₦airaland Forum

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The Fayose led Ekiti state Government has shot down rumours that it has shut the Ado-Ekiti branch of Access Bank Plc following last Monday’s attempt by EFCC agents to arrest Mrs Precious Chikwendu Fani-Kayode, the wife of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, in the bank premises.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the government said it had nothing against the bank and there was no reason whatsoever to shut down the financial institution.

“The attention of the state government has been drawn to rumours making the round, especially on social media that Ekiti State Government has shut down‎ a branch of Access Bank in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.“This is definitely coming from the warped minds of opposition elements, whose mouths have been locked by the sterling performance of Governor Ayodele Fayose and the unprecedented support he is enjoying from the people of the state.

“For the sake of clarity, Ekiti State Government has no axe to grind with the management of Access Bank. Also, the state government does not license banks and can’t withdraw same.

“We enjoin the good people of Ekiti State and Nigerians in general to disregard such unfounded rumours. They should not let themselves be dragged to the level of the unintelligent like the opposition people have shown by embarking on this type of insinuation they probably brought from the pit of hell.” the CPS stated.

Source: http://nignews.com.ng/its-a-lie-from-the-pit-of-hell-fayose-denies-shutting-down-ekiti-access-bank-branch/

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This took place in Ado-Ekiti earlier today. Another photo after the cut.

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Source: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/10/15/fayose-attends-jumat-service-in-commemoration-of-his-2nd-year-in-office-photos/

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A 20-year-old senior secondary school student, Moji Agboola, died on Wednesday in Omu-Aran, Kwara, after taking poison.

The deceased, an SS1 student died at Adeyemo Hospital in the town due to complications in her body system as a result of the poison.The girl was rushed to the hospital by her mother, Abigel, about three weeks ago.

The deceased was said to have taken poisonous substance after she failed her promotion examination.

“It was the deceased’s sister who first gave us the clue to her sickness before she later confessed to the act at the hospital,” Abigel told newsmen at her residence on Thursday.

The deceased was initially taken to Christ Apostolic Church, Ori-Oke Irapada, along Omu-Aran-Ilofa Road for prayers and deliverance.

The prophet in-charge of the church, Christopher Owolabi, said a prayer team was quickly organised for the deceased, before she was taken to the private hospital for treatment.

It was at the hospital that she was confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, a middle-age trader, simply identified as Iya Ayo, was also rushed to Omu-Aran General Hospital on Wednesday evening, for taking substance believed to be poison.

The mother of two, who lived around Orolodo area of the town, was said to have complained severally over her husband’s inability to offset their rent arrears.

A doctor at the hospital, who preferred anonymity, told pressmen at the hospital on Thursday that the woman was responding to treatment.

Source: http://nignews.com.ng/student-commits-suicide-over-poor-academic-performance/

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People tend to be alarmed when the Nigerian Presidency takes certain decisions. They don’t think the decision makes sense. Sometimes, they wonder if something has not gone wrong with the thinking process at that highest level of the country. I have heard people insist that there is some form of witchcraft at work in the country’s seat of government. I am ordinarily not a superstitious person, but working in the Villa, I eventually became convinced that there must be something supernatural about power and closeness to it.
I’ll start with a personal testimony. I was given an apartment to live in inside the Villa. It was furnished and equipped. But when my son, Michael arrived, one of my brothers came with a pastor who was supposed to stay in the apartment. But the man refused claiming that the Villa was full of evil spirits and that there would soon be a fire accident in the apartment. He complained about too much human sacrifice around the Villa and advised that my family must never sleep overnight inside the Villa.

I thought the man was talking nonsense and he wanted the luxury of a hotel accommodation. But he turned out to be right. The day I hosted family friends in that apartment and they slept overnight, there was indeed a fire accident. The guests escaped and they were so thankful. Not long after, the President’s physician living two compounds away had a fire accident in his home. He and his children could have died. He escaped with bruises. Around the Villa while I was there, someone always died or their relations died. I can confirm that every principal officer suffered one tragedy or the other; it was as if you needed to sacrifice something to remain on duty inside that environment. Even some of the women became merchants of Love Machine because they had suffered a special kind of death in their homes (I am sorry to reveal this) and many of the men complained about something that had died below their waists too. The ones who did not have such misfortune had one ailment or the other that they had to nurse. From cancer to brain and prostate surgery and whatever, the Villa was a hospital full of agonizing patients.I recall the example of one particular man, an asset to the Jonathan Presidency who practically ran away from the Villa. He said he needed to save his life. He was quite certain that if he continued to hang around, he would die. I can’t talk about colleagues who lost daughters and sons, brothers and uncles, mothers and fathers, and the many obituaries that we issued. Even the President was multiply bereaved. His wife, Mama Peace was in and out of hospital at a point , undergoing many surgeries. You may have forgotten but after her husband lost the election and he conceded victory, all her ailments vanished, all scheduled surgeries were found to be no longer necessary and since then she has been hale and hearty. By the same token, all those our colleagues who used to come to work to complain about a certain death beneath their waists and who relied on videos and other instruments to entertain wives (take it easy boys, I don’t mean nay harm, I am writing!), have all experienced a re-awakening.

Every one who went under the blade has received miraculous healing, and we are happy to be out of that place. But others were not so lucky. They died. There were days when convoys ran into ditches and lives were lost. In Norway, our helicopter almost crashed into a mountain. That was the first time I saw the President panicking, The weather was all so hazy and he just kept saying it would not be nice for the President of a country to die in a helicopter crash due to pilot miscalculations. The President went into a prayer mode. We survived. In Kenya once, we had a bird strike. The plane had to be recalled and we were already airborne with the plane acting like it would crash. During the 2015 election campaigns, our aircraft refused to start on more than one occasion. The aircraft just went dead. On some other occasions, we were stoned and directly targeted for evil. I really don’t envy the people who work in Aso Villa, the seat of Nigeria’s Presidency. For about six months, I couldn’t even breathe properly. For another two months, I was on crutches. But I considered myself far luckier than the others who were either nursing a terminal disease or who could not get it up.

When Presidents make mistakes, they are probably victims of a force higher than what we can imagine. Every student of Aso Villa politics would readily admit that when people get in there, they actually become something else. They act like they are under a spell. When you issue a well- crafted statement, the public accepts it wrongly. When the President makes a speech and he truly means well, the speech is interpreted wrongly by the public. When a policy is introduced, somehow, something just goes wrong. In our days, a lot of people used to complain that the APC people were fighting us spiritually and that there was a witchcraft dimension to the governance process in Nigeria. But the APC folks now in power are dealing with the same demons. Since Buhari government assumed office, it has been one mistake after another. Those mistakes don’t look normal, the same way they didn’t look normal under President Jonathan. I am therefore convinced that there is an evil spell enveloping this country. We need to rescue Nigeria from the forces of darkness. Aso Villa should be converted into a spiritual museum, and abandoned.

Should I become President of Nigeria tomorrow, I will build a new Presidential Villa: a Villa that will be dedicated to the all-conquering Almighty, and where powers and principalities cannot hold sway. But it is not about buildings and space, not so?. It is about the people who go to the highest levels in Nigeria. I really don’t quite believe in superstitions, but I am tempted to suggest that this is indeed a country in need of prayers, We should pray before people pack their things into Aso Villa. We should ask God to guide us before we appoint Ministers. We should, to put it in technocratic language, advise that the people should be very vigilant. We have all failed so far, that crucial test of vigilance. We should have a Presidential Villa where a President can afford to be human and free. In the White House, in the United States, Presidents live like normal human beings. In Aso Villa, that is impossible. They’d have to surround themselves with cooks from their villages, bodyguards from their mother’s clans and friends they can trust. It should be possible to be President of Nigeria without having to look behind one’s shoulders. But we are not yet there. So, how do we run a Presidency where the man in the saddle can only drink water served by his kinsman? No. How can we possibly run a Presidency where every President proclaims faith in Nigeria but they are better off in the company of relatives and kinsmen. No. We need as Presidents men and women who are wiling to be Nigerians. No Nigerian President should be in spiritual bondage because he belongs to all of us and to nobody.

Now let me go back to the spiritual dimension. A colleague once told me that I was the most naïve person around the place. I thought I was a bright, smart, professional doing my bit and enjoying the President’s confidence. I spelled it out. But what I got in response was that I was coming to the villa using Lux soap, but that most people around the place always bathed in the morning with blood. Goat blood. Ram blood. Whatever animal blood. I argued. He said there were persons in the Villa walking upside down, head to the ground. I screamed. Everybody looked normal to me. But I soon began to suspect that I was in a strange environment indeed. Every position change was an opportunity for warfare. Civil servants are very nice people; they obey orders, but they are not very nice when they fight over personal interests.

The President is most affected by the atmosphere around him. He can make wrong decisions based on the cloud of evil around him. Even when he means well and he has taken time to address all possible outcomes, he could get on the wrong side of the public. A colleague called me one day and told me a story about how a decision had been taken in the spiritual realm about the Nigerian government. He talked about the spirit of error, and how every step taken by the administration would appear to the public like an error. He didn’t resign on that basis but his words proved prophetic. I see the same story being re-enacted. Aso Villa is in urgent need of redemption. I never slept in the apartment they gave me in that Villa for an hour.

Source: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/10/14/the-spiritual-side-of-aso-villa-by-reuben-abati/

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The Nigeria Police today paraded the kidnappers of Mrs Margaret Emefiele, the wife of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele. Margaret was kidnapped on September 29th and regained her freedom October 1st. Parade are
i. Lance Corporal Musa Maidabra ‘M’ 28 years
ii. Lance Corporal Edwin George ‘M’
iii. Ernest Anthony Uduefe ‘M’ 32 years (dismissed Soldier)
iv. Mohammed Abubakar A.K.A Dogo ‘M’ 29 years (Gang Leader)
v. Mohammed Musa ‘M’ 26 years
vi. Mohammed Sule ‘M’ 26 years
vii. Ibrahim Abdullahi ‘M’ 30 years
viii. Aliyu Musa ‘M’ 30 years
ix. Mohammed Yusuf ‘M’ 36 years

Source: http://nigerianewstoday.com.ng/photos-police-parade-9-suspected-kidnappers-of-cbn-governor-godwin-emefieles-wife/

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A group, Akoko Consultative Forum(ACF) said it would support the former Minister and flag bearer of the Social Democratic Party(SDP), Dr Olu Agunloye in his governorship bid for theNovember 26 poll in Ondo state.

A statement by its Chairman, Chief Festus Obaude, Secretary, R.A Ajayi, and Welfare/Education Committee Chairman,Christopher Olorunfemi described Agunloye as an illustrious son of Akokoland who has the capacity to uplift the area and the whole state.
The Akoko group lamented that the people in the four local government areas of the state have been relegated to the background with lack of infrastructures to make life meaningful to the people.

ACF noted that the present government since inception in February 2009 has not made its impact felt in Akoko land especially on good road network, stable electricity and potable water supply.

It expressed optimism that with Agunloye’s passion for Akokoland, the former Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) would bring development to the communities in Akokoland and Ondo state as a whole.

According to the statement “we are determined individually to support Agunloye’s aspiration, although ACF is apolitical, but our members are conversant with the situation in Akoko land, we believe with our support and that of the people, the SDP candidate will emerge victorious in the coming election.

“We believe it is the turn of Akoko to produce the next governor,we are not happy that our people could not speak with one voice,the only alternative now is Agunloye and we will support him”.

The ACF said the people-oriented programmes of the SDP would bring development to the state, create wealth and employment for the people.

It urged the people of Akoko land to rally round the Erusu-Akoko politician and vote massively for his emergence as Governor in the state.

Source: http://nigerianewstoday.com.ng/why-we-backed-ondo-sdp-candidate-group/

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President Muhammadu buhari attended the passing parade of the 63 Regular Course, Nigerian Defence Academy today in Kaduna State.

Below is the president’s full address at the occasion;
I am delighted to be in the Nigerian Defence Academy again this time to review the Passing Out Parade of Cadets of the 63 Regular Course. Since I came here a year ago to review the Parade of 62 Regular Course, I am pleased to note that the Academy has made tremendous progress in terms of both physical infrastructure and quality of teaching and training.

I always look forward to coming here to perform this duty as it reminds me of my cadet days as well as the opportunity it gives me to appreciate the tremendous progress and achievements of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the Armed Forces since independence.

The excellent parade we have just witnessed is a testimony to the high standard of training and discipline the Academy has set. I, therefore, commend the Commandant, instructors and gentlemen officer cadets for this outstanding parade. Today’s Passing Out Parade has an added significance because, for the first time in 52 years, this Academy is graduating female cadets who will be commissioned as regular officers into the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

While congratulating these soon-to-be pioneer female Regular Combatant officers for their courage and resilience in the past 5 years, I advise the Services to put in place adequate institutional mechanisms to evaluate the deployment or otherwise of our female officers in active combat roles. But we must be careful to carry public opinion with us and respect cultural sensitivities.

I am delighted to note the series of transformations that have taken place in this great institution within the past one year which includes:

· The Indoor Gallery Shooting Range which is the best in the sub-region;

· An enhanced obstacle course and

· A standard armoury.

Additionally, recent improvements in physical and human resources have led to the accreditation of 5 academic programmes by the National Universities Commission. I commend the Commandant and staff of the Academy for these outstanding achievements within the last one year.

This Administration will continue to support the Ministry of Defence especially in capacity building and improving the welfare of its personnel in the Armed Forces. Only recently, the Federal Executive Council approved the treasury funding of the Defined Benefits (Non-Contributory Pension Scheme) for NDA civilian retirees. The Academy will continue to be assisted in terms of budgetary provision to sustain the high standard of excellence already attained.

To the passing out cadets, I want to observe that you are graduating into the Armed Forces at a very auspicious time when the gains of several years of sacrifice by our troops are being consolidated. You are indeed moving into a path of honour, sacrifice and responsibility. You are also moving to the next level having been found worthy in learning and character to move from being Cadets to officers.

Therefore, as you step out of this noble institution, your character will determine how far you can go. Endeavour to be patriotic and exhibit the highest level of discipline and loyalty to one Nigeria. Above all you must strive to keep to the tenets of the profession by remaining apolitical. You are also required to exhibit the highest sense of integrity, patriotism and exemplary service to the nation and its people.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, you will all recall that this Administration inherited a badly managed Boko Haram insurgency in the North East. The violence even spread beyond North Eastern states. But the capacity of the insurgents to launch attacks has now been significantly curtailed. Boko Haram’s capacity to hold territories has been obliterated. What is on-going now are mop up operations to clear the remnants of the insurgents from their numerous hideouts.

All these successes are largely the efforts of our gallant troops of the Nigerian Military. I therefore commend our men and women in uniform and the intelligence community for their roles in dealing with the emerging threats. Terrorism and insurgency are new global phenomena that require concerted international cooperation to be defeated. We have, therefore, strengthened our participation in the Multi-National Joint Task Force.

We expect that other countries in the sub-region will continue to give the MNJTF and our efforts maximum cooperation. Some of our diplomatic shuttles to Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Benin have significantly contributed to defeating Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the sub-region.

Terrorism has a global reach: during my trips to the United States, Europe and China, we discussed strategies to strengthen cooperation towards tackling insurgency and global terrorism. These diplomatic shuttles have contributed towards strengthening our battle against the insurgents. But we must sustain our momentum.

Today’s challenges, however, go beyond Boko Haram. We have seen the negative impacts of kidnapping, cattle rustling and renewed militancy in the Niger Delta on our economy. The repeated attacks in the Niger Delta have been impacting negatively on oil revenues. The scourge of illegal Small Arms and Light Weapons, and the drugs war among others remain issues which we are tackling seriously. I would like to reiterate my call on all Nigerians to give peace a chance and jettison negative tendencies on our land and join government efforts at addressing the numerous challenges in the path of building a better Nigeria.

Recently, we flagged off the Clean-up of Ogoniland as part of the programmes to salvage the ravaged environment. We are convinced that undertaking such a monumental project will contribute to addressing the root causes of militancy in some parts of the Niger Delta region. However, for the avoidance of doubt let me state that other options are still open including decisive military action, if necessary, to deal with the criminal elements disguised in ethnic regalia to sabotage the country largely for their selfish and parochial interests. However, our priority, still remains constructive engagement of the stakeholders for peace.

As we tackle the challenges of nation building and sustainable development, I urge the military to continue to operate within the rules of engagement. The military needs to constantly abide by the laws which guide armed conflicts as you carry out your constitutional roles. Without this, you will be doing a lot of damage to the institution and the Constitution as a whole. It is the extent to which you respect the laws of armed conflicts that success in the real context of global best practices will be measured.

On military-civilian relationships, I acknowledge the openness with which information flows to the public these days. In addition, we have facilitated engagement between local and global stakeholders in the civil society. I note with delight the conscious effort of the armed forces to safeguard human rights of citizens but which the insurgents violate at will.

May I at this juncture congratulate the parents, guardians and instructors of the passing out cadets whose commitment helped to achieve this important milestone in their lives. Gentlemen and Lady officer cadets, today you have entered a new chapter in your life. I can assure you that it is going to be adventurous, turbulent but interesting.

Your survival as an officer in the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will be dependent on the extent to which you are able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during your academic and military training in this Academy.

Your parents, guardians and the nation in general have invested in you and it is payback time now. You are expected to serve this country selflessly with loyalty and integrity and set new records of gallantry in the defence of our dear nation as former cadets from this Academy have done and are still doing in various military campaigns within and outside our dear country.

Our nation puts its trust in you and looks up to you with a lot of expectations which you must never betray. You no longer belong to your parents or your family alone. You no longer belong to your village, town or state. You now belong to the Nigerian nation and you will serve it selflessly and be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice if the need arises.

Finally, I congratulate the leadership of NDA and express my appreciation to members of the NDA Governing Council for providing a well focused and transparent strategic direction to the Academy. To all the cadets on parade, I say well done once again for an excellent parade.

Thank you all. God bless Nigeria.

Source: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/10/08/president-buhari-attends-passing-out-parade-of-nigerian-defence-academy-pics/

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The Federal Government failed to commence its free National Home Grown School Feeding programme at the beginning of the current academic session in September as promised.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the sharp reduction in government revenue prevented the Federal Government from meeting with the target date.The programme, which was formally inaugurated on June 9, 2016 by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, is part of the Social Investment Plans of the present administration for which N500bn has been budgeted in the 2016 Budget.

The Federal Government, through the national manager of the programme, Mrs. Abimbola Adesanmi, had in July said it would commence the scheme in September when schools resumed, with 5.5 million pupils across the country.

The promise was that the programme would benefit 5.5 million pupils in the first year of its operation, while Adesanmi had explained that the Federal Government had resolved to start the programme with pupils from Primary 1 to 3 at the beginning, and then move to other classes later.

However, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President, Mr. Laolu Akande, blamed the drop in oil prices and oil pipelines vandalism by the Niger Delta militants for the delay in the commencement of the programme as planned.

An office headed by the Special Adviser to the President on Social Protection Plan, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, created for the purpose of implementing the plan which formed a major part of the All Progressives Congress’ campaign promises ahead of the 2015 presidential election is in the Office of the Vice-President.

Akande also cited the need to ensure that the beneficiary states were ready as part of the factors responsible for the delay.

He, however, assured all stakeholders that despite the setbacks, the scheme would soon kick off.

He said, “We had to first ensure there is operational readiness in the states where the programme will start. That took some of the time.

“The other reason for the delay had to do with the general drop in revenues occasioned by the drop in oil earnings.

“The economic sabotage and attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta is also a factor, which at some point, meant Nigeria was losing one million barrels per day of the 2.2mpd that had been estimated in the budget.

“But the good news is that the programme, which has been budgeted for, will take off very soon. Please note that the programme has kicked off in Kaduna State for months now and for years in Osun State.

“The steering committee, set up for social investments with presidential oversight, has recently made provision for the programme to kick off very soon.”

When told of a recent statement by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, that N60bn had been released for the programme, Akande said the sum was meant for all the components of the social investment plan, and not for the feeding programme alone.

He described the money as the first tranche of funds, saying more releases would follow.

He explained that the money would go straight to the service providers, the cooks, through banks.

On the beneficiaries, Akande confirmed that all pupils in Primary 1-3 in public schools in the first set would benefit.

Apart from Osun and Kaduna where their state governments are already implementing the feeding programme, he listed other states in the first set to include: Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, Zamfara and Oyo.

He said as the government goes ahead with the scheme and once state governments show readiness, more of them would join the programme.

According to an overview of the scheme presented at its inauguration in June, the plan runs till 2020 and forms the cornerstone of the nationwide Home Grown School Feeding programme, which when fully realised, would provide a meal a day to over 24 million primary school children.

“Not only will the Home Grown School Feeding programme help our pupils become better students, it will also boost the local economies, and create new jobs along the way,” Osinbajo had said at the inauguration.

Saturday PUNCH had in its September 3, 2016 publication reported exclusively that the reduction in Federal Government’s revenue caused by the sharp drop in global oil price was threatening the full implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s planned social protection programme.

Other schemes under the social protection plan include the Micro-Credit Scheme, Teach Nigeria Scheme, the Youth Employment Agency, Conditional Cash Transfer, and Free Education Scheme for Science Students.

Meanwhile, some parents from across the country have criticised the Federal Government and expressed disappointments that it failed to commence the programme in September as promised.

The parents, all of whom have children in public schools, said they were hoping that their children would benefit from the programme.

A parent in Katsina State, Mallam Nasir Manir, said, “The programme was to commence last month and the government has not told us the reason for the delay. I pray it does not end up being another campaign gimmick.”

A parent, who identified himself as Kazeem, said he was disappointed that the Federal Government failed to keep its promise to feed school pupils.

He said, “The government promised us and we were hopeful, but it has not done it. I feel it is very bad for a government to take the people for a ride because we had trust in it, but it is failing us.”

A social commentator in Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Adegbuyi, also slammed the Federal Government for not keeping to the promise, saying it should apologise to parents.

In Kwara State, Mallam Aliyu Balogun, who has four children in primary schools, doubted the sincerity of the promise when it was made by the APC, adding that the government’s failure to commence the programme in September as promised showed that he was right.

Another parent, Mrs. Joy Omosebi, called on the government to fulfil the promise “by all means.”

But the Kwara State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Musa Abubakar, had during his speech on World Teachers’ Day in Ilorin, said that the school feeding programme of the Federal Government would be a “colossal waste” if not properly harnesse.

Source: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/10/08/school-feeding-fg-fails-to-meet-september-take-off-target/

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– The construction of a Shi’ite building in Kaduna us causing controversy in the area

– Muslims and Christians called on security operatives to stop the construction of the building
– The group said it has the right to continue with the building as it had all the necessary documents

Tension seems to be brewing in Saminaka, headquarters of Lere local government area in Kaduna state following the rejection of a new Shi’ite building by Muslims and Christians.

Daily Post reports that the Redeemed Christian Church of God and Muslims in the area kicked against the plan by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria to erect a building in the area and called on the government to stop bloodshed.
Pastor Oludare Ojo who is the head of the RCCG province wrote a letter to the Christian Association of Nigeria and security operatives calling for the stop of the Shi’ite building which is believed would cause tension.

The letter read: “This is to bring to your notice that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, led by Al-Zakzaky are working on a building right in front of our Church, The Redeem Christian Church of God, Nassarawa, behind Post Office Saminaka.

“This project has been abandoned for over seven years. We believe this was due to the issue the Church raised against them in 2009.

“We are aware of an agreement reached between the Church and the group in 2009 (see attached), but due to the recent incidents in the country and the Shiites group modus operandi, we see their return as a big security threat to the Church and the community at large.

“We pray that the building project be discontinued since the Church building has been in existence years before their coming.

“We therefore call on you, the CAN chairman, to use your honourable office towards ensuring that the issue is urgently looked into to forestall unpalatable incidence that may occur in the future.”

Muslim clerics have also equally alerted security operatives and Sardinia Saminaka that some members of their communities were threatening to pull down the sect’s building.

Ibrahim Musa who is the spokesperson of Shi’ite said: “When we were worshiping with other Muslims, they said they don’t want us, that is why we decided to build our centre.
“The building is just an Islamic Centre. We have an Islamic school there in Saminaka. Just that some people who are against us, like Izaila, those Muslims who go to Saudi Arabia are the one against us.

“We have Certificate of Occupancy C of O. I cannot categorically say we have building plan from KASUPDA. We got an order today that the building should be stopped. I dont think any true Christian will be against us.”


Source: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/10/07/tension-as-muslims-christians-unite-in-kaduna-to-chase-shiites-away/

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The Senate on Friday said the forgery case against Senate President! Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu has been a distraction to the law making body and that the withdrawal was a confirmation of its position that the nation cannot afford any sharp division between the various arms of government.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate said the decision to withdraw the case and its subsequent dismissal as well as the discharge of the defendants has confirmed its earlier position that the case was indeed an abuse of court process having been dismissed earlier by the court.



The statement said, “We have always said it that case was politically motivated. The executive cannot decide for the legislature the genuineness or otherwise of its standing rules. However, where there is a crack in the wall, it is easy for others to capitalize on the differences between us. Now that Senators have closed their ranks, the executive is only taking the right cue.

“We are happy with this development. We believe it is a sign of good things to come. It is a victory for democracy. A victory for separation of powers, checks and balances and constitutionalism.

“We commend the judiciary for its continuous dedication and commitment to the rule of law in our democracy. We restate our confidence in their ability to adjudicate and dispense justice in all matters in the polity which no doubt greatly contribute to national productivity. Our commendation also goes to the Federal Ministry of Justice for being courageous enough to do the right thing.

“We, however, call on the government to go the whole hog and withdraw other cases with political coloration. This is a period for the political leadership to present a united front. There is an emergency in the country. The economy is in crisis.

“This has resulted in escalating and excruciating poverty among our people. Social problems are on the rise. There are conflicts across the country. National values are being eroded. Crucial Infrastructure and social services are collapsing. These are the things that should pre-occupy our minds, especially now that our economy is in recession.

“The International community will take us more seriously when they see that everybody in the national leadership is speaking along the same line of solving the economic problem, encouraging productivity, creating employment, promoting discipline and working to make our country great.”

Source: http://.com.ng/we-need-a-united-front-to-fight-recession-senate/

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FORMER COUNCIL BOSS BAGS 70 YRS JAIL FOR N41.1M FRAUD.

The EFCC on 6th October 2016, secured a conviction of Ibrahim Buba Gayius, the former local government boss and chief accounting officer of Hong local government council Adamawa State, before Justice B. B Aliyu of Federal High Court, Yola, on 10 count charge bordering on conspiracy, embezzlement and diversion of public funds, Fraud and abuse of office to the tune of forty one million, one hundred thousand naira (N41.1m)Gayius was earlier arraigned on March 2015 before Justice Aliyu, for alleged collection of Fifty million naira (N50m) agric loan on behalf of the members of the staff of the council but instead, he gave out less than ten million (N10m) to them and diverted the remaining amount for his personal use.

One of the charge reads, that you Ibrahim Buba Gayius, being the former chairman, and chief accounting officer of Hong local government council Adamawa State, and in such capacity sometimes between December 2009 and January 2010 in Hong local government council Adamawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Court, Federal High Court of Nigeria, did transfer and spend nineteen million naira (N19m) funds made of agric loan for the local government staff to another unapproved project of drilling machine and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 22 (4) of the corrupt practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Justice Aliyu, after consideration of the weight of the offence convicted and sentenced the convict to seven years imprisonment on each of the ten count charge and the sentence to run concurrently.

The prosecution counsel Israel Akande prayed the Court for the convict to restitute the money back to the council which Court granted and ordered the convict for the restitution of thirty eight million, four hundred and twenty thousand, two hundred naira (N38,420,000.000) back to Hong local government council. #jailed. #EFCC. #Fraud


Source: http://nigerianewsonline.com.ng/former-local-government-chairman-to-spend-70-years-in-jail/

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Recent reports reaching Naij.com this moment confirms that owner of popular multipurpose studios and entertainment outfit, Chris Jeyibo otherwise known as Chris Koga is dead.
The CEO of the multimillion naira outfit died in a ghastly automobile crash at about 1:00am this morning. Chris who was on his way from an event in his white Range Rover Evogue crashed into a parked truck around Magodo, Lagos.

[img]http://.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/KOGA-Crash-1-300x200.jpg[/img]

See more photos: http://.com.ng/breaking-top-nigerian-entertainer-dies-in-ghastly-motor-accident/

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The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to investigate the N65 being charged customers by commercial banks for Automated Transaction Machine (ATM).

The house directed its Committee on Banking and Currency to investigate the charge and other related rates paid by banks’ customers.
The resolution followed a motion under Matters of Urgent Public Importance moved by Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf (PDP-Kogi), which was unanimously adopted by members through a voice vote.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigerian banks charge N65 extra on other banks ATM different from the holders’ bank after each third transaction.

Moving the motion, Yusuf expressed concern that banks across the country had been extorting N65 from customers from every bank transaction while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) failed to act.

He said that recently, banks in the UK were asked to pay customers monies collected from them in the name of bank charges.

Also contributing on the matter, Hon. Aminu Suleiman (APC-Kano) accused the CBN of not doing its job as a regulatory agency.

The house referred the matter to the Banking and Currency committee and was directed to report back in four weeks for further legislative action.

Source: http://nigerianewsonline.com.ng/house-of-reps-to-investigate-n65-atm-charges-by-banks/

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The National Assembly has passed a motion to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to address the legislature on efforts being made by his administration to on the current economic recession.

The Senate passed the motion on Thursday in concurrence with the House of Representatives.
Details later…

Source: http://nigerianewsnow.com.ng/2016/10/06/breaking-recession-national-assembly-invites-buhari/

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This is a story that originated from a colleague somewhere in Calabar. Read what he has to say below:

“The raw diamonds I’m always talking about…The ingenuity of people never ceases to amaze us. Tony is a 13-year-old boy who finds old margarine tubs and damaged solar panels from rubbish around the slum communities. He then wires it all up, connects a switch, lights and a USB charging point.
Now he can charge his phone and have light at night-time!
He’s made three families happy already by enabling them to have light in their household.

This the what Nigerian need and not BSc holders every where with empty brains”

See more photos: http://latestnigerianews.com.ng/checkout-what-this-13-year-old-boy-did-with-old-butter-tubs-in-calabar-photos/

https://latestnigerianews.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/13-year-old-boy-480x437.jpg

This is a story that originated from a colleague somewhere in Calabar. Read what he has to say below:

“The raw diamonds I’m always talking about…The ingenuity of people never ceases to amaze us. Tony is a 13-year-old boy who finds old margarine tubs and damaged solar panels from rubbish around the slum communities. He then wires it all up, connects a switch, lights and a USB charging point.
Now he can charge his phone and have light at night-time!
He’s made three families happy already by enabling them to have light in their household.

This the what Nigerian need and not BSc holders every where with empty brains”

See more photos: http://latestnigerianews.com.ng/checkout-what-this-13-year-old-boy-did-with-old-butter-tubs-in-calabar-photos/

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The federal government is demanding $406.75 million at the minimum from the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and its surrogate Shell Western Supply & Trading Limited for alleged crude oil theft.
The amount, according to court papers in Lagos, represents the shortfall of the money paid by the multinational oil firm in the account of the Nigerian government with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for crude oil lifted in 2013 and 2014, reported the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.
The federal government’s legal team led by Professor Fabian Ajogwu accused the Anglo-Dutch oil multinational of not declaring or under-declaring crude oil shipments during the period, following a forensic analysis of bills of lading and shipping documents.

Ajogwu, armed with sworn affidavits of three U.S.-based professionals, claimed that Shell cheated Nigeria of the revenue.
The three professionals employed
by the federal government are: Professor David Olowokere, a U.S. citizen who is the lead analyst at Loumos Group LLC, a technology and oil and gas auditing firm based in U.S.; and Mr. Jerome Stanley, a counsel in the law firm of Henchy & Hackenberg, a law firm based in U.S. and head of the legal team engaged by Loumo Group LLC.

The third professional is Mr. Micheal Kanko a citizen of the U.S. and resident of the state of Arizona, who is the founder and current chief executive of Trade Data services Company.

The experts were able to track the global movements of the country’s hydrocarbons, including crude oil and gas, with the main purpose of identifying the companies engaged in the practices that led to missing revenues from crude oil and gas export sales to different parts of the world.

In reconciling the export records from Nigeria, with the import records at ports in the United States of America, the experts found mind-boggling discrepancies.
The Nigerian government averred, for instance, that on the 6th of January 2013, the defendants lifted crude oil using the vessel AUTHENTIC and shipped same to BP Oil Supply of 28301 Ferry Road, Warrenville, Illinois, USA at the port of Chester, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

The shipment had the bill of lading number ALMYSVDM161212A3. This particular shipment, the experts unearthed, was not declared to the relevant authorities in Nigeria, resulting in a shortfall of 660,712 barrels of crude oil in the value of $72,678,320 as revenue to the Government of Nigeria.

On the 3rd of January 2013, Shell and its surrogate company lifted crude oil that resulted in a shortfall of 979,031 barrels in the value of $107,693,410.

On the 14th of December 2014, Shell also lifted crude oil using the vessel EAGLE TUSCON and shipped same to Shell Deer Park of 5900 Texas 225, Deer Park, TX77536, USA at the port of Houston, Texas, United States of America, with bill of lading number AETK0909US14.

The shipment was not declared to the relevant authorities, resulting in a shortfall of 499,048 barrels of crude oil in the value of $54,895,280 as revenue to the Nigerian Government.

Shell, with its allied company, was also alleged at three different times to have shipped crude on board EAGLE TUSCON, EAGLE SEVILLE and OVERSEAS EVERGLADES that resulted in a shortfall of 3,697,737 barrels of crude oil, bringing the total value of the shortfall to $406,751,070.

Last January, the federal government, through its legal representative wrote a letter to the defendants drawing their attention to the discrepancies.
It asked them to clarify the discrepancies with documentation as a prelude to the repayment of the revenue and debt they now owe the government.

To date, the federal government has not received any payment from the defendants, pursuant to the said letter, nor the requested documents.

The federal government averred that it had suffered huge and enormous financial losses as a result of the defendants’ under-declaration of the value of the crude oil they lifted and exported to the U.S.

It is now seeking a court order compelling the two companies to pay into the Federal Government of Nigeria account with the CBN, the sum of USD 406,751,070, being the total value of the missing revenue from the shortfall/undeclared/under-declared crude oil shipments of the country, made by the companies to U.S.

The government is also demanding interest payment at 21 per cent per annum on the sum of $406,751,070 until the entire sum is liquidated.
Shell, in addition, is being asked to pay general exemplary damages in the sum of $406,751,070 and the cost of instituting the legal action.

The presiding judge, Mojisola Olatoregun Isola has adjourned till October 20, 2016 for mention of the case.

Nigeria has also sued Chevron, Total and Agip asking for a total of $12.7 billion for alleged non-declaration of some 57 million barrels of crude shipped to the U.S. between 2011 and 2014.
The oil firms are among up to 15 oil majors targeted by the Nigerian government for the recovery of $17 billion in deprived revenue.

Source: http://latestnigerianews.com.ng/fg-accuses-shell-of-stealing-crude-oil-demands-406m/

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The Federal Government plans to spend N150 billion as regular and normal intervention for public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education this year.
The government, which disclosed that tertiary institutions in the country were eligible to access the fund, said the cash would be disbursed to all beneficiary institutions in the country.

The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, spoke in an interview with reporters at the 7th TETFund interactive forum jointly organised by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) in Lagos with the theme: “Sustaining Education Tax Collections and Disbursements under a Depressed Economy.”
He explained that the cash would be released to the beneficiary institutions in trenches after they have met the conditions to access the funds.

Dr. Baffa added that private universities would not benefit from the disbursement of the cash.

He said: “We are proposing to spend N150 billion as regular, normal intervention and this is the one that is shared among the beneficiary institutions on equality of Universities, equality of Polytechnics and equality of Colleges of Education.

“All our beneficiary institutions are going to benefit; for all Universities, it is the same amount, for Polytechnics, the same amount and all Colleges of Education, the same amount.

“Private Universities will not benefit; no and not through the intervention of TETfund because TETfund is for public tertiary institutions defined by the law to mean public Universities, public Polytechnics and public Colleges of Education. There is no plan in the pipeline and not in the near future for public funds to be extended to private Universities.

“It is not about application, they are entitled to TETfund intervention and allocation is given to them. And so, it is only left for all beneficiary institutions to meet the requirements and conditions for access and they can draw. These conditions of access are very straightforward but the key thing is transparency and accountability.

“You can’t draw subsequent intervention until you account satisfactorily for the previous one. It is as simple as that. We have an excellent monitoring and evaluation system. We don’t release these funds 100 per cent. We release them in three trenches. If you meet certain conditions, we give you first trench. If you utilise that, we go to the field, monitor. And if we are satisfied that the money has been used judiciously and it has reached the level that it is expected, then we treat your request for second trench.

“We process your second trench releases, you go and utilise it, when you are done with using the second trench, you notify us. We come to the site, monitor and evaluate what you have done and then we will process your application for the last and final trench. So, it is all about transparency and accountability and judicious use of public funds in public interest.”

He stated that the oil sector accounts for 80 per cent of education tax collection in the country.

According to him, the FIRS has a major role to play by ensuring the improvement in the education tax collections that are made available to TETFund for disbursement to the public tertiary institutions.

Baffa said: “At the moment the oil sector accounts for about 80% of education tax collection. We are optimistic that when the non-oil sector is harnessed and developed, the economy would be a lot healthier with the attendant implication of national prosperity and development. We are very positive about the implication of this to education tax collections.

“We shall continue to keep our tab on all TETFund beneficiary institutions by ensuring all our guidelines and processes for accessing and utilization of interventions are strictly adhered to.

“We shall continue to be guided by our establishment Act in disbursing and distributing interventions equitably among the beneficiary institutions. And in all these, we shall continue to remain committed to protecting the public interest by ensuring that there is optimal value for money for every project in every beneficiary institution.”

He said President Muhammadu Buhari was deeply concerned about the low ranking of Nigeria’s university globally.

“Mr. President is deeply worried about the low ranking of Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions and so TETFund has been challenged to reverse the trend.

“To achieve this would require among other things focused and targeted inflow of funding in our beneficiary institutions through the fund.

“We also intend to work closely with regulatory bodies in the education sector such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) to ensure that quality and standard are improved and sustained,” he added.

Source: http://latestnigerianews.com.ng/fg-to-spend-n150-billion-as-intervention-funds-on-tertiary-education/