Presidential campaign fund: Buhari meets Nicole, N5,785 donor

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, at the State House, Abuja, received Nicole Benson, the 12 years old who contributed N5,785 to his presidential election campaign fund in 2015.

Two other young admirers, who have shown high interest in Buhari’s administration and prayed for his recovery from ill-health, were also received by the president yesterday.

Three-year old Maya Jammal became an internet sensation when her videoed prayer for the president’s recovery went viral, while 10-year old Aisha Aliyu Gebbi penned a personal letter to President Buhari, describing herself as his “biggest fan”.

Nicole Benson, 12 years old, had contributed N5,785 to the president’s campaign in 2015, which she save from her lunch and pocket allowance.

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement, quoted the president to have said:

“I am very impressed by what the children have been able to do. I can see Maya is shy. I watched her video where she was praying for my recovery when I was ill.”

The president attributed his victory at the polls to the contributions of good hearted Nigerians, like young Nicole, who hails from Lagos State and showed her support by sending her personal savings.

“Nicole, I congratulate you, and myself for being here today. Your contribution made a great impact. As you can see, I am here in the Presidential Villa. Thank you.”

The president told Aisha that her letter was heart-warming. He said he felt re-assured knowing he had fans amongst the children.

“Thank you very much for the letter,” he said.

Buhari said he looked forward to more visits from the children.

“I am hoping that it will not be the first and last time we will be meeting while I am here. We will continue to meet even after I have left here.’’

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Hon. Aliyu Ibrahim Gebbi said the president’s gesture of inviting the children to the Presidential Villa was a dream come true.

Gebbi said the invitation also added to the president’s long standing record of good heartedness and fairness.

“In a nation with few legends and accuracy of truth, we look up to you, Mr. President, and our children are looking up to you,” he added.

Maya lives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while Aisha came in from Bauchi State.

Catalan leader stalls on independence drive 29 mins ago Europe

Catalan regional government president Carles Puigdemont delivers a speech on the sidelines of a wreath-laying ceremony commemorating the 77th anniversary of the death of Catalan leader Lluis Companys at the Montjuic Cemetery in Barcelona on October 15, 2017. Companys had proclaimed a “Catalan state in the Spanish federal republic” in 1934 to oppose the conservatives who governed in Madrid. Exiled in France, Companys was denounced by the Nazis in 1940 and handed over to Spain where he was executed. / AFP PHOTO / PAU BARRENA

Catalonia’s separatist leader on Monday refused to say whether he had declared independence from Spain, calling for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to settle the country’s worst political crisis in a generation.

Responding to a Monday morning deadline set by the central government to clarify his position, Carles Puigdemont for talks with Rajoy “as soon as possible”.

But he stopped short of giving a definitive “yes or no” as demanded by Madrid after his ambiguous independence speech last week.

The Spanish government had given Puigdemont until 0800 GMT on Monday to clear up his stance on secession, with anything less than a full climb-down likely to prompt moves by Madrid to impose direct control over the semi-autonomous region.

In a letter addressed to the premier, Puigdemont wrote: “for the next two months, our main objective is to bring you to dialogue.”

But Spain’s foreign minister said Puigdemont had failed to give a clear answer.

“It’s clear Mr Puigdemont has not responded, has not given the clarity we asked of him,” Alfonso Dastis told reporters in Luxembourg.

European Union officials are keeping a close eye on developments amid fears that Catalan independence could put further strain on the bloc as it grapples with Britain’s shock decision to leave.

Puigdemont had told regional lawmakers he was ready for Catalonia to “become an independent state” following a secession referendum on October 1 that went ahead despite a court ban.

But he immediately said he was suspending proceedings to allow time for negotiations with Madrid.

‘Facing the problem head-on’
Puigdemont and some separatist allies want mediation with Madrid over the fate of the 7.5 million-strong region, an idea the central government says is a non-starter.

In his letter, the separatist leader wrote that his “suspension of the political mandate given by the polls on October 1 demonstrates our firm will to find a solution and not confrontation.

“Let’s not let the situation deteriorate further. With good will, recognising the problem and facing it head on, I am sure we can find the path to a solution,” he wrote.

In the run-up to Monday’s deadline, Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said Madrid wanted a full climb-down from Puigdemont but was prepared for another indefinite response from the Catalan president.

“If that’s the case, that will show that he doesn’t want dialogue and so the Spanish government will need to take necessary measures to return to normality,” Zoido told reporters at the weekend.

Rock and a hard place
Catalonia, an economic heavyweight that accounts for a fifth of Spain’s GDP, has its own language and distinct culture but is deeply divided over independence.

Separatists argue the prosperous region is helping to prop Spain up, saying it pays more in taxes than it gets back and that a break from the rest of the country would allow it to prosper.

The Spanish government says growing uncertainty over Catalonia, which is deeply indebted to Madrid and which cannot borrow internationally, imperils Spain’s recovery from the financial crisis.

The two biggest Catalan banks have already moved their legal headquarters to other parts of Spain, while ratings agency Standard and Poor’s has warned of a recession in the region if the crisis drags on.

Puigdemont, a 54-year-old former journalist and father of two, is under intense pressure from Madrid and world leaders to back off.

But he is also beingsqueezed by his separatist allies to crack on with independence.

Rajoy said he is ready to invoke article 155 of Spain’s constitution, allowing him to retake full control of Catalonia — the so-called “nuclear option.”

And Puigdemont’s separatist allies have threatened mass strikes and protests in the event of a climb-down.

Adding to tensions is the expected appearance in court in Madrid of Catalan police chief Josep Lluis Trapero.

He is to be questioned on accusations of sedition for his handling of pro-independence protests and for allegedly failing to stop the October 1 vote.

'Dr Deji Adeleke not seeking APC governorship ticket in Osun'

                     

Dr Deji Adeleke
The business mogul, philanthropist and very humble illustrious son of Ede in Osun state, Dr Deji Adeleke has debunked the rumour that he would contest in the next year's governorship election in the State.

A press press statement issued on Monday on behalf of Dr Deji Adeleke and signed by Mr Dele Adeleke described the insinuation that Dr Deji Adeleke wanted to contest for the gubernatorial poll on the platform of All Progressive Congress as false, unfounded and ludicrous.

According to the statement, "our attention has been drawn to a rumour in a section of the media that Dr Deji Adeleke is being pressured to contest for the governorship seat in Osun State on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC)."

"Dr Deji Adeleke is not interested in seeking any political office nor involved in any talks/plot to make him the governorship candidate of APC or any other political party. Dr Adeleke is not a politician and has chosen to continue to render his contributions and service to humanity in his private capacity and through his foundation."

"We hereby appeal to the good people of Osun state and all Nigerians to disregard the mischievous publication in its entirety."

Nnamdi Kanu still 'missing' on eve of trial for treason 2 hours ago National

Nnamdi Kanu

The leader of a pro-Biafran separatist group in Nigeria has apparently gone missing, prompting speculation as to his whereabouts on the eve of his trial on treason charges.

Nnamdi Kanu, who heads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement, has not been seen in public since troops were deployed to the southeastern city of Umuahia last month.

Kanu, who wants a separate state for the Igbo people who dominated the country’s southeast, has been on bail since April.

He is scheduled to appear in court in Abuja on Tuesday.

His lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told AFP: “Only the army can tell us where he is. Either they arrested him or they killed him.

“If he is alive, they should bring him to the court on Tuesday.”

Justice ministry spokesman Salihu Othman Isah said whether the trial goes ahead depends on Kanu’s appearance and the judge.

“I can’t tell you specifically what will happen,” he added.

– Bullet holes –

Kanu’s disappearance has prompted renewed fears of violence in the restive southeast, which remains tense 50 years after a declaration of independence sparked a brutal civil war.

He was first arrested in October 2015 and held in custody until April this year, despite repeated court rulings that he should be released.

In Umuahia, which was once the capital of the self-styled republic of Biafra and where Kanu spent his childhood, the windows of the family home have been blown out.

The ochre walls and the cars parked in front of the building are pitted with bullet holes, according to an AFP correspondent in the city.

Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, maintains he was at the compound when soldiers attacked it on September 14.

He said 28 people were killed but the army has denied the claim. Neither claim has been verified independently.

“They were so numerous. They started to shoot from 200 metres (650 feet) away,” Prince Emmanuel told AFP by telephone. “People were running for their lives. We had no guns with us.”

Prince Emmanuel said the military was holding his brother in secret. The government has dismissed the claim and said he was “hiding” somewhere.

– Long-standing resentment –

Nigeria officially declared IPOB a “terrorist organisation” in mid-September after violent clashes between the security forces and IPOB supporters.

Members of the group were accused of attacking military checkpoints in Umuahia, which is the capital of Abia state, and the state’s commercial hub, Aba.

There was also violence in Port Harcourt, which is the capital of the neighbouring state of Rivers and Nigeria’s main oil hub.

Officially, the military said the troop deployment was part of its Operation Python Dance against crime in the region. IPOB said it was designed to curb its activities.

Human rights organisations and analysts believe the authorities’ response has exacerbated tensions in a region where separatist sentiment has never really disappeared.

Many in the southeast say the region’s lack of basic infrastructure and extreme poverty is a “punishment” for what happened in 1967.

The charismatic Kanu, who is in his 50s, knew how to exploit those frustrations. He revived Radio Biafra and used to broadcast calls for independence from his home in London.

Those calls increased after his arrest and sparked repeated demonstrations. Even after his release on bail, he rarely passed up a chance to whip up his crowds of supporters.

Kanu wants a referendum on self-determination and has called for a boycott all forthcoming elections.

– High-risk strategy –

Security consultant Don Okereke believes the army overstepped the mark by conducting law enforcement operations in the southeast that were normally the remit of the police.

“(The) Python Dance exercise is an aberration. There’s a high sentiment of distrust,” he said.

The federal government in Abuja has meanwhile opened itself up to the charge of “double standards” with the Biafra question, he added.

On the one hand it is prepared to negotiate with Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast and militants in the Niger delta in the south but not IPOB, Okereke added.

That was a high-risk strategy, he said, adding: “If anything happens to him (Kanu), the reactions are likely to be very violent in the southeast.”

In 2009, a military crackdown on Boko Haram led to the death in custody of its leader, Muhammad Yusuf.

For now, rumours abound about Kanu’s whereabouts. The British mission in Abuja has denied one claim from a former Abia state governor that Kanu was back in London.

Boko Haram: 400 terrorists surrender in Mozogo, Northern Cameroon

A total of 400 Boko Haram fighters of Cameroon nationality were said to have handed themselves to local vigilante group at the town of Mozogo on Nigeria’s border in Northern Cameroon on Friday.

Head of the vigilante group, Ousmane Kouila, who was in Maiduguri on Monday and spoke to newsmen said they were out on a patrol in the border area when they met the fleeing Boko Haram fighters along with their families.

According to Kouila, the former Boko Haram fighters confessed that they were taken hostage by Boko Haram fighters during attacks on their villages and taken to Nigeria, where they were forced to join the jihadist group.

He said, “Among the people we handed over to the Cameroonian authorities today are 70 men, 86 women and 244 children.

“They confessed that after spending two years with Boko Haram, they decided to flee their families and hand over themselves. They said they had fought for Boko Haram and chose to lay down their arms on their own will.”

Trump and the dismantling of Obama’s legacy

Trump (left) and Obama
Washington, United States | AFP | Brick by brick, the demolition job has begun: since taking office less than a year ago, Donald Trump has launched an all-out assault on the legacy of Barack Obama.

Climate, free trade, health care, immigration, foreign policy — the 45th US president has set about undoing just about everything done by the 44th.

All new presidents, of course, break with their predecessor once in the Oval Office, especially if they come from a rival political party.

But what is striking is how systematic the hammer blows to Obama’s legacy have been.

And rather than throw his weight behind new policies or projects, Trump has shown a willful desire to unpick, shred and erase everything his predecessor accomplished.

It’s worth noting that each time he buries one of the reforms of the man who sat before him at the “Resolute desk,” Trump sounds more like a candidate than a president.

– ‘Ridiculous trade deals’ –

The Trans-Pacific Partnership? Within days of taking office, Trump signed an order pulling America out of the free trade accord, the fruit of eight years of negotiations between 12 Asia-Pacific countries, from Chile to Canada and Japan.

“We’re going to stop the ridiculous trade deals that have taken everybody out of our country and taken companies out of our country, and it’s going to be reversed,” Trump said.

Paradoxically, in signing off on the project’s demise, Trump was aligning himself more with the left wing of the Democratic party than with the Republican mainstream.

The Paris climate accord? Obama played a leading role in attaining that milestone in the effort to combat global warming.

Trump pulled out of the agreement signed by 195 countries, claiming that it “punishes the United States” and declaring: “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”

What about Obamacare, the signature legislative achievement of Obama’s first term? After trying in vain to get Congress to repeal it, Trump is now working to bring about its collapse through the regulatory process.

And the Iranian nuclear accord? The bid to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon in return for a lifting of sanctions more than any other bore came to represent Obama’s approach to world affairs.

“This deal will have my name on it,” the Democratic president said shortly before it was concluded. “Nobody has a bigger personal stake in making sure that it delivers on its promise.”

While Trump has stopped short of tearing up the Iran deal, as he threatened on the campaign trail, on Friday he warned he could do so “at any time,” raising doubts about the fate of an accord born of years of painstaking diplomacy.

The post Trump and the dismantling of Obama’s legacy appeared first on The Independent Uganda:.

What Fela did to government with his music – Ambode

The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has said the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was as an enigmatic artiste who used his musician to fight bad governance.

The governor stated this during the inauguration of the ‘Liberation Statue’ in honour of Fela, erected at Allen Roundabout in Ikeja.

Ambode said apart from challenging people to free their minds of all inhibitions and actualise their true potential, the late music icon voluntarily turned his back on a life of comfort and privilege.

He said, “The phenomenon that the world knows as Fela was deeply rooted in the evolution of Lagos State. The story of music, art, entertainment and tourism in Lagos and Nigeria cannot be told without an eloquent mention of the Abami eda.

“On this day, October 15, which would have been Fela’s 79th birthday, the government and people of Lagos State celebrate Fela with the inauguration of this ‘Liberation Statue.’

“It has been 20 years since he passed on, but the memories he left us with remain evergreen. Today we celebrate a man who voluntarily turned his back on a life of comfort and privilege, and took up his saxophone as a weapon to fight for the liberation of our people from neo-colonialism and bad governance.

“This ‘Liberation Statue’ is not an image of Fela, but a symbol of Fela’s philosophy. This artwork was created as a form of respect and remembrance to this legend; what he stood for and fought for with his music, his struggle for freedom and Pan-Africanism, among others.”

Ambode said although Fela was no more, he was still alive in his music and in the music of Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti and other artistes who had followed his style of music.

Rohr warns against another World Cup pay by Nigeria

Ogenyi Onazi (left) chases after Lionel Messi at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Nigerian sports minister had to fly into Brazil with $4 million cash to pacify the Eagles at this tournament


Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has warned against another pay strike at the World Cup if the country hoped to improve on their previous outings at the global tournament.

At the 2014 World Cup, the Super Eagles skipped a training to protest the non-payment of bonus for qualifying for the tournament forcing the country’s sports minister to fly out by private jet to pay them almost $4 million cash in Brazil.

Rohr said he believes the three-time African champions can improve on their best World Cup performance of a Round of 16 by better and early preparation as well as ensuring money issues are sorted out well in advance.

Nigeria will be paid a total of $12.5 million by FIFA for qualifying for Russia 2018 with $2.5 million of this amount paid for the Eagles to prepare adequately for the football showpiece.

They will earn more cash should they reach the knockout rounds of the tournament as they have done in 1994 and 2014.

Nigeria have so far used a total of 37 players for the qualifying tournament for Russia 2018 and they are all entitled to a share of a qualification bonus.

Rohr, a 64-year-old Franco-German coach, said he believes that with a fully prepared and united team both on and off the pitch, Nigeria can expect their best performance at next year’s tournament.

“If we want to do something at the World Cup, we have to prepare well,” he said in an interview.

“We want everybody who wants to be part of the team to show the same solidarity we currently have in the team.

“More importantly, we don’t want the issue of money to be a problem.

“The issue of bonuses and allowances, which are the usual African problem we see during the World Cup, must be avoided.

“Such issue will be bad for our preparation.

“I have told my officials and the federation president that all (such issues) be cleared before the start of the competition.”

George Weah: from football pitch to presidential palace?

                         

George Weah, 51, emerged from Liberia's slums to become a superstar footballer in the 1990s, and has leveraged his status as a revered figure among young people in his second run for the presidency.

Now Weah has a confirmed place in the runoff round against incumbent Vice-President Joseph Boakai on November 7, the result of 12 years spent seeking to build political credibility to match his huge popularity.

The first African player to win both FIFA's World Player of the Year trophy and the Ballon d'Or, Weah was largely absent from Liberia during the 1989-2003 civil war period, playing for a string of top-flight European teams including PSG and AC Milan.

After running unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2005, when he was defeated by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Weah -- whom he now hopes to succeed -- says he has "gained experience" since becoming a senator in 2014.

Another fruitless run for the vice-presidency on the ticket of presidential candidate Winston Tubman in 2011 brought him to further prominence among the nation's voters, many of whom say it is "Weah's turn" this time.

Weah has put education and job creation at the centre of his platform, in line with most of Liberia's 19 other presidential candidates.

Surrounded by cheering supporters after casting his vote on Tuesday, Weah declared his "love for this country will make me a good president".

- Beloved by young and poor -

Younger voters overwhelmingly favour Weah, who is idolised in his country as "Mister George".

A member of the Kru ethnic group mired in poverty, Weah was raised by his grandmother on a reclaimed swamp in one of the worst slums of Monrovia.

"Grassroots citizens identify with George Weah, considering that he is close to their day-to-day experience," explains Ibrahim Al-Bakri Nyei, a Liberian political analyst at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

One of his most fierce critics, longtime opposition leader Charles Brumskine, has derisively called Weah "a rather accomplished football player," saying he is not prepared to run a country.

"Senator Weah who talks about change is completely out of his league, we are talking governance here, we aren't talking to sports," Brumskine said during campaigning.

But many voters see a poor boy from the slums who made good against the odds.

"I believe that whenever we give him a chance, he will be able to give a better Liberia to the youth and the homeless," Andrew Janjay Johnson, a shoeshiner in a Monrovia market, told AFP.

- 'Vague' platform -

Other critics accuse Weah's Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of having too vague a political platform, and have challenged his long absences from the senate since being elected in a race he won over Sirleaf's son.

Weah has also fended off barbs over his vice-presidential pick, Jewel Howard-Taylor, the ex-wife of jailed former president and warlord Charles Taylor.

Howard-Taylor is however also a respected senator in her own right, bringing him important votes in the key county of Bong, and along with Sirleaf is one of few powerful women in Liberian public life.

Weah is married to Clar Weah, and his son, Timothy, signed a pro contract with Paris Saint-Germain in July.

Fani-Kayode blasts Buhari for asking World Bank to concentrate on Northern Nigeria

Fani-Kayode blasts Buhari for asking World Bank to concentrate on Northern Nigeria

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari, after it emerged that he told the World Bank president, Kim Yong Jim, to concentrate on Northern Nigeria.

Fani-Kayode, in a series of tweets on Friday morning, claimed Buhari sees Nigerians from the South and Middle Belt as “low-lifes, vassals and slaves”.

He wrote: “President of the World Bank, Kim Yong Jim, has said that @MBuharitold him to concentrate their efforts on northern Nigeria.

“Why am I not surprised? After all as far as@MBuhari is concerned southern Nigerians and Middle Belters are nothing but low-lifes, vassals and slaves.”

Kim had said: “You know, in my very first meeting with President Buhari he said specifically that he would like us to shift our focus to the northern region of Nigeria and we’ve done that. Now, it has been very difficult. The work there has been very difficult.

Davido did no wrong, Tagbo was a grown man - Jude Okoye

Davido did no wrong, Tagbo was a grown man – Jude Okoye

                            

                           

Manager and brother to Psquare, Jude Okoye has defended Davido who is embroiled in alleged murder case of his friend, Tagbo.

Jude in his snapchat post said Davido did no wrong giving instructions to his escort to get a grown intoxicated man medical help.

Recall Lagos Police on wednesday said Tagbo died from Asynxeria and was taken to the hospital in one of Davido’s cars under his instructions.

He, however encouraged Davido to stay strong despite all odds.

“All they can do is try but they can’t stop you always stay strong with God.

“Their operation bring him down by all means will backfire soonest.

”His crime now is giving instruction to get a grown intoxicated man medical help,” Jude wrote.

PSG Forward, Angel Di Maria Has Been Sentenced To Prison (Read Details)

Paris Saint-Germain forward Angel Di Maria has been sentenced to one year in prison and will pay a £1.76million fine after admitting to tax fraud in Spain.

The Argentine winger defrauded the Spanish government a sum of £1.14million during his four-year spell with Real Madrid between 2010 and 2014.

Di Maria according to SunSports made a deal with authorities to avoid a trial at the Spanish Supreme Court – which found Lionel Messi guilty of similar crimes last year.

He admitted to two separate counts of fraud – each of which will carry a six-month sentence – and will pay 60 per cent fine on top of his arrears, coming to £1.76m.

The Argentinian is unlikely to spend any time behind bars as sentences of under two-years are usually suspended, providing the convicted has no criminal record. Di Maria’s charges relate to the player’s image rights with Los Blancos in 2012 and 2013.

According to Madrid prosecutors, the former Manchester United star transferred his rights to an Irish company owned by super-agent Jorge Mendes, via another holding in Panama.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho, Radamel Falcao, Ricardo Carvalho and Fabio Coentrao have all been investigated for related offences.
Barcelona ace Javier Mascherano also struck a similar deal do Di Maria’s earlier this year. Di Maria’s admission means he now avoids a high-profile court date.

Messi, also 29, and his father Jorge were each sentenced to 21 months in prison after being found guilty of owing £3.4m in tax payments in July last year. Ronaldo, 32, is due to appear in court on July 31 to face allegations he owes the Spanish tax man £13m.

The Real Madrid star faces no formal charge at this stage and is appearing in court as an ‘investigated person’ and could be fined as much as £37m if he is found guilty.