₦airaland Forum

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has revealed what he told the Osun governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke, when they met on Monday.

According to Saraki, he assured the lawmaker that the party remains undeterred and determined, to ensure he becomes the next Governor of the state.

“I visited the Governorship candidate of our party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in Ede today to commend him and his supporters for their resilience and to let him know that we remain undeterred and determined to ensure that he becomes the next Governor of Osun State. #OsunDecides2018,” the Senate President tweeted via his verified account.


Saraki’s visit to Adeleke, comes after he met with Senator Iyiola Omisore, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), ahead of this week’s rerun.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/osun-rerun-details-of-sarakis-meeting.html

World oil demand will peak at 104.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in the mid-2030s, up from just below the current 100 million bpd.

It shall be so as new technologies gradually eat into oil use, China’s Unipec said on Monday at the annual Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) in Singapore.

Unipec President Chen Bo said improved energy efficiency and technological changes are keys to the trend.

He also said that the rise of renewables also meant global oil demand growth would slow in coming years and peak at 104.4 million bpd in 2035my noting that in spite of trade disputes between China and the U.S., crude supply was an important new source for Chinese refiners.

He added that “it allows diversification away from Middle East and African crudes, on which China has relied heavily” he said.

Trade war tensions between the United States and China will last just “for the time being, and in the future we’ll be active in this area,” he said.

Chen Bo also said China would reduce Iranian oil imports because of looming U.S. sanctions against the Middle East country due to start in November.

There had not yet been a decision on how big these cuts would be.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/oil-demand-to-peak-at-1044-million-bpd.html

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare his party and Senator Ademola Adeleke winner in Osun governorship election to avert national crisis.

Prince Secondus said that the PDP will not accept anything less than its deserved victory because the party won the election clearly and unambiguously.

He said that after INEC robbed the party of victory in Ekiti State and said they should go to the tribunal, now in Osun state after the party won glaringly they have concocted another story of inconclusive just to pacify their pay masters.

The National Chairman said in a statement from his media office on Sunday and signed by Ike Abonyi that the Chairman of INEC, Prof, Yakubu Mahmood, should be held responsible for brewing crisis in the country ahead of 2019 in his greed to satisfy the agenda of his appointees.

Secondus warned that if what they did in Ekiti and Osun states elections were rehearsals of what they are planning for 2019, there may be no Nigeria and INEC and APC should be held responsible.


He also drew the attention of the nation’s security apparatchik to the possible threat to peace and oneness of this country by the brazing rigging of elections by a supposedly independent electoral umpire.

The PDP boss wondered what President Muhammadu Buhari who left the country to US for United Nations General Assembly today would be telling democratic community when he cannot conduct simple state governorship election.

“What other evidence do the democratic watchers and security agencies need to establish obvious bias from INEC when the commission’s administrative officer caught destroying result sheets in Ayedade local Government area where over a thousand votes belonging to PDP were removed confirmed acting on the instruction of his superior officer?

“What will President Buhari be telling democratic world at the UN when back home he has brutalized all agents of democracy and has been unable to conduct a simple state bye election?”

Prince Secondus described as shameless INEC taking instructions from the APC and deciding to declare the result inconclusive when it is obvious to all watchers that the PDP candidate won the election.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/osun-election-uche-secondus-asks-inec.html

Clement Nwankwo, Coordinator of the Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Room (centre) has said more than 70 civil society organisations are represented in the NCS situation room.

He also enjoined political parties in Osun State to shun violence ahead of the Saturday's gubernatorial election in the state.

Nnwankwo said this at a press conference in Osogbo on Friday, where he appealed to security agencies to be vigilant and arrest anybody found guilty of election violation.

He lamented the poor welfare of policemen saddled with election duty, stating that some of them have been sleeping in classrooms.

He appreciated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the smooth distribution of sensitive materials to all Local Government Areas in the state.

According to Nwankwo, more than 70 civil society organisations were represented in the NSC situation room, adding that they would be relying on their field observers and partner organisations distributed across the local councils to form its analysis.

Nwankwo further affirmed that NCS has observed that voters across the state have really shown interest in the election.

He said: "The situation room calls on all stakeholders in the election process to live up to the expectation of Nigerians.

"It also calls on INEC to deliver free, fair and credible elections and to approach this election with responsibility and utmost respect to democratic standards."

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/more-than-70-civil-society.html

The Nigeria police on Thursday said they recovered $470.5m belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s Brass Liquefied Natural Gas hidden in some commercial banks in violation of the directives of the Federal Government on Treasury Single Account.


The force disclosed that another N8.8bn belonging to the NNPC/LNG which was also not remitted to the TSA was recovered.

The police spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.


The statement read: PRESS BRIEFING: EFFORTS OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE IN THE RECOVERY OF MONETARY AND NON- MONETARY ASSETS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

“On the assumption of Office, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni created Special Units to handle high profile cases including Terrorism, Cyber and high-tech crimes, some of which includes the IGP Monitoring Unit, Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism.

“As a result of these efforts, the Nigeria Police Force recovered the following monetary and non-monetary assets for the Federal Government.


RECOVERY OF CASH ITEMS

i. The sum of Four Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ten Cent ($470,519,889.10) belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the Federal Government on TSA.

ii. The sum of Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Seven Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty Four Naira, Ninety Six Kobo (NGN8,807,264,834.96) monies belonging to NNPC BRASS/LNG INVESTMENT, that was not remitted to TSA Account of the Federal Government was also recovered

iii. The Sum of One Hundred and Fourteen Million, Two Hundred And Ninety Thousand Naira, (NGN 114,290,000.00) in relation to the December 10th, 2016, National And State Assembly Re-Run Elections in Rivers State Of Nigeria was recovered from twenty-three (23) INEC Electoral officials.

RECOVERY OF NON-CASH ITEMS

“The Nigeria Police Force in the fight against Economic Sabotage and pipeline vandalism related crimes recovered two (2) Vessels, seven (7) Speed Boats, eight-three (83) Trucks, twenty-five assorted Cars including Jeeps, thirty-six (36) Buses, twenty-nine (29) Motorcycles, five Speed Boat engines and thirty-eight (38) pumping/Drilling Machines and Generators.

“Summary of Monetary and Non-Monetary Assets recovered; The total recoveries of Monetary and Non-Monetary Assets of the Federal Government by the Nigeria Police Force are:

(a) MONETARY ASSETS

Four Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ten Cents ($470,519,889.10).

Eight Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-One Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four Naira and Ninety-Six Kobo (NGN 8,921,554,834.96).

(b) NON-MONETARY ASSETS:

Two (2) Vessels

Seven (7) Speed Boats

Eighty-three (83) Tanker Trucks

Sixty-one (61) assorted Vehicles

Five (5) Speed Boats Engines

Twenty-nine (29) Motorcycles

Thirty-eight (38) Pumping/Drilling Machines and Generators.

“The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni, on 21st February, 2018 directed the Commissioners of Police of all the State Commands of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and their Supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police of the Twelve Zonal Commands in the Country, and the Force Headquarters Joint Task Enforcement Team to immediately commence simultaneously throughout the Country, the mopping-up, recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons in the possession of all suspected Militias, Bandits, Armed Herdsmen and Farmers, Vigilante groups, Neighbourhood watch and other groups or Individual(s) or Bodies bearing prohibited firearms and ammunition, illegal weapons and lethal devices whether locally fabricated, modified or otherwise fashioned to kill or that can cause harm or injury to persons or that can cause panic, fear, apprehension, security breach, breach of Public peace or that can cause threat to law and order anywhere in the Country.

“Consequently, ultimatums of Twenty One (21) days at intervals were given by the Force for voluntary return of all prohibited firearms in the hands of members of the General Public, individuals and groups such as Vigilantes and neighbourhood watch groups in any of the Thirty Six (36) States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) including the Seven Hundred and Seventy Four (774) Local Government Areas of the Federation, Town Unions, Hunters and Watch night men or any group or association under any capacity or guise, other than Security Agencies recognized statutorily and gazetted by the Federal Government of Nigeria to bear firearms of specified category; after the expiration of the grace period and ultimatums, the Commissioners of Police of State Commands, FCT and their Supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police and the Force Headquarters Joint Task Enforcement Team in compliance with IGP’s directives and working on actionable intelligence, swung into actions and embarked on Mop-up, Seizure and Recovery of all illegal and prohibited firearms and ammunition from wrong hands, suspected Militias, Militants, Criminal/Unlawful Gangs through search, raid and seizure from identified premises, hideouts, dwelling houses, buildings and sites where these illegal/prohibited firearms were kept based on reasonable suspicion and intelligence and recovered the following prohibited/illegal firearms and ammunition:

RECOVERED PROHIBITED FIREARMS

Batch 1 – No. of Firearms Recovered = 6, 527

No. of Ammunition Recovered = 14, 809

Batch 2 – No. of Firearms Recovered = 3,130

No. of Ammunition Recovered = 12,185

“Below are the categories of the prohibited/illegal firearms and ammunition, specified under Chapter F.28 LFN 2004 Fire Arms Act:

Prohibited Firearms; Artillery
Apparatus for the discharge of any explosives of gas diffusing projectile.
Rocket weapons
Bombs and Grenades
Machine-Guns and Machine-Pistols
Military rifles, namely; those of calibres 7.62mm, 9mm, .300 inches

Revolvers and Pistols whether rifled or unrifled (including flint-lock pistols and cap pistols).
Firearms such as Pump action gun of all categories
Any other firearms/lethal weapons fabricated to kill

“This operation which is still ongoing among other purposes, is aimed at the full enforcement of the Firearms Act, mopping-up and recovery of all prohibited firearms and illegally acquired weapons and will enable the Nigeria Police Force deal decisively with Herders/Farmers Clashes, Kidnappings, Armed Robbery, Cattle Rustling, Militancy and Terrorism etc.

“While the Firearms Mop-up Operations and the recovery of monetary/non-monetary assets of Government are still ongoing, the Nigeria Police Force therefore implores Members of the Public with useful information that will assist the Police to report via the following contacts:

DIG Department of Operations: 08037025670

O/C IGP Special Investigation Panel: 08035891859

O/C IGP Monitoring Unit: 08032451594

O/C IGP Intelligence Response Team: 09098049333

“The commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee protection of Lives and Property and recovery of Government assets in the hands of unpatriotic individual(s), group(s) or corporate bodies across the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.”

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/police-recover-4705m-n8bn-nnpc-funds.html

MTN shares rose by 8.9 per cent on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, South Africa, yesterday, following Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s resolve to meet with the telecommunications firm and the indicted banks over the $8.1 billion repatriation fund saga.

The rise in shares is MTN’s biggest in the last six months, but the stock is still down 28 per cent since the $8.1 billion claim was made on August 29, wiping out almost $5 billion of market value.

The CBN said yesterday that it had agreed to negotiations proposed by MTN Nigeria and the four banks involved in the $8.13 billion transfers, which certificate of capital importations were adjudged fraudulent.
It also said the engagement was sequel to the provision of additional information, which is currently being reviewed with a view to arriving at an equitable resolution.
Director of Corporate Communications Department, CBN, Isaac Okorafor, who disclosed this, said the apex bank acknowledged the public interest over the sanctions recently imposed on four deposit money banks (DMBs), but wished to restate that it would continue to welcome foreign investments and investors.
According to Bloomberg, the announcement suggests there may be a way for Johannesburg-based MTN to reach a deal with Nigeria, just as it did two years ago when it negotiated a $5.2 billion fine to about $1 billion and a commitment to list its local business in Lagos.
That penalty was related to subscribers that were not properly registered in the country.
A London-based analyst at Signal Risk, Ronak Gopaldas, who was quoted by Bloomberg, said: “This is a welcome development and cements our initial view that the sanction was unsustainable.
“Considerable damage has already been done in terms of brand damage to Nigeria Inc. and value erosion for MTN. However, a more conciliatory tone will see some of these losses being reversed. It will help calm investors.”
The Apex bank’s statement did not refer to $2 billion of taxes MTN is also accused of owing, a claim that comes from the Attorney General’s office.
Reacting to the development, President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, said: “While this is a step in the right direction, continued dialogue to reach an amicable resolution is a minimum standard expected by the investment community.”
Already, MTN has gone to the Federal High Court to seek redress on the matter.
MTN Group CEO, Rob Shuter, at the just concluded International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecoms World in Durban, South Africa, described as a disagreement between the telecommunications firm and the Nigerian authority with a promise to resolve the matter amicably.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/mtn-shares-rise-89-per-cent-on-planned.html

The Not Too Young To Perform (NTYTP) Group, a formidable young people-driven leadership development initiative has has rejected the nan of use of cellphones at polling stations or voting cubicles by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the commission to devise better ways of curbing vote buying.

The body also described the high cost of most political parties' expression of interest and nomination forms to run for political offices as "a deliberate vehicle deployed by the corrupt managers of such political parties and their looting collaborators to continue to promote incompetence and corruption in the country."

According a statement issued in Abuja and jointly signed by its Convener, Comrade James Ezema and the National Publicity Secretary, Arc Bello Mohammed, the group, which believes that performance in office must be the basis for all young people to run for elective offices or accept any political appointment, while urging Nigerian youths to vote against candidates of all political parties with costly nomination forms, noted that INEC has to prosecute vote buyers and sellers.

"For us, since the major incident of vote buying occurred during the Anambra State governorship elections in November last year, INEC has not done enough to nip the anti people practice in the bud.


"We hail the commission for recognizing that vote buying is a big challenge that must be tackled but the ban on use of cellphones and camera at polling units cannot be the best INEC can offer in its efforts to curb the menace. INEC should go back to the drawing board to find better ways to deal with it if it can't prosecute offenders."


On the high cost of nomination nation forms, the group added that "There is no better way of promoting incompetence and corrupt practices in the polity than the tactical exclusion of incorruptible Nigerians, particularly our vibrant young people from offering themselves to contest elections than the current high cost of relevant forms being sold by most political parties.

"In as much as we know that cost of elections anywhere in the world is expensive, the deli rate hike in costs of expression of interest and nomination forms by political parties is doing more harm to Nigeria than we imagine.

"The irony is that when a well-to-do friend or associate purchases the expensive nomination form for an aspirant who cannot afford it, genuine fight against corruption is sacrificed on the alter of paying back for a good gesture.

"Or how would such aspirant effectively fight corruption, particularly if such benevolent associates are involved in a graft or abuse of office because as they say, 'one good turn deserves another'?

"More so, juicy appointments and contracts will naturally go to such "charitable" individuals or group.

"Our country will not experience expected leap as far as good governance is concerned and the increasingly monetized Nigerian electoral system has remained why lips service is continually paid to the so-called anti graft war by successive governments.

"The only choice young people have is to vote against such political parties as we are now more afraid than ever that political power will remain in the hands of looters and in permanent control of their "rich" offsprings and associates at the expense of performance in office", the group bemoaned.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/youths-group-reject-inecs-cellphone-ban.html

Barely four days to the Osun state gubernatorial election, the Nigerian police Wednesday filed a four-count charge against People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

The police, in a Federal High Court in Abuja, charged him for examination malpractice, aiding and abetting, impersonation, and criminal conspiracy.

Police alleged that Ademola and his brother Sikiru Adeleke registered and sat for the National Examination Council Examination (NECO) 2017 as internal candidates, impersonating students of the school at the ages of 57 and 42 years respectively.


It also alleged that Ademola Adeleke made a statement that he registered for the May/June diet of the National Examination Council examinations, which is made for internal students.

Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood told newsmen that the duo did not sit for the exams, however.

Moshood explained further that both the Senator and his brother Sikiru Adeleke’ s pictures were captured in the school’s photo book of 2017 but no NECO seal was found on their photos, unlike the rest of the students.

[b]http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/police-file-four-count-charge-against.html[/b]

Ifeanyi Ubah(CEO CAPITAL OIL) bows greeting Gov Rochas Okorocha at Imo airport

More photos at http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/photos-ifeanyi-ubah-bow-greeting-gov.html

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged political parties to conduct credible primary elections ahead of the 2019 general polls.

Alhaji Hussaini Pai, its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Plateau, gave this advice in an interactive session with the political parties on Wednesday in Jos.

According to Pai, credible party primaries will ensure free and fair general elections in 2019.

“We want you to conduct credible primaries, because only an acceptable primaries will ensure a free, fair and credible general elections in 2019,” he stated.

The REC said the interactive session was part of the commission’s plans in ensuring an acceptable general elections in 2019.

He described political parties as critical stakeholders in the conduct of any election, hence the need to educate them on its level of preparedness.

“INEC is determined to deliver a free and fair elections in 2019; in fact, we are ready for it, but we can not do it alone, and so key election stakeholders must be involved.

“INEC is conducting elections for the parties because they are the ones, who present candidates who will stand for elections. This is why this type of interaction is necessary,” he said.

Pai also advised the political parties to sensitise members on the need to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from the commission.

According to him, more than 200,000 PVCs remain uncollected by prospective voters in Plateau.

“The commission didn’t produce these PVCs for fun, it was produced for the purpose of election and I wonder why people will not come to collect theirs.

“People must know that it is only when you have your PVC that you will be allowed to vote on election days.

“So we are urging all political parties to sensitise their members to go and collect their PVCs to enable them vote in the 2019 general elections, ” he added.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/inec-tasks-political-parties-on.html

The Senate President and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday regretted the happenings in Aso rock, the seat of power in Nigeria since 2015 with a verdict that cabal and not President Muhammadu Buhari was in charge of the most populous black country in the world.

He recalled that Nigerians voted the President with the hope that Buhari would effect positive change in the country, but lamented that the people have been shortchanged by the cabal who continue to hold sway in power.


Saraki who was accompanied by Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, Senator Abiodun Olujinmi, Captain Idris Wada, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Muhammed Wakil, made the remarks while addressing PDP delegates in Oyo State during a meeting where he solicited for their votes ahead of the October presidential primary of the major opposition party in the country.

He said the few influential world presidents who had visited Nigeria under the present administration did not stay beyond a few hours because they were convinced that their host did not understand their mission or contributed to discussion as expected.

He also said that Nigeria lacked the progress it deserved because voting patterns were determined by religion, language and ethnicity instead of capacity and merit.

Saraki said, “Over the years, we have made mistakes in electing people based on sentiment. Yes, it is time we correct it. We will correct it because we are capable. Over the years, we have voted for people based on religion, the language they speak and where they came from in Nigeria. We need people who have the courage, capacity, ability and determination.

“I have shown over the years, particularly in the recent years that one has the opportunity of leadership, that I have the capacity to take Nigeria forward. The countries that have done well did so not by bringing leaders by chance but because they looked for capable leaders. It is time to pick such leader.

“The president we have now does not understand leadership. We have endured him for more than three years but it is the same thing. Nigerians voted for him (Buhari) but cabal is ruling the country. That is not what democracy means. This time, let us look for who can do it. In Nigeria today, we do not have unity. What we need in the present world is digital president.

“When your president sits with world presidents, he should be able to understand what they are saying. That is why presidents who have visited the country did not stay more than a few hours. But when they know that their host understands them, they will stay longer and explore investment opportunities in Nigeria.”

Saraki said he considered Oyo State his home because his paternal grandmother was from Iseyin area of the state. He added that the state’s priorities would be protected if he became the president.

“I am happy to be back at home. This is my home, this is my state. By the boundaries that we share between Oyo and Kwara States, compared to other aspirants, it is just a stone throw to travel from Oyo to Kwara State, and they will know that their next president is just next door. On my father side, my grandmother came from Iseyin here in Oyo State; the same town where the PDP chairman in Oyo State comes from, so I know that I have captured a delegate with me. I am sure that many aspirants have come but now that your own has come home, there is nothing wrong in telling them your son has come so that Oyo can have someone that will protect its priority,” he said.

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/09/19/cabal-ruling-us-not-buhari-says-saraki/%3famp

Sokoto State governor and PDP presidential aspirant, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, said on Tuesday that he would accept the outcome of the party’s presidential primary scheduled for between Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 in Port Harcourt.Tambuwal stated this in Birnin Kebbi when he met stakeholders of the party as part of his familiarisation visit ahead of the primary. “I deem it appropriate to start the visit with Kebbi State being my home as Sokoto and Zamfara. “Our party is still consulting the stakeholders on who to present to contest for the presidential position. ‘‘If the consultation fails, we will do the primary and I will accept the outcome and support whoever emerges as our candidate,” Tambuwal said. “I had left PDP for APC in view of the situation we found ourselves under PDP in the last government and joined APC for our conviction and presumption that the party would do the expected,’’ he added. He promised to address the security challenges in Zamfara, Birnin Gwari in Kaduna, Benue, Taraba as well as Kebbi if elected the president. Earlier, the Deputy State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Musa Argungu, assured Tambuwal that party members would support his aspiration.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/ill-accept-outcome-of-pdp-presidential.html

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris has directed that the court summons against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in relation to the ongoing investigation into the April 5, 2018 bank robbery incident in Offa, Kwara State, be served on him.


The IGP has asked a unit within the Nigeria Police Force’s Legal Department, Force headquarters, Abuja to ensure the prompt delivery of the court processes on Saraki before the next date, October 3 2018.

On Monday, at the Grade 1 Area Court, Aco Estate, Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, a lawyer, E. S. Marcus conveyed the IGP’s directive at the resumed proceedings in a criminal complaint made against Saraki by an Abuja-based lawyer, Oluwatosin Ojaomo.


Ruling in the complaint marked: CR/196/2018, filed under Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Justice Abdullahi Garuba Ogbede had on September 10, ordered the issuance of summons on the IGP following Saraki’s absence in court.

The judge had summoned the IGP to attend court on September 17 to show cause why Saraki was absent in court and what efforts he had made to ensure his appearance.

On Monday, Marcus told the court that although the IGP and Saraki were absent in court, he was informed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Legal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, identified as Mahmoud that the IGP had directed a unit to ensure the delivery of all processes in relation to the case on Saraki.


He said, “The defendant is not in court. At the last date, the court issued a witness summons on the IGP to come and show cause why the police failed to effect service of the criminal summons, warrant of arrest and other processes on the defendant.

“The witness summons was served on the Nigeria Police Force by the court’s registry.

“However, we received a call from DSP Mahmoud of the Legal Department of the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, that the matter has been assigned by the IGP to a particular unit of the NPF to effect the service of the summons on the defendant and arrest him.”

Marcus urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the police effect service of the processes on the defendant.

Justice Ogbede consequently adjourned the case till October 3.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/offa-robbery-igp-idris-to-enforce.html

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday dared the Federal Government to produce facts proving its appointments are not lopsided.

“We are disappointed and shocked that despite appeals to the president to break the domination of the security apparatus by people of the same religion and language in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, Buhari has turned a deaf ear,” CAN said, regretting that his recent appointments neither featured a Christian nor a southerner.

Buhari had picked Yusuf Magaji Bichi, a Muslim from Kano State, to replace Matthew Seiyefa as head of the Department of State Services (DSS); Hajiya Zainab Ahmed as supervising finance minister, following the resignation of Kemi Adeosun; and Abbas Umar Masanawa, named the managing director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.

The umbrella body described the “lopsided appointments” as a “hallmark” of the Federal Government in key ministries like interior, defence, education and information and “challenged the federal ministry of information and the presidency to contradict this fact with evidence by publishing the names of all heads of parastatals and agencies including their states of origin and religion.

“These are all parts of the gradual and subtle Islamisation agenda.
We are sad that those who are benefitting from the existing order, Christians inclusive, have been dismissing this alert with a wave of the hand.
But CAN, as watchman for the nation, will refuse to be intimidated,” CAN said.

But the presidency has always insisted Buhari’s appointments are fair. Spokesman Femi Adesina in one of such affirmations declared: “To claim, suggest or attempt to insinuate that the president’s appointments are tilted in favour of a section of the country is simply untrue and certainly uncharitable.”
In a statement yesterday by its president, Rev. Dr Samson Ayokunle, CAN said: “We wish to place on record, once again, the dangerous and religious discrimination and partiality that have characterised the President Buhari-led administration.
We believe the marginalisation of Christians is deliberate, to heighten the tension in the land for whatever reasons.
CAN is fully persuaded beyond any reasonable doubt that it is the lopsided appointments in the security agencies that are largely responsible for Christians becoming endangered species in their fatherland under the leadership of Buhari.”

Condemning the “unprecedented protection and favouritism” allegedly enjoyed by “murderous Fulani herdsmen,” CAN said: “Rather than arrest and prosecute them, security forces usually manned by Muslims from the north offer them protection, as they unleash terror with impunity on Nigerians.
“The bottom line is that President Buhari failed woefully to protect Nigerians.
He willfully permitted the herdsmen to operate, killing people, destroying communities, wholesale, destroying farmlands and turning the entire Middle Belt into a killing field, all the while enjoying government’s protection from counter attack, arrest or prosecution.”
It said: “Through his partial, sectional and discriminatory appointments, particularly in security and education, President Buhari violated Section 14, of the constitution, which states, ‘the composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies’.”
The association noted: “For anyone to be asking all well-meaning Nigerians, including some media houses, to stop complaining of the lopsided appointments in the security apparatus of the country is reprehensible, insensitive, and wicked.”

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/can-dares-buhari-to-prove-appointments.html

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stepped up the campaign to rid the country of dirty notes, make lower denominations available and stem the tide of racketeering in new notes, as it approved a disbursement to traders at the Tejuosho Ultra-modern Market, in Lagos.

The lower denominations approved by the management of CBN for the disbursement include N200, N100, N50, N20, N10 and N5 denominations to economic agents.’

This is in continuation of a series of direct disbursements to marketers, merchants, shopping malls, supermarkets, tollgates, among others, with a searchlight on the recipients to ensure compliance to rules.

A top source at the apex bank told The Guardian that those direct disbursements were matched with unique numbers to a particular recipient and would easily be flagged when used for wrong purposes, like selling the notes at events’ venues.

The Director, Currency Operations Department, Mrs. Priscilla Eleje, at the weekend in Lagos, during the sensitisation programme at the market, said the traders at the market would be entitled to N5000 worth of the lower denominations weekly, which would be done through their bank accounts.
She said that the piecemeal disbursement was to guard against possible abuse or diversion and curtail the scarcity of the lower naira denominations due to hoarding and sale by unscrupulous people.
“In recent time, the bank has observed the inadequate circulation of the lower denomination banknotes and difficulties encountered by economic agents despite huge volume of banknotes injected into circulation on yearly basis.
“Any beneficiary found to violate the procedure would be delisted”, she warned.
She added that CBN ‘recognizes the important role markets play in economic growth, hence the need to ensure accessibility to lower denominations to carry out legitimate economic transactions.

Explaining the framework for the disbursement of these lower denominations, she reiterated that this would be made through commercial banks at no extra cost, while the beneficiaries should ensure that their accounts are funded before any withdrawal would be made.
“Therefore, market associations are not expected to add any cost to their members. In order to guard against possible abuse or diversion of these banknotes, the bank has developed a monitoring framework to ensure the judicious utilisation of the funds disbursed.
“The exercise consists of on the spot-checks to the premises of the beneficiaries after the receipt of disbursement as well as mystery shopper approach to shops, markets and toll gates and any beneficiary found to violate the procedure would be delisted.
The Branch Controller, CBN Lagos, James Iyari, urged the traders not to continue to recycle dirty or mutilated Naira notes, but return such to their banks.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge you to handle the Nigerian banknotes properly.
It is important to let you know that the CBN spends a lot of money to print and process the notes, which is meant to sustain daily economic transactions.
“I I also remind you that it is a criminal offence to abuse the Naira, which is punishable under the CBN Act 2007, by six months imprisonment or a fine of N50,000 or both, when convicted of the sale, spraying or mutilating the banknotes.
It is also a criminal offence to counterfeit the Naira, which attracts five-year imprisonment without an option of fine.”
Speaking on behalf of the traders, the market Leader of Tejoshuo Model Market, Alhaja Titilayo Noyimot, expressed gratitude to the apex bank for making lower denominations available to traders in Lagos markets.
Lamenting that the challenge of getting lower denominations has become real problem for the petty traders in the market, she thanked CBN for making the market the first in Lagos to benefit from the initiative.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/cbn-steps-up-distribution-of-lower.html

Popular blogger, Linda Ikeji has given birth to a baby boy on Monday in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States.

The elated new mother shared the news of her delivery through her Instagram page on Monday with a post-delivery picture.

She wrote, “Oh dear Lord, I am a mum. Baby J is here. He was born today 17th September. This is so surreal.

“Thank you guys so much for the love through this journey and thanks for all the well wishes. Love you guys!” she wrote.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikeji’s pregnancy generated a lot of interest in the past few months leading to the delivery.

Fans of the media mogul have remained curious about the paternity of the child which she is yet to reveal, although she let it slip that he is from the Itsekiri tribe of Delta State.
However, there was more outrage from fans over the deviation from her usual celibacy stance when she announced the pregnancy in May as many termed the move as hypocritical.
NAN reports that Ikeji maintained a high anticipation for the baby, regularly posting pictures of her pre-natal care and plans for the child fondly called ‘Baby J’.

See photos at http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/breaking-popular-bloggerlinda-ikeji.html

The continuous divestment from the equity market segment to other investment windows, especially the fixed income segment, has become a source of worry to capital market stakeholders. They have thus, urged the Federal Government to ensure that the 2019 poll is credible enough to cause a return of confidence in the stock market.

The stakeholders argued that if the authorities fail to ensure the credibility of the transition process, the poor state of the nation would erode the positive attributes of the macro economy, notwithstanding the level of improvements.They admitted that some stocks have remained fundamentally attractive, but regretted that the prolonged sell-off has induced apathy and low confidence.

For instance, at the close of transactions last week Wednesday, the local bourse recorded its biggest loss in eight months, following massive sell-off that caused investors to lose N423 billion.The market capitalisation, which stood at N13.617 trillion as at January 2, 2018, when the market opened for transactions for the year, has now dropped to N11.69 trillion, representing N1.9 trillion loss, while the All-Share Index plunged by 6,242.56 points or 19.5 per cent from 38,264.79 points to 32,022.23 points.



The stakeholders’ linked the unprecedented loss to assessed heightened political risk, as the 2019 general elections draw closer, coupled with the gale of defections, devoid of clear economic plan or agenda to revitalise the economy.The Chief Research Officer at Investdata Consulting Limited, Ambrose Omordion, argued that the volatility in the market would persist, amid current political risks, especially as primaries kick off soon.“We expect the market to maintain this volatility as bargain hunters take advantage of the low-price regime, in the midst of continued sell-off and political risks,” he said.

The Founder of Independent Shareholders Association, Sir Sunny Nwosu, said it is now obvious that investors prefer to stake their fund in fixed income where the interest rate is fixed and stable.“Fund is leaving the market because of the current trend. A stock you bought the rights issue at N42 is N23 today, so some people will want to have a fixed interest rate. For instance, if the interest rate is 10 per cent, you work on that and expect the 10 per cent gain, which is fixed, than the capital market that you are not sure.
“Every thing about capital market is based on performance, so they may be leaving. What is the capitalisation today? A little above N11 trillion, from over N15 trillion. This money is investors’ money and not the regulators,” he said.Managing Director of HighCap Securities Limited, Imafidon Adonri, said virtually all assets are currently migrating to fixed income market, leaving the stock market on a perpetual decline.
“We are witnessing lots of asset migrating to fixed income. We are at a bias market now and the reason being the increasing political risk and dampened investors’ confidence in the country.“The political elections should be credible and transparent to instill confidence to participants. If it is not credible, the risk will increase and the country’s risk valuation will be on the high side.
“Authorities should bring back credibility to political transition process. This is the only way to put the risk at a decline. Notwithstanding how good the macro economic indicators might be, the soured state of the economy caused by political tension will erode the positive attributes,” he said.Since January 2018 when the NSE hit its five-year peak at 45,312.82 basis points, the bourse has lost 25.82% to rank the worst performing market in the globe. This officially puts the index in the bear market territory.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/persistent-funds-migration-threatens.html

House of Representatives Spokesman, Abulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) on Sunday refuted a media report that the Deputy Speaker of the House, Yussuff Lasun has dumped the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Namdas said that Lasun was a committed party man and had no plan to ditch APC. His position was also corroborated by the Media aide to the Deputy Speaker, Wole Oladimeji, who also stated that his principal was still in APC. Recall that the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara last week exited from the party and pick a nomination form from the PDP. As a result, speculation became rife that his Deputy might follow suit. Speaking on the matter, Namdas said that such report was unfounded. He said: “There was nothing like. I am telling you authoritatively he Deputy Speaker did not defect, he has not defected and he will not defect. “Though I don’t know what those spreading this rumour wants to gain, but this is a mere wish that won’t come true,. The Deputy Speaker has said it severally, at different fora that he belonged here and will never contemplate leaving the party. “He is a committed man, he has been tested severally and found to be a man of his words. “Lasun is a member of APC, that, I am telling you authoritatively”. In his statement on Sunday, the CPS to Lasun, Oladimeji the report was a ‘machination of the detractors of the Deputy Speaker’. The statement read: “The defection story of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff to PDP is highly misleading and highly uncalled for. “Deputy Speaker has said it repeatedly that he is a progressive to the core and remains in APC. “It is the machinations of his political detractors who are head bent in maligning his political image that are spreading the rumour. “A silence does not mean that he has left the party, the rumour recently being spread is by his political detractors”. ‎

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/i-have-no-plan-to-ditch-apc-says-deputy.html

The Imo State Independent National Electoral Commission (ONEC), has disclosed that it registered 435,126 new voters as at August 31, 2018 when the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise lapsed.

Addressing chairmen and secretaries of political parties in the state in Owerri yesterday, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, disclosed that of the number, 234,610 are males, while 200,516 are females.

He said the commission received 19,352 requests for intra and inter state transfers and 31, 674 for replacement of lost or damaged cards or cards with misspelt names or incorrect personal details.

Ezeonu, however, lamented that in spite appeals, advocacy and enlightenment on voter education in the 27 local councils of the state, over 400,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were still not collected at INEC offices.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/imo-inec-registers-435126-new-voters.html

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon Henry Seriake Dickson, has directed security agencies in the state to arrest and prosecute the legislator representing the Brass Constituency 1 in the state House of Assembly, Mr Israel Sunny-Goli.

He warned that if Sunny-Goli is not arrested and prosecuted by the law enforcement agencies, he would personally mobilise the people of the state to arrest him. The governor stressed that the police authorities and the Department of State Services ,DSS, had failed to arrest the lawmaker despite the plethora of petitions against him in the state because he belonged to the All Progressives Congress ,APC. In a rare press release by his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, the governor accused the lawmaker of being responsible for various crimes including murder, thuggery and cultism in his constituency and the whole of Brass Local Government Area of the state. He alledged that Goli was one of the kingpins of cultism in the state responsible for several unresolved murders. The statement said: “Sunny-Goli is a criminal and a fugitive, who is running away from the law. He is responsible for several deaths in the state and runs to Abuja to seek refuge. The police authorities cannot continue to condone acts of criminality simply because Sunny-Goli (also known as Adi) is a member of the APC. The law must not be applied selectively. “The position of the Bayelsa State Government is that Sunny-Goli has to be arrested. We are asking the IG and the DSS to take steps to prevent an abuse of their powers by someone who terrorises innocent people. “I will mobilise the people of this state to arrest him since the law enforcement agencies cannot do it. As governor of this state, I do not and will not condone criminal acts by any individual no matter his position in the state. I have a zero tolerance for criminality and lawlessness.” He also expressed shock that President Muhammadu Buhari could allow former Governor Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri and other APC leaders to cause mayhem in the state despite my several reports and complaints to him and security agencies. “The president has allowed common criminals and terrorists such as Sylva and Lokpobiri to unleash violence on their people while the IG is sitting in Abuja to direct investigation of a petition against the Brass Council chairman. At the moment, they are attacking innocent people in Brass, who are members of the PDP, with people bloodied and houses burnt all in a bid to destabilise the state.” The governor said Sunny-Goli has several pending cases before the police and the DSS for which he was invited but that he shunned the invitation to seek protection in Abuja from where he wrote a frivolous petition that resulted in Thursday’s invasion of the homes of the interim chairman of the Brass council, Victor Isaiah, and that of the former chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Timipa Tiwei Orunimighe, who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP. He insisted that Isaiah who was invited by the police would honour the invitation when the security agencies act on the earlier petitions against the lawmaker that was being protected by the agencies. The governor accused the APC leaders in the state, including Sylva and Lokpobiri, of using the security agencies to shield criminals, intimidate and harass innocent citizens.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/gov-dickson-calls-for-arrest-of-bayelsa_13.html

States in the southeast geopolitical zones will tomorrow experience a total, partial or no lockdown at all, depending on who gains the upper hand in a showdown between security agencies and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The secessionist group had ordered people in the region to observe a sit-at-home tomorrow in protest against an alleged suppression by the Federal Government.

But the Army, Police, Air Force, Civil Defence Corps and operatives of the Department of State Services responded yesterday with a show of force and a pledge to deal with any member of the group who breaches the peace.

In Umuahia, the Abia State capital, a heavily armed detachment took off from the Central Police Station (CPS) in a long motorcade and drove through Garki to Ossah Road-Michael Okpara Square. It proceeded to Abia Tower (Expressway) and then returned to CPS through Bank Road-Afara-Umuahia (Nnamdi Kanu’s village) and Aba Road.

Another joint patrol also traversed the streets of Enugu, Enugu State, assuring residents that any intimidation by IPOB would be crushed.

“With this exercise, we are clearly sounding a note of warning to troublemakers to steer clear of the entire southeast and other places under 82 Division Areas of Responsibility. We want the existing peace in the southeast to continue unhindered. We will not fold our arms, as members of the security community in this state and the entire southeast, and watch some misguided individuals or groups molest and intimidate innocent and law-abiding citizens,” said Major General Emmanuel Kabuk, General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigeria Army, Enugu.

Addressing journalists at the end of the Umuahia exercise, Commissioner of Police Anthony Ogbizi, said: “Our coming together is a signal of our resolve to confront any event that may rear its ugly head before, during and after September 14. The Federal Government has proscribed IPOB and there are many laws in place. The group should not dare the law because we shall apply the rules of engagement in dealing with it.”

But IPOB dismissed the patrols as “laughable”, saying it has set up a “compliance unit” to ensure no one flouts its directive.

A statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, reads: “Any person or persons found outside on September 14, 2018 will be recorded as an enemy of Biafra and dealt with accordingly. Such person or persons, along with their families, will face the eternal wrath and consequences of their actions. This IPOB generation will not forgive any act of treachery capable of derailing our march to freedom.

“Lest we forget why we must sit at home on the 14th, there is the need to constantly remind ourselves that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (IPOB leader), the only man brave enough to confront the Fulani caliphate’s expansionist tendencies; the man who sacrificed everything we all hold dear, in order to liberate us from bondage, is still missing.

“Are we going to forget so soon that our wives, mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers were shamefully humiliated by a northern Fulani police commissioner in Owerri only a few weeks ago? No governor or socio-cultural leader rose up to that occasion to condemn the abominable and sacrilegious incarceration. Instead, these shameless men we call governors have decided to hand over their states to Fulani military and police commanders to do their dirty jobs for them.”

IPOB added: “Some of those killed during Operation Python Dance II, last year, are yet to be properly identified and buried. But here we are again, confronted by another Operation Python Dance. Mass graves litter Biafraland that require urgent international investigation, another reason why we must sit at home.

“Those we regard as political leaders have turned to collaborators and agents of the oppressor. Some of them have publicly boasted that they will sabotage Biafra again, as they did in the past. To correct all these anomalies in our land, we must sit at home on Friday, September 14, to send a clear unmistakable message that Biafra cannot be subdued.”

Meanwhile, some youths reportedly invaded a police station in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State yesterday. The youths were said to be protesting against the death of a motorcyclist while allegedly trying to evade arrest by the police.

One person was killed during the incident.

Police spokesman, Haruna Mohammed, said the situation has been brought under control.

In another development, a group, Igbo Ekunie Initiative, decried the Federal Government’s launch of operation Python Dance III, a security outfit, in the southeast, saying past activities by the body have been tainted by killings, extortion and humiliation of the region’s people.

Full details at http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/sit-at-home-no-going-back-on-tomorrows_1.html

The National Social Investment Office (NSIO) on Wednesday described as misleading, claims that the Federal Government was providing N50 per meal for pupils’ feeding in public primary schools in Kaduna State.

“When the Kaduna State Government commenced funding the school feeding programme in January 2016, the engaged cooks were paid N50 per meal for each of the pupils assigned to them.

“After, the Federal Government through the NSIO took over the funding of Kaduna State School Feeding Programme in August 2017; the cost of feeding per child was increased to N70 per meal.

“Consequently, for Monday to Thursday of each school week, N62.50 is paid directly into each cook’s bank account, taking into account the amount of N30 which is paid directly to the Kaduna State Poultry Association for the supply of eggs to all of the cooks as part of the menu selected for Wednesdays.
“For Fridays of every week, however, N70 is paid directly to the account of the supplier of biscuits and juice,’’
“Mrs Maryam Uwais, the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments,’’ the NSIO said in a statement in Kaduna.
Reacting, Uwais said the assertion that the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme had made provision for the N15 as profit on each meal was spurious.
She said the profit expected to accrue to the cooks from feeding pupils in classes 1-3 in primary schools derived from the bulk provision for an aggregate number of children assigned to each cook, which figures range from between 70 to 150 pupils per cook.
Uwais added that it was also pertinent to state that under the programme’s framework, standards and costing models had been developed for each menu, based on the nutrient targets for each child’s age group.
“After the state selects the content of its menu based on the food items that are accessible and affordable in each jurisdiction.
“And guided by the basic nutritional requirements prescribed by the Federal Government’s team, coordinated efforts are then made to directly link all the cooks to farmers, thereby availing them of the benefits of farm gate prices.
“In other words, concerted and deliberate efforts are made to connect the cooks to the agricultural value chain, to enable them source for fresh and organic food produce from farmers at affordable rates and not necessarily from the open market.
“This strategy has had a multiplier effect of stimulating productivity and providing a regular and sustainable income for the farmers,’’ the statement quoted Uwais as saying.
According to her, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme is currently offering free meals to over 9.3 million public school children in 26 states across Nigeria.
The states include Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa and Jigawa.
The remaining states are expected to engage with the programme within the year, as they are at various stages of compliance.
“As we proceed to engage more states on the programme, we request for public diligence and feedback from the states where feeding has commenced, to preempt, address and resolve any unsavoury incidents that have the potential of harming our children.
“We appeal to members of the public to call our hotlines – 08088899918, 08084000444 for this purpose, to enable us continually improve on the programme,’’ Uwais added.
The news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some food vendors of the Federal Government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State had on Sunday complained that N35 was grossly inadequate to prepare a quality meal.
The vendors told NAN in Kaura that they supplied the food at N50 per plate, with N35 as cost price and N15 profit.
Mr Yakubu Kajang, the Desk Officer of the programme in the local government area, confirmed that the 261 vendors in the area received N50 per plate directly from the Federal Government.
The vendors had said that the cost of food items in the market had made it impossible to prepare a plate of rice with beans, fish, vegetables and crayfish with N35.
They appealed to the Federal Government to review the rate from N50 to N100 per plate in line with current market prices.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/school-feeding-nsio-refutes-n50-per.html

In an effort to prove the popularity of Senator Bukola Saraki in his home-state, a Kwara-based group is mobilising youths to a Mass Rally in solidarity with the presidential ambition of the Senate President on Saturday, September 15, 2018.

Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday in Ilorin, the Convener of the forum, Mr Abdulmajeed Olanrewaju Oba, said the March became necessary owing to the immense contributions of to the state when Saraki was Governor of the state and senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mr Olanrewaju Oba said: “It is going to be an unprecedented gathering for the celebration of Senator Bukola Saraki’s years of enviable leadership when we host the one-million-mass march around the state.


“The proposed March which will commence by 7 am in the morning of September 15, 2018, at Ibrahim Taiwo Junction, just in front of Mr Biggs, in Ilorin, Kwara state.
“We recommend a Dress code of Black Jeans and no specific colour of T-shirt to commemorate the occasion.”
Commenting on the personality of the Senate President, the youth leader who is also Patron of The Olanrewaju Oba Youth Forum (TOOYF), commended Bukola-Saraki for answering the call of teeming Nigerian youths to contest for Presidency.
Mr Olanrewaju Oba said: “Nigeria currently needs a competent and capable personality like Saraki to lead this country forward for saving the nation’s Democracy through his actions and deeds during the National Assembly chambers siege among others.
“We are thrilled by the prospect of having a leader like Senate President, Bukola Saraki as Nigeria’s President. He has all the qualities and we had thought having him will be something to be proud of. We know that with him Nigeria has a great future,” Mr. Olanrewaju Oba emphasized.
While encouraging other Nigerian politicians to emulate the leadership style of the Senate President, the convener said Kwara youths are strongly behind his ideas and ideals.
“Senator Bukola Saraki has distinguished himself as a leader of the masses and as a man we can trust. We are so sure of his capabilities and he is the best candidate for the job. This is basically why we are organizing the 1millionmass march for him.
“The manner in which Mr Saraki has been running the affairs of the upper chamber of the National Assembly was a pointer to his maturity and his ability to rule the country with a focus.”

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/kwara-youth-group-pledge-support-for.html

Former governor of Kano State and Presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has dismissed the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari that All Progressives Congress, APC, defectors are weak.

Buhari on Tuesday while accepting the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to contest the 2019 presidential election said that those who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to other political parties, were the selfish and weakest members of the ruling party.

Buhari was quoted saying “The weakest whose sense of expectation do not align with our vision have exited our party.

“We now have a party of strong and patriotic people who are ready to work for a strong Nigeria.”
Reacting to Buhari’s statement, Kwankwaso speaking through his Principal Secretary, Hajia Binta Spikin challenged Buhari to come plain and state names of defectors he was referring to.

Spikin said Kwankwaso was neither weak nor selfish contrary to Buhari’s statement.

The statement read: “The President should have come plain so that we would know who exactly he was referring to. But my leader and the Rabi’u Kwankwaso that I know is not weak because his achievements are there to speak for him.

“What he has been able to achieve in Kano in four years alone defines him as a strong, visionary, compassionate leader who knows what he wants and how to get it.

“He is the only leader that I know who has been able to put Kano on a sound footing and erect infrastructure projects – over 6,000 of them between 2011 and 2015; they are there for you to touch, feel and use. A weak person cannot achieve that.

“He cannot be selfish too because he remains the only governor of Kano who did not collect the security vote. The man’s cult-like followership is because he is strong and people know that he is not selfish, and he can deliver.”

[[url]http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/kwankwaso-challenges-buhari-to-name.html

The Police Command in Imo State has vowed to arrest anybody breaking the law in compliance with the sit-at-home ordered by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra on Friday.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Dasuki Galadanchi, issued the warning during a joint news conference by heads of security agencies in the state on Monday in Owerri.

Galadanchi urged the residents to disregard the order and added that police would not allow such order to stand in the state.
IPOB recently announced September 14 as a remembrance day for the Biafran heroes and gave a sit-at-home order in the South-East.
The Police commissioner said security agencies would begin “a show of force” in the state on Tuesday to send a warning signal to the IPOB members.
“We are ready to stop the IPOB order; we will not tolerate it and I urged members of the public to go about their normal business.

“Police is there to ensure that maximum security is provided for members of the public,” he said.

[http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/sit-at-home-order-police-speak-vow-to.html[/b]

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara on Saturday disclosed that he was never interested in politics until he was elected into power.


He noted that betrayal and backstabbing were the two major factors that clouded his mind from joining it.

According to him, entering politics was not a deliberate choice.


On why he joined politics, Dogara told DailyTrust: “It will surprise you to know that it wasn’t entirely a deliberate choice on my part to go into politics. I was never interested in it. As a matter of fact, I hated politics with a passion because of the betrayal and backstabbing involved.

“I’d already cut my teeth in the private sector, comfortable in my skin about the future having made some investments that were beginning to yield tangible returns.”

“With that in mind, I thought I needed no career in politics, because of my belief then that those who had a chance of making it in other endeavours shouldn’t have anything to do with politics. Therefore, I had zero interest in politics, generally, much less running for an elective position”, he said.


On his future plans after the end of his tenure as a speaker, Yakubu Dogara added that he had lost interest in planning the next phase of his life.

“I’ve lost interest in planning the next phase of my life. Therefore, my answer to your question is very simple: my training brings me a lot of opportunities for service.

“When I am done with speakership, I will weigh the opportunities available to me for service and the one that will result in maximum impact on others is the one that I will embrace without equivocation.

“It is not about what I want to do, but how can I deploy my talents and gifts in ways that will have maximum impact on others. I have no other plan,” he added.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/i-was-never-interested-in-politics.html

Heads of State, Governments and delegations from 52 African countries, including Nigeria and the People’s, Republic of China met in Beijing, under the auspices of the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The tri-annual summit was held with the theme: “China and Africa: Towards an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation.”

President Muhammadu Buhari led a strong delegation from the public and private sector that included senators, state governors and the Ministers of Finance, Transportation, Power, Works and Housing, Budget and National Planning, Petroleum and Industry, Trade and Investment, and Minister of State, Aviation. The gains for Nigeria from the recent FOCAC, which alternates its meetings between China and Africa every three years, can be summed up in three ways: Nigeria as a member of FOCAC; Nigeria-China bilateral engagement and Nigerian Government–Chinese business partnerships. At the summit, which attracted multiple benefits for Nigeria, members agreed to bind themselves to the Belt and Road Initiative of the Chinese government, which essentially seeks to promote collectively, among one another, extensive consultation, cooperation and ensure shared gains. Essentially, this translates into closer connection in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people-to-people ties. All members will share development opportunities and promote cultural exchanges. Going forward, Africa and China will form a stronger synergy in world bodies such as the UN, World Trade Organisation and G77+China. They will align themselves in pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2063 of the African Union and support individual national development strategies. Overall, this should generate more resources for everyone, expand markets and create space for African development and broaden its economic prospects. To realise this, African countries have agreed to participate in November this year in China’s first-ever International Import–Export Expo in Shanghai. It is important to note that China has categorically stated their commitment to non-interference in the internal affairs of members, as well as pledged to support development efforts without political strings attached. This should answer mostly Western critics who doubt the sincerity of China. In line with the general principles of the accord, Nigeria, with few African countries, were preferentially treated to bilateral meetings. The Chinese and Nigerian government met exclusively to discuss matters of mutual benefits. The leaders of both countries witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by their foreign ministers, captured as “One Belt, One Road (OBOR)’’. There was the signing of USD 328 million financing agreement for the National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone by the Nigerian Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Wang Xiaotoa, Director-General, China International Development Cooperation Agency. As for more specific takeaways from the bilateral meetings, Nigeria received blessings of the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping for the building of the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant in Mambila. Work on the power project will commence on the site in early 2019. When President Xi announced a USD 60 billion to finance aid and infrastructure projects in Africa at the FOCAC Summit in Johannesburg in 2015, Nigeria joined other countries to draw from the funds for critical infrastructure that included railways, roads and power. In the last 24 months, China has given Nigeria support in scholarships, military trainings and security assistance, agriculture and concessionary loans to fund infrastructure. Nigeria has attracted more than USD 5 billion finance and more is still under discussion with the government of China. With a further USD 60 billion announced for the next three years by President Xi, Nigeria should hope to make more progress in closing its infrastructure deficit. At the Johannesburg summit, President Xi announced RMB 100 million in humanitarian and military assistance to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism. At this summit, he promised a further sum of RMB 50 million for the same purpose. President Xi promised to open China’s market for agricultural products from Nigeria and widen cooperation between the two nations in media, sports and culture. He noted that several Nigerian footballers in China were idolised by fans. The Chinese leader also promised to step up cooperation in intelligence and military training. While commending President Buhari for taking measures to fight terrorism and insecurity, President Xi said the Nigerian leader was decisive in dealing with terrorism. “You are resolute–the same attitude as China,” he said. President Xi told President Buhari that he would support the reform of the UN “to increase the voice of developing countries in Africa”. He equally promised continued support for Nigeria’s infrastructure projects, citing the country’s railway modernisation project; Lekki Deep Sea Pot; Zungeru Power Project; Abuja Light Rail; ICT and infrastructure backbone and Abuja Water supply as laudable developmental projects. The Chinese leader announced the establishment of a “manufacturing section” so that Nigeria can gain from China’s leading role in the world. “In some we lead, in others we need to catch up,” he added. On a parting note, President Xi told President Buhari that he was fully cognisant of the status and influence of Nigeria in Africa, saying, “We will step up cooperation and will provide assistance. The relationship between China and Nigeria is as best as ever, given the deeper mutual trust. China will continue to stand with Nigeria.” President Buhari was also accorded the honour of a state banquet by the Chinese Premier Li, who assured the Nigerian leader that China was ready “to press ahead” with infrastructure, including the Mambila hydroelectric power project. He, like President Xi, requested for “thorough feasibility and sustainability studies.” Among the several outcomes of the engagements of President Buhari and his delegation at the FOCAC Beijing summit were the many agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed between the Nigerian Government and Chinese businesses, and between Nigerian businesses and their Chinese counterparts. The Nigerian delegation was able to sign thirteen agreements during the summit out of 25, with more to be signed by the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation. In all, more than USD 10 billion agreements were signed. Others, still under discussion will be quantified upon the conclusion of discussions by various parties. Among those that have been signed, in agreements or MOUs include the agreement between the China National Petroleum Corporation and the NNPC. CNPC has agreed to secure funding for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Ajaokuta – Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline to cost USD 2.8 billion. There was also the agreement between the Ministry of Industries, Trade and Investment with Shandong Ruyi International Fashion Industry for USD 2 billion, for a first-ever cotton value chain; that is from cotton growing to ginning, spinning, textile manufacture and garment with Katsina, Kano, Abia and Lagos States as the chosen locations. Another Chinese conglomerate, Capegate Integrated signed an MOU worth USD 1.5 billion for energy and organic fertilizer that will cover Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Kano to generate 300 MW of electricity, 500,000 tonnes of organic fertilizer, 60 million litres of oil from pyrolysis and create up to 10,000 jobs. The company will bring 400 garbage collection trucks and various types of city sanitation equipment, with One million waste bins deployed. The NNPC entered another agreement with Nanni Good Fortune Heavy Industries Group and Capegate Group for a USD 400 million investments across six states to allow for production of ethanol, a 64 MW of power plant, 72,000 tonnes of sugar per annum, 10,000 tonnes of animal farm per annum and 5,500 direct employment The Nanni Industries and Capegate Group submitted an MOU to the NIPC for an investment in 15,000 hectares of Cassava Ethanol in the South-west, and another project of the same value and scale in the South-east. Among other agreements that the NNPC signed was one with Obax-Complant Consortium and another with Capegate-Nanning Consortium that targets 10 biofuel complexes nationwide. NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru said through these ventures, Nigeria is giving effect to her aspiration for the exploitation of renewable fuel sources. Edo State Government, as reported widely, had signed for the construction of the Benin River Port; the Benin Industrial Park and a 550 Barrels per day modular refinery. A funding MOU between Huawei technologies and the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Galaxy Backbone for the training of 1,000 Nigerian government officials to acquire basic ICT knowledge and skills has been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice. Huawei also plans the annual training of 10,000 Nigerians in ICT, with a wider and deeper training of 5,000 out of this number who, upon certification by Huawei will be employable anywhere in the world. Another attractive MOU signed was that by KhromeMonkey Nigeria Limited, behind whom is Leadership newspapers owner, Sam Nda-Isaiah and Shenzen Right Net Technology Limited. This partnership will lead to setting up of Amanbo Nigeria, a business-to-business-consumer (B2B2C) platform and portal that would enable Nigerian exporters to trade with Chinese importers and vice-versa. This partnership holds tremendous opportunities for Nigeria in terms of creating thousands jobs, if not millions as core and support services to the platforms such as warehousing all over the country, logistics, distributorships, customer services, shipping services, credit facilities for small businesses etc. The estimated trade potential of the platform within the first three years given the current trade relationship with China is USD 500 million. This is expected to continue to grow, creating millions of jobs for Nigerians. From addressing the FOCAC as FCOWAS Chairman, and doing so as President of Nigeria, to having 30 minutes discussions with President Xi Jinping and another 60 minutes with Premier Li, to addressing a room filled with influential Chinese businessmen and women, President Buhari’s six-day engagement in China had turned out to be really eventful, successful and highly rewarding.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/news-insight-buharis-10billion-harvest.html

With the current rise in water level in the River Niger axis and increased persistent rainfall, Nigeria might experience flood disaster higher than the 2012 flood episode, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned.The alarm came after the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NHSA) alerted NEMA, after receiving a distressed call revealing that all indices that led to the 2012 flood disaster has manifested and the level of water in the River Niger at the confluence of Lokoja was currently at 10.1m, as against 9.43m in 2012.

The agency further revealed that current water was being discharged at 21, 326 cubic metres, as against 19, 762 cubic metres in 2012, putting Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Edo, Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states at high risk of flooding in the River Niger axis, while Adamawa, Benue and Taraba states are at risk on the River Benue axis. Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, during an emergency stakeholders meeting in Abuja, said: “It is clear that all indices that resulted in the 2012 flood disaster has manifested.

“However, there is no information yet from Lagdo Dam on any preparation for discharge, but with the current spate of rainfalls across the region, there is no guarantee that the Camerounian Government would not discharge.” He said the agency was invigorating its enlightenment campaign in frontline states in an aggressive manner, such that anyone living in flood plain areas would be well informed of the dangers.

Read More: NEMA, NMA partner to provide medical help to disaster victims
NHSA’s Director of Engineering Hydrology, Clement Eze, said the agency received the distress call around 9:00pm on Thursday, adding that the situation was very critical, because Nigeria is at the downstream of activities of member countries of the Niger Basin.He said currently Shiroro, Jebba and Kainji Dams have been spilling water to avoid dam breakage and had alerted that the water was still coming very high.
Eze expressed worry over an impending flood situation in Nigeria with an additional three weeks of rainfall in northern Nigeria and the current stage of discharge of water from the River Niger.He said information reaching NHSA has it that Lagdo Dam in Cameroun was still impounding the water, but if the intensity of rainfall continued, Adamawa, Benue and Taraba states would be flooded
Director, Search and Rescue at the Defence Headquarters, Admiral Dolapo Kolawole, however, disclosed that military authorities have put the Nigerian Navy and Air Force on red alert in case of any disaster, assuring that helicopters would be deployed for evacuation.He disclosed plans by the disaster and rescue unit to tour the affected states to access the state of readiness of the arm forces unit there for the operation.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/flood-disaster-looms-in-nigeria-nema.html

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has explained the purported earth tremor, which occurred in some parts of the city on Thursday and Friday morning.

The Director General, FEMA, Abbas G. Idriss, in a statement Friday said: “The tremor was caused by sudden breaks along a fault line, resulting in sudden release of energy that makes the ground shake.


“The rock blasting and mining activities in an area could result in the underground rocks to experience stress.”

The FEMA DG urged the public to remain calm and not panic by the development.

FEMA also assured that the likelihood of any earthquake in the country was low as Nigeria is not in an earthquake zone.


The agency also issued safety tips for the public to follow in the event of continued occurrence of tremor.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/why-earth-tremor-occurred-in-abuja-fema.html

The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler, thursday disclosed that the federal government realised N3.5 trillion from various taxes in the first eight months of 2018.

This was N1 trillion higher, compared with the N2.5 trillion generated by the country same period in 2017.
Fowler disclosed this just as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that the total value of Nigeria’s merchandise trade dropped to N6.56 trillion in the second quarter of the year (Q2 2018),


representing a contraction by 8.89 per cent, compared with the N7.21 trillion recorded in the preceding quarter.
The FIRS boss while speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, stressed that oil revenue was unsustainable, just as he reiterated the need to focus on ways to ramp up the country’s non-oil revenue.

“If you look at 2018 revenue till date, between January and August, we have done N3.5 trillion, which was N1 trillion higher than the amount realised over same period in 2017.

“You can clearly see that even at current prices, the oil revenue tax cannot fund our nation. The only way to have a high level of tax compliance is to focus on the non-oil.

“A component of the non-oil happens to be Value Added Tax (VAT) and we have found that a number of business collect VAT and don’t remit it,” Fowler said.

He also said the FIRS had commenced the audit of taxpayers across the country.
Fowler said the nationwide audit would ensure increased tax revenue collection, improved service delivery to taxpayers and enhanced voluntary compliance, while calling on stakeholders to support efforts to reposition tax administration system in the country.

“I also want to announce that we now have a consolidated database of all taxpayers in Nigeria under the Joint Tax Board (JTB).

“We just concluded it and before the end of September, it will be made available to all state internal revenue services and other government agencies like Immigration and Customs. It will be available for tax administration,” he added.

The FIRS boss said all tax laws that were not in the interest of the taxpayers are already undergoing a process of review and that taxpayers and stakeholders must support tax authorities in the interest of the nation’s development.

“The greatest challenge for any tax administration is achieving and maintaining a high degree of self-assessment and voluntary compliance by taxpayers.

“Studies however show that the extent to which an economy is able to grow sustainably and develop depends to a large extent on its ability to generate tax revenue to finance its expenditure and the efficiency of its tax system,” he said.

At the event, some of the stakeholders raised concerns regarding the number of taxes and levies being collected and levied by different government agencies which were mostly not remitted completely.

The forum had in attendance, representatives from Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), labour unions, tax consultants, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other private sector operators.

Nigeria’s Foreign Trade Drops

Meanwhile, in its Foreign Trade Statistics for Q2 which was released thursday, the NBS attributed the contraction to the decline in both imports and exports in the review period.
However, the country posted a surplus of N2.35 trillion, representing 8.36 per cent increase compared to N2.17 trillion in Q1 in its trade balance for the period under assessment.

Total imports stood at N2.11 trillion indicating a -16.3 per cent decrease compared to N2.51 trillion in Q1.
On the other hand, total exports amounted to N4.46 trillion, indicating a contraction of -4.9 per cent compared to the N4.69 trillion posted in Q1.

Crude oil accounted for 83.5 per cent of total trade while non-oil exports accounted for only 4.3 per cent of total exports.

Nonetheless, exports accounted for 67 per cent of total trade, the NBS stated.
India and China remained the country’s major trading partners in terms of export and import destinations with trade values of 16.19 per cent and 25.28 per cent respectively.

The value of imported agricultural goods stood at N224.52 billion, showing an increase by 21.7 per cent compared to N184.49 billion Q1.

Raw materials imports totalled N261.10 billion, a decline of -8.3 percent compared to N284.81 billion in Q1.
The value of manufactured goods imported in the review period was N1.17 trillion, representing a decline of -1.2 percent over the preceding quarter which stood at N1.18 trillion.

However, the value of exported agricultural goods in Q2 stood at N85.90 billion, representing a 17.3 per cent rise when compared to N73.24 billion in Q1 and 127.3 percent higher than the value recorded in Q2, 2017 which stood at N37.79 billion.

Crude oil exports totalled N3.72 trillion, representing 4.2 per cent increase from N3.57 trillion in Q1 and 53.7 per cent higher than the N2.42 trillion in Q2 2017.

Other oil products exports was valued at N516.32 billion, indicating a decline of 3.6 per cent in relation to the N535.68 billion recorded in Q1 and a 0.8 per cent growth from the value recorded in Q2, 2017 at N512.41 billion.
The value of exported manufactured goods in Q2 stood at N69.86 billion, representing a significant decline of -83.9 per cent compared to N434.37 billion in Q1 and higher by 0.9 percent when compared to N69.26 billion in Q2 2017.
Also, raw material exports value dropped by -2.98 per cent in Q2 to N31.72 billion compared to N32.70 billion in Q1 while solid minerals exports value dropped to N19.93 billion or -25.98 per cent lower than the N26.92 billion in Q1.

The value of Energy goods exports stood at N10.99 billion or 5.8 per cent higher than the N10.39 billion posted in the preceding quarter.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/fg-rakes-n35tn-taxes-in-eight-months.html

Lagos State generates 0.17 million metric tons of global plastic wastes, according to a 2010 data captured in a Wall Street Journal publication of February 12, 2015.

The report showed that Nigeria ranked ninth among countries that pollute oceans and waterways and contributes 0.34 million metric tons.

Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, disclosed this during the launch of Clean-Up Lagos Waterfronts initiative at Ibeshe Waterfront in Ikorodu yesterday.


He said Lagos, like other mega cities of the world, has huge socio-economic and environmental challenges, one of which is pollution, particularly of the marine environment, which has become a major source of concern globally in view of its socio-economic and public health implications.

He stated that the marine ecosystem was delicate and must be protected to effectively facilitate socio-economic activities such as transportation, power generation, irrigation and preservation of aquatic life.

Durosinmi-Etti explained that the water bodies, which were priceless gifts of nature with huge aesthetic, tourism and economic potentials, have been subjected to all forms of abuse and degradation, including dumping and littering of the waterfronts with solid wastes and debris.

He urged users of waterways and waterfronts to see the natural resources as precious gifts of nature that should be protected and preserved, while charging operators in the water transport sector, such as sand dredgers, fishermen, private boat owners and owners of other facilities along the waterfronts to protect the waterways.

He said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was committed to the environment, as demonstrated by the implementation of Solid Waste Management sector reforms, saying this will ultimately eliminate plastic waste pollution, especially in the water bodies.

Speaking, General Manager, Health and Safety, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Yusuf Ahmed, noted that the exercise was important because a large percentage of solid wastes in the Lagos waterfronts end up in NPA channels and the ocean.

“The wastes disturb our senses and the use of waterfronts. This is harmful to aquatic life and could negatively affect the nation’s image in the international community,” he stated.

The maiden Cleanup of Lagos Waterfront with the theme: Save Our Waterfronts, was organised in partnership with the NPA and other stakeholders.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/09/lagos-generates-017-million-metric-tons.html