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Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state has provided insight for the first time as to his plans after he finishes his first term as Governor of Katsina State in 2019. The Governor was a guest in a   Television station   TVC news on Friday in Lagos where he was fielding questions about his administration so far. During the interview, the Governor was asked if he will seek for re-election in 2019 after he finished his first term and he gave a rather simple and short answer when he said “I don’t know’. He was further pressed by the   news anchor   but he remained adamant to his first answer of ‘I don’t know’. The Governor has during the 11 minutes interview summarised what he has done and is doing in the critical sectors of the state like   the education , health and security. The Governor also answered with a smiling face when he was asked to comment of Shema’s allegations on him that he is witch-hunting him to which he denied and termed as ‘fal...

Wife of the President, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, did not celebrate her 46th birthday yesterday as a show of feelings for Nigerians who are suffering and the underprivileged. The Director of Information in the Office of the Wife of the President, Suleiman Haruna, disclosed this in a chat with our correspondent last night. “She did not celebrate her birthday. She only marked it with the distribution of gifts to patients in some hospitals in Abuja. Even at her residence, there was no party or any celebration. Why should she celebrate when so many people are suffering? There are many internally displaced persons in various IDP camps,” he said. Earlier in a statement yesterday, Haruna had quoted Mrs Buhari as calling on the privileged Nigerians “to do more in the lives of the less privileged with a view to increasing the feeling of humanity among citizens.” He said Mrs Buhari made the call during the distribution of gift packs to patients at Asokoro, Garki, Wuse and Maitama Dist...

The lawmaker representing Bayelsa east senatorial district, Ben Murray Bruce, has said he will work with former governor of Borno state, Ali Modu Sheriff, who was declared as the authentic chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by the Appeal court in Port Harcourt on Friday. The twitter-savvy media mogul took to the micro-blogging site on Saturday to state his position, stressing that the current bickering in the PDP is childish and irrelevant. He added that he is no longer in support of litigation. In the post titled ‘My Position on the Appeal Court’s judgement concerning the Leadership of the PDP,’ Bruce who stated that PDP is on a course towards destruction, added that he is supporting Sheriff because it is the only way to preserve the party. “Concerning the PDP, the current bickering is childish and irrelevant. I am not in support of anymore litigation. We will work with Ali Modu Sheriff and go to a convention. Right now, PDP is on a course towards destruction...

The United Arab Emirates is preparing to be the first Islamic nation to launch a mission to Mars. Last year, religious leaders in the UAE issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from landing on Mars. However, the robotic spaceship will not actually touch down on the Martian surface. It will blast off aboard a Japanese rocket and then go into orbit around the planet. “We are delighted to launch the UAE’s Mars explorer by the Japanese launch vehicle H-IIA from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan in 2020,” said Yuichi Yamaura, vice president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. “We are confident that we will accomplish our responsibility, together with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.” The UAE first created its space agency in 2014 with the express aim of becoming the first Arab nation to launch a Mars mission. In the same year, the nation’s General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from journeying to the red planet because they would e...

Los Angeles authorities are investigating a report that Justin Bieber allegedly head butted a man during an argument at a Sunset Strip restaurant. According to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, a witness reported seeing the 22-year-old pop star fighting with two bartenders at a West Hollywood restaurant before head butting a patron early Saturday morning. The department also stated Bieber and the bartenders left by the time deputies arrives. The restaurant was not named. The patron allegedly hit by Bieber had no visible injuries and did not file a police report. However, an investigation has been proceeded in case the person wants to pursue a case later. Emails sent by the Associated Press to Bieber’s representatives were not returned. This isn’t the only legal the “Sorry” singer is facing. Cleveland police are also investigating him after a Las Vegas man reported that Bieber punched him in June.

US President Donald Trump said he will issue a new executive order to replace his  controversial directive  suspending travel to the United States by citizens of seven mainly-Muslim countries. At an extraordinary White House news conference on Thursday, Trump said the new order would seek to address concerns raised by federal appeals court judges, who temporarily blocked his original travel ban. "The new order is going to be very much tailored to what I consider to be a very bad decision," Trump said.  "We had a bad court. I will not back down from defending our country. I got elected on defence of our country. I keep my campaign promises, and our citizens will be very happy when they see the result. "We're issuing a new executive action next week that will comprehensively protect our country." Trump gave no details about the replacement order. Legal experts said a new directive would have a better chance of withstanding courtroom scrutiny...

According to Dailytrust: Speaker Katsina state House of Assembly Aliyu Sabiu Muduru  has been impeached.  The House has elected Yahaya Kusada as the new speaker. 23 of the 34-member Assembly endorsed the impeachment Lawmakers have already elected Yahaya Kusada as the new speaker. Details are still emerging on this developing story.

The Kaduna State Coordinator of the Kwankwaso Organisation, Alhaji Bala Kubaraci Garkuwa, has advised those trying to reconcile Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje with his predecessor in office, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to shelve the idea saying it will not achieve anything positive. The coordinator, who spoke with newsmen in Kaduna, said the issues between Kwankwaso and Ganduje were deeper and far more serious than the issues in other APC states. Garkuwa said whereas those of the other states had to do with the ambitions of some persons, the case of Kano was different because it was a case of betrayal, which could not be talked over unless the ‘betrayer’ begged for forgiveness and turned a new leaf. “This is purely a case of betrayal. Somebody made you somebody when you were nothing; after making you a deputy governor, he took you to the Ministry of Defense, then to Niger Delta and Dafur; if he wasn’t a good man he wouldn’t do that,” he claimed. The coordinator said considerin...

An Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. Emmanue lOjo has said there is no basis for comparing the crises which preceded the death of late President Umar Yar’Adua in 2010 with what is playing out with the vacation of President Muhammadu Buhari. He said the two instances are entirely different and contrary to the thinking of many Nigerians, there is no vacuum currently in government with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo acting as the President. In an interview with DailyTrust, Ojo who is also the Chief of Staff to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of OyoS tate, noted that the crises generated by Buhari’s vacation in London were actually masterminded by his handlers who give out conflicting information. Having handed over to Osinbajo as required by the constitution, there should have been no need for the current rumours, speculations and the controversy generated by Buhari’s absence.    Ojo is also of the belief that Nigerians’ impatience is also fueling the controv...

Honourable Sani Bello, a member representing Mashi/Dutsi federal constituency in the National Assembly,   was reported dead some hours ago. He has been in the federal legislature since 2011 and had previously served in the Katsina State House of Assembly. He was also the chairman of Mashi Local Government Area. Mashi is a holder of Higher National Diploma (HND) obtained in 1996 from the Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic. He targets to make laws that would bring development to his constituency, according to the website of the National Assembly. He is of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A young couple eloped in Afghanistan and was later killed by an angry mob, the  New York Times  reports. The woman was said to have been married to someone else against her will, and eloped with her lover. Police caught the couple Saturday and held them on suspicion of adultery, and the mob descended on the police station within hours, eventually dragging the couple away and killing them as well as injuring three police officers, one seriously, in the process. The 250- to 300-person mob was said to have been made up mostly of the woman's legal husband's family, but it also reportedly included her own brothers and cousins.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s half-brother was assassinated Monday in Malaysia, South Korean news agency  Yonhap  reported early Tuesday, citing a government source. Kim Jong Nam was attacked by two unidentified women who stabbed him with “poisoned needles” at a Malaysian airport before fleeing, according to cable TV broadcaster TV Chosun. Malaysian police reportedly suspect Jong Nam was targeted by North Korea. The 45-year-old Jong Nam was the oldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and held no official title. In the late 1990s he was thought to be the heir apparent to Kim Jong Il to lead North Korea. However, his chances to succeed his father took a blow when Jong Nam tried entering Tokyo Disneyland using a fake passport in May 2001. Sometimes a critic of his brother’s rule, Jong Nam had previously suspected he was a target for assassination by North Korean agents. He had two wives, a mistress and three children, according to a 2010 South...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the PDP remains the biggest and strongest party to beat in the 2019 general elections.   He said that the party’s defeat at the 2015 general elections was a minor and temporary setback, which he said will not affect its chances in 2019. Speaking when he received a delegation of the PDP Strategy and Inter-Party Affairs Committee, led by Prof. Jerry Gana, in his residence in Abuja, yesterday, Jonathan  called for the strengthening of democratic institutions in the country.  “PDP is still the biggest and the strongest party. Irrespective of what happened in the 2015 general elections, yes, we lost the presidential election but that doesn’t diminished us; every other party still knows that PDP is a leading party.  “Losing the presidency is something temporary; we should be able to get that position back as long as we are able to get our act together. I am happy that you people are working towards that,”...

R&B star Jason Derulo says he was sworn at by an American Airlines pilot and met by 15 cops at the gate in a racially motivated incident after he asked to turn around a plane before takeoff so he could resolve a dispute over bag charges. In a profanity-laced video posted on   TMZ , the singer-songwriter said he and his crew of eight were “running a little behind” when they arrived at Miami International Airport and tried to check nearly 20 bags at no fee. Fox News   reports that as a member of the airline’s invitation-only program Concierge Key, Derulo is allowed to check three bags with no charge. Derulo claimed he encountered an American Airlines employee who was “misinformed about how many bags a Concierge Key member gets, so we tried to explain to him … because we do this every single day.” He said the employee walked away for about 10 minutes and then came back and said it was too late to check the bags. “So one of our guys was like, OK, listen … I’ll ...

British department store Debenhams is to become the first major UK retailer to sell the traditional Muslim veil known as the hijab. It will also sell them in some of its shops in the Middle East. From May Debenhams, which was founded in 1778, will stock hijabs in some of its larger UK units including at its flagship London store in Oxford Street. Outlets in Birmingham, Manchester and Leicester will follow suit. Hijabs will also be sold at 14 international Debenhams stores in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. A hijab is worn by some Muslim women in the presence of adult males to whom they are not related in order to cover their head, shoulders and chest. This complies with Islamic teaching on modesty. Unlike those who dress in a burqa or niqab, the hijab wearer’s face remains visible. The decision to sell the items in the UK reflects its expanding Muslim population. It is estimated that in 1981 there were about 500,000 Muslims living in Britain. Currentl...

The Trump administration decreed sanctions against Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami on Monday, accusing him of playing a major role in international drug trafficking. The announcement, made on the Treasury Department's website late in the day, is bound to ratchet up tensions between the U.S. and its harshest critic in Latin America. El Aissami is the most senior Venezuelan official to ever be targeted by the U.S. The U.S. government is also sanctioning Samark Lopez, a wealthy Venezuelan businessman believed to be El Aissami's main front man. As part of the action, 13 companies owned or controlled by Lopez, including five in Florida, will be blocked and both men will be barred from entering the United States. There was no immediate reaction from El Aissami, but he has long denied any criminal ties. The move comes a week after a bipartisan group of 34 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to Trump urging him to step up pressure on Venezuela's socialist gover...

Arik Air, the largest Nigerian carrier taken over last week by the Federal Government would require N10bn to return to full and uninterrupted flight operations. The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) which took over the management of the airline on behalf of the government said it discovered "deep rooted rot" at Arik Airlines. The new management in a statement on Sunday said "The situation is so bad that only nine aircrafts out of the 30 in the fleet of the airlines is operational. 21 of them have either been grounded, gone for C-check in Europe among other forms of challenges. "As if these problems are not enough, the airline does not have money to procure aviation fuel for the nine operational aircrafts because no dealer wants to sell aviation fuel to Arik if it is not on cash-and-carry basis. This also calls for public understanding because flight schedules may be realigned based on the nine aircrafts that are available, technically sound...

Dangote Rice, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, is set to launch in Sokoto State it’s multi-million naira 25,000 hectares of rice outgrower scheme with a prospect of hundreds of employment opportunities for the rural communities. By year-end 2017, Dangote Rice plans to produce 225,000MT of parboiled, milled white rice. This will allow us to satisfy 4% of the total market demand within 1 year. Our model can then be successfully scaled to produce 1,000,000MT of milled rice in order to satisfy 16 per cent of the domestic market demand for rice over the next five  years, it said.  President of the Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed at the weekend that the company will on Wednesday, flag off with a pilot project of 500ha by Goronyo dam, in Goronyo community. Goronyo dam is the second largest in the country, after Kainji.  The flag off ceremony which will be performed by the governor of the state, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, will witness seedlings being distributed to the prim...

Self-confidence is something that you learn to build up, because the challenging world of business, and life in general, can deflate it. Nobody is born with limitless self-confidence. If someone seems to have incredible self-confidence, it is because he or she has worked on building it for years. Here are few ways to help you build up your self-confidence: Visualise the future Visualisation is the technique of seeing an image of yourself that you are proud of, in your own mind. When we struggle with low self-confidence, we have a poor perception of ourselves that is often inaccurate. Practise visualising a fantastic version of yourself, achieving your goals. Affirmation Affirmations are positive and uplifting statements that we say to ourselves. These are normally more effective if said out loud so that you can hear yourself say it. To get your brain to accept your positive statements more quickly, phrase your affirmations as questions because our brains are biologic...

As seven abducted women and four children were being taken deeper into Sambisa forest, Aisha Bakari Gombi received a call. The voice was familiar: an army commander asking her to assemble a group of hunters to track them down. The seven had vanished earlier that day after a group of Boko Haram militants attacked their village, Daggu. Three local people were shot dead and cars, houses and food stores set ablaze. Daggu is a half-hour drive from Chibok where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in April 2014. Both villages are in the region of Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria, which has become all too familiar with such attacks by the world’s deadliest terrorist group. Bakari Gombi grew up near the Sambisa forest, where the extremists still operate despite a military offensive last year that destroyed many of their major camps. She used to hunt antelopes, baboons and guinea fowl with her grandfather. Now she hunts Boko Haram. There are thousands of hunters in the ...