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President Buhari’s Wife, Aisha, Daughter, Hanan, Co-travellers Escape Air Crash

Nigeria was saved from a national disaster and calamity over the weekend when the private jet returning the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, and her daughter, Hanan, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, lost control for about 10 minutes after five hours of flying, Saharareporters can exclusively confirm.

Recall that Saharareporters had exclusively reported that the First Lady sneaked out to the UAE, disguising the trip as a medical emergency under the government imposed lockdown to shop for the forthcoming wedding of Hanan.

On their return trip to Nigeria on Friday morning on a private jet with registration number GIV N52MK belonging to billionaire Mohammed Indimi, the plane lost complete control for 10 minutes while only one hour away from approaching the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

It was a strange occurrence beyond the comprehension and explanation of the pilot, who struggled with the aircraft while Mrs Buhari, Hanan and four others with them on the flight were thrown around in the process.

Upon landing safely at the Abuja airport, some of the passengers were rushed to a hospital for treatment and examination.

The First Lady is said to be in good health, however.

Hanan is billed to marry Mohammed Turad, son of a former lawmaker, Alhaji Mahmud Sani Sha’aban, who represented Zaria in the House of Representatives from May 2003 to May 2007.

The marriage is billed to take place on September 4, 2020, inside the Presidential Villa.

A graduate of photography from Ravensbourne University in England, Hanan in July 2019 ordered the Department of State Services to arrest a young businessman based in Delta State, Athony Okolie, after he was issued a mobile number by telecommunications company MTN previously used and abandoned by her.
Okolie spent 10 weeks in unlawful detention before he was finally released by the secret police.

Earlier in January, Hanan was again in the news after she attended an event to photograph a Durbar by Rilwanu Adamu, Emir of Bauchi, in one of the jets in the presidential fleet.

The move was condemned by Nigerians even though the Presidency defended the action by saying that it was a normal procedure.

The presidential panel probing Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has recommended his sack, TheCable understands.

In its interim report submitted on Wednesday, the panel headed, by Ayo Salami, retired president of the court of appeal, also recommended that Magu should be prosecuted over allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

Magu is also accused of violating the code of conduct law by allegedly failing to declare his assets when he assumed office in 2015.

TheCable understands that the panel also recommended the appointment of a new chairman for the anti-graft agency “without further delay”.

In a letter dated July 3, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the panel to submit its “interim reports to me from time to time”.

Mohammed Umar, former director of operations at the EFCC, has been in charge of the commission in acting capacity since July 6 when Magu was whisked before the panel by a combined team of Department of State Services (DSS) and officers from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of the police in Abuja.

He was detained area 10 of the FCT police command for nine days before being granted bail.

The travails of Magu, a commissioner of police, followed a memo by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, who accused him of “grave malfeasance”.

He was alleged to have mishandled the recovered loot and sold seized assets to his associates.

Magu was also alleged to have purchased a property in Dubai, United Arab Emirates using a pastor as a conduit.

He has since denied all the allegations which he described as “nonsense”, once saying: “what I am going through is a case of dog eats dog”.

The former acting chairman of EFCC has also accused the panel of not giving him fair hearing.

Through Wahab Shittu, his counsel, Magu has written several letters to the panel, demanding to be served a copy of the charges against him in order to prepare for defence.

Buhari had appointed him in 2015 but the senate declined to confirm his appointment, citing a DSS report which indicted him of corruption — although Magu's denied any wrongdoing.

A brake failure has caused a jet to run into a fence at the General Aviation Terminal of the Lagos Airport on Friday.

In the latest accident, the King Air Jet was reparking when the driver rammed into the fence, according to an eyewitness.

The jet had no passenger on board with the pilot suffering no injury.

“The accident happened around 10:00am at a tarmac beside Bristow Helicopter Hanger 3.

“The brake of the jet was not functioning which led to the collision of the jet with the fence of Bristow Helicopter hanger,” the eyewitness said.

It was gathered that officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority visited the scene of the incident to ascertain the cause of the accident.

The King Air 200 jet with registration number 5N-HIS is being operated by Mobil Oil Nigeria-Wings Aviation.

President @MBuhari has approved the renewal of the appointment of Mr Joseph Chiedu Ugbo as Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company and Messrs Babayo Shehu & Ifeoluwa Oyedele as Executive Directors respectively, with effect from Aug 25, 2020 for a period of 4 years.

Oba of Benin, the Ewuare N’Ogidgan II, says the Palace does not meddle into partisan politics and has no special candidate when it comes to who will become governor of Edo State.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qTeN4DuMUk

The revered monarch stated this on Saturday when he received the All Progressives Congress’ candidate for the forthcoming election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and other governors elected under the platform of APC.

The entourage visited the Oba at his Palace in Benin City, Edo State, during the flag-off of the party’s governorship campaign in the state.

While praying for the APC’s candidate, Oba Ewuare, said the Palace of the Oba of Benin does not choose any side when it comes to politics, but can only go with the will of the Edo people.

“I want to stress that no matter what anybody might think, we will remain non-partisan because we are expected as we are perceived by our people, because of the expectations of our people, and because of the laid down rules and guidelines of our ancestors, we must be a father to everybody.

“We are not expected to lean either way to this or to that, to anybody, because we see every candidate as our children, so we pray for everybody. We can’t lean towards a particular candidate, however, only God and our ancestors, know the mind of man,” Oba Ewuare stated.

He, however, noted that the Palace has not been happy with the recent events in the state and he advised that everyone should pray for a peaceful election in Edo State.

“There is nothing as powerful as prayers. As you go about your campaign, go about it peacefully and without bitterness,” the Oba of Benin told members of the APC present at his palace on Saturday.

The Oba advised all players in the Edo political scene to avoid conflict as they go about their political campaigns, stressing that the Palace is not against any candidate and that when the people have chosen their leader via the ballot box, then it is only customary that he as king will pray for chosen one so that the governor may succeed in office.

A high court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, on Friday dissolved the executive council members of wards, local government and state levels of the All Progressive Congress in the state.

Alhaji Surajo Garba and 138 others, who are political allies of Senator Kabir Garba Marafa had earlier sued the state party executive council members challenging the 2018 party Congress. They said that there were irregularities and that they were disenfranchised.

Delivering the judgement that took about four hours, Justice Bello Tukur Gummi, said the complaints by Alhaji Surajo Garba and 138 that they were disenfranchised during the 2018 party Congress was genuine.

The court then dissolved all executive council members of the party at all levels, asking them to stop parading themselves as party leaders.

The court then ordered for fresh congress in which due process should be followed and level playing ground be given to all members.

Counsel to Alhaji Surajo Garba, Barrister Misbahu Salaudeen told Daily Trust that the court had learnt that members of the party were disenfranchised which led to the dissolution of the party executives at levels.

However, the counsel to the state party executives, Barrister Kelechi Odeoyegbo, said they would study the judgement and may appeal.

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja assented to the Companies and Allied Matters Bill, 2020 recently passed by the National Assembly.

The President’s action on this important piece of legislation, therefore, repealed and replaced the extant Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990, introducing after 30 years, several corporate legal innovations geared toward enhancing ease of doing business in the country.

Such innovations include:

a. Filing fee reductions and other reforms to make it easier and cheaper for small and medium-sized enterprises to register and reform their businesses in Nigeria;

b. Allowing corporate promoters of companies to establish private companies with a single member or shareholder, and creating limited liability partnerships and limited partnerships to give investors and business people alternative forms of carrying out their business in an efficient and flexible way;

c. Innovating processes and procedures to ease the operations of companies, such as introducing Statements of Compliance; replacing “authorised share capital” with minimum share capital to reduce costs of incorporating companies; and providing for electronic filing, electronic share transfers, e-meetings as well as remote general meetings for private companies in response to the disruptions to close contact physical meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic;

d. Requiring the disclosure of persons with significant control of companies in a register of beneficial owners to enhance corporate accountability and transparency; and

e. Enhancing the minority shareholder protection and engagement; introducing enhanced business rescue reforms for insolvent companies; and permitting the merger of Incorporated Trustees for associations that share similar aims and objectives.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 7, 2020

The former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and the incumbent Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed are expected to appear in person before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts to give accounts on the sum of 1.7 trillion naira appropriated for the implementation of National Social Investment Programmes from 2016 to 2019.

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Wole Oke who issued the summons during an investigative hearing into the audit queries on the financial activities of the NSIPs, frowned at the misleading information made on the National Social Investment programme’s Bank Account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria by the Special Assistant to the President on Home School Feeding Programme, Dotun Adebayo and other Desk Officers.

In his presentation, the Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba disclosed that out of the 1.7 trillion appropriated for the four year period, the sum of over N619 billion was released, the sum of over 560 billion was utilized leaving the balance of over 58.2 billion which was handed over to Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

The breakdown of the funds processed and released by Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning showed that over 32.08 billion was released for Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, over 20.5 billion was released for Conditional Cash Transfer and over 149 billion was released for Home Grown School Feeding. Over 355 billion was released for Job Creation Unit while over 2.4 billion was released for Social Investment Programme for the four years under review.

The Minister also added that prior to the handing over to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, requests for payments for all types of expenditures in respect of any of the programmes of NSIP emanated from the National Social Investment Office (NSIO) situated under the office of the Vice President.

Seventeen lawmakers of the Edo State House of Assembly, including 14 members whose seats have been previously declared vacant, claim that they have impeached the Speaker of the House, Francis Okiye, and his deputy, Roland Asoro.

The decision was taken at a private location in the state capital, hours after security officials took over the State Assembly Complex and some men attacked the building, destroying parts of it.

At the meeting, the 14 lawmakers-elect were, first, sworn in and then, together with three other lawmakers who recently pledged their allegiance to Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) claimed to have impeached the Speaker and his deputy, Roland Asoro.

The Edo State House of Assembly has been embroiled in a crisis since 2019, one that has now been worsened by the buildup to the governorship elections in the state.

Twenty-four lawmakers were elected from the 24 constituencies during the 2019 general elections. However, only 10 of them were inaugurated on July 17 of the same year, sparking a controversy that included intervention from the National Assembly.

Five of the 10 lawmakers that were inaugurated including the Deputy Speaker, Yekini Idiaye, had declared support for Ize-Iyamu last week, after accusing Governor Obaseki of rendering the legislature in the state useless.

In retaliation, four of the five inaugurated lawmakers met on Wednesday and impeached Idiaye, replacing him with Asoro.

But the lawmakers loyal to Ize-Iyamu claimed to have impeached him and the Speaker, Okiye.

The planned protests by the Coalition for Revolution, conveners of the “Revolution Now” protests, is only a subterfuge.

It is, in fact, another attempt by the anarchist Omoyele Sowore to actualise his desire for chaos and destabilisation, the Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has warned.

“Security agents, including the Directorate of State Services (DSS) must understand that what is being touted as a protest against corruption, is not what it is. It is that notorious group making an attempt to push its agenda of “revolution” under a seemingly innocuous umbrella.

In a press statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju, and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO called on security agents and government prosecutors to take notice of the potential breach of Mr Sowore’s bail conditions.

The group recalled that one of the conditions for Sowore bail by the court was that he was not to attend or participate in any form of rallies or protests pending the determination of the charges against him.

“A protest by Sowore’s Revolution Now Group is a protest by Sowore, albeit by proxy. He is the planner and it should be seen for the subterfuge that it is. The objectives of this sinister and dangerous group have not changed. What we have here is Sowore playing puppeteer over the protesters to do his bidding.

“We call on the prosecutors of Sowore’s matter, the DSS and the courts not to take this breach lightly.”

It is recalled that the DSS had warned, a few weeks ago, that there were plans by some persons to destabilise the country.

The Buhari Media Organization stated that, that warning was not unconnected with the evil plans by Mr Sowore and his men to start an uprising in the country.

The organised labour in Ekiti State on Monday called off the three-day warning strike embarked upon in the state public service over welfare and other issues.

The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiating Council, had on Sunday ordered the commencement of the strike on Monday following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum it earlier issued to the state government.

In the resolutions at the end of meeting between the state government and organised labour made available to journalists on Monday, it was stated that the strike had been called off “immediately”.

The document, entitled “Resolutions at the meeting of the meeting of the state government with the organised labour on the outstanding welfare issues of Ekiti State workers” was signed by the Head of Service, Mrs Peju Babafemi; the Senior Special Assistant Labour, Chief Olayemi Esan; and Permanent Secretary, Service Matters, Mr Bayo Opeyemi for the government.

Signatories on the side of Labour are the state chairmen of NLC, Kolapo Olatunde; TUC, Sola Adigun; and JNC, Kayode Fatomiluyi; and the secretaries of JNC, Gbenga Olowoyo; TUC, Kuloogun Lawrence; and NLC, Taiwo Akinyemi.

Among the resolutions are “that state government will ensure continuous payment of the monthly gross salaries; and that payment of the financial benefits of 2015 promotion will be implemented in September while payments for 2017, 2017, 2018 and 2019 will follow”.

Others are “that outstanding deductions for the months of May and June 2020 will be paid in phases; and that government will pay the outstanding deductions, salaries and leave bonuses in phases”.

It was also resolved at the meeting “that other issues affecting public service relating to service matters shall be looked into in due course, and that negotiation on the implementation of the minimum wage and the consequential adjustment will resume as soon as COVID-19 subsides”.

ABUJA — PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and the Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC also known as Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, are in a crucial virtual meeting.

The meeting which started about 11:25am, is being attended physically, by the Chairman of the PGF and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, while all others are participating via video.

Also physically present at the meeting coordinated at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja, are the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.

The agenda for the meeting is yet to be ascertained at the time of filing this brief, but it may not be unconnected to the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.

Also to be addressed by the party may include the ongoing probe panels on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The meeting temporarily adjourned about 11:40 am to reconvene at about 3pm.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has raised the alarm over what it says is a plot by some prominent personalities and groups to ‘destabilise’ the country.

The DSS said the unpatriotic groups are taking advantage of the existing security situations in some parts of the country to carry out their plan.

DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya, who made this known in a statement on Monday, said it would not fold its arm to watch anyone, no matter how highly placed, to cause a breakdown of law and order in the country.

To ensure the safety of all and the peace and stability of the country, Afunaya said the DSS was working with relevant authorities and sister security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the sinister objective is not achieved.

The statement reads:

‘The Department of State Services (DSS) has uncovered plans by some persons and groups desirous of taking advantage of the latest developments in parts of the country to destabilise it.

‘Some prominent personalities and socio-cultural groups have resorted to divisive acts through inciting statements aimed at pitting individuals, groups and ethnic nationalities against another. The Service is, without doubt, aware of these plans and their sponsors.

‘Consequently, it warns that it will no longer tolerate the orchestrations by subversive and unscrupulous elements to cause a breakdown of law and order in the country.

‘In this regard, it is working assiduously with relevant authorities and sister security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the sinister objective is not achieved.

‘The Service reiterates its commitment to the internal security of Nigeria and will, within the confines of the law, decisively deal with planners of the mayhem.

‘Law-abiding citizens are urged to go about their normal businesses and disregard the antics of agents of destabilisation.

‘They should, however, avail the Service and related agencies with useful information about the activities of criminals and groups intent on instigating violence in the country.’