Poverty, unemployment and injustice responsible for conflicts in Nigeria - President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said Monday in Abuja that poverty, injustice and the lack of job opportunities were mainly responsible for inter-communal and intra-communal conflicts in Nigeria.

Speaking while receiving a delegation from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, an organization active in the promotion of peace in Nigeria, President Buhari said that to achieve enduring peace in the country, greater effort must be made to eradicate poverty and injustice.

The President described ethnic and religious conflicts in parts of the country as outward manifestations of underlying problems of joblessness, injustice and poverty.

On conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, President Buhari said that a plan to map out grazing areas will soon be presented to the Nigerian Governors Forum as a temporary solution to the frequent conflicts until cattle owners are persuaded to adopt other means of rearing their cattle.

The President commended the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue  for the relative peace that had returned to Plateau State as well as their on-going activity in Southern Kaduna.

He agreed with the Centre that dialogue was always preferable  to the use of law and order mechanisms  and force in the resolution of conflicts.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, David Harland told President Buhari  that following their success in facilitating the  settlement of the inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts in Plateau State, the group had moved to Kaduna State.

He expressed the hope that the techniques used in bringing peace to Plateau State can soon be  deployed to deal with the Boko Haram insurgency and other conflicts in Nigeria.

With State House

Kaduna APC Warns Members Against Anti- Party Activities

The leadership of the APC made the statement at a stakeholders meeting on Monday.

Rising from the meeting, the Deputy Governor of the state, Bala Bantex, emphasised that the party’s constitution was supreme and must be respected at all times by every member, warning that disciplinary measures would be meted against any member that violates such constitutional provisions, according to Channel Television.

While stating that no party member is above the party’s constitution, warned members to always ensure that their utterances and activities were in line with that of the state and the national leadership of the party.

The stakeholders meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, some elected State and National Assembly members and state party officials.

DasukiGate: Metuh files an application for variation of the terms

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday opened its case with two witnesses against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, in the charges of money laundering involving the sum of N400m which he allegedly collected from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014, according to The Punch.

The trial commenced before a Federal High Court in Abuja after the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, overruled objection by Metuh’s lead counsel, Mr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) to adjourn the trial.

Ikpeazu also informed the judge on Monday that since Metuh had been unable to meet the bail conditions granted him on January 16, the defence had filed an application for variation of the terms.

He urged the court to adjourn the proceedings as the inability of his client to meet the bail conditions had adverse effect on his preparation for the defence.

The prosecution led by Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, opposed the application for adjournment and his objection was upheld by the judge.

Tahir then proceeded to open the prosecution’s case on Monday with the testimony of an employee of Asset and Resource Management Company Limited, Nneka Ararume, who narrated how she collected a total sum of $2m cash from Metuh at his house in Prince and Princess Estate, Abuja.

Ararume who described her position with the company as Wealth Manager, said the instruction given to her by Metuh was that the money should be invested.

She explained further that she went ahead to change the money to its naira equivalent through two bureau de change operators she engaged.

She said, “He gave me the sum of $2m in $100 bills. It was taken to bureau de change operators who would then transfer the money to ARM. From there (Metuh’s house) I proceeded to Mr. Sie Iyenome’s office at Wuse 2 where I gave him the sum of $1m.

“I also invited Mr. Kabir Mohammed and I also gave him the sum of $1m to transfer the naira equivalent in favour of Destra Investment Limited. Later on the same day, December 2, 2014, Mr. Kabir and Mr. Sie Iyenome confirmed the receipt.”

The prosecution also called Iyenome as its second prosecution witness, who also narrated how he changed the $1m to its naira equivalent and paid it to ARM.

Both witnesses were cross-examined by the defence counsel.

Trial has been adjourned till tomorrow for the prosecution to call more witnesses.

The prosecuting counsel said he had 16 more witnesses.

Mavin first lady,Tiwa Savage make a statement

Mavin first lady, Tiwa Savage, has made a comeback to the music industry, following her one-year leave to have and cater for her son, Jamil.

When asked about how she felt when it became clear she had been replaced as the queen bee in the music industry while on maternity leave, she replied:

 I don’t think I was really bothered. I know how entertainment is and sometimes you need that kind of news so I didn’t take it personally and I wasn’t really moved by it because when you’re having a baby that’s one of the biggest joys that you can ever imagine.

Tiwa also talked about her comeback, stating her number one priority.

"My priority was just to make sure that I was healthy and that my baby was healthy and that we had a safe delivery. So at that time I was taking time away from music and I knew I had to take time off but my focus was really my baby…and I had worked while I was pregnant. I had recorded my album so I also knew that I had something when I was going to come back and I was going straight back into work. I also believed in the grace of God over my life and I guess that helped me."

With AIT news

Wayne and Coleen Rooney announce birth of third son

The wife of Manchester United and England captain gave birth to their third son on Sunday, naming him Kit Joseph, according to BBC Sport.

Wayne wrote: "Our gorgeous little boy arrived today. Kit Joseph Rooney. 8Ib 1oz. We are over the moon."

The childhood sweethearts, who married in Italy in 2008, already have two sons - Kai, six, and two-year-old Klay.

It's thought that Coleen, 29, was admitted to the Liverpool Women's Hospital on Saturday ahead of the birth.

Wayne, 30, captained Manchester United at Old Trafford in a 1-0 loss to Southampton.

Like the Kardashians - the Rooneys have given their children names beginning with a K.

The couple simultaneously announced that Coleen was expecting in July with the same tweets.

Last week Coleen wrote that she was still waiting to go into labour.

On Monday she tweeted: "No baby yet!! .... Hurry up!! ..... Too comfy."

The footballer also posted a photo of the family when Klay was born.

In an interview before the birth, Coleen told OK! Magazine they would "definitely not" find out the sex of their baby.

But she told the magazine that she would "love a girl because it would complete the family".

"Hopefully the anticipation of the sex will make the labour go a bit quicker."