06/08/18

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.


President Muhammadu Buhari has invited key players of June 12 struggle to the conferment of posthumous Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Chief Moshood Abiola.

Among the top key players invited by President Buhari include human-activist Wole Soyinka and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana.

This was disclosed on Friday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha in a statement on Friday.

Also, all governors elected under Social Democratic Party of Nigeria (SDP) platform are invited to the investiture scheduled to take place on June 12, 2018, at the State House, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

This invitation follows the announcement of June 12 as Democracy Day and National Holiday and announcement of honour on Chief Gani Fawehinmi as the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

The family of the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola and that of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, alongside and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe were invited.

The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and former APC national Chairman, Bisi Akande were also invited.

Also on the guest list are Members of the National Executive Committee of the SDP including States Chairmen and Secretaries at the time of June 12, 1993, Former Senate Presidents – Iyorchia Ayu and Ameh Ebute and Speaker Agunwa Anekwe along with Principal Officers of the National Assembly elected under SDP platform, Speakers of the States Assembly elected under SDP platform, and All Chairmen of the States Traditional Councils from the six South-Western States.

Some journalists who played a key role in the June 12 struggle were also invited –  Bayo Onanuga, Kunle Ajibade, Nosa Igiebor, Kayode Komolafe and Senator Jonathan Zwingina.

Others are Comrade Frank Ovie Kokori, Ms. Ayo Obe and Professor Humphrey Nwosu.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogora, Principal Officers of the National Assembly, Members of the Federal Executive Council and all State Governors will also be at the event.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.


Senator Dino Melaye has criticised the current state of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that the party is sick and “suffering from a dreadful continental abnormality.”

The lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District said this on Friday, on Channels Television Programme, Politics Today.

Melaye said further that he does not have a problem with the APC, “but my party may have a problem with Nigerians because of the way it is presently being run.

“I will not run away from the fact that the APC is sick. And it’s not only sick but is equally suffering from what I call a dreadful continental abnormality,” he said.

In reaction to the question on which platform and the political party he would be contesting to retain his seat in 2019, Melaye said, “When we get to that bridge, we shall cross it.”

“Definitely I would be contesting on the platform of a political party since the issue of independent candidature has not been signed by the President. But to tell you if it is APC or any other political party, for now, I can’t say.”

Speaking on the relationship between the executive arm of government and the legislature, Melaye said it is normal in a democratic government for friction to occur between both arms of government.

“If you expect a romance between the executive and the legislature, then you are no longer in democracy. We can partner to make Nigeria progress but there is not supposed to be any romance,” he said, adding that the role of the national assembly to check the excesses of the executive.

“When you see two friends going into the same room and they come out laughing, then they are deceiving themselves.”
“What is happening is not abnormal, what is happening in the constitutional duty of the legislature to check the roles of the executive,” Melaye added.

This is not the first time Senator Melaye will be criticising his party, APC, openly.

He had earlier said he is not comfortable sitting with his fellow APC lawmakers at the Senate House of Assembly.


Upon resumption of plenary on Wednesday, May 30, after battling with police and being on admission in the hospital, he had opted to sit with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, a decision which resulted in rowdy at the Red Chambers.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.


Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says the Federal Government is planning to have him indicted and silence him from expressing his concerns about the state of the nation.

According to a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Friday, the plot against the former President followed the statement he issued in January blasting the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Obasanjo who supported Buhari as he swept to power in 2015 has since then repeatedly criticised the President’s performance in office and advised him against seeking re-election.

”Since Chief Olusegun Obasanjo declared in his State-of-the-Nation Special Statement on January 23, 2018, the desperation to frustrate, intimidate and blackmail him into abandoning his divine mandate to protect the rights of the people to better life and living continued unabated and has even taken a bizarre dimension,” the fresh statement on Friday read in part.

”Impeccable security sources have alleged Chief Obasanjo’s name is on their Watch List and that the security of his life cannot be guaranteed.”

The former President, who is a retired general, based his alarm on informants, “many of who are in the top echelon of the nation’s security management and close to the corridors of power”.

“The operatives are daily perfecting how to curtail the personal liberties of the former President and hang a crime on him,” the statement added.

Late in April, Chief Obasanjo admitted that there was the possibility that his critical view about the Federal Government might lead to an attempt to suppress his views.

Regardless, he vowed that he would not bow to pressure.

The former president would have preferred to ignore the alleged plot by the Federal Government, but recent developments in the country and the credibility of the informants led him to speak out.

”Ordinarily, we would not have dignified these reports with a response but for the fact that many of these informants are not known for flippant and frivolous talks,” the statement explained.

“Secondly, this Government has demonstrably exhibited apathy, and in some cases, encouraged by its conduct, daily loss of lives and property in many States of the country, the office cannot be indifferent.”
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.


The Federal Government has announced that June 12 this year will not be marked as a public holiday following its declaration as the new Democracy Day.

In a tweet on Friday, the Federal Government said while it will not be marked this year, June 12 “in future years will replace May 29th as a national public holiday in celebration of Nigeria Democracy Day.”

The President had made the declaration on Wednesday, in honour of the late businessman and politician, Moshood Abiola, who ran for presidency on June 12, 1993.


He also conferred a posthumous GCFR title on him as the presumed winner of the election.

In a tweet on his official handle, he explained why June 12 will replace May 29. He noted that June 12 is a more symbolic day.

“Dear Nigerians, I am delighted to announce that, after due consultations, the Federal Government has decided that henceforth, June 12 will be celebrated as Democracy Day.

“We have also decided to award posthumously the highest Honour in the land, GCFR, to Chief MKO Abiola.

“In the view of Nigerians, as shared by this Administration, June 12, 1993, was and is far more symbolic of Democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29, or even October 1,” his tweet read.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

A senior advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has disagreed with a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Alfa Belgore, on the legality of the national honour conferred on MKO Abiola – the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday conferred a posthumous national award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Abiola, and a posthumous national award of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) on Gani Fawehinmi – a respected human rights activist.

He had also declared June 12 as Nigeria’s new Democracy Day, saying it was a more historic day compared to the existing May 29.

Justice Belgore, who was CJN between 2006 and 2007, told Premium Times in an interview that honouring Abiola with a GCFR was illegal.

He stated that no national award could be awarded posthumously, let alone the GCFR – the highest honour in the land.

“It is for people living,” Belgore had said. “The only thing they could do is to name a place after him, but national honours award, no.”

Responding in a statement on Thursday, Falana observed that the former CJN did not refer to any section of the National Honours Act or any other law that has been violated by President Buhari.

He argued that the National Honours Act has not prohibited or restricted the powers of the President to confer national honours on deserving Nigerian citizens, whether such person is dead or alive.

“No doubt, paragraph two of the Honours Warrant made pursuant to the National Honours Act provides that ‘a person shall be appointed to a particular rank of an Order when he receives from the President in person, at an investiture held for the purpose…’

“But paragraph three, thereof, has given the President the unqualified discretion ‘to dispense with the requirement of paragraph two in such manner as may be specified in the direction,” the senior advocate said.

He stressed that since the national awards conferred on Abiola and Fawehinmi cannot be received by them in person, the President may permit their family members to receive same on their behalf.

Falana also responded to the claims that the June 12 declaration was illegal on the grounds that the President did not seek the approval of the National Assembly.

He noted that the President is not required by law to seek and obtain any approval of the Legislature before declaring a public holiday in the country.

The lawyer stated, “Section 2 (1) of the Public Holidays Act stipulates that in addition to the holidays mentioned in the Schedule to the Act, the President may appoint a special day to be kept as a public holiday either throughout Nigeria or in any part thereof.”

In view of the combined effect of the National Honours Act and the Public Holidays Act, Falana insisted that the legal validity of the awards and the historic holiday has not been doubted in any manner. LR News
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Renowned Nigerian author and feminist, Chimamanda Adichie, has expressed her misgivings over some preferential treatments given to women.
Adichie spoke against men opening doors for women and tragedy aids given to women and children first because they are perceived as weak while appearing on the Trevor Noah show, a daily show and an American programme on Thursday.
The show is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning program that looks at the day’s top headlines through a sharp, reality-based lens.
According to Adichie, opening the door for a woman should not be out of chivalry; rather, people should be open to helping and being courteous regardless of gender.
She said, “I think just like holding the door shouldn’t be gender because we should open the door for everyone.
“I hold the door for men and women. I think the idea of sort of holding the door for a woman because she is a woman, I have trouble with.
“I’m quite happy for people to hold the door for me I hope they are not doing for the sort of idea of chivalry.
“Because chivalry is the idea of women are somehow weak and need protecting but we know that there many women who are stronger than men,” she said.
She went on to express her disdain for the idea of people always saying women and children should be rescued first in times of tragedy, rather than saving the weak and unwell.
Adichie said, “Which is also why I have issues with women and children when women are classified. When there is a tragedy and we say women and children should live first.
“I think actually it is the people who are weak and unwell who should leave first,” she said.
Adichie frequently comes under ‘fire’ over her unwavering feminist comments during interviews.
Adichie trended in April when she said she was upset that the Twitter bio of former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, began with ‘wife’ despite her numerous achievements.
Adichie’s feminism campaign has been a pivotal crux of her writing as her characters centre around powerful women who are usually dwarfed by the patriarchal system in their environments.
Her TedX talk ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ was sampled on American singer Beyonce’s hit song ‘Flawless’ and was also part of Beyonce’s performance routine at 2018 Coachella.
In 2017, Adichie released a small book titled – ‘Dear Ijeawele or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions’.
Her novel ‘Americanah’, was recognised as one of 15 remarkable books by women that are shaping the way fiction was being written and read in the 21st century.” LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Austria’s right-wing government says it plans to shut down seven mosques and could expel dozens of imams.
According to the government, it is  “just the beginning” of a push against radical Islam and foreign funding of religious groups that Turkey condemned as racist.
The coalition government, an alliance of conservatives and the far right, came to power soon after Europe’s migration crisis on promises to prevent another influx and restrict benefits for new immigrants and refugees.
The moves follow a “law on Islam”, passed in 2015, which banned foreign funding of religious groups and created a duty for Muslim organisations to have “a positive fundamental view towards (Austria’s) state and society”.
“Political Islam’s parallel societies and radicalising tendencies have no place in our country,” said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who, in a previous job as minister in charge of integration, steered the Islam bill into law.
Standing next to him and two other cabinet members on Friday, far-right Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache told a news conference: “This is just the beginning.”
Austria, a country of 8.8 million people, has roughly 600,000 Muslim inhabitants, most of whom are Turkish or have families of Turkish origin.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said the new policy was part of an “Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory wave” in Austria.
“The Austrian government’s ideologically charged practices are in violation of universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights and the ethics of co-existence,” Ibrahim Kalin tweeted.
The ministers at the news conference said up to 60 imams belonging to the Turkish-Islamic Union for Cultural and Social Cooperation in Austria (ATIB), a Muslim group close to the Turkish government, could be expelled from the country or have visas denied on the grounds of receiving foreign funding.
A government handout put the number at 40, of whom 11 were under review and two had already received a negative ruling.
ATIB spokesman Yasar Ersoy acknowledged that its imams were paid by Diyanet, the Turkish state religious authority, but it was trying to change that.
“We are currently working on having imams be paid from funds within the country,” he told ORF radio.
One organisation that runs a mosque in Vienna and is influenced by the “Grey Wolves”, a Turkish nationalist youth group, will be shut down for operating illegally, as will an Arab Muslim group that runs at least six mosques, the government said in a statement. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

FCT Commissioner of Police Sadiq Bello, has vowed to rid Abuja of illegal firearms ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The commissioner represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mt. Anjuguri Manzah, made the vow at a briefing on “Operation Finger off the Trigger National Disarmament and Peace’’ Campaign.
Latest Reality Metro reports that the conference was organised by: “Nigeria Salute Initiative and Finger off the Trigger’’ a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that educates youths on peaceful coexistence
Bello called on those in possession of illegal firearms in the FCT to voluntarily submit them as directed by the Inspector General of Police
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, recently directed Commissioners of Police of all the state commands to commence the recovery of illegal firearms in the country.
Bello said: “The command is still calling on all those who possess firearms illegally to surrender them before the expiration of the time given.
`We want the residents to know that the submission of the illegal firearms is still open.
“So anyone who is in possession of these firearms can go to any nearest police station or come to the FCT Command to surrender them because the IG has given an extension grace for the submission.
“Because after the expiration of the grace anyone found in possession of illegal fire arms would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.”
He said that the FCT Command recovered a number arms and ammunition in March.
“In March we recovered 778 illegal arms, 222 live cartridges that were voluntarily surrendered in the FCT as part of the efforts to ensure that we don’t have firearms in the command.’’
Bello lauded the coordinator of the initiative, and stressed that the campaign could not come at a better time than now when the nation is preparing for 2019 elections.
The Coordinator, “General Salute Nigeria Initiative’’, Amb Chielo Ojirika, said that the campaign was targeted at local communities, schools, churches, mosque, market places, motor parks, among others.
He said that the present ethnic-religious violence and insecurity in the country had prompted more the need for proactive programmes like the campaign.
He stated that “Thus we need virtuous programmes that provide sustainable unity in Nigeria as a whole
“Nigeria remains the biggest market in Africa, but this is being hindered by insecurity thereby slowing down her economic growth and development.
“Boko Haram has been pushed back, but other tensions are also growing. For example, frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers, robbery and kidnapping are threatening the existence of Nigeria
“It is therefore important to propagate socio-cultural cooperation among Nigerians. We believe that the yearning of the average Nigerian is that of peace, unity and stability hence Finger off the Trigger,” he said. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki has responded to the the request by the Nigerian Police urging him to explain his involvement with the Offa Robbery Suspects.
Saraki who took to his twitter handle @BukolaSaraki, said that he had written to the Police as requested.
The Police had announced on Sunday during a press briefing that the Nation’s number three citizen would be invited to explain his links to the suspects.
According to the Police, five of the bandits arrested and who have made confessions during interrogations indicted the President of the Senate.
The spokesperson of the POlice Mr Jimoh Moshood who briefed the press on Sunday, said: “The Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited by the Nigeria Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations leveled against him from the confessions of the Five (5) Gang Leaders, namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons which include some pregnant women and nine Police personnel”, Moshood said.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, and after Saraki had denied any links with the bandits and announced his willingness answer the call, the Police then wrote the senator asking him to respond in writing instead.
*What the five gang leaders confessed to the Police:
 * Ayoade Akinnibosun a.k.a AY ‘M’ 37Yrs – Gang Leader From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. Confessed to have coordinated the Bank Robbery and the killing of Thirty Three (33) innocent persons during the bank robbery.
* Ibikunle Ogunleye ‘M’ 36Yrs – Gang Leader from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. Confessed to have killed Two (2) Persons during the bank robbery.
*Adeola Abraham ‘M’ 35Yrs – Gang Leader from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. Confessed to have killed Five (5) Persons during the bank robbery.
*Salawudeen Azeez ‘M’ 49Yrs – Gang Leader from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. Confessed to have killed Two (2) Persons during the bank robbery.
*Niyi Ogundiran ‘M’ 37Yrs – Gang Leader from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. Confessed to have killed Two (2) Persons during the bank robbery.
The other 17 suspects volunteered confessional statements admitting their active participation in the robbery.
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