₦airaland Forum

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA – PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday offered condolences over the death of Alhaji Sanda Kaita, Magajin Rogo of Katsina, his former teacher and a retired school administrator.


President Buhari in a condolence message to the Emir of Katsina, the government and people of the State, described his late metal work teacher in Katsina Secondary School as a man of highest character who will be remembered for his efforts to inculcate hard work and technical skills in his students.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, President Buhari said, “He was a committed and an inspirational educationist. Our prayers go out to the family of the bereaved; to the government and people of Katsina state over this irreparable loss. May his soul rest in peace.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/12/buhari-teacher-saida-kaita-dies/

Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

The names of three former governors who died years back are listed on the Independent National Electoral Commission register for the 2019 general elections, investigations by The PUNCH have revealed.

They are Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa State), Isiaka Adeleke (Osun State) and Patrick Yakowa (Kaduna State).

While Yakowa died in December 2012, Alamieyeseigha and Adeleke died in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

Also on the voter list are the names of the late former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme and the late former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, who once headed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. She died on June 7, 2014.

Ekwueme, with Voter Identification Number 90F5B09017295702736, was registered to vote at KDT Ezioko 1 in Anambra State.

Alamieyeseigha, with Voter Identification Number 90F54AF9CA1295190857, was registered to vote at Agbesi Open Space polling unit, Bayelsa State.

Our correspondent, who examined INEC’s register on Monday, observed that the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr James Ocholi (SAN), was still on the voter register. Ocholi died in a road accident with his wife and son on March 6, 2016.

The name of the late former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, was also on the voter register. Anenih died on October 28, 2018.

However, it was observed that the name of a former governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, who died in 2015, had been removed from the voter register. The name of the late founder of the Odua Peoples Congress, Dr Frederick Fasehun, had also been removed.

INEC in February approached the National Population Commission asking the body to provide a list of dead persons from 2015 till date in order to remove their names from the voter register.

The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had said, “The National Population Commission is the registrar of births and deaths nationwide and INEC is responsible for voter registration as well as the cleaning up of the voter register by removing the names of dead persons from the same register.

“We would like to partner the population commission to make available to INEC all records of deaths since 2015 so that INEC can take the necessary steps to remove them from the voter register.

“We are confident that you will oblige us so that we can further clean up our voter register ahead of the 2019 general elections.”

However, 10 months after, it was learnt that the population commission had not been able to help INEC.

A senior official of the NPC told our correspondent that less than 10 per cent of the statistics was available.

He revealed that out of the 36 states, the NPC had only been able to provide INEC with the data of three states –Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We have three major problems. The first is that we don’t have enough funds. Our budget for the year is about N4bn but only N800m has been released to us and this is December. We don’t have the money to procure machines for the 774 local government areas to register births and deaths.

“Secondly, Nigerians have a bad habit of not reporting deaths to us, especially in the Muslim-dominated areas where dead persons are buried almost immediately. The only time people come to get Form D1 (death certificate) is for court purposes or other official matters.

“Even the data we gave INEC on Kano, Kebbi and Kaduna states cannot be accurate because in Kebbi for instance, only four deaths were recorded. Of course, more than four people have died in Kebbi since 2015.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, the INEC Director for Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said the commission would remove the names of dead persons, illegal aliens and underage persons from the voter register to make it more accurate.

He said the aim of INEC was to destroy the Permanent Voter Cards of dead persons.

Osaze-Uzzi, however, said there was no cause for alarm as no one could use the PVC of another Nigerian due to INEC’s biometric data security.

He said INEC was not relying solely on the NPC but on other sources including the public.

He added, “We are not depending only on the population commission. We only approached them because this is their statutory responsibility. But it is just one source. We also do claims and objections and in this process, members of the community identify the names of dead persons on the register.

"Some notable persons who are dead have also been removed by us. We will publish the voter register for all to see.”


https://punchng.com/alams-adeleke-yakowa-akunyili-still-on-inecs-register-years-after-death/

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to recent report of 12 million Nigerian farmers making donations for President Muhahammadu Buhari’s reelection campaign.

Atiku expressed doubts over the donation and advised President Buhari “to shun the use of state resources and machinery for the upcoming 2019 presidential poll.”

The former Vice President also wondered why Buhari flashed double four hand signal during his budget presentation at the National Assembly last week.


Atiku said this in a statement yesterday by his Special Assistant to Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

He continued, “The other day, a man who scored 15,424,921 votes to win the 2015 general election was reported to have been nominated by 14 million APC members at the presidential primaries for 2019.

“Now, over 12 million farmers have donated to his campaign. Are they indirectly spewing out outrageous figures of people they intend to claim voted for them in the coming elections?


“Could that be why the President was flashing an occult double four hand signal that has gone viral? What did the hand signal mean?

“Does it mean that the President has jettisoned the idea of a free and fair election and telling Nigerians that no matter how they vote, he will return for a second term of four years?

“In any case, if the farmers who just took a loan through the borrowers anchor programme and have not liquidated the facility can donate this huge sum or any sum for that matter, it means the ‘Association of widows and children of all those slain by Boko Haram and herdsmen will donate N5billion to the Buhari campaign.

“In fact, the 23.1 million youth who lost their jobs between 2016 till date will donate about N12billion to the Buhari campaign.

“Assuming but not even conceding that such a huge sum of money was donated to President Buhari by Nigerian farmers as his handlers would want Nigerians to believe, wouldn’t such donation be in contravention of Section 91 (9) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which says no individual or other entity shall donate more than N1m to an aspirant or a candidate,” he said

http://dailypost.ng/2018/12/27/2019-atiku-interprets-buharis-four-fingers-gesture-lawmakers-speaks-12-million-farmers/

The Presidency on Wednesday night described the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as an ill wind on the country that should be rejected in 2019 elections.

According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also accused the PDP of irresponsible lies.

He said “The People’s Democratic Party, PDP has continued spreading lies about the Buhari administration in the mistaken assumption that its toga of corruption will dissipate if it succeeded in black painting every other person as corrupt.

“The strategy is to make corruption appear as normative and that everyone is equally involved.

“They think by so doing, Nigerians will forgive them for their sins. This is a huge mistake.

“The PDP has become an ill-wind on the country today and the elections next year present the citizens an excellent opportunity to save the country from it.

“We can’t imagine a sane organization shamelessly telling Nigerians that President Buhari is looting, as they themselves did of the recovered loot, the USD 322m lately recovered from the Abacha family. This is an irresponsible lie.” he said

Shehu added “The USD 322m recovered is being used to make the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT of a monthly amount of N5,000 to more than 300,000 poor homes across the nation under the Social Investment Program introduced by the Buhari administration.

“This is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the governments of Nigeria and Switzerland as a condition for releasing the funds.

“As part of the MoU, the World Bank is monitoring the application of the funds.

It is also important that the World Bank has equally given an additional facility to support the on-going cash transfers.

“Nigerians are hereby advised to be watchful of what comes out from the opposition, not to be misled into voting for a party that sees nothing wrong with corruption and would rather have everyone drenched in its colors, as they irretrievably are.” he stated.

http://thenationonlineng.net/pdp-ill-wind-nigeria-says-presidency/

At least 190 policemen being mobilized for the war against Boko Haram have fled for their lives.

Worried by the development, the Force Headquarters, Abuja, has ordered for the arrest and prosecution of the officers.

A security source familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters that the said officers were to be sent to battle without appropriate training, and also observed that nearly all of them are southerners and Christians.

“Those are the names of policemen who were mobilised without any serious training to be sent to the front lines to fight Boko Haram who ran away,” said the source.

“Nearly all of them are southerners and Christians; 96% of the total number mobilised are southerners and Christians too. This has raised so much dust and outcry in the NPF.”

However, the Police presented a slightly different account of the incident. A ‘Police Wireless Message’ sent from the Force Headquarters to MOPOLS in 22 states, which was seen by SaharaReporters, said the policemen were being trained at the Special Forces school, Buni-Yadi, where they absconded from. The MOPOLS were urged to treat the matter as “very important”.

The 190 officers may have been intended to be part of the group of 2,000, which the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, deployed to the North East late last month to fight Boko Haram.

Announcing the deployment, Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, had said the policemen comprised personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Counter Terrorism Units (CTU), as well as those of the Force and the Sniffer Dog Sections.

Moshood also stated that the new deployment was consistent with Section 4 of the Police Act and Regulations.

The section, he said, “specifies the general duties of the Nigeria Police Force as follows: The police shall be employed for the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged, and shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them by or under the authority of this or any other Act”.

“The deployment is also to support the strength of the military to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency,” he added.

“Before now, the Nigeria Police Force has on ground 47 PMF units (63 X 47 = 2961) in Borno State in addition to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron in Borno State. Twenty-six units (63 X 26 = 1638) on ground in Yobe State in addition to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron in Yobe State.

“Eighteen units (63 X 18 = 1134) on ground in Adamawa State in addition to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron in Adamawa State.”

Names of the 190 police officers below:

The presidency has issued a stern warning to political appointees, government officials and party men against influence peddling for corrupt pecuniary gains and other forms of extortion.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES said complaints of extortions of innocent people by what he called “self-serving name droppers and influence peddlers” is causing increasing embarrassment to the presidency.

According to Mr Shehu, “President Buhari had made it very clear since his inauguration that he won’t tolerate any form of impropriety by his appointees, aides, and government officials who abuse and misuse their offices for illegal financial advantages.”

The media aide explained that using one’s office or influence for private advantage or financial gains is corruption, warning that “the president would not tolerate any conduct by anybody to use his name to extort innocent people.”

He stressed that President Buhari’s commitment to the fight corruption at all fronts in his government remains unchanged, adding that “those who are not genuinely committed to this vision would be weeded out once caught and punished accordingly.”

The media aide advised Nigerians to report any government official or appointees using the President’s name or that of his aides and appointees to extort the public, adding that the current zero tolerance for corruption by the Buhari administration won’t condone this repugnant culture in government or public business.

The warning comes weeks after the State Security Service presented a woman, Amina Mohammed, whom it accused of using the name of the first lady, Aisha Buhari, to collect millions from unsuspecting victims.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the SSS said the woman had access to the State House which she used for her acts. The woman, however, denied wrongdoing. She told journalists that her activities were well known to relatives of Mrs Buhari and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.

Tuesday’s warning also comes weeks after Mrs Buhari accused her chief security officer, Sani Baba-Inna, of using her name to collect millions of naira from unsuspecting persons.

Mr Baba-Inna was initially detained by the SSS but was later freed without any prosecution.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/302819-buhari-warns-his-appointees-party-officials-against-extortion-influence-peddling.html

The leader of the Indigenous People of Viagra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has declared what could be termed as war on the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu over the arrest of about 52 Jewish worshippers during a recent peaceful procession in Umuahia, the state capital.

Kanu urged his followers to “scatter” any gathering of Ikpeazu’s campaign team, which will serve as a reprisal attack over the arrest of the worshippers.

He issued the threat during his live radio transmission over the weekend while condemning the continued detention of the Jewish faithfuls who were arrested on December 11, 2018 and charged with terrorism and treasonable felony.


Kanu vowed that Ikpeazu will never have peace until the Jewish worshippers are released.

The IPOB leader also urged his followers to rise against Ikpeazu and his supporters.

He said: “Okezie Ikpeazu ordered the arrest of 52 Jewish adherents at my hometown for embarking on a religious procession in Umuahia which everybody does.


“This is the place where Okezie Ikpeazu thinks he can come back as the governor, he’s daydreaming! Anywhere Okezie Ikpeazu’s campaign group is gathered, it will be scattered.”

http://dailypost.ng/2018/12/24/biafra-nnamdi-kanu-declares-war-gov-ikpeazu-gives-reasons/

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday assured that the Southwest that President Muhammadu Buhari will hand over government to a south-westerner, if the region supports him for next year’s elections.

Osinbajo, who engaged in house-to-house campaign in Oyo Alaafin and held 45-minute closed-door meeting with the Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi said 2019 presidential election mattered to the Yoruba people of the Southwest because the region has a larger interest in 2023.


The VP, who earlier in Ibadan inaugurated Shared Facilities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), financed by the Bank of Industry, declared that the project which is the maiden edition is Federal government project in collaboration with the Oyo state government.

The Shared Facilities is for fashion, style and shea butter producers who could not afford the cost of buying the equipments selling at millions of naira in the market.

The Director of Bank of Industry, Olukayode Pitan, lauded the project, saying Shared Facilities would operate as one of the National MSMEs Clinics and adopt a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to guarantee success and sustainability.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buharill-hand-over-to-southwest-in-2023-osinbajo.html

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has slammed previous administrations of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for lack of transparency and accountability with a charge on Nigerians to ask them what they did with monies earned from the sales of crude oil.


Prof. Osinbajo gave the charge during the weekend at the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli, HRM Oharisi III during a courtesy visit on the monarch in company of other Urhobo monarchs.

The Vice President also disclosed that in building infrastructures for the development of the country, the administration of President Muhammad Buhari had spent N2.7 trillion on building infrastructure since its assumption in office.


In his address to the monarchs, Osinbajo, who was accompanied by Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and others, said: “This is not a government that believes that the money of the people should be stolen because our determination is to build this country.

“We are earning today 60 percent less than what the country earned in the past 10years, yet we are spending more in building infrastructure than any government in the country today.

“The question we ought to ask previous government is, what did they do with the monies if today we are still building the Itakpe-Warri railway line which was established 35years ago as well as the Kaduna Hydro project which also was established 40years ago?”


http://dailypost.ng/2018/12/22/tell-nigerians-oil-money-16-years-osinbajo-tells-pdp/

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said that his administration was not neglecting any part of the country.

Buhari, who spoke through the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, during the inauguration of a multi-billion naira water project at Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, said he loves Igbo people.

The President said that the people of the South-East geopolitical zone should rest assured that he woulld fulfil every promise he made to them.

The minister said, “President Muhammadu Buhari holds Igbo people in high esteem and will do everything within his reach and power to fulfil his promises to the people of the region.”

He explained that the water project, which was initiated by Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu (Imo North), was appropriated in the 2019 budget estimate.

According to Adamu, the project will make clean water available to the people of Ehime Mbano.

Speaking at the event, Uwajumogu said his constituents would support Buhari’s re-election bid.

http://saharareporters.com/2018/12/22/i-am-not-neglecting-any-part-nigeria-buhari-tells-south-east

A Coalition of Youth Organisations in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State says Atiku Abubakar’s claim of being an indigene of the area is false.

Mr Atiku, the 2019 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), during the North West rally in Sokoto on December 3, said his background was from Wurno local government area of the state.

Wurno is the home town of the first Sultan of Sokoto, Late Muhammadu Bello, the son of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio.

Reacting to the claim on Friday in Sokoto, the group in a statement jointly signed by Murtala Wurno and Kabiru Wurno Chairmen of Garlic Farmers Association and Rice Farmers Association of the council respectively, said Mr Atiku had nothing to do with the area.

They said the claim was intended for cheap political popularity.

“The PDP presidential candidate’s claim of being an indigene of Wurno local government is just for his political gain in order to get the votes of the people of Sokoto state.

“We, the coalition of youth organisations in Wurno have dissociated our area from this claim.
“We urge Atiku to concentrate on his Agenda for Nigeria and stop making spurious claims.
“Wurno local government is a famous town blessed with people of good reputation and scholars who always succeeded in preaching the best for humanity.”
(NAN)

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/302361-sokoto-indigenes-disown-atiku-say-you-are-not-from-our-area.html

Theophilus Onojeghen, Warri

Chike, son of the convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum and elder statesman, Edwin Clark, has reportedly died at the private hospital in Benin, Edo State.

It was gathered that Chike, 43, died after a brief illness. He reportedly died on Monday December 17th, 2018 at the Edo State capital.

Our correspondent learned that the deceased was the sixth son and eighth child of the Ijaw national leader.

The family confirmed this in a statement signed by Dorothy Charles-Koko, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday.

The statement reads, “With deep regrets, we announce the death of Mr. Chike Clark, whose demise took place at a private hospital in Benin, Ihenyen Medical Centre, Benin City, on Monday, 17th December, 2018, after a brief illness.


“Mr. Chike Clark, one of the sons of National Leader and elder statesman, Chief (Dr.) E. K. Clark, OFR, CON, was, until his death, a business man.

“He was aged 43 years and is survived by his aged father, wife and three children.”

https://punchng.com/ijaw-leader-edwin-clark-loses-43-year-old-son-chike/

About 3,252 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi West Senatorial District.

Those who dumped the PDP in the district which is represented by Dino Melaye in the National Assembly included two former Kogi Commissioners of Water Resources, Tunji Oshanusi, and Agriculture, Femi Abolarinwa.

The News Agency Nigeria, NAN, reports that the decampees were received by the APC Zonal Chairman, Ropo Asagun at the township stadium in Kabba during the official flag-off of APC Zonal Rally.


Addressing the decampees, Asagun commended them for teaming up with the ruling party, adding that it was a clear indication that the APC administration had performed creditably, both at the federal and state levels.

“This defection is an indication that APC is generally accepted in Kogi west, and the state at large, which is an assurance of our party’s victory in the 2019 general elections.

“The party will not discriminate against any member whether old or new,” Asagun said.


In his remarks, the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Chief Matthew Kolawole, urged the people to get their PVCs and vote for APC.

“APC is the only party that can save us from the hands of looters; do not sell your conscience, your PVC is your power.

“In the last three and half years, President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice have done very well. Our achievements will speak for us,” Kolawole said.

http://dailypost.ng/2018/12/21/kogi-2019-3000-pdp-members-decamp-apc-dino-melayes-district/

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said it will no longer use cyber cafes for registration of candidates, beginning from the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said this on Thursday on the sideline of a meeting with proprietors of Computer Based Test (CBT) centres at the University of Lagos.


“We are no longer going to allow the cyber cafes to do the registration exercise for prospective candidates because they are extorting candidates and overcharging them.

“They also do services they do not have the capacity to do, coupled with the fact that there was no way of tracking them because they were not registered.

“Another major reason is the mix-up they create on the data of the candidates. Some will just ask the candidates to write their names and other details down for them.

“On accumulating such data, they now get all of them mixed-up, thereby creating problems for these candidates.

“We know there will be uproar because they make a lot of illegitimate money from these services, but we cannot leave the candidates at their mercy.

“Particularly when people will make noise that it is JAMB that was extorting them,’’ he said.
The professor urged all prospective candidates to do their registration and access the board’s major services in any of its 718 accredited centres in the country.

Oloyede said the board would commence the sale of the registration form on Jan.3, 2019 and would span six weeks.

He gave the assurance that the general elections would not affect the sale of forms, adding that the board had adjusted its examination schedule ahead of the election.

“We thank INEC for giving us an early notice and so, it is expected that the exercise will be hitch-free,’’ he said.

He told news men that as always the case, there were special centres for visually impaired candidates.

He added that the board was already considering the introduction of a new technology for smooth conduct of the examination for such candidates.

“Next week, some of our officials will be in the United Kingdom where all the assessment bodies, who are attending to the blind, will meet.

“They will meet with a view to finding the best technology to use for these special candidates at a better price, because of the exchange rate.

“However, those with Braille machines, they are available; we will give them and those who do not have, we want to encourage them, whatever best method available to us, we will deploy because we want to be as inclusive as possible.

“That is also why we have set up a committee of experts under Prof. Peter Okebukola, to look for all-inclusive methods to be able to attend and bend it to suit the purposes of all these peculiar candidates,’’ he said.

Earlier, while addressing the CBT proprietors, Oloyede warned that the board would not tolerate any JAMB-related materials in all the centres, especially question papers, as most often turned out to be fake, thereby duping innocent candidates.

He said that JAMB would also not hesitate to blacklist any centre that attempted to undermine the integrity of its examination through infractions.

“JAMB will continue to partner with you, empower good CBT centres to do things properly, as all essential services will henceforth be done by our good CBT centres.

“But to whom much is given, much is expected and so as we restrict services to you, you will be rewarded accordingly.

“But that does not stop there, as we will also beam our searchlight by tracking you also, to ensure that you remain in the right track,’’ the registrar said.

He noted that make-shift CBT centres too would not be allowed, adding that the board normally conducted an all year round examination for parastatals and agencies, and candidates for tertiary institutions.

“Do not pack up your centres and convert it to another thing, after the UTME, because we can come at any time for inspection,’’ he said.

Oloyede said that all the CBT centres must ensure that the dual screen registration process was followed strictly and ensure that candidates sign out by doing a thumb print that would ensure that data was uploaded and printed. (NAN)

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/12/2019-utme-jamb-stops-use-of-cyber-cafes-for-registration-of-candidates/

Lawmakers at the Nigerian Senate on Thursday exchanged banters over ‘Jibrin,’ an alleged impostor of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Recently, the social media has been awash with posts claiming that Mr Buhari is dead and now being represented by a certain Jibrin from Sudan.

Mr Buhari had to publicly restate his identity and denied that he was Jubrin.

Thursday’s banter started when the presiding officer, Ike Ekweremadu, asked the chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Barau Jibrin, to read a report of his committee.
He soon realised that Mr Jibrin was not around and would be represented by another senator, Binta Garba.

“Which of the Jibrin?” Mr Ekweremadu asked when Mrs Garba signalled to read the report.
The question elicited laughter in the chamber while forcing a response from Mrs Garba.

“We are aware of the Jibrin you people are trying to force…but this is Binta, not Jibrin,” she said.
In seconding the motion to consider the report, Shehu Sani also referred to Mrs Garba as Jibrin.

He said, “I stand to second the motion being moved by Jibrin…Binta Masi Garba.”

Before presenting the report, Mrs Garba went again to the Jibrin issue.
“For the avoidance of doubt, my name is Binta Masi Garba, not Jibrin,” she said and went ahead to present the committee report on the establishment of the federal polytechnic in Abia State.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/302112-which-jibrin-senators-exchange-banters-over-buharis-alleged-impostor.html

BY OKANGA AGILA
In the final months of transition from military to civil rule between 1998 and 1999, I never felt the enthusiasm that gripped most people in the country. My lethargic disposition at that time was not due to the uncertainty of whether the process would work – it was largely seen as an attempt, an experiment, a trial at that time because no one was certain the military will retreat to their barracks and stay put for one year without overthrowing the elected government, so any thought of a decade without military rule was stretching it.

The seeming indifference on my path was because the one man I believe as capable of resetting Nigeria,

Muhammadu Buhari, was not taking part in the contest. I easily concluded that those that will emerge from the process between 1998 and 1999 would merely continue the maladministration of the military albeit without khaki uniform. Sixteen years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and I dare say my assumption was proven right.

At the other times that Buhari unsuccessfully ran for office I supported him with all I can, which is not much. It consists mainly of one on one engagements to persuade people to see the value of getting a man that is not of the established order into office. Whenever those I engage in discourse ask what he has to offer I am quick to mention that his role is to bring the disruption that is needed to restart Nigeria on a new foundation.

May 29, 2015 my desire was fulfilled. President Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated and the changes desired kicked-in in earnest. While it has been a case of a half-empty and half-filled cup, perspective, since his inauguration, the results are nonetheless glaring for the discerning to see. For instance he was accused of not hitting the ground running when in reality it is about taking time to look before leaping. The same rabble that allege tardiness to act would have accused him of brashness in the same measure.

President Buhari did disrupted the system. He dislocated those that had made it their life mission to continually loot the treasury to the detriment of the larger population. This disruption of corruption from source has left those caught in the storm to continually lament about the hardship they are facing, which in reality is no hardship but people being jolted back to reality after decades of thriving on stolen easy money.

He disrupted the fixation on crude oil as the major revenue earner of our economy. We are not there yet but the path of growth that is possible for Nigeria is becoming clearer. This shift from dependency on oil revenue to a broader base economy is underpinned by massive investment in infrastructure across the country. In focusing on infrastructure, he displayed a trait that has been missing among Nigerian leaders – that capacity to complete what others started but never developed the will to finish. This alone has saved the country from wastages that come from abandoned projects.

Meanwhile, the capacity to focus and complete the task at hand extends to building systems like the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), enforcement of Bank Verification Number (BVN) for the operation of bank accounts and other steps that have contributed to the war against corruption championed by him.

Under his watch I have seen a realignment that may not be visible to Nigerians yet, but it shall become clearer in the course of time. There has been a kind of silent wealth redistribution under his watch. In the course of executing actual projects, the money that would have gone into the pockets of a few individuals is now not just providing infrastructure but also putting money in the pockets of workers engaged to execute the jobs. In the same space of time that some people are lamenting about hardship in the land, there has been a shift that is seeing more family sized apartments and bungalows being built versus the time that only a few mansions were built by those that cornered national resources. So in the real sense honest people now have the chance to earn clean money and not be dependent on tainted money.

In terms of state intervention, social interventions like N-Power, Trade Moni, the Conditional Cash Transfer and other programmes have placed made money available to Nigerians under different terms. These are funds that in the past would have been diverted for personal use by those that were sworn to act in the nest interest of the country.

Irrespective what critics want the world to believe, President Buhari’s uprightness is unrivalled. Take for instance his directive to all the agencies with roles in the conduct of the General Elections to ensure that they conduct a free, fair and acceptable exercise. It takes someone that is truly desirous of progress for the country to issue such directive, totally in keeping with his credential as a democrat at heart. He is a leader I respect tremendously more so that all efforts to tarnish his image have failed because he stands above board at all times.

I recall these qualities of President Muhammadu Buhari on the occasion of his 76th birthday knowing that an additional year adds additional wisdom, patience and understanding to his person. My prayer is that God grants him good health so that by 2022 we will again extend our good wishes to him on his 80th as the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria. I know for a certainty that the positive results of the foundation he is presently laying would be visible and appreciable for all to see and experience. Happy Birthday President Muhammadu Buhari. May God sustain your rule.

Okanga wrote from Agila, Benue state

https://www.thecable.ng/what-they-dont-see-a-reflection-on-pmb-at-76/

Leke Baiyewu, Abuja
Workers at the National Assembly, under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, have begun their four-day warning strike.

The workers stormed the entrances to the National Assembly Complex in the early hours of Monday to barricade the gates and prevent entry.
More security operatives have been deploy to manage the protesters.

https://punchng.com/breaking-national-assembly-workers-begin-strike-block-gates/

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was plotting to operate “container economy” if voted into power in 2019.

Tinubu made the allegation while reacting to the Vice Presidential debate.

Speaking at the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi’s Roundtable entitled: ‘The Imperatives of Building Institutions for Lasting Legacies,’ held at Ibadan, yesterday, Tinubu said the outcome of the debate has shown that the ‘developmental economy’ of APC cannot be compared with the ‘container economy’ of PDP.

The former Governor of Lagos State argued that the developmental economy would take Nigeria to a secured next level of economic prosperity.

He, however, stated that the container economy would return the country to perpetual slavery and poverty.

The former governor also assured that he would support the APC governorship candidate for the 2019 poll in the state, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.

He said: “I saw the debate yesterday, to crown my remarks. You could see the difference between a developmental economy and a container economy.

“Is Oyo State going APC? Oyo State is APC. It is progressive politics. I said in one place before, our Moses has crossed the Red Sea, no going back to Egypt. Success all the way.”

He stated that he did not feel bad if opposition parties in the State associated him with the process that threw Adelabu up as governorship candidate.

“If we do indirect primary again, I will still vote for your (Governor Ajimobi) choice of successor, because reforms, re-engineering, reinvigoration of the institutions can only continue beyond us. If the foundation is bad, the house will crumble,” he said.

He said: “I saw the debate yesterday, to crown my remarks. You could see the difference between a developmental economy and a container economy.

“Is Oyo State going APC? Oyo State is APC. It is progressive politics. I said in one place before, our Moses has crossed the Red Sea, no going back to Egypt. Success all the way.”

He stated that he did not feel bad if opposition parties in the State associated him with the process that threw Adelabu up as governorship candidate.

“If we do indirect primary again, I will still vote for your (Governor Ajimobi) choice of successor, because reforms, re-engineering, reinvigoration of the institutions can only continue beyond us. If the foundation is bad, the house will crumble,” he said.

http://dailypost.ng/2018/12/16/2019-elections-pdp-plotting-operate-container-economy-tinubu/

It was a single-issue debate which attendees unanimously found boring, despite repeated audience interruption that tested the patience of moderator Imoni Amarere. Ultimately, however, those interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES said there was a winner.

The Peoples Democratic Party vice-presidential candidate, Peter Obi, edged Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo of the All Progressives Congress in the vice-presidential debate on Friday night, instant interviews conducted by PREMIUM TIMES after the debate showed.

Two out of three attendees who came to observe the debate live at Transcorp Hilton Hotels in Abuja, who described themselves as non-partisan told PREMIUM TIMES Mr Obi did a better job.
Mr Obi was also the best debater amongst other participants who did not disclose their political affiliation.

The respondents were reluctant to comment on the showing of three other vice-presidential contenders who took part in the five-man debate, repeatedly preferring to focus only on Messrs Osinbajo and Obi, who are of the ruling and main opposition parties, respectively.

Stylistically, respondents said Mr Obi dominated. He looked mostly into the camera, which conveyed confidence. His voice was calm, but not entirely conversational, reminiscent of his decades’ experience as a trader.

In contrast, Mr Osinbajo frequently interrupted. He talked somewhat faster than he ordinarily does and defensively in many cases.

The vice-president ferreted from talking point to talking point, especially on rice production output, road infrastructure and the social investment programmes, and oftentimes gets shut down by Mr Amarere.

‘Data is life’

Mr Amarere’s decision to keep the debate strictly around the economy saw the contestants put up their statistics A game, and many in the audience were completely blown away.
“To be honest with you, Peter Obi was amazing,” Saryum Okorare, an Abuja-based human resources professional, told PREMIUM TIMES. “I saw it all how he was able to dole out statistics from his head.”

“His pen never touched paper and he was making sense with data, and you know data is life and does not lie,” she added.

“But the other people, not so much,” Ms Okorare said. “The vice-president is a professor, he has the ability to do more, but…”

Another non-partisan attendee Mary Omono, acknowledged the unique performances of Messrs Obi and Osinbajo, but still found Mr Obi’s ways with data more amusing.

“The debate was really interesting, thanks to both of them, but Mr Obi came out stronger for me because he did not only outline the problems, he gave solutions to them. He also gave statistics to back up most his positions,” Ms Omono added.

On substance, Mr Osinbajo won by highlighting the achievements of his administration. When Mr Amarere asked for his opening remarks, Mr Mr Osinbajo went straight for the PDP’s head, saying Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was abandoned for “practically 16 years”, and “practically every day” the government has been working to fix the crucial highway.

During some of the high-points of the debate around anti-corruption war, the vice-president displayed a quick ability to clap back. When Mr Obi said it was senseless to abandon a shop in pursuit of criminals, Mr Osinbajo quickly retorted that there would be no shop at all if rampaging criminals stole everything.

Mr Obi had a chance to deliver a similarly sharp blow when Mr Amarere asked about the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), but missed it by towing the administration’s line on why Nigeria did not sign the agreement earlier this year.

When the agreement was signed in March, the Buhari administration said it withheld assent because Nigeria could lose big if the country signs the agreement without the input of key sectors of the economy. But critics like former President Olusegun Obasanjo have condemned the delay as senseless, and even went on to describe the action of countries that did not endorse the pack as “criminal.”.

After initially agreeing with the position of the administration, Mr Obi used his second take on the matter to scold the President Buhari for failing to consult widely and conclude its collation of inputs before the agreement was due to be signed.

‘Corruption still a major issue’

“I think the vice-president found his footing when the debate got to the anti-corruption aspect,” Umar Abdullahi, an academic, said. “Mr Obi was unable to catch up with him again, even though he tried many times with his dizzying statistics.”


“Either we like it or not in Nigeria, corruption is still a major issue that any serious government must take,” Mr Abdullahi said. “I do not know whether the next government would be formed by APC or PDP, but they need to keep the tempo on anti-corruption.”

Osinbajo 1-4 Obi

Both candidates appeared to have muddled up facts in their submissions at the debate. Mr Obi repeatedly compared Nigeria’s economic indices with China’s, but failed too often to provide sources for his claims.

Mr Obi’s claim that his purchase of 30,000 units of computers as Anambra State governor was the highest by any government in Africa was instantly contradicted, although by an APC strategist.
Although Mr Osinbajo cited reputable sources, like the World Bank in his claims, he bungled basic facts in some cases. While reeling out the administration’s strides in agriculture, the vice-president said Nigeria was producing 90 per cent of its rice consumption.

This claim, which other administration officials have continued to regurgitate despite a PREMIUM TIMES fact-check that debunked it in 2017, remained demonstrably false.

Only one of five politically-active attendants interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES said Mr Osinbajo won the debate. But they all complained that the event was boring and Mr Amarere should have been better armed.

“You must think about the capacity of the organisers,” Terver Terkimbi, a civil engineer who said he has been in politics 17 years, said. “Do they have the capacity to put the right questions through?”
Reporters were barred from entering the hall of the debate, but a small cubicle was arranged for reporting activities in the lobby. Some participants who were inside the hall said they heard in the background that politics came to play in some of the questions that were asked.

Coming at a time of severe national security challenges, especially with the Boko Haram war and other boistering violent crimes across the country, attendants interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES had nothing but harsh words for the organisers’ failure to expand the debate beyond the economy.

Intention realised

But Clement Nwankwo, a civil society personality who provided support for the organisers Nigeria Election Debates Group, said the intention was to keep the vice-presidential candidates focused on their potential roles if elected.

“It is deliberate to keep it focused on the economy,” Mr Nwankwo said. “The main issue is the economy, even though a few other things came up.”

“It was up to the candidates to diversify their responses to other issues, but from the point of view of the moderator, the intention was to keep the debate on the economy.”

There were rumours that the presidential debate on January 19 would focus on security, since the president is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but Mr Nwankwo was unable to immediately confirm this to PREMIUM TIMES.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/301252-2019-debate-attendees-score-peter-obi-osinbajo.html

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says he is not a spare tyre to the president, emphasising that his roles as the number two citizen are spelt out in the constitution.

Osinbajo said this during the vice-presidential debate organised by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).

He said this differs from the constitution of other countries.

Asked how taking the job of the vice-president has been since he assumed office over three years, Osinbajo said the demand of the role has since increased his grey hair.

He, however, said despite the herculean nature of his job, it has also been rewarding.

“I am sure that those who know me quite well know that my hair was not this grey when I started out in 2015. So really, it has been tasking,” Osinbajo said.

“And it has also been an incredibly rewarding experience especially looking at it from the point of view of the ability to do the things that one wanted to do all along as an individual.

“The role is one where you are in many senses the chief adviser to the president of the country and possibly the one person that would represent him when when he is absent for a meeting and even when he is absent for a longer period.

“So there is a sense in which the role of the vice president is one that very closely mirrors the role of the president in very profound ways.

“But our vice-presidency is different from that of other countries. Because unlike other countries, even countries that have similar constitutions, our own constitution actually specifies role for the vice president. The vice president is the chairman of the national economic council…that is a constitutional role.

“In some senses, those who say the role of the vice president is like a spare tyre have it wrong because they are probably looking at other jurisdictions. In our jurisdiction, there are specific roles that the vice-president is entitled by law to perform.

“The vice president is also the chairman of the NCP, that is the national council of privatisation , the vice president is also statutory chairman over 22 parastatals and agencies and these are defined by law.

“That role is one that a good degree of trust is required between the president and the vice president. The role of the vice-president is one which also requires, I think, a great deal of patience because you may not always agree with the policies.”

https://www.thecable.ng/im-not-buharis-spare-tyre-says-osinbajo/

The Nigerian Military has announced the suspension of the operations of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) from the North-East.

According to a statement released on Friday by Onyema Nwachukwu, a Colonel and Deputy Director of Public Relations, Theatre Command, this was because UNICEF had “abdicated its primary duty of catering for the wellbeing of children and the vulnerable through humanitarian activities and now engaged in training selected persons for clandestine activities to continue sabotaging the counter terrorism and Counter insurgency efforts of troops through spurious and unconfirmed allegations bothering on alleged violations of human rights by the military”.

Mwachukwu said the Theatre command would not tolerate “this kind of sabotage from any individual, group of persons or organization”, and urged all NGOs and members of humanitarian agencies to keep to their legitimate norms in the discharge of their acclaimed humanitarian duties.

“The Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE has observed with dismay that some of the activities of international humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organisations’ operating in the North East have left so much to be desired,” read the statement.

“There is credible information that some of them are indulging in unwholesome practices that could further jeopardise the fight against terrorism and insurgency, as they train and deploy spies who support the insurgents and their sympathisers.

“It is baffling to note that some of these organizations have been playing the terrorists’ script with the aim to continue demoralizing the troops who are doing so much to protect the lives of victims of Boko Haram Terrorism and safe guard them from wanton destruction of property and means the of livelihood. The Theatre Command considers the actions of these organizations as a direct assault and insult on the sensibilities of Nigerians, as they tend to benefit more from expanding the reign of terror on our people.

“Consequently, the Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE is suspending the operations of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in the North East theatre until further notice.

“This has become inevitable since the organization has abdicated its primary duty of catering for the wellbeing of children and the vulnerable through humanitarian activities and now engaged in training selected persons for clandestine activities to continue sabotaging the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts of troops through spurious and unconfirmed allegations bothering on alleged violations of human rights by the military.
“Information within the reach of this Command specifically indicates that the organization commenced the said training on Wednesday 12 December 2018 at the Ministry of Finance Conference Hall, Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri and ended on 13 Thursday December 2018. The Theatre command will not tolerate this kind of sabotage from any individual, group of persons or organisation.


http://saharareporters.com/2018/12/14/%E2%80%98sabotaging-counter-terrorism-operations%E2%80%99-military-sacks-unicef-north-east

President Muhammadu Buhari has told governors of the 36 states of the federation that the economy of the country is in a bad shape.

The President met with the Governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja for about 30 minutes today.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Abdulaziz Yari who briefed State House reporters at the end of the meeting, said the President told them to tighten their belts.

The Governors met the President after an extended session of the National Economic Council (NEC) presided over by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Yari had told journalists that they thanked the President for releasing the Paris club funds to them without any discrimination.

Asked what was the President’s response, he said: ” The President responded by thanking and telling us that the economy is in bad shape and that we have to come together and think on the way forward,” he said

In attendance at the NEC were David Umayi (Ebonyi),Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Nasiru El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi).

Some Deputy Governors were also in attendance including the Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Mannir Yakubu


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-to-govs-economy-in-bad-shape-tighten-your-belts.html

An FCT High Court in Maitama on Friday declared a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, the winner of the presidential primary election of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) conducted on October 6.

The party had declared a former Governor of Cross River, Mr. Donald Duke, the winner of the election and its flag bearer for the 2019 General Elections.

The party said that Duke polled 812 votes while Gana had 611.

However, Gana went to court seeking that it would declare him the winner in line with the zoning and rotation formula of the party’s constitution.

In his judgement, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf held that the regulations contained in the party’s constitution were binding on every member and must be obeyed.

He held that the zoning and rotation formula as contained in the party’s constitution stipulated that both the chairman of the party and the flag bearer should not come from the same zone.

“In this instance, the party’s Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, is from the South and Duke is from the South too; the law is clear; there is nothing to write in-between.

“The law has crystallised that political parties should abide by the regulations which they have made by themselves.

“The claimant laid sufficient evidence to have the judgment in his favour; it is a clear violation of the party’s constitution; the court cannot wave right over illegality,” he held.

The judge, therefore, declared Gana the winner of SDP presidential primary election conducted on Oct. 6.

He also declared Duke’s 812 votes null and void, and ordered SDP to forward Gana’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s flag bearer for the 2019 presidential election.

In addition, he ordered that Duke should stop parading himself as the party’s flag bearer for the elections.

Gana had joined SDP, its National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae; National Secretary, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam; Chairman, SDP Presidential Screening Panel/ Deputy National Chairman, South, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Duke and INEC as defendants in the suit.

Gana sought a declaration that Duke was not eligible to stand as a candidate in the party’s presidential primaries held on Oct. 6, in Abuja.

He also sought a declaration of the court that he ought to have been declared the winner of the SDP presidential primary election, having polled the highest valid votes in the said election.

The former minister wanted an order of the court declaring him the validly elected flag bearer of the party for the 2019 General Elections.

Gana also sought a perpetual injunction restraining Duke from parading himself as the SDP presidential candidate for the elections, among other reliefs.

He had argued that under Article 15(3) of the SDP Constitution, the office of the national chairman of the party and the presidential candidacy shall rotate between the northern and southern parts of the country.

(NAN)


https://punchng.com/breaking-jerry-gana-is-sdp-presidential-candidate-court-rules/

A 45-year-old man identified as Patrick Archibong has killed his four children and committed suicide in Eleme, Rivers State.

Archibong, a resident of Iyamala community is said to have had a scuffle with his wife before the unfortunate incident.

According to eyewitnesses, Archibong had lived with his wife, Favour, for years but recently they had a misunderstanding. Their landlord, Onuoha Gomba, in an interview with Channels Television said before the incident, he had spoken to Archibong and urged him to be calm.

“There was no peace between the wife and the man, I have been talking to him to be calm, I didn’t know he had the mind to do evil,” he said.

Another resident narrated that the couple had a misunderstanding. He added that the last fight between the couple occurred around 2:00 am after which the wife fled the house, leaving Archibong and the kids.

The eyewitness claimed that Archibong killed his four children by poisoning them before committing suicide.

“He killed the four children by giving them poison, the food he gave them to eat (bread and tea) he poisoned it. After eating the food, the children died.

“When he found out that the children (three girls and a boy) had died, he packed all the property in the house, put it on fire, went to a place close to the toilet and hanged himself,” he said.

The police have since taken the bodies of the victims to the mortuary. The Police spokesperson, Nnamdi Omoni, said the case is still being investigated.

“It is a case of murder; unfortunately the man who committed the act has also hanged himself, which means he has paid the ultimate price for his offence.

“But that is not the end of it; we still have to go further as security agents, by recording statements from witnesses who were there, so that with what they tell us we can build on the case properly.

“There are insinuations that the incident could have been stage-managed, these are facts that we are going to investigate so that at the end of the day we would now really know what happened.


https://www.channelstv.com/2018/12/13/man-kills-his-four-children-commits-suicide-in-rivers/

Even as President Muhammadu Buhari conveyed his intention to present the 2019 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the National Assembly next Wednesday, 19th December 2018, members of the House of Representatives have threatened to boycott the presentation.
Buhari made known his intention through a letter dated 12th December, 2018 and addressed to Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
The Speaker read the content of the letter received today on the floor.
However, the House is yet to make a commitment on retrieving the President following a purported statement attributed to the Minister of Budget and National Planing, Udo Udoma that the budget has not been presented because the executive was waiting for the legislature to give it a date for such.
Adamu Chika (APC, Niger) in a point of order said the Minister lied on a national television against the parliament and demanded an apology over the statement.
Mark Gbillah (Benue) in his contribution backed his colleague’s assertion that “It is a statement he (Udoma) made categorically.
“He lied against this honourable house on national television. I want to join my colleagues to request a formal apology on TV, else we will refuse to attend that budget session with Mr. President,” he added.
On his part, Mike Adeniyi (Ogun) said, “The executive arm has always portrayed the parliament in bad light. The Minister must come and apologize. If not, the President will come to meet an empty house”.


To counter his colleagues, the Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila pointed out that the Minister appeared to have been found guilty by his colleagues even before being given a fair hearing.
He said: “The Minister called me this morning; he was alarmed and upset and shocked.
“He said he was just reading something in the papers ascribed to him and that he never said such a thing and he is writing a rejoinder as we spoke.”
“So I think we should tarry a while because you are accusing someone of lying. Let us not turn this house into a partisan House”.
Muhammad Soba would have none of that excuse accusing of Gbajabiamila of sycophancy, saying, “We have seen how sycophancy has been taken to the next level. That is the APC government for you”.
In his ruling, the Speaker pleaded that the Minister be given some time and a benefit of the doubt of the story would be denied by the Minister.
“But if we don’t see the rejoinder, then we have an issue because we will not allow this institution to be blackmailed. If nothing is done, we will take a concrete action on it,” he said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/reps-threaten-to-shun-buharis-budget-presentation/

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) has suspended its planned shutdown of depots across the country from Sunday midnight, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.
The directive, which has saved Nigerians at least momentarily from fuel crisis, was conveyed in a statement issued by DAPPMA Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, at about 1.20 a.m. on Monday in Lagos.
Mr Adewole said: “Recall the association had issued a shut down directive to our members following the continuing indebtedness of the Federal Government to the petroleum marketers.
“However, following the intervention of well meaning Nigerians including the National Assembly as represented by the Senate Committee of Petroleum Downstream and constructive engagement of the Federal Government team by the labour unions most affected by the disengagement of our personnel, namely, PENGASSAN, NUPENG NARTO, PTD,and DAPPMA.
“The union has resolved to recall its disengaged personnel for five days to give the Federal Government’s team the opportunity to conclude its process of paying marketers the full outstanding of N800 billion with the first tranche being the amount already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
“The association has acted in good faith to avoid unnecessary hardship which could befall Nigerians during the Yuletide season and we hope that government would make good its promise to see that those issues are resolved by Friday, Dec., 14, 2018 as promised.
“To this end, our disengaged personnel would be recalled on Monday, Dec. 10, and considering the reactivation time or hitherto shut down system, all depots with fuel stock should be fully active same day,’’ he said.
Mr Adewole said the conclusion of the debts payment would curtail the continuing wastage of public funds as interest accruing on the over N800 billion debt.
“DAPPMA depots are, therefore, advised to commence loading operations immediately and await further notification in respect of our long overdue payment,” he said.
On Sunday, at about 8.30 p.m., DAPPMA had directed its members to shutdown all loading operations by midnight, adding that oil marketers had disengaged employees due to their inability to pay salaries.


It said the association took the step to stop the “financial hemorrhaging” of its members by disengaging them, after unsuccessfully engaging with the government for over three years to secure the payment of all subsidy-induced debt owed marketers.
DAPPMA said to avoid owing staff without any hope of pay, it agreed that since all our staff had been disengaged, all their depots were not in a position to operate hence the planned shutdown.
DAPPMA said that the decision of the government to settle N236 billion out of the outstanding N800 subsidy arrears was not acceptable to its members.
The association explained that the decision of the government to pay the N236 billion through promissory notes was equally rejected by the oil marketers.
‘‘As the name suggest, promissory note is a payment instrument that is post dated. Based on this, when you approach the banks with the instrument, you don’t get the actual value on it.
“About 30 per cent is knocked off because government will be making the payment at a later date which ties down the bank’s capital,’’ the association said. (NAN)

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/300143-fuel-subsidy-debt-depot-owners-suspend-planned-shutdown-of-operations.html

Ten supporters of the African Action Congress (AAC) have been arrested for embarking on a peaceful protest to demand the release of six party members that were arrested for pasting campaign posters of Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the AAC.

The protesters picketed the entrance of the Area F Police Station in Lagos on Monday.

Few minutes into the protest, the Police fired teargas multiple times at the protesters.

One of the protesters, Okoh-Oboh Omotese Annabelle, was also shot in the leg.

Six members of the AAC were arrested for pasting posters at 2:30am on Sunday morning.

While waiting for the earlier arrested members of the movement to be charged to court, the Police arrested members who are currently behind bars.

Annabelle Oko-Oboh, who was shot in the leg, is yet to receive medical treatment.




http://saharareporters.com/2018/12/10/breaking-10-arrested-police-fire-tear-gas-cannisters-aac-party-members

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has taken a swipe on presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Oby Ezekwesili, over their reluctance to raise the alarm that a purported impostor is usurping the powers of President Muhammadu Buhari with the backing of two powerful men.

He said given the status of Atiku as a reverred Northern leader and Oby Ezekwesili as a respected technocrat and activist, their silence in the face of the alleged political fraud going on in Aso Rock makes them complicit. Hence, their unfitness for the highest office in the land.

Kanu stated this in a special broadcast he made yesterday from Tel-Aviv, the capital of Israel.


The IPOB leader said: “How about the so-called intellectuals like Wole Soyinka and the rest of the pontificating class that claim they have monopoly of knowledge when in actual fact they know absolutely nothing.

“Where are your elders that can see something sitting down when others cannot from atop a tree?

“How about those like Oby Ezekwesili and other velvet activists? why are they not outraged at this great fraud against the people by two men as Aisha Buhari lamented?


“The fact is that all Fulani ruling class and politicians knew about Jubril and kept quiet. The Sultan of Sokoto claims he’s a pious man and I’m sure many people were tempted to believe him in the past but the people have now seen what I had always known, that Fulani dominance and Islamisation agenda will compel them to do anything to cling on to power.

“From Atiku Abubakar to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, be they PDP or APC, all are aware that an impostor from Sudan is ruing Nigeria but kept quiet. They are complicit in this fraud and that is why Atiku Abubakar is not even fit to contest for the office of the presidency because I’m sure tomorrow they will tell you they are patriots.”


http://dailypost.ng/2018/12/09/jubril-sudan-atiku-oby-ezekwesili-not-fit-president-nnamdi-kanu/

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has revealed how ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo betrayed, deceived and lied to late Yoruba political legend, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, during the 1979 general elections.

He made the revelation yesterday in a special radio broadcast from Israel while analysing how President Muhammadu Buhari’s palm prints exposed a body double impersonating him in Aso Rock.

According to Kanu, after the elections, Awolowo discovered that Obasanjo did not vote for him despite giving assurances that he did. When reports emerged that Obasanjo voted for Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Awolowo confronted the former President who denied it.

Kanu further said that the former Premier of the Western region decided to hire forensic experts, who used court subpoena to investigate further, and that it was discovered that Obasanjo’s finger print was on the column of NPN.

The IPOB leader’s words: “The use of fingerprint investigation and analysis was the root cause of the rift between the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the former military and civilian president of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

“During the 1979 general election that ushered in the Second Republic administration of Shehu Shagari, Obafemi Awolowo discovered that Obasanjo did not vote for him despite assuring Awolowo that he did. Obasanjo in fact voted for the Fulani Shehu Shagari because he owed his loyalty to the Fulani ruling class that ensured he became the military head of state after the assassination of Murtala Mohammed in 1976.


“Recall that the first attempt by a Yoruba man to take over after an attempted or successful coup ended in a total disgrace for the Yoruba when Brigadier Ogundipe was forced at gun point to run away to England by a Fulani recruit that was guarding him. Instead of taking over from Aguiyi Ironsi upon his death, Brigadier Ogundipe was humiliated and chased out of the military all together. Having escaped this same fate, Obasanjo swore an oath of loyalty to the Fulani caliphate to return power to them in 1979 which duly did. The icing on the cake being the fact he voted for Shagari and not his tribesman Awolowo.

“When information got to Awolowo that Obasanjo made a secret deal to hand over to the north no matter what, Awolowo confronted Obasanjo who denied it. Chief Awolowo decided to hire forensic experts to investigate further. Obasanjo is alive you can ask him if Nnamdi Kanu is speaking the truth or not.

“Awolowo’s investigators used court subpoena to gain access to electoral records in Obasanjo’s voting record and surprise surprise on the ballot paper was Obasanjo’s finger print on the column of NPN.

“It was proof Obasanjo did not vote for Awolowo as he claimed. He voted for the Fulani Shehu Shagari as he promised the north he would. Rather than damage his standing, that simple act of voting for a Fulani ensured Obasanjo’s victory over Ekwueme at the Jos Convention of 1999 when he emerged as the PDP flag bearer through Fulani backing. The gesture he reciprocated by handing over to yet another Fulani man in Shehu Musa Yar’adua.”

Speaking on President Buhari’s palm prints exposing a body double in Aso Rock, Kanu said: “Luckily for us we have a public picture of Buhari’s finger and palm print officially issued by APC.

“We also have the palm and finger print of Jubril in an official photograph issued by the government of Nigeria so there is no doubt as to the authenticity of the photos we are going to be analyzing tonight.

“There have previously been some amateur attempt to explain these features but we are going to use a very simple technique that even a lay person can understand to prove to the world that Buhari is dead and replaced by an impostor a body double not a clone.

“Look at the widely circulated picture of the contours of both palms on the pictures and you will clearly that the bigger lines that is immediately discernible when you look at a person’s palm is not the same on both.

“The unique thing about palm prints is that each is unique to an individual. What this means is that IPOB Intelligence (M-Branch) is on the trail of any person they present as Buhari. If they wave their hand we shall capture it. If they attempt to imprint Buhari’s palm print on a latex glove for Jubril to wear in public, that too will fail because if you shake his hand you will know he’s truly lifeless.”


http://dailypost.ng/2018/12/09/nigerian-presidency-obasanjo-betrayed-awolowo-lied-nnamdi-kanu/

General Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria's former Head of State, has said nobody gave him credit for the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

He stated this in an exclusive interview with The Crest.

Babangida spoke of the intricacies surrounding the election, and the details of what led to the annulment.

His words: "I think people who said that have not been fair to me because when we started the transition programme, I was in the media; I said we will be doing it step by step, by learning. Wherever we met a hiccup, we will stop, change it and move again. On this, I was honest with Nigerians. I told them that, and they would have judged me with what I said on that particular issue. But everybody wanted the military to just leave. But I did say it, that in the process of implementation, we may have a hiccup or mistake. And if we do, we would pause, correct it and then move on.

"Even the transition after the June 12, we gave a time span which again nobody was patient with. But we studied, we compared to either have a non-conventional election or a general election. And everybody said they wanted to see the country carry out a general election. And you can’t just have a general election within seven days. You have to plan for it. Again, if people allowed us, we said there would be a general election in this country. I think Abacha came in November. Nobody wanted to listen. Everybody was tired. I appreciate that. I appreciate it. Yes, people were bored and we envisaged it and we said it. We warned you in advance that if this happens, this is our next step. And that led us to the famous June 12."

Responding to the interviewer's statement that read: "June 12 is considered the freest and fairest election…", Babangida said: "And nobody wants to give me credit for it".

On June 12, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari tendered a national apology to the family of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, for the annulment of the election by Ibrahim Babangida, the then Military President.


When asked why he didn't take the opportunity to support the 1993 democratic process, Babangida said: "Everybody said so. I agree. Even my boss, OBJ, told me that. He said you had an opportunity and if that had gone through properly, history would have recorded it as your greatest achievement. But then, we discussed at length what could have transpired. Again this: I will always talk about the Nigerian mentality. I think we are always anxious. We are always in a hurry. We want things to get done in the fastest time possible time. I tried to go out and talk to the public on why we had to do this but we were overwhelmed with criticisms. Nobody wanted to listen".

He also revealed plans to release his memoir, stating that: "It is a work in progress. It is in the works. I will have time to finish it. It will be soon".

Afterwards came the question on if he was threatened at the time by General Sani Abacha on being head of state, to which he responded: "No, he couldn’t have threatened me, to be fair to him. But I knew he wanted that job at all cost. You will be reading it…"

Speaking further on why he decided on the annulment, Babangida continued: "I have a conviction that if I get involved in building this environment, I wouldn’t like to be seen as having the environment destroyed. That’s number one. I wouldn’t be part of the destruction. So, I either make sure I remain with it, and belong there, or a circumstance will come and, eventually, I will leave. When I leave, if it gets destroyed, nobody will blame me.

"I wouldn’t declare the result if (Professor Humphrey) Nwosu declared the result. I knew deep into this that there were consequences which will not be fair to this country. I give an example: I took part in the management of PDP and I can’t disown them because I’m part of them. I made an input into its emergence, and if you say it is the worst thing that could ever happen to the country, I cannot in all conscience sit down and say it is because I participated in it. If the transition failed, and I knew it would have fallen down, nobody would have been bothered. They will say no. I will feel guilty like after all I spent the money but it collapsed. My conscience will never forgive me.

"It was not a threat to my life but if it was a threat to my life, I have no problem. After all I have a bullet in me; there couldn’t have been any greater threat than that. But my fear was: what would the country end up becoming. Could the country be better? This was what we sought to establish. Could it better? If the answer is no, then, I take the blame because I should have put in place certain measures that will make it good. What we wanted was an enduring legacy.

"I wouldn’t say the evil was in the person who won the election, after all he campaigned for it, people saw in him what he stood for, and therefore decided to vote for him. It was the finest hour in Nigerian political history where people voted anyhow; not ethnically, religiously and so on. That was our finest moment in our political history. He (Abiola) was on the verge of winning that election. From what I saw, he was on the verge of winning that election, because by the time it was assumed that he won, officially, the official thing was not done. Results were still coming in, and it wasn’t declared. So, I think I would be deceiving myself if I say he has won.

"The credit of not getting it right? You wouldn’t give me; so, I accepted that I will not be given that credit no matter what I say."

http://saharareporters.com/2018/12/08/nobody-wants-give-me-credit-june-12-93-election-says-babangida

The federal government on Friday released a list of some people who it claimed allegedly laundered money in the previous administration.


Minister of Information, Lai Mohammad, released the list during a press conference in Lagos on Friday, a statement by his assistant, Segun Adeyemi reads.

The minister noted that PDP’s challenge prompted FG to take the move adding that the names in the list include PDP chieftains who are currently being tried for corruption and financial crimes.

“The PDP has challenged us to name the looters under their watch. They said they did not loot the treasury. Well, I am sure they know that the treasury was looted dry under their watch. Yet they decided to grandstand. This shows the hollowness of their apology. Let’s just give them a teaser with this list”, Alhaji Mohammed said.

The minister also said the list is “just a tip of the iceberg, and the PDP is aware of this.
We did not make these cases up. Many of these cases are in court and the records are available”.

He also noted that some of the people on this list are seeking to plea bargain.

Those named on the list include:

1. PDP Chairman, UCHE SECONDUS
– On the 19th of Feb 2015, he took N200 million only from the office of then NSA.

2. Then PDP FInancial Secretary
– On the 24th of Oct 2014, he took N600 million only from the office of then NSA.

3. Then National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh
– On trial for collecting N1.4b from the office of then NSA.

4. Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communications
– On trial for taking N2.1 billion from the office of then NSA.

5. Former SSA to President Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei
– On trial over N830 million kept in accounts of four different companies.

6 Former President Jonathan’s Cousin Robert Azibaola
– On Thursday, a Federal High Court ruled that he has a case to answer
for collecting $40 million from the office of then NSA.

Alhaji Mohammed further stressed that Nigeria was looted blind under the watch of the PDP,
and that the starting point in tendering an apology is for them to return the loot.

“It’s like a robber admitting to stealing your car and apologizing, but then saying he will keep the car anyway. It doesn’t work that way. The PDP is a hypocrite. And that reminds me of what English writer
William Hazlitt said: ”The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy” he said.

“We will not stop talking about the massive looting by the PDP. They brought Nigeria to this sorry pass. We are now looking around for loans to build infrastructure, and they ask us not to talk about it. We will talk about it” he added.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-names-pdp-looters-see-full-list.html/amp?__twitter_impression=true