₦airaland Forum

Ex-Governor Goje, Deputy paid themselves N300 Million Pension while still in office

Former Gombe State Governor, Danjuma Goje, and his deputy, John Yoriyo, pocketed a whooping N300 Million as ‘pension’ in 2007, while they were still in office.

The gross illegality is still a matter of litigation between the two men and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) at a High Court in Abuja.

When the first stanza of their administration elapsed, contrary to existing federal statutes, both men paid themselves N200, 872, 505 and N 100, 025, 872, respectively.

Goje is on the run from operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), over alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of N53 Billion of Gombe State’s cash.

After the arrest of Ex Governors Gbenga Daniel, (Ogun); Abedayo Alao-Akala, (Oyo) and Aliyu Doma, (Nasarawa), last Thursday, the EFCC stormed the residence of Goje, but before they got there he had skipped.

Daniel, Akala and Doma, who spent the weekend in EFCC’s jail, and set for arraignment this week, were refused bail on personal recognition, due to the flight risk factor.

This paper also learnt that in 2007, due to the illegality of the payment of pension to themselves, the RMAFC, wrote both men intimating them of the need to return the cash to state coffers, but they refused.

In 2008, Goje hurriedly put together the Gombe State pensions Law that gave legal teeth, retroactively to the illegal payment of pension to him, his deputy, and past Governors. But the commission contended that Goje could not give legal backing to an illegality via a state statute that looked like an afterthought.

Consequently, Goje and his deputy went to court to claim damages for defamation of character, and asked for N750, 000 as damages from the Commission, and also prayed the court to declare as illegal the RMAFC’s letter directing the duo to refund the cash.

The duo wanted the court to admit a copy of the State’s pension law. They claimed that their benefits were in accordance with the 2008 law, even though they collected the money in 2007. They asked the court to declare that the law was competent and the benefits they received under it were proper.

However, the court did not admit the document because it was not in gazette.

http://desertherald./2011/10/18/why-the-cpc-may-not-win-its-court-case/

The preliminary development for Sparkle Power Plant is expected to be completed by mid-December 2011. Thereafter, the company expects to select the EPCM Contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) of Sparkle Power Plant. The technical, engineering and construction is expected to start in mid 2012 and to make Sparkle Power Plant ready for commercial operation by the end of 2016.

You mean we have to wait till 2016 before we get additional 4000Mw.

meetmuyiwa:
put an MTN sim and it will display MNT NIG instead of MTN NIG

That means the topic itself is china

ugbesbee:
plz guys, how do I[b] indentify[/b] a china iphone? I nd 2gt one bt I m scared, dnt need a chinese product yet.

The Peugeot 407 cars were supplied by Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited for N6.1m each.


The House had explained that the vehicles were National Assembly property and would be left behind at the expiration of the tenure last June.


However, the departing legislators later paid about N800,000 for each car and took them away.

interesting

Dare-devil robbers yesterday morning attacked a convoy of vehicles converying the September salary of Kaga Local Government workers in Borno, killed the council cashier and snatched undisclosed amount of money.

Daily Sun gathered that an official of the local government had approached the Kaga Divisional Police station in Benisheik to release some of its men as escort to convey the September salary of workers from Maiduguri, Borno State capital to the local government headquarters along Damaturu road. Benisheik is about 70 kilometres away from the state capital.

It was gathered that the police immediately released their men as escort in a vehicle provided by the local government even as officials of the council claimed the cashier, Wakil Ali Gala-Idi had conveyed the money from the bank before the armed robbers struck. “They shot the cashier severally and wounded a policeman sitting beside him in the car,” an official who preferred anonymity disclosed.

Confirming the incident, State Commissioner of Police, Simeon Midenda told Daily Sun that the cashier actually approached the police for escort. “The report I got indicated that the man requested for escort to convey the local government salary from Maiduguri to Benisheik yesterday. The local government provided a vehicle for my men but surprisingly, the cashier left the police behind and drove in his personal car to withdraw the money,” he explained. Midenda explained that his men were surprised when they met the cashier on the way already returning from Maiduguri. “They identified him as the one that came to the police station and then stopped him. They questioned why he had to leave them behind to collect huge amount of money from bank and driving alone without escort.

The police boss said his men decided to turn back and follow the cashier’s personal car behind but regretted that the vehicle provided by the local government for the escort could not cope with the speed of the cashier car. “It was then the policemen resolved to allow one of the men seat beside the cashier while they drove behind the car. We felt the robbers opened fire because of the policeman they sighted in front of the car,” he added.

He said the police were combing the bush around the scene of the robbery whether they could get the evil men who perpetrated the act. “We have also alerted Damaturu and other areas about the incident,” he disclosed even as he insisted the police were yet to ascertain the amount stolen by the robbers.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/oct/07/national-07-10-2011-020.html

The police came around 5am and by that time the robbers had left

After robbery, they now changed to their police uniform and came to the scene

Nigerian government always act like devil. They give u something with right hand and they will collect double of it with left hand.
Why are they removing the fuel subsidy when they know that increase in fuel will result to increase in everything, and some state have not even accepted to pay the agreed minimum wage.

The subsidy has not made Nigeria go bankruptcy and they want to remove it so that they will have much to LOOT. The rich keep getting richer

Senate Minority Whip, Ganiyu Solomon and Chairman of the Senate Services, Senator Suleiman Adokwe said yesterday that Nigerians must not be made to pay for government’s inefficiency in managing subsidy on petroleum products.

Speaking against the backdrop of the Presidency’s proposal to remove oil subsidy in 2012, the senators said the Presidency should tender a breakdown of the oil subsidy to Nigerians. The duo faulted the secrecy attached to the annual budget of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as well as how it managed the oil subsidy.

Speaking in separate interviews, the lawmakers faulted the NNPC Act, which made the nation’s indigenous oil agency accountable only to the President and demanded that its accounts be made public through the National Assembly. Senator Adokwe noted that the Senate Petroleum Resources Committee was deliberately frustrated when it asked questions on NNPC and its accounts. “In the sixth Senate, I served on the Downstream Petroleum Committee and I had a position, which was that the major issues were how to manage the subsidy.

“There were speculations here and there that the subsidy was getting into the wrong hands that it wasn’t getting to the real people, who actually needed the subsidy. “We tried to ask so many questions, to find out why and what was happening. My biggest grouse then was that NNPC account was shrouded in so much secrecy and nobody knew what was going on there. It’s a fundamental error that a major organization like that, which is responsible for our wealth, its activities are shrouded in secrecy, its budget is not subjected to scrutiny by the National Assembly.

“The military made the NNPC Act in such a way that they are answerable only to Mr President. Its budget needs to be properly scrutinized so that we would know how they are managing the subsidy.“In spite of the fact that we are paying trillions of naira for oil subsidy, the pump price is still very high in the North; particularly in the North-east and the North- west. There’s still continued shortage of petroleum products in that part of the country and we wonder really who is being subsidized.“We really need to know how the subsidy is being managed. If we know how it’s being managed, probably there may be no need to take it off.

“So, it’s not a straightforward answer I can give. I cannot give a straightforward answer until I get the facts concerning the subsidy.”
On his part, Senator Solomon urged government to have a re-think on removal of the subsidy, as doing so would simply be punishing Nigerians.“Government should seriously have a rethink on this matter. That we are where we are now is quite sad.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/oct/07/national-07-10-2011-002.html

Pls which one is call centre agents. Is it the ones making phone call business

why should they keep such money if there is no electronic security to watch the environment. moreso, are they meant to pay cash to the officers instead of cheque?

Boko Haram means Western education is a sin
MEND means movement for the emancipation of Niger Delta
WHAT'S THE MEANING or even the pronunciation of Akhwat Akwop
I know the name is not from from Ibo/Chrsitian/South East
somebody please tell me

Players of Heartland, who are still basking in the euphoria of their Federation Cup victory, are not happy with the state government.
Governor Rochas Okorocha had on Tuesday night, announced a reward of N1million each for the players, an amount which the gallant players consider as nothing but a peanut.

One of the players, who dismissed the cash reward as nothing, pointed out that two years back, the Rivers State government splashed N1million on Sharks for merely reaching the finals of the same competition, while players of Dolphins got 30 brand new cars for winning the trophy two years back.

Another player stated that the N1million each of them got from Okorocha could not even buy a good ‘tokunbo’ car.
“I had expected something better because this is a feat that is coming after over two decades of trophy drought in Heartland. If the governor had given us land, we would have cherished it the more and that is something one can look back and remember. But N1million is something we can spend in days and go back to square one.”

Okorocha had at the party he threw for the players, announced the N1million reward for each of the players, even as he pledged to clear their outstanding sign on fees for the 2011 soccer season. The governor also donated a new bus to the team.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/sportsonthehour/2011/sept/29/sportsbreak-29-09-2011-001.html

This country is chewing more than he can bite.
Imagine what will happen if the next president is not interested in amnesty programme.

We all know all the VISIONS ranging From Vision 2000 all the way down to Vision 2010
Now another Vision 2012.

SSS are just pursuing shadows. Why cant they look for the main sponsors (brains) behind the boko haram instead of pursing the implementers who are being used just to carry out the work. When Al quaeda bombed US, they didnt look for the bombers, rather they looked for Osama Bin Laden, who is the brain behind it.

Some1 should confirm it before praising him. Let it not be a political talk

central area. close to General Hospital

Has george BUSH or bill GATE changed their own name? Don't u know the meaning of Bush

GEJ is confused. He said he will provide 24/7 power supply before he leaves office. Now he want us to judge him after 1yr.

Can this happen in the North or South?
Why can't Igbo defend themselves in their own land

Leader of Movement for the Actualistion of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike and 281 of his followers who were arrested by the police on Wednesday, were yesterday remanded at the Enugu Prisons on the orders of a magistrate court in the state.

Uwazuruike was detained late Wednesday when he went to question the arrest of his members earlier picked up by the police who stormed the Presidential Hotel venue where Igbo youths converged to honour Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and other prominent Igbo leaders.

The MASSOB leader and his men who were dressed in blue Biafra uniform with rising sun badge were arraigned in an open space inside the Enugu Magistrate Court premises where they were kept standing under the sun for more than four hours.

They were charged with conspiracy to commit felony and attempt to use an illegal organisation to take over the government of Enugu State and other South-eastern states in pursuant to a Sovereign State of Biafra.
Counsel for the accused persons, Chika Eze who held brief for C.O.C Obiekwe made application for bail on the grounds that all the four count charges brought against the accused persons were all bailable offences as none of them attracts death penalty.

He cited Section 118 of the Criminal Procedure Act arguing that the court may grant bail and urged the court to exercise that discretion by granting bail since there were no threat of the accused persons jumping bail.
Police Prosecutor, Damian Njoku Umeh, however, opposed the application and urged the court to discountenance the submissions of the defense counsel since it had no jurisdiction to handle the matter and to remand them in prison custody.

The presiding Magistrate, Dennis Ekoh granted the request of the prosecution and ordered that they be remanded while the case file was moved to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
Immediately the pronouncement was made, Uwazuruike ordered his members to “clap for them” and they responded with a thunderous clap in the court which sat outside because of the number of accused persons. Afterwards, he told newsmen: “They are making a mockery of justice, there is no justice in whatever they are doing here and that is why we want to leave Nigeria because there is nothing like justice in Nigeria. I don’t care whether it is magistrate or presidential or high court.

“For most of them there, I was called to bar even before they went to Law School. So I know what law is all about; they cannot stand on my way to justice; at the end of the day I will come out because I have not committed any offence. He urged his members to be strong and courageous: “You can see they are afraid of you; so be strong.”

Also reacting, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh expressed shock at the turn of events stating that he expected them to be released since there was no threat to peace by the accused persons and when they were not arrested with any weapon. He warned that the Nigerian government was playing with the personal liberty of innocent citizens in the country, saying, “MASSOB is known to be leading a non-violent agitation for the emancipation of Igbo people in Nigeria; their struggle is for justice to be given to Igbo people of Nigeria.

“They’ve done that without killing or breaching public peace yet the Nigerian government is ready to dialogue with the Boko Haram sect that is killing Nigerians everyday; the government is negotiating with people who are committing murder everyday. “When the youths of the Niger Delta carried sophisticated arms, the government of Nigeria negotiated with them and granted them amnesty and invested billions of naira into their welfare but the Igbo’s have been selected for no justice in Nigeria.

“Let me warn the government of Nigeria that the levity with which they treat those who are pursing their rights without violence would provoke those people to carry arms; if it’s only those who kill that the government would look into their protest, then what they are saying is that non-violent protest is of no use and that is unfortunate.”

He urged the attorney-general of Enugu State “to do everything to see that the matter moved to high court today otherwise we shall count him among the enemies of Igbo’s.”

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/aug/26/national-26-08-2011-013.html

What matters is value. If they can provide 24/7 power supply and charge pay as u use, it is far better than now that we don't have light (or some times 3hrs in 72 hrs) and at the end of the month, PHCN will bring bill and if you dont pay after 3 months, they will cut your line.
Everybody is enjoying telephone service now because of MTN, Glo, Etisalat, etc. If we are still using Nitel, what will be the case now?

IS CHRIST EMBASSY A CHURCH? JUST A QUESTION.

I don't think so. Its an Embassy just like Hungarian Embassy

NOBODY should even be paying tax in Nigeria because we generate more than enough money from crude oil that will take care of our 5th generations but our leaders are just squandering them. Not to talk of money generated from BPE, Customs and looted funds

Very soon, crazy-dent Jonathan will grant them amnesty and they will be sent to Pakistan to learn trade (killing) just like the Militants

I hope the story is not about Mercy Johnson

“When we watched the video, Mr 2Face was the only one wearing shades in the studio throughout. Why? Why will he be wearing shade during interview and saying ‘yes o, yes o’ to the akata (black American) woman interviewing him?
“We really don’t know how to proceed with this one.”

Maybe NDLEA should also be arrested for calling an American woman "AKATA"
What is their concern on his dressing code and the the way he responds.

Corruption has been the reason why Nigeria still remain undeveloped.
Just wondering if it started during the IBB regime?
Who knows?

The Serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly and Vice-Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday, appraised Christian leaders’ position on the controversial Islamic banking debate, and accused them of insincerity.

His declaration came as he said he would open an account with the bank once it becomes operational.

Bakare, who spoke on the theme ‘Signposts to The Emergence of a Dictator’ noted that Islamic banking would not result in the Islamisation of the country, but would rather bring relief to the citizenry.

According to him, following that interest rates in the conventional banks are high, Islamic banking will be a huge relief in this area.

He said, “Nobody can Islamise or Christianise Nigeria. Don’t be fooled by church leaders who are speaking from both sides of the mouth. My name is Mr. Bakare and I can change my name to Mallam, an equivalent of Mr., if it will help me get the loan. Islamisation my foot!

“This country will remain a country of truths. People will face options and they will choose to serve God the way they choose. Islamic banking is another distraction just like the Arabic on the naira.

“Dubai is a Muslim country and it is progressive. Many Muslim countries are doing well. If Nigeria is practicing Islam and is retrogressing, then there is something wrong.”

Bakare, who denied that his support for Islamic banking had to do with his background, said it was purely a question of being business-minded.

http://punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201107251524776

The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria on Sunday threatened that Muslims would rather go to war than give up on the current move by the Central Bank of Nigeria to promote Islamic banks in the country.

The SCSN also warned Christian clerics to stop disturbing Muslims, whom it said had received enough abuses since the controversial banking system came to the front burner of national discourse.

Vowing that Muslims would defend the implementation of the Islamic banking system (also known as non-interest banking), “with the last drop of their blood,” the council also urged the Federal Government to call Christian leaders to order.

The SCSN President, Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, read a statement issued at the end of a meeting of the council to journalists at the Arewa House, Kaduna.

The council said, “Jaiz bank has come to be and there is nothing they (Christian leaders) can do about it and if we have to go to war on this, we’ll go to war.

“Let those wearing cassocks stop disturbing our peace. Gentlemen (journalists), being peaceful doesn’t mean we are cowards. We warn them to stop disturbing our peace if they want us to live together in Nigeria. Everybody can go his way; we don’t have to live together. We can’t live under people dictating to us how we should live our lives even within the laws of the country.

“Whatever they call themselves, whether archbishops, priests or whatever they are, let them stop disturbing our lives. We have had enough; let the government warn them because these abuses are enough. We have been patient but there is a limit to what we can take. On this Jaiz bank, there is no going back. Everything has been done according to the law.

“We’ll meet fire with fire if they make the Jaiz bank impossible. Let them leave us alone. If they want us to live in Nigeria peacefully as we want to do, then let them respect our rights as we concede to them their own rights.”

It added that if Christians wanted a bank to serve their interest, they were free to ask the CBN for one instead of opposing the proposed Islamic banking which “is operational in the United Kingdom and other Christian-dominated countries.”

The council added that the Jaiz bank had assured that it would commence operations in Nigeria in September with three branches in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano.

The SCSN said,“We are very happy that with a lot of efforts Jaiz bank has now become a reality. The company owning Jaiz has assured us that the bank is coming in September and they have assured us that they will be starting with three branches in three towns, namely Abuja, Kaduna and Kano.

“And they will continue to open the branches rapidly thereafter. We are also aware of the amount of noise and nonsense we hear from the Christian leaders, some of whom are so ignorant.

“They think they can blackmail the government, the CBN or the Muslim ummah to abandon the project. We want to assure them that nothing can stop the Jaiz bank from coming into being because it’s being brought in according to the laws of Nigeria. There is nothing illegal about it.

“If they have a Christian bank that they want to establish, they have the freedom to bring it to the CBN and if they can prove their case, a Christian bank will be opened.

“We, the Muslims of this country, are fed up and tired of the vituperations of the CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria). They feel they can dictate to the Muslims, even on how we should live our lives.

“And we are warning the government not to listen to them because there is a limit to the amount of nonsense we can take. We are the majority in this country, whether the Christians like it or not.

http://punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201107252441462

There is too much money in this nation, our problem is our leaders. In fact, we should stop paying TAX because our leaders are just there to waste excess money instead of proper utilisation

Why not go for a speed boat - Rivers state