WAR & CONFLICT: ISIL pushes for control of Iraq's Anbar province

Shia militias and army deployed to stop ISIL advance as calls grow for the US to change its strategy against the group. The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) group is continuing to advance across Iraq's Anbar province after consolidating its grip on areas around the recently seized city of Ramadi. ISIL was pushing further east of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, on Saturday, taking the town of Husaybah. There was also fierce fighting in Khalidiya, a town just a few kilometres from the Habbaniyah military base. "ISIL wants to take control of this base which would serve as a staging ground for the Iraqi army and Shia paramilitary forces when they launch a counter-offensive against the group," Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Baghdad, said. Shia militias and Iraqi military were being deployed to Khalidiya on Saturday, in a strategic move aimed at preventing ISIL from advancing on Habbaniyah, our correspondent said. The spokesperson for the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella organisation for Shia militiamen, told Al Jazeera the counter-offensive against ISIL would begin in the coming days. He said thousands of troops were expected to be involved. ISIL has also opened a new front in the town of Haditha, the only significant town in government hands in western Anbar, targeting a number of government checkpoints. *-US strategy criticised-* ISIL seized towns and cities in northern Iraq last summer and have since expanded their territory in Iraq and neighbouring Syria. A US-led coalition has since launched air strikes in a bid to stop the group's advance, with limited success. On Thursday, ISIL took over the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. The last government-held border post between the two countries has also fallen. The US administration has downplayed ISIL's recent gains but calls are growing for a review of the strategy against the group. The Iraqi vice president, Ayad Allawi, has said publicly that the aerial campaign is simply not working. "There are no good news from the international coalition, and there is no strategy, so I asked the Iraqi leaders to put a strategy together and to present it to the coalition," he said. "The international coalition meets but without any results, the air strikes do not solve the problem." Sunni politicians say they will only aid efforts to combat ISIL if they get larger say in the running of the country. "Sunnis want to take control of their own territories, govern their own territories, be responsible for their own security," our correspondent said. "For them, this is the way forward. But there is opposition in Baghdad." Source: Al Jazeera

ISIL claims responsibility for Saudi mosque attack

At least 21 people killed after suicide bomber detonates explosives during Friday prayers in Qatif province. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has claimed in an online statement that it carried out a deadly suicide bomb attack at a mosque in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province of Qatif. The statement said "the soldiers of the Caliphate" were behind Friday's attack by a suicide bomber "who detonated an explosives belt" in the mosque in the Shia-majority city of Qatif. The group identified the bomber as Abu Amer al- Najdi, and published a picture of him. Earlier on Friday, the Saudi interior ministry said in a statement that a suicide bomber had set off an explosion during weekly prayers at a Shia mosque, leaving at least 21 dead. "It has been established that an individual detonated a bomb he was wearing under his clothes during Friday prayers at Ali Ibn Abi Taleb mosque in Kudeih in Qatif province," the statement, which was carried by the official SPA news agency, said. The ministry spokesman called the attack an act of terrorism, vowing that "Security authorities will spare no effort in the pursuit of all those involved in this terrorist crime". Pictures posted on social media purported to show the devastation, with dead bodies strewn across the floor and shattered glass covering the courtyard of the mosque. Saudi Arabia's Shia population is mostly based in two oasis districts of the Eastern Province, Qatif on the Gulf coast, and al-Ahsa, southwest of the provincial capital al-Khobar. The community accounts for between 10 to 15 percent of the total population. The attack was the first to target the Shia community in Saudi Arabia since November when gunmen killed at least eight people in an attack on a religious anniversary celebration, also in the east.

RELEASED VICTIMS: (UPDATED) OAU lecturer, ex-CMD, Ekiti nurses, others regain freedom

Ten persons, including an 11-year-old boy, kidnapped in Ekiti State a month ago were at the early hours of Saturday released by their captors, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. They include Dr Folasade Alade, Dr Femi Omisore, Dr Kikielomo Adegun and a nurse, Margret Aladeneka. The victims, who were kidnapped at different locations within the state, included two lecturers at the Ekiti State University. A family member of one of the victims, Mrs Nike Aina, told NAN that the victims were released after their families had paid some undisclosed ransom. She said they were dropped at a bush in the Esure Ekiti area of the state. Also, a brother of one of the victims, Pastor Tokunbo Olofin, said, “My sister called me around 7am on Saturday, telling me they had been released. “She used one of the villagers phone to call. We have seen them, we thank God for his faithfulness.” He told NAN that the victims havd been taken to hospitals for treatment by their families after the Police had arrived at the scene. Olofin added that the police advised them to wait for the arrival of the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, but the relations could not as they hurriedly took them to hospitals for examination. ————————————————————————————————————————————— A lecturer of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, Dr. Femi Omisore, who was kidnapped in Ekiti State about two weeks ago, has been rescued in the early hours of Saturday. He was reportedly rescued alongside nine others, including three other nurses. It was gathered that the victims were rescued by vigilantes at Esure Ekiti, who subsequently took the rescued victims to the palace of the Elesure of Esure Ekiti. A family source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, and the Chairman of Academic Staff of Union of Universities, OAU chapter, Dr. Caleb Aborisade, confirmed Omisore’s rescue. Though they could not ascertain if the perpetrators were arrested. Aborisade, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said, “Yes, he has been rescued.” Omisore was abducted on his way to a funeral ceremony at Oye Ekiti in penultimate Saturday. He is a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Design Management of OAU. Apart from Omisore that was abducted, his driver was killed and his car burnt. The reason for the kidnap of the lecturer had earlier been trailed by controversy, especially among students and other sympathisers. Some believed that the lecturer was kidnapped because he is a relation of the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the 2014 election, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Others, especially a segment of his family, are of the opinion that Omisore was set-up by some of his colleagues that he had issues with. Describing his kidnap, an eyewitness said, “A car was trailing him and his driver tried to escape but he was caught. The driver tried so much to avoid being overtaken by the unknown men but it was painful that he did not succeed. They eventually killed him.”

Tanzania camp overstretched by Burundi refugee influx

Tanzanian authorities say the camp hosting refugees who fled unrest in neighbouring Burundi is full and will have to be expanded. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Isaac Nantanga, told Al Jazeera the Nyarugusu camp, located close to the town of Kisulu, could not accommodate the number of new arrivals in its current form. “The camp will not suffice for the the amount of people who are coming. We have begun work on building Nyarugusu II, which will be close to the existing camp,” Nantanga said.

9JA MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT: My wife acts like a man –Reminisce

Reminisce posted a picture on Instagram of himself and a lady he referred to as ‘Mama Afusat.’ In the caption, he even referred to the lady as his wife and of course, this ‘revelation’ stirred some bubble on the social media as many people didn’t know the young singer was married. But in a recent interview with Saturday Beats, the rapper revealed that he and his wife dated for about nine years before they got married. He said that they were twenty years old when they met. He said, “Not many people know that I have been married for over 13 years because I do not announce it. I choose to let people know whatever I feel they should know at whatever time I feel it is appropriate. It was her birthday, I am 34 years old and she also clocked 34, so I wished her a happy birthday on Instagram. “Our relationship worked because we know what we want out of it. As an individual, I know what I want and I know the kind of people I move with. I knew those that are close to me now before I became famous. The same thing applies to my relationship, I stick with the person I love and that I am comfortable with,” he said. Talking more about his spouse, the singer said, “My wife and I fight a lot, we argue every time but she is my friend and I love her a lot. She acts like a man and she is my best friend. We don’t see ourselves as husband and wife. I believe she is the only person I can live with and she is the only one that can look out for me. I value her opinion because she had been with me before I became popular and she really knows me. She is a nice person and everybody is always comfortable around her. She understands my job and knows that I have to do certain things in order to make money.” He admitted that his wife hardly listens to his music but his daughter is a huge fan of his. “I named my album after my daughter because when she was born, we were really struggling and we did not have money. I did not begin to attain stardom till she was two years old. Things were very difficult for us then but now, it is time to pamper her,” he said. Often being compared with wave-making singer, Olamide, Reminisce said, “Olamide is younger than I am in the music industry. We were together when he started with ID Cabassa. He has always been my brother and the comparison is a good thing. We are both successful and that is what matters. There is Christian Ronaldo and there is Messi, people would always argue about who the best is based on certain criteria. It’s the same with us. The most important thing is that they are both successful,” Reminisce said.

SENATOR'S DRUG ACCUSE: NDLEA moves to arrest Kashamu

Latest reports say embattled businessman and Peoples Democratic Party Senator-elect from Ogun State, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, may soon be in the net of the National drug Law Enforcement Agency over a report that he is wanted in the United States to face drug-related charges. Spokesman for the NDLEA, Mitchel Ofoyeju, in an interview with our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday, said he was on his way to the office, but declined further comment on the move of the agency to arrest and extradite the politician. It is learnt that the Lagos home of Kashamu, a Senator-elect, representing Ogun East, was surrounded on Saturday morning by operatives of the anti-narcotic agency. Details later…

SUSPICIOUS MOVE: VP Sambo, ministers to travel abroad after May 29

President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice- President Namadi Sambo and many ministers have concluded plans to travel abroad shortly after the May 29 inauguration of a new government. While Jonathan had said he would travel out of the country for a much deserved rest after the May 29 inauguration, Sambo is planning to travel to London on May 31, two days after the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s new President. It was learnt that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had also concluded plans to return to the US after the President elect’s inauguration. However, her Petroleum Resources counterpart, Mrs.Diezani Allison-Madueke, has already travelled out of the country. Though sources close to the minister said she would return to the country to attend the last Federal Executive Council meeting of President Jonathan’s administration, the minister would leave the country after the FEC meeting. A senior Presidency official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, however, told one of our correspondents that the vice-president was planning to rest in London. According to him, Sambo will only rest for about two weeks abroad before returning to the country. The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Umar Sani, however, said the planned trip could not be attributed to any fear of persecution by the incoming government. Sani said if Sambo was afraid of Buhari, he would have left the country before the May 29 inauguration day. He said, “There is nothing to fear. Vice-President Namadi Sambo is not afraid of any persecution or victimisation by the incoming government. His planned trip has nothing to do with fear. If he is afraid of anything, he would have gone before May 29.” Like Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, also planned to travel abroad, but he said he would leave for the ongoing World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. He stressed that he would be back in the country when the exercise is over. When asked if the trip was to avoid Buhari’s manhunt for perceived corrupt public officials, the minister said, “It is strange to me and I have not heard anything like that.” But the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said no amount of road block could stop him from travelling to any country of his choice. Shekarau also dared the incoming administration to proceed and mount a checkpoint for him in the crusade against corruption, adding that he had nothing to hide. His Special Assistant (Media and Communications), Mr. Nnamdi Olebara, said, “Shekarau has no skeleton in his cupboard; if he is travelling, it is not because of any arrest because he has nothing to fear. “Anybody who knows Shekarau right from ages knows that he has nothing to fear. Asking of when he will travel is digging into somebody’s privacy. Let Buhari mount a checkpoint if he knows that Shekarau has committed any crime. “If Shekarau is going to his mother’s house, he doesn’t need any permission; if he is going to Saudi (Arabia), he doesn’t need anybody’s permission. He is not escaping to anywhere because he has nothing to fear. He is a committed patriot who has revolutionised the education sector, brought sanity and a lot of development.” The Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, said there was nothing wrong for members of Jonathan’s cabinet to travel abroad after the May 29 inauguration of the new government to rest. He said though he would be returning to the classroom as a lecturer at the University of Abuja, there was no reason for anybody to think that any member of the current administration that travels out after May 29 is afraid of probe. In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Ilorin on Friday, he explained that it is normal for people to take rest outside the country after strenuous political and administrative engagements. He also said none of them is afraid that the incoming administration would jail them. Sulaiman said, “I am not travelling out. I am a lecturer. After May 29, I will resume work at the University of Abuja. “There is nothing anybody can do. This is democracy for God’s sake and there is rule of law. People have liberty, right and freedom to seek redress. Nobody can intimidate anybody. If Jonathan has worked for five or six years, there is nothing bad for him to take a rest outside the country. If Sambo has worked for four years, there is nothing wrong in him taking a rest; so also the ministers. Taking a rest is good for everybody. “Taking a rest is not borne out of any fear that the incoming government is going to witch-hunt anybody. I am not afraid of probe. If anybody wants to ask questions, there are procedures to do so. The era of putting people in jail cannot come again. It is gone forever. We have a right to live and go and rest anywhere and when there is time for questions, we can come back and answer them. I do not think that people are leaving the country for fear of being probed.” But the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Musiliu Obanikoro, plans to travel abroad for a two-week vacation after May 29. Obanikoro, who spoke with one of our correspondents on Friday, said he might go to Ghana or South Africa or the United States to take “a deserved rest.” He said, “I think it is a wise thing to take a rest after all said and done. I will start with a six-week executive course in Harvard University and I will follow this up in August by starting a degree course in History at the same prestigious institution.” Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; Minister of Information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki, and their Foreign Affairs counterpart, Amb. Aminu Wali, ruled out plan to leave the country for fear of prosecution. Aganga, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Communications, Mrs. Yemi Kolapo, said, “The minister has been in office since all this while and he is currently in Lagos meeting with some businessmen. So, there is no reason to do that.” Also the Special Assistant to the Information Minister on Media, Mr. Joseph Mutah, said Akwashiki would not leave the country because of the fear of the incoming government. He said, “Why would she travel out of the country because another government is coming to power? The minister will remain here before and after the inauguration of the new government.” The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmedu Ogbole-Ode, was emphatic that Wali did not plan to travel out of the country. “Where is he going to? He has no plan to go to anywhere, he is staying put in the country, you can quote me on that,” Ogbole-Ode said.

RIVERS STATE: Police storm suspected cultists’ hideout, kill 21

AT least 21 suspected cult members were killed by operatives of the Rivers State Anti-Robbery Squad in Egi community of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area. A source from the community explained that the incident happened in the wee hours of Thursday in a forest located between Egi and Egburu. It was gathered that security operatives, who got wind of the hideout of the cultists, stormed the forest and opened fire on them. The team that stormed the bush was said to have left the corpses of the suspected cultists in the bush while permitting the deceased relatives to get their bodies there. It will be recalled that Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni had in recent times been the centre of most cult-related killings, with scores of people losing their lives before and during the 2015 elections. Another source, who preferred not to be mentioned, told Saturday PUNCH that three suspected cult members were arrested by the police on Friday morning in the area. However, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, who was contacted to confirm the report, said he was not aware of the incidents. Meanwhile, ahead of today’s (Saturday) local government election, the State Police Command has announced the restriction of movement from 10pm on Friday to 6am on Saturday. A statement signed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, also said that the restriction of movement would continue from 9am to 6pm on Saturday. Mohammad explained that the restriction of movement was declared by the police command to pave the way for a smooth council poll in the state on Saturday (today). He said, “The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that ahead of the Rivers State Local Government election that is scheduled to hold on Saturday, May 23, 2015, it has ordered a restriction of movement of vehicles across the state between 10pm on Friday, May 22, 2015 till 6am on Saturday May 23, 2015 in the first lap, and finally between 9am and 6pm on Saturday, May 23, 2015. “The restriction is aimed at ensuring peace and serenity across the state before, during and after the local government election.” But the Peoples Democratic Party in the state said the Nigeria Police acted overzealously by imposing a ‘curfew’ in the state on account of the ‘illegal’ local government election. The state PDP in a statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media to its chairman, Mr. Jerry Needam, said the All Progressives Congress-led government in the state was purportedly conducting the council election. He said, “The police cannot be crying more than the bereaved as there is no security threat or any breach of public order that will justify the imposition of a curfew in Rivers State at this time. “Even during the last general elections with heightened competition and tension at that time, the police did not impose a curfew, wondering why the curfew at a more robust peace period and coming at a time the court stripped the election of legitimacy. “It amounts to double standards for the police to aid illegality because they are a defendant as well as the INEC in the suit where the Federal High Court judge ordered parties to maintain status quo regarding the release of voter registers.” “To conduct an election without the voter register, the main ingredient of legitimacy in the election, is a slap to the court. The police should be law enforcers and not law breakers,” the statement added. SOURCE: PUNCH

SEX FACTS: Reasons we have sex

Sex, since the history of man or human evolution has gone through several changes, even in terms of definition and form and the individuals engaging in it. Once upon a time, sex was thought to be primarily for reproductive reasons, then for the relief of sexual tension and later, for the sexual pleasure. Right from the explosive documentation of the Kama Sutra, various studies and experiences have been carried out by persons and institutions to unravel the mystery of human sexology and why, besides procreation, sex is important to mortal men and women. From the researches of Alfred Kinsey who is regarded as the father of sexology in the 40s and 50s to Masters and Johnson’s famous researches on orgasms of the 60s and 70s, sex has become a subject of great interest to all. Now, a research conducted by psychologists Cindy Meston and David Buss on why women have sex which is published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, the duo in their new book of the same title, have listed 237 reasons why women have sex with their partners. Ranging from the mundane desires to experience physical pleasure; to the vengeful intentions of getting back at a cheating partner, the spiritual attempt to get closer to God, or the altruistic gesture of wanting a partner to feel good about themselves, Meston and Buss concluded that the motives for engaging in sexual intercourse may be larger in number than what most people think and psychologically complex in nature too. Some of the reasons listed are quite glaring and practiced across societies and persons at various times, regardless of their marital status too. In fact, marital sex as well as long term relationships tend to be more complex than those in newer or non-commitment relationships. Just as a married woman may have a legion of reasons for not wanting to have sex, she just might have another gazillion on why she must have sex. The most important and common reason being “duty sex”. Once married, it is assumed that providing sexual pleasure to her partner is a given. She must fulfill her own side of the bargain to keep the union. To some other women, it is the price for the status and benefits. In this case, it has nothing to do with her own sexual pleasures or preference and more about submission, ditto the man. Many women also believe that the more sex they have with their partners, the less chances he is likely to stray. Women assume that the more sex he gets with them, the less chances he is likely to think about sex outside the box, much less look for it. While good communication channel and a strong sexual connection may have been identified as important keys to a good relationship, hardly has having sex with a partner on demand been known to keep a person from straying into the thighs of another individual. Some women also believe that sex and children are the perfect ways to keep their men. Women dubiously believe that the more children and responsibility they throw at their husbands, the less likely they are to walk away from them. So, where they have agreed on two children, these women, on their own volition, manipulate or “accidentally” go on to have more children. This hardly works in some cases. You can only keep a man down for as long as he wants to stay down. I intend to write more about this complex situation in subsequent editions. Let’s just go through some reasons I found quite interesting in this book which I have practical examples for: *-Pity sex: Women may sometimes give in to sex for this simple reason, after all, we are women with maternal instincts. Some of the women in the book confessed to have had sex with men just because they felt sorry for them. According to one, she had been dating a guy over two years and he had been pleading with her all through. One day, she said she took pity on him and agreed. However, he was out of the door as soon as he could pull his pants up. A similar scenario happened to one of the young girls I counsel. She’d been dating the guy for quite some time, and though she’d told him she was no virgin, she’d however decided to go celibate until she was married. The guy had gone on to systematically work on her emotions and soon, broke her down. She said the day she agreed to have sex with him, he had prostrated flat on his stomach, swearing heaven on earth. What kind of desperation is that? However, what happened after the act, almost robbed her of her education as she did not want to return to school. She said immediately it was over, he jumped up and punched the air with his fist, asking if that was all that she had to offer and that he’d had better lays. He went on to tell her that he had only been acting out a script and never loved her. In fact, he and a couple of guys already placed a bet on her and though she had tried, he had won eventually. To make matters worse, he had ordered her out of his room. She said she ran away from school and several days was even scared to pick her calls or check the social media as she feared that he had recorded their activities and might post it on the internet. Eventually, he had come to apologise but the damage had already been done. Sex for pity’s sake almost always turn out to leave a sour taste in the mouth as you can never be sure of the other person’s motives. Have sex because you want to and not because you feel pressured to, or are sorry for the guy. That way, should things go sour, you can hold your head up, look the a- – in the eye and say “f..k off, you fall me, I fall you, no big deal!” *-Marriage sex: This is very different from marital sex. This is simply sex to negotiate for marriage. Some ladies believe that having sex with a guy will provide them the opportunity to show the guys and convince them that they are good and suitable for each other. To add insult to injury, some of these ladies are prepared to play little housewife roles, they go over to the guy’s apartments for chores and even wash their dirty under wears and clothes. Some even cook with their own money to convince the guys that they can support the union financially too. My little sister gave me a gist about one of her friends who played house help for someone she called her fiancé for almost four years, refusing to heed everyone’s warning. As suspected, her generosity and selfless acts did not succeed at the negotiation table as the guy sprung the most unexpected surprise. He married the daughter of his neighbour and co-tenant, the little girl that had been calling his fiancée “aunty” and often came to the apartment to play with her when the guy was not around! My bet is that she had even run errands between the lovers and had benefited from the older lady’s generosity too. Eventually, they both betrayed her, her goodness did not help, neither her assumed sexual prowess. *-Trade by barter sex: Just as the phrase imply, this is when you use what you have to get what you want. The first thing that comes to mind here is prostitution, that age old trade of using the body for financial benefits. The activities of the prostitution ring are a multimillion dollar investment worldwide with tentacles in drugs, violent crimes, human trafficking and many other vices. Interestingly, the average prostitute in many climes no longer enjoys the liberty of dealing her wares as a one man (sorry, woman) enterprise or sole trader to any interested client today. To carry on business as usual, she needs protection and this she invests in with the proceeds from her business as well as sex. Again, a drug addict or junkie will exchange sex for drugs naturally and when caught in a tight corner, many women have been known to exchange sex for their freedom. *-Negotiation sex: If the above seem rather on the dark side, let’s bring it down to base. Many things have been written about the power of the female anatomy. I mean, bottom power! Many men, both high and lowly have been known to succumb to the aura of this potent natural endowment. Many women have perfected the art of using their gifts from mother nature to get what they want through intense manipulation and negotiation. Sex is thus used by women to curry favour, to get jobs, promotions, or even maintain status as the case might be. A friend once told me the trick she uses to get anything she wants from her boyfriend. According to her, he is one of those shy types who can hardly express his thoughts or views on issues, let alone approach women. So, he considers himself very lucky to have found her and perhaps cannot trade the opportunity of the occasional sex for anything. (not yet, at least). So, for her, most times, She engages in sex to get him to do stuff for her. Her crude method even involves stopping in the middle of the act to get him to agree to her demand. And the poor thing just crumbles like a pack of cards. *-Revenge sex: This is common with women who have been hurt and who want to get their pound of flesh. Often, a wife might cheat on her cheating husband just to get back at him and probably make him feel the way she felt. It could also be to get back at a partner who has neglected them. Again, she might have sex to reassure herself that she is still pretty and desirable by men after she’d been jilted by one, or to simply walk out of an existing relationship. Revenge sex may sometimes take a bizarre twist, depending on motive and individual. While working on my book, Youth, Sex and Wellbeing, I spoke with a lady who confessed to having slept with a boyfriend she was no longer interested in and infected him with a STI. According to her, she’d gone to visit on his insistence, thinking that she would seize the opportunity to inform him of her slight indisposition. But to her annoyance, she caught him escorting another girl off. And though she’d always known she was not his only partner, seeing him that day was just too much and she made up her mind to teach him a lesson. A couple of years back, a National Newspaper published the self confession of a university undergraduate who at the brink of death, afflicted with full blown AIDS, claimed she’d purposely passed on the HIV virus to over 400 men. Her grouse was not with these men but the man who’d given her the virus and she wanted to take her revenge out on the world. If the men thought she was an easy lay at the time, they definitely would have a change of heart after reading her confession! Cindy Meston and David Buss, aptly summarised the various motives in these words. “Every person brings their own individual history to any sexual situation. The reasons why they are having sex, the way they feel about the sex and the consequences of having sex are all very different across individuals no matter what gender they happen to be”. And that includes men too.

POiSON COOKER: NAFDAC seals Chocolate Royale over expired food products

According to Chioma Obinna, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed Lagos – based confectionaries and multinational food outlet, Chocolate Royale over what it described as “unethical practices” and non- adherent to Good Manufacturing and Hygienic Practices. Vanguard gathered that the outlet was sealed following a tip-off and intelligence report which indicted the company of illegal importation, storage and use of expired ingredients and food products for preparing of food and confectionaries served to unsuspecting customers. The company was also accused of operating and maintaining illegal cold-rooms at their Managing Director’s resident where large quantities of various expired and spoilt food ingredients worth millions of naira were uncovered. The Agency claimed that it’s action became necessary following avalanche of complaints of violation and affront of the company to the regulatory body’s regulations. Announcing the closure of the facilities located at Plot 267A Etim Inyang Crescent and the Managing Director’s residence on No 1, Karimu Kotun Street, all in Victoria Island, Lagos, the Director, Investigation and Enforcement of NAFDAC, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor disclosed that some top officials of the company were equally arrested for interrogation for willfully obstructing the NAFDAC operatives in the course of their duties during the exercise which lasted over, nine hours. The expired products worth over N1bn had been evacuated from both premises in six vans, Ejiofor confirmed. He said six persons were arrested in connection with the incident, explaining that they were held for intentionally obstructing NAFDAC officials while on official duties.His words: “The suspect will be interrogated, while the products will be sampled and taken to the laboratory for analysis, where the labels and contents will be properly analysed. And at the end of the day when the results are out, that will determine the next of action.” Ejiofor who is also the Chairman of Federal Taskforce on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs, Unwholesome Processed Foods and other regulated products, said that the food and confectionery outlet will remain closed to allow for proper investigation. “They will be investigated by the Federal Taskforce and NAFDAC. At the end of the investigations, files submitted will be reviewed and after evaluation, we will send them to the legal division which will advice on what next to do and if we have enough facts, then will proceed on prosecution,” he added. Meanwhile, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii has inspected the seized products evacuated to the Agency’s Enforcement office at Apapa, assuring Nigerians that the case would be thoroughly investigated to ascertain the level of violations to aid prosecution. Orhii who frowned at the development disclosed that apart from the products being expired, they were not registered by NAFDAC therefore should not have come into the country in the first place. The Director General directed that in the course of the investigation, those handling the matter should request the company to furnish them with their clearing documents to ascertain if the offending products were legally cleared at the point of entry. Reiterating that Chocolate Royale will remain sealed and closed to the public until all the issues are fully investigated and resolved, Orhii commended Nigerians for their support for NAFDAC and urged them to help to provide more information that will assist them unravel the activities of those he described as the ‘’merchants of death’’ just as he revealed that there is a reward system in place for those who could furnish the Agency with useful information that will aid it to uncover more hideout of violators. Chocolate Royale is a subsidiary of AIM Group belonging to a Lebanase business mogul, Mr. Amin Moussalli who is also the owners of broadcast stations; Cool Fm, Nigerian Info Fm, Wazobia Fm, Cool TV, Wee TV and Wazobia TV respectively among other business interests in Nigeria.

SUSPECT: NDLEA officials storm Buruji Kashamu’s residence

There are reports that officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have surrounded the residence of Ogun State Senator- elect, Buruji Kashamu. The drug law enforcement agency is said to be set to extradite the Ogun State born politician to the United States of America to answer drug related accusations proffered against him, according to Channels TV.

EKITI CRISIS: "My people, a spade is a spade "

Just a day ago, I received close to 35 mails from my fans,phone calls and text messages from friends, asking me to talk about the crisis in my own state- Ekiti State. I must say thanks to you all for asking not to remain silent over all these crisis. I shall give you back the honor that you all deserve and I shall give you all that you have always wanted from me- "The Truth". The truth,they say its bitter but I shall give you what you really want to hear from me. My people,just as Nigerians home and abroad keep blaming President Goodluck over insecurity in northern part of Nigeria, forgetting or not minding the fact that there are some powerful forces behind the crisis, so is the case of my humble and loyal State(Ekiti). I saw on twitter,facebook and other social media a lot of blames on Gov. Fayose, but I must ask you all some questions and after I shall rest my case so that you can meditate on my questions,you may give some answers if you choose to or you can give answers within your minds and hearts. *-1. Can a father pray for violence/trouble in his own home or within his own family? *-2. Was the tribal conflict between the Hausa and Yoruba tribe/ethnic caused or sponsored by Gov. Ayodele Fayose? *-3. If the crisis was even sponsored, could Gov. Fayose or any PDP member have sponsored this horrible thing to hurt or pay back the love Ekiti citizens have for Gov. Fayose and his party? *-4. Can Gov. Fayose set oja oba market (king's market) ablaze himself? *-5. If anyone was behind these in Ekiti state, should we blame Gov. Fayose or we blame the evil men who have always played us and done terrible things,with their evil and fake propaganda when they ruled over us?-# *-6. Could it have been those that we suspect right from the beginning? My people let's think about these and let's stop blaming the wrong people because we dislike them.Let's call a spade a spade.We shall dig more to know the truth soon. Ekiti needs peace.Long Live Ekiti State. I still remain your humble son,friend and brother OMOTOSO IBUKUNOLUWA OMONIYI. -CRYSTAL RAINBOW-

Nigerians, Fuel Scarcity May Last Longer Than Expected

Nigerians may need to hold on longer than expected and brace up for more hard times, as indications emerged yesterday that fuel scarcity may persist till June, after the incoming administration may have been sworn in on May 29,2015. Although, the Federal Government recently paid the marketers about N154 billion as part of the subsidy claims, reliable industry sources said yesterday, that the marketers are now shying away from importing products due to uncertainties surrounding the payment of their outstanding N200 billion. However,the Federal Government yesterday disclosed its plans to conduct the first comprehensive survey to determine actual volume of crude oil, gas, among other petroleum products produced, consumed or exported out of the country. Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale stated this in Abuja yesterday during a one-day stakeholders meeting of survey on gas and petroleum product demand, supply and utilization. The source confirmed that most marketers were only selling products that they could easily manage and not allow a situation where they will go into liquidation in case the unexpected happens. He added that traders are making offers offshore Lagos, but the marketers are resisting the offer and those traders are going back with their vessels. It is apparent that the Federal Government may have technically transferred the burden of fuel subsidy to the incoming administration. The payments are post-dated till after May 29 handing over, while the balance is expected to be managed by the new regime. Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala denied reports that there was no provision for the subsidy in the 2015 budget. She also kicked against the figure and held a reconciliation meeting to resolve the differences. The President, National Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Tokunboh Korodo also said, “We did not embark on strike. It is the major and independent marketers that shut their depots from tanker drivers due to their subsidy outstanding. But the queue you are seeing now is because it is not all of them that have fuel, while the only few that have need to cater for the entire nation and that is why you see tankers coming from different parts of the country to Lagos to lift fuel”

Femi Aribisala: ‘Dear Buhari, You Cannot Fight Corruption With Corruption

This leopard has not changed its skin. It is asking much to expect Buhari to change his habits at the ripe old age of 72. Buhari is already caught in his own anti-corruption hogwash. Anti-corruption is likely to become a Pandora’s box of unanticipated wahala for the in-coming administration. One of the myths about the 2015 presidential election is that it was a vote against corruption. Buhari and the APC did a good job of singing the anti-corruption mantra all over the country, and they gave everyone the impression that a vote for the APC was a vote against corruption. But this impression is neither supported by the character of the APC itself, nor by the manner by which it secured its famous victory. Voters in 2015 were not confronted with anti-corruption choices. There were no new breed politicians in the APC class of 2015. The overwhelming majority of those who fought and won the elections were the same old, same old. If the 15.4 million people who allegedly voted for Buhari are now supposed to be anti-corruption, then Nigeria is in trouble because 12.8 million people voted against him. That would constitute an equally big vote for corruption. The 2015 elections were attended by massive rigging by both the PDP and APC, contravening any pretensions to anti- corruption. Chukwuemeka Ujam was paraded around after being caught with 4,000 PVCs at Ozalla in Enugu State. Nevertheless, he contested for and won the post of member of the Federal House of Representatives in Nkanu East/West, Enugu. So much for anti-corruption in the elections! *-Physician Heal Your Self-* Buhari promised during the campaign to kill corruption in Nigeria. He said: “If we don’t kill corruption in Nigeria, corruption will kill us. So, the choice before us is to resolve to kill corruption and free our country from the firm grip of corrupt men and women.” Such hyperbole wins elections: but it does not solve problems. One thing is for certain: corruption will not be killed in Nigeria by Muhammadu Buhari. In no country on earth has anyone ever succeeded in killing corruption. Chances are Buhari will not even make a dent on corruption in Nigeria. The proverb says: “Physician; heal your self!” The president-elect promises to fight against corruption. However, his party cannot be described as an anti-corruption party. Integrity is not a membership requirement of the APC. On the contrary, the party does not discriminate: it welcomes saints and sinners into its ranks with equal alacrity. If Buhari were serious about fighting corruption, he would have started the fight within APC. The party made the payment of 27.5 million naira the prerequisite for contesting its presidential primaries. Buhari raised no objection to this. Instead, he claimed he was constrained to borrow the amount from his bank. Surely the president-elect must know that costly elections lead to corrupt governments. APC corruption means the president-elect has no realistic anti-corruption platform on which to perform any magic. As a matter of fact, the APC fought the 2015 election with corruption. In many places in the North, APC votes were blatantly inflated. Its party-workers encouraged widespread under-age-voting. In Lagos, APC traded money for votes. In Oniru, the fee was 1,500 naira. It did not matter if you had no PVCs. PVCs were distributed to non-registered voters at polling booths by APC faithfuls. Only God knows where they got them from. There was no reproof from our anti-corruption president-elect for these sharp practices in his own party. Neither did we hear anything from his vice-president-elect, Yemi Osinbajo; a pastor no less. Clearly, the anti-corruption panadol is only applicable to the Jonathan administration and the PDP. However, most of the so-called APC members were snatched from the allegedly corrupt PDP. While APC supporters claim Jonathan spent 2 trillion naira fighting for re-election, without bothering to explain how they got the account details of his expenditure, they fail to tell us how much APC spent dethroning the PDP. For example, how much did APC spend defending Lagos? Every 10 metres on Lagos roads had a billboard or placard of Ambode. Every local website and newspaper was conscripted to sing his praise. Ambode clearly outspent Agbaje by at least 20 to 1. What exactly was the anti-corruption source of this over-the-top expenditure? *-Legislative Bandits-* The people APC is now sending to the legislative houses at the federal and state levels are not known for integrity. They belong to the same classical group of corrupt politicians who spend a fortune getting elected in the expectation of recouping their money when in office. Any plans Buhari might have with regard to reducing the hefty salaries and emoluments of our legislators first have to go through the same legislators. This means such plans are dead in the water. It is significant, for example, that most of the chief APC contenders for the post of senate president were discovered to have outstanding cases with the EFCC. In embarrassment, President-elect Buhari is said to have indicated he would not support any of those still under EFCC indictment. While this stand seems commendable, it only serves to underscore the hypocrisies in Buhari’s anti-corruption posture. Timipre Sylva also has unresolved corruption cases with the EFCC. How come this did not disqualify him from appointment as the chairman of Buhari’s transition committee? The president-elect is still somewhat oblivious to limits of his powers under our democratic system. The senate president is chosen by senators and not at the discretion of the president. Goodluck Jonathan failed to get his candidate elected as chairman of the Governor’s Forum. With current in-fighting going on for the post of senate president among APC bigwigs, it is not unlikely for the person finally elected to turn out to be a PDP man. If APC can play this wayo while in opposition, when it secured the election of Aminu Tambuwal against the wishes of PDP central; it can also be played against it while in government. *-Separation of Powers-* In expounding his bogus anti-corruption policy, Buhari promises that those who steal public funds will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This is all well and good, except that the judiciary is not under the presidency. The Nigerian judiciary is corrupt; nevertheless, it does not have to dance to the tune of Aso Rock. The executive can send big-fish corrupt politicians to the courts. However, nothing prevents the courts from continuing its usual practice of protecting them from arrest and declaring even rogues not-guilty. In Nigeria, justice is at the mercy of a handsome bank- account. It can be bought for the price of a good lawyer, or of the presiding judge. Even though Bode George was jailed on corruption charges, his conviction was retroactively nullified by the courts. Buhari cannot re-invent the judiciary without circumventing the separation of powers provision of the Constitution. Therefore, sooner, rather than later, Mr. President-elect would know the difference between a democratic president and a military dictator. In a democracy, a president does not determine the prerogatives of the judiciary. *-Hot Air-* Buhari also boasts his ministers will be required to declare their assets. If this is one of the cardinal principles of his anti-corruption policy, then he really needs to go back to the drawing boards. We all know his ministers will be chosen for him by APC bigwigs as paybacks for their electoral support. This hardly bodes well for anti-corruption determinants. The requirement for assets-declaration has been in the books for donkey years. It has not curbed corruption. Nobody bothers to query or confirm what is declared. Neither are public officers in the habit of declaring stolen money when they leave office. So there is nothing new or corruption-breaking about assets-declaration. As presidential candidate, General Buhari himself failed to produce a bona fide school-certificate result, as required by INEC. Anyone who thinks we are done with the issue of the president-elect’s missing Cambridge/WASC result because he has won the election and the case was dropped in court needs to think again. When the time came, Obama had to produce his birth certificate in order to kill the brouhaha of his doubted citizenship because the issue would just not go away. Buhari’s anti-corruption posture will continue to be undermined as long as he refuses to fulfil the requirement of producing his original school-certificate result. *-State Governments-* Since winning the election, the president-elect has also bolstered his anti-corruption rhetoric by declaring that the amount of pension currently given to former governors in the states is too high. That is all well and good, except that there is nothing a president can do about this except talk. Governors’ pensions are passed by state legislatures individually; meaning they are completely outside the purview of the president. To repeal the pension laws in the states would require two- thirds majority votes in each of the 36 states of the federation. The beneficiaries of the state pensions for governors are some of Buhari’s key allies, including Bola Tinubu, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Babatunde Fashola and Bukola Saraki. What this means is that the president-elect is just speaking to the gallery. He knows his lofty plans have no hope of seeing the light of day. Even if they did, they would amount to a storm in the teacup of corruption. *-Selective Anti-corruption-* Speaking to a delegation from Adamawa, president-elect Buhari said: “Imagine a situation where the former CBN governor, who by God‘s grace, is now the Emir of Kano, raised an issue of missing billions of money, not in naira but in dollars, $20 billion. What happened, instead of investigating whether it was true, they simply found a reason to remove him. So, these are the issues we are talking about.” Who precisely are the “we” still talking about this? How come Buhari ignores the forensic audit done on NNPC accounts on this matter by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which declared conclusively that no $20 billion is missing? Does Buhari doubt the credibility of PWC; one of the most prestigious auditing firms in the world? Who then is Buhari going to hire that will be more credible than PWC? How come Buhari believes Lamido Sanusi innocence implicitly without investigation, but disbelieves the investigation of the reputable PWC about NNPC? The signal here is inauspicious. Buhari is back to his old familiar terrain of playing the ethnic and partisan card. Everyone knows Lamido Sanusi is partial to the APC. There were allegations during his stint as CBN governor that he even donated government money to Buhari during his 2011 presidential campaign. Buhari signals he would be probing the NNPC; declaring it guilty until proved innocent by his own probe. But he fails to tell us why the PWC probe is not good enough; and he fails to tell us if he would probe the sharp practices of the Emir of Kano at the Central Bank, for which he was summarily suspended. Would he also probe his new ally, Obasanjo, who was his own petroleum minister for eight years? This leopard has not changed its skin. It is asking much to expect Buhari to change his habits at the ripe old age of 72. Buhari is already caught in his own anti-corruption hogwash. Anti-corruption is likely to become a Pandora’s box of unanticipated wahala for the in-coming administration.

APC faults Fayose’s claim on salary delay

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has asked Governor Ayodele Fayose to stop peddling lies on e-payment system introduced by former Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration. The Ekiti State Government on Tuesday began verification of 48,977 workers in the State public service, which would last till next week Monday, while payment of April salary would begin on Wednesday. Special Assistant to the State governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, in a release on Sunday said the verification exercise was aimed at blocking about N500 million being lost to ghost workers monthly through the e-payment system contracted to a private company by the Fayemi administration. But the APC faulted Fayose, saying discrediting the scheme as harbouring ghost workers with attendant inability of the governor to pay workers was another lie to defend his alleged greed, insensitivity and lack of commitment to the welfare of Ekiti workers. The State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, in a statment on Tuesday said, “The e-payment system is the system embraced all over the world, including many PDP-controlled states and at the Federal level. The e-payment system has proved very effective in Ekiti State as workers were not owed any salary for the period Fayemi was in the saddle. “The system has also been used by Fayose in paying workers since he assumed office; and so when did he suddenly discover that the e- payment system is not good?.” Olatubosun said if there was any system that had the potential to eliminate fraud in salary payment, e-payment was the answer. The statement added, “We are aware of his plans to bring into Ekiti civil service outsiders from Ibadan who are his cronies against the civil service rules. “Ekiti workers should ask Fayose why the same e- payment system ensured their regular salary payment as at when due under the Fayemi administration, but it is now impossible under his administration despite reduction in the work force as many workers, including permanent secretaries, have been sacked. “Many employment schemes that take millions of naira from government’s treasury have been cancelled by the governor, six months moratorium was granted in bond debt repayment, which enables him to save N3bn. “There is 60 per cent cut in running grants and allowances to workers and traditional rulers. This is apart from N22bn refund on federal roads constructed by Ekiti State and N2bn Ecological Fund he had received. The question is; what is Fayose doing with all these funds?.” Olatubosun challenged the governor to tell Ekiti people how much he pays monthly to his Anambra and Ogun states election sponsors who, he alleged, helped him fix June 21, 2014 governorship election. While symphatising with the workers for ‘falling prey to the antics of Fayose’, he urged them to use all legal means to demand for their pay and ‘resist any disguised attempt to sack them as the current verification exercise was another smokescreen for a fraudulent agenda against workers’ interest’.

Unpaid salaries: Civil servants beg for money, foodstuffs

Civil servants in Oyo, Osun, Cross River, Rivers, Abia, Benue, Plateau and Bauchi states have adopted different strategies to survive months of unpaid salaries. The strategies include begging for money from friends and relatives, securing loans from different sources and doing menial jobs to survive. Some state governments, especially those led by the opposition All Progressives Congress and the Federal Government have been trading blame over the unpaid salaries of workers. While the states attributed the development to the drop in federal allocations to them, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, accused them of not prioritising salary payments. In Oyo State, for instance, where the government has not paid salaries for three months, some civil servants skip their lunch daily. A few others, it was gathered, however report to their duty posts with garri and groundnuts which serve as their lunch. One of them told The PUNCH at the state secretariat in Ibadan that the state government gave them reasons for the non-payment of their salaries. He said, “My colleagues are not happy because of the situation. Some of them now skip lunch break because they have no means to observe it. “I have seen some junior workers taking garri and groundnuts as lunch. We have been told that dwindling allocation from the Federal Government was responsible for the salary delay. We hope for a change when(Muhammadu) Buhari takes over.” A vice-principal in one of the secondary schools in Ibadan also told one of our correspondents that it had become a habit for some teachers to ask him for money every day. He said, “My teachers come to me for money every day but I don’t have enough to give to them. I rely on my wife’s business to keep my home running.I have three children in tertiary institutions and one of them is now at home. “We only hope that the Federal Government will sort out whatever the problem is and increase what the states get as allocations.” A secondary school teacher also lamented the development, saying that some of her colleagues who have cars no longer drive them to school. She said, “Those of us who do not have cars used to rely on our senior colleagues who have to take us to our nearest bus stops. But now, we walk to the bus stops because they no longer bring their cars to school due to the high cost of fuel.” A non-teaching employee in one of the schools in the city, said he had resorted to taking loans from a cooperative society in which he is a member. “I took a loan from my cooperative society for the repair of my roof but when salaries did not come, I started spending it on transport to my office.” The non-payment of salaries by the Osun State Government for the past six months has also forced many civil servants into ‘forced fasting’ and selling jewellery as well as household appliances. Our correspondent in the state gathered that some of the workers who had part time business were now paying more attention to them than before. Some of the workers also do not go to work more than twice or three times in a week due to lack of funds. A local government worker, who identified herself simply as Kemi, said, “ We have a roster in my office. We rotate it among ourselves, some would go on Mondays and others on Tuesdays. I don’t go to the office more than once in a week because of lack of transport fare.” The case of Cross River State workers is no less different. Some of them, who are owed between two and six months’ salaries, told The PUNCH that apart from getting loans from private individuals and financial institutions, they beg for foodstuffs from their relatives and friends. A director in the state Ministry of Information, said, “It is different strokes for different folks. Some people get support from their relatives and the well-to-do who understand their plight. Others borrow to make ends meet, especially to pay the school fees of their children and wards. “For instance, the state government is guaranteeing soft loans from one of the new generation banks in the state. We apply for the loans and the government guarantees them.” Also, the chairman of the state University of Science and Technology branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Steve Ochang, said lecturers were given soft loans to survive the almost six months of unpaid wages. A worker with the state Ministry of Education, who asked not to be named, said, “ They have turned us to beggars. We have not been paid for months now and this has made some of us to be begging for food items. This government has not been treating us well. They are making us to lose our dignity as breadwinners of our families.” The Chairman of the state Trade Union Congress, Clarkson Otu, said it was regrettable that the outgoing Liyel Imoke administration did not keep to its promise of paying all outstanding salaries on May 5. He said, “Part of our agreement was that government would pay the March salaries on or before May 5. The governor promised to do all within his power not to leave any wage unpaid. He said this during the Workers’ Day on May 1. “Unfortunately, he has not kept to his promise. How can he now meet up all the payments before May 29? We will ensure they feel our anger if they fail to pay us our accumulated wages.” Otu also confirmed that many civil servants had become debtors following the development. In Plateau State, striking civil servants said that their survival had been at the mercy of God. It was gathered that some of them had taken to menial jobs to raise money to feed their families while some had turned their children and wards to hawkers. One of the workers said, “I work in the Ministry of Health but it has not been easy for many of us who are not professionals to survive because we are being owed for many months. Some of us have taken to doing menial work like cleaning the homes of some rich people in order to maintain our families. But I help my big friends to do laundry work every weekend in order to raise money.” The Chairman of the state chapter of the NLC, Jibrin Bancir, said that some of them had borrowed beyond their limits from different sources. He said, “We are in the hands God. It is not true that government is making efforts to pay. In the last six months, they have been going to Federation Account Allocation Committee meetings and they have not paid for even one month salary . They have defaulted six months in a row.” Some workers in Abia State parastatals also expressed displeasure over their unpaid wages and appealed to the outgoing Theodore Orji government for quick intervention. An employee of the state Universal Basic Education Board in Umuahia, who said they had not been paid for the past six months, stated that they had been surviving “by the grace of God.” He said he had to start up a “ small business centre where I do some photocopying works to keep body and soul together.’’ Similarly, another worker with the ASUBEB said she had been “living on credit.” She said, “I have a huge debt and more than four members of my colleagues have died because they could no longer cope.” When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Anthony Agbazuere, said the government had always rationalised its resources in such a way that no civil servant in the Ministries was being owed. He however pleaded with workers in the parastatals to exercise a little patience as their salary arrears would be paid as soon as the state’s revenue improved. A civil servant in Benue State who identified himself simply as Mr. Agber said the state government only paid workers in the state in January this year. Agber, who described the non-payment of salaries as unprecedented, said many workers had resorted to part-time jobs to make ends meet. He said , “We started collecting half of our initial salaries; and it got worse this year as we have not been receiving other entitlements. A teacher with the State Universal Basic Education Board in Makurdi, who identified himself as Akpen Peter, said, “This year, we have not received any salary. The government is also owing us the salary of May last year. We have been doing our work. We would have protested but this has not proved to be a good strategy.We are hoping and praying that the incoming government would address our plight.” In Rivers State, a worker, who identified herself as Happiness, said she was being owed eight months salary arrears. Happiness, an assistant to a top state government functionary, explained that she tried selling clothes to make ends meet. “It has not been easy because even my clothes business has collapsed because civil servants, who are mostly my customers could not pay me. The government is owing them two-month salaries.” But Mr. Christian Naku, who is a teacher in one of the state-owned model schools, said teachers were being owed two months salaries. She added that she had been relying on her brothers and other relatives in the private sector to survive. In Bauchi State, civil servants described as demoralising, the failure of the government to pay them. They wondered why the government claimed not to have money when it was collecting its allocations from the federal account regularly. A civil servant with the state Ministry of Information, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “It is wrong for the state government not to have paid us. “Sincerely, the situation is too difficult for us to bear because we usually get our salaries before the end of every month but there are no signs now that we will be paid soon. “This is strange to us; we don’t know what is happening. We can hardly survive.” He called on “Governor Isa Yuguda to please pay us our April salaries and the arrears of our January salaries before the end of his tenure.” He explained that the government “divided our January salaries into 10 parts and has so far paid us in only two instalments.” A secondary school teacher, who decried the situation, said, “We are not finding things easy because we can barely feed our families. “In fact, I have taken my family to the village for now until the situation becomes better. I can’t cope with the high cost of living in the town. “How much do the entire teachers in the state earn that they can’t pay? What are they doing with our money? Another teacher said he had resorted to borrowing money from people close to him. “I’ve been expecting salaries and since they are not forthcoming, I have to go to business people that I know to lend me money,” he said. The NLC in the state said it had issued an ultimatum to the government to pay the workers on Tuesday(today). Its chairman, Hashimu Gital, said, “Workers deserve to be paid their salaries and the government has up to Tuesday (today) to do so, otherwise, we will be left with no choice but to withdraw our services. “We will embark on an indefinate strike until all workers in the state are paid their salaries including the 2, 700 SUBEB teachers who were disengaged and re-engaged. Their nine-month salaries must be paid.” In Edo State where some employees, under the Coalition of Unions of State-owned Tertiary Institutions and the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria are presently on strike, the government said on Monday that it was “up-to-date” in salary payments. The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, in a statement made available to one of our correspondents on Monday, described a report which listed Edo as one of the states owing its workers as “shocking, misleading and mischievous.” Odion’s statement read, “We read with deep shock, claims that the government of Edo State owes workers five months salary arrears. Nothing could be more misleading and mischievous. “For the records, Edo State Government does not owe workers salary arrears, as the government has fully discharged its obligations. As a matter of state policy, since 2008, pensioners receive their pay first, followed by workers who get paid not later than the 25th of every month. The policy has not changed.” Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Government has said it will begin the verification of its 48,977 workers on Tuesday(today). It said the exercise would end on Monday next week after which the payment of April salaries would begin on Wednesday. The Special Assistant to the State governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, made this known in a statement on Sunday. Olayinka explained that the verification was aimed at saving about N500m being lost to ghost workers monthly through the e-payment system. The statement read in part, “Those insinuating that the verification was meant to delay payment of April salaries are just playing cheap politics because the arrangement is such that the moment the verification is concluded on a daily basis, salaries of those cleared would be paid. “The implication of this is that those verified on Tuesday, May 12 will receive their April salaries on Wednesday, May 13 while those verified on Wednesday will get paid on Thursday. By Friday, May 14, 70 per cent of the workers would have received their April salaries. “From Tuesday to Wednesday, staff of core Ministries, Departments and “Agencies, Health Management Board and six local councils will be verified at designated venues.” *-Buhari may inherit N50bn salaries, allowances-* Meanwhile, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that “all outstanding salaries and allowances owed public servants are settled before his exit on May 29, 2015.” The association, in a statement titled “Pay Outstanding Workers Salaries/Allowances,” faulted the claim by Okonjo-Iweala that the government was not owing its workers. Although the ASCSN statement did not contain the amount owed the workers, The PUNCH gathered exclusively from the association’s Secretary-General, Alade Lawal, that it was in the range of N50bn. The ASCSN said the demand for the payment was to allow the incoming administration to start on a clean slate in terms of payment of staff emoluments. Some of the allowances and arrears were inherited from successive governments and have not been settled since 2007. For example, the salaries of some workers in federal ministries, departments and agencies for the months of July, August, September and October 2013 have not been paid because their names were omitted on the payrolls. “In the Federal Ministry of Education alone, the arrears of allowances are running close to N2bn while that of Ministry of Defence are close to N1bn,” the association said. The ASCSN said, “We urge Mr. President to do the needful by ordering thorough investigation with a view to paying all outstanding salaries and allowances to the affected officers before he leaves office on May 29, 2015. “This will not only allow the incoming administration start on a clean slate in terms of payment of staff emoluments but also further boost the image of Mr. President as a statesman. “The outstanding allowances owed thousands of public servants include promotion arrears since 2007 to date, first 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation, Duty Tour Allowance, mandatory training allowance organised by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation in 2010, burial expenses and repatriation allowance. “We believe that if Mr. President can pay these outstanding legitimate salaries and allowances to thousands of public servants, he would not only endear himself to the public service employees but also leave his footprints on the sands of time. If he leaves office without paying, public servants will surely have a different impression of him.” *-NLC dispatches task force to states-* The NLC has however dispatched members of its task force to states to ascertain the number of states owing workers. Its General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Esan, told one of our correspondents on Monday that the members of the task force entrusted with the responsibility of resolving the issue of outstanding salaries were sent out on Monday. Ozo-Esan said the NLC would decide the next line of action after getting reports from the members in the states. He said that the National Administrative Council set up a task force entrusted with the responsibility of looking into the payment of workers’ salaries in the states in each of the six geopolitical zones. The NLC chief said, “ Several teams have been dispatched to the states to verify those that are owing. Until we get feedback from the team members, we cannot give you the states that are owing. “We don’t speculate on issues like this and that is why we are saying that we should hold on briefly for the team members to do their work and give us feedback. “It is after the teams have done their work and submitted their reports that the NLC would decide on the next line of action.”

39% of Nigerians feel unsafe – Survey

A survey carried out by the CLEEN Foundation has found that four in 10 Nigerians (39 %) feel unsafe in their neighbourhoods, while about one-third or 31 per cent said they had experienced theft. The Afrobarometer survey carried out in 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory between 2014 and January, 2015 by the foundation, stated that 20 per cent of Nigerians had been physically attacked. The survey titled, ‘Nigerians perceptions of security and armed extremism,’ measures citizens’ attitudes on democracy and governance, the economy, civil society, among others, noted that more than half of the citizens said the government has been ineffective in fighting armed extremism in the country. “Almost four in 10 Nigerians (39%) do not feel safe in their neighbourhoods, one-third (33%) say they feared crime in their homes and almost one- third (31%) experienced theft and 20 per cent were physically attacked,” it stated. Speaking at the survey presentation in Abuja on Tuesday, the Vice Chairman, CLEEN Foundation Board of Trustees, Frank Odita, explained that the purpose of the Afrobarometer survey is to measure popular perspectives on the social, political, and economic environment. He noted that the goal is to give the public a voice in policy-making processes by providing high quality public opinion data to policy-makers, the media, academics, donors, investors and ordinary citizens. Odita said the Afrobarometer survey is an African- led, non-partisan research network that conducts public attitude surveys on democracy, development and economic issues in more than 30 countries. According to him, the Afrobarometer team in Nigeria had conducted five rounds of surveys between 1999 and 2013, adding that the surveys are carried out through face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice with nationally representative samples. Odita said, “We went to the greatest length in quality control measures in order to ensure the process of collecting and analysing the data we are presenting adhered to the highest possible international standards in reliability.”

Nationwide strike looms in government hospitals

There is imminent nationwide strike in government hospitals if the Federal Government fails to address the demands of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals before May 17. The union, made up of all health workers except the nurses and doctors, on Tuesday in Ibadan issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, claiming that after suspending the last strike on February 2, 2015, government had refused to address the agreement it had with the health workers. The strike lasted for about four months, when the hospitals declined to offer medical services to the public. The latest position was adopted by the workers after the union’s 6th triennial delegates’ conference held between May 5 and May 8, 2015 at the NLC Secretariat Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. At a press conference, organised by the workers to inform the Federal Government of its decision to go on strike again, newly elected President of the union, Obinna Ogbonna, and the out-going President, Felix Faniran, said the last strike was suspended after appeal by President Goodluck Jonathan that their demands would be looked into after the general elections. Ogbonna said in his address that the health workers had been patient but had been deceived by the government. The new president said, “There will be a nationwide strike by our members if the government refuses to meet our demands. Part of the issues in contention since 2009 are the urgent need to release circular to implement an agreement on adjusted salary of all health professionals as it is done for the Nigeria Medical Association members since January 2014. “We are also demanding the payment of arrears on skipping of CONHESS 10 since 2010 in compliance with a court judgement. “We are also demanding the promotion of our members, who have spent 15 years on CONHESS 14 and designate the most senior one as a director or head of department. We want our members to be appointed Chief Medical Directors of various tertiary hospitals rather than skewing the position in favour of medical practitioners only. “We also want immediate circular from the government to seal the agreement reached in 2012 on the extension of retirement age from 60 to 65 0r 70 years.” Among other demands, the health workers are also calling on the FG to issue a circular amending the extant circular for medical laboratory science interns to include post National Youth Service Corps placement on grade level 09. Speaking on the alleged unfavourable government position to NUAHP demands and the ultimatum issued by the union, Faniran said the looming strike was meant to address the rights of the health workers.

Osun doctors protest nonpayment of six months salaries

The Association of Resident Doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo on Tuesday staged a public protest over nonpayment of their six months salaries by the Osun State Government. The doctors, who were armed with placards marched peacefully through some streets in Osogbo to the Osun State House of Assembly while condemning the refusal of the state Governor Rauf Aregbesola to make payment of workers including doctors a priority. Some of the placards read, ‘ Pay doctors’ salaries; ” Doctors are hungry and we are being owed six months salaries. The President of the ARD, LAUTECH, Osogbo Dr. Olalekan Ajayi, while addressing journalists during the protest lamented the nonpayment of doctors’ salaries for the last six months. He said, ” We are being owed six months salaries. Despite this we are discharging our duties to the people. We cannot continue to work without pay. ” We are hungry!, We want the governor to address the issue of backlog of salaries being owed doctors and other categories of workers.” Some of the medical doctors who are observing their one year internship programme at the hospital also lamented the crisis caused by the nonpayment of doctors salaries. The Nigeria Medical Association in the state had on May 1, accused the governor of deliberately punishing doctors by refusing to pay their salaries. The Chairman of NMA Action Committee in Osun State, Dr. R.A. Adebayo and Dr. Adeola Ajibare, said in a letter written to the governor, that it was unfortunate that the governor, having collected allocation up to March, 2015, had refused to pay doctors and other categories of workers. The letter read in part, “Despite the non-payment of six months salaries to doctors and other civil servants in Osun, contractors and political office holders have been the beneficiaries of the available revenue accrued to our state from the federation account. “Our association therefore concluded that the non-payment of six months salaries to our members as well as other civil servants in our dear state is not a matter of government inability but unwillingness to pay.” In a similar vein, the Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria at LAUTECH had also condemned the nonpayment of doctors’ salaries. The chairman of MDCAN, Dr. Kassim Adebayo and his secretary, Dr. Tokunbo Olajumoke, in a letter written to the governor in April condemned the nonpayment of their salaries. The doctors stated that they had given the government an ultimatum and would not hesitate to obey the directive of the national body of the association at the expiration of the ultimatum. The letter read, ” Despite not declaring any strike, we condemn the nonpayment of salaries of workers in the employment of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, in the last six months and the non remittance of deductions from workers salaries even prior to the non payment of salaries.

BREAKING NEWS: Another earthquake hits Nepal

A deadly magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck Nepal, two weeks after a devastating quake killed more than 8,000 people in the Himalayan nation, the USGS has reported. Police said at least 13 people had been killed in the new quake, which the USGS initially reported as magnitude 7.1, before later upgrading it to magnitude 7.3. The quake, which struck 18km southeast of Kodari, near the base camp for Mt Everest, was measured at a shallow depth of about 18km. A series of aftershocks – including one 6.3 magnitude tremor – later hit in the same area, the USGS reported. A spokesman for the International Organization for Migration said four people were killed in Chautara, Nepal, after the earthquake destroyed several buildings there. “The situation in Chautara is that several buildings in the town have collapsed,” spokesman Paul Dillon told the Reuters news agency by telephone from Kathmandu. “There are four fatalities.” Emergency officials told Al Jazeera that three people had been killed in Kathmandu, three had been killed in Sindhupalchowk district, five were killed in Dolakha district and one person died in both Sarlahi and Dhanausha districts. At least 300 people injured in the Kathmandu Valley, police said, and at least four buildings are believed to have collapsed in the east of Kathmandu. Police issued a public warning, calling for people to stay in open areas and to send text messages instead of making calls, to prevent the network from becoming jammed. *-‘Utter panic’-* Al Jazeera’s Annette Ekin, reporting from Kathmandu, said that there was “utter panic” in the capital following the quake. “The earth just started rolling. Everyone ran out onto the streets and all of the shops are now shuttered,” she said, adding that the quake seemed to last about 30 seconds. A woman who works for a finance company in Thamel, in Kathmandu, told Al Jazeera that she had clung on to a pillar inside her building when the quake struck. “I was screaming. It felt like the house was falling,” she said. Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, also reporting from Kathmandu, said the quake was so powerful that it made the building he was in “feel like jelly”.

Boko Haram remains major challenge to West Africa —Buhari

THE president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, said Boko Haram terrorism activities still remain the biggest challenge confronting not only Nigeria, but the rest of the West African region. This came just as the president of Chad, Idris Derby, promised continued total support in fighting the Boko Haram, adding that his country would continue to work closely with Nigeria in the area of stability of the region. Both leaders addressed newsmen after a closed- door meeting at the Defence House, Abuja. According to Buhari, “the biggest challenge in this region is Boko Haram and we have seen how Chad, Niger and Cameroon have been helping Nigeria to secure the border and we know what effect it had on commerce and industry. “Some of the bridges were blown off, some of the infrastructure were destroyed. So these are the priorities we have discussed, and God willing, when the government gets in place, we will again see it and make sure that we have a comprehensive review of the situation in that area and how it affects our people. That is the main issue we discussed,” he stated. The Chadian president, who spoke through an interpreter, told newsmen that “we came to congratulate the president-elect on the best election ever seen in Africa. “As you see, Mr President-elect is emphasising on the fact that Nigeria and Chad are two countries with one people. We have many things in common, many destinies, a long history together and this is the first visit to meet with the president-elect. “Like you know, Chad and Nigeria are facing the same challenges, meeting the same perspective for the people. Both of them are members of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and here, the two countries, together with other members, will bring about peace, stability and security in the sub-region. “Of course, the core issue, the Boko Haram, can be handled by the two countries. We will have a joint action in order to handle the issue of Boko Haram and Insha Allah, we will overcome it.”

We have no problem with Jonathan —Buhari’s committee

CONTRARY to the position earlier expressed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), chairman of the transition committee set up by the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to work with the Federal Government on the handover to his incoming administration, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, has said it has no problem with the government. The spokesman of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had, in a reaction to the Federal Government’s complaint about the terms of reference forwarded to it by Buhari transition committee, accused the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration of hampering the smooth handover to the new government. But, speaking with State House correspondents, after a meeting of the corresponding transition committees, on Monday, Joda denied that his committee was not getting the desired cooperation from government. The meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was also attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is the chairman of the Federal Government’s committee. Joda said there was no disagreement between the committees on the handover assignment, denying that his committee had even suggested that there was a rift. “Our committee has never said to anybody that there is no cooperation. We are waiting for the reports,” he said. Also speaking with correspondents, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said the meeting on Monday was “fruitful and cordial.” He concurred with Joda that there was no disagreement between the two committees as had been projected in some quarters. “The meeting was very, very fruitful; it was very cordial. There is certainly no issue. We are flowing and we have clearer understanding of the working of the two committees,” he said.

Buhari shocks APC govs, rejects ministerial list

PRESIDENT-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari appeared to have dashed the hopes of the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) when he rejected their plans to submit a ministerial list to him. The APC governors, led by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, had, last Tuesday, visited Buhari in Abuja to pledge loyalty and make some demands. At the meeting, some requests were placed on the table openly, while the request to drop the list of possible ministers came up for discussion behind the closed door. Sources close to the meeting between the governors and General Buhari indicated that the state chief executives came out of the visit with heavy minds. Planning to maintain the tradition already instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where the state governors as party leaders in the states are requested to submit list of possible ministers and Ambassadorial appointees to the president, the governors threw the request at Buhari. But it was learnt that the General rejected the proposal and declared that the Constitution does not mandate him to take a list of ministerial nominees from them. The president-elect was also said to have rejected the call for a bailout for the states that have been unable to pay salaries, with a source informing Sunday Tribune that the General flatly rejected the proposal, saying the he was aware the Federal Government was not owing the states their allocations. A source close to the discussion told the Sunday Tribune that General Buhari told the governors that those of them in their second terms could not complain about the state of government finances, as they have all been collecting allocations from the Federal Government all along. A source in the know said: “The governors practically went out of the visit with their tails between their legs. The General first threw aside the request that he grant bailout to the states. He told them that the governors going for second term in office cannot complain about the state of the economy, having collected all their allocations to date from the Federal Government. He ruled out the possibility of bailout. “The General was also very unequivocal when he was told that the governors want to submit a ministerial list to him. He clearly said he cannot go into that discussion. He insisted that the Constitution does not mandate him to collect such list from the governors and that the state chief executives should concentrate on sourcing good materials that would help them run the states adequately.” The source quoted Buhari as saying that “I do not think we can discuss that issue of Ministerial list. The Constitution clearly does not mandate me to take a list from the governors. To me, the governors should concentrate on getting good hands to help them in discharging their duties in the states.” The APC governors had made a meal out of their meeting with General Buhari last week, with media reports indicating that they were in Abuja to submit ministerial lists to the president-elect. But the sources said that they left the meeting disappointed, as the General turned down their two major requests.

Paris protesters demand fresh cannabis laws

Sporting T-shirts and caps printed with marijuana leaves and with joints hanging from their lips, hundreds of people demonstrated in Paris on Saturday as part of a world march calling for the legalisation of cannabis. Crowds of protesters, many dressed in Jamaican colours, made their way through the streets of the French capital from the Place de la Republique to Bastille calling for the legalisation of recreational marijuana use. “What do we want? Legalisation,” chanted the crowd, wreathed in clouds of hashish smoke and gathered behind a banner reading “Another drug policy is possible” and placards calling for “Ganga for all”. Some, like 16-year-old Julien, came because they wanted to “smoke in peace”. “Legalisation would mean less trafficking, better products and perhaps less crime,” he explained, between puffs. But for others, the Global Marijuana March was about calling for a better life for the terminally ill. Beatrice, 52, has AIDS and a disorder of the nervous system that confined her to a wheelchair 20 years. “But since I started smoking marijuana, I have felt better,” she said. “I am walking again, it helps my therapy and it helps me to eat.” For 15 years she has consumed between 0.8 and one gram of cannabis per day and, encouraged by her doctor, she now grows it in her garden. “I try to be discreet,” she said. “It’s proven that consumption tumbles, violence tumbles, if it is legalised,” she said, adding that thousands of jobs would be created if the “oppressive” laws prohibiting cannabis were scrapped. – ‘Demonisation’ of cannabis – Cannabis use has been illegal in France since 1970, punishable by one year in prison and a 3,750-euro ($4,200) fine. In practice, imprisonment is rare, although fines continue to be meted out. For Alain, a supporter of recreational marijuana user in his 50s, the “demonisation” of cannabis has been supported by the pharmaceutical industry as “cannabis could be an affordable antidepressant”. According to Senator Esther Benbassa, who was behind a bill proposing the state-controlled sale and use of cannabis that was shot down in April, most objections boil down to morality. “There is still the idea that the cannabis smoker is on the wrong track. He smokes every day, it’s an addiction,” she said, calling for fresh legislation on what she sees as a “public health problem”. A young transvestite member of militant LGBT group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence who was wearing a coloured religious outfit said smoking marijuana can give severely ill people better lives. “The use of cannabis by people who are suffering very complicated, tough treatments is beyond necessary, it is vital,” he said. Rejecting the cliche that only “old hippies” smoke weed, he said cannabis “is the only thing that allows some epileptic children to live”. “You don’t make them smoke joints, but give it to them in milk, biscuits or in capsules. That way they can go to school, they don’t become vegetables like with other medications.”

S’Africa strike season looms after attacks on migrants

South Africa’s annual season of labour strikes often turns violent, but a recent wave of deadly xenophobic attacks has heightened fears that this year’s protests could fuel further aggression towards migrant workers. Each winter, weeks of angry demonstrations erupt in cities across the country as employees down tools and flock into the streets during pay negotiations. Employment is scarce in South Africa, and much of the frustration is targeted at migrant workers from elsewhere on the continent who locals accuse of stealing their jobs. President Jacob Zuma himself has blamed last month’s xenophobic unrest on an unnamed employer in the eastern city of Durban who replaced South African workers with migrants. In the weeks that followed, at least seven people were killed as mobs hunted down migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and other African countries, forcing hundreds of terrified families to abandon their homes and seek safety in camps. The attacks “were sparked off by the conduct of an employer who fired South African workers who had gone on strike and employed workers from outside the country,” Zuma said. “The employment of scab labour usually triggers an angry reaction from workers who are on strike.” Zuma appealed for employers to avoid “pitting workers against one another,” in remarks likely to worsen industrial relations. South African trade unions accuse employers of trying to dodge demands for better conditions by hiring foreign workers at lower wages. “This is undermining labour standards,” Norman Mampane, spokesman of the country’s largest union federation, the Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu), told AFP. “Cosatu has observed employers under- employing migrant workers — especially in the farming, retail and hospitality sectors. “Unemployment should not be used as a disguise to attack fellow Africans,” he added.

Senate leader condemns politicising visit to Buhari

Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba on Sunday condemned attempts to politicise his decision to lead a Cross Rivers State delegation to the President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Ndoma Egba said this in Abuja, on Sunday, while reacting to a statement credited to a group of elders of the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress. The group led by Eyo Nsa Ekpo, had in a statement described the Senate leader as leading a group of “political gold diggers” to visit Buhari in an attempt to reap where they did not sow. Ndoma Egba who spoke through his Media aide, Ignatius Uzuegbulam, said, “For the avoidance of doubt, I clearly stated during the visit that I was leading a non partisan group to see the president- elect. “The suffering of the people of our dear state has no party affiliation. “The painful loss of Bakassi and our oil wells which have further impoverished our people, is a problem we all have been living with since the sad events took place. “The People of Cross River State stand to benefit if these injustices are reversed by whomsoever God gives the power to do so, irrespective of political or religious affiliation.” He advised all those who had doubts about the roles he played before and during the struggle for Bakassi to take time out and goggle his name and the subject. According to him, apart from his thriving legal practice, he has spent the greater part of his adult life serving the people of Cross Rivers State in various capacities. The Senate leader also said it was too late in the day for him to be looking for a job because his legal practice is waiting for him as he leaves office. He, however, stressed that he remains committed to his political calling. He also said nothing stops Ekpo or anyone else from leading their own delegations.

Going to US is like jumping into fire — Kashamu

Senator- elect and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, on Saturday, denied any past trip to the United States and ruled out any possibility of ever visiting the country in the future. In an interview with Sahara TV, which was monitored by our correspondent, the PDP chieftain likened such a visit to leaping into fire. Asked by the interviewer to clarify his alleged involvement in a United States criminal case as detailed in a popular prison memoir-turned-TV series by American, Piper Kerman, Kashamu refuted the claims. He said, “I am a Nigerian. I am not running away from my fatherland. If anyone thinks he has a case against me, he should follow due process and we will take it up from there. I am not under any obligation to go to the US to answer the same charges after the true judgment of the British court has exonerated me of the same allegations. “Asking me to take the next available flight to the US so as to clear my name is like asking me to jump in a fire-may the Almighty rescue me from it. If the US prosecutor could hide important evidence that later exonerated me in the UK court, only God knows what they will do in their country. “I have done a lot of things to clear my name. I spent four years in detention at the hands of the US authorities to prove my innocence before I was eventually exonerated. This was also in the presence of the US prosecutors and other agencies in various countries, like the Republic of Benin, Nigeria. It was after a rigorous trial with pictorial and documentary evidence that I was discharged.” Kashamu further explained that the case was taken to London and he was acquitted. He added that his accusers should follow legal process if they believed their claims held water. “I have cleared my name and myself in London. If anybody believes that they have any other case against me, they should come through due process. I am ready to challenge it. I am ready to face it without any problem. “I have never in my life put my foot into the United States. I have never demanded for their sticker. I have been a businessman right from 18 years old. Up till today, I continue doing my business. My last submission is that I know nothing about what they are saying over there,” he said.

BOKO HARAM: N1bn bounty still on Shekau — US

The United States is still maintaining the $7 million (N1.4 billion) bounty it placed on the leader of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. The US Department of State on Wednesday issued a list of 71 most-wanted terrorists in the world with bounties totalling $375m (N74.6bn) as “rewards for information that leads to (their) arrest or conviction.” Rewards for Justice, a State Department’s anti- terrorism programme, had first offered the amount as a reward to persons with information on the whereabouts of the Boko Haram leader in June 2013. The President Barack Obama-led administration, in the fresh list, placed a whopping $25 million, the single largest bounty, on Ayman al-Zawahiri, suspected to be one of the doctors and advisors to Osama bin Laden, the late leader of al-Qaeda. Al-Zawahiri is suspected to have played a role in bombing of the US embassy in 1998. Four Islamic State terrorists appeared on the list with a total of $20 million bounty on them. They were Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli ($7 million); IS’s official spokesman, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani ($5 million); Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili alias ‘Omar the Chechen’ ($5 million); and Tariq Bin-al-Tahar Bin al Falih al-’Awni al-Harzi ($3 million). A senior leader of the IS, Abu Du’a alias Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; and al-Zawahiri’s deputy and self- proclaimed leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Nasir al-Wahishi, and four others had $10 million bounty placed on each of them. Shekau was among the three with $7 million bounty. Others were a senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iran, Muhsin al-Fadhli; and Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli. Forty six terrorists had $5 million placed on each of them. They include a founder of Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahidin and a senior leader in al- Shabaab, Ibrahim Haji Jama; an expert in chemical weapons and explosives in al-Qaeda, Ali Sayyid Muhamed Mustafa al-Bakri; and the Operational Commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Othman al-Ghamdi. Eleven terrorists, including only two women on the list, have a $3 million on each of them. The women, Zerrin Sari and Seher Demir Sen, are members of a Turkish military/political party and the terrorist group, Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front. The second in command of a radical Ahl-e-Hadith Islamist organisation, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki; and an explosives expert in the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin group, Abdullah Nowbahar, have a $2 million bounty on each of them. With a $1 million bounty each were a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf group based in Philippines, Radullan Sahiron; and an explosives expert in the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist organisations, both in the Philippines, Abdul Basit Usman.