Abdul's Blog: 09/14/17

Thursday, 14 September 2017

It’s time to abolish the Electoral College – Clinton

Hillary Clinton told CNN on Wednesday that it is time to abolish the Electoral College, part of a sweeping interview where the former Democratic nominee sought to explain why she lost the 2016 election.

Clinton, in the interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, displayed her animus for fired FBI Director James Comey, reflected on her love for the people — namely former President Bill Clinton — who helped her get through the crushing loss and blasted the arcane election body that she believes helped Donald Trump win the presidency.

The Police in Lagos on Wednesday brought two Pastors, Dorothy Ekutosi, 51, and Asekameh Victor, 27, who allegedly stole a 2-year-old girl in a market before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, whose addresses were not provided, are standing trial a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

A 34-year-old architect, Abiodun Akinpelu, who allegedly defiled his five-year-old niece, on Wednesday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Mr. Akinpelu, who resides at No. 29, Mayowa St., Orelope in Egbeda, a Lagos suburb, is facing a two-count charge of defilement and indecent assault.

The Bundesliga looks set to follow the example of England’s Premier League by voting to shorten the transfer window, with German Football League chief Reinhard Rauball proposing changes.

Germany’s 36 professional clubs are set to hold a vote at their general assembly in December and Rauball wants the Bundesliga clubs to agree to close the transfer window before the season starts.

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has denied reports that wantaway Chelsea striker Diego Costa is closing in on a return to the La Liga club.

Costa arrived with his family in Madrid from Brazil on Tuesday with AS claiming that the Spain international intends to remain there until at least the New Year, fuelling speculation that he will complete a €60 million move to former side Atletico this week.

Nigeria midfielder Ogenyi Onazi is still targeting a move to England in the January window after his move to Birmingham City failed to materialise during the summer transfer market.

The 24-year-old, who plays for Turkish club Trabzonspor, was denied a work permit to play for the English Championship side.

“Every disappointment is a blessing. I’m not disappointed,” he told the BBC.

Barcelona have predicted their annual revenue will be close to the €900 million mark this season, as they draw closer to becoming the first club to break the €1billion mark.

The Spanish giants announced a record revenue of €708m for the 2016/2017 season earlier this year, €13million higher than they had estimated at this time last year. This represents an increase of almost €88m on the previous season.

Nigeria have dropped six places to 44 in the world in the latest FIFA Rankings released today despite a 4-0 home win over higher ranked Cameroon in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month.

The Super Eagles are also fifth in Africa.

The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has signed a tripartite agreement of N120 billion with Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and Julius Berger Plc. for the construction of Bonny-Bodo road.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, at the tripartite agreement and contract signing on Wednesday in Abuja said the project would revive and strengthen the nation’s economy.

The Football Association has sent a video to Fifa in a bid to prove that Dele Alli’s middle-finger gesture was aimed at England team-mate Kyle Walker and not an official or opponent.

Television pictures showed the gesture during England’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia last week.

World football’s governing body opened proceedings against Alli, who said it was a “joke with good friend” Walker.

Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday allegedly killed a police sergeant at Oyigbo Junction in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

Zaki Ahmed, the state commissioner of police, who confirmed the killing, said the irate youth also injured two other policemen and burnt down their patrol vehicle.

American actor Frank Vincent, who was known for his memorable gangster roles in “Goodfellas” and “The Sopranos,” died on Wednesday.

Television network HBO saluted Vincent on its Twitter account, saying, “Our family will never forget the Leotardo Legacy. RIP to an HBO legend.”

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe said on Saturday that he may name a preferred candidate to replace him as a bitter succession battle between his wife and the vice-president grinds on.

But the 93-year-old liberation leader turned autocrat ruled out simply appointing his favoured figure and said his ruling ZANU-PF party must make the final decision.

Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District on Wednesday filed before the Court of Appeal in Abuja an eight-ground notice of appeal challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had on Tuesday given a nod to the commencement of the recall process initiated by some of his aggrieved constituents.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had in his judgment permitted the Independent National Electoral Commission to proceed with the exercise of verifying the signatures of the 188,588 registered voters who were said to have said signed in support of the recall process.

The anti-graft agency, EFCC, on Wednesday confirmed that plans were in place to extradite a former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Several Nigerians have called for her extradition from the UK, after different corruption allegations were levelled against her.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended of its 10-day-old strike for two weeks to monitor the level of federal government’s compliance with the agreement reached.

The United Labour Congress on Wednesday threatened that workers in the country would embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government failed to meet its demands by Friday (tomorrow).

The threat came barely two weeks after the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment responded to the workers through a letter, which the ULC said “largely failed to adequately address the critical issues raised in our demands.”

Two men suspected to be students of higher institutions in Kwara State were among some armed robbery suspects paraded before newsmen on Wednesday at the Katsina State Police Command headquarters, Punch has reported.

The two students are Abdulrosheed Ibrahim, 20, who claimed to be a 300 level student of Kwara State College of Education, Lafiagi; and one Opeyemi Agboola, 19, who claimed to be an ND II Marketing student of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.

Sarah Lockner, a 25-year-old McDonald's worker gave birth in the restaurant bathroom and tried to flush the baby down the toilet, police said.

According to The Sun UK, the young woman allegedly locked herself in a cubicle after complaining of stomach pain before colleagues found blood coming from under the door.

Plane crash survivor and singing sensation, Kechi Okwuchi has made it into the grand finale of America’s Got Talent 2017.

Kechi revealed few days said it might be a little unfair if she wins the show because she doesn’t want people to vote for her based on her story.

Paris will host the 2024 Olympics while Los Angeles will stage the 2028 edition.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed the decision on Wednesday.

Paris and Los Angeles were the only cities left in the race for 2024 after Budapest, Hamburg, and Rome withdrew.

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has expressed optimism that the state will soon produce its first woman governor.

The governor spoke yesterday when he hosted the One-Day Governor, Miss Zuffon Bukola, with members of her State Executive Council (Exco) at the Exco Chambers of Lagos House in Ikeja, the state capital.

Media personality, Toke Makinwa while watching a movie last night revealed she miss intimacy when a sex scene came on. The Vlogger who officially divorced her husband, Maje last year has been dating US based Oluseyi Kuye.

The Police in Borno on Wednesday said a top Boko Haram commander together with other members of the group had surrendered to the command in the state.

DSP Victor Isuku, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said in a statement issued in Maiduguri that the insurgents unconditionally surrendered to men of the command.

The US State Department will from Wednesday, stop issuing certain kinds of visas to selected citizens of Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leonem due to the affected nations refusal to take back US deportees.

Reuters reports that the new policy sent out in cables by Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to consular officials around the world, said the four countries were “denying or unreasonably delaying” the return of their citizens from the United States.

106 Chibok girls to begin school after meeting parents in hometown

Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs and social development, says 106 Chibok girls will begin school in two weeks after reuniting with their parents and friends in their hometown.

The girls, who have undergone medical and psychological rehabilitation, will commence a special foundation programme at American University in Yola, Adamawa state.

It is no longer news that seasoned broadcaster and actor, Sadiq Daba, is down with leukaemia. Unknown to many of his fans and admirers, the actor, whose role in Kunle Afolayan’s award-winning film, ‘October 1’, attracted a lot of attention awhile ago, practically lives on a drug called Gleevec, used for the treatment of the disease.

Although he gets supplies of the drug free-of-charge from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, courtesy of a donor agency based in the United States, it is very expensive off the counter and can only be obtained from the institution.

A businessman, Oladimeji Isiaka, has gone bankrupt after losing about N25m to suspected fraudsters who defrauded him under the pretext of curing his headache.

According to Punch, Isiaka who lived in the Sango Ota area of Ogun State, sold his house and five cars to raise the money.

However, after realising that he had been defrauded, he reportedly petitioned the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos State.

It has started. Save a miracle another self-inflicted destruction is upon Igboland only that this time it would be far worse than the mindless slaughter from the foolhardiness that began in 1967.

The catalyst for this disaster this time around is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, who is exploiting people of limited thinking. As of the week of writing, baying mobs that identify as IPOB members attacked soldiers in Kanu’s hometown in Abia state while the Hausa Community bore the brunt of the group’s misdirected anger in Rivers state.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denounced claim by ‎the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he looted public treasury during his reign. The ex-president, according to Daily Trust, however, asked the APC-led government to account for N14 trillion ‎which he claimed it budgeted in the last two years.

Daughter of Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola, Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, also known as DJ Cuppy, hosted a tea party in London with her younger sister, Temi in attendance and some friends.

Burdened by the growing challenges of mental illness and substance abuse in Nigeria, Tranquil and Quest International, a mental health and substance abuse recovery facility, is set to introduce Telepsychiatry in Nigeria.

The Telepsychiatry is the delivery of psychiatric assessment and care through telecommunications technology, as it will allow Nigerians consult with both local and international psychiatrists at their convenience.

Principal, Federal Government Girls’ College, Bwari, Mrs. Stellamaris Omu, has appealed to the government to look into the insufficient budgetary provision of the college, as well as its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) facilities.

She made the appeal during the audit exercise visit of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Senator Aliyu Wamakko.

African countries should do more to pressure South Sudan’s political leaders, who seem incapable of resolving the country’s four-year civil war, a top U.S. diplomat said Wednesday.

“We think there is more our African colleagues can and should be doing at this point, especially in terms of focusing on leadership, that from our point of view is behaving in a way that is very irresponsible,” Tom Shannon, U.S. under-secretary for political affairs at the State Department, told reporters.

A judge jailed former pharmaceuticals company CEO Martin Shkreli on Wednesday after finding that he’d violated his bail on a securities fraud conviction with a social media posting she agreed posed a threat to Hillary Clinton.

Defense attorneys had argued at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn that the post by Shkreli, offering a $5,000 bounty to anyone who could grab him one of Clinton’s hairs while she’s on a book tour, was political satire. But U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto didn’t see the humor, saying the offer could be taken seriously by fellow Clinton detractors.

At least 32 people have been killed in clashes across Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regions following clashes between rival ethnic Somali and Oromo forces, a former Ethiopian lawmaker said.

Speaking to VOA Somali Service, Boqor Ali Omar Allale said at least 32 ethnic Somalis, including his younger brother, were killed on Monday night in Awaday, a small town between Ethiopia’s most holy Muslim town of Harar and its big eastern city of Dire Dawa.

Operatives of the Zonal Intervention Squad in the Ibogun area of Ogun state have arrested two suspected cult members, who confessed they sell human hands for N5,000 each to raise funds for their operations.

The men, Oluwaseun Odueh, aka Cleff; and Wasiu Adejumo, aka Bomber, are both members of the Eiye Confraternity.

The suspects, who were also accused of being robbers, were arrested along with three herbalists, including a traditional ruler, who allegedly bought the hands of the victims.

A teenage girl, identified as Iheaoma Chidinma, who hails from Mgbirichi in Imo state has been caught with a human head.

When interrogated by the military men, she revealed she was taking the head inside a bush to bury it.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today arraigned and secured the conviction of one Ayomide Olamide before Justice H. O Eya of the Enugu State High Court, Enugu on a one-count charge bordering on conspiracy, impersonation, obtaining money under false pretenses and ATM fraud.