The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, on Wednesday declared the Federal Government cannot fully implement the N6.06 trillion 2016 budget as passed by the National Assembly.
Lawal told a joint Senate committee on Appropriations, Finance and Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions that the revenues of the government had dropped by 50 to 60 per cent contrary to projections.
The SGF was invited by the Senate to explain his comment that the 2016 constituency projects as captured in the budget would not be implemented.
He pointedly blamed the drop in Nigeria’s revenue on activities of militants in the Niger Delta.
Lawal noted that the oil benchmark of $38 per barrel fixed by the Federal Government has been drastically dislocated.
He added that the benchmark has been grossly affected by activities of militants in the Niger Delta.
The SGF said, “The statement is correct. That is my statement, we cannot guarantee the implementation of constituency projects in the 2016 budget. As a government, constituency projects are championed by members of the National Assembly. Like the legislature, members of the executive are politicians who canvassed for votes.
“Lawmakers are aware that oil barrels had dwindled to about 800,000 per day. This has led to the inability of government to finance the budget. It is the duty of government to prepare the minds of Nigerians ahead that there will be challenges in implementing the budget.
“Government based its principle on zero budgeting this year. Funds will be released to finance key projects in line with the implementation plans of the government. I will explain why it will be hard for the government to implement the budget.
“I spoke with the Minister of Budget this morning and I asked him the revenue base of the government. We are now receiving about 50 to 60 earnings from what we projected.”
“Some Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) might find it impossible to implement projects appropriated in their budgets. We have to re-prioritize. I like us to understand that this is the background upon which I made that statement. “

The Federal Government will
rely on the testimony of 15
witnesses, among them
Senators and National
Assembly bureaucrats, at the
trial of the President of the
Senate, Bukola Saraki, his
deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and
other alleged conspirators
over the ongoing case of
alleged forgery.
Messrs. Saraki and
Ekweremadu, alongside the
former Clerk to the National
Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa
and his deputy, Benedict
Efeturi, are accused of
forging the Senate Standing
Rules with which the upper
chamber’s presiding officers
were elected last year.
The four accused persons
were on June 27 arraigned
before Justice Haliru Yusuf
of the Federal Capital
Territory High Court, Jabi, on
a two-count charge of
conspiracy and forgery,
contrary to Sections 97 and
362 of the Penal Code Law
respectively.
They were however granted
bail before the court
adjourned its proceedings to
July 12.
Prosecution’s case
against Saraki and his
alleged conspirators
According to court documents
obtained by PREMIUM TIMES,
“it is the prosecution’s case
against the defendants that
sometimes about the 9th day
of June, 2015, the
defendants conspired among
themselves to forge and
indeed actually forged the
Senate Standing Order 2011
(as amended) and caused the
said forged document to be
circulated among elected
senators for use during the
inauguration of the
8thSenate of the National
Assembly of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.”
The document –
prosecution’s case summary
– was signed by a Principal
State Counsel, D.E Kaswe on
behalf of the Minister of
Justice and Attorney-General
of the Federation, Abubakar
Malami, and is among
documents filed before the
Abuja High Court.
“It is the forged document
that was used in the
inauguration of the 8th
National Assembly which
paved the way for the
election that ushered in the
present leadership of the
Senate,” added the
document.
Lawyers in the case told
PREMIUM TIMES that the
government planned to
prove its case by tendering
the 2011 and 2015 rules
before the court before then
proceeding to call 14
witnesses who statements
had already been filed.
Below are the fourteen
witnesses to be called and
what they will tell the court.
Fourteen witnesses and what
they will tell the court
1. Suleiman Hukunyi –
He is the secretary of the
Unity Forum, the Senate
caucus consisting of All
Progressives Congress
lawmakers who opposed the
election of Mr. Saraki,
preferring Ahmed Lawan
instead. Days after the
election of Messrs Saraki
and Ekweremadu as the
Senate presiding officers, he
petitioned the Inspector
General of Police, demanding
criminal investigation into the
allegation of forgery of
Senate Rules. The main
thrust of the petition which
would later land Mr. Saraki
and his alleged conspirators
in trouble was that the
Standing Rules used for 2015
inauguration “purports to
allow for secret instead of
the open ballot system that
has been prevalent in all
Senate elections as permitted
by the extant rules.” The
infraction, he told the Police,
arose from the “fraudulent
production of rules without
an approved consideration
by the 7th Senate.”
Mr. Hukunyi, according
prosecution’s documents,
including proof of evidence
filed before the court, will
testify how the “forged”
Rules were distributed to the
Senators and also “tender
some exhibits.”
2. Ita Enang – Now
presidential senior assistant
on Senate matters, he was in
the 7thSenate, representing
Akwa Ibom North, and
serving as the Chairman of
the Rules and Business. In
January, he was accused of
complicity in the “missing”
2016 budget during the
budget impasse. Specifically,
he was accused of
“doctoring” the budget
proposal which had earlier
been presented by President
Muhammadu Buhari.
Contacted in the wake of the
allegation by PREMIUM TIMES,
he said he was between “my
two bosses,” preferring not
to refute or admit the charge.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, has deferred the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki till September. Saraki is currently standing trial before the tribunal on a 16-count charge bordering on false and anticipatory assets declaration when he was the Governor of Kwara State. Chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, had adjourned the matter till today to rule on a motion filed by the legal team of the Senate President seeking Umar’s disqualification from the trial on the basis of bias. However, in a statement by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Ibraheem Al- hassan, the adjournment was due to the judicial recess and an ongoing meeting between the officials of the tribunal and some foreign stakeholders on the development of the Code of Ethics and Practice Directions for the CCT. According to Al-hassan, all matters slated for this week and the following months were adjourned till September, though no date has been fixed. The statement reads, “The Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Hon. Danladi Yakubu Umar, on Tuesday, adjourned all sittings scheduled for this week and those to come within July and August till after the resumption from recess to be embarked upon by the tribunal’s judges soon. “The decision was taken due to the ongoing Roundtable Discussion involving CCT and other critical stakeholders within and outside the country to develop the Code of Ethics and Practice Directions for the Code of Conduct Tribunal to ensure fair and speedy trials, sponsored by the European Union and implemented by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. He, however, assured that litigants currently with cases before the court, would have their new dates shortly after the vacation, September, 2016, which would be communicated to them, appropriately. He said, ”The Tribunal regrets the pains caused by the sudden change.”

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has been criticised by the trio of Niger Delta Volunteers, NDV, Niger Delta Peoples Liberation Front, NDPL, and Bakassi Freedom Fighters, BFF, for saying that Niger Delta militants were fighting for their pockets.
Osinbajo was reported to have made the statement last weekend while delivering a lecture at Elizade University in Ondo State.

The militant groups, in a statement signed by their spokespersons – Ekpo Ekpo for NDV; Henry Etete for NDPLF and Asukwo Henshaw for BFF, stressed that instead of ridiculing them, the Vice President should have advised President Muhammadu Buhari to address the injustice in the Niger Delta.


In the statement made available to journalists in Uyo on Tuesday, the militants criticised Buhari for saying that Nigeria’s unity was not negotiable, stressing that the people of the Niger Delta were tired of one Nigeria filled with injustice, marginalisation and oppression minority ethnic groups.

They threatened to resume attacks against oil companies operating in the region and they urged oil unions to withdraw their members from rigs and platforms for their safety during the period.

The groups also condemned the newly constituted Board of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company and demanded the appointment of someone from the Niger Delta as GMD.

“It is an insult on the Niger Delta region that the Minister of Petroleum who also doubles as the President of Nigeria is from the North, the Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru and four other members of the board are also from the North,” they said.


The militants further called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate what happened to local government funds in Akwa Ibom State “because the local government areas in the state had not carried out people-oriented projects in the past one year.”

The Nigerian Communications Commission said it remitted N70 billon into the Federation Account in the last one year.

“This is in addition to the N30 billion paid by MTN Nigeria as a part payment of the N330 billion fine slammed on it by the commission.

Mr Yakubu Musa, Special Assistant on Media to the chief executive of the commission, made this known in a statement released in Abuja on Monday.

It also said the NCC won the European Award for Best Practices 2016.

“The ceremony, which held in Brussels, Belgium, was hosted by the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR), an affiliate of the European Union (EU).

The statement added that no fewer than 63 countries participated in the award out of which the NCC won the European Award for Best Practices 2016.

It said that the award, which was in the Gold category, was in recognition of its outstanding commitment, support and results in quality management strategies.

It said Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the commission, will address a Retreat on Revenue Generation scheduled to hold from July 13 to 15 in Kano State.

Danbatta, a Professor of Telecommunications Engineering, is also expected to share NCC’s experience with the participants.

NAN

THE Niger Delta
Avengers, NDA, weekend,
said since President
Muhammadu Buhari had
decided to shun the demand
for legitimate dialogue with
militants and stakeholders on
the Niger Delta question, it
would continue to encumber
all avenues by him to export
crude oil from the region.
Avengers, in an exclusive
interview with Vanguard,
disclosed that the struggle
has entered a new phase
with Buhari’s disposition of
winning the battle and losing
the war.
It also denied the
widespread belief that ex-
militant leader, Government
Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo,
recently nominated by the
Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger
Delta, MEND, as a member of
its Aaron 2 Negotiating
Team, was the sponsor of
Avengers.
This came as another militant
group, Niger Delta
Revolutionary Crusaders,
NDRC, declared that it was
ready to fight government
and the Saudi Arabia
mercenaries it was allegedly
engaging over the God-
given resources of Ijaw
people, while the Ijaw People
Development Initiative, IPD,
insisted that the way out was
to conduct a referendum for
the people to make their
choice.
In a related development, a
group, the Toru-Ebe State
Creation Movement, said the
quick fix to the ongoing
bombings was for the federal
government to create Toru-
Ebe state for the Ijaw in the
western flank of Niger Delta
inhabiting Edo, Delta and
Ondo states.
More details soon

Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd),
Special Adviser to President
Muhammadu Buhari on Niger
Delta, has expressed
concern over the delay in
payment of stipends of
former militants in the Niger
Delta region.
Boroh’s concern was
conveyed in a statement
signed by Mr Piriye
Kiyaramo, Bayelsa Liaison
Officer, Presidential Amnesty
Programme and made
available to the News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday
in Yenagoa
The statement quoted Boroh,
the Coordinator of the
Presidential Amnesty
Programme, as describing
the delay in payment as
“unfortunate.”
It said that while reassuring
the ex-militants of regular
stipends, Boroh assured
them that the payment would
soon commence since the
three days public holiday
was over.
“I must say that the hiccups
which were brought to my
attention during the long
public holiday by the Central
Bank of Nigeria have been
sorted out.’’
NAN recalls that some of the
ex-militants on July 4
blocked the popular East-
West road at Mbiama over
backlog of unpaid stipends.
The statement quoted Boroh
as expressing regret at the
pains the delay had caused
the former militants, urged
them to remain calm.
“I want your cooperation as
the present administration
under President Muhammadu
Buhari proffers lasting
solution to the problems in
the region,” the statement
quoted Boroh as saying.

“Unfortunately, one of
the
terrorists’ suicide
bomber
detonated himself at a
gun
truck killing the driver
and
the gunner

The Army headquarters on
Saturday afternoon released
the statement below
announcing the killing of 16
Boko Haram terrorists who
attacked troops stationed at
Rann, in Kala Balge local
government areas of Borno
State.
Read full statement below.
“Yesterday evening
remnants of Boko Haram
terrorists in their numbers
attacked our troops location
at Rann, Kala Balge Local
Government Area of Borno
State.
“The terrorists came with
Motorcycles Borne
Improvised Explosive
Devices (MCBIED), Anti-
Aircraft Guns and other
weapons at about 5.00pm
and the exchange of fire
lasted for some hours before
they were overwhelmed by
the troops firepower.
“Unfortunately, one of the
terrorists’ suicide bomber
detonated himself at a gun
truck killing the driver and
the gunner. The truck and
the mounted weapon were
also damaged beyond
repairs. In addition 2
soldiers were wounded in
action while 3 others
sustained minor injuries.
“The troops killed 7 of the
attackers instantly while
quite a number escaped with
gunshot wounds. During
clearance operations this
morning, the troops
discovered 9 more Boko
Haram terrorists dead bodies
in the surrounding areas.
Therefore the total number
of terrorists killed was 16.
“The troops also recovered
a General Purpose Machine
Gun, Rocket Propelled
Grenade, ammunitions and
captured 2 of the terrorists
alive.
“The bodies of the two fallen
heroes and the wounded in
action soldiers have been
evacuated to Maiduguri,
while reinforcement was sent
from Gomboru Ngala.
Ads by Google
Ad covers the
page
Stop seeing this ad
“In a related development,
troops have also discovered
and safely detonated 2
Improvised Explosive
Devices (IEDs) planted along
Gomboru-Rann road. It is
believed that the IEDs were
planted yesterday to
prevent troops
reinforcement to Rann while
the attack lasted.
“The Commanding Officer of
3 Battalion has visited the
troops and held durbar with
them. He commended them for
their doggedness during
attack and also urged them
not to lower their guards.
“Despite the incident, troops
morale remains very high
and they have continued with
their clearance operations.
Colonel Sani Kukasheka
Usman
Acting Director Army Public
Relations

- Nigeria's crude oil production stands at about 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd), the oil minister said on Friday· Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu made the comments during a ceremony appointing Maikanti Kacalla Baru as the new group managing director of state oil firm Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).Nigeria's oil production has fallen from 2.2 million bpd at the start of the year due to a series of attacks on crude facilities in the southern Niger Delta region, which is the source of most of the country's oil.

Senator Alkali Jajere on
Thursday added his voice to
the call on the Niger Delta
Avengers (NDA) to embrace
peace and support Federal
Government’s efforts at
revamping Nigeria’s ailing
economy.
Jajere, who represented
Yobe South Senatorial
District from 2011 to 2015,
made the call in an interview
with the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu
The former lawmaker
cautioned that the attack on
pipeline installations was not
only harming the economy,
but also compounding
environmental problems in
the Niger Delta.
He called on leaders and
elders of the region to
engage the youth in
discussions on the negative
consequences of the actions
of the militants on their
environment.
“They should be made to
understand the attacks are
doing more damage and
compounding the
environmental challenges in
the Niger Delta.
“The attacks on pipelines
are not in any way serving
the interest of the people the
region, but rather destroying
the lives of the people”
Jajere said.
According to him, President
Muhammadu Buhari has
exhibited considerable
commitment to addressing
critical areas of the economy
and environmental pollution
as it affects the Niger Delta
region and other parts of the
country.
Missing ad type
The former legislator said
the launch of the Ogoni land
oil spill clean-up by the
Buhari administration was a
significant commitment to
safeguard the environment.

Mr Iliyasu Zwal, the Senior
Special Assistant on State
Legislative Affairs to the
Speaker of House of
Representatives, Yakubu
Dogara, has appealed to
Niger Delta militants to
consider the effects of their
activities on their own
environment.
Making the call in Bauchi on
Thursday during an
interview, Zwal reminded the
militants that each time they
destroyed oil facilities, their
environment was the first
victim.
“Whenever there is
destruction of oil facilities,
the problem of pollution in
their environment is
worsened as the air, water
and soil are affected.
“The situation is even
capable of triggering
outbreak of diseases, just
as farming and fishing
activities are adversely
affected,” he noted.
He explained that whatever
efforts were being made by
the Federal Government to
address the environmental
problem of the region, were
being negated by activities
of the militants.

Hundreds of suspected
political thugs yesterday
attacked the convoy of
Governor Mohammed
Abubakar after leaving the
Bauchi Eid prayer ground,
along Bakaro road in the
area.
It was gathered that the
thugs vandalized the vehicle
conveying the government
house press corps,
destroying the back screen
beyond repairs.
The incident caused a stir as
the driver of the government
press vehicle tried to escape
to save the situation, while
other vehicles diverted
direction, for safety.
It was gathered that the
thugs laid ambush at the
main road where the
governor was expected to
pass, chanting slogans such
as “Bamayi, meaning, we are
not with you, “we don’t want
you as governor.”
During the attack, several
youths and women were
seen openly castigating the
governor for allegedly failing
to address the plight of the
people of the state,
Vanguard reports.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji
Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar
III, has noted that Nigerians
are really experiencing
difficult times occasioned by
the global financial crunch,
hence the need for the
people to go back to farming
as a way out of the current
hardship.
Speaking in a Sallah message
to the Muslim Ummah in his
palace in Sokoto on
Wednesday, the monarch
said Nigeria has been
endowed with vast arable
land,with each region having
its own peculiar comparative
advantage and as such the
country has no business with
importation of food.
“Farming is our main source
of livelihood in the North. We
should go back to the farms
and engage in both rainy and
dry season farming. With
this, we can produce
adequate food to be locally
self-sufficient and even
export the surplus,” he said.
While commending President
Muhammadu Buhari and
Sokoto state government for
their efforts to revamp the
agricultural sector, Abubakar
said, “These efforts will help
in further reducing poverty
and unemployment, as well
as boost the nation’s
revenue.
“Premium should also be
placed on the welfare of
Nigerians and security,while
we should all regard security
as a collective
responsibility.”
He condemned the recent
blast close to the Holy
Mosque of Prophet
Muhammad in Medina, Saudi
Arabia, insisting that Islam
abhors all forms of violence.
“Islam is a religion of peace
and it preaches peace and
unity. Violence breeds only
breeds violence and
underdevelopment. It is only
the bad eggs among the
Muslims who are perpetrating
such heinous acts,” he said.
The Sultan further called on
parents in the country to
enrol their children in
schools to acquire both
western and religious
education.

A Special Assistant to Ondo
State Governor Olusegun
Mimiko on Political
Mobilisation Mosunmola
Awotula, popularly called
Iron Lady, has led hundred
of members of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) into
the camp of the All
Progressives Congress
(APC) in Irele Local
Government Area of the
state.
Among the defectors were
Ayaki of Ireleland Chief
Olorunda Ikuemelo, PDP Vice
Chairman in Ward Four Dayo
Olajide, Comrade
Ademuwagun Fakomogbo,
Comrade Soji Olowotimehin
and Madam Aderotoye Abike.
Others included Akinbamiro
Ojuetimi, Olayinka Moyo and
Comrade Adebayo
Adegoroye.
Speaking on behalf of
others, Mrs. Awotula said the
PDP “is a party of broken
promises, which has inflicted
pains on the people”.
“We are the strong leaders
of the PDP in Irele. I have
been a woman leader in
Ward 2. After that, I became
Organising Secretary before
Mimiko came to PDP.
“When Mimiko defect to PDP,
he rendered us the
executive members useless
and refused to carry us
along in the scheme of
things; that shows that
Mimiko is a selfish leader, ”
she said.
Explaining why they left PDP,
one of the leaders,
Ikuemelo, described the PDP
as “a dilapidated building”,
saying they left the party
before it collapses on them.
He said the PDP would soon
become a dead party with no
strength within the sunshine
state.
Reacting to their defection,
an aid to the governor told
DAILY POST that the
defectors were politically
irrelevant in the state.
“Nobody knew they existed
and we don’t know them. As
far as we are concerned,
those are not members of
the PDP,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari
has felicitated with Nigerians
on the occasion of the 2016
Eid El Fitr, which marks the
completion of the Muslim
Ramadan fast.
In a statement Tuesday, the
president thanked Nigerians
for their sacrifices, and
promised “better days
ahead”.
He said his government was
exploring “the fastest means
to end the economic
sabotage in the Niger Delta
and amicably resolve the
conflicts within the region”.
Read his full statement:
I felicitate with all Nigerians,
especially the Muslim Ummah,
on the occasion of this
year’s Eid El Fitr, which
marks the completion of the
Ramadan fast.
I congratulate Muslims in
Nigeria and around the world
on the successful completion
of this month-long spiritual
journey of fasting, prayer
and almsgiving in obedience
to the Divine Command.
I sincerely pray that the
Almighty Allah will reward our
sacrifices with increased
blessing and a more
prosperous future.
On this happy occasion, it is
my strong belief that all true
followers of Islam have been
rejuvenated on the true
meaning and essence of life
and through the teachings of
Prophet Muhammad (SAW),
we have learnt to imbibe the
virtues of piety, sacrifice,
love, self-denial and good
conduct in our daily
relationship with one
another.
As we celebrate another Eid
El Fitr, I admonish all
patriotic Nigerians to uphold
these lessons and also
appreciate the numerous
material and human blessings
God has endowed us with.
Let us learn to show
gratitude, respect and
tolerance to one other,
irrespective of our religion,
tribe, language and political
leanings, as we forge ahead
to build on our strengths and
opportunities to make Nigeria
great again.
On Monday this week, the
Vice President, the Speaker
of the House of
Representatives and other
government officials joined
me to host Iftar reception at
the State House with
Nigerians of different
backgrounds including
Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs), artisans and
Physically-challenged
persons.
Like I said during the
reception, I want to once
again appeal to those of us
who have the means, to
remember the millions of
Nigerians who are suffering
deprivation because of
violence perpetrated by
terrorists.
I am not unaware of what
Nigerians are going through
and I want to use this
medium to commend the
amazing sacrifices of
Nigerians in the face of the
temporary economic and
social challenges and also
reassure Nigerians that my
administration is working
assiduously towards
providing basic needs and
other amenities.
Let me also use this
opportunity to reaffirm that
we will not relent in the fight
against corruption and we
will ensure that all
appropriate and legal
measures are deplored to
root out this malaise.
I commend the Armed Forces
and security agencies for the
gains recorded in the fight
against terrorists and the
rescue of hostages in the
North East part of the
country.
I also appeal for the
support, understanding and
patience of all Nigerians and
our international partners as
we explore the fastest
means to end the economic
sabotage in the Niger Delta
and amicably resolve the
conflicts within the region.
I promise you all better days
ahead even as we remain
grateful for your unflinching
support to our
administration.
Happy Eid El Fitr celebration
and May the Almighty Allah
continue to bless our nation.
Eid Mubarak!

Muhammadu Buhari
July 5, 2016