₦airaland Forum

North already has state police, and they are the once enforcing sharia laws in the north.the other day HISBAH were arresting people not observing the fast in kano.my question is this why didnt they use the method they used in identifying those who didnt fast to fish out the boko haram elements in kano?

Finally elrascal has met his match!.Good Job okupe.el lier over to you

sarutobie: As expected,a little tug on the leash and the rabid dog begins to bark..don't you have some bloated white corpse to wash eh?...unrepentant liar claiming to have a buisness running in nigeria..with such level of malicious demeanour and intellectual deficiency?..I laugh in swahilli..

don't mind him let him continue barking like a rabies infected DOG.

kingoflag: Another mo*ron.....

Nowhere have I shown that I am upset that power has improved (if indeed it has). I would be the happiest man on earth if power improves in Nigeria because my businesses back there will at least cease to suffer... now we just gotta concentrate on other things stifling growth, namely, corruption!

The problem with myopic folks like yourself is that you think anyone that disagrees with you hates you. GEJ is corrupt, this mumu sees nothing wrong in that, all he sees is that no light for 2 weeks has now turned into 12hrs a day electricity, and for him, thats ok! Olodo, no its not! Push your country to serve you! Push your Govt to serve you! You are not meant to be the slave of the Govt, the Govt is supposed to be your slave! Get it?

Attacking me, while avoiding core issues, doesn't change or uplift your living standards. All it exposes is your ignorance and your lack of knowledge about your rights. I'm not your problem! Your Uber-Corrupt Govt is who you should be tackling, not the man behind a computer screen typing furiously away, hoping for a better life for Nigerians while praying some Govt officials are reading his piece and will take it into consideration if their conscience pr*icks them enough.

You can f**k off now, too!

kingoffrog or W̶̲̥̅̊e̶̲̥̅̊t̶̲̥̅̊i̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ Ʊ call yaself park well.the only fool I Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡ here is you slowpoke.if Ʊ like go jump inside lagoon,that would not change the Fact that power has improved in nigeria.so no die of heart attack!

comrade oscar: dat is wht is called satarical irony. d writer saucitly capture d situation. we are only first in graft ad other forms of jiggery pokery. dot 4get dat tru dis olympics , millionaires hav bin made dey dot kia wht other Nigerians feel. d fact remains; as far as dis block heads kip ruling us, d Naija of our dream wil remain a mirage! what a country!

your father is a block head that is why he would neva achieve what GEJ has achieved.is it only in this administration that nigeria didnt win anything in the olympic?, is nigeria the only african country that didnt win a medal in the olympic? Am sure other african countries. That didnt perform well did not call their president block head.if your father was so smart why didnt he contest and win the seat of the presidency in NIGERIA!.and if ur answer is NO to the 2 questions I asked Ʊ then ur father is not only a block head he wasted his sperm giving birth to a simpleton.

kingoflag: Dude, spare me the sermon!

As long as your President devours $30,000/day meals while an overwhelming majority of the population starve to death, nothing you'll tell me will change my mind-HE IS MEDIOCRE AND NIGERIA CAN DO BETTER!

As long as he's clearly corrupt- HE IS MEDIOCRE AND NIGERIA CAN DO BETTER!

As long as he allows his illiterate wife to continue exhibiting her backwardness and displaying her myopism to the world by picking up undeserved Govt posts here and there, fighting for Govt Lands like it personally belongs to her, parties with the wives of other Heads of States and lavishing state funds on these jamborees while Nigerians starve---- HE IS MEDIOCRE AND NIGERIA CAN DO BETTER!

As long as he reads N500Million Newspapers while Nigerians starve---HE IS MEDIOCRE AND NIGERIA CAN DO BETTER!

As long as he keeps cavorting with those that destroyed Nigeria, and are still destroying Nigeria---- HE IS MEDIOCRE AND NIGERIA CAN DO BETTER!

As long as he keeps his worth secret and tells Nigerians to shut it---that they're his servants instead of him being theirs--- and he doesn't give a damn about declaring his assets so we can figure out how a recent College Professor became a Billionaire in Dollars overnight---- HE IS MEDIOCRE AND NIGERIA CAN DO BETTER!

Finally, as long as he's mediocre---- HE IS MEDIOCRE AND NIGERIA CAN DO BETTER!

So, please spare me the pontification and do what you know is right in your heart and stop celebrating mediocrity!

Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡ bad belle!!! GEJ is a mediocre we don hear Ʊ but that doesn't change the fact that power has improved.if GEJ who according to Ʊ is a mediocre can achieve this improvement in the power sector under 2 yrs then I wish a mediocre like Gej had been in power since independent instead of our performing past heads of states apart from obj and gowon who built the power plants we have today. Apart from those two what did the likes of buhari,ibb ,abacha achieve? How many power plant did they build? If they performed their duties instead of institutionalizing corruption we won't be celebrating what u call mediocre! If Ʊ like call him what Ʊ like you can not change the fact that power has improved

taharqa: My friend read d article b4 postin confidently.d PHCN guy never said there will be no more power outages(it came 4rm d head of d OP), wot he said they d improvements noticd will be sustaind and dat d stricking PHCN Shiroro workers(sm of whom he calld Saboteurs) will not derail it

don't mind them, in their bid to criticize some of them don't read through threads

Fabulous Autos: I have two 30 liters kegs that I use for my two generators. They were filled to the brim about 6 weeks ago and up till now, they are still full because light has been constant for almost 2 months.

The light have not gone off a second for the past 5 days. Come tomorrow morning, I'm going to transfer the fuel to my car. I don't know of other location, but I live in Ajah and I'm sure others in this location will testify that light have been incredibly constant here in the past 2 months.

For once, I can now believe there's hope for Nigeria.

ur right my brother I stay in ajah area too I ∂eƔ even fear make our transformer no blow sef because of the constant supply of electricity. Fg they are trying more grease to their elbows

Construction of 2nd Niger Bridge Begins Next Year


11 Aug 2012
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Proposed 2nd Niger Bridge


By Bennett Oghifo                                       
                                  
Work on the second bridge across the River Niger at Onitsha will begin in the first quarter of next year, the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen has said.


The minister stated this yesterday during the inspection of rehabilitation work at the third mainland bridge in Lagos.
Also to begin in the first quarter of next year is the reconstruction of the International Airport Road in Lagos into an eight-lane carriageway.


On the rehabilitation of the third mainland bridge, Onolememen said work pace was currently a week ahead of schedule, adding that it was possible to complete the bridge’s rehabilitation before the proposed due date of November 5 this year.


"The deadline we have given to Lagosians on completion of the maintenance work on the third mainland bridge will not change but rather we will work hard to see if we can get some mileage of say a couple of weeks. I thank you Lagosians for your patience and perseverance."


On the second Niger Bridge, Onolememen said, "the Federal Government’s intention is for real. The decision reached was that the FG’s counterpart funding for the bridge would come from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme. When the SURE programme was put together, the second Niger Bridge featured prominently. That is why if you look at the SURE key programmes, over N20 billion was budgeted for the second Niger Bridge. 


"During this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting, a consultancy advisory committee was inaugurated. We are determined to do the ground-breaking ceremony of the second Niger Bridge in the first quarter of next year."


He said many international consortiums have expressed interest in the concession of the second Niger Bridge. "As a matter of fact, these are people who are very vast in the issue of concession and are big names from Germany, Australia, France, Italy and many European countries."


Onolememen said the procurement of the contract of the bridge was not well done in the past but that there was a transparent system in place now to ensure that every procurement process was done the proper way. On the federal government’s involvement in the proposed fourth mainland bridge, Onolememen said, "many people are not aware that the Federal Ministry of Works conceived and designed what is called the second Lagos outer ring road whose first section will take off from Apapa and Tin Can Island area through Sango-Abeokuta and empty into the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.


"When we reviewed the proposal, the issue of the fourth mainland bridge came up and it was resolved that the project must include the fourth mainland bridge that will link Lekki with Ikorodu."


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/construction-of-2nd-niger-bridge-begins-next-year/122098/

By Emmanuel Edukugho

As joblessness  worsened by the profligacy of our political leaders and government functionaries who relish in squandering of public funds, and accumulation of ill-gotten wealth, extortion has become a thriving industry for many able-bodied men in most urban centres, towns and cities across the country.

Extortion has become most profound in the road transport sector with Lagos at the forefront where virtually all the urban bus stops have been turned into revenue generating centres. These are manned by ruthless, abrasive and violent young men forcing commercial bus operators to pay various amounts of money on every trip.

The withdrawal of police from the nation’s highways and abolition of road blocks and checkpoints by the new Inspector General  on assumption of office, Mr. Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, paved the way for men of national Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to take absolute control of the illegal (or legal) toll collections in bus stops across the sprawling metropolitan Lagos.

Hitherto, the police operatives were making huge financial returns running into millions of naira from various check points raised by them until the coming of Abubakar who ordered their removal and confined police men and women to the stations.


Extortion by Police and Agberos
Popularly known as “agbero”, a Yoruba slang for those who load and canvass for passengers for commercial buses at designated motor parks, they are now operating outside, positioning themselves in all the bus stops, imposing all manners of levies, dues on  commercial transporters probably with the connivance and acquiescence of the Lagos State Government.

The NURTW leadership, recognised as labour union, recruits men who collect money from hapless commercial transport operators, most times using violent means in naked display of barbarism. The impunity, heartlessness and reckless manner these people go about collecting money from  bus conductors  and drivers depicts Lagos as lawless and brutish, outside civilised norms. Yet, this is happening openly day and night, in a state that prides itself as “Centre of Excellence.”

Commuters and commercial transport operators went through harrowing experience the hands of these heartless NURTW  functionaries or agbero. Every bus stop has its own unit of agbero operatives, well trained in gestapo method to extort, armed with wooden clubs, sticks, whips, iron rods, to attack buses who do not stop to pay financial tributes that ranged from N50, N100, N200, and even N500.

Woe to bus conductors who hesitate to pay quickly. Wind screens are smashed, side mirrors broken or forcibly pulled out, wipers, fuel tanks removed. Some dare-devils among them make bold to enter the buses and take away seats. If this is done, the bus conductor will have to pay more to reclaim the seat.

Sometimes, delay or refusal to pay the toll amounts could lead to severe beating of the conductor and driver by group of agbero, lurking around bus stops to monitor the collection of money.

The fear of agbero on Lagos roads is the beginning of wisdom for commercial bus operators. Many of them, in order to avoid NURTW miscreants are compelled to seek the escort of security personnel – soldiers, naval, air-force, mopol, to board commercial buses in order to shield them from rampaging touts in bus stops.

This may just alleviate or reduce the level of assault but not completely prevent extortion which has assumed some kind of legitimacy. A bus driver, Bayo Alabi, who plies the  Okokomaiko-Oyingbo routes, told Saturday Vanguard, that the menace of agbero is becoming unbearable.

“It seems we are working for them. More than 50% of what we make daily goes to these agbero people. We find it difficult to break even and balance the owners of our buses at the end of the day. We’ve protested against these illegal  payments, but government has turned deaf ears and would not look into our plight.”

Alabi said government is aware of this exploitation they benefit from it as well.  Another driver on Ebute-Ero to Mile 12 route already frustrated with the system.

“We don’t know who will rescue us from agbero. Government is not willing to bail us out. They are just allowing them to exploit us. These agbero boys don’t pay tax, don’t contribute anything for road maintenance, but only to collect money day and night, remit to those who sent them to meet fixed target and get their own share,” said Mr. Michael Adio.

As buses arrived at bus stops, they will come around wielding sticks, sternly asking conductors in Yoruba: “Owo da, owo da,” meaning  “where is the money.” You dare not waste a second before complying, otherwise the conductor will be attacked and pulled down from the bus, slapped and beaten until he pays the appropriate amount. Commuters cannot intervene, but to just watch quietly. Even policemen and soldiers can’t do anything. Most of the agbero wear different types of uniforms.

Motorcycle operators (Okada) are also harassed and brazenly exploited by another kind of agbero, working for the various local government councils in whose jurisdictions they are operating. Okada operators have their own parks where they pay money to officials and are given receipts. Some of the receipts are not genuine, but compelled to give out stipulated amounts daily, although not as frequent as commercial bus operators.

An okada rider, Ibrahim Ali, told Saturday Vanguard: “We can’t operate our machine without obtaining tickets at least twice a day. Council officials will seize the motorcycle if we don’t pay on demand or show your receipt for payment.”

People buying goods in markets and carrying them away are not spared from overzealous revenue collectors ostensibly working for local governments. So too are hawkers around markets, parks, streets and commercial areas. They are assessed on the spot, and made to pay, otherwise their goods will be seized. Such actions seemed to complement efforts of KAI to rid streets of traders and hawkers who contribute to the frequent traffic gridlock and environmental hazards.

An official of NURTW, who refused to disclose his name, said, the union is duly registered and actions of its members collecting dues at bus stops from commercial transport operators picking passengers and for loading are legitimate. “We do not tolerate their unruly behaviour and excesses. Any of them who misbehaved and reported to the unit chairman is dealt with and properly disciplined. NURTW is well organized and responsible,” he said.

He denied that union operatives extort money from bus operators, saying that loading dues and other payments at bus stops are usual across the country. Attempts to get government’s reaction were futile as no official in the Ministry of Public Transportation was willing to speak on the matter.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/at-lagos-bus-stops-its-extortion-galore-by-police-agberos/

Here are some of his family members that he allocated lands to accounding to efcc we neva talk of gal friendsOoo.

Another source in the commission said the ex-Minister may be questioned on sales of government houses and allocation of 51,133 plots of land in the FCT during his tenure.
The allegations border on alleged reallocation of a parcel of land, No 1201, in Asokoro District and Plot 3352 (Maitama District) by el-Rufai to his wife, associates and a company in which he had vested interest.
Some of the parcels of land were originally designated in the FCT Master Plan for power transmitting sub-station by the Power Holding Company (PHCN) and the Nigeria Postal Service.
A document obtained by The Nation revealed the identities of el-Rufai’s relatives who allegedly got choice plots in Asokoro, Wuse II, Maitama, Jabi, Kubwa, and Utako districts.
On the list are: Hadiza Isma el-Rufai (Plot 3379 Asokoro); Bashir el-Rufai (Plot 1381 Wuse II); Aisha Ahmad el-Rufai (Plot 3376 Asokoro); Ibrahim el-Rufai(Plot 3677 Maitama); Binta Ahmed el-Rufai ( Plot 871 Jabi); Hadiza Isma el-Rufai (Plot 1417 Kubwa); Tijani Ahmed el-Rufai (Plot 4062 Bwari); Rufai Hanga (Plot 1132 Utako); Ali Rufai (Plot 3861 Asokoro); and Sani Ahmed Gwadu (Plot 363 Utako).
The ex-minister had appeared before the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, which investigated the sale of all Federal Government houses in Abuja, demolition of structures, revocation of titles and concession of properties between 1999 and 2007.
The Committee, led by Senator Abubakar Danso Sodangi, indicted the el-Rufai.


http://www.transparencyng.com/index.php/news-categories/82-law-crime-a-judiciary/969-abuja-land-grab-efcc-lists-el-rufais-allottees


The senate indicted him just like the subsidy theives that his screaming they should prosicute el rufai na thief.

strangest: Haha.. Thief na thief.. Even if na half plot.. For him to agree that he stole 8plots shows that he stole more than 800plots.. Aboki robinhood, you stole from the poor and give to the rich, what of the ones you gave to your girlfriends or you think we don't know about it? Don't worry nemesis will finally catch up on you..

no mind the thief for him to admit that he stole only 8 plots that means he stole much more.the case is in court we would soon find out about his land grabbing scheme.

NIGERIA Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a nationwide strike over the crisis in the power sector, including the invasion of the headquarters of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by military men and the current deductions from  workers’ salaries.

The labour union took the decision after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Benin City, Edo State, on Wednesday, where issues on security, the face-off between the National Assembly and the presidency over budget implementation, corruption, crude oil theft, murder of Olaitan Oyerinde, trial of fuel subsidy scam suspects, the Nigerian Railway Corporation  centenary celebrations and leadership of the NLC were discussed.

The NLC gave a one-week ultimatum to the Federal Government and the management of PHCN to conclude negotiations with the unions or face nationwide blackout.

In a communiqué issued and read after the meeting by its president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, the NLC declared that the congress and its allies would commence strike if the government and the PHCN management failed to satisfactorily conclude negotiations with the unions by the end of one week.

The NEC condemned in its entirety the military takeover of the corporate headquarters of the PHCN over an industrial relations issue and, therefore, called on the Federal Government to, within the next one week, withdraw the army from PHCN installations.

“To prosecute this action, NEC directs that strike committees be set up immediately across the country,” Comrade Omar said.

He pointed out that the NEC had directed the unions in the power sector to also commence actions to compel the management of

PHCN and government to implement their collective agreements.

On the pension matter, the congress reiterated its earlier position that the New Pension Act did not abolish gratuity, saying that the 25 per cent contribution by the workers should be paid up to date.

“NEC holds the view that there cannot be retroactive contribution, hence if the PHCN management intends to migrate to the new pension policy, they should go into agreement with the unions and agree on the commencement date to start the contribution,” he said.

The NLC condemned the recent attack on the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) national secretariat and called on the law enforcement agencies to commence the prosecution of persons arrested in connection with the act.

It also condemned the style and manner of intervention in the PHCN imbroglio by the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, warning that the congress might be compelled to boycott all activities involving the minister.

“Any attempt to disregard the clear provisions of the law by any government functionary, no matter how highly placed, will be massively resisted in the best traditions of trade unionism,” Omar warned.

He noted that in spite of the measures taken by the government, the security situation in the country continued to deteriorate.

The NLC president noted that kidnappings, assassinations, resurgence of robberies, bombings, communal and sectarian violence had led to loss of lives, displacements, interruption of productive activities with prospect of acute food shortages, destruction of properties and capital flight.

He emphasised that government’s continuous display of incapacity to confront these problems had eroded the confidence of the citizenry in the ability of the government to protect them.

Omar also described the face-off between the National Assembly and the executive on the implementation of the budget as healthy for democracy, saying that it brought about checks and balances in the system.

He urged the National Assembly to continue to perform its lawmaking and oversight functions as prescribed by the constitution, but further advised that this should not be tainted by partisan politics.

The NLC NEC also re-affirmed its confidence in the national leadership of the congress.

Meanwhile, virtually all offices of the PHCN in Kano remained locked on Thursday, as workers embarked on indefinite strike to protest the non-payment of their July salaries and deduction of 7.5 per cent from their salaries as pension contribution

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the PHCN office at Post Office Road, the main entrance gate was locked.

According to some of the workers, who craved anonymity, the deduction of the pension was not well thought out, in view of the economic burden of the masses.

The state secretary of the NUEE, Mallam Muhammad Musa, said the directive to embark on the strike was from the national headquarters.

Also speaking on the issue, the  Principal Manager (Public Affairs), Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Mallam Muktari Baffa, said the deduction was the directive from the Federal Ministry of Power, in compliance with the 2004 Pension Reform Act.


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/45673-nationwide-power-outage-looms-as-nlc-declares-strike-over-crisis-in-phcn

kunlekunle: King DAVID
He was a king, a prophet, poet, soldier and a priest.
Even when he ate the bread in the temple, he enjoyed the exemption of punishment cos of his office.

did king david contest for the throne?,did he accend the throne through the hate message that your hero bakare is preaching?.king david was choosen by God to be the second king of a united kingdom of isreal he did not become king by contesting for the throne of isreal.he did not become king by joining a political party and instigating people to rise up against the government of the day. Even when saul died in battle david that he persicuted mourned his death.bakare is like saul filled with hate and jealousy while GEJ is like david in this quote from the bible

. David is successful in many battles, and his popularity awakes Saul's fears — "What more can he have but the kingdom?" By various stratagems the jealous king seeks his death, but the plots only endear David the more to the people, and especially to Saul's son Jonathan, who loves David (1 Samuel 18:1, 2 Samuel 1:25–26). KING DAVID did not contest for his throne and was not a card carrying member of any political party instead he served under saul whom he never critized but loved to even moan him in death.read your bible and stop following a false prophet that has exchanged the pupit for a podium to preach hate and incite people against GEJ it would only make make people L♥√ع him the more, the organisation chain h as just showed this with this statement you did not answer my question though cos david didnt contest for the post of king he was made king.a

Those who still think bakare is a man off God,can they point to the bible where a prophet of God ran for a political position,like becoming the king or ruler?.where in the bible did a true prophet of God was a card carrying member of a political party and at the same Time a preacher in God's church?. Bakare should read this verses of the bible that the group recommended to him.
I pity his followers.

2 Timothy 2:24 which is that "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful."

United States Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton has implored President Goodluck Jonathan to take the tough decisions  that were needed in tackling insecurity and economic problems in the country and gain the full support of the US in fighting the Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram .

Clinton who arrived the presidential villa at about 3:52pm amidst tight United States security accompanying her convoy, walked into straight into President Jonathan's office as soon as she alighted from the vehicle.

"We want to work with you and we will be by your side as you make the reforms and take the tough decisions that are necessary", she told Jonathan in a close door meeting.

LEADERSHIP gathered that Clinton who assured Jonathan of United States readiness to assist Nigeria tackling terrorism head on noted, however, that the country may not succeed if it depends on the military and conventional warfare only.

She said, "We appreciate that you know how committed United States and the Obama Administration is to our partnership with your country. We consider it absolutely vital to our bi National commission  which as you have mentioned has helped us to expand and deepen our cooperation on full range of issues.

"We are working on economic matters,the improvement of productivity in agriculture,education and health ,security,diversification of your economy and so much more. We intend to remain very supportive on your reform efforts.

"Thank you for mentioning the work we did together on the election. We were also very supportive of anti corruption reform efforts, more transparency in the work that you and your team are also championing because we really believe that the future for Nigeria is limitless but the most important task that you face, as you have said, is making sure that there are better opportunities for all Nigerians, South, East, West, every young boy and girl to have chance to fulfil his God given potential".

Earlier, President Jonathan had thanked Clinton for raising the relationship between Nigeria and America to a very high level that had never been reached for quite some time before she became Secretary of State.

Noting that Clinton had been very very supportive by personally chairing the Bi-national commission in which various issues bordering on security and the economy were discussed, Jonathan said President Barack Obama's administration had been quite passionate about Africa and Nigeria in particular.

He said, "He (Obama) has always been very supportive of us for the past five years. From the days I came in as Vice President, especially that period which as a nation we faced a lot of challenge when the late President was very ill and we passed through turbulence period.

And the support he gave us is one of the support that stabilised this country. And when we insisted we must conduct an election that is free and fair and that is the only way we can stabilise democracy, they were very supportive.

"They gave us moral support, technical support to INEC and assisted us to make sure that we conducted elections that national and international observers declared as quite free and fair.

So let me on behalf of government and good people of Nigeria really thank you and President Obama and the good people of America for this your help for Nigeria and Africa and all what you are doing to make sure that this part of the globe develops".

Clinton held a meeting with all the security chiefs in the country who were at the presidential villa an hour before she arrived. She also held a meeting with some group of ministers led by Finance Minister and coordinating minister for the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala before leaving for the Abuja airport at about 6:10pm to proceed to Ghana for Late President John Atta Mills' burial.

President Jonathan followed immediately to the airport where he flew to Ghana with the Nigerian delegation for the said burial.



http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/32128/2012/08/09/clinton_jonathan_take_tough_decisions_well_stand_you.html

POLITICAL parties, under the auspices of the Lagos League of Political Parties (LLPP), yesterday expressed shock over a recent report in a national daily, which listed Lagos as one of the highly indebted states in the country.

In the report purportedly released by the Debt Management Office, Lagos State government was said to have, as at June 30, 2012, accumulated an external debt profile of $517,677,672 (more than half a billion dollars), despite having a monthly revenue of about N33 billion.

The parties, in a statement by the chairman, Udoka Udeogaranya, decried the debt prolife and urged all financial clearing houses to do everything possible “to checkmate these embarrassing loans.”

They also urged the Lagos State government to commence setting off these debts and have them repaid before December 2014.

According to LLPP, even with such a huge monthly revenue accruing to the state, the debt is strangely increasing by the year and the government seems at liberty borrowing as if these debts will once again enjoy forgiveness or grow wings and fly away.

“With several projects in the state as public/private investment that will be user charged, one begins to wonder the honest utilisation of these huge funds,” the statement reads.

is that what happened?.So are Ʊ telling us that it was bakare that passed the law that finally but GEJ there during the period Ʊ mentioned on your thread?. Tell me something.

How NNPC bleeds Nigeria, by AGF
THURSDAY, 09 AUGUST 2012 00:00 FROM JOHN-ABBA OGBODO, ABUJA NEWS - NATIONAL


• $1.4b interest unpaid,  $5.7m penalty fund missing

• $55.7m outstanding against foreigners

• Declares $200m security vote illegal

A FRESH account of the mind-boggling mismanagement of Nigeria’s resources has come to the fore with the disclosure by the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Samuel Ukura, that the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is riddled with abuses.

In his 2010 report titled: “Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation on the accounts of the Federation of Nigeria for the Year Ended December 31, 2010” just forwarded to the National Assembly, the AGF also observed that the Joint Venture Cash Call Account had been grossly abused by the operators.

“Penalty charges amounting to USD$5,700,000.00 for late submission of letters of credit were not collected from crude oil customers who failed to submit letters of credit within five (5) business days... as stipulated by Article 13.3 of the general conditions of the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA).

“The Group Managing Director had been informed through the Accountant-General of the Federation to recover the above penalty charges from the affected crude oil and gas customers”, the report read in part.

The report continued: “The Internal Audit Unit of Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) used green ink when carrying out the routine audit of the records of the department. This practice is a contravention of the provision of the Financial Regulation (2009) 3002 which states that  ‘except in the case of drawing offices, where they may be required for the preparation of maps and plans, the use of green ink or pencils in the recording of checking of accounting or store transactions by officers other than those in the office of the Auditor-General is strictly forbidden.’”

According to the report, “in the year under review, the following observations were made: An amount of USD$55,789,478.04 was outstanding against some foreign crude oil customers and are no longer engaging in business with NNPC.

“An amount of N377,364,075.70 was outstanding against some local crude oil customers. Since local sales of crude oil attracts only ninety (90) days credit facility, considering the age analysis of the debts, it would appear that serious efforts were not made for the recovery of these debts.”

On the Joint Venture Cash Call, the report said:  “In the year under review, the following observations were made during the examination of the Joint Venture Cash Call Account (i) Interest earned on Joint Venture Cash Call Account amounting to USD$1,449,047.58 was not paid into the Federation Account as petroleum related revenue.

“(ii) An amount of USD$200,000,000.00 was paid to NNPC Corporate Headquarters as security payment. This expenditure was not included in the approved budget of the Joint Venture operators and the nature of the security as well as the beneficiaries were not disclosed.

“The statutory auditor of the Joint Venture operators only submitted the audited accounts of the operators to NNPC/NAPIMS without the accompanied Management Reports  (Letter of Weakness). Management Report on audited Financial Statement is a vital supporting document detailing weaknesses observed by the auditor in the internal control system of the audited entity. Considering the magnitude of the interest of NNPC/NAPIMS in the operation of the Joint Venture Operators and the nature of the business, it is imperative for NNPC/NAPIMS to have access to the Management Reports (Letter of Weaknesses) of the operators in order to determine the level of weakness in the internal control system of the operators and to make necessary recommendations for improvement. It should be noted that the non- inclusion of the Management Reports with the Audited Financial Statements made the audit assignment incomplete.

“Examination of Annual Returns from the Joint Venture Operators for the year ended December 31, 2010, showed that Joint Venture Cash Call amounting to USD$824,410.23 and N120,496,213,000.00 were in arrears as at the above date. Inability of NNPC/NAPIMS to meet up with the Cash Call obligations based on the approved cash call budget would appear to impede the general performance of the Joint Venture Operators vis-a-vis revenue accruable to the Federation Accounts.’’

It continued:  “A loan of USD$250,000,000.00 was granted to NNPC to fund pipeline expansion, up till date, payment of this loan is yet to be made by NNPC to the Joint Venture Cash Call Account.

“During the examination of the Bank Statements of the Bank Accounts of the Joint Venture Operators, it was observed that some operators overdrew their Naira Joint Venture Operation Accounts totaling N15,653,723,618.70. Authority for the operators to obtain the overdrafts was not made available to the Team of Auditors. In addition, it was observed that high interest charges on the overdrafts, which was not budgeted for constitute a drain on the available Joint Venture Cash Call Funds of the affected operators.

“An amount of USD$282,950,223.60 was paid from the Joint Venture Cash Call Account on July 5, 2010 to NNPC Corporate Headquarters for the purpose of funding Escravos-Lagos pipeline expansion project Phase 2. As at the time the fund was released by NAPIMS, the budget in respect of the project for the year 2010 was not yet approved. Hence the fund was released in anticipation of the approval of the 2010 budget, which means that when the 2010 budget in respect of the project is approved and released, the money would be refunded to the Joint Venture Cash Call Account where it was drawn.  However, there was no evidence of such refund into the Account as at the time of the audit in September 2011. Using fund meant for Joint Venture Cash Call to finance different projects for which it was not budgeted without the approval of the National Assembly, amounts to unauthorised virement of fund.”

Consequently, the report said: “The Group Managing Director has been informed through the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the interest of US$1,449,047.58 earned on the Joint Venture Cash Call Account into the Federation account; explain the payment of US$200,000,000 outside the approved budgetary provision with detailed evidence of disbursement, nature of security and acknowledgement from the beneficiaries; make sure that the loan of US$250,000,000 is refunded to Joint Venture Cash Call JP Morgan Chase account without delay; make available the authority for the operators to obtain the overdrafts. However, in the absence of an authority for the overdrafts, the interest charged on the overdrafts should be determined and the affected operators should be made to refund their own portion.’’

The report also indicted the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), saying: “During the audit examination of accounting and other records at the Department of Petroleum Resources, for the Federation Account Revenue, it was observed that the computation of royalties payable by the oil companies was based on the actual crude oil lifted by them and not calculated on actual production figures contrary to the provisions of the MOUs with the relevant oil companies. The MOUs provide that payment of royalties should be based on production volume multiplied by the prescribed royalty rates.”

The General Manager, Media Relation of the Corporation, Dr. Farouk Umar, said that the NNPC was yet to get a copy of the report, adding that “we are just hearing about it for the first time.”

He said: “We have not seen the report. I will go and look at the report and NNPC will study it and react to it later.”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95026:how-nnpc-bleeds-nigeria-by-agf&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

At OP read and understand


Credit Rating Agency Upgrades Nigeria's Outlook
(29 Dec)
Credit rating agency Standard and Poors has revised Nigeria's economic outlook from stable to positive.

In a statement, the rating agency says the Nigerian government, under President Goodluck Jonathan, has undertaken several important reform initiatives and is tightening its fiscal and monetary stance.

It says authorities have restructured and strengthened the banking sector, adding that it expects economic growth to remain strong.

While in office, Mr. Jonathan has introduced several measures to improve transparency and improve efficiency. He has also backed plans to develop Nigeria’s gas reserves and improve the national electricity grid.

Standard and Poors cautions that ratings for Nigeria are constrained by the country's internal political tensions, weak political institutions and low level of development.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

If this is true then kudos to the security agencies.cos I don't believe sahara reporters.I will check other media to confirm before I jubilate!

Mr Everest: what are you yappin about, let GEJ fix power and i will roll out drums and champion his re-election ambition! Those mediocres that ruled before him and yet failed to revamp the power sector, what did you do to hold them accountable for their misrule? Park well jor, your right my foot.

don't mind the mugu when we didnt use to have light then it wasnt. Our right,now that were begining to Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡ improvement,electricity has suddenly become our right.

Kobojunkie: Stop Lying!!

kobokobo go through this thread.

https://www.nairaland.com/911073/why-sacked-phcn-chiefs-nnaji

08/08/2012 09:50:00Ascology Publishing
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The Trial of Nigerian lawmaker, Hon. Farouk Lawan for allegedly receiving $620,000 bribe cash from businessman and oil mogul, Femi Otedola has been given the green light.


The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), has given the legal advice for the trial of the suspended Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime and the Clerk of the panel, Mr. Boniface Emenalo.

The Office of the AGF has engaged a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, to handle the prosecution of the two suspects on behalf of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The charges against the suspects will be filed any moment from now by the prosecutor.

According to sources, the AGF has established a prima facie case against Lawan and Emenalo, based on police investigation.

Section 26 of the ICPC Act empowers the AGF to prosecute Lawan or any other suspect.

The section says: “Prosecution for an offence under this Act shall be initiated by the Attorney-General of the Federation or any person or authority to whom he shall delegate his authority in any superior court of record as designated by the Chief Judge of a State or the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja under section 61 (3) of this Act; and every prosecution for an offence under this Act or any other law prohibiting bribery, corruption, fraud or any other related offence shall be deemed to be initiated by the Attorney-General of the Federation.”

A source, who spoke in confidence, said the legal advice had been sent to the ICPC for immediate trial of the suspects.

The source said: “Police investigation has shown clearly that Lawan and Emenalo have a case to answer. They will be charged under some sections in the ICPC Act.

“As a matter of fact, the police confirmed the receipt of the bribe sum by Lawan and Emenalo, although they refused to produce the cash.

“The video and audio clips showed beyond doubt how the bribe sum was collected. The clips will be primary evidence which will be filed before a High Court.

“A respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, will handle the prosecution and he has been asked to go ahead to file charges against the suspects after due consultations with ICPC.”

Some of the detectives, who handled the investigation, and businessman Femi Otedola, who gave Lawan the bribe in what he called a sting operation, will testify for the prosecution during the trial.

“With this development, the police bend of the bribery has been temporarily closed, unless there is any fresh clue on the bribe sum,” the source said.

The suspects may be arraigned in line with sections 8, 10, 15, 20 and 20 of the ICPC Act 2000.

Also, if the trial is not disrupted with injunctions, the ICPC Act says the suspects are to know their fate within 90 working days of their arraignment in court.

Section 26 says: “A prosecution for an offence shall be concluded and judgment delivered within ninety (90) working days of its commencement save that the jurisdiction of the court to continue to hear and determine the case shall not be affected where good grounds exists for a delay.”

But a curious aspect of the forthcoming prosecution of the suspects is the fact that the court is at liberty to compel them to retrieve the bribe wherever it is kept.

The suspects risk a seven-year jail term, if they do not produce the cash.

 





Section 15 says: “Any person who, with intent to defraud or conceal a crime or frustrate the Commission in its investigation of any suspected crime of corruption under this Act or under any other law:

“Destroys, alters, mutilates, or falsifies any book, documents, valuable security, account, computer system, diskette, computer print out or other electronic device which belongs to or is in the possession of his employer, or has been received by him on account of his employment, or any entry in any such book, document, accounts, or electronic device, or is privy to any such act; or

“Make, or is privy to making any false entry in any such book, document, account or electronic record; or

“Omits, or is privy to omitting, any material particular from any such book, document, account or electronic record; is guilty of a felony, and shall on conviction be liable to seven (7) years imprisonment.”

Section 20 is explicit on the payment of fine, which is going to be five times of the bribe sum.

The section adds: “Without prejudice to any sentence of imprisonment imposed under this Act, a Public Officer or other person found guilty of soliciting, offering or receiving gratification, shall forfeit the gratification and pay a fine of not less than five times the sum of the value of the gratification which is the subject matter of the offence where such gratification is capable of being valued or is of a pecuniary nature, or ten thousand Naira, whichever is higher.”


http://ascology.com/news/local-news/26864-Subsidy-Bribery-Scandal-gives-green-light-Farouk-Lawans-trial.html

Very Good developement.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/efcc-releases-n4-5m-to-cso-to-monitor-states-lgas-on-budget-implementations/

EFCC releases N4.5m to CSO to monitor states, LGAs on budget implementations


August 8, 2012 | 12:14 pm
News

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
CALABAR – THE Economic and Financial Crime Commission has released the sum of N4.5 million to some Civil Society Organizations to monitor budget implementation in Cross River State.

The money which was given to the commission by the United Nations Development Programme would be given to a yet to be mentioned CSO to monitor activities of government in project implementation in the state and three local government areas.

Head of Strategy and Reorientation Units of the EFCC, Mr. Gabriel Aduda who disclosed this at the Town Hall meeting on governance accountability programme in Calabar, Tuesday, said that the commission wanted to identify anti corruption revolution partner in each state to monitor activities of states and local government officials in budget implementation.

Aduda stated that the EFCC believed strongly that in fighting corruption there was the need for the commission to effectively under take the mandate given to it by the Nigerian people.

According to him, “What we intend to do with the N4.5 million, which is coming from the UNDP is to ensure better participation so that there will be more town hall meetings, there will more legislative intervention, there will be more engagement with the people and then ensure effective and efficient budget implementation monitoring  and tracking, by the time activities are on at the local government level.”

He said that the money from UNDP was a grant which was also given to six pilot states from the six geo-political zones while three states were chosen from each state.

“We chose pilot states and then a mapping was done by the independent CSO and Action Aid assisted us in that mapping apart from the technical support to us and they identified the local government from each senatorial district.

“This one just happens to be selected by chance but that does not in any way mean that we have to over look where funds are being misappropriated or wasted in other local government. All we are trying to do is to see within the pilot local government how we can reduce the wastages and level of appropriation.”

He advised ordinary citizens in the state to participate in the budget implementation, adding that, “e in the EFCC believe strongly that in fighting corruption there is need for us to effectively undertake the mandate that has been given us  by the people of Nigeria.”

Aduda further stated that the tripartite strategy the commission had adopted  through enforcement entailed investigation, prosecution and prevention by looking at system processes and procedure to see where it could identify or do a risk assessment in organisations and how to assist in blocking loopholes that gives room to corruption economic and financial crime.

He said, “We are here undertaking a town hall meeting with support from the UNDP and technical support from Action Aid Nigeria basically to look at the local government level, their budget processes, avenue that is open to citizens participation and effective delivery of public service at that level.

“We believe that the Local Government level is the closest to the people, we are putting our search light there because we believe in the area of prevention. If the people are effectively part of how the budget priority are arrived at, how the budget portfolio are built during the implementation the people will have ownership and they will want to ensure that what have been agreed to is effectively delivered.”

He said that the town hall meeting brought together all the stakeholders, government, legislature, local government, people and civil society of Nigeria to rub mind and see what have been so far and to move the process forward.

He further said, “The project was funded by the UNDP. We took six pilot states, one each from each geopolitical zone of Nigeria and Cross River was selected in the South-South.

“Within the South-South what we requested for was one local government from each senatorial district and that is what gives us the three Local Government areas we are working with in Cross River.

“In Cross River we will be working with Calabar Municipality, Yakurr and Obudu Local Government Area. One each represents senatorial district to see how much success can be achieved with the process before we can talk of replication national wide.”

Finally we now know who gives orders to Boko haram.just last week boko haram asked GEJ to resign,this week their commander el rufai has lunched his own GEJ should resign Campaign!. The question I have for people that are supporting el rufai is what did he do to solve the problems of nigeria when he was in government!. When he was in power how was the education sector,how was the power sector during the administration he served UNDER,how was the roads across nigeria when he was in power,what about the health sector mr el rufai what did the government Ʊ served under achieve in these sectors?.mr el rufai these Nigeria problems that Ʊ want GEJ to solve under 2 years, is it not you and your brothers that brought it upon nigeria?.after you and your born to rule bigots have destroyed nigeria and stolen all its wealth for more than 50 years,now want GEJ to resign!mr el rufai Ʊ and your boko haram supporters are joking.

August 8, 2012 | 12:04 am
Headlines

BY SAM EYOBOKA, KINGSLEY OMONOBI, INALEGWU SHAIBU, OLAYINKA LATONA, ISIAKA OYIBO & Boluwaji Obahopo
LAGOS — TWENTY-FOUR hours after gunmen attacked worshippers at Deeper Life Church, Otite in Okehi Local Government of Kogi State, killing 16 persons, suspected terrorists yesterday attacked men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) guarding Okene Central Mosque and killed two soldiers attached to the team.

Sources said that the gunmen came to the premises of the mosque in a white Hilux Jeep trying to force their way into the mosque when Muslim faithful had gathered for their Tafsir prayer, opened fire and killed two soldiers.

The Military men, who were stationed at the Central Mosque returned fire and killed two of the gunmen before the rest escaped.


The Deeper Life Church were 15 were killed
Kogi State Police Commissioner, Mr. Muhammed Katsina, who confirmed the incident, said that operatives of the command were on the trail of the gunmen.

Responding to the situation, the Kogi State Government declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew within Okene town and its environs.

Governor Idris Wada, who had earlier visited the church and General Hospital, decked in bullet proof vest, promised that the state government would pay the medical bills of victims, gave the directive during a statewide broadcast. He also restricted the movement of commercial motorcycle operators from 6am to 6pm in Lokoja, the state capital and Okene town and its environs.

Unexploded bomb discovered in another church in Kogi

To worsen increasing fear of insecurity in the state, a bomb was discovered at the Revival Church in Lokoja, the state capital. The Church which is located at Eika Adagu in Okehi Local Government Area is now surrounded by officers of the Nigeria Police Force and soldiers as family members of the deceased are coming around in tears, to identify their bodies.

IG orders 24-hour surveillance

Following intelligence reports that such attacks may be repeated in other parts of the state, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has ordered a 24-hour surveillance of all places of worship and other vulnerable areas in Okene and other parts of the state.


A victim of the Kogi church attack on his hospital bed.
According to a statement signed by Police Spokesman, CSP Frank Mba, the IG also ordered the immediate deployment of additional units of the Police Mobile Force from other Squadrons to beef up security arrangement in the state.

“The IG further appealed for calm among the people of Kogi State, promising that the perpetrators of ‘this heinous crime will certainly not go unpunished”.

Gunmen planned to kill all worshippers — Victims

Narrating how they survived the blood-chilling attack, some survivors said, yesterday, that if the gunmen, who attacked worshipers at the Deeper Life Church had their way, none of the about 80 worshippers would have survived.

Speaking on a day that the death toll of the attack rose to 20 following the death of four of the victims receiving treatment at one of the hospitals in Okene, the Zonal Coordinator of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Omotosho told Journalists that the plan of the gunmen was to kill everyone in the hall.

The presiding pastor of the church, Pastor Lambe Emmanuel was among those killed in the attack. The church Bible Study meeting usually attracts an estimated population of 80 per service.

He said that they received a distress call from one of the surviving pastors of  the church that they were under attack, adding that when they rushed to the scene, it was a gory sight that greeted them as corpses of the worshipers littered everywhere in the church.

One of the victims who spoke from the hospital stated that when the gunmen came, they blocked the main entrance of the church and put off the generating set and instantly opened fire on the worshipers.

“We were in the Church for normal Bible studies on Monday evening when they besieged us. After shooting, they started spraying under benches in the church to ensure no one survived the onslaught.”

However, few members were lucky to have managed to find an escape route amidst bullets fired randomly while they were trying to run for cover.

Another survivor, Mr. Lawal Saliu, who sustained several gun shot wounds, told newsmen on his hospital bed at the Lokoja specialist hospital: “I only saw two gunmen, who entered the church in a flowing gown during our usual bible study at around 11pm. Before we could say anything we started hearing gunshots I only woke up to find myself on this hospital bed, I don’t even know how I got here.

Another victim, Mr Samuel Ayodele, said he lost his wife and a child.  The Okene overseer of Deeper Life Church, Pastor Roland Egunjobi said the incident was the saddest moment of his life as most of the worshippers who were killed were children who came out for bible study with their parents.

This is coming as leading clerics, CAN, Senate President David Mark among others condemned the attacks and urged decisive action to stem the tide of insecurity.

Among clerics, who condemned the attack yesterday were CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; the Primate of the Anglican Church, Reverend Nicholas Okoh;  and Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu.

 

Attack

ungodly, wicked

—Mark

 

Kicking against the mass killings of worshippers in Okene by gunmen, Senate President Mark, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Kola Ologbondiya, said, “the attack on the Deeper Life Church, Okene, Kogi State as well as the places of worship in other states is ungodly and wicked.”  He stressed that the wanton murder of people being carried out by gunmen must be combated through communal vigilance and enjoined Nigerians to take routine check of their environment very important to stop the abuse of communal living by gunmen.

 

Clerics condemn attack

 

Clerics expressed disgust over the continued attack on churches and innocent Christians across the country, without concerted efforts by the security outfits in the country to stop the perpetrators. They were unanimous in their belief that insecurity invariably breeds instability and therefore called on the Goodluck Jonathan administration to demonstrate the necessary political will to address the problem before it escalates to a full blown sectarian war.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, condemned the mindless attack on innocent worshippers. Speaking through the Special assistant to the National President of CAN, Mr. Kenny Ashaka, the CAN helmsman, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor said: “We don’t want a situation where many Christians are daily being slaughtered like animals. The latest attack on Christians is totally condemnable, intolerable because it is callous and inhuman.”

The CAN president therefore called on the Federal Government to take a decisive action on this nagging issue before it is too late, noting “we have been at the forefront of this call”.

Speaking in an interview, National Secretary of the umbrella body of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Pastor Wale Adefarasin condemned the attack on innocent Christians in Kogi State, saying it was extremely frustrating to continue to read of these mindless killing of innocent worshippers.

Reacting in a telephone interview, the Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu also totally condemned the attack and the killing of 16 persons who were said to be attending a Bible study Monday evening.

“Anybody with his right senses and desires peace will condemn a barbaric act such as that,” he said, noting that life is sacred and what has happened has again demonstrated that life no longer means nothing.

According to him, the latest killing in Kogi should be seen as a wake up call for the security personnel, political office holders and even the president of the Federal Republic, President Goodluck Jonathan and indeed everybody in the country.

Meanwhile the Deeper Life Christian Church has kept mum over the Okene Massacre. All efforts to get the leaders to comment on the issue had failed as they either refused to pick their calls or like in the case of the church secretary, Pastor Jerry Asemota simply told this reporter “No comment” and cut off the line. All other calls to his numbers were simply ignored.

Anglican Primate condemns attack

The Primate of the Anglican Church, Reverend Nicholas Okoh has condemned Monday’s attack on a church in Okene, Kogi state which claimed the lives of 16 people.

Reverend Okoh who spoke with journalists in Abuja said that securing places of worship should not be left in the hands of the church alone.

He called on government to expedite action to secure the lives of its citizenry.

Responding to the call for the resignation of the president by members of the Boko Haram sect, the Anglican Primate said that the sect members are not responsible for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s election and should therefore not call for his resignation.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/kogi-under-siege-four-killed-in-fresh-attack-on-mosque/

08 Aug 2012


Hon. Farouk Lawan

By Ike Abonyi and Ejiofor Alike

The suspended Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the Fuel Subsidy regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, was Tuesday night barred from travelling out of the country at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Lawan, who is currently under investigation for collecting $500,000 from the Chairman, Zenon Petroleum & Gas Ltd, Mr. Femi Otedola, to doctor the report of the House ad hoc committee, was scheduled to board an Emirates Airline flight en route to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj when he was stopped by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) at the airport and prevented from leaving the country.

Lawan, THISDAY gathered, was very embarrassed when he was informed by the SSS that he would not be allowed to travel and was seen frantically making phone calls to what was believed to be “highly placed people in government” to help him out of his predicament.

Reliable sources in the SSS confirmed that the decision to bar Lawan from travelling stemmed from the fact that he is considered a flight risk and might seize the opportunity to flee the country in order to avoid arrest and arraignment.

As at press time, it wasn't certain if Lawan eventually got his way and was allowed to travel or not.

THISDAY had exclusively reported that the police had concluded their investigation into the cash-for-clearance scandal involving Lawan and the clerk to the ad hoc committee, Mr. Boniface Emanalo, and had forwarded their report to the Legal Department for advice.

It was learnt that the police investigative team, headed by Ali Amodu, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Task Force, was able to gather incriminating evidence which would be used to prosecute Lawan and Emenalo in court.

A source told THISDAY that in its response, the Police Legal Department recommended the trial of the duo.
Having finished their investigation, the police have sent the case file to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke for his consideration, preparatory to Lawan’s arraignment.

Adoke, it was gathered, is studying the case file and would take a decision this week on whether the police, which investigated the allegation, have enough evidence to sustain a trial in court.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/lawan-stopped-at-airport-from-travelling-abroad/121862/

jmaine: We are waiting for the statistics peddling dummies tucked far away in God knows where, to come arguing otherwise

you won't Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡ them comment on threads like this!.they are waiting for their paymasters to feed them the next propoganda and lies against this government,that is working seriously to turnaround this country that had been under misrule since independent by greedy military junta, from a paticular section of the country, if this clueless past heads of state had done what this government is doing in the power sector am not sure we would have electricity problem in nigeria.instead they were busy looting and creating ministries for their brothers and sisters.