Hajj stampede: CJN mourns death of 2 Appeal Court Justices

SOURCE: D-one Ayekooto timeline

================

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, Saturday, disclosed that two Court of Appeal Justices were among those that died during the stampede that led to the death of over 700 persons at Mina, Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

In a statement, the CJN, gave the names of the deceased Justices as Abdulkadir Jega who is the Presiding Justice of the Abuja Division of the appellate court and Justice Musa Hassan Alkali of the Ilorin Division.
Justice Mohammed, in a condolence message to their families, the Court of Appeal, the Judiciary and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, said it was with a deep sense of shock but with gratitude to Almighty Allah that he learnt of the death of the two justices.

He said their death was not only a huge loss to the Judiciary but also to the country, stressing that the deceased Justices had contributed immensely to the development of the jurisprudence in Nigeria.

The statement which was signed by his media aide, Mr. Ahuraka Isah, further read: “The CJN, Justice Mohammed on behalf of the entire Judiciary in the country prayed the Almighty Allah to grant the soul of departed Justices eternal rest and their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

“Justice Mohammed expressed his personal condolences to the immediate family and relations as well as friends and associates of the highly respected jurists who will be greatly missed by the entire judiciary.

“His Lordship urges members of the deceased families to be comforted by the knowledge that the departed jurists served their country with commitment, dedication and honesty.
“The CJN prays that Almighty Allah will receive their soul and grant them al-janah”.

PHOTO @ AMAA2015

#amaa2015 @Sadiq daba in the studio 

Any refineries that fail to work optimally by December will be sold, says NNPC boss

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has stated that refineries that fail to meet the 90-day ultimatum to get fixed may be sold.

Speaking with journalists, on Thursday, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, stated that "by the end of December when the 90-day ultimatum will expire, any refineries that does not work optimally will be sold.

"I am determined to make a difference during my stay. We are losing $10 billion monthly to refinery inefficiency. As of today, the average refining performance is 30 per cent.

"If by December, the refineries don't work, I will export crude allocation and import refined petroleum products until we fix the refineries. Right now, the Port Harcourt refineries are showing signs they will meet the December deadline.

"However, I am not saying Warri and Kaduna refineries will not meet the deadline, but I hope they all meet it so that we can continue to utilise our crude allocation to boost domestic refining."

Kachikwu said that NNPC cash call arrears stood at $5 billion and hopes to settle the arrears by end of December 2015.

"By December, I hope to settle all the cash call arrears and grow NPDC to where it is supposed to be," he said.

PRESIDENT BUHARI REMAINS FULLY COMMITTED TO IMPROVED NATIONAL SECURITY AND SUCCOUR FOR IDPs

Contrary to the erroneous impression that may have been created by reports that the Nigerian delegation to the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly missed a meeting on help for displaced persons, President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration remain fully committed to the rehabilitation and well-being of all persons who have been displaced or adversely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Indeed, the war against terrorism, improved security across Nigeria and additional measures to give succour to internally displaced persons have been central to discussions President Buhari has had with other world leaders since his arrival in New York on Thursday night.

The issues were dominant in the President's conversations on Friday with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the King of Spain, His Majesty Don Felipe VI and former Prime-minister Gordon Brown who came with former President Olusegun Obasanjo to discuss the actualization of the safe schools initiative, which is of special interest in parts of Nigeria most vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

President Buhari is handling his duty as leader of the Nigerian delegation to this year's General Assembly with the greatest possible diligence and will certainly not tolerate any tardiness on the part of the delegation in seizing every possible opportunity to advance Nigeria's interests.

This notwithstanding, it must be realized that it will be near impossible for any national delegation, no matter its size, to participate in all the meetings that are simultaneously happening in and around the General Assembly in New York.

The meeting at which Nigeria was reportedly absent was not one the official events of the United Nations for which President Muhammadu Buhari and his modest delegation are in New York.

While the meeting referred to in media reports is commendable, it was not the only one or the most important of such meetings in New York that are paying attention to the problem of insecurity, migration and violent extremism in the Lake Chad area and the rest of the world.

Nigeria was represented earlier today at an important side event devoted to the North-East called by the UN Population Fund, UNFPA on "Building Stability and Resilience in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin Countries."

President Buhari fully conscious of his responsibility to Nigeria and will accept nothing short of the best for Nigerians in the meetings taking place in and around the United Nations.

Anyone trying to create an impression of dereliction of duty, based on the Nigerian delegation's absence at an unofficial meeting, is only being mischievous and uncharitable.

Garba Shehu

SSA to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 26, 2015

Five pilgrims from Gombe State have been declared missing in Saudi Arabia.

FILE PHOTO: Intending Pilgrims from Gombe state

The Executive Secretary, Gombe State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Usman Gurama, told newsmen in Mina, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday that the pilgrims could not be located since Thursday.

He said members of the medical team had been checking hospitals and mortuaries searching for the pilgrims.

He however said that for now, it had not been confirmed as to whether they were among those who died as a result of Thursday’s stampede at the Jamaarat (stone throwing venue) where over 700 pilgrims died.

Mr. Gurama confirmed that seven pilgrims from the state were injured at the scene of the incident and were responding to treatment.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe on Saturday gave the state pilgrims Saudi Riyals 585,300 (about N32.7 million) as Sallah gift.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each of pilgrims had 300 Saudi Riyals (N16, 800)

Addressing the pilgrims shortly after presenting the gift, Mr. Dankwambo urged them to pray for President Muhammad Buhari to enable him deliver the dividends of democracy.

He commended the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and the Amirul Hajj team for doing a good job.

In his remarks, the State Amirul Hajj, Abdullahi Mai-Kano, thanked the governor for his commitment towards ensuring the success of the exercise.

He also commended the pilgrims for their cooperation, adding that investigations on the missing pilgrims were in progress.

(NAN)

Strengthening the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, By Muhammadu Buhari

Protocols.

I welcome you to this important event. Let me express Nigeria’s sincere appreciation to 

UNAIDS for the support and collaboration in organising this event.

We are on the threshold of history as world leaders adopt the successor 

development agenda to the Millennium Development Goals. For over 30 years, 

HIV as a public health challenge has been causing havoc and untold hardship in

 virtually every part of the world. To date, several million 

children have been orphaned and some communities have 

been devastated, while economic activities have been disrupted.

Unfortunately, Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate 

burden of this epidemic. The good news is that the effort of the 

global community has resulted in greater control, less spread and better management.

Furthermore, we have made significant progress towards

 the interception of mother to child transmission of HIV. In 2014 alone, 

over three million pregnant women were tested for HIV and 63,000 of 

these tested women, accessed antiretroviral therapy.

What is required in our continued fight against HIV/AIDS 

is improved health delivery system, education, and cheaper production 

of anti-retroviral drugs through technology exchange. Our countries should 

also look at the whole field of medicare and strengthen our partnership with

 all stakeholders including the civil society, interfaith and cultural bodies for 

education and dissemination of information at all levels. Nigeria will also like

 to call upon all pharmaceutical companies for more cooperation and 

understanding in reducing the cost of antiretroviral drugs

 through production of generic items.

Nigeria will continue to work with development partners and key 

stakeholders to strengthen the means of implementation of the SDGs as

 elaborated in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. At the continental level,

 Nigeria remains fully committed to the outcome of the Abuja process as 

evident in the 2002 Declaration, the Action Framework on Roll–Back Malaria. 

In addition, the 2013 Abuja+12 Declaration is a strong commitment

 towards eliminating HIV and AIDs in Africa by

 2030. Globally, the United Nations Political Declaration on 

HIV and AIDS of 2011 is a major reference point for

 intensifying efforts to eliminate the epidemic.

Nigeria appreciates the support of our development partners for their 

support and commitment to the total eradication of HIV/AIDs,

 Tuberculosis and Malaria as well as other deadly 

communicable diseases, for example Ebola, when an epidemic arises.

I therefore encourage you to continue in your efforts to sustain the 

fight against infant and maternal deaths, HIV and AIDs, Tuberculosis,

 Malaria and other communicable diseases, high on the global development agenda.

Let us work together to make HIV and AIDs history by 2030.

I thank you.

Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) is President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This Statement was originally titled 

“Strengthening the Means of Implementation of the Sustainable 

Development Goals and Ensuring an AIDS-Free Generation By 2030

 through the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV: A Dual 

Imperative for Nigeria” at the 70th United Nations General Assembly, 

UN Hequarters, New York on September 25, 2015.

Boko Haram: UN wants help for displaced people

The United Nations, Chad, Niger and Cameroon appealed

 on Friday for help for millions of people in the Lake Chad

 Basin region forced to flee the violence of Boko Haram

 and hit with repeated droughts and floods that have

 brought malnutrition and disease.

But while the militants operate out of Nigeria and UN aid

 chief, Stephen O’Brien, said that is where most people have 

been displaced by their attacks, Nigeria did not send anyone to the event.

United States and European Union diplomats said they 

were disappointed that Nigeria did not attend the event 

chaired by O’Brien on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The Nigerian UN mission was not immediately available to comment on its absence.

A regional offensive by Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon 

earlier this year drove Boko Haram from much 

of the territory it held in northern Nigeria. But the militants 

have since struck back with a renewed wave of deadly raids and suicide bombings.

“These (displaced) families are being used as ammunition 

because it is the children that are used as bombers in markets

 and in train stations,” Reuters quoted Chad’s Foreign Minister, 

Moussa Faki Mahamat, as saying on the matter.

“Trade is virtually wiped out in this area.”

Several UN diplomats at the event warned that the aid 

emergency in Lake Chad Basin risked being forgotten 

amid other humanitarian crises in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan.

Niger Prime Minister, Brigi Rafini, said the region was in the midst of a “genuine disaster.”

Read more: http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/news/433290-boko-haram-un-wants-help-for-displaced-people.html#ixzz3mqjS7L65

Saudi prince facing sex assault charge in Los Angeles

A Saudi prince has been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly trying to force a woman to perform oral sex on him at a Beverly Hills mansion.

Prince Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud was arrested in the early afternoon Wednesday after police were called to the gated compound, Officer Drake Madison, of the Los Angeles police department, told AFP.

He said the 28-year-old prince was arrested on suspicion of forced oral copulation of an adult and spent the night in jail before posting a $300,000 (268,000 euros) bail on Thursday.

Witnesses reported seeing a bleeding woman scream for help as she tried to scale the wall of the property, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The prince, who was also detained for false imprisonment, battery and criminal threats, is due to appear in court on October 19.

If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The State Department said there was no information indicating that the prince enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Many members of the Gulf monarchies have multi-million dollar mansions in Los Angeles, and it is not the first time one has had a run-in with authorities.

Last week, a member of Qatar’s ruling family — Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al Thani — was questioned by Beverly Hills police after a video surfaced showing a yellow Ferrari speeding through stop signs and past pedestrians.

Residents called police, who determined that Al Thani, a well-known figure in international racing circles, owned the car. He denied that he was driving the vehicle and claimed diplomatic immunity before leaving the country.

In 2013, a Saudi princess was also accused in Los Angeles of enslaving a Kenyan woman as a housemaid, but the charges against Meshael Alayban were eventually dropped.

Polio kicked out of Nigeria next corruption - Adeyemi Adepoju.

Stampede: FOMWAN mourns veteran journalist, Bilkisu

The Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria, has expressed shock over the death of Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf its former national leader and veteran Journalist.

Mrs Mairo Sani, the leader of FOMWAN in Plateau, who made the statement, described the deceased as ‘God-fearing and compassionate woman’.

Sani told the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Jos that the late Bilkisu was among the over 700 pilgrims who lost their lives during the stampede.

She said that the deceased operated an open door policy when she led the organisation.

“Bilkisu will be remembered for her humility; as a mentor; mother to all; an advocate of peace and someone whose door was open to anyone that requires her counsel,” she said.

Sani added that the late Bilkisu would be remembered for her doggedness in championing the resettlement of the IDPs who affected by insurgent attacks in the North-East.

She recalled that the last function attended by the deceased was the national conference of FOMWAN held in August in Ilorin where she delivered a paper on the need for women to be advocate for peace.

Sani also recalled that the deceased was among the team that facilitated the construction of the association’s national headquarters in Abuja.

“It is a great loss to us, but God knows all. We mourn her but we know Allah has a special plan for her,” she said.

NAN report that the late Bilikisu was the first female editor from Northern Nigeria.

She worked as editor of the New Nigerian Newspapers and the Citizens magazine in Kaduna

She also worked with the Triumph Newspaper in Kano and as a columnist.

Army chief organises get-together for wounded soldiers

September 26, 2015Premium Times

WOUNDED NIGERIAN SOLDIERS CELEBRATING LIFE DURING EID EL-KABIR AT THE 23RD ARMOUR BRIGADE MEDICAL STATION IN YOLA ON FRIDAY (25/9/15). 6842/25/9/2015/AMA/CH/NAN

In a bid to motivate soldiers, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Friday organised a Sallah “get-together” for wounded soldiers in Yola, Adamawa State.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Buratai said the gesture was

 to motivate the gallant soldiers who were fighting insurgency.

Represented by the Commander, 23 Armoured Brigade, 

Yola, Aba Popoola, the army chief said the gesture was 

also an expression of love to the wounded soldiers and

 their families, especially during this festive period.

“This is not the first of its kind; if you can recall, the 

Chief of Army staff had organised a similar event in Damaturu for the gallant soldiers.”

He expressed satisfaction that the wounded soldiers 

were responding positively to treatment.

According to him, the soldiers are from the 23 Armoured

 Brigade, Yola, and 28 Task Force Brigade in Mubi and 

some from Gwoza in Borno State.

Responding on behalf of the soldiers, Cpl. Jonathan 

Okiki thanked the chief of army staff for identifying with them and their families.

” We assure you sir, that as soon as we leave the hospital,

 we will be eager to go back to the battle field to fight Boko Haram,” Mr. Okiki said. ( NAN)

OSUN: Lecturers defy Aregbesola’s resumption order over unpaid salaries

Lecturers in tertiary institutions owned by the Osun State Government have defied Governor Rauf Aregbesola's directive asking them to return to classes on Monday.

The lecturers, under the aegis of the Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State-Owned Tertiary Institutions, said in a statement in Osogbo on Friday that they would not allow the state government to coerce them to resume without addressing the issues which caused their indefinite strike.

The statement was jointly issued by the CASUOSTI Chairman, Lasisi Jimoh; secretary, Olusegun Lana; Chairman Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, Iree, Dotun Omisore; ASUP chairman, Esa Oke, Adesola Akande; COEASU Ila-Orangun Chairman, Segun Onifade and COEASU Ilesa Chairman, Oladele Ojo.

The secretary of the CASUOSTO said Aregbesola had only paid the lecturers one month out of the nine months' salaries owed them despite the release of N34.988bn to the state for that purpose. They said the government had paid three months' salaries to other categories of workers but left them out.

The lecturers said the directive was violent, ridiculous, malicious, lawless and ill-advised.

According to them, it is the most unexpected response to the peaceful and lawful demand for their legitimate rights from a democratic government.

Pro-Lawan senators set to impeach Saraki

There were indications on Friday that members of the Senate Unity Forum had started wooing senators loyal to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.

Saturday Punch reliably gathered that the move was part of fresh efforts to change the leadership of the Senate.

The group comprises senators, who were opposed to the emergence of Saraki as senate president.
It was learnt that the SUF members, who contacted the pro-Saraki senators, hinged their argument on the ongoing trial of the Senate President at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

It was gathered that the group might have succeeded in securing the support of 12 pro-Saraki senators, mainly the Peoples Democratic Party members.

Investigations showed that the anti-Saraki group sought the support of the senate president's loyalists because it had become obvious that the senate president could not be removed without the support of some senators that were sympathetic to him.

At the inauguration of the Senate on June 6, 57 out of 109 senators were reported to have voted for Saraki.

However, members of the SUF, who were supporting Senator Ahmed Lawan were at a meeting with the party leaders when the election was held.

Investigations revealed that some of the senators who supported Lawan's bid had allegedly met with some All Progressives Congress leaders on the need to remove Saraki.

It was gathered that they started meeting with the leaders shortly after the Senate went on recess.
Specifically, a member of the group, who spoke with our correspondents on conditions of anonymity, explained that series of meetings had been held with APC leaders like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Chief Bisi Akande.

A member of the group from the South-West geopolitical zone, who also craved anonymity, confirmed to one of our correspondents that the SUF members had started reaching out to their colleagues who had joined the camp of Saraki.

He expressed optimism that the group would be able to muster enough support from other senators to get the required 73 members needed to oust the senate president.

He said, "We know that getting the required figure to carry out an impeachment at the moment would be a herculean task but honestly we hope to achieve it very soon. Already there has been a serious move to get our former party members who are with Saraki now back to our camp.

"I can also confirm to you that we have the support of about 12 Peoples Democratic Party senators who are ready to support any move against Saraki. Don't forget that some ranking PDP senators are still aggrieved over the emergence of freshers as their principal officers."

Further checks by one of our correspondents also revealed that some of the APC leaders who met with the SUF members had asked the anti – Saraki senators to work on some influential PDP senators who could get their colleagues to support their course.

A source said, "I am not in Abuja now, we shall resume on Monday. I don't have specific information at the moment but what I can assure you of is that our leaders have said that it is fight to finish.
"We learnt that the like minds senators are already working on some of their supporters in the PDP camp to reject the ministerial list by refusing to screen them but we are also ready for them. I won't disclose our strategy for now."

One of our correspondents further learnt that the SUF were also working on a political solution to execute its agenda since it would be difficult for its members to dangle financial inducements to their colleagues because of the anti – corruption posture of the Buhari administration.

One of them confided in one of our correspondents that Saraki might want to save his face from the impending embarrassment at the end of the CCT trial by opting to step aside.

He said, "We know that he might want to give conditions like a settlement of his CCT case out of court, withdrawing of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charges against his wife and an end to his former manager's trial for alleged fraud at the Société Générale Bank. We could help him in this regard to have a soft landing and avoid disgrace. "
Senate spokesperson, who is also a die-hard supporter of Saraki, Senator Dino Melaye, did not pick his call when contacted for comments on Thursday.

Also efforts to get reaction of the SUF's spokesperson, Senator Kabiru Marafa, did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone did not go through.

Also some senators contacted across the two camps, declined official comments but a PDP senator from the South-South geopolitical zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, "We are watching events as they unfold. I won't say more than that."

The source explained off the record that since the trial of the senate president centered on corrupt enrichment as a public officer, the SUF would appeal to the conscience of Nigerians and the international community to prevail on Saraki to step aside and clear himself of the allegations preferred against him by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Part of the strategy, the source added, would include sponsoring of a motion by a member of the group to draw the attention of the red chamber to the trial of Saraki and plead with him to safe himself from unnecessary distraction by stepping aside for adequate concentration at the tribunal.

He said, "Nigerians should not see the on-going trial of the senate president as a witch-hunt, rather, they should rather try and find out whether it was true that he included a multi – million dollar property he bought in 2006 as part of his assets as of 2003.

"We should stop playing politics with everything in this country. The mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is anti – corruption and it will not be proper to have a morally deficient person presiding over the affairs of the legislature being a critical arm of government.

"The prosecution counsel had promised to shock Nigerians with the revelations of witnesses who had testified against the senate president at the CCT. The implication of this is that all the charges were not fabricated or invented to spite him. He should therefore go and face his trial."

Attempts to get the reactions of the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party's National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as well as that of the party's National Leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, were unsuccessful.

The National Chairman of the party could not be reached as calls to his mobile telephone indicated that it was switched off.

Repeated calls to the mobile telephone numbers of Mohammed and Tinubu's Spokesperson, Mr. Sunday Dare, were neither picked nor returned.

A response to text messages sent to them was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report at 8:45pm.

A pro-Saraki senator confided in one of our correspondents that the seat of the Senate President was not threatened because the Code of Conduct Tribunal had no jurisdiction to try Senator Bukola Saraki for any criminal offence.

He said, "The idea that members of the SUF are reaching out to pro-Saraki senators in the senate does not arise because majority of the members of the upper chamber had freely elected their presiding officers and would not be in a hurry to remove them because of any politically motivated trial by a tribunal which lacks jurisdiction to do so.

"Nobody can impeach or arrest the Senate President, and the lawyers are there to argue out the competence or otherwise of the CCT to try the case preferred against him. More than 80 senators had signed a document with which they unanimously passed a vote of confidence on their president.

"No senator had approached any of us on any issue of impeachment because they know the answer already. They cannot get 73 senators to impeach the Senate President. They are playing games and we are also ready for them."

Attempts to speak with Senators Dino Melaye, Eyinnaya Abaribe, Hope Uzodinma, James Manager, Mao Ohuabunwa, Ali Ndume, and Bala Ibn Na'Allah, to get their views on the development failed as they neither picked their calls not react to text messages sent to them.

The phone of the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, was also switched off when one of our correspondents dialed his number on Friday evening.

Ekweremadu Says Nigeria Needs To Review Economy Policies

Channels Television. Updated September 26, 2015

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, believes that the current international economic reality has necessitated a restructuring of Nigeria’s economic policies.

Ekweremadu made this assertion in Umuahia during a visit to Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, in the company of Senators Theodore Orji and Mao Ohabunwa and other political stalwart.

He said that necessary facilities must be put in place to attract investment that could enhance economic development.

He emphasized the need for governments at all levels to look within and tap from the natural and human resources available.

He commended the State Governor for his economic direction and effort in Aba the commercial hub of the state and promised to follow it up as part of his oversight function.