Salary arrears in states will soon be history — Segun Oni

Mr Segun Oni, Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that the salary arrears syndrome across most states of the federation will soon be a history.

According to a statement signed by Mr Edegbe Odemwingie, APC Assistant Director, Publicity, Oni said this when a UK Member of Parliament for Edmonton, Kate Osamor, visited the APC national leadership on Wednesday in Abuja.

Oni said that the Federal Government was working hard to totally eliminate the problem, adding that the bulk of arrears owed workers in some states, had been paid through the bailout funds.

“We are doing something which people have not recognised as a cardinal signature of the progressives; we are trying to eradicate salary arrears.

“Past governments, particularly at the state levels owed salaries and this administration has been trying to help them (states) pay the arrears.

Lack of training frustrating us, resident doctors cry out

According to Punch Newspapers, the National Association of Resident Doctors on Wednesday lamented that the Federal Government was frustrating resident doctors due to lack of training.

The doctors, at the National Executive Council meeting held in Calabar, Cross River State, also alleged that Federal Government’s insincerity has often forced resident doctors to seem indifferent to patients’ conditions.

The National President of NARD, Dr. John Onyebueze, who stated this after the meeting, said Nigerian doctors were rated among the best in the world.

He accused the Federal Government of not funding the training of doctors, which has frustrated the profession in the country.

[PHOTOS] PDP govs, others meet Buhari in London

According to Punch Newspapers, seven state governors on Wednesday met ailing President Muhammadu Buhari in London.

The team was led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and the Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

Other governors on the delegation include Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Umar Ganduje (Kano), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).

Here are the photos of the visit.

Experts uncover evidence of ancient Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians

Archaeologists excavating the City of David in Israel’s Jerusalem Walls National Park have uncovered charred wood, grape seeds, pottery, fish scales and bones and numerous rare artifacts that date back to the city’s demise at the hands of the Babylonians more than 2,600 years ago.

Among the findings, which depict the affluence and character of ancient Jerusalem, capital of the Judean Kingdom, were dozens of jars used to store grain and liquids. Many of them have stamped handles and seals that depict a rosette.

Trump: Transgender people 'can't serve' in US military

US President Donald Trump says transgender people cannot serve in "any capacity" in the military.

He tweeted that he had consulted with military experts and cited "tremendous medical costs and disruption".

The Obama administration decided last year to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military.

But in June, Defence Secretary James Mattis agreed to a six-month delay in the recruitment of transgender people.

How has Mr Trump justified his decision?

Supreme Court’s verdict ends 14-month battle in PDP

Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmed Makarfi (right); Committee Secretary, Senator Ben Obi and others after the ruling of the Supreme Court on the leadership tussle of the party in Abuja …yesterday. PHOTO LUCY: LADIDI ELUKPO.

• Judges declare Makarfi authentic chair, upturn appeal court judgment

• It’s victory for democracy, say party chiefs Obi, Ihedioha, Metuh

The Supreme Court yesterday ended a 14-month leadership squabble within the country’s main opposition — the Peoples Democratic Party — and gave it a new lease of life ahead of an important general election in 2019.

Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the former governor of Kaduna State and his counterpart from Borno, Senator Alli-Modu Sheriff, have been locked in a protracted legal battle for the soul of the party, forcing the main opposition to lose critical elections, including governorship seats in Edo and Ondo states and legislative seats in many others.

Across the country, the opposition party has been grappling with a loss of membership to President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) after it suffered an embarrassing defeat in the 2015 presidential election under the leadership of former President Goodluck Jonathan and had to face the ruling party’s crackdown on corruption. The campaign trains of selected PDP candidates in the affected states lost steam as rival candidates arose within the party to challenge the credibility of the faction that nominated them for the election. In many of the instances, as was the case in Ondo, the litigations were resolved few days to the election, giving candidates in rival political parties a better chance of winning the elections.

Mystery of the missing president fuels political intrigue in Nigeria

High hopes for Muhammadu Buhari’s four-year term have diminished at the midpoint after months spent on medical leave

 President Muhammadu Buhari seen addressing members of his cabinet on his return to Abuja in March. He has since headed back to London. Photograph: Sunday Aghaeze/AFP/Getty Images

Nigeria’s ailing president has not been seen in two months and has spent over a third of the year so far abroad, with no known plans to return.

More than a month since the two-year midpoint of his presidency, Muhammadu Buhari is still in London receiving treatment for a mystery illness that many believe to be cancer.