NIGERIAN NOTCH

A former governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, on Monday urged Nigerians not to gamble with the idea of returning the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar to power in 2019. Musa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Kaduna that the country would be worse off if the main opposition party was allowed to come back. He said the PDP had ruled the country for 16 years before 2015 and all they brought to Nigerians was misery and underdevelopment. Musa said that the opposition party almost completely ruined the economy with massive corruption and plunder while in power. The governor said though all is not well with the country under the present All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, Nigerians should never risk having any hope in the PDP to make things better. Musa said that the PDP lacked the moral right to ask for a return to power, and a credible alternative was needed to turn things around in the coun

In another round of intervention, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Friday, injected over 337 million dollars in the Inter-Bank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market. The CBN also intervened to the tune of 53.44 million Chinese Yuan in the Spot and Short tenored forwards of the inter-bank foreign exchange market. The CBN spokesman, Mr Isaac Okorafor, in a statement in Abuja said that the move was in furtherance of the bank’s commitment to ensuring adequate liquidity and stability in the inter-bank foreign exchange market. The Bank had on Tuesday injected 210 million dollars in the Inter-Bank foreign exchange market. Meanwhile, the Naira maintained its steady rate against major currencies around the globe, exchanging for N362 to a dollar in the Bureau De Change segment of the market on Friday.

As Xenophobia on Sunday reared its ugly head again in South Africa, Nigerians have lost more than nine shops to arsonists in Hillbrow, central Johannesburg. The Publicity Secretary of Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr Habib Miller, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the telephone from Pretoria on Monday that South Africans allegedly committed the act. Miller said that the union had informed the Nigerian Mission in South Africa and was expecting their response to the development. “Nine Nigerian businesses have been looted and burnt. The incident began on Sunday and continued till Monday, Oct. 22. “Businesses affected range from restaurants, internet cafe, bar, groceries and stores. “ At the time of the incident, electricity in the area was cut off. One of the businesses affected is owned by Mr C.J. Ubah, a bar owner at Fife Street,’’ he said. Miller called on the police to come to the rescue of Nigerians by protecting their lives and property. “The union is

In the face of criticisms and calls for slashing of its funds, the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal has called for more funding for the National Assembly to enable it perform its duties. Tambuwal disclosed this on Monday while delivering a lecture at the Second Convocation and Awards Ceremony of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with the University of Benin. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said, that even though it is an unpopular argument, that so long as Nigeria operates a presidential system of government, the funding of the National Assembly remained meager, considering what is obtainable in other climes. Giving insights on how to boost the institutional capacity of the National Assembly, the Sokoto Governor stressed that for the committees of NASS to work effectively, more money must be allocated. “The constitutional responsibilities of the National Assembly are enormous, especiall

FORMER Governor of Anambra State and the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Peter Obi yesterday stated that Igbo leaders including South East Governors never disagreed on his nomination as VP candidate but disagreed with the process that led to his emergence. Obi who visited Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State at the government house, Abakaliki noted that he was in Ebonyi to familiarise with the state and also intimate them about his nomination as the vice Presidential candidate of PDP in the forth coming general election.  Obi said he also came to solicit the support of the Governor of Ebonyi State towards the coming election and commended the governor for his developmental strides since he assumed office. “Umahi is our leader, he is a man of impeccable character, he was at the centre of the storm but I want to tell the people that Umahi and Igbo leaders were misrepresented badly. Igbo leaders never disagreed with my nomina

•No genuine primary held in Ogun, Gov Amosun insists, alleges fraud, blames Lagos ‘cabal’ •This is my finest hour; 90% of party members with me — Oshiomhole  Following the deluge of controversies trailing the primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to clear the mess. In the same vein, the President has assured all aggrieved party members that any form of injustice arising from the primaries of the party would be addressed and no one would be treated unjustly. This is coming in the wake of moves by some governors belonging to the party to force a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party to address issues of arbitrariness raised against the national chairman. Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, one of those named in opposition against the national chairman, was adamant yesterday as he accused Oshiomhole of collaborating with a cabal based in Lagos t