SENATE PRESIDENT (@BUKOLASARAKI) MEETS WITH AGGRIEVED SENATORS.

Senate President Bukola Saraki has started reaching out to the All Peoples Congress leadership and colleagues opposed to his emergence as the head of the National Assembly.

A senator loyal to him, Rafiu Ibrahim, made this known in Abuja on Sunday. A leading newspaper "Punch" aslo learnt that the APC leadership decided to soft-pedal on its initial opposition to the outcomes of the National Assembly leadership elections in order to stave off   rebellion by its lawmakers.

Ibrahim said, “We are currently meeting with our colleagues in the Senate. Apart from the fact that the Senate President has been meeting with those who are aggrieved , we, members of the Like Minds Senators are also engaging them on one-on-one basis.

WINNERS CHAPEL PASTOR KIDNAPPED IN CROSS RIVERS STATE.

The Senior Resident Pastor of Winners Chapel, along IBB Way in Calabar, Cross River State, Mr. Seyi Adekunle, was on Saturday, abducted by yet-to-be identified kidnappers, who stormed the church premises around 8pm.

The development created confusion among members of the church, who had gathered at the church to pray for the success of the Sunday service.

The confusion, according to an eyewitness, stemmed from the fact that the church is located next to the headquarters of the Airport Division of the Nigeria Police in Calabar, but it took officers and men of the division 30 minutes to arrive at the church after they were contacted for an emergency.

BREAKING - MOTORIST BLOCKS ZARIA-KADUNA HIGHWAY BECAUSE SOLDIERS SHOT TRUCK DRIVER.

Truck drivers along the Zaria-Kaduna road have blocked the highway at Maraban Jos, causing a massive gridlock.

The motorists are said to be protesting the an alleged shooting of one of them by soldiers.

It was unclear why the military men shot the driver of the articulated vehicle and the condition of the driver.

READ WHY MANY STATES CANNOT PAY SALARIES.

Huge expenditures on capital projects and sundry overhead have been identified as part of the reasons many state governments in Nigeria are unable to pay their workers’ salaries for many months now, Vanguard investigations have revealed.

About 18 state governments in the country currently owe their workers salaries for periods ranging from two to 11 months as at the end of May, 2015.

States and indebtedness

Some of the effected states include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Imo, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara.

THE RACE FOR 2019 HAS BEGUN!!!!!!!!!!!

While the various political elements that formed the victorious coalition, the All Progressives Congress, APC, gathered against the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, pundits had believed it was only a matter of time before the gang-up would come unstuck. However, the various constituents surprised everyone, sank their differences and worked together to ensure the ouster of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, with Muhammadu Buhari as the arrowhead of the grand coalition of the old North and the ruling political mainstream of South West.

EFCC SLAMS 50 NEW MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES AGAINST TIMIPRE SYLVA.

Apparently angered and disappointed by the dismissal of the money laundering charges it preferred against former Bayelsa governor, Timipre Sylva, by Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Abuja Federal High Court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, released 50 fresh charges against the All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain.

The charges were increased from the initial 42 to 50 by the anti-graft agency, thereby giving Sylva a tougher task to defend himself in the matter, which has already been filed and likely to be assigned to a new judge.

The charges, according to a document obtained by Vanguard, yesterday, were prepared and filed in court by the Director of Legal of the EFCC, Mr. Chile Okoroma.

18 OF NIGERIA'S 36 STATES ARE BANKRUPT, CAN'T PAY WORKERS' SALARY.

Eighteen out of the thirty-six states of the federation are technically bankrupt. This is because they have mortgaged their federation account allocations to contractors by signing irrevocable payment orders with various banks. As a result, payment to contractors and other debt instruments are deducted at source and have become first line charge on their lean resources. 

The internally generated revenues of these states are also not enough to meet their obligations so they owe workers several months of unpaid salaries.

The states which owing workers, according to the Nigeria Labour Congress are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara.

DO NOT PAY ANYBODY TO SEE PRESIDENT BUHARI - AISHA BUHARI WARNS.

The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha has warned those around the President not to use their position to curry favours, but to key into his agenda of fighting corruption and insecurity.

Speaking while she hosted women and youths to a ‘thank you’ dinner, Mrs. Buhari said the success of the administration would depend on how the people around the President conduct themselves.

According to her, there should be a better representation of women in all arms of government in order to ensure that their concerns are better articulated.

She said: “There was nothing that people did not say about the past administration. It is not Jonathan that is not good, but the people around him.

“So, the people that are going to be around General Buhari have to be very careful because this election ended peacefully.

“We are praying and hoping that people around him should know that it took him 12 years to get to that position and they must know that they are coming to serve the masses, not General Buhari in person.  It is the people that are around him that will determine the political health of our state.

“There was nothing that people did not say about the past administration. It is not Jonathan that is not good, but the people around him.

“So, the people that are going to be around General Buhari have to be very careful because this election ended peacefully.

“We are praying and hoping that people around him should know that it took him 12 years to get to that position and they must know that they are coming to serve the masses, not General Buhari in person.  It is the people that are around him that will determine the political health of our state.

“I will like to inform you that in the past regime, whether it is true or false, only God knows, some people were going round and parading themselves as PAs. If you wanted to see the First Lady, you will pay $30,000, $50,000 and if you are seeing the President, you will pay all that you have gathered in your lifetime.

SARAKI, DOGARA AND APC'S NAIVETY. - SEGUN ADENIYI.

Following the election of Dr. Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and House of Representatives' Speaker respectively on Tuesday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, released a cynical statement, telling the All Progressives Party (APC) to “stop whining and accept the will of the people, respect the independence of the legislature, as the PDP is not responsible for their naivety and crass inexperience.”

HIGH COURT DISMISSES N19.2BN CASE AGAINST FORMER BAYELSA GOVERNOR TIMIPRE SYLVA.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a case of alleged N19.2 billion fraud brought against ex-Gov. Timipre Sylva, citing “abuse of court process” by the prosecution.

Mr. Sylva is a former governor of Bayelsa State, and now a senior member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The court decision came more than a week after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which was prosecuting Mr. Sylva, withdrew part of the charges against him.

THE FUEL SUBSIDY QUESTION.

The new Nigerian government headed by General Muhammadu Buhari will have to take a close look at the policy issue of deregulation of the petroleum downstream sub-sector, and the attendant removal of fuel subsidies.

On January 1, 2012 the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration announced the removal of subsidies on petrol and set up a Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) to manage the accruing revenues.

The role of SURE-P is to provide essential services and deliver infrastructure development to Nigerian people through robust and country-wide structures. Further negotiations with the Unions led to the current pump price of petrol. The price of diesel has been since deregulated.

READ HOW @PDPNIGERIA OUTWITTED @APCNIGERIA WITH @BUKOLASARAKI'S ADOPTION AS SENATE PRESIDENT.

The meeting took place at the residence of the former Senate President, David Mark, at the Apo legislators quarters, and had in attendance 47 senators-elect, with Mark and Ike Ekweremadu presiding.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) members led by the acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, and other NWC members were also in attendance.

The PDP members had three options to weigh: either to adopt Senator Bukola Saraki, present and support a neutral candidate as the Senate president, or to support Senator Ahmad Lawan.

PROFESSOR JEGA SET TO RETIRE WITH 7 NATIONAL COMMISIONERS AND 16 RECS.

Indications have emerged on Tuesday that Professor Attahiru Jega would retire alongside seven National Commissioners and 16 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) by the end of the month.

INEC’s REC in Lagos, Akin Orebiyi, dropped the hint yesterday in Lagos during the opening session of a two-day stakeholders’ review meeting on the role of media in the 2015 elections, organised by the UNDP – Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) Project II.

Orebiyi, who said the commission could not fulfill some of its promises to the electorate, expressed hope of a better electoral process ahead of the 2019 elections.

BUKOLA SARAKI'S SUPER STUNTS............

Senator Bukola Saraki, who emerged as the seventh President of the Fourth Republic yesterday, has trudged a political course laced with repeated uprisings unusual for one born into a conservative, nay politically adventurous family.

His enthronement as the President of the Senate has now eclipsed his late father’s acclaimed political standing. Those who until recently referred to Oloye, that is the late Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki as the most acclaimed Senate leader in Nigeria’s political history would now have to revert to his son who has transcended his father’s political height.

To get to this stage Senator Saraki upturned permutations, zigzagged political platforms and yes, even temporarily hurt his own family.

APC'S UNSTEADY START IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

The emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively has, undoubtedly, altered political calculations within the All Progressives Congress.

Although the duo are members of the APC, their party showed preference for Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila – for the two top positions in the National Assembly.

To demonstrate its seriousness, the party held mock elections on Saturday after which it announced Lawan and Gbajabiamila, as its sole candidates for the polls that took place in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

23-YR-OLD BREAD SELLER KIDNAPPED, RAPED & MURDERED IN BENIN. #SAYNOTORAPE

Unknown assailants reportedly kidnapped, raped and murdered a 23-year-old-woman, simply identified as Joy Okoh in Benin, Edo State, and left her body in the boot of an SUV at Upper Mission Extension in the state capital.

It was learned that the deceased, who was said to be a bread seller at Lucky Way Junction by Ramat Park was alleged to have closed for the day’s business at 7.30p.m., when she was kidnapped.

The car was said to have been snatched by the gunmen, used for the act and abandoned.

When contacted, state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Stephen Onwuchei who confirmed the story, said the police have commenced investigation into the incident.

SENATE PRESIDENCY - THE INTRIGUES FROM ENWEREM TO SARAKI.

The first president of the Senate in the Fourth Republic, Senator Evan(s) Enwerem emerged under the same controversial circumstances as Senator Bukola Saraki did yesterday.

Enwerem became Senate President against the desire of the majority of his party members in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who in a straw poll had chosen Senator Chuba Okadigbo. Okadigbo had days after his emergence as senator-elect traversed the country visiting every senator-elect to canvass support for his ambition to be Senate President.

But days before the leadership contest, President Olusegun Obasanjo moved against him and used the minority parties, the Alliance for Democracy, AD, All Peoples Party, APP and a sprinkling of PDP senators.

SHOCKING TRUTH OF HOW 38 ILLICIT GIN DRINKERS PERISHED IN WOJI, RIVERS STATE.

THE JOINT WHERE 38 PEOPLE DRANK THE GIN

 Hair-raising particulars of how at least 38 residents of Woji and other communities in Obio/Akpo, Bonny and Gokhana Local Government Areas, Rivers State, breathe their last breath, 24-72 hours after drinking suspected toxic locally brewed gin, popularly known as Kai Kai at a dog meat joint have emerged.

Proprietor of dog meat joint, Mr. Friday Dickson, purported to have laced the delicacy with killer- seasoning, hotly denied the allegation. He spoke to Niger Delta Voice at the Woji Police Divisional Headquarters, where he is under custody. Irate youths razed his restaurant, but Dickson, who has been in the business for over a decade, recalled that a man called Chikobi and Chiefo brought the local gin to his restaurant that Sunday allegedly to celebrate his new chieftaincy title.

38 YEAR OLD MAN RAPES 11 YEAR OLD GIRL FOR 6 MONTHS. #SAYNOTORAPE.

The police have arrested a 38-year-old motorcyclist, Obinna Ekusaba, for allegedly raping a primary six pupil for six months in the Kirikiri area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the incident happened from December, 2014, to May, 2015, on Karimu Street, Kirikiri Town. The victim’s mother sold cigarette and alcoholic drinks in a motor park on the street.

Ekusaba, who usually parked his motorcycle at the park, was said to be one of her numerous customers. She was said to be away on the fateful day when the suspect called the 11-year-old to bring a bottle of drink into an uncompleted building in the motor park.

PRESIDENT BUHARI ACCEPTS OUTCOME OF NASS ELECTION, PROMISES TO WORK WITH SARAKI & DOGARA.

The Presidency has released a statement saying that President Buhari has noted the outcome of the elections of Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker House of Representatives respectively.

President Buhari in the statement reiterated his earlier position that he doesn't wants to be drawn into the politics of the National Assembly but will work with whoever the lawmakers elect as their leaders.

The statement made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina reads in part;

"President Buhari had said in an earlier statement that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers elected. That sentiment still stands. Though he would have preferred the new leaders to have emerged through the process established by the party.”