₦airaland Forum

ABUJA – Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, said, yesterday, that some corrupt people being investigated by the anti-graft agency had resorted to diabolical means to get her out of the way.

She also stressed that the anti-corruption fight was not personal or selective, noting that allegations of selectivity by the Commission, especially as regargds prosecution of some leaders of the last House of Representatives, were the handiwork of her detractors.

Waziri, who spoke during a courtesy visit by the national executive of Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, to her office at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, noted that corrupt elements in the county were resorting to extreme means to sidetrack her from doing her job.

She said: “There is a sustained campaign of calumny against my person that simply refuses to go away. Some of these people have even resorted to diabolical means, such as burying cows alive in order to attack me. Some of them also come back to tell me these things. I’ve even joked that soon I shall charge them for cruelty against animals, which in orther climes is a serious matter.”

The EFCC boss pointed out that many of her critics were not impressed when she was appointed as head of the anti-graft agency, with many of them predicting she would not last beyond three months.

Waziri said: “There was a lot of tension in the country when I was appointed and a lot of people were not happy. But I have a strong commitment to doing the job I was given without fear or favour. It is the people we are prosecuting that are spreading these malicious rumours that we are being selective.”

Waziri further stated that the Commission was continuing its investigation of former governors, but was being careful not to rush the cases to court without building up substantial evidence.

Fears of a possible rift between President Goodluck Jonathan and elder-statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, were being expressed yesterday, following the seeming rejection of Clark’s nominee to represent the South-South geopolitical zone in the federal cabinet.

As at yesterday, no nomination had been made but there were indications that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State may have an upper hand on the issue. Clark, it was learnt, was meanwhile, being appeased by presidential aides with the offer of ambassadorial and other appointments in the new government.

Governor Amaechi, it was learnt, was favoured because of his new position as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF. As chairman of the NGF, the governor is expected to be the link between the President and the nation’s powerful group of governors and is being favoured to produce the candidate for the zone.

The seeming inclination of the President is, however, raising apprehension among associates of Chief Clark and in the presidency over fears that some aides of the President may deliberately be aiming to cause a division between the Ijaw elder-statesman and the President.

Until now, the relationship between Clark and the President has been uneventful. That was despite the friction between Clark and the mainstream of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta State.

Associates of both men are, however, anxious of a possible deterioration in the once cordial relations if presidential minders are able to put a wedge between both men.

Pointers were also being made yesterday to the fact that former President Olusegun Obasanjo successfully positioned the two nominees from Ogun State and influenced the nomination of other nominees from some other states.

The desire between Clark and Amaechi to appoint the South-South nominee is believed to be a thorny issue for the President. Not only is Amaechi chairman of the Governors” Forum, he was also helpful in turning out some of the biggest votes for the President from the South-South.

Clark on his part was also instrumental behind the scene in mobilizing support for the President especially with his allies in the North in paving way for the President”s acceptance by the mainstream of the north before the election.

•Says new revenue allocation overdue



Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the Oyo State Governor yesterday made good his earlier threat to probe the four year administration of his predecessor, Adebayo Alao-Akala with the setting up of an eight-member contract review committee to investigate all the contracts awarded and implemented during the latter’s tenure.

While inaugurating the committee at the Executive Chambers of the governor’s office, the state Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who represented the governor said the probe was in tandem with the government’s determination to encourage due process and transparency in the conduct of its business.

He pointed out that the committee was empowered to ascertain among others things, the level of commitment of the past administration to various contractors across the state, while adding that the committee was not targeted at any person or group, or to witch-hunt any government official either serving or retired.

Alake further disclosed that the committee, headed by Mr. Oluremi Osiberu had eight weeks to submit its report and had as its terms of reference to identify all outstanding contracts to examine the extent of compliance with due process, while awarding the contracts and to establish or verify the extent of completion of each contract.
Meanwhile, Ajimobi has joined his counterpart in other states to press for increase revenue allocation from the Federal Government.

Speaking with aviation correspondent on Wednesday, Governor Ajimobi said the need for revenue allocation formula was long overdue. According to him, the N18,000 new minimum wage of workers would be hard to sustain if the status quo remained. He added that states that wanted to embark on massive developmental projects would be in trouble if they continually paid the new wage and yet no increase in revenue from the Federal Government.

He, however, explained that Oyo State was working hard to increase its internally generated revenue.

–Alison-Maduekwe, scales Senate hurdle
…Orubebe, Mohammed, Olubolade, Nwogu, Rufai, Chukwu also cleared



True to its words, the Senate yesterday grilled the ministerial nominees for six hours and fifteen minutes, with seven of them having their nominations confirmed as ministers, by unanimous decision.

Those confirmed, all former ministers, were tasked by the Senators, who bombarded them with questions bordering on their performances while in office and the state of the nation generally.

Confirmed yesterday were Emeka Wogu, a lawyer, Sen. Bala Mohammed, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Elder Godsday Orubebe, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), and Prof Ruqayyatu Rufai.
Quite interesting was the defence by the embattled former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Alison-Madueke, who was responding to questions on the strong objection to her nomination especially from the oil and gas industry she superintended over, when she said that her opposition was not unconnected with the fact that she stepped on “powerful big and small toes”, while in office.

Her opposition came mostly from the oil and gas industry where major multinationals have been fingered to be leading the antagonism against her appointment over alleged introduction of certain reforms in the industry which put the oil majors at a disadvantage. Senator Smart Adeyemi also gave vent to the activities of the opposition earlier in a report when he disclosed that his colleagues were under pressure to reject some nominations with the major pressure coming from the oil and gas stakeholders and political mercenaries.

Coincidentally, Senator Adeyemi was first to throw questions at Mrs. Alison-Madueke, when she appeared before the Senate yesterday, asking her to give her score-card as minister.“The issue of my name having come up in the papers most recently had been one I have found extremely vicious and most unfortunate. First of all, to the best of my knowledge, this distinguished House has never indicted me for anything. If it had, I will not be standing here today. I have never carried out any project without following the due process when I was a minister.

“It’s unfortunate that in a sector that carries the entire economy, when you try to implement policies and programmes, people resist them and begin to attack you.” Desperate to clear herself, Mrs. Alison-Madueke spoke on many issues such as the comatose refineries, scarcity of kerosene, among others, saying: “We have put in place a liquefied petroleum plant in Lokoja, again this was important because we are trying to ensure that Nigeria moves away from kerosene as much as possible as a tool for the masses for cooking and move on to liquefied gas which will reduce deforestation.

“Very importantly, this entire structure which we call gas industrialization revolution, was actually to ensure that we re-energize our gas sector in Nigeria and to ensure that over the next four to five years, we will create at least a million jobs for Nigeria.

“Regarding the refineries, we have put in place Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) for our traditional refineries.
“As regards the scarcity of kerosene, we ensure as much as possible over the last 12 months that we flooded the Nigerian market with kerosene. At this point in time, Nigerians use eight million litres per day. We generally have about 11 million litres of kerosene in one form or another. However, even though we were able to ensure that there was enough supply, we were having problems with the price as everybody knows.

“Part of the problem is because, the specific kerosene that is imported into Nigeria as household kerosene is exactly the same as the specific for aviation kerosene as well and because of this, we were seeing round-tripping by unscrupulous marketers, so you buy the kerosene at the price of the DPK and you will sell it for aviation kerosene which is obviously more expensive,” she said.

On fuel subsidy: “We have looked extensively at the issue of subsidy because it is a very delicate issue for Nigerians at any point in time. It is true that right now, government budget can hardly afford the cost of subsidy which at this point is well over a trillion naira and government is actually looking for the money as we speak.

“The issue as we see them and we are looking at them very delicately. In fact, I have set up a committee to begin looking at it before I left, is that many of these subsidies are not reaching the masses that were set up to take care of. When we bring in products like kerosene at a certain cost and then sell them to the middle-man at much lower subsidies cost, he then sells at a particular cost which in turn translates to the man on the street, instead, rather higher cost is what the retailer presents to them and that is why we are dealing with this high cost of kerosene.

On Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), she said: The PIB itself has been out of our direct control since it was laid for the first time in front of this esteemed House and that first laying took place even before I came into office. So, I have no direct input into the bill. We did obviously look at some pertinent areas of the bill, like fiscal regime as it concerns domestic gas. I think that all in all, there are quite a few areas that had issues in the bill. The particular bill in front of you will need a certain amount of review because it does need to be looked at a little more.

On refineries: “When we came about a year ago, our three traditional refineries were working at 30 per cent capacity utilization, so today, they are working at 60 per cent. So, they are actually producing at this time about 32 per cent of the product within the country. We have put in place a very robust Turn Around Maintenance. The programme had been abused over the years, we looked around and we discovered that the turn around had been carried out by companies that are not qualified to do the maintenance, they were not the right companies.

First to mount the podium in the Upper Chamber was former Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, who while defending his tenure, said the current federal revenue allocation formula was overdue for review saying the formula was last modified in 1993 during the Babangida regime. A position that may sound cheering to the governors’ ears, Wogu said the Constitution provided for review of the allocation formula every five year’s hoping that the Senate would lead in the direction. He said, “it beholves on the National Assembly to give the country a new revenue formula in conjunction with Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC)”.

Elder Godsday Orubebe, former Minister of Niger Delta Ministry, gave an insight into how his tenure contributed to the peace in the region with the conceptualization of a development master-plan whose foundation had been laid and was gradually being executed due to paucity of funds. He explained that the ministry under him worked with other agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to give effect to the amnesty programme, which had guaranteed peace in the region and stable and improved oil production.

Former Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, admitted that the National Hospital in Abuja was no more than a cottage hospital as it lacked requisite of a national hospital. According to him, the hospital did not have more than 400 beds, which is far below expectations, adding that it was only a national hospital in name. Also having hectic time before the Senators was the immediate past Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu Rufai, who justified the action of her ministry on the education policies including the establishment of nine more federal universities, adding, even at that, the number was still grossly inadequate, because many youths on the street have to be educated.

The confirmed nominee said at present, the number of universities in the country could only provide admissions for 44 per cent of eligible candidates who scored above 200 in the last JAMB exams.

She identified lack of quality inspectorate division and unqualified teachers as contributing to the declining standard of education. Prof Rufai regretted the crisis in Kaduna Polytechnic saying that a visitation panel to the school had already concluded investigation and certain measures were to be taken as the White Paper was ready but could not be worked before the dissolution of the cabinet in May.

^^^Rubbish, those touts cant do shiiit

Hotie Tima:
i swear dude u better go it your breakfast before something bad happens to ya.

u must be mad if that's what u think of women in the society this days. 

or maybe it only happens in your village?

Honestly, I wonder the kinda human being you are. You are not a man to know what we encounter with women. And even if you do not agree with me is that why you should insult me? That does not really say much of a woman and am not ready to join issues with you, but never you try that next time


[quote author=Mrs.Chima link=topic=701737.msg8619636#msg8619636 date=1309405808]You just described chicks who DEPEND on men for survival. Some of us ACTUALLY earn our own money and do not need OUR HUSBAND'S finances to survive. [/quote]Yes ofcourse but most gals these days always look out for a man with fat bank account(s), hence they ignore other necessary qualities. Maybe 65yrs old(I think)Heffner can testify to this.

This "Brief Illness" seems to be the most dangerous ailment, even deadlier than cancer sef cos so many people have died after "Brief Illness". May her Talented soul RIP

^^^You asked what we dont like about "sisters", so I answered in accordance to the topic

^^^What are you saying? Am a realist and thats exactly what we get in the society these days

^^^Was I refering to the woman? I was only exploring the possibilty of what would make a man to beat his wife to death and turn her to BBQ. Or are you not surprised that this handsome Yoruba man committed such attrocity and what could have triggerd it.

Wanna meet-------Pweetyme and Inked_Nerd

OP, this has been posted here before, stop duplicating, I wonder what these Mods are doing sef

tellwisdom:
Cos they re more safe with Badt guys!

Most of these gals here shouting will never complain if they are married to a money bag, they will even allow him take the 20th wife as long as the cash is flowing. SMH

No matter what the woman did, this carnibal shouldnt have beaten her to death and mince her body. Yoruba women are known for their promiscous nature but thats not even enough to raise your hand on a woman. May her soul RIP

They should try to be truthful and less demanding

They were never anything serious just a group of senseless people

Will keep monitoring his bank account(s) to know when the cash arrives

^^^Apology accepted

Your signature means "that my his love for you is wonderful"

Am so proud of this woman

Just like the process leading to the recapitalisation of the rescued banks, there are strong indications that the planned introduction of Islamic banking into the country may be trailed by a barrage of legal tussle.

THISDAY gathered that various pressure groups and even religious bodies have concluded plans to drag the apex bank to court over the form of non-interest banking.The source who maintained that the decision to establish the first Islamic bank in Nigeria was against the unity of the country, added that his association will ensure that they throw spanner in the works of the CBN.

According to the source, the proposal is completely against the Federal Character Principle entrenched in Section 14(3) which states that: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty.”

Islamic Banking is a non-interest type of banking that is different from the conventional banking in so many ways. It is based on Islamic law of economics and works in such a framework that follows certain rules and regulations. This form of banking also proscribes usury, trading in financial risk (gambling) and investing in such businesses that are against the general principles of ethics.

Chief Executive Officer, Pharez Consulting, Mr. Eghes Eyieyen, stated that with the proposed introduction of Islamic banking, the CBN plans to foist on the nation, a needless controversy.

Eyieyen who said this in a report e-mailed to THISDAY, also argued that with the move, the apex bank purportedly assumed legislative powers which it does not have.

CBN Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, had assured Nigerians the CBN did not have any ulterior agenda in it plans to introduce Islamic banking.

Moghalu had explained: “I will like to very clearly assure Nigerians that non-interest banking is part of our plans to increase the inclusion into the financial, people who have stayed out of the financial system for various reasons. There is no agenda; it is simply finance and not about religion. I want to further assure Nigerians very clearly that non interest banking is open to people of all faith and all types of non-interest bank application are welcomed at the CBN.”

In the smuggling world, Hakeem Adetunji Adesina was known as a customs officer. Within the social circles, he paraded himself as a car dealer and transporter. From Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, to Lagos, where he resided and Osogbo, where he has one of his agents, Adesina lived a life of multiple identities.

But recently, security operatives from Osun State police command blew the lid off his alleged criminal activities. To them, Adesina was an unrepentant baron to car robbers and a strong member of a syndicate specializing in selling stolen vehicles.

He was paraded alongside one of his agents, based in Osogbo, Rasheed Kazeem, for receiving and selling stolen vehicles which he tagged used vehicles to his unsuspecting customers.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Solomon Olusegun, stated that his men, acting on a tip off from good-spirited members of the public on the alleged illegal activities of Kazeem, swung into action and uncovered the sources of his fleet of cars, some of which he has sold out.
The police boss disclosed that his team of crack detectives, led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Mr. Gbola Adeyemi, succeeded in recovering four of the vehicles already sold out by Adesina.

The particulars of the recovered vehicles, which were also paraded included; a green Toyota Avalon car with chasis number 4T10FQ832Y4085853, engine number 8070225, which was recovered at Ikare, Ondo State; a black Honda Accord ‘EOD’ car, marked HZ 905 ABC with chasis number IHGCM66563A034693 and engine number o8CA1057510, which was recovered from Ede, Osun State.

Others included; a black colour Honda Accord ‘Baby Boy’ car with chasis number IHGCG1658XAO29124 and engine number J30A12056402 as well as a Navy blue colour Honda Civic car with Lagos State registration number KL 09 AAA. The car has SHHMAA87500U105872 as its chasis number and D152859767 as its engine number.
In a chat with Daily Sun, Kazeem, who lives at Biket area of Osogbo, disclosed that Adesina was the supplier of the vehicles. He confessed that one Folorunso, now late, connected him to Adesina last year.

“I don’t sell cars. I am not a car dealer but I help them sell whenever they bring the vehicles. It is not long that we started. We actually started last year. I was not into the business before. I was an Alfa and I was also dealing in Islamic wears.
“But there was a man called Folorunso. He is dead now. Folorunso died last year. I don’t know what killed him but I was made to know that he died of car accident.

“I did not know much of him. We only met once before he died. He used to bring cars from Cotonou. He would hand over the cars to some people who would now bring the cars to me to sell.
“I met Adesina through the late Folorunso. Folorunso was introduced to me by a friend of mine, who resides in London known as Heiz.

“All the vehicles have documents such that nobody will doubt their authenticity or suspect any foul play. But I agree that the cars were stolen ones,” Kazeem stated.
Adesina also confessed to being the one that brought all the recovered vehicles to Kazeem in Osogbo while corroborating Kazeem’s statement that one Folorunso connected the two of them last year.
“I am a transporter. I don’t receive stolen goods. I am a driver in Lagos. I used to assist people to bring Tokunbo cars from Cotonou. I am not a Customs officer but people call me so.

“We started last year and I have brought in more than five vehicles. Some people used to bring it down from Cotonou to Sango. My own job is to drive the vehicles down to Osogbo from Sango. Folorunso used to bring the vehicles to Sango from Cotonou”, Adesina stated.
A native of Ibadan, Oyo State, Adesina said he has been in the transport business for over 20 years before meeting the late Folorunso.
“I knew Kazeem in May, last year. I know him as a car dealer. He was introduced to me by one Folorunso. All the vehicles you see here were brought down last year. Our last operation was last year. We have not done anything this year”, he stated.
Olusegun assured that the remaining members of the syndicate would soon be caught as his men were on their trail.

Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun yesterday told an audience of shocked traditional rulers that his predecessor, Gbenga Daniel had "sold" the famous Olumo rock to a private manager under a concession arrangement that would last fifteen years.

Mr Amosun dropped the bombshell while addressing the state's traditional rulers at the Oba's Complex located at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, which is a stone throw to the governor's office. He also informed the gathering that due to the debt inherited by his administration, his government might not be able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage.

"The number one tourist centre in the state, ‘Olumo Rock' was concessioned for 15 years," Mr Amosun told the royal fathers "Other state resources are concessioned for between 25 and 60 years. I begin to wonder why somebody will sign all our patrimony. To make matters worse, all of them were made without the laid-down procedure. It did not go through the State Executive Council, not even the Assembly." He, however, said his government was resolved to look into all of these and review them.

"If it affects any of you our Kabiyesi, it is nothing personal, it is about the state. I am not here to witch-hunt anybody," he said.

Lamenting the financial position of the state, the governor added that the legacies of the founding fathers of the state had been handed out by the last administration, saying the state government's property on Victoria Island was leased out for 60 years.

He, however, disclosed that he was not interested in probing his successor.

"I am not interested in any probe. I don't want to use my good time to chase what I know is bad. They said they left N50 billion. They are looking into our debt. But at the appropriate time, we will tell you what we met on ground," Mr Amosun said. "I will even be happy if what we met on ground is N50 billion. Ogun is the most indebted state in Nigeria. Lagos borrowed N250 billion and Rivers is N150 billion. Lagos generates N30 billion per month. Rivers generates between N12 and N15 billion. What we generate is N900 million to N1 billion and you have a loan of N50 billion."

Mr Amosun said the financial position of the state is bad and that the state needs to borrow about N4 billion to pay its salaries.

"If civil servants wants N18,000 minimum wage, we will have to borrow about N6 billion. All our assets have been concessioned," he said.

Ready for correction

He also dismissed the power plant project embarked upon by the Daniel administration, saying the technology behind the power project is 1970s.

"A totality of N15.9 billion has been expended on it. The state has paid 50 percent to contractors and the percentage of work is just 20 percent. They are refurbished and to think that those are the asset that put us in debt. I know it is bad, I never imagined it is this bad."

He said he decided to address the traditional rulers to carry them along in the business of governance. He said his administration would renew the urban areas, which will affect some buildings.

"We will be stepping on toes in trying to rebuild the state, but we have to," he said. "In all we do, we will not allow our people to suffer. We will provide alternative. It is not to demolish for demolishing sake, our people have suffered a lot, we will not add to their problems. We will take briefing from you. When we veer off the track, feel free to correct us."

Senator George Akume of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) has been appointed Senate Minority Leader. His appointment was announced Tuesday by Senate President David Mark, who also unveiled the names of the other principal officers of the 7th Senate.

Mark had shortly after the Senate reconvened after a three-week recess Tuesday announced the names of the new principal officers, including Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross River), Senate Leader; Senator Bello Gwarzo (PDP, Kano), Senate Chief Whip; Senator Hosea Agboola (PDP, Oyo), Deputy Whip; Akume, Senate Minority Leader; Senator Ganiyu Solomon (ACN, Lagos), Minority Whip; Senator Ahmed Rufai (ANPP), Deputy Minority Leader; and Senator Abu Ibrahim (CPC), Deputy Minority Whip.

The position of Deputy Senate Leader, which has been zoned to the North-east by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is yet to be filled, as there appears to be no agreement yet on who should take the slot between Senators Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi) and Ali Ndume (PDP, Borno).

However, a fellow member in the Senate and former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, has protested Akume’s emergence.

In a letter to the Senate President, Ngige said the appointment of Akume, who hails from the same Benue State as Mark, negates the principle of federal character.

He said: “His choice is against the principle of federal character,” as it would mean that Benue State would be having two slots in the body of 10 principal officers in the upper legislative chamber.

Ngige had complained that the Senate had marginalised the South-east in the appointment of the principal officers and advocated that the office of Senate Minority Leader should be ceded to the region for any other senator, other than him to take.

THISDAY, however, gathered that the leadership of the Senate had told Ngige that the South-east was not neglected in the composition of the principal officers as it holds the office of deputy Senate presidency.

Although no action was taken on Ngige’s letter Tuesday, it was learnt that there was nothing the Senate leadership could do about it because, according to a source, “the selection of minority leadership is strictly the internal affair of the main minority party and whoever is put forward would just be ratified by the whole house.”

Meanwhile, the Senate standing committees will soon be announced following the constitution of the Selection Committee whose duty is to appoint chairmen and members of the various committees.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday told members of the Lower Chamber that the days of ‘free money’ were gone.

Reading the riot act on how he would run the House, he declared that he would separate allowances of members from monies meant to run committee activities.

With this action, the salaries and allowances for the Representatives would be cut by 40 per cent.

The Speaker maintained that the House would be more transparent regarding all public funds spent for the purpose of paying the salaries and allowances of legislators and assure that distinction is sufficently made between what a legislator actually earns and what is spent to run and implement legislative business and committee activities.

Under running costs, salaries and allowances of members, Tambuwal explained that the seventh session of the House “recognises the concerns raised by Nigerians about the jumbo pay of lawmakers. The watchword in financial issues will be fiscal conservatism”

Former Speaker Dimeji Bankole, ran a ‘collapse system’, merging all monies meant for the running of the House with the running of committee activities, leading to jumbo pay for the lawmakers.

But Tambuwal stated that all monies meant for specifics would be used for that purpose and Nigerians would be given opportunity to know what the House members were earning as salaries and what they earn as allowances.

He assured that the promotion of a viable and robust national economy would form the focus of the House as it works to support the emergence of a strong economy.

He said: “The seventh session of the House of Representatives will put in place legislative measures to achieve the best development outcome from government spending, including promotion of economic growth and social welfare.

“The thrust of the national budget should be effective prioritisation of spending on programmes within the national budget ensuring that adequate resources are available for spending on priority capital projects adoption of an effective Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and also effective monitoring of spending and of outcomes achieved-value for money”.

The Speaker maintained that the House would emphasise compliance with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, including requirements that the executive shall seek input from the National Assembly in the preparation of MTEF.

He said: “MTEF shall be the basis for the preparation of the estimates of the annual national budget laid before the National Assembly, the executive shall at least 30 days before the deadline of the submission of its budget proposals place at the disposal of the National Assembly, including the net current revenue and the respective memorandum”.

While confirming the reduction in the allowances of members, it was revealed that at the executive session, the leadership resolved to yield to public outcry by reducing the salaries and allowances of the members by 40 per cent.

Peter Akpatason, representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, Edo State, confirmed that the salaries and allowances of the members of the House do not reflect the jumbo pay.

Akpatason, a former President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), said “I’m not aware of any leakages but all I know is that we have just started. We are aware that the budget has been cut down by 40 per cent. What is responsible for that, I don’t know. But I’m aware that there is public outcry about the quantum of monies received by our predecessors. We have actually seen the breakdown for our own dispensation and one will rather think that certain elements are inadequate. I don’t see what people called bumper pay in what we have been offered here today. But, I don’t have access to what the breakdown of what our predecessors were paid, that is the situation.”


http://www.compassnewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9117:tambuwal-cuts-reps-pay-by-40&catid=308:headlines&Itemid=600

WORLD Bank Managing Director and former Finance Minister under the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the second highest paid official of the bank, says a report.

If she is eventually appointed as a minister by President Goodluck Jonathan, as her name has been mentioned in some quarters for such, then, she will be leaving her job in the world financial body with a pay package worth more than $351,740 (net) yearly.

Speaking yesterday in Washington DC, the United States (U.S.), a Media Relations Officer of the World Bank, Ms. Alexis Obrien, however, said it is unlikely that the bank would make any public comment yet on the purported nomination of one of its managing directors for a job as a minister in Nigeria.

But, she confirmed that the salaries of top management executives of the bank are, indeed, public information contained in one of the bank’s formal annual reports.

While she was minister under Obasanjo, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala received a dollar-denominated salary alongside the then Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olu Adeniji.

She left the Federal Government in August 2006 and rejoined the World Bank as Managing Director in October 2007.

She had been Corporate Secretary and Vice President of the bank before Obasanjo named her a minister.

Previous media reports had indicated that when she was recently contacted initially to be nominated this time around by The Presidency, she reportedly made a similar request on pay before she was prevailed upon to set the request aside.

Part of the arguments for Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s dollar salary demands before she accepted Obasanjo’s offer in 2003, according to former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nasir El Rufai, who addressed the issue publicly at a law dinner in New York, U.S., in 2004, included the fact that she had children and wards in U.S. schools and universities.

Close family sources said currently, two of her children are still in universities while, two others have since graduated.

World Bank records and reports on the top executives’ pay indicate that apart from the salary Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is receiving, which was determined in 2008 after an upward review of the pay of all the bank’s executive management team, she is also entitled to $76,996 as the bank’s contribution to her pension.

This is besides another $77,735 for other benefits.

The only World Bank official who is paid above her, according to the report, is the President, Robert B. Zoellick, whose yearly take home is $441,980 (net) based on the 2008 review.

Zoellick who appointed Dr. Okonjo-Iweala as Managing Director also receives $67,181 as contribution to his pension and $191, 825 as other benefits.

The other World Bank Managing Director, Graeme Wheeler’s pay sets him below Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, although both of them have different regional areas to oversee at the bank. Wheeler takes $347, 050 (net) yearly salary, about $4,000 lesser than Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s.

But, his total extra benefits, when added together, are higher than Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s. For instance, Wheeler earns an additional $75, 969 in pension contribution from the bank and $88,498 as other benefits.

While Wheeler, a New Zealand citizen, is the World Bank’s Managing Director in-charge of Operations, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is in-charge of several regions covered by the bank.

As an American citizen, Zoellick has an additional allowance apart from the stated salary to cover his U.S. taxes.

But, Wheeler and Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s salaries are not taxable, as they are both considered expatriate workers.

A Court of Appeal ruling in Nigeria had, indeed, imposed a fine on Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and Adeniji as repayment of the dollar salaries under the Obasanjo presidency after the salaries were declared illegal by the court.

But, the duo are yet to pay the fines, according to sources, because they have both appealed the judgement to the Supreme Court.



http://www.compassnewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9119:okonjo-iweala-is-world-banks-second-highest-paid-official-says-report&catid=308:headlines&Itemid=600

^^^It was deleted cos it was hateful

[quote author=BABE! link=topic=701582.msg8613694#msg8613694 date=1309338434]Nne, Money is sweet. Ego is good. Kudi is oRn point. [/quote]Babe am not Nne but Nna. You are right, lack of money is the root of all evil

In The first 30minutes I will divide Nigeria

^^^You cannot afford to pretend as if you dont know what am talking about.

[quote author=BABE! link=topic=701582.msg8611977#msg8611977 date=1309306928]Marry him solely because he's rich? Nah---I'm not an "Omo oju o r'ola ri" (hope you understand Yoruba).

I'm gonna marry him because I love him--not because he's rich. But his "Richness" is a bonus. Jackpot.  [/quote]Babe are you this sincere? Nice.

Money is good, too much of it is better but excess is the best