Jonathan plotting to reconvene House after withdrawing Tambuwal’s security detail – APC Raises Alarm

The All Progressives Congress has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to show better understanding of democracy by immediately restoring the police security details the Inspector General of Police unlawfully withdrew from the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party described the announcement of the withdrawal of the Speaker’s security details by the Inspector General of Police as a usurpation of the role of the judiciary by the Inspector General of Police especially bearing in mind that the question of the interpretation of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution on which the Inspector General of Police anchored his illegal act is currently before the courts for resolution.


The party said for the avoidance of doubt, the position, including the manner a person becomes the Speaker of the House of Representatives is to be found in the Constitution, and no constitutional provision or legislation says membership of the ruling or dominant party in the House is a pre-requisite.

“Furthermore, as the number four citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the security detail and apparatus attached to the person of the Speaker is not based on his lineage, person and or political leaning. It is on account of the position and the protection required for that position and in Nigeria’s best interest.

“This unfortunate use and deployment of Nigeria’s security forces in a partisan and political way portends danger and further weakens important institutions of governance and jeopardizes national security. Under President Jonathan, we now have a Police Force that is monitoring and making conclusions with respect to party membership, qualification, of an otherwise elected official. This is unheard of in any decent democracy.

“It is unfortunate that President Jonathan who had been a successive long term and unique beneficiary of our democracy and Constitution is now demonstrating the greatest disregard for the laws that govern and guide us as a people.

President Jonathan who is the only individual who benefited from the same Constitution to become a Governor from a Deputy Governor without an election and from a Vice President to President in similar legal circumstances now desecrates the same Constitution.

“The All Progressives Congress rejects this challenge to democracy and modern society. We reject President Jonathan’s illegality and call for respect and compliance with the law. We reject this meddling in the affairs of the Legislature especially given the resolution of President Jonathan and his close advisers yesterday at their meeting to ask the Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha to unlawfully reconvene the House before the adjourned date.

May we remind President Goodluck Jonathan that under the House Rules, only a resolution by all principal officers of the House and not even the Speaker of the House can reconvene the House before the adjourned date not to talk of the Deputy Speaker.

Regrettably, the priority of President Goodluck Jonathan on the night that Mubi, a town with a population of about two million people in Adamawa state, fell to the Boko Haram insurgents was how to illegally remove the Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary, APC

Jonathan had ordered Keshi be reinstated’

Stephen Keshi could be set for a surprise return as coach of African champions Nigeria after the apparent intervention of the country’s President Goodluck Jonathan.
 
Keshi, who steered the Super Eagles to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2013 and the knock-out stage of this year’s World Cup finals, was sacked on October 16 after a string of poor performances.
But several senior officials at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have revealed that Jonathan had ordered Keshi be reinstated and given a contract.
Should that happen, he would be on the bench for Nigeria’s next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa in November.
 
Keshi, who was in talks on Thursday with sports minister Tammy Danagogo, said he was unaware of any presidential intervention.
But he added: “If the president of my country asked me to return, who am I to refuse?”
The 52-year-old coach had earlier refused to comment on speculation that he could be reinstated, with a power struggle for leadership of the NFF rumbling on.
New NFF boss Amaju Pinnick sacked Keshi and his coaching staff soon after his appointment last month, adding that the hunt was on for a foreign coach.
 
Jonathan is said to have met Pinnick and Chris Giwa, who briefly led the NFF in August, at the presidential villa in the capital, Abuja, on Wednesday night.
“Keshi is back as Nigeria coach and he will be the one to lead the Super Eagles against Congo and South Africa next month,” said one senior official.
 
In a separate NFF statement released on Thursday, caretaker coach Shuaibu Amodu said Keshi should be allowed to take charge for the last two AFCON qualifiers.
He said the executive committee should reconsider as he did not have enough time to prepare for the games.
 
“The timeframe is too short to start tinkering with the fabric of the team or attempt to build a new team altogether,” he wrote in an open letter to NFF bosses

Vanguard News

Kwankwaso Picks Nomination Form, Says Election Not A Do-Or-Die Affair

Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State on Thursday in Abuja picked the N27.5 million nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to contest for the presidency in 2015 general elections.

He promised to regard his co-aspirants as a family and strive to play by the rules, to ensure a rancour-free primary.
”It is not a do-or-die affair. I assure you we will play the game according to the rules. Our participation is to add value to the party,” he told the party’s chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun.

The governor said many of his friends were still willing to defect to the APC.
”I assure you sir, that many more decampees are on the way after Tambuwal because they desire change and this party has all it takes to give Nigerians desired change,” Mr. Kwankwaso said.
He commended the National Working Committee of the APC for ”its determination to bring change and forming a formidable group for the success of the party”.

”I also want to thank those who contributed to purchase these forms. I have the capacity to buy the forms but they secretly paid and assured me there is enough money for the campaigns.”
Responding, the APC Chairman, Mr. Odigie-Oyegun, expressed happiness that more people planned to defect to the party.

”Part of the amendment to our electoral constitution makes it possible for any eligible son to join the party today and contest tomorrow; so tell them they’re welcome, we have more forms for them.
”I am also glad to hear you’re ready to play politics without rancour; your words show your love for the country and personal commitment,” Mr. Odigie-Oyegun said.

The chairman further expressed delight that APC ”is the number one newsmaker today”, adding that the party was popular both locally and internationally.
He prayed to God to give Nigeria a man ”that will give us tangible change we can see or touch”.
Mr. Kwankwaso had, on Tuesday at a rally in Abuja, declared his intention to contest the presidential election.
 (NAN)

Dewani's honeymoon hitman dies in prison

Cape Town - Xolile Mngeni, the convicted honeymoon murderer of Anni Dewani, has died in prison.
He was 27 years old.
Mngeni was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2011 while awaiting trial for the murder.
eNCA reports that during the trial, the court heard that he had a lifespan of only five years.
Mngeni was serving a life sentence and was convicted as the triggerman who shot Anni Dewani in the neck.

According to the BBC, he died in the hospital section of the prison, officials say.

Photo: EFCC arrest Kingpin of fraudsters in Ondo state

Find the EFCC press statement below...

A deadly syndicate of fraudsters who virtually opened an office for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Akure, the Ondo State capital, from where they dispatch fake invitation letters to unsuspecting heads of government agencies purporting to be carrying out investigation activities against them, has been uncovered.

The kingpin of the syndicate, one Olubunmo Olalekan, who is currently in EFCC custody in Abuja, was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, and handed over to the Commission.

At the point of arrest, Olalekan who parades himself as a Principal Detective Superintendent of the EFCC, had in his possession fake letter head papers of the Commission, 30 GSM sim cards, assorted complimentary cards, a laptop computer and printer from where he churns out the fraudulent invitation letters.

His modus operandi is to send out the bulk invitation letters to as many agencies as possible, via courier, claiming to have pending petitions alleging corruption against their heads.

Investigations so far revealed that the suspect has written and distributed over sixty letters purportedly from the Commission to several top officials of ministries, department and agencies. Among them are the chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Ibadan; Managing Director, NPDC Limited, Sapele Road, Benin City; Professor Idowu Odeyemi, Provost Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Jos; Managing Director/Chief Executive Office, Jebba Hydro Electric Plc, Jebba, Niger State; Medical Director, National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Dr. Iyela Ajayi, Provost Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State and a host of others.

He would leave a GSM number in the letters asking the agency heads to contact a PDS Adeniyi. Those who fall for the scam are asked to pay money for the purported case against them to be dropped.

The syndicate had gone to the extent of issuing clearance letters to those that met their terms.

But some heads of agencies that are sure they had done nothing untoward to warrant investigation by the EFCC have been bold to contact the Commission, which was how Olalekan was nabbed.

Dr. Asunyikanmu Pius, director of Technical Aids Corps, Abuja was one of the agency heads targeted by the scammer. But once he received the invitation letter with instruction to contact a PDS Adeniyi, Dr. Pius alerted the Commission. He was encouraged to play along and consequently paid the sum of N2 million into an Access Bank Account as demanded by the suspect to throw the case. A sting operation was planned, but Olalekan was arrested by men of the DSS before he could draw the money.

Investigation so far revealed that the suspect who operates from his home in Shagari Extension, Akure, Ondo State has obtained millions of naira from victims who were willing to pay his price to escape the ordeal of a phantom investigation. Unknown to them, they had enriched a fraudster.

Olalekan is not the lone player in this scheme of trickery. His two accomplices, a certain Ahaji Yero and one Mr Bako are currently at large even as the EFCC launches a massive manhunt to bring them to justice.

Olalekan’s arrest represents a major breakthrough in the effort of the EFCC to break the ring of fraudsters that specializes in impersonating officials of the agency to dupe unsuspecting members of the public.

The Commission has repeatedly warned members of the public to be wary of invitation letters purportedly emanating from the agency with instructions to contact any supposed official through a GSM line.

No authentic EFCC invitation letter will request anybody to contact an official by telephone. Rather, you are asked to report at an EFCC office to be interviewed by a designated officer.

Members of the public are encouraged to report any suspicious invitation to the Commission’s Department of Internal Affairs by email: DIA@EFCCNIGERIA.ORG or call this number: 09- 9044758 between 8am and 5pm weekdays only.