Jonathan does not deserve hero’s status – Sylva

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva weekend declared that the decision by former President Goodluck Jonathan to concede defeat to President Mohammadu Buhari during the last presidential election does not make him a hero.
He insisted that Jonathan’s attempts to scuttle the election disqualified him from benefiting from such heroic status.
Sylva, whose ambition of contesting for second term was scuttled by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP due to pressure from the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, said though the decision to concede  defeat was inevitable and would have been suicidal for the former President, the heroic status is a clear show of lack of value and indication of how cheap a man could earn such status in Nigeria.
The former governor, who spoke in an interview in Yenagoa said the decision by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to concede defeat should not be considered an achievement but an inevitable act from a defeated President.

Bacelona Defeat Juventus 3-1

Barcelona won its fifth European Cup with a 3-1 defeat of Juventus, giving the Spanish side three major trophies this season.
Goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar gave Barcelona the Champions League title. Juventus had come back to tie the game early in the second half of European soccer’s biggest club competition.
Barcelona becomes the first European team to win the Champions League, its domestic league and cup competitions in the same season two times. Barcelona also won La Liga and the Copa del Rey this year, while two-time European champion Juventus won Italy’s top league and the Coppa Italia.
Rakitic opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Every Barcelona player but the goalkeeper touched the ball before the goal, which came after 16 passes.

APC PICKS GBAJABIAMILA FOR HOUSE OF REPS SPEAKERSHIP

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has selected the member representing Surulere Federal Constituency, Lagos, in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to run for the office of Speaker of the House.
Mr. Gbajabiamila was elected at a primary election for APC members organised by the leadership of the party on Saturday in Abuja.
Mr. Gbajabiamila scored 154 votes, while his challenger, Yakubu Dogara, who stormed out of the venue of the election before voting commenced, scored 3 votes.
Four votes were declared invalid by the returning officer, the national vice chairman, north east Babachir Lawan.
The House of Reps is expected to elect a new Speaker on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dogara has rejected the election.

APC CONDUCTS MOCK ELECTION TO PICK CANDIDATE FOR HOUSE OF REPS SPEAKERSHIP

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is currently holding an election to select who will be nominated as the party’s candidate for the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The election is holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Femi Gbajabiamila is expected to pick the ticket after his main rival, Dogara Yakubu, stormed out of the venue with his supporters alleging irregularities.
It was gathered that the Consolidation Group, comprising members loyal to Mr. Dogara would also carry out a parallel primary at a different venue.
We cannot confirm if the rival election is taking place presently.
However, the spokesperson of the APC, Lai Mohammed, informed us that the party is just trying to be democratic by allowing the members select their speaker on their own.
“Out of 218 members, 160 are already here and minority cannot hold majority to ransom,” he said.
On why Mr. Dogara and his group left, Mr. Mohammed said the argument of the group was that they were not given notice of election.

Former Information Minister, Labaran Maku Emerges As APGA National Secretary As Party Elects New National Executives

The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA has elected  new National executives headed by Dr.  Victor Ike-Oye and the Chairman and Former Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku as the Secretary respectively.

That party National convention, which was held in Awka, Anambra state capital , played hosts to delegates from the 8 representing states, including Anambra with the view to elect new national officers to==who will  continue from where the out gone stopped.

Following the alleged court order  gotten from a Plateau state high court, the former National Chairman of the party, Victor Umeh open the convention with a clarification module requesting the party Legal Adviser Fergusson Okpara   to clarify the matter  before the mammoth crowd, which was latter dispelled as an act to misinformed the public on the state of the impending suit lying in the court…

In a remark, former National  chairman of the party chief Victor Umeh urged the new executives of the part to place the interest of the party above personal interest, lamented that though the party under his leadership had undergone over 76 court cases in their two term in office but  encouraged the incoming to be resolute and ensure APGA becomes a National party .

BUHARI MOVES TO SLASH OWN SALARY, ALLOWANCES

There are strong indications that in fulfilment of his campaign promise to reduce the cost of governance, President Muhammadu Buhari may have concluded plans to slash his salary and reduce his personal emoluments.
It was learnt that the President expected the Vice-President and other political appointees to take a similar decision.
Saturday PUNCH gathered in Abuja on Friday that the President would have made his decision public but chose to consult with his close associates on how best to approach the issue without being seen as dictatorial.
According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, President Buhari will earn a monthly salary of N3, 514, 705. He is also entitled to a regular hardship allowance and 50 per cent of the basic salary, which is N1,757,350.50.
There is however no information yet as to what percentage of Buhari’s salary and emoluments will be slashed.
But it was reliably learnt that the President would also reduce State House budget.
Other areas being considered by the President included appointment of aides and the possibility of implementing the report of the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.
Buhari, had on Tuesday sought the approval of the National Assembly to appoint 15 special advisers, unlike former President Goodluck Jonathan, who had 23 special advisers and scores of special assistants.

Buhari’s anti-corruption war takes off

President Muham-madu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade appears to have taken off in earnest barely a week after assuming office with a stern warning to ministers not to dabble into approving payments for contractors.
The government came boldly yesterday with a clear policy directive asking only the heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs not to abdicate their core functions to ministers who are political appointees but to do their jobs in strict compliance with the policy guidelines of the administration.
The Head of Service of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi, made the new position of the government known at a media briefing in Abuja.
According to the Head of Service of the Federation, the government wants to keep the political class away from issues of finance so that development of our country can be sustained.
He said: “If a minister travels out and payment is due, we cannot afford to wait for the ministers to come back before we pay.”

BUHARI, TINUBU, ATIKU MEET NASS OVER SENATE PRESIDENT, SPEAKER SEATS

AHEAD of Tuesday’s inauguration of the 8th National Assembly, leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are billed to meet with both the newly and returning members of the National Assembly today.
President Muhammadu Buhari, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu and the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun are among chieftains of the party billed to attend the parley holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The Guardian gathered that the parley is aimed at keeping the peace among National Assembly members who are split over the choice of their respective candidates.
While Messers Femi Gbajabiamila and Yakubu Dogara are slugging it out for the seat of the House of Representatives Speaker, Senators Bukola Saraki and Ahmed Lawan are neck deep in the squabble for the Senate Presidency seat.
Meanwhile, the campaigns for the Senate Presidency recorded a twist yesterday as the Senators backing the election of Senator Bukola Saraki publicly challenged those on the side of Senator Ahmed Lawan to publish the names of senators in their camp.

Workers shut down AIT, Raypower over 17 months unpaid salaries

Scores of workers of Daar Communications Plc, operator of African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM Radio, on Wednesday shut down all broadcasting activities at the Benin studio in protest over unpaid salaries.
The protesting workers were said to have blocked the main entrance to the station located along the Benin/Lagos bypass.
A detachment of anti-riot policemen were however called by the management of the station to forestall any break down of law.
It was gathered that the protesting workers put at 50 of AIT and Ray Power, were owed salaries salaries spanning between 12 and 17 months.
One of the protesting workers who did not want his name in print for personal reasons, said newly employed staff of AIT were being owed 12 months while old staff were yet to be paid salaries between 13 months and staff of the Raypower FM, the Radio arm of the broadcast outfit were owed 17 months.

TARIQ AZIZ, EX-SADDAM HUSSEIN FOREIGN MINISTER, DIES AFTER HEART ATTACK

Tariq Aziz, known as the face of Saddam Hussein's regime on the world stage for many years, has died in an Iraqi hospital, officials say.
Aziz, 79, served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister and was a close adviser to the former leader.
He was sentenced to death by the Iraqi Supreme Court in 2010 for the persecution of religious parties under Saddam's rule but was never executed.
He surrendered to US troops in 2003 shortly after the fall of Baghdad.
A local health official told reporters that he was taken to hospital from prison after suffering a heart attack. Initial reports said he had died in prison.
He had long been in poor health, suffering from heart and respiratory problems, high blood pressure and diabetes, and his family repeatedly called for his release from custody.
His wife, Violet, had visited him in prison on Thursday, their daughter Zeinab told the AP news agency.
She said her father had suffered several strokes that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak during her parents' final meeting.
"He didn't move. He couldn't talk. He didn't say a word to her. He just looked at her," said Zeinab, adding: "It is so sad that he had to go this way."