The Governorship Campaign Council of the Kogi state All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is confident of Governor Yahaya Bello’s success in the forthcoming election in the state.

Kingsley Fanwo who is the chairman of the media and publicity of the campaign council stated this at the weekend in Lokoja, The Nation reports

. According to Fanwo, the APC has increased support of the people of the state and key personalities which would aid the governor’s bid for re-election.

He boasted that only Governor Bello can defeat himself in the November 16 governorship election, adding that the coming back of Hon. James Abiodun Faleke and the asiprants who contested agains Governor Bello during the primaries has massively boosted the APC’s chances.

Fanwo mocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the opposition party has lost its leaders and thousands of members to APC.

He said the PDP has also lost its only senator, Dino Melaye, adding that Senator Smart Adeyemi would soon replace him at the Senate. Recall that Melaye’s election as the senator of Kogi West was on Friday, October 11, nullified by the Court of Appeal in Abuja. Fanwo said Governor Bello has improved the state by building more infrastructures, educational facilities, health institutions, etc.

He urged the party’s supporters to engage in a peaceful campaign just as he urged opposition parties to sign up to our Peaceful Election Initiative.

Equity news previously reported that the Kogi PDP said the APC was already jittery over massive support for its standard-bearer, Musa Wada. The party said this on Monday, October 7, by the director-general of Wada/Aro governorship campaign organisation, Tajudeen Yusuf, in a statement he made available to newsmen.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has developed a framework to train and equip, personnel to tackle insecurity.

A statement by Odutayo Oluseyi of the Ministry of Police Affairs, said to this end, the Minister, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has inaugurated a 12-member Ministerial interim Committee on the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

The committee, chaired by Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, includes Moremi Soyinka-Onijala, lawyer, one of the daughters of Professor Wole Soyinka.

The statement quoted Dingyadi as explaining that the careful selection of members of the Committee which comprises of Directors/Heads of Units of the Ministry and senior members of the Police hierarchy was to meet various sector requirements.

The team is to draw up the take-off Budget for the Trust fund; Liaise with the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for a suitable office accommodation for the administration of Funds; Determine the logistics and other necessary requirements for the effective take-off of the Fund; Develop an organizational structure for the administration of staff of the fund; Develop a timeline for the take-off of the Fund and; Propose a date for the inauguration of the board.

Full list of members below:
1. Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri (FCA) – Permanent Secretary – Chairman
2. Dr. Kayode Musbau K – (DFA) – Member
3. Bombata Babatunde H. – (DHRM) – Member
4. Barr. Moremi Soyinka-Onijala – (PID) – Member
5. Afroka Emmanuel Chukudi – SA/Perm. Sec. – Member
6. Joseph O Egbunike – CP – Member
7. Shehu Usman Shuaibu – AG. CP – Member
8. Augustine Akpofure Saromi Fsi – DCP – Member
9. Jonathan Towruru – DCP – Member
10. Emeka Frank Mba – DCP/FPPRO – Member
11. Abel Jangnap Miri Zwalchir – ACP – Member
12. Zubairu M.G. – D(PSD) – Member

The Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, on Sunday broke his longtime silence to speak on the Borno governor’s recent call on insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace government’s amnesty programme.

In an 18 minutes audio message, Mr Shekau, who spoke in his native Kanuri language and in Hausa, faulted the governor’s claims that some of the insurgents that were forced to join Boko Haram are tired of fighting.

The Boko Haram leader said none of his members was tired of fighting and that they would continue fighting till their last breathe.

This is the first video by the terror group’s fugitive leader in several months.

Midway into the video, Mr Shekau played an audio clip in which the Governor of Borno, Babagana Zulum, was heard addressing a crowd. In the audio, the governor called on Boko Haram members to surrender and embrace government’s amnesty programme through the ‘safe corridor’ programme.

It is not known how Mr Shekau and his group got the audio clip, although there have been rumours that Boko Haram members masquerade as IDPs and are in some of the camps Mr Zulum recently visited.

Mr Zulum, who usually ends his public speeches with a call for Boko Haram to surrender, was also heard quoting a verse of the Holy Quran which says “God forgives sins.”

But Mr Shekau, who claims to have memorised the Quran, said the governor misquoted the verses.

“I decided to deliver this message to clarify an issue in order for the public to understand our stand so that they would not be misguided. Particularly, I’m speaking on the claims of the governor of Borno State that some of our members were forced to join us against their will and now they are tired of fighting.

“And it was because of that that government has created “operation safe corridor” programme where repentant members of our group can be helped.

“I want to tell the governor that we are not tired yet. We have not even started. It is our wish to die fighting. We are on top of our game and by the grace of God we are going die doing this. We are still here.

“You should know that in Islam, you cannot receive the forgiveness of Allah if you die without accepting Islam.

“Even the disciples of Islam, including the parent of a prophet of Islam did not get the pardon of God because they died without accepting Islam.

“The governor should know that Islam is not Borno’s religion, it is not religion of Yobe or Kano; it is not a religion from Nigeria, or Niger or Cameroon. It is God’s religion sent down from heaven and explained to us clearly by the prophet.

“For that reason, people should desist from giving wrong interpretation to the verses of the Holy Quran. For example, the verses that the governor quoted about forgiveness were not only wrong but used out of context; even this is enough shame on you governor.

“It is not for us to repent; it is your governor of Borno that needs to repent. You cannot get paradise with what you are doing now.

“The world is full of people seeking its secular gains, and it abounds for all, but heaven is only for those that worked for it. Paradise is meant only for those who follow the path of God. Neither power nor wealth can earn one paradise. The people of Borno should repent and seek the face of God.

“For us, democracy is an act of infidelity toward God. Democracy means “demons and cratos”. These are man-made laws that you follow, and God has forbidden us from following man-made laws. God has enjoined us to worship none except Him alone.

“But here you are obeying the constitution when we have the Quran. It is better to be buried under the earth than to live in this kind of misguided generation.

“This is my message to the people of Borno in response to the speech made by their governor.

“That is why I kept saying that any of our members that will come and join us only for him to leave because he is tired, is just wasting his time. They should know that even we only depend on God in all that we do. Anyone that knows the Holy Quran won’t want to spend a second amongst those infidels.”

Northern youths under the auspices of Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) have risen from an extraordinary meeting in Kaduna at the weekend, passing vote of confidence on Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler and Controller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (Rtd.).

The Northern youths said, duo of Fowler and Ali displayed sheer ingenuity by raising the non-oil revenues base in many folds through their agencies, which they said brought Nigeria out of the economic recession.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting in Kaduna on Monday, Speaker of AYA, Muhammad Salihu Danlami noted, President Muhammadu Buhari was ushered in with a plethora of challenges principal of which was a steep and steady decline into a harsh economic recession.

According to him, “However, it is on record that the government breasted the tape of the challenge and worked the Nigerian economy out of recession in record time never seen before in the world over. This feat was achieved thanks to the commitment of some very innovative public servants at the helms of affairs of some of our MDAs.

“Thus, Arewa Youth Assembly is delighted at the masterful detailed attention being accorded by the administrators of these MDAs which has seen them spark to life with outstanding positive results.

“At the risk of sounding immodest, let it be placed on record that the achievement recorded by Mr. Babatunde Fowler and Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.) have achieved enviable records never seen before in Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) respectively since their creation.

“Mr. Fowler took over the reign of FIRS at a time our country was going through economic depression amidst dwindling oil revenues. It was his sheer ingenuity through the raise of non oil revenues base in many folds that brought out our country of the recession.

“Between 2016 to 2018 the non oil revenue collection grew by over One trillion naira (about 21%). This is a record first for our country at a time when there is a global shift away from oil revenues towards economic diversification in non oil sectors. It is well established fact that Mr. Fowler is an all time ambassador for Zero tolerance of corruption.

“Let’s use this medium as an organization to commend and pass a vote of confidence on the present FIRS management led ably led by Mr. Babatunde Fowler and NCS led by Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.) for raising the non oil revenues to an all time higher and for rising up to the occasion to reverse the then economic recession and stear our country’s economy to an era of boom and progress.

“These recorded progress can be linked to far reaching reforms introduced by Mr. fowler in areas of regular and continous taxpayers education, ICT innovation drive and taxpayers enlightments amongst others. And on the other hand Col. Ali water tight policies on border security and duty tax on taxable items in line with his given task to reform, restructure and increase the revenue generation of the customs draws accolades within and outside our shores.

“Mr. Fowler and Col. Ali supervise a total turnaround of the economy to meet up the challenges of the moment by riding the 2 agencies of pervasive corruption and undue political meddlesomeness. We shall vigorously continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari consolidation agenda in the next four years of the current term and his worthy lieutenents.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He said.

Balarabe Musa, a former governor of Kaduna state, has said that Nigeria’s political landscape has been hijacked by selfish politicians, adding that only the alliance of progressive political opposition parties can bailout the country and make the current democracy successful.

Musa made the assertion in Offa, Kwara state, at the 19th memorial lecture of late Chief Josiah Sunday Olawoyin, Daily Trust reports.

Equity news gathers that the former governor said that politicians of the colonial era and first republic ruled with credible leadership and provided selfless service to the people.

According to him, those that served in the second republic to the present time came to milk the nation dry.

He said: “There is no basis of comparison between politicians of the colonial times and the first republic on one hand and the subsequent republics on the other. “

Even though the first republic governance was characterised by semi feudalism and conservatism, there was credible leadership and concern for the people.”

Meanwhile, equity news previously reported that the governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Sule, said that any elected governor has no reason to dip their hands into public purse and steal funds.

Governor Sule made this known during the closing ceremony of the 23rd National Quranic Recitation Competition organized by the Jamaatul Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) in the state.

The governor said that elected governor caught stealing really needs deliverance from God, adding that governors have all they need.

He said: “When I assumed office as governor, I realised that only those who have no true knowledge about God could steal or those whose major preoccupation is to steal public funds.”

At the occasion, the governor also called on the elites to participate in politics as a way to bring sanity into the terrain.

A Federal High Court in Lagos has declined to stop the Federal Government from demanding that an oil and energy firm, Star Deep Water Petroleum Ltd, explain its role in an alleged missing crude oil revenue scandal.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa dismissed the firm’s preliminary objection against the government’s suit on the ground that it lacked merit.

Star Deep Water Petroleum Ltd is a Chevron Nigeria Ltd subsidiary.

Justice Aikawa, in a ruling on Friday, October 11, 2019, which was obtained by The Nation on Monday, held that there is sufficient cause of action against the firm as claimed by the Federal Government.

He ordered the company to answer the case against it.

The judge adjourned till December 5, 2019 for trial.

This suit is one of several instituted by the Federal Government in 2016 seeking to recover almost $12 billion in missing crude oil revenue from some international oil companies (IOCs).

The government, through its Counsel Prof Fabian Ajogwu SAN, averred that the revenue was lost following undeclared and under-declared crude oil shipments from Nigeria to different parts of the world between 2011 and 2014.

In one of the suits, the government sought to recover $69 million from Chevron Petroleum Nigeria Ltd.

It filed the suit against Chevron Nigeria Ltd, and Chevron Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, as first and second defendants respectively.

It also filed similar suits against Total E&P Nigeria Plc, Agip Oil Company Ltd, Brasoil, Shell Western Supply & Trading Ltd, among others.

Over five months of intense lobbying, Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has put finishing touches on the list of his cabinet, returning some members of his Kitchen Cabinet.

The Nation reports that seven former Commissioners scaled the hurdles of meeting Governor Ganduje’s criteria by been retained for the second time.

Those former Commissioners, who made a comeback, include, Mohammed Garba, lnformation, Murtala Sule Garo, Local Government, Ahmed Garba, Commerce, Ibrahim Muktar, Justice, and Dr Kabir Ibrahim Getso, Health.

Also, two former Commissioners from Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration and camp, made it back, namely, Musa lliyasu Kwankwaso,Rural Development, and Budget Planning Shehu Na’llah.

It was also gathered that it was apparent that these Commissioners will be retained, because of loyalty, their frequency in public functions with Governor Ganduje, as well as the Tribunal, gave clear indications they will make it back to form the cabinet.

It Nation also learnt that the Governor have since forwarded the list of his cabinet members to security agents for screening.

Security sources hinted that already their men have concluded background checks on all the nominees, while personal screening will commence today.

Also, it was gathered that screening will be conducted in batches starting from Monday to Wednesday.

However, Ganduje has kept people in suspicion over when he will announce his cabinet, since the inauguration of his second term in office in May 29th, 2019.

A source at the Government, who pleaded anonymity, confided with this reporter that the governor was then waiting for the outcome of the tribunal judgment, before unveiling his ‘surprise’ cabinet.

However, the new lucky faces of the Governor’s cabinet nominees are still been awaited.

It could be recalled that Governor Ganduje had pronounced that any appointment made in the state, such personalities will be subjected to screening by law enforcement agents.

As such, the nominees will now undergo the routine screening in the DSS and drug test at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ganduje, Abba Anwar, in his reaction, over the submission of his boss list of cabinet, simply said, my friend, to the best of my knowledge, l don’t know whether my boss has forwarded any list to the security agents.

To this end, sources at the state House of Assembly hinted that list of the nominees are expected to be submitted by the end of this month.

The 38 Years old who last featured for the super eagles of Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA world cup is set to become a pro golfer after taking to social media to announce his membership into the professiona Golfers Association (PGA).He has been given a slot for training at the university of Birmingham foundation degree in professional golf studies.

During his stint with the Super eagles of Nigeria, Odemwingie bagged a total of 10 goals in 63 caps, his last coming in the game between Nigeria and Bosnia at the 2014 world cup scoring the lone goal in a group stage game.

Peter Osaze Odemwingie Managed 125 goals 412 professional games at club level across 10 clubs his first pro club being Bendel Insurance of Nigeria where he bagged 19 goals in 53 appearances and his last being Madura United where he scored 15 goals in 22 appearance for the Indonesian based club. Peter Osaze also had Impressive stint in the EPL with Westbrom(87 apps, 30 goals), Cardiff(15 apps, 1 goal) and Stoke city(27 apps, 5 goals). He called off his professional soccer career on April, 2019.

Ramos’ 168th cap also makes him Spain’s record appearance maker, surpassing goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Saul Niguez’s dipping second-half effort was cancelled out by Josh King’s injury-time penalty to ruin Spain’s 100% record in Group F.

A draw in Sweden on Tuesday will secure Spain’s qualification.

“All that is personal is a little secondary,” said Ramos after the game.

“I would have happily traded this 168th cap for a victory. It was not the case. But this record is a great reward after so many years and it’s a great source of huge pride.

“I am emotional every time I put on this shirt. That will not change and I hope to continue doing so for many years.”

Spain looked to be heading for a seventh straight win in qualification until Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga brought down Omar Elabdellaoui.

Bournemouth’s King rolled home the spot-kick in the 94th minute to leave Norway in fourth place in Group F.

Real Madrid’s Ramos, 33, made his Spain debut in 2005 and is one of the last survivors of a golden era that won a World Cup and two European Championships.

Ramos, who overtook Latvia’s Vitalijs Astafjevs at the summit of Europe’s outfield caps list, is now eight caps from matching Gianluigi Buffon’s overall European record of 176 international appearances.

But he has some way to go if he wants to break the world record, with former Egypt midfielder Ahmed Hassan who is the world record holder, playing 184 times for his country between 1995 and 2012.