FG: No Basis Comparing Yar’Adua’s Health Issues with Buhari’s

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Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
The federal government has again launched another spirited attempt to convince increasingly sceptical Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is in the United Kingdom on an extended vacation, is “hale and hearty”, adding that there was no basis comparing the president’s health with what played out during the Umaru Yar’Adua presidency.

Minister of information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the spirited defence yesterday when he briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He insisted that Buhari was neither ill, nor was he in any danger that calls for panic.
The minister also reacted to the charge that he had failed to provide hourly briefings on the status of the president’s health, even though he had challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government in 2010 to do the same when the late Yar’Adua was sick and later died in office.

According to him, it was like comparing apple with oranges.
He added that Buhari was not in a hospital in London and was not in any danger relating to his health.
The minister also said there was no cause for alarm.
He explained that the controversy surrounding the health of the president had played out because of the nature of his transparency.

According to him, the president was a victim of transparency.
He said: “I think I can say without any equivocation that he is well, he is hale and he is hearty, no question about that.
“Mr. President is not ill, he is not in hospital, there will be no need to give anybody hourly bulletins about his health pure and simple,” the minister said.

He added: “Mr. President, like I said elsewhere, is a victim of his own transparency, he was going on leave, he did what the constitution said he should do: he transmitted a letter to the National Assembly and an acting president was put in place and he said ‘while I am on leave, I am going to conduct some medical tests’, which all of us do without announcing it.

“And of course less than six hours after he got there, he was pronounced dead by some people. Even those who saw him climb the aircraft in Abuja said he was flown by air ambulance.
“But I can assure you that Mr. President is well, he is hale and hearty, and there is no cause for concern. The acting president speaks to him everyday and he told you so.”

The information minister said that he could however not blame Buhari for his rumoured death that has followed his vacation abroad.
“I won’t blame Mr. President, because this is the third time you are declaring him dead.”
Asked why Buhari went on vacation at a time Nigeria is in a recession, the minister said: “Our constitution guarantees that. Did Obama not go on leave, do other presidents not go on leave.

“Mr. President will go on vacation when he has to go on vacation. Do you know how many ministers have gone on vacation this year? To say Mr. President cannot go on vacation that is ridiculous.

“You see, on a lighter note, do you think Mr. President will be ill and we will be here and going about our business like this?
“He (pointing to a colleague) was in Anambra two to three days ago, I was in Ilorin on Monday, all our ministers are busy. But I want to assure you that Mr. President is well and he is in absolutely no danger.

“I think it was one of the newspapers that said when I was the spokesman of the Action Congress (AC), I demanded for hourly bulletins on Yar’Adua’s health and that I ought to be giving hourly bulletins as Minister of Information on the health of the president. And I said you are comparing apple with oranges.”

Buhari left Nigeria on January 19 on a vacation for 10 working days and was slated to return on February 5 in order to resume work the next day.

However, on the day he was supposed to return to the country, the presidency issued a statement explaining that the president had decided to extend his vacation on the advise of his doctors. No date was given on when he would return.

Since his departure, Buhari has not been seen or heard from, fuelling speculations about his well being.

Some photographs released by the presidency and close associates of the president, showing Buhari vacationing in the UK with his wife, among others, have not helped to douse concerns.

Culled from Thisday

Thug brutally stabbed victim to death in park in front of horrified families before catching train to Paris-ByScarlet Howes

Mario Albino Te, 21, knifed 20-year-old Bradley Dos Reis Pais Quaresma in the neck and chest in broad daylight

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Mario Albino caught on CCTV just moments after the brutal attack

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A man who brutally stabbed his victim in the neck during a fight in front of picnicking families has been found guilty of manslaughter.
Mario Albino Te, 21, knifed 20-year-old Bradley Dos Reis Pais Quaresma to death in Stratford Park, east London in July last year.
The court heard that a large group of males had gathered at the park, and a fight broke out as other members of the public out enjoying the sun looked on in horror.
Bradley was stabbed in the neck and chest during the altercation.
There were several witnesses to the events before and after the stabbing, and a man was seen running from the park onto Tennyson Road just after the incident.

Mario Albino Te has been found guilty of manslaughter and awaits sentencing (Photo: London Metropolitan Police)

CCTV footage of Te fleeing the scene after the horrific attack in an east London park (Photo: London Metropolitan Police)

Officers obtained CCTV footage covering the area and also recovered a large kitchen knife in nearby Whalebone Lane. It was analysed and found to have Bradley's blood on it.
Officers quickly identified Te as a suspect. The court heard that Bradley - a Portuguese national who had lived in London as a student for two years - and Te were known to each other, and had been in contact in the days before the incident.
Te boarded a train to Paris from St Pancras station on the morning after the murder but officers, working in cooperation with the French authorities, had him detained in Paris and he was brought back to the UK.

Bradley Dos Reis Pais Quaresma was fatally stabbed in the neck and chest during fight (Photo: London Metropolitan Police)

Te boarded a train to Paris from St Pancras station on the morning after the murder (Photo: London Metropolitan Police)

Te, who was carrying cash and a bag containing clothing and ID, was arrested on suspicion of murder that afternoon.
DCI Gary Holmes, the senior investigating officer from the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said:"Bradley was a young man in the prime of his life who was tragically killed at the hands of Te.
"The jury found Te guilty of Bradley's unlawful killing, and rejected the claim that he was acting in self defence and that Bradley was the aggressor.
"I would like to thank Bradley's family for the bravery and courage they have shown since his death and throughout our investigation."
Sentencing is due to take place this Friday, 10 February.

Mirror

Released from UK jail, Ibori plots next move

James Ibori

James Ibori reputedly wielded influence in his native Nigeria even from his British prison cell, where he was serving a 13-year sentence for money laundering and fraud. With the 57-year-old now back on home soil, few doubt he will remain an important player in the cut-throat world of Nigerian politics — even behind the scenes — as elections approach in two years.
The former governor of Delta state in the oil-rich south, who used looted public funds to buy luxury homes, top-of-the-range cars and a private jet, has said that African politicians never retire.


“Politics is in his blood,” his former adviser Ighoyota Amori told AFP. “He will for now take a short rest before deciding on the next line of action.” But in a strong hint Ibori was eyeing some political role, just as parties begin jostling for position for the 2019 vote, Amori said his former boss was a political “godfather and kingmaker”.
“No politician worth his calling can take Ibori’s endorsement for granted. He will forever remain relevant in national affairs,” he added.
– ‘Personal sacrifice’ –
Ibori, a former cashier at a British chain of DIY stores, was jailed in April 2012 for fraud amounting to nearly 50 million pounds (at the time $78.5 million, 62 million euros).
The trial judge and police, however, believe he misappropriated much more.
His conviction in Britain followed a drawn-out extradition procedure from Dubai, where he fled in 2010, and his evasion of arrest and prosecution in Nigeria.
The case was seen as a landmark in the fight against high-level international corruption, with billions of pounds of illicit cash said to be channelled through Britain every year.
Ibori was released in December after serving just over four years of his sentence and launched an appeal against his conviction, angering anti-corruption campaigners.
Being a convicted criminal would spell the end of a politician’s career in many places around the world.
But not in Nigeria, where power is widely seen as an end in itself, patronage is everything and claims of corruption and conflict of interest are rarely a bar to high office.
As such, Ibori’s status remains undiminished in the eyes of his Delta kinsmen, who Amori said kept in constant touch with him during his incarceration.
“His prison ordeal was a personal sacrifice he had to make as a leader,” he added.
Posters and giant billboards hailing the former governor sprung up throughout his hometown of Oghara and his return on Saturday was met with singing and dancing.
“We are excited that our leader, mentor and son is now a free man. Ibori was a victim of political persecution and media trial,” said community leader Chief Emmanuel Ighomena.
“The people of Oghara and indeed the entire Urhobo race are happy to accord him a hero’s welcome.
“Ibori was instrumental to the rapid transformation of Oghara during his tenure. We are showing our gratitude by giving him a befitting reception.”
– Case to answer? –
Ibori’s patronage spread far and wide: in 2007, he was said to have used state funds to bankroll the presidential campaign of Umaru Yar’Adua.
On leaving office after eight years in 2007, he ensured Emmanuel Uduaghan, his cousin, succeeded him. Uduaghan had previously been his health commissioner and government secretary.
From jail, he was said to have hand-picked Ifeanyi Okowa to succeed Uduaghan in 2015 and a string of other local lawmakers.
Okowa was said to have dispatched senior aides to visit Ibori in London as “a mark of solidarity and loyalty” after his release and is organising a reception in the state capital, Asaba.
Political analysts said it was no surprise successive Delta state governments have not accused Ibori of looting but it was unclear whether he can be actively involved in politics again.
It is also unclear whether President Muhammadu Buhari’s government will pursue him in the courts, as part of his quest to clean up Nigerian politics.
Not to do so would run counter to Buhari’s pledge that it was no longer “business as usual” for the corrupt.
But Dapo Thomas, a political science lecturer at Lagos state university, said it was “against the principle of natural justice to be punished twice for the same offence”.
“Ibori has been punished in London. He cannot be tried again in Nigeria for a similar offence,” he added.
Constitutional lawyer and civil rights activist Femi Falana pointed out that Ibori was being prosecuted in Nigeria before he fled the country and there was “no doubt he has a case to answer”.
“The appeal court in Asaba has quashed Ibori’s acquittal by a high court which he is yet to vacate,” he added.

Culled from Guardian

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoy dinner date as TV star's friends say she has 'virtually moved in' with royal-Zoe Shenton

Friends of Meghan say the royal and Suits star have been "inseparable"

Inseparable: Meghan and Harry

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to be taking their romance to the next level.
The smitten royal and his TV star girlfriend were spotted walking hand-in-hand on a busy London street on Wednesday after enjoying a romantic dinner date at a private members' club in West London.
A security guard walked slightly ahead of Harry, who was wearing blue trousers, a shirt, grey blazer and a blue wooly hat, and stunner Meghan, who was dressed in jeans and a long black jacket.
She kept her head down as the smitten pair were snapped making their way to a waiting car.

The TV star has been staying with the royal at his cottage (Photo: Getty)

Friends of the Suits actress, who was introduced to 32-year-old Harry last summer, claim she has "virtually moved in" to his cottage at Kensington Palace and that the pair have been "inseparable" over the last month.
They also claimed that they could "see them engaged by spring".
The source told The Sun: "They’ve taken things to the next level. They’re practically living together. She cooks for him, he pops out to the gym and they’re just enjoying hanging out."

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The pair are taking things to the next level, say pals (Photo: AFP)

"They're practically living together," says a source (Photo: AFP)

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They added: “I can see them engaged by spring. I know that sounds a bit crazily soon, but he’s head over heels and they can’t bear to be apart."

The pair headed to private members' club Soho House (Photo: Splash)

While an onlooker at private members' club Soho House told the newspaper: “They tried to keep as low-key as possible and were sitting in a small snug area of the restaurant.
“But it wasn’t a private area and they were happy to be seen. Gary Lineker and a whole host of the Made In Chelsea cast were also there, but they only had eyes for each other.”
Last month, the pair enjoyed a trip to Norway, where they enjoyed their first holiday together.
 Source: Mirror

Check out tweet of a Nigerian-credit to Twitter user Mohammed Deedee

Dear Mohammad, I spoke to former President Goodluck Jonathan and he has forgiven you. In fact he said he never bore you a grudge as you and many others fell victim to misinformation and propaganda. He asked me to remind you and others that no ambition that he has in life is worth the blood of anybody. Finally, he prayed for you and for Nigeria to come out of the current economic challenges facing the nation.

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Court remands ex-minister’s son in prison - Eric Ikhilae,

Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that Shamsudeen Bala, son of former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Bala Mohammed be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, who gave the order yesterday, said Bala should remain in custody till Friday when the court will rule on his bail application.

The judge gave the order shortly after listening to arguments on his bail application.

The bail application was argued after Bala was arraigned on a 15-count charge of money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bala was arraigned with four firms – Bird Trust Argo Limited, Intertrans Global Logistics Limited, Diakin Telecommunications Limited and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Limited.

The ex-minister’s son was accused of laundering N1,105,719,005 in 2015. Besides, he was charged with false assets declaration.

Bala was said to have carried out cash transactions beyond the limit set by the Money Laundering Act. He was also said to have failed to declare his assets when he completed the EFCC Asset Declaration Form A.

He allegedly concealed four of his accounts domiciled at Standard Chartered Bank. The accounts were given as 0001857597, 5001214708, 0000895037 and 000895020.

Arguing his client’s bail application, Bala’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN) contended that the charges against Bala were bailable.

He added that the EFCC had, by itself, granted an administrative bail to his client after arresting him in June 2015, and that the commission did not deny it.

Prosecution lawyer Ben Ikani opposed the bail application on the grounds that the defendant would escape from trial if granted bail.

Ikani, who noted that the charges against the defendant attract a maximum of seven years prison term on conviction, argued that Bala was not entitled to bail, going by his antecedents from when he was arrested.

He said refused to carry out “innocuous” requests made by the commission by allegedly refusing to “volunteer his passport or fill in mandatory bio-data form”.

After listening to arguments for and against the bail application, Justice Dimgba adjourned till February 3 for ruling.

He ordered that the defendant be kept in Kuje prison and fixed March 27 for the commencement of the trial.

Culled from Nation

Okorocha,Obiano at war-George Onyejiuwa, Owerri and Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

…You’re irresponsible, Imo gov tells Anambra counterpart

…I won’t dignify you with response, Obiano fires back

Imo State Governor, Rochas  Okorocha has described Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano’s media attack on him an act of irresponsibility.

Okorocha said his Anambra counterpart does not have to  attack his person to make a point.

This was even as he said Obiano was no match for him in terms of achievement and good governance.

Anambra State governor had said “this is an example of “what a leader should not  be,” in veiled response to a statement by Okorocha that “soon, three other South East governors would be joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

Okorocha is the only APC governor in the South East.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Sam Onwuemwodo, yesterday, Okorocha noted “with regret, the media attack on his person by Obiano over a harmless statement he made at the APC Stakeholders meeting in Owerri that three governors in the South-East would soon join APC.

“Reacting to Okorocha’s innocuous claim, Obiano said the Imo governor “is an example of what a leader should not be.” That kind of motor park language was unexpected from a governor of a state who answers ‘His Excellency,’ even when the Anambra governor did not explain what he meant by that. In what way was governor Okorocha not an example of what a leader should be?

“That statement didn’t call for insult or any foul language. And, two responsible governors in the zone, Enugu and Ebonyi States governors were quoted to have reacted to Okorocha’s claim and as decent men, made their points without attacking the Imo governor.”

The Imo state governor also noted that the attack on his person by Obiano has authenticated the general impression that he is aggressive and should have been a militant instead of a governor.

‘‘Governor Okorocha’s claim was a healthy one, expected to provoke sound debates, which is the beauty of democracy.

“Governors with ideas and the right exposure gave their polite reactions, but, the one without ideas (Obiano) took to insults. Only men with nothing to offer in terms of ideas take delight in insulting others. Men of ideas do not insult others.’

He challenged Obiano to make public his  achievements as a governor in the last four years as he is not his match in the provision of dividends of democracy.

“Leadership is all about ideas and service.

“Luckily, Obiano has been governor for almost four years while Okorocha has also been governor for five years now.

“Let Obiano publish his achievements in Anambra state even with high IGR, and let governor Okorocha also publish his achievements in Imo.

“Then, we take off from there.”

In a swfit reaction, Obiano said he iss not willing to join issues with Okorocha as the latter was becoming “a loose canon.”

On Okorocha’s comment, calling him (Obiano) an irresponsible man, the Anambra governor said he “is busy with serious state business of development and has no time for frivolities.

His Senior Special Assistant ton Media, Mr. James Eze told Daily Sun, yesterday evening, that the governor “has no wish to join issues with governor Okorocha. We will do that only when we are ready to join issues with loose cannons.”

Culled from Sun