₦airaland Forum

All Progressives Congress senators have nominated Ali Ndume as the Majority Leader of the Senate, in defiance of the party’s directive that Ahmed Lawan be given the role.

Mr. Lawan lost the senate presidency election to Bukola Saraki, despite being the party’s official candidate.

The party insists its preferred candidates who failed to be elected president and speaker for the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, be elected Majority Leaders in both chambers.

The crisis has stalled legislative business in both arms of the National Assembly for weeks.

The Senate on Thursday officially nominated Mr. Ndume, from Borno State, as Majority Leader.

It also nominated Bala Ibn Na’alla as deputy leader. Mr. Na’alla, a former House of Representatives member, is from Kebbi state.

The Senate also nominated Francis Alimikhena, from Edo State, as Deputy Chief Whip.

The nominations are subject to approval.

More details coming.

Source- http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/185635-breaking-apc-senators-defy-party-nominate-ali-ndume-as-majority-leader.html

Cc- Lalasticlala

Nigeria’s military chiefs have resolved to retain check points they consider essential in dealing with insecurity.

The service chiefs met on Wednesday in Abuja to discuss President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on the removal of check points nationwide.

A source briefed about the outcome of the meeting, told PREMIUM TIMES that the service chiefs argued that the president did not say that “all” road blocks be dismantled, but that non-essential ones which have contributed to traffic snarl, be removed.

The president had on Monday ordered the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector- General of police to dismantle all military check points across Nigeria.

The order was handed down during a meeting between the president and the service chiefs and officials of the ministry of defence at the State House.

Already, several checkpoints have been cleared in the last 24 hours in line with the directive.

Our source said the service chiefs resolved to implement the president’s directive in a way that will allow free flow of traffic without compromising security.

He said soldiers, for instance, will remain at essential check points and will only stop and search vehicles when they receive intelligence.

In addition, he said there will also be vehicle scanners positioned at these locations to ensure swift traffic flow.

Source- http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/185605-military-chiefs-to-retain-essential-check-points.html

Cc- Lalasticlala

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, has said that his administration left the state in a better condition, contrary to the claims of his successor, Nyesom Wike.

In a statement Tuesday, Mr. Amaechi said that his eight years at the helm of the state’s affairs were that of commitment to good governance and transparent and accountable stewardship to Rivers people.

On the N150 billion purportedly owed the state’s Ministry of Works contractors, Mr. Amaechi accused the incumbent governor of blocking an attempt by former president, Goodluck Jonathan, to repay the state funds it spent on federal roads.

“Rt.Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi inherited a state that was comatose and in dire need of infrastructure,” Mr. Amaechi said in the statement issued by Ibim Semenitari, the former Commissioner for Information in the state.

“Years of militancy and criminality had forced government and business in Rivers State to a standstill. He therefore embarked on land reclamation in our riverine communities and the massive construction of roads, bridges and interchanges all over Rivers State.

“Realizing that there is a direct link between state of infrastructure and the growth rate of any economy, it is to the credit of the Amaechi administration that by the time he was leaving office, he had completed 90 per cent of the Phase 1A of the Rivers State Monorail, completed two major interchanges, two flyovers, 25 bridges, and five shore protection projects. He also completed 890 kilometres of the on-going 1,424 kilometres of road projects across the state.

“There are over six land reclamation/shore protection projects at Andoni, Opobo, Buguma, Abalama, Olumbie/Owukiri Island, and Oba-Ama-Okrika with over 1,140,000km completed.”

Mr. Amaechi said that some of the completed roads were federal roads for which the state government was owed N108 billion.

“Mr. Wike as Minister of State for Education was among those who prevented former President Goodluck Jonathan from paying the Rivers State Government back these funds,” said Mr. Amaechi.

“It is on record that other states like Akwa Ibom and Abia received repayment for the federal roads they constructed. As at when Governor Amaechi was leaving office, the debts owed the contractors in the Ministry of Works, which were for ongoing road projects totaled N44, 942, 354, 44.10.”

Last week, Mr. Wike inaugurated a judicial panel to probe the administration of Mr. Amaechi. The governor had accused his predecessor of looting state funds, stealing properties from the Government House, and failing to prepare handover notes on the expiration of his tenure.

But Mr. Amaechi insisted that his administration left the state better than it met it, especially in the area of infrastructure.

“For the records, the Government of Rivers State under Dr. Peter Odili made substantial investment in Electric Power related Projects with the aim of mitigating the malaise of inadequate power supply,” Mr. Amaechi said.

“The Projects included generation (Omoku and Trans-Amadi 1), transmission and distribution interventions. Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on assumption of office recognized the importance of improved electric power supply in the socio-economy regeneration of the State.

“At the time Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi assumed office, of the 350 Megawatts (MW) total capacity generation assets invested by the State, only 70MW (equivalent to about 20 per cent) was available. With enthusiasm, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi ramped up the efficiency to 77 per cent availability including injecting another 360MW Green Field Generation Project at Afam, of which 180MW have been commissioned and is in commercial operation.

“To mitigate the swing in efficiency and its debilitating impact on the economy, the State Government sought private sector operators and sold 70 per cent equity stake in the power generating assets’ company to NG Power HPS. For the transaction, the State Government adopted the same model as the Federal Government in the sale Egbin Power Plant. The sale was at a price per MW higher than all the privatization MW rate done by the Federal Government.

“The proceeds from sale of the equity in the power generating assets’ company was captured as income in the 2014 Appropriation Law and deployed into funding capital projects as appropriated.”

On the salaries of civil servants, Mr. Amaechi stated that they received their March salaries while payment for April salaries had commenced by the time his administration was winding down.

On the money owed to refuse contractors and the state owned football clubs, Mr. Amaechi said that he had left instruction at Zenith bank, as at May 27, for the payment of N488 million out of the N1.6 billion owed the contractors.

Mr. Amaechi accused the current governor of directing all the banks during business with the state government to ignore his instructions.

“The three clubs: Sharks, Dolphins and Rivers Angels were in arrears of 7 months by the time governor Amaechi left government,” the statement said.

“Before leaving office Amaechi approved the payment of 7 months arrears to the team but this was held back along with approved payments that the banks did not pay. Until revenue receipts began to thin down from the federation account, the Rivers state government was paying N50million every month as welfare package for the teams.”

Mr. Amaechi also said that despite inheriting pension arrears of over N4.5 billion, he left office owing three months of pension arrears to the main stream and two months of parastatal pensions.

The former governor debunked claims that he failed to submit handover notes to his successor’s administration.

“There is no truth in this as all commissioners and heads of MDA’s submitted their handover notes to the Secretary to State Government who forwarded same to the Head of the State Civil Service as is appropriate,” he said.

“Governor Amaechi also directed the Deputy Governor of Rivers State Engr. Tele Ikuru to be the liaison between the outgoing administration and the incoming one. Engr. Ikuru as Deputy Chairman of the state Executive Governor and second man in government had all facts necessary to brief the incoming administration. He also had unfettered access to government house and to every commissioner and head of Ministry Department or Agency.”

Source- http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/185593-how-i-delivered-good-governance-to-rivers-state-amaechi.html

Cc- Lalasticlala

For the umpteenth time, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on Tuesday failed to refund to the Federation Account $1.48 billion balance of an alleged missing $20 billion oil money.

An audit ordered by the Goodluck Jonathan administration recommended that $1.48 billion be paid by NNPC to the government.

The review followed an allegation by a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, who accused the NNPC of failing to account for $20 billion oil money.

Since the submission of the audit report February, Nigeria’s 36 state governments have been clamouring for the money to be quickly paid by the NNPC and shared between the federal and state governments.

But the oil company has failed to pay the comply during past revenue sharing meetings between the states and the federal government.

On Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Anastasia Daniel-Nwokobia, said at the end of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting for May, that no explanation was given by the corporation for its inability to remit the money as recommended.

“The issue of the refund of the $1.48 bn recommended in the forensic audit report was not discussed, and so no refund was made, apart from the N6.33 bn refunded as part of the N450 bn oil revenue it owed the Federal Government since 2011,” Mrs. Daniel-Nwokobia said.

At the end of the meeting, the Permanent Secretary said gross revenue receipt for the month was about N324.06 bn, which was higher than the N282.062 bn received in May by about N41.999 bn. Total distributable revenues between the Federal and the 36 state governments put about N409.5 bn.

Details of the allocation released at the end of the meeting showed that mineral revenue was N225.167 bn, while non-mineral revenue was N98.89 bn.

Net statutory allocation, she said, stood at N317.236 bn, which included N2.403 bn as 4% cost of collection by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), N2.88 bn as 7% cost of collection for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and N1.54 bn as 4% cost of collection by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

The Federal Government received about N151.805 bn, while the states received N76.98 bn and Local Governments N59.36 bn. The nine oil mineral producing states were allocated N29.7 bn.

There was also exchange gain of N31.24 bn proposed for distribution, while value added tax realised for the month was N418.452 bn.

According to the Permanent Secretary, delays in the issuance of the third quarter 2015 Export Permit lead to a drop of about 160,000 barrels of oil per day in April, apart from several shutdowns and shut-ins of the trunk and pipelines at oil terminals, which continued to negatively impact crude oil revenue.

However, she said an increase in the average price of crude oil from $56.04 per barrel in March 2015 to $59.88 per barrel in April brought $19.7 mn revenue gain for the month, while non-oil revenues are expected to perform better in the later art of the year due to some mechanisms put in place by the FIRS.

On the balance of the excess crude account (ECA), she said the amount stood at $2.078 bn.

On why the FAAC was shifted from the earlier schedule of June 15 and 16, Mrs. Daniel-Nwokobia said since the governments at all levels have in the country have been in transition after the May 29 handover to a new administration, there was need to wait.

“Most of the states are yet to appoint their commissioners and reconstitute their executive councils. The FAAC secretariat had to liaise with the states to know who would be representing them at the meeting
Again a few days to the FAAC meeting, the Accountant General of the Federation retired on June 12, necessitating clearance to be sought on who should take the office, in view of the critical role it has to play in the meeting,” she said.

Source- http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/185589-missing-20-bn-again-nnpc-fails-to-refund-1-48-bn.html

Cc- Lalasticlala

Hehe

Toktee:
na lie,he sacrificed him to ogboni cult to please sheppo.

Hehehe

Ariwera, a teenage son of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is hale and hearty, contrary to rumors of his passing, sources close to the former Nigeria leader said.

Several aides of the former President told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that his rumored death came as a surprise to them, as the boy is not even sick.

Social media outlets were buzzing with the rumor all of Tuesday. SaharaReporters had reported that the former President was vacationing in Los Angeles.

Saharareporters learned that he plans to return to Nigeria later tonight via Germany, flying Lufthansa into Port Harcourt tomorrow.

It is not clear if this return was planned, or is due to the revelation by our publication of his whereabouts. Earlier in the day, in a stunning announcement, President Buhari disclosed that western countries have signed up to help Nigeria recover its assets that were voraciously looted Mr. Jonathan.

Source- http://saharareporters.com/2015/06/23/former-president-jonathans-son-hale-and-hearty-aides

Cc- Lalasticlala

Zector:
I ll comment later

Lol You!

Facts have emerged showing why Senate President Bukola Saraki led a delegation of Senators to meet former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his hilltop mansion, Abeokuta, Ogun state on Friday.

A source who was part of the meeting informed PREMIUM TIMES that the Senate President was in Abeokuta to beg Mr. Obasanjo to reconcile him with President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Mr. Saraki emerged as the president of the Senate against the decision of APC leaders. He was also elected when most Senators from the APC were at the International Conference Centre waiting to hold a meeting with Mr. Buhari to discuss the election of the Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

We also gathered that Mr. Saraki lamented that although the party leaders have stated that they have accepted his emergence, there was “complete communication breakdown between him, the president and the party”.

The national chairman of the APC, John Oyegun, had abruptly cancelled a scheduled meeting with Mr. Saraki last week without giving another appointment.

Likewise, we also gathered that Mr. Saraki had tried severally to meet with Mr. Buhari after his emergence, but was always denied audience.

Another source in the presidency informed us that the President was angry with Mr. Saraki and the management of the national assembly for going ahead with their election despite adequate knowledge of an invitation for a meeting with Mr. Saraki and his colleagues.

“The president considered it as a mark of disrespect for his office for Saraki to ignore an invitation to meet with him and his colleagues,” our source said.

In his response, Mr. Obasanjo promised to do his best to “ensure communication between all parties”.

However, the spokesperson for the president, Garba Shehu, said the Senate president did not seek to meet with Mr. Buhari.

“I am not aware of any request for a meeting, the president would have seen him, he represents a key institution in our democracy,” he said.

Calls to Mr. Saraki and his aide, Bamikole Omishore, were not answered.

However, the former president in his usual self also joked with the delegation, saying “ you children of nowadays only run to elders when you have finished making the damage”.

PREMIUM TIMES also learnt that after he was informed of the visit, Mr. Obasanjo called Mr. Buhari to inform him that Mr. Saraki is leading a delegation of Senators to his Abeokuta home and Mr. Buhari simply said “you have to see them now, are they not your boys?”.

Among Mr. Saraki’s delegation include former governor of Gombe state, Danjuma Goje, Andy Uba, former Zamfara governor, Ahmed Sani, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and others.

Source- http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/185359-what-saraki-told-obasanjo.html

Cc- Lalasticlala