Cameroon Stripped Of Right To Host 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations

Cameroon has been stripped of the right to host next year’s Africa Cup of Nations after serious delays with its preparations and in the midst of a violent separatist rebellion near two planned venues.

The Confederation of African Football made the decision on Friday after a meeting of its executive committee. Its president, Ahmad Ahmad, announced a new bidding process was to be opened.

Countries have until the end of December to submit bids for the tournament, which starts in June.

Morocco, which lost out to a joint United States-Canada-Mexico bid for the 2026 World Cup, has been touted as a replacement host.


CAF said in September that there was a “significant delay” with the building of stadiums and related infrastructure but gave Cameroon a final chance by planning two more inspection visits in October.

One of those was to assess the security situation after an escalation in violence in the south-west and north-west of the country involving English-speaking separatists and government forces.

Cameroon won the most recent Africa Cup of Nations in 2017.

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Okorocha Suspends Imo Accountant General Over Workers Unpaid Salaries

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on Friday suspended the Accountant-General of the State, Stella Udogwu, over the non-payment of the November salary of local government workers.

The governor also ordered the arrest of the branch managers of Ecobank and Access Bank where money for the payment was lodged, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, stated in a release on Friday.

The governor said that the suspension of the accountant-general would take effect immediately. He directed that the Chief of Staff appoint an acting accountant-general pending the appointment of a new person to the office.


Mr Okorocha said before now he had directed that the October and November salaries of workers in the state be paid at the same time in October.

He said he was dismayed that the directive was not carried out until he was informed at the 40th Anniversary ceremony of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Owerri on Friday.

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OPC Founder, Frederick Fasehun Dies

Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) Dr Frederick Fasehun is dead.

According to the Senior Special Adviser on Media, to Fasehun, Mr Adeoye Jolaosho, the OPC chieftain died at about 1a.m, Saturday at the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja (LASUTH).

“Baba took ill on Wednesday and was rushed to the intensive care unit of LASUTH. ” He died early hours of today. We are all devastated,” he said.

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Man Marries His Guitar In Nigeria [Photos]

A man, who goes by the name Harris Best on twitter has married his Guitar. Harry who tied the knot with the musical instrument in a wedding gown shared the photos online, saying it;s time to make babies after decades of being together....

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No Salary For Striking ASUU Lecturers – FG

The Federal Government has directed the vice-chancellors of public universities and inter-varsity centres to enforce no-work-no-pay rule on the lecturers who are on strike.

The directive was communicated to universities in a memo by the National Universities Commission to universities’ VCs.

The memo, which was signed by the Director, Research, Information and Technology, Dr S. B Ramon-Yusuf, stated that payment of salaries from any other sources would be viewed as violation of extant rules and government’s directive.

It partly read, “In view of the current Industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Federal Government has directed that there shall be no payment of any form of salaries and allowances to the staff on strike in federal and inter-varsity centres.


“Consequently, I am to direct vice-chancellors to apply the “No-work-no-pay” rule. However, universities and inter-varsity centres are to pay salaries and allowances to non-teaching staff. All Vice-Chancellors and Directors of Centers should note that the salaries to staff on strike from whatever source of funds shall be viewed as violation of extant rules and directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

Reacting to the memo, Chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Dr. Deji Omole, said it was shameful for the Federal Government to owe lecturers seven years of unpaid salaries and allowances and still want them to continue to work while the Presidency and the National Assembly members feed fat on the wealth of the nation.

He said a government that prides itself as having integrity should honour agreements reached with the union instead of resulting to harassment and intimidation of union members on a patriotic struggle to save public education in the country.

Omole noted that the directive would fuel the struggle, adding that the union members had resolved to get proper education for the children of average Nigerians.

He said military government tried unsuccessfully to intimidate the collective will of Nigerian masses, adding that members of the union had resolved to fight for the future of the country.

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EFCC Seeks Permanent Forfeiture Of Shagaya’s N1.9bn

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed an application before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos seeking the permanent forfeiture of N1.9bn belonging to business mogul and socialite, Bola Shagaya.

This comes two years after Sunday Punch exclusively reported that the EFCC had frozen the bank accounts of Shagaya due to fraudulent activities she allegedly perpetrated in conjunction with Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of the immediate past President.

In an EFCC fact sheet made available to Saturday PUNCH on Friday, the commission said it had been able to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the funds, which have been frozen since 2016, were part of a fraudulent N3.3bn oil deal between Shagaya and Mrs. Jonathan


The commission said it had no intention to prosecute Shagaya but its primary goal was to forfeit the funds to the Federal Government.

Narrating how the alleged fraud took place, the anti-graft agency in an affidavit deposed to by an operative, Musbahu Abubakar, claimed that  Shagaya through her alleged fraudulent activities in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, influenced the fraudulent allocation of kerosene to a firm, Index Petrolube Africa Ltd., with the aid of Mrs. Jonathan.

The EFCC said as a result of these alleged fraudulent activities, Shagaya was given a founder’s fee in the sum of N3.3bn by Index Petrolube and its sister company, Autodex Nigeria Ltd., both owned by a lawmaker, Ezeani ThankGod, for the fraudulent allocation of kerosene.

The commission said based on this transaction, Shagaya paid N1.2bn into the Diamond Bank account of ‘Women for Change Initiative, an NGO owned by Patience of which she (Patience) the sole signatory.

The anti-graft agency said the balance of N1.9bn was kept in the Unity Bank accounts of Shagaya with numbers 0003261118, 0025111493 and 0025092589

It, therefore, stated that the N1.9bn frozen in the accounts of Shagaya be forfeited permanently to the Federal Government since the funds were proceeds of fraudulent activities.

The document read in part, “The commission investigated the unlawful activities of Bola Shagaya and former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, in relation to the allocation of DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene) in NNPC in which investigations revealed unlawful proceeds of N3.3bn received by Bola Shagaya in which she made payments totalling N1.2bn to a proxy of Dame Patience Jonathan and retained the sum of N2bn.

“Investigations further revealed that part of the funds amounting to N1.9bn was warehoused in her account domiciled in Unity Bank Plc.

“The team via Suit No FHC/L/OS/1973/16 obtained an order attaching the sum of N1.9bn warehoused in the account of the bank.

“That Bola Shagaya subsequently via Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1004/2017 approached the court seeking an order of court to set aside the interim attachment order in Suit No: FHC/L/OS/1973/16 which the judge dismissed on the grounds of lack of merit.

“From the foregoing, the team seeks approval to forfeit the said funds in the account to the Federal Government under the forfeiture without conviction plan.”

Punch

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Yahooze Didn’t Promote Internet Fraud, Olu Maintain

Some music enthusiasts have noted that most songs being released border on themes like sex, use of illicit drugs and also the glorification of Internet fraud.

Some seem to have traced the history of this issue to 11 years ago when Olu Maintain released the hit song, Yahooze; a song many believed glorified Internet fraud.

But in a recent chat, the singer said he was not the one that began the trend. He stressed that his 11-year-old song was not meant to glorify Internet fraud and that the video he shot for the song passed the message across clearly.


“When you create a body of art, people can misinterpret it the way they see fit. I mean, Yahooze is 11 years old and if you watch the video of the song, it was centred around an upcoming artiste that got a million dollar record deal. That was the message I presented with the song. Does the music video in any way represent Internet fraud? The answer is no.

“I cannot be responsible for how people interpret a work of art. It is like a painting, a man would value a painting for millions of dollars but to the other man, it does not make sense. Art should be subjected to everyone’s interpretation. My interpretation of that form of art was made very obvious,” he said.

The Yahooze singer further told Saturday Beats why it was difficult to release another hit song that could rival, Yahooze, saying, “It is a different generation and a different era with a different demography. As an artiste; as you grow, your core demography changes.

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Dino Melaye Appointed PDP Presidential Campaign Spokesperson

Senator Dino Melaye has been appointed Director in charge of Civil Societies/ NGO’S and Campaign Spokesperson in the PDP Presidential Campaign. Dino announced this himself on twitter writing;

''Thank you PDP for my appointment as Director incharge of Civil Societies/ NGO’S and Campaign Spokesperson in the PDP Presidential Campaign. We shall usually overcome. Light will always rejoice over darkness. Power to the People''.

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Ukraine Bans Russian Men Aged 16-60 From Country

Ukrainian officials on Friday temporarily banned all Russian men aged 16 to 60 from entering the country, the latest turn in a crisis between the two neighbors after Russia seized three Ukrainian ships earlier this week.

Russian coast guard ships on Sunday fired on and seized the Ukrainian vessels as they headed toward a contested strait close to Crimea, taking prisoner 24 Ukrainian sailors and triggering an international crisis.

Petro Tsygykal, Ukraine's chief of Border Guard Service, told a security meeting that all Russian males between 16 and 60 will be barred from travelling to Ukraine for the duration of martial law, which Ukraine's parliament voted to introduce on Monday for 30 days in some regions.

"At checkpoints, reinforced control measures are being implemented. Today, the entry of foreigners, especially citizens of the Russian Federation, is limited," Tsygykal said at the meeting, according to a published transcript on the website of Ukraine's presidential office.

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FIFA Rankings: Nigeria Now 4th In Africa, 44th In The World

Nigeria is now placed fourth in Africa and retains her 44th spot in the world with 1,427 points, as against October’s 1,431 points, in the FIFA/Coca Cola Rankings newly released.

Tunisia who led the continent’s teams in the last rankings dropped to second place behind Senegal, with the North Africans dropping four places to 26th in the world with 1,493 points.

Senegal now top the CAF teams with 1,505 points and places 23rd in the world.

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He Inspired Generations! Trump Mourns Bush

US President Donald Trump on Saturday paid tribute to late former leader George H.W. Bush, praising his lifetime of service to the nation and “unflappable leadership” during the waning days of the Cold War.

“Melania and I join with a grieving nation to mourn the loss of former president George H.W. Bush,” Trump said in a statement from Buenos Aires, where he was attending the G20 summit.

“Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family, and country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service.”

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One Dead, Seven Injured As Boko Haram Attacks Military Base Again

Boko Haram militants attacked an army base in northeast Nigeria, killing one soldier, military sources told AFP on Friday.

Fighters with the Islamic State West Africa Province came in trucks fitted with anti-aircraft guns and attacked the base in Arege village near the fishing town of Baga on the shores of Lake Chad, the paper claims.

The base came under attack before dawn, prompting clashes, a military source revealed according to AFP

“The attack was successfully repelled but unfortunately a soldier was killed and seven others were injured,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the incident.


The same base came under attack on Wednesday, but the militants failed to overrun it “and suffered heavy casualties,” a military statement said on Twitter.

The jihadists have in recent months intensified their attacks on military bases in the northeast, with the most audacious taking place on November 18, when military sources said at least 43 soldiers were killed at a base in Metele near the border with Niger.

Troops who survived said over 100 of their colleagues were killed, but after a long period of silence, the military on Wednesday gave an official figure of 23 deaths.

The latest attack came a day after President Muhammadu Buhari went to N’Djamena to meet top leaders from Chad, Niger and Cameroon to discuss how to deal with the surge in violence.

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Ex-US President, George Bush Is Dead

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who presided over the end of the Cold War and routed Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi army has died. He died last night at the age of 94, a family spokesman said.

Bush, the 41st president of the United States, lived longer than any of his predecessors. His death at 10:10 p.m. Central time was announced in a statement issued by longtime spokesman Jim McGrath.

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