OnyeOGA: The Indigenous People Biafra (IPOB) has announced plan to launch Operation Cow Dance 2 ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the United States on April 30. A statement by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said the group’s advocacy trip, Operation Cow Dance, in the United Kingdom, last week, was testimony to its strength. he said. https://orientaltimes.co/2018/04/24/ipob-launch-operation-cow-dance-ii-ahead-buharis-visit-us/
13Ebisco: The Nigerian Police has insisted that they would dock Senator Dino Melaye ‘without any delay’, after re-arresting him from an Abuja hospital today.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Police confirmed an earlier report that Melaye, escaped from lawful custody when ‘miscreants and hoodlums’ blocked a police vehicle conveying him to Lokoja to face trial.
According to Police Spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, the “hoodlums and miscreants” in two Toyota Hilux vehicles blocked the Police vehicle conveying Senator Dino Melaye around Area 1 Round About, Abuja.
“In the process the Senator jumped out of the Police vehicle through the window and was rescued from the Police men by hoodlums and miscreants to an unknown destination”.
The statement reads in full: “At about 12:00Hrs of today Sen. Dino Melaye while in lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force and being taken for arraignment in Federal High Court, Lokoja from Abuja, escaped from lawful custody when hoodlums and miscreants in Two Toyota Hilux Vehicles blocked the Police vehicle conveying Senator Dino Melaye around Area 1 Round About, Abuja and in the process the Senator jumped out of the Police vehicle through the window and was rescued from the Police men by hoodlums and miscreants to an unknown destination.
“The Police team reinforced and trailed Senator Dino Melaye to Zankli Hospital, Abuja where he was re-arrested.
“The Senator would be arraigned in court without further delay.
“Meanwhile, one of the Toyota Hilux vehicles used by the hoodlums and miscreants in aiding the escape of the Senator has been recovered by the Police investigation team.
“The Inspector General of Police has therefore directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the rescue and escape of Senator Dino Melaye from lawful custody.”
13Ebisco: The Nigerian Police has insisted that they would dock Senator Dino Melaye ‘without any delay’, after re-arresting him from an Abuja hospital today.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Police confirmed an earlier report that Melaye, escaped from lawful custody when ‘miscreants and hoodlums’ blocked a police vehicle conveying him to Lokoja to face trial.
According to Police Spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, the “hoodlums and miscreants” in two Toyota Hilux vehicles blocked the Police vehicle conveying Senator Dino Melaye around Area 1 Round About, Abuja.
“In the process the Senator jumped out of the Police vehicle through the window and was rescued from the Police men by hoodlums and miscreants to an unknown destination”.
The statement reads in full: “At about 12:00Hrs of today Sen. Dino Melaye while in lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force and being taken for arraignment in Federal High Court, Lokoja from Abuja, escaped from lawful custody when hoodlums and miscreants in Two Toyota Hilux Vehicles blocked the Police vehicle conveying Senator Dino Melaye around Area 1 Round About, Abuja and in the process the Senator jumped out of the Police vehicle through the window and was rescued from the Police men by hoodlums and miscreants to an unknown destination.
“The Police team reinforced and trailed Senator Dino Melaye to Zankli Hospital, Abuja where he was re-arrested.
“The Senator would be arraigned in court without further delay.
“Meanwhile, one of the Toyota Hilux vehicles used by the hoodlums and miscreants in aiding the escape of the Senator has been recovered by the Police investigation team.
“The Inspector General of Police has therefore directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the rescue and escape of Senator Dino Melaye from lawful custody.”
rodeo0070: A strong indication of both the quality and failure of politics in Nigeria, as the people look forward to the next general elections in 2019, is the manner in which virtually “every” Nigerian believes that he or she is good enough to be President of Nigeria. This may speak to a deepening of political consciousness, but it is also a reflection of the people’s anxiety and frustration about how the office and position of the President of Nigeria seem to have been mishandled and demystified. The process of that demystification has taken different shapes and tones since the return to civilian rule in 1999, but now everything seems to have gone so bad, far beyond expectation. My mechanic couldn’t have phrased this national dilemma better. He came to see me the other day, full of excitement.
“Oga, it’s you I have come to sete oh.” Typical Nigerian manner of speaking: you are right in front of me, and yet you still consider it necessary to announce your presence. Anyhow, I nodded affirmatively, already working out a response to a likely solicitation for money. It is school resumption time, and it is usual for people to go soliciting for help to pay children’s school fees in a country where basic education is so unaffordable. “Oga, I have come to inform you that I am thinking of running for President.” I thought the guy was talking about the Presidency of the Mechanics Village Association. So, I brightened up. No, he meant President of Nigeria. I removed my eyeglasses and dropped my pen.
“President of Nigeria? How? Look, have you been drinking?”
“Oga, you know I am a Christian. I don’t drink. I am serious oh. I have been thinking about it for a while. I can do a better job. The way these people are running Nigeria, some of us have good ideas about what can be done. If we leave this Nigeria to these politicians, they will finish all of us. Anybody that likes this country should get involved.”
I paid attention to him.
“Oga, look at me, I can do it. We can do it. I have worked it out. By the grace of God, I will be the next President of Nigeria.”
I had known this mechanic for a while, but I never suspected he had very tall ambitions. I had not yet given him my honest opinion; he had already conscripted me. “We can do it”. We? Every Nigerian politician is an optimist, and the most optimistic are often the ones who don’t even stand a chance at the polls.
I pretended to be interested all the same; so he continued with his campaign.
“Oga, you know me. Am I a lazy man? No. I am not.” When people insist on answering their own questions the best you can do in the circumstance is to listen.
“What this country needs now is a mechanic, somebody who can take a look at a vehicle that is having problems, and fix it. We, mechanics, do that every day. When they bring a car to you, first you diagnose. What is wrong with the car? Why is it not functioning well, and then you go straight to the problem and fix it. Why can’t people fix Nigeria? If we mechanics were to behave like politicians, this whole country will be littered with broken down vehicles. In the hands of these politicians, Nigeria is broken. E be like say Nigeria don knock engine sef. I am the man who will fix that engine.”
“But nobody will give you any chance. Everybody will laugh and think you are joking.”
“I am not joking, Oga. What does it take to be President? I have done my homework. The only thing they are asking for is a WAEC certificate. I have my certificate ready and I can produce it to prove that I completed secondary school.”
“How many credits?”, I asked, trying to humor him.
“INEC does not ask for five credits. Even F9 parallel sef can be President of Nigeria. No be Nigeria?”
“But you don’t have the resources. You’d need a lot of money.”
“Oga, it is not about money. And if it is money, God will provide. Our Pastor in our church has been praying for me and God is speaking to us. When I become President, I will declare free education, free health and there will no lazy youth in Nigeria again!”
“Why don’t you start at a lower level. may be local government chairman, gain some experience.”
“Ha. Oga, Experience has shown that in Nigerian politics you don’t need experience. Who has experience helped? All those former Governors in the National Assembly, what kind of experience do they have? In fact, let me just say a lot of them go there to sleep and collect free money, travel free. I have seen their pictures. They go there to sleep. When some thugs stormed the place to steal the Mace, not one of them could stand up and protect the Mace. Lazy Senators. Only a woman, a sergeant at arms was courageous enough to challenge the Mace thieves. When I am President, nobody will dare steal the Mace. It won’t happen.”
I felt like telling him that there has been too much drama about the significance of the Mace in our legislatures. It is at best a ceremonial symbol. For a session of the legislature to be valid under the 1999 Constitution what is required is a quorum as defined under Section 54, but of course the kind of criminal conduct that was put up at the Senate, last week, is condemnable and should be investigated and all authors of that act of impunity must be sanctioned accordingly. I didn’t say anything to him along these lines, rather I was more impressed by his passion, his determination to save Nigeria and arrest the drift. I was also struck by the fact that he is not the only Nigerian with such passion. There have been many of his kind, now active on social media, promoting a vision of Nigeria and insisting that they would be better materials for 2019.
The number of these aspiring Presidents keeps increasing every day and while I consider some of their posters a bit curious and the candidates a bit unusual, taken together, the shared anxiety about the Presidency and who is best fit to lead Nigeria beyond 2019 says a lot about public expectations. There are online, videotapes of a certain Aunty Monica, for example. She is based in Europe and she wants to come home to be President, to bring investment and tourism to the country, and she says she has “ideas in her head.” I have also seen such banners as “Vote Iya Bayo for president, Aunti Ramota for Vice President”, and “PFANN: A new refreshing wind blowing over the nation. Get ready. Elishama 2019.”
The names of a popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, and that of the legendary footballer, Kanu Nwankwo have also been mentioned as potential Presidents of Nigeria. Neither Pasuma nor Kanu has confirmed their interest in the job. But the social media is the forum where many ideas are hatched, and many of such ideas also die on social media, but what is said about public reality should not be ignored. Nigerians want what is now referred to as the #realchange. They are disappointed. They are angry. There is also a growing resentment to the repeated claim by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Buhari’s handlers that there is no alternative to Buhari. In a most recent article, Garba Shehu, a Presidential spokesperson asks what he considers “an important question” - “who do you have that is better?. Then he answers it himself; “…certainly there is no face (other than Buhari) that can be called the President of Nigeria.” Garba Shehu even scoffs at the Coalition Movement that started a protest against the two leading political parties in Nigeria - APC, and PDP and asked for a one-term Buhari Presidency. He says “a so-called Third Force has failed to gain political traction since its birth.”
My mechanic, Aunty Monica, Iya Bayo, Aunti Ramota, and Elishama – these are ordinary Nigerians- certainly disagree that only one man’s face is good for the Nigerian Presidency. They, in fact, believe that they will do a much better job. But perhaps the more significant development is the emergence of new faces on the political scene who is also keenly interested in rescuing Nigeria and whose declared starting point is the Presidency. I once described them as products of the Trudeau-Macron effect. Justin Trudeau, 46, became Prime Minister of Canada in 2015. Emmanuel Macron, 39 assumed office as President of France in 2017. There is also the current Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz - he is the youngest President in the world. He is 31. An emerging group of Nigerian political leaders falls into this category: they are challenging current political orthodoxies; they are educated, they are internationally exposed, they can think out of the box and above all, they are united in their resolve that President Muhammadu Buhari is replaceable in 2019. They equally pose a challenge to the traditional political elite, which so far is yet to make up its mind about presidential candidates or alternative platforms for the 2019 Presidential and general elections. The usual tendency is to dismiss them as “noisemakers and attention seekers”, but they probably constitute the real “Third Force” that will produce the traction that the Presidency is yet to see.
One newspaper has identified up to about 24 of these emerging “game changers”. There is Bukunyi Olateru-Olagbegi, 27 who has registered a political party – the Modern Democratic Party (MDP). He is not running for President but the MDP could become a useful platform for youth mobilization and conscientization.
There is also Omoyele Sowore, 47, former students’ union leader, civil rights activist and founder of Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper. For the past month or so, Sowore has been on the campaign trail, addressing students and civil society groups. He has also appeared on radio and television. His main message is that Nigerian youth should “take back Nigeria” from those who have destroyed it. He has in particular been very critical of the Buhari government. “I can run Nigeria better than Buhari in my sleep”, he says. When a serving Minister, Adebayo Shittu told Sowore to go and start as a councilor, during a radio programme, Sowore held his ground. Kingsley Moghalu, 55, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), an author and a scholar, has also declared his interest in the Nigerian Presidency. He is offering Nigeria, “bold and decisive leadership …something different … by a capable, experienced technocrat.” Like Sowore, Moghalu means business.
You also have Fela Durotoye, 47, a Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN). Durotoye wants to rebuild Nigeria through visionary and inspirational leadership. Alistair Soyode is the founder of BEN TV in the United Kingdom. For years, he has been reporting Nigerian stories to the world and to Africans in the diaspora. Like Sowore, he has also decided to become directly involved in Nigerian politics. Other emerging aspirants include Professor Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, 55 who says “power must go to women and the youth”; Sam Nwanti, an international detective, and a member of the Labour party, who wants to “fight crime and corruption”. Others include US-based Omololu Omotosho, Lewis Omike, a filmmaker and photographer, Dr. Thomas-Wilson Ikubese, 47, of the National Conscience Party, and 35-year old Adamu Garba II.
The temptation is to dismiss this category of aspirants as Minister Shittu has done, in part because they do not preach the message of religion, ethnicity, and money, and they do not seem to have any Godfathers who can offer them existing structures in exchange for conditions of service.
Many of them may even throw in the towel before the actual race begins. The old brigade of Nigerian politics is not in a hurry to retire, change tactics or yield space. People don’t become Presidents in Nigeria by merely pasting posters and social media messages or through sheer idealism. IN 2011, Dele Momodu, 51 at the time, tried to run for President. He has many stories to tell. The Trudeau-Macron effect in our politics may still take a few more years. But it would be wrong to ignore what the new faces represent: a more deep-seated yearning for change among the youth and the middle class, and at least two of them: Sowore and Durotoye are already exercising much influence among the Nigerian youth, not just on social media but also across the educational institutions and the streets.
PrettyCrystal: Armed bandits stormed Ugya village, a community in Toto local government area of Nasarawa State - and wrecked havoc in the area. Over 20 people were reportedly killed and many other others injured in a communal clash that erupted on Tuesday between the Ebira and Bassa ethnic groups.
It was alleged that the bandits came in with over 30 motorcycles with 3 persons each to the area as they attacked the community.
The hoodlums reportedly surrendered to military men who were on operation free Ugya from terrorism - after a fire fight.
Some of these motorcycles have been seized by the joint military forces operating in the area.
The community is now under the control of the Nigeria military, according to reports..
PrettyCrystal: Armed bandits stormed Ugya village, a community in Toto local government area of Nasarawa State - and wrecked havoc in the area. Over 20 people were reportedly killed and many other others injured in a communal clash that erupted on Tuesday between the Ebira and Bassa ethnic groups.
It was alleged that the bandits came in with over 30 motorcycles with 3 persons each to the area as they attacked the community.
The hoodlums reportedly surrendered to military men who were on operation free Ugya from terrorism - after a fire fight.
Some of these motorcycles have been seized by the joint military forces operating in the area.
The community is now under the control of the Nigeria military, according to reports..
ChangeIsCostant: This is St. Ignatius Catholic mission church where suspected Fulani herdsmen launched an attack and killed two priests along with other worshipers yesterday in Gwer-East LGA of Benue state.
Some names of the victims who were gruesomely killed during an early morning mass in the Catholic Church,have been released. See below;
ChangeIsCostant: A man has revealed what happened during his recent trip from Abuja. According to the personal productivity coach and MC, Oyeniyi Shogo, he bought a ticket for economy class at the Abuja airport but had his fortune changed after an airline official recognized him from Instagram.
He was moved from the economy class to business class and was also treated as a VIP.
Read his story below;
THE STORY BEHIND THE BUSINESS CLASS.
Kindly spare me few minutes and permit me to gist you about my Abuja experience. I spent 3 days in Abuja and it was busy for me back to back coupled with the fact that I hosted 3 days personal mastery coaching for women drawn across the federation along side my physical gigs in Abuja..
Headed to Nnamdi Azikwe airport to purchase my flight ticket , I jejely bought my economy as usual . As I was boarding the aircraft one of the officials smiled at me and said I KNOW YOU FROM INSTAGRAM! I smiled warmly ,greeted her and moved on to my seat , it was an almost full aircraft but it was announced that it's free seating.
Few minutes later ,an air hostess catwalked and beckoned on me , out of the multitudes to move to business class ,I was shocked but who no like better thing , I took my luggage and walked into the business class where the chairs were spacier , more comfortable and looked like reserved chair for the head of the family (if you grew up in the 70's Fast forward (airborne already), I was the only one in the Business class , what I heard next was 'what do you want to eat' the yoruba man in me was screaming Pounded Yam and Efo riro ,I had to bind it in Jesus name and suppress the voice.
I asked for options and I opted for what suited me well. Apparently, the head official is my silent follower on IG and had requested I be moved to the business class out of all the other passenger On landing,I was the first to alight of the aircraft , I momentarily felt like the President of Nation, it took me extra Grace not to lift up my two hands to wave to imaginary crowd that weren't there..
To my surprise, I was hearing he's a VIP ,VIP, lo and behold ,an hilux vehicle picked me from the foot of the aircraft to the arrival wing . It is was really a memorable trip .
Lessons
1. Whatever it is you are doing be committed to it
2. You don't know who is watching you
3. Learn to smile and always have a good attitude .
4. Who you know matters ,who knows you also counts
5. Until you're valuable ,you may not attract attention
1Ebisco: The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig,-Gen. Zakari Kazaure, has said that only corps members with genuine cases would be relocated to their home states.
Kazaure stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Tuesday.
He also reminded corps members that there were criteria and due process to follow for redeployment.
Kazaure noted that nursing mothers, pregnant women and people with serious ailment among others were among those categories.
The Director-General said that it would be inhuman not to consider a person with genuine problem, especially ailment for relocation.
owukpa: Simon Godwin Idoko, a 26-year-old young man, who graduated a with First Class degree from the Department of Applied Chemistry, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto has revealed how he conquered his setbacks to become one of the best students in his department.
Idoko, a native of Udaburu Owukpa, Ogbadibo LGA of Benue State, said his dream of becoming a medical doctor or pharmacist was frustrated after sitting for UTME for five times without success.
Still not discouraged, Godwin decided to apply for a different science-related course and was offered to study Applied Chemistry at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto where he graduated with a first class, garnering a total of 4.75 CGPA.
Speaking with DAILY POST on Monday, Idoko, a former student of Wesley High School, Otukpo, and LGEA Primary School, Udaburu, Owukpa attributed his success to God and hard work.
According to him, “I left secondary school in 2007 from Wesley High School, Otukpo where I was awarded the overall best in Mathematics. I took UTME six times before I got admission to study Applied Chemistry. I was initially applying for Medicine and Surgery due to the advice from different people.
“I have never scored below 200 in UTME and the most disappointing time during the period of struggling to get admission was when I scored 264 in UTME and 68 in Post UTME in 2012 but I was not offered admission to study any course.
“The only course I was offered throughout the period of the six years was the course that I studied (Applied Chemistry). It was very frustrating then."
Recalling his challenges and the pain he went through, the young chemist said, “By the grace of God, I didn't face financial challenges due to the constant support from my parents, Chief & Mrs. Simon Omonu Idoko as well as my uncle, Dr. Idoko Emmanuel Omale. Additionally, NNPC/Total scholarship and Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) scholarship that I won contributed in no small measure to my wellbeing in the university. However, one of my challenges was acclimatizing to the harsh weather condition in Sokoto."
On how he was able to achieve the feat despite facing admission challenges for six years, Idoko said, “I was able to achieve the feat through continuous prayer, hard work and the zeal to always be the best I can be.
“The secret behind my success emanated from the fact that as the first son of my father, I wanted to set a standard to which my younger ones can emulate."
Asked about his social life while on campus, he said, “I didn't have much time for social activities on campus. However, I was a strong member of National Union of Benue State Students (NUBESS).
“Telling anyone that graduating with first class is easy is one of the most expensive lies in the world. To achieve such feat, one must be ready to do what ordinary students cannot do such as spending money on good textbooks, spending more time reading and spending less time on social activities.
“My message to anyone who wants to graduate with first class is that such a person should bear in mind that attaining such feat is not easy so the person should be ready to make sacrifices.
“He has to start reading from the beginning of the semester and not when examination is around the corner.
“He should not struggle for many lecturers to know him because some lecturers are "anti-first class" and "anti-success". He should teach as many other students that he can teach and leave others because not everybody can be satisfied.
“I'm praying to start my M.Sc. programme after my NYSC. I would like to be a lecturer but if I'm lucky to get a job in a multinational company, it would be very good as well.
"I graduated with a CGPA of 4.75. I was one of the best students in my department.”
xarm: The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) yesterday denied any link with fake questions on President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent statement on the Nigerian youth. The university said it had concluded its exams and there was no basis for any question papers in circulation. A statement by the Director, Media and Publicity of NOUN, Mallam Ibrahim Sheme said the varsity has filed a formal complaint with security agencies to fish out the culprit(s) behind the fake question papers. The statement said: “The attention of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has been drawn to a publication in the social media in which a purported examination questionnaire titled “School of Education Course Code GST 103” was circulated as a document emanating from the University. ”In the fake exam sheet, four questions were posed, built around His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent statement on the Nigerian youth. Each question was said to attract 30 marks if answered correctly. “The so-called examination questionnaire issued by “Henry Osas” had nothing to do with NOUN as all our exams were concluded long before His Excellency the President’s visit to the United Kingdom where he delivered the speech Osas quoted. “Even though some might consider the document invented and circulated by “Henry Osas” and his co-travellers as a mere social media joke, we believe that the use of the hallowed name of the National Open University of Nigeria and its official logo to transmit the joke was done with mischief. “We take serious exception to the use of our well-respected identity for such unpatriotic and unbecoming behaviour. “NOUN has filed a formal complaint with the security agencies with a plea to fish out the culprit(s) behind this mischief with the view to taking the appropriate legal action against them.”
14Ebisco: The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has announced that international passport will no longer be issued to those who do not have national identity card number.
The NIS comptroller general, Mohammed Babandede, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the 4th annual meeting of the ID4Africa movement hosted by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
According to Babandede, the development was part of the efforts to streamline the databases of all government institutions and agencies.
He said the streamlining was crucial and not just for security reasons, but also to aid economic and social planning.
He said, “Based on the president’s directive, we have committed to linking up with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that henceforth, when filling your passport details, you must produce your NIN number.
“We have also provided office space for NIMC in all our establishments nationwide. We are glad to also invite NIMC to all our foreign missions.”
According to him, through constant reforms, the immigration service has eliminated the era of multiple passport owners in the country.”
“In the past, when you buy food in restaurants abroad you will lose your passport and get another one. But today we have a single database; we are in 87 locations, including our 37 foreign missions,” he said.
TreMain: APC United Kingdom took to their twitter handle to share a new pledge named "Buhari Pledge" in massive support for President Muhammad Buhari and pledge their allegiance for him.
They wrote: [PMB PLEDGE] We pledge to @MBuhari our President To be faithful loyal and honest To support @MBuhari with all our strength To defend his personality And uphold his integrity and patriotism. So help us GOD (‘PLEASE TAKE THE PLEDGE AND SHARE. THANK YOU. #2019SaiBaba"
cantok: I have Cars, Houses, I Won’t Steal If I'm Elected Governor - Says Senator Adeleke. Do you agree. See some Twitter rants
The Senator said, “I’m contesting because of the people. Our people are suffering and we need to liberate them. I have built houses, I have cars, I have everything. So, what would I do with stolen money? So, I won’t steal as a governor. I only want to serve.”
Issafela: wizkid took to his twitter page to share a video of a mechanic boy "baskit" who was seen in the video anticipating wizkid's new song "Gucci Snake".
This melts wizkid heart and he decided to sponsor the boy to school.
DONSMITH123: Members of the House of Representatives did not mince words on Tuesday when they said President Muhammadu Buhari committed an “impeachable offence” by authorising the purchase of $462million jets for the military without appropriation by the National Assembly.
Buhari is buying 12 Tucano aircraft from the US with the money.
The planes will be delivered in 2020.
The lawmakers became angry as soon as the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, read a letter from Buhari, informing the House that the expenditure was done in “anticipation of approval” by the National Assembly.
They noted that the letter was a “mere afterthought”, as the expenditure had been done already.
The anger caused a brief rowdiness on the floor, forcing Dogara to intervene in a bid to calm down the lawmakers.
The eventual decision on Tuesday was that the letter should be properly tabled for debate on another date by the House so that it would take a position on the next line of action.
But, before the resolution, it was the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Mr. Kingsley Chinda, who raised a point of order to draw the attention of members to the alleged “constitutional breach” by Buhari.
He said both the 1999 Constitution and other laws in the country did not recognise spending by the President in “anticipation of approval” by the legislature.
Chinda stated, “This matter ($462m) came up last week. Today, Mr. President has admitted that the expenditure has already been incurred.
“We are supposed to be a watchdog, but as it is, we cannot bite. This is an impeachable offence and there is no misconduct that is more serious than this.
“I propose that we commence the impeachment of Mr. President, based on this infraction.”
actiondrilling: Mr Olusegun Banjo, Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, on Tuesday said the state recorded a revenue of N141.96 billion in the first quarter of 2018.
Banjo said this at the ongoing ministerial briefing to mark Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s third year in office at Alausa, Lagos.
Banjo said the figure represented an increase of 63 percent against the N124.14 billion achieved in the corresponding period of 2017. According to him, the budget also recorded an increase of N17.82 billion over the 2017 figure. Banjo said the state recorded N103.48 billion in absolute Terms and Internally Generated Revenue (TIGR) in 2018, representing an increase of 73 percent over N96.78 recorded in 2017. Banjo noted that the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) generated N84.19 billion in the first quarter of 2018, which accounted for 81 percent of TIRG and 59 percent in total revenue compared to N74.55 billion in 2017. According to him, the figure translated to 77 percent of TIGR and 60 percent of total revenue while it recorded N9.65 billion in absolute terms during the first quarter of 2018. Under Capital expenditure, Banjo said the state’s performance in the first quarter stood at N93.01 billion in 2018 as against N46.72 billion recorded in same period in 2017. Banjo said that at the end of the first quarter of 2018, the capital to recurrent ratio closed at 57 to 43 as against 39 to 61 recorded in the corresponding period of 2017. Similarly, under the recurrent expenditure, the commissioner said the state recorded personnel costs performance of N24.69 billion higher than N23.96 billion during the same period in 2017 which represented an increase of 88 percent. The commissioner said the total overhead cost stood at N39.57 billion in the first quarter of 2018 as the N43.92 billion recorded in same period in 2017. According to him, this is a pointer that all efforts geared toward tighter control of overheads are beginning to yield results, even though more needs to be done in this area. On project monitoring and evaluation, the commissioner said the ministry would not relent in its efforts to monitor and evaluate government programmes as well as carry out performance management report across the state.
36govs: PHOTOSPEAK: Senator Dino Melaye brought into Zankli hospital in the Mabushi district of Abuja. He was injured while allegedly jumping off a police vehicle around Area One that was conveying him to court in Lokoja, Kogi state.
Greed and ignorance is at the root of Africa's problems. We are taking care of a beast, criminal mafia is ruining Afrika, he is eating all of the socio-economic resources. Criminal mafia is a greedy pig. We need to sacrifice that pig o. We need to feast upon him instead of him feasting upon us.
Politics › Re: IPOB To Launch Operation Cow Dance II Ahead Of Buhari’s Visit To U.S. by nabegibeg: 9:50am On Apr 25, 2018
