₦airaland Forum

Jesusegun Alagbe

Saturday, July 23, 2016, was one day that will always give 18-year-old Praise Adelakin nightmares. That day, a journey from Ile-Ife, Osun State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, that was supposed to take her about two hours only, almost turned out to be a journey of no return.

A 300 Level Law student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Praise had gone to the school in the morning of that day to check whether her things were still intact in her hostel before resumption after some weeks of strike by lecturers in the institution.

Around 4pm, when she ensured she had put everything in place, she left for the Mayfair Motor Park in the town to board a bus going to Ibadan, where her family resides.

All things being equal, she should have been back in Ibadan by around 6pm on the same day, but by 12 midnight of the following day, she found herself in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Narrating the incident to our correspondent in Ibadan on Tuesday, she said, “We’ve been on strike for some weeks. Meanwhile, freshers had resumed three weeks before the strike, but due to the action, they were also sent back home. On July 23, I decided to go to school to check if my things were still intact and probably whether they had allocated my space (at Moremi Hall) to someone else. I got there and saw that my things had been scattered; my mattress had also been taken away with my buckets and other things, so I had to go round the rooms to gather them together. When I did that, I put them in my locker and locked them up.
“When I finished all that, I decided to return home and that was around 4pm. I had arrived in school by 11am.

So I went to the Mayfair Motor Park in Ife to get a bus back to Ibadan. It’s a popular motor park in the town because it’s a public one. When I got there, there were only two passengers in the bus and the driver was hanging around somewhere. All the same, I entered the bus to wait until we had enough passengers to take off. As of 7pm, we were only nine in the 18-seater white Mazda bus. It was getting dark, so everyone started complaining. We begged the driver to take off and told him that while on the way, it was possible he would get more passengers. He agreed and we took off.”

Praise and other passengers were happy the driver heeded their pleas. Nothing in the driver’s appearance or the look of the bus suggested anything sinister. After all, they boarded the bus in a motor park, Praise thought.

The journey proceeded normally until the driver swerved off the major road. He told them it was a short-cut to Ibadan. But the path turned out to be a ‘long-cut.’

She continued, “There is a university outside Ife town called Oduduwa University. A few minutes drive past it, our driver said he wanted to pass through a short-cut. He said because it was weekend, there was traffic in front. So he took us through the route. When we turned to pass through the so-called short-cut, we saw a bus in front of us and there was another bus behind us. It was a bushy path, but we were not so afraid because of the other two buses which were also taking the route. We thought it was a route which would take us to Ibadan faster.

“As we were going through the path, we got to a junction where we saw that the bus which was in front of us was already parked. The passengers had disembarked. As we got there, we were also flagged down by a group of about five men; our driver stopped and he himself ordered us to get down. Everyone was shocked and we wondered what was happening, but nobody talked. We were all just looking. The bus behind us was also stopped and all of us passengers in the three buses were up to 40. They asked us to lie face down. At that point, I became afraid as I knew something was wrong. As I lay down, I quickly sent a message on my phone to my dad, reading, ‘Dad, I am held hostage and I don’t even know where we are.

I think I am in danger. Please pray for me.’ I could use my phone to send the message because when they ordered us to lie down, the men went for a meeting at a nearby bush, together with our driver. My dad called me back after a few minutes, but I couldn’t pick it. The phone rang out. When they heard that my phone rang, they came back and collected my phone and others’. After collecting our phones, they went back to their meeting.

“After a while, they returned and surprisingly, they asked the passengers in my driver’s bus to get back in. They instructed our driver to go and ‘dismiss’ us off. I was afraid. I thought ‘dismissing us’ meant ‘killing us.’ Our driver looked disappointed, so he shouted at us to get in; he was now holding a gun.

Everybody kept quiet. Then he drove away inside the bush till it was really dark. When it was around 10pm, he started dropping us one by one. He would drive for about 10 minutes, drop a passenger and give him or her their phone and bag, then drive for another 10 minutes, drop another passenger, and on and on like that. He would spread the phones out and ask the person to pick their phone. It finally got to my turn and I think I was the sixth passenger to be dropped, I can’t remember full well because at that point, I had become so confused.”

When Praise got out of the bus, it was then that it dawned on her that she was in another world, in the middle of a forest and the screech of insects. By then, tt was around 11pm.

“He stopped me at a T-junction and gave me my phones, but they were already dead, so I couldn’t contact anyone. When he dropped me, he told me I was at Share (Kwara State). I didn’t know where Share was then. It was very dark, around 11pm. The village was quiet. Anywhere I turned to, it was forest all around me. I got to know later that Share was very close to Niger State. It’s a border town between Kwara and Niger states,” she said.

Suddenly, in the midst of the the forest and darkness, she heard the sound of a motorcycle coming towards her direction.

She continued, “I flagged down the rider and he stopped. I asked him, ‘I was told this is Share. Please, where is the nearest town or somewhere where I can get help from?’ The man simply said, ‘Ilorin.’ I know Ilorin quite well because my grandparents stay there, I once schooled there and my aunt still lives there. I got on the motorcycle and he took me from the jungle to Ilorin. When he dropped me, I could recognise the area and found out that the place was actually close to my aunt’s house, around Basin area.

“I asked him how much I should pay him. He just nodded his head and zoomed off. He didn’t utter a word or ask for money. Meanwhile, I was lucky my phone came up again, so I quickly called my dad that I was in Ilorin and that I was near my aunt’s place. He quickly notified my aunt that I was coming.

“I was dumbfounded. From where the motorcyclist dropped me, I trekked to my aunt’s house for some minutes and when I got to the door, around 12 am on Sunday, I knocked. She was a bit scared because she was expecting no one. She asked who was knocking. I replied, ‘It’s me, Praise.’ She retorted, ‘Which Praise?’ I said, ‘Praise Adelakin.’ She asked again, ‘Praise Adelakin from where?’ We often talk and so she recognised my voice. She then said someone should open the gate for me. She just didn’t know what to do when she saw me in the middle of the night.”

In the morning of that Sunday, Praise’s parents came for her in Ilorin to take her back home. But up till now, she has yet to recover from the incident.

She said, “I wouldn’t know what happened to the other passengers in the two other buses. I’m still trying to get over it because I’m still scared of boarding buses right now. I used to enter any bus as long as I see people inside it, but my experience has taught me to be more conscious. I am still amazed. It was not the first time I would board a bus from the park, and it is even a public park. It wasn’t a lift.

“My parents came over to Ilorin to pick me up on Sunday to return to Ibadan. They said they immediately started praying for me when I sent them the message. They also told me they went to the police station in Ibadan and contacted another one in Ife to report the incident, but the police said they couldn’t do anything about it.

“The police said they should go to MTN office to track my phone to know where I was. MTN said they needed a police report, which the police couldn’t give because they didn’t know about the incident. Everything was complicated. They said they had to resort to prayers throughout the night. I just thank God I am still alive to tell this story. I don’t know what would have happened to the passengers in the two other buses. I will be back to school this weekend as the strike has been called off.”

Could she describe the driver, his conversation with his fellow suspected ritualists and the area they were taken to?

Praise said, “I didn’t hear their conversation because they really went far away, but they could still monitor us. They talked in low tones. I can’t really describe the area but I know it’s a few minutes’ drive after passing the Oduduwa University that he branched into the bush.

“Our driver was wearing an ankara dress that day; he has an average height and dark-complexioned. Except one old man, almost all other passengers were students. I suspect that the drivers of the other two buses too belong to the gang because they all held the meeting together.”

Praise’s father, Timothy Adelakin, who is a pastor, said when he received his daughter’s message that she was in danger that day, his heart jumped out.

He said, “I just thank God for how He acted in the situation. When she was about leaving Ife that day, she called to say she was returning home and I thought she should be home two hours later. We were attending a prayer meeting in the church; we were rounding off when her message came in that I should pray for her. She said they were held hostage and she didn’t know where they were.

“When I got her text, I told the church members what had happened. I called other pastor colleagues to pray for us. We prayed again till 11pm. Around midnight, her aunt called me and said, ‘Speak to Praise.’ The next voice I heard was hers. I was filled with joy.

“I would like the authorities to investigate this incident because it is surprising that a driver from a public park could do this. They must have been doing it before. Praise told me the passengers of their bus and the two other buses were mostly students, so I am worried what would have happened to her colleagues.

I have already instructed her never to board private cars and she doesn’t do it. But with something like this happening in a public park, it is worrisome.”
Meanwhile, Saturday PUNCH learned that the Mayfair motor park closes by 4pm and vehicles no longer load passengers from the park after this time.

The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Ife 1 Branch, Mr. Gbadegesin Asiyanbi, when visited at the park, said Praise could not have boarded the bus from inside the park at the time she got there.
Asiyanbi said activities at the park close by 4pm, after which any driver is allowed to pick passengers on the road irrespective of where they come from.

He said, “There are no kidnappers in our motor park. I have never heard of anything like that. There is no way such thing can happen, we know ourselves, our members are true drivers.

“We lower our flag by 4pm and as you can see for yourself now (around 5:30pm when Saturday PUNCH visited on Thursday), there are no vehicles on queue, so anybody who boarded a vehicle between 6pm and 7pm here and is claiming they boarded it from our park is either ignorant or telling lies.”

Tunde Ajaja

They all wore mournful looks in the line-up, but no one would have readily known that three of the armed robbery suspects being paraded by the police that day used to be policemen.

Emmanuel Audu, James Momoh, Sunday Onuh and two former policemen; Sgt.Ochigbo Gabriel and Sgt. Francis Onuh hung their heads, trying their best to show remorse.

The former policemen among the suspects had been dismissed from the force for different offences. They later took up the tools of armed robbery.

Audu, 33, said he joined the Nigeria Police in 2003 but was dismissed as a constable in 2009 over his involvement in some illegal activities in Warri, Delta State.

Audu told journalists that shortly after he lost his job, he relocated to Lagos and became a dispatch rider until December last year when he was looking for a job and met Peter Owocho, another member of the gang who introduced him to the gang.

He said he partook in all the operations carried out by the gang, and that he used his share of their loot to took his family and pay his children’s school fees.

“I live at Ikorodu with my family. I took part in all the operations, but I was arrested on June 7, 2016 by the police,” he said.

A police source told journalists that before members of the gang were arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General Police Special Intelligence Response Team, the suspects specialised in robbing Chinese nationals in different parts of Lagos State.

The source said before they met their waterloo during an operation at the homes of four Chinese nationals in Gbagada, the suspects had carried out no fewer than 10 robberies between December 2015 and June 2016.

The source said, “The dismissed policemen normally gain access into the homes of the Chinese men under the pretence of conducting routine checks, or that they had information that they (the Chinese) were involved in drugs and currency counterfeiting.

“When they are allowed into their homes, the dismissed policemen would ransack the apartments and cart away all valuables including cash and electronic gadgets.”

As the suspects, who all hailed from Benue State reeled out their confessions, it left no doubt that they were a gang of notorious robbers.

Individually, they stated that bad association and their inability to get good jobs led them into the crime.

In his confession, Onuh, 33, said he had National Diploma in Business Administration and he used to work with a private security firm before he lost the job.

Shortly before his marriage, he said he met a member of the gang, known as Jack, who introduced him to their operations.

He said, “He told me he would introduce me to a business. That was when I learnt that it involved robbing Chinese expatriates. He said we would go to the houses of some Chinese people and pretend to be engineers and that if they allowed us in, we would rob them. He said if they were not at home, we would break in.”

Sunday said he went to two operations at Omole Estate and Gbagada.

He continued, “Three of us went for the operation at Omole and we opened the door with a metal cutter since there was no one in the house. We stole phones, laptops and cash. I wouldn’t know how much we got but I was given N500,000 cash.

“At the operation in Gbagada, we wore coveralls and told the expatriates we wanted to repair electricity cables and they opened their doors for us. We went in and robbed them of their phones, laptop and money. I got N45,000 as my share after that operation.”

He said the locally-made 9mm revolver pistol they used belonged to Jack, and he was able to buy a car for taxi before he was arrested, after policemen traced one of the phones they stole at Gbagada to him.

Meanwhile, Owocho, 30, narrated how he met other members of the gang, saying his first operation with them was at Olusosun in Ojota.

“When we knocked, they opened the gate when they saw policemen. The (fake) policemen told them they suspected that they were involved in drugs. They allowed us into their apartment. We searched and we found three laptops, four phones and the sum of N700,000 and $770,” he said.

Owocho noted that after the operation, they herded all the Chinese and their family members into a room and locked them in before leaving.

He said they shared the money equally and that he got N110,000 and $100.

During their second operation at Medina Estate, Gbagada, Owocho said they used the same operation technique and they were able to get two laptops, one iPad and each of them got N50,000.

“The third operation was at Lekki and each of us got N25,000. On June 7, 2016, James Momoh and I were apprehended. My brother called me and I was arrested.”

Thirty-five-year-old Francis, a father of three, was also a sergeant in the police before he lost his job. He said his late friend, Cpl. Justin Igba, introduced him to some of the gang members. He regretted that his action had brought disgrace to himself and his family.

Even though he had no gun during their first operation together, he said he made use of his plastic pistol, jack knife and tear gas and that he usually stood outside while the rest went in and searched the apartments.

“Getting myself involved in crime is a disgrace to my family,” he concluded.
The police have said the suspects would be soon be charged to court as soon as the investigation was complete.

A 54 year old widow, Mrs. Christiana Yusuf, has called on Lagos State government and human rights organisations to come to the aid of her daughter, Remilekun Yusuf, who she said had mental illness.

Yusuf, who resides at 23, Omolayo Street, Ori Okuta, Ikorodu, Lagos, said she had been forced to bear the burden of her ‘mentally ill’ daughter, and Remilekun's three children, Ayomide(7 ), Rokibat(4 ) and 19 month- old Tobi.

The petty trader said Remilekun had been living with a man (name withheld ), though they were not legally married.

The eight year relationship, according to her, has produced the three children. Trouble started when Remilekun became ‘mentally ill’, she and her children were kicked out of the house by her husband ’s relatives.

Yusuf alleged said Remilekun told her that her husband shaved her head and pubic hair with a blade, after which she started displaying signs of mental illness.

“She would be at a place talking to herself. I took her to the native doctor who confirmed that her hair has been used for spiritual purpose.

“Recently, there was a problem between her husband and the landlord. The landlord fought with him because of the condition of my daughter and how he neglects the children’ s welfare.

After that incident, her husband’ s relatives came and threw her and her children out of the house. “I have been made to cope with an ‘insane’ woman and three more children; their feeding and education have been abandoned.

I ’m only a petty trader, that is why I am crying out for help,” the widow said. The victim, who managed to speak a few words, confirmed that since her husband shaved her hair, she had been hearing strange voices and responding to the voices.

She said: “On one occasion, I had to fight him because he would abandon the family, hungry for over 10 days.

I do not know where he goes. ” The matter, Yusuf said, was reported at Igbogbo Police Station in Ikorodu. But, according to her, the police said they needed evidence to back up the claim that the shaved hair caused Remilekun's mental illness.

A Good Samaritan, seeing the plight of the children and their mother, had alerted the child welfare agency at Alausa, Ikeja, for urgent assistance and to further investigate the matter

Afeez Hanafi

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 42-year-old Islamic cleric, Rasheed Ayuba, for alleged car theft.

Ayuba, who hails from Igbesa, Ogun State, was apprehended along with a transporter in Ibadan, Oyo State, Falade Igbekele, who reportedly bought six of the stolen cars.

PUNCH Metro learnt that a bunch of master keys and about 13 other car keys, as well as charms, were recovered from Ayuba.

It was gathered that the suspect, who also teaches at an Arabic school in Ishasi, Lagos, was caught sometime in June after he entered into a hotel in the Ikotun area to steal a Toyota Camry parked on the premises.

He was driving out the car when he was caught by vigilantes in the neighbourhood, who handed him over to officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Ayuba reportedly told the police that he bought the master keys for N9,000 from one John, a Beninoise.

He said, “I finished from an Arabic school in Ikotun and started teaching Arabic in Ishasi. At about 11pm on June 8, I went to a hotel around Ile-Iwe bus stop to steal a Toyota Camry. But I was arrested by the security guards in the area.

“I got the master keys I used from John, who is from Benin Republic. We met in 2013 in Lagos and he sold the master keys to me. Since then, I had been using them to steal cars. I usually sold the cars to my customers in Ibadan. One of them is Falade (Igbekele) to whom I sold six cars, and Friday, who bought a Toyota Camry.

“It was only four cars I had stolen this year before I was arrested. I sold a Toyota Camry to one pastor Dare for N100,000, and a Honda for N80,000 to another pastor. But pastor Dare had just paid me N50,000. They all knew I stole the cars.”

Fifty-two-year-old Igbekele confessed to have bought six cars from Ayuba, saying a friend introduced him to Ayuba.

The indigene of Ondo State added that he used some of the vehicles for commercial purpose.

“I knew Alfa Ayuba through a friend called Lucky Star. Lucky told me Alfa sells vehicles and I said I had interest in buying them. He had sold six vehicles to me so far, including a Nissan Sunny and a Nissan Primero. I bought them for N150,000 each.

“I bought all the cars from Alfa three years ago. He told me he stole them and I asked if I would not get into trouble; he said yes,” Igbekele said.

While the police said they were on the trail of the other accomplices, Ayuba and Igbekele were brought before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on six counts bordering on stealing and receiving stolen property.

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Donjor Perezi, told the court that the offences were punishable under sections 98, 285 (10), 326 (a) (b) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges before the presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Olayinka, and were admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
The case was adjourned till November 8, 2016.

Towards the end of last year, American multinational conglomerate, General Electric, published the result of a research on the future of work in Africa. The document, Skills White Paper, made projections into the enormous potential within the clutch of the continent and what it needs to do to appropriate an opportunity that could make the region the beautiful bride of the second half of this century.

Titled, “Building strong workforces to power Africa’s growth,” the document, quoting the International Monetary Fund suggests that by 2025, sub-Saharan Africa will be home to 25 per cent of the global population of people aged 24 and younger. It submits that successfully providing jobs for this population “will directly raise per-capita income, due to the resulting decrease in the non-working population.”

And since working people typically save, there would be greater domestic savings providing money for investment which would aid immediate and future growth. The paper also notices that the gainful employment of this population will lead to a fall in fertility rates and impact on the participation of the female gender in the labour force, lower the number of children per family and free more money to spend on the education and health care needs of families.

The document is however generous in its honestly as it gives insights into the flipside of not managing this demographic dividend well. It says: “…without the requisite investments in skills development along with infrastructure and services, a growing proportion of youths could be left unemployed and with little hope for socio economic advancement. This could increase social tensions, undermining cohesion and stability.”

As Nigerian military forces routed elements of the Boko Haram terrorist group, which had held the northeastern part of the country hostage for about seven years killing close to 30,000 people of all ages, religions and tribes, a variety of similar insurgent and violent groups has emerged over the past couple of months.

We have the murderous Fulani herdsmen who at the last count would have snuffed life out of over 3,000 Nigerians from several parts of country without as much as one arrest effected.

In addition to killings, they have been accused of kidnappings as well raping women and girl-children. There is a perplexing audacity to the murderous activities of these herdsmen who take over rundown communities in what looks like an expansionist mission.

While agitators in the oil producing Niger Delta of the country cannot be readily accused of large scale assassination, kidnapping and sexual molestation like the herdsmen, they have dragged that part of the country into unimaginable tension and insecurity.
In addition to that, the incessant assaults of groups like the Niger Delta Avengers on national oil and gas installations have brought more strain on the country’s already dire economic situation, even as they have worsened power supply.

Although there have been reports of a rapprochement between government and the militants, there is yet no concrete deal that that would hopefully lead to the cessation of hostilities. That is worrisome as reports filter in that government may be considering military action on this front.

Such a military action had however been carried out against militants who had terrorised coastal communities in Ogun State and Lagos States over the past couple of weeks. Reports early in the week indicated that no fewer than 100 suspected militants were killed in a three-day aerial bombardment initiated by the military to flush out pipeline vandals and militants operating at Ishawo, in Ikorodu, and Igando areas of Lagos State, and Arepo, Wawa, Elepete, and Ibafo areas of Ogun State.

Aside from relentless vandalism and sabotage of oil installations, these militants are believed to perpetrate crimes including murder, kidnappings, rape, armed robbery and intimidation of residents in a wide range of areas within Lagos and Ogun states. The activities of these folks have turned many Nigerians into refugees in their own country such that the decision by government to flush them out of their hideouts would appear the most appropriate response in the circumstance.

But the questions to ask are whether military action solves the problem perpetually and how many such internal deployments our military forces can accomplish at any particular time especially as pockets of violence erupt from various parts of Nigeria serially.

One of such incident was reported by The PUNCH with the headline: “Teenagers invade Lagos streets, kill worshipper, loot shops on July 11, 2016.” The story informed that 50 hoodlums, mostly teenagers, invaded five streets on the Lagos Island, killing one man, maiming others and embarking on a looting spree in broad daylight. They were armed with daggers and machetes with which they wreaked havoc on anyone in sight.

There is a group called “One million boys” which terrorised several towns within Lagos State at the beginning of this year. Although law enforcements have largely clipped the wings of the marauding gang which went about injuring, raping and stealing with abandon, three members of the group were arrested earlier this week in the Ajangbadi area of the state.

The point is that unless we deal with the situation that breeds these young deviants, military actions would never solve the problem in a sustainable way. For instance, reports on Wednesday indicated that some of those who got out of the military onslaughts alive have started regrouping in Ondo State. We are merely treating the symptoms with these military actions.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo put it succinctly when he gave audience to a delegation of the Economic Community of West African States recently by saying that West Africa sits on a keg of gunpowder with the level of youth unemployment in the sub-region.

And this is one of the points that I think Nigeria needs to urgently contemplate alongside, if not ahead of, military actions like the one under discussion. According to a 2012 survey of the National Bureau of Statistics, youths in the 15 to 35 age brackets were nearly 70 million of the 166 million Nigerians then. Fifty four per cent of this number of youths were unemployed as of August 2014. Hundreds of thousands of more youths would have joined the number in the past 24 months, what does a country expect when the majority of its most productive population have no jobs and practically nothing to hope for?

There is also the issue of young school leavers who are unable to gain admission into higher institutions while the nation offers no alternative for them.
Although Nigeria is said to have a total of 430 higher institutions with 520,000 admission spaces, as of 2013, 1,735,729 sought admission in that year alone. The implication is that about 1.2 million youths were unable to gain admission that year, a situation that has not improved in any significant measure till date. Nigeria is neither able to get most aspiring young ones into higher education postings nor provide employment for hundreds of thousands of those who graduate from institutions yearly. We therefore have a crowd of agile, restless but idle and angry youths on our hands.

My suggestion is that the country works towards providing more opportunities for its young ones to get educated. If children do not get formal placements, a serious country must provide alternatives for them. Serious attention also needs to be paid to providing gainful employment for the youths especially as the country is mouthing the diversification of its economy. What about exploiting the massive opportunities in agriculture, entertainment and sports? Nigeria must also deliberately re-orientate its youths discouraging the get-rich-quick-by-all-means mentality that has possessed the soul of our nation.

lalasticlala

A 21-year-old man, Charles Ashitey, from the Tema Region in Ghana, is currently in police custody after he was arrested for allegedly attempting to behead his best friend, Daniel Norteye, 19, for money rituals.

Ashitey, who is popularly known as Zaga, was arrested by residents of Tema Newtown after his attempt to kill Norteye failed on Sunday, July, 31, Adom Online reports.

In a police report, the victim who had gone for a party in the area, decided to spend the night in his close friend's room, not knowing that the man he thought was his friend, had other plans for him and that was to kill him for rituals.

In the police statement, it was gathered that at 4am, Ashitey decided to carry out his plans by using a sharp knife to slit the throat of Norteye but the victim woke up and began struggling with the suspect, resulting in multiple cuts in his palm and abdomen.

But luck was on his side as he was able to escape with the knife and was rushed to his aunt’s house where he was taken to the Tema Newtown Police Station to lodge an official complaint, before being taken to the Tema General Hospital for treatment.

When the police went to the search the suspect's room, the decomposing head of snake was found alongside egg shells, and powder, which were sprinkled around the room, while a wooden doll was also found in the room.

A 58 year old man has disclosed why he attempted to jump into the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge at Oworoshoki area of Lagos State. The man, who introduced himself as Mr. Joseph Onweji, said he had been ill for over 36 years.

He said the illness used to make him uncomfortable, restless and sleepless. Sick and tired of being uncomfortable, with no solution in sight, he decided to end it all. He was about to take the plunge into the lagoon when officials of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS ), grabbed him.

Onweji, who attempted to take his life on July 24, spoke with New Telegraph in his home, at Iju - Ishaga , Lagos, on Monday. He said he had been sick for long.

According to him, he became afflicted with the mysterious illness after he visited the site, where he was building his house. He said: “I have been sick for a long time. This illness started when I was just 22 years old. I was building a two - bedroom flat at Ibadan.

On one occasion, when I visited my site, I noticed that unknown people abandoned plywood in front of my doorstep. Later that day, when I was taking my bath, I felt a burning sensation on my body.

I felt really hot. I couldn’t sleep for days. Since that day, I have been feeling restless. I can’t even sleep. ” Onweji added that he spent two months at a Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, where he received all sorts of treatments.

He said that the doctors were unable to cure him of the illness. When asked why he picked that particular day to kill himself, Onweji said: “On that Sunday, about noon, I went to the Third Mainland Bridge. I was about to jump when RRS men saved me.

They took me to Alausa, Ikeja. They asked me why I wanted to commit suicide; I told them I was sick.” Asked why he hadn’t killed himself years ago, he said: “For anyone to kill himself is not an easy task. If it is easy, I would have done long ago. ” Onweji said his wife and children had been taking good care of him.

Anule Emmanuel

The nation's dwindling economy, which the government has confirmed is technically in recession, is currently affecting other African countries. President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, confirmed the situation yesterday when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Attacks on oil and gas installations by militants in the oil - rich Niger Delta have affected gas supply to turbines, forcing a sharp drop in power to about 3,485 megawatts.

With the current situation, Nigeria is unable to supply power to its neighbouring countries that depend on her before now. Nigeria , considered as giant of Africa, supplies electricity and gas to neighbouring countries, which include Benin Republic and Ghana.

Addressing State House Correspondents at a joint press conference with Buhari after a closed-door meeting, President Talon explained that his people and his country were currently being affected by the downturn in the Nigerian economy . He said: “As Nigeria is not using its potential, it is making other West African countries suffer.

The crisis hitting Nigeria is what is hitting us. This is an opportunity for us to go back and develop other sectors. ” The Beninoise President , who described Nigeria as the engine room of West Africa , urged the Federal Government to explore its non - oil sectors in order to increase the country’s revenue profile being reduced by falling oil prices in the international market. He said Nigeria remained a Big Brother in Africa and needed not to rely for too long on crude oil revenue to the detriment of other sectors.

While disclosing that the discussions at the closeddoor meeting bordered on security and economy, Talon said that his country was looking forward to reactivate the existing bilateral relationship between Benin and Nigeria , especially in the areas of trade relations, economy, energy development and education. According to him, his country will work with Nigeria to end the current illegal trade going on between the two countries and make what is going on pass through legal processes.

He said: “There is illegal trade between the two countries, which is creating difficulties between the two countries. We looked at the possibility of re- energizing the trade between the two countries so that illegal trade is discouraged. ”

He invited Buhari to visit Benin Republic towards enhancing the cooperation between the two countries. While thanking Talon for the visit to Nigeria, Buhari noted that the Republic of Benin has always supported efforts by the Lake Chad Basin Commission to address insurgency and other trans- border crimes in the sub- region. President Talon said that Nigeria was committed to making the West Africa gas pipeline more efficient.

Buhari also promised Nigeria's continued support for Benin, particularly in the area of energy development . Also, Buhari hosted the President of Togo, Faure Nasimbi, who paid him courtesy visit after inspecting a refinery project in Lagos State. Buhari told the Togolese leader that because Nigeria is facing power supply problem, her neighbour, Benin Republic, was also facing a similar issue.

He said: “If you will recall, I mentioned to the President of Benin that we have power problem. We have power problem and Benin has power problem because they depend on us and we are working very hard to stabilise the situation. The resources are available, the technology is available , and we are trying to stabilise the situation. ” According to the president, “if we improve power which means our productivity can be competitive and God willing we are going to achieve our objectives. ”

Both leaders also held a closed- door session where they discussed the crisis in South Sudan and Burundi and how the African Union could assist in ending them during its next meeting .

The Togolese President, in his remarks, said he had visited Lagos State to inspect the refinery project being built by Aliko Dangote. “I ’m impressed by the investment of Dangote because we have been talking of socio- economic integration and promoting trade among African countries “If you want to promote trade, you have investors that are very competitive and will contribute to reduce import from non African countries, ” he noted. According to Faure, “I was told the gas pipeline that will be built would be buried under the sea.

It means if you want to promote blue economy, our ocean needs to be very safe. We need security. ” He said he invited President Buhari to attend the maritime summit on October 15 that will be held in Togo this year. Meanwhile, the Economic Management Team (EMT ) of the Buhari administration yesterday held crucial talks with experts at the presidential villa with the view to finding solutions to the nation's dwindling economy . The meeting , which was presided over by Vice - President Yemi Osinbajo, deliberated on policies that could be adopted in the short term to reflate the economy.

A statement after the meeting by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, said experts made suggestions on how best to reflate the economy, bring it out of recession and promptly restore growth topped the agenda. During the meeting, Osinbajo expressed Buhari's determination to continuously consider and adopt policies that would boost business, increase employment and provide succour to the poor and disadvantaged.

According to him, “We will continue to engage with experts and other stakeholders so that we can measure progress of the economic policies that have been put in place.

“The challenges are many, but the opportunities are much greater, we are clearly on the path to building an economy that will create jobs and ensure inclusive growth. ” Akande said the EMT meets weekly and also holds special consultations with members of the private sector and economic experts from time to time. Experts who attended the four- hour long special meeting were Mr. Bismarck Rewane, Mr. Bode Augusto, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, Dr. Ayo Teriba and Prof. Badayi Sani. He said other issues discussed at the consultative forum include the review of the new foreign exchange regime and its effect on the economy , as well as the draft Medium Term Economic Framework for 2017-2019.

The EMT members and the experts made a plethora of suggestions on how to reflate the economy, especially through massive infrastructural spending with active private sector participation, ensure propeople economic policies; increase the supply of dollars to the forex market, among other issues.

Minister of Budget and National Planning , Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, in his remark, said: “We ’ve just finished a special meeting of the economic management team, as you know; we are in the middle of consultations to develop the new mid -term economic framework, MTEF. ”

He disclosed that the meeting is “part of a comprehensive consultation process that we are embarking on to make sure that we reach out to a wide spectrum of Nigerians to get a feedback in terms of how best to make sure that we come out of this recession.”

lalasticlala

The police on Tuesday paraded a three-man gang of notorious fraudsters specializing in defrauding highly placed personalities in Abuja through threat to their lives and intimidation.

The suspects identified as AbdulRahman Shuaibu, 21, Isiaku Maheed Zambuk, 47 and Hassan Haruna, 35, were arrested by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, (IRT) following several complaints from individuals and highly placed personalities in Abuja of serious threat to their lives, intimidation and attempts to defraud them of huge sums of money.

Nigeria police spokesman, DCP Don Awunah, in a statement stated: ”The syndicate specialises in sending text messages and calling highly placed individuals such as Honourable Ministers, Senators, Governors, Captains of industry etc on phone demanding for huge sums of money or else the victims should await a grievous consequences if they failed to comply.

”Abdulrahman Shaibu, 21, who is the leader of the gang was arrested during a rigorous and painstaking investigation into the crime. His arrest led to the arrest of Isiaku Maheed Zanbuk 47 and Hassan Haruna, 35 who are also key members of the syndicate.

”The three suspects confessed to the crime and explained to the investigators various roles played by each of them in the perpetration of this criminal act and other related crimes they have committed in the past. They will be arraigned in Court on completion of investigation.”

Items recovered from the syndicate include a phone (handset) containing the SIM card/number used to threaten the complainant, copies of letters of threat to life addressed to highly placed Nigerians and copies of letters of fraud addressed to well meaning individuals and corporate bodies soliciting for monetary assistance for non existing tragedies and projects.

Also recovered from the suspects were list of names and phone numbers /contact of hundreds of important personalities in public and private sectors in Nigeria

John Ameh, Abuja

There was a palpable tension in the House of Representatives on Monday over an alleged plot to remove the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, over the budget padding allegations made by a former Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin.

It was gathered that many members were ruffled, forcing a large number of them to rush from their vacation spots to meetings in Abuja where the alleged plot was discussed.

Findings showed that the Majority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, however, doused the tension among factions by urging members to have faith in the leadership of the House under Dogara.

The All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Lagos State has kept sealed lips over the budget crisis since it started on July 21.

Gbajabiamila had refused to speak openly in support of Jibrin or Dogara, and the three other principal officers whom Jibrin had accused of padding the 2016 Budget.

The others are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff Lasun; the Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor.

It was learnt that some persons in the House in a text message that members of the House received on Monday accused Gbajabiamila of siding with Jibrin to remove Dogara because of his silence.

“This group circulated a text message among members, giving the impression that there would be a leadership change in the House.

“They attempted to re-open the old Dogara-Gbajabiamila rivalry and create mayhem,” a senior legislative official told The PUNCH in Abuja on Monday.

The source of the text message was unknown as of the time of filing this report.

It read, “Plot to destabilise the leadership of the House of Reps has taken a new dimension as the Attorney-General of the Federation, working with Gbajabiamila, Jibrin and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has drafted charges to arraign and detain principal officers of the House so that the Transparency Group, who recently met with Tinubu’s wife, will effect a leadership change with Gbajabiamila as Speaker and Jibrin as the Deputy.

“This is why Jibrin did not mention Femi (Gbajabiamila) in his allegations. The 8th House won’t be anybody’s rubber stamp. We will resist them like the Senate resisted them.”
The PUNCH gathered that, alarmed by the message, Gbajabiamila wrote members to calm them, urging them to disregard the text.

He also explained that he had kept silent to avoid his comments being mistaken for taking sides.
Gbajabiamila told members that he chose to break his silence because the text message gave the wrong signal.

The PUNCH also obtained Gbajabiamila’s communication to members, which was sent via text message.

It read in part, “Since the budget controversy that engulfed the House about a week ago, I have pointedly maintained a dignified silence. I did this for the sake of the institution that I represent and which I have laboured hard to grow and protect, knowing that whatever I say could be impactful both within the House and outside it.

“I was determined to keep in place the glue that holds an otherwise fragmented House, protect its integrity and at same time avoid eroding the little confidence and vestiges of hope Nigerians have in us.

“Unfortunately, the controversy has now taken a different turn following the rather strange text making the rounds among members about my complicity in this rather sordid matter. I am being dragged into an arena I tried very hard to stay out of for the good of the House.

“The speakership election has come and gone. The election was divisive and acrimonious, but I have worked hard to heal the wounds, some of which still fester among members on both sides. It is my responsibility to bring together all tendencies in the House and I have worked well with the Speaker and all other principal officers in the interest of the institution and the country.

“The text message, which desperately seeks to finger me in some macabre plot to destabilise the House, is a throwback and echoes our dark post-speakership election history. The resurfacing of the faceless text messengers will not help us as a House, and let me quickly add that it will fail.

“My strongest critics and biggest political adversaries in the House cannot deny the fact that my commitment has always been to strengthen the legislature and its processes and our democracy as a whole.

“I consider everyone a friend and colleague and urge that as we collectively work towards a stronger legislature and strive to deepen our democracy, we do not pull back the hands of the clock or lose sight of the enormous responsibility placed upon us by providence as members of a critical arm of government.”

On Jibrin’s budget padding allegations, Gbajabiamila noted that judgment could not be passed on any official based on mere allegations.
He stressed that before the law, an accused remained innocent until proven guilty.

“It is clear that our budget process needs radical reform. Allegations have been made, but I strongly believe that judgment should not be passed based on allegations.

“We operate a constitutional democracy and we must at all times submit to its dictates and ethos. All parties are innocent until otherwise proven.

“This should be our guide. I plead with all members; the mudslinging must stop,” Gbajabiamila added.
When contacted, the Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Leo Ogor, stated that the alleged plot against Dogara should be discarded.

Ogor said people were taking Jibrin’s allegations too seriously and forgot to ask him basic questions.
He expressed shock that Jibrin, who was sacked for allegedly “mutilating” the budget could be taken seriously when he “cooked up lies just to cause confusion everywhere.”

He said, “Ask Jibrin, why did President Muhammadu Buhari first refuse to sign the budget when he (Jibrin) produced it without the details?

“Are zonal intervention projects part of the budget process since 1999? Why has it become a crime today that the National Assembly passed zonal intervention projects in the budget?

“The N4bn he put for himself; how did he get it?”
Ogor stated that nobody should “dream of the idea” of removing Dogara because the House was not thinking in the direction.

“There is fair hearing. Someone made allegations that have no basis, then the next day, you say remove Dogara.

“Any smokescreen to remove Dogara is a failed project even before it starts; a completely failed project.

“Disregard that text; it has no basis”, he said.
A source told The PUNCH that Dogara and Gbajabiamila had been working together since the crisis started.

“It will appear that some overzealous persons are desperately trying to knock their heads even when the truth is that they are together,” the source added.
Jibrin had alleged that the four principal officers requested the inclusion of N40bn projects in the 2016 budget, besides sundry projects in sums ranging from N20bn to N30bn.

He claimed that his refusal to oblige the four principal officers and his opposition to several financial infractions were responsible for his sacking by Dogara on July 20.

Jibrin has since petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission and the Department of State Services.

The House had said the allegations would be investigated internally by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges after members reconvened on September 13 from their annual recess.

THE Police in Ogun State have arrested one Omotola Amuda and Mayowa Adesegun, for cultism.

The duo, according to a statement by the acting Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, made available to the Tribune Online on Sunday, had it that the suspects had been on the wanted list of the Command.

They were both arrested at the university town of Ago -Iwoye, in Ijebu-North Local Government Area of the State.

Oyeyemi said the two took to their heels when they were sighted by the policemen on routine patrol. They were arrested and found to be in possession of a locally made gun loaded with one cartridge.

The two of them, according to Oyeyemi, were members of a deadly cult group said to be terrorising Ago Iwoye and its environs.

Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said that the state Commissioner of Police, IIiyasu Ahmed, had ordered that the men be transferred to State Anti-Robbery Squad, Abeokuta for further investigation.

Dozens of federal government agencies have no substantive heads nearly half a year after President Muhammadu Buhari sacked their chief executives and boards.

The president sacked the boards of 26 federal agencies in February this year, but replacements for most of them are yet to be made.
The boards of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a few others were constituted recently.

President Buhari appointed chief executives of agencies in the Ministry of Information and Culture last month and those of health last week.
However, the other agencies are now being headed by the most senior officials in acting capacity whom sources said lacked full legal powers over key decisions.

Power agencies

Four agencies in the power sector are still without
properly constituted boards while others are yet to have substantive heads.

A new management for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was only named yesterday after the government refused to renew the contract of Manitoba Hydro International Nigeria Limited (MHINL) that elapsed last month.

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is yet to have a substantive head and a board. Its former Managing Director, Mr. Kenneth Achugbu was removed in January 2016 after five years in the position. The most senior official and Director of Project, Engr. Mohammed Abubakar Wasaram, has been holding the post in acting capacity.

The board supervises the activities of the agency especially on funding and what project to undertake.
For the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Mr. Anthony Akah has been the acting chairman since December 2015 after Dr Sam Amadi and six other commissioners ended their five-year term. The Presidency this week transmitted the nominees’ list to the National Assembly for screening.

The seven commissioners constitute the board of NERC. Its guide book, the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 said key decisions could only be reached with a quorum of three or more commissioners. One of such is any decision to review electricity tariff, or withdraw the license of power firms.

The Presidency appointed Dr. Marilyn Amobi as Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) last week, but the agency is still without a board.

The previous one comprised of officials drawn from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Power and Finance ministries, and chaired by the Finance Minister.

Trade & Investment
Almost all the agencies in the Ministry of Trade and Investment are without substantive heads since the sack of the chief executives last February.

For instance, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) is headed by Hajiya Ladi Katagum as an acting Executive Secretary.
The acting Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is Dickson Onuoha while the acting Director General of the Bank of Industry is Mr Waheed Olagunju.

Also, the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) is headed by Mr. Samuel Kwambe, the council’s human resources director.
Engr Ahmed Abdu is in charge at the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPE) as acting Director General and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has Dr. Paul Angya as acting DG.

Petroleum agencies

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources is not immune from this trend of absence of substantive heads. For instance, Mr. Aminu Ahmed Galadima has been acting Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) since February 2016.

The appointment of Mr. Galadima who was the General Manager Education and Training Department of the fund followed the disengagement of Mr. Femi Ajayi as the chief executive of the PTDF.

At the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) its former Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Patrick Daziba Obah was asked to function as the acting Executive Secretary.
He took over from Mr. Denzil Amagbe Kentebe whose appointment was barely one year.

At the Petroleum Equalization Fund (Management) Board (PEF MB), Alhaji Ahmed Bobboi has been the acting Executive Secretary of the Board since February following the sack of Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed.

Ministry of Education

In the Ministry of Education, Malam Aliyu Nai’ya is overseeing the affairs of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as most senior director pending the appointment of a new one.
Na’iya took over from the erstwhile executive secretary, Professor Suleiman Bogoro.

Aviation

In the aviation industry, Engr. Emmanuel Onyemaechi Anasi has been manning the affairs of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) since February.
The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) is headed by Engr. Fidet Ohiria as acting chief executive since February.

Security, anti-corruption agencies

Even the security and anti-corruption agencies have no substantive leadership. At the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Mustafa Magu was appointed to succeed Ibrahim Lamorde on Wednesday, November 9, 2015. Magu’s appointment is yet to be confirmed though a letter for his confirmation was sent to the Senate for over a month now.

Like the anti-graft agency, the country’s intelligence gathering outfit, the State Security Service (SSS) has no substantive leadership.
Lawal Musa Daura was appointed the acting Director General of the SSS following Ita Ekpeyong’s removal on July 2, 2015.

Also, the country’s police chief is in acting capacity. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Ibrahim Kpotun Idris was appointed as the acting Inspector-General of Police by President Buhari last month.

Dozen Others

Dr. Vincent Onome Akpotaire has been the acting Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) since February 16, 2016. Until his appointment he was the director of National Facilities and Agricultural Resources (NF & AR) at the BPE.

In the Ministry of Labour, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is being run by Mr. Kunle Obayan since December 1, 2015 as acting director general.
The Micheal Imodu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) is equally manned by Mr Ishaq as director general.

Mr Ismail Mohammed Agaka is the acting managing director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
The acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) is Engr. Peter Odeh Ibu. He has been acting since September, 2015.

Alhaji Abdulrazak Dangiri is the acting Executive Director of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). He has been operating in an acting capacity since the removal of Beatrice Jedy Agba.

Also, the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) is headed by Malam Sadeeq Omar who took over when Mr Abdulmalik Dauda passed on recently.
The late Dauda took over as acting director general from Ms Onyeka Onwenu last February.
In agric ministry, the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation is headed by Bashiru Haliru Binji who is on acting capacity.

At the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) the board’s tenure expired late last year and no new one was appointed.

Professor Chidi Odinkalu’s tenure as chairman of the NHRC expired last year and no replacement has yet been made.

Dr. Samuel Agboire is the acting director, National Cereal Research Institute, Badegi, Niger State.
Engineer Kasali is manning the affairs of the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation, Ilorin, Kwara State in acting capacity.

The National Agency for Food & Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is still manned by an acting director general, Yetunde Oni.

With additional reports by Simon Echewofun Sunday, Ronald Mutum, Ruby Rabiu, Ibrahim Muhammed Hamza, Yemi Mensah, Ojoma Akor, Chidimma Okeke, Misbahu Bashir, Adelanwa Bamgboye, Husein Yahaya, Maureen Onochie, Abbas Jimoh and Chris Agabi

lalasticlala

FORCES loyal to Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are set for a major battle ahead of Senate’s resumption in September following indications that a former president had advised President Muhammadu Buhari to remove the Senate leadership by all means possible.

Some online outfits reported last week that the visit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to the Presidential Villa last week Centred on the need for the president to remove the leadership of the Senate to stave off distractions to his government.

Though there was no official confirmation of the discussions between Obasanjo and Buhari, it was confirmed that senators loyal to both sides of the divide are already weighing options ahead of the battle royale.

Sources close to the Senate said that the lawmakers loyal to Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu see an impeachment bid as a tall order but are not ready to take chances.

The Presidency has refused to patronise the National Assembly as a result of divisions within the ruling APC over the emergence of Saraki as Senate President.

Sources in the Senate said that Saraki’s loyalists got a boost two weeks ago when the caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met and further decided to firm up a working relationship with Saraki.

But insiders in the National Assembly said that if the Presidency was ready to “roll out the drums” the support base of the Senate President and his deputy could get eroded.

“Right now, the support base of the Senate President and Senator Ekweremadu appears solid. The executive has failed to treat the National Assembly as a partner and thus has alienated the lawmakers. But if the rule changes, we cannot be too sure what will happen,” a lawmaker said on Saturday.

Sources said that the Senate already had a fertile ground for opposition to Saraki with the existence of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF).

“Right now, it appears that very few senators will back Saraki’s ouster in view of the collateral damage they have suffered from the executive in the last one year. The only game changer would come if the people see real changes,” another senator said.

Other members of the Senate, however, condemned the advice attributed to Obasanjo, saying it shows he doesn’t want the Buhari government to know peace.

“If it is true that Baba [Obasanjo] said President Buhari should impeach the leadership of the Senate, that would be counterproductive and doesn’t show the former president wants peace for the new government. We should find solutions rather than heat up the polity,” a lawmaker of the APC said.

It was however gathered that loyalists of the APC hierarchy had mapped out measures aimed at getting at Saraki.

One of the measures is to draw up a list of those who could be reached with mouthwatering largesse from those who want the Senate President out.

“By September, both camps would be ready. I assure you it would be a big battle if the executive kick started it,” another senator said.

Dele Ogbodo in Abuja

Bent on achieving total elimination of ghost workers from its payroll, the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on Saturday said government will on Wednesday unveil its Human Resource Management Information Infrastructure (HRMII) that will identify its genuine workforce.

The Head of Service, who was guest on a radio programme in Abuja, said government is making efforts to clean its payroll also with the integrated payroll and personnel information mechanism.

She said: “Right now there is cleaning up of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information (IPPI) going on and a lot of things are actually coming out.

“We have started on the verification exercise with the directorate cadre, now we are in level 14 and it is cascading down.

“And at the end of this verification we will get a clear picture of the genuine civil servants on the payroll.”
On the hardship facing retirees before collecting their stipends, she admitted that the pension system is facing serious problem, adding: “We are determined, by the grace of God, to end it before the end of my tenure.

“I have set up a tripartite team made up of the National Pension Commission, HoS and department in the ministries to harmonize this.”
Further details later

lalasticlala

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has said that all efforts should be made to reduce the importation of military hardware into the country.

Speaking at the 45th Convocation Ceremony of the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) on Friday in Kaduna, the Minister observed that it is a sad situation what Nigeria was confronted with in the peak of insurgency in the North East when the country could not buy weapons even which cash.

The Minister, who described the situation as embarrassing said a resource rich country like Nigeria should be able to secure herself.

While commending the NAF in achieving the victory the nation has recorded in bringing the insurgency in the North East effectively under control, he assured that his ministry will continue to encourage research and innovation aimed at closing all technological gaps in the country.

He added, "Every effort to should be made to reduce the importation the of military hardware into the country, we should rely more on ourselves, our aim should be to work very hard so that one day we will be in a position to manufacture locally most, if not all our needs.

"Nigeria can no longer continue to import virtually everything we need. We cannot continue to be mere consumers of the things we need. The time has come for us to produce locally many of the things we need we must encourage not only to meet our needs, but also to export the surplus to other countries as this will assist in job and wealth creation as well as poverty reduction.

He emphasized that it is only when Nigeria patronized locally made goods and services that manufacturers through additional research and innovation improve on the quality of their products.

He stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to fulfill his promises to the Nation saying, "Nigeria is gradually moving from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based innovation-driven economy."

He applauded the ingenuity, hardwork and dedication of the management, lecturers and the entire staff of AFIT which he said helped the institution to be what it is now.

The Provost of the institute, Professor Emmanuel Ezugwu said 451 students from 16 programmes are graduating from the college.

He said the graduating students include 166 NAF, two Nigerian Army, eight Nigerian Navy, 110 civilians and four students from the Ghanian Armed force adding that, 36 out of the students are female.

He reminded the graduates to bear in mind that their time which is generally limited has just started saying "Do not waste time living someone else's dream, but think outside the box and see the thing you can do your self, do not led the noise of outer drowners."

He added, "The quality of teaching, learning and research has improved in AFIT that is why the institution is to be registered as an International Civil Aviation Centre."

The Federal Government has approved the closure of nine foreign missions and their conversion to non-residency representation or concurrent accreditation, Daily Trust findings have shown.

The closure, our reporters gathered, is part of measures to reduce the cost of running Nigeria’s foreign representations in line with the economic situation.

The affected missions are those whose absence portend no serious bilateral or diplomatic effect sources said. They include the Permanent Mission to the D-8 in Istanbul, Turkey; the Africa-South America Cooperation Forum (ASACOF) in Caracas, Venezuela; embassies in Belgrade, Serbia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Kiev, Ukraine; Prague, Czech Republic; the High Commission in Singapore as well as Consulates in Buea, Cameroon and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Also approved for rationalisation is the number of officers at foreign missions, estacode for local travels and award of honorary consuls.

The government also ordered that posting staff of home ministries to foreign missions should be discontinued, while Foreign Service officers should be trained to carry out multiple tasks including administration, immigration, trade, culture and education related functions.

Daily Trust learnt that the rationalisation exercise will affect all 119 Nigeria’s foreign missions.

Apart from 35 missions, the government directed that all other missions should be run by an ambassador and not more than three home-based staff. The level of local staffing, it said, must be controlled.

A letter from the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama dated June 8, 2016, said the practice of violating staffing ceilings for each mission must be stopped and corrective measures be put in place. Consequently, it said, there should be a review of the staff strength necessary for each mission.

“Rules and regulations as well as entitlements (estacode) for local travels at post should be reviewed downwards and strict compliance enforced. Similarly, cost and usage of communication and utility services should be reviewed and drastically reduced, and the current entitlement of house maids for senior officers other than the heads of mission and deputy chiefs of mission, where applicable should be discontinued,” it added.

The federal government also discovered that the award of honorary consuls was open to abuse by unscrupulous businessmen. The practice, it said, should be reviewed in accordance with international best practices.

“Some of these measures may have the effect of bloating the number of Foreign Service Officers at headquarters. To address this consequence, officers may be deployed to other ministries, departments and agencies to help coordinate their interface with diplomatic missions/international organisations.

“State governments should also be encouraged to receive at least two Foreign Service officers on secondment to assist in providing guidance to their increasing interface with diplomatic missions/international organisations,” the government said.

It said the arrangement would engender greater coordination and coherence within the official positions diplomats receive when they visit ministers or governors who often make statements with foreign policy implications without appropriate briefs from the Foreign Affairs ministry.

“Through these Foreign Service liaison officers, not only the MFA HQ, but our diplomatic missions abroad, will also be sufficiently briefed on the activities and conversations of diplomats from their host countries serving in Nigeria.

“While this is only one solution, the MFA should also carefully examined the consequences of overstaffing at headquarters as a result of the planned rationalisation and make other recommendations to address the problem. This may include offering redundant officers redeployment to home ministries or early retirement from service without loss of benefit,” the government said.

Redundancy at post
An official at the Nigerian Consulate Office in Georgia, Atlanta, USA, said some key staff in the various missions had been directed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to either do a needs assessment or return home and evaluate various staff strength in the missions ahead of the shake-up.

The official said the need for some staff at post was questionable, adding that there are administrative officers that have been on posting even when some of their services are not needed there.

He said some missions are not needed because there is hardly any serious bilateral trade or diplomatic impact of some of those countries, some in Africa and others in Asia, which the official noted may not have been reciprocating Nigeria’s diplomatic gestures.

It is bad signal- Kaave
A retired diplomat, Ambassador Chive Kaave, said shutting the missions sends a signal to the world that the Nigerian economy is in bad shape.

“There are some missions that exist only on payment of salaries to staff at post. They don’t promote any economic, educational, cultural or even consular relations with Nigeria. Even the staff there do not receive enough funding to meet obligations.

“If we claim to be the biggest economy in Africa and cannot adequately maintain missions abroad, it is absolutely not good enough for the country. However, the federal government should do what is in the best interest of the country,” he said.

Economic insufficient in foreign relations
A professor of Political Science at the University of Ilorin, Hassan Saliu, submits that the argument on economic reasons for downsizing Nigeria’s missions abroad are sound but not sufficient in foreign relations.

He equally argues that the move to reduce the missions would harm the country’s standing in the international community more than the little money that would be saved from such decision.

According to him, foreign policy pursuits are not necessarily determined by naira or dollar, but by prestige.

He therefore urged a comprehensive review of the Nigerian foreign policy which should precede the decision on the appropriate number of diplomatic missions for the country.

“What interest is Nigeria pursuing that closing the missions will jeopardise? It is after recognising the country’s interests in the international system that you can then productively and profitably move to the level of determining how many missions it should have.

“Nigeria has been a regional leader and the current president, in his campaign, assured that he would restore the country’s glory in the international system. My worry is, how do we reconcile the idea of restoring Nigeria’s glory with the closing down some missions?,” he asked.

Prof Saliu called for the review of Nigeria’s foreign policy. “We cannot hold to be successful if we still carry on with the Balewa-inspired foreign policy agenda. Let’s review and arrive at a conclusion whether we want to limit ourselves to issues that concern only Nigeria or be a regional and global actor,” he added.

He said the effect of closing some missions is that Nigeria may not get the support of the affected countries whenever the need arises.

“They will not go along with us whenever we are championing any course at the international level.

Nigeria has been talking about reciprocity, that we have been helping countries in Africa and they don’t reciprocate. I don’t know if the idea of closing those missions would make them reciprocate our gesture.

The government should pursue the policy with caution. We had reduced in the past but we ended up re-opening them at a very high cost. This is an issue we should think of before taking any action,” he said.

Afeez Hanafi

A trader at a market on 23 Road, FESTAC Town, Lagos, Ikechukwu Alu, has been arrested by the police for the alleged abduction and rape of a seven-year-old girl, Victoria.

It was learnt that the victim had been sent on an errand to buy a voucher (recharge card), but she misplaced it while returning home.

On getting home, she was reportedly chased out to look for the recharge card during which the 25-year-old suspect abducted her on Adeola Street in Amuwo Odofin, where she lives, and took her to a shop in a nearby market.

Alu reportedly made the girl to pass the night in the shop and allegedly raped her.

PUNCH Metro learnt that as he left the shop around 5am the following day, some residents around the area saw him, with Victoria strapped to his back.

The residents, who are aware Alu does not have a child, reportedly queried him on how he came about the girl.

When he could not give a genuine explanation, they were said to have poured ashes on him and alerted the police at the FESTAC division, who picked him up.

Our correspondent learnt that Victoria told the police that the suspect “put his thing (manhood) in my bum-bum ” and was subsequently taken to the Mirabel Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

A test carried out on her at the centre reportedly confirmed that she was raped.

The suspect reportedly told the police that he had met the girl crying on Adeola Street and asked her what was wrong.

“She said her parent sent her to buy a recharge card, but it got missing and as a result she was chased out.

I told her to follow me to a place and promised to take her home afterwards. She agreed and that was how I took her to the shop. We only slept together; I didn’t touch her,” he said.

Alu was brought before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court on one count of rape by a police prosecutor, Francisca Job.

Job told the court, presided over by Magistrate A.O. Adegbite, that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The charge read, “That you, Ikechukwu Alu, on May 24, 2016, at about 5am at 23 Road, FESTAC Town, Lagos, in the Apapa Magisterial District, did unlawfully defile a seven-year-old girl, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 138 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and elected summary trial.

The magistrate, Adegbite, admitted him to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum, adding that the sureties’ residential addresses and evidence of tax payments made to Lagos State must be verified by the prosecution.

The case was adjourned till August 11, 2016.

An Igando Customary Court has dissolved a 21-year-old marriage over the wife’s, Aisha Abiodun, poor cooking.

Delivering his judgment, the President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said the petitioner – Ashimiyu Abiodun, 54, – was adamant despite all mediation to safe the marriage.

“Since the petitioner has insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union despite the wife’s claim that she still loves her husband.

“The court pronounced the marriage between Ashimiyu Abiodun and Aisha Abiodun dissolved today; both parties, henceforth, ceased to be husband and wife.

“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances or molestation,” Omilola ruled.

Earlier, the petitioner, Mr Ashimiyu Abiodun, 54, had approached the court and asked it to dissolve his 21-year-old marriage over his wife’s alleged poor cooking.

“My wife did not know how to cook, her food was always tasteless. Anytime she cooked and I complained about her food, she would tell me to cook myself.

“And I started cooking my food because if I had continued eating her food, I might have fallen sick,” he said.

Abiodun said, “My wife was very dirty; she would not wash or sweep the house, everywhere in the house used to smell.

“She kept packing used plates for four days or more without washing them and I was always doing the cleaning.

“Aisha would out every Friday and returned on Sunday evening. During weekdays, she would leave home by 7 a.m. and returned at midnight and I dared not query her.

“Aisha had turned my children against me, they had stopped respecting me and she would not allow me to correct them whenever they erred.

“On several occasions, my wife and my first son had torn my clothes in the public when I wanted to beat him for his wrong doing,” he said.

Abiodun said his wife was lazy saying she ruined the shop he equipped for her on three occasions.

But Aisha, 46, a launderer, said, “I did not know why my husband stopped eating my food. I tried my best to give him good food but he was always complaining that my food was tasteless.

“I was not dirty as I was always cleaning the house,” she said.

Aisha urged the court not to grant her husband’s plea, saying “I still love him”.
NAN

The House of Representatives Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions says it is awaiting a petition from a former chairman of House Appropriations Committee chairman, Abdulmumin Jibrin, who has accused the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and other members of massive corruption.

The chairman of the ethics committee, Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta), told PREMIUM TIMES by phone on Friday that it would need a petition to investigate weighty allegations of budget fraud against Mr. Dogara; deputy, Yusuf Lasun; deputy majority leader, Ahassan Doguwa; and minority leader, Leo Ogor.

He however said it was wrong for Mr. Jibrin to claim that lawmakers “padded” the 2016 budget. He said the budget was merely “amended”.
Mr. Jibrin, who was removed from his position last week, said the speaker, Mr. Dogara, and the other three principal officers, inserted layers of fictitious projects worth N40 billion into the budget for fraudulent reasons.

He has called for their resignation.

“In legislature, you don’t talk about padding,” Mr. Ossai said. “Budget is an appropriation bill and is like other bills that you amend. You know in bills you talk about clauses. Every head in the budget is a clause. So legislators have power to amend it.”

He said lawmakers were allowed to introduce constituency projects as “effective representatives” of the people.

Pressed on Mr. Jibrin’s claim that besides constituency projects, chairmen of 10 committees “padded” over N284 billion through 2000 projects, into the budget, Mr. Ossai said he could not comment because “that is part of investigations”.

“We are waiting for petition and I know pages of newspapers are not petitions,” said Mr. Ossai. ”The ethics committee looks forward to receiving petition. No petition has been brought before the committee; the committee must receive petition before it dabbles into any issue.”

Asked whether his committee could not act proactively given the seriousness of the allegations, Mr. Ossai said a petition would still be better.

“Petition formalises everything. Without recourse to letter that comes from the House (after it received petition), the ethics committee can move into and investigate the matter but it is better empowered if a petition is forwarded to it,” he said.

EFCC can’t probe

Mr. Ossai faulted calls for investigation of Mr. Dogara and other lawmakers involved in the scandal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and related offences Commission.

“Anything done at plenary or premises of the House cannot be investigated by external bodies. The House can regulate itself using its rules and procedures. Nigerians are yet to appreciate what the legislature is. We have mechanisms to discipline ourselves,” he said.

He said external investigation can only happen after the house ethics committee probe.
“In its report it can recommend prosecution by relevant security or anti-graft agencies. The constitution gives the House the power to solve its problem,” he said.

He said the House could convene for an emergency sitting in wake of the scandal on one of two conditions: if one-thirds of the members petition the Speaker or leaderships of majority and minority parties make the demand.

Preliminary works for 2017 budget have begun in earnest going by the declaration by the Minister of Budget and National Planning , Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, that the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MEFT) will be ready for submission to the National Assembly by October.

Udoma gave insight into the 2017 budget yesterday in Abuja during a Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum with Civil Society Groups and organised private sector on the 2017-2019 METF. He said: “Demand and supply factors are expected to keep crude oil prices low in the medium term compared to the period prior to mid-2014.

We are considering a conservative oil price benchmark of $42.5 per barrel for 2017, $45 per barrel in 2018 and $50 per barrel in 2019. “We estimate oil production to be 2.2million barrel per day for 2017 , 2.3million barrel per day in 2018 and 2.4million barrel per day for 2019. We have pegged exchange rate for 2017, 2018 and 2019 at N290 to a dollar. ”

While disclosing that recovered looted funds would be used in funding part of the 2017 budget, he pointed out that N2.1trillion had so far been expended out of the N6.06trillion budgeted for 2016. He, however, added that only N253billion out of the N1.8trillion earmarked for capital projects had been spent so far. Government , he said, would continue in its effort to diversify its revenue sources to non -oil sectors.

“A significant increase in non oil revenue receipts is projected due to a gradually recovering domestic economy and government ’s expected improvement in Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS ) tax collection efforts. Company Income Tax is projected to increase from N1.79trillion in 2016 to over N1.86trillion in 2017 and beyond while Value Added Tax (VAT) collections is to increase by about 42.4 percent in 2017. “Operating surpluses projection have been moderated downwards for 2017 and thereafter a modest growth.

Customs collections are projected to moderate downwards for 2017 and thereafter a modest growth,” he said. Also speaking, Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr. Eze Onyepere, said government should learn and build on the mistakes of the 2016 budget.

“We should draw lessons from the mistakes of the last budget. We have all seen that the revenue projections for 2016 were over optimistic. This is why we are finding it difficult to get money to fund the budget, especially the capital expenditure. “ In 2017 onwards, we should be more empirical in our revenue forecast.

Let it be more realistic so that there won’t be a deviation of more than minus or plus five per cent. This is because if we have more money, we can do supplementary budgets rather than have an overly optimistic revenue projection and, at the end of the day, we are not able to fund our budget, ” he said. In his contribution, Governance Programme Manager Actionaid Nigeria, Mr. Obo Effanga, reminded the government of the limited time they had to fulfill promises.

“This administration is a four year period and one year has gone already and even the government had admitted that the last year will be given to politics, so effectively they have just two years left. And we are preparing the budget for one of the two years remaining. So, if we don ’t make sure that this works very well, it means that we can only look up to 2018 ,” he said.

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

A 28-year old housewife, Mrs. Mary Attah, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Delta State High Court, sitting in Effurun, for stabbing her husband, Pastor Darlington Attah, with a kitchen knife and setting him ablaze.

She was pronounced guilty on the one-count charge preffered against her by Justice E.I. Oritsejafor.
The prosecution counsel, Patrick Mekako Esq, told the court that the accused who was married to the deceased, with four children, had on or about 6 July, 2012 at Effurun, within the Effurun Judicial Division, attacked her husband with a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the neck as a result of an alleged phone call from the husband’s lover.

He further told the Court that the accused was infuriated by the telephone call at a time they were having a ‘nice time’ which prompted her to rush to the kitchen, took a knife and pepper which she rubbed on her husband’s face to demobilize him before stabbing him in the neck.

Not satisfied, the convict doused the husband who was already weak as a result of excessive bleeding with fuel and set him ablaze and he later died at the Warri Central Hospital where he was rushed to.
The offence is punishable by death under Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21, Volume 1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.

Delivering the death sentence, Justice Oritsejafor held that the prosecution was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubt the essential ingredients of the offence of murder against the accused person.

“I must also add that the evidence before this Court do not and cannot support the plea of self defence in favour of the accused person. I agree with the learned Assistant Director for the Prosecution that there is just no possible defence to avail the accused person when she stabbed her deceased husband in the neck with a knife and thereafter doused him with fuel before she struck the match on him. Her intention was to kill the deceased or do him grievous bodily harm. The law is trite that a man intends the natural consequences of his act.

“From the evidence before this Court and in particular the extra-judicial statement of the accused person, Exhibit A and the evidence of PW1 and PW2 which corroborate and consistent with the facts contained in the said extrajudicial statement Exhibit A, I hold that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused person murdered her deceased husband on or about the 6th day of July, 2012, and I find the accused person guilty of the murder of Darlington Attah as charged.

Accused person is accordingly, hereby convicted of the offence of murder. The sentence of this Court upon you, Mary Attah is death by hanging by the neck till you be dead and may the Lord have mercy on your soul,” Justice Oritsejafor held.

Akposkool:
are you really enthusiastic about seeing one alive? Chisos Christ

Olusola Fabiyi, Kamarudeen Ogundele and Ade Adesomoju

The Federal Government is planning to prosecute nine out of 26 members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly for alleged forgery of their academic results, The PUNCH has learnt.

A security source told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Sunday that the decision to prosecute them was based on the outcome of “an intensive investigation carried out by the Department of State Services into the state lawmakers’ certificates.’’

The DSS, it was gathered, carried out the investigation into the credentials submitted by the politicians to the Independent National Electoral Commission during the last general elections.

The PUNCH gathered that the probe was sequel to a myriad of petitions sent to the agency and the Police by aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress.

Investigation was said to have been carried out in schools allegedly claimed to have been attended by the lawmakers and their former places of work.

The source explained that the files of the affected lawmakers had been sent to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation for prosecution.

The source added, “We have investigated the academic credentials of the lawmakers based on petitions sent to us by the politicians in the state.
“The petitions were based on alleged false declaration of academic qualifications and alleged age falsification in the papers presented to the INEC.

“We have been able to know that petitions against nine members of the State House of Assembly are genuine.
“We have already presented our report and we are expecting the office of the AGF to study it and prepare the charges against the suspects.”

Apart from the lawmakers, it was also gathered that the security agencies were planning to reopen the murder cases of three prominent sons of the state.
They are Mr. Tunde Omojola, Kehinde Fasuba and Dr. Ayo Daramola.

Daramola was murdered on August 14, 2004; Omojola on May 28, 2005; while Fasuba was murdered on January 3, 2009.

There were allegations in the state that their killings were politically-motivated and carried out in mysterious circumstances.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, once wrote a petition to the Police, demanding the prosecution of those behind their killings.

When contacted on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the AGF on Media and Publicity, Mr. Salihu Isah, said he was not aware of the planned prosecution, but promised to find out.

“I am not aware of whether there is anything like that. I promise to find out during the week,” he said.

It is propaganda –Ekiti Assembly

Reacting to the planned prosecution, the Chairman, Committee on Information of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Gboyega Aribisogan, said no member had been invited by any security agency for questioning.

He argued that there could be no prosecution of their members without investigation and subsequent indictment.

Aribisogan added, “Up until today, none of our members has been invited by any security agency. There can be no prosecution without investigation by the police. This is part of the rumour and propaganda from the enemies of the government.

“None of our members forged certificates. We went through screening with the DSS and we duly submitted our certificates to INEC and underwent proper documentation.

“Have they checked with the West African Examinations Council or relevant educational institutions to confirm their (certificates) authenticity or otherwise. No security agency will buy into the propaganda.”

By Tony Egbulefu

The anger, seething in the National Assembly against the presidency over its failure to disburse constituency projects funds to members of the national legislators, may soon snowball into an open confrontation between the legislature and the executive.

Hon Namdas, chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, confirmed to LEADERSHIP Sunday that anger is brewing in the House over the unwillingness of the executive to release fund for National Assembly members’ constituency projects.

Asked whether the House members are agitated over the fact that fund for the execution of their constituency projects has not been released by the executive, he said: “It is actually true. I am a member of the 8th Assembly. We are happy with the President who has graciously approved constituency projects to us. But it is one thing to approve and another thing to implement. All of us have given out our constituency projects, depending on what individual legislator needs in his constituency. We have submitted and it has been approved in our budget, but as I talk to you, no fund has been released in respect to constituency projects. In fact what we even hear from highly placed government functionary is that constituency projects will not be implemented.”

Namdas faulted the position of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, to the effect that the federal government has no money for the lawmakers’ constituency projects noting “this is not the best of statements, because budget is a law, you cannot chose which part of the law to implement and which part not to implement.

“It is not their duty. That is why you have to assent. If the president does not like constituency projects, it is the president that will refuse to assent and he will give reasons for not assenting, but you cannot assent to a law and then start prioritizing on the areas you think you will implement in the law. No! For somebody to say we will not implement constituency projects is a disaster.”

It would be recalled that Lawal, secretary to the Government of the Federation had disclosed that the federal government cannot fund the constitutional projects due to paucity of funds, prompting an angered Senate to summon him for further clarifications.

The SGF stood his ground that the government cannot fund the constituency projects of federal lawmakers given the fact its revenue has dropped by about 50 to 60 per cent this year.

Meanwhile, as controversy rages over the proposed constitutional immunity for the presiding officers of the National Assembly, the Special Ad hoc Committee on Constitutional Review has fashioned a new approach to be adopted in pushing the clause through the constitution.

The committee which is put in place for constitutional amendment rather than submit a constitutional amendment document to the President Muhammed Buhari for assent, will present constitutionally amended items, clause by clause to the president for assent. This is to forestall a situation, where the president can decide to withhold his assent to the entire documents because of few issues of disagreement with the National Assembly, as it has always been the case.

Immunity clause for presiding officers of the National Assembly was part of the 2015 Constitutional Review Bill, which former President Jonathan denied his assent. The immunity clause in the said 2015 review Bill met all constitutional thresholds of two-third votes from members of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and approval by two-third majority of state houses of assemblies, but could not see the light of the day following a blanket denial of assent to the document by former president Jonathan.

As the National Assembly gears up for yet another constitutional amendment, Abdulrazak Namdas said there will now rather be a clause by clause submission to the president,

This is to ensure that the immunity clause, and any other one for that matter, which the lawmakers wish to infuse into the constitution would not suffer same fate.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday, Namdas, said “The Immunity Bill was introduced in the 7th Assembly. Had it been that the former president signed the constitutional amendment at that time, it would have been history today; this law would have been operating. The records are there to show: they got 2/3 in the Senate, 2/3 in the House of Reps, and 2/3 in the states’ houses of assembly; but because the clause was wrapped into the document and the president refused to sign. That is why the proposal by the present special ad hoc committee, is that each clause will be given to the president clause by clause. If you disagree with A, take it down, if you agrees with Y, just assent to it,” Namdas disclosed.

Namdas  reiterated that “The clause is strictly only for the Senate president and his deputy and the speaker and his deputy, and I am surprised that somebody who is number three in Nigeria does not deserve immunity, when governors and their deputies have immunity, I think they are being unfair.

“What was the reason behind even giving immunity to president, vice president, governors and deputy governors? The immunity was given so that they don’t get distracted from their job. Then why would you allow an arm of government as critical as the National Assembly not to have immunity for its four principal officers, so that they won’t be distracted?”

lalasticlala

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

Deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, on Saturday shrugged off his ongoing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged forgery of the Standing Rules of the Senate, insisting that his traducers would meet a brickwall as nobody would remove him from office.

Ekweremadu spoke as over 30 traditional rulers from his Enugu West senatorial zone presented him with the traditional ofor, a symbol of authority, standing in unison with him in his trial. They vowed that no matter the efforts of those seeking for his “downfall”, he would emerge stronger from his travails.

Ekweremadu spoke at his Ikeoha Foundation Adult Literacy Day and 2015/2016 Scholarship and Bursary award ceremony, his pet project, at Ezeagu Council headquarters, Aguobu-Owa, where over N40 million was spent on scholarships and bursary to over 400 indigent undergraduates and 250 sewing and grinding machines presented to widows.

He noted that his trajectory was from God and as such he would survive the sea billows.

“I decided to handover N400, 000 to each of the 20 students as scholarships for their education for four years. Ordinarily, it would have been N100, 000 each year but since am not sure if I will continue as Deputy Senate President until tomorrow, we have decided to give it out at once to ensure that nothing hapoens to the education of these young ones.

“Whether they succeed in chasing me out or not, you will continue to go to school. But, I have to assure you that nobody will remove me. It is not by power or by might but by the Grace of God. Our trajectory is from God. Nobody will do us anything. No matter what is happening, I can assure you that we shall survive them all,” he said.

The lawmaker disclosed that the charity works were his own way of appreciating God for his kindnes to his family over the years, adding that his present travails would not constitute a setback in the charity works.

He praised the Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his achievements especially the prompt payment of the monthly salaries of workers in the state.

lalasticlala

Abdulmunin Jibrin, former chairman of house committee on appropriations, says he is ready to substantiate his allegations against Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the federal house of representatives, and three other leaders of the house.

Following his removal as chairman of appropriations committee, Jibrin had accused Dogara; Yusuf Lasun, deputy speaker; Alhassan Ado Doguwa, house whip; and Leo Ogor, house minority leader, of padding the 2016 budget with N40 billion.

In a statement released through his lawyers on Friday, Jibrin urged the lower chamber to institute a special investigation so that he would have the opportunity to “testify and provide evidence against them”.

“The above quartet have resorted to blackmail our client into silence and to further harass his person and family using the instrument of the obstructive coercion and perversion of due process by deploying, albeit illegally some elements of the Nigeria Police,” read the statement.

“You will recall that our client is in dispute with the said quartet over his refusal and inability to admit into the National Budget of 2016, the sum of about 30 Billion Naira at the behest of these quartet and also his refusal to cover up the decision of Speaker Dogara and others’ unilateral decision to distribute to themselves 40 Billion Naira out of the 100 Billion Naira allocated to the entire National Assembly in addition to what our client considers as wasteful projects of over 20 Billion Naira to their (quartet) various constituencies.

“We now have it on good authority that these quartet acting in concert are at the moment using some elements within the police to monitor, harass, intimidate and hound our client into an unwarranted detention with the purpose of inhibiting his right to move freely and to express himself as contained in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“The purpose of their antics is to upturn the narrative and paint our client as the black sheep in the flock, and cleverly presenting themselves as transparent angels.

“Accordingly, we have made appropriate representations to the Inspector General of Police and other relevant security agencies in the Country drawing their attention to this unwarranted and ill-intentioned steps taken by these quartet and not to allow themselves (security agencies) to be used to execute the personal objectives of these quartet; more so appropriate legal action has been taken by our client, as a law abiding citizen, to protect his fundamental rights as guaranteed by our laws.

“Finally, we hasten to advise Speaker Dogara and the 3 other principal officers mentioned here not to descend to the narrow aim of dragging the institution of the House of Representatives into their personal fight and to note that by virtue of the institution he leads and as a lawyer, he should act within the confines of the Rule of Law and allow the House of Representatives to institute a special investigation into this matter where our client will have the opportunity earlier denied him by the quartet to testify and provide evidence against them because he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”

[Paul Iyoghojie

An Epe-based couple, Abioye Wale Junaid, 41 and his wife, Fausat, 39, aka Iron Lady, have been arraigned before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court, Igbosere for allegedly obtaining N85m from two businessmen under pretence.

They were alleged to have collected the money and promised to facilitate the appointment of the businessmen as a commissioner in Lagos State and as Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria during the 2015 general election.

The couple were arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad, FSARS, Adeninji Adele Road, Lagos Island following a petition by the two businessmen, Mr. Ambali Abiodun and Otuniyi Adeniyi to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, FSARS, Ibrahim Kaoke.

The businessmen alleged that the couple tricked them into paying N15m and N70m to facilitate their appointment as a commissioner in Lagos State and as Vice President during the last election.

After investigation by ASP Garuba Oseni and his team, Fausat, a staff of Epe LGA of Lagos State and Abioye, a security man attached to the Eko DISCO office at Sangotedo, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos were arraigned before an Igbosere magistrates’ court, Lagos on an eight-count charge of felony to wit: obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.

Police prosecutor, DSP Charles Odii told the court that the couple committed the offence in October 2014 and 31 December, 2015 at their residence, 7, Ayeola Street, Oke Balogun, Epe, Lagos.

Odii told the court that with intent to defraud, Fausat told the complainants that she was the Principal Assistant to the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo while her husband, Abioye claimed to be the principal assistant to the National leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a claim Odii said the couple knew to be false.

He said the couple used false claims to obtain N15m from Mr. Ambali Abiodun to facilitate his appointment as a commissioner in Lagos State and N70m from Mr. Otuniyi Adeniyi to lobby for him to be the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during the last 2015 general election.

Odii said the couple deceive the complainants that with their closeness and working relationship with the Iyaloja-General and National Leader of APC, they will be able to fulfill their promise to them.

He said the complainants realized that they had been duped by the couple when they were not selected as Vice President before the last general election and as a commissioner in Lagos State in the current government.

Odii said when all efforts by the complainants to retrieve their money proved furtile, they reported the matter to the police.

He said the offences were punishable under sections 409, 312(2),285(5)(a) and 378 of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The couple, however, pleaded not guilty to the crime in the open court and Chief Magistrate A. O. Sholadoye admitted them on bail in the sum of N3m each with two sureties each in like sum.

Sholadoye directed that one of the sureties must be on Grade Level 16 in the Lagos State Civil Service and the other must own a property in Lagos State with a genuine C of O.

She adjourned the case to 26 August, 2016 for mention while husband and wife were taken to the Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons respectively, until the fulfilment of conditions attached to their bail.

Ovie Okpare, Warri

The Niger Delta Avengers on Friday denied claims by President Muhammadu Buhari that his administration was holding talks with the militants for possible compromise.

The militants had claimed responsibilities for series of attacks on oil facilities across the region in recent times.

A statement issued by the group’s spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, the group was not aware of any ongoing peace talks.

It said the militants would only hold peace talks with the government if the international community were involved.

They alleged that the government was dialoguing with its own mercenaries which it engaged to derail the militants’ genuine struggle for the people of the region.

It read, “Our attention has been drawn to media report that the President is in touch with Niger Delta agitators including the Niger Delta Avengers but the truth is that we are not aware of any peace talk.

“If there is any such peace talk, it means the President is talking to their mercenaries set to disturb the genuine struggle of the agitators.

“President Buhari led government is not sincere to the Nigeria people and their foreign allies.

“If we are to engage in any peace talk we made it clear that the international community must be part of it.

The President knows our demands. So they should stop deceiving the international oil companies, the general public and the international community.”