BUHARI NEEDS TO UNDERGO A LESSON IN LEADERSHIP FROM NO OTHER PERSON THAN HIS OWN VICE PRESIDENT

***POSITIVE AND WARM BODY LANGUAGE ARE KEY DESIDERATA OF SUCCESSFUL LEADERS*

VP Osinbajo

Vice, sorry, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is an interesting man.
I think he is a deep thinker. He has to be. He is not just a professor of law, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
He was for several years, a university teacher and naturally will understand that the warmest teachers teach better.
When students feel relaxed with a particular teacher, the tendency that they will understand him better is very high. We all went to school and we know this is true.
Being warm and good natured is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign a strength. A big one.

In the last couple of weeks, Prof. Osinbajo has visited some states which could be considered "political enemy zones".

He had gone to Anambra to see the INNOSON CAR FACTORY.
He was in Abia to see face to face with shoe and garment makers.

Progress report on the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) - Osinbajo

The National Home Grown School Feeding scheme, part of our Social Investment Programmes has kicked off in Anambra this past December, in collaboration with the state government. The children have been feeding and enjoying their healthy, well prepared meals.

Generally, the Homegrown School Feeding programme, which is one of the Social Investment plans of the Buhari presidency, is driven through community participation where residents in the community are engaged as cooks to provide feeding services. Also the programme leverages on the agricultural produce available within the communities.

The Homegrown School Feeding programme of the Buhari administration will not only boost school enrollment and improve the nutritional status of the pupils, it would also stimulate local farming, while equally creating jobs including the 774 cooks now in gainful employment in Anambra State.

BUHARI'S SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES IN TOP GEAR ACROSS THE NATION

*MORE STATES RECEIVE FUNDING FOR HOMEGROWN SCHOOL FEEDING 

*PAYMENT OF N-POWER BENEFICIARIES IN VARYING STAGES OF PROGRESS IN 34 STATES
*PAYMENTS OF CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER IN PILOT STATES CONTINUE

As the Buhari administration proceeds with the implementation of its Social Investment Programmes, the Federal Government has now released over N375 million this year to feed almost 700,000 primary school pupils in 5 states, while virtually all States of the federation, except two, are now being processed for the payment of N30,000 monthly Stipends to 200,000 graduates, the N-Power Beneficiaries.

Giving a Media Update in Abuja on Sunday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande said the Buhari Social Investment Programmes, SIP, are proceeding at different stages of implementation.

According to him, regarding the Homegrown School Feeding Programme, the Federal Government last week released money for this year, to the States of Anambra, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ebonyi to cover the feeding for 10 school days.

Fundamental Flaw Of Nigeria Structure

The current structure of Nigeria and the thinking that led to it is fundamentally flawed. The crude thinking was to bring "development" to the grassroots under a feeding bottle formula from the center - Abuja (or Lagos before then). So people (politicians) were complaining that "when money gets to Ibadan it is spent in Ibadan (by Ibadan people) and does not reach Oshogbo". Solution: give them Osun State so that money can go to Oshogbo. When money gets to Enugu it is spent by the Nike people. Solution: give them Ebonyi and Anambra so that development can reach there under the same feeding bottle formula.

INEC to rescheldle registration points for eligible voters in FCT and 11 states

INEC PRESS STATEMENT

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has noted with concern the agitation in some quarters for an extension of the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), which ends on Monday, August 25th, 2014.

This phase of the exercise, which commenced on Wednesday, August 20th, 2014, involved the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 11 states namely Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kwara, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, Oyo Delta and Cross River.

Much as the Commission is eager to ensure that all legitimate persons who are yet to register as voters have the opportunity to do so, it is logistically impossible to extend this phase of the CVR beyond its scheduled deadline (i.e., Monday, August 25th, 2014).

But in order to give fair chance to legitimate registrants, the Commission will, on a date to be shortly announced, set up registration points at its Local Government Area (LGA) offices where people yet to do so can go to register.

INEC notes with deep regret that old tendencies towards irregularity, such as partisans urging people to come out and do multiple registrations, largely accounted for the crowd clusters lingering at registration points set up for the CVR by the Commission. Many other people who have relocated since the last registration exercise and only needed to apply for their registration status to be transferred to their new location also turned up for fresh registration. When data are consolidated and de-duplication is carried out by INEC, all instances of multiple registrations will yet be eliminated. But, unfortunately, these sets of people obstructed legitimate registrants from having their turn at the registration points.

Ekiti Elections- Why Fayemi Lost And The Lessons For APC

Most APC die-hard supporters could not believe there would be an upset. But the handwriting became clearer on the wall when it was obvious that Bimbo Daramola, Yemi Adaramodu, Adewale Omirin, the Deputy Governor Prof Mrs Adelabu and former Governor Niyi Adebayo all lost their wards/booths. From results, out of the 12 wards in Oye Local Government, Governor Kayode Fayemi's Local Government, APC won only 2 wards while PDP cleared the rest. 

#EkitiDecides: PDP should devote the energy they use to steal elections to the Nation – Tinubu

With today’s election, Ekiti State has become the epicenter of Nigerian electoral politics. Here, the major political fault lines converge into a great foreshadowing. 

Fateful questions not only about Ekiti but about the course of our nation and its uncertain democracy will be asked and may be answered this day. If this is how history will have it, so be it. Elections in Nigeria have rarely been a transparent exercise.

The ruling party has mostly dug into its bag of electoral tricks to cast about a vast assortment of malpractice over almost every important contest.

As the ruling PDP senses its popularity flag and apprehends the existence of an opposition party that it cannot dominate, PDP anxiety has become acute. Rigging is no longer a tool it uses in election.

Rigging has become an article of faith for them. With the advent of the APC, the PDP finally faces a challenger strong enough to remove its chokehold on the nation’s future.

Igbo Political Elites Play “Bread And Butter Politics” - Ngige

Senator Chris Ngige representing Anambra Central Senatorial Zone in the Senate, has said one of the major problems militating against Ndigbo in Nigeria politics is that their political elites play “bread and butter politics”. Ngige, who stated this when he spoke to newsmen in Awka, the state capital, said that is the reason there are a lot of prominent Igbo political elites in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and when they return home, they come with deluge of policemen and security men to protect themselves.

President Jonathan Launches Construction Of Second Niger River Bridge

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr.  Goodluck Jonathan  launches the construction of second Niger river bridge.

Jonathan who also  commended the people of the country's South-East and South-South zones for their patience over delays in the construction of the second Niger River Bridge when he launched construction of the bridge here Monday.

Before performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge at Atani, near Onitsha in Anambra state, President Jonathan said, "My sincere promise during my campaign is today made a reality to the good people of the South-East and South-South," 

Restaurant shut down for serving roasted human heads

Two freshly severed heads wrapped in clingfilm have reportedly been found at a hotel restaurant which was being investigated for serving "human flesh".

Police officers made the discovery last week at the restaurant in the state of Anambra after a tip-off from a member of the public, and also found weapons including two AK-47s at the premises.

Steaks of human flesh were reportedly being sold for around ₦700 (£2.50) according to witnesses.

The hotel and restaurant have been shut down and the owner, six women and four men have been arrested.

Nigeria2015 elections: Police ‘mopping up’ arms

The force has suspended the issuance of licence for private arms.

(NAN) - The Nigeria Police said they have started mopping up arms ahead of the 2015 general elections in the country.

Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.

He added that the police had placed surveillance on public armouries across the country and the nation’s borders in order to checkmate illegal possession of arms.

He said that many black spots were also being raided across the nation.

“One major factor behind thuggery is the proliferation of illegal arms. As a result of this, we have been mopping up arms across the country,” Mr. Mba said.

He disclosed that many illegal arms had been discovered in Lagos State.

“Police in other states are doing same. We are mounting surveillance on public armouries to check proliferation of light arms in wrong hands.

“The Marine police are checking our waters, particularly in Niger Delta. We are checking local arms production,” he said.

Mr. Mba said the police had also discovered some factories in Edo, Anambra and other places. Those arms and factories were destroyed, he said.

The police spokesman said that arrangement was on to recover all illegal arms in the country for destruction.

He said the police were collaborating with the military, Department of State Service, Civil Defence Corps, Immigration, Customs and private security organisations to achieve set goals.

“As we speak, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has placed embargo on issuance of licence to individuals for arms. This is just one way to check arms in the country,’’ he said.

Mr. Mba said the IGP had reduced the use of police escort by politicians and some private persons nationwide.

He said that surveillance had also been placed on politicians and private persons, with a view to checking anyone using police officers without permit.

“We should however note that some people are to be protected by the police because of their position in Nigeria. Even in developed world, the state provides special security for some people’’, he said. (NAN)