STATES OF EMERGENCY - OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

Ever since I can remember, one common phrase that I have heard so frequently in our country is that “Nigeria is a rich country that can provide for everybody”. The assumption from that belief is that with petrodollars, our country can meet the needs of all citizens in education (which has to be free from primary to university); healthcare delivery (also to be free) and other essentials of life. It is the same kind of thinking that informed the idea of subsidy in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry that is now another byword for waste and corruption.

Even when representation and taxation are supposed to go together, in Nigeria, we have virtually turned government to one big Father Christmas that makes little or no demand of citizens yet provides everything for them. That perhaps explains why at every season those in authorities keep putting thousands of people on the payroll, at practically all levels, even when there may be no real job for them to do.

NINE DEAD AS YOUNG WHITE MALE OPENS FIRE ON AFRICAN AMERICANS DURING BIBLE STUDY AT METHODIST CHURCH. #CHARLESTONSHOOTING

A gunman who opened fire killing nine people in a race-hate crime at an African American church in South Carolina reportedly let one woman escape so she could tell everyone else what happened. 

The suspect, a white man in his twenties, stormed a weekly bible study group at the 150-year-old Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston at around 9pm and opened fire on the room.

Eight of the victims died at the scene, and one later in a hospital.  At least one injured person is being treated in a hospital. Rev. Clementa Pinckney, pastor of the church and South Carolina state senator, is among the dead 

PRESIDENT BUHARI GETS BETTER WITH AGE - FEMI ADESINA.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that despite his age, he still remains the good old incorrigible man that Nigerians know him.

In a statement in Abuja the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said the remarks attributed to the President while speaking with the Nigerian community in South Africa that he wished he was younger as a president was taken out of context.

President Buhari had wished he was younger as the President of Nigeria.

51-YR-OLD MAN & HIS GANG RAPES CORPS MEMBER TO DEATH IN ILORIN. #SAYNOTORAPE

A prosecutor of the Kwara State Police Command, Mr. Matthew Ologbon, has informed an Ilorin Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Mr. K.A.Yahyah, that a female National Youth Service Corps member, Miss Yetunde Idowu was raped to death by a 51-year-old man, Abdullahi Tanko, and his gang members.

The corpse of  Idowu’ was found at the Ilorin GRA. The police prosecutor told the court that on May 23, at about 12pm, the police found Idowu in a pool of blood.

Ologbon told the court that investigation by the police revealed that Tanko and his collaborators, now at large, tricked Idowu from her residence to Fate Road, where they raped her to death.

(VERY GRAPHIC PICTURES) RAPE VICTIM BITES OFF THE PENIS OF RAPIST IN LAGOS. #SAYNOTORAPE.

A rapist in Lagos got more than he bargained for when the victim bit off his penis. The story was sent to popular blogger Linda Ikeji by someone who witnessed the incident. The pictures are quite graphic.

TWO MEN ARRESTED IN BALTIMORE FOR RAPING AND MURDERING A 16 YR OLD GIRL. #SAYNOTORAPE.

Baltimore police announced the arrests of two men in the death of a 16-year-old girl and the indictments of 11 members of a suspected drug crew they say might be responsible for some of the violence that has roiled the city in recent weeks.

The arrests and indictments come as police face criticism amid a surge of shootings and killings since the arrest of Freddie Gray. The 25-year-old Baltimore man died in April after suffering a severe spinal cord injury in police custody.

"We are in the battle," police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said Thursday. "You can see we are in the battle, and we're showing you we are in the battle and we're taking this very seriously."

LAWMAKERS TO RECEIVE #9BILLION WARDROBE ALLOWANCE NEXT WEEK. #OCCUPYNASS

The newly sworn in members of the National Assembly will smile home with a whooping N8.64 billion as wardrobe allowance next week, it was learnt last night.

The sum is aside other allowances such as furniture, housing and vehicle, which the lawmakers are entitled to.

It was also learnt that the management of the National Assembly is currently allocating offices to the 469 federal lawmakers in both chambers ahead of their resumption on June 23 from the two-week recess that they embarked on June 10.

I AM NOT IN A HURRY TO APPOINT MINISTERS. - PRESIDENT BUHARI.

President Muhammadu Buhari explained, yesterday, that he was yet to appoint his ministers because his predecessor’s transition committee submitted its report on the previous administration to him late.

Buhari, who spoke to newsmen at the Summit of the African Union in Johannesburg, South Africa, said he was being careful in order not to make mistakes in appointing individuals especially to key positions such as in the finance and petroleum ministries.

His words: “I don’t know why people are so anxious about ministers. But eventually we will have (them). But the main reason is that I have an interim committee which I agreed with the former President Jonathan that the ministers of the outgoing government should hand over their notes or their documents to this interim committee so that a position can be prepared for the new government to start from with clear records from ministers.

IDI AMIN'S FAVOURITE WIDOW DIES OF CANCER.

Idi Amin's widow who lived a life of obscurity running a North London hair salon for 30 years after the dictator's exile has died following a battle with cancer.

Sarah Kyolaba was the last surviving wife of the former Ugandan leader before she died last week at London's Royal Free Hospital, it has been reported.

The 59-year-old arrived in Britain more than three decades ago - having followed her husband into exile in Saudi Arabia - and later worked at a salon in Tottenham.

PICTURES - THE KILLER KIDS OF THE "IS" CALIPHATE.

ISIS has transformed another batch of fresh-faced youngsters into its next generation of killers at one of its vile army training camps, a shocking new video reveals. 

Young boys are made to run, climb and crawl through a treacherous assault course near the terror group's adopted capital of Raqqa, Syria, while an adult commander supervises them.

Armed with rocket launchers and AK47s, the so-called 'cubs of the caliphate' then pose proudly under the notorious black flag used by Islamist groups such as ISIS.

EGYPTIAN COURT SENTENCES FORMER PRESIDENT MOHAMED MORSI TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR SPYING.

An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced former President Mohamed Morsy and 16 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders to life in prison on espionage charges.

Three other senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood -- Khairat Al Shater, Mohamed Beltagy and Ahmed Abdel Alaty -- were sentenced to death by hanging. In Egypt, a life sentence equates to 25 years in prison.

The court was also expected to decide Tuesday whether to confirm the death sentence Morsy received last month for his role in a 2011 prison escape.

Morsy, Egypt's first democratically elected leader, was ousted by the country's powerful military in 2013.

70 YR OLD SCHOOL PROPRIETOR RAPES 8 YR OLD PUPIL IN LAGOS. #SAYNOTOTRAPE

Policemen attached to Igbogbo Division in Lagos have arrested a 70-year-old school proprietor for allegedly raping an eight-year-old pupil.

The Primary 4 pupil of Brighter Glory School (names withheld) disclosed that the proprietor, Mr. Isaac Eniasec, sent her to go and tidy up his office after close of school.

Midway into the clean-up, she said, “he came into the office and asked me to lie down. I was scared because of what my mother told me about men. When I hesitated, he tore my pant and laid on me.”

Caught in the act

SENATOR BURUJI KASHAMU WITHDRAWS LIBEL SUIT AGAINST OBASANJO.

Determined to wriggle out of the extradition net ‎that is threatening to envelope him,‎ Senator Buruji Kashamu has withdrawn the N20billion libel suit he filed against former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Kashamu who is representing Ogun-East Senatorial ‎District, persuaded Justice Valentine Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2, to terminate further hearing on his case against Obasanjo.

This is even as Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Abuja Division o‎f the Federal High Court has slated June 25 to commence hearing on the extradition application that was entered against him by the Federal Government.

SUDANESE PRESIDENT AL-BASHIR LANDS IN KHARTOUM DESPITE ICC'S CALL FOR HIS ARREST AT AU SUMMIT.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir flew out of South Africa on Monday in defiance of a Pretoria court that later said he should have been arrested to face genocide charges at the International Criminal Court.

Despite a legal order for him to stay in the country ahead of the ruling on his detention, the government let Bashir leave unhindered, with South Africa's ruling party accusing the ICC of being biased against Africans and "no longer useful".

Bashir has been indicted by the ICC over war crimes and crimes against humanity but South Africa gave him immunity along with all delegates attending an African Union summit in Johannesburg this week.

7 FACTS ABOUT ANITA SOLOMON, MAJE AYIDA'S (TOKE MAKINWA'S BOO) SOON TO BE BABYMAMA PLUS PICTURES.

The name Anita Solomon was largely unknown in Nigeria's social media circle until news broke that she is currently carrying the child of Maje Ayida, Toke Makinwa's husband. Read previous post here.

A lot is actually unknown about this soon to be BabyMama but here are seven quick facts about her.

A MUST READ ARTICLE - THE DEHUMANIZATION OF BLACK CHILDREN - TAMIR RICE, KALIEF BROWDER & DAJERRIA BECTON.

KALIEF BROWDER

"The children of the despised and rejected are menaced from the moment they stir in the womb..." -- James Baldwin

In our schools, playgrounds and pools, America has a problem with Black children. And it is costing them their lives.

Last November, Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy in Cleveland, was gunned down by a police officer responding to a 9-1-1 call reporting "a guy" in the park with a "probably fake gun."

Just one and a half seconds after arriving and without warning over his vehicle's megaphone, police officer Timothy Loehmann shot and killed Tamir. That the gun, a plastic air-soft gun, was probably fake was never communicated to the police. That he was a child was never articulated to or by Loehmann. That he was Black was.

7 FACTS ABOUT MAJE AYIDA, ENSTRANGED HUSBAND OF TOKE MAKINWA WHO WAS ACCUSED OF INFIDELITY.

 

The social media has been agog for the past 3 days with the news of infidelity of Maje Ayida, a fitness & lifestyle executive and husband of Toke Makinwa, a popular OAP at "Rhythm Fm" in Lagos.

Unconfirmed but almost true reports (judging by the recent post by both Maje & Toke) has it that Maje impregnated his long time girlfriend Anita and even flew her to the UK to deliver her baby while Toke is not even close to getting pregnant.

Anyway, these are 7 facts you probably never knew about the handsome dark skinned British educated Maje.

THEY HAVE HIJACKED OUR CHANGE AGAIN - PROFESSOR PAT UTOMI.

It may sound naïve, especially for a person who is obviously a partisan, but my concern and alarm have little to do with who won or lost in the National Assembly leadership elections palaver. Easy as this can be lost on the gladiators, we could be collectively sabotaging the poor ordinary people of Nigeria desperate for change. Could this elite which has consistently failed to find its mission and do for its people what their old classmates in schools in the United States and the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the West, have done for their people in Asia and Latin America, unwittingly miss this window built on a change mantra, and betray another generation? It was with this spirit of wondering how easily we chase power, unmindful of purpose that I exclaimed on seeing the political bloodletting in the National Assembly leadership selection. My reaction was, Oh my God, not again! With the process and outcome clearly signalling disunity, lack of discipline and weak goal-setting, and severe goal displacement, the least impact would be challenged implementation of what the people voted for.

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.