Kwara results contradict people’s wish — Omotosho

The Kwara State governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Dr. Mike Omotosho, in this interview with SUCCESS NWOGU shares his experience of the elections. -What is your assessment of the governorship election in Kwara State?- The event that shook us to the foundation of our trust on the election day gave a whole new experience on how dirty the game could be. We were turned to the wall for political execution by dark minds whose conscience had gone ahead of them to the grave. They plotted our agents out and it was too late for us when the reality dawn on us. Aside from the sad experience and the eventual ridiculous allocation of votes, the process remained fairly commendable; it is a better foundation to build upon. -Do you agree that the last governorship election in Kwara State was free and fair?- No, it was not. What happened in Kwara during the election could not and will never be the true reflection of our strength and acceptance. We have said that clearly and everyone knows. Even the perpetrators of the inglorious wickedness against us knew. That was why they went that far to cut us from truly earning the votes of the good people of our dear state. In all, we ran a good race with our pride intact. -What are the lessons you have learnt from the election and campaigns?- First, from the campaign; politics can be compared to our local white pap. It will always change to the colour of whatever substance you add to it. We came into the game and changed the way campaign was being run. Whatever character that is active in politics in a particular space determines the shape of the game. A violent person will always turn the game violent. We brought lots of new approaches into the game and others were following suit with shocking competition. Good for the game, no doubt. My take-away lesson is the furtherance of my belief that you can cause a positive change to happen in whatever sphere. The second is about the elction. Now, I somehow believe more the words of Albert Einstein that politics is far more complicated than physics. It is no way an exact science. Mencken said “A good politician is quite as unpredictable as an honest burglar”. If that statement is true then I will rather be a good leader than a good politician. But we shall change this unholy direction through good leadership in whatever space we find ourselves. The political battle field is liken to the courts of kings that are full of people but empty of friends. I am in no way ruffled, I have seen the suffering of the people and I am prepared to do more with all my ability to help. We have run the Mike Omotosho Foundation for years and I have again directed our foundation officials to redesign our intervention programmes to extend to several other areas of the needs of our people. While we continue to do more in our private capacity through the Mike Omotosho Foundation, it is obvious that our government needs to be more responsive to the people; the poor condition at the grassroots is ignoble. -Are you saying that the Kwara of today is not your dream state?- Obviously, yes. Are you not saying the obvious? Look, we went round the state, ward to ward, community to community and the cry is same: “We are suffering, please help us”. Some of your colleagues went round with us, the despicable situations are documented, it’s appalling, it’s unacceptable, and it must change. How do I call the prevailing unemployment my dream for our state? Is it the near total collapse of infrastructure across the state? Or the helplessness of the people who have been cut off from government presence? Excuse me please, this has nothing to do with politics, it is about concern for the people. We must look beyond politics and undue appetite for power; we must begin with the right empathy for the people. I don’t know how individuals can be so callous enough to have the effrontery to take advantage of the helplessness of the downtrodden by subjecting them to more hardship. For God’s sake, let us develop the land and the people with the money meant for them in the first instance. We won’t take a dime from the earth when we eventually finish our journey here. What you do while you are here will either speak for you or against you. Today people are beating their chest for the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd)for what he has been able to do in time past. We must be able to stand above board as leaders. The time has come for the nation to search tirelessly for capable hands that can rescue us from the doldrums of poverty, leadership failure, value decay and several other vices that once uphold the giant in us as a nation. Nigeria must take her rightful place in the committee of nations. We have what it takes to be among the best. We wanted to prove that with our state here. We have our well spelt out plans to create 250,000 jobs in 18 months. We brought in engineers who carefully went round the state to study the water problem and came up with tested solutions. I paid them for their expertise. Other candidates were running away from facing us in open debates, they have seen our manifestoes. -In all of these, what do you suggest should be done since you did not get the people’s mandate to implement your programmes?- First, leaders must show empathy to the people. We must look beyond our pockets and focus on the people. I pray the much talk about fight against corruption can take deeper roots to the nooks and crannies of this country. I believe we need to kill corruption in governance so corruption will not kill us. More importantly, we must give thinkers the chance to engineer policies and initiatives that are low in cost but far reaching in impacts. When I promise to donate salaries and emoluments as part of the fund for social security, it came from my passion to put smiles on the faces of the people. Leaders must be passionate about the people we lead. In all of these, we must have the desired will to truly serve with honesty of purpose. I think it is not about picking the hammer to start nailing people, it should be more of picking the shovel to work. -What next for you? Are you preparing to run again in four years?- Perhaps I should let you know this, for me, it is never about power but platform to offer help to the people. Right now, we have a more credible platform that has nothing to do with all the intrigues of politicking. I am open to whatever will advance the course of the masses. I have spent the last few days gearing up for the challenge. For example, we have just finished training our presidents across the 23 states on how to manage and attract more funds. We have access to over $8bn. We need to improve our capacity to access more. I believe it is a veritable platform to again show the capacity Almighty God has given us. We have done it before. I became the Governor of Toastmasters for district 94 covering all of West Africa and we won a worldwide accolade in just one year. I was recognized as the best Governor not just in Africa but in the world in 2013-14. God has again given us the opportunity to serve and I have no doubt that we shall raise the bar by giving it our best shot. Perhaps we can say that any avenue for true service is always welcome. That is the hallmark of my passion. Kindly ensure you monitor our progress as we contribute our quota for the benefit of humanity. Politics is a means for service, not an end for me. Only a life lived in the service to others is worth living. It is when we forget ourselves that we do things that will be remembered. Someone said the road to daily happiness is not hard to find; it is what we do for others that brings us peace of mind. Our sincerity will give wings to our will. We are not asking for a lighter load but a stronger back. We need the support of all and sundry. Individuals play the game, but teams win championships.

Two soldiers die in Jos barracks blast

Two soldiers were killed and another injured when a blast occurred at the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, 3 Armoured Division, Rukuba Barracks, Jos, Plateau State on Saturday. Another soldier was said to have sustained injuries. The blast, which occurred around 10.45am, was said to have been caused by the destruction of old explosives in an old ammunition armoury. Some soldiers were said to be clearing the stock when some of the explosives went off. The blasts, which were heard many kilometres away created panic in Jos and Bukuru metropolis as rumours went round that the barracks was under attacks by some insurgents. Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Texas Chukwu, who confirmed the development, said there was no iota of truth in the insinuation that the barracks was under attack. According to him, the explosions occurred during an on-going demolition exercise, which started on Wednesday. Chukwu, in a statement, in Jos on Saturday, said, “The attention of 3 Division headquarters at Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Jos, was this morning drawn to the news making the rounds in some media houses that a bomb exploded at the cantonment as a result of handiwork of insurgents. “I want to use this medium therefore to state that this cantonment was not under attack or attacked by insurgents. There is an on-going demolition exercise which started on Wednesday, April 20 and to terminate on May 4. The public was informed in the media. The explosion heard in the cantonment was from an accident that occurred while the troops authorised to destroy unserviceable ammunition were transporting the ammunition. “Some of the unserviceable ammunition exploded in the process of being moved to the demolition site. The explosions did not affect the cantonment or the neighbouring communities. Unfortunately two soldiers lost their lives and one sustained injury,” he added. Chukwu said normalcy had been restored to the area.

Boko Haram attacks Borno towns

Boko Haram insurgents may have regrouped and begun the battle to regain towns they lost to the military recently. A member of a youth vigilante group, Abba Modu stated that two towns in Borno, Marte and Mafa were attacked by the insurgents between Thursday and Friday. He said over 2,000 Boko Haram members who were armed with sophisticated weapons on Thursday laid siege on Marte. Marte, is a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon in northern part of Borno State. It is located in the western coast of the Lake Chad, and this will be the third time the insurgents will take over Marte, first in 2012 but were chased out by Nigerian troops shortly after the declaration of State of Emergency in 2013. They also launched a major attack on the town in 2014 when they captured it but they were pushed back before the last elections. Modu said some of the local vigilante group in Kirenowa, the major town in Marte, reported to them in Maiduguri that the insurgents invaded the town from various locations and succeeded in dislodging Nigerian troops stationed in the area. He said scores of people were killed in the attack and some structures destroyed. He said, “We were told the insurgents wreaked havoc in Kirenowa and environs this time around, it was unfortunate that this came when the residents that fled the area were beginning to go back. “The fighting continued till early Friday when the soldiers retreated. The town has fallen and insurgents are fully in charge, they are more than 2000 in number.” The fall of Marte, a military source, who spoke anonymously, said was not true, insisting that there was still on-going battle between the troops and the insurgents. He said: “It is true the military and the insurgents were drawn in battle at Marte, but I can tell you that the operation is ongoing, we would not allow any part of this country to be held hostage by any hoodlums.” On the attack on Mafa, Modu said the insurgents came in a large number at about 6pm but met a stiff resistance from the military. He added that when the insurgents were not making a headway, they retreated back. When our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, on the reported invasion of Marte by insurgents, he said he intended to get more details on the true situation in Marte. The Defence Spokesman said the on-going counter terrorism operation was progressing in all fronts. He said, “We will not be distracted and our mission is progressing very well in all the fronts. “I would get more details on what is exactly happening in Marte.”

Impeachment: APC lawmakers ask court to charge Fayose with contempt

The 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers in Ekiti State House of Assembly have urged a Federal High Court, Abuja, to establish a contempt charge against Governor Ayodele Fayose for allegedly manipulating its ruling. They warned that impunity and manipulation of facts of his impeachment case in the media could not save him. The lawmakers were reacting to media reports on the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja which refused Fayose and seven Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers’ request which sought to bar APC lawmakers from continuing impeachment process against the governor. Special Adviser to Speaker Adewale Omirin, Wole Olujobi, said in a statement on Saturday that the APC lawmakers were surprised that the governor and his men could deliberately misrepresent the fact of the ruling to mislead the public. “It is incredible that the governor and the PDP lawmakers could manipulate the press again to mislead the public that the ruling by Justice Evoh Chukwu was in their favour. “While the judge clearly ruled that it could not stop Fayose’s impeachment without hearing from the APC lawmakers, the governor’s storm troopers went to town in a contempt of court to turn full circle the ruling by the judge,” the statement explained. The statement added, “He first raided the courts and chased the judges under their tables and subsequently closed the courts. After that, he closed the House of Assembly and chased the lawmakers out of town. “Fayose is now creating for himself a reputation as an enemy of the state who within few months killed all democratic institutions and their supporting structures in Nigeria in a mindless pursuit of power.?” The statement urged the court to establish a contempt charge against the governor and his men for this “thoughtless manipulation and misrepresentation of the ruling to put the court in bad light.” Fayose, who reacted through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said he would not dignify the APC with a response. He said, “We are not interested in joining issues with them on the pages of newspapers on the court ruling since we know and everybody knows the type of character the APC lawmakers are. “A dog that will perish will not listen to the whistle of the hunter.”

Tinubu has begged me for forgiveness — Bode George

In this interview with ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Chief Bode George, speaks about the just concluded elections and other national issues In your clear assessment, what do you think led to the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last elections?-- The PDP was not defeated. We were manipulated out and history will judge what I am saying. When (Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission) Prof. Attahiru Jega came up with the use of card readers and Permanent Voter Cards, technically, you would have thought: ‘Thank God, we are in the 21st century, we have arrived.’ Take my state, Lagos, for example, 5.9 million people were registered to vote but until the week before the election which was fortunately postponed, we had 3.8 million PVCs delivered to Lagos. That means 2.1 million people were cut off. In areas where there was insurgency, there was between 80 and 90 per cent distribution rate. Most of Jega’s areas had no problems. Thank God Jega is a professor. Let’s assume that he is teaching a 400- level class in a university. He teaches Classes A, B and C. In Class A, he has completed the syllabus but in Class B, he completed 60 per cent while in class C, he only completed 30 per cent of the syllabus and they are all going to write the same examination. Is that justifiable? Is that equitable? Thus, just looking at that, would he in his own mind, be satisfied that he did a good job? Remember he first had February 14 as the election day. We thank God it was shifted. Yet he attributed the shift to the insurgency and the military wanting to operate. In his heart of hearts, can he face his Creator and say what he did was fair? Technically, we must move with the rest of the world but this manipulation was so vicious. I come from a highly politically-inclined family. The late Herbert Macaulay was my mother’s grandfather. Thus, we have always been politically vibrant in my family. I remember the politics of the 1960s. I sat back after the elections and when I saw the political setting, I concluded that after 50 years of independence and meandering, we are back at the starting block where we were in 1960. What have we achieved? The Northern Peoples Congress is now the All Progressives Congress. The National Conference of Nigeria and the Cameroons is now the PDP which was in control of the Eastern Region and the Western Region. We have come full circle and we are back to the starting point. I love this nation but when we look at how things are being done, there is no equity, justice or fairness. I am praying we will alter the course and take the ship of state in a direction where every Nigerian will be proud to commit themselves to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria. After an in-depth post-mortem analysis of this election, we will know that we have taken a journey that has led to nowhere. Are you saying the elections were not credible despite President Goodluck Jonathan’s acceptance of defeat? On the day of the presidential election, at about 1pm, when the card readers were not working, suddenly Jega said we should go manual. If you check the time it takes for a person to be accredited and the initial 500 people per polling unit and later 750; you would be shocked that over two million people were accredited in Kano within the remaining time and they all voted. We must have been a more developed country than America to pull that off. The result that came out of Kano was 1,903,999 and then I shuddered. If I have to go to a classroom to teach and analyse this result, I would say there is no improvement at all and it took us straight back to the 1960 setting. We are now back to the era whereby people vote based on tribal sentiments. This was the kind of thing (former Head of State) Gen. Yakubu Gowon wanted to stop and that was why he came up with the National Youth Service Corps programme to put all of us in a melting pot so that a Nigerian colour could emerge but we have not achieved that. Will this not haunt Jega? He should go into the inner-most chamber of his house and beg God for forgiveness. I am ready for a debate with him with facts and figures. There needs to be a total overhaul of INEC because if not, it means one section of the country will always determine who becomes President. Does that augur well for peace? When President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat, he said he knew the election was manipulated and that he was not a coward but he had sworn that he would not allow any Nigerian to be killed on his own watch; thus, he threw in the towel and wished Nigeria well. His action doused a lot of tension. There was heavy manipulation in Lagos. Why would Ajegunle, Ajeromi/Ifelodun’s ballot papers be found in Kosofe Local Government? Why would Kosofe’s ballot papers be found in Ojo Local Government? Why were hoodlums snatching ballot papers and shooting into the air? I have been calming frayed nerves because there is a graveyard silence in Lagos and people are not happy about the results. I have said we should not conflagrate Lagos. We must follow the example of the civility exercised by our President, gather our information as humanly possible and head for the tribunal. But the South-East and the South-South gave the PDP almost 100 per cent votes. Your party also got millions of votes from Rivers and Delta states. Most of the states in those places were originally PDP. The founding founders of our party were people who were of diverse backgrounds: Alex Ekuweme, Bola Ige, Adamu Ciroma and Abubakar Rimi came together with others to form the mega party that was Nigeria in all ramifications. It is on record that President Jonathan got over N21bn the week he announced his intention to run. Lagos is also said to have got the largest chunk of the money in the campaign chest. But PDP leaders allegedly used the money to buy mansions for themselves instead of campaigning for Jonathan. This was said to have led to your party being outwitted by the APC. What is your response to this? When we do a thorough post-mortem analysis, you will get the details. Those who collected the money would have to explain themselves. No kobo was sent here. I have also heard of complaints both from the APC and the PDP. It shows you the level of poverty of the mind and of the stomach. People think politics is all about self. The great orator, Cicero, said we are not born for ourselves alone but for service. If all they know is ‘grab it’, how will the money last them? The Yoruba say money is for spending. Those who stole the last time, where are they? I was inundated here with complaints of people collecting money and fleeing. It was done by the APC and the PDP. We will do an analysis and reappraise. Some people have disappeared like a submarine. We will do analysis. People cannot be fully trusted but the people given the resources will have to account for it. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) has a reputation of being an incorruptible person. Do you think he can clean up the system? The new government hurriedly put themselves together. They have no taproot; no culture. All they are after is power. On May 29, they will have the power. When I listened to Gen. Buhari’s economic postulation, I laughed. The world is in the 21st century. No one is talking about establishing Nigerian Airways or automatically turning a naira into a dollar. He said he would look into all the governors that have used their state Houses of Assembly to approve stupendous benefits for themselves. He said he would cancel it. But this is not a military government. My oga will now know what it means to deal with a National Assembly and their idiosyncrasies, state governors, political parties and their idiosyncrasies. I know Buhari to be a man that does not want any stain on his public posture. But when I was young, my mother used to say, ‘show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.’ Let my oga show me his friends and I will tell him who he is. Let him start to clean his own household because it is filthy. I am from this state and I have been involved in politics since 1998. Bola Tinubu and I have settled our quarrel but facts are facts. Friendship is different. If I still see him, I will tell him to his face. His acquisitive tendencies know no bounds. He decided to bring (Akin) Ambode to manipulate the system and throw a lot of funds around. Where is the growth in Lagos? Are you saying Asiwaju Bola Tinubu can stop Buhari from doing well? Are they not in the same party? Who calls himself the national leader of the party? If Tinubu says let’s go South and Buhari says lets go East, what happens? You cannot have two captains on a ship. I told you the APC has no taproot but it is just an experimental party. I know Buhari will not want to contaminate himself but what of those who have fast hands in the tillers? We are waiting for him to announce his cabinet. Four years is a short time in the life of a nation. He is almost 73 and he should fear nothing. All he needs to do is to leave a good name behind. You once said if Tinubu finds his way into national government, you will go on exile. Now that he has, when will you start packing your bags? There is nothing he can do to me. I am not afraid of him and he knows that but I am now 70 and most of my children are abroad. My little girl is also abroad. I will spend more time there doing my memoirs because if I am here, I will be dealing with too many things. The book will include my 16 years of politics in Lagos and my youthful experiences. You and Tinubu are believed to be archenemies but a member of your party, Buruji Kashamu, has described him as a role model for Yoruba and the architect of modern Nigeria. How do you see Tinubu now? One little boy who just delved into politics said I am a mole of Bola Tinubu. He must have woken on the wrong side of his bed. Bola and I are not enemies; we are in two different parties with different ideologies. His concept of operation is at variance with mine. We are not enemies; we did not grow up together. I even went to his village in Iragbiji to campaign for our party in Osun State. I met his Oba there and they even showed me his primary school. One of his friends with whom he lived in Ibadan was my classmate at the University of Lagos. Initially, he thought I hated him so much and convolutedly conspired to use a judge to put me in prison. Whatever you sow, you will reap. The Supreme Court said the judgment was a conjecture which means it never existed. They did not know they were helping me to go and rediscover myself. Of course it was painful. We later met at the Adamasingba Stadium Ibadan, at the burial of my good friend, Alao Arisekola. The Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, who is a younger brother of mine, sprang up and said, ‘Why are you and Tinubu not greeting each other?’ and I said Bola is on a different planet from mine. Oba Otudeko was also there and he said, ‘today at the burial of our mutual friend, Arisekola, we should end our hostility’ and I told them that he was involved in the conspiracy to lock me up. They called Bola, he shook my hand and said he was sorry. It was in public. Since then, if we meet in public, we greet each other but our concepts of politics are different. For me, there is no enmity, just differences in political approaches. For me, democracy is about the people, service and the majority of the people choosing who will lead them. His own concept is imperial. He decides who should go to sleep and who gets what. Now, there is Gen. Buhari. If I remember the kind of person he is and the Bourdillon dictator, I wish them the best of luck. There are still those who believe that if the PDP had chosen Musiliu Obanikoro, it would have performed better at the polls because he is a grass roots politician that would be able to face Tinubu. What is your take? Obanikoro face Bola Tinubu? When people say such things, it baffles me. Let him (Obanikoro) come out openly and say it. Without mincing words, whenever he needs something, he (Obanikoro) comes here to prostrate but you see I am an irredentist of the truth. When I know that you don’t have the qualities needed for a job and you are asking me to support you, I will tell you the truth. So, he went out to say he was going to campaign on his own and I wished him the best of luck. The people decided at the primary because Jimi Agbaje was unique. The public wanted him and they voted for him. It was not about Bode George. If I were a weak leader, Obanikoro would have got away with all his shenanigans. Why did the PDP play the ethnic card, pitting the Igbo against the Yoruba after the Oba of Lagos made threats against the Igbo?-- This is believed to have contributed to your party’s defeat. That is arrant nonsense. I am happy you asked this question. Before his statement, candidates had emerged and we were getting ready for election. According to the way I was brought up in Lagos, the centre of commerce, everyone is welcome. That is why Lagos is different from every other city in Nigeria. If you come from anywhere, we accommodate you because buying and selling was our business. Thus, leaders of the South-South and Igbo came and said we should select some of their indigenes for the National Assembly and House of Assembly elections. I told them we do not select in the PDP except for where you have an advantage. For example, in Ojo, there are many Igbos. In Ajegunle, Ajeromi/ Ifelodun, it is a mixture of Igbo and people from Delta. In Amuwo Odofin, there are a lot of Delta, Edo and Igbo people. As the leader of the party, I sat down and asked my people, what is democracy?-- It is about representation. These people live here, have properties here and pay their taxes here. If they win, they will be representing their constituency that is made up of their own ethnic group. Already, some of them were members of their local government executive committees. They participated in the primaries and won and for the first time in the history of this state, we have some Igbos who are representing Lagos at the National Assembly. They are not representing the South-East but their people in Lagos. Therefore, it was not a matter of us playing the ethnic card. It was my friend, the kabiyesi, that was pitting the Yoruba against the Igbo. When it is time for local government elections, it would be foolish of us to go to Agege, where there is a large northern population, and present a Yoruba man as our candidate. If you want to win, you put their own person there. Lagos is the melting pot and we are showing the rest of Nigeria the way. Tribalism must be buried and totally abandoned and that was why I said we have returned to the 1960 pattern of ethnic voting. For the first time, the Lagos PDP is on its own without federal backing. How will you survive in the opposition?-- We will survive through dedication, loyalty, sincerity of purpose and absolute commitment. It is going to be tough but this is when you will sieve the boys from the men. The failure of your party nationally has been traced to the defection of five governors, which President Jonathan did not handle properly. With the benefit of hindsight, what lessons can you take from this?-- I will not like to talk about my personal views because we have not had our party post-mortem analysis. Who did what, when and how should be an internal matter. I am a leader of the party and I remain a full member of the caucus and a life member of the Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee, hence, I will not wash our dirty linen in public. What will Jonathan be remembered for?-- He will be remembered for a lot of things, one of which is his meekness which is not a sign of weakness. Even at the peak of power, he kept his cool and history will judge. He did not behave like a bull in a China shop. Your wife is the Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. Will you allow her to continue with the Buhari administration?-- If Gen. Buhari asks her to continue, I will not stop her. That is a very sensitive organisation and requires absolute trust of those in government. We are not alone in the fight against drugs. The Europeans and Americans are heavily involved in it. She is brilliant and has gone through all the trainings. She is very competent. If they want her to continue, it is fine but we have to look at those she will work with. I know Gen. Buhari. I will not say more than that.

Police arrest Senator, sister, 25 others in Imo

Senator Hope Uzodinma representing Imo West and his sister were arrested for alleged electoral malpractices at Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State on Saturday by a combined team of policemen and soldiers. The Senator who was later released on self- recognition, allegedly mobilised hoodlums who set bonfires on the road to prevent the security men from taking away the suspects. It took a reinforcement of soldiers and men of the Department of State Security to rescue the policemen and take the suspects to the Police Headquarters in Owerri, where they were detained. Also, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Job Doma, arrested 25 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Imo State for alleged thumb printing of ballot papers during the election rerun exercise on Saturday. Some of the suspects were said to have been picked after a tip off at Osu Primary School, Omuma, where they were allegedly engaged in massive thumb printing for one of the political parties. Also arrested were fake INEC officials who posed as Returning Officers at the Collation Centre. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State, Mr. Mike Igini, who was in the INEC team deployed for the election, said some INEC officials were arrested at Umumma Primary School Ward 10, Polling Unit 008, 003 and three others. “Myself, accompanied by the Assistant Inspector- General of Police and the Commissioner of Police have arrested poll officials in Oru-East involved in mass thumb printing and are now being taken to Owerri. “Upon my suspicion, I caught an impostor who claimed to be INEC staff without proof, acting as a presiding officer; l ordered his arrest and it was executed by the Police,” Igini said. But INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo, Dr. Gabriel Ada, while confirming the arrest, told our correspondent that identities of those arrested had yet to be confirmed to him as of press time. He noted that the suspects were ad hoc staff of INEC. When contacted, the Police Public Relation officer, Andrew Enwerem, said he had yet to be briefed on the incident. Meanwhile, a recent defector from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress, Mr. Rex Anunobi, was kidnapped in Oru-East LGA by thugs suspected to be working for a political party. According to a witness, Anunobi, who hails from Nkwere, was said to have been abducted while working as an observer at Omuma. The politician was, however, rescued by the Police after giving his abductors a hot chase.

Violence erupts in Baltimore over death in police custody

Thousands of people marched through downtown Baltimore on Saturday to protest the unexplained death of a black man in police custody but the demonstrations turned violent when some protesters threw metal objects at officers and broke windows. Saturday’s protests began peacefully, with at least 2,000 demonstrators marching to City Hall for a rally, the biggest since 25-year-old Freddie Gray died six days ago, a week after his arrest. But later, as darkness fell, some protesters fanned out across the city and damaged stores and cars. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the overwhelming majority of the protesters were peaceful but that agitators disrupted the demonstration. “After a week of peaceful demonstrations I am profoundly disappointed to see the violence in our city this evening,” Rawlings-Blake said at a news conference. With his death, Gray joined a long list of black men who have died under questionable circumstances during police encounters in recent months. The highly publicized incidents have triggered an outcry over the use of force by law enforcement against African-Americans. Last year, weeks of protests followed the shooting death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the death of Eric Garner, a black man in New York City who was placed in a chokehold during an attempted arrest. While the demonstrations in Baltimore were largely peaceful on Saturday, there were pockets of violence, and police said in a Twitter message that 12 arrests were made. Fredericka Gray, Freddie’s twin sister, joined the mayor at the news conference and appealed for calm. “Please, please stop the violence, Freddie Gray would not want this,” she said. “Freddie’s father and mother does not want violence, violence does not get justice.” Local television station WBAL showed footage of a protester in the afternoon throwing a metal crowd-control barrier at officers, while WJZ showed a young man hurling a flaming metal container at riot-clad police officers. Other protesters jumped on police cars, breaking their windshields. WBAL showed dozens of demonstrators running through downtown streets where they overturned garbage bins and broke at least one storefront window. Video footage on WJZ showed police in riot gear moving in formation and pushing a crowd of a few dozen demonstrators away from a downtown intersection. At various times, demonstrators faced off against officers in front of Camden Yards, home of the Orioles baseball team, whose evening game against the Boston Red Sox began as scheduled. After the game ended, the scoreboard flashed a message saying the mayor and the police department had asked “all fans to remain inside the ballpark until further notice,” according to photos posted to Twitter. Later, fans were permitted to leave. U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, who represents part of the mostly African-American city of Baltimore, told WBAL the disturbances could distract from calls for justice in Gray’s death. “Any little thing can spark the situation to get out of hand and we cannot afford that, we’re better than that,” Cummings said. Six Baltimore police officers have been suspended in the Gray case, and an internal police investigation is under way. “We are all united in our demand to indict the six police officers and convict,” said Sharon Black, spokeswoman for People’s Power Assembly, one of the rally organizers. On Friday, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said the officers repeatedly failed to give Gray medical assistance and disregarded department regulations by failing to buckle the man into seat restraints in the van. Gene Ryan, president of the Baltimore police union, criticized Batts’ comments. Ryan, president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement the commissioner’s comments were premature and “appear to be politically driven.” Police have said Gray fled when officers approached him in a high-crime area, but he was caught a short time later and placed in the van. He was carrying a switchblade knife, police said. When the van arrived at the police station, an ambulance was called and Gray was taken to a hospital. He died a week later. Batts said on Friday that investigators were still trying to determine what happened inside the police van. Police said their investigation would be completed by May 1, a day before protesters plan another rally in Baltimore. The department will turn over its findings to state prosecutors and an independent review will follow.

South Africa winds up relief camp for foreigners

Government-operated temporary shelters for foreign nationals displaced by xenophobic violence in Johannesburg have now been closed, officials have told Al Jazeera. Zweli Dlamini, a spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, said late on Saturday that local leaders in affected communities had assured authorities that foreign nationals would be secure after a series of meetings between government, police officers and community leaders. “We only moved them when we were given assurance that their safety is guaranteed,” Dlamini said. “We started the re-integration process on Thursday and we only had about 128 people left in the camp after that, which we then cleared this morning.” At least eight people were killed in a wave of xenophobic violence that erupted on March 30 in Durban, the capital of eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. The violence displaced thousands in the port city before spreading to areas in and around country’s commercial hub, Johannesburg. Johannesburg’s Primrose camp, which opened on April 16, initially sheltered 400 to 500 people. Later almost 1,000 foreign nationals took refuge here. In next-door Cleveland, a few hundred more people found respite in a community hall. In the suburb of Mayfair in Johannesburg, Gift of the Givers, a nongovernmental organisation, is still running a camp that hosts more than 130 displaced people.

Patience Jonathan’s attitude cost us defeat — PDP chief

Bayelsa State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Osom Makbere, has said President Goodluck Jonathan lost the March 28 presidential election due to international and domestic conspiracies. Makbere, who is also a lawyer, stated this in an exclusive interview in Yenagoa on Friday. He said the division in the PDP fold and the overbearing attitude of the President’s wife, Dame Patience, also contributed to the president’s loss. Giving insight into the failure of the President at the poll, Makbere said, “History has stated that no failure, defeat or loss is a product of a single factor. Jonathan’s loss could be blamed on a multiplicity of interwoven causes. “Jonathan was a victim and target of international cum domestic esoteric codes and conspiracies. On the international level, the passage of the anti-gay legislation led to criticisms and face-off with the US, and the West. “The strides made in the economic sphere, especially domestic rice promotion, calculated by the Jonathan administration to flip economic growth, and boost import substitution, also negatively alerted the West. The shift to China for our railway transformation, and recently, the migration to Russia for arms and ammunition to quelling the insurgency also signalled to the West that Jonathan had started constituting a self- reliant and dependent nation-state, a feat seen too tall by the US and their allies in the West. “The aforesaid international factors found room to flourish given the obstinacy and impudence on the part of Mrs. Jonathan. The end result of her personal ambition to plant ‘self-made’ governors triggered face-offs with some governors.” Makbere also opined that the All Progressives Congress will perform worse than the PDP at the centre. He said, “I can tell you that this APC will be worse than the PDP as there is already imminent fear of implosion. “In Kano, for instance, the APC got all 40 constituencies. This meant that none of the PDP candidates were popular enough to emerge but, the PDP maintained their calm and stoicism. “We do not know what the APC wants. Whenever they win, the PDP congratulates them, but whenever the PDP wins, the APC would induce the election observers and the electoral officers to call for a re-run or cancellation. That is the zenith of desperation.” But Secretary, Bayelsa APC, Mr. Marlin Daniel, said the statement that APC would perform worse than the PDP was misinformed and unfortunate. He said that APC parades men and women of proven integrity and impeccable track records of performance. He said, “It is obvious Nigerians have seen the people in the APC. The international community knows the pedigree of people in APC leadership. When you go to states controlled by the APC you will see what is on ground. “The President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is an incorruptible man. So, for anybody to say that APC will perform worse than the PDP is a child’s talk, mere campaign of calumny and propaganda. “APC is a revolution and nobody can stop it. God’s hand is in this revolution that is why the PDP lost despite all the money they spent to remain in power.”

Aso Rock exit: Jonathan to live in luxury island villa

After May 29, President Goodluck Jonathan will leave the Aso Villa. SIMON UTEBOR was at the President’s Otuoke, Bayelsa State-country home where he is expected to retire to The air around the sprawling estate is amazingly cool. Looking around, the answer to this quickly dawns on our correspondent. The estate is opposite a creek, and the rolling breeze keep coming. It is Otuoke, the home town of President Goodluck Jonathan. Otuoke is a small island community in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. And there, the estate sprawls over a large expanse of land contrasting sharply with its rustic surrounding. It is said to belong to President Jonathan. On the long road to the gates, soldiers and members of other security agencies, apparently on sentry duty, walked on the grounds. The overall air suggested guarded and protected serenity. No one needs the gift of clairvoyance to understand they are approaching a restricted zone. Behind the gates, shoving their heads above the walls are no fewer than eight different structures apparently for different purposes: recreation, security posts and guard quarters. A visitor to Otuoke will not be penalised for calling the place a fortress. Activities in this place, a source within said had been at a lull until a couple of weeks ago. And it is largely believed that come May 29, after the expiration of his tenure, President Jonathan would relocate to the place. As if the President had the premonition that he would not live in Aso Rock beyond 2015, he was reported to have begun acquiring properties adjacent his sprawling country home by late 2013. The President, SUNDAY PUNCH gathered, acquired properties on an area which runs to about seven acres of Otuoba which were around his mansion that had been there earlier. The place was thereafter expanded to encase the mansion while new structures were erected round it. It was also gathered that adequate compensation was paid to the owners of these properties to enable them relocate elsewhere. It was learnt that Jonathan after acquiring those buildings in 2013, engaged the services of a construction company, Jiito, to expand the estate to accommodate his new acquisition. Today, Jonathan’s mini – estate, which overlooks a creek that links Otuoke to other coastal communities of Bayelsa, is a cynosure of all eyes. A visit to Otuoke on Thursday showed that Jonathan’s mansions, which had been undergoing construction and reconstruction in the last 10 years are now ready for habitation. The area they sit on is best described as an island. It was learnt that before now, each time the President visited Otuoke, he usually slept in his wife’s (Patience) castle which is directly opposite the Federal University, Otuoke. It was also learnt that the Jonathans own the choicest properties in Otuoke. The President was said to have built a two-storey building each for his mother and father opposite his own. His wife, Dame Patience, asides a hotel, is also said to have numerous buildings that have been converted into hostels for FUO female students. On the readiness of the Jonathans to return to Otuoke, one of the military personnel guarding his houses said all the mansions in the estate were ready except one. The soldier, who declined to give his name, said the contractors were fixing air conditioners and window blinds on the last mansion. The security operative said, “I can tell you that the houses are ready. Everything is in order. It remains only one building where the contractors are putting window blinds, curtains and air conditioners. “I overheard some of the workers saying that they had been instructed to finish the last building before the second week of May. I think it is because the President is returning home. “As of now, no domestic staff or relatives are living here. All his relatives have their homes. It is only military men and policemen that are living in some of the buildings. “Even at that, many buildings are left unoccupied because the buildings are so massive and it will take a community to occupy them.” The soldier, who said he had been living at the place for the past four years, claimed some of the President’s domestic staff were in his Kpansia, Yenagoa mansion, which he built while he was Deputy Governor of Bayelsa. That the President will be returning to Otuoke according to the soldier, is only symbolic, stressing that apart from the mansions at Otuoke, Jonathan and his family members have numerous buildings at Okaka Estate, off Isaac Boro Expressway in Yenagoa. Many residents of Otuoke are indeed longing to see President Jonathan, one of their illustrious sons, return home. For them, Jonathan has made Otuoke, once a relatively unknown place, known to people outside it and turning it to a city to be reckoned with. A resident, Prere Goodthinking, said though President Jonathan lost his re-election bid, he is God-sent, not only to Bayelsa people but to the entire country. Prere said, “Whether people like it or not, Jonathan can best be described as an icon of Nigeria’s democracy. He is a man of peace, a gentleman and a great statesman. “He has proved to the whole world that he is not a power-monger. He has shown the world that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. We want other leaders to emulate him. We are going to celebrate his return and I hope Nigerians and the world will also celebrate our illustrious son.” Another resident, who gave his name only as Ebilari, said Jonathan had made Otuoke to be on the world map for good reasons. She said, “About 12 years ago, Otuoke was a jungle. Most houses there were decrepit. But today, you can see that the place that was once a hamlet has become a wonderful city. “Buildings are springing up everywhere. Life has become more meaningful for the people. Before you mention three prominent places in Bayelsa, Otuoke must come up. Thus, we are proud of our son Jonathan. We are waiting enthusiastically to receive him after his national assignment on May 29.”

Okorocha, Ikpeazu win •PDP leads in Taraba

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on Saturday secured the mandate of his people to govern them for another four years as he won the governorship rerun election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Okorocha beat Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party by polling 416,996 votes while Ihedioha 320,705. The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Abia, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, however, won by beating Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressive Grand Alliance with 264,713 votes to 180,882. The PDP’s Darius Ishaku of Taraba State was also coasting ahead of Sen. Aisha Alhassan of the APC going by the results that came in as at press time. For instance, in Kofar Sarki in Takum Local Government polling unit, the PDP had 588 votes against the APC’s 7. At Suntai Daaji in Donga Local Government Area, the PDP got 1,139 against APC’s 74. At Asibiti ward in Donga Local Government Area PDP scored 4,412 while APC had 604. The election which took place in no fewer than seven states only had governorship seats contested in the above named three states while other states like Kogi, Ekiti, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Gombe and Niger held elections for inconclusive seats in the state Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly. But the elections on Saturday were marred by voter apathy as most of the polling units in the affected states recorded low turnout of voters. In Imo State, our correspondent observed that voters at most of the areas designated for the election were scanty, as residents shunned the restriction of movement order by the Police. There were vehicular movements, while some shops opened for business. It was a similar situation in Irete and Orogwe Wards, where youths were engaged in sporting activities. Low turnout of voters was also recorded during the supplementary election in Ilejemeje Constituency in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the election in the LGA inconclusive on April 11 after the cancellation of results from 22 units due to violence. Mrs. Cecelia Dada of the Peoples Democratic Party and the incumbent, Segun Erinle, of All Progressives Congress were the front runners in the election. The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Joshua Ibine, had deployed large contingent of policemen to the 22 units in Eda Oniyo, Iludun and Iye Ekiti, where the election took place. There was also deployment of soldiers and officers of the Department of State Service in the LGA. It was a similar situation in Abia State where low voter turn-out was witnessed during the supplementary election. The rerun was held in 299 polling units scattered across nine LGAs in the state, with a total of 175,537 voting population. In the election earlier held on April 11, the candidate of the ruling PDP, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, had polled 248, 459 votes, ahead of his All Progressives Grand Alliance counterpart, Dr. Alex Otti, who scored 165,406 votes out of the 439,454 total vote cast. INEC’s Returning Officer, Professor Benjamin Ozumba, had declared the election inconclusive on the grounds that the 83,053 margin of lead was lower than the 175,532 total numbers of registered voters in the polling units where election did not hold or which results were cancelled. In some of the polling units monitored by our correspondent, accreditation of voters began as early as 8am without hitches as card readers functioned better than it was the case in the previous elections. However, at Umuobutu/Saint Silas Primary School, Old Umuahia, only 650 voters out of the 1265 registered voters in the centre were accredited. Similarly, at Umuezeala in Umuahia-South, only 152 out of the 650 registered voters at the polling unit were accredited. Voter turnout at the polling units was not impressive as of the time our correspondent visited. Reports from Ohafia and Umuahia-North LGAs, as well as other parts of the state, also indicated voter apathy. At Oloko Ward 1 in Ikwuano, the Minister of State for Defence, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd.), commended INEC for the improvement recorded but stressed the need for a permanent solution to rampant cases of card reader failure in subsequent elections. Meanwhile, there was an unconfirmed report that some yet-to-be-identified thugs allegedly chased away voters at Mbom in Umuahia-North LGA. The state Commissioner of Police, Joshak Habila, did not pick calls made to him for confirmation. Reports also said the poll did not hold in Umunneochi LGA. An INEC source said its inclusion among LGAs for the rerun exercise was done in error. When contacted, the state REC, Professor Selina Oko, said, “There was no Form EC 40 G for the LGA which would show proof of the areas where election did not hold or was inconclusive to cause a rerun today.” Oko also said reports of ballot box snatching later proved to be false after investigations by the Police. In Abia State, the supplementary elections witnessed an appreciable turnout of voters. The card readers deployed for accreditation of voters were reportedly functional, taking an average of two to three minutes to accredit a voter. Some of the voters expressed satisfaction with the process of accreditation, describing it as faster compared with the previous elections. Meanwhile, there were reports of violence in Mbom in Umuahia-North Local Government Area, where thugs allegedly attacked eligible voters. An agent of APGA, Mr. Obinna Abariukwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria that thugs invaded Isieke Ward. He said an unidentified voter, who was wounded by the thugs, had been taken to a hospital with the intervention of the security agents at the centre. The Police could not be reached for confirmation, as the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joshak Habila, and the command’s spokesman, Mr. Ezekiel Onyeke, did not pick calls made to them. The rerun elections for Delta-Central Senatorial District, Delta State, also witnessed low turnout of voters in many of the polling units. Some electoral officers, who spoke to journalists, decried the low level of participation by the electorate, in spite of the arrival of both personnel and materials as early as 8am. They, however, commended those who turned out for the exercise for conducting themselves in orderly manner. In an interview with journalists in Jesse, Ethiope- West Local Government Area, the APC candidate, Halims Agoda, said he had hope of victory in the election. He, however, expressed concern over alleged inducement of voters. Agoda called for additional research on use of the card reader, which he said was “not perfectly in order.” The candidate of the PDP, Ighoyota Amori, described the election as “peaceful and favourable” to his party. Amori also attributed the poor turnout to cancellations recorded during the previous exercise on March 28. He said, “We don’t blame the electorate because they have gone through two to three elections and are tired of coming out. The enthusiasm cannot be the same. “All the same, the PDP faithful came out and we are very hopeful. We are waiting to see the units that we will lose in this re-run. If big figures emerge, the INEC will be blamed.”

Nigeria Elections 2015: APC wins Guber rerun poll in Imo, PDP takes Abia

Okorocha secured 416, 996 votes to beat the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker who polled 320, 705 :- The Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha retains his seat for another four years as he won the governorship rerun election on Saturday, April 25 under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Okorocha secured 416, 996 votes to trump the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker who polled 320, 705. However, the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu beat All Progessives Grand Alliance (APGA) aspirant Dr. Alex Otti with 264, 713 votes to 180, 882. The election reruns took place in about 10 states across the country following the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission that elections in these places were inconclusive – the April 11 polls in the states were either marred by electoral malpractices or elections did not hold due to logistic problems. The states include Kano, Taraba, Imo, Abia, Kogi, Ekiti, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Gombe and Niger. Low turnout of voters was recorded in the rerun election in Imo, Abia, Ekiti states. Taraba was however a different case as registered voters reportedly cmae out en masse to vote. As at the time of filing this report, the PDP governorship candidate, Darius Ishaku, is ahead of his major challenger, APC’s Aisha Alhassan.

Dalton Gray: Doctor reconstructs actor's face after horrific auto crash

According to reports, American actor, Dalton Gray's face had to be reconstructed from the right to enable him recover his vision after a horrific auto crash caused by a drunken driver. The actor, who played Master Mike on American Horror Story: Freak Show, suffered terrible injuries on his hip/pelvis and femur after an alleged drunk driver rammed into a car he was riding in with his friend recently. Words from Dalton's rep confirmed that the 17- years old had his hip, pelvis and femur shattered and also suffered horrific cuts to his face, and had some serious eye trauma. It was further reported that the drunk driver was arrested and jailed for the unfortunate incident.

Ekiti impeachment crisis overblown – Fayose, NLC President

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, have said the crisis created by the impeachment plot was being blown out of proportion by members of the opposition. They spoke on Thursday during the opening of the NLC Delegate Conference in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. Wabba, who was represented by the General Secretary, National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, Mr. Babatunde Liadi, said the impeachment plot had sent wrong signals to outsiders. The 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers have served an impeachment notice on Fayose and his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, citing eight impeachable offences. Wabba said, “When I was to come to Ekiti to preside over this election, I was skeptical because I thought the State was under serious crisis. But when I got here, I saw that everywhere was peaceful, so I began to think about the impression they had created about Ekiti by political actors to the outside world. “But I want to commend Governor Fayose for handling the matter maturely. I want to believe that the maturity must have caused the peace being enjoyed by citizens of the State.” Fayose, who described workers as promoters of peace and the pivot of his government, stated that they played a prominent role in his reelection during the June 21 governorship poll. The Governor lamented the dwindling financial status of the State monthly allocation to about N2 billion when the wage bill was N2.6 billion, saying he would soon convoke a stakeholders’ meeting, to chart a new course on how best to appropriate the State resources. Fayose said he would continue to accord the welfare of workers, especially salaries utmost priority, saying any politician who underrates workers was heading for a doom. He said, “Those of you who traveled from to Ekiti today can attest to the fact that Ekiti crisis was being overblown. “I want to thank the NLC President for even raising the observation. We are on the ground alongside these workers here in Ekiti . We are not doing our own politics on the pages of newspapers because I deal with reality. “The Ekiti workers played prominent role in my coming back to government after eight years they said I was impeached. Even the Supreme Court in his judgement last week said they were only lying that I was never impeached. What victory could be more than this? “I am not in Ekiti to persecute anybody. I believe I was brought back to do good to all manners of men and that was why I have been waving the olive branch to the lawmakers and the opposition. “They have to be honourable enough like President Goodluck Jonathan, who had to concede for Nigeria to remain united. They have to appeal to opposition to allow Fayose to be so that I can take care of the people who voted me into power. “I want to appeal to you to use your election as an example. Let it represents the wish of your members. Don’t conduct the election in a way that would create crisis or division because another four years is in the offing for another person to take over,” Fayose advised.

Obama regrets deaths of two hostages in US drone strike

American and Italian hostages accidentally killed in January strike targeting al-Qaeda base on Afghan-Pakistan border:- The US government has said it is "tremendously sorry" for killing two hostages held by al-Qaeda during a counterterrorism operation in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan earlier this year. The White House said on Thursday that American Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto were killed in a drone strike in January in an operation targeting an al-Qaeda- associated compound. US President Barack Obama said Washington had worked with Italy to retrieve Weinstein and Lo Porto and the mission was "fully consistent" with guidelines for conducting counterterrorism missions in the region. "Based on the information and intelligence we have obtained, during a counter-terrorism operation we accidently killed Warren and Giovanni this January," Obama said. "As president and as commander-in-chief, I take full responsibility for all our counter-terrorism operations, including the one that inadvertently took the lives of Warren and Giovanni. "It is a cruel and bitter truth, during the fog of war mistakes happen." -*Lahore abduction*- Weinstein was abducted in August 2011 in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore after attackers broke into his home. The 73-year-old was the country director in Pakistan for JE Austin Associates, a US-based firm that advises a range of Pakistani business and government sectors. He was seen in a video released in May 2012 asking for Obama to intervene on his behalf and in December that year, Ayman al-Zawahri, al- Qaeda's leader, promised to free him if the US stopped airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. Italian aid worker Lo Porto, 39, had been missing in Pakistan since January 2012. Lo Porto joined the German aid group Welthungerhilfe in October 2011 and was working as a project manager in Pakistan's Multan region when he was kidnapped together with German Bernd Muehlenbeck. Muehlenbeck was freed last year. -*Al-Qaeda leaders killed*- The White House said that the strike resulted in the death of US al-Qaeda leader, Ahmed Farouq. Officials also concluded that Adam Gadahn, an American who had served as a spokesman for the armed group, was killed in a separate US operation in January. The US said Farouq and Gadhan were not "specifically targeted" in the January operations, nor did the US have information "indicating their presence at the sites". Gadahn, who was also known as 'Azzam the American,' grew up in Los Angeles and moved to Pakistan after converting to Islam. He had been involved in several propaganda campaigns for al-Qaeda, some of which threatened attacks against the US. SOURCE:- AGENCIES AND AL JAZEERA

Patience Jonathan to quit as African First Ladies President

President Goodluck Jonathan’s loss in the March 28 presidential election has started taking its toll on his wife, Patience. Arrangements had been concluded for her to quit her position as the President of the African Ladies Peace Mission, two months before the expiration of her tenure. The mission comprises of wives of Presidents of all African countries. Mrs. Jonathan was elected the mission’s President at its seventh summit held in Abuja in July 2012 and her tenure would have expired in July 2015 when a new president would have been elected. But because she will cease to be Nigeria’s President’s wife from May 29 when her husband will hand over power to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari , Mrs. Jonathan had summoned an emergency summit of the mission for May 15 for the purpose of electing her successor. According to a copy of the invitation to members dated April 6 and personally signed by the President’s wife, she explained that she summoned the emergency summit to ensure that there would not be leadership vacuum in the organisation as it happened in 2010 when her predecessor left office without handing over. She said her desire was to put in place a standard that would strengthen the organisation and ensure effective mechanism to guarantee seamless takeoff for the incoming leadership. The invitation partly read, “…Your Excellency may recall that Nigeria was re-elected President of the AFLPM at the 7th Summit in Abuja in July 2012. With the recent election in my country and a new government coming on board from May 29, 2015, it has become necessary to convene an emergency summit of the AFLPM to facilitate a smooth and formal hand over to the new Executive Committee that will pilot the affairs of the Peace Mission for the next two years. “The Emergency Summit is proposed for Friday, May 15, 2015 at the Interim Secretariat of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, Abuja by 2pm. The Summit will, however, be preceded by the 4th meeting of the Executive Bureau by 9am, on May 15 at the same venue. The Bureau Meeting is for members of the Executive Bureau, comprising South Africa, Sudan, Cameroon, Libya and Congo Brazzaville. “…In the light of the above, may I appeal to Your Excellency to give utmost consideration to attending the Emergency Summit in order to ensure that our organisation maintains its current momentum. “We will deeply appreciate your kind early response to help us in planning the Summit, in view of limited time available to us.” When contacted on the telephone, the Special Assistant to the President on Peace Mission, Mrs. Martha Onwuzurumba, was hesitant. She demanded to know the source of the information from our correspondent. Mrs. Onwuzurumba who is the wife of the President’s Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, is said to be in charge of the Mission’s secretariat. She said she would not speak on the matter. “The African First Ladies Peace Mission is not a Non-Governmental Organisation for Nigeria, so I won’t be able to answer your question,” she said. The AFLPM, which aims at promoting peace and harmony in Africa, was established in 1995 after the United Nations’ Conference on Women in Beijing, China.

NNPC pushes for fuel subsidy removal

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Thursday, strongly advocated the complete halt in the payment of subsidy on petrol. Although the corporation admitted that it was aware of the massive nationwide protests and industrial actions that took place in January 2012 when the Federal Government announced the complete withdrawal of subsidy on petrol, it however maintained that the continued payment of subsidy was not sustainable. Subsidy is the difference between the Expected Open Market Price of fuel and the actual or retail price that is paid by consumers for the product at petrol stations as regulated by the Department of Petroleum Resources. The Group Coordinator, Corporate Strategy and Planning, NNPC, Mr. Timothy Okon, explained that since government does not control the prices of crude oil, its fluctuation often creates fiscal instability in the country, a situation that impacts negatively on Nigeria’s revenue. Okon spoke at the 2015 Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers in Abuja. He noted that when crude oil prices came down to about $40 per barrel, subsidy was not paid during that period as the landing cost of the product was either equal of even lower than its market value. Okon explained that subsidy on petrol creates uneven distribution of revenue, round tripping and unnecessary carry-over of funds from one year to another in a manner that was difficult to control by the Federal Government. “So, from the technical analysis made, it is obvious that subsidy is real. And from our analysis, we look at it as something that should go because it is not sustainable,” he said. Details later…

Hold S’African elites accountable for attacks on foreigners

A former Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Kayode Oladele, has said that South African elites should be held accountable to the xenophobic attacks on innocent foreigners in the country. Oladele said that South African elites failed to take the conscious step to educate the youths, who were born after the struggle against apartheid, on the sacrifices and contributions made by Africans to the liberation of the country from the claws of racial discrimination. Oladele who is the Federal Lawmaker elect for the Yewa (Egbado) North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency in Ogun State Yewa (Egbado) North/ Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency in Ogun State, said the deliberate targeting of Nigerians for attack by the South African mobs was unbelievable and unfortunate. He called on the South African authorities to ensure the prosecution of all those who participated in the violence and killings in the country. He said that Nigeria which was a member of the frontline states spent about $61 billion in the fight against apartheid and its international backers from 1960 to 1994 and gave scholarships to several South African students to study in Nigerian universities during the period. He said, “In all of this however, the whole blame must therefore be placed on the political elites of South Africa who have refused to consciously de- racialize South African educational curriculum and properly educate the people of South Africa, particularly the youths who were born after the struggle in 1994 on the true contribution of the rest of Africa, in the liberation of South Africa through the print and electronic media including public educational institutions.” He recalled that Nigeria was so committed to the struggle against apartheid that the country rejected the inducement from the apartheid regime which seconded the motion to admit the country into the United Nations on independence in 1960. He said Nigeria responded to the regime’s gesture by championing the move to expel the apartheid South Africa from the UN and other international organisations. He said there was need to educate the South African mobs on roles of the Nigerian worker who donated their salaries to the Southern African Relief Fund and the Nigeria’s National Committee for Action against Apartheid.

FG summons S’African High Commissioner over attacks

The Federal Government on Wednesday summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Louis-Mnguni, over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other black Africans. The government also demanded compensation from the South African authorities for the Nigerian victims of the violence by black South Africans. A statement from the Public Communications Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Louis-Mnguni met in Abuja on Wednesday with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Musiliu Obanikoro. The statement explained that during the meeting, Obanikoro expressed Nigeria’s concern over the fate of its and other nationals in South Africa. He underscored the fact that since South Africa was a major player on the continent, it should make its nationals to live in peace with citizens of other countries. The minister called on the South African government to “take concrete steps to quell the unrest and bring the culprits involved to book, to serve as a deterrent to others and prevent reoccurrence.” According to the statement, the High Commissioner informed the minister that Pretoria was doing everything possible to address the attacks and prosecute those behind them. He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the manner in which it was handling the crisis. The envoy also disclosed that sensitisation campaigns would be carried out to educate South Africans on the need for them to live in peace with other nationals. As the meeting was going on, the National Assembly and the United Nations flayed the attacks in the former apartheid enclave and called for their immediate end. Like the Executive did, the House of Representatives also sought compensation for the victims and their families. Its Committee on Diaspora Affairs said that compensation would be “a major step in healing the wounds” inflicted on Nigerians and other African migrants. The Chairman of the committee, Abike Dabiri- Erewa, conveyed the House demand when she delivered the resolution of the House to Louis- Mnguni in Abuja. She said it was a “sad development “ that South Africans would kill and destroy the properties of fellow Africans for reasons that were not defensible. Dabiri-Erewa, who led members of the committee to the South African High Commission in Abuja to register the legislature’s unhappiness with the attacks, urged Pretoria to make “determined efforts” to quell the attacks. She said, “Nigeria will not tolerate further killing and harassment of Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa. “We have to add that there should be compensation for all those who suffered as a result of these attacks”, she told the envoy. In his response, Louis-Mnguni extended the apologies of his home government to Nigeria. “We are sorry and feel very bad that you, our own people, are affected,” the envoy said. He assured the delegation that his home government was addressing the incident. He stated that in addition to using regular security agencies to contain the situation, President Jacob Zuma had ordered that the armed forces be deployed in the streets to beef up security. Louis-Mnguni informed the committee that Zuma’s government might not focus on payment of compensation as the immediate reaction to the problem. He explained that what was urgent was to restore security to the affected areas and support those who had been displaced. “Our focus now is on saving lives”, he added. But the envoy admitted that the younger generation of South Africans needed to be adequately educated on the sacrifices Nigeria and other African countries made during the liberation struggles in South Africa. He told the committee that he was aware that many Africans died for the sake of South Africa while many governments made their resources available in support of the fight against white supremacist rule. “We are not strong enough on the issue of education. A lot of our youths were born post 1990s and they are not fully aware of the role of Nigeria and other countries in the liberation struggles”, Louis-Mnguni stated. He assured the committee that Pretoria would take urgent steps to correct noticeable shortcomings. Shortly after this, the South African Consul- General in Nigeria, Sam Monaisa, announced a short closure of the consulate in Lagos. Monaisa said in an electronic mail to the South African Business Forum that the closure would remain in force until Thursday (today). Monaisa accused Nigerians of “using the social media to blow an already tense situation in South Africa out of proportion and stoking emotions.” He claimed that this was why Nigerians maintained that their compatriots were being killed daily in South Africa. The Consul-General advised members of SABF to be on the alert and not move around unnecessarily. His Nigerian counterpart in South Africa, Uche Ajulu-Okeke, said in Johannesburg that eight Nigerians had so far indicated interest to return home. Okeke told the News Agency of Nigeria on the telephone that the Nigerian mission was already working with them to facilitate their journey back home. ‘‘I am working with eight Nigerians who have indicated interest to go home. They are presently at the deportation holding facility at Limbola, South Africa,’’ she said. The Consul General said the mission held a meeting with leaders of the Nigerian Union in the nine provinces of South Africa. She added, ‘‘The meeting was successful. Victims of the attacks came with wounds, including machete and gunshot wounds. They narrated how they were attacked and brought pictures. We took note of all that. ‘‘The mission asked all the provincial chairmen of the union to collate all information reported.’’ Okeke said the report would be sent to the Federal Government for further action, adding that the mission and the union had worked out a vigilance defence mechanism to protect Nigerians. She also said the attacks had reduced and that Nigerians were asked to be vigilant in spite of the current development. In the Senate on Wednesday, members urged President Goodluck Jonathan to recall Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador S.S. Yusuf, to protest the attacks. The call followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma – Egba. The senators also called on the Federal Government to drag the Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, before the International Criminal Court for his alleged role in the killings. They condemned the actions of the South Africans and asked the Committee on Foreign Affairs to summon the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali, to brief them on the situation and measures taken to safeguard the lives of Nigerians . They also urged the government to apply pressure on the South African government to bring the perpetrators of “this evil act” to justice. Like the House, they demanded full compensation for the victims of the attacks and their families. After listening to contributions by some members, Senate President David Mark described what is happening in South Africa as totally unacceptable and unexpected. He said, “My humble suggestion will be that South Africa should not stretch us beyond our elastic limit on this matter. “There is a limit beyond which the nation will not accept what is happening in South Africa. If we go beyond that limit, then Nigeria will be forced to act otherwise. “All of you have very clearly enumerated the assistance we gave to South Africa to liberate them when they had their crises. “Students contributed, we accommodated so many of them; we gave them scholarships. For them to repay us this way, I think it is totally unacceptable and uncalled for; we need to stand up also for all other Africans in South Africa. “The African parliament must take this up seriously; we cannot have a situation where one king gets up and begins to say that people should go away, that is preaching hatred and is unacceptable. “I agree with most of you that we have a responsibility to protect our citizens, in fact that is our first responsibility and we must do that without thinking twice.” Also on Wednesday, the United Nations Secretary- General, Ban Ki-moon, condemned the attacks in South Africa. Ban expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. In a statement from New York, the United States, the UN boss noted the “actions and statements of the President of South Africa and the government to address the violence.” He said that he welcomed the public expressions of some South Africans who have been calling for peaceful coexistence and harmony with foreign nationals. Ban urged that all efforts be made to avert future attacks, “including any incitement leading thereto, and encourages peaceful solutions.” Meanwhile, President Zuma will on Friday meet with Nigerians and other African residents in the country. The meeting is also expected to be attended by nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh. A statement on the meeting which was made available to journalists reads, “President Zuma will meet with organisations representing foreign nationals. President Zuma will on Friday, meet with leaders of organisations representing foreign nationals resident in the country at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Pretoria. “The President will meet with leaders representing foreign nationals from within Africa and also Pakistan and Bangladesh. “The meeting is part of building lasting partnerships with stakeholders in the country to ensure that the shameful attacks on foreign nationals do not recur in the country. “Foreign nationals have for years been successfully integrated into many communities in the country and government thus seeks to gain lessons from these successes.”

South Africa deploys army to quell xenophobic violence

Troops, who minister says will deter criminal activity, deployed despite clashes having subsided after days of violence-: Soldiers have been deployed to volatile areas in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal in a bid to quell anti-immigrant violence that has killed at least seven people in several weeks of unrest, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, South Africa's defence minister, has said. The government had vowed to crack down strongly on the unrest, but the decision to put soldiers on the streets on Tuesday came after two nights of relative quiet in both cities. "We come in as the last resort, the army will serve as a deterrent against the crime that we see," Mapisa-Nqakula told reporters, declining to give details on how many troops would be involved. "There are people who will be critical but those who are vulnerable will appreciate this decision," she said. "Now we [are] deploying because there is an emergency." Mapisa-Nqakula made the announcement in Alexandra, a Johannesburg township where a Zimbabwean couple survived a shooting overnight. The man and woman were both shot in their necks and the woman suffered an additional shot in her leg, the minister said. Both Zimbabweans were treated and discharged from hospital, the Associated Press news agency reported without mentioning the couple's names. In the same Alexandra area, a Mozambican man was stabbed to death by four South African men over the weekend. Photographs of the stabbing were published in a local newspaper on Sunday. The four South African men appeared in court on Tuesday and remain in police custody, said Velekhaya Mgobhozi, the National Prosecuting Authority spokesman. -*'Support' to police*- Police have struggled to contain mobs who have been attacking foreigners from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and other African countries in both the economic capital Johannesburg and in the port city of Durban. "We are not here to take over the work of the police. We are simply here to give support to what the police are trying to do in their efforts to prevent a continuation with what we have seen," Mapisa-Nqakula said.

US judge allows 'Muslims killing Jews' ads on buses

New York judge says ads are protected speech and similar campaigns have run in other cities without inciting violence-: A United States federal judge has ordered New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to display on its buses a controversial ad that refers to Muslims killing Jews, rejecting the argument that the ad could incite "terrorism" or imminent violence. In his ruling, published on Tuesday, US District Judge John Koeltl in Manhattan said the ad from the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), which had previously run in Chicago and San Francisco, was protected speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Similar AFDI campaigns have also run elsewhere, including in Washington DC. The ad portrays a menacing man wearing a scarf around his head and face, includes a quotation "Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah" attributed to "Hamas MTV", and then states, "That's His Jihad. What's yours?" Koeltl said he was "sensitive" to security concerns, but noted that the MTA and Chairman Thomas Prendergast "underestimate the tolerant quality of New Yorkers and overestimate the potential impact of these fleeting advertisements. It strains credulity to believe that New Yorkers would be incited to violence by ads that did not incite residents of Chicago and San Francisco". MTA buses and subways are often forums for policy debates. The agency has accepted other ads from the AFDI, which is characterised as an anti-Muslim group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said the agency is disappointed in the ruling and is reviewing its options. The judge suspended the effect of his order for a month to leave time for appeals.

Presidential run-off would have led to crisis – Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said on Tuesday that a presidential run-off would have led to a crisis in the country. Jega, in his first public comment on the March 28 and April elections, predicated his assertion on what he called many lacunas in the amended Electoral Act. He suggested during a dialogue session with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja, an amendment to the electoral law since it provides for only seven days after the first election to hold a run-off. He said the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari should not wait till 2019 general elections before reviewing the Electoral Act. Jega disclosed that he was happy when the March 28 presidential poll produced a clear winner. He said there was no way that INEC could have successfully conducted a run-off election within seven days as provided for in both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. The INEC boss said, “I heaved a heavy sigh of relief when the election did not result to a run-off. That would have occasioned a big constitutional crisis. “This is in view of the fact that the 1999 Constitution only made provision for seven days for such poll. You and I know that there was no way we would have been able to conduct a run- off within seven days. “This is why I emphasise that amendments to the electoral laws should be done in good time. We could have further sanitised the electoral process if we had got some of the amendments we required in the Electoral Act.” The INEC boss revealed that there would be electoral reforms to strike a balance between decentralising and centralising the powers of the commission at the national headquarters. He explained, “In future reforms to electoral legal framework this issue has to be looked at carefully. It’s a delicate balance: you have to balance whether you will give the chairman of INEC or the INEC at the headquarters a lot of powers which may be abused or whether you will want to localise the powers which may also be abused. So, it’s a tricky balance and the balance has to be struck. “Clearly, from our experience in 2007, a lot of the powers were removed from the INEC national officers and localised to the Returning Officers. And now, we are seeing the challenges and some abuses in some respects. So, in future, as we review the Electoral Act, we may have to look at how to have some balance in this regard. “Sometimes, when we hear something and a mistake is likely to be made, we can intervene and advise the Returning Officer about the right thing to do. Sometimes some of the Returning Officers, if they are confused and do not understand what they are supposed to do, they can call us directly and seek for clarification. There are a few cases a Returning Officer may just go ahead and do his own thing either based on lack of understanding or because of some partisan considerations. “There are many Returning Officers for example in some states where they disappeared with the result sheets. And we have got information about these people and we are going to follow it up in terms of not only reporting them to their institutions but also prosecuting them appropriately for the offences they committed.” -*Jega, CSOs disagree on Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom gov polls*- Jega and the over 60 civil society organisations that make up the NCSSR however disagreed on the credibility of the Rivers State governorship election. While the NCSSR members said that the elections in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom states were “lacking in credibility and fraught with irregularities”, Jega said “there is no evidence before the commission as it relates to election irregularities in Rivers State.” It will be recalled that the Situation Room had last week said that the elections in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom states should not be allowed to stand. The convener of the group, Clement Nwankwo, said, “Situation Room has expressed its concern about the overall conduct of the elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states where there are good grounds to question the credibility of the elections’ results in both states. “There are also concerns about Abia State, which recorded multiple cases of electoral misconduct.” Jega however disagreed, saying that the reports of the three INEC National Commissioners he sent to Rivers State to investigate alleged irregularities did not confirm the petition. The INEC chairman said, “We have no power to cancel election results once returns have been made. On the petition against election irregularities in Rivers State, the commission sent three national commissioners to the state to investigate it. “Some people didn’t want elections to hold, they are the ones calling for cancellation. We investigated the allegation of fake result sheets in Rivers State, our reports showed that there was nothing like that.” But he admitted that INEC erred by cancelling elections in three local government areas of Abia State. Jega, however, explained that the commission intervened before a return was made, adding that supplementary elections will only hold in wards where results were cancelled. He said, “The announcement of cancellation of three local governments was a mistake. And we intervened before a return was made and it was corrected. “And only the wards where irregularities occurred in those three local governments were to be cancelled. And the supplementary election we are going to do will not cover the entire local government but only those wards that had been cancelled.” There had been uproar in some quarters following INEC’s decision declaring the April 11 governorship poll in Abia, Imo and Taraba states inconclusive. The commission had therefore fixed April 25 as date for supplementary elections in the three states. Explaining that INEC had no power to cancel the election in Rivers State, he called on aggrieved political parties to approach the tribunal to seek legal redress. “The law says once the Returning Officer has made a declaration then you just have to go to the tribunal to contest the declaration,” Jega said. He stated further that there were no evidences to warrant the change of the Resident Electoral Commissioners in Imo and Taraba states. Jega said that INEC would beam its search- light on both states and would also deploy more electoral officials in them. He said, “I have no evidence before me to warrant changing the RECs in Imo and Taraba states. “But we are going to do what we did in Ekiti and Osun states. We will send a lot of supervisors, national commissioners, directors to ensure that a lot of eyes are put on what goes on in these states. “There were a lot of allegations that RECs were compromised. I was accused of being compromised. Frankly, we can’t just start moving RECs and changing them because there are allegations if there is no substantive evidence presented. “Anybody who didn’t like the way things stand out would want the returning officers or RECs removed. But we can’t just start indiscriminately removing people unless we have something to hold against them.” Jega also said that the prosecution of individuals found culpable of electoral malpractices in the just-concluded 2015 general elections had commenced. According to him, those who are being prosecuted include a former Director -General of the National Youth Service Corps and some youth corps members. While saying that INEC would pay attention to high profile electoral offenders, he called on the public to furnish the commission with evidences of electoral breaches. He said, “Prior to the conduct of the elections, the Inspector General of Police was very proactive. He established a committee headed by a DIG to work together with INEC for speedy prosecution of electoral offenders. And we believe that this will help us have more prosecutions of electoral offenders than in previous elections. “Similarly, the Nigerian Bar Association has requested INEC for a meeting so that we can further explore the possibility of working together to hasten the process of prosecuting electoral offenders. “ There are already clear cut cases where the police have apprehended people red-handed and we are working together with them to ensure that they are prosecuted. “This is one area where we didn’t do much in 2011. Not that we didn’t try but we were overwhelmed by the number of offenders and we couldn’t handle it. But now with partnership with other organisations, we should be able to do so.” He said that although INEC received report of underage voting, there was no substantial evidence to prove the allegation. The INEC boss, however, explained that the commission would correct the anomalies by ensuring that Permanent Voter Cards of underage voters were not produced. He also stated that besides prosecution, electoral officers who are not members of staff of INEC and ran away with result sheets would be reported to their parent institutions. Jega cited an example of an individual in Adamawa State who has already bagged six- months jail term for possession of multiple PVCs. On the plea by a participant, urging him to reconsider his decision not to seek fresh tenure , he said: “Man proposes and God disposes. But as I speak with you, I will rather do something else with my life”. *SOURCE- PUNCH *

Why Jonathan fired IGP, Suleiman Abba

THE Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, yesterday, became the first major casualty of the just concluded general elections, which President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost to the opposition. The police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State. Abba, it was learnt, had deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to intimidate APC members and rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. *His refusal to pick calls over Ogunshakin’s recall*: Another source said the former police boss reportedly ignored presidency official’s objection to the deployment of Ogunshakin to Rivers State on the allegation that the police officer was sympathetic to Amaechi and his party and would, therefore, not allow the PDP win the state. A Presidency source told Vanguard that on learning that the IG had defied its order by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise the governorship elections. A presidency official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State or face the consequences. The source said the presidency felt slighted when it could not get through to Abba. The former police boss reportedly told the Presidency that AIG Ogunshakin was a formidable Police officer whom he described as a ‘no- nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of new assignment. Vanguard learnt that although the sacked IG reluctantly recalled Ogunshakin from Rivers State, forcing him to quit Port Harcourt by 5 am on the election day, Presidency did not forgive Abba for redeploying Ogunshakin reluctantly. *Presence at Buhari’s certificate of return presentation*: Another sin of the former IG was his presence at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1, 2015, which convinced the Presidency that the IG was actually working for the opposition and it moved quickly against him. *Arase replaces Abba*: The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, could not also be reached for comments on the development. Abba’s sack was announced by the president’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, in a statement yesterday. No reason was given for the sack while a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, was appointed to act in his stead. Abati’s statement read in full: “President Goodluck Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, of his appointment and duties with immediate effect. “President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect. “Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. “Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Law, as well as Bachelors and Masters degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies. “He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.” Mr. Abba, 56, became acting Inspector General on August 1, 2014 following the retirement of his predecessor, Mohammed Abubakar, after 35 years of public service. He was confirmed substantive IGP on November 4, 2014. Abba was, until that appointment, an Assistant Inspector General, AIG, in charge of Zone 7 Command, a position he occupied since May 25, 2012. He was also an Aide-De-Camp, ADC, to the wife of a former military Head of State, Maryam Abacha. With his removal, Mr. Abba will proceed on forced retirement, four years before he attains retirement age. He enlisted in the Nigeria Police as Cadet Inspector on December 31, 1984 and is actually due for retirement on March 22, 2019.

S’Africa must punish perpetrators –ECOWAS

The Economic Community of West African States has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of the xenophobic attacks on fellow Africans by South African mobs. ECOWAS also demanded for action on the part of the South African government to halt the attacks. The regional economic block equally offered to work with the government of South Africa to end the crisis. Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Heads of Governments and President of Ghana, John Mahama, said this in Abuja on Tuesday. Mahama was responding to questions from journalists after a closed-door meeting with President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari. According to him, the event in South Africa is worrisome because of the specific circumstances of the country. Mahama said, “I think that the young people of South Africa do not know what happened before they gained their freedom; the whole of this continent stood behind South Africa to fight against apartheid. “I remember all of us who, growing up as secondary school children, went on marches and were part of the African Youth Command who boycotted classes and all that all in the fight against apartheid. “Indeed, for several of the countries where their citizens were brutalised in South Africa, these are the countries that were called frontline states that harboured the freedom fighters of South Africa and gave them safe haven and gave them passports to be able to avoid the clutches of the apartheid regime. “Nigeria, though not a neighbour of South Africa, was considered a frontline state because of the economic contribution that Nigeria made to be able to liberate South Africa from apartheid and so, it is regrettable that the same people who fought against apartheid are being attacked.” The Ghanaian President also explained that the pictures about the heinous crime, which have been trending on social media, were horrible. He said that ECOWAS had issued a statement condemning the act. “As ECOWAS we have issued a statement condemning what is happening. The unfortunate thing is that this is not the first time. “It keeps flaring up and so while we are condemning this incidence and we must work with the South African government to ensure that it won’t happen again. We are trying to create an integrated continent where our people can move freely amongst our countries, this has not set a very good example for integration, especially for South Africa that has investments all over the countries.”