Monday News In Brief

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning according to Daily Post:

1. The Plateau State Governor, Mr. Jonah Jang, has appointed his son, Yakubu, as the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Planning in the state. Prior to his new appointment, Yakubu was Jang’s Special Adviser on Special Duties. While addressing newsmen on Sunday, Abubakar, said his new appointment was to allow for continuity in government.

2. A new video released by the Islamist Boko Haram sect showed its armed members slaughtering civilians lying face down in an unidentified dormitory which the sect leader claimed was situated in Bama, Borno state. In the video, the sect vowed to continue to kill and destroy as its religious obligation. The video was released on Saturday.

3. The acclaimed Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, has dismissed the alleged order by Governor Ayodele Fayose, that he should be arrest with the other All Progressives Congress lawmakers in the state. In a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, Omirin said that the APC lawmakers acted within the context of the constitution having sat in a public building in the state capital last Friday. He boasted that nobody can arrest them for carrying out their constitutional duty.

4. President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday appealed to all aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party aspirants following the outcome of its primaries across the country to remain in the party as the party was doing everything possible to ensure that their grievances were looked into and resolved immediately.

5. A report has showed that the Federal Government within its first six months of this year withdrew a total sum of N310.05bn from the Excess Crude Account. This information was contained in a document obtained from the Budget Office of the Federation. According to the document, the said amount was used to settle various government’s obligations as it has failed to meet its revenue target.

6. Former Foreign Minister and Deputy Chairman, 2014 National Conference, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has call on Nigerians to be wary of the dangers that lie ahead of the February 2015 general elections. He said that some people were planning to pull the country towards disintegration. This warning was contained in a letter he addressed separately to both President Goodluck Jonathan and his political rival, Muhammadu Buhari.

7. The Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed optimism that the APC would win the state come 2015. He further declared that no emperor will govern the state as the people will resist any aspirant with such quality.Amaechi, while speaking at the freestyle parade of the Rivers State Cultural Festival known as CARNIRIV in Port Harcourt on Saturday said Rivers people can only vote for individual of great leadership quality.

8. At least, 80 Boko Haram insurgents and two soldiers were killed when Boko Haram insurgents laid ambush for the military along Damboa road in Borno state. Report says gun duel ensued between the militants and the military personnel attached to 7 Division, Nigerian Army while they were on their way to Damboa, the headquarters of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. The incident reportedly happened weekend.

9.Ijaw youths have threatened to violently attack supporters of the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), anywhere they are in the southern part of the country. The youths vowed to retaliate on any attack meted on Jonathan’s supporters in the North.

10. The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has said that Nigeria would not vote President Goodluck Jonathan again, as voting for him would mean that all that is presently wrong with the country would be sustained. This was contained in a statement posted on Buhari’s facebook wall on Sunday night.