IF FASHOLA WANTS THE PORK, HE MUST WRESTLE WITH THE PIG.

A swarm of the bigwigs of the All Progressives Congress were chaperoned to Osogbo, the capital of Osun State by their then presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. It was November 27, 2014 during the second term inauguration of Rauf Aregbesola as governor. Standing on the huge stage, party top shots took turns to say something about their candidate and the March 28 presidential election.

I browsed around to see who was and was not present on the VIP stand. I didn’t see Babatunde Fashola, the then Governor of Lagos State; and I began to wonder why. About an hour into the pomp, a helicopter hovered in the skies over the stadium; and someone whispered into my ears that that was the Lagos Governor in the helicopter. Not long afterwards, Fashola showed up on the stand behind me calmly seated and modestly smiling. I was not surprised to see that he looked older than his age. That is what the pressure of government business in Nigeria and the surreptitious schizophrenia of party politics will do to you. Aregbesola the celebrator and celebrity for the day then began acknowledging the guests. When he got to the turn of Fashola, I marked the glowing superlative: “…my brother Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, the best man for the job, the best man for the job”. The stadium erupted in a roar!

OUR ABSENTEE FEDERAL LAWMAKERS.

After sitting for a total of 14 legislative days since their June 9th, 2015 inauguration, the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives have proceeded on a six-week recess. This is the fourth time the Federal Legislature is shifting its sittings in less than three months of being proclaimed by the president.

With the two Houses seemingly returning to normalcy after their repeated skirmishes, it was expected that the legislators would settle down to the business that brought them to Abuja. That expectation was, however, dashed with the decision of the two Houses to proceed on their annual recess.

The recess has been defended by the holidaying lawmakers as part of programmes in their calendar. Holidays are opportunities for any hardworking person to take a rest and to refresh for optimum productivity. However, given the few number of days that the legislators have sat, Nigerians are rather bemused over the kind of serious work that the lawmakers have done in 14 days to deserve a six-week rest.

POLICE RESCUE FIVE PREGNANT GIRLS & NINE BABIES FROM ENUGU MATERNITY HOME.

Five pregnant girls and nine babies, under one year old, have been recovered from a maternity home, identified as Daughters of Divine Home Pro-live, located on Aria Road, by Cemetery axis of Enugu metropolis. 

The recovery followed information received by the operatives of the Central Police Station, Enugu, who stormed the home on August 21.

According to police source, the victims are helping the operatives of the Anti-Child Trafficking Unit of the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, CIID, in its investigations.

However, the alleged owner of the home, a Reverend Sister, maintained that she has the approval of relevant authorities to run the home. Said approval had not been produced at press time.

One of the babies recovered from the home was said to be the child of a second year student in a university, who alleged that she gave birth at the home for safe keeping.

NNPC PRUNES DOWN CRUDE OIL BUYERS FROM 43 TO 16.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Thursday said it had reduced the number of crude oil off-takers for the proposed 2015/2016 term contract from 43 to 16.

It said the move was part of measures to optimise the marketing of the nation’s crude oil and secure new market potential.

The corporation, in a statement signed by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said, “In a novel move to instill transparency and probity in the award of the annual crude oil term contract, the NNPC has mapped out measures to execute the 2015/2016 award of contract to companies for the evacuation of Nigeria’s crude oil equity from the various crude and condensate production arrangements.”

GOVERNOR AMBODE MAY SACK EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES OF THE 57 LOCAL COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN LAGOS.

There are strong indications that the on-going restructuring and reforms in the Lagos State Civil Service will soon be extended to the 20 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs in the state.Presently, the affairs of the councils are being managed by Executive secretaries appointed in the twilight of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration to replace the former chairmen after the expiration of their tenure, pending the conduct of fresh election. 

The implication of this is that the 57 executive secretaries may be replaced by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State in order to conduct a credible election into the offices, considering the fact that Ambode’s reforms have been characterized by several replacements of heads of ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs.

It is instructive to note that Ambode, at a recent public function, had pledged to embark on local government reforms with the aim of making the 57 councils more responsive to the needs of the people.

APC LEADERS ANGRY AS PRESIDENT BUHARI APPOINTS MORE NORTHERNERS.

There was an outrage in the ruling All Progressives Congress on Thursday over the announcement of new appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Leaders of the APC, complained that the appointments tilted in favour of the North and said the party must move fast to cope with the backlash of expected rumblings in the polity.

“The President does not consult before making most of these appointments and I can tell you that Nigerians are going to term the party and the President as a northern party and the President of Northern Nigeria,” a leader of the party said to one of our correspondents late on Tuesday.

WE HID COCAINE IN CATERING SUPPLIES - ARIK AIR DRUG SMUGGLING ACCOMPLICE.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Thursday said it had apprehended another employee of Arik Air, Ikechukwu Chibuzor Oliver, for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of 20kg cocaine to London on Monday.

According to the NDLEA, Oliver had confessed to the crime and had revealed that he charged N400,000 for each of the three bags containing the substance.

Oliver, Arik Air’s employee in the catering department, was said to have assisted Chika Egwu Udensi to get the cocaine onboard the London-bound Flight W3101 on which Udensi arrived in the UK on Monday night.

LETS'S BREAK THE CULTURE OF SILENCE ON RAPE. #SAYNOTORAPE.

Celebrated actress, Omoni Oboli, is one of the stars to watch in Code of Silence, a new film in which she plays the role of a lawyer and counsellor.

Among other themes, the movie dramatises the evils of rape, to which Oboli is calling the attention of everyone.

According to her, for the safety of the society, the culture of silence that has surrounded rape over the years must stop and everyone, whether they are men or women, should come together to fight the menace.

PRESIDENT BUHARI APPOINTS CHIEF OF STAFF & SSG.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Engr. Babachir David Lawal as Secretary to the Government  of the Federation.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said this in a statement on Thursday.

He said the president also on Thursday approved the appointment of Alhaji Abba Kyari as Chief of Staff to the President.

SEE COMPLETE #UCLDRAW.

MAN WHO GOT BITTEN WHILE TRYING TO TAKE A SELFIE WITH A RATTLESNAKE MAY LOSE HAND AS HIS SKIN S ROTTING.

A Southern California man who picked up a rattlesnake to pose for a photograph was badly hurt when the reptile bit him on the hand.

Alex Gomez, 36, was bitten on Monday by the 4-foot rattler in a field at his family's ranch in Lake Elsinore, a community about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles, according to TV station KCBS, which showed a picture of the man holding the snake around his neck.

Alex Gomez's mother, Deborah, told KCBS on Tuesday that her son might lose his hand because of the bite wound to the extremity. 

POLICE OFFICER CRUSHED BY TRAILER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ARREST BUS DRIVER IN LAGOS.

A police officer attached to Orile Division died in a motor accident opposite Fatgbems Filling Station, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway at about 9a.m., yesterday.

It was learned that the deceased, while attempting to apprehend a commercial bus (Danfo) driver, who was picking up passengers along the road, jumped into the moving bus with number plates KJA305XL.

The bus sped off, while trying to escape, and hit another car with number plates LND340DF. The sudden stop made the policeman, who was hanging on the bus, to fall.

NDLEA SEARCHES HOME OF ARIK AIR'S CREW WHO WAS ARRESTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING, DRILLS CO-WORKERS.

CHIKA EGWU UDENSI

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday stormed and occupied the Lagos house of Chika Egwu Udensi, a crew member of the Arik Air flight W3101, who was arrested with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at the London Heathrow Airport.

The NDLEA moved to the house after they had interrogated pilots and flight attendants of the flight that left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for London on Monday night. The interrogation lasted for several hours at the NDLEA head office in Lagos.

It was gathered that soon after the interrogation, the NDLEA moved to the suspect’s house in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State.

POLICE IG REDEPLOYS 37 COMMISSIONERS.

The Police Service Commission, PSC, has carried out a redeployment of Commissioners of Police of the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory, FCT. A statement from PSC said: “The Police Service Commission approved the deployment in line with Section 215 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the commission to appoint officers to states as Commissioners of Police, CP.”

Those affected in the deployment are Emmanuel Ojukwu, formerly Force Public Relations Officer, who has been deployed to Kogi State and Ikechukwu Nwodibo, formerly CP in charge of Legal Services, who has been posted to Taraba State.

Others are J. Habila, Abia State; Adejo Gabriel Adaji, Adamawa State; Muritala U. Mani, Akwa Ibom; Karma Hosea, Anambra; Mohammed K. Mohammed, Bauchi; P. Okafor, Bayelsa; Dibai P. Yakadi, Benue; J. Opadokun, Borno.

APC LAGOS IS ONE FAMILY - ASIWAJU BOLA TINUBU.

The past elections were an epic confrontation between two opposing political camps. Those who believed in the progressive governance of the people gathered under the banner of the APC. Those who harkened to the conservative elitism that had cast this nation downward for so many years held to the PDP.

The elections clearly showed the preference of the average Nigerian.  They chose the APC and rejected the PDP nationally and in Lagos state. Since the commanding victory of the APC in Lagos and all over Nigeria, the enemies of progressive governance have cleverly been at work, trying to regain through intrigue and subterfuge what they so openly and fairly lost in the elections.

Our political opponents now try to steal victory when their only entitlement is resounding defeat.

Having fared woefully with the electorate, their game plan is to sow discord within the ranks of the party people had chosen to lead them. The PDP hopes to strike division in the APC, in that way weakening us and our ability to govern.

LAGOS LANDLORD WHO SET HIS TENANT ABLAZE IS DEAD.

The Lagos landlord, Sola Solomon, who allegedly set his tenant ablaze in the Idumota area of the state, has died.

It was learnt from a police source on Wednesday that the suspect died from the burns injuries he sustained while setting fire to the tenant, Abeeb Daraloye.

Our correspondent had reported on Tuesday that Abeeb and his landlord had a disagreement over the use of the compound toilet.

THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED - PROBE OF LAMORDE, EFCC BOSS BEGINS.

The probe of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, commenced as scheduled on Wednesday with his accuser telling the Senate that the EFCC boss gave out properties recovered from looters to siblings and friends.

George Uboh, the man who petitioned the Senate against alleged diversion of N1tn recovered funds by the Federal Government, in his oral submission before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, said that his interaction with ex-Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha showed that the amount recovered from the former governor was far more than what the EFCC declared in its reports.

“We have evidence of how Lamorde has been giving out some of the choice seized property and assets to some of his siblings, especially Usman, and we are ready to produce necessary evidence at the appropriate time,” Uboh told the Senate committee.

VIRGINIA KILLER IDENTIFIED, HE POSTED VIDEO OF KILLING ON SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE COMMITING SUICIDE.

A man who was fired from his job as a television reporter two years ago took revenge against the small-town Virginia news station by executing two of his former coworkers on live television, and then posting disturbing first-person video of the attack on social media.

ORUBEBE IS CLOWN WHO IS AFRAID OF PROBE. - ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says former Minister of the Niger Delta, Mr Godsday Orubebe is afraid of President Muhammadu Buhari’s planned probe of several billions of naira squandered on the East-West road and on the Amnesty programme under his watch as Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, adding that this is the basis for his latest outburst in the media.

The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria said the incompetence of people like Orubebe contributed to the dismal failure of the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

He said: “Our attention has been drawn to the latest outburst of one clown called Godsday Orubebe in his attempt to taint the image of the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

ICONIC 9/11 SURVIVOR SUCCUMBS TO STOMACH CANCER, DIES AT 42.

It became one of the enduring images that helped symbolize an unfathomable disaster.

Marcy Borders - the woman who was photographed covered in ash and pulverized concrete as she fled the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 - died on Monday.

The 42-year-old mother-of-two, who became known as 'dust lady' because of the iconic photograph, succumbed to stomach cancer.