₦airaland Forum

Mmmmmh. This serious

Striking workers in Ekiti State on Sunday told Governor Ayodele Fayose to pay workers their salaries rather than engage in a solidarity strike with them.

“What we want is our money to alleviate our poverty,” said the chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Odunayo Adesoye.

Mr. Fayose had on Friday declared that he had placed himself on indefinite strike in solidarity with the workers who had been on strike for about two weeks over non-payment of five months outstanding salaries.

“We appreciate the governor for sharing our pains and anguish. But the workers will appreciate and commend him the more if he can pay at least two or three months salaries out of five months owed,” he said.

“Our situation has gone beyond the governor declaring mere solidarity strike. We need more of actions now than talks because our situation is gradually becoming hopeless.

“Some of us have the intention of going to work, but no money to pay for transport fare. Some of us could not take two square meal a day. Some could not cook soup with ordinary fish, so our situation has gone beyond what anyone could trivialize.”

Mr. Adesoye, however, noted that the striking workers were resolved to fight on, because it was an issue that borders on our welfare, careers and prosperity.

“We are hearing that the federal government want to give grants to states , so if Mr Governor could pay three months now, it will be easy to use the grant to pay the remaining two months and still help in paying for the subsequent months,” he said.

“We appeal to the workers to be law abiding. We want them to be civil, even in the face of provocation. By the grace of God, we shall all rejoice in the end.”

While explaining Mr. Fayose’s solidarity strike, his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, told PREMIUM TIMES that all the commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of ministries also joined the solidarity strike.

Mr. Olayinka said the solidarity strike would go on until the workers return to work, since Mr. Fayose and others will not be able to function if the state’s civil service is inactive.

“If he approves money, who’s going to process it? If he wants to award contract, can he do that alone?” the spokesperson said . “So what he’s saying is that he won’t bother getting the senior government officials to come to work since they also need the civil servants to work with them.”
In a similar response as his TUC counterpart, the chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Ade Adesanmi, said the workers prefer to be paid rather than be shown such solidarity.

Mr. Adesanmi, who said he had not been informed of any deliberation scheduled for next week with Mr. Fayose, saying his team had already met with government officials twice last week.

“I’ve not been officially informed about any meeting with the governor,” Mr. Adesanmi told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday. “We’ve already met with them last Wednesday and Thursday.”

Mr. Adesanmi said the workers were demanding that the state should settle at least three out of five months salaries they were being owed.

“Our request is that 3 months out of the 5 months should be paid. Government is saying one month. Even if 2 months are paid, 90 per cent of them would not take anything home.

They have loan obligations to meet and banks would automatically take their money. We won’t have money to even get to work.”

Mr. Adesanmi said the strike had taken a terrible toll on the workers in the state. He said about five of his members had died within the last few weeks.

“At least 5 of our members died because of the situation.”

Mr. Adesanmi chided Mr. Fayose for embarking on a solidarity action, saying it was tantamount to a mockery of their forlorn situation.

“If government doesn’t have money, government should be persuasive, the issue of going on strike with us in this miserable condition is unwarranted and not funny like he thinks.”

Governor Fayose had said he hoped that “common sense prevails” when the two parties meet next week to resolve the impasse.

In January, lawmakers approved aN68 billion appropriation bill proposed by Mr. Fayose for 2016. The budget contained N24 billion and N44 billion for capital and recurrent expenditures, respectively.

With a dwindling federal allocation and less than N300 million internally-generated revenue, the agrarian state is projected to have a budget shortfall of about N46 billion at the end of the year.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/204736-want-pay-not-solidarity-strike-ekiti-workers-tell-fayose.html

142 naira at Sinady filling station mission Hill rd, Umuahia.

The Presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari has not rescinded his decision to publish the amounts that have been recovered by his administration from those who had allegedly looted the nation’s treasury.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, May 30, a day after Nigeria marked its Democracy Day.

The conversation, ‘Assessing Buhari’s One Year In Office’ saw the President’s spokesman addressing several controversies generated by the President’s national broadcast on Sunday.

The President’s Democracy Day speech had been widely criticised because it failed to address the promise to publish the amounts of funds that have been recovered and from whom they were recovered since the anti-corruption campaign started.

The President had promised that the information would made public when his administration clocks one year but Mr Shehu said that “the President did not at any time say he was going to name names”.

[b] Mr Shehu expressed surprise that the issue had generated so much negative reactions from Nigerians, explaining that the President did not cancel his decision to announce the seizures that have been made.

“What he (President) said was that the Minister of Information will be making a pronouncement on this and this is going to happen when work resumes from Tuesday.

“This is likely going to be out by Wednesday, or latest by Thursday. So nothing has changed from the position that there will be disclosure.

“The President has given authorisation that these assets that have been taken back from those who took from the treasury be put out there. So my view is that nothing is lost.”

Mr Shehu said that the directive by President is that “money on account” in the CBN should be disclosed. He explained that there were also many accounts that have been frozen by investigating agencies.

He named the Police, EFCC, ICPC and the Office of the National Security Adviser among those handling the matter, so the Presidency expects “that there will be a snapshot of where they stand with the ongoing investigation and the recoveries when that disclosure is made”.[/b]

One Year Lost

Mr Shehu disagreed with the view by some Nigerians that the Buhari administration had lost one year, as it has failed to achieve some of what it promised to achieve in the first year.

“The President had focus, he knew what to do from the beginning. He identified the problems of this country, putting the security of the country on top of the heap.

“He said repeatedly, ‘this country must be secured, there must be peace in this country for you to develop and manage it very well’.

“And I think that he has done for this country what others had failed to do for four to five years in which they had allowed problems like Boko Haram to fester.

“A street protest in Maiduguri had grown into a city-wide phenomenon, problem for neighbouring states and all of the Lake Chad, in fact a global phenomenon with the linkage to ISIS.

“President Buhari within one year is about to bring Boko Haram to a closure. This is massive,” he said.

http://www.channelstv.com/2016/05/30/recovered-assets-will-be-published-latest-thursday-garba-shehu/

See pot calling kettle black

Bubu u no try this time. I be your fan oh and would always be but this one na minus for you but I forgive you. Make I give u second chance shaa

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday failed to give specific details of recovered loot as part of his anti-corruption war during his Democracy Day speech, consequently reneging on an earlier promise he made to that effect.

Mr. Buhari had on May 14 said in London that he would personally provide specific details of all recovered stolen public funds because he believed that what Nigerians were being fed through the media were not detailed enough.

“So far, what has come out, what has been recovered in whatever currency from each ministries, departments and individuals, I intend on the 29th to speak on this because all Nigerians are getting from the mass media because of the number of people arrested either by the EFCC, DSS. But we want to make a comprehensive report on the 29th,” Mr. Buhari said while attending the anti-corruption summit in London.

But during his nationwide broadcast on Sunday morning, the president only repeated previous claims that his administration was grappling with bureaucratic hurdles that make it difficult for stolen assets to be recovered from foreign jurisdictions.

“We are also engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in different jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be tedious and time consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far: significant amount of assets have been recovered. A considerable portion of these are at different stages of recovery.

Rather than personally speak on the matter and provide specific details as promised, Mr. Buhari only said he had directed the Ministry of Information to periodically publish details on the assets recovered so far.

“Full details of the status and categories of the assets will now be published by the Ministry of Information and updated periodically. When forfeiture formalities are completed these monies will be credited to the treasury and be openly and transparently used in funding developmental projects and the public will be informed,” Mr. Buhari said.

Based on the President’s May 14 promise, millions of Nigerians had on Sunday morning stayed glued to their radio and TV for the Democracy Day speech.


Some of them said they were dissappointed that Mr. Buhari failed to keep his promise.

The president and his government have of recent come under pressure to publicly substantiate his claims that billions of dollars have been recovered through the administration’s intensified war against graft.

Meanwhile, Mr. Buhari repeated his ministers’ claim that the administration had been able to successfully eliminate 43,000 ‘ghost’ workers that were costing the government N4.2 billion every month from the federal payroll.

“An important first step has been to get our housekeeping right. So we have reduced the extravagant spending of the past. We started boldly with the treasury single account, stopping the leakages in public expenditure.

“In addition, we will save Twenty-Three Billion Naira per annum from official travelling and sitting allowances alone,” Mr. Buhari said.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/204253-buhari-fails-keep-promise-release-details-looters-recovered-assets.html

Medley:
Yeah we were told that going forward salaries of government workers will be paid on or before 25th of every month by the change government. For curiosity sake and to confirm if it wasn't the usual promise just to make a mockery of Nigerians. If you've been paid, please share. We need to make government keep to their words.

Yes I have. See proof. Got mine yst while my brother got his a day bf yst ie on the 25th.

simpleseyi:
Please stop lying against Olisa Metuselah, he did not steal any money. The FG has been shouting that the government is broke. Because Olisa Metuselah is a patriotic Nigeria, Olisa now wants to give Nigeria some subvention in form of loan to help the country. The money that Olisa wants to give/loan Nigeria is the money that his great grandfather made from slave trade and human trafficking. So, all Nigerians should be grateful to Olisa Metuselah for wanting to help us our of economic depression.

Yes oh. You are right

Taeewo:
Better

All our yam eaters will not go unpunished. They are the reason why our economy is in crisis and we are suffering it today.

ibkgab001:
Scape goat that ate our yam

You no go escape this

Tell him Oooo. Tot they said it was a witchunt.... Why are they refunding. Maybe he is afraid of going to jail.

DaBullIT:
600M bail bond

400M Refund ready


One Billion in total


And some erdyots will keep defending Jonathan led PDP


these are the people who sponsor and benefit from terrorism

If u ask me... Na who I go ask?

Barely 24 hours after Olisa Metuh lost his bid at the Abuja division of the Appeal Court to halt his ongoing trial at the Federal High Court, his family said the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is prepared and willing to refund the money allegedly paid into his bank account by the Office of the Security Adviser (ONSA).

This disclosure was made yesterday in a statement signed by Chief Gilbert Metuh on behalf of the family.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, on charges including fraudulent collection of N400 million from the ONSA in November 2014 and using same for PDP’s presidential campaign. He pleaded not guilty.

While claiming that their son is innocent of the charges, the family said the decision to make the refund was informed by the precarious state of health of the erstwhile PDP spokesman.

The family said several overtures made by Metuh to refund the money since his arrest were rebuffed by EFCC.

The family said: “It is instructive that out of over 300 names listed as having received money from the ONSA, all those who offered to refund money were not arraigned in court. Our son is the only one whose offer to refund money was rejected and has been arraigned in court and his case given accelerated hearing. On each trial date the hostility in the courtroom is palpable.

“As we speak, the offer to refund the money to the Federal Government is still open and the government is yet to accept the offer. It is therefore clear to us that the intention is not the recovery of funds but a clear persecution of our son.”

The family which described Metuh’s trial as political persecution expressed consternation over the rejection of his prayer to be allowed to travel abroad to attend to his failing health. They further argued that certain individuals facing similar trial were allowed to travel abroad on health grounds.”

“Our son was diagnosed with a spinal cord problem in 2004. He has consistently managed it over this period. However, due to the treatments he received while in custody, the situation got aggravated. In the course of his trial, the situation deteriorated, especially after he fell at a meeting in the party office for which he was rushed to the National Hospital and was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit.

Notwithstanding the grave medical condition, he still kept his court date the very next morning in spite of medical advice by the doctors.

“On another such occasion, he vomited in court and had to be rushed back to the hospital where he is lying critically ill.

“Upon doctors’ recommendation, our son made application to be granted leave and his international passport released for him to travel to a recommended neurological hospital in London for immediate, critical delicate corrective surgery to save him from imminent irreversible paralysis.

“We are, therefore, shocked that with all the information available to the court regarding his grave medical condition and the critical need for him to have this corrective surgery, the Federal High Court, Abuja, refused his application. It is also instructive to note that the Federal High Court, Abuja, on the same day granted leave to someone facing similar trial to go abroad for one month for prayers while our ailing son is not allowed to travel for urgent medical attention. We are also aware that a few others facing similar trials, within the same federal high court jurisdiction, have been granted leave to travel for medical treatment and their passports released to them by the same court where they were granted bail.

“It is absurd that the main reason given by the court for refusing the application is that there are several teaching hospitals in Nigeria that can handle such critical spinal problems, especially as this dramatic claim by the trial Judge has no medical basis whatsoever.

“This is clearly one of the tactics being used by the court in an attempt to whip up public sentiments against our son in this courtroom media trial more so when it is judicial notice that even public officers are allowed to travel abroad on ordinary medical check-up and at public expense.

“Our request is on the basis of a life-threatening ailment and will be undertaken with our own private resources.

“Sadly, as we speak, our son is lying on admission at the National Hospital where his spinal ailment is fast deteriorating and doctors fearing the worse for his life. He currently relies on palliatives being given to him at the National Hospital Abuja waiting for the opportunity of a corrective surgery.

“The essence of a criminal trial is to achieve justice and no justice can be achieved if someone dies in the process. We feel more convinced that this is a political vendetta considering the fact of his efforts to pay back the money if it came from government coffers not minding that the money has been expended as directed by the former President.”


http://sunnewsonline.com/metuh-family-ready-to-refund-n400m/

ukeme200:
Is APC led federal govt consistent in salary payment on the 25th of every month

Federal civil servants on NL, have u being paid ur may salary??

Yes they are. My brother got his yst and I got mine this morning. Here is my proof of payment

XueRengui:
Today is 26 May

Yes they have paid. They started yst. Here is my own proof.

mesoprogress:
The dullard refused to devalue thinking that oyibo people wanted to mess with his economy. The same way illiterate north thinks that vaccination is a premeditated tool to depopulate Africans / Muslims. We should have left this man to peaceful herd his 150 cows in Daura. Abo.ki will always remain abok.i . Smh

You are so pained with this new development

The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index on Wednesday posted the biggest return since the beginning of this year, as investors reacted positively to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee’s decision to allow a flexible foreign exchange regime.

The market capitalisation appreciated by N354bn to close at N9.706tn from N9.352tn on Tuesday, while the NSE ASI closed at 28,260.61 basis points from 27,231.50 basis points the previous day.


Tuesday’s decision of the CBN to adopt a flexible exchange rate policy was a shift from a peg of 197 to 199 for the naira, against the dollar which analysts see as overvalued and hampering investments.

A total of 474.402 million shares worth N3.503bn exchanged hands in 5,260 deals on the floor of the NSE on Tuesday.

The financial services and industrial goods sectors were the biggest beneficiaries of the renewed investor interest as they gained 589 basis points and 416 points. United Bank for Africa, Oando Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and FCMB Group Plc emerged as the top five gainers.

UBA shares appreciated by N0.45 to close at N4.87 from N4.42, while those of Oando closed at N6.63 from N6.02 the previous day.

The price of Zenith Bank’s stocks closed at N16.51 from N15.00 on Tuesday, appreciating by N1.51, while that of Diamond Bank rose to N2.11 from N1.92, gaining N0.14. FCMB shares also appreciated by N0.14 to close at N1.56 from N1.42 the day earlier.

The top five losers were Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Union Dicon Salt Plc, Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc, Ikeja Hotel Plc and Forte Oil Plc.

FBN Holdings Plc topped the volume chart for the second consecutive session, trading 73 million units, whilst GTBank led the value chart, trading 46 million units worth N960m.

Analysts at Vetiva Capital Management Limited said, “Given the strong demand observed in today’s (Wednesday) session as indicated by market breadth, volume and value, we see room for further gains in Thursday’s (today) trading session as the MPC’s decision to adopt a flexible exchange rate continues to whet investor appetite for stocks across sectors.”

Bond prices also rose as traders bought debt to cover positions taken before the central bank decision as they had expected the main rate to stay at 12 per cent to boost the country’s economy in view of slowing growth.

However, the naira remained flat against the United States dollar at the parallel on Wednesday as news over the adoption of a flexible exchange rate policy by the CBN created uncertainties in the forex market.

The naira, which closed at 346 against the dollar at the parallel market on Tuesday, maintained the same value on Wednesday.

Analysts said forex traders were confused over how the new rules would be implemented. The central bank has only said it will give guidance within days.

The forex traders, however, said they expected the policy shift to boost dollar supply and lure back foreign investors.

http://www.punchng.com/new-forex-policy-nse-gains-n354bn-naira-stable/

Lala

atarapa:
A.P.C sealed PDP office shikina.

You lie. It was done to prevent Sheriff and some members of his sacked NWC from gaining entrance to the secretariat. See proof here....

http://punchng.com/armed-policemen-take-pdp-national-headquarters/

Armed security personnel have sealed the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The security operatives are preventing the opposition party members from getting into their headquarters.

One of the security men, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were directed to seal off the premises.

He did not, however, say who gave the directive to seal the PDP headquarters or the reason behind their action.

The development, however, may be connected with the ongoing leadership crisis in the PDP.

On Saturday, the party removed its National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and set up a Caretaker Committee.

His removal came on the same day the party had scheduled to hold a national convention.

At the venue of the convention, the former Chairman announced a postponement of the convention, but the Vice Chairman said the convention would continue as planned, showing internal leadership rancor.

The Caretaker Committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, a former Governor of Kaduna State, was mandated to elect a new National Working Committee for the party within three months.

Other members of the committee are;

Senator Ben Obi – Secretary
Senator Ugbesia – Member
Sen Abdul Ningi – Member
Prince Dayo Adeyeye – Member
Aisha Aliyu – Member
Barrister Usman – Member

After he was removed, Senator Sheriff said “the PDP Convention stands cancelled owing to court injunctions” and called the exercise of Saturday a ‘charade and illegal’.

http://www.channelstv.com/2016/05/22/armed-security-personnel-seal-pdp-headquarters-abuja/

Another chibok schoolgirl has been rescued, the army announced last night.

Army spokesman Col. Usman Sani Kukasheka broke the news. He said her name is Sarah Luka, who is believed to be the daughter of Pastor Luka, one of the parents of the missing girls.
Col. Kukasheka said last night that the girl is number 157 on the list of the 219 Chibok girls in captivity.

She was a Junior Secondary School 1 pupil at the time of her abduction.

A statement signed by Col. Kukasheka said: “At about 11.00am yesterday, Thursday, 19th May 2016, troops of 231 Battalion, 331 Artillery Regiment (AR), Detachment of Armed Forces Special Forces (AFSF) 2, Explosive Ordinance (EOD) Team and Civilian Vigilante group of Buratai, conducted clearance operations at Shettima Aboh, Hong and Biladdili general area in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

“During the operations, the troops killed 35 Boko Haram terrorists and recovered several arms and ammunitions and other items. In addition, they rescued 97 women and children held captives by the Boko Haram terrorists.

“We are glad to state that among those rescued is a girl believed to be one of the Chibok Government Secondary School girls that were abducted on 14th April 2014 by the Boko Haram terrorists.

“Her name is Miss Serah Luka, who is number 157 on the list of the abducted school girls. She is believed to be the daughter of Pastor Luka.
“During debriefing the girl revealed that she was a JSS1 student of the school at the time they were abducted.

“She further added that she hails from Madagali, Adamawa State. She averred that she reported at the school barely two months and one week before her unfortunate abduction along with other girls over two years ago.

“She added that there other three girls who fled from Shettima Aboh when the troops invaded the area earlier today which led to their rescue.

“She is presently receiving medical attention at the medical facility of Abogo Largema Cantonment, Biu, Borno State.”

The rescue of another of the 219 girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, 2014 in Chibok, Borno State came amid the excitement of the return of Amina Ali, who yesterday visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa in Abuja.

There are now 217 girls in Boko Haram’s captivity.

President Buhari promised that everything will be done to ensure that Amina goes back to school.
Besides, his administration will ensure that she gets the best medical, emotional and other care towards her full recovery and re-integration into the society.

The President spoke at the Presidential Villa when he received Amina in his office.

Amina, her baby, her mother and her brother, were led to the Villa by Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima at about 2.46 p.m..

The governor, the girl and her baby were taken to the President’s office by Chief of Staff Abba Kyari.

Amina and her baby were dressed in hijab and were shielded from reporters by security officials.

The Army on Wednesday confirmed Amina’s rescue. She is the first of the 219 schoolgirls to reunite with her family.

She was with the man who put her in the family way, Hayatu Mohammaed, a Boko Haram chieftain.

They were rescued by troops and Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) members at Baale community near Damboa in Borno State. Amina was identified as one of the missing schoolgirls by a vigilante.

After being medically examined at the military’s medical facility in Damboa, Amina and her baby were flown in an Air Force helicopter to the Borno Governor’s Lodge in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

Yesterday’s occasion was also an opportunity for Defence Minister Mansur Dan Ali to review the military’s performance so far in the campaign against Boko Haram. He said 69 soldiers had been killed in action.

Buhari said: “Like others all over the world, I’m delighted that Amina Ali, one of the missing Chibok girls, has regained her freedom. But my feelings are tinged with deep sadness on the horrors the girl has had to go through at such an early stage in her life.

“Although we cannot do anything to reverse the horrors of her past, the Federal Government can and will do everything possible to ensure that the rest of her life takes a completely different course.

“Amina will get the best care that the Nigerian government can afford. We will ensure that she gets the best medical, emotional and whatever care that she requires to get full recovery and be integrated into the society.

“Yesterday, medical personnel from government and NGOs examined her for about five hours. Trauma experts from UNICEF also met her. The Federal Government will assist the Murtala Mohammed Foundation, which has already been providing support for the families of the missing Chibok girls and which runs a truama and counselling facility in Kano. It will also be involved in the ongoing work with Amina in monitoring her progress and any additional support she requires.

“The continuation of Amina’s education so abruptly disrupted will definitely be a propriety of the Federal Government. Amina must be able to go back to school. Nobody in Nigeria should be put through the brutality of forced marriage. Every girl has a right to education and their choice of life,” he added.

He promised that his administration will continue to do whatever it can to rescue the Chibok girls who are still in Boko Haram’s captivity.

“Amina’s rescue gives us new hope and offers a unique opportunity to vital information,” he said.
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima noted that Buhari’s patience, persistence, perseverance and doggedness for the restoration of peace in the northeast had started to yield dividends.

He said: “We have to put things in proper perspective; one year ago, nobody could venture out of Maiduguri beyond 15 kilometers.

Maiduguri was on the verge of falling into the hands of demented monsters called Boko Haram. We were under seige, until God in His infinite mercies intervened with your emergence as president.

The abduction of the Chibok girls was the point the world woke up from her slumber, when the conscience of the world got pricked.

“We have to thank you for your efforts in the Northeast.

“With mixed feelings, with happiness mixed with sadness because 218 girls are not accounted for, but a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, the recovery of Amina Ali, is a sign of greater things to come as our gallant troops engage in the counter insurgency operations, especially in the Sambisa and the shores of the Lake Chad,” he said.

“Also the Defence Minister, Mansur Dan Ali, noted that what is being celebrated with the rescue of Amina is Buhari’s political commitment and support, which gave a major boost to the success of the fight against terrorism.”

He said that the change of military leadership at the inception of Buhari’s administration injected new ideas and vigour into the military operation.
He added: “Consequently sir, the Armed Forces of Nigeria achieved tremendous success by ensuring the safety of lives and properties and protection of territorial integrity of our country.

“This Operation Crackdown is an offensive operation within Operation Lafia Dole, which started on the 28th of April. It was aimed at clearing Sambisa forest, the haven of Boko Haram terrorists. In that operation, we have been able to clear a lot of villages; 20 villages have been cleared in the last 22 days of this operation.

“We have also rescued over 150 in this operation since it started, among which we separated our Chibok girl, Amina Ali. The officers and men of the Armed Forces have actually been involved in this operation.

“In these 22 days, we have lost about seven soldiers, three due to enemy action and IEDs, one accidental during clearing of IEDs, and three as a result of road traffic accidents.

“We have also had some troops injured and they are responding to treatment. We have counted close to about 69 killed in action and we have also captured equipment and also bombed some of their own platform,” he stated.

Amina’s mother said the rescued girl and her brother were the only surviving children out of 14 that she had.

http://thenationonlineng.net/theres-hope-says-buhari-another-chibok-girl-found/

More arrests are on the way in the probe of the huge cash some oil companies pumped into the failed bid to change the 2015 presidential election results. Some of the cash has been recovered.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested some bankers. It plans to haul in some oil barons who contributed $115m (N23, 299,705,000billion) to bribe some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials. The officials were to alter the results of the election in which President Muhammadu Buhari, the tehn candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) beat then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

The owner of an oil company, Leno Olaitan Adesanya, yesterday reported at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja for interrogation.

He was however asked to go to the commission’s office in Lagos for questioning.

Two others, who have been summoned by the EFCC, were said to have gone underground and incommunicado.

The EFCC has recovered N408.7million from some of the beneficiaries of the slush funds.

Fidelity Bank refunded N49.7million, its profit from the disbursement of the N23.29billion provided by former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Some former and serving INEC officials in Oyo and Ogun states refunded N359millon.

More officials of INEC were said to have rushed to the EFCC to refund the bribe given to them.
The EFCC team has intensified its investigation into the scandal.

It was learnt that besides INEC officials in the 36 states, the EFCC has invited the owners of the oil firms which contributed $88.35million of the $115million sent to Fidelity Bank by the ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources.

One of the four oil firms implicated in the bribery saga has been linked to former Governor of Delta State, who is serving a jail term in the United Kingdom, James Ibori.

It was gathered that the oil companies were mandated by Mrs Alison-Madueke to part with $88.35million as their contribution to Dr. Jonathan’s campaign.
Some of the oil chiefs were shocked by the findings of the EFCC that their donations were deployed in bribing INEC officials, The Nation learnt.

An EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said:”Our investigation into the N23.29billion bribe has reached a critical stage. Six teams are working round the clock in all the geopolitical zones.

“The top officials of Fidelity Bank in custody have made statements, including the list of all beneficiaries and bank details of payments made to them.

“We are likely to arrest more suspects, especially the oil chiefs who provided about $88.35million of the $115million lodged in Fidelity Bank for conversion to naira.

“One of the clues we are probing is the likelihood of these funds being laundered by the oil firms and their owners.

“If these clues are proven, they may eventually face trial for money laundering. We will surely interact with these oil magnates.

“Some oil companies are under surveillance for their covert operation in diverting taxes and revenue meant for the Federal Government to fund campaigns. You can now understand why some of them were given tax waivers.”

The source added: “One of the oil chiefs, Leno Olaitan Adesanya, reported at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja but he has been directed to go to the Lagos office.

“We are expecting him for grilling on Friday (today). We have invited other oil chiefs but two of them have gone underground. We will fish them out wherever they are.”
Fidelity Bank and some former and serving officials of INEC have refunded about N408.7million to the EFCC.
While the bank refunded N49.7million, some former and serving INEC officials in Oyo and Ogun states paid back N359millon

A top EFCC source said: “While scrutinizing their records, we discovered that Fidelity Bank made a profit of N49.7million from the disbursement transactions made in all its branches nationwide. The management of the bank on Thursday refunded the profit while we are continuing investigation on other funds.

“Some former and serving INEC officials in Oyo and Ogun have paid back N359million to EFCC. What happened was that while N802m was voted for bribery of INEC officials and NGOs in Oyo State to change presidential poll results, about N629m was dished out in Ogun State,

“But some of these beneficiaries in Oyo and Ogun were suspicious of the sources of the funds. They cooperated and went to the designated Fidelity Bank branches and collected the cash. Instead of spending it, they sought the service of lawyers who advised them to open accounts to keep the cash in case there are issues in the future.

“When this matter came up, the lawyers assisted in locating the funds and the N359million was refunded.

“We are working on other beneficiaries to recover the slush funds.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/n23-3b-bribe-bank-inec-officials-refund-n408-7m/

The Senate Tuesday clarified its position on the proposed amendment of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as it said under no circumstances can the amendment affect the on-going case of its president, Bukola Saraki, before the tribunal.

In a statement by Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Aliyu Sabi, the Senate stated that many of the comments on the proposed amendments were made by those who have neither read the bill nor understood the principles behind it.

Mr. Sabi said since Mr. Saraki’s case commenced in 2015, any amendment of the law in 2016 cannot retroactively affect an on-going case. He added that the proposed amendment would still take a minimum of six months given the long process that lawmaking requires.

According to him, this process include committee hearing, public hearing, report back to Senate committee of the whole, the concurrence in the House of Representatives and, assent by the President as the final stage.

“There is no way we will even complete the process of finally effecting the amendments before the completion of the Saraki case. So those who read selfish or ulterior motives to this ordinary legislative activity are either mischievous or ignorant of legislative procedures,” he stated.

Mr. Sabi added that the sole aim of the amendment was to give effect to the right to fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 constitution and the recent pronouncements of the Supreme Court.

“The amendment only affects section 3 and paragraph 17 of the Third Schedule of the current law. The sub-sections in Section 3 were re-arranged in such a way that it will reflect elegance in legal drafting.

“Also, the proviso in Sub-section 3 (d) was removed since it has also been removed in the constitution. To give fair hearing to the defendants in cases involving the bureau, sub-sections 3 (c) was enlarged to ensure that the person concerned was invited to state his own case, after which the CCB can still refer the matter to the tribunal for trial. This eliminates the constant complaint that a defendant was not given the opportunity to make explanation on the inconsistencies alleged to have been found in his Asset Declaration form. This is bringing the law in compliance with the judicial principle of Audi Alterem Partem (Hear from both sides to a case before taking a decision).

“The proposed deletion of Paragraph 17 in the Third Schedule of the law is to ensure that the court does not assume a procedure for which the drafters of the law and the law makers did not intend. The Penal and Criminal Codes mentioned in the Paragraph are no longer relevant. The CCT was not created to be a court with criminal jurisdiction and that is why the law provides for the defendant to be referred to another court if criminal issues emanates from any matter.

“We have found this amendment necessary so as to cure the inconsistencies and mischief arising from the operation and interpretations of the present law. Unfortunately, this ordinary act of legislation has been caught in a conspiracy theory beyond the wildest imagination of lawmakers,” he said.

The Senate spokesman therefore urged all members of the public to always seek to have full information about anything that goes on in the Senate before making comments or seeking to condemn the legislative institution.

He also invited all interested members of the public to make submissions to the National Assembly now or attend the public hearing, which would be duly announced.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/202096-saraki-wont-benefit-code-conduct-act-amendment-senate.html

A proposed plan to pay just one month out of about 10 months owed local council workers in the eight local government areas in Bayelsa State drew the rage of the workers’ union on Thursday.

The angry workers vehemently rebuffed any plan to pay them piecemeal, and vowed to shut down the councils if the government went on to implement the proposal.

The local government employees also noted that they were aware of a plot to sack many of their members who were employed before Governor Seriake Dickson took over the reins of office, noting that such a plan was unacceptable to the unions.

In a seven-point communiqué, made available to journalists after a meeting on Thursday, the council workers represented by the Joint State Administrative Council of Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, the workers lamented that many of their members had become impoverished.

Signed by the state Chairman, NULGE, Akpos Ekiegha; Secretary, NULGE, Tonye Jaja; state Chairman, MHWUN, James Adama; and the Secretary, MHWUN, Arafat Nwibani, the council employees insisted that they had been suffering, owing bank loans and school fees.

“It has become very worrisome following impeccable rumours making the rounds that only one month salary will be paid to workers in spite of over 10 months salary arrears owed by the councils.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/04/14/irate-bayelsa-council-workers-reject-one-months-salary-payment/

Lalasticlala..... Goodmorn and front page Oooo

The impasse over the 2016 Budget assumed a rowdy dimension in the House of Representatives with members demanding the resignation of the
Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin.

They were furious that Jibrin influenced the allocation of projects worth N4.169billion to his constituency outside what was budgeted by the Executive.

Also, members opposed allocation of N40billion( at N20b a piece) to those in the leadership of both the Senate and the House.

They specifically faulted the concession of projects of over N3billion to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara out of the N20billion for the House leadership.

Amidst shouting match, the lawmakers said the House should do away with past practices of personalising budget.

It was gathered that sensing likely protest at the plenary over the budget, the Speaker and his principal officers opted for an Executive session.

The Executive session began at about 11.30am on a sombre note with the Speaker offering some rapprochement in order to calm down frayed nerves.
A source at the session said: “After initial courtesies, the Speaker hit the point by claiming that everything being said about the budget remains hearsay because the Executive has not returned the Appropriation Bill.

“He quickly added a caveat by urging members to avoid anything which could affect the unity of the House.”
Lending weight to the Speaker’s plea, Hon. Monguno (Borno) urged members to “wait for reactions until the budget is returned.”

It was gathered that Dogara’s plea fell on deaf ears as members raised issues on the controversy surrounding the budget.

Some of those who spoke at the session on the budget included Nnana(Imo); Aliyu Sani Madaki( Kano); Prof. Mojeed Alabi(Osun); Douye Diri (Bayelsa) and Comrade Phillip Shuaibu( Edo).

Jibrin, who rose to defend the budget details, met more than he bargained for.

A ranking Representative said: “Most members were not persuaded by attempts by Jibrin to incite them against the Executive. They rose up and started shouting at Jibrin for not doing a diligent job.

“Some asked him whether it was the Executive that asked him to allocate huge projects to his constituency when there was no provision for these in the proposals of the Executive.

“Many were yelling and demanding Jibrin’s immediate resignation for the ineffective manner the Appropriation Committee handled the budget.

“Even when the Speaker called for calm, they shouted that they “cannot defend the indefensible in the press because Nigerians are angry against the National Assembly for playing politics with the budget.”

A lawmaker from the South-West said: “At the Executive session, members asked the leadership about the N40billion projects allocated to the principal officers of the Senate and the House. Each of the leadership of the two chambers will share N20billion projects.

“Members queried why N3billion projects have been allocated to the Speaker and why Jibrin favoured his constituency with N4.169billion projects.”

“The leadership said the N20b projects were captured under zonal intervention as it had been since 1999 but members said if others were doing it in the past, it should not be now.”

Some of the projects allocated to Jibrin’s Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency are:

•N100m for Town Hall

•Construction of roads in Kiru/Bebeji—N150m

•Solar street lights—N300m

•Badaf Road Construction—N405m

•Pedestrian Bridges —N200m

•Bebeji Earth Dam—N270m

•Empowerment items—N100m

•Entrepreneurship Development Training and Vocational Centre —N100m

•Rehabilitation of Gwarzo Kiru, Kwanar Maiyaki–N180m

•Rehabilitation of Sharada-Kwanar Dogara—N1.445billion

•Construction of solar powered boreholes–N150m

•Supply of tricycles, grinding machines and set of women salon empowerment kits—N200m

•Small irrigation scheme ins in Kiru—N100m

Findings revealed that at the end of the day, Speaker Dogara managed to douse the tension by begging members to sheathe their swords.

http://thenationonlineng.net/reps-angry-dogara-jibrin-others-inject-n40b-projects-budget/

Oil prices rose one per cent yesterday with benchmark Brent prices hitting a three-month high on hopes for a coordinated approach by major producers to support prices.

Brent crude futures were trading at $41.43 a barrel at their highest since Dec. 9, up 59 cents on the day.

On Monday, the contract had climbed by 5.5 per cent in intra-day trading and it has now gained more than 50 per cent since this year low on Jan. 20.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were up 38 cents at $38.28 a barrel.

“The bullish sentiment continues to push prices up or the absence of negative news,” said Carsten Fritsch, senior oil analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

News of a meeting of Latin American crude producers set in Quito for Friday had boosted oil prices on Monday, and bullish sentiment swept over into yesterday’s session.

The members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers in Russia are also due to meet for talks on March 20, according to the Nigerian petroleum minister, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu.

Kuwait’s oil minister said yesterday that his country’s participation in an output freeze would require all major oil producers, including Iran, to be on board.

“I’ll go full power if there’s no agreement. Every barrel I produce I’ll sell,” Anas al-Saleh told reporters in Kuwait City.

http://thenationonlineng.net/oil-price-hits-three-months-high-41-43/

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is targeting a N200 to dollar exchange rate in the parallel market, The Nation learnt on Friday.

The naira which on Friday traded at N330 to a dollar in the parallel market is expected to appreciate speedily, as impact of the CBN’s measures to stabilize the currency volatility in the parallel market begin to materialize.

President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), said the N330 rate in the parallel market is an improvement from last week’s rate when the naira exchanged for N391 to dollar.

The strident calls by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and some foreign interest for Nigeria to devalue its currency and the artificial spike in forex rate created by Bureau De Change operators appears to have tanked. This has been linked to a complex and integrated currency management approaches deployed by the CBN.

According to a top source in the apex Bank, “The aim of CBN is to ensure that the divergence between the official and parallel rate does not exceed N3, so we are looking at a parallel market rate of N200/$ because the downward trend in the pressure on the naira will be sustained.”

“The CBN has the capacity to sustain the downward pressure and will deploy further currency management initiatives, while capitalising on fiscal policies of the federal government to remain in support of non-devaluation of the Naira. The current stand of the federal government on Nigeria’s legal tender is Non-Devaluation. It will be unwise for anybody to be hoarding dollars because we can assure you that Naira appreciation is going to trend upwards going forward.”

So far, the CBN in a bid to manage the pressure on supply has deployed over $11.7billion to support Agricultural Sector, SMEs, manufacturers and others. This has reduced patronage of black market by end-users and has forced rent seekers to dump the greenback thereby creating a dollar-glut in the black-market.

The source noted that it has been observed that most of the imports that were draining forex resources have since found local substitutes with attendant savings in forex and shortage of demand for the greenback, which was fuelling the pressure, this is also coming on the heels of the CBN instruction to commercial banks to publish allocation of forex to end-users, this has in recent times ensure that real sector of the economy and genuine users for education and medicals have been able to access forex at official rate.


http://thenationonlineng.net/cbn-targets-n200-parallel-market-rate/

…As BDCs back Buhari’s no devaluation stance

THE naira gained about 30 per cent on Wednesday against the dollar at the parallel market to trade between N250 and N280 from N364 at which it sold on Tuesday ending two weeks of free fall when it peaked at N403 against the greenback at the parallel market last week Thursday.

The local currency had begun a gradual recovery on Friday, firmed sharply at the parallel market yesterday as retail traders, having anticipated a cut in its official rate and stocked up on dollars, bought the local currency back after the government said it would not devalue.

The naira rate closed at N197.50 on Wednesday at the official interbank market, where the CBN limits introduced late last year to defend a currency peg have restricted access to dollars.

That has funnelled demand for dollars on to the parallel market, a flow further fuelled by speculation of a possible weakening of the peg.

The Acting President of the Association of Bureau de Change of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe, said the market was reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘no devaluation’ stance.

He, however, expressed ABCON’s support for President Buhari not to allow further devaluation of the naira.
Gwadabe, who said the association was in partnership with the authorities to step up efforts to rid the market of illegal currency traders stated: “Like the President indicated recently, since the only significant thing we export is crude oil, devaluation will do more harm to the economy than good. So we also say no to further devaluation of the naira!” he stated.

He also affirmed ABCON’s backing to ensure its members comply with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s regulation as well as operate within the approved margin of 3.5 per cent with the hope that the demand and supply situation would improve to restore calm and stability in the market.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/naira-gains-30-sells-for-n250dollar/

The Nigerian Naira have further strengthened to around N280 to a dollar in the Nigerian black market

it has been revealed that black marketers in Benin now buying dollars at the price range of N150 to N250 and selling for around N20 to N30 above that level

The Naira have recently been gaining steadily against the USD amid jubilation among Nigerians whom rely heavily on imported goods

More to follow

http://breakingnews.ng/2016/02/24/jubilation-as-dollar-drops-to-n280/

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