Governor Masari freezes all government accounts in Katsina

4 hours ago

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has directed the immediate closure of all government accounts in the state including those of elected councils chairmen in all the 34 local government areas of the state, Vanguard
reports.

The decision was informed by an alleged
report of massive looting of public funds particularly at the council levels by some elected officials perceived to be loyal to the immediate past governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema.

One of the aggrieved council chairmen who pleaded anonymity to the newspaper that the governor’s action of freezing the accounts was done in bad

faith, adding that “we were all elected by the people and duly sworn into office. So, I cannot understand the rationale he is using in freeze our accounts. Just as he is in charge of the state, so are we at the local levels.

“He should reverse the directives
immediately because we are elected council officials. “Let him restrict the order to agencies, ministries and parastatals headed by political appointees and leave us alone,” the council boss said.

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Friday, 12 June 2015 El-Rufai Speaks About Buhari's Directive To Governors

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed state governors across the country to visit prisons and reduce the number of inmates to the barest minimum. This was disclosed by Malam Nasir el-Rufai, the Kaduna state governor during a working visit to the state convict prison, Leadership reports.

According to him, it is injustice for a person to spend many years in prison in the name of awaiting trial in Nigerian courts. “This is why President Buhari directed all governors to undertake such visits so that, working together with the Ministry of Justices and the Prison authorities, we’ll ensure we do something about it,” he said.

He added that he would do his best to ensure that the people who have been wrongly imprisoned and awaiting trial get justice. In his remark, Mr. Abubakar Garba, the state controller of prison, pointed out that the convict prison which had the capacity of 547, is now housing over 1,000 inmates.

Garba told the governor that the prison had only two functional vans for conveying about 800 awaiting trial inmates, and according to him, this portends danger to people of the state. He also begged el-Rufai to commute the death sentences of 11 inmates, who were indigenes of Kaduna state to life imprisonment. Report had earlier surfaced that Governor el-Rufai begged members of the House of Assembly for a reduction in his salary and allowances to give room for fund raising aimed at tackling the current economic woes of the state.

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Exclusive: 'America's Got Talent' Winner Finds Bigger Prize in Helping Homeless

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. won season six of 'America's Got Talent' and is currently touring before his third album release.

The man on the other side of that trigger probably would have killed Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. while stealing his car years ago, but a higher power was at work.

The "America's Got Talent" winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. has spoken about his life, challenges to his faith, and how he has remained rooted in God in the wake of newfound fame.

Growing up between West Virginia and Detroit, Michigan, the 40-year-old jazz singer has been shot at, homeless and felt like he hit rock bottom before he became the season six winner of NBC's competition "America's Got Talent." American voters seemed to fall in love with the story of a car washer on his last dime belting out Frank Sinatra classics, but Murphy's life did not change in the way some would think when he won $1 million and a contract to headline shows in Las Vegas.

"Being in Vegas was something that I really felt was bad for my soul, so I got out of Vegas as soon as possible after winning 'America's Got Talent,'" Murphy told The Christian Post. "I came back home and I started raising money for less fortunate people again, which ended up being to the amounts of $1.3 million for homeless and abused kids and different charities around the states of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio."

As someone who once lived out of his car and struggled to secure a solid meal, Murphy has a hard time dealing with the mindset of those catering to famous people when there are people in need who are struggling.

"Being homeless is really weird because when you're homeless, no one will give you anything but when you're famous people want to give you steak dinners. That's just weird to me; it's so backwards," he told CP. "I try not to let any of this go to my head and I don't take anything for granted. I mean I'm the type, give me a steak and I'll go and hand it to the guy that's sitting outside begging for it."

It is this type of humility that pulled at the heartstrings of audiences watching "America's Got Talent" in 2011, leading them to vote for Murphy to win the competition. Since then, the jazz singer has two albums under his belt and is still enjoying the experience of touring.

Three years after getting introduced to the world through his voice, Murphy's touring schedule is booked with shows around the country. The singer admits his music career has not been easy to maintain after winning the coveted talent competition that brought him fame.

"I think God put me in a position, a whole lot of positions where I had to learn on the fly," Murphy said. "I had to learn to adapt to different environments and different situations without having a vocal coach. It was all a learning process."

Still, the Christian jazz crooner has not lost his passion for performing and remembers why God gave him the natural abilities to do so.

"[God] putting me on stage to allow me to raise money for less fortunate people was my grooming process. That was my process to get me ready for what I'm doing now," Murphy said. "Now I just enjoy it. I still get butterflies, I still get nervous when I'm getting ready to go onstage."

While Murphy is preparing to release his third album later this year, he remembers a time when he and his wife were robbed of everything in their West Virginia home. A talk with God let Murphy know that a bigger platform would be provided to him and then at 37 years old, his entire life changed.

The singer is proof that dreams come true at any age in life and remembers a time when people once doubted his.

"Family, friends, close people around me tried to discourage me from doing what I was doing or pursuing my dreams. But every time I got kicked down, every time I felt like I was slipping off or falling off, I'd tie a knot into the end of that rope and pull myself back up," Murphy told CP. "God gives us the abilities to do that but it's up to us as individuals. It's not up to a teacher or philosopher or anybody that can tell you that, you have to have this in you."

Murphy continues to hold onto his faith when pursuing his dreams, insisting that when people know their purpose, faith can get them through anything trying to deter them.

"From the time you start breathing, you're on this planet to serve a purpose. That purpose is to spread the Word of Jesus Christ and let people know that we're all under the same umbrella," he insisted. "You've also got to have that endurance to know that your faith alone is going to get you through obstacles or anything that this life can throw at you. That's what I'm always going to hold on to, I'll never let that go."

The singer believes that surrounding himself with positive people from all walks of life has made an impact on him and he strives to continue to impact others through his charity work.

"I always was in church, singing and doing little church fund raising events and stuff like that. It just made me better, it made me stronger so I could see what the world was really like and how people really care about other people," Murphy revealed. "I plan on doing charity forever, that's what it takes. I'm in a better place, I'm just doing my part."

The Logan, West Virginia, native notices that while some people changed when he won one million dollars, but he continues to stay rooted in his faith. Murphy's focus is on more than just his music, but helping the less fortunate beyond the holiday season.

"We're all under the same umbrella, we all bleed red blood. It's just sad how society tries to stereotype things or place other people in different categories when we're all the same," Murphy said. "Under God, there is no one greater no matter how famous you get, no matter what your status is in this world. We all have to answer to the Almighty."

ANDRAE CROUCH,LEGENDARY GOSPEL FIGURE, DIES AT 72

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrae Crouch, a legendary gospel performer, songwriter and choir director whose work graced songs by Michael Jackson and Madonna and movies such as “The Lion King,” has died. He was 72.

Crouch died Thursday afternoon at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he had been admitted Saturday after suffering a heart attack, said his publicist, Brian Mayes.

Crouch and his sister, Sandra Crouch, lived in the Pacoima area of Los Angeles, Mayes said. They were pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando.

Born in San Francisco, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14.

In a career that spanned more than half a century, Crouch wrote dozens of songs, including gospel favorites such as “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,” ”My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)” and “Soon and Very Soon,” which was sung at a public memorial to Jackson.



Since he debuted in 1960, Crouch collected seven Grammys. He also helped pioneer the burgeoning “Jesus Music” movement from the late 1960s and ’70s that started the spread of contemporary Christian music.

But his influence crossed over into in pop music. Elvis Presley performed his song “I’ve Got Confidence” for a 1972 gospel album, and Paul Simon” recorded “Jesus Is the Answer” for a 1974 live album.



Crouch worked with many other stars, from Diana Ross to Ringo Starr, and his gospel albums sometimes featured performers from other musical genres. His 18th solo album, “The Journey,” released in 2011, featured Chaka Khan, Shelia E., Take 6, Kim Burrell and Marvin Winans.

Crouch was one of only a handful of gospel performers to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His choir, The Disciples, sang background for Madonna’s song “Like a Prayer.” Crouch helped Michael Jackson arrange the King of Pop’s 1987 hit song, “Man in the Mirror.”

He also arranged music for the 1985 film “The Color Purple” — which earned him an Academy Award nomination — and Disney’s “The Lion King” in 1994.

His success came despite a lifelong struggle with dyslexia. To create, he would make drawings that allowed him to grasp the concept. For the Jackson song, he drew a mirror with an image in it.

"I memorized everything through sight, the shape of the word," Crouch told The Associated Press in 2011. "Some things that I write, you’ll see a page with cartoon pictures or a drawing of a car — like a Ford — or a flag. I still do it on an occasion when a word is strange to me."

"So when I finish a song, I thank God for bringing me through," he continued. "You have to press on and know your calling. That’s what I’ve been doing for all my life. I just went forward."

Crouch said his dyslexia contributed to his success.

"If I was sharp in every area, I might be too big-headed or something," he said.

Crouch had health issues in recent years, including diabetes and cancer. Last month, he was hospitalized for pneumonia and congestive heart failure and had to cancel a tour.