Gunmen on Saturday opened fire on the convoy of Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that a policeman, an operative of the Department of State Security and three other persons were injured in the attack and were taken to an undisclosed hospital.
It will be recalled that Odubu on Wednesday formally declared his intention to contest the September 10 gubernatorial election in the state under the All Progressives Congress (APC) amidst wide speculation that Governor Adams Oshiomhole was not in support.
He was said to have left for Auchi and was meeting with some delegates when the gunmen suddenly appeared, firing gunshots at his convoy.
According to a source, Odubu was not injured in the attack.
“No, he was not injured but two our security men were injured. It was in Etsako West, in Auchi.
“We ran for our dear lives. They injured a policeman, an SSS operative and three civilians and destroyed canopies. We learnt that they were paid N1m to carry out the attack,” the source said.
Barack Obama in surprise swipe at Clinton at final correspondents' dinner
Barack Obama has taken satirical swipes at Donald Trump and, more surprisingly, Hillary Clinton and ended his final White House correspondents’ dinner by literally dropping the mic and departing with the words: “Obama out.”
In the traditional tongue-in-cheek address to the Washington press corps on Saturday night, the president lampooned the Republican frontrunner’s foreign policy and business credentials while also mercilessly mocking the efforts of his fellow Democrat to appeal to younger voters.
Obama did not linger on Trump for as long as some had expected during his half-hour speech, especially those who recall the correspondents’ dinner in 2011 where he roasted the celebrity tycoon as he sat in the room.
Watched by an audience that included politicians, journalists, actors and Trump’s two sons, he pretended to wind up his remarks before interrupting himself: “No, I’m just kidding, you know I’ve got to talk about Trump. We weren’t just going to stop there. Come on!
“Although I am a little hurt that he’s not here tonight. We had so much fun the last time. And it is surprising: you’ve got a room full of reporters, celebrities, cameras, and he says no. Is this dinner too tacky for The Donald? What could he possibly be doing instead? Is he at home eating a Trump steak, tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel? What’s he doing?”
Evidently relishing this election year, Obama then made reference to Trump’s former ownership of the Miss Universe beauty pageant. “The Republican establishment is incredulous that he is the most likely nominee,” he continued. “Incredulous! Shocking! They say Donald lacks the foreign policy experience to be president but, in fairness, he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world. Miss Sweden. Miss Argentina. Miss Azerbaijan.”
As guests erupted in laughter, the candidate’s claim to be a winner in business was also targeted. “And there’s one area where Donald’s experience could be invaluable and that’s closing Guantanamo because Trump knows a thing or two about running waterfront properties into the ground.”
Obama said he had more material but would leave it there, prompting the crowd to beg for more. He went on to make a sardonic-but-serious point about the avalanche of media coverage devoted to Trump, who has warned that any attempt to deny him the Republican nomination at the party’s convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in July could lead to violent protests.
“I don’t want to spend too much time on The Donald,” he said. “Following your lead, I want to show some restraint because I think we can all agree that, from the start, he’s gotten the appropriate amount of coverage, befitting the seriousness of his candidacy. I hope y’all are proud of yourselves. The guy wanted to give his hotel business a boost and now we’re praying that Cleveland makes it through July.”
At that, Obama shook his head slightly and grunted: “Mmm, mmm, mmm. Mmm.”
Trump’s rival Ted Cruz received barbs for his recent reference to a “basketball ring” while campaigning in Indiana. Obama, whose father was Kenyan, said: “What else is in his lexicon? Baseball sticks? Football hats? But, sure, I’m the foreign one.”
But Obama’s fellow Democrats were not spared. When Obama hailed Sanders as “the bright new face of the Democratic party”, the white-haired, 74-year-old leftwinger, wearing a lounge suit instead of a tuxedo, rose to acknowledge audience applause. The president said: “I am hurt, though, Bernie, that you’ve been distancing yourself a little from me. I mean, that’s just not something that you do to your comrade.”
He then compared Sanders’ slogan, “Feel the Bern”, to an imagined one for Clinton that flashed up on screens: “Trudge up the Hill”, with the image of an “H” pushing a rock up a slope. “You’ve got to admit it though, Hillary trying to appeal to young voters is a little bit like your relative who just signed up for Facebook. ‘Dear America, did you get my poke? Is it appearing on your wall? I’m not sure I’m using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary.’ It’s not entirely persuasive.”
Clinton was also on the receiving end when Obama began his remarks by apologising for being late. He explained: “I was running on CPT, which stands for ‘jokes that white people should not make’” – a reference to a recent sketch by New York mayor Bill de Blasio and Clinton in which she castigated him for endorsing her so late, and he claimed to have been “running on CP time” (“coloured-people time”).
Obama went on: “Here we are, my eighth and final appearance at this unique event and I am excited. If this material works well I’m going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year. Earn me some serious Tubmans,” – references to Clinton’s lucrative speeches on Wall Street and the recent decision to put the founder of the Underground Railroad on the national currency.
As in past years, Obama made himself the butt of some of jokes, reflecting on the imminent end of his presidency. “I’m grey, grizzled, just counting down the days to my death panel.” He added: “Even some foreign leaders have been looking ahead, anticipating my departure. Last week, Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face. A clear breach of protocol.”
But he also noted: “In my final year, my approval ratings keep going up. The last time I was this high, I was trying to decide on my major.” He said he and his aides were mystified as to the cause of his popularity, while the video feed cut to a pictures of Cruz and Trump.
There was also a spoof video, “Couch Commander”, in which Obama and old foe John Boehner, former speaker of the House, united to consider life after leaving office.
Obama made a glancing reference to TV series Game of Thrones, described British actor Helen Mirren as “awesome” and, in paying tribute to vice-president Joe Biden, took a backwards swipe at George W Bush’s deputy Dick Cheney. “I love Joe Biden, I really do. I want to thank him for his friendship, his counsel, for always giving it to me straight. For not shooting anybody in the face.”
The president’s speech clearly tickled the audience in the Washington Hilton ballroom that included Biden, John Kerry, Republican party chairman Reince Priebus, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and actors Mirren, Jared Leto, Bryan Cranston, Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, and Tom Hiddleston.
Turning serious at the end, the president thanked the White House correspondents and praised a free press. “I just have two more words to say: Obama out.” With that, he held out the mic and dropped it, just as basketball star Kobe Bryant had recently done at the end of his last game.
Obama proved a hard act to follow. Comedian Larry Wilmore’s routine had a more mixed reception, with gags about the media prompting groans but other lines hitting the mark. He ended on a poignant and unexpected note. “When I was a kid, I lived in a country where people couldn’t accept a black quarterback,” Wilmore said. “Now think about that. A black man was thought by his mere colour not good enough to lead a football team. And now to live in your time, Mr President, when a black man can lead the entire free world. Words alone do me no justice. So, Mr President, if I’m going to keep it 100.”
Wilmore pounded his chest and said: “Yo, Barry, you did it, my nigga!”
The Washington Hilton ballroom was crowded with celebrities. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joined vice president Joe Biden, secretary of state John Kerry and other government officials. Thanks for reading.
Sheriff Includes SHOCKING Clause In PDP’s Proposed Constitution Amendment
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff, in his proposed amendment to the party’s constitution has requested members of the party, including the BoT to consult him before holding any meeting.
This move followed stiff opposition by the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party to his (Sheriff’s) desire to contest the chairmanship of the party at its national convention scheduled for May 21.
Unlike before, the BoT, of which the national chairman is a member, does not need his permission to hold its meeting.
It is a statutory organ of the party with powers to act on its conscience.
However, in the proposed amendment, which was meant to be discussed at the last meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, Sheriff is proposing that he needed to be consulted before such organ of the party could meet.
Under PART 1X, Board of Trustees, Meetings of the BoT, the proposed amendment says that “The BoT shall meet at the instance of the Chairman in consultation with the national chairman of the party or at the request of half of the members of the Board or following a resolution of the Board or the NEC request for such a meeting.”
The current constitution of the party merely stated that the “The Board of Trustees shall meet at the instance of the chairman or at the request of half of the members of the board or following a resolution of the board or the national executive committee requesting for such a meeting.”
The proposed amendment to the party’s constitution was included as part of the agenda of the last NEC meeting, which was held in Abuja on Thursday.
Thanks for reading.
US pledges $90m to South Sudan but warns of sanctions should peace fail
The US has promised almost $90m (£60m) of extra aid to South Sudan but warned its newly reconciled leaders that failure to engage properly with the peace process could result in sanctions or an arms embargo.
Hopes that the country’s two-year-long civil war may finally be drawing to an end rose this week after the former vice-president, Riek Machar, returned to the capital, Juba, to resume his role in a transitional government of national unity led by his opponent, President Salva Kiir.
South Sudan, which won independence from its northern neighbour in 2011, has been consumed by conflict since December 2013, when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup.
The conflict split the country along broadly ethnic lines, pitting Kiir’s Dinka against Machar’s Nuer. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the fighting, more than 2 million displaced, and some parts of the country brought to the brink of famine. The fighting has also been marked by widespread atrocities that may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
On Wednesday, the US – a key advocate of South Sudan’s independence which has provided an estimated $1.6bn of humanitarian assistance since December 2013, according to US State Department figures – announced more than $86m of additional aid.
The new funding is earmarked to provide safe drinking water, emergency healthcare, food, shelter and training to the most vulnerable families and communities.
But the US said it wanted to see a renewed commitment to the implementation of the peace agreement and a “fundamental shift” in the relationship with the humanitarian community.
“Specifically, we expect the transitional government to adhere to core humanitarian principles and to change past policy and practice to ensure aid reaches those in need without regard to ethnic or political discrimination,” the US State Department said.
“We furthermore expect the transitional government to take action to prevent the extortion, theft, and physical harm of aid workers. Leaders must also allow full freedom of movement for all civilians.”
Donald Booth, the US special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, warned that a failure to respect and implement the peace deal would have serious consequences.
“We have everything at the table: we are prepared to look at sanctions, we’re prepared to look at an arms embargo,” he said in remarks reported by Reuters.
It is not the first time the international community has threatened such measures – and Booth admitted that an arms embargo would only work if it were enforced by South Sudan’s neighbours.
The special envoy said the flow of weapons could be reduced by imposing strict controls on South Sudan’s capital expenditure, a move that would also help those people most in need.
“We all agree there are far too many arms in South Sudan and they certainly don’t need any more,” he said.
“If we can use the financial side to get at preventing additional weapons from getting into South Sudan, that would be an easier way to do it and a more effective way to do it.”
He said the US was also looking at who was responsible for the looting of state coffers in the oil-rich country.
“We really want to make sure that resources of the country are going to be utilised for the people, so we’re taking a careful look at what has been stolen in the past and who stole it,” he added. Thanks for reading.
Helicopter had to return to base twice, days before Norway crash
A helicopter that crashed in Norway, killing 13 people including a Briton, had to return to base twice in the days before the incident owing to a warning light.
The Super Puma had to turn back to Bergen airport, Flesland, last Tuesday when the pilot spotted the indication light, the operator CHC Helicopter confirmed on Sunday.
An aircraft part was replaced and a test flight was conducted the following day. But that flight was also aborted and another component changed when the warning light reappeared. CHC said the aircraft went on to complete six commercial flights with no indications of problems on Thursday, the day before the fatal crash.
The helicopter was carrying two crew and 11 passengers from the Gullfaks B oil field, about 74 miles (120km) off the Norwegian coast, when it crashed into the rocky shoreline of Turøy, a tiny island near Bergen.
Norwegian television showed footage of what appeared to be a helicopter rotor blade spiralling down minutes before the crash. A witness, Rebecca Andersen, told the newspaper Verdens Gang that the“rotor blades came rushing toward us … Then we heard a violent explosion.”
Iain Stuart, 41, of Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, has been identified as among 13 people killed in the North Sea helicopter crash.
The 41-year-old British man killed in the crash was named as Iain Stuart, from Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire. He worked for oilfield services company Halliburton.
A statement released by relatives of the 41-year-old said: “We as a family are devastated at the loss of Iain in Friday’s tragic helicopter crash in Norway.
“Iain was a loving husband and devoted father to his two children and as a family we are heartbroken. He was a caring son, brother, uncle and friend to many.
“We are appreciative of all the messages of support and kind thoughts.
“We now ask, as a family, that we are allowed some privacy at this difficult and sad time to grieve and come to terms with our loss.”
A statement from CHC, issued to the Press Association, said: “It is correct that the helicopter returned to base on Tuesday 26 April. The pilot had a warning light and returned to Flesland according to procedure.
“At Flesland the helicopter was inspected, according to procedure, and a part was replaced.
“Wednesday, the helicopter was taken on a test flight, where the warning light reappeared, the helicopter returned to base, changed another component, the next test drive was completed without any warning light.
“Thursday, the aircraft completed six commercial flights, all without any indication of problems. None of the changed parts were physically connected to rotor or gearbox.”
The statement added: “These returns to base are essential for flight safety and part of operating in a highly regulated industry. Sometimes an RTB can be for technical issues, other times it is much more mundane.
“At all times, CHC has met or exceeded the requirements of our regulatory authorities and our customers, and continues to offer a compliant service.
“Speculation about the cause of the accident is unhelpful and we must also be careful to respect the feelings of the families who perished in the tragic events of Bergen.”
Tributes have been paid to Stuart, who was a member of Brechin golf club, where a flag flew at half mast on Saturday. Stephen Rennie, the resident golf professional and manager, told the Mail on Sunday: “The whole club is shocked and saddened to hear the devastating news about Iain. He was a very popular member of the club and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
A family friend, Charles Aitken, 75, said: “My daughter knows his wife, Amy. They are a really lovely family – it’s an absolute tragedy.”
In tributes posted on social media, Stuart was described as “always a gent” and “a top bloke”.
Field operators Statoil said the pilots of the helicopter – a Norwegian and an Italian – were CHC Helicopter staff.
Ten of the passengers were Norwegian nationals and were employed by companies including Schlumberger, Aker Solutions, and Statoil. Their names have not yet been released.
Emergency crews pulled the wrecked fuselage out of the sea on Saturday. A team from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has gone to the site.
On Saturday, the Norwegian prime minister, Erna Solberg, tweeted about the “horrifying reports” and sthat she was being kept informed about the rescue work. She said her thoughts went out to all those who had lost a loved one.
All UK commercial passenger flights using the same Airbus EC225LP Super Puma model have been grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), mirroring action taken by its Norwegian counterpart.
BP and Statoil have also suspended the use of the aircraft model after the accident, so it is unable to carry oil and gas workers, the BBC reported.
EC225 Super Puma helicopters were previously grounded for a period in the UK after two crashes in Scotland in 2012. Both incidents, in which all passengers and crew were rescued, were blamed on gearbox problems.
More than 6,500 people have now signed an online petition calling on the CAA to permanently remove the EC225 from service. They include Audrey Wood, who lost her son Stuart when a helicopter carrying workers from a BP oil platform crashed off Peterhead in Aberdeenshire in April 2009. Thanks for reading.
Nigeria’s Problems Are Temporary, Resolvable – Osibanjo
Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has restated the resolve of the Buhari administration towards instituting a new culture of probity and accountability in governance saying “it’s a new day in Aso Rock”.
“Nearly a year on- there are many problems and many have asked where is the change? Is this the change we voted for? Even some fifth columnists in our midst have suggested bring back corruption,” according to the Vice President while speaking today at The Platform, a public engagement forum organized by the Covenant Church led by Pastor Poju Oyemade.
Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo then declared matter-of-factly that “the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is completely and irrevocably committed to change. ”
He said “we believe that though it may not be easy, though the early signs may be confusing and sometimes discouraging, there has never been a better opportunity than now to turn the country in the direction of success.”
According to him, “today we have the best opportunity in decades for profound change. It is an opportunity in a generation. A revolution whose time has come!
The Vice President added that “everything around us tells us that the moment is now! Can this change happen? Yes it can! Yes it must! What do you have in your hands to make it happen? We have a country that is tired of corruption, tired of leadership without values, tired of an economy that is neither designed to accommodate enterprise, nor to create opportunity and wealth for the majority. ”
The “new day in Aso Rock” he said is that of a Presidency that is committed to ensuring a departure from the past culture of corruption and profligacy in government, even as he averred that “the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is completely and irrevocably committed to the Change promised Nigerians”.
Speaking on the theme ‘What do we have in our hands, tapping into dead capital” Prof. Osinbajo opined that “We have a leadership, a leader that is ready to challenge the rotten system, one that has said he is ready to kill corruption rather let corruption kill us.”
“We believe that though it may not be easy, though the early signs may be confusing and sometimes discouraging, there has never been a better opportunity than now to turn the country in the direction of success, ” says the VP.
Addressing a large gathering of mostly young Nigerians, Prof Osinbajo told the youths that the Federal Government was not unaware of the nation’s challenges, but stated that the youths must believe the problems facing the nation in the area of power, availability of petroleum products, infrastructure and agriculture are surmountable and resolvable.
Vice President Osinbajo also told them of the determination of the Federal Government to leverage technology under a number of initiatives he unveiled intended to create the enabling environment that would stimulate youth entrepreneurship and innovation.
He stated that “the key to change and our future prosperity lies in innovation and is critical to our development”.
Informing the forum of the Buhari presidency’s for technology and innovation, he stated that government would be establishing an Innovation Fund this year which would deploy significant resources for the aim of creating opportunities to the youth to access fund for innovation and entrepreneurship.
He highlighted other plans as follows:
– Establishment of technology innovation hubs across the country; 2 super hubs ( in Lagos and Abuja) and 6 regional hubs in the six geo-political zones in partnership some major technology companies;
– 65,000 young Nigerians to be trained in hardware and software services and in animation;
– to create a reservoir in technology capacity that can be exported annually abroad like the case of India;
– on June 23, 2016, Federal Government would launch a Presidential Technology Innovation Initiative targeted at 50 Nigerians engaged in innovative start-ups to be mentored by major technology innovation companies
– bursary award to 100,000 STEM undergraduates developing their interest in programming, robotic and animation technology, in addition to deploying technology in the training of the 500,000 teachers that are expected to be employed under the social investment of government this year,
– VP’s Office to institute a literary prize in poetry and short stories during independence anniversary to encourage field of humanity/arts
Prof. Osinbajo also used the occasion to implore millions of youths in the country to join the vanguard for change under “a New Tribe of Nigerians” saying “we must not blink, no shaking until we turn this country around.”
Earlier, the Vice President commended the conveners of the platform, Pastor Poju Oyemade and his team for their tenacity and unwavering belief in the nation’s development. He noted that “the Platform has through the years become a foremost opportunities for ideas and intellectual innovations in Nigeria.”Thanks for reading.
Indiana is the only place that can save the GOP from a Trump takeover
The only thing that can save the Republican party from a Donald Trump takeover is Indiana.
On the heels of Trump’s resounding win in five states on Tuesday night, anti-Trump Republicans need Ted Cruz to take the Hoosier State to stop the frontrunner from accumulating the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination and avoid a contested convention this summer.
There are now just 10 states left in the Republican primaries, five of them voting on the final critical night of Tuesday 7 June. Of the five states going to the polls in May, Indiana has the biggest delegate haul.
Indiana’s demographics make it appealing to both Trump and Cruz. Its industrial north-west borders Chicago, and as in parts of Illinois manufacturing jobs have slowly disappeared over the past 30 years. In the largest city in the region, Gary, nearly 20% of the population did not have a high school diploma or GED in 2010. In southern Indiana, conservative politics dominate, and the legacy of “Copperheads” – Indianans who fought for or sympathized with the Confederacy – is still felt around the region.
Trump may also face awkward questions about his personal legacy in the state. The businessman once owned a riverboat casino in Gary, an industrial town on Lake Michigan, and the region briefly viewed him as a potential economic savior. He created some jobs with the casino, which he sold in 2005, but never followed through on a promise to renovate a crumbling hotel in the city’s downtown area.
“There certainly have been some critical articles about Trump’s business practices in the north-west part of the state, certainly with the casinos,” said Tom Wheeler, a member of Cruz’s state team. But he was not sure if that history would make a difference: “I don’t know how many people read that.”
Public polling in Indiana has Cruz about seven points behind Trump, 33% to 40%. The third candidate in the race, John Kasich, accounts for roughly 20% of the vote, despite a pact he made with Cruz to vacate the state in the hope of consolidating anti-Trump support.
The stakes in Indiana are so high that Cruz made a desperate gamble this week to lure conservatives away from Trump by declaring Carly Fiorina would be his running mate. The announcement of a running mate nearly three months before the convention is unprecedented in modern US history and represents a throw of the dice to try to capture media attention and boost Cruz in the polls.
Trump isn’t taking a victory lap. On Wednesday, at a rally in Indianapolis, he rolled out the endorsement of Bobby Knight, the beloved but controversial former coach of the Indiana University basketball team. The coach of three national championship teams, Knight became nearly as famous for his violent outbursts as his coaching: he was fired amid allegations of assault and once threw a chair on to the court in the middle of a game. Trump basked in this endorsement from “a winner” and dismissed Cruz.
“Cruz can’t win, what’s he doing picking a vice-president?” Trump asked a crowd of several thousand. “On television they say he has no path to victory. He’s mathematically eliminated.”
Without much of a choice, the Texas senator has embraced the role of David to Trump’s Goliath. On Tuesday night, he held a rally in the high school gym where the basketball movie Hoosiers was filmed, and Cruz cast himself as a scrappy underdog who overcomes huge odds. “That basketball ring here in Indiana is the same height as it is in New York City,” he said, incorrectly quoting an inspirational line about basketball hoops from the film.
Cruz blamed the media for promoting Trump and felt confident that beginning in Indiana, “this campaign moves back towards more favorable terrain”. He tried to lump Trump with Hillary Clinton, calling them “New York liberal[s]” who believe “grown men should use the little girls’ restroom”, an allusion to a controversial North Carolina law that overturns rules about discrimination against transgender people.
Anti-Trump Republicans have questioned the businessman’s conservative beliefs for months, to little avail, but Cruz is hoping that Indiana is conservative enough to make the strategy work. In 2012 voters there elected a Tea Party challenger over a six-term senator, in part because of a push from the party’s right wing, and pro-Cruz forces are hoping to rekindle that spirit. They have combined to spend over $4m on ads against Trump, compared to $960,000 spent by the frontrunner on television ads.
Advertisement
Pressure by anti-Trump forces led the state’s governor, Mike Pence, to endorse the Texas senator on Friday, albeit with little enthusiasm. In a radio interview, Pence said: “I’m not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the Republican primary.”
Facing his own re-election bid in November, Pence took pains to make positive comments about Cruz’s top rival. “I particularly want to commend Donald Trump,” Pence said. He singled out the frontrunner highlighting the decision of air conditioning manufacturer Carrier to move jobs from Indiana to Mexico.”
“Indiana is crucial to the outcome of the race,” David McIntosh, the president of a major conservative political action committee, Club for Growth, told the Guardian. A former Indiana congressman, McIntosh said the primary has “consolidated into a two-man race. That gives Cruz a very good chance to win it.”
In McIntosh’s view, the candidates need two steps – victories in Indiana and California – to have any chance at the nomination. “Trump’s claim to be a winner just isn’t true, he’s got 35-40%” of the vote, he said. “Trump needs to win Indiana to nail it down on the first ballot.”
A leader in the Republican cause against Trump, Club for Growth has also been running anti-Kasich ads in Indiana since before the Cruz-Kasich pact. The group argues that a vote for Kasich is a vote for Trump, and said it would “continue to be making that point” while also criticizing Trump for “not being a conservative”. Thanks for reading.
