OKUPE ON OBASANJO'S INFLUENCE IN OGUN STATE

FORMER Presidential spokesman under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Doyin Okupe, yesterday said the leadership style of the former President cannot win elections again for the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in Ogun State.

He described Chief Obasanjo  as a liability to the party in the State, saying his strick could only work on national level to those who still believe in his ruling style. He was recently appointed as Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs.

Okupe who was Obasanjo’s Special Adviser on media matters for three years between 1999 and 2002 and he was displaced by Mrs Remi Oyo.

He spoke after he was appointed PDP’s acting leader, at a stakeholders meeting, in Ijebu-Igbo.

According to him; “Obasanjo erred politically and his leadership style would not help the party in the state.”

Giving further clarification, Okupe said his disagreement with his erstwhile boss was based on principle towards forestalling the death of PDP in the state.

The PDP Chieftain said: “Obasanjo remained a national leader with numerous achievements, but his political interests and leadership style were inimical to the survival of Ogun PDP.”

“The chairman of Board of Trustee, BoT, is not a small person in any political party. Chief Obasanjo is the chairman of BoT, so you cannot rough-ride over him anyhow even, if his demands are undemocratic or unreasonable.

“We just feel that the right thing needs to be done in our party. That is the only basis of disagreement. Obasanjo is our leader, we have a lot of respect for him, we are proud of his achievements. But politically, he has erred; that’s the truth.

“Politically, he has erred and his style of leadership is not such that will develop the party and we do not want the party to die.

“Some of us were in this party before Obasanjo came, so we are not going to allow it to die. But, if we go the way they are leading, the party will die. We are saying that the minority should not be allowed to override the majority. We are not self-centred; we are only interested in service and giving dividends of democracy to our followership and not ruling by high-handedness and despotism” the ex-Presidential’s spokesman stated.

The meeting had in attendance Buruji Kashamu,endorsed Senator Ayodeji Otegbola as the party’s Grand Patron while Chief Zaccheus Oyekunle was appointed Chairman, Elders Forum.

DailyPost

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Posted in: Obasanjo,ogun state,okupe

CLARK CHALLENGES IBB

Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, on Wednesday challenged former head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, to a public senility test.

Clark, who was reacting to Babangida’s description of the Ijaw leader as senile, said the test would determine the reasoning ability of both of them.

Babangida, who was reacting to some recent comments made by Clark, had said the Ijaw leader had lost focus and had become senseless.

Clark had attacked Babangida at a public lecture, where he accused the former military leader of having a hand in the Boko Haram insurgency.

However, his declaration was contained in a statement read at a press conference in Abuja by his lawyer, Mr. Kayode Ajulo.

Clark said both of them should sit at a public debate, without the assistance of aides, to debate issues so that Nigerians could determine whether Clark or Babangida was suffering from senility.

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Posted in: EDWIN CLARK,IBB,IJAW

SYRIAN PRIME MINISTER DEFECTS

Syria's Prime Minister Riyad Hijab has
defected from President Bashar al-
Assad's administration and joined the
opposition to his rule, a spokesman said
on Monday in a statement broadcast on
Al Jazeera television.
"I announce today my defection from the
killing and terrorist regime and I announce that
I have joined the ranks of the freedom and
dignity revolution. I announce that I am from
today a soldier in this blessed revolution,"
Hijab said in a statement read in his name by
the spokesman.
The spokesman said Hijab was in a safe place.







Ascology

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MAYWEATHER RELEASED

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been
released from a Las Vegas detention center after
serving two months of a three-month sentence for a
domestic violence conviction, a detention center
official said early Friday.
Video from CNN affiliate KVVU showed Mayweather
leaving the facility.
The official from the Clark County Detention Center
said Mayweather was no longer in custody. No
explanation of why Mayweather was released before
the end of his sentence was given.
The undefeated boxer was convicted last year after
the police said he punched the mother of his children
at his home.
The high-profile athlete was to be kept in isolation
from the facility's 3,000 other inmates, the police
said when he was booked into the detention center in
June.
"He will receive one hour free time per day by
himself," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department said in a news release at the time.
Mayweather had been set to go to jail earlier in the
year, but a Nevada judge pushed back his reporting
date so that the boxer could compete last month
against WBA super-welterweight champion Miguel
Cotto.
Mayweather, whose nickname is "Money," won a
unanimous decision in the Las Vegas fight, which
paid him $32 million.










CNN

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83 MILLION FACEBOOK USERS ARE FAKE!

The number of fake accounts on Facebook is
roughly the size of Egypt's population and
larger than most of the world's countries, the
company disclosed this week.
In a 10-Q filing, Facebook acknowledged that a total
of 8.7% -- or 83 million -- accounts on the network are
bogus. Of that 8.7%, 4.8% are duplicate accounts,
2.4% are user-misclassified accounts and 1.5% are
"undesirable" accounts, a.k.a. spam.
The figure is a bit higher than the company's
previous estimates. In a March filing, Facebook
claimed about 5% to 6% of its accounts -- or 40.3
million to 50.7 million -- were fake. The company also
says it bans at least 20,000 accounts daily and
estimates about 600,000 accounts per day are
compromised.
Taking the latest figures into account, Facebook's
latest claim of 955 million active users would be
downgraded to 872 million.







Ascology

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CHEVROLET MANCHESTER UNITED STRIKES NEW SHIRT DEAL

Chevrolet will be the new name on Manchester
United's shirts from the 2014-15 season.
Chevrolet, the club's official car partner, will become
only the fifth shirt sponsor in the club's 134-year
history from the 2014-2015 season, in a seven-year
agreement that has been signed for an undisclosed
amount.
United's commercial director, Richard Arnold, told
the club's official website, www.manutd.com: "This is
a fantastic, long-term deal for the club. We have been
partners with Chevrolet for only six weeks, but
already they have produced some fantastic ideas
that will benefit both the partnership and our 659
million followers around the world."
Arnold added: "They are a key partner on our current
tour and I know they have enjoyed experiencing the
buzz generated by our fanatical support and the sell-
out crowds in South Africa, China, and Europe.
"It is a great thrill for those of us who work with
partners all year round when an existing partner
steps up to being one of our principal partners. This
commitment to United and its fans will bring real
benefits to everyone who cares about the club."
Chevrolet will replace Aon, whose partnership with
United began in the 2010/11 season.
Alan Batey, General Motors' North America vice-
president, US sales and service, said: "We are
extremely proud to connect our brand, Chevrolet,
with Manchester United and its passionate
supporters all around the world.
"Manchester United's statistics are impressive, but
this relationship goes far beyond the numbers - this
relationship is about connecting our brand with the
deep-seated emotion that surrounds the team
everywhere it goes.
"When you consider the core values of Chevrolet, our
passionate customers around the world, and our rich
100-year history, the partnership with Manchester
United is a perfect fit.
"And, to be only the fifth name on the iconic red
jersey is a genuine honour. We very much look
forward to the road ahead and the opportunities we
have in partnering with such a legendary club."











Ascology

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FERDINAND CHARGED OVER TWITTER COMMENTS

Rio Ferdinand has been charged by the
Football Association over comments he made
at the end of the John Terry trial.
Following Terry's acquittal for allegedly racially
abusing Ferdinand's brother Anton, the Manchester
United defender responded to a tweet that
characterised Terry's Chelsea teammate Ashley Cole
- a defence witness in the trial - as a "choc ice".
The term is commonly understood to mean "black on
the outside, white on the inside" and was a reference
to Cole's testimony in court, in which he said he
never heard Terry make a racist remark towards
Anton Ferdinand during a match at Loftus Road in
October.
An FA statement said: "The FA has today charged
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand with improper
conduct in relation to comments posted on Twitter.
"The allegation is that the player acted in a way
which was improper and/or brought the game into
disrepute by making comments which included a
reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race."
Ferdinand has until 4pm on Thursday to respond to
the charge.
The move extends still further a case which has cast
a shadow over the game for more than nine months
now.
Last week, Terry was charged with improper conduct
by the FA for the comments he made to Anton
Ferdinand, a charge he has vowed to contest.
Now, Rio Ferdinand must clear his name or risk a
hefty fine or potential suspension ahead of the new
Premier League campaign.









Ascology

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50 NIGERIANS EVACUATED FROM SYRIA

Mr Olugbenga Ashiru, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, on Monday said about 50 Nigerians
had so far been evacuated from Syria following the
ongoing crises in the country.
Ashiru said in Abuja that the evacuees complied with
government's directive to leave Syria and he advised
others to vacate the Middle East nation.
"We have evacuated quite a lot of Nigerians from
Syria, it was not an airlift exercise like we did in the
case of Libya because they are very few.
"From the report I got, those moved so far are less
than 50, long before the situation deteriorated we
advised them to move.
"Some have decided to stay behind but it is their
choice.''
The minister also said that the families of the Charge
d'Affairs and officials at the embassy had been
relocated to the neighbouring nation of Lebanon "and
they are very safe there.''
It will be recalled that the Syrian conflict began on
March 15, 2011 with public demonstrations as part of
the wider Arab spring and developed into a
nationwide uprising.
Nigeria and Syria established diplomatic ties in 1961.













CitizensPlatform

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THE ARSENAL TRIO VISITS NIGERIA

The Arsenal players (Photo Source: Bada Akintunde J)

Over the weekend, the trio of Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker and Lukas
Podolski of Arsenal FC of England were in Nigeria to meet with a
select group of fans, at the Malta Guinness Low Sugar Workout launch
in Lagos.

Czech midfielder, Tomas Rosicky who was scheduled to come along,
pulled out of the trip, after sustaining an injury in a pre-season
game.

The Gunners who arrived in Lagos on Saturday morning, were taught
steps of the rave-of-the-moment Azonto dance, by Guinness World Record
holding dancer, Kaffy and her crew, at the launch which took place at
the Ball Room of the popular Eko Hotel, on Sunday.

They were presented Nigerian national team shirts, bearing their
names, upon arrival at their hotel and another with Arsenal manager,
Arsene Wenger's name on it, too

Speaking on the experience, Sagna, described the visit to Nigeria as
wonderful, saying he hoped to visit again next year.

"I am quite happy to be here (Nigeria); it's a homecoming for me. I'm
back to my roots because I am black and from Senegal," Sagna said.

"Even if I am not Nigerian, we are all brothers; we are blacks.
Hopefully I will be part of the team when they visit again next year."

On his part, Mertesacker hailed former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu,
saying African players were very technical.

"I have only watched Kanu on TV and I believe he can be a role model
to us at Arsenal. I played against a player like Chinedu Obasi in the
Bundesliga; he is very technical, strong and quick," he said.

Meanwhile, Malta Guiness Head of Innovation, Sola Oke, said there were
plans to bring the entire Gunners team to the country in future.

He said, "The rest of the squad are currently on pre-season tour; they
all can't be here at the same time. But sometime in the future, we
will be bringing the team back to Nigeria again because of our
partnership as the official malt drink of the club."

Meanwhile, the rest of the Arsenal senior team were at the time of the
event, being held to a 2-2 draw by Kitchee SC of Hong Kong, in China.

The English Premier League (EPL) team had been scheduled to play in
Nigeria his summer before the trip was cancelled due to certain
complexities in logistics.














Photo:Bada Akintunde J

Story: CitizensPlatform

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CHINA WINS LONDON 2012 FIRST GOLD MEDAL

China's world number one Yi Siling won the
first gold of the London Olympics in the women's
10m air rifle competition at London's Royal Artillery
Barracks on Saturday.
China's Yi Siling
In a tense contest watched by International Olympic
Committee president Jacques Rogge, Poland's Sylwia
Bogacka took silver after a fierce battle for the top
spot while Yu Dan of China clinched bronze.
Yi, 23, who won the title at the 2010 world
championships in Munich, had a total winning score
of 502.9, 0.7 points ahead of Bogacka, on 502.2. Yu
finished with 501.5.
Defending Olympic champion Katerina Emmons of
the Czech Republic finished fourth.
Yi, who was well off her own world record of 505.6,
said it felt good to be the first gold medal winner of
the 2012 Games.
"It's very exciting. Very happy. I'm very grateful to
China. And to my mother and father who I love very
much," she said.
"I am pleased, not nervous like I was in the
competition. I have been up since five this morning.
There was a lot of pressure on me," she added.
And Yi said being Olympic champion would change
her life.
"I think I myself have changed. I feel like I've grown
up and then I think this is going to bring some
changes to my life as well."
Bogacka earlier finished top of qualifying with Yi in
second place and the two were locked together in an
agonisingly tight duel in the final which started with
both scoring 10.8 out of possible 10.9 in the first
shot.
But Yi held her nerve under intense pressure, taking
advantage of some slips from the Pole, grabbing the
title with 10.3 and 10.5 in her last two shots.
Bogacka slipped to third after the ninth shot but her
final effort (10.8) lifted her into the silver medal
position.
"Amazing, really, really amazing. The people were
amazing. I'm very happy," said the Pole, 30. "I have
been shooting for 18 years. This is everything to me."
When asked where she felt she lost the gold medal,
she said: "I shot one 9.7, I think that was the reason I
fell down."
The top eight competitors from the qualification
round reached the final, shooting a further 10 shots,
each fired individually under timed conditions.
The score in the final is added to the score achieved
in the qualification round to determine the winner.
On home soil in 2008, the powerful Chinese took five
of the 15 golds on offer, making them the top
performers ahead of the United States.












CitizensPlatform

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CASH IN OVEN!

A Sydney man who hid $15,000 in cash in his
oven was left with a colourful melted mess
after his wife turned it on.
The Merrylands father-of-two, who did not want to be
identified out of embarrassment, sold his beloved
Toyota Supra sports car for $15,000 on Saturday
afternoon and stashed the wads of notes in his
kitchen oven.
He said he believed the cash would be safe in the
oven because his wife never used it.
It was a decision he regretted yesterday after his wife
struggled to tell him the money had literally gone up
in smoke.
She had turned on the oven to pre-heat some chicken
nuggets for their two girls and inadvertently cooked
the cash.









Ascology

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NUPENG SUSPENDS STRIKE!

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural
Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Jetties and
Petroleum Tank Farm Owners Association
(JEPTFON) on Friday suspended it two-day old
strike.
This is contained in a communiqué jointly signed by
NUPENG, JEPTFON, the Group Managing Director of
NNPC, the Executive Secretary, Petroleum Product
Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), the Minister of
State for Finance and the Minister of Labor.
The NUPENG President Igwe Achese and JEPTFON's
Enoch Kanawa, signed for the unions, while Chief
Emeka Wogu, Dr Yerima Ngama, Mr Andrew Yakubu
and Mr Reginald Stanley, signed for government.
The communiqué made available on Saturday stated
the Ministry of Finance had commenced the payment
of the Petroleum Subsidy for 2012.
It also assured the unions that the issuance of
Sovereign Debt Notes for verified and processed
batches would be concluded within two weeks.
The Federal Government assured NUPENG that steps
would be taken on the issue of access roads leading
to the refineries in Port Harcourt and Warri.
The communiqué stated that NNPC said it would
complete the `Turn Around Maintenance' (TAM) of
the refineries as planned and ensure availability of
crude them.
It was further resolved that JEPTFON "shall open the
jetties and depots owned by its members''.
It will be recalled that NUPENG had embarked on
strike over the non- payment of 2012 Petroleum
Subsidy arrears, state of the refineries, bad roads as
well as restructuring of loans of JEPTFON members.












Ascology

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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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VICTIMS OF COLORADO BATMAN PREMIERE SHOOTING MOURNED

A candlelit vigil has been held in Aurora, Colorado,
as the US begins to mourn the people killed by a
gunman at a showing of the new Batman film, the
Dark Knight Rises.
US President Barack Obama ordered flags flown at
half mast.
A gunman wearing a full
suit of tactical body
armor, a helmet and a
gas mask opened fire at
a packed midnight
showing of the Dark
Knight Rises in a Denver
suburb on Friday, killing
12 people after setting
off two smoke bombs in
the dark theater.
Armed with an assault
rifle, a shotgun and a
pistol, the black-clad
gunman wounded 58
others in the shooting rampage at at a mall in
Aurora, turning the movie screening into a chaotic
scene of dead or bleeding victims, horrified
screams and pleas for help, witnesses said.
Officers who arrived on scene within 90 seconds of
the first emergency calls quickly took
suspect James Eagan Holmes, 24, into custody in a
parking lot behind the cinema, where he
surrendered without a fight, Aurora Police Chief
Dan Oates said.
He will appear at Arapahoe County District Court,
in nearby Centennial, Colorado, on Monday at
09:30 local time (15:30 GMT).
Hundreds of mourners gathered in Aurora for the
vigil.
Candles and flowers were left on the lawn. One
letter read: "To all the innocent souls… This is for
you. We will never forget. This is Aurora."
At the Queen of Peace Roman Catholic church,
Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila told mourners:
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted. The heart of our Father is stronger than
the bullets that killed 12 people."
In a briefing at the end of the day in Colorado, an
emotional Governor John Hickenlooper confirmed
that the casualty figure had been revised down
one, to 70 people killed or injured.
Thirty people remained in hospital, Mr
Hickenlooper said, with 11 of those in a critical
condition.
"It's an act that defies description. Everyone I've
talked to all day is filled with an anger that can't
find focus," he said.








-BBC

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