I Am Not A Nigerian – Adebayor

Niger Republic striker at the ongoing African Nations Championship, Zakary Adebayor, has disclosed to journalists that he is not a Nigerian, adding that the media should desist from linking him to the country.

Zakary Adebayor

In a chat with CompleteSports at his team’s Gorilla Hotel, Adebayor revealed that he was born and bred in Niger Republic.

Rumours were spread in some quarters that Adebayor’s grandparents were Nigerians, but migrated to the neighbouring country to seek greener pastures in the 70s.

“I am from Niger Republic and people should stop this controversy of linking me with Nigeria.
“Fine I know Adebayor is a Nigerian name but I am from Niger Republic and I am happy to play for Mena,” he stated.

He was also of the opinion that Sunday Oliseh’s boys at the tournament are very good and could possibly lift the trophy in Rwanda.

“The Nigerian team is a good side and I think they can win the tournament.
“But Niger can still qualify from the group if we can beat Tunisia, which I think is not impossible to achieve if we work very hard,” he added.

Bishop Kukah Speaks On Buhari’s Fight Against Corruption

Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto state has called on the federal government not to place the inefficiency in the fight against corruption on the church.

“Nigeria is governed by rules and regulations and constitution, it is not the business of the church to catch thieves and set up court.”

The bishop made the call speaking at the national grand finale celebration of the Year for Consecrated Life at the weekend in Abuja.

“Nigeria is governed by rules and regulations and constitution, it is not the business of the church to catch thieves and set up court. It is the responsibility of the state but often you mistake the inefficiency and ineptitude of the state for the failure of religion. What you should be saying is: what will the state be without religion? So if there are thieves walking the street free, you ask the state and the court not the church.

“People should not mistake the responsibility of the state for the church. The church cannot send you to prison because you did not come to church but the state can punish you for stealing,” he stressed.
The cleric also called on consecrated people to emulate the life of Jesus Christ and stressed that for church every human was its concern.

“The challenge for us is to look closely to our Christian responsibilities, our cardinal principle is love and it comes through service. What we are talking about is the extent to which consecrated life, you are called upon to be the light and salt of the world,” he added.

A few weeks ago, Bishop Kukah sent a strong message to churches in the country that are being run with billions of Naira.

He accused the catholic churches of sometimes trying to make profit from religiosity and urged them to desist from seeing themselves as business ventures.

Speaking earlier about Buhari’s fight against corruption, the cleric had described it as a noble one but noted that battling corruption alone might not guarantee Nigeria as a stable nation.

Crisis as Tinubu turns against Buhari, See proof

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has opened another can of worm to the drama that has trailed the 2016 budget.

While expressing disappointments over the controversy that has trailed the alleged “missing budget”, Tinubu took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari when he described the scenario as embarrassing and a mark of unseriousness on the entire leadership of the Nation.

The APC National leader and publisher of The Nation Newspapers stated this in an editorial titled “Missing Budget” published on January 25, 2016. He  insisted that Buhari’s correctional letter submitted to the National Assembly was not enough, adding that he should swallow his pride and apologize to Nigerians.

“It is clear from the foregoing that the Senate did not cry wolf where there was none. Indeed, not only was there substance to the charge that the presidency was up to some mischief, it tried valiantly to cast the National Assembly as the unserious party.
“To that extent, the presidency stands rightly accused of bad faith in addition to the grave charge of dereliction of duty,” the APC chieftain posited.

Few days after Buhari presented the 2016 Appropriation bill of N6.08 trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly, the APC had described the budgetary figures as “curious” and “padded”, adding that the budgetary proposal lacked any traits of change.
On the heel of the missing budget that engulfed the nation, Buhari had on January 19, 2016 regretted the confusion the ‘missing 2016 budget’ had caused in the polity and urged the National Assembly to work with the corrected version.
Following the receipt of the President’s letter, the Senate adopted a motion reversing its earlier decision that it would only work on the document presented by Buhari on December 22 2015 and resolved that it would now consider the corrected version.

Reacting, Tinubu said: “The question of course remains: why will the President choose to lay a document he acknowledged as flawed before the National Assembly? Why seek to cure the defects identified by a method so clearly at variance with these provisions of the law?
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“… The missing budget is a shame and embarrassment that had lingered for the whole of the fortnight, something that had cast the entire leadership of the nation as unserious,” Tinubu had stated.

Treason: Court To Decide On Nnamdi Kanu’s Bail Application Friday

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed next Friday January for ruling on the bail application brought by the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and founder of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed next Friday January for ruling on the bail application brought by the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and founder of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr. Kanu and two others are charged with treason.

The court today heard legal arguments over his bail application. Prosecution counsel Mohammed Diri argued that the application put up by the defence does not satisfy the requirements of the Evidence Act.

He urged the court to consider the weighty evidence against the accused, including a statement in which he admitted that he was a British citizen; that he sneaked into Nigeria without a passport, and that he was the operator of Radio Biafra in London, and asked that the application be refused.
Objecting, the defence counsel, M.U Udechukwu, told the court that the document being cited by the prosecution has not been admitted by the court in evidence, and that the prosecution therefore lacks the right to make reference to it before the court.
He argued that there are procedures to be followed before such a document can be admitted as an exhibit, and therefore prayed the court to grant the defendant bail as the offence committed is not a capital offence.
Earlier, a mild drama ensued in the court premises when Kanu was brought in handcuffed, but refused to come out of the prison vehicle because of the press cameras.  His co-accused, who were also in handcuffs, had already alighted.
An alternative entrance in the back of the court was eventually found and Kanu was ushered into the court through the elevator that is normally reserved for judges.
A similar drama followed the hearing when Kanu, exchanging greetings with friends and relatives, was reluctant to move towards the elevator as demanded by prison officials, pointed warning fingers at them and dared them to hurt him.
The situation nearly led to fisticuffs before it was brought under control and he was led into the prison vehicle.
Kanu is standing trial on six of treason preferred against him by the gederal government.

The party is broke but… – APC national chairman confesses

The party is broke but… – APC national chairman confesses
John Odigie-Oyegun, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the party is going through some financial strains.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja, Oyegun said the party was working to raise funds within itself, The Cable reports.

John Odigie-Oyegun says APC won’t ask Buhari for help

“The party is suffering the strains of funding. We are working to

raise resources within the membership,” he said.

According to him, they have no intention of asking President Muhammadu Buhari for help because it was not part of his national assignment.

Oyegun said the Buhari-led administration was not being selective in its fight against corruption,
He explained it was necessary to investigate the past administration led by the Peoples Democratic Party for 16 years.

“We are investigating yesterday. Let tomorrow investigate us,” the APC national chairman added.
On the state of the nation, especially the economy, Oyegun said Buhari inherited a collapsed economy and they have to clear the debris.

He added that in the next few months, there will be good news, saying: “We have to put up with the present deprivation. But we will smile tomorrow.”

Report had earlier surfaced that the Peoples Democratic Party was plotting to take over the ruling APC, which was the reason for the continuous defection. According to the report, the long term plan is to build enough force within the party and take over the structure thereby causing a divide that would affect the unity of the party.

Okonjo-Iweala Dismisses Falana’s Call For Her Prosecution

Okonjo-Iweala Dismisses Falana’s Call For Her Prosecution

Former Minister of Finance in Nigeria, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has reacted to the call by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana for her arrest and prosecution. 

Mr Falana had approached the International Criminal Court (ICC) demanding the trial of the former minister for alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal.

Now, the former minister through her Media Adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu, has reacted to the position held by Mr Falana.

Here are details of her response:

 

Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu Radiates with Smiles in Court Today; See Why (See Photos)

Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu Radiates with Smiles in Court Today; See Why (See Photos)