₦airaland Forum

The House of Representatives on Tuesday opposed calls for the total removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

Rather, the lawmakers asked the incoming administration of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to sustain the subsidy regime.

A motion seeking the removal of subsidy as a permanent solution to the fuel perennial scarcity failed in a majority voice vote on the floor of the House.

President Goodluck Jonathan had voted N145bn for subsidy in the 2015 budget, a slash from the N970bn appropriated for subsidy in 2013 and 2014.

Out of the N145bn, subsidy on petrol is N100bn, while the balance of N45bn is for kerosene subsidy.

There has been speculation that the cut in subsidy is part of the government’s plan to remove subsidy completely had Jonathan won his re-election bid.

Also, there have been calls and counter-calls on Buhari since he won the election to remove subsidy on petroleum products after the inauguration of his administration on May 29.

The sponsor of Tuesday’s motion, Mr. Karimi Sunday, supported the removal of subsidy, as he argued that the policy had been abused.

Sunday, a Peoples Democratic Party member from Kogi State, stated that only a “few persons” enjoyed the subsidy, while the Nigerian masses that the policy was meant to help, never got products at subsidised prices.

He argued that the industry should be fully liberalised to allow investors to import products on their own in order to avoid the abuse of the subsidy regime.

He cited the endless queues at filling stations across the country in a subsidy regime and the booming black market as evidence that the policy had been abused.

“Petrol is sold at N150 per litre, depending on availability, as against the official price of N87.
‘’Young men and women have taken to fuel hawking as a quick money-making venture.
“The administration of Buhari should be courageous enough to abolish subsidy,” he argued.

Sunday also noted that the removal of subsidy would address the resort of marketers to hold the country to ransom over subsidy claims.

But lawmakers at the session, which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, rejected the motion.

When he put the motion to vote, it was defeated in a majority voice vote.

http://www.punchng.com/news/reps-oppose-fuel-subsidy-removal/

The blame game among top Peoples Democratic Party members continued on Tuesday with the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, saying praise singers and insincere people misled President Goodluck Jonathan during the electioneering period.

Mu’azu, who is under pressure from some members of the party to resign for not doing enough to boost Jonathan’s chances during electioneering, took to his Twitter handle on Tuesday to defend himself and other members of the party’s National Working Committee.

Insisting that he would not resign, he said those that were praise-singing and insincerely advising” the President during the campaign period were responsible for the PDP defeat in the March 28 election.

The PDP chairman also said the low perception of the President and the PDP in the North was partly responsible for the low votes they garnered from the region.

Mu’azu, who is a former Governor of Bauchi State, stated that he could not have convinced the people of the region to vote for Jonathan.

He said, “The perception of Jonathan and our party in the North was at an all time low because of the lies the people were told by politicians.

“Those who blame us for not delivering maximum votes to the President in the North seem to have forgotten that it is the people who vote.”
Mu’azu denied allegations that he conspired with the All Progressives Congress to ensure that the Presidency was returned to the North.

He said he had been a member of the PDP since 1999 and had helped the party to remain in power for 16 years.

To him therefore, it is unfair for anyone to accuse him of tribalism. He said in the face of insult and ridicule, he continued to support Jonathan till the end.

He said, “I have repeatedly reminded many that I, Adamu Mu’azu, has been in the PDP since 1999 as a matter of principle and strong ideology.

“Those who insinuate that I did not do my best for our great party and Mr. President during the elections are being economical with the truth.

“In the face of abuse, insult and open ridicule by our friends and brothers, we supported our leader, President Jonathan, faithfully.

“I gave my best and my all to the campaign of Mr. President and the party. We went to every state in Nigeria to campaign.”

The PDP chairman stressed that those calling for his resignation alongside other NWC members were the ones that contributed to Jonathan and PDP’s defeat.

He said, “For those wishing that I will either defect or resign, I advise you to kindly stop the wishful thinking. We have a party to lead.

“Those who are seeking change in the entire NWC were the same who brought us to this level with their insincerity and praise-singing.

“We are committed to repositioning our great party, the PDP, and we will provide able leadership by restoring its glory.”

Mu’azu urged all Nigerians to support the PDP as democracy cannot thrive without a formidable opposition.

He however called on all members of the party to sheathe their swords and work with him to reposition the PDP.

But as he twitted, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who is one of those calling for the resignation of the NWC members, said he had evidence that Mu’azu helped the APC to win the elections on March 28 and April 11.

Fayose, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, wondered how the PDP could lose woefully in Bauchi State where Mu’azu, Governor Isa Yuguda and the Minister for the FCT, Bala Mohammed, hail from.

He said, “How do we explain the PDP losing so scandalously in Bauchi State despite the presence of the National Chairman, the FCT Minister and the state governor?

“I am even more particular about the national chairman because he sold the party to the opposition. I have cogent evidence of his unholy alliance with the opposition before the elections and if they go any further, I will expose all his underhand deals.

“I want to say it again that I have no apology for calling for the resignation of the NWC members, especially the national chairman. After all, someone resigned his position as the national chairman for Alhaji Mu’azu to assume office.”
The governor said in saner climes, Mu’azu would have been made to resign, adding that a general who leads his men to defeat should not be allowed to be in charge again.

He also berated the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, for claiming that governorship aspirants were given about N100m each to campaign.

Metuh had also blamed Jonathan’s campaign team and overzealous supporters for the defeat of Jonathan and the PDP.

He specifically mentioned hate campaign against Buhari, who he said was revered in the North as a contributory factor for PDP’s poor performance in the region.

Fayose had spearheaded a series of controversial campaigns against Buhari before the elections.

However, Fayose said it was unfortunate that the NWC could indirectly accuse him of contributing to Jonathan’s defeat.

The governor said all he received from the PDP during the June 21, 2014 governorship election and the March 28 and April 11, 2015 elections was N30m.

He said, “I have no apology on my position on the NWC because their responsibility as a party does not take away their failure in the last general elections.

“Only N30m was received for the last two elections and to the glory of the Almighty God and support of Ekiti people, we won all elections outright. I therefore demand the mode with which money was released to me by the NWC.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/praise-singers-misled-jonathan-says-muazu/

psucc:
The new political trend in Nigeria is the greatest undoing for this country.

That a man was appointed Permanent Secretary since 2012 and relieved in 2015 is hyped to be witch hunting is very childish especially so due to the fact that the man was appointed by previous administration.

Na him alone go chop?

Hian...as if it is not clear to see what happened....And he is the only person to have worked since 2012 in public office abi?

All these political stunts does not change the fact that Fayose is a tout and needs to ne put where he truly belongs...

A Permanent Secretary in the Ekiti State Civil Service, Mr. Tunde Alokan, has been sacked by Governor Ayodele Fayose, it was learnt on Monday.

Alokan until his removal was the Permanent Secretary in charge of the Office of Establishment.

A source said Alokan was relieved of his job because of his closeness to a former state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

It was learnt that Fayemi attended the burial of Alokan’s late father held in Efon Alaaye in February which the source said did not go down well with the powers that be in the state.

But Fayose, while confirming the dismissal of Alokan on Monday night, said it had nothing to do with Fayemi attending his late father’s burial ceremony.

The governor, who reacted through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said, “The governor has the power to hire and fire. The position of a permanent secretary is political and is at the discretion of the governor; enough of this blackmail.

“Fayemi also sacked some permanent secretaries while in office, so what has happened is not new. The governor is not aware that Dr. Fayemi attended Alokan’s late father’s burial, so attributing his sack to that is cheap blackmail.”

Fayemi appointed Alokan as permanent secretary in January 2012.

Another Government House source explained that Alokan’s elder brother, Tokunbo, who is a Director on Grade Level 16 “is also on his way out of the civil service.”

His predicament was also linked to Fayemi’s appearance at their late father’s burial.

A source said, “After the burial, the following week, his elder brother who is also a civil servant was asked to report at the Office of Establishment.

“A panel was set up to investigate Mr. Tokunbo with the younger brother (Mr. Tunde) mandated to chair the panel an offer which he turned down.

“Although the two of them were to be sacked the same day, that of the elder brother was put on hold to pave the way for his investigation and interrogation by the panel.

“Since his younger brother turned down the offer to chair a panel raised to try Mr. Tokunbo, another person will be appointed to perform the task and your guess is as good as mine on the result that would come out of the panel.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/ekiti-crisis-fayose-sacks-perm-sec/

U

Abeg pack dis guy inside carton make dem ship am go UK where dem go hammer am justice sharp sharp...He wants to bribe his way through with our crippled justice system so that he gets a lighter sentencing...see how d lawyer dey take scope d judge...

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the extradition of a former Managing Director of Nigerian Security, Minting and Printing Company, Mr. Ehidiamhem Okoyomon, to the United Kingdom to face criminal charges.

Justice Evoh Chukwu ordered that Okoyomon be extradited to the UK within 30 days.

He ordered the former NSMPC boss to be remanded in prison pending the time the extradition processes would be completed.

The court was delivering judgment on the extradition application filed on September 29, 2014 by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

The court had earlier on Monday struck out a separate suit filed by Okoyomon challenging his arrest and detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission based on the request by the British High Commission in Nigeria for his extradition.

The court held in its judgment in Okoyomon’s suit that the Attorney-General of the Federation having filed the application for his extradition, his suit had become academic.

The court also dismissed his preliminary objection to the AGF’s extradition application.

It held that Okoyomon, through his counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), “has no defence for this application and did not make any attempt to counter it.”

It also held that the AGF had satisfied all the requirements under the Extradition Act Cap E25 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 for the extradition of the man who was said to have been indicted for criminal offences in the UK.

Okoyomon’s lawyer, Izinyon, had argued in both the preliminary objection and in his counter-affidavit opposing the application that there was no reciprocal extradition treaty between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

He argued that the 1931 Extradition Treaty between the United States of America and the United Kingdom as well as the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth both of which the AGF anchored the extradition application on were not enforceable in Nigeria.

He maintained that Nigeria was not a party to the treaties and that they had not been domesticated by the National Assembly in accordance with the provisions of section 12(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He argued that the Extradition Treaty of 1931 had been repealed in Nigeria by virtue of section 21(3) of Schedule 4 of Decree 87 of 1966.

He also argued that the London Scheme for Extradition was an agreement between the United States of America and the UK, which had yet to be domesticated in Nigeria.

He said having not been domesticated in accordance with its provisions in Article 22, the London Scheme for Extradition could not be applicable in Nigeria.

But Justice Chukwu in his combined judgment on both the notice of preliminary objection and the substantive suit, upheld the argument of the AGF’s lawyer, Mr. Muslim Hassan, and dismissed Izinyon’s contention.

The court held that the Extradition Treaty of 1931, made to be applicable in Nigeria in 1935, had not been repealed.

It held that the treaty was not among the ones repealed by the provisions of Decree 87 of 1966.

It also held that the London Scheme for Extradition had been domesticated in Nigeria by virtue of provisions of section 12 of the constitution.

The court held that provisions of section 12(1) of the constitution were only applicable to such treaties signed after the 1979 and 1999 constitutions of the Federal Republic Nigeria.

The court held, “The 1931 Treaty between the United States of America and the United Kingdom signed on December 22, 1931 and made to be applicable to Nigeria through a legal instrument in 1935 under section 315(4) of the constitution is deemed to be an Act of the National Assembly by virtue of the provisions of section 315(1) of the constitution is an enforceable law in Nigeria and is not required to be subjected to the provisions of section 12(1) of the constitution.”

The UK government, through the British High Commission in Nigeria had in July 2014 requested the Nigerian government that Okoyomon be extradited to answer questions over his alleged role in the bribery allegation involving officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the NSMPC and the Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008.

The offences were said to have violated the provisions of the Corruption Prevention Act of the United Kingdom.

After the hearing of the extradition application on October 22, 2014, Justice Chukwu had ordered Okoyomon to remain in EFCC custody pending when judgment would be delivered.

Okoyomon’s lawyer, Izinyon, while opposing the application, insisted that there was no existing extradition treaty between Nigeria and the UK.

Izinyon added that extraditing his client to face trial in the UK when part of the crime he was being wanted for in the UK was allegedly committed in Nigeria, would amount to subordination of Nigeria’s sovereignty to that of the UK.

He said, “We don’t want extradition. Since part of the alleged crime was committed here (Nigeria), we are ready to face trial in Nigeria.

“In fact, extraditing him to the UK is subordination of our sovereignty to that of the United Kingdom.

“The issue of fair hearing in the UK does not arise. Are we saying there is no fair hearing in Nigeria?”

Izinyon, in adopting his preliminary objection and counter-affidavit to the extradition application, said two statutes – the Extradition Treaty of 1931 and the London Scheme for Extradition – relied upon by the EFCC were no longer applicable in Nigeria.

“Combination of these two instruments does not in whatsoever, howsoever, cannot and does not confer locus on the Attorney General of the Federation to make the application,” Izinyon

http://www.punchng.com/news/corruption-court-orders-extradition-of-ex-mint-boss-to-uk/

shakazuldadon:
its too early to be looking for trouble na.

Bros, Na simple question nah...i no dey look for ur trouble Na...

shakazuldadon:
picture?

And what will you do with the picture, eat it?

chacoonder:
Are you even supposed to associate the word "MESS" with these two sacred men of God

Mess is a small word, Dumb is the right word for me...what about that? Rubbish..

A Federal High Court in Lagos, last week Thursday, ordered the prison remand of a female member of staff of Diamond Bank Plc, Eniola Morondiya, who allegedly aided some fraudsters to process N241m said to be proceeds of a criminal act.

Morondiya, a teller on contract employment with Diamond Bank, was remanded along with the four alleged fraudsters, Suleiman Mohammed, Ibrahim Danazumi, Roland Aroko and Francis Akpabio, all males.

The remand of the five accused persons followed their arraignment on four counts of conspiracy and money laundering before Justice Okon Abang.

The prosecution, in the charge marked FHC/L/170c/15, alleged that the plot to move the N241m proceeds of criminal act, using Morondiya, was hatched during a meeting of the accused persons with some persons still at large on February 1, 2015.

Members of the fraud syndicate were said to have met at Protea Hotel in Maryland, Lagos where they conspired among themselves to, with the assistance of Morondiya, move the N241m into various bank accounts in order to conceal the illicit origin of the huge sum.

Morondiya, who worked at the Jibowu, Yaba branch of Diamond Bank, was alleged to have been paid N3m by one Solomon Ikeije, being her promised share of the N241m made from an alleged illegal deal.

She allegedly received the money on February 3, 2015 and retained same in her own bank account after helping the fraud syndicate to post the N241m on February 2, 2015.

The prosecutor, E.K. Ugwu, further alleged that the fifth defendant, Akpabio, received and concealed N27m of the N241m in the Diamond Bank account of his company, Edokori Oil Ventures.

Akpabio was accused of transferring N7m out of the N27m he received into a certain account number with Ecobank and thereafter transferred another N2.1m into a separate account before withdrawing N3m for himself at the Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos branch of Diamond Bank on February 2, 2015.

According to the prosecution, as of the time of investigation, N15m was discovered in Akpabio’s Diamond Bank account.

The five accused persons were charged for allegedly violating Section 15(2) (3), 17 and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2012.

They however pleaded not guilty to the charges, following which the prosecutor moved the court to remand them in prison custody.

http://www.punchng.com/news/bank-worker-on-trial-for-aiding-n241m-fraud/

Whichever way you choose to see it, this religion thing is messing up people's lives...rubbish.

If you get a treat from your barber like this, what would be your reaction...

That is pure ojoroooo

[size=20pt]Floyd declared winner..
[/size]

I believe pacman is the winner...

End of fight....hard decision for judges to make...

Round 12 - final round starts

End of round 11

Pacman is missing blows...he is getting tired

Mayweather land two big ones on mannu

11 starts

Round 10 ends

Pacman is just good...

10th round starts

Round nine ends

Round nine

Round 8 ends...pacman om a high note

Pacman with another jab on floyd

8tg round