Foremost Ijaw leader and PDP stalwart, Chief Edwin Clark has quit the Peoples Democratic Party.
However, Clark who was a highly vocal supporter of former President Goodluck Jonathan ruled out joining the ruling APC.
The former Federal Commissioner for Information announced his decision on Wednesday when the Think Nigeria First Initiative paid him a courtesy visit at his Abuja home.
The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman said on Wednesday that troops of the Army 120 Task Force Battalion in Yobe killed over 100 fleeing insurgents at Goniri area of the state.
A statement issued by Col Usman in Abuja on Wednesday said that seven soldiers were killed while nine others sustained injuries when the terrorists tried to invade the Goniri military base in the early hours of Wednesday.
His words;
“The fleeing Boko Haram terrorists in a desperation to create an impression that they remain relevant, early today made a futile attempt on 120 Task Force Battalion troops at Goniri, Yobe State.
“During the encounter, our gallant troops successfully repelled the attack and inflicted heavy casualties on the invaders,as all of them were killed.
“More than 100 terrorists died but unfortunately however, seven of our gallant soldiers paid the supreme price while defending our father land. One officer and eight soldiers were also wounded."
According to News Agency of Nigeria, arms and ammunitions were recovered including one general purpose machine gun, two rocket propelled grenades, nine AK-47 rifles and belted rounds of 7.62 (NATO) ammunitions. Various wires used for Improvised Explosive Devices, 7 Primed IEDs, different types of spanners and a torch light were also recovered.
Multiple bomb blasts hit the Ministry of Housing quarters and Buhari Housing Estate in Damaturu, Yobe State on Wednesday morning killing 16 persons and injuring 10 others.
Executive Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Musa Idi, confirmed the story to newsmen in Damaturu on Wednesday.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that normalcy has returned to the city as schools and businesses have resumed their normal activities.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs of government including the military and universities to join the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who made the disclosure on Tuesday said that IPPIS would help in curtailing some of the abuses in the salaries and emoluments processes of the government.
Osinbajo spoke during a meeting with Permanent Secretaries and Directors-General during a one-day sensitization session on the 2016 budget and 2016-2020 Medium Term Plan of the Federal Government.
His words ;
“We need to cut overheads too, we can’t spend as we used to spend. We need to block leakages, increase accountability and transparency. This is an absolute necessity, the level of corruption is an outrage and we have to deal with it."
He said that given dwindling oil revenue and widespread poverty among Nigerians, there is a need to change how budgeting is done in order to achieve President Buhari’s socioeconomic goals.
He said that the government's greatest challenge “is controlling ballooning recurrent expenditure and freeing up resources for growth-related capital expenditure."
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole says he has been vindicated on his strident criticism of corruption in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Comrade Oshiomole spoke with State House correspondents on the arrest in London of Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
His words ;
“For me, I don’t think anybody should be surprised because the most favorable commentators on the Nigerian condition, both the economy, the polity and society, everybody agree that our economy was badly mismanaged over the past several years.
“I have not seen one commentator that disagrees. Even when they talk about rebasing and so what. Have you rebased the level of poverty? Have you rebased prosperity? Have you rebased unemployment? Have you rebased homelessness? Have you rebased hunger?
“So I have not seen anyone that says Nigerian people are doing better. This was never my issue. I was only a spokesman of National Economic Council. But, in this country, when you speak out, all the arrows should be fashioned to attack. But one of the things I learnt in life at the age of 17 when I got into the leadership of labour, is that the truth does not require supporters club. It can stand on its feet any day. You can hit it. You can kick it. You can bomb it, but you can’t destroy it.
“The truth is that a lot of money was stolen and what you are seeing is just a tip of the iceberg, because when you imagine what accrues to Nigeria, consistently from 140 dollars averaging 108 dollars over a long period of time and yet your treasury is empty and you were running a budget deficit, you were devoting 85 percent of your budget for four consecutive years on recurrent,you were borrowing and you drew the entire pensions fund…yesterday I saw a lot of analysis of how pension funds should be invested on infrastructure.
“You challenge Pencom and Ministry of Finance, you will discover that over N3.5 trillion was drawn down by the previous government from pension funds to support recurrent expenditure, not to support infrastructure. Even the media here, I wonder why you want to hear it from me because some of the issues we parrot flow from what we have read from your electronic media and print media, arising from what you have observed.
“There have been probes, there have been revelations , where whistle blowers have been removed from office; they became guilty for speaking out. I believe time will tell how much was taken and who was involved.
“I think what you are hearing now is like appetizer. Its sickening. It used to come from America, now its Britain."
Oshiomole said that he is happy and excited to see the changes happening in the country. He said ;
"... for the first time, I’m excited and happy, not just for personal benefit, but for the changes I’m beginning to see. They’ve not started scrutinising, just blocking the holes, it’s no longer flowing like before and so the propensity to indulge in those conspicuous habits, already curbing themselves.
“People are regaining sanity; human rationality is returning and the idle class that makes money without office or business address whose only address is an iPad and cell phone with appropriate phone numbers are all lamenting and not sure of tomorrow.”
He however lamented that in past administrations, institutions were at the beck and call of political authorities.
But for the alert security operatives attached to Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the alleged mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day Abuja bombing, Mr Charles Okah would have committed suicide in the court on Tuesday.
Okah who has been standing trial on charges of terrorism for five years had sought the permission of the judge to address the court on his prolonged trial since his counsel was not in court.
He was granted his desire, and here is what he said ;
“I have been incarcerated for about five years now and I have a family to cater for.
“My children would grow up without feeling the warmth of their father and I am tired of this endless trial.
“I really do not know what I have done to be treated this way.
“Is it not better to die than to wait and be messed up this way?”’
In a dramatic move, he grabbed a chair and made a quick dash for the window where he attempted to throw himself down from the third floor of the five story building
He was however pulled back by security operatives and other people in the courtroom. The judge consequently adjourned the case to October 20 for continuation of hearing.
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