The National Judicial Council (NJC) has decided on the report of the five-man committee it set up to investigate petitions against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, and the acting CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad, CFR.

The NJC took the decision in an emergency meeting held on Wednesday.

But sources within the NJC said its meeting ended in deadlock as they could not decide appropriately on the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The source said they expect Onnoghen to resign on his own, noting that even if he was found guilty it will be a herculean task removing him because the Federal Government will need two-thirds of the Senate to do that.

“And as you know that will be difficult with the present Senate as constituted”, he said, noting that the government may be packaging a retire stunt for him.

A statement by Soji Oye, Director, Information, NJC, said, “Council decided that the allegations relating to assets declaration that were levelled against Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON, were sub judice and, therefore abstained from considering them.

“Council reached a decision on the petitions written by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others and conveyed its decision to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

“Council also resolved that, by the nature of the decision reached, it would be inappropriate to publicise it before conveying it to Mr. President.”

Lawyers on Wednesday hailed the National Judicial Council (NJC) for reaching a timely decision on the petitions brought against suspended Chief Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, saying, however, that they are optimistic that the embattled jurist will be vindicated at the end.

Speaking exclusively with Daily Independent following NJC’s Wednesday submission of its finding to President Muhammadu Buhari, the lawyers said that the charge against Onnoghen stands on rather tentative footing.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/04/njc-meeting-on-onnoghen-muhammad-ends-in-deadlock/

African richest and Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has said Northern Nigeria will continue to remain poor except states governments move to close the development gap between the north and the south.

Prime Post has learnt that he made this known while speaking at the 4th edition of the Kaduna Investment Summit (KadInvest 4.0) in Kaduna on Wednesday. He berated Northern governors for doing little to end poverty in the region.

According to him: “Nigeria is ranked at 157th out of 189 countries on the human development index. While the overall socio-economic condition in the country is a cause for concern, the regional disparities are in fact very alarming.

“In the North Western and North Eastern parts of Nigeria, more than 60 per cent of the population lives in extreme poverty.

“It is instructive to know that the 19 Northern states which accounts for over 54 per cent of Nigeria’s population and 70 per cent of its landmass, collectively generate, only 21 per cent of the total subnational IGR in the year 2017.

“Northern Nigeria will continue to fall behind if the respective states governments do not move to close the development gap.

“And that is why we are always saying the biggest challenge that we have and what we have been praying for is to have 10 governors like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to move the northern Nigeria forward.

“Closing the gap requires multi years investment and goverment will not be able to raise the require capital funding, only the private sector can raise the capital to fund the level of investment that this country needs.”

He went on: “Therefore, government must create the conducive environment that will trigger a huge inflow of private capital into attractive sectors of the economy.

“Private investment will create jobs and will ameliorate the twin problem of poverty and unemployment.

Read more at:https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/04/more-than-60-of-people-living-in-the-north-are-extremely-poor-dangote/

The Presidency has explained that President Buhari is yet to sign the National Minimum Wage Bill just passed by the National Assembly into law, contrary to reports last week that he had done so.

The Senate had on March 19 passed the bill, approving N30,000 as the new national minimum wage. By its action, the Senate concurred the earlier decision of the House of Representatives, which passed the bill before the National Assembly shut down its operations to enable lawmakers to participate in the 2019 general elections, beginning from February 16.

Last week, there were social media reports, claiming that Buhari had assented to the bill, but speaking in an exclusive interview with Punch in Abuja on Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, dismissed the reports.

He said that signing of bills was not done in secrecy, as the President would normally communicate his decision to Nigerians publicly. Enang clarified that Buhari had yet to sign the bill on the grounds that there were operational procedures to be followed. However, he confirmed that the bill, which captured N30,000 as the new national minimum wage, had been transmitted to Buhari by the National Assembly.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/04/why-buhari-is-yet-to-sign-the-n30000-minimum-wage-bill/

In one of the videos circulated online hours after Kolade Johnson was shot dead by policemen, the deceased was seen cooking in a kitchen as music blared from speakers in the background. Shouts of “K Low”, his nickname, rented the air while he stirred a pot of soup.

During a visit to 1 Beeco street, Onipetesi, Mangoro, Lagos, residence of the deceased, The Cable met Boluwade Awakan, Johnson’s stepbrother, who said he was a music lover in his lifetime.

Awakan said his younger brother, who graduated from UNIBEN, travelled to South Africa where he spent five years and returned to Nigeria in 2017. He said Johnson was planning to revive his music career back home having failed to make something meaningful out of it while overseas.

Awakan said things weren’t that easy for Johnson abroad, especially at a time aliens lived in fear of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

“So, he returned to Nigeria two years ago, and he chose to live here as against Ojota where he lived before he travelled. He wanted somewhere quiet where he could think and concentrate,” Awakan said.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/04/more-details-of-johnson-kolade-the-gentle-guy-who-escaped-xenophobia-in-sa-only-to-be-killed-by-sars-bullets-in-nigeria/

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says that the Federal Government has implemented no fewer than 140 reforms on ease of doing business in the past three years.

Prime Post reports that Osinbajo said this at the 2nd Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Awards 2019 held at the State House Banquet Hall on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said he was delighted to celebrate the phenomenal successes of the PEBEC reforms and recognition of those who made it all possible.

“Our incredibly selfless and committed private sector partners and the sterling performance of many in the public sector; in the past three years, Nigeria has implemented more than 140 reforms to make doing business in Nigeria easier.

“Some of the successful reforms include the ability to-reserve a business name within four hours.

“Complete the registration of a company within 24 hours online.

“Apply for and receive approval of a visa-on-arrival electronically within 48hrs.

“File and pay taxes online; and access specialised small claims commercial courts in Lagos and Kano

“The World Bank also reported in 2018 that 32 states of Nigeria improved their Ease of doing business environment led by Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Lagos and Anambra,” he said.

He said that in 2019, PEBEC set a goal to move Nigeria into the top-100 on the 2020 World Bank Doing Business Index (DBI)

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/04/fg-implements-140-reforms-on-ease-of-doing-business-osinbajo/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Lagos State says it will present Certificates of Return on Friday to the 40 members-elect of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Prime Post recalls that INEC had on March 29 presented Certificates of Return to the Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat at the commission’s office in Sabo, Yaba.

Prime Post also reports that the INEC Public Relations Officer(PRO), Mr Femi Akinbiyi disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/03/40-members-elect-of-lagos-house-of-assembly-to-receive-certificates-of-return-friday-inec/

Governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Imo state, Uche Nwosu, has said that he is ready to form a fresh alliance with his former party, All Progressives Congress (APC) in a bid to reclaim his alleged stolen mandate.

According to him, he has put aside the purported injustice the APC meted on him since the party has realized its mistakes after its poor showing in the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Nwosu, who stated this on Tuesday in a chat with journalists, disclosed that he has petitioned the Tribunal against the declaration of Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as governor-elect.

He added that he is confident that the election will be upturned.

He said, “The national leadership of the APC made a mistake by not giving the party’s ticket to me, we warned them against giving the ticket to Hope Uzodinma but the leadership of the party ignored our warnings, but the outcome of the elections has justified us.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/03/im-ready-to-make-peace-with-apc-okorochas-son-in-law-uche-nwosu/

The senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Borno South senatorial district in the 2019 general elections, Kudla Satumari popularly called Haskey has asked one of the candidates for the position of Senate President in the 9th Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume to forget his ambition.

Satumari said Ndume is not the right candidate for such a high leadership position, describing him as a self- centred person who has contributed nothing to the development of his constituents, according to The Nation.

He accused Ndume of working against his party in favour of Senate President Bukola Saraki and the PDP in 015

Speaking in an interview in Abuja, Satumari also warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to nominate Ali Ndume as Senate President because he will reclaim his mandate at the Election Tribunal.

He alleged his victory at the polling units was upturned between the polling stations and collation centre where the results were rewritten in favour of Ndume.

He said: “What people don’t know is that I have worked assiduously for him to become the senator in 2011.


“I was among those that worked hard to ensure that he won the election. I even named a primary school I built in area after him. The fight is not personal but we should not reinforce failure”.
On whether he will consider the option of an out- of- court settlement, he said: “Never. Out of court settlement is never an option.

“It is not about me but my people because the level of insecurity in my area has gotten to alarming stage. I doubt if we still have men to stand for the people.”

He went on: “Our problem is that nobody is bringing the issue to the centre stage. My over 80 year-old mother slept in the bush last week.


“It pains when the federal government claims Boko Haram has been degraded yet the kind of insecurity we are experiencing on daily basis before, during and after the general elections has never been so under Goodluck Jonathan.


“It was better under him because they can take control over a Local Government but the kind of hit- and- run we are having now and the seeming lack of concern or tangible effort made by the appropriate authority to curtail the attacks, make us to wonder if we are still part of this country.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/03/you-are-not-fit-to-be-senate-president-pdp-to-ndume/

Adamawa Governor-elect, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, has cautioned the outgoing Gov. Mohammed Bindow’s administration against what he described as “last minute employment and award of bogus contract.”

Fintiri, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Yola by his media aide, Mr Solomon Kumangar, also urged banks not to give “arbitrary loans” to the outgoing government

Fintiri urged Bindow administration to show statesmanship in its action by not making things difficult for the incoming administration.
“The governor-elect wants all unnecessary expenditure and last minute employment, not done in the past four years, halted forthwith.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/03/adamawa-guber-governor-elect-fintiri-issues-strong-warning-to-gov-bindow/

Although the names and photos of officers who shot Kolade Johnson, on Sunday, has been revealed and promises have been made by the federal government to punish the offenders.

There are facts dimmed necessary to be known about this young father of one who was killed. Kolade is a lover of sports, and he likes analyzing matches with friends. He has a wife and a son. He is the only son of his family.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/03/all-to-know-about-kolade-johnson-who-was-killed-by-sars-operatives-in-lagos/

The Senate Committee on States and Local Government Administration says it will make a case for Border Development Agency to be funded from the Service Wide Vote in view of its critical functions.

Prime Post reports that he Chairman of the committee, Sen. Abdullahi Gumel, made this known when the agency appeared before it for budget defence on Monday in Abuja.

Gumel said current budgetary allocation to the agency was a far cry from what it required to carry out its mandate to impact positively on the people positively.

He said in the interim, the committee would make a case for the agency before the Committee on Appropriation, to increase its 2019 budget.

He said, “They have 330 constituency projects that require inspection by staff of the agency and as such they need more staffing.

“They also require life insurance because of the volatile nature of the areas they work.

“It is important to note that they traverse flash point borders like Bakassi, Adamawa, Zamfara, kebbi and Sokoto,” he said.

Gumel said it was time more attention was paid to funding the agency to assist border communities, adding that they suffered most from insurgency and communal clashes among others.

He said, “Projects in those areas needed to be monitored and for exposing the workers, we need to insure them.

READ ALSO Senate committee urges FG to enhance BPE budget for efficiency
“We will recommend to the Appropriation Committee to give insurance to the professionals that will inspect those projects because it is necessary.

“This is to ensure that the design and agreement on the projects are followed to the latter.

“So, we will rework the budget to know how we will collaborate with the appropriation committee’’.

The chairman said border communities have suffered in the midst of plenty, adding that it was imperative for government to ensure they had access to basic amenities.

He said there was no gainsaying the fact that the agency’s mandate cut across providing basic infrastructure to border communities, to building capacity and ensuring high standard of living for the populace.

The Executive Secretary of the Border Development Agency, Captain Junaid Abdullahi, said the agency had over the years embarked on inclusive development strategies to bring succour to border communities, who he said were often neglected because of the peculiar nature of their settlement.

He said the agency’s mandate encapsulated the key principles and thrust of the Economic Growth Plan of the Federal Government.

He pointed out that the agency “assists border communities to meet their needs in terms of clothing education, water, local industries, sanitation, among others.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/02/senators-to-make-case-for-increased-funding-for-border-development-agency/

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has called for alternative sources of funding to enable the armed forces meet training and operational needs.

Abubakar made the call in Abuja on Monday while speaking to newsmen after budget defence session with the House of Representatives committee on Air Force.

He said that it was necessary to look beyond the budget by seeking fund through alternative sources.

“We appreciate the support of the national assembly, but there is need to look beyond the annual budget, the Air Force is a very expensive institution that requires a lot of resources to function.

“We are working to ensure that we get what is required in terms of platforms, capabilities and manpower so that we can make Nigeria a more secured country,” he said.

He said it was not possible for any institution to receive what was exactly proposed in the budget, saying, “this is the reason we call for alternative sources of funding”

“I have said that the air force is expensive to maintain, so we cannot depend on the budget alone, ” he said.

He commended the federal government for the support given to the armed forces, saying that such had aided them to go into power protection of the air access.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/02/naf-chief-calls-for-alternative-sources-of-funds-for-armed-forces/

The Senate Committee on Finance had queried the Federal Ministry of Finance for high budgetary releases to itself and some of its parastatal agencies.

Members of the committee raised the question when officials of the ministry appeared before them to defend their 2019 budget proposals.

The committee noted that amid complaints of paucity of funds by other government institutions, the ministry of Finance was making high budget for itself.

According to its budget performance report for 2018, the ministry has so far recorded 76 per cent overall performance in terms of fund released in the outgoing fiscal year.

A breakdown of the figures, presented by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, indicates that personnel cost has got cash backing of 89 per cent.

She said that overhead cost got 62 per cent and capital allocation got 81 per cent.

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, which is under the ministry, has also enjoyed high releases in the outgoing fiscal year.

Its report as presented by the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, released N4.386 billion as at March, representing 84 per cent of the N5.222 billion appropriated to it.

This did not go down well with the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. John Enoh, and other members of the committee.

The committee sought to know why the ministry released more money to itself while other MDAs were complaining of poor released.

The lawmakers also drew attention to “poor utilisation” of the funds released to the ministry and parastatals in the year under review.

For instance, the senators noted that whereas N667 million was released to the ministry for capital projects, only N209 million or 31 per cent had been utilised.

A similar situation played out in the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) which got N192 million for capital projects, but had spent only N11 million or six per cent.

Responding, the minister gave the total performance of the Federal Government’s 2018 budget.

According to her, personnel budget recorded an average of 100 per cent due to “payment of salaries and pensions as and when due”.

“For overhead, out of 12 months we were only able to release eight months with the exception of some critical agencies like the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Unity Schools.

“We prioritised their releases so they had more than eight months, because of payment of corps members’ allowances in case of the NYSC, and feeding of prisoners for the prison service,” she said.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/02/senators-query-high-budgetary-releases-to-finance-ministry/

An economist from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, Steve Hanke, has ranked Nigeria as the sixth most miserable country in the world. The ranking is titled, Hanke’s Annual Misery Index 2018: The World’s Saddest (And Happiest) Countries.

Writing in the Forbes magazine of March 28, the economist notes that Misery Index is calculated using economic indices such as unemployment, inflation and the rates banks charge on loans.

“In the sphere of economics, misery tends to flow from high inflation, steep borrowing costs and unemployment,” Hanke warns. The Index notes that the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria contributes largely to its unflattering rating on the Misery Index.

Hanke, in his explanatory note wrote, “The original Misery Index was just a simple sum of a nation’s annual inflation rate and its unemployment rate. The Index has been modified several times, first by Robert Barro of Harvard and then by myself.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/02/nigeria-ranked-sixth-most-miserable-country-in-the-world-forbes/

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that although no human being is perfect, the PDP presidential candidate in the just concluded presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, was by far better that President Buhari.

Prime Post recalls that in the build up to the 2019 election, Obasanjo endorsed Atiku as his candidacy to run against President Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

According to the former president, Atiku who was his Vice President when he was in office, is politically, economical and socially more sound than Buhari.

Prime Post has learnt that Obasanjo said this over the weekend when the Southwest PDP leaders led by the party’s National Vice Chairman (South West), Dr Eddy Olafeso, visited him at his Pent-House Residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Recall that the former President in a series of letters, slammed President Buhari, saying he was mentally and physically unfit to preside over the affairs of Nigeria.

Speaking at his meeting, Obasanjo said:

“Politically speaking, you can’t be my friend if you don’t buy into the Nigeria’s project. For me, till death, I will continue to push for a better Nigeria. I said if you compare the two of them Atiku and Buhari with what I know and all I have written about the incumbent, which they have decided to cover up, Atiku is better than the incumbent by far. That’s the point I am making.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/04/02/nobody-is-perfect-but-atiku-is-far-better-than-buhari-obasanjo/

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday granted permission to the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to serve their petition challenging the outcome of the February 23, 2019 election, on President Muhammadu Buhari through substituted means, according to The Punch.

A three-man bench which sat in a “pre-hearing session” of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, granted the request contained in the petitioners’ ex parte application that Buhari, who is the second respondent to the petition, be served through any senior official or an officer of the APC at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

Granting the ex parte application, Justice Abdu Aboki, who led the panel and delivered the lead ruling, said “it is in the interest of justice” to grant the prayers in the petitioners’ application.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/27/breaking-appeal-court-grants-pdp-atiku-oermission-to-serve-petition-on-buhari-through-apc/

The Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, has claimed that all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are god fearing.

Prime Post reports that Amaechi made the claim in an interview on Channels Television.

He said that one of the qualities of becoming a member of the ruling party is that one must be godfearing. The former Governor said he had nothing to do with people who don’t fear God.

According to him, “One qualification you must have is that you must be godfearing. You have no business being with me if you don’t fear God.

“You must be God-fearing to be in APC.”

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/27/all-apc-members-are-god-fearing-amaechi/

Titi Oshodi, Director of Public Relations, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), says that the ongoing PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) “Chess For Change” initiative is designed to use the game to improve strategic thinking and critical reasoning among secondary school students in the state

22 schools from four Education Districts in Lagos state were currently participating in the competition holding at the indoor sports hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

Oshodi said on Wednesday said that the Grand Slam tournament which featured 88 players was a culmination of a three-month intensive Chess tutelage.

She added that the third edition of annual PWC Chess4Change competition would have another round of two Mini Challenge competitions that would produce winners in all categories of the competition.

Oshodi also said that the participants would compete for honours in 182 events for individual and team categories using the Swiss System format to determine the winners.

“The competition is supported by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Education and the Lagos Sports Commission, as well as the Lagos State Chess Association.

“The initiative is designed to use the game to improve strategic thinking and critical reasoning among secondary school students in Lagos State which will also include award of prizes.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/27/lagos-pwc-chesss4change-grand-slam-for-developing-strategic-thinking-in-students-oshodi/

Titi Oshodi, Director of Public Relations, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), says that the ongoing PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) “Chess For Change” initiative is designed to use the game to improve strategic thinking and critical reasoning among secondary school students in the state

22 schools from four Education Districts in Lagos state were currently participating in the competition holding at the indoor sports hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

Oshodi said on Wednesday said that the Grand Slam tournament which featured 88 players was a culmination of a three-month intensive Chess tutelage.

She added that the third edition of annual PWC Chess4Change competition would have another round of two Mini Challenge competitions that would produce winners in all categories of the competition.

Oshodi also said that the participants would compete for honours in 182 events for individual and team categories using the Swiss System format to determine the winners.

“The competition is supported by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Education and the Lagos Sports Commission, as well as the Lagos State Chess Association.

“The initiative is designed to use the game to improve strategic thinking and critical reasoning among secondary school students in Lagos State which will also include award of prizes.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/27/lagos-pwc-chesss4change-grand-slam-for-developing-strategic-thinking-in-students-oshodi/

President Buhari has stated in Abuja that the Federal Government will continue to sensitize and encourage Nigerians to cultivate the culture of paying taxes by ensuring fair implementation policy and effective utilisation of resources.

The President, who received the leadership of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) at the State House, said the National Tax Policy document had been reviewed with the aim of institutionalizing a tax payment culture within the Nigerian workforce.

President Buhari said the progress made in diversifying the economy, providing social security and securing the country can be further improved with enhanced and expanded revenue base.

“We have made some progress in the past four years. However, a lot more can still be done. A key step is to enhance and expand Government’s revenue base. Today, we still rely on oil as our main source of income. This simply is not enough to meet our infrastructure, social services and security needs,’’ he said.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/27/imbibing-a-new-tax-culture-will-significantly-change-nigerias-economy-president-buhari/

A Fulani family in Kaban village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have called on the State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the State Commissioner of Police Ahmad Abdurrahman to help recover their cows that got missing while in police custody, according to Daily Trust.

The family alleged that the 31 cows and two sheep got missing a year ago after some policemen went to the village and took the animals away.

A member of the family, Abubakar Ibrahim, said that since the policemen led by a DCO stormed the small village and took the cows and sheep away, efforts to get back the cows failed.

Abubakar, popularly known as Habu, said the family have so far spent 1.750 million naira in an effort to recover those cows from the police.

“My sibling and my brother in-law, who went after the cows to inquire reasons for the police action, were detained for two weeks. We have no option but to bail them with N580,000.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/25/31-cows-missing-in-police-custody-in-kaduna/

Wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, has said she wished her husband cabinet will have as many women in percentage as the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, TEEP, has in 2019.

Speaking at the unveiling event for the Tony Elumelu Foundation, TEF, entrepreneurs for 2019, the wife of the president said she appreciated the drive of the foundation to ensure more female participation.

She said: “The strategy vision behind the engagement of the office of the wife of the president is to contribute to the acceleration of efforts to end preventable maternal, newborn and child death through advocacy and strengthening of accountability mechanism in order to maintain the peace and development of Nigeria.

“The steady advancement of women in contributing to the country’s social-economic development and their progressive prominence in the national scheme of affairs has in a large extent impacted on the Federal Government and the government has responded positively in many ways.

Read more at:

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has accused Jimi Agbaje, its governorship candidate in the just-concluded general election, of allegedly hijacking funds meant for the prosecution of the elections in the state.

The party said the governorship candidate’s action contributed significantly to its disastrous performance in the state.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Independent, Dr. Adegbola Dominic, the state chairman of the party, also accused Agbaje of flagrant disregard for party rules and its leadership, including the apex leader of the party, Chief Olabode George.

Reacting to the statement made by Agbaje last week that he was being attacked for failing to share money meant for the elections with party leaders, Dominic said aside fraudulently obtaining the money without the knowledge of the party leaders, Agbaje had been unable to account for how he disbursed the money.

According to him, the party’s presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, had sent one of his aides to bring the money to Lagos and hand it over to six people, including Agbaje, the state chairman (Dominic), Chief Olabode George, a representative of the senatorial candidates, and two House of Representatives candidates.

He added that Chief George, however, declined to be part of the process, asking the other five people to ensure the money was judiciously used for the purpose it was meant.

The state chairman said while the other representatives assembled at the agreed location to wait for the aide and Agbaje, Agbaje had, unknown to them, made another arrangement with the aide sent to deliver the money and received it without informing anybody, including the party chairman.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/25/how-agbaje-hijacked-campaign-money-and-ruined-partys-chances-lagos-pdp/

The wife of the President Aisha Buhari, has appealed to media practitioners to join the campaign to eliminate tuberculosis in Nigeria.

Prime Post reports that Aisha said this on Sunday when she hosted some key stakeholders to a dinner to celebrate TB champions and survivors in Nigeria.

The event was organized by the wife of the President as TB Ambassador in Nigeria to commemorate the World Tuberculosis Day in Abuja.

Mrs Buhari urged the media practitioners to assist stakeholders and report cases of tuberculosis from the nooks and cranny of Nigeria.

She also urged stakeholders to make concerted efforts towards providing permanent solution to tuberculosis epidemic in Nigeria.

According to her, ” tuberculosis, despite being a curable disease, is still a major health challenge globally and remains the number one infectious killer disease in the world.

” In Nigeria, one of the major challenges of TB response is attributed to low cases of its discovery both in adult and children.

” This is attributed partly to poor knowledge about TB that influences the health seeking behaviour of people and low treatment coverage.

” This is one of the reasons I personally led a team to Kobi Village in Abuja on Wednesday to create more awareness” she said.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/25/aisha-buhari-appeals-for-media-support-to-eradicate-tb-from-nigeria/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has rested its case of alleged misconduct against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, at the National Judicial Council, according to The PUNCH.

Multiple sources conversant with the proceedings of the five-man investigation panel of the NJC said that the EFCC rested its case after calling seven witnesses.

The commission was said to have called its first witness on March 12 and rested its case within one week.

It was learnt on Sunday that Onnoghen has since opened his defence and called two witnesses on Wednesday, March 20.

“The EFCC has rested its case and Justice Onnoghen has opened his defence. With this, we expect that the NJC will soon end its investigation,” one of the sources told our correspondent.

In its petition before the NJC, the EFCC, it was learnt, accused Onnoghen of having some suspicious lodgments of huge funds in his bank accounts.

The other petition against the suspended CJN was reportedly by a civil society group, the Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative, and its Executive Director, Mr Dennis Aghanya.

The allegations in the petition sent to the NJC by the group were said to be a replica of the petition sent to the Code of Conduct Bureau which informed the six counts filed before the Code of Conduct Tribunal accusing the suspended CJN of failure to declare some bank accounts with huge funds in foreign currencies as part of his assets.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/25/efcc-closes-case-against-onnoghen-at-njc/

Okorocha in a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, asked the court to compel INEC to issue him the Certificate of Return having been declared winner of the election.

Prime Post recalls that INEC has refused to issue Certificate of Return to Okorocha, stating that Francis Ibeawuchi, Returning Officer for Imo West senatorial election announced Okorocha winner of the poll under duress.

In the suit which had INEC as the sole defendant, the governor argued that he had been declared authentic winner of the election and so, ought to be given Certificate of Return.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/21/gov-rochas-sues-inec-over-non-issuance-of-certificate-of-return/

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has provided a breakdown of how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly reduced his votes in 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), according to Daily Post.

Prime Post has learnt that Atiku made the claim in a petition he and his party filed before the presidential election tribunal.

According to him, data from INEC server showed that he actually polled a total of 18,356,732 votes, to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari, who had 16,741,430 votes.

However, the official result declared by INEC from the 36 states and the FCT, states showed that Buhari polled 15,191,847, while Atiku came second with 11,262,978 votes.

A breakdown of the 174-page document showed the electronic collation of results state by state as of February 25.

In Abia State, the petition claimed Atiku recorded 664,659 votes in the electronic results from the server, against the 219,698 votes announced by the commission.

In Adamawa, Atiku said he got 646,080 votes, instead of 410,266; Akwa Ibom 587,431 votes, instead of 395,832; Anambra 823, 668 votes, instead of 524,738; Bayelsa 332, 618 votes, instead of 197, 933; Benue 529,970 votes, instead of 356, 817; Borno 281,897 votes, instead of 71, 788; Cross River 572, 220 votes, instead of 295, 737 recorded by the commission.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/21/atiku-gives-breakdown-of-how-allegedly-inec-reduced-his-votes-in-31-states/

Buba Galadima has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC are begging PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar not to go to court to challenge the outcome of of the 2019 elections.

Prime Post has gathered that Galadima stated this during an appearance on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily.

“Records available to us show that our candidates had won this election and that is why we have gone to court.

“APC have insisted, demonstrated and sponsored some highly placed Nigerians, paid them handsomely to appeal to Atiku not to go to court.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/21/buhari-and-apc-are-begging-atiku-not-to-go-to-court-galadima/

Yekini Nabena, a spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate in the just concluded general election, Atiku Abubakar, of hacking into the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Prime Post has gathered that Nabena made the allegatio in reaction to the claim by the PDP that Atiku Abubakar actually won the 2019 election from what the INEC server showed.

He wondered how the opposition political party could have gotten the figure without hacking into it.

Nabena wrote on his Twitter handle: “Just tell me how Atiku and the PDP would bring out figures from INEC server without having access to it.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/22/atiku-pdp-accused-of-hacking-inec-server/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged Senators-elect to commence and conclude work on the review of the electoral legal framework early, ahead of the 2023 General Elections.

Prime Post reports that INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the call on Thursday at a ceremony for the Issuance of Certificate of Return to Senators-elect at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Yakubu said that late conclusion of the review of the electoral law would affect the commission’s implementation of the framework.

He said that as a matter of urgency, the commission would begin work on post 2019 elections review and road map to 2023.

“There is a lot of work but very little time available. As a process governed by law, the success of election in Nigeria depends to a large extent on the electoral legal framework and most importantly, in ensuring adherence to the law.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/14/inec-issues-certificate-of-return-to-senators-elect-urges-them-to-begin-early-review-of-electoral-laws/

Ethiopians clad in traditional mourning shawls and other black clothing gathered silently in a hotel conference room in Addis Ababa, local media reported on Thursday.

Couples held each other, slumped forward in their chairs and gazing downwards.

Some men held their heads in their hands, while women in head scarves leaned for comfort against the chests of their relatives.

They said they wanted more “transparency” from the airlines and more details of Sunday’s accident.

An airlines staff member replied that the crash was under investigation and that more details were emerging day by day.

A stoic man in a dark coat said he was steeling himself for the three-hour journey to the crash site.

Tewfik Ahmed, 39, was raised by the father of Ahmed Nur Mohammed, the deputy pilot of ET 302.

Tewfik traveled from his home in the south of the country to pay his respects.

“Ahmed was the pride of the family, heading to the site is the least I can do for him,’’ he told Reuters, seated alongside several other mourners.

All 157 passengers and eight crew aboard the flight were killed when their Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed six minutes after taking off from the high-altitude capital of Ethiopia.

The nation of 105 million people has long been proud of its state-owned airlines, its most successful company and the only profitable airline in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nine Ethiopians were killed in the crash, along with 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, eight people each from China and Italy and a total of 35 nationalities were on board.

The mourners gathered at the Ethiopian Airlines-owned Skylight Hotel near Bole International Airport, while some held up framed photographs of young loved ones.

The room filled over the course of a half hour, becoming a packed, makeshift grieving centre.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/14/families-of-ethiopian-plane-disaster-victims-steel-themselves-for-journey-to-crash-site/

President Muhammadu Buhari says the Federal Government is doing its best to correct and reverse the terrible mismanagement the country had experienced, “and with some luck, our best will be good enough.”

The President stated this when he received a delegation of non-career Ambassadors, who came to State House, Abuja, to congratulate him on his re-election.

He said Nigeria was trying to live within her means, “so we can improve our lot,” adding that government was determined to upgrade the country’s profile, both locally and internationally.

President Buhari said it would be inexcusable for government not to take care of its Ambassadors in their various stations, hence the special attention being paid to the country’s foreign missions.

Amb. Ashimiyu Olaniyi, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said President Buhari’s election in 2015, and his recent re-election, “are divine interventions in the affairs of the country.

“You are God-sent. You have always come on stage at the critical moments of our national history to right the wrongs of the past.’’

He added that the President would be remembered “as an astute political leader who does not interfere in the political affairs of states,” noting that the singular quality had given credibility to all elections conducted since 2015.

Read more at: https://www.primepost.ng/2019/03/14/our-best-will-be-good-enough-for-nigeria-president-buhari-assures/