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The Trade Union Congress president Bobboi Bala Kaigama,  has described some governors who owe workers’ salaries running to eight months as wicked. bobboi also accused some of the governors who were in this category of being guilty of looting their states’ treasury. He said this in an interview with journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Wednesday during the 3rd Quadrennial Delegates Conference organised by the association. Answering question on the issue of non-payment of workers’ salaries by many states governments, Kaigama said many governors were owing workers’ salaries and yet they were moving freely as if nothing was happening. He said, “Many of our governors are guilty of massive looting of the treasury, thereby causing miseries in the process. There is no excuse that can be given to justify owing workers’ salaries for eight or nine months. “This is nothing but sheer wickedness; to pillage the treasury and leave workers to go home for months without sala

THE President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will not delay to prosecute party loyalists and those who supported his Presidency bid during the 2015 presidential election if any of them was involved in corrupt practices. The President also said that some unnamed persons pressurised him to contest the 2015 presidential election which he won. He said the pressure mounted on him was too enormous that he could not resist it. Buhari spoke in an interview he granted a magazine,  The I nterview . Buhari, while faulting claims that he had been sparing those who sponsored his campaigns and members of his All Progressives Congress in his ongoing anti-corruption war, he said he would come down hard on any of his backers that cases of corruption could be established against. The President said, “Do you just grab people along the road and take them off to court for trial just because you want to create a semblance of balance? “First, there has to be an accusation which must be properly

The Army chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that the Nigerian Army would not hesitate to use force should the dialogue between the Federal Government and militants fail. Tukur Buratai also appealed to the Niger Delta militants to embrace democratic means in their demands and desist from engaging in violence. The army chief made this speech in Port Harcourt on Monday at the commissioning of a modern 2 Brigade headquarter complex with an Olympic size swimming pool. He explained that, though, the Federal Government was committed to negotiation, the use of force had always been the first action before dialogue. Buratai added that it was necessary for the militant groups in the oil rich region to take advantage of the government’s readiness to engage them in a dialogue. “Government is still committed to dialogue and whereby this cannot go on – then there could be resort to other means. The non-kinetic (force) means has always been the source first before governmen

The Majority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Ali Ndume, on Monday dismissed notions that the 2016 Appropriation Bill was padded in the National Assembly, insisting that lawmakers only worked on it. He also told journalists the ongoing budget padding scandal in the House of Representatives was unfortunate. The senator faulted a member of the House of Representatives, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin, for exposing the leadership of the lower chamber to the media over alleged padding of the 2016 Appropriation Bill. He said the lawmaker should have filed a petition to the Committee on Ethics and privileges. Ndume said, “I don’t want to say that there was budget padding. I don’t want to talk about something I really don’t know. But what is happening in the House of Representatives is just very unfortunate because we have processes and procedures for doing things in the National Assembly. “If somebody has an issue, he knows what to do; it is not the press that is supposed to be where somebody wo

NO doubt that Senator David Mark was one of the most powerful persons in the last administration. The Peoples Democratic Party’s senator from Benue State remains the nation’s longest serving President of the Senate. He has won elections into the Red Chamber for a record five times. During the last dispensation, Mark, being the President of the Senate, was a regular visitor to the Villa. When he was not holding meetings with former President Goodluck Jonathan on pressing national issues, he was attending strategic meetings of leaders of the then ruling PDP. Immediately the All Progressives Congress ended the 16-year rule of the PDP with the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the 2015 presidential election, Mark recoiled into his shell despite winning re-election. He no longer visits the Villa as he was doing under Jonathan. Even on the floor of the Senate, he keeps his calm apparently in order not to be seen as intimidating the new leadership, therefore making

Niger Delta Avenger The Niger Delta Avengers on Friday denied claims by President Muhammadu Buhari that his administration was holding talks with the militants for possible compromise. The militants had claimed responsibilities for series of attacks on oil facilities across the region in recent times.  A statement issued by the group’s spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, the group was not aware of any ongoing peace talks. It said the militants would only hold peace talks with the government if the international community were involved. They alleged that the government was dialoguing with its own mercenaries which it engaged to derail the militants’ genuine struggle for the people of the region.  It read, “Our attention has been drawn to media report that the President is in touch with Niger Delta agitators including the Niger Delta Avengers but the truth is that we are not aware of any peace talk.  “If there is any such peace talk, it means the President is talking to their me

Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday inaugurated and open the newly reconstructed Ikosi-Isheri Police Station, saying every investment made in protecting lives and property in Lagos was worthwhile. The governor said that the importance associated to the security of lives and property in the state since he assumed office was known by his belief that business activities could only thrive in a safe and secure environment. Ambode, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Seye Oladejo, thus said, “We believe that the continued prosperity of our state can only be achieved under a well-secure and peaceful environment, hence our strong financial investment in security.” He also mentioned that there was a need to adequately police Isheri, a border town, adding that the police needed to maintain the peace being enjoyed in the area. Ambode urged vigilance from residents of the state, and advised securit

OnThursday,the senate reshuffled its committees as part of ways to ensure peaceful resolution of the crisis among members of the APC in the red chamber. Members of the APC operating under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum,  who had consistently mounted serious opposition against the leadership of the upper chamber since the inauguration of the 8th Senate, were favourably rewarded with the new appointments. Although the Senate spokesperson,  Sabi Abdullahi,  said the latest arrangement was aimed at strengthening the legislative functions of the committees,  we learnt that the action was taken following a recent meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator David Mark, and the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Masari. It was further learnt that Mark and Masari met with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki,  and advised him to reshuffle the committees with a view to addressing the perceived lopsidedness in the initial appointments, which forced the aggrieved senators

Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, on Wednesday relieved the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, of his position, because of the crisis, which trailed the 2016 budget. WE learnt  that it was a decision long-awaited by members of the House, some of whom reacted to the announcement by jubilating on the floor in Abuja. Jibrin, an APC lawmaker from Kano State, was immediately replaced by another member from Kano State, Mr. Mustapha Bala-Dawaki. Bala-Dawaki was until Wednesday, the Chairman, House Committee on Housing. However, Jibrin quickly denied that he was sacked. Rather, he stated that he met Dogara and told him that he could no longer continue as a chairman. The Speaker, before making the announcement, informed members about how Jibrin earlier approached him to say that due to “pressure,” he was stepping down as the committee chairman. “He met me and said he does not think he would continue as the committee chairman d

The Lagos State House of Assembly members was  on Wednesday called the National Secretariat of the APC, to protest against Senator Dino Melaye.  the group, which was led by , Mr. Wasiu Sani, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly,  said that they were at the party headquarters to show their displeasure over Dino’s alleged verbal assault on Senator Oluremi Tinubu. hence, According to the protesters, Senator Tinubu is a woman who respects all the political sons and daughters of her husband but does not suffer fools gladly. They also alleged that there appeared to be a conspiracy of silence by the leadership of the Senate over the incident noting that as loyal party members, they could not fold their hands and watch the party’s cherished values of loyalty and respect for leaders being denigrated. Sani who later addressed newsmen after the closed door meeting with the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said, “We are here to pay solidarity visit to Sen

Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) has called for the scraping of security vote for the president and governors in the country. however, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, spoke to the  News Agency of Nigeria  on Tuesday in Abuja that security vote had become an avenue for looting public funds. he futher stated that “The issue of security vote is another form of corruption; in fact, there was a particular state which took N1bn in one month as security vote. “It is an avenue for corruption. In good governance, all monies spent by government are budgeted and transparently applied. “That is what happens in other spheres; so for our sake, the issue of security vote should be done away with. “All monies to be spent should be transparently budget for, including the so-called security vote, so that it can be tracked, to prevent corruption.’’ Also, Waba called for the removal of the immunity clause from the constitution, to enable the president, the vice-president, governors and their deputi

Mr. Fred Agbaje,One of the Lagos-based lawyer says that the concern shown by President Muhammadu Buhari over the delay in the trial of corruption cases is a serious crime on the judiciary. The lawyer was reacting to the call by President Buhari on Thursday calling on the judiciary to support his anti-graft war by ensuring that the criminal cases in court were not delayed but expeditiously concluded. Buhari reportedly spoke at the opening ceremony of an ‘International Workshop on the Judiciary and Fight against Corruption.’ The two-day event was jointly-organised by the National Judicial Institute and the Prof. Itsey Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption and it was with the theme, ‘The Roles of Judges in the Fight Against Corruption.” The President was quoted to have called on the judiciary to put its house in order, tackle judicial corruption, be impartial and politically-neutral, remove causes of delays in adjudication of cases and stop tolera

WORDS....Melania Trump – until now only a minor presence on the campaign trail – found herself in the midst of an embarrassing plagiarism controversy Tuesday after a prime-time defense of her husband Donald that appeared to be lifted in part from a speech given by Michelle Obama.The 46-year-old former model voiced out to cheering delegates at the Republican National Convention than the un-mistakeable similarities to a passage from Obama’s speech to the 2008 Democratic convention came to light. In both gathering, the women are introducing themselves to the American public by speaking of the values that have shaped their lives. “My parents concated on me the values: that you work hard for what you want in life. That ones word is his/her bond and you do what you say and keep your promise. That you treat people with respect. They taught me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the lesson that I continue to pass along to our son,” Melania Trump said. “And we need

 Senator Oluremi Tinubu,the lawmaker under Lagos Central senatorial zone, has recorded a petition against A Kogi West counterpart, Senator Dino Melaye. In the petition which was for the acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and dated July 18, 2016, the senator, the wife of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said Melaye threatened her life on the floor of the Senate last week. She said Melaye had a penchant for violence as he had engaged in verious fisticuffs with his colleagues during the time  he was in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011. senator oluremi tinubu alleged that a particular lawmaker had even died after being beaten up by Melaye. She, thus, urged the IG to protect her from harm/pain infliction. The petition with reference number SOT/Vol.2/135, read in part, “I am Senator Oluremi Tinubu representing Lagos Central senatorial district of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “During the proceedings

An attack in Nice, France, where a man rammed a truck into a crowd of people left 84 dead and another 18 in a “critical condition”, interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said  Friday . An unidentified gunman barrelled the truck two kilometres (1.3 miles) through a crowd that had been enjoying a fireworks display for France’s national day in the French Riviera resort on Thursday , before being shot dead by police.Security forces and ambulances raced to the scene, and authorities from the local Alpes-Maritimes prefecture urged residents to stay indoors. One eyewitness reported seeing the driver slam the lorry into revellers celebrating Bastille Day on the city’s famous Promenade des Anglais. He then emerged from the vehicle and started shooting, local resident Wassim Bouhlel told news agency AP.“There was carnage on the road, dead bodies everywhere,” he said.The BBC reports that shots were exchanged between the police and the occupants of the lorry. A journalist with t