I received Obasanjo’s letter – Saraki

The senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Wednesday acknowledged that he received a letter from former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday after plenary.

According to the Senate President, the former President in his letter, called the attention of the National Assembly to some issues.

Saraki made this known in a statement on his website saying: “I want to assure President Obasanjo that the leadership and membership of the 8th Senate are committed to good governance, transparency, accountability, due process and responsiveness to the economic reality of our nation.

“It is for this reason that the legislative chamber has introduced bold and progressive reforms in the management of the finances of the National Assembly.

“This is of even greater importance during a tough fiscal period for our country.

“Like I said during my closing address at the plenary after our debate on the 2016 Budget, the Senate must lead by example in terms of our own funding, budgets and accountability – showing, beyond doubt, value for money.

“I have canvassed that we must lay bare the budget of the Senate, nay the National Assembly and its affiliated institutions.

“I equally canvassed the need to strengthen the capacity of the legislative institution to carry our effective oversight of the executive arm so that we can ensure the budget leads to the realization of the policy objectives of the Buhari Administration.

“Again, let me reiterate my position in the speech I made this morning on the need for us to work towards blocking all areas of revenue leakages while also strengthening the anti-corruption agencies so that the little resources that are now available will serve the interest of the overwhelming majority.”

He then promised to reply to the letter by Obasanjo acknowledging him as ‘a father of the nation that we all hold in high esteem’.

“I intend to reply the letter and outline the actions the Senate is taking to address his concerns.

“In conclusion, I appreciate President Obasanjo for his consistent role in always reminding those of us in government about our responsibilities to the general public and offering timely advise where necessary.

With The Nation

Drug Offence: El-Rufai sanctions monarch

Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai on Thursday announced the suspension of a traditional ruler over drug offence.

Alhaji Danladi Ibrahim, Village Head of Goma in Gimi District of Danga Local Government Area, was said to be in possession of 1.5kg India hemp.

He was arrested by the State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Governor El-rufai, through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan said the suspension was with immediate effect.

Devaluation of Naira not now - Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has laid to rest the fate of Nigerian currency, the Naira when he ruled out the devaluation. He declared late Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya that he was yet to be convinced that Nigeria and its people would derive any tangible benefit from an official devaluation of the Naira, according to The Guardian.

Speaking at an interactive meeting with Nigerians residents in Kenya, Buhari, according to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu maintained that while export-driven economies could benefit from devaluation of their currencies, devaluation would only result in further inflation and hardship for the poor and middle classes in Nigeria’s import-dependent economy.

The President added that he had no intention of bringing further hardship on the country’s poor who, he said, have suffered enough already.

Likening devaluing the Naira to having it “killed”, Buhari said that proponents of devaluation will have to work much harder to convince him that ordinary Nigerians will gain anything from it.

The President also rejected suggestions that the Central Bank of Nigeria should resume the sale of foreign exchange to Bureaux de Change (BDCs), saying that the Bureau de Change business had become a scam and a drain on the economy.

According to him, “We had just 74 of the bureau in 2005, now they have grown to about 2,800.”

He alleged that some banks and government officials used surrogates to run the BDCs and prosper at public expense by obtaining foreign exchange from government at official rates and selling it at much higher rates,

Buhari maintained that, “We will use our foreign exchange for industry, spare parts and the development of needed infrastructure.

“We don’t have the dollars to give to the BDCs. Let them go and get it from wherever they can, other than the Central Bank,” Buhari told the gathering, reaffirming his conviction that about a third of petroleum subsidy payments under the previous administration was bogus.

“They just stamped papers and collected our foreign exchange,” he said.

The President appealed to Nigerians studying abroad to bear with his administration as it strives to address the challenges they are facing as a result of new foreign exchange measures.

He said that he was optimistic that the Nigerian economy will stabilize soon with the efficient implementation of measures and policies that have been introduced by his administration.PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has laid to rest the fate of Nigerian currency, the Naira when he ruled out the devaluation. He declared late Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya that he was yet to be convinced that Nigeria and its people would derive any tangible benefit from an official devaluation of the Naira.

Speaking at an interactive meeting with Nigerians residents in Kenya, Buhari, according to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu maintained that while export-driven economies could benefit from devaluation of their currencies, devaluation would only result in further inflation and hardship for the poor and middle classes in Nigeria’s import-dependent economy.

The President added that he had no intention of bringing further hardship on the country’s poor who, he said, have suffered enough already.

Likening devaluing the Naira to having it “killed”, Buhari said that proponents of devaluation will have to work much harder to convince him that ordinary Nigerians will gain anything from it.

The President also rejected suggestions that the Central Bank of Nigeria should resume the sale of foreign exchange to Bureaux de Change (BDCs), saying that the Bureau de Change business had become a scam and a drain on the economy.

According to him, “We had just 74 of the bureau in 2005, now they have grown to about 2,800.”

He alleged that some banks and government officials used surrogates to run the BDCs and prosper at public expense by obtaining foreign exchange from government at official rates and selling it at much higher rates,

Buhari maintained that, “We will use our foreign exchange for industry, spare parts and the development of needed infrastructure.

“We don’t have the dollars to give to the BDCs. Let them go and get it from wherever they can, other than the Central Bank,” Buhari told the gathering, reaffirming his conviction that about a third of petroleum subsidy payments under the previous administration was bogus.

“They just stamped papers and collected our foreign exchange,” he said.

The President appealed to Nigerians studying abroad to bear with his administration as it strives to address the challenges they are facing as a result of new foreign exchange measures.

He said that he was optimistic that the Nigerian economy will stabilize soon with the efficient implementation of measures and policies that have been introduced by his administration.

10 Remarkable Facts Of Watermelon That Might Surprise You

Watermelon, also known as Citrullus lanatus is a plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae with smooth green skin, pulp, and watery juice. The vine-like flowering plant is a nutrient dense food with contains a high amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for a low amount of calories. Here are some facts about watermelon that might surprise you.



Wild watermelons originated in southern Africa.
There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon that come in various weights, shapes, sizes and colours.



The colours are; Red, orange, yellow and white.
Key commercial varieties of watermelon include the Carolina Cross, Yellow Crimson, Orangeglo, Moon & Stars, Cream of Saskatchewan, Melitopolski, and Densuke.



Farmers in Japan have started growing cube-shaped watermelons by growing them in glass boxes where they assume the shape of the box. Originally this was done to make the melons easier to stack and store, but the novelty of the cubic watermelon can fetch double the price of a normal one at market.

Watermelon is a fruit and a vegetable too. It is a vegetable because it is a member of the same family as the cucumber, pumpkin and squash. It is also harvested and cleared from fields like other vine growing vegetables.



You can eat watermelon rind and seeds. All parts of a watermelon can be eaten, even the rind, which actually contains a number of nutrients too, but due to the unappealing flavour, it is rarely eaten. In China, the rind is used as a vegetable and stir-fried, stewed or pickled. Try putting it in a blender with some lime for a healthy, refreshing treat. Not only does the rind contain plenty of health-promoting and blood-building chlorophyll, but the rind also contains more of the amino acid citrulline than the pink flesh. Same goes for the seeds; you can just consume them as snacks in between your meals.

Nutritionally, watermelons contain high levels of vitamin B6 (which increases brain power), vitamin A (good for eyesight), potassium (which helps in curing heart disease and keeping the heart healthy). The watermelon also contains Vitamin B1, C and manganese which protect against infections.



By weight, a watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water. The high water and electrolyte content of watermelons make them ideal as a refreshing summer thrust quenchers. They keep us hydrated, our skin fresh, and can clean the kidneys of toxins.

Watermelon and watermelon juice have been shown to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery time following exercise in athletes. Researchers believe this is likely to do with the amino acid L-citrulline contained in watermelon.

EFCC detains former Chief of Air staff, Amosu

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has arrested the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu.

Amosu was arrested Wednesday night at about 9pm and has since been detained by the anti graft agency.

Air Mashal Adesola Amosu is one of the 21 former and serving officers who have been penciled for probe by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Nigeria Air Force personnel being investigated are expected to explain their involvement in a $2 billion and another N29 billion procurement deals that took place between 2014 and 2015.

A top source at the EFCC said that Amosu is being detained to give vital information concerning the deals, especially with the contracts awarded, many of which were suspected to have been inflated.

With The Guardian