#XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS - ISRAEL DENIES SOUTH AFRICA'S MINISTER ENTRY VISA.

The government of South Africa has expressed outrage after Israel's decision to deny a visa to Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande. Clayson Monyela, Deputy Director General of Department of International Relations and Cooperation, told Al Jazeera on Thursday the Israeli government needed to offer a reason for the snubbing.

"We are taking it up through the proper channels. We need to receive a proper explanation for the denial of a visa to a sitting cabinet minister," Monyela said.

The minister was scheduled to travel to the occupied Palestinian territories from April 25-29. He was scheduled to secure further collaboration with the University of Johannesburg and institutions in Palestine.

SENATE PRESIDENT DAVID MARK VISITS PRESIDENT ELECT MUHAMMADU BUHARI.

Senate President David Mark visited the President Elect Muhammadu Buhari in a congratulatory visit.

Smart move by the senator who is destined to be an ordinary member of the assembly in few months time.

ENGLAND'S ADAM JOHNSON CHARGED WITH 3 COUNTS OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH A CHILD.

England and Sunderland footballer Adam Johnson has been charged with three counts of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. The 27-year-old, from Castle Eden, County Durham, was initially arrested on 2 March.

He was also charged with one offence of grooming when he answered bail at a police station earlier, Durham Police said. He will appear before Peterlee Magistrates' Court on 20 May.

Sunderland AFC initially suspended the winger pending the outcome of the investigation, but this was lifted on 18 March. The club are yet to comment on the charges.

BOKO HARAM CHANGES NAME TO ISLAMIC STATE IN WEST AFRICA.

BOKO HARAM NOW USING BOW AND ARROW AFTER RUNNING OUT OF AMMUNITION.

Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade says Boko Haram members have resorted to using bows and arrows to carry out their attacks after running out of arms & ammunition. Olukolade said this while speaking to newsmen in Abuja today April 23rd.

"The Boko Haram terrorists have run out of arms and ammunition because the usual supplies they get are not forthcoming. They now have only bow and arrows, machetes, daggers and other local weapons. You can find more than 500 of them with only few having rifles and even when one or two of them have rifles, they have no ammunition. I am optimistic that the military will succeed in killing many of these insurgents who have been terrorizing residents for the past three years.”he said

FG REVENUE DECLINE - SELL NIGERIA'S OIL STAKES AND RAISE N14.9 TRILLION - CBN GOVERNOR ADVISES BUHARI.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has advised the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to consider selling off nearly half of Nigeria’s Joint Venture equity with multinational oil companies, to enable the new government raise a huge balance for immediate developmental projects.

If Mr. Buhari accepts the advice, Nigeria stands to generate about N14.9 trillion, about three times the country’s annual budget, which should be immediately ploughed into providing badly needed infrastructure development, Mr. Emefiele said.

The Nigerian economy has faced continued pressure from spiraling debts, in the face of dwindling revenues resulting from falling global crude oil prices.

DRAMA AS EX-IGP DELAYED HANDOVER FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

There was confusion and drama at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday, as the sacked Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, stalled the formal handover to his successor, Mr Solomon Arase, until he was compelled to do so by the Presidency. 

This came as some former Inspectors-General of Police expressed reservations over the manner Abba was removed while other leaders were divided over the sack.

The handover ceremony which was earlier slated for 8 a.m. with invitations sent to journalists for coverage from the office of the Force Public Relations Officer, did not take place until almost 4pm following the absence of the ex-Police boss at the headquarters.

BODE GEORGE WORKED FOR TINUBU & APC DURING THE ELECTIONS.

A Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has accused the leader of the party, Chief Bode George, of colluding with the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to ensure PDP’s defeat in Lagos.

He, therefore, called on George to resign immediately.However, in a swift reaction, George described Gbadamosi as an irresponsible man who may be suffering from a mental problem.

Gbadamosi, who came fourth at the PDP governorship primary last year, said the party would have performed better at the poll if the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Musiliu Obanikoro, was given the ticket.

FG REVERSES ITS DECISION, WILL NOW HANDOVER ON THE 29TH OF MAY 2015.

The Federal Government on Wednesday changed its mind on the earlier plan for President Goodluck Jonathan to formally hand over power to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on May 28 as against the May 29 Democracy Day.

The Minister of Information, Patricia Akwashiki, had last week said that Jonathan intended to have the formal handing over done at a dinner on May 28, so that the administration could reserve May 29 for the incoming government.

That announcement generated controversy with some prominent lawyers arguing that the plan would create a vacuum in the leadership of the country as Buhari would be inaugurated 24 hours after the handing over ceremony.

NNPC HAS STARTED RETURNING MISSING $1.48BN - ALLISON MADUEKE.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Wednesday disclosed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has started refunding the $1.48bn unremitted fund into the Federation Account as recommended by an audit firm, PriceWaterHouse Coopers.

She however did not disclose how much has for far been refunded by the corporation. She also denied reports that she was seeking the assistance of some highly-placed persons in order to escape prosecution for alleged corruption from the incoming administration of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.

Alison-Madueke spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of Federal Executive Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

REVEALED - WHY PRESIDENT JONATHAN SACKED THE IG OF POLICE "SULEIMAN ABBA" 4YRS BEFORE RETIREMENT.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, yesterday, became the first major casualty of the just concluded general elections, which President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost to the opposition.

The police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.

Continue reading after the cut........

THE CURSE OF IMPEACHMENT IN EKITI STATE.

The impeachment saga in Ekiti State is a political culture that escalated during the eight year reign of General Olusegun Obasanjo that might as well have been an extension of military rule.

Impeachments in Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Plateau – all carried out under his command – fell short of constitutional requirements for removing a governor. Emergency rules in Plateau and Ekiti were Obasanjo’s legacies.

When Mr. Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was elected Governor of Ekiti State 10 months ago, All Progressives Congress, APC, contested his qualification. One of its major points was Fayose’s 2006 impeachment. Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the sitting governor, had congratulated Fayose, but APC decided to challenge the result at the tribunal.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN MAY CONTEST THE 2019 ELECTIONS.

Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to start preparing to run again for election in 2019.

The group, which held a high level meeting last week, expressed the view that it was the party, not the President, who failed in the elections.  They blamed his defeat on the refusal of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to work assiduously to help him win the re-election. Our sources stated that the Governor of Cross River state, Liyel Imoke, has been tapped to become the new chairman of the People's Democratic party in a bid to re-organize the party on behalf of president Jonathan take over of the party hierarchy.

YOUR FAKE PRAISE SINGING IS USELESS.... TINUBU TELLS KASHAMU.

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Tuesday told Ogun central senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu to keep his “fake praise singing. It is widely publicized that Kashamu is a wanted fugitive in the USA for drug related offences.

In a statement signed by Sunday Dare, Media Adviser to Tinubu, he said: “Our attention has been drawn to the recently advertised letter by Mr. Buruji Kashamu to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in which he described Tinubu in superlative terms and as his role model. Kashamu needs to stop this cynical fawning. It will not work.

“The days of false adulation are gone in Nigerian politics. Fake praise singers like Kashamu will find that their particular craft is no longer in vogue. During this election cycle, their practice has dramatically turned from the way things are to how things used to be.

DAGRIN MEMORIAL CONCERT TO BE HEADLINED BY OLAMIDE, REMINISCE, 9ICE & OTHERS. #DAGRINLIVESON #LEGENDSLIVEFOREVER.

The 5th memorial concert for late rapper, Dagrin – real name, Olaitan Olanipekun – will be headlined by, Olamide and Reminisce, 9ice and a host of others.

The concert, which holds on April 22 at Spice Route, Victoria Island, Lagos, will also feature Seriki, Lord of Ajasa, YQ, Sossick, WondaBoy, BaseOne, JahBless, PoslyTD, Chinko Ekun and CDQ.

Dagrin, who rapped mostly in Yoruba, died on April 22, 2010, eight days after crashing his car in front of Alakara Police Station, Mushin, Lagos.

STEPHEN KESHI RE-APPOINTED AS NIGERIA'S NATIONAL TEAM COACH.

Stephen Keshi has been appointed Nigeria coach for the third time after signing a two-year contract on Tuesday. In his first spell he won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations but the deal was not renewed after the 2014 World Cup.

He later returned on a match-by-match deal, which ended in November after failure to reach the 2015 Nations Cup . "It's a fresh start. We need the support of our fans, media and every Nigerian to return the team to where we truly belong," Keshi told BBC Sport. 

"As a coach and former player I was also hurt that we failed to qualify for the last Nations Cup. I remain confident that this time around we will see an improvement, change in attitude and positive results.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN SACKS INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE SULEIMAN ABBA, APPOINTS SOLOMON ARANSE AS ACTING IG.

Acting Inspector General of Police - Mr Solomon Aranse

According to Presidential Spokesman Reuben Abati, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba of his appointment and duties with immediate effect.

President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect.

Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

BULL GORES MAN STRAIGHT IN THE BOTTOM.........

This is the moment an unlucky man was gored between the legs by a rampaging bull after being knocked to the ground during a bullrunning celebration in Spain.

The unnamed man was sprinting ahead of the animal, trying to make it to the safety behind a set of iron bars when the angry animal sent him sprawling to the floor.

WHAT BUHARI MUST DO IN THE OIL SECTOR..............

As the nation waits anxiously for the May 29, swearing in of Muhammadu Buhari, as Nigeria’s next president, experts in the oil industry have set for him an agenda aimed at restructuring the sector, which is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. The Managing Director, Frontier Oil Limited, Mr. Dada Thomas, a marginal field operator, believes that the oil and gas sector in Nigeria has suffered a major decline in the last 10 years.

He noted that Nigeria had a vision 2020 target of increasing its reserve to 40 billion barrels and production to four million barrels of oil per day.

However, the target has not been achieved as no exploration of any great measure has taken place in the last 10 years, neither has there been major discoveries except for oil mining lease, OML 310 between 2012 and 2013 that added substantially to Nigeria’s reserve.

BATTLE OF PRESIDENTIAL BRANDS.

I have been asked to do a strategic evaluation of the Battle of the Brands between Camp Goodluck Jonathan and Team Muhammadu Buhari leading to the March 28 presidential election. This is essentially a review of the brand building and brand communication initiatives of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on behalf of their respective presidential candidates. You will notice the distinction I have made regarding both political parties. For Buhari, his brand managers executed a near-flawless campaign as a cohesive TEAM while President Jonathan’s people were an unwieldy assemblage of individuals in the same CAMP. I have also tried to tone down on the technical terms and speak more of “English” than “Brandlish” in order to achieve more broad-based understanding.