A Frenchman held hostage by an al Qaeda-linked group in Mali was reportedly freed as part of a prisoner swap with two jailed militants. …read more      

A soldier in Somalia avenges the killing of his wife – also a soldier – by shooting dead five women related to militant Islamists, an official says. …read more      

A Former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, who on Wednesday shared his thoughts on rebuilding the Nigerian nation while speaking on Sunrise, noted that progress cannot be achieved without sacrifices.

While making reference to leaders who were jailed for agitating for Nigeria’s independence, Kolade said those who desire change in the country will need to make sacrifices.

“If we want to go into the future of this country and think we can just sail into the thing without making sacrifices, then we deceive ourselves”, he said.

As the 2015 election approaches, a need for a better Nigeria has been raised, in the light of several national challenges and set backs, including the leadership deficit in almost all spheres of the nation.

“I think that our problem is that we allow ourselves to look only at the immediate environment and also the short term and to think that whatever we do today is the end for Nigeria”, Kolade explained, stressing that “it’s important for us to put everything in perspective to understand that what we are today; where we are today did not happen without some human input. Therefore, where we are going in the future, will continue to happen by human input.

He commented on the tendency of Nigerians to expect a messiah to save the nation, noting that “God has equipped man to manage the institutions and affairs of this world” and therefore “if we do not actually take the initiative to manage what God has put us in-charge of, then we are wasting the resource that he has put in us”.

Speaking about the need to rebuild Nigeria, Kolade noted that the lack of worthy examples for the younger generation was a major challenge in the nation and further encouraged those who knew the way to go, to speak …read more      

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has accused former governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of masterminding the plot to extending his tenure by an extra term.

Chief Obasanjo, in his autobiography, titled ‘My Watch’ chronicles the his political, military and personal life, maintains that the governors involved acted based on selfish interests.

Chief Obasanjo also accused his late successor, Umaru Musa Yar’adua of deceiving him about the severity of his ill health before he became the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2007.

He also didn’t spare incumbent president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as he noted that he resorted to writing open letters because all efforts to speak to Dr Jonathan personally were frustrated.

The former president also cleared the air on why he went ahead to publish the book in spite of a court order barring him from doing so.

The Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West, Mr Buruji Kashamu, had approached the court to stop the official launch of the book.

Mr Kashamu has vowed to press criminal charges against the former president.

Mr Kashamu said he would drag Chief Obasanjo and other people who assisted him in the launch to court.

In the book, the former president threw darts at the PDP for making Mr. Kashamu a leader of the party in south west despite his alleged involvement in hard drugs abroad.

The post Selfish PDP Governors Were Behind Third Term Agenda – Obasanjo appeared first on Channels Television.

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Dewani and Pistorius cases show South Africa now ruled by law …read more      

Togo international striker Emmanuel Adebayor is given permission by Tottenham to return to his home country for personal reasons. …read more      

Food safety issues in China have been so bad for business, firms like KFC are taking action.

…read more      

France’s last remaining hostage in Mali, Serge Lazarevic, has arrived home to a welcome from family members and French President Francois Hollande. …read more      

Judge Thokozile Masipa rules that prosecutors can appeal against the “culpable homicide” conviction of Oscar Pistorius. …read more      

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a national debate ahead of the general elections in 2015.

Both parties will be holding their national conventions, where the candidates that will vie for the position of president in the 2015 elections will emerge.

The APC will hold its convention and presidential primaries at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos State.

The elections, which will coincide with the party’s national convention, will take place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, where about 8,000 delegates are expected to choose the candidate that will represent the APC at the 2015 presidential elections.

Five aspirants are vying for votes from 8, 000 delegates to enable them fly the flag of the party at next years presidential election.

The five presidential aspirants are former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Governors of Kano and Imo States, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rochas Okorocha respectively, and the Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah.

Meanwhile, 3073 delegates of the PDP are expected to convene at the Eagle Square, Abuja, for the party’s national convention to ratify President Goodluck Jonathan’s adoption as the presidential candidate of the PDP by popular acclamation.

At the PDP convention, the party’s National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, who was appointed last January after the resignation of Bamanga Tukur, will also be ratified by the delegates.

Others to be ratified are the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and the National Auditor, Wale Adeyanju.

Other items on the agenda include the amendment of some relevant portions of the party’s constitution.

PDP Challenges APC To A Debate

Speaking at a pre-national convention press briefing, chairman of the publicity committee for the national convention, Olisa Metuh, said “We will debate APC candidate on issues of unity, stability and peace of the nation.?

“We have a very good product to sell to Nigerians. …read more