Today's Daily Brief: Ben Murray-Bruce goes rogue and it’s a good thing, Aliyu ‘refuses to recognize’ new Niger Speaker, and more

Today’s Daily Brief: Ben Murray-Bruce goes rogue and it’s a good thing, Aliyu ‘refuses to recognize’ new Niger Speaker, and more

May 11, 2015 | Janeth J

May 11, 2015

Janeth J

Chairman of Silverbird television, Ben Murray-Bruce, has shown in the past week that he may be a rebel in the Senate.

Murray-Bruce, over the last couple of days, has been advocating for and championing the cause of the regular Nigerians on micro-blogging platform, Twitter.

YNaija

The refusal of Niger State governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, to recognize the newly elected Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Isah Kawu at a public function on Monday has confirmed fears that a quick resolution of the crisis rocking the Assembly may not be in sight afterall.

Kawu, who attended his first public function since his emergence as Speaker of the House, was ignored by the governor in the order of protocol when he spoke at the commissioning of Gen. Mamman Kontagora Building Materials Market in Minna, the state capital.

Nation

An Enugu Federal High Court on Monday ordered the police to reopen the Enugu State House of Assembly complex, which has been under locks since some lawmakers moved to impeach Governor Sullivan Chime.

The House was thrown into crisis after the development, as about seven lawmakers, who were opposed to the planned impeachment, suspended the Speaker, Eugene Odoh, and elected Chinedu Nwamba in his place.

But Odoh is insisting that he is still in charge of the legislative body, even though the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, had already congratulated Nwamba on his emergence as the Speaker.

Nwamba was also received by Chime at the Government House, a development which prompted Odoh to accuse governor of promoting illegality.

Odoh had headed for the court to challenge the development, including the closure of the state assembly by the police.

In an interim order made in the suit on Monday, the court presided over by Justice Dorcas Agishi, ordered the police to reopen the assembly.

Punch

The Chadian President, Idris Derby, Monday, made a volte-face as he said that he does not know the where about of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau.

President Derby had in a widely circulated claim said some months ago that he knew where the Boko Haram leader was hiding and had warned him to surrender or risk being killed by Chadian forces.

But speaking with state House correspondents after meeting with President Jonathan, President Derby said even if he knew where the terrorist was, he would not say where he is.

Vanguard

President Goodluck Jonathan’s handlers on Monday walked out a journalist from the Presidential Villa in Abuja, in what could be a new style of intimidating newsmen.
Their first victim is Mr. Ubale Musa, the State House correspondent of German Radio, Deutsche Welle.

Musa’s accreditation tag was withdrawn by security operatives attached to the Presidential Villa.

The embattled journalist was expelled from the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for asking visiting Chadian President, Idriss Derby, a question authorities found to be embarrassing.

Musa had asked the visiting President to explain the relationship between the multinational task force fighting in Lake Chad and the South African mercenaries fighting with them.

Punch

Janeth J

Tags: aliyu babangida, boko haram, Goodluck Jonathan, Niger State