The Indigenous People of Biafra has dispatched petition to Am­nesty International over the arrest and detention of Radio Biafra director, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
This is coming at a time when Imo State Governor and Chairman of All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha said Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable.
It was gathered that IPOB submitted the peti­tion at the India office of Amnesty International.
Meanwhile, Okorocha, while condemning protest over Kanu’s arrest main­tained that the unity of the Nigeria is not negotiable, stressed that the agitation for Biafra was diversion­ary.
Okorocha said the pro­tests were highly regretta­ble “especially when it was clear that such violent pro­tests in the name of Biafra would not add any value to the development of the South-East and the progress of the people of the area.
“Governors and leaders of the South-East condemn the protests, especially when they were carried out in the name of Biafra. If a section of the people in the South-East or even the whole people in the geo-po­litical zone protest over the bad shape of federal roads or protest over total negli­gence of the geo-political zone, every governor and leader in the area would support that but not to pro­test over an issue that is nei­ther here nor there.
“The South-East is an integral part of Nigeria and the governors and lead­ers from the area so much believe in the unity of the country and would always work towards sustaining that unity. As far as the gov­ernors and leaders of the South-East are concerned, those behind the campaign for Biafra have their ulterior motive, which has nothing to do with corporate inter­est of Ndi-Igbo in Nigeria of our collective dream,” Okorocha said.
Okorocha, called on those behind the protests on the basis of Biafra to give peace a chance.
https://www.today.ng/news/27150/ipob-petitions-amnesty-intl-over-radio-biafra-directors-arrest-detention

A shocking footage has emerged on WSHH showing a woman who obviously got high on illicit drugs and then proceed to rip off her clothes.

The woman, who seems like she had lost her mind, was recorded playing with her private parts while speaking gibberish.
watch here>https://www.today.ng/entertainment/3741/incredible-woman-gets-high-strips-in-restaurant

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Former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has informed the Senate that he would not respond to the petition ‎written against his nomination as minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Amaechi anchored his decision not to respond to the petition on the ground that the matter on which the ‎petition was based was pending before the Appeal Court.
The letter which was signed by Amaechi’s lawyer‎, Edward E. Pepple‎, urged the Senate to protect Amaechi from being forced to comment on a matter that is pending before the courts.
The letter reads in part: “In the circumstances, we most respectfully urge the Distinguished Senate to invoke its powers and the Rules and Standing Orders of the Distinguished Senate to protect our client from commenting on the subject matter of the petition and any issues relating to or arising from the Judicial Commission of Injury and/or the purported White Paper issued thereto.
“We wish to reemphasis that our client is always ready, usually enthusiastic and desirous of defending himself at all times. However, we have implored and advised him that he is restrained at this time, most regrettably, from commenting on the content of that petition, which is the subject matter before the courts of law. He is therefore not in a position to respond to the petition, issue by issue before the Distinguished Senate.
“In the circumstance therefore, we urge you with utmost respect to discard the malicious petition intended to disparage and malign our client’s reputation and misrepresent him before the Distinguished Senators and the nation and create the wrong impression that our client is not a fit and proper person to occupy public office. He is a fit a proper person to occupy any position in this country. He is capable mentally and physically.”
Amaechi informed the Senate that the subject matter of the allegation raised in the petition led to the setting up of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry by the Rivers State Government to conduct an investigation and the subsequent release of a white paper by the same State government. According to him, the entire matter was before the Court.‎
The Senate had directed it’s ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions committee to investigate a petition presented to it by Senator George Sekibo, a Peoples Democratic Party from Rivers State on behalf of ‎a group called The Integrity Group. Sekibo, in submitting the petition before the Senate, had informed the Senate that the petitioners went into research and discovered that over N70billion was allegedly transferred from hard currency account to places outside the country by the Amaechi-led administration.
Sekibo continued: “ And a petition on this note was written to Mr President. I believe the President has not read it. If he has read it, he may not hurriedly nominate Rotimi Amaechi to be a minister. Amaechi is qualified to be a minister but when issues of corruption and fraud are openly x-rayed by people, it is necessary for Mr President to take a critical look and examine the allegations from these people whether they are true or not. Mr President is preaching about corruption, we applaud him for the corruption fight he is waging against whoever.
“So, if you are fighting against corruption, then there must not be any sacred cow. No matter how close a person is to you, if there are allegations about him, you must spend time to critically look at them whether there are truth about the allegations that have been so submitted. I am informed that this petition was forwarded to EFCC a month or two ago and I am also informed that the EFCC is also commencing to carry out investigation.
“So, why not allow this period to go over and allow them to do their investigation and come out with the result? It may be mere allegation but assuming they are true, now as a serving minister with a very big portfolio and EFCC is investigating you, can they get the result of what they are looking for? They will not get it. We are not stopping Mr President from appointing a Rivers man to be a minister; we will welcome it. There are many APC members who were not indicted or accused of such similar issues. So, we have not seen the haste in pushing Amaechi to be a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
https://www.today.ng/news/25494/amaechi-tells-senate-we-wont-respond-to-petition-against-him/

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says Nigeria must return to its strict tax policy which was applicable before the oil boom of the seventies as a way of getting out of the present crisis caused by a crash in the price of crude oil.
The Governor who said nobody is above taxation as even the President and Governors pay their taxes, said states and Federal Government must deepen their Internally generated Revenue base as this is what obtains in developed countries of the world.
Speaking during a visit to his office by Course 24 participants of the National Defence College, on a study tour of Edo State, on Friday, Oshiomhole said, “central to every debate to every country with mature democracy is the issue of tax payment. We have to find the courage to be firm and just and we have to give commensurate service.
“When I was growing up, the only thing we had was the Local Government Authority Primary school and everybody who was up to eighteen years and above paid a fixed tax. When villagers met at the village square to discuss and you made a bold statement, another villager would challenge tell to shut up because you had not paid your tax. He would tell you, don’t talk where men are talking because you had not paid your tax, that you are not a man.
“Villagers used to recognize that not to pay tax was not an option. And for you not to pay tax, you must show a certificate or evidence that you are ill or bed-ridden, and therefore you could not work.
“So even villagers were paying tax. So the school in my village, under Awolowo’s Free Education programme, it was free to the people, so it was free to the pupil but funded by adults who paid tax. And when the tax man was coming, if you had not paid your tax, you just found your way into the bush and once once you were arrested , they took you to the barracks and you were charged appropriately.
“Somehow, at the peak of our oil boom, this practice was abolished, and today if you go to my village, they have a very beautiful school, but only few people are paying tax.
How far can we continue like that? For me, this is a national issue that government has to address, not just about Edo but the whole nation whether we truly can have a functioning state where 90% of the people are outside the tax bracket but are entitled to facilities.
“Central to the political debate in every country is question of taxation. Who gets what? Are you going to collect more taxes from the rich or are you going to collect more taxes from the poor?
“In Edo State, one of the tasks we faced in the course of revenue generation was that many of my comrades in the Civil Service were not paying correct taxes. In fact, I stumbled into a circular in which one of my predecessors agreed under pressure that notwithstanding the law on pay as you earn, that people should pay 7% of their basic salary and I discovered that the three arms of governments were guilty of this; both the judiciary, the House of Assembly and of course the executive including Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and the entire Civil Service.
“My first task was to see that before we go out to ask other people to pay tax, we have to be on a stronger moral high ground to be able to do that beginning with ensuring that the executive arm pays correct taxes and this for many of my comrades in the Civil Service was not something they contemplated. In fact, they reminded me that when a comrade becomes a governor, they expected a tax free holiday.
“But a progressive government would ensure that taxes are paid, but it would be structured in such a way that the rich will pay more than the poor but everybody will pay something and it is the taxes collected from the rich that is used to provide a robust social safety net for those who are victims of so-called market forces and of competition.
“So tax, whether by government to the left or right are not contestable, they must be paid but who pays what is where the details lies and that is where the values of the government lies. So I am also proud to be able to say that whereas I cannot even say how many strikes I have organized in my life, but I can say without any fear of contradiction that I have never organized a strike against the payment of taxes because I understand the poor need taxes for the state to protect them and provide security.
“What Nigeria needs in terms of Internally Generated Revenue is to recognize that governance is about courage, about will and also about fairness. If you are going to apply the law, apply it without any discrimination.”
Earlier, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Real Admiral Samuel Alade said, “we have come around, we have seen for ourselves and for people like us who pass through this place at least once in six months, every time we pass through, we notice one change or the other.
“We want to commend you sir for this feat and we also want to thank you most sincerely for the support we have received since we arrived Edo State and want to ask for more because we know we will continue to have the interest in Edo State and any time we ask to visit Edo State for this kind of research work, we want to ask that you oblige us.
“The college objective primarily is to train middle level officers, colonels and even Civil Servants in the rank of Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and Directors as it were, to become strategic leaders. That is the job of the college so that we can contribute to the development of the nation.”
https://www.today.ng/news/25380/nigeria-must-return-to-strict-tax-policy-oshiomhole/

It would appear unfair to blame public opinion for the frenzy over the ministerial lists. This is how it has always been. Not this prolonged, maybe, but always contentious. A new government means that old positions have become vacant and new candidates must fill the vacancies. It’s a time when those who contested and won elective positions have to settle IOUs.
In parliamentary systems, the shadow cabinet ensures that the spoils are even shared in anticipation of victory. In our own system, our nanny state mentality ensures that we pile enough pressure on the incoming government, if need be, to rob the treasury to pay for our support and loyalty. And then, we turn around to complain.
At the federal level where there could be up to 1,500 vacancies, it starts with the appointment of ministers (including ministers of state), one each from the 36 states, and special advisers/assistants. Then, each minister appoints a dozen and a half special advisers and assistants and the special advisers and assistants appoint their own special advisers and assistants.
As appointments collide within the first few days of a new government, civil servants come up with very long lists – from furniture to stationery – of things that have to be thrown away and brand new ones that must replace them. Contractors trip over themselves for a share of the pie in the new regime. And the bazaar begins. For only 11 months when military head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar was in power between 1998 and 1999, Christopher Kolade reported that the government awarded contracts worth N635.62 billion.
And then we turn around to complain.
Within the first eight months of the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, he announced a budget of N4.22 trillion in 2011. That budget was far short of expected income by N1.4 trillion and the president knew. Yet, he didn’t give a damn. He had made up his mind – or his advisers had made it up for him – to borrow about N400 billion to finance consumption.
That, among other things, meant settling political IOUs.
In 2013, the office of the president, vice president and the secretary to the government of the federation budgeted N1.6 billion for “welfare”, yet this amount set aside for a few persons in the Presidency, Nigeria’s most expensive orphanage, excludes what was also reserved for the offices of other political office holders in that same budget.
Each new government turns on the tap, almost from the word go, and the first business of government is settling political IOUs through appointments, especially appointment of ministers.
We are not used to waiting for weeks, let alone months, for the appointment of political appointees who are supposed to hit the ground running with the business of dispensing favours.
Who really needs the ministers? Don’t get me wrong. I know they do more than noisemaking and awarding contracts. I also know that the constitution requires that ministers be appointed from each of the 36 states, and even if the constitution didn’t say so, common sense makes it a necessity.
What I don’t understand is why and how we have made political appointments so important that the contest for positions has become a matter of life and death. In a bid to either obtain the office or block those we do not like from obtaining it, nothing is spared. In his recent piece, poet and columnist, Ikeogu Oke, described it as “politics of attrition.”
Sure, we need quality people to lead and inspire us. But sometimes, opponents go to ridiculous levels to settle personal scores with nominees in the name of scrutiny. It’s amazing how we trash some of our best and brightest and yet mourn the scarcity of heroes.
Much of the noise over Buhari’s ministerial lists suggests a wrong and fruitless investment of time and energy. Ministers may satisfy ethnic or gender quota, but they do not create jobs. Ministers may award contracts to a few well-connected individuals, but they do not lift citizens out of poverty. Ministers may occupy positions of power and privilege, but that is not a guarantee of impact or service.
We have almost exhausted ourselves splitting hairs over the wrong lists. I think the list we should be more interested in is the entrepreneurs’ list – the list of disruptors, innovators and inventors. These are the ones who take risks, create jobs, solve problems, reinvent and secure our future, in spite of government and politicians.
Think about them. In January, one Mark Nwani One-On-One (Nigeria) at Mara Foundation published a list of 20 young Nigerian entrepreneurs doing stuff that will supplant any ministerial list. They include Mark Essien, founder of Hotels.ng, who has changed the way we book our hotels; Mosunmola Umoru, the “Pretty Farmer” and CEO of Honeysuckles PTL Ventures and the new face of farming; Bankole Cardoso, CEO of Easy Taxi Nigeria, who created an app for taxi booking; Eseoghene Odiete, founder and creative director of Hesey Designs, whose fashion label has caught the imagination of Google and Richard Branson, and the trio of Jobberman’s Opeyemi Awoyemi, Olalekan Olude and Ayodeji Adewunmi, who are connecting skills with the marketplace.
Only last week, I met Ify Aniebo, the Nigerian PhD student at Oxford who is on the verge of a breakthrough in her research on tropical malaria under the auspices of the Gates Foundation. What she’s doing will help us fully understand the Nigerian strain of the malarial parasite and, hopefully, lead to more specific measures to monitor and control malarial drug resistance in the country.
For me, this is the more important list. I have seen ministers come and go, and our lives have remained the same – sometimes, worse. Yet, for the first time in a very long while, something tells me things will be different this time.
If the wait for Buhari’s ministers has done us any good, I think it should help us focus on the things that really matter. And, sometimes, these things are outside the realm of politics.
https://www.today.ng/blog/25186/ministerial-lists-and-the-other-list/

Medical personnel treating basketballer Lamar Odom have said he might never lead a normal life again if he survives.

Lamar who was found unconscious at a brothel in Nevada has been given a 50/50 chance of survival by doctors.

According to a source who spoke with TMZ, there is “absolutely no improvement” and he is in “dire straits”.
Lamar who is still in a coma after consuming a high amount of cocaine and herbal Viagra is also said to be entirely unresponsive with failure of 4 vital organs recorded. He is reportedly not breathing on his own and his doctors believe his brain function is significantly reduced.
https://www.today.ng/entertainment/3633/if-lamar-odom-survives-he-will-never-be-able-to-lead-a-normal-life-doctors/