₦airaland Forum

…to slash N1.16 trn from Capital Expenditure in 2020

… 2020-2022 to be challenging, FG

The federal government will start recovering the N614 billion budget support facility from state governments this month.

Minister of Finance Mrs. Zainab Ahmed made this disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday while presenting the draft 2020 to 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal strategy Paper.

Ahmed stated that the states will start getting direct debits from their monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements.

According to her, “the recovery process for us is to deduct from the FAAC allocation to the states and then we remit to the CBN and we are going to start this remittances by the next FAAC” which will hold in two weeks time.

To show how serious the government is about making the deductions, the finance minister revealed that “there will be no requirement for us to consider the FSP implementation. We do that as a matter of wanting the states to stay on the path of fiscal sustainability but it will not be a condition for the deduction. We will deduct direct at source and remit to the CBN.”

“The N614 billion bailout funds to states is not going to form part of the revenue for funding the budget, it was a loan which was advanced by the CBN and the repayment will be made to the CBN.”

Federal Government last month said, a committee has been put in place to facilitate recovery of N614 billion given to 35 states. 35 states benefited from the facility, and each state is expected to pay back the equivalent of N17.5 billion.

On the N650 billion to the states the minister spoke about, it was a conditional budget support provided by the CBN to help states pay salaries gratuities and pensions. CBN provided N650 billion in loans at 9% with a grace period of two years. The Federal Ministry of Finance helped in disbursements with documented approval by the presidency. That was why the finance minister said the money belongs to the CBN and is going to be paid into CBN account.

With regards to the many incentives and waivers given to investors, the finance minister said “we have too many incentives and too many waivers. But our partners in the trade will not necessarily agree with us. We also agree that there has to be a review of the pioneer status certificate issuance process because the waivers and the incentives are really costing us a lot.”

She however cautioned that government will not just withdraw its decision on granting pioneer status accorded to some investors, adding that “when a decision has been made and approvals have been given, and a private business makes an investment decision based on those incentives, you can’t pull it out overnight. So, there has to be a period within which the commitments that have been made are allowed to exit before you impose new conditions.”

She then added that government is “currently reviewing the quantum of waivers. The idea is to see which one we can begin to pull back and throw away from the pool to reduce the cost on government. But to encourage businesses and to make Nigeria competitive, some of them are essential.”

The federal government has also warned Nigerians to brace up as the 2020 to 2022 fiscal years will be challenging.

Mrs. Zainab Ahmed said the 2020 to 2022 fiscal years will be very challenging with respect to revenue generation and rapid growth in personnel costs.

Ahmed attributed the growth in personnel cost to the creation of new ministries and appointment of additional ministers.

She however assured that government is ready to take firm decisions. To contain rising personnel cost, she disclosed that “any government staff not captured in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) by October 2019 should forget their salaries.”

From 2020, the budgets of all MDAs and Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) will now be contained and published in the nation’s annual budget.

The 2020 – 2022 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) outlines Federal Government of Nigeria’s fiscal policies/strategies and macroeconomic projections for 2020 – 2022 and provides the broad framework for the annual budget in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), 2007.

In 2020, the federal government plans to cut a whooping N1.16 trillion off capital expenditure from N2.92 trillion in 2019 to N1.76 trillion in the proposed 2020 budget.
This will then see capital expenditure dropping to 21 per cent of total expenditure in 2020 compared to 32 per cent in the 2019 approved budget.

Mrs Zainab Ahmed said Nigeria is planning to trim its budget for 2020 marginally by 0.19 per cent to N8.90 trillion, as against the N9.16 trillion approved by lawmakers for 2019.

The government approved a 34 and 66 per cents capital/ recurrent expenditure fiscal policy in 2018 and 32 and 68 per cents in the approved 2019 budget.

Details of the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) and fiscal strategy paper (FSP) 2020-2022 showed that capital expenditure will suffer successive cuts for the three-year period to N1.76 trillion, N1.70 trillion and N1.68 respectively for 2020, 2021 and 2022 despite increases in total expenditure at N8.6 trillion, N8.98 trillion and N9.4 trillion during the same period. Recurrent on the other hand, is expected to increase from N3.41 trillion in 2018 to N4.7 trillion in 2019.

Key Assumptions of the 2020 Budget Framework: Oil Production 2.18 mbpd; Oil Price $55/b; Exchange Rate N305/$; Inflation Rate 10.81%; Nominal Consumption N122.75 trn; N142.96 trn Nominal GDP; and GDP Growth Rate of 2.93%.

A lower benchmark oil price of $55/b (against $60/b for 2019) is assumed considering the expected oil glut in 2020, as well as the need to cushion against unexpected price shock.

There are strong indications of an oversupplied market in 2020. All three of the major forecasters – Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), International Energy Association (IEA) and the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA) generally see non-OPEC production growing by around 2mbpd this year, and by even more next year.

Federal government plans to borrow N1.7 trillion in 2020 of this amount, N850 billion will be domestic borrowing while the balance of N850 billion will be from foreign borrowing.

In addition, federal government has projected a total fiscal deficit of N2.154 trillion with additional funding coming from: privatisation proceeds N126,522,715,909; multi-lateral/Bi-lateral project-tied loans N328,128,150,000.

Sale of government property and Non-Oil asset sales are expected to be nil in 2020.

Total budget for 2020 is put at N9,789,243,849,466. For 2021, N10,110,193,322,738 and in 2022, N10,418,391,196,907.

Zainab Ahmed also warned that the “Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) could create a nightmare situation for the country unless the right policies and actions are implemented expeditiously to improve Nigeria’s economic competitiveness.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/fed-govt-to-start-deducting-n614-bn-from-states-this-month/

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, South Africa’s Defence Minister, on Monday said that the attacks against foreigners including Nigerians in South Africa were planned by criminals and that government can’t prevent it.

Mapisa-Nqakula, who said this in an interview with eNCA, a local television channel, described South Africa as an angry nation and insisted that the government can’t prevent the ongoing violence.

She said, “The reality is that we have an angry nation. What’s happening can never be prevented by any government.

“People are saying some heads of state decided not to attend the World Economic Forum; we should be talking about why this whole thing is coinciding with that.

“People are saying it is xenophobic attacks but it is not the first time, we have had them in the past.

“We have criminals that have read the situation and are aware that we have challenges right now.

“We have talked on the issues of high rate of unemployment, of some foreign nationals who are not conducting themselves in an appropriate manner as we would expect, those breaking the bylaws of the country, and you now have criminal elements who have decided that we are going to use all of those things to find reasons to attack people.

“It is unfortunate and should not happen. The reality is that we need to have a serious dialogue about what is happening and we must take responsibility. The reality is that we are an angry nation and we must talk about it.”

http://saharareporters.com/2019/09/09/we-can’t-stop-xenophobic-attacks-says-south-africa’s-defence-minister

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, has picked Edward Onoja, his chief of staff, as running mate for the November 16 governorship election.

An aide of the governor, who did not want to be quoted, disclosed this to TheCable.

The aide said the governor submitted Onoja’s name to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during his trip to Abuja earlier in the week.

“The chief of staff is the running mate of His Excellency in the forthcoming election. An official announcement would be made soon,” the governor’s aide said.

“Mr Onoja’s name was submitted to the national working committee of the party when His Excellency visited the party headquarters on Thursday.”

Onoja neither responded to calls nor text messages when TheCable tried reaching him on Sunday evening.

Kingsley Fanwo, spokesman of the governor, was evasive when TheCable contacted him.

“The party will confirm that at the appropriate time,” he said via text message.

An ally of Bello, Onoja is the most influential member of the governor’s cabinet. Their relationship predates the emergence of the governor in 2016.

Aged 49, the indigene of Emonyoku Ogugu in Olamaboro local government area of Kogi, is a Geologist.

He sought the ticket of the former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) for a house of assembly seat in 2011.

He was the chief strategist of “Yahaya Bello Campaign Organization” in 2015 and the state director of the Kogi Youth Arise Group, which worked for the success of President Muhammadu Buhari, still in 2015.

www.thecable.ng/yahaya-bello-picks-edward-onoja-as-running

Armed protesters are on the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa demanding the immediate departure of foreigners.

Sowetan Live, a South African newspaper, the protesters, who carried weapons such as knobkerries, are waiting to be addressed by Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a notable politician and Zulu tribe leader.


The protest is coming one week after attacks on foreigners sparked reactions across the continent.

Nigeria, Rwanda and Malawi pulled out of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Cape Town while Zambia cancelled an international friendly match with South Africa over the violence against foreigners.

In reprisal attacks in Nigeria, South Africa-owned businesses were targeted.

An MTN office was burnt down in Ibadan, Oyo state, while another office of the telecoms giant was vandalised in Abuja.

MTN had to shut down its offices nationwide while it issued a statement to condemn xenophobia.

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-armed-south-african-protesters-ask-foreigners-to-leave/

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari gave him a bail out of about N30.8 billion to clear salary arrears of workers in the state.

He insisted that his government is up- to- date in the payment of salaries.

The governor, who spoke with newsmen after a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC and all those who contested the party’s governorship primary, also asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to look inward in the search for those who attacked the venue of their primary election rather than blaming him.

He said: “As regard the issue of news making the round that Kogi state is owing salaries, I want to categorical state that, my two predecessors inherited salary arrears.

“It is a problem I inherited when I assumed office. But I want to announce to you today that Kogi does not owe any worker salary at all.

‘’We have been able to clear all workers salary and we are up to date.

‘’As a matter of fact, the last primary election that was held on August 29, we paid the salaries of August. That is to tell you that we are up to date as far as salary is concerned.

“The issue of us owing up to 38 months’ salary arrears before we cleared it was all false and lies.

‘’We did owe up to that, what we were owing at that time was between four to five months.

“As I speak with you now, Mr. President graciously approved bailout of N30.8 billion for us and our National Chairman helped me to facilitate the release and the fund which has been fully applied and salaries are cleared including pension arrears. We do not owe any salary.”

Responding to the allegation by the PDP that he was behind the attack on their primary, Bello said: “I am a member of the APC and not PDP.

“We gave a level playing ground to all the aspirants from all political parties to carry out their activities freely within the state.

“They moved round the entire state and we provided security for them and ensure that they were safe.

“Let me tell you that my colleague, the governor of Adamawa state who chaired their primary committee consulted me before he came and informed me that he was coming to conduct the election.

“I provided his accommodation, his feeding and some other logistics within the state to ensure that he had a hitch free exercise.

“I conducted the security people round the stadium and I can tell you that my security chiefs in Kogi state are excellent people.

“When we conducted our exercise on the 29th of August, we had a larger number of delegates than what the PDP had and we conducted a hitch free exercise.

“I was the first to arrive the stadium at about 9.00am and as early as 10.00am, we started our exercise and finished everything before 10.00pm and left the stadium.

“That is how efficient we are and so, they should not make excuses for their inefficiency or for their brigandage.

“I am sure that you know that a lot of them have record of criminality and some of them even have criminal cases in court. So, they are known for such activities.

“This is not the first time they are attacking themselves. They attacked themselves during their congresses the ward to the state level.

“So if they are attacking themselves again, why should anybody point accusing fingers at me? I think they should look inward and solve their problems.”

On the outcome of the meeting and assurances received, he said: “All my brothers and sisters have agreed to queue behind me and help me in the forthcoming election to make sure that APC becomes victorious in Kogi State and continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.

“I want to express appreciation to my brothers and sisters. Very many of them already have sent me text message of congratulation and are willing to join hands with me to execute the election smoothly.

“Every person that participated in the exercise and those who wished to participate in the exercise will be carried along in one way or the other. It is not necessarily choosing one of them as my deputy.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-gave-me-n30-8-billion-to-pay-salary-arrears-gov-bello/

An oil magnate and businessman, Chief David Lyon, has been declared the winner of the governorship primaries conducted in Bayelsa State through the direct method.

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-david-lyons-is-bayelsa-apc-gov-candidate/

Hundreds of protesters are currently burning MTN mast in Lugbe over killings in SouthAfrica.

Police are currently dispersing the protesters.

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-protesters-burn-mtn-mast-in-abuja-surround-shoprite-lugbe-over-xenophobic-attacks/

South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Monroe (extreme right) during a press briefing with Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry headed by Geoffery Onyeama in Abuja on Tuesday.

South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Monroe, has denied reports of Xenophobic attacks in his country.

Monroe denied that the attacks in South Africa are xenophobic and targeted at Nigerians.

The Commissioner made the comments at a media briefing with Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry headed by Geoffery Onyeama.

He described the attacks as ‘sporadic acts of violence’ adding that businesses belonging to other South Africans were also affected in the violence.

The Federal Government had earlier on Monday summoned South Africa over the recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Onyeama summoned the South African envoy after the recent xenophobic attacks.

https://www.channelstv.com/2019/09/03/breaking-south-africas-high-commissioner-to-nigeria-denies-xenophobic-attacks/

Sunday Oguntola

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

A meeting has been scheduled to hold between the duo by 11am on Tuesday.

A senior official of the ministry, Kimiebi Ebenfa, confirmed the development in a WhatsApp message.

It reads: “I am directed to inform you that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has summoned the High Commissioner of South Africa for a meeting this morning by 11. The meeting was confirmed a few minutes ago.”

Onyema on Monday vowed the Federal Government would take “definitive measures” following the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

He described the attackers as mindless criminals, noting that the police intervention was ineffective.

On his verified Twitter handle, the Minister said: “Received sickening and depressing news of continued burning and looting of Nigerian shops and premises in #SouthAfrica by mindless criminals with ineffective police protection. Enough is enough. We will take definitive measures.”

Speculations that the alleged killer was a Nigerian sparked protests, looting and burning of foreign-owned businesses.

The police had struggled to bring the attacks under control.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-fg-summons-south-africa-high-commissioner-over-xenophobic-attacks/

Governor Yahaya Bello on Thursday emerged the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Kogi.

He won the APC primary with 3,127 with a landslide.

Counting is ongoing at the collation centre

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-gov-bello-wins-kogi-apc-gov-primary/

The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has debunked reports credited to the Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari which stated that his boss is in Japan to participate in the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) holding in the City of Yokohama.

In a statement released by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB claimed that pictures and videos of Buhari circulated by the media team of the president were Photoshop and doctored clips.

According to the Pro-Biafra group, reports from its members on ground in Japan have it that Buhari was nowhere to be found since he was said to have departed from the country on Sunday.

The leadership of the group in the release however assured its members across the globe of its resolve to ensure that they have initiated moves to push for the arrest of Buhari whenever he is sighted in Japan.

“I am ashamed that supposedly reputable media houses and a few other popular newspapers, knowingly or unknowingly allowed themselves to become conduit in the propagation of deliberate falsehood designed to deceive the public into believing that Jubri-Buhari is in Japan when clearly he was in Oman.

“This model of governance is now regular and extensive use of fake photo-shopped images and digitally altered videos is the reason why Nigeria can never move forward, becomes a developed nation or be regarded as a civilised country.

“No sane country can function on lies and expect to survive the consequential backlash from the righteous majority. What APC and Fulani cabal have done throughout their rule is to entrench the repugnant culture of Oluwale (the home of document forgery is Africa) into Aso Rock. They may have succeeded in deceiving their fellow Nigerians but they cannot deceive us Biafrans.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-is-in-oman-not-in-japan-ipob-insists/

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have visited the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of the probe of ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s son-in-law and the 150 million euros cash-for-poll bribe scandal.

It was learnt that the investigators went to the Library on August 8 to authenticate the claims by one of those under probe that he gave $140,000 (about N50 million) to a library official.

Sources said the EFCC officials, accompanied by policemen, combed some offices at the expansive ex-President’s Library.

It could not be confirmed whether any document was taken away by the operatives, but nobody was arrested.

A source said: “Our operatives went to the library with some riot policemen in anticipation of a possible resistance. But there was none.

“We did our job lawfully without any inhibition. We are still investigating the case. We are screening some documents in our possession on the matter.”

The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library was opened on March 4, 2017. It is a historic, tourist and academic centre established as a national archive for the preservation of documents and materials used by the President during his tenure between 1999 and 2007.

Atiku’s son-in-law Abdullahi Babalele is being investigated alongside others for allegedly laundering 150 million euros. The money is believed to have been spent to influence the 2019 election in which Atiku was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

About 67, 950,000 euros was traced to ex-VP Atiku’s associate Mr Uyi Giwa-Osagie’s account, Babalele’s account, two slush firms and two Bureau de Change operators.

Of the 67.9m euros, Uyi’s account was credited with 26,050,00 million euros between January 9 and 28, 2019, it was learnt.

Babalele is expected to account for 41,900,000 euros.

Sources said of the cash credited to Babalele’s account, he gave about N50million ($140,000) to his childhood friend, Bashir Mohammed to deliver to an official at the Presidential Library in Abeokuta. The anti-graft agency is investigating why the money was taken to the Presidential Library.

Bashir has reportedly admitted that he delivered the cash to the Presidential Library.

A document obtained by our correspondent on the preliminary investigation reads: “That between 05/02/2018 and 27/11/2018 €41,900,000 (forty one million, nine hundred thousand euro) which sums are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, was received by a firm linked to Babalele.

“That on February 20, 2019 Babalele called Bashir Mohammed his childhood friend and informed him that he will transfer N50million to him which should be converted to United States dollars.

“That Bashir converted the N50 million at the rate of 360 per dollar amounting to about $140,000

“That on the instruction of Babalele, Bashir took the money to Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, and delivered it to an official in cash.

“That the cash delivered is in excess of the amount authorized by the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended.

It was learnt that Bashir was taken by detectives to the Presidential Library.

Those interrogated including Babalele, Osagie and Mohammed, are on administrative bail pending the filing of a case against them.”

The EFCC gave details of how it foiled the alleged cash-for-poll laundering.

A report said: “On receipt of this intelligence, the team arrested two BDC operators, namely: Abdullahi Shehu who works with Abdullahi Munaciki of Hasbunallahu BDC, Abuja and Lawal A. Abdullahi of three Brother BDC. The team also recovered the said $1.6million but $141,000.00 had been exchanged to Naira at N358/ per dollar which amounted to N50, 500,000.00 while the balance of $1,459.000.00 USD could not easily be exchanged due to the naira scarcity in the market.

“Investigation conducted regarding the ownership as well as the source of the money so far revealed that Hasbunallahu BDC who is also the owner of Clean and Integrity Services Ltd received three transfers amounting to $5,000,000.00 on February 4 and 114, 2019, from Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Limited which is an investment company that is being managed by one Uyiekpan Giwa-Osagie in trust on behalf of Bleep.

”Investigation carried out on the accounts of Guernsey Trust Company Nig Ltd revealed that various transfers in millions of dollars and cash payments were made to various individuals and companies.”

Attempts by The Nation to speak to the ex-President failed last night.

Repeated calls to Chief Obasanjo’s spokesman Kehinde Akinyemi’s number did not go through.

Also SMS sent to Akinyemi’s phone number were not responded to.

https://thenationonlineng.net/e150m-probe-detectives-comb-obasanjo-library/

Residents of Borno say they have lost confidence in the military over the lingering Boko Haram crisis.

In an open letter signed by Hassan Boguma, a traditional ruler, the residents accused the military of not doing enough, saying Boko Haram now attacks without any countermeasure.

The letter comes after Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, blamed the military over recent attacks on Gubio and Magumeri local government areas in the state.

While addressing state house correspondents at the weekend, the governor had said the establishment of “super camps” had made it easy for the insurgents to storm communities without any resistance.

“The attempts by Boko Haram to intimidate and attack communities in the state and the actions of our soldiers in the frontline has made us lose confidence in the recent military’s performance in protecting not only the vulnerable citizens but even the territorial boundaries of the nation,” the letter read.

“Your Excellency, while lauding the efforts of the N/Army for their gallantry in other parts of the state, much is needed to be done in areas around MMC and Jere and in recent attacks on Nganzai, Gajiganna, Gubio, Magumeri, Amurwa, Kalali Abdul, Wanori and yesterday, Dalori villages. The incessant and daring attacks by BHT is becoming a source of great concern to citizens living in the two local governments and five villages simultaneously attacked for three days without any countermeasures or even a response to distress calls from the locals.

“A country’s armed forces were supposed to be a proud and patriotic defenders of both the nation’s territories and its citizens, but our today’s men of the armed forces were either overwhelmed by the desire to amass wealth by all means and, on the blood of the innocent Nigerian citizens, or have been compromised by theories of conspiracy and collaboration by deserting their formations in the face of attacks by the insurgents.”

The residents said the present crop of soldiers on the frontline are not ready to fight, as in most cases they do not pursue the insurgents.

They also accused military commanders of turning the war theatre into a milking cow.

Although the government had always maintained that it has technically defeated the insurgents, residents told the president that he is being fed with false information on the situation at the war theatre.

“You are either fed with false information, or raising hopes of technical defeat of the BH which is far from the truth,” the letter further read.

“The recent systematic attacks on Gubio a strategic battalion and forcing them to withdraw is not only a shame but a slap on the face of our armed forces and a smack of mockery and abuse on the strength and professionalism of our armed forces which was once a formidable force in the Africa.

“Patriotism being the hallmark of all military operations is near absent, in most cases men that were lacking in experiences of war tactics were posted a seeming guerrilla like operations. The special forces that would have dealt with the peculiarities of insurgency were not properly involved in the operation and munitions that could have been used were not on ground to confront the monster head on.”

Instead of taking the offensive to the insurgents, residents said troops were confined to their trenches, waiting to be attacked.

They argued that the continued reports of repels and foiling of attacks were never a war strategy that is intended to end.

According to them, there are many questions to be asked in the face of the recent actions of the military in the operation as there is a seeming case of sabotage, collaboration and negligence seen in most of the recent attacks.

At the time the letter was written, residents said all military formations have been withdrawn from all their strategic locations and this action has made the remaining communities more vulnerable to attacks.

They added that this action had also emboldened confidence of the insurgents to daily attack and ransack communities that were unprotected due to the lack of military presence.

In what it called “super camp”, the army had dissolved its formations in some Borno villages into larger camps where safety of troops are guaranteed and can strategically advance on the insurgents.

https://www.thecable.ng/boko-haram-has-not-been-defeated-borno-residents-write-buhari/

Chika Odionyenma, one of the persons on FBI’s 77-man list of suspected Nigerian fraudsters, was appointed into the inauguration committee of Emeka Ihedioha, governor of Imo state TheCable reports.`

Reactions have since trailed the FBI list, Thursday, when the agency disclosed that many Nigerians were under investigation in connection with one of the largest scams in US history.

A copy of the letter on the appointment of Odionyenma into the committee which planned the governor’s inauguration was reportedly seen by TheCable

The letter was personally signed by Ihedioha, The cable reported.

“Following my successful declaration as Governor-elect of Imo State by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and my subsequent receipt of certificate of return thereof, I have duly constituted an inauguration planning and handover committee,with the responsibility of liaising with the existing government to ensure a smooth handover of power to our party on 29th May, 2019,” the letter read.

“I will be pleased if you can serve as a Member of the Sub-Committee on Logistics. The committees will be inaugurated on Tuesday 9th April 2019, Rockview Hotel Owerri at 12 noon.

“I trust you will avail us your expertise and time in carrying out this assignment to support the quest to rebuild Imo.

“While recognizing your sacrifice, accept my congratulations.”

According to sources, Odionyenma, who hails from Amakaohia-Uratta, Owerri North local government area of Imo, disguises as someone who had an interest in real estate.

The suspect is a member of a “Committee for Recovery of Looted Property in Imo”, set up by Ihedioha to recover assets suspected to have been illegally taken by former officeholders.

Recall that the federal government said those on the listed risk being extradited if they do not surrender to US authorities.

Attempts to reach Ihedioha for reaction to the development by newsmen did not yield the desired result as Chibuike Onyeukwu, his chief press secretary, neither responded to calls nor text messages, TheCable reports.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/gov-ihedioha-appointed-suspect-on-fbi-list-into-his-inauguration-committee/

Counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu; Barrister Aloy Ejimakor has debunked news making rounds that his client ordered violence or physical attack on Southeast Governors overseas.

In a statement by Ejimakor, stated that what the IPOB leader told his supporters is elected leaders from Nigeria and Southeast in particular who prefer junketing and gallivanting abroad instead of working for the electorate should be ready to answer tough questions from Nigerians and the people of Southeast in general who are in Diaspora.

According to Kanu’s lawyer, the questioning by the Diasporan Easterners and Nigerians isn’t going to be violent, but that the people will embark on protest to register their grievances.

The statement read, “I write as the Special Counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and I can tell you authoritatively that my Clients, particularly Nnamdi Kanu never made any threats of levying violence or to “physically attack” SE Governors or elected officials when sighted overseas.

“What Kanu had said, and it’s verifiable, is that Nigerian elected officials, especially those from SE (including Governors), who derelict and still derelict their duties to the people and prefer to junket and gallivant abroad should be ‘prepared to answer tough questions from the Nigerian/SE Diaspora’.

“And such engagements will be up close and personal; or as American say: in your face. It’s left to conjecture why Umahi-led SE Governors, more than all others, are the ones getting too personal with this.

“In plain terms, the so-called threat is not of violence or battery but of gutsy demonstrations or protests, of tough questions or heckling, of getting really close to the target. Therefore, Kanu never threatened or sanctioned any threat of actual physical violence, assault or battery, or anything that is illegal or criminal. And he had also stated that you don’t have to be afraid if you have done nothing wrong.

“So, what I believe that is fueling this misconstruing the true import of what Kanu had said is this: Nigerians at home hardly carry their protests to the face of their elected officials. They do complain but they do ever so quietly and seem to be cowed in the immediate vicinity or presence of these officials. Still, this is a dramatic departure from the era of Jonathan when Nigerians were permitted much space to protest as they desired.

“The Nigerian diaspora is different. They demonstrate to your face, they heckle you, they come very close and express their discontent in uncomfortable words and actions that these officials are not used to back home but which, however, comport with how citizens of those foreign nations protest or confront their leaders in the public.

“I think Nigerians, particularly Igbos need to see the Ekweremadu incident in Germany from the prism of German law, which, as we now know, is unarguably permissive of it.

“A few days ago, the Channels TV aired a live telephonic interview with the Nuremberg police chief, where the officer stated very clearly and repeatedly that the incident was not criminal and that no charges would be brought. He suggested that it was a case of mere political heckling, which is permissible under German law. So, I ask: If the place of the incident did not consider it a crime, why should any other person consider it as one?

“As regards reconciliation with Igbo elected political leaders, the IPOB had, in the recent past, made public their basic conditions for reconciliation.

“They include particularly the following: (a)Immediate and unconditional de-proscription of IPOB and delisting it as a terrorist organization. (b)A truth and reconciliation commission on the Python Dance lethal military operations of September 2017. (c)A public apology for the extrajudicial killings of IPOB members and desecration of the palace of an Igbo traditional ruler at Afaraukwu, Abia State. (d)A genuine dialogue with IPOB on its demands for a referendum on the restoration of Biafra. (e)Discontinuance of the ongoing prosecution of IPOB members and forbearance of any future arrests and prosecutions.

“Is this asking for too much?” the statement concluded

https://thenationonlineng.net/kanu-didnt-order-attack-of-southeast-governors-abroad/

Nwafor Sunday

Barely 24 hours the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), arrested 80 Nigerians for fraudulent activities, a global firm, Dynamics Intelligence, Friday shut-down its operations in the country.

A statement by its Chairman, Jenna Bourgeois revealed the reason behind the company’s decision to halt operations in Nigeria.


Bourgeois in his Linkedin handle noted that employees and contractors consistently defraud the company.

U.S. air regulators ban some Apple laptops on flights(Opens in a new browser tab)

His words, “Effective immediately, we will be closing our operations in Nigeria. Over the last year, we have faced numerous examples of employees and contractors extorting the company.

“While we kept giving Nigerians a chance to gain skills and employment, we cannot run a company when we can’t trust the people who work for us. Any company interested in conducting business in Nigeria can reach out to us to learn how to avoid being scammed by technical resources.

“It is a kick in our face that we spent so much time trying to give Nigerians the benefit of the doubt to have this happen. Customers who wish to outsource, are well advised to seek an India-owned company for the best results.”

About the company

Dynamics Intelligence is an international recognized company, operating in US, Canada and Africa. The company provides solutions in technology and had partnered with Microsoft and Amazon to create custom cloud based productivity software.

Details later:

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/breaking-global-company-shuts-operations-in-nigeria/

The Federal Government will prosecute everyone linked with the contract that resulted in the judgment of the United Kingdom, Business & Property Courts (the Commercial Court) which awarded a cumulative sum of $9bn award against Nigeria and in favour of a private firm, Process & Industrial Developments Limited, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abuabkar Malami has said.

Malami, who questioned the sincerity of those behind the contract awarded in 2010, argued that it formed part of the inglorious legacies of past administrations, which this government is being made to grapple with.

He spoke in Abuja on Thursday, while unveiling his agenda on his first day of resumption at the Federal Ministry of Justice.

He said henceforth, contract of certain categories will be vetted by the Federal Ministry of Justice before it is signed by any Federal Government agency.

Malami, also expressed worry about the impact of public corruption and the connivance of financial institutions in the thriving crime of illicit finance flow out of the country.

He said henceforth, financial institutions, linked with financial crimes, will be prosecuted along with the culprits.

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-fg-to-prosecute-those-linked-with-9b-uk-judgment/

The Supreme Court has struck out an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the last presidential election.

The appeal marked SC/738/2019 was filed against a ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), in which it held that the Atiku and the PDP do not have a reply to an application filed on May 14, 2019 by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking among others, the dismissal of their (Atiku and the PDP) challenging President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the last presidential election.



In a ruling on Tuesday, a fiver-man panel led by Justice Datijo Mohammed, struck out the appeal for having become statute barred.

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-supreme-court-strikes-out-atiku-pdps-appeal/

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has asked members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to consider joining the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) before the main opposition party dies.

Osinbajo, who spoke at a dinner to mark the 80th birthday celebration of former National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, jokingly said “it was time for my friends in the PDP to cross over to the APC”.

The Vice President who told a story of an American Republican Senator who told his bewildered family on his dying bed that he wants to cross over to the Democrat said : “Let me tell a story of politician who was a long time life Republican politician in the US.
“He was lying down on a sick bed and was about to die, he said, ‘I want to change my party, I want to become a Democrat so that tomorrow it will be announced that a Democrat died not a Republican’.

“You can see that we politicians very faithful and very loyal indeed. I can only ask our friends in PDP also to ensure that they cross over before they die! It is time for them to cross over.”

He described Chief Oyegun as a loyal party man, an excellent role model and leader who has always been his own man, charting his own course, sometimes, making some real troubles.

He said: “I have always admired Chief John Odigie Oyegun for two reasons. First reason is that somehow, he has always been his own man, charting his own course, sometimes, making some real troubles.

“For example, when as a permanent secretary, he raised contempt proceedings when he refused to testify in principle.

“As a young man, I watched with bathed breadth when they were going to carry him to jail.

“But he ended up on the right side. It is not always that you find one on the right side of history.

“As a founding member of AD, a founding member of NADECO and later its secretary of those abroad, founding member of the APC and the first chairman, the one who led our party to tat historic victory to unseat the ruling party.

“The second reason for my admiration is that some how, he manages to be so deep in Nigerian politics even though he doesn’t look like a politician or sound like one.

“He always sound like a fine, well read and well spoken gentleman driven into politics by some rascals.
“But indeed, he is a consummate politician and an astute strategist.

“It is this particular attribute of being in politics without being a politician that I will like to be when I grow up. Aside from lawyers, I do not know a group of people who are more maligned than politicians.

“People like Chief Oyegun has shown that politicians can be loyal and distinguished men and women and it makes us proud to belong to this company of credible human beings. Despite what people say, we are often more loyal than some other people.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/join-apc-before-your-party-dies-osinbajo-tells-pdp-members/

Northern youths under the auspices of United Northern Youth and Students (UNYS) have endorsed former Lagos State governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for Presidency in 2023.

The group also condemned the call by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai for the abolition of power rotation in the country.

Coordinator of the youth group, Comrade Jabir Maiturare, who addressed a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, said Tinubu has contributed immensely to the North politically, particularly his coordination of the South West for an overwhelming support that brought about the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 as well as his re-election in 2019.

Maiturare said: “Let it be known that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu has not declared to contest for any position yet. Instead, he is solidly behind President Muhammadu Buhari and giving him the required support.

“In any case, whenever he seeks to contest for any position, including the presidency in 2023, we are ready to give him overwhelming support, and we therefore dissociate ourselves from such irresponsible act of some minority youth from the North.

“In the same vein, we wish to state categorically that Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai’s statement against the zoning arrangement in place is uncalled for and should not be given any serious thought because he speaks only for himself and not for the North.”

The group noted that Tinubu has shown himself as a man of integrity and a party man to the core, whose efforts and contribution to the party has produced good results over time.

https://thenationonlineng.net/2023-northern-youths-endorse-tinubu-carpet-el-rufai-over-zoning-comment/

Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

Protesters yesterday in Wednesday, at the nation’s capital, demanded the release of former presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in the last general elections and Convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omowole Sowore.

But truckloads of security operatives at the Unity Fountain, venue of the protest, prevented them from entering the area.

The Unity Fountain was a semblance of a war zone with heavy presence of soldiers, policemen, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and officers of Nigerian Prison Service.

Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, was arrested by DSS operatives last week after he vowed to mobilise Nigerians to the streets for the #RevolutionNow protest.

The Federal Government has also used the DSS to secure a Federal High Court ex parte order to detain him for 45 days.

Despite the barrage of security operatives at the Unity Fountain, activists demanded the immediate release of Sowore and other “prisoners of conscience”.

The protesters, led by Deji Adeyanju, the Convener of Concerned Nigerians (CN), said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had continued to imprison Nigerians who dared to criticise his “maladministration” and had no deference for divergent opinion.

Adeyanju, who said proponents of #FreeSowore protest would not be cowed by government’s battalion of security operatives, added that the President pretended that he was a repentant democrat to get the confidence and votes of Nigerians.

He said Sowore, Dadi Yata, Jones Abiri, Steven Kefas and other social and media critics held by the present administration as prisoners of conscience, represent uncountable numbers of other Nigerians he called victims of Buhari’s government.

According to him, even if the President withdraws all the security operatives deployed to fight insurgency in the Northeast and other parts of the country to stop the #FreeSowore activists, the protest will not stop.

Another activist Rapheal Adebayo said even if President Buhari arrests more protesters, one million others would fight his policies.

Adebayo added that the protest was not just for the freedom of Sowore and other “prisoners of conscience” but for the soul of Nigeria.

Also, Middle Belt Forum’s Deputy President Ndi Kato said the protest would be sustained until the government learns to respect the will of the people.

She said: “It is high time we let go the shackles of our military dictatorship. We cannot have 20 years of military dictatorship and still allow the shackles to remain with us. The modus operandi of criminal and government’s abduction has remained the same. When someone is taken, we do not know where the person is taken to.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/sowore-dss-police-others-stop-protesters-at-unity-fountain/amp/

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the suspension of the chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, Okoi Obono-Obla, from office.

Mr Obono-Obla’s suspension letter, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, directed the embattled official to step down and then proceed to answer questions from the the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, those familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES.

He is to face probe over allegations of certificate forgery and other corruption-related charges.

The letter by Mr Mustapha indicated that while Mr Obono-Obla remained on suspension, the Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Apata, would take charge of the panel on recovery of public property. Other members of the panel will however remain in office.

Our sources said the SGF office has since sent messages to Mr Obono-Obla to come pick up his suspension letter. His office was not opened Wednesday morning and afternoon when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited.

Trouble began for Mr Obono-Obla on Friday when a detachment of police officers from Force Headquarters descended on his Asokoro office and sealed off the building just after the official closed for the day. It was a preemptive move to block the official from removing evidence, one source familiar with the matter said.

But after PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported the development, Mr Obono-Obla made media appearances and circulated press statements claiming he remained in office and that our report was instigated by elements opposed to what he called his tough stance against corruption.

Mr Obono-Obla’s anti-corruption job has often been steeped in controversies which overshadowed some of the successes recorded by his office.

An ad hoc panel set up by the House of Representatives, December last year, had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Mr Obono-Obla allegation that he forged his high school certificate. The panel also accused the official of corruption.

But Mr Obono-Obla had said at the time that the forgery and corruption allegations against him were merely a witch-hunt by people who were uncomfortable with his anti-corruption fight.

Last week, the ICPC submitted a report to the presidency confirming that the official indeed forged his high school certificate.

Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told PREMIUM TIMES the agency’s conclusion was that Mr Obono-Obla fraudulently squeezed himself into the University of Jos decades ago.

“He did not secure requisite academic credentials to enter the University of Jos to study law or the Nigerian Law School,” the report found, according to sources. “He cannot build a career on fradulently-obtained credentials.”

https://www.independent.ng/buhari-approves-suspension-of-okoi-obono-obla-orders-he-submit-self-to-icpc/

President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, in Daura, Katsina State, has disclosed that he has warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop providing foreign exchange for importation of food into the country, with the steady improvement in agricultural production, and attainment of full food security.

The President, who hosted the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to Eid-el-Kabir lunch at his country home in Daura, said the foreign reserve will be conserved and utilized strictly for diversification of the economy, and not for encouraging more dependence on foreign food import bills.

“Don’t give a cent to anybody to import food into the country,’’ he said.

The President noted that some states like Kebbi, Ogun, Lagos, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Kano had already taken advantage of the Federal Government’s policy on agriculture with huge returns in rice farming, urging more states to plug into the ongoing revolution to feed the nation.

“We have achieved food security, and for physical security we are not doing badly,’’ he said.


President Buhari said he was particularly delighted that young Nigerians, including graduates, had started exploring agric-business and entrepreneurship, with many posting testimonies of good returns on their investments.

President Buhari said the incoming ministers will be “taught’’ and thoroughly guided to ensure they meet the targets of the APC-led government for the people, with regular monitoring of their performances and scaling up of targets by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The President assured that he would attend the Presidential Policy Retreat organized for the ministers by the OSFG, and insisted on compliance with laid down targets on key sectors of the economy that will directly impact on the livelihood of Nigerians.


In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, said the President’s sense of justice, fairness and forthrightness had turned a major inspiration to governors on the way forward for the country.

He said the challenges faced by states “were enormous’’, but the governors had remained undaunted, assuring the President of strong support and “the very best effort’’ to overcome all the obstacles.

The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, appreciated the President for the unique leadership style of maintaining a healthy relationship with governors on individual and collective basis, pointing out that they had been “energized’’ to do more in their states.

The Governor commended the President for making bold and courageous efforts to reposition the economy for majority Nigerians through inclusive policies.

“The country is more secure than in 2015, and the country is more prosperous than in 2015 because you are working for the majority of the people,’’ he added.

The Governor said the party had been repositioned, after the 2019 elections, to work for the benefit of the majority of Nigerians, noting that “there will two elections this year and we need to work towards winning the two states.’’

https://dailypost.ng/2019/08/13/buhari-issues-stern-warning-cbn-meet-apc-govs/

President Muhammadu Buhari has dropped Ita Enang as his aide on National Assembly Matters (Senate), PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

Mr Enang, a former senator from Akwa Ibom state, was appointed a special adviser to Mr Buhari during the president’s first term.

He has continued to act in that capacity in Mr Buhari’s second term, even when his appointment, like that of several other aides, has not been renewed.

A source close to the Presidency told PREMIUM TIMES, Sunday evening, that President Buhari has dropped Mr Enang as his aide on National Assembly Matters.

The president has picked Omoworare Babajide, a former senator from Osun state, as Mr Enang’s replacement, the source said.

The belief in the Presidency is that Mr Enang did not perform well in managing the relationship between President Buhari and senators in the eighth Senate, despite being a former senator himself, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The relationship between President Buhari and the Bukola Saraki-led Senate was characterised by deep animosity.

Mr Saraki was elected a senator in 2015 under the same party — the All Progressives Congress — with Mr Buhari, but the two parted ways politically.

Mr Saraki later defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and became a critic of the Buhari administration.

He contested but failed to win the 2019 PDP presidential primary. He was also unable to return to the ninth Senate.

“He (Enang) didn’t have the temperament to deliver anything substantial,” the source said of Mr Enang’s performance as Mr Buhari’s aide.

“Despite the experience he has and the senators being his former colleagues, he could not resolve the frequent crisis the senators were having with the president.”

The source said Mr Enang may, however, be compensated with another position – possibly the president’s adviser on Niger Delta matters.

The new appointment is among those to be announced this week by the presidency.

Mr Enang’s spokesperson, Essien Inyang, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday he was not aware the former senator had been dropped by the president.

The Presidency did not respond to telephone calls on Monday seeking comments.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/346290-exclusive-buhari-drops-ita-enang-as-national-assembly-aide-picks-replacement.html/

No fewer than 10, 000 applicants on Tuesday besieged the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to obtain application forms to teach in public primary schools.

The recruitment exercise, which started on Monday, attracted thousands of applicants from all the 16 Local Governments Areas of the state.

The Nation gathered that the applicants bombarded the commission headquarters, Ado Ekiti, state capital at about 6:30 am to collect the application forms.

It was also learnt that a large portion of the applicants do not fall into the category of personnel advertised by the board.

The recruitment exercise was sequel to the approval of Governor Kayode Fayemi that the board should fill existing vacancies in public primary schools.

The applicants submitted applications in response to an earlier announcement that interested National Certificate in Education and Bachelor in Education holders should report at the office for the recruitment exercise.

The SUBEB Chairman, Prof. Francesca Aladejana in a telephone chat with The Nation, said the turn out of the applicants was massive.

This, he said, compelled the commission to postpone temporarily the ongoing recruitment of teachers into public primary schools.

She said the recruitment process was put on hold to prevent stampede among the thousands of applicants that thronged the SUBEB office to collect the application forms.

Aladejana, who said that the Board is re-strategising to make the employment forms easily accessible to applicants, stated that SUBEB may opt for the use of electronic application process so that applicants can download their forms without necessarily coming to SUBEB office.

The Board chairman disclosed that no fewer than 10,000 applicants had registered to collect the forms in the first day of the two-day exercise.

READ ALSO: Ekiti begins recruitment of teachers
She added the Board cannot afford to let the applicants rush and injure one another in the process of jostling for the forms.

“We have to postpone the excercise because we didn’t know that they will turn out in such a large number.

“We underestimated the job that young graduates are not likely to come to teach in public primary school. But I tell you today that even people with Master degrees turned up.

“Before the applicants came, we had made solid arrangements for the distribution of the forms. We had 16 centres, one for each local government so that we won’t have reasons for applicants rushing to collect the forms and to forestall too much crowd we specifically indicated that we want only NCE holders and graduates with teaching subjects in the primary school.

“This had gone round but to our amazement this morning, we had unprecedented crowd; the crowd was unimaginable.

“The whole place was filled up. The candidates were rushing and were out of control.

“We had pregnant women, nursing mothers carrying babies and women holding young children; all of them in the crowd.

“It was at that stage that we thought if we start distributing forms and people are rushing, there could be stampede. We don’t want any casualty,” she said.

https://thenationonlineng.net/10000-graduates-masters-holders-jostle-as-primary-teachers-in-ekiti/

The Nigeria Police Force has concluded plans to hastily arraign and continue to detain nine people arrested on Monday at the #RevolutionNow protest in Lagos.

They will be arraigned at the Ebute Metta Magistrate's Court.

Among those arrested are Victor Ogungbenro, a video editor and cameraman, Gabriel Ojuba, Convener of the United Action for Democracy.

Others are Segun Babatunde Osunla, Ehis Omohomio, Aniobi Stanley, Elias Ozikpu, Kenechukwu Ukachukwu, Banwo Olagokun, and Sanyaolu Juwon.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the police had planned to arraign the individuals on trumped-up charges.

According to Effiong Inibehe and Stanley Imhanruor, human rights lawyers who went to secure the detainees' bail at Panti Police Station, the police insisted they would not be released.

Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police, had labelled the protest as an act of terrorism.

He warned that anyone arrested in connection with the protest would be charged with a treasonable felony.

Protesters defied the police and went ahead with the protest at various locations on Monday.

http://saharareporters.com/2019/08/06/police-arraign-saharareporters-journalist-8-others-trumped-charges-today

Members of the RevolutionNow movement who converged on the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, on Monday, were forcefully dispersed by soldiers and policemen.

The protesters, who arrived at the stadium around 7am on Monday, for the kick-off of the protest met a detachment of policemen at the entrance of the stadium.

Some soldiers later joined the policemen.

Eliaz Ozikpu, one of the protesters told TheCable, that he was discussing the protest plans with others when security operatives crossed over the road to meet them.

“We were standing here, while they watched us from the other side. Suddenly, they moved on us and said we can’t talk to the press. We weren’t even talking to the press yet. We were addressing ourselves,” he said.

The protesters, however, started chanting calling for the release of Omoyele Sowore, convener of the movement who was arrested Saturday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

More to follow…

https://www.thecable.ng/breaking-gunshots-as-policemen-soldiers-chase-revolutionnow-protesters-from-lagos-venue

The Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has condemned the arrest of activist Omoyele Sowore.
Mr Sowore, a presidential candidate in the last election, was arrested on Saturday for calling for a revolution against poor governance.

“Beyond the word ‘revolution, another much mis-used and misunderstood word, nothing that Sowore has uttered, written, or advocated suggests that he is embarking on, or urging the public to engage in a forceful overthrow of government,” Mr Soyinka said.

He compared the actions of the security agencies that arrested Mr Sowore to what happended during the tenure of the late dictator, Sani Abacha.

“We underwent identical cynical contrivances under the late, unlamented Sani Abacha, when he sent storm-troopers to disrupt a planning session for a similar across-nation march at Tai Solarin School, Ikenne,” Mr Soyinka wrote in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

Read the full statement below.

SURELY, NOT AGAIN!!!

Deployment of alarmist experessions such as “treason”, “anarchist”, “public incitement” etc. by Security forces have become so predictable and banal that they have become meaningless. Beyond the word ‘revolution, another much mis-used and misunderstood word, nothing that Sowore has uttered, written, or advocated suggests that he is embarking on, or urging the public to engage in a forceful overthrow of government.

Nothing that he said to me in private engagement ever remotely approached an intent to destabilize governance or bypass the normal democratic means of changing a government. I therefore find the reasons given by the Inpector-General, for the arrest and detention of this young ex-presidential candidate totally contrived and untenable, unsupported by any shred of evidence. His arrest is a travesty and violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to congregate and make public their concerns.

This is all so sadly déjà vu. How often must we go through this wearisome cycle? We underwent identical cynical contrivances under the late, unlamented Sani Abacha, when he sent storm-troopers to disrupt a planning session for a similar across-nation march at Tai Solarin School, Ikenne. This was followed up by a personalized letter that was hand delivered by the State Security Services to me under their ummons, at their Abeokuta so-called ‘Annexe’ with near identical wording to the threats contained in today’s release from the desk of the Chief of Police. At least, I was summoned, not subjected to a terrorist midnight arrest. Some irony!

The same pattern Pavlovian conduct manifested itself under yet another supposed democratic ruler who personally declared that the gathering of civilians to deliberate on, and propose a constitution for the nation was ‘high treason’, and would be resisted by the full rigour of state power if we persisted. The Inspector-General of Police mobilized his forces and issued inflammatory proclamations, but PRONACO went ahead despite all the thundering from Aso citadel. Can the police ever learn anything also their tear-gassing and brutalizing of grieving mothers who marched peacefully to protest the deaths of their children in a plane crash inferno? Their mission, under that same regime, which was simply to deliver a letter to government house in Lagos, demanding greater safety in airline operations, yet such a rational intent, born of traumatic circumstances, was quashed on the sidewalks of a supposed twentieth century nation.

And yet again, even a faceless cabal under yet another civilian regime refused to be left out of the insensate play of power. A march on Aso Rock calling for an end to governance by a ghostly entity was slated to be crushed, but fortunately, a conflicting balance of interests decided in favour of a reduced trajectory of protest.

And so on and on and on, in a nation which continues to speak at once through both sides of the mouth, spewing out the same Treason monotone, as if this was a magic incantation that could substitute for the venting of mass feelings, even as collective therapy!
May I invite the Inspector-General to wade through the daily journals of the past few weeks and months, read and digest the calls by numerous sectors of society – across professions and national groupings – for demonstrations against the parlous conditions of society, all identifying ills to which attention must be drawn, and urgently, through mass action? Demonstrations and processions are time honoured, democratic ways of drawing not only the attention of government to ills, but of mobilizing the public towards a proactive consciousness of their condition, and thereby exhorting civil society also to devise means of ameliorating their condition through their own efforts? Religious bodies have urged such remedies, so have civic associations.

The ready recourse to arrests, incarceration and threats to civilians are ultimately counter-productive. They alienate the citizens, erode their confidence in governance responsiveness, and thereby advance the very extremist nightmare that security agencies believe they are acting to thwart.
If we cannot learn from the histories and experiences of other societies, let us at least learn from ours. Freedom is not so glibly qualified. It cannot be doled out like slops of charity from soup kitchens. Let the Police stick to their task of protecting and managing protests, not attempt to place their own meaning and declaration of intent on bogey words like – revolution!

Wole SOYINKA

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/344731-just-in-sowores-arrest-buharis-govt-behaving-like-abachas-soyinka.html?

The Nigerian government has said it will organise a retreat for the newly appointed ministers before their inauguration.

The retreat is scheduled to hold in Abuja on August 15 and 16.

A statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the retreat is to guide the ministers on the adequate discharge of their duties once they resume office.

The ministerial appointees are also expected to attend the retreat with copies of their credentials, according to the statement.

“Following confirmation by the Senate, All Ministers Designate are by this NOTICE informed that relevant documents for their study and guidance, preparatory to the inauguration of the Cabinet shall be available for collection at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) (Cabinet Affairs Office) from 10.00am on Tuesday August 6, 2019.

“Ministers Designate are also requested to please bring along and submit to the OSGF, their updated CV in soft and hard copies as well as any valid identification document.

“Finally, I am pleased to inform you that, in view of the need to allow Ministers Designate enough time to study the documents (Status Report on Policies, Programmes and Projects; the 2019-2023 Road Map, FEC Handbook, etc) and considering the upcoming Sallah break, His Excellency, Mr. President has approved an INDUCTION RETREAT for Ministers Designate to be held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja from August 15-16, 2019.

“For further clarification, please contact the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, OSGF on 08023229481.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had forwarded the names of the 43 ministers, on July 23, to the Senate for confirmation.

With the recent message from the SGF, the ministers’ resumption of office will come after August 16.
Although the ministers were all cleared by the Senate, none of them has been assigned portfolios. It is expected that the ministers will be assigned portfolios after the August 16 retreat.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/344442-buhari-to-inaugurate-ministers-after-august-16-plans-retreat-for-them.html

The Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, has issued a 20-day ultimatum to Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, and Fulani Nationality to leave the South-East and South-South immediately.

Linus Essien, BYNL Chief of Staff in Cross River State issued the warning in a statement forwarded to DAILY POST, on Friday.

Essien also warned of a “danger” if Miyetti Allah does not stop the Fulani Militia operating in the South.”

He also called on Miyetti Allah to end violence across the South-East and South-South or “face reprisal actions because BNYL is ready to revolt against the Islamist extremists.”

Essien said: “The attacks will lead to reprisals if by 20 days the Miyetti Allah fails to withdraw the Militia operating in the South.

“We have been following the situations especially States bordering the north like Cross River, Delta, Enugu and Ebonyi are easily penetrated, and if something urgent is not done they will take total control of our land and even invade Bakassi to conquer us as a people”.

“We are giving Miyetti Allah members matching orders if after 20 days northern leaders fail to withdraw killer herders from the South-south and Southeast.

“We have reasons to warn, because very soon we will be branded as terrorist group and we will not mind that, because self-defense is not a crime, any decisive actions we take is backed up by genuine reasons”.

https://dailypost.ng/2019/08/02/leave-south-east-south-south-resort-self-defense-biafra-group-warns-herdsmen/

Amnesty International, a non-governmental organisation focused on human rights, says Nigerian authorities are “increasingly depriving” Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) members of their freedom of association.

The IMN is led by Ibrahim El-Zakzaky who has been in detention since 2015.

The federal government had officially proscribed the activities of the group after a federal high court declared it a terrorist organisation.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the NGO said IMN’s proscription is a “deliberate attempt to divert attention from crucial issues” like ensuring justice for the killing of over 350 members of the group in December 2015.

It also alleged that the federal government’s nonchalant attitude to investigate and ensure justice in incidences concerning IMN shows the FG’s resolve to deprive them of their rights.

“The proscription of IMN is a deliberate attempt to divert attention from crucial issues including; justice for the massacre of over 350 in Zaria in Dec. 2015 as well many other IMN supporters killed by security agencies over the years,” AI said.

“Many members of IMN have been missing since 2015; their families and relatives are yet to know their fate and their search for justice has been largely ignored by Nigerian authorities.

“Despite federal high court order of Dec. 2016 Nigerian authorities have continued to keep Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky in unlawful detention and his bail application perpetually delayed, despite repeated concerns over the deterioration of his health.

“The fact that authorities have not indicated any attempt to investigate and ensure justice in all incidences involving IMN clearly shows a government resolve to deprive them of their fundamental human rights.

“We insist that Nigerian authorities ensure justice in all cases involving all Nigerians, including IMN.”

John Onaiyekan, the former Catholic archbishop of Abuja, also described the proscription of the group as a “blunt mistake”.

Speaking at a news conference, Onaiyekan said the action of the federal government implies no religion is exempted from being proscribed as long as the FG can get a judge to issue the order.

He said members of the IMN had the right to protest the continued detention of El-Zakzaky, adding that the Catholics will do the same if he were detained unjustly.

“The proscription (of Shiite) portrays us as a country where the government can wake up one day, get a court order from nowhere that particular religious group is proscribed,” he said.

“If we allow that to go, it means Catholics and my own religion too can be prescribed any day by any government who manages to get any judge to issue an ex-parte or non-ex-parte order.

“I don’t know what will happen if I was detained unjustly and the court orders my release and they refuse to allow me to come out, I don’t know if anybody will be able to stop the Catholics from protesting.”

He, however, said a religious group can be held accountable for breaking the law by prosecuting it instead of banning its activities.


https://www.thecable.ng/amnesty-international-fg-depriving-imn-members-fundamental-rights/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said it is not calling any witness in defence of the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku Abubakar.

Its lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN) announced this at the resumption of proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

By the court’s schedule, INEC was expected to open its defence today, but when the case was called, Usman said they have scrutinized the evidence by witnesses called by the petitioners and found that there was no need for it.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-we-wont-call-any-witness-in-defence-of-petition-by-pdp-atiku-inec/