₦airaland Forum

Were they marginalized in the past regime?

mu2sa2:
Sambisa forest isn't a five star hotel, bros.

I agree with u, but these ones were randomly picked up.

They always look so unkempt. U will even pity them

This people always look so ugly and hungry.

Nigeria govt cannot manage the refineries effectively, I think they should privatize it, govt should take 45% and the private company 55%.

NAIJASOM:
I ask a similar question earlier this week on a different thread. I said " Nigeria is the only country on planet earth where Muslims are fighting so hard to stay with infidels".....Why?


All I received was insults as usual

No country is homogeneous

opeyemmmy:
Behind you

Pls wait for me

I thought fayose said buhari is too old at 72

If this statement was made by a commoner or a technocrat I would have concur, but from PDP, can the devil speak the truth?

I Served in ikom, cross-river, victor is not loved by his people, they tagged him as selfish politician. He has been in public postition since he was 27years old. He wanted to run for Senate the 4th time before PDP gave the ticket to owan enoh.

Bryce Williams -- the man who shot and killed a Virginia reporter and photographer -- turned a gun on himself, but survived the shooting.

Police say they found him with a pulse, but he's in critical condition. While police were chasing Williams -- aka Vester L. Flanagan -- he put up the videos on Facebook and Twitter. One of the clips shows him walking up to his victims. Another shows him firing the deadly shots at point blank range.

Twitter and FB almost immediately suspended his accounts.

Williams claims the shooting was retaliation for Alison Parker and Adam Ward reporting him to human resources. He's not specific about why. He also claims Alison had made racist comments.

WDBJ says Williams was hired in April 2012 and fired a year ago.
http://m.tmz.com/#Article/2015/08/26/reporter-photog-killing-suspect-posts-video-bryce-williams

The police have arrested a medical doctor, Amadi Uzoma, and five others over allegations of kidnapping and child trafficking.

The other suspects, Faith Nuhu, Chigozie Goodwill, Mrs. Evelyn Ojiaku, John Ojiaku, and an auditor in Imo State civil service, Mrs. Elizabeth Oyemoabi, were accused of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.

Parading the suspects at the Force Headquarters on Monday in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, said their activities were uncovered by police investigation into the kidnapping of three siblings, Grace Idris,13, Philip Idris, 3, and Paul Isaac, 2, by their older relative, Nuhu and her alleged accomplice, Goodwill.

According to Ojukwu, investigation into the reported kidnapping of the siblings by detectives of the Force Analytical Tracking and Interception Centre geo-located the GSM numbers of the suspects to Owerri in Imo state.

He said further analytical tracking led to the arrest of the first suspect, Nuhu and the second suspect, Goodwill in Edo state.

“They confessed that they kidnapped their three victims in Kafanchan, Kaduna State and discarded Grace Idris, the oldest victim along Abuja-Jos highway.

“The two minors Philip Idris and Paul Isaac were delivered to the third suspect, Mrs. Evelyn Ojiaku at the cost of N600, 000,” Ojukwu said.

He revealed that Ojiaku is operating a private hospital known as Royal Maternity/Clinic and Child Care Service around Umuiyi Akaba Ikeduru, off kilometer 6, Owerri-Okigwe Road in Imo state.

According to the police spokesman, Ojiaku used the facility for trafficking in children with the connivance of her son, John, adding that the medical doctor, Ozuma, provides medical services in the hospital.

Ojukwu said Ojiaku confessed that she earlier bought a day-old biological male child at the cost of N100, 000 in September 2014, before she later supplied Idris and Isaac for N600, 000.

He said Ojiaku admitted selling the first child sold to her by Nuhu to one Angele, a female resident of Lagos State, at the cost of N300,000 in September 2014, and she also confessed to buying five more children which she had sold to different families.

Ojukwu said Ojiaku also confessed to have been assisted in selling the children by Onyemuobi.

He said all the children had been traced and recovered from their adopted parents, some of who adopted the children without knowledge of the illegal activities of the fake child-care centre.

Ojukwu called on persons looking to adopt children to follow approved channels and not to patronise “child harvesters,” stating that the suspects will soon be charged to court.
http://www.punchng.com/news/police-parade-medical-doctor-five-others-for-child-trafficking/

The source alone can tell u the authenticity of the news.. waiting for another source to counter it

25-year-old John Okafor was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for being in possession of N48m cash. It was learnt that the suspect was apprehended with the money on the Abaji-Abuja Expressway on Monday by the anti-narcotic officials who were on a routine patrol.
He was said to be one of the the passengers of a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, when he was arrested.

Okafor insisted that the money belonged to an unnamed bureau de change firm in Onitsha, that he was an employee of the firm. He said he was heading for the foreign exchange market in the Federal Capital Territory to convert the sum to dollars when he was arrested.
He said:
“I work for a bureau de change in Onitsha. I was asked to purchase dollars at the foreign exchange market in Abuja with the money. When we got to Abaji, our vehicle was searched and the money was found. That is all I know.”
It was gathered that a drug dealer, Chukuka Ugbai, was arrested with 79 bags of weed said to have tested positive for cannabis in Bako village in the Kwali Area Council, Abuja during the same patrol.
The drug which weighed 817 kilogrammes was found in his warehouse. While Ugbai owned up to illicit dealing in drug, Ugbai, but said he was amazed that the operatives were able to track him to his residence.
He said:
“I was not lucky enough because I don’t know how they detected my cannabis warehouse. I sell cannabis to take care of my family and pay my children’s school fees. The officers found 79 bags of cannabis in my store.”
The FCT commander of the NDLEA, Mrs. Chinyere Obijuru, confirmed the two arrests in a statement. She said Okafor would be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation, while Ugbai would be charged to court.

She said:
“Okafor was on board a commercial bus from Onitsha in Anambra State when N48,450,000 was found in a brown carton concealed in a sack. He also had on him 86,500 CFA. He claimed that the money belongs to a bureau de change at Onitsha. He is suspected to be engaging in money laundering and will be transferred to the EFCC for further investigation. “Ugbai was arrested at Bako village in the Kwali Area Council following the discovery of his cannabis warehouse. He will soon be charged to court for unlawful possession of cannabis.”

The NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, said the agency would continue to clamp down on drug traffickers and urged the public to comply with the provisions of the anti-money laundering act.
http://tiwasblog.co/2015/19/25-year-old-man-apprehended-on-expressway-with-n48m-in-cash/

Pic.

From left:Olori Titilola Akiolu, Mr. Dapo Adeniyi, Co-Author, Mr. Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser on medial to Mr. Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos, and Authors of the Book, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Guest Honour, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, Chief Judge of Lagos state, Alhaja Lateefah Okunnun, former deputy governor of Lagos state, Hon. Gbenga Makanjuola, Chief of staff to Senate president and representing the senate president and Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, representing Governor of Ogun state, during the Presentation of Three New titles Books, The Great Leap, In Bold Print and The Lagos Blow Dawn in the Honour of Mr. Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos state by Hakeem Bello, at Mosum centre, Lagos Island. on. 18/08/2015. Photo: Bunmi Azeez
However, a testimony of Fashola’s credentials among technocrats was evident as the occasion had a surplus of professionals from various sectors of the society, who thronged the event for the launch.
The anxiety that preceded yesterday’s book launch was aptly echoed by erstwhile chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr. Fola Adeola, chairman of the occasion, who described those who came for the launch as brave.
The notable political players from the state present were immediate political associates of the former governor, former governorship aspirant, Mr. Supo Sashore, former deputy Governor, Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu, former commissioner for finance in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun, Senator Munirudeen Muse, Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Funmilayo Atilade and Mr. Joe Igbokwe, the spokesman of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Also present were the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Mr Gbenga Makanjuola, who represented Senate President Bukola Saraki, Mr Lanre Babalola, Jide Sanwoolu, Rotimi Oyeko, among others.
Tinubu was represented by Prof. Tunde Samuel, a former commissioner in the state. Governor Ibikunle Amosun was represented by Otunba Bimbo Ashiru.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Adeola said he considered those who attended as those who have the interest of the former governor of Lagos at heart.
Adeola hails attendees for bravery
According to him, “I believe everybody that came here today considers Fashola as a friend, brother, cousin, so I greet everyone and welcome them. I will also say some people are here just because they are brave and not afraid. The people who are here today are simply telling him that no matter what, they still remain his friend”.
He went further, “I can tell you that with some faces I have seen here, I think I am fine. At least I can see Palace representatives and majority of our old friends, so for me, it will be a day to remember. I am so happy to be alive in my time that Governor Fashola happened and my prayer is that we will not wait for too long for another Fashola to happen”.
“I was in Benin and somebody was talking about Lagos State and Fashola, I was surprised and wondered where they knew him from. Also, in Kano State during Governor Kwankwanso’s tenure, a young man was saying his governor is trying to replicate what Fashola is doing in Lagos in the state. So in my dictionary, Fashola represents every good thing,” he stated.
My accomplishments not complete without people — Fashola
In his remarks, Fashola said the success of his tenure was made possible because of the people who worked with him while in office.
He also said the book launch was all about Mr Hakeem Bello who painstakingly documented the three books being launched.
He said: “I think it will be wrong for anyone to believe today belongs to me but it is not. It belongs to Hakeem Bello, who painstakingly documented these three books. It also belongs to Dapo Adeniyi, who worked with him. And to all those who joined us in this event, what you have done is to join us in celebrating Hakeem Bello, a gentleman, family man whose passion for his work epitomises his fidelity in what he believes in.
“We need to know that there are people who started this journey before me especially my predecessor in office, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There are also men and women who served with me while I was n office for eight years. So, those achievements would not have been possible without these people who served with me who also include judges in this state.”
The sky is your limit — Tinubu
Tinubu, who was represented by Prof. Samuel in his message said Fashola’s rugged intellect to public service differentiated him from his peers while he was in office.
“Fashola acquired a lot of apprenticeship in a wired political engineering and this further helped his actions while in office. I am happy that your ruggedness in office has shown Lagosians and Nigerians that Asiwaju took a very good decision when he made you his Chief of Staff and later two time Governor of Lagos state” he added.
He however concluded, “We are happy about your success in office and we believe the sky is your limit”.
Amosun, represented by Otunba Ashiru compared the challenges encountered by Fashola in his effort to improve infrastructure in Lagos to what late Chief Obafemi Awolowo faced when he was the Premier of the Western Region.
The three books launched yesterday were The Great Leap; In Bold Print and The Lagos Blow Down.
Moses Ogunleye.His words “What you have done in Lagos, the legacy will continue to remain forever. When late Chief Obafemi Awolowo decided to build the Cocoa House, there were several protests from Nigerians that the country was not ripe for such a structure, but he stood with the plan and today; it has remained in the annals of the country’s history. And for Fashola, look at the cable bridge between Ikoyi and Lekki, no one believed that it could happen. You have just left office but Nigerians still need your experience,” he said.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/apc-leaders-shun-fasholas-book-launch/

Boko haram may attack a village accepted, but the number of casualties sometimes is questionable. 60, 100, 400, and they will tell u the attack was on a small village.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim unilaterally acquired the multi-billion-dollar Centenary City on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief alleged yesterday.

PDP’s National Vice Chairman (Southsouth zone) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh said he was ready to face the ex-SGF in court to prove his sole ownership of the controversial housing estate.

At a media briefing in his Abuja home late Monday, Ojougboh, reacting to what he described as “the show of shame”, which he said Anyim sponsored against him on Monday, accused the former SGF of acts of desperation “to cling onto his loot and spoils of office without putting into consideration the millions of Nigerians he is depriving of the dividends of democracy”.

Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe transactions relating to the Centenary City, Ojougboh said Anyim persuaded former President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the Centenary City documents without the ex-president reading the contents or consulting his advisers.

The Centenary City project is sitting on a land area covering over 1, 500 hectares, the size of three districts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The PDP chieftain has petitioned President Buhari, stating the facts relating to the transaction and the role played by Anyim in what he described as “a scam” perpetrated by a United Arab Emirates company, allegedly operating as a front for Anyim.

Ojougboh said: “Yes, the former president signed the papers as presented to him by the former SGF. He was not properly briefed because of vested interests.

“I can defend him; he was not part of the fraud. If Jonathan had been properly briefed, he would not have approved the project, let alone going to perform the ground breaking.

“The former President thought that the Centenary City was for the good of all Nigerians because of the centenary spirit. Unknown to him, it was the private project of the former SGF and his cohorts.

“I am calling on President Buhari now to revisit the centenary city project and he will be shocked that the project is owned by a private individual, but procured with government funds”.

According to Ojougboh, the original landlords demanded compensation from the Federal Government, “but the sponsors of the project used a private firm to pay them N1.2 billion. He asked: Where did they source that money from?”

He continued: “How can an individual still serving in the government get such a huge sum to pay compensation without government knowledge?”.

Ojougboh alleged that the money was paid into a private company’s account.

He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari should direct the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, the Directorate of Military Intelligence as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into the matter.

“The President must insist that each of these security agencies should carryout independent investigations so that the depth of the matter would be reached. I am available to offer the much I know from my independent quests on the matter”.

Ojougboh, a medical doctor, insisted that the project was a scheme used to defraud the Federal Government in taxes, stressing that the Free Zone status given to the multi-district estate was a fraud.

Ojougboh also quoted Anyim as saying that the project was worth $4 billion, adding that the process violated the rules guiding the granting of free trade zone status by the Nigerian Export Processing Zonal Authority (NEPZA).

The PDP chieftain, who was chairman of the board of NEPZA during the project’s conception, said the board did not approve a free trade zone status for it.

“I can categorically attest to the fact emphatically and unequivocally, that the board did not approve the grant of the status of free trade zone to centenary city.

“Centenary city cannot be a free zone because it is purely a residential estate within the confinement of the Federal Capital Territory and it is implicit that those who live in the free trade zone will require re-entry visa for ingress and egress.

“I make bold to say that the Federal Government has no equity in the Centenary City project and that Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is the sole owner of the 3000 acres of land owned by the Centenary City, Abuja.

“This is against the tenets and spirit of the Public Service rules for a public servant to own such a business whilst in government,” Ojougboh said.

The party chieftain stated that his attention was first drawn to the scam by the Anti-Corruption Network, and that he had voiced his opposition to the anomaly.

“It was meant to give import duty to the owners through the back door. The consequence was to rob Nigerian masses of their land, revenue and retard the industrial growth of the nation.

“Therefore, for every one job the project creates today, it robs the nation of over 10 jobs in taxes and industrial development”. Ojougboh stated.

Ojougboh raised some questions for Anyim:

Does the law establishing the FCT allow for a free zone? Is it in the Abuja mater plan?
How did Pius Anyim obtain the N1.2 billion resettlement fees?
In whose custody is the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) of the Centenary City?
Anyim’s media aide, Mr. Sam Nwaobosi, declined comments because, according to him, the matter is in court. In a telephone conversation with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Nwaobosi said Anyim would not take up issues with Ojougboh.

Said he: “Senator Anyim has gone to court to sue him for defamation on the previous press conference and interviews that he granted in which he accused Anyim of almost all these things you said he is saying now.

“So, the matter is already in court and Senator Anyim does not wish to take up issues with him on matters that are already in court.

“Since he feels aggrieved by what Cairo (Ojougboh) has been saying and writing against him, he is pursuing a very civilised cause by going to court to plead his case.

“So whatever Ojougboh is saying, he will have an opportunity in court to explain and then plead his case.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/pdp-chief-anyim-tricked-jonathan-to-sign-n1-2b-deal/

ABAKALIKI- HOODLUMS were Tuesday reported to have invaded an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) belonging to an old generation bank in the College of Agricultural Science, CAS, of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki

Sources said the hoodlums evaded all the security check points within the school and proceeded to the ATM where they allegedly carted away over N10 million which was earlier loaded in by the bank officials.

“The robbers came into the campus in the night and went straight into the bank. They later carted away millions of Naira which was loaded in the day time by the bank officials.

“We learnt that up to N12million was stolen during the incident. I can’t tell the actual amount but all I know is that there was robbery in this bank”, a witnessed said.

Another source claimed that the hoodlums first sacked the security officials at the entrance gate before entering the bank.
Contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Chris Anyanwu who confirmed the robbery incident revealed that the actual amount stolen by the robbers was yet to be ascertained.

“Yes, there was robbery incident in one of the old generation banks located in CAS campus of Ebonyi State University.

“The robbers broke the ATM of the bank and carted away all the money inside it. We are hearing different figures stolen and the bank officials have not given us the figure of the amount carted away by the robbers.

“Investigation has already commenced and it is after the investigation that we will be able to tell you a particular amount stolen”. Ends

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/robbers-broke-atm-in-ebsu-cart-away-over-n10m/

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday expressed his desire to revisit the recent liquidation of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited and its subsidiary, Mobile Telecommunications Limited.

The President made his position known when officials of the Ministry of Communication Technology took their turn to brief him of their ministry’s activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the closed-door session with the President.

Olaopa said Buhari had directed that his ministry should prepare a memo for him on the transaction.

He said although the President was not opposed to the privatisation, his desire was to ensure that Nigeria was not short-changed in the transaction.

Olaopa said, “The President was concerned about the liquidation of NITEL.

“He is not opposed to its privatisation but he wants to know and he want us to bring a memo on how the whole transaction was undertaken so that he would know whether Nigeria was short-changed.”

The Permanent Secretary added that Buhari also raised concerns over the quality of service being offered by telecommunication firms in the country.

He said the delegation explained to the President some of the problems responsible for the poor service.

He identified some of them to include multiple taxation and right of way among others.

He expressed the optimism that Buhari would wade into the situation in order to ensure that Nigerians get value for money.

He added, “The President was concerned by the quality of service of telecommunication operators.

“The President is very concerned about the whole issue of privatisation that is hindering the investments in ICT infrastructure and that he will personally champion this.

“The President talked about the potentials of the ICT sector in generating employment.”

The National Council on Privatisation had on April 26 directed the Bureau of Public Enterprise to hand over NITEL/MTEL to NATCOM Consortium.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the council presided over by former Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Deputy Chairman of the Council’s Technical Committee on Privatisation, Haruna Sambo, made the decision known at a press briefing held after the meeting.

Sambo explained that the directive was given because the preferred bidder had paid the total cost of acquisition of the companies.

He said, “You recall that at the last NCP meeting, approval was made for the financial bid for NITEL/MTEL by the bidder, NATCOM Consortium, at the cost of $ 252.251m.

“Today (August 26) at the council meeting, the council approved the hand over to NATCOM Consortium, having paid the cost of acquisition.

“By this approval, the process has come to a closure and the council has mandated the BPE to hand over the two companies to the preferred winner, of course after all other outstanding issues are taken care of.

“With this, the transaction has come to an end and council asks BPE to hand over the two companies to the bid winner, NATCOM Consortium.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-revisits-nitel-mtel-liquidation/

Scarcitato:
I op u don't mean it to b anoda thing entirely?
The hate of Okocha is the beginning of ya failure.....

After Jay Jays retirement I av no passion for Super Eagle...
I remove my hat for "Jat Jay"..

I'm damn sure u only read the topic and not the content

Many are mad, few are roaming the street

The source thou.

Tinubu controlling center and lagos.
Sometimes when I hear APC. I take it as tinubu second name

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, has struck out a suit of certificate forgery brought against Senator Foster Ogola of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The suit was dismissed on Saturday after the tribunal had taken closing statements from the legal teams representing both parties over a fortnight ago.

Senator Ogola was declared winner of the Bayelsa West Senatorial District election on May 28 but Mr. Eddy Julius, candidate for the All Progressives Congress and the party challenged his (Ogola’s) victory, saying he was not qualified to represent the district.

Julius, represented by his lawyer, Somina Johnbull, had alleged that Ogola forged his First School Leaving Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission to enable him contest the election and urged the commission to withdraw the certificate of return and present it to him.

He had prayed the court to grant his reliefs and declare him (Julius), who came second, the winner of the election by the virtue of “doctrine of wasted votes.”

The petitioners had joined the Independent National Electoral Commission and the PDP in the case of certificate forgery against Senator Ogola in the complaint filed on April 18.

But delivering judgment, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Chikere Annie Ononneze, dismissed the petitioner’s suit for lack of evidence and upheld the election of Ogola.

The tribunal had earlier taken the closing arguments of both parties but the plaintiffs only presented Julius as witness and failed to present other nine witnesses or any evidence before the tribunal.

The respondents had urged the court to strike out the case as the plaintiffs had failed to prove their case and that there were no issues of substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

APC and Julius were represented by Somina Johnbull while INEC and PDP was represented by Joe’Kyari Gadzama.

Speaking to journalists after the judgment, the counsels for the PDP and INEC commended the tribunal for the decision in striking out the suit and upholding the election of Senator Ogola.
http://www.punchng.com/news/tribunal-upholds-bayelsa-pdp-senators-victory/

Who released this virus on our old men?

A patriotic Nigerian will make a better president

I saw same thing 2months ago at igbo-effon, ajah road. Some hausa men were crossing the.wide road. The last guy did not see the fast car coming from the fast lane. Then he got hit. Mob were there standing , even his colleagues were speechless, the guy driving came down to see what happened.when he learnt that the guy is dead. Just imagine fast and furious racing, he jumped into the car and sped off. That was when the victim friends started chasing the criminal. Within a sec the guy don disappear

I don't really get when I see trends like this.
65% of igbo in lagos are lagosians. U only know they are igbo by the name they answer. Many of my friends has never been to south east before. So what makes them south east. Even the retired ones get buried in lagos. A couple number of them return home only during festive period.

The immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Sunday described as untrue allegations that a substantial part of the $1bn Chinese loan obtained for railway projects was diverted.

Okonjo-Iweala in a statement issued by her Media Adviser, Mr Paul Nwabuikwu, also explained that contrary to the allegation, the Kano-Lagos rail project is not part of the project listed for funding from the Chinese loan.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last Monday queried the Ministry of Finance over alleged diversion of foreign loans obtained for rail projects by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Specifically, the President was seeking clarification on alleged diversion of a substantial part of a $1.005bn loan obtained from the Chinese Exim Bank for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos to Kano.

The funds were said to have been moved elsewhere.

But while reacting to the allegation, Okonjo-Iweala who spearheaded the negotiation of the loan during her time as finance minister said the China-EximBank kept and disbursed funds for approved projects to contractors based on milestones.

The funds, she added, were not domiciled with Finance Ministry.

Giving a breakdown of the loan and how it was utilized, the minister said that $500m was used for the expansion of four International Airport Terminals in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt, $500m for the Abuja Light Rail project, $984m for the Zungeru Hydro-electric power project and $100m for the Galaxy Backbone project

The minister in the statement noted that even if the alleged project was on the list of China-Exim Bank funded projects, diversion of any Chinese funds would have been extremely difficult because the terms of the contract and the processes would simply not have permitted such action.

The statement reads in part, “We have continued to receive media inquiries regarding an allegation reportedly made by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Alhaji Mohammed Bashar, that a substantial part of a $1bn loan obtained from the China-EximBank by the Jonathan administration for a Kano-Lagos rail project was diverted to other projects.

“I want to state categorically that there is no truth in the reported allegation. Anyone who is interested can cross-check with the China-EximBank or the Chinese Embassy.

“It is noteworthy that even though President Buhari, in his reported comments on the allegation, made no reference to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala but rightly stressed the need for due process and transparency in the execution of public projects, a sponsored media campaign has once again been launched by political elements to make the former Minister the culprit in a non-existent scandal.

“The alleged diversion has no substance for the simple reason that the Kano-Lagos project was not even among the projects presented for funding by the China EximBank for several strategic infrastructural projects across the country.

“In fact, it was the Lagos–Ibadan rail project, not Lagos-Kano rail project that was proposed in the original application to the China-EximBank. But in the end, no funds were assigned for the Lagos-Ibadan rail project by the China-EximBank.”

The statement explained that based on the terms of the loan, the procedure was that funds for approved loans remain in the China-EximBank.

The funds, according to her were released directly to the Chinese firm executing the contract only after the presentation of duly certified proof of work by the Federal Ministry of Transport, based on the agreed milestones.

“For the sake of emphasis, the China-EximBank does not disburse money directly to government and therefore the issue of diversion does not arise,” the statement added.
http://www.punchng.com/news/1bn-chinese-rail-loan-not-diverted-okonjo-iweala/