Bid to deport CNN host, Piers Morgan from America intensifies

US gun rights advocates have signed a White House petition calling for British CNN host Piers Morgan to be deported for allegedly attacking the Second Amendment rights of ordinary Americans.
The outspoken former British tabloid editor has launched something of a personal crusade for greater gun control measures in the wake of the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
On Tuesday, Morgan held an especially contentious interview with executive director of Gun Owners of America Larry Pratt, appearing to become incensed and incredulous when Pratt suggested more, not fewer, weapons as the solution.
“You’re an unbelievably stupid man, aren’t you?” Morgan said at one point during the heated debate. “You have absolutely no coherent argument. You don’t actually give a damn about the gun murder rate in America.”
Following the interview, a Texas journalist posted a petition on the White House website alleging Morgan “is engaged in a hostile attack against the US Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment”.
“We demand that Mr Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens,” it says.
Many Americans believe in the literal interpretation of the Second Amendment, which enshrines the “right to bear arms” in the US constitution.
Morgan insists America can outlaw military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines without infringing on people’s constitutional rights and says he has no quarrel with the Second Amendment.
Two days after the petition calling for Morgan’s deportation was posted, it had already garnered more than 19,000 signatures, closing in quickly on the 25,000 required to get a response from the White House.
A defiant Morgan refused to back down from his position.
“Ironic US gun rights campaign to deport me for ‘attacking 2nd Amendment rights’ – is my opinion not protected under 1st Amendment rights?,” he posted on his Twitter feed on Saturday, referring to freedom of speech provisions.
Morgan continued to post incendiary comments on the gun control debate, including a response on Sunday morning to an NBC interview with a top official in the powerful pro-gun lobby group, the National Rifle Association.
“Watching davidgregory expose Wayne Lapierre for what he is – a dangerous, dim-witted, deluded menace to American safety. NRA,” Morgan tweeted.
At least some Americans have come out in support of the British citizen.
In one message, reposted by Morgan, Lee Cox in Arizona wrote: “I’m a native-born US citizen, and I agree 100% with Mr Morgan. If he goes back to the UK, should I go with him?”
  DailyPost

Fire Destroyed Abuja Petrol Station

A petrol station owned by MRS petroleum is under fire in Abuja. At the time of the report, fire service had not gotten to the scene of the fire.

The station is located at Jahi Junction, on the Abuja-Kaduna highway, before the Kubwa suburb. Witnesses said the fire started at about 7.05 p.m. and may have been caused by a discharging petrol tanker. The fire was still on at about 7.20 p.m. and the fire service was yet to arrive the scene.
Naij

Former NANS Secretary, Abiodun Kolawole, Killed In Auto Crash

The executive director of the Ola Oni Centre in Oshogbo, Osun State, and renowned former student activist, Abiodun Kolawole, has died in a road accident. Comrade Kolawole and his wife died instantly as a 14-seater bus he was driving from Ifako Ekiti reportedly hit a huge crater and then somersaulted. His assistant was also critically injured.
 
Mr. Abiodun Kolawole was a research officer at the Center for Constitutionalism and Demilitarization, an NGO based in Lagos, Nigeria. He is affiliated with the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights and the Alliance for Democracy (AD), a Nigerian political party. An active participant in Nigeria's student and democracy movements, Mr. Kolawole was instrumental in the formation of the United Action for Democracy, a coalition of human rights, labor, and pro-democracy groups committed to social justice, transparency, and good governance. Noting that democratic nations cannot be built without the participation of the people, Mr. Kolawole used his fellowship to examine methods and strategies for encouraging popular participation as a means of strengthening Nigeria's fragile democracy.
Kolawole was 45 years old.
 Naij

Nigerian Doctor Killed In Car Crash

A Nigerian medical doctor driving a luxury car with plate number ADEDENI was kileed in a fatal car crash that happened on Osogbo-Ikirun road yesterday Sunday Dec 23rd 2012.

According to officials of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, the medical doctor’s body has been transferred to LAUTECH teaching hospital’s mortuary in Osogbo.

 

As at the time of this report, none of his family members have come forward to claim his corpse.

 

The man died after his car somersaulted severally on the aforementioned road.

 

A total sum of N548,200 was found in his possession after his death (N49,600 found on his corpse with an additional N498,600 found in his car).

Naij

Finally, EFCC Arrests Wale Babalakin

Wale Babalakin

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today arrested fugitive businessman, Wale Babalakin shortly after he left the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where he had sought refuge on the pretext illness.
Mr. Babalakin is currently detained at the Ikoyi offices of the agency where sources said he might be granted another "administrative bail" pending his arraignment before a Lagos judge on January 17 2013.

Official: Governor Yero Of Kaduna Appoints Nuhu Bajoga As Deputy Governor

Nuhu Bajoga

By SaharaReporters, New York

New Kaduna State governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, has sent the name of the state's Peoples Democratic Party chair Nuhu Bajoga to the Kaduna state house of assembly for clearance and approval.
The Kaduna state commissioner of information, Saidu Adamu, today confirmed this to reporters.
SaharaReporters had broken the news on Saturday that Mr. Bajoga was the likely pick for the deputy governor slot following the death of Governor Patrick Yakowa two weeks ago. Mr. Yakowa died in a tragic navy helicopter crash along five others while returning from the burial of presidential aide,Oronto Douglas's father.
Mr. Bajoga, 63, who was the choice of Vice President Namadi Sambo might be sworn in later today.

Revealed: Real Reasons Why Osaze Was Dropped From Eagles Squad

As reactions continue to trail yesterday’s Twitter outburst by Osaze Odemwingie on his exclusion from the Super Eagles squad to the 2013 Orange African Cup of Nations in South Africa, coach Stephen Keshi has spilled the beans by saying the Eagles forward had proposed himself as team captain.

Keshi told a bewildered Nigeria Football Federation technical committee that the West Bromwich Albion striker put himself forward to be the Eagles skipper.
“He told them that he wants to be captain as he considers himself one of the most senior players in the current squad,” an official revealed.
“But how he has behaved in the national team over the years has really run counter to his ambition to be the leader of this team. You can only lead by example.”
Meanwhile, Media Officer of the Super Eagles, Ben Alaiya has thrown more light on the decision to drop Osaze from the provisional 32-man list that was released last week.
According to Alaiya, in an interview monitored by our correspondent, there was no rift between Keshi and Osaze as the player’s rant on Twitter was borne out of a ‘patriotic desire’.
“You’ve to communicate with your coach, ofcourse, he’s at the head and he can give you… if he has (sic) enough reason in your excuses he can say ok, you can come at a particular point in time but not for him to be reading it in the newspapers to say this person is coming at so so time and this person will not come because his wife will put to bed at such time.
“I think if it were a white man who was managing the national team here in Nigeria, there’ll be a lot more commitment by the players, they’ll come out & when due & I think that there’s no white man across the globe who has played the quality of football that the likes of Keshi, Amokachi, Ike, Sylvanus Okpala, Valere have played; they played at topmost level so to speak across the globe. Big boss for instance has captained almost every club that he has played for – Anderlecht, Molenbeek, Strasbourg come to name them.
“And We must respect our own, at least, we must respect our own I mean. And if by tomorrow osaze becomes coach, I wonder if he’ll take such tweets from his players; its not too good because the future is bigger than today” Alaiya said.
InformationNigeria