Parties deadlock alarms over abandoned projects in Ekiti

Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State yesterday bickered over abandoned legacy projects in the state. 

The APC had criticised Governor Ayodele Fayose for abandoning his predecessor’s legacy projects, saying he was doing so in bad faith.

A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Taiwo Olatunbosun, stated: “It is a disservice to the people of Ekiti State for Governor Fayose to abandon legacy projects of the Fayemi administration simply because he wants to rubbish the achievements of his predecessor.”

Olatunbosun wondered why a development-oriented governor would abandon an edifice like the Oba

Saraki writes APC, says ‘my hands are tied

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in a letter written to the All Progressives Congress, said his hands were tied with regard to the selection of principal officers of the upper chamber. This was contained in a Friday report on www.thecable.ng.

The National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had on June 23, written to Saraki, stating the party’s choice of principal officers of the senate.

The APC had nominated Ahmad Lawan as senate majority leader, George Akume as deputy majority leader, Olusola Adeyeye as chief whip, and Abu Ibrahim as deputy chief whip. However, Saraki, on

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WWE says Ultimate Warrior dead at 54

Only three days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, James Hellwig, who wrestled professionally as "The Ultimate Warrior," reportedly died Tuesday at 54, WWE officials said in a statement.

Hellwig appeared on WWE Raw on Monday in New Orleans on USA Network to a rousing ovation from fans, only a day after WrestleMania XXX.

Known for his extremely muscular physique, long, shaggy hair and colorful face paint, The Warrior feuded with many of the then-WWF's biggest stars, including Hulk Hogan and Randy "Macho Man" Savage during his career. He defeated Hogan at WrestleMania VI to become champion, and was also an ex-Intercontinental champion.

The Ultimate Warrior's career spanned 13 years, from 1985-98, and included three stints in the then-WWF. His most memorable run came from 1987-91. He came back for short stints in 1992 and 1996.

Nine die in Ogun bus accident

Nine passengers were burnt beyond recognition after fire gutted a Lagos-bound commercial bus on Warewa Long Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State on Saturday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that nine others sustained injuries in the accident which occurred around 4pm.

Although police sources said six persons had lost their lives, the Federal Road Safety Corps said nine passengers were killed.

It was learnt that the yellow Mazda bus was filled to capacity when the accident occurred.

Nigeria now Africa’s biggest economy, overtakes S’Africa

The Federal Government on Sunday finally released the result of the rebased Gross Domestic Product for the country, which showed that the Nigerian economy had overtaken South Africa’s as the biggest on the continent.

The Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Yemi Kale, who presented the outcome of the preliminary estimates of the GDP in Abuja, said that following the rebasing exercise, the country’s real GDP for 2011 and 2012 now stood at 5.09 per cent and 6.66 per cent, while the economy grew by 7.41 per cent in real terms last year.

He stated that the numbers were still going through a final refinement and that by June this year; the final estimates of the nominal GDP would be released.

Pedestrian Bridge in Van Cortlandt Park Has an Obstacle: $7.5 Million

Before the dawn of automobiles, Van Cortlandt Park was an unbroken expanse of dense woodlands, steep ridges and meadows, interrupted only by the gentle murmur of Tibbetts Brook.

Then came the Henry Hudson Parkway, the Mosholu Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway, major highways that cross through — and effectively cut up — the 1,146-acre park, the second largest in the Bronx.

Now, the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, an advocacy group, and other residents of the northwest Bronx are petitioning city officials to build a pedestrian bridge over the Major Deegan to reconnect a

Signs of earthquake off North Korea prompts nuclear test fears

The location and depth of the earthquake did not immediately suggest North Korean nuclear testing was the cause

A magnitude five earthquake has been detected 132km (80 miles) from the Korean peninsula early on Tuesday morning, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has said.

The quake, which was said to have occurred at approximately 03:48 local time, took place at a depth of nearly 16km (10 miles) in the sea west of the Korean peninsula – just days after North Korea

Justice minister demands Abacha's assets

Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke has demanded that the $458 million worth of assets that former dictator Sani Abacha stole should be returned to Nigeria.

The assets were recently frozen by the United States.

Capital FM reports that the Nigerian government had been silent about the freezing of the asses until now.

According to the report, Adoke said he was impressed by "the efforts of the United States to recover the (funds) for the benefit of the people of Nigeria".

Sahara Reporters reports that funds from the forfeited assets are to be used to fund development projects.

 

Obama agents sent home from Europe for boozing

In a new embarrassment for the US Secret Service, three agents were sent home from Amsterdam for drunkenness, after one was found passed out in a hotel hallway.

The agents were in The Netherlands ahead of US President Barack Obama's trip there this week as part of the elite unit tasked with protecting the president in the event of an attack.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary confirmed to AFP Wednesday "three employees were sent home for disciplinary reasons," without giving any further details.

The story was first reported in the Washington Post newspaper, which said the agents have been placed on administrative leave, citing three unnamed people familiar with the case.

1,000 killed in Boko Haram conflict this year in Nigeria

More than 1,000 people have been killed so far this year in three states in northeastern Nigeria worst hit by Boko Haram violence, according to the country's main relief organisation.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) figures are the starkest indication yet of the increase in bloodshed in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe that have caused growing concern.

NEMA said in a presentation in Abuja on Tuesday that people living in the states were "caught up in an intensifying conflict", which has been raging since 2009.

"The human toll: more than 1,000 people dead and 249,446 displaced between January to March 2014... One in five of the total population are not living in their own homes," it added.

Violence has increased in northeastern Nigeria since the new year, including a high-profile attack on a

Nigeria Police capture forgery syndicate

The Nigeria Police on Wednesday said it arrested five members of a syndicate that specialises in forging documents and certificates in Abuja.

The suspects – Emmanuel Onyehiela, Ugorji Ramsey, Emeka Chukwu, Chinyere Bright and Abdulazeez Sadiq – were arrested by a team of operatives attached to the International Police Organization, INTERPOL, section, Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Abuja.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, in a statement said the suspects were arrested following a tip off and a discreet investigation at the syndicate’s base at UTC Shopping Complex, Area 10 Garki, Abuja. Mr. Mba said, as part of the investigations, police undercover agents presented themselves as prospective clients.

“The syndicate which has its operational base at the UTC Shopping Complex, Area 10 Garki, Abuja

Nigeria Court declares new FRSC’s plates number illegal

A Federal High Court in Lagos has declared that the new number plates introduced by the Federal Road Safety Commission are unconstitutional and as such cannot be imposed on vehicle owners.

In a judgment delivered by Justice James Tsoho on Wednesday, the court held that the redesigning of the old number plates was not backed by any law.

Tsoho, who was delivering the judgment in a suit by a lawyer, Emmanuel Ofoegbu, against the FRSC, therefore, held that the FRSC had no power to impose the redesigned number plates on vehicle owners, who had not acquired them.

The judge said, “The issue of redesigning new number plates by the respondent, is not covered under the provisions of any law in Nigeria.

South Sudan peace talks resume

Peace talks between South Sudan's government and rebels resumed in Ethiopia on Tuesday, mediators said, urging both sides to return to a moribund ceasefire agreement.

The talks, mediated by regional bloc IGAD, are aimed at ending the three-month-old conflict and forging a lasting political solution between the government of President Salva Kiir and former vice President and now rebel leader Riek Machar.

"The IGAD special envoys are in consultation with the parties on the conduct of a political dialogue towards national reconciliation and healing," mediators said in a statement.

How British satellite company Inmarsat tracked down MH370

The British company that provided vital information on MH370’s whereabouts explains its calculations

The Malaysian government has concluded that, based on satellite data analysis from British company Inmarsat, Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 ended in the Indian Ocean, and no one on board survived.

In a press statement this afternoon, Prime Minister Najib Razak said that, using a type of analysis "never before used in an investigation of this sort", Inmarsat engineers have been able to establish that the plane's last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.

"This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean."

Inmarsat’s role in the search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 began immediately after the aircraft

Confab, a waste of public funds – Buhari

A former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday described the ongoing national conference as a waste of public funds.

He said   at the opening of the inaugural edition of the PGF Progressive Governors-Legislative-Civil Society Roundtable in Abuja, that the huge amount being spent on the entire process, should have been put to better use.

Buhari, an All Progressives Congress national leader,  argued that  what the conference was trying to  achieve was what the National Assembly was in a better position to do.

He  said, “What I say about the conference is a personal view. What the conference is doing is the duty of

Our ordeal in B’Haram’s den –Female abductees

Two women abducted by Boko Haram insurgents  in the North-East have given a rare account of life as captives.

While one who  was held captive for 15 days, said she had a marriage proposal from one of the Islamist militants, the other said she was almost turned into a killer.

“They asked me if I am Christian or Muslim. I said I am a Christian,” said 23-year-old Liatu, as she recounted her ordeal   in the hands of Boko Haram members to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

“On the 11th day (in captivity), they brought a man to me and said that he liked me and that  I should convert to Islam so that he can marry me,” she added in the report published by the BBC on Monday.

Reasons I abandoned APC for PDP – Nasarawa Deputy Governor

The Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Damishi Barau, who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spoke to some journalists on his experience in the All Progressives Congress, APC. He also accused the state governor Umaru Al-Makura of moving against him.

Mr. Barau spoke in Nasarawa on Wednesday. He gave reasons for his defection and said he was not induced by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Read the full interview below.

Q: How has life been since your defection to the PDP?

Turkish Airlines denies arms shipment to Nigeria

Turkey's national carrier denied on Wednesday allegations of arms shipments to unknown groups in Nigeria, which has been ravaged by violence between the army and Islamist militants.

"Turkish Airlines, in accordance with company policy, does not ship arms to countries... where there is a power vacuum or conflict," the airline said in a statement sent to AFP.

"There have been no arms shipments from Turkey... to (Nigeria)," it added.

In a tape posted on YouTube on Tuesday, Mehmet Karatas, an airline executive, allegedly tells Mustafa Varank, an advisor to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that he feels guilty over the national flag carrier's arms shipments to Nigeria.

Court hears PDP suit against defected govs April 7

The Peoples Democratic Party has moved to serve hearing notices on the governors who defected to the All Progressives Congress at their liaison offices in Abuja in a bid to accelerate proceedings in a suit in which it asked an Abuja Federal High Court to remove them from office.

The suit filed by PDP against the governors – Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano); and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara) – has been stalled repeatedly as a result of a dispute over the address of the national secretariat of the APC.

The governors’ grouse was that the PDP did not serve the hearing notice at the address stipulated in