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The 2018 Diary: August

By Oshineye Victor Oshisada
24 February 2019   |   1:09 am
August 1. Buhari goes on 10-days-holiday in London , hands over to Osinbajo. President Muhammadu Buhari began a 10- day-working holiday in London, the United Kingdom (UK). While Buhari was on vacation , the Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo was to act as the President.

August 1. Buhari goes on 10-days-holiday in London , hands over to Osinbajo. President Muhammadu Buhari began a 10- day-working holiday in London, the United Kingdom (UK). While Buhari was on vacation , the Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo was to act as the President.
** Tambuwal, APC spokesman, 41 state lawmakers defect to PDP. The APC lost its National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, 18 Sokoto State House of Assembly members and Kano State Deputy Governor Hafiz Abubakar. Also 23 of the 24 members of the Kwara State House of Assembly crossed over to the PDP. There were 30 state legislators in Sokoto.

August 2. Ghanaians attack Nigerian traders at Kumasi market. Nigerian traders at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region were allegedly attacked by Ghanaians, who vowed to evict foreigners from the market.August 4. Lagos school furniture undelivered, despite contract awards. A good number of the furniture to be supplied to schools in Lagos State as stated in the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) year 2016 action plan, was not delivered, despite the fact that SUBEB awarded the contract.

August 5. Prayer convocation holds for Nigeria in Jerusalem. The Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) held a prayer convocation on Mount Zion in Jerusalem for God’s intervention in the nation’s affairs. Celestine Ogugua, Head NCPC Media Unit, made that known in Abuja.

August 7. DSS operatives lay siege to National Assembly. Masked operatives of State Services (DSS) barricaded the gates to the National Assembly complex, shutting out lawmakers. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo promptly announced the sack of DSS Director General, Lawal Musa Daura.

August 9. Oldest Nigeria inmate celebrates 100th birthday in Enugu prison. Pa Celestine Egbunuche who was dubbed the oldest prisoner in Nigeria, celebrated his 100th birthday on August 4,2018, inside the Enugu Maximum Prison. Alongside his son and another relation, were allegedly sentenced to death for killing an individual in a brawl over a piece of land. The three spent 17 years in jail.

August 10. In search of gold teeth, Nigerian pilgrims ripped off in Saudi Arabia. Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia were defrauded of thousands of Saudi Riyal by unidentified expatriates, whilst attempting to fix gold and silver teeth for them during haji.
August 12. NASA launches mission to ‘touch the sun’. United States Space Agency (NASA) launched its mission to send a Satellite closer to the Sun than any before. The Parker Solar Probe rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. “Parker Solar Probe would be just 4cm away from the Sun”, explained Dr Nicky Fox, the British-born project scientist.

August 14. Tension mounts as National Assembly shelves special sitting. The much-anticipated special sitting of both chambers of the National Assembly to consider the =N=242 billion 2019 election Budget might have been dropped.

** Court of Appeal halts Arrest order on INEC Chairman. The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, ordered a stay of execution of the arrest warrant on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, pending the determination of his appeal.

** Falconets hold China, hit quarter final, through Captain Rasheedat Ajibade at the FIFA U-20 Women’s world Cup in France.
August 15 US Embassy suspends Abuja services for ‘Reasons Beyond Control’. The United States Embassy temporarily suspended consular services at its Abuja office. “Due to reasons beyond our control, we are temporarily unable to provide regular services for visa and American citizens’ services in Abuja “but other offices within the embassy remain open”.

August 16. UN says ‘Large Ransom’ paid to free Dapachi girls. In spite of the federal Government’s denial on multiple occasions, the United Nation (UN) said that a splinter Boko Haram group that kidnapped the Dapachi girls was paid a “large ransom”. The girls were kidnapped from their school on February 18, 2018 One of the girls, Leah Sharibu, was yet to be released for refusing to convert to Islam, other freed girls said.

August 19. Oyo government demolishes Aiyefele’s N 800 million radio station. Oyo state government demolished the music house, a building belonging to popular juju musician, Yinka Aiyefele, along Challenge Toll Gate Express Way which housed FM in Ibadan.
August 20 At Sallah, Buhari tasks Nigerians on harmony, tolerance. In a Sallah message, President Muhammad Buhari urged Nigerians to rise above selfish interest and promote harmony and tolerance. He urged Muslims to use the occasion for sober reflection and self examination. They should also be good ambassadors of their religion by upholding high moral values. He insisted that there was no going back on anti- corruption fight.

August 21. Buhari walks 800 metres to ‘prove fitness for 2019 polls’. President Muhammad Buhari “demonstrated his fitness” to continue in office. After Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Daura, Katsina State, he shunned protocol, and amid cheers from hundreds of well-wishers who lined the route, the President walked 800 metres from the prayer ground to his private residence.

August 22. Kofi Annan a leader, Statesman, says family in tribute. The immediate family of former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan paid special tribute to him describing him as a leader and statesman .The tribute, signed by his son, Kojo on Kofi Annan Foundation’s website, said the Ghanian diplomat was a man of deep convictions, who was committed to instilling fairness, integrity, kindness and service, while advocating peace and human rights globally on August 18, 2018, the world lost a leader and a statesman.
August 23. Ship ‘carrying weapons to Nigeria’ detained in South Africa. South Africa detained a Russian ship laden with weapons and allegedly bound for Lagos, Nigeria. The vessel said to have left Madagascar was stopped near Port Elizabeth in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.

August 24. My trekking not a show of fitness, says Buhari. President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that his long distance trekking on Sallah day was not about testing his physical fitness, but to show respect to thousands of people who wanted to greet him on that fateful day.
August 28 Buhari withholds assent to 17-years- old oil Bill. President Muhammadu Buhari withheld assent to the Petroleum Industrial Governance Bill (PIGB). The decision was coming after 17 years of rigorous consultations and legislative hassles on the document.
August 29. I am committed to fair 2019 polls, Buhari tells May. President Muhammadu Buhari assured British Prime Minister, Theresa May, of his commitment to credible elections in 2019. He made the pledge when May visited Abuja

** CBN uncovers serial fraud in four banks. Four commercial banks were sanctioned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for various forgeries in foreign exchange transactions between 2007 and 2015. For the infractions, they were to refund N5.87 Billion to the apex bank The four banks were Standard chartered Bank, Stanbic- IBTC, Citibank, and Diamond Bank.

August 30. Saraki declares bid for Aso Rock as Buhari mocks defectors. Senate President Bukola Saraki formally declared his decision to contest the 2019 Presidential election on the platform of the PDP. This came as President Muhammadu Buhari expressed optimissive that defections by Saraki and many others from the rating APC would not affect the party’s fortune at the polls.

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