The long time battle rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) both at the national and state levels may have extended to its United States Chapter just as the national secretariat of the party has allegedly marginalized the South West members of the Chapter in the list of the members of the Electoral Committee that will preside over a purported June 15th,, 2013 election of the PDP, USA Chapter.

Our correspondent who monitored and reported the whole harmonization process in April visited the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party situated at 344 Britton Avenue Staten Island, New York where some aggrieved members of the party in the USA have commenced a peaceful protest to ask the party's leadership in Abuja to amend the list of the Electoral Committee that the Acting National Secretary, Barrister Onwe S. Onwe, sent to America on the 9th May, 2013.

The Federal Government on Thursday said it had developed a new Victim Family Insurance Package in a bid to address the delays in payment of insurance claims by airlines whenever an air crash occurred.

The initiative, according to the government, becomes necessary following complaints by relatives of victims of the June 3, 2012 Dana Air crash in Lagos that they have not been compensated.

LAGOS —Hours after he was suspended from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, yesterday, solicited prayers from citizens of the state against desperate persons who he claimed were after his life.

The suspension of Amaechi from the party was agreed during an unscheduled and unusually early morning meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party at the residence of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The meeting, Vanguard learnt, commenced at 8.00 a.m.

The meeting came two days ahead of the regular meeting of the NWC which normally holds on Wednesdays. It was also three days after Amaechi beat the odds with his re-election as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF. He had been allegedly opposed by the PDP Governors’ Forum, PDP-GF ahead of the election.

The governor spoke amidst strong opposition from his loyalists and some party chieftains over what they described as the continued reign of lawlesness in the party. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in a sharp reaction called on the founders of the party to mobilise against what he described as the party’s slip towards disintegration.

KANO—Director of Department of State Services, DSS, in Kano, Mr. Bassey Etang, has said the weapons of mass destruction discovered in a bunker at a Lebanese residence in Kano, Tuesday, belong to international terrorist organisation, Hezbollah.

Etang spoke to newsmen in Kano, during a joint conference with the Commandant of the 3 Motorised Division in Kano, Brigadier-General Iliyasu Abba, at the scene of the discovery in Bompai area of the Kano metropolis.

He said: “The weapons were brought in by an international terrorist organisation, Hezbollah, to attack Israeli and Western interest in Nigeria.

“On May 28, a combined team of the JTF involving the army of the 3 Brigade in Kano and the Kano state DSS conducted a thorough search on this house located at No 3 Gaya Road, off Bompai Road, Kano, belonging to one Abdul Hassan Taher Fadlalla, a Lebanese, who is currently out of the country.

“After painstakingly searching the premises, the search team uncovered an underground bunker in the master bed room, where a large quantity of assorted weapons of different types and caliber were recovered. The bunker was specially constructed for this purpose.”

Taking stock
On his part, the Commandant, Brigadier Abba, said the weapons of mass destruction include 11, 50mm anti-tank weapons, two 122mm artillery gun ammunition, four anti-tank landmines, 21 rocket-propelled grenades, RPG, 16 rocket-propelled grenades charger, one rocket-propelled grenade tube and 76 military grenade.

Others are one SMG rifle, nine pistols, 17 AK-47 rifles, 44 magazines, 11,433 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and 103 packet of slap TNT.

Brigadier Abba further revealed that “investigation also confirms the existence of a Hezbollah Foreign Terrorist Cell in Nigeria.

Arrest
On May 16, DSS arrested one Mustapha Fawaz the co-owner of the popular Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park, all in Abuja.

His arrest and confession unveiled other members of the foreign terrorists network, which led to the interception of one member of the syndicate named Abdullah Tahini, a Lebanese, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport with undeclared 60,000 United States Dollars on him en-route Beirut.

Thereafter, on May 26 one Talal Roda, also a Lebanese with Nigerian passport, was arrested in this same house.

According to the Brigade Commander, all the arrested suspects have confessed to have undergone Hezbollah terrorist training and further implicated one Fauzi Fawad, also a co-owner of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park.

He said: “The fellow is now at large. The arms and ammunition were targeted at facilities of Israel and Western interest in Nigeria.

“However, the security agencies are making efforts to unveil the true situation. At the end of investigation, all those involved will be prosecuted.”

United States prosecutors have filed an indictment against the operators of digital currency exchange, Liberty Reserve, accusing the Costa Rica-based company of helping criminals around the world launder more than $6bn in illicit funds linked to everything from child pornography to software for hacking into banks, Reutersreported.

The indictment unsealed on Tuesday said Liberty Reserve had more than a million users worldwide, including at least 200,000 in the United States, and virtually all of its business was related to suspected criminal activity.

US Attorney Preet Bharara called the case perhaps “the largest international money laundering case ever brought by the United States.”

Nigeria’s Michael Emenalo has offered to resign from his role as Chelsea’s sporting director to facilitate the return of Jose Mourinho. But it is understood that Emenalo’s proposal was immediately rejected by Roman Abramovich, the owner, who views him as an important adviser and wants to keep him at Stamford Bridge, The Times reports. Emenalo who has at various times served as the club’s international scout and assistant coach is now the Technical Director.

Emenalo’s influence emerged as a potential problem during negotiations to bring Mourinho back as manager, but Abramovich is determined to keep him and is adamant that the pair work together. Mourinho did not demand Emenalo’s removal, but the former Nigeria international is ready to give way for the good of the team.

Behind-the-scenes talks for his expected return to Stamford Bridge have seen Mourinho demand for ‘full control’ rebuffed by Abramovich and his board. They have insisted that the Technical Director must remain in charge of player recruitment. Mourinho has also been told he will have to accept working under Emenalo if he wants to return to Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho raised the hopes and expectations of the Blues fans that he was on his way “home” as he spoke warmly of the enduring “love” from the Chelsea faithful during one of the UEFA Champions League post-match media briefings.

But while the “Special One” and his advisors have been involved in negotiations with the Chelsea hierarchy for months the rejection of the demand for full control has seen the Portuguese checking his option by also looking in the direction of Paris St Germain, who have also held talks with his agent Jorge Mendes and are likely to bend over backwards to offer the 50-year-old a deal he wants. But despite the PSG opportunity Mourinho’s preferred option is to go back to Chelsea where Emenalo is now in charge following changes made in the administration of the London club after the ‘Special One’ left there six years ago. After Mourinho left in 2007 Emenalo took charge of player recruitment and involved in the ongoing negotiations to land Atletico Madrid striker Radomel Falcao and Andre Schuerrle from Bayer Leverkusen.

His ranking in Chelsea may have made him to ignore the Nigeria Football Federation when they tried reaching him for the position of Technical Director for Nigeria in 2010. Emenalo played in the 1994 World Cup with the Super Eagles

The House of Representatives on Thursday endorsed the report on a bill prohibiting same-marriage in the country.

Offenders risk a 14-year jail term, according to the bill unanimously endorsed by the lawmakers.

The ‘Bill for an Act to Prohibit Marriage or Civil Union entered into Between Persons of Same Sex, Solemnisation of Same and for Other Matters Related Therewith’ earlier passed first and second readings at the House.

It went to the committee stage for public hearings before the report returned to the House for consideration.

Section 5(1) of the bill states that “persons that entered into a same-gender marriage (man-man or woman-woman) or civil union contract commit an offence and are jointly liable on conviction to a term of 14 years imprisonment each.”

The bill disallows churches, mosques and “any other place in Nigeria” from solemnising such marriages.

It defines a recognised marriage as “only marriage contract between a man and a woman either under Islamic Law, Customary Law and Marriage as valid in Nigeria.”

The bill also prohibits the registration or participation in gay club activities in the country.

Similarly, societies and organisations that “directly or indirectly make a public show of same-sex amorous relationship commit an offence.”

The penalty for gay club activities is 10 years imprisonment.

According to the bill, persons who preside over such marriages are equally guilty.

Section 5 (3) of the bill provides, “Any person or group of persons that administers, witnesses, screens, shields, abets and aids the solemnisation of a same-sex marriage contract or civil union or supports the registration of gay clubs, societies and organisations, processions or meetings in Nigeria commits an offence and liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment.”

Members unanimously passed the report on Thursday during a clause-by-clause consideration at the session, which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha.

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has been chosen from amongst his African peers to be the winner of the 2013 Africa Central BankGovernor of the Year’ award.

According to a letter addressed to Sanusi, a copy which LEADERSHIP obtained last night, the CBN governor was slated to be conferred with the award at theAfrican Banker Awards gala dinner held at the Taj Palace Marrakech, Morocco, on May 29, 2013.

With this accolade, the African Banker Awards committee accorded recognition to Sanusi for his outstanding work in the past years in sustaining bankingreforms, ensuring macroeconomic stability, protecting the independence of the Central Bank and enhancing many aspects of Nigerian banking adoption of new technologies for financial inclusion.

The award committee further said that the CBN governor stood out among his peers owing to his continuous modernisation and more transparent disclosures in the banking sector, including adopting higher reporting standards for banks.

It also noted that Sanusi had been continuously singled out by many of his central banking peers, international bankers, investors and development partners as a reformist governor with integrity, candour, energy and exceptional courage.

“There is no doubt that Africa’s improved reputation today is in large part owed to the achievements of leaders like you, and IC Publications as well as our event partners wholeheartedly cherish your exceptional contribution to the economic and social development of the African continent,” the committee said.

The award organizers focus on the achievements of financial institutions and individuals who have contributed significantly to the reform, modernisation and expansion of the continent’s banking and financial system.