The Presidency has said that it has not received, not just the details but also the documents of 2016 Appropriation Bill from the National Assembly.
Speaking at the Corporate Headquarters of the Leadership Newspapers in Abuja on Thursday, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated that, “It is not true that the president has refused to assent to the budget. The fact remains that it (budget) is not even before him.
“The practice really is that when the budget is approved like that, there is what we call headline figure that is approved, then, it will take a few days for the National Assembly to throw up the details.”
It will be recalled that a government official under the condition of anonymity, had on Tuesday confirmed that President Muhammdu Buhari received the Budget, though without details.
“The President has just received the transmission of the Appropriation Bill (2016 Budget) from the National Assembly and is very anxious to sign it into law, but the National Assembly only sent in the highlights without the details of the budget”, the source had said.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, before now said that he would not sign the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law until he was sure that what had been returned to him was the same with what his administration submitted to the National Assembly.
He said he would do a ministry-to-ministry review before he appends his signature on the Budget.
Lai Mohammed further stated that despite controversies surrounding the 2016 Budget, the President and the National Assembly nurture no rift.
He said: “On the passage of the budget, I want to clear the misconception. There is absolutely no rift between the executive arm of government and legislative arm of government”.
DRAMA! Oshiomole Blasts Buhari’s Critic, Ayo Fayose
Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has slammed his Ekiti State counterpart Ayodele Fayose, describing him as a “fraudster”.
Oshiomhole through his political adviser, Charles Idahosa criticized Fayose’s frequent attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari, stressing that, “It’s just a pity that Nigerians tend to forget history fast. I am always shocked when people take Fayose seriously. This regular attack on Buhari is to prepare the ground because he knows he will go down”.
He further affirmed that, “All his actions are to whip up public sentiments so that when his sins catch up with him, people will say that it’s because he is always attacking the government. Is he the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary or spokesman?”
FINALLY! Van Gaal Makes SHOCKING Admission About Man Utd Job
Manchester United manager, Louis Van Gaal has shockingly admitted that it is quite possible that he would not be at Old Trafford next season.
The Dutchman, while fielding questions from newsmen at a press conference on Friday said his continued stay at the Red Devils will be based on the decision of the management.
“I think the board has to evaluate after the results of this year, what they have to do,” he said.
“I cannot predict that when I do not know the facts. First you have to see the facts, I have always said that.
“The results and the titles and Champions League positions you can only say at the end.
“I am a rational person. I know a Manchester United manager has to win something, but I am still working on that.”
Goal reports that Van Gaal has been criticised for failing to get the best out of many of the players at his disposal and former Red Devils winger, Angel Di Maria recently claimed that he struggled at United because he was played out of position.
But Van Gaal has hit back at the Argentina international, insisting he must take some of the blame for an underwhelming single season at Old Trafford in 2014/15.
“I have never seen a player who doesn’t look at himself [like him].
“He looks at the way he performed here and [claims] it is always the fault of the manager.
“So he is one of the players who has no self-criticism. Unfortunately it is my life as a manager. It is always like that.”
Facebook Creates New Web-Based App For BBM Users
The Blackberry Technology Company announced today that it has worked with Facebook to launch an updated “web-based Facebook app” which people can use to continue enjoying the features of the BlackBerry 10 OS and BlackBerry OS app for Facebook.
The news comes a week after Facebook announced it was killing support for its BlackBerry native app on March 31. “Facebook will continue to support BlackBerry 10 and BBOS. The experience will be slightly different, but you will still get the same Facebook features you love,” the post stated.
In addition, the new Web-based app offers some features that are not available in the existing Facebook app for BlackBerry. These features include the ability to reply to comments and see replies to comments. All posts will now load in your feed, and “any features available to Facebook website users will be available to you in the updated application.”
The announcement will please some users who were otherwise concerned about accessing Facebook on their phone after March 31. “Our fans are fighting for us, and we love their support. That’s why we have worked hard with Facebook to address some technical challenges and the best solution was to move forward with a Web-based app,” the company wrote today.
UN Peacekeepers Gave African Girls $9 For Dog Se x – Group
An advocacy group has released rather unsettling news detailing the horrific tale of how at least 98 Central African Republic (CAR) girls were allegedly sexually abused by international peacekeepers.
According to rt.com, the report was released by AIDS-Free World, an international advocacy organization, obtained. The group said that MINUSCA, the UN’s peacekeeping mission in CAR, met with local leaders and victims “who reported that troops from France and Gabon have sexually abused several girls in their province.”
The group cited three CAR girls who said that they, along with a fourth girl, were raped by UN peacekeepers.
The girls said they “were tied up and undressed inside a camp by a military commander from the Sangaris force (the French military intervention in CAR) and forced to have sex with a dog,” the group wrote.
Then after the debasing act, each girl was reportedly given 5,000 Central African Francs ($9) or roughly N1800
“The three girls interviewed sought basic medical treatment. The fourth girl later died of an unknown disease. One of the survivors said that she was called ‘the Sangaris’ dog’ by people in the community.”
According to the group, the alleged perpetrators “left CAR, returning home in 2015.”
Also the organization mentions one more case of a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by a Congolese UN peacekeeper.
The girl’s mother told police that the peacekeeper “raped her daughter in a hotel room at 4pm on Monday, March 28, 2016.”
“When police questioned the accused in the presence of his UN military commander, the soldier confirmed that he ‘had sexual intercourse’ with the victim several times, and paid her between 2,000 and 3,000 Central African Francs [$3-5dollars].”(or N600-N900)
The report was sent directly to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who immediately issued a response, expressing his horror.
“I am shocked to the core by the latest allegations of abuse by international forces in the Central African Republic. Our focus must be on the victims and their families. We are talking about women and young children who have been traumatized in the worst imaginable way,” Ban said in a statement, released by the UN.
He added that these crimes by UN peacekeepers “only fester in silence.”
“Yet, we must face the fact that a number of troops who were sent to protect people instead acted with hearts of darkness.”
Earlier in March the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said it received new allegations which refer to incidents which occurred in 2014 and 2015 in the Kemo prefecture of the CAR.
The UN investigation into “these sickening allegations, which suggest sexual abuse and exploitation of a large number of women and girls, must leave no stone unturned,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
“We are taking these allegations – some of which are particularly odious – extremely seriously. It is vital that the victims are protected and receive all necessary care,” he said.
The United Nations currently has 106,000 troops and police serving in 16 peacekeeping missions.
Syrian Crisis Dealing BIG BLOW To Nigeria – UN
The United Nations (UN) Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms Fatma Samoura has stated that the UN is having challenges in mobilising resources for Nigeria’s Boko Haram-ravaged North-east in view of the humanitarian crises in other parts of the world.
She made the declaration yesterday during a visit to Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima at the Government House in Maiduguri, the state capital,
Followng Governor Shettima’s position that the $800 million set aside by the World Bank to rebuild the Northeast, is ”grossly inadequate”, Ms. Samoura, the UN representative, expressed regret over the situation, saying the crisis in Syria is hindering support for Nigeria’s North-east
“As we all know, the Syrian crisis that is affecting Europe is also taking a heavy toll in terms of funding from our traditional donors.
“We are trying our best to ensure that our advocacy and our communication strategy are up to the level where we will be receiving more attention from the donor community.
“The humanitarian response plan, as we speak, is just 10 per cent funded, meaning we have only received 24 million dollars.
“This is out of 248 million dollars budgeted for the North East of Nigeria for 2016,” she said.
Samoura, however, pledged that the UN would continue to complement the World Bank and the EU support to address the root causes of poverty and exclusion in the North East.
“The UN will also support the Borno Government in its work on recovery and rehabilitation for the safe return of the IDPs back to their areas of origin,” she said.
Samoura said her visit to Maiduguri was to demonstrate the sympathy of the UN to the appalling situation of the 1.8 million people who have been displaced by insurgency.
She commended the strong leadership and commitment of the governor to finding sustainable solutions to safe and voluntary return of the IDPs to their places of origin.
Five Jailed For Beating Journalist To Death Over Facebook Comment
Five men on Friday were sentenced in Azerbaijan for up to 13 years in prison for beating to death a journalist who had criticised an Azeri football team player on Facebook.
Court in the capital Baku found the men “guilty of inflicting serious bodily harm that caused the death” of journalist Rasim Aliyev, judge Eldar Ismayilov said in the courtroom.
The men were sentenced to prison terms ranging from nine to 13 years.
Aliyev, a 30-year-old photo and video journalist for a number of online publications, died in hospital in August last year after being beaten by a group of men who had contacted him over his Facebook post about a heated football match between teams from Cyprus and Azerbaijan.
Aliyev had criticised the behaviour of the Azeri team Gabala’s striker Javid Huseynov who waved a Turkish flag after the match with Cypriot team Apollon Limassol and allegedly made an offensive gesture at a journalist.
Aliyev wrote that Huseynov “did not know how to behave” and should not play in matches in Europe.
Aliyev told the Turan agency before his death that he had received insulting comments about the post.
He said he was contacted by telephone by a man claiming to be a cousin of the player. After initially abusing him, the man phoned him back in a conciliatory tone and invited him to drink tea.
“I came out alone. There were five or six of them and they immediately threw themselves at me and started beating me up,” Aliyev told the agency.
He later died in intensive care after his condition worsened and he underwent an emergency operation.
