₦airaland Forum

Buhari is hell bent on crippling the economy of Nigeria.

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria on Thursday kicked against the removal of rice from import restriction list by the Nigerian Customs Service.

Mr Segun Atho, the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that RIFAN members were capable of producing quality rice.

He said that farmers had not disappointed the Federal Government and so the decision was a misplaced directive because other countries are protecting their economies against importation.

Atho said, “The decision by the NCS to lift the ban on imported rice is not the best for indigenous farmers, we do not want it and we are totally against it.

“Lifting the ban would be going out of track. What they (NCS) earlier told us was that they were going to protect our land borders from rice smugglers.

“We do not want it for now, the home growers are just in their teething period.

“When we disappoint government then they can say we are having shortfall.

“We can produce rice that can meet international standard.

“Vietnam and other countries are protecting their countries from importation of rice, so we should protect our own too.”

The coordinator told NAN that for years, farmers had not benefited from the ten per cent meant for farmers from the importation of rice.

He said the duties collected were meant for indigenous growers to boost development and production processes.

“In the past years, all the duties collected from rice importation had not impacted on the local farmers.

“The agreement was that ten per cent collected should be given to farmers for development and production but we are not seeing that.

“Nobody should be given licence to import rice so that we can create jobs.

NAN reports that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), has ordered the immediate removal of rice from import restriction list.

He also re-introduced import duty payment at land borders

http://www.punchng.com/news/rifan-kicks-against-lifting-of-ban-on-rice-importation/

Lunatic cowards............Let them chase away the fulanis that have made Falae's farm land their grazing site before pulling out of the country

I feel for this guy....Oliseh should be careful the way he handle the team.

This is not the best way to instill discipline in a team.

NFF should wade in and recall this hero from retirement

Rubbish.....as if Buhari had any certificate

This is a vindictive and selective judgement

The Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday submitted its report to the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, with an appeal to him to recover stolen funds belonging to the people, including the sum of N53 billion taken from the State Reserve Fund.

The commission was set up by Wike to investigate the sale of valued assets belonging to the state by the Rotimi Amaechi administration.

Chairman of the commission, Justice George Omereji, suggested that the state governor should swing into action and ensure that billions of Naira belonging to the state stashed away in some places were returned while those found culpable should be prosecuted.

Omereji, who spoke with newsmen after submitting the panel’s report, disclosed that investigation had revealed that the immediate past administration in the state had removed N53 billion from the N55 billion left in the State Reserve Fund between 2014 and May 2015.

He explained that the commission could not find any project linked to the withdrawal of the N53billion from the state reserve fund and added that the money was shared among cronies of the past administration.

Describing the task given to the panel as enormous, Omereji also disclosed that the immediate past administration could not actualise the building of the Justice Karibi Whyte Hospital, even when a huge amount of money had been paid to contractors for the project.

He said, “There was the sum of N55 billion in the State Reserve Fund. Between 2014 and May 2015, they (immediate past administration) were able to remove N53 billion and we found out that the money (N53 billion) was not used for the projects in the state. The money went to individuals. From the papers submitted to us, we also found out that the money was given to people they like.

“We went to the site of the Justice Karibi Whyte Hospital, we did not see anything at all. When I told the project contractor to come with us (panel) to the place, he said snakes would bite us.

“But I insisted that we should go there. Behold, by the time we went inside, we did not see anything. The whole billions of Naira given to the man cannot be accounted for. We have recommended that those found culpable should refund the money. We even recommended that some people should be prosecuted.

“I don’t want to tell you those that will be prosecuted. It is not good for me to reveal the content of the recommendations now because we have just submitted our report.”

Earlier, Omereji had informed the governor that 27 memoranda and 142 exhibits were received by the commission and added that 25 witness testified before the panel.

“We hope that the government will act fast and by the time the government looks into this report and act fast, it will be able to recover billions that are still stashed in where they kept them.

“That money belongs to Rivers people and they should be recovered so that we can use it for the people of Rivers State,” Omereji insisted.

He, however, thanked Wike for giving him and members of the panel the opportunity to serve the state, promising to be available to serve whenever the need arises.

Responding, the state governor vowed to implement the recommendations of the Omereji-led panel and maintained that his administration would not be intimidated by any person or group of persons.

http://www.punchng.com/news/amaechi-spent-n53bn-from-n55bn-reserve-fund-panel/

Now we know who are the real jokers

Scores of people were killed in explosions on Tuesday night at two mosques in Gubio town, in the northern part of Borno State, a member of youth vigilance group told our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday.

He said the explosions occurred at about 7.30pm during the late evening prayer by Muslims.

The source said the blasts from bombs believed to have been planted by suspected members of Boko Haram.
Details later…

http://www.punchng.com/news/explosions-kill-worshippers-in-borno-mosques/

disumusa:
go and look for work to do.

I am gainfully employed.....thanks for your concern

A strong protest from members of the All Progressive Congress in the Senate on Wednesday did not stop their colleague from Rivers State from submitting a petition against the nomination of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi as minister.

No sooner than the senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, George Sekibo, raised a point of order to submit the petition that the APC senators kicked by shouting, “no, no, noooooo.”

Despite the APC protest, Senate President Bukola Saraki asked protesting senators to keep quite and then asked Sekibo to submit the petition which he said was from one of his constituents.

http://www.punchng.com/news/rivers-senator-submits-anti-amaechi-petition-apc-lawmakers-kick/

As it stand now, the eagles have only one goal keeper in carl Ikeme due to visa hitches to other invited goal keepers.

Isn't this enough reason not to tamper with with Enyeama even if he reported late at camp due other issues other than his mother's demise??

Why are Nigerian coaches always finding it difficult to be gentlemen of honor when their diplomacy is called to question??

This was the same way Ladan Boso disgraced himself at the world youth championship

Its either Oliseh leaves Enyeama alone or he leave our super eagles

What manner of silly action is that?? Enyeama left his mourning family to serve his fatherland only for this UEFA coach to treat him in utter disdain.

This boyish coach should learn to be a father to his players and not the other way round.

For the years that GEJ was president there was no known record of political assassinations.
Is Nigeria gradually sliding back to the dark era of yesteryears?

The way and manner oppositions are being muted and hunted is taking frightening dimensions.

If this administration doesn't do something urgently to unify this country quickly, I am afraid for what the future holds for Nigeria.

We have returned to the era of political killing......#bringbacKGEJ

Plans to eliminate the President of the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, by sabotaging the integrity of his Bombardier Challenger 600 aircraft have been uncovered.

According to the African Free Press, the Man of God narrowly escaped death by the whiskers because his aircraft would have crashed if not for the grace of God and the professionalism of the pilot.

This disclosure emanated from a reliable source close to the CAN President who said Oritsejafor who also is the Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, was on board his private aircraft when the pilot detected an unusual sound from the engine compartment forcing him to make an emergency landing and subjecting the aircraft to checks.

Upon checking for the source and cause of the sound, the engineers spotted two huge bricks placed inside the engine compartment by yet unidentified persons.

Judging from the unfortunate incident as it were, the plan was for Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s aircraft to crash with him on board. The high-flying pastor was said to have been distressed over this development.

The said aircraft has designated parking spaces at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Osubi Airstrip also known as Warri Airport all of which are under the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which collects heavy fees as packing and security charges.

Efforts to reach Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor on this incident have not yielded fruit. However, a source inside FAAN who wishes to remain anonymous because he is not authorised to speak to the press confirmed to our reporters that the lawyers of Pastor Oritsejafor have written to FAAN on the frightful and outrageous incident, demanding an explanation on how and why two bricks were lodged in the engine compartment of the aircraft while it was under their care. The said letter has raised tension in FAAN as no one has claimed responsibility.

In the twists and turns of events, the pastor’s name was dragged into Nigerian politics by his detractors for being close to former, President Goodluck Jonathan and for being vociferous in his criticism of the Islamists group, Boko Haram.

The climax of the attack against him came to the fore when the aircraft which was donated to him by his congregation and some of his sons and daughters was leased out and it got entangled in a botched arms deal in South Africa.

According to government sources, the aircraft which was also on commercial lease was hired by the office of the NSA to cater for the security needs of the nation.

The opposition then leaned on the botched transaction to denigrate the CAN president ahead of the 2015 general election.

Both CAN and the CAN president have repeatedly called for a comprehensive probe of the botched deal. It is obvious that those who were eager to frame Pastor Ayo have not rested since then.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/oritsejafor-can-leader-escapes-death-by-whiskers/222018/

What a blunder and silly decision from the coach.

This man is a really thug masqeurading as a gentleman. Enyeama has a genuine reason to report late at camp.

Common this guy just buried his mother on sunday....I think the NFF should wade in before this UEFA coach shatters our football

Setting up a hospital in north east wunt be a bad business idea anyway

If it had happened in Nigeria, this would have been the statement from burantashi:

We attacked and killed scores of bokoharam fighters; Bombs and charms recovered. Our men are already conducting mop up operation to apprehend the fleeing terrorists

APC and Pa Buhari are bunch fraudsters.

In 1982 (33 years ago), Chief Audu Ogbeh
bowed before Senator Olusola Saraki
(Senate Leader) to be screened as Minister.

In 2015 (33 years after), Chief Audu Ogbeh
will bow before Senate President Bukola
Saraki to be screened as Minister.

Audu Ogbeh bowed before Saraki senior
and also bow before Saraki junior........

I thought the dullard's list was full of saints,
still old looters. Where is the change?
Nigeria has turned to a laughing
stock.....
I am still waiting for when the youths will become the leaders of the country.

Let them expedite action on the project......

As a bona fide member of 5%, this is another business opportunity.
This an avenue to further dig down the economy of the SW

You go fear engrish

Thought they say yaribas dey school pass

NOBLEDANDY:
Because I know how you guys think and reason.
You people are Very dubious in nature.

For purpose of clarity, I am a proud and bonafide 5% percent member hence my VOCAL nature.
Dudes from SW are known to be cowards that can not protest even when persecuted.

NOBLEDANDY:
this Yoruba poster should just shut up...
you voted him in bc of the hatred you have for jona...
now you want people to malign with you and wail even though your party is a ruling party...
forget about ....% we know you are not among the 5%...
so gather your momentum and do your opposition in your own ruling party...
boy leave people outta your own predicament bc you clamored for it "change"

Equating me with the Yorubas is the strongest thing to happen to me in my life
What gave you the impression that i am from the SW??

A reasonable and well meaning president ought to have resigned amidst these gory pictures

SirWere:
Who are you With all your "degrees", What have you done for Nigeria So please, STFU and watch Baba work!

Enjoy the good work

Embattled former Minister of Petroleum in the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, did not appear at Court 10 of the Westminster Court in company with her mother as being widely reported.

Diezani was arrested on Friday in the United Kingdom, for alleged bribery and corruption-related charges.

A twitter user @sampiranty had, relying on an email from the court, “confirmed” that the former minister reported in court at 10am on Monday.

Another tweet @ogundamisi, however, claimed that the ex-minister was not at the Westminster Magistrate Court.

Ogundamisi said he left the said court around 3pm, saying Diezani was not at the said court on Monday.

Sam Piranty, who said he relied on the account of the court’s email, however, later apologised for the “confusion”, adding that the Clerk of the court had clarified that the ex-minister was not in court on Monday.

http://www.punchng.com/news/diezani-not-in-uk-court-on-monday-clerk/

Buhari is a big fraud......very cunning and crooked being from Daura forest

I find it quite offensive that the presidency will call those who oppose his ministerial appointment crooks. Extremely offensive.
What qualifications does he have to stand for that.
He is a cattle rearer and should be minister of agriculture if he is that passionate, he can also be the minister of defense as a former Army general who promised to lead from the front.

Buhari needs to understand that is employers are the Nigerian masses and calling is employers crooks amount to insubordination of the highest order. An apology is expected to that effect at once.

When will this man come to term with the fact that we have way passed the military era when his subjects had no option than to accept whatever crumb thrown to them by the president??
When will the office of the presidency respect the interest of the masses who may be opposed to some of his policies??
When will the presidency acknowledge the fact that the opposition is the reason why elections are held in a democratic setting??

I find it quite appalling that some self-acclaimed right activists are keeping mum while the rights of Nigerians are violated daily by the government. I here by employ those that are opposed to the government's numerous draconian and unrealistic policies to be steadfast and not relent.
proudly....%

OBJ also pocketed another $5 million with PDP • Interim Panel report disappeared in Aso Rock

President Olusegun Obasanjo, who led Nigeria from 1999-2000, during which time he swore to fight corruption in the country, obtained considerable helpings of the infamous Haliburton bribe money, the Special Investigation Panel headed by Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, has declared in an interim report.
According to the document, which was submitted to *President Umaru Yar’Adua in May by Mr. Okiro, Obasanjo shared the sum of $74 million USD between 2000 and 2001 with his Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, as well as Funsho Kupolokun and Gaius Obaseki, who were successive heads of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation during the government’s early years.

During that same time span, said the interim report, Obasanjo and the ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party, also pocketed $5m from the Halliburton slush funds.

Other major beneficiaries included General Sani Abacha, who got $40 million in 1994-95; Ibrahim Aliyu, $11.7million in 2001-2002; former Minister, Dan Etete, $2.5 million in 1996-1998; Abdulkadir Abacha, $1.8 in 1998; and M. G. Bakari, $3.1 million

Among the more startling of the revelations in the interim report, the panel wrote as follows about some of the key Nigerians involved:

On Chief Olusegun Obasanjo: “He was President of Nigeria from May 1999 – May 2007. Reports suggest that Stanley met with Chief Obasanjo and then Group Managing Director of NNPC, Gaius Obaseki, in Abuja on 111th November 2001 to negotiate pay-offs in respect of Trains 4&5. On 20th December 2001 Obaseki reportedly met with Chodan and Stanley in London over lunch in furtherance of discussions. In March 2002, TSKJ won the Train 4 and 5 contacts for $3.6 billion USD allegations are the Gen. Obasanjo may have received a minimum of $4 million USD as pay-off.”

With reference to Obasanjo, the report noted: “Panelists are currently examining documents before the invitation of former President Obasanjo.”

On Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar (Head of State, 1998-1999): “Sequel to Gen Abacha’s demise in June 1998, Stanley allegedly shifted focus to Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, and met with him in Abuja on 28th February 1999 to discuss Train 3 of the NLNG Project. He is alleged to have at this meeting requested Gen Abubakar to designate a trusted ‘frontman’ to collect his bribe. About 11th March, 1999 TSKJ won the Train 3 contract for $1.2 billion US Dollars.”


.

It is not clear why the interim report disappeared once it was submitted to Yar’Adua, who had set up the panel claiming he would combat corruption, or when the Okiro panel intends to submit its final report on what it described as “the bribe scam which has none-the-less demeaned the status of Nigeria among the comity of nations and the entire black race.” Among others, it was asked to “establish the extent of involvement or culpability of any Nigerian in the bribery scandal and the sums of money allegedly paid out to any person in Nigeria by Halliburton as bribes in respect of the Bonny LNG Project.”

Curiously, the panel indicated it was yet to find the following people:

Umaru Maikaura Ali Shinkafi (former Director General, Nigeria Security Organization – NSO). He is alleged to have received $195,000 USD from Tesler. • Funsho Kupolokun – former MD, NNPC • Gabriel Fari – He ran GK Commerce and Finance (Geneva) and was a beneficiary of Tri-Star Investments • Mark Donald Riser (Briton) • Michael Edward Riser (Briton) • AbdulKadir Abacha • Edith Edeghonghon (f) • Prince Nasir Ado Bayero • Ashiru Bisje Aliyu • Zertasha Malik (f)

It would be recalled that on April 13, 2010, Saharareporters broke the story about how Halliburton bribed 80 eminent Nigerians that include former such former Nigerian leaders as Ibrahim Bademasi Babangida, General Abdussalam Abubakar, General Sani Abacha and Chief Ernest Shonekan. We noted in that report that as extensive as the list of names was, it was likely that more names would emerge, partly because the document on which it was based did not cover the three-year period between 24th March 1995 and 31st March 1998, for which no record was available. Much of the Okiro Panel report is based on testimonies in judicial systems abroad.

In addition to Mr. Okiro, members of the panel include the Chairman of the EFCC, as well as representatives of the State Security Service and the National Intelligence Agency.

Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Administration has denied reports attributed to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai that it spent over N64bn on Nigeria’s Independence celebrations in five years.

Operators of the former administration said in a statement signed on its behalf by the immediate past Minister /Deputy Chairman, National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, that the administration spent N332.6m on Independence celebrations from 2012 to 2014.

Sulaiman, who described the claim as a tissue of lies, challenged the Federal Government to make public the amount spent on the Independence Anniversary celebrations from 2012 to 2014.

He said the Federal Government under Jonathan spent N107.6m in 2012; N45m in 2013; and N180m in 2014.

He said that while the amount spent on the anniversary celebrations in 2010 and 2011 were not immediately available, they were in the same bracket with the other years.

The former minister said that there was an increase in the total sum spent on the celebrations in 2010 because of the Golden Jubilee celebration, adding that the sum budgeted was not the outrageous amount quoted by the governor.

He wondered where El-Rufai got the billions which he said was spent on the anniversary celebrations in five years from.

Suleiman said, “We were taken aback by the recent comment reportedly credited to His Excellency, Governor Nasir el-Rufai, where he claimed that the immediate past President, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration spent N64bn to cover the country’s Independence anniversary spending in five years.

“This tissue of lies was contained on his Facebook comment on Thursday. Ordinarily, we would have allowed this to go as just the ranting of a favour seeker, but for the sake of the ordinary Nigerians who were abreast of happenings under the administration and also those who never did, we will like to set the record straight.

“It is important to correct the misinformation so that the unsuspecting public would not be misled. For the record, a breakdown of our anniversary spending between 2012 and 2014 amounted to N332.6m. We challenge the Office of the Government of the Federation to publish these details for the consumption of the public.”

“For the record, a breakdown of our spending for this event between 2012 and 2104 goes thus: 2012 had N107.6m; 2013 was N45m and 2014 had N180m. So, the question here is where did the billions as claimed by El-Rufai emanate from?

“Even though those of 2010 and 2011 are not handy now, it should be known that they all fell within the same bracket as the one stated, except that the 2010 anniversary was a golden one when the country marked her 50 year of independence. But even then, not such outrageous sum was either budgeted or expended.

“Again, it is germane to explain the increase in the 2013 anniversary spending for the purpose of accountability. The National Honours Award Investiture was incorporated into the celebration, thus making it two events in one, hence the N174, 800,000.00 budget. We also want to add that the said award investiture could not hold in 2013 and the approved budget rolled over and was utilised to organise the investiture in 2014.”

He urged government functionaries to desist from abusing their immunities and destroying history for their selfish interests.

He said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo may have been right when he accused El-Rufai of lying and unfair embellishment in his memoir, ‘My Watch’, with his current claim.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be on his guard and not to allow those bent on misinforming Nigerians to mislead him.

“Perhaps, President Olusegun Obasanjo was right in his assessment of El-Rufai when he said in his latest memoir, ‘My Watch’, that his vivid recollection of him (E-Rufai)is his penchant for lying, for unfair embellishment of stories and his inability to sustain loyalty for long.

“That exactly is what El-Rufai has done with his ungodly fabrication of lies against the Jonathan government.

“One hope is that President Buhari would be on guard against being misled by the likes of El-Rufai, who are hell bent on misinforming Nigerians.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/el-rufai-lied-jonathan-didnt-spend-n64bn-on-independence/

Where are those silly and bigoted midgets that called for the arrest of Stanly Okoro

They should come and unleash the DSS on this prophet also

Fools everywhere