₦airaland Forum

This one that everyone has turned against biafra. But I blame Ujukwu for everything, he poisoned the hearts of this innocent ignorant people of the east

John Alechenu, Abuja
The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has given herdsmen who are not prepared to abide by provisions of the state’s grazing law up till November 2017 to quit or be ready to face the consequences.
Ortom said this while responding to questions from journalists in Abuja on Friday. He explained that the law took two years to be formulated, noting that inputs were received from all relevant stakeholders before its passage into law.
According to him, contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the law was not targeted at individuals or an ethnic group but formulated to protect law abiding herdsmen and farmers.
Ortom stressed that his administration was prepared to provide land for those interested in ranching. This, he said, would be subject to strict adherence to relevant laws guiding land use.
The governor said, “The anti-open grazing law is not targeted at anyone, tribe or religion. It is meant to improve business in the state and save lives and property of both the herdsmen and farmers. We have given everyone grace period of between now and November this year to get ranches for their livestock.
“When the deadline expires, it is either you ranch your livestock peacefully and continue to do business here in Benue State or you quit. I have assured the herdsmen that I will provide them with security if they want to leave Benue State.
“The government of Benue State is ready to provide for those willing to ranch their livestock as I have done in my farm in Makurdi. The law even seeks to protect the Fulani herdsmen as it stipulates serious sanctions against cattle rustlers.”
Ortom welcomed the new Federal Government’s yam export policy. He said the state, which currently produces 46 per cent of the tubers of yams consumed in Nigeria, had put in place measures to increase production to 60 per cent and that the state would ensure that all exports meet international standards.
On the issue of security, the governor said his administration had since inception given attention to the security of lives and property of citizens and residents of the state.
This, he said, was the spirit behind the administration’s partnership with the Nigerian Prison Service to construct new cells within the state prison to accommodate individuals who decide to make crime their way of life.
He equally said security forces were closing in on the notorious armed robbery and kidnap kingpin commonly known as Gana, whose criminal gang had been behind heinous crimes in Benue and Taraba states.
In response to a question on the issue of restructuring, Ortom expressed the view that members of the National Assembly were better placed to handle such matters.
He explained that since the issue would require amendments to the Nigerian Constitution, people should be encouraged to forward suggestions to the lawmakers.
Source : http://punchng.com/grazing-bill-embrace-ranching-or-leave-benue-ortom-tells-herdsmen/

Evil is slowly taking over the world, Germany needs a leader like Donald Trump

To show their resolve to get independence from the rest of Uganda, the Buganda Lukiiko (parliament) appointed the Buganda Constitutional Committee in 1959.
This prompted the protectorate government on May 23, 1959, to declare Buganda "a disturbed area". For a couple of months, the protectorate police and officials made approaches to the people directly, ignoring the normal procedure of going through the local chiefs.
Writing in the book The Forging of an African Nation: The Political and Constitutional Evolution of Uganda from 1894 to 1962, Grace Ibingira says the protectorate government had the right to do whatever was in their powers to keep law and order in Buganda region.
"It is a most unfortunate result of indirect rule that a conversion was established in Buganda which gave the Baganda a seemingly moral basis for claiming that protectorate officials were constitutionally bound to act through Buganda chiefs only," writes the former UPC secretary general.
However, on October 8, 1960, the Lukiiko sent another memorandum to the colonial secretary. Unlike the previous ones prepared by the Lukiiko, this was prepared by the Buganda Constitutional Committee and endorsed by the Lukiiko.
The same committee went to London to present to Her Majesty's government the Buganda independence roadmap. The memorandum expressed fear of a backlash from outside Buganda if by independence it was still part of the bigger Uganda.
"If Buganda 's legitimate constitutional demands have caused all these most unlikely reactions while the treaty of relations are even existing between Buganda and Her Majesty's government, the Lukiiko's apprehensions as to what the future Uganda governments attitude towards Buganda will be are greatly intensified," the memorandum read in part.
"We don't expect the government to do much better than Her Majesty's government as they are going to inherit this form of disguised dictatorship. In order to avoid another 'Katanga' in this country immediately after independence, Buganda has decided and is determined to go alone."
This was based on the comments made by some members of the Legislative Council (LEGCO), mostly those outside Buganda. But this did not deter the colonial government from drawing the timetable for Uganda's constitutional changes and roadmap to independence.
The timetable called for a number of far-reaching changes and it was these changes that led Buganda to change goalposts. Secession became conditional, which was not the case when the idea was first put before the colonial office.
Buganda now said they were willing to drop the secession demands if the colonial secretary was willing to state that "Buganda was to have a federal relationship vis a vis the future central government of Uganda."
According to Ibingira's book, the Buganda administration wanted commitment from the protectorate government before any of the four items on the Uganda independence roadmap was implemented.
But when they realised that the protectorate government was not going to give in to their demands, the Buganda administration went ahead and presented what they called 'the plan for an independent Buganda.'
List of Buganda demands
The plan had different claims categorised as general demands - relationship with neighbouring countries in Eat Africa, international relations, international rearrangements of services and finance, among others.
In general, Buganda wanted to have her own army, establish her own foreign relations and also be allowed to seek aid from other countries besides Britain.
In relations with her East African neighbours, Buganda wanted to be a member of the customs union and member of the rail, road, water and air transport boards.
It demanded that all educational institutions in Buganda be turned over to her with the exception of Makerere College (now university), which was to remain inter-territorial, although Buganda would be given a share in the management of the college. Buganda also demanded a high court.
The kingdom also demanded that should it get independence, it be allowed to become a member of the United Nations and the Commonwealth.
However, the colonial secretary was not ready to entertain any of the Buganda proposals. In a reply to the katikkiro coded NO EAF/71/6/03 dated December 2, 1960, the colonial secretary stated that he was determined to go ahead with the appointment of the relationship commission; the general election of 1961; and the constitutional conference to draw up Uganda's self-rule constitution.
This was something the Baganda neo-traditionalist did not want to hear about. The last paragraph of the letter from the colonial secretary read in part: "Buganda still has the opportunity to use this period of continued security to negotiate with Her Majesty's government a satisfactory relationship with the other parts of the country designed to preserve the Kabakaship and the Lukiiko and to confirm them in the exercise of their powers."
"I, therefore, call upon His Highness to join me with His Excellency the governor in an urgent effort to restore co-operation and goodwill between us."
Despite the colonial secretary holding out an olive branch, the Mengo authorities ignored the letter and pressed ahead with their independence preparations. They appointed the Buganda independence committee which was to work out the details of the independence preparations.
Ibingira in his book says: "Much money and time was spent by members of this committee as they travelled abroad seeking advice and support for their cause, but to no avail."
Independence declaration
As it had been planned, the Buganda Lukiiko on the afternoon of December 31, 1960, held a special session in which the issue of independence was discussed. Crowds gathered around the Bulange building and chanted independence. And the following day, January 1, 1961, Buganda declared itself independent.
But then governor Frederick Crawford was quick to issue a warning, saying Buganda's declaration was to have no effect whatsoever and everything would go on normally as before.
The Uganda Argus newspaper of January 2, 1961, says Crawford issued a warning to anyone who would want to give the declaration of independence meaning.
"The forces of law and order are such that should any misguided person attempt to interfere with the orderly life of the people, the law will take its course and retributions will surely follow," the governor said.
Following the declaration, nothing happened in reality. The protectorate government continued operating in Buganda as normal.
In his book, Ibingira says the declaration was a nonstarter. "In the long history of the struggle for self-determination and sovereign power, no declaration of independence by any people has ever been meaningless and ineffective as one announced by Buganda," he writes.
Just four weeks after Mengo's declaration, there was a bitter split within the Lukiiko. The Buganda independence plan committee was split into two and a minority report was presented opposing what had been presented before the independence declaration.
Three of the elite members of the committee, two of them lawyers and a teacher, decided to write a minority report.
The three members - W. W. Kalema, Luyimbazi Zake and Godfrey Binaisa - on January 10, 1961, issued their report which partly stated that: "Unilateral declaration by the Lukiiko that Buganda was independent on December 31, 1960, without putting her independence into effect would be a mere bluff and positively unwise and would belittle the importance of the Lukiiko in the eyes of the world and the people of Uganda."
"We consider all our deliberations by the Lukiiko that unilateral declaration by the Lukiiko was not the best road to independence. That is precisely why we think that the best would be to negotiate with the colonial secretary if we are to achieve the best for Buganda and her throne."
The trio went on to say: "It's time to elect this Lukiiko directly on universal adult suffrage as an indication that Buganda is now for self-government."
List of claims
The plan had different claims categorised as general demands - relationship with neighbouring countries in Eat Africa, international relations, international rearrangements of services and finance, among others.
In general, Buganda wanted to have her own army, establish her own foreign relations and also be allowed to seek aid from other countries besides Britain.
In relations with her East African neighbours, Buganda wanted to be a member of the customs union and member of the rail, road, water and air transport boards.
It demanded that all educational institutions in Buganda be turned over to her with the exception of Makerere College (now university), which was to remain inter-territorial, although Buganda would be given a share in the management of the college. Buganda also demanded a high court.
Source : http://allafrica.com/stories/201706260034.html

CONTROVERSY is swirling around the recent disbursement of the Paris Club refunds to the states, just few days after the Federal Government released a breakdown of the first tranche of the refunds to the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. At least three states – Bayelsa, Rivers and Ekiti – have disputed the actual amount received by them, as against what the federal government claimed to have credited to their accounts.
They also faulted the impression given by the Federal Ministry of Finance that the refunds were “gifts” to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements. On the contrary, Bayelsa State specifically said the refunds were state governments’ monies that were deducted without consulting the states.
This disagreement seems to have pushed to the background serious matters arising from the agreement reached in 2005 between the Nigerian government and the Paris Club of creditors on debt relief. The current controversy followed the recent release of the details of the first tranche of payments by the Federal Government.
A statement by the Director of Information, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Salisu Dambatta, explained that the payments to the states and the FCT were in “partial settlement of longstanding claims by state governments relating to overdeductions from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for external debt service arising between 1995 and 2002”. According to the schedule of reimbursement, five states with the highest amounts are: Rivers, with the lion share of N34.92bn, closely followed by Delta, with N27.6bn; Akwa Ibom, N25.98bn; Bayelsa, N24.89bn and Kano, N21.7bn.
However, Governors Nyesome Wike of Rivers and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti States, claimed that they received far less than the amount said to have been paid into their states’ accounts. Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd), said during a Transparency briefing in the state capital, Yenagoa, that what the state government received from the first tranche was N14.5bn, not N24.9bn, as the Federal Government claimed in the payment schedule released by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
He revealed that the current repayments in tranches were arrived at during a meeting with the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele. He also said that contrary to what the public was fed with, both the CBN and the Finance Ministry decided that if the full refunds are made for the payment of workers’ salaries, there would be too much money in circulation, and therefore, the refunds should be paid in four installments.
The Federal Government has not refuted these claims. Nonetheless, the complaints of the states should be investigated, especially the alleged short-payments in the first tranche. This is necessary to avoid controversy in the second tranche of the reimbursements currently undergoing verification and reconciliation.
Although President Muhammadu Buhari had long approved the second tranche repayment totalling N522.74bn, the Finance Minister said in addition to the ongoing reconciliation and verification processes, any further releases of the refunds would depend on “current and projected cashflow of the federation” as well as the outcome of the independent monitoring of the states’ compliance with the terms and conditions attached to the previous release.
While we do not think that the minister’s statement should be misconstrued as flouting the president’s directive, adherence to the terms and conditions reportedly earlier agreed on, is necessary. Even though some state governors are disputing that such conditions were agreed upon, they need to be reminded that the essence of governance is the overall interest of the people. Accountability and transparency are two essential planks that hold such trust in place.
We recall that the initial disbursement generated controversy following allegations that N19bn from the first tranche of N522.74bn was paid into two accounts of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) as commission to a consultant. But the NGF has since denied the allegation which the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, is reportedly investigating.
We are aware of the argument by some people that the ideal thing to do under a federal system is to release the money and let the states be at liberty to use it as they deem necessary, based on their priority concerns.
But, such argument loses ground because, as the Finance Minister explained, the disbursement was subject to an agreement with the state governments that the amount would be used for the payment of salaries and pensions. In addition, the state governors were said to have given an undertaking that any excess payments would be recovered from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).
All the grey areas in this matter should be resolved. It is an open secret that many state governors are not fiscally responsible with public funds. The inability of some of them to meet salary and other obligations to their states is not in consonance with Federal Government’s economic stimulus programme.
It makes economic sense that since the states based their requests for reimbursements on unaccounted for deductions on Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Report on the Reconciliation of State Governments’ External Debts, Vol. I, May 2007, verification and reconciliation of the reimbursements, which are already ongoing, should be completed. This is not a matter for the State Houses of Assembly to meddle into.
The Debt Management Office (DMO) had initially requested a period of 22 months to complete the reconciliation and facilitate disbursement. However, considering the plight of salary earners and the urgent need to reflate the economy, President Buhari directed late last year that the exercise be completed within one year. That period is yet to run its full course.
Altogether, we urge the Ministry of Finance and other related agencies to undertake independent monitoring of compliance with the terms and conditions for the release of the funds. This is the right step to take to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of the funds.
Source : http://sunnewsonline.com/fresh-controversy-over-paris-club-debt-refunds-1-3m-teachers/

If you people don't like Buhari addressing the nation in hausa, then take a cab and drive to hell or go and sit on transformer. People has taken this thing to be their personal problem, OK continue if it is your daily bread

If you people don't like Buhari addressing the nation in hausa, then take a cab and drive to hell or go and sit on transformer

Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB) has said that the South South geopolitical zone and the entire Eastern Nigeria constitute the Biafra territory and remains committed to actualize an independent state of their own, Vanguard reports.
MASSOB Leader, Solomon Chukwu who stated this while reacting to reports that South South is not part of Biafra, described those holding such view as ignorant of the history of the struggle to liberate their people from the marginalization of the Nigerian government and warned them to stop deceiving the public.
Chukwu stated that the May 22 and 30, 2017,,, anniversary in commemoration of Biafra, heroes which was observed throughout Eastern region have proven to the Nigerian government and their agents that the people of Biafra can no longer be held back in their struggle to have a homeland where they could find greater accommodation and satisfaction.

According to him, “Those who say South South or Niger Delta is not part of Biafra are ignorant; most of them are politicians in the South South zone who are saying it out of mischief to impress their Hausa/Fulani task masters.
History has it that people like Ojukwu’s second in command, Gen. Philip Effiong, fought for Biafra till the end. Was Effiong not from Akwa Ibom State? My father and other strong men of Niger Delta also fought for Biafra till the last day of the battle. How can somebody like Albert Horsefall say that Port Harcourtis not part of Biafra? I’m a Biafran from Ikwerre land in Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers state. I’m a true son of Niger Delta. Till today, we still have many strong men from the South South who stands to be counted in supporting Biafra. People like Uche Okwukwu, Asari Dokubo, among other great Niger Delta sons who are in support of Biafra.
Whether they call us South South or Niger Delta or Igbo, the Eastern region is united in the struggle to actualize an independent State of Biafra. Some people from the area who sabotaged Biafra during the war have seen through the Hausa/Fulani deception and regretted their actions.”
He explained that it has been the ‘game’ played by the Hausa/Fulani bloc to ensure that the people of the Eastern region are permanently divided so that they will continue to exploit their God given resource leaving the people in abject poverty.

“This has been one of the divide and rule styles they use against people of the Eastern region, by saying Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River, Bayelsa is not part of Biafra but it is no longer working, our people have seen through their tricks over 30 years ago. We are wiser now; people from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta and the Igbo speaking part of Edo and Benue attend MASSOB meetings. A part of Kogi state has indicated interest to join Biafra when independence is achieved. Those who say South South is not part of Biafra are only deceiving themselves.”
Source : http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/massob-says-south-south-is-part-of-biafra/

The Indigenious People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have been attacked by a socio-cultural group in Akwa Ibom State, Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, for including the state on the Biafran map without consulting them.
It said it considered the inclusion an act of disrespect and provocation.
“We wish to remind the concerned Igbos that this senseless arrogance and callous disrespect for the Ibibio person, an endemic and pathological trait of their extraction has been at the core of the differences of our two nationalities,” the group said in a statement signed by its President, Monday Etokakpan, and Secretary General, James Edet.
“And so as it was in the first republic, so it is now and so shall it be in times to come. Ibibio has nothing in common with Igbo. To wit, we differ in ancestry, culture, beliefs, character traits, language, food, names, dressing and all.”
The group said if Nigeria were to break up today, Akwa Ibom would be “at home and in league with our kin and kindred in the proposed Atlantic Republic consisting of present States of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.

“Our Capital City shall be Port Harcourt, our Currency and Language shall both be Lanti.”
The group said that Akwa Ibom, for now,, prefers to stay within the Nigeria federation.
“If the Igbos will be honestly desirous, sincerely determined and eventually successful in breaking away from Nigeria, we the Ibibio people in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States will be totally indifferent and will only be here to bid them fare-well.
“As a distinct and independent-minded people of over seven million in population we will continue to weigh our options in the Nigerian chase board and make the right moves the way we want it, in the direction we want, at the time we want and will partner with whomever we want to, if we must partner with anyone, to serve our best interest,” the group said.

The group said it was “unfortunate though not surprising” for the northern youths to order the Igbos to leave the north before October 1. It blamed the situation on the country’s refusal to start a process of restructuring the federation.”
Source : http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/akwa-ibom-group-says-state-is-not-part-of-biafra/amp/

October 1" is at the corner, dey here the post rubbish instead of packing

Wow Rivers is really a dam of bad boys no wonder Amaechi and Wike are...........if you complete it, it is your business

By Caleb Ayansina
ABUJA – The Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, weekend, said that creating more states or regions to solve current agitation in the land would only bring more problems.
Obong Victor Attah

The ex-governor said the only solution to the agitation that is creating more tension everyday in the country is fiscal restructuring to make people more economically viable.
Attah, who stated this while fielding questions from Journalists at a Mass to mark the Centenary of the first Episcopal Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Metropolitan, Late Eminence, Ignatius Cardinal Ekandem, in Abuja, said government should not listen to the section of the country calling for creation of more states to solve the problem.
His words: “people should not confuse themselves when they talk about restructuring. My concept of restructuring is fiscal restructuring.
“We always have a federation where the region looking out to themselves and contributed certain percentage to their earning to run the government at the centre.
“I believe this is one thing that can bring Nigeria back together. We can just go back to it (fiscal restructuring). If we accept that each state should look after itself, and what we contribute to the centre will no be distributed on the basis of need.
“I believe in fiscal restructuring, fiscal rearrangement of the finances of this country, and if that is done, you will see that all this agitation will die. Nobody really want to go.”
Source : http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2017/06/agitation-creating-more-states-or-regions-will-not-solve-the-problem-attah/amp/
Lala

Herman Hembe may return to the battlefield in 2019 but for now, Dorothy Mato, a trained fashion designer has cut short his journey in the house of representatives.
On Friday, the supreme court ordered that Hembe should be replaced with Mato, who was declared the winner of the 2015 primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency.
The apex court also ordered Hembe to refund the salaries and allowances he had collected within 90 days.
Hembe was elected into the house on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007, he was re-elected in 2011 on the platform of the PDP, but defected to the APC in 2015 where he won his bid for a third term.
The woman who will replace him was a member of the state house of assembly, representing Kyan constituency between 2011 and 2015. She was a member of the then Action Congress (AC), one of the legacy parties that formed the APC.
She was born on 16 September 1968 and once trained as a fashion designer at Nikky Africana in Lagos.
She had her primary education at R.C.M. Primary School, Chenge, in Vandeikya local government and left in 1979.
She then went to Mbagba High School, Mbamngu for her West African Senior School Certificate. She graduated in 2002. This was after her training in fashion design.
In 1987, she got married to Ahura Mato, with whom she now has three children.
In 2006, Mato obtained a diploma in public administration at the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.
She later went to Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko, to earn a higher national diploma certificate in business administration in 2010. While a member of the state Assembly, she also earned a PGD in Business Management at the University of Mkar, a private Christian institution established by the Church of Christ in Sudan.
She was a former deputy chairman of Vandeikya local government council and also supervisory councillor, revenue generation in 2008.
Between 2008 and 2010, Mato was special assistant on women affairs to Gabriel Suswam, former governor of Benue.
She joined the Action Congress in 2011, where she ran for election as a member of the state assembly and won.
Last year, she spoke about her idea of what politics should be.
“I see politics as an instrument for social & structural change. Although the African perspective is that of a do-or-die procedure,” she said.
“It is pertinent to know that politics is all encompassing, it is about the use of a process for societal upliftment. I strongly encourage general participation in political processes, especially for the youths and fellow women to alienate ourselves from the process will amount to negating our fundamental constitutional responsibilities.”
Outside of politics, Dorothy is a businesswoman, a community leader and mobiliser.
She is at present president, Tiv Women Traders Association, Gboko branch. She is also the president, De-compatible Sisters, a Women Mobilization, social/Cultural Club.
She is reputed for her generous contribution to community development projects at local and state levels.
Source : https://www.thecable.ng/fashion-designer-community-leader-mother-three-meet-woman-truncated-hembes-legislative-journey

The defence headquarters (DHQ) has assured Nigerians that their lives and property are safe and secure wherever they reside in the country.
John Enenche, director defence information, gave the assurance in a statement.
There has been tension in the country following secessionist agitations in the south-east and a call by some northern groups for the Igbo to leave the region within three months.
Enenche said the DHQ had received “so many requests in the recent past, to know from the military about the safety of Nigerians living in parts of the country, other than their aboriginal habitats”.
“As such, it behoves the defence headquarters to reassure the general public that all lives and property in Nigeria are secured and safe at any location,” he said.
“Thus, the armed forces of Nigeria are constantly on surveillance, in collaboration with other security agencies, to curb acts capable of distorting the peace.”
The defence spokesman, therefore, urged the public to “report suspicious movements and any act that point to creating any situation of insecurity to lives and property to the nearest security agency”.
“The armed forces hereby reaffirms its commitment to protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians living in any part of the country. Therefore, all should go about their normal life wherever they are living without fear or intimidation.”
Source : https://www.thecable.ng/nigerians-safe-anywhere-country-says-dhq

This man Is a devil. One thing you don't know is that someone that has mistakes in life is more experienced than someone who has not been in a complicated situation. You will be surprised that a girl who gets pregnant and after the child she went back to school has a zeal for school because of the shame she enduring. I don't think you have a female child

A total of N462.359 billion has been distributed as Federal Allocation for the month of May 2017 to the Federal Government, State Governments and Local Government Councils.
This is contained in a communiqué issued by the Technical sub-Committee of Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) at the end of the meeting held Thursday in Abuja.
The statement signed by the Ag. Accountant General of the Federation was made available to DAILY POST by Mrs Kenechukwu Offie, Director of Information, OAGF.
It indicated that the gross statutory revenue of N317.562 billion received for the month is higher than the N274.110 billion received in the previous month by N43.452 billion.
It said, “The slight drop in the average price of crude oil from $55.38 to $55.18 per barrel and a decrease in export volume by 1.023 million barrels, reduced oil revenue by $57.12 million.
“Crude oil production suffered due to leakages, sabotage, shut-ins and shut-downs at Terminals for maintenance and the Force Majoure declared at Forcados Terminal since February, 2016 subsisted.
“There were significant increases in revenues from Companies Income Tax and Oil Royalty, however, the increase in customs and excise duty was marginal. The distributable Statutory Revenue for the Month is N317.562 billion.
Source : http://dailypost.ng/2017/06/22/fg-states-lgs-share-n462bn-may-see-breakdown/

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Tuesday asked the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to ensure that the federal government release all the disused and disputed assets to the state government.
“They are no longer in use for the purpose the apex government acquired it”, Ambode said at the State House after receiving the report of the Special Committee on Federal Government Assets in Lagos State.
The committee chaired by former Federal Commissioner for Works, Chief Femi Okunnu, comprised a human rights activist, Femi Falana, a Simmons Cooper partner, Mrs. Victoria Alonge and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau, Olabode Agoro, among others.
Ambode recalled that Fashola was a passionate advocate of the issue during his tenure as Governor, adding that now that he is a representative of Lagos State in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), he should use his office to return the assets.
Ambode said the recovery of the federal assets was strategic to reflating the economy of the state and improving its GDP, saying it had become imperative that the state government “pursues this particular project to a laudable conclusion.”
He explained that he constituted the committee to put an end to the jurisdictional disagreement between the federal and state governments over the disused lands, buildings and disputed quarters to which the former still laid claim within the territory of the latter.
His words: “The report of the committee has come at a time when the state government is in dire need of space for development projects that would improve the socio-economic wellbeing of its residents in line with the socio-economic realities of present times.”
“We hope this initiative will end the long standing dispute between the federal and state governments over the disused lands, buildings and disputed quarters in various parts of the state.
“These assets are no longer in use for the purposes for which they were originally released to the federal government. We are hopeful this report will get favorable response from the federal government now that these assets are no longer in use for the purposes they were acquired.”
After submitting the report, Okunnu expressed sadness over the current status of the Federal Secretariat in Lagos and other abandoned assets of the federal government in the state, noting that the assets be returned to the state government for effective and proper usage.
He said the assets “are not only quarters, but the land on which these buildings are situated. We have tried to argue that the whole of Ikoyi with boundary at Lagos Canal standing between Ikoyi Island and Lagos Island.”
Okunnu added that title to the whole of the Islands “is vested in the Government of Lagos State when Lagos became Crown Colony. Title to the whole of Ikoyi including Osborn Foreshore, Banana Island is vested in the government of Lagos State. We have other areas we have covered.
“The state owned Festac Town. The title to the town is vested in the government of Lagos State. Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is the tenant of the Government of Lagos State indeed. Also, the title to the Trade Fair site is vested in Lagos State.
“The government of Lagos State acquired the Land of the Trade Fair site. But the federal government gave a promise to pay the state compensation which was to be paid to the original owners of the land. That compensation was not paid,” Okunnu noted.
He added that title to Satellite Town too “is vested in Lagos State. It is the federal government which should prove title to any land, which it claims to own in Lagos State. The land on which the International Trade Fair Complex was situated was acquired for the purpose of the trade fair, but the place had been turned into market.
“Federal Secretariat gives me sadness because I built it when I was the Federal Commissioner for Works. The land upon which federal secretariat is situated is part of the Crown land, which is now state land.
“The title to the Crown land is vested in Lagos State. But Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson agreed to release that land to the federal government when they wanted to build federal secretariat.
“We hope that discussions between Lagos State Government and federal government on hand over of federal lands, state lands within Lagos and disuse or surplus lands which federal government, especially defence and prisons are still occupying in Lagos are resolved.
“Large parcels of the land are now surplus to what is required under the land. We hope that discussions between Lagos State and federal governments will be held to settle this palaver once and for all.”
Source : http://www.247nigerianewsupdate.co/2017/06/ambode-tells-fashola-to-return-all.html?m=1

LOCAL innovators may have heaved a sigh of relief recently when acting President Yemi Osinbajo signed three executive orders into law. One of the three laws encourages “support for local contents in public procurement” and compels all government agencies to stick to local products

•Solar evoting machines
This means that the Federal Government and its agencies must patronise locally made goods and services, in line with the local content policy.
With this particular law, it was expected that all government procurements would comply with the new presidential directive by contributing their quota in the economic revitalization policy drive and at the same time encourage local manufacturers, particularly innovators.
The new policy is also expected to save the country some capital flight usually lost to foreign manufacturers. For instance, INEC spent about N34.4 billion on importation of 132,000 units of data capturing machines for the 2011 voters’ registration exercise. The development was deplored by the then Minister of Science and Technology, Mohammed Abubakar, saying that Nigeria may not have to spend that much again on elections as local technologies for the same purpose can be found in the country.
It was in the light of this urgency that the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, challenged the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to develop a home grown technology that would drive the 2019 general elections. In response to the challenge, NASENI, six months after, unveiled Nigeria’s first solar-powered electronic voting machine which could replace the traditional system of voting in Nigeria, after series of tests and retrials by local engineers and approved by the minister.
Solar powered electronic machine
The solar-powered electronic machine made in Nigeria by NASENI is said to support cloud-based computing, a tech trend that has received a lukewarm reception in Nigeria but could help ensure a transparent election process. With the solution, the NASENI said the electoral body can hold up to five national elections at the same time without the usual encumbrances.
The solution NASENI said provides answers to all electoral challenges by minimizing interference to the election process, eliminating the use of ballot boxes, eliminating the use of paper ballot, elimination of multiple voting, and real time collection of results. Though, the device is not immune to hacking, NASENI said measures were taken to make the device tamper proof but more efficient and reliable.
While receiving the new device during the formal presentation by NASENI, Dr. Onu explained that the motive behind the introduction of the device to INEC was part of efforts to remedy the challenges associated with the country’s electoral system, which includes rigging and ballot box snatching, among others.
He said with the e-voting machine, there would be a significant reduction in election litigation in the country, as election results would reflect the true wishes of the people. He added that permanent voter cards could now be issued within five minutes with the help of the machine.
Onu stated that NASENI’s focus is to ensure that the country is able to produce many of the equipment and machines currently being imported.
However, despite the excitement that greeted the invention of the NASENI e-voting device, the INEC at the formal presentation of the machine by the Minister, last week, was said to have shown lack of interest in the device, with a move to scuttle the effort of the agency.
A source at the meeting was quoted as saying that INEC underrated the capacity of the machine to carry the 2019 general elections, arguing that it may fail to print out election results earlier enough, which may lead the Commission into unnecessary litigations.
The source who witnessed the presentation and pleaded for anonymity also said that INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mamoud and other staff of INEC “were shocked that NASENI could produce such novel technology but in order to please the aggrieved minister and his team set up a technical committee to look into the device and send in its report on July 29.”
According to the source, ‘the angry minister who felt disappointed at the manner INEC received the locally made technology, challenged INEC to adopt the machine and deploy it for 2019 general elections since he had tested and confirmed it to be efficient enough to meet INEC’s standard and requirements.’
Ingenuity of local engineers
It was equally gathered that the furious minister further challenged INEC to adopt the machine as it is capable of taking five or more different elections simultaneously.
The INEC Chairman was said to have argued that he wasn’t convinced on the capacity of the machine because of possible litigations on release of election results but the result was printed right there to his bewilderment.
INEC had earlier in the day barred journalists from witnessing the presentation to celebrate the ingenuity of local engineers. However, INEC, on Sunday, came out to deny turning down the e-voting machine, saying it would rather fully support NASENI to ensure it succeeds in putting the technology into use.
Meanwhile, technology experts have lauded NASENI for the innovation and called for its application in line with government local content policing.
Whether the effort of NASENI in proving that Nigeria has the capacity to develop her own technology and the promise made by INEC are genuine, are to be seen.
Source : http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2017/06/local-e-voting-machine-inec-ministry-on-war-path/amp/

Shuu this women don the take try more abi

ASABA—FORMER National Chairman, Traditional Rulers of Oil Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON, His Majesty Charles Ayemi-Botu, yesterday, raised the alarm that none of the Northern youths that issued a three-month quit notice to Igbo resident in the North, had been apprehended two weeks after the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai and Inspector General of Police, IG, Ibrahim Idris, gave the directive.
Ayemi-Botu, who is the paramount ruler of Siembiri Kingdom in Delta State, also queried the impunity of the Northern youths, who, despite the condemnation of their quit notice, wrote the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, few days ago, reiterating their defiant stand.
Police IG Idris happy with the gesture
He said in a statement: “Surprisingly, exactly two weeks after both Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State and the Inspector General of Police ordered the arrest and consequent prosecution of the mischievous elements trying to sabotage President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, no single arrest has been made while these youths are still making threatening statements with open backing from some prominent northern elders.
“Who is fooling who? Does it mean that Governor el-Rufai, in whose state the youths issued the ultimatum is no longer in charge of the affairs of the state and cannot direct the security operatives to fish out the suspects, or the IG, through the AIG of the zone, to the CP, are all hamstrung or constrained to carry out the arrest two weeks after their directive?”
Describing the development as “an irony of fate,” the Niger Delta monarch added: “It is only in Nigeria that such a culpable act is swept under the carpet. But I dare say that a stitch in time saves nine.
“The time has come to redefine our destiny as a nation, since majority of Nigerians, including the North, South-East and West, have unanimously decided on restructuring and true fiscal federalism, further buttressed by the recent ultimatum by a coalition of Arewa youths in conjunction with Northern youths group, remotely inspired by the Northern Elders (Arewa Consultative Forum).
“The quit notice is a clarion call to all the federating units of Nigeria that the time is ripe with the expiration of the forceful amalgamation of the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate in 1914 to 2014 by Lord Frederick Lugard, to urgently give a nod to the Federal Government to set the machinery in motion for the restructuring/ true fiscal federalism of Nigeria to avoid a repetition of the catastrophe of 1966 – 1967 anti-Igbo pogrom that overwhelmed almost the entire southern Nigeria.”
“Ironically the federal might is sticking to its guns against the popular demand of the electorate, but this is absolutely counterproductive and signals a bleak future. And a quick resolution to the impending quagmire is to promptly implement the report of the 2014 National Conference that encapsulated all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to avert or nip in the bud Nigeria’s total disintegration as predicted by erstwhile United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Campbell in 2005.”
Source : http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/igbo-quit-notice-non-implementation-igs-order-suspicious-monarch/amp/

QueenOfNepal:
What about the youths that should ask about Vegetable buhari that still defend him?



Your brand of Sycophancy will make Goebbels to cringe

utterance of illiteracy, how did Buhari now a vegetable. Do you water your father at the back yard today? Or your mother is not back since yesterday night

See utterance of illiteracy. IPOB October 1 is at the corner. Dey there the talk, when Igbos will be killed like flies beyond October first maybe your eyes will be cleared. Embrace the peace the federal government is offering

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday verbally attacked his successor, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, and threatened to expose the governor’s wife “if he (Wike) does not shut up his mouth.”
Amaechi, who was visibly angry at the allegation levelled against his wife by the Rivers governor, also described his successor as a thug who could hardly speak good English.
On Monday, Wike alleged that each commissioner and local government chairman in Rivers State paid the erstwhile governor’s wife, Judith, N3m and N2m monthly, respectively.
But when asked to react to this while speaking on the sidelines of an inspection programme at the Kaduna Dry Port, Amaechi replied, “By accident of Goodluck Jonathan, I don’t want to attribute it to God, but by the accident of Jonathan, the man takes office and talks rubbish. My wife and family, including my younger brothers and sisters, no one had access to government when I was governor.
“Even as minister, nobody will have such because it is not a family business. It is government business. But the problem with Nyesom Wike, and I want you to state this if he doesn’t shut up his mouth and do his work I will bring his wife to the focus. You see I’ve been very matured not to talk about his wife.
“But if Wike does not close his mouth and talk about my wife anymore, I will bring out his wife. My wife will never do such, we don’t do family business. I care about transparency. My wife is a trader. She buys and sells and Wike knows that.”
When asked why he was also accused of squandering over N30bn belonging to Rivers State, Amaechi said, “And you believe that? The man who says he has about $50m in Lagos and could no prove it is the same man you believe. The man who said I didn’t pay salaries until I left office and now he is saying no, it is pensioners that I didn’t pay. Do you believe such a man?
“Do you think such a man is well? You believe Nyesom Wike is well? First, he doesn’t know how to speak English, he is poorly dressed, he is a thug, and you bring me to focus with that kind of a man?”
On the decision of the Rivers government to handle some of the issues levelled against him in court, the transportation minister declared that his team was not given fair hearing by the panel set up in the state.
Amaechi said, “Which court, okay let him go to court. He has no fact and he maligns people’s character. The process is that you set up a tribunal, but we’ve questioned the tribunal, we were not given a fair hearing.
“Again, how do you know how the court came to its decision? We were not even informed. There is a panel of justices in Rivers State, which is the Court of Appeal. But by the time we knew it, they took away that matter from them and gave it to a panel that came from Adamawa.
Source : http://www.247nigerianewsupdate.co/2017/06/shut-up-or-i-expose-your-wife-amaechi.html?m=1

The Council of Elders of the Indigenous People of Biafra (CEIPOB) has said that the Fulani should be blamed for whatever mayhem unleashed on the people of the South-South and South-East regions from October 1st, 2017 following the eviction notice issued by a Coalition of Arewa youths.
This was stated in a communiqué co-signed by the chairman and secretary of the Council – Col. Joe Achuzia, who is a civil war veteran, and Professor Chidi Osuagwu respectively, after a meeting of CEIPOB held in Owerri.
Describing the ultimatum as weird, the Council said the idea originated from the Fulani in the North and dissociated the people of the Middle Belt and Borno State from the quit notice.
“The Council of Elders of IPOB holds the Fulani responsible for the threat, as Hausa are under dogs in the so-called Hausa-Fulani society. We hold the Fulani accountable for whatever happens to the peoples of the South-East and South-South of Nigeria as a consequence of that threat.
“Like in 1966, they will have no way of distinguishing others from Igbo, which is why all were subjected to the pogrom then. In 1966, it was marauding Hausa-Fulani, mostly, that organized the killing of easterners in Maiduguri and the Middle Belt,” a communiqué issued at the end of the council’s meeting read.
The communiqué stated that with the experience of 1966, the eviction threat should be taken seriously as anything can happen in a state of confusion, adding: “it takes only a determined mob to create mayhem. Moreover people with feudalist mind-set are by nature self-obsessed; narcissistic, at the expense of others.”
While welcoming the condemnation of the ultimatum by the Northern Governors’ Forum and Arewa Consultative Forum among others, the IPOB elders noted with dismay that such action did not constrain the youths from repeating their threat two days later..
Source : http://dailypost.ng/2017/06/19/biafra-blame-fulanis-whatever-happens-igbos-ipob-elders/

The two chambers of the National Assembly have perfected plans to strip the executive arm of government of the power to prosecute persons suspected to have committed any offence against the Nigerian state
In the ongoing constitution amendment, the National Assembly is putting finishing touches on a legislation which aims at separating the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and those of the states from the office of the minister of or commissioner for justice.
The 8th Assembly has also approved a Bill for an Act seeking to make the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation and those of the states financially independent by placing them on the consolidated revenue of the federation and of the state.
The Bill provides for new sections ‘84A – 84E’ in section 84, which stipulates that “there shall be an Accountant-General of the Federation” and “there shall be an Accountant-General of the Federal Government”, respectively.
These amendments are part of the 23 item resolution approved by the House of Representatives Special Ad-hoc Committee on constitutional review, headed by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the 23 items were also ratified by the constitutional review committee of the Senate, headed by the deputy Senate president, Ike Ekwerenmadu.
The Bill seeking to establish the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and of the states separately from the office of the Minister of or commissioner for justice is aimed at making the office of the Attorneys-General independent and insulated from partisanship.
According to the Bill, the Attorney-General of the Federation shall not be a member of any political party and shall hold office for a single term of seven years and no more until he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier
It also seeks to redefine the role of the Attorney-General and provide a fixed tenure, increase the age and qualification for appointment as well as provide for more independent process for the appointment of the Attorney-General.
The Bill seeks to amend sections 150 and 174 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
Section 150 (1) stipulates that “there shall be an Attorney General of the Federation who shall be the Chief Law Officer and a Minister of the Government of the Federation”.
In the proposed amendment, the section provides that “there shall be a Minister of Justice who shall be a Minister and Chief Law Officer of the Government of the Federation”.
While a new insertion is being proposed to section 174 (A) which provides that “there shall be an Attorney-General of the Federation who shall be appointed by the President subject to confirmation by the Senate”.
The amendment further proposes that a person shall not be qualified to hold or perform the functions of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation unless he is qualified to practise as a legal practitioner in Nigeria and has been so qualified for not less than ten years.
But in the case of the Minister, “a person shall not be qualified to hold or perform the functions of the office of Minister of Justice of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified to practise as a legal practitioner in Nigeria and has been so qualified for not less than fifteen years”.
In the case of Attorneys-General of states, the bill seeks to amend sections 195 and 211 of the constitution.
Section 195 stipulates that “there shall be an Attorney-General for each State who shall be the Chief law Officer and Commissioner for Justice of the Government of that State”.
But in the proposed amendment, the section provides that “here shall be a Commissioner for Justice of the Government of a State”, while a new insertion to section 211 provides that “there shall be an Attorney-General of a State who shall be appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly”.
According to the Bill, the Attorney- General of a state shall not be a member of any political party and shall hold office for a single term of six years and no more until he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier.
Meanwhile, the Bill which proposes to guarantee independence for the office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and for the State seeks to amend Section 6 of the First Alteration No.1, 2011 by inserting in subsection (3) a new paragraph “(d)” “(d) office of the Auditor-General for the Federation.
The Bill also seeks to alter Section 121 of the Principal Act by substituting for subsection (3), with a new subsection “(3)” thus: “Any amount standing to the credit of the- Auditor-General for the State, and Judiciary, in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State shall be paid directly to the said bodies respectively, in the case of judiciary, such amount shall be paid directly to the heads of the courts concerned.
Source : http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2017/06/nass-moves-to-strip-executive-of-power-to-prosecute/amp/

Igboesika:
Nobody is calling for arrest or begging for peace.
IPOB supported igbos to leave the north. Its a blessing in disguise. Those people that went to beg for peace are nobody in Igbo land, they went and represented themselves and that of their families.. not igbos in general. I repeat, they are nobody. ANYTHING THAT WILL FACILITATE DISINTIGRATION OF THIS FAILED ENTITY CALLED NIGERIA IS A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT.

Hahaha so IPOB is no longer a moment, is the one representing the Igbos now? Hmmmmmm you people have started calling your elders nobody? Hmm too bad. If they are nobodies why are you people still doing in the North pack your things and go before you know October is here

kenoc:
You do not ask people to leave your region when no new country has been created. The first step should be to get Biafra and any other region that may want to go before conditions of quit notice be addressed.

if you people were serious,the quit notice given to the Igbos would have been a good opportunity for your so called independence. one fact is that all the southern states have distanced them selves from biafra except South East and this got Igbos to rethink. Because they thought south south where there is oil boom will follow them.

Hahaha biafrans if you people were joking, then this is the time to get serious. Imagine you want independence and in the course of that, you are blowing hate speeches, insulting federal government, calling Nigeria a zoo, calling northerners terrorist, seeing yourselves as the source of national income. And the freedom finally come, you are just asked to pack your things and go, the people you are feeding does not need you again. Then you are calling for their arrest, begging for peace again, so all the noise you were making was just a mere propaganda to unrest the government or what,?. Hmmmmmm is that not cowardice and dumb?

The Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, says the functions of the Federal Government as currently constituted is too big and should be adjusted.

He made this assertion in Abuja on Monday during an interview with newsmen.

Ekweremadu said that the Federal Government as currently constituted was too large and difficult to operate.

According to him, the states have little roles to perform whereas the Federal Government is overburdened with responsibilities.

“We believe that the Federal Government as presently constituted is too big and we need to adjust it.

“In a situation where you have in the concurrent list only about 16 items, most of the other things are in the exclusive list.

“It doesn’t make sense, so we need to find a way of trimming the Federal Government to the benefit of the component states.

“So that some of these issues don’t become federal issues and that is the idea of federalism.

“We are looking at that, things like arbitration, agriculture, environment and such issues. Some of these things should go to the concurrent list and even the Police,” he said.

The deputy president of the Senate noted that the solution to Nigeria’s security situation was the decentralisation of the Police and allowing state governments to have their police.

He pointed out that each state varied in the kind of security challenges and the kind of policing required.

On the fear that state government could hijack the force in their states, he said that there should be a commission to oversee the state police just like the National Judicial Council (NJC) oversees the judiciary.

“We cannot decentralise the police now because some people are still opposed to it.

“But I think it is beginning to make sense that you cannot be able to deal with our security situation in Nigeria except we change our security architecture.

“There is no place in this world where a federal system has a unitary type of policing which we have now.

“This is why we will continue to get it wrong in solving our security problems.

“It is not going to work until we change the architecture of our policing: a federal state as big as Nigeria must have to adopt a decentralised police.

“But we need to first take Nigerians to the level where they will understand this,’’ he said.

Also, Ekwerenmadu said that local governments should also be given some level of autonomy so that they too could perform their functions.

He said the reason for scrapping local governments’ account and merging it with state governments was that the states could contribute some money to what the local governments receive from federation accounts.

“We need to create some level of independence for the local governments, especially in the area of funding.

“We can look at section 162 of the constitution where the issue of withdrawing the local government account was created.

“So I believe that if that is abrogated, local government can now get their funds directly. It is not as if we are trying to create something new.

“I was a Local Government Chairman in 1997 and we were getting our funds directly from the Federal Government.

“So, we want to give the local government that level of autonomy so that they are able to perform their constitutional responsibilities,” Ekweremadu said.

Source: https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/06/19/federal-government-big-must-adjust-ekweremadu/

Djbond:
we both know that literally, he isn't in full control yet

he is not in full control when ministers and government officials were send away with documents to come and meet Osinbajo. You too go for mental examination

Only cursed souls are praying for his death sir. The likes of south east