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A leading Nigerian doctor has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of reneging on a promise to end "medical tourism" by seeking treatment in the UK. Nigerians spent $1bn (£690,000) on foreign medical trips in 2013, most of which was unnecessary, said Dr Osahon Enabulele. Nigerian politicians were mostly treated by Nigerian doctors in the UK, he added. Mr Buhari flew to London on Monday to be treated for an ear infection. It is unclear where the 73-year-old would be treated for what his office described as a "persistent" infection. Dr Enabulele, vice-president of the Commonwealth Medical Association, said it was a "national shame" that Mr Buhari went to the UK for treatment when Nigeria had more than 250 ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists, as well as a National Ear Centre. Mr Buhari should lead by example by using Nigerian doctors and facilities, and ensure government officials do not go abroad on "frivolous" medical trips, he added. The UK had more than 3,000 Nigerian-trained doctors, and the US more than 5,000, Dr Enabule said, accusing the government of failing to address the brain drain by improving working conditions and health centres. Mr Buhari, in a speech delivered on his behalf to the Nigeria Medical Association in April, said the government's hard-earned cash would not be spent on treating officials overseas, especially when Nigeria had the expertise. Nigeria is one of Africa's biggest oil producers but most of its citizens live in poverty. Mr Buhari took office last year on a promise to tackle corruption and waste.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36468154

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has
lambasted those who visited President
Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock a day after
combined security forces killed its members who
were praying and observing remembrance day for
their fallen heroes at Nkpor, near Onitsha,
Anambra state.
It said the present government in Nigeria had
indeed proven to be an undemocratic
government, hiding under the cloak of democracy
to perpetuate evil deeds on ordinary people.
IPOB, in a press statement signed by its media
oordinator, Dr. Clifford Iroanya said they were
surprised at the likes of those who rushed to
Buhari and congratulated him for killing Biafrans
on the fateful day and not to condemn his
murderous act or to discuss the process of
restoration of Biafra, adding, “it is now left for
Biafrans to decide what to do with these
traitors”.
“The account of what took place across the
Biafra land that day is condemnable by any
conscientious average person. It is expedient and
expressly essential for the office of the
Directorate of State, Indigenous People ofBiafra,
to state categorically that the acts so meted out
on our kiths and kin at home is nothing short of
an apparently premeditated, unwarranted and
extra-judicial killing of our people, men and
women, young and old, even sparing the
pregnant of this inhumanity was not the case.
“As if the killing was not enough, they went all
out to fabricate all manner of allegations and
accuse the IPOB of being violent . Their deed
certainly cannot be justified, and it leaves many
unanswered questions.
”They harassed and gruesomely murdered
innocent citizens without sparing even the most
vulnerable like the pregnant women. The action
was executed to please the President of Nigeria
and other Igbo haters; they came out to defend
their callous and unprofessional action with their
outdated extant Rule of Engagement, RoE, given
self-defense as claimed by the 82 Division
Nigeria Army,” he said.

Source: http://dailypost.ng/2016/06/07/ipob-blasts-igbos-who-visited-buhari-after-anambra-massacre/

The Zika virus strain responsible for the outbreaks in Brazil has been detected in Africa for the first time, the World Health Organization says. The WHO said it was concerned that the latest strain was spreading and was "on the doorstep of Africa". It is currently circulating in Cape Verde, an archipelago off the north west coast of Africa. Zika has been linked to neurological disorders including babies being born with small brains. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: "This information will help African countries to re-evaluate their level of risk and adapt and increase their levels of preparedness." Protection She said African countries should raise awareness among pregnant women of the complications with the Zika virus and encourage people to protect themselves against mosquito bites and sexual transmission. But she said she would not recommend strict travel restrictions to try to stop the spread of the disease. There have been more than 7,000 suspected cases of Zika in Cape Verde, with 180 pregnant women thought to have been infected. The WHO says three babies have been born brain damaged with microcephaly. Until the virus was sequenced by scientists in Senegal, it was not certain if the outbreak in Cape Verde was caused by the African or Asian type, which has hit Brazil and other Latin American countries. Tests show that this is the Asian strain - the same as the one blamed for birth abnormalities in Brazil. There have been around 1,300 confirmed cases of microcephaly - babies born with small brains - in Brazil, with thousands more under investigation. A UK researcher said the Zika virus has been circulating at a low level in African countries for more than 50 years, so some of the population may already be immune. "It is likely that the South American, Caribbean and Polynesian populations had no prior immunity to the virus, so a high proportion of people who are bitten by infected mosquitos caught the disease," said Dr Anna Checkley, of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College London Hospitals. Source http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36343006

Organised labour in Kogi State on Monday
threatened to resume its indefinite strike to
press home the demand for the payment of the
outstanding five- month salary arrears owed
workers.
This is contained in a communiqué issued by
the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) , the Trade
Union Congress ( TUC) and the Joint
Negotiating Council ( JNC) at the end of an
emergency meeting in Lokoja, the state capital .
The communiqué was jointly signed by Mr
Onuh Edoka , the state NLC Chairman; Mr Ojo
Ranti Matthew, Chairman of TUC and Mr Aaron
Akeji , the Chairman of JNC.
The organized labour based its decision to
resume the strike on failure by the state
government to keep to its previous promises to
pay the salary arrears .
It also condemned the payment of salary in
piecemeal; adding that salaries for the months
of October and November , 2015 were paid
three months after each of the month was due.
The communiqué also decried the exclusion of
workers employed between January and
December, 2015 from receiving the November ,
2015 salaries .
It , therefore, urged the state government to pay
those affected because they worked for the
month.
According to the communiqué , “the state
government is claiming that the employment of
the concerned workers was irregular , since
there was an embargo on employment in the
state ”.

Source: http://www.informationng.com/2016/04/kogi-workers-to-resume-strike-over-non-payment-of-salary-arrears.html

President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to
sign 2016 budget passed by the Senate
As the face-off between the presidency and
the Senate over the 2016 budget continues to
linger, President Muhammadu Buhari has
reportedly employed former Senate President
Ken Nnamani and one-time Speaker of the
House of Representatives and Katsina State
Governor Aminu Bello Masari to assist in
resolving the crisis.
According to The Nation newspaper, both
Nnamani and Masari said the president was
right not to have signed the budget since key
projects were removed by the Senate but
urged him to settle the rift between the two
arms of government quickly as a meeting
between the President and the lawmakers is
expected to hold this week.
“Budget is an area where we practise what
we call co-management between the
National Assembly and the executive branch
of government; both of them co-manage the
economy through the budget. It’s a peculiar
area; both of them will have to cooperate
and collaborate for a proper budget to be
passed and once it is passed, it becomes
law. “So, as it stands today, the situation is such
that the National Assembly has to do what is
called introspection. How did we get to where
we are now? The year is running out and we
are still talking about 2016 budget; where is
the fault from?
“Wherever it is coming from, both the
executive and the legislature must find a
quick solution to it. It does nobody good to
drag it any longer. Remember it is an area of
co-management; it is not left to the
executive alone, it is not left to the National
Assembly alone, there has to be
collaboration.
“I think it stands to reason, what I suggested
is being studied, I think it is appropriate,”
Nnamani was quoted.
On his part, Mr Masari said “I said it before
and I am saying it again, there was a time
Katsina State was entirely dependent on its
natural resources. Those resources are still
there and I believe that we are sensitising the
general public and the world to know that
there are lots of opportunities in Katsina and
in Kastina, with proper investment, we believe
we can make it; we believe we can survive on
the natural resources and agriculture and
other resources that abound in Nigeria.
“So that is why we have tagged this
“Economic and Development Summit” but
also we are refocusing to encourage our own
local investors, those who have N100,000 to
invest can make more money than leaving
the money in the bank.
“Essentially, our focus will be on agriculture
and agriculture of selected crops and we are
focusing on the natural ginger,
“We are focusing on the area of irrigated
agriculture in the area of rice, cotton and
other crops. We also have gold and diamond
in Katsina but what we can lay our hands
now is in the area of agriculture.”
President Buhari declined to sign the budget
after identifying various insertions by the
lawmakers as well as the exclusion of some
“legacy” projects, especially the Calabar-
Lagos rail project.

Source: https://www.naij.com/810766-presidency-vs-senate-president-buhari-runs-ken-nnamani-bello-masari-help.html

Not just Fayose, Nigeria needs deliverance

Human Rights Activist Chief Femi Falana
(SAN) would on Monday, 25th of April, file a
case of genocide and ethnic cleansing at the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague
and the ECOWAS Court, against Fulani
herdsmen for their continued massacre of the
innocent people and farmers in Jukunland, of
Southern and Central Taraba State, in North
Eastern part of Nigeria.
Falana called on the Federal Government to
take urgent and drastic action against the
massacre being perpetrated by Fulani
herdsmen against innocent farmers before they
throw the nation into another avoidable war.
He expressed shock at the scale of the
“unprecedented massacre of unarmed farmers”
being killed by these herdsmen in Jukunland in
Taraba State and the other parts of North
Central Nigeria everyday, describing it as “a
mindless pogrom”.
He spoke when he received in his office the
leaders of the Jukun Development Association
of Nigeria who had come to submit to him, a
1000 page document detailing the targeted
cleansing of their people by the rampaging
herdsmen.
He said: “It is very clear by the pictorial and
other evidence contained in this evidence that
the people of the North Central Nigeria are
going through terrible things daily in the hands
of these herdsmen. Lives and properties are no
longer safe from these people who killed and
maim, and rape women at will just because
they wanted their cattles to graze on other
people’s farmlands.”
He therefore charged the Federal Government
to move security agencies to the North Central
state of Taraba in other to protect the lives of
innocent Nigerians who are being killed in their
farmlands everyday by these blood sucking
herdsmen, before the people resort to self help.
The National President of the Jukun
Development Association of Nigeria Mr
Benjamin Bako said the group had approached
the legal luminary to help defend their cause
and draw attention to the plight of their people
who are being killed everyday by the ravaging
herdsmen.
Bako disclosed that the group had compiled a
thousand paged document to back their claim,
detailing the atrocities of these violent men in
their land in the last four years.
He said it is baffling that most of the violence
had gone unreported in the mass media,
despite the large and worrisome scale of the
pogrom.
“Jukun Development have officially compiled a
1000 paged document containing details of
Fulani herdsmen atrocities, including names of
all the individuals killed and properties
destroyed by the herdsmen in the last four
years in Jukunland to human rights lawyer
Chief Femi Falana (SAN), whonhad been
briefed to formally file a case of genocide on
behalf of the association”.
The association’s president while submitting
the document urged the rights activist to fight
for the right of the jukun people and other
tribes to live in their ancestral homelands
peacefully, wondering why President
Mohammadu Buhari has kept mute all this
while despite the avalanche of security report
that must have been reqching him concerning
the deteriorating development in Southern
Taraba.
Bako called on Nigerians and the international
community to stand up and condemn the
genocide and ethnic cleansing ongoing in
Southern Taraba in North Central Nigeria,
before it spread to other parts of the country.
He said the association has since submitted
copies of the document to Human Rights
Watch, Amnesty International and other rights
organisations around the world.


Sourc: http://thenationonlineng.net/falana-drags-fulani-herdsmen-icc-ecowas-court/

Members of the Ejike Oguebego-led
faction of the Peoples Democratic
Party in Anambra State, who
participated in the state and
National Assembly elections in
2015, have called on the
Independent National Electoral
Commission to issue them their
Certificates of Return based on the
Supreme Court’s ruling of January
29, 2016.
The spokesperson for the faction,
Mr. Tony Offiah, told journalists in
Abuja that the suit by INEC, seeking
an interpretation of the January 29,
2016 judgment of the Supreme
Court, was a plot to prevent the
members of the Oguebego’s group
from realising their electoral
mandates.
He said, “There is no interpretation
that is needed; rather, INEC should
do the needful. Justice delayed is
justice denied. Why have we not
received our Certificates of Return?
We enjoin Nigerians to ask this
question. Our Certificates of Return
are at stake and we are demanding
and asking for them. There is no
more reason to delay. We are
calling on INEC to please do what is
necessary for we can no longer
wait.”
Last week Wednesday, the Supreme
Court declined jurisdiction to
review its judgment delivered on
January 29 in the leadership
dispute within the Anambra State
chapter of the PDP.
It had explained that going by its
rules and the provisions of the
constitution, it lacked the
jurisdiction to review its own
judgment.
While ruling on the application
filed by INEC, Justice John Okoro
held that the judgment by its
ordinary meaning did not need to
be subjected to any clarification.
A five-man panel of the court had
unanimously endorsed the ruling
and Justice Okoro had stated that
the dispute on whether the
Certificates of Return should be
withdrawn from the serving
lawmakers and given to the list of
candidates of the Oguebego faction
was not an issue before the court
and that the court never made any
pronouncement to that effect.
However, Offiah based his
argument on the fact that the
Supreme Court in the January 29
ruling, re-affirmed the
chairmanship of Oguebego as the
authentic state chairman of the PDP
in Anambra State.
He stated that the Supreme Court
also declared the list of candidates
submitted by the Ken Emekayi-
faction illegal.
The faction argued that going by the
ruling of the apex court, the list of
nominated party candidates in the
last election from the Oguebego-led
executive of the Anambra PDP was
the only one to be recognised by
INEC.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/anambra-pdp-asks-inec-to-withdraw-uba-oduahs-certificates/

– The federal government uncovered
37,395 ghost workers on the payroll of
the Federal Civil Service
– The EFCC’s investigation has revealed
that the federal government has lost
close to N1 billion to these ghost workers
– Ibrahim Magu, the EFCC boss, said
that anti-graft agency had established a
Procurement Fraud Unit in order to
handle the increasing number of petitions
relating to violations of the Public
Procurement Laws
– He advised civil servants to avoid any
act that was in breach of public
procurement
Ibrahim Magu
Ibrahim Magu urged civil servants to avoid
any act that was in breach of public
procurement.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has revealed that the
federal government uncovered 37,395 ghost
workers on the payroll of the Federal Civil
Service.
Premium Times reports that Ibrahim Magu,
the chairman of the EFCC, made the
disclosure on Tuesday, April 19, during an
anti-corruption sensitisation programme
organised by the anti-graft agency for staff
of works and housing sectors.
“EFCC has uncovered 37,395 ghost workers in
the Federal Civil Service and investigation is
still going on.
“Our investigations have so far revealed that
the federal government has lost close to N1
billion to these ghost workers.
“The figure will definitely increase as we
unravel more ghost workers buried deep in
Federal Civil Service payrolls,” he said.
The EFCC boss revealed that the anti-graft
agency had established a Procurement Fraud
Unit in order to handle the increasing number
of petitions relating to violations of the
Public Procurement Laws.
Expressing serious concern, Magu urged civil
servants to avoid any act that was in breach
of public procurement.
“Let me warn that civil servants found guilty
under the Public Procurement Act risk terms
of imprisonment ranging from five to 10
years, and in addition, may face dismissal
from service.
“The commission is determined more than
ever before to rid all MDAs of all forms of
fraudulent activities,” he stressed.
Magu also announced that the EFCC was
planning to place suggestion boxes for
people to assist the commission in its anti-
corruption war by dropping petitions and
reporting of corrupt practices.
In his speech, Abubakar Magaji, the
permanent secretary (works and housing),
stressed that Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDAs) should be in the forefront
of compliance with public service laws and
regulations.
“It is rather sad that over time, the laws,
regulations and standard practice governing
the operations of the public service are being
neglected and often abused, in many cases
with impunity.
“The MDAs are expected to be in the
forefront of compliance with extant laws and
regulations, because they (MDAs),
collectively, constitute the engine room of
government.
“They are responsible for implementation of
government policies and programmes.
Therefore, the success or failure of such
policies and programmes are fully on the
shoulders of public officers,” he concluded.
Magaji announced that the works and
housing sectors would regularly organize
interactive sessions to re-orientate officers
on the importance of compliance with laws,
regulations and guidelines.
On March 9, Kemi Adeosun, the minister of
finance, revealed that the federal government
would soon expose 11,000 ghost workers
who have been on its payroll.
She disclosed that her ministry was
employing computer techniques to investigate
the 11,000 affected cases and assured
Nigerians that they would be informed on the
money saved from the exercise.

Source: https://www.naij.com/804923-massive-fraud-efcc-uncovers-37395-ghost-workers-fg-payroll.html

YORUBA TOWNS&GENEAULOGY OF THEIR NAMES:
Did You Know That----
OSOGBO was coined out of Oso igbo (Wizard of the
Forest). This was as a result of earlier settlers who
surprisingly met a man at the River Osun river and
they referred to as ‘Wizard of the Forest’ Oso igbo
which led to the name Osogbo.
IGBOMINA came from ‘Ologbo lo mọ ọna’ meaning ,
it is the flag-bearer that knows the road. During the
olden days’ war, The Ajagunla (Ọrangun of Ila) was
the flag bearer, who carry the Flag, known as ‘Ogbo’,
this Ogbo helped in directing other warriors to the
right roads. ‘Ologbo lo mọ ọna’ later become
‘Igbomina’
IBADAN originated from ‘Ẹba-Ọdan’ which means
between the forests and the plains. Before 1829
Lagelu, the Jagun (commander-in-chief) of Ifẹ and
Yoruba's generalissimo, left Ile Ifẹ with some people
from Ifẹ, Ọyọ and Ijebu to found a new city at Ẹba-
Ọdan.
IGBOHO is from ‘Igbo ti nho’ meaning 'Whispering
Forest'. When Fulanis in conjunction with Afonja
military, destroyed the old Ọyọ Empire, Ọyọ people
dispersed into the forest and to avoid being noticed,
they communicated by whispering to one another.
The people settled close to the area noticed that the
forest was making unidentified noise and tagged the
place as ‘Ibi ti igbo ti nho’ which became Igboho
today.
OGBOMOSHO was generated from ‘Ogbori Elemọshọ’
when Sọun Ogunlọla, a great hunter, who later
became the first Sọun of Ogbomọshọ, helped the old
Ọyọ Empire to kill Elemọshọ and brought his head to
Alaafin. People began to refer to the settlement of
Sọun Ogunlọla as ’Ibi ti wọn ti gbe Ori Elemọshọ’.
ỌYỌ was from ‘Ibi ti Ẹsin ti yọ’, where the horse
slipped. When Oranmiyan left Ile Ifẹ to found his
Kingdom elsewhere, the Oracle told him to stop and
establish his kingdom wherever his horse slips (yọ).
Ibi ti esin ti ‘yọ’ is now known as Ọyọ.
EKITI was derived from ‘Ilẹ Olokiti’, Mountainous
land. When the descendants of Agbonniregun baba
Ifa and some other people left Ile Ife to found a new
kingdom, they decided to settle at where they saw
lots of mountains and they said this is ‘Ilẹ Olokiti’
which later transformed to Ekiti.
IKEJA was named after an Awori hunter known as
Akeja Onigorun, he was a successful hunter who was
famous within the Awori clan of the Yoruba people
hence the present name Ikeja the state government
seat of Lagos
BADAGRY came into being around 1425 A.D. The area
known as Badagry was founded by a farmer who had
his farm on the peninsular named Agbede. The farm
was later known as Agbede’s farm. Agbede’s farm
was referred to as Agbedegreme, which was later,
coined into Agbadarigi by the Yoruba alien and
eventually pronounced as Badagry by the European
slave merchants when the coast of Badagry was
discovered and opened to the New world.
ILE IFẸ got its name when Oduduwa arrived the
settlement now called Ile Ifẹ, It was believed that
Oduduwa came with a giant cock and parcel of sand.
The cock then spreads the sand and the land further
expands, meaning Ilẹ fẹẹ (land expands).
In Yorubaland, gbogbo nkan lo ni bo ṣe jẹ.

The state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, presented cheques to the governors of the benefitting state governments at the briefing room of the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after the Council of State meeting. At the brief ceremony, the governor said there was no gainsaying the fact that the emergence of Boko Haram and its devastating activities was a single challenge facing the nation. He said although the insurgence “is basically limited to the north-eastern part of Nigeria, the effect is felt everywhere across all the states of the federation.” The governor recalled that at the just-concluded 21st National Economic Summit in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation presented what he called a graphic and heart- rending report of the extent of damage and social trauma brought about by insurgency in the region. He added, “Lagos State views insurgency and natural disasters as hardships that leave traumatic experiences. “We commiserate with the three northern states and share the pains and discomfort of our brothers and sisters. “We also commend our President for the renewed commitment of the Federal Government to bringing insurgency to a logical conclusion by the end of the year. “Our security agencies also deserve commendation for their gallantry, courage and resolution to ensure that the directive of Mr. President and indeed the wish of all Nigerians are achieved. “Notwithstanding the hard times resulting from the current economic situation, we have resolved to show leadership and compassion to the plight of our brothers and sisters in north-eastern Nigeria. “It is therefore in demonstration of our commitment towards bringing succour and relief to thousands of the IDPs that we present this donation of N50m each to the governments of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. “We use this opportunity to call on all Nigerians including corporate organisations and other public-spirited individuals to reach out at this time and alleviate the pains of our compatriots in this part of Nigeria.” Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, who responded on behalf of the two other state governors, thanked Ambode and the people of Lagos State for the gesture. He assured the governor that the funds would be judiciously used for the purpose for which it was donated. He said, “On behalf of the governments of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, we register our profound gratitude for the empathy and support shown by the government and people of Lagos State under the leadership of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in this our hour of need. “I believe that when the history of this event will be written, the name of Lagos will be mentioned in gold for identifying with us and showing empathy to our people in our hour of need. “Every problem comes with its own opportunities for national regeneration and reintegration.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/lagos-donates-n150m-to-adamawa-borno-yobe-2/

Power generation for the first time in Nigeria has risen to an all-time high of 4,748.1 megawatts, sustaining the steady increase that has characterised the electricity generation in the past two months. A report obtained on Tuesday from the Presidential Task Force on Power showed that the new figure was attained around 9.15pm on Monday. The country’s last peak power generation of 4,724.6MW was recorded on August 22, 2015, while the peak demand was put at 14,630MW, the report stated. This is coming as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission attributed the problems facing the power sector to corruption and poor budgeting. The Transmission Company of Nigeria said it wheeled the 4,748.1MW as a result of coordinated efforts by operators. The Managing Director, System Operation/Market Operation, Mr. Dipak Sarma, said, “This has been made possible due to a coordinated effort of the TCN with the generating companies and the distribution companies.” He said based on the wheeling capability of the TCN network and implementation of real-time online power optimisation tools developed by the company’s National Control Centre, the Discos were requested to deliver more power to their consumers by connecting more load. “This can push the generation to further higher levels given the fact that fuel supply to the generators is stable and adequate,” he added. On how corruption had impacted negatively on the sector, the Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, said that before 2010, the sector suffered the problem of modelling, adding that it had been bedevilled by poor project management and fraud, particularly with procurement. Amadi spoke at a workshop organised by NERC to present a template for effective project management to electricity industry performance managers in Abuja on Tuesday. The NERC boss said the power problems had hampered effective delivery of projects within a targeted time frame in the sector. According to Amadi, by now, Nigeria would have hit about 9,000MW if all the National Integrated Power Projects had been completed and the capacities of existing electricity generation companies recovered. He said, “Today, the real problem of this sector is performance management. We have moved from modelling and have set a fairly good enough model that will allow us to create sustainable electricity. The problem is poor project management and it includes corruption, which, of course, is the beginning. I say this because if you miss procurement, if you award contracts to those who cannot deliver, then there is no magic that can be done. “If we had delivered all the NIPP projects, recovered all the capacity of existing electricity generation companies, we would have been doing over 8,000MW or 9,000MW today. So, the problem of the electricity sector is that we need to develop the skills, projects and deliver on these projects.” Amadi said the meeting would provide the opportunity to present the performance management officials a template designed by NERC, adding that the template would enable the performance managers to learn how to deliver on projects in good time.

http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/power-generation-hits-4748mw/

The Lagos State Government has removed the list of contracts awarded under the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola. The list which was published on the website of the state’s Public Procurement Agency, www.lagosppa.gov.ng , stated that Fashola’s administration spent N78.3m on his personal website, www.tundefashola.com , in 2014. The list further stated that Fashola spent N139m on the drilling of two boreholes at the Lagos House, Ikeja. However, checks by our correspondent on Monday showed that the section which lists all the contracts awarded under Fashola’s administration between 2013 and 2014 could no longer be accessed. The website of the PPA was inaugurated by Fashola on July 15, 2013. According to Fashola, the website is aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, accountability and value for money in the area of public procurement and asset disposal through the enactment of the Public Procurement Law, 2011, and the establishment of the requisite agency. He had stated during the inauguration of the website that the details of contracts awarded by the government would be published periodically on the website. Reacting to the development, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders said secrecy was one of the trademarks of the state government. CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said that was why the state government failed to implement the Freedom of Information Act. He said, “The development gives credence to the belief that the state government’s activities are shrouded in secrecy. They believe that the government is a cult and only the initiates should have information. “It is for this reason that the Freedom of Information Act has been frustrated by state governments, especially Lagos. Such websites are only accessible when the state government’s have some interests to serve.” The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Mr. Habib Aruna, said he was not aware that the details of the executed contracts under Fashola had been removed from the website. He, however, promised to investigate the matter. Calls made to Fashola’s spokesperson, Hakeem Bello, rang out. He had also yet to respond to a text message sent to his telephone.


http://www.punchng.com/news/lasg-removes-fasholas-budget-spending-from-website/

The Nigeria’s Ambassador and Head of Mission
in the United States of America, Prof. Ade
Adefuye, on Sunday evening listed some of the
changes the US authorities expect to see in
Nigeria henceforth.
Adefuye spoke with journalists at the Embassy
of Nigeria Building in Washington DC shortly
before the arrival of President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Buhari is currently on a four-day official visit to
the country.
The ambassador listed one of the priority areas
to include Nigeria’s shift of emphasis from oil to
non-oil export.
“America will want to see a shift of the emphasis
from oil to non oil export, agriculture, power,
infrastructure and solid materials and all the
things that will help Nigeria to diversify,” he
said.
Adefuye added that US would also want to see a
world where there would be consultations than
confrontations.
He said since that was also the objective of
Nigeria, the two countries had to complement
each other.
He expressed the optimism that Buhari’s visit
would bring about an improvement in the quality
of relations between Nigeria and the US.
The envoy believed that the visit would also
strengthen relationship between Nigeria and
America and a renewed commitment to
protection of Nigeria’s territorial integrity in
terms of stopping the offensive of Boko Haram.
Adefuye added that the commitment of Nigeria
to the development of the democratic process,
rule of law and good governance was also
important to the US.


Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/us-wants-nigeria-to-diversify-economy-adefuye/

According to a new study carried out by The
Times of India , self employed people and people
who work in private establishments are more
likely to commit suicide than salary earners in
government establishments. Read the report
below
Self-employed people are more prone to
committing suicide as compared to those
engaged in service. In service too, private
sector employees are more likely to
commit suicide than those working with
the government. National Crime Records
Bureau (NCRB) data for 2014 shows that
self-employed people (including
agriculture and business) accounted for
19.7% of all suicides, making them the
biggest single group among suicide
victims.
Among the self-employed though, businessmen
were safer than those engaged in agriculture. Of
all the suicide victims in 2014, 9.4% were
engaged in agriculture while only 7.5% were
engaged in business. The salaried class with
financial security is just as vulnerable as
businessmen, accounting for 7.5% of all suicides.
Government service, however, is a much safer
bet for a long life.
Only 1.7% of the suicide victims were engaged in
government service. With no job security, private
sector employees are more vulnerable. They
accounted for 4.7% of all suicides. Employees of
public sector undertakings (PSU) accounted for
only 1.1% of the victims. Students and
unemployed victims accounted for 6.1% and 7.5%
of suicides respectively. However, the group
most vulnerable to suicides is that of
housewives. They accounted for 15.3% of all
suicides committed in 2014.
Making a case for economic independence of
women, they also made up for 47.4% of all
female victims. Most housewives committed
suicide in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The two states had 24.5% and 24.1% victims as
housewives respectively. Government servants
accounted for 22.2%, 16%, 15.4%, 12.2% & 6.9%
of suicides victims in Daman & Diu, Manipur,
Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram
respectively. In Andaman and Nicobar islands
52.9% victims were employed with the private
sector. In Chandigarh the same figure stood at
27.6%.


Source: http://lindaikeji..nl/2015/07/new-study-claims-self-employed-people.html?m=1

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has
accused the All Progressives Congress of writing
President Muhammadu Buhari in a bid to stop
the refund of the money spent on federal
projects by the state.
The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr.
Jackson Adebayo, raised the allegation in a
statement made available to journalists in Ado
Ekiti on Sunday.
He claimed that the APC leaders decided to write
the President in order to cover up their earlier
allegations that the state Governor, Ayodele
Fayose, had collected N22bn as a refund for the
federal road projects executed by the state.
According to him, a member of the State
Executive Committee of the APC confirmed that
the letter was written after the party’s leaders
learnt the amount the Federal Government owed
the state was far below the N22bn.
But the State Publicity Secretary of the APC,
Taiwo Olatubosun, in his reaction, described the
allegation as “mere face-saving antics that
won’t take the PDP government anywhere.”
He said the APC had earlier alleged that a sum
of N22bn had been paid by the Federal
Government to Fayose, saying it would be
foolish on the PDP’s part to now allege that the
party had written to President Buhari with an
intention to block the payment.
“Our own allegation was not based on mere
rumour. They were facts. I have it on my
YouTube where the former Minister of State for
Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, praised former
President Goodluck Jonathan that he had paid a
sum of N22bn to Ekiti, being money spent on
federal roads during the presidential rally.
“So, the PDP should stop cooking up lies to
cover up their tracks. We had earlier alleged,
based on available facts at our disposal, that
the money had been paid and we cannot turn
around to block the payment of a money we are
certain had been paid.”
However, Adebayo said that the APC leaders had
already contacted some National Assembly
members elected on the platform of their party
to disregard any provision that may be made for
the federal projects in Ekiti State, so as to
forestall any chance by which the refund could
be included in the next budget of the federation.


Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/pdp-apc-bicker-over-fgs-projects-refund-in-ekiti/

The United States will offer to help Nigeria’s new leader track down billions of dollars in stolen assets and increase US military assistance to fight Islamic militants, US officials said, as Washington seeks to “reset” ties with Africa’s biggest economy. The visit to Washington by President Muhammadu Buhari is viewed by the US administration as a chance to set the seal on improving ties since he won a March election, hailed as Nigeria’s first democratic power transition in decades. US cooperation with Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, had virtually ground to a halt over issues, including his refusal to investigate corruption and human rights abuses by the Nigerian military. “President (Barack Obama) has long seen Nigeria as arguably the most important strategic country in sub-Saharan Africa. “The question is: would there be an opportunity to deepen our engagement? That opportunity is now,” US Deputy Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, told Reuters. The improving ties with Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, came as US relations have cooled with two other traditional African powers – Egypt and South Africa. US officials have said they were willing to send military trainers to help Nigeria counter a six- year-old northern insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist movement. Since Buhari’s election, Washington has committed $5m in new support to a multi- national task force set up to fight the group. This is in addition to at least $34m it is providing for Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger for equipment and logistics. Buhari’s move on July 13 to fire military chiefs appointed by Jonathan cleared the way for more military cooperation, US officials said. “We’ve made it clear. There are additional things that can be done, especially now that there is a new military leadership in place,” a senior US official said. Another senior US official said Washington was urging Buhari, a Muslim from the country’s North, to step up regional cooperation against the militants and to provide more aid to afflicted communities to reduce the group’s recruiting power. Buhari has said his priorities were strengthening Nigeria’s economy, which has been hard-hit by the fall in oil prices, boosting investment and tackling ‘the biggest monster of all’ – corruption. “Here too, he is looking to deepen collaboration and one of the things he is focused on is asset recovery. He is hopeful we can help them recover some of that,” the official said. “ In 2014, the US took control of more than $480m siphoned away by former Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha, and his associates into banks around the world. Washington has broad powers to track suspicious funds and enforce sanctions against individuals.
Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/us-to-trace-nigerias-stolen-funds/

A civil rights organisation, Vanguards of
Nigeria’s Democracy, on Saturday raised the
alarm over alleged moves by President
Muhammadu Buhari to “investigate, malign and
imprison” ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on
trumped-up charges.
The group accused the President and his All
Progressives Congress-led administration of
anti-Niger Delta tendencies.
The group referred to the ongoing controversy
between a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala and Edo State Governor Adams
Oshiomhole over Excess Crude Account and
allegations as a ploy to get at former President
Goodluck Jonathan.
But the Special Adviser to the President (Media
and Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina, described the
allegation by the group as mere speculation.
Adesina asked why people would dwell on
speculations when nothing concrete has been
established against former President Jonathan.
He said, “All these are speculations and I cannot
react to speculations because there is nothing
concrete yet against the former President.”
The spokesperson of VND, Mr. Osaghae
Ogiemudia, in a statement obtained by SUNDAY
PUNCH in Abuja, also claimed that anti-Niger
Delta and anti-Ijaw posturing of the APC-led
government of Buhari has been demonstrated in
several ways.
He said, “We the members of the Vanguards of
Nigeria’s Democracy, are aware of some
clandestine moves made by the APC-led
government to probe, investigate, malign and
imprison ex-President Jonathan. We are already
aware of the trumped-up charges the APC
government is levelling against a man who has
diligently served the Nigerian state at the highest
level of government.
“The APC led government should take notice that
the appointments made so far are skewed in
favour of the North, as no Ijaw man has been
appointed. While an Ijaw President did not
discriminate in appointment, President Buhari is
implementing a Northern agenda thorough some
of the appointments.”
According to him, Buhari unilaterally cancelled
the waterway surveillance and security contract
awarded to the Delta-born Ijaw businessman,
Mr. Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo.)
The group also criticised the sacking of the
Director-General of Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick
Ziakede Akpobolokemi and described it as “one
of the principal appointments given to the Ijaws
of Bayelsa State.”


Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-wants-to-imprison-jonathan-niger-delta-group/

Tragedy occurred on Sallah day in Bauchi when
a policeman on special duty knocked his head
against a barrier meant to restrict heavy trucks
from plying a road, and died.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the
policeman, Corporal Solomon Paul, attached to
the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, Bauchi
Police Command, became unconscious and later
died at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching
Hospital, Bauchi.
The Bauchi State Police Command’s spokesman,
Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident,
described it as “tragic”.
He said, “On the July 17(Friday) at about 9am,
the Bauchi State Police Command lost one F/N
499348 PC Solomon Paul, attached to the
Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, Bauchi.
“The incident occurred when the victim brought
his head out of the roof of a moving patrol
vehicle while on special duty.
“As a result, he hit the overhead barrier meant to
restrict heavy trucks from plying the road, and
became unconscious.
“He was rushed to ATBU Teaching Hospital,
Bauchi , for treatment but was later certified
dead by a medical doctor while on admission.”

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/bauchi-policeman-hits-head-against-road-barrier-dies/

FOrmer President Olusegun Obasanjo said on
Wednesday that he chose the late former
President Umaru Yar’ Adua as his successor
because the others who wanted the post were
corrupt.
Obasanjo said one of the people who wanted to
succeed him in 2007 was “stinkingly corrupt” and
that the only way he (Obasanjo) could justify
himself before man and God was to go for
Yar’Adua, who, he said, was the only one among
the contenders then who was not corrupt.
The former President, who spoke in an interview
with a private television station, Channels
Television, in Abeokuta, did not mention the
‘corrupt’ Yar’Adua rivals.
Among the prominent presidential hopefuls in the
Peoples Democratic Party in 2007 were
Obasanjo’s deputy, Abubakar Atiku; and ex-
Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.
Atiku later abandoned the PDP to contest the
presidential election on the platform of the
defunct Action Congress while Odili’s ambition
fizzled out with the nomination of Yar’Adua.
The AC later metamorphosed into the Action
Congress of Nigeria, which later merged with the
Congress for Progressive Change and the All
Nigeria Peoples Party to form the now ruling All
Progressives Congress.
Obasanjo’s choice of successor died on May 5,
2010 from heart-related ailments. Many
condemned Obasanjo for choosing a man who
was manifestly sick to lead the country.
But in the Channels interview, Obasanjo said he
only acted based on the information made
available to him.
He said, “Even if you take your son as your
successor, you are not sure of what he will do
when he gets there. Don’t ever kid yourself.
“What do I know about any successor? What he
presents. When he gets there, he presents it
differently.
“We did our best, but if you say our best is not
good enough, I will say, when it comes to your
turn, do better.
“With all the people that are available for
successor, what we came up with was about the
best that we could think of at that time.
“One of those who wanted to do the job came to
me and said, ‘Sir, I like your job, but I cannot do
it the way you are doing it.’ Now, if he had told
me that, should I then come and say, ‘okay,
come, let me give you the job?’ He had told me
that, ‘I like your job, but look, the way you are
doing it, I haven’t got the stamina to do it that
way.’ Then, what do you expect me to do?
“Or the one that I know that, oh!, this one, before
he gets the job, he’s stinkingly corrupt. Now will
I be able to defend myself before God and man if
with what I know I give this job or I encourage
the man to have this job?”

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/i-chose-yaradua-because-others-were-corrupt-obasanjo/

Former United States President George H W Bush has fallen at home in the US state of Maine and broken a bone in his neck. Spokesman Jim McGrath said that the 91-year- old Bush was in stable condition and is doing “fine” after Wednesday’s fall. He said in a tweet that the 41st president will be in a neck brace. Bush was hospitalised in Houston in December for about a week for treatment of shortness of breath. He said he was “grateful to the doctors and nurses for their superb care” after his treatment there. Bush is the oldest living former US president. He served two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice president before being elected the nation’s president in 1988
Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/george-bush-falls-breaks-neck-bone/

ISIS Twitter account shared this photo of a beheaded Statue of Liberty holding a black flag and New York City up in flames with a caption: Coming Soon

another strike looming

nice write up,but not sure it's by Soyinka

Press statement from PDP
Our attention has been drawn to the
misleading and outright falsehood by the
APC. The truth is that the NLNG had been
on a 10-year tax haven until 2014. Within
this period, successive governments, right
from President Olusegun Obasanjo never
shared nor tampered with the cumulative
dividends over the years.
Whatever taxes paid from the NLNG go
through the Federal Inland Revenue
Services (FIRS) and recorded as part of
the income of the Federal Government.
It is imperative to note that by the end of the
tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, NLNG
dividends had risen to a cumulative $5.6billion
and not a single cent was ever taken from the
funds.
Although it is within the rights of the APC
administration to spend the funds in any way
they may decide, it is however cruel for them to
inflict on us all such malicious falsehood while
the current Presidency without the benefit of
economic advisers and relevant statutory organs
of government, unilaterally decided to deplete the
funds without thinking of the attendant future
investments and financial obligations of Nigeria
in the NLNG project.
The APC must note that there is a limit to
propaganda and lies. Now is the time for
governance and this government has shown total
unpreparedness to face the challenges of
governance at the center.
Signed
Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary

Source: http://lindaikeji..nl/2015/07/nlng-funds-stop-lying-to-nigerians-pdp.html?m=1

THERE were indications, on Sunday, of an imminent clash between the Presidency and the Senate over an alleged attempt by the Presidency to rubbish the senate president. Pro-Saraki senators are accusing the Presidency of instigating the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Anastacia Nwaobia, not to honour an invitation by the upper chamber. Nwaobia had communicated to the Senate that she could not honour its invitation without an approval by her supervisors to do so but the Saraki loyalists said the Senate had the constitutional power to invite Nwaobia and that her refusal constituted an affront to the legitimacy of the senate president. The Saraki loyalists’ belief apparently rested on the alleged ‘non-acceptance’ of his presidency by the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari. “It will not augur well for our democracy if the Presidency will not allow civil servants to do their jobs. We should not carry the crisis in the APC to the Senate,” a pro-Saraki senator told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Sunday. Both Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had spurned the party’s directive on who to lead the National Assembly and had ridden on the back of an alleged alliance with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party members to clinch the leadership posts in both chambers. The APC had preferred Ahmad Lawan, a Senator from Yobe State, as the president of the Senate. The Lawan group in the Senate on Sunday said it supported Nwaobia because Saraki was said to lack both legitimacy and the moral right to invite the permanent secretary to brief the senate on the state of the economy. The Saraki group said the ‘offending’ permanent secretary failed to honour the Senate’s invitation because she did not get clearance from the Presidency. Investigations by one of our correspondents revealed that as of Friday the permanent secretary had yet to neither appear before the Senate leadership nor respond to the letters from the National Assembly management. It was learnt that senators loyal to the Senate President were angry that the Presidency could encourage the civil servants to disobey the Senate. The PUNCH had on Thursday reported that the Senate ad hoc committee on Finance, in a letter dated June 29, 2015, had invited Nwaobia and some officials of the finance ministry to appear before the committee on July 8. But when the permanent secretary did not honour the invitation at 11am on July 8, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, wrote another letter to her the same day, restating the invitation. The permanent secretary was said to have sent a text message to the Senate on July 7, explaining why she could not come. But the clerk’s letter, a copy of which was sent to the Head of Service of the Federation, read, “I refer to our letter Ref. No. NASS/S//SP/ COS/ CORRP/15/1/06 of June 29, 2015 on the above subject matter and your text message of July 7, 2015 to the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, signifying your inability to honour the invitation. “Your action is a deliberate violation of the provisions of Section 67(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended). “You are, therefore, requested to appear before the Senate leadership as contained in your aforementioned letter on Wednesday July 8, 2015 at 2.00pm prompt.” The third letter to the Permanent Secretary, written by the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Issa Galaudu, also stressed the importance of the meeting. It read, “Please note that your text message of yesterday, Tuesday, July 7, 2015, which I received by hours of 20:02 pm, suggesting that you would not make today’s meeting, is unacceptable. “This is an affront to the President of the Senate and its leadership. The provision of Section 67(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is very clear and unambiguous in this regard. Hence, you do not need the permission of any official before you attend or appear before the Senate. “Consequently, I have the instructions of the President of the Senate and leadership that you do appear before them on the date and time earlier communicated to you, Wednesday, July 8, 2015 by 11am prompt. It is my belief that you will comply unconditionally.” As of the close of work on Friday, the permanent secretary, our correspondents learnt, had not appeared before the Senate. When contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Sunday declined comment on the matter. Efforts to get Nwaobia to comment on the issue were not successful as calls sent to her mobile phone did not connect. Similarly, text message sent to her line was not acknowledged as of the time of this report. Attempts to also get the spokesperson for the Ministry, Mr. Marshal Gundu, were also not successful as calls made to his mobile phone did not connect. But a source in the ministry confided in our correspondent that, based on civil service procedures, it would be wrong for the permanent secretary to honour the invitation without first getting the approval of the Head of Service of the Federation. The source said since the permanent secretary reports directly to the HoS and not the Senate, it would amount to a breach of protocol for her to appear before the lawmakers without getting the consent of the HoS. To pro-Saraki loyalists, such explanation did not jell. But Lawan’s supporters in the Senate, under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum, supported Nwaobia’s shunning of the Senate invitation. The group, in a statement by its spokesman, Senator Kabir Marafa, on Sunday, said that since Saraki had allegedly violated some sections of the Constitution to emerge as senate president, he could not accuse another person of committing the same offence. The senator said, “I read with open mouth amazement, the letter written by both the Chief of Staff to the Senate President and that of the Clerk to the National Assembly on the refusal or inability of a government functionary to honour the invitation of the “leadership” of the senate. “They were saying the refusal violates section 67(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Can somebody please tell them that they are guilty of similar, if not higher offence? “They, in fact, not only violated the Constitution to ascend to the Senate leadership, they murdered it.” Marafa alleged that the leadership and management of the National Assembly, “murdered section 60 of the Constitution that gives the Senate, and not any individual or group of persons, the powers to conduct the business of the Senate on the 9th of June 2015 using the forged document” He also alleged that the Saraki group violated section 65 (2b) of the Constitution that “recognises the supremacy of the political party in favour of the unmentioned, unrecognised and unknown zonal caucuses.” He alleged that Saraki violated Order 3(2) of the Senate standing order 2011, as amended, which he said put ranking above all other considerations in nominating senators to serve as presiding or principal officers of the Senate and it’s committees. Marafa added that Saraki’s decision to announce Senators Ali Ndume and Bala Na’ Allah as senate leader and deputy leader respectively flouted the rule of ranking because Senators Ahmed Lawan and Bukar Abba Ibrahim, who were nominated by the party for the positions, were seniors to Ndume and Na’Allah. He said, “The presiding officer did not hit the gavel after announcing the names of the Senate leader and his deputy, this is required to give the announcement legislative authority. “From the foregoing it is clear that the leadership and indeed the Senate itself are not properly and legally constituted.” The Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, declined comments when contacted while efforts to get the spokesperson for the Saraki loyalists under the aegis of Senators of Like Minds, Dino Melaye, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile phone were not answered.

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has declared a mid-semester break when students are expected to vacate the university community for a period of time yet to be communicated. This was part of the resolutions of the management following an emergency senate that held on Sunday to review the current campus situation. A circular issued at the end of the Senate which was signed by the University Registrar, Dotun Awoyemi reads “The Senate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has approved that the students of the University proceed on a mid-semester break with effect from Monday, July 13, 2015. Consequently, all students are advised to vacate the Halls of Residence. The date of resumption will be announced later.” Though the University management has not tied the mid-semester break to the ongoing NASU protests and strike action, however, indications from several quarters have suggested that the mid-semester break is coming as a result of the agitations by the Students’ Union for a better welfare conditions which can no longer be guaranteed since the members of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) who are in charge of power and water supplies have downed tools. Earlier, the Students’ Union president, Akande Omotayo a.k.a TY has said that he will convey a congress of students on Monday to discuss the total closure of the university should the management fail to accede to the three (3) basic demands of the students at the moment which include power supply, water supply and free flow of vehicles within the university community. NASU has since upper week Friday, 3rd of July held the university to a standstill as the main entrances to the university were locked up and also retrieved water and power supplies for most periods. The struggle embarked upon by NASU is the non payment of the 64 months arrears of her members’ hazard allowances.

Article 13.2 (X) of the APC Constitution (October 2014 as amended), which deals with the powers of the BoT, stipulates: “The Board of Trustees shall elect its chairman, deputy chairman, secretary and other officers as it deems necessary, and formulate its own rules and procedures to regulate its meetings and activities.” This must have prompted the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, to ratify proposals made for the inclusion of some members of the party’s Board of Trustees. No sooner had the NEC approved proposals made by the party’s National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire, that some contenders emerged for the chairmanship of the BoT. Last Monday, it was gathered that three party chieftains desired to give it a shot. They are: former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; a former interim national chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande; and an ex-national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Audu Ogbeh. When asked in a recent interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, if amending the party’s constitution may hold the key to resolving the ongoing leadership crisis at the National Assembly, Ogbeh, who is the former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, and also a founding member of the APC, expressed disappointment in the party’s delay in inaugurating the BoT, adding that the board is the answer to the party’s woes. Ogbeh said, “It isn’t the constitution that is the real problem. Constitutions are run by human beings. We have our constitution; we have a certain understanding among ourselves about what we should do and shouldn’t do. I think there are some managerial lapses somewhere. “For instance, we have not yet formally inaugurated our Board of Trustees. What are we waiting for? This is the kind of crisis that the Board of Trustees should have taken over and resolved and not the National Working Committee or the National Executive Committee of the party. Why is the Board of Trustees still not in place?” The party’s NEC, which is its highest decision- making body, reportedly took nominations for membership of the BoT from the various state chapters during a NEC meeting which held penultimate Friday. On June 20, Saturday PUNCH had reported that a fresh power tussle between Atiku and Akande was on the horizon over the party’s BoT chairmanship. According to findings, the tussle is an episode in the supremacy war between power blocs in the APC. Atiku and the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, were reported to have been the primary contenders in a fierce battle to control the party. With these two camps, clinching the BoT chairmanship would go a long way in assisting them to control the party. Both camps were said to have started reaching out to members of the board, who will elect the chairman. Further investigations showed that Akande had the backing of Tinubu, who is reportedly angry with Atiku’s role in the National Assembly leadership elections. The struggle for the chairmanship of the APC’s BoT, it was learnt, became intense following the inauguration of the eighth Assembly which witnessed the controversial emergence of Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as Speaker. They were said to have won with the support of Atiku. Tinubu and the party’s National Working Committee, on the other hand, were voting for Ahmad Lawan for the Senate presidency and Femi Gbajabiamila for the House speakership. Political observers have since highlighted that Saraki’s election would enable the Atiku camp take control of the party’s National Executive Committee since the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are members of the NEC. However, Tinubu is believed to be in control of the party’s NWC, as many of its members are said to be loyal to him. Thus, the contest for the control of the BoT is clearly between both camps. Atiku, who has held the number two office in the country for two consecutive terms and contested in the party’s first ever presidential primary which produced President Muhammadu Buhari as the APC candidate for the March 28 election, is widely regarded as a political heavyweight in the APC. Pundits, however, note that Atiku’s chances are slim. The executive chairman of the Coalition against Corrupt Leaders, Debo Adeniran, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, argued that Atiku was not as all-embracing as the job of BoT chairmanship demands. Recalling Atiku’s political history with concern, the activist said the APC may not last long with the ex-vice president at the helm. He said, “When we look at Atiku, especially with regard to the controversy surrounding his activities as vice-president, he has not yet convinced Nigerians that he didn’t soil his hands. Moreover, the kind of divisive politics that he plays may not put him in a good position to be the best BoT chairman that can satisfy the yearnings of rank-and-file members of the party. “One would not want the ruling party to succumb to the whims and caprices of somebody who already has an open agenda that once was hidden. We must not forget the influence of the Peoples Democratic Movement in the PDP and the prominent role it played in the breakup of the PDP. The same thing happened when the New PDP emerged. That means that with an Atiku in the saddle, the APC may not last the tenure of the current regime before they break it into pieces. “The divisive politics of Atiku puts him at a disadvantage. I don’t see him as having a sectional agenda; his agenda cuts across, but he plays opportunistic politics and that is not fair. People like Saraki and Dogara need somebody who is courageous enough to confront them. Atiku is hand in glove with them, and if he becomes BoT chair, he will tolerate whatever they do.” Similarly, a professor of political science in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Onyebuchi Ezeani, agreed with Adeniran, adding that Atiku could not be held to the commitment of the party’s founding members because he formed the party late. “Most of the groundwork that was laid for the party’s formation was already there long before he arrived. As a result, I don’t think he has what it takes to hold such a position. Atiku is what I call a latecomer,” the professor opined. But the Director-General of the Atiku Media Office, Mr. Paul Ibe, when contacted on Monday, said the former vice-president “is eminently qualified to occupy the position.” He added, “We are not aware that the APC has thrown open the race for the chairmanship of the party’s BoT. But if, in the wisdom of the party, it elects to appoint (Atiku) Abubakar as chairman of its BoT, the Turaki Adamawa will be amenable and well- disposed to it because he is eminently qualified to offer his services to the party at that level.” For Akande, the battle for a top job in the APC is not entirely new. On June 11, 2013, the erstwhile national chairman of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria was reported to have been in a fierce contest with Tom Ikimi, another chieftain of the party, for the position of interim national chairman of the newly formed APC. The battle between Akande and Ikimi followed the decision by stakeholders of the APC — a merger between the ACN, the Congress for Progressive Change, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party — to cede the chairmanship to the ACN. But the APC, following a meeting behind closed doors in Abuja on June 26, 2013, named Akande its national chairman. Spokesman for the Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fasakin, said the appointment, which was, “part of the requirements (set by the Independent National Electoral Commission) for the registration of the new party was a collective decision of all the merging parties.” The APC was then registered by INEC on July 31, 2013, after which the party was joined by aggrieved PDP members, including Atiku, Saraki, and seven governors, between November and December of the same year. On June 14, 2014, Akande handed over his seat as chairman to a former Governor of Edo State, John Odigie-Oyegun, who became the first substantive national chairman of the APC, following a consensus arrangement by the leadership of the party at the inaugural national convention of the APC. By August 21, 2014, the party was reported to have appointed no fewer than 74 persons, including Buhari and Tinubu, as members of its BoT. Others listed were Atiku, Ikimi, Akande and Ogbeh. The BoT also comprises serving and former APC governors still in the party as well as two senators representing each of the six geopolitical zones and a member representing each state and the FCT. However, in a provocative statement on June 28, Akande alleged that the members of the APC, who left the PDP, came into the ruling party with vested interests, which he claimed were fuelling the APC crisis. The APC chief said, “What began as political patronages, which was to be shared into APC membership spread among ethnic zones, religious faiths, (as well as) political rankings and experiences, has now become so complicated that the sharing has to be done by and among PDP leadership, together with cohorts of former New PDP affiliations in the APC, by and among gangs against Buhari’s presidency, and certain APC legislators and party members who dance round the crisis arena to pick some crumbs. “After the elections, which saw the APC to victory all round, a meeting was reported to have been held by certain old and new PDP leaders in (former National Chairman of PDP) Kawu Baraje’s house in Abuja to review what should be their share in this new Buhari’s government and resolved to seek collaboration with the PDP with a view to hijacking the National Assembly and, having got rid of Goodluck Jonathan, with an ultimate aim of resuscitating the PDP as their future political platform.” But Baraje, in a summary rebuttal, described Akande’s claims as unfortunate and expressed disappointed that the former interim chairman of the APC would make such claims. Baraje was not the only one who had a bone to pick with Akande. The APC chieftain’s claims also drew the ire of party chairman, Oyegun, Saraki, Dogara, the Arewa Consultative Forum and the northern caucus of the party, among several others, leading to speculation that Akande’s chances of emerging the APC BoT chairman had been hurt. But Adeniran disagreed. On the contrary, he argued, the same reason that made some party members allege that Akande was being sponsored by Tinubu proved his suitability for the job. “He told no lie within the submission he made. He has said he didn’t make any sectional statement that was credited to him and nobody has disproved him since. Confronting them with past records that they have is not supposed to be seen as a disadvantage. It should, instead, be seen as an index of courage, which is why I believe he has adequate courage to confront anybody that wants to sabotage the good fortune of the party,” Adeniran told SUNDAY PUNCH. Commenting on speculation that Tinubu is behind Akande’s candidature, the activist said the national leader of the APC is a proven political tactician whose prowess would serve as an advantage. “Take it or leave it, Tinubu is a political strategist with a level of sagacity that no other politician has been able to achieve in the (Nigerian) political landscape. If Tinubu is supporting Akande, it should be seen as a plus, rather than a minus,” he opined. Citing Akande’s tenure as governor of Osun State, Adeniran described Akande as an articulate leader and a Cicero in his own right, whose wealth of experience would position him well for the job. Akande’s former Chief Press Secretary, Adelani Baderinwa, also expressed conviction of Akande’s capability to lead the APC’s BoT. Baderinwa, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, described the party chieftain as well qualified for the position. He highlighted Akande’s run at the party’s interim national chairmanship, and his role in laying the groundwork for the party’s formation. “He knows Nigeria very well and so there is nothing so spectacular about being the BoT chairman. By virtue of being the (interim) national chairman of the political party, he must have met quite a lot of the stakeholders in the process of managing the party, especially to the level that it became a success in terms of what the APC is. My take is therefore that he is found to have an advantage,” he said. But Ezeani expressed opposition to Akande’s advantage, arguing that Ogbeh is the candidate to beat. The professor of political science said, in comparison to Akande and Atiku, Ogbeh stands out because, “he does not have the baggage that comes with being linked to Tinubu. He is untainted, which is a crucial consideration in picking the man for the job. “If we are talking about those who have experience and contributed to the formation of the APC, Audu Ogbeh has the advantage. Let us not forget that he has held top positions in the PDP, so he has the most experience and the best understanding of what the party needs to.” Adeniran, however, expressed mixed feelings about Ogbeh’s candidature, arguing that though Audu Ogbeh is not known to accumulate wealth, his gentlemanly disposition would translate to a reluctance to want to rock the boat, which the political expert believes, is contrary to the demands of politics in Nigeria. “Save for the possibility that he might be too conservative for the dynamism that Nigerian politics deserves, he could have been the best candidate. But he may not have the guts, courage or political will to discipline erring party members and he doesn’t have the charisma with which he can carry everybody from different sections of the country together the way some other leaders are expected to. He is likely to tolerate the intolerable and that would be a minus against him,” Adeniran opined. Attempts to get Ogbeh’s reaction were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls by our correspondent to his mobile telephone number on Wednesday. On the consequences of a fierce BoT chairmanship race to the already embattled part, Ezeani told SUNDAY PUNCH that the crisis in the APC came as a shock to many political observers. According to him, the rift in the party is proof that the parties that came together to form the APC did so out of selfish interests, rather than a shared ideology. “I would advise the President to maintain his objective position and not meddle in the political dealings of the party. That is the right decision; I think that it is best that he stays away from the crisis rocking the APC so as not to be distracted from governance,” he added. But Adeniran argued: “Everybody was surprised that the (primary) election conducted by the APC went as smoothly as it did and that the general elections also went smoothly. It could be yet another surprise that, after this race, everybody will go back to his camp calmly without any strife.”