THE ARMS DEAL SAGA BY DR AMANZE OBI

ISSUES surrounding the purchase of arms and ammunition in the last days of the Jonathan ad­ministration appear to be the kick that is keeping Nigeria busy at moment. It is one distraction that is helping us out of the present state of despon­dency. In the midst of great expectations, many Nigerians are feeling forlorn and forsaken just too soon.

In fact, it is hardly out of place to state that the overriding verdict among Nigerians today is that Muhammadu Buhari, the man they recent­ly elected president amid popular acclaim, has proved to be a flash in the pan. He is not what the people think he is. The people, you could say, are roundly and squarely disappointed by their find­ings.

PDP TO OKOROCHA: ENROLL IN FORMAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING CLASS -

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State, has advised Governor Rochas Okorocha to do himself a favour by enrolling in a formal leadership training class.

Addressing newsmen in Owerri, the party’s state Secretary, Mr. Chima Akujobi, explained that they opted to offer the advice, having found out that the governor did not fully appreciate what leadership was all about.

BOXER TYSON FURY STRIPPED OF IBF BELT

Heavyweight champ Tyson Fury has been stripped of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) crown less than two weeks after beating Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko to win four of the boxing world's five heavyweight titles.

The Briton had the IBF belt removed after it emerged that he had signed a contract with Klitschko for a rematch. The IBF contract for the fight in November stipulated that the winner would need to face Vyacheslav Glazkov as a mandatory challenger.

HATE SPEECH: MORE THAN 200,000 SIGNATURES ON PETITION TO BAN DONALD TRUMP FROM ENTERING UK

A petition calling for Donald Trump to be banned from entering the UK has attracted more than 200,000 signatures -- more than enough for a committee to consider sending the motion for parliamentary debate.

The petition to block the front-running Republican presidential candidate from entering the country was created on the British government's official petitions website in response to Trump's call Monday to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. due to the threat of terrorism.

EBAY TO GIVE NEW MOMS 6 MONTHS OF PAID LEAVE

eBay has joined the growing number of tech companies that have beefed up its parental benefits.

According to CNN,the company announced Friday that new moms will be able to take 24 weeks of leave at full pay following the birth of their child -- an increase from 10 weeks at 80% pay.

CNN also revealed that new dads, who previously weren't offered any paid leave, will be offered 12 weeks at full pay.

FINLAND TO GIVE EVERY ADULT $10,000 A YEAR

The Finnish government, elected earlier this year, is planning to introduce a tax-free monthly payment of 800 euros ($865) to all adult Finns, regardless of income, wealth or employment status. The payment would replace most other state benefits.

The government thinks that the move will actually save money. Finland's welfare system is very complex and expensive to run, and the government hopes that simplifying it could reduce costly bureaucracy.

FASHOLA REVEALS SHORT TERM PLANS TO ADDRESS POWER, HOUSING AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has officially unveiled his short term plans to address housing deficits, provide good roads and urgently increase power generation in the country with extra 2, 000 megawatts.

Fashola said, during his maiden press briefing in Abuja that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway which has been under construction and the second Niger Bridge are of great importance to the current administration, thus would get urgent attention.

BIAFRA: MASSOB, IPOB TO HALT PROTESTS

The ground swell protests staged by the members of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over the continued detention of the Director, Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has been halted, following the resolve of the two pro-Biafra groups to give Federal Government room for dialogue.

BRITISH GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS DONALD TRUMPS COMMENTS ON SHUTDOWN ON MUSLIMS TO ENTER UNITED STATES

The British government condemned comments by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump as “wrong” on Tuesday, after the Republican frontrunner said Muslims should be barred from entering the United States. British Prime Minister David Cameron “completely disagrees” with the remarks, which are “divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong”, a spokeswoman for the Conservative leader said.

OSCAR PISTORIUS GRANTED BAIL FOR R10,000 AFTER MURDER CONVICTION

South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail while he awaits sentence for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.

Judges changed his manslaughter conviction to murder last week. He now faces a minimum 15-year jail sentence for the murder of Ms Steenkamp.

The sentencing hearing is due to be held on 18 April next year. The athlete would also appeal against his murder conviction in the Constitutional Court, his lawyer said.

NAKED TRUTH

UNITED PLAYERS ARRIVE GERMANY AHEAD OF TONIGHT'S FOOTBALL MATCH AGAINST WOLFSBURG

 Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has taken 19 players to Germany for Tuesday's decisive Champions League match against Wolfsburg.

Captain Wayne Rooney is absent after missing Saturday's goalless draw against West Ham United with an ankle injury, while Morgan Schneiderlin did not travel after being forced off during the game against the Hammers with a hip problem. Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia are all still absent.

DONALD TRUMP CALLS FOR TOTAL SHUTDOWN ON MUSLIMS ENTERING UNITED STATES

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump called on Monday for a "total and complete" ban on Muslims entering the United States, barring followers of the world's fastest-growing religion because he considers the faith rooted in hatred and violence.

FERGUSON: MOURINHO WILL TURN THINGS AROUND AT CHELSEA

Former Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, has backed Jose Mourinho to turn things around at Chelsea.

The Premier League champions have made a bad start to the season, losing eight times already in 15 games.

KIM KARDASHIAN AND KANYE WEST NAMED NEW BABY 'SAINT'

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have revealed the divine name of their newborn son.

The reality star, 35, and her rapper husband - who also goes by Yeezus and released a song in 2013 called I Am God - have named the boy Saint West.