Benue crisis: State govt takes over disputed land

Daily Post Nigeria

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The Benue State Security Council has announced government’s takeover of the disputed land between Mbazerem and Mbayem/Mbaikyu kindreds of Iwarnyam District of Konshisha local government area.

Subsequently, the State Security Council has warned the warring factions to stay away from the disputed land.

Governor Samuel Ortom, who made the resolution of the Council known after the Security Council meeting at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, said the decision had become necessary to prevent further crisis in the area.

DAILY POST reports that no fewer than 54 houses have been razed and several persons rendered homeless in a communal clash that ensued between Mbamar and Ugambe communities in Konshisha LGA of Benue State over a piece of land.

The war, it was gathered has been on for more than three months but escalated during the weekend when youths from Ugambe community allegedly attacked a resident of Mbamar and butchered him.

Consequently, the Governor announced the suspension of the District Head of Iwarnyam, Chief Unaha Koko and the kindred heads of Mbazerem and Mbayem/Mbaikyu, Anongo Tema and Atser Kor.

He said the committee headed by Secretary to the Benue State Government, Professor Anthony Ijohor, SAN, has been constituted to look into the crisis and make recommendations to government for further action.

Governor Ortom disclosed that 41 suspects had already been arrested and were being interrogated by the State Police Command.

He said the three suspended traditional rulers will also be interrogated by the Police. The Governor reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to tackling crime in all parts of the state, no matter who is involved.

Court threatens Lai Mohammed over looters’ list suit

Vanguard News

 

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, leave to serve the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, notice to appear before the court and explain why he should not be committed to prison for publishing the name of the applicant in looters’ list, while the matter is pending in court.

Lai Mohammed,

The Federal Government, through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Usman and three others before the court and they pleaded not guilty.

While the matter is still ongoing, the applicant’s name was included in looters’ list published by the alleged contemnor.

Trial judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, granted the application, following an ex-perte motion by Usman’s counsel, Chief Ferdinand Orbih(SAN), alleging contempt of court against Mohammed.

According to the motion, the alleged contemnor aware of the pendency of the suit, caused to be published a list of looters in several media on April 1, where the name of the applicant featured as having looted N1.5 billion.

The matter has been adjourned to October 2.

The court also ordered the motion on notice  and other accompanying processes be served on the alleged contemnor by substituted means.

Sale of nomination forms by political parties illegal –Falana

Punchng.com

Friday Olokor, Jos

A human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has faulted the commercialisation of nomination forms by political parties for aspirants who want to contest elections, describing the action as illegal.

The declaration came with less than one year to the 2019 general elections in Nigeria.

He regretted that despite expressing disappointment that he took a loan of N27m to buy the All Progressives Congress’ nomination form during the 2015 elections, President Muhammadu Buhari had not been able to change the practice.

According to him, the Transition Monitoring Group and stakeholders in the nation’s electoral process, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, should use the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states to stop vote buying on Election Day.

Falana stated this in his keynote address, which he delivered during the one-day national electoral summit organised by TMG with support from the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development in Lagos.

A copy of the address he delivered at the summit with the theme, “Engaging the 2019 electoral process for improved citizens’ participation and public confidence,” was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday.

At the event, the chairperson of TMG, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the civil society organisations would not rest until the nation’s democracy was safeguarded “from sliding into the doldrums.”

“As a people, we cannot continue to live in denial pretending that all is well with our electoral process. It is important for all to appreciate the fact that there is still a lot of work to do, especially in an era where innovation, advancement and improvement in every human endeavour have become a global phenomenon,” she stated.

Falana also called for the abolition of security votes for state governors, saying it empowered them financially to manipulate the electoral process.

He said, “It is illegal and prohibitive to collect nomination forms. When you do that, you are excluding people from participating in the democratic process. In 2003, INEC attempted to collect money for nomination forms. Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi led us to court and the court held that it was illegal and unconstitutional to collect nomination forms, after we had dragged not former than seven to eight state governments to court over money for nomination forms for LG elections.

“The TMG may wish to put these cases together for people to know their rights. By the way, what is a nomination form? A sheet of paper! What is embarrassing for some of us is that President Muhammadu Buhari complained that he was asked to pay N27m in 2015 for his own nomination form and had to take a loan to raise the money.

“Now that Buhari is the President of Nigeria and leader of the ruling party (APC), what has happened? I think TMG will also want to take this up, especially the legality of nomination forms so that you can open the democratic space for people to contest and participate in the electoral process.

He said the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), had not paid their party dues as party members because “parties are not run on the basis of dues from members.”

“When I was running for election in Ekiti State, there were old men and women who went to their rooms and brought out letters personally signed by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, acknowledging receipt of contributions to the party (Action Group) from under pillows.

“It was acknowledged by the party leader and that was how parties were run. And if you were in a public office, up to the Second Republic, you were charged 10 per cent of your legitimate salaries. I’m not talking of running cost and others,” he stated.

While warning that Nigeria could not practise democracy with security votes, Falana expressed reservation that with the facts on the ground, over-commercialisation of votes on election day would not give optimism for free and fair elections in 2019.

JUST IN: Spain sack coach Julen Lopetegui two days before first World Cup game

Premiumtimes 

Just two days to its opening match against Portugal, Spain’s football federation has sacked their coach, Julen Lopetegui. The former Porto manager was announced as the new manager of Real Madrid on Tuesday.

A statement released by the president of Spain’s football federation, Luis Rubiales, said, “We have to decided to fire the national coach.

“What we have achieved in getting here is due in great part to him, and we must thank him and wish him luck.

“The Spanish national team is the team of all the Spaniards. We only found out just five minutes before the announcement that he was leaving for Madrid. There is a way that you must act. Julen has worked in a great way with the team, but we cannot accept how he has acted in this case.”

2018: Why Ekiti election can’t be rigged – INEC

Dailypost

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that the Ekiti State governorship election slated for July 14 cannot be rigged.

The commission said the notion peddled in some quarters that the election would be rigged ran contrary to the reality on ground.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ekiti State, Abdulganiy Raji, gave the assurance in Ido Ekiti on Tuesday during a Town Hall meeting entitled, ‘Vote not Fight’. The meeting was organised to sensitise the youth ahead of the election.

He said the election process had been digitalised and the voting exercise would be monitored electronically.

Mr Raji, represented by the Electoral Officer in Ido/Osi local government, Ajayi Olusola, said the commission had strengthened its system and made it technologically driven.

He said it would be difficult for anyone to tamper with the outcome of the election, given the security of the process.

“Go and get your Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Your vote is your power and let me tell you that your votes will surely count.

“INEC is not partisan, we are fair to all parties. We are going to monitor the voting electronically. No one can rig election with the kind of ICT we have put in place and we are going to monitor the activities of parties to ensure that we have a peaceful poll,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Bello, who was represented by the Area Commander in charge of Ido/Osi, Ijero, Moba, Ilejemeje and Efon local governments, Adegbepa Adetoye, assured the voters that the command was resolute to provide adequate security of lives and property.

“On our side, we are going to be neutral. We are not going to take sides and we will ensure that we monitor the election in the most professional way to enforce compliance to rules,” said Mr Adetoye.

“Part of our duties is enforcement of law and order. We also owe it a duty to preserve the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act. We are assuring our people that we shall be civil and neutral in this election,” he added.

Missing Air Force officer found 35 years later

Punchng.com

A Kirtland Air Force Base officer with top security clearance who disappeared 35 years ago has been found in California.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations said in a news release this week that William Howard Hughes, Jr., was apprehended at his home after a fraud investigation involving a fake identity he had been using.

Hughes was involved in classified planning and analysis of NATO’s control, command and communications surveillance systems during the Cold War. He specialized in radar surveillance.

Hughes, a captain, was 33 years old and single when he vanished, according to news reports from the time of his disappearance.

Hughes was last seen withdrawing more than $28,000 in Albuquerque in the summer of 1983 after returning from a two-week vacation in Europe.

He had just completed a stint in the Netherlands, where he worked with NATO officers on the Airborne Warning and Control electronic surveillance aircraft. He was supposed to be back in Albuquerque by August of that year.

An Office of Special Investigations spokeswoman told the Albuquerque Journal that there’s no indication Hughes was involved with the Soviet Union or that any classified information was leaked.

Hughes told authorities after his capture Wednesday that he was depressed about being in the Air Force and decided to leave.

He created a fake identity and lived in California ever since. Hughes was charged with desertion and is being held at Travis Air Force Base in California.

It’s unclear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

(Yahoo News UK)

Deschamps: Rabiot has made a huge mistake

Livescores

Adrien Rabiot has made a "huge mistake" in asking to be removed from the standby list for France's World Cup squad, according to coach Didier Deschamps.

The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who has six caps, was overlooked for the main 23-man selection, with Sevilla's Steven N'Zonzi preferred instead.

Rabiot - who previously demonstrated a reluctance to adopt a more deep-lying role for his country - was included among Les Bleus' group of first reserves for the tournament in Russia, but the 23-year-old made a request in writing to be de-selected.

Speaking at a media conference on Wednesday, shortly after the French Football Federation had expressed its surprise and disappointment at the move, Deschamps shed further light on the situation.

"It was not a letter sent, it was an email that arrived Monday late afternoon," he said. "I became aware of its content. Of course, Adrien signed it.

"I called him to have a confirmation that it was he who had sent this email. He did not answer me. I got confirmation from my manager. In the process, I warned my president of the content. I also warned the president of PSG because he is a PSG player.

"I was surprised of course. I can understand the disappointment, the immense disappointment, but to take such a position ... we are talking about a young player who for a while was in the French group. He excludes himself from the team.

"I dare to hope that through some decisions like this it will allow him to mature, to reflect. I am convinced that he made a huge mistake in taking such a position.

"He refuses his status as a reservist, to follow a program, and if there was a problem of being called as a substitute. It is his decision he assumes."

France are considered among the favourites to win the World Cup and must first negotiate a group that pits them against Australia, Peru and Denmark.