₦airaland Forum

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Wednesday in Abuja shared the sum7 of N721.505 billion for the month of April.

Yerima Ngama, the Minister of State for Finance, made this known when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the FAAC meeting.

” The distributable statutory revenue for the month is N531.332 billion; there is augmentation of N92.436 billion which brings the total statutory allocation to N623.768 billion.

” Also distributed is the sum of N7.617 billion refunded by the NNPC. In addition, the sum of N35.549 billion is proposed for distribution under the SURE-P programme.

” The total revenue distributable for the current month, including the value added tax is N721.505 billion,’’ he said

See the breakdown of the money here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134541-nigeria-federal-government-states-local-governments-share-n721bn-for-april.html

Nigerians have disagreed with the federal government’s pay-for-peace strategy to battle the growing insurgency in northern Nigeria.
The federal Government set up a presidential amnesty committee headed by the Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, to consider the possibility and procedure for granting amnesty to the insurgent Boko Haram who have been blamed for the killing of hundreds of people in violence in Northern Nigeria.

The amnesty if granted would be similar to that granted militants in the Niger Delta, which entails monthly payments of salaries to insurgents who agree to lay down their arms. The Niger Delta Amnesty in 2009 led to an increase in Nigeria’s crude oil production to about 2 million barrels per day from the les than one million occasioned by the militants’ activities.

The presidential committee has already commenced its activities and has met with some of the arrested members of the Boko Haram in prison.

Majority of Nigerians have now said they reject the amnesty.

The poll
In an online poll conducted by PREMIUM TIMES over three weeks, majority of the 923 respondents rejected the amnesty.

See their reasons at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134537-nigerians-reject-amnesty-for-boko-haram.html

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown its weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan for declaring a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, saying it would restore peace and stability to the troubled states as well as the polity.

The party’s position was made known by its spokesman, Olisa Metuh, in an interview with journalists.

“You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs,” Mr Metuh said. “We are 100% behind the president’s action and we call on all responsible citizens to rally round the security officials of the nation at these trying times. With President Jonathan Nigeria will overcome our security challenges.”

Also, the Labour Party, LP, commended Mr Jonathan for taking the measure to bring back peace in the states.

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134364-pdp-lp-back-jonathan-on-state-of-emergency.html

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed shock over the large number of Nigerian citizens in various prisons in South Africa.

The president also blasted those criticising his administrations for corruption, saying they are the most corrupt bunch of Nigerians.

Mr. Jonathan told the Nigerian community in South Africa on Monday in Cape Town, South Africa that the high number of Nigerians in South African prisons did not speak well about Nigeria.

Find out details with number of prisoners at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/133063-jonathan-shocked-by-huge-number-of-nigerians-in-south-african-prisons.html

President Goodluck Jonathan has lambasted those criticising his administrations for corruption, saying they are the most corrupt bunch of Nigerians.

Speaking Monday while addressing the Nigerian community in South Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Jonathan said reports of corruption in Nigeria are exaggerated and that those who criticise him were themselves neck deep in corruption at a higher level.

The president said, “From my experience as deputy governor up till the time I was elected as the vice president I know those who talk more about corruption are the most corrupt.

“Peoples’ perception about corruption in Nigeria was over amplified than the corruption that happens in the country.

Continue reading...http://premiumtimesng.com/news/133067-jonathan-blasts-critics-says-theyre-the-most-corrupt.html

Women in rural areas often have their babies with the light of a dim torch light, increasing the chances of maternal and infant deaths, as the rural areas lack electricity to aid the safe delivery of a child and protect the life of the mother.

Deborah Ezra, a member of the Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, lamented the poor situation under which the women in rural areas have their newborns and the dire conditions under which the midwives work.

At the celebration of the International Midwives Day on Monday at the Rockview Royal Hotel in Wuse 2, Abuja, Ms. Ezra said on too many occasions she handled deliveries using the torch light of a mobile phone.

READ DETAILS AT: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/133026-shocking-nurses-use-mobile-phone-torchlights-for-delivering-babies-in-nigeria.html

After amassing several thousands of naira on hotel bills for guests, Kudirat Oladipo, the Rector of Yaba College of Technology, Yabatech, faced a prickly school accountant who required proof the visitors were not Mrs. Oladipo’s private callers, before making payment.

“Please provide documents and /or explanations to establish the nexus between the individuals who incurred the bills and official functions or business of the college,” the official wrote in an internal memo to his boss.

See details here----->http://premiumtimesng.com/news/132883-exclusive-yabatech-rector-in-multi-million-naira-fraud.html

Popular Kannywood actor, Sani Danja, on Wednesday became a father of his first child as his wife, Mansura gave birth to a boy in the early hours.

Danja, co-owner of 2effect Empire confirmed the birth of the child to PEMIUM TIMES.

Danja, who is Kannywood’s most celebrated actor with several awards, said both the mother and child are in good health. He thanked Allah for the birth of the child.

See details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/arts-entertainment/132205-kannywood-star-sani-danjas-wife-puts-to-bed.html

The Special Assistant to the President on Public Media, Doyin Okupe, on Monday said that President Goodluck Jonathan has nothing to do with the grounding of River State’s Governor, Rotimi Amaechi’s aircraft.

In a statement signed by his Director of Media, Bamidele Salam, Mr. Okupe said that as a statesman, the president, who is focused on his administration’s transformation agenda, would not descend so low as to get involved in or mastermind such an act; calling it “baseless insinuations and conjectures by mischief makers.”

The grounding of Mr. Amaechi’s aircraft by National Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been linked to a rift between the president and the governor. Mr. Amaechi had publicly criticised policies of the federal government including the fraudulent petrol subsidy payments. He is also said to be opposed to Mr. Jonathan’s re-election plan.

See details of what Mr. President had to say at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/131875-jonathan-not-involved-in-grounding-of-amaechis-aircraft-okupe.html

Recently, about 200 civilians died in a raid at the border town of Baga, Borno state, that left over 2000 burnt houses. Most of the civilians died of arson caused by the JTF, residents said.

Another raid in Bama last week Thursday left at least 17 people dead and over 200 houses burnt.

Following the Monday carnage in Bama, a high ranking military officer, A.G Laka, confirmed earlier suspicions that the Nigerian soldiers are responsible for most of the arson that follow its raids in search of members of the Boko Haram terrorist sect.

The resulting fires are footprints of the Tracer Bullet brand of ammunition the JTF use in their battle against the terror sect.

See details on how this TRACER BULLET works at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/131942-why-jtf-raids-in-borno-leave-hundreds-of-houses-burnt-causing-deaths.html

An Osogbo High Court on Monday sentenced a dismissed police officer, Kelvin Ighodalo, to 45 years imprisonment for stealing the cell phone of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.

The accused was arraigned on a six-count charge of conspiracy, theft, obtaining by false pretence, obtaining by force and impersonation, among other offences.

Justice Jide Falola of High Court 5, citing Section 1, Sub-section 1, paragraph `C’ of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and Section 218 Cap 35, Laws of Osun State, 2003, found the accused guilty as charged.

The accused was sentenced to 10 years for each of counts 1, 2 and 3 and 5 years each for three other counts.

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/131954-nigerian-man-bags-45-years-imprisonment-for-stealing-governor-aregbesolas-phone.html

An Akwa Ibom state senator, Aloysius Eyok, has accused the state governor, Godswill Akpabio, of threatening to assassinate him within a week for daring to insist on retaining his senatorial seat which Mr. Akpabio has declared interest for in 2015.

The senator said at a news briefing weekend that Mr. Akpabio has unleashed his “hit squad” on him, with threatening text messages advising him to renounce his ambition for another term, or be targeted in seven days.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/131715-akpabio-after-my-life-says-senator-who-benefitted-from-election-rigging.html

The police in Lagos on Monday arraigned a 25-year-old pastor, Tommy Issachar, over an alleged stealing of a female church member’s underwear and N10,000 cash.

Mr. Issachar, who resides at No 35, Mafoluku St., Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, appeared before an Oshodi Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, on a two-count charge of breach of public peace and stealing.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/131076-pastor-in-court-for-allegedly-stealing-female-church-members-pants-bra.html

The Nigerian military has, in less than 48 hours, released multiple but conflicting statistics on the Baga bloodshed, varying the number of the dead and date of the attack, and raising concerns over the credibility of its version of events in the remote Borno community where many civilians died in the crossfire between soldiers and Boko Haram militants.

See details of their contradiction at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/131050-nigerian-military-contradicts-self-on-casualties-in-baga-killings.html

The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday said “over 100 people” were killed in Baga during a clash between officers of the Joint Task Force and insurgents over the weekend.

Mr. Shettima stated this in a statement by his spokesperson, Isa Gusau in Maiduguri.

“In the two-day clash; over 100 people were killed with the razing down of the main Baga market, 200 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the state capital,” the governor said.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/130894-borno-governor-says-over-100-people-killed-in-baga-orders-distribution-of-relief-materials.html

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of chairmen of boards and governing councils of 67 federal parastatals and agencies.

The appointments were announced via a statement issued on Monday night in Abuja, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Pius Anyim.

See details of the newly appointed chairmen ======> http://premiumtimesng.com/news/130885-nigerian-president-appoints-chairmen-for-67-parastatalsagencies.html

unforgiven: i would love to meet your Grammer/English teacher

Do u ever think, he is giving advice from experience to Young Nigerians who have being frustrated in the search for a better life, and all you can do is to criticise his grammar, Na U Come go sch pass, why u know teach am, Mr. teacher. You are one of those that will go to church/mosque and begin to search for the pastor's or Imam's grammatical errors. MR I too know. How many knowledge or advice have u passed in here. You even sound irritating.

Nigeria’s inflation rate which fell to about 8.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in March, from 9.5 per cent in February has reached its lowest and will begin to rise from the second quarter, finance experts have said.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, in a report issued last week, said the Consumer Price Index, CPI, which measures inflation, rose by 8.6 per cent year-on-year in March. Relative to February, the report stated that relatively lower rise in the headline index could primarily attributable to base effects from March of 2012.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/business/130887-finance-experts-say-nigerian-inflation-to-rise-in-second-quarter.html

Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, PDPGF, its chairman and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has begun extensive consultations to ensure an impressive attendance.

Besides, Mr. Akpabio and his Bauchi State counterpart, Isa Yuguda, late last week, met with the National Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, whom they assured of the Forum’s support.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/130810-akpabio-mobilizes-pdp-governors-for-crucial-meeting-in-abuja.html

A drop in crude oil production in the first quarter of 2013, January to March, caused Nigeria a loss of crude revenue of about $1.23 billion (N190 billion), the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has said.

The corporation said in Abuja on Wednesday that the drop was caused by the incessant theft of Nigeria’s crude oil.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/130110-nigeria-lost-n190bn-to-crude-oil-theft-in-niger-delta-between-january-and-march-nnpc.html

A gynaecologist Fred Achem, on Wednesday advised women in their child- bearing age to give themselves two years in between pregnancies before having another child.

Mr. Achem gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
He said that it was important that women recovered their blood level after childbirth which usually required a minimum of two years.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/129976-give-yourself-two-years-in-between-pregnancies-gynaecologist-advises-women.html

The Nigerian government has vowed an “appropriate action” to recent escalation of attacks by Cameroonian gendarmes, accused of killing at least a dozen Nigerians in Bakassi, Cross River State.

Reports suggest about 20 people have been killed and more than a thousand displaced in multiple attacks in the area within the past two weeks. A number of locals are also missing.

Read details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/129164-fg-vows-action-over-attacks-on-nigerians-in-bakassi.html

Five persons, including three soldiers, were reportedly injured in Riyom, Plateau State, on Wednesday when civilians clashed with soldiers who had gone to aid a search for missing cows.

The incident led to the blockage of the Jos-Abuja road as protesting youths and women took over the highway.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/129017-five-people-injured-as-soldiers-civilians-clash-over-missing-cows.html

About 30 people were reportedly killed, scores injured and 20 houses burnt on Tuesday in a fresh violence that rocked the fragile peace in troubled Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, a witness has told PREMIUM TIMES.

Survivors of the three communities that were affected have called for urgent security intervention in the area.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/regional/128761-30-feared-killed-in-fresh-attack-in-wase-plateau.html

Northern leaders should copy from South South leaders how to get amnesty for Insurgents.

See details in video at: http://premiumtimesng.com/video/who-do-government-grant-amnesty-to-doyin-okupe

The chairman of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, Christopher Kolade, has not resigned his position contrary to speculations, his spokesperson, Olisa Egbunike, has said.

There was widespread report on Tuesday that Mr. Kolade, dissatisfied with the direction the SURE-P program was going, angrily resigned his opposition.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/128739-christopher-kolade-sure-p-boss-has-not-resigned-spokesperson.html

For maintaining strongly and publicly that the corruption in the petrol subsidy payments by the federal government must stop, President Goodluck Jonathan has decided to ostracize the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, from some official programs, Mr. Amaechi has claimed.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/128678-why-jonathan-is-victimizing-me-gov-amaechi.html

In what critics see as Nigeria’s gradual descent into full-blown dictatorship, the Nigeria Police on Monday detained four journalists of Abuja-based Leadership newspaper for refusing to name their source for a story which alleged the presidency was plotting to sabotage the merger of the leading opposition parties in the country.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/128702-presidency-resorts-to-gestapo-tactics-as-police-detain-four-leadership-editors.html

The Education Minister, Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, said she has yet to be informed on any plan to scrap the National Examination Council, NECO, and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME.

Ms. Rufa’i spoke at a meeting with the executives of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, in Abuja on Thursday.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/128328-im-not-aware-of-plans-to-scrap-neco-utme-says-education-minister.html

All senators and members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, have been given up till April 30 to pay up their dues to the party or risk sanctions.

A two-paragraphed letter from the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja to all the lawmakers, lamented the inability of almost all of them to comply with the payment of their annual dues for 2012 and early this year.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/128277-exclusive-acn-threatens-to-sanction-senators-reps-over-non-payment-of-party-dues.html

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday, debunked speculations that it could be removed from office by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party.

It also said NEC does not have the powers to seek amendment to the constitution of the party to ensure that governors of the party who are on their first term and President Goodluck Jonathan are offered automatic tickets in the 2015 general elections without going through primaries.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/national/128169-we-will-be-in-charge-of-pdp-till-2016-metuh.html

Residents of Jiddari-Polo in Maiduguri, the troubled capital of Borno State, on Wednesday protested alleged move by soldiers to forcefully evict them from their homes.
The soldiers, members of the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri, wanted the Ward Head of Polo, Bulama Abbu, to sack everyone who has resided in the area for less than two years; some of whom are suspected to be Boko Haram members.

See details at: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/128208-maiduguri-residents-threaten-to-confront-jtf-over-eviction-order-others.html