₦airaland Forum

Flexherbal:
Where we heading to !

slimfit1:
Minister of aviation needs to go the guy is useless than JEG

The Nigerian Army has dismissed a new video released on Thursday by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau as mere propaganda.


In a statement on Thursday, Army spokesman Brigadier General Sani Usman said the attention of the Nigerian Army is drawn to a video clip released by Boko Haram from an undisclosed location a while ago, showing its purported leader, making spurious claims.

He said: “While effort is ongoing to subject the video for further forensic analysis, the Nigerian Army wishes to reiterate that it has captured and occupied the last known stronghold of the terrorists group in the Sambisa forest.”

He added that: “We would like to reassure the public that this video is nothing but mere terrorists propaganda aimed at creating fear in the mind of people and to remain relevant.”

“Therefore, there is no cause for alarm, more so as concerted effort in clearing the vestiges of Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hiding is still ongoing,” he stated.

Usman noted that troops deployed in various parts of the north east have continued to intensify search for all persons associated with Boko Haram with a view to bring them to justice.

He enjoined the public to go about their normal lawful business, remain vigilant and security conscious and report any suspicious person or group of persons to security agencies.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

engrchykae:
the complexities in this movie cant be handled by tchidi chikere or ernest obi but by the legendary mel gibson.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

MrJeffBrown:
WAIT OOH, HAVE HE PAID WORKERS?

There was a mild drama yesterday as Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State released cheques for the severance allowance of former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and other appoin­tees who served with him.

Although the former governor was not physi­cally available, his Com­missioners, Special Advis­ers and Assistants were all available to collect their cheques.
Those who were paid included political of­fice holders who served with the immediate past administration between 2007 and 2011.

Also benefited from the gesture were all appointees who also served with Gov­ernor Amosun in his first term.
The Governor said a to­tal of N1.5 billion was dis­tributed to 663 appointees within those years.

Amosun while pre­senting the cheques to the beneficiaries urged them to channel some of the money into the state’s economy.

He said: “This is to ap­preciate the good work that these persons have done for the state. They served from 2007 to 2011. Also, some served from 2011 to 2015. Some of them are still serving.

“We wanted to pay this money just like immedi­ately we came in. Now, we are paying N1.5 bil­lion to our office holders who have served and are still serving the state. It wouldn’t matter the politi­cal party and administra­tion that you worked with.

“This money, about N13 billion being paid to our pensioners, civil servants and political office holders will rejuvenate our state’s economy. This will mean a lot to our market women, petty traders and taxi driv­ers.

“When we collect this money, most of it will be spent within the corridors of Ogun State. Judicious spending of this allowance will make our economy boom and our people will be better for it.”

However, the ceremony was almost marred and took the intervention of security operatives as some former political of­fice holders alleged that their names were excluded from the list.

The State Co-ordinator of the Conference of Local Government ex-Political Office Holders, Jamiu Kes­hinro described the exclu­sion as deliberate.

Keshiro explained that about 557 of them were affected by the non-pay­ment of their constitution­al right.
The affected appointees later moved to the en­trance to the Governor’s office were they blocked the way and prevented ve­hicles from moving.

This development an­gered the governor who later drove out of his office and showed his annoyance on what he called ‘unruly behaviour’ of the appoin­tees.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

AbdoOlkadir:
its delusions of grandeur...

madridguy:
Am sure majority of this evil people are scared of Magu. To me, Magu is the best man for the job.

Some appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari would be relieved of their jobs in 2017, Daily Sun has gathered.

A top source in the Presidency specifically said appointees indicted or tainted with allegations of graft “would be shown the door and it will be sooner than later.”

But Presidency sources said such plan was not in the offing.

The sack, it was learnt, may be before the end of the first quarter of 2017.

The top official insisted “Buhari will shock Nigerians who think he cannot act on graft allegations against some of his appointees. He is only being fair since some of them are being investigated on those allegations and reports are being awaited…But, the President will drop some next year; that’s for sure.”

Meanwhile, Daily Sun also gathered that Buhari may not re-present Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, to the Senate for confirmation, after his rejection.

His replacement is a former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), who was in charge of Operations (B) Department

Senate rejected Magu’s nomination on December 20, 2016, after lawmakers met in an Executive Session to consider a security report by the Department of State Services (DSS), which indicted the EFCC boss.

Thereafter, Senate spokesman, Abdullahi Sabi, said Magu’s rejection was based on a ‘worrisome’ security report, made available to the lawmakers by the DSS

Sabi said: “Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public that based on security reports available to the lawmakers, we could not proceed and confirm the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the executive chairman of EFCC.

“Accordingly, Senate, hereby, rejects the said nomination and has returned the said nomination to Mr. President for further action. There is no confusion here. We have said it is based on security reports.

“Please, all public officers go for security screening and we are saying based on security reports, we cannot proceed and confirm. We are rejecting it and returning it to Mr. President for further actions. That is just the statement. It is as simple as that. That is exactly what Senate has said and I do not have any other explanation more than this,” he said.

A status report from the DSS indicted Magu.

The report showed that Magu was allegedly involved in the disposal of seized assets from convicted corrupt public officials when immediate-past chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, held sway.

The report also questioned Magu’s integrity to lead President Buhari’s anti-corruption war. Also, the report said the EFCC, under Magu’s watch, is involved in human rights abuses.

However, a source hinted yesterday that a rejig was likely in order to smoothen alleged cold relationship between Buhari and All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The source said the former Lagos State governor may be given some appointments to compensate him.

Sources from the APC disclosed that Buhari began the moves last Friday as a way of ending the internal crisis between him and Tinubu, to prevent it from affecting him (The President) and his party in 2019 general elections.

Reacting to this development, however, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, told Daily Sun yesterday that he was not aware of any cabinet shake-up, “If any cabinet reshuffle is to be carried out, it will be made public.”

But our source said the President will reshuffle his cabinet next year which will affect Ondo, Kogi and Lagos whereby Tinubu ‘s loyalists will be appointed as the new ministers in the affected states.

According to the source, “It was part of the plans designed by the President to pacify Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu so that the chances of the President in winning the election in 2019 will be high.

Another source, who confirmed the new development said, ‘’Baba (Buhari) knows Tinubu is an asset and he cannot toy with him politically especially now that 2019 is running nearer.

A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dan Etete, and 12 others are faced with jail terms in Italy over their alleged involvement in the $1.1 billion Malabu oil scam in Nigeria.

The prosecutors filed the notice in a Milan court last week, one week after Etete was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja for his role in the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245.

Dutch investigators have also begun the probe of Shell’s alleged involve ment in the scam. Shell and Eni have invested at least $1.8 billion in purchasing and developing the oil bloc, which they own 50 per cent apiece.

The oil bloc reportedly holds probable reserves of 9.23 billion barrels of oil, which if proven, would represent the equivalent of a third of Shell’s proven reserves and two-thirds of Eni’s. The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the transfer of $1.092 billion from Nigeria’s JP Morgan account in London to Nigerian accounts controlled by Malabu, a company controlled by Etete.

Based on Eni’s involvement, Italian prosecutors filed a notice in a Milan court last week to begin criminal charges and prosecution of Etete.

Another Nigerian identified as Chukwuemeka Obi, is also among the 11 individuals to be charged by the Italian authorities.

Shell and Eni are also to be sued, making a total of 13 defendants in the criminal suit. EVP, a company owned by Obi, had, together with its owner, laid claim to about $110 million of the $1.1 billion paid by Shell and Eni for the oil bloc considered Nigeria’s richest oil bloc.

The money is currently trapped in Switzerland where it has been frozen by a court. Obi had sued Malabu for the $110 million in London, which he said was his entitlement for helping to facilitate the deal between the oil majors and Malabu.

In July 2013, the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division, presided by Lady Justice Gloster, ruled in favour of Obi that he was entitled to “a fee of 8.5 per cent of the total disposal consideration of $1.3 billion.”

The EFCC slammed a seven-count charge of money laundering and fraud on Etete and others on December 20 at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The anti-graft agency had earlier quizzed the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCO), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, over the controversial deal, specifically to determine whether the cash had been used for the settlement of the dispute on the oil bloc or diverted elsewhere.

EFCC is specifically seeking the whereabouts of $1.092 billion paid by SNEPCO and Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited (NAE) into an escrow account.

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) confirmed that Dutch investigators recently visited its headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, in relation to an investigation into the offshore oil field.

“Representatives of the Dutch Financial Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Dutch Public Prosecutor recently visited Shell at its headquarters,” a spokesman said.

The visit, he added, “was related to OPL 245, an offshore block in Nigeria that was the subject of a series of long-standing disputes with the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

“Shell is cooperating with the authorities and is looking into the allegations,” the spokesman said. Etete had, last year, approached the British court and asked that $85 million (N17 billion) be returned to his company, Malabu.

A British judge, on December 15, 2015, however, refused to release the money to Malabu. In refusing to release the money, Justice Edis of the Southwark Crown Court declared that he was not sure the administration of President Jonathan acted in Nigeria’s interest when it approved the transfer of the money to Malabu.

“I cannot simply assume that the FGN, which was in power in 2011 and subsequently until 2015, rigorously defended the public interest of the people of Nigeria in all respects,” the judge ruled.

The $85 million was seized at the request of Italian prosecutors, who are also investigating the deal.

The money was the last part of the OPL 245 largesse not yet distributed. While Etete argued that the money be released to him, the Italian prosecutor argued that “their investigation could lead to a potential forfeiture of the money down the road.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has said the prosecution of some persons and com-panies linked to the controversial $1.1 billion award of Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245 by the EFCC, as well as the planned prosecution of Etete by the Italian government, will not deter it from completing the ongoing investigation into the alleged scandal.

The House ad hoc committee on Malabu oil deal, headed by Hon. Razak Atunwa (APC, Kwara), is currently investigating the sale of the oil bloc.

The EFCC had, on December 20, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja slammed a sevencount charge of money laundering and fraud against Etete and others.

In a chat with New Telegraph, a principal officer, who preferred anonymity, vowed that the House would not abandon the investigation in spite of the court cases.

“The House is empowered by the constitution, which is the ground norm to carry out any investigation under the sun and we can invite any individual, no matter how highly placed, to testify before any of our committees.

“So, the ad hoc committee is going ahead with the investigation. No court has asked us (House) to suspend the investigation and of course, none will even contemplate that.

When we resume in January, the ad hoc committee will reopen its investigation and we must get to the root of these allegations,” he stated.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Rilwayne001:
Still can't find where the US accused him of smuggling drugs in the above

Rilwayne001:
So because they are not interested in travelling to the US, that means they are absconding from drug related case? Kindly show us how and where the US accused Tinubu of smuggling drugs to the US.

Rilwayne001:
No, both Kashamu and Tinubu are successful politicians and not Cocaine Exporters

The three tiers of government comprising federal, states and local government councils shared a grand total of N4.97 trillion as federation revenue approved by the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2016 fiscal year.

The N4.97 trillion represents 12 months of disbursements with effect from December 2015 to November 2016 as against last year’s grand total disbursements of N5.5 trillion for similar period.

The 2016 allocati0on dipped by N523.2 billion. The December 2016 allocation will be shared in January 2017.

The grand total disbursed in 2016 comprised allocation to Federal Government, states, local government councils and payout to oil producing states, representing 13 per cent share of derivation principle.

The sum shared were aggregation of statutory, Value Added Tax (VAT), refund by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to government, among others.

The allocation breakdown sourced by New Telegraph revealed that the Federal Government cornered the largest share of the disbursement to the tune of N1,544.384 trillion followed by states with N862.779 billion, local government councils (774) collectively received N489.511 billion while oil producing states collected in the last one year the sum of N213.3 billion as derivation fund.

One of the major challenges confronting the current administration remains the steep decline in revenue flows, a situation that has left the government with minimal score in its economic policy.

Crude oil, the nation’s major revenue source, is facing double edged attacks from prices crash on one hand and low production output occasioned by attacks on oil installations by aggrieved militant groups in Niger Delta.

Analysis of FAAC disbursement chart sighted by New Telegraph indicated that the total fund disbursed to the three tier beneficiaries in October and November 2016 remained unchanged at N420 billion for both months.

In January 2016, for instance, the grand total for the month was N387.771 billion. Of the amount, Federal Government’s statutory share was N147.57 billion, states got N74.848 billion, LGs N57.705 billion while oil-producing states collected N27.703 billion. In February, the shared amount was N370.388 billion.

Federal Government got N137.473 billion, states N69.728 billion, LGs N53.757 billion while allocation to oil producing states was N22.380bn. March allocation stood at N345.095 billion with Federal Government receiving N127.2 billion, states N64.518 billion, LGs N49.740 billion, while 13 per cent derivation for the month was N22.780bn. For April, the total allocation was N299.747 billion.

The central government got N109.113 billion, states N55.334 billion, LGs N42.668 billion and the sum of N19.750 billion was paid as 13 per cent derivation.

In May, N281.500 billion shared with Federal Government getting the highest amount of N101.215 billion, states N51.338 billion, LGs N39.579 billion and N15.745bn as 13 per cent. The June allocation was N305.128 billion; Federal Government N112. 830 billion, states N57.229 billion, LGs N44.121 billion and N16.738 billion for oil producing states. In the month of July, total allocation was N559.032 billion. Federal Govern-ment got N119.754 billion; states got N101.318 billion, LGs N78.112 billion while N17.124 billion was paid to oil producing states.

For August, N691 billion was shared, out of which Federal Government got N225 billion, states, N153 billion, LGs N116 billion and N9.92 billion as derivation.

In the month of September, N510.27 billion was allocated for sharing, out of which Federal Government got N149.310 billion, states N75.732 billion, LGs N58.386bn and N20.293 billion as 13 per cent derivation.

The October allocation was N420 billion. Federal Government got N120.351 billion, states N61.044 billion, LGs N47.062 billion while N13.729 billion went to oil producing states.

In November, N420 billion was approved by FAAC. Federal Government got N96.674 billion, states N49.035 billion, LGs N37.804 billion, while oil-producing states got N13.548 billion. The last allocation in 2016 was N386.879 billion.

FG’s share was N97.897 billion, states N49.655 billion, LGs N38.282 billion and N13.613 billion as 13 per cent for oil producing states.

At the last FAAC session held in Abuja on December 15, the amount available for sharing dipped by N33.1 billion, leaving the sum of N386.9 billion.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, represented by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Idris Ahmed, attributed the low distribution to decrease in crude oil export by 0.34 million barrels per day, notwithstanding an increase in the average price of crude oil from $46.54 to $47.08 per barrel in November.

“A brief Force Majeure was declared at Bonny Terminal while the Force Majeure at Forcados, Qua Iboe and Brass Terminals were still in place.

Federation revenue was low as a result of shut-in and shutdown of pipelines for repairs and maintenance due to leakages and sabotage.

However, Company Income Tax and VAT recorded marginal increases,” she said. However, hope for improved revenue yields in 2017 has been predicted on Federal Government’s ability to push through dialogue with aggrieved militant operating within the creeks of Niger Delta, sustenance of diversification of revenue from oil especially taxes and customs receipt as captured in the 2017 budget of N7.28 trillion.

The budget is based on a benchmark crude oil price of $42.5 per barrel; an oil production estimate of 2.2 million barrels per day; and an average exchange rate of N305 to the dollar.

The assumptions include aggregate revenue of N4.94 trillion to fund the federal budget, which is 28 per cent higher than 2016 full year projection. Oil is projected to contribute N1.985 trillion of the amount.

sarrki:
Things will get better

One step at a time

decatalyst:
The fowl on the left enjoyed better

Are u seeing what Iyam saw?

Vision4God:
So wat have de achieved or succeeded in doing?

Dedetwo:
What a foolish fool!!!

carmag:
..Nonsense! !!

where have you seen a civil servant spray money like that

money gotten genuinely can not be waisted any how

Rilwayne001:
I don't even need to read the OP before knowing that they ugwu transporters. But come o!! Are they now transporting "white powder" as well??