SPLENSIZY'S BLOG: September 2017

Thursday, 28 September 2017

Nigeria deserves an apology from PDP - Mantu says

A former Deputy Senate President yesterday spoke of the need for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to apologise to Nigerians for the way it ran its affairs and the affairs of the country.

Alluding to the mismanagement of the nation’s resources by some former public servants who are members of the former ruling party, Senator Ibrahim Mantu said: “I am now born again. Whatever I say now is the truth. Some people came to the PDP with nothing and left with billions (of naira). We need to bring the party to the people now.”

He spoke in Abuja yesterday when former Minister of Education Prof. Tunde Adeniran announced his plan to run for PDP national chairman.

Mantu has enjoined stakeholders and members of the party to support Adeniran’s aspiration

According to him, Adeniran is “God’s choice” for the office. He said he consulted God by praying and fasting over Adeniran’s aspiration and that God gave him the revelation.

Manu said: “I fasted for 30 days and 30 nights, asking God to show me who would lead the party. God showed me Adeniran. Let’s now look forward and make sure that we elect a credible chairman. We should make sure that nobody short-changes us at the national convention.”

The ex lawmaker, one of the proponents and promoters of a third term for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, urged to the gathering of party faithful to start taking his words seriously because he had become a “born again” politician.

Mantu added that it had become necessary for the PDP to be sober and apologise to Nigerians for the wrongs of the past.

Adeniran said the party’s convention, tentatively slated for December 9, would be an opportunity for the PDP to bounce back to power.

He called for reconciliation among the various groups and stakeholders for the party to be united and make progress.

The aspirant solicited support from party faithful and stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones and pledged to work tirelessly to entrench principles in the PDP if elected.

Others in the race include a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George; a former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel; and former Sports Minister Prof. Taoheed Adedoja.

A MagistrateS’ Court sitting in Aba North Local Government area of Abia State presided over by Ogbonna Adiele, yesterday remanded 14 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Aba Federal Prison.

Adiele on September 18 remanded seven accused IPOB members: Chinonso Ude (30years), Maduabuchi Echereodo (25years), Ugochukwu Ikechukwu (32years), Okechukwu Daniel (20years), Ifeanyi Sunday (33years), Okezie Jeremiah (26years) and Chizuruoke Nwauzo (27years) in prison custody following charges on terrorism, kidnapping and use of offensive weapons against them in charge sheets; 132C/2017 and MAN/133C/2017.

The 14 members of IPOB, Anthony Nnamani(20 years), Chima Chukwumere(22 years), Kingsley Sunday (21 years), Michael Onyedikachi(26 years), Eze Okereke(25 years), Christian Sylvester (45 years), Etim Effiong Ade(22 years), Emmanuel Onwukwe(29 years), Ndubuisi Ukoha(29 years), Ogbonna Nwaji(24 years), Salvation Stephen (22 years), Chizoba Nwosu(21 years), Ejike Elom(21 years) and Kelechi Anusie(26 years) were arraigned on eight count of Conspiracy, Murder, Arson, unlawful Association, Unlawful Assembly, Stealing with other two charges dealing on burning of the Ariaria Divisional Police Headquarters building and the cars at the premises.

While Police prosecutor Gabriel Ogbonna urged the the court to commence trial since according to him, the court had the jurisdiction to hear the matter, counsel to the 1st, 2nd and 5th accused persons, Charles Onuchukwu, objected to the prosecutor’s position, saying that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear cases of murder as contained on count 2 of the charge sheet.

Onuchukwu also argued that the issue of ”holding charge” was unconstitutional and unknown to law.

The trial magistrate after listening to the argument of the prosecutor and counsel to the accused persons ordered that the accused persons were remanded to prison custody and ordered that the case file be transferred to the office of the Attorney General for advice

The case was adjourned to October 4 for report of compliance.

Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja for an order of Habeas Corpus ad subjiciendum, commanding Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai to produce him in court.

The request is contained in a suit filed in his name yesterday by some lawyers, led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

Part of the grounds for the request include that Kanu has not been seen since some soldiers allegedly invaded his house on September 14.

The plaintiff stated that Kanu, who was in the house when the soldiers came, had not been heard from or seen since then.

“The invading soldiers in their desperate bid to ensure that the applicant (Kanu) is caught in the attack, climbed stairs to his bedroom upstairs to shoot him; walls of his bedroom were riddled with bullets.

“The invading soldiers, who had direct contact with the applicant on this fateful day (14th day of September 2017) should be in a position to produce the Applicant before the court. It is either the Respondent’s rampaging soldiers abducted the Applicant during this raid or must have killed him in the process.

“Section 40 of the Federal High Court Act empowers this court to order that a writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum be issued on the respondent to produce the applicant in court, particularly now that his substantive criminal trial is coming up on the 17th day of October, 2017.”

The plaintiff stated, in a supporting affidavit, details of what allegedly occurred during the attack on Kanu’s residence and the circumstances leading to his purported disappearance.

A lawyer, Mandela Umegborogu, said he learnt from Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanueal “that the soldiers, who also drove in a purpose-built sophisticated armoured personnel carrier, fired live bullets on the relatives of the Applicant, leaving scores brutally wounded, and arrested many.

“During the bloody attack/invasion of the applicant’s home, scores were killed and others forced to abandon their sleep and run for cover in nearby bushes, which include nursing mothers, pregnant women, children and the aged.

“On that same day, the 12th day of September, 2017, dozens of supporters of the Applicant who were on a courtesy visit to him, were also barricaded at Isialangwa and tortured on the same day.

“The applicant was emotionally traumatised and visibly tortured on account of heavy causalities recorded in this unprovoked attack from the invading soldiers.

“On the 14th day of September, 2017, the Nigerian soldiers invaded the applicant’s home for the second time, unfortunately on a brutal but murderous raid that left 28 persons dead and over 48 arrested and taken away to an unknown destination.

”The applicant was sitting right inside his bedroom when the soldiers invaded his home. The soldiers, in their desperate efforts to ensure that the applicant who is their main target is gunned down, climbed the stairs to his bedroom upstairs to shoot him.

“The wall of the applicant’s bedroom is riddled with bullets holes till date. Attached and marked as Exhibits EK1, EK2, EK3, EK4, EK5 EK6, EK7 and EK8 are photographs showing with sufficient clarity the impacts of this assault on the Applicant’s home.

”By virtue of this contact, the soldiers had with the Applicant in his room on this 14th day of September 2017, the soldiers must know where the Applicant is, his fate and state of health.

“The rampaging soldiers burst into the room of the Applicant in the course of this bloody attack and shot at everything on sight, including living objects. Attached and variously marked Exhibits EK9, EK10, EK11, EK12, EK13 and EK14, are the photographs and video footage evidencing this dastardly attack on the home of the applicant, including the bullets holes in his bedroom.

“The Respondent and his agents are fully aware that the applicant will return to court on the 17th of October 2017 to stand for his trial in the case above mentioned.

“The applicant has never been invited by any security agency to response to any criminal allegation before this unprovoked bloody assault in his home.

”The murderous raid in the home of the Applicant is targeted at eliminating him and not to arrest him.”

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LOTHAR MATTHAUSAtletico Madrid vs Chelsea: Spaniards remind me of Jose Mourinho’s Champions League-winning Inter Milan side of 2010

The Germany legend looks at what Chelsea must do to keep Atletico Madrid at bay this evening.

Atletico Madrid are preparing to take on Chelsea in the Champions League

Lothar Matthaus sees shades of Inter Milan's 2010 side in Atleti

I LOVE watching Atletico. They are a fantastic team, a special team.

For me, they are similar to the Inter Milan side that won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho in 2010.

They have good players and are physically very strong.

But they are also a team very much in Diego Simeone’s image. They play like he did 30 years ago.

I played against Diego and I still have the scars on my legs. He might not have been the greatest player but he was strong and aggressive. I think he kicked the opponents more than he kicked the ball.

He has coached his team in that same style, so fiercely determined to win.

Police arrest 31 suspected kidnappers, robbers near Niger, kill 5

- Men of the Nigerian police force have dismantled robbery and kidnapping gangs

near Niger

- 31 of the suspects were paraded while 5 were killed in a gun battle with the police

- The police also lost Sergeant Shettima Abdullahi when they were ambushed by the

criminals

At a press briefing given by CSP Jimoh Moshood, the public relations officer of the Nigerian

Police Force (NPF), it was announced that 31 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers

were paraded. The criminals were accused of terrorizing the Abuja-Minna and Abuja-

Kaduna highways. They were paraded at Dikko, near Suleja, Niger state. The names of the

suspects were announced on the NPF Facebook page, and it was also announced that 5 of

the suspected kidnappers were killed in a gunfight with the police.

Materials recovered from the arrested criminals Source: Facebook, Nigeria Police Force

Justice Rilwan Aikwa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ruled that the money laundering case of N4.9 billion against Femi Fani Kayode will be heard in the Lagos Federal High Court.

The court stated that the case cannot be transferred to Abuja because the Chief Judge had reassigned the case from justice Muslim Hassan to him and that if the Chief Judge wanted to transfer the case he would have.

The court further stated that some of the transactions in question happened in Lagos, therefore the Federal High Court has jurisdiction over the case.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, had earlier reassigned the case involving the former Minister of Aviation to Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos, following the withdrawal of Justice Muslim Hassan from the suit in March 2017.

Fani-Kayode had earlier approached the Federal High Court in Lagos to hands off his trial on allegations of money laundering.

His Counsel, Norrison Quakers, SAN, asked Justice Rilwan Aikawa to instead order that the case should be transferred to the Abuja division of the court.

Labour union in Nigeria’s aviation sector are threatening to shut down Kenya Airways operations in the country following the insertion of ‘performance based leave clause’ for its Nigerian staff.
The airline in its new policy for the country’s workers said that payment of leave bonuses would now be based on their performance on the job while workers would no longer be entitled to leave allowances during public holidays. The new policy of the airline has however angered the workers and industry unions who said the policy was against the Nigerian labour laws and they have issued the airline a14 day ultimatums to address the issue or risk industrial actions by the union.
One of the unions, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) that had petitioned the management of the airline described as obnoxious the new policy of Kenya Airways for it’s nigerian workers.
The petition dated September 11, 2017 with the reference number NUATE.GS/CM.KA/ENP/0015-17, signed by the General Secretary of NUATE, Mr. Olayinka Abioye and made available to aviation correspondents said that despite the lucrative nature of the Nigerian route to the airline, the Nigerian staff were treated as slaves.
According to the petition, Kenya Airways earned over N10 billion between April 2015/2016 to March 32017, out of which the entire total staff cost for the airline was a mere 1.7 per cent.
The union said that it had been in talks with the management of the airline in the past three years for the review of the condition of service of the workers, but decried that the management reversed almost all the agreements it reached with it without recourse to it.
The petition added: Rising from the Lagos meeting, management pleaded for two weeks within which to get back to us, which later turned out to be almost two months. This negative disposition notwithstanding, we honoured the August meeting with high hopes considering the fact that the only issue yet to be settled was that of the appropriate percentage to be paid Nigerian workers of KQ (Kenya Airways) on leave allowance.

“But, the meeting turned upside down with new managements proposal of performance based clause tied to the payment of leave allowance, which is clearly alien to the Nigerian legislation and applicable labour laws.”
The union also condemned the alleged executive recklessness of the management to cancel the payment of arrears of monies that was due to workers arising from review of salaries, allowances and other ancillary matters in their collective bargaining agreement.
The union demanded the restitution of all the agreements reached in Lagos and immediate setting the appropriate machinery in motion to commence its implementation.
It warned that failure of the airline to address all the issues raised within 14 days, threatening that it would not hesitate to cripple its operations in the country.

Shelly Usman musically known as Sheyo a Nigerian/German who doubles as a professional dancer/model and has featured in numerous projects with the likes of Ciara, MJB and lots more.

She’s back home to share her passion with her people knowing fully well that entertainment resides here.

Enjoy her first official single “CALL ME” produced by MAGIC BOI and video to be premiered soon as DIRECTED BY Adamsgud @sheyoofficial

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Three Things To Look Forward To As Chelsea Take On Atletico Madrid – Time To Take Revenge For The Blues?

Chelsea make the trip to Madrid to face Atletico Madrid on Champions League Match Day 2

Chelsea will be travelling to the Spanish capital to face Atletico Madrid in the hardest test of their group stage encounters. The Blues will be facing the Rojablancos in their new stadium, Wanda Metropolitano where they will see a familiar face in the form of ex-striker Diego Costa, albeit in the stands.

Atletico have been issued a transfer embargo by the UEFA and can’t register new players until January and that means that Costa won’t actually be available for selection. His presence at Atletico has been the talk of the town recently but this Wednesday, the focus will be on two top quality European teams ready to beat each other.

The two sides last met during the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League campaign where Atletico emerged victors over the course of the two legs in the semi-final stage. Here are a few talking points –

Continental Challenge

Chelsea were for the very first time out of the Champions League since the 2003-04 season and completely out of Europe for the first time in 20 years. In their first game in Europe after a yearlong hiatus, the Blues defeated Azerbaijani champions Qarabag 6-0. They have also started a difficult week in the best way possible beating Stoke 4-0 at the Bet365 stadium. This week will be the Blues’ first true test of their return to Europe’s elite.

Atletico have been one of the more influential sides in the competition in recent times having reached the final against city rivals Real Madrid two times and the West London side will have to be on their best possible form to beat the Rojablancos.

Atletico’s Attacking Arsenal

Atletico will be without the services of Brazilian born Spanish striker Diego Costa until January but that in no means will deter the Madrid based club from attacking. They have a more than impressive attacking arsenal in the form of Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, ex Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, Argentine Angel Correa and Belgian Yanick Carrasco.

Coach Diego Simeone has never lost to an English side with three wins from 5 games. Chelsea will have to be very solid in the defence to stop the stalwarts from Atletico from scoring.

Morata’s High-flying Form

Having played for Real Madrid for two seasons, the Spaniard is no stranger to his ex-city rivals. He has featured in the derby and knows how the Atletico defence functions. He will be looking to exploit that very knowledge and experience.

The Spaniard has been high on form after scoring 6 goals from 6 games in the Premier League for the Blues this season. He even registered a hattrick against Stoke in the Blues’ last game and his performance will be very instrumental if the Blues are to beat the Rojablancos.

Costa's Atletico return: Torres, Aguero, Falcao and Griezmann and the Rojiblancos' history of fine forwards

With Diego Costa returning to Atletico Madrid, we look at the long list of forwards who have flourished at the club in recent times.

Diego Costa, Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero and Antoine Griezmann have all flourished at Atletico Madrid

Diego Costa is heading back to Atletico Madrid, with the Spain international returning to the club where he made his name after a three-year spell at Chelsea.

Costa developed into one of the best strikers in European football during his first stint in the

Spanish capital, and he is not alone in having emerged while playing with Atleti.

Here we look at a collection of strikers who have flourished during their time with the Rojiblancos.

Fernando Torres

After initially struggling as Atletico gained promotion back to LaLiga in 2002, Torres soon burst onto the scene in the top flight and established himself as one of the best strikers in Spain, enjoying a 20-goal season in 2003-04. He moved to Liverpool in 2007 and became a star in the Premier League, but a disappointing stint at Chelsea and a failed loan at AC Milan prompted his return to Atletico. He scored his 100th goal for the club in February 2016 but has as yet been unable to add to the Segunda he won with the club, suffering agony in a Champions League final shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid last year.

Diego Forlan

A flop at Manchester United, Diego Forlan revived his career at Villarreal and continued to succeed at Atletico. He joined the club in 2007 and enjoyed a stunning second season that saw him score 32 league goals. Even better was to follow for the Uruguayan, whose double in the 2010 Europa League final secured a 2-1 win over Fulham.

Sergio Aguero

Before etching his name into Manchester City folklore with that title-winning goal in 2012, Aguero was a fearsome force at Atletico. The Argentina international scored 74 LaLiga goals in five seasons following a switch from Independiente and lifted the Europa League trophy along with strike partner Forlan.

Radamel Falcao

He recaptured some of his best form last season at Monaco, but Falcao has never quite been the same player he was during his two-year stint at Atletico. His opening campaign saw 'El Tigre' score 36 goals in all competitions and deliver further Europa League glory for the club. Falcao won the UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey the following season before an extended period of struggles at Monaco, Manchester United and Chelsea, which ended with him firing the former to Ligue 1 glory.

Diego Costa

Costa is already a hero at Atletico after a 2013-14 campaign in which his 27 LaLiga goals provided the foundation for their first league title since 1996. He was jeered by Chelsea fans as he scored a penalty in Atletico's Champions League semi-final victory that season, but he only lasted nine minutes of the final against Real Madrid in what proved to be the last game of his first spell before his move to west London.

David Villa

After a trophy-laden spell at Barcelona, Villa may have thought his time of contending for major honours was over when he joined Atletico in 2013. However, it was a transfer that provided one final hurrah as he helped dethrone Barca with 13 league goals before he moved on to Melbourne City and then New York City.

Mario Mandzukic

Much like Villa, Mandzukic was already a well established name by the time he joined Atletico, but the Croatia striker did not enjoy the same success. He won the Supercopa de Espana and scored 12 league goals, but moved on after one campaign for Juventus, where he has been reinvented as a winger.

Antoine Griezmann

Undoubtedly one of the hottest properties in world football, Griezmann stayed at Atletico - amid intense speculation - due to a reluctance to leave during their transfer ban. That decision sees Atletico hang on to the France forward, who since joining from Real Sociedad has scored 60 league goals in three LaLiga seasons. He opened his account for this term against Malaga, his winner a fitting first goal at Atletico's new Wanda Metropolitano stadium.

Biafra: CESJET slams US over refusal to recognize IPOB as terror Group

IPOB’s Nnamdi Kanu and U.S President-elect Donald J. Trump

A civil society group, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has

condemned in strong terms the refusal of the United State government to recognise the

Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as a terrorist group. The centre said the action was a clear

indication that the US was not in support of Nigeria’s unity. IPOB’s Nnamdi Kanu and U.S

President-elect Donald J. Trump The United States Government had, during the weekend, said

that its law does not recognise IPOB as a terrorist organisation. Spokesman of the American

Embassy in Nigeria, Russell Brooks, stated that the US was committed to Nigeria’s unity and

would support a peaceful resolution of any crisis in the country. Reacting to Brooks’ assertion

, CESJET said it was disappointed to learn about the position of the United States Embassy in

Abuja, Nigeria to the effect that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, is not a terrorist group

even after a competent Nigerian court has issued an order designating the group as such.

Comrade Isaac Ikpa, Executive Secretary of CESJET said it was wrong of Brooks, to meddle in

this issue in a way that could jeopardize Nigeria’s security by maintaining that IPOB is not seen

under US laws as a terrorist organisation. Ikpa said, “The assertion ignored the fact that Nigeria is

a sovereign nation that does not need the approval of another country to contain terrorists’ threats

within its borders. The US Embassy must note that Nigeria has every right to prevent known

threats from growing same way the US placed travel ban on nationals of eight countries of the

world to keep terrorists out of its territories despite the global outcry and international criticisms

that did nothing to reverse the action. “CESJET therefore condemns the US Mission’s decision not

to acknowledge that IPOB is a terror group. As opposed to rushing to making such distracting

comment the proper thing was to have undertaken an appreciation of the threats posed by IPOB

to peace within the West Africa sub region. “We see the view expressed by the Mission through

Russell Brooks as being at variance with US President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance against

terrorists irrespective of their geographical location. Anyone or group that threatens the security of

a nation, with attendant economic, political and humanitarian crisis, fits into the definition of a

terrorist or a terrorist organization and IPOB’s activities have so far confirmed same as witnessed

by our security agencies, independent security reports etc. “The US Embassy in Nigeria must

therefore look beyond its text book approach to what is a credible terrorists’ risk to Nigeria to work

towards including IPOB in the database of US terrorist organizations. It must be noted that time is

running out to do this since IPOB members have steady access to the US and it is a matter of time

before they begin to export the evils they commit in Nigeria to that country. “The US must not be

seen as having double standards for treating terrorists. It must therefore ensure that Nigeria’s fight

against terrorism, which the US authorities have demonstrated enormous support for in the last

two years, is not jeopardized in pursuit of political correctness. The safety of the innocent

populations that are likely to become victims of IPOB’s terrorism should rather be above every

other interest,” he said. The group further called on Nigerians to disregard any classification by the

United States that conflicts with the position of the law courts and authorities in Nigeria since the

relationship between both countries should be collaborative as opposed to the colonial imperialist

bondage seared into the consciousness of some people.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/09/biafra-cesjet-slams-us-refusal-recognise-ipob-terror-group/

SPLENSIZY'S BLOG

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Thursday, 28 September 2017

Nigeria deserves an apology from PDP - Mantu says

14 IPOB members remanded

Kanu urges court to compel Army chief to produce him

Splensiziats: Lets see the picture of the day - don't miss sharing it

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

LOTHAR MATTHAUSAtletico Madrid vs Chelsea: Spaniards remind me of Jose Mourinho’s Champions League-winning Inter Milan side of 2010

Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Police arrest 31 suspected kidnappers, robbers near Niger, kill 5

N4.9bn Laundering Allegation: Fani-Kayode To Be Tried In Lagos

Labour threatens to shut down Kenya Airways Nigerian operations — By Louis Ibah

Sheyo – Call Me (Prod. By MAGIC BOI)