ARMY OFFICERS TO PAY FINE FOR TRAFFIC OFFENCE

The Nigerian Army has said Colonel K.I Yusuf and Staff Sergeant
Adeomi, who were accosted by Governor Babatunde Fashola for taking the
designated Bus Rapid Transit lane on July 17, 2012, will each pay the
mandatory fine of N25, 000.

Speaking in its behalf, the General Officer Commanding, 81 Division,
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, said at a press briefing that the Nigerian
Army was not above the law.

According to Minimah, "They passed the BRT lane and it's a traffic
offence and they'll pay the fine. The fact that he has apologised to
the governor does not mean that he won't face the law. He will pay the
fine."

He warned all army personnel to obey the laws of the state and avoid
taking the BRT lane, saying  "The law was made for Lagosians and we
are part of Lagos and the Nigerian Army and the military as a whole
are law-abiding and enforcers of the laws, not outlaws. We'll conform
to the laws and obey the law and also aid civil authority in enforcing
the laws and we'll continue to help the state government in this
regard."

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army began the court martial of 11 soldiers
for various offences in Lagos on Tuesday.

President of the court martial, Brigadier-  General Edward Nze, said
the crimes the army personnel were being tried for ranged from alleged
murder to financial misappropriation.

Nze remarked that court martial was an instrument used by the Nigerian
Army to instil discipline in its men.

"The offences we are handling presently range from murder to
misappropriation of funds to being absent without leave. They'll be
charged according to the Armed Forces Act," he said.

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WIGAN WANT CASH ONLY FOR MOSES FROM CHELSEA

According to reports Chelsea must pay £10m cash to
land Wigan Athletic attacker Victor Moses.
Latics chairman Dave Whelan will not let Moses go on
the cheap — telling the Champions League and FA
Cup holders to put up or shut up.
Whelan said, "They need to pay the brass up front —
we don't want any part-exchange deals they have
offered.
"Victor is one of the most exciting young talents
around, so little wonder Chelsea want him, but if they
want him they are going to have to pay the price.
"We are not interested in picking up one of their
players on loan or in part exchange.
"They know the price for Moses. We are looking to
reach £10m.
"If that means £8m cash and some add-ons, that's
fine, as the lad knows that we want him to stay but
that we won't stand in his way either."














Punch

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FG OFFERS FINANCIAL INDUCEMENT TO WOMEN TO ENCOURAGE ANTENATAL

The Federal Government as part of its efforts
to deal with the rising rate of maternal mortality and
improve child healthcare has concluded plans to pay
women who attend antenatal clinics.
The plan would be executed as part of the Midwifery
Service Scheme (MSS) introduced in 2010.
Dr. Abdullahi Mohammed, Director, Primary Health
Care System Development, National Primary Health
Care Development Agency, disclosed the conclusion
of payment plan in Abuja on Sunday.
He said government budgeted N15 billion for
Maternal and Child Health Care from the Subsidy
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-
P).
More than 4,000 midwives have been deployed to
1,000 health facilities nationwide under the MSS.












CitizensPlatform

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FG OFFERS FINANCIAL INDUCEMENT TO WOMEN TO ENCOURAGE ANTENATAL

The Federal Government as part of its efforts
to deal with the rising rate of maternal mortality and
improve child healthcare has concluded plans to pay
women who attend antenatal clinics.
The plan would be executed as part of the Midwifery
Service Scheme (MSS) introduced in 2010.
Dr. Abdullahi Mohammed, Director, Primary Health
Care System Development, National Primary Health
Care Development Agency, disclosed the conclusion
of payment plan in Abuja on Sunday.
He said government budgeted N15 billion for
Maternal and Child Health Care from the Subsidy
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-
P).
More than 4,000 midwives have been deployed to
1,000 health facilities nationwide under the MSS.












CitizensPlatform

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FG OFFERS FINANCIAL INDUCEMENT TO WOMEN TO ENCOURAGE ANTENATAL

The Federal Government as part of its efforts
to deal with the rising rate of maternal mortality and
improve child healthcare has concluded plans to pay
women who attend antenatal clinics.
The plan would be executed as part of the Midwifery
Service Scheme (MSS) introduced in 2010.
Dr. Abdullahi Mohammed, Director, Primary Health
Care System Development, National Primary Health
Care Development Agency, disclosed the conclusion
of payment plan in Abuja on Sunday.
He said government budgeted N15 billion for
Maternal and Child Health Care from the Subsidy
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-
P).
More than 4,000 midwives have been deployed to
1,000 health facilities nationwide under the MSS.












CitizensPlatform

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TONE DOWN YOUR MESSAGES SSS TELLS BAKARE

Spokesman for the Save Nigerian Group, Mr. Yinka
Odumakin, said the officials of the State Security,
who met with the Convener of the group, Pastor
Tunde Bakare, at their Lagos office on Monday
wanted the pastor to "tone down" his sermons.
Bakare is reputed for criticising government policies
perceived to be unpopular. Through the SNG, the
pastor led the Lagos protest against the removal of
subsidy on fuel by the Federal Government in
January.
Odumakin, who spoke with our correspondent on the
telephone, confirmed that the state Director of the
SSS invited Bakare on the account of his Sunday
sermon.
The sermon by Bakare at his church, The Latter Rain
Assembly, on Sunday, was entitled, 'How to change
government peacefully and make society better'.
Odumakin said, "The meeting lasted for about an
hour. The State Director of the SSS received him
(Bakare). The meeting went peacefully without any
intimidation. They invited him because of his
message on Sunday.
"He actually showed a copy of the message to the
director to prove that there was nothing outrageous
about it. They talked about the message and they
were craving that he should tone down his
messages."
According to Odumakin, Bakare, received the SSS
letter of invitation on Monday morning for a meeting
scheduled for 2pm.
But he said due to "prior commitment", Bakare's
arrival at the Lagos office of the SSS was delayed till
after 3pm.












Pnuch

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REPS HACTH PLAN TO IMPEACH PRESIDENT JONATHAN!

The House says no amount of intimidation would force it to tolerate
poor budget implementation by the President.
Amid a mixed public reaction that appears to have emboldened its
position, the House of Representatives on Monday insisted that its
resolution to impeachment President Goodluck Jonathan over poor budget
implementation remained firm and unshakable.
The House said in a statement that the move, which it has now
confirmed to be its official resolution, was "noble, bold and
patriotic" and would not be forced down by "intimidation and
blackmail".
Spokesperson Muhammad Zakari also denied that the resolution was
either sponsored by an opposition political party or borne out of
lawmakers' grievance over the fuel subsidy bribery scandal involving
its member, Farouk Lawan, and the legislators' inability to secure
constituency project allowance.
"No amount of blackmail or intimidation would cow us to abdicate our
constitutional responsibility which we signed with our employers the
(Nigerian people) to stand firm and protect their interest," Mr.
Zakari said.
The notice followed intense meetings between the presidency and the
leadership of the National Assembly over the weekend, according to
reports, amid the controversy that has been generated by the House
decision last Thursday.
In a well-backed motion on Thursday, initiated by Sam Tsokwa(PDP,
Taraba state), and amended by Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, to
reflect the impeachment proviso, the lawmakers said Mr. Jonathan had
until September to implement the budget or be forced out.
At present, national budget performance averaged 30 per cent, the
House Appropriation committee chairman, John Enoh, said, despite
impressive revenue yields from all government sectors.
A touchy subject that has, for years, elicited stormy exchanges
between the executive and the legislature, Nigeria's budget
implementation, since 1999, has not performed more than 50 per cent.
In the past, governments have cited dwindling revenue and at times
accused the lawmakers of padding allocations, during appropriation
exercise, beyond what it could implement.
This time, all government revenue generating projections have been met
for the first two quarters of 2012.
The House of Reps' position this time, one of its fiercest yet, has
been applauded as much as it has been condemned.
"The President, by failing to implement the budget as passed by this
honourable House, violates the 1999 Constitution and is therefore
liable to be impeached under section 143 of the 1999 Constitution",
Mr. Gbajabiamila had said.
"So therefore, I want to hereby submit that, come September, we will
begin to invoke and draw up articles of impeachment of Mr. President",
he declared before he was forcefully interrupted by a colleague that
represents President Jonathan's constituency in the House."
The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties backed the threat in a
statement on Sunday. Spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu, said it was
"patriotic, germane and timely."
"We are at a loss how the gross unemployment, dilapidated
infrastructure and decadence of social services can be addressed
without implementation of the Budget," Mr. Okechukwu said.
Critics have accused the lawmakers of acting a routine script that has
only been triggered by the strings of clashes it has had with the
presidency lately.
Spokesperson of the House, Mr. Zakari, however claimed the House was
acting in the interest of the public, to forestall a degeneration of
an already fragile state of the nation.
"To then insinuate that the House of Representatives took this noble
step to satisfy pressure from a political party or because the
constituency projects were not awarded to members or because of the
drama that followed the presentation of the fuel subsidy report, is to
say the least maliciously damaging and uncharitable to the image of
the Assembly," he said.
"To assume that we are guided by some forces outside the House of
Representatives is mischievous and a deliberate ploy to misrepresent
the House before the Nigerian public."













SaharaReporters

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