APC presidential candidate emerges tomorrow

December 10, 2014

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Head of State, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

The national convention of the All Progressives Congress begins in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, today (Wednesday).

The presidential candidate of the party will emerge tomorrow (Thursday).

More than 8,000 accredited delegates are expected to elect the party’s presidential flag bearer who is to face President Goodluck Jonathan, the sole candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2015 general elections.

Five aspirants are ex-Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso; Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and the Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah. They are all vying for the party’s sole ticket.

Already, supporters of Buhari and Atiku, the two leading aspirants, have appealed to the APC delegates to vote wisely.

Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso

Buhari’s supporters, under the aegis of Buhari Friends Organisation Network, at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, said today’s (Wednesday’s) APC’s primaries offered a unique opportunity for party delegates to vote for change.

The spokesman for the group, St. Athanasius Okon, said Nigerians have not had it so bad since the return of democracy in 1999.

According to him, the nation’s economy is in a shambles while the ruling party carries on as if nothing is amiss.

He explained that “the race to Aso Rock begins from the party’s presidential primaries because the choice of the right candidate will pave the way for APC’s success in the forthcoming polls.”

http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Chairman-of-Leadership-Newspapers-and-an-Exco-member-of-Newspapers-Proprietors-Association-of-Nigeria-Mr.-Sam-Nda-Isaiah.jpgOkon added, “We want to use this medium to call on the All Progressives Congress’ delegates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory that would be in Lagos on December 10, 2014, for the presidential primaries, to consider a lot of factors before they cast their vote, as there can be no better time than now for us to use the opportunity God has given us to redeem this country from the shackles of the political class, especially those in the ruling party, the PDP.”

Speaking in a similar vein, Atiku’s supporters urged the party’s delegates to consider his track record of public service and his democratic credentials as they cast their votes.

The spokesman for the group, Alhaji Abdullahi Sugar, while speaking in Abuja, on Tuesday, said Atiku had proven over the years to be a detribalised Nigerian who is determined to change the nation for the better.

[/media-credit] Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha

He noted that the former Vice President had proven himself as a visionary leader who when given the opportunity would transform Nigeria.

Sugar said, “The Turaki is the leader we need at this time, we urge the APC delegates to give him the chance to lead the party to victory come 2015.”

Policeman tortures man, wife in Lagos

December 10, 2014

Ejeh; Grace
| credits: Samson Folarin

A 29-year-old photographer, Ejeh Smith, and his wife, Grace, 26, are in pains and receiving treatment at a Lagos hospital after a police officer, identified as Dada Ogunsanya, allegedly tortured them with his rifle.

Ogunsanya is attached to the Ikoyi Police Division.

The incident happened at the Lekki Roundabout on Wednesday, last week, while the couple was in a taxi en route to their home at Parkview Estate.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the police officer was among a seven-man team, patrolling the area around 10pm.

The police team was said to have stopped the taxi driver and demanded that he opened his boot for a routine check.

The taxi driver, Ndubuisi Iheaka, told our correspondent that after he opened his boot which contained scaffolding belts, the policeman demanded to see his driving licence.

“I was about getting the driving licence when he started flashing his torchlight on my passengers who were sitting at the back.

“The wife told the officer not to flash the torch on them since the inner light of the vehicle was on.

“Because of what she said, the policeman asked them to come down from the cab. This started an argument. The next thing I saw was that the policeman pulled my passenger (Ejeh) by his trousers, and his wife went to plead with him to stop.

“But instead, he slapped her and punched her husband. He was wearing a ring, which inflicted a deep cut on Ejeh’s face. After that, he used the butt of his gun to hit him in his eye and face. He also dragged his wife on the road.”

Grace said the policeman, apart from slapping her, stepped on her tummy.

“If I was pregnant that night, I would have lost my pregnancy. I was only trying to pet him to leave my husband since he did not have business with us. I told him to face the cab driver and leave us alone. “The other policemen were just looking at him while he dragged me on the ground. A man riding a tricycle at the time was the one who rescued me. He said the policemen must call their Divisional Police Officer or else he would not leave the scene,” she said.

The Ikoyi DPO, Mrs. Aisha Haruna, was said to have arrived at the scene.

Ejeh claimed he could barely see because blood was dripping from his eyes, while his wife was vomiting blood. He added that the DPO ordered that they be taken to the station to make statements.

He said, “But we told her that we needed to first treat ourselves before we could make statements. That was when we were given forms and referred to the Falomo Police Hospital. We paid for the treatment and we also went to the eye clinic for treatment.”

His wife claimed that the DPO seized her phone and asked an inspector at the station to delete all the pictures and video recording she did of the incident.

“Even my personal data were deleted. And when I asked the DPO why she did that, she said we deserved the treatment we got. She said she would have locked us up in the cell if not for our injuries. She said we did not know how to talk,” she added.

The family lawyer of the victims, Mr. Sunday Agbinya, said his office would write a petition to the Inspector General of Police to redress the wrong done to his clients.

“This is a case of assault occasioning harm and we intend to challenge it. We will send a petition to the IG. We want the police to conduct a full investigation into this,” he said.

The legal officer of a non-governmental organisation, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Mr. Ben Odeh, said the police officer responsible for the act should be disciplined for torturing the couple.

He said, “It is a breach of their constitutional rights. The policeman went too far.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.

He said, “Yes, the incident happened in the Ikoyi division.Inquiries are on as well as disciplinary procedures.”

John Terry downsize to £4.35m mansion

 

The Chelsea defender sold his house last year for £5.25m, and sold another property  to General Sultan bin Mohammad al-Naamani, a senior figure in the Omani government for £16m in January of this year.
The centre-back made multimillion profits on both of these investments, and will hope to do the same with his new pad, a £4.35m mansion formerly owned by golfer Colin Montgomerie.
His new house has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and an annex with room for two staff, although this still represents a “considerable downsize” according to a source, the house Terry sold for a colossal £16m had taken him almost 7 years to redo, and had been built as the Englishman’s “dream home”.

Stuning pictures show how Indonesia was rebuild from the mud of the Tsunami

Indonesia was seriously affected by the tsunami, suffering at least 167,000 casualties, a number which is thought to be closer to 200,000, but it is unlikely that this will ever be confirmed as thousands of bodies could never be recovered as they were swept out to sea by the powerful waves.

The tsunami was the effect of an underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean just after 1am on Boxing Day 2004, the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph, with a magnitude of 9.0-9.3 .

Ten years later, communities in Indonesia's Aceh province have rebuilt their homes, towns and villages, rising from the ashes of the single worst tsunami in human history.

Scroll down for video 

The district of Banda Aceh in Aceh province, located on Indonesia's Sumatra island, just days after the massive Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, and below it the same location photographed on December 1, 2014 

The left photo was taken on January 2, 2005, showing of a damaged mosque in Teunom, located in the Aceh Jaya district, and right, is the same area ten years later

The top photograph shows a damaged mosque in Teunom, located in Aceh Jaya district, a week after the tsunami, and now, bottom

Indonesia was seriously affected by the tsunami, suffering at least 167,000 casualties, a number which is thought to be closer to 200,000, but it is unlikely that this will ever be confirmed as thousands of bodies could never be recovered as they were swept out to sea by the powerful waves.

The tsunami was the effect of an underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean just after 1am on Boxing Day 2004, the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph, with a magnitude of 9.0-9.3 .

The devastation caused to Banda Aceh by Indonesian tsunami

The gigantic water movement that followed saw waves of up to 100feet hit the coasts of Indonesia, Sri LAnka, India and Thailand.

The 14 countries that suffered casualties and damage were situated maily in Southeast Asia but also in Africa.

In total, 45 countries lost citizens abroad in the tragedy. In Europe, Germany and Sweden, where Thailand is a popular destination around Christmas time, lost 552 and 571 citizens respectively.

The top photograph was taken on January 8, 2005, and shows of two fishing boats beside a commercial building in central Banda Aceh, which had been carried into the city by the massive wave, and then, bottom, last month

The left photograph taken three days after the tsunami in 2004, shows residents walking over huge pile of debris covering the street of Banda Aceh, and the same location photographed on November 27, 2014

The top photograph was taken with a telephoto lens on January 16, 2005, more than two weeks after the tsunami, showing a partly damaged mosque in the Lampuuk coastal district of Banda Aceh, staining alone in the debris, and photographed again, below, this month

The first photograph was taken on January 9, 2005, just over a week after the tsunami, showing a of a street which had been cleared, but still had huge piles of debris on either side, in Meulaboh in Aceh, and the same location photographed on November 29 this year

The left photograph shows debris scattered across the grounds of Banda Aceh's Baiturrahaman mosque in Aceh province, two days after the tsunami, and right, taken on November 27 this year, shows the renovated grounds

The top shoto was taken just days after the 2004 tsunami, and shows heavy debris spread across the grounds of Banda Aceh's Baiturrahaman mosque in Aceh province, and the same location photographed on November 27, 2014 (bottom) showing the renovated grounds

The first photo was taken on January 15, 2004, and shows houses surrounding the mosque in Meulaboh destroyed on Indonesia's Sumatra island, and the same mosque photographed on November 30, 2014

The top photo was taken on, January 9, 2005, of the impassable main coastal road covered with debris in Aceh Besar district, in Aceh province and the same location photographed on November 29, 2014, showing the new highway

These two pictures show Lhoknga in Aceh province, the top one taken on January 23, 2005 showing residents using an improvised raft to cross a river as an Indonesian soldier guards the area, and the same location photographed on November 29, 2014 (bottom) showing the abandoned site and a new bridge constructed nearby

A photograph (top) taken with a telephoto lens on January 16, 2005 of a partly damaged mosque in the Lampuuk coastal district of Banda Aceh and the same location photographed with a wide angle lens on December 1, 2014 (bottom) showing the renovated mosque surrounded by new houses and rebuilt community

Oritse femi' Accident: Manager Speaks From Hospital Bed

 After Oritse Femi’s car crash after being chased by armed robbers, fans and critics have sent the singer get well messages.

Femi’s manager who also was the driver of the ill fated vehicle when it crashed on Saturday Dec. 6th, finally shared a few words.

He told media men: “I give glory to Almighty that protects my life. I thank my fans home and abroad that have been calling, sending quick recovery messages to me.
May you never be chased by armed robbers as we are approaching festive period.”, he said from his hospital bed. Danku had acquired injuries on his hands and legs and is responding well to treatment.
Oritse Femi and his manager had gotten into an accident as they were being chased by armed robbers this past Saturday.

Barack & Michelle Obama’s Love Story Turned Into Movie

The love story of the President of United States Barack Obama and his wife Michelle is set to hit the big screen.
Set in the summer of 1989, the film “Southside With You,” will record Michelle (née Robinson) and Barack’s first date. The two met at a Chicago law firm, where Michelle worked as a lawyer and Barack, a first-year Harvard law student, joined as a summer associate.
Actress Tika Sumpter from the movie “Get On Up” is chosen to act the young Michelle Obama (nèe Robinson) in the flick, written and directed by Richard Tanne (“Worst Friends”).
No actor has been named for the role of young Barack Obama.

Toni Payne Goes Emotional, Says She Loved The Wrong Person

Popular Singer 9ice’s ex-wife, Toni Payne who is also the mother of the singer’s first child has taken to her Instagram page to pen down her grievances.

Toni Payne

Toni Payne who is a television host and lifestyle writer has gotten emotional in a new post she made on her instagram page. This is coming just few days after she reacted angrily to fans who accused her of cheating on her ex-husband. The lifestyle writer says she feels bad that she is being accused wrongly and that this is all happening because she loved the wrong person…..

The other day I lost my cool when I shud av ignored cos I let people who do not matter get to me. It got me trending in a way I did not like and that for me I can’t ignore. Till today, I get an unreasonable amount of hate for something I did not do. I ignore most times but this time I reacted. I’ve been thru a lot so sometimes I find them hard to ignore, maybe because Iv addressed it to the point that it feels like it will never go away. Iv been called every name in the book, bitch, attn seeker, etc simply because I loved the wrong person but still I held my head high choosing to carry on.
I do my best to stay true to who I am and be a good person. Tho sum may deem it weakness, I’m a free spirit and av no problem baring my soul so yes I’ll admit, even though I’m strong, it sometimes gets to me. Not because their opinions matter but because I even have to deal with it in the first place and most of the time it feels surreal. I understand that not everyone will like me, so they will use anything they can against me. I probably wouldn’t care if it was something I actually did.

Then I’ll accept that It is what it is. I wish I could explain the feeling of being wrongly accused in that magnitude. It’s like a million welts digging deep at your soul, and no one seems to understand you. To some it’s funny, to some it’s a headline, to me, it’s reassurance I have to give my son that a nasty rumor was badly mismanaged. It’s the explaining I will be doing in the years to come.
It’s irritating when it keeps popping up and I have to turn the other cheek but I’m learning each day to always keep my cool. I’m happy and content but also human. Excuse me if I react sometimes to stupidity thrown in my direction.. God gave me a fresh start and for that I should be grateful.. Apologies if I disappointed anyone by clapping back…..I promise next time to try harder to ignore and hopefully this will be the last of it… Xoxo #Osha
It would be recalled that just few months ago, Toni Payne came out to give a firm and controversial warning to all women who are looking to take a man to the altar, saying that women should not stay if their man is poor.

Kerry urges flexibility in U.S. war powers against Islamic State

By Lesley Wroughton 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on "Authorization …

By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Any congressional authorization of U.S. military force against Islamic State should be flexible and not limit the fight to Iraq and Syria, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday.
The authorization should also not restrict U.S. President Barack Obama in deploying combat troops against the militant group if needed, Kerry told a Senate committee debating the need for an Authorization for the Use of Military Force, or AUMF.
The Obama administration has argued that its current campaign of air strikes against Islamic State is legal, based on authorization passed in the early 2000s for the campaigns against al Qaeda and associated groups and the Iraq War during the administration of former President George W. Bush.
Kerry said, however, the administration supported updating the authorizations to cover the campaign against Islamic State.
"We do not think an AUMF should include a geographic limitation," Kerry said, "We don't anticipate conducting operations in countries other than Iraq and Syria, but to the extent that ISIL poses a threat to American interests and personnel in other countries, we would not want an AUMF to constrain our ability to use appropriate force against ISIL in those locations if necessary.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on  …

"In our view, it would be a mistake to advertise to ISIL that there are safe havens for them outside Iraq or Syria," Kerry added.
While Obama has said the United States would not send U.S. combat troops into the fight against Islamic State, Kerry said any war powers granted by Congress should not "preemptively bind the hands of the commander in chief or our commanders in the field.
"The president has been crystal clear that his policy is that U.S. military forces will not be deployed to conduct ground combat operations against ISIL; that will be the responsibility of local forces," Kerry said.
Kerry has cautioned that while a U.S.-led coalition was starting to inflict damage on Islamic State, carrying out around 1,050 air strikes in Iraq and Syria, the fight could take years.
He said the administration supported a proposal by Senator Robert Menendez to grant new war powers for a period of three years to avoid an open-ended authorization.
"We support that proposal subject to a provision we should work through together that provides for an extension in the event that circumstances require it, and we think it should be advertised up front," Kerry added.
Kerry said it was important that the new authorization had bipartisan support "that makes clear this is not one party's fight."

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Atiku, Buhari in tight race for APC’s ticket

• Wednesday, 10 December 2014 01:16

• Party, PDP hold conventions  • Kwankwaso, Okorocha, Nda-Isaiah also seek nod
• Ruling party challenges rival to presidential debate, issue-based campaigns
• 11,070 delegates to elect candidates  • Police, others ready for exercise 
• Kano, Imo govs reserve senatorial, guber slots as fallback options
AHEAD of the 2015 polls, the ruling Peoples De-
mocratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) will today begin their two-day national conventions to elect their presidential candidates.
  Meanwhile, the PDP has challenged APC to present whoever emerges as its standard bearer to a public debate with President Goodluck Jonathan.
  Also, the Lagos State Police Command yesterday said it has deployed enough officers to provide adequate security during the APC’s convention.
  Also, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) said it had deployed its officers to assist in providing security during the event.
  While Jonathan is the sole candidate of the PDP, the main contenders in the APC presidential race are former Head of State, Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd),  erstwhile Vice President  Atiku Abubakar, Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, his Imo State counterpart Rochas Okorocha and Leadership Newspapers publisher,  Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah
  The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, disclosed that a total of 3,073 delegates have been accredited to participate in its national convention which will begin today and end tomorrow.
  Today’s aspect of the convention would ratify the appointment of the National Chairman of the party, Ahmed Adamu Muazu, the National Secretary, Adewale Oladipo, and National Auditor Adewale Adeyanju while the President’s affirmation as candidate will take place tomorrow.
  The party invited the opposition party to issue-based campaign after the primaries, pointing out that it was time the culture of using propaganda and lies were deleted from Nigeria’s political landscape.
  The ruling party boasted that it would inflict APC a “crushing defeat” in the February 2015 presidential election even if the latter put forward its best two aspirants as joint candidates.
  PDP said: “We have a very good product to sell to Nigerians. President Jonathan will win the 2015 presidential poll based on his popularity. We are today sending notice to the opposition party, the APC to expect a crushing defeat at the poll.
  “In view of our confidence, preparedness and the popularity of our candidate, we declare and urge the APC to put forward its two frontline aspirants in one pot, namely: Buhari and Atiku as joint presidential candidates with their collective credentials and followership to face President Jonathan.   For us in the PDP, we are certain that with the grassroots support and love we enjoy from Nigerians across board, President Jonathan will secure an emphatic victory against any presidential candidate of the APC or all the candidates put together as one.”
  Metuh added:  “Let us elevate the conduct of this election. We will base it on who is best for this country in terms of unity of this nation, who is best to stabilise our public policy, who is best to lead us to prosperity. On those three and other issues we will debate with  whoever is the candidate of APC.
  “As a party, we are going into the conduct of our presidential primaries, in particular, with great excitement, knowing very well that we are keeping an appointment with the destiny of our nation as embodied by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who is both president of our nation and candidate of our party on the occasion of our presidential primaries at the Eagle Square.
  ‘‘For us in the PDP, it is neither a matter of conjecture nor propaganda; we are certain that with the grassroots support and the love he enjoys from Nigerians across board, President Jonathan will secure an emphatic victory at the polls.”
  According to the APC’s spokesman, Lai Mohammed, the convention will hold at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos and over 8,000 delegates drawn across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja would participate in the exercise.
  “The five presidential aspirants  are expected to address the delegates to explain their programmes before the commencement of voting, which he disclosed would be by secret ballot,’’ he said.
   While he said the National Convention Committee (NCC) headed by former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi  has put adequate arrangements in place for a hitch-free convention, Mohammed disclosed that the various sub-committees were also working round the clock to ensure success of the exercise.
   He added that the party was also collaborating with relevant agencies to ensure effective security, crowd control, traffic management and medical attention among others.
  The Guardian investigations,  however, showed that Kwankwaso and Okorocha have reserved senatorial and governorship seats as fallback.
  Okorocha allegedly used his son in-law and Commissioner for Land, Mr. Uche Nwosu, to hold the seat pending the outcome of the presidential primaries. 
   Although not in the open or official, investigation revealed that it was because of the arrangement that APC governorship primary election did not hold in Imo like other states some days ago.
  The plan, according to the findings, is that if Okorocha loses out in the presidential contest today, he will leverage on the party’s national leadership to pick the governorship ticket and contest for a second term in office.
  Just like Okorocha, Kwankwaso has also reserved the Kano Central senatorial ticket of the party as there was no primary election for the seat during the party’s national assembly primaries in the state.
   Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Ngozi Braide, said: “We have enough men on ground who are adequately kitted for the primary.”
   She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN): “We know the responsibility for the process to be credible is rested on us. We are willing, as usual, ‎to discharge that responsibility to the best of our ability just like we have been doing in all other elections.
  “We know tomorrow’s election will be a bigger one and we expect more people to come into the state.
   “We are deploying our full arsenal to make sure that the election is credible.”   Also, Chibuzo Mefor, public relations officer, Lagos State Command of NSCDC, said the corps had deployed 500 officers to collaborate with the police to provide security.

Prosecutors Can Appeal Pistorius Verdict

A judge gives prosecutors permission to appeal against the Oscar Pistorius verdict and seek a murder conviction.

08:18, UK, Wednesday 10 December 2014

Oscar Pistorius was given a five-year jail term

Prosecutors who say Oscar Pistorius should have been found guilty of murder rather than culpable homicide can launch an appeal.

The athlete was convicted in October of the culpable homicide, or manslaughter, of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and sentenced to five years in prison.
But prosecutors said the verdict was wrong, and asked Judge Thokozile Masipa for permission to appeal and seek a murder conviction.

Judge Thokozile Masipa has given prosecutors permission to appeal

This morning she granted their request, saying: "I cannot say the prospect of success at the Supreme Court is remote."
She had previously found the double amputee not guilty of murder, ruling he did not intend to kill Ms Steenkamp when he fired his gun four times.
Pistorius claimed he mistook Miss Steenkamp for an intruder when he killed her on Valentine's Day last year.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot through a bathroom door

As his conviction stands, Pistorius could end up spending only 10 months of his jail term at Pretoria's central prison, before being placed under house arrest at his uncle's home.
The punishment had previously been described as "shockingly light" by prosecutors.