₦airaland Forum

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Access Bank formally Intercontinental Bank.... Lol...!!

The Federal Government has approved the technical audit report on the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs showing that it spent N423 billion from 2009 when it was created, to 2015.

However, the project execution rate by the ministry was only 12 per cent, an official said.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani, made these known after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr. Usani added that the meeting also resolved to make those who misapplied the funds face the consequences.

“Today we received approval of the project technical audit report which was carried out by the ministry in investigating all contracts awarded and projects and programmes carried out in the ministry since the inception of the ministry from 2009 to 2015.

“The revealing content of the report shows that over N423 billion had been expended in the region by the ministry alone, not other intervening agencies, from 2009 to 2015.

“From this amount project execution rate has been at 12 per cent with an average completion rate of a project standing at five years and the impact rate is eight per cent.’’

Mr. Usani said the ministry had sought approval from council to have the recommendations of the report conveyed to the legitimate agencies charged with the responsibilities of recovering government asset.

He said the recovery was for asset that were misappropriated, misused or found to be idling in some quarters.

“With this it means all those who have accessed government’s resources for one purpose or another must be compelled to make adequate use of same.

“Otherwise they will face the recommendations that go with such violations and that is our position concerning that report and we have got council approval for that,” he said.

According to the minister, the report indicated that about 60 per cent of the N700 billion appropriated for contracts in the region had been paid out to the contractors which recorded low execution of the jobs.

“To find that N423 billion had been expended in the region with the type of results we see shows that there is something tangibly and obviously wrong with how procurement had been carried out in the ministry.”

The minister added that the number of projects awarded during the period was 427 but there was no uniform action by contractors.

He said the action to be taken would vary according to measure of liabilities.

He said some would be asked to return to site while others would be made to refund money for their display of criminal intent of collecting money without appearing at site at all.

The Information minister Lai Mohammed said the 2017 budget was being reconciled with the minister of budget and national planning.

He further said that President Muhammadu Buhari “is in very competent hands; there is no cause for alarm.”
(NAN)

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/232723-despite-spending-n423-billion-in-6-years-niger-delta-ministry-had-only-12-per-cent-project-execution.html

The Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has chastised Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, over his call for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the governor by his tirade against the president was portraying Ekiti in bad light.

Mr. Fayose on Tuesday called for the resignation of the president on grounds of his ill health.

”He can do us the great help by resigning. Not resigning bothers on his integrity. His absence allows others to suppress and oppress others and that means he is allowing others to suppress their fellow human beings,” Mr. Fayose said.

“There are many governments in one and they are clueless. We need an active president going by our numerous challenges. How long will Nigerians wait for an incapacitated president?

“We cannot wait again for somebody to hold us to ransom. I don’t have any bad blood against Buhari, Osinbajo has no powers without the president. He owes us the duty to tell us the state of his health.”

President Buhari has been in London for medical treatment for an undisclosed illness for about three weeks.

In his reaction, Mr. Ojudu described Mr. Fayose’s comments as disrespectful of a man old enough to be his father.

He wondered why Mr. Fayose would call for the president’s resignation at a time all Nigerians are praying for him.

“He (Fayose) has been quarrelling with everybody. Even in Ekiti, he is demolishing filling stations belonging to the opposition,” Mr. Ojudu, a former senator from Ekiti, stated.

“He has always been insulting the president and disparaging a man old enough to be his father.

“He is portraying Ekiti in a bad light. We are not like that. Is he the only governor, why is it that he is the only one making so much noise?”

Mr. Ojudu said Mr. Fayose had failed in governance, plunging his people into hardship and poverty.

“Right now, fuel is not being sold in Ekiti because he is busy demolishing filling stations under one guise of the other,” he continued.

“People are buying fuel from neighbouring states. People are suffering, they are tired of his ways.
“Go and tell him to concentrate on governance and to stop insulting the president.”


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/232657-presidency-replies-fayose-for-calling-for-buharis-resignation.html

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The Nigerian Senate has passed an executive bill proposed to enlist international assistance in the country’s efforts to tackle criminal matters, including money laundering, asset acquisition from proceeds of corruption and other forms of illicit financial flows.

The proposed law, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Between Nigeria and Other Foreign Countries, SB 224, 2017, was read for the third time and subsequently passed by the Senate on Tuesday.

The passage followed the presentation of the joint report on the bill by the Senate committees on foreign affairs, chaired by Monsurat Sunmonu (APC-Oyo); judiciary, human rights and legal matters, chaired by David Umaru (APC-Niger) and anti-corruption, chaired by Chukwuma Utazi, PDP-Enugu.

The bill – and another one on Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition – was sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 27, 2016, before it was finally passed by the lawmakers on Tuesday.

The bill seeks to get relevant international assistance in cases of money laundering and provide framework for “other countries to assist in provision of and obtaining of evidence, making of arrangements for persons to give evidence”.

“The bill also hopes to elicit international assistance in criminal investigations, recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of property in respect of offences.

“The restraining of dealings in property or the freezing of asset that may be recovered, forfeited or confiscated in respect of offences.

“The execution of request for search and seizure, the location and identification of witnesses and suspects,” Mr. Buhari wrote to the Senate in January 2016.

There is no report yet on the second one, Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill, sent same day as the one on mutual legal assistance.

With the approval of the bill by the Senate, a similar approval by the House of Representatives is required before a joint approval by the National Assembly following which the bill will be sent to the president for assent.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/232544-senate-finally-passes-buharis-anti-corruption-bill.html

Below is the full transcript of a leaked audio tape obtained by Saharareporters has revealed how Nigerian Senator Dino Melaye compromised Justice Akon Ikpeme, the tribunal judge who handled his election case in 2015.

FULL TRANSCRIPT BELOW:

Judge: Distinguished good afternoon.

Dino: Heee
The ---- of law

Judge: (laughs)
How are you?

Dino: I'm here as you see me o?

Judge: I can't hear you

Dino: I said you have refused to come o

Judge: I will come

Dino: I hope rapture will not take place before you come
( both laughs)

Judge: I will come when there's opportunity

Dino: I just spoke with err Prof now

Judge: Ok
Dino: So he said if she is ready to start without pay, that she can come and see him and start immediately, because the present set now will finish by the end of this first quarter that's March, that's when they are taking in the next set, but if she want to start without pay that i should give her a note to come and she could start immediately

Judge: And then after March she will start getting pay

Dino: Definitely yes
after he said when the sch..... after the first quarter
so if you discuss with her then err whatever she preferred
he said i should just give her a note to come

Judge: Let me discuss with her at least you can er send a note to her email it to her if she's available

Dino: ok alright

Judge: but let me discuss with her

Dino: ok

Judge: thank you very much

Dino: alright no problem

2nd Audio

Dino: Hello... M’Lord .... get out of the chambers

Judge: Okay... I wanted to let you know that I am back (in my state)

Dino: Oh... great, great, great, great. We are going to the UK tonight ... errrm... I am presently with the senate president. We are back on Monday

Judge: Okay

Dino: So, I will look for a day during the week so I will just keep talking to you, once I return I will come

Judge: I wanted to tell you that whatever you want to do, make it in eeee USA

Dino: Of course, of course, of course, of course, of course, no problem madam, no problem. My sister, I have given the perm sec, they will reach her, (something else)

Judge: I wanted to ask because...

Dino: I have given it to the perm sec so they will definitely reach her. I will call him again as soon as I come back so they can invite her

Judge: Okay

Dino: No problem ma. Thank you ma

Judge: Safe journey

Dino: Alright, God bless you.

Judge: Keep reminding the perm sec ...

Dino: Definitely.

http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/30/full-transcript-bribery-conversation-between-senator-dino-melaye-and-election-tribunal

About fourteen states in Nigeria are insolvent as their Internally Generated Revenues, IGR, in 2016 were far below 10 per cent of their Federation Account Allocations, FAA, a report has shown.

According to the Annual States Viability Index
(ASVI) report published by the Economic Confidential, an economic intelligence magazine, about 14 states were insolvent in the year under review.

According to the index, without the monthly disbursement from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), many states remain unviable, and cannot survive without the federally collected revenue.

The states that may not survive without the federation allocation due to poor internal revenue generation, according to the report, include Borno which realised a meagre N2.6 billion compared to a total of N73.8 billion it received from the Federation Account Allocation in 2016, representing about 4 per cent.

Others are Ebonyi with IGR of N2.3 billion compared to FAA of N46.6 billion representing 5 per cent; Kebbi with N3.1 billion compared to FAA of N60.88 billion representing 5.14 per cent; Jigawa with N3.5 billion compared to N68.52 billionof FAA representing 5.15 per cent and Yobe with IGR of N3.24 billion compared to N53.93 billion of FAA representing 6 per cent within the period under review.

Other poor internal revenue earners are Gombe which generated N2.94 billion compared to FAA of N46 billion representing 6.26 per cent; Ekiti with N2.99 billion compared to FAA of N47.56 billion representing 6.28 per cent; Katsina with N5.54 billion compared to FAA of N83 billion representing 6.65 per cent and Sokoto with N4.54 billion compared to FAA of N65.97 billion representing 6.88 per cent.

The report noted that internal revenues are generated by states through Pay-As-You-Earn Tax (PAYE), Direct Assessment, Road Taxes and revenues from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

Meanwhile, the index revealed that the IGR of Lagos State, put at N302 billion, is higher than that of 30 States put together excluding Ogun, Rivers, Edo, Kwara and Delta states whose IGRs are very impressive at more than 30 per cent each.

The 30 other states merely generated a total of N258 billion in 2016, the report said, adding that only Lagos and Ogun states generated more revenue than their allocations from the Federation Account.

The ratio of internal revenue to federal allocation for the two states, the report said, were169 per cent and 127 per cent respectively; adding that no other state has up to 100 percent of IGR to the federal allocation.

The IGR of the 36 states of the federation totalled N801.95 billion in 2016 as compared to N682.67 billion in 2015, an increase of N119.28 billion.

While 14 states which have less than 10 per cent IGR may not stay afloat outside the federation account allocation due to socio-political crises including insurgency, militancy and herdsmen attacks, others lack foresight in revenue generation drive coupled with arm-chair governance, the report noted.

Other states with impressive IGR drive include Rivers with N85 billion compared to FAA of N134 billion representing 63 per cent; Edo with IGR of N23 billion compared to FAA of N59 billion representing 38 per cent.

The report noted that Kwara State, however, with low receipt from the Federation Account has greatly improved in its IGR of N17 billion compared to FAA of N49 billion representing 35 per cent while Delta with IGR of N44 billion compared to FAA of N126 billion representing 6.88 per cent.

The index revealed that only three states in the entire Northern region have IGR above 20 per cent of federal allocation, and they are Kwara, Kano, and Kaduna states.
Meanwhile, eight states in the South recorded over 20 per cent IGR in 2016 and they include Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Enugu, and Oyo.

The states with the poorest Internally generated revenue of less than 10 per cent in the South are Imo, Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Ebonyi states while those in the North are Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Katsina, Gombe, Yobe, Jigawa, Kebbi and Borno states.

The report suggested that the IGR of the states can improve through aggressive diversification of the economy to productive sectors rather than reliance on monthly federation account revenues that come from the oil sector.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/business-news/232507-14-nigerian-states-insolvent-‎have-ridiculously-low-internal-revenue-report.html

There was an air of excitement among the children as the bell rang signalling the period for their recess. Neatly dressed uniformed women, with aprons gathered around large plastic warmers, dished out food in small bowls in fulfilment of a daily ritual of feeding school children for whom billions of naira have been provided as part of a federal government programme to provide a meal for children in primary schools from classes 1-3.

The day’s menu had rice and stew with banana to go with it.

The children, pupils of the Ansarudeen Elementary School in Osogbo, Osun State, stayed quiet as the plates hit the top of their desks. They would not eat until they prayed in chorus, thanking God for providing the meal and praying for those who have nothing to eat.

For most of the children, eating what they consider a good meal every day in school free of charge is fun, compelling them every school day to a place they hitherto considered boring and tiring.

Although school feeding is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria, its revival by the Muhammadu Buhari administration has been highly commended. Its main philosophy is developing the child’s total mental and physical wellbeing through the provision of one rich meal a day. This was part of the campaign promise made by the president and his team while canvassing votes ahead of the 2015 elections.

Despite an initial pussyfooting on the part of the federal government towards fulfilling the promise, the programme eventually got underway in January this year. It commenced in three pilot states – Osun, Anambra and Kaduna – under the supervision of the federal government.

However, Osun had been executing the programme for several years, while Kaduna State started the programme one year earlier than the kick-off by the federal government.

The initiative, known as the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, NHGSF, is projected to provide 1.14 million jobs across the country, with the engagement of community women as cooks. It is also expected to boost food production and stimulate an investment worth N980 million, annually.

Tagged the “Buhari food for the children,” the programme, when fully operational, is expected to cover no fewer than 10 million primary school pupils from classes 1-3, while another five million pupils in primaries 4-6 would be covered by state governments through a counterpart funding arrangement.
Figures from the states however revealed that the number of pupils is on the increase due to enrolments and might double in the next two sessions with the current rate of increase.

For instance, Kaduna State witnessed an increase of 400,000 pupils just after one session of operating school feeding.

Although in 2016, the Office of the Vice President announced that N93.1 billion from the budget had been set aside to take care of the feeding programme, actual disbursement commenced in earnest in January 2017.

Earlier in the year, the government said it had released N375,434, 870 to pay 7,909 cooks in five states for the feeding of a total of 677,476 primary school pupils. The states were Anambra, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ebonyi.

However, by the end of April 2017, Zamfara and Enugu commenced the programme, therefore bringing the number of states to seven. Altogether, about 8,587 schools are currently involved in the programme while 11,847 cooks have been employed.

The federal government has so far disbursed about N2 billion to participating states for the programme and other states like Delta are gearing to join the initiative.

However, PREMIUM TIMES investigations revealed that besides Osun and Kaduna states, other states involved only satisfied themselves with the federal provisions made for feeding primaries 1-3, while the pupils in other classes were left unattended to.

The federal government’s feeding rate per child is N70. The cooks have grappled with the amount since the recession set in. Findings from three states – Osun, Anambra and Kaduna – showed that the general quality and quantity of the food served have been affected by the current economic downturn.

The food vendors contracted to feed the children are calling for an increase in the amount earmarked for each child to at least N100, to enable them provide enough and quality food for the children.

The vision of the programme is to reach all primary school pupils, but at the moment only about 50 per cent of the target population is benefiting from it. Many states are currently facing low revenues resulting in the backlog of unpaid workers’ salaries. As a result, the federal government risks going it all alone.

Also, the head teachers in schools operating nurseries are grappling with the problem of weeping children who think they were wrongly excluded from the scheme. A good number of them are noticed at every break time hanging by the windows of their older colleagues, seeking to be part of the eating ‘party.’

With the programme now stimulating increased enrolments in public schools and the hiking of food prices, including the call to include other categories of children, the funding profile is expected to double in months ahead as the government works to keep the programme afloat.

OSUN FOOD VENDORS ASK FOR MORE

The Osun School Feeding Programme stands out as the forerunner to the federal government’s intervention. The state first introduced the scheme in 2006 with about 2,500 pupils. The Programme Officer, Olubunmi Ayoola, said that at the time, the rate was N30 per pupil.

“Then the menu was not as rich as what we have now,” she told PREMIUM TIMES in Osogbo.

The programme was relaunched on April 30, 2012, with an increase in the funding. At the moment, a total of 3,007 food vendors are involved in cooking and serving food at the elementary schools in the state. The state began with the feeding of pupils from primaries 1-3, however those in grade 4 have now been included.

What it means is that while the federal government programme covers pupils from primary 1-3, Osun provides for one additional class, which was part of its arrangement before the intervention.

Before the intervention of the federal government, the programme was funded by the local and state governments on a 60-40 basis. The local governments were paying more because primary education constitutionally falls within their purview.

The food items approved by the Osun government for the menu list include rice, beans, bread, corn food, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs vegetables and fruits.

Mrs. Ayoola confirmed that before the advent of the Buhari school feeding scheme, Osun paid N65 per pupil, but with the intervention of the federal government, the amount has risen to N70. As at March 2017, the state government was yet to begin the implementation of N70 approved by the federal government.

PREMIUM TIMES findings showed that what gets to the caterers is N41 per pupil.

According to Mrs. Ayoola, the balance goes to the “contractors” who supply the beef, chicken and fish used by the food vendors. With the N70 per pupil fee, the food vendors are expected to have a slight increase to N42.5k per pupil.

As part of its contribution to the scheme, the government trained the food vendors on hygiene, gave them aprons, assisted them in acquiring decent cooking materials and supports them with N4,000 each as transport allowance.

Our investigation also showed that Osun started receiving funds on the scheme from the federal government on January 23 and had received N466.3 million in four tranches by April.

The funds are paid fortnightly and directly to the accounts of the food vendors and the contractors by the federal government.

The first payment for the first week was N92,425,450; the second tranche was N98,474,700; the third payment was N78,464,884 and the fourth was N98,474,400.

OSUN SCHOOLS FEEDING

PREMIUM TIMES visited some of the primary (elementary) schools to observe the feeding process. The head teachers expressed satisfaction with the quality of food served by the vendors and lauded their compliance with the standards set by the state government. But a common refrain was the complaints by the vendors of the need for an increase in the rate per child from N70 to about N100.

Inspectors were appointed to check the food quality before they are served, while the vendors were provided with a uniform set of plates for serving the children.

The Head Mistress at the Ansarudeen Elementary School, Osogbo, Faloni Sola, told this newspaper that some of the food vendors had laid complaints of the price of food stuff in the market, which is affecting their ability to deliver the quality of food required.

The leader of the caterers at the school, Ganiyat Salau, said an increase in the amount given for each pupil, which is N41, would be appreciated to enable her and her colleagues do better.

Vendors at the African Church Elementary School, Oke-Ila, Irepodun Local Government Area and Union Baptist Government Elementary School, all in Osogbo, also expressed dissatisfaction with the amount given to them. They said they would prefer an increase in the amount received and the right to purchase their fish and beef directly rather than receiving them from suppliers.

That was also the situation at A.U.D Erin Elementary School, Osun, Irepodun LGA, where the vendors revealed that they had not received fish and beef or chicken from the suppliers for a while because of the difficulties posed by the channels of receiving the items.

“They were supposed to give us chicken and fish, but we have not received it for some time now, and the last time the one they brought was very bad, we could not use it for our cooking,” one of the vendors told PREMIUM TIMES.

They also said complaints had been lodged at the appropriate quarters to rectify the problems, although it was taking too much time to rectify the problem.

Omowumi Fakayode, head of the vendors at the African Church Elementary School, said chicken and fish were no longer regularly supplied by the contractors because of the state of things.

“We need the money increased to N100. We need enough fish. We have complained to the Head of Planning and she promised to do something about it,” she said.
“Sometimes pupils eat without meat on their food. Eggs are no longer served. It has been stopped.”

She also revealed that some parents bring their pupils without given them breakfast, hoping the children would eat in school.

“We often hear them saying they have stomach pain and when asked what was the matter, they would say their parents did not give them breakfast,’ Ms. Fakayode said.

A grade 4 pupil of the school, Sadiat, who spoke to this newspaper after a meal, said she would want the government to continue the programme because it had relieved her parents and improved their health. She said the food served to them was nutritionally balanced.

“We hope that this will continue because we are happy about it. We feed well and we don’t have to spend money to buy food and we don’t have to bring food from home to school,” she said.

But Mrs. Ayoola, the program officer, believes that N70 was good enough at the start of the feeding programme, noting that it was better than what obtained hitherto. She said it was the reason the food vendors were linked with cooperatives so they could buy food items in bulk and at cheaper rates.

“The programme is popular among parents and vendors alike. Some of the vendors and farmers are graduates without jobs before they were hired and now they have something doing,” she said.

“The children are also enthusiastic, we even hear it being said jokingly that some pupils don’t want to be promoted from the elementary schools just to keep eating the meals.”
But a parent criticised the programme, saying although food was provided for the children, the management of the programme did not give room for transparency.

Emmanuel Ogunyemi, who is also a teacher, suggested that the school feeding programme should be managed by a separate agency populated by private individuals, rather than a department of government.

“A situation where the government says it spent N1billion and you don’t have any way of verifying that claim is a serious problem of the feeding programme which can be resolved by have a separate agency run by private individuals who would be supervised by the government,” he said.

“We have a problem where most vendors were selected based on political consideration rather than competence.”

NURSERY PUPILS CRY FOR FOOD IN ANAMBRA

The Anambra school feeding programme started in December 2016. Although the federal government envisaged the participation of 937 cooks to feed 96,489 pupils, the state government has, at the moment, 1,065 caterers handling a far more number than earlier envisaged by the government.

Officials say the figure is steadily on the increase and they were yet to ascertain the current figure.

Included in the feeding menu are rice, beans, yam porridge, plantain, Okpa, moi moi with eggs, and vegetables. Although beef and chicken are not added in the menu, it was gathered that “dried fish” were used to cook the meals to enrich the quality and pieces of “iced fish” are served only with rice.

The vendors received training on hygiene and the standard requirements in executing the programme before the commencement.

Nearly all the schools visited had identical problem of the exclusion of the nursery classes from the feeding programme.

At Igodima, St. Mary’s, Amamife and St. Peter’s Primary Schools in Awka, head teachers complained that children from the nursery classes insist they partake of the feeding, joining the benefitting classes during break time.

“Sometimes they come to me and start crying that they were hungry and should be given food when they see the other benefiting children being served food,” Edith, one of the head teachers, told PREMIUM TIMES.

“I sometimes had to appeal to the other pupils to share with them so they can stop crying.

“So, the real issue is that the government should include the lower categories and nursery children to make it more inclusive.”

Some of the kids said they were happy to have to be fed in school daily. They also said they liked the food.

A primary three pupil, Chinyelo Okafor of the Amamife Primary School, said she would want the government to continue with programme and include other classes in the feeding.

“The food is good and our parents are not spending money again to buy us food in the school,” she said.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited some of the schools as the second term drew to a close, the feeding had stopped two weeks to vacation.

The vendors who spoke to our reporter, said payments did not come as expected and so there was no way feeding could take place.

One of the vendors, who gave her name simply as Blessing, said payments to the caterers had been faltering toward the end of the second term. She lamented the development, saying it was worrisome.

She also said there was a need to scale up the pricing of a meal for the children, as the N70 cost was unrealistic.
“You know the situation of things in the market right now. When the programme started, we did not know that the price from food in the market will become so high,” Blessing said.

“If they can increase it, we will be able to provide the kind of food that will be enough for the children.”

Chinwe Iwuchukwu, the coordinator of the programme in the state and the Focal Person for the Anambra School Feeding Programme, said the home-grown school feeding programme had stimulated increase in enrolment in the primary schools and this has in turn stretched logistics, putting more pressure on school facilities currently available.

“This means that we will need more teachers, more classrooms and more seats and desks for use in the schools and this is going to cost a lot of money,” she said.

Ms. Iwuchukwu, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Donor Agencies, stated that with the increase in the number of the pupils, whose current figure is yet to be officially ascertained, more caterers would need to be hired and this would also mean an increase in the funding from the federal government.

By the end of March, 2017, Anambra state had received over N200 million from the federal government in the prosecution of the scheme. Ms. Iwuchukwu said the funds were paid directly to the caterers through their respective bank accounts.

However, the coordinator explained that there were issues of BVN with some of the caterers which made it impossible for their accounts to be credited, noting that the issues would be rectified before resumption for third term in May.

On the inclusion of the nursery classes, she said the government was thinking about it, and would do so once funding issues were straightened out.

“It is our pan to include all the children, we are making plans and once we have the backup we will include all others,” she added.

On the complaints by vendors and their call for an increase in the amount for feeding a child, Ms. Iwuchukwu said the state has no power to change the price.

“For now, we cannot change the amount, this is because it is a federal government programme,” she said.

Ignatius Onuora, a parent, lauded the federal government’s feeding programme. His concern however is the need to include all the school children, rather than feeding only a few of them.

“If they (government) really want to do this thing, they should bring every child on board, that is when the impact will be much felt,” he said.

“They cannot say they don’t have the money, if you consider what is happening in the country today and the amount of money available to be stolen, you will know that if these children are well fed in schools, it will be a way of contributing to the development of their future.”

EARLY START, QUICK ENDING IN KADUNA

The All School Feeding Programme of Kaduna State, as its name implies, includes all children from the “Early Years” category or what is normally called the Nursery, as well as pupils in Primaries 1-6.

After running the programme for 36 weeks, the Kaduna State Government suspended it, blaming the federal government for failing to meet its own part of the bargain, which is to provide part of the funds for the programme.

The state government claimed it spent a total of N9.5 billion in running its school feeding programme, with a monthly cost of N1.1 billion during the period.

After reconciliation with the Office of the Vice President, which coordinates the programme, a total sum of N6.8 billion was arrived at as what was spent by the state government on feeding primaries 1-3, the categories covered by the federal government’s initiative.

While announcing the suspension of the feeding programme in January, Governor Nasir El-Rufai said his government was feeding 1.8 million pupils daily, but had to stop the programme because the Office of the Vice President was yet to reimburse the state with the sum spent so far.

He also said that the programme would not commence until a review was done and the reimbursement was made.

However, during enquiry by PREMIUM TIMES, state officials confirmed that a part of the money had been paid.

“We have received half of that amount as refund from the federal government, that is N3.4billion, we are expecting that the rest will be paid soon before the programme is restarted in the state,” the Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Adamu Mohammed Mansur, told PREMIUM TIMES.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/232368-special-report-how-buhari-administrations-school-feeding-programme-increases-pupil-enrolment-amidst-challenges.html

An audio tape obtained by Saharareporters has revealed how Nigerian Senator Dino Melaye compromised Justice Akon Ikpeme, the tribunal judge who handled his election case in 2015.

In the tape, which captures a telephone conversation between Justice (Mrs) Akoh and Mr. Melaye, the judge is overheard asking Mr. Melaye to give her a bribe in US dollars.

She also asks Mr. Melaye to assist a person Dino repeatedly referred to as her "daughter" secure a job at the Cross Rivers State Ministry of Health.

Our investigation reveals that Justice Ikpeme is married to a Cross River medical doctor. She is reportedly number 3 in the hierarchy of the Cross Rivers judiciary.

Saharareporters could not confirm if Mrs. Ikpeme’s daughter got a job with the Cross Rivers state government, but in a second call between her and Mr. Melaye, the Senator bragged that he had already spoken to the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade.

In 2016, Justice Ikpeme dismissed a petition by Smart Adeyemi, Mr. Melaye’s opponent, in accordance to the plot to let Mr. Melaye off the hook at the election tribunal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MQo9FLJWbk

SaharaReporters contacted the spokesperson to the Cross Rivers state governor, Christian Ita who said they could only locate a family member of the Ikpeme’s who was already a civil servant in the state before Prof. Ayade became the state governor in 2015.

Source:
http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/30/senator-dino-melaye-caught-tape-bribing-tribunal-judge-akoh-ikpeme

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has commenced the announcement of the 2017 Hajj fares with a call on relevant bodies to speed up the process of collecting and remitting same to the commission.

The announcement was made at the ongoing state Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare boards, agencies and commissions meeting at NAHCON headquarters in Abuja.

At the time of going to press, six states of Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa and Yobe had announced their hajj fares to be paid by pilgrims.

While Nasarawa pilgrims are to pay N1,544,894.16 for this year’s hajj, Niger pilgrims are expected to pay N1,525,483.30, Kaduna, N1,535,503.68, Kano, N1,537,859.97, Adamawa, N1,530,101.08 and Yobe, N1,520,101.18, respectively.

The packages include $800 general Basic Travel Allowance (BTA).

An official of the commission however said the packages exclude hadaya (sacrificial ram) fees which has been fixed at N38,000 for this year’s exercise.

The boards are expected to collect the sums and remit same to Jaiz Bank Plc, which is the appointed bank for the collection of the money.

Unlike the practice of uniform fares of the past, the commission’s ongoing reform announced by the Chairman of the commission Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed, shows that each of the 36 states of the federation has different fares based on the services to be rendered to pilgrims and local distance millage among other considerations.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/nahcon-announces-2017-hajj-fares/199500.html

To many people, Kwara state politics is unique because of a certain system of succession that has been entrenched.
Incumbent governor, Dr Abdulfattah Ahmed is in his second tenure and would neither seek re-election nor have power to anoint any candidate for the position in 2019.

Also, aspirants for the position, especially those in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), would dare not show interest openly because, according to some of them, they don’t aspire for a position but are only assigned by the political lynchpin of the state, Dr Bukola Saraki.

This was further confirmed by the APC spokesperson, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, during a recent interview with our correspondent when he said the system had been in place for long and has really helped them.

According to him, “We don’t aspire for position but are assigned according to our dedication and loyalty to the party.”

The opposition parties have not really shown any seriousness ahead of 2019 because some of the contestants in 2015 have gone back into their shells.

Adamawa: Ribadu strategising for Jibrilla ouster

The Adamawa State governor, Muhammad Jibrilla, is facing growing opposition to his re-election bid as he is locked in political battle with some of his closest allies in the APC, who helped him win power in 2015 as well as those he defeated at the general election, who eventually decamped to his party.

With the growing appeal of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, among APC members in the state, the stage for 2019 political battle is taking shape.

The executive members of the newly founded political association, Ribadu Support Group, were inaugurated on Thursday to enlighten the public on the credentials of the former police officer.

The Acting Coordinator of the group, Bello Aliyu, said the group had already recruited thousands of ýmembers to project Ribadu’s image.

“Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s immersion into politics was borne out of the desire to bring about growth and sustainable development to the people.

“Giving the unfortunate condition we found ourselves in today, the likes of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu are needed to emancipate the state and it’s people from the clutches of clueless leadership that only leads to doom”, he stated.

Other possible challengers to Jibrilla including ýAbdulaziz Nyako, the senator from Adamawa Central Zone and Mo’Allahyidi, the senator from Southern Zone may soon join the fray.

The political atmosphere is becoming heavy with groups like Nyako Support Group, Team Aziz, Buhari Osinbajo Again and Ribadu Support Group all working to stop the governor from winning re-election in 2019.

On the side of the governor, groups including Four Plus Four, Team Bindow and Bring Bindow Back are working for his re-election but the question is whether they could whither the storm as the government has failed to settle backlog of workers’ salaries and pension despite huge amount of money received from federal government.

Some party chieftains have accused the governor of failing the electorate and betraying those who helped him win election.

However, the state Organizing Secretary of APC, Ahmed Lawal told newsmen on Thursday, that the party executives in the state and 21 local government areas had endorsed the candidature of Gov. Muhammadu Bindow.

Benue: Ortom again?

Speculations are rife that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State is currently strategizing to secure a second term in office.

Although the governor is yet to make his intention to come back in 2019 public, his supporters are working hard to earn the confidence of the electorate in the days ahead.

However, rumours of Ortom’s fallout with the leader of the APC in the state, Senator George Akume, who was believed to have imposed his candidature on the party during the last election, may throw spanners in the work.

The alleged frosty relationship between the duo is not yet in full display but there are pointers that the gap widened from the recently concluded local government primary elections of the party.

Secondly, the odds against Ortom at the moment include the perceived murmuring by the electorate, accusing him of poor performance in the past two years.

Zoning is the bone of contention in Oyo

The campaign for Agodi Government House in Oyo State has begun. Governor Abiola Ajimobi, will complete his second term in 2019 after he broke the second term jinx in 2015 but at the moment, nobody can predict his succession agenda because he appears to be keeping it under wraps as contenders and pretenders have kept signifying interest.

The crisis in the major opposition parties in the state may affect their chances if it continues in the next one year.

Though Governor Ajimobi has not publicly anointed any aspirant, he will be interested in who succeeds him.

He recently said he would support the people of Oke-Ogun to achieve their dreams in 2019, adding that he won the 2015 elections as a result of their unwavering support for him.

However, the governor is said to be working in support of two of the aspirants from Ibadan land, which is against his promise for the people of Oke-Ogun.

One of these aspirants is the Deputy Governor of CBN, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, the grandson of late Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi. The second is the serving senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Adesoji Akanbi.

A source close to the government told the Daily Trust on Sunday that, “Oga is very fickle; I think you know that. He always tells people to begin to work for the party if they are interested in the race. For now, many people are interested in the race under the platform of the APC. He may support Adebayo Adelabu because of their closeness while he could also support Soji Akanbi so that he can swap the Senate ticket with him,” he noted.

The people of Oke-ogun region have been clamouring for governorship slot because they have not produced a governor since the First Republic.

Meanwhile, the opposition are also preparing for a showdown in 2019. According to a recent report, the flag bearer of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2015, Engineer Seyi Makinde, former Senate Chief Whip (PDP), Senator Hosea Agboola (PDP) and the former Leader of House of Representatives, Mulikat Adeola Akande (PDP), recently held a meeting in Ogbomoso to discuss how to form an alliance against the ruling party in 2019.

But so far, the only aspirant who has declared his intention to run is Chief Niyi Akintola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Hard nut to crack for Ugwuanyi in Enugu

The current political happenings in Enugu State are pointing to the fact that the 2019 governorship election may not be an easy ride for the incumbent governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who will seek a second term.

Though ex- Governor Sullivan Chime has remained rather quiet since he handed over to Ugwuanyi, he recently decided to let the people know that he is still very much active in politics. He did that with what some critics regarded as “hired crowd of supporters” who came in their thousands from the remote parts of the 17 local government areas of the state to Comprehensive Secondary School, Udi-Abia, on Saturday, May 6, 2017.

That was the day he formally defected to the APC. The well-attended occasion was graced by APC stalwarts and supporters, led by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, who welcomed him into the party.

Ever since he indicated interest in dumping the PDP, upon whose platform he was elected governor, the political nucleus in Enugu could no longer remain the same.

Moreover, when one recalls that other top politicians in the state such as Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu (GNG), Jim Nwobodo, Fidelis Okoro, Ken Nnamani, Eugene Odo, Sam Onyeishi, among others eventually pitched tent with the APC, it is evident that Ugwuanyi will definitely face stiff opposition.

Chime had blamed the prolonged leadership logjam which has divided the PDP into two formidable factions at the national level as the main reason he decided to jettison the party and announced that APC will win Enugu in 2019.
But in a dramatic twist, the next day, Sunday, May 7, the people of Udi, Chime’s hometown, in their numbers flooded the Government House, Enugu to pay a solidarity visit to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

In a remark, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who described Chime as an “inexperienced politician,” asked him to learn from history of past politicians in the state, who abandoned parties that brought them to limelight.

“Jim Nwobodo quarrelled with Chimaroke Nnamani to join the opposition; he never recovered. Chimaroke quarrelled with Sullivan Chime and he left and formed another party, but he never recovered. Now Chime has left the party that gave him fame, I bet you he will never recover from it,” he said.

A PDP stalwart, who did not want to be named, said, “With Chime’s departure from PDP, Ekweremadu might still retain the party’s Enugu West Senatorial ticket for the fourth time since he probably won’t run against Ugwuanyi for governorship.

What is not clear is who those that defected to the APC would support for governorship in 2019.

Badaru face fight from two fronts Jigawa

There are indications that ex- Governor Sule Lamido who served two terms in Jigawa State before his candidate lost to Governor Mohammed Badaru of the APC in 2015 is strategizing for another fight.

Lamido had tasted the bitter pills of losing election or planting a successor because he was recently hauled to prison in the state he once led for allegedly inciting PDP members to fight for their rights in the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

The PDP’s 2015 gubernatorial candidate, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim, who is a close ally of Lamido might still be nursing ambition for the post.

In the APC, Ubale Hashim, a one-time commissioner in the state contested against Governor Badaru in 2015. Hashim gave Badaru a fight for his money during the primaries and considering the fact he is still not having any relationship with the APC-led government at the state, pundits are of the opinion that he is just buying time to spring a surprise.

Another contender is Faruk Adamu Aliyu. The one time member of House of Representative and a governorship candidate under CPC has what it takes in term of popularity to give Badaru a tough time if he will gun for the office once again.

APC working to remove Ayade in C/River

The opposition APC in Cross River State led by John Ochala has declared that it will be a miracle for Governor Ben Ayade to get a second term.

The Vice Chairman of the APC in Cross River Central, Cletus Obun, said their party will win in 2019 because Ayade did not perform.

Our correspondent reports that the APC is already dusting up many marketable persons, who they say have the clout to confront Ayade in 2019. One of them is a former Director of Crude Oil Sales at NNPC, Godwin Jeddy Agba who came up in 2015 but had to drop because of sudden illness. Much faith is invested in him in recent times and groups are already springing up championing his qualities and capability.
But Christian Ita, chief press secretary to Ayade said the governor has done a lot to deserve a second term.

In Kogi, several aspirants waiting for the bell to ring
No fewer than 28 persons were cleared by INEC to vie for the APC ticket in 2015 but it was late ex-Governor Abubakar Audu that finally got the ticket.

Sadly, Audu died midway into the election and Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who came second in the primaries, was fielded for the concluding part of the process and is currently in his first four-year-term in office.

However, the governor might likely join the race for a second term although he has not openly declared such ambition.

During the last membership registration exercise by the APC, the governor, in an apparent effort to boost his support base, ensured all his aides moved down to their various wards to encourage people to register.

Meanwhile, as the governor secretly nurses his second term ambition for 2019, there are odds he must contend with.

One would be the teeming civil servants who are disenchanted with him over the outcome of his administration-led staff screening exercise, which had thrown a number of them out of jobs while others were being owed salaries for months.

Another odd is the internal crisis rocking the state’s chapter of the APC which has made a good number of the party executives and other stalwarts of the party especially those from the Audu/Faleke group to be working at cross purposes.

One other odd, according to pundits, is the belief that the governor’s cabinet include young people with little or no political experience and grassroots connections needed to woo the electorates.

More so, the ongoing quests by the Igalas to have power back to their senatorial district come 2019 would no doubt remain an odd to contend with.

With all these, coupled with the ambition of those who contested with him in 2015, Bello would have to do a lot to retain his seat.

In Kano, it will be a fight between Gandujiyya and Kwankwasiyya

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is currently into his first term after serving as deputy governor to his predecessor, Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso for eight years.

All political indices in the state have shown that Ganduje is desperate about his second term bid come 2019.

Daily Trust on Sunday observed that it has become a norm to see admirers of the governor raising eight fingers, which simply means a nod for him to remain in power for eight years. This is in addition to regular radio jingles being aired by many private and public radio stations in the state under the sponsorship of the governor’s political associates.

However, the major challenge Ganduje might encounter in his effort is the current squabble between him and his predecessor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso.

The politicking between Ganduje and Kwankwaso is critical to the extent that each of them is looking for opportunitiers to cripple the other politically. Both have pressure groups within the APC.

While Kwankwasiyya is working for Kwankwaso, Gandujiyya on the other hand is battling for Ganduje.

Kwankwasiyya movement has already taken over the work of the opposition in the state, leaving the PDP surreptitiously yawning.

Old war still fierce in Rivers

Governor Wike has no doubt kicked started his second term campaign as he makes reference to 2019 election anytime he has the microphone. He is fond of referring to the APC or the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.

Agencies such as the police, EFCC and to a greater extent INEC are also subject of discussion over alleged plots to manipulate the outcome of the yet to be conducted 2019 election. He recently accused Amaechi of forming a cult group, which he said the minister will use to cause mayhem in the state during the 2019 elections.

In Plateau, bumpy ride ahead of Lalong

It will be a bumpy ride ahead for Governor Simon Lalong in his bid for in second term under the APC in Plateau State.

With issues here and there, the governor has gone far in his campaign if the recent story that he doled out new Toyota Camry cars to each of the eight members of the House of Representatives from the state, and Prado jeeps to all the three senators representing the state, including Jonah David Jang (PDP, Plateau North), whose candidate the incumbent governor defeated in 2015.

Ex- Governor Joshua Dariye (APC, Plateau Central) and ex FCT minister, Jeremiah Useni (PDP, Plateau South), all reportedly got the largesse, thereby giving credence to the rumour that though they belong to the PDP, the governor has struck a deal with the senators.

That did not go well with some party members; who felt they were the ones to be rewarded with the cars after the vital role they played in 2015.

The party members’ fears increased when Rep. Edward Pwajok, defected to the APC, with speculations that other members of the House of Representatives, including Johnbull T Shekarau (PDP, Mikang/Quaan-Pan/Shendam) and Beni Lar (PDP, Langtang North/South) would also defect to APC.

“If the party doesn’t handle the defections issues carefully, it might boomerang for the governor and the party in the 2019 elections because the oppositions are doing their homework also,” he said.

Bauchi’s two years brinkmanship might linger

Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar administration has witnessed one of the most fierce and turbulent periods since the return of democracy in 1999.

Governor Abubakar, elected on the platform of APC, currently faces opposition from members of the National Assembly from the state who are also members of the party.

The crisis has been lingering for a long time and has defied many attempts of reconciliation.

Members of the National Assembly, from Bauchi, led by the speakerý House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Senator Ali Wakili and others, have been at loggerheads with governor Abubakar over many issues.

Although the governor is gearing up for a second term after the expiration of his term in 2019, many people including, some politicians who contested the primaries with him, as well as aspirants from the opposition are said to be interested in contesting for governorship in 2019.

Members of the APC who were said to be interested in contesting include Dr Mohammed Ali Pate, who defected to the APC immediately after losing his bid in the PDP.

Halliru Jika, a member of House of Representatives from the state, has openly shown his interest to also contest for governorship in 2019.

In the PDP, former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, Senator Abdul Ningi and a host of others are also believed will feature in the race and whoever gets the ticket will contest against governor Abubakar.

Darius strategy and plans in Taraba

The recent tour of some local government areas by Governor Darius Ishaku was interpreted by many politicians in Taraba State, especially the opposition, as a campaign strategy for his second term ambition.

The appointment of over 260 advisers and senior advisers from across 16 local governments was also said to be a political strategy initiated by the governor and aimed at expanding his contact with politicians at local and ward levels.

The advisers are said to be the gateway for the governor to give him direct access to politicians that matter at the grassroots.

However, political associates of Governor Darius, such as Sama’ila Adamu Mu’azu, have dismissed the insinuation, arguing that the tour was an avenue for the governor to meet people at the grassroots and appreciate them for the support they have been giving to his administration.

Also, the Special Adviser on Media Matters to the governor, Mr Silvanus Giwa, said it is not time to start talking about 2019, adding that what preoccupies the mind of the governor is to meet the needs and aspiration of citizens of the state.


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/intrigues-in-states-ahead-of-2019/199499.html

— 28th May 2017
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

All eyes are on the Supreme Court, as Nigerians anxiously wait for its verdict on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership dispute.

The fate of the PDP lies precariously in whatever verdict the apex court will give in the crisis that has bedeviled the opposition party in the past one year.

The Supreme Court after hearing an appeal filed by the PDP National Caretaker Committee led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi challenging a judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, that declared Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the “authentic National Chairman “ of the party, last Monday reserved its judgment.

Prior to the commencement of Supreme Court case, the Sheriff group had tried albeit unsuccessfully to stall the appeal.

In a motion filed before the Court by his counsel, Akinlolu Olujinmi (SAN) the embattled PDP leader contended that the Caretaker Committee was not competent to institute any suit in the name of the PDP, as it is only (Sheriff) and his group is recognised to act on behalf of the party in line with the court judgment.

That motion was however thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Genesis of the crisis
Crisis broke out in the party exactly one year ago when its national convention in Port Harcourt sacked the National Working Committee ( NWC) led by Sheriff and replaced them with the caretaker committee.

Since that convention, which was held on May 21, 2016, neither Sheriff nor the party has known peace.

In February last year, some PDP governors had drafted Sheriff into the leadership of the party inspite of protestations by concerned party chiefs. The protesting party men and women were later pacified with assurances by the governors that the former Borno governor would only complete the tenure of former National Chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu, and then bow out. Muazu was forced to resign his position after the humiliating defeat the PDP suffered in the 2015 general election.

However, few weeks to the party’s convention, where Sheriff was supposed to handover to a new national chairman, the music changed.

The party’s Ad-hoc Committee on zoning, chaired by Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, zoned the national chairmanship position to the North East, where the former Borno governor hailed from.

Analysts say that decision was akin to zoning the position to Sheriff. Expectedly, Sheriff emerged the sole candidate for the chairmanship seat. The stage was therefore set for his coronation in Port Harcourt.

But unfortunately for him, the governors, who had along been his backbone , withdrew their support at the eleventh hour.

Sensing that the table had turned against him, the PDP leader refused to show up at the convention venue. Instead, he hurriedly called a press conference in a hotel in Port Harcourt and called off the convention, citing an order of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

When it became obvious that Sheriff was not going to show up at the convention venue, the then PDP deputy national chairman, Uche Secondous took charge of proceedings.
After the dissolution of the NWC led by the former Borno State governor , the National Convention set up a National Caretaker Committee.

One party, two leaderships
Since that botched May 21, 2016 National Convention, the PDP has been been polarised between Sheriff and the Caretaker Committee, with both operating from two different secretariats in Abuja.

While Sheriff is supported by a handful of party stalwarts, the caretaker is backed by the PDP Governors Forum and other critical interest groups in the party.

After some members of his former NWC failed to go along with him, Sheriff appointed Dr Cairo Ojougboh, a former zonal chairman of the party in the South-South as new deputy national chairman, while Bernard Mikko was appointed as acting national publicity secretary.

The leadership crisis has also polarised the party in the various states in the country. Attempts by the caretaker committee to hold another National Convention in Port Harcourt last August, where it planned to hand over to a new leadership was thwarted by a court order obtained by the Sheriff group.

The sack of the Sheriff-led NWC triggered a chain of litgations in several courts across the country. At a point, courts of coordinate jurisdiction were giving conflicting orders on the PDP, causing so much confusion in the process.

The many court cases culminated in the Appeal Court judgment, which declared the May 21, 2016 convention of the party null and void and affirmed Sheriff as the PDP. It is this judgment that the caretaker committee, supported by the party organs, is challenging at the Supreme Court.

Botched peace initiatives
Since the crisis broke out last year, there have been several efforts to resolve it but each one of them ended in futility.

The most recent was the political solution to end the crisis spear-headed by former president Goodluck Jonathan.

After the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, in its judgement on the legality of the May 21, 2016 PDP convention declared Sheriff the authentic national chairman of the party, the PDP Governors Forum at a meeting with Jonathan agreed to explore a political solution to end the crisis.

Efforts to concretise that initiative fell like a pack of cards. A stakeholders meeting convened by Jonathan in furtherance of the search for political solution ended in a stalemate after Sheriff walked out on Jonathan and other PDP leaders because he was not recognised to speak as national chairman.

Sheriff later told journalists that he was sticking with the recommendation of the party’s Reconciliation Committee headed by Governor Serieke Dickson of Bayelsa State.
The Dickson committee, set up prior to the botched May 21, 2016 convention, had in its report recommended that the party should hold a national unity convention not later than June 30, this year.

The committee also recommended a broad based national convention committee whose membership would consist of nominees of the PDP Governors Forum, the party caucus in both chambers of the National Assembly and other interest groups in the party.

While the embattled PDP chairman is clinging to the Dickson committee report, promising not to seek a reelection at the proposed convention, supporters of the caretaker committee have vowed not to have anything to do with him.
Consequently, the various organs of the party have refused to send their nominees for the proposed convention committee.

The Minority Leader, House of Representatives , Leo Ogor, said himself and other PDP leaders had vowed not to have anything to do with Sheriff as far as the PDP is concerned. He told Sunday Sun that this was because they did not trust him.

According to the lawmaker, the party leaders made a grave mistake by bringing Sheriff into the PDP in the first place.
“It is a major mistake that we made. A very regrettable one. Sometimes it is too late to cry when the head is off. We are already in it.

“By bringing the person of Sheriff into our system. I regret it. I regret it immensely. It is a very regrettable mistake. We wouldn’t have found ourselves in this predicament. It is sad,” he said.

However, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonnayinma, said the problem was not with Sheriff, but with a tiny cabal within the PDP who wanted to dictate the way things should be done in the opposition party.

The lawmaker pointedly accused the PDP governors of fighting the party chairman because of his resolve to return the party to the grass roots.

“What is happening is because of those cabals. Over the years they have taken the people for a ride, taking members of PDP for a ride. There is no Villa to go anymore. There is no Presidency. We are not in government. What they use to do, they gang up, they go to the Villa.

“All the chairman that had been removed in the past , the same process that was used to remove them was going to the Villa and ganging up to say this chairman must go. Once they decided, that was it. Only a minority decided the fate of the majority,” he state.

Notwithstanding the collapse of all the peace deals, Sheriff is insisting that he would go ahead with the convention as stipulated in the Dickson Committee’s recommendation.

But that plan has been stalled because of his inability to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, owing to opposition of majority of members of the party organ to his leadership.

According to Article 31(2)a of the PDP constitution (as amended in 2012), the power to convene a National Convention and set up a Convention Organising Committee is vested on the NEC.

The NEC, which is the second highest organ of the party after the national convention, consists of PDP governors, select members of the National Assembly caucus of the party in both chambers , the six national vice chairmen and state chairmen of the party among others.

Analysts argue that Sheriff’s inability to proceed with his planned convention because of opposition by party bigwigs is an indication that he merely holding the shells of the party, while the caretaker committee is with the soul.

A costly crisis
The leadership imbroglio in the PDP has taken a toll on the opposition party, as its fortunes have nose-dived in the past one year.

The party’s loss in the gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states last year and in other elections is attributeable to the crisis. Since the crisis started, the PDP had gone for elections with a divided house, fielding parallel candidates in most instances. This has resulted in losses in elections, where ordinarily the party would have won.

In the case of the Edo governorship election, while the caretaker committee fielded Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its candidate, the Sheriff group nominated Hon Mathew Iduoriyrkemwen as its flag bearer in the gubernatorial contest. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised Ize-Iyamu as the authentic candidate.

Similarly, during the Ondo gubernatorial poll, the two feuding groups also nominated two different candidates. The Sheriff camp nominated business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim as its candidate while Mr Eyitayo Jegede emerged as the candidate of the PDP faction loyal to Makarfi.

The legal dispute over who is the authentic candidate was eventually resolved in favour of Jegede by the court few days to the election. Unfortunately, the PDP candidate had little or no time to market himself effectively. Like his counterpart in Edo, Jegede lost the election.

There are fears that the same fate may befall the opposition party in the Anambra State gubernatorial poll scheduled for November this year, except party members are able to close ranks before the election.

The crisis has equally affected the cohesion of the party caucus in the National Assembly, particularly in the House of Representatives where the PDP members are torn between Sheriff and Makarfi.

In recent times, a defection gale has hit the party as members have been migrating to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). At the last count, about 10 members of the party in the National Assembly had defected to the APC, allegedly as a result of the division in the party.

Prominent among these defectors are Senators Andy Uba from Anambra State and John Enoh from Cross River State. This is apart from other top shots in the party who had defected in the past one year.

There are indications that more federal lawmakers elected on the PDP platform, as well as other party bigwigs nationwide are on their way out of the opposition party.

Anxious wait for Supreme Court verdict
Although the Supreme Court is the last bus stop in the legal tussle, analysts argue that its judgment may not necessarily end the crisis in the PDP.

Already, the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Ayo Fayose and other chieftains of the party has threatened to leave the party if the Supreme Court case ends in favour of the Sheriff.

There are other party stalwarts who shares the same sentiment with Fayose, who is also the governor of Ekiti State.

However, not a few think the apex court would do well to give its judgment quickly, more especially as preparation for the 2019 general election is gathering momentum.

Analysts believe that whatever verdict the Supreme Court comes up with will either pull the party back from the brink or sink it finally.

http://sunnewsonline.com/all-eyes-on-supreme-court-as-pdp-crisis-rages-one-year-after/

Nigerian Muslims are to commence their 2017 Ramadan Fast on Saturday (tomorrow), the Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs has said.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES at 7:30 PM, Friday, the Secretary General of NSCIA, Ishaq Oloyede, a professor, said the crescent moon has been sighted in several locations across the country, and that the fast would commence on Saturday.

He said a formal announcement would be made by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar 111, who he said had scheduled a press conference for 8:00PM Friday.

“We wish Muslims in Nigeria and all over the world a prayerful, meaningful and purposeful Ramadan,” Mr. Oloyede said.

The Sultan had on Thursday urged Muslims in the country to be on the lookout for the new moon for the month of Ramadan on May 26 (today).

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, had also on Thursday announced that the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan would begin on Saturday.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Prophet Mohammed according to Islamic belief.

This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

According to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths, Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon.

The beginning and end of Islamic months are determined by the sighting of the new moon.

Lebanon’s top Islamic authority, the mufti, said Ramadan would also begin in the country on Saturday.
A similar statement was made by officials in Iraq’s Muslim Sunni minority.

During Ramadan, Muslims have to abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset.

Devout Muslims also mark the month by intense worship, performing special nightly prayers and reading Islam’s holy book, the Qur'an.

Fasting is one of Islam’s five pillars, alongside declaration of monotheism, prayer five times a day, alms-giving, and the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/232265-breaking-nscia-announces-commencement-of-2017-ramadan-fast-in-nigeria.html

The administration of former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, discriminated in the sharing of ecological funds to states, a new report has shown.

An interim report submitted by the National Executive Council’s Ad-hoc committee on management of ecological fund revealed that 19 states, including Abuja, are yet to benefit from the one percent share of the Ecological Fund as stipulated by law.

NEC, an official economic platform for dialogue among the 36 state governors, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other co-opted members, is chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

The interim report, submitted by an 11-man Committee headed by Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State, gave details of how the entire Ecological Fund was utilized during Mr. Jonathan’s eta.

The Committee informed Council of the revised sharing formula of the Ecological Funds as modified, with the Federal Government getting one percent; States, 0.72 percent; and Local Government Areas, 0.60 percent.

The Committee disclosed that all States and Local Government Areas got their shares of the Fund, and that the only portion left is the Federal Government’s share of one percent.

The committee said of that FG’s one percent, (which now stands at N33.6 billion), NEMA and Great Green Wall project are statutorily entitled to 20 percent and 15 percent respectively.

Only 65 percent of the FG’s share is therefore available for sharing, it said.

The report, however, noted that there is need to establish a clear criteria for sharing that percentage of the FG share among states of the Federation.

According to the Committee, 19 states did not benefit from the fund during the Jonathan administration.

The report listed the 19 states to include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger and Ogun.

Others are Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Other states benefitted in 2013, the report said, describing the arrangement as “discriminatory”.

Meanwhile, the sum of 13 billion naira is now available for sharing to states, since N20 billion must be left in the account for unknown national emergencies, the committee stated.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/232214-osinbajo-governors-accuse-jonathan-of-discriminating-against-19-states-in-sharing-of-ecological-funds.html

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, has announced that the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan will begin on Saturday, state media said on Thursday.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Prophet Mohammed according to Islamic belief.

This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

According to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths, Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon.

The beginning and end of Islamic months are determined by the sighting of the new moon.

Lebanon’s top Islamic authority, the mufti, said Ramadan would also begin in the country on Saturday.

A similar statement was made by officials in Iraq’s Muslim Sunni minority.

The President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sultan Saad Abubakar, has asked Muslims in Nigeria to look out for the new moon from Friday, May 26.

During Ramadan, Muslims have to abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset.

Devout Muslims also mark the month by intense worship, performing special nightly prayers and reading Islam’s holy book, the Qur'an.

Fasting is one of Islam’s five pillars, alongside declaration of monotheism, prayer five times a day, alms-giving, and the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

(dpa/NAN)

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/232203-saudi-arabia-announces-date-for-commencement-of-2017-ramadan-fast.html

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The federal government wednesday handed over the letter of award appointing General Electric (GE) as the concessionaire for two narrow gauge rail lines in the country, after the company’s emergence as the preferred bidder for concessions.

The concession will see the U.S. multinational invest in excess of $2.2 billion in the two major narrow gauge rail lines that traverse several sections of the country.

The ceremony, which took place in the Ministry of Transportation, Abuja, marked the formal concession of the rail lines to GE for investment and operation.

The letter of award was handed over to the President/CEO of GE Transportation, Jamie Miller by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Sabiu Zakari, who represented the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

According to Miller, “Today we are pleased to accept the letter of award as the preferred bidder for the narrow gauge rails in Nigeria.

“GE, with its partners, is committed to working on this project. GE and its partners will work with the federal government to work through a concession process to bring Nigeria’s railway operations to life.”

She added that with the concession arrangement, GE would bring both project management and deep knowledge of the industry and knowhow on how to work projects such as this in a successful way. “We will partner with both the government and the ministry to do so,” she said.

She stated: “One trunk of the line from Lagos to Kano will pass through several states like Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Kaduna and Kano. Another trunk starts from Port Harcourt in River State through Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe and Maiduduri in Borno.

“In the first instance, perhaps before 2017 ends, GE will introduce 20 locomotives and about 200 coaches to move freight and passengers even as more investments follow.”

Responding, Zakari said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the outline business case for the concession of the narrow gauge rail lines.

“The president, transport section of GE which is the preferred bidder for the concession came and collected the letter of award.

“Based on that, we had a few discussions on the interim solutions to be taken before the take off of the final concession agreement.”

He hinted that the ministry would enter into an interim arrangement with GE that will see it provide Nigeria with locomotives and wagons as well as handle the renovation of the narrow gauge lines, which will facilitate usage.

According to Zakari, “GE will bring many coaches that will help in freight and passenger movement and this will ginger the economy. Our total agreement is for about 100 wagons in the interim and 20 locomotives.

“GE will make investments in terms of renovations and reactivation of wagons, coaches and the rail tracks, together with the signaling system and railway stations. This will make the narrow gauge comfortable for usage across the county and GE will recoup their investment over time.”

He added that the concession arrangement would not result in a hike in rail transport fares to a level that would affect poor Nigerians.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/05/25/fg-concessions-rail-lines-to-ge-multinational-to-invest-over-2-2bn/

At least 174,000 N-power volunteers in the Federal Government’s Social Intervention Programmes (SIPs) are being paid N30, 000 monthly stipends without delay, a presidency official has said.

Afolabi Imokhuede, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, made this known in a chat with State House correspondents in his office in Abuja.

“As we speak right now, about 86 per cent of them really have been paid.

“Now when I mean 86 per cent after physical verification, as at last count in end of April we had about 174,000 qualified, verified volunteers out of 200,000.

“We are currently right now doing a final reconciliation with all the states and FCT just to ensure, because we also found out that there were few cases of computation error, a few cases of omission at the point of digitizing the physical master list.

“The only ways we can know that; or some states get to know, is when these volunteers call the helpline or send e-mails complaining of non-payment.

“We then say to them you cannot be paid because our records show that you are absent from verification.’’

The presidential aide said the programme had been using focal persons, using N power coordinators in the states to act as the go-between the government and the volunteers to cross check their data.

He added that the complaints about non-payment arose because some volunteers could not reconcile their entries at the time of application with the information they presented during the validation exercise.

Mr. Imokhuede said most invalid verifications were caused by wrong Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) of the volunteers which could not be linked to the accounts they had submitted.

He also said some women, who applied with their maiden names but submitted their BVNs with their husband’s surnames also had issues with the verification.

He said a lot of them also applied in conformity with their certificates but a lot of such certificates were not in tandem with their BVN data.

“All of those categories of volunteers always come out invalid.

“What we did, which is important, is make payments through the technology platform recognising that NIBS, (Nigerian Interbank Settling System), is the custodian of all the BVN in Nigeria.

“We brought in NIBS as a key stakeholder.
“What we do on monthly basis is to send the records to NIBS which does the validation; and those who pass through the validation have no issues and get their payments,’’ he added.

He said the verifications were to protect the volunteers from fraud or being short changed by those who assisted them in entering into the programme through corrupt cyber cafes.

The SSA said there were some few “no shows’’ who did not accept the appointment adding that the plan was for the states to pick the volunteers on their waiting list to fill in the vacancies.

He said once the volunteers received their stipends regularly, the N-power paid the backlogs.

He said no fewer than 43,000 volunteers received they backlogs about two weeks ago while another 16,000 was approved for payment last week.

“What we intend to tell all our volunteers is to focus on getting your account updated and once done your backlog definitely would come through,’’ he advised.

Imokhuede said the programme had also set up emergency measures for about another 15,000 who still battled with their invalid BVN by using the N-power call centres to call them to print their BVN in order to see their name as captured.

He said the N-power intended to get the problem behind soon in order to begin the recruitment of new volunteers.

He said the programme had a bill of about N6 billion and was processing the sixth month already.

He said excluding those not captured; the programme had so far expended about N26 billion since inception.

He also stated that about 17 volunteers in Taraba, who were discovered and suspended from the programme for fraud and absconding from their places of posting, would soon face prosecution.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/231920-how-we-process-stipends-for-174000-n-power-volunteers-govt.html

HOW WE PROCESS STIPENDS FOR 174,000 N-POWER VOLUNTEERS - GOVERNMENT

At least 174,000 N-power volunteers in the Federal Government’s Social Intervention Programmes (SIPs) are being paid N30, 000 monthly stipends without delay, a presidency official has said.

Afolabi Imokhuede, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, made this known in a chat with State House correspondents in his office in Abuja.

“As we speak right now, about 86 per cent of them really have been paid.

“Now when I mean 86 per cent after physical verification, as at last count in end of April we had about 174,000 qualified, verified volunteers out of 200,000.

“We are currently right now doing a final reconciliation with all the states and FCT just to ensure, because we also found out that there were few cases of computation error, a few cases of omission at the point of digitizing the physical master list.

“The only ways we can know that; or some states get to know, is when these volunteers call the helpline or send e-mails complaining of non-payment.

“We then say to them you cannot be paid because our records show that you are absent from verification.’’

The presidential aide said the programme had been using focal persons, using N power coordinators in the states to act as the go-between the government and the volunteers to cross check their data.

He added that the complaints about non-payment arose because some volunteers could not reconcile their entries at the time of application with the information they presented during the validation exercise.

Mr. Imokhuede said most invalid verifications were caused by wrong Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) of the volunteers which could not be linked to the accounts they had submitted.

He also said some women, who applied with their maiden names but submitted their BVNs with their husband’s surnames also had issues with the verification.

He said a lot of them also applied in conformity with their certificates but a lot of such certificates were not in tandem with their BVN data.

“All of those categories of volunteers always come out invalid.

“What we did, which is important, is make payments through the technology platform recognising that NIBS, (Nigerian Interbank Settling System), is the custodian of all the BVN in Nigeria.

“We brought in NIBS as a key stakeholder.
“What we do on monthly basis is to send the records to NIBS which does the validation; and those who pass through the validation have no issues and get their payments,’’ he added.

He said the verifications were to protect the volunteers from fraud or being short changed by those who assisted them in entering into the programme through corrupt cyber cafes.

The SSA said there were some few “no shows’’ who did not accept the appointment adding that the plan was for the states to pick the volunteers on their waiting list to fill in the vacancies.

He said once the volunteers received their stipends regularly, the N-power paid the backlogs.

He said no fewer than 43,000 volunteers received they backlogs about two weeks ago while another 16,000 was approved for payment last week.

“What we intend to tell all our volunteers is to focus on getting your account updated and once done your backlog definitely would come through,’’ he advised.

Imokhuede said the programme had also set up emergency measures for about another 15,000 who still battled with their invalid BVN by using the N-power call centres to call them to print their BVN in order to see their name as captured.

He said the N-power intended to get the problem behind soon in order to begin the recruitment of new volunteers.

He said the programme had a bill of about N6 billion and was processing the sixth month already.

He said excluding those not captured; the programme had so far expended about N26 billion since inception.

He also stated that about 17 volunteers in Taraba, who were discovered and suspended from the programme for fraud and absconding from their places of posting, would soon face prosecution.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/231920-how-we-process-stipends-for-174000-n-power-volunteers-govt.html

Another container filled with arms has been discovered at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, the Nigeria Customs told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday.

A source at the port told PREMIUM TIMES the container was found at the Ports and Cargo Terminal of the Tin Can Island Ports.

“As I speak to you, they’ve ordered everyone to go out of the terminal and they have locked up everywhere,” the source said.

The spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs, Tin Can Island Command, Uche Ejesieme, confirmed the incident and said details would be made public later.

“We are still counting,” Mr. Ejesieme told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone.

Details later….

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/231927-breaking-another-container-load-of-arms-found-in-lagos-port.html

The supreme court has struck out an application by Ali Modu Sheriff, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asking the court not to hear the appeal of Ahmed Makarfi, national caretaker of the party.
Makarfi had a filed an appeal at the apex court to challenge the judgement of the Port Harcourt division of the appeal court which sacked his caretaker committee and affirmed Sheriff as chairman of the party.
The hearing of the matter was fixed for May 25.
But, Sheriff in the application asked the apex court to not to hear Makarfi’s appeal because he could not initiate legal proceedings in the name of party, having being sacked by the appeal court.
But at the court on Monday, Akin Olujimi, counsel to Sheriff, said Wole Olanipekun, counsel to Markafi, was abusing the court by using two processes to sustain his appeal.
He further asked the court not to allow the appeal, stating that Olanipekun did not apply for leave on some 20 out 24 grounds of arguments.
“This constitutes and abuse of court of processes. He is using two different processes to sustain his appeal,” Olujimi said.
On his part, Olanipekun urged the court to allow his appeal challenging the appeal court’s judgement.
“I urge your lordships to discountenace all that he has said, saying we did not seek leave for our grounds. He is the one abusing court processes,” he said.
“Our appeal was dated April 27 and the judgement of the court of appeal was dated February 17. According to the supreme court rule, we have three months. Why will we be asking for leave for time when we were within time. Application for leave to appeal is also an appeal.”
After listening to both sides, the five-man of justices led by Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), allowed the appeal.

“In this circumstance, we find merit in the appeal which is accordingly granted,” Onnoghen said

Follow us on twitter @thecableng


http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/22/supreme-court-dismisses-sheriff’s-application-cable

Samson Folarin

A lecturer at the Ogun State College of Health Technology , Ilese Ijebu , Dr Oluseyi Adu, and a Dental Nursing student, Mosunmola , are embroiled in a row over who is responsible for the pregnancy that the nursing student is carrying .

Mosunmola , who is nine months pregnant, alleged that Adu was responsible for the child in her womb , adding that they had sex in a hotel sometime in August , 2016.

She said the lecturer beat her up last month when she confronted him at the college for avoiding her , adding that the case was already at the Ilese Police Station .

However , while Adu admitted to having sex with the 28 - year - old , he insisted that he used contraceptive , saying the lady seduced him and he gave in to the temptation.

Mosunmola told our correspondent that she underwent a three - year course at the college , adding that several lecturers had asked her out before Adu, but she refused .

She said , “ Dr Adu is the Oral Health Coordinator for the college. During my three years study, he taught me two courses each semester. I have never failed his course.

“ When I got to second semester , 300 level , he awarded me 38 in one of his courses . I went to his office in August 2016 to know why I failed the course . I needed to pass all my courses to be able to go for my board exam .

“ He asked me if I thought I could just come to the school and go like that . He said if I dated him, he would waive the course . He said he didn ’ t approach me in 100 level because another lecturer was interested in dating me .

“ The lecturer he mentioned told me in 100 level that it was either I paid him money or used my body to pass his course . Because I didn ’t agree , I failed his course . I didn ’ t pass it until I got to 300 level .

“ I told Adu that I would date him , but I didn ’ t want to have any problem , and he assured me that there would be no regret.”

The victim said the lecturer took her to the office of the Head of Department and after some discussions, it was agreed that she could sit for the board exam.

After the board exam at POGIL College of Health Technology , Oke - Eri , Ijebu Ode , on August 21 , Adu, who was among those on the panel, was said to have given Mosunmola some of his practical instruments and a laptop for safekeeping .

However , Mosunmola said when the school bus arrived to take the students back to the school , she forgot to give the practical instruments back to the lecturer .

She said Adu later called and asked her to bring the instruments to a hotel where he lodged .

“ I was preparing to leave when he called me back that I would be sleeping over with him.

“ I met him with another lecturer in my department . I observed that the lecturer also had a female student with him . From the hotel , we went to different places before we finally lodged in another hotel along Ilese Road . While I was with Adu in a room, my other classmate passed the night with the second lecturer in another room.
“ We had three rounds of sex . He didn ’t release on time .

He used two condoms for the first two rounds . The third round was, however, flesh- to- flesh. That was when he ejaculated inside me , ” she explained .

She said the lecturer dropped her off at home and they continued their relationship , until she stopped seeing her menstruation a few weeks later .

The Ogun State indigene said she became worried after she started vomiting , adding that she took a pregnancy test , which was positive .

She said when Adu heard the news, he reluctantly accepted responsibility , but allegedly gave her a drug , Eprostol , to abort the pregnancy .

She said , “ I refused to take the drug because the prescription was not from a medical doctor . He came down to my place to persuade me to take the drug , but I still refused . He asked me what I wanted and I told him that I needed to change my accommodation because the pregnancy was a shameful thing for me . He told me not to worry , that he would handle it . After that , we had sex .

“ When he left that day , I could not find my phone again. By the time I got another phone and called him, he started acting funny . Sometime, he would just laugh at me . ”
PUNCH Metro learnt that several people had attempted to mediate in the situation without any success .

Mosunmola said attempts by Adu ’s HOD , dean , and provost to mediate were rebuffed by the lecturer .

The victim said she later approached the Human Rights Office of the Ogun State Ministry of Justice at Ijebu - Ode , where a lawyer , one Kolade , called the parties for a meeting .

Adu was reported to have agreed to pay N 5 , 000 feeding allowance per month , in addition to paying N 7 , 000 for ante - natal registration .

After paying the allowance for two months , Adu reportedly stopped .

The parties reportedly held another meeting in March at the human rights office to review the agreement .

Conflict was said to have broken out among the parties when Mosunmola presented a list of things required for her delivery , which she valued at N 50 , 000 .

Adu was said to have insisted on paying N 30 , 000 , which the 28 - year - old refused .

“ I didn ’t have any accommodation and I couldn’ t buy any of the drugs the doctors prescribed for me . I told him I would only manage the N 50 , 000 . He left in annoyance .

“ Since March , the lawyer didn ’t call us back and Adu refused to pay the N 5 , 000 he used to give me every month . I called the lawyer late March and asked him to help me get the N 30 , 000 , but the lawyer said I should not call him again, ” she said .

After reporting the lecturer to the Permanent Secretary , Ogun State Ministry of Health , where Adu also worked, without any result , Mosunmola said she became desperate and went to the college on April 13 when she knew Adu would be taking a class .

She said while pleading with him for money for her medical expenses , the lecturer assaulted her .
She said some people intervened and she reported a case of assault to the police at the Ilese division, Ijebu Ode .

“ I am now in my 38 weeks and anytime soon, I will have my child . I am an orphan and I don ’ t have any of my baby items ready . I am begging Nigerians to come to my rescue . I know I have made a mistake , but I need a second chance at life. I don ’t have anywhere to go . It is a church that is accommodating me now , ” she said .

When our correspondent reached out to Adu to appeal to him to raise the N 50 , 000 for the baby things , he said he had no money and would not borrow because Mosunmola had turned him to a “ cash cow .”

He said he had already informed his wife about the incident , adding that there was nothing that could surprise him again as he had lost his credibility over the incident .

Adu said , “ She was one of my students ; but on a personal level , I never knew her until after they released her final results and she failed some courses , including mine .

“ Her HOD asked her to come and ask me if I could waive the course for her . She called me on the phone and came to see me in the office . That was my first contact with this lady . When she made her request , I met her HOD who said I should assist her . He said even if I did , she might not sit for the board exam because of the other courses she failed . So , I passed her .

“ When they sat for the board exam, I was surprised to see her and I asked her HOD why she wrote the exam when she had other courses she failed . He said people begged for her .

“ After the board exam, she came to thank me for the assistance and she asked to carry my bag and the instruments I used to conduct the exam. By the time she was leaving , I collected my bag from her , but I forgot my instruments with her .

“ That day , I went to hang out with my friend at the pool of a hotel where we lodged . Suddenly, I remembered my instruments and I called her to keep them well . But she said she could come to where I was and she came . After dropping the instruments , she didn ’t leave as I expected and I decided not to bother her .

“ We were together at the hotel till evening . One thing led to the other . My brother , she slept in my room that night and we had ( sexual ) intercourse . This was a girl I never dated or had any relationship with . ”

He said by weekend , Mosunmola called him that she was pregnant, adding that she later said she was only joking about it and wanted to see his reaction .

Adu said the call made him to stop communicating with Mosunmola and he did not respond anytime she called , until she sent him a text message saying the pregnancy had become real .

He said , “ I decided to travel down to Ijebu to see her . She brought out the test result and said I was responsible . I told her I used a condom and she couldn’ t tell me that my condom burst . She said if I was afraid because I was married , I should not bother because the pregnancy actually belonged to her boyfriend and she merely wanted to see my reaction . I warned her and left .

“ The next time she called me , she said how would she take my pregnancy to her boyfriend, and that I should take responsibility for it . She said she would abort the pregnancy if I wanted her to, but I must rent a house for her in Ijebu Ode and then she described the kind of house she wanted .

“ When I heard that , I told her to do her worst, because it was obvious to me that she just wanted to blackmail me . She had been going round different places , telling people that I impregnated her . The question I ask is , did I rape her ? Did I hypnotise her ? You came to meet me where I was and we had fun , and now you are pregnant, and you are telling me I am responsible for a pregnancy I am denying ?”

He said before Mosunmola could reach his wife , he quickly reported himself to her and begged for her forgiveness.

The medical practitioner said he reluctantly agreed to pay the N 5 , 000 after much persuasion by the human rights lawyer , adding that he regretted the agreement because Mosunmola used it to make more demands on him .

“ When she brought the list for the baby things , I asked her , ‘ Why are you making me as if I am the father of your baby? Am I your husband?

“ She suddenly flared up and said I should even go away that she didn ’ t want anything from me again. She cursed me and after that encounter, I decided to stop giving her anything , ” he added .

He said Mosunmola came to attack him during the lecture . He said she was about stripping him naked when he forcefully detached himself from her .

Adu explained that the case of assault against him at the Ilese division had been thrown out after he told the police the student was the aggressor .

“ People impregnate people and nothing happens . Why is she treating me as if I had done something criminal ?
“ The worst that will happen now is for me to die. I am not a young man ; if I die , people will cry and I will be done .

“ But I also ask myself , what if the pregnancy is mine ? My prayer now is for her to deliver safely and we will determine the paternity of the child , ” he said .

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi , said he would get back to our corrrespondent after speaking with the Ilese DPO .
He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report .



http://punchng.com/lecturer-impregnated-me-rejects-pregnancy-says-nursing-student-•-it-wasnt-me-i-used-condom-lecturer/

A 13-year-old student of the Command Secondary School in Suleja, near Abuja, narrowly escaped death after being treated with the wrong medication by a nurse at the school clinic.

SaharaReporters learned that the incident occurred on April 30 when the student sought medical treatment for having a high body temperature.

After the drugs were administered to the student, he began to develop rashes all over his body. He also noticed that his lips were swollen and his eyes were red.

The situation worsened when the nurse abandoned him at the school’s clinic for three days without making an effort to ameliorate his condition.

The young student was then sent to Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja to recuperate from the near-fatal experience.

SaharaReporters gathered that school authorities called the student’s parents to inform them of the development, but by the time his parents arrived at the school, his condition had worsened to the point that he needed to be rushed to the hospital.

The parents were told that their son had been given Augmentin and Paracetamol tablets, but tests conducted at the hospital revealed his reaction was caused by sulfur, contradicting the claim that he was given Augmentin.

A team of medical experts from National Agency for Foods, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who visited the boy at the hospital, reportedly corroborated the hospital’s findings, saying the negative reaction could have been avoided if the school had acted expediently.

Meanwhile, the commandant and management of the Command Secondary School have remained indifferent to the plight of their ailing student, who is still lying ill at the pediatric department of the hospital at the time of filing this report on Thursday. The parents have accused the school authorities of dishonesty over the drugs administered at their ward.

“We have been left completely to ourselves,” one of them said.

When SaharaReporters visited the Suleja school, however, the commandant was said to be unavailable for comments. But the vice principal, who declined giving her name, said she was not competent to speak on the matter.

“I am a civil servant and only the commandant is best qualified to speak to the media,” she told our correspondent.

Further efforts at the office of the Regiment Sergeant Major (RSM) revealed that authorities at the school would not grant media interviews until the student’s parents could establish a case against the school.

The matron of the school, Lt. Colonel B.S. Omoge, however, admitted after being prodded by SaharaReporters that the boy had been administered Fansidar and Paracetamol, arguing that the commandant was notified of his condition, although she also said she had earlier ordered nurses at the school’s clinic to evacuate drugs like Fansidar, Augmentin, and Laridox.

The parents continue to seek redress over the authorities’ neglect of their ward for three days, as well as lying that that their son was administered with Augmentin and failing to contact them for his medical history before administering the drugs.

Findings by SaharaReporters from medical experts revealed that the teenager had suffered a medical condition called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), which is a rare but serious condition arising from a severe reaction to taking certain drugs. The reaction causes the skin to blister and peel off and also affects the mucus membrane while blisters form inside the body, making it difficult to eat and urinate.

WARNING: The following images contain graphic content.

http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/18/nigerian-military-school-nurse-administers-wrong-medicine-student

One By One...Dey Done Dey Move...

No Be Only Telecommunications Firms Dey Port Customers....

PDP members have also joined the porting game.


Issorite.

#PDP Kwantinue......!!

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 16, 2017 arraigned a former Niger State governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu and his Commissioner for Environment, Parks, Gardens and Forest Resources, Umar Mohammed Nasko, before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja on an eight-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N1.46 billion.

One of the counts reads: "That you, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu (whilst being the Executive Governor of Niger State) and Umar Mohammed Nasko (whilst being the Commissioner for Environment, Parks, Gardens and Forest Resources in Niger State) on or about 23rd July, 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did indirectly take control of the aggregate sum of N478,495,600 (Four Hundred and Seventy Eighty Million, Four Hundred and Ninety Five Thousand, Six Hundred Naira only) out of the sum of N487,495,600 (Four Hundred and Eighty Seven Million, Four Hundred and Ninety Five Thousand, Six Hundred Naira only) paid by the Niger State Ministry of Environment, Parks, Gardens and Forest Resources to MJ Eco Projects Limited for environmental/ecological consultancy project awarded to the company in respect of Zone B of Niger State which money you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an offense unlawful act to wit: corruption and thereby committed an offencs contrary to section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act."

They pleaded "not guilty" to all the charges.
In view of the plea, the prosecution counsel, Prince Ben Ikani, asked for a date for trial to commence, and urged the court to remand the defendants in prison custody.
Counsel to Aliyu, Olajide Ayodele, SAN, however, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

"There is a summons, which seeks for the application to be heard and if the court is ready the application will be heard as the prosecution has been served with it," Ayodele said.

However, Ikani told the court that he was yet to be served with the motion for Aliyu's bail but had received that of Nasko.

"We are interested in a speedy trial," Ikani said.
Earlier in the proceedings, Mamman Osman, SAN, brought before the court a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court. His argument was however, countered by Ikani, who quoting Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, noted that “the application is premature as the business of the day is for the arraignment”.

Justice Dimgba, thereafter, granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N200million with two sureties each, who must be a public servant or a professional not less than the rank of a Director.

"The sureties must own houses in Abuja Metropolis excluding the satellite towns. The defendants are also to deposit their international passports with the registrar of the court and must not travel except with the permission of the court," the trial judge ruled.

The Court Registrar and the EFCC are to verify and ensure that the bail conditions are met within 48 hours and if not they are to be remanded in Kuje Prison.
The matter has been adjourned to July 6 and 7, 2017 for commencement of trial.

It would be recalled that the EFCC had on April 25, 2017 arraigned the two defendants before the Niger State High Court on a six-count charge bordering on misappropriation of public funds, and "diversion of proceeds of the sale of 16 per cent shares of the sale of Niger State in the North South Power Company Limited".

Wilson Uwujaren
Head Media and Publicity
17 May 2017

http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/16/efcc-docks-ex-niger-gov-aliyu-n146bn-fraud

The National Assembly has yet to officially transmit a copy of the 2017 budget it passed last week to the executive and the Economic Management Team (EMT) presided over by Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, to facilitate appropriations of funds for its implementation.

This was as the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, hinted the EMT was already looking at the funding options available to government to enable it commence immediate implementation as soon as it receives a copy of the budget.

He said a smaller committee has been constituted in the EMT to look at the issue of funding. “The EMT discussed the funding of the budget so that we can hit the ground running, once we receive the budget formally and it is signed into law. That was what was discussed in relation to the budget, revenues, loans, among others.

“There are basically ongoing discussions. There is a smaller group in the EMT that is responsible for the funding and it is just an ongoing discussion,” he said.

Other members of the EMT are the Ministers of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, alongside the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Directors General of the Budget Office, Debt Management Office (DMO) and other relevant agencies.

The National Assembly last week Thursday passed the 2017 Budget of Change and Recovery, raising it from an initial N7.28 trillion submitted by President Muhammed Buhari to N7.44 trillion.

The sources for the funding for the 2017 budget will, according to the budget document, come from oil revenue, which is expected to rake in N1.985 trillion, while non-oil revenue will bring in about N1.73 trillion.

The Federal Government had also disclosed last year, that Nigeria will borrow more from foreign sources than locally to fund this year’s budget in a bid to benefit from lower interest rates and reduce pressure on its interest bill.

Apart from raising funds locally to finance the budget, the Federal Government also plans to borrow about N2.32 trillion overseas.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last December, while submitting the budget, stated that the budget would pull the country out of recession by spending 30.7 per cent on capital expenditure.


http://sunnewsonline.com/nassembly-yet-to-transmit-2017-budget-to-presidency/

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), yesterday accused the National Assembly of undermining the anti-corruption war.

He was reacting to Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara’s claims on anti-graft war.

Sagay said the lawmakers did not support efforts to rid the country of corruption.

He alleged they refused to pass key anti-graft bills and failed to confirm Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“In fact, the National Assembly has constituted itself into an opposition to the anti-corruption struggle. It has mounted a war against the anti-corruption struggle. It has decided to obstruct it at every stage.

“For example, the bill for a special criminal court is not moving. And we saw the way they tried to stop Magu from being chairman of EFCC just because they found out he was effective, determined and incorruptible.

“They really want to weaken it, destroy it and bring it to the level it was when (ex-president Goodluck) Jonathan was in power. So, they are enemies of the anti-corruption struggle, there is no question about that,” he stated.

Sagay denied that the government was determined to send people to prison at all cost.

He said the National Anti-Corruption Strategy included prevention, adding that the government was rather determined to recover stolen funds.

“He (Saraki) said we are determined to send people to prison. No. What we are determined to do at any cost is to recover every stolen kobo, all the loot taken from Nigeria, 100 per cent.

“We will not allow any loot to remain with anybody. We need it for development. That is what we are determined to do. And you will find instances in which we lose a criminal case, and still recover the assets from the persons involved,” Sagay said.

http://sunnewsonline.com/nass-undermines-anti-graft-war-sagay/

Eniola Akinkuotu , Leke Baiyewu and Olaleye Aluko

President of the Senate , Bukola Saraki , on Monday , took a swipe at the Federal Government ’s anti - graft agencies , saying they preferred showmanship .
He said this was the reason why the agencies had failed to ensure conviction of suspects in court .
The anti - graft agencies in the country include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission.

Saraki said this at the presentation of a book , ‘Antidotes for Corruption (sic ), The Nigerian Story ’, written by the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District , Senator Dino Melaye .

The Senate President, who wrote the foreword of the book , was among prominent Nigerians who attended its public presentation in Abuja .

Others in attendance were the Speaker , House of Representatives , Yakubu Dogara; Mrs. Patience Jonathan , wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan ; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Anyim Pius Anyim ; and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives , Ghali Na ’Abba .

Some others in attendance were the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bello Mohammed ; and Minister of Labour and Productivity , Dr . Chris Ngige .
The 600-page book has 14 chapters .

The book is a compilation of media reports , bills and motions relating to the anti -graft campaign and major corruption cases under the current administration .
The hardcover edition of Melaye ’s book was sold for N 50 , 000 each .

The President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote , presented the book with N 10 m. Saraki and Dogara bought a copy for each of the 109 members of the Senate and 360 members of the House of Representatives , respectively .
Saraki will pay N 5, 450 , 000 while Dogara will pay N 18m for the book .

Saraki , in his speech , alleged that the anti - graft agencies were under pressure “ to show that they are working. ”

He added that this made the agencies to do more showmanship than actually prosecuting corruption cases .

The Senate President said , “ Talking about antidotes , I am convinced that we must return to that very basic medical axiom that prevention is better than cure. Perhaps , the reason our fight against corruption has met with rather limited success is that we appear to have favoured punishment over deterrent.

“ Most often , it is difficult to establish guilt beyond all reasonable doubts as required by our laws . It requires months, if not years, of painstaking investigations . It requires highly experienced and technically sound investigation and forensic officers. It requires anti -corruption agents and agencies that are truly independent and manifestly insulated from political interference and manipulation.

“ We must admit that we are still far from meeting these standards. Most often , therefore , because our anti - corruption agencies are under pressure to justify their existence and show that they are working, they often tend to prefer the show over the substance . However, while the show might provide momentary excitement or even public applause, it does not substitute for painstaking investigation that can guarantee convictions.”

Saraki stated that each time Nigerians talked about corruption , they focused “almost exclusively ” on high -profile political corruption .

“ While these tend to be of high impact and high drama , I suspect that they are not even as debilitating as what is often referred to as systemic corruption , ” he noted .

He alleged that the form of corruption by middle- level and junior-level government officials , who demanded gratification to do their ordinarily routine duties , was “ as grievous as the high -level corruption that readily comes to mind .”

The Senate President stated that Nigeria must review its approach in order to build systems that would make it “a lot more difficult to carry out corrupt acts or to find a safe haven for corruption proceeds within our borders .”

He said in doing this , Nigerians must continue to strengthen accountability , significantly limit discretion in public spending and promote greater openness .
Saraki stated , “It is my view that the key area of prevention , we must work on , is to make it difficult for stolen money to find a home.

“ It must not be based on individuals but on institutions .

“ Let us fight corruption with sincerity . If we fight corruption in a corrupt way, we will not make any headway .”

Saraki added , “ We, in the National Assembly , last week , took the first major step in this direction towards greater openness . For the first time in our political history , the budget of the National Assembly changed from a one -line item to a 34 -page document that shows details of how we plan to utilise the public funds that we appropriate to ourselves . This is a very significant step forward and we are very proud of it .”
The Senate President , however , pointed out that the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari , had put corruption on the front burner of national discourse.

He said , “ I admit it is early days yet , but one area I believe we have made remarkable progress in the past two years of the Buhari - led administration is that corruption has been forced back to the top of our national political agenda. Every single day, you read the newspapers , you listen to the radio, you go on the Internet, you watch the television , people are talking about it .

“ The people are demanding more openness , more accountability and more convictions. Those of us in government are also responding , joining the conversation and accepting that the basis of our legitimacy as government is our manifest accountability to the people .

“ And , to borrow from the title of the book that we are launching today, that we are determined to find antidotes to this disease that has almost rendered our country prostrate.”

While criticising the Corruption Perception Index issued by Transparency International , Saraki urged the global body to adopt “ more robust parameters ” that would show the improvement made by countries in their anti -graft wars .

Saraki stated , “My last point is on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index . It is important to note that the CPI always generates controversy each year it is released . This is so because , most often governments and countries tend to believe that the year- on- year report does not fully reflect or account for the progress being made in the fight against corruption .

“ I believe the key challenge here is also because ‘perception ’ is largely subjective . And it is so easy for perception to degenerate into stereotype .

“ Therefore , while relying on perception , I think it is important for TI and other such organisations to improve on their methodology by developing more robust parameters that reflect the progress that some countries are making in respect of corruption. ”

In his remarks , Dogara said the current administration had been “ missing the point ” on the prosecution of high- profile corruption cases .

He added , “Corruption, for those who are farmers , is like a tree that grows vigorously . If you end up pruning the trees and not attacking the roots , there is no way you will deal with that thing .

“ So , when those who celebrate the successes of the fight against corruption in terms of the high- profile investigation , high- profile prosecution and even detention, they are missing the point because that is dealing with the symptoms of corruption . That is punishing corruption . But how are we developing remedies that we can apply to ensure that the tree dies ?”

“ Recently , in the labour community, we went for May Day and some of us were nearly held hostage. You can’t blame the workers . While they were agitating for their rights, agitating for minimum wage , some of us are talking about living wage .

“ You see , the workers control , perhaps , about 96 per cent of the budget . In the National Assembly , we have about 92 per cent. So , if you don’t make the environment conducive to those who administer this money not to want to be corrupt , you will end up jailing people . ”

Dogara also stated that institutions must be built and strengthened for Nigeria to effectively stem corruption as according to him , only strong institutions can fight corruption in the country.

Talking about the author , Dogara said he would not be surprised by the avalanche of criticisms that might follow Melaye and the book .

“ Dino himself is a combination of so many things : he is highly opinionated, often pugnacious . So , obviously, he will be a magnet for opinionated criticisms as well ; he will not escape that , ” he said .

Na ’Abba , in his opening remarks , said the book , which he described as timely , would help in changing how corruption was perceived in Nigeria and the dangers it posed to the country.

Melaye , EFCC differ on invitation Melaye , however , failed to invite the EFCC to the book presentation .
While the Chairman of the ICPC , Mr . Ekpo Nta , was in attendance , the EFCC was not represented at the event.

Sources in the EFCC told one of our correspondents that they did not receive any letter of invitation from Melaye .

An operative of the anti - graft agency said , “We did not shun Dino Melaye ’ s book launch . The truth is that we were not invited at all . Even on Monday morning , we checked all correspondences but we did not find Melaye ’s invitation . We would have gone if we were invited .”

When asked why he did not invite the EFCC to the book presentation , Melaye , in an SMS to one of our correspondents , said he invited the commission .
“ I did and I have the acknowledgement , ” he stated .
Sagay , CACOL , SERAP scold Senate President, say he’ s part of FG

Meanwhile , the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof . Itse Sagay (SAN ); and two civil society organisations – the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders and the Social - Economic Accountability Rights Project – have knocked Saraki for criticising the government ’s anti - corruption fight , describing it as “inappropriate ” .
The groups pointed out that Saraki was also part of the Federal Government that he criticised .

The Chairman of CACOL , Debo Adeniran, on Monday , noted that Saraki was involved in several allegations of corruption , adding that it was not surprising that he had chosen to attack the anti -corruption agencies .

He said , “You have three arms of government and Saraki is the head of one of them . All the laws under which the Federal Government operates , emanate from the National Assembly . If any department of the government is failing , the Senate has oversight functions . If Saraki accuses the government of being sensational , he is part of the sensationalism.

“ Also , because Saraki is psychologically involved in all the accusations , especially levelled by the EFCC , and the Code of Conduct Tribunal , you will expect that he will discredit the agencies bringing him to the fore. Also , because the executive has not risen to cover up the Senate members undergoing investigations , the Senate President will not be in good terms with the executive .

“ The Senate President should be ashamed to say that a government , where he is number three , is sensational .”

Also , the Executive Director , SERAP , Adetokunbo Mumuni , said , “The Senate President is entitled to his opinions , but he should concentrate on matters of legislation that will help the anti - corruption agencies to do better ; not to deride them.

“ What Saraki is saying is that the legislative arm of government is not on the same page with the executive as far as war against corruption is concerned . But Nigerians can judge ; they know that the war against corruption has been different from what it used to be. ”

Anti - graft war, struggle against satanic forces – Sagay

Sagay faulted Saraki over his claims that the anti - graft agencies were involved in more of showmanship than investigation .

Sagay said his committee had effectively advised the anti - graft agencies on how to gather evidence that would be acceptable in court .

He said the main problem was that high- profile individuals had amassed “satanic sums of money ” which could pervert the course of justice .

Sagay added , “My reaction to that is that in every endeavour being mounted against very powerful people , who have accumulated enough money , even more than the states , it is always going to be very tough . So , we will lose some (cases ) , learn from that and then improve .

“ So , it is not showmanship . It is a tough struggle against the dark satanic forces that have run down the country’s economy and they are very powerful; so , it is a very tough struggle and we will carry on and we will get better and better with time. ”

The PACAC chairman said following the advice of his committee , anti -graft agencies had begun to change their strategies which would yield positive results soon .

Sagay added , “We are teaching them not to have a sole investigator but a team who will work with the prosecutors so that the prosecutors can advise the investigator exactly what to look out for in terms of the ingredients constituting the offence ; so , he doesn’t just go on a wild goose chase and bring irrelevant evidence .

The spokesman for the EFCC , Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the Senate President was entitled to his opinion .
“ He is entitled to his opinion ; so , there is nothing to respond to, ” Uwujaren said .


http://punchng.com/sagay-serap-cacol-berate-saraki-for-attacking-efcc-icpc/

ABUJA —A top aide of President Muhammadu Buhari is in trouble over the role he allegedly played prior to the departure of the president to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, last week.

There were indications, last night, that the aide, who has already courted many controversies for the Presidency, might be probed for the latest action and other scandals he had been enmeshed in since being put in the key post in the Presidency.

A top government source told Vanguard, last night, that the latest offence that got Buhari very upset, was the attempt by the said aide to breach the clear provisions of the Constitution regarding the transfer of power to the Vice President ahead of Buhari’s departure, last week, for his medical follow-up in the United Kingdom.

The source explained that although the President had upon his last visit to the U.K. personally told Nigerians that he would after his 49-day stay in London soon return there for a follow-up, the said official deliberately refused to share the information with other key aides of the president like the NSA, media aides and even the Office of the Vice President.

It was learned that it was not until the day of departure of Buhari that he himself kept asking about the whereabouts of his Vice that his aides who were around, hurriedly put a call to Osinbajo to urgently meet with the number one citizen.

It was gathered that Buhari also personally put a call to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazia Yari Abubakar, to meet him at the Villa before his departure.

“The president actually insisted on calling the top government officials to come over to his residence that night to meet with him before his departure to ensure that there was clear understanding that he was travelling and wanted every relevant official of the administration to know about his trip and to demonstrate his full compliance with the laws of Nigeria.

“Mr. President did not want to be dictated to by the said official, who had earlier suggested to him that the transfer of power to the Vice President should be limited, while he should be empowered by the President to act as a liaison between the Presidency and the National Assembly, during Buhari’s absence.

The source said last night, “In fact, the man in question had actually drafted a letter meant for the president’s signature two days to Buhari’s departure stating that “the powers of the Acting President be limited” while he ( the aide in question) be authorized to coordinate things in a “broad sense until Buhari returns”.

“In the letter drafted by the controversial official for Buhari to sign, the officer also suggested that Osinbajo be restrained from taking any action on the Economy, Foreign Currency operations and the Central Bank of Nigeria among other strategic agencies of the government pending the return of Buhari.”

“Mr. President however shocked the aide largely believed to have won his heart by promptly rejecting the suggestions by taking the unprecedented bold step to personally meet with his Vice and the NASS leaders and brief them on the transfer of power to his Vice before leaving Nigeria for the U.K.

“It was at the meeting that Buhari pointedly asked Osinbajo to take full control of the administration and to have a free hand to run the system untill his return to Nigeria, something that rattled the powerful aide, who is said to be rooting for the creation of a cabal in the Presidency for his pecuniary interest,” the source said.

Top Government sources hinted last night that the President himself might have started losing confidence in the said aide when he constituted the panel which probed the suspended Secretary to give Government of the Federation, SGF,and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, without involving the beleaguered aide.

“On that particular occasion, unlike before, Buhari personally drafted the statement in conjunction with his media aides announcing the suspension of the two men and the composition of a panel to probe them without the knowledge of the aide in question.

“It was after announcement by the President that most other aides got to know about the suspension of Ayo Oke and David Babachir. This explains why even the embattled SGF himself ironically “which Presidency?” when confronted by State House reporters after the news was broken.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/buharis-top-aide-trouble-attempt-usurp-osinbajos-powers/

eyeview:
These governors are very wicked. Imagine what usd3m can do for a poor undeveloped state like zamfara.
I wonder why the restive youths of the north has not gone on rampage against their present and past leaders. Their people have been in power for majority of time yet it has not translated into a better life for thst region. That region is still ravaged by poverty, illiteracy, sickness and diseases.
Imagine what this money could have achieved if invested in their education, hospitals, infrastructure, etc.

The south hasn't feared any better in modern day Nigeria. besides, all these social ills u mention are currently ravaging all parts of Nigeria not only northern Nigeria.

Generally, the money is meant for the 36 States and not only northern states hence, u should champion a course whereby that stolen money can be returned back to government coffers so that it will benefit we all Nigerians and not only north because north is only a fraction of Nigeria

Economic and financial Crimes Commission officials in Lagos said they have found a hotel being constructed by Governor Yari of Zamfara state with $3m he stole from London-Paris Club loan refund to Nigerian states.

The governor who is the chairman of the Governor’s Forum illegally diverted N19billion reportedly meant for "consultants" from the Paris club loan refund which had been illegally paid into the account of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) by Nigeria’s Minister of France, Kemi Adeosun and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
SaharaReporters learnt that the hotel is a 100-room property situated in Lekki area of Lagos.

EFCC officials said they have already marked down the hotel as proceeds of corruption and plan to take it over after obtaining a court order.

Apart from the $3million, Governor Yari also diverted N500 million from the Paris Club refund to pay off a loan, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) source revealed to SaharaReporters.

According to the source, Mr. Yari withdrew N500m from the N19 billion Paris Club refund from the account of Nigeria Governors Forum from the N522b allocated to the 36 states and deposited the sum into a mortgage bank account.

Mr. Yari then transferred the sum to the mortgage bank from which he had borrowed N800m to purchase to properties in 2013. According to the source, the governor was able to renegotiate his debt from N800m to N500m.

Overall the governor is said to have embezzled the sum of N2.2 billion from the N19billion set aside illegally to pay "consultants."

SaharaReporters had earlier revealed that Senate President Bukola Saraki and his cronies are also being investigated by the EFCC for his role in the embezzlement of N3.5b from the Paris Club loan through the slush fund placed at the Access Bank by the Nigeria Governors Forum, who claimed it was meant for consultants.


http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/14/governor-abdul’aziz-abubakar-yari-zamfara-builds-3m-hotel-lagos-funds-stolen-paris-club