FRESH 4RM GIM

Devolution CS Anne Waiguru's argument yesterday that the attacks on corruption in her ministry are personal and calculatedly evil is just plain wrong. Waiguru points to corruption in other ministries. She complains their CSs are not sustaining bad press and negative parliamentary and social media criticism. Seeking to pass the buck is almost invariably a bad move.

DAR ES SALAAM - Opposition leaders in Zanzibar said they would not take part in celebrations for the inauguration of Tanzania's new president John Magufuli, after elections were annulled on the islands. Several African leaders are due Thursday in the economic capital Dar es Salaam for Magufuli's swearing in, including the African Union chairman, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, and regional heads of state.

Political opponents of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has been accused of planning campaign of calumny against him and his administration. At the centre of the plot is a politician from the same senatorial district with the governor who contested the governorship primary election with him and lost. He was also a former member of the National Assembly and had worked in the media for decades before venturing into politics.

It is believed there are up to 10,000 Brits in Sharm El-Sheikh who may have to be evacuated, as pressure placed on Egypt and Russian authorities following No 10 announcement The Ministry of Defence denied reports that C-17 planes were being readied to airlift tourists home. A defence source said the RAF has longstanding contingency plans for airlifting Britons home from crises around the world. However in this case, the scale of the number of people stranded meant it was expected be faster to ensure the airport in Sharm El Sheikh was secure and have the tourists fly back on commercial planes.

The military has been given a 48-hour ultimatum by the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, to release its members arrested in Anambra. MASSOB claims that five of its members were picked up on Wednesday, at various locations within the state. Regional administrator of MASSOB in charge of Nnewi South Local government Area, Tony Nwodo, said those arrested are; Utu Area Administrator- Eugene Odoh, Friday Nwoye, Sunday Amaechi, Chuma Okonkwo and Ebuka Okolo.

The Senate has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the former president, Goodluck Jonathan over the management and financial engagement of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P). The president through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had ordered the presidential committee and workers of SURE-P to close shop and submit a comprehensive report of its activities to the presidency.

At least 18 people have been killed and more than 75 others injured after a factory collapsed in the industrial area of Lahore, in Pakistan’s east. Muhammad Usman, a local administrator, said about 150 workers, including the owner of the factory, were at the three-storey building at the time of collapse on Tuesday. Rescue official Jam Sajjad Hussain said dozens of other labourers remain trapped under the rubble.