Pentagon to propose shrinking US Army

The United States is to cut the army's overall troop numbers as it withdraws from Afghanista in an austerity drive long predicted by defence officials.
Chuck Hagel, the defence secretary, is on Monday expected to recommend shrinking the army to its smallest size in decades. The AP news agency says the numbers on active service will fall from 520,000 to 490,000 by 2015, and then will fall further to about 450,000 after that point.
The US spent $682 billion in 2013 on the military - more than the next 10 big-spending nations combined.
There were no indication if other areas of the US armed services - the navy and airforce would face cuts.
The newspaper said it would leave the US military capable of defeating any enemy but too small for long foreign occupations, and would involve greater risk if US forces were asked to carry out two large-scale military actions at the same time.
"You have to always keep your institution prepared, but you can't carry a large land-war defence department when there is no large land war," the Times quoted a senior Pentagon official as saying.
It added that some of the plans may face political opposition in Congress, but quoted the officials as saying that they had the endorsement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

World's oldest Holocaust survivor dies in UK

 
A 110-year-old woman believed to be the oldest survivor of the Holocaust and who endured the ordeal partly through her passion for music, has died in London, her family said on Sunday.
Alice Herz-Sommer, who is said to have counted writer Franz Kafka among her family friends and is the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary, was a Jewish pianist and musician from Prague.

In 1943, the Nazis sent her and her young son to Theresienstadt concentration camp, where tens of thousands of people lost their lives.
Neither her husband Leopold nor her mother Sofie survived World War Two, but she and her son did, the Reuters news agency reported.
Her grandson, Ariel Sommer, confirmed her death on Sunday, saying: "Alice Sommer passed away peacefully this morning with her family by her bedside.
"Much has been written about her, but to those of us who knew her best, she was our dear 'Gigi'.
"She loved us, laughed with us, and cherished music with us. She was an inspiration and our world will be significantly poorer without her by our side."
'Bright spirit'
Herz-Sommer, who was born in Prague in 1903, and her son Raphael were freed from Nazi captivity in 1945, when the Soviet Red Army liberated their camp, and emigrated to Israel before settling in Britain.
Raphael, an accomplished cellist and conductor, died in 2001.
"The Lady in Number 6," which covers Herz-Sommer's life, has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary at the forthcoming Oscars.
Malcolm Clark, the film's director, and Nick Reed, its producer, said in a statement that telling her story had been a life-changing experience for the crew and they felt honoured to have been able to capture her "lessons" for future generations.
"Even as her energy slowly diminished, her bright spirit never faltered," they said.
"Her life force was so strong, we could never imagine her not being around. We can all learn so much from this most amazing woman."
'Life is beautiful'
Herz-Sommer, who along with other musicians gave concerts in the concentration camp to keep up her spirits and those of people around her, said before she died that Beethoven was her religion and that music had saved her life and still saved her.
She famously said she bore no grudges and saw her life as a wonderful gift, Reuters reported.
In a text about her on the website of Reed, the documentary's producer, she was quoted before her death as saying she remained upbeat about life despite sensing she was coming to the end of it.
"I think I am in my last days, but it doesn't really matter because I have had such a beautiful life," she said. I have lived through many wars and have lost everything many times - including my husband, my mother and my beloved son.
"Yet, life is beautiful, and I have so much to learn and enjoy. I have no space nor time for pessimism and hate. Life is beautiful, love is beautiful, nature and music are beautiful. Everything we experience is a gift, a present we should cherish and pass on to those we love."

The geopolitics of the Ukraine crisis

 
Ukraine experienced the most dramatic weekend in European history since the fall of the communist regimes. Twenty-four hours after unprecedented violence in the streets of Kiev, which claimed the lives of 80 demonstrators and more than a dozen policemen, the situation remains uncertain.
The Ukrainian president, Victor Yanukovich, has fled the capital, leaving behind him a power vacuum that will potentially reshape the balance of power in the region between Russia and the European Union. As governmental forces disappeared from the streets of Kiev, several key questions remain: Who can claim legitimate authority?  Is there a future for a united Ukraine? How will the current evolution impact Russian and European presence and control over their shared neighbourhood?

Analysis: The fall of Yanukovich and the future of Ukraine

Although contested by Yanukovich's supporters, the immediate political next steps have been swiftly and overwhelmingly agreed on by the Parliament: A return to the 2004 Constitution that reaffirms the authority of the Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) over the president and new presidential elections in May. If this ensures a return to a well-known institutional framework established 10 years ago after the first ousting of Victor Yanukovich - a president that now has on his record not one but two destitutions - it does not ensure long term stability by any means.
None of the opposition parties can claim to legitimately represent the popular uprising by itself. "Fatherland", a coalition of parties behind former president Yulia Tymoshenko and led by Arseniy Yatsenyuk during her imprisonment, has traditionally been at the forefront of the contestation to Yanukovich.
However, the party was rejected by the population during the 2010 elections and the return of Tymoshenko - a polarising figure in Ukraine - on the forefront of the political stage comes with its fair share of liabilities in the attempt to reunite the country. Although it is the largest opposition political force in the Rada, "Fatherland" is also flanked by two other opposition parties who took a central part during the popular revolt on the Maidan: "Svoboda" and the "Democratic Alliance for Reform".
"Svoboda", a nationalist party led by populist leader Oleh Tiahnybok, was at the frontline of the resistance to Yanukovich's Special Forces (the Berkuts) during the last weeks of the contestation and its momentum culminated yesterday when police forces from Lviv (the birthplace of "Svoboda") joined the movement. Similarly, former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, who heads the Democratic Alliance for Reform, emerged as a key opposition leader and gained credibility over the last weeks.
It remains unclear how each opposition force will manage to govern the country in coalition until the next elections or with which legitimacy since more than a hundred parliamentary members supporting Yanukovich did not take part in the most recent votes.
On the bright side, recent attempts by the recently deposed president to divide the opposition by proposing governmental positions to Yatsenyuk and Klitschko were unsuccessful. This tends to show the capacity and will of opposition leaders to work together during the conflict. Yet, now that the conflict seems to have tipped in favour of the opposition, agreeing on a common political platform including "Svoboda" will be another challenge. The opposition to the lavish lifestyle and corruption of Victor Yanukovich cannot be the only common denominator to agree on a sustainable political transition.
From instability to geopolitical fractures

Inside Story - Is a proxy war being waged in Ukraine?

The political instability in Kiev is limited however in comparison with the ever-growing rift between the Eastern and Western parts of Ukraine. The country is deeply divided between two regions which have very few in common. One is resolutely turned towards the European Union and advocates for a liberal market economy. Its majority Christian Catholic and well educated population speaks Ukrainian and has supported opposition leaders throughout the Yanukovich end of reign.
On the other side of the country, Crimea and the Eastern provinces still firmly back the former president. The population there is in majority orthodox, speaks Russian and looks confidently towards Moscow for the stability and economic security it provides to Ukraine thanks to its discounted gas prices and its strong presence in the national economy.
The division of the country is nothing new. The Western part of Ukraine has long been under Polish control while the Eastern part was governed by Russia. The very existence of Ukraine as a unitary country has been contested throughout modern history, as shown by the treaty of Riga in 1921 dismantling the country, and the emergence of a common Ukrainian identity only gained momentum in the 19th century.
The result is that while half of the country cheered yesterday over the destitution of the president, advocating for an alliance with the European Union and away from a corrupted Russian influenced regime, the other half of the country, which followed the Kiev uprising through Russian media, still calls for a return of Yanukovich and protection from the Kremlin against fascist forces.
This division also answers a wider geopolitical fracture between the European Union and Russia. What is at stake in Kiev has ramifications in the fields of energy security, regional integration and international balance of power. Ukraine is a central card in Putin's hand to revitalise the Russian strategy, hoping to renew with its status of leading geopolitical power in Europe and Asia.

What is at stake in Kiev has ramifications in the fields of energy security, regional integration and international balance of power. Ukraine is a central card in Putin's hand to revitalise the Russian strategy...

If Ukraine drifts towards Europe, the political project of Eurasian Union defended by Putin will be strongly challenged. More importantly, Ukraine also controls most of the transit of Russian gas towards the West and thus Putin's energy grasp over the European Union. A day after the Russian hockey team, which concentrated the hope and pride of the whole country, faced an embarrassing elimination in the Sotchi Olympic Games, Putin suffered a salient geopolitical defeat underestimating the European Union capacity to intervene.
Indeed, the current evolution in Ukraine has shown that the European Union could finally lead an effective common foreign policy. After the stammering and hesitations shown over the last few months and the incapacity to agree on an ambitious European support to Ukraine, the visit to Kiev of the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland has been essential in stopping the violence and in drafting a truth agreement between both parts of the conflict.
By agreeing on common sanctions towards Ukrainian oligarchs, who had much more to lose than their Belarussian counterparts three years ago in a similar situation, the European Union isolated Yanukovich from its domestic support.
As a conclusion, if the future of Ukraine remains uncertain both in terms of the sustainability of its political transition and its capacity to remain united, what this crisis has demonstrated is that when united, the European Union is able to be an effective foreign policy actor and stand in front of Russia.

Bush starts new project to help vets, says 'I'm here with them'

George W. Bush, who as president led the United States into wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Sunday he’s now helping veterans try to successfully re-enter the workforce and other aspects of civilian life.
“We've got a problem,” Bush told ABC’s “This Week.” “Too many veterans are unemployed.”
He acknowledged that having sent thousands of troops into Iraq weighs heavy and that his new project, a joint effort between the George W. Bush Institute and Syracuse University, is cathartic.
“No question it helps,” Bush said. “I have a duty. You know, obviously, I get slightly emotional talking about our vets. … I'm in there with them.”
The institute and the university are studying the issues affecting veterans who have served since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Roughly 6,800 American service members were killed and 51,000 others were wounded in the wars.
Bush has largely stayed out of politics and the public spotlight since serving out his second term in 2009. But he has been active in helping veterans, mostly through smaller projects such as golf outings and mountain bike rides.
Bush said the country has a “civilian-military divide,” in which returning veterans think one thing, while the civilian population thinks another.
“Our aim is to get people to understand each other better for the good of the veteran community,” he said.
Jake Wood, a Marine veteran and entrepreneur, told ABC on Sunday the challenge is to bring together civilians and military service members to share their stories “so that there's a mutual understanding, so that as a nation, we can heal together.”

Boko Haram Threatens To Kill Buhari, IBB, Kwakwanso, Shettima

…Also Targets Niger Delta, Refineries, Shekarau, Ado Bayero and Shehu of Borno

Boko Haram, the dreaded Islamist terrorist group has said it plans to kill Generals Mohammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida both former Military dictators and Governors Rabiu Musa Kwakanso of Kano State and Kashim Shettima of Borno State.

In a new video recently released and sent to select journalists, leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau who claimed the killing of Sheik Albani said refineries in the Niger Delta would be bombed soon.

 
“We killed Albani of Zaria; Shekau killed Albani of Zaria, and tomorrow he will kill Jingir, Shehu of Borno and Ado Bayero.” The former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau is also a target.

 
Shekau also vowed to assassinate Sheik Yaya Jingir based in Plateau state along with many others they accused of supporting Christians, democracy and infidels.

 
“We will bomb refineries there, those in Jonathan's town and their leader should know. Shekau is talking to you; this small boy is talking to you, very soon your refinery will be crushed, and very soon, we will bomb this refineries you are flaunting. Niger Delta you are in danger, Jonathan you are in danger.”

 
He boasted that Boko Haram is responsible for the killing of Christians whom he described as infidels. Shekau also said soon the sect will be spread all over Nigeria and anyone found in school or teaching western education will be killed.

Delta 2015: Orubebe Visits Ibori, Begs For Forgiveness, Support

In what appears to be a desperate bid to win the 2015 Delta State governorship election, the out of favour former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has begged Chief James Ibori, a former governor of Delta State, for forgiveness and support.

THEWILL gathered from sources close to Ibori that the sacked Minister paid him a visit at the Long Lartin Prison in the United Kingdom, where he is doing time for corruption and money laundering on Thursday, February 13, 2014, Orubebe, who was recently fired from his position by his kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan over his dismal performance and his inability to deliver on the all important East-West Highway project, asked Ibori to forgive him for teaming up with the President and others in his kitchen cabinet to okay his arrest by the Interpol in Dubai on May 13, 2010, at the request of the British government.

Ibori, who still commands an impressive followership in Delta State, is still very influential and highly respected by politicians and stakeholders, who from time to time visit him in prison to consult with him on political matters.

He was one of the powerful politicians that blocked then Vice President Jonathan from assuming office as acting President in 2010 during the power struggle at the time the late President Umaru Yar'Adua was critically ill and hospitalized in a Saudi hospital.

Our source said, 'Ibori was surprised at first that Orubebe wanted to see him after all they had done to him and his family.

He (Orubebe) said he came to apologise and to say he made a mistake for teaming up with Jonathan to hand him (Ibori) over to the British government to deal with.

'Orubebe told Ibori that he was shocked that Jonathan forced him to resign as Minister without prior notice, but had taken it in good strides.

'It was a Kodak moment when he told Ibori he wanted him to support his governorship bid in 2015,' the source who asked not to be named told THEWILL, adding 'can you beat that? After all they did to the poor chap? These guys are shameless.

' When asked what Ibori's response to Orubebe was, the source said, 'You know Ibori is a very smart politician.

What else did you expect him to say? It is however not clear whether Ibori gave Orubebe the support he had hoped to get courtesy of the visit.

Orubebe hails from Delta South Senatorial District, the same district as the current governor, Dr.

Emmanuel Uduaghan, which makes his chances of becoming governor very slim because of the ruling party's zoning formula which currently favours Delta North Senatorial zone.

Also, his abysmal performance as Minister in the Yar'Adua and Jonathan governments further weakens his chances of emerging governor of the oil rich Delta State.

APC will sweep all the states in Nigeria in 2015 — Aregbesola

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has expressed optimism that the All Progressives Congress, APC,will sweep all the states in Nigeria in the 2015 general elections.
Aregbesola gave this prediction on Saturday in Lagos at a reception organised in his honour by The Mandate Movement led by a former Lagos Commissioner for Environment, Muiz Banire, and the Oranmiyan Group.
The event was to honour Aregbesola as the winner of 2013 Man of The Year award by Daily Independent Newspaper.
The governor whose state is currently in crisis over the introduction of new education policy said he was confident that Nigerians would no longer vote for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party candidates, especially for the presidency in the next general elections.
In his address, the governor said, since the country’s independence in 1960, the ruling parties always had ‘power’ as their slogan, a tradition, he said, had been adopted by the PDP, and that the said power will not triumph over the opposition in the coming general elections.
Those at the event were the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Mrs. Grace Olaoye-Tomori; Aregbesola’s wife, Sherifat; National Publicity Secretary, APC, Lai Mohammed; former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan; Vice-Chairman, Lagos-West APC, Cardinal James Odunmbaku; members of the National Assembly from Lagos and their Lagos State House of Assembly counterparts.

Jonathan is nice but is surrounded by incompetent people –Sanusi

The suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, on Sunday described President Goodluck Jonathan  as a simple man trying to do well  but  surrounded  by “extremely incompetent and fraudulent” aides.
Sanusi   was suspended by   Jonathan on Thursday over alleged financial misconduct, an action viewed by many analysts as politically-motivated.
In an interview with the Agence France Presse  in Lagos, Sanusi said many of the people advising Jonathan  were sycophants, who did  not speak frankly about the extent of corruption in government.
He said, “When you sit with  the President, he appears a nice and  simple person who is trying   to do his best.
“His greatest failing obviously is that he is surrounded by people who are extremely incompetent, who are extremely fraudulent and whom he trusts.”
Sanusi also faulted the seizure of his international passport by security agents, claiming that it  “was the beginning of  infringement on my fundamental human rights.”
Regarding the allegations against him, the suspended CBN chief said when he  heard of a report condemning his performance, he  wrote to Jonathan in “June or July” asking if an explanation was needed, but received no reply.
But he added that the  first time he was formally notified of the allegations was the day (last Thursday) he was suspended.
He argued that  it would be too simple to describe his removal as payback for his attacks on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
“Since 2009, I have been annoying the government… There are   people who think I have the wrong friends;  people who think maybe I have not distanced myself enough from people who are seen to be opposition figures,” he further said.
Sanusi argued that  the extent of  graft in the NNPC might  have reached an historic high.
“I think everybody has known that NNPC is rotten. I don’t think it has ever been as bad as this,” he told  theAFP.
According to Sanusi, the so-called kerosene subsidy money spent by the Federal Government in fact pays for “private jets…yachts… and expensive property(of some public office holders)  in Beverly Hills (United States) and Switzerland.”
Sanusi,who   ruled out running for elected office,  said he  still had  a future in public service.
He  voiced his  readiness to face any attacks that might  come from those committed to preserving the status.
“If I am sacrificed in whatever way, my freedom or my life… if it does lead to better accountability, it will be well worth it,” the Kano State-born banker added.
But just as Sanusi spoke,the  Presidency  said it was in possession of different kinds of petitions against him.
It said the petitions from within and outside the  CBN  centred on the same line of breaches by him.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr.  Reuben Abati, said this in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents.
Abati, who was  responding to a question on whether the Presidency was in possession of a petition from Dr. Erastus Akingbola, on alleged fraudulent takeover of Intercontinental Bank,   said what was contained in the government  official record   was that Sanusi ran the CBN aground.
He said the government’s letter of suspension sent to  him could be likened to a vote of no  confidence in  him.
The Presidential aide  said, “There are  all kinds of petition  against  the suspended CBN  governors not just from Akingbola. There were so  many allegations along the same line of breaches against  him.
“There were complaints by people from the CBN and that is why the letter suspending him was very clear. In fact, that  letter was like passing a vote of no confidence in Sanusi’s  tenure.
“That is what is in the official record of the government:  that he ran the place aground;  that he ran the place with  impunity;  that he ran the place recklessly;  that he ran the place without due recourse to its  board .”
When asked if the government will encourage whoever that would succeed Sanusi    to review his  (Sanusi) policies, Abati replied,    “I don’t think we have reached that stage yet.
“The name of the proposed CBN governor has been sent to the National  Assembly. The National Assembly has yet to make a  pronouncement on it. It is still at the level of nomination.
“So the Executive will not jump the gun by beginning to talk about what whoever becomes the CBN governor should do or not  do. What we are assuring Nigerians and international investors is that the country’s monetary policy will remain  stable. Investors have nothing to fear.”
When further asked why the government spared the CBN deputy  governors despite the fact that the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria recommended that they should be sacked alongside the governor, Abati said investigation was still  ongoing.
He said the objective of  the government was not to shut down the  bank.
He said, “Investigations are still continuing. In fact, if you read that report again, the first paragraph under recommendations asked for detailed investigations. “It is just commonsensical that if there is such a general  indictment, the objective of government is not to shut down  the CBN. In a situation like this, it makes sense that head  is usually the symbol and investigations are continuing.
“It is not as if Sanusi has been removed, he has just been suspended to allow for further investigation. You can be sure that if any other official is indicted, such a person  will not be protected.”

[SHOCKING] Ibadan University Student Raped And Killed In Her Home

A student of University of Ibadan was raped and killed in on February 19th 2014 in a home she shares with her sister at Opeyemi street, Gbagi in Ibadan.

27-year-old Taiwo Omolara Shittu, a 500 level student of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management was found dead lying lifeless in a pool of blood at about 5:30 p. m that day.
Her sister returned from work to meet her dead with her pants down to her ankle and machete wounds in her head.
The murder weapon, a machete reportedly belonging to the man that cuts grass for them, was found in the room with blood stains.
According to reports, the labourer, Alakia Adenubi has been arrested in connection with the crime.
Adenubi has denied involvement with the murder of Shittu. The case has been transferred to the State CID.

You Cannot Suspend The Truth” – Sanusi Opens Up

For the sake of those with slow Internet and date bundle issues, I have transcribed the major parts of suspended Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s first interview after his suspension. He spoke to CNBC Africa. You can read the text below.
On whether he was on notice with respect to his suspension: Well, I have been told by my office that a letter was received. As you know, I flew in this morning to Niamey along with other Governors of West African Central Banks to meet with the President of Niger and President of Ghana…Fortunately, I came in with my VP Sarah Alade whom I have been asked to hand over to. I have left the meeting to hand over to her. I have just met the Nigerian Ambassador to Niger who confirmed to me that the President asked him to inform me of the decision.
On accusations of “various acts of financial misconduct and recklessness” he said: I don’t know what they are talking about. When I come back, I will see what those allegations are…I don’t think there is any issue raised that has not been raised before. We all know what this is about. This is about consequences for decisions I have taken… This is something that is long overdue. I am surprised it took them so long.
On concerns for the market: Basically, my concern is for the safety of the market…I have had a wonderful time in service to my country. I would not want to see all of my work unraveled. No individual is worth it.
On whether his suspension is politically motivated: It is not for me to comment. I am not sure that erm… I think the answer to that is obvious…there is a legal question of whether the president has the authority to suspend the Governor and whether suspension is not removal. It will be helpful to establish the principles by court.
Even if I challenge it, I will not go back to the job. Even if I challenge it successfully, I will not go back to it. I think it will be in the interest of the institution for the courts to establish once and for all if the president has the powers to do this… If it is not challenged, the next Central Bank Governor cannot be independent with fear of being suspended by a politician. I do plan to have the courts confirm if indeed that authority exists and I will challenge it.
On his legacy: He pointed out Low inflation. Stable exchange rate. Reformed and well governed banking system, robust reserve, independent central bank, financial inclusion, systems reform…history will record this, nothing is going to change that. You can suspend an individual, you can’t suspend the truth. And this is all about these concerns around oil revenues, around decadence in the oil sector and if this is going to bring about the $20 billion then that’s fine.
Sanusi Lamido also emphasized the fact that he trusted the competence of his successor Sarah Alade and the other deputy governors to continue his good work. His grouse seemed to be on the legality of his suspension and the future independence of the CBN Governor. He insisted he’d go to the courts to contest the arbitrariness of his suspension, citing the fact that the President himself did not sign his suspension letter as it was signed by the Secretary to the Federal Government. He finished by saying he had no regrets or ill feelings towards anyone on the matter.

‘Missing’ $20bn; Alison-Madueke, others will go to jail if found guilty – Presidency

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke and other chief executives of parastatals under her ministry will be arrested and prosecuted if indicted by the ongoing probe into the alleged missing $20 billion from the account of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The assurance was given by the presidency while explaining reasons for the removal of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, the presidency denied allegations of witch-hunt against Sanusi over his disclosure that the NNPC did not remit proceeds of oil sales to the federation Account.
“This action of Mr President is coming after a painstaking appraisal and investigation of all issues involved”, he said.
“The fact that this has occurred at the same period that Mr. Sanusi accused the NNPC of non- remittance of 20 billion dollars to the Federation Account does NOT in any way derogate from the grave infractions and illegalities discovered in the audit report of the CBN and its operations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerians should be assured that Government will go to any length to ensure that Mallam Sansui’s allegations against the NNPC are fully and conclusively investigated and if anyone is found culpable, they will be subjected to the full weight of the law” the FG said in assuring Nigerians of its readiness to send Deziani and anyone to jail over the issue.
In its explanations of the infractions allegedly committed by Sanusi, the FG said it has evidences to prove that the tenure of Sanusi was fraught with frauds and abuse of privileges of office.
The aide insisted that the suspension of Sanusi was not to witch hunt, neither was it a deviation from the anti-corruption drive of the Jonathan administration.
He explained that the issues that culminated into the suspension of the CBN Governor dated back to April 2013 following the submission of the CBN audited accounts for the year that ended on December 31st, 2012 and which was submitted to the President by the Apex bank.
He noted further that there were several grievous issues bothering on “impunity, incompetence, non-challance, fraud, wastefulness, and gross abuse of and noncompliance with provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007″ by Sanusi.
“This caused Mr. President to issue a 22-paragraph query to the suspended CBN Governor on the 4th of May 2013 and the subsequent written explanation by Mallam Sanusi which was forwarded to the President on the 22nd of May 2013.
“After painstaking analysis and examination, the response was forwarded to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria for further scrutiny and professional advice.
“The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria thereafter forwarded a 13-page response to Mr President with various critical observations and far-reaching recommendations.
“One of the recommendations states thus “ Your Excellency may wish to exercise the powers conferred on Mr President by Section 11(2) (f) of the CBN ACT 2007 or invoke Section 11 (2) (c) of the said Act and cause the Governor and Deputy Governors to cease from holding office in the CBN”
“It is also important to note the unrestrained manner, recklessness and impunity with which the CBN Governor had governed the apex bank in the last few years. In 2013 alone, the suspended CBN Governor single-handedly made spurious donations and awarded questionable contracts totaling 163 billion Naira (over 1 billion US dollars) to various institutions without recourse to the President as stipulated by Section 7 sub-section 5(a) of the CBN Act.
“Most unfortunate is the fact that of the 63 projects listed under the Corporate Social Responsibility of the CBN, ONLY 3 of the contracts above 1 billion Naira were referred to the bureau of Public Procurement as required by law.
“It was based on this and other recommendations contained in the said report and after further consultations among stakeholders that Mr President in his wisdom and in the interest of probity, accountability and in order to preserve the integrity and sanctity of the Nations apex bank, decided to take the appropriate decision to place Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on immediate suspension”.

I am a wife material,I pray 5 times a day & cook well”- Unmarried Nollywood Actress Sikiratu Sindodo Reveals

Nolyywood Actress Sikiratu Sindodo opened up to Punch about being the perfect wife material..She said people should ignore the tattoos & piercings..
              
 “I know I will make a good wife. I cook well; I am not the outgoing type. If I am not working, I am at home. It is sad that when people see me outside, they have a different impression about me. I don’t know why, maybe it is because I am an actress. I am not like that, I pray five times a day. If I open the trunk of my car for you, my praying mat is there. I may not do that when I work all day but in the night I do so. People do not believe that I am close to God. When I into acting, it is different. I wear different kinds of clothes just to fit into the character I am playing at a particular time but I am different. That I have tattoos and piercings does not matter. Some people that do not have all these things are worse. I do not sleep around; they have a very bad impression about me. When I am dating a person, I make it known. I do not have to hide it that I am dating somebody. If I am dating a person and the person trusts me, my family knows about the person and knows what I can do, I don’t care about what anybody says.

Nollywood Actress Ebube Nwagbo reacts to reports she’s moved in with Kcee

There were online reports that Ebube has moved in with former BF Kcee. Infact it is claimed even after he got married, she never left the scene resulting his marriage crashing after 3 years.Here is what she said....
                     
“I am in my house in the mainland. I didn’t move into Kcee’s house in Lekki. He is a married man. Let’s stop all these misleading stories.I am currently on set”