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4 June 2015

Nigerians won’t regret electing me, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday assured Nigerians that he would do all within his powers to ensure that they would not regret entrusting national responsibility to him by electing him during the March 28 presidential election.

He said his administration was capable of fixing the nation’s problems.

Buhari made the submission in an address he delivered to members of the Nigerian community in Niger during his visit to the country.

A copy of his speech was made available to journalists in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

Chief Edwin Clark

A former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has once again canvassed support for President Muhamadu Buhari.

He described the President as being capable of leading the country; therefore, he should be supported by all Nigerians.

Clark, who was one of the staunch supporters of former President Goodluck Jonathan, spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at his residence when he received a group, known as Probity Ambassadors Organisation of Nigeria.

National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Lai Mohammed

There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress National Working Committee will on Thursday (today) direct its National Assembly members-elect to pick consensus candidates for the senate presidency and the speakership of the House of Representatives.

It was reliably gathered on Wednesday in Abuja that the issue of leadership of the eighth National Assembly would be a part of the agenda of the APC NWC’s meetings with senators-elect and their counterparts for the House.

A top member of the NWC, who confided in The PUNCH, said that the decision to pick consensus candidates was part of efforts to prevent the opposition Peoples Democratic Party from controlling the eighth National Assembly.

More of the N8bn currency fraud suspects being taken to a court in Ibadan, Oyo State ... on Wednesday.

Hearing in the Central Bank of Nigeria N8bn mutilated currency fraud suit continued at the Federal High Court, Ibadan on Wednesday as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission told the court that one of the accused persons, Mr. Ayodeji Alase, had N134m in one of his bank accounts.

The EFCC told the trial judge, Justice A.O. Faaji, that Alase, a primary six certificate holder, started work at First Bank as a guard before he was promoted to the position of a cash assistant.

The lead prosecution counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacob (SAN), also told the court that the accused had property worth hundreds of millions of naira.

Badeh; Ihejirika

Amnesty International has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands to investigate some former and serving Nigerian service chiefs for war crimes.

The crimes, according to the global civil rights organisation, were perpetrated during the fight against Boko Haram in the North-East between March 2011 and 2014.

It said in a comprehensive report, entitled, “Stars on their shoulders, blood on their hands: War crimes committed by the Nigerian military,” that no fewer than 8,000 persons were “murdered, starved, suffocated and tortured to death “in the North-East during the period.

Don’t single me out for probe, Jonathan tells Buhari

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday advised the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, not to single out his administration in any probe he may want to carry out after his inauguration on Friday.

He said all those advising Buhari to probe his administration must also advise him to extend his probe beyond his regime or else, the probe will be seen as a witch-hunt.

Jonathan made his position known at the valedictory session of the Federal Executive Council which he presided over at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He also said those calling for his administration’s probe should add that the probe should be extended to the way oil wells and fields were allocated in the past.

Police shut Anambra restaurant for serving human flesh

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano

A restaurant in Anambra has reportedly been shut down for cooking human flesh and serving it to customers. The police were tipped off by locals who suspected something horrific was taking place inside the kitchen.

They raided the hotel restaurant to discover human heads which were still dripping with blood in plastic bags.

A local priest who ate at the restaurant was alarmed at the price of meals there, let alone where the meat came from, BBC Swahili reported. He was presented with a bill of N700.

The priest said: ‘The attendant noticed my reaction and told me it was the small piece of meat I had eaten that made the bill scale that high.

American fans sue Pacquiao over injury

Manny Pacquiao

Two Nevada men filed a class-action lawsuit against Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, seeking millions in damages because they say he fraudulently concealed a shoulder injury before his defeat to Floyd Mayweather, AFP reports.

It is just the latest fallout from Mayweather’s victory in Las Vegas on Saturday in a unanimous decision, with Pacquiao saying afterwards that the shoulder complaint hampered his performance in the welterweight world title showdown.

The plaintiffs argue that by failing to go public with the injury before the feverishly anticipated bout, the Philippine icon and his camp violated the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Banks use female marketers to woo senators, Reps-elect

National Assembly building, Abuja

Commercial banks have sent marketers, mostly females after newly-elected senators and members of the House of Representatives in Abuja to open discussions on investments and other business deals.

The energetic, sweet-talking and mostly female marketers, flooded the International Conference Centre, venue of an ongoing induction course for the new arrivals on Monday.

Investigations by The PUNCH showed that the target of the banks largely was to woo the lawmakers to open accounts with them.

Some of the smartly dressed marketers also offered loan opportunities they claimed their banks could guarantee with “friendly repayment terms.”

President Goodluck Jonathan

DISPLAYING utter contempt for the 1999 Constitution he swore to uphold, President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked Suleiman Abba as the Inspector-General of Police. He replaced him immediately with Solomon Arase, a Deputy Inspector-General, in an acting capacity. Both the dismissal and the acting appointment are gross violations of the 1999 Federal Constitution, Nigeria’s supreme law.

Without citing any cogent reason, the President unceremoniously fired Abba, who assumed office nine months ago. Sadly, however, these actions are in keeping with the trend of impunity in the Jonathan administration, which has consistently conducted itself in an imperial manner, to the detriment of the rule of law, the common good and growth of our democratic norms. They have all the trappings of using power for selfish end.

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said his administration had nothing to hide in respect of the claim by a former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Lamido Sanusi, that $20bn oil money was not remitted to the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

To prove this, he said he had directed that the full report by PriceWaterHouse which was commissioned to carry out a detailed investigation into the activities of the NNPC be made public immediately.

Jonathan, in a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, also described the allegation by the All Progressives Congress that his officials were embarking on last minute illegal actions as “unfortunate and uncharitable.”

Alhaji Ali Olanusi

Alhaji Ali Olanusi on Monday described his removal by the Ondo State House of Assembly as deputy governor as a huge joke.

Olanusi spoke through his lawyer, Oluwole Kayode, hours after the Commissioner for Agriculture, Lasisi Oluboyo, was sworn in as the state’s new deputy governor.

Olanusi’s travails began a month ago when he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.

In condemning his impeachment, he reminded the lawmakers of an April 23 court order that the status quo be maintained in respect of his office.

Pesticide responsible for Ondo deaths, says WHO

Dr. Margaret Chan

The World Health Organisation says pesticide poisoning is the probable cause of mysterious deaths of over 18 people in Ode Irele, in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Those who died suffered from blurred vision and headaches, and then lost consciousness before dying within 24 hours.

The “current hypothesis is cause of the event is herbicides,” WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl, said in a tweet.

“Tests done so far are negative for viral and bacterial infection,” he added.

The WHO spokesman said the current theory was that the deaths were caused by weedkiller.

All of those affected started showing symptoms between April 13 and 15.

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said his asking for forgiveness should not be taken for cowardice by his opponents, saying his tenure in office will be determined by God.

He said he took the step to seek a genuine reconciliation with the All Progressives Congress, whose 19 lawmakers in the state House of Assembly were plotting his impeachment.

The governor spoke on Sunday at the thanksgiving service organised for him at the Cathedral Church of Emmanuel, Anglican Communion, Ado Ekiti, to celebrate his electoral victory at the Supreme Court.

Fayose said, “I asked for forgiveness for reconciliation and to pursue genuine peace. Waiving the olive branch does not mean cowardice, it is for peace.

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said there was no truth in a report that he and the Peoples Democratic Party spent N2tn for campaigns ahead of the just-concluded general elections.

He also denied setting up a committee to conduct an audit of how the elections funds were disbursed by party members and state officials.

Jonathan made the clarification in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.

Zimbabweans moving their belongings from a temporary refugee camp in Chatsworth, South of Durban in South Africa before boarding a bus back to their country... on Sunday

Nigerian Consul-General in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, said on Sunday that Nigerians lost more than N21m Rand (1.2m) in the on-going xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Ajulu-Okeke told the News Agency of Nigeria by phone from Johannesburg, South Africa, that the loss included looted shops, burnt shops, two burnt mechanic workshops, 11 burnt cars and two stolen cars, among others.

“Nigerians have compiled the cost of the damage to their property and it is totalling about 1.2m Rand or N21m, which will be sent to the Federal Government for further action,” the ambassador said.

She said that two of the three Nigerians who were wounded during the attacks in Durban had been treated and discharged from the hospital.

Jonathan demands N2tr election funds refund, audit

President Goodluck Jonathan

Following the defeat suffered by President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, during the March 28 and April 11 elections, the President has asked the party and government officials, who handled campaign funds, to refund unspent monies, or those not judiciously expended, SUNDAY PUNCH can authoritatively report.

Jonathan, credible sources said, has also set up a committee of five to get those with the funds to return them.

Sources within the party and the government told our correspondents that Jonathan was disturbed that despite giving campaign coordinators, ministers, special advisers, close aides and friends, support groups and traditional rulers over N2tr in cash, most of them could not deliver their polling booths and local governments.

President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

President-elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) may write President Goodluck Jonathan to seek clarification on the May 28 handover date.

Sunday PUNCH reliably gathered on Saturday that to avoid dispute between the incoming and outgoing administrations, Buhari would ask for explanation on a statement by the Minister of Information, Mrs. Patricia Akwashiki, on Wednesday.

The minister had, after the Federal Executive Council meeting, told journalists that Jonathan would hand over to Buhari at a dinner in Abuja on May 28.

She had said, “By May 28, the President intends to have the formal handover done at a dinner so that we can reserve May 29 for the incoming government.

CBN to prosecute proprietors, others demanding foreign currencies

The Naira and dollar

The Central Bank of Nigeria says it will not hesitate to prosecute persons, including school managers, who demand and accept tuition in foreign currencies.

A statement by the bank’s Director Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Mu’azu, noted that the CBN Act of 2007 criminalised the usage of other foreign denominations over naira.

“The attention of the bank has been drawn to the increasing usage of foreign currencies in the domestic economy as a medium of payment for goods and services by individuals and corporate bodies.

“It has also been observed that some institutions price their goods and services in foreign currencies and demand payments in foreign currencies rather than the domestic currency (the Naira), which is the legal tender in Nigeria.

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd)

President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has congratulated the President-elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) on his victory at the polls and also extended an invitation to him to visit the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In a congratulatory message sent to Buhari and copied to the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Mr. Habu Gumel, the IOC President told Buhari that, “the election demonstrates the great confidence the people of Nigeria have in you. For your team, I wish you all the very best and a great success.”

Buhari, who will also become the Grand Patron of the NOC from May 29, was invited to the IOC headquarters by Bach.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

Fresh facts have emerged on the March 31 attempt by a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, to scuttle the announcement of the March 28 presidential election results.

The main part of Orubebe’s action, according to Reuters on Thursday, was a plot to use hired thugs to kidnap the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and consequently stall the electoral process.

The news agency quoted unnamed pro-democracy advocates and a Nigeria-based diplomat as saying that one of Jega’s aides unearthed the plot.

It said that the aide had sent a text message to an independent voting monitor, “warning of an imminent threat to the electoral process.”

Buhari, Ezekwesili, Adichie, Shekau

President-elect Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has made the TIME’s list of 100 most influential people in the world.

Also included in the 2015 list are a former Minister of Education and an advocate of the BringBackOurGirlsGroup, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili; award-winning novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, and leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau.

The TIME 100 is an annual list of 100 most influential people in the world whose works are changing the world, regardless of the consequences of their actions.

Described as “a new choice for Nigeria,” TIME’s Africa Bureau Chief, Aryn Baker, said Buhari made history in March by becoming the first candidate to oust a sitting Nigerian President through the ballot box.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

The Nigeria Customs Service on Thursday said that it had released former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s autobiography titled, My Watch.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the NCS Comptroller-General, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, made the disclosure to newsmen when he inaugurated two new patrol boats of the service in Lagos.

Abdullahi said that the container was released following the vacation of an FCT High Court order restraining the former President from publishing, printing or offering for sale, his autobiography titled, “My Watch’’ on Tuesday.

“Customs got the initial order of the court to stop the container and now that the court asks us to release the container, so be it,” he said.

I’ll restore military ties with US –Buhari

President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

The President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Tuesday said his administration would restore military cooperation with the United States of America.

In an article published by the New York Times in its Tuesday edition, Buhari promised to among other things reformed the military.

The outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration had cancelled the training component of its military cooperation with the US citing a lack of sincerity on the part of the Americans for its decision.

But Buhari said, “My administration would welcome the resumption of a military training agreement with the United States, which was halted during the previous administration. We must, of course, have better coordination with the military campaigns our African allies, like Chad and Niger, are waging in the struggle against Boko Haram. But, in the end, the answer to this threat must come from within Nigeria.”

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected the amendments made to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, The PUNCH has learnt.

A top government official who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent on Tuesday that Jonathan vetoed the amendment on Monday.

The official said the decision of the President not to sign the document was because the amendment did not meet the provisions of Section 9 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

The source explained that with the return of the document by the President, the letter accompanying it might be read on the floors of the two chambers of the National Assembly any time from Wednesday (today).

Nanny demands N15m for kidnapped Lagos children

A nanny, Mary Akinloye, who allegedly kidnapped three kids in the Surulere area of Lagos State has demanded N15m from the victim’s parents, PUNCH Metro has learnt.

Our correspondent learnt that the family was contacted on Thursday by the suspect and others, who were suspected to be members of her group. They were said to have demanded the N15m as ransom.

PUNCH Metro had reported on Wednesday that the Orekoya family had posted information on OLX, an online sales portal, seeking the service of a nanny.

Our correspondent reported that Akinloye indicated interest and gave the Orekoyas the contacts of two people who she said were her relatives.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday expressed deep concerns about the growing amount of Non-Performing Loans in the books of Deposit Money Banks and said it would publish the names of chronic debtors.

The Director, Banking Supervision, CBN, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, who stated this at a press briefing after the 321st meeting of the Bankers’ Committee in Lagos, said the central bank, in collaboration with the committee, had also decided to stop the serial debtors from buying foreign currencies at the official interbank foreign exchange market.

Also to be stopped from buying foreign currencies, according to her, are members of the board of directors of debtor companies as well as their subsidiary firms.

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi

AHEAD of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, of pressurising the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to rig the governorship election in the state.

Amaechi, who observed that President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife was in Okrika, her hometown, for the governorship election, hoped that there would not be a repeat of alleged electoral malpractices that happened on March 28 in the state.

The governor, who spoke during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Port Harcourt, said the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mrs. Gesila Khan, already had a mindset of delivering the state to the Peoples Democratic Party.

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose

The 19 All Progressives Congress members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have written to the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, asking him to set up a panel to investigate the allegations contained in their impeachment notice to Governor Ayodele Fayose.

The seven-member panel which should be constituted within seven days of the receipt of the letter is to investigate allegations of impunity, violence, stalking and other constitutional breaches the lawmakers levelled against Fayose and his deputy, Kolapo Olusola.

The legislators reached the resolution at a special sitting presided over by their Speaker, Adewale Omirin, at the Mary Hills Boys’ High School, Ado Ekiti.

According to a statement by Omirin’s media aide, Wole Olujobi, the lawmakers, in a unanimous vote, supported the motion directing the chief judge to set up the panel.

Jonathan fires Agwai as SURE-P chairman

Lt. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (retd.)

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday sacked Lt. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (retd.) as the Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, five days after the former Chief of Army Staff delivered the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 78th birthday lecture.

The President has named Mr. Ishaya Dare Akau as Agwai’s replacement.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President attributed Agwai’s sacking to the continuation of government’s efforts to continuously reposition Federal Government’s agencies for optimal delivery.

Agwai had, while delivering the Obasanjo lecture last Thursday, said change in the national leadership was inevitable and that the country’s leaders must accept it and move with it.

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

The All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State on Tuesday said the Kaduna State government denied the party’s presidential candidate, Maj. Gen Muhammmadu Buhari (retd.), access to the Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna, for his North-West zonal rally ahead of the rescheduled March 28 and April 11 general elections.

Our correspondent learnt that preparation for the rally, which is expected hold today (Wednesday), had reached an advanced stage when the zonal office of the party was informed that the state had refused the party the permit to use the facility.

“The PDP is jittery already. They are simply afraid of the popularity strength of the APC in the state and indeed the northern part of the state,” a party official, who asked not to be named, said.

Champions League: Out-of-form Real face Schalke

Cristiano Ronaldo

European champions Real Madrid will expect to take another step closer to becoming the first team in 25 years to retain the Champions League when they host Schalke on Tuesday holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg of their last 16 tie, AFP reports.

Real have strung together 10 consecutive victories in Europe stretching back to their successful run to their 10th European Cup last season, but have found the going a lot tougher domestically in 2015.

Los Blancos surrendered their lead at the top of La Liga at the weekend as they were beaten 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao, whilst Barcelona thrashed Rayo Vallecano 6-1.

Vice-Chancellor, LASU, Prof. John Obafunwa

The Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Prof. John Obafunwa, says his critics in the institution are those who have skeletons in their cupboards.

This came as he said that the institution had uncovered a large number of workers with questionable school certificate results.

Obafunwa, who made this known while speaking to journalists in Lagos, however, did not give further details about the certificate fraud.

He only stated that an investigating panel was compiling the data with a view to making it public soon.

The university, in 2014, also withdrew the PhD certificates of 19 persons, including that of the ASUU-LASU Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Idris. The action has since put the VC and the ASUU leadership in the school at loggerheads with the latter claiming that the motive was to embarrass Idris.

Telecommunications company, Globacom, on Monday said about seven million subscribers had signed up to its ongoing ‘Overload Reloaded’ promotion and had benefitted from over N27.5bn worth of bonus airtime since the commencement of the promo.

The telecoms company said the subscribers were those who joined the promo platform by dialing its special code *200# and reloading their phones with airtime of N200 denomination or higher.

Globacom introduced the Overload promo late last year alongside some other promotions with the sole aim of exciting and delighting its customers.

In January, the promo was relaunched as Glo Overload Reloaded with additional benefits such as expanded bonus of 400 per cent bonus airtime for every recharge of N200 and above up from the 200 per cent bonus airtime initially given to customers for every recharge of N200 and above.

Mrs. Patience Jonathan

The wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Monday told the presidential campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress that “she is a woman of peace that can never be identified with electoral violence.”

She said there was no way somebody like her who occupies the exalted office of the President of the African First Ladies Mission would be promoting violence under any guise.

Mrs. Jonathan who spoke with THE PUNCH through her media aide, Ayo Adewuyi, was reacting to the decision of the APC to report her to the International Criminal Court for allegedly asking supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party to stone anyone canvassing for change, the APC slogan, during a campaign rally in Calabar, Cross River State.

Bode George

A Peoples Democratic Party leader in Lagos State, Chief Bode George, says a former Governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, will never be like the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, no matter how hard he tries.

Tinubu, who is a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, is said to be largely responsible for the successful merger of the APC due to his influence across the South-West and parts of the South-South.

However, George, while addressing journalists during a meeting with beneficiaries of a scheme by the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, said Awolowo, during his time, ensured free education across the Western region when he was the premier.

The plane in the air

A Swiss solar-powered plane has taken off from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates marking the start of the first attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fuel, Al Jazeera reports.

The Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Andre Borschberg of Switzerland, took off at 7.12am local time (0412 GMT) on Monday from the UAE’s Al-Bateen airport and headed to Muscat, the capital of Oman, where it is expected to land later after the first leg of the journey.

The developers said the aim was to create awareness about replacing “old polluting technologies with clean and efficient technologies”.

Andre Borschberg, Solar Impulse co-founder, was at the controls of the single-seater when it took off from the Al Bateen airport in the UAE on Monday morning.

INEC Boss, Attahiru Jega

There were indications on Monday that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, would on Wednesday (tomorrow) review the outcome of the card reader test with Resident Electoral Commissioners.

The PUNCH learnt that the meeting would also review the commission’s readiness for the March 28 and April 11 general elections.

An INEC commissioner, who confided in one of our correspondents, said, “The commission has been impressed by the testing of card readers. We are so happy that Nigerians are appreciating our efforts.

“Nothing can stop us from using the card readers, which we believe will eliminate fraud during the elections.”

Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen

The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, said the ministry’s N100bn proposed budget for 2015 was slashed by the Ministry of Finance to N11bn, representing an 89 per cent slash.

Onolememen, who was in the Senate to defend his ministry’s estimates for the fiscal year, added that no sum was approved for the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency’s capital projects and the Office of the Surveyor -General of the Federation.

He said the Finance ministry predicated its action on the economic realities on the ground.

The minister expressed concern that only 33 out of the 210 ongoing road projects had been provided for in view of the “lean allocation” to the ministry.

The cost of acquiring pre-paid electricity meters by consumers in the country has risen due to the fall in the value of the naira following the currency’s recent devaluation by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

A single-phase meter, according to findings by our correspondent, can now be obtained for N39,375, while the three-phase meter now goes for N60,909.

Before now, the single-phase and three-phase meters were selling for N25,000 and N50,000.

However, with the latest development, the cost of the single-phase meter has risen by 56 per cent, while that of the three-phase meter has jumped by 20 per cent.

This means that household electricity consumers, who are majorly the users of single-phase meters, will pay more for the devices in relative terms compared to the users of the three-phase meters.

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has asked the All Progressives Congress and its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to withdraw from the March 28 presidential election.

Fayose said Buhari and the APC no longer had the moral right to participate in the presidential election, having allegedly lied to Nigerians on several occasions.

According to a press statement issued in Ado-Ekiti by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor argued that the APC had lied severally to Nigerians.

He said, “In saner climes, you can’t lie and be discovered to have lied repeatedly as done by the APC and still want to stand for elections.

PDP, APC disagree on card reader test outcome

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh and APC’s National Woman Leader, Ramatu Aliyu

The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress on Sunday disagreed on the outcome of the mock testing of the card readers conducted on Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh , said it had noted a series of complaints by Nigerians regarding lapses experienced during the exercise.

It therefore challenged on the commission to tell the public the outcome of the testing

The party claimed that the fall-out of the test “vindicates earlier widespread calls by stakeholders that the card readers should be thoroughly tested to ascertain their workability before the general elections. “

Nigerian permanent voters card

The All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party and lawyers on Sunday lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission for extending the deadline for the collection of permanent voter cards from March 8 to March 22.

The commission, in a terse statement on Sunday by the Chief Press Secretary to its Chairman, Kayode Idowu, said “the latest extension offers the last opportunity for registered persons to collect their PVCs before the March 28 and April 11 general elections.”

“INEC hereby calls on registered persons that are yet to collect their PVCs to use this last opportunity in doing so, in order to participate in the forthcoming general elections,” Idowu added.

The commission had last Wednesday said that it had succeeded in distributing 80.24 per cent of the PVCs to their owners.

Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade

The military authorities will on Monday (today) commence the trial of a Brigadier General, four colonels, seven Lt. Cols, and 10 other officers of the Nigerian Army in Lagos.

The soldiers are being tried for alleged negligence and complicity in the invasion of the 21 Artillery Brigade, Bama, by Boko Haram insurgents on September 2, 2014.

The Lagos trial promises to be the biggest of the recent military court martial in the country.

For the first time, 23 very senior officers of the service would be arraigned for offences bordering on the counter-insurgency operations in the North-East zone.

The PUNCH learnt that the 23 Army officers would be prosecuted for various military offences under the 81 Division, GCM, Lagos, scheduled for inauguration at the Ikeja Cantonment today.

Mrs. Patience Jonathan

The presidential campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress has reported the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, to the International Criminal Court.

Two weeks ago, Patience had, while campaigning for her husband in Calabar, Cross River State, told the supporters of the PDP to stone anyone canvassing for change in the state.

The campaign organisation said the letter of complaint was signed by its Director-General, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who is the Governor of River State.

It said that the letter would be delivered to ICC on Monday (today), adding that the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, and the National Human Rights Commission would also be sent copies of the letter.

“Change, as the entire country knows by now, is the slogan of the APC – the rallying cry of a political party that wishes to bring hope of greater and better things to come for Nigeria and Nigerians.

No go area: The road to the bombed Maiduguri market and security operatives ... on Saturday

There was another bomb attack on a market in Borno State on Sunday where five persons were killed, a member of the youth vigilante group Boko Haram, who does not want his name in print told one of our correspondents on the telephone.

He said, “The insurgents planted a bomb at the entrance to the Beneisheikh market around 10am on Sunday and this led to the death of five persons while 15 others were injured.

“Today, being the market day in Benisheikh, villagers do come to buy and sell grains and other farm produce but they had bad news to tell as a bomb suspected to be planted by a suspected Boko Haram insurgent exploded leading to the death of the five people.”

Ibrahim said the casualty figure could have been higher had the bomb been planted within the market.

Anti-Buhari protesters at Chatham House were paid —Graham

Rose Graham

Nigerian freelance journalist in the United Kingdom, Mrs. Rose Graham, whose footage of anti-Muhammadu Buhari protesters at Chatham House two weeks ago has now gone viral, tells TOBI AWORINDE that she was not paid by the All Progressives Congress for her support

What happened at Chatham House on March 26, the day of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s talk?

I had never been to Chatham House; that was my first time there. I was given a description and saw a young, dark-skinned man. I just knew he was going there, so I followed him. When I got to Chatham House, right in front of the building, I saw the demonstrators getting ready. I felt General Buhari was not in yet and that it would be embarrassing for him because these people would put their placards in his face. I then told myself that before his arrival, I would quickly find out from the people why they were there and allow them to vent their anger about the military rule in the 1980s.

Former acting Vice-Chancellor of the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Prof. Adekunle Adeniran

Former acting Vice-Chancellor of the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Prof. Adekunle Adeniran, tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI how he got his two biggest promotions in his academic career in one day

Kindly shed light on your career.

I was born in 1935 and like the life of most Ibadan people of my generation; life for me began in the rural area. My grandfather moved out of Ibadan central to settle in Ogeye village in Lagelu council area of the city. At six, I started schooling at Methodist Primary School, Kelebe, a village that is one kilometre away from Ogeye. I also attended Christ Apostolic Church School and returned to the village and attended St. Luke’s Primary School, St Andrew’s Primary School and then back to Ibadan central to complete my primary school education at Agbeni Methodist School.

Former Secretary-General of the Afenifere and ex-General Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition, Chief Ayo Opadokun

Former Secretary-General of the Afenifere and ex-General Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition, Chief Ayo Opadokun, speaks on the crisis in Afenifere and the controversial endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by leaders of the pan-Yoruba organisation, in this interview with LEKE BAIYEWU

There are different stories on what led the lingering crisis among the Yoruba leaders under the umbrella of Afenifere. What is your take of the state of the organisation today?

First, I want to remind you that I was the General Secretary of Afenifere for 15 years. We came to irreconcilable relationship in 2001 and since then, I have been out of that body. I have resisted every effort to make me to comment on Afenifere. Mr. Wale Oshun (President of Afenifere Renewal Group, a breakaway faction of the Afenifere) wrote about ‘Afenifere and the Kiss of Death.’ Sometimes in 2000 after we had won (governorship) election in six states in Yorubaland,

Senator Oluremi Tinubu

The senator representing Lagos-Central Senatorial District, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, at the All Progressives Congress rally in Lagos on Saturday described the way the country is being run by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration as shameful.

She told SUNDAY PUNCH that the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government had run the country in a shameful way, which had drawn ridicule from the global community.

She described the rally as a march for change.

Tinubu said, “It is the month of March. Here, we are ready for a change in the way this country is being run. Everyone on the side of change has to join the movement.

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