Sack Emefiele, CBN Governor now, lawyers tell Buhari

Lawyers ask for Emefiele's head

Arewa Young Lawyers Forum (AYLF) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to within 14 days disengage the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele over his “lackadaisical style of management”.

 

In a statement made available to journalists by its President, Barrister Abubakar Sadiq Ilelah, the Forum said things have continued to fall apart in the country since the appointment of Emefiele as the head of the apex bank. 

 

Ilelah said “Mr Emefiele is rated low in the performance index compared to his predecessors. He has drastically failed in promoting monetary policies to stem the continuous free fall of the Naira, halt the rising debt profile of Nigeria and poor management of the country’s foreign exchange.”

 

He said it is against this background, “we are hereby giving President Buhari 14 days ultimatum to take action that will save the Nigerian economy by disengaging and removing Mr Emefiele as the governor of CBN.” He said failure by the government to comply will lead to further actions by the Forum.

IOC upgrades Team Nigeria’s Beijing Olympics bronze to silver

Nigerian team of Franca Idoko Gloria Kemasuode Halimat Ismaila and Oludamola Osayomi

International Olympic Committee (IOC) has formally written to inform Team Nigeria through the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) that she has upgraded Nigeria’s bronze medal won in the women’s 4x100 meter relay at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing to silver.

Russia was stripped of the gold medal the country won in the women’s 4×100m relay at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, after doping scandal wreaked havoc on the nation’s athletes. The IOC disqualified Yulia Chermoshanskaya, 30, after a re-analysis of the retired runner’s samples from Beijing found traces of two banned substances in her system, stanozolol and turinabol. She was also disqualified from the 200m, in which she finished eighth.

NOC spokesman Tony Ubani said, in a letter from the IOC addressed to President of NOC, Engineer Habu Gumel and signed by Pere Miro, the IOC said: “it is our pleasure to inform you that your relay team is now placed second in this same event”. Belgium has been upgraded to the relay gold, with Nigeria moving up to silver and Brazil to bronze.

And in order to proceed to the re-allocation according to the new classification, the IOC asked the NOC to send back the bronze medals, the second place diplomas and the bronze medallists pins of Ms Franca Idoko, Ms Gloria Kemasuode, Ms Halimat Ismaila and Ms Oludamola Osayomi who were Team Nigeria’s flag bearers in the women relay team.

NUELA 2016 handball championship stirs interest

Guests and players in last year's edition

*Omu-Aran to enjoy prime skills display 

*Schools work hard to win tourney

By Ayo Fasanmi, Ilorin

Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State will be agog for one of the rarest sporting events of skills display by budding stars as Nuela Group of Companies organise the final phase of a three-day 2016 cadet handball U-12 and U-15 championship. 

The handball tournament which has awaken high interest and discussion amongst residents of the ancient Igbomina community, Omu-Aran is holding between 1^st and 3^rd of December 2016.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Emmanuel Olubiyo, the sponsor informed www.gongnews.net in Ilorin that the motive behind taking the competition out of the state capital is to spread the tentacles of the game to the nooks and crannies of the state.

Olubiyo, who is the Chairman, Kwara State Handball Association revealed further that the competition will be further hosted by another local government, come 2017 to ensure the game develops more in the rural areas.

The various Secondary Schools that will gather in Omu-Aran to fight for honours in the final stage of the tournament are Ilorin West LGA which will be represented by GGDSS Pakata, GDSS Adeta and Baboko Community Secondary School.

From the Ilorin East LGA centre are Army Day Secondary School Sobi. From Oke-Ero LGA is Iloffa Grammer Schoo, Iloffa), while Isin LGA will be represented by Iwo Comprehensive High School, with Oyun LGA represented by Ijagbo High School.

Ekiti LGA will be repsented by Osi Central College, Osi. Host Irepodun LGA is to be represented by GSS Omu-Aran School and Thomas Adewumi College Oko.

What the Akeredolu victory meant to our people -Elegbeleye, Ariyomo

Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye...see great future for the state

*Congratulates governor-elect

Two prominent members of the victorious All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ondo governorship election that brought victory to Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has in a review of the process thanked the people for investing massive confidence in the party and voted according to their conscience.

Former Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye and cerebral Tunji Light Ariyomo quipped in separate interviews with www.gongnews.net that the voice of the people is the voice of God.

To Elegbeleye, “it was a victory for democracy. Victory against tyranny and self serving leadership. Victory against imposition and negative politics. I hope his (Akeredolu) victory will put an end to politics of playing one community against others all in the guise of a selfish agenda.”

He added, “this is the voice of the people of Ondo and it is the voice of God. We thank the people for this rare confidence in our party and voting massively for our candidate. This is a community victory and we shall deliver the expected change to the people. We thank the people and by the grace of God, we shall make their electoral investment yield great results they will be proud of.”

Engineer Tunji Light Ariyomo in his own assessment said, “it is a new dawn in Ondo state. The state now has the 

opportunity to reset and refocus towards proper and sustenable development of the land and the people.”

“The man they have voted for is not just reliable, he is close to the people. He knows where the pains are. He visited virtually every community in the state during the campaigns. As a successful legal practitioner, he would bring that managerial leadership to play. The fortunes of our state certainly is looking so bright and enduring.” 

Tunji Light Ariyomo...interpreted the victory

“Did you check the result that brought is that victory? Don’t look at the margin. Look at the spread. There are some unusual facts. People came out massively. Two, we secured victories where we were made to look were not our areas of strength. Three, every vote counted in the election. From here, there is an assurance that electoral processes will continue to yield greater confidence in the nation. Here, one needs to commend the INEC for a great job which showed grit planning and mobilisation of resources.”

The two party figures congratulated the Governor-elect and wished him the very best in office. 

The election result at a glance:

1.     Ondo West AD. 7154 APC. 10672 PDP. 17382‎ ‎

2.     Irele AD. 6,710. APC. 11,138. PDP. 5,907

3.     Ifedore AD. 4,629. APC. 10,958. PDP. 6,747

4.     Akoko North East AD. 5,367 APC 13,645 PDP. 6,496‎

5.     Ileoluji/Okeigbo AD 4525 APC 10681 PDP 8306 SDP 144

6.     Ondo East. AD 2,742 APC. 4,253. PDP 7,317 7-

7.     Ose AD. 4272 APC. 13454 PDP. 6520

8.     Akure North AD. 4123 APC. 10710 PDP. 6498

9.     Akoko South East AD. 2270 APC. 6384 PDP. 4239

10.   Akoko South West AD. 9359 APC. 19892 PDP. 7691

11.   Akoko North West AD. 4831 APC. 13048 PDP. 6049

12.   Okitipupa AD. 16294 APC. 14930 PDP. 8031

13.   Owo AD. 2469 APC. 32988 PDP. 4241

14.   Odigbo AD. 8187 APC. 17581 PDP. 8668

15.   Idanre AD. 4836 APC. 10981 PDP. 7575

16.   Akure South- AD12,270, APC. 25,797, PDP 25,005

17.   Ese-Odo AD. 3562 APC. 10700 PDP. 8071

18.   Ilaje AD. 22789 APC. 7030 PDP. 5007 SDP. 159

Controversial NTDC boss, Sally Mbanefo, sacked by FG

Sally Mbanefo...eased out quietly

Federal Government on Wednesday eased out the controversial Director General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo.

The Director General has been asked to handover the affairs of NTDC to the next most senior officer.
The removal of the Chief Executive was contained in a 27th November, 2016 letter which was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir David Lawal.

The letter was titled “Notification of de-secondment from the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

The letter reads: “I refer to the attached letter, Ref. No. SGF.6/S.23/1/568 of 8th October, 2013 in respect of your secondment from the Keystone Bank Limited to serve as Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) for a period of two years with effect from 6th May 2013.

You may note from the foregoing that the period of your secondment at the corporation had since lapsed on 5th May 2016.

Consequently, you are to handover the affairs of the corporation to the most senior officer on or before Wednesday, 30th November, 2016.”

Omo-Agege replaces Akpabio as Senate Minority Leader

Senator Saraki with Senator Omo-Agege...after the swearing-in

*Senator Yele Omogunwa dumps PDP for APC

By Sandra Onyekwere

Senate on Wednesday in Abuja replaced former Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio with Labour Party Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, as the latter led a walk out on the parliament. He has been sworn0in immediately.

Angered by the defection of one of them, the senators elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday, staged a walk out of plenary session.

They were apparently piqued by the defection of the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Senator Yele Omogunwa, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Senator Yele Omogunwa...now APC

Omogunwa’s defection was formally announced at plenary by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, raised a point of order to the effect that Senator Omogunwa’s seat should be declared vacant.

Akpabio was however, ruled out of order by the Senate President, a development that prompted the opposition senators to stage a walk out of plenary.

As at press time, Senator Akpabio, flanked by other Minority Principal Officers was addressing the press on the development.

Shortly before the 26^th November governorship election in Ondo, the Senator joined some PDP big wigs in the state like former House of Representatives member, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye to dump the PDP.

Ondo state will now be controlled by the APC from February 2017, when the outgoing Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, is expected to hand over.

Political pundits opine that more PDP Senators may defect to APC in weeks to come meaning that the PDP Senators may have so many other walk out protests to make.

My suspension won't increase your height - Shehu Sani tells el-Rufai

Senator Shehu Sani and Governor Nasir el-Rufai

My "Indefinite suspension" by Governor Nasiru el-Rufai controlled, induced and misinformed self acclaimed "APC excos" and the paper it was written upon is as worthless and as useless as the used sanitary pads in the toilets of his family official residence. It's as valueless as the used tissue papers of his gluttonous and bulging poodles and lackeys.

 I wish to fully assure the bespectacled pygmy and his running dogs that the "new suspension" will not give them the public support they couldn't gather with the "first suspension".
 
For a man who has been unable to address the pervasive insecurity and genocide in southern Kaduna for a man who has been unable to stem the tide of rampant kidnapping and abductions in Kaduna, "suspending" Shehu Sani cannot be counted as an achievement. Mr Governor, my suspension will not increase your physical height nor give you the flesh or muscle of a macho.
 
El-Rufai remains a typical establishment man, who was brought to limelight by the PDP, nurtured by the PDP. He is a dubious progressive and a bogus representation of change. If el-Rufai represent change, then Mobutu, Batista, Kamuzu Banda represent change.

El-Rufai is a bug, a lice and a parasite to PMB administration. His loyalty to PMB is nothing but self serving and self preservation. El-Rufai is a foul air to any serious concept of change. El-Rufai remains the excrement of the toilets of PDP Wadata House and no broom or deodorant of change can give him a new identity.
 
 We will continue to work for the masses and defend their interest.
 
Senator Shehu Sani
Kaduna Central