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What Nigerian Women Will Expect From Buhari - By Rinsola Abiola

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<b>Nigerian women constitute 51% of the country’s population; what this means is that women are in the majority and therefore, should be considered in every aspect of decision making.</b></div>
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In an ideal world, it would be apparent to everyone that women’s rights are human rights; however, our society is far from ideal, or else the many women’s organisations engaged in one form of advocacy or the other for women's rights would have no reason to exist.</div>
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The topic of this piece may elicit reactions such as: “but why should women want specific initiatives when men aren’t making demands?”, or “these women are rabble-rousers”, and of course, “the feminists are making noise again”; because of those who are prone to so wantonly dismiss women’s advocacy as something not worthy of being taken seriously.</div>
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It is imperative that an overview be given regarding the state of Women Affairs in Nigeria.</div>
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<b>Poverty and Economic Empowerment</b></div>
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In this part of the world, widowhood and poverty are inseparable items; this is not the problem, but a symptom of the problem itself. Women are at a disadvantage in virtually every sphere of endeavour; from politics where our participation is limited due to its capital intensive nature, to agriculture where, although a large number of women are involved, majority own small farmlands and cultivate with obsolete tools and farming techniques.</div>
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There have been many schemes geared at empowering women but these have barely scratched the surface; in recent times, there was YouWIN, which had an edition dedicated to women entrepreneurs. While this did help a couple thousand, there was one clear flaw; to submit a business plan via the internet, you must have attained a certain level of education. 83% of unemployed Nigerians are people without a degree from a higher institution; these requirements, therefore, effectively denied the worst hit demography access.</div>
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Another challenge that many other women face is access to funding and while this is most definitely not a gender-specific problem, there exist cultural and social norms which militate against the participation of women in business and economic activities.</div>
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Some hold the view that women MUST not work and have internalised dogma that “the place of a woman in the kitchen”. Beliefs such as these stop many women from attaining their economic potential.</div>
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<b>Education</b></div>
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Perhaps, one area where a discrepancy is most glaring is education; the rate of enrolment of boys into school is much higher than that of girls, most especially in the North.</div>
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While this problem once existed in most parts of the country – in part due to the “women belong in the kitchen” mentality and some parents’ concerns about their daughters being sexually exploited – a gradual attitudinal shift has seen some progress being recorded across board.</div>
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However, the figures still point to the fact that we ought to worry and urgently do something to close the gap – while also making concerted efforts to get the 10 million out-of-school children into school.</div>
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Fortunately, all hope is not lost as a solution has been implemented successfully in certain areas, and this will be discussed subsequently.</div>
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<b>Security</b></div>
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This is closely linked with the point on education. The North-East happens to be the worst hit in terms of education statistics and this has only been worsened by the relentless onslaught of Boko Haram criminals on helpless students and teachers in that region.</div>
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The Buni Yadi massacre which claimed the lives of scores of school boys and similar sad occurrences adversely affected the efforts that were being made to put children in school. The abduction of the Chibok Girls from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, is also still very fresh in our memories.</div>
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Some of the girls who escaped vowed to never return to school, while other students elsewhere have had their psyche so damaged that they abandoned their studies out of fear of Boko Haram. Citadels of learning became danger spots and even parents choose to have their children at home as long as it would guarantee their safety.</div>
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Another effect of the state of insecurity is the spate of abductions in the North-East; the hundreds of women and girls rescued from Boko Haram camps in recent times point to just how much help and rehabilitation women in that region require.</div>
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The APC government must concern itself with providing this and more importantly, ensuring that never again will our women and girls be dragged from their homes and schools and forced into unholy marriages in which they are repeatedly violated by thugs and murderers.</div>
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<b>Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse</b></div>
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Violence is bad and unacceptable, irrespective of who perpetrates it. While I acknowledge that domestic violence and sexual abuse are offences perpetrated by both men and women, it is an irrevocable fact that an overwhelming majority of victims are female.</div>
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The Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill was recently signed into law and while this is a victory in itself, it behoves the APC government to enforce it. Also, it is rather counterproductive to have a bill prohibiting domestic violence while a penal code says that a man may beat his wife; the necessary amendments must, therefore, also be made.</div>
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<b>Equal Opportunity and Gender-Based Discrimination</b></div>
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The government of Ekiti State, before the garrulous <i>rice-o-cracy</i>, made history by introducing this. The Equal Opportunity Bill is legislation which seeks to protect those who are at a disadvantage; the weak and downtrodden, and those who are most likely to be discriminated against and treated shabbily.</div>
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A lack of equal opportunity is why women are denied jobs not due to lack of qualification, but simply because they’re women. Until and unless this is clearly prohibited by law, it will remain as standard practise.</div>
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<b>Healthcare</b></div>
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The World Health Organisation defines maternal death as: “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of a pregnancy (irrespective of duration and site of the pregnancy) from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy... .”</div>
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Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world and the only way to effectively counter this is to improve healthcare both through the provision of equipment and the training of staff, such as midwives.</div>
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Another health concern is HIV; women are more susceptible to the virus and while awareness is high, a lot still has to be done, especially in rural areas and regarding the younger generation. Other health challenges which should be put into account include the widespread use of harmful bleaching products; we could follow the lead of other African nations who have banned these.</div>
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<b>Solutions</b></div>
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Some effective ways of solving the aforementioned challenges are listed below;</div>
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– The provision of credit facilities not just to women, but to Nigerians who require such assistance with setting up their businesses. Due to certain realities (e.g. education statistics) which put women at a disadvantage, the requirements may therefore be relaxed for women.</div>
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– Pres. Jonathan needs to quickly accent to the Violence Against Person Prohibition Bill and its provisions must be enforced.</div>
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– Making it mandatory for each state to have a sex offenders’ register, and to publish the pictures and names of these offenders periodically so that the general public may beware.</div>
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– Making denying children education a criminal offense punishable with heavy fines and a jail sentence. This is necessary in order to serve as a deterrent but certain provisions must also first be made. In Kano, for instance, there are girls-only schools with dedicated buses which take the burden of transportation costs off parents. In Osun, students are given uniforms, books and a meal per day to serve as an incentive. What these imply is that the carrot and stick approach must be employed in order to overcome barriers and achieve tangible results.</div>
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Also, all solutions provided must be tailored to the community in which they are to be implemented, so that local collaboration and cooperation may be achieved.</div>
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– Terrorism must be fought, conquered and permanently relegated to history. Our students must once again feel safe and our women must cease to live the horror of being abducted.</div>
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The APC manifesto highlights a plan for security and this must be fully implemented.</div>
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– Improve healthcare delivery through provision of required equipment and training of staff, with strong emphasis on rural health centres. Campaigns on family planning and HIV prevention would also be required and these would gain a lot of mileage if the government partners with the relevant agencies. Ban bleaching products.</div>
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– Reviewing the institutionalised discrimination which prohibits Nigerian women from passing on citizenship to their children; this logic-defying archaic law directly implies that Nigerian women aren’t considered by the constitution as human enough for their children to be regarded as Nigerians.</div>
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– Political Inclusion. This is one of the most critical aspects of women empowerment because the active participation of women in governance is required for the formation of workable policies on women’s issues. While affirmative action has not always produced the best “representatives”, the APC does have a number of qualified women who would, no doubt, positively contribute not only to Women’s Affairs, but to delivering good governance and the dividends of democracy to all Nigerians.</div>
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The APC has shown commitment to breaking that glass ceiling (what with a female gubernatorial candidate in Taraba), and now is the time to do more to prove that truly, Nigerian women are stakeholders who should not just be “carried along”, but actively involved in steering the affairs of OUR country.</div>
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<b>Conclusion</b></div>
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A bird cannot fly with one wing; every society is made up of men and women and we all have something to offer. We should not be denied opportunities on the basis of gender; none of us chose to be male or female as we were being conceived and therefore, being either should neither give one undue advantage over the other, nor put one at a disadvantage to the other.</div>
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In a progressive government, men and women must be partners in progress.</div>
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<b><i>Rinsola Abiola (@Bint_Moshood) is an advocate for Gender Equity, youth inclusion in politics and good governance. She is also the PRO/Secretary of the APC Young Women Forum.</i></b></div>
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What Nigerian Women Will Expect From Buhari - By Rinsola Abiola

Nigerian women constitute 51% of the country’s population; what this means is that women are in the majority and therefore, should be c...

Court Clears Saraki In Bank Loan Case; AGF Says Allegations Baseless

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZBIvMWuxs2fSJ-UR6lsRNSb0toMWcoJ4jOtLoDzhCSI70AS_nvU1DLu_AoH1cK0saoUANTny8p8yY1XeCsDxwhJ2aqcHagty4GZ3MzJByD1aIziJMRW4aZ-_z_poLPY4yFpRJkp5r3YD/s1600/Saraki1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZBIvMWuxs2fSJ-UR6lsRNSb0toMWcoJ4jOtLoDzhCSI70AS_nvU1DLu_AoH1cK0saoUANTny8p8yY1XeCsDxwhJ2aqcHagty4GZ3MzJByD1aIziJMRW4aZ-_z_poLPY4yFpRJkp5r3YD/s1600/Saraki1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday cleared a former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, of any wrongdoing in a bank loan being investigated by the Police Special Fraud Unit since 2012.</b></div>
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Delivering judgment in a fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Saraki, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, from further inviting or arresting the former governor over the alleged bank loan. </div>
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The court hinged its order granted on Wednesday on a legal opinion by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke,  that the allegations of wrongdoing against the former governor was baseless.</div>
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The legal opinion of the Justice Minister was a response to the report submitted to him by the Inspector General of Police on police findings in a complaint by Joy Petroleum Limited.</div>
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Justice Mohammed also barred the agents of the IGP especially the operatives in the Special Fraud Unit from harassing, intimidating and breaching the fundamental rights of the former governor and his aides.</div>
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The court held that any attempt to commence any further interrogation of  Saraki  over an issue already declared closed by the Minister of Justice would amount to a breach of his fundamental rights.</div>
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Justice Mohammed said it would be unfair for Saraki to be subjected to further interrogation by police having been cleared of any wrongdoing by the AGF in the report police submitted to the minister for legal advice.</div>
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The Judge said the court had no choice than to give effect to the legal opinion of the Minister of Justice that the complaints against  Saraki were basless, unfounded and not supported with any shred of documentary evidence since he has no link with Joy Petroleum Limited, the complainant.</div>
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The court also held that the police ought to have stopped any further harassment of the plaintiff since the AGF had officially written to the Inspector General of Police to discontinue the matter.</div>
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Saraki had sued the Inspector General of Police before the court over series of letters of invitation extended to him to appear before the Special Fraud Unit for investigation on a bank loan resolved in his favour two years ago.</div>
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In the suit, Saraki complained of undue harassment and intimidation on the part of police and sought for protection of his fundamental human rights to justice and fair-play.</div>
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The former governor sought court order to quash the invitation on the ground that he had two years ago been investigated and exonerated by the police report.</div>
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Court Clears Saraki In Bank Loan Case; AGF Says Allegations Baseless

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday cleared a former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, of any wrongdoing in a bank loan being...

Nigeria's Enyeama Is 18th Best Goalkeeper In The World

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<b>Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, has been ranked the 18th best goalkeeper in the world in 2015 by United Kingdom newspaper, <i>The Telegraph</i>.</b></div>
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In a poll conducted by the media outfit on its website, votes were cast to determine who the best keeper in the world was and the Lille goalkeeper made the list of top 20 goalkeepers in the world.</div>
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Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer is in first place followed by Manchester United's David De Gea and Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois. Joe Hart of Manchester City is fourth while Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus came fifth.</div>
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Other goalkeepers in the top 20 are Petr Cech of Chelsea, Keylor Navas and Iker Casilas of Real Madrid, Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur and Salvatore Sirigu of Paris St. Germain.</div>
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Victor Valdes of Manchester United, Pepe Reina of Bayern Munich, Diego Lopez of AC Milan, Samir Handanovic of Inter Milan, Wojciech Scezceny of Arsenal, Rene Adler of Hamburg, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo of Barcelona and Southampton’s Fraser Forster complete the list.</div>
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Enyeama has had an astounding season in the Ligue 1 with English giants Liverpool reportedly scouting the Nigerian keeper ahead of a £3m deal at the end of the season.</div>
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The Reds' scouts have been impressed with the 32-year-old's performances after watching him in action.</div>
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Enyeama became only the second Nigerian footballer to attain the 100-cap mark, when he featured for the Eagles in the 1-0 defeat to Uganda in an international friendly in Uyo in March.</div>
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Meanwhile, Enyeama has said he is not disappointed by his club's inability to win any trophy in the outgoing season.</div>
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Lille are eighth in the French Ligue 1 table thereby missing out on the chance to play in next season's UEFA Europa League but the goalkeeper, who also missed out on the Best African Player in the French League, told<i> footballlive.com</i> that he was already preparing for next season.</div>
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"I didn't win any championship or trophy but I want to thank God, it was an amazing year for me as a player", he said.</div>
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"The planning for the next championship has to start now and I think that we are ready to start preparation for the forthcoming season."</div>
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Enyeama has kept 16 clean sheets for Lille this season but has conceded 40 goals in 37 games. During the 2013/14 season, Enyeama kept 11 consecutive clean sheets, only conceding a goal after 1,062 minutes, which made him 114 minutes shy of equalling Gaëtan Huard's Ligue 1 goalkeeping record of 1,176 minutes of clean sheets set in 1993.</div>
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Nigeria's Enyeama Is 18th Best Goalkeeper In The World

Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, has been ranked the 18th best goalkeeper in the world in 2015 by United Kingdom newspaper, The T...

US Authorities Slam $5.7 Billion Record Fine On 5 Big Banks

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCEfE1IwHhr1QNUUT3Xf3Rq9_HLfEJQ1C0Ew7gcRdcv0FKF_V_iPxq0lDmonn7kWeIGFCZw8ucvy5sEn-GoPFvj3PlSf_VLKjjXgjrQjxpR-QrHjURnTH12hHRTdjbp0-l_QrnuXSNNiD/s1600/US+Central+Bank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCEfE1IwHhr1QNUUT3Xf3Rq9_HLfEJQ1C0Ew7gcRdcv0FKF_V_iPxq0lDmonn7kWeIGFCZw8ucvy5sEn-GoPFvj3PlSf_VLKjjXgjrQjxpR-QrHjURnTH12hHRTdjbp0-l_QrnuXSNNiD/s1600/US+Central+Bank.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Five of the world's largest banks are to pay fines totalling $5.7bn (£3.6bn) for charges including manipulating the foreign exchange market.</b></div>
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Four of the banks - JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup and RBS - have agreed to plead guilty to US criminal charges.</div>
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The fifth, UBS, will plead guilty to rigging benchmark interest rates.</div>
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Barclays was fined the most, $2.4bn, as it did not join other banks in November to settle investigations by UK, US and Swiss regulators.</div>
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Barclays is also sacking eight employees involved in the scheme.</div>
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US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that "almost every day" for five years from 2007, currency traders used a private electronic chat room to manipulate exchange rates.</div>
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Their actions harmed "countless consumers, investors and institutions around the world", she said.</div>
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Separately, the Federal Reserve fined a sixth bank, Bank of America, $205m over foreign exchange-rigging. All the other banks were fined by both the Department of Justice and the Federal Reserve.</div>
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<b>Cartel threat</b></div>
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Regulators said that between 2008 and 2012, several traders formed a cartel and used chat rooms to manipulate prices in their favour.</div>
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One Barclays trader who was invited to join the cartel was told: "Mess up and sleep with one eye open at night."</div>
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Several strategies were used to manipulate prices and a common scheme was to influence prices around the daily fixing of currency levels.</div>
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A daily exchange rate fix is held to help businesses and investors value their multi-currency assets and liabilities.</div>
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<b>'Building ammo'</b></div>
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Until February, this happened every day in the 30 seconds before and after 16:00 in London and the result is known as the 4pm fix, or just the fix.</div>
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In a scheme known as "building ammo", a single trader would amass a large position in a currency and, just before or during the fix, would exit that position.</div>
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Other members of the cartel would be aware of the plan and would be able to profit.</div>
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"They engaged in a brazen 'heads I win, tails you lose' scheme to rip off their clients", said New York State superintendent of financial services Benjamin Lawsky.</div>
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The fines break a number of records. The criminal fines of more than $2.5bn are the largest set of anti-trust fines obtained by the Department of Justice.</div>
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The £284m fine imposed on Barclays by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority was a record by the regulator.</div>
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Meanwhile, the $925m fine imposed on Citigroup by the Department of Justice was the biggest penalty for breaking the Sherman Act, which covers competition law.</div>
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The guilty pleas from the banks are seen as highly significant as banks have settled previous investigations without an admission of guilt.</div>
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The Attorney General warned that further wrongdoing would be taken extremely seriously: "The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file criminal charges for financial institutions that reoffend.</div>
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"Banks that cannot or will not clean up their act need to understand - it will be enforced."</div>
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<b>BBC</b></div>
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US Authorities Slam $5.7 Billion Record Fine On 5 Big Banks

Five of the world's largest banks are to pay fines totalling $5.7bn (£3.6bn) for charges including manipulating the foreign exchang...

Anenih Steps Down For Jonathan As PDP BoT Chair

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy2gjyTiwPL3M_J1UTrxx5uwFClCm0vBag4tIh5HHdujAW5rWby-DUpxND6WyhqyGYAnZ7MUjR72SMuRM4U_SmLcs3A5GcLfMwAuomXO3e2sE5r-0ZdOtdf6Z6oezmU34cQ7nhHT7PT5S/s1600/Anenih.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy2gjyTiwPL3M_J1UTrxx5uwFClCm0vBag4tIh5HHdujAW5rWby-DUpxND6WyhqyGYAnZ7MUjR72SMuRM4U_SmLcs3A5GcLfMwAuomXO3e2sE5r-0ZdOtdf6Z6oezmU34cQ7nhHT7PT5S/s1600/Anenih.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Anenih, has said his resignation Wednesday, was to allow President Goodluck Jonathan take over the position.</b></div>
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Mr. Anenih had earlier resigned his position citing the current state of affairs in the party as his reason.</div>
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In a one-page letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the leader of the party, Mr. Anenih said his decision to quit would enable the President to effectively assume the chairmanship of the BoT.</div>
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The letter dated May 20, 2015 was titled: "Notice of my decision to step down as Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party".</div>
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Mr. Jonathan leaves office on May 29 following his defeat by his All Progressives Congress (APC) challenger, Muhammadu Buhari, in the March 28 presidential election.</div>
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The letter reads: </div>
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Your Excellency will recall that in a conversation I had with you a few weeks ago, I had offered to step down from the office of the Chairman of our party's Board of Trustees and proposed to hand over to you as its new Chairman in a ceremony that would have taken place on the 23rd of May, 2015. I had also repeated this position in our subsequent meetings.</div>
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As a follow up to the above proposal and in view of the current state of affairs in our party, I have decided to formally put my offer in writing to enable you effectively assume the Chairmanship of Board of Trustees or approve a process that will enable any other member of the BoT who is considered competent, to assume the position.</div>
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Kindly accept therefore, this letter as notice of my decision to step down from the position of Chairman of the BoT of our party with effect from today, the 20th of May, 2015.</div>
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I am happy to inform you that, I remain a loyal foundation member of our great party and will continue to pray for the prosperity of Nigeria, our party, and for you and your family.</div>
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Your Excellency, kindly accept the expression of my highest regards.</div>
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Mr. Anenih's resignation followed a similar decision by <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/05/just-in-pdp-chairman-adamu-muazu-throws.html">the party's chairman, Adamu Mu'azu, who also stepped down on Wednesday</a> as the ruling party faces its gravest crisis in its 16-year history.</div>
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The PDP has been in turmoil since it lost the presidential election which held March 28.</div>
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The party also lost most of its states especially in the north to the APC.</div>
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The APC has also snatched the majority number of seats in the two chambers of the National Assembly.</div>
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Top members of the party, including governors, have been calling on the NWC members to resign their positions for leading the party to its most disastrous outing since 1998.</div>
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Already, <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/05/pdp-nwc-orders-review-of-fani-kayodes.html">the party has ordered the investigation of one of its top members, Femi Fani-Kayode</a>, for criticising its leadership.</div>
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In a sign the party's crisis may be far from over, officials on Wednesday questioned why the PDP hastened to announce that it had accepted the resignation of Mr. Anenih, when the former BoT chairman's letter was addressed to President Jonathan.</div>
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The disclosure by Mr. Anenih that President Jonathan would likely become the next BoT chairman, has a precedent in the party.</div>
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On the eve of his exit from office, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had caused the PDP Constitution to be amended to reserve the chairmanship of the party for past president.</div>
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The constitution was, however, altered during the 2012 Convention to open the position for others.</div>
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Mr. Anenih, who had been the PDP BoT chairman before Mr. Obasanjo, was reappointed into the position when the former president resigned in April 2012.</div>
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<a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/02/breaking-obasanjo-dumps-pdp-tears.html">The former president said he resigned to have more time</a> to develop his Presidential Library and to mobilise and encourage investments in Nigeria and Africa.</div>
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<a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/02/update-obasanjo-dumps-pdp-tears.html">He left the party in February this year</a>.</div>
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<b>Premium Times</b></div>
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Anenih Steps Down For Jonathan As PDP BoT Chair

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Anenih, has said his resignation Wednesday, was...

Full Text Of VP-Elect Osinbajo's Speech At APC Dialogue

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUTHyIavw_YtUlDiLI3mxKLMYbhPq3asdTcGQ9zfVB-Y7BBYg2Fi6rJjvCcA-f9x0kWfadxgRAsH3nSuLvgQFtCbOVydFBT4nxad1-KHJtZ92ttSskQt9N975PsBKnwysf1Bdt8_TA0Lo/s1600/PYO+Official2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUTHyIavw_YtUlDiLI3mxKLMYbhPq3asdTcGQ9zfVB-Y7BBYg2Fi6rJjvCcA-f9x0kWfadxgRAsH3nSuLvgQFtCbOVydFBT4nxad1-KHJtZ92ttSskQt9N975PsBKnwysf1Bdt8_TA0Lo/s1600/PYO+Official2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Find below the full text of the address by Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Vice President-elect of Nigeria at the opening occasion of the 2-Day Policy Direction Dialogue holding in Abuja.</b></div>
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Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this policy dialogue as we enter the final stages of our nation’s transition to a new administration.</div>
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In the course of the election campaign, we ran an issues-based campaign that identified certain areas of public policy as high priorities for propelling Nigeria forward. We addressed the challenges of the Economy, Insecurity, Corruption and Jobs Creation. We spoke to the challenge of providing opportunities for self-actualization to millions of our young people who face an uncertain future with understandable anxiety. We also addressed the challenge of providing for the most vulnerable segments of our population by equipping them with the tools to emerge from the crippling limitations of poverty to achieve dignified and productive citizenship.</div>
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The figures of extreme poverty in our society- 110 million by current estimates- makes it clear that our biggest national problem is the extreme poverty of the majority. Thus, no analysis is required to conclude that dealing with poverty and its implications is a priority.</div>
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We are concerned that our economy is currently in perhaps its worst moment in history. Local and international debt stands at US$60 billion. Our Debt servicing bill for 2015 is N953.6 billion, 21% of our Budget. On account of severely dwindled resources, over two-thirds of the States in Nigeria owe salaries. Federal institutions are not in much better shape. Today, the nation borrows to fund recurrent expenditure.</div>
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This is also against the backdrop of a highly unequal society in which, by some reckoning, the largest chunk of the benefits of our national wealth accrues to a small percentage of our population. Our manifesto offered a vision of shared prosperity and socio-economic inclusion for all Nigerians, that leaves no one behind in the pursuit of a prosperous and fulfilling life.</div>
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Our goal this morning is to interrogate these positions and propositions before a wider audience and to launch a robust public conversation on policy directions and priorities that will help inform our administration’s approach in the next four years. This forum exemplifies the sort of consultative and consensual approach to policy-making that our party and the new administration intend to model in office.</div>
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This morning, on every street corner across this nation, Nigerians, as is their daily custom, will cluster around the local vendor and debate the burning national issues of the day. The fervency of these loosely structure “policy dialogues” suggests that Nigerians are fairly well acquainted with our problems and their touted solutions. The missing link has always been how to implement the identified solutions to these problems. In other words, we know the “what” and the “why” but have not been as adept at the “how.”</div>
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Our task is broad and deep. Our sessions will explore a wide range of policy priorities including the diversification of the economy in the wake of declining oil revenues by engendering job-led growth, the revitalization of agriculture in pursuit of job creation and food security, improving the regulatory frameworks in our most strategic sphere of economic activity - the oil and gas sector, improving access to qualitative and affordable healthcare, reducing inequality, reforming our education system to close the gender gap in access to education and to enable our children become effective contestants in the global economy, expand participatory diversity and inclusion in public life and tackle inefficiency and graft in public service.</div>
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Our brief is very expansive and must do justice to all the issues on the table. While a definitively exhaustive discourse cannot be conducted within the limits of the time we have. This forum is not intended to produce a comprehensive agenda. Rather, it is designed to inaugurate a robust conversation that will continue long after we have left these precincts. Our immediate duty today is to set the tone for what we desire to be a serious and intelligent dialogue about the future of our nation.</div>
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Consequently, this forum cannot and will not be another talk shop. Our deliberations must be informed and pointed submissions that lay adequate emphasis on the “how” of implementation. I enjoin us to avoid over analysis and indeed the paralysis of analysis and focus more on specific actions, resource requirements, time lines, key performance indicators and milestones for evaluating progress, measurable parameters, goals and targets. Our presentations should also profile risks such as the key challenges that will have to be confronted in the process of policy execution.</div>
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We have a few days to go- to enter into a new bold Nigerian enterprise. There are many hurdles to scale but we are confident that by God’s grace our Nation will serve its people well.</div>
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Thank you.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Vice President-Elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Abuja - FCT</b></div>
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<b>May 20, 2015</b></div>
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Full Text Of VP-Elect Osinbajo's Speech At APC Dialogue

Find below the full text of the address by Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Vice President-elect of Nigeria at the opening occasion of th...

PDP NWC Orders Review Of Fani-Kayode's Membership Status

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLkwuBzZ7O1S6fo1cDEoFzgjRzAv-U0ePJmtlg51tVkaHkL004XdOKyz-drRQJvrwHSiWPXPGY6pJQPzggJz6bAR-alsxx6Au2gggH9-mGmvjbEF7iBcjG7nVLltTCFQtsifk7wqh3TvH/s1600/Femi-Fani-Kayode1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLkwuBzZ7O1S6fo1cDEoFzgjRzAv-U0ePJmtlg51tVkaHkL004XdOKyz-drRQJvrwHSiWPXPGY6pJQPzggJz6bAR-alsxx6Au2gggH9-mGmvjbEF7iBcjG7nVLltTCFQtsifk7wqh3TvH/s1600/Femi-Fani-Kayode1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Osun State chapter of the party to review the membership status of the Media Director of its Presidential Campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode.</b></div>
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In a letter dated March 20, a copy of which was obtained by <b>The Nigeria Newsroom</b>, the NWC wants Fani-Kayode's membership status reviewed as a result of "the press war mounted against the NWC by Mr Femi Fani-Kayode".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ujCrtdjQt6qtSIGBHQGdi6E370XOKKQ6Ajm54A1PsXoPik55SOXbBgixrjO9irWA2zzBoTqtjJ91BIHXGkQgv-zBzx-rtvMVdj7aeNQUTSbgdYcFRIhghekJmgIeb3beNPwU5t81keBU/s1600/FFK+PDP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ujCrtdjQt6qtSIGBHQGdi6E370XOKKQ6Ajm54A1PsXoPik55SOXbBgixrjO9irWA2zzBoTqtjJ91BIHXGkQgv-zBzx-rtvMVdj7aeNQUTSbgdYcFRIhghekJmgIeb3beNPwU5t81keBU/s1600/FFK+PDP.jpg" /></a></div>
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PDP NWC Orders Review Of Fani-Kayode's Membership Status

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Osun State chapter of the party to review the ...

India Mom Places Ad Seeking "Groom" For Her "Son"

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5rzg0PXA3PSw8PYWhXvCXKtqH-pmWMLwMKqszzyZNN0ulzutgapdhC-jFhwXNe9-desx-qcIqvZ_MIc5hPwBue6d48hE0bsshaujTMPAahto1paSqmVcTlq5Wp3y0dnm8QGMkwQzN_M8/s1600/IndianMom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5rzg0PXA3PSw8PYWhXvCXKtqH-pmWMLwMKqszzyZNN0ulzutgapdhC-jFhwXNe9-desx-qcIqvZ_MIc5hPwBue6d48hE0bsshaujTMPAahto1paSqmVcTlq5Wp3y0dnm8QGMkwQzN_M8/s1600/IndianMom1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>At first glance, it looks like an unremarkable matrimonial advertisement, the kind you'd find in every Indian newspaper; a focus on financial security, eating habits, and caste.</b></div>
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"Seeking 25-40, well-placed, animal-loving, vegetarian, for my son (36, 5'11") who works with an NGO. Caste no bar".</div>
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But we omitted one key word from the advertisement.</div>
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The mother is looking for a well-placed, animal-loving, vegetarian "groom" for her son.</div>
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It's being called India's first advertisement for a partner for a same-sex marriage.</div>
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The problem is that gay marriage is illegal in India. Not only that, <a href="http://judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgs1.aspx?filename=41070">India's Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that "carnal intercourse"</a> - interpreted here to mean gay sex - is punishable with anything up to a life sentence.</div>
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Harish Iyer, the groom in question, is a prominent gay rights activist based in Mumbai. He was also the only Indian mentioned in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/careers/world-pride-power-list-2013-11-100">Guardian's list of 100 most influential LGBT people in 2013.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4q7uo7WYnaRSO-cpKhfwEFXfVtZ6-nl8W_g1Lf62GHl6nwk-r7LkuRpR1kDeZ0h0XySH3cIaj8-gRnUqqpLyKWnP7dIH1jW_MsMd_Iz2_GvePj9RrqZyVnRcVUZYqu9SSTwmYsDKcWWCb/s1600/IndianMom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4q7uo7WYnaRSO-cpKhfwEFXfVtZ6-nl8W_g1Lf62GHl6nwk-r7LkuRpR1kDeZ0h0XySH3cIaj8-gRnUqqpLyKWnP7dIH1jW_MsMd_Iz2_GvePj9RrqZyVnRcVUZYqu9SSTwmYsDKcWWCb/s640/IndianMom.png" width="458" /></a></div>
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"My mother is like any other mother", he says. </div>
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"She wanted to find me a partner and help me settle down. It became news only because I was looking for a man instead of a woman."</div>
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The news itself is now part of the news.</div>
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While the Indian newspaper <a href="http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-mother-places-ad-for-a-groom-for-his-son/16224155"><i>Mid-Day</i></a> published the advertisement, three other leading national dailies refused to run it.</div>
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According to Iyer, <i>The Times of India</i> and <i>Daily News and Analysis</i> rejected the advertisement because of "legal reasons." </div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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<i><b>CNN</b></i> was unable to obtain any further comments from the newspapers.</div>
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<i>Hindustan Times</i> gave Iyer a message in writing, which he shared with <b>CNN</b>: "Dear Mr. Harish, Sorry to say but we can't carry this advertisement in HT Matrimonial Section." No further explanation was given.</div>
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<i>Mid Day</i>'s executive editor Sachin Kalbag told <b>CNN</b> his organization did not see the LGBT community as any different. </div>
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"A lot of credit goes to the advertising department because they treated this as any other ad." Kalbag told CNN he hopes other papers will follow suit.</div>
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<a href="https://www.planetromeo.com/lgbt/gay-happiness-index/">Planet Romeo,</a> a gay dating-app, places India 81st in the world for "gay happiness" - a ranking to determine how gay men are treated by their societies. India ranked behind Kuwait, Qatar, and Djibouti.</div>
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India has a curious relationship with sexuality. In 2014, India became one of the few countries in the world to legally recognize transgender people as <a href="http://cnn.com/videos/world/2014/04/29/pkg-kapur-india-transgender-rights.cnn">"third gender."</a> Eunuchs, for example - known as hijras in India - are commonly seen on Indian streets. They play a role in Indian ceremonies likes births or weddings, their good wishes seen as a blessing.</div>
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But Iyer says the LGBT community in India is frequently bullied.</div>
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"Although we, as a society, are slowly changing, I think there is still a very long way to go."</div>
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India Mom Places Ad Seeking "Groom" For Her "Son"

At first glance, it looks like an unremarkable matrimonial advertisement, the kind you'd find in every Indian newspaper; a focus on ...

We Are Inheriting $60 Billion Debt From Jonathan - Osinbajo

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghI67thuFEOUluCT9i32ACRHws7A3qVUSEfBipogBJnWWfUhoYsl5z7_9CWc1uLf6WSyRdGKMuthXFaWxUe4AAFL12CWORL8mRI_XmWzRicwZ-AkPT9CKoHUR8JjtyIYeEU1FcegNdLpSQ/s1600/PYO+Official2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghI67thuFEOUluCT9i32ACRHws7A3qVUSEfBipogBJnWWfUhoYsl5z7_9CWc1uLf6WSyRdGKMuthXFaWxUe4AAFL12CWORL8mRI_XmWzRicwZ-AkPT9CKoHUR8JjtyIYeEU1FcegNdLpSQ/s1600/PYO+Official2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The Vice President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday disclosed that the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration will be inheriting a whopping $60 billion as foreign and domestic debts from the Goodluck Jonathan administration.</b></div>
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Speaking at the opening of a two-day policy dialogue on the implementation of the agenda for change, Osinbajo also said current estimate revealed that about 110 million Nigerians are suffering from poverty.</div>
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He also lamented the state of the Nigerian economy, saying it was unfortunate that the nation has to spend 21 percent of its 2015 budget on debt servicing, while two-thirds of the states in the country cannot pay salaries due to dwindled resources.</div>
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He said: "We are concerned that our economy is currently in perhaps its worst moment in history. Local and international debt stands at $60 billion. Our debt servicing bill for 2015 is ₦953.6 billion, about 21 per cent of our budget. On account of severely dwindled resources, over two-thirds of the states in Nigeria owe salaries. Federal institutions are not in much better shape. Today, the nation borrows to fund recurrent expenditure.</div>
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"The figures of extreme poverty in our society - 110 million by current estimates - makes it clear that our biggest national problem is the extreme poverty of the majority. Thus, no analysis is required to conclude that dealing with poverty and its implications is a priority.</div>
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"In the course of the election campaign, we ran an issues-based campaign that identified certain areas of public policy as high priorities for propelling Nigeria forward. We addressed the challenges of the economy, insecurity, corruption and jobs creation.</div>
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"We spoke on the challenge of providing opportunities for self-actualization to millions of our young people who face an uncertain future with understandable anxiety. We also addressed the challenge of providing for the most vulnerable segments of our population by equipping them with the tools to emerge from the crippling limitations of poverty to achieve dignified and productive citizenship.</div>
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"This is also against the backdrop of a highly unequal society in which, by some reckoning, the largest chunk of the benefits of our national wealth accrues to a small percentage of our population. Our manifesto offered a vision of shared prosperity and socio-economic inclusion for all Nigerians, that leaves no one behind in the pursuit of a prosperous and fulfilling life.</div>
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"Our goal this morning is to interrogate these positions and propositions before a wider audience and to launch a robust public conversation on policy directions and priorities that will help inform our administration's approach in the next four years. This forum exemplifies the sort of consultative and consensual approach to policy-making that our party and the new administration intend to model in office", Osinbajo said.</div>
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We Are Inheriting $60 Billion Debt From Jonathan - Osinbajo

The Vice President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday disclosed that the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration will be inherit...

Fayemi's Opening Remarks At APC Policy Unveiling Dialogue

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7V0tVtMYxCeb8jB0VVaEc0SQC07XRr6WNTbOTklc2SS1Nh1Xve7yp1TS23nNN_O-tv1w6stvkI-_JohVYd_JuIVRd6y5-VPiH1skBtSBLO4beqyUHWkTRcA3LOvmV-9KOwvtq-8Rp5vrg/s1600/Fayemi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7V0tVtMYxCeb8jB0VVaEc0SQC07XRr6WNTbOTklc2SS1Nh1Xve7yp1TS23nNN_O-tv1w6stvkI-_JohVYd_JuIVRd6y5-VPiH1skBtSBLO4beqyUHWkTRcA3LOvmV-9KOwvtq-8Rp5vrg/s1600/Fayemi.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The All Progressives Congress (APC) today, in Abuja, unveiled the policy roadmaps of the incoming Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government. Below is the opening remarks delivered by former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, who is the Director of Policy and Research Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.</b></div>
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Protocols.</div>
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This event is the gratifying culmination of an assignment that commenced several months ago. The Directorate of Policy, Research and Strategy has been behind the scenes contributing our modest quota to the presidential campaign of our then candidate in the March 28, 2015 general election, and now president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari. Indeed, prior to this, some of us in the directorate had worked with other patriotic party members to develop a most compelling manifesto. We subsequently ensured the harmonisation of the manifesto with the personal ideals of our president-elect, thus creating a necessary coherence of all aspects of our party’s expressions, that lent a powerful clarity and focus to our message of change. It also involved articulating our message in a variety of ways and means accessible to all our people.</div>
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Our task, as we saw it, was to undergird our campaign with an intellectual and strategic rigour that positioned our party as the pre-eminent movement of ideas in the recently concluded electoral cycle. Our desire, right from the onset, was to open a new chapter in the annals of partisan politics in Nigeria – one that departed from the personality-centered incivilities of the most banal kind that characterized the electioneering season. We sought to inaugurate a new model of issues-based, principle-centered campaigning. We believed that the stakes had never been higher in our nation’s history of democratic politics, and a new approach was required. This new approach was evident in our disciplined refusal to depart from a laser-keen focus on the real issues affecting the Nigerian people rather than traffic in distractive rhetoric. Our approach focused on the electorate as being worthy of serious and sincere engagement and sought to bring clarity to the issues at stake.</div>
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The outcome of the historic polls attests to the fact that not only did the right candidate and party triumph, the right ideas and the right approach also prevailed. The majority of Nigerians demonstrated their readiness to be taken seriously as voters, and duly rewarded the party that sincerely addressed their pressing issues. This commitment to seriously tackling the themes that affect the lives of our people remains a cardinal principle of our pact with Nigerians and informs the convening of this policy dialogue.</div>
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I can disclose with some pride that a majority of the lead presenters in this dialogue are members of the Directorate of Policy, Research and Strategy and have all been instrumental in crafting the policy priorities and propositions that helped decisively swing the fate of Africa’s largest democracy in favour of progressive forces. Our group has been one big family that has thought deeply and broadly about Nigeria. We conducted our work not in a spirit of competition but in one of collaborative problem-solving dedicated to a higher goal of giving our nation an unprecedented opportunity for progress.</div>
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In a sense, the phase of policy conception is over and we are entering the phase of execution, governance, of providing tangible developmental deliverables. The challenge of translating ideas into policy and praxis now looms large. Given the degree of work that has been put in by the Directorate and our well documented national problems of policy implementation, the focus should now be on evolving an institutional framework to deliver the agenda for change.</div>
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As I indicated earlier, the Directorate of Policy, Research and Strategy customarily operates behind the scenes. This momentary exposure to the glare of the public is, in fact, our final curtain call. It has been the greatest honour to have served with an indefatigable corps of dedicated men and women who have for several months seized the day and burned the midnight oil in the cause of securing a progressive future for our nation.</div>
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I wish to thank my colleagues for their service and to thank the party for giving us the opportunity to serve and the president-elect for his faith in and encouragement of our efforts. On behalf of the Directorate, I also wish to express my gratitude to the Nigerian people for finding our ideals worthy of your trust.</div>
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Thank you.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>KAYODE FAYEMI</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>DIRECTOR, POLICY RESEARCH AND STRATEGY DIRECTORATE</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>ABUJA-FCT</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>MAY 20, 2015</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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Fayemi's Opening Remarks At APC Policy Unveiling Dialogue

The All Progressives Congress (APC) today, in Abuja, unveiled the policy roadmaps of the incoming Muhammadu Buhari-led federal governme...

NGF: PDP Govs Dump Jonathan, Demand Explanation On Excess Crude Account

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavhd-SREYPesfBpzunhku5OT_bx-jlB4SNVe4iPYgrhdaBCA8G1GHFvB9cKk9o0nlfo9BHPOItaRvfJCrGVCi2pFPrrPv947i8MMA_lXC7JcqN3cCUBCinUC-xFoE9inwWcyxbvXuR__3/s1600/NGF+Jang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavhd-SREYPesfBpzunhku5OT_bx-jlB4SNVe4iPYgrhdaBCA8G1GHFvB9cKk9o0nlfo9BHPOItaRvfJCrGVCi2pFPrrPv947i8MMA_lXC7JcqN3cCUBCinUC-xFoE9inwWcyxbvXuR__3/s1600/NGF+Jang.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Few days to the exit of President Goodluck Jonathan from office, governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have aligned with their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to call for a return to the practice of true fiscal federalism in the operation of the Federation Account.</b></div>
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At the end of a troubleshooting meeting Monday in which the factionalised Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) coalesced into one, the governors unanimously demanded explanations from the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the alleged missing $20 billion being accruals to the Excess Crude Account for two years.</div>
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Recall that the agitation for the scrapping of the excess crude account (ECA) by the NGF under the leadership of the outgoing Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, led to a cold war between the Forum and the Presidency, with the former instituting a case at the Supreme Court, challenging the operation of the ECA by the latter.</div>
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The forum was subsequently polarised into two camps with the governors of Rivers and Plateau states, Amaechi and Jonah Jang respectively, parading themselves as chairmen.</div>
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But at the end of a meeting held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel on Monday night in Abuja, which had the likes of Governors Godswill Akpabio, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Gabriel Suswam, Isa Yuguda of Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Benue and Bauchi states respectively in attendance with Amaechi presiding, the governors urged the finance minister to give explanations on accruals to the excess crude account between June 2013 and April 2015.</div>
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The communiqué presented by Governor Amaechi, read in part: "In the light of the fact that funds in the excess crude account were last disbursed in May 2013, there is need for the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to provide explanations for accruals to this account from June 2013 to April 2015 which is estimated at over $20 billion."</div>
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The governors also resolved to conduct induction for governors-elect and establish a Governors' Forum Academy.</div>
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"The induction programme for new and returning governors will be held in June. It is also aimed at equipping new and returning governors with the knowledge of global best practices establishing and running their offices. The NGF Leadership Academy will be responsible for capacity building of governors and other officials holding public offices."</div>
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The NGF congratulated the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on his electoral victory and President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat.</div>
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Governor Amaechi also announced the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, as his successor. He is to serve for one year.</div>
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Others in attendance were the governors of Edo, Oyo, Osun, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Borno and Kebbi, while Kogi State deputy governor represented the Governor, Idris Wada.</div>
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<b>The Sun</b></div>
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NGF: PDP Govs Dump Jonathan, Demand Explanation On Excess Crude Account

Few days to the exit of President Goodluck Jonathan from office, governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have a...

JUST IN: Benue PDP Rep-Elect Loses Seat Over Certificate Forgery

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Hxrf9_TPJ9G2hyphenhyphenvnSZBWzIPGZKyDV8Jeo5J1QnqVA7AHEy20214-lOOFKGWngfW-NFNhbUH8JO6MScbsEosYSVsGCTBmx2rHLJykJYRAmgJlpQ1Q6CbOMe5SiqInT3VbL3jizHrTkNmO/s1600/Abah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Hxrf9_TPJ9G2hyphenhyphenvnSZBWzIPGZKyDV8Jeo5J1QnqVA7AHEy20214-lOOFKGWngfW-NFNhbUH8JO6MScbsEosYSVsGCTBmx2rHLJykJYRAmgJlpQ1Q6CbOMe5SiqInT3VbL3jizHrTkNmO/s1600/Abah.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The dream of a PDP elected member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Christian Adabah Abah, of joining his colleagues in the 8th National Assembly has been cut short as a Federal High Court in Abuja Wednesday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to invalidate the certificate of return earlier issued to him.</b></div>
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In his ruling, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in the suit filed by Hassan Saleh, contesting Abah's eligibility to stand for the election, held that the allegation of certificate forgery leveled against the first respondent (Abah) has been proved to be true beyond reasonable doubts, <i><b>Dare Lasis Blog</b></i> reports.</div>
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The plaintiff alleged that Abah forged the National Diploma (ND) certificate in Accountancy he claimed to obtain from the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa, in 1985 and which he submitted to the INEC.</div>
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The judge reiterated that outcome of the investigations indicated that an earlier judgment of the National/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, delivered on September 6, 2011 as well as the purported letter written by the institution's Registrar, Mr. Suleiman Buba, confirmed that the certificate was fake.</div>
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Consequently, the court ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, to immediately commence prosecution of Abah, who was recently elected to represent Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency seat of Benue State for forgery and perjury.</div>
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Abah, was returned unopposed by the INEC as he was the only candidate fielded for the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections in his constituency.</div>
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Sequel to the ruling, Justice Ademola established that the votes he garnered during the State's NASS primary held December 6, 2014, were invalid, hence simultaneously ordered that a new Certificate of return be issued to the plaintiff, Mr. Hassan Saleh.</div>
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JUST IN: Benue PDP Rep-Elect Loses Seat Over Certificate Forgery

The dream of a PDP elected member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Christian Adabah Abah, of joining his colleagues in the 8th Nati...

[JUST IN] PDP Chairman, Adamu Mu'azu, Throws In The Towel

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtB_6CDUkg1JOPNMBMTstRWRkyMArPbYcGxPwnRoVXZKPdiHwEgQpPZVwXu-TF3d1ZkjV4D9IytpdsMbA3AwSZJmuUIWHNzLSMFqG9Ds4UinDB1WJhfZkNBf2C_dilIUAUtwtcpKzedgIW/s1600/Muazu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtB_6CDUkg1JOPNMBMTstRWRkyMArPbYcGxPwnRoVXZKPdiHwEgQpPZVwXu-TF3d1ZkjV4D9IytpdsMbA3AwSZJmuUIWHNzLSMFqG9Ds4UinDB1WJhfZkNBf2C_dilIUAUtwtcpKzedgIW/s640/Muazu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Adamu Muazu, Wednesday, resigned as chairman of the party following pressure from party leaders, stakeholders and supporters of the party.</b></div>
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In a letter he wrote to the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Muazu, noted that due to the abysmal performance of the party during the March 28 Presidential election, it became imperative for him to go and for peace to reign in the PDP.</div>
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In the letter, he asked Secondus to step in as acting National Chairman in line with the party's constitution.</div>
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As at the time of this report, the leadership of the party is holding a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting on the former Chairman's resignation.</div>
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[JUST IN] PDP Chairman, Adamu Mu'azu, Throws In The Towel

The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Adamu Muazu, Wednesday, resigned as chairman of the party fo...

Boko Haram Member Dressed As A Woman Arrested In Yola

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJtu4I5xOThdkuYmFexvSV3TC4RArkFl_TEmhJdYCodu7tvpZKgkeXxMghpxd5DF88OPx5mFqRZVkC_byiYBwHA9VY7fUZyw1UISildfQgL81OHyqoadves0vWgLdMuRSobwJYlJqmlJn/s1600/BH+Member1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJtu4I5xOThdkuYmFexvSV3TC4RArkFl_TEmhJdYCodu7tvpZKgkeXxMghpxd5DF88OPx5mFqRZVkC_byiYBwHA9VY7fUZyw1UISildfQgL81OHyqoadves0vWgLdMuRSobwJYlJqmlJn/s1600/BH+Member1a.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Eagle-eyed security operatives on patrol in Yola this morning arrested a suspected member of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group who disguised as a woman. </b></div>
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He was reported to have revealed during interrogation that about 30 members of his cell are already in Yola and he was on the way to reunite with them. </div>
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Nigerians, please be more vigilant and conscious of your environments. Promptly report strangers with strange behavior, and strange movements to the authorities.</div>
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See more photos below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvooRzJWNmJL3sUUZwHct1SRp0fHEdWhLxzRiV3054T1uQIqUX69X9pGwqb_OaiTLfFdxjGOBTl-ZeygexwvwVwjqjhk81X1sTvo9UUrmLK8Y8cRuRczUTdT8ZY27mjJbvcDSjrUeRZtf3/s1600/BH+Member2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvooRzJWNmJL3sUUZwHct1SRp0fHEdWhLxzRiV3054T1uQIqUX69X9pGwqb_OaiTLfFdxjGOBTl-ZeygexwvwVwjqjhk81X1sTvo9UUrmLK8Y8cRuRczUTdT8ZY27mjJbvcDSjrUeRZtf3/s640/BH+Member2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiLU8uq7kk0_SmTXLmVVstH6gu7yN7MnvWzNmyS6Up7qXY8i5P_-i6LihFEBCxQ3hPdEFEhFfR8IDKE3q40AqJFRhfQm2fYNnnREOK8saqSOry9L2IVwnaKMHOETOkYywz7_k6DPObixL/s1600/BH+Member1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiLU8uq7kk0_SmTXLmVVstH6gu7yN7MnvWzNmyS6Up7qXY8i5P_-i6LihFEBCxQ3hPdEFEhFfR8IDKE3q40AqJFRhfQm2fYNnnREOK8saqSOry9L2IVwnaKMHOETOkYywz7_k6DPObixL/s640/BH+Member1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUltVsZofo6b6awug73TYRWpuFDOL9JHjRnwAUjUnwXqqekBgkNJNJCvRaNakOUBdm_DbUoOucj6qgrm_fFO4MpDfim7BMUscKlFr0Eysd_YKNeyG6tcddVMPdOGlzwi6Ne3zPPCadipVf/s1600/BH+Member3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUltVsZofo6b6awug73TYRWpuFDOL9JHjRnwAUjUnwXqqekBgkNJNJCvRaNakOUBdm_DbUoOucj6qgrm_fFO4MpDfim7BMUscKlFr0Eysd_YKNeyG6tcddVMPdOGlzwi6Ne3zPPCadipVf/s640/BH+Member3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Boko Haram Member Dressed As A Woman Arrested In Yola

Eagle-eyed security operatives on patrol in Yola this morning arrested a suspected member of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group who ...

2015 Elections: End Of Automatic Second Term Mandate - Obasanjo

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ7jMIJwwOvNdJijoCXvUjsTrF6_81hF2wllgZJw7CI2k75fZ-nQgEcxqlYJ5ElRx8skVFxAAm17TcJdIpvQA-arBx-7k8StPF8mfRY1UllMzy8k6RM0txZs3r8mvbArQWHPWwDW-n6Z6/s1600/OBJ1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ7jMIJwwOvNdJijoCXvUjsTrF6_81hF2wllgZJw7CI2k75fZ-nQgEcxqlYJ5ElRx8skVFxAAm17TcJdIpvQA-arBx-7k8StPF8mfRY1UllMzy8k6RM0txZs3r8mvbArQWHPWwDW-n6Z6/s1600/OBJ1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, said yesterday that the outcome of the recently held elections in the country is an indication that securing a second term in office "is no longer a right".</b></div>
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He said the exercise sent a message to Africans and others across the world that a sitting president can lose an election.</div>
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Speaking at a press conference organised as part of events to mark African Day in Berlin Germany, the former president said until the recent elections, most leaders in the country and on the continent thought that securing another term in office was automatic, "in fact it was considered impossible to lose".</div>
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He said: "The peoples wish prevailed", adding, 'I am proud to say it here that Nigeria got it right this time around.</div>
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"The elections may not have been perfect, but it was a reflection of the people's wish. Even where there were manipulations, it did not affect the results. Attempts to rig did not yield any positive results. I think with what happened, people will no longer be eager to manipulate elections".</div>
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He urged people in leadership positions to be mindful of their actions saying, "When we started the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) many people thought and even voiced it, that the party will rule forever, but look at it today. It is only 16 years down the road and the PDP is already an opposition party".</div>
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He said the development was very good for Africa, because "if anything goes well in Nigeria, that is a quarter of the continent going well".</div>
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On areas that he would want the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to prioritise as he assumes office in the next ten days, he said he could not be specific as there were many sectors in need of attention and that none can be discarded in favour of the other.</div>
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"If I say employment, what of power, security, education? If he takes up one and ignores the other, do you think he will complete his first tenure in office", he said.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Daily Trust</b></div>
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2015 Elections: End Of Automatic Second Term Mandate - Obasanjo

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, said yesterday that the outcome of the recently held elections in the country is an indication tha...