NDDC spent N4.2b in one day, Akpabio tells Reps

CONTRACT splitting is rampant in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godswill Akpabio, said on Monday.

According to him, the management of the agency indulges in splitting contracts to outwit the minister and evade approval.

Speaking before the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta in Abuja, the minister alleged that the agency spent “over N4.2 billion in a day in tranches of N49 million.”

The committee is probing how N40 billion was spent by the Interim Management Committee (IMC).

Akpabio was invited with the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei.

Pondei fainted during the proceedings and had to be revived and taken to the hospital.

The minister also told the panel why Ms. Joi Nunieh was sacked as the agency’s managing director. Ms Nunieh, Akpabio said, was sacked, following a letter from the late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, that she did not posses the requisite qualification to occupy a public office.

On the allegation that the agency had been awarding contracts without going through the procurement process and signing of necessary documents, the minister said only three contracts had been awarded since his assumption of office.

The minister hinted that in all the contracting processes, both the technical and financial bidding processes were conducted before they were awarded.

Akpabio, however, claimed that NDDC managers have been splitting contracts to evade his signature, saying he has no hands in the contract payments by the agency as government regulation does not allow ministers to pay for parastatals’ contracts.

Mention NASS members who got NDDC contracts, Reps tell Akpabio

The House of Representatives has asked Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to publish, within 48 hours, members of the 9th National Assembly who got sixty percent of contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Ruling on a matter of privileges brought by Minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said the Minister, who alleged 60 percent of contracts from the NDDC were given to members of the National Assembly, should publish the benefiting lawmakers, especially members of the 9th Assembly.

US election 2020: Kanye West launches unconventional bid for presidency ( Read The Full Gists Here)

Kanye West has officially launched his campaign for the 2020 US presidential election, with an unorthodox rally in Charleston, South Carolina.

West, 43, is running as a candidate for his self-styled "Birthday Party".

At the event, the rapper seemed to make policy decisions off-the-cuff and made several rants, including on abortion and on abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

Fans have questioned whether his last-minute bid for the White House is actually a promotional stunt.

The Charleston rally did little to clarify whether his run is genuine. But a now-deleted tweet sent from West's account on Saturday, appearing to show the song list for a new album, added to the speculation.

The event, held at a wedding and conference hall in the city, was said to be open to registered guests only - but West's campaign website had no function for people to register or RSVP.

West appeared with "2020" shaved into the back of his head and wearing a protective security vest, and addressed the gathered crowd without a microphone.

There were no audience microphones either, leading West to repeatedly tell the crowd to be silent so he could hear the questions being asked.

At one point he began crying when talking about abortion, saying that his parents almost aborted him: "There would have been no Kanye West, because my dad was too busy."

He added: "I almost killed my daughter... even if my wife [Kim Kardashian West] were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world, even when I didn't want to.

However he then added that he believes abortion should remain legal, but there should be financial support for struggling new mothers - suggesting that "everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars".

"The only thing that can free us is by obeying the rules that were given to us for a promised land," he said. "Abortion should be legal because guess what? The law is not by God anyway, so what is legality?"

At another moment, he gave an impromptu monologue about 19th century abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

"Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people," he said.

Tubman was born into slavery, but managed to escape a Maryland plantation in 1849, aged 27. She then returned to the South to rescue other slaves on the network of routes and safe houses known as "underground railroad", risking her own life to lead people to freedom.

West also became tearful when talking about his late mother, who died in 2007 from complications during cosmetic surgery.

What has the reaction been?

The speech has been met with anger by some - mostly sparked by his comments about Tubman - but also with concern over West's welfare.

Professor Jason Nichols, a senior lecturer in African American studies at the University of Maryland, told the BBC he feared West's rambling appearance pointed towards a "manic episode" - although he acknowledged he was not a psychologist.

"He has admitted in the past he has been battling mental illness and that sometimes he does not take medication.

"He was a little more coherent than he has been in other times... when he has gone on these rants, but I really believe he is in a bad place right now. He said some really bizarre things."

Professor Nichols added that he was disappointed, as he had hoped West would be able "to push the other candidates", had he had the right advice and support.

"I was actually interested to see what would happen, but after the event today, all that interest has just turned to worry."

West, who announced his candidacy on 4 July, has already missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states. He needs to collect enough signatures to appear on the ballot in a number of others.

Last week he qualified to appear on Oklahoma's presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the deadline.

In order to appear on South Carolina's ballot he needs to collect 10,000 signatures by noon local time (18:00 BST) on Monday.

BBC News

Buhari, Jonathan in closed-door meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari has received his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, at the State House in Abuja.

Arriving at the President’s office at about 11am, the former President went into a closed-door with Buhari.

Although the agenda for the confidential meeting would not be disclosed immediately, The Nation reports that it might not be unconnected with the recent assignment Jonathan was charged with by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

‘Amotekun will use supernatural power to combat insecurity’

The Commandant of the Ekiti State Security Network code-named Amotekun, Brig.-Gen. Joe Komolafe (rtd), has said the corps will use supernatural and modern security techniques to combat banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.

He spoke yesterday at Efon Alaaye during a sensitisation tour of Ekiti West, Efon Alaaye and Ijero local governments.

The commandant said the security outfit would use ancient Yoruba tactics of securing territories and fishing out criminals from their hideout.

He said neglect of local and ancient patterns of exposing criminals was one of the factors responsible for the rising case of crimes.

Komolafe urged monarchs to deploy supernatural prowess to secure people’s lives and belongings.

Describing Amotekun as a force of liberation, he said the security outfit would protect Southwest people from invaders, who had constituted threat to the region.

Twitter hack: FBI investigates major Twitter attack

The FBI has launched an investigation after hackers hijacked Twitter accounts of a number of high-profile US figures in an apparent Bitcoin scam.

"The accounts appear to have been compromised" to perpetrate cryptocurrency fraud, said the bureau, urging the public to be vigilant.

Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Joe Biden were among those hit in what Twitter said was a "co-ordinated" attack.

Their official accounts requested donations in the cryptocurrency.

"Everyone is asking me to give back," said a tweet from the account of Mr Gates, the Microsoft founder. "You send $1,000, I send you back $2,000."

Sudan protesters reject anti-Islamist reforms

Dozens of pro-Sharia supporters have protested in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, over recent government reforms that allow non-Muslims to drink alcohol, and scrap the apostasy law and public flogging.

The reforms come after long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was ousted last year following massive street protests.

The protesters, who oppose any easing of Islamic laws, shouted: "God's laws shall not be replaced" - and had banners saying: “No to secularism”, according to the AFP news agency.

Addressing Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who leads the transitional government, the agency quoted some as saying: "Hamdok, Khartoum is not New York.”

Some held up photographs of Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari, who had announced the reforms last weekend.

Under the new laws, women also no longer need permission from a male relative to travel with their children.

Non-Muslims are now allowed to consume alcohol in private, however the ban on Muslim drinking remains.

And anyone convicted of renouncing Islam, or apostasy, will no longer face the death penalty.

The imposition of strict Islamist laws in the 1980s was a key factor in the long-running civil war which eventually led to independence for South Sudan, where the majority of people are Christian or follow traditional religions.