STOP POLITICIZATION OF RELIGION -- OSIBANJO

     Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has asked Nigerians to rise up against all divisive actions.

     At the Interdenominational Church Service to herald Nigeria’s 55th Independence celebration, Professor Osinbajo implored religious and  political leaders to stop the politicization of religion.

     He stressed that the current terror activities in parts of northern Nigeria goes beyond ethnic or religion.  Professor Osinbajo said improving the livelihood of  the very poor Nigerians must be central in our thoughts. 

He took time out to commiserate with victims of the stampede in the Mecca stampede. Professor Osinbajo prayed that at 55, Nigerian should experience double favours, as the figure five stands for grace.  In a sermon earlier, the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan, Joseph Bagobiri chided Islamic clerics and political leaders in northern Nigeria for failing to condemn insurgency, when it mattered most. Bishop Bagobiri said as a nation, Nigeria must begin to do things right, for God to renew his blessings for us. 

                                   

Prof Yemi OSIBANJO, Vice President Fed. Republic of Nigeria

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has appealed to Nigerians to support current efforts at ending insurgency in the country.    

The Theatre Commander, Operation “Lafiya Dole”, Major-General Yushau Abubakar, made the request in a press interview. He said the military cannot succeed alone, without useful information from the public.

Major-General Abubakar equally appealed to affluent organisations and individuals to help the military with logistics to aid the anti-terror campaigns. He further appealed to Nigerians to be extra vigilant.

Meanwhile, the 7^th division of the Nigerian Army has lifted the restriction of movement in Borno and Yobe states. The restrictions were imposed before the Eid-el-Kabir festivities to forestall terror attacks.  A statement by the military urged residents to go about their lawful activities and to be extra vigilant.

MINISTERS LIST WILL BE READY BY SEPTEMBER 30 -- PRESIDENCY

The Presidency has restated that the September 30 target set by President Mohammadu Buhari for the appointment of Ministers would be met.

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, gave the reassurance with reacting to apprehension on the issue, which is compounded by the current saga at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, involving the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has renewed his administration’s total commitment to the rehabilitation and well-being of all victims of Boko Haram attacks in Nigeira. 

Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Fed. Republic of Nigeria

President Buhari’s resolve was contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu. Buhari was responding to insulations that the Nigerian delegation to the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly missed a major meeting on displaced persons in New York. He stressed that security of lives and property, improvement of the socio-economic well being of Nigerians were key to his administration. President Buhari added that these issues had been central in his discussions with other world leaders throughout his visit to New York.

BOKO HARAM STRIKE AGAIN!!!!

Reports say several persons were last night feared killed in multiple bomb explosions which rocked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to residents of the town, two of the bombs which were planted at a mosque, exploded at about 7.30p.m. when the Muslims gathered to observe their prayers.

The other explosion occurred almost simultaneously at a close distance from the mosque at a joint where teenagers gathered to play computer games.

There is no official confirmation as to the number of casualties but a statement from the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said the attacks signified the level of desperation on the part of the Boko Haram terrorists. Unofficial sources put the casualty figure at above fifty.

SENATE PRESIDENT, SARAKI IN MURKY WATERS

The alleged false assets declaration case against the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, is continuing at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.

The tribunal had on Friday, issued a bench warrant, requesting the Inspector General of Police to arrest and compel Senator Saraki to appear before it today to defend the allegations dating back to his tenure as governor of Kwara State.

Senator Saraki is not at the Tribunal. The issue of technicality and composition of the tribunal is currently being debated. More details in subsequent bulletins.

Meanwhile, Senator Representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has tasked the Code of Conduct Bureau to publish all assets declaration made by public office holders from 1999 to date.

In a statement, Senator Sani said such publication will enable Nigerians form what he called ‘Transparency vigilante groups’ to verify such claims and depositions, to compliment the manpower deficiency of the CCB.

Staying with the Saraki saga, the Presidency says contrary to insinuations in some quarters, it has nothing to do with the current travails of the President of the Senate.

BUKOLA SARAKI, SENATE PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Senator Saraki is being invited to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja, on a three count allegation of false declaration of assets, dating back to his tenure as governor of Kwara State.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the presidency said attempts to link the ongoing trial of Senator Bukola Saraki to the Presidency, are unacceptable, adding that those claiming that the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal were acting on external influence were uninformed.

While stating that the war against corruption has no sacred cows, Mallam Garba Shehu emphasized that the President Buhari has vowed to respect the rule of law and will therefore not interfere in the matter.

In the meantime, a Professor of Criminology at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Femi Odekunle, says the current effort at eliminating corruption is yielding appreciable results.

He said though corruption has left a deep scare on the nation’s fabric, the ill must be seen as a threat to Nigeria’s overall existence for it to be tackled head-on.

Professor Odekunle who is a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee against corruption, said anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC has suddenly woken up from slumber, due to President Buhari’s disposition.   

He however requested that the current anti-graft campaign must extend beyond a single regime, while the strategy should tilt more towards the social and scientific approach.

OLISEH FIRST 11 AGAINST TANZANIA

THE SUPER EAGLES PLAY AGAINST THE TAIFA STARS OF TANZANIA. COACH SUNDAY OLISEH HAS HIS JOB CUT OUT, HERE IS HIS FIRST 11 FOR THE GAME.

BAYERN WHIP FC PORTO 6-1; ADVANCE IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.

The Champions league returned yesterday with so much uncertainty surrounding the chances of Bayern Munich advancing after suffering a defeat in Portugal in the hands of FC Porto. 

Trailing 3-1 from the quarter-final first leg, Pep Guardiola's side produced a devastating first-half display, scoring five times in the opening 40 minutes to leave the visitors shell-shocked.

Defensive errors had cost Bayern dear in the opening encounter, but it was their supreme attacking quality that came to the fore at the Allianz Arena.

Club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt resigned in the wake of last week's reverse, claiming his medical team had been blamed for the defeat, but even without the absent trio of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Guardiola's team simply had too much for the 2004 winners.

Thiago Alcantara - who netted Bayern's away goal at the Estadio do Dragao - opened the scoring inside quarter of an hour and it was 3-0 before the 30th minute thanks to further goals from Jerome Boateng and Robert Lewandowski.

Thomas Muller's deflected effort made it four, before Lewandowski doubled his tally with a clinical finish as Porto failed to live with Bayern's movement and incisiveness.

With the job done for the Bundesliga champions, the second half proved a low-key affair, Jackson Martinez's goal 17 minutes from time proving nothing more than consolation, especially as there was still time for Xabi Alonso to curl home a late free kick following a tackle that saw Ivan Marcano sent off for his second booking.

BAYERN MUNICH TORE OPEN THE DEFENSE OF FC PORTO, PEP GUARDIOLA'S PANTS ALSO GOT TORN.

Bayern suffered a nightmare first 10 minutes in the opening leg when they found themselves 2-0 down, but there were no such mishaps here and it proved a sign of things to come when Muller's shot was saved by Fabiano and Lewandowski sent the rebound against the upright.

Martinez went close with a low shot soon afterwards, but Porto's faint hopes were extinguished when Marcano was dismissed for a second bookable offence and Alonso curled the resulting free kick into the left-hand corner to seal a 7-4 aggregate scoreline.

The result capped a fine way for Bayern to celebrate Guardiola's 100th match in charge in style, this marking his 77th win in that time, and few can have come more convincingly than this.

WHY I REFUSED ASSENT TO CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT BILL.-- PRESIDENT GOODLUCK

President Goodluck Jonathan has listed reasons why he refused to assent to the Constitution Amendment bill passed by the National Assembly.

GOODLUCK JONATHAN, NIGERIA PRESIDENT

In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal and read at plenary today, President Jonathan pointed out that the section of the amended constitution which seeks to do away with the ‎assent of the president in the process of constitution amendment was not supported by the required number of votes. 

President Jonathan also noted that the section which provides that a bill will become law after the expiration of 30 days in the event that the president fails to signify the withholding of his assent may be inappropriate.

The President said the provision of the sections which seek create the new office of the Attorney General of the federation from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the states of the Federation, has certain provisions which negate the principle of separation of powers.

‎The National Assembly forwarded the amended constitution to the president for assent in October 2014.