This government can’t tackle killings because its decision-making process is too slow - Gali Na’Abba

Gali Umar Na’Abba, former speaker of the house of representatives, says the widespread killings have shown that there is no governance in the country.

In an interview with PUNCH, the former speaker said it is unacceptable that people are killed on a daily basis.

He also said the government would not be able to tackle the problem because its decision making process is “too slow”.

“It is very unfortunate and it (killing) has conclusively shown that there is no governance in the country because you can’t have a country where there is governance and every day, people are killed – not one person, not two, but 30 people, 50 people, 80 people, this is too much,” Na’Abba said.

“They cannot tackle the problem because the decision making process of this government is too slow. It is too slow to solve any problem, so it can’t fix any problem.

“I don’t think the country is being well-managed. You can’t have a president who claims he has monopoly of wisdom. That is what it is. This is the narrowest government in the history of this country.

“The base is too narrow for the country to have stability and the president has a choice to make the government as wide as possible so that all shades of opinions are represented in the government. He has that choice but he chooses to make it the narrowest government in the history of this country and it is the consequences of that decision that we are seeing today.

“Even though, they will deny it; they will tell you that they have restored security, they are fighting corruption and things like that and corruption is systemic, you can’t fight corruption alone. If you want to fight corruption in this country, you have to carry every institution along. This is like an exercise in self glorification; that is what we are seeing.” - Cable Nigeria 

30,000 bottles of Codeine consumed daily in Niger State – Research

 Just as the federal government have placed a ban on the use of codeine, research have revealed that about 30,000 bottles of codeine made of cough syrup are consumed daily in Niger state.

The research carried out by the Development Initiative of West Africa (DIWA) also revealed that about three million in Nigeria consume this product in order to make themselves high.

This revelation was made during DIWA quarterly awareness program tagged #Ban Codeine in Naija in Minna, Niger state.

According to the Niger State DIWA chief Executive Officer, Mallam Musa Mohammed El-Sani, the cough syrup is mostly consumed by the Youth and women lamenting that the society is confronted with a painful antecedent of people consuming codeine to attain a certain high psychological and emotional status that is negative to the brain and body.

El-Sani noted that codeine had contributed to the high rise in crime, kidnapping, raping, terrorism and killings in the country.

DIWA want the federal government to focus on the black market where sale of the dangerous product may still be threiving despite its ban calling for intense monitoring to checkmate the pharmaceutical companies and chain distributors in order to arrest the situation. - The Nation

What El-Zakzaky’s case could do to Nigeria – John Campbell

Former United States of America’s Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has warned the federal government to tread cautiously in the way it is handling the case of the spiritual leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky,

He also warned that El-Zakzaky’s ongoing trial could worsen the nation’s security.

In a piece titled, “Nigeria’s Treatment of Shia Minority Recalls That of Boko Haram,” posted on the website of the American think-tank organisation, the Council on Foreign Relations, the former envoy said “there is an escalating conflict between Nigeria’s Shia minority, some of whom are organised into the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), and Nigeria’s secular government” that has been largely overlooked by the Western media.

“The current focus is the eight charges of murder brought by Kaduna State against IMN leader Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, whom the government has detained for two years without charge. Complicating the issue is the Iranian government, which has periodically protested el-Zakzaky’s confinement.

“Beginning in April, there have been daily protests in Abuja and cities in the north against el-Zakzaky’s continued detention. According to the Nigerian media, some of these demonstrations have turned violent and the capital has occasionally been ‘shut down.’ The demonstrations may have provoked the Kaduna State authorities to formally charge el-Zakzaky with murder; if convicted, he could face the death penalty.”

The former US envoy pointed out alleged similarities between the way the founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, was treated and the manner el-Zakzaky’s case is being handled.

He said federal, not state, authorities are holding el-Zakzaky in custody, “and federal spokesmen have said that he cannot be released until the Kaduna State judicial process is completed.

“In December 2015, el-Zakzaky and his IMN group were accused of attempting to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, when they blocked his convoy. Following that, the Nigerian Army attacked IMN facilities, killing hundreds of people, including members of el-Zakzaky’s family while the MIN leader and his wife were seriously wounded and arrested.

“The Zaria episode is in some ways similar to the 2009 clash between the army and followers of Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri, which led to Yusuf’s death and to the emergence of Boko Haram in its present form. But unlike Mohammed Yusuf, el-Zakzaky has not been murdered by the police.

“Advocacy of violence aside, there are striking ideological similarities between IMN and Boko Haram, at least for outside observers. Both see the secular state as evil; both want an Islamic state based on Islamic law, and both want the end to Western influence, including in education. Both also seek the end of northern Nigeria’s traditional political and religious elite. “For IMN, the model appears to be the aspirations of the post-revolutionary Iranian Islamic state. Boko Haram’s vision appears more nebulous and less developed, but both try to function as a state-within-state.

Warning the federal government further, the former American ambassador to Nigeria noted: “El-Zakzaky has claimed to have followers ranging from a few hundred thousand to three million. Whatever IMN’s numbers, it has demonstrated the ability to shut down Abuja, if only for a few days at a time. Were el-Zakzaky to be tried, convicted, and executed-the worst-case scenario-Abuja could very well face the ‘black swan’ of an insurrection.” - Daily Post

China's Xi free trader to world, champion of Marx at home

To the world, China's President Xi Jinping presents himself as a champion of free markets. At home, he's leading a campaign to promote the works of communist philosopher Karl Marx, who 150 years ago famously warned of the dangers of global capitalism.

"Marx was Correct," declared a slickly produced TV special that's part of a state media campaign rolled out by Xi's administration this week seeking to popularize Marx among younger Chinese raised in an era of market-style economic reform. The campaign featured a catchy theme song, dramatic readings, and an article titled "Say Hi to Marx" showing an illustration of the white-bearded Marx making a trendy V-for-victory sign.

"Today, we commemorate Marx in order to pay tribute to the greatest thinker in the history of mankind and also to declare our firm belief in the scientific truth of Marxism," Xi said in a speech Friday prominently displayed across state media platforms.

It's all about cementing the power of Xi and the ruling Communist Party and combating liberal Western democratic concepts thought to threaten its rule, using a legacy dating way past the 1949 Chinese revolution, analysts say.

The madness for Marx dovetails with a drive to "Sinicize" culture, religion and ideology by instilling social control through the teachings of the ancient philosopher Confucius, said Perry Link, an American expert on Chinese literature and politics.

"Neither embrace has anything to do with intellectual content and everything to do with bolstering political power today," Link wrote in an email.

The Marx media blitz is mainly for domestic consumption. On the global stage, Xi is striving to cast his country as a modern champion of free trade. Last year, he became the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum, a glitzy gathering of champagne-sipping globalists at a Swiss Alpine resort in Davos, where he made a high-profile speech advocating free markets.

Xi's goal is to portray China as a responsible economic power while showing the world and domestic critics that Beijing will persist in pursuing its own path of Chinese-style Marxism, said Willy Lam, an expert on Chinese politics at the Chinese University in Hong Kong.

"He's striking a defiant pose to the West and opponents at home that China will not buckle under," Lam said.

The Marxism mantra faces an uphill battle, though, given the widening gulf between the communist leadership and Chinese youth who tend to be enamored with celebrity gossip and irreverent social satire that goes viral across social media before it is censored.

"It's extremely hard to push Marxism in modern China especially in this internet era. What it presents is severely unrealistic," said Zhang Lifan, a Beijing-based independent political analyst.

"Even inside China, I believe most party members don't understand or believe in Marxism anymore," Zhang said. "Instead, they just use it as a tool for promotion."

Xi's zeal for Marxist thought may partly reflect his own experience. Like millions of urban youths of his generation, as a teenager he was "sent-down" to the countryside to do manual labor instead of going to school during the bloody turmoil of the ultra-leftist 1964-76 Cultural Revolution.

"Xi is limited to his knowledge and education in the past, so this is what he knows," said Zhang. "The younger generations who are very independent are totally different from them."

The new campaign is timed to coincide with the bicentennial of Marx's birth and the 170th anniversary of the publication of the "Communist Manifesto," which along with "Das Kapital" helped shape much modern thought about labor, social classes and economic and political systems.

Those works, some produced in collaboration with Friedrich Engels, are the bedrock of communism. But his thought and image have been eclipsed over three decades of rapid industrialization and social change. For the economy, China's communist leaders no longer advocate total state control or class struggle. On the political front, the party has been tightening its iron grip on power, swiftly crushing real and perceived threats.

Xi has gone even further to clinch his status as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, sidelining or prosecuting rivals and having his own "thought" written into the party constitution. In March, the rubber-stamp legislature removed presidential term limits from the Chinese constitution, enabling him to remain head of state indefinitely.

All that, plus the vigorous Marx and Confucius campaigns, point not to strength but to insecurity, Link said.

"I'm not sure Xi's personal political position is as secure as it appears," Link said. "Purging his rivals motivates his rivals; and popular support would quickly go south if something bad, like an economic downturn, suddenly appeared."

The party's jitters are apparent in its crusade against universal values, independent legal activists and liberal democratic thought, its crackdowns on what the authorities deem unhealthy, such as an online forum for discussing LGBT issues to the satirical retooling of the British cartoon character Peppa the Pig.

Instead, party ideologues say, why not Marx as a healthy alternative?

State broadcaster CCTV's "Marx was Correct" special featured stylish animation, a studio audience of college students and a question and answer session. Each episode concluded with a soft-rock ode to Marx, "Your Name, Our Strength," accompanied by video depicting China's rise from the time of Marx's birth to recent accomplishments such as bullet trains and the Chinese navy's first aircraft carrier.

Marxism "should be consolidated as the guiding ideology and promoted in campuses, classrooms, and among students," Xi said during a visit to the School of Marxism at prestigious Peking University, considered one of the cradles of Chinese communism, which recently added a research institute on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism With Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. - AP

Premier League Manager of the Year : Guardiola, Klopp and Hughton for consideration

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are among the nominees for the Premier League Manager of the Year award.

Rafael Benitez, Sean Dyche, Roy Hodgson and Chris Hughton are the other names on the six-man shortlist.

Guardiola is arguably the favourite for the prize, with his Manchester City side having claimed the title three weeks ago and still on track to break top-flight records for wins, goals scored and points won.

Klopp has also been recognised for Liverpool's vibrant attacking play and the fact they have reached the Champions League final, even though his side will drop to fourth in the table on Saturday if Tottenham beat bottom club West Brom.

Hughton's nomination comes the day after Brighton and Hove Albion, in their first season in the Premier League, secured survival with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

Benitez's Newcastle United have also followed up promotion last season by successfully avoiding relegation, while operating on an extremely restricted budget.

Burnley have moved to the brink of Europa League qualification in a superb season under Dyche, while Hodgson has guided Crystal Palace towards safety after a nightmare start in which they lost seven matches in a row without scoring a goal.

A panel of football experts and a public vote will decide the winner. - Goal

Transfer news :Juventus consider Conte return

Juventus are considering a summer move for Antonio Conte should he leave Chelsea this summer. 

Calcio Mercato report that the Old Lady will sound out both Conte and Carlo Ancelotti if Massimo Allegri departs the club.

Allegri has found his future at the club questioned in recent weeks after Juventus’ struggles in Europe and domestically, with the club looking set to narrowly pip Napoli to the Scudetto.

The report suggests that the Turin side would consider the appointment of Conte as a ‘coup’, despite the 48-year-old leaving the club for the Italian national team job in 2014.

Conte is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season and Allegri himself is one of the candidates to replace him at Stamford Bridge.

Allegri was reportedly Chelsea’s number one target, ahead of Conte, prior to his appointment at the London club.

Ancelotti, who has also been linked with Chelsea, has recently turned down the Italian national team job as he seeks a return to club management. - Read Sport

Delta : APC chairmanship candidate shot dead

Reports reaching DAILY POST have it that unknown gunmen have murdered the APC Ward 10 Chairmanship Candidate (Jeremi III) in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Jeremiah Ogjoveta as the All Progressives Congress, APC, holds its congress nationwide.

Details as to how the victim was murdered wasn’t clear at the time of filing this report but a photograph taken indicates that he was shot and left to die with serious gunshot injuries.

As at press time, party members declined speaking with our correspondent, even as the party was yet to decide whether to go ahead with the congress in the area.

When contacted, the Delta State acting Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka said he is not aware of the development but he promised to find out and get back to our correspondent. - Daily Post 

14 arrested after girl raped, burnt alive in India

Fourteen people were arrested over the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 16 year-old girl in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand, officials said on Saturday.

The teenage girl was burnt alive inside her home in the Chatra district on Friday, allegedly by men who had raped her a night before.

The arrests have been made since Friday night, and six more suspects were still at large, the region’s top official Jitendra Kumar Singh said.

The girl’s family said four men, allegedly drunk, kidnapped her from a wedding she was attending in a nearby village on Thursday night.

“They then took her to a deserted spot and sexually assaulted her,” the family source said.

The girl’s father later complained to the members of the village council but the accused men were let off after a punishment of 100 sit-ups and a fine of 50,000 rupees (750 dollars), Singh said.

“The family said that the men, angered over the complaint, barged into their home, beat them and set the girl on fire after pouring kerosene on her,” he said.

Medical tests to confirm the sexual assault were being conducted.

Police said they hoped to arrest the remaining suspects, including the key suspect and other village council members, soon.

The crime has been reported against the backdrop of spiraling outrage over the rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir and several other cases of sexual assault of young girls in recent months.

India’s federal government recently approved stringent punishments for sexual violence against children, including the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls younger than 12.