read more..... http://wdn.com.ng/oshiomhole-stole-n1trillion-ize-iyamu/

The Federal Government has disclosed that Nigerians will have to exercise more patience as talks to reach a consensus between it and the National Assembly on grey areas in the controversial 2016 budget are still ongoing , implying that no definite date has been slated for the signing of the approved copy from the legislature.

The government has instead set out the timetable for the submission got the 2017 budget, saying that the idea was to ensure early delivery of the document.

This came as the government also stated that there was no currency deal swap with the Chinese government. The implication of the no-date-for-signing is that the hope of many Nigerians who were expectant that the 2016 budget would have been signed into law anytime soon had been dashed.

The decision for further negotiation with the federal lawmakers taken at the Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting which held on Wednesday at the presidential villa, Abuja presided over by President Mohammadu Buhari.

Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr. Udo Udoma who were flanked by his colleagues in the Ministries of Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, Power, Housing and Works, Babatunde Fashola, Communication and Technology, Adebayo Shittu, stated that ahead of the eventual signing of the fiscal document, the Federal Government has set up Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism to ensure that the budget was duly implementation.

Udoma also denied that the document was returned to the National Assembly for a fresh work on it.

Click Here http://wdn.com.ng/signing-2016-budget-may-take-little-time-fg/

The United State (U.S.) Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Samantha Power, has announced nearly 40 million dollars in new humanitarian assistance to support people whose lives have been affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

Power made the announcement in Cameroon during a trip to the Lake Chad Basin region to highlight the growing threat of Boko Haram

.dollar

The U.S. State Department made this known in a statement that was issued on Wednesday.

It said that approximately 7 million people were suffering displacement, deprivation, and disease from the consequences of armed conflict in Nigeria, including 2.2 million internally displaced persons.

“As a result of the prolonged crisis, communities, who have generously hosted IDPs, have also exhausted their resources and find themselves struggling to make ends meet,” it said.

There are nearly 170,000 Nigerian refugees, who have fled to Cameroon, Chad and Niger countries whose citizens have also suffered from Boko Haram attacks and consequent displacement.

The statement said that the funding would support the work of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and other international aid organizations in the region promise to provide essential protection and assistance to those affected.

This new funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Lake Chad Basin humanitarian response in the 2015 and 2016 financial years to more than 237 million dollars.

“Funding announced today will allow UNHCR to provide Nigerian refugees with essential assistance, such as access to clean water and sanitation facilities.

“Health care, essential household items, shelter, programmes, which protect children, and activities to prevent and respond to gender-based violence,” the statement said.

It will also support UNHCR’s protection efforts across the region, including maintaining access to asylum.

“The U.S. contribution will also allow our partners to extend and expand the reach of emergency food assistance in north eastern Nigeria.

“By providing the most vulnerable people, including displaced persons, with cash and vouchers for food, the U.S. is promoting household food security while supporting local markets and trade,” the statement said.

In total, the UN estimates that there are 9.2 million people across the Lake Chad Basin region in need of immediate assistance and has requested 535 million dollars for the 2016 response.

The U.S. urged other donors to join us in responding to this humanitarian crisis.

By Mbom Sixtus

Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram is finally swinging in the government’s favour, but it’s going to take much longer for food production to recover in the country’s northeast. The same is true in neighbouring Cameroon, which has also felt the impact of the violence.

According to the Famine Early Warning Network, (FEWS Net), the conflict has scared farmers off their land, closed roads and markets – which means higher food prices – and squeezed income-earning opportunities.

Though the army’s gains may slowly begin to revitalise rural areas, enabling some who fled to return to their homes, “this will not completely offset the negative impacts that conflict has already had on household food and income sources,” FEWS Net said.

The USAID-funded agency is predicting a food “crisis” for poor households in the worst-affected areas of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states between February and September this year, with much of the rest of the three states food “stressed” – meaning, people have the barest minimum.

Boko-Haram-Fighters

A regional problem

Across the border, in Cameroon’s far North Region, some 1.4 million people are estimated to be food insecure – one third of the population, according to Felix Gomez, World Food Programme country director.

That’s a doubling of the figure since June 2015, he told IRIN. Some 200,000 people are “most at risk”, facing “severe food insecurity”, with over 150,000 children under five and more than 30,000 mothers in need of emergency nutrition assistance.

Cameroon’s remote north has traditionally struggled to feed itself. But the Boko Haram conflict – expanding out of Nigeria – has exacerbated the problem. Read More...http://wdn.com.ng/2016/03/21/boko-haram-losing-food-production

Shame is nothing of a sane mind dancing naked in the Market place; The Federal Republic of Nigeria has been reduced to nothing but a man dancing nakedly in the public to the evil of mischief, pogrom and injustice. The naked government in the man called APC has yet reiterated his commitment to end opposition by jailing and nailing his critics.
Sanely, one would expect a government of a suffering nation to possess concrete panacea for inconsistencies, inadequacies it once perceived against a PDP government. Soon Nigerians will know how they have been misled, misinformed and hoodwinked into submitting that the country need change. Although change at terra incognitio.
APC has for the passed few months ditched from it arsenal series of blows against the opposition PDP and has further devised a serial chain of punitive and retributive list against it major opposition in the PDP. However, under the nomenclature of anti-graft war the APC handpicked Alhaji Bello Haliru, a serving Chairman of the PDP Board of trustee-BOT, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, an PDP chieftain, followed by Chief Olisa Metuh the PDP national publicity Secretary. Of all the falsehood and allegations cooked by the APC, Prince Uche Secondus were not culpable except a petty indictment over campaign vehicles. Hence his arrest and detainment. Secondus is the immediate Ex PDP Chairman. Those persecuted are just too numerous to mention as Comrade Abbah Moro FMR Minister of Interior also makes the list. Nigerians do not need to be hoodwinked again as the saying goes once beaten twice shy. The question begging for answer is, are Nigerians still buying from this APC’s Market of delusion and hallucinations. It won’t be a thing of surprise later when Nigerians start hearing through the print and non print media an allegation of corruption against the current PDP Chairman Alhaji Amodu Sherif. This lopsided anti-corruption war is a decoy to placate Nigerians on APC’s resolve to quell and terminate PDP in it quest to retain power beyond imaginable after it understood. That Nigerians are getting to know the truth in the lies sold to them by the APC.
Those who feels that APC is persecuting PDP have every justifiable cause to their claim. Nigeria await good governance and it will tell this story of the once upon a time.

The APC lead Buhari Government and its selective prosecution of top members of the opposition Party can no longer be denied by even the most ardent of supporters.
The unjust and unwarranted arrest of Prince Uche Secondus, the former acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party ,just days after he and his officials picked a man the APC consider a tough and worthy opponent to pilot the affairs of the Party ,a man they know could probably ensure the Opposition Party gets back to the cradle of power come 2019,Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
This action from a man known to hold long grudges and serious vendetta goes a long way to buttress my points, you and I know the history between President Buhari and Col Sambo Dasuki and how long he had to wait to exact his pound of flesh.

have wondered why men instinctively or not, ‘pack’ or in plain English – touch their manhood down there sometimes in public places.
After my recent survey, I think these reasons will clear your doubts.

http://watchdognews.net/justthinking-reasons-why-men-always-pack/

The Naira on Monday slumped further at the parallel market as the greenback remained scarce.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the naira lost N5 to exchange at N340 to the dollar, a depreciation of 1.5 per cent.

Over the weekend, the nation’s currency closed at N335 to the dollar.

Meanwhile, the official Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rate remained at N197 to the dollar.

Traders at the market decried the increasing fall of the nation’s currency, pointing out that the market had remained dull as the scarcity of the dollar stifles economic activities. (NAN)​

FOR MORE INFO: http://watchdognews.net/naira-falls-to-n340-to-dollar-at-parallel-market/

The 58th Annual Grammy Awards just ended and a handful of your favorite pop, rock, rap and country stars have already been named winners for their work this past year.

CLICK; http://watchdognews.net/2016-grammy/

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of a former member of the House of Representatives, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, as his Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.

Source: http://watchdognews.net/breaking-buhari-appoints-abike-dabiri-ssa-on-foriegn-affairs/

The impeachment of Murtala Nyako as Governor of Adamawa State was reversed by a Court of Appeal sitting in Yola, the state capital.

Justice Tunde Ayotoye, who led a team of judges, said all the judges unanimously agreed that due process was not followed in the impeachment process of Nyako, adding that the governor’s right was violated. The Judge declared all the processes that led to the impeachment null and void.

The court held that Nyako be accorded all right of the office of the governor of Adamawa State through the period of office, and be paid all his entitlement as governor of the state while it lasted.


click : http://watchdognews.net/murtala-nyakos-impeachment-reversed/ for more info,

The Residents of Ushafa, a community in Bwari, Abuja, on Wednesday morning demonstrated against the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, over lack of electricity supply to their area.

The residents, in their numbers, took their protest to the AEDC office at Bwari Area Council, shutting down the office.

visit here for images:
http://watchdognews.net/breaking-news-aedc-office-in-bwari-shut-down/

The priority of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is to create jobs for the nation’s unemployed graduates, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.

He added that as soon as the 2016 Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly is passed, the implementations of programmes aimed at addressing unemployment would start.

The vice president, who spoke at the inauguration of some legacy projects at Aiyetoro in Yewa North Local Government Council, Ogun State, assured residents that the Buhari’s government has the interest of Nigerians at heart.

Osinbajo, an indigene of Ogun State, arrived in the state yesterday and joined the state government in marking the 40th anniversary of the state creation in 1976.

He also inaugurated some of the projects executed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Buhari was also in the state on a two-day official visit, where he met with former President Olusegun Obsanjo, traditional rulers and also inaugurated some projects before leaving for abroad.

According to the vice president, the campaign promises of the President’s administration would be fulfilled.

He noted that the Federal Government has specific programmes for the women, traders and the down-trodden.

He lauded Amosun for his achievements in the state within the last four years and eight months, describing the governor as the best the state has so far witnessed.

“All of us that witness 40 years of our state today will witness 60 years by God grace. I’m happy to be with my people and glad with all what I have seen so far.

“Let me say this, all what we promised to do at the Federal Government level will be fulfilled. Our administration priority is job employment for our teeming youths, especially the graduates.

“What we promised as little incentive for our youths will be done but not as a free gift. We will recruit 500,000 youths and train them as volunteer teachers.

“Also, we have programmes for the women and our market people, even, the down trodden. All what we promised, by God’s grace, we will fulfill them,” Osinbajo said.

Amosun, who addressed residents in Ota and its environs, hailed them for their support for his administration.

He appealed to the people to remain peaceful and resilient, promising that on – going projects would be completed while more would start soon.

visit:http://watchdognews.net/unemployment-tops-our-priority-list-osibanjo/

Both upper and lower arms of the National Assembly (NASS) have declared that the 2016 budget was full of errors, saying the document could no longer be passed on February 25.
The development occurred on the same day the N200 million allocation demanded by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in the budget for the treatment of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), along with another N200 million for a review of Nigeria Gas Master Plan was rejected by the Senate Committee on Gas Resources.
Disclosing this at a meeting, Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje and another House of Representatives member, Jibrin Abdulmumin, said the budget was filled with too many errors, which has made it impossible for it to be passed.
“We are here in connection with the ongoing processing of the 2016 Budget because these two committees are the ones saddled with the production of the final copies of the budget that would be passed by the National Assembly for onward submission to Mr President for his assent and subsequent implementation.”, Goje stated.
“We want to remove all ambiguities, we want to remove all paddings. We want to produce a budget that is in line with the constitutional provision. During the budget defence, a lot of issues based on the padding of the budget, arising from over-bloated overheads and in some instances cases of over-bloated personnel cost.”

for more news:click http://watchdognews.net/we-want-to-remove-all-ambiguities-in-2016-budget-nass-2/

Ope Saraki the cousin of the senate president Bukola Saraki, a former Special Adviser to the Kwara State Governor on Millennium Development Goals was arraigned on Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC.

It said Ope allegedly abused his office and laundered state funds for his personal benefit by awarding inflated contracts to companies owned by his cronies.

The commission said in one of the transactions involving the purchase of buses for the state, Ope fraudulently procured 13 Hiace buses from a “local car dealer” and converted the vehicle to an ambulance instead of a factory-built ambulance for which a contract of N171, 990, 000 was awarded to Chemiroy Nigeria Limited.

One of the charges read in part, “That you, Ope Saraki, being the Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals to Governor of Kwara State sometime in 2012 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did by undue interest conducted procurement fraud in the procurement of 13 units of ambulance for 13 General Specialists Hospitals in Kwara State at the sum of N171,990, 000, a contract awarded to Chemiroy Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (5) 0f the same Act.”

http://watchdognews.net/efcc-dss-arraingns-sarakis-cousin/

Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has stated that the current sacking of over 3,000 workers by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is “reckless, completely lacking in economic sense and insensitive.”
Ihedioha also condemned the scrapping of 19 government parastatals, departments and agencies while making a statement through his media aide, Mr. Chibuike Onyeukwu.
“There is no doubt that the Nigerian economy is facing a downturn as a result of dwindling oil revenue but the solution is not arbitrary disengagement of workers and scrapping of key parastatals, such as the Hospital Management Board, Imo Water Corporation, Imo State Investment Promotion Agency, Imo State Library Board, Agricultural Development Programme and others.” Ihedioha stated.
“Having anchored his election campaign mantra on job, industry, factory and employment, Imo people looked forward to more jobs, employment opportunities and improved working conditions instead of disengaging the already demoralized workers.”
“Choosing to sack thousands of workers as the only viable option to tackling the state’s dwindled economic base is unfortunate, senseless, uncharitable and anachronistic.”


http://watchdognews.net/it-was-reckless-for-okorocha-to-sack-imo-state-workers-ihedioha/

There seems to be a lingering unrest as over 3,000 civil servants, at the weekend, were sacked by Imo State Government, even though most of the workers affected appear to be unfazed by this development.
Workers were seen in their offices as there were activities ongoing in some of the affected departments, agencies and parastatals and departments. The affected workers said that the state government followed due process before employing them, despite directives by labour leaders in the state.
“The state government strictly followed due process, including interviews, before employing us. It therefore follows that if government wants to disengage us for whatever reason, it must follow due process” said a civil servant in the state.
“Bizarre things have been happening in the state between 2011 and now. One of the first things this administration did soon after coming on board, was the sacking of the 10,000 workers engaged by the immediate past governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim.”
“It is most shocking the way the Governor takes delight in maltreating workers in the state. Some permanent secretaries and directors, including those in the Ministry of Justice, were earlier suspended without pay.”

http://watchdognews.net/unrest-over-workers-sack-in-imo/

Can anybody dispute that Nigeria as a country is governed by jokers? This has nothing to do with the political party in charge whether APC or PDP as they are a bunch of the same people circulating from one platform to the other without recourse to the issue of integrity or ideological beliefs. How can the annual budget of a country presented by the president to its National Assembly become an object for moonlight play?

Call it a two-way failure, this is the lowest Nigeria, as a nation, has sunk. How do we expect the serious-minded international community to look at us? It should have occurred to the senators that making this joke public would definitely embarrass not only the Presidency, but equally the National Assembly and even the entire country? The president and his people also have not helped matters at all. Can you imagine that to the president, the drama over the 2016 budget document was “laughable”, according to House Presidential Liaison Officer Sumaila Kawu? This is a shame because there is nothing in this embarrassment to laugh about.

It is painful that this issue that caused Nigeria and Nigerians so much embarrassment was casually treated by the senate as a joke and by the presidency as a laughing matter. Anybody who knows the weight of what happened would sincerely sympathize with President Muhammadu Buhari but far more for Bukola Saraki as senate president because this is an issue that dangerously borders on reputation first on the president’s side for being unmethodical and for Saraki as being mischievous and unreliable. How do they expect Nigerians to believe any of them in the future on issues that borders on honesty and integrity?

http://watchdognews.net/2016-budget-between-presidency-and-senate-of-jokers/