CERTIFICATE SAGA: CJN PROBES MAGISTRATE

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has okayed an investigation into a petition accusing a Chief Magistrate in Abuja, Mr. Abubakar Babashani, of deliberately frustrating moves to commence hearing on the perjury charge entered against the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (ret).
Already, the CJN has directed the magistrate to immediately file his response to the petition entitled “Case of Abuse of Office and Manifest Bias by His Worship, Abubakar Babashani, in The Criminal Complaint by Shield Jones Ufot & Ors. Vs. Muhammed Buhari.”
Reacting to the petition, the CJN via a letter with Ref. No. CJN/MAN/B9/S.1/VOL.VI/389, which was signed by his Senior Special Assistant, Mrs. Hadiza Sa’eed, said he would give due consideration to all the allegations that were raised against the magistrate in the complaint letter dated February 4, 2015.

YORUBA LEADERS ENDORSE JONATHAN •Insist on implementation of confab reports

Yoruba leaders across the country, on Thursday, endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan in the forthcoming presidential election and insisted on the implementation of the reports of the national conference.
They advocated structural changes in the constitution of the Nigerian nation rather than the clamour for personality change at the helm of affairs in the country.
The leaders, including various groups across the Yoruba nation, which comprise the Afenifere, Yoruba Self Determinants Group, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and other Yoruba leaders across the South-West states, restated their commitment to the realisation of an indivisible and united Nigeria.

NASS STOPS PRESIDENTS FROM ASSENTING NEW CONSTITUTION

• Separates the office of the Attorney General from the Justice Min
THE Senate, on Wednesday, passed the constitution amendment bill into law, marking the fourth time the 1999 Constitution is being amended.
The senators, in the process, amended Section 9 of the Constitution, to ensure that once the amendment bill scales the huddle in the state assemblies, a siting president does not need to assent to it.

Diamond Bank Makes Case for Child Development

                                                                                    

   Diamond Bank PLC, a leading retail bank in Nigeria, has restated its commitment towards the intellectual development of children in the country.

Victor Ezenwoko, Executive Director, Lagos and West Businesses, Diamond Bank PLC, who spoke during the public presentation of the finalists of the 2015 edition of the Vision Of The Child competition, stated that the Bank’s support for the competitive programme was in recognition of the importance of children to the future of the country. Diamond Bank is a sponsor of the Vision Of The Child, which is a live painting and literary arts competition for children, which forms part of activities commemorating the Lagos Black Festival of Arts and Culture.

He said: “Nigeria’s future depends not only on our children but also on the investment we make on them. It is in recognition of this that Diamond Bank supports the Vision Of The Child Competition. As a responsible corporate institution, we will continue to support this initiative because it is our own little contribution towards the wellbeing of the Nigerian Child.”

OBA OF BENIN’S SON RESIGNS FROM OSHIOMHOLE’S GOVT, ALLEGES THREAT TO LIFE

ANOTHER Prince of the Benin royal family, Prince Ekpen Erediauwa, has resigned his appointment as Executive Director (Government House) barely 24 hours after he alleged that Governor Adams Oshiomhole harassed and threatened his life over a parcel of land he acquired from the Federal Government some years ago.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Government, yesterday, denied the allegation.
Prince Erediauwa said he will also institute a legal action against the governor over the alleged harassment and threat to his life.
This is coming on the heels of the recent demolition of official residences of some staff of the University of Benin by the governor, as the dust raised by that action is yet to settle.
According to Prince Erediauwa, “There is a parcel of land at Okoro-Otun Avenue, GRA Benin. It is a Federal Government property based on investigations I conducted a few years ago. I made some contacts and acquired the land.

KAYMU EXPANDS OPERATIONS TO WARRI AND BENIN

Nigeria’s leading online marketplace Kaymu.com.ng has expanded operations to Warri and Benin. This comes hot on the heels of its expansion to Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ibadan.

In a statement released by the Managing Director of Kaymu.com.ng, Evangeline Wiles, ‘The company which started with one hub in Lagos has since grown in two years to establish hubs in six geo-political regions in Nigeria’’.

CAN GOT N7BN TO CAMPAIGN FOR JONATHAN –BORNO PASTOR

Fresh facts emerged on Thursday about the allegation by the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, that President Goodluck Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party gave some pastors N6bn to campaign against the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in the 2015 presidential election.
A Borno State-based Pastor, Kallamu Dikwa, said the money allegedly given to the pastors by the Presidency was N7bn and not N6bn as alleged by Amaechi, who doubled as the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation.
Amaechi had alleged that some unnamed leaders of the PDP paid N6bn to Christian clerics to campaign against the APC.
But reacting to the Northern States Christian Elders Forum, who challenged Amaechi to name those pastors involved in the bribery scandal, Dikwa told journalists in Kaduna on Thursday that the said money was channelled through the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Dikwa, who is the Executive Director of the Voice of Northern Christian Movement, said CAN got the said money (N7bn) on January 26, 2015 and disbursed N3m each to state Chairmen of the CAN across the country.

I WILL DECLARE MY ASSETS PUBLICLY –BUHARI

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, if voted into power.
Buhari stated this in a document obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday. The document highlights what Buhari will do in his first 100 days if he assumes power on May 29.
He said he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly.
If the APC candidate keeps to his promise, he will be the second Nigeria’s President to publicly declare his assets.

JONATHAN, YORUBA COUNCIL OF ELDERS MEET IN LAGOS

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday, in State House Marina, Lagos met with the Yoruba Elders Council (YCE) with a call on Nigerian politicians to put the country’s unity and stability ahead of their personal or political ambitions.
He observed that the country must exist first for anyone to be able to aspire to be president or vice president or any other political office for that matter.
Jonatan said: “No matter what we want to do, that is those of us who are aspiring to run this country or even at the state level, first and foremost, you must have a country.
“If we don’t have a country there will be no office to hold; whether it is the office of the President or office of the Vice President or office of the minister or whatever office, there must be Nigeria first.
“My position is that let us all collectively defend and protect this country and that is why I always feel bad when people make statements that expose Nigeria as if it is the worst country on earth. We are not that bad.

BUHARI SETTING STAGE FOR POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE – PDP

Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDPPCO, has accused the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, of setting the stage for a replay of the 2011 post-election violence that claimed the lives of several Nigerians.
The PDP presidential campaign also declared that the APC is kicking against the deployment of soldiers for the general election to enable them have a field day to harass and intimidate voters and unleash violence on the polity once they lose the election.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the director of Media and Publicity of the PDP campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said it is now very clear to PDP that APC is determined to cause security breaches in the next few weeks.
“This has been confirmed by their vigorous campaign of calumny against the military and their consistent demand that soldiers must not be deployed for security surveillance at the polling booths in the forthcoming elections.”