In India Mumbai police drag 40 couples out of hotels fro being unmarried

Outrage has spread through out India following the arrest of dozens of couples at a number of Mumbai hotels last week, because they were unmarried.

About 40 couples were dragged out of their hotel rooms and taken to a nearby police station where they were held for several hours and some were even made to call their parents.

Witnesses say police knocked on the doors to the hotel roomsduring the Thursday afternoon raid, and arrested all couplesfound to be unmarried.

Despite being in private hotel rooms, the couples were charged with 'indecent behaviour in public' and made to pay a fine of 1,200 rupees (£12).

He added that they were taken to the police station around 5pm and many of them were allowed to go only by 10pm.

A number of angry Mumbai citizens took to Twitter to express their feelings, using the hashtag #MumbaiPolice.

House of Reps summon CBN Governor over ban on foreign currency deposits

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, August 11, summoned the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),Godwin Emefiele, to explain the recent policy directing commercial banks to reject foreign currency deposits.

This followed the unanimous adoption of a motion under Matters of Urgent Public Importance sponsored by Rep. Emmanuel Ekon (Akwa-Ibom, PDP).

Ekon said that although the CBN Act of 2007 confers it with the power to devise suitable mechanism for the exchange of the Naira periodically, Nigerians need to understand the merits of the policy.

"Though the policy may have both short and long term economic benefits for the country, Nigerians do not have any explanation from the CBN on the merits or otherwise of the said policy.

"The apex bank has not created avenues to address the fears of parents wishing to remit money for their children's education or manufacturers placing orders for goods abroad.

"The explanation of the said policy to members of this House by the Governor of the Central Bank will enable us to disseminate the information to our respective constituents,’’ Ekon said.

The lawmaker further explained that if CBN fails to sensitise Nigerians, the policy might become counterproductive as it appears to have been misunderstood already by the public.

"There are lots of panic within the economy as we speak.

"People don't know what becomes of their businesses which largely depend on foreign exchange for transaction.

"Banks are crying, Bureau De-Change (BDC) operators are crying and importers are also crying.

"There is need for the CBN to carry out adequate sensitisation of the public regarding this policy by way of explaining the policy and its benefits, otherwise, the nation's economy may suffer for it.’’

Also, Rep. Chris Azubogu (Anambra-PDP) said Nigerians need to be properly informed and educated about the policy.

He said, "when we get better explanations, people will know what it is all about.

"Also, bank customers will know the limit of borrowing and take into cognisance the need to prepare their minds for what they want to embark on,’’ Azubogu said.

The Deputy Whip of the House, Rep. Pally Iriase also expressed his support for the motion.

He said, "domiciliary account is one asset that a country that does not have a viable foreign exchange market uses to transact business abroad.

"We should be able to sit down with the CBN to find out what the CBN has done with this policy so we can make informed decisions,’’ Iriase said.

However, Rep. Obinna Chidoka’s (Anambra-PDP) , was ruled out of order in his submission that the CBN boss had already been summoned by the Senate on the same matter.

According to him, the motion is unnecessary as its concerns will be addressed when the CBN governor appears before the Senate which has already summoned him on the state of the economy.

The Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, in his ruling, stressed the need for interaction with the bank's management for the purpose of informing Nigerians.

He said, "if you look at the last motion in the Senate, this is very different.

"As we speak, there is serious confusion out there.

"The reason for allowing the presentation of this motion is that we all have to be sensitised on what the CBN is doing.’’

The motion was thereafter unanimously adopted by the House.

Corruption:Kunle Olajide lauds President at Fajuyi Memorial Lecture.

Since Nigeria President Mohammadu Buhari declared war on corruption.
Mr.President need to be mindful of his political party members some of
who see the ascendancy into federal government as an opportunity to
acquire wealth and forget that war on  corruption is a declaration of
war on political leadership elite of both sides of the ideological
devide.Former Secretary General Yoruba Council of Elders and Secretary
South West Delegate to the 2014 National Conference Dr.Kunle Olajide
made the comments in his chairman speech at the Annual Lt.Col.Adekunle
Fajuyi Memorial Lecture organised by the League of Veteran Journalists
Oyo State at Ibadan.He clearly stated that Yorubas have suffered
progressive marginalization in the last decade. "Yorubas have become
disenchanted with the way the country is structured and governed,it
appears there is a conspiracy or deliberate policy to marginalize
us",he added. While suggesting ways to win war on corruption
Dr.Olajide emphasised on restructuring of our country  into more viable regional or zonal units.Devolution of powers from the centre to the states and local
government.Corresponding review of federal allocation fomula to
redistribute the nation's resources in conformity with the new power
and configuration of government and to demonitize politics by making
it less attractive to  poliical officers.
He ugre Mr.President to avoid the politicization of critical issues of
national interest such as the 2014 National Conference Reports on;True
Federal System of government and the Judicial Reforms which the
conference  has crtically analyzed with solutions. Dr.Olajide finally
urge patriotic Nigerians to support Mr.President. Earlier Alh.Kola
Animasaun the state league chairman called for more supports for
President Buhari administration to succeed and appealed to the
National Assembly Members to sow the seed of unity that will move the
nation's forward.He congratulated new president of NUJ.Waheed Odusile
and urge him to work for the progress of journalism.

Lt.Col.Adekunle Fajuyi Memorial Lecture:Brig-Gen.Alabi Isama Frowns at NASS attitudes on Benjamin Adekunle burial.

Materials acquisation so says the wise be important but not enough to
make a man;therefore Nigerians have advice to always look at the links
between the events of the past and the reailty of the  present time in
there days-to-day activ- ities in order to move the natioon's for-
ward. Alh.Kola Animasaun chairman League of Veteran Journalists Oyo
State made the comment at the annual   Lt.Col.France Adekunle Fajuyi
Annual Memorial Lecture organised by the league at lbadan.

Furthermore Alh.Kola Animasaun observed that if role-call of the
nova rich Nigerians,military or civclian is made 
Lt Col.Fajuyi the former military governor   of old western region will conspicuously
missing but, when the role of honour and integrity of Nigerian
leaders is made his name will almost top the list for his to paid
the price of honour for the peace and unity of this nation. While
commended the spirited efforts of President Mohammadu Buhari to
sanitise our system he urge all the citizenry to rally round his govt.


Delivering lecture titled."Lt.Col.Adekunle Fajuyi the Unsung
Martyr of National Unity" the guest speaker.Brig-Gen.Godwin Alabi
Isama enjoined Nigeria Leaders to emulate the exemplary quality of
Lt.Col.Francis Adekunle Fajuyi first military governor of western
region of Nigeria who paid supreme price as mark of honour for peace
and unity of Nigeria.While condemned the attitude of National Assembly
members for their failure to gave a bifited state burial to
Brig-Gen.Benjamin Adekunle who fought the war to keep Nigeria one till
today he therefore urge the Yorubas to unite and as well care to
celebrate there heros.On security,he call for collective
responsibility of the people with the government and want the FGN do
more on preventive educational strategy campaign for the people.He
however appealed for roburst development programmes for the Police and
as well government and its agency to adequately protects inerlectual
properties in Nigeria.Both Maj.Salawu and Lt,Col.Iluyomade(rtd)
eulogised Lt Col.Fajuyi.

CAF Exco declines support for Liberian FA President’s candidature

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt declined to back Liberian Football Association (LFA) President Musa Bility in his bid to become the next FIFAPresident.

The 48-year-old Bility is one of four men set to stand in the Feb. 26, 2016 election to replace incumbent Sepp Blatter.

Bility is only the second African ever to make a bid for the job.

Brazilian Zico, Frenchman Michel Platini and South KoreanChung Mong-joon are the other names in the frame to stand in the election.

Bility says he believes 'this is Africa's time' to take the lead in world football, but his lack of support from CAF will be a blow to his candidacy.

A statement on the CAF website on Wednesday had said the Executive Committee received a request from Bility.

"He had the opportunity to explain the reasons that motivated his decision to run for the future election of the FIFA presidency.

"After a fraternal exchange, full of sincerity and cordiality, the CAF Executive Committee decided unanimously not to offer the requested CAF support to Bility, whilst wishing him luck in the continuation of his endeavour.

"To preserve the interests and unity of African football, it was agreed that Africa will give time to explore all options and decide.

"The CAF Executive Committee will meet on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, following the closure of nominations for the FIFA presidency,’’ it said.

The Liberian has had a difficult relationship with his continent’s football governing body in recent years.

In 2011, he declared he would vote against Blatter in that year's FIFA elections, in contrast to most of his African colleagues.

A year later, he and the Liberian FA took a case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over changes to the way CAF elects its president.

The changes had favoured incumbent Issa Hayatou.

But the court twice ruled against the LFA.

Then in 2013, Bility was banned from all football activity by CAF after the governing body said he ``had violated statutes relating to the use of confidential documents."

Bility needs the written endorsement of at least five football associations to get onto the ballot for the election to choose a replacement for outgoing president Blatter on Feb. 26.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deadline for candidates to register is Oct. 26.

The CAF Executive Committee also mandated Hayatou to conduct the necessary consultations with other Confederations’ presidents in connection with the ongoing reforms at FIFA.

Moreover, the Committee has unanimously proposed Hani Ridaand Omari Selemani, African members on the FIFA Executive Committee, as CAF’s representatives on the ‘Task Force Reforms’ established by FIFA.

In Taiwan" Government evacuates hundreds as Typhoon Soudelor churns towards island

Taiwan evacuated hundreds of people from their homes on Friday as the strongest typhoon to threaten the island in two years churned towards it and was expected to make landfall early on Saturday.

Authorities said 611 people had been moved, most from east coast areas, as Typhoon Soudelor approached. The storm has already claimed its first victims, with two people dead and one missing in choppy waters off the coast of Taiwan's northeasternYilan county, the coastguard said.

Flights were cancelled, offices shuttered and schools suspended across the island. The island's high-speed rail service, operating normally Friday, will be suspended as of Saturday morning.

Wind and rain whipped trees in the capital, Taipei, and media showed waves along the coast as high as five metres (16 feet).

The island's military said it has put tens of thousands of troops and thousands of vehicles on reserve for rescue operations as flood warnings were issued for parts of the island's northwest.

The typhoon has been labelled a category 3 storm on a scale of 1 to 5 by Tropical Storm Risk and was expected to rise to category 4 within hours.

It had winds of 173 kph (107 mph) close to its centre, the Central Weather Bureau said, making it the strongest storm to threaten the island since 2013's Typhoon Usagi.

It has already drawn comparisons to 2009's Typhoon Morakot, which cut a wide path of destruction over southern Taiwan, leaving about 700 people dead or missing and causing $3 billion worth of damage.

Soudelor has also spurred the end of a week-long protest by students in front of the island's ministry of education against revisions to history textbooks.

After passing over Taiwan, the typhoon is expected to cross the Taiwan Strait and hit the Chinese province of Fujian, where the government has begun evacuating people who live on the coast.

High speed rail services to or running through Fujian will also be cancelled for much of the weekend, China's Xinhua news agency said.

The storm could even end up affecting northern China as it slowly grinds its way inland into next week, loosing power but still bringing heavy rain, Xinhua added.

Typhoons are common at this time of year in the South China Sea and Pacific, picking up strength from warm waters before losing strength over land.

People like Blatter deserve Nobel prize, Putin tells Swiss TV

Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel Prize for his stewardship of soccer's governing body, Russian PresidentVladimir Putin said in an interview aired by Swiss broadcaster RTS on Monday.

On Saturday, at a meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, Blatter said that FIFA, facing a major bribery scandal, had passed a resolution offering full support for holding the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

"We all know the situation developing around Mr Blatter right now. I don't want to go into details but I don't believe a word about him being inolved in corruption personally," he said.

"I think people like Mr Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic Games, deserve special recognition. If there is anyone who deserves the Nobel Prize, it's those people.”

Blatter announced he was quitting in June over a bribery scandal being investigated by U.S., Swiss and other law enforcement agencies that plunged FIFA into the worst crisis in its 111-year history. Officials have been indicted though Blatter himself has not and he denies any misconduct.

The scandal has cast a cloud over the forthcoming World Cupsin Russia and Qatar, but Russian officials have dismissed any suggestion Russia could be stripped of the contest.

In May, when the scandal broke, Putin harshly criticised the U.S. investigation into FIFA as meddling in matters that were outside its jurisdiction.

He rekindled that criticism in the interview broadcast on Monday, and widened it to include Britain, noting that those two countries had bid to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

"The way there is this fight against corrpution makes me wonder if it isn't a continuation of the bids for 2018 and 2022."

An economic crisis has forced cut-backs in Russia's World Cup preparations, but Putin and FIFA officials have said this will not affect Russia's ability to host the championship.

#Boko Haram# Presidency reportedly begins negotiating with terrorists

The Nigerian government has reportedly begun talks with leaders of terrorist sect, Boko Haram.
The negotiations are said to be currently ongoing between some confidants of the Presidency and some insurgent leaders, according to The Nation.
President Muhammadu Buhari is however said to be hesitant about the talks due to the “costly mistakes of the past administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to The Nation, Buhari has asked security officials to “screen or certify” those involved in the new negotiation to ensure that the government is dealing with the right Boko Haram leaders.

A source said:

“The President’s appeal for peace in the Northeast is yielding dividends because a fresh facilitation of talks between the Presidency and Boko Haram has started.”

“This latest negotiation, which is at the preliminary stage, is being promoted by some mutual confidants of the Presidency and Boko Haram. The new deal may lead to the release of some Chibok girls to set the tone for a comprehensive negotiation by both sides.”

 “The President is extremely cautious on this offer of negotiation. Buhari has ordered security agencies to screen or certify those Boko Haram commanders interested in facilitating this latest negotiation to ensure that they are bonafide leaders of the sect. The position of the President is that why he is not averse to a peace deal, the Federal Government must avoid  the costly mistakes of the past which led to a waste of time and huge resources.”

“The President wants the release of the Chibok girls and quick restoration of peace to the Northeast; he is ready to negotiate with the right people for sustainable results.”

The Presidency had earlier said, through Buhari’s media aide,Femi Adesina, that it would be willing to negotiate with the terrorists from a position of strength.