₦airaland Forum

An officer of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who was shot during kidnappers’ onslaught on Pegi community in Kuje Area Council of the FCT, has died.

The victim, Samuel Aku Attah, a Chief Superintendent Officer in the NSCDC, died at the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, where he was receiving treatment.

The 44-year-old is survived by two children and aged parents. He was shot when gunmen, dressed in military camouflage, kidnapped nine persons during a raid on the community on October 8.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/10/21/nscdc-officer-shot-in-kidnap-attack-in-abuja-dies/

The former Red Devils boss felt the way his old side set up at Old Trafford did not help the Premier League leaders to play their best football.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp "didn't like the menu" Manchester United served up in a 1-1 Premier League draw at Old Trafford on Sunday, according to Jose Mourinho.

Marcus Rashford scored at the end of a counterattack to put United ahead in the 36th minute, with the goal controversially upheld by VAR despite Liverpool claiming Victor Lindelof fouled Divock Origi in the build-up.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side continued to frustrate the leaders, who saw a potential equaliser from Sadio Mane ruled out following a video review, but were unable to hold on for a win as Adam Lallana tapped in with five minutes remaining.

Former United boss Mourinho felt Solskjaer's game plan and three-man defence troubled Klopp, with Liverpool unable to match a Premier League record with an 18th win in succession.

"[Klopp] didn't like the menu - he wanted meat and got fish," Mourinho said on Sky Sports..

"They are happy playing against opposition who give chances on the counterattack. Of course, United, with the limitations they have at the moment, played a different profile of game.

"They tried to stop the transition, played always with three centre-backs in position, always compact. Liverpool didn't like the menu.

"Liverpool missed the quality to play against a low block. I have to admit I'm really happy they didn't win because the other record [Chelsea's nine-match winning streak to start a season in 2005-06] is mine, not theirs.

"Sometimes they have limitations against teams with the low block. They have fantastic results but sometimes they win just in the limits.

"They can smash opponents who play the way they want to play against. Jurgen, clearly a bit of frustration. Old Trafford is a special place for Liverpool to win but he's never done it."

Former Liverpool captain and manager Graeme Souness, meanwhile, felt there was a lack of ‘cuteness’ from the visitors’ midfield trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum.

Souness said: "Liverpool have a midfield that will outwork anyone, but they got outworked in the first half which is very unusual.

"When they get to the last third, they haven't really got any cuteness in the midfield but what they do have is workaholics, with Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum.

"That's why they huffed and puffed for large periods today as United sat so deep. It's very harsh to be too critical on the Liverpool midfield."

https://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/klopp-wanted-meat-and-got-fish-mourinho-says-liverpool-boss/1xdk9u4ceuym610o7ibgas4byr

The Management of Kano Zoological Garden says it is awaiting the arrival of the reinforcement of a stronger sedative from Abuja with which to inject the escaped lion.

The Managing Director of the Zoo, Alhaji Saidu Gwadabe, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Sunday.

According to him, the aircraft conveying the reinforcement was expected to depart Abuja around 4:15 pm and arrive Kano some minutes after 5:00 pm on Sunday.

He, therefore, advised residents of the area to disregard the rumours being peddled on social media that the lion was either killed or captured.

He said the state government had given the management of the zoological garden all the necessary support to ensure that the escaped lion was returned to its cage alive and unhurt.

"The lion has been sedated but we are still awaiting for a reinforcement of a stronger sedative from Abuja to have full control of the animal,” he said.

Gwadabe said as soon as the reinforcement arrived, they will use it to sedate the animal and return it to its cage.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/escaped-lion-kano-zoo-awaits-reinforcement-from-abuja.html
Lalasticlala

Early morning downpour in Egbeda.
(Akowonjo Road in particular)
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/early-morning-rain-floods-egbeda-photos.html

The peace committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reconcile all stakeholders in Bayelsa and Kogi States ahead of the November 16 governorship elections, has initiated serious talks with former President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State, and former Governor Idris Ibrahim of Kogi State, among others.

The committee, sources said, would formally meet with Jonathan, who is expected to return to the country today after weeks of telephone talks on the future of PDP in Bayelsa State, particularly as it affects the November election.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who leads the party’s national campaign council on Bayelsa, had urged the Bukola Saraki-led reconciliation committee to leave no stone unturned in pacifying Jonathan, whom he noted had suffered some measure of disrespect in the state.

Inside sources in the committee hinted that the former Senate President had initiated several telephone conversations with Jonathan, which had proved useful in the peace efforts.

Saraki, according to the source, had equally met with Wike, who is believed to have some serious political interest in the election. Both were said to have reached agreement on the need to work for PDP to continue ruling Bayelsa.

“The peace committee has equally met with Timi Alaibe, who is a very strong contender in Bayelsa politics and all is going smoothly. We expect a better results in the next few days when the committee is supposed to receive him,” the source added.

In Kogi, the committee was said to have met some PDP stakeholders, including Senator Dino Melaye, who earlier rejected the job of leading the PDP campaign for the party flag bearer, Engineer Musa Wada.

The committee, it was further learned, had also spoken to former Governor Ibrahim Idris.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/guardian.ng/news/wike-jonathan-and-others-meet-over-bayelsa-guber/amp

The Management of Kano Zoological Garden has deployed a team of experts to capture the escaped lion which is said to still be within the premises of the Kano Zoological Garden.

The Managing Director of the Zoo, Alhaji Saidu Gwadabe disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Kano on Sunday.

He said the experts were armed with necessary weapons to ensure the success of the operation as well as the safety of their lives and the residents of the area.

He said the team would do everything possible to capture the escaped animal alive.

“We don’t want to kill the lion unless it becomes the last option as they can shot it to make it unconscious,” he said.

He said the operation which started on Saturday night had to be suspended around 11 p.m. because of the darkness of the bush where it was currently hiding in the zoo.

He, however, expressed hope that the operation would be successful as the lion had not destroyed or harmed anyone.

The entire zoo road which is one of the busiest roads in the city had since been deserted since the incident happened on Saturday.

https://dailynigerian.com/kano-roads-deserted-as-experts-trail-escaped-lion/
Lalasticlala

https://dailypost-ng.cdn.ampproject.org/i/s/dailypost.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Simon-Achuba.jpg

The Kogi State House of Assembly on Friday impeached the state deputy governor, Elder Simon Achuba.

In doing so, however, the panel shunned the report of a seven-man judicial panel of enquiry constituted by the Kogi State Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, to investigate the allegation of gross misconduct leveled against him.

The Chairman of the panel, Barrister John Baiyeshea, SAN, had earlier in the day led six other members of the panel to submit the report to the Speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole, at the assembly complex in Lokoja.

The House, after a few hours, announced the deputy governor’s impeachment, following an emergency meeting.

Majority Leader of the House, Bello Balogun, announced that the house met, sat and deliberated on the recommendations of the panel to arrive at their decision.

Documents available to The Nation, however, revealed that contrary to the decision of the lawmakers, the seven-man panel had cleared Achuba before his purported impeachment.

The panel headed by Baiyeshea had said that the allegations against Achuba had not been proved, saying there was no basis for the removal of the deputy governor in line with the 1999 Constitution.

It said the salaries of the deputy governor were not paid since February 2018

But while the panel’s report was submitted to the Assembly, it went ahead to remove the deputy governor.

The Assembly’s decision was said to have shocked members of the panel who were inaugurated by Justice Ajana on August 26, 2019.

A report of the panel obtained by The Nation on Friday night said Achuba was not guilty of mismanagement of funds, incitement, and murder of constituents.

Members of the panel are John Baiyeshea, SAN (Chairman); Hon. Justice S. S. Idajili (Rtd.); Barrister U. O. Onoja; Barrister E. I. Omuya; Venerable Z. O. Asun; Engr. Muhammad Ada Shuaibu and Dr. I. Ndagi Adamu.

The report said in part: “In line with Section 188( of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) quoted herein before, we hereby report to the Kogi State House of Assembly that the allegations contained in the Notice of Allegations admitted in evidence by this Panel as Exhibit C7 have not been proved.”

The panel dismissed the allegation of misappropriation of funds and non-compliance with extant financial regulations by the deposed deputy governor.

It said: “The summary of the evidence of all the said witnesses is that the Deputy Governor ought to retire some funds, and reference is made in this allegation to records from the Accountant-General’s Office and other appropriate Agencies which the Complainants claim indicate total non-compliance by the Deputy Governor, but Exhibit C8, C9, C10, C11, C12 produced from the Accountant General’s office tendered by CW2, firstly are not signed documents except for its certification.

“So the maker is not known, and by reason of them having not been signed originally, they are of no probative value.”

The panel also cleared the impeached deputy governor of alleged sponsorship of communal unrest, murder of constituents and displacement of communities in lyano, Ibaji LGA, Kogi State.

The report said: “This allegation was abandoned by the complainants in that no evidence was led at all by the complainants for consideration in respect of this allegation. Therefore same is abandoned.

“However, the allegation of the complainants is that there is a report of a Panel that indicted the Deputy Governor. No such report was placed before us. Instead, the Deputy Governor in paragraph 17 (m) (xvi) averred categorically that the report, Exhibit RQ which he tendered does not contain any indictment against the Deputy Governor.

“Consequently, this allegation having been abandoned is not proved.”

The panel also confirmed that the claim of the deputy governor that his salaries were unpaid since February 2018 was true.

The report added: “In Sub-paragraph 3 of the allegation of misconduct Exhibit C7, the complainant states as follows: “That his claims as regards non-payment of salaries is believed to be false upon an objective consideration of the state of the State’s finances hitherto, which is well known to all members of this Honourable House who also made efforts to find solutions.”

“Our comment, observation, and opinion on this is that apart from just a feeble statement that the claim of the Deputy Governor is false, there is nothing to suggest that the complainants were asserting positively and categorically that the Deputy Governor had been paid his salaries.

“However, the complainants want the claim of the Deputy Governor to be subjected to objective consideration of the finances of the state.

“We must confess that we do not understand what this phrase is supposed to mean. But we interpret it actually in the context of the whole paragraph to mean that the Deputy Governor’s salaries were not paid because the state has challenges with its finances and that the challenges are known to the members of the House of Assembly (who incidentally are the complainants) and that they’ve been making efforts to find solutions.

“In other words, we take this as an admission against interest to say that the Deputy Governor’s salaries have indeed not been paid and he has reason to complain.

“Based on the Notice of Misconduct before us, this particular allegation does not contain anything to show positively that the claims of the Deputy Governor are not true.

“However, in the observance of provisions for fair hearing, and to hear all the parties and what they have to put in, the complainants were allowed before commencement of hearing to bring in additional documents.

“And the additional documents are Exhibits C1 to C6 which were tendered by CW 1, and Exhibits C8- C12 tendered by CW2.

“By these exhibits, the complainants attempted to establish that the Deputy Governor was paid his salary contrary to his claim.

“However, it was revealed under cross-examination of CW1 and CW2 by J.S. Okutepa , SAN, that the said Exhibits were mere Schedules of Payment sent to the banks without cash backing.

“CW1 admitted under Cross-examination and stated as follows: “There is a distinction between Schedule of Payment and Actual payment. Salaries are not paid by cash and when they are paid by cash, the beneficiary signs… We are not owing any civil servants any salaries. We have paid them till August.”

“We observe here that the issue has to do with the Deputy Governor’s salary who is a political office holder and not a civil servant. It is also to be noted that Exhibits C8 – C12 tendered by CW2 are also schedules of payment. CW2 under cross-examination (See record of proceedings of 16th September 2019 Volume 2) admitted that he did not make any direct payments to the Deputy Governor.

“He also admitted that the Exhibits are not payment vouchers and as such the Deputy Governor did not sign the documents. From the evidence of these two witnesses, it cannot be positively confirmed/asserted that the Deputy Governor’s claims of non-payment of his salary is false.

“This is because from the totality of the evidence as enunciated above, there is a doubt about the payment of salaries to the Deputy Governor who is claiming that he has not been paid.

“We resolve this doubt in favour of the Deputy Governor because the evidence on record is Schedule of Payment and not evidence of actual payment. CW3 under cross examination by J.S. Okutepa SAN (See proceedings of 16th September 2019 volume 2) stated as follows on the issue, “Schedule of payment and actual payment is different. Until payment is made, approval to pay is not payment.” “Further on the claims on the issue of money, personal entitlements and office running imprest, CW5-The Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s office admitted under cross-examination by J.S. Okutepa (SAN) Deputy Governor’s lead counsel (See proceedings of 16th September 2019 volume 2 of this report) that from February 2018 to date, no money has been released for the running of the Deputy Governor’s office.

“He stated as follows: “From February 2018 till date He said security votes are to be given to the Deputy Governor’s office on monthly basis. From 2018 till date, we have not received security votes from the office of the Deputy Governor… Security votes by practice are not subject to government financial rules. Other salaries yet to be paid to other staff are still outstanding and unpaid. Schedule of payment does not translate to payment.”

“Putting all the foregoing together, and side by side with the evidence of the Deputy Governor in his deposition on oath from paragraph 17 (k), (l), (m)(vi), (m)(vii), (m)(viii), (m)(ix), (m)(x) and also his adoption of the evidence on oath and cross-examination. And considering the fact that the Deputy governor wrote Exhibit RP1- a letter to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria dated 6th August 2018, Exhibit RP2- letter to the Vice President of Nigeria, Exhibit RP3- a letter to the Secretary to the Federal Government, Exhibit RP4- a letter to the President of Nigeria on the same issue dated 28th of March, 2019, Exhibit RP5- another letter to the Vice President of Nigeria dated 28th March, 2019, and Exhibit RP6 – a letter to Adams Oshiomole, the National Chairman of the APC, all these go to show that the Deputy governor complained about non-payment of the salaries of his staff, security allowances, office running, etc.

“Interestingly, there is nothing before us to show that the complainants sent any correspondence to all these personalities to show that they had paid and that what the Deputy Governor was saying was not true. Neither was any response sent to the Deputy Governor’s lawyers in the same vein.

https://thenationonlineng.net/kogi-lawmakers-shun-panels-report-impeach-deputy-governor/

Akwa Ibom State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over the refusal of the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar to give judgment on appeals filed against the party and its candidates by the All Progressives (APC) and some of its National Assembly candidates.

Addressing the press in Uyo on Thursday, the state Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Ini Ememobong, said the Court of Appeal upon concluding hearing on the appeals filed by Bassey Etim, Emmanuel Ukoette and the All Progressives Congress against the judgements of the Election Petition Tribunal delivered in favour of Senator Bassey Albert (Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District) and Hon Unyime Idem (Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency) respectively adjourned for judgement on Tuesday 15th October, 2019.

Ememobong said on the said date, the panel arrived at the court premises but did not sit only for the registrar of the court to announce in open court that judgment in all the cases on the cause list for that day would no longer be delivered, without any further explanation.

“As a party and defendant in these matters, we find this situation very awkward and therefore invite the attention of the international community, the National Judicial Council, Chief Justice of Nigeria, civil society groups to the existing anomaly as regards these cases. It is trite law that after the adoption of briefs by parties and a court adjourns for judgement, on the next adjourned date, it is obligatory for the court to deliver judgement on the matter, except where things arise that make it impossible for the judgement to be delivered. In such exceptional cases, all the parties must be informed of such supervening circumstances.

“In the instant case, there was no explanation whatsoever and there is till date, no explanation for the inability of the court to deliver judgement on these cases.

“We would have ignored the situation or second guessed that there were genuine reasons for the failure to deliver the judgement, but not for the sudden celebration in the camp of the opposition APC, evident majorly on the social media accounts of APC media aides and supporters clamouring that they have caused a change in the panel to sit and hear the appeal and that the new panel is set to deliver judgement in their favour.

“This event forces a reminiscence of the Chief Godswill Akpabio pre-emptive legal circus where APC media night soil men had already informed the world of the existence of a minority judgement earlier in the day before the drama eventually became reality. We hope and pray that this postulation never materialises.”

He said the PDP was very suspicious of the newfound jubilant mood which as conveyed by the opposition APC, is predicated on their report of a new panel by the Court of Appeal whose mandate is to deliver judgement in favour of the APC.

“We need not emphasise that elections in the affected constituencies were won fair and square by Obong Bassey Albert, and Hon. Unyime Idems with APC candidates trailing miserably far behind. The Court of Appeal being a creation of law to protect and uphold democratic governance cannot become a vehicle for the subjugation of popular will freely manifest through the ballot.

“While our party and our candidates, who have transited into government functionaries are peace-loving and law-abiding citizens, we advise the various authorities adjudicating on election matters not to mistake our civility and respect for the rule of law, for ignorance or cowardice. We, therefore, demand that the judgement in the cases of Senator Bassey Albert, Hon. Unyime Idem and all other cases due for judgement be delivered without any further delay.

“We urge the noble justices of the Court of Appeal to do justice according to law and deliver justice, conscious that it is a sacred duty, which they took an oath to perform.

“They should be circumspect of political turncoats and opportunists masquerading as statesmen and federal agents, who promise them favours that can rob the judiciary of its nobility. The justices must remember their sacred roles as ministers in the temple of justice and avoid the shame that their compromise can bring to their name and the noble profession.

“They must realise that what money cannot do, more money will not do. Integrity cannot be bought with money, no matter the amount. ”

He said it has become traditional for the APC in Akwa Ibom to think that a change of panel would automatically guarantee their victory in court, just like they thought that “federal might” and “walking stick” contractors will help them win at the polls.

“Acting under this evil veil, they blackmailed the National and State Houses of Assembly Tribunal in the state and in one instance got a change of panel, yet, nothing fruitful came out of the process for them, as judgments were serially delivered in favour of PDP candidates, according to law.”

As respondents in the referred suits, PDP said it considered a change of panel unnecessarily outright as there was no justification for such, as they said they were not afraid of any panel change since law is near certain and varies not with the skin colour, religion, tribe or surname of the Judge.

“We are, however, concerned with the level of indulgence granted the APC and the legality of such an action. We live in a country of law and generally subscribe to the supremacy of law.

“We would therefore urge the relevant authorities, especially the President of the Court of Appeal to be guided by the law in the discharge of the functions of his office, without partisan considerations, especially with the obvious prevailing circumstances,” the PDP said.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/pdp-raises-alarm-over-appeal-courts-refusal-to-give-judgment-on-apc-appeals/

The embattled acting Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Azuka Azinge, Wednesday last week, held a press conference in Abuja to apparently douse the tension created by the DAILY NIGERIAN investigation over her alleged irregularities in the commission.

DAILY NIGERIAN obtained the transcript of the press conference which was characterized by self-styled praises of her achievement as an acting Registrar-General of the commission.

However, DAILY NIGERIAN observed that while Mrs Azinge was busy dolling out information on her achievements, which she described as impeccable, she was found to be either glossing over cardinal issues or being economical with the truth.

READ ALSO: INVESTIGATION: How CAC’s Lady Azinge disobeyed SGF’s directive, ‘bribed’ her way to become acting Registrar-General

First off, Lady Azinge glossed over one of the major allegations against her, which was the alleged suppression of correspondence between the Ministry of Trade and Investment and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, barring her from enjoying all the fringe benefits accruable to the substantive Registrar-General.

During the briefing, Mrs Azinge did not bring up the issue of the letter from the OSGF, which declared that as a Director in the commission, she was not entitled to payment of salaries, allowances and other fringe benefits due to a substantive Registrar-General.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the SGF’s letter, which came through the ministry of Trade and Investment, stated that Mrs Azinge, “was appointed to oversee the affairs of the Commission as the most senior Director, pending the appointment of a substantive Registrar-General.”

Mrs Azinge, however, insisted that the trade and investment ministry’s letter approving her appointment as an acting Registrar-General of the commission, dated September 28, 2017, invalidates that of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation which came after her appointment.

Insiders wondered whether a letter from the SGF did not supersede that of the ministry,

“This is a sheer act of insubordination, it is a dismissible offence going by the Public Service rules,” said a director at the Ministry of Justice, Abuja. “it is like putting the cart before the horse.”

On the alleged imposition of stooge as the Director of Public Affairs Department, as protested by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Mrs Azinge said Moses Adaguusu was appointed based on seniority and merit, insisting that “there is no statutory position in the Criminal Code, Penal Code or NIPR Act itself which criminalises such succession based on Seniority”.

However, DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the acting RG was being economical with the truth as checks revealed that when the position of the Public Affairs Director became vacant, a vacancy was advertised and examination was held to select the appropriate candidate for the job and one Justine Nidiya emerged the best.

But in a dramatic twist, the qualified candidate was redeployed to a newly-created department to pave way for Mr Adagusuu’s emergence.

“It should be noted that the vacancy was identified as only one for a Director for the year yet everybody was allowed to write.

“Justine passed the exam yet the Board, working on Godfrey Ike’s petition which hinges on professionalism, decided that only professional should head the department.

“Hence, Justine was moved out. Why then would she bring a non-professional to head the place?,” A source rhetorically asked.

Another source familiar with the development said: “Adagusuu never wrote any promotional examination to become Public Affairs Director.

“In fact, his core-competence is Law and he has been on that cadre until he took over the affairs of the public affairs department by whiskers.

“The truth of the matter is that no seniority or competence was used in selecting Moses Adaguusu, because if these criteria were followed why did the commission call for examination to fill in the existing vacancy in the department?,” the source queried.

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the contract appointment of Tony Udegbe, the acting Registrar-General admitted that Mr Udegbe’s appointment was not premised on his indispensability, as claimed by this newspaper.

However, Mrs Azinge only said that Mr Udegbe was contracted, “to ensure that high standard and effectiveness of the Board Secretariat was preserved”.

Insiders wondered how a Diploma holder who stagnated as a Senior Manager for years until his retirement be of usefulness to a commission full of ambitious members of staff. They also wondered whether Mr Udegbe more knowledgeable than others.

Justifying her action further, Mrs Azinge said: “The allegation that two other members of Staff (Jamilu Nadabo and Aminu Abubakar) asked for similar treatment but were denied is false.

“The two mentioned staff never asked for contract appointment prior to their retirement. One only lobbied for special consideration for promotion which was not sustained.”

But a copy of an internal memo sighted by DAILY NIGERIAN shows the directorate of Human Resources replying Jamilu Naladan, who applied for a contract appointment on May 6, 2019, following his retirement.

In the memo, dated May 27, 2019, the commission refused to engage Mr Naladan, premising their refusal on Public Service Rules, section 4 [020402b(d)] which states that, “contract appointment may be offered to a candidate if he/she possesses specialised competencies or skills and provided such posts are duly advertised in at least three national newspapers.”

This newspaper gathered that Mr Udegbe’s position was not advertised in three national dailies as in Mr Naladan’s case.

“Oga Tony was employed in 1991 and if somebody could be on a single schedule since 1991 where then is the concept of functional flexibility and how can CAC be a world class companies registry as espoused in its vision without an effective succession planning?

“Worse still, he was contracted while he was still serving and started the contract a day after retirement,” an insider disclosed.
https://dailynigerian.com/embattled-cacs-acting-registrar-azinge-reacts-to-daily-nigerian-investigation-keeps-mum-on-sgfs-letter/
Lalasticlala mynd44 Seun

Parents of missing children have released a list of 47 children suspected to be abducted and taken to Southern parts of the country.

On Saturday, the Kano Police Command said it traced and rescued nine children kidnapped in Kano, trafficked to Onitsha in Anambra State and sold off for child slavery.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the rescue followed public outcry by some parents that there was rise in cases of missing children in some areas of the metropolis.

Speaking to DAILY NIGERIAN on Thursday, the leader of the group of parents, Tajiri Hotoro, said the number of the missing children abducted within the last four years in just Nassarawa Local Government is more than 100.

Nassarawa is one out of the 44 Local Government Areas in Kano State.

Presenting the list and pictures of the children to our reporter, Mr Hotoro said there are more parents of missing children who did care to register with their group.

“Quite a number of parents have resigned to their fate. Some do not even have the transport fare to attending our meetings.

“We are calling on government and other relevant agencies to join together to rescue our children. We are in deep agony,” he said.

He said 10 suspects were arrested by the police and arraigned two years ago but were later released by the court.

According to Mr Hotoro, lawyers and court officials stopped them from talking to press, despite the fact a state High Court sitting in Ungogo had set free the suspects.

https://dailynigerian.com/kano-parents-release-photographs-list-of-47-more-abducted-children/

Four officers of the Nigerian Security Defence Corps (NSCDC) who were kidnapped along side five civilians, including a 12 year -old boy at Pegi community in Kuje area council have regain their freedom after the payment of N5 million ransom.

Daily Trust reported that four NSCDC officers, five civilians and a 12 year -old boy were abducted by gunmen last week Monday night at Pegi community in Kuje Area Council of the FCT.

A relative of one of the victims, who preferred anonymity confided in our reporter Tuesday, that the nine victims including the 12 year -old boy were released on Sunday evening.

He said one of the kidnapped victims was held captive over failure to meet up with the ransom the kidnappers demanded.

He said the victims were manhandled and not given any food by their captors, adding that the kidnappers beat anyone whose family failed to provide the ransom demanded.

Confirming the release of the victims, the Chairman, Pegi Community Development Association (PECDA) Mr. Taiwo Adebirigbe , said he saw some of the freed victims, including a 12-year-old boy.

He disclosed that security had been beefed up in the community by a team of policemen, civil defence officers and vigilante group.

He attributed the attack by the gunmen to the bad roads leading to the community. “The lack of infrastructure in Pegi is responsible for the insecurity and the absence of social and economic development in the community, ” he said.

“We hope the FCT administration would fulfil their promise to rehabilitate the road as soon as possible,”he said.

The spokesman of the FCT police command, DSP Anjuguri Manza, could not be reached for comment as he did not pick calls put across to him.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/pegi-kidnapped-4-nscdc-officers-5-others-regains-freedom-after-paying-n5m-ransom.html

Students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in Ogun State can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed over fears that they may be robbed overnight.

But the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kolawole Salako, said the recent robbery incidents only took place in private hostels, which he said are far away from the main campus.

There have been cases of students of the federal university being robbed by unknown armed men.

DAILY POST gathered that the last robbery, which occurred on Thursday, was the third in seven days, with no arrest made by the police.

As reported, the armed robbers allegedly made away with five iPhone 11, six necklaces, some cash, four generator sets and other valuables.

The situation, it was learnt, has led to mass exodus of students from the affected hostels to safer houses within Obantoko and Osiele areas of Abeokuta, to prevent being robbed.

However, the Vice Chancellor said the management of FUNAAB and landlords of the affected private hostels were putting efforts in top gear to prevent a recurrence of robbery; adding that the police and other security agents were on top of the matter.

While speaking with newsmen on Monday, Salako debunked rumours that the robbery took place in any of the hostels within the premises of the university; saying that was “a lie orchestrated by some unscrupulous elements to cause mayhem and incite students against the management of the university.”

He also denied asking the students to sign an indemnity form to prevent them from protesting the incessant robbery incidents, as reported by an online medium.

Earlier, the management of FUNAAB had called on landlords and agents of the hostels off-campus to engage private security personnel individually or collectively, to ensure security of lives and properties of the students they accommodate as tenants.

The Vice Chancellor made the call when he led management and Students Union Executive on a visit to two private hostels robbed last week.

Salako noted with dismay that no security measure was provided by the landlords of the affected hostels, which he said are located far away in isolated places.

He, therefore, urged landlords of the buildings to employ security personnel to secure their hostels for the safety of the students.

He called on parents to regularly visit their children or wards so as to know the kind of environment they live in; saying “during my visit to the affected hostels, I found that they were isolated from other rented apartments. I wonder whether parents who care for their children will allow them to live in such a bushy and deserted area.”

https://dailypost.ng/2019/10/15/ogun-funaab-students-flee-armed-robbers-visit-hostels-three-times-week/
Lalasticlala Seun fynestboi

By miles, Peter Obi

By miles, PETER OBI

Soyinka's Daughter Appointed As Buhari Sets Up Police Funds Committee

President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has developed a framework to train and equip, personnel to tackle insecurity.

A statement by Odutayo Oluseyi of the Ministry of Police Affairs, said to this end, the Minister, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has inaugurated a 12-member Ministerial interim Committee on the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

The committee, chaired by Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, includes Moremi Soyinka-Onijala, lawyer, one of the daughters of Professor Wole Soyinka.

The statement quoted Dingyadi as explaining that the careful selection of members of the Committee which comprises of Directors/Heads of Units of the Ministry and senior members of the Police hierarchy was to meet various sector requirements.

The team is to draw up the take-off Budget for the Trust fund; Liaise with the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for a suitable office accommodation for the administration of Funds; Determine the logistics and other necessary requirements for the effective take-off of the Fund; Develop an organizational structure for the administration of staff of the fund; Develop a timeline for the take-off of the Fund and; Propose a date for the inauguration of the board.

Full list of members below:
1. Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri (FCA) – Permanent Secretary – Chairman
2. Dr. Kayode Musbau K – (DFA) – Member
3. Bombata Babatunde H. – (DHRM) – Member
4. Barr. Moremi Soyinka-Onijala – (PID) – Member
5. Afroka Emmanuel Chukudi – SA/Perm. Sec. – Member
6. Joseph O Egbunike – CP – Member
7. Shehu Usman Shuaibu – AG. CP – Member
8. Augustine Akpofure Saromi Fsi – DCP – Member
9. Jonathan Towruru – DCP – Member
10. Emeka Frank Mba – DCP/FPPRO – Member
11. Abel Jangnap Miri Zwalchir – ACP – Member
12. Zubairu M.G. – D(PSD) – Member

https://dailypost.ng/2019/10/13/insecurity-soyinkas-daughter-gets-appointment-buhari-govt-sets-police-trust-fund-committee-full-list/

During the run-up to the 2019 general election in Imo state, a section of the Umuoyima autonomous community in the Owerri Municipal Council of the state, in an elaborate ceremony with full government presence, formally adopted Chief Uche Nwosu, the son in-law to former governor Rochas Okorocha, as an indigene and a son of Umuoyima community.

The purpose at the time was to mitigate the controversial zoning argument which favoured an Owerri man to rule Imo state and puts Nwosu, the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), who is an Orlu man, at a disadvantage.

Yesterday, in an elaborate ceremony, the traditional ruler of Umuoyima community, Eze Theophilus Uba, his cabinet and the entire community renounced the adoption of Uche Nwosu as a son of Umuoyima saying that the community was forced into the adoption by socio-political pressures from obvious quarters.

The Legal Adviser of the community in his welcome address also noted that since the creation of Owerri Municipal 23 years ago, Umuoyima has remained marginalized and subjugated. He stated that no elective or appointive position in government has been occupied by a son of Umuoyima.

“Not even the Owerri Municipal Council Chairmanship has been occupied by a son of Umuoyima,” he lamented.

He noted that the unfortunate circumstances of the Umuoyima people were capitalized upon to inspire the adoption of Uche Nwosu as an indigene of Umuoyima. He noted that it was a regrettable action that the community is committed to redressing.

Many community leaders and stakeholders of the community took turns at the event to condemn the adoption of Nwosu as an indigene of Umuoyima while calling for the withdrawal and revocation of the said adoption.

After the Umuoyima women group took the stage to also renounce Nwosu, saying he was never their kinsman, an elder of the community, Goddy Ofurum formally moved a motion withdrawing the adoption of Uche Nwosu as a son of Umuoyima community. The motion was seconded by Chief Christian Anukam, the President General of the community and was ratified by the entire community.

Speaking after the motion, the Owerri Municipal Management Committee Chairman, Ebere Nwosu commended the community for retracing their steps while stressing: “The man who destroyed our market; the man who destroyed our homes; the man who annexed our lands cannot be our son and cannot be our leader.”

The community through their Legal Adviser declared their support and unalloyed loyalty to the government and administration of Governor Emeka Ihedioha.

He said: “We rely on the strength of character of Ihedioha and his impeccable record in public service, to project that the years of executive rascality; brazen maladministration and promotion of mediocrity are gone for goods in Imo state.”

“We wish this government well and declare without any fear of equivocation that the friends of the government shall be our friends and the adversaries of the government shall be our adversaries.”

https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2019/10/owerri-community-disowns-okorochas-son-in-law/

Amid the prevailing insecurity in the country, the military and the police would spend a whopping 91 per cent of their budgets on recurrent expenditure, comprising overhead and personnel costs, while the remaining nine per cent would go to their capital expenditure, estimates in the 2020 Appropriation Bill have shown.

Saturday PUNCH’s analysis of the bill revealed further that the chunk of the recurrent expenditure goes into personnel cost, comprising salaries, wages, allowances and social contributions, while a meagre amount goes into capital expenditure, forcing some of the security agencies to make part payments for security items they would have used to fight insecurity.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday, October 8, presented the N10.33tn, comprising N4.88tn recurrent expenditure and N2.14tn capital expenditure, Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.

The President noted that the budget estimate was designed to be one of fiscal consolidation to strengthen the macroeconomic environment, invest in critical infrastructure, human capital development and enabling institutions.

But analysis of the Appropriation Bill revealed that the Ministry of Defence, comprising different operational units like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Defence Academy, Defence Intelligence Agency and 11 other units got a whopping N878,458,607,427 total allocation, the second highest allocation.

Of the total allocation, however, the recurrent expenditure stood at N778,589,343,660, representing 88.63 per cent while the capital expenditure is N99,869,263,767, representing 11.37 per cent.

In the recurrent expenditure, however, the total personnel cost, comprising salaries, wages, allowances and others, is put at N722,383,830,531bn, while the overhead cost for travels, transport, training, materials and services, is N56,205,513,129.

The remaining N99bn capital expenditure would, therefore, be used for the purchase of defence equipment, sea boats, rehabilitation of barracks across the six geo-political zones, procurement of ammunition, purchase of operational vehicles, among other things needed to fight insecurity and defend the Nigerian territory.

For example, the Nigerian Army, which got the highest allocation under the Defence Ministry, would get a total of N438.23bn.

While a whopping N424.03bn of the sum goes to recurrent expenditure, comprising N408.40bn for personnel cost (salaries, allowances, wages, etc), and N15.63bn for overhead cost, a meagre N14.20bn was budgeted for capital expenditure.

According to the breakdown in the estimate, the N14bn would be used for the purchase of arms, ammunition, armoured vehicles, spare parts, kitting general, construction of office and residential buildings (barracks) and renovation of destroyed Kur Mohammed Barracks, Bama, among other projects.

Similarly, for the Nigerian Air Force, which got the second highest share in the ministry, its total allocation was N137.87bn.

Out of this, N109.51bn was for recurrent expenditure, comprising N8.85bn overhead cost and a whopping N100.66bn personnel cost (for salaries, wages, allowances, etc), while a paltry N28.36bn is budgeted for capital expenditure.

The N28bn is expected to be used for the purchase of defence equipment, procurement of various small arms and ammunition, purchase of various aircraft and their spares, support equipment and their spares, part payment for procurement of 3 x jf – 17 thunder aircraft, part payment for periodic depot maintenance of 4 x f – 7ni aircraft, among others.

For the Nigerian Navy, which got the third highest share of the ministry’s allocation, the total allocation was N131.69bn, out of which N114.50bn was allocated for recurrent expenditure, comprising N106.76bn personnel cost (salaries, wages, allowances, etc) and N7.74bn overhead cost.

On the other hand, N17.19bn was budgeted for capital expenditure, specifically for the procurement of helicopters, landing ship tank, hydro survey ship, 8 x 17m inshore patrol craft, construction of barracks and the development of Naval War College, among others.

The tilted estimate is the same for many other operation units, like DIA, under the Defence Ministry.

Police and military budgets alike

Meanwhile, for the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, comprising police formations and commands, the ministry itself and the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano, the total allocation is N409,142,271,823.

Of this figure, the capital expenditure is a mere N13,309,986,864, representing a paltry 3.25 per cent, while the total recurrent expenditure is N395,832,284,959, representing a huge 96.75 per cent of the allocation.

Out of the recurrent expenditure, however, the total overhead was N11,088,223,253 while the total personnel cost (salaries, wages, allowances and social contributions) took a whopping N384,744,061,706.

The paltry N13bn capital expenditure, according to the estimate, was for the purchase of security equipment (N2.88bn), motor vehicles, air navigational equipment (N2.19bn), trucks, industrial equipment (N64.82bn), purchase and acquisition of land, computer software acquisition, construction and provision of hospitals, police stations and barracks, while the rehabilitation and repair of police stations and barracks would gulp (N53.62), among other projects.

Thus, on average, the military and police would spend 91 per cent of their budgets on recurrent expenditure, largely salaries, wages and allowances, while about nine per cent would be spent on procuring equipment, weapons and other software and hardware needed to tackle insecurity in the country.

Only sophisticated arms can stop B’Haram, ISWAP – Soldiers insist

In the face of the little funds to procure defence equipment, according to the budget estimate, the Theatre Commander of the army’s Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, said on Thursday that what the army needed to end the ISWAP and Boko Haram war were combat helicopters.

Speaking when he received a delegation of the National Assembly Joint Committee on the army, led by Senator Ali Ndume, on Thursday, Adeniyi stated that Boko Haram had never been as formidable as perceived.

He said, “The only thing that needs to be given to the army now is Nigerian Army Aviation. There is a way you solve a problem that will change the game. The army needs combat helicopters to end the Boko Haram war. These helicopters will be with us at the battlefront. I know this has been on the table for years. When this is done, Nigeria can forget about Boko Haram.”

Meanwhile, military commanders, especially those currently engaged in operations at the battlefield in the North-East, had told Saturday PUNCH in a recent report that they were still using outdated weapons and equipment, including failing Shilka guns procured during the administration of the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who was the President of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983.

They noted that this development had exposed the Nigerian troops to attacks by the terrorists, especially the Islamic State in West Africa Province fighters, who, according to them, use more sophisticated weapons.

They, however, said they needed sophisticated weapons to defeat the terrorists.

One of the commanders said, “I can tell you that we have not been supplied with fresh equipment in a long while. Those terrorists, especially ISWAP fighters, are very deadly and confident and they now use foreign mercenaries.”

One of the commanders again told one of our correspondents on Friday that the 2020 budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly implied that “nothing would change in terms supply of arms, ammunition and other equipment needed to fight the war, yet it’s only superior weapons that can defeat them.”

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, had said in July that Boko Haram had higher expertise and better technological weapons than the military.

The President also said at a regional summit in Burkina Faso on September 14 that “the frequency of attacks, the determination and resilience of the terrorist groups as well as the ease with which they raise funds and acquire sophisticated weapons were matters of serious concern.”

Also, at the summit, the President of Niger Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, announced that ECOWAS leaders had decided to mobilise “financial resources of up to a billion dollars for the fight against terrorism.”

Meanwhile, apart from the insurgency in the North-East, there had been concerns over the high rate of killings of innocent Nigerians by bandits, kidnappers and armed robbers. This had made some persons to question the efficiency and capacity of the security agencies, as they tied the challenge to poor funding of the security agencies.

The then Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, said in March 2019 that the bandits terrorising the state were more equipped than the entire security forces deployed to combat their activities.

Yari told journalists at the State House, Abuja after holding a meeting with the President that the bandits had stockpiled as much as 500 AK-47 rifle in one of their armoury.

Budget estimates offer no hope of improved security – Security experts

A security expert and President, African Council on Narcotics, Mr Rekpene Bassey, described the proposed 2020 budget for the Ministry of Defence and the police as grossly inadequate.

He said, “If you convert the total amount that has been budgeted for the Ministry of Defence, N878.458bn into dollars, what you have is about $2.4bn, while the capital expenditure of N99.86bn comes to about $275m. It is even worse for the police that have a total expenditure of N403.32bn, about $1.114bn while the capital expenditure is just about $34m.

“The implication of this proposed capital expenditure in the military and police is that we are going to face more security challenges in terms of the internal and national security environment.

“This portends a lot of dire challenges in the months ahead in terms of security and I cannot fathom why they have proposed that.”

Also, a security expert, Mr Chigozie Ubani, said the proposed capital expenditure, especially for the police, was a negative signal, adding that Nigerians should not expect anything new in terms of tackling criminalities from security operatives in the coming year.

He said, “The implications are grievous for us. The budget proposal, especially for the police, is worrisome. Note that budget is an estimate and over the years we have not met the police budget, even up to 80 per cent. So, what it means is that the estimated proposal for the police in 2020, I can bet you that less than 40 per cent of it will be drawn down.

“The implication is not good for us because until we fix our police, our challenges will continue to fester. What we are fighting today in the North-East was initially the affair of the police, but they could not deal with it and that was how it became a military affair.”

“In my view, there is nothing in the budget that shows that there is a conscious effort to improve on the quality of policing the nation.”

Military looking at alternative funding sources — DHQ

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has said that to tackle the imbalance in the budgetary allocations for the military, the armed forces have been looking for and moving towards alternative sources of funding.

The Acting Director, Defence Information, Col Onyema Nwachukwu, said the military had begun to produce “armoured carriers, and ships locally.”

In an interview with our correspondent on Friday, he said, “If you look at the 2020 budgetary allocations, about N100bn is what is allocated to defence. And when you talk about recurrent and capital expenditure, you find out that the recurrent is quite higher than the capital.

“The idea is that from the outset, we have always talked about seeking alternative sources of funding for the military. We are working in this regard. The Nigerian military is evolving, considering the various contemporary security challenges, which are of course a global phenomenon. There are various theatres of operation around the country and the military has been very innovative despite the budgetary allocations.

Also, Force spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, in his response to the lopsided budget estimate said, “I’m sorry, I may not be able to respond to this enquiry now. I can only give you an appropriate response after due consultation with the Budget Department. I will do that and revert to you as soon as possible, please.”

https://punchng.com/2020-military-police-to-spend-91-of-budgets-on-salaries-others/

Rice smugglers, whose illicit operations were affected by the closure of land borders, seem to have found a way out of their present predicament by diverting into a new line of business; the smuggling of pineapples. Despite the eagled-eyed security operatives deployed to man the boundaries since the closure of the land borders, the smugglers are having a field day, away from the prying eyes of the law enforcement agents.

Checks by Saturday Telegraph revealed that the diversion of pineapples into the country is the new moneyspinning business that smugglers engage in, as they have resorted to the use of locally-built vehicles, popularly called fayawo, to convey the products and fast-track their illegal businesses. According to some of the smugglers, who confided in our correspondents, the new trade, which was necessitated by the border closure, has started yielding dividends, as some of the smugglers now smile to the bank.
On August 19, this year, the Federal Government announced the closure of all land borders across the country in order to check the increasing smugglings of prohibited goods and services across the country. The action, which has now been circumvented by the smugglers, was to assist, among other reasons, in checking the smuggling of rice, cars, petroleum products and other goods into the country from neighbouring countries, especially Benin Republic as well as curb human trafficking.
Our correspondents gathered that the new trend in smuggling and the diversion into the prohibited pineapple business was occasioned by what some smugglers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described as their “inability to remain idle” in the wake of the border closure. One of the smugglers, simply referred to as Oga Ben, said he and colleagues decided to venture into the new line of business so as not to go hungry in face of their dwindling economic fortunes.

“We cannot afford to be idle. Since the Federal Government has closed the border and we need to feed our families, the development is our only resort to stay in business regardless of what is happening presently in the country.” While the government order is receiving mixed reactions across the country, statutory agencies saddled with the task of checking these arbitrary practices, such as the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), appear to be discharging the presidential directive with all sense of responsibility.
Recently, there were reports of remarkable improvement in government’s revenue profile, according to the NCS helmsman, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), who said his agency was raking in close to N5 billion on a daily basis, while others on the divide, such as the manufacturing sector believe the effect of the border closure was impacting on their businesses with the sum of N2 billion been lost every day since the action commenced.
To underscore the enormity of this huge financial loss, particularly the productive sector, it was reliably gathered that there have been intense pressure on the part of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to appeal to the conscience of the government of the day to soft-pedal on its border closure in the overall interest of the nation. This, it was learnt, was to help ensure that Nigeria does not infringe further on the ECOWAS protocol on trade liberalisation in the sub-regional sector.

Beyond this, however, is the fact that while government appears to have taken the fight to the doorsteps of the smugglers, a new smuggling dimension may have resonated with smugglers now diverting to pineapple smuggling businesses. Market checks Further checks by Saturday Telegraph revealed that, in many markets, especially those in Lagos, traders are of the belief that imported pineapples are more delicious and more nutritious than those grown locally.
However, some local farmers have argued that they are not willing to plant the fruit because it takes time to harvest, aside the lacking of inadequate facilities to produce quality fruits in Nigeria unlike in some neighbouring countries where fruits are planted. A trader simply identified as Madam Osayemi, who sells pineapple at Ogba Market in Lagos State, expressed sadness over the lull in the business, saying that the situation has not been encouraging.

She said: “It has not been easy for us to get pineapple because the border is closed and we buy it at high price. Before, we buy it at N200 and I sell it at N250 but now I sell it at the rate of N350. I have no choice than to increase the price of my pineapples because I have to pay shop rent and other bills in the market”. Osayemi boasted to Saturday Telegraph correspondents that she sells imported pineapple which is from Bende in Cotonou, Benin Republic, with other fruits since the imported pineapple are more enjoyable than the ones produced locally.
"Pineapple is one of the best-selling fruits in Nigeria that one can sell and make quick profit and it contains vitamins and more nutrition for the body. Over 70 per cent of pineapples smuggled into the country daily are sweeter than the locally-produced fruit, but due to the border closure, there had been price increase in pineapple.”
In the line of fire Another young man in the line of the business, who identified himself as Joseph Shobowale gave a clear description of how they smuggled pineapples into the country, narrating how they perfect the illegal act before transporting it into the country. “Most of the pineapples we see in Nigeria are foreign pineapples because they are more nutritious than Nigeria’s pineapple.

We pass through Golo, and from there, it is transferred to the border, where the Customs officers collect ‘pass’ (bribe) from. “The ‘pass’ they collect allow us to be able to situate those goods in Idiroko garage. From there, we get a car to deliver these goods to different locations in Lagos and Owode in Ogun State”, he said. On his part, Olawale, a major player in the illicit transaction, said, he faces a lot of hurdles in the hands of Customs officials, as such he has to work according to their dictates. “We give them details about the goods and the car in order to bring them in; if we are caught, we are urged to pay a huge amount of money because the goods are contraband. Now that the border is closed, we take risk in bringing those goods in.

“Most of the time, we have some routes in the bush and that is why goods are more expensive because they don’t allow them to pass through the borders. Custom can collect it and not release it because the border is closed for now and we are not obeying the laws of the country.” Smugglers’ haven He further said it depends on the road as it takes a lot of weeks before they could deliver the goods to different locations. We used different cars to bring in these pineapples. We use Mazda, Peugeot, and curve 3 double doors commonly known as ‘fayawo motor’ (smugglers’ vehicles). “Most of the pineapples are from Germany, India, China and Benin. It passes through the sea and lands in the border at Golo in Nigeria. We leave immediately after we deliver the goods because it possible for us to get another person who may want to deliver these. “The reason we bring in pineapple is because it is fast selling and cheaper and it is very beneficial to our body system. 50 per cent of our fruits in Nigeria are imported and smuggled into the country.

Another smuggler, Mr. Wale Adeogun, also expressed his worries on the challenges he faces while passing through the border that was locked to deliver goods to the market women. The smuggler who spoke to Saturday Telegraph, during a visit to the Agege market recently, said: “While I was coming today, I paid N10, 000 just for my goods to be released because the owners had called earlier but there was no chance to pick the call, because I was locked up but was released around 6am with my goods. I have no choice but to pay the bribe.”

He added that there was a high demand from traders from the North, because the pineapples are fast-selling product and it is more nutritious than localised fruit. That is why it’s been sold abundantly in Nigeria by all market women and the molars. Another trader, Mrs. Adeshina Rofiat, at Jakande Ketu Market, said there was no difference between Nigeria’s pineapple and the imported ones but ‘’Nigerian pineapple is seasonal,’’ from imported ones. She, however, preferred to sell Benin Republic’s pineapples because it has a good taste and it is fast selling. “I sell my pineapple at the rate of N300, which was not so before,” she added. She further said: “The pineapple is expensive because the border is closed and the customs don’t allow the smugglers into the country; even if they were allowed, they would have to pay a huge amount of money so that the goods can be brought into the country.” Customs on the alert However, Customs Officer, at Seme Border, identified himself simply as Husseini, told the Saturday Telegraph, that: “I don’t think there is any genuine reason why they (smugglers) bring in pineapple since it is planted in the country. There is no point, but he thinks they do it just to earn a living.”

He, however, said when they (smugglers) were caught, they were meant to face the full wrath of the law and would be punished accordingly to the law. He said: “Now that the border is closed, they still find a way to manoeuvre the goods into the country but with all their ruses, we are still ahead of them no matter what. “But there are known solutions to challenge the nuisance that smuggle pineapple into the country”, he said, advising that “they should desist from all evil acts and find a legitimate means to earn living.” Reacting the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)’s Public Relations Officer at Ogun I Area Command, Abdullahi Maiwada, said 654 bags of coconuts were seized among other Items from smugglers. He explained that coconuts were intercepted at Ipokia axis and other illegal routes at the border, while denying the smuggling of pineapple fruits through the Idiroko Border.

Abdullahi said: “Our borders, both approved and non-approved are properly manned as no right-thinking smuggler could think of smuggling such item in large quantity. “The intention of daredevil smugglers was to smuggle such into Nigeria in defiance to Federal Government’s directive on partial border closure. Smuggling of whatever item is suppressed in Ogun Command to barest minimum.” Nutritionist, doctor comment Meanwhile, a nutrition expert, Dr. Olusola Malomo, has warned Nigerians that food safety could become an issue if they don’t watch the rate of consuming the imported pineapples.

In an interview with Saturday Telegraph, Malomo said: “Number one, one major issue we need to consider with the importation of pineapples is food safety because pineapple is a highly perishable product and the time of transition=, if you look at it, between one place and another, it would have started spoiling. “But because of nature of the bark, that is the skin of the pineapple, you would discover that it still looks greenish. But it is by the time you peel it that you would see it has started decaying and if care is not taken because at the point where it starts changing its physical features could harbour microorganisms so food safety issue is one of them.” As far as Malomo is concerned, there are other issues that have to do with content and the perishable nature of the pineapples and how long they might spend in transit.

“There is also the fact that it is sugary and that apart from the transition and perishable nature, even the vehicles they use in transporting them do not conform to the hygiene standards and could expose people to food poisoning and contamination. And that will now depend on how soon it is purchased by consumers, you know by the time they get to the major markets. There is also the issue of its content. If you check, you will discover that our own local pineapples are bigger and the level of fluctos, that is what the sugar level in pineapples are called, is higher in these imported pineapples so people tend to consume more of these imported ones more than our own conventional pineapples which are bigger and have more fibre,” he added. A medical doctor, Dr Doyin Ogunyemi, also weighed in, saying she doesn’t see any issue with the pineapple as fruit except if genetically-modified or not processed properly. “Pineapple is a fruit. For starters, I don’t know if there is an increase in the importation of pineapple, you would know that. But fruits are vegetable that are generally healthy; they only become a problem if they are either not properly processed or not if they are genetically modified. I can’t tell that either but essentially, fresh fruits, nutritionally grown, naturally grown and hygienically prepared are generally healthy to eat.”
https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2019/10/border-closure-rice-smugglers-divert-to-pineapples/

Hmmmmm.....

Lalasticlala





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7MgUfsmllo&feature=player_embedded

Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, has appointed 60 new special advisers.

This development was announced in a statement signed on Thursday by Fidelis Soriwei, chief press secretary to the governor.

The appointees, drawn from the eight local government areas of the state, Soriwei said would help the government finish well.

“His Excellency the Governor of Bayelsa State, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, has approved the appointment of 60 new Special Advisers as part of the deliberate efforts to enable the Restoration Government to finish strong in the avowed commitment to deliver effective governance to the good people of Bayelsa State,” the statement read.

The appointment comes weeks to the state’s governorship election fixed for November 16.

Soriwei further said the “governor has directed the caucuses to nominate women for appointment as special advisers next week, in areas where they have not been considered for appointment.

“However, the government and the party deplore the ungrateful and unpatriotic attitude of a few appointees who have been sustained and recognised in the midst of far more qualified persons for over seven years but are falling prey to the antics of the All Progressives Congress which is inducing party members with money and fake promises.

“While the government wishes them well in their new endeavours, it is pertinent to note that for every appointee, the PDP has several other more qualified people who are ready and willing to be trusted with such privileged positions of responsibility.”

Dickson, who is completing a second term, have had over 2000 appointees in his cabinet since he got reelected in 2016.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thecable.ng/dickson-appoints-60-new-aides-five-weeks-to-guber-poll/amp
lalasticlala Seun

.

U.S. personal computer maker HP Inc said on Thursday it will cut up to 16% of its workforce as part of a restructuring plan aimed at cutting costs.

The company will cut about 7,000 to 9,000 jobs through a combination of employee exits and voluntary early retirement, it said in a statement.

HP estimates the plan will result in annual gross run rate savings of about $1 billion by the end of fiscal 2022, it added.

The company had about 55,000 employees worldwide as of Oct. 31, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. That would mean up to 16% targeted in the cuts, Reuters calculation showed.

In connection with the restructuring, HP said it expects to incur an overall charge of about $1 billion, of which $100 million will be realized when it reports its fourth-quarter earnings.

"We are taking bold and decisive actions as we embark on our next chapter," said Enrique Lores, the company's incoming chief executive officer.

"We see significant opportunities to create shareholder value and we will accomplish this by advancing our leadership, disrupting industries and aggressively transforming the way we work."

Lores will take over the CEO position on Nov. 1 from Dion Weisler.

Palo Alto, California-based HP also said its board on Sept. 30 approved an additional $5 billion in share buybacks.

HP expects to generate free cash flow of at least $3 billion in fiscal 2020 and return at least 75% to shareholders through a 10% quarterly dividend increase and share buybacks, it added.

The company said it expects its adjusted earnings in the range of $2.22 to $2.32 per share for fiscal 2020.

For the current fiscal year, it expects adjusted earnings to be in range of $2.18 to $2.22, the company said when reporting its third-quarter earnings.

HP's shares have fallen about 10% this year up to Thursday's close.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1WI2JJ
Lalasticlala
Seun

The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation will implement constituency projects valued at N16.40bn in the 2019 budget.

This is according to data obtained by Tracka – a constituency project monitoring tool run by BudgIt.

According to the information, which was mined from the breakdown of the 2019 Zonal Intervention Projects, the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also given N2.63bn and N2.92bn respectively.

The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing was surprisingly saddled with just N1.27bn.

The lowest allocation for constituency projects was the N6m given to the Ministry of Interior.

The ministries and the value of constituency projects allotted to them by members of the national assembly are as follows: Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, N16.40bn, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 15.5bn, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, 13.08bn, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, 10.74bn, Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, N7.99bn.

Others are Federal Ministry of Education, N7.65bn, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, 5.75bn, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, 4.11bn, Federal Ministry of Health, 3.06bn, Federal Ministry of Environment, 2.72bn, Federal Ministry of Justice, 2.71bn, Federal Ministry of Communication and Technology 1.20bn.

In every budget, the executive gives the national assembly N100bn to execute zonal intervention projects in their constituencies.

The assembly members are to execute these projects through a ministry suited to the nature of the intended activity.

With the SGF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which have no duty to carry out projects receiving contractual obligations to do so, uncertainty creeps in as to the genuineness of constituency projects.

http://saharareporters.com/2019/10/03/sgf-office-gets-n16bn-constituency-projects-2019-budget

The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has again sacked Murtala Ibrahim, an auditor with the bank who blew the lid on official corruption three years ago.

The dismissal, communicated to Mr Ibrahim on September 26, is the second time the FMBN management will axe the embattled whistleblower.

On September 17, the House of Representatives received a petition in its plenary against Mr Ibrahim’s continued maltreatment by the bank.

Mr Ibrahim is being hounded for exposing alleged fraud by the previous FMBN’s management through a petition and for declining to approve suspicious payments.

Axed

A letter informing Mr Ibrahim of his latest sack, signed by the managing director of the bank, Ahmed Dangiwa, and the executive director, finance and corporate service, Melville Ebo, said his services were no longer required by the bank.

“Management regrets to inform you that your services are no longer required as the Board has approved your immediate dismissal,” it reads partly.

The reason adduced in the terse letter is curious as Mr Ibrahim, according to his academic and service records, is a high flying professional.


He is a first-class graduate of accounting and a chartered accountant who had worked with commercial banks before joining FMBN in 2010 aa s senior manager.

He is also currently pursuing a PhD programme at a Malaysian university.

Citing his credentials, in a letter dated January 9, 2017, appealing his earlier sack, Mr Ibrahim wrote:

“I can say without mincing words that I am the most qualified professional accountant with relevant academic and professional qualifications in the whole of the Federal Mortgage Bank as at today.

“There is no any other staff with a first class degree in accounting or any other finance-related course throughout FMBN. Besides, aside from my MSc in Finance and professional qualifications in Accounting/Auditing both in Nigeria and the UK, I am also currently a PhD student (by research) at the University of Utara, Malaysia under self-sponsorship.”

Mr Ibrahim’s job appraisal records show that he never scored below 89 per cent.

Long-drawn battle

Trouble started for Mr Ibrahim in mid-2016 after he queried propriety of management’s payment of N2.23 billion for a ‘faulty’ contract of rehabilitation works on Mamman Kontagora House, a property of the bank in Lagos.

He also declined assent to the bank’s statement of financial position alleging it was doctored to indicate profit when the bank was actually running at a loss.

The auditor petitioned the supervising minister of the bank, Babatunde Fashola, as well as EFCC and SSS to report the latter scandal. This angered the management which moved to sanction him.

Despite a change in the top management of the bank, Mr Ibrahim had his appointment terminated via a letter dated May 8, 2017. There was no reason given for the decision.

A ministerial committee set up to review the case upon Mr Ibrahim’s appeal recommended his recall in a report filed in June 2018. It however took another six months before the management finally recalled him to work.

Hounded

He was however immediately transferred out of the headquarters in what was considered some sort of ‘punitive’ posting to outskirt Taraba State.

There was also no assigned role for him as auditors only functioned at the headquarters.

When in January 2019 Mr Ibrahim sought for transfer of service to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), citing relevant service provisions, the FMBN management ignored the request.

A series of requests for him to take leave to enable him attend to his studies and family issues were also largely ignored.

His accumulated salaries, after he was reluctantly recalled in December 2018, were only paid in May, 2019.

Disturbed by the lingering battle, Mr Ibrahim wrote a petition to the National Assembly in September for the parliament to intervene.

On September 17, the petition was read and laid before the House of Representatives, during its plenary.

It is unclear if the management was aware of Mr Ibrahim’s laid petition before it moved to dismiss him from service.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/355531-again-federal-mortgage-bank-sacks-whistleblower-after-reluctant-reinstatement.html

Disqualified BBnaija housemate, Tacha's "no leave no transfer" sobriquet is now in full swing.


Lalasticlala
Dominique

The management of the University of Benin on Monday cancelled a symposium for students titled “Is Nigeria ripe for a revolution?”

The event was organised by students of the Department of International Studies.

An undergraduate of the institution, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters, said, “Students were really anticipating the debate because the topic is of national interest these days.

“All of a sudden, the management came and ordered the students to cancel the debate because of the topic, they told students to choose another topic and another day for the event.”

When our correspondent asked one of the organisers if the symposium would still hold in the coming days, he said, “We are making contacts with other members to see how we can still make the debate hold and even bigger by partnering with the Coalition for Revolution.

“Meanwhile, the event may have to hold outside the university campus since the school’s management wants to dictate to students how to breathe before giving them a breathing space.

“Hopefully, our plans will go accordingly and we will not allow the management dictate to us what to discuss and what not to especially when the discourse is a national issue which would shape the country and give us the kind of country young people want.”

http://saharareporters.com/2019/09/30/uniben-cancels-students-symposium-aimed-discussing-%E2%80%98revolution%E2%80%99

Someone should help me pronounce the name of the dep Govs of the PDP and apc candidates, thank U!