President Goodluck Jonathan Boko Haram: Jonathan admits Nigeria passing through stress- Punch President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday admitted that the country was currently passing through stress orchestrated by the violence being perpetrated by members of the Boko Haram sect. He said that was why his administration had resolved to tackle the insurgency from different fronts. Jonathan spoke while inaugurating a steering committee for the Safe Schools Initiative, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The committee, which is co-chaired by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and a former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, also has the likes of Aliko Dangote, Nduka Obaigbena, as well as governors of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, among others as members. Gov Murtala Nyako Impeachment: I Will Seek Jonathan’s Assistance When Necessary, Says Nyako- ThisDay •Insists he won’t resign •Investigative panel invites governor, deputy The embattled Governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd), yesterday said if it became necessary, he would seek the assistance of President Goodluck Jonathan over the impeachment noose hanging around his neck. His statement coincided with the invitation by the investigative panel constituted by the former acting Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, whose tenure elapsed on Tuesday, asking the governor and his deputy, Bala Ngillari, to appear before it tomorrow. Nyako, who was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he attended the inauguration of the steering committee on the Safe Schools Initiative, informed State House correspondents that he remained unruffled over the move by the state House of Assembly to impeach him. While saying his state was calm, the governor who said he would not resign, also stated that since the case was before a court of competent jurisdiction, the lawmakers should adhere to the rule of law. INSURGENCY: Army finds links to politicians in Balmo Forest - Vanguard Some prominent politicians are presently being interrogated following the discovery of their identity cards and other incriminating items when troops destroyed terrorists’ camp in Balmo Forest, Bauchi State last week. The Coordinator of the National Information Centre, NIC, Mr. Mike Omeri, told newsmen in Abuja, yesterday: “Following the last successful operation carried out by security forces to dislodge terrorists from their forest bases in Darazo Local Government Area end of Balmo Forest, some politicians are currently being interrogated following the recovery of some sensitive registration cards and other materials of a prominent political party that were found in the possession of some of the suspects arrested. National confab splits over modality for report– Guardian • Protest as consensus group okays 18 per cent derivation, others • Conference votes to retain Land Use Act in constitution • Fashola faults state creation A proposal by the Chairman of the National Conference, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi for delegates to suggest the modality through which the body’s recommendations can be submitted to the President for implementation has polarised the conferees. The 2014 parley concludes its assignment next week. While some of the delegates were of the opinion that the report of the confab should be subjected to a referendum when the issue came up for discussion yesterday, preponderance said the outcome of the conference should be transmitted to the President to effectuate as a policy documen Jonathan assigns portfolio to 4 new ministers, Shekarau gets education ministry– BusinessDay President Goodluck Jonathan, in posting done on Wednesday, named the former Governor of Kano State,Ibrahim Shekarau, as the new Minister of Education. Shekarau, was assigned the education ministry portfolio alongside three other new ministers recently confirmed by the Senate. Dr. Stephen Oru was made Minister of Niger Delta Affairs; Adedayo Adeyeye, Minister of State for Works and Dr. Abdul Bulama, Minister of Science and Technology. The president directed the former Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, to take over as the substantive Minister of National Planning as well as Minister of State, Finance. Announcing the portfolios minutes before the start of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, Jonathan said their appointments could not be described as enviable because they were brought in at a time when Nigerians expected a lot from them. Lai Mohammed APC: Jonathan’s re-election at all cost endangers Nigeria– The Nation President Goodluck Jonathan came under fire yesterday for what the opposition described as subversion of institutions to pave the way for his re-election in February. The All Progressives Congress (APC) accused the President of perpetrating impunity, abusing federal institutions and tolerating corruption. In a statement in Osogbo by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said under President Jonathan’s watch, Nigeria has been thrown into unprecedented crisis that is manifesting in the opposition strongholds of Rivers, Edo, Adamawa and Nasarawa states and elsewhere across the country. The statement said: “The President has also abused national institutions, perhaps more than any other President in Nigeria’s history, deploying the police and the army to intimidate and harass ordinary citizens in general and opposition supporters in particular, as he did recently in Ekiti and he is allegedly planning to do in Osun State; shutting airports at will just to punish the opposition and muscling the electoral commission, INEC, to prevent incorruptible RECs from conducting elections. CBN releases new guidelines for finance houses- Daily Independent Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday released revised guidelines for operation of finance companies in the country retroactively from April. Under the new guidelines, the capital base of finance companies has been increased by 400 per cent from N20 million to N100 million. The revised guidelines also stipulate that the appointment or replacement of the chief executive officer or any of the principal officers of any finance company “must be cleared with the CBN before such appointments are made”. “Where the turnover of principal and senior officer is considered to be unduly high or where the reason for leaving by an officer suggests an attempt to cover up a fraud or other illegal activity, or punish the officer for attempting to prevent illegal activities, the CBN shall cause an investigation to be conducted into the matter and other affairs of the company as may be considered necessary.” Reps probe $470m Abuja CCTV contract– National Mirror The House of Representatives has begun an enquiry into a $470m contract awarded by the Presidency to a Chinese Company to supply and install Closed- Circuit Televisions, CCTVs, in the Federal Capital Territory. The House alleged that the surveillance cameras were not working. It, therefore, mandated its committees on information technology, public safety and national security to carry out the investigation. The House initiated the probe yesterday as it adopted a motion sponsored by Hon. Saviour Friday Udoh. The motion was entitled: “Urgent need to deploy video surveillance and closedcircuit television to check insecurity”. Argentina romps into final- The Sun Argentina kept their hope of winning the FIFA 2014 World Cup alive courtesy of a 4-2 win on penalties over Holland in the second semifinal of the Brazil 2014. Thanks to goalkeeper, Sergio Romero, who saved two penalties. Holland’s hope of making up through Wesley Sneijder failed and Sergio Ague- ro Argentina’s third. Dirk Kuyt scored to make it two for Holland but the icing on the cake for Argentina came from Maxi Rodriguez who scored for Argentina to bring scores to 4-2 after 12-0 minutes. I expect Jonathan’s backing —Nyako •As impeachment panel resumes sitting •NJC extends acting CJ’s tenure– Tribune The embattled Adamawa State governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd), has hinted that he expects President Goodluck Jonathan to support him in this critical time. The governor said having supported Jonathan all the way, he expected the president to back him should he require his support, but noted that he had not asked for his intervention because the problem in the state had not reached crisis point. When asked to confirm if he had been trying to reach out to President Jonathan for his intervention, the governor replied: “Not yet. It has not reached that crisis point.” He added that “we have supported him all this time; he has supported us and in situations like these when Mr President’s support is required, we will seek it.” Militants attack Somali presidential palace, fought off by troops- CNN Militants with the Islamist group al-Shabaab stormed Somalias presidential palace in Mogadishu on Tuesday, firing their way onto the grounds after a car bomb blasted the gate, authorities said. Somali and African Union troops exchanged heavy gunfire with the militants and thwarted the attack, a senior Somali security official said. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was not harmed and Somalias government praised the troops. Fortunately, the prompt actions of the Somali National Army, assisted by AMISOM forces (African Union Mission in Somalia), quickly halted the attack, said government spokesman Mustafa Duhulow.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 08:05:59 +0000