Wednesday, 28 January 2015

Soludo’s tenure as CBN gov, a disaster – FG


The Federal Government on Wednesday described the five year tenure of Prof Chukuwma Soludo as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as a failure and a disaster to the banking sector.

Soludo who was the apex bank governor between May 2004 and May 2009, had on Monday written an article where he claimed that the Nigerian economy under President Goodluck Jonathan had performed woefully.

But the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala while reacting through a statement issued by her Special Adviser Communications, Mr Paul Nwabuikwu said Soludo through his article has committed what she described as “intellectual harakiri.”

The Minister noted that not only was the article littered with abusive and unbecoming language, it shows Soludo, whom she described as an “embittered loser in the Nigerian political space” can get so derailed by misquoting economic facts and maliciously turning statistics on their head to justify a hatchet job.”(PUNCH)

Sunday, 25 January 2015

Chelsea teammates expect Schurrle to leave this weekend


Chelsea's locker room expect Andre Schurrle to leave for the Bundesliga this weekend.

The Daily Mail says the 24-year-old is the subject of an offer from Wolfsburg and is keen to join them and kickstart his career.
 
Chelsea hope to agree a fee close to £27million for a player they signed for £18m from Leverkusen in 2013.
Schurrle has given the impression to senior players that he is ready to go.

Real Madrid midfielder Illarramendi WANTS Arsenal move


Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi is chasing a move to Arsenal.

The Sunday Express says Illarramendi is desperate to join Arsenal but may have to settle for a switch to Athletic Bilbao if he wants a move this month.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with a £24m bid for the midfield star who has seen his first-team opportunities limited at the Bernabeu.

But reports in Spain insist that the Gunners are not willing to bring Illarramendi to England until the summer.

And that could be a problem for the 24-year-old with the arrival of Lucas Silva from Cruzeiro sure to push him further down the pecking order.

Chelsea up bid for Shakhtar Donetsk star Douglas Costa


Chelsea have tabled an improved bid for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa.

The Mail on Sunday says Chelsea have increased their offer for the Shakhtar midfielder to £18.7million.

The Blues had an opening bid of £16million rejected for Costa on Thursday evening, according to the player himself.

Costa confirmed on Thursday night that the Barclays Premier League leaders had been in touch about a move to Stamford Bridge – one that the 24-year-old describes as a ‘dream’.

Nigeria will never change if PDP wins — Buhari

The presidential candidate of the APC, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, warned that if the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) should win the February 14 election, the country will “never again witness change”.

He spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during his rally.

Buhari said Nigerians should boot out the ruling party because it has nothing to offer.

He pointed out that the PDP government has lost out in the fight against insecurity, unemployment and economic downturn.

“This is the time for change. The APC government will give employment, deal with corruption and invest the money to develop education, build, equip schools and train teachers’’, the presidential candidate said.

“ We will also look into the problems of the armed forces, trail and equip them’’.

Buhari appealed to the APC supporters to go and collect their PVCs in order for them to be able to vote out the PDP in the election.

The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, said he was impressed with the turn out and “ declared Ondo an APC state.

National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, said what the APC is out to do is “ a common sense revolution”, adding that Nigerian has been in bondage for over 60 years.

Tinubu said the ruling government has failed in all its promises to Nigerians and should be shown the way out on February 14.

He said: “What we have been seeing is transaction not transformation’’.

Earlier in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, Buhari, has vowed to tackle the problem of unemployment for the youth, security and corruption just like other APC leaders asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to postpone the February polls.

Accompanied by his deputy, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and other APC leaders, Buhari urged his supporters and admirers to take the pain and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from INEC before the date of the election,saying that was the only was they could demonstrate their love for him if they truly wanted change.

At the rally, which witnessed the presence of Hon Opeyemi Bamidele of Labour Party and the defection of the former Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Sola Ajigbolamu and his supporters from PDP to the APC, Buhari said he had understudied the country and came up with a blueprint on how to move the nation forward.

THE presidential candidate of the APC, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, warned that if the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) should win the February 14 election, the country will “never again witness change”.
He spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during his rally.
Buhari said Nigerians should boot out the ruling party because it has nothing to offer.
He pointed out that the PDP government has lost out in the fight against insecurity, unemployment and economic downturn.
“This is the time for change. The APC government will give employment, deal with corruption and invest the money to develop education, build, equip schools and train teachers’’, the presidential candidate said.
“ We will also look into the problems of the armed forces, trail and equip them’’.
Buhari appealed to the APC supporters to go and collect their PVCs in order for them to be able to vote out the PDP in the election.
The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, said he was impressed with the turn out and “ declared Ondo an APC state.
National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, said what the APC is out to do is “ a common sense revolution”, adding that Nigerian has been in bondage for over 60 years.
Tinubu said the ruling government has failed in all its promises to Nigerians and should be shown the way out on February 14.
He said: “What we have been seeing is transaction not transformation’’.
Earlier in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, Buhari, has vowed to tackle the problem of unemployment for the youth, security and corruption just like other APC leaders asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to postpone the February polls.
Accompanied by his deputy, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and other APC leaders, Buhari urged his supporters and admirers to take the pain and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from INEC before the date of the election,saying that was the only was they could demonstrate their love for him if they truly wanted change.
At the rally, which witnessed the presence of Hon Opeyemi Bamidele of Labour Party and the defection of the former Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Sola Ajigbolamu and his supporters from PDP to the APC, Buhari said he had understudied the country and came up with a blueprint on how to move the nation forward.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/nigeria-will-never-change-pdp-wins-buhari/#sthash.4O88bmJK.dpuf

Katsina College Principal Not Dead

The principal of famous Government College Katsina, Alhaji Isyaku Bello is not dead, contrary to a post on social media that he was murdered, Leadership can authoritatively report.
Isyaku Bello is the principal who released the school certificate result of the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhamadu Buhari, following hue and cry by the ruling PDP presidential campaign team that the General had no school certificate.
 
Few days after the school released the result, there was a post on the social media that the principal was allegedly murdered.
Of course, the post went viral in the social media prompting several inquiries from different quarters.
SARDAUNA reported that although the principal is alive, hale and hearty but could not talk to thier correspondent, his close friends of many years, Yusuf Jibril Abdullahi described the rumour as pure mischief.
“My friend, the principal is alive and is not under any threat from any quarters whatsoever. As a matter of fact, he has just been blessed with a bouncing baby boy,”  Abdullahi said.
SARDAUNA correspondent who visited the principal’s residence in Katsina municipal gathered from his wives that he  had “gone for a private engagement and will be home by sunset.”

Curfew as soldiers battle Boko Haram in Maiduguri



The military authorities have imposed an indefinite curfew in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, following Boko Haram attack on the city.
 
The Defence Headquarters said in a tweet on its twitter handle on Sunday that the curfew was imposed to enable troops pursue fleeing Boko Haram fighters who attacked the town.
 
“Curfew is imposed on Maiduguri with immediate effect till further notice as pursuit of retreating terrorists begins.” The tweet read.
 
It was stated in an earlier tweet on Sunday morning that troops were repelling simultaneous attacks on Maiduguri and Mongonu  by the insurgents.
 
It was added that the military had launched a coordinated aerial and ground operation against the insurgents.
 
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“Troops are repelling a simultaneous attack on Monguno and Maiduguri by Terrorists.”
 
It added that “Coordinated Air and Land OPs being conducted now.”
 
The attack is coming barely 48 hours after military sources hinted of a major operation to flush out the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
 
It was also stated that the military was perfecting plans to retake territories captured by the Boko Haram in the critical operation expected to involve massive deployed of amphibious elements, ground troops and Air Force platforms and personnel.
 
With the current operation, it is expected that the battles would shift to places like Bama, Gwoza and Baga which are in custody of the insurgents.