Tinubu promises 12m families will receive N8,000 for six months

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says about 12 million households will get N8,000 over a period of six months to ameliorate the hardships faced by Nigerians as a result of subsidy removal.

In a letter to the House of Representatives read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during plenary on Thursday, Tinubu said it was designed to enable indigent and vulnerable Nigerian people to cope with the cost of meeting basic needs.

The letter waiting for approval of additional financing for the national social safety net programme scaled up by the National Assembly.

The President said this would have a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals.

In order to ascertain the credibility of the process, he said digital transfers would be made directly to beneficiaries’ accounts.

The President’s move was to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal which he announced on the day of his inauguration on May 29 in Abuja.

Vanguard recalled that the removal of fuel subsidy caused the prices of petrol products to jump over 200% and an increase in food prices and transportation.

But, in a letter sent to the House of Representatives, Tinubu asked that the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act be amended to provide N500 billion to fund palliative measures against the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

President Tinubu is seeking to extract N500 billion from the N819,536,937,813 supplementary budget.

The immediate past president Muhammadu Buhari introduced the supplementary budget in 2022 for capital projects due to the impact of the floods on farmlands and road infrastructure.

In a similar gesture to improve the living conditions of poor Nigerians grappling with the pangs of poverty caused by hardships, he also on Thursday, Tinubu wrote to the federal lawmakers seeking the approval of the Senate for a $800 million palliative loan from the World Bank.

“You may also wish to know that the purpose of the facility is to expand coverage of shock-responsive safety net supports for all and vulnerable Nigerians and the cost of meeting basic needs,” Tinubu said in the letter.

The President clarified that, “Under the conditional cash transfer window of the programme, the Federal Government of Nigeria will transfer the sum of N8,000 a month to 12 million poor and low-income households for a period of six months with a multiplying effect on about 60 million individuals.”

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Tinubu will appoint between 36, 42 ministers – Omisore

The National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore said President Bola Tinubu will appoint between 36 and 42 Ministers. 

Omisore disclosed this while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said, “The Constitution says a minister per state, that is 36 and one per zone making 42, at the prerogative of the President. So it can either make 36 minimum or 42 the highest.

“We are still consulting with the party, we are looking at the structure of the ministries. We are likely to structure the ministries to reflect Nigerians’ yearnings today, either merging some, rebranding some, naming some just to gather the agenda of Renewed Hope,” he said.

When asked if Tinubu will constitute a Government of National Unity with members of the opposition parties like ex-Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Omisore said the decision is at the President’s discretion.

He, however, noted that consultations between the President and the ruling party are ongoing regarding the final ministerial list.

Omisore said, “There are technocrats who are politicians too. Some of us, we are professionals. We read to the pinnacle of academics. So we are techno-politicos.

“By the time we look at the baskets together and what will pay Nigerians better, we can come out with a combined cabinet that you will be happy about,” he said.

The constitution mandates the president to appoint a minister from each state and one each from geo-political zones.

Recall that in his first term, former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed 36 ministers, but nominated 42 ministers when he was reelected in 2019.

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Buhari’s title: No law states how a President should be addressed, says NBA

Prominent lawyers , including Mr Femi Falana , Ebun - Olu Adegboruwa and Jiti Ogunye , on Wednesday supported the decision of PUNCH to henceforth address the President of the country as Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd .).

But the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof . Itse Sagay, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Alex Izinyon, opposed PUNCH’ s decision .

The PUNCH, in a front page comment on Wednesday, assessed the President and stated that Buhari, who ruled the country as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985, had failed to “ wean himself off his military antecedents . ”

A few hours after PUNCH’ s comment was published, two presidential aides expressed reservations about the decision to prefix Buhari ’s name with Major General.

The President’ s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement , said PUNCH’ s decision was an indication of freedom of speech in the country .

He stated, “A newspaper says it will henceforth address President Muhammadu Buhari by his military rank of Major General.

“Nothing untoward in it . It is a rank the President attained by dint of hard work before he retired from the Nigerian Army. And today, constitutionally, he is also the Commander- in - Chief of the Armed Forces.
“All over the world, just as in our country , a large number of retired military officers are now  does not democrats.It make those who did not pass through military service better than them.

“Rather than being pejorative, addressing President Buhari by his military rank is another testimony to free speech and freedom of the press, which this administration (or regime , if anyone prefers: it is a matter of semantics) has pledged to uphold and preserve."

But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu , in a separate statement, disagreed with the newspaper for changing the title of the President to Major General. He said a newspaper did not have the power to change the title of a President.

He said PUNCH “never changed President Olusegun Obasanjo’ s title from the President to General Obasanjo, despite the latter’ s refusal to comply with the Supreme Court judgment ordering him to release N30 bn to Lagos State .”

Shehu said when “ General Ibrahim Babangida , who wasn’ t democratically elected , assumed the title of President, ” PUNCH did not challenge him.
He recalled that Babangida closed media houses, including PUNCH, for several months.

“The Constitution of Nigeria recognises the President as the formal official title of the occupant of that office . Can the Punch newspapers , in their hubris address the President as Prime Minister as it pleases?” he asked.

NBA backs PUNCH
The Nigerian Bar Association , however , threw its weight behind the decision by PUNCH to begin prefixing the President’ s name by his last military rank , major general .

The National Publicity Secretary of the association, Mr Kunle Edun , in an interview with The PUNCH, said the newspaper did not violate any law by its decision.

He noted that the newspaper was only expressing its right to freedom of expression in reaction to the acts of the regime.

Edun stated , “ We all know that military regimes have no respect for the rule of law and the judiciary is usually under attack, ” he stated .

Edun said referring to Buhari as a major general was not defamatory since it was his last rank in the military.

He said , “ I am not aware of any law that expressly states how the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be addressed or prefixed; whether as Mr President, a General or simply as Alhaji, is of no consequence at the moment because it is a fact that Buhari is a retired military general and someone who has undergone the mandatory hajj .

“Moreso , the appellations used are not defamatory. Punch has just decided how to express its fundamental right to freedom of expression in conveying its reactions about certain actions of this government . ”

PUNCH has not violated any law – Falana
A Lagos - based rights lawyer , Femi Falana (SAN ), said PUNCH had not violated any law, adding that the description was appropriate for the present regime .

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria explained that the reactions of both Adesina and Shehu did not address the grave allegations of gross human rights abuses that had become the hallmark of the Buhari regime.

Falana noted that contrary to the diversionary ploy of the presidential spokespersons to cover up the desecration of the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday, the State Security Service had apologised to Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu and the Chief Judge of the court for the armed invasion of the temple of justice.

He said , “ While commending PUNCH for imposing the symbolic sanctions on the Buhari regime, it is pertinent to remind Mr Garba Shehu that he was arrested and detained by the State Security Service in 2006 during the Obasanjo/ Atiku face - off . It was the human rights community that fought for his release from the illegal custody .

“In the case of the IGP vs ANPP (2008 ) 12 WRN 65, we also won the Nigerian people the right to protest for or against the government without police permit. In exercise of the right of freedom of expression won through the court, Major General Buhari and other APC leaders convened rallies to protest election malpractices and insecurity in the country.

But as far as the Buhari regime is concerned , any Nigerian citizen, who participates in a peaceful rally , is liable to be charged with treasonable felony or terrorism.

“Mr Garba Shehu alluded to the illegal closure of the PUNCH newspaper by the Babangida junta. It is embarrassing that the senior journalist is not aware that the closure was declared illegal , while the sum of N22m was awarded in favour of the newspaper by the Federal High Court . The said judgment has since been affirmed by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The era of military dictatorship in Nigeria has passed. The current era of civilian dictatorship will pass too .

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Photo: Dancing Senator And Singing Senator Spotted In Serious Conversation In The Senate, A Hot Collabo Coming?

Pictured above is Senator Dino Melaye(r) famous for his hit song Ajeku Iya while Senator Demola Adeleke(l) is famous for his hot dance steps. They were spotted having a serious conversation in the house yesterday. What do you guys think they were talking about?

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Barack Obama and Family Go on Adventures in Indonesia

Former President Barack Obama and his family are back in vacation mode, and this time they are in the tropical islands of Indonesia.

Michelle, Barack, and their daughters arrived in Bali on Friday for a 10-day vacation. They were invited to visit the country by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo after they left the White House in January.

Today the first family visited the famous Tirta Temple in Bali. Malia and Sasha were spotted wearing yellow sarongs, which are given out to visitors before they enter the temple. It’s customary to cover up when visiting a holy place in Indonesia.

The Obamas paddling down the Ayung River. (Photo: Getty Images)

On Monday, Barack and his daughters, Sasha and Malia, were seen rafting on the Ayung River in Bali. The whole family has also gone to see the rice terraces at Jailuwih Village in Tabanan, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They walked through the trail along the paddy fields, with Michelle and Barack leading the crew.

The Obamas at the rice terraces on Sunday. (Photo: Getty Images)

The former president lived in Indonesia for several years as a young child.



 

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‘Why I Am Fighting Governor Yahaya Bello’- Dino Melaye

The Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, has said that his seemingly unhealthy grouse with the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, had to do with Bello’s penchant for owing workers’ salaries and pension.
According to Melaye, his fight was for Kogi workers and pensioners, who were suffering and dying, following what he described as governor Bello’s non-payment of 15-month salaries and pensions.

He disclosed this in Abuja during a chat with the media on Thursday.

The Senator also disclosed that he was fighting the governor because all the tertiary institutions, including the State Polytechnic, College of Education and the University have been under lock and key for five months following the strike embarked on by the lecturers.

He added that doctors in the state have also been on strike, because of the governor’s adamancies towards the payment of salaries and pensions.

Melaye further alleged that the governor was siphoning the State’s money under the guise of Caretaker Committees and had refused to conduct local government elections in the state.

He said: “Yahaya Bello collected N20bn from the Federal Government as bailout fund. Still, he refused to settle workers.

“He also collected N11bn from the Paris Club fund. Still, he refused to pay workers and pensioners.”

“All I am asking for is good governance.‎

“Children can no longer go to school. Tenants can no longer pay their house rent. Enough is enough! The people of Kogi State are tired of this government

“The advent of Yahaya Bello as governor and Taofiq Isah as local government administrator in the political history of Kogi State has brought this unfortunate socio-political paradigm shift.”

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Merkel concerned about US bans on Russia, too

German Chancellor Angela Merkel shares concerns with other European officials that the anti-Russia sanctions newly proposed by the United States could harm the European economy, her spokesman says.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Friday that the chancellor shared the concern about the proposed sanctions expressed in a joint statement by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern a day earlier.

    “The US Senate’s decision raises exactly the same questions for her as it did for Mr. Kern and Mr. Gabriel. It is, putting it mildly, a peculiar move by the US Senate,” Seibert said.

The spokesman said it was “strange” that sanctions intended to punish Russia for alleged meddling in the US elections last November could lead to penalties against European firms.

“That must not happen,” he said. “We generally reject sanctions with extra-territorial effects, meaning an impact on third countries.”

In the Thursday joint statement, Gabriel and Kern said the proposed energy-specific sanctions should not be “threatening German, Austrian, and other European enterprises,” adding that the punitive measures were in contravention of international law.

The sanctions were approved by a margin of 98 to 2 on June 15, but it still needs to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by US President Donald Trump to become law.

In an interview with Reuters, German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries accused Washington of undermining a joint approach with Europe on sanctions against Russia and threatened that Berlin would retaliate if the US president backed the plan.

“If he does, we’ll have to consider what we are going to do against it,” Zypries said.

The sanctions bill mainly affect companies cooperating with Russian oil and gas companies, including BASF, Shell, Engie, OMV, Wintershall, and Uniper taking part in the Nord Stream 2 project.

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Trump in for 'rude awakening' if he fires investigators in Russia inquiry

US Senator Dianne Feinstein says President Donald Trump is in for “a rude awakening” if he dismisses officials involved in an ongoing investigation into potential ties between his 2016 campaign and Russia.

“The message the president is sending through his tweets is that he believes the rule of law doesn’t apply to him and that anyone who thinks otherwise will be fired. That’s undemocratic on its face and a blatant violation of the president’s oath of office," Feinstein said in a statement Friday.

The California Democrat is situated at the center of the Russia inquiry as she sits on both the Senate intelligence and judiciary committees.

"I’m growing increasingly concerned that the president will attempt to fire not only Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible obstruction of justice, but also Deputy Attorney General [Rod] Rosenstein who appointed Mueller," Feinstein said.

US Senator Dianne Feinstein, (D-California), questions then-FBI Director James Comey (not seen) as he testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, May 3, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Trump has posted a number of tweets calling the Russia probe a “witch hunt” being carried out by “very bad people.”

In a tweet Friday morning, Trump acknowledged for the first time that he was “being investigated for firing the FBI director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt."

Trump was likely referring to Rosenstein, and to a Washington Post story that Mueller is looking at whether the president attempted to obstruct justice.
Rosenstein authored a memo in May that the White House initially used as justification for firing then-FBI Director James Comey, who was investigating allegations of Russian interference in the US presidential election.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies during a Senate hearing, June 13, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

The deputy attorney general later announced the selection of Mueller, a former FBI director, as special counsel to head up the investigation.

Sen. Feinstein stressed that it was Rosenstein, not the president, who has the authority to fire Mueller. Rosenstein testified this week that he would not fire Mueller without good cause after a longtime Trump ally raised the possibility that the president might dismiss the special counsel.

“If the president thinks he can fire Deputy Atty. Gen. Rosenstein and replace him with someone who will shut down the investigation, he’s in for a rude awakening. Even his staunchest supporters will balk at such a blatant effort to subvert the law," Feinstein said.

Inside the White House, those close to the president say he is angry at Justice Department officials, especially at Rosenstein for appointing Mueller.

Trump has vehemently denied any collusion between his campaign team and Russia.

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The story behind President Trump’s ‘little bit sassy’ Oval Office photo with a queer teacher

Nikos Giannopoulos with President Trump and first lady Melania Trump in the Oval Office. (Photo: Shealah Craighead/courtesy White House)

WASHINGTON — Presidential photo ops are normally a staid affair, but Rhode Island teacher Nikos Giannopoulos brought some unique flair to the Oval Office when he met with President Donald Trump.

Giannopoulos carried a black lace fan that he unfurled alongside Trump at the Resolute desk in order to, as he put it in a Facebook post, “celebrate the joy and freedom of gender nonconformity.” Giannopoulos met Trump with a group of other teachers on April 26, but he only received a copy of his picture with the president this week. Since he posted the photo on Facebook on Thursday, it has gained widespread attention and, as of this writing, was shared over 2,600 times.

“I walked into the Oval Office, I was probably like the fourth person to walk in,” Giannopoulos told Yahoo News in a Friday phone interview. “I kind of popped open my fan just to be kind of a little bit sassy, as I am prone to being.”

According to Giannpoulos, Trump immediately took notice of the fashion accessory.

“I started fanning myself and he complimented the fan actually, so that was his first sentence to me. It was basically, ‘Oh, I like the fan.’ And then he also told me that I was very stylish,” Giannopoulos said.

Giannopoulos teaches 11th and 12th graders in the special education program at Beacon Charter High School for the Arts in Woonsocket, R.I. He was invited to meet with Trump after winning the 2017 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year award. Giannopoulos went into the Oval Office with the winners from other states.

A gay man who identifies as “queer” because he finds the term to be more inclusive, Giannopoulos said the clothing and accessories he wore to the Oval Office were a nod to gender and sexuality issues. He explained the symbolism in a Facebook post that he shared shortly after meeting Trump in April.

“I wore a rainbow pin to represent my gratitude for the LGBTQ community that has taught me to be proud, bold and empowered by my identity — even when circumstances make that difficult. I wore a blue jacket with a bold print and carried a black lace fan to celebrate the joy and freedom of gender nonconformity,” Giannopoulos wrote. “I wore an anchor necklace in honor of the state of Rhode Island, whose motto ‘Hope’ was inspired by Hebrews 6:19 — ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’”

While Trump has expressed support for the gay community, since he took office in January, he has faced substantial criticism from LGBTQ rights advocates. Several officials appointed to his administration have been staunch opponents of LGBTQ rights and federal agencies have rolled back protections and programs designed to help the community. While President Barack Obama issued proclamations honoring Gay Pride month each June, Trump has not done so this month.

Nevertheless, Giannopoulos said Trump encouraged his fan display in the oval office. After Giannopoulos and the other teachers entered the Oval Office, they approached Trump for individual photos. Giannopoulos said he had his fan out and one of Trump’s “handlers” told him to “put that away.” He ignored the instruction and went up to the president.

“I was like, ‘Oh, do you mind if I use the fan?’ And he said, ‘Not at all.’ So, I went ahead and did my pose and we shook hands and I went on my way,” Giannopoulos said.

Official White House photographer Shealah Craighead took the shot in which Trump and Giannopoulos were accompanied by first lady Melania Trump. Giannopoulos said the president and his wife were “both polite and kind.” Their interaction was brief and Giannopoulos said he did not have time to discuss the symbolism of his attire with Trump. Still, he thinks the president was aware that he was “visibly queer.” Even though his experience with Trump was positive, Giannopoulos said he remains “very concerned” about the White House’s positions on LGBTQ issues.

“Ultimately, what I found is that, you know, on a person-to-person level Trump was very polite to me. He complimented my style,” Giannopoulos said. “I was visibly queer and I think he knew that. I don’t think that there are necessarily personal biases at play here, but the political situation is very volatile and I’m very concerned about the … policies that are being pushed by the current administration.”

If Giannopoulos had more time to talk to the president, he said, he actually would have discussed another issue entirely.

“I was invited to the White House because I’ve dedicated myself to my students and to a life of public service as a public educator. And I’m very concerned that the future of public education is not a bright one,” Giannopoulos explained. “It has nothing to do with the students or the teachers and everything to do with the policies that are being put in place. So, if I could say anything at all to the president, it would be to invest in public schools, invest in public school students and invest in public educators.”

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America was better under Obama: Senator McCain

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After delay, Trump's family joins him in White House

 Washington (AFP) - As of Sunday night, the White House has two new occupants: US First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron have finally moved in to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Six months after President Donald Trump arrived, the Slovenia-born former model and the couple's 11-year-old son joined him, an aide to the First Lady told AFP.

The pair had previously stayed in New York so that Barron could complete the school year. He is expected to attend St. Andrews Episcopal school, just outside Washington, in the 2017-2018 session.

Before reaching the capital Melania and Barron descended the steps of Air Force One alongside President Trump at Joint Base Andrews, with the youngster -- decked in a tee-shirt that read 'The Expert' -- playing with a fidget spinner.

Melania's parents had joined them for the short flight from Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump had spent the weekend at his golf course.

After arriving at the White House Melania tweeted a picture from a window looking on to the South Lawn and the Washington Monument.

"Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home! #Movingday" she wrote.

Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home! #Movingday pic.twitter.com/R5DtdV1Hnv

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) June 12, 2017

Melania is the first First Lady in modern history to delay her arrival in Washington after an election win.

During the week at least, Trump had been living alone in the vast, private quarters of the White House as he fends off the flood of reporting over Russia having allegedly meddled in the 2016 US election with the aim of helping him defeat Hillary Clinton.

The first lady has mostly kept a low profile since her real estate mogul husband became president.

Arguably, her biggest public outing came last month when she and Trump visited the Middle East and Europe on a trip that the White House later praised as a resounding success.

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President Trump took to Twitter early Friday to declare victory in his war of words with James Comey, denouncing the FBI director he fired as a liar and a “leaker” based on Comey’s damaging testimony about their interactions.

But, in a leap of logic that left observers puzzled, he also claimed “vindication” on the basis of the same testimony.

“Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication…and WOW, Comey is a leaker!” Trump tweeted.

Trump’s claim of vindication contrasts sharply with most legal analysts’ takeaway from the testimony. Both the New York Times and Washington Post ran front-page stories Friday raising the prospect of an obstruction of justice investigation.

Comey said during his testimony to the Senate that as FBI director he drafted — and shared with his senior staff — memos about his interactions with Trump that left him uneasy. According to Comey, the president asked him to “go easy” in his investigation of fired national security adviser Michael Flynn, an unprecedented request from a president to the head of the FBI. Last month after he was fired, Comey said a threatening Trump tweet prompted him to ask a friend to share the content of the memos with the press — presumably the basis for Trump’s charge that he was a “leaker.”

It wasn’t clear from Trump’s tweet what he was accusing Comey of lying about, but the president’s personal lawyer issued a statement following the testimony disputing several key points. His lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, denied that Trump pressured the FBI regarding the Flynn investigation or demanded “loyalty” from Comey.

“The president never, in form or substance, directed or suggested that Mr. Comey stop investigating anyone,” Kasowitz said.

For his part, Comey was much clearer during his testimony on what he accused Trump’s administration of spreading “lies” about.

“Although the law required no reason at all to fire an FBI director, the administration then chose to defame me, and more importantly, the FBI, by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader,” Come

y said Thursday. “Those were lies, plain and simple. And I am so sorry that the FBI workforce had to hear them, and I am so sorry that the American people were told them.”

After Trump abruptly fired Comey last month, the White House released a bewildering and continually evolving explanation for the dismissal. The administration initially accused Comey’s FBI of being mismanaged and said he was fired for publicly bungling his investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server.

Trump himself quickly dismissed that explanation, however, saying Comey was terminated for being a “showboat.” He reportedly told top Russian diplomats that the firing relieved pressure from the FBI’s investigation into whether any Trump campaign associates colluded with the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election.

During his testimony, Comey said Trump pushed him to lift the “cloud” of the Russia probe. As for his firing, he said he took the president’s word that it was prompted by the investigation.

Comey said he was confident that the Justice Department’s special counsel on the Russia investigation, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, would uncover the truth.

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No one would survive US-Russia nuclear war to claim victory: Putin

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Imposing new sanctions on Iran could be dangerous, Kerry warns

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Pittsburgh mayor fires back at Trump’s reference of city

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Putin: Normalization of Russia-US ties to benefit both sides

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Trump decision to pull out of climate accord driven by reelection thoughts' : Activist

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Trump’s bid to negotiate Palestine-Israel deal ridiculous: Journalist

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Trump administration asks US Supreme Court to reinstate travel ban

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Trump to reverse Obama's Cuba policy: Report

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