UNITED NATIONS OF BABEL.

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Afrobeat king asked the rhetorical question “Wetin unite for United Nations?” (What is united in United Nations?). This played out at the UN 70th Session where most world leaders were at war with themselves,

I ronically, the theme was “The Road ahead to peace, security and human rights.” But it would have been more appropriate were it the road to war.

SPEAKER DOGARA FAILS IN ATTEMPT TO SETTLE RIFT BETWEEN PRESIDENCY & SENATE PRESIDENT BUKOLA SARAKI.

There were indications on Thursday that the move by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, to settle the rift between the Presidency and the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has failed to yield a positive result.

It was gathered that at the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Dogara on Monday in Abuja, the Presidency insisted that Saraki must sever his relationship with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

Findings by The PUNCH showed that the development meant the removal of the Peoples Democratic Party legislator from Enugu State from the number five political office in the country.

SPECULATED PORTFOLIO OF MINISTERIAL NOMINEES.

Following the release of 21 names of ministerial nominees sent by President Muhammadu Buhari to Senate President Bukola Saraki last week, there have been lots of speculations on the social media about who heads what ministry among the ministers who will still have to be screened by the senate before the president announce portfolio’s he assigned to each of them. 

See the purported list on allotment of portfolios, do you think all the ministers rightly fit the ministries apportioned to them?

CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP REMOVES EMBATTLED DIEZANI MADUEKE FROM HONORS LIST.

The United Kingdom-based Chevening Scholarship has removed the embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, from its list of female achievers.

Chevening is an international scholarship scheme which enables students with leadership qualities from 144 countries and territories to undertake postgraduate study or courses in universities in the UK.

After receiving a Chevening scholarship in 2002, Diezani attended Cambridge University for her MBA and then returned to Nigeria where she became the first female Executive Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company.

DIEZANI MADUEKE STRUGGLING WITH BREAST CANCER SAYS HER LAWYER.

Diezani Alison-Madueke is receiving treatment for cancer in the United Kingdom, her lawyer told SaharaReporters on Thursday.

Mr. Oscar Onwudiwe said in a statement written exclusively for SaharaReporters that the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, who was arrested last week in London on corruption-related offences, began the treatment for cancer in the UK while she was in office.

Although he did not say what form of cancer she was diagnosed with, he added, “The health crisis has unfortunately exacerbated in recent times.”

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EDWIN CLARK DUMPS PDP, SAYS JONATHAN IS A COWARD.

A former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has hailed the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari and knocked former President Goodluck Jonathan for lacking the political will to fight graft.

Clark, who said it was wrong for anyone to accuse President Buhari of fighting a selective war in his drive to return sanity into the polity, also declared that he had formally left the Peoples Democratic Party.

Clark called on Nigerians not to distract the President from achieving his goal, just as he appealed to the President to remain focused in his determination to rid the country of corruption.

BUHARI IS ROMANCING WITH POLITICIANS WHO DESTROYED NIGERIA FOR 16YRS. - IBRAHIM SHEKARAU.

Immediate past Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari was romancing with politicians  who destroyed Nigeria for 16 years.

Shekarau, who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, wondered why the President was now romancing former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who, according to him, ruled the country for eight of Peoples Democratic Party’s 16 years of administering Nigeria.

Reacting to President Buhari’s claim  that he came to right the wrongs of 16 years mess created by the PDP, the former governor, who is also a member of the PDP review committee, described all the political parties as necessary evil.

PROTEST TRAILS BUHARI'S MINISTERIAL LIST.

Protest at state levels greeted Tuesday’s announcement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Saraki at plenary announced 21 names as contained in the ministerial list sent to him on September 30, saying the screening of the nominees would commence on Tuesday, October 13.

But from the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders came a petition to the Senate against the nomination of a former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola. Indeed, CACOL’s petition had been dated Saturday, October 3, asking the Senate not to confirm Fashola “should his name pop-up as a ministerial nominee.”

TROOPS ARREST BOKO HARAM FINANCIER IN BORNO.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said on Tuesday that troops had arrested a financier of the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

Usman said in a statement that that the man, identified as Mohammed Maina, was arrested in Bama with N1m cash on him.

He said that the suspect was also a supplier of kola nuts and other stimulants to the insurgents.

CASH SEIZURE NOT RELATED TO DIEZANI'S ARREST - UK CRIME AGENCY.

The United Kingdom, UK, National Crime Agency has said that the £27,000 (N9,180,000) seized from the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was not related to her arrest.

The agency, in response to an enquiry, said that cash seizure in the UK does not need to be related to an arrest.

Furthermore, NCA’s Press Office confirmed, in an electronic mail, that apart from the £27,000 recovered from the former minister, ‘smaller sums’ were also seized from two other individuals, who it declined to name.

MULTIPLE BOMB BLAST IN DAMATURU YOBE STATE, MANY FEARED DEAD.

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Wednesday, hit the Buhari Housing Estate, in Damaturu, Yobe State.

Reports said 16 people have already been confirmed dead from the multiple blasts.

Injured victims are said to be receiving treatment at the Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital, along Damaturu-Biu Road, Yobe State.

I AM DISAPPOINTED BY THE NAMES ON BUHARI'S MINISTERIAL LIST - BALARABE MUSA.

A former Governor of Kaduna state, Malam Balarabe Musa, says he is disappointed at President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list arguing that that there is nothing spectacular about the names.

According to him, “why did it take the President four months to come up with these names? I believe this is the question that many informed Nigerians should ask.

“These are the same old names, ordinary Nigerians who the President knows and he must have even met them several times. So, what is particular about them that he wasted so much time in appointing them ministers.

INDEPENDENCE DAY BOMBING SUSPECT CHARLES OKAH ATTEMPTS SUICIDE IN COURT.

Abuja- Security operatives attached to Justice Gabriel Kolawole at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday prevented Charles Okah, the alleged mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day bombing from committing suicide in court.

Okah, who is standing trial on charges of terrorism, had sought the permission of the judge to speak on what he termed “endless trial,” as his counsel was absent in court.

The judge granted the oral application and permitted Okah to speak for about five minutes.

MEET THE THREE WOMEN WHO MADE THE MINISTERIAL LIST.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Tuesday announced to the Senators 21 ministerial nominees. The list include three women, namely Amina  Mohammed from Kaduna state, Kemi Adeosun from Ogun state and Aisha Alhassan from Taraba state. Let's take a look at the profile of the three nominees.

HOW N3.7BN UK PROPERTY GOT DIEZANI MADUEKE INTO TROUBLE.

There were indications on Monday on how a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and a former Managing Director of a parastatal under the NNPC got themselves into trouble with the police in the United Kingdom.

It was  learnt that the purchase of houses each in London by the former minister and the sacked NNPC top shot had sent the police investigators after them since 2013.

Alison-Madueke and the ex-MD had bought a house each in London through a mortgage but the two were said to have attracted suspicion when they offered to pay huge sum to clear the mortgage on the properties.

FASHOLA, AMAECHI, FAYEMI AND OTHERS MAKE MINISTERIAL LIST.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday announced the 21 ministerial nominees contained in the list sent to him by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday,  September 30.

Saraki who read the list around 10:45am  after opening the sealed envelope, said the list contained the first batch of nominees and that the subsequent names according to the president would come shortly.

The nominees are, Abubakar Malami (SAN):  Abdurahman Bello Dambazzau; Aisha Jumai Al Hassan;  Alhaji Lai Mohammed;  Babatunde Raji Fashola; Adebayo Shittu;  Solomon Dalong; Senator Chris Ngige;  Rotimi Amaechi; and  Chief Audu Ogbeh.

Others are, Mrs. Amina Ibrahim; Dr. Osagie  Ehaneri; Emmanuel Kachukwu;  Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Eng. Suleiman Adamu; Mrs. Kemi Adeosun;  Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu;  Hon. Ahmed Musa Bello; Ibrahim Usman Jubrin; Senator Hadi Serika; Senator Udo Udoma.

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50-YR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO 425 YEARS FOR RAPING 17 GIRLS IN 24 HOURS. #SAYNOTORAPE.L

50-year-old Jobulani Mlombo was on October 2, handed 17 life sentences for raping 17 girls at his initiation school in Mpumalanga, South Africe. 

Mlombo was found guilty of raping the girls, who were between the ages of nine and 17, within the space of 24 hours in August in 2012. He was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for three counts of sexual assault. The sentences, taken together, amount to 425 years.

According to Times Live, SA police spokesperson Leonard Hlathi said: "The couple enrolled 21 girls, aged between nine and 17 during winter in 2012. In the initiation school, Mlombo raped and sexually assaulted the initiates on 29 August 2012."

IF CHELSEA SACKS ME THEY WOULD HAVE SACKED THEIR BEST COACH EVER - JOSE MOURINHO.

Under-pressure, Jose Mourinho has said that he will not walk away from the club, insisting that if the club sack him, they would have sacked the best manager in the club history.

“I want to make it clear, I won’t run away and if the club want to sack, they have to. I won’t run away from my responsibilities”

“If the club sack me, they sack the best manager the club has ever had.”