NEWS

*Trump Hails Buhari For Fighting ‘Massive Corruption’, Terrorism*

United States President Donald Trump has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for fighting corruption and terrorism in Nigeria. The US President said this on Monday when both leaders were addressing a press conference after their meeting in the White House.

“Nigeria has a reputation for very massive corruption. I also know that the President (Buhari) has been able to cut that down very substantially. We talked about that, he is working on it and they have made a lot of progress and I think they will continue to make a lot of progress,” Trump said. Trump said this cut down on corruption in Nigeria will attract investors from the US to Nigeria.

He also recognised Nigeria’s effort in its fight against terrorism and promised to support the country in that regard. “Nigeria is one of the first African nations to join the coalition to defeat ISIS and Nigerian forces are currently leading regional efforts to defeat ISIS in West Africa and doing very well as we have. Nigeria is also leading Africa in the fight against Boko Haram,” he said.

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* Utomi Describes Nigerian Political Parties As ‘Machines To Rig Elections’*

A former presidential candidate and founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, Professor Pat Utomi, believes political parties are mere apparatuses to doctor the outcomes of elections in Nigeria. Professor Utomi, who a guest on Channels Television’s special political programme, observed that the country needs a social movement to bring its people into a certain commitment to the political process.

“I belong to one and I can tell you we do not have political parties in Nigeria,” he said during the latest episode of Roadmap 2019 with Ladi Akeredolu-Ale on Monday. “Political parties matter but we have refused to build political parties; what we have done is that we have created machines to rig elections.”

The professor of political economy noted further that Nigerian parties lack certain objectives, including ideas and how to govern a people to achieve a certain goal. He added that such situation has compounded the problem of oligopoly in party organisation and called on politicians in the country create parties that would encourage citizens’ participation and public engagement.

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*Minimum wage not only ill-motivating, but also embarrassing – Atiku*

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has described as “embarrassing” the current minimum wage obtainable in the country. Atiku made this known on Monday in a Workers’ Day statement he released on his Facebook page titled, ‘Workers’ Day: Tapping into our greatest weapon’

He said the minimum wage should be able to keep the earner motivated to keep working and added that the current N18,000 minimum wage is not only “ill-motivating but also embarrassing. The former VP called on the Federal government to set an “adequate” example and the state government to build on it.

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*Gunmen Kill 14 In Fresh Kaduna Attack*

Gunmen had killed 14 persons in an attack on the Janruwa community in the Maganda district of the Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna state. It was gathered that the gunmen swooped on the community and opened fire from different directions resulting in the killing and burning 14 persons beyond recognition on April 28. Mr. Austin Iwar, Kaduna state police commissioner, confirmed the incident but said 10 persons were killed while 13 others were injured.

A source identified most of the victims of the attack as local miners. The source said “Some of those killed were said to have been burnt beyond recognition. In a cruel and inhuman manner, the bandits burnt many of their victims beyond recognition,” the resident said.‎

The source said seven of the corpses were taken to the morgue at the Jibril Maigwari General Hospital Birnin Gwari, while others were buried in accordance with Islamic rites. The source continued, “We are living in perpetual fear. We cannot go to the market or farms, we are not safe in our home. We are once again under siege and we need urgent intervention by both state and the federal government.”

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*2019 Election Will Be The Easiest For Buhari - Festus Keyamo*

President Buhari will win the 2019 general election easily, Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Director, Strategic Communication of the president’s campaign organization has said.

The 2019 election will be easier for the President to win than even when he was elected in 2015, the lawyer said while speaking with Channels Television on Sunday: “The 2019 election will be the easiest election for president Buhari despite what the nay sayers are saying, it will be the easier the president than 2015 and all the indices are there, because since that time the president had won over the heart of other sections of the country at that time that may not have voted for him, between then and now he has won their heart.”

He pointed out that this was because the President already has many achievements he can boast of. Nigerians will see that despite all the negative talks here and there, that it will be the easiest election for the president more than that of 2015,” said the lawyer.

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