Boko Haram Kills 30 in Gombe blast

A bomb blast victim (lying on the floor) being attended to by medical team in Gombe...

No fewer than 30 persons were killed on Friday when a bomb was detonated by some suspected Boko Haram insurgents at a bus terminus in Gombe.

Some residents of the town, who spoke to our correspondent, said the blast occurred at about 9am when the bus terminus was full with travellers.

The residents claimed that about 30 corpses lied at the bus terminus immediately after the explosion

An eyewitness, Ibrahim Issa, said, “It was quite unfortunate that today (Friday) will go down in the history of Gombe as Black Friday as the usually packed full terminus of the state transport authority aka Gombe line was attacked by suspected terrorists. “At about 9 am, an improvised explosive device went off at the park, while passengers were boarding commercial vehicles to various destinations across the country.

“The blast left scores of people dead, with many others sustaining various degrees of injury and 12 vehicles were affected.”

Addressing journalists at the scene of the incident, the Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Kudu Nma, said it was unfortunate that such a thing occurred in the state where peace had always been enjoyed.

Nma could, however, not ascertain the number of casualties at the time of filing this report, but a mortuary attendant with the Specialist Hospital confirmed that 23 bodies were brought from the scene of the incident.

It was also learnt that a body was deposited at the Federal Teaching hospital.

The police commissioner, however, confirmed the arrest of three persons suspected to be masterminds of the attack. The suspects were said to have sneaked into the park in a Volkswagen Sharon bus, with the inscription Yobe line on it.

When our correspondent visited the state Specialist hospital, tension rose as many people thronged the facility to check if their relatives were among the victims.

Meanwhile, the state Governor, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo, said eight people lost their lives as a result of the blast. He said this at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, shortly after visiting survivors of the incident, who were receiving medical attention.

Dankwambo, while describing the day as a sad one for the state and the entire nation, said eight people lost their lives and 46 others were injured but majority of them had been discharged from the hospital, while 15 were still on admission.

Man needs N8m for kidney transplant

Obinna Anokwuru

Obinna Anokwuru would have loved to celebrate his 35th birthday partying with family and friends on October 23, 2014, but the young man’s fate did not afford him such pleasure. In fact, only a few of his friends and family could wish him happy birthday: they seem not to have the emotional strength to wish him one.

In 2012 when Anokwuru was feeling unusually weak and dizzy, he had no idea of the pain ahead. Handsome and well-built, some of the female friends that once admired him had since stopped calling him. The feeling of love for him has now turned to that of sympathy – how emotions can quickly fade!

After proper diagnosis by medical experts, it was discovered that one of his kidneys had failed. And since then, the once smiles-beaming face of the bachelor has shrunk. Sitting down on a couch in his apartment with a protruded belly, it seems like his world is crashing right in his face. His business is gone already; and he is afraid his life may be gone also if he is unable to raise the fund for a kidney transplant in an Indian hospital.

Tambuwal fights back, sues FG, six others

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop the Peoples Democratic Party and six others from removing him from office.

This came on the heels of his historic defection from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress during the week.

The Speaker, who dressed in white flowing gown popularly called agbada and a white cap to match, was accompanied to the court premises by his supporters. He left the court premises shortly after completing the process with his lawyers.

The six other respondents in the suit are the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu; the House of Representatives, the Deputy Speaker of the House, the Inspector-General of Police, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Tambuwal prayed the court to hold that he still remains a member of the House of Representatives and its Speaker.

He further explained that he was elected the House’ Speaker on June 6, 2011 by members of the House, not because he was a member of the PDP, but by virtue of his being a member of the House.

PDP’ll sack Ajimobi in 2015 –Makinde

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

A governorship aspirant in Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Seyi Makinde, has said that the opposition party would win the 2015 governorship election in the state.

He stated this in Abuja on Wednesday when he submitted his expression of interest form to contest the governorship primaries on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo state.

Makinde said, “The PDP will sack Governor Abiola Ajimobi from office next year.”

While welcoming Makinde’s delegation to his office in Abuja, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, on Wednesday, described Makinde as a man of the people.

Abaubakar noted that the presence of the National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and other chieftains of the PDP on the entourage of Makinde showed that the aspirant has notable connections.

Makinde explained that the process of taking Oyo from the All Progressives Congress had begun with his submission of the expression of interest form.

He said, “I am proud of the quality of the state executive. I only demand a level playing field during the primary so that the most popular aspirant could emerge as candidate. I know that I will emerge as the Oyo PDP governorship candidate in a free and fair primary.

“All over the world, age, intelligence, vibrancy, passion, integrity and dedication are qualities of great leaders. 

I have these qualities and I want to offer myself for service of the my people.”

Polling units: Afenifere asks Jega to resign

 

A pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has kicked against giving autonomy to local government administration in the country in the recently concluded amendments to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly.

The group also called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to resign over his planned creation of additional 30,000 polling units across the country.

The group reached these conclusions after its meeting held in Akure on Tuesday at the residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasaranti.

Addressing journalists at the event, the Chairman of Afenifere, Ondo State Chapter, Chief Korede Duyile, said Afenifere had lost confidence in Jega’s capacity to conduct credible elections in 2015.

“Jega is pursuing a course that will affect the credibility of the next general election if he insists on going ahead with the creation of the additional polling units,” he said.

According to him, the creation of the units was totally against the interest of the southern part of the country, given that over 20,000 of the new units would be located in the north.

“We believe that Jega is acting on this based on uninformed issues. His actions are against the interest of those in the southern part of this country,” Duyile said.

On local government autonomy, he said the group had called on the Federal Government to come out clear on the recommendations of the National Conference before the report is eroded by actions by the National Assembly.

He noted that the granting of autonomy to local governments contradicted the position of the confab on local councils.

According to Afenifere, the recommendation was for the scrapping of the local government system from the constitution, so that states would be responsible for the creation and administration of local governments.

He also said the Afenifere was undergoing reorganisation to allow for an expansion of its membership given renewed interest from young elements from the Yoruba speaking communities to join the group.

Tambuwal: Jonathan calls emergency PDP meeting

 

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday engaged some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in a meeting aimed at taking a common position on the Tuesday defection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

The meeting took place hours after the House said the PDP, individuals and groups condemning the defection of   the speaker to the All Progressives Congress should not dictate to it on how to conduct its affairs.

Tambuwal had announced his defection from the PDP before he adjourned sitting till December 3.

The situation made the President to summon the National Chairman of the PDP,   Adamu Mu’azu, to the meeting which had the Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha; the Deputy Leader of the House, Mr. Leo Ogor; and a member from Delta State, Ndudi Elumelu, in attendance.

Some PDP governors such as Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa): Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu) were also part of the meeting.

Top government officials who attended the parley   included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; the National Security Adviser,   Sambo Dasuki; and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Muhammed Adoke (SAN).

One of those in attendance told one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity that the meeting centered on how to make Tambuwal vacate his seat as speaker.

“The issue of the Speaker and his exit was one of the fundamental issues discussed at the meeting,” he   said.

The source however did not disclose the decision reached at the meeting.

Another source said that Ihedioha “took the heat at the meeting.”

He did not explain further.

The presence of Adoke and Dasuki at the meeting suggested that they might have reviewed the legal and security implications of the options available to them with the two government officials.

Earlier, Mu’azu had at another meeting   the President had   with a delegation of the Federal Capital Territory Council of Chiefs,   dropped the hint that Jonathan summoned him.

“The President had summoned me for a meeting. I was with him when he wanted to come and receive you and he told me to follow you. I only did follow follow,” he had told members of the delegation.

The PDP had shortly after Tambuwal announced his defection called on him to do the needful by resigning as speaker.

The party, argued through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, that since Tambuwal became the speaker on the ticket of the “majority party (PDP), he had no right to continue to occupy the seat.

But the House said on Tuesday that   the PDP and most of the commentators on the issue were “ignorant” of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the House Standing Orders.

The   Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs,   Victor Ogene, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues,   said Tambuwal did not breach any law in defecting to the APC.

He also noted that there was no provision in the constitution prescribing that the speaker must be elected from among the majority party members.

Ogene cited Section 50 (1)(b) of the constitution to buttress his argument.

He said, “The clear provisions of Section 50(1) (b) of the Nigerian Constitution easily settle the worries regarding the continued speakership of Tambuwal – ‘There shall be a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.’’’

He also noted that the speaker was elected as the representative of the “generality of Nigerians” and not necessarily because he belonged to a particular political party.

On the views of some “commentators” that Tambuwal should have vacated his office by virtue of the provision of Section 68(1)(g) of the constitution, he replied that the matter was still awaiting judicial decision.

Ogene added, “It is common knowledge that following the defection of 37 members of the House in December 2013, from the PDP to APC, there has been multiple court cases on the matter, thus rendering it subjudice to discuss any likely outcome.

“Everyone is thus enjoined to await the final judicial pronouncement on the issue of defection, which has afflicted virtually all political parties in the land.”

He warned the PDP   against interfering with the lawmakers’ “privilege” and constitutionally-guaranteed freedom to choose their leaders.

Ogene stated, “Additionally, Order 1, Rule 1 (2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives states: ‘ In all cases not provided for hereinafter, or by sectional or other Orders, precedents or practices of the House, the House shall by resolution regulate its procedure.’

“It is in the light of the foregoing that the House wishes to appeal to those who seek to regulate its procedure from outside its hallowed chambers to have a rethink, as the nation’s Constitution, the Standing Orders of the House and precedent – as in the Speakership of the late Edwin Ume-Ezeoke in the Second Republic on a minority platform – have all provided answers to what would have otherwise been a knotty political issue.”

But as Ogene spoke, the PDP through its National Vice-Chairman of the party in the South-South, Dr. Cairo 

Ojougboh,   vowed to do everything within its powers to regain   the speakership of the House.

Ojougboh told journalists at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja that there was no way Tambuwal and other defectors from the party would be allowed to go away with the party’s mandate.

He said, “PDP is a very disciplined party. If you come and steal in the PDP and use the PDP to elevate yourself and get into office when the time comes, God will get you out like the issue of Tambuwal.

“You can see how God has exposed him. PDP will do everything within the law to regain its seat and that is what we are going to do in Edo and Rivers states as well. We are going back to the South-South to regain our seats.”

 

Jonathan receives N100.5m donations to buy PDP form

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday said he had received a total of N100.5m donations and pledges from persons, groups and communities who offered to assist him to pay for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination fee.

The PDP’s Presidential Nomination Fee is N20m and its Expression of Interest Form is N2m, making a total of N22m.

Jonathan said he would pick the nomination form on Thursday (today).

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President thanked all Nigerians who he said had been urging him to seek re-election based on his administration’s achievement in the last four years.

The statement read in part, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will tomorrow, Thursday, October 30 pick up the PDP nomination form for the 2015 Presidential elections.

“President Jonathan thanks all Nigerians, members of the PDP, friends, associates, and all groups who in sincere appreciation of the achievements of the administration in the last four years, have been urging him to seek a second term in office.

“President Jonathan is greatly encouraged by the overwhelming outpouring of goodwill and support, as well as the confidence of the generality of Nigerians in his ability to continue to transform the country for the good of its entire people.

“The President is also grateful to all the persons, groups and communities who have sent donations, and made pledges to assist him to pay the required N22m for the PDP Presidential Nomination Fee and Expression of Interest Form.”

Abati said 36 groups and communities donated to the buy-form-for-Jonathan fund.

According to the breakdown of the donations and pledges received by the President, the highest donors are the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria that donated N22m each.

Jonathan assured the donors that he would continue to do his best to justify the confidence they reposed in his leadership.