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Special Press Statement By President Olusegun Obasanjo Since we are still in the month of January, it is appropriate to wish all Nigerians Happy 2018. ( Kindly take your time and read everything he said ) I am constrained to issue this special statement at this time considering the situation of the country. Some of you may be asking, “What has brought about this special occasion of Obasanjo issuing a Special Statement?” You will be right to ask such a question. But there is a Yoruba saying that ‘when lice abound in your clothes, your fingernails will never be dried of blood’. When I was in the village, to make sure that lice die, you put them between two fingernails and press hard to ensure they die and they always leave blood stains on the fingernails. To ensure you do not have blood on your fingernails, you have to ensure that lice are not harboured anywhere within your vicinity. The lice of poor performance in government – poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nep...

The wife of Femi Fani-Kayode and her child are not in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and were never detained by the Commission, the commission has said. The clarification follows claims by the former minister that his wife and eight-month-old baby were arrested at an Edo-Ekiti branch of a bank and detained by EFCC operatives as she went there to withdraw some money. Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said, “Contrary to the media spin about the purported arrest of mother and child, a certain Chikwendu Sonia attempted to withdraw money from an Access Bank account that had been placed on ‘Post No Debit’ category, following the discovery of illicit cash flows into the account. Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Mrs Fani-Kayode after her release. ” She was intercepted by the bank while the Commission was notified but because it was late, the EFCC advised that the suspect be taken to the police station for pr...

The Lead prosecuting counsel, Mr.  Aliyu Umar (SAN), told the trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Jabi Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, that, “This government respects the rule of law, and hierarchy of the judiciary. It is obvious from these two applications (filed by Saraki and Ekweremadu) and the similar case before your learned brother, Justice Kolawole, at the Federal High Court who is dealing with the issue that we are withdrawing the charges. “It is trite that two matters of the same subject matter cannot be before different courts of coordinate jurisdiction. “Therefore, the amended charge dated October 5, 2016 and also the original dated June 10, 2016 and filed the same date be struck out and all the four defendants be discharged.”

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a motion to withdraw the charge of criminal conspiracy against Senate President Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu. An affidavit in support of the motion was filed before the High Court of Federal Capital Territory on Thursday by a litigation officer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Odubu Loveme. Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu, as well as a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and a former Deputy clerk, Ben Efeturi, were first arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu on June 10, 2016 via charge No. CR/219/16. They all pleaded not guilty on July 27, 2016. In the motion filed Thursday, Mr. Loveme said counsel to the Federal Government on the matter, Aliyu Umar, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, on September 30 in the office of the Director of Public Prosecution told him that he had studied the case diary and “ had decided to amend the charge in the manner stated on the face of the motion paper”. Mr. Loveme add...

The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi State. Seven-man panel headed by Justice Sylvester Ngwata affirmed the election after listening to the closing statements of all the counsel

Senator Dino Melaye,  has addressed the press on what transpired during the closed-door session of the Senate on Tuesday, which led to the rancor between him and Senator Oluremi Tinubu. "It is my sincere pleasure to address you this morning. It wouldn’t have been necessary to address you on the subject matter am about to address you on but it has become expedient that despite the fact what I am addressing you transpired in the executive session of the senate but because of the misinformation by people of inundinate ambition out there. It has not only become expedient but it has become very, very paramount that I address you on this subject matter. On Tuesday, the 12th of July, we had an executive session to discuss basically on the issue of forgery case in court and when I stood up to address and I want to say that on my honour as a christian on my honour as a father and on the oath of my office as a senator of the federal Republic of Nigeria I am telling you the truth, the w...

       President of the senate, Bukola Saraki replys Dele Momodu Article to Him , let me thank you most sincerely for your article last weekend, “My Candid Letter to Saraki.”        I take everything you said in that article to heart and I must commend you for your candidness indeed and the sincerity of your intentions.        As you said in your article, you are someone I have known more by reputation than by any personal relationship, until recently when we struck up some personal acquaintance based on our shared political interests, especially during the last presidential election.       However, I understand why you had to sound so defensive for knowing me at all and had to publicly map the boundaries of our relationship. We have got to that point in our country when we no longer believe that anyone could stand for anything based on principles and convictions alone....

     Your Excellency, I’m convinced the time has come to write you this letter despite the fact that I have some measure of access to you.      I decided to do this in order to tackle the mischief makers who believe I’m your very close friend and as such must be a rabid supporter of yours.      I have been accused of all sorts of garbage including being paid heavy sums of money from your bottomless pocket.      I’m aware that most of these guys can never believe that anyone could stand up for principle without pecuniary gains. But before I go into the meat of this letter, I need to state my background briefly as I’m sure you don’t even know me well enough to understand and appreciate my socio-political trajectory.      I have read all sorts about you and I and it is necessary sometimes to put the records straight for the sake of doubting Thomases who can never see anything good in others. ...

OFFICIALS of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have quizzed the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh. The operatives, four in number, came in a white unmarked Toyota Hiace bus and picked Metuh from his Prince and Princess residence, Abuja. A statement by his Special Assistant, Richard Ihediwa, reads: “Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrived the Abuja home of the spokesman of the opposition,Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh this morning, inviting him to follow them to the commission’s headquarters. “Upon enquiry on the reasons for the invitation, the officials stated that he has some issues to clear with the commission. They also said he was not being arrested but friendly invited. The operatives, four in number, came in a White unmarked Toyota Hiace bus. “As at the time of issuing this statement, Chief Metuh is still being kept at the commission’s headquarters and his la...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown more light into why the N6.08 trillion 2016 federal budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari is a huge fraud, warning that with the proposed N1.84 trillion borrowing, the nation is going the way of Greece. Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, explained that a breakdown of the N1.84 trillion shows that Nigeria would be borrowing N5 billion a day for the next 365 days, starting from January I, 2016, without corresponding provision for economic production and a clear repayment plan, a scenario that spells doom for the future of the nation. According to Metuh, “Some people may be wondering why we raised an alarm about the budget. The reason is simple. When we analyzed the budget, we discovered it is a misshapen attempt at a Keynesian economics of applying deficit spending to stimulate growth even when studies have proven that GDP growth rates decrease by...

"Pro-Biafra protests turned bloody, yesterday, as the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) killed nine of the protesters and injured 18 in Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State. Pro-Biafra protesters mount road blocks and bonfires at Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra State, yesterday. Photos: Vincent Ujumadu. Pro-Biafra protesters mount road blocks and bonfires at Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra State, yesterday. Photos: Vincent Ujumadu. Irked by the stubborn disposition of the pro- Biafra agitators, who blocked the Niger Bridge Head and refused to give way to motorists, the JTF comprising Army, Navy, Police and Civil Defence troops, yesterday  afternoon, opened fire at protesting members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and  Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, killing nine people and injuring 18. Five people were killed  at Niger Bridge Head while three were killed at Obodoukwu Road. A suya (barbecue meat) seller said to have b...