2019: APC, PDP destroyed Nigeria’s future – GPN chieftain, Santos Ayuba

A Senatorial candidate of the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) Santos Ayuba Tangshak vying for Plateau Central Senatorial seat has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of being responsible for the destruction of the nation’s future.

Tangshak stated this while declaring his intention to run for the Senatorial seat of Plateau Central, held in Pankshin LGA, headquarters of the zone.

He said, “APC and PDP are two institutions that have helped to destroy the future of this country.

“Nobody knew PDP before their emergence in 1999, and APC is just a replica of PDP, because it’s virtually the same actors that make up the party; so GPN is a better option for Nigerians, because it is a party built on ideology.”

On his Senatorial bid, the University lecturer said, “The issue is, going to the national assembly is not an inheritance but the people’s thing and we are providing options so that people will decide for themselves.

“If the people say we don’t want you as an alternative, I don’t have problem with that, but if the people know where they are and they can also review what has happened since 1999 and they really want a change, that is forward looking. 

“If you are placing your vote for a name then ask yourself what that name has done for you overtime and ask how you have been following platforms and what they have been doing for you”, he maintained.

In his remarks, Chairman of the party in the State, Abdul Abdul, said the party had presented credible persons to fly the flag of GPN in the 2019 general elections.

Abdul said, “Our candidates are men of high integrity with a love for their people who will deliver the dividends of democracy that has been lacking in this zone since 1999.”

The Chairman, who was represented by the party’s Legal Adviser, Barr. Salome David, called on all its supporters to be law abiding and demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship during and after the campaigns.

- Daily Post

EFCC traces ‘houses worth N500m’ to Jang

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) says it has traced properties worth N500 million to Jonah Jang, former Plateau state governor.

Tony Orilade, acting spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, the properties are located at No. 8 and 9 Gobarau Road Unguwan Rimi government residential area (GRA), Kaduna state.

Orilade said preliminary investigations revealed that the said properties were purchased from New Capital Properties Limited, a subsidiary of Northern Nigerian Development Company (NNDC) Kaduna.

Jang is standing trial on a 12-count charge bothering on diversion of public funds.

He was arraigned alongside Yusuf Pam, a former government official in the state. He was accused of misappropriating N6.3 billion while serving as the governor.

The offences were said to have been perpetrated a few months before the end of Jang’s tenure as governor in 2015.

In May, Jang was held in the custody of the anti-graft agency for nine days before he was arraigned.

He was subsequently remanded in prison but was released eight days later.

- TheCable

NASS: Union fixes Tuesday to protest unpaid salaries, allowances

National Assembly staff, under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), had fixed Dec. 4 to stage a protest over unpaid salaries and allowances.

Mr Suleiman Haruna, the union’s Secretary-General, announced this in a statement in Abuja.

Haurna said the first phase of the protest would take place between Dec. 4 and Dec. 8.

The association said the move had become necessary following nonchalant attitude of the national assembly leadership to toward their demands.

He explained that the action would be a blend of protest and picketing of offices within the assembly, adding that the union would not tolerate default from members.

According to him, the action will commence between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily within the stipulated days.

Haruna explained that members were demanding to be put on the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS).

“Also, all pending staff promotions and conversion letters should be released with arrears fully paid on or before Dec.31.

“The association has already issued a two-week ultimatum to the management to fulfill these demands or face strike,” he said.

- PM News

ECOWAS, AU to monitor violence during 2019 elections

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) say they have developed about 42 checklists to monitor violence-prone areas during the 2019 elections.

This was done in connection with the West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP).

WANEP said as part of the deal, it has trained 80 election monitors.

Mfrekeobong Ukpanah, early warning officer, peace & security department, AU commission, disclosed this while speaking at the end of the training in Abuja.

She noted that there are “series of threats and signs of possible violence” towards the 2019 elections and in order to check this, the network have tried to identify potential hot spots that could be affected.

“There are series of threats and their are series of signs and that’s why we started this project in collaboration with ECOWAS and our civil society partner, WANEP, sometime last month,” Ukpanah said.

“We tried to map and identify concretely potential hotspots, either due to issue of an election related violence in past elections or due to the current security dynamics in the country.

“Also, we have a checklist like a set of indicators which we developed with different Nigerian stakeholders cutting across four major thematic issues of physical violence, physical assault, issues that have to do with ethics and compliance to the electoral act or rule of law which could threaten elections, to issues of hate related speeches.

“So, there are series of things that we need to work towards to prevent electoral violence. I can specifically say this is it, but we have actually had a long checklist; 42 of them that we are monitoring on a regular basis.

“That is why we are providing this training for these monitors to be able to help us systematically and on a regular basis, monitor those report and provide us with valid report that we need to analyse.

Also speaking, Chukwuemeka Eze, executive director of WANEP, explained that the training will focus on situation monitoring, analysis and mitigation throughout the electioneering process.

He noted that the field monitors will provide analytical reports on areas of risks of violence and make recommendations to key electoral actors like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerian police, Christian Association Of Nigeria (CAN) and Juma’atu Nasril Islam (JNI).

Ismaila Gueye, programme officer, directorate of early warning of ECOWAS, said the commission is concerned about the 2019 polls and aims to promote peace and security in the region.

He added that the monitors have been provided a new improved software called “server 123” to guarantee a better information gathering process.

“The new tool in monitoring election is an easier tool, so when they go to the field they can collect information and send it in the easier way and people will be there during the analysis. So, it will be a contribution for peaceful and transparent election,” he said.

- TheCable

Lagos Police find 2 children kidnapped by househelp in Benin Republic

The Lagos State Police Command said it has found the two children kidnapped by a househelp in Gbagada area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The two children of Mr Aneru Mutana of Gbagada Phase 2, Lagos, were kidnapped on November 26, 2018 by their househelp, simply identified as Busayo.

A statement issued by Police Public Relations Officer,PPRO, Chike Oti said the children were found in the early hours of Sunday at a location close to Nigeria Seme border, in Benin Republic .

Recall that the said Busayo was on November 25 instructed by Mrs Mutana, to pick the children from school and take them home as she was not able to do so due to the nature of her job.

Unfortunately, the househelp had carefully planned how to kidnap her children, a 6-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl and executed her wicked plan effortlessly because she is known to the school authorities and familiar with the children.

According to Oti investigation so far revealed that Busayo was a member of a Kidnap syndicate who gave her out as househelp to unsuspecting parents.

“When she finally landed the job, she warmed her way into the children’s heart and won the trust of her employers. Once she gets to this stage, she bares her fangs,” he said.

Oti said the Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi warned households interested in engaging the services of domestic servants to beware of whom they were dealing with, reiterating his earlier warning that employers ought to carry out a background check of persons they were bringing to homes; and profile them in order to make investigation easy for the police should the need arise.

“The Command reasonably believes that Busayo may not be her real name. However it wishes that Nigerians should take cognizance of her face and alert the nearest police formation of her location and if possible arrest and hand her over to the police,” he said.

- PM News

Snoring dangerous for women: New study

A new study says both snoring and obstructive sleep apnea could lead to earlier impairment of cardiac function in women.

“Snoring” refers to a sleeping pattern in which a person breathes while emitting a snorting or grunting sound.

Although, the National Sleep Foundation suggests that 90 million people in the United States snore, snoring might become more dangerous as people age, and it can also lead to heart disease, especially for women.

There are different types of sleep apnea, but the most common is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). At least 18 million U.S. adults have sleep apnea.

This condition affects breathing patterns while sleeping, causing a person to stop breathing and start again repeatedly. About half of people who snore loudly have OSA.

When OSA occurs, the muscles in the throat that are responsible for keeping the airway open actually prevent the flow of air.

According to a new study presented recently at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America — held in Chicago, IL — snoring and OSA may lead to earlier impairment of cardiac function in women than in men.

It is unclear whether or not sleep apnea directly causes heart disease, but some specialists believe that people with sleep apnea are at risk of developing hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Many people who have sleep apnea also have co-existing diseases. This is one of the reasons why it is harder to establish a direct link between sleep apnea and heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), some people living with sleep apnea and high blood pressure who received treatment for sleep apnea also saw their blood pressure drop. Such findings show a possible link between hypertension and sleep apnea.

OSA is also associated with obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

Obesity contributes to sleep apnea, and the sleep deprivation that sleep apnea causes can give rise to further obesity, in the long-term. As a person gains more weight, the throat muscles that keep the airway open relax, and sleep apnea becomes more serious.

The researchers analyzed data associated with cardiac parameters in relation to diagnosed OSA and self-reported snoring using data from the UK Biobank.

The UK Biobank is an international health resource, open to researchers, that aims to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.

The data were of 4,877 participants who had received a cardiac MRI scan. The scientists divided them into three groups: those with OSA, those with self-reported snoring, and those with neither.

When the researchers compared the snoring group with the group without sleep disorders, they found a striking difference in the left ventricular mass in women compared with men.

Increased left ventricular mass means that the heart needs to work harder to fulfil the body’s needs.

These patterns in people who self-reportedly snore may be an indication of undiagnosed OSA.

“We found that the cardiac parameters in women appear to be more easily affected by the disease and that women who snore or have OSA might be at greater risk for cardiac involvement.”

The researchers also found that the number of diagnosed OSA cases in the study was extremely low, suggesting that OSA may be underdiagnosed across the board.

Dr. Curta, a radiology resident at Munich University Hospital in Germany, urges people who snore to get screened for OSA and those with OSA to seek treatment.

“I would encourage people who snore to ask their partner to observe them and look for phases during sleep when they stop breathing for a short while and then gasp for air,” says Dr. Curta.

“If unsure, they can spend the night at a sleep lab where breathing is constantly monitored during sleep and even slight alterations can be recorded.”

The team now hopes to conduct more research to fully understand the sex differences linked to snoring and OSA.

- PM News

19 children drown in Kwara

No fewer than 19 children have been reportedly drowned in a boat mishap on Saturday in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The boat was conveying the victims across River Niger for a traditional wedding ceremony in a community in Niger.

The boat, conveying about 22 people mostly children, capsized while crossing the river.

A source told NAN that while two of the passengers were rescued, the 19 others drowned and died.

According to him, all effort to rescue other passengers proved abortive.

“As at yesterday evening, four corpses have been recovered from the river. Effort would resume this morning again to ensure that others also are found.

“Both men of the Nigeria Police and the State Fire Service were there yesterday in the rescue mission. Unfortunately only two of them survived,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Sulyman Aliyu, the Secretary of the Lafiagi Traditional Council, has confirmed the incident.

Aliyu told NAN that the number of the victims could not be ascertained yet, noting that there was a conflict in the number.

“Definitely they are up to 12. The figure is between 12 and that 19 that you said ” he said.

The secretary also confirmed that four corpses were recovered on Saturday and that efforts to remove others would continue on Sunday.

The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara Police Command, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, also confirmed the incident.

He told NAN that the officers of the force and other security agencies had joined the local government council to recover the corpses.

- Daily Post

N800bn subsidy: Fuel scarcity looms as oil marketers give FG 7-day ultimatum

Oil marketers on Sunday in Lagos gave the Federal Government seven-day ultimatum to settle outstanding debts totalling N800 billion, failing which depots would cease operation across the country.

The marketers, comprising Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) and Independent Petroleum Products Importers (IPPIs), said failure to meet the deadline would force its members to disengage workers from depots.

Confirming the seven-day notice, Mr Patrick Etim, Legal Adviser to IPPI told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that banks have taken over investments and assets of oil marketers over unpaid debts.

According to Etim, marketers have no chcice that to ask their workers to stay at home over unpaid salary arrears due to huge subsidy debts owed by the government.
“The only way to salvage the situation is for government to pay the oil marketers the outstanding debts through cash option instead of promissory note being proposed.

“As I speak, nothing has been done several months after assurances received by government saying it would pay off the outstanding debts.

“The oil marketers have requested that forex differential and interest component of government’s indebtedness to marketers be calculated up to December 2018 and be paid within next seven days from the date of the letter sent to the government,’’ he said.

- Daily Post

PSC promotes 239 officers, ratifies promotion of 7, 981 Inspectors, others

The Police Service Commission, PSC, has approved the promotion of 239 senior Police Officers.

The promoted officers included two Commissioners of Police who were elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police and ten Assistant Commissioners of Police promoted to Deputy Commissioners of Police.

Twelve Superintendents of Police were promoted to Chief Superintendent, 76 Deputy Superintendents of Police promoted to Superintendent and 139 Assistant Superintendents of Police promoted to Deputy Superintendent.

The Commission also ratified the promotion of 7,981 Inspectors, products of the last Departmental Selection Board, DSB, to the next rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police.

The promotions, according to PSC Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, were part of the decisions of the second plenary meeting of the commission held in Wudil, Kano and presided over by the Commission’s Chairman, Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector General of Police.

Part of the statement reads, “CP. Peter Babatunde Ogunyawo and CP. Mohammed L. Hussein were promoted AIGs while Eusuong P. James, Ogundele Joshua Ayodeji, Abdullahi Shehu, Ajala Elija Ayoola, Ohikere S. Idris, Alfa S. Jibrin, Romokere God’sGift Ibiani, francis A. Bissong, Akika A. Augustine and Peter W. Wagbara, former ACP Operations Delta State Command were promoted Deputy Commissioners.

“Superintendents of Police promoted to Chief Superintendents were Yahaya Rabiu Yakasai, Simon Odidi, Musa Umaru, Lucky Seibai, Samuel Onuoha Anele, Moses Iruonagbe, Gambo Ado, Mohammed Umar Bashir, Malam Ezra Danladi, Gloria Reuben, Dalhatu Ibrahim Nuru and Godwin T. Toho.

“Felix Obuka Okoro, Sunday Okah, Bamidele John Olatona Adeniyi Victor Coker, Charles Njoku, Kwaruul Ishaya Yakubu and Olowo Omobolaji Adisa were some of the seventy six DSPs promoted to the next rank of SP.

“Some of the ASPs promoted DSPs included, Fayiwole Juluis Oluwadare, Kolawole Olagunju, Alabijah Eche and Timothy Jonathan.

“The approval of the promotion of the 239 senior officers and ratification of the 7981 Inspectors to ASP have been conveyed to the Inspector General of police for implementation in a letter signed by Musa Istifanus, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Commission”.

- Daily Post

Buhari finally speaks on being cloned, replaced by ‘Jubril from Sudan’

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, responded to claims that he was cloned.

Buhari, who was speaking in Poland, stated that some people were hoping he would die during his ill health.

However, he has denied that he is ‘Jubril from Sudan’ as alleged in many quarters and promised to celebrate his 76th birthday soon.

Abubakar Sidiq Usman, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who contested for the party’s Publicity Secretary in the last National Convention, disclosed this on Twitter.

“President Muhammadu Buhari in Poland today responded to claims that he is a clone. The president said.

“‘A lot of people hoped that I died during my ill health. It is real me… I will soon celebrate my 76th birthday and I will still go strong,'” Usman wrote.

- Daily Post

Lebanese arrested with $2m cash at Abuja airport - EFCC

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arrested one Abbas Lakis, a Lebanese for money laundering offence.

Lakis was picked up at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following intelligence report that he had on him, undeclared huge sums of monies aboard the Egypt Airline bringing him from the Kano Airport en route Lebanon.

The agency on Friday said at the point of arrest, upon a thorough search on his luggage, $2,104,936 (Two Million, One Hundred and Four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Thirty six Dollars), £163, 740 (One Hundred and Sixty Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty Pounds), €144,680 (One Hundred and Forty Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty Euros) was found.

Other currencies found with Lakis include Riyal 391,838 (Three Hundred and Ninety One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty Eight Riyals), CHF 3,420 (Three Thousand Four Hundred and Twenty Swiss Franc), Lira 435 (Four Hundred and Thirty five Lira), £109,000 (One Hundred and Nine Thousand Lebanese Pounds), Dirhams 10,135 (Ten Thousand One Hundred and Thirty Five UAE Dirhams) ¥10,000 (Ten Thousand Chinese Yuan) and Riyal10 (Ten Qatar riyal), in his possession.

The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

- Daily Post

ATIKULOOTER !!! Atiku fears arrest in US, returns to Nigeria

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has returned to Abuja after failing to secure assurances from the US Department of Justice that he will not be arrested in the United States.

Atiku who was reported to have been granted a US visa to travel to the United States was in London on Thursday prior to his departure to the United States.

A group, Initiative To Save Democracy said that it has credible information that the PDP presidential candidate returned to Nigeria after failing to secure assurances from the US Department of Justice that he will not be arrested if he sets his foot on the soil of the United States.

TheCable had reported exclusively that the Waziri Adamawa secured a US visa and had travelled to the United Kingdom from where he will fly into the United states where he had not been able to step foot for more than 13 years.

But the group in a statement signed by its president, Akinloye James said Atiku had on Thursday travelled to the United Kingdom after securing a United States Visa from where he hopes to travel to the United States.

“His mission in the United Kingdom is to get the British Government to help him secure the assurances of the United States Department of Justice that he will not be arrested upon setting foot in US soil. But the British government is reported to have informed Abubakar that the US Department of Justice has made it clear that it cannot guarantee he will not be arrested.”

Atiku has refused to travel to the United States since the case of money laundering allegation involving him and a US congressman, Williams Jefferson came to limelight.

His counterpart in the United States, Williams Jefferson has already served jail term and made to refund part of the money traced to him for money laundering, but Atiku has since been walking free even though he has been unable to set foot in the US.

Having failed to secure the assurances of the British government and fearing that he may be arrested by the International Police (InterPol), Atiku quickly returned to Nigeria to forestall any possible arrest.

Paul Ibe, Head of the Atiku Media Office who has been speaking on behalf of the PDP presidential candidate prior to appointing a spokesman for his campaign tweeted a while ago that Atiku has since returned to Abuja.

”HE@atiku embarked on a private visit to the United Kingdom on Thursday shortly after the inauguration of his Presidential Campaign Council. He has since returned back to Abuja. #LetsGetNigeriaWorkingAgain” Ibe tweeted

His tweet counters report by TheCable that Atiku will spend sometime in the United Kingdom before traveling to the United States.

“Report that Atiku obtained US Visa and travelled to the UK may be true, but the part that he would be traveling to the US is completely false,” Mr James said.

- PM News

Reduce military spending to cater to 3.1m Nigerians living with HIV, int’l NGOs tell FG

Two international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have called on the federal government to reduce military spendings to cater to 3.1 million Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS.

The NGOs — Advocates for HIV Prevention in Africa, and Accountability International — said the amount of money spent on the purchase of Tucano fighter jets is enough to take care of anti-retroviral treatment (ART) for 1.5 million Nigerians for a year.

“In 2018, Nigeria purchased weapons and fighter jets worth 593 million US dollars from the USA,” the NGOs said via statement shared with TheCable, in commemoration of the December 1st, World AIDS day.

“The biggest and most controversial purchase was one of 12 A-29 Super Tucano Fighter Jets, which are meant for use in the fight against Boko Haram and the regional part of the Islamic State group.

“The Obama administration never approved this deal due to concerns about human rights abuses being committed by the Nigerian military (including the bombing of civilians).

“At the same time as Nigeria is spending these large amounts on its military, weapons and fighter jets, the country continues to struggle with the HIV and AIDS epidemic and will have difficulties to meet the targets of the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework for 2017-2021 or to achieve the global 90-90-90 goal (Nigeria’s Race to the 2020 Goal of 90-90-90; An ambitious target to end AIDS, 2017).

“Shockingly, the money spent on the military, weapons and fighter jets in the single purchase described above, could have provided 1,5 mil. PLHIV with ART for an entire year.”

The NGOs say Nigeria has what it takes to take care of persons with HIV/AIDS, but funding for treatment is still largely donor funded.

In the statement signed by Brian Kanyemba, Miriam Sünder, and Phillipa Tucker, the NGOs said Nigeria is employing “user fees” to hinder many poor Nigerians from getting adequate treatment. 

“Unfortunately, prioritizing weapons of war against HIV have affected the local community of people living with HIV. People are failing to stay on treatment because these user-fees pose a serious and profound barrier for them,” they added.

“The high burden of HIV infection demands that the Nigerian Government acts immediately to ensure that the user fees are ended, as they are in defiance of the basic human rights of its citizens.  

“The authors of several studies, civil societies and donor partners have urged the Nigerian government to design a co-payment plan, subsidize the treatment costs or lower the price in other ways, in order to increase ART coverage (Mbachu, Okoli, Onwujekwe, & Enabulele, 2018), but our analysis shows that a little less military spending and a little more accountability would go a long way to providing all PLHIV in Nigeria with the healthcare they are entitled to.

“However, without considerable federal government support and accountability, the words of the Vice President are just another statement, without any connection or acknowledgement of the needs of the people at community level.

“This makes World AIDS Day 2018 just another commemoration without meaning and without inclusion of those who live with HIV every day.”

Nigeria reported 150 000 AIDS-related deaths in the same 2017, with only 34 percent of the 3.1 million who are HIV positive are on anti-retroviral treatment (ARVs).

The number of children living with HIV in Nigeria stood at 220,000 in 2017, with only 26% receiving antiretroviral treatment.

- TheCable