FRESH 4RM GIM

President Goodluck Jonathan has, for the first time, questioned the results of the March 28 presidential election, maintaining that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still the dominant party in Nigeria.

Coordinating Minister for the economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala The Federal Government on Wednesday expressed concern about the scarcity of petrol being witnessed in most parts of the country, stating that oil marketers would today (Thursday) receive the sum of N156bn as arrears of their subsidy claims. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated this in Abuja in an interview with journalists shortly after declaring open the 20th conference of Directors General of Customs of the World Customs Organisation.

Manny Pacquiao’s trainer fears Floyd Mayweather might not turn up for Saturday’s super-fight in Las Vegas. Pacquiao and Mayweather are set to split upwards of £150m following their meeting at the MGM Grand. But Freddie Roach said of Mayweather: “I really am wondering if he’s going to turn up on the night. “I don’t think any fighter is afraid, but I don’t think he wanted this fight. He was forced into a fight he didn’t want to take.”

President Goodluck Jonathan Following the report exclusively published by The Punch over the N3.24bn severance benefits approved by the Presidency for political office holders, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to set example by rejecting the offer so that other beneficiaries could do same.

President Goodluck Jonathan has kicked against subtle attempts by the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s transitional committee to stampede and intimidate his government to dance to its tune ahead of the May 29 handover date. Jonathan warned the incoming government to avoid creating a parallel government while his government was still on, adding that his magnanimity should not be mistaken for cowardice.

The 293 females whom the Nigerian Army recently rescued from Sambisa Forest, are currently undergoing pregnancy and HIV tests. According to Punch , military authorities took them to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Borno State for the tests. An intelligence officer told newsmen that seven of the girls had gunshot injuries, and were also receiving treatment at the hospital. He also revealed that 200 of the 293 females were between the ages of 13 and 18.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator George Akume One of the top contenders for the Senate presidency, Senator George Akume, and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday met at the Lagos home of Tinubu. Our correspondent learnt that at the meeting which took place around 3pm, Tinubu told Akume to shelve his ambition and support Senator Ahmed Lawan, who represents Yobe-North senatorial district in the 8th Senate.

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo has urged the in-coming administration to remain receptive to investors with interest in other sources of electricity generation in the country. Nebo stated that concentration of future investments on coal, solar, waste could guarantee that efforts by the outgoing government of President Goodluck Jonathan at increasing in-country electricity generation and supply is sustained.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, has reiterated strongly that the federation made no mistake in re-appointing Stephen Keshi into the role of Super Eagles’ Head Coach. Speaking on the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, the NFF boss was categorical that a Stephen Keshi with enhanced capacity,

The Super Falcons have declared their readiness to confront their Malian counterparts for a ticket to Rio 2016 Olympics. Nigeria, who dismissed Mali in the All Africa Games 2015 qualifier on 10-1 aggregate, will host their opponents again in their first leg of the qualifier in Abuja on May 9.

Nollywood actor, who is often played as a lover boy by movie producers in his films, Yemi Blaq, is no doubt a man of many ladies. At a point in his movie career, a lady had gone to her unclothed. That is to show the extent of how hot he is to many girls who admire his good look and acting skills. Not many people know that his well-built actor is married to a pretty lady, who is also in the showbiz industry. In fact, apart from being a loving and caring husband, he is an adorable father. His closeness to Ghanaian actress, Juliet Ibrahim, has brought about different speculations of a romantic affair between them.

The Federal Government has condemned the execution of four Nigerians by the Indonesian authorities over drug-related offences, despite pleas for clemency by President Goodluck Jonathan. The government, while commiserating with the families of the deceased, demanded the repatriation of the corpses of the executed Nigerians. It explained that they would be given decent burials by their various communities.

One soldier died, four others were injured as Boko Haram terrorists battled in vain to retain nine major camps in the dreaded Sambisa forest where more women and children were found and rescued. Troop commanders said hundreds of Boko Haram insurgents were killed in hours of gun battle. The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, who made this known to newsmen in a statement, said two major combat tanks and high calibre ammunitions used by the Boko Haram terrorists were recovered while many others were destroyed.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the appointment of Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), a statement by the presidency has said. Mr. Sanusi, a lawyer, from Kano State, takes over from Habib Abdullahi, who has been relieved of his appointment as Managing Director of the Authority.

President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Danjuma Sheni, over the recent recall of Nigeria’s envoys to South Africa without due authorization. Nigeria had on Saturday announced the recall of its acting High Commissioner in Pretoria, Martin Cobham, and the deputy High Commissioner in Johannesburg, Uche Ajulu-Okeke, on Saturday, in protest of the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the Southern African country.

Rapper, Jesse Jagz is the latest celebrity to get hit with the ‘you look sick’ verbal attack from fans. The other day, veteran actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo was the victim, but he, and his accusers, has since moved on. For Jagz, reactions started pouring in hours ago after singer Skales shared the new photo of himself and the ex-Chocolate City artiste on Instagram.

Pacquiao and Mayweather Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is confident he can beat American arch-rival Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on Saturday with the power of God, after abandoning a life he said was packed with sin condemning him to hell. Pacquiao is in top form both in mind and spirit after he traded his boozing, gambling and womanising ways for a devout life of prayer, his spiritual adviser, Jeric Soriano, told AFP in a recent Manila interview.

•IG orders tight security around media houses THE Federal Government and Kogi State yesterday led other eminent personalities in condemning the bombing of TAO FM radio station in Okene by unknown assailants. The radio station was bombed at about 8p.m on Monday by unknown gunmen, who pretended to have come for commercial transaction.

You sleep for full eight hours at night and when you wake up in the morning you are confused why you are so sleepy, tired and exhausted? Well, check the following four “energy stealers”. If you, by any chance, have some of those habits, make sure you avoid them.

American rapper and business mogul, Jay Z confirmed the presence of his new company, Tidal in Nigeria over the weekend when he said he had sent his cousin, Briant ‘Bee-High’ Biggs to the country to scout for new talents. Shortly afterwards, photos of Bee-High at the Mavin Headquarters with Don Jazzy surfaced.

Nigeria’s army says it has rescued 200 girls and 93 women during a military operation against Boko Haram militants. The offensive took place in the Sambisa Forest, in the northeast of the country, and destroyed three militant camps there, the army said on its Twitter account.

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, has stated that the owner of the club, Roman Abramovich, is not worried over the boring football many people criticize the club over. According to him, the Russian billionaire came into the dressing room to hug the players, after a goalless draw at Arsenal put them within five points of the Premier League title. “Mr Abramovich is very happy. I saw him with the players in the dressing room after the game,” he said.

Oil mogul and National Coordinator of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Ifeanyi Uba, in this interview with journalists in Abuja, bares his mind on the outcome of the 2015 general elections, the impact of the TAN activities, among other national issues. Assistant Editor, JOE NWANKWO, who was there, captured some of the excerpts. Many commentators are of the view that Ndigbo put all their eggs in one basket by solely supporting President Goodluck Jonathan. Now that Jonathan has lost, how do you see the life of Ndigbo in the opposition? The Igbo voting for Jonathan was not unexpected. Ndigbo had quite a number of opportunities in his administration.

Floyd Mayweather says returning to Rocky Balboa-style “throwback training” pushed him to the limit ahead of his super-fight against Manny Pacquiao. The unbeaten American meets Pacquiao, 36, in Las Vegas on Saturday in a bout expected to be the richest in history. “I have to go back to where it all started from. I have to go back to day one. Chopping wood, it’s the best for you,” said 38-year-old Mayweather.

Stephen Keshi is expected to resume his new 2-year contract as Super Eagles’ head coach without assistant coaches. Although his employer, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has since announced changes in the backroom staff, namely, the team’s Media Officer, Equipment Manager and Coordinator, the Abuja Glass House has not made any pronouncement on coaches to work with the Eagles’ manager, and is not in a hurry to do so.

Nigeria’s fastest growing and most innovative telecommunications company, Etisalat Nigeria on Saturday, April 25 unveiled the top 12 contestants of its on-going Nigerian Idol Season V at the Dream Studios, Bamako Estate, Omole in Lagos.

John Obi Mikel’s agent has reacted to speculations linking the Chelsea midfielder with a transfer to European champions Real Madrid in the summer transfer market. John Obi Mikel Rumours at home and abroad claim the Nigeria international could be heading to the Santiago Bernabéu as replacement for Sami Khedira, who is set to bring down the curtain on his career with Los Blancos in the next two months. When asked to confirm the story, John Shittu refused to deny or confirm the reports, saying that his client still has a valid contract with Chelsea.

Minister Of Petroleum Resources, Deziani Alison-Madueke President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the immediate release of the full audit report of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, accused of diverting $20 billion oil money. The president gave the directive Monday, a day after the president-elect Muhammadu Buhari, pledged to launch an investigation into the claim made by a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi.

President Goodluck Jonathan has order the immediate release to public the full report of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) Forensic Audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) accounts in respect of the alleged missing $20 billion. The President’s order was contained in a statement issued on Monday by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati. According to the statement, the availability of the report to the public would make Nigerians properly informed on the matter. President Jonathan’s decision is in line with Section 7(2) of the NNPC Act.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has alleged that the aides of Governor Chibuike Amaechi have begun massive looting of government property ahead of the May 29 handover date. In a statement issued on behalf of the state Chairman of the party, Felix Obuah, by his media aide, Jerry Needam, the PDP also alleged that government property were being sold to close friends, political allies and family members of the governor.

Asisat Oshoala Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Liverpool Ladies player, Asisat Oshoala, was sunday nominated along with four other players for the inaugural BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award. The other nominees include Spain's Veronica Boquete, Germany's Nadine Kessler and Scotland's Kim Little and Brazilian forward Marta. Oshoala who emerged the Most Valuable Player of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada last year was also the MVP at the African Women’s Championship in Namibia won by the Super Falcons.

The Ondo State House of Assembly has impeached the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi. The Monday plenary session was attended by 24 out of the 26 members of the House, including the Speaker, all in support of the impeachment. The impeachment motion was moved by the Majority Leader, Henry Akinsoyinu, who revealed that the seven impeachable offences of gross misconduct and abuse of office levelled against the Deputy Governor have been proved.

Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP told PUNCH that Bola Tinubu, National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC has publicly apologized for wronging him. George made the disclosure during an interview session when asked to express his opinion on Tinubu. He said, ''One little boy who just delved into politics said I am a mole of Bola Tinubu. He must have woken on the wrong side of his bed.

Eden Hazard was voted the PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard took the PFA Player of the Year award last night after playing a significant part in helping Chelsea to the brink of the Premier League title. 1. He has three younger brothers, including Thorgan Hazard, who joined Chelsea shortly after Eden before leaving for Borussia Monchengladbach.

Residents gather around a burning tyre roadblock following clashes between police and opposition protesters in a street in the capital Bujumbura, Burundi Sunday, April 26, 2015.  Hundreds of people in Burundi protested in the capital Sunday after the country's ruling party nominated President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term. (AP Photo) The Associated Press Burundian riot police march past a burning tyre roadblock following clashes with opposition protesters in a street in the capital Bujumbura, Burundi Sunday, April 26, 2015.

Ghana and Ivory Coast want to develop their offshore oil reserves Ghana has been told by an international tribunal not to begin any new offshore drilling for oil in disputed waters with the Ivory Coast. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea did, however, allow Ghana to continue developing current oilfields. These include the so called-Ten fields, part owned by UK firm Tullow Oil.

Eden Hazard has won the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award. Hazard, 24, has scored 13 goals and made eight assists in 33 Premier League games to help leaders Chelsea move to the cusp of the title. The award was voted for by the Belgian midfielder’s fellow professionals. Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, 21, was named PFA Young Player of the Year, while Chelsea midfielder Ji So-Yun took the Women’s Player of the Year award.

They play in the most prestigious clubs in the world, and according to the French magazine Jeune Afrique, they are now the highest earners in African football. The following earnings do not take into account money earned form endorsements nor the ventures they are involved in.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has decried the reported allegations of last-minute looting of the nation’s resources, hurried recruitment into the public service and rushed privatization of key financial institutions by the Jonathan Administration, warning that such egregious actions will have serious repercussions. In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said apart from the instances of such cases that have been reported by the local media,

Bayern Munich have emerged as champions of the German league, for the third time in a row. The Bavarians beat Hertha Berlin 1-0 on Saturday, to open up a 15-point gap between themselves and Wolfsburg. On Sunday, Wolfsburg were beaten 1-0 at Borussia Monchengladbach, leaving Pep Guardiola’s men with an unassailable lead, with four round of games left.

According to Italian website Tuttomercatoweb, Real Madrid are reportedly considering a shock summer swoop for Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian international who was an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates has also been with a move away from Stamford Bridge with Southampton also keen on the 28 year old player.

Musiliu Obanikoro, the Minister of State II, Foreign Affairs, has denied reports that Nigeria has recalled its High Commissioner to South Africa, over the spate of xenophobic attacks in the country. Obanikoro has advised Nigerians to disregard the “rumours and reports” that such an action had been taken by the Federal Government.

The All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has said that the state Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, should be the one facing impeachment by the state House of Assembly for committing impeachable offences, and not his deputy, Alhaji Ali Olanusi. This, the party argued, was because the deputy governor had not committed any impeachable offence. In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Sunday,

While refuting rumours that his streaming company, Tidal, was failing, Jay- Z Announced that his cousin has moved to Nigeria to discover some new talents. Last week, we announced that Jay Electronica of Roc Nation is in Nigeria. While sources told us Jay Elect was only in the country to chill and do some sightseeing, Jay-Z’s revelation has shown us it is much deeper.

The South African government reacted angrily Sunday to Nigeria’s decision to recall its ambassador from Pretoria over a wave of mob attacks on African migrants that killed at least seven people. . Jacob Zuma “We are not sure which actions or behaviour of the South African Government the Nigerian Government is protesting,” the South African foreign ministry said in a statement. “If this action is based on the incidents of attacks on foreign nationals in some parts of our country, it would be curious for a sisterly country to want to exploit such a painful episode for whatever agenda,” the ministry said, lamenting Nigeria’s “unfortunate and regrettable step.”

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama had a day to forget, after his Ligue 1 club Lille, were thrashed 6-1 by Paris Saint-Germain. Ezequiel Lavezzi scored a hat-trick, as PSG bounced back from their Champions League elimination in the hands of Barcelona, in fine style. Even without their suspended talisman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Laurent Blanc’s men flew out of the blocks. Serge Aurier sprinted down the right and crossed for fellow fullback Maxwell to volley in. Javier Pastore then set up Edinson Cavani to double PSG’s lead.Lavezzi scored twice again before half time,

PDP chieftain, Bode George, says he is not afraid of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress. George who had initially stated that he would go on exile if Tinubu gets into government, said he is not worried because the APC chieftain can’t do anything to him. In an interview with Punch Newspapers, George says Tinubu and Buhari will collide while trying to pilot the affairs of the APC.

Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has claimed that Lionel Messi would not succeed outside Spain. The Scot also added that his former protege, Cristiano Ronaldo, would be fit into any league in the world. Both players have won the last seven World Footballer of the Year prizes and are generally regarded as the best on the planet. But Ferguson says Ronaldo is a tougher character than Messi.

Rescue helicopters airlifted injured climbers off Mount Everest on Sunday, a day after an avalanche triggered by an earthquake devastated Everest Base Camp. Nepal’s worst earthquake in 81 years killed more than 2,000 people, including at least 17 who lost their lives on Mount Everest. An aircraft carrying the first 15 injured climbers landed in Kathmandu at around noon local time. "There is a lot of confusion on the mountain. The toll will rise," said Gelu Sherpa, one of the wounded among the first 15 injured climbers flown to Kathmandu. "Tents have been blown away," said Sherpa, his head in bandages.

Following his unveiling as the Super Eagles coach for a two-year period last Tuesday, Stephen Keshi had a short session with the media, where he requested a greater degree of cooperation from the media and insisted that the team would only field the nation’s best legs. TAOFEEK LAWAL was there for LEADERSHIP Sports. What should Nigerians expect from your second coming as coach of the Super Eagles?