TheNewsGuru

Author: Peter Tuketu

  • Putin dabbles into US politics, offers asylum to ex FBI director Comey

    Putin dabbles into US politics, offers asylum to ex FBI director Comey

    Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has once again dabbled into domestic American politics by making an asylum offer to the former director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, who recently appeared before the American congress over disagreements he has with President Donald Trump, who fired him.

    Comey who was sacked by the American President had suggested that President Trump had wanted him to pledge personal allegiance to him instead of to the United States of America among other reasons.

    Putin who could not resist poking fun at America said that Comey’s release of records of his conversations with President Donald Trump equated to being an activist, like former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who lives in Russia under asylum.

    If Comey, who was fired by Trump, continues to be persecuted, Putin said on national television “we will be ready to provide him political asylum.”

    It will be recalled that Comey had accused President Donald Trump of firing him to try to undermine the FBI investigation into possible collusion between his 2016 presidential campaign team and Russia.

    Trump dismissed Comey on May 9 and the administration gave differing reasons for the action.

    Trump later contradicted his own staff and acknowledged on May 11 that he fired Comey because of the Russian probe.

    Asked at a U.S. congressional hearing why he was fired, Comey said he did not know for sure.

    “Again, I take the president’s words. I know I was fired because of something about the way I was conducting the Russia investigation was in some way putting pressure on him, in some way irritating him, and he decided to fire me because of that.”

    Comey earlier told the Senate Intelligence Committee in the most eagerly anticipated U.S. congressional hearing in years that he believed Trump had directed him to drop an FBI probe into the Republican president’s former national security adviser as part of the Russia investigation.

    He would not say whether he thought the president sought to obstruct justice.

    Comey said the administration had told lies and defamed him and the FBI after the president dismissed him.

    The implications of Putin’s offer, though not lost on the American government, the Trump administration is yet to dignify it with an answer. Comey too had kept a sealed lips.

  • American University of Nigeria appoints Dekle as new President

    American University of Nigeria appoints Dekle as new President

    The American University of Nigeria (AUN) , Yola, Adamawa state, has appointed Dr Dawn Dekle, as its new president.

    Dr. Dekle was selected after an international search and was endorsed unanimously by the Board of Trustees to assume the leadership role for the university.

    Mr. Akin Kekere-Ekun, chairman of the board, said, “We are delighted that Dr. Dekle has accepted our offer and will join our learning community. I am confident that she will take our university into the next phase of development. Her vision for AUN in a global era resonated with the entire board and we welcome her with great enthusiasm and anticipation in the coming years.”

    Dr. Dekle visited the AUN campus during the May commencement weekend and met with members of the Board and the AUN Community, and said afterward, “I believe AUN is the best kept secret in Nigeria. The campus is buzzing with potential, and I was inspired by this new generation of talent, the engaged learning experiences, and community collaborations.”

    Dr. Dekle is currently serving as president of Orkhon University in Mongolia. Before joining Orkhon University, Dr. Dekle was president of the American University of Iraq, provost at the American University of Afghanistan, and dean at the S P Jain School of Global Management in Singapore.

    Prior to becoming a senior administrator, she was a faculty member at Singapore Management University, the National University of Singapore, James Madison University, and Dartmouth College.

    Dr. Dekle has held leadership positions outside of academia, such as council member for the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and as leadership specialist and global knowledge manager at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., where she helped launch the McKinsey Center for Asian Leadership.

    As a scholar of psychology, law, leadership, and management, Dr. Dekle has published in academic journals, presented at international conferences, given keynote addresses for the Young Presidents Organization, and served as an analyst for television and radio regarding President Obama and his strategies in Asia and the Middle East.

    Dr. Dekle earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University, Ph.D. in psychology from Dartmouth College, and J.D. in law from Stanford University.

    The AUN Board of Trustees invites everyone to welcome Dr. Dekle and join in the celebrations of her arrival to Yola this summer.

  • Macron’s party set for decisive majority in French parliament

    Macron’s party set for decisive majority in French parliament

    French President, Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party is likely to win a comfortable majority in the National Assembly, two polling companies said after the first round of voting ended on Sunday night.

    La Republique en Marche (The Republic on the Move, LREM) and allies, with an estimated 32.9 per cent of the vote, is expected to take between 400 and 440 of the assembly’s 577 seats in next week’s second round, according to a Kantar Public-onepoint forecast based on partial results.

    The result should enable Macron to win approval for his government line-up and push his liberalizing programme through parliament despite expected opposition from the left.

    The election was marked by what pollsters predicted would be a record-low turnout of just under 50 per cent.

    The vote comes just over a month after 39-year-old Macron became the youngest-ever president of France, beating far-right leader Marine Le Pen by 66 per cent to 34 per cent in a run-off vote.

    Le Pen’s National Front had a disappointing day, taking just 13.5 per cent of the vote, according to the Kantar Public-onepoint projection.

    The pollsters predicted the National Front would win only two to five seats – short of the 15 needed to form a parliamentary group.

    The main opposition party is likely to be the centre-right Les Republicains, which with its allies came second on 21 per cent and is predicted to take between 95 and 132 seats, Kantar Public-onepoint said.

    Macron had thrown Les Republicains off balance by nominating two high-profile party members, Edouard Philippe and Bruno Le Maire, as his prime minister and economy minister.

    Leading centre-right figures have disputed whether the party should offer support to Macron’s programme or fight to effectively wrest power from him by winning a parliamentary majority.

    The election’s biggest loser, however, was the Socialist Party of Macron’s predecessor as president, Francois Hollande.

    The Socialists and their centre-left allies took only 9.7 per cent of the vote and are likely to take 15-25 seats, down from their majority of 292 in the last parliament, according to Kantar Public-onepoint.

    Official results of the first round will be released by the Interior Ministry as they are counted.

    Candidates who win a majority in their constituency will be elected on the first round, as long as they have the votes of at least 25 per cent of registered electors.

    In other constituencies, the top two candidates and any other candidates with the backing of at least one in eight registered voters will go through to next Sunday’s decisive run-off vote.

  • Kenyan police arrest six terror attack suspects sponsored by Somali militants

    Kenyan police says it has arrested six men it suspects of planning an attack sponsored by the al Shabaab militant group from neighboring Somalia.

    In recent weeks, the East African nation has lost 20 officers in various attacks, mostly on deserted roads in the vast northern region bordering Somalia, in which the militants used Improvised Explosive Devices .

    Joseph Boinnet, the Inspector-General Police, said in a statement that two of the suspects were Kenyans and the others were Somali nationals.

    Police also seized assembled explosives, four suicide vests and bomb-making materials such as TNT.

    “The six had been dispatched from Burhanche in Somalia by their commanders to launch attacks in Kenya,” Boinnet said.

    Kenyan security forces worked with their counterparts in Somalia to foil the attack and to capture the suspects.

    The captured men were being interrogated to establish the extent of the entire network, Boinnet said.

    Kenya has faced a constant security challenge from across the border ever since it sent its troops into Somalia in late 2011, to help defeat the al Shabaab militants and restore order.

  • JUST IN: IG orders investigation, arrest of people behind threat to Igbos in North

    The Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Kaduna State to investigate and arrest members of the Coalition of Northern Youths for issuing ultimatum to South Easterners living in the North.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Coalition of Northern Youths on Tuesday after a joint meeting tagged ‘Kaduna Declaration’ issued a serious threat to Igbos residing in the region to vacate on or before October 1 (Nigeria’s Independence Day) 2017 or face physical attacks.

    It also ordered Northerners living in the South Eastern part of the country to return to the North.

    The group attributed the ultimatum to the constant agitation by the Igbo ethnic group to have their own independent country.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Gov. Nasir El’ Rufai of Kaduna State on Wednesday also ordered the investigation, arrest and prosecution of the signatories to the communique issued at the end of the coalition of northern youth news conference.

    The IG gave the order at a meeting with Commissioners of Police and other high ranking officers on Thursday in Abuja.

    He warned that no individual or group of persons had the right to ask any individual to leave his or her place of residence in any part of the country.

    He ordered other state commissioners of police in the North and Assistant Inspectors -General of Police in the various zonal commands to do same.

    He said “as Commissioners of Police and Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, we have the responsibility to stop this group of persons from carrying out their threats.

    “I want us to be at alert to ensure that such persons or group were stopped at all cost from carrying out their threats.

    “No individual has the authority to stop anybody from looking for his daily bread.

    He explained that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to live in any part of the country he or she chooses.

     

    Police to sanction indiscriminate use of siren, spy number plates

    On abuse of siren and spy number plate by unauthourised persons, Idris said that a task force would be constituted across the country to check the ugly situation.

    He noted that some individuals used them to commit crimes in the society, adding that synergy between the force and other security agencies was critical to its operations.

    “We are going to check the excesses of these individuals who use siren and spy number plate, “he said.

    The police boss urged the various commands to beef up security in their formations as security challenges were taking different dimensions.

    He said the force had started the establishment of some operational units in the commands across the country to tackle emerging security challenges.

    He added that “we are facing new security challenges in the country and we have to respond to it.

    “We are trying to enhance our capacity with the establishment of these units, taking into consideration the new security challenges in the country.”

    Idris urged state governors to support the force by establishing these units for effective response to security threats across the country.

     

    Rescue mission for six kidnapped students in Lagos ongoing

    On the kidnapped six students from the Igbonla Model College, Epe area of Lagos, Idris said that police marine would be trained to flood the creeks.

    He expressed concern over the location of schools close to the sea where miscreants always had easy access to such schools.

    He said “we are going to have a permanent solution to the Lagos problem by training our marine police.”

    The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni, said rescue mission was ongoing to save the children.

    He explained that the police was concerned about the safety of the children in trying to rescue them.

  • Urhobos are not Biafrians, we are Nigerians – Senator Omo-Agege

    Ovie Omo-Agege, the senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly has come out smoking, declaring that the Urhobos who form the majority ethnic group in Delta state are not Biafrans, but Nigerians.

    In his words, “the Urhobo Nation has never been, is not and does not wish to be part of Biafra.”

    Senator Omo-Agege made this known today a release, he issued, to douse the rising anger in Urhobo land over the claim by IPOB that Urhobos are part of their dreamed Biafra republic.

    Senator Omo-Agege in the release said: “With the deluge of concerns being raised by my people, it has become necessary to state with absolute clarity as the Senator for the Urhobo Nation in the 8th Senate of our Federal Republic of Nigeria that the Urhobo Nation has never been, is not and does not wish to be part of Biafra.

    “Whereas Article 1 (2) of the United Nations Charter recognizes the “principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples”, this, obviously, does not grant any group the right to arbitrarily usurp the self-determination right of others. MASSOB, IPOB or whatever ethnic-leaning group may have the right to agitate for self-determination for the people they represent.

    “But that right would be encroaching and trampling severely and irresponsibly on the rights of other ethnic groups if, without consultations or any consensus whatsoever, they (MASSOB, IPOB or whatever ethnic-leaning group) decide to forcefully include others in their self-determination agenda.

    “The Urhobo Nation totally rejects such unforgivable disrespect that touches on our very existence. Indeed, the unilateral inclusion of the Urhobo Nation in the flag or map of Biafra is an abhorrent, and condemnable threat to our people. It is an unacceptable attempt to suppress our own right to self-determination. We will never tolerate it and it must stop forthwith.

    “We are cautioning against this trend of arbitrariness and disregard for the rights of others because we know that such a ‘conquest mentality’ has never promoted sustainable peace in human history.

    “The Urhobo Nation believes in the unity of the Nigeria Federation. Our preference, as a major strategic partner in our Federation, is to work hard to correct its imperfections, not to break it up into bits and pieces. I will continue to work with my great and highly respected colleagues of Ndigbo extraction and other parts of our country in the National Assembly to perfect our Union, not break it.

    “In all, this is our simple and firm position: We are Urhobos and Nigerians, not Biafrans” he concluded

  • NJC wrong on recall of 6 Judges – Lawyer

    NJC wrong on recall of 6 Judges – Lawyer

    A legal practitioner, Mr Okoli Ezenwa, has said the National Judicial Council (NJC) was wrong to have ordered the recall of six Judges standing trial for various corruption cases.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that in an action that raised various curious eyebrows, the NJC, on June 2 recalled Justices Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court, Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court and Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court.

    Others who were also on suspension but benefitted from the recall include Justices John Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court, Uwani Abba Aji of the Court of Appeal and Hydiazira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court.

    The judges were among those arrested after a ‘sting operation’ by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The DSS on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, 2016, raided of the houses of the judges and allegedly found some hard currencies said to be proceeds of corruption.

    The Abuja based Barrister Ezenwa told newsmen Wednesday in Abuja that the recall of the judges would amount to a huge moral burden on the judiciary.

    He said that in spite of the recall, the judges still had cases to answer since the judiciary remained the last hope of the common man.

    The legal practitioner said that if there were corruption allegations against any judge, he or she should be tried in the court of law.

    He advised the NJC to toe the path of honour and wait until the allegations against them were cleared by the courts.

    “So many petitions have been written against these judges and the most honourable thing to is to look at the merit of the petition before recalling them,“he said.

  • Guard to spend 4 months in prison for `sleeping on duty’

    Guard to spend 4 months in prison for `sleeping on duty’

    A security guard who left his duty post for the comfort of his bed has been sentenced to four months imprisonment by a Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja.

    The court sentenced the security guard, one Zakaria Jacob, to four months imprisonment for sleeping at his duty post, when thieves burgled his employer’s premises.

    Jacob, 32, of Waru Apo village, Abuja, stood trail on a count charge of negligent conduct.

    The convict pleaded guilty to the one count charge agreeing that his negligence paved way for burglars to gain access and steal property.

    The judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, however, gave the convict an option to pay N20,000 fine, and warned him to be more committed to his work.

    Prosecuting counsel, Dalhatu Zannah, had told the court that one Okandza Pieme of 350 Williams St., Utako, Abuja, lodged a petition on the matter at the Utako Police Station on June 3.

    Zannah said the complainant employed the convict to work as security guard in his house.

    He said that the convict was expected to be on duty at the time the crime was committed.

    Zannah said that the convict was sleeping and abandoned his duty post which paved way for burglars to gain access into the complainant’s apartment.

    He said that the burglars made away with the complainant’s laptop, three Samsung cell phones, valued at N610,000, cash and some other valuable items

    The prosecutor said that all efforts by the police to recover the stolen items proved abortive.

    Zannah said the offence contravened Section 196 of the Penal Code

  • We will support UN’s Sustainable Development goals – NDDC MD

    We will support UN’s Sustainable Development goals – NDDC MD

    Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Nsima U. Ekere, has pledged support for the United Nation’s Sustainable Development concept of “develop but don’t destroy” as a means of maintaining natural balance and keeping the environment safe for human existence.

    The NDDC MD stated this on Monday during the World Environment Day celebration organized by the Commission at the Arena Event Centre in Port Harcourt.

    Mr Ekere, who was represented by the NDDC Director, Special Duties, Dr. Princewill Ekanim, said that the sustainable development concept clearly recognized that though development was needed for human advancement, the environment was crucial for human existence.

    According to the NDDC boss, the UN’s strategy was “to get governments, aid foundations and NGOs on the same page about what global problems most urgently need to be solved and how to measure progress. The hope is that getting all these groups pointed in the same direction will result in greater impact in maintaining the sanctity of the environment and upholding the concept of SD.”
    He is of the view that “God premised the environment on a zero waste profile by creating two major kingdoms, the plant and animal kingdoms. Both kingdoms rely on each other for existence and survival.

    “There was a strict balance until the era of civilization when man embarked on economic development like construction of highways, building of large malls, stadia etc., which led to massive destruction of trees and other members of the plant kingdom.”
    The NDDC Chief Executive noted that the destructions led to distortions of the natural balance as the environmental systems were unable to use up the excess by-products of man’s activities, including gases like carbon dioxide, methane etc, “creating the so called greenhouse effect on our God given environment.”

    In Nigeria, he noted, “the issue of the drying Lake Chad in the North East, the fast advancing Sahara Desert in the entire North to the devastation of the forests and waters of the Niger Delta region by oil exploration and heavy oil spills, as well as the current black soot phenomenon in Port Harcourt and its environs, call for serious environmental concern by government and its agencies.”

    Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Roseline Konya, who sent in a goodwill message said that the digital revolution in the world had contributed to a situation where man had been further distanced from nature. She said that even the way houses were designed these days fail to take advantage of the natural environment.”

     

  • Nasarawa CJ wants financial autonomy for judiciary

    Nasarawa CJ wants financial autonomy for judiciary

    The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Suleiman Dikko, has appealed to state governments to grant financial autonomy to the judiciary to facilitate smooth dispensation of justice in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com confirms that Justice Dikko was speaking in Lafia, during the 2017 Lafia Appeal/Call-over session to review cases already decided by lower courts.

    Inadequate finances, the Nasarawa Chief Judge noted is frustrating efforts towards building the capacity of judges and other supporting staff of the judiciary.

    “Judges that were supposed to attend national and international conferences over the years, could not do so due to lack of funds.

    “We have not been able to promote staff for quite some time, while allowances due to them are still unpaid.

    “We were forced to use our overhead vote to pay officers promoted in 2016 to avert industrial action by Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN).

    “The implication of that one year promotion is that the salary figure went up by N3.5 million monthly; with the paucity of funds, implementing another promotion will be impossible,” Dikko said.

    The Chief Judge, however, warned judges of lower courts and other staff against indulging in corrupt practices as anyone caught would be sanctioned.

    The Chief Judge had earlier inaugurated a five-man appeal panel to review the 155 criminal and civil cases already decided by lower courts. 53 of these cases are criminal, while 102 are civil.

    Nevertheless, Mr Dikko warned that review of the criminal cases may be delayed due to the ongoing labour strike since the prosecuting officers were staff of the justice ministry