₦airaland Forum

* Suspended EFCC chair risks prosecution

* Nobody above scrutiny – Presidency

* Security operatives search Magu’s houses

* We’re watching unfolding events – Sagay

The presidency is shopping for a possible replacement of Ibrahim Magu, the suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Daily Trust learnt yesterday. The names of four people including a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) and two serving police commissioners have been pencilled, Daily Trust was told. This is coming as the Presidential Panel led by Justice Ayo Salami, a former President of the Court of Appeal, continued with its interrogation of the embattled Magu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Credible sources said ahead of the invitation of Magu on Monday, the Salami panel had recommended for his suspension “to pave the way for a free investigation in line with standard procedures.” A top presidency source told Daily Trust last night that Magu was asked to step aside to allow for proper investigation of the allegations levelled against him.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said, “You know that anybody undergoing this kind of investigation cannot be allowed to continue to occupy the office. “The continued stay in office of someone being investigated does not happen anywhere. If Magu is allowed to continue to occupy the office, some of these allegations and records would be distorted.

No serious investigation can take place when the person affected is still operating. “It is given that somebody undergoing a probe of this magnitude cannot continue to occupy his or her office. From the moment he appeared before the committee yesterday (Monday), you should know that he was no longer going back to the office while still facing the panel investigating him,” he said.

Another source said the suspension of Magu does not mean that he had been indicted or finally removed from office. “His suspension is the ideal thing to do in order to douse tension and while he is being interrogated, the EFCC must continue to do its job; I want to assure you that someone would soon be announced to act. “If found wanting by the Justice Salami panel, the president will definitely relieve Magu of his appointment as head of the EFCC and then the Police Service Commission (PSC) will carry on from there…T

hey have the right to take action in line with the guidelines and conditions of service of the Police Force,” he said. Our correspondents report that there was no formal announcement of Magu’s suspension by the presidency as at press time yesterday. But a source said he would not be allowed to go home yet.

“He will only be allowed to go home after the panel says they are done with him; this could be any moment from now and it will depend on the outcome of the interrogation,” he said.

Whiteangel1234:
South East and by extension the Igbos have the single and biggest voting block in Nigeria we are the most united Politically in Nigeria after the North what some people called putting all eggs in one basket is what i called rare Political Unity and voting block.
South West are the most disunited and they hide this weakness under the mantras of not putting all their eggs in 1 basket .

If APC want to survive beyond 2023 it must get the Igbos And south East Support by zoning the presidency to us . If APC decide not to do zoning and allow every Nigerian to contest then we have no problem with that arrangement but if they decide to zone the Presidency to the south After Buhari then it must be strictly for the South East alone the only Zone in the south yet to produce Nigeria Presidency after 24 years of our new Democracy .

If APC give their presidential ticket to the south West then the south East and All Igbos in Nigeria will mobilize and give Block vote to a PDP Strong Northern Candidate with an Igbo Vice President . We have the Population our people are in all states in Nigeria , its on record that Tinubu could not even deliver Lagos 60% to APC and Buhari without resorting to self help , thuggery and destruction of Polling booths in Igbo dominated area of Lagos , we also control Abuja and all major states in Nigeria plus Block Vote in the South East.

igbos have the population but we are not too much interested in politics or vote but be assure if their is clear case of injustice our people will be fully mobilized like wartime and every single igbo man home and abroad will vote !!

Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika last night said as flights resume on Monday, aides of VIP passengers would henceforth be stopped from accessing the terminal.

Sirika said airport officials have the right to stop every VIP accessing the terminal with his aides, adding, “The only VIP we cannot stop is Mr. President and he doesn’t use our terminal.”

The minister spoke last night at the virtual stakeholders’ meeting attended by representatives of all airlines and allied service providers. At the meeting, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said any airline or aviation service provider that failed to fulfill the requirements set by the regulatory agency would not get approval to start operations.

Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, however, disclosed that the agency would on Friday (today) begin to get approval to start flights. Sirika had on Wednesday announced that domestic flights would commence on Monday, July 8 with Lagos and Abuja airports. The meeting reviewed the readiness and preparedness of the industry to restart on Monday.

While responding to the issue of VIP aides causing a stir at the airport, Sirika disclosed that it was no longer business as usual, saying all VIPs were expected to carry their own bag by themselves. Sirika disclosed further that he had written to all the ministers, heads of government parastatals and agencies, traditional rulers, chief executives of banks, among other VIPs to update them on the new protocols.

“It is no longer business as usual. There is no more VIP consideration at the airport. Anytime I’m traveling, I have always carried my bag by myself,” he said.

Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Capt. Rabiu Yadudu said the authority had installed close circuit television (CCTV) in all areas of the airports to ensure safety and security and enforce compliance with all the protocols.

The Federal Government has said that Nigerian youths between the ages of 20 and 40 are majorly responsible for the spread of the COVID-19, while the majority of those bearing the brunt are older people from 50 years and above.

The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the 48th joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

“As more people are infected across the world, you would have seen the numbers, it is increasingly obvious that transmission among younger people really, not children, but people aged between 20 and 40 as far as we know are really driving the spread of this virus, but those that are bearing the brunt of it are people age 50 and above.

“Three out of five people who died from COVID-19 are 50 and above so we have to work harder, all of us collectively to protect our elderly.

“We are on the verge of opening our airports, we have relaxed Intercity travel. “We know that we have a family-loving people and that over the next few weeks we will all start having this urge to go and visit our parents, our, uncles, our aunts, restart the funeral activities that we have postponed for months, start the weddings, birthing, baptisms that we have postponed for months.

“It is important to do these things and the interstate travel will allow us to do this but remember we haven’t relaxed the guidelines of mass gatherings,” Ihekweazu said.

He said that as the nation plan over the next few weeks or months, citizens have to remember that there are still restrictions on mass gatherings, but that everyone has to show the elderly citizens love and affection by not exposing them to the virus.

AgentNairaland:
Islam The Religion Of ......

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) says it no longer fix the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol for marketers. PPRA Executive Secretary, Mr Saidu Abdulkadir, stated this in a statement in Abuja, on Sunday.

IPMAN decries proposed merger of PTDF, PPPRA, PEF PPPRA parleys CBN on forex support for oil marketers Abdulkadir, however, said the agency would constantly, on a monthly basis, develop a guiding price for the commodity, with which it would advise marketers. He noted that the deregulation of the downstream sector was dependent on the enforcement of appropriate laws by strong regulatory agencies, hence its continued intervention.

“For the purpose of emphasis, let me reiterate that different sectors of the polity operate under the guidance of national regulators.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regulates the banks and the financial sector; Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) regulates telecommunications; National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) regulates the insurance sector and the same exists for operators in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector. “To this end, it is not out of place for the Agency to provide a guiding price band with the aim to protect consumers against price gouging. “It is important to also state that there is nowhere in the world that deregulation means total lack of control, supervision or oversight.

“While the Market-Based Pricing Regime is a policy introduced to free the market of all encumbrances to investment and growth, it should not be misconstrued to mean a total abdication of government’s responsibility to the sector and citizenry,” he said. Abdulkadir said that the PPPRA no longer fix prices, but rather provide a guiding price band by monitoring petroleum products prices daily.

This, he said was being done using the average price of the previous month to determine prices for the following month, for appropriate cost-reflective pricing that ensures reasonable returns to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

“This methodology is in line with international best practices which range from bi-monthly to monthly price reviews. “Nigeria adopted the monthly review model considering the average duration for the importation of petroleum products into Nigeria from the closest spot market; North-West Europe (NWE) to West Africa (WAF) is about 30 days.

“This period encompasses the Import Financing Process to delivery at retail outlets,” he added He further said that the new pricing regime would encourage oil marketers to resume supply of PMS, leading to further value creation in the downstream; foster job creation and ensure reasonable returns for investors. According to him, it will create healthy competition among marketers, enhance value for consumers and make funding available for other important infrastructure.

He said that the PPPRA would continue to regulate the downstream petroleum industry, irrespective of the deregulation of the sector. Abdulkadir said this would also prevent petroleum products marketers from exploiting consumers and help to enforce the appropriate laws guiding the industry.

On code of conduct for oil marketers, he said that although crude oil price and petroleum products prices were positively correlated, the prices of petroleum products do not increase or reduce correspondingly with changes in crude oil price. He noted that the pump price will be a reflection of the international market prices of petroleum products that were also rising.

Abdulkadir further stated that in line with its laws, the PPPRA developed Guidelines for Petroleum Products Commercial Framework and was drawing up Code of Conducts for Operators in the new pricing regime.

He also added that the PPPRA was finalising the review of cost elements and profit margins on the pricing template for marketers, to reflect the current market-driven pricing regime which was last reviewed in 2016. (NAN)

The Wife of the former governor of Oyo state, Florence Ajimobi on Sunday attacked the governor of the state, Engr. Seyi Makinde and his deputy, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan for playing politics with the death of her husband.

She said her husband never had any problem with the state government despite their different political affiliation, but alleged that the state government saw him as their enemy.

The state government had during the time Ajimobi was hospitalised said it extended hands of fellowship to the family of the late governor but they declined. But the wife of the late former governor said it was a lie because she never had any conversation with the state government when her husband was ill.

Florence who spoke when the Deputy Governor led members of Nigeria Governors Forum, led by its chairman, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state to the Oluyole residence of the late Governor, urged Makinde to allow the fear of God guide him in whatever he does.

According to her, she had read many untrue stories on the pages of the newspaper since the demise of her husband. Florence said; “my husband took ill precisely on 27th of May and he was hospitalised. “I read on the papers that he (the governor) claimed that he called me but I didn’t pick. He didn’t call me. Even if he had called me, I never had his number. He should have sent text messages for record purposes.

“The governor of Oyo state never called me. He never signed a condolence message. Never called even when my husband was on sick bed for one month. What politics are you playing, please? “Life is short.

I am a Christian and my husband was a Muslim. We should allow fear of God to guide us in whatever we do. Ajimobi is gone today, I am going to mourn and respect his wishes. That is what I am doing today. Laid him to rest peacefully. I don’t want any controversy.

“Everything I read in the papers, I just swallowed it and I let it go. Please, the press are here, we never had any rift with the governor or the state government. I never dialogue with them and I never confronted them and I never send them a word because I didn’t know it was necessary for me to send official message.

“I didn’t send a message to governor Fayemi, I didn’t send to governor Ganduje and I didn’t send to Governor Sanwolu.

“I didn’t send to anybody. It was all over the social media. They knew my husband was ill. The least anybody can do is to send me a word of encouragement at that time.”