South Africa returns seized $15m to Nigeria

South African President Jacob Zuma

The South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, said in a news conference on Friday that the $15m earlier seized from some Nigerians by the South African Government had been released to Nigeria.

The South African Government had, on September 5, 2014, seized $9.3m cash belonging to Nigeria and a month later seized another $5.7m, claiming that both funds were to be used for illegal purchase of arms, www.thecable.ng reported.

However, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, said the transactions were legal, urging the South African Government to stop actions that could degenerate to a diplomatic showdown.

The South African Government on October 14, 2014 said it would return the money to Nigeria.

Mnguni also spoke on the collapsed building in the Synagogue church in Lagos State and its effect on the relationship between the two countries.

Jonathan can’t win in 2015 because he never won any election in the past –Junaid Mohammed

Dr. Junaid Mohammed

In this interview with JOHN ALECHENU, a Kano State delegate to the just concludedNational Conference and convener of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, speaks about his brush with the law and other sundry national issues. Excerpts

You were once arrested by the State Security Service for a statement you made which it considered inciting. What do you make of your arrest?

It was true I was invited. That was the word they used. I was invited by the SSS to present myself at their Kano State office which is about one and half kilometres from my residence. Before I arrived Kano from Abuja, there were some shadowy characters who were following me. The order for my arrest came directly from the Director of Operations, an Igbo man. Apparently, he does not like anyone who says anything uncomplimentary about Igbo people and their greed. I think he was particularly very unhappy because I said Igbo have taken charge of the economy and that they have also grabbed most of the land especially for estates in Abuja; where they don’t have any historical claims or any other logical claim to even one square foot of land in Abuja. He was also unhappy because I said what was taken out of the North and converted into a national land holding is about two and half times the size of Lagos.

Consensus Candidate: APC may dump Atiku for Buhari

BARRING any changes, the All Progressives Congress, APC is set to adopt former Head of State, Gen. Mohammed Buhari (retd) as its consensus candidate for the 2015 presidential election.

Saturday Vanguard’s investigation, yesterday, revealed that the issue featured prominently at the October 17, 2014 National Executive Committee, NEC meeting of the party.

It was gathered that the party’s national leader and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the course of the meeting, OPENLY declared his support for Buhari as against the expectation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, another presidential aspirant who was present at the meeting.

A source at the national secretariat of the APC said Tinubu’s OPEN support for Buhari was hinged on the popularity of the former military ruler.

Police kills robbery suspect after attack on NYSC lodge

Asaba – The Police in Delta on Friday confirmed the death of an armed robbery suspect during a gun duel between its patrol team and a robbery gang which attacked National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Oghara.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu, in a statement in Asaba, said that the gang attacked Corpers’ Lodge at Ovade-Oghara, in Ethiope West Local Government area of the state.

Kalu said that the suspect, a member of the four-member gang, died on the way to the hospital from gunshot wounds he sustained during the exchange of fire.

Jonathan arrives in Jerusalem for pilgrimage

President Goodluck Jonathan arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday for a two-day pilgrimage to Israel.

According to the president’s itinerary, he will observe the Sabbath Day on Saturday at the Wailing Wall, where he will pray privately before going to Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel.

Jonathan will also visit some other Christian holy sites during the pilgrimage.

During the pilgrimage, he will pray for Nigeria at an Interdenominational Church Service with the theme: “A day with Jesus for Nigeria in Israel’’.

Ogbe promises to declare Jonathan national hero if girls return

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA – Former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Audu Ogbe has said that Bring Back our Girls group (BBOG) is neither an armed nor a hostile organization WORKING against the Nigerian government or its agencies.

Rather, he stated that the organization was one that shows concern and sympathy over the plight of the missing Chibok girls.

In a release in Abuja yesterday, the former chairman who is now a chieftain of the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, said that without the BBOG, Nigeria would have portrayed herself to the world as a strange society that cared for nothing about human -life, especially those of the children.

2 lawyers in court over forgery of dead man’s will

The police in Edo on Friday arraigned two LAWYERS and a 50-year-old man over alleged conspiracy and forgery of a dead man’s will.

The LAWYERS are Samuel Urhoghide,75, and  Mercy Sheidum,46.

They were charged along with Jona Sojah, 50, before an Oredo Magistrate Court in Benin.

According to the prosecution, the three persons forged a testamentary instrument purported to have been made by Sheidum’s husband, the late Kolawole.

The prosecution submitted that the accused conspired to commit the forgery in 1997 on the Murtala Mohammed Way, Benin.

Friends reunited as Mourinho, van Gaal clash

Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal insist their friendship will survive whatever happens when Chelsea look to cement their POSITION on top of the Premier League with a statement victory at Manchester United on Sunday. 

2015 Re-election bid: Nigerians slam Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

Some Nigerians have described President Goodluck Jonathan as an insensitive leader. This followed his moves to formally declare his re-election bid amid his administration’s failure to ensure the release of the 219 Chibok girls abducted six months ago in Borno State by the violent Boko Karam sect.

They said they were worried that the President seemed to have abandoned his responsibility of protecting lives and theproperty of the citizens while focusing on his re-election ambition.

The President had on Thursday set up a Presidential Declaration Committee with a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Haliru, appointed as the chairman.

Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, was appointed as the Deputy Chairman and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim will serve as secretary of the committee.

THE DRUMMER GIRL: I don’t mind dating a younger man now –Ara

Now single drummer girl, Ara, has said she is ready to give marriage another shot now that she and her once Iceland-based hubby have divorced.

In an exclusive chat with Saturday Beatsrecently, Ara said she wouldn’t even mind going for a younger guy if he comes around her.

2015: PDP will not steal our votes – Amaechi

Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has called on Rivers people and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to resist the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) from manipulating and rigging the 2015 general elections in the state.

Amaechi stated this Friday during the joint graduation of students of University of Ibadan and Pioneer graduands of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education held at Rumuolumeni, in Port Harcourt.

He also expressed fears that if the PDP is allowed to rig and manipulate the election and President Jonathan is voted into office in 2015, poverty and underdevelopment will crumble the state.

Confusion lingers in NFF as Giwa resumes, recalls Keshi

The leadership crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) took a turn for the worse on Thursday, as Chris Giwa took charge of the Glass House, the NFF headquarters in Abuja, in accordance with the order of the Jos High Court that nullified the election of the NFF board led by Amaju Pinnick as president.

Pinnick has filed for a stay of execution order, which will be heard in court on Wednesday in Jos.

The Giwa-led board met after the court pronouncement on Thursday and took far-reaching decisions, among which was recalling sacked Stephen Keshi as Super Eagles coach.

A member of the Giwa board, Yahaya Adamu, told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that the board has returned to power as demanded by the court.

Justice Ambrose Alagoa of the Federal High Cour, Jos, had on Thursday annulled the September 30 NFF elections in Warri, Delta State, that gave rise to Pinnixk’s board. He had also declared as null and void the NFF Elective Congress held on that day, thereby reinstating the Giwa-led board, which was elected in Abuja on August 26.

Adama, who was at the Glass House in company of another board member, Sani Fema, to await the board chairman, said the board had discussed emerging issues affecting Nigerian football.

“The board consequently reviewed a number of decisions taken in recent days at the NFF, one of them being the issue of the Super Eagles’ technical crew.

“Also, the board nullified all decisions taken by the Pinnick-led team since September 30. All committees appointed by the illegal board have been dissolved,’’ he said.

Adama added that the board felt “so strongly about sustaining the out-of-contract assignment given to the Stephen Keshi-led Super Eagles technical crew.

“This is a very critical moment, and Nigerians want the national team to play well, win and be a pride to them. This calls for greater hard WORK from the coaches.

“They (the team) must win the remaining qualifying matches against Congo Republic and South Africa for Nigeria to be at the 2015 African Cup of Nations finals.

“Emphasis now is supposed to be on concentration for the two GAMES,’’ he said.

The NFA board member said the board has made interim appointments into four committees in view of the short time available for the 2013/2014 season to end.

“The Match Commissioners’ Appointments Committee has Adama Yahaya as cshairman, Patimidi Tukuru, Prof. Abu Mallam and Donatus Mbaezue as members, and Emmanuel Adesanya as secretary.

“The Referees Committee has Suleiman Muazu as chairman, Sunday Audu, Ahmed Maude and Chidi Offor as members, and Sunday Okayi as secretary.

“The Disciplinary Committee has Iyke Igbokwe as chairman, Abdulkareem Ibrahim and Andrew Abah as members, and Lawrence Katken as secretary, while Appeals Committee has Leye Adepoju as chairman, Godwin Odekina and Ray Nnaji as members, and Okey Obi as secretary,’’ he said.

The court has set Wednesday, October 29, 2014 for hearing of the stay of execution order.

On Thursday, there was apprehension across the nation that the country could be in for severe sanctions from world football governing body, FIFA, which had issued a stern warning earlier that it would not take kindly to any interference with the NFF’s electoral process.

FIFA has also made it clear that any interference from any third parties in the NFF’s administrative process would lead to an automatic ban that would not be revisited until its 65th Congress SCHEDULED for Zurich, Switzerland, on May 29, 2015.

For full story see: Dailyindependent

Turkish Women Gain Financing; 25 Nigerians Grabbed

Cheers

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Union and Republic of Turkey provide 338 million euros (about $428 million) for female entrepreneurs in Turkey, Daily Sabah REPORTED Oct. 22. The PROGRAM aims to finance 15,000 women-led enterprises across Turkey, while also offering various training and educational services to help women run their companies.

More News to Cheer This Week:

Seventy-eight percent of Texas Hispanic voters say a woman has a right to make her own decisions about abortion without politicians interfering, finds an Oct. 22 study COMMISSIONED by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Rights. The study also finds that most Texas Hispanic voters seem willing to disagree with church leaders on the legality of abortion. The poll finds 76 percent regard birth control as a part of basic health care and that it should be covered no matter where a woman works.

French feminist Caroline De Haas is launching a website Macholand.fr to denounce and challenge sexism,NPR reported Oct.17. The site targets politicians and advertisers. One of them is Gerard Collomb, the mayor of France's second-largest city, Lyon. Collomb recently said the country's education minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, got her JOB simply because President Francois Hollande loves beautiful women. The site invites users to join the so-called action against Collomb.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he was "completely wrong" to suggest that women should not ask for raises, TIME reported Oct. 20. Nadella previously said women should wait for "good karma" to raise their wages instead of asking directly. After coming under fire, Nadella apologized and reinforced his apology in this latest interview with CNBC. "It's been a very humbling and learning experience for me," said Nadella.

A week after a Washington rabbi was charged with videotaping women converting to Judaism as they disrobed for ritual baths, the national ASSOCIATION of modern Orthodox rabbis announced that it wouldREQUIRE the appointment of ombudswomen to handle any concerns from women about the conversion process, The New York Times reported Oct. 20. Besides the appointment of ombudswomen, the association would also name a commission that would include women as members to recommend ways to prevent abuses of the conversion process.

Jeers

Amid talks of freeing over 200 female hostages they seized in April, suspected Boko Haram members kidnapped at least 25 more girls in an attack on a remote town in northeastern Nigeria, Reuters REPORTED Oct. 23. Talks to release the schoolgirls took place this week between the government and a Boko Haram representative in the capital of neighboring Chad, N'Djamena.

More News to Jeer This Week:

Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry issued a warning to women not to get behind the wheel in defiance of the kingdom's rules that allow only men to drive, Reuters REPORTED Oct. 23. The ministry made the announcement after a renewed social media campaign to challenge the law by driving in public ahead of the Oct. 26 anniversary of a demonstration last year in which dozens of Saudi women took to the road in protest of the ban on female drivers, leading to some arrests.

As a woman gets heavier, her chances of WORKING in a low-paying, physically taxing job grow, according to a study from Jennifer Shinall, a law professor at Vanderbilt University, The Huffington Post REPORTEDOct. 24. Though obese men are more likely than men of average weight TO WORK in lower-paying, physical jobs, the effect isn't nearly as strong as it is for women. Obese women make $7 less than their average-weight counterparts while obese men make just $2 less.

The wage gap for Latinas living in California is the worst in the country, the National Women's Law Centersaid Oct. 23 in an analysis of new Census data. Louisiana has the highest wage gap for black women. The wage gap is based on a comparison between the earnings of African American women and Latinas WORKING full time and white, non-Hispanic men across the country.

Iranian demonstrators gathered outside government buildings in Isfahan and Tehran to protest the recent spate of acid attacks on women, The International Business Times reported Oct. 22. Security forces reportedly tried to disperse the demonstration at the Iranian parliament building in Isfahan, calling it a "political" gathering. In the past two weeks, about a dozen women have had sulfuric acid thrown on their faces and bodies by a group of motorcyclists. It is widely believed that the women were targeted for not complying with Islamic dress code in public places.

Noted:

In the first two months of this Iranian calendar year (late March to late May), more than 21,000 divorce cases were logged, Reuters reported Oct. 22. The rise in the number of couples choosing to split up has angered conservatives in Iran who see it as an affront to the values of the Islamic Republic.

Author and journalist Tina Brown thinks that if President Barack Obama is viewed less favorably among women it is because he makes them feel "unsafe" about a variety of issues, Mediaite reported Oct. 20. Brown, who appeared this week on "Morning Joe," reacted to a Politico report on how the president's declining poll numbers with women has become a serious liability for Senate Democrats in the midterm elections.

Two female cabinet ministers resigned due to separate election campaign scandals in Japan, The New York Times reported Oct. 20. It is a political blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had a stated policy goal of empowering women. The two women were in charge of the ministry of trade and the ministry of justice. Three other women are still part of the government.

A genetic trait may protect many women of Latin American descent from breast cancer, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 20. If confirmed, the finding may lead to more effective genetic testing for women at risk by helping to determine who most needs to take preventative measures. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths among women but fewer Hispanic women develop breast cancer and fewer of them die from it, compared with women of European or African American ancestry.

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Lebanon army attacks gunmen in historic Tripoli market

Lebanese troops attacked Islamist gunmen holed up in the historic MARKET of the northern city of Tripoli Saturday, after deadly clashes rocked the longtime tourist attraction, an AFP correspondent REPORTED.

A gunman was killed, and nine soldiers and eight civilian bystanders wounded, in the fighting that erupted in the city’s souks late on Friday, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

It was the first time since the civil war in neighbouring Syria erupted in 2011 that violence in Tripoli had spread to the MARKET, which is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.