.

The anti-graft agency, in a charge marked FHC/418c/18, alleged that Usoro, from Akwa Ibom, converted and laundered the money in connivance with the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

The charge sheet, signed by EFCC Counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, did not list Emmanuel as a defendant.

The EFCC indicated that he is “currently constitutionally immuned against criminal prosecution”.

It did, however, mention four other defendants.

They are: Nsikan Nkan, described as Commissioner for Finance, Akwa Ibom State; Mfon Udomah, described as the Accountant-General of Akwa Ibom State; Uwemedimo Nwoko, described as the Akwa Ibom State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; and Margaret Ukpe, all of whom are said to be at large.

The commission alleged that Usoro, in connivance with the others mentioned, conspired to commit the offence “sometime in 2015 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court”.

The anti-graft agency claimed that the N1.4bn belonged to the Akwa Ibom State Government.

According to Oyedepo, the offences were contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/06/efcc-charges-nba-president-with-n1-4bn-fraud/

Alhaji Idris Mamman, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State on Tuesday, filed a case before in a Federal High Court, Maiduguri, seeking the nullification of the governorship primary election in the state.

Mamman prayed the court to nullify the nomination of Prof. Babagana Umara-Zulum as the party’s governorship candidate, NAN reports.

Those joined in the case with file Number: FHC/MG/CS/55/2018; are the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a five-point originating summons filed before the court, the plaintiff prayed for the cancellation of the election conducted on Sept. 30; arguing that election was conducted without the participation of lawful delegates.

Mr Ibrahim Bawa, the lead counsel to the plaintiff, said that non-delegates participated in the process which was illegal, unlawful, void and null.

Mamman prayed for an injunction restraining the APC from recognising the second respondent as its governorship candidate on the basis of the purported election.

He prayed for an order to declare the plaintiff winner having scored the highest votes in the election.

Speaking to newsmen after filing the summons, Bawa told newsmen that the plaintiff challenged the decision of the APC to submit the names of the second respondent as its governorship candidate in view of gross malpractice and irregularities in the conducted of the election.

“As far as my client is concerned, he won the primaries, in spite of the fact that there were other grounds based on which the primary election ought not to stand. We appealed to the APC committee which took decision adverse to our clients,” he said.

The counsel added that they had filed a counter affidavit before the court in response to the preliminary objection by the first and second respondents.

However, Mr Kahinde Elejah, the counsel to the first and second respondents, prayed the court to strike out the case, arguing that it lacks the jurisdiction to hear case.

Elejah said that the respondents in a preliminary objection asked the court to strike out the case, and also prayed for time extension to enable them to respond to the counter affidavit by the plaintiff.

Trial judge, Justice Jude Dagat, ordered the parties to serve all processes before the court before its next sitting and adjourned the case until Jan. 17. for hearing.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/12/04/apc-chieftain-asks-court-to-cancel-borno-governorship-primary/

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said it has received over 600 bids submitted by firms seeking to secure contract to insure the corporation’s oil and non-oil assets.

Speaking at the opening of bids for Insurers and Brokers for NNPC Oil and Non-Oil Assets and Liabilities for the year 2018/2019 in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said the value of the oil assets to be insured runs into billions of dollars while the non-oil assets are almost about a trillion naira.

Baru said the public opening of bids has become part of the corporation’s tradition aimed at promoting transparency, and in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate for transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.

“Last year we had over 500 and this year we have received over 600 bids. This multiplicity of bidders has helped us year-in-year-out over the past three years to save premiums of over $30m to the corporation,” the GMD said.

“When this administration came on board, the premiums being charged were over $60 million but we have succeeded in bringing it down to a little over $40 million,” Baru added.

When asked why NNPC was accused of being too opaque despite its efforts to open up its activities, Baru said as chief executive of the corporation, he had learned that a lot of people do not know what NNPC is all about.

“In terms of transparency and accountability, I can guarantee you that there is no other government agency that is more open than us. We are the first government agency, maybe the only one that is still publishing its account on monthly basis and unfailingly. That is the uppermost point of transparency,” Baru said.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/11/30/nnpc-over-600-firms-jostle-for-assets-insurance-contract/

The continued detention of over 30 traders from Nnewi market by the Anambra State Police Command following the clash on Friday between the police and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has led to a total shutdown of businesses in Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state.

IPOB members had gathered at the Nkwo market arena in Nnewi, wielding placards and Biafran flags to celebrate the reappearance of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, when police stormed the place, leading to a fracas.

Subsequently, the police claimed that a police Inspector was killed in the process.

Though, IPOB dismissed the claim as false, the police made a mass arrest of people they claimed were IPOB members.

As a result of the mass arrest, eight major markets in the industrial city of Nnewi was on Tuesday shut down, leading to complete paralysis of business and economic activities

The traders numbering over 10,000 traders, whose shops were under lock and key demanded for an unconditional release of their members, insisting that they were not members of the pro-Biafran group as labelled.

Chairman of Agboedo Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association (AMSPDA), Chief Gabriel Chibueze, who took journalists round the market to show them the shops of the arrested members, insisted that the detained persons were traders.

He noted that the arrested traders could not have been involved in the crisis, adding that the location the protest took place was off from the location of the market.

He said: “We invited the press to help us tell the whole world that the arrest ed persons were not members of the IPOB. They are genuine traders doing their legitimate business.

“The place the protest took place is far from the market. In order to ensure the fracas doesn’t escalate to the market, we the executive closed down all entrances leading to the market while our members continued their business.

“Suddenly, we saw a combined team of Police and army who broke the gate of the bank in the market and started beating our members. They arrested both masters and their apprentices.

“We quickly rushed to the Area command where we made a complaint but the Area Commander turned down our complaint, saying we will put him in trouble.”

Chibueze revealed that the initial number of traders arrested were forty-three, adding that only thirty-three of them were later paraded by the police two days later.

He vowed that until their colleagues were unconditionally released immediately, that the market would remain under lock and key.

The Chairman appealed to Nnewi Police Area Commander, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, the Inspector General of Police, and Governor Obiano to order the immediate release of the Nnewi traders.

He added: “If they are not released, shutting down of the market would be extended to the state and the entire South East.”

On his part, the chairman, Nnewi North Local Government Area, Prince Chukwudi Orizu, said he was nearly slain by a live bullet in the cause of the fracas.

“The arrested persons are genuine traders. It’s a very bad thing for the state. We are losing a lot especially in view of the Christmas season when shopping is at its peak. It’s not a good image to see all the market in Nnewi shut down,” he said.

In his reaction, the commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Dr. Christian Madubuko, said that efforts were on to ensure normalcy returns to the market.

He described the incident as unfortunate, saying: “It is very unfortunate at what is happening here. We don’t encourage violence of any sort.

“I was here yesterday for hours and met with the market leaders, dialoguing and seeking for solution to the problem. I went from shop to shop and from the way they spoke, the traders are bitter, especially the women whose husbands were arrested. I consoled with them.”

While stating that it was not his place to determine who was at fault in the fracas, the commissioner maintained that the arrested traders were innocent of the crime they were incarcerated for.

His words: “I can speak authoritatively that the people arrested here are genuine traders. While we seek a solution, I appeal to traders to calm down.

“The State Government is on it and I can assure you that with the sagacity of our governor and AMATA leadership, we’ll come out with a positive report that everyone will be happy about.

“We won’t let Nnewi people down and the economy of the state, because this place means a lot to the state and shutting it down, is already dealing with the state. That’s exactly what we want to prevent. We don’t want this to go further.”

One of the affected traders, Deacon John Obiagwu, who spoke with News Express, said two of his boys were among those arrested by the police.

He said: “We were packing our goods when the police together with the army stormed the market. They pointed gun at me and I joined others to run for my life.

“They forced my shop open and saw my wife, a woman with a baby and my two boys. It was the cry of the baby that attracted them to my shop.

“They ordered my wife and a lady to hands up before they took my boys away.

“I’m still in shock as I speak with you because this is the first time I’m seeing this type of thing since over twenty years I started trading.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/11/28/ipob-vs-police-businesses-paralysed-in-nnewi-over-traders-detention/

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stressing that Nigeria will not return to the era of greed and selfishness.

The former governor of Lagos State made this remark while insisting that no party other than APC will rule in the South-West.

He said this during the inauguration of Gboyega Oyetola as the new Governor of Osun State in Osogbo, the state capital.

According to Tinubu, “I congratulate Rauf, he had a progressives’ mandate and did it well and renewed mandate and for eight years he successfully handled the administration and today he handed over to another progressives’ governor.

“Thank God for working the path. I want to say we have come together and want to say no shaking and no going back to the era of greed and selfishness that had held us back.

“We are not going back to the old foxes, scavengers. If they had done anything won’t President Muhammadu Buhari continue it? Look back to the 16 years and tell us what they have done.

“Oyetola, we salute you, and we want you to embark on the same path that has brought you. We are solidly with you; just give us a call and we will be with you. No any other party will rule here in the South-West.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/11/27/osun-era-of-selfishness-gone-no-party-other-than-apc-will-rule-in-south-west-tinubu/

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has assured Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Lobi stars of continuous support in order to have a strong developmental football growth in the state.

The governor, spoke at the Government House in Makurdi while receiving a trophy presented to him by the club who emerged as the Super Cup champions of Nigeria about a week ago.

Lobi Stars FC defeated Enugu Rangers by one goal to nil in Asaba, Delta State, to emerge Super Champions in a competition organized by the NFF .

He expressed the hope that the club would also emerge victorious in the CAF Champions League which commences in Yaounde, Cameroon today due to the team’s wonderful performances in the last football season.

He stated that the entire state was proud of Lobi Stars’ scintillating performance in football, stating that the victory had created a moment of joy for a people who had not known peace for a long time.

The state deputy governor and Chairman of Lobi Stars Football Club, Engineer Benson Abouno, characterized the victory to Governor Ortom’s commitment to the team, made references to financial motivations and prompt payment of salaries of the players.

He concluded by expressing his profound gratitude to God for the Laurel won, promising to do more to continue to make the state proud.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/11/27/ortom-assures-lobi-stars-of-continuous-support/

Amanda, Davido’s second baby mama, has reacted to a claim by Kemi Olunloyo who stated in an Instagram post that she has secretly gotten married to her baby daddy in America.

Kemi Olunloyo earlier wrote:

”Meet 26yo Mrs Amanda “Mandy” Adeleke. She was married to Davido this year secretly in America. She’s a beauty salon technician and expert in ladies lashes. From an average family, Davido spotted her on Instagram slaying and got in touch with her in the DM. The DM can be a lucrative place for lucky women. Amanda’s cousin told me that she won’t be caught dead being a single mother baby mama type and she told Davido to put the ring on it. At the same time OBO was going for that secret court wedding, he decoyed Chioma telling her that her visa was denied as Davido applies for visas for his entourage in groups visas. Why would they deny one and not the others. She was not meant to be on the trip. Mrs Adeleke threw a birthday dinner for Davido in Atlanta last week as her husband turned 26yo and Chioma was barred on that trip too. I was the first to tell you Chioma left Davido and Cable NG told you due to infidelity. He threatened to sue them. Mrs Amanda Adeleke is the mother of 18mos old Hailey Veronica at the end of my video. Mandy says she’s not married but my investigation and words with her cousin’s say otherwise. She just found out that nobody else can marry Davido LEGALLY on US soil and polygamy is illegal there. SHE IS NOT DAVIDO’S BABY MAMA. SHE’S JIS WIFE. Sophia and Ayo are baby Mama’s while dumb Chioma is a girlfriend. ��� He’s playing them all except Ayo who only wants her daughter fended for.”

Reacting to the report by Kemi Olunloyo, Amanda denied her claims and begged not to be tagged in fake news.

davido's second baby mama, amanda

However, Kemi Olunloyo fired back by saying she got her information from her cousins:

”Seems I just outed Mrs Amanda Adeleke����. She just posted on Snapchat that she’s not married and that it’s #fakenews. Mandy I’m talking to family members. Cousins are the best sources.

Chioma is just his lover. SMH.

Mrs Amanda Adeleke is the mother of 18mos old Hailey Veronica at the end of my video. Mandy says she’s not married but my investigation and words with her cousin’s say otherwise. She just found out that nobody else can marry Davido LEGALLY on US soil and polygamy is illegal there. SHE IS NOT DAVIDO’S BABY MAMA. SHE’S HIS WIFE. Sophia and Ayo are baby Mama’s while dumb Chioma is a girlfriend. ��� He’s playing them all except Ayo who only wants her daughter fended for.”

http://mcebiscoo.com/2018/11/26/davido-has-secretly-gotten-married-to-his-second-baby-mama-read/

Jose Mourinho has declared that Manchester United will be back in the Premier League’s top four by the end of 2018.

United host Crystal Palace on Saturday sitting in eighth place, seven points off Champions League places.

Although Mourinho acknowledges that is a “big gap,” he remains confident of climbing the table by January.

“I know it’s a big gap but I also know that until the end of December, if I’m not wrong, we have eight Premier League matches to play.

“Eight Premier League matches — we are speaking about 24 points, 24 points for us to fight for the other ones in the top four to fight for too, but I believe we are going to be there,” he told a news conference on Friday.

Mourinho will have Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini available, after they missed international duty with France and Belgium respectively.

http://www.mcebiscoo.com/2018/11/epl-mourinho-predicts-when-manchester.html

The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha and his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, have lost again in court.

An Imo State High Court yesterday upheld the prayers of the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, and quashed the gubernatorial primary held on October 6, 2018, by the Okorocha faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

Justice Kemakolam A. Ojiako Ojiako, who presided over the court, granted all the prayers sought by Prince Madumere, including the prayer that the October 1, 2018, APC primary election was credible, relevant and met the parameters for the exercise.

The Deputy Governor had urged the court to hold that the October 1, 2018, party primary was the only relevant and valid primary electioneering process, through which Senator Hope Uzodinma emerged winner.

The judge upheld that the judgement was based on the subsisting Order of the Court, granted by Abuja High Court, restraining the party from conducting any fresh primary elections until the determination of the matter before it over October 1, 2018 primary election

According to the judge, the defiance of the Agbakabia-led committee was only an effort in futility, if not an affront to the extant laws guiding court processes.

http://www.mcebiscoo.com/2018/11/apc-crisis-again-imo-deputy-governor.html

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has noted that former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to concede defeat after the 2015 presidential election brought Nigeria’s democracy to maturity.

Dogara stated this at the launching of the book “My Transition Hours” written by the former president.

Dogara also noted that the singular action brought honour to Jonathan and placed him among the rank of Africa’s statesmen.

He said, “In moments of difficulties, great uncertainty such as the presidential elections of 2015, it took only leadership for us to be able to renew our confidence in our political process.”

Dogara noted that the tension that the nation was under during the period which was fully doused when the then president Jonathan “decided, not out of compulsion but as has been amply testified to by the former president of Ghana, out of his own volition, to make that gracious call and I tell you, that gracious call conceding defeat was what changed the narrative of politics in Nigeria.”

He stated, “Your excellency, we celebrate you. Those who chose not to do what you did today are not being celebrated, as a matter of fact if they were to organise an event like this, nobody will even attend and I guess the high point would be the events in Cote d’ivoire involving Laurent Gbagbo and we all know where he is presently, where he has been confined to and that is lesson to anyone who will not want to follow this legacy of honour and dignity that you have established as a standard.

“We celebrate you today because your executive powers conferred you the authority to take a seat among the demagogues and the narcissists of Africa but you refused.

“You chose instead to take a seat at the table with all those statesmen of Africa and today, you are celebrated. That singular gracious call you put to your opponent was what brought our democracy to maturity and conferred legitimacy to our political process. Nobody ever is going to change that.

“We celebrate you today because by doing that you have brought honour to yourself and you have brought honour to all those that will identify with you.”

https://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/11/what-dogara-said-about-jonathan.html

Chairman of the Peoples party of Nigeria (PPN) in Ekiti State, Chief Dare Adekolu, has received about 1000 defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into his party.

Adekolu said the new members would not be discriminated against in the empowerment programme of the party.

He assured the new members that they would enjoy similar privileges with others, as well as be given equal opportunities as old members, hence their inclusion in ongoing enumeration exercise for the anticipated beneficiaries of the empowerment.

The PPN chairman spoke at Ise Ekiti, Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, while officially receiving the new members, who also on the occasion received PPN membership cards.

Adekolu told the new members: “The empowerment programme was designed to help alleviate the untold economic hardship that successive administrations in the state had put the people in. It is for members who are petty traders across Ekiti State just to cushion the effect of economic sabotage.

“It is just a way of lifting the society. We don’t have to wait until we get to government before we better people’s lot. It is to let our people know that we will do better when we get to government.”

Adekolu, who said the PPN was concerned about safeguarding the future of the younger ones with a view to building a Nigeria of the people’s dream, charged the members to be committed to the party’s ideals, vision and mission and as well spread the news of the “promising party”.

According to him, PPN carefully chose all its candidates including its presidential flagbearer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), “with sights on patriotic and selfless individuals who have sights on the development of the nation and their various constituents”.

Hon (Mrs) Ajibua Folasade Arike and Hon Akomolafe Ayodele, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said the failure of the governments of PDP and APC to make life better for the citizenry as a result of their ill-planned and lopsided socio-economic policies informed their decision to move to PPN, which they described as the hope of the masses.

https://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/11/2019-apc-pdp-lose-1000-members-to-ppn.html

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration is committed to national unity and religious harmony.

He urged Nigerians to embrace the effort.

He gave the assurance on Sunday during the 10th Anniversary of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) and N5bn launch of MUSWEN International Centre in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president’s message was read at the event by Mr Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education.

Buhari urged religious leaders to embrace religious tolerance to achieve peaceful co-existence and national unity, re-stating his administration’s commitment to religious harmony and national unity.

The president commended MUSWEN and its leaders for their contributions to national growth and development, saying the south west Muslim leaders were the most dedicated.

Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, also urged all to always extend hands of fellowship to others, irrespective of religious beliefs, ethnicity and status in the society.

He counseled Nigerians to eschew the use of foul languages on others even when they felt so much aggrieved, saying the nation could only achieve greatness through tolerance and unity of purpose.

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, in a keynote address entitled “Muslim Voice on Good Governance”, said the topic was timely considering the challenges facing the country.

He said that Islam and Muslim political heritage had profound principles, norms and practices for good governance, saying such predated modern democracy which was about 200 years.

“Muslims should be at the fore front in advocating and leading with examples in good governance.

“This has become necessary because our political culture has deteriorated and increasingly mercantile, where money is everything.

“This is responsible for bad governance that has characterised the polity, subverted development, perpetrated poverty as well as elicited the unending social conflicts.”

Sanusi said money-based politics would continue to fuel unprecedented corruption seen in the society today, saying pristine values as a people had been supplanted and the future thrown into jeopardy.

He urged all political, spiritual and traditional leaders to join hands in salvaging the polity from the danger posed by the current political culture.

According to him, “we have to take leadership seriously and cannot ignore centuries old wisdom which places high premium on leadership and criteria for shouldering responsibilities.

“The consequences of ignoring the standards are already showing and we must not wait until the bubble bursts. We cannot allow full reins to money politics and expect the eradication of corruption.”

https://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/11/buhari-sultan-sanusi-speak-on-nigerias.html