Nigerian governor, 5 others die in copter crash

A governor of Nigerian state and a former National Security Advisor were among six people killed when a navy helicopter carrying them crashed in the country's oil-rich southern delta region, in the latest air tragedy to hit Africa's most populous country.

The chopper was conveying officials who went for a funeral ceremony for the father of a presidential aide.

The National Emergency Management Agency said they have recovered the bodies of the victims of Nigeria’s military helicopter crash in Bayelsa state today.

In a statement, NEMA said “the bodies of the six passengers on-board the helicopter” had been taken to the “mortuary”.

In another statement by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Kaduna state Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa and ex-national security advisor Owoye Azazi were among the victims.

There were four others identified to be two security aides of the governor and the pilot and co-pilot of the naval chopper. The other victims are Dauda tsoho, warrant officer Mohammed Kamal, Commander Muritala Mohammed and Lt. Adeyemi O .Sowole.

The victims had attended a burial service in Bayelsa state and were returning to Port Harcourt, when the chopper conveying them crashed into the creeks, bursting into flames.

There was no survivor.


General Andrew Owoye Azazi: dies in the crashAzazi, considered a close ally of President Goodluck Jonathan, was fired in January following a series of deadly attacks claimed by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, which has killed hundreds in Nigeria since 2009.

Yakowa, 64,


Governor Yakowa: confirmed dead headed kaduna state which has been among the hardest hit by Boko Haram. The Islamist group has repeatedly attacked Christian targets in and around the state capital, Kaduna city.

In a statement, President Goodluck Jonathan described the deaths as painful to the nation and said an investigation would be conducted into the cause of the crash.A statement by the Nigerian navy has confirmed the accident and the chopper that crashed giving its name as the Augusta helicopter (Helo 07)

Breaking News!!!: Truck kills Eight Ogun Secondary School Students (PHOTOS) Viewers Discretion Advised!!!

Breaking News!!!: Truck kills Eight Ogun Secondary School Students (PHOTOS)

Viewers Discretion Advised!!!

We’ve not abandoned subsidy probe report, says Tambuwal

Reps verify 2012 budget implementation, query $500m loan

Senate panel faults FCT Council chiefs

SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has declared that the House of Representatives has not backed out on its call for the full implementation of the report of its ad-hoc committee that investigated the management of the country’s fuel subsidy regime.

The assurance came as the House directed its Finance Committee to submit a report on the level of implementation of the 2012 budget within a week.

In the same vein, the House Committee on Debts, Aids and Loans has queried the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi over a $500m loan proposed to be used for the upgrade of four international airports located in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

Specifically, the proposed loan is to be sourced from the China Export Import Bank.

Also, the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday sent out the Chairman, Kwali Area Council, Mr. Joseph Chazhin, over alleged discrepancies in the expenditure of N1.6 billion capital vote.

The committee also mandated the Chairman, Abaji Area Council, Yahaya Musa Mohammed, to account for N323million surplus in 2011 fiscal appropriation.

The lawmakers had in the wake of the nationwide crisis generated by Government’s decision to totally remove fuel subsidy in December last year ordered an investigation into alleged corrupt practices in the distribution of subsidy funds, fallout of which saw the Farouk Lawan-led adhoc panel recommending the prosecution and further investigation of some oil marketers and government functionaries.

Tambuwal who received members of the Anti-Corruption Network, a non governmental organisation with special focus on anti corruption on a courtesy visit yesterday however, lamented the attitude of some government agencies saddled with the responsibility of fighting corruption, adding that they were not co-operating enough with the House when issue of corrupt practices were brought to the fore.

While pledging the support of the Chamber to the ideologies of the Dino Melaye-led Anti-Corruption Network and other related civil society groups, Tambuwal disclosed that the House would henceforth embark on quarterly oversight monitoring of budget implementation as against the yearly exercise conducted by the parliament.



The decision was taken following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Abdulrahman Abba Terab regarding the issue of budget implementation.

After a debate on the Terab motion, the lawmakers directed the House Committee on Finance “to compile and present a comprehensive report on the revenues, expenditures, and any unforeseen savings in the 2012 budget implementation, and carve out a solution on the outstanding capital releases in the 2012 appropriation act with a view to ensure its full implementation, and submit to the House within one week.”

Chairman, House Committee on Debts, Aids and Loans, Adeyinka Ajayi yesterday explained that the parliament was interested in knowing if the loan complied with the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Ajayi also sought to know the amount attached to each of the airports as well as ascertain if the projects have been subjected to the appropriate Environmental Impact Assessment.

Responding, Oduah-Ogiemwonyi disclosed that the facility being sought by the parliament was a concessional loan that would last for 25 years with a ten year moratorium and a 2.5 per cent interest rate.

Chairman of the Committee, Smart Adeyemi, made the order when Chahzin and Mohammed appeared before the committee to defend their 2013 budget.

Apart from the inability of the Kwali Council boss to explain how much he received for capital projects, the committee also frowned that Chazhin could only report N7 million out of N74 million he projected as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Jigawa Gov's son nabbed for money laundering

Kano - One of the sons of Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has been arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport for money laundering, Sahareporters reports.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission revealed that Mr Aminu had with him a lot of cash unaccounted for.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren said the governor's son will be charged to court soon.

Delta carry the crown as Eko 2012 sports fiesta ends

Team Delta were Sunday evening declared overall winners of the 18th National Sports Festival, as a grand closing ceremony ended the Eko 2012 Games at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Sururlere, Lagos State, Western Nigeria.

Team Delta, that won a total of 288 medals; 116 gold, 97 silver and 75 bronze, were presented with the Gen Yakubu Gowon Trophy at a colourful closing ceremony held this evening in Surulere.

Rivers State, that won the last edition of the festival held in Port Harcourt in 2011, came second with 76 gold, 71 silver and 71 bronze to garner a total of 218 medals.


Lagos governor, Raji Fashola and his deputy, Orelope Adefulire pose with the third place trophy that Lagos wonHosts, Team Lagos finished third with 65 gold, 47 silver and 71 bronze, winning a total of 183 medals.

At the presentation ceremony, Delta State governor and his wife, Emmanuel and Deaconess


Uduaghan, Aregbesola, Abdullahi, Fashola at the closing ceremonyUduaghan were on ground to cheer their team that came second at the last edition in 2011.

The closing ceremony, held to honour all participants from 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, brought the athletes together as a symbol of national unity.

Shortly after the trophy was handed over to the overall winners, the Flag of Unity was presented to Cross River State, that would host the 19th edition of the festival in 2014 in Calabar.

The Chairman of Eko 2012 festival, Adejoke Adefulire, who doubles as Deputy Governor of Lagos State, handed the flag to Governor Babatunde Fashola, who passed it to the Director of National Sports Commission, NSC, Patrick Ekeji, who finally presented it to Patrick Ugbe, the Cross River State Sports Commissioner.

Soon after the flag exchanged hands from Lagos to Cross River State, this year’s festival was formally declared closed by President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi.

Abdullahi praised Governor Fashola and his people in Lagos State for organising the festival this year.

The host governor, Fashola said Lagos was glad to finish third at the Games.


Governor aregbesola presents the trophy“Our joy as hosts of Eko 2012 National Sports Festival is that many young athletes were discovered at the games. They are the overall winners by my estimation because these are the future of Nigerian sports,” Fashola said.

The Lagos governor added: “I wish all the 12,000 athletes and officials journey mercies as you head back to your states.”Top Nigerian music acts such as Wasiu Ayinde KWAM 1, Wande Cole, Whiz Kid, Seun Kuti and Tu Face Idibia performed at the ceremony, which ended 9:38pm

SSS manhandles journalist at Governor Akpabio’s party

Operatives of Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) in Akwa Ibom State on Sunday brutalised the correspondent of The Nation, Mr Kazeem Ibrahim, at Government House, Uyo.

Ibrahim was among the journalists invited by the Chief Press Secretary, Governor’s Office, Mr Anietie Ukpe, to cover the thanksgiving service marking the 50th birthday of Governor Godswill Akpabio.

No fewer than three SSS operatives at the gate seized Ibrahim by his throat, arms and waists and threw him “violently’’ on the ground. He became unconscious.

It took the assistance of other correspondents of national dailies and sympathisers to revive Ibrahim.

The intervention of the Chief Press Secretary, Mr Anietie Ukpe, did not help the journalists, but the Correspondents led by its Chairman, Mr Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh, resolved to leave the scene to avoid further embarrassment.

The SSS had assaulted journalists in the state several times before.

The Punch Correspondent was assaulted and sent out of the state’s High Court for coming to cover 2012 legal year.

The District Correspondent of NAN in Eket was also beaten up by the police during the coverage of the June 9, 2012 Local Government elections in the state.

8 year-old Amarachi wins Nigeria’s Got Talent show

Amarachi Nyanne was nothing short of stunning. She wowed the crowd everytime she was on stage and when she was announced the winner of the maiden edition of the Nigeria Got Talent show it came as no surprise. The
eight-year beat nine other contestants to win the grand prize of N10 million.

Amarachi, a dancer and singer from Benin City, Edo State, emerged winner after winning the highest number of votes from viewers. The grand finale was held at Bamako Studios, Ikeja, Lagos. Amarachi became the fans
favourite after churning out superb performances all through the contest.

Although she is eight, she has plans for her prize money. “I want to study abroad with the money I won and I also want to help orphans and the needy,” she said. She believes that it was God that helped her all through the
duration of the reality television show. “I never thought that I will win. I thank God for helping through it all,” she explained.

Judges Yibo Koko, Kate Henshaw and Dan Foster were happy with the result although Foster believes that many of the youngsters got to the final because the voters were emotional.

“This reality show is about talent and not emotions but many people seem to be emotional when voting,” he stated.

The reality show was sponsored by Airtel.

UPDATE 1-Ghana opposition says election results flawed

ACCRA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Ghana's main opposition party said


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on Sunday the country's presidential election had been
manipulated, raising concerns about the outcome of the poll in a
nation seen as a bulwark of democracy in an unstable region.

The National Patriotic Party called on the electoral
commission to delay the official announcement of results hours
after local media projected its candidate Akufo-Addo had
narrowly lost to incumbent John Dramani Mahama.

"It will be unfortunate for the EC (Election Commission) to
go ahead to announce the elections," NPP chairman Jake
Obetsebi-Lamptey told reporters at a news conference in Accra.

"We have significant problems and that need to be looked at
... These results cannot be forced down the throat of the people
of Ghana," he said.

He said the NPP had sent a letter to the election commission
raising the complaints and requesting an audit of results before
they are released.

Election commissioner Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told Reuters he wasACCRA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Ghana's main opposition party said

 on Sunday the country's presidential election had been
manipulated, raising concerns about the outcome of the poll in a
nation seen as a bulwark of democracy in an unstable region.

The National Patriotic Party called on the electoral
commission to delay the official announcement of results hours
after local media projected its candidate Akufo-Addo had
narrowly lost to incumbent John Dramani Mahama.

"It will be unfortunate for the EC (Election Commission) to
go ahead to announce the elections," NPP chairman Jakea
Obetsebi-Lamptey told reporters at a news conference in Accra.

"We have significant problems and that need to be looked at
... These results cannot be forced down the throat of the people
of Ghana," he said.

He said the NPP had sent a letter to the election commission
raising the complaints and requesting an audit of results before
they are released.

Election commissioner Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told Reuters he wasa

Nelson Mandela hospitalised 'after he stops talking'

The Sunday Times, a South African newspaper, quoted an unnamed person close to the Mandela family as saying: "He has not been talking ... he is not looking good. It's clear that something is troubling him."

Mr Mandela, the country's first black president, spent a second day at the Pretoria hospital where he is said to be undergoing tests. On Saturday he was flown from his rural home in the Eastern Cape to the capital Pretoria to receive medical attention.

President Jacob Zuma visited Mr Mandela, whose health has been frail in recent years, and "found him comfortable, and in good care," a statement said.

No details have been released about the specific reason for Mr Mandela's admission to hospital, or when he will be discharged.

Mac Maharaj, a spokesman for Mr Zuma, on Saturday said the anti-apartheid icon was "doing well".

Mr Mandela, affectionately known in South Africa as "Madiba," his Xhosa clan name, "will receive medical attention from time to time which is consistent with his age," a statement on Saturday said.

Former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and daughter Zindzi seemed to not view it as an emergency, or else were unaware that Mr Mandela had been transferred to Pretoria. They attended a football match in Soweto between the Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday, local media reported.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, allied with the ruling African National Congress party, responded in a statement: "We hope that it is true - as reported by the presidential spokesperson - there is no cause for concern or alarm."

Deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe had been scheduled to visit Mr Mandela in Qunu on Friday, but the meeting was cancelled.

A South African military plane crashed Wednesday after disappearing en route from a Pretoria air base to Mthatha, the nearest airport to Mr Mandela's home in Qunu village.

There have been persistent rumours that the aircraft was carrying medical personnel or medical supplies for Mr Mandela.

Mr Mandela was last hospitalised in February for what was described as "routine tests," and later turned out to have been a minor surgical procedure to determine the cause of abdominal pain.

His last public appearance was at the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which South Africa hosted, where he toured the stadium on a golf cart with third wife Graca Machel.

Four University Students Die in Car Crash

It was a sad new as four students of Lead City University in Ibadan died in a car crash.

The accident occurred along Ring Road, it was reported that the students were heading to Oko Dome night club for a friend party, a student of the same university when the car they were riding in hit another car and somersaulted multiple times.

Our reporter gather that Six friends were involved in the accident, but four of them have passed on while two are still in critical condition.

As at the time of filling this report there was no evidence to know if the driver of the vehicle was driving under the influence of alcohol but the gruesome pictures of the crash and damage to the vehicle reveals that the cars were on high speed when the accident occurred.

May their souls Rest In Peace. Our prayers are with the families of the students and the entire University.

Fresh Pressure On Obama, Clinton Over Boko Haram

FRESH pressure is mounting on the US President Barack Obama and the outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to designate Nigeria’s Islamist group, Boko Haram, a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) before the end of Obama’s first term next month.

At the White House, an ambitious effort has been launched by a team of several US groups led by Jubilee Campaign and supported by the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) to mobilise thousands of Americans to sign a petition addressed to President Obama, demanding the designation.

According to the petition, already posted on the White House website, the organisations and the petitioners observed that despite all the uncontested evidence on the activities of Boko Haram, “the US has refused to designate Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.”

The petition, which has to get 25,000 signatures by December 29, to have the US President respond to it, stated that in the last three years, Boko Haram has killed an estimated 3,000 Nigerians, adding, “they have directly targeted helpless Christians, and any Muslims who dare to disagree with their genocidal ambitions.”

CANAN in a statement said it was mobilising the over 1,000 US-based Nigerian churches to get their members to endorse the petition within the time limit, so as to get a response from the White House.

Opening up the White House website to Americans to petition the US government is one of the initiatives of President Obama to bring the US government closer to the American people. But his administration has been reluctant to go after Boko Haram as a group.

Rather in June, the US government designated three leaders of the group as terrorists, but fell short of declaring the entire group an FTO, a situation the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor described in July at the US Congress as “hypocrisy.”

Similarly, at the US Senate late last week, an amendment to a bill sponsored by Senator Scott Brown, a Republican from Massachusetts State, was passed demanding that the US State Department should “report on the designation of Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organisation, and for other purposes.”

The US House of Representatives version of the same bill, sponsored by Congressman Pat Meehan, is being revived, according to the Congressman’s office, which is working with CANAN, to shore up national support for the bill .

However, the Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Prof. Ade Adebowale, is known to be working closely with members of the US Congress to avoid the designation of Boko Haram.

He is arguing to US Senators and Representatives that while Boko Haram must be stopped, a designation may not be the right approach.

It will require both US houses of Senate and Representatives before the bill can be forwarded to White House for signing into law.

But one of the US groups working with Senator Brown’s office and in Congress generally to push the bill, Frontline Missions International, is expressing optimism that with the passage of the bill in the Senate, a new onslaught has been launched against the indecision of the US State Department on the issue of designating Boko Haram.

According to John Hutcheson of Frontline Mission International, “we have been lobbying the US Congress on this matter since the State Department has been unwilling to designate Boko Haram, and this is great news,” (passing of the bill in the Senate recently).

Legislative Aide, Michael Spierto, said Congressman Meehan is seeking co-sponsors to reintroduce his concurrent legislation in the US House, demanding designation of Boko Haram by the State Department as an FTO.

Spierto added that Meehan and CANAN would soon do a joint press statement “in order to call attention to Boko Haram and why the Congress bill on the matter is necessary.”

The US groups pressing the issue of Boko Haram are, however, not focusing only on the petition drive and lobbying the US Congress to legislate; a number of them have also submitted a legal brief to US Secretary of State Clinton, showing how legally Boko Haram has met the US legal requirement for designation as an FTO.

The group includes Advocates International, Alliance Defending Freedom, CANAN, Jubilee Campaign, American Centre for Law and Justice, Catholic Family and Human Rights Institution, Igbo League, Family Research Council, Institute on Religion and Democracy, Justice for Jos Plus and the Westminster Institute.

The legal brief running into 66 pages says, “Boko Haram has threatened US interests and attacked US citizens,” already.

The brief noted that one American, who is a UN official, survived the attack on the UN Building in Nigeria in August 2011, while another US official escaped.

INEC de-registers 28 political parties

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last night wielded the big stick by announcing the de-registration of twenty eight political parties out of the fifty seven registered parties.

Secretary of the commission Abdullahi Haugama in a signed statement said the de-registration of the parties was in line with the powers conferred on it by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

The affected political parties which took part in the 2011 general elections but which none secured any seat are: African Liberation Party (ALP); Action Party of Nigeria (APN); African Political System (APS); Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP); Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and Community Party of Nigeria (CPN).

Also de-registered are Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA); Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN); Fresh Democratic Party (FDP); Hope Democratic Party (HDP); Justice Party (JP); Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN); Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ); Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD); Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP); New Democrats (ND) and National Majority Democratic Party (NMDP).

Others were National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP); National Reformation Party (NRP); National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP); Progressive Action Congress (PAC); Peoples Mandate Party (PMP); Peoples Progressive Party (PPP); Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); People’s Salvation Party (PSP); Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN); United National Party for Development (UNPD) and United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP).

Kaugama in the late night statement noted that the Commission "hereby reiterates its commitment to relating with political parties in accordance with extant laws and for the benefit of our electoral democracy'. Many prominent Nigerians including former military leader Ibrahim Babangida had advocated for the pruning of the parties to five at most.

CAN, others condole with Buhari over daughter’s death

THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has condoled with Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) over the death of his first daughter, Zulaihatu, saying the party’s leadership and the entire members share the deep pain brought by her untimely death.

In a statement issued in Kaduna Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said although no words are strong enough to ease the pain brought about by the death of Zulaihatu,

“Gen. Buhari should be assured that he is in our every thought and prayer at this difficult time.”

Also, eminent political leaders under the aegis of Project Nigeria, have condoled with Buhari.

The political group led by Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite and Chief Audu Ogbeh, in a statement issued at the weekend in Lagos by its national scribe, Olawale Okunniyi, condoled with the former head of state and the husband of the deceased.The group also prayed that God gives the family of Buhari the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss

Nigeria: Gunmen Kill Two in Bauchi

Unknown gunmen yesterday killed two persons in a fierce gun battle with security men in Azare town of Bauchi, BBC Hausa Service has reported.

According to the report, this is happening barely two days after a traditional leader was shot dead in front of his house.

In another report, a bomb explosion and several gun shots were heard in Gamborun N'gala town of Borno State.

Two security men were also reported to have died when some churches and security posts were attacked.

Around 50 gunmen in cars and on motorcycles carried out the attacks on three churches and border posts with neighbouring Cameroon, opening fire on the police and chanting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), the report said. Among the security posts burned were offices for Immigration, Customs and the Secret Police, and a quarantine building in the city of Gamboru Ngala, about 140 kilometres (80 miles) from the Boko Haram stronghold in Maiduguri