₦airaland Forum

A Second Republic Senator and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the South-South from Delta State, Chief Spanner Francis Okpozo is dead.

The octogenarian politician died Monday after a brief illness, close family relatives told our correspondent on Tuesday.

Okpozo, who hails from Ozoro in Isoko North Council Area of Delta State, is one of the leading voices of the APC from the region and was said to have died in an undisclosed hospital in the state.

Details later…

The leadership of the House of Representatives has put in place adequate machinery to ensure the passage of a bill seeking to prescribe 20-year jail term for those convicted of sponsoring terrorism in the country.

The bill also seeks to criminalise international terrorism, funding of terrorism and seizure of terrorist cash and property.

New Telegraph gathered from the national security and intelligence committee of the House that arrangements are at an advanced stage to conduct a public hearing on the bill.

The bill co-sponsored by Hon. Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno) and Hon. Ahmed Babba Kaita (APC, Katsina) is titled “a bill for an act to make provisions for offences relating to terrorism, prohibit the financing of terrorism and consolidate all acts relating to terrorism, and a bill for an act to amend the terrorism act of 2011 for the purpose of applying stringent prison terms for offences of terrorism, and remove the ambiguities in the act and for related matters.”

Section 17 of the bill recommends 20 years’ imprisonment term for any person convicted of any terrorism act, while anyone who conceals information about acts of terrorism risks 10 years’ jail term on conviction.

Section 31 of the bill also mandates financial institution or designated non-financial institution to “immediately but not later than 72 hours, forward reports of suspicious transactions relating to terrorism to the financial intelligence unit which shall process such information and forward it to the relevant enforcement agency where they have sufficient reasons to suspect that the funds are derived from legal sources but are intended to be used for any Act of terrorism.”

When the bill becomes law, “any person who commits an offence is liable on conviction to a fine of N10 million or a term of five years’ imprisonment. Where a breach of subsection (1) of this section occurs and it is shown that the breach is not deliberate, the financial intelligence unit shall impose such administrative sanctions as it may deem necessary.”

“But where the institution continues with the breach, it shall on conviction, be liable to a minimum of fine of N20 million or 10 years’ imprisonment term for the principal officers of the institution,” the bill provides.

Sections 13 and 14 of the bill provides that anyone convicted for financing or own a property to be used as well as facilitate the acquisition of terrorist fund by concealment, removal out of jurisdiction, transfer to a nominee shall be liable to life imprisonment on conviction.

The bill prohibits the manufacturing, possession, acquisition, transportation, supply or use of weapons, explosives or nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, as well as research into, and development of biological and chemical weapons without lawful authority.

It also prohibits dealings with charities linked to terrorist groups, request from foreign states and to foreign states on extradition of persons involved in terrorist activities.

Section 38 of the bill empowers the Attorney General of the Federation or Inspector-General of Police with the approval of the President, to grant request made by the appropriate authority of a foreign state, to disclose any information in his possession or in the possession of any state government department or agency, relating to the actions or movement of terrorist groups or persons suspected of involvement in the Commission of terrorist acts.

The anti-terrorism financing bill, which was passed before the Christmas and New Year break has since been referred to the House committee on national security and intelligence for further legislative action.

PrettyCrystal:
God bless them

dainformant:
cc; lalasticlala, mynd44

informant001:
nice one.. e no easy oo

The Federal Government will spend additional N6.129bn on a new head office for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2017.

This was apart from a total of N7.912bn budgeted for the same project in the 2016 Budget.

The commission’s current head office is located on Fomella Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja.

According to a copy of the details of the 2017 Appropriation Bill currently before the National Assembly obtained by our correspondent, N4.584bn would be spent on the completion of the ongoing construction of the new head office.

The sum of N1.1bn was also earmarked for the furnishing of the yet-to-be completed building while N244.727m was budgeted for consultancy for the new head office.

According to the budget document, the EFCC will also be spending N60m on the completion of its Lagos office building and N10m on consultancy for the same project.

The commission is also expected to spend N737.85m on the training of its members of staff during the fiscal year.

This is against the N111.587m budgeted for the same purpose in 2016.

Out of the sum, N707.85m would be spent on local training while international training would gulp N30m.

N76.587m was budgeted for local training while N35m went to international training in 2016.

Travel and transport for the commission got N415.848m in the 2017 appropriation bill.

Further breakdown shows that local travel and transport (training) gets N41.716m; local travel and transport (others) gets N249.672m; international travel and transport (training) gets N100m while international travel and transport (others) gets N24.460m.

The commission will also be spending N250.536m on legal services during the year.

This is a drastic reduction in the N339.939m budgeted for the same item in the 2016 budget.

A large percentage of the sum is expected to be paid to lawyers handling the commission’s numerous prosecutions.

With the renewed anti-corruption fight of the present administration, the EFCC has witnessed an increase in corruption cases being prosecuted in courts.

Majority of the cases currently being prosecuted by the commission are those related to the alleged arms contract scandal involving a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.); as well as the $115m alleged scam involving a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Former ministers, ex-service chiefs, chieftains of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, bank chiefs among other individuals and firms are currently standing trials in relation to the cases.

There are expectations that the commission will still arrest and prosecute more suspects in connection with the cases.

Various sums have also been budgeted for the commission to cater for industrial and security equipment, stationery, computer and printers as well as library books among others during the year.

The Operation Python Dance inaugurated by the Nigerian Army in the South East geo-political zone to curb crime in the area during the yuletide will end on Dec. 27.

The Deputy Director, Public Relations, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Col. Sagir Musa, made the disclosure in a telephone interview on Monday.

The operation was launched to span from Nov. 27 to Dec. 27.

“The Exercise will end on Dec. 27, as earlier indicated.

“However, troops will still be massively around in the whole of South-East to continue with patrols, road blocks and check points.

“Nigeria’s South-East has not recorded incidence of armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and associated violence as well as inter-communal, herdsmen-farmers clashes during this Yuletide due to the on-going military exercise in the region tagged Operation Python Dance.

“These menaces are and have been the focus and targets of this exercise which has so far been successful,” Musa said.

The army spokesman said that the General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Abubakar, visited Awka, Agulu, Nnobi, Ihiala and Okija communities in Anambra State on Dec. 25, to assess the conduct of troops.

He said the GOC was also at the Niger Bridge to assess the state of security and vehicular movements.

“It would be recalled that traffic gridlock has for many years, especially during the yuletide, been endemic on the Niger Bridge at both Asaba and Onitsha axis inflicting suffering and other inconveniences on road users.

“Hence, part of the target for the exercise is to check the usual gridlock, chaos and insecurity on the Bridge. This objective has so far been achieved.

“Since the start of Exercise Python Dance, there has not been any case of gridlock and associated insecurity on the Asaba-Onitsha Bridge.

“The orderliness, the disposition of combined security personnel and the manner the general public conducted themselves, especially the road users is commendable,” he emphasised.

Musa urged members of the public to remain security conscious and to report any suspicious movements and persons to security agencies nearest to them. (NAN)

rottennaija:
It's religion. Its all about brainwashing, having faith and believing in something higher than themselves with some eternal promise.

Khutie:
Best Christmas gift ever!


Not the watch o

BabaRamota1980:
may these people rest in peace. I dont believe bokoharam is killing just for religion. Maybe initially thats what their agenda was but i think they transitioned and are now a commercial interest.

BabaRamota1980:
If you notice in past the ones that raised alarm and asked for help dont even have the detonator with them. So the person in posession of the control is somewhere around the vicinity and watching and waiting for her to get deep enough to cause maximum damage and then send the trigger. So she is as much a victim as the innocent bystanders killed in the detonation.

The women should be pitied. Im praying that they will catch a triggerman again. They once did during Jonathan regime. He was killed right on the spot.

sarrki:
Oyeee of little faith calm down

Things will fall in place soon

sarrki:
Nigeria owns it

We use Nigeria money to service it not bad

Money own by the government spend by the

government

Sibrah:
Hmmm . . . Fashola alone N520Bn

President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2017 budget to the national assembly on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, promising economic recovery.

As expected the budget, which amounted to N7.298 trillion naira, was different from the 2016 budget in many ways.

TheCable reviewed the 1,047-paged document, and brings you 20 fine details of interest.

Here are some details of the 2017 budget:

Total budget

N7.298 trillion budget.

Aim of the budget

The aim is to pull the country out of recession by spending 30.7 percent on capital expenditure.

Ministry with highest allocation

The ministry of power, works and housing at 520 billion.

More money

The allocation for the Niger Delta Amnesty programme tripled to amount at N65 billion in 2017 as against 20 billion in 2016. Also, the allocation for the Judiciary increased to N100 billion in 2017 as against 70 billion in 2016.

Restore life to the Northeast

45 billion was allocated for rehabilitation of the northeast

Benchmarks:

Crude oil: $42.5 per barrel as against $38 in 2016,

Naira: N305 per dollar as against N197 in 2016

Loans for entreprenuers

N15 billion was budgeted for the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture. $1.3 billion was also budgeted for the Development Bank of Nigeria, which is expected to kick off operations in 2017.

Tax credit for exporters

N20 billion was budgeted for the Export Expansion Grant which is expected to encourage exporters.

More loans

N500 billion was budgeted for the Special Intervention programme (Home grown school feeding and N-Power Job creation programmes)

Revenue

Udo Udoma, the minister of budget and national planning, has said that the government expects to make 10 trillion as revenue for 2017 fiscal year and N5 trillion would be from the sale of crude oil.

“Non-oil revenues will rake in about N5.06 trillion. These revenues are expected to come from corporate and company taxes, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, Stamp Duties, capital gains tax and value added tax,”

Debt servicing

The federal government is expected to expend N1.5 trillion in servicing domestic debts, however, the federal government earmarked N1.3 trillion in the 2016 budget.

On foreign debt, the federal government would spend N175.9 billion as against N54.5 billion spent on foreign debt servicing in the 2016 budget.

Salaries

Recurrent expenditures would gulp N1.9 trillion, about N1.8 trillion was budgeted for the same purpose in the 2016 appropriation.

Borrowing

The federal government also intends to borrow a total of N2.3 trillion, out of which N1.5 trillion would be sourced locally while N1.1 trillion would be sourced internationally.

In the 2016 budget, N1.2 billion was reportedly borrowed locally, while N635.8 billion was gotten through foreign borrowing.

Anti-corruption in the state house?

A surprising entry in the state house section of the 2017 budget is anti corruption which had a budget of 8,539,200.

Kitchen Budget

The budget for meals at the state house was N123,223,000 and this is excluding the N168.46m budgeted for the same item for the president and vice president.

N 100,820,300 was also budgeted for the purchase for canteen/ kitchen equipment.

Refreshments

N97,200,000, was budgeted for refreshments and meals for the state house apart from the amount budgeted for catering and foodstuff.

Vehicle maintenance

N94,575,000 was budgeted for the purchase of tyres for bullet proof vehicles, plain Toyota cars, CCU vehicles and other operational vehicles in the state house.

New vehicles

There were five provisions for the purchase of vehicles in the budget of the state house, president that all amounted to N396,000,000.

Trips and Sitting allowance

The president and vice president are expected to spend N1.05 billion on foreign trips and N353.115m on local trips.

Also, a total of N765,892,740 was budgeted for sitting allowance and honorarium in the state house, president and vice president’s offices.

Rent

Another surprising appearance in the state house headquarters budget was “Residential rent” which got a sum of 77,545,700.