Buharimeter, a platform monitoring the implementation of the electoral promises of President Muhammadu Buhari, has reported that about 800 Nigerians were murdered by the extremist Boko Haram sect within the first 100 days of Mr. Buhari’s presidency.

The revelation is contained in a report issued by the monitoring platform to mark Mr. Buhari’s stewardship in his first 100 days in office.
The report said Mr. Buhari, in keeping with his campaign promise, prioritized the fight against Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria.

It said despite the president’s best efforts, there had been several attacks by the extremist group, leaving deaths, blood and sorrow in their wake.

“However, in the last 100 days, there have been over 30 successful attacks and bomb explosions which claimed the lives of over 800 people and caused the destruction of properties worth millions of naira,” the report said.

The platform however praised the President for revving up the war against the terrorists.
“Right from his inaugural speech, PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) ordered the immediate relocation of the Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC), from Abuja to Maiduguri, Borno state,” the report said.

“Since then, the administration has rejigged the Nigerian counter terrorism architecture with interventions ranging from the forging of regional and international alliances to the appointment of new security chiefs with a marching order to end the insurgency within three months to improved security spending,” it said.

The report also said the new administration boosted the morale and welfare of security agents as soon as it came into office.
It said within 100 days, the Nigerian Army reinstated 3,032 officers and military personnel convicted by a General Court Martial for offences committed while fighting the insurgents.

The government, it added, also offered scholarships to the children of slain officers and monetary compensation to their families.
“More so, apart from the immediate release of N5billion to bomb victims upon the directive from the President, Nigeria has received financial and technical supports from countries like China, Israel, USA, Switzerland, etc., and from the United Nations (UN) as well, to improve the victims’ economic and social conditions.

“The recent recapturing of the towns of Dikwa and Gamboru Ngala from the insurgents, reports of unsuccessful Boko Haram attacks, and the rescue of some kidnapped persons from the den of the insurgents by the Nigerian Military are positive signals towards ending the insurgency.
Regarding the fight against corruption, Buharimeter rated four of the 13 promises made by the president as ongoing.

It said immediately after inauguration, the President and his deputy opted for a 50 per cent percent pay cut as part of their commitment towards reducing the cost of governance.

The report also noted that “In its bid to block leakages, the administration established a single treasury account for all federal revenues.
“To institutionalise accountability within the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the President gave directives that civil servants must henceforth respond to the auditor’s queries within 24 hours; and all pending queries must be responded to within 30 days.

“To strengthen his fight against corruption, a seven-member Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption headed by Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) was constituted to advice the administration on the prosecution of its anti-corruption war.”

The report added that the anti-corruption bodies, notably the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, have in the past 100 days embarked on a renewed fight against corruption.

It said several foreign nations also committed to helping Nigeria locate and retrieve stolen assets, while the federal government appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and KPMG to conduct forensic audits into the accounts of all revenue-generating agencies of the government.
Buharimeter lamented the attempts to distance Mr. Buhari from several of his campaign promises.

It recalled that the president’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina, tried to argue that the president never promised to make public his assets and liabilities, but that it was his party, the APC, that made the commitment.

“His assertion generated a lot of public backlash,” the report said.

The report, however, added that, the president and his vice eventually provided details of their declared assets and liabilities via a press statement by another presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on the 98th day of the administration.

Buharimeter also assessed the president’s performance in infrastructure, oil and gas, agriculture, environment, Niger Delta affairs, employment and foreign policy.

Following its findings, Buharimeter made some recommendations to the President.

— That he must constitute a cabinet to assist him in his responsibility for the smooth and effective running of the government on a day-to-day basis within the coming weeks.

— That the government immediately unveil its policy directions.

— That the President should urgently articulate a “Marshal Plan” to address security challenges posed by terrorism, ethno-religious violence, rural banditry, kidnapping, amongst others.

— That the President should direct his efforts to implementing policies and programmes for employment generation.

— That efforts should be directed to the education sector, particularly in the areas of capacity building for unemployed youth, through vocational training.

— That the President take urgent steps to implement the other 197 unrated promises.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/189788-800-nigerians-killed-in-100-days-of-buharis-presidency-report.html

The University of Abuja, UniAbuja, management has explained that the redistribution exercise of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, was what caused the university’s cancellation of the post Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination, UMTE, screening for students seeking admission into its 2015/ 2016 academic year.

The management through the UniAbuja spokesman, Waziri Garba told Daily Trust that there was no need for post UTME since the redistribution exercise carried out by JAMB has left the school with a number of candidates it can handle.

According to him, “initially we had about 16,000 candidates applying then after JAMB did their redistribution exercise we came down to about 6,000 and we need about 4,000 students only. So why do we conduct post UMTE, it will cost us more to conduct it for 6,000 people than 16,000 people”.

Garba, who explained that the school had resolved to do the admission on merit basis at the departmental level, said the exercise was currently ongoing at the departmental level and will later proceed to central admission unit of the varsity which will compile everything before finally being sent to JAMB.‎


http://dailypost.ng/2015/09/10/uniabuja-explains-why-post-utme-was-cancelled-for-20152016-session/

The former special adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is a product of maturity of the defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election.

Alkali made this known yesterday in Abuja when he paid a private visit to the management and staff of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI).
He insisted that the course of history was altered by the loss and acceptance of the defeat by the former governing party in Nigeria, saying although the PDP wanted victory it could not achieve it.

He said “PDP planned to win. We did our best but the results indicated otherwise. By accepting defeat and calling the incumbent President, changed the course of history in this country, we should not forget that moment.

“I know there have been challenges here and there after the 2015 general election. The loss of the election was very huge but the party is not dead even though no politician wants to lose a vote,” he said.

Alkali however, noted that the 2015 presidential election has put Nigeria in a place of leadership position in Africa. He said future leaders in Nigeria, by President Buhari’s emergence as Nigeria’s President, will be ready to surrender power when they lose elections.

He urged political actors to always remember the phone call of the former president to President Buhari and should be willing to do same in future contest.

Welcoming Prof. Alkali, director general of PDI, Dr Lanre Adebayo thanked him for the visit and said the institute was established primarily to promote democracy in Nigeria.

“Our role is to develop programmes and capacity at enhancing the quality of engagement within our democracy.

http://leadership.ng/news/459703/pmb-product-of-political-maturity-in-nigeria-alkali

The Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 released a list of persons authorized to make use of sirens.

While briefing newsmen, the Spokesperson of the force, Olabisi Kolawole said the the authorized persons are:

The President, Muhammadu Buhari

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo

The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki

The Speaker of the Federal, Honourable Yakubu Dogara

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu

The Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun

The 36 State Governors

All Service Chiefs

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase

General Officers Commanding

Deputy Inspectors-General of Police

Assistant Inspectors-General of police

Commissioners of Police.

Kolawole said that the police would not hesitate to arrest and prosecute defaulters.

She said: “The police will not relent in their effort to carry out their duty. We will still go by the Federal government circular in implementing the directive”

She further reminded motorists to make use of the whistle-blowing platform to report police personnel who engage is extortion

“We are saying that if people were paying before they should not do that any longer,” she added.


http://www.thetrentonline.com/police-releases-list-of-authorized-siren-users-look/

President Muhammadu Buhari said Tuesday in Abuja that his administration would undertake a review of Nigerian foreign missions to determine those that are really essential.

Speaking after being briefed by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulus Lolo, President Buhari said a presidential committee would soon be established to carry out the review.

The president said the review would determine the number of essential missions Nigeria needs to maintain abroad so that appropriate standards and quality can be maintained.

Nigeria currently has 119 foreign missions abroad, the permanent secretary said. The country will spend N34billion to run the missions in 2015.

The president said there was no point in Nigeria operating missions all over the world “with dilapidated facilities and demoralized staff”, when the need for some of the missions was questionable.

“Let’s keep only what we can manage. We can’t afford much for now. There’s no point in pretending,” President Buhari told Mr. Lolo and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The president also called for the record of former government officials and other persons still using diplomatic and official passports illegally, saying his administration will take necessary action against them.

“Something has to be done so that we can get back our respectability as a country. Some people carry official passports and get involved in all sorts of negative acts. We need to do something about it,” the president said.

Mr. Lolo told President Buhari that the challenges facing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs include the absence of a Foreign Service Commission, poor funding of foreign missions, policy inconsistencies and training deficiencies, among others.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/189667-breaking-buhari-moves-to-close-unessential-nigerian-foreign-missions.html

Against the backdrop of the barrage of criticisms caused by the state’s inability to pay salaries of workers, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam, has defended the integrity of the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, describing him as a man of strong character, honesty and integrity.

The Speaker, who absolved the governor of any blame regarding the financial status of the state, insisted that it was the openness of the governor that exposed the financial predicaments of other states in the country.

The Speaker expressed these views in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of a workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy for members of state Houses of Assembly from the South-West Zone of the country.

He assured that the N34 billion bailout loan obtained by the state from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, would go a long way to address the challenges facing the state and called on civil servants in the state to cooperate with the government to move the state forward.

Speaking through his Deputy, Hon. Akintunde Adegboye, the Speaker asserted that transparency and honesty go together and these are the watchwords of the present political leadership of Osun State.

He dismissed insinuations that the problem over unpaid salary in the state had to do with corruption, insisting that there was no iota of truth in the allegation.

The lawmaker said the capacity building workshop for legislators was timely, as it would update their skill and fine tune their knowledge on transparency, probity and accountability in governance.

http://dailypost.ng/2015/09/08/aregbesolas-transparency-exposed-financial-crisis-of-other-states-osun-speaker/

PMB should make use of such personalities and let meritocracy take over his ministerial appointments...

Nigeria’s Presidency seems set to reverse the decision by the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan on the cancellation of the military training of Nigerian Armed Forces in the United States.

Latest report indicates that President Muhammadu Buhari is now ready to restore the United States military program to train Nigerian troops.

The training has become necessary because of what government calls ‘growing aggression in the north-east’. The military has been tackling a terrorist group, the Boko Haram, in the region for over five years now.

The terrorists are trying to establish an Islamic State and end western education in the region.

The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, insists that Nigeria and the U.S. have military training agreement.

Mr Entwistle said:”We had at Nigeria’s request agreed to train some battalion. Some of the trainers in the world have been provided by the United States”.

Former President Jonathan on December 14, 2014, ended the US government’s training programme for Nigerian soldiers.

The Nigerian government requested for the suspension of the programme less than a month after Washington said it refused to sell the country Cobra attack helicopters.

“At the request of the Nigerian government, the United States will discontinue its training of a Nigerian Army battalion,” the US Embassy in the capital, Abuja, said in an e-mailed statement.


http://www.channelstv.com/2015/09/04/nigerias-presidency-to-restore-u-s-military-programme/

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said on Friday that although the nation is moving at a perceived slow pace at the moment, President Muhammadu Buhari has reinforced the confidence that “Nigeria is on the path of progress and bright future.”

In a press statement issued by his media office in Abuja, Atiku said the first 100 days in office of President Buhari clearly indicated that Nigeria is witnessing a marked departure from the culture of impunity, inertia and apathy in governance.

He added that Nigerians have seen proofs that the country is already moving in the right direction, a development he attributed to Buhari’s leadership style.

The ex- vice president explained that when leaders lead by example, they will automatically inspire confidence in the populace.

Atiku insisted that the Buhari administration has succeeded in blocking revenue leakages and diversions, saying he was proud to be part of the change movement.

He said the Boko Haram terrorists, for the first time, are facing a fiercer response from newly motivated armed forces.


http://thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-on-progress-path-under-buhari-atiku/

By Olayinka Latona

Lagos—former governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola yesterday refused to make further comments about probity of his administration and various allegations levelled against him while he was in office.
While reacting to a question during the 16th annual lecture of Bishop Mike Okonkwo tagged: “The Nigerian Political Class and The Citizens Quest for Good Governance”, Fashola, who was the guest speaker of the occasion said: “About accountability, I did not know how you expect me to announce on the pages of newspapers that it is not the real issue.”

Describing participation as one of the critical components of democracy, the former governor urged Nigerians to contribute their quota towards good governance in the country, while he called on political leaders to constantly keep in touch with the changing needs of their citizens through polls, surveys and other scientific models of empiric information gathering before formulating or concluding on policies.
In his words: “The constitution makes it clear that we all have roles to play if we must have a good life. It is not enough to elect brilliant or honest President and Governor and think that is the guarantee of good governance. But if you hear statements like, “government cannot do it alone”, citizens have a role to play, citizens must be interested in their own safety. Participation takes many forms, voting, payment of tax, helping out, asking questions and speaking up.”
Calling on the federal government to urgently reinstate the teaching of history into the school curriculum, the Chief Examiner of Bishop Okonkwo’s Essay Competition, Professor Akachi Ezeigbo lamented the extinction of History from Nigeria’s school curriculum.

She added that if students are left to their own devices in coming to terms with the country’s history, it will be extremely dangerous.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/fashola-keeps-mum-over-accountability-as-gov/

A pressure group in the Peoples Democratic Party, Restart PDP Project, has said the party would be setting a dangerous precedent if it did not elect a chairman from the North-East to replace the acting chairman.

It maintained that the party’s next chairman must come from the North-East, the same zone where the ex-chairman hailed from.

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State had on Sunday said the next PDP chairman should come from the South-West, noting that installing a new chairman from the North-East for the party at this time was a waste of time.

But the leader of the Restart PDP Project, Emmanuel Nwosu in an interview on Thursday in Abuja insisted that the next party chairman should come from the North-East in line with the PDP constitution.

He said, “Our position is that the next party chairman must come from the North-East. There is nothing other than that because that is the position of our party constitution.

“If it doesn’t happen, then there is a big danger for the party because we are the party now in opposition and Nigerians are watching to see what kind of party we are.

“Remember that most of our party members have condemned the impunity that reigned supreme in the past. Many people are sad because of imposition of candidates and all that.”

Nwosu also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that there was fairness in the current fight against corruption.

He said a situation where only members of the PDP in the last administration were targeted in the anti-graft war would not augur well for the country.

“It is quite clear that we have not seen any sign that members of the governing party are interrogated. It looks like up to this moment, it is only the PDP members that are under the watch of the anti-graft agencies.

“We believe that for good governance, the current government should do the needful and make sure that it’s anti-corruption war is executed without fear or favour,” Nwosu stated.

Another member of the group, Mr. Suleiman Bello, stressed that the next PDP chairman should be elected from the North-East zone.

http://www.punchng.com/news/pdp-group-opposes-fayose-on-party-chairmanship/

By Daud Olatunji
In the last three weeks , the name of the Ogun State First Lady , Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, went viral on social media alleging that the fair complexioned woman has been arrested in London while attempting to smuggle a huge sum of foreign currency into the United Kingdom. In fact, the allegation was so widespread that many people in the state began to believe it. To worsen the situation, the First Lady was incommunicado in the  heat of the rumour.
Vanguard’s findings revealed that, indeed the woman travelled out of the country at the instance of Nigeria’s first lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari on a trip simply described as national assignment. In fact,   the   purveyor   of the   allegation initially   threatened to ‘expose’ the wife of the state Governor if she fails to either address the press or show her face at a public function to debunk the claim that she was in jail in a foreign land.
At the first round,   the purveyors gave her 24 hours within which she should have come out and explained her role in the allegation. After the ultimatum,   there was no denial, she was given another 48 hours, failure which they threatened that they would make public how she was arrested.
Brain behindallegation
After the expiration of the 48 hours, the brain behind the allegation made good their threats and unleashed their ‘expose’. According to them, Amosun’s wife was arrested in London by interpol as she was trying to stash $300,000 in a foreign bank . They confidently claimed that her husband,the governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun had been up and down to save his wife who according to them was trapped.
This allegation generated a lot of reactions from both pro and anti-Amosun public . Those for Amosun defended the first family  while the opposition insisted that the  family was capable of that criminal act. The vituperation continued on the social media while the State correspondents were sceptical about  filing the report due to the fear of  libel. The pin-dropped silence approach adopted by governor Amosun worsened the situation as his posture made many to believe the allegation was not too far from the truth.
The governor’s failure to appoint media aides who would have redeemed the image of the first family in the state added salt to the injury. But, few days after the allegation had gone viral, wife of the State Governor   cleared the air on the rumour of her purported arrest and detention in London over alleged laundering of about $300,000.(US).
Mrs. Amosun said it was not true that she was arrested or detained in London or any other part of the world for the alleged money laundering offence or any other crime for that matter. The governor’s wife stated that the rumour of her purported arrest making the rounds on  social media in recent times was a concoction and a figment of the imagination of mischief makers and the authors of such rumour.
The State’s First Lady who made her first appearance in public since the rumour of her purported arrest for alleged money laundering in London went viral on the social media, debunked the claim while answering questions from newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital, shortly after distributing free milk and other items to hundreds of expectant and lactating mothers at the State Hospital in the Ijaiye area on behalf of the wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari who was the donor.
Moneylaundering
Mrs. Amosun stressed that she had never been involved in money laundering or any other crime and would never contemplate anything like that, adding that her husband, Governor Ibikunle Amosun remained a man of integrity who would not condone such things. The governor’s wife said; “Well, I thank you for that and I’m glad that you called it a rumour. I never did anything of that nature. But as you can see me to the glory of God, it’s not my portion; it shall never be my portion and I believe that you know your Governor, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, I’m sure you know he’ll never be involved in anything that is associated with money laundering or anything negative like that.
So, as you said, it’s a rumour and it shall remain so. It didn’t happen, it hasn’t happened and it shall not happen.” However, the critics had refused to contradict the wife of the State Governor over the claim putting an end to the allegation. In what could be described as belated response to the weighty allegation, the   Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Taiwo Adeoluwa, reacted to the spate of criticisms against the state government in the mainstream and social media.
According to Adeoluwa, the cynical opposition have now chosen this period to orchestrate a campaign of calumny not only against the governor but his family as well.
Oppositionelements
“The most unconscionable of the lies being peddled by these opposition elements is that the wife of the Governor was arrested in London. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mrs Olufunso Amosun is a paragon of decency and an example of all that is noble. These false allegations are totally condemnable. The quest for power need not descend to this level of infamy.
“While noting that government would not be deterred by the name-calling and malicious lies, the state scribe called on the public to be weary of mischief makers and failed politicians now in the borrowed regalia of public defenders and their media hacks.
“Adeoluwa said the state government would remain focused on its mission to rebuild Ogun and make its residents secure. Meanwhile, Amosun’s wife while speaking during the distribution of the milk supplement donated by the wife of the President, Mrs. Amosun assured that Hajia Buhari remained committed to the breastfeeding of babies by nursing mothers.
According to her, “That can only come from a woman of passion and empathy who is in the person of the wife of our President, Hajia Aisha Muhammadu Buhari who has decided to send milk which is called Frisomum which is actually like a nutritional milk for mothers because she likes breastfeeding babies, so she wouldn’t like to support a programme that would negate mothers breastfeeding their babies.
But this milk is actually of nutritional value to expectant mothers and nursing mothers and she has sent this milk to all the wives of the governors across the Federation and asked the wives of the governors to actually deliver them to expectant mothers in state hospitals and this is what I’ve come to do here today. I feel that is a worthwhile and passionate programme.” She assured that the mission to rebuild the programme of her husband’s administration would continue in his second term with a renewed vigour.
Renewedvigour
Amosun advised expectant and lactating mothers to eat a balanced diet and take care of their bodies to stay healthy during and after pregnancy, adding that this would aid development of their babies. Mrs Amosun said this during the second phase of the distribution of the Friscomum  Gold nutritional supplement  donated by the wife of the President of Nigeria, Hajia Aisha Muhammadu Buhari to expectant and lactating mothers at the   State Hospital, Ijebu-ode.
At the occasion, Amosun’s wife advised the pregnant women to take good care of themselves during pregnancy and be committed to the use of the medications prescribed by their doctors. She noted that the donation was in line with the agenda of the All Progressive Congress to uplift the lives of women, saying the  supplement shows that ‘Hajia Buhari, and the  President  are committed to the healthcare of women to reduce maternal and infant mortality. ‘
Responding the Permanent Secretary, Hospital Management Board,  Mrs. Modupe Olurin, a pharmacist, commended the initiative of the wife of the President, saying it would go a long way to add value to the health of the mothers.
Olufunsho Amosun: Her first official appearance after the allegation



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/amosuns-wife-and-the-300000-money-laundering-allegation/

By Fanwo Kingsley
With the successful conclusion of the APC governorship primary in Kogi State, attention has shifted to the battle of wits in what analysts are already tipping as the 2011 rematch between Gov. Idris Wada and a former AFRIBANK chief, Alhaji Isah Jibrin Echocho. Both gladiators are from Dekina Local Government Area which is reputed as the hotbed of Kogi East politics. The emergence of the youthful  Banjo Amoto Moses is raising a few eyebrows since he is the only aspirant from Kogi Central and by extension, from the old Kwara.
The 2011 PDP governorship primary threw up a number of political calculations. While the likes of Prince Sola Akanmode and Chief Christopher Adebayo Ojo were nursing the ambition of bringing finesse to governance; the likes of Chief Abiodun Ojo and Chief Clarence Olafemi were banking on their loyalty to the then incumbent governor, Ibrahim Idris.
But in a manner characteristic of outgoing incumbents, Idris feigned no interest in the succession. However, a day to the primary, it became obvious that the governor wanted Echocho who in the January, 2011 primary defeated his closest rival, billionaire oil magnate, Alhaji Abdulrazak Isa Kutepa. It was a direct contest between Idris and Kutepa. The then incumbent had his way.
But shortly after that primary, Idris’ tenure was extended by a court of appeal ruling leading to a repeat primary in the third quarter of 2011. By that time the bond between Idris and Echocho had snapped. It emerged that Echocho and Idris’ mortal political foe, Prince Abubakar Audu were in-laws as their children had married each other in Canada.
Idris was forced to lure Wada into the race, a development that Echocho resisted and fought to the Supreme Court, but to no avail.
The 2015 governorship ambition of Echocho had always been an open secret especially in the light of what some believed was the vulnerability of the incumbent.
However, his efforts at convincing some PDP governors and other party bigwigs to support his ambition have reportedly not been very successful as many of them are not underestimating the power of incumbency.
 
Power of incumbency
 
A source close to him revealed: “We have been holding several meetings because of apprehension over the chances of Echocho making the primary election. He is no doubt a competent hand to govern the state, but many PDP governors are not giving us encouraging signals which is not what we bargained for.
Many PDP governors want the incumbent to return and we are having a herculean task trying to convince them against supporting the governor. The current structure of the party in the state is clearly in support of the governor and except there is a radical change which we are praying for”, he said.
It is thus not surprising that the governor’s political spin-doctors are increasingly confident of winning the PDP ticket.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Arc. Yomi Awoniyi has met with no fewer than 10 local government council  leaderships of the party to woo them to support the governor’s candidature. He has been showcasing the achievements of the governor as well as making promises on human development.
 
Human development
 
This, analysts say, is key to the re-election bid of Gov. Wada. With the support of virtually all the critical stakeholders of the party across the state, bookmakers believe the ticket is a sure bet for the governor.
The governor’s supporters are also hinging his chances on his performance in office. To them, the governor has recorded great achievements in the areas of education, industrialization, youth empowerment and agriculture; a feat the party will want to put on showcase during the electioneering.
Also, the party leaders across the state are supporting Gov. Wada because they wouldn’t want to toy with having a sitting governor who would not be committed to the success of the party in the election. Dropping Wada for a fresh candidate, they say, may spell doom for the party in the election.
Another reason that is working in favour of the governor is the power rotation pact which is being promoted by party leaders. The Kogi Central and Kogi West leaders are looking at the window of opportunity offered in 2019. Echocho coming on board, they reckon, will further push their aspiration for power rotation away.
My Banjo Amoto is considered a political neophyte in the politics of the state but the young activist is striving to put his doubters wrong. As the sole aspirant from the old Kwara State, many are looking at him as the fast-track medium for power rotation with the APC governorship ticket having gone to Kogi East. His pragmatic campaign is said to be winning hearts among some party men within and outside the state.
One thing is, however, sure: The November 21, 2015 governorship election will test the resilience of the PDP to hold on to power and the determination of the APC to seize power.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/pdp-ticket-how-wada-wards-off-stiff-challenge/

Abuja – Some Nigerians have urged Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to address corruption allegation against him, to restore the commission’s credibility.
Some respondents, in separate interviews on Thursday in Abuja, described the allegation as outlandish and an attempt to frustrate the anti-corruption crusade of the current government.
However, others expressed displeasure over Lamorde’s failure to appear before the senate committee to clear the issue.
Mr Steve Okey, an Abuja-based Lawyer, advised Lamorde to clear the air on the allegations against him, so that the anti-corruption war would have some credibility.
“It is unfortunate that this is coming at this time; but I will advise Lamorde to appear before the senate so that Nigerians can hear his own side of the story.
“It is usually said that corruption has a way of fighting back when it is being tackled but Nigerians will like to know if this is an instance of corruption fighting back,’’ he said.
Also commenting, Mr Harrison Paul, an Abuja-based Estate Surveyor, described the allegation as a counter-offensive against the commission.
“This looks to me like a counter-offensive against the EFCC by the Senate because of the commission’s probe of the senate president’s wife.
“This is not supposed to happen now because the allegation of embezzlement of N1 trillion recovered funds sounds outlandish.
“We will, however, wait to see what defence Lamorde has, but I think he should clear himself early so that the anti-corruption war can proceed,’’ he advised.
Mr Patrick Targbo, a civil servant, decried the allegation as an attempt by politicians to frustrate the fight against corruption.
“Nigerian politicians appear to be scared about the anti-corruption crusade and are doing everything to frustrate it.
“How come they accuse Lamorde of misappropriating funds that were recovered when Mr Nuhu Ribadu was Chairman of EFCC?
“The president should ignore them and go ahead with his anti-corruption agenda,’’ he advised.
Dr George Uboh had petitioned the Senate, alleging that Lamorde diverted the sum of N1 trillion recovered from the former Bayelsa governor, Mr Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and other politicians.
The Senate has mandated its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, headed by Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, to investigate the allegations.
Meanwhile, Mr Wilson Uwajaren, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, said that Lamorde had requested to appear before the Senate committee investigating the allegations at an appropriate date.
“There is no official reaction for now until he appears at the Senate to respond to their queries,’’ he said.
However, Lamorde, in an interview with the BBC on Aug. 26, described the allegation as a smear campaign.
He said that even if all the money recovered by the EFCC was added up, together with its funding from government, it would not total one trillion naira.
“How can we divert an amount we don’t have?” he asked.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/corruption-nigerians-urge-efcc-lamorde-to-come-clean/

By Chinelo Obogo

It is a season of probes in Nigeria. Across the country, governors are beaming their searchlight on the tenure of their predecessors. From Rivers to Kastina, Lagos to Bauchi, the situation is the same.
It is not surprising that most of the new governors are probing their predecessor, especially owing to the bitterness that characterised governorship contests in most of the states during the last general election.
Expectedly, the former governors who are being scrutinised are crying foul, with most of them alleging  witch-hunt by their successors. Undeterred by the hues and cries trailing the exercise, governors of the concerned states are pressing on with the probe.
In Rivers State for example, Governor Nyesom Wike is hot on the heels of his predecessor, Chibuike Amaechi. Wike had accused Amaechi of plundering the state’s resources and leaving behind an empty treasury, a claim the former governor has vehemently refuted. While the former belongs to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the latter is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amaechi has maintained his innocence, saying that Wike, who used to be his ally, was witch hunting him.
The story of the former Rivers State governor and his successor is typical of love turned sour. Before now, both men were bosom friends such that after the controversy surrounding the 2007 Rivers PDP gubernatorial  primaries that saw Mr Celestine Omehia replace Amaechi as  the party’s governorship candidate, it was said that Wike not only mobilised and used his political structure to support Amaechi, he also  sourced more of the funds which was used to fight Amaechi’s legal battle.
The Supreme Court eventually ruled that the immediate past Rivers State governor was the validly nominated PDP governorship candidate in the state and directed that he should be sworn in immediately.
Shortly after he took over, Amaechi appointed Wike as  his Chief of Staff. The position made the latter very  powerful, such that he overshadowed the then deputy governor, Tele Ikuru. At that time, he called the shots and his word was law in the state.
A story was once told of a meeting in which a former governor of Cross Rivers, Liyel Imoke led former South South governors to meet with Amaechi in Rivers State. Informed sources said during the meeting, Wike addressed the governors. After his lengthy speech, Imoke was reported to have told Amaechi that his Chief of Staff had said all that needed to be said, and as such, there was no need for further speeches. That event allegedly infuriated Amaechi who had already become uncomfortable with Wike’s growing influence and the relationship between the two gradually waned.
Today, the erstwhile friends are sworn enemies, and Wike’s emergence as governor has further deepened the row.
A few weeks after his inauguration, Wike inaugurated a seven-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate Amaechi’s eight-year tenure in the state.  At the inauguration of commission, Wike  said that the probe was in conformity with Section 2 (1) of the Commission of Inquiry Law of Rivers State. The panel was charged to investigate among others, the sale of Omoku 150 MW Gas Turbine; Afam 360 MW Gas Turbine; Trans-Amadi 136 Gas Turbine and Eleme 75 MW Gas Turbine.
It is also to investigate the withdrawal and expenditure of N96 billion from the Rivers Reserve Fund without compliance with Rivers State Reserve Fund Law N0. 2 of 2008,  the non-execution of the contract for the construction of Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital after the payment of $39,200,000 to the contractor and  the non-execution of some contracts, the major  part of which had been paid for.
The commission was given one month to conclude its assignment and submit its report to the governor.
Also  in Katsina State, hostilities between former governor Ibrahim Shema of the PDP and his successor, Aminu Bello Masari surfaced shortly after the former handed over to the latter. Masari, who was a member of the  PDP before defecting to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the parties that merged to form the APC, announced immediately he assumed office that he met an empty treasury and a debt profile of N42billion.
He accused his predecessor of waste and mismanagement of resources in some critical sectors. Masari, shortly went on to raise four different committees to probe the activities of four sectors of the state during the  second tenure of his predecessor which lasted  from 2011  to 2015.
The four-key sectors whose activities would be probed are Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Katsina State Road Maintenance Agency (KASROMA), MDGs/SURE-P, and, the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development.
Part of the duties of the committees were to ascertain the location and status of project executed  between 2011 and 2015, to determine whether or not funds earmarked for the  said projects have been judiciously allocated and economically used.
Masari said the setting up of the committee had nothing to do with witch-hunt, but was borne out of the desire to set the records of  government activities straight. He admonished the committee members to  resist the temptation of allowing their personal interest and  preference interfere with the job.
According to the governor, available records indicate that  SUBEB, the agency saddled with the responsibility of  coordinating primary education,  received huge amount of money within the period to be covered by the  investigation, as counterpart funding to strengthen primary education.
Besides, the Kastina governor  noted that reports available to him showed  that Shema left a debt of  N42 billion,  a shortfall of N13 billion in federation allocations, N15 billion in foreign debts and N6.2 in arrears owed pensioners at the local government level.
Expectedly, the constitution of the committee has continued  to generate  different reactions from different sections of the state. The   people have continued express diverse opinions as to its propriety or  otherwise of the investigative panels.
In his response to the allegations levelled against him, Shema described the probe as a witchhunt meant to taint his reputation.  He said that aside ensuring that he left no uncompleted project, he left N4 billion in the state treasury and ensured that no state worker was owed salaries.
The former governor, who spoke  said through his spokesman, Oluwabusola Olawale, insisted that his administration did not borrow money throughout his tenure and therefore, he did not leave debts behind, adding  that he  disbursed N8.5 billion to all the local governments shortly before handing over on May 29.
The case of Lagos has a different twist to the emerging face off. This is because the immediate past governor, Babatunde Fashola and his successor, Akinwumi Ambode are members of the APC.
In the run up to the APC governorship primaries, Fashola was said to have preffered a former Attorney General in the state, Mr Supo Sasore to succeed him as governor. On the contrary, Ambode had the full backing of a national leader of APC and former governor of  the state, Bola Tinubu. Ambode eventually won the party primaries.
Even though Fashola participated actively during Ambode and President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign, insiders insist that there was still ill feelings between Fashola and his predecessor, Tinubu.
Fashola’s political battles with Tinubu dates back to 2007, when he was seeking a second tenure.  Those privy to events in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), where both men belonged before the advent of APC  said that Fashola was not favoured to earn  a second term over allegations of disloyalty to his predecessor.
If these speculations were considered invalid, the events which occurred around that time gave the rumours that Fashola had fallen out with his predecessor more bite. One of such incidences was the refusal of the seventh State House of Assembly led by former speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforji  to approve the year 2010 budget proposal. The proposal was sent back to the then governor on three occasions. It took a short unscheduled meeting between Tinubu and the lawmakers for the budget proposal to be approved. The message was clear. Tinubu still called the shots.
While the dust from the budget proposal debacle was yet to settle, a group known as True Face of Lagos, petitioned the Lagos House of Assembly asking it to probe Fashola over alleged mismanagement of funds. Again, Tinubu intervened and the probe never saw the light of day.
A subdued Fashola eventually got a second term ticket, but it was obvious that all was not well.  With Buhari’s emergence as President, many felt that Fashola would play a key role in Buhari’s administration especially because of his closeness to the president. Sources say this possibility did not go down well with powerful forces in Lagos who do not want an enhanced political profile for him. They figured out that the only way to stop that from happening is to “discredit” him.
The recent revelation by the Lagos public procurement agency of some of the ‘over bloated’ expenditures made during Fashola’s administration lends credence to this assertion. The first publication that was released on the website showed that Fashola’s administration spent N78 million to upgrade his personal website. Information on the agency’s website also states that Fashola spent the sum of N139 million on the drilling of two boreholes at the Lagos House, Ikeja in 2013. The report further revealed that in 2013, Deux Projects Limited was awarded the sum of N300 million for the relocation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Also awarded to Deux Projects Limited was the sum of N220 million, used for the facility management of the Lagos State University College of Medicine. It was also availed that in the same year, the Fashola administration spent N640 million on the reconstruction of a car park and “other associated works” at the Lagos House, Marina, awarded to Julius Berger as part of phase two of the reconstruction of Lagos House.
Although Tinubu has denied any rift between him  and Fashola, the fact that no APC leader or governor turned up at the recent book launch held in honour of the immediate past Lagos governor  was an indication that his battles were far from over.
In Niger state, the scenario is slightly different.  The Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello of the APC said his predecessor, former governor Babangida Aliyu of the PDP misappropriated N2.9 billion and asked him to return the money he allegedly took from the state coffers. Bello, through his spokesman, Ibrahim Dooba, had said that the money was taken as loan on the eve of the expiration of Aliyu’s tenure as governor.
While saying  that his administration  would not witch-hunt any past leader, the Niger governor  insisted that the “misappropriated” money belongs to the people.  Already, the State House of Assembly has reportedly directed Bello to raise a panel to probe Aliyu. Also,  Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abubakar of the APC  has accused his predecessor, Isa Yuguda of the PDP of destroying the state. Abubakar said apart from leaving an empty treasury, the former governor also left  a debt of N125 billion and unpaid salary arrears.
He pointedly asked Yuguda to account for the sum of  N825 billion received by his administration, vowing  to employ all measures to trace funds and property allegedly looted during the tenure of the immediate past administration under Yuguda in the state and recover same.
So far, the new administration in Bauchi State has allegedly seized a total of  22 vehicles in the possession of Yuguda’s wives.
The chairman of the transition committee, Senator Mohammed Mohammed said that the recovery of the vehicles was in tandem with the mandate of the committee to recover all items confirmed to have been allocated against due process and return them to the government. According to him, 11 cars were recovered from his first wife, seven from the second wife and four from the third wife.
A lawyer and public affairs analyst, Martins Agoziem says the fight against corruption and embezzlement should be holistic for it to achieve results.
“Corruption in Nigeria is endemic and should be dealt with in a very sincere way. Nigerians want to see the sincerity of our governors and even the President in the way they carry out their probes. So far, the fight against corruption is being done selectively. It should not be so. In a situation where probing is done based on party affiliations or vendetta,  it won’t achieve much results. If a governor is a member of party A, and his predecessor is a member of party B, then the likelihood of probing and scrutiny would be very high. But if both are from the same party, and are still in good terms, the likelihood of probing would be low or nonexistent. So far, the probing that is going on both at the federal and state levels show very high rate of nepotism. If we want to tackle corruption, it should be done without fear. Probing should not be used to score cheap political points.” he said.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/governors-at-war-with-predecessors/

By Ben Agande
Abuja — The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, ICPC, has commenced investigations of four former governors following petitions against them.
The four governors are former governors Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano.
Already four teams have been raised to visit the states to check the books of the states to establish the allegations against the governors.
Sources at the commission told Vanguard that the teams departed Abuja, Monday morning, to the various states to carry out their investigations.
A source at the commission, who does not want his name in print because he is not authorised to speak on the matter, told Vanguard that the allegations borders on dubious awards of contracts as well as contracts awarded to cronies and relatives of the former governors.
According to the source, the commission is committed to ensuring that all petitions are investigated to a logical conclusion and those indicted or found to have compromised would be brought to book.
“We will ensure that we thoroughly investigate all allegations brought before us so that nobody would be left in doubt about our commitment to fighting corruption. The chairman has dispatched a team to the affected states and they are expected to report back in the next two weeks. No body would be spared if found culpable,” the source said.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/why-icpc-probes-chime-shema-amaechi-kwankwaso/

By Evelyn Usman
The attack on a team of policemen in Owutu area of Ikorodu, Lagos, in the early hours of Monday, during which three policemen were shot dead and others injured, was said to have been carried out by militants-turned vandals.
This is just as the policeman, who managed to escape from the scene of the shooting, attributed his survival to his name.
The surviving policeman, a Sergeant identified as Fortunate Endurance Imasuen, according to a family friend who spoke on condition, said: “My name, Fortunate, saved me. For the first time in my life, I knew the meaning of my name.
“I am indeed fortunate and I thank God for my parents who gave me such name.”
Sergeant Imasuen, said to be in a stable condition yesterday, was reportedly shot in the leg.
Impeccable sources disclosed that the militants, who attacked the policemen, were clad in black shirts and trousers, with red bands tied on their heads.
They were reportedly alerted by their colleagues who were apprehended by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, for onward transfer to the Anti-Pipeline Vandalism squad.
At press time, the whereabouts of the three policemen said to have been shot by the vandals were yet unknown.
Information at Vanguard’s disposal revealed that trouble was allegedly caused by operatives of the SARS who were deplored to the area to checkmate activities of vandals.
A total of 150 SARS operatives were reportedly deplored to Ishawo area to complement efforts of policemen from Owutu Division.
It was also gathered that SARS operatives pin-down point was different from that of policemen from Owutu.
Between SARS,  Owutu police
Report had it that while a team of policemen from Owutu allegedly allowed the vandals passage, their colleagues from SARS insisted on handing them over to the Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit inspite of explanation by the vandals that they had allegedly paid an unspecified amount to some of their colleagues.
The argument reportedly went on for about 30 minuites, when all of a sudden, their colleagues, numbering over 50, stormed the area and opened fire on the unsuspecting policemen, killing three of them on the spot.
Although one of the vandals was reportedly shot dead, his body was said to have been taken away in one of his colleagues’ operational vehicles, alongside that of the dead policemen.
Police reacts
Spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, Patricia Amadin, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the attack.
She said: “ The policemen encountered an attack by armed men suspected to be militants at about 3a.m., Monday.
“Meanwhile, the command is on the lookout for three of its personnel discovered missing after the encounter, while an intensive manhunt is on for the fleeing felons.
“The command appeals to the public to volunteer in-formation and report cases of pesons with gunshot wounds to the nearest station.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/militants-take-over-pipeline-vandalism-in-lagos-police/

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by Edward Oparaoji

With the recent discordance, repugnance and uproar in our polity instigated by the recent lopsided anti-corruption policy directions and the key political appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari, questions have been raised as to his intellectual capacity and or wisdom to comprehend the complexity of and govern Nigeria. Buhari, who has either been in government or supported by government for most of his life, has had a small cadre of loyalist that share or shape his world view and consist his comfort zone.

Steven Handel, a psychology blogger at The Emotion Machine commented, “Knowing what you don’t know is an important kind of wisdom… That too often we fall into the delusion of thinking we know a lot more than we really do, a condition commonly known as illusory superiority. This can often make us stubborn in our beliefs and unwilling to accept new information. Ultimately, it stagnates our growth.”

On ascension to the Presidency, one would have expected Buhari to reach out beyond his comfort zone for a more comprehensive needs assessment for the nation, and then followed by plan of action. But no, not Buhari, he already knows it all. The same attitude that got him removed from office, by his own military colleagues, barely 18 months into his dictatorial rule in 1985. Today, he has run into another buzz-saw, emanating from same lack of curiosity and inclusion of other views.

Buhari was voted into office largely on his singular focus on fighting corruption. Commonsense would dictate that his first line of action on assuming office would be the appointment of an Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to advise on and craft the strategies to drive this this initiative. Buhari, apparently, is his own AGF.
It is no rocket science that every modern state rests and thrives on a tripod namely national security, economy, and domestic affair pillars. The leaders of these various pillars are most likely to be at the decision making table, with the president.

Till date the heads of the Army, Department of State Security, DSS, (representing national security pillar), Petroleum (representing the economy pillar), Secretary to the Federal Government, and Chief of Staff of the President (representing Domestic affairs) have been filled by Northerners who are all close associates of Buhari. The head of the DSS is even a cousin of the president. No wonder most Nigerians, across party and regional lines have condemned these appointments as obscene and unfair.

Although we all make mistakes, but what distinguishes a leader is the ability to timely acknowledge and effectively correct your mistakes. It is the Chinese philosopher Confucius who said, “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” However, rather than proffer sensible corrective measures, Buhari and his team have engaged in patronizing “baby talk to” Nigerians.

In a futile attempt to spin the lack of national character representation in these key appointments a presidential media aide when asked if the South- East and other parts of the country, who are complaining of being marginalized by Buhari would be compensated, he said “appointments so far made by the President were just a few out of so many that would be made by the President…..There will be ministers, heads of government departments, federal boards and ambassadors. At the end of the exercise, no part of the country will be left feeling left out.” Really? I guess he forgot other equally very essential roles like dog catchers, palm wine tappers and sewage drainers!

Buhari has made it clear he doesn’t need ministers to govern; he would have done without them, if it wasn’t for the pesky constitutional requirement. It is therefore worthless and doesn’t matter if you gave the South-East all the available ministerial, board and ambassadorial positions, which guarantees no access to the decision-making table.
Unless Buhari has truly written off and willing to lose the South-East forever, he must as a matter of urgency, re-do these key appointments to accommodate all the geo-political zones. Confucius, my favorite philosopher also stated that “It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.” I want to believe that Buhari has good intentions with his actions, but there is a proverb that says “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

To save his presidency, Buhari must exorcize his illusory superiority traits, reach out, consult widely, and reconstitute leadership of Nigeria’s national security, economy, and domestic affair pillars, to ensure equitable geo-political representation.


http://www.thetrentonline.com/soundoff-general-buharis-illusory-superiority-is-truncating-his-presidency/

Good...

A woman who died last week in northern Sierra Leone tested positive for Ebola, the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) said Monday, in a setback for the country’s bid to gain Ebola-free status.

There had been celebratory scenes last week when the country’s last known Ebola patient was released from hospital in the central city of Makeni after being cured of the virus, raising hopes the west African nation may finally have beaten the devastating epidemic.

Sources contacted by AFP confirmed that the woman was in her mid-60s and lived in Sella Kafta village in Kambia District.

The swab taken after her death last Friday confirmed she had contracted Ebola.

She had not travelled to either Liberia or Guinea, two other countries also blindsided by the worst outbreak of Ebola in history, which has killed some 11,300 people since first emerging in December 2013 in Guinea.

“We have sent a team from here to Sella Kafta village and we have already identified ten high-risk contacts that we are focusing on to stem any possible transmission,” the NERC’s communication director Sidi Yahya Tunis said in an interview with a local radio station.

“We have already isolated the high-risk contacts and are assessing whether the village will be isolated if need be,” he added.

Tunis also said that a World Health Organization team which successfully tested an Ebola vaccine in Guinea that has been billed as possibly marking “the beginning of the end” of the virus would join NERC in Kambia to vaccinate contacts of the latest victim to “stop any possible train of transmission”.

Tunis said people should “remain calm and not be frustrated over the development”.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/new-ebola-case-in-sierra-leone-sets-back-efforts-to-beat-epidemic/

Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has threatened to close down four commercial banks in the state over their alleged refusal to pay several millions of naira as taxes to government coffers.

He disclosed this on Monday during a parley with retirees in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Fayose, who said that he had obtained a court order to shut down the affected banks, lamented how some banks shortchanged government despite making huge profits from the state.
He warned the affected banks and other businesses owing government to pay up within days or face his wrath.

Fayose also reiterated his decision to make all private nursery, primary and secondary schools in the state pay newly-imposed taxes before resumption by middle of September.

Each of the private schools is expected to pay N150,000 into government coffers before reopening for the new academic session.

Similarly, anybody who purchases one cow to be slaughtered for any occasion will now pay N1,000.


http://dailypost.ng/2015/08/31/fayose-to-shut-down-banks-over-tax-evasion-imposes-n1000-tax-on-slaughtered-cows/

By Dayo Johnson Akure
A Church service was reportedly disrupted by four masquerades who flogged the pastors and the worshipers in Epinmi Akoko area of Ondo state.

One of the masquerades, Tunde Arohunmolase was however arrested while others fled after flogging the pastors and the worshipers.

Police source said that the masquerades invade the Christ Apostolic Church in the town while the service was on-going and abruptly ended it.

Two of the Pastors were reportedly injured by the time the masquerades left the church premises.

Vanguard learnt that when the masquerades arrived the church premises they were challenged by some of the church workers.

But they reportedly ‎overpowered them and went straight for their target.

While other worshipers fled leaving the Pastors , their attackers reportedly had a field day dealing with them.

Vanguard leant that the matter ‎was later reported at the police station and one of the suspect was apprehended.

Police detectives are probing the reason for the attack of the church by the masqueraders during the service.

When contacted the police Image Maker, Wole Ogodo, confirmed that two Pastors were wounded during the attack and have been treated.
He gave the names of the Pastors as Jacob Ogunmola and Kehinde Ilori.

The Police Spokesman added that one of the suspect- Tunde Arohunmolase is in Police custody and has made useful statement.

Ogodo assured that the fleeing masqueraders would soon be arrested from their hideouts.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/masquerades-invade-church-flog-pastors-worshipers/

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State on Monday raised the alarm that fraudsters are using his names to defraud job seekers in the state.

The governor warned those applying for employment in the state civil service or contracts to be wary of such dubious characters.

El-Rufai said this through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, while addressing journalists at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna, adding that security agencies were on the trail of the fraudsters.

According to him, the fraudsters specialised in duping persons under the guise of securing government appointments and contracts in the state for them.

He cautioned unsuspecting members of the public, especially those applying for jobs or contracts in the state against the nefarious acts so as not to fall victim.

El-Rufai added, “Our attention has been drawn to criminal activities of fraudsters duping members of the public purportedly under the guise of securing government appointments, employment and contracts in the state and beyond.

“The fraudsters have been dropping a Diamond Bank account number, 0061680758, with the name Martin Anderson. There is also one Engr Bello, claiming to be a Manager in NNPC with telephone number 08133613031, which he circulates via a fake Facebook account.

“The fraudsters, who are cheating and collecting resumes and Curriculum Vitae of ambitious persons, have no mandate of the governor or Kaduna State Government but are criminals and the general public should take note.

“The security agencies have been alerted and presently trailing them for appropriate action and prosecution. The members of the public are hereby reminded to cease patronising criminals but to report them to the nearest security agencies.”



http://www.punchng.com/news/fraudsters-using-my-name-to-dupe-applicants-el-rufai/