PRESIDENT BUHARI IS BORN AGAIN - PROF WOLE SOYINKA.

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has described President Muhammadu as a “born-again” phenomenon on the Nigerian political landscape, who is ready to make amends for his past mistakes. 

Soyinka, who spoke in an interview with Zero Tolerance, a periodic publication by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, noted that Buhari has already paid some debts to the Nigerian community, describing him as a lucky man.

Soyinka noted that although Buhari has not come out openly to apologise for his wrong deeds in the past, he has nonetheless accepted the fact that he had made some mistakes.

BRITISH JIHADIS IN SYRIA ARE BEING RECRUITED TO BLOW UP AIRLINES IN WESTERN COUNTRIES.

Britons fighting for militant groups in Syria are being targeted to smuggle explosives on to Western airliners and become suicide bombers as Al Qaeda plan a spectacular attack over a major city, intelligence officials warn. 

The Pakistan-based, Iranian-backed Khorasan group linked to Al Qaeda is said to have sent members to 'embed' with affiliated terror groups to identify British, European and United States passport holders who could slip through security and carry a bomb on to a plane. 

The terror group's allies in Yemen have been working on developing an 'undetectable ' bomb that could be implanted inside the body of an operative as well as other devices that allows him or her to pass through airport security and scanners. 

PRESIDENT BUHARI QUERIES OKONJO IWEALA OVER DIVERSION OF $1BN RAIL TRANSPORT LOAN.

President Muhammed Buhari on Monday asked the Ministry of Finance to provide explanations on the whereabouts of the foreign loans obtained for rail projects but diverted to other purposes under the watch of former Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo Iweala.

The president directive followed an instance of the diversion of a substantial part of the loan of USD1.005 billion from the Chinese Exim Bank, meant for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos and Kano States to somewhere else.

This was even as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Bashar informed the President that only $400 million id left of the loan.

61% FAILED ENGLISH & MATHS IN 2015 WASSCE.

The West African Examinations Council has withheld the May/June 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results of hundreds of candidates from 13 states in the country.

This comes as the council stated that only 616, 370 candidates obtained credit in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. The candidates represented 38.68 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examination.

One million, five hundred and ninety-three thousand and four hundred and forty-two candidates, comprising 864,096 males and 729,346 females, sat for the examination.

PRESIDENT BUHARI CANCELS FG DELEGATION TO HAJJ, SAVES $1M.

In his bid to cut cost  of governments,  President Mohammadu Buhari has announced that there would be no federal government delegation for this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia.

He however stated that the government shall play its traditional roles of providing consular, medical and security services to Nigerian pilgrims.

With the decision, the government is expected to save about $1 million and N30m in local expenses.

OONI'S DEATH WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW.

The official proclamation of the demise of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, will be made tomorrow, the Awara of Iwara-Ife, Oba Layi Adereti, has said. 

He disclosed this yesterday while speaking with newsmen on the preparation for the burial of the monarch, who died at Saint Mary Hospital in London in the evening of July 25th.

According to the traditional ruler who spoke for the first time on the reported demise of the foremost monarch, the oro festival, which is the final rites of passage for the Ooni will hold between the hours of 9am and 4pm tomorrow.

30-YR-OLD MAN MURDERS GIRLFRIEND OVER N1000 AFTER SEX MARATHON.

A 30-year-old man, Richard Effiok, on Monday confessed to stabbing his girlfriend after three rounds of sex.

Effiok, who identified his deceased girlfriend as Bassey Udoh (23), said the incident happened on May 22, 2015, at Nelson Mandela Street in Calabar, Cross River State.

The suspect made the confessional statement at the headquarters of the state police command on Diamond Hill Road, when he was paraded along with other suspected criminals by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Fadairo.

GOOGLE FORMS NEW PARENT COMPANY.

Google, the US technology company, is reorganising under a new moniker – Alphabet – in a move underscoring its founders’ ambitions to pursue ventures far beyond the company’s internet search core, from self-driving cars to cutting-edge medical research.

It will still use the Google name for its popular internet search engine, mapping service and related products.

However, Larry Page, Google’s CEO and co-founder, said on Monday the creation of the new holding company will provide more independence for divisions like Nest, which makes internet-connected home appliances, and Calico, which is researching ways to prolong human life.

#TERRORISMWATCH- NIS BARRED 4916 NIGERIANS FROM TRAVELLING ABROAD.

The Nigeria Immigration Service said it barred no fewer than 4,916 Nigerians from travelling out of the country between January and March, 2015.

The Nigerians were suspected to be on their way to join international terrorist organisations, including the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq and the Taliban, sources within the NIS confided in our correspondent.

The NIS also said that 758 Nigerians were refused entry abroad while 1, 368 others were deported within the period.

ENFORCE SEXUAL VIOLENCE LAWS.

For far too long, sexual violence or sexual harassment has endured with no one accountable at the policy, enforcement or jurisdictional level.

Naturally, females are mostly at the receiving end of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence in places like universities.

Laws on sexual violence including sexual harassment exist mostly in name as they are chronically unenforced by law enforcement agencies and disregarded by the courts in Nigeria. Recently, the National Assembly passed a broader bill on sexual violence against sexual harassment, sexual tourism and other related offences.

PICTURES - TYGA BUYS $320,000 FERRARI FOR KYLIE JENNER ON HER 18TH BIRTHDAY.

Today (Aug. 10) is Kylier Jenner’s 18th birthday. In honor of her born day, the reality star had a birthday bash in an L.A. club called Bootsy Bellows Sunday nig ht (Aug. 9). Kylie’s family, friends and beau Tyga were all in attendance. Tyga even surprised his now legal girlfriend with a new whip: a $320,000 white Ferrari 482 Italia.

While the party was going on, the 18th Dynasty rapper brought Kylie outside and gifted her with the keys to her new toy. It’s rather interesting that T-Raww was able to purchase the expensive foreign car for his girl. Over the last month, he’s had a number of financial issues, including a recent lawsuit filed by a Las Vegas club promoter. Prior to that, two different landlords came forth saying Tyga owed them cash. He’s also being sued over his Last Kings clothing line. Despite all of this, he was still able to hold Kylie down. View photos of the stunning car above. 

GOV. WIKE FIRES ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OF RIVERS STATE.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has fired the state Accountant-General Ngozi Y.Abu with immediate effect.

In a statement signed by Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, the Director of Treasury, Sir Dagogo R.Abere has been appointed as acting Accountant General with immediate effect.

It is not clear the reason for the sack of the Account-General.

However, the Wike’s administration has commenced probing his predecessor, Chibuike Amaechi over alleged financial improprieties.

BAYELSA PDP IN DISARRAY AS POLITICAL HEAVYWEIGHTS DEFECT TO APC AHEAD OF DEC 5 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state appears to be in deep trouble following the planned defection of political heavy weights of party, including former deputy governors, senators and their supporters in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the governorship election in December 2015.

Ahead of the governorship election billed for 5 December, Governor Seriake Dickson is trying to break a jinx in the state, given that, no governor has served two terms.

DON'T DISTORT THE HISTORY OF YORUBA - OSOBA TELLS OBASANJO.

Former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, has condemned former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s position in his book, My Watch: Political and Public affairs, that there had never been any Yoruba leader, saying “He (Obasanjo) wants to distort the history of the Yoruba.” 

Obasanjo made the assertion in chapter 31 of the  book, where he explained issues centred on Nigeria and Yoruba, arguing that there was no individual as Yoruba leader before and now.

Osoba, in an interview in Lagos, lamented that the declaration by the former President, who was present at the event when late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was ‘unanimously’ elected as the ‘Yoruba Leader,’ on August 12th, 1966, is worrisome.

BAYELSA STATE GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES REGRET OVER THE MURDER OF 4 SOLDIERS & 1 POLICEMAN BY PIRATES.

Bayelsa State Government has condoled with the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai and the families of the soldiers and policeman killed weekend by gunmen in the creek of Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.

The state government in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seriake Dickson, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, expressed regret over the incident.

It assured that the Dickson-led administration will partner the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act, stressing that, no stone will be left unturned to bring the killers to justice.

THE NAMING & SHAMING OF BANK DEBTORS.

Several banks, discount houses and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) are complying with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to have the names of their loan defaulters published in newspapers with effect from this August. The amount involved is about N13trillion.

The “name and shame” strategy came against the backdrop of apparent failed attempts to recover the outstanding loans over a long period of time, far beyond their tenors.

The failure of the recovery options is also evident in the fact that only few of the 113 bad debtors that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) barred from further borrowing from banks two years ago have been able to repay their loans taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

UNILAG DISOWNS LECTURER WHO RAPED 18-YR-OLD ADMISSION SEEKER.

Authorities of the University of Lagos on Sunday disowned the randy lecturer, Dr. Akin Baruwa, who reportedly raped an 18-year-old admission seeker.

Baruwa allegedly raped the young girl (name withheld), who is seeking admission to the university, in his office on July 23, 2015.

The lecturer, currently in detention at the Kirikiri Prison, was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on Thursday

Read previous report HERE & HERE.

JONATHAN VISITS PRESIDENT BUHARI SECRETLY AT ASO ROCK.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday night paid a secret visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

At the meeting held inside the President’s official residence, no third person was admitted and no photograph of the night visit by Jonathan was allowed.

The visit was Jonathan’s first time at the Presidential Villa since he left in the morning of May 29 for the Eagles Square, where Buhari took his oath of office and allegiance as his (Jonathan’s) successor.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, confirmed Jonathan’s visit and meeting with Buhari to our correspondent on Sunday.

Adesina however said he was not privy to the subject of the discussion at the meeting.

A top Presidency official also confided in our correspondent that the meeting was strictly between Buhari and Jonathan and that no photographs were taken.

“Nobody was with them. I am sure they don’t want the visit to be an item in the media. That probably explains why the former President visited at night and went straight to the residence. They met for a few minutes in the President’s residence,” the official said.

The following day, however, Buhari also played host to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

But unlike Jonathan’s visit, one of the photographers attached to the President was able to capture the two leaders.

It was not clear as of press time whether the two visits were in any way connected.

But The PUNCH learnt that Obasanjo, during his meeting with Buhari, told the President to ensure that all funds stolen under the Jonathan administration were recovered in order to strengthen the President’s anti-corruption image in the international community.

A Presidency source, who confided in our correspondent, said that Obasanjo did not raise the issue of appointments with Buhari.

“He (Obasanjo) argued that the anti-graft war will further raise the reputation of the Buhari administration at the international community. The former President also said stolen funds should be recovered,” the source said.

The Buhari administration has been investigating some activities of Jonathan’s administration with government officials claiming that the past administration was characterised by impunity and large-scale corruption.

Apart from probing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the present administration is also beaming its searchlight on the management of the Excess Crude Account under Jonathan.

Some former aides of the ex-President, including the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.); Jonathan’s Chief Security Officer, Mr. Gordon Obuah; and the former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, had either been arrested, detained or investigated.

On the eve of his departure from office, Jonathan had on May 27 advised Buhari not to single out his administration for any probe.

He said all those advising Buhari to probe his administration must also advise him to extend his probe beyond his regime, lest the probe be seen as a witch-hunt.

Jonathan said, “Some people are even calling for the probe of this government. I agree that in Nigeria, there are a number of things that we will probe, very many things.

“Even debts owed by states and this nation from 1960 up to this time, they are saying it is Jonathan’s administration that owes all the debts.

“I believe that anybody calling for probe must ensure that these probes are extended beyond the Jonathan administration, otherwise to me, it will be a witch-hunt.

“If you are very sincere, then it is not just the Jonathan’s administration that should be probed. A number of things have gone wrong and we have done our best to fix them. The Attorney-General is aware of massive judgments debts, if we aggregate all of them, it is about $1bn.

“How did we come to this kind of huge judgment debts? These issues should be probed.

“How do you allocate our oil wells, oil fields, marginal wells and others? Do we follow our laws? All these should be probed. I believe all these and many more areas should be looked into.”

Jonathan’ ascendancy to the Presidency was believed to have been made possible by Obasanjo’s support but the two have since parted ways with Obasanjo constantly attacking Jonathan’s government as corrupt.

Also, Jonathan, at a point during the electioneering, reportedly referred to Obasanjo as a “motor park tout.”

PRESIDENT BUHARI TO HEAD MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM FOR 18 MONTHS.

President Muhammadu Buhari is set to head the Ministry of Petroleum for 18 months before appointing a substantive minister for the ministry.

The President said this while meeting with some members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress, in Abuja recently.

One of those at the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, that the President said he would use the one and a half years of heading the sensitive ministry to reposition it.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SET TO INCREASE VAT TO 10%.

Nigeria plans to double the value-added tax rate to 10 per cent this year to help shore up government revenue eroded by the declining price of oil, the country’s main export, the Federal Inland Revenue Service said.

“The plan is to increase to 10 percent this year, but we have to consult first with relevant stakeholders,” Sunday Ogungbesan, Acting Executive Chairman of the FIRS, told reporters.

Nigeria depends on crude exports for about 70 per cent of government revenue and more than 90 percent of foreign exchange. The price of Brent crude has dropped by more than half since peaking in June last year, undermining President Muhammadu Buhari’s ability to deliver on his election promises since he took office in May.