Thugs attack Governor Dickson’s convoy in Bayelsa

Some hoodlums believed to be working for the All Progressives Congress, allegedly attacked the campaign train of Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson.

The attack happened at the popular Swali market in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the timely intervention security aides attached to the Governor’s convoy prrevented the thugs from causing more havoc.

In a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity, Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, Nathan Egba, the APC said that on the contrary, it was PDP thugs that attacked the APC members and burnt one of the trucks they hired to transport refuse to the dumpsite at Tombia area of the state.

He alleged that the windscreen of some of the trucks were smashed by the rampaging PDP members.

NAFDAC destroys N5m worth of fake products in Enugu

The National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control NAFDAC has destroyed fake and adulterated herbal products worth over N5 million.

Enugu State NAFDAC coordinator, Ikechuku Okoye, who led a team that carried out the exercise, told journalists that the destruction was aimed at preventing and discouraging counterfeiters from venturing into production of unwholesome and fake products.

According to Okoye, the suspect operated an illegal factory along Okpara Avenue, Enugu, where he carried out the mixture of herbal product and sold to unsuspecting members of the public.

Impeachment brought instability to Adamawa – Speaker

The Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly Kabiru Mijinyawa yesterday said he could only use impeachment as a last resort against the governor saying that impeachment in the past brought instability to the state.

The speaker who made the disclosure during a session with newsmen in Yola notes that even though he would use impeachment as a last option, he will never allow gross misconduct on the side of the executive to prevail noting that he will entrench serious oversight functions during his tenure.

He tasked the executive arm to uphold accountability, and respect the rule of law so that rancor and friction between the executive and legislative arms could be drastically reduced.

Why we can’t privatise Nigeria airports – FG

The federal government says only three out of the whole airports in Nigeria are working in full capacity for privatization and as such it is not feasible to sell off the Nigerian airports.

Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria FAAN, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Saleh Dunoma and Binta Bello, respectively gave this submission yesterday while briefing the Senate Committee on Aviation.

Explaining also that most of the facilities in the Nigeria airports are obsolete, the FAAN boss said the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos was originally constructed to serve only about eleven million passengers per year; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja was built to accommodate nine million passengers, while Mallam Aminu Kano airport in Kano, is to take care of six million air travellers.

He adds that, due to development, the facilities in these airports are being overstretched and that most of the facilities have become obsolete.

Nigeria cannot be broke – Babatope

Former minister of transport and aviation, Ebenezer Babatope, has taken a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring that Nigeria is broke.

Babatope, who is a member of the Board of Trustees BOT of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, says that the opposition party and Nigerians were watching Buhari to see how he would handle the economy with all the “noise” the All Progressives Congress APC made during the 2015 general elections.

On the president’s intention to have ministers without portfolios, Babatope points out that the southern part of the country had been cheated through various appointments Buhari has made so far which were mostly in favour of the north.

PDP Senators reject Thursday’s votes and proceedings

The People’s Democratic Party PDP Senators in a strong term reject the proceedings held for the confirmation of former Governor of river state Rotimi Ameachi and 17 others.

Although the Senate adopted the votes and proceedings, the PDP senators were firm in their dissent.

When the President of the senate posed the question for the adoption of the proceedings, the APC senators answered in the affirmative while the PDP senators chorused a loud `nay’.

However, Senate President Bukola Saraki went ahead to hit the gavel in favour of the affirmative and as such, validated the votes and proceedings of the senate for that day.

The PDP senators, led by the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio had vehemently moved to reject the confirmation of the former governor.

They had insisted that a committee report on the alleged corruption petition against Amaechi be considered by the Senate to determine whether or not to confirm him.

While the APC Senators rejected the recommendation of the committee that the nominee’s screening should not be entertained due to a pending court case, the PDP senators supported the recommendation.