₦airaland Forum

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the present administration is paying N5,000 monthly to over 300,000 of the poorest families across the country.

The vice president said the payment was being done without discrimination along party lines.
Speaking yesterday in Umuahia at the launch of Abia State Tele-Health Support Centre, Osinbajo said the Federal Government was giving loans to over 300,000 traders and artisans, feeding 125,624 pupils in 742 schools “and we have 1,569 cooks in total, for microcredit loans under our GEEP scheme we have given loans to 7585 small businesses.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/presidency-we-pay-n1-5bn-to-poorest-nigerians-monthly.html

Shehu Sani, the Senator representing Kaduna Central has alleged that some governors were responsible for the mass murder executed by Fulani herdsmen in some parts of Nigeria.

The lawmaker in a series of tweets on his Twitter page, said Governors operating the policy of conditional cash transfer were the cause of herdsmen killings in the country. Sani urged the federal government to treat such governors as a national security risk.

His tweets read, “The roots of Herdsmen mass murder and kidnappings in other parts of Nigeria is in the policy of ‘Paying Fulani Herdsmen’ by some Governors.They appeased a monster with public funds and now the monster is going door to door;Sahel,Savanna and mangrove forests.

“Any Governor of a state operating the policy of Conditional Cash transfer to Killer Herdsmen is their patron. And he must be seen and treated as a national security risk.”

Wickedness why not all Nigerians

The Deputy Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Alhaji Shehu Maigari, has claimed that Nigerians have enough reasons not to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in subsequent elections.

Maigari told Daily Trust yesterday that the recent statement attributed to a former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, that God was punishing PDP for its sins; and the recent apologies by the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, were enough reasons for Nigerians to remain far away from the PDP.

He said Nigerians should thank God for compelling the two leaders to reveal the truth, noting that it was a good omen that people that committed the mistakes had started confessing.

“How can people spend 16 years committing mistakes and yet they cannot realise it until when the opportunity they are enjoying gets lost? Had it been the PDP was opportuned to return to power in 2015, the so-called mistakes will never be realised and the nation will continue to be in a mess.

“As far as APC Kano is concerned, the party that spent 16 years committing mistakes will never get it right even if it is allowed to govern the country for 60 years. Therefore, the so-called mistakes committed by the PDP are too costly to be forgotten and forgiven by Nigerians,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/-nigerians-shouldn-t-give-pdp-another-chance.html

The Shehu of Bama in Bornu State, Shehu Kyari Ibn Umar El-Kanemi, has said that the inability of the Federal Government to curtail the initial activities of Boko Haram allowed them to fester.

He said this inertia gave the sect enough space to operate, stressing that the growth of the insurgents was a failure of the state.

Speaking at the unveiling of the Ejike Chukwu Educational Foundation in Etekwuru, Egbema in Ohaji Egbema LGA of Imo State, the Shehu who was represented by the former Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Baba-kura Kaigama, said, “At the time the Federal Government and the government of the day didn’t take it serious. They didn’t come in to arrest the situation at the beginning of the uprising. That’s why I said it was the failure of the state.

While acknowledging that President Muhammadu Buhari’s takeover diminished the insurgents, the Shehu lamented that much still needed to be done.

“They are still around, rampaging and attacking soft targets. Just yesterday, there was a bomb blast in Maiduguri where a number of people died. So they need to be mopped up,” he said.

Also speaking, frontline politician and businessman Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu said the Iwuanyanwu Foundation was initiating a move to get female pupils in the affected northern states to come down south to complete their education

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/boko-haram-grew-because-fg-slept-shehu-of-bama.html

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday denied approving the release of $1 billion for arms' procurement.

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, had told State House reporters last Wednesday after Buhari met with security chiefs that the president approved the release of the fund, from the Excess Crude Account, for military equipment's purchase to fight insecurity.

The National Assembly had kicked against such approval, saying it could not stand without recourse to the legislature.

But Buhari, in a statement Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, said the fund had not been approved.

"The said sum has not and cannot be approved for spending by Mr. President," the presidential aide emphasised.

According to Enang the process of approving the money for use is still undergoing executive standard operating procedure before presenting same to the National Assembly for approval.

He said the fund could only be spent "upon and in the manner as shall be approved by the National Assembly and assented to in an Appropriation Act or a supplementary Appropriation Act."

Enang repeated that Buhari had not approved the sum for any release of the arms' procurement or application howsoever.

He said before any sum is released from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, there must be

Appropriation Act, Vote of Charge and Warrant which is legally predicated on appropriation authorization sub-head under the Act.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-denies-approving-1bn-for-arms-purchase.html

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The governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, on Monday revealed that President Muhammad Buhari has been under tremendous pressure to announce his second term ambition.

Shettima disclosed this in an interview with State House correspondents after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Responding to a question on whether Buhari consulted the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors before declaring his re-election bid at the meeting of the party's National Executive Committee today, he said the president was not obliged to do so.

He (President Buhari) is not under any obligation to consult governors or anybody. He has been under tremendous pressure to make that pronouncement. So, we should heave a sigh of relief since he has finally announced his intention to contest," Shettima said.

The governor also stated that the party would heave a sigh of relief with the declaration of the president's re-election bid.

He said all the APC governors were fully in support of Buhari's decision to run for second term as it is part of democratic culture.

"Traditionally, the president has the right of first refusal of the candidature of the party. So, it is not something that is unusual or unwarranted or unconstitutional. He has done the right thing, he is going to contest and we are solidly behind him," he said.

Shettima said the APC governors would, this time around too, give Buhari the kind of support they gave him in the 2015 presidential election.

Asked if this would not be distracting government, the governor responded: "Certainly, it is not distracting government, it will even calm down governance so that people will concentrate on the real act of governance and deliver the dividends of democracy."

On President Buhari's chances of winning of winning the 2019 presidential election, Shettima said: "Certainly, he is the single kinetic president in Nigeria’s political life till date."

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-pressurized-to-announce-re-election-bid-shettima.html

Boko boys are very wicked

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chai

The Nigerian Army yesterday rescued 54 women and 95 children held hostage by insurgents in Yerimari, Kura, Borno state.

In a statement, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director Public Relations of Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, said that the troops also destroyed several logistics belonging to the insurgents.

He explained that the troops during an operational exploit into Boko Haram hideout in Yerimari attempted a deliberate Rescue Operation to extricate and rescue hostages held by insurgents in the hideout.

He added that during the operation the troops killed three Boko Haram insurgents and captured five.

‎Nwachukwu said that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole had made progress in the clearance operations to smoke out Boko Haram insurgents who had escaped from their previous stronghold in the Sambisa forest.

He said, “The rescued hostages are currently receiving medical attention at the 21 Brigade Medical Center and will be profiled after the medical screening session.”

The statement reads in part, “In a separate counter terrorism operation yesterday troops of Operation Lafiya Dole on patrol in Konduga intercepted and neutralised two suicide bombers, who attempted infiltrating Mandanari Community in Konduga, Borno State.

“The two suicide bombers strapped with suicide vests were sneaking into the community at about 8.00 pm, when they were sighted by vigilant troops, who challenged them from a safe distance.

“The patrol engaged them as they refused halting and ran towards the community, detonating their suicide vests. Only the suicide bombers died in the incident, while three persons who sustained minor injuries have received medical attention.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/troops-rescue-149-hostages-capture-5-insurgents.html

The SDP, from virtual obscurity, has suddenly been growing in influence, with the defection of notable names to it. What is making the SDP the beautiful bride?

The failure of the two so-called big political parties, namely the APC and PDP, and their inability to meet the yearnings of Nigerians is the main reason why Nigerians are flocking to the SDP as the credible alternative. While that is the main and immediate cause of the rapid growth of the SDP in recent times, it is also true that the SDP is a very attractive political brand.

You will recall that in the 1990s, the SDP was one of the two political parties in the two-party system; the other was the National Republican Convention. The SDP won and controlled majority of the assemblies, and had the majority in the Senate and House of Representatives. It was a brand that was acceptable all over Nigeria - East, North, West and South. People loved and were excited about it.

So when these two political parties, the APC and PDP, started to mess around, the SDP nostalgia set in. It was remembered that once upon a time we had a political party that was acceptable to almost everybody, and which even enabled MKO Abiola to win his presidential election across Nigeria, even as he had a Muslim like himself as his running mate.

That is the kind of brand that people remember and has attracted them to the party, especially as they can now see the failure of the PDP and APC. That failure is pushing people away from them. If there is no pull or attraction in any party, there is the tendency for people to be frustrated and to start what I will call non-democratic alternatives. But, thank God, there is a very credible alternative.

Actually, there is a superior alternative.

How? In what sense?

I will explain. Nigerians tend to assess political parties by their size—how many senators they have, how many House of Assembly members, how many House of Reps members, how many governors, etc.

Those are the kinds of statistics they use to define the strength and quality of a political party. But one party is not superior to another if it can’t address certain fundamental objectives that would lift the society, and if it can’t address the problems and concerns of the people in a more relevant manner.

The so-called big parties and their members don’t even know whether they have manifestoes or not; if they do most of them have never read them. They don’t know what they are supposed to do in terms of what the party is supposed to do for the people.

Politicians quickly forget that the main purpose of government is for government to protect the people from all forms of danger —herdsmen, armed robbers, kidnappers, famine or poverty. Government’s fundamental responsibility is the preservation of lives of the citizens. Now, the party that has that as its central focus is the SDP. So the SDP is certainly superior. The SDP manifesto says the welfare of the citizens, taking care of the citizens from the cradle to the grave, shall be the primary purpose of the party. There is no other party in Nigeria that has such a noble objective. So SDP is a party for the people.

In 2015, I launched my book, which I titled, The Way forward for Nigeria, the Economy and the Polity. In it, I say the so-called big political parties are not political parties at all but a mere opportunistic gang-up for power.

At the launch in Lagos, one person stood up and challenged me on why I should say such a thing, knowing that the PDP was controlling the federal government and many state governments.

I replied and said if the Army was to take over government in Nigeria today, it would control the federal government, all the state governments, local governments and, indeed, every echelon of government, so the Army would be in government. But does that make it a party? So being in government does not make a party; anybody can. A non-democratic force like the Army, or a syndicate of trade unions can seize power, just as a party can seize power through rigging. I told them that if they were defining a party, they should do so in terms of a group of private citizens who have a common objective as to how the society should be governed. That is what makes them a party.

You are influential in your area, have money and won an election do not make you a party. Over time, the party will disintegrate because no true ideology holds the members together.

Our common purpose in the SDP is that the welfare of the people shall be our central focus because without that, at the first sign of trouble, we, the members, will all go our different ways. See what is happening not only in the PDP, but also the APC. They are disintegrating.

I hope I have answered your question on why people are trooping to the SDP. One, the PDP and APC have disappointed them. Second, there is a credible and superior alternative for them to embrace.

Many regarded the SDP, until the recent defection to it of notable politicians like Prof Jerry Gana, as largely a southern party. What is your reaction to this?

No, no, no. Where we had won House of Assembly and councillorship elections were in Adamawa, Taraba, Niger and Delta states, not even in the South-West. We have never been a sectional party. The SDP has been a national party since it was formed.

If it was not sectional, why was it unable to attract notable politicians across the country from the beginning?

Nigerians are becoming more aware of their rights. The PDP lost power and tried to have a convention to elect a new chairman, but that was bungled. Some of their members were not happy with the way the convention went and pulled out of the party.

Some APC members are also in court now. The way they are mismanaging their internal affairs in recent times is a dissatisfaction to some.

Nigerians are watching and following all these. The information revolution on the social media has ensured there is no secret anymore, therefore, the electorate are aware of what is happening here and abroad.

We can see all what is unacceptable to us. Those who had been undemocratic in the internal management of their party are now begging. Things they used to get away with five years ago are not easy to get away with now, not anymore. There are 71 political parties, but we can all see they have chosen no other party but the SDP.

What is your political relationship with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo?

Consultations are ongoing with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigeria Movement, Chief Olisa Agbakoba’s National Intervention Movement and others. I am optimistic that at the end of the day we will be able to arrive at something positive and constructive.

I want to say with all humility that those who are coming into the SDP know that the party has a leadership that could be relied upon.

There is consistent commitment. The new members could have spread themselves across the 71 parties, but they are concentrating on the SDP.

What will the SDP do to tackle the seemingly unconquerable menace of corruption different from what President Muhammadu Buhari is doing?

I was a presidential candidate in 1999 and I had a 328-page programme which I called New Direction for the Third Republic. We worked out a direction a long time ago. Corruption is often a function of the structure that we operate. If all the food supplies in Akure are kept in one central huge store and you put a saint there as the storekeeper, with time he could become corrupt. Why? Everybody will want part of the food and the storekeeper will start realising the power he wields and how he could abuse it to become rich. There is the tendency for a labourer who controls all the food that everybody needs to become corrupt and rich. Corruption is a function of structure.

But if you have all the food in Akure spread in 50 or 100 shops, will the seller become corrupt? That’s what I meant. In government, we have concentrated all our resources in a unitary government in Abuja. When I joined the federal civil service in 1963, there was no Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Agriculture was purely a state matter. The Federal Government had no reason to be involved in agriculture.

But over time, for geo-political reasons, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture was created without a territory. A government that does not have land of its own now has an agric ministry. A lot of money is being given to that ministry and, of course, people devise all forms of avenues to steal the money. The structure breeds corruption.

If we are given the grace to govern or manage Nigeria, the first thing we will do is to restructure the country to decentralize management. We won’t over-concentrate resources in wrong hands. It is when you do that there will be stealing that will tempt even a saint to become a crook. The present structure encourages corruption.

In those days, in the First Republic, even after Independence, we used to hear of 10 per cent graft demanded by political office holders. But today, both political office holders and government officials are involved in what I call competitive stealing. That is why a very junior staff would be having billions of naira, sleeping on money. It is no longer ministers alone that are corrupt but also career civil servants. It is the system that allows that.

In my own time as a minister, I never had access to cash. In my own time, I didn’t know how a Level 5 officer would have access to N2 billion. As a Permanent Secretary in federal government service, and later as managing director of a merchant bank, Secretary to the

Federal Government and Minister of Finance, I wasn’t dealing with physical cash in all those capacities. Even at the bank, I was not a signatory; there were officers designated according to their categories to sign cheques. As Finance Minister, I only signed state allocations. I signed pieces of paper and was never paid cash. How cash suddenly became the medium of transaction I will never understand. The system has broken down.

So one of the things we would do is to restore the system to health by ensuring that appropriate control supervisions are in place, as it was in the past. That is one.

Number two, the most effective way of controlling corruption is for the leadership to demonstrate transparency, not for me to be preaching transparency when I am stealing funds. Even when you use other people to steal funds, they will tell other people, and other people will get to know that this Oga is just talking nonsense; he is a thief himself. But once they know you are not a thief, that what you are preaching against is what you actually do, they will take their cue from you.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/why-sdp-is-apc-pdp-s-major-nightmare--falae.html

Ekiti State government has rejected former Abia State governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, 'peace advocacy' visit to the state telling the former governor to take his advocacy for peace to other parts of the country where security of lives and properties of Nigerians is under threat.

The government said Ekiti State was enjoying peace already adding that "even the police adjudged as the most peaceful state in the country.”
Kalu, who is acting as the chairman, Advisory Board for the National Movement for Re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, has embarked on tour of the South West purportedly to advocate for peace, fairness and unity of the country with a view to rallying support for the President’s second term bid in 2019.

However, the government said in a statement issued on Saturday, by the Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, that “There is no threat to peace and unity of Nigeria from Ekiti State for anyone, including Orji Kalu to address. Therefore, he should not expect to be welcomed to any palace in Ekiti State.”

The government urged traditional rulers in the state to ignore the former Abia State governor, saying; “it is an insult on the collective sensibilities of Ekiti people, whose only benefit from the government of President Buhari is hardship occasioned by the government’s cluelessness for anyone to hide under advocacy for peace to canvass support for the President.”

The government said it was unspeakable that because of his EFCC case, Orji Kalu saddled himself with the task of doing image laundering for a President whose government is inflicting sufferings on Nigerians.

The statement read in part; “If he has sold his own conscience to the agenda of selling an already rejected product to Nigerians, we in Ekiti State have not, and we are telling him categorically that such advocacy is not welcome in our State.

“He should rather take his peace and unity advocacy to his own State, where he is already rejected and other States where Nigerians are being killed on daily basis by armed bandits.

“It is also ridiculous that instead of joining Nigerians to tell the President the truth about the state of affairs in the country, Kalu is castigating Nigerians that have summoned courage to speak out against the President through letters and public comments.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ekiti-rejects-orji-kalu-s-peace-advocacy-visit.html

The President of Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has described Senator (General) Jeremiah T. Useni (Rtd) representing Plateau South, as an invaluable assets to the senate.

Saraki made the remarks during 75th birthday celebration of Sen. Useni and book launch held at Hill Station Hotel in Jos.

He also explained the people of Plateau state are lucky to have Sen. Useni because of his gentleman-ship, commitment and dedication to serving humanity.

He said, “As for us in the senate, he has been an invaluable asset, he has quantum of wisdom and experience and we are happy to have him in the senate. I want to tell you that your zeal and energy that you have shown have been quite surprising, I felt you were much younger than your real age.”

Saraki added that Sen. Useni’s contributions to Nigeria both as an army officer and politician were commendable and legacies to younger ones.

“I want to congratulate you, and thank Almighty God for what he has done for your life, and how much you have sacrifice for this country, you have shown high degree of good leadership, patriotism and selfless service for this country."

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/j-t-useni-an-invaluable-asset-to-senate-saraki.html

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, a cross section of elder statesmen and prominent civil society leaders have raised alarm that the country is drifting towards chaos, hence the need for all to join hands for electoral integrity and stable democratic development.

They said this yesterday in Abuja at a special stakeholders meeting tagged, ‘Civil Society Leaders Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting on Arresting the Drift Towards Chaos in Nigeria’ with the theme, ‘Return to the Agenda of Peace Building’.

The 15 leaders who spoke at the meeting and others who signed the resolutions were John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Professor Attahiru Jega, Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Ambassador Fatima Balla, Dr Hussaini Abdu and Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame.

Others were Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Dr. Chukwuemeka Eze, Dr. Chris Kwaja, Ms. Idayat Hassan, Mallam Y. Z. Ya’u, Yakubu Aliyu, Dr. Kole Shettima and Dr. Usman Bugaje.

The event, organised under the auspices of ‘The Working Group on Peace Building and Good Governance,’ was organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the West African Network for Peace (WANEP).

The Senior Fellow, CDD, Professor Jibrin Ibrahim and Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, read the resolutions.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Jega spoke about the dangers of politics of brinkmanship played by Nigeria’s political class, which he said could take the country over the edge if care was not exercised.

On his part, Cardinal Onaiyekan urged Nigerians to be aware of the high number of fake news and images circulating, which were designed to sow the seeds of discord in society.

In his keynote, Professor Gambari said Nigeria was facing an unprecedented existential crisis, hence the urgent need to stop a drift towards chaos, citing the rising culture of violence, the persistent Boko Haram insurgency and the Niger Delta militancy and economic sabotage among others.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-onaiyekan-gambari-jega-call-for-caution.html

Nigeria’s Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Shehu Sani has reacted to Ibrahim Mantu's confession that he had helped the previous government to rig elections since 1998.

The former deputy Senate president had revealed how he help the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) rigged elections since 1998.

Reacting,Sani in a tweet said,"If Mantu’s confessions of past election rigging against PMB are investigated,most of those who left Egypt and are now settled in the promised land will be found guilty of active collaboration with the Pharaohs".

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/shehu-sani-reacts-to-mantu-s-confession-of-election-rigging.html

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RIP

Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Mansur M. Dan-Ali (rtd) has said the Nigerian Armed Forces under President Muhammadu Buhari has been strengthened with the recruitment of more than 20,000 personnel into Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force (NAF).


The minister, who was the review officer at the Passing out Parade (PoP) of Direct Short Service Course (DSSC) 27/2017 in Kaduna yesterday where 195 new cadets were added to NAF also reiterated that, the recently approved $1billion by President Buhari would be used to purchase arms and ammunition to fight insecurity which he described as emergency situation.



He said “When you improve the professionalism of the armed forces of the country, you are making it stronger and reliable. Here we are in a country where this type of recruitment was not done regularly, but within the past three years, we have recruited more than 20,000 across armed forces.



“By so doing, we have given employment to young Nigerians and we have strengthened the capacity and facility of our armed forces. If I am to put it in statistics, there was a time armed forced was downsized to 50,000 but within the past three years, we have been able to recruit more than 20,000 unemployed Nigerians and that number has ripple effect on the unemployed.”



He said “We have not been able to acquire arms since 1982. All we have been doing is replacements. But now, we are going for massive purchase of arms and ammunition because the current security is in emergency situation. It has to be addressed squarely by having the right equipment and that is why the amount was approved.”



Commenting on the passing out, Dan Ali charged the 195 cadets, who had successfully undergone six months intensive training to place national integrity, self-discipline and hard work above personal interest in discharge of their constitutional responsibility.

He added “You are passing out at a time when our dear country is grappling with insecurity and economic challenges. While government has done so much to degrade Boko Haram terrorists by limiting their capacity to launch coordinated massive attacks, there are other emerging national security threats such as herdsmen/farmers clashes and armed banditry which need to be decisively dealt with.


“You must subordinate yourself to civil authorities and protect our fledgling democracy. You must know the limits of your freedom of association and expression which must be matched with responsibility to maintain national security.”


He however urged them to maintain good civil-military relations because that was the key to unlocking solutions to the national security challenges.



DSSC is a basic military training of Military Training Schools developed for universities and polytechnics graduates usually drawn from disciplines such as Medicine, engineering, pharmacy, piloting, law, accounting an d education among others, covering both military and general service subjects.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/over-20-000-personnel-recruited-in-3-years-to-strengthen-armed-forces-defense-minister.html

The Gombe Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has recovered N130 million from corrupt individuals and secured 9 convictions in three months.

The Head of the Zonal office, Johnson Babalola, disclosed this in Gombe on Thursday when he paid a courtesy call on the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ).

Babalola said the money was recovered from individuals within the states under his jurisdiction namely, Gombe, Taraba Adamawa, Bauchi and Plateau in 2018.

He said the EFCC under Ibrahim Magu had recorded a tremendous progress.

“We have seen a tremendous change because it is no longer business as usual.

“We are all committed, we have decided that enough is enough, and we are consciously making efforts to serve our country better,’’ he said.

Babalola said the visit was to seek for continued cooperation of the press in the fight against corruption.

The Chairman of the chapel, Malam Abdullahi Tukur, thanked the EFCC official for the visit and assured him of the continued support of members of the union. (NAN)

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/efcc-recovers-n130m-secures-9-convictions-in-gombe.html

As oil prices maintain a sustained recovery averaging $57 per barrel with consequent increase in oil revenue distributed monthly to the federal, states and local governments, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned of the consequences of not saving for the ‘rainy day’.

Rising from its 260th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and the first for 2018, the CBN frowned at what it described as “growing FAAC distribution” as oil revenue rise without a robust savings programme to wade-off future shocks from falling oil prices since Nigeria’s economy is still largely dependent on oil revenue. Already, oil prices are showing signs of falling again.

Briefing journalists at the end of the MPC meeting yesterday in Abuja, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele said, the “MPC observed increasing monetization of oil proceeds as evident in the growing Federation Accounts Committee (FAAC) distribution, relative to the 2017 level of disbursements. The Committee urged the Government to initiate strong stabilization programmes and to freeze the growth in its aggregate expenditure and FAAC distributions in order to create savings; needed to stabilize the economy against future oil price related shocks.”

The CBN’s admonishment is perhaps based on the recent experience where Nigeria’s economy went into a terrible recession in second quarter 2016 principally because oil revenue dropped significantly. Because there was no buffer savings, the economy had to wait for the oil process to recover before it exited the recession, a situation the CBN is forewarning against.

On the key monetary policy rates, the CBN governor said all the nine members who attended the MPC meeting voted to retain all key rates to consolidate on the gains already recorded in the economy as changing positions may erode all that has been achieved in the past one year.

“On the argument to hold, the Committee believes that key macroeconomic variables have continued to evolve in a positive direction in line with the current stance of macroeconomic policy and should be allowed more time to fully manifest” he said adding that the committee thus voted to retain the MPR at 14.0 per cent; CRR at 22.5 per cent; liquidity ratio at 30.0 per cent; and asymmetric corridor at +200 and -500 basis points around the MPR.

The MPC also expressed worry over rising domestic debt, the impact on the cost of borrowing and advised the FG and perhaps states to borrow less locally. The CBN also tasked the government to pay the over N2.7trn domestic debts owed contractors so they could meet their debts obligations to the banks to drive down the banks’ none performing loans.

“The committee also noted that as government pays off its huge contractor debts, a sizeable portion of these non-performing loans will be addressed” Mr. Emefiele said adding that “As the fiscal sector continues to settle its outstanding liabilities, it reduces its domestic debt profile, thus increasing the liquidity of the banking system.”

On Nigeria’s reserve position, Mr. Emefiele said the external reserve is now at $46.699 bn as at March 29, 2018

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/save-now-for-the-rainy-day-cbn-tells-fg-states.html

A mother and her adult son were apparently mauled to death by their own dog in a flat in the northern German city of Hanover, police said on Wednesday.

Fire rescue workers captured the Staffordshire Terrier when they broke into the flat.

“Preliminary investigations by a forensic specialist indicate that the 52-year-old and her 27-year-old son were killed by the dog,” said police.

The woman’s 25-year-old daughter alerted authorities after she could not contact either of her two family members.

She spotted a lifeless body through the window of the flat.

“It currently remains unclear how the accident could come about,” said investigators.

Forensic specialists will now determine the exact cause of death of the two individuals. (dpa/NAN)

RIP

The All Progressives Governors Forum say the tenure of the John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee of the party has ended.


The governors reached this compromise with President Muhammadu Buhari at a meeting today at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.


The governors, however, noted that Oyegun and his NWC could seek reelection at a convention if they so desired.


The chairman of the forum, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the meeting with the president.


"Let me correct one impression, the issue of congress and convention does not mean that the previous people who have served the party have done badly. And it does not mean that they cannot come back or that they cannot re-contest, that is not it.


"We are simply saying that their tenure has ended and those who wish to re-contest can re-contest and can be elected into our party structure. So, we are all one as family and we are set to go for 2019 elections in victory," Okorocha said.


He added: "Let me just want to let you know that there is no crisis in the APC at all. And we want to use this opportunity to advise the media operatives to stop spreading rumors of crisis in APC. There is no single crisis in APC.


“The issue was one of people who believe that we did not have enough time to organize a party congress and run election. Some people felt that it was a good idea, but the most important thing is that if we do that, we will be contravening both our party constitution and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is the major issue that we have that they call crisis. We do not have crisis


"This (Wednesday) morning, we met with Mr. President to fine-tune issues, one regarding the congress and we have resolved that the congresses at all levels and the chairman of the elongation committee, is also fine-tuning the arrangement in the same line. To this effect, the convention committee will be set out, it will be announced."

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/apc-governors-to-oyegun-you-can-recontest.html

good

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hmmm

Heads of security agencies said they have uncovered plots by some groups to disrupt the processes leading to the 2019 general elections.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement yesterday, quoted the security chiefs as saying this at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, during an interactive meeting with owners and decision makers in the media.

He listed the security chiefs that spoke as the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin.

Shehu said they warned the media against activities of some unregistered groups that had lately been active in trying to undermine critical institutions, such the law-enforcement agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said the security heads also called for closer cooperation from the media to prevent terrorists and radical ideologies directed from abroad from undermining the ongoing efforts to restore security in parts of Nigeria, facing the challenges of terrorism, economic sabotage, criminality, farmers-herdsmen clashes and the spread of illegal weapons.

He said they also, in the midst of the debate over the right to freedom of expression and the government’s efforts to ensure that the digital space and the mass media generally do not become a playground for terrorism and destabilization, assured that they would maintain a balance between openness and national security.

The presidential spokesman said the security chiefs, however, called on media owners and practitioners to walk the fine balance between openness on one hand and national security on the other.

He said the security situation in the country was within the control of the government and that this could be helped, where the media reduced sensation from their daily coverage.

Shehu quoted the security chiefs as saying “Our state of national security is not as bad as it is painted by the media.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/security-chiefs-uncover-plots-to-disrupt-2019-elections-presidency.html

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has placed each returnees from Libya, on three months salaries.

A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Desmond Agbama, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday said Oba Ewuare, announced this when he hosted some Libyan returnees in his palace.

Apart from the allowances, the Oba said the Oba Ewuare Foundation would provide the necessary tools/facilities for those who had gone through the various skills acquisition programmes.

He expressed disappointment over the mentality of the Nigerian youth, with the quest to make quick money without legitimate means, noting that youths must embrace agriculture and other legal businesses to excel.

The statement said the monarch frowned at the attitude of some parents who encouraged illegal migration via sea and desert, stressing that the palace would employ all traditional means to eradicate the scourge.

Oba Ewuare, who was full of praises for ancestors and for steps taken so far to curb the menace of human trafficking and wave of crime in the state, called for concerted efforts of all to win the fight against the inhuman acts.

Earlier, the leader of the returnees, Mr Vincent David, told Omo N’Oba that they were at the palace to seek assistance for tools to enable them start up lives after acquiring the necessary skills from the government.