₦airaland Forum

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has concluded plans to commence the probe of the former President Goodluck Jonathan with investigations into the financial transactions of his ministers and aides.

The PUNCH learnt that the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had already directed that all petitions against former public officers at the federal level should be forwarded to him to be acted upon.

Findings showed that former ministers, special advisers, heads of parastatals and those of other Federal Government agencies would be invited for interrogation by the EFCC in few weeks from now.

Our correspondents learnt that the anti-graft agency would focus on those whose establishments attracted huge allocations from the Federal Government when Jonathan was in power.

Such ministries and agencies, it was learnt, included defence, petroleum resources and power.

Three top sources in the anti-graft agency confided in one of our correspondents that Lamorde was “determined to expose any corrupt act during the administration of the former President.”

One of the sources, who confided in one of our correspondents, explained that anti-graft operatives had yet to arrest any of the former ministers, special advisers and heads of agencies who served under the former President.

The source said, “I am not aware of anybody who has been summoned or interrogated by the commission. Those to be interrogated would be determined by the gravity of the allegations against them as contained in the petitions.

“What happened last week was that a directive was issued to move all petitions against public office holders under the former President to the office of the Chairman.

“The files will be studied and assigned to units to handle the investigations. It is based on the petitions that people will be summoned.
“Most likely next week, action would be taken on those petitions…”

But the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwajaren, denied knowledge of such a directive when one of our correspondents contacted him on the telephone on Monday.

“I am not aware of the directive you are talking about. It is not to my knowledge,” the agency’s spokesman said.

Reacting to the development, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo, said the party was not afraid of a probe.

According to him, the party and former President Goodluck Jonathan have nothing to hide, saying all the party is asking for is that any probe must be within the ambit of the law.

Jalo said the PDP as a political party discharged its duty of providing leadership for Nigeria for 16 years and that it did so transparently.

He said, “I am sure Nigerians still remember that it was because of PDP’s desire to deal with the scourge of corruption that our government under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo established the EFCC and the ICPC. The records are there.

“All we are asking for is that there must be fairness and justice, whatever probe they want to carry out must have respect for the rule of law, good conscience and the fear of God.

“Such a probe must not be carried out based on vendetta or simply because somebody does not like the name or the face of somebody.”

Jalo also advised the All Progressives Congress-led administration to pay more attention to providing leadership to Nigeria, “rather than dissipating energy in the pursuit of trivialities.”

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had in an interview last week, said President Muhammadu Buhari would probe Jonathan’s government.

He had said that the present administration would recover billions of dollars, adding that “the world is too small a place for anybody to hide if you are running from justice.”

“It doesn’t mean that anybody that has ill-gotten wealth will not regurgitate it. They will. Remember when he (Buhari) went to Germany for the G7 summit, he met with President Obama and Obama told him to just give us information on where the loot is hidden and we will help you recover it and the government has been working on that. So, that shows that looters will never go free,” he had said.

Operatives of the Department of State Services had invaded the houses of Jonathan’s National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) on Friday forcing the former NSA to a house arrest for 24 hours.

The security agency in a statement the following day accused Dasuki of felony, misuse of power and possession of destructive weapons.

It said it recovered from Dasuki’s home seven high calibre rifles (high assault weapons), several magazines, military related gear and 12 new vehicles, including five bulletproof cars.

A top officer of the DSS had confided in one of our correspondents that Dasuki would face further interrogations this week.

Also, the ex-President’s Chief Security Officer, Gordon Obua, was being detained as part of investigations into the security spending at the Presidential Villa during his time.

A lawyer to Obua has raised the alarm about the detention of his client.

The lawyer, Onochie Onwuegbuna, said in a statement that Obua had been in detention since July 16 without being told what offence he committed.

Picture: Chairman, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde

http://www.punchng.com/news/efcc-set-to-probe-jonathans-ministers-aides/

dayojags10:
lol. gone are those days Mehn. I remember JSS1 my school trouser they always they my belly button.

U no know say na scope ur people dey try save money in the long term.

If you don enter naija prison before, trust me u go even use d toes drink garri to avoid just one day in jail.

This is a total showdown. People can say what they like but I know Buhari has a master plan in bag which will be very effective and crushing when he unleashes it.

sentaljohn:
there's more to this guy that we don't know

Agree!

Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, on Sunday launched `Operation Lafiya Dole' as a new code name for a fresh impetus by the military to tackle the activities of Boko Haram.

This replaces the former 'Operation Zaman Lafiya'. The new code name was derived from Hausa language, which literally translates "Peace by All Means.''

Buratai announced this while addressing troops of the 103 Battalion in Konduga, headquarters of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno.

He said that the objective was to transform the army professionally as well as fast track the war against the Boko Haram terrorists.

"It is the wish of the Federal Government to end this terrorism quickly in this part of the country and indeed some other challenges in the South South and other parts of the country. This will make us to have a very peacful country free from any insecurity,'' Buratai said.

He lamented that the fight against terrorism had lasted for a very long time without much results.

He said Consequently as from today July 19, we are here to bury the `Operation Zaman Lafiya' and give birth to what we will henceforth call `Operation Lafiya Dole'.

Operation Lafiya Dole is derived from the belief that we must end this insecurity. We must restore peace to all parts of the North East and other parts of the country that are affected

"We are going to carry this as a war and I appeal to all and sundry to give this operaton maximum cooperation. We will carry the civil population along, we wil also observe the principle of human rights and respect human dignity. We will not trample on anybody's right,'' Buratai said.

He expressed optimism that the operation will yield dividends in a very short time.

"As the insurgents have refused to understand and come to the right way we must force them to make sure that peace return to all parts of Nigeria,'' Buratai said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Acting Chief of Army Staff also visited the Shehu of Borno Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai at his palace in Maiduguri.

http://pulse.ng/local/boko-haram-army-boss-launches-operation-lafiya-dole-id3989902.html

Abeg freeze all freezable...

There are strong indications in Abuja that the Department of State Services will soon apply for a court order to freeze the bank accounts of a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

The PUNCH learnt on Sunday that Dasuki’s bank accounts would be frozen because of the investigation into the spending of the funds appropriated for defence.

The sum of N28.5bn was earmarked in the 2014 budget for the purchase of security equipment by the office of the NSA.

The DSS is planning to apply for court order to freeze Dasuki’s accounts in order to prevent the funds in the accounts from being depleted.

The accounts, fit was learnt, would enable investigators to track the inflow and outflow of money from them as well as the sources of the money.

The DSS had invaded the ex-NSA’s house on Friday. The PUNCH reliably learnt that the former NSA would be invited for further questioning over items found in his house as well as the spending of anti-insurgency funds.

The DSS had on Friday surrounded the house of Dasuki in Abuja and forced the former NSA to stay indoors for about 24 hours. The operatives were said to have seized the international passport of the former national security adviser.

The security agency had in a statement on Saturday night accused Dasuki of felony, misuse of power and possession of destructive weapons.

It said it recovered from Dasuki’s home seven high calibre rifles (high assault weapons), several magazines, military related gears and 12 new vehicles, including five bulletproof cars.

A top officer of the DSS confided in one of our correspondents that Dasuki would face further interrogations this week

“We will apply for a court order and the bank accounts of the former NSA would be frozen this week when the investigation starts. The present administration believes in accountability and will investigate how defence votes were spent,” the official said.

A Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, said the bank account of any citizen could not be lawfully frozen without first obtaining a court order.

“You cannot freeze the account of anybody without a court order. It cannot be done by executive fiat,” the lawyer told one of our correspondents on the telephone on Sunday.

It was learnt that the former NSA might be charged with treason and corruption, if found culpable.

But a lawyer, Yunus Abdulsalam, dismissed the threat to charge the former NSA with treason based on the items recovered from his home.

Though, he admitted that the search conducted by the DSS at the former NSA’s home was valid since it was backed by a court order, he however contended that all the items recovered from Dasuki constituted property that could be legitimately owned by any citizen.

Abdulsalam said, “Once there is a search warrant and the search is conducted, it is valid; there is no doubt about that.

“Under section 36 of the Constitution, it is presumed that everybody has the right to own property and the presumption of the law is that you are the owner of the property.

“The question, that flows from the above is whether any of the items found on the ex-NSA, including the cars and the rifles, constitute what cannot be legitimately got by any citizen. Don’t forget the former NSA was a former military officer and he has a wealthy background.”

Also, an aide to the former NSA, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the allegations against his principal as laughable.

The aide said that the cars that were removed from Dasuki’s Abuja house belonged to his family members and friends.

He also explained that the guns found at the residence of the former NSA were for his security team and not for any intent against the state.

The source said that Dasuki had been outside the country doing international business for years and that he was a rich man before his appointment.

The source added that the former NSA, a son of a deposed Sultan of Sokoto, resigned from the Minting and Printing company as the managing director on his own and that he could not have stolen a bulletproof car when he had enough money to buy on his own.

The aide further argued that there was nothing stopping the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s NSA from venturing into his personal business after serving the state if he wanted to.

He said, “What I can tell you is that the allegations are laughable. What is he going to do with bulletproof cars in this era of technology?

“The person we are talking about was a former ADC to a former President, a former Managing Director of Minting and Printing, who has been outside the country doing his international business.

“Dasuki is a rich man by all standards. The family is very rich; his father was a former Sultan of Sokoto.”

It was learnt that a former Chief Security Officer to Jonathan, Gordon Obua, was also being detained as part of investigations into the security spending at the Presidential Villa during his time.

A lawyer to Obua has raised the alarm about the detention of his client.

The lawyer, Onochie Onwuegbuna, said in a statement that Obua had been in detention since July 16 without being told what offence he committed.

The lawyer said Obua was hypertensive and diabetic “to the knowledge of his employers, the SSS” and that he had been denied access to his daily medications to manage these severe ailments.

The DSS could not be reached for comment on reasons for Obua’s detention and the plan to freeze Dasuki’s bank accounts.

The DSS has yet to announce a spokesperson since the removal of Maryln Ogar.

But a security expert, Max Gbanite, stated that the government had the right to probe Dasuki based on the security report available to the President, noting that the DSS could not have carried out the operation at the ex-NSA’s residences without a presidential directive.

Gbanite, who just concluded a counter-terrorism training in Israel, said Dasuki had a right to lawyers who would defend him in court, insisting that the onus was on the government to prove its case against the former NSA.

He said, “Those who believe that Dasuki was being victimised based on his roles in 1983, are not far from the truth and the DSS who claimed that they found firearms in his house; the issue is, as a retired colonel in the military and a former NSA, is he entitled to firearms?

“The good thing about the dynamics of democracy is that the former NSA must have his lawyers and the government must prove its case, so there is no need for us to fret over this matter.”

Read more at http://www.punchng.com/news/dasukis-bank-accounts-may-be-frozen-this-week/

Give him his medication so that you don't have a dead body in your hands. However, quiz him to details while it lasts even if it means tying his legs to a ceiling fan and do that thing

merry02:
my point is nt far fetch.....buhari should nt paint himself as saint to Nigerian..there is no political officer that is nt corrupt!

Your reasons are still hollow and empty. So you are simply saying corrupt officials should lead occupy political appointments to lead the country. Oga, there is no sense in that. You are the one who choose to see him as if he's painting himself as a saint. To well meaning Nigerians, he is simply doing the right thing.
Na wa o. Corruption has so much eaten deep into people's mind that they now think and see it as a norm. How can Nigeria move forward with such mindset?

merry02:
hogwash!u nd buhari can run the gov then since there is no one he can work with!the same way u nd ur cohot circulate falsehood,lies nd propaganda to gain cheap recognition for the president on refinery.thank God Buhari himself game out to say the truth..another one was how anyaku went to beg Buhari on behave of jonathan,the man debunked it that it was a lie.....how long ll Apc realise that governance is paramount nd nt propaganda?I repeat,is buhari a product of just society?when he said Abacha was nt corrupt what did u say?y didn't he resign in Obj government despite the level of corrupt of Obj in 1975s?y didn't he turn Tinubu et al down during the campaign?excuse man!no man is free frm corruption in nigeria even in advance world......buhari can do the gov alone anyway!

I still cannot see your point regarding this topic. Has he taken a right or wrong step by screening potential candidates?

thegoodone2:
Let him take one professor from University in each state for minister. pollitician are theift

merry02:
Is buhari himself free frm corruption?can he swear that he got the mandate through a free corrupt hand?enough of this noise!I see it as means of gaining cheap recognition....Buhari should get set for governance than chasing a shadow!maybe he ll he want to rule nigeria alone!we re watching......

It's a shame that even so-called youths of this country like you are the ones causing setbacks for the country. Shame on you!
Seriously? Are you condemning this bold and gigantic step the president is taking? No wonder previous administrations were totally immersed and embedded in high level corruption never seen anywhere else in the world; and what has been the end result, a failed government and a failed country.
When you mentioned 'cheap recognition', i knew quite well you are just here to post comment without knowing understanding the topic. What recognition does someone like Buhari need again? In fact, you have no point. Go to 'celebrity' or 'jokes' section and mingle there.

razfad10:
Is buhari really looking for corrupt free person? I don't think there is any under APC.

Whichever way you dissect it, I still strongly believe this is definitely how government officials vying for political appointment should be scrutinized. Subject them to thorough scrutiny. At least, three came out clean. There are still people out there that will be clean and fit the profile. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get them. Enough of parading thieves as leaders of this country. To add to it, I'll implore Buhari to speed up and intensify the prosecution of these 33 candidates that failed the litmus test.

INDICATIONS emerged at the weekend that the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to announce ministers after nearly two months of assuming office is not unconnected with the alleged malfeasance, fraud and misappropriation of funds traced to most of the ministerial nominees.

The revelations by investigation teams reportedly revealed shocking security reports on the alleged fraud and misappropriation of funds by 33 nominees short-listed by President Muhammadu Buhari, with only three said to have passed the corruption test.

Informed sources told Sunday Tribune that out of the 36 ministerial nominees penciled in and those submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) hierarchy and sent to the DSS, EFCC, ICPC, CBN, the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for forensic screening, only three nominees came out unscathed.

President Buhari had insisted that he wanted to appoint people without corruption baggage that could taint administration and inhibit his anti-corruption drive.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the president was dumbfounded as to the mind-boggling amount of money quantified in several transactions cutting across several sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, finance, power, governance and infrastructural commitments, where the persons involved failed the nation, thus contributing to its current decadence.

Consequently, President Buhari is said to have rescheduled the new date for the submission of his list of ministerial nominees to the Senate for approval to September, during which it is hoped that he would have prepared a new list that will be screened and those that scaled the integrity huddle, presented for confirmation.

A source said: “Buhari has said anybody with skeleton in the closet will not work with him irrespective of the role he or she played. If such persons are around him, it means he may be pressurised to compromise his principled stance”.

“So they are trying to push him to a corner, because the truth is that they cannot seem to read or understand his body language. They have now seen that Buhari is ready to sacrifice anybody for Nigeria to move forward”, the source stated.

http://clkdeals.com/adServe/sa?cid=ETRIBUNE_17643_3&pid=&q=Buhari%u2019s%20cabinet%3A%2033%20ministerial%20nominees%20fail%20corruption%20test%20%7C%20Nigerian%20Tribun&ap=cmp%3DPOPUNDER

MarryMeee:
If you find yourself over 35 years without boyfriend not to even speak of a husband you will have to pray that God deliver you from spiritual husband. All you meet is ashawo man to ashawo man. All they want to do is chop, clean, wipe mouth with your future. God said go ye and multiple and you can only have marital children when you are married.

If your guy is also over 35 years old and you cannot seem to settle down in life, you will have to pray for God to deliver you from spiritual wife that stops you from meeting the right woman to marry. You might only move from ashawo to ashawo, every nice girl you meet runs away from you like hell fire. You have a spiritual wife frustrating you life because you spend money from one ashawo to another.

The devil will not prevail, you will marry, but you will have to ask God for your deliverance from the spiritual husband or wife.

Useless and idi0tic post...senseless poster.

Slimmos:
Not in Nigeria sha

Depends on the company you are looking to work with and how confident you are of yourself.

abouzaid:
search warrant for what purpose and to what end? if they really have a case against him, they should charge him to court, anything other than that is a plain witch hunt. mind you, this flagrant abuse of citizens rights if not challenged now would eventually start affecting ordinary citizens like me and you.

Oga, you can't go to court without evidence and to obtain evidence, you need a search warrant on that person if he is a suspect so as to gather enough information to drag him to court. It is obvious that is what they just did.
Mind you, anyone can be searched as long as you are under scrutiny and a gateway to that is the warrant.

hayokunleoni:
This new DSS is very shameless. I thought they will have concrete evidence of some really serious issues against NSA. So they went to arrest some1 based on assumptions and they are now telling us this cock and bull story. Seems the story that Dasuki has some incriminating evidence against Jega and Buhari during the last election are real and Buhari is hell bent on retrieving the evidences. By the way Col Sambo Dasuki is not just anybody. He is one of the most connected and brutal military officer Nigeria has ever produced. TY Danjuma and IBB inclusive

So there are still people like this...SMH
Did you just say 'concrete evidence'? Must they find armored tank and warehouse of explosives before you know they have evidence? Na wa o.

abouzaid:
dude, we have a constitution, if they are sure of what they are saying, let them go to court. their actions shows that Nigeria is gradually slipping into dictatorship

What are you saying
I don't see how tendering a search warrant implies dictatorship. The man was duly served. Instead, he should be charged for refusing operatives with a warrant to search.

isadamu:
Things have got so bad that we now have people who don't respect the law. If a search warrant was duly presented, the the ex NSA is guilty of obstructing the law. However, I hope the DSS is not on a witch-hunt. Recovering 12 exotic cars with 5 as bullet proof isn't enough to try him for treasonable felony.
We are watching

As long as bad eggs are being flushed out, it doesn't matter if it is wizard-hunting. It's time for Nigeria to show some elements of dignity.

Before nko?

Addme:
And to say that this man was quick to shout witch hunting is baffling. Preventing a search after a duly signed search warrant was presented is even a crime on its own.

It only happens in Naija. On top warrant, politicians go still dey claim right.

High calibre rifles, (high assault weapons), several magazines, military related gears and 12 new vehicles which included five bullet proof cars

Really, just with one person. He should be hanged at kirikiri. We don't care if this is witch-hunting. It's time Nigeria gets rid of all these imbeciles parading themselves as leaders.
Tanoid will come here and start shouting APC...una no well...

The Department for State Services on Saturday night accused former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) of felony, corruption, misuse of power and possession of destructive weapons.

The DSS said it recovered seven high calibre rifles, (high assault weapons), several magazines, military related gears and 12 new vehicles which included five bullet proof cars from Dasuki’s home.

The Service said the items recovered from the former NSA were capable of disrupting the peace of any city in Nigeria.

In a statement signed by an official of the DSS, Tony Opuiyo, the intelligence agency said the ex-NSA was not forthcoming with the truth in his account of what transpired in his house.

The DSS had invaded the residence of the former NSA on Thursday and put him under movement restriction till Friday evening.

It was gathered that operatives refused him access to his family members during the raid and the period of his restriction.

He could not step out of his house to participate in Eid Fitr prayers which were held after the Islamic fasting exercise.

The DSS in the statement justified its actions saying it had “credible intelligence linking Dasuki with alleged plans to commit treasonable felony against the Nigerian State.”

Opuiyo said, “DSS conducted a search on the properties belonging to the former NSA. The properties are on Nos. 13, John Khadya Street, Nos. 46, Nelson Mandela Street, both at Asokoro, Abuja, and Nos. 3 Sabon Birni Road, Gwiwa Area, Sokoto, Sokoto State.

“The search operations were planned to be simultaneously conducted, but Dasuki refused the operatives entry into his main residence located at No. 13 John Khadya Street, Asokoro, despite being presented with a genuine and duly signed search warrant. Consequently, what was to last not more than two hours, lasted more than 10 hours, up till the early hours of July 17.

“If not for the sense of maturity and professionalism of the officers and men assigned this task and the very good understanding and timely intervention of the new Chief of Army Staff, Tsukur Buratai (Maj Gen), there would have been a clash between the Army operatives guarding the house and service operatives, as Dasuki directed the soldiers on duty not to allow any movement into his house, despite the subsisting court order.”

Opuiyo further said Dasuki thereafter raised the alarm to the military authorities to come to his aid.

The DSS also accused Dasuki of using military guards despite his removal as NSA.

Opuiyo stated, “He retired from the Army as a colonel, and therefore, not entitled to have military guards, if not for the fact that he was NSA. Even as NSA, such guards should have been withdrawn after his removal as NSA since he would not have been entitled.

“Twelve exotic vehicles were retrieved from Dasuki’s residence having failed to produce evidence of ownership. For instance, what could he be doing with five bullet proof cars as a retired NSA? These cars, which from all available evidence, were purchased with tax payers’ money were being kept for possible sinister enterprise.”

The security agency added that the search operation was not a witch hunt but that it decided to move in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to be proactive and pre-empt individuals with penchant for impunity and lawlessness from putting back the nation to the dark days.

It further said the lethal arms and vehicles recovered were not reflected in Dasuki’s handover notes.

“What could a former NSA be doing with destructive weapons and bullet proof cars which put together could disrupt the peace of any city in Nigeria for a while?

“On the search of his three properties, including the Sokoto residence, the Service is aware that in his capacity and given his antecedents, he might decide to use any of his residences for such diabolical plans, rather than his main residence,” Opuiyo added.

The service vowed that it would use all constitutional means to deal decisively with those that are bent on breaking the rules governing Nigeria’s peaceful co-existence due to either the huge ill-gotten wealth they have acquired or imaginary hold they think they have on the nation’s survival.

Meanwhile Dasuki, might have concluded arrangements to sue the SSS and the Federal Government for alleged violation of his fundamental human rights.

A source close to the former NSA said that Dasuki would take legal actions against the DSS for the violation of his rights to freedom of movement and the damage done to his public image.

The source said, “The Abuja building of the former NSA was not destroyed. The damage we are talking about is his image and his fundamental human rights, and the right to move freely.

“For instance, his father is sick abroad but he could not see him; his son was also prevented from having access to him on Thursday and Friday.

“The man has briefed his lawyers, he is going to court on Tuesday to enforce his fundamental human rights.”

A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, said the rights of the former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, to seek redress in court over any issue he felt aggrieved about, was protected under the constitution.

But he was quick to add that it was the court that would determine the merit of his case.

He said, “The beauty of democracy is that it thrives on the rule of law and the principle of constitutionalism. To that extent, the Nigerian constitution is a mirror of the fundamentality of the rule of law as the bastion of hope to an aggrieved citizen.”

Another rights lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, argued that Dasuki, ought to be the one answering to the law for obstructing lawful execution of a court-obtained search warrant at his home and not him threatening to go to court.

“You cannot prevent the lawful execution of that search warrant. If you do that, you are answerable to be arrested, detained and charged to court. He prevented the lawful execution of the warrant and he is now the one talking about going to court.”


Picture: Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki

http://www.punchng.com/news/our-dasuki-story-dss/

It would be naïve to think that an employer will automatically offer you the best possible salary as their first offer. Sure, on some occasions a very lucky candidate may find themselves with a salary offer they can’t refuse, but this is a rare thing.

Studies show that most employers will actually leave some bargaining room in their initial salary offers, as they fully expect you to ask for more. If you don’t negotiate, you are leaving money on the table.

If you move passively through the salary negotiation, there is a good chance you could end up working alongside coworkers who have bargained better and harder — coworkers who are earning $5,000 a year more than you.

All of this is to say that it usually makes sense to resist the first salary offer and negotiate instead. One of the most effective ways to negotiate fairly is by asking appropriate exploratory and clarifying questions that gently persuade the employer to meet your salary expectations. To help you, here are ten such questions to ask when negotiating your salary:

1. Are you open to a salary discussion?
I like this more than the classic query, “Is this salary up for negotiation?” This version is a little less direct and confrontational; upon hearing it, the employer may be less defensive and guarded, more open. Also, this question sets a more relaxed tone for what will be a sensitive conversation.

2. Is there any wiggle room in the current salary?
You can either lead with this question or use it to follow up if you get a positive response to question No. 1. What’s good about this question is that it may soften the employer’s stance; it implies you are looking for something small – even though you might not be.

3. When would my pay be reviewed next?
If thee employer can’t give you a clear and precise picture of when your next pay review or raise might be, there’s a chance you could be stuck with your starting salary for some time. In light of this uncertainty about your next raise, you might be justified in wanting to drive a harder bargain with your starting salary.

4. What was the average annual percentage raise last year?
The employer might not be prepared to divulge this figure, but it’s a bonus if the employer is. This figure can give you an idea of the kind of annual raise you might expect. If it’s healthy, you might not need to bargain quite so hard, as a good pay raise could be right around the corner; if it’s not very healthy, you may need to negotiate harder.

5. What percentage raise did your highest performers enjoy last year?
Asking this question shows the employer that you associate yourself with winners, and it can also give you an idea of how high performance and success are rewarded at the company. If there’s a strong positive link between performance and reward, you might settle for a lower starting salary, knowing that once you get in and prove yourself, your salary will be boosted.

6. Is there a bonus scheme?
If so, what was the average payout for someone of my grade last year?
Don’t be taken in by a delicious-sounding potential bonus of 20 percent of salary or more. Concern yourself with the reality: ask for the average actual bonus payout for people in your pay grade last year. If the realities of bonuses turn out to be much lower than the advertised potential of bonuses, you may need to do some harder bargaining.

7. Would you be prepared to build in a six-month raise based on my ability to meet certain performance goals?
Save this question for situations where the employer is really not prepared to budge on salary. In such a case, the employer may be prepared to offer a deferred raise subject to future performance as an alternative to a higher starting salary. A deferred raise is not as good as a higher starting salary, but it’s better than nothing.

8. Would you be prepared to increase my bonus pot as a way to increase my total compensation?
This can be a backdoor approach to a higher salary. Employers may be more likely to give away bonus potential than actual salary, because bonuses are linked to your performance. Employers see it as a win-win situation: you earn more pay by delivering better results.

9. Would you be prepared to offer a signing bonus?
This is useful in situations where the company simply can’t afford to pay you more because doing so would bust its pay structure. The employer can give you a one-time golden handshake for signing on the dotted line without disrupting the internal pay structure.

10. Would you be prepared to offer something else in lieu of a higher starting salary? (E.g., higher benefit contributions, more PTO, flexible work options, etc.)
If the employer can’t offer you a higher starting salary, you may still be able to negotiate better benefits. When you have them on the ropes, they may be more likely to make concessions in this area.

Just to be clear, you don’t need to ask all of these questions when negotiating your salary. See this list as more of a toolkit: it’s about picking and choosing the right questions to help you achieve your objective of a higher starting salary.

http://time.com/3959396/negotiating-starting-salary/

Make una talk anything wet una like. As for me, I see no difference in the two. Period.

Good for him... They will come out as angels in movies but in their hearts lies the darkest place on earth....

Taylor86:
some body should help me define igbo

Igbo = igbo