Forgive, Stop Going Back To How You Were Overthrown, Owie Tells Buhari

Senator Rowland Owie, a former Chief Whip of the Senate and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement yesterday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be grateful to God for making it possible for him to be the president of the country, rather than going back to the past on how he was toppled in 1985.

He said: “I urge President Buhari to face the job for which he was elected by Nigerians and stop chasing shadows. He should know that among those who worked for his success in the 2015 general election were many Nigerians whose parents, friends, well wishers were unjustly imprisoned by Buhari's regime of 1984.

“They all supported him in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015, because the only thing that helps any human community to move forward and develop is forgiveness and letting bygone be bygone.

“For Buhari to be talking about issues of 1984 when God has given him victory in a democratic election, which by the antecedents of his first coming, did not, by hunan standard, deserve, he ought to be daily grateful to God, his party that gave him ticket and Nigerians that voted for him."

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Presidency Denies Favouring North, Muslims In Appointments

The Presidency on Monday through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said President Muhammadu Buhari has treated all Nigerians without bias for ethnicity or religion in his appointments and policies since he assumed office on May 29, 2015.

The special assistant in a statement while reacting to the London Telegraph’s article “Children Face Death by Starvation in Northern Nigeria” published on Saturday, said claims that the present administration was targeting Christians and members of the opposition were without foundation.

Shehu said the article repeated a claim from an earlier piece “Nigeria Using UK Aid to Persecute President’s Political Foes” published on April 12, indicating that Nigeria was diverting United Kingdom’s aid monies away from defeating the Islamist terror group Boko Haram towards those the newspaper identifies as political opponents of the administration.

He said, “As for claims that the administration is targeting Christians and the opposition, these are without foundation.

“Since assuming office, President Buhari has treated all Nigerians without bias for ethnicity or religion – as the composition of his cabinet and the policies and programmes of his administration demonstrate.

“To suggest his government as deepening Muslim-Christian division is not only untrue, but plays into the hands of Boko Haram who wish to divide Nigerians along religious lines.

“Fighting this group is key priority of President Buhari’s administration. Indeed the international community has widely acknowledged his determination to defeat terrorism in Nigeria and the entire Lake Chad Basin.

“There is nothing to gain by attempting to mould public opinion against these facts. Therefore we invite The Telegraph to visit Nigeria: to witness first hand not only the challenges we face, but the administration’s determination to confront them.”

Explaining that the UK government does not give development aid to the Nigerian government for operations against Boko Haram, Shehu noted that while the claims in both articles were attributed to an unnamed source in the United States and “Western officials”, yet the first article drew the condemnation of the US Embassy in Abuja as having drawn conclusions directly opposite to the position of the US government when it was first published.

He added, “To state the facts: the UK government does not give development aid to the Nigerian administration for use in military operations against Boko Haram. Where British military support – such as intelligence – is provided, it is precisely and only, given for operations directly against Boko Haram.

“Similarly, the Nigerian Government is in no position to divert aid monies used for emergency relief for refugees or IDP camps for any other purpose, as these are dispensed directly by DFID, USAID, the United Nations, the International Red Cross, Doctors without Borders and many other organisations – with which we enjoy excellent relations.

“The humanitarian situation in these camps is real. The administration remains deeply concerned about the medical, health and nutrition challenges and we are doing everything with the limited resources we have at our disposal to improve the situation.”

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Fajuyi’s 50th anniversary: How Ekiti govt supported us – Family

In a twist of event, the family of the late Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, July 29, 1966 military coup martyr, have debunked claims by eldest son of the late Fajuyi, Mr. Donald Femi Fajuyi, that the Ekiti State government refused to render support to the family during just-concluded week-long 50th anniversary celebration of the martyrdom of the late heroic soldier and first military Governor of Western Nigeria, some family members have said that the state government under Governor Ayodele Fayose indeed supported them.

Four representatives of the Fajuyi family in Ekiti, Mrs. Lanre Fajuyi, Mrs. Desola Olajuyigbe (nee Fajuyi), Dr. Tope Olajuyigbe son-in-law) and Mrs. Abigail Abike Boboye (nee Fajuyi), told newsmen otherwise yesterday, in Osuntokun hall of the Ekiti State government office in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, while paying an appreciation visit to governor Fayose.

They revealed that the governor indeed sent delegations led by the Deputy-Governor, Dr. Olusola Kolapo Eleka who fully participated in all the events in the week-long remembrance.

Speaking for the family, Mrs. Lanre Fajuyi said: “The governor was represented by his deputy, Kolapo Olusola at the Fajuyi park where the 50th remembrance kicked off. In Lagos, we had the lunch of Adekunle Fajuyi Education Trust. The main aim of the lunch of the Trust Fund is to help source fund for the education of the children of our fallen heroes and the wounded and soldiers.

“Governor Fayose was also represented on Friday, July 29 in Ibadan at the ‘Yoruba Think’ programme at the International conference centre and even today (Sunday, July 31) at the thanskgiving programme to round up the one week remembrance in honour of lieutenant Adekunle Fajuyi.''

“We actually received full support of the state government through representations in all the events and monetary support to us and to ensure we had a successful programme and also through contributing to Adekunle Fajuyi Education Trust Fund.

“We are here to appreciate the governor for his support and I can tell you that we were fully supported by the state government. Our eldest son must have said what was quoted in the papers before the event.

“The lunch of Adekunle Fajuyi Education Trust was to support the widows and children of our fallen soilders who lost their lives in battle and also insurgency while fighting to protect Nigeria. We are working together with the National Army officers Wives Association, NAOWA and the military to ensure that some of these children who are very needy and the widows can be supported and help them in their predicament.

“We have been approaching state governments and several world organizations to help in that regard. We know the Nigerian Army also have plans for them, but in our own little way we can help assist to alleviate their sufferings, “ she said.

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Oshiomhole Plots To Extinguish Esan Race —Anenih

Chief Tony Anenih, former chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, spoke at the Edo Central PDP governorship flag off at Okpujie Primary School, Uromi, has accused Governor Oshiomhole of plotting to extinguish the Esan Nation saying the outgoing governor has consistently marginalized the region and its people.

Anenih, speaking at the event promised that the Esan people would resist the alleged plots and the continued domination of the people by Oshiomhole in the September election.

“Today, there is no water Esanland. I pleaded with the president then to give us water, and he awarded a contract of N1.2 billion for Ugbalo Waterworks. Oshiomhole was asked to pay the counterpart fund of about N300 million. Oshiomhole, up till today has refused to provide the money. That is why the water scheme has not been completed.

He does not want us (Esans) to have water. “Esan race is being extinguished by Oshiomhole, but we will not allow it; we will resist it.

Saraki, Dogara won’t benefit from immunity - Reps

The House of Represenatives explained that the proposed immunity was not to shield anybody, rather it was to stop unnecessary distractions of the presiding officers from the other arms of government, stating that the Senate President, his deputy, as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy, will not be beneficiaries of the proposed immunity for the presiding officers of the National Assembly in the ongoing constitutional amendment.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas, while addressing journalists yesterday said, “Even if the immunity is passed, the incumbent can’t enjoy it. We want to guard against distractions. The National Assembly is distracted now. It is for the future, so, there is nothing wrong for leaders to enjoy it.”

COURT SACKS ALI MODU-SHERIFF: Ali Modu Sheriff Ready To Vacate PDP Chairmanship Position, But On ONE Condition

Ali Modu Sheriff Ready To Vacate PDP Chairmanship Position, But On ONE Condition.
Sheriff says he's ready to go if the leadership of the party asks him to go because he contested at the NECK office alongside 4 other aspirants from which he was chosen as winner.

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