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Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been returned as the Governor elect in the Bayelsa governorship election . After the first two days of voting on December 5 and 6, 2015, Dickson had polled 134,998 votes ahead of Timipre Sylva, his closest rival and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had garnered 86 852 votes.

Details later

http://naijanewsland..com.ng/2016/01/breaking-dickson-declared-winner-of.html

May God help us, go to www.kasnunsms.com for affordable bulksms and mobile services

BEVERLY HILLS, January 09, (THEWILL) – Nigerian authorities have arrested one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephews, Salisu Mamman, and have detained him and his gang at the Federal Prison in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over allegations of fraud, name-dropping, forgery and attempt to swindle some unsuspecting businessmen.
THEWILL exclusively gathered that the gang led by Mamman obtained money from the individuals on the pretext that he will introduce them to the President and use his very close relations with him and purported ties with Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who doubles as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, to help them secure crude oil allocations as well as licences to import petroleum products. The scam blew up when the businessmen’s companies were not amongst those awarded oil contracts by the NNPC.
Confirming this development to THEWILL, impeccable presidential sources who opted to remain anonymous over the tricky nature of the matter said, “Mr. President has been briefed on the involvement of his nephew in the alleged crime, but he is insisting not to have anything to do with it.”
“He has already directed the agency in charge to go ahead with the prosecution of his nephew and the others, directing that if found guilty, they should be punished accordingly.”
The insider, who noted that the President has come under some form of pressure from family and friends to intervene, quotes him as maintaining that “he, President Muhammadu Buhari, is not going to call anybody to intervene on the matter.” The source added that the President kept telling those calling for his intervention that the law must be allowed to take its course.
Meanwhile, Mamman and his band have since last week when they were arrested remained detained at the prison facility in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, awaiting their day in court.

http://thewillnigeria.com/news/thewill-exclusive-security-operatives-arrest-buharis-nephew-over-crude-oil-fraud-name-dropping/

Happy birthday to a great man. May God grant u good health and wisdom as u steer the ship of Nigeria to greatness, we are strongly behind u Cos u have proven to have the sincerity of purpose in the affairs of the Nation.

A socio-political group, the Better Enugu Youths Assembly, BEYA, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Mr. Geoffrey Onyema as minister, adding that the appointment has highlighted the seriousness of the President in building a crack team that will afford Nigerians the change they voted for.

In a statement signed by its President, Mr. Nnamdi Ugwuanyi, on Tuesday, BEYA opined that, “it smacks of self-centeredness and myopia for some aggrieved politicians in Enugu State, particularly those of the APC, to fault Onyema’s appointment on the ground that the nominee purportedly played no role in the electoral victory of the President.

“We wonder how the President would have named any of them minister when they were already fighting themselves for the slot. The question such politicians should answer in earnest is how significance their supposed role was in President Buhari’s victory in the March 28 election, when allegations of embezzlement of campaign funds and other anti-party activities were bandied within their rank.”


The group however applauded the Senate, particularly the three senators from Enugu State, for ensuring a smooth ministerial confirmation of Onyema, who it observed, “is bound to be a shining star in the new Federal Executive Council.”

BEYA explained that its, “confidence on the ability of Onyema to stand out among the lot is derived from the very impressive profile; experience, contacts and carriage he will be bringing to Buhari’s cabinet.”

“To this end, we are calling on the President to take advantage of the international exposure, worldview and academic qualifications of the Enugu nominee by making him the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Considering that Onyema, aside rising through the ranks in the World Intellectual Property Organization, is fluent in the English, French and German languages make him the most qualified among the ministers-designate to head the Foreign Affairs ministry,” BEYA stated.

http://dailypost.ng/2015/11/03/beya-berates-enugu-politicians-for-protesting-onyemas-ministerial-appointment/

There's a new richest man in the world.

It's Spanish clothing magnate Amancio Ortega, who has overtaken Microsoft founder Bill Gates for the first time ever.

According to Forbes' real-time tracker, the elusive multibillionaire founder of European clothing retailer Zara just smashed past Bill Gates to become the wealthiest person on the planet, with a fortune of $79.8 billion (€71.83 billion or £51.84 billion).

The elusive Ortega isn't as much of a household name as Gates, but he's quietly ascended the wealth rankings in recent years, as his company continues to perform well and expand.

Unlike many of the richest people in the world, Ortega has a fascinating rags-to-riches story. Born in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, Ortega's father earned 300 pesetas a month, a meager salary.

Ortega's biographer described his memories of a childhood during which his family could not always afford enough food. He left school in his early teens, working his way up from the absolute bottom rung as a messenger boy in a shop.

It wasn't until he was 40 years old that Ortega got around to setting up Zara, the fast-fashion retailer that has gone from strength to strength — first growing in Spain, then neighbouring Portugal and France, then London. Now it's all over the globe.

According to Forbes, Ortega's wealth rose by 5.3%, another $4 billion, over the last 24 hours. That's partly down to a surge in Inditex shares, the parent company that owns Zara.

Inditex
Investing.com

In the last 10 years, the market value of Inditex has risen by about 570%, the main driver of Ortega's climb up the ranks.

Inditex
Investing.com

In an odd turn of events, Ortega has Mario Draghi to thank for his new rank — the head of the European Central Bank's hints that the ECB would boost its quantitative-easing programme on Thursday sent shares in the eurozone surging upwards.

http://www.businessinsider.com/forbes-says-amancio-ortega-just-overtook-bill-gates-as-the-richest-man-in-the-world-2015-10

By JACOB KUBEKA
The alleged mastermind of the Independence Day bombing in 2010, Charles Okah, has died in Kuje prisons where he has been held in custody for a number of years now, according to 247ureports.com.
That twin bomb blast on October 1, 2010, which was the first to be witnessed in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, left scores dead and many more injured.
Quoting “sources close to the prison administration,” 247ureports.com said that Okah died in prison custody shortly after returning from a scheduled court appearance.
Although the information surrounding his alleged death remains sketchy, there are indications he may have died of suicide.
Just yesterday, Charles Okah had attempted to kill himself while at the court house – for a court appearance.
A security agent who spoke to 247ureports.com regarding the handling of high priced suspects as Charles Okah indicate that he might have also died from mismanaged interrogation by prison officials and other government investigators.

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/10/breaking-news-charles-okah-dies-in-kuje-prison/

By TOM CHIAHEMEN
http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/09/anyim-refutes-reports-about-new-political-party/
Former Senate President and immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, has denied reports that he is part of a group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) politicians who have teamed up with the party’s former National Chairman, Ahmed Muazu, to form a new political party.

Describing the report as totally false, mischievous and irresponsible, Anyim said that he has not had any meetings or discussions with Alhaji Ahmed Muazu “pursuant to the formation of a new political party.”


In a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Anyim said that he has not seen, met with, or spoken to, the former PDP Chairman in the last two months.

He is also denied being aware that any person or group of persons is in the process of forming any new party, or parties and that no one has so far consulted him on the matter.

A report in one of the online publications with the caption: “Muazu plots 2019 Presidential Run, Dumps PDP, To Form New Party,” said that the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level might have caused former National Chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu to consider forming a new political party with some notable chieftains of the party ahead of the 2019 presidential elections.

According to the online report, Muazu had already succeeded in wooing some northern power brokers as part of his agenda for 2019, alleging that the former Bauchi stage governor had met with some leaders of the PDP “who have consented to his plan and are already working together with him for the realisation of his new dream to become the next President of Nigeria.”

The report further former Senate President, David Mark; the incumbent Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike; and the former Secretary to the Government of Federation,(SGF), Senator Ayim Pius Ayim, as some of “the party’s big wigs who have allegedly met with Muazu .”

In his refutation, however, Senator Anyim categorically stated that he was “neither interested in, nor available for, any such consultations.”

By TOM CHIAHEMEN

Former Senate President and immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, has denied reports that he is part of a group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) politicians who have teamed up with the party’s former National Chairman, Ahmed Muazu, to form a new political party.

Describing the report as totally false, mischievous and irresponsible, Anyim said that he has not had any meetings or discussions with Alhaji Ahmed Muazu “pursuant to the formation of a new political party.”


In a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Anyim said that he has not seen, met with, or spoken to, the former PDP Chairman in the last two months.

He is also denied being aware that any person or group of persons is in the process of forming any new party, or parties and that no one has so far consulted him on the matter.

A report in one of the online publications with the caption: “Muazu plots 2019 Presidential Run, Dumps PDP, To Form New Party,” said that the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level might have caused former National Chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu to consider forming a new political party with some notable chieftains of the party ahead of the 2019 presidential elections.

According to the online report, Muazu had already succeeded in wooing some northern power brokers as part of his agenda for 2019, alleging that the former Bauchi stage governor had met with some leaders of the PDP “who have consented to his plan and are already working together with him for the realisation of his new dream to become the next President of Nigeria.”

The report further former Senate President, David Mark; the incumbent Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike; and the former Secretary to the Government of Federation,(SGF), Senator Ayim Pius Ayim, as some of “the party’s big wigs who have allegedly met with Muazu .”

In his refutation, however, Senator Anyim categorically stated that he was “neither interested in, nor available for, any such consultations.”



http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/09/anyim-refutes-reports-about-new-political-party/

By OUR REPORTER

Criticisms have continued to trail the recent audit report on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with financial and public policy experts roundly faulting the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Samuel Ukura over the procedure adopted by his office in arriving at the controversial report, spanning between 2008 and 2012.

One of such financial experts, Mr. Duada Bala, in his reaction, noted that the AGF’s recent disclosure to the Clerk to the National Assembly (CAN), Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa that N183bn meant for the development of the Niger Delta was diverted between 2008 to 2012 “has thrown up questions of procedure, propriety and due diligence in the overall conduct of the AGF in the matter”.


Mr. Bala, who expressed this position in a widely-circulated article published this week, wondered whether “the AGF followed the normal procedure in the audit process, whereby queries, if any, are first presented to the relevant organisation and responses received before a final report?”

While using questions to expose palpable flaws in the audit report on the NDDC, the financial analyst asked: “Is the AGF aware that the NDDC does not write cheques and give same to contractors, but that everything to do with payments is between duly certified contractors and the banks, which must verify the specific details of extent of work before payments?

“Is it true that banks only make payments after the respective contractors have met the specific and specified requirements for every tranch of payment and that it is the banks, not the NDDC that must see to this even in their own interest as responsible corporate citizens?

“Did the Office of the AGF even take the trouble to ascertain the paradigms governing many of the issues it chose to comment upon, and without recourse to those who could have explained the issues?”

Expressing delight that the Director of Finance and Accounts in the NDDC has put a couple of things in proper perspective which questions the credibility of the report, he explained that the new leadership of the commission led by its Managing Director, Bassey Dan-Abia has been able to institutionalize probity and commission hitherto abandoned projects.

Reeling out other achievements of the present NDDC management, Bala said: “the new school hostels in eight universities was one such intervention that made recently took over the media space, in addition to the completion of projects suspended by previous leadership. Road networks rehabilitation and completion in several states have been going hand in hand with employment creation and youth empowerment programmes.

“There are legacy projects, the Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) Forum – and much more – under the current leadership. That is why Nigerians must be careful, especially since mischief-makers may use the misinformation and half truths of the audit report to undermine the very impressive strides and reputation of the current focused and hard working NDDC leadership team”.

While describing the Auditor`s report as the best proof that all had not been well with the Commission until very recently, the financial pundit argued that the fact that it covered the timeline of 2008 to 2012 should call for “a distinction between the endemic problems of the NDDC long before its current management, and the performance of this current leadership”.

Executive Director (Finance and Administration) of the NDDC, Henry Ogiri, on his part, accused the Auditor-General of playing to the gallery, pointing out that it was wrong to use deductive accounting as a basis for auditing. “Fraud is not a gamble; established rules have to be used,” Ogiri said in an interview with the African Independent Television (AIT) on Wednesday.

Another staff of the Commission was quoted by an online medium, as saying that the issue of staff advances was not properly handled and interpreted in the report. The unnamed staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, for instance, described the contentious issue of Staff advance as a moving account which they retire or are retired as soon as the task is accomplished. “That is, if I give you money as advance, you are expected to retire on completion of the mission to which the money is attached. Some of these advances have been retired accordingly. All these things have procedures. How can somebody say N1.7 billion could not be accounted for?”

On the indictment of the NDDC over N785 million being a part of N1.1 billion allegedly paid to contractors for the supply of furniture to various schools in Delta State, the same staff of the Commission, identified as someone involved in the project said: “In our records, we have evidence of full delivery and acknowledgment by the school authorities or the beneficiaries. The conclusion is like playing to the gallery. We were not even given any opportunity to respond to this kind of faulty findings before making it public.”

Both Ogiri and a public affairs analyst is based in Abuja, Mr. Sam Akpe agreed that an audit report is a mere query. The ED (F&A) was quoted to have said the audit query which unfortunately has been made public without waiting for the required response, was just an observation by the statutory body; and not a judgement passed on the commission.

In his piece titled, “Auditor -General’s Report: Is NDDC guilty as charged?” Mr. Akpe said: “…whatever the position of NDDC, the auditors have done their job; and so are the self-employed political jobbers who are already calling for the sack of the management. Certainly, there are procedures that must be employed in the execution of the report to ensure that justice is done. For now, it is a mere report; not a judgement.

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/08/experts-stakeholders-criticize-auditor-generals-controversial-report-on-nddc/

BY DUADA BALA

The recent controversial 2008 – 2012 report of the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF) on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has thrown up questions of procedure, propriety and due diligence in the overall conduct of the AGF in the matter. Did the AGF follow the normal procedure in the audit process, whereby queries, if any, are first presented to the relevant organisation and responses received before a final report? Is the AGF aware that the NDDC does not write cheques and give same to contractors, but that everything to do with payments is between duly certified contractors and the banks, which must verify the specific details of extent of work before payments? Is it true that banks only make payments after the respective contractors have met the specific and specified requirements for every tranch of payment and that it is the banks, not the NDDC, that must see to this even in their own interest as responsible corporate citizens?
Did the Office of the AGF even take the trouble to ascertain the paradigms governing many of the issues it chose to comment upon, and without recourse to those who could have explained the issues?

Fortunately, the Director of Finance and Accounts of the NDDC has put a couple of things in proper perspective.


Until this audit report of questionable credibility, all news about the Commission was always either about the new approaches of its current leadership to ensure probity, or the commissioning of hitherto abandoned projects. The new school hostels in eight universities was one such intervention that made recently took over the media space, in addition to the completion of projects suspended by previous leadership. Road networks rehabilitation and completion in several states have been going hand in hand with employment creation and youth empowerment programmes.

There are legacy projects, the Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) Forum – and much more – under the current leadership. That is why Nigerians must be careful, especially since mischief-makers may use the misinformation and half truths of the audit report to undermine the very impressive strides and reputation of the current focused and hard working NDDDC leadership team.

The fact that the Report in question covers the period 2008 – 2012 and the reading public must make a distinction between the endemic problems of the NDDC long before its current management, and the performance of this current leadership. In fact the Auditor`s Report is perhaps the best proof that all had not been well with the Commission, until very recently.

The period under review by the AGF (2008-2012) recorded a total of almost half a dozen chief executives. This epidemic of Acting Managing Directors and substantive Managing Directors gave the NDDC a total of five Chief Executives between 2008 and 2013, when the current Managing Director assumed office. Timi Alaibe was in charge from 2007, until 2009 when P. Z. Aginighan took over. Aginighamwas Acting MD from April to August, 2009,, when he was replaced by ChibuzoUgwoha. The latter held forth from August 2009 to September 2011. Then came Mrs OsatohamwenIyasere-Arenyeka as Acting MD from September 2011 to November of the same year. Dr Chris Oboh was MD from November 2011 to September 2013, when Mrs. Christy Atako took over. The incumbent Managing Director, Bassey Dan-Abia, took over in December 2013 and has a four year tenure that will end in 2017.

We would only be further destabilizing the place if energies are now focused on management change, rather than services delivery, which the current team is doing so well and recording remarkable achievements within the last 18 months. As I write, some people are busy right now spreading the falsehood that it was only the Board of the NDDC that was dissolved by the Federal Government. This is incorrect. The decision of the Federal Government to dissolve the Boards of parastatals and agencies affected all Boards. Besides, the Board of an organization is not the same as its management. It is also important to note that the government decision is not a condemnation of the NDDC Board, or any Board for that matter, but an action deemed necessary by the current political dispensation. It is not new. It is also not peculiar to the Government of President Buhari, as a cursory look at our political history from independence shows that this is part of the national
political process in other nations of the world.

The Federal Government must not be misled into overlooking the fact that the last two years of the Commission`s life has been the most eventful, in terms of positive impact and a structured reversal of the hitherto prevailing bad reputation of the organization. That is why the ongoing, and clearly sponsored, attempts to smear the NDDC as an institution, and impugn the integrity of its management, should be seen for the campaign of calumny that it is.

Is it not a matter of public record that the first step taken by the current management after its inauguration was to notify all stakeholders that it needed a calm reassessment of all that had been going on in the NDDC, with a view to ascertaining the number and spread of uncompleted projects? The emphasis has been on completing outstanding projects with measurable impact on the lives of the people, rather than starting new ones. The Dan-Abia team, on inauguration, proceeded on a well-organised retreat and came out with enough information on what had gone wrong and what it needed to do in order to straighten things out. The new helmsman began by taking sure, steady and measured steps. The steps were also in the right direction.

Being a brilliant, well exposed and experienced hand in his own right, the current MD`s previous stints in various capacities gave him a certain managerial advantage. That is perhaps why he gave himself the historical role of redefining the profile, reputation and trajectory of this agency of government, while remaining faithful to its raison d`etre. This commitment to real goals of the Commission has made the new NDDC MD’s approach a major beacon of hope for communities long frustrated by still-born projects that were abandoned by previous managements. Instead of taking off on a tangent with emphasis on new contracts Dan-Abia chose to face real issues. Over time, since assumption of office, the new management has been solving the problems it identified after that initial four-day retreat, the communiqué of which noted “… weaknesses in management systems and procedures, corruption, defects in the organisational structure, disconnect between staff
performance and reward system, weak interface between head office and state offices, poor corporate communication culture and in-fighting within the commission”.
This truth, which the current leadership discovered and is dealing with, is what a lot of people connected with the agency over the years have done everything to deny. The effect of the denial is that all attempts at revamping the NDDC and giving it a new lease of life always failed, because they all began with a denial of the problems. Now that the problems have been properly identified and real work has begun, with the visible increase in the number of ongoing and completed projects across all the NDDC states, the Federal Government under Buhari should simply know that those who wish to destabilize the NDDC, under the mistaken impression that it is a place for free booty, should be made to look elsewhere for such booty and leave the hard working leadership of the Commission alone.


http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/08/nddc-auditors-report-matters-arising/

President Muhammadu Buhari said Tuesday in Abuja that the prosecution of persons who have stolen national resources will begin in a matter of weeks. President Muhammadu Buhari Wikipedia

Speaking at a meeting with members of the National Peace Committee led by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar in the Presidential Villa, President Buhari declared that his administration was irrevocably committed to doing all within its powers to break the vicious cycle of corruption, unemployment and insecurity in Nigeria.

"Nigeria has to break this vicious cycle before we can make progress," the President said, adding that his administration was diligently getting facts and figures pertaining to the nation's stolen funds, before proceeding to the prosecution of identified culprits.

President Buhari told General Abdulsalami and members of his committee that the Federal Government, under his leadership, will not only ask for the return of stolen funds that have been stashed in foreign banks, but will also ensure that those who stole the funds are put on trial in Nigeria.

The President also said that as part of its actions to address the national problems it inherited, his administration was reorganising Nigeria's revenue generating institutions.

The President explained that a single treasury account had been established for all Federal revenue to ensure greater probity, transparency and accountability in the collection, disbursement and utilisation of national funds.

"We have really degenerated as a country. Our national institutions, including the military, which did wonderfully on foreign missions in the past, have been compromised. But we are doing something about it. The military is now retraining and morale has been resuscitated.

"As Petroleum Minister under Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo in the 1970s, I could not travel abroad until I had taken a memo to the Federal Executive Council asking for estacode. Now, everybody does what he wants.

"That is why security-wise and economically, we're in trouble," President Buhari told his guests, adding that those who have stolen the national wealth "will be in court in a matter of weeks and Nigerians will know those who have short-changed them."

Gen. Abubakar and members of his committee urged the Federal Government to be guided by the rule of law in its fight against corruption.

Members of the National Peace Committee who accompanied Gen Abubakar on the visit were Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria.

Others were Justice Rose Ukeje (rtd), Prof Ameze Guobadia, Vanguard Newspaper Publisher, Sam Amuka, Dame Priscilla Kuye, Senator Ben Obi, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, and Dr Arthur-Martin Aginam.

The National Peace Committee, formed before the 2015 general elections, was granted permission by the President to transform to a National Peace Council.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 11, 2015

http://saharareporters.com/2015/08/11/trial-nigerian-treasury-looters-commence-soon-president-buhari

By JACOB KUBEKA

CENTENARY CITY PROJECT: ANYIM SUES CAIRO OJOUGBOH. CLAIMS ₦1BILLION FOR DEFAMATION
Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, immediate past SGF has dragged Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the National Vice-Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before an Abuja High Court, claiming the sum of One Billion Naira as general, aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages over publicatons and interviews granted by Ojougboh in which he alleged that the Centenary City Project is a scam by Anyim.
It will be recalled that in an interview granted by Ojougboh and published on page 3 of the Daily Trust Newspaper of July 13, 2015, titled “Jonathan’s Centenary City is Crime Personified”. Ojougboh said “the Centenary City built during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was a blueprint for corruption…” Ojougboh went further to say “Somebody within that office called the SGF, had the impunity to tell Nigerians lies that the Centenary City is a Public Private Partnership arrangement, I mean it is a lie. In fact, huge chunk of land was given to only one man and it didn’t stop there. He now went to incorporate the entity as a free zone. Where have you ever seen it in this world? It is crime personified.
In another story published on page 15 of Thisday newspaper of July 18, 2015, Ojougboh alleged that Anyim was threatening his life for blowing the whistle on the corruption and fraud involving Sen. Anyim in the Abuja Centenary City Project. In the story captioned “Ojougboh Alleges Ex-SGF Anyim Threatening His Life”. Ojougboh alleged that he “discovered multiple instances of corruption and fraud which were brought to his attention via petitions written by various anti-corruption NGO’s and in particular the Nigerian Women Against Corruption regarding the Centenary City Project having been an elaborate scam perpetrated by Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation.” Ojougboh further alleged that he was forcefully removed from office as Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority, NEPZA by Ex-SGF, Anyim for unravelling the allegation of fraud levelled against him. Ojougbo was quoted to have shown to a group of journalists copy of a petition he sent to the Inspector General of Police, IG Mr Solomon Arase titled “Letter of Complaint to threat of life, intimidation, blackmail by Senator Anyim Pius Anyim”
In the suit filed on the 7th of August, 2015 by Mike Ozekhome’s Chambers (Legal practitioners and notary public) on behalf of Sen. Anyim, the Ex-SGF is contending that the publications are false, unfounded, baseless and constitute a figment of Cairo Ojougboh’s warped imagination which are calculated to bring him to great disrepute and lower him in the estimation of right thinking and reasonable members of the public.
Anyim further avers that the stories were maliciously concocted to frustrate the Centenary City Project, and in particular, to scare away foreign partners as well as incite the investors and management of the Centenary City Project against him and lower him in their eyes.
Anyim is seeking, among other things, an order of the court directing the defendant(Cairo Ojougboh) to pay him the sum of ₦1b as general, aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages over the embarrassment, public odium, derision, ridicle, obloquy, mental agony and psychological trauma which Ojougboh’s publications have caused him.
No date has been fixed for hearing the case as the courts are yet to resume from vacation.

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/08/anyim-sues-cairo-ojougboh-over-centenary-city-project-claims-n1billion-for-defamation/

By Hassan M. Bello
The recent shameful ranting by some failed politicians led by Dr. Cairo Ojougboh against the Centenary City Project and their caustic political mudslinging against the champion of the project’s well-planned development in the person of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, have indeed thrown up critical national development issues worth examining.
The Centenary City Project was one of the Legacy Projects initiated by the Federal Government as part of activities to celebrate Nigeria’s 100 years anniversary as a nation. The SGF, Senator Anyim, was directed by then President Goodluck Jonathan to coordinate the activities for Nigeria’s Centenary Celebration and the Centenary City as a purely and wholly private sector driven programme without any financial involvement by the Federal government.
The due process followed in securing land for the Centenary City Project are well documented and the records are available at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA. Moreover, the entire transparent process and steps taken to establish, register and incorporate Centenary City PLC have been copiously documented publicly.

Also a public knowledge are measures used in: appointing and inaugurating Centenary City PLC’s Board with His Excellency Gen. Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar (rtd), GCFR as Chairman, hiring its management. Also widely known are the withdrawal of the SGF as the Facilitator of the Centenary City Project after the inauguration of its Board, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Centenary City Project, the granting of a Free Zone status to Centenary City by NEPZA, and the commencement of the Centenary City Project by its principal developer – Eagle Hills International Properties LLC.
At present, the Centenary City PLC is a public limited liability company owned by forty-one well known, credible and verifiably organizations from Nigeria, UAE, and USA, and duly registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). And at US$18Billion, it is indeed the biggest single private foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nigeria ever.
Clearly in our view, the Centenary City initiative of the Goodluck Jonathan Administration will remain one of the most outstanding legacies any administration will ever leave behind in Nigeria. Even when it has become fashionable to deny every achievement of the immediate past administration and denigrate and disparage everybody who served in it, the Centenary City will stick out as one well thought out, carefully planned, methodically implemented and socially and economically rewarding initiative of any government in Nigeria.
Nonetheless, one of the issues thrown up by the recent controversy is that The Centenary City Project was duly applied for and granted Free Zone status by the President at the recommendation of the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Pursuant to the transformative economic programmes of the Federal Government, the activities of the Authority has been strengthened and this has led to the establishment of 34 Free Zones spread across the country. Some of the Zones cater for a specific area of economic enterprise while others are more general in nature. There are currently over 300 licensed Free Zone Enterprises (FZEs) operating in the various Zones across the country.
Since the inception of the scheme, Nigeria’s economy has witnessed tremendous patronage and steady growth through FDI inflow and revitalisation of local industries.

The Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) administers the incentives for all the variants of Free Zones ranging from Export Processing Zones, Free Trade Zones, Border Free Zones, Export Farms, Science and Technology Parks, Tourism and Resort Centers, and other more specialised Free Zones.

A Zone can be operated by the public or private sector, or a combination of both. NEPZA’s cardinal objective is to ensure that the operational and strategic objectives of free zone operators are realised through responsive, cost effective and efficient services and instant pragmatic solution to their needs.

ON GOING REFORMS at NEPZA

Nigerian economic reforms have succeeded in reshaping the investment climate with tremendous inflow of FDI especially in telecommunication, banking, manufacturing and agricultural, and with the Centenary City, real estate. The international business community needs to come and explore the abundant investment opportunities that are available in Nigeria Free Zones, either by locating in the existing zones or through the establishment of industrial cities, clusters and parks. Given the investment friendly disposition of Nigeria, there is no better time than now to invest in Nigeria Free Trade Zones – African’s most profitable economy
Below is a copy of the map showing the distribution of free zones here:

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/08/the-centenary-city-project-and-free-zone-disparity-in-nigeria/

This is the time for us to know if PDP as a party has ideology like they used to say to APC while they were in power, if truly PDP is a party with ideology being out of power would rather strengthen them and not cold like Metuh is admitting already.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, has confessed that it is cold being in the opposition, even as he stressed that some members stopped showing commitment to the affairs of the party the week it lost the 2015 presidential election.

Metuh, who disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview with Sahara TV, said: “It is cold out here. It is cold because people that have been with you for the past 10 years now decided to change because we are no longer in power. It is cold out here because people allowed themselves to be used against the party. It is cold out here because you are subject to the machination and conspiracy of the ruling party. But in terms of service, being in the opposition renews your commitment.

“The week that we lost the presidential election, some members changed. They are no longer committed and even the staff of the party are no more disciplined because there is no benefit to get. This has, however, separated those who came to reap from the PDP and those who want to really serve. Politics is about service. Those who want to serve will remain”.

The PDP spokesman further alleged that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was selective in its anti-corruption crusade, describing the recent probes embarked upon by the government as political lynching.

According to him, “One thing is clear, there is no group, association or political party in this world where you will not find corrupt persons or those who want to engage in corruption. We welcome the probe of corrupt government officials because we in the PDP don’t condone corruption. If there is any of us who is corrupt, the law must take its full course. You must have respect for the rule of law.

“What we are witnessing now is political lynching. The ruling party is painting every member of the PDP as corrupt. They are rewriting the rule of law. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. This is unconstitutional, undemocratic. Our point is that: let the rule of law prevail. You can probe, there is nothing wrong with that but probes should not be the centre programme of any government. What is their agenda for the nation? Probe is diversionary.”

Metuh also insisted in the interview that the recent visit of President Buhari to the United States was a monumental failure, adding that the delegation that accompanied him on the visit was ill prepared for what was expected of them.

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/08/its-cold-being-an-opposition-party-metuh-admits/

Amanpour: President Buhari, welcome back to the program.

Buhari: Thank you.

Amanpour: Mr. President, you have asked the United States to help you in the fight against Boko Haram.

What exactly did you ask in this regard?

What do you need?

And what answer did the president, Obama, give you?

Buhari: United States, leader of the G7, promised to do what they can to help Nigeria.

So we have brought our requirements in terms of training, equipping and intelligence gathering for Nigeria to be able to fight Boko Haram.

Amanpour: And you mentioned the economy and the falling in oil prices over the last many months.

How are you going to deal with that? Because that is really what your people want.

Buhari: My people firstly, I believe, they want the security (ph) in the country to be stabilized so that normal life, both in the southern part of the country, where the militants are still sabotaging oil installations and kidnapping people and demanding ransom, and in the northeast of the country, where Boko Haram is still active.

This is the military occupation of Nigeria now and is the reality of (INAUDIBLE). Nothing will work until the country is secure.

Amanpour: But despite your vows to tackle Boko Haram, there are reports in your own country that there have been at least 400 deaths by that group since you became president.

Added to that, Amnesty International reports that your military has totally lost the credibility and trust of the people because of the systematic human rights abuses, the killing of some 8,000 people.

How do you expect your military to be able to go against Boko Haram, to get the trust of the people instead of being a platform for Boko Haram’s grievances?

Buhari: Well, I have just mentioned that, under Lake Chad Basin Commission, we have agreed to form a multinational joint task force. So whatever happened before that decision was taken, we have to allow further investigation to verify the question of human rights abuse.

And with that, I’m sure you must have known the decision taken by this government, the federal government of Nigeria, in changing the military command.

Amanpour: What about the girls, the famous Chibok girls, the 200 or so who were abducted so long ago?

Yet again there’s been a suggestion that the Boko Haram captors may trade them, may seek to trade them for incarcerated inmates, who they want to get out.

Is your government willing to trade those girls in that regard?



Buhari: We have to be very careful about the credibility of various Boko Haram leaderships coming up and declaring that they can deliver. We have to be very careful indeed. And we are taking our time because we want to bring them safe back to their parents and to their school.

Amanpour: So are you in principle against or would you consider negotiating with Boko Haram if you can verify the credibility of those who approach you?

Buhari: I cannot be (INAUDIBLE). I told you our main objective as a government is to secure those girls safe and sound back to their schools and rehabilitated them to go back to normal life. So if we are convinced that the leadership has presented itself can deliver those girls,

(INAUDIBLE) who will be (INAUDIBLE) negotiate what they want.

Amanpour: Let me ask you because, look, you came to power on a platform that you would do better than the previous president, in all regards: security, corruption, economy, et cetera.

But there have been hundreds of people killed since you’ve become president.

How can you do any better?

Buhari: I think I have — I can be held to my promises for the next three and three-quarter years ahead of me. And I think (INAUDIBLE) also is too early for anybody to pass judgment on my campaign promises.

Amanpour: What about your campaign promise to root out corruption?

If they turned out that some of the guilty ones were members of your own party or your own associates, would you crack down on them, too?

Buhari: I just have to. There isn’t going to be any party member or any personality that can escape justice.

Amanpour: Mr. President, are you disappointed that President Obama is yet again not going to Nigeria, the biggest and most economically powerful country in Africa?

Buhari: Well, I wouldn’t say I was disappointed. But how I wished he will change his mind and go to Nigeria.

Amanpour: Did you ask him?

Did he say he would?

Buhari: Well, I will ask him. I will send a formal invitation.

Amanpour: So finally, let me ask you about a previous African leader, a former African leader, the former dictator of Chad, Hissene Habre, who is being tried — or at least they’re trying to try him — in Senegal. And he’s refusing to cooperate. Do you support that process of trying an accused African leader in Africa rather than at the International Criminal Court?

Buhari: Justice is justice, whether it’s done in Africa or elsewhere in the world. The important thing is let justice be done, whatever evidence the prosecution has in Senegal. I think they should — you should proceed to make it available to the world and prosecute him according to international law on human rights.

Amanpour: So you — so you support that process?

Buhari: I support any process that is based on justice.

Amanpour: President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, thank you for joining me from Washington today.

Buhari: Thank you very much.

Credit: CNN

By BARBARA KALU

Former vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme has revealed that the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan was the brain behind the move to transfer Boko Haram detainees to Aguata Prisons in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area, LGA, of Anambra State. He however noted that the idea was resisted and protested against by the people causing the past administration to backtrack.

Speaking with newsmen at Aguluzigbo in Anaocha LGA of Anambra State during the end of tenure Thanksgiving Ceremony of Chief Victor Umeh as APGA Chairman, Chief Ekwueme said, “I am aware that the plan of bringing Boko Haram detainees to Aguata prisons in Ekwulobia came up a while ago and there was reasonable protest to the then President Jonathan against it and he dropped the plan.

“I was out of the country when I heard that Boko Haram detainees were brought to Aguata Prisons in Ekwulobia, Anambra State. I started wondering how the idea of bringing them to the South East and my local government area came up again after the people thought the matter has been rested.

“I am sure the new President must have seen the records and proposal and decided to implement it, but since there was initial protest against the relocation of the detainees to the South East, I’m sure President Buhari will do something to assuage the feelings of the people of the South East,” he assured.

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/07/transfer-of-boko-haram-inmates-to-anambra-hatched-by-jonathan-ekwueme/

don't give him the 2k, ur transcript will be sent to ui, u can call 08062317837 for more clarification

It is instructive at this point in time to state categorically without equivocation that there is nothing “personal” between Okonjo-Iweala and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in terms of the request by the Edo Governor that Okonjo-Iweala should come clean on the issue of revenue that accrued to the Excess Crude Account.
As much as her Spokesman tries to dramatize his response in defense of his boss, he has shown a manifest uninformed disposition to issues of simple economics of naira and kobo.
Here is a former Minister who has changed her position four times in the last forty days; each position exposing her dubiety of facts and inherent contradictions in the concocted tales she has been weaving on one simple issue: what happened to t5he $2.1b ECA funds?

PERTINENT QUESTIONS.
The simple questions which the Comrade Governor asked were: how come those accruals into the Excess Crude Account got depleted without the knowledge of the National Economic Council?
How come monies that were supposed to accrue into the said account cannot be found in it going by the balance sheet provided by the former Minister? How come the Minister unilaterally dipped her hand into the Excess Crude Account to spend money in defiance of the constitution and the laws of the land?
How come that the Minister finds it convenient to publish allocations to States and Local Governments, but refused to publish accruals into the same account for us to know the status of the account at any point in time; how much was left from where she was distributing from?
What the Comrade Governor stated was that; it was interesting to note that by December 2012, the ECA had a balance of over $10billion. This had been depleted to $2.07billion by May 2015, according to the former Finance Minister. Between January 2013 and May 2015, not more than $4billion was shared among the three tiers of Government. Indeed, the last time any money was shared from the ECA was in May 2013.
Flowing from the above statement of facts, the Comrade Governor then asked a very pertinent question; how come there was no accretion to the ECA even when Crude oil prices averaged between $100 to $108 within the three years period of 2011 to 2014, aware that the National Budgets were based on $77 and $79 benchmark?
That gives an average of $30 per barrel gains. In fact, based on rough estimates, Nigeria should earn not less than $30billion accretion based on the official oil exports of 2.3 million barrels per day. The question which Okonjo-Iweala could not answer is; how come Nigeria did not make any savings during those three years of unprecedented oil price boom? Simple question that should ordinarily elicit simple response.
Without a scintilla of numerical reference, Okonjo-Iweala went into a voyage of storytelling like an intellectual raconteur, leaving out the real substance of the Comrade Governor’s salient questions.
First, she responded on May 28, 2015 where she denied the allegations describing them as “baseless”. Among other things she claimed that the 36 State Governors who are joint owners of the Excess Crude Account [ECA] with the Federal Government were in full picture of how the ECA was managed.
She stated inter alia; “how can Governor Oshiomhole claim that State Governors were not properly briefed on the status of the ECA when his Commissioner of Finance attends all FAAC meetings where decisions are taken and communicated to the nation?”
On June 29, 2015 exactly a month after, at the inaugural meeting of the National Economic Council [NEC] presided over by Vice President Professor Yemi Osibanjo, and with 36 states in attendance deliberated on the status of the ECA. After a critical scrutiny, it was discovered that indeed Dr. Okonjo-Iweala spent $2.1billion from the ECA without authorization by the NEC.
That money was neither distributed to states nor paid to the three tiers of government. This was the rationale for the setting up of the four-man Panel to look at what accrued, what it was spent for, when and by whom and who authorized the spending, so that Nigerians will have full picture of all the transactions as regards the much talked about Excess Crude Account.

SHIFTING THE GOAL POST.
On June 30, 2015, Okonjo-Iweala was once again reported as categorically denying unauthorized expenditure from the ECA under her purview, describing the findings of NEC as “false, malicious and without foundation”.
According to her, decisions on such expenditure and sharing were discussed at meetings of FAAC attended by Finance Commissioners from the 36 states.
In her words; “it is curious that in their desperation to use the esteemed National Economic Council for political and personal vendetta, the persons behind these allegations acted as if the constitutionally recognized FAAC, a potent expression of Nigeria’s fiscal federalism, does not exist”.
Is FAAC superior to NEC? Does FAAC have the constitutional powers to give approval for withdrawals from ECA?
On June 30, 2015 the Comrade Governor stated during his Live Television interview with Channels Television that the power to take money from ECA was vested in the NEC, an institution created by the Constitution and not State Finance Commissioners who were members of FAAC, an administrative arrangement that was not known to the Constitution.
Rather than open up, giving full disclosure, she was opening part of the book and not the entire book. According to Comrade Oshiomhole, the logic of transparency is that every Minister must publish in full what is accruing to the Federation Account month-to-month basis and what is distributed to them.
On July 7, 2015, barely a week after Okonjo-Iweala claimed that FAAC was involved in the unauthorized spending from the ECA, members of FAAC under the aegis of Forum of Finance Commissioners in a public statement, denied approving any withdrawal of the said $2.1 billion.
The 36 Finance Commissioners categorically described the former Minister’s claim as “misleading, and far from the fact”. Hear them; “the Law setting up FAAC, which pre-dates the ECA did not empower the Commissioners to approve such withdrawals, and that there were records of Committee’s meetings to show that they had always queried the activities on the ECA, particularly on withdrawals.
FAAC did not and could not have approved or took the decision to withdraw the sum of $2billion from the Excess Crude Account”.
On July 8, 2015, Okonjo-Iweala opened up a bit of the real gist when she admitted that $2billion was indeed withdrawn from the ECA this time, on the directives of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She further confirmed that the money was used to pay petroleum subsidies and not shared to the 36 states as she earlier declared.
The former Minister was quoted as saying; “payments made were used for paying for petroleum subsidies for the Nigerian people and were approved by Mr. President”.
She then made a volte face saying she did not claim that FAAC members approved the spending but that they were informed of the decision, “if monies were used to pay for subsidies for the Nigerian people and duly approved, why is Okonjo-Iweala’s name being battered in this way? She wondered, adding that “this persecution should stop”.
In fact, she is the one that is persecuting herself.
Subjecting this position to the crucible, one is prompted to ask Okonjo-Iweala if in all her experiences at the World Bank and elsewhere whether, the President has the right and powers under our laws to give approval for the withdrawal of $2billion from the ECA?
Whether the President has the power to usurp the powers of NEC with respect to withdrawals from the ECA? Whether the President has the powers to touch any money that belongs to the States and Local Governments?
It may interest Okonjo-Iweala to note that when the $5billion Power Intervention Fund was approved by NEC with all the 36 states Governors in session, due process had to be followed before the money was withdrawn from the ECA. Indeed, each of the 36 Governors had to seek the authorization of the Houses of Assembly, the 774 Local Government Chairmen and their Legislative Councils.
Just waking up in the morning to declare that “Mr. President” gave the approval and it was used to pay subsidy claims flies in the face of logic, common sense, due process and law. Was payment for subsidy not captured in the Appropriation Law?
Why would a Minister that is worth her salt dip her hands into our collective patrimony to take that much, a whopping $2billion on the directives of one Mr. President?
Can any World Bank Chief Executive dip hands into the till to take what belongs to all vide approval against what the laws and rules guiding World Bank specify? Was the Federal Government portion of the $2.1billion appropriated by the National Assembly before it was used to pay oil marketers?
To the best of our knowledge, there was nothing of the sort. We think very seriously that Okonjo-Iweala has more questions to answer. She has shifted grounds on four different scores. That tells so much on her integrity.
According to Brian Tracy, that celebrated author; “integrity is more than a value.
It is the one quality of mind that assures or guarantees all the other values that you select. You cannot have a little bit of integrity.
It must be all or nothing”. If Okonjo-Iweala truly understands the whole essence of integrity, we had expected her to come clean on these serious allegations of financial malfeasance instead of allowing her ill-informed Spokesman, such vend-able lick-spittle, to be vomiting incoherent and inconsistent banalities on issues that border on our collective patrimony.
This was the same attitude she put up when the issue of misappropriated N19.5billion Aviation Fund was being investigated under former President, Chief Olusegun Obaanjo. Till date, she has not been able to clear the air on the N6.5 billion loan she allegedly raised from Commercial Banks to fix Control Towers of Four Airports.
That is a story for another day.
Her latest resort to blackmail using her refusal to grant Edo State Government a loan request as the reason why the Comrade Governor is asking her valid questions that border on fraud and financial recklessness is completely at variance with the real issues at stake.
What has the request for loans got to do with the claim that someone dips her hand into the public till to spend what was not approved by the collective? How does she expect the states to survive when she refused to make full disclosure on accruals and declined to give them their share on a regular basis as required by law?
Because she plundered the resources with reckless abandon, she is now running from pillar to post without addressing the real issues. Please help us ask her; Madam Okonjo; what happened to ECA withdrawals?
What is the meaning of “numerical diarrhea” in the context of financial malfeasance and official sleaze that characterized Okonjo-Iweala’s regime as Finance Minster? From the records we have seen so far and the tantrums she has been throwing rather than address the real issues, it is appropriate to conclude that she was indeed Coordinating Minister of Economic Fraud and Financial Malfeasance.
All the acclaimed World Bank experiences were just part of the hollow rituals to hoodwink the Nigerian public from addressing the real issues of mismanagement. We will continue to insist that she comes out clean, no matter how ostentatiously dramatic she chooses to go.

SIGNED….
PRINCE KASSIM AFEGBUA
SPECIAL ADVISER, MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, TO THE EDO STATE GOVERNOR


http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/07/the-questions-okonjo-iweala-could-not-answer-by-oshiomhole/

By UGWUANYI NNAMDI
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday revealed why he settled for the late Umaru Yar’ Adua as his successor with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as his then running mate. He admitted that his choice of those that succeeded him was based on the outward perception he had of them.

Obasanjo told Channels Television in an interview that he found the late Yar' Adua as the only upright aspirant among the rest members of the PDP, alleging that the rest contenders corrupt.

The Otta farmer noted that one of those who wanted to succeed him in 2007 was “stinkingly corrupt” and that the only way he (Obasanjo) could justify himself before man and God was to go for Yar’Adua.

He however failed to mention the names of the so-called corrupt contenders for the 2007 presidential seat.

It will be recalled that Obasanjo’s deputy, Abubakar Atiku; and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili were among those who fought for the PDP presidential ticket. Though Odili was favoured to get the ticket, he was edged out at the dying minute as Obasanjo rather chose Yar' Adua, who later died in office on May 5, 2010.

Obasanjo, who clarified that he only acted based on the information made available to him, said, “Even if you take your son as your successor, you are not sure of what he will do when he gets there. Don’t ever kid yourself.

“What do I know about any successor? What he presents. When he gets there, he presents it differently.

“We did our best, but if you say our best is not good enough, I will say, when it comes to your turn, do better.

“With all the people that are available for successor, what we came up with was about the best that we could think of at that time.

“One of those who wanted to do the job came to me and said, ‘Sir, I like your job, but I cannot do it the way you are doing it.’ Now, if he had told me that, should I then come and say, ‘okay, come, let me give you the job?’ He had told me that, ‘I like your job, but look, the way you are doing it, I haven’t got the stamina to do it that way.’ Then, what do you expect me to do?

“Or the one that I know that, oh!, this one, before he gets the job, he’s stinkingly corrupt. Now will I be able to defend myself before God and man if with what I know I give this job or I encourage the man to have this job?” he queried.

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/07/obasanjo-reveals-why-he-chose-yaradua-as-successor/

PDP must not take things for granted, it is not a must that the incumbent must be returned. i wouldn't want pdp to go into extinction.

Ahead of the Kogi governorship election, a group within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, which identified itself as Kogi PDP Concerned Group, has urged the national leadership of the party and the PDP Governors’ Forum to persuade the incumbent governor of the state, Capt. Idris Wada, against seeking a second term in office.

Making this plea in a nine-page petition it sent to the PDP national secretariat and the party’s governors’ forum, the group warned that Capt. Wada’s candidature would bring defeat on the party at the election.

While suggesting that Wada may have been bogged down by ill health, the concerned group insisted that the Governor has performed woefully so far and that Kogi people would definitely be careful not to grant him another tenure.

The petition, which was signed by five members of the group; Husseni Idris, Mohammed Bello, Taiye Oshadare, Emanuel Sani and Ishaya Yusuf, attributed PDP’s failure in the recent general elections to the party’s inability to field credible people as flag-bearers.
According to the petitioners, “Our party would have won convincingly and retained power in states like Benue Plateau, Adamawa, Niger and even Kwara state, and some other states if only we fielded more acceptable candidates for the said elections.

“If PDP loses in the forthcoming gubernatorial polls, the morale of many party faithful in this state will drop, and many might decamp to other parties.”

They argued that the loss of the party in Dekina Local Government Area, where Governor Wada hails from, during the recent National Assembly elections, was a clear indication of the people’s impression of the reigning governor.

According to them, the failure recorded by the PDP in the recent elections was due to nonpayment of salaries, infrastructural decay and stagnation of government projects, among others.

The group contended that fielding Capt Wada as governorship candidate would mean a predictable defeat for the PDP and the full return of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to power in the state.
The petition claimed that the conduct of credible primary elections in the state was in doubt as the governor has the capacity of manipulating the election in his favour.

It alleged that the governor, during the recent ward congress in the state, bought over some party leaders with the sum of N2 million each, in addition to the exquisite treatment accorded them during the congress.

The petitioners did not provide any evidence to back the allegation.

They however called on the national leadership of the PDP to investigate, and take urgent steps to save the party from going into extinction in the state.


http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/07/kogi-poll-group-begs-pdp-to-drop-gov-wada-to-avoid-defeat/

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has noted that he can already see an end to the leadership tussle rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, caucus of the House. This was as he revealed that the name of the principal officers of the House would be announced on July 21.

Speaking while addressing some APC youths, under the umbrella of the APC Youth Mobilizers and Professionals, who visited the National Assembly yesterday, Dogara said there had been a series of meetings to resolve the crisis in the party and that there were positive signs that the crisis was nearing its end.

“We will announce the remaining four principal officers by the time we reconvene on July 21.We pray that this matter has come to an end by the grace of God,” the Speaker told the APC youths.

The Speaker was however silent on whether the names to be announced on July 21 would be the same as those recommended by the leadership of the APC or he would stick to his position that each of the six geopolitical zones in the country should have one seat.
Instead, he waxed spiritual by telling the youths that leadership was ordained by God and that His wish must be respected at all times, noting that God must have ordained the emergence of certain political leaders, which was being seen as “a mistake”.

“If there were mistakes that were made, we must admit that God allowed these mistakes to make the way for another person’s destiny to happen,” he stated.
On the 24th of last month, members of the lower chamber went into a forced break after fighting broke out on the floor of the House over the sharing of principal offices.

The APC leadership had in a letter dated June 23 asked the Speaker to announce Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila (South-West) as the Majority Leader; Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (North-West) as his deputy; Mr. Mohammed Monguno (North-East) as the Chief Whip; and Mr. Pally Iriase (South-South) as his deputy.

The North-East and the South-South later swapped positions.

But, the Speaker declined to name the officers, given the pressure from other geopolitical zones, which had complained of being edged out of the power sharing arrangement in the House.

Dogara, who was favourably disposed to giving the North-Central and the South-East one seat each in order to accommodate all the six geopolitical zones, also later told Nigerians that he was restrained by a court process not to name the officers.

The APC’s National Executive Committee later waded in through its governors’ forum, asking a committee headed by the Governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, to look into the crisis.

The committee had met separately with the two warring factions, led by Dogara and Gbajabiamila, a former Minority Leader.

Although the Tambuwal committee did not make its findings and recommendations to the governors public, there had been speculations that the committee shared the same view as expressed by the Dogara faction.

On Wednesday last week, the Dogara group said it had conceded all four principal positions to the Gbajabiamila group, so long as the North-East and the South-West would not get additional seats.

The Gbajabiamila group promptly dismissed the concession and insisted on sticking to its position as already directed by the APC.

Findings showed that as of Tuesday when Dogara hinted that the crisis was almost over, the Gbajabimaila group had not shifted ground on its position.

However, Dogara informed the APC Youth Mobilizers and Professionals youths, who came visiting on Tuesday, that there was still one more meeting he needed to attend later same day, where he hoped the dispute would be finally resolved.

Earlier, the chairman of the APC youth group, Mr. Ismai Ahmed, had warned the party’s leaders against allowing the National Assembly crisis to derail the APC-led Federal Government.

Ahmed expressed displeasure that having worked so hard to ensure that the APC won the general elections; the youths had expected the party leaders to settle down quickly and provide good governance “and not fighting over issues such as sharing of positions.”

Ahmed said, “We won the election, but we must win the country too. The House must be put in order.

“We know that you have the capacity to handle the present issue and we want it nipped in the bud so that we can have a functioning National Assembly by July 21,” he stated.



http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/07/reps-to-announce-principal-officers-on-july-21-dogara/

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ter my claims.

let the competition begin.

for the sake of our democracy, pdp shd put their house in order asap and brace up for the daunting opposition role.

The post-election crisis rocking the ruling People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) reached a crescendo Tuesday
evening when the party’s National Chairman Adamu
Muazu was literally bundled out of a meeting meant
for State Governors, the Nigerian Times was reliably
told.
Muazu who was an uninvited guest at the Akwa
Ibom State Lodge, Asokoro Abuja venue of the PDP
governors’ meeting was shocked when some of the
governors began to charge at him accusing him of
betraying the party at the just concluded
presidential elections.
Nigerian Times also learnt that the angry governors
led by a governor from the South-West and another
from the South-South began to scream at him:
“what are you doing here after you have betrayed
us? Leave here now!”
The bewildered party chairman while making attempt
to appeal to the governors’ for understanding was
pushed out by the two governors who were too
angry to pay him any attention.
Stories have been making the round that there are
plans by members of the party’s leadership to remove
Muazu from his position if he fails to resign
voluntarily after leading the party to a woeful
outing in the just concluded elections.
It is however not clear what will be the next line of
action of the governors, National Working
committee, Board of Trustees and even the embattled
chairman but pundits believe that Muazu’s days as
chairman is numbered.
Recall that he became chairman after such feeling of
incompetence greeted his predecessor Bamanga Tukur
who was later removed in an inglorious manner.




nigeriantimes.ng/news/exclusive-adamu-muazu-bundled-out-of-pdp-governors-meeting/

The post-election crisis rocking the ruling People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) reached a crescendo Tuesday
evening when the party’s National Chairman Adamu
Muazu was literally bundled out of a meeting meant
for State Governors, the Nigerian Times was reliably
told.
Muazu who was an uninvited guest at the Akwa
Ibom State Lodge, Asokoro Abuja venue of the PDP
governors’ meeting was shocked when some of the
governors began to charge at him accusing him of
betraying the party at the just concluded
presidential elections.
Nigerian Times also learnt that the angry governors
led by a governor from the South-West and another
from the South-South began to scream at him:
“what are you doing here after you have betrayed
us? Leave here now!”
The bewildered party chairman while making attempt
to appeal to the governors’ for understanding was
pushed out by the two governors who were too
angry to pay him any attention.
Stories have been making the round that there are
plans by members of the party’s leadership to remove
Muazu from his position if he fails to resign
voluntarily after leading the party to a woeful
outing in the just concluded elections.
It is however not clear what will be the next line of
action of the governors, National Working
committee, Board of Trustees and even the embattled
chairman but pundits believe that Muazu’s days as
chairman is numbered.
Recall that he became chairman after such feeling of
incompetence greeted his predecessor Bamanga Tukur
who was later removed in an inglorious manner.

nigeriantimes.ng/news/exclusive-adamu-muazu-bundled-out-of-pdp-governors-meeting/

oya na bros, make the love go round.