Tony Charisma Blog

Protest in Senate over Buhari’s $496m aircraft purchase The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the plenary on Wednesday, read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari seeking the approval of the legislature for the withdrawal of $496m from the Excess Crude Account for the purchase of military aircraft. Buhari, in the letter, however, disclosed that the money had been withdrawn and paid to the United States for the 12 Super Tucano aircraft, ahead of legislative approval. This, he said, was done to beat the deadline for the arms deal. The planes will be delivered in 2020. The President said, “Recently, approval was granted by the United States of America Government but with a deadline, within which down payment must be made otherwise the contract relapses. In the expectation that the National Assembly will have no objection to the purchase of these highly specialised aircraft, which are critical to national security, I granted anticipatory approval for the release of ...

Melaye: Senate to grill IGP Idris on live TV today Tempers flared at the Senate on Wednesday when lawmakers debated the arrest and detention of Senator Dino Melaye by the police over alleged involvement in gun-running. The Senate, after a debate that lasted over one hour, resolved to step down all the items on the order paper and adjourn plenary.  Several lawmakers, who spoke alleged that policemen prevented them from seeing Melaye at the National Hospital Abuja, where he is undergoing treatment over the injuries he sustained from his alleged attempt to escape on Tuesday when he was being taken to Kogi State. They, therefore, resolved that the plenary be adjourned to allow the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to lead them to the hospital, alleging that policemen guarding Melaye were preventing them from seeing the senator.  The senators also resolved that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, be summoned to appear before the lawmakers at the plenary on Th...

NEWS: Dino Melaye on admission in hospital after escape from police team Senator Dino Melaye in Hospital  Dino Melaye has been admitted in a private hospital in Abuja following injury he sustained after a successful escape from police grip while being taken to Lokoja. The senator was billed to be paraded Tuesday evening along side some suspected hardened criminals arrested in the state over some heinous acts but reportedly jumped out of the vehicle conveying him to the Kogi State Command of the Nigeria Police Force. He reportedly escaped on the way while in the vehicle of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS. Melaye, according to a source, got injured and was taken to the private hospital in Abuja for medical attention. At the moment, the senator is receiving treatment in Zanklin Hospital in Abuja. However Daily Trust reported that  unidentified persons sensationally whisked away Senator Dino Melaye from armed policemen taking him to Lokoja to face ...

POLITICS : Falae in Ibadan to woo Alao-Akala to SDP Chief Olu Falae The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, on Monday visited the Ibadan home of a former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, in a bid to woo him to join the SDP. Alao-Akala recently defected to the All Progressives Congress after failing to win the state’s governorship election in 2015 on the platform of the Labour Party. The former governor had earlier dumped the Peoples Democratic Party after a disagreement with the national leaders over the conduct of the state primaries and what he described as imposition of candidate. Falae was accompanied to Alao-Akala’s house by other SDP leaders including a former Minister for Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Ambassador Yemi Farounbi,  Dr. Olu Agunloye, Taiwo Akeju, Chief Kola Balogun and Princess Oyeronke Akinlolu. In his address, Falae said Nigerians who believe in national unity, justice, equity and progress must co...

BREAKING: Sex-for-mark victim, Monica Osagie, appears before OAU panel The alleged victim of sex-for-mark, Monica Osagie, is currently appearing before the committee  raised by the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, to probe the allegations against Prof. Richard Akindele. The committee is sittng at the Pro-Chabellor’s Lodge on the campus but only Osagie and her lawyer were allowed into the venue which is manned by the OAU security personnel. Journalists and some members of the National Human Rights Commission were barred from attending the sitting. Read also: Sex-for-mark: Protest as panel denies victim legal representation The Vice Chancellor of the OAU, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, confirmed to our correspondent on the telephone that the lady is appearing before the committee. The VC said, ” The lady is appearing before the committee. Members of the committee told me that the lady came and she is appearing before them.” The university had suspend...

BREAKING: Police arrest Sen. L Melaye The police have arrested Senator Dino Melaye ((APC, Kogi) after a 24-hour siege to his home in Abuja. Checks indicated that the embattled lawmaker has been taken to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad facility where he would be grilled for allegedly arming some thugs to disrupt Kogi State. The police had claimed that Melaye was being sought for not honouring the summons extended to him. Melaye had earlier said that he would make himself available to the police today. The senator representing Kogi West disclosed this via his Twitter handle some minutes ago, shortly before he was arrested and forcefully taken away by the police.  “I will make myself available to the police today. My resolve to speak the truth and defend the poor masses of NIGERIA is Total. We shall overcome!!!,” he posted. The police had laid seige to his Shanga, Maitama, Abuja residence since Monday afternoon. They also barricaded the street and prevented visitors...

Offa Robbery Update: How Police Team Collected N400k Bribe from Suspects in Hotel a Day Before Attack The proprietor of the hotel where the bandits lodged a day before they struck, was said to have informed the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in the town over the alleged discoveries of some incriminating materials on the bandits while they were checking into his hotel. The DPO and Divisional Crime Officer, DCO, immediately sent some officers to the hotel. A source said instead of arresting the suspects, the police officers negotiated with the bandits, and “the bandits offered the officers N400,000.” When the policemen returned to the station, they told the DPO and DCO that the bandits were Yahoo boys and not robbers as claimed by the hotel owner. The source said: “It was not surprising that the robbers visited the police station the following day and killed about nine policemen in retaliation for collecting N400,000 from them.” Although, the Police has arraigned ...

POLITICS:  Oyinlola must apologise to me, says Bode George Chief Okagunsoye Oyinlola A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George,   has condemned what he described as “uncharitable and irritable vituperations” against him by a former governor of Osun State, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola. He demanded immediate apology from the ex-Osun State governor. Oyinlola had advised George to seek forgiveness from former President Olusegun Obasanjo and stop attacking his benefactor. Oyinlola stated this on Saturday in reaction to a recent interview by George where he described Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigeria Movement as a deceit and waste of time while attacking its promoters. Oyinlola said, “Rather than attack current efforts at rebuilding Nigeria, I will advise Chief Bode George to retrace his steps and queue up in the CNM. I say so because, whatever he is today in politics is a product of Obasanjo’s magnanimous efforts...

BREAKING NEWS: Senator Dino Melaye arrested.  Lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District , Senator Dino Melaye , has been reportedly arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his way to Morocco. “I have just been arrested at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Govt after checking in,” he said on Twitter. Details later...

NEWS: Ex-President Zuma, 76, set to marry lady, 24, as seventh wife Seventy-six-year-old former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, is set to marry for the seventh time. His bride-to-be is 24-year-old Nonkanyiso Conco, who confirmed to  TimesLIVE  that she and the embattled former president are set to wed. “Yes‚ we are getting married‚ but that is all I can say. I need to consult before I give any interviews‚” she told the South African website. READ ALSO:  Why OAU sex-for-mark professor hasn’t been sacked – VC Conco is a director of the Pietermaritzburg-based Nomkhubulwane Culture and Youth Development Organisation‚ aimed at protecting the cultural practices of young Zulu women. Conco reportedly resides in the plush Ballito Estate Hilltop‚ home to some of the city’s most well-heeled residents. She would be Zuma’s youngest bride‚ at 52 years his junior. Zuma‚ who has always been a proponent of polygamy‚ is currently married to Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo‚...

OAU sex scandal: Why Osagie resorted to self-help –Activist The alleged victim of sexual harassment by a lecturer in the Department of Accounting at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile -Ife, Osun State, Ms. Monica Osagie, “resorted to self help” through audio recording after two lecturers approached by her for intervention disappointed her, a gender activist who issued a statement on her behalf, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, has said. Akiyode-Afolabi, who is the Executive Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, also said that contrary to claims by the institution, Osagie was never invited to appear before any panel for questioning to expatiate on the issues she had raised in the audio tape. The activist, in a statement she issued on behalf of Osagie, on Friday, demanded “thorough investigation” into what she called “ sexploitation .” Akiyode-Afolabi said several efforts made by Osagie in reporting her predicament to two senior lecturers in the Facult...

SPORTS: Tributes pour in for Wenger The French head coach, who has been in charge of the Gunners for 22 years has long been mulling his future with the north London side. He was expected to stand down at the end of last season but signed a new two year deal, and leaves with a year left to run on his contract. Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson told Sky Sports: "He knew every player in the world. He could see a player, he knew every player in the world. "I just hope the stadium is packed for the last game to pay him the right respect." Ex Gunners' striker John Hartson added: "I can’t say I am too surprised, I think it was coming wasn’t it? There have been calls from the Arsenal supporters in particular for him to go, with many of them calling for it for five or six years. "But if he had gone then there wouldn’t have been three FA Cups in the cabinet, which is what he has won in the last four years. "I think it’s the right time, it would al...

NEWS: Why OAU sex-for-mark professor hasn’t been sacked – VC The Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, has confirmed the suspension of Prof. Richard Akindele, for allegedly demanding sex from a Post Graduate student, Miss. Monica Osetobe Osagie. The VC, who said this in a statement issued on Thursday stated that the committee set up by the university to investigate the sex-for-mark allegation established a prima face case against the lecturer. He added that the university could not terminate the appointment of the lecturer now because such action could only be taken by the Governing Council after the professor might have a been found guilty by  the Joint Council and Senate Committee of the university. Ogunbodede stated that the suspension was slammed on Akindele following  the interim report of the committee set by the varsity to probe the matter. The VC promised that the OAU would continue to do everything legally...

NEWS: Police promote Magu, others Tony Charisma Blog, Abuja The Police Service Commission has promoted 18 senior police officers to their next ranks, including AIG Agbola Oshodi-Glover in charge of Zone 11, Osogbo, who is now a Deputy Inspector-General of Police. The commission also elevated the Commissioner of Police, Administration, Force Headquarters, Ghazzali Mohammed and Peace Abdallah, former Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command and currently , CP, Force Intelligence Bureau,  Force Headquarters, to Assistant Inspector-General of Police. A statement on Friday in Abuja by the commission spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, said that acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,DCP Ibrahim Magu, DCP Ebere Onyeagoro, DCP Administration, Kaduna State Command and DCP Moshood Gbolarumi, DCP Maritime, Lagos, were promoted to Commissioner of Police. The police also promoted one Assistant Commissioner of Police to DCP, nine Chief Superintendents of Police to ...