FINALLY, JONATHAN DECLARES INTEREST IN 2015 ELECTION

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday finally declared interest in contesting the 2015 presidential election.
He told Peoples Democratic Party leaders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that he would procure nomination form of the party before the deadline.
He has also set up a presidential declaration committee saddled with the responsibility of coming up with a formal programme for his declaration.
The committee is headed by a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello.
The declaration would be held between November 7 and 15.

NIGERIAN MAN ARRESTED AFTER JUMPING WHITE HOUSE FENCE

A Nigerian man based in Maryland, Dominic Adesanya, (pictured above) has been arrested after jumping the White House Fence. According to police reports, around 7.15pm yesterday Wednesday October 22nd, Adesanya, 23, climbed the fence on the North Lawn of the building and got about 20 yards past the fence before he was taken down by Secret Service and dogs.

He's currently in police custody but is being treated in a hospital for injuries he sustained during the encounter. He was attacked by K.9 dogs.

The White House was on a lock-down for about two hours after Adesanya jumped the fence. President Obama was said to be in the White House at the time of the incident. Police also said Adesanya was not armed...but he's still in big trouble.

UK MAN FAKED COMA FOR 2 YEARS TO AVOID COURT

LONDON (AP) — He might have got away with it if it hadn't been for his supermarket loyalty card.
A British fraudster who pretended to be quadriplegic and sometimes comatose for two years to avoid prosecution has been convicted after police caught him on camera driving and strolling around supermarkets.
Alan Knight of Swansea, Wales, stole more than 40,000 pounds ($64,000) from the bank account of an elderly neighbor with Alzheimer's disease, prosecutors said.
When police began investigating, the 47-year-old Knight claimed to be quadriplegic and so sick he sometimes fell into a coma. He checked himself into a hospital to avoid court appearances, saying he was having seizures.

NIGERIA IS ‘NOT A SERIOUS FOOTBALL COUNTRY’ - KESHI

The Former Coach of the Super Eagles |Stephen Keshi| has thrown a parting shot at Nigerian football, saying the country should stop seeing itself as a serious football nation considering it is still lagging behind in many vital areas needed to attain such levels.
In a chat with ESPN football pundit Colin Udoh, the former Togo and former Mali manager noted, for instance, that but for his intervention, the Akwa Ibom State governor was planning to lay artificial grass on the newly built world-class Uyo Stadium. That venue will host the decisive clash of the Super Eagles with South Africa next month.

“How many good pitches do we have in this country? Keshi queried. We say we are a football nation and we don't even have good training pitches for the national team, or good field to play on. Instead, there are artificial pitches everywhere, even the new Stadium in Uyo, it was when I heard from the governor that they wanted to use artificial pitch that I had to shout and tell him no way. That is how they used natural grass pitch there. But why should I be the one to say it? Where are the journalists?”
He said he was proud of his achievements during his spell as Nigeria’s manager.

“People keep saying I drew a lot of matches. But how many Nigerian coaches agreed to play friendly matches all the time. Or to use home-based players without fear but people don't see that. Every time it's Keshi this and Keshi that. Then they say I always try to use the President against them. President that I cannot even see!”
He also said he was happy that the drama was finally over, as was his family.

“I am not bitter. I'm just disappointed in some of you,” he pointed out, referring to journalists. “Now people can stop talking about Keshi.”
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Football Association, responding to reports that Keshi would be in the country this week to finalise a contract to take over their National team, has denied ever approaching Keshi or getting any application from him.
Source: SaharaReporters

ZAMFARA ASSEMBLY CONFIRMS SACKING FIVE COUNCILLORS FOR DEFECTING TO PDP

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has endorsed the impeachment of five legislators in the state who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The endorsement was done at the plenary on Wednesday, presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Sunusi Rikiji, following a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the assembly, Alhaji Salisu Tsafe.
Tsafe, while moving the motion, urged the assembly to declare the seats of the defected councillors vacant, based on the resolutions of the local government councils of the defecting councillors.

PATIENCE JONATHAN RESIGNS AS PERM SEC OVER RIFT WITH DICKSON

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, has resigned her appointment as Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service.
The 57-year-old Patience was said to have left the service voluntarily.
Dame Patience Jonathan was one of the appointed 17 permanent secretaries in the state civil service in July 2012.
The appointment had caused outrage in the state at the time with some Bayelsans expressing misgivings about it and the extent to which the civil service was politicised.
Though Ministry of Education sources said Patience disengaged from service voluntarily, there is speculation that she resigned because of alleged rift between her and Governor Seriake Dickson.

ZIMBABWE UNIVERSITY BANS KISS, SEX IN PUBLIC PLACES

The Zimbabwe students’ union on Thursday made war not love over a new code of conduct banning students from kissing on campus at the country’s top university.
In a circular displayed at halls of residence, authorities at the University of Zimbabwe said students “caught in any intimate position such as kissing or having sex in public places” would be punished.
The university also barred resident students from bringing members of the opposite sex to their hostels and “loitering in dark places outside the sports pavilion or lecture venues.”
Student leader Gilbert Mutubuki said students would resist the rules introduced two weeks ago.

WHY I ABANDONED MY KIDS FOR EIGHT YEARS – FATHER

Mr Segun Adepegba, the father of the three children abandoned in a boarding school for eight years in Abule-Iroko in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Mr Segun Adepegba, on Wednesday, reached out to PUNCH Metro.
Adepegba said hardship pushed him to the wall and that was why he could not take care of his children. He, however, promised to visit them before the end of the week.
The father of three, in a telephone interview with PUNCH Metro, recounted his ordeal, saying, “life has been very tough for me.” He said he left the children because he was jobless and had no house to accommodate them.
PUNCH Metro had on Tuesday reported that Adepegba’s children-Seun, 14, Titilola 13, and Seyi, 10, had been abandoned since 2007 at Solid Rock Model College in Abule-Iroko. The children, who had been eager to meet their parents, said the absence of their parents was affecting their studies.

B’ HARAM ABDUCTS 60 WOMEN IN ADAMAWA

Sixty women were reportedly abducted by suspected members of the deadly Boko Haram sect at Waga Mangoro and Garta villages, both in troubled Adamawa State during a fresh attack.
Forty of the women were said to have been abducted in Waga Mangoro and the other 20 were forcefully taken away from Grata.
Some of the fleeing residents from the area, who called journalists in Yola on the telephone lamented that scores of insurgents riding motorcycles and driving vans had invaded their towns.
The fleeing residents while lamenting the capture of the two towns, said they were able to sneak out of the captured towns on Tuesday, but disclosed that their villages were ravaged on Saturday.

FG STARVING APC STATES OF FUNDS – GOVS

ILORIN—Governors of All Progressives Congress, APC, controlled states, yesterday, complained about dwindling allocation to their states and wondered why their Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, colleagues were not sharing their concern.
The APC governors who met in Ilorin, Kwara State expressed concern about a possible secret funding for the PDP states. The governors, who vowed to meet President Goodluck Jonathan over the issue, also resolved to allow internal democracy to guide the selection of a presidential candidate for the party.
The summit of the APC governors under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, in Illorin, however, did not rule out the adoption of a consensus presidential candidate, but insisted that it must be done within the ambit of internal democracy.
The meeting of the APC governors was also a valedictory session for former Governor Kayode Fayemi who stepped down as governor of Ekiti State last Thursday. The APC governors praised Fayemi for what they described as his exemplary strength of character.
At the meeting yesterday were Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ishaq Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) who was the host and Dr. Fayemi.

JONATHAN GETS ONE-WEEK ULTIMATUM TO DECLARE FOR PRESIDENCY

ABUJA—AHEAD of the formal declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan for his re-election bid for the 2015 Presidential election, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday gave the President and other aspirants vying for various elective positions, one week ultimatum to purchase their expression of interest and nomination forms, saying the party cannot go for a national convention to ratify someone who has not indicated interest to contest.
Addressing journalists yesterday at the Party’s National Secretariat, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said the October 30 closing date for the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms will not be extended beyond 6 pm on that date.

WHY APC MAY DUMP AMAECHI FOR FASHOLA AS BUHARI’S RUNNING MATE

LAGOS State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has been reportedly endorsed by the South-West caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the vice-presidential candidate to whoever emerges as the presidential standard-bearer of the party, Nigerian Tribune learnt Wednesday night.
The zone is also strongly working for the emergence of former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari, as the presidential candidate for 2015 election.
Following an exclusive report by Saturday Tribune that a new power-sharing formula favoured Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as Buhari’s running-mate, the South-West caucus of the party reportedly launched a lobby on why the zone, and not the South-South, should be on the expected northern presidential ticket.
The party leadership and elders reportedly bought the argument that South-West would be the battleground in the presidential contest and it was just politically correct that a viable south-westerner should be on the ticket.
Amaechi was said to be aware of the move to dump him and had not been folding his arms.

HUMAN PARTS ON SALE AHEAD 2015 ELECTION —ORITSEJAFOR

PRESIDENT of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has taken a swipe on fetish politicians, who have began to trade in humans parts for diabolical purposes ahead 2015 general elections.
He said such politicians were the ones troubling the peace, progress and existence of the country, but would soon meet their waterloo.
The cleric made these submissions on Wednesday, at the Thanksgiving Service for Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s 60 birthday, held at the First Baptist Church, Warri, Delta State.
He described the challenges of the country as foundational in nature, wrongly laid by the country’s forefathers, adding that he was sad seeing educated Nigerians turning to diabolism, in spite of its evil implications.
Speaking on “Thanksgiving,” taken from 2Cor. 9:11-12, he warned politicians, who were already engaging themselves in burying cows and human heads in order to win the coming 2015 elections to desist from the act, saying they have already lost in the elections.
“People are burying cows, human heads because of election. You wey go school? Wetin dey do you sef? Dem take white chalk, red chalk rub you? You don lose already. You are troubling Nigeria,” the CAN president stated in pidgin.

STEPHEN DAVIS AGAIN: ‘OPPOSITION STOPS CHIBOK GIRLS RESCUE’

•Warns of more Boko Haram abductions
In less than two months after he raised dust with his claims that two Ni¬gerians, Senator Modu Sherrif, former governor of Borno State and former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika sponsor Boko Haram, the acclaimed negotiator, Dr. Stephen Da¬vis has announced another alarm.
This time, he accuses oppo¬sition politicians of hindering the freedom and release of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in April this year.
Further to the delayed re¬lease of the girls and the rea¬sons for it, he warned that if the girls are set free without the leaders of Boko Haram ei¬ther reined in or their sponsors stopped, Nigeria should expect an endless orgy of abductions by the same group in future.
In an interview Davis granted a UK news network, Channel 4 few days ago, he stated that: “The Nigerian op-position politicians sponsor¬ing Boko Haram have to be stopped if hundreds of local girls are to be saved.”

INEC HAS NO HIDDEN AGENDA IN MORE POLLING UNITS, SAYS JEGA

• Declares policy not yet implemented, insists 2015 polls will be better 
• Explains how troops’ deployment helped elections in Osun, Ekiti 
IN a fresh defence of the policies of his agency, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, Wednesday declared that there was no hidden agenda in thecreation of 30,000 additional polling units.
He said that the commission’s decision to re-configure the structure of the polling units as well as create additional ones was driven by collective aspirations of Nigerians to improve upon the electoral process for free, peaceful and credible elections in 2015 and beyond.
“There is no sectional or parochial agenda in this decision. It is to decongest over-crowded polling units and disperse as evenly as possible among all the polling units. To locate polling units more effectively within commuting distances of voters, given that movement is usually restricted on election day. We are creating additional polling units to cater for the splitting of large polling units as well as new settlements not serviced by any existing polling units.”

REPS JOSTLE FOR TAMBUWAL’S SEAT

Serious political manoeuvering is going on in the House of Representatives over who succeeds the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, should he move to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, as being expected.
The Speaker’s defection is expected to take place between now and Tuesday, according to sources.
Our correspondent learnt that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers are angling over who should replace Tambuwal and one name that has come up is that of the Leader of the House, Hon. Mulikat Adeola.
Adeola was the choice of the PDP and the Presidency for the Speaker’s position which was zoned to the South-West but was lost to Tambuwal during a political horse-trading that made nonsense of the ruling party’s zoning formula.
PDP lawmakers had defied their party and with the support of the APC ensured the emergence of Tambuwal.

FG, STATES, LGS SHARE N603.5BN FOR SEPTEMBER

A total of N603.529 billion was yesterday shared among the three tiers of government for the month of September which was lower than the N611.767 shared for August 2014.
N463.779 billion was shared among the three tiers of government as statutory fund, N65.102 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), N30 billion as additional distribution from NNPC, N35.549 billion from SURE-P and N6.330 as NNPC refund to the federal government.
Also shared was the N2.76 billion initially meant for transfer to the Excess Crude Account (ECA).
The gross revenue of N502.09 billion received for the month was lower than the N601.65 billion received in the previous month. The further decline in mineral revenue was attributed to the slight decrease in the crude oil prices and production loss due to shut-in and shut down of trunk lines and pipelines at various terminals.

ALLEGED N800M IMPEACHMENT BRIBE ROCKS EKITI ASSEMBLY

15 All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly members in Ekiti state have allegedly been bribed with a sum of N800 million to impeach the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
The lawmakers who has cut short its on-going recess to resume sitting today (Thursday) has been having close door meetings with various political stakeholders in the state on the bribe allegation.
The Ekiti Democratic Coalition (EDC), in a release issued yesterday and signed by its coordinator, Comrade Aderemi Olaleye, alleged that some lawmakers in the state met with the party leader, Bola Tinubu and former Governor Kayode Fayemi in Lagos on Monday, where the directive was given.
EDC alleged that each of the lawmakers got N50m while the Speaker, Adewale Omirin was given N100m.
“The lawmakers will be hinging the impeachment of the dissolution of Local Councils Caretaker Committee.

FG ALLOCATES N500 DAILY FEEDING ALLOWANCE FOR CORP MEMBERS – NYSC DG

The federal government has allocated N500 as daily feeding allowance for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This was disclosed yesterday by the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi.
He made the disclosure at a House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition investigative public hearing on the N4,000 online registration fee imposed on prospective corps members by the corps.
A civil society coalition: ‘Say No Campaign’ had dragged the NYSC before the Uzor Azubike-led House committee in protest against the contentious fees.
While responding to the petition, Brigadier Olawumi, who alluded to the poor welfare of the corp members, disclosed that the federal government approved N500 as feeding allowance for each corp member per day.