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The National Assembly, yesterday, said Nigeria would be restructured. Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who briefed  reporters at a retreat in Lagos for the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said some of the contentious issues would be reviewed to meet the yearnings of the people. Ekweremadu said the 1999 constitution needed reforms to enhance the development of the country, saying railway   would no longer be in the exclusive list. He said: “We have broken all the issues into specific bills.  Between yesterday and today  we have looked at about 23 separate bills with separate issues. The idea is to ensure that by the time we vote, each of them succeed or fail on its own when we conclude the work and send it to the house to approve. “ We will collate and ensure that the provisions of the constitution have been fulfilled regarding the alteration and we will send it to the president for his assent...

…meet to address restructuring, economy, others …say herdsmen like B’Haram         •Move bad for us –Cattle rearers South-West, South-East, South-South and Middle Belt leaders on Saturday, united against the threat of Fulani herdsmen and called for a new fiscal formula that would move Nigeria from its current dependence on oil and gas revenues to a fully diversified economy. The leaders admonished the Federal Government to immediately disarm all herdsmen in the country and bring an end to the terror unleashed on farmers by the nomads. During the consultative meeting held in Abuja, Chief Edwin Clark led the South-South delegation; Chief Ayo Adebanjo led the South-West delegation; Gen. Ike Nwachukwu led the South-East delegation while Prof. Jerry Gana, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, former Governor Idris Wada and Gen. David Jemibewon (retd.) led the Middle Belt delegation. Also at the summit were Chief Olu Falae, Prof. Banji...

…’Unbundle Exclusive Federal List to enhance federalism’ All Progressives Congress,  APC, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has admonished the Senate to continue to work for Nigeria and come up with legislation that would help in promoting the country’s diversity for prosperity, explaining that Nigeria was not in a panic mode.  This was part of the admonition made by Tinubu to Senators during a courtesy call at his residence in Lagos at the weekend.. “Do not allow excuses turn you to the house-of-do-nothing. I have a lot of respect for you. I can boldly say that the country is not in a panic mode because of the way you have given effect to Executive constitutional requests,” Asiwaju Tinubu said. The statement from the Tinubu Media Office, signed by Tunde Rahman, quoted the former Lagos State governor as saying that “for our country’s diversity to be meaningful, it must work to enhance the potentials across the country”. The Senators had visited him o...

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Obuah has again reminded residents and those doing business in Port Harcourt, the State capital and its environs, that the ban on dumping of refuse on the median and unauthorized places is still in force, warning that the Agency would arrest and prosecute offenders. Bro. Obuah who stated this shortly after an unscheduled monitoring of some major streets and roads in Port Harcourt metropolis on Wednesday, regretted that despite several warnings and advertisements by the Agency against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the median, residents and those living and doing business in parts of the State capital have failed to heed the call. He regretted that residents still cultivate the habit of indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the median and unauthorized places, making the task of cleaning of the city by the Agency, difficult. In the course of the unscheduled monitoring exercise, the RIWAMA Sole A...

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, explained at the weekend why he chose a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gown (retd), to inaugurate the Ijaw National Academy (NIA), a free boarding secondary school his administration recently completed in the state. Dickson said Gowon was chosen to challenge and motivate the over 1,000 boarding students of the academy following his sterling leadership qualities as a young man. Gowon and his wife, Victoria, spent two days in Bayelsa to inaugurate the NIA and the world-class Governor’s Office described by most of the guests as the best governor’s office in the country. The former head of state also used the opportunity to lay wreath at the tomb of the late Ijaw martyr, Major Isaac Adaka Boro, in the Heroes’ Park, Yenagoa. The governor said having studied the background of Gowon and how he steered the ship of a country in crisis at the tender age of 32, he decided to bring the former head of state to Bayels...

The Federal Government said on Saturday it has taken steps to amend the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to discourage the production of Nigerian movies and music outside the country. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this when he visited the headquarters of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in Lagos. The minister decried the situation whereby films, reality TV shows and music, were made outside Nigeria, for consumption by Nigerians. He said the situation had hampered empowerment of practitioners in the industry, the development of the sector and the nation’s economy in general. “This government has agreed that henceforth, whatever we consume in Nigeria in terms of music and films, must be made in Nigeria. “We cannot continue to go to South Africa or any other country to produce our films and then send them back to be consumed in Nigeria. “The Broadcasting Code and the Advertising Code are very clear on this. “Fo...

Nigeria’s Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has revealed what will happen to the 36 states of the federation after the country is restructured. According to him, the 36 states will acquire more powers which will enable them to generate more resources for regional development. He stated this in Abuja at the 3rd edition of the Policy Monitoring Dialogue Series on National Unity, Integration, and Devolution of Power/Restructuring held on Friday. Atiku said Nigerians who were agitating for restructuring should not be bullied into silence, adding that violence and intimidation cannot replace sound arguments. The former Vice-President said: “Restructuring to me, means effecting changes to our current federal structure, it means devolution of more powers to the federating units with their accompanying resources. “After restructuring, states will get more resources than they are currently getting, they are simply lazy. “Restructuring will ensure greater accountability. Pe...

Leaders from the South and Middle Belt regions of the country, on Saturday in Abuja, affirmed their support for restructuring and implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference. The leaders in a communiqué issued after the meeting convened by Chief Edwin Clark, the Ijaw leader, said restructuring was solution to rising agitations. The meeting was attended by leaders from the South-South, South-West, South-East and Meddle Belt. Those in attendance were Chief Olu Falae, Prof. Jerry Gana, Idris Wada, Dan Suleiman, Labaran Maku, among others. The communiqué was read by Dr Yinka Odumakin, an activist. He said that the summit was convened to find viable solutions to the rising agitations for a fair, just, equitable and balanced restructuring of the federal system. He said that the leaders affirmed their loyalty, love and support for the Federal Republic of Nigeria as one nation. Odumakin said the leaders were of the view that the cu...

Former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Leyi Kwanee has said the Supreme Court Judgement in favour of Senator Ahmed Markafi on the leadership tussle in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is not worth celebrating. Kwanee in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt said the judgement has no effect on the fortunes of the All Progressives Congress, APC. He said it will take a long time for Nigerians to recover from the damage of the PDP on the country’s economy. The former lawmaker who represented Khana in the seventh Rivers state House of Assembly also said the PDP has continued it perceived abysmal performance in Rivers state. “PDP is in a state of comatose. It is cancerous and it does not have the ability to take any serious minded politician into victory. “The judgement of the Supreme Court goes to no issue. It does not deplete the political fortunes of the APC in any way both in Rivers state and at the centre. “When somebody has...

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, who is reportedly out of the country, has instructed that the Commission should challenge the court order stopping the Senator Dino Melaye‘s recall process. In a statement released on Saturday, INEC said Yakubu is not, “succumbing to blackmail,” that was rumoured to have come from the Senate. “It may be of interest here to note that the INEC chair is out of the country. “He left last weekend and was not part of the meeting (some days ago) where the decision was taken to obey the court order. “He had however earlier sought and agreed with legal advice and instructed that the Commission should challenge any court order and the competence of the action when word got out last week that Senator Dino Melaye had filed a suit trying to stop his recall. “If indeed there was a threat of blackmail (overt or otherwise), Prof Yakubu from his words and action isn’t succumbing to it...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that no body should call him Matthew again. Obasanjo made this known at an event to mark his 80th birthday celebration by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Abuja yesterday, said he removed the name because the Biblical character, Mathew, whom he was named after, was a tax collector. “When I was born, my mother and father decided to name me Matthew. I grew up being called and addressed Matthew. What is the meaning of Matthew in the Bible? He was a tax collector,” he said.  “So, when I grew up, I dropped Matthew from my name. If anyone does not want to see my eyes red, no one should call me Matthew again. People ask, what is in a name? For me, there is so much in a name.” “A doctor’s mistake often leads to the death of one patient,” he said.  “A lawyer’s mistake leads to the client going to jail. But if an engineer makes a mistake that leads to the collapse of a bridge or house, many people would lose their li...

Chelsea completed the signing of French international midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco, the Premier League champions announced on Saturday. Bakayoko The 22-year-old joined Antonio Conte’s Chelsea on a five-year contract for a reported fee of up to £39.7 million ($51.98m, 45.3m euros) after helping the principality side win the Ligue 1 title last season. “I am very happy to be here and to join this great team,” Bakayoko said in a statement on the Chelsea website. “I have grown up watching Chelsea. Signing was the natural thing for me because it is a club I loved very much in my childhood. “I am now looking forward to evolving under this fantastic coach and alongside so many great team-mates.” Bakayoko was one of the stars of Leonardo Jardim’s youthful Monaco outfit that surprisingly beat Paris Saint-Germain to the French title in May, while also reaching the Champions League semi-finals. The completion of the deal is a boost for Chelsea manager Conte, after he missed out...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan said late former minister and permanent representative to the United Nations, Maitama Sule, had promoted national interest during his life time. Mr. Jonathan said this in Kano on Saturday when he paid a condolence visit to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje at the Government House, Kano. ‎ The former president also said Mr. Sule’s influence and contribution to national development went beyond Kano. ‎ He described the late statesman as a patriot whose interest was the growth of Nigeria and the African continent. ‎ “He was one of those leaders who shunned ethnicity, promoted national interest above all others and believed in corporate existence of the country. ‎ “He was also a man of integrity, a nationalist who played key role in the independence of the country and after independence, his exploits in Niger ia and beyond contributed to making Nigeria a great country,” he said. ‎ Mr. Jonathan said that the nation had lost a father, a leader and ...

A lawyer and medical practitioner, John Larry Ojukoko Esq. and Dr. Ejiro Imuere, have approached a Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, seeking an order of mandamus compelling the Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives, to set up a medical panel to examine the medical fitness of ailing President Muhammadu Buhari and remove him if he can no longer continue. Joined in the suit are the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and Attorney General of the Federation. Specifically, the plaintiffs want the court to determine the following: “Whether or not by the combined effect of sections 144 (1) and (2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, impose a duty on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants to verify the medical fitness of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where exist a clear evidence that the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria over a period of time is incapable of performing his const...

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun West Senatorial District by-election, Ademola Adeleke, on Saturday defeated  the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Mudashiru Hussain, with total votes of  97, 480. Adeleke won nine out of the 10 local government areas. Hussain, who was Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s anointed candidate got 66,116 votes. In Iwo Local Government Area, Adeleke had 12,547 votes as against Hussain’s 12,205. While in Ejigbo Local Government Area, Hussain’s stronghold, the PDP candidate with 9,723 votes trailed his opponent who polled 12,229 votes. Again, the former APC member, led with 9,096 votes with Hussain having 8952 votes in Irewole Local Government Area. In Ayedire Local Government Area, Adeleke had 5,789 votes while Hussain trailed him with 5,360 votes. It was a similar result in Olaoluwa Local Government Area as Adeleke led with 5,618 votes to Hussain’s 5,316. The PDP candidate with 18,559 votes, le...