Is Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe Really Going to Step Down?

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe addresses supporters outside his ZANU PF party headquarters in Harare in October 2014.Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

HARARE (Reuters) - President Robert Mugabe on Friday said veterans of Zimbabwe's independence war had indicated they wanted him to retire and he would consider it if they asked him directly.
Mugabe, at 92 Africa's oldest leader, pointed out however that others had tried to push him out in the past and failed.
He told supporters at a rally in Bindura, north of Harare, that leaders of the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association (ZLWVA) were pushing for him to step down.

Mugabe, himself a war veteran and patron of the ZLWVA, said the organization would hold a "frank" meeting with him in the first week of April, where the veterans should freely express their views.
"They have this thinking that the president has overstayed and should go. So war veterans come to Harare ... so that we can discuss this. No one should intimidate anyone," Mugabe said in his native Shona language.
"We will be saying: speak your mind. I will leave if that's what you want. It has to come through the party. But will that help you at this moment?"
Friday's comments are likely to be met with scepticism, coming from a man who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.
War veterans have been key to the veteran leader's re-election at polls since 2000.
Last month police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse veterans who had planned a march on ZANU-PF's headquarters, amid tussles between party factions over who should succeed Mugabe.
Zimbabwean media has quoted ZLWVA chairman Chris Mutsvangwa, fired from the cabinet by Mugabe two weeks ago, as accusing some members of the ruling ZANU-PF party of trying to manipulate the president by rallying behind his wife Grace.
Earlier this month Mugabe said his successor must be chosen democratically by the ruling party, but that it would not be his wife as some have speculated.
Mugabe said on Friday former army general Solomon Mujuru, husband of former Vice President Joice Mujuru, had failed to get him to retire ahead of elections in 2008.
Mujuru died in a fire at his farm in Aug. 2011. His wife Joice was fired from the vice-presidency in Dec. 2014 over accusations of plotting to remove Mugabe from power and launched a new political party on March 1.
Mugabe said he was surprised by calls for him to step down midway through his five-year presidential term.
"Wait until we go to congress. If there are those you think can do a better job than the president, you then choose them. If congress approves them, fine," he told Friday's rally.
ZANU-PF's next leadership congress is due in 2019, a year after a presidential vote. No senior party members are expected to openly challenge the veteran leader.

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Rivers State Boils after Political Thugs kill Army Major, Others

An army officer identified as Major Luke and a soldier were shot dead on the waterways of Abonnema, the headquarters of Akuku-Toru LGA of Rivers State by people described as political thugs.

The thugs reportedly opened fire on the soldiers, injuring five others. The attack came ahead of the tension soaked legislative rerun across the 23 local government areas of the volatile Niger Delta state.

The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Capt. Eli Lazarus, who confirmed the “barbaric act”, which heightened tension in the state, revealed that soldiers are now in pursuit of the criminals, who he said would surely be apprehended.

Capt. Lazarus said: “At 11 am on March 17, 2016, troops on patrol along the waterways in the general area of Abonnema had a fierce encounter with a group of unknown gunmen, suspected to be sea pirates.

“Our men displayed extraordinary gallantry during the encounter. Unfortunately, an officer and a soldier, who sustained various degree of injury, lost their lives.

“We are in pursuit of the criminals and we will surely get them. All law-abiding citizens are urged to go about their lawful activities. The army will continue to make necessary sacrifices to ensure sustainable peace, security of lives and property of all.”

Also on Thursday, gunmen stormed Mgbuitanwo in Emohua area of the state, where the Rivers East senatorial candidate of the APC, Chief Andrew Uchendu, hails from, killing and beheading a 28-year-old man, identified as Ukeoma.

The gunmen, who laid siege to the community, according to sources, abducted another resident.

The police and other security agencies are being put under pressure by political thugs. Hope they will be able to rise to the occasion and deal with this ugly situation.

Husband Arrested for Marrying Female Doctor Without Parents’ Approval in Lagos

Serious love drama! Policemen attached to Dolphin Police Division in Ikoyi have arrested a 30-year-old man, Ugo Madugba, for marrying his 28-year-old wife without the express approval of her parents.

Ugo’s wife, Dr. Nono Orji, who is a medical doctor, alleged in a Facebook post on Thursday that there were plans by the police to poison her husband to make her marry a new man from her parents.

She said her husband was arrested on the orders of her parents who have been against their relationship, love and marriage from day one.

She said, “The Nigerian Police in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi just arrested an innocent 30-year-old man called Ugo Madugba for an offence of marriage. Marriage has become a crime in Nigeria according to Dolphin police station in Ikoyi. Mr. Ugo got married to Dr. Nono a 28-year-old medical Doctor.

“Her father has been very distraught about it and has used the police to threaten the young couple to the extent of arresting all those who acted as witnesses to the marriage who are now in custody.

“He has been denied access to his family and friends and information reaching us has it that his lawyer was also denied access to him. There is a belief that a plan to poison ugo is being hatched. Please, forward this message to as many people as possible lets save Ugo’s life.”

However, a police source told our correspondent that they believed that the wife was hypnotised and abducted by her husband.

The source said the matter would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, today.Policemen attached to the Dolphin Police Division in Ikoyi have arrested a 30-year-old man, Ugo Madugba, for marrying his 28-year-old wife without the express approval of her parents.
Madugba’s wife, Nono Orji, who is a medical doctor, said in a Facebook post on Thursday that there were plans by the police to poison her husband.

She said her husband was arrested on the orders of her parents who have been against their marriage from day one.

She said, “The Nigerian Police in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi just arrested an innocent 30-year-old man called Ugo Madugba for an offence of marriage. Marriage has become a crime in Nigeria according to Dolphin police station in Ikoyi. Mr. Ugo got married to Dr. Nono a 28-year-old medical Doctor.

“Her father has been very distraught about it and has used the police to threaten the young couple to the extent of arresting all those who acted as witnesses to the marriage who are now in custody.

“He has been denied access to his family and friends and information reaching us has it that his lawyer was also denied access to him. There is a belief that a plan to poison ugo is being hatched. Please, forward this message to as many people as possible lets save Ugo’s life.”

However, a police source told insisted that they believed that the wife was hypnotised and abducted by her husband (maybe the guy is not as rich as the lady's family wanted).

The source said the matter would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

Dr Nono said in another Facebook post that her parents were trying to force her to marry another man but when she refused, they accused her husband of hypnotising her.

Actress Ibinabo Fiberesima's bail application denied

Looks like the actress and mother of three will really spend years in prison over a car accident in 2005 that took a man's life. Her bail application suffered a setback yesterday Thursday March 17th at the court of Appeal in Lagos after the judges ruled that her application was incompetent.

The three man-panel led by Justice U.I Ndukwe-Anyanwu, said that the application was not properly filed as her counsel failed to attach copies of the judgment that was delivered by the court which affirmed the five years jail sentence imposed on her.

The court adjourned hearing for her bail application to April 7th when copies of the March 11th‎ judgement would have been included. She was afterward sent back to prison.

Ibinabo has approached the Supreme Court to set aside the March 11th verdict of the Lagos State Court of Appeal which validated the 5 year jail term handed down to her by the state's High court over the 2005 accident in which her car killed one Dr Giwa.

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Update on The N3.1b Fraud Traced to Fani-Kayode and Others

That sad part of this saga is that EFCC was seeing how these monies were moving while Goodluck Jonathan was the president but they could say or do anything, to avoid being "dealt with" by the presidency.

Detectives at the EFCC headquarters have intercepted a memo for the release of the N3.145b given to the PDP Campaign for disbursement to six party chieftains and the Goodluck Support Group (GSG).

A former permanent secretary generated the memo from the Presidential Villa. But there were conflicting views on whose instructions the unnamed ex-permanent secretary acted.

One of the beneficiaries said the memo was allegedly based on the instructions and approval of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who is yet to speak on allegations that he authorised many “curious” payments before the 2015 general election.

It was learnt that the some of the beneficiaries ran to the ex-President for help because he reportedly approved the memo. The EFCC is insisting that the cash must be refunded.

According to The Nation sources EFCC operatives have cracked how the N3.145billion deal was struck.

A source said: “We have uncovered a memo which was raised by a former Permanent Secretary for the release of the N3.145billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Preliminary findings indicated that the idea to wire money from the CBN actually came from the Presidential Villa.

“We are looking into all clues in order to identify more public officers and PDP chieftains involved in the alleged diversion of public funds from the CBN to the campaign directorate.

“After completing the first stage of investigation, we will then invite some of the suspects for interrogation”.

Responding to a question, he added: “The CBN also has all relevant records on the N3.145b, including the approval from the Presidential Villa.

“We will get to the roots and retrieve every kobo. We will certainly quiz more people in the days ahead.”

It was learnt last night that one of the beneficiaries admitted that the memo was sent to the CBN, allegedly based on the instructions and approval of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

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Man to return millions to people he duped for online prayers

A Seattle man, Benjamin Rogovy, running a so-called Christian prayer website and other businesses has been ordered to return millions of dollars to consumers of all over the US  who paid for prayers, the Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Wednesday.

As part of an agreement,  he will pay back as much as $7.75 million to approximately 165,000 customers who were victims of his fraudulent business practices in several companies he ran.
Rogovy deceived a lot of people in his operation of the Christian Prayer Center. He created fake religious leaders and posted several false testimonials on its website to entice people to pay from $9 to $35 for prayers.

The Christian Prayer Center website, now shut down, showed a message Wednesday saying it is now closed, with links to other prayer sites it says it's not affiliated with.

"We thank you for all the prayers, and we cherish the opportunity to have created a place where Christians could meet to support each other," the message said.

People who bought prayer services from Christian Prayer Service or from its sister website Orcion Cristiana between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2015, have been told that they can receive a full refund.



Source: AP