ECA fund: Say the truth, Oshiomhole tells Okonjo-Iweala

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday asked ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to “come out clean” on the issue of the $2.1bn Excess Crude Account revenue.

Oshiomhole said that rather than provide answers to pertinent questions on how “accruals into the Excess Crude Account got depleted without the knowledge of the National Economic Council,” and how “monies that were supposed to accrue into the said account cannot be found in it going by the balance sheet provided by the former minister,” Okonjo-Iweala had been “shifting the goal post” in her statements.

The governor, in statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said he had nothing “personal” against the former minister, but that her claim that he chose to criticise her because she had turn down a loan request made by his administration was a “blackmail” that would not help her.

He said, “It is instructive at this point in time to state categorically without equivocation that there is nothing ‘personal’ between Okonjo-Iweala and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in terms of the request by the Edo governor that Okonjo-Iweala should come clean on the issue of revenue that accrued to the Excess Crude Account.

“As much as her spokesman tries to dramatise his response in defence of his boss, he has shown a manifest uninformed disposition to issues of simple economics of naira and kobo. Here is a former minister who has changed her position four times in the last 40 days; each position exposing her dubiety of facts and inherent contradictions in the concocted tales she has been weaving on one simple issue: what happened to the $2.1bn ECA funds?

“How come that the minister finds it convenient to publish allocations to states and local governments, but refused to publish accruals into the same account for us to know the status of the account at any point in time; how much was left from where she was distributing from?

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APC hails Buhari for states bailout package

The All Progressives Congress  has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for coming to the aid of the long-suffering Nigerian workers with a multi-billion-Naira package that will not only ensure that all arrears of salaries owed by many states across the country are immediately paid, but will also make it easier for the states to meet their monthly salary obligations henceforth.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it was particularly delighted that the President has shown that he is truly the father of the nation by eschewing partisanship in approving the intervention fund for all the states, irrespective of which parties they belong to.

”We say this because when states were financially handicapped during the tenure of the last federal government, opposition states were hung out to dry why states belonging to the then ruling PDP got generous bailouts,” it said.

APC said by his action, President Buhari has practicalised his deep understanding of the essence of governance which, more than anything else, is about the well-being of the citizenry.

The party said worthy of note and commendation is the fact that the special intervention fund approved by President Buhari was packaged without any external borrowing, despite the paucity of funds occasioned by the fall in the price of crude oil and the unprecedented profligacy of the immediate past administration that dried out the pot of national resources.

It said so early in the life of his administration, President Buhari is walking his talk by showing that with prudence, financial discipline, plugging financial leakages and a deep sense of patriotism, even the nation’s dwindling resources can still be more effectively utilised for the benefit of Nigerians, rather than be looted by thieving public officials who abuse their offices.

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Buhari will improve Nigeria, says wife

The Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, on Friday assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari would do everything possible to improve living conditions in the country.

She therefore appealed to the public to support her husband to succeed.

Mrs. Buhari spoke during the traditional breaking of Ramadan fast she organised for the less privileged inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

She said, “I want to assure you that my husband, President Muhammadu Buhari, will do everything possible to improve the living conditions of every citizen.

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Court adjourns suit against Oyo Speaker till Oct

Justice E.F. Esan of the Oyo State High Court has adjourned the case instituted by Mark Akinyode against the new Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Michael Adeyemo, till October 6, 2015 after counsel for Adeyemo filed a preliminary objection.

Akinyode is praying the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise him as the All Progressives Congress candidate in Ibarapa East for the state House of Assembly election instead of Adeyemo whose name was submitted by the party to INEC despite losing the primary election.

Counsel to Akinyode, Akeem Fadun, said his client was unjustly dealt with after winning the primary election, adding that he would file the necessary document as the court demanded after the defendant decided to file a preliminary objection. He, however, described the objection as time-wasting tactic.

Fadun said, “We have filed our written address on the issue of jurisdiction but the first defendant has decided to file a preliminary objection. I wonder why they did not do that before today (Thursday), but it is within the rule of the court.

“We could have gone ahead to hear the case today but whatever the delay tactic being used is still within the legal limit.“For the record, our prayer is that our client, who actually won the primary election, should be returned to his rightful position. The exhibits are clear and they are public documents. He had 137 votes while the defendant, who is now the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, had 134 votes.”

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APC set for stormy NEC meeting today

The APC NEC is scheduled to meet on Friday (today). Analysts said on Thursday that the outcome of the meeting of today would either launch the ruling party on the path of recovery or mar it.

The party’s NEC is made up of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo; the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; the party’s national leader, Ahmed Tinubu; the party’s 22 state governors and other leaders of the party.

Apparently sensing a turbulent NEC session, some leaders of the party on Thursday enjoined members to embrace peace and join hands in searching for solutions to the crisis eating up the APC.

The leaders, including the party’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; and a former Vice-President of the country, Atiku Abubakar, pleaded with party members to give peace a chance.

The leaders’ plea came just as a combined team of security operatives, drawn from the Department of State Services and the police, were deployed in APC national headquarters, located at Blantyre Street, Wuse II, Abuja.

The security agents were said to have been sent from the Presidential Villa to carry out surveillance at the party secretariat.

The team, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, arrived at the APC headquarters at about 1.45pm and left about one hour later after visiting the party chairman’s office and inspecting the conference hall where the NEC meeting is expected to hold.

On Thursday Buhari met with the lawmakers loyal to Gbajabiamila but that the President at the end referred further action to the party’s NEC.

The official said, “Mr. President met with Gbajabiamila and his supporters, who said they are the core APC members in the House. They raised several issues on why the party’s position on the dispute must prevail.

“At the end, the decision was that the NEC should resolve it tomorrow (today) by coming out with a clear position.”

However, a separate source in the Gbajabiamila’s camp claimed that the President aligned with the position already taken by the APC that Gbajabiamila should be the Majority Leader of the 8th Assembly.

“The principal offices will stand as earlier directed by the party. The President said he wanted to be properly briefed, and he was briefed.

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Fayose advises Buhari on anti-graft war

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari against allowing politicians to hijack the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for their selfish motives.

Fayose spoke in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday while administering oaths of office on 10 new commissioners in the state, with a promise to give 25 per cent to the illiterates in his further appointments.

“The illiterates will get 25 per cent because it is from them we get the votes. Though they may not have the certificates, but there is nothing wrong with us keeping them in one board for them to have recognition,” he said.

The governor also congratulated the former Aviation Minister and Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, on his victory in the court of law over the corruption cases instituted against him by the EFCC.

Fayose said, “I want to advise President Buhari not to allow politicians to hijack the graft war because if our motive is to fight personality instead of the corrupt people, then you will destroy institutions and rubbish the whole thing.

“The war should not be partisan or be a fight in the face of vendetta or act of vindictiveness.”

The governor warned the new commissioners not to compete with permanent secretaries and directors in the course of discharging their duties. He urged them to see the opportunity as a divine grace.

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Be ready to pay taxes, Obiano tells traders

The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has asked traders in the state to be ready to pay taxes and levies for the development of the state.

Obiano said this while inaugurating the Traders’ House built by the Amalgamated Market Traders Association of Anambra State on Wednesday in Onitsha, the Anambra State capital.

Obiano, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, noted that taxes were needed by the state government to meet various social and infrastructural obligations it owes the citizenry.

“The government had performed excellently well in security, construction and re-construction of roads as well as environmental cleanliness, which all of you can attest to.

“But we cannot do all these and sustain them without your cooperation through paying your taxes and levies; since traders make up 75 per cent of the population of the state.

“Again, it is clear to everyone in the country that allocation from the Federation Account is dwindling and we need to shore up our Internal Revenue Generation through streamlining our taxes and levies generation,’’ he said.

The governor also urged the traders to help in keeping the state, especially Onitsha clean.

He, however, debunked the rumour that commercial motorcycle operators were banned in the state, adding that the government only stopped them from plying some major roads that could pose danger to them and their passengers.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Industries, Trade and Commerce, Mr. Ifeatu Onejeme, had said that the new secretariat of traders would serve as a unifying factor that would bring peace and progress to traders in the state.

Onejeme noted that the government was putting electricity in most markets, adding that very soon the state would have markets that operate 24 hours daily.

In his address, the President-General of AMATAS, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, said that the completion of the Traders’ House in record time portrayed the leadership of traders as visionary and purposeful.Ezenwankwo, who thanked the government for its financial support, also lauded the contribution of Chief Poly Emenike, who donated N8m for the completion of the complex.

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ONDO CP WARNS POLICEMEN AGAINST EXTORTION

The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr, Isaac Eke, has warned all the officers and men of the command against extorting money from members of the public, especially motorists and commercial motorcyclists.

Eke, who gave this warning in his office on Wednesday while speaking with journalists, said the Ondo police command would not hesitate to punish “ruthlessly” any officer of the command caught in the act of extorting money from motorists in the state.

The CP also called on the people to report any policeman caught in the act to the Akure headquarters of the command.

The police boss however denied the allegation by commercial motorcyclists that some policemen in the state had been extorting money from them on daily basis. The CP said he had not received such report.

The Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders Association of Nigeria, Ondo State branch, had alleged that policemen from the Ijapo Police Division in Akure, the state capital, extorted them every day.

A violent confrontation between the motorcyclists and some policemen from the Ijapo division was barely averted Friday last week.

Eke explained that the clash between the policemen and the motorcyclists was as a result of the fight that ensued between a policeman on duty and the motorcyclists in the Oke Ijebu area of the city and “not as a result of alleged extortion.”

He asked policemen in the state to have a cordial relationship with the people in order to receive useful information. The CP also appealed to the people to support the command in the fight against crime and criminality in the state.

“I want to appeal to our people to support us in the fight against the criminals. The issue of   security should not be left alone to the police, all of us must join hands in making our society a crime-free society,” the CP said.

On kidnappings in the state, Eke said the command had been making efforts to apprehend those behind the crime. He noted that the command was already working with other security agents from other neighbouring states to checkmate the activities of kidnappers in the state.

It will be recalled that three people were recently kidnapped in the state within three weeks. The victims included the Regent of Akungba Akoko, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon; and the Executive Secretary of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Mr. Segun Adewumi.

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U.S. SENATE APPROVES FAST-TRACK TRADE BILL

U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved the so-called fast-track trade legislation, and the bill will be sent to the White House for signing.

The 60 to 38 Senate vote capped weeks of fighting over the trade bill and gave a big push for the Obama administration's trade agenda. Already approved by the House, the bill will be sent to the President Barack Obama for signing.

The fast-track legislation, formally known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), empowers the president to negotiate trade deals and then present them to Congress for up or down vote, with no amendments allowed.

With the legislation passed by the full Congress, it will give U.S. trading partners the confidence they need to put their best offers on the table and help the Obama administration conclude the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks, which are nearing completion after more than five years of negotiations.

Later Wednesday, the Senate also passed a package that includes trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which provides relief for U.S. workers who lose their jobs as a result of U.S. trade deals with other countries.

The TAA measure was initially combined with the TPA in the Senate in order to boost its appeal for Democrats, most of whom oppose a trade deal. But Republican leaders split the two apart after House Democrats voted against the TAA in order to derail the larger package of trade bills. The Democrats originally supported the TAA measure.

After the fast track cleared both chambers, the TAA bill now returns to the House for approval, where most Democrats who previously opposed the aid program now plan to support it.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi signaled on Wednesday that Democrats would accept the TAA the second time. That would allow both TPA and TAA measures to go to the White House for approval this week.

With TPA in hand, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and his team are positioned to conclude TPP, an agreement covering 40 percent of the world economy, said Scott Miller, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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Ezekwesili Canvasses Competent Civil Service for FG’s Reforms

Dr. Oby Ezekwesili

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday, said the  vision to reform the country will require a civil service with character, capacity and competence where the operatives are not immune to changes.

She lamented that the civil servants in the country had abandoned merit and result oriented strategies, noting that this was why a country like Singapore had overtaken the country in development.

According to her, “Public servants have ignored the activities required to achieve result and focused on the smallest aspect of governance. It is the transactional mind of the country’s civil service that made the place unattractive to the brightest brains in the country. Rather it became an environment where people who are unconcerned about transaction are.”

The ex-minister stressed, “So if we want to compete with other great nations, we must solve our problem with the best civil servants we can find. Every public service in any nation will do well on the bases of the competence, capacity and character of the people (civil servants) that are assembled to solve the problem.”

She noted that lack of one of this would affect the present administration’s pursuit to achieve its goal for the country, saying “If the public service had gone back to what it was originally intended to be, more than 100 million Nigerians will not be poor at the moment. For instance, China has been able to lift about 600, 000 people out of poverty because they had a better civil service.”

“The vision of the political leader requires an organized system of execution that is powered by the civil servants in order to achieve result. So the public service is that level of governance powered by the technical experts assured with security premium that is consistent with the longevity of nation building.

“If the country will make it, it would depend on the quality of human beings that will dislodge the mentality of transactional civil service that was put upon us by the virtue our addiction to oil as the basis for economic development,” Ezekwesili, said.

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I REMAIN LOYAL TO BUHARI , SAYS ATIKU

A former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has said that it is dangerous for any individual or group within the APC to constitute themselves into an opposition even before the constitution of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. He also expressed his loyalty to President Buhari.

The former Vice President made the call against the backdrop of development in the polity, which he noted were interplay of forces and dynamic interests that should not be promoted to the point of being a threat to democracy and the new administration.

In a press statement released by his media office in Abuja on Sunday, and signed by Mazi Paul Ibe, the Turaki Adamawa acknowledged that it was legitimate and desirable for individuals or groups to pursue their interests.

He, however, noted that such should be done with the spirit of equity, fair play and justice.

“Anything to the contrary may jeopardize our hard-earned democracy and constitute a clog in the wheel of the new administration,” Atiku said.

He noted that because of the historic nature of the mandate of President Buhari and the arduous challenges ahead to deliver on making Nigeria work for all Nigerians, it was important, especially for members of the APC, to rally behind him in the quest to enthrone good governance.

This, he said, would spur security and stability, economic and social development, job creation, infrastructure renewal and above all a better life for Nigerians.

The former Vice President urged members of the APC to emulate the unity of all the presidential contestants after the party’s Lagos primaries and support the President to form his government and get to work.

Abubakar exonerated himself from the purported hijack of the party and the National Assembly towards 2019 as a figment of the imagination of those promoting such insinuation.

He asked Nigerians to ignore all such insinuation.

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PDP ADVISES AREGBESOLA TO STOP CREATION OF 39 COUNCILS

The Peoples Democratic Party has advised Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to suspend his plans to create  additional 39 local council development areas in addition to the existing 30 local government areas in the state. 

The  Director of Media and Strategy of the PDP in Osun State, Mr.  Diran Odeyemi, gave this advice in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday. 

According to the opposition party, the situation on the ground now does not call for creation of new councils when the existing ones have not got enough fund  to make them impact positively on the lives of the people at the grassroots. 

The statement read, “The reality in Osun calls for serious planning because the economy of the state now or even in near future cannot cope with  69 local government councils  when the state could not generate fund to develop the present councils. 

“This is a  poorly conceived idea lacking the understanding and needs of the people of Osun State and its proposed execution at this time shows that governor Aregbesola has lost ideas of what is next in the state. 

“The rest of the country must be astonished about a governor that  has not been able to fulfill its financial obligations to the workforce and plunge the state economy in crisis, but interestingly planning to create new councils  to make Osun as the only state in Nigeria to have 69 councils.” 

The last   House of Assembly which had all its members from the ruling party had, some days before the expiration of their tenure,  passed a bill to establish 39 additional local development areas . This followed  the outcome of a referendum conducted by Osun State Independent Electoral Commission. 

This was preceded by the bill sent to the House by the governor to seek the lawmakers’ approval for the creation of the new council areas. 

The PDP  stated that rather than taking into consideration the peculiar needs of Osun State  and its financial capacity, the governor was busy copying Lagos State programmes even when they were not needed in the state. 

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36 States Earn N2.87tn IGR In Five Years

Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, National Bureau of Statistics, Dr.Yemi Kale

A total sum of N2.87tn was earned as Internally Generated Revenue by the 36 states of the federation within the last five years, a report prepared by the National Bureau of Statistics has shown.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Friday, indicated that the revenue was generated from four sources.

They are Pay-As-You-Earn; direct assessment; road taxes and unnamed other revenue source.

A breakdown of the figure showed that the sum of N417.03 was earned in 2010; N499.08bn in 2011; N567.99bn in 2012; N800bn in 2013 and N586.6bn in the 2014 fiscal period.

A further analysis of the revenue of the 36 states showed that Lagos State, with total revenue of N1.23tn generated within the five year period, led the IGR collection chart.

The Lagos State’s figure, when further broken down, showed that the state earned N149.96bn in 2010; N202.76bn in 2011; N219.20bn in 2012 while N384.25bn and N276.16bn were the amounts generated as the IGR in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Rivers State followed Lagos on the revenue chart with a total collection of N345.53bn within the five year period.

The amount was earned as follows: N43.63bn in 2010; N52.71bn in 2011; N66.27bn in 2012; N87.91bn in 2013 while 2014 had the sum of N89.12bn.

Other states with high IGR within the five year period, according to the report, are Akwa Ibom State with N66.2bn; Delta, N154.21bn; Edo, N64.1bn; Enugu, N72.7bn; Kaduna, N56.37bn; and Oyo had N65.52bn.

The revenue made by these states, it was learnt, excluded the monthly allocation, which they received from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee for the period under review.

For instance, a total sum of N7.75tn was shared among the three tiers of government within the 2014 fiscal period.

An analysis of the monthly distribution made also showed that the N7.75tn distributed in 2014 represents a decline of N150bn or 1.89 per cent over the N7.9tn, which the committee allocated in the 2013 fiscal period.

The federation account is currently being managed under a legal framework that allows funds to be shared with three major components – statutory allocation, Value Added Tax distribution and allocation made under the derivation principle.

Under statutory allocation, the Federal Government gets 52.68 per cent of the revenue shared; states, 26.72 per cent; and local governments, 20.60 per cent.

The framework also provides that VAT revenue be shared thus: the Federal Government, 15 per cent; states, 50 per cent; and local governments, 35 per cent.

Similarly, extra allocation is given to the nine oil producing states based on the 13 per cent derivation principle.

A breakdown of the N7.75tn figure for 2014 shows that the month of June had the highest allocation of N755.95bn; while September, with N693.53bn, and May, with N683.89bn, followed in that order.

The sum of N621.12bn was allocated in January; February had N641.29bn; while N641.38bn, N634.72bn and N654.58bn were the amounts distributed in March, April and July, respectively.

For the months of August, October, November and December, the committee distributed N611.76bn, N593.34bn, N628.77bn and N580.37bn, respectively.

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Hillary Clinton Calls America’s Struggle With Racism Far From Over

Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered on Saturday her boldest remarks yet on race and gun violence, topics that have quickly become some of the most prominent and divisive in the presidential campaign, particularly after Wednesday’s mass shooting in Charleston, S.C.

“It’s tempting to dismiss a tragedy like this as an isolated incident, to believe that in today’s America bigotry is largely behind us, that institutionalized racism no longer exists,” Mrs. Clinton said in a speech in San Francisco. “But despite our best efforts and our highest hopes, America’s long struggle with race is far from finished.”

Invoking President Obama at times, Mrs. Clinton called for a “common sense” approach to gun laws, pledging to take swift action if elected. She did not, however, make clear how she would navigate the divide in Congress that has undercut Mr. Obama’s own efforts to pass gun laws.

 “The president is right. The politics on this issue have been poisoned,” Mrs. Clinton said. “But we can’t give up. The stakes are too high. The costs are too dear. And I am not and will not be afraid to keep fighting for common sense reforms.”

Mrs. Clinton’s strongly worded stance on the issue could help her make a contrast with Senator Bernie Sanders, who has been drawing large crowds in early voting states, where recent polls show him narrowing the gap with Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Sanders, a socialist from Vermont also seeking the Democratic nomination, has a decidedly mixed record on gun control, which may pose problems for his campaign as it seeks to bill itself as a more liberal alternative to Mrs. Clinton.

Saturday was not the first time that Mrs. Clinton’s Democratic campaign, still in its infancy, had found itself having to address race and racism in the wake of violence. Her first major campaign speech, at Columbia University in April, coincided with widespread unrest in Baltimore after the death of a black man, Freddie Gray, who had been injured in police custody. Mrs. Clinton used that occasion to advocate an overhaul of the criminal justice system, saying it was time for honesty about race and justice in America.

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OBASANJO HOLDS CLOSED DOOR MEETING WITH AKAPBIO, UDOM

PUNCH reports that Udom and Akpabio arrived at Obasanjo's Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State in company with a former prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Mbang, and some other state officials.

Addressing journalists on the purpose of the meeting, Udom said, ''I have come to show gratitude and respect for someone whom I regard as a father and whose advice I regard as invaluable and which also contributed to my victory at the polls''. Other details of the meeting were not made public.

 

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ASIWAJU BOLA TINUBU DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM SARAKI, DOGARA

Bola Tinubu, National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC has demanded a public apology from Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives speaker, Yakubu Dogara. 

Tinubu is reportedly demanding the apology because of the process which led to the duos emergence as National Assembly leaders according to VANGUARD reports

A competent party source disclosed that Tinubu wants the apology published in national dailies. 

''You don’t joke with the man (Tinubu). He said they must make a public apology to him using the newspapers. A meeting that will involve all APC governors has been scheduled to hold either on Monday or Tuesday. Wait and see what will happen. They have to do it'', the source said.

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MAJOR CHANGES PROPOSED TO PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

 Top operatives in both parties think that the presidential debates have become too much of an antiquated spectacle. Today a bipartisan group (their names are below) will unveil a 48-page report with recommendations on how to make them better in 2016. Their goal is to make the high-stakes showdowns more accessible for younger voters, more meaningful for independents and (perhaps most of all) less of a huge pain for the campaigns themselves. We’ve devoted a lot of ink recently to Fox News’ criteria for deciding which 10 Republicans will appear on stage during the first primary debate in August, but don’t forget that tens of millions more people will watch the general election debates next fall.

— Their buzziest idea is to start using a chess clock model to divvy up time and force more clash.The most memorable exchanges come when the nominees are going at each other, not when they’re reciting canned talking points. Allowing the candidates to engage each other more directly, this panel hopes, will make for better TV and thus reverse the long-term decline in viewership. Under the “chess clock” model, each candidate would get 45 minutes of speaking time. “Anytime a candidate is speaking, that candidate’s clock visibly counts own,” the report explains. “To take control of the floor, a candidate simply hits the chess clock. No answer, rebuttal or question may exceed three minutes … When a candidate runs out of total time, he or she has exhausted the right to speak … The candidates, not the moderators, would be responsible for follow-up … The moderators would not be tasked with asking follow-up questions; instead, candidates would be expected to challenge incomplete and nonresponsive statements by the opposing side.”

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ABBAS WANTS PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT TO RESIGNWITHIN 24 HOURS

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas announced Tuesday that the Ramallah-based government would resign within the next 24 hours, several senior Fatah officials told AFP.

“Within 24 hours the Palestinian government will resign,” Abbas told members of the Revolutionary Council of his Fatah movement, according to several officials who attended the meeting.

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