Yero Did Not Leave N8 Billion In Kaduna- El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Sunday asserted that his immediate predecessor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, did not leave eight billion naira in the state’s treasury.

Nuhu Audu, who served as deputy governor during Mr. Yero’s administration, had claimed that the former governor left behind N8 billion in the state treasury when he handed over on May 29, 2015.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the state capital, Samuel Aruwan, Governor El-Rufai’s special assistant on media and publicity, said the last administration left the state in a financial deficit.

“I am here to dismiss claims by the former deputy governor of our state, Mr. Nuhu Audu Bajoga, that the last government left over N8 billion as working money in the accounts of  Kaduna State Government,” said Mr. Aruwan. He added: “The Mukhtar Ramalan Yero's government actually left the state in deficit and I will explain as follows.

“The Kaduna State Government had N228,333,371.67 in its central account on 29 May 2015. This represents the working capital that could be spent. All other items in the bank balance are committed funds, and are not available to be spent by government. These include counterpart and reserve funds clearly earmarked for specific purposes such as MDGs, SUBEB, Sure-P and state pensions, and as such cannot be termed available funds by any responsible government.

“It is pretty disingenuous to infer that a state that is in obvious dire straits has robust finances or to delude to a conclusion that N8 billion on paper is available in reality. Furthermore, the Mukhtar Ramalan Yero government that Bajoga served also incurred outstanding liabilities of N370 million by May 2015, that effectively leaves the state in deficit as the working capital of slightly over N228 million cannot cover the liability.”

Mr. Aruwan stated that, because the state “is broke, it has decided to cut costs and focus the state’s resources on priority areas. That is why it has restructured ministries and cut the number of political appointees.”

Mr. El-Rufai’s spokesman said “merchants of division who thrive in reading sectional motives to policy decisions will not deter this government from committing funds to building schools, hospitals and roads and providing security around state.”

Buhari Approves Over $2B For Unpaid Workers Salaries

In his attempt to end the lingering crisis of unpaid workers' salaries saga in the country, especially in several beleaguered states, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved a comprehensive three-pronged relief package.
These are:

* The sharing of about $2.1B in fresh allocation between the states and the federal government. The money will come from recent LNG proceeds to the federation account.

* A Central Bank of Nigeria-packaged special intervention fund that will offer financing to the states, ranging from between N250B to N300B. This would be a soft loan available to them to access for the purposes of paying the backlog of salaries.

*A debt relief program designed by the Debt Management Office (DMO), to help states restructure their commercial loans currently estimated at N660B and extend the life span of such loans while reducing their debt-servicing expenditures.

This third option, by extending the commercial loans of the states, would more funds available to the state governments that would otherwise have been removed at source by the banks. The federal government will sway its financial muscle to guarantee the elongation of the loans for the benefit of the states.

Informed government sources explained over the weekend that this package, which was considered at the National Economic Council (NEC), last week, is designed specifically to bring relief to government workers, some of whom have not been paid for over 10 months.

Contacted on Monday, presidential spokesman Femi Adesina confirmed the special package for the workers, adding that the president is deeply concerned about their plight.

Speaking at the inauguration of the NEC last week, President Buhari asked the Council, which is a constitutional advisory body to him, to consider as a matter of priority how to liquidate the unpaid salaries of workers across the country, noting the untold hardship it has brought to them.

While the over $2B which is being sourced from LNG proceeds to the federation account would be shared among the states using the revenue allocation formula, the CBN will also make available the special intervention fund to states and then negotiate the terms with individual states.

The packages that has now been approved by President Buhari is expected to go into effect this week as he is said to have directed that a swift release of the funds.

At the NEC meeting, the relief measures were extensively discussed between the state governors and top officials of the federal government, including the CBN governor and the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Petroleum Resources. Other agencies that were actively involved in the process include the DMO and officials from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

Media reports last month say no fewer than 12 of the 36 states of the federation are facing difficult times as the salaries they owe their workers are approximately N110bn. They include the debts being owed by the governments of 10 of Osun, Rivers, Oyo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau, Benue, and Bauchi states.

Informed sources said the Finance Ministry and the CBN may have pegged the amount needed to settle all the outstanding public workers’ salaries at about N250B.

There are also employees of the federal government whose salaries have are back logged; the package is expected to address those cases as well.

Experts say this presidential bailout to the workers will boost the purchasing power of a good percentage of the Nigerian consumers and thereby reflate the economy.

Melaye Accuses Tinubu Of Backing Adeyemi At Appeal Court

Melaye, an APC senator, told journalists in Abuja that Tinubu had contacted the immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), to take over the legal battle on behalf of Adeyemi.

He also said that Adeyemi, on the request of Tinubu, had forwarded details of the suit to Adoke, asking him to look for a judge in the Court of Appeal that would offer assistance.

But Tinubu, in his reaction, had asked Melaye to look elsewhere for people to blackmail.

Tinubu, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr. Sunday Dare, said it was nothing but a “kitchen of malicious lies.”

Dare said, “This is another lie from their kitchen of malicious lies. They are all over the social and traditional media, spewing lies and planting stories. We are not about that. Nigerians are not as gullible as they think.

“He is aligned with people who want to kill the party, and we wish him luck, but they will not succeed because the party belongs to the Nigerian people.

“This blackmail, like other ones, will not work. It cannot stick. Adoke? Who is he? Tinubu cannot recall when last he saw him or even spoke with him. Dino should look elsewhere for people to blackmail.”

Melaye had claimed that he incurred the wrath of Tinubu after refusing to back down from supporting the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, during the recently concluded election of presiding officers of the 8th Senate.

But Melaye said he had no regret over his role, leading to the emergence of Saraki as the Senate President.

He said, “I have no regret supporting Senator Saraki and my electoral victory was ordained by God and not by man. Therefore, no mortal can reverse it. In God I trust, no matter how desperate they might be.

“I am privy to an electronic mail sent to Adoke by an Abuja-based senior editor who is close to Tinubu in which he forwarded the court papers filed by Smart Adeyemi at the tribunal to Adoke.

“In the said e-mail, Adoke was told to look for a trusted justice in the Court of Appeal who would be useful for Smart Adeyemi.”

It will be recalled that the Election Petition Tribunal in Lokoja had upheld the election of Melaye who was elected on the platform of the APC.

The tribunal had dismissed the petition filed by a former chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and former chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Adeyemi, because his lawyers filed their defense too late.

Delivering judgment in the suit, Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Akon Ikpeme, described the petition by Adeyemi, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, as “incurably defective.”

Newly appointed director general of the Department of State Security, Lawal Musa Daura, has demoted Marilyn Ogar, the agency’s former spokesperson

Apart from demoting Ms. Ogar, the acting DSS director general also directed the demotion of numerous other officers of the agency who were just promoted in March in what was seen as a politically motivated exercise.

Ms. Ogar was seen as a controversial official of the DSS who often made statements that were deemed partisan. Her promotion was viewed as a reward for doing dirty political jobs for former President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Promotions of officers in the DSS are usually done at the end of each year, but Ms. Ogar and 44 others were promoted last March. Even so, their promotion was not made public until May.

SaharaReporters learned that Ms. Ogar is currently on vacation, and is reportedly visiting her children resident in the US. In addition to her premature promotion, Ms. Ogar was was also offered a generous scholarship to do a PhD in the UK, according to one source at the agency.

Mr. Daura also fired Abdulrahman Mani, the chief security officer to President Muhammadu Buhari and immediately replaced him with Bashir Abubakar, an assistant director in the Bayelsa State command of the DSS.

Mr. Mani was then posted to Ebonyi State.

Real Reasons Why We Reject Zakari As Acting INEC Chair’ – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it would continue to demand the removal of the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. Amina Zakari as resolved in its 403rd National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, despite unwarranted attacks on its officials by the presidency.

The party said it is privy to the fact that “Mrs. Zakari who has a strong relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari and a very prominent APC Northwest governor is collaborating with the ruling party to post Resident Electoral Commissioners of its choice to Kogi and Bayelsa ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections in those states.”

The PDP also alerted of moves to use the period of Mrs. Zakari’s stay as head of the commission to tinker with electoral personnel and materials for the two states in favour of the APC.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Saturday said “President Buhari, in appointing Mrs. Zakari, failed to take into cognizance the moral call to detach himself from the operation of the electoral body thereby completely eroding the independence of the commission.

The party pointed out that the issue at stake is not that of Mrs. Zakari’s competence or performance in office but the fact of nepotism and her closeness to the President and some key APC leaders, which calls into question the independence of the electoral body under her.

“We want Nigerians to know that with this appointment, INEC has been stripped of its independence and can no longer command the confidence and respect of the citizens and all other critical stakeholders in the nation’s electoral process.

“We however find it astonishing, discouraging and disheartening that the spokesperson of the President will address Nigerians and lie to the entire citizenry that Mrs. Zakari never had any relationship with the President or an APC Governor in the Northwest. This is the height of deception coming from the respected office of the President of our dear country.

“We ask, is the spokesperson of the President, oblivious of the public fact that the Acting Chairman of INEC was once a staff of Afri-Project Consortium, a company well associated with the President?

“Is he by any means feigning ignorance of the fact that Mrs. Zakari also worked in the past as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Social Development and later, that of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Federal Capital Development Authority, then under a current APC governor of the Northwest?

“How much of Mrs. Zakari’s roles in the last general elections does the spokesperson of the President, who has just been appointed, know to warrant his brazen defence?

“Even where we concede to the worn-out argument that the President has the powers to appoint any person he deems fit as the INEC Chairman, does moral obligation not demand that in doing so he should take into cognizance the sensitivity of the position? Otherwise he can as well appoint his wife or brother as the electoral umpire on an argument of merit.

“Whilst the PDP might not be opposed to Mrs. Zakari becoming one out of the numerous national electoral commissioners to be so appointed, we completely reject her being an executive chairman who takes major decisions in an independent electoral commission while having a strong relationship with the President and a prominent APC Northwest governor.

“Indeed, never in the history of Nigeria has there been an executive chairman of the electoral body with such strong relationship with the president of the country.

“If therefore the stance and choice of words of the Presidential spokesperson, which apparently fall short of the civility of a democratic setting, reflect in any way those of President Buhari, then there is serious question on his credentials as a converted democrat.

“Conversely, we caution that presidential spokespersons in representing the President, must note that the psychology of their personal sudden flight to political limelight should not engineer a trauma of monumental deceit to our great nation”, the PDP said.

Insisting that Mrs. Zakari must be removed, the PDP said having in the last 16 years reformed the nation’s electoral system to an enviable status that is being commended by the international community, it cannot sit back and watch too early in the day, its gradual destruction by partisan interest.

The party therefore urged Nigerians, especially key stakeholders in the democratic process “to rise above sectional, religious, gender and partisan biases and put the independence of INEC, the credibility of the electoral process and the overall interest of the nation above every other consideration in their comments and views on the appointment.”

The PDP stressed that as long as the Acting Chairman remains in office, it would not recognize the electoral body as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but as the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

Signed:

Olisa Metuh

National Publicity Secretary

NASS Crisis: Buhari Insists On Party Supremacy As Tinubu Boycotts Meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari insisted on the supremacy of the party as the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its first National Executive Committee at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari insisted on the supremacy.The main agenda of the  meeting is to decide on crucial issues, including the leadership crisis at the National Assembly as well as the composition of APC’s Board of Trustees.

The APC’s national leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, was conspicuously absent from today’s meeting. There are reports that various factions of the party are jockeying for control of its main machinery. Mr. Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, was a major financier of the party. However, a close associate of Mr. Tinubu told our correspondent that the former governor feels that the president and his coterie were working to marginalize him.

President Muhammadu Buhari chaired today’s meeting. Participants at the meeting included the APC’s national chairman, John Oyegun, controversial Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, representative Femi Gbajabiamila and all APC governors and other members of the National Executive Committee.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Buhari remarked that party supremacy was not negotiable. He reminded party members that the platform on which they were elected into office could not be discarded or regarded as irrelevant.

Mr. Buhari also appealed to all feuding factions within the party to sheath their swords in the broader interest of the party and out of respect for party supremacy.


   

Accept the superiority of the party-BUHARI

Buhari’s verbatim comments at APC NEC meeting Friday in Abuja -By Sani Tukur

The elections have come and gone, the APC has won the battle, but lost the war. This is the paradox of democracy, and we shall see how we can manage it going forward.

I have already addressed you through the chairman, through the leadership of the party, through your excellencies, the governors and through our Senators and House of Representatives members.

The APC must not disappoint its constituency, thats the nation state. We have to convince our various constituencies that we are individually worthy of the sacrifices that they have made.

They stayed awake day and night, travelling all over the country and made sure as a party,we emerged victorious. What subsequently happened is human, and as human beings we are not perfect, but let our collective actions in this party prove that we have won the elections, the battle and we will win the war.

As for me as a president, I have to clearly understand the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria, the constitution of APC, and having tried three times and successfully lost three times and successfully ending up at the Supreme Court.

I think I have tasted the bitter disappointments and the sweetness of success.

What happened to APC must be given to God almighty. The opposition party, has ruled the country for sixteen years, with all the treasuries, literally in their pockets and all the coercing forces and their command, under their command they still meekly conceded defeat. We congratulate them for that.

I clearly understand the constitution from which INEC was developed with clear terms of reference and one of its important responsibilities is to register political associations as political parties, and whoever wants to participate in elective office as a Nigerian must seek a platform.that platform is the political party, hence, the superior state of the parties. APC has been damn lucky., if I can use that. The way the opposition parties realized, agreed and accepted that the only way through which we can be in the system is for us to come together. The ACN,the ANPP, the CPC, APGA and DPP wanted to come to participate fully in the negotiation,but they have court cases at various levels, and we suspected that if we allow them to participate actively in the negotiation for merger, there being in court cam cause either delay or deny us registration.

So we persuaded our colleagues in APGA and DPP that please stay out of the negotiation, but when we eventually get the registration,they can join in block or individually.

Along the line, I assure you that nothing is done by impulse in our process to merger. There have been various committees, quite a number of you sitting here have been members of committees either leading them or being a member and we agreed. At some stage or the earlier stages,we agreed that nine people should form the interim committee, thats the national chairmen of the parties, the secretaries and the treasurers . We thought we have done a wonderful work, so we sent our application. For the first time in this sixteen or twelve years of my participating actively , I thanked INEC for what they did to us; they sent back our application and said we must have 25 to 35 people to manage your interim if you get registration, and they must come from all the geo political zones. Why I thanked INEC in particular was because if it has been bloody minded, again ladies close your ears, if they have been bloody minded, they would have kept on raging until it was almost too late for us to get the merger. So they advised us and we sat down, we got I think 35 people to manage us and they I here personally, and on behalf of you now congratulate Chief Bisi Akande, it’s a pity he is not here, he led the interim party with dexterity and integrity. I respect his patriotism. When we got the APC name through the agreement of various committees of the respective parties, we started working from polling unit upwards, eventually we ended up in the convention which gave us the leadership of the party.

After that the election started, and again it started from the bottom top. I have gone to this extent because not all of us here participated in it and for you to reflect and thank the leadership of the party at various stages for going through all this, which is not easy. But God in his infinite mercy has helped by giving us acceptance. Let us not throw this success to the wind.

Let us as members of the APC no matter our personal differences get together and use the mandate given to us by this country. This is my personal appeal to you in the name of God. Whatever your personal interest or ambition, please keep it close to your heart and in your pocket. Let APC work, let the system work and let us have a government that will earn the respect of our constituencies.

My problem is the constituencies. I thank you very much for listening to me, and I thank the leadership across the board, and I appeal to you to please continue to work together.

Please accept the superiority of the party.  I cannot confine myself to the cage or Sambisa forest and refuse to participate in NEC or BoT.so I respect, the superiority of the party.

On Eve Of Corruption Judgment, Fani-Kayode Storms Lagos Hotel With 15 Armed Policemen

Ex-Minister of Aviation and campaign spokesperson for former President Goodluck Jonathan caused panic and triggered anxiety yesterday when he arrived at the 5-star Wheatbaker Hotel in Lagos with 15 heavily armed policemen. The hotel is located at 4 Onitolo Road (former Lawrence Road) in Ikoyi, an upscale area of Lagos. 

The fierce-looking police officers were from the anti-riot unit.

Judgment will be delivered today in a long-running corruption trial in which Mr. Fani-Kayode is the defendant. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the corruption charges against the former Jonathan aide and ex-minister at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Guests at Wheatbaker Hotel, especially expatriates, panicked at the sight of the police officers. Some of the hotel’s expatriate guests reportedly made frantic calls to their embassies as the armed policemen entered the hotel’s reception area and started acting in a manner that was deemed intimidating.

One guest, a Nigerian visiting from the US said that Mr. Fani-Kayode showed up at the hotel twice with the same contingent of policemen within a spell of 30 minutes.

We gathered that the court building in Ikoyi is a walking distance from the Wheatbaker Hotel.

The judge in the case, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, had deferred judgment in the case till July 1 because of the absence of the EFCC’s prosecutor, Festus Keyamo.

One source said that numerous lawyers and judges often visited the hotel for drinks and socialization.

Mr. Fani-Kayode’s trial hinge on two counts of money laundering and corrupt enrichment.

In an earlier ruling, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia had dismissed eight of the indictment counts against the former Aviation Minister, permitting only two to proceed.


A lawyer who is not involved in the case has it  that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia should have recused herself from handling the case. The lawyer alleged that the judge and Mr. Fani-Kayode were classmates at Law School.


A duty manager at the hotel, who identified himself as Victor said that the hotel management convinced Mr. Fani-Kayode to tell his armed guards to leave the reception area.

NIGERIAN MEN IN USA, KILLING THEIR IMPORTED WIVES FROM NIGERIA.

NIGERIAN MEN IN USA, KILLING THEIR IMPORTED WIVES FROM NIGERIA.

Not every man can take the disappointing and humiliation from NIgeria wives imported to America. Wives killers on rampage in the US

An Epidemic: Nigerian Men Killing Their Nurse Wives In America "Yes, I have killed the woman that messed up my life; the woman that has destroyed me. I am at Shalom West. My name is David and I am all yours.” Those were David Ochola’s words during his 911 (U.S. Emergency Number) call to authorities after shooting dead, his 28 years old wife, Priscilla Ochola, in Hennepin, Minnesota.

The 50-years old, husband was tired of being “disrespected” by his wife, a Registered Nurse (RN) whom he had brought from Nigeria and sponsored through nursing school only to have her make much more than him in salary - a situation which led to Mrs. Ochola “coming and going as she chose without regard for her husband.”

The couple had two children – four years old boy and a three year old girl. 

In Texas, Babajide Okeowo had been separated from his wife, Funke Okeowo, with whom he resided at their Dallas home. Upon the divorce, the husband lost the house to his wife, along with most of the contents therein, as is usually the tradition in the U.S. Divorces where the couple still has underage children. 

Mr. Okeowo, 48, divorced his wife because not long after she became an RN and made more money than him, she “took control” of the family finances and “controlled” her husband’s expenditure and movement. 

The husband could no longer make any meaningful contribution to his family back in Nigeria unless the wife “approved” it. He could not go out without her permission. Frustrated that his formerly malleable wife had suddenly become such a “terror” to him to the point of asking for in court and getting virtually everything for which he had worked since coming to the US thirty years prior, the husband got in his vehicle and drove a few hundred miles to Dallas to settle the scores. 

He found her in her SUV, adorned in full Nigerian attire on her way to the birthday bash organized in her honor. She had turned 46 on that day. Mr. Okeowo fired several rounds into his wife’s torso while she sat at the steering wheel, mercilessly killing her in broad daylight.

Also in Dallas (they sure need anger management classes in Dallas), Moses Egharevba, 45, did not even bother to get a gun. The husband of Grace Egharevba, 35, bludgeoned her to death with a sledge hammer while their seven year old daughter watched and screamed for peace. 

Mrs. Egharevba’s “sin” was that she became an RN and started to make more money than her husband. This led to her “financial liberation” from a supposedly tight-fisted husband who had not only brought her from Nigeria, but had also funded her nursing school education. 

Like Moses Egharevba, Christopher Ndubuisi of Garland, Texas, (these Texas people!) also did not bother to get a gun. He crept into the bedroom where his wife, Christiana, was sleeping and, with several blows of the sledge hammer, crushed her head. 

Two years before Christiana was killed, her mother, who had been visiting from Nigeria, was found dead in the bathtub under circumstances believed to be suspicious. 

Of course, Christiana was a RN whose income dwarfed that of her husband as soon as she graduated from nursing school. The husband believed that his role as a husband and head of the household had been usurped by his wife. 

Mr. Ndubuisi’s several entreaties to his wife’s family to intercede and bring Christiana back under his control had all failed. 

If the circumstances surrounding the death of Christiana’s mother were suspicious, those surrounding the death of a Tennessee woman’s mother were not. Agnes Nwodo, an RN, lived in squalor before her husband, Godfrey Nwodo, rescued her and brought her to the US. He enrolled her in nursing school right away. Upon qualifying as a RN, Mrs. Nwodo assumed “full control” of the household. She brought her mother to live with them against her husband’s wishes. Mrs. Nwodo quickly familiarized herself with US Family Laws and took full advantage of them. 

Each time the couple argued, the police forced the husband to leave the house whether he had a place to sleep or not. On many occasions, Mr. Nwodo spent days in police cells. Upon divorcing his wife, Mr. Nwodo lost to his wife, the house he had owned for almost 20 years before he married her. 

He also lost custody of their three children to her, with the court awarding him only periodic visitation rights. Even seeing the children during visitation was always a hassle as the wife would “arrive late at the neutral meeting place and leave early with impunity.” 

Mr. Nwodo endured so many embarrassing moments from his wife and her mother until he could take it no more. One day, he bought himself a shotgun and killed both his wife and her mother. 

Caleb Onwudike’s wife, Chinyere Onwudike, 36, became a RN and no longer saw the need to be controlled by her husband. Mr. Onwudike, 41, worked two jobs to send his wife to her dream school upon bringing her to the US from Nigeria. After four years, she qualified as an RN. Once she started to make more money than her husband, she began to “call the shots” at home. She “overruled” her husband on the size and cost of the house they purchased in Burtonsville, Maryland. She began to build a house solely in her name in their native Umuahia town of Abia State, Nigeria, without her husband’s input whatsoever. 

Mrs. Onwudike came and went “as she liked,” within the US and outside the US. In fact, she once travelled to Nigeria for three weeks “without her husband’s permission” to lavishly bury her father, despite her husband’s protestations that they had better things to do with the money. 

Mrs. Onwudike let her husband know that this was mostly her money and she would spend it however she wanted. Through her hard work, she had risen to a managerial position at the medical center where she worked. 

Upon her return from burying her father, her husband got one of her kitchen knives and carved her up like a Thanksgiving turkey inside their home on New Year’s Day. 

Death is death, no matter how it comes. But the goriest of these maniacal killings is probably the one that happened here in Los Angeles, California. 

Joseph Mbu, 50, was tired of his RN wife’s “serial disrespect” of him. The disrespect began as soon as she became a RN. Gloria Mbu, 40, had once told her husband he must be “smoking crack cocaine” if he thought he could tell her what to do with her money now that she made more money than him. 

Before she became a RN, Mr. Mbu had been very strict with family finances and was borderline dictatorial in his dealings with Mrs. Mbu. However, Mrs. Mbu learned the American system and would no longer allow any man to “put her down.” When Joseph Mbu could not take it anymore, he subdued his wife one day, tied her to his vehicle and dragged her on paved roads all around Los Angeles until her head split in many pieces.

Buhari Appoints Acting INEC Chairman

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday appointed Mrs Amina Bala Zakari Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A statement from the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, said the appointment takes effect from 30th June 2015.

The latest development follows the conclusion of the term of office of Prof. Attahiru Jega on the same day, and will last until a substantive chairman is appointed for the commission. 

Until her appointment, Mrs. Zakari served as a National Electoral Commissioner at INEC.
Interested in Advertising? Sponsored Ad

Police Documents Reveal How Nigeria’s Senate President Saraki Started As A Petty Thief At His Father’s Bank In 1990

Exclusive documents reveal that Senate President Bukola Saraki, along with other members of his family, played a role in bankrupting Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN), in one of the most compelling failed bank dramas in Nigeria’s economic history.
Mr. Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State who has been making headlines in recent weeks after snatching the seat of the Senate President by cobbling together a coalition of loyal Senators from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), joined his late father, Olusola Saraki, and his sister, Gbemi Saraki, in a stealing spree that led to the collapse of SGBN, a Nigerian affiliate of the multinational bank.

The most revealing documents, which originated from the Office of the Inspector General of Police, detailed a scheme by the siblings Bukola and Gbemi Saraki, along with Tokunbo Salami, Jude Iluyomade, and Mohammed Bashir.  From 1990 to 2000, according to the Inspector General’s report dated August 21st 1990, Ms. Gbemi Saraki worked in the Treasury Department of Societe Generale Bank Nigeria while now-Senate President Bukola Saraki was a director of the bank. The Saraki family owned the largest shares of any Nigerian in the bank, a fact they exploited to obtain unsecured loans and engage in several other illicit transactions that saw to the bank’s demise.

In one letter to Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Societe Generale Paris, which owned a majority stake of Societe Generale Nigeria, accused the Sarakis and their cohorts of defrauding the bank out of 510,000 Naira through illegal and “unauthorized withdrawals of money.”

 Part of the letter read, “the amount, in this particular case, N510, 000, was cashed by Miss Gbemi Saraki—the daughter of Dr. Olusola Saraki [Senator Saraki’s father]. Miss. Gbemi Saraki works in the Treasury Department of Societe Generale Bank (Nigeria) Limited where the alleged thefts constantly take place…Miss Saraki signed for the collection of the cash.”

 The letter also accused their father, Olusola Saraki, who died on November 14, 2012, of involvement in “stealing N8.5 million out of N10 million illegally withdrawn from the account of the Bank to purchase a house in Ikoyi.”

 The IGP investigation resulted in charges against Senator Saraki and Ms. Gbemi Saraki for forgery and conspiracy to commit a felony. The charges stated that the two accused, with “intent to defraud did forge one SGBN [Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria] Inter branch Voucher No LA 005016053-7 for N510, 000 in favor of Trademore International Ltd knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence.” The charges also stated that the accused “unlawfully committed felony” by stealing the bank’s funds.

Senator Saraki, his sister and the other accused persons were slammed with a total of five felony theft and felony conspiracy charges with police file No. AR-1360/X/F/Vol. 12 filed on December 7th 1990.

Among the indicting documents is a letter,which was dispatched on December 7th 1990 from the IGP Office demanding that SGBN produce Senator Saraki, Gbemi Saraki, and also Tokunbo Salami, Jude Iluyomade, and Mohammed Bashir. The letter said, “Please be informed that investigation into the above mentioned case has been completed. You are therefore requested to produce the above-mentioned suspects at the FIIB premises at 0800hrs, that is 8 a.m. on 10/12/90, unfailingly. They are to be arraigned before the Magistrate Court on said date, please.”

 In an investigative report published July 6, 2008, SaharaReporters exposed how the now deceased Olusola Saraki used his extensive political influence to block a 30-count indictment against him and members of his family, including then Mr. Bukola Saraki, over their financial scams at Societe Generale. The full report of that investigation is here

The Senator has since losing his governorship immunity resorted to a variety of schemes to keep out of jail.

On April 26, 2012, Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, filed a counter-affidavit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to a motion by Senator Saraki, pointing out that the Senator was asking the court to grant him the permanent immunity he had already informed the whole world the court has given him. 

Days earlier, Saraki had tried to dupe a Federal High Court judge into granting a temporary court injunction, filing an expatriate motion to prevent the police from arresting him to answer to charges that he had directly benefited from a N21 billion bank loan fraud. 

“The application for injunction is dangerous as it is designed to confer permanent immunity on [Senator Saraki] and thereby shield him from arrest, investigation and prosecution,” the IGP said. No court in Nigeria has the power to grant the illegal injunction.”  

Mr. Abubakar noted in his affidavit that in a letter earlier that month, he had invited Saraki to come and assist in the investigation of a case of conspiracy, forgery and stealing of the sum of N21 billion belonging to Joy Petroleum Ltd, following a petition from that company on the refusal of access to their account at Intercontinental Bank.

On August 29, 2012, the police in Lagos told PM News they were getting ready to prosecute Senator Saraki for an N11 billion fraud. 

Ayotunde Ogunsakin, the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), told the newspaper the police was “doing a very extensive and painstaking investigation” because the matter involved Saraki and some other important persons, and that the force did not want the case to be overturned on a technicality. 

On August 12, 2013, after being declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Senator Saraki turned himself in, but was released on administrative bail.

EFCC sources has it that Saraki faced inquiries concerning how he had handled funds belonging to SGBN, as well as how he had allegedly laundered billions of Naira belonging to the former InterContinental Bank of Nigeria Plc (now Access Bank).

Mahmoud Lai Alabi, a protégé of Senator Saraki and former Managing Director of that bank, was alleged to have assisted the former governor in laundering several billions of Naira using as many as 30 different companies. The loans they obtained were subsequently written off as bad debts.

It is to be noted that since the Yar’Adua years, almost nothing has been done on the Saraki file.  Analysts say that is because Saraki inserted former EFCC chieftain Farida Waziri into the equation in 2008. 

In a story on May 17, 2008, SaharaReporters reported how Mr. Saraki brokered the appointment of Waziri as the new EFCC boss, saying it reflected his emergence “as the single most powerful individual within Umar Yar'adua’s tight circle of power brokers.”

SaharaReporters stated that the appointment of Mrs. Waziri was aimed at paralyzing the EFCC, and that Saraki and several corrupt former governors who were subjects of intense investigation and prosecution by the EFCC were behind the plot.  They influenced Yar’Adua, through corrupt former police IGP, M.D. Yusuf, who was the one who presented her resume to Yar’adua.  Yusuf was enmeshed in the Halliburton corruption scandal, and embattled US corporate executive, Jeffrey Tesler, who worked for a subsidiary of Halliburton, had told American investigators he “made payments to Nigerian officials, including two $75,000 transfers to M.D. Yusuf, chairman of the company that awarded the original contract to the consortium and operated the natural gas complex.”

SaharaReporters said, sources in the EFCC and within the Yar’Adua regime told us that, after her retirement in 1999, Mrs. Waziri lobbied the EFCC hierarchy to stop the investigation of the Saraki dynasty. EFCC investigators were at the time digging into how the Sarakis looted the Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria.”

Despite corruption rising to such unprecedented heights that Mrs. Waziri was fired from the EFCC by no less than the stealing-is-not-corruption president, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, the former EFCC chief was last weekend singing Buhari’s praises to the high heavens, describing him as a man of “destiny”.

Speaking to journalists at Uga-Mbagwa in Oshongo Local Government Area of Benue State, Mrs. Waziri declared that she has been pleading with everyone she meets to “support” the Buhari administration.

“When the right leadership is provided and in place, a lot of things will naturally fall in place,” she said, adding: “A lot of good things will come in place under the Buhari government as long as we are ready to play our role as patriotic citizens.”

Mrs. Waziri’s re-insertion of herself into the conversation, knowing that Buhari intends to fight corruption, an effort she betrayed on behalf of such people as Bukola Saraki, introduces a new wrinkle into the equation.

Sacking NNPC Board Is Just The Beginning For Buhari And The Oil Sector-FEMI ADESINA

Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser for Media and Publicity to President Buhari, spoke  about the first thirty days of Buhari’s administration and the future of the oil sector under President Buhari.

Mr. Adesina categorically stated  that “it is within the President’s right to fire the board members of NNPC. That its just the beginning of the house cleansing he wants to do to clear the rot in the oil sector.” However, he did not provide any specific details or actions that President Buhari would take, including whether Buhari would personally lead the Oil Ministry as some rumors suggest.

He urged the public to understand that “Nigerians gave President Buhari a mandate to rule for four years, so they should not complain in less than thirty days.” Mr. Adesina then added that President Buhari is not “a miracle worker.”

When questioned about the transparency of President Buhari’s administration, Mr. Adesina said that Buhari “has taken the first step to fix the oil sector When you take a first step, you take others. Since that step wasn’t taken in secrecy, others will not be taken in secrecy.”

Mr. Adesina also addressed reports from earlier this week that the Presidency would sell off some planes in the presidential fleet. He confirmed that no planes had been sold yet, but that “one thing we can be sure of is when those planes are sold, if they are being sold, it’s not going to be something that is done under the table or in secrecy. Everyone will know. If he has a plan to do it, it will be announced that he is going to do it.”

CBN extends BVN registration to October 31

DETAILS LATER

In Three Years, NNPC Pockets #3.8 Trillion

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, generated about N8.1trillion between 2012 and May 2015, but paid only N4.3trillion to the federation account, Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said Monday, citing new details from the federal economic council meeting.

The balance of the oil money — about N3.8trillion — was withheld and spent by the NNPC unilaterally without approval or National Assembly appropriation, the governor told journalists.

Also, the governor confirmed at the meeting that from November 2014, about $2.1billion was withdrawn from the excess crude account without the approval of the National Economic Council, NEC.

Mr. Oshiomhole, who, alongside the governors of Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and Zamfara governor, Abdulazeez Yari, briefed journalists, said following the discovery, the NEC has set up a four-member committee to comb the books of the NNPC to confirm its remittances and how the excess crude account was utilized.

President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the board of the NNPC on Friday, to pave way for full investigation of the corporation.

Mr. Oshiomhole said Monday’s meeting was the first time the NNPC and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, briefed the National Economic Council, as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor said Mr. Buhari “compelled” the NNPC to provide information in “black and white” on issues relating to the total sales of Nigeria’s crude oil from 2012 to May 2015.

“This has never happened before and for us this is profound. We are talking about transparency, we are talking about change. And what we saw from those numbers I believe that Nigerians are entitled to know, is that whereas the NNPC claimed to have earned N8.1 trillion, what NNPC paid into the federation account from 2012 to May 2015 was N4.3trillion.

“What it means is that NNPC withheld and spent N3.8 trillion.

“The major revelation here is that for the entire federation — that is the federal government, the states and all the 774 local governments — the amount the NNPC paid into the federation account for distribution to this three tiers of government came to N4.3 trillion and NNPC alone took and spent N3.8 trillion. Which means the cost of running NNPC is much more than the cost of running the Federal Government. That tells you how much is missing, what is mismanaged, what is stolen, they are huge figures.”

He said it had become clear that the NNPC had not respected the Constitution on how government money should be spent.

“If NNPC needs to spend money, it is obliged to prepare its budget like every other business
enterprise. That budget will be scrutinized by the executive and forwarded to the National Assembly and the National Assembly will accordingly appropriate it.

“If the federal government cannot spend without appropriation, why should any agency spend without appropriation?”
Mr. Oshiomhole said President Buhari promised that henceforth, all monies must go to the federation account.

“What you need you budget for, Nigeria cannot continue with you earn the money and spend it. Where is transparency? Where is the role of the National Assembly? So if you were doing that you won’t have a situation where the NNPC alone will spend N3.8 trillion and remit to the federal, states and local governments N4.3 trillion which means NNPC is taking about 47 per cent and that explains all the leakages you are talking about.”

He said parastatals must return to spending on a budget.

“We are not reinventing the wheel, that is the way it used to be and that is the way the constitution says it should”

EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT

The Edo governor also disclosed $2.1 billion was withdrawn from $4.1 billion reported to be in the excess crude account as at November 2014 without the approval of the National Economic Council (NEC). The account now has $2.0bilion.

“We looked at the numbers for the Excess crude account, the last time the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy reported to the Council and it is in the minute, she reported by November 2014, that we had $4.1 billion.

“But today the Accountant General Office reported we have $2.0 billion. Which means the Honorable Minister spent $2.1billion without authority of the NEC. And that money was not distributed to states, it was not paid to the three tiers of government. This is why the NEC has set up a panel to look at what accrued, what it was spent for, when and by whom. So that Nigerians will have the full picture of all the transactions as regards the much talked about Excess crude,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

The four-member committee, which consists of the governors of Edo, Gombe, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom states.
Explaining further, Kaduna State Governor, Mr. El-Rufai, noted that the Federal Government had in the last year been unilaterally withdrawing from the excess crude account without consulting the other owners.

According to him “The Excess Crude account was started by President Olusegun Obasanjo around
2004-2005.

“It was an administrative arrangement to save for a rainy day. And it was meant to have very clear accountability such that every state and local government, in a particular state knows their balance in the Excess Crude Account, though you can’t spend it but you know how much of it is yours.

“That was the arrangement. And in those days, before we spend any money from the Excess Crude Account, the federal and states governments will meet and agree. That is how we agreed to build the seven power stations, which is NIPP today, it was from Excess Crude Account. And we also met and agreed to build the Lagos – Kano Standard Gauge Rail Line from the Excess Crude Account.

“But what we have seen, in the last few months or years is that the Excess Crude Account was operated unilaterally by the federal government, drawings were made unilaterally without consulting those that actually own the money because the Excess Crude Account is 52 percent owned by the federal government and 48 by the states and LGA.

“So the decision of the NEC is to set up this committee of four to look at the operations of the Excess Crude Account and make recommendations to council on its future.

“The other thing the committee will do is to look at the operations of the federation accounts particularly the shortfall and again come back to council with very clear recommendations as to what to do.

“We have not been given a time frame but as you can imagine states government are under pressure, many of our state governments are unable to pay salaries on time without recourse to borrowing, so this is very important to us. This is an all governors committee, we wear the shoes we know where it pinches. So we are going to do this as quickly as possible,” he said.

The Council’s next meeting of the council is on July 23rd, and Mr. El- Rufai said he hopes the committee will complete its work and be in position to report to council on that day.
Zamfara governor, Abdulazeez Yari, said the council also agreed that the Federal Government in conjunction with the Central Bank, will see how to support financially ailing states.

Real Reasons Why President Buhari Dissolved NNPC Board Today

Our correspondent has it that President Buhari has dissolved the governing board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) today, will reconstitute the board with one of the 'cleaner' Deputy Managing Directors of the same in a few weeks.

The board was dissolved through a memo issued by Danladi Kifasi of the Head of the Nigerian Civil Service.

Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to Media and Publicity to President Buhari, told SaharaReporters that “you can’t make changes without having new leadership” and that the President remains “committed to cleaning up the system, and wants accountability and transparency in the oil industry.”

Mr. Adesina added that “people must be patient for the President’s next move.” Responding to public concern that the President is very slow to take action.

News of Mr.President action to dissolve the governing board comes at a time when the NNPC has been at the center of the controversial “Missing $20 billion” scandal, which involves the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Davido Starts Clothing Line

dami duro crooner last night  announced  that his clothing line has kicked off and the website is up and running.  ‘My Official clothing line website is up and running! Make sure you check it out and get your O.B.O T-Shirts today’, he wrote while announcing his  newest business.

Jega To Leave Office, Tuesday

Following the expiration of his five-year tenure, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is set to vacate office on Tuesday.

A statement issued by the Public Affairs Department of INEC said that Jega is to bow out of office with six National Commissioners who were appointed the same day with him by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010.

PDP Condemns House Fracas, Blames It On Buhari

The PDP has said that the disgraceful act is a direct consequence of President Buhari’s lack of democratic credentials to rein in his party to respect the independence and sanctity of the legislative arm of government, which it described as “the very citadel of democracy, as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the fracas today by disgruntled APC members in the House of Representatives, as a show of shame and national embarrassment, adding that the APC lawmakers ostensibly acted on instructions from the Presidency.

In a statement by National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the Party said the ugly development brings President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress’ commitment to democracy, unity, and the stability of the country to question.

The PDP said the disgraceful act is a direct consequence of President Buhari’s lack of democratic credentials to rein in his party to respect the independence and sanctity of the legislative arm of government, which it described as “the very citadel of democracy, as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.”

“The barbaric attempt to physically assault a duly elected Speaker, seize the mace, the authority of the House, is a direct attack on the Nigerian parliament which embodies the supremacy of the people and our freedom as a democratic nation” the PDP said.

Metuh further noted that what Nigerians witnessed in the House on Thursday clearly underscores the fact that the APC has exhausted its excuses and has now imported its internal contradictions into an independent arm of government as a way to further cover its lack of ideas for governance.

The PDP said intelligence available to it shows that “the brawling APC lawmakers ostensibly acted on instructions from the Presidency, an obvious indication that President Buhari is largely an interested party whose involvement is beyond mere body language”.

“We state unequivocally that the onus lies on President Buhari to ensure that all democratic institutions are harnessed for effectiveness, a responsibility he has apparently abdicated by allowing his personal interest to instigate division in the parliament, a tendency that poses great threat to the survival of our democracy and the stability of the nation”.

The PDP said the continued confusion in the APC-led government is a confirmation of its earlier stand that the APC lacks the capacity and democratic discipline to effectively steer the ship of the nation and face the challenges of governance at the center.

“If a party that has since March 28, 2015 when it got its victory, about 90 days ago, cannot resolve a basic issue of selecting its leadership in the National Assembly, clearly, their competence for national governance comes to question”, Metuh added.

The PDP applauded Speaker Yakubu Dogara for his comportment, especially his statesman-like remarks after the unfortunate incident. They urged him to continue to display maturity and not yield any ground in his duties to protect the independence of the legislature.

It commended all its members, past and present in the House for their maturity and dignifying conduct in line with the ideals of its founding fathers on democracy built on peace and unity

How Former Governor Uduaghan Left Delta State In Financial Ruin

A source said the former Governor’s sole aim, as his tenure wound down, was to financially cripple the State beyond recovery before his exit. He said the evidence gathered so far was overwhelming. Under Uduaghan, Delta State received a monthly allocation of about N10 billion from the Federation Account. The former Governor entered into so-called irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO) bonds of N5.1 and N1.2 billion respectively, deductible at source from the State’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account. After these deductions, the State’s net receipt fell to N3.7 billion a month.

Two top officials of new administration in Delta State, who are close associates of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, have accused former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of running the State with a troubling depth of financial profligacy. One of the sources described the state of affairs in Delta as “Cyclone Uduaghan,” alleging that the former Governor not only ran the State aground financially, but also actually went ahead to program a catastrophe for the just inaugurated administration of Governor Okowa.

One source said Governor Okowa had chosen not to whine like many of his colleagues, but added that the incumbent Governor “knows [full] well that he is in trouble. In fact, several elder statesmen across the State are putting pressure on him to let the world know what he met on ground.”

Governor Okowa’s newly appointed spokesmen are declining to comment publicly on the issue, which is threatening to boil over in Delta State. But they privately admit that the State’s financial shape is dire.

Mr. Uduaghan, a medical doctor, reportedly left behind a total debt of more than N773 billion, according to current estimates by officials of the state. They disclosed that ex-Governor Uduaghan accumulated liabilities to the tune of N238.6 billion in the form of bonds, bank debts and related obligations, and an additional N534.6 billion in pure contractual liabilities.

A source said the former Governor’s sole aim, as his tenure wound down, was to financially cripple the State beyond recovery before his exit. He said the evidence gathered so far was overwhelming. Under Uduaghan, Delta State received a monthly allocation of about N10 billion from the Federation Account. The former Governor entered into so-called irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO) bonds of N5.1 and N1.2 billion respectively, deductible at source from the State’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account. After these deductions, the State’s net receipt fell to N3.7 billion a month. 

The State's internally generated revenues (IGR) of N3.5 billion a month bumped the figure up to N7.3 billion a month. On the surface, revenues of N7.3 billion look like a tidy sum for Delta State, and Mr. Uduaghan used that figure to claim that he did not leave an empty treasury.

However, our sources described the former Governor’s claim as a big lie. They revealed that personnel costs, in terms of salaries, pensions and other benefits to workers, amount to N7.6 billion each month. In addition, statutory transfers to statutory agencies, including the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESPOPADEC), amount to N4.3 billion a month. Overhead costs in the State public service are N4.4 billion a month, bringing the State’s total statutory expenditure to N16.3 billion a month.

“Governor Okowa would need to borrow N9.1 billion every month just to run government business in Delta,” said one source. He added, “If His Excellency, Dr. Okowa, chooses not to borrow, then his administration is dead on arrival.”

The source accused Mr. Uduaghan of aiming to ambush his predecessor with a financial picture that is programmed to lead to Mr. Okowa’s failure. “Where will the new administration source the funds to bring development projects and initiatives to the people of the state as the dividends of governance?” one source asked.

Our sources accused Mr. Uduaghan of structuring the repayment schedule of the loans to start in June 2015 to coincide with the arrival of a new administration in the State.
To clearly illustrate the weight of the financial burden that Uduaghan left behind, one source said, “If you shared the debt exposure of N773.2 billion [among] the entire local government areas in Nigeria, each council would amass a debt burden of N1 billion.”

Two of our sources claimed that Mr. Uduaghan frittered away scarce State resources to serve his obscene taste for expensive personal acquisitions as well as his unrestrained social lifestyle. They said that, with the State treasury at his disposal, the former Governor spend recklessly in pursuit of his adulterous escapades, often with married women from across the state and beyond. One source said Mr. Uduaghan seemed to have a weird attraction to women married to public figures in his State, adding that he was particularly obsessed with any women who were linked to his cousin and former Governor, James Onanefe Ibori. Mr. Ibori is serving a 13-year jail term in the UK after pleading no-contest to charges of laundering tens of millions of pound sterling through British courts and institutions.

Some officials in Delta State allege that, after the April 11 governorship election, Mr. Uduaghan spent eye-popping sums to purchase 15 swanky homes in the United Arab Emirates. They add that Mr. Uduaghan paid for all 15 properties on the same day, as if he were an oil sheik.

By contrast, former Governor Uduaghan’s critics say he left no meaningful projects or infrastructure in Delta State during his eight-year control of the State treasury, save for a dubious Asaba Airport project that has gulped more than N40 billion but has yet to be approved by Nigerian aviation authorities because of the facility’s haphazard conception, construction and delivery.

“Today, the five major cities of the state, namely Warri, Asaba, Agbor, Sapele and Ughelli, remain a shadow of themselves,” one critic said.

Another source said that, while a few other oil-producing states were busy advancing the fortunes of their States with such infrastructure as metro rails, stadia and highways, Mr. Uduaghan’s administration “simply dipped its hands in the state treasury and simply asked Deltans to ‘go to hell.’”

Lawan Loses Again As Saraki’s Ali Ndume Becomes Party Leader In Senate

The APC Party wanted Ahmed Lawan to be given the role of Majority Leader but instead the candidate of Bukola Saraki, Ali Ndume, was nominated.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators officially nominated Ali Ndume, from Borno State, as Majority Leader of the Senate.

This came in defiance to the APC Party order that insisted on its preferred candidates who failed to be elected President and Speaker for the Senate and House of Representatives respectively.

The APC Party wanted Ahmed Lawan to be given the role of Majority Leader but instead the candidate of Bukola Saraki, Ali Ndume, was nominated.

President Muhammadu Buhari also waded into the crisis by holding a meeting with the APC Governors encouraging them to vote by party positions. In addition, Rochas Okorocha announced that the APC Party’s decision should be prioritized.

The Senate also nominated Bala Ibn Na’alla of Kebbi State as Deputy Leader and Francis Alimikhena of Edo State as Deputy Chief Whip.

The chaos surrounding leader nominations has hindered business in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Why We Fought On The Floor Of The House Of Reps Today - Zangon Daura

Gentlemen of the Press: I am Representative Nasiru Sani Zangon Daura  of the All Progressive Congress (APC) representing Zango/Baure Federal Constituency of Katsina State. We are here on behalf of our colleagues of the APC House Caucus to explain to you the unfortunate occurrence during today’s plenary session.

The action that occurred inside the chamber of the House of Representatives was in reaction to the illegal and unconstitutional action taken by Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives, an action in his usual tradition of total disregard to the wishes of the majority members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus, the Party itself and the spirit of the Party.

We are aware of a letter sent by our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) dated 23rd June 2015 conveying the approval of the Party’s Principal Officers vis a vis the APC House Leader, the APC Chief Whip, the APC Deputy House Leader and the APC Deputy Chief Whip for the House of Representatives.

This letter by the Party is in compliance with the expressed wish and mandate of the Majority Members of the All Progressives Congress APC Caucus in the House of Representatives.

This action of the Party and the APC House Caucus is in compliance with the Nigerian Constitution, the House Rules and Parliamentary tradition, practices and precedents in Nigeria and all over the World.

But to our surprise and in breach of our privilege and rights as contained in the Constitution and extant House Rules, Mr. Speaker refused to read the letter from our party. 

The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are not Party Principal Officers but are House of Representatives Presiding Officers and by precedent and practice are expected to provide a level playing ground for all members, while the Party Principal Officers are supposed to be the main advocates for their individual party positions.    

The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are elected by all members of the House of Representatives irrespective of party affiliation and it is also possible under our extant rules for a Speaker and his Deputy to be elected from a minority/opposition party in the National Assembly.

Therefore, Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives cannot under extant Laws and House Rules Appoint, Choose, Select, Dictate or even provide guidance on how Party Principal Officers emerge or are elected or selected. That responsibility and authority lies with each Party and Party’s Caucus members in the House.

If I may ask is Speaker Yakubu Dogara empowered to do that for the PDP House Caucus??? 

This action, by Speaker Yakubu Dogara cannot and will not be allowed to stand as it will set a dangerous precedent in our parliamentary practice as it will give the Speaker the right and authority to appoint, Choose, Select, Dictate or even provide guidance on how Principal Officers emerge or are elected or selected by the Majority and Minority Parties in the House of Representatives. This action is capable of truncating our democracy.

As for the claim being made that a particular zone should not be allowed to produce more than one Principal Officer, we say and we say this with all sense of decorum, that this claim is absolutely RUBBISH!!

Precedences were set in the 6th & 7th Assemblies where a single zone, the Northwest, produced two  and three Principal Officers, respectively.

We the loyal and disciplined majority APC Caucus in the House of Representatives are fully committed in ensuring that our party’s and President Muhammadu Buhari’s manifesto, agenda and positions prevail despite the efforts and shenanigans of the opposition party(s) and the few disloyal and undisciplined APC party members in the House of Representatives.

We are determined in our efforts, to utilize all legislative strategies available to us, so as to ensure the compliance with due process and democratic norms and values.

We shall persevere, come rain come shine!

We the loyal and disciplined majority APC Caucus in the House of Representatives and the All Progressives Congress have dished out enough of the carrots, it’s time to crack the whip so as to ensure party discipline and maintain order.

Dare I say, we rode to power on the platform of the party, the party is supreme and thus no one is above the party!

God Bless the All Progressives Congress!

God Bless The House of Representatives!!

God Bless Nigeria!!!

Thank You for listening

Ex-Gov Sylva Faces Fresh Corruption Charges

Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court had on June 10, 2015 dismissed the 42- count charge of stealing earlier brought against Sylva and his co-accused by the EFCC, with the excuse that the prosecution’s application to consolidate the charges before him, against the defendants, amounted to an abuse of court process.

Former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a fresh 50 count charge bordering on stealing and money laundering, came up for mention Thursday, June 25, 2015 before Justice A. F. Adeniyi of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Sylva is charged alongside Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku. They allegedly used three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to move over N19.2 billion from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012.

Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court had on June 10, 2015 dismissed the 42- count charge of stealing earlier brought against Sylva and his co-accused by the EFCC, with the excuse that the prosecution’s application to consolidate the charges before him, against the defendants, amounted to an abuse of court process.

The Commission however, faulted the ruling on the grounds that it was premature as the accused persons had not even taken any plea before the court, and subsequently filed the fresh 50 count charge at the Federal High Court.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Adeniyi, Sylva, Okokuro and Ogbuku were present in court. The accused persons were to take their pleas, but this could not happen, as there was a pending application before the court. Ajayi Olowo, counsel to Balogun had filed a preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the court, to hear the case.

Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, also told the court that investigators who visited Port Harcourt, Rivers State, discovered that the addresses of Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited were non-existent.

Justice Adeniyi thereafter, adjourned till July 9, 2015 for continuation of hearing and ruling on the application brought before it.

Former Benue State First Lady Raids Liaison Office In Abuja, Carts Away 100 Million Naira In Property

Silent Reporters gathered that the raid was conducted by associates close to Yemisi Suswam operating under the cover of darkness. We gathered that Yemisi’s associates drove two large trucks to the Liaison Office in Abuja, with the intent to cart out and steal all the expensive furnishings.

Silent Reporters has learned shocking details of a raid on the Benue State Liaison Office in the Asokoro area in Abuja, which was orchestrated and directed by the former First Lady of Benue State Yemisi Suswam.

Witnesses told Silent Reporters that the raid was conducted by associates close to Yemisi Suswam operating under the cover of darkness. These witnesses told our correspondent that Yemisi’s associates drove two large trucks to the Liaison Office in Abuja, with the intent to cart out and steal all the expensive furnishings.

Silent Reporters also learned that Yemisi Suswan and her sister received a contract from the Benue State government to furnish and design the Benue State Liaison Office in Abuja, which sources said was an unlawful government contract due to conflicts of interest. It was also learned that because the former First Lady and her sister furnished the office they knew the exact items to steal.

The night-time assailants--under the direction of Yemisi Suswan--stole everything they could fit into their trucks, especially pricey gadgets, electronics, and home-office accessories. The items removed included television sets, refrigerators, rugs, plates, pots, DSTV decoders, and bed sheets according to sources speaking with SaharaReporters.

It has also been learned that the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have identified a Police Sergeant, Shola Adeniyi, and another unknown associate to First Lady Suswam, as suspects in this brazen raid and have began investigating these leads.

Shola Adeniyi, the former orderly to Benue’s First Lady, denied the allegations of theft during questioning by the Police.

Four persons including two Security Guards and their Supervisor have made statements to the Police Station at the old Central Bank in Abuja concerning the theft.

Ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam and his wife, Former First Lady Yemisi Suswam, were allegedly out of the country at the time their associates ransacked the Liaison Office.

Katsina State Governor Cries Out Over N13bn Missing In Treasury

 Its quite disheartening and calls for a shout out, the way State Governors have been going about saying huge sums of money in States accounts have suddenly developed wings to fly.
Funds which can actually make a difference in the State have all been pocketed by the past administrations.  The latest Governor to scream for help now is the Kastina State Governor, Aminu Masari who says from the records the past administration handed over to him, N13bn was missing in the account of the Ministry of Finance. Masari made this known during his maiden news conference today in Kastina.

"We are investigating the whereabouts of this staggering sum in the document handed over to the Transition Committee. The Ministry of Finance has failed to account for this whopping sum of money," the Governor said. Continue...


He said his government has however set up a panel to go through the financial records which the former administration handed over to him to know the true position of things. N700m was missing from the account of the Primary Education Board within one year, the Governor said.

He however announced that, his government had directed the Chairman and Executive Secretary of the board to go on compulsory leave.

Buhari To Meet Obama In White House July 20

A statement from the White House reads

    On Monday, July 20, President Obama will host Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House. The visit will underscore the United States’ longstanding friendship with Nigeria, our commitment to strengthening and expanding our partnership with Nigeria’s new government, and our support for the Nigerian people following their historic democratic elections and peaceful transfer of power.

    President Obama looks forward to discussing with President Buhari our many shared priorities including U.S.-Nigeria cooperation to advance a holistic, regional approach to combating Boko Haram, as well as Nigeria’s efforts to advance important economic and political reforms that will help unlock its full potential as a regional and global leader. In addition to hosting President Buhari at the White House, the United States will welcome President Buhari’s senior advisors for consultations with U.S. counterparts and other events aimed at building on the strong U.S.-Nigeria relationship.

President Buhari Appoints New Accountant General Of The Federation

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Idris as the new Accountant General of the Federation, The Nation reports. He replaces Mr. Jonah Otunla, who retired from the civil service after attaining the mandatory 60 years of age.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi, who announced the appointment in a statement today in Abuja, said that the appointment was with effect from today, June 25,2015.

Are actresses biodun okeowo and wura gold into lesbianism?

Two Nollywood actresses Biodun Okeowo and another one named Wura Gold are currently in the middle of a fierce battle to wash their hands off a lesbianism tale and it all depends on who is a professional liar. According to the most popular one, Biodun Okeowo, Wura Gold was her close friend until the day she asked her to become her lover. The mother of two said she was forced to distance herself from Wura ever since that day and that was how hell was let loose. Wura has been bad mouthing me and saying all sorts of things against me she alleged.  BestofNollywood however reached out to them and both ladies pushed the blame on each other.

Biodun;
“…Wura Gold was my friend before and we were very good friend. But I started to give her space when I started realizing the kind of person she truly was. She told me she wants us to become lovers as in becoming Lesbian partners. I told her wasn’t interested… And that was it. Wura started going around calling me names. She spoils my name in front of everyone… Recently when I went for ‘TESFIR’ Ramadan Lecture. Some people saw me and called me friends with Wura Gold, I told them. She is not my friend. At least not any more. Liz Dasilva then decided to come in to resolve the cause of the quarrel between us. Liz then called myself and Wura on a conference call and tried talking to us. When I opened up to Liz on the reason Wura is fighting me, Wura started to curse me and my children.”

Wura said;
On the contrary it was Biodun Okeowo that asked me to become her lover and I turned her down. Why would she turn things, people are so funny. You can go ahead and ask the likes of Anita Julius and Liz DaSilva at least they have slept in my house, if there was ever anytime I made such silly advances at any of them,” she said.

Lagos Issues 21 day Ultimatum To Okada Riders

The Lagos State Government has issued a 21 day ultimatum to okada riders in the state plying all restricted routes in the metropolis. The government met with okada union leaders today at the State Secretatriat, Alausa, Ikeja on the need for them to vacate the roads.

Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello who chaired the meeting briefed media men that government had decided to give the riders a 21-day ultimatum in order for the union to sensitize their members on the need to comply with the directive before enforcement would begin.

Comptroller-General of prisons increases inmates feeding allowance from #2.10 to #3.50

It has been revealed today that a Nigerian prisoner daily feeding allowance is N3:50k as approved by government. It is said to have been increased from N2:10k by the new Comptroller-General of prisons.

There are about 56,000 inmates scattered all over  Nigerian prisons

Fight Breaks Out In Nigeria's House Of Reps Over Election Of Principal Officers

The House of Representatives descended into full blown crisis Thursday as rancorous members disrupted its session and engaged themselves over the election of House principal officers.

The House broke into two factions, one supporting the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which seeks to choose the House principal officers, and another, backing the the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, who insists on defying the party.

The House and the Senate have been rocked by crisis over the election of their principal officers.

Thursday’s crisis started as the speaker arrived at the House to commence plenary.

Shortly after settling in, APC members began to raise points of order as some lawmakers rushed for the mace, the symbol of authority of the House.

Wanted Drug Baron Nigerian Senator Kashamu Flees From Aero Flight From Abuja To Lagos

Kashamu is also a faint-hearted person, not willing to take any risk about his life.

Kashamu was billed to travel to Abuja from Lagos today, after he failed to commit the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the NDLEA for criminal contempt over extradition moves to the USA.

He had sat in the Business class of Aero Flight 127, Abuja-bound, along with his lawyers when the captain announced a minor problem with the plane. The captain said the light of an indicator had not come on brightly enough and that the Aero engineers are fixing the problem.

To keep the passengers at ease, the captain gave the assurance that the problem was nothing to worry about. And that the resolution of the problem will not take three minutes.

No sooner the captain finished talking, than Kashamu signalled to his lawyers, asking them to alight from the plane. Other passengers who had calmly listened to Captain Kunle’s explanation remained glued to their seats and burst out laughing when Buruji and his lawyers scampered away.

Aero Flight 127, which left Lagos at 14.45 landed in Abuja without incidents.
  

NASS Crisis: Bukola Saraki blocks moves to read APC’s letter

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a move by some APC Senators to read the letter from the APC leadership recommending some senators to occupy specific principal officers of the senate. Gbenga Ashafa (APC-Lagos East), who relied on Order 15 of the Senate Standing Order, urged that the President of the Senate should read on the floor of the chamber the letter from the party.

    “Yesterday, most of the media houses carried a letter that was written by the chairman of our great party, the APC. “We were expecting that that letter which has been received in your office will be read in order to see to the resolution of the party’s leadership tussle,” he said.

He backed the decision of the party leadership to recommend persons to occupy the other positions exclusively preserved for the party. Quoting from Order 28 (1) he read: “There shall be a Majority Leader of the Senate.

The Majority Leader shall be a senator nominated from the party with the highest number of senators. “I believe that that letter should have been read to the hearing of all senators here present. Perhaps that will be the solution to the leadership tussle in the Senate,” he said. The APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, had in a letter dated June 23, recommended Senators to occupy the other principal positions.

 The letter recommended Ahmed Lawan as Senate Leader; George Akume, Deputy Senate Leader; Olusola Adeyeye as Chief Whip; and Abu Ibrahim as Deputy Whip. However, Ibn Na’Allah (APC-Kebbi South) immediately countered the point of order and explained that the nomination should be made “from” the party not made “by” the party.

“By the ordinary principles of interpretation of documents that have been agreed by parties, the ordinary letters and words used must be given their effective meaning. “Order 28 used ‘from’, not ‘by’. What this seeks to do is to deter the minority party from nominating the Majority Leader,” he said.

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who presided over plenary, ruled Mr. Ashafa out of order and declined to read the said letter. He said: “I have listened to Senators Ashafa and Na’Allah. Going by the rules and what has been said earlier, I think I will just note what Senator Ashafa has said. “We will leave the matter as that and in that case, rule that out of order.” Another attempt was made by Kabir Marafa (APC-Zamfara Central) to question the June 9 election of Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu, but that too was ruled out of order by the President of the Senate.

Mr. Marafa, relying on Order 110 and 3 (e) (i), of the Senate Standing Order, sought to know which of the Order Books (2011 or 2015) was being used to coordinate the activities of the 8th Senate. He described the 2011 Senate Standing Order as ‘genuine and authentic’ thereby countering the authenticity of the Senate Standing Order 2015. “I am still referring to the events of the 9th of June, 2015, in this chamber. I have two Order Books and I am running into confusion, and I think there’s a need for the President to rule. “Which of the Order Books are we going to use to coordinate the activities of this Senate?’’ he asked.

Mr. Marafa insisted that there was a conflict in the two books as to the procedure that should be taken for election of presiding officers of the senate. Proffering explanation, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, said that from 1999 till date, the Senate had come with its own rules. “There was Senate Rule of 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and now 2015.

The reason is quite simple. “If you look at Section 64 of the 1999 Constitution it says that the Senate and House of Representatives shall each stand dissolved at the expiration of a period of four years commencing from the date of the first sitting of the house. “So, the implication is that the rule he was referring to ended with the Senate on the 6th of June,” he said. The President of the Senate thereafter ruled Mr. Marafa out of order.

Source: NAN

From The Robbery In Ikorodu This Morning

Here are the photos from the robbery that took place this morning at Ikorodu. The robbers who all escaped robbed Zenith and First bank located at Ebute Ikorodu, in Lagos. They all escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

Video: Benue Lawmakers Exchange Blows Over House Leadership

APC Chairman Writes Saraki, Dogara, Picks Principal Officers For Them

The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has written a letter to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, telling them that the party has approved its principal officers for the 8th National Assembly, Pm News states.

“Please find below for your necessary action names of principal officers approved by the party, after excessive consultations for the 8th Senate as follows: Senator Ahmed Lawan (Majority Leader)–North-East; Prof. Sola Adeyeye (Chief Whip)–South-West; Sen. George Akume (Deputy Majority Leader)—North-Central; and Sen. Abu Ibrahim(Deputy Chief Whip)—North-West,” the letter to Saraki from Oyegun read. Continue...


To Dogara he wrote: “Please find below for your necessary action names of principal officers approved by the party after extensive consultations for the eighth House of Representatives as follows: Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (House Leader) South-West; Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa(Deputy House Leader)—North-West; Hon. M. T. Monguno(Chief Whip)—North-East; and Hon. Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip)—South-South. This comes with the assurances of my highest regards.”


Whether the duo of Saraki and Dogara will honour the letter from the Oyegun is yet to be ascertained, as they both flaunted party orders to contest for the leadership of the Senate and House of Reps respectively.

Armed Robbers Kill Lord’s Chosen Pastor In Lagos

 Armed robbers have shot dead a pastor of the Lord’s Chosen Church in the Ijesha area of Lagos. The deceased, identified as Chukwuemeka Akpokpo, who was driving one of the church’s buses, was reportedly attacked by the robbers on Monday at Alakoso Avenue, off Ijesha bus stop.

The pastor was said to be returning with a sum of money collected from a bank at Apple Junction, FESTAC Town, when the incident occurred. He was said to have been shot in the head, while the robbers made away with the money.


A resident, who claimed to be an eyewitness and identified himself simply as Cornelius, said the robbers, who were two on a motorcycle, had lurked in the area, waiting for the cleric.

He said, “It was at about 3pm. The cleric was shot by armed robbers at Alakoso Avenue, off Ijesha bus stop. The attack and the killing of the pastor showed that it was based on information.

“They had been lurking around the area for a while, but no one suspected that anything was fishy. When they saw the church vehicle approaching, they stopped him and asked where the money was.

“The pastor replied, ‘Which money?’ They did not even wait for any explanation. One of the robbers went inside the vehicle and took the money. The other gang member then shot him in the head.”

It was learnt that Akpokpo was rushed to a branch of the church in the Ijesha area, and then to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead.


The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident, adding that the matter had been transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigations, Yaba.

Punch

PDP Tells Ambode To Probe Fashola

The All Progressives Congress, Lagos Chapter has blasted the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Lagos chapter for asking Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to probe the immediate past Governor, Raji Fashola. According to them the new press statement confirms PDP is finished in Lagos and beyond and the party has outrightly become a joke. In fact my intro is mild. Continue…

 “As laughable and childish as PDP’s latest rant is, we dare say that we are not in the culture of dignifying confused thoughts of a cabal that is yet to live down their continued horrible fate in the hands of Lagosians.

 “With the historical defeat of the PDP from the center where they ran Nigeria to total bankruptcy and near collapse even with very bounteous oil earning, it is not difficult to locate why Lagos PDP is hit by a gale of total confusion that finds expression in the inchoate and disoriented ranting it spews out these days as press statements.

“The achievements in Lagos for the past 16 years of progressive politics need no repetition here. Lagosians know them and feel them. Nigerians know these and trumpet it but the woeful losers in Lagos PDP have chosen self denial in the vain thoughts that this will help their inordinate desire to corner power in Lagos when they have shown complete failure in the sixteen years they have misused and abused power in Nigeria.

“Fact is that for sixteen years, we have taught PDP a huge lesson in politics and leadership but they keep playing the ostrich thinking Lagosians are fools that will fall for their gimmicks. This is why PDP had been failing and will continue to fail in Lagos.”


Mr. Igbokwe said the PDP should, instead, prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe and punish those who looted Nigeria’s treasury dry in the past 16 years.

“They are not, rather they are asking Governor Ambode to ‘probe’ the poster regime for productive and accountable governance in this republic. What a party?”

“We want to let the lost and confused parodists in Lagos PDP know that Governor Ambode has hit the ground running just because he has a rich template of productive governance to continue with.


“That Lagos PDP is not seeing these, which every other Nigerian sees, is not surprising for PDP has no known ability to recognize good governance anywhere. If it has, it wouldn’t have wrecked Nigeria in one demolishing spree that an oil rich country is today cringing on all fours as the treasury has been emptied by chieftains of PDP, among whom are those that now parade themselves as chieftains of Lagos PDP.”