₦airaland Forum

THE Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party has said the party was willing to visit and sympathise with President Muhammadu Buhari in London.

The party made the offer through ‎Senator Walid Jibrin, the Chairman of the  Party’s Board of Trustees‎.

Jibrin, who denied that the party promoted the rumoured death of the President, said the PDP was rather praying fervently for Buhari’s safe return to Nigeria.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna:“Let him be well and come back and continue with his leadership of Nigeria.

“If we are to be given the opportunity, the PDP leaders will even go to London to wish him well and sympathize with his family.”

The BOT chairman also spoke on the lingering crisis in the party, saying that “the PDP will never die”.



According to Jibrin, the party is making efforts to end the lingering crisis facing it and forge ahead.

He said: “By the grace of God, we are coming clean and the PDP will never die, it will remain as a very strong party.

“There could be differences; differences will come and go, we will emerge stronger and ready to win all elections like we have won in Rivers, Taraba, Gombe, and we are going to win in Anambra, Ekiti hands down.”

The BOT chairman cautioned key stakeholders against confusing party members, saying they should allow ongoing reconciliation efforts by well meaning Nigerians, including former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said that apart from Jonathan, other stakeholders in the party are also engaged in the reconciliation efforts.

Jibrin said: “I am very sure that there are moves by very responsible party leaders on way forward for our party and we are making a lot of contacts.”

According him, the former president is consulting with the BOT and all the aggrieved groups in the party.

He said: “He has spoken with Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff and he is also talking with me as BOT chairman.

“People should give the former president the opportunity to make proper scrutiny and come out with agreeable solutions on this matter.

“They should not be in too much hurry to further confuse members; we are talking about political solutions.”



Jibrin dismissed reports of alleged attempt by the Makarfi faction to break away and register a new party.

He said: “My belief is that when there are such decisions, it will be subjected to scrutiny and discussions by all organs and forums such as the national assembly, the ministers forum, former Governors and we have the BOT and also the chairmen of various states.

“Whatever we want to do, it must be subjected to their beliefs and understanding.

“I wonder if anybody will say that he has gone to register on behalf of PDP; I will not accept that.”

EFCC Recovers More Items From Ex-Customs Boss
1 MARCH 2017AGENCY REPORT
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has again recovered items worth millions of Naira from former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Inde.

Wilson Uwujaren, the Head Media and Publicity of the commission, said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

Uwujaren said various items were recovered from a large warehouse located on Nnamdi Azikiwe Road Bye Pass, Kaduna, purportedly belonging to Inde.

He said the operation came on the heels of similar discovery of 17 exotic vehicles in a property belonging to the former Customs boss.



The EFCC spokesman said operatives of the Commission’s Kaduna Zonal office, acting on intelligence, stormed the facility on February 28 and executed a search warrant, which led to the recovery of the items.

He said the items included 42 brand new customised yellow-coloured tricycles, 16 brand new cargo motorcycles and one brand new white 32-seater Nissan civilian bus.

Uwujaren said one MAN Diesel Truck, 515 brand new imported rugs of different colours and sizes were also recovered.

The EFCC spokesman said further that two metal bullet proof Safes with the sum of N1,565 (one thousand five hundred and sixty five thousand Naira only) were also recovered.

He added that documents of transactions in different currencies within and outside the country were part of the items recovered.

The commission had on February 22 recovered 17 exotic vehicles in a warehouse belonging to the former Customs boss located at Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna.

THE Trial of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and four others in London for alleged corrupt practices is set to begin.


Embattled Immediate-past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, Photo: thebreakingtimes.com

The trial has been fixed for June and more evidence were hauled to the United Kingdom at the weekend.

Part of the evidence are the proceedings of a Federal High Court in respect of the order of final forfeiture of $153million allegedly traced to the ex-minister.

It was also learnt that one of the suspects had been found at a hideout in London and placed under surveillance.

There have been reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was negotiating with Mrs. Alison-Madueke.

The EFCC yesterday said it was not engaged in any secret negotiation with her.



The Nation Newspaper quotes a source in the anti-graft agency, as saying the commission is set for the trial of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The source reportedly said: “The UK investigators have gone far on the allegations against Diezani. From the records made available, the ex-minister and four others will face trial as from June.

“We have taken more evidence to the UK, including all court records relating to the final forfeiture of $153million. We have a huge pile of documents.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “In fact, one of the suspects on the radar of investigators has been located in London and he is under surveillance.” He declined to name the suspect.

On the reported negotiation with the former minister, the source said: “There is no basis to negotiate with the ex-Minister in view of the overwhelming evidence at our disposal. You should ask yourself what purpose the negotiation will serve.

“The EFCC is set for the trial of the ex-minister at home and abroad. It is curious to be talking of a curious negotiation with someone who has a prima facie case to answer.

“The ex-minister has forfeited $153m; we have had far-reaching investigation on her involvement in the $115m poll bribery scandal; we have seized some of her choice properties and she has consistently maintained that she is ready for trial. So, what is the basis for negotiation when we have a good case?”

The National Crime Agency (NCA) on October 2, 2015 arrested Mrs. Alison-Madueke and four others for alleged bribery and corruption and money laundering.

The former minister, whose movement has been restricted to the UK, remains under investigation.

The NCA found some of the ex-minister’s brothers and other business partners complicit in the money laundering allegation. She was arrested with her brothers.

Messrs Abiye Agama and Somye Agama are Mrs Alison-Madueke siblings who operate some UK-based businesses hurriedly shut them after the NCA and the EFCC searchlight became intense.



The two brothers are directors of Hadley Petroleum Solutions Limited, a company the authorities believe was used for money laundering. The other directors are Ugonna Madueke and Abu Fari.

The company was registered in June 2013 in Manchester, but was dissolved less than two years later last February without filing any account.

Abiye, 33, a point man of the firm, is a computer engineer and manager. He was a director in 11 other companies. He resigned from seven of them.

According to EFCC records, some of the assets linked with Mrs. Alison-Madueke are:

A block of six units service apartments on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi
Six units terrace flats in Yaba, Lagos Mainland
Twin four-bedroom duplexes in Lekki Phase I
Two duplexes on Banana Island
A duplex in Asokoro District, Abuja
A mini-estate in Mabushi, Abuja
A set of 12 terrace duplexes at Omaremi Street in Port Harcourt
Large expanse of land at Oniru, Victoria Island in Lagos
A multi-billion Naira estate in Yenagoa
Two apartments in Dubai marked as J5 Emirates Hills (30million Dirham) and E146 Emirates Hills valued at 44million Dirham
A hotel in Port Harcourt under investigation
$37.5m mansion on Banana Island in Lagos.
But Alison-Madueke had disputed some of the slush funds and assets attributed to her including the $153million.

She said: “I have up till now chosen to maintain my silence and not to respond to inaccurate press reporting. However, given the level of deliberate inaccuracies, I am now forced to respond because it is clear that the EFCC is taking advantage of my silence to try me by media and to convict me in the eyes of the public on false reports.”

“First and foremost, whilst the reasons for my being out of the country are public knowledge, the principle of fair hearing demands that I should have been notified of formal charges if truly there was a prima facie evidence or indictment against my person linking me with the said issue, so as to ensure that I had adequate legal representation. This was never done.

“I wish to state that I cannot forfeit what was never mine. I do not know the basis on which the EFCC has chosen to say that I am the owner of these funds as no evidence was provided to me before the order was obtained and they have not in fact served me with the order or, any evidence since they obtained it.

“I do not therefore, understand how the EFCC can in the same breath say that the monies in question are mine. If they had evidence that the monies were mine then they would not /should not, have used the procedure which applies only to funds of unknown ownership. If indeed they used this particular legal procedure because they did not know who owned the monies, then how can they now be falsely attributing the ownership to me.

“Let me re-state categorically as I have always maintained, for the record, I have not and will never steal money from or defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“ I am willing to respond to any charges brought against me that follow duly laid down procedures.”

GOVERNOR Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has been elected Chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Mr. Umahi was unanimously endorsed at a meeting of the forum attended by all the governors from the zone in Enugu on Sunday.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, who announced this after a closed door meeting, said that the lot fell on Mr. Umahi to lead the group because Abia and Anambra had had their turns in the past.

“I want to specially recognise the oldest member of this forum, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra.



“We have just risen from a meeting and it is my pleasure to officially introduce the chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum in the person of Governor Dave Umahi.

“He is our chairman today because Anambra and Abia have taken their turns in the past and we are moving forward from Ebonyi flank at this moment,” Mr. Ikpeazu said.

Mr. Umahi said his election was an honour to lead the forum even though he might not be the most qualified.



“I want to thank my brother governors and to accept the leadership position my colleagues have pushed on me.

“Not being the most qualified but they decided that I should be the chairman of the forum at a time like this. I want to thank them with all sense of humility,” Mr. Umahi said.

NAN reports that this is the first time after the 2015 general elections that all the governors were meeting face to face at the forums’ meeting.

Some of the governors had in the past delegated their deputies to represent them at the meeting.

A former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has been arrested by the Department of State Services.

Gabriel Suswam

The ex-governor was arrested over items recovered in cars in a building in Abuja, both of which are said to belong to him.
According to the DSS in a statement by Tony Opuiyo, the search of the building at 44, Aguiyi Ironsi Way, Maitama, Abuja, led to the discovery of keys of 45 exotic cars, 21 Certificates of Occupancy, arms and ammunition.

The statement by the DSS reads in full:



The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to inform the public that on 24th February, 2017, between 2100 hours and 0242 hours, the Service executed a search warrant, at the property of Dunes Investment and Global Properties Ltd, located at No 44 Aguiyi Ironsi Way, Maitama-Abuja.

The operation was informed by intelligence that some incriminating items were stashed in the boots of cars parked at the property, particularly a Mercedes Benz S550 (BWR 135AH), and Masarati 4.7 (BWR 207 AJ), which were subsequently confiscated.

2. Consequently, on 25th February, 2017, about 1000hours, in the presence of two (2) private security officers employed by Dunes Investment, the cars were searched and the following items were recovered:
Weapons:
(i) Glock pistol with two (2) magazines and a total of Twenty-Nine (29) rounds of ammunition;
(ii) Mini-Uzi with two (2) magazines containing 10 rounds and 4 rounds respectively;
(iii) Forty-two (42) extra rounds of ammunition contained in a pack; and
(iv) One (1) AK-47.



3. Other items recovered include:
i. Twenty-one (21) Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) and one (1) Offer of Statutory Right of Occupancy;
ii. Twenty-three (23) Luxury designer watches; and
iii. Forty-five (45) keys to various exotic cars.

4. Following this discovery, the Service launched further investigation which revealed that the cars and the recovered items belong to the former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel SUSWAN who has already been invited by the Service and presently helping in the investigations.

5. It is in the light of this latest development that the Service wishes to sound a note of warning to persons and groups that it will no longer tolerate any acts of lawlessness by those who ought to be law abiding and responsible citizens. The Service has also observed with total dismay the inciting utterances of some political actors whose activities heat-up the polity. It also wishes to express its disappointment with these politicians who, in their desperation, are engaged in hate speeches and even sponsorship of radio campaign jingles when the electoral umpire has not authorized such campaigns in line with the Electoral Act. More worrisome is the unpatriotic involvement of some media outfits in these divisive tendencies which negate their constitutional role as the fourth estate of the realm.

6. In line with its statutory mandate of maintaining the peace and internal security of the country, the Service hereby restates its commitment to go after anyone no matter how highly placed who engages in acts capable of causing the breach of peace in the country.

THE Senate has fixed a timeframe for the passage of the 2017 Budget.

This is coming despite the complaint by the Senate of the failure of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to appear for budget defence.

The complaint was laid on Wednesday at plenary.

But briefing newsmen after plenary, the Senate spokesman, Senator Abdullahi Sabi, said the budget would be passed mid-March.

Sabi said the Senate was working day and night to ensure the timely passage of the budget.

‎For equity, both El-rufai and Suleman should be investigated especially the governor, How can you pay animals who don't have regards for human life?‎

THE General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has asked the Federal Government to compel the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to produce Fulani herdsmen to whom money was paid so as to disabuse the minds of Nigerians that Christians are not the target of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, his Communications Adviser, in Abuja on Sunday, Apostle Suleman said failure to compel El-Rufai to produce the herdsmen who purportedly collected money from the Kaduna State Government is an indication of the insincerity of the Buhari administration.

He said: “The Governor of Kaduna State confessed that he paid money to some Fulani herdsmen as compensation to stop the killings in Southern Kaduna. That means he knows those who have committed atrocities against Christians. He must be made to produce them to answer to charges of murder and other crimes.”



Apostle Suleman’s statement came ahead of the invitation by the Department of State Services to report at their office in Abuja on Monday for reportedly asking members of his church to defend themselves if the Fulani herdsmen attacked them.

But the General Overseer, through his communications adviser said the Federal Government would be engaging in double standards by asking the DSS to invite him, while allowing El-Rufai to move about scot free, adding that the fact that the latter has immunity does not preclude him from investigation.

Suleman said: “There’s no end to the killing of Christians in Kaduna. Those behind the heinous crime are known to the Governor. Yet no one has been charged for murder. Instead people like us who speak the truth are being persecuted. The Federal Government must not give the impression of partiality or suggest that Christians are the target of this administration.”

Continuing, Apostle Suleman wondered why his recent speeches have been branded by agents of the Federal Government when all he has done is to remain consistent in telling the truth irrespective of whose ox is gored.

He said: “Which is worse? Saying the truth or offering money to murderers? Did El-Rufai offer money to ghosts? For you to pay someone money, the person must have a known and fixed address. As chief security officer of the state, was it not his business to arrest and put these hoodlums on trial? How come no one has been caught or being prosecuted for the massacre in Southern Kaduna? Obviously, there’s more to it that meets the eye.”



The head of the Omega Fire Ministries further admonished security agents not to allow politicians and ethnic warlords to use them to achieve parochial objectives, warning that such a development may lead to grave consequences for the nation.

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to use his good offices and leadership position “to urgently refer the allegations of corruption against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for further investigation, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for him to face prosecution.”

The organisation also urged President Buhari to “urgently publish the outcome of the investigation conducted on the matter by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and to ask Mr. Malami to hand over the file to both the EFCC and ICPC.”

In the letter dated January 27, 2017 and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said, “We are concerned that the failure to suspend Mr. Lawal from his position as Secretary to the Government of the Federation pending the investigation by Mr. Malami, and the perceived lack of transparency in the outcome of that investigation may have created the impression that your government is treating Mr. Lawal as a sacred cow.”



The letter copied to Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo reads in part: “SERAP believes that Mr. Lawal’s case presents your Administration with a real opportunity to reassure a lot of Nigerians who may be worried about the direction of travel of your anti-corruption agenda. Rather than assuming a defensive posture to the matter, we advise you to use this case to show to Nigerians that there will be no two standards of justice in your Administration’s fight against corruption.”

“SERAP also believes the recommended approach would help to address the growing public suspicion and pessimism about your government’s ability to fight high-level official corruption to a standstill, and to avoid any collateral consequences. It is absolutely important that the public should have complete confidence and trust in your Administration’s oft-repeated commitment to fight corruption and the impunity of perpetrators.”

“It is true that Mr. Lawal enjoys a constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to a fair trial, which includes the right to be presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. But we believe that the right to presumption of innocence is one that should have personally be raised by Mr. Lawal and not your government, especially given his position as Secretary to the Government of the Federation. SERAP believes that the guilt or innocence of Mr. Lawal is for the court to decide, following a due process of law.”

“To assist the government to achieve public confidence and trust, effectively spread the gospel of anticorruption, and be on the right side of history, SERAP made the following recommendations:

1. Urgently refer the allegations against Mr. Lawal to both the EFCC and ICPC for further investigations, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for him to face prosecution;

2. Pending the referral to the EFCC and ICPC, to suspend Mr. Lawal from his position as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, pending the outcome of any investigation by the EFCC and ICPC;

3. Promptly and widely publish the outcome of investigation carried out by Mr. Malami and instruct that any files relating to that investigation be handed over to the EFCC and ICPC to assist in their follow-up investigation.



“SERAP notes that following a report by the Senate ad hoc committee which indicted Mr. Lawal over alleged breach of Nigeria’s law in handling contracts awarded by the Presidential Initiative for the North East, PINE, you reportedly instructed Mr. Malami to carry out further investigation into the allegation. Among other allegations contained in the Senate’s report is that Mr. Lawal’s company, Global Vision Ltd benefited from inflated contracts of over N200 million to clear ‘invasive plant specie’ in Yobe State. According to the report, Mr. Lawal was still the director of Global Vision as of the time the contract was awarded in March 2016, and remains the signatory to the company’s account.”

“SERAP further notes your instruction to Mr. Malami to carry out further investigation into the allegations, as well as your recent letter to the Senate effectively raising some technical and procedural concerns about the report which indicted Mr. Lawal.”

Lalasticlala

THE first wife of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, is dead.

The Minister himself announced the death of his wife in the early hours of Sunday on his Facebook page.

Dalung said she died on Sunday morning.

He, however, did not give the name of the wife.

He simply wrote: “For it is appointed for man to live thereafter comes death and judgment says the Holy Bible. While in the Quran, it states that it is appointed that every soul shall test death.

“My heart is heavy, I cannot continue, I lost my first wife this morning. May her soul and the souls of faithful departed rest in the bosom of the Lord, amen.
“What a black Sunday.”

Messages of condolence have been pouring in for Dalung via the Facebook channel.

While 34 people have shared Dalung’s message announcing the passing of his wife, 631 have left condolence messages for him as at press time.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said he is hale and hearty and would return to his duty post at the end of his vacation.

The President who dismissed speculations about his death and ill health, made this known during different meetings he had with well wishers who paid him visits in London.

Wife of President Buhari, Aisha has joined him in London amid speculations of his death, while the two have been together for the past three days.

The President and Aisha had even taken joint photographs, all indicating that he is in good condition, contrary to widespread speculations that he has broken down.

A close friend of the Buhari’s family who is also in London, disclosed that the President has been reluctant in granting interviews on his condition because such would amount to setting up chains of needless reactions, since according to him, a doubting Thomas will always raise petty issues.

The President, he said, had taken speculations on his health conditions with philosophical calmness, regarding all as part of the burdens attached to being President.

The source said critics and peddlers of false reports about President Buhari would have their mouths sealed when after his vacation, the President returns to Nigeria hale and hearty to resume his work as scheduled.

Past Nigerian Presidents had, at different times, been reported to have died suddenly for no just reason by rumour mongers who had veiled their nefarious intents using the media.

False speculations about death of past Nigerian leaders started from the days of the late first President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe who reacted by cursing those behind such speculations, averring that he would outlive all of them. His curse came to pass.

Also, false reports and speculations had been peddled that former President Shehu Shagari, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, General Olusegun Obasanjo, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and now President Muhammadu Buhari had died.

APPARENTLY appalled at the spread of falsehood through cloned media sites, Google has banned 200 publishers from its platform.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been a victim of Internet trolls who created two sites – cnn-alive.com and metro-uk.com to falsely announce his death while on a 10-day vacation in London.

The outcome of the U.S. election was also blamed on such fake news sites.

This led to a crackdown by Google on 340 fake news sites last year.

In a story published on http://www.recode.net/, Google reportedly kicked 200 publishers off one of its ad networks, partly in response to the proliferation of fake news sites.



The company banned the publishers from its AdSense network, an ad placement service that automatically serves text and display ads on participating sites based on its audience.

The ban was part of an update to an existing policy that prohibits sites that mislead users with their content.

Google regularly weeds out advertisers for false or misleading claims, but impersonating news sites became an addition following the rapid rise of fake news, or propaganda sites.

After the election, Google was blasted for placing a false story from a fake news site claiming Donald Trump had won the popular vote. (He had 2.8 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton.)

Not all 200 publishers were swept up as part of the effort to root out fake news sites.

Publishers were banned in November and December and included sites that impersonate real news organizations through shortened top-level domains, according to Google’s 2016 “bad ads” report, normally released at the beginning of each year.

So-called fake news publishers will sometimes take advantage of “.co” domains by appearing similar to legitimate news sites that would normally end in “.com.”

Google declined to provide a listing of the banned sites.

Separately, the annual report on violations of advertising policy also included data on ads removed by Google. The company reported that in 2016 it took down 1.7 billion ads for violations, compared to 780 million in 2015.

Google attributes the increase in ad removals to a combination of advertiser behaviour and improvements in technology to detect offending ads.

Google added a policy mid-year to prohibit ads for payday loans, considered predatory. Roughly five million payday loan ads were disabled over the latter six months of 2016.



Also among the ads removed was what Google calls “tabloid cloakers”.

These advertisers run what look like links to news headlines, but when the user clicks, an ad for a product such as a weight loss supplement pops up.

Google suspended 1,300 accounts engaged in tabloid cloaking in 2016.

deantimes:
Lalasticlala

THE Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has said the President didn’t clear the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal of corruption as widely held.

Featuring on ‘Ra’ayi Riga’, a BBC Hausa audience participation programme, on Friday, the Presidential spokesperson said Buhari only acted in response to the senate’s report which indicted Lawal of fraudulent act.

Shehu said the criticisms that have trailed the development were unwarranted “because his letter to the senate did not dwell on whether the SGF was guilty or not guilty.

“What President Buhari has done is simply to act in a response to a report by the SGF, Babachir David Lawal, who insisted that he and the companies cited were not given a fair hearing by the National Assembly.

“President Buhari’s communication to Nigeria’s lawmakers was simply this: If the SGF was not given a fair hearing, can you now give him one?”

The Presidential spokesnan said the report was an interim one and that a final report was, therefore, being expected.

Shehu said inspite of Buhari’s strong stance on corruption, “he believes in due process and in fair hearing, without which, our democracy cannot be taken seriously by Nigerians or the international community.”

Recall that the senate had recently called for Lawal’s arrest and prosecution, following an Interim Report by its ad-hoc committee on mounting Humanitarian crisis in the North East which indicted him of fraudulent act.

In the report, the committee alleged that Lawal who is the Chairman of the Presidential Initiative of the North East, PINE, awarded contracts to a company liked to him.

However, the President, in a letter to the senate rejected the call by the upper legislative house, citing some infractions in the report.

Reacting to the President’s letter, Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, who heads the senate’s Ad-Hoc Committee, expressed disappointment at the presidency’s response to the committee’s report.

®eally?

THE Nigeria Labour Congress has denied calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on his rumoured death.

Ayuba Wabba, the President of the NLC, said this in a statement issued in on Friday in Abuja.

Wabba was apparently reacting to some media publications credited to the NLC on the alleged death of the President.

He said: “We would want to state emphatically and unequivocally that we did not at any time make such a statement. The reasons for this are quite obvious.



“As an organisation, we do not work on rumours. Secondly, we are aware that Mr President is on leave and that before he proceeded on leave, he handed over to Mr Vice President.

“We also recognise the fact presidential powers and immunity do not cover health. Thus, like any other human being, Mr President could take ill once in a while.

“But most importantly, issues of life and death of any citizen, let alone that of the number one citizen are too sacred to be trivialised.

“We therefore distance ourselves from the rumour mills on the health status of Mr President.”

Wabba said that the NLC wished the President the very best during his holiday in the UK or wherever else he chooses to be.

However, the NLC president advised the media to resist the temptation to misrepresent or sensationalise in order to sell.



He said: “As we look forward to welcoming him back to the country whenever he resumes, we also urge the citizenry not to allow themselves to be put on a panic mode by virtue of unsubstantiated stories in the media.

“President Buhari met all the conditions precedent regarding his absence from office before proceeding on leave to which he is entitled.”

Buhari is truly dead, if not what does it take him to speak to us in a live broadcast from there?

How come he is wearing the same attire with Atiku and the same attire while on vacation?

What is that coat of arms doing in that wall if its in UK, Omo did una lie Don too much.

Clueless government

THE Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), says the Federal Government has recovered N15 billion and $10.5 million so far in its asset recovery drive.

Malami disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters visited the ministry on its oversight function to appraise the 2016 budget performance of the ministry.

Malami said: “Let me put it on record that the Federal Ministry of Justice has equally significantly recorded success in the recovery drive as it relates to the looted funds.

“In that regard and direction, over N15 billion has been recovered by the ministry and $10.5 million was equally recovered in that direction.”

The minister said that exclusive of the recoveries, the revenue profile of the ministry as at December 31, 2016, was N12.4 million.

Malami said this was generated from sale of journals, renting of part of the headquarters building to commercial entities, use of its conference hall, tender fees and sale of un-serviceable items.



He added that the total expenditure profile of the ministry within the same period was N3.7 billion, including personnel and non-regular allowances.

The chief law officer of the country said that the ministry, by virtue of its mandate, was in a vantage position to articulate and implement the present administration’s broad policy objectives in four major priority areas.

Malami said: “The anti-corruption campaign, the recovery of stolen national assets, the rule of law component of the anti-terrorism war and the institutionalisation of law and order in all aspects of national life.”

On Nigeria’s non-membership of the Financial Action Task Force, Malami explained that it will take the collaboration of both the executive and the legislature to scale all the hurdles.

Malami said: “Among some of the demands required to become a member are the passing of the Money Laundering Act, Proceeds of Crime Act and Autonomy of the Financial Task Force.

“All these bills are still pending before the legislature and have not been passed, so we need to work together to get Nigeria registered.”

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator David Umaru, said the 2016 budget was fraught with challenges but noted that the ministry and its parastatals were able to make judicious use of it.

He said the committee was not oblivious of the recent economic challenges in the country and was already preparing for the 2017 budget defence.

Umaru said the committee would work in consultation with the executive, particularly the justice ministry, to ensure that the budget was passed so as to address the economic situation in the country.

He added that the committee was also working to ensure that all bills necessary to make the work of the ministry and its parastatals easier were been looked into with a view to passing them soon.

A member of the committee, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, decried Nigeria’s non-membership of the FATF.



According to Utazi, as a country that really wants to fight corruption, if we are on the FATF, it will help us to recover some of the stolen assets.
Utazi said: “Nigeria is not a member of FATF, this is a very important membership which we have not yet gotten and this can help us recover stolen assets since it is one of its core mandates.”

He lamented that office of the attorneys-general always put in applications for membership every year but failed to follow it through.

The lawmaker said that the shuttle diplomacy Nigeria was engaging in would not yield much without a membership of the FATF as no other member would give Nigeria support unless it was registered.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that N3.9 billion was appropriated for the main ministry in the 2016 budget with overhead cost taking over N1.7 billion.

divicode:
Yes, greater than Ojukwu (the coward), Alex Ekwueme and the albino in the cage all put together. He is the messiah the Igbo have been waiting for they are all lily-livered and do no have a genuine leader. Thank you Fayose for coming to t rescue of the flat_heads

The Igbo tribe of Eastern Nigeria is one of the three leading ethnic groups in Nigeria. There are so many good and amazing things about them but like it is in many situations negative perception usually overshadow the good ones. This is the same with the Igbos. Nigerians have this perception about the Igbos which are usually false and have been over flogged. Jumia Travel shares some of these stereotypes which many Nigerians are tired of hearing.

Igbos Love Money

The love of money cannot be restricted to the Igbos alone. Hausa, Yorubas and the individuals belonging to the other over 200 ethnic groups in Nigeria love money. As far as any Nigerian earn their monies legally, there is no problem.



Igbos prefer to do business rather than going to school

Give to the Igbos, they are one of the most industrious and hardworking people in this country. Some persons have gone as far as saying that they are the ones who will help revamp the Nigerian economy via their Abba made goods. Despite this, not all Igbos prefer to do business. They have personalities like Chinua Achebe and Chief Alex Ekwueme who are well educated and known all over the world even though they are into business.

Marrying an Igbo woman is expensive

This may be slightly true because some Nigerians have complained about the demands of Igbo parents for wedding their daughters. Regardless, weddings are quite expensive in Nigeria and this cut across all tribes. So, before you date or marry Igbo girl, there are some things you should know so that you won’t complain when the bills start coming. Nigerians love to party and they do not mind borrowing money to celebrate a talk-of-the-town wedding and lodge in one of the best hotels in Lagos after the wedding.

Igbos don’t have respect

Yorubas have been tagged the most respectful tribe in Nigeria. Hence, oftentimes, many Yorubas brand  Igbos as disrespectful. The fact is anyone can be disrespectful. It is unfair to single out the Igbos as disrespectful. Nigerians have heard this so many times and it has become a cliche.



All Igbo girls are fair skinned

Yes, many Igbo girls are fair skinned. But you can not generalize and just conclude that all of them are light in complexion. There are also many dark-skinned Igbo girls around.

THE eight students and staff of the Nigeria Turkish International School, Isheri, Ogun State, who were abducted on January 13, 2017, have regained their freedom.



They were released by their abductors on Tuesday evening after ransom was paid.

Available information has it that parents parted with about N10 million to secure the release of the three students and five staff.