Today's National Newspaper Headlines/News - 11/5/2015

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PUNCH

***MY Ministers And I’ll Face Persecution – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has given an insight into the fate that awaits him and his ministers   after May 29, saying he believes they will be persecuted.

He stated on Sunday during   a thanksgiving and farewell service organised in his honour at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja that the persecution would happen   because of the “ hard decisions” his administration took while in office.

Jonathan told the congregation that he understood clearly that “ hard decisions” had their own cost and was therefore   ready to pay any price for them

He  said that experience had shown him that people would at a time desert anybody who took   “hard decisions” like he did while in office.

Jonathan added   that he had always  believed that more of his friends would desert him after May 29.

The President recalled the story of the last ruler of apartheid South Africa, Frederik   de Klerk, who was divorced by his wife for accepting to abolish minority rule in the country, and said jokingly that he hoped his wife, Patience,   would not also divorce him after the end of his tenure on May 29.

Beaming with smiles, Mrs. Jonathan, who on March 16 declared that she was not ready to feed her husband in prison, replied with a shout of “Nooooo.”

Her response was greeted with a loud applause by congregation members.

The President   said, “I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost; and there is no doubt about that.

“That I have run the government this way that stabilised certain things, the electoral process and other things that brought stability to this country. They are very costly decisions which I must be ready to pay for.

***PDP’ll Be Buried If I Resign – Mu’azu

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and the party’s National Working Committee on Sunday dared members threatening to factionalise the party.

Muazu, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Tony Amadi, in an interview with The PUNCH, said that he would not resign despite the threat of some members to form a faction of the party.

The national chairman said that the PDP would be buried if he succumbed to calls that he should resign.

Sunday Punch had reported that there were moves by some aggrieved members to form a faction of the party.

But Mu’azu and the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said those making the threat should go ahead and carry it out.

But in a swift reaction, the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, said, “The PDP cannot break under any circumstance. Secondly, Mu’azu as chairman or not, cannot and will not break the PDP. Mu’azu is not a force enough to break PDP.”

Fayose said that Mu’azu did not have the clout to break the PDP, adding that if he (Mu’azu) ceased to be the chairman, the party would not die.

“How can a man who cannot win his ward, local government and state say the PDP will be buried if he resigns?” he asked.

The Ekiti State governor added that even if he (Fayose) left the PDP, the party would continue to exist.

He insisted that Mu’azu could not restructure the PDP, which he said needed restructuring.

But Mu’azu insisted that he would not resign.

Reacting to the threat by some members to form a PDP faction should he remain in office, Mu’azu said, “Let them go and form their parallel party and let us see where they are going to get their votes from.

“The only reason Mu’azu doesn’t want to resign is because if he does, those who want the PDP buried will succeed.”

The national chairman said he was not the problem of the PDP, adding that what should be uppermost in the minds of genuine party leaders should be how to rebuild it.

***Nigerian Visa Goes For A Dollar In 13 Countries

While many Nigerians may have known visa fees of different European and American countries, not many take interest in what the country charges other nationals for the document.

But the fact is that the Nigerian Immigration Service has a long list of the fees on its website, indicating clearly the differences in terms of countries, the visa type and number of entries.

If what the NIS displays on the website is anything to go by, nationals of Mauritania, Monaco, Morroco, New Zealand, Panama, Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Burma, Dominican, Chile and Colombia are charged between N100 and N 200 for a single-entry Nigerian visa. For those applying for multiple entries, the fee is multiplied by the number of entries they are seeking.

Weighed against the current exchange rate, it implies that a Nigerian visa is still going for half a dollar or a little above that.

Applicants from the United States are charged the highest. They pay N14,000 for either a single or multiple-entry visa.

Russia and other former members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are next to the US, and a visa application from the region attracts N10,500.

A traveller from the United Kingdom, who is applying for a single-entry Nigerian visa, pays N9,700, whereas a multiple-visa applicant is charged N16,200.

Interestingly, UK nationals picking up temporary employment in Nigeria pay N9,700, which is less than what their multiple-visa counterparts are charged.

A British woman married to a Nigerian has the option of obtaining an “indefinite” visa at N40,800, according to the NIS’s fee schedule.

Most European countries, such as Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Belgium and Spain, pay a little above N6,000 for a single-visa application. Multiple-entry visa application fee in most of the listed countries is N9,000 plus.

Based on the fact that the immigration service deals with many people in different parts of the world, it is expected that the facts presented on its website are valid as this is a major platform where potential visitors to Nigeria can access it.

*Fashola calls for agenda for good governance

*Speakership: North-West backs Gbajabiamila

*Supreme Court can’t stop N’Assembly from amending constitution – Senate

*B’Haram: 63 children, six pregnant women rescued

*Nigeria’s economy won’t collapse – Okonjo-Iweala

*Firefighter collapses inside well while rescuing plumber

*Adoke’s friend leaked plot to abduct me – Kashamu

*Buhari’ll be fair to all zones, says Tambuwal

*PDP post-election panel members meet with Jonathan

*Condemned soldiers: Lawyer appeals to Jonathan, COAS

*Experts urge Buhari to address power problem

*Save us from erosion, Akwa Ibom residents cry out

*Police arrest 25 over Benin cult killings

*I killed to avenge friend’s death –Cultist

*Gunmen abduct OAU lecturer, kill driver, demand N70m

*Power-drunk ASP shoots tricycle driver dead, flees

*70-year-old nabbed for kidnapping girl, 3

*Pregnant Arepo victim buried as community tightens security

*Driver knocks down 67-year-old while running from touts

*Nigeria’s debt hits N12tn

*Poor distribution worsens fuel scarcity

*There was election in A’Ibom, Akpabio insists

VANGUARD

*Aba: Motorists accuse FRSC of extortion

*Mile 2- Apapa Gridlock: Jonathan’s mess, Buhari’s burden

*AUN set to enter Guinness World Record

*PwC’s audit report or cover up?

*APC and Buhari, no excuse for failure, change must be change

*FAAN’s Director of Finance appointment not terminated — FG

*Nigerians have not discovered the Senegalese market –Ambassador Jackdena

THIS DAY

*After Paying IntelS over N1 trillion, FG Moves to Acquire 10 Per cent Equity

*Coronation Capital Launched, Unveils Report on Nigeria’s Progress Since 1999

*Senate C’tte: Power Investors Did Not Bring One Kobo

*I am Allergic to Corruption, IG Says

*70-Year-old Woman Nabbed for Kidnapping a Toddler

*Jonathan: I Can Sacrifice My Life for Nigeria’s Greatness

*Constitution Amendment: Supreme Court Can’t Stop Us, Says Senate

*Presidency: Jonathan Lost to Evil Conspiracies

*Kano Governor-elect Advises Colleagues on Dwindling Revenue

*Appeal Court Sets Aside Order Winding-up Afribank

*Ondo: How We Curtailed Ailment from Methanol Poisoning

*May 29: SURE-P Winds down, Sacks Staff

*Ogun CJ Pardons 37 Prisoners

*Don’t Expect Radical Revolution from Buhari, Says Okogie

*FG Commences Fresh Disbursement of Relief Materials to Boko Haram Victims

*US Government Pledges Support for 275 Rescued Women, Children

*Ohanaeze Ndigbo Flays Obioha, Others over Visit to Buhari

*Ondo Govt: How We Ensure Regular Payment of Salaries

*Kashamu: CSO Warns against Undermining Nigeria’s Sovereignty

THE NATION

*There’ll be no quick fixes, says Buhari

*Why AfDB job may elude Nigeria, by experts

*Constitution amendment: Presidency serves Mark, Tambuwal Supreme Court order

*Supreme Court can’t stop constitution amendment, says Senate

*Senate Presidency: Mark loyalists back Lawan as Ekweremadu forms alliance with Saraki

*Electronic banking: Little gains…more pains

*Reps to consider PIB, says Deputy Speaker Ihedioha

*Kwankwaso warns APC to act fast on National Assembly’s leadership

*Akinyemi to Buhari: you ‘re wrong on your security instructions

*NLC to Fed Govt: end fuel scarcity now

*NCC: 83m subscribers now browse on telecom networks

*Katsina Governor Shema receives The Sun’s exit award

*APC ‘ll create opportunities, Odigie-Oyegun tells AUN graduands

*Jonathan lost to evil conspiracies, says Okupe

*APC blames Fayose for Ekiti kidnappings

*Lafarge WAPCO to resettle 1000 villagers in Ogun

*How Ondo meets salary obligations, by commissioner

*Ekiti begins workers verification tomorrow