FG isn’t serious with anti-graft war, says CDHR on ‘looters’ list

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has described as one-sided, the list of alleged looters released by the federal government on Friday.

 The list  released by Lai Mohammed, minister of information, has names of only members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The minister said the names were released as a result of the challenge that the government from the party.

Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman of the PDP, had dared Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to either name those accused of being corrupt or keep quiet.

This prompted Mohammed to respond in less than 24 hours.

However, in a statement on Saturday, Malachy Ugwummadu, CDHR president, said disclosing the identity of the alleged looters does not show the federal government is serious with the war against corruption.

“If the federal government was serious about total anti-corruption war, it should also look inwards and name ex-PDP chieftains who are now in the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Ugwummadu said.

“The conviction and prosecution of looters were the real proof of any anti-corruption fight. On whether it was right for the federal government to have named persons whose corruption cases were already in court, it is an issue that was neither ‘here nor there’.”

He added that if the persons named by the minister view it as name-dropping, they could sue for defamation.

“Justification is the total defence to defamation,” he said adding: “But I think what happened was that the federal government succumbed to pressure in releasing the list.

“What is important for the federal government to make Nigerians think it is serious about anti-corruption war is if it looks inwards and names those accused of corruption, who defected from the PDP to the APC.”

On the list are the names of Uche Secondus, chairman of PDP, Olisa Metuh, ex-spokesman of the PDP and a former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. - Cable Nigeria

Nigeria Police rescue Atiku from kidnappers

The Taraba Police command on Friday night saved one Alhaji Yakubu Atiku from kidnappers and killed five suspects set to perpetrate the act.

The suspects had stormed Atiku’s home in Garba-Chede, Gassol Local Government Area of the state.

They ran out of luck as operatives stormed the scene after being notified.

In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, the police killed five of the attackers, the spokesman of the command, ASP David Misal, confirmed at a news conference on Saturday in Jalingo.

Misal said: “The operatives attached to Bali Division on March 30 at 2300 hrs engaged a group of armed men suspected to be kidnappers and armed robbers.

“The hoodlums on the same date invaded the residence of one Alhaji Yakubu Atiku of Garba-Chede in an attempt to kidnap him.

“The report was received with swift reaction from our operatives which led to an exchange of fire from both sides.

“With the superior fire power of our gallant officers, five members of the gang were shot dead while others escaped with bullet wounds”.

He added that one AK47 rifle, one pump action, two single barrel guns, 16 cartridges, three expended 7.62mm ammunition, two expended cartridges and assorted charms were recovered from the suspects.

He assured residents that the police would not relent in its efforts until kidnapping and armed robbery is reduced to the barest minimum

Misal further appealed to members of the public to always report criminal acts to the police for effective response. - Daily Post

Group develops Mobile App to track illegal dumpsites

An environmental group, ‘’Let’s Do It Nigeria’’, said it had developed a mobile app to help track trash points and illegal dumpsite across the country.

The Marketing and Public Relations Manager of the group, Gafar Olorunleke, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Sunday in Lagos.

Olorunleke said the mobile app was developed as parts of efforts help the effect management of waste in the country as well realize the group’s dream of a waste-free environment.

“Let’s Do It Nigeria is not about cleaning up alone, we also unite organisations and stakeholders over various sectors of the economy to achieve a common goal of a waste free environment.

“What we are trying to achieve is a waste free planet. We started this cleanup campaign from the middle of last year and we have held pilot cleanup in almost all states in Nigeria.

“Right now, we have the mobile app called the ‘World clean Up’ app

‘’As part of our advocacy, we tell Nigerians that they can use this app to locate where there trash points around them.

‘’Contact us, so we can then organize stakeholders and waste organisations to go and clean them up,” he said.
The environmentalist also disclosed as parts of the group’s advocacy efforts, the group was also building up a map where illegal dumpsites could be located and necessary action taken by the regulatory bodies.

“From April to June 2018, we will embark on the mapping out campaign. We are building a map where Nigerians can log into a portal and see every point, where we have trash points in Nigeria.

‘’The map shows every point where we have illegal dumpsites in the country.”

He stressed the need for Nigeria to embrace the opportunities inherent I n recycling waste and the benefits of ensuring a cleaner environment.
“We want to make people know that they can live in the waste free environment.’’

 He urge the people to see recycling as an opportunity to effectively manage waste instead of dumping refuse all around, littering everywhere with waste.

“There is an opportunity in waste management, so we are also trying to evaluate the value chain of waste management in Nigeria, from the point of household waste disposal to that of recycling.

 ‘’We want people to see the opportunity in waste management as something they can tap into.’’

Olorunleke said the group’s advocacy activities include a build up toward the world cleanup day scheduled for Sept.
“One of the greatest objectives is to mobilise 5 per cent of Nigerian population for the biggest civil action in the history of the world, which is the World Cleanup Day in Sept.

At this point of the advocacy, we do more of a build by engaging in a lot of advocacy.
“Currently, we have a volunteer base of 5,002 members all over Nigeria.

‘’We have also reached some download of the mobile World Cleanup App. we are also getting promises from the government to collaborate on this massive action.

Bishop Kukah warns Buhari

Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to adjust his style of leadership.

Kukah said this in his Easter message titled: ‘Easter Message to Mr. President And All Nigerians’.

“Mr. President, you are too distant from your people.

“There is a sad feeling that you do not share in the pain and suffering of your people. You must very quickly find a way of connecting with your people before the devil takes over the space,” the cleric said in the letter.

The Bishop reminded Buhari: “This is no ordinary Easter, because these are no ordinary times for our country, Nigeria, over which you preside.”

He noted that the country “is so split both vertically and horizontally today that all of us must honestly identify our many sins of omission and commission, so that we can honestly seek a solution.”

According to him, “This is a time for us to genuinely face what looks to me like an impending calamity. The gathering clouds are clear for us to see. And even those who cannot see can hear the rumbling and rolling sound of thunder. We ignore them at our own risk.”

Kukah regretted that although Buhari “rode into town like a knight in shining armour…the bogeyman of religion, region and ethnicity, which we thought we had overcome by the sheer nature of your support base, have come back with a vengeance to haunt and threaten the very foundation of our existence.”

He told the President: “You have a date with history and divine judgment.”

The bishop criticised religious leaders for being “as divided as the people” they lead, saying: “We have been seduced by powerful politicians and have allowed politics to corrupt the sacred spaces of religion.

“Thus we have lost our voices and no longer seem to have the capacity to interrogate power, as we are called to do.” - Daily Post

Kwara state : Mother of five delivers triplets

A 38-year-old trader, Mrs Deborah Ogunsola, was at the weekend delivered of triplets at the General Hospital, Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government area of Kwara State.

Mother and the babies were in good condition yesterday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The triplets, two boys and a girl, were said to have been delivered within minutes after the first baby was delivered at 12:11 a.m. through caesarean section.

Mr Joel Adeyemi, the Director (Nursing Services) at the hospital, described the condition of the mother and the babies as clinically perfect.

“The mother and the babies are in the normal ward and doing fine,” he said.

“Although, the babies were delivered through surgery, the babies’ weights and condition, health wise, are perfect.”

Adeyemi said the hospital had witnessed more than 10 deliveries of twins in the last one month.

Ogunsola, the mother of the triplet, who is a pepper seller, said she was excited and had no sleepless night over the birth of the babies, saying they were gifts from God.

“The Almighty God that gave them to me will surely provide for their upkeeps,” she said.

Mr Abiodun Ogunsola, an electrician and father of the triplet said he has no regret or fear over their birth.

He, however, said that the family would wholeheartedly welcome assistance from any individual or group as regard the medical bill and upkeep of the babies.

“Our God is awesome and kind; I know He will surely stand by the family,” he said.

SAD !! Couple dies 72 hours to daughter’s wedding in auto crash

A yet- to- be identified couple has been reported dead after their motorcycle collided with a commercial bus in Ugwunagbo Local government area of Abia State 72 hours to their daughter’s wedding.

The incident, which our correspondent gathered occurred near a village called Umuaja in Ugwunagbo, left many passengers of the commercial bus wounded with many of them said to be in critical conditions.

It was learnt that while the husband and wife died on the spot, some of the injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and the critically injured were reportedly referred to Abia State Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba for issues beyond their capacity to handle.

Unconfirmed reports said one of the tires of the vehicle busted while the driver was said to have lost control and rammed into the couple.

A source, who pleaded not to be mentioned, said that the daughter of the couple would be having her traditional wedding this weekend in their village.

“We learnt that the bus was conveying traders from Aba to Umuaja in Ugwunagbo area through Ohanku when the ugly incident happened.

“They were said to be going to a popular market in the area known as Ahia Ohanku.

“The incident caused pandemonium in the area as youths of the area went berserk as they reportedly attacked both commercial buses and commercial tricycle operators.

“We learnt that peace has gradually returned but one of the affected victim’s daughters who will be having her traditional marriage this weekend couldn’t hold it that her parents who were on their way home were crushed to death.”

Another source, who confirmed the incident, said it was not clear whether they have been able to recover the head of the man that was said to be missing.

“What I can tell you is that it was an ugly sight as many were seriously injured and in critical conditions.

“We learnt that one of the victims at the time we got news about them has taken three pints of blood and possibly to have more due to the volume of blood that she lost,” the source added. - The Nation