₦airaland Forum

bettercreature:
Na Man United dey make me laugh,I forseen them beating tommorow out of burnley. 7 goals to 1 to be precise

ojun50:
wooze am

jephito:
That's why they find it easy to tamper with justice

bettercreature:

hungryboy:
Wherever two or more Zombies are gathered,
Lies will be told and a photographer will always take their picture

Jesusloveyou:
IPods will never stop to amaze me, always hailing any criminals either from north/south or apc/pdp.

THE Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said he would not be distracted by the childish and ridiculous allegations of fraud levelled against his administration in Ekiti State by the State House of Assembly.


Dr Fayemi who reacted to the petition submitted by the state assembly to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging N40billion under his watch as governor of the state, said the lawmakers’ claims are not only baseless, but a calculated attempt to distract him.

The Minister’s Special Assistant on Media , Mr Yinka Oyebode, said in a statement on Thursday that the Ekiti Assembly’s petition to EFCC is nothing but a rehash of old tales told by little minds.

He added that since the allegations lacked substance, it is bound to fail like the previous ones by the state government and its agents.

[b]The statement by Oyebode reads: “The petition by the Assembly is nothing but another calculated attempt to distract and tarnish the hard earned reputation of the honourable minister with spurious allegations.

“The Ekiti Assembly and indeed the Ayodele Fayose –led administration, had spent the last two years rehearsing and rehashing all manners of ridiculous allegations in their desperate effort to taint Dr Fayemi’s reputation. As at last count they have come up with six different attempts, with varying degrees of falseho

“Dr Fayemi’s four years meritorious service in Ekiti remains an open book.

“The administration’s financial dealings and executed projects were well documented and copies of the documents are with the Assembly. We enjoin them to read the necessary portions and get the right answers to their puerile posers.

“But if their intention is to distract the Minister and paint him in corrupt garb, then they have failed, as Dr Fayemi cannot be distracted by the government’s cheap blackmail.

“At this stage of our democracy, it is sad that a whole House of Assembly would be involved in what is known as Pull Him Down Syndrome. But the good news is that Ekiti people know the difference between those who serve them well and mere pretenders.

“Dr Fayemi remains focused on his current assignment of leading the economic diversification plan of the Federal Government through the mining sector and no ill-conceived machination can distract him.”[/b]

Finally the Fayose-led government is advised to concentrate on the provision of amenities in the state and desist from its maniacal penchant for falsehood and cheap blackmail.

OKorowanta:
Abeg make dem ALLOW the girl kon stay wit me.
She needs somebody who can guide her through dis mess.
A motivational speaker,a counselor and all round life coach.
She needs me.

ImperialYoruba:
Oga slow down. When has Tinubu considered Fayose a traitor?

PREMIUM TIMES has obtained an exclusive list of 30 people arrested by the Nigerian military for allegedly helping the Boko Haram to sell rustled cows.

The arrested people include at least four serving soldiers, two police officers, and some members of the civilian-JTF
The Theatre Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, Lucky Irabor, had confirmed the arrest of the 30 people at a press conference in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

According to General Irabor, “those who have been aiding and abetting Boko Haram by way of encouraging cattle rustling ; so far we have arrested 30 of them, many are civilians and we have among them four soldiers and two policemen. They are being investigated and the outcome of the investigation will be brought to your notice.”

What Mr. Irabor, a major general, did not say was that the Boko Haram rustled the cows in the territory they still hold and sneaked them into Maiduguri, the Borno capital, to sell and buy other goods.

The military has since suspected that the insurgents are able to do this and raise fund for their cause based on the active connivance of security operatives and relevant civilians. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the 30 people.

The four soldiers arrested include Captain A. A. Hussaini, the operations officer of 195 Battalion in charge of Mafa Local Government Area where Boko Haram still control some areas. The council is a major route into Maiduguri from the North and East.

Another suspect is Lieutenant I. H. Irro, a liaison with 152 Task Force battalion. The other two junior officers are Staff Sergeant Alexander Chiegwe, the guard commander of the main check point from Mafa into Maiduguri, and Lance Corporal Yakpon Dona.

The policemen arrested are Usman Mohammed and Stephen Odoh.

The suspects also include three members of the Civilian-JTF. They are Babakkura Ali, chairman of Kasuwan Shanu branch; Bashir Abbas, the chairman of Sector 2 and Modu 2Star, a member from Mafa town.

The arrested civilians include members of the Livestock Traders Association, some herdsmen and a representative of the Shehu of Borno.

All the suspects are accused of being involved in castle rustling.

Top members of the Civilian-JTF who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES confirmed the arrest of their colleagues. They, however, said they do not have the full details of their arrest.

In the past year, kidnapping and cattle rustling have become another major security threat, aside Boko Haram insurgency which the Nigerian Army has been tackling.
Nearly a hundred kidnappers and cattle rustlers were either killed in shootouts or arrested by soldiers. Over a thousand cows rustled from herdsmen were also recovered.

Fulani herdsmen, accused of attacking communities using assault rifles, have complained that some of them resort to using guns like AK47 to defend themselves because cattle rustlers use similar weapons to attack them and steal their livestock.

The rustling of cattle has since become a major source of revenue for the Boko Haram whose activities since 2009 have caused the death of over 20,000 people and displaced millions of others.

Diddyydiva:
The way guys dey eye cucumber these days ehn

HabaSeun:
Baffles you? So u'v not heard of their gland plan to islamise the country?

Bujumbura:
don't call Maclantunji plss

gbosaa:
Any Phool faulting Fayose on his stance on the Fulani herdsmen troubles is cursed.
miyetti allah trouble makers are not ghosts. They succeed because those that they attack and kill are unarmed and non violent. They are cowards as well. Those who support them are worse.

NCANN:
you go old if you de wait for pesin to wake you ooo

SamuelAnyawu:
To Launch

The federal government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari plans a $10 billion infrastructure development fund for the oil-rich but restive Niger Delta, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said yesterday in Abuja.


“We are launching $10 billion infrastructural rebirth investment programmes in the Niger Delta region. This is not money that is going to come strictly from the federal government. It is going to come from investors, individuals who are ready to do private sector infrastructure, obviously states and federal governments as the case may be and international organisations who have shown interest to help,” he said at the unveiling of the Roadmap for the Petroleum Industry tagged “7 Big Wins to Grow Nigeria’s Oil and Gas.”

Before Kachikwu’s revelation of the mouth-watering goodies for the long suffering region, Buhari had, while launching the roadmap, said notwithstanding his administration’s much talked about diversification as the main tool for putting the economy on the path of sustainable growth, Nigeria would have to depend on oil and gas revenue to get out of the current economic recession, contending that despite the fall in oil price, oil and gas resources remained the most immediate and practical keys out of the country’s present economic crisis.

“As important as it is to ensure that agriculture, solid minerals and other critical sectors of the economy are supported to grow and contribute more to the nation’s economy, we still need a virile and efficient oil and gas industry to take care of our foreign exchange requirements,” he said.

According to him, an efficient oil and gas sector remains a national imperative and a core thrust of his economic policy, adding that the petroleum industry remained critical to the Nigerian economy of today and the future, despite current challenges.
The president also admitted that oil and gas still remained a critical enabler for the successful implementation of his budget as well as the source of funds for laying a strong foundation for a new and more diversified economy.

The president said the task before the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was to maximise the potentials and opportunities across the whole range of the oil and gas industry to stimulate the economy in spite of the current challenges.

He said: “There is also a dire need to instil a new culture of transparency and efficiency in the industry, streamline operations along best practices by championing and implementing strategic reforms at every layer of the industry.

“This will help us improve oil and gas production, explore our frontier basins, improve our local refining capacity and above all build sustainable partnerships with the oil producing communities.”

Buhari said that if Nigeria was able to plug the leakages, and tighten loose systems that characterised the industry in the days of high oil prices, the country could do more with the little that it is getting at the moment than in the time of plenty.
The president noted that recent developments in the Niger Delta had temporarily limited the nation’s oil and gas production and supplies.

He however reaffirmed that, “whatever challenges we are currently facing in the region, our resolve and capability to work with all stakeholders to restore normalcy will guarantee success.”

The president acknowledged the importance of the public, the media, local and foreign investors and other critical stakeholders in the oil and gas industry and appealed for their support and cooperation.
Buhari said creativity, innovation, technology and robust partnership amongst various stakeholders were required to get the best from the industry.

He said: “This Roadmap reflects the vision and aspiration of this administration for this sector and urge you all to deliver on the expectations contained in the Petroleum Industry Roadmap.”

Speaking more elaborately on the plan for the Niger Delta, Kachikwu said the federal government would be launching a $10 billion infrastructure rebirth programme for the Niger Delta region, but that its implementation would be on instalment and its funding not exclusively from the federal purse.
He said that the Niger Delta state governors would have to meet to decide which cross boarder infrastructure the fund would be expended on.

According to him, “What is more important is not the number but the conceptualisation of the process. It is a fact that governors will have to come together from the region to begin to look at cross-state investments whether there will be railways, whether there will be power facilities, whether there will be specialist hospitals or whatever.

“But right now, there is a slowing down of investment in the region and that is not helping the region. So, we are going to be pulling in NNPC and groups like that and ensure that we look at cross boarder investment in the region,” he stated.

He said Buhari would also seek to review the way 13 per cent derivation allocation to the oil producing states is applied by beneficiary states.

According to him, the government would be appealing to the state governors, who have now taken the allocations as their main budgeting tool, to channel the funds to the core areas where oil is produced.

He said: “The president is also reviewing the proposal we gave him to look at how the 13 per cent derivation is applied. Right now it is a budgeting tool for state governments. We are going to be appealing to them to begin to put that into the core areas of the oil producing communities. And not just see it as a budgeting number.”
On transparency in the oil sector, he said that the adoption of Treasury Single Account (TSA) had assisted to tackle corruption in the industry by bringing all its funds into one account.

The minister also spoke on the expected impact of the new roadmap and said that investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, which took a downturn in the recent past would soon pick up following the conclusion of a review of the country’s Joint Venture Cash Call (JV) framework.
According to him, on the back of the review, a lot of oil and gas investors are pushing to come back and invest heavily in the country’s oil and gas sector.

He said that there would be an explosion of investment in the sector soon.
Kachikwu also said there were plans by the government to review the mechanism of securing oil and gas installations in the country to conform with standard practices as obtained in other oil and gas producing climes.
The launched policy document is couched in ‘The 7 Big Wins,’ theme, which borders on policy and regulation, business environment and investment drive, gas revolution, refineries and local production capacity, Niger Delta and security, transparency and efficiency, as well as stakeholder management and international co-ordination.
He said each time he projected a rise in the country’s oil production to 2.2 million barrels per day (mbpd) and 3mbpd, they were based on the fact that the JV structure had been reviewed and funding issues sorted out.

“On the issue of JV cash call. We have done a yeoman’s job. We are nearing completion of those negotiations, it would go to the FEC and it does not require a law. Those things are basically MoUs,” he said, adding: “We are going to structure the MoUs to enable them find the funding they require. There is even a budgeting process in terms of what we approved should be done, but how you now sequence the distribution of the funding is where the catch is.”

He said the government had made a lot of progress on funding, explaining that over $1.2 billion would be saved.
The minister projected an explosion of investment, saying oil companies were planning to make a big splash with projects and backed by huge money as they return to the country.

Abuja—Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, withdrew from handling a case of terrorism filed by the Department of State Service, DSS.

The case is against one Haruna Abbas and two others.

This came as a retired Lagos State High Court judge, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, yesterday said that if Nigeria must be preserved, the judiciary must stand up to the executive.

This is even as founding chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday gave a glimpse of how he felt taking his boss and former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, into custody, saying there was nothing wrong in DSS raiding judges’ homes.

Ademola said, at the mentioning of the case, that it would not be fair for him to continue with the case.

He announced that he would return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for reassignment.

“The matter was here last on June 13, and it involves the DSS. I don’t want to handle any of its matters anymore.

“In the interest of fair hearing, I think I will move the file to another court because it will not be fair to me and to DSS.

“So, I will return the file to the Chief Judge to reassign. The case file is hereby returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment to another judge on personal grounds,” he said.

However, one of the accused, Abbas, prayed the judge not to withdraw from the case.

Abbas said that he and his co-accused would prefer to be tried by Ademola.

NAN reports that Ademola, on October 18, withdrew from a case brought against former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, retd., by the DSS.

Meanwhile, a retired Lagos State High Court judge, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, retd., yesterday said if Nigeria must be preserved, the judiciary must standup to the executive, following the Department of State Services, DSS, raid on judges’ homes.

Condemning the raid, he noted that the DSS lacked the power to sue or be sued or even prosecute because the name in existence, according to the law, is State Security Services, SSS, not DSS.

He said: “If Nigeria is going to be preserved, the judiciary must standup to the executive in this matter. I wish the CJN and NJC the best of luck.”

According to the retired judge, who chaired a 3-man tribunal of inquiry into the July 4, 2014, incident between soldiers and some drivers of Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, in Lagos, the issue of tampering with a name created by law is prevalent in most suits prosecuted by states.

“I think it was the governor of Osun State that started this issue of naming the state, of which he is the governor,” he said.

Also, founding chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, has given a glimpse of how he felt taking his boss into custody.

Ribadu, who spoke at the 2016 Annual Lecture of Radio Nigeria in Abuja, said there was nothing wrong in the raid carried out in the homes of suspected corrupt judges by security agencies early this month.

The former chairman drew the attention of Nigerians that it was when corruption was being fought that those who uncomfortable with it would raise complaints and attacks on the agencies and asked for their support and understanding for the current leadership.

Ribadu said he even had to arrest his former boss, and former Inspector General of Police for that matter, accused of stealing over N10 billion of public funds and did not bat an eyelid.

oglalasioux:
Have you ever heard the phrase 'under duress'?

GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, last Wednesday, caused a rumble within the state Executive Council when he relieved Commissioners for Tourism, Mr. Folorunsho Folarin-Coker, Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, and Transportation, Dr. Ekundayo Mobereola of their appointments in a minor cabinet reshuffle.

The reshuffle came exactly a year after Governor Ambode constituted his Executive Council, precisely on October 19, 2015. The sack, according to sources, could not be unconnected with poor performance, misdemeanour and inability to key into the goals, vision and mission of the present administration.

However, the Governor, in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Tunji Bello, directed the Special Adviser, Arts and Culture to take over as the Acting Commissioner for Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Special Adviser on Transportation will take over as Acting Commissioner for Transportation, while the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance takes over as the Acting Commissioner for Finance pending appointment of new Commissioners in the respective ministries.

[size=15pt]Acting capacity[/size]

It will be recalled that on September 19, 2016, Ambode sacked quite a number of heads of parastatals and agencies. Notable among them was General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Mr. Michael Akindele who was replaced him immediately with Mr. Tiamiyu Muyiwa Adesina in an acting capacity.

Also, on March 14, 2016, following the collapse of a five storey building under construction at Lekki Gardens, Kusenla Road, Ikate Elegushi, in Eti-Osa Local Government, Ambode sacked the General Manager of the state Building Control Agency, LASBCA, Engr. Adeigbe Olushola.

The governor also sacked the Head of Inspection and Quality Control in the Agency, Adeoye Thomas Adeyemi, the Zonal District Officer in the Agency, Dosunmu Gbadebo, while the Zonal Head of Eti-Osa West of the Agency, Mrs. Akinde Adenike Sherifat was compulsorily retired from the civil service.

Ambode, in a statement through the state Head of Service, Mrs. Olabowale Ademola, said the affected officers were dismissed having been indicted of negligence, which according to the governor is an act of misconduct under the Public Service Rule 040401.

According to the governor, Rule 040401 of the Public Service act of misconduct states inter alia: “A willful act of omission or general misconduct to the scandal of the public or to the prejudice of discipline and proper administration of the State Government,” should be visited with dismissal from the Public Service in line with the Public Service Rule 040503.

All these sackings, it was gathered, received the blessings of former governor of the state and National Leader All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is known to be the main backer of the governor.

[size=15pt]Reasons for the sack[/size]

Sequel to the eventual sack, facts emerged that the affected commissioners were recently reprimanded by Ambode on the need to raise their game on performance or face exit. According to the source, the affected commissioners were sacked based on issues ranging from lack of capacity to deliver, disloyalty and flagrant disobedience of the Governor’s directives on several occasions and lackadaisical attitude towards government’s goals

Some of the commissioners were also said to be indifferent to the governor’s directive on some major issues, believing they owe their allegiance to their godfather, Tinubu. The source said like any other Governor or President, Ambode relieved the cabinet members of their appointments based on political expediency, capacity to do the job, among others.

He recalled that many of the cabinet members were appointed a year ago based on merit and the need to put round peg in round hole, but in the last 15 months, it had become apparent that some of them cannot cope with the pace of the Governor, while some have demonstrated utter disloyalty to the office of the Governor.

They were also accused of flagrant disrespect to the office of the Governor with impunity, thereby undermining his authority coupled with unresolved disputes with some cabinet members.

The source said: “You see, one of them for instance, (names withheld) falls in this category.

“Having been in government for the past 16 years, his carriage was that of a man who believed that he cannot be touched. So, it was not a surprise to close observers that he was among those sacked by the Governor.”

Yet another one was dropped on account of being arrogant and unable to work as a team player and above all, he was allegedly approving money without the governor’s consent.

[size=15pt]Oversight function[/size]

In addition, he was also accused of treating lawmakers in the state with disdain. Sometimes ago, members of the relevant Committee of the state House of Assembly were stranded and embarrassed during an oversight visit to the office of the commissioner, who was not on hand to receive the committee members without a word or excuse for the action after being duly notified of the visit.

He was also accused of often delegating officials to represent him at key events without cogent reasons for doing so.

Hence, the decision of the Governor to wield the big stick to serve as deterrent to others in order to fall in line and key to his vision of making Lagos great and transforming the state massively.

It was gathered that the other casualty- Akinkunmi, was said to be found wanting.

Being a finance expert himself, Governor Ambode, according to another reliable source, was uncomfortable with his style of operation to the extent that he had to be tongue-lashed at cabinet meetings by the Governor on issues that bordered on abysmal performance.

[size=15pt]Commissioner reacts[/size]

Meantime, Folarin-Coker, in a swift reaction to the development, denied being removed for poor performance but said it was in the interest of moving Lagos forward.

His words: “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is my leader and boss. He is a visionary leader and understands well what Lagos needs best. He is also a close personal friend. There was no clash between us whatsoever. Lagos needs to move at an accelerating pace and my time to depart just happened to be today.

“I remain totally loyal to him and the party. Change is always good thing and I am grateful to God to have been able to serve my state for 18 years.”

A text message sent to Moberola and Akinkunmi’s mobile phone lines were yet to be responded to at press time.

Diddyydiva:
Nigerians won't let this die already
This is becoming stale jare

theGistsonline:
exactly! She even has a beer pot belly