This Woman Impersonates Fashola's Wife; Dupes Government

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Mrs. Asogbon Abosede, a 53-year-old primary school teacher, has been arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly impersonating the wives of Lagos and Osun states governors and defrauding officials of the Lagos State Government.
Abosede, a Grade 10 teacher, was said to have committed the crime between June and July 2013 through text messages in which she claimed to be Mrs. Abimbola Fashola and Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola.


The accused allegedly influenced her redeployment from a primary school in Alimosho area of the state to the Lagos State Basic Education Board by sending text messages to the Chairman of SUBEB, presenting herself as Fashola and later as Aregbesola.

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Boko Haram Denies Ceasefire With Government

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The leader of the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram denied that it entered into a ceasefire agreement with the government and endorsed an attack last week on a school in northeast Yobe state.
Bloomberg reports that Abubakar Shekau, in a video message sent to reporters on Saturday, denied claims by the Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Turaki this week that a ceasefire was reached on July 8 after talks with the group’s deputy leader, Mohammed Marwan.

“Let me assure you that we will not enter into any truce with these infidels,” Shekau said. “We will not enter into any truce with the Nigerian government.” 

Boko Haram, whose name means “western education is a sin” in the Hausa language, has killed thousands of people in gun and bomb attacks since 2009 in the mainly Muslim North and Abuja in its campaign to establish an Islamic state in Africa’s largest oil producer. Nigeria’s more than 160 million people are roughly split between Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, mostly in the north.

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Federal Government Of Nigeria signs ceasefire with Boko Haram

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KANO – The Federal Government has announced  signing of ceasefire deal with Jama’atu Ahlul Sunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram. The major breakthrough is coming on the eve of  the Muslim Holy month due to commence Tuesday throughout the country. The minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki announced the ceasefire agreement on Radio France International Hausa services monitored in Kano Monday afternoon.

Naija Gist: http://omoooduarere.blogspot.com/

Protesters took to Hong Kong streets: " Shame On The U.S Government, Respect Human Right, Support Snowden" - Protesters (photo)

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Protesters took to the streets in Hong Kong Saturday to show their support for NSA leaker Edward Snowden and demand a "thorough explanation" of the secret surveillance program he exposed. Roughly 200 people braved the rain to march to the U.S. consulate, chanting "Free Snowden" and "Arrest Obama." Others carried large posters with pictures under the headline "Big brother is watching you."

Outside the U.S. consulate, demonstrators blew their whistles saying they "were all whistle-blowers today," then handed over a letter to Consul General Steve Young, demanding an end to all surveillance of "innocent internet users" under the NSA program.

"The idea of mass surveillance not only violates the right to privacy and human dignity, but threatens the very fundamental Human Rights of freedom of thought, opinion, expression and association," the letter said.

Curfew Imposed As 39 Are Confirmed Dead After battle between Christians and Muslims in Wukari, Taraba State

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The Taraba State government has imposed a 24-hour curfew in the troubled town of Wukari as the state’s police command officially confirmed that 39 people have died in a sectarian battle that began Friday between Jukun Christians and Muslims.

A police spokesman in Taraba State, Joseph Kwaji, told SaharaReporters over the phone that 32 houses were burned, and 30 people injured. He revealed that 40 suspects have been arrested in connection with the bloody confrontation that started during a traditional ruler’s funeral procession in Wukari.

Teachers oppose local government autonomy

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National Union of Teachers has opposed calls for local government autonomy.

NUT National President, Michael Alogba, who spoke in Abuja at a reception for officials of Zambia National Union of Teachers, also blamed the government for the declining education standard.

He said, “The entire teachers of this country are saying no to local government autonomy. Not that we have any fear or any grudge against the policy but because of the fact that local governments had been given such responsibility in the past, they failed woefully. That is the fear Nigerian teachers are entertaining.

“We are aware that the House of Representatives is handling the matter; we pray they represent the entire Nigerians very well. We would not want a situation whereby the recorded gains in the sector will be thwarted by this uncalled for autonomy.”

Gunmen Kill Four Borno Government Officials

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Gunmen, suspected to be members of the insurgent Boko Haram, on Tuesday evening killed four officials of the Borno state Government.

The officials are members of the state school feeding committee that were on a tour of schools in the state. The victims include Tijjani Mafe who is the chairman of the feeding committee in charge of the free feeding programs in public schools.

Federal Government set to Stop NECO, cancels UTME

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Federal Government has concluded arrangements to scrap the National Examination Council. Plans have also been concluded to cancel the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination being conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board for applicants into the nation’s tertiary institutions.

JAMB will however not be scrapped.

The government’s decisions, which would be made public soon via a White Paper, are based on the recommendations of the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

Federal Government has no plan to remove oil subsidy, says Okupe

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The Federal Government stated yesterday that contrary to the speculation in the media that the government was planning to withdraw the remaining subsidy on petrol, such plan is not on its table for now. They said for now o! :-)

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, released the statement saying:

"We wish to state categorically that, the removal of oil subsidy is not on the table of the Transformation Agenda of the President. The statement made by President Goodluck Jonathan at the recent Economic Summit held in Lagos was a frank, intellectual and well articulated contribution by the President to the discussion on the Nigerian economy at the said summit, and it was from a honest and sincere leadership perspective."

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Government Will Continue To Dialogue With You Until You See Reasons Why Subsidy Must Go – Jonathan

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President Goodluck Jonathan has insisted that there is no going back on total subsidy removal. However, he said the government would continue to dialogue with Nigerians, to make them reason with the government on why the proposed removal is necessary.

The president made this known during the Nigeria Summit 2013, organised by The Economist, in Lagos, on Tuesday. He said it did not make economic sense to continue to waste resources meant for greater number of Nigerians to subsidise the rich in the society, stressing that his government would continue to enlighten Nigerians on the need to remove the subsidy.

In the words of the president: “We cannot continue to waste resources meant for a greater number of Nigerians to subsidise the affluent middle class, who are the main beneficiaries.”

Recall that the announcement of partial removal of the subsidy on January 1, 2012 led to a week-long strike and civil unrest.

Federal Court Strikes Down Government’s Oil Deregulation Policy

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A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Adamu Bello has nullified the federal government’s deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
 
Justice Bello in a ruling delivered Tuesday in a suit filed by Lagos lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu declared the policy unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
  

Update 1:

 "That the policy decision of the Defendants to deregulate the downstream sector of the petroleum industry by not fixing the prices at which petroleum products may be sold in Nigeria is unlawful, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever being in flagrant violation of the mandatory provision of section 4 of the Price Control Act, cap P28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004," the judge said.

US Government condemns Jonathan's pardon for Alams and others ( What Do You Think?)

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The United States Government is deeply disappointed over the recent pardons of corrupt officials by the Government of Nigeria. We see this as a setback in the fight against corruption." US Mission in Nigeria.
Meanwhile presidential spokesman Doyin Okupe has said the the Presidential Pardon granted the former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, can be equated to the same pardon accorded late Emeka Ojukwu and Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Christ Embassy, Lagos State Government In Legal Battle

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Justice Samuel Candide-Johnson of a Lagos High court, will today, begin hearing on an interlocutory application praying him to restrain the Lagos State government from interfering with the Believers Love World (Christ Embassy), landed property situated at Oyeleke Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

In the substantive case before the court, the church had been contesting ownership of the parcel of land with the Executors of the estate of Chief R.A Randle, which is also laying claim to the ownership of the property.

The executors of the estate of Chief Randle are claiming that the area occupied by the church is part of the estate of the deceased, but the church is claiming the ownership of the land, which according to it was acquired from Neimeth Pharmacy with registered titles.

Three fraudsters attempt to swindle Benue State Government of ₦495 Million

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An attempt to defraud the Benue State Government of three million dollars (about N495 million) by three men who posed as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials has been foiled by the Department of State Security (DSS) operatives in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Parading the suspected fraudsters before journalists, DSS Director, Rashidi Adedirun, disclosed that the conmen were apprehended by men under his unit.

He added that they pretended to be EFCC operatives while trying to blackmail some top government officials in order to actualise their objective of extorting funds from them.

Adedirun revealed the identity of the culprits as Mark Gbaa from Buruku Local Government of the state and Bulus Ashom and Nuhu Bawa from Plateau State.

Lagos State Government shut the popular auto spare parts market, Ladipo Market in Mushin

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The Lagos State Government today shut the popular auto spare parts market, Ladipo Market in Mushin area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria. Ten suspected Bakassi boys were also arrested during the closure of the market.
Officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit stormed the market as early as 4.00a.m  and shut it because it was filthy.

Last week, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello visited the market and decried the wanton degradation of the environment and filthiness of the area and warned that if nothing was done, the market would be shut.  The traders took government’s threat lightly and did nothing to remedy the situation.
Hundreds of fully armed taskforce officials  led by its Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, a Chief Superintendent of Police besieged the market and shut it down, with thousands of traders shut out. The traders were dispersed by taskforce officials with several canisters of teargas.

Lagos State Government to Introduce Cable Cars for Mass Transportation

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To alleviate the problems of mass transportation faced by residents of Lagos, the state government in partnership with a cable car company, Ropeways Transport Limited, is set to launch a cable car mass urban transit system

According to Tribune, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and Ropeways Transport Limited have signed a 30-year Franchise Agreement to this effect.

Virginity Test: Ogun State Government, Police Disagree

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Government and the police on Sunday disagreed over the delay in police investigation of the principal of Ajuwon Senior High School, Ajuwon, Rev. Olufunke Aladeojobi, who allegedly conducted virginity tests on pupils of the school.

 A senior police officer attached to the Ogun State Police Command, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent on Sunday that the government had yet to hand over Aladeojobi to them.

How The Federal Government, State Governments Shared N8.8 Trillion In 2012

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It has been revealed that a total of N8.8 trillion accrued to the three tiers of government from the Federation Account between January and December 2012 from the statutory and VAT allocations. This is according to a report by an authoritative online medium, Economic Confidential magazine. This amount excludes other allocations such as derivation (for oil-producing states), excess crude account, domestic crude account, subsidy reinvestment programme (SURE-P), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation refund and foreign exchange differentials.

FG Begins Work On 10 New Rail Lines

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The Federal Government has announced plans to construct 10 new rail lines to cover other parts of the country currently not linked by rail. The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, said on Friday that already feasibility studies had commenced on seven of the proposed railway lines. Umar, who spoke in Lagos at the inauguration of the Lagos-Kano train service and resumption of fuel haulage by train from Lagos to Offa, said that the feasibility studies on three other planned rail lines would be done in 2013.

FG respond to fear of January 2013 fuel increase

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Lagos—President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Abdulwahed Omar, Tuesday assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would not increase the price of petrol in the New Year.Omar, who gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos, said already the masses were facing a lot of hardship, adding that government would not want to add to their sufferings.