IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

‎A Coalition of 15 Political Parties has formed an electoral alliance tagged “Mega Coalition” to adopt and field candidates at Governorship and Presidential elections in Nigeria. The electoral alliance which the parties said is not a merger would see the participating registered political parties fielding separate candidates for Councillorship, Local Government Chairmanship, House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senatorial elections, but collaborating at the gubernatorial and Presidential elections.

“At the governorship elections, the winning party shall form a Government of State Unity (GSU) while at the Presidential election the winning party shall form a Government of National Unity (NUG) with a view to accommodating participating parties in the coalition thereby reducing the winner takes all syndrome which does not allow smaller political parties to grow in Nigeria”.

Some of the parties who signed the agreement document included the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria ACPN, Better Nigeria Progressive Party BNPP, Democratic Alternative DA, Democratic Peoples Congress DPC and Democratic Peoples Party DPP among others. For a start, the coalition would field candidates in the forthcoming governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun, vowing to dislodge the ruling parties in those states.

Manchester United boss José Mourinho has been accused of tax fraud by Spanish prosecutors investigating his time as Real Madrid's head coach.

The Portuguese manager is accused of defrauding Spain of €3.3m (£2.9m; $3.6m) in taxes between 2011 and 2012. He has yet to comment on the claim. A prosecutor says he did not declare income from the use of his image rights in order to get an "illicit benefit".

Other big names in football have been accused of tax fraud in Spain recently.

Following the trend of failure of some roads before the expiration of their designed life spans, collapse of buildings and some bridges in the urban cities, Minister for Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu has charged the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute to concentrate their researches on building materials to solve some of the challenges.

Addressing stakeholders at a conference in Abuja with focus on Emerging materials and technologies for sustainable building and road infrastructure, the Minister for Science and Technology agrees that the training of artisans play a direct role in mitigating against the challenges of capital flight.

The legislature in this regard is assuring of the initiation of a policy that will enhance collaborative efforts aimed at revolutionizing the country's preconstruction, construction and post construction management processes. Efforts at developing alternative construction materials have undergone successful testing and capacity for increasing local content to develop local expertise are gearing up.

Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday received leaders of the Igbos resident in Northern Nigeria under the auspices of Igbo Delegate Assembly and Northern Igbo Chiefs, reassuring them that, they and their property in the region will be protected. This was also as the Governor assured the Igbo leaders that, no matter how long it will take, Northern youths who signed the quit notice to Igbos would be arrested and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others. El-Rufai, however urged Igbo leaders to prevail on their youths against making statements and agitations capable of dividing Nigeria.

According to El-Rufai, “Kaduna State Government is grateful to the Igbos for coming. Kaduna has suffered so many crises, so we are very sensitive to comments that incite and cause disaffection among the people. Therefore, the Northern youths behind the ultimatum will not only be arrested but will be prosecuted”. “Kaduna used to be a home for all, but so many crises have divided the state and the metropolis across religious lines. As a government that is why we abolish indigeneship, once you live in Kaduna you are an indigene. “We have arrested so many people for hate speeches and we are trying them. We are going to arrest the Arewa Youths and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes. Since the press conference was done in Kaduna. “If they had done it in any other place we would have just condemned them, but since it is in Kaduna we are going to arrest them no matter how long it takes.”

“I have the mandate of the Northern Governors Forum under the Chairmanship of Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, to reassure the Igbos in the 19 Northern states and Abuja that their lives and property are safe in the North”, El-Rufai said.

Chidiebube Okeoma, Owerri

OPERATIVES of the Imo State Police Command have arrested a five- woman gang , which specialises in child trafficking for stealing a three year -old boy in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects are Chinonye Okere, Joy Ama, Eucheria Amadi, Pauline Uzoamaka and Nnenne Okere.

Parading them before newsmen in Owerri, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, commended the Surveillance Unit of the command, led by Bassy Asamba, a Superintendent of Police, for doing a good job and for going the extra mile to Lagos to rescue the child.

Ezike described the suspects as a chain, whose act could best be described as shameful.

“ In the 21 st Century when people are engaging in productive activities, like going to the moon, these ones are shamelessly engaging in buying and selling of God’s beautiful creation. “ To learn that they sold this handsome child for a pittance of N 600,000 is most annoying and shameful.

“We will not spare them. We will arraign them in court on Monday ( today ) for them to answer their charges . The gang is a criminal chain and we will ensure that the law takes its full cost,” he said.

Responding to a question, Ezike said the police officer
identified as Felix, whom the suspects accused of being part of the gang, was facing an orderly room trial and would be dismissed and charged to the court if found guilty of being part of the child - trafficking syndicate .

When interviewed, the prime suspect, Okere, who allegedly stole the child at a funeral ceremony confessed to the crime, but stated that one police man, Felix, planned and executed the criminal act with her.

She said that her husband and one other person she named as being part of the crime, Rose, were on the run.

The alleged buyer, 55 - year - old Uzoamaka, who told newsmen that she lived in Lagos, said she bought the child for N 600,000 from 54 year -old Mrs. Amadi in Nnewi, Anambra State in April .

~PUNCH .

The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Sunday said for corruption to be completely eradicated in the country, the fight against the menace must start from churches. He said it was only when church leaders resolved to ostracise and expose corrupt members of their congregation that the problem could be solved. Osinbajo spoke at a special service organised to mark this year’s Father’s Day at the Aso Villa Chapel located inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Acting President, who himself is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, said church leaders must begin to talk more on honesty, unlike the current situation that more emphasis was placed on giving. “Every time that we come to church, we are told about giving.  But we need to talk more about honesty.  We need to talk far more about honesty.  In the same way we talk about giving, we need to talk more about honesty,” he declared. Osinbajo said church leaders must be ready to confront their members who were living above their means.

He said once the church took its rightful place and decided to expose treasury looters, the nation’s problems would be solved.