Niger Delta : Militant group threatens to disrupt 2019 election

A new militant group known as War Against Niger Delta Exploitation (WANDE) has threatened to disrupt the 2019 elections if its demands on the development of the Niger Delta region were not met by the Federal Government.

A communique signed by its spokesman, ‘General’ Nomukeme, and issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday warned that the group would begin hostilities should the government of President Mohammadu Buhari fail to prove its commitment to the growth of the oil-bearing region.

The militant group’s seven-point communique indicated that it decided to make its position known after what it described as the Federal Government’s continued enslavement of the people of Niger Delta.

It noted that the people of the region were denied the right to have a share of their God-given resources, but added that President Buhari would enjoy its (WANDE) support if he could prove his administration’s commitment to Niger Delta development.

“WANDE will galvanise the support of all former and current agitators for you; President Muhammadu Buhari, if you can prove your administration’s commitment towards the development of the Niger Delta by implementing our demands as contained in this statement.

“But failure to meet these demands simply translates to our commencement of hostilities. We will frustrate the conduct of the 2019 general elections across the country if the demands are handled with kid gloves.

The group, however, called on presidential candidates in the forthcoming general elections to show the people of the region their blueprints for the development of the Niger Delta.

“This is because at the moment, no policy document of any of the candidates clearly shows a concrete plan for the development of the Niger Delta before any of them can get our support,” it said.

- PM NEWS

Falana accuses NCC of making Nigeria lose huge revenue annually

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has accused the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) of deliberately refusing to issue the contract award letter to enable the successful consultant to deploy the software and save Nigeria from further loss of huge revenue”.

Falana, in a letter addressed to Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, dated December 18, 2018, said the refusal of NCC to issue the contract award letter is causing the nation to lose revenue of over N600billion per annum.

The lawyer therefore issued a two-week ultimatum to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to release the contract award letter to facilitate the collection of NCC’s 2.5 per cent annual operating levy and other government taxes from the Nigerian telecommunication industry.

The letter read: “We have confirmed that the Nigerian Communication Commission under your management has since concluded the procurement process for the deployment of the revenue assurance solution that will aid the government to block the leakages associated with the revenue collection and ensure that the revenue of over N600 billion that ought to accrue to the government from the Nigerian Telecommunication Industry is monitored, analyzed and collected automatically and deposited in the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“We are however surprised to note that several months after the issuance of the Concurrence/Guidance on the award of the contract to the successful consultant by the Federal Ministry of Finance, your Commission has deliberately refused to issue the contract award letter to enable the successful consultant to deploy the software and save Nigeria from further loss of huge revenue.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Federal Government has announced its plan to diversify the economy by generating revenue from the non-oil sector. It is our belief that the speedy deployment of the revenue assurance solution will greatly increase the country’s non-oil revenue and reduce her dependence on loans from China, Western Countries and International Financial Institutions to fund the annual budget and the infrastructural development of the country.

“In the circumstance, we are compelled to request you to use your good offices to ensure the immediate release of the contract award letter to the successful consultant for the deployment of revenue assurance solution to facilitate the collection of the Nigerian Communication Commission’s 2.5 % annual operating levy and other government taxes from the Nigerian telecommunication industry.

“Take notice that if you fail or refuse to accede to our request within two weeks of the receipt of this letter we shall be left with no other alternative than to apply to the Federal High Court for an order of mandamus to compel the Nigerian Communications Communication to issue the contract award letter to the successful bidder in line with the provisions of the Procurement Act.

“Having regard to the facts and circumstances of this matter it is hoped that you will not allow us to resort to litigation which will lead to dire consequences for the Management of the Nigerian Communication Commission for causing the nation to lose the revenue of over N600 billion per annum.”

- DAILY POST

PL : Salah will not face action from FA for alleged dive

Mohamed Salah will not face any action from the FA for the alleged dive which led to Liverpool’s second goal in their 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle on Boxing Day.

Referee Graham Scott awarded the penalty two minutes into the second half after Salah appeared to have been pulled back as he dribbled into the box by Magpies left-back Paul Dummett. However, replays revealed that while there had been contact, it was in fact very minimal.

It’s understood that Salah’s theatrical reaction did not breach the threshold of “attempting to deceive the referee”.

If found guilty, Salah could have faced a two-match ban, which would rule him out of Liverpool’s decisive fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester City in the coming week.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez said the penalty was “soft” and “crucial”, but stopped short of labelling it a dive.

“The soft penalty in the game made the difference, we were in the game 1-0 at half-time, but when we conceded the second goal it was more difficult for us to react against a very good team.

“The second goal was crucial, it gave them more confidence and was more difficult for us, you have to take more risks, be more open then you make more mistakes and pay for that.”

Liverpool remain undefeated after 19 games – a Premier League club record – and stretched their lead over Tottenham to six points at the top of the table, with City tumbling into third after suffering their second successive defeat.

- INDEPENDENT 

MONEY LAUNDERING !! 2019 presidency: I’ve nothing to do in America – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has hinted that he may not visit the United States of America any time soon.

“What will I even go to do in America,” Atiku queried during an interview with the Hausa service of the Voice of America.

Atiku was Nigeria’s vice president between 1999 and 2007 under the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Atiku who floored other 12 aspirants to pick the PDP’s presidential ticket in Port Harcourt, is being dogged by allegations of corruption.

Recall that the former Vice President and his fourth wife Jennifer Douglas, an American citizen, were allegedly indicted in 2010 in a 328-page American Senate committee report for transferring over $40 million “suspect funds” to America from offshore accounts between 2002 and 2008.

The report had said, “Ms Douglas helped her husband bring over $40 million in suspect funds into the United States, including at least $1.7 million in bribe payments from Siemens AG, a German corporation, and over $38 million from little known offshore corporations, primarily LetsGo Ltd. Inc., Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., and Sima Holding Ltd.”

DAILY POST

Buhari should have been executed for overthrowing Shagari – Atiku’s spokesman

Mr. Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has fired back at Barrister Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, for saying his principal should have been in jail over corruption charges.

Keyamo had in a lengthy statement on Wednesday night stated that had Atiku not been a beneficiary of the slow system in the country, he should have been sent to jail before May 2015 when Buhari came to power.

Responding to Keyamo’s statement on Thursday in a tweet, Ibe said had Nigeria a working system, President Muhammadu Buhari should have been killed long ago for overthrowing the democratically elected government of President Shehu Shagari in 1983.

In his tweet, Ibe stated: ”Festus Keyamo should be careful what he brings on himself and APC campaign. If Nigeria had a working system, Muhammadu Buhari should have been executed for overthrowing a democratically elected government in 1983.”

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar fired the first salvo when he blamed Buhari for the slow progress in the fight against corruption.

The PDP presidential candidate was responding to President Buhari’s admission that the fight against corruption in the country has been slow because of the Nigerian system of doing things.

- PM NEWS

States, LGAs alerted on use of detergents by fruit vendors

A vegetable and fruit expert, Dr Ikechi Agbugba, on Thursday, urged states and local governments to check traders and food vendors using detergents to wash fruits, vegetables, root tubers and nuts.

Agbugba, a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Port Harcourt, gave this advice in Lagos.

According to him, the membranes (cover) of fruits, vegetables, root tubers and nuts are porous and when soaked in water or liquids, absorb easily and the use of detergents to wash them is hazardous.

“This habit has been going on for long and needs to be stopped. It is common sight today at street corners and road side markets, fruit vendors scrubbing fruits inside soapy containers as if they are washing jean trousers.

“When you confront them, they will tell you it was the only way to wash off the soil dirt from the fruits.

“Using Clean water and local sponge is okay and enough to remove the dirt and any residue from the soil,’’ he said.

Agbugba said that when soaked in soapy water, the fruits absorbed the chemicals through the porous membrane making them unfit for consumption.

He said that fruit sellers were feeding unsuspecting consumers with chemical poison in the name of cleanliness.

According to him, some of these vendors are ignorant of the danger their action is posing to human health and need to be educated.

He said such information could be effectively disseminated through the associations and unions of fruit vendors.

Agbugba said that the market town criers could also be used, adding that the market officials would be able to enlighten retailers on the risks of washing fruits and vegetables with detergents.

He also advised the local governments to visit roadside food retailers and illegal markets on a daily basis to check these practices.

He said that when fruits on display were extraordinarily clean, it was likely that they had been washed with detergent.

The vegetable expert said that those with high sense of smell would also be able to perceive the scent of detergent on such fruits.

- PM NEWS

Indian woman attacks alleged stalker, cuts off his genitals

A middle-aged Indian woman attacked her alleged stalker and cut off his genitals before rushing him to hospital to save his life, police said on Thursday.

The accused woman on Tuesday asked two men to lure the 25-year-old to an isolated place in the suburbs of Mumbai where the three of them assaulted him.

The woman then used a kitchen knife to cut off his genitals, police said.

In a statement to police, the 42-year-old woman said the victim was her neighbour and had several times harassed her.

”She decided to “teach him a lesson”, a police inspector told Reuters.

But the woman realised he could die and rushed him to hospital.

Both the knife and the genitals have been recovered, police said.

“He is on ventilator support and is still critical,” said a doctor at the hospital.

The woman and her two alleged acquaintances are in police custody while investigations continue.

Sexual violence and harassment of women have been a growing concern in India in recent years.

The police and governments have been criticised for failing to keep the streets of major cities safe.

-PM NEWS