Obasanjo gave excuses while in power - Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, Lagos lawyer, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of committing same act he is tackling President Muhammadu Buhari for.

He said Obasanjo “kept blaming” the military for his “abysmal” performance while in office.
Obasanjo was president of the country from 1999 to 2007 after serving as military head of state from 1976 to 1979.
On Monday, the elder statesman accused Buhari of running an “ineffective and incompetent government”.

He also asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop giving excuses for its “failure”.
“Stop giving excuses; we met challenges. If there were no challenges, then we wouldn’t need you to come. You came in because you know there were challenges… stop giving us excuse that you have many challenges, that is why you haven’t achieved results,” he had said.

Writing via his Twitter handle on Tuesday, Keyamo said — just like Buhari — the former president had asked Nigerians to be patient with his government.
He wrote: “Let’s remember that during the first four years of Obasanjo (1999-2003), he kept blaming the ‘rot’ the military left behind as the reason for his abysmal performance and begged Nigerians to be patient with him, to the extent that he reportedly knelt down for Atiku Abubakar (his then vice-president) then to get his second-term ticket.”


Monday’s statement was not the first from Obasanjo.
In the letter he wrote to him last year, he had similar words for the president: “This is no time for trading blames or embarking on futile argument and neither should we accept untenable excuses for non-performance. Let us accept that the present administration has done what it can do to the limit of its ability, aptitude and understanding. - Cable Nigeria

Sowore: I can run Nigeria better than Buhari — even in my sleep

Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and presidential candidate for the 2019 election, says even while sleeping, he can do better than President Muhammadu Buhari.

On Tuesday, hundreds of his supporters and members of the #TakeBackNigeria Movement welcomed Sowore at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
While addressing the crowd, Sowore who will be undertaking series of rallies and town hall meetings, said he is in Nigeria to lead a movement to change power in 2019.

“It is over for the old people, it is over for the cabal, it is over for the mafias that have been running Nigeria down,” he said.
“I can run Nigeria better than President Buhari, even in my sleep. There is no need to become a local government councillor or a senator when I can run a better country as the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. I am the most transparent candidate.”

Sowore had told TheCable in an interview that he has a shadow cabinet currently understudying each sector ahead of the 2019 election.
“Unlike President Buhari who did not elect a cabinet until after six months of taking office, I have begun to bring together a shadow cabinet of experts that are understudying what is going on right now in each sector of the Nigerian nation so that when we are voted in by the Nigerian people, we can truly hit the ground running from day one” he had said.

Sowore, with the mammoth crowd, moved from the airport to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota where he addressed another waiting crowd. - Cable Nigeria

Drug abuse in the North handiwork of Igbo people – Bayero University lecturer, Muhammad

Dr. Bala Muhammad of the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University Kano, has accused Igbo drug merchants of supplying codeine syrups to the north.

The lecturer made the allegation while presenting a paper at the Kano Youth Summit on Peace Advocacy and Development organised by Hamisu Magaji Foundation, at Mambayya House yesterday.

In the paper he entitled: “Nexus Between Youth, Drugs, Crime and Insecurity”, Muhammad blamed the Igbo drug dealers for the prevalence of drug abuse in the northern region, especially Kano state.

He wondered why drug abuse was not prevalent in the South-East region.

Muhammad said the Igbo people supply cough syrup that contains codeine for the consumption of the Northern youth.

According to him, “Our investigation revealed that drug abuse is beyond normal marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, etc. It has moved to the extent that the medicines we take in order to cure our diseases are now being converted into hard drugs.

“We then discovered that it is the handiwork of the Igbo people, who connive with our local people here, to supply the codeine into our region, especially into Kano state.

“There are many instances where Igbo guys were arrested for supplying codeine into Kano and some parts of the North. The cases have been reported in national dailies.

“So, why shouldn’t they take it to their region? Why don’t their youth engage in drug abuse? This is really sad, and we have to rise up to fight this menace.” - Daily Post

PL :Aguero to miss Champions League tie at Anfield

Sergio Aguero will be a key absentee for Liverpool’s Champions League quarter final against Liverpool on Wednesday.

City boss Pep Guardiola announced the news in the pre match press conference ahead of the crucial game.

Aguero has been suffering with a thigh injury that saw him miss the 3-1 win over Everton last weekend.

Guardiola said, via the Mirror:

“He has stayed in Manchester, he didn’t come. He’s been injured for the last two weeks and he still isn’t fit.”

“We will see if he can play in the derby (against Manchester United on Saturday).”

Aguero is a key player for Manchester City as they look to complete a treble for the first time.

City have already wrapped up the League Cup after beating Arsenal in the final. With the league practically wrapped up, City will be prioritising the Champions League games against Liverpool.

Aguero missing will give Liverpool hope that they can make it through to the Semi-Finals for the first time since 2008, where the Reds lost out to Chelsea in extra time. - Read Sport

PL news : Wenger hints that Aubameyang could move position

Pierre Patrick Aubameyang could be forced to move to left wing to accommodate Alexander Lacazette according to Arsene Wenger.

Lacazette and Aubameyang both played as Arsenal returned to winning ways against Stoke City on Sunday.
Arsenal boss Wenger has full faith that the pair can play together, even if Aubameyang has to move to the left wing.

Wenger said via the Mirror:
“Yes, I think they can play together. Aubameyang has played a long part of his career on the left. And when [Robert] Lewandowski was at Dortmund he was on the left.”

Aubameyang was on a hat-trick when Arsenal on a penalty. However, the Gabonese international decided to hand the penalty to Lacazette, who scored to make it 3-0.

Lacazette broke Arsenal’s transfer record in the Summer when he was signed from Lyon for £46 million. The Frenchman has struggled since joining the Gunners, leading Arsenal to again break their own record by signing Aubameyang for £57 million.

The ex-Dortmund striker told Sky Sports after the game:

“ Of course I know that Laca[zette] is back and I think I score twice so I can let him shoot, it’s normal. It’s good for his confidence so that’s why.” - Read Sport

Gunmen invade Kogi police station, Kill 3, cart away riffles

Suspected gunmen numbering about five on Tuesday morning stormed Gegu Beki police station in Kogi Local Government, firing and killing two police men. The officers killed are identified simply as Jacob and Akile, who were on duties.

Also killed in the incident was a detained suspect who was arrested for failing to produce a suspect he bailed.

An eyewitness who spoke to the DAILY POST disclosed that the rifles of the policemen were taken away by the gunmen.

As the time this report was filed, the corpses of those killed have been taken to the Federal Medical Center, Lokoja by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The eyewitness disclosed that the incident occurred at about 2:15 am of Tuesday. - Daily Post

LAGOS : Police arrest manufacturer of fake wines, whiskeys

A suspected manufacturer of adulterated alcoholic beverages and liquors has been arrested by the police in Lagos.

The suspect, Benjamin Ojukwu, 53, who was arrested by police operatives from the Area D Command in Mushin, was paraded by the state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, on Tuesday.

Edgal said Ojukwu’s arrest would reduce death occasioned by adulterated beverages, adding that the suspect was apprehended at 56 Market Road, Ojuwoye, Mushin, on March 30.

Edgal said: “A valid search warrant was executed in his shop and the following items were recovered. They include various brands of wines and hot drinks suspected to be adulterated. Empty wine bottles and labeled bottle corks of different types of drinks.”

But the suspect denied adulteration of those exotic drinks, insisting that he bought them from the market.

Ojukwu, who said he was a trained in wine manufacturing, blamed the Federal Government and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for his travails.

He said: “I am a trained wine manufacturer. I trained in Taiwan. When I got back to Nigeria, I used the money I made from Taiwan to set up a wine factory in Nnewi. I got NAFDAC registration number and my company’s name is Benaz International Agency and the name of my wine is Lion Abel Gin.

“My trouble started after four years of operating the company with my 11 workers, when an electrical spark from a pole razed my factory. Everything was burnt to the ground and I was left with nothing.

“My first wife left me and I had to return to Lagos. I could not start my wine business so I went into manufacturing of other brands. I did it to survive. I know what I did is wrong but I do not produce fake drinks. I will blame government for not supporting upcoming entrepreneurs like me.

“In Taiwan, after we were trained, their government gave them money to start up but in Nigeria, entrepreneurs do not have such support. I’m telling you this because I tried to access money from banks but it was not possible. My business can employ a lot of people but government did not take us serious.” - The Nation

Shocking !!! Two men allegedly flog teenage apprentice to death in Lagos

Two men, Divine Ogidi and Favour Anyaoguin, who allegedly flogged a teenage apprentice to death was on Tuesday arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Lagos.

Ogidi, 32, and Anyaogu, 22, allegedly conspired and flogged a 17-year-old apprentice, Chidozie Sunday, until he became unconscious and died.

The accused are standing trial on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Police Prosecutor Jimah Iseghede told the court that the accused committed the offences on Feb. 23 at No. 7, Kayode Bello St., off Celestial Road, Igando, a Lagos suburb.

Iseghede said the accused allegedly beat the 17-year-old boy, Chidozie Sunday, an apprentice, with cane until he became unconscious and died.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. Kusanu, admitted the duo to bail of N100,000 each with two responsible sureties each in like sum.

Kusanu adjourned the case until May 3 for mention. - Daily Post

Police Command in Lagos mop up 188 guns, 280 ammunition

The Lagos State Police Command said on Tuesday it recovered 188 various guns and 280 ammunition between September 2017 and last weekend.

The state Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal, stated this during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.

According to him, among the returned weapons were those voluntarily returned by residents in compliance with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

The IGP had ordered owners of illegally acquired arms to return them to the police or risk prosecution.

According to Edgal, the command has made considerable efforts in the recovery of illegal arms in the state. - The Nation