Borno declares today public holiday for Buhari

                                                                        Maj-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari

The Borno State government has declared Monday (today) a work-free-day for the visit of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to the state.

Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Ahmed Jidda, announced this on Sunday in a statement in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Jidda said that the public holiday would enable residents of the state to receive Buhari during his campaign rally.

The statement read, “The Borno State Government has declared Monday as a work-free day. The declaration is to enable the people of the state welcome the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who will arrive Maiduguri on a campaign visit on Monday.

“Governor Kashim Shettima has enjoined all Borno residents to come out en mass and line up the streets to welcome the Peoples’ General.”

You are not God, Jonathan campaigners tell Obasanjo

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation has told former President Olusegun Obasanjo to stop playing God over his numerous criticisms of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The organsiation was reacting to the claim by Obasanjo that President Jonathan was planning to perpetuate himself in office.

Apart from this, the former President also accused Jonathan of planning to cause chaos if he lost the March 28 presidential election.

But the Director of Media and Publicity of the organsiation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, debunked the allegations, saying the former President under whom he served as Minister of Aviation and Special Assistant on Public Communication, was trying to play God.

No more excuse, elections must hold!

                                                                   INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

It is plausible that for every success recorded by another country, an article emerges entitled ‘Lessons for Nigeria from…’ that success or country. Yes, articles abound pointing out lessons for Africa’s most populous country and largest economy; be they from Barack Obama’s emergence as the United States President, Steve Jobs’ success at Apple or Osama Bin Laden’s death. The list is endless.

But as the country continues to flirt with self-destruction, it appears that for every lesson the nation ought to have learnt, it comes up with a myriad of excuses about why it is incapable of learning anything new. Many of them are linked to the long-dead Lord Lugard.

Perhaps, the country has also been unable to learn anything from Steve Maraboli’s profound quote, “There is no greater symphony of self-destruction than the beautifully poisonous melody found in our excuses.”

Female suicide bomber kills 10 in Yobe

                             A police station set ablaze by Boko Haram in Kwadam, Gombe State... on Saturday

A   female suicide bomber believed to be 10 years old on Sunday struck at the Damaturu Central Motor Park, killing herself and nine other people.

The state Police Command Public Relations Officer,   Toyin Gbadegesin, said 31 others   were critically injured in the blast which occurred at about 12.20pm.

Gbadegesin explained that the   bomber had targeted security personnel on patrol at the park who suspected her movement and turned her away.

He said, “At about 12.10pm, a Hijab-wearing female suicide bomber came into the park and went to the security vehicle there. She was turned back   by our men. She then went to a commercial Volkswagen   vehicle that was half-loaded and suddenly, the bomb exploded

“Ten   people died and 31 were critically injured. The wounded people are   at the Gen. Sani Abatcha Hospital in Damaturu. We have condoned off the area and investigation is currently ongoing.”

When journalists visited the scene of the blast at about 3.30pm on Monday, operatives and men of the state fire service were still battling to put out the fire from the bus.

An eyewitness, Ibrahim Mohammed, said he was the only person close to   the scene of the explosion   that was not wounded.

“The sound of the explosion was deafening. I was shaken by it and as I talk to you,   I am still hearing strange sounds. I suspect the bomber could not have been more than 10 years.”

Sunday’s blast is the second targeting a densely populated area in Damaturu.   The first was last June   when nine football fans watching   the Brazil 2014 world cup tournament at a viewing centre were   killed by a bomber.

Jonathan, Buhari may hold fence-mending meeting

All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in a warm embrace with his Peoples Democratic Party opponent, President Goodluck Jonathan, at the general elections sensitisation workshop on non-violence in Abuja.

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) may meet before the March 28 presidential elections.

The PUNCH gathered on Sunday that the meeting which might hold outside the country   was to establish rapport between the two contenders before the election.

A source close to the Presidency said, “We are trying to broker a meeting between the two leaders.

“The way the presidential electioneering is going may create serious divisions among Nigerians. We need to stop this.

“Apart from this, I think there is serious apprehension in the camp of the President that if Buhari wins, he’s going to jail a lot of President Jonathan’s supporters for alleged corruption.