President orders removal of campaign posters, billboards nationwide

President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential (PDP) Campaign Organization to begin the removal of campaign materials which were used to promote his re-election bid.

Jonathan’s order also extends to other groups who erected and posters, billboards, banners and signs to campaign for him nationwide.

The President gave the directive on Thursday, April 23, 2015, via a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati.

It reads:

“With the 2015 presidential elections now concluded and the country preparing for the inauguration of a new administration on May 29, President Goodluck Jonathan believes that it is appropriate that steps be taken to restore the environment in Nigerian cities, towns and villages to their pre-elections campaign state.”

“Accordingly, President Jonathan directs that the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and the various associations that coalesced into the Jonathan/Sambo Support Group immediately begin the process of removing the posters, billboards, banners, signs and other campaign materials in support of his re-election bid which still adorn the landscape in major cities across the country.”

“The President thanks all individuals and organisations who made sincere contributions and worked with immense dedication for the Jonathan/ Sambo Campaign.”

“He applauds his supporters and other Nigerians for the disciplined, patriotic and democratic manner in which they comported themselves before, during and after the elections.”

“Now that the elections are over except for re-runs in a few states, President Jonathan urges Nigerians to put the recent political campaigns behind them and join hands with the incoming administration in working for a more united, peaceful, stable and progressive nation.”

Jonathan is set to hand over to President-elect,Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2015 after losing his re-election bid.

‘Police IG’s sack illegal, unconstitutional’ Femi Falana says

Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana has condemned the recent sack of ex-Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba.

Falana further stated that Abba’s dismissal is ‘null and void’ because it is ‘illegal and unconstitutional.’

“It is a contravention of section 216 (2) of the 1999 constitution, which states that ‘before removing the IG form office, the President shall consult the Nigeria Police Council,” Falana said.

“Since the council, whose members include the 36 State Governors, was not consulted, Mr. Abba’s sack is null and void. It should be rescinded forthwith,” he added.

Abba was sacked on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, and immediately replaced with new IGP, Solomon Arase.

"Ebola" Drug cures monkeys infected by virus

Monkeys administered with an experimental drug have been cured of the deadly Ebola virus, BBC reports.

All 3 monkeys receiving the treatment were healthy when the trial ended after 28 days, while 3 untreated monkeys died within 9 days.

However, scientists cautioned that the drug's efficacy has not been proven in humans.

The treatment, known as TKM-Ebola-Guinea, targets theMakona strain of the virus, which caused the current deadly outbreak in West Africa.

There are currently no treatments or vaccines for Ebola that have been proven to work in humans.

Thomas Geisbert, who is a scientist at the University of Texas and the senior author of the study published in the journal Nature, described it as the first study to show post-exposure protection against the new Makona outbreak strain of Ebola-Zaire virus.

Geisbert said the drug, which was produced by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals and works by blocking particular genes, stopping the virus from replicating, could be adapted to target any strain of Ebola.

He also added that it could be manufactured in as little as eight weeks.

Over 10,000 people have so far died from the Ebola disease since its outbreak with the majority of the casualties being from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Patience Jonathan to resign as African First Ladies President

First Lady, Patience Jonathan is reportedly set to relinquish her position as the President of the African Ladies Peace Mission, two months before her tenure officially expires.

Mrs Jonathan will be expected to quit due to her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan’s loss in Nigeria’s presidential elections.

The organization comprises of Presidents’ wives from all over Africa and Mrs Jonathan will cease to be a First Lady from May 29, 2015, when her husband hands over to President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.

The necessary arrangements for the First Lady’s resignation have been put in place, Punch reports.

Mrs Jonathan is said to have called an emergency meeting of the mission, to hold on May 15, 2015, in order to hand over to a successor in order to avoid a leadership vacuum.

She was elected President of the body at its seventh summit in July 2012 and her tenure would have expired in July 2015.

Police IG reportedly sacked for working against PDP during elections

According to reports, the Inspector-General of Police,Suleiman Abba was relieved of his duties because he worked against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the recently concluded general elections.

President Goodluck Jonathan sacked Abba on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, replacing him immediately with Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase.

No official explanation was given for the sack but a government source has told Punch that Abba’s conduct during the controversial governorship elections in Rivers State was the main reason for his dismissal.

According to the source, the Presidency believes that Abba was “tactically working for the opposition (the APC)” during the polls after failing to mobilize enough men for the PDP.

ONE of the contrary actions the IG reportedly took was the deployment of over 2,800 riot policemen, led by Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Tunde Ogunsakin, to Rivers on April 4, a few days to the elections.

Ogunsakin was reportedly dismissed by the Presidency before the elections and the riot policemen were not allowed to participate in the polls.

PDP leaders from the South-South were also said to have complained to the Presidency about the Abba’s conduct and accused him of working for the APC.

“You can see that the IG has forgotten that President Jonathan and his party are still in control till May 29 and that he should not be too eager to satisfy the incoming government,” a MEMBER of the PDP National Working Committee told Punch.

“Apart from that, immediately Buhari won, Abba threw caution to the winds and negotiated with the APC to help them with the governorship election to enable him to remain in office after Jonathan’s exit. He began treating Buhari like the President even while the President was still in office,”another PDP leader said.

Abba also reportedly angered the Presidency by attending the ceremony at which Buhari received his Certificate of Return after WINNING the elections.

The former IG of Police is yet to issue a statement on his sack.

Ondo Mystery Disease 'Local gin consumption caused disease outbreak' - FG & WHO allege

The outbreak of a mysterious disease in Ode-Irele, Ondostate which has claimed the lives of about 18 people has been attributed to the the consumption of contaminated alcohol (gin).

This was revealed in a joint press statement given by theFederal Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the Minister of State for Health, Mr Fidelis Nwankwo,  the disease is not in anyway related to the Ebola virus disease as was earlier speculated.

In his words:

"Preliminary laboratory investigations indicates that the outbreak cannot be attributed to any infectious organism, bacterial or viral. The outbreak is also clearly not due to Ebola virus disease as feared by many at first. Epidemiological findings indicate a strong linkage of the outbreak to a consumption of a local gin that had been contaminated with methanol, a poisonous material. At this stage the particular poisonous substance is being ascertained. The results of this very detailed investigation currently been conducted by the government and our partners are still been awaited and will be made public as soon as possible"

Also, earlier on there had been speculations that the disease, which STARTS with a headache, blindness and eventually leads to death within few hours it attacks its victims, was of a spiritual nature, with traditionalists in the area linking the strange disease to the desecration of a shrine.

Court sentences overthrown Egyptian president to 20 years in prison

These are not the best times for sacked Egyptian president,Mohammed Morsi as an Egyptian criminal court has sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Morsi was sentenced over the killing of protesters in December 2012. Violence had erupted outside the presidential palace which saw Morsi's supporters attack opposition protesters, sparking clashes that killed at least 10 people.

In the wake of the 2011 protests which saw the overthrow of then president, Horsni Mubarak, Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood group swiftly rose to power in the following elections, only to be thrown behind bars a year later when millions protested against them for abusing power and the military overthrew the government.

Ironically, while Mubarak and members of his government increasingly find themselves acquitted of criminal charges, Morsi and the Brotherhood are at the receiving end of heavy-handed sentences.In addition to Morsi, 12 Brotherhood leaders and Islamist supporters, including Mohammed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian, also were sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Meanwhile, AP reports that from his exile in Turkey's capital,Istanbul, top Muslim Brotherhood figure Amr Darrag called the ruling "a sad and terrible day in Egyptian history."

Under the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who as army chief overthrew Morsi, Brotherhood members and Islamists have faced mass trials that end with mass death sentences, sparking international condemnation.

Morsi, who is facing 3 other trials on different charges, is being held at a high security prison near Alexandria. His incarceration there followed four months of detention at an undisclosed location.

US urges President to remain global leader

The United States has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to continue to play a role in global leadership despite his failed re-election bid.

The advice was given to Jonathan by US Vice President, Joe Biden during a conversation on Monday, April 20, 2015.

Details of the conversation were disclosed via a statement issued by the US Embassy in Abuja.

It reads:

“Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to commend him for his leadership in ensuring Nigeria’s recent elections were peaceful and orderly.”

“The Vice President noted that President Jonathan’s actions to accept the results and congratulate President-elect Buhari, as well as his steps to date to ensure a successful transition, have strengthened Nigeria’s democracy and set a strong example for Africa and the world.”

“The Vice President encouraged President Jonathan to remain engaged and play a leadership role in global issues after his presidency ends.”

Jonathan is expected to officially hand-over to President-electMuhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2015.

Buruji Kashamu 'Obasanjo planning to abduct, extradite me to US,'

Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Buruji Kashamu, has blamed previous President Olusegun Obasanjo for plotting to steal and remove him to the US.

Kashamu, the Senator-choose for the Ogun East District, claimed that Obasanjo was working with neighborhood and remote security offices to accomplish the point.

The charges were contained in a request recorded by Kashamu through his legal advisor, Ajibola Oluyede, and submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The appeal, titled "Sovereign Buruji Kashamu: Abduction arranges by United States of America's operators in a joint effort with law requirement organizations in Nigeria", was tended to the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Ben Angwe.

"The current arrangement to kidnap him (Kashamu) is a confirmation by the US powers that there is no argument against him and is a configuration affected and charged by Obasanjo who looks for vengeance against him for the far reaching political annihilation Obasanjo endured as a result of Kashamu in the PDP," Oluyede composed.

Oluyede further asked the commission to mediate in the matter "as per the purview explicitly given to your BONUS by the National Human Rights Act 1995 as altered to complete an investigation into the matter keeping in mind the end goal to build the culpability and bargain of certain establishment in this detestable arrangement and to secure our customer's major human right to freedom, life and pride of his individual."

"Kashamu's enquiry uncovered that surely there had been moves by US authorities inside the district to secure the help of the leader of the INTERPOL division in Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Arase, a Deputy Inspector General of Police, for the capture and conveyance to the US authorities of Kashamu for transportation to the US without taking after the due methodology needed by the Nigeria Extradition Act," the request proceeded.

Kashamu was supposedly prosecuted in 1998 for medication MANAGING in the US, a charge which he has energetically denied.

Muhammadu Buhari ‘PDP’s sins will soon start coming out,’

President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari has said that the sins committed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while ruling Nigeria will continue to come out for a long time.

Buhari also spoke on the challenges posed by the Boko Haram sect and the tenure expiration of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Attahiru Jega.

Read excerpts of his interview with journalists, as published by Vanguard on Sunday, April 19, 2015, below:

There has been an influx of defectors from the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to your party, APC, since after your victory at the polls. Many think the development may destabilise the APC. How do you intend to manage the situation?

I think this is a question meant for the party. I wish John Oyegun was here to answer you because we have a system. Just because I am the presidential candidate and the president-elect, I don’t think the system has allowed me to usurp the power of the party executives. But, certainly, in a multi-party democratic system, fundamentally, it is the number that matters for the people. But for the party, what matters is the ability to manage the number so that the majority will have its way and there will be justice. No matter what happens to the PDP by May 29, I assure you or I assure them through you that there will be justice in the APC.

A new government, which you will head, will soon be inaugurated. Can you tell us what criteria you will be using in selecting those who you will work with?

It is a difficult time for Nigerians as you all know. I have said it in the past that, in the last 16 years, Nigeria has never realised the amount of revenue it received. The price of a barrel of crude oil rose to about 140 dollars and then  crashed to about 50 dollars. During the 16 years, we know what happened to some big companies that employ a lot of Nigerians and give them training facilities like the Nigeria Airways, Nigeria National Shipping Line.

Even Nigeria Railway is managing to be on paper with some refurbished engines moving from Lagos to Ibadan and a few other places. If you go to their stations all over the country, you will realise that they are in a terrible shape. It is very disappointing that the PDP government virtually failed to use those resources to grow the economy.

I think the worst thing is the lack of accountability and the terrible budgetary system. Imagine that over 90 percent of Nigerian budget is on recurrent. How can you sustain development in a country like Nigeria with only about 10 percent of your income? Things just have to change. There must be more money available for infrastructure, for investment in getting the factories back, employment and getting goods and services for the population. I think the sins of PDP will be coming out for several years to come.

To some  extent, the general elections are seen by many to be credible. Will you try to retain the INEC Chairman to build on the successes recorded even though he said he wouldn’t accept another term of office?

I think Prof. Jega knows exactly what to do. He has already said that he is not going to accept a renewal of his tenure in June. I believe that he has learnt enough and will submit a comprehensive hand over notes some of which he seems to have written. At the last National Council of States meeting, he submitted a document of INEC activities right from the 2011 general elections to date with attachment showing the personnel trained, acquisition of election materials, the distributions, security, among others, and I don’t think that such that report can be faulted.

There are speculations that looting of public treasury is ongoing in the land. What do you intend to do to check this problem?

I will like to work within the system because we believe in it. I have just told you about three governors and the battle they have with law enforcement agents in their states. People must not benefit from being lawless. You can’t be in a position by virtue of the Constitution, subvert the Constitution and continue to enjoy the privileges offered by the Constitution. I don’t think that will be acceptable by the APC. So, whether you are in the opposition or government, you have to behave yourself. I think that is the way we can make progress.

APC preaches transparency and accountability. But a lot of people with apparent questionable characters are moving into the APC. Don’t you think they will also pollute the APC?

For those that are coming into the APC, I have no fear because we have our party structure. The fact that you were a party Chairman or you were a minister before you joined the APC, we appreciate the fact that you remain relevant in your immediate locality. But when it comes to the centre, there is equality in the way the government will handle you.

So, those that are coming in, I hope they will accept that they are coming to join those who succeeded and they should cooperate with them. They can’t come and say that because they were once ministers under PDP, they will join APC and become ministers the following month or so. I don’t think that it will be acceptable even by their constituencies.

There have been reports that you promised to end the Boko Haram insurgency within two months, but your media team reacted saying you never said so. Can you now set the record straight?

I think I am too experienced in internal security to give two months deadline on Boko Haram. I don’t think I would have made that mistake because I tried to look at some of my experiences even when I was in uniform with the rebels from Chad when I was GOC in Jos and with Maitatsine. So, for me to say that when I come into office, I will get rid of Boko Haram in two months, I don’t think I would have made that statement. I didn’t.

As I have mentioned on several occasions, we that have, at one time or the other, wore Nigeria military uniform felt terribly embarrassed that for six years, the military couldn’t bring order to 14 out of 774 local governments in the country after Burma, Zaire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Dafur where Nigerian military earned respect internationally for their performance.

To fail to secure 14 out of 774 local governments. I still can’t reconcile myself with that disgrace. We will try and work with our neigbours such as Chad, Cameroon and Niger who are fighting Boko Haram for us. Look at Chad helping Nigeria or Niger, or Cameroon itself. This nation has been humiliated by the PDP. God willing, with our experiences, we will quickly marshal support and we are asking Boko Haram to pack and go.