₦airaland Forum

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed 10 charges bordering on allegations of fraud against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.

The anti-graft agency also filed four charges of alleged fraud against a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Mrs Folashade Oke.

The charges are coming more than 15 months after they were sanctioned by the President.

Speaking at the Abakaliki township stadium in Ebonyi during the APC presidential campaign, Oshiomhole said Atiku, who wrote letters to United Kingdom, Unites States and European Union, was appealing to western sentiment angling to take over Nigeria’s economy.

“The right to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty is not negotiable,” he said.

Oshiomhole said Atiku’s deference to western interest would have a negative effect on the economy and pauperise the people.

He called on the voters reject Atiku, saying foreign nations can not impose a leader on Nigerians.

He described the forthcoming election as a war between the elites and the poor, just as he insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s policies including TraderMoni are pro-poor.

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Atiku-working-for-foreign-interests-Oshiomhole.html

This is the second time that the meeting would be cancelled in two weeks consecutively as the president and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo intensified their re-election campaign.

By default, in the absence of the president, the vice president presides over the FEC meeting where critical national issues are discussed and projects are approved.

Recall that last week, the President was in Sokoto and Kebbi states for his campaigns, while the vice president was busy with his house to house campaign, thus the meeting could not hold.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has defended the president’s decision not to summon his cabinet for the weekly FEC parley.

According to him, there was no rule that says FEC meeting must hold every week.

“During President Umaru Musa Yar’Adau, the meeting was held bi-weekly,” he reminded State House correspondents, on Wednesday.

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Again-FEC-meeting-cancelled-hold-in-two-weeks.html

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https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Atiku-bow-down-hug-obasanjo-at-Island-Club-in-Lagos.html

ATIKU ABUBAKAR greets the capo di tutti capi, former PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OKIKIOLAKAN AREMU OBASANJO at the Island Club in Lagos...

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Atiku-bow-down-hug-obasanjo-at-Island-Club-in-Lagos.html

mynd44 Lalasticlala OAM4J

Being an Address Delivered by His Excellency, Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and Presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party - PDP on Wednesday, 30th January 2019

I thank the Lagos Island Club for giving me this platform to speak to such a distinguished audience and on such a germane issue. I specifically want to thank you for giving me the liberty to suggest a topic for today's discourse. I had no hesitation seizing this great opportunity to speak to you on my vision for this great country.

However before I delve into this subject I need to say a few words on a fact that many of you already know: our democracy is in peril.

After unsuccessfully abusing the instruments of state to remove the leadership of the legislature, President Muhammadu Buhari has turned his sights on the judiciary.

The action of unilaterally suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Buhari is unconstitutional. The Constitution provides laid down rules for the suspension or removal of the CJN and this has not been followed. This is a grave attack on our constitution and the people of our country. As someone who has vigorously defended our constitution over a number of decades you can be rest assured that I will do all in my power to ensure the matter is resolved in accordance with our constitution. For a key part of my vision for Nigeria is respect for the rule of law, because without it you can have no society.

My preference for this topic is informed by one major consideration. It has always been my view that those who aspire to govern Nigeria must begin to unveil their policy priorities and their strategies for dealing with a plethora of local and national issues from the mundane to the most complex. Indeed, it is time for citizens to demand as a matter of right, from people aspiring to lead them, a plan on what they want to accomplish and how. Political slogans should not take the place of development plans and propaganda is a poor substitute for proper socio-economic and political agenda.

As a matter of fact, it has now been universally established that the ability to articulate a possible future status, whether for a private organization or a nation state, has been a vital component of successful leadership. We are all awed by the strategic prowess of Steve Jobs of Apple, Bill Gates of Microsoft or the Maverick Elon Reeve Musk of Tesla Inc.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Dr. Mahathir of Malaysia and Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China, are just a few of illustrious 'CEOs' of nations because they were visionary and had a positive notion of development.

The lesson we all learn from the success stories of countries such as South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and People’s Republic of China is that economic development does not happen by accident. Their experience teaches that to be successful, economic reforms require a progressive and forward-looking government that has the capacity to craft a coherent vision and to develop coherent policies that will actualize its vision.

I have faith in the capacity of Nigeria to make a quantum leap from third world to first that Singapore, under Lee Kuan Yew, or Malaysia under Dr. Mahathir, made. We have the human and material resources required to make the leap and in fact, many of our nationals have helped other nations make that transition.

However, I also have reasons to worry about the current status and future prospects of our great country as neither our economy or our society is working for our people.

Sadly, in the last four years, Nigerians have witnessed a deterioration of all aspects of basic human development as our country suffered avoidable social and economic decline. The absence of coherent and comprehensive economic policy has robbed the economy of its capacity to attract investment, to support the growth of small businesses and absorb a fast-growing labour force. Africa’s largest economy, with GDP of US$450 billion, remains paradoxically, ‘one of the poorest and most unequal countries’ in the world. According to the UN last year Nigeria overtook India, a country with 6 times our population, as the world capital for people living in extreme poverty.

Under the present Administration our people are not working.

Unemployment has unfortunately been our only boom industry with over 13 million people joining the ranks of people without a job, which now totals 21 million. If people do not have a job they struggle to feed their families which is why 0ver 100 million of our people cannot afford one decent meal a day.

What is also of cause for concern is that the majority of the unemployed are young men and women, who lack not only the means to survive but any hope for the future.

On the political front, our unity as a nation has been fatally bruised. Social cohesion is being eroded, democratic consolidation being undermined, and national unity and security threatened by ethno-religious tensions, agitations, restiveness and disputes over titles and entitlements.

Over the years, Nigeria has promoted, tolerated and indeed celebrated a defective political structure. Our states and local governments are too weak to meet their constitutional responsibilities. Consequently, the Federal Government has succeeded in emasculating them and taking away those responsibilities and, along with these, the resources which belong to them.

The structure of our country is not working.

If we are to develop into a United, Secure and Prosperous nation we must be bold enough to stitch all the structural faults lines that have arrested our development as a nation. We must adopt a new economic management model and a new political structure that will cure all the federating units of their addiction to oil revenues. We must re-structure the polity and the economy.

So having outlined the challenges we face, you may quite rightly ask me: what is my vision to get Nigeria working again?

My Vision for Nigeria has been encapsulated in the #TheAtikuPlan which I launched on the 19th of November 2018. As I demonstrated in the #TheAtikuPlan, Nigeria does not need a complex vision. All we need, and will assiduously work to achieve, is a United, Secure and Prosperous nation that will work for all Nigerians irrespective of their gender, age, religious beliefs, ethnic identity, local government, state or geo-political zone.

Nigerian citizens want a Better Tomorrow.

We envision a New Nigeria that will have, as a minimum, seven basic features.

1. An indivisible, indissoluble, ethnically diverse but strong country that protects its citizens and secures their socio-economic benefits.

2. A modern, dynamic and competitive economy that is capable of taking its rightful place among the top 20 economies of the world. Nigeria has the potential to double its GDP by 2025.

3. A strong economy that is capable of providing in the next 5 years, a minimum 3 million job opportunities annually, reducing poverty rates to below 20% and significantly closing the income inequality gaps.

4. A Nigeria that guarantees citizens' access to economic opportunities and makes the basic needs of life, including health, education, electricity, water and housing, readily available and affordable for everyone.

5. A new political structure that guarantees freedoms and ensures accountability at all levels of government. Tomorrow's polity shall reinforce the country’s concept of true Federalism by conceding unfettered autonomy to the subordinating units.

6. A Nigeria that promotes the politics of inclusiveness and minimizes citizens’ frustration and alienation and completely eliminates the compulsion to take up arms against the society or fellow countrymen.

7. A country that recognizes the central place of the rule of law and ensures the supremacy of law over all persons and authorities. The Nigerian constitution will be the anchor on which the independence of the judiciary, personal liberty and democratic and other fundamental rights rest.

So that is all very well and good, I hear you say, but what will I do to actualize my Vision?

Ladies and Gentlemen, as you are aware, I have been in politics for a number of decades and have also been in the private sector running my own businesses that employ tens of thousands of Nigerians. Both experiences have afforded me the ability to think about the policies my team and I will enact that will have the benefit of practical application to create an environment conducive to economic growth and job creation.

Given your time, here are just 10 examples of the sort of and pragmatic policies we plan to enact immediately should I be so fortunate so to be chosen by the Nigerian people to lead them:

1. We will restore investor confidence on the Nigerian economy.

We all know that over the last four years, the actions or inactions of the Federal Government, have resulted in a significant drop in investor confidence on the Nigerian economy. As a consequence, there has been significant decline in capital importation since the regime came into power in 2015.

Today, Ghana – a country with just 14% of our population - attracts more FDI than Nigeria. In order to reverse the trend, our economic policies will be more coherent, consistent and therefore, more predictable by the business community. Nothing could be more threatening to investment flows than an environment that is full of policy flip-flops.

2. We will support the private sector by undertaking reforms to unleash its growth potential and to play a key role in the economy.

#TheAtikuPlan recognizes the private sector as the engine of growth of our economy. A strong, productive and pro-growth private sector is needed to create wealth, generate employment opportunities and help fight poverty. We pledge to improve government consultations with the private sector in policy design and policy implementation. We will work with the Organized Private Sector to identify ways to reduce the cost of borrowing, tackle incidences of multiple taxation and improve availability of foreign exchange for legitimate production input purchases.

3. We will liberalise the economic space and privatise all ailing enterprises. In particular, the #TheAtikuPlan will undertake a de-regulation of the downstream sector of the economy, review the PIB and privatise all four State refineries that operate at 10% of their installed capacities.. We shall channel the proceeds from the privatisation into a special fund for the development of education and health.

4. We will assist the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to grow bigger and to be more productive. As we all know, small businesses offer the greatest opportunities for achieving inclusive pro-poor growth, through increased self-employment. Our focus shall be on improving their access to affordable, long term funds, provision of critical infrastructure as well as adequate training for their workforce to improve productive capacity.

5. We will prioritize Human Capital Development. Our philosophy is that people are the fundamental reason for economic growth. Accordingly, we will increase investments in the human development sub-sectors especially education and health by committing 25% of the budget to education and 15% to health under a collaborative process and within the 3G partnership;

6. We will create jobs by growing the economy and promoting innovative flagship job creation programmes such as: The National Open Apprenticeship Programme through which we shall enhance the capacity of Master-Crafts men and women to train 1,000,000 apprentices every year. Our National Innovation Fund and SME Venture Capital Fund initiatives will provide stable and sustainable long-term support to aspiring entrepreneurs.

7. We will create an Economic Stimulus Fund with an initial investment capacity of approximately US$25 billion to support private sector investments in infrastructure. Power sector reform will be a critical policy priority. Our vision is to accelerate investment to double our infrastructure stock to approximately 50% of GDP by 2025 and 70% by 2030. Re-building infrastructure and reducing infrastructure deficit will enhance the carrying capacity of the economy and unleash growth and wealth creation.

8. We will improve liquidity by undertaking fiscal restructuring and improving the management of our fiscal resources by:

a. Improving spending efficiency by reducing the share of recurrent expenditure and increasing the share of capital expenditure in budget. Recurrent expenditure over the medium term should not exceed 45% of budget.

b. Raising additional revenue by blocking leakages from exchange rate adjustment. The official rate on which the 2019 budget is based US$/N305 with a parallel market rate of approximately US$/365. FGN will appropriate the premium in excess of N60/US$

c. Reviewing subsidy payments on PMS. The Federal Government has set aside billions of Naira for subsidy payment in the 2019 budget. This will instead go into the funding of education and health.
9. We will build strong and efficient service delivery institutions for more effective co-ordination of government policies and for effective support to the development of a dynamic and internationally competitive private sector. We will re-position the public sector to become more disciplined and performance-oriented.

10. We shall, through constitutional means, achieve a new political structure that guarantees freedoms and ensure government accountability at all levels. Our political reform shall reinforce the country’s concept of true Federalism by conceding unfettered autonomy to the subordinating units (States and Local Governments);

So, in conclusion:

Since the return of the country to democratic governance in 1999, I cannot think of a more important election than the one we face in just over two weeks, given our daunting development challenges. The opportunity to change the course of history and rebuild the country begins on February 16th when Nigerians will exercise their sacred duty to elect their President and other political leaders. Nigerians must reject the status quo and bring in a leader who has a history of economic reform and political transformation.

Nigeria needs a leader who shares its hopes and aspirations, who understands the complexities of the development process and who has the capacity to articulate an acceptable notion of development.

It requires strong commitment, bold initiatives, and a discernible shift from the mistakes of the past, to lift Nigeria from the abyss, and make its people happier, healthier, wealthier.

So I appeal to you, as well as the entire nation, to go out and vote on February 16th so together we can Get Nigeria Working Again.

Close your mouth

Nbote:
See as spit dey comot for ur mouth

Problem they this country

ORIENTATION101:
yeah that is why your oba is always sitting at the far back of ooni .
Superior my foot

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VP Osinbajo declares open the 10th General Assembly of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria in Abuja

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Osinbajo-Ooni-Of-Ife-Others-Attends-National-Council-Of-Traditional-Ruler.html

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INEC made a full list of the accredited observers on its official website.

The list comprised of 116 domestic observers and 28 international observers.

The electoral umpire advised all the accredited observers to operate within the binding code of conduct for election observers.

The commission said, “NEC reserves the right to cancel and withdraw the accreditation of any organisation if its members or agents breach the code of conduct.”

Below is the full list of observers as accredited by INEC.

I didn't know for them

Kagawa10:
What exactly is these people job?

JUST IN: Senate cancels resumption of plenary scheduled for Tuesday 29th January till Tuesday, 19th February, 2019 after General Elections.

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/JUST-IN-Senate-cancels-resumption-of-plenary-scheduled-for-Tuesday-29th-Jan.html

Onnoghen, who President Buhari replaced with the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Mohammed, as Acting CJN, debunked the rumour in a statement on Monday.

The statement was signed by his media aide, Awassam Bassey, who described the CJN’s rumoured resignation as “fake news circulated by mischief makers.”

“Mischief makers are still circulating this fake news. Once again, no truth in it whatsoever. The Hon CJN, Hon Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, has not resigned,” Bassey said.

The rumour came less than 24 hours to the emergency meeting summoned by the National Judicial Council to deliberate on Onnoghen’s suspension and Muhammad’s emergence as the Acting CJN.

Peacemaker5128:
4+4=2023

A senior advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba SAN, has written a petition against the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammed.

He made a revelation in the petition, saying that the new CJN should not be in office.

Muhammed was appointed after President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Walter Onnoghen from office.

In the petition sent to on Monday, Agbakoba said: “On 25th of January 2019 President Mohammadu Buhari pursuant to an exparte order of the Code of the Conduct Tribunalpurportedly suspended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghnen and purportedly swore in Hon. Justice Tanko Mohammed as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“The Constitution is clear about the procedure for suspending or removing the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The Chief Justice of Nigeria can only be removed on the recommendation of the NJC. SeeSection 153 (1), Paragraph 21 (a) of the 3rd Schedule and Section 292 (1) (a) (i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999and the Supreme Court decisioninElelu-Habeeb v AGF (2012) 40 WRN 1.

“Hon. Justice Tanko Mohammed is fully aware of the state of law, yet presented himself to be sworn in by the President. Incidentally, Justice Tanko Mohammed was a member of the NJC panel that removed Justice Obisike Orji of the Abia state High Court for accepting to be sworn in as Chief Judge by the Governor of Abia state without the recommendation of the NJC.

“It is a matter of regret that Justice Tanko Mohammed who participated in this process will lend himself to this constitutional infraction. We pray the NJC to determine this petition in line with the decision in Justice Obisike Orji by immediately removing Justice Tanko Mohammed as Justice of the Supreme Court on grounds of gross misconduct which has generated perhaps the most controversial crisis in Nigeria’s judicial history.”

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Onnoghen-Agbakoba-makes-revelation-against-acting-CJN-appointed-by-Buhari.html

Nigerians are happy, when they hear disbandment

The Director of News

…………………………


PRESS RELEASE
RE: #ENDSARSNOW CAMPAIGN

· IGP ORDERS IMMEDIATE RE-ORGANIZATION OF SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (SARS) ACROSS THE COUNTRY

The Nigeria Police Force has observed the recent trends of event in the Social Media on the #ENDSARSNOW and the controversy being generated by the innuendos from the allegations and other misconceptions as it concerns the Operational roles and activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a detachment of the Nigeria Police Force.

2. Undoubtedly, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have been doing very well in fighting violent crimes such as Armed Robbery, Kidnappings and Cattle Rustling in the country in the recent time and this has resulted in drastic reduction of incidents of the mentioned violent crimes nationwide.

3. However, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni concerned with public interest and the need to reposition the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for more efficiency and effective service delivery to all Nigerians and ensure that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operates based on International Core Value of Policing with integrity and make sure the rule of law prevails in the operations and activities of the outfit, the IGP has directed the immediate re-organization of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) nationwide and instant investigation into all the allegations, complaints and infractions levelled against the personnel of the Special Anti Robbery Squad across the country by the IGP X-Squad of the Force.

4. In the new arrangement, a Commissioner of Police is now the overall head of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja.

5. The Police Zonal Commands, State Commands and Divisions will continue to operate anti-crime units/sections, crime prevention and control squads and teams imperative to prevent and detect crimes and criminalities in their Area of Responsibilities, and other crack squads necessary to sustain law and order and protection of life and properties in their Area of responsibilities (AOR).

6. Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) will now exist and operate in the State and Zonal Commands under the Commissioner of Police (F-SARS) at the Force Headquarters. A Federal SARS Commander of a Rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and not below Superintendent of Police (SP) will be in charge of FSARS in State and Zonal Commands across the Country. All Commissioners of Police have been directed by the Inspector General of Police to comply with this directive with immediate effect and warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives. The IGP X-Squad has been mandated to go round the Commands and Police Formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance and apprehend any erring police officer.

7. Furthermore, a new training program to be organized by the Force in collaboration with some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Local and International NGOs, and other Human Rights Organizations on core Police Duties, Observant of Human Rights and Handling, Care and Custody of Suspects have been directed by the Inspector General of Police for all Federal SARS personnel nationwide with immediate effect.

8. However, aggrieved members of the public who have any complaint in the past or present of violation of their rights by any Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) personnel anywhere in the country are to report through any of the following channels for investigation and further actions.

CSP JIMOH MOSHOOD
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Just-In-Acting-IG-Orders-Immediate-Re-organization-Of-F-SARS-Not-Disbandment.html

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Akwa Ibom APC flags off campaign at Uyo township stadium. It is beautiful in our sights

#AkwaIbomisAPC

ONECampaignFlagOff

#AkwaIbomAPCCampaigns
@APCNigeria

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Sen-Akpabio-Others-Flag-Off-APC-Campaign-In-Uyo-Akwa-Ibom.html

This man Don high

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, has regained freedom after over two weeks in detention.

On Friday, a high court in Abuja granted bail to the lawmaker on health grounds.

In his ruling, Yusuf Halilu, the judge, said Melaye should be allowed to attend to his health as he could not be arraigned on a stretcher or on his hospital bed.

Halilu ordered the senator to present three sureties who reside and have properties in Abuja, emphasising that one of the sureties must be the clerk of the national assembly who would write provide a letter attesting that Melaye will always be available for trial.

After fulfilling his bail conditions, Melaye filed a suit against the inspector-general of police (IGP), seeking that the police do not arrest him.

https://all-gists..com/2019/01/Just-In-Dino-melaye-sues-IGP-After-Regains-Freedoom.html