oyinloyefola

The presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 elections is the main cause of the current crisis tearing the party apart, its embattled National Chairman Senator Ali Modu Sheriff said yesterday. Sheriff, who bared his mind in an interview with African Independent Television (AIT), accused Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and a former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, of plotting to hand the party’s ticket to a prominent leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He said: “Wike and Secondus are working to give the party ticket in 2019 to a man in APC, a man that is not even bold enough to leave the APC and join us. He was in the PDP before. He was a founding father of the PDP. “I don’t have to mention him. Secondus himself told me that he and Wike always meet this man to strategise plans on 2019. I told him that it is wrong. If the man is bold enough, let him come and join us now. “They accused me ...

The senate president, Bukola Saraki, and his predecessor, David Mark, and other prominent Nigerians may soon be in trouble as the Presidency has ordered the investigation of present and past Nigerian officials named in the Panama Papers scandal. The chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Sam Saba, confirmed the directive to PREMIUM TIMES. This newspaper had published leaked papers from a Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonsecca, which were obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The 2.6 TB files, involving 214,488 entities, exposed incredible secrets of the underworld economy, where a network of banks, law firms and other middlemen utilize shell companies, sometimes to hide illegal wealth. PREMIUM TIMES identified at least 110 Nigerians and companies operating offshore shell companies in tax havens. Mr. Saba said the Presidency forwarded names of some persons mentioned in the Panama Papers, to the agency for investigation. more

The LMC has slammed Lagos based club Ikorodu United with heavy fines after previously announcing the team had been charged for failure to restrict unauthorized persons from restricted areas during their NPFL matchday 30 game vs 3SC. The club also got charged for disturbances caused by its supporters during & after the NPFL game vs 3SC was discontinued. As a result, Ikorodu Utd were fined N750,000 for failing to restrict unauthorized persons from restricted areas during the game vs 3SC. Ikorodu Utd was also fined N750,000 for failing to provide adequate crowd control during & after the 3SC game. The LMC also stated that Ikorodu Utd were in breach of NPFL framework & rules for failing to provide adequate crowd control during its game vs 3SC. The Lagos based club further breached NPFL rules with its supporters throwing objects onto the pitch leading to the discontinuing of the game vs 3SC. For objects thrown onto the pitch by its supporters & causing the discontinuan...

Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday failed in his bid to stop the anti-graft agencies from probing Ekiti State’s finances and bank accounts. An Ado Ekiti High Court declined to grant an ex parte order sought by his administration to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating the government’s financial records. Justice Cornelius Akintayo ordered that EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Service (DSS) be put on notice before the case can be heard. The judge adjourned the suit till Tuesday and ordered all parties to appear before him for the hearing of the motion on notice. The suit was filed by Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi, to stop the impending investigation of the accounts of the government by the EFCC. Another relief sought by the plaintiffs was an order stopping the arrest of the Commissioner for Finance, Accountant Gen...

Principal Officers in the House of Representatives on Thursday said the removal of a former chairman of House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, was done in the best interest of Nigeria. The lawmakers, which include Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, took “full responsibility” for the dismissal of Mr. Jibrin from his post. “The decision to relieve the erstwhile Appropriation Chairman of his position was a collective decision of the leadership in response to unrelenting pressures from the overwhelming majority of Honorable Members who were irked by the former Chairman’s gross abuse of the budget process,” the lawmakers said. The 10 lawmakers who signed the statement included, Mr. Dogara, his deputy, Lasun Yusuf, Mr. Gbajabiamila, Deputy Majority Leader, Buba Jibril, House Whip, Ado Doguwa and Deputy Chief Whip, Pally Iriase. Others included: Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, Minority Whip, Yakubu Barde, Deputy Minority Lead...

Looking remarkably unlined for his claimed 120 years, an Indian monk who says he is the oldest man to have ever lived puts his longevity down to no sex or spices, and daily yoga. Hindu monk Swami Sivananda was born on August 8, 1896, according to his passport. If true, his life would have spanned three centuries, but despite his apparent age he remains strong enough to perform yoga for hours at a time. He is now applying to Guinness World Records to verify his claim. It currently lists Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who died in June 2013 aged 116 years and 54 days, as the oldest man to have ever lived. India’s passport authorities confirmed Sivananda’s age from a temple register, the only record many Indians even decades younger have of their date of birth. However it would be extremely difficult to independently verify his age. Sivananda was featured by local media earlier this summer, with the Times of India noting he looked 50 years younger than his apparent age but ...

7The Nigerian Army has handed one of the three persons it declared wanted, Aisha Wakil, a lawyer, to the Department of State Security (DSS) after interrogation at a military facility for about four hours. the self proclaimed friend of the Boko Haram terrorist group who said she had access to its members and was willing to facilitate a negotiation with the group with regards to the fate of the abducted Chibok girls, wrote a statement after the interrogation before she was transferred to DSS on Wednesday. Recall that AishaWakil was declared wanted along with a Dubai-based Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida and Ahmed Bolori over claims that they were privy to videos being released by Boko Haram and had knowledge of whereabouts of missing Chibok girls. It was not clear why Wakil who voluntarily submitted herself to the Army authorities was handed over to the DSS but a source hinted that it was for further investigation as she could prove useful in getting to the root of the Chibok girls ...

Lagos State Government will deploy 13,000 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras statewide to strengthen security and safety of the citizens. This, it said will promote ease of doing business. Commissioner for Information, Steve Ayorinde, said at a press briefing yesterday that it has become important for the state to work in that direction especially as it gravitates towards a 24-hour economy. Ayorinde stated that mounting the CCTV cameras would be supported with the erection of 6, 000 streetlights to complement the existing 35,000 in the state.He also disclosed that the third flyover bridge to be constructed by the Akinwunmi Ambode administration had been given approval by the governor and would be constructed at Pen Cinema area, Agege. Works Commissioner Ganiyu Johnson, who was in attendance, however, would not disclose the commencement date for constructing the 700-metres bridge and the cost.He said that though the governor had approved it there were still other details of the...

Pastor Adeboye, who evidently was reacting to reactions that trailed his warnings to the youths of the church at RCCG 64th annual convention also said that his words are not for everyone. Pastor Adeboye wrote on his face book page on Wednesday ''Everything I said about marriage I meant it. That is for everybody. Just like living holy and making sure you make heaven.'' Adeboye, worried about various reports of arranged marriages among brethren  warned that ''no RCCG pastor should be seen to be involved in arranging marriages among brethren in the church. Pastor Adeboye who had earlier counselled the youths of the church on marriage, further warned saying “don’t ever marry outside the church and you have no reason to marry outside RCCG. “Don’t marry a girl simply because she can sing! “In the choir there are some people that can sing but they are fallen angels! Marry a prayer warrior! If a girl cannot pray for one hour, don’t marry her. ...