07/26/18

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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.


National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has advised the lawmakers who defected from the party not to be deceived by promises of automatic tickets.

Addressing reporters on Thursday in Abuja, Oshiomhole said there are no automatic tickets for those defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While he described such promise as ‘a mirage’, he noted that the APC does not need politicians of convenience but members with a shared ideology.

The APC National Chairman, however, said the doors of the ruling party were open to defectors to return, but would not be lured with gifts such as dollars or automatic tickets.

He spoke to journalists after meeting with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives led by the Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the party’s secretariat in the nation’s capital.

Gbajabiamila said that the draining of the swamp had taken place earlier while the consolidation of the remaining loyal members would continue.

The meeting was convened two days after 37 members of the House and 14 members of the Senate dumped the APC.

Some of the members of the House who left the party are Danburam Nuhu, Mark Gbilah, Razak Atunwa, Ahmed Bichi, Abdulsamad Dasuk, Zakari Mohammed, Sani Rano, Barry Mpigi, Ali Madaki, Dickson Tackighir, and Hassan Saleh.

Similarly, the defecting senator include Dino Melaye (Kogi), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulazeez Nyako (Adamawa), Barnabas Gemade (Benue), and Ibrahim Dambaba, Shaaba Lafiaji (Kwara), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara), and Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo), among others.

President Muhammadu Buhari consequently met with the APC senators led by the Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan.

Senator Lawan told State House correspondents after the meeting that the defected lawmakers would return to the party before the 2019 elections.

He had also noted that despite the defection suffered by the ruling party, the APC retained its majority status in the Senate with 53 seats.

The lawmaker said the PDP has the largest minority with 48 members of the Senate while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has two senators.
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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.
Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman of APC with some APC senators

Senate Majority Leader Ahmed Lawan has said members of the National Assembly who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will return to the party before the general elections in 2019.
Lawan made the comforting statement the party’s senators met President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The lawmaker revealed that during the meeting which lasted for about 30 minutes, the President was briefed about the number of APC senators which he said was 53.
Senate majority leader Ahmed Lawan with some of his colleagues
He added that the PDP has the largest minority with 48 members of the Senate while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has two senators.
Senator Lawan noted that less than 24 hours after 14 of their colleagues defected from the APC, they have shown willingness to retrace their steps.
He revealed that while the defection was as a result of disagreements in the party, the defected lawmakers expect some members from the opposition party to join the ruling party.
Senator Shehu Sani
The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, also attended the meeting, although he said it does not mean all his grievances have been addressed.
Sani was confident that the leadership of the party chaired by former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole would be able to resolve all contending issues within the party.
Mr Oshiomhole, who also attended the meeting, told State House correspondents that those defected from the APC were misinformed.
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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 lawmaker representing Kogi West district, Senator Dino Melaye, has been reportedly abducted by gunmen in Gwagwalada, a suburb of Abuja.

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who represents Bayelsa East, disclosed this on Thursday via his Twitter handle.

He revealed that he got the information from Melaye’s brother who said the lawmaker was reportedly kidnapped after the gunmen attacked them on their way to Kogi State.

One of the associates of the lawmaker who witnessed the incident, Musa Shuaibu, told reporters that he was abducted along the Abuja-Lokoja Highway.

Shuaibu said, “As we speak, his (Melaye’s) whereabouts is unknown. Nigerians must come to his rescue.”

However, the police have yet to confirm the abduction.

Melaye was among the senators who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker’s trial over alleged gun running continued on Thursday at the Magistrate Court in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

His lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, who was represented in court by Yemi Mohammed, told Magistrate Suleyman Abdalah that he had it on good authority that the senator was attacked on Wednesday while living for Lokoja.

According to him, the whereabouts of the lawmaker has yet to be ascertained up till the time the Magistrate Court sat for his trial.

Similarly, an officer in charge of police prosecution, Theophilus Otema, told the magistrate that the prosecuting counsel had an emergency which made it extremely difficult for him to appear in court.

He then requested that the matter be adjourned till September 23, but the magistrate rejected the date saying it contravened the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Kogi State, as amended.

Magistrate Abdalah consequently adjourned till August 9 for the commencement of trial.

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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 Vice Chancellor of the Akwa Ibom University, Prof. Eno James Ibanga, said his university does not give admission to students with tattoos.
He made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen, saying that students are thoroughly screened before being admitted, also to check that they do not belong to cults. One of the criteria for admission is the no-tattoo policy.
In the interview held at Kkpat Enin, Ibang said over 90 per cent of programmes of the institution have received full accreditation from the National University Commission.
Courses on religious studies, mass communication, history and international relations have received interim accreditation from the NUC, he said. 
He said that the accreditation team from National University Commission would visit the institution to complete the accreditation of the remaining three programmes. 
He commended the state government for allowing the university enjoy  autonomy in spite of the fact that it is state-owned. 
The vice chancellor said that apart from autonomy, the management of the school enjoys support from the Governing Council and the state government. 
“All faculties except three programmes have full accreditation and the management only admits students within its capacity. The university at present  has  7,300 students.
“I count myself blessed to be a Vice Chancellor of Akwa Ibom State University. We have autonomy. Without it, the institution will not succeed and the autonomy has been upheld by the government.
The management of Akwa Ibom State University, (AKSU) has free hands and autonomy to operate to achieve academic excellence,” Ibanga said. 
Ibanga noted that the school has developed  the infrastructure it needs to give students the appropriate  training that would create jobs for them.
“We encourage our staff to go into  research and develop the place. Akwa Ibom University has entered into collaborations with some foreign institutions in the area of research and training. 
“We have been very liberal in dealing with staff matters. We pay salaries  before the end of the month. We give extra incentives to staff as well,” he said.
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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 $16 million car loans disbursed to lawmakers to buy new cars has generated outrage in South Sudan.
The South Sudanese are angry of the approval of the loan in a country that was currently battling hunger amid an economic crisis.
According to sources in the South Sudan Parliament, each lawmaker in the 400-seater assembly will receive about 40,000 dollars to buy a new car.
“Yes we have received the money for buying cars. You know we were supposed to get new cars every two years and this money has been overdue,” said a lawmaker who asked to remain anonymous as he is not in the position to talk about the issue.
“The money we received is not enough because the average amount we are supposed to get to buy a car is supposed to be 65,000 dollars,” he said.
Reports of the car loans have been making rounds on social media in recent days, with many South Sudanese criticizing their representatives of not being considerate of their electorates who continue to suffer the brunt of the country’s four-year-old conflict.
Civil society activist James Kolok said the country is surprised to learn that the government has got money to be loaned to lawmakers when it struggled to pay civil servants and deliver services since the nation descended into civil war in late 2013.
“It is not appropriate for the government to give this money at a time when a country is actually crying because of a number of challenges that everyone including the children can see,” Jame said.
Women’s rights activist Susan Wasuk questioned how the government acquired the funds when they have been complaining of lack of money to run government affairs.
“I don’t know where this budget is coming from when people are going to the neighboring countries and civil servants have not got their salaries and MPs are already talking of money to buy cars,” Wasuk said.
According to the World Bank, South Sudan is the most oil-dependent nation in the world, with oil accounting for almost the totality of exports and around 60 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).
But after the young nation descended into civil war in late 2013, oil production declined from 350,000 in 2011 to fewer than 130,000 barrels per day in 2014 amid soaring inflation.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands and created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.
Senior economist, Marial Yol said the loan would be costly for the world’s youngest nation as it will trigger series of demands for salary increase from other government employees, which the country cannot afford at this time.
He added that the lawmakers may not be able to repay the loans because of their low salaries.
“One would wonder as to how they would pay this money back to the government because the salary of an MP is around 9,000 South Sudan Pounds (about 40 dollars).
“How can somebody who gets a salary of 40 to 50 dollars per month pay a car loan of 40,000?” he asked.
There was no immediate comment from the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Information, Paul Bonju. Xinhua/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.

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the party’s deputy publicity secretary have offered a friendly advice to both Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara: to quit APC  without delay or  be expelled.
Abu Ibrahim who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs and an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and  APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena gave the advice on Wednesday.
Ibrahim said the failure of Saraki and Dogara to leave the party would lead to their expulsion.
The Senator, who represents Katsina South Senatorial District, also said the plot to impeach President Buhari would have begun today (Thursday) as planned by some lawmakers.
Ibrahim, who appeared to have spoken the minds of other APC senators, said developments in and around the National Assembly clearly showed that Saraki and Dogara could no longer be trusted in the APC.
The expulsion calls came as President Buhari met last night with APC senators following Tuesday’s defection of 14 senators and 37 members of the House of Representatives from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
With Senators Lanre Tejusoso and Adesoji Akanbi returning to APC, the APC now has 54 members as against PDP’s 48 in the Senate.
According to The Nation, Abu Ibrahim  who is also chairman of Buhari Support Group, spoke in Abuja.
Senator Abu Ibrahim: gives Saraki, Dogara red card to leave APC

Speaking specifically about the defection of 14 senators and 37 House of Representatives members from the APC, Ibrahim said the defections were not only expected but did not come to him as a shock.
He said he concluded that no fewer than 13 senators would leave the APC.
He noted that the only defection he did not anticipate was Sokoto State Senator Abdullahi Danbaba’s.
I “I know that those who take Saraki like god will go. This is because wherever Saraki goes they will go. But the mistake they have made is not to realise that politics is local.
“Nobody will say Isa Misau and Suleiman Nazif (two Bauchi State senators) were voted because of Saraki. They were voted because of Buhari. They will lose their seats. Saraki will not save them. They can’t even go to their constituencies.”
On the speculation that some APC senators were quartered in a high profile hotel in Abuja on the night preceding Tuesday’s Senate plenary to plot change of leadership in the Senate, Ibrahim said: “I slept in my house. I was here in my office and left by 2pm. I was not quartered anywhere.”
He was categorical that the alleged plot to impeach President Buhari “would have started on Thursday (today)”
He said: “The impeachment of the President should have started Thursday. Everybody was planning. We knew they were planning.
“They realised and learnt that we knew. They knew that if they had remained up till today (Wednesday) a lot of things would have happened.
“We were planning. This is the National Assembly, the only place political parties meet. We were planning.
“Saraki and Dogara should resign today or the APC should send them away. They are no longer APC members.
“The only reason Saraki and Dogara have not left the APC is that they know that if they leave they will lose their seats. But we will force them to leave.
‘Left to me, I will recommend to APC to expel them. They are no longer needed in the party. We will be cured of cancer if they leave.
“Me as Abu Ibrahim, I am asking Saraki and Dogara to leave APC today. I will meet Oshiomhole (Adams) to expel them.”
Ibrahim insisted that the departure of Saraki and Dogara will not affect the electoral chances of APC.
He noted that if Saraki leaves APC, the party may lose Kwara and Kogi states and no more.
Ibrahim continued: “My position is that Saraki and Dogara should leave the APC. We can no longer trust or discuss APC issues with them again. We cannot afford to continue to harbour moles in our midst.
“Let people be courageous enough and be honest to themselves. We will not miss them.”
APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena, also called for an immediate expulsion of the Senate President.
In a statement, Nabena accused Saraki of being in cahoots with the defectors.
He said: “Being the ringleader, there was no justification for APC to continue to tolerate Saraki. He must go now. Or be shown the way out.”
Nabena, who said the party leadership and members were not surprised by the defections, said the people were rather shocked by Saraki’s utterances and body language.
“The news of the about 14 senators who defected from our party hardly came as a surprise to anyone. What, however, shocked political observers, especially democratic minds, was Senate President Bukola Saraki’s postures and expressions, which clearly communicated his unhidden complicity in the charade against his supposed party.
“Clearly, Saraki had a big hand in organising the events that transpired in the National Assembly. He has, therefore, lost the moral justification to remain in APC. The time to expel him from the party is now.”
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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 National Parks Service (PKS), says its collaboration with security agencies will help to combat illegal activities at the National Parks across the country.
Alhaji Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator-General, PKS, said this while briefing newsmen after a closed door to the Director-General of the State Security Service (DSS) Lawal Daura in Abuja on Wednesday.
“We have been seeking collaboration with agencies for effective protection of the parks. The visit is in line with my desire to reach out to all security agencies since I assumed duty.
“We want to have adequate security and surveillance patrol at all the national parks in the country so they won’t become hiding places for criminals.’’
He said the move was to ensure the safety of lives and property of visitors and tourists at the parks at all times.
“Our intention is to rid the parks of criminals and hoodlums, who may want to take advantage of our security shortfalls to perpetrate nefarious activities in and around the parks.’’
He said that despite the security situation in some parts of the country, the Service would continue to serve as an embodiment of the nation’s biodiversity conservation and ecotourism destinations.
Goni reiterated his call on members of the public to visit any of the seven national parks in the country without fear.
The service had in February, trained some of its rangers across the country on arms and weapon handling.
Goni said the training would help to equip the rangers on how to control cattle grazers who encroach into the parks, due to lack of designated cattle routes and functional grazing reserves.
He said that the Service would continue to protect the parks from encroachment for farming and other human activities.
“These encroachments threaten the conservation of the parks, especially the Cross River, Gashaka-Gumti and Kainji Lake National Parks,’’ he said.
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