The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) says it has removed the name of Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation (AGF), from the list of wanted persons.

The agency made this known in a letter to his lawyers with reference number CCF/112/R1221.19, dated March 9, 2020, with the subject “Request concerning Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke”.

According to Interpol, Adoke’s name has been expunged after the commission received a request to seek the removal of his name.

“We acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated 26 February 2020, addressed to the commission for the control of Interpol’s files and received on 4 March 2020,” the letter read.

“Insofar as you have provided the required documents, your request is admissible. We would like to inform you that the commission carried out the appropriate checks and that as of today, your client is not subject to an INTERPOL notice or diffusion.”

“You will find enclosed an official letter from the Interpol general secretariat, certifying the above.

In the certificate attached, the Interpol said: “The general secretariat of the International Criminal Police Organization-INTERPOL hereby certifies that, as of today, Mr. Bello Adoke Mohammed, born on 01 September 1963, is not subject to an Interpol notice or diffusion.”

On November 11, Interpol arrested Adoke in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), when he went there for his medicals.

The warrant of arrest had been issued against him on April 17, 2019, following a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the controversial OPL 245 deal executed by the federal government in 2011.

9PBLIVE:
One of our tenant gave me money to buy semo for her sons naming ceremony,stupid me entered bet9ja shop to play virtual...to cut the long story short they collected all the money from me
I didn't go home that day later I realised that it was EBA they ate...
Them beat me die

9PBLIVE:
This evening, Tolu121' Landlord was
complaining dat Ewuhausa had impregnanted his
daughter. .

As Tolu over-heard d landlord
shouting, he came out of his house and asked
d landlord.

Tolu: Oga landlord, what have
Ewuhausa done dis time?.

Landlord: Ewuhausa got d mind to impregnant my only
daughter.

Tolu: Oga landlord, are u sure of
wat u are saying?.

Landlord: Yes, this evening i saw mydaughter vomitting, wen i noticed dat she was pregnant, i asked her who
impregnanted her & she said dat Ewuhausa is d
one who impregnanted her.

Tolu: Abomination, Ewuhausa is afool, he is a bastard. Oga landlord since i have been sleeping with
ur wife, have u got any report that i have
impregnanted her?.

youngcee:
I hate Toyota Avalon and I don’t like seeing anyone drive It. It irritates me. Not because of the features of the car or its price but because one guy “stole” my babe from me with that particular car and she had the effotrty to wave at me from passenger’s seat.

ff0000:
Crownbefitsme, you are risk taker.Kudos!

The Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will visit the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, before the end of the week.

It was learned that the Chairman of the committee and Governor of Yobe, Mai Mala Buni, will lead the party caretaker committee members on a visit to the Lagos residence of Tinubu.

POLITICS NIGERIA also gathered that this was part of the decisions taken during the inaugural meeting of the committee held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, on Monday.

This newspaper understands that the visit was to brief Tinubu on the plan to reconcile aggrieved members and leaders at all levels and to seek his support and blessing.

Also the visit was meant to assure the APC national leader that the dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee was not targeted at him.

An APC chieftain told the PUNCH the visit will take place on Tuesday or before the end of the week in order to recognise and appreciate his enormous contributions to the party.

He said: “It was agreed that the committee should go and meet our national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to pacify and assure him that the dissolution of the Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee of our great party was not targeted at him. He is one of our most revered leaders. We recognise and appreciate his enormous contributions to this party. We plan to visit him tomorrow (Tuesday). If the visit does not take place tomorrow, it will take place before the end of the week.”

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has reacted to reports of an alleged plot by certain forces in the party to remove its national chairman, Uche Secondus.

The Party, in a statement issued on Monday night, disclosed that there was no such plot. Below is the full statement made available to POLITICS NIGERIA;

“We read with consternation and unbelief the piece titled: “Southwest PDP Chairmen alleged plot to replace Secondus with George,” written by Mr Muyiwa Adeyemi, Head, Southwest Bureau of the Guardian Newspaper. The article, ab initio, is unprofessional, malicious, indecent, reeks of prejudicial hack writing which is capable of diminishing the long-held image of The Guardian.”

“The stark truth is that the article was a total fabrication. The piece claims that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state is scheming to displace Mr Uche Secondus and make Chief Bode George the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party.”

“This is utter nonsense and falsehood. It is libellous; an outrageous fable, a reckless assassination of character sponsored with the sole aim of tarnishing the hard-earned image of Governor Seyi Makinde and Chief Olabode George.”

“The article discountenances morality. It is offensive, foul and noisome. It derides facts, scoffs at the truth, mangles reality to achieve some deviously hidden goal. We are shocked and disappointed that this kind of yellow-journalism can be smuggled into the once hallowed pages of The Guardian without proper gate-keeping and fact checks.”

“It is even more disgusting to know that Mr Adeyemi who is based in Ibadan failed to cross-check with the Governor’s office or Chief Bode George the nature of the meeting held at Agodi Government House, Ibadan on June 19th. What’s more a Communique was also issued and given to journalists about the theme of the meeting. The Governor had invited the Elders and Stakeholders of the party in the Southwest to reposition the party and reconcile and mend the broken places. Nothing more.”

“How this selfless mission of the Governor somehow turns into some dark scheming to remove the party Chairman befuddles the imagination. We are aware and also in possession of evidence that Mr Adeyemi was used by a disgruntled former governor who took the same fiction to several newspapers but was rejected because they know the story is libellous.”

“The basic principle of journalism is to balance a story, to investigate, to speak to all sides of the divide to avoid the stamp of bias and libellous litigation. Mr Adeyemi stands indicted for untidy, compromised journalism capable of reducing the esteem of the Guardian which I once worked for at the highest level when the gatekeepers were doing their job very well. Not so anymore.”

“While we hold the management and the publisher of the Guardian in high esteem, it is befitting that a retraction and apology for this demeaning defamatory journalism is issued urgently.”

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Governors’ Forum, has reacted to a statement by Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello that 10 governors from the party are set to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a statement made available to POLITICS NIGERIA, signed by the DG of the forum, HID Maduabum, Bello’s statement was a ‘diversionary tactic’ to shore up the ‘sagging morale’ of the APC.

“The PDP Governors’ Forum under the leadership of His Excellency, Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR, hereby debunks as unfounded, the allegation by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello while featuring in an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Friday night, that about 10 governors under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).”

“This statement does not merit any response but for the fact that it may demoralise PDP members and Nigerians who are not aware of the facts.”

“It is obvious that this is a diversionary tactic to shore up the sagging morale of APC members who are ruing the loss of yet another state Governor, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State to the PDP, as a result of the chaos and anarchy currently existing in the APC, following the mismanagement of their affairs as acknowledged even by Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.”

“The PDP Governors are very focused on delivering good governance and the benefits of democracy to their respective states and working tirelessly to strengthen and reposition the party.”

“There is no attraction whatsoever for any PDP member not to talk of a PDP Governor to join the APC, a party bedevilled by crises, without even an elected leadership as envisaged by Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution that specifically requires the Executive Committee of every political party in Nigeria to be democratically elected.”

“We advise His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, to concentrate on providing good governance to the people of Kogi State.” the statement read.

Following the dissolution of the National Working Committee, NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, all posters and pictures of suspended national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, have been removed from the party’s national secretariat.

POLITICS NIGERIA learned that this occurred barely 24 hours after the NWC was disbanded. Oshiomole’s pictures have been removed from two giant billboards mounted at the entrance gate and inside the party’s headquarters in Abuja, leaving only President Muhammadu Buhari’s poster.

It was gathered that shortly after the announcement of the NWC’s dissolution, staff at the secretariat jubilated and began to tear down/remove the Edo politician’s portraits from the reception and all the offices.

Oshiomole’s troubles originated from his rift with Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki. Both men have been at loggerheads for a while but the animosity between them heightened after the former influenced the disqualification of the latter from the party guber primaries. This led to Obaseki’s defection to PDP, a development that did not go down well with a large section of the party.

Shortly after, the court of appeal upheld Oshiomhole’s suspension and the party, in an extraordinary National executive committee meeting on Thursday dissolved the Oshiomole-led National Working Committee, NWC.

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has stated that no amount of blackmail can deter him from fighting corruption in Nigeria.

Magu, an award-winning anti-corruption Czar, on Thursday, disclosed that those stealing Nigeria’s money must be stopped. Addressing a delegation of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Abuja, He said;

“Those stealing, embezzling, hiding and carrying our wealth away are not our friends. We must stop them. We must stop looters. We must stop the industry of corruption by all means and we shall surely stop them.”

“Fighting corruption is not a tea party. More than ever before, fraudsters are devising new techniques and strategies every day to beat established rules and systems. Besides, several fight-back ploys are also being fashioned to distract and discourage genuine fighters of corrupt practices. For us, all these strategies are all too-known. We are familiar with the desperation of fraudsters.”

Speaking on the accusations, Magu said he was aware of the ‘Blackmail and campaign of Calumny’ revealing that he will continue to fight and expose corruption.

“We are familiar with their blackmail and campaign of calumny but we will not give up. We will continue to expose and bring corrupt elements to book. We will never give up!”

POLITICS NIGERIA recalls that the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF Abubakar Malami called for the removal of Magu last week over alleged diversion of recovered loot for personal gain.

The Media Aide to the late former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, has revealed what his late principal said before travelling to Abuja, the nation’s capital.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the former Deputy Vice Chairman (South-West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) died in Lagos on Thursday from complications arising from COVID-19.

In a tribute to his late boss on his Facebook Page on Friday morning, Bolaji Tunji said Ajimobi left Ibadan, the Oyo state capital for Abuja to assume duty as one of the leaders of the party.

Tunji noted that it was during that travelling that the former governor fell sick and was not transferred to a private hospital in Lagos.

He revealed that Ajimobi had told his staff to prepare to move to Abuja since he had been appointed the Vice Chairman of the party.

Read the tribute below:

It was just like yesterday. He had received a call to come to Abuja. It was to discuss party matters. He was not sure of who would follow him. Because it was a private flight, he had limited options. He only went with his security aide.

He had told us earlier in our office in his Oluyole home that we would talk about the movement to Abuja since he had become the Deputy National Chairman. Our office had to shift to Abuja. He was in his usual caftan and cap, always impeccably dressed even at home except when he does his exercise every morning in his blue track down and blue stripe Tee-shirt and branded cap. With his earpiece and phone in hand, he would walk around the building several times to exercise.

“We will leave by 2.00 pm,” he said that fateful day. A special private flight had been arranged for him.

He radiated good health and we still marvelled that he still looked so good for his 70 years. Being 70 meant a lot to him and would jokingly call himself Baba 70. As he left our wing of the house to the other side, a few of us in our usual manner trailed him. He spoke with a few people in the courtyard before he left to prepare for that trip. I never knew it was going to be the last time I would see him.

But in his usual organised manner, there was no pending issue. He had taken care of everything. He had signed all the letters of appointment for the peace and reconciliation committee.

I still can’t wrap my head around what happened. He was so healthy, he was neat, he took all the necessary precautions even while he sat with us in our open office he was always with his face mask, we always observe social distancing. We were always quick to give him hands sanitizer anytime he touched something. We were conscious of his age and did all we could to ensure safety. We had three spots where you had to wash hands before entering the premises. One at each of the main entrance gates and another by the entrance to our office. We observed all due protocols. So what happened? How did it happen? None of us was sick. So where did this come from? I am still trying to find answers.

He never wanted anything else after the general ok the positions because he felt it would benefit his people. ‘ I have done my bit. There is nothing I set out to achieve that I did not, I cannot be governor again, but I can not leave you people, ‘ he would say.

But what went wrong? I am at a loss. I was so sure he would get up the sickbed. I was so sure because there were unfinished businesses. There were so many tasks that he had planned ahead to better the lot of the people. So I was convinced he would come to complete those tasks, those plans. I never knew it would end this way.

A legend is born with the death of a hero. You will forever remain in my heart, in our heart. I have learnt so much from you. You were a willing teacher. You would deliberately sit with us and tell us about life experiences. The idea was to learn from you. And we learnt. You would have been surprised if we had not learnt. As you were quick to point out, you never had an academic PhD, but you had a PhD in experiences and what life had to teach.

I can go on and on reminiscing about you. About that other side that people never saw. That soft part of you that people never knew existed.

This is cathartic for me because I am still in shock. Am at a loss. Everything within a month.
Did we see this coming? No. Not this. Not that you would go so soon.

Were there signs? Yes. From the most unlikeliest of sources. But not like this. Not to death…

Though the music stopped, the melody continues. You will forever be remembered. Good night Sir. Just the way I always text you.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has declared that its orientation camps will reopen when it is very safe, in view of the danger posed by COVID-19 pandemic.

Director, Press and Public Relations of the scheme Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi made this known on Thursday in a statement issued in Abuja.

“The attention of the management of the scheme has been drawn to an online publication stating that the ‘NYSC is set to reopen orientation camps, lists guidelines’, alluding that the scheme will soon resume orientation programme,” Adeyemi said.

She said the scheme placed a very high premium on the lives of corps members, camp officials and other stakeholders, “which was the key reason it suspended 2020 Batch “A” Stream 1 orientation programme in March and shall never act in any way that will compromise their safety”.

Adeyemi urged corps members and prospective corps members to glean information concerning the scheme only from NYSC official sources – both the social and mainstream media.

Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Jonah Melaye has reacted to the dissolution of the National Working Committee, NWC of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The APC dissolved its NWC on Thursday during a National Executive Committee, NEC meeting convened in Aso-Rock. Suspended National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole wielded considerable influence over the dissolved NWC.

Speaking on the development, Melaye mocked Oshiomhole with a song captioning it;


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IegDBt9Jzho

“Why did Buhari, APC take Oshiomole to Golgotha? Meanwhile, myself and Sen Saraki are waiting for our retirement letter from the disgraced former chairman.”

Lewandoski20:
Even Aso Rock no get Isolation Center, na Primary School go come get. Tueh!
Awon Oniranus!!

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced that Thursday’s governorship primary election in Edo state will be broadcast live on television.

Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, made this known in a statement on Wednesday night.

He disclosed that the election will be aired live on Africa Independent Television (AIT), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and Channels Television among others.

The spokesman reiterated that the party will be picking its candidate in Edo state through an indirect primary mode.

According to Ologbondiyan, the exercise will take place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City by 10;00 am.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that at least four aspirants will be contesting the governorship primary ahead of the state election slated for September 19 to face Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The aspirants to partake in the exercise are Governor Godwin Obaseki, Kenneth Imasuagbon, Gideon Ikhine, and Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shuaibu has described the suspended national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomole as a ‘Dictator’.

It’s no longer news that Shuaibu and his boss, Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki have since defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP following disagreements in the APC and the disqualification of Obaseki from contesting the party’s guber primaries.

Speaking in a recent interview with Channels Television, Shuaibu disclosed that he personally has no problems with the APC, adding that his issues are with Oshiomole. In his words;

“I have no problems with APC but I have serious problems with Comrade Adams Ali Oshiomole that became a dictator”.

“The leadership that Comrade could not give in APC is what I am seeing in PDP. I am seeing leadership that resolves issues before it becomes out of hand,” he said.

He explained that leaving APC was not something he was happy about because it was ‘a house he helped build’.

The factional acting national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Victor Giadom has issued a statement on modalities for the controversial National Executive Committee(NEC) meeting scheduled to hold today.

Giadom revealed that the meeting link and code have been sent via text messages to all NEC members.

“Chief Hon. Victor Gladom, on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC) and having been duly authorized by Court Order to Act as National Chairman of our great party and to preside over all meetings of the NWC and NEC hereby reconvene the NEC meeting that was earlier billed to hold on the 17th of March 2020 but was postponed. The reconvened meeting shall hold as follows:
Date: Thursday, June 25th, 2020.

Time: 12 noon

“In keeping strictly to the COVID-19 Guidelines, the reconvened National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting shall hold by virtual means. The codes would be communicated through text messages to members of the National Executive Committee” the statement read.

Former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has called on the National leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to leave Transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi alone.

Eze, in a statement sent to POLITICS NIGERIA on Wednesday night, asked Tinubu to also reign in the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Drainage and Water Resources, Joe Igbokwe over his recent comments on Amaechi.

“Inconsequential, as it may seem, those recent paradoxical and absurd statements credited to the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Drainage and Water Resources, Joe Igbokwe, against the personality of the Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, calls for a serious concern.”

“Igbokwe had ranted that the Hon. Minister of Transportation and South-South Leader of the APC, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, may be dropped by President Muhammadu Buhari, if he fails to stop the Rivers State chapter of the ruing All Progressives Congress (APC) “from embarrassing APC Nigeria”.

“Furthermore, Igbokwe said, “He (Amaechi) may be compelled to drop his position if he cannot call you fake APC members to order even when you could not deliver a single Counselor in that due selfish sense of superiority and imposing some fake and inordinate power you do not have”.

“It is this kind of political stupidity that led Wike to dislodge you fake Buharists in Rivers. Meaningless bravado, selfishness, self-importance, hustling tendencies with nothing to put on the table is the real problem. Too much noise from Rivers”. Joe Igbokwe added.”

“Reacting to the showy razzmatazz, former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze described the comment as a mere balderdash emanating from a political whippersnapper in an attempt to engage in an undue bandy.”

“In a statement made available to media houses, the party chief wondered when Igbokwe took up an appointment as Presidential Spokesman. He cautioned the Lagos APC chieftain to pay a more detailed attention and channel his energy to his primary assignment of cleaning up dirty drainages in Lagos and stop being a busybody.”

“The party chief said there was more to the political drama that was displayed in Rivers State during the 2019 elections than mere eyes could see. He said national forces from within and outside the APC fueled the crisis in a bid to weaken and pull down the Transportation Minister given his towing and intimidating political profile in Nigerian politics.”

“He said Rivers APC has found the path of peace with the new State Executive Committee under the watch of Dr Davies Sokonte, following the adoption of more pragmatic approaches towards solving the problems within the party.”

“Eze reminded Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he once acknowledged Amaechi as the General of the Commonsense Revolution that swept off PDP from power besides for a man to have led President Buhari’s Campaign Organization on two occasions and succeeded becoming the first African to achieve that and for a nobody like Joe Igbokwe to use unkind words on him shows how frustrated he has become and probably to create a rift between you and Amaechi.”

“On the crisis currently ravaging APC at the centre and in some States, Nigerians are not deceived as the ambition of one man is the fire tearing down the party but God will help us to rescue our party from such ’emperoristic’ forces.”

“Eze assured Tinubu that further attack on the person and personality of Amaechi will be resisted as we will not allow the likes of Joe Igbokwe or whatever he represents to bring down Amaechi that ThisDay Newspapers presented as the Minister of the Decade.”

“The party chief said President Mohammadu Buhari and indeed, all well meaning Nigerians have continued to commend Amaechi for his style of service delivery which has translated into a massive development in rail infrastructure as a critical element of economic development and job creation.”

“Chief Eze said Rt. Hon. Amaechi remains an iconic political heavyweight to reckon with in the politics of Nigeria given his numerous achievements and track records in public service.”

“He called on Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to tame Igbokwe and tone down his barbaric wildness in the public space, stressing that Rt. Hon. Amaechi has earned much respect and public confidence in leadership and should be reasonably shielded from vituperative tantrums.”

The Federal Government has rolled out conditions schools and learning institutions in the country must meet before reopening.

The conditions are contained in a 36-page document submitted to the Senate by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for their Information.

The document obtained by our reporter is titled: “Guidelines for schools and learning facilities reopening after COVID-19 pandemic closure.”

The Minister, in his forward to the document, described the conditions as key strategies for implementing safe, efficient, and equitable plans for school reopening and operations.

He noted: “Given that COVID-19 may be with us for a while, the guidelines also highlight the urgent need to maintain and improve upon distance learning programmes.”

He added the guidelines were drafted in close coordination with health, environmental, education, and school safety experts who were tasked with the responsibility of charting a pathway for safely reopening schools and learning facilities for quality teaching and learning.

A major plank of the conditionalities is that schools must “create immediate temporary” COVID-19 “isolation space” before they can be considered to reopen.

Schools are also mandated to “ensure establishment of a School COVID-19 Referral System including protocols and procedures to take if learners, teachers, administrators and other education personnel become unwell while in schools.”

Schools are also to establish and adequately equip dispensaries and clinics as appropriate.

In the early hours of yesterday, several security personnel, acting on “order from above” in a commando style, stormed the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, drove out workers, visitors and journalists, ostensibly to forestall breakdown of law and order.

The fierce-looking men, who included operatives of the special forces of the Department of State Services (DSS) also barred members of the National Working Committee (NWC) loyal to the suspended National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, from going into the complex.
There presence spread palpable fear, tension and confusion at the administrative headquarters of the ruling and its environs.

The ‘invasion’ which came barely 24 hours after some party stakeholders protested at the secretariat and demanded the dissolution of the National Working Committee, opened another page in the leadership crisis rocking the party.

The party’s leadership crisis took a new turn after the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman.

Abiola Ajimobi, former Oyo governor was named acting chairman, but Victor Giadom, deputy national secretary, kicked against it, declaring himself the acting national chairman.

On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari met with some governors and Senate President Ahmad Lawan as part of measures to resolve the crisis.

The deployment, yesterday, according to sources, was on the instance of Giadom, who was infuriated by the directive by a national officer to break his office after the inauguration of his replacement, Boms Worgu, on Monday.

Investigations also revealed that armed with the court order authorising him to take charge of the party, Giadom had headed approached the IGP to get the order to the FCT Commissioner of Police to seal the secretariat.

A source said Giadom was infuriated that instead of seeking peace, Boms was brought in as his replacement by the South South National Vice Chairman, Hilliard Eta.

But it was also learnt that the order to seal the secretariat might have come from the Presidency. A source said miffed by the tensed situation at the secretariat following the claims by different members of the national leadership, the presidency had issued the directive to mitigate the situation from deteriorating.

The crisis at the secretariat had thrown staff into confusion creating anxiety over the future of the party and their employment status.

Acting National Secretary, Waziri Bulama, who arrived the secretariat at 12.10pm was allowed entry into the complex, but denied entry into his office. He tried to convince the security agents to allow him into his office, and having made frantic telephone calls for help and got none, zoomed out of the secretariat.

Some staff expressed concerns over the uncertainty in the ruling party, fearing they might not be paid their salary this week.

“We don’t care who becomes the party chairman, but we are not longer comfortable with the situation in the party. How do we get our salary under this condition of things. The situation is even more precarious that the crisis has created financial crunch in the party,” a staff told Daily Sun.

Following the return of peace at the secretariat in the evening, the pro-Oshiomole NWC arrived in convoy and headed to the NEC Hall for a meeting.

Meanwhile, the crisis may linger longer than expected as Giadom has convened an emergency virtual National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for Thursday this week.

Claiming that he was authorised by Muhammadu Buhari to reconvene the NEC meeting earlier scheduled for March 17, he warned that only those given the code would participate in the virtual meeting, and that those that will participate physically will also be informed.

“The reconvened meeting shall hold on Thursday, June 25,. Venue shall be the State House, Abuja. However, in keeping strictly to the COVID-19 guidelines, the postponed NEC shall proceed by virtual means. The codes would be sent by text to the phone numbers of all NEC members. Those to be physically present at the State House, Abuja, would also be communicated,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja has said it deployed personnel to the party secretariat to maintain law and order and nothing more.

Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, in a statement maintained that the police did not seal the party secretariat as its being alleged but to prevent any untoward situation within and around the secretariat.

“The presence of police personnel at the Secretariat is not to seal-up the complex as has been reported in some quarters but rather to prevent any untoward situation within and around the APC National Secretariat.

“Members of the APC as well as staff of the secretariat are, therefore, at liberty to conduct their legitimate businesses, in and around the Secretariat as always,” he said in a statement.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) said on Tuesday that its former member Victor Giadom is not competent to call the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.

National Vice-Chairman (Soutsouth) of the party Hillary Etta, who is standing in for acting National Chairman Senator Abiola Ajimobi, said after a NWC meeting on Tuesday wondered why Giadom, who is no longer a member of the party could claim to be calling a NEC meeting.

Etta said: “I sit here on behalf of Distinguished Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the acting Chairman of this party. If Victor Giadom is arranging a NEC, I believe that it is your responsibility as a member of the fourth estate of the realm to investigate his locus to find out whether he has the legal and the constitutional backing to be able to call a NEC meeting.

“As we speak, the membership of Chief Giadom has been suspended by a competent court of jurisdiction in Port Harcourt this afternoon. Not only is he not a member of the NWC from today, his membership of the APC has been suspended”.

Citing Article 25B(i and ii) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) gives the conditions precedent to summoning a NEC meeting, as: “The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-thirds of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than fourteen days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.

“Without prejudice to Article 25(B)(i) of this Constitution, the National Working Committee may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least seven days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend”.

Giadom on Tuesday issued a notice of NEC meeting for tomorrow at 12pm at an unnamed venue.


The notice by Giadom reads: “I Chief Victor Giadom, having been duly authorised by Court Order to Act as national chairman of our great party and to preside over all meetings of the NWC and NEC hereby and with the consent of the President Muhammadu Buhari, (who is the leader of our Party) reconvene the NEC meeting that was earlier billed to hold on the 17th of March, 2020, but was postponed. The reconvened meeting shall hold on Thursday, June 25th, 2020.
“In keeping strictly to the COVID-19 Guidelines, the postponed NEC shall hold by virtual means. The codes would be sent by text to the phone numbers of all NEC members.

Etta frowned at any attempt to refer to Ajimodi-led NWC as a faction of the NWC. “It is not right to refer to 17 members, with 15 of them physically present and two who met with us virtually as a faction. This is the National Working Committee of the APC.

“When you call him (Giadom) factional acting Chairman, we wonder why,” Eta queried.

Earlier in the day, the police, after five hours of surveillance on the APC national secretariat unsealed the party headquarters to party members and the public.

The Secretariat was sealed at about 10:30 am on the orders of Inspector General of Police with firm instructions not to allow all members of the National Working Committee (NWC) entrance into the early callers at the party secretariat including journalists were ordered out of the premises by the Police. They were allowed in later.

Even the Police men at the Secretariat did not yield on the arrival of Waziri Bulama, the acting national secretary, at about 12:30pm. He was told that he could not be allowed entry on orders from above.

He left the secretariat after making some calls.

The Police said it deployed personnel to the secretariat to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.

Police spokesman Frank Mba said: “Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force have been deployed to the National Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress, located at Blantyre Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja. The deployment is a proactive move by the Force to maintain peace and ensure there is no breakdown of law and order at the Secretariat.

“The presence of police personnel at the Secretariat is not to seal-up the Complex as has been reported in some quarters but rather to prevent any untoward situation within and around the APC National Secretariat.

“Members of the APC as well staff of the secretariat are therefore at liberty to conduct their legitimate businesses, in and around the secretariat as always.”

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said on Monday it had started reviewing the guidelines for lifting of the ban on interstate travels.

Speaking at the daily press briefing of the PTF in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the task force, Dr Sani Aliyu, said the roads would be opened when the bus termini in the country all had COVID-19 preventive measures in place.

Aliyu stated this as the PTF Chairman, Boss Mustapha, disclosed that the Federal Government would next week decide on its lockdown policies, including the ban on interstate movements.

The PTF coordinator said the guidelines submitted by the Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki, was being reviewed and the roads would be opened as soon as it is safe to do so.

He said, “At the moment, we still have restrictions on interstate travel. But we have been linking up with the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the Minister of State for Transportation.

“They have given us guidelines that they have developed : very detailed guidelines, and we have looked at them, summarised them and discussed at PTF last week.

“We have asked the Minister of State for Transportation to please engage with the road transport workers to make sure that the usual garages and parks that we have are ready in terms of guidelines that we have in place such as physical distancing, reducing the number of passengers per vehicle and provision of hand washing facilities etc.

“And I believe they are already working on this and hopefully, we should be able to open as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Aliyu expressed worry over the lack of compliance with safety protocols and urged states to increase the rate of their COVID-19 testing also asked them to make laws to make the wearing of masks in public space mandatory.

FG to take decision month end

Meanwhile, Mustapha, said the Federal Government would at the end of the month take a crucial decision on the lockdown declared to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Mustapha said, “At the beginning of the month of June, the PTF announced a one-month period for the implementation of the second phase of eased lock down.

“We have continued to monitor developments nationwide in order to take informed decisions at the end of the month. We have exactly eight days to that point of decision.”

While answering a question on whether the government might consider a total lockdown again, Mustapha assured Nigerians that the decision that would be taken by month end would not any way amount to a change in strategy.


He said if there would be a change in strategy, it would be expected to come from the side of Nigerians.

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, to return to the APC.

Ize-Iyamu said this in Benin on Monday while reading his acceptance speech shortly after being announced as the winner of the party primary.

He said, “We are going to talk to everybody and we are going to bring everybody back. And let me also say that I want to salute my brother, the governor of the state, Mr Godwin Obaseki. I will like to appeal to him to return to the party.
“The atmosphere in our state has been tense in the past few months and it was unnecessary. That hostile atmosphere, more or less put a stop to governance. But we are hoping that now we have concluded our primary even though I have to start campaigns, let’s do it in an atmosphere of love and peace.

Ize-Iyamu was declared winner of the governorship primary after polling 27, 838 votes from the direct primary held across the 192 wards of the 18 local government areas of the state, to defeat two other aspirants, Dr Pius Odubu and Mr Osaro Obaze, who polled 3, 776 and 2, 724 respectively.

The exercise, which commenced as early as 8am across the 18 LGAs of the state, was peaceful.

There was also heavy military presence in the state collation centre at a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area area of Benin City.

Accredited card-carrying party members of the party, who wore face masks, lined up in batches of 15 in each ward at a time, and were, thereafter, requested to vote for the aspirants of their choice by raising their cards at the mention of the names of each of the three aspirants.
Chairman of the Edo State APC Primary Election Committee, Governor Hope Uzodinma, declared Ize-Iyamu winner of the exercise, after the collation of results.
He said, “From the collated results, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who scored 27, 838 votes, has the highest votes and is returned as the APC governorship candidate for Edo State in the forthcoming governorship election.”

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday queried the sum of N475 billion allegedly spent on the N-Power scheme between 2016 and 2020.

While the agency stipulated that the sum of N474,961,312,112.42 was expended on N-Power since inception, the Assistant Director (Admin), Mr Nsikak Okon, who spoke on behalf of the N-Power National Coordinator, disclosed that the sum of N421,525,909,355 was expended so far.

According to him, 200,000 young Nigerians between the ages of 18 to 35 were employed in the first batch of the scheme which started in June 2016, while payment commenced in December 2016.

He added that total of 300,000 participated in the second batch which commenced in June 2017 thereby bringing the total to 500,000 spread across 774 Local Government Areas of the country.

When asked to give account of the amount expended so far, Mr Okon, however, observed “a typographical error on the last page of the submission, it suppose to be N421,575,909,355.

“What happened is that if you look at October 2016, it suppose to have terminated October to December 2016 but we had it scrolled to 2016 total giving us 56 billion.”

According to Mr Okon, in year 2016 total sum of N3.356 billion, adding that the subtotal was not stated in the documents presented to the Committee.

When asked to present the list of all the beneficiaries, the N-Power official noted that he has printed the list of beneficiaries from 3 States namely: Abia, Adamawa and Akwa Ibom while others are being awaited.

He added that the agency has written the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (oAGF) on the over 11,000 N-Power beneficiaries who have not been paid since January 2020.

Worried by the inconsistency in the documents presented to the Committee and the verbal presentation made by the N-Power National Coordinator, Hon. Oke, who argued that the N-Power was out to “ambush the Parliament”, argued that “Director, from your submission, can we see your total for 2016 financial year?

“Can we see your total for 2017 financial year, can we see your total expenditure for 2018 financial year, vis-a-vis 2019 financial year and for the period of January to May 2020, can we see your exposure from this your submission?”

While ruling on the presentations made by various National Coordinators of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIPs), Hon. Oke disclosed that all the members will go to their various constituencies to verify the details of all the beneficiaries of various schemes with the view to ensure accountability.

Hon. Oke also demanded details of the salaries of the N-Power officials.

yehmy:
Well it's like we Chelsea have enough money to spend, but i will prefer if we can buy hazard back nd maybe coutinho than going for The GOAT

yehmy:
Are u Chelsea

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), on Tuesday, June 16, announced that it has seized a miltimillion naira building from the Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Muhammed, which he acquired when he was the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The building, which houses Zinaria International School, is located at Plot 298, Wuye District, Cadastral Zone B3, FCT, Abuja.

According to a statement by the commission on its twitter handle, investigation revealed that Senator Mohammed in his capacity as the FCT Minister allocated the said property to a school that allegedly had himself and family members as directors and shareholders despite an existing right of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture over the land.
To this end, according to the statement on the commission’s twitter handle, the commission will issue notices of seizure and shall cause them to be served on the appropriate land registry, ministry and department where the property is situated as required by law.

Following the notice of seizure, the commission will apply to the court for an order of forfeiture under Section 48 of the ICPC Act in line with the Federal Government policy focusing on recovery of proceeds of crime, pending when the tenure of the governor expires.

Senator Mohammed had earlier been charged for using his office to confer corrupt advantage upon himself and relations under Section 19 of ICPC law but could not be arraigned before he was sworn in as governor of Bauchi State.

In view of the provisions of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the charge which was pending before Justice Senchi of FCT High Court 13, Jabi, was withdrawn by ICPC to forestall its being struck out by the court suo moto.

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the party cannot bend its rules in favour of Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo state.

The APC screening committee had disqualified Obaseki from participating in the governorship primary election in Edo scheduled for June 22, but it cleared Osagie Ize-Iyamu believed to be supported by Oshiomhole for the exercise.

There are now speculations that Obaseki, who is seeking a second term, will be defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after he had met with some PDP governors.

Oshiomhole after meeting with Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, said he does not know the governor’s move, and that the APC has rules governing it and everybody irrespective of status is expected to abide by them.

“I don’t know about exit. What we see from your media, electronic and print, is that he visited a number of PDP governors. We read from electronic and print that those consultations may have to do with his plan and so on. But we are not here to speculate,” he said.

“Our party is not a party of big men. It is governed by rules. Both the small and the big are subjected to those rules. I’m sure you will agree that our president led by example when we conducted the direct primary in the last presidential election. We still went to Eagle Square for affirmation.

“So, if the president did not have the right of first refusal because our constitution does not provide for it, we cannot under any circumstances now bend the rules when it comes to some people and change the rules when it comes to others.

“Our duty as the management board of APC is to ensure that we strictly obey the provisions of our constitution, which empowers the National Working Committee to conduct primaries for president, governors, national assembly, and state houses of assembly.”

The APC in Edo has had factions since the governor fell out with Oshiomhole.

THERE appears to more troubles ahead former emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II as Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday said Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission would continue with the probe of the deposed emir.

Ganduje who spoke during an interactive session with newsmen in Kano, said “when we wanted to bring on board reform to our traditional institution, the former emir did not cooperate with the process of reform. The process was truncated, so the only option for him was to find his way out. And that was what happened.

When the process started, there were some legal issues that slowed the process. That time there was a so-called Kano Elders Forum that tried to also frustrate the reform process. Their case was squashed by another court of competent jurisdiction.
“The reform’s sole aim is to trickle down development to other parts of the state, particularly the communities that house the new emirates that were created. Our state anti-corruption agency will continue probing the former Emir over the issues he has with the agency. When he (Sanusi) took the agency to court to stop probing him, the agency stopped. But now, the case has been quashed. So, the agency will continue probing him according to the set down law.”

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Kano last week dismissed a suit filed by the Sanusi seeking to restrain the Kano State anti-corruption commission from continued an investigation over an alleged N2.2bilion land scam at Gandu Sarki in the metropolis.
On the mass deaths’ report, he said “yes, we heard the report of the committee, but our state government committee which started working the Federal government is concluding its report. What I learnt of that report is that, it is very scientific, there are facts and figures. So, it is after submission of that report that I will comment on the report submitted by the Federal government technical committee. The report will be ready by tomorrow. (today)”

The Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC) led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called on the federal government to consider suspending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp exercises for two years.

In its report presented to President Muhammadu Buhari last week and seen by TheCable, the committee recommended the consideration of suspension of NYSC camps for 24 months.

“The immediate focus in the Education sector is to address the disruptions caused by the pandemic and ensuing social distancing measures at all levels of education,” the report read.

“Practical steps will be taken to minimise disruption to learning, utilising technology as appropriate. Specifically, virtual learning will be implemented (either online or through broadcast), virtual convocation ceremonies or issuance of certificates (with postponed ceremonies) should be implemented to continue educational progression.

“In similar context, consideration will be given to suspending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp Exercises for at least 24 months while allowing deployment to places of primary assignment.

“This will ensure that there is no backlog in the National Service placement pipeline.”

In March, NYSC camps were shut following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Nigeria.

A statement released by NYSC at the time said “the corps members shall be posted to commence their primary assignments forthwith, while they shall be invited back to the orientation camps when the situation improves”.

Only last week, the scheme submitted a proposal for reopening of its camps nationwide.

It is unclear if the federal government will take this portion of the Economic Sustainability Committee’s recommendation.