Nigeria’s
Federal High Court Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, has redeployed
about 11 justices of different divisions of the court.
Those affected include Justices Mohammed Liman, Okon Abang and nine others.
The
redeployment of Liman and Abang is suspected to have been effected over
their handling of some recent cases, especially those involving the
leadership of the troubled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had
created controversy within the polity.
Jerry Greer, the son of country singer Craig Morgan,
was found dead in the waters of Kentucky Lake in Humphreys County,
Tennessee, officials confirmed late Monday.
The search for Greer had gone from rescue to
recovery, after the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency brought in
military-grade sonar to search Kentucky Lake.
Jerry Greer, 19, never resurfaced after a tubing accident there on Sunday afternoon.
In a statement via his publicist, Morgan said his
"family is grateful for everyone's support and prayers and requests
privacy during this difficult time."
The teen recently graduated from Dickson County High School in the Tennessee town where his father was raised.
Morgan, 51, is best known for his hit singles "That's What I Love About Sunday," "International Harvester" and "Bonfire
Maya Moore and her Minnesota Lynx teammates sported T-shirts in
support of the Black Lives Matter movement on Saturday night.
The Minneapolis Police Department’s motto is “To Protect with Courage, To Serve with Compassion.”
Except when it comes to Saturday night’s Minnesota Lynx game at the city’s Target Center, it seems.
Four Minneapolis police officers, working the game as
independently contracted security personnel, walked off the job before
this past weekend’s game against the Dallas Wings in response to members
of the Lynx wearing T-shirts in support of the Black Lives Matter
movement and calling for change in the wake of recent police shootings
that left two black men dead, according to the Star Tribune.
“If we take this time to see that this is a human
issue and speak out together, we can greatly decrease fear and create
change,” Lynx guard, 2014 WNBA MVP and three-time league champ Maya Moore told reporters
at a press conference players called prior to the game. “Tonight we
will be wearing shirts to honor and mourn the losses of precious
American citizens and to plea for change in all of us.”
Moore and her Lynx teammates sported black T-shirts
with the words, “CHANGE STARTS WITH US … JUSTICE & ACCOUNTABILITY,”
stacked on the front. On the back, the shirts featured the names
Philando Castile and Alton Sterling — the two men fatally shot last week
by police in Falcon Heights, Minn., and Baton Rouge, La., respectively —
along with the phrase “BLACK LIVES MATTER” underneath.
Additionally, the shirts featured a Dallas Police
Department emblem in honor of the five officers killed by a rogue sniper
during a rally protesting the shooting deaths of Castile and Sterling.
Lynx players also denounced the “senseless ambush” of the five fallen
officers, according to the Star Tribune, and praised Dallas police for
their efforts against the unnecessary use of deadly force in recent
years.
So, it seems four Minneapolis police officers
walking off a security detail for 7,613 fans in attendance
at Saturday’s game was ill-advised at best and downright deplorable at
worst. These officers are paid to protect and serve, albeit
independently in this scenario, and one would think that should take
precedence over political beliefs that clash with what was a rather
reasoned take by the Lynx.
Making matters worse, Minneapolis Police
Federation Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the city’s police union, stood
firmly by the decision to leave their security post, even calling for
others to do the same.
“I commend them for it,” Kroll told the Star Tribune.
Adding that the four officers who walked off the job have refused to
work future Lynx games and many of their colleagues have joined that
lack of effort, Kroll said, “If [the players] are going to keep their
stance, all officers may refuse to work there.”
In other words, the Minneapolis police union
is asking WNBA players to change their stance against racial profiling
if the city would like officers protecting citizens in the stands at
Target Center.
This is not good. Not good at all.
According to the Star Tribune, Kroll cited
“false narratives” with regard to the public’s response to police
shootings of black men in recent years and warned Lynx players, “Rushing
to judgment before the facts are in is unwarranted and reckless.” But
shouldn’t Kroll be held to the same standard?
Let’s not forget a man was gunned down in
front of his fiancée and her 4-year-old daughter by an officer at a
neighboring police department, regardless of motive, and calling for
change to whatever protocol ultimately left the man dead is hardly a
rush to judgment, unwarranted or reckless.
Before you consider whether Castile could
have also acted differently in the situation that led to his death,
ask yourself if this kicker from Kroll to the Star Tribune comes from a
union president who is sensitive to this issue or has no interest in
opening a dialogue on black lives mattering: “They only have four
officers working the event,” said Kroll, “because the Lynx have such a
pathetic draw.”
There’s
no doubt the Minneapolis Police Department protects with courage and
serves with compassion the vast majority of the time, as most law
enforcement units do in the country, but in this particular instance, it
sure seems like some of them are running and hiding from the issue at
hand.
PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain (AP)
— Spain's Princess Cristina testified Thursday at her tax fraud trial
that her husband handled all bill payments for the couple and she didn't
know why some costs for their lavish lifestyle including an African
safari and more than 1,000 euros ($1,100) for wine were charged to a
credit card for a company they co-owned.
(1 of 6)
Spain's Princess Cristina arrives at a courthouse in Palma de Mallorca,
Spain, Thursday March 3, 2016, to start testifying in a fraud trial
that could result in her spending up to eight-years in prison if
convicted. Cristina is the sister of King Felipe VI, who took power in
2014 after his father abdicated, and is the first member of Spain's
royal family to face criminal charges since the monarchy was restored in
1975.
The princess spent about 20 minutes answering
questions from her lawyer aimed at distancing her from involvement with
Aizoon, the real estate consulting company he ran from an office inside
the Barcelona mansion they lived in for years with their four children
but were forced to sell as their legal troubles mounted.
Asked by her lawyer why she never talked with her
husband about what the company did, Cristina responded that "they
weren't issues that interested me. At that time my children were very
small and we were very busy."
"He was in charge of the family expenses. I didn't
get involved in that," she added. The case centers on accusations that
Urdangarin used his former title of Duke of Palma to embezzle about 6
million euros ($6.6 million) in public funds for the nonprofit Noos
Institute he ran with a partner that put on sport conferences.
Seventeen people are charged, including Urdangarin and the princess.
Money
went from Noos to Aizoon, which Urdangarin and the princess testified
was set up to receive his income. A three-judge panel hearing the case
will weigh whether the couple criminally abused Aizoon, described in
court papers as a "front company" that may have funded luxury vacations
and parties at the couple's modernist mansion along with other expenses.
Immediately after taking the stand, Cristina
invoked her right to answer only questions posed by her own lawyer and
sat silently and listened, but didn't respond to questions posed by a
lawyer for the group that leveled the tax fraud charges.
Under Spanish law, groups like the Manos Limpias
(Clean Hands) organization involved in the princess' trial can pursue
criminal charges against people when authorities decide not to do so.
Prosecutors had recommended not charging the princess, saying she should
face an administrative fine at most.
The Manos Limpias lawyer, Virginia Lopez Negrete,
told the princess she would have asked her about Aizoon and for
explanations about personal and business expenses. Cristina's
much-anticipated appearance came after Urdangarin wrapped up three days
of testimony and was unable to explain in court how personal expenses
like the safari trip and the wine were billed to the Aizoon credit card.
But Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball
medalist-turned-entrepreneur, insisted he never knew he might have been
doing anything questionable. Cristina faces two counts of tax fraud,
each carrying a maximum jail sentence of four years. She is the first
member of Spain's royal family to face criminal charges since the
monarchy was restored in 1975. Urdangarin faces stiffer charges and a
possible jail sentence of nearly 20 years.
Urdangarin testified that his wife never used the
Aizoon credit but that he and other people did, passing the bills to his
secretary at the firm. An investigative judge found that the couple
never reported as income personal expenses billed to the company, but
Urdangarin testified he relied on the advice of others for determining
which expenses should be charged to Aizoon.
"I have never been aware of committing any tax
offense because I had my advisers who told me everything was correct,"
Urdangarin said. The expenses charged to Aizoon cited in court included
15,797 euros ($17,174) for the Africa safari, 6,672 euros for a coaching
course for Cristina and 1,357 euros for wine.
Urdangarin said he had made Cristina a co-director
of Aizoon because he wanted her to be part of the business project but
also insisted "she didn't have anything to do with the company's
activities." Urdangarin testified Wednesday that palace officials who
worked for former King Juan Carlos oversaw the princess' tax filings and
had detailed knowledge of his business operations.
Cristina is the sister of King Felipe VI, who took
power in 2014 after his father abdicated. Legal experts say Cristina's
defense relies on her convincing the judges that she knew nothing about
her husband's business activities.
Testimony by the defendants ended Thursday night
but the judges are expected to hear months more testimony from other
witnesses and experts. Cristina won't have to appear in court again
until there is a verdict, which isn't expected until sometime over the
summer.
The lawyer for
Spain's Princess Cristina argued in court Tuesday that the sister of
King Felipe VI should be found innocent of tax fraud after an
anti-corruption group lawyer insisted she should be jailed for eight
years.
(1 of 1)
Taken from court TV, Spain's Princess Cristina gives evidence in a tax
fraud trial in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Princess Cristina is in court
on Tuesday June 14, 2016 for final defense arguments in her trial for
tax fraud that also includes her husband and 15 others charged with an
alleged scheme to defraud millions in public contracts for sports events
and conferences. A panel of judges could take weeks or months to issue
verdicts. (Provincial Court of the Balearic Islands video pool via AP,
File) TV OUT
Pau Molins urged a panel of three judges to
"restore justice" for Cristina during final defense arguments in the
trial that also includes her husband and 15 others charged with an
alleged scheme to defraud millions in public contracts for sports events
and conferences.
Prosecutors are seeking a 19-year jail sentence for
Cristina's husband Inaki Urdangarin, an Olympic handball medalist
turned entrepreneur. His lawyers on Tuesday also insisted that he
committed no crimes and should be cleared by the panel.
A prosecutor and a state attorney representing
Spanish tax authorities have said officials agreed she committed no
crimes and should face at most an administrative fine for tax evasion.
The judges could take weeks or months to issue verdicts.
Sen.
David Perdue, R-Ga. addresses the Road to Majority Conference in
Washington, Friday, June 10, 2016. Perdue told conservatives they should
pray for President Barack Obama and suggested a biblical passage that
says, "Let his days be few." (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
WASHINGTON
(AP) — A Republican senator told conservatives Friday they should pray
for President Barack Obama and suggested a biblical passage that says,
"Let his days be few."
Georgia
Sen. David Perdue told a gathering of religious conservatives that "we
need to be very specific about how we pray." He suggested using Psalms
109:8, which reads: "Let his days be few, and let another have his
office."
As
the audience at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority"
conference laughed and applauded, Perdue said, "In all seriousness, I
believe that America is at a moment of crisis."
The next lines of the Psalm read: "Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow."
Kristen
Orthman, a spokeswoman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, said
Perdue's comments "left the impression he was praying for the death of
President Obama."
Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., followed Perdue on stage "and
did not condemn him," Orthman said. "If Republicans are still wondering
why Donald Trump is their nominee, look no further than today's Faith
and Freedom conference," she said.
Megan
Whittemore, a spokeswoman for Perdue, said the senator told the Faith
& Freedom audience that, "We are called to pray for our country, for
our leaders and for our president."
Perdue "in no way wishes harm toward our president, and everyone in the room understood that," Whittemore said.
A spokesman for McConnell said the senator was not on stage when Perdue made the comment.
President Obama formally endorsed Hillary Clinton for president Thursday, her campaign announced. The endorsement came right after after the president met with her primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, at the White House.
“I
don’t think there’s ever been someone so qualified to hold this
office,” Obama said in a video released by Clinton’s team. “She’s got
the courage, the compassion and the heart to get the job done.”
The two will campaign together in Green Bay, Wisc., Wednesday.
The
president, whose national approval rating hovers around 50 percent,
will be a key ally for Clinton going into the general election.
Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, as of now, has no former
presidents campaigning for him, as both former Bush presidents have
indicated they will stay out of the race.
Obama
has been impatient and eager to campaign openly for Clinton against
Trump, but wanted to remain neutral during the Democratic primary. “I
want us to run scared the whole time,” Obama told a group of donors last
week in Miami, according to the New York Times.
In
his endorsement, Obama congratulated Sanders on running a “great
campaign” and said he believed the primary “will make the Democratic
party stronger.”
Clinton
gained enough pledged and unpledged delegates to become the nominee
this week, but Sanders has said he will campaign at least until
Washington, D.C., votes Tuesday — the final election of the primary.
Sanders is under pressure to concede ahead of next month’s Democratic
convention.
Cross River State Police Commissioner, Mr. Henry Fadairo
Mudiaga Affe, Calabar
Bandits on Friday operated in Calabar
freely for over three hours, killing an unidentified Inspector of Police
that led a team to stop the robbery operations at a popular hotel
located behind the headquarters of the Zone 6 Police Command.
The robbers also shot another policeman
at the same hotel before making away with his gun to another part of
the Calabar metropolis where they attacked a security operative at a
bank, also snatching his weapon.
Southern City News learnt on Sunday
that the armed bandits operated in the Cross River State capital from
9pm to 12 midnight and snatched seven cars before retreating to their
hideout.
An anonymous source said the armed
robbers took time to dispossess the hotel customers of their belongings
for over one hour before the arrival of the police team whose leader was
killed.
The source said that after leaving the
hotel, the bandits went to the Nelson Mandela Street end of the Watt
market in Calabar-South stabbed and dispossessed one security operative
of his gun.
He said, “The robbers operated at the
hotel for over one hour before the intervention of policemen from the
Federal Housing Police Station. The police team were ambushed by the
robbers some few metres to the gate of the hotel.
“They immediately opened fire on them
and in the process killed the police inspector that led the team and
shot another policeman who is in critical condition.
“They also collected their guns and
headed towards Nelson Mandela in Calabar South where they stabbed one
policeman at an old generation bank close to Conoil Filing Station. They
also collected the gun of the injured policeman. As they were moving,
they were snatching vehicles. I learnt they collected up to seven cars
in the course of the operations that lasted from 9pm to 12 midnight.”
Robbers had also last Tuesday invaded
one of the old generation banks along Mayne Avenue in Calabar South and
killed one of the mobile policemen on duty and made away with his gun.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. John Eluu, confirmed the robbery operations on Friday.
He said, “Yes, I am aware of the
robbery operation at the hotel. The police are still investigating and
will soon arrest the perpetrators.
“We are calling on members of the
public to avail us with useful information at all times to help curb
this ugly development,” Eluu said.
My generation, by which I mean the
generation which came into political and social consciousness in the
1960s, was lucky in the sense that we had many real heroes, men and
women from whom we drew inspiration, who made us feel that the best was
within reach and that God’s mission on earth was achievable by doing
good. They did not come any greater than John F. Kennedy, Robert
Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Patrick
Lumumba, Nelson Mandela, Kaduna Nzeogwu, Francis Fajuyi and yes,
Mohammed Ali (the Greatest boxer of all times). It was also the age of
independence for African states, an age that liberated not just
territories but the can-do spirit of the whole world.
It reminded us of the can-do and
elevating atmosphere prevalent in the court of King Arthur and his
knights of the roundtable. That Court was known as Camelot.
But it was also an unfortunate
generation because we watched helplessly as each one of our heroes was
assassinated, overthrown, and incarcerated. It was a generation that
watched as dreams were aborted. We watched as the dreams of independence
turned into the nightmare of massacres, genocide, civil wars and
kleptocracy.
Now, the last of the Camelot Titans, Mohammed Ali, is gone, just gone.
I met Ali only once in Lagos during the
Shehu Shagari period. The United States under President Jimmy Carter was
trying to organise a boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games then due to be
held in Moscow. Ali was sent by the Carter Administration to lobby
African states to join in the boycott. I was still at the Institute of
International Affairs as the Director-General and Professor Isaya Audu
was the Foreign Minister.
I turned up in Professor Audu’s office
on appointment only to be told to wait a while as an unexpected visitor
had shown up. Soon, the door opened and I leapt up as Ali floated out in
a boxing posture as he exited the Foreign Minister’s office. Then, we
shook hands.
Professor Audu said jokingly that Ali
should seek to persuade me about the Moscow boycott. That Ali went on
diplomatic missions on behalf of the US showed that even though he was
against the Vietnam War and was against racism in the US, he was not
against the country. He had a presence and a charm that masked the
gritty determination of his beliefs. Ali showed a more profound and
nuanced opposition to racism in the US than most of the leaders of the
anti-discrimination movements.
The singular act of changing his name
from Cassius Clay Jr. to Mohammed Ali sent a more powerful message as a
symbolic message than a thousand marches. Ali was probably, actually
definitely, not aware of the linkage between Islam and Arab slave trade
in Africa. A later awareness of this in his later years might account
for his switch from Sunni Islam to Surfism (another variant of Islam).
Ali was a master of the grand gesture,
gestures timed for maximum effect. Without a university education, let
alone any specialisation in psychology, he used psychology to
devastating effect against his opponents before they even climbed into
the ring.
Ali, the master performer, elevated
boxing from the basement of the poor to the sitting room of royalty and
billionaires. Boxing will miss him; sports will miss him; humanity will
miss him.
He survived in spite of the fact that he
did not play safe. He took on the American system when in 1964, he
changed his name from Cassius Clay to Mohammed Ali after joining the
Nation of Islam otherwise called the NOI and when he refused to fight in
the Vietnam War.
Those who took on the system especially
in the 60s and the 70s usually paid with their lives as one hero after
another got hunted down by the invisible forces that formed the
underbelly of rapacious and vicious system. Mohammed Ali survived.
The death of our heroes, speaking for my
generation, did not kill our dreams.Those who kill often do not realise
that dreams cannot be killed. They sow seeds that germinate over time
and hopefully serve to inspire another generation.
You said you were the Greatest. So say
we all. Your death brings to mind the immortal words of John Donne in
his poem, “For whom the bell tolls”, when he wrote, “No man is an
island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part
of the main…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in
mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls, it
tolls for thee.”
China has marked the start of Ramadan with its customary ban on civil
servants, students and children in a mainly-Muslim region from taking
part in fasting, government websites said as the holy month started on
Monday.
China’s ruling Communist party is officially atheist and for years
has banned government employees and minors from fasting in Xinjiang,
home to the more than 10 million strong mostly Muslim Uighur minority.
It has also ordered restaurants to stay open.
The region sees regular clashes between Uighurs and state security
forces, and Beijing has blamed deadly attacks there and elsewhere in
China on militants seeking independence for the resource-rich region.
Rights groups blame tensions on religious and cultural restrictions
placed on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the vast area, which
abuts Central Asia.
Several local government departments in Xinjiang posted notices on
their websites in the last week ordering restrictions on fasting during
Ramadan.
During the holy month, the faithful fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more pious.
“Party members, cadres, civil servants, students and minors must not
fast for Ramadan and must not take part in religious activities,” a
notice posted Thursday on the government website of central Xinjiang’s
Korla city said.
“During the Ramadan month, food and drink businesses must not close,” it added.
A Uighur official in the city’s Tiekeqi township named Ahmatjan Tohti
told a group of men wearing traditional doppa hats at a meeting last
Monday that officials should “resolutely stop party members, civil
servants, students and minors from entering mosques for religious
activities” during the festival, a separate report posted on the website
last Tuesday said.
A website run by the education bureau of the regional capital
Urumqi’s Shuimogou district posted a notice last Monday calling for
“prevention of students and teachers from all schools from entering
mosques for religious activities”, during Ramadan.
In the northern city of Altay, officials agreed to “increase contact
with parents”, to “prevent fasting during Ramadan”, according to a post
Friday on the state-run China Ethnicities Religion website.
Islamic threat-Meanwhile the website of the Qapqal Xibe Autonomous
County government in northwest Xinjiang said Monday that restaurants in
the area would be instructed to stay open during Ramadan to “ensure that
the broader masses have normal access to cuisine”.
Dilxat Raxit of the World Uyghur Congress, an exile group, condemned
the restrictions in an email Monday, adding: “China thinks that the
Islamic faith of Uighurs threatens the rule of the Beijing leadership”.
China keeps tight control over religious groups, though Beijing often says it grants citizens broad freedom of belief.
China’s State Council on Thursday released a white paper which
declared that religious freedom in Xinjiang “cannot be matched by any
other period in history”.
“During the month of Ramadan, Muslim restaurants can decide whether
they want to do business. There will be no interference,” it said.
“Local governments ensure that all religious activities during Ramadan go on in an orderly manner,” it added.
That was President Muhammadu Buhari’s
parting shot to Nigerians on Monday as he departed the Nnamdi Azikwe
International Airport Abuja for London where he is expected to see
specialists over what the Presidency described as “persistent ear
infection.”
The Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had announced on Sunday that
Buhari would be proceeding on a 10-day vacation beginning from Monday
during which he will see Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in London.
During a brief interaction he had with
journalists before leaving the Presidential Wing of the airport, Buhari
was asked to react to the tension being created that the President of
the country is sick.
It was at that point that the President asked the reporters if there was anybody that does not fall sick.
When asked what his message to Nigerians
would be at this time, Buhari simply said, “I have already told
Nigerians that I am going for 10 days to get my ear checked.”
When further asked if he had
communicated his decision to go on vacation to the National Assembly as
required by law, the President said, “The National Assembly knows; they
have been formally informed.”
With the notice to the National
Assembly, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to act as President
for the period Buhari will be away.
Graduating from university is normally an occasion for a family get-together.
And
this was certainly a big celebration for the Ogunsanya quadruplets who
were handed their well-deserved degrees from the same university on the
same day.
The
23-year-old quads, identical sisters and the oldest by four minutes,
Toks and Temi Ogunsanya, and identical brothers, Tobi and Tolu,
graduated from Warwick University with Master Degrees.
Quadriple grads
Fabulous foursome! (Left to right) Tolu, Toks, Temi and Tobi have walked away with degrees and City jobs
And there was not a jot of sibling rivalry as all four have landed jobs in the City already.
Toks
graduated with an MEng in manufacturing and engineering and Temi, Tobi
and Tolu all gained an MSC in management from Warwick Business School.
‘The
fact we all chose to study at the University of Warwick was a natural
decision,’ says Tobi, who thinks a bit of sibling rivalry is essential
for success.
‘We are a close-knit family and were all attracted by the strength of the courses on offer.
Quadriple 2
Quite brilliant quads: The foursome, originally from Nigeria, all went to boarding school before heading to Warwick University
‘We
all gravitated to similar courses because we’ve always been interested
in business and management and our father is a successful businessman in
Nigeria.’
The quads, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, have been
living in the UK since the age of seven when they began boarding
schools. Since leaving university they have all landed top city jobs.
Quadriple 3
No sibling rivalry: The brothers and sisters are so close they were even attracted to the same sort of courses
Toks
is due to started working for RBS in London after graduation, Temi, who
interned at Santander over the summer, has been offered a permanent
position with the bank, and Tolu soon strated working for one of the
‘Big 4’ accountancy firms in the City.
‘Our parents are four times as proud of us,’ added Tobi, who is mulling over two offers from two major City firms.
‘They’ve supported us financially and have encouraged us all the way – without their help we wouldn’t be here today.’
The
Federal Government has released the statement below detailing assets
recovered from corrupt officials of the past administration.
Read full statement below. The Federal Government made cash recoveries totaling:
N78,325,354,631.82
(Seventy eight billion, three hundred and twenty-five million, three
hundred and fifty-four thousand, six hundred and thirty one Naira and
eighty two kobo);
$185,119,584.61 (One hundred and eight five
million, one hundred and nineteen thousand, five hundred and eighty four
US dollars, sixty one cents);
3,508,355.46 Pounds Sterling
(Three million, five hundred and eight thousand, three hundred and
fifty-five Pounds and 46 Pence) and
11, 250 Euros (Eleven thousand, two hundred and fifty Euros) from 29 May 2015 to 25 May 2016.
In
a statement in Lagos on Saturday, the Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, also disclosed that Recoveries Under
Interim Forfeiture (cash and assets) during the period totaled
N126,563,481,095.43 (One hundred and twenty six billion, five hundred
and sixty three million, four hundred and eighty one thousand, and
ninety five Naira, forty three Kobo; $9,090,243,920.15 (Nine billion,
ninety million, two hundred and forty three thousand, nine hundred and
twenty Dollars, fifteen cents; 2,484,447.55 Pounds Sterling (Two
million, four hundred and eighty four thousand, four hundred and forty
seven Pounds, fifty five Pence) and 303,399.17 Euros (Three hundred and
three thousand, three hundred and ninety-nine Euros, 17 cents ).
According
to the statement, which is based on the interim report on the financial
and assets recoveries made by the various government agencies from 29
May 2015 to 25 May 2016, the Funds Awaiting Return From Foreign
Jurisdictions total $321,316,726.1 (Three hundred and twenty one
million, three hundred and sixteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty
six Dollars, one cent); 6,900,000 Pounds (Six million, nine hundred
thousand Pounds) and 11,826.11 Euros (Eleven thousand, eight hundred and
twenty six Euros, 11 cents).
It showed that Non-Cash Recoveries
(Farmlands, Plots of Land, Uncompleted Buildings, Completed Buildings,
Vehicles and Maritime Vessels) during the period total 239.
INTERIM REPORT ON FINANCIAL AND ASSET RECOVERIES MADE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA FROM 29 MAY 2015 TO 25 MAY 2016
These women who show serious passion, drive and tenacity cover this week’s Vanguard Allure.....
Omoni
Oboli, Adesua Etomi, Linda Ejiofor and Chioma Onyenwe are four
pro-active women that have put in their best in to their art.
Omoni’s
electrifying performance in ‘Fifty’, Adesua in ‘Falling’, and Chioma
Onyenwe steering the ship in her directorial debut ‘8 bars and a clef’
starring Linda Ejiofor have most certainly proved that they are forces
to be recognised for the hard work that brings out the best in their
art.
These women have shown serious passion, love and drive for
their art and chosen career. In this week’s Vanguard Allure, the ladies
also chose stylish looks serving their fiercest poses yet for the
magazine while discussing about their careers and more.
Check out their stunning photoshoot for the magazine.
The best thing about Michelle Obama is that when she means business, she wears a bold look
to show it. The first lady hosted an event in the State Dining Room at
the White House, announcing company pledges to hire and train military
vets. For the FLOTUS, the moment was just as good as any to pull out a
bright, sleeveless Spring dress, which she polished off with a thin
belt, Hearts on Fire diamond hoop earrings, and sparkling rings.
Michelle knew better than to cover up with a blazer — not when she had a full midi skirt of pleats to flaunt, proving she's mindful of this season's trends. Read on to see Michelle attract attention from all angles, then shop for a printed design that doesn't feel dizzy but instead appropriately festive for the occasion.
LONDON (AP) — The Latest on
President Barack Obama's visit to the United Kingdom (all times local):
9:15 p.m. The "special relationship" between the United States and the
United Kingdom seems to have put President Barack Obama in a gift-giving
mood.
(1 of 14)
Britain's Prince Harry, left, stands with the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, right, outside of Kensington Palace in London, with United
States President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, prior to a private
dinner, Friday April 22, 2016. Obama stepped into Britain's debate about
EU membership and many other topics, as he starts a three day visit to
Britain. (Chris Radburn/Pool via AP)
The White House says Obama presented Prime Minister
David Cameron with a custom Shinola watch engraved on the back with the
presidential seal. Obama also gave Cameron a bison leather duffel bag,
monogrammed with the prime minister's initials and featuring a luggage
tag with the presidential seal.
The duffel bag has three cans of tennis balls from
the U.S. Open and a pair of sport towels personalized with U.S.-U.K.
friendship flags. During a slightly belated birthday lunch with Queen
Elizabeth II, Obama gave her a photo diary of her many visits with U.S.
presidents and first ladies.
8 p.m.
President Barack Obama and first lady
Michelle Obama are at Kensington Palace for dinner with Prince William,
his wife, Kate, and his brother, Prince Harry.
William is second in line for the throne after his father, Prince Charles.
The presidential motorcade arrived at
the palace under a steady drizzle. Obama held an umbrella over the first
lady as Prince Harry leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. The trio of
royals seemed to feel no need for an umbrella as they walked down
several stone steps to greet the Obamas.
The men went semiformal with jackets
but no ties, while the first lady wore a light terra cotta-colored coat
and dress. Kate wore a teal and purple printed dress.
6:20 p.m.
President Barack Obama is sidestepping
a question about whether he'll become the first president to visit
Hiroshima during his visit to Japan next month.
Obama was asked about a potential
visit during a news conference with British Prime Minister David
Cameron. He says to wait until he visits Asia before asking him
questions about Asia.
The White House has been weighing
whether Obama should visit the site when he's in Japan in May for a
summit of the Group of 7 industrialized countries. U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry paid a high-profile visit earlier in April.
The U.S. attack on Hiroshima in the
final days of World War II killed 140,000 people and scarred a
generation of Japanese, while thrusting the world into the dangerous
Atomic Age.
No serving U.S. president has visited
the site, and it took 65 years for a U.S. ambassador to attend
Hiroshima's annual memorial service.
6:15 p.m.
President Barack Obama says the death
of Prince is a remarkable loss. He's calling Prince a great performer
who put out great music.
Obama says he didn't know Prince well
but recalls his performance at the White House last year as creative,
original and full of energy.
Obama is speaking at a news conference
after meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron. Obama says he listened
to "Purple Rain" and "Delirious" at the U.S. ambassador's residence on
Friday in tribute to Prince and "to get warmed up" before his meeting
with Cameron.
6:10 p.m.
President Barack Obama says the United
States has looked at other options if a fragile cease-fire in Syria
falls apart and "none of them are great."
Obama says the cessation of
hostilities has held together longer than he expected. But he says even
if it collapses, the U.S. will try to put it back together.
The president says his phone call with
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday was intended to emphasize
the importance of maintaining the ceasefire.
Obama has faced repeated questions
about his "Plan B" if the cease-fire the U.S. and Russia brokered fails.
Obama has accused Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime of violating
that ceasefire amid renewed violence within the country. The Islamic
State group and the al Qaida-linked Nusra Front are not part of the
ceasefire.
6:00 p.m.
President Barack Obama says North
Carolina's law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian,
gay and transgender people is wrong should be overturned.
Obama is criticizing the state law and
others targeting LGBT people during a news conference in London. He
says they're in response to politics and strong emotions. Obama says
some of the proponents are good people but that he disagrees with them.
Obama is commenting after the U.K. put
out a travel advisory warning British citizens about possible
discrimination if they travel to certain U.S. states. Obama says
Americans in those states are "wonderful people" and that British
citizens should feel free to come and enjoy themselves. He says they'll
be treated with "extraordinary hospitality."
Obama says the U.S. isn't unique in having a federal system where states can make their own policies.
5:50 p.m.
President Barack Obama says he keeps a
bust of Winston Churchill right outside the door of his private office
on the second floor of the White House.
He says the primary image that he sees
every day before entering what is referred to as the Treaty Room is the
bust of Churchill. Obama says, "I love the guy."
Obama is responding to criticism from
London's mayor. Boris Johnson said earlier that removing the bust of
Churchill from the Oval Office was a symbol of the "part-Kenyan
president's ancestral dislike of the British Empire."
Obama says that as the first
African-American U.S. president, he thought it was important to have a
bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office. He says that's to
remind him of the hard work of people who came before him that allowed
him to have the privilege of serving as president.
5:45 p.m.
President Barack Obama says leaving
the European Union would send Britain to the "back of the queue" for a
trade deal with the United States.
Obama is answering questions after
telling a news conference with Prime Minister David Cameron that he
hopes Britain will stay in the EU. Obama says "I don't think the EU
moderates U.K. influence in the world — it magnifies it."
Those who argue for an exit from the
28-nation bloc sometimes claim Britain could easily negotiate new trade
deals if it leaves the EU's free-trade zone. But Obama says it would be
at the back of the queue because the U.S. priority would be cutting a
deal with the much bigger EU.
5:40 p.m.
President Barack Obama says that
participation in alliances such as the United Nations and NATO means the
U.S. doesn't get 100 percent of what it wants, but its participation
helps make the world better off.
He says NATO formalizes the
architecture that deters aggression and that participation in the
International Monetary Fund helps produce an orderly financial system.
Cameron is making clear that the UK's
participation in the European Union is "our choice, nobody else's." But
he says as the U.K. makes that choice, it makes sense to hear from its
friends.
5:35 p.m.
President Barack Obama says the United Kingdom is at its best when it is leading a strong Europe as part of the European Union.
Obama is giving a strong defense of
arguments for the U.K. staying in the 28-nation bloc during a joint news
conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron. He says the U.S.
wants a strong U.K. as its partner.
Obama says EU allows the U.K. to
spread British values across the continent. He says the single economic
market brings "extraordinary economic benefits" to British citizens.
Obama say that, in turn, is good for the U.S.
Obama says Americans want Britain's
influence to grow, including within Europe. But he says ultimately the
decision is up to the British people.
5:30 p.m.
British Prime Minister David Cameron
says the U.K.-U.S. "special relationship" is strengthened by Britain's
membership in the European Union.
Cameron is speaking in a joint news
conference with President Barack Obama. The U.S. leader has stepped into
Britain's debate about EU membership — and angered opponents of the
bloc — by saying it is in U.S. interests for the U.K. to stay in.
The issue has overshadowed a trip on
which Obama and Cameron discussed thorny topics including the fight
against the Islamic State group, the European migrant crisis and global
corruption.
Cameron is hailing the trans-Atlantic
relationship and says "our collective power and reach is amplified by
Britain's membership of the European Union."
He says EU membership is "a powerful
tool to deliver on the prosperity and security our people need and to
stand up for the values our countries share."
5:15 p.m.
President Barack Obama says Queen
Elizabeth II is truly one of his favorite people and a "real jewel to
the world," not just the United Kingdom.
Obama says he must confess that part
of the reason for visiting the UK is to wish the queen a happy 90th
birthday. He and first lady Michelle Obama met with the queen Friday and
gave her a custom photo album.
Obama is speaking at a press
conference with Prime Minister David Cameron. The president says that if
he is fortunate enough to reach the age of 90, he hopes to be as
vibrant as the queen.
3:20 p.m.
President Barack Obama has opened a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing St.
Obama arrived via motorcade after
flying back to London via helicopter from Windsor Castle, where he had
lunch with Queen Elizabeth II.
Cameron greeted the president and the two leaders exchanged small talk about sports and keeping their kids out of trouble.
The two leaders plan to discuss a
range of pressing security and political issues, including the campaign
against the Islamic State group and the U.K.'s deliberations about
remaining in the European Union. Obama and Cameron will take questions
from reporters together after their meeting.
3 p.m.
To commemorate her 90th birthday, The
White House says President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama
have given Queen Elizabeth II a custom photo album chronicling her
visits with U.S. presidents and first ladies.
The queen's first visit to the United
States was in 1951 as Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh. She
toured Mount Vernon and met with President Harry S. Truman. Since then,
the queen has met with nearly every U.S. president.
Her first visit to the United States
as queen occurred in 1957 when she met with President Dwight D.
Eisenhower and former President Herbert Hoover.
The White House says the collection of
historical photos highlights the enduring close friendship between the
United States and the United Kingdom.
2:45 p.m.
London Mayor Boris Johnson is drawing a
storm of criticism for suggesting President Barack Obama may have an
"ancestral dislike of the British Empire" because of his Kenyan roots.
Obama has urged Britain to stay in the European Union, angering Johnson and others who want the country to leave the bloc.
Writing in The Sun newspaper, Johnson
recounted a claim that a bust of former British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill was removed from the Oval Office after Obama was elected and
returned to the British Embassy. Johnson wrote that some said removing
the bust "was a symbol of the part-Kenyan president's ancestral dislike
of the British Empire, of which Churchill had been such a fervent
defender."
Former Liberal Democrat leader Menzies
Campbell says Johnson's comment are "an unacceptable smear," while
Labour Party lawmaker Diane Abbott says that "Boris dismissing president
Obama as 'half-Kenyan' reflects the worst Tea Party rhetoric."
The White House has said that the Churchill bust is still in a prominent place in the presidential residence.
2:00 p.m.
It's hard to make arriving via
helicopter for lunch with the queen look like a casual affair, but Queen
Elizabeth II nearly managed it.
Tying a scarf over her head, the queen
and Prince Philip came out in light rain to meet President Barack Obama
and first lady Michelle Obama as Marine One landed outside Windsor
Castle.
After quick but warm greetings, the
four got into a black Range Rover. Philip drove and Obama joined him in
the front seat. Britain's longest-serving monarch sat in the back.
At the castle, the 90-year-old queen
got out of the SUV largely by herself, nearly before Obama could assist.
Inside, she could be heard noting almost apologetically that "this room
is full of mirrors" and asking Obama where he'd like to sit.
The first lady's office says her
magenta and black floral print dress was made by Oscar de la Renta. She
wore a black, Narciso Rodriguez overcoat.
The queen wore a smart, blue suit and black, square-heel pumps. Her head scarf was a small, floral print.
1:20 p.m.
After dinner with two princes on
Friday, President Barack Obama will dine with an ambassador and a prime
minister the following day.
The White House says U.S. Ambassador
Matthew Barzun will host Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron
for dinner Saturday at his London residence, Winfield House.
Set amid 12 acres (5 hectares) of
grounds in London's Regent's Park, the 1930s neo-Georgian mansion is
palatial. But it's not as historic as 300-year-old Kensington Palace.
That's where the president and first lady Michelle Obama will dine
Friday as guests of Prince William, his wife the Duchess of Cambridge
and his younger brother Prince Harry.
1:00 p.m.
President Barack Obama has arrived in Windsor, England, for a royal lunch with Queen Elizabeth II.
The two heads of state were sitting
down at Windsor Castle, just west of London, on Friday. It's the day
after the queen and much of Britain celebrated her 90th birthday. First
lady Michelle Obama and Prince Philip, the queen's husband, were joining
the meal.
Obama says he'll wish the queen a happy birthday in person.
The queen and Prince Philip came out
to greet Obama and the first lady in a light drizzling rain as they
disembarked from Marine One at Windsor Castle.
Obama's socializing with the British
royals was continuing later Friday over dinner with Prince William, his
wife Kate and brother Prince Harry at Kensington Palace in London.
He was meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron in between the royal engagements.
9:00 a.m.
Campaigners for a British exit from
the European Union are expressing anger at U.S. President Barack Obama's
call for the U.K to stay in the bloc. U.K. Independence Party leader
Nigel Farage says Obama should "butt out."
Obama due to meet Prime Minister David Cameron later Friday.
London Mayor Boris Johnson, a leader
of the exit campaign, says Americans "would never contemplate anything
like the EU for themselves." Writing in The Sun newspaper, Johnson said
Obama's stance "is a breathtaking example of the principle of do as I
say, not as I do."
8:50 a.m.
President Barack Obama is urging
Britons to vote to stay in the European Union, saying the challenges in
the world require allies to "stick together."
In an op-ed published in the Telegraph
newspaper, Obama says Great Britain's presence in the EU "magnifies"
Britain's influence and helps spread "British values."
The piece was published Thursday
evening as Obama arrived in London for a three-day visit. Some have
speculated that the trip is timed to boost the campaign against the
so-called "Brexit" ahead of a June referendum. Not all Britons are
welcoming Obama's opinion.
Obama writes he's offering his view "with the candour of a friend" and notes the decision will affect U.S. interests.
He writes, "The U.S. and the world need your outsized influence to continue - including within Europe."
Jerry Greer, the son of country singer Craig Morgan,
was found dead in the waters of Kentucky Lake in Humphreys County,
Tennessee, officials confirmed late Monday. 
