₦airaland Forum

Former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Olisa Metuh has lost his bid to stop his N400 million fraud trial, as the Supreme Court, on June 9, 2017 dismissed his application seeking for a stay of proceedings.

Metuh is standing trial along with Destra Investment Limited for alleged fraud. He is facing a 7-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Metuh through his lawyer, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN had filed the application seeking for a stay of proceedings at the High Court.
With this, Metuh’s trial is therefore expected to continue on June 19, 2017 before Justice Abang.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/supreme-court-rejects-olisa-metuhs.html

International dance choreographer, Hollywood, is currently in the country for the Lagos edition of The Dance Workshop 2017. The professional dancer arrived Muritala Mohammed International Airport in the early hours of yesterday to join the workshop, which continues today at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The theoretical and practical workshop is a project created by Kaffy to educate dancers on the ethics and business aspect of dance. The workshop will cover important topics such as Attitude & Talent, Finance in Dance Business, Branding and the best use of Social media, Importance of technique and skill acquisition. The project has successfully held in Accra, Abuja and Ibadan, reorienting dancers on vital issues and ensuring a positive impact on their career.
Hollywood is a well-recognized dance choreographer, who has worked with various recording artistes such as Chris Brown, Ciara, and Rihanna. Most recently, he choreographed Beyonce’s On the Run Tour’, Nicki Minaj’s Billboard Music Award performance, as well as Jennifer Lopez’s American Music Award.

Facilitators will range from entertainment professionals, celebrities, representatives from financial institutions and media relations experts. The list of celebrity facilitators includes, P Square, Kate Henshaw, Alibaba, Omawunmi, Daddy Showkey and Lamboginny.
To be hosted by Dotun of Cool FM, the business professionals will also include finance/smart money experts such as Nimi Akinkugbe and Arese Ugwu, Bukky Karibi-Whyte (CEO Bobby Taylor Company) and others.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/hollywood-in-lagos-for-dance-workshop.html

No fewer than 100 countries have condoled Nigeria over the passing away of the late Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin.

Osotimehin died on Sunday night in New York at the age of 68.
Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the condolences had come in from the majority of the 193 UN Member States.
According to him, he has been receiving condolences from Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of Missions since the sad demise of Osotimehin.
The Nigerian envoy commended the outpouring of the messages, saying it was a supportive gesture to Nigeria as the country mourned the outstanding legacy of the late UNFPA chief.
Muhammad-Bande also said that the gesture by was a testimony to the distinguished service of the late UN Under-Secretary-General to humanity.
Osotimehin was appointed on Nov. 19, 2010, as the Executive Director of UNFPA for a four-year term and assumed the position on Jan. 1, 2011.
He was reappointed to the position on Aug. 21, 2014, to become the organisation’s fourth executive director.
The deceased, until his death, held the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Osotimehin served previously as Nigeria’s minister of health between Dec. 17, 2008, and March 10, 2010.
Muhammad-Bande expressed the condolences of the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, to the family.
He described the late Osotimehin as an accomplished and distinguished professional who made Nigeria proud during the period he served at the UN.
According to him, Osotimehin’s death is an irreparable loss not only to Nigeria but to the UN and the entire global community.
The Nigerian ambassador later signed the Condolence Register opened at the residence of the late UNFPA chief.
more details at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/100-countries-send-condolences-over.html

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the global cover star of FIFA 18, marking the first time Real Madrid star will be featured.

The four-time Ballon d’Or winner led Los Blancos to their third Champions League title in four years with a 4-1 defeat of Serie A champions Juventus on Saturday.

Ronaldo, 32, scored two goals in a man-of-the-match performance in the triumph and on Monday was announced as the face of the latest edition of EA Sports’ popular video game franchise.

“It is a real pleasure to be on the cover of FIFA 18,” Ronaldo said. “It’s a great feeling and I am grateful to have been chosen.”

Ronaldo ran his career goals tally to 600 for both club and country in the Champions League final, and became the only player alongside Alfredo Di Stefano to score in three different European Cup/Champions League finals.
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The strikes also marked his 105th in the competition, putting him well clear of Lionel Messi at the top of the all-time scoring list. Messi has featured on four FIFA covers.

“The world’s best player has helped fuel the biggest leap forward on the pitch that we’ve ever delivered,” said Senior Producer for EA SPORTS FIFA Aaron McHardy.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Cristiano — working with him we learned a lot about his unique play style and what makes him so special. His passion, energy and global fanbase make him the perfect ambassador for FIFA 18.”

Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus featured on the cover last year’s edition after winning a fan vote.

The 27-year-old beat out Real’s James Rodriguez, Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard as receiving the most of over 3.1 million votes cast on EA’s website.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/cristiano-ronaldo-named-global-cover.html

The Federal Government has deployed 44 career ambassadors-designate to their respective countries of accreditation.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olusola Enikaolaye, however, added that the envoys were yet to resume in their countries of assignment because of the delay in the memorandum from one country to another agreeing to the appointment of an ambassador.

The Permanent Secretary explained yesterday, in Abuja, that the ambassadors-designate would resume when agreements have been obtained from the prospective countries.

He said: “There are three categories of ambassadors that President Muhammadu Buhari has already approved. The first set was announced publicly and those are the ones going to International organisations in New York, Geneva, and the Africa Union in Addis Ababa.

“The New Permanent Representative in New York, Prof. Mohammed Tijani, has already assumed duty. Ambassador A.A Kadir, an ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva has submitted his letter of credence and assumed duty.

“The third one is Bankole Adeoye, ambassador to the African Union at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Adeoye is awaiting his agreement to proceed to Addis Ababa,” Enikaolaye explained.

According to him, the second category is the career ambassadors who have all been deployed in their respective countries of accreditation.

“However, they cannot proceed until we receive agreements for all of them; they are about 44 in this category,” he clarified and noted that agreements were trickling in.

The permanent secretary also disclosed that non-career ambassadors had yet to be deployed because they have not been assigned to countries.

“That work is in progress; as soon as that is completed, the countries to which they have been deployed will be the first to know.


“And once the agreement is received for each of them, we will make the announcement, but we will not make an announcement until the countries have given consent, which is agreement,” he stated, noting that this would be completed in a few weeks.
more details at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/fg-deploys-44-ambassadors.html

The Federal Government on Monday offered for subscription two-year savings bond at 13.18 per cent and three-year savings bond at 14.18 per cent, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has said.
According to the offer circular obtained from the DMO website, the two-year bond will be due in June 2019, while the three-year bond will be due in June 2020.

It, however, did not state how much was offered, but added that the maximum subscription was N50 million at N1,000 per unit, subject to minimum subscription of N5,000 and in multiples of N1,000.
According to DMO, the bond is fully backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government, with quarterly coupon payments to bondholders.

The savings bond issuance is expected to help finance the nation’s budget deficit.

It is to also part of the Federal Government’s programme targeted at the lower income earners to encourage savings and also earn more income (interest), compared to what was accrued on their bank savings.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/fg-offers-savings-bonds-at-131-141-for.html

Following the arrest of one of the notable Nigerian singers, Dammy Krane in Miami over alleged Grand Theft , 3rd Degree Armed and Conspiracy , Credit Card Forgery, Intent to Defraud among others his aunt who is based in the US has come out to speak in his defense.

The aunt who spoke under anonymity said that Dammy was only a victim of circumstances that it was the guy , Chukwuebuka who booked him for a show that paid for the private jet.
In her words, “We don’t stay in the same state over here but Dammy came to visit me just last week. I got the news of his detention on the Internet just like everybody else.
” After making some calls, I was able to confirm that he was indeed arrested. He has been in the US for some time now and he has regularly been booked for shows all across America.

” The guy he was arrested with had actually booked him for a show this weekend in Miami. And he (Chukwuebuka) was the one that paid for the jet and made hotel reservations with the stolen card details.”
Speaking further, she said:
“You know it is a usual thing for show promoters to book flight tickets for artistes, so one cannot blame Dammy in this situation. A lawyer has already been contacted but unfortunately, Dammy would have to stay in jail till Monday when they would be able to go to court to
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/dammy-kranes-aunt-speaks-about-his.html

The Federal Government has been urged to provide a conducive environment that will stimulate private sector driven economy.

When Speaking to t ABS a University teacher, Dr Osita Madubugwu, regretted that eighteen years after uninterrupted democratic governance, Nigeria is still grappling with series of economic challenges.
Dr Maduagwu noted that a strong private sector driven economy will help tackle the problem of unemployment and build virile sustainable economy.
He called on government to formulate good industrialization policy that would focus on developing industrial clusters and estates and put in place framework that would give industrialists and investors easy access to loan facilities.
In his reaction, a legal practitioner, Mr John Okoli-Akirika said there should be conscious efforts to reposition and improve the Nation’s electoral process, promote respect for judicial proceedings and general conduct of law and due process.
Mr Okoli Akirika, said that the card reader should be a permanent component of the electoral process without recourse to manual accreditation to solve the problem of electoral manipulation.
He reminded the Federal Government of the need to obey Court judgments as according to him practical implementation and adherence to law are paramount in nurturing and promoting democratic ideals, stressing that over bearing tendency of the Executive on the Judiciary would defeat the principles and goals of democracy.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/fg-tasked-to-evolve-private-sector.html

On Wednesday, May 3, 2017, Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, played host to the committee on Diaspora Festival, Badagry 2017, led by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa. It was the first time a governor of the state would demonstrate overt commitment and interest in a festival whose content, context and concept have shown so much potentials to open up the state to outbound tourists via the ancient city of Badagry, close to two decades now.

Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa and this author (founder of African Renaissance Organisation and organiser of Diaspora Festival, Badagry) had made presentations on the need for the state to blaze the trail in harnessing the benefits associated with Diaspora engagement and reintegration into the state’s socio-economic make-up and how international tourism would flourish with the festival. The governor had declared that Lagos remains the capital of the black states in the world and that the festival would do well to position the state for diaspora reconnection and eventual return. Ambode further declared the festival an elongated programme of the 50th anniversary of Lagos State, which he stated, shall continue until the end of the year and that Diaspora Festival, Badagry 2017, would form a cardinal part of the events commemorating the creation of Lagos State. The governor unequivocally expressed government’s commitment to recreating and developing potentials in Badagry and advised that a framework for its sustainability on an annual basis be put in place. Ambode then concluded by saying, “We’ll support everything that is Badagry!”


One cannot but applaud the governor’s uncanny ability and insight to decipher potentials and opportunities for growth and development where it seems unclear to others. Diaspora festival is a peculiar kind of festival that is a common phenomenon that has become a force in driving international tourism along the coastal states of West Africa. In Ghana, it is referred to as Pan-African Festival (PANAFEST); in Gambia, it is called Homecoming Roots Festival; in Senegal, it is Goree Diaspora Festival, and in Republic of Benin, it is referred to as Voodoo Pilgrimage Festival, to mention just few.
These festivals have been designed to attract the historic African diaspora back to their cultural and ancestral roots. The importance attached to the festivals by these countries is reflected in the fact that their respective Presidencies are involved in their organisation. This is premised on the history of enormous socio-economic opportunities and potentials the diaspora has come to symbolise for many countries across the globe. Many of these West African countries have created Ministries of Diaspora and Tourism for the purposes of diaspora engagement and building their economies through cultural connections.
The concept of diaspora is about ‘not being at home’ or ‘to scatter’, ‘to disperse’ and ‘to take root elsewhere.’ The formation of the diaspora is generally premised on dispersals of people into spaces, which could either be voluntary or forceful. In mapping the history of African Diaspora, three historical dimensions can simply be configured: the people of African descents that had migrated from Africa in the pre-historical period about 6 – 7 mya (millions) ago to populate other parts of the world (based on the proven hypothesis that Africa is the birthplace of humanity); second are those who were the consequence of forceful dispersals as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, starting from the 15th century; the third group are those Africans who found their ways in foreign lands as a result of failure of socio-economic and political order in their respective countries and the economic pull of the global North. As a fall-out of these historical trajectories, people of African descents are to be found today in all continents of the world.
It is, however, to be noted that these groups of African ‘emigrants’ have evolved and developed into both economic, technological, intellectual and social capital in their countries of residence. But inherent in the complexion of the diaspora is the fundamental issue of vestigial discrimination culminating in constant nostalgia to link up with the primordial or ancestral homeland as the ideal final home of return. Hence, there is always the element of personal or vicarious relations to the homeland development in an ethno-communal consciousness, though not all Diaspora share this ideology.

Therefore, beyond sending remittances and other indirect investment through stocks, bonds, and deposit accounts and the growth of specific sectors such as tourism or information technology through means other than direct investment, which have been very instrumental to economic recovery and development of many countries all over the world, the Diaspora can also promote trade and foreign direct investment, create businesses and spur entrepreneurship, and transfer of new knowledge and skills. In contemporary African socio-economic world that labours under lack of investment and international business acumen, lack of professional and technical skills, isolation from global networks of knowledge, and exclusion from global supply chains, proper and coherent Diaspora engagement policy can fill this vacuum and reposition Africa for global reckoning. The reason, therefore, is not far-fetched why the African Union in 2005 declared African Diaspora as the ‘sixth region’ of the continent. But much still needs to be done in this respect for Diaspora’s full integration.
The Diaspora Festival is, in itself, a global tourism product, which is sometimes described as ‘nostalgic tourism.’ It celebrates the identity, culture, history, heritage and tradition of a given people in a given destination, usually in the primordial homeland at a given period. In other words, Diaspora festival aggregates both the tangible and intangible cultural resources as expressed in the history, artifacts, monuments, places of memory, religion, topographical attraction and the rustic environmental ambiance of the homeland as instigator for homeland nostalgia or pull factors for the Diaspora temporal or permanent return. The festival is usually weaved around the tragic history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, as occasion to celebrate African history, freedom and achievement of the black race. Diaspora festivals all over the world are greatly influenced by the classical theory of the so-called ‘Solar System Model,’ which depicts Diasporic communities all over the world as ‘satellites’ or ‘a periphery’ that maintains an unswerving, positive attraction to the symbolic Centre (the Homeland), which is often perceived as the Cradle of their innermost being throughout history. In the contemporary African milieu, culture provides the strongest link between Africa and its Diaspora and this has become a veritable means to building their economies through cultural connections and reconnections.
The adoption of Diaspora Festival by Governor Ambode, with the symbolic Door-of-Return ceremony, as against Point-of-No-Return, a vestige of the infamous slave trade history in Badagry, is awesomely historic. The state will go down in history as the first in Africa to symbolically open its door to Diaspora return and engagement. In developing tourism, the state needs such a mega event as Diaspora festival or Diaspora tourism to drive and achieve its tourism development target as contained in the Lagos State Development Plan 2012 – 2015 of attracting 150 million annual tourists arrival and for tourism revenue to contribute 10 per cent to the state’s GDP. The state remains the most endowed in terms of tourism resources and, if fully harnessed and developed, will catapult it from its present 5th position to 1st economy in Africa in no distant future.

There are various tourism typologies with which the state is endowed, which could all be developed as products to make the state a major destination in Africa. There are potentials for aquatic tourism, nostalgic tourism, Diaspora tourism, mangrove tourism, cultural tourism, eco-tourism, coastal tourism, urban tourism, business tourism, etc, which can all be developed into tourism products that will be both attractive to domestic and outbound tourists.
DIASPORA festival, as a nostalgic form of tourism, has the potentials to turn around the history of tourism in Lagos State. California is a state in the United States of America, whose economy is dependent virtually on tourism. Today, California is the 6th largest economy in the world. As a matter of fact, the economy of the global North is hinged 70 per cent on tourism. Tourism has become an integral part of the global economy that cannot be ignored. According to the 2016 World Tourism Organisation (UNTWO) Annual Tourism Reports, tourism contributed 10 per cent to global GDP, created 1/11 global jobs, and international arrivals rose to 1.2 billion. Only 50 million arrivals were recorded for North Africa and part of Sub-Saharan Africa, probably Ghana, Gambia and Senegal; Nigeria was not listed. Tourist exports globally generated $1.5 trillion, about 70 per cent of the world’s export, while tourism receipts at destinations all over the world hit a record of $1, 260 billion.
Lagos is well positioned for fantastic tourism development and a huge potential to become a major tourists destination in Africa with its socio-economic performance indicators of being host to over 2,000 industrial establishments, 10,000 commercial ventures, 22 industrial estates, responsible for 30 per cent of the nation’s GDP, and accounts for 80 per cent of national aviation traffic, 70 per cent of national maritime cargo freight, and 50 per cent of national energy consumption. What is more, with a population that hit 20 million in 2015, according to the UN, making it the third largest city in the world, and the socio-economic indices and demographic details enumerated above and the monumental efforts of the present administration towards infrastructural development, reclamation of marinas, security and the erection of world class statues in strategic centres in the state are steps consciously taken by Ambode to prepare the ground for a thriving tourism business in Lagos State.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/see-how-lagos-can-leverage-smart-city.html

The delay in getting the 2017 budget ready for implementation may drag beyond expectations. This is because there are grey areas in the document, which the Presidency and the National Assembly leadership are yet to resolve.

It was learnt yesterday, that the meeting convened last week, at Aso Villa for the two parties to review the fiscal plan failed to hold and was rescheduled for this week.
The budget as passed by the National Assembly, it was learnt contains serious discrepancies when compared to what was submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari, on December 14, 2016.

The Presidency has, however, confirmed that it would engage the leadership of the National Assembly in some discussions to sort out whatever grey areas exist, even though it denied any plot to reject the document.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Solomon Ita Enang, in a statement yesterday evening said that: “The Presidency is working within the constitutional time-frame required to process details of the 2017 budget passed by the National Assembly. There is no such plan by it to reject the 2017 budget passed by the National Assembly as alleged in some reports. The Presidency can only assent to the budget or withhold assent as the case may be”
Enang made it clear that, “However, should there be areas needing input, the Presidency would engage the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives.”
According to him, “Right now, the Presidency is subjecting every detail of the budget, using the available systems at its disposal to ensure the figures appropriated to MDAs are consistent with the realities on ground, while also engaging in consultations.
“When the budget was presented to both chambers of the National Assembly for consideration last year by President Muhammadu Buhari, both chambers subjected the document to legislative processes using internal systems at their disposal. This, exactly, is what the Presidency is actually doing at the moment to ensure that what would be eventually assented to sufficiently addresses the nation’s present realities, as not doing so could expose government to a backlash from Nigerians,” Enang stated.
On his part, Presidential Liaison Officer to the National Assembly (House of Representatives), Alhaji Kawu Abdulrahman Sumaila, equally confirmed that assent to the budget is delayed due to the existence of some grey areas in the document.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/2017-budget-delayed-due-to-grey-areas.html

Hundreds of Juventus fans watching the Champions League final in one of Turin’s main squares were injured when loud bangs created a panic and mayhem.

About 400 people were being treated for slight injuries, Italian media reported. About five people were seriously hurt, including a seven-year-old boy who was trampled, Sky TG24 reported.
Thousands of fans had gathered to watch the Champions League final in front of a giant screen in San Carlo Square.During the second half of the match, which local club Juventus went on to lose 1-4 to Real Madrid, video cameras show a sudden rush in the middle of the crowd that caused a surge that flung people against barriers.
Many fans then began to run out of the center of the square, screaming in fear.
The panic may been started by the explosion of a loud firecracker that was mistaken for a bomb, a Reuters witness said.
Afterwards shoes and bags littered the ground, people were seen limping and searching desperately for friends and relatives, the witness said.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/400-juventus-fans-injured-in-turin.html

Comedienne Emmanuella has said that she will like to become a make up artist and actress when she grows up.

She said this in an exclusive interview with goldmyne.tv where she revealed that she feels happy about what she does but that does not make her the greatest kid in the world for it is only God that makes on great.


Looking at how well she has done in the comedy industry she can do very well as an actress in the movie industry. Talking about make up, although she does not wear makeup in any of her skits but the young comedienne seems to have an innate passion for makeup, hence her interest in becoming a makeup artists when she grows up.
The talented 6 years old Emmanuella who came with her uncle, Mark Angel for the interview said that she loves watching cartoon, playing games, and jumping around whenever she is not on set .

She came into limelight after one of the several Mark Angel’s comedy skits “This Is Not My Real Face” went viral on social media.

Her extraordinary talent has earned her several awards both nationally and internationally yet she is moving higher every day.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/when-i-grow-up-i-will-like-to-be-makeup.html

The Police in Enugu State say they have arrested a fleeing member of an armed group that allegedly killed the Enugu Deputy Governor’s orderly, Sgt. Helen Sunday.

This is contained in a statement by the command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu on Friday in Enugu.
Amaraizu said the fleeing member of the group was arrested on May 27 in Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the orderly was killed in Enugu on May 9 by a group of armed men while on her way home from work.
The police had on May 10 stormed the group’s hideout and engaged the suspects in a gun duel.
Two people suspected to be members of the group were arrested while others escaped.
The police said the deceased’s Infinix smart phone, amongst other items, was recovered from the hideout after the shootout.
Amaraizu said the anti-kidnapping unit of the command arrested the suspect via a well-coordinated operation.
He said police operatives trailed the suspect to a hideout at Apapa in Lagos State, where he was allegedly receiving treatment.
“It is believed that the treatment was for bullet wounds sustained on May 10 when a shoot-out ensued between members of the armed group and police at Lomalinda and Amorji Nike areas of Enugu.
“On that day, two of the gang members were fatally injured and apprehended while others believed to have been hit by bullets escaped,’’ he said.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/enugu-police-apprehend-alleged-killer.html

A 22- year-old man, Samuel David, who allegedly defiled his neighbour’s daughter, on Friday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, a driver, who resides at 30, Oremeji St., Bariga, a Lagos suburb, is being tried for defilement.

The Prosecutor, Sgt .Raphael Donny, told the court that the offence was committed on May 12, at the residence of the accused.
Donny said that the accused called the girl, an 8-year -old, into his room, on the pretext of sending her on an errand.
“The accused defiled the girl, cleaned her up and told her not to tell anybody.
“Days after, the girl was feeling uneasy and cannot urinate properly, hence she told her mother what happened and the accused was apprehended,’’ he said.
The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Davies Abegunde, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1 million, with two sureties in like sum.
Abegunde ordered the accused to pay N100,000 into the Chief Registrar ‘s account, as part of the bail conditions.
She, therefore, adjourned the case until June 26, for legal advice from the Office of the State Director of Public Prosecutions.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/man-arrested-for-defiling-neighbours.html

Drivers shut down Benin-Lagos Expressway, yesterday, to protest killing of a conductor with Young Shall Grow Motors by robbers and incessant robbery attacks on the ever-busy highway.
The drivers’ protest left commuters stranded on the highway for several hours.
A witness, who gave his name as Ayinla, a driver with Complete Sports, said the robbers took over the road as early as 1:00 am and killed one person on the spot.
He said while the robbers were operating, calls were put across to the Nigeria Police for intervention but they did not show up.
The robbers, he added, after having a field day, left uninterrupted.
Ayinla further added that luxury bus drivers, aggrieved at the incessant robbery attacks on the road, especially at Okada Junction axis and the degree of responsiveness of the police to an emergency situation, decided to barricade the road, which led to protracted gridlock which lasted for several hours.
“The drivers said they will not leave the highway until federal and state governments address the issue of incessant robbery on the Benin-Lagos expressway.
“This whole thing started at about 1:00am. I have been on the road since then…” he said. Another witness, Mr. Johnson Saliu, a driver with Tribune Newspaper, who arrived Benin at about 1:50pm described the situation as horrific.
“It was tough. You can imagine somebody who has been on the road since 11:00am till now, it is not easy and the experience was terrible.
“More than three weeks since I have been plying that road, there is no day there has not been a robbery attack,” he said. Another witness, who declined to be named added: “We left Onitsha at about 10:30pm, while we were on the way, armed robbers attacked us immediately after Benin, heading to Okada. We managed to escape but, we now decided to park somewhere because the shooting was too much. That was when we discovered that the conductor of the bus hadbeen killed. The robbers also attacked several vehicles close to where we parked, including Ezenwata bus and some small buses and were shooting everywhere.”
In his response to the development, Secretary to Edo State Government, Osaro Ogie, admitted receiving a report on the incident.
“We received this report about a traffic jam which occurred around Okada Junction, as a result of armed robbery incident. We got in touch with the director of the Department of State Service (DSS), Ibrahim Hiliu and the Commissioner of Police. We saw the thousands of stranded passengers and drivers.
“We received the report of robbery operations and I can assure you now that security agencies are going to increase their presence around here and across the state.
“We have the responsibility to make sure that our state is safe and everybody who passes here does that safely. We are going to increase security on all the major roads involving members of the communities, the army, police and others.”
On his part, Edo commissioner of police, Haliru Gwandu said: “We got this information in the morning that there was total gridlock from Benin to Lagos and when I contacted our DPO and commanders, the report was that there was robbery attack at about 1:00am. Thank God, the distress call was able to rescue all the passengers. However, hoodlums who came from the bush shot the windscreen of the bus, wounded the conductor who later died in the hospital.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/drivers-shut-down-benin-lagos-highway.html

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), made up of governors of the 36 states have raised concern over the quality of rice being consumed by Nigerians.
The governors described it as substandard, harmful and called on the Nigeria Customs Service to take urgent measures to arrest the situation.
A statement by NGF’s Head, Media and Public Affairs, Abulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said the alarm was contained in a communique released after the forum’s last meeting in Abuja.
The governors said a large consignment of rice still finding its way into the Nigerian market was imported since 2014 when the Goodluck Jonathan administration issued a liberal import licence regime to those who were able to bring substantial quantity of rice into the country using a waiver from the presidency at the time.
The governors noted that while bulk of the consignment was stale, others were either rejected in other countries or had overstayed in various warehouses before they found their way into Nigeria through the activities of some unscrupulous elements.
“Governors expressed concern that Nigerians were either falling sick or losing their lives to the consumption of this substandard produce even though some states have commenced elaborate efforts to produce rice in commercial quantity with a view to halting the nation’s over-reliance on staples that can be produced locally.
“Most governors of the states that have already embraced the back to land mantra of this administration frowned at the situation where Nigerians snubbed the locally produced commodity in preference for foreign ones which were most of the time stale, contaminated or even fake,” the statement said.
The Nigeria Customs Service was invited to shed light on the matter in order to proffer solution to the problem.
Briefing the Forum, the Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali who was represented by Deputy Comptroller General, Dangaladima Aminu, said though there was an upsurge in the smuggling of rice through the nations land borders, there had been no alteration to the prohibition on the importation of rice through land borders. He claimed that any quantity of rice which found its way into Nigeria through land routes was smuggled.
Dangaladima said rice was usually smuggled through unauthorized border routes which span more than 4,000 kilometres. He claimed that the smugglers were aided by border communities who alternated between motorcycles, canoes and rafts to smuggle contraband rice into the country.
“It may interest you to note that a motorcycle can make up to 30 trips with six 50kg bags of rice per night depending on the distance. And when the border communities are not smuggling the produce themselves, they are aiding or providing cover for smugglers.”
Dangaladima added that rice merchants had recorded huge losses as a result of seizures by the customs.
He disclosed that in 2014 Customs seized 12, 000 metric tons of the commodity, 4, 503 tons in 2015 and 14, 000metric tons in 2016.
He informed the governors that the Customs “takes the issue of smuggling of rice seriously, having identified the danger posed by it to the economic well-being and health hazards it constitutes to the Nigerian people.”
Rice, which was hitherto occasionally consumed during special occasions and ceremonies, has became a daily household staple and first choice at public gatherings.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/06/governors-raise-alarm-over-killer-rice.html

Sterling Bank Plc has said it supported the star boxing match between Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Africa’s leading Political Champion versus Evander Holyfield, former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion because it cares and promotes culture.
Mr. Henry Bassey, Chief Marketing Officer, Brand Management and Communications Group stated this at Rhumbles in Lagos organised by Afinju Concept International Entertainment (ACI) to celebrate the two leading champions in their own rights as part of activities lined up for the celebration of Lagos @50 over the weekend.
According to Mr. Bassey, Sterling Bank as a bank that cares with the primary purpose of enriching lives is constantly focusing on meeting its customers needs with its new “Your One- Customer Bank Campaign” which recognises the need to solve specific problems in the life of its customers by delivering bespoke services.
He said the bank also, “acknowledges that entertainment plays a part in helping its target audience lead a fulfilled life and will continue to connect with them through their passion points.”
He stated that Sterling’s involvement was beyond mere entertainment as Evander Holyfield’s REAL DEAL organization has a focus on youth empowerment which is in line with the bank’s focus on the youth market. He also highlighted how the Bank’s Made in Nigeria campaign tied into the growing of Nigerian talents who have over the years been a dominant force on the global boxing stage.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/why-sterling-bank-supported-evander.html

Deposed Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Al-Mustapha Haruna Jokolo has launched series of allegations against Supreme Court justices, accusing them of a deliberate plot to confuse and complicate the appeal against his victory at the Court of Appeal in order to secure indefinite treatment of the case.
“The record of proceedings shows that this case has gone through 5 state high courts, 1 Federal High Court, 4 courts of appeal and 5 times before the Supreme Court between June 2005 and April 2017. In the process, a total of 13 Justices have presided, including Your Lordship (twice) in two rounds from Birnin Kebbi to Kaduna to Birnin Kebbi to Argungu to Birnin Kebbi to Sokoto to Abuja.
“I recall Your Lordship observing at the last sitting on 27/9/2016 that the case had taken too long; 12 years, prompting Your Lordship to direct that all briefs be in for hearing on 4/4/2017, including the consolidation of the two Appeals SC 2/2013 and SC 314/2016, rather than waste more time on injunctions and other interlocutory issues. As the plaintiff, my predicament cannot be better demonstrated,” he submitted.
He averred that despite his victory at the court of first Instance and the Court of Appeal without injunction granted against the verdicts, he was being prevented from the benefits of his victory by the present Appeal and in the process elongating his ordeal and increasing the weight of injustice imposed on him in the past 12 years.
In the petition entitled, “Re: Suit NO SC 314/2016: Alh. Muhammadu Iliyasu Bashar vs Alh. Al-Mustapha Haruna Jokolo & 13 Others.
Dissatisfaction with the proceedings of 4th April, 2017”, dated 18th April, 2017 with reference no: AHJ/SC/01/L/17, Jokolo stated that he resorted to a petition when the hearing in April “was railroaded back to the slow lane in Your Lordship’s absence by another panel of Justices presided by Mary Peter Odili (JSC) CFR.
“Astonishingly, the presiding justice who agreed that an Application for extension of time to file Notice of Appeal by the 2nd-14th applicant was incompetent, instead of striking it out still went ahead to grant a seven month adjournment to 13/11/2017 to enable the applicants file a fresh application.”
The deposed Emir also alleged in the petition that the Justices exhibited favourable disposition to the appellant and applicants by ordering their Counsel to change his motion from Appeal to Cross Appeal and seek another date for filing, a stance which Jokolo noted was a help from the Justices to conduct their case. “My Lord, this case has been turned into the theatre of the absurd.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/jokolo-petitions-cjn-accuses-supreme.html

Egypt on Thursday blocked 21 websites, including Qatari news network Al Jazeera and Islamist-affiliated platforms, following in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Among those blocked since Wednesday evening is the website of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, Ikhwan Online, according to a report in the privately owned Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.
All websites blocked contain material that “support terrorism and extremism as well as publish lies,” a security source was quoted as saying.
The Arabic edition of the Huffington Post was blocked, although the English-language version was accessible.
The independent Cairo-based Mada Masr was another site blocked.
Since the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood from power in Egypt in 2013, Egypt’s relations with Qatar have worsened as Cairo slams Doha for hosting members of the now-banned group.
Egypt’s Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates blocked the website of Al Jazeera and other Qatari websites on Wednesday after controversial comments praising Iran were attributed to the Qatari ruler, Tamim Al-Thani.
Iran is the main regional rival of Saudi Arabia, which hosted an Arab Islamic summit over the weekend.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/egypt-blocks-al-jazeera-20-other.html

Judgment will be delivered on 9 June by a South African court on the bail application by Nigerian Pastor Tim Omotosho, charged with human trafficking and sexual assault.

The Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s court fixed the judgement day after listening to arguments and counter arguments for Omotosho’s bail.

The lawyer to the 58 year-old pastor had tried on Tuesday to poke holes in the testimony of an immigration officer that the pastor was in the country illegally.
Alfonso Hatting, for the pastor, pointed at what he refers to as mistakes appearing in the pastor’s passport pages and tried to find loopholes in the visas to point out the inaccuracies on the part of government officials.
Senior Immigration Officer Ivan Klaasen took the stand again on Tuesday.
The matters on dispute were amendments on several permits, as appearing in the pastor’s passport, for a work permit and a temporary stay permit which were issued on the same day on July 18, 2000.
“The applicant made an application for a work permit in the South African Embassy in Botswana, on his arrival back at the port of entry in Botswana, he was granted a temporary stay permit, instead of having his work permit activated,” said Klaasen.
“These documents were further extended and amended for years after the initial issues.”
However, Hatting rejected Klaasen’s label on the applicant, which flags him as an illegal immigrant, and said that Klaasen had no legal standing to label the pastor as an illegal immigrant, he said the applicant is not a prohibited person.
“Permits have been issued to the applicant and these were based on information in prior documents issued by Home Affairs,” said Hatting.
“In view of the imperfections of your administration staff, the mistakes contained in his passports mean that your version of the applicant’s status could also be a mistake.”
Klaasen disputed responding: “Your worship, there is a distinction between a mistake and fraud.”
“A mistake can be corrected, but a fraud will not be corrected… It is not mistakes, this was a deliberate tactic,” he said, citing that even though he is not privy to what transpired on the events of the fraudulent transactions between the pastor and the immigration officers that granted him the fraudulent permits, he said there were red flags that informed his opinion on the permits.
In an attempt to use the issue of the granted amendments and extensions, Hatting said if the department had issued these documents that makes the applicant of legal status in the country. He enquired on the reasons why the pastor was not processed for deportation.
“Will you proceed with a process to deport him before the the conclusion of the case in 2018?” he said.
Klaasen indicated that there was no plan to deport the pastor, due to the court proceedings currently underway.
Hatting argued that there was no reason for the State to refuse the applicant bail, adding that it was up to the court to give the pastor the status of illegal or prohibited.
He said the State’s case was weak and added that the pastor was not a flight risk and had known since October that he was under investigation.
“He had five opportunities to escape but he came back; therefore he is not a flight risk,” said Hatting.
However, prosecutor Nceba Ntelwa opposed the bail application citing that there was “seriously incriminating” evidence against the pastor.

more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/pastor-omotosho-knows-fate-9-june.html

The state Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peter Ezeobi has distanced the state chapter of the party from judgment of the Enugu State High Court which declared Chief Martins Agbaso as the national chairman of the party.
Ezeobi said he (Agbaso) was not a member of the party, having earlier defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and is yet to officially return to the party.
The Imo State APGA chairman who stated this yesterday in Owerri, while reacting to the judgment of the court said Victor Oye remains the only authentic national chairman of APGA.
According to him, Chief Agbaso was a member of the party until he left the party for PDP in 2015 where he has contested for the gubernatorial primaries of the party. He said since he left, there was no record that he had officially returned.
“It was a rude shock for the Imo State branch of APGA to hear in the news that a court of competent reckoning in this country announced his name as the national chairman of a party he is no longer a member,’’ he said.
The APGA chairman said there was the need for the judiciary to support democracy in the country to grow rather than promote acts that could cause disharmony.
He said the state chapter of the party was behind the Victor Oye-led national leadership of APGA and supports the move by the party to challenge the judgment that announced Agbaso as chairman
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/imo-apga-disowns-agbaso.html#more

Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom on Wednesday inaugurated a Coconut Refinery in Mkpat-Enin in continuation of activities to mark his second year in office.

Emmanuel who performed the exercise at the Ikot Abasi/Mkpat Enin/Eastern Obolo axis of the state, said that coconut was created by God with over 360 uses.

The governor, who projected 18 months for the completion of the refinery, promised to bring in more foreign investors who had declared interest in the project.

He lamented that some youths were out to frustrate the efforts of his administration and warned that those who destroyed the seedlings at the coconut plantation would be arrested and prosecuted.

The governor urged village heads to caution their youths to cooperate and protect government investments in their domains rather than engaging in acts of sabotage and vandalism.
He warned that government would not hesitate to withdraw certificates of village and clan heads whose subjects stalled government development projects.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Uduak Udoinyang, said he was excited because Gov. Emmanuel had fulfilled his promise in line with his five-point agenda.
Onur Kumral, the Contractor handling the refinery, said that oil from coconut was more expensive than crude oil and assured that the project would be completed on schedule.
The state House of Assembly member for Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo Consituency, Mr Uduak Ududoh who spoke for the community, commended the governor for keeping to his electoral promises of providing employment opportunities to indigenes of the area.In a goodwill message, Mr Otobong Ndem, representing Mkpat Enin in the House of Assembly, said the governor had shown commitment to develop the area and thanked him for the newly constructed roads.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/gov-udom-emmanuel-inaugurates-coconut.html

About N4 trillion downstream investments are being threatened, as over 198 private depots or tank farms across the country have remained idle since the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) assumed the full importation of petroleum products. These depots do not include the 22 operated by NNPC through which it pumps refined products across the country.

The inactivity of the depots is due to the inability of the major and independent marketers of petroleum products to access foreign exchange (forex), and obtain letters of credit to import.

The development has brought to the fore the proliferation of private tank farms and their sustainability in the long term, against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s promise to end products importation next year.



A property expert, Jude Azubuike, estimates that it costs between N18 and N30 billion to construct a depot depending on the size. At N18 billion per one the 198 tank farms will translate to, at least wasting N4 trillion investments.
More than this, about 19,000 direct jobs are at risk in the event that the depots close shop, aside from thousands more jobs that would be lost indirectly.
According to him, about 50 of these depots in Lagos and Port Harcourt, and Warri have been put up for sale, by their owners to recoup their investment. But prospects are low because of the Federal Government’s promise to end fuel importation by 2019.
Even the Dangote Refinery, reputed as the biggest in Africa, offers no hope to the endangered private depots. Its spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, insists the new refinery will have no need for the private depots, when it comes on stream in 2019.
However, NNPC, as the sole importer of petroleum products, can patronise a few of these depots for third party storage agreements known as “through put” or storage for a fee under specified terms if the corporation’s existing depots are unable to receive all the imported products.
Even at that, some of the throughput contracts have recently been mired in controversies, with some products “disappearing” from the tank farms without a trace.
The proliferation of the tank farms is the result of the failure of the refineries operated by the NNPC in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri with a combined installed capacity of 445,000 bpd, to produce enough fuels to meet industrial and domestic needs. This left the country with no other choice than to rely on imported petroleum products to run the economy.
As a result, most of the products including premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol; automotive gas oil (AGO), diesel; and dual purpose kerosene (DPK), are imported to meet national daily demand estimated at 40 million litres.
Reliance on importation required the availability of necessary infrastructure to store the products, particularly along the coastal lines, thus leading to the springing up of tank farms in Lagos and other littoral areas.
The introduction of fuel subsidy to reimburse importers for the price differentials between the landing cost and the pump prices gave further impetus to investment in tank farms by downstream operators.
Besides, the destruction of the Atlas Cove Jetty, the country’s major and biggest reception point for imported petroleum products encouraged the breading of tank farms especially in the Lagos area to bridge the gap.
In fact, to qualify for subsidy, marketers were required to own petrol depots of not less than 5,000 metric tonnes, and should be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The scenario changed with the coming of President Muhammadu who took the drastic step to end the subsidy regime, which was characterised by enormous fraud. At once, the basis for establishing the depots was knocked off leaving investors stranded.
With 22 NNPC depots located in different parts of the country with storage capacity of over 87 million litres and as Nigeria aspires to be self sufficient in the refining of petroleum products by 2019, investment in the over 198 private depots may be lost completely.
Explaining the NNPC’s role in the downstream sector, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu, said that the corporation now has enough depots to store all imported products.
According to him, with the corporation’s over 21 depots across the country fully functional, the need to patronise private depot has reduced.
Ughamadu stated: “We have depots all over the country. Many of these depots were not functional due to pipeline vandalism. The essence of these depots is to store products for onward distribution to consumers.
“But over the years, many of these depots were not functioning due to pipeline vandalism.
“There has been re-inaugurating of these depots by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru.
“For example, Mosimi was out of stock for several years and we have been able to put Mosimi in place by fixing the damaged pipeline. Just last week, we re-inaugurated the Kano depot and plans are in place to do the same to Jos depot. We were only patronising the private depots for ‘through put’ arrangement because the pipelines were vandalised.”
But the Executive Secretary of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), Olufemi Adewole has a slightly different explanation. He attributed the idle depots to the inability of the marketers to import petroleum products due to the scarcity of foreign exchange.
He said that the Federal Government was yet to pay the marketers the N400 billion subsidy arrears.
Adewole said that the inability to pay or service the loans has not only impeded the importation of fuel, but it is threatening the relationship between the affected banks and the marketers.
He appealed to the government to provide adequate foreign exchange and pay all outstanding debts to marketers to prevent distortion in the supply chain.
He said the huge debt owed marketers had taken a toll on operators, adding that further delay in the payment of the debt as allegedly agreed by both parties might affect the sector.
A former Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Reginald Stanley, however agreed that 80 per cent of petroleum tank farms across the country are currently lying idle.
Stanley noted that the stiff competition in the downstream oil sector would not allow marketers to sell Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, above the approved price limit of N145 per litre despite the fear of looming hike in the price of the product.
He said: “The Federal Government has partially deregulated the downstream petroleum sector and has put the price of the PMS at a maximum rate of N145 per litre. It has also allowed a band in which marketers can go up or down. But we are in the heat of competition; so if you go up and the guy next door to you is at N145, you are out.”
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Joseph Akinlaja, is offering hope that the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the deregulation of the downstream sector would help marketers assume the full importation of petroleum products again.

According to him, there are over 198 depots in Nigeria and many of them are idle because members of DAPPMA can no longer import products since the scarcity of forex set in.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/nnpc-kills-n4tr-fuel-investment.html

Globacom has posted the highest data penetration among other operators in the telecommunications industry.This was gathered from the report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) covering the first quarter (Q1) of 2017.

According to the report, Globacom recorded over 27.021 million Internet users on its network. This translates to 72 per cent of the total number of subscribers on its network which stood at 37.33 million at the end of the quarter.

The data penetration rate of 72 per cent figure is more than the industry average of 59 per cent. The total number of Internet users in the industry stood at over 90.003 million as at the end of Q1 compared to about 152.22 million subscribers in the industry.


Etisalat was second with a data penetration of 68 per cent, as it had about 13.01 million data users out of a total subscriber base of over 19,621 million.
Airtel came third with 56 per cent Internet penetration. Data users on its network as at March were over 19.423 million out of about 34.66 million subscribers on its network.
MTN recorded the least penetration of data users on its network in comparison with the total number of subscribers using the network. Only about 30.52 million or 51 per cent of about its 60.392 million customers subscribed to its data services.
In the last two years, Globacom has maintained its position as the preferred network on data services. The network added half a million customers to its internet subscriber base in the last one year. The steady growth in the number of data subscribers on the network is
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/glo-claims-highest-data-penetration-in_24.html

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Tuesday shared N415.730billion among the three tiers of government- Federal, States and Local Government Areas (LGAs) for the month of April 2017.
According to the Accountant General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, who made the announcement after the meeting in Abuja, the gross statutory revenue of N274.100 billion received for the month was lower than the N331.583billion received in the previous month.
He said that “we have a balance in the Excess Crude Account as at 23rd of May 2017 of $2.299billion. We also have a balance in the Excess PPT, which is Petroleum Profit Tax, excess account as at 23rd May, 2017 of $67million.”
He explained that there was a significant increase in Export Sales Revenue by about$63.69 million due to increase in the average unit price of crude oil from $52.38 per barrel and a rise in crude in oil export volume by 1.07 million barrels.
He added that despite the improvement, production still suffered the perennial setbacks.
His words: “Leakages arising from sabotage and programmed maintenance led to shut-ins and shut-downs at terminals. The Force Majeure declared at Forcados Terminal since February 2016 was still in place.”
Ahmed noted that the “distributable statutory revenue for the month is N272.115biooion. The sum of N6.330billion was refunded by NNPC to FGN. There is apropos end distribution of N20.425 billion from the Excess PPT Account. Also, exchange gain of N38.517billion is proposed for distribution. The total revenue for the current month (including VAT) is N415.730billion.”
Speaking, the chairman, Commissioner of Finance Forum, Alhaji Yunusa Mahamud gave the assurance that the nation’s economy was recovery from recession.
He said that the recession has become a blessing in disguise as most of the states have taken the opportunity to improve their internal revenue generation.
According to him, there is now improvement in the security in the Niger Delta and the level of stability in the crude oil market.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/fg-states-lgs-share-n415b.html

State government says it continue to seek ways to heighten engagements with different development partners in the State.

Governor Willie Obiano stated this at the Deputy Governor's Lodge, Awka, during a dinner with a delegation led by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright.

Part of the visit were delegates from the International Trade Department, Political Department of the Commission from Lagos and Abuja, DFID from Enugu, among others.
Receiving the team, Governor Obiano expressed joy that the State government's proactiveness in Diaspora relations is finally paying off and yielding positive results, as more doors are being open to foreign investors, saying that with security in place, as well as his idea in agriculture, creation of viable institutions, among others, the High Commissioner is quite pleased with the progress made.Speaking through the Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, the Governor hinted that discussion has started between the Commission and the State in terms of collaboration, and expression of interest in helping the State to link up businesses that may be willing to come and invest in the State.
He further stressed that having seen the caliber of men and women in his team and the zeal in them, the Commission has revealed it's interest in working with the State, as long as they remain committed and are always ready to push on.The Governor who pointed out that it is easy to procure visas to do business in the United Kingdom, urged ndi Anambra to continue to be inspired to take advantage of the various available opportunities, noting that it is now easier to do business in the State unlike before, calling on more investors, especially ndi Anambra, to come home and invest.
Earlier, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright who revealed that he is on working visit to the State, said that the major reason for the visit is to look at opportunities for British business as well as economically help the State develop, in terms of job creation and growth, disclosing their interest in helping the State to develop more opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure, solid mineral, among others.Mr Arkwright who extoled Governor Willie Obiano's determination and commitment to developing the State, expressed happiness that all the positive things he heared about the State is in tandem with what is on ground, such as the ANSIPPA, infrastructural advancement, export of agricultural produce to the united Kingdom, among others.
While revealing that they will match action with words in the coming weeks, the British High Commissioner stressed that the State has moved ahead of many States in terms of business friendliness, investment friendliness and better understanding of the people's need, urging ndi Anambra to take advantage of the ease of procurement of UK visas and engage in their genuine businesses.
Stating the benefits of the visit, the Chairman of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA, Igwe Cyril Enweze said that the investment climate of the State has greatly improved since Governor Obiano took over the mantle of leadership, saying that the visit as well as actions that will follow, will further promote the overall development of the State.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/british-high-commissioner-visits.html

Mrs Titi Atiku, wife of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, on Tuesday told an Ikeja High Court, that she trusted a business partner who allegedly defrauded her of N918 million because of his status as a pastor.

“I thought that the first defendant, being a pastor, he will not defraud me.

“I thought that he was being genuine with me during our business dealings “ Mrs Atiku said while being cross examined in the ongoing fraud trial against a pastor, Nsikakabasi Akpan-Jacobs, Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Dana Motors Ltd.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed the accused with a 15- count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of property worth N918 million belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

Mr Amos Ibe, the defence counsel to Akpan-Jacobs while cross examining Mrs Atiku, questioned why she used different monikers in company documents relating to the fraud.
“Before I start cross examining you Ma, should I refer to you as Your Excellency?
“Why was the name Florence Doregos used in the petition from the EFCC which is exhibit one, as well as other fake names in documents you used to transact business with the first defendant?,” Ibe queried.
Replying, Titi said: “I am Her Excellency forever, it was under my instruction and direction that the petition was written.
“My name is Florence Doregos, my name is Titi Amina Atiku Abubakar, the Mrs in the petition is a mistake made by my Lawyer.
“Florence is my name and it was easy for me to use Doregos while I was in state service.“The name of my biological father is Dorego Albert, we are from Ilesha but I have cousins who are from the Republic of Benin.
“I can choose Doregos, I can choose Albert as my surname, they are all my names, even Dino Melaye, his name is Daniel but he calls himself Dino.
“I can twist my name anyhow I want.”
Responding to Ibe’s questions about her identity when she married the former Vice-President, she said “I married my husband at the Ikoyi Registry in 1971.
“I was a Christian before I married my husband, Angelina is my baptismal name, Florence is my confirmation name.
“When I got married to my husband, I converted to Islam and I have been called Amina Titilayo, Titilayo was what I was called at home,” she said.
Ibe, however, still questioning Mrs Atiku’s real identity, told her that a book written in honour of her husband titled ‘Atiku: The Story of Atiku Abubakar,’ claimed that she was from a Local Government Area in Adamawa.
“I am from my husband’s Local Government Area by virtue of marriage.
“Whether I’m from the moon o, that’s not the matter on ground,” she said.
Ibe, sought to tender the book written in honour of the former Vice-President to the court but it was rejected by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.
“The document does not fall under the definition of a public document under the Evidence Act, it is a private document, it is therefore rejected,” Ipaye said.
NAN reports that THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd, a company created in 2000 belonged to Mrs Atiku, Akpan-Jacobs and Fred Holmes.
She was allegedly to be the majority shareholder with 49 per cent shares, while Holmes and Akpan-Jacobs each had 25 per cent shares.
Akpan-Jacobs, who also doubled as the company’s Managing Director and Secretary, was accused to have gone to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and altered the share holding in his favour and forging the company’s board resolution.
He allegedly under the new share arrangement allotted 70 per cent shares to himself and 15 per cent shares each to Titi and Holmes.
According to the EFCC, welding a fraudulent shareholding power, Akpan-jacobs sold a property belonging to the company to Dana Motors Nigeria Ltd for N918 million.
The property is located at Plot C63 A, Amuwo-Odofin Commercial Layout along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the defence disputed Mrs Atiku’s claims that she invested over N1.2billion into the business transactions with the defendants.
“Your petition stated that you invested over N200 million and in another document it stated that you invested over N1.2billion, which fact is correct?
“Do you have accounting reports, did you hire an auditor to look at the accounts, how did you arrive at N1.2billion?
“N200 million is the money I spent in building the bonded terminal, by the time it was ready, it was worth N1.2billion.
“Akpan-Jacobs never gave me any records, I was in the state service, I did not get any auditor, Akpan-Jacobs has the evidence of the money I spent, I didn’t know that our business transactions will become a court case,” she said.
Mrs Atiku while in the witness box, accused Akpan-Jacobs of using her company property as a collateral for a bank loan that he sought when he wanted to run for the Akwa-Ibom gubernatorial elections.
“He used my bonded terminal as a collateral for a loan when he wanted to run for governorship of Akwa-Ibom, when he couldn’t refund the money the bank wanted to acquire the bonded terminal, he sold it to Dana Motors Ltd,
“I was the largest shareholder of THA Shipping Company with 49% of shares, my German partner Fred Holmes had 26% and Akpan-Jacobs has 25%,
“Akpan-Jacobs never contributed a dime to the company, I couldn’t be involved in all the documentation because I was in service.
“He did the registration and promotion of the company, he brought all the papers to me at the villa to sign, he later fraudulently changed the shareholding powers of my shipping company to favour himself.
“He gave me 15 percent, Holmes 15 percent and he took 70 percent shareholding power for himself.
“I never entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with him to sell the company, that is why I’m in court, when he couldn’t repay the loan, he sold the company to Dana Motors Ltd.
“When the fraud happened, we initially agreed to settle out of court, but instead of settling, he went to sell the cranes and the company, giving the EFCC N16 million which I received, “ she said.
Akpan-Jacobs lawyer, asked the court to cancel the next court date slated for May 24 for continuation of the trial on the grounds of his Ill health.

more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/i-thought-pastor-will-not-defraud-me.html

With the current administration to mark two years on Monday, the Presidency on Tuesday insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari has not failed Nigerians.

The Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu and the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, were fielding questions from journalists after a Press Briefing marking the commencement of activities to showcase second anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Adesina said that Nigerians should wait for four years in order to properly assess the Buhari’s administration.

According to him, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has four years to deliver and not two years.On the question claiming that the APC has failed, he said “The person that asked the question said there is a buzz in town, I am sure that you have not conducted a scientific survey that shows you that is a popular position. People can always expresses their opinions, there is liberty on that but you don’t have a scientific survey that has given you the percentage of people that believed that the APC has failed.
“The second point is that, when a government via a party is voted into office, it is voted for a four year term under our own democratic arrangement. When you have spent two years which is like a midterm, the first half of a game, you don’t then determined that it has succeeded or it has failed. No. You can be accused it be atomistic using a small part to determine the whole.
“You can’t write the report card of this administration when it is just hitting the half way mark that will not be fair. The term is four years and the promises are going to be stretched over that four year period. Like the Minister of Transportation said recently, APC did not promise to solve all the country’s problems in one year or two years.
“The mandate the party has is four years and it is pacing itself as it goes along and I am sure that by the end of those four years we will have a lot more to record. It is not by a sudden flight, it will not come by a snap of a finger but will the promises be fulfilled? Yes, I believe it will be fulfilled.
“This administration will take Nigeria far beyond how it met it. So if anybody says APC has failed just tell them it is too early in the day because it is a four year-term and this is just two years. You don’t reach definitive conclusions in two years,” he added.
On alleged coup plot, Adesina said: “The Army has spoken and let us take that position. What the Chief of Army Staff said was a routine warning that goes to military officers, don’t hobnob with politicians and the army has explained the position, let’s take that position and not stretch it beyond what the military has said because they are the ones that can give us the definitive position and they have spoken on it.”On job creation, he said that the government is mainly focusing on creating enabling environment.
He said that PenCom appointment is a developing issue and being looked into.
On selective anti-corruption war, he said that there are no friends and no foes in the anti-graft battle.
According to him, anyone who has questions to answer would be queried.
He also explained that the status quo remains on the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal and suspended Director-general of National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke, just as Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had declared.
On Boko Haram regrouping, he said that the remnants of Boko Haram would be dealt with by the Army.
Urging Nigerians to look at the brighter side of issues, he said that there many failed suicide bombing than those that succeeded.
Stressing that the masses are happy with President Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu said the President will win any Presidential election conducted today.
“If elections were held today, Buhari will win overwhelmingly. The masses are still with him.” he said
Asked when the ordinary man will start feeling the impact of the government, he said “The ordinary Nigerians are the pillars of Buhari administration and their confidence in his administration has remained unshaken. The whistle-blower policy has excited them. They are happy that their stolen money is being recovered. The masses are happy but those elites whose sources of ill-gotten wealth have been blocked would not.”
He gave reasons why the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki is still being held in detention.
Shehu insisted that Dasuki was being kept in custody in spite of court orders because there are more cases against him that are being investigated.
He urged Nigerians to allow the agencies to do their jobs.
On the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMAN), Sheik Ibrahim El-Zak Zaky , he said that he was being kept in custody to ensure his safety.
He explained that his family members and relatives have unhindered access to him.
On Chibok girls, he said, government does not have any peculiar interest in keeping the girls, stressing that most of them prefer to stay in Abuja and don’t want to return home.
Speaking on Human rights records of the administration, Shehu said “The Human rights records of this administration are impeccable, thry are unimpeachable. I think we should avoid speaking in general terms. The thing to do is to pin point specific cases to butteres assertions that people make and then we can tackle them.
“As we speak to you now, we are not aware that the administration of Muhammadu Buhari is in breach of the constitution of Nigeria with regards to the protection of the rights of Nigerians.
“Journalists in this country ought to bear testimony on this, there is no single journalist that has been expelled from his duty because he has reported or failed to report, there is no single journalist who is in government detention because they have expressed some views that the government does not like.
“This administration is complying with the decision of the courts of the land, I assure that if anybody tries to do otherwise the President will not allow him to get away with it.” he said
On alleged power deterioration, Shehu said: “It is also a mistake to say power has deteriorated under this administration because when we came in 2015, power generation it was 3,324MW, it increase to 4,357MW as at August 2015, barely three months after President Buhari came to power and rose to the peak of 5,077MW in 2016, it was the highest power generated in the country.
“Presently, the average generation is about 3,000; this is as a result of vandalism or gas pipeline infrastructure and also low water in our dams. The power sector is also gaining gradually from the peace in the Niger Delta. Usually we experience low generation of power during dry season and this is not because of Buhari’s administration.
“Government is investing heavily in power and has been licensing a lot of renewable energy projects, which is the future. We are doing what is called energy mix, we are not just doing gas power, we are doing hydro, etc. you cover some of these decisions from FEC you have covered them.” he said
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/buhari-has-not-failed-nigerians-says.html

For frequent borrowing from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by commercial banks, the regulator recorded N3.29 billion as interest income in February 2017.

Although some of the lenders kept their excess cash at CBN’s Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) within the period under review, others, including merchant banks continued to access the Standing Lending Facility (SLF).

By the subsisting decision of the Monetary Policy Committee, applicable rates for SLF and SDF remained at 16 per cent and nine per cent, respectively.The huge patronage by banks was to make up their positions, either borrowing from the CBN or depositing excess reserves at the end of each business day, especially for some that were hit hard by persistent liquidity mop up, payment for dollar, treasury bills and bonds’ auctions.
An analysis of the apex bank’s February Economic Report, showed that the there was more patronage of the SLF facility than the SDF window, an indication that the banks were cash-trapped.

Total request for SLF, including Intra­day Lending Facility (ILF) that were converted to Overnight instrument, made up of N696.31 billion direct SLF and N3.57 trillion ILF, amounted to N4.26 trillion, with a daily average of N224.57 billion.

Therefore, CBN earned N3.29 billion in interest income, representing an increase when compared with SLF of N3.38 trillion and interest income of N2.7 billion in January 2017.

Total SDF granted during the review period was N742.62 billion, with a daily average of N39.1 billion, compared with N1.85 trillion in January 2017.

On the other hand, the interest payment to banks on SDF in February 2017 was N218.39 million, compared with N633.32 billion in January 2017.

Similarly, the persistent liquidity mop up exercise by the apex bank resulted to increased lending rates among banks.

During the period, at the inter­bank call segment, the weighted average rate, which stood at 8.15 per cent in the preceding month, rose significantly by 19.31 percentage points to 27.46 per cent.

Also, the weighted average rate at the Open Buy Back (OBB) segment increased from 8.69 per cent in the preceding month to 23.60 per cent.

Meanwhile, a total of N527.6 million was guaranteed to 3,324 farmers by CBN under its Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) in February 2017.

This amount represented 12.6 and 14.3 per cent decline below the levels in the preceding month and the corresponding period of 2016, respectively.

A sub-sectoral analysis showed that food crops got the largest share of N330.3 million (62.6 per cent) guaranteed to 2,309 beneficiaries.

The mixed crops sub-sector received N25.7 million (4.9 per cent) guaranteed to 164 beneficiaries; livestock, N72 million (13.7 per cent) guaranteed to 314 beneficiaries; and cash crops, N52 million (9.9 per cent) guaranteed to 270 beneficiaries.

The fisheries sub-sector had N24.5 million (4.6 per cent) guaranteed to 89 farmers, while others got N23.1 million (4.4 per cent) guaranteed to 178 beneficiaries.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/cbn-makes-n33-billion-from-banks.html?m=1

The federal, states and local governments shared N1.4 trillion in the first quarter of the year, according to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) report.

Akwa Ibom received the highest share of N34.8billion while Osun state got N1.7billion, the lowest among the states.

The breakdown, contained in the monthly FAAC report, was obtained by NAN on Sunday. The report indicates that the Federal Government, states and LGAs shared N1.4 trillion from the account, being the revenue generated in the first quarter of 2017.

A breakdown of the allocation shows that Abia got N8.42billion, Adamawa, N7.8 billion; Anambra, N8.7billion; Bauchi, N7.9billion; Bayelsa, N22.97 billion; Benue, N8.16 billion; Borno, N9.74 billion and Cross River, N4.28 billion.

Also, Delta got N21.5 billion; Ebonyi, N7.56bn; Edo, N6.5bn; Ekiti, N4.97bn; Enugu, N7.86bn; Gombe, N6.35bn; Imo, N7.92bn; Jigawa, N9.66bn; Kaduna, N10.56bn and Kano, N14.02 billion.

Katsina’s share was N10.05 billion; Kebbi, N8.37 billion; Kogi, N8.28 billion; Kwara, N6.9 billion; Lagos, 19.03 billion; Nassarawa, N7.41 billion while Niger got N9 billion.

Similarly, Ogun got N4.98 billion; Ondo, N10.22 billion; Oyo, N8 billion; Plateau, N5.7 billion; Rivers, N26.8 billion; Sokoto, N9.07 billion; Taraba, N6.9 billion; Yobe, N8.33 billion and Zamfara, N5.91 billion.

The FAAC report further shows that the revenue shared in January between the three parties was N430.16 billion. The Federal Government got N168billion, N114.28 billion for states and N85.4 billion for LGAs.

In February, there was an increase as the allocation was N514billion with the Federal Government taking N200.6 billion; states, N128.4 billion while the LGAs got N96.52billion.

However, in March, revenue generation dipped to N466.9 billion in which the FG got N180.5 billion, states got N116.5 billion, while LGAs got N87.5 billion.The allocation was done using the revenue sharing formula of 52.68 per cent for Federal Government, 26.72 per cent for the states and 20.60 per cent for the local councils.

The key agencies that remit funds into the federation account are the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/akwa-ibom-gets-jumbo-share-of-n14trn-q1.html?m=1

The leadership of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Taraba State, yesterday, charged employers of corps members to pay special attention to the welfare of corps members.Briefing journalists on the activities for prospective corps members to resume this month, Taraba State Coordinator of the NYSC, Alpine Japheth Akyam, noting that corps members posted to the state have been of good character, said corps members’ employers need to reciprocate by improving their welfare packages. She admonished incoming corps members to declare their true health status, as it would facilitate better planning.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/05/nysc-charges-employers-on-corps-members.html?m=1