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 Politics › Fayose: Bullion Van Driver Confesses As Zenith Denies Sponsoring Campaign by LocalChamp(op): 4:02am On Jul 15, 2016 |
Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja A bullion van driver has confessed to conveying the N1.219bn, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleged was delivered to the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, in the build-up to the June 2014 governorship election in the state, which Fayose won. Fayose is being investigated by the EFCC for allegedly receiving the N1.219bn through the Office of the National Security Adviser for his campaign in 2014, an amount said to be part of the N4.7bn allegedly diverted from the ONSA under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.). EFCC investigations had revealed that the N4.7bn was paid into a bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company in which the sons of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, are said to be directors. About N1.219bn was allegedly flown to Akure on a private plane during the build-up to the Ekiti State governorship election. Fayose was alleged to have received the N1.219bn through his bosom friend, Abiodun Agbele. The bullion van driver, Mr. Olaoluwa Omotoso, reportedly drove the bullion van to the Akure airport tarmac on June 17, 2014, to transport the N1.219bn allegedly flown from Lagos by Obanikoro. Omotoso told EFCC detectives that he made two separate trips to the airport because of the large volume of cash. The driver told the anti-graft agency that part of the money was taken to a bank in Alagbaka, Akure, on the instruction of Fayose’s friend, Agbele, while the remaining money was taken to Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti, which is owned by Fayose and his wife, Feyisetan. A detective in the commission, who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday, said, “Omotoso explained that on June 17, 2014, he was given a directive to go to the Akure airport to convey some funds. He said he went to the airport twice to move the money. He said some of the money was taken to a bank while he, along with Agbele, moved the remaining cash to Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti. “He said the money was moved in three vehicles, including one bullion van and two Toyota Hilux vans. The two Toyota Hilux vans had some soldiers inside for security while Agbele was with him in the Hilux van. “He said he did not know exactly how much was conveyed. He explained that Agbele held the keys to the vault in the bullion van. On getting to Spotless Hotel at night, they offloaded the cash and Agbele entered the vehicle to search and ensure that no money was left behind. Agbele then returned the keys and Omotoso drove off.” Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Mr. Peter Amangbo, has denied that the bank sponsored the governorship campaign of Fayose in 2014, contrary to the governor’s claim. Amangbo told the EFCC that the bank had only one branch in Ekiti State, wondering why the bank would invest in Fayose when the state government had no account with the bank. Fayose had claimed that his campaign was funded by the bank and a few private individuals. The bank MD said at no time did he hold a meeting with Fayose and his friend, Agbele. A source at the EFCC stated that Amangbo said at no time did he meet with Abiodun Agbele or any representative of Fayose. He said the allegation that the bank funded the Ekiti State governorship election was false. “He further stated that at no time did Fayose and the chairman of the bank, Mr. Jim Ovia, and himself hold a meeting. “He said the bank, as a matter of policy, did not sponsor political groups or elections.” http://punchng.com/drove-poll-cash-fayoses-hotel-driver/ 6 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › Re: I Can’t Impregnate Remi Tinubu, She’s Passed Menopause – Dino Melaye by LocalChamp: 3:39am On Jul 15, 2016 |
BATTERED BY DINO MELAYE
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| Politics › Re: APC Should Apologize To Dino Melaye Now by LocalChamp: 3:38am On Jul 15, 2016 |
BATTERED BY DINO MELAYE
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| Politics › Re: Dino Melaye's Thuggish Behavior. Shouting And Fighting: VIDEO by LocalChamp: 3:36am On Jul 15, 2016 |
BATTERED BY DINO MELAYE 1 Like
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| Politics › APC Youths Condemn Dino Melaye by LocalChamp(op): 3:15am On Jul 15, 2016 |
Published on July 14, 2016 by The youth leader of the All Progressives Congress, Southwest zone, Femi Egbedeyi, has condemned the verbal assault of Senator Dino Melaye against Senator Remi Tinubu (OON). In a statement issued today, the APC youth leader stated: [b]”The Southwest APC read with consternation Melaye’s public boast that nothing will happen to him if he carries out his threat. ”Melaye has escaped judgment so far despite his well documented history of notoriety for violent conduct both in public and private affairs. He now lives in fool’s paradise with the mindset of being a law unto himself. But he has forgotten that anyone who climbs the tree beyond the branches will kiss the soil. ”In our view, Melaye’s case is not about the fact that nothing can happen to him if he carries out his threat. We want to let him know that that something has indeed happened to him as the fate of uncultured and uncouth people like him are already sealed in the Yoruba lifeworld. ”It is only a matter of time before he realizes, perhaps too late, that he has crossed the Rubicon and the bridges behind him are burnt and left for him now is the weight of the punishment of his previous violent escapades. ”No one should cry for Melaye when his terrible fate begins to unravel as a grace-to-grass narrative. He has had many opportunities to turn a new leaf but has spurned all, preferring to be a perpetual disgrace to all social institutions that produced him.[/b] http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2016/07/14/apc-youths-condemn-senator-dino-melaye/ Senator Dino Melaye, a fallen man
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| Politics › Dino Melaye: “I Would Rather Be With Stella Oduah, A More Robust Woman" - SR by LocalChamp(op): 9:18pm On Jul 13, 2016 |
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK JUL 13, 2016http://saharareporters.com/2016/07/13/dirty-details-dino-melaye%E2%80%99s-senate-outburst-against-remi-tinubu-revealed 2 Likes 4 Shares
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| Politics › Saraki Begs, Malami, AGF, To Drop Forgery Charges Against Him, Ekweremadu - SR by LocalChamp(op): 3:01am On Jul 13, 2016 |
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK JUL 12, 2016http://saharareporters.com/2016/07/12/senate-president-saraki-begs-attorney-general-drop-forgery-charges-against-him-ekweremadu 7 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › Omisore - Detectives Probe N60b Vote For Senators, Reps by LocalChamp(op): 1:01pm On Jul 11, 2016 |
Posted By: Yusuf Allion: July 11, 2016 Detectives probe N60b vote for Senators, Reps EFCC asks National Assembly to state why Omisore got N2.5b Detectives have recovered a sensitive document from Otunba Iyiola Omisore’s Abuja home. The document shows how N60billion was voted for extraneous overhead expenses for some senators and members of the House of Representatives in the Sixth Assembly, according to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) sources. Omisore, former deputy governor of Osun State, was the chairman of the Senate Appropriation Committee between 2007 and 2011. The anti- graft agency is probing the document to identify the senators and members of the House of Representatives who got the largesse. A source, who spoke in confidence, said when detectives went to search the Abuja home of the ex-deputy governor, they stumbled on the “budget padding” document in his bedroom. The source said a sober Omisore joined issues with the EFCC operatives, asking why they were interested in the document. The source said: “In the course of searching Omisore’s residence at 1, Kainji Crescent in Maitama, Abuja, we stumbled on a document on budget padding worth about N60billion for some Senators and House of Representatives. “Immediately we picked the document, Omisore was a bit concerned. He asked our operatives to limit their investigation to only the N1.310billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) but we insisted that we are interested in the document. “It contained a list of budget padding of about N60billion and how it was spread for some Senators and members of the House of Representatives from 2007 and 2011. “A crack team is already looking into the details of the padding of the budget and the affected Senators and Representatives. “Certainly, as a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, we expect him to speak on the document. “The fact that Omisore proved difficult before we arrested him has actually paid off for EFCC. His stubbornness has assisted in opening new investigation frontiers. If he had honoured our invitation as a gentleman, we might not have been able to get these new areas of investigation.” To get to the root of the matter, the EFCC has written to the management of the National Assembly to explain why it paid N2.5billion to Omisore. The letter followed the discovery of the strange remittance in Omisore’s account by the management when he was a serving senator. But the management, in a response to the EFCC signed by a top official, said Omisore was not awarded any contract or engaged for any service to have warranted such a payment. In a follow-up letter, the anti-graft agency mandated the management to be more “forthcoming on what the N2.5billion was meant for to have earned remittance into the account of the ex-deputy governor”. The NASS bureaucracy has up till the end of this week to clarify the “purpose of such a huge payment” to an individual. There were indications that the commission may quiz two former National Assembly and Senate Clarks as well as and some management members of staff in the Finance Department, including directors. According to EFCC findings, the strange payment of N2.5billion was discovered during the screening of Omisore’s transactions in the course of investigating a N1.310billion illegally allocated to Omisore and three companies by the ONSA. The source added: “We were able to detect that the sum in question was transferred from the Skye Bank account of the National Assembly to Omisore’s account. “We got a letter from the management that Omisore did not at any time execute any contract for the National Assembly or offer any service to be able to earn such a payment. “We have written another letter to the management to explain why the money was paid to Omisore. We want those in the relevant desk behind the payment to guide the EFCC accordingly. “We are expecting a detailed response from the management of the National Assembly, including vouchers for the payment and authorisation. Once we get their response, we will invite those connected with it. The source explained: “This was why we secured a court warrant to detain Omisore to get to the roots of this latest payment.” After about three months of hide and seek, the EFCC arrested Omisore in Abuja for alleged N1.310billion ONSA slush funds traced to him and three companies. According to a report by the EFCC, the funds were remitted as follows: Fimex Gilt Limited (N160m)-8/8/2014in UBA; Metropolitan Consortium (N350m)—9/7/14 in First Bank; Sawanara (N300m)—1/8/14 in First Bank and Metropolitan Consortium (N350m)-1/8/14 in First Bank. http://thenationonlineng.net/detectives-probe-n60b-vote-senators-reps/ 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Breaking News: Saraki, Ekweremadu Forgery Trial Adjourned by LocalChamp: 12:53pm On Jul 11, 2016 |
SARAKI, THE FACE OF CORRUPTION
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| Politics › Re: FG Hires And Trains 80 Lawyers To Try High Profile Criminal Cases by LocalChamp: 2:10am On Jul 08, 2016 |
SARAKI, THE FACE OF CORRUPTION 8 Likes
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| Politics › Re: Ahmed, Saraki Absent At Ilorin Eid Prayers by LocalChamp: 10:06pm On Jul 06, 2016 |
SARAKI, THE FACE OF CORRUPTION
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| Politics › Fayose, Obanikoro Clashed Over Arms Cash – Aluko by LocalChamp(op): 4:32pm On Jul 05, 2016 |
A former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko, on Tuesday said Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose and the former Minister of State (Defence) Musiliu Obanikoro, clashed over the huge cash deployed for the June 21, 2014 governorship poll in the state. Aluko, who disclosed this during a live interview programme on ADABA 88.9 FM monitored by our correspondent, said Zenith Bank did not sponsor the governor’s election campaign. He explained that Zenith Bank only gave Fayose N200 million after he had won the governorship election. Aluko, who claimed that Fayose did not have up to N10 million in his personal account before contesting the governorship election in 2014, added that the governor’s primary election was sponsored by Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He claimed that it was after Fayose had won the primary election that cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and oil contractors was deployed to fund the election campaign. He said Zenith Bank and other corporate organizations came with business proposals after Fayose had won the election, insisting that the governor’s claim that his campaign was sponsored by Zenith Bank was a “blatant lie.” Aluko said during the interview that Fayose purchased five houses with the N2.3 billion, which was a remainder of the slush funds from ONSA in choice locations in Abuja, Banana Island and Victoria Island in Lagos. Speaking on the feud between Fayose and Obanikoro on the arms cash, Aluko stated that a crisis of confidence broke out between the duo following discovery that there was a shortfall of N80 million in the money ferried by plane to Akure for the governorship election. He said: “The Presidency gave us security and money, the money was sent from a Diamond Bank branch through an account run by Sylvan MacNamara, a company owned by Obanikoro. “My boss (Fayose) said he wanted to get his own in cash and that was why arrangement was made to get his own in cash and that was why such a huge amount (N2.1 billion) was ferried by plane. Obanikoro cannot claim not to have brought the money. “He (Fayose) chose his man, Abiodun Agbele, to keep the money in a Zenith Bank account and the money was lodged at Zenith Bank, Alagbaka Branch in Akure. The transaction was not recorded and it got to a stage when it was discovered that the money was short by N80 million. “This caused a crisis between Fayose and Obanikoro who brought money thrice from Abuja. He (Obanikoro) brought other things apart from money which I won’t disclose now and it was from it that N1 billion was released to INEC officials to manipulate Ekiti and Osun polls. “Fayose was threatening former President Goodluck Jonathan that he (Fayose) must deliver so that Jonathan will win in Southwest. All the PDP elders were kept out of picture on the transactions and cash and some of the cash deployed did not get to their destinations. “The cash carried on the plane was not entered into the plane manifest, the N2.1 billion was delivered to a bank at 4:30am in Ekiti. The N2.3 billion remaining from the total cash received for the election was used to buy house in Abuja and the house belongs to Fayose. “Fayose purchased five houses in Victoria Island and Banana Island. The property in Dubai was purchased by a fellow who is known as Bisi in Ekiti but is known as Femi abroad. Questions are being asked on the N3 billion used to purchase the Dubai property but I strongly believe that we will recover our money.” http://thenationonlineng.net/fayose-obanikoro-clashed-arms-cash-aluko/ 8 Likes 2 Shares
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| Politics › UK Arraigns Subsidy Fraudster, Wagbatsoma For Money Laundering by LocalChamp(op): 11:06pm On Jul 04, 2016 |
July 3, 2016 Bayo Akinloye with agency report Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, Walter Wagbatsoma, has been extradited to the United Kingdom where he is facing money laundering charges. According to a UK-based newspaper, Lincolnshire Echo, Wagbatsoma who was extradited from Germany, was accused of money laundering in a multi-million pound fraud. He appeared before Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Friday. The oil magnate was detained last month in Germany after Lincolnshire Police issued a European Arrest Warrant. The 46-year-old was extradited to the UK on Thursday, when he was charged with conspiracy to money laundering. Back home in Nigeria, Wagbatsoma along with others is facing a nine-count charge bordering on fraud involving N1.9bn oil subsidy scam. The Economic Crime Unit of Lincolnshire Police said it had been conducting a major investigation with the National Health Service involving offences of fraud and money laundering in excess of £12m. According to statement obtained by our correspondent on the official website of the Lincolnshire security agency, the investigation against Wagbatsoma commenced in September 2011 following a report of fraud involving Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. “Since such time the investigation has linked 20 other offences where the victims include other NHS Trusts, the States of Guernsey Government and other public bodies. In September 2015, as a result of this investigation, 15 suspects were charged with offences of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and conspiracy to money launder and all have since been indicted to stand trial. “On Monday, June 6, 2016, a further suspect was detained in Germany following the issue of a European Arrest Warrant by Lincolnshire Police,” the statement said. Meanwhile, Wagbatsoma has been remanded in custody and is expected to appear before Lincoln Crown Court in August. http://punchng.com/uk-arraigns-oil-magnate-wagbatsoma-money-laundering/ 1 Share
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| Politics › N4.745b ‘fraud’: Drama As EFCC Holds Omisore by LocalChamp(op): 4:33pm On Jul 04, 2016*. Modified: 6:09pm On Jul 04, 2016 |
“I will not follow you; only my corpse will follow you , ex-Deputy Governor tells EFCC team After about three months of hide and seek, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore. He was arrested in Abuja for the N4.745billion allegedly allocated to him and others by the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA). Of the slush funds, about N1.310billion was allegedly traced to Omisore and three companies. His suspected accomplices include Governor Ayodele Fayose and former Minister of (State) Defence Musiliu Obanikoro, who is in the United States. The arrest of Omisore was with a tinge of drama. He reportedly locked himself up in the master’s bedroom to evade arrest by EFCC operatives, sources said. EFCC operatives climbed a balcony to enter the room where a “jittery” Omisore was arrested. Found in his room, said the source, are $21,000 and about N1million cash. Sensitive documents relating to transfer of funds to slush companies by ONSA, the National Assembly and some companies were also recovered from Omisore, The Nation learnt. Omisore reportedly told the EFCC team: “I will not follow you; only my corpse will follow you.” He reportedly surrendered when the siege to his house was daunting. According to a top source in EFCC, the arrest of Omisore followed a successful trail of his movement to Abuja. The source said: “We had intelligence report that Omisore was at his 1, Kainji Crescent in Maitama, Abuja. We set out at 6am to invite him but when we got there; we were told he was not in town. [b]“We went into the compound and gained access to the house. We started searching the rooms one by one. At a point, we discovered that the master’s bedroom was locked. We asked them to open it but they said, they had no key to it. Having been aware of our presence, Omisore had firmly locked up himself to evade arrest. “We surrounded the place with armed policemen and entered the master bedroom through the balcony. When we met him, we showed him a court warrant of arrest and a search warrant fully endorsed by a competent court. “We searched his room afterwards and we discovered documents linking him to those companies used for laundering of money from ONSA , National Assembly and some firms which they forced to part with cash to fund political campaign. “Some of the documents on landed properties which he bought with these slush funds. “When we finished the search, we showed him the warrant of arrest but he retired into a mild drama that he would not go to the EFCC office. “Omisore, who knew the game was up said: ‘I will not follow you, only my corpse will follow you.’ The suspense continued until his lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, asked him to go to EFCC headquarters.[/b] “After then, we took him to the office and obtained a statement from him. During interrogation, he admitted that he is a director of some of the companies linked to him . ONSA, National Assembly and some firms that paid huge funds into the accounts of these companies .” According to the source, Omisore told detectives that the companies paid the funds under investigation to him but they were the money he loaned them. “We have served him bail conditions, it is left to him to meet these terms to regain freedom. So far, we have detained him,” the source said. About N1.310billion was traced to Omisore and three companies out of the N4,745billion. According to a report by the EFCC, the funds were remitted as follows: Fimex Gilt Limited(N160m)-8/8/2014in UBA; Metropolitan Consortium (N350m)—9/7/14 in First Bank; Sawanara (N300m)—1/8/14 in First Bank and Metropolitan Consortium(N350m)-1/8/14 in First Bank. A top EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Preliminary findings have shown that N1.310billion out of the N4.745billion from ONSA was remitted to the three firms and the accounts of these three companies belong to Omisore. This is one of the reasons we have invited the former Deputy Governor but he is yet to show up.” The anti-graft agency through a letter, of April 7, 2016 invited Omisore for interrogation. The letter, signed by Abubakar Madaki on behalf of the Acting Chairman of EFCC, reads in part: “The commission is investigating an alleged case in which your name featured prominently. “In view of the above, you are kindly requested to attend an interview the undersigned on Monday, 11th of April 2016 at No.30, Harper Crescent, Wuse Zone 7 at10am. “Your cooperation in this regard is solicited.” Instead of honouring the invitation, Omisore wrote a letter through one of his lawyers, Wole Jimi-Bada and Co. that the interview should be rescheduled to Thursday, April 14, 2016. The counsel said in part: “Your letter dated 7th April 2016 and addressed to our client and delivered to his gateman at our client’s residence has been passed on to our chambers. “We regret to inform you that our client travelled briefly out of Abuja but will return by Wednesday evening. Consequently and unfortunately, he will not be able to attend the interview scheduled for Monday, 11th April 2016 as requested in your letter under reference. http://thenationonlineng.net/n4-745b-fraud-drama-efcc-holds-omisore/ |
| Politics › Militants Storm Cross River Governor’s Office, Hold Deputy Gov, Others Hostage by LocalChamp(op): 3:00pm On Jul 02, 2016 |
July 2, 2016 Godshield Kanjal Over 20 suspected Bakassi militants on Friday invaded the Cross River State Governor’s office in Calabar, apparently to express anger over alleged abandonment of the Bakassi returnees by the government. The group, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, arrived the state’s seat of power shortly after the Deputy Governor, Ivara Esu, reported for duties. A source, who pleaded not to be named because she is not authorized to speak on the matter, said the suspected militants invaded the Government House at about 10am and for several hours held Mr. Esu and the staff hostage. According to the source, the daredevil militants boldly told the people that they belonged to the Bakassi Volunteer Force. It’s leader, who gave his name as “Capon,” boasted that his group were out to compel the government to release their monthly amnesty stipend, which has been withheld for several months. He noted that the decision to stage the blockade was unanimously taken by the group to draw global attention to the deplorable way the Bakassi indigenes had been treated by the present administration in the state and country. The Capon insisted that Bakassi people, who were displaced when Nigeria handed over their ancestral homes to the Republic of Cameroon, were being treated like slaves by government. He explained that the group had in the past made several efforts to dialogue with the government but said the governor showed no interest in dealing with the problem facing them. “Our people are dying hopelessly on a daily basis due to minor ailments that could have easily been treated. We have made attempts to dialogue with the governor several times but he would not give us audience and that is why we are here to demand our little stipend,” he said. “We are from the Bakassi Volunteer Force, who have been neglected by government. Our people are dying yet the government is not doing anything. We decided to come out here today to let the entire world know what is happening so when we apply violence against the government nobody will blame us. “Before the Bakassi Peninsula was handed over to Cameron, both the state and the federal governments benefitted from the proceeds of oil and other business activities from that place. After our homes were handed over, we are treated like strangers in our own land. “If the federal government has rejected us, we won’t allow our own state too to reject us. We will shut down the governor’s office if nothing is done in the next few days.” When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Christian Ita, confirmed the invasion by the militants. He said the group was there to express their plight to government but did not disrupt administrative duty. He added that the state Security Adviser, Jude Ngaji, had addressed the aggrieved group while promising to contact the Amnesty office in Abuja. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/206322-suspected-militants-storm-cross-river-governors-office-hold-deputy-gov-others-hostage.html |
| Politics › Uche Sampson Ogah Arrives Sam Mbakwe Airport In Owerri enroute to Abia by LocalChamp(op): 1:54am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Ogah arrived in Umuahia, the state capital, yesterday through the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport in Owerri, the Imo State capital. He went into a meeting with Directorate of State Service (DSS) top officials at their office in the Abia State capital. At about 7.55pm, Ogah and his entourage drove out of the DSS office in a long convoy. It was not clear where they were headed as he declined to speak to reporters. The police stepped up security around the Abia Government House in Umuahia, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the news, which filtered into the state around noon, caused anxiety among residents of Umuahia. At the city centre, popularly called Isi-gate, some traders, tricycle riders and passersby expressed happiness over the development. However, the situation was different at the Government House, where political office holders were seen moving hurriedly out of their offices. Workers simply watched. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who was on his way to deliver an inaugural lecture at the Abia State University, Uturu when the news filtered in, cancelled the event and made a quick return to Aba. Ikpeazu had operated from the Government House Liaison Office in Aba since he assumed office on May 29, 2015. Many of Ogah’s supporters were seen at the Government House main-gate in anticipation of his inauguration. http://thenationonlineng.net/stalemate-in-abia/ Dr. Ogah (in pink tie) and his supporters on their arrival at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri enroute Umuahia...yesterday. PHOTO: SUNNY NWANKWO 5 Likes
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| Politics › I’m On My Way To Umuahia For Swearing In As Abia Governor — Sampson Ogah by LocalChamp(op): 7:44pm On Jun 30, 2016 |
June 30, 2016 James Eze Sampson Ogah, the man who was declared Abia governor by the Federal High Court and issued a certificate of return by INEC on Thursday, has insisted on being sworn in as governor of the state despite an injunction by the Abia State High Court forbidding the exercise.http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/206238-im-way-umuahia-swearing-abia-governor-sampson-ogah.html 5 Likes 3 Shares
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| Politics › Re: See Where The Phrase 'Ajala The Traveler' Came From? by LocalChamp: 8:48pm On Jun 28, 2016 |
nerodenero:It was on Obeys hit album - Board Members. Here is the youtube link for the album. You will find Ajala travelled from 8:22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2wmvvP206Q |
| Politics › Mimiko Sponsors Massive Protest Against Buhari, Imports Youths With N3000 by LocalChamp(op): 6:22pm On Jun 28, 2016 |
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK JUN 28, 2016 The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has alleged that the embattled Governor Olusegun Mimiko plans to organize a protest against President Muhammadu Buhari over his war against corrupt individuals and political leaders in the country. The opposition party said on Tuesday that it uncovered such a plan when Mr. Mimiko allegedly offered some youths the sum of N3,000 to carry out the massive protest against the president before the end of the week. Ondo State APC Publicity Secretary Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya made the allegation in an electronic statement issued to journalists in Akure and obtained by SaharaReporters. Mr. Adesanya claimed that the N3,000 was earmarked for each of the youths and students that would participate in the protest, noting that some thugs amongst them would stage the massive anti-Buhari rally in the State capital of Akure. The APC spokesperson further claimed that many of the youths who had already arrived in Akure for the planned protest were imported from the South-South region of the country. “If Governor Mimiko has nothing to fear, there is no need for the planned rally against Buhari's anti-corruption campaign. “N3,000 each has been earmarked for the over 5,000 youths and some imported students from the South-South region that are participating in the rally. “Intelligence reports revealed to us that the youths would be armed with dangerous weapons. “We appeal to students and youths not to involve themselves in Mimiko's rally against the anti-corruption crusade. “It is unfortunate that while workers are on strike for their unpaid 6 months’ salaries, Mimiko is planning to spend tax payers' money on an illegal rally,” Mr. Adesanya added in the party’s allegation. The opposition party said that Mr. Mimiko is jittery due to the actions of the president in prosecuting crooked individuals, mostly in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with his war against corruption. “We know that Governor Mimiko is scared since his colleague in Ekiti State [Governor Ayodele Fayose] has been alleged to have links with DasukiGate. “Maybe the governor has some questions to answer in the ongoing investigations into the $2.1 billion arms deal [DasukiGate] among the anti-corruption war going on in the country.” The statement tasked the security agencies in the State to be alert of the alleged unwholesome activities of the governor, especially his recruitment of potentially dangerous youths for the rally. SaharaReporters later contacted a prominent student leader in the State following the allegation, and he confirmed that the governor was calling a meeting of the youths and students. “Yes, some youths are planning to meet with the governor because they called many of them from outside the State. Although, I was also called for the meeting but I am not interested and not attending because I don’t want my name to be soiled. “One of my colleagues told me that the governor and some of his Special Advisers are offering them a big task but I don’t understand clearly what he meant by that. “I think one of them [students] is contesting for a position in the coming National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) election and he wants the support of the governor in terms of finance. “So they have to negotiate with Mr. Governor by doing his bidding or lose his support, but I will feed you back when the coast is clear,” he said in a telephone chat with our correspondent. http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/28/mimiko-sponsors-massive-protest-against-president-buhari-imports-youths-n3000 |
| Politics › Re: Senator Saraki And The Fictive Cabal- Femi Adesina by LocalChamp: 9:19pm On Jun 27, 2016 |
SARAKI, THE FACE OF CORRUPTION 36 Likes 3 Shares
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| Politics › Re: Saraki And Ekweremadu Granted Conditional Bail by LocalChamp: 12:52pm On Jun 27, 2016 |
SARAKI, THE FACE OF CORRUPTION 2 Likes
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| Business › FCT Admin Evicts Obaigbena From Thisday Dome by LocalChamp(op): 11:43pm On Jun 24, 2016 |
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK JUN 24, 2016 The Abuja Investment Company, the investment sector of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), evicted controversial newspaper publisher Nduka Obaigbena and his company, ThisDay, from ThisDay Dome in Abuja on Friday. Last week, a Court of Appeal gave a judgment approving the eviction of the debt-ridden publisher from the property. The court case arose from the failure of Mr. Obaigbena’s company to pay an outstanding balance on a lease agreement pertaining to the property. The publisher has been in the news lately for firing some of his editorial employees who demanded payment of a huge backlog of salaries. Reporters and other staff of Mr. Obaigbena’s ThisDay newspaper are being owed salaries for more than a year. Moments after taking over the property from the court bailiff, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), Musa Ahmed Musa, declared that the court “is indeed the last hope of the common man.” Mr. Musa recalled that Plot 702 Cadastral Zone A00, CBD in Abuja was in 2009 allocated to AICL, adding that the company thereafter signed a two-year lease agreement with Messrs Leaders and Company (Publishers of ThisDay Newspaper) in respect to the property, now popularly called “ThisDay Dome Arena.” The lease agreement was effective from May 1, 2009. Mr. Musa stated, “The total rent payable for the term was ₦97,094,284.02, of which Messrs. Leaders & Company deposited the sum of ₦57,558,854.73 as part payment. The lease agreement provided that the balance of the rent in the sum of N39,495,429.30 was to be paid on or before August 31, 2009. “In spite of several requests for payment, however, the balance of the rent remains outstanding as Messrs. Leaders & Company has flagrantly refused to pay.” The AICL’s chief executive disclosed that, due to the unpaid lease balance, the investment company on April 13, 2011, wrote to Mr. Obaigbena’s company indicating unwillingness to renew the lease that expired on April 30, 2011. In the termination letter, AICL also demanded that Messrs. Leaders & Company vacate the property at the end of the lease period. Mr. Musa said that the debtor company ignored the notice to quit the property, adding that the company’s recalcitrant behavior was due to its being a media house. He accused Mr. Obaigbena’s company of threatening to use the media to blackmail AICL and FCTA to back away from collecting rent and also to forfeit its rights to the property. According to him, AICL ignored the blackmail and decided to resort to the law courts for remedy. In 2012, the investment firm filed a lawsuit against Mr. Obaigbena’s company to recover the property. After the court ruled in AICL’s favor in 2014, Messrs. Leaders & Company filed an appeal. On June 16, the Court of Appeal dismissed the Thisday publisher’s appeal, granting AICL the right to re-possess its property. The appellate court also dismissed an application by Mr. Obaigbena’s company for a stay of execution. At today’s handover ceremony, Ms. Ada Amadi of AICL’s legal department announced that the Court of Appeal also awarded the investment firm more than N197 million, representing outstanding rent due on the property. Ms. Amadi disclosed that the structure built by ThisDay at the site would be evaluated to ascertain its value, adding that, if it was not up to the outstanding rent of N197 million, the investment company would pursue the balance through a legal garnishing procedure. http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/24/federal-capital-territory-admin-evicts-thisday-publisher-obaigbena-thisday-dome 5 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › Ohaneze Youth Threaten Showdown With AGF Over Saraki /ekwerenmadu by LocalChamp(op): 6:58pm On Jun 24, 2016 |
Posted By: Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja on: June 24, 2016 The Ohanaze youth forum at the weekend threatened a showdown with the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Mr. Abubakar Malami over planned arraignment of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekwerenmadu on Monday. The federal government is to arraign the duo over alleged forgery case of the Senate Standing Rules. Noting that the prosecution was politically induced, the youth in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday and signed by the co-chairman, Mazi Okemiri Alex, said that they would mobilize similar groups to scuttle the arraignment. They warned the AGF not to touch the deputy senate president, Ekwernmadu who they claimed was their son. The group also pointed out that the Senate as an independent body had investigated the case in question and found the presiding officers not guilty. They demanded the federal government to allow the national assembly do its job in the spirit and letters of the principle of separation of powers. The statement reads: “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council is alarmed by the sudden resurfacing of the arraignment of the Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu over the purported forgery of the Senate 8th session rules. “In as much as we do not condone any act of illegality, from any quarters, we make bold to state that the present attempt to arraign Senator Saraki and Ekweremadu is ill -motivated and politically induced. “The issue at stake has been investigated by the Senate and the duo found guiltless in the past. The Senate is the highest law making body in the country and the principle of separation of power confer on them the privilege to internally investigate and even discipline any of their erring members. “Also the principle of Separation of powers presupposes that the three arms of government viz, Executive, legislature and the Judiciary have a reasonable level of independence, though working in synergy. If the Senate has not found the duo guilty, is it the Judiciary or the Executive that should do so. “We therefore advise the AGF representing the judiciary and the Executive arm to allow and respect the principle of separation of powers. In particular our son Senator Ike Ekweremadu is occupying the highest political office in the South East and should not be unduly humiliated and embarrassed by these recurring antics. We shall no longer take this lightly. “We shall mobilize other like groups all over the country to resist the tyranny of democracy in our country,” It stated. http://thenationonlineng.net/ohaneze-youth-threaten-showdown-agf-saraki-ekwerenmadu/ |
| Politics › U.S. Has “solid Evidence” Of Sex Scandal Against Nigerian Lawmakers – Sources by LocalChamp(op): 6:03pm On Jun 24, 2016 |
June 24, 2016 By Ladi Olorunyomi U.S. officials have “solid evidence” of the alleged misconduct Ambassador James Entwistle reported to House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, high-level diplomatic sources have told PREMIUM TIMES. In a letter dated June 9, the U.S. Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. Entwistle, accused three Nigerian lawmakers – Mohammed Garba Gololo (Bauchi APC), Samuel Ikon (Akwa Ibom PDP) and Mark Gbillah (Benue APC) – of soliciting sexual favours from hotel staff in two separate incidents. Mr. Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited her for sex while Messrs. Ikon and Gbilla allegedly requested hotel parking attendants to assist them to procure prostitutes. The alleged incidents occurred in April at the Residence Inn Marriot, Downtown Cleveland and were promptly reported to State Department officials by the hotel’s management. In response to the lawmakers’ denial of the allegations and threats of legal action, local sources in Cleveland and sources close to State Department and the Nigerian diaspora community in Washington DC have told PREMIUM TIMES that relevant U.S. officials are in possession of records specifying “circumstances of” the alleged incidents, including “eyewitness reports” and real-time “video” evidence. “The Ambassador wouldn’t have written to the Speaker if there is no solid evidence,” said one of our sources, who added that after the hotel manager reported the incidents, State Department officers “had to investigate before acting on the allegations.” The investigation was extensive and exhaustive; it included interrogation of relevant hotel staff and review of all closed-circuit cameras in the vicinity of the alleged incidents, state department insiders said. Hinting at details of the investigation, our source countered Mr. Gololo’s denial, insisting that of the three lawmakers, “he is the one who actually put his hand on somebody, the others only made a verbal request”. PREMIUM TIMES learnt from the state department that “the woman he (Gololo) allegedly accosted felt intimidated”. Local Cleveland sources told us that she feared she would lose her job if she screamed or caused discomfort to the hotel’s other guests. She however reported the incident to her supervisor at the soonest opportunity after extricating herself from the offensive situation. Our source equally brushed aside Mr. Gbilla’s protestations about not having a car as a diversion. “You don’t need to have a car to talk to a parking lot attendant,” he said. This newspaper was reliably informed by our Washington DC sources that Ambassador Entwistle would neither retract nor apologize for the contents of the letter sent to the Speaker. “In all honesty, the Ambassador would not have gone forward with the letter if there is no solid evidence behind it,” he said adding that Mr. Entwistle “is not going to apologize; there is nothing to apologize for.” Contrary to Mr. Gbillah’s assertion that Mr. Entwistle’s petition was an attempt “to bring disrepute to the hallowed institution of the National Assembly and the entire nation of Nigeria”, our source said the intention was to put out there that some participants in the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP), not all, are guilty of bad behaviour and to educate participants who may be admitted for this and other programmes in future. “The reality is that these three gentlemen made a mistake. They violated the terms of the IVLP of which they were duly informed before they left Abuja,” our source said. “Prostitution is not legal in the U.S., they were informed about that before their departure,” the source said. Our source insists that the lawmakers even had a chance to redeem their image after the fact. “If they had been remorseful, if they had just said it was miscommunication and apologized, that would have been the end of it,” the source said. Instead, the lawmakers over-reacted and made their case “sound worse than it is”, said our source. “They were accused of assault and solicitation, no one talked about rape,” the source added. PREMIUM TIMES has it on good authority that State Department officials are not worried about the lawmakers’ threat of legal action because, according to our Washington DC sources, “they know their evidence will hold up in court”. “If they (Gololo, Ikon and Gbillah) want the full spotlight of the justice system to shine on the evidence in the possession of the State Department, they should go ahead and initiate a lawsuit,” the source said. He also insisted that the lawmakers were accorded due respect even after hotel staff reported the incidents to their managers. “Their conduct was a breach of U.S. law, instead of calling State Department officials, hotel managers could have had them summarily arrested and charged. As it is, everybody gave them a pass, letting them complete the programme without interference,” said the source. The lawmakers’ alleged misconduct resonated negatively among Nigerian-Americans who are active in ongoing U.S. presidential election campaigns. Those scheduled to be in Cleveland next month for the Republican Convention and allied political activities are weary that they may be victimized for the lawmakers’ bad behaviour. Hotel management and staff may single them out for unsavoury treatment, they said. “I won’t be surprised if they keep female service staff away from anyone who identifies as a Nigerian or carries Nigerian passport,” a Washington-based Nigerian said. Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC has operated without an ambassador since the death of Professor Adebowale Adefuye last September. When contacted, Gbara Awanen, Head of the Political Section, Embassy of Nigeria, Washington DC, said other than what he read in the Nigerian media, he knew nothing about the incident. Other officials declined to comment for this story. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/205888-u-s-solid-evidence-sex-scandal-nigerian-lawmakers-sources.html |
| Politics › Saraki, Ekweremmadu And Life Parasitism By Emmanuel Uchenna Ugwu by LocalChamp(op): 1:07pm On Jun 24, 2016 |
BY EMMANUEL UCHENNA UGWUJUN 23, 2016 This month a year ago, Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu conspired with top clerks of the National Assembly and bastardized the senate rules of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Saraki and Ekweremmadu used the resultant playbook to choreograph their coronation as Deputy Senate President and Senate President respectively. On the first anniversary of that farce, they are parlaying the very powers of the incumbency they procured through forgery to shield themselves from the judicial consequences of their culpability. They are moving to alter the constitution to grant themselves immunity: And they are proposing, for good measure, to gift themselves life pension –a reward for perpetrating the forgery! To be sure, Saraki and Ekweremmadu couched their life pension bid in terms radically different from the selfish agenda it is. They are marketing it as a national interest project. They are hawking the fallacy that guaranteeing them life pension equates to building the institution of Nigerian legislature. Saraki and Ekweremmadu included the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives as beneficiaries of the emergent clause to bestow tonal balance on the 'institution building' trope. They co-opted the heads of the lower house to make more credible the far-fetched claim that this package is not about the persons of its co-authors: It is about the National Assembly, the institution they happen to represent. At the two-day retreat organized by the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review in Lagos, Ekweremadu pitched that line. He said, ‘’ This has nothing to do with an individual. It is about the institution. Let us not politicise it. Nobody elected the Chief Justice of Nigeria but he enjoys pension. But if we cheapen our own institution, so be it. Let us not make this a personal thing.” Propriety does not permit a potential beneficiary of a legal review to dictate the letters of a provision that will exclusively favor him. But, let the awkwardness of Ekweremadu's interference fade into the background. For a moment, assume the messenger is above conflict of interest. Weigh the message. Ekweremadu would have you believe his life pension bid is not a personal thing. But the case he makes has zero altruistic content. His remarks, instead, confirmed that he is impelled by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. He said he begrudges the Chief Justice of Nigeria his entitlements. He wants to be pension mates of the head of the Nigerian judiciary! (A factoid: Ekweremmadu, covets the life pension of a jurist who became a lawyer while Ike was still 8 years young!) More important, Ekweremadu was remiss in substantiating the premise of his case for life pension parity. He predicated his proposal on the hypothesis that the strength of ‘the institution’ of the Nigerian legislature is a function of the payment the Nigeria state guarantees former principal officers of the National Assembly in retirement. To appreciate the illogic that is the core of this egocentric proposal: Ekweremadu confuses a life pension that will build up his individual fortune with abstract ‘institution’ building. He sells the specious notion that the Nigerian legislature and by extension, the Nigerian democracy, will rise to its best promise when himself and Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker start living happily ever after –at the taxpayer’s expense! No lie can be more false and risible. But this thinking typifies the Nigerian politician's strategy of projecting a selfish rip-off design that will enrich him as concept that will benefit the country and the citizenry. Poverty of the mind is what underlies this Saraki/Ekweremmadu effort to superimpose their avarice on the law of the land. These two men have certainly accumulated an abundance of creature comforts that will last them till death. But they are not contented; they are hankering after more worldly goods. They are possessed of the nagging fear that they would fall into destitution the day their taxpayer-enabled accumulation streak stops. The Sarakis and Ekweremmadus are people whose interest and ingenuity would not lean toward the conditions of the poor. These are ultra-narcissists who are infatuated with themselves. They are egotists who can't help anybody but themselves. They are wretched money grubbers who are so greedy every money they grab merely serves to make them needier than they were before! The muslim from Ilorin and the Christian from Ani-Nri are spoiled children of an over-generous polity. Nigeria has so pampered them they have inevitably grown to presume that Nigeria is indebted to them as they long as they exist. They now have a god complex. They believe that Nigerians owe them sacrifices, sacrifices, sacrifices. The god complex inspires them to advise that it is in our best interest to prioritize the filling of the abyss of their pockets. It drives them to suggest, most patronizingly, that we would be doing ourselves a favor if we place them on life pension. We would be helping our miserable lives by paying them pension. We would be enriching ‘the institution’: Not them. This god complex presupposes that they would be doing us a favor by accepting that token. They would be bending over backwards to receive the paltry pension for our own sake. They would be condescending to receive the pension because they know that ritual will translate to the deepening of Nigerian democracy and improvement of the lot of the Nigerian people! The gods, like Ola Rotimi would say, are not to blame. Gods don’t make themselves. Man creates them. Saraki and Ekweremmadu are the gods we created. We created them, like their less audacious predecessors, by assigning a value differential between them and us. We deified them, by a protocol of prostration and repetitious giving, to develop an appetite for expensive sacrifice. Saraki and Ekweremmadu are one of the highest paid legislators in the world. Their pay is infinitely higher than the value they add to the polity. Their pay is plain hyper-indulgence. Outside their current positions and the universe of Nigerian politics, they have a near zero chance of landing a job with comparable remuneration. The life pension bid is, thus, their attempt to secure immunity from the real world, a value-rewarding system that would be loath to pay them ten thousand times more than their demonstrable aptitude for problem solving! Saraki and Ekweremadu, deep down, dread the day in the future when they will be required to collect ‘severance allowance,’ that one last payment that would mark the end of their dependence on the Nigerian treasury. The 'forgery' they seek to effect on the constitution will insure them against that eventuality. The forgery will ensure that their parasitism on the Nigerian taxpayer lasts till kingdom come! The camp of Saraki and Ekweremmadu says ‘enjoyment’ is the operative word. Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra North) said that much. While speaking in favor of the proposition, Oduah argued that Saraki and Ekweremadu ''should enjoy this benefit''. And you have to take her word for it. Oduah cannot possibly misidentify an ‘enjoyment plot’. She is veteran of ‘benefit enjoyment.’ She was the Minister of Aviation who ‘enjoyed’ by purchasing two BMW cars for the price of five Obama limousines! She is a 'Princess.' The only reason why she could have deigned to subject her royalty to the rigor of running for the senate was because being a ‘distinguished senator’ would reunite her with the 'enjoyment' she experienced as an ‘honorable minister’! She was right when she implied that the life pension was a euphemism for lifelong enjoyment. The life pension is, indeed, a code for servicing hedonism. It is about catering to the tastes of men who would rather vegetate as idle, financial invalids than hustle and fend for themselves. If shame weren’t a scarce commodity, Saraki and Ekweremadu would have felt insulted if somebody broached this life pension joke. They would have protested against being officially listed as national liabilities. But these men are the ones trivializing themselves. They are the ones saying they can’t feed themselves as private citizens. They are the ones saying they would turn beggars if they were separated from the taxpayer’s money. What has the Saraki senate presidency achieved in one year to earn him and Ekweremmadu life pension? Saraki brought in ‘opinion boxes’ into the National Assembly and organized a big, press-covered event to ‘launch’ the outdated pieces of furniture! Saraki shut the Nigerian senate countless times and coaxed Nigerian senators to rally like a football supporters’ club at his every appearance at his Code of Conduct Bureau corruption trial. Saraki reduced the Nigerian senate to the point of scorn. That body has never been a well respected assembly. But he has done a spectacular job of diminishing it; making it a symbol of prodigality, an excrescence of waste! In February, Saraki took delivery of new exotic cars worth 330 million naira. He did that in the midst of national famine, at a time when the Federal Government and a plurality of state governments could barely finance their basic routines. When reports of the development spurred outrage, he made his now pro forma plea: The cars are not for self; they are for 'the institution'! Saraki's background makes him an addict of freebies. He was raised in the lap of pleasure, groomed to be heir of his father’s political real estate, and educated with a sense of entitlement. Close to the end of his term as governor of Kwara State, Bukola got his surrogates to hand him an obscene pension law that entitled him to 100% of the base salary of the incumbent governor, three cars every three years, furniture allowance, free medical treatment for his family members, unlimited number of drivers and domestic staff, etc! Saraki wants life pension from the Federal Government to supplement his Kwara entitlement: So that he can collect, ambidextrously, pension from his Ilorin serfdom with the left hand and pension from Abuja with the right hand! Ekweremmadu, in comparison, seems pitiable. He is an apostate lawyer, having left his practice since 1997. He opened an FM station in Enugu recently. He needs the life pension because the profit from that modest shop cannot fund the lifestyle Abuja has benchmarked for him as a ranking senator and Deputy Senate President! Times are hard. Majority of Nigerians are experiencing untold hardship and hunger. They cannot bear more blood-sucking from insatiable leeches. If Saraki and Ekweremmadu are in doubt, let them 'forge' the constitution and insert their right to life parasitism! http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/23/saraki-ekweremmadu-and-life-parasitism-emmanuel-uchenna-ugwu
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| Politics › Re: Saraki Decorates His Aide De Camp Promoted To Superintendent Of Police(pics by LocalChamp: 12:56pm On Jun 24, 2016 |
SARAKI, THE FACE OF CORRUPTION
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| Politics › Armed Ijaw Youths Invade Ben Bruce’s Radio Station by LocalChamp(op): 7:20pm On Jun 23, 2016 |
June 23, 2016 Simon Utebor, Yenagoa There was bloodbath in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, on Thursday, following an armed invasion of Rhythm FM radio station owned by Senator Ben Murray-Bruce by some members of Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide. The angry youths, who stormed the studio in buses and other vehicles, were after two executive members of the IYC and guests of a live radio programme, Talk of the Town, anchored by Lishman Onisodemuya. The youths, who invaded the station in their large numbers, caused panic as they released volley of gunshots into the air, forcing employees in both the radio and television studios of the Silverbird Group to scamper for safety. The irate youths, who brandished other dangerous weapons, broke into the radio studio, interrupted the programme and dragged out the National Mobilisation Officer of IYC, Mr. Wisdom Ikuli, and a self-acclaimed spokesman for the council, Mike Edounkimor, who were guests of the programme. It was learnt that the youths allegedly beat Ikuli and Edounkimor to stupour with bruises all over their faces. The youths had allegedly attempted to bundle them (Ikuli and Edounkimor) into one of the vehicles but for the intervention of riot policemen who came in at the right time. It was also learnt that before the arrival of the police, the mob had capitalised on the situation to rob employees of the studios of their money, mobile phones and other valuables. The radio studio was temporarily shut down after listeners heard people screaming and running for cover. But the policemen, who arrived the area, were said to have arrested and handcuffed the duo and taken them to the Ekeki Police Station in Yenagoa. IYC was recently thrown into crisis following the claims of six out of the 10-member executive council that the IYC President, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, and the council’s spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare, had been suspended. The document purportedly suspending Eradiri and Omare was signed by the National Secretary-General, Bristol-Alagbariye Emmanuel; Director of Mobilisation, Wisdom Ikuli; Legal Adviser, Ekine Egberekro; Assistant Secretary, Deinkoro George; National Women Leader, Felicia Ngeri and Financial Sercretary, Kemepado Alfred. The aggrieved executive members accused Eradiri and Omare of highhandedness and financial misappropriation. They went further to claim that they had replaced Eradiri and Omare with Mr. Elvis Donkemezuo and Edounkimor respectively. But the Speaker of IYC Mobile Parliament, Mr. Mkpon Ijonama said the persons bandying the suspension document failed to follow the procedures contained in Article 10 of the IYC constitution. But trouble was said to have started on Thursday when Ikuli appeared on the programme to respond to issues raised by Eradiri, who on Wednesday, was a guest of the same programme. Ikuli was said to have invited violence when he announced on radio that Eradiri and Omare had been removed and warned them to stop parading themselves as the President and spokesman for the IYC. He also reeled out financial figures he claimed Eradiri collected on behalf of the council and diverted to his personal pocket. Youths loyal to Eradiri, who heard the announcement and felt that their leader had been maligned, reportedly mobilised to the station to perpetrate the violence. Though some persons claimed that Eradiri was also arrested at the scene of the violence by the police, others said he was absent, adding that he (Eradiri) was later invited to the office of the Commissioner of Police as a complainant. The Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident, saying that the command was handling the matter. http://punchng.com/bloodbath-ijaw-youths-invade-murray-bruces-radio-station/ 1 Like |
| Politics › How Fayose Begged Zenith Bank To Cover Up The Source Of His Election Funds - SR by LocalChamp(op): 5:28pm On Jun 23, 2016 |
How Gov. Fayose Begged Zenith Bank To Cover Up The Source of His Election Slush Funds From Dasuki BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKJUN 23, 2016 Embattled Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, begged Zenith Bank Plc to save him when he discovered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was closing in on him.http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/23/how-gov-fayose-begged-zenith-bank-cover-source-his-election-slush-funds-dasuki www.nairaland.com/attachments/3878528_ayofayose_jpeg8ce147572246c32af59d2cf8bb734324 5 Likes |
| Politics › Re: I Can’t Face CCT Trial Together With Forgery Case, Saraki Tells Court by LocalChamp: 9:38pm On Jun 22, 2016 |
SARAKI, THE FACE OF CORRUPTION 29 Likes 3 Shares
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| Politics › Behave Or Go To Jail, Buhari Warns Nigerian Workers by LocalChamp(op): 9:11pm On Jun 22, 2016 |
June 22, 2016Talatu Usman President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday urged Nigerian workers to dedicate themselves more to their duties than yield to the temptation of taking government property. The president, who was speaking with presidential villa staff in Abuja said anyone planning to make such a move had better learnt from the experiences of those currently facing prosecution over various allegations. “We haven’t touched anybody who did not touch public funds, you should behave yourself,” the president told the workers. “If you don’t have houses in Abuja and the whole of Europe, you will sleep soundly. “You and your family will earn respect. But, if you short-change the treasury, you will be caught and I pity your family, because people will be abusing them. People will be calling you big thieves; that how did you raise money to build all the houses in Abuja and Europe with your meagre salary. “I think personal integrity is something to be encouraged. I assure you that I am absolutely dedicated to serve Nigeria. Those who behave themselves will never regret. But, those who don’t behave themselves, is their problem.” The president, who was meeting closely with Aso Rock staff for the first time, told them all fraudulent activities must stop, saying those in doubt about the efficacy of his administration’s anti-corruption war should ask those caught so far with public funds. “This exercise (anti-corruption war) will continue as long as this leadership is here. Whoever takes anything that does not belong to him, or that he is not entitled to, it will be documented and the person will be taken to court. This is the only way I think we can bail ourselves out,” the president said. Mr. Buhari said it was a disgrace that 27 out of the 36 states cannot pay salaries of their workers, despite all the income they have been getting over the years. On the security challenge in the country, the president expressed regrets that the situation in other parts of the country, particularly in the Niger Delta region, was competing with the Northeast and capable of doing more damage to the country, the oil companies and the oil wells. He decried the state of the power sector, which he said had made no remarkable improvement from 1999 till date, despite huge investments. On diversification of the economy, President Buhari said although Nigeria decided to return to the farm as an alternative to oil, because of the prices, nothing much could be done this year. “We have to quickly go back to the farm. It is too late for this year. But, next year, we will make a better arrangement to make sure next year, we can feed ourselves,” he said. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/205759-behave-go-jail-buhari-warns-nigerian-workers.html |
| Politics › 'Fayose Misfires On Aisha Buhari,' Otunba Fasawe Says by LocalChamp(op): 8:23pm On Jun 22, 2016 |
JUN 22, 2016 Former President Olusegun Obasanjo's long-term ally and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, the businessman mentioned in the alleged bribery scandal involving an ex-US Congressman, Williams Jefferson, has described Governor Ayodele Fayose's public accusation against Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, wife of Nigeria's president, as "fallacious, baseless, misinformed and defamatory." Mr. Fasawe, in a statement signed by him and released to the press in Abuja, exonerated Mrs. Buhari whom he said was never in any way connected with the transaction. "We were the ones in government, and she was never a member of our party or my business associate. So, how could she have been involved in the first place," he queried. Although Mr. Fasawe claimed to know the said convicted former US congressman in the course of business exploration, yet he vehemently opposed Mr. Fayose's position that President Buhari's wife was part of the deal in any way. "It was one venture that went awry based on misplaced trust. I was convinced the Triple Play Cable Television Network was the future of home entertainment in Nigeria. I invested considerably in the business - even having to approach my bank for further investments,” Mr. Fasawe said. “Unfortunately, all went down the drain having been dealing with a fraud and a dupe in a person of Jefferson who used his office and the image of his nation to convince me iGate was a reputable Telecommunication Equipment Vendor. I am sure the bulk of the story is in the media, because I petitioned EFCC and the then President Olusegun Obasanjo,” he added. Mr. Fasawe continued by saying “nothing concrete was done by the then leadership of EFCC. My monies are still tied up in the US. It is high time the Nigeria Government liaised with the government of the United States to help me repatriate my monies running into tens of millions of dollars. The matter is in court as I speak, with AMCON joined as a party to the suit. This is an opportunity for President Buhari to look into the matter and bring all connected to book. Since the matter is in court, I may not be able to say much. However I seek justice, I seek the intervention of Mr. President. As a matter of fact, a petition to this effect is in the offing to be submitted to the presidency any moment from now.” The Ondo State-born business mogul also lamented how the failed business gamble snuffed away his freedom and landed him in detention for nearly a year. "The sad incident caused me money, time and honor. So it is very upsetting to have anyone trying to open this old wound and spicing it up with further controversy. I, therefore, advise Governor Fayose and his handlers to please desist from this unprovoked attack and unsolicited defamation to the person of Mrs. Aisha Buhari. No one should hide behind immunity clause to trample upon the rights and reputation of others with impunity," Fasawe warned. It will be recalled that Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday through press reports had revived the alleged role played by Aisha Buhari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, in the bribery scandal involving U.S. Congressman Williams Jefferson. According to media reports, "Mr. Fayose distributed a link to the U.S. Department of Justice website holding court documents where Mrs. Buhari was alleged to have transferred suspicious funds to a convicted former American congressman, William Jefferson. "In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Mr. Fayose said President Buhari was far from being a clean man. “Even the President cannot claim to be an angel,” the governor said, in reaction to the freezing of his Zenith Bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. “The estate he built in Abuja is known to us. His wife was indicted over the Halliburton Scandal (sic). When that American, Jefferson, was being sentenced, the President’s wife was mentioned as having wired $170,000 to Jefferson. Her name was on page 25 of the sentencing of Jefferson. We can serialize the judgment for people to see and read.” "The governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, Lere Olayinka, later circulated links to and copies of the court document detailing Mrs Buhari’s mention in the scandal. "The documents showed that in some of the exhibits tendered in convicting Mr. Jefferson of bribery, a Mrs. Buhari was mentioned as transferring $170,000 to the American politician using a firm as proxy. “Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William Jefferson” as Beneficiary),” the U.S. Government Sentencing Memorandum said on page 22." "Mr. Fayose’s comment sparked a recollection of how Mr. Jefferson, between 2000 and 2005, used his position as member of the U.S. House of Representatives to offer illegal services to private companies for cash rewards. "Mr. Jefferson and his family, according to U.S. authorities, received about $367,500 through his firm, ANJ Group, for services rendered to iGate, an American broadband technology provider. "An indigenous firm, Netlink Digital Television, had signed a joint venture with iGate to set up digital satellite TV and broadband Internet services in the country. NDTV was owned by Oyewole Fasawe, a PDP chieftain at the time. "Mr. Jefferson was contracted to help promote iGate and NDTV partnership in Nigeria. "Following a lengthy trial, Mr. Jefferson was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to 13 years in prison. "Although Mr. Fasawe was arrested in 2005 by the EFCC, he was never convicted. "A report released by the EFCC on June 22, 2006, about the bribery scandal indicated that the commission investigated accounts held by Mrs. Buhari, including one she had with Citizens Bank. "A 2007 New York Times article detailed how Mrs. Buhari told an acquaintance in Washington that she was a daughter of a former Nigerian head of state and a friend of Mr. Jefferson. “As the pair struck up a conversation and subsequently became friends, Mr. Assiba, then a security guard, said she told him that her father was the former military ruler of Nigeria, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and that her American friends included politicians like Mr. Jefferson of Louisiana.” http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/22/fayose-misfires-aisha-buhari-otunba-fasawe-says |
| Politics › Arms Probe: Corruption Fights Back - EFCC STATEMENT by LocalChamp(op): 7:20pm On Jun 22, 2016 |
BY ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION JUN 21, 2016 The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to a report entitled, DSS Nabs Member of Presidential C”ttee on Arms Procurement over Alleged Fraud , which appeared at page 10 of Thisday newspaper of June 21, 2016, regarding the arrest of Air Commodore Umar Muhammed (rtd.), for alleged fraud. The report, quoting anonymous sources, alleged that Muhammed who is a member of the arms procurement committee is “fronting for some members of the committee”, including “high ranking officials in the EFCC and ONSA”. Though the report falls short of naming the so-called officials that Mohammed is allegedly fronting for, it is common knowledge that the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, is the only member of the Arms Procurement Committee from the Commission. The EFCC views with grave concern this spirited attempt to create doubts in the minds of less discerning Nigerians and member of the international community regarding the integrity of its acting Chairman. To all intent and purposes, this devious report is another avenue of corruption fighting back as some people have been uncomfortable with the uncompromising stance of the Acting EFCC Chairman in the fight against corruption. The EFCC wishes to categorically state that no official of the agency that is directly or remotely connected with the work of the Arms Procurement Committee have had any dealings that verge on fraud with Air Commodore Mohammed or any other member of the Committee. It challenges anybody with contrary information to come forward with the evidence. The EFCC as a body upholds zero tolerance for corruption and will not condone any act that amount to corruption. If Mohammed is established to have engaged in any illegal activity, he should be held liable. In view of the gravity of the issues, the EFCC calls on the Presidency to set up a high-powered inquiry to verify the claims of the report and those who have made it their sole business to impugn the integrity of others and cast doubt on the credibility of the anti-corruption war. No matter the distraction and attempt by dark forces to derail its work through negative propaganda, the Commission will continue to discharge the mandate freely given to it by the Nigerian people to hold all public officers accountable. Wilson Uwujaren Head, Media& Publicity 21st June 2016 http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/21/arms-probe-corruption-fights-back-efcc |
