GABINATION PERCUSSION��

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the data released by the federal government on the rebasing of the Nigerian economy as an orchestrated distraction and a mindless public relations gimmick, which the "masterminds said has seen the country emerge as the largest economy in Africa". In a statement issued Thursday by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said coming after the damning World Bank report which declared Nigeria as one of the countries harbouring the largest population of extremely poor people in the world, there is no doubt that the rebasing noise is the government's response to the classification by the Bretton Woods' institution. "However, the federal government has only succeeded in opening itself to ridicule. This is because if ever there was a clear play at oxymoron, this is it: The largest economy with the largest population of the poor, the largest economy with the largest population of t...

A Federal High court yesterday ruled that an on-line suspected terrorist, Muktar Ibrahim [aka Abu Sabaya] must answer charges of terrorism brought against him by the Federal Government. The court consequently ordered that he be remanded in prison custody pending the determination of his case. He was said to be an on-line personality who was celebrating the bombing campaigns of the Boko Haram sect on the jihadist website and also soliciting for funds from international terrorists groups to fund the activities of the sect in Nigeria. On the no case submission brought by the suspected terrorist, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the prosecution counsel, S.M. Labaran, a senior state counsel from the office of the Department of Public Prosecution [DPP] of the Federation, has established a prima facie case against him. The court, however, discharged the accused person on two out of the five counts-charge of terrorist activities brought against him. Ibrahim, a first class...

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- The official News Agency of Nigeria reports Zimbabwe's envoy has been called in for a complaint about President Robert Mugabe's remarks about corruption in Nigeria. It says the ministry of foreign affairs on Thursday told Zimbabwean diplomat Stanley Kunjeku that Nigeria will not tolerate Mugabe's "vitriolic and denigrating" attack. The row was sparked by comments Mugabe made March 15 bemoaning deepening corruption in Zimbabwe and asking, "Are we now like Nigerians where you have to reach into your pockets to get anything done?" Firing back, Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper this week noted most African leaders are too polite to criticize "the archetypal African despot" who has "run the once-prosperous country literally aground." Transparency International lists Zimbabwe as more corrupt, at No. 157 of 175 countries with Nigeria at 144.