Planned Protest: Stay Off Delta, Police Warn IPOB

Delta State Police Command on Thursday warned members of the outlawed Indigeneous People of Biafra (IPOB) to steer clear of the state in its planned protest slated for Friday.

The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu. A Suprintendent of Police (SP) said in a statement that the command was ready to deal ruthlessly with any person or group that attempts to cause breach of peace for whatever reason.

 “Intelligence report reaching Delta State Police Command indicates that members of the out lawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) plan to embark on a protest on Friday, 23rd September, 2016.

“The Command wishes to warn IPOB members to stay clear of Delta State as the state does not subscribe to such an agenda”, she warned.

Kalu disclosed that the state Police Command and it’s personnel have been fully briefed on the Strategy of Operation (SOP) and rules of engagement and have been deployed and briefed to deal ruthlessly with any person or group of persons who attempts to cause the breach of peace for whatever reason.

ThisDay

Buhari Warns Western World on Implication of Non-repatriation of Stolen Wealth

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has told western countries that failure by them to return funds stolen from Nigeria and other African countries will make it difficult for Nigeria and others to achieve sustainable developments.

Speaking in New York at the High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the 30thanniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, the president called on development partners to also up the fight against corruption by returning ill-gotten financial assets and halting future illicit financial flows to their countries.‎

He cautioned that non-repatriation of illicit financial assets could impinge on the determination of States to achieve an all-inclusive 2030 sustainable development.

Buhari said such collective action “will guarantee a stronger international defence of the right to development.”

He notes further that illicit financial assets stashed abroad deprived developing countries including Nigeria, and invariably denied people the enjoyment of their national wealth and resources needed for development.

ThisDay

NLC warns Buhari not to sell national assets

 
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has vowed to resist the plans by the Federal government put on sale the nation’s shareholdings in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, and other national assets.
President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, in a statement on Thursday called on well-meaning Nigerians to join the fight against what he termed surreptitious moves by some businessmen and the political class to acquire the remaining national assets which he said should be preserved in the interest of future generations.
He said it was in the interest of generations of Nigerians for the existing investments to be developed by investing in profitable areas.
Wabba said the NLC was totally against to the recent calls by Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for the sale of national assets to get the country out of recession.

He said, “The recent call by Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the sale of the national share holdings in the NLNG and the suggestion by the Senate President that the shares, along with other sovereign assets in the oil and aviation sectors, should be sold as a way of stemming the current economic recession are unacceptable to us at the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“Investments in the LNLG and joint venture oil upstream operations are profitable and represent potential sources of revenue into the future.
“Inter-generational considerations require that we build on these existing investments by identifying other profitable endeavours to invest in. What we need is to leverage on the stream of potential earnings from these investments in seeking to turn around the economy.
“We, therefore, call on Nigerians to resist these new schemings by those waiting and wishing to lap up these lucrative national assets. We need to preserve these assets for our children and future generations.
 “On our part, we are ready, in partnership with other progressive and nationalist forces in our country, to resist the further attempt to plunder our common patrimony.”

Daily Post

Patience Jonathan may lose ‘her’ $15 million to Nigeria as affected companies plead guilty to money laundering

There was a momentary hush inside the courtroom after a representative of  Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, the first of the four companies involved in a $26 million money laundering case linked to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, abruptly pleaded guilty before the judge.
The representatives of the other three companies – Sea Gate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited; and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited – followed suit and pleaded guilty before Justice Babivision of the Federal High Court.
Waripamo Dudafa, who served as Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan; Amajuoyi Briggs, a former presidential aide; and Adedamola Bolodeoku, a former Skye Bank official, who were arraigned alongside the companies, however, pleaded not guilty.
The judge adjourned till September 27th for trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned the suspects on a 15-count amended charge of money laundering, stealing, and forgery totaling $15.5 million before Mr. Kuewumi.
According to the EFCC, the offences were committed between November 2013 and May 2015.
In Count 1, the suspects were accused of conspiring to launder $15.5 million “on or about the 13th of November 2013.”
Counts 2 – 9 accused them of stealing of various sums ranging from $250,000 to $1.2 million.
Counts 10 – 15 said Messrs Dudafa, Briggs, Bolodeoku, and one Sompre Omiebi (who is still at large) forged documents to open accounts in Skye Bank and Wema Bank in the name of the listed companies.

During their investigations, the EFCC had frozen the accounts.
But last week, Mrs. Jonathan filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the court claiming ownership of the money found in the companies’ accounts, asking that the ‘no-debit’ order placed on them be lifted.
In an affidavit deposed to by one Sammie Somiari, a lawyer, Mrs. Jonathan said she asked Mr. Dudafa to assist her to open the bank accounts which the EFCC had frozen.
The former First Lady said the monies were meant for her medical treatment.
‘Joint trial’
Before the pleas were read, the first three defendants’ lawyers argued that the four companies’ representatives – who did not have legal counsels – ought to provide a letter from their respective companies authorizing them to appear before the judge.
“Anybody can be called upon from the street to come and represent a company,” said Tochukwu Onyiuke, counsel to the second defendant, Mr. Briggs.
Gboyega Oyewole, counsel to Mr. Dudafa, said the defendants were in a joint trial.
“It cannot be severed,” he said.
“Whatever plea pleaded by the defendants will tell on the companies. Worst case scenario, my Lord will discountenance them and enter a not guilty plea for them.”
But Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to the EFCC, argued that the representatives were listed as directors in the companies’ Corporate Affairs Commission registration records.
“If they (defence counsels) are objecting to their plea being taken, it is extremely immature to bring it up at this stage, it is after their plea had been taken,” said Mr. Oyedepo.
“If they want us to show that the persons appearing the court are listed in the CAC as directors, we have the proof.”
After the plea was read, the judge granted Messrs Briggs and Bolodeoku bail in the sum of N250 million each, with two sureties.
The judge refused to allow Mr. Dudafa to continue on a bail granted him in another trial before a different judge, remanding him in prison and insisting that his lawyer must file a bail application before his court.
Jiti Ogunye, a Lagos based lawyer, told PREMIUM TIMES that the implication of the companies’ representatives pleading guilty means the money found in the bank accounts would be forfeited to the Nigerian government.
“The companies’ representatives cannot be sent to prison because they are not charged as individuals,” Mr. Ogunye said.
“The company that pleaded guilty, of course, cannot be made to serve custodial punishment. But is it very instructive that they pleaded guilty realizing that it doesn’t make any sense of them to deny such an obvious guilt on their part.”
As the case continues, it is not clear how much Mrs. Jonathan can do to prove the money truly belongs and be returned to her and not forfeited to the government.


Premium Times

FG Calls PDP ‘Shameless Irritant’ for Asking Buhari to Quit

For daring to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to quit, the Federal
Government on Thursday tagged the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a
shameless irritant bent on distracting the government from its rescue
mission and returning the country to ”Egypt”.
Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed said in a statement that
government was on a rescue mission to revive Nigeria after PDP left it
in a coma. He said PDP was out to sabotage the rescue efforts.
Mohammed said if the PDP had understood the meaning of shame, it would
never have dared to even make a single comment on the same economy
that it did everything to kill.




”While the PDP was emasculating Nigeria on all fronts, including
social, economic and political, the rapacious party was deceiving
Nigerians by giving them the illusion of growth and prosperity.
Instead of showing remorse and rebuilding itself to a strong
opposition party, the PDP has continued to blame the successor Buhari
Administration which is left to pack their mess. PDP undertakers have
continued to engage in a blame game, when they should be hiding from
the shame they brought upon themselves and the nation,” the statement
said.
Apparently angered by the Eid-el-Kabir message by Buhari, where the
president had dismissed its16 years in the saddle as extremely
wasteful and without corresponding savings and lack of investment and
infrastructure, PDP had asked the president to quit for failing to
meet public expectations.
But Mohammed in a burst of rage, described the economy under PDP’s
watch as nothing but a bubble that was buoyed by massive corruption
and chronic incompetence. He said such was the scale of graft under
the former ruling party that the sum of $31.5 million was allegedly
traced to a former First Lady without any known means of earned
livelihood.

Falana Urges FG To Reject Switzerland’s Conditionality For Return Of $321m Abacha Loot

Mr Femi Falana

Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has told the Federal Government to immediately reject the conditionality imposed by the government of Switzerland for the repatriation of $321million Abacha loot in Swiss banks and other financial institutions.
In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on behalf of his law firm, Falana described as insulting and an unlawful intervention the request of the Swiss government that the World Bank should supervise the spending of the stolen money on return.
Recently, the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Eric Mayoraz, disclosed that the Swiss government would soon return $321m of Abacha loot to Nigeria and as part of the process of repatriation, Mayoraz said the government of Switzerland has requested the World Bank to supervise the spending of the returned loot.
“We note that grand corruption, money laundering and the return of stolen assets have long become major issues of concern to the international community.
“We further note that Switzerland has acceded to all the relevant international treaties such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption for the return of assets.
“We believe that the conditionality imposed on Nigeria, which allows the World Bank to supervise the spending of returned assets by the Nigerian government breaches international law principles and standards.
“In particular, Article 57 of the UN Convention against Corruption requires states parties to return assets ‘on the basis of a final judgment in the requesting state party.’
However, in the event of no final judgment, Falana noted, Article 57 allows for assets to be returned on the basis of “agreements or mutually acceptable arrangements on a case-by-case basis for the final disposal of confiscated property.”
This, he argued, indicates that Switzerland lacks legal legal authority to impose conditions on Nigeria as they relate to the spending of recovered assets.
While agreeing that the UN Convention Against Corruption contains provisions for special considerations when states parties are concluding agreements, he maintained that this does not empower the Swiss government to unilaterally impose conditions on Nigeria.
“In addition to breaching the clear provisions of Article 57, the imposition of any conditions on the Nigerian government is a flagrant violation of the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention founded in Article 2 of the United Nations Charter.
“Imposing conditions on Nigeria regarding the spending of returned assets is disproportionate and amounts to an unlawful intervention because Switzerland has no legal or moral right to the assets,” he stated.
 He further argued that Switzerland is hugely complicit in the stashing of stolen assets from Nigeria in its banks and other financial institutions.  The lawyer also took aim at the World Bank, which he said has not exhibited  sufficient transparency and accountability in its supervision of spending of previously returned Abacha loot.
“For example, the World Bank has so far refused to satisfactorily disclose information on the spending of recovered Abacha loot requested by Nigerian anticorruption NGO Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP).
“The Bank has been unable or unwilling to consistently apply its own Access to Information Policy to disclose key information to civil society groups and other stakeholders.
“In the SERAP case, the World Bank failed and/or neglected to provide several portions of the information requested on the spending of recovered Abacha loot managed by the Bank. “Although the Bank’s Access to Information Policy recognizes the right to an appeals process when a request for information in the World Bank's possession is improperly or unreasonably denied, the appeal lodged by SERAP has been unreasonably and unduly delayed,” he observed.
Falana also noted that Switzerland and the United States have made unfulfilled promises to return forfeited assets worth over $800 million, arguing that Western countries have been frustrating the repatriation of Nigeria’s stolen wealth being illegally warehoused by them.
He advised the Federal Government to initiate legal proceedings against the Swiss government if it fails to return the loot without insulting conditions.
“In the proposed suit, Nigeria should claim punitive and exemplary damages and interests from Switzerland for keeping the loot for over 20 years,” Falana counseled.
He concluded by urging the Federal Government to collaborate with relevant civil society organizations to mount local and international campaign aimed at ensuring full compliance by Switzerland, the United States and other Western countries to international law principles of accountability, proportionality, sovereignty, equality, fairness and non-interference.


Sahara Reporters

NATIONAL DISGRACE | Murtala Muhammed International Airport Suffers 2 Hours Black-Out

It was a National Embarrassment as Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) ,  Lagos was reportedly in crisis on Monday after a black out that lasted for more than two hours.
Chief Dele Momodu posted pictures online ;
“Power outage at Murtala Muhammed International Airport since over two hours and the place is reportedly in big crisis!”
“We implore those in charge of Murtala Muhammed International Airport to save Nigeria from this endless ignominy!”
“I’m being bombarded with ugly pictures from concerned Nigerians at Murtala Muhammed International Airport!”
“Stranded passengers are pleading with whoever can reach President BUHARI & VP OSINBAJO to do so urgently!”




Breaking Times

Don’t Treat Niger Delta Militants, Biafra Issues Like Boko Haram, Says Mbang

His Eminence Dr Sunday Mbang

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged not to treat the issues of the Niger Delta militants and Biafra like that of Boko Haram if the federal government is serious about resolving their grievances.

The Prelate Emeritus, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Mbang gave the advice at the weekend at his country home in Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom state during an interview with journalists.

He argued that while the Niger Delta militants and agitators for Biafra have given reasons for their actions, the grievances of the Boko Haram are not known to Nigerians

“For Biafra and Niger Delta militants, if you ask them they have reasons why they are angry. Sit down with them and talk and try to sort out some of these problems. They are Nigerians; they have every right to ask questions when they are uncomfortable”.

He frowned upon the use of the military code name, “Operation Crocodile Smile”, as a way of quelling the grievances in the region.

“The truth is that you cannot use both military and dialogue to resolve the crisis in the Niger Delta. I would have preferred dialogue. Once you are talking about dialogue then you use military you defeat the purpose of dialogue.

“I must be sincere; the trouble in Niger Delta is not today trouble.
It is a trouble that has gone on for very long and I am sure people knows the solution to them but they decides to be dancing around what  they know.

“The solution is not all they boys carrying the gun. These gun boys are working for people. You kill this today, tomorrow another one will come up.”

ThisDay

PDP did nothing for 16 years, says Buhari

President Buhari with Emir of Daura Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar and Magajin Gari of Daura Alhaji Musa Umar during Eid Kabir Prayer in Daura, Katsina on 12th Sep 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari says the Peoples Democratic Party which ruled Nigeria for 16 years, accomplished nothing.
Buhari said this while addressing journalists in Daura on Monday after attending Eid prayers, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu.
He said, “I want Nigerians to realise that what this government inherited after 16 years of the PDP government was no savings, no infrastructure, no power, no rail, no road and no security.”


The President, however, argued that within a year, his government was able to crush Boko Haram.
He said he had intensified the war against corruption as those who diverted public funds had started returning the money.
The President further maintained that his war against corruption was not one-sided.


Buhari said, “Nigerians can see what we have done on Boko Haram and what we are doing to resolve the problem in the Niger Delta. Before the elections, we identified three major problems confronting our country.
“The first is security; we need to sufficiently secure our country to manage it well. The second is economy, especially job for the youths and fighting corruption which is continuous.
‘‘For the youths, graduates and non-graduates who are interested in agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the CBN are doing something to provide employment for them.”
The President thanked Nigerians for supporting the Federal Government’s policies, programmes and actions aimed at improving security, revamping the economy and combating corruption.
‘‘We should thank God this year, the reports I’m getting, which is very pleasing, is that we will have a bumper harvest this year.
President Buhari is observing this year’s Eid holiday in his native home in Daura, Katsina State and will return to Abuja after the two-day public holiday.


Punch Newsapapers

US election: Hillary Clinton diagnosed with pneumonia

Mrs Clinton waved to photographers after she left her daughter's home in New York

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been treated for pneumonia, her doctor says, after she was taken ill at a 9/11 ceremony.

Dr Lisa Bardack said she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday and given antibiotics, but had become dehydrated at the New York event.

The doctor's statement said she was now re-hydrated and "recovering nicely".

But a campaign official said she has cancelled a campaign trip to California due to the illness.

She was due to leave for California on Monday morning for a two-day trip that included fundraisers and a speech on the economy.

"Secretary Clinton has been experiencing a cough related to allergies. On Friday, during follow-up evaluation of her prolonged cough, she was diagnosed with pneumonia," Dr Bardack's statement said.

"She was put on antibiotics, and advised to rest and modify her schedule," it went on.

On Sunday, video showed her being supported by aides as they put her into her van after she left the 9/11 ceremony in New York early.

Her Republican opponents have queried her physical fitness, with the presidential candidate Donald Trump telling supporters last month she "lacks the mental and physical stamina" to serve as president and fight Islamic State militants.

Last month Dr Bardack said she was "in excellent health and fit to serve as president of the United States".

She made a full recovery from surgery she underwent in 2012 for a blood clot, the doctor said.

BBC News

Army Kills Female Suicide Bomber (PHOTO)

On Sunday 11th September 2016, evening, a suspected female suicide bomber was seen approaching troops check point located at Kara Cattle market axis, Dikwa, towards Antul and Mukdala, Dikwa Local Government Area, Borno State.
She was challenged from afar by the vigilant duty sentry, she refused to stop claiming to be coming from Monguno to see her parents in Dikwa. Troops sensing the direction of approach was suspicious and abnormal, fired a shot at her and the sentry gallant sentry was proven right as she was carrying a Person Borne Improvised Explosives Device (PBIED) which exploded with a loud bang,killing her instantly and causing minor injury on 2 soldiers and a Civilian JTF assisting them. The injured soldiers and the civilian have been treated and have continued with their duties.This incident has shown that there are a few of the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists that are determined to carry out criminal acts to create panic and insecurity in some areas.
In a related development, there is also very reliable information that remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists now disguise or pretend to be mad men or women in order to gain access to some locations especially in Maiduguri. Consequently, all should be very wary of any seemingly mentally unstable or mad men or women found wandering and report same.
Therefore, it is imperative for all to be more security conscious and vigilant especially during the Eid festivities and public holidays. The public are further enjoined to report any suspicious persons or movement to the security agencies.
Thank your for your kind support and cooperation.
Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman
Acting Director Army Public Relations





Breaking Times

We Supported Buhari blindly, Now we regret – Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, I doubt if there is anyone who does not see and feel President Muhammadu Buhari is a complex character. As a matter of fact, that is the veritable hallmark of his persona and super brand. Those of us that supported him voluntarily, and almost blindly, last year did so out of our acute frustration with Project Nigeria.
There were those who hated his guts but still went ahead to vote for him because they expected him to wave the fabled magic wand and bring sanity and succour to our insane clime. What no one bargained for was the repercussion, and reverberation, of such venture and adventure. As always, Nigerians felt their situation could never be worse under Buhari than that of the 16-year rule of profligacy of the PDP and the squander-manic regime of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The APC operatives ran a blistering campaign with active collaboration and connivance from some of us. On the matter of the continuation of the Jonathan Presidency, there was no negotiation. Even now as people pummel us over the seeming inertia or retrogression of the Buhari government, I still stand by my decision to support Major General Muhammadu Buhari, warts and all. Walahi, I would have loved any of the combinations of Donald Duke, Nasir El Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Aminu Tambuwal, Mobola Johnson, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Nuhu Ribadu, Oby Ezekwesili, Charles Soludo, Akinwunmi Adesina, Pat Utomi, Kayode Fayemi, and some of our other tested and brightest young stars.
They may have their personal foibles like all mortals do but I’m persuaded that Nigeria would have joined the comity of other nations parading some youthful cerebral leaders by now. But the ways of Nigerian politicians are not the ways of mere mortals. We have our unique and peculiar methods of doing things. Our incorrigibility is almost second to none. Everything about us is about self and self alone. Everyone’s permutation is about who is his friend, school mate, church member, Muslim brother, godfather or godson, village folk, and so on. It is not about what you know but more about who you know. Nepotism is the order of the day!
That is why the best of the myriad of Nigerian brains would never be able to win elections at certain levels because of our irredeemable obsession with primordial and parochial sentiments. The import of my preamble is that Buhari was a product of our maddening and inordinate search for a near saint amongst us and he perfectly fitted the bill. Buhari himself must have assumed that the votes given to him were signed off carte-blanche and in blind trust. I’m sure he never expected that the honeymoon would not be an endless romance.
But things and times have changed. It is now sour grapes time. Except for profiteers and/or pretenders who would not tell our President the gospel truth, things are falling apart. The reasons are not because of what Buhari and company are doing wrong but because of what they are not doing right which I hope to enumerate and dissect.
I had chosen to write on this topic before I received the message quoted below from a young, concerned Nigerian reflecting on the “new” rebranding that we have been subjected to. His views mirror the present mood of the nation and the restiveness of our people especially the young ones who fought gallantly for Change and PMB!
“President Buhari, with all due respect to your high office, you are losing me. What’s wrong? What’s wrong with your advisers? Who got you to sign up to the cliché called “Change Begins With Me” and to throw the weight of your office behind it? Did they put together a crack team of psychologists, communicators, sociologists, political scientists, etc? I refuse to believe that this programme, and especially the name, is the product of deep thinking and reflection.
First, the idea that “Change Begins With Me”, renders all our efforts to get you elected in 2015 worthless. Heck, why did we bother? If it’s going to start with us Lilliputs, we might as well have left Goodluck Jonathan in office and allow him and his band of hopeless cohorts to get on with the good job they were doing of raping Nigeria. Don’t you get it? Change began with you! We, the people, already implemented the biggest change possible with turning around this country by electing you on the mantra of change. So why are you now passing the buck? The buck is on your desk. Make the change happen and we will follow from there. It’s over a year and many, sadly, are already suffering buyer’s remorse. Arrest the trend!
Secondly, what change can any single individual put into action that will impact the culture and behaviour of 180m people in double quick time? We are in a hurry, Mr. President. So much has been lost. So to rely on Adeola, Abubakar or Opara to start the change and hope that we will be counting gains in months is delusional. You don’t have all the time. We do not have the time. Start the Change!” – Chris Adetayo
Let me reiterate that I have had the privilege of meeting and interacting with some members of the Buhari administration.
I can confirm that I have held discussions and communicated the feelings of both the rich and poor on the streets directly to them. However, I am not sure that they are in tune with the reality of things on this side of the divide. I believe I have sufficient knowledge of the political history of Nigeria. I’m afraid to say, I see the same symptoms of afflictions that ravaged previous governments and rendered them incapacitated. I’m saddened that no lessons seemed to have been learnt from our beleaguered past. Government appears to believe only in its own mind-set and every complaint or suggestion is summed up in some dangerous conclusions: the wailing wailers; corruption is fighting back; the suffering of Nigerians is exaggerated, etc.
Equally worrisome is the apparent paranoia that has crept into our senior government officials. Every commentator or demonstrator is perceived an enemy of government. I was surprised to read how my childhood friend and brother, Femi Adesina, singled me out in his article yesterday and accused me of insinuating that he was too comfortable in Aso Rock. There are so many occupants in Aso Rock and I know the limits of Femi’s influence on the men of power. I can never blame him for what I clearly know is beyond him. He faces the same dilemma of his predecessors who found themselves defending the indefensible in order to exhibit their hard work, competence and loyalty. It is a delicate and thankless job that leads oftentimes to Golgotha. I love Femi so much that I would rather offer him my sincere prayers instead of hanging him.
Let me go to the next case at hand. I could not believe the shabby treatment meted to Mrs Oby Ezekwesili and other members of the Bring Back Our Girls agitators. Their harmless and defenceless group is being harassed for merely exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights of expression, association and movement. They constitute no danger whatsoever to society. Even if President Buhari won’t receive or entertain them, a senior member of the Federal Government should have been assigned to meet, pacify and reassure them.
Something is terminally wrong with our crisis management capabilities. Our proclivity for mismanaging and escalating troubles is legendary. This particular case is as disgraceful as it is unnecessary. Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, these were the friends of Buhari. They had pinned their hope on the muscular and military abilities of our President to liberate the Chibok girls in a jiffy. If things were proving difficult as it seems, constant dialogue is the only way out of the debacle.
But the handlers of Buhari prefer to fuel the long held belief or myth that Buhari is a mean and ruthless man. This is not good. It also comes at the wrong time. This administration has been accused of several human rights abuses and, according to the Minster of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the President is heading for the United Nations on Tuesday to make the case that his administration is not guilty of such allegations. Intolerance for the rights of expression, association and movement cannot be a good way of making out such a case.
Anyone who has met President Buhari would readily attest to his simplicity and humility. His witty jokes are remarkable and legendary, just like his hearty smiles and laughter are infectious. He certainly means well for Nigeria and wants to rid our nation of the debilitating cankerworm of corruption and indiscipline. Why, therefore, would anyone want to remind Nigerians that the Buhari in uniform is not different from Buhari, the born again democrat. Why are they compounding Buhari’s image of an irascible dictator? Buhari needs to make a conscious effort to tear the toga of vindictiveness and irritability that appears to surround him. The biggest image deficit he has today is due to the fact that his biggest pet project, the war against corruption, is believed to be largely uncoordinated and too staccato in outlook.
It is difficult to ignore the cries of so many Nigerians who feel let down by a government that promised so much change but seems to have short-changed the people who saw Buhari as a liberator. Even if some of the most vociferous complainants are being cheeky and outright mischievous, many are doing so out of genuine concern. They do not want Buhari to fail. It is someone who loves you unconditionally that can do this. They are worried that the President behaves like a man who feels he has all the time in the world when in reality he has none. Some believe that he started fading and failing when he took his time in selecting his ministers and advisers. The intractable squabbles in his Party has also contributed to the lacklustre nature of his government. APC does not look or act like a Party in power. There seems to be no serious input from the Party to the affairs of government and governance.
The government has been wobbling and fumbling by doing the same things PDP used to do that led to the disintegration of the biggest political party in Africa, according to their self-glorification. The war of attrition in PDP has been passed on to APC. A house divided against itself is inviting extermination. And whenever politicians fight dirty it affects governance adversely.
The economy is in shambles and the commonest justification is that Jonathan’s gang looted the treasury. All that is well and good. But Nigerians knew this and therefore voted for Change! We promised to make things much better. Fighting corruption alone would not save Nigeria. We must fight endemic poverty. If Alhaji Lai Muhammed likes, let him launch a million campaigns and waste more scarce resources on doing a rehash of what past governments did that led nowhere. The Yoruba have a way of describing this kind of unproductive sermonisation: “Eni ebi npa ko gbo iwaasu!” (A hungry man does not listen to sermons in the church).
What the people want to see are the following: a drastic reduction in the size and budget of our over-bloated governments; a sustained war against poverty; protection of lives and properties; creating a less rancorous atmosphere for businesses to thrive; special concessions and incentives to employers of labour; a stable currency; upgrading our educational system and making the schools’ curriculum more relevant to our communities and society in general; provision of social infrastructure, particularly power, good roads, hospitals and potable water; and so on.
The mind-set of gloating over the fall of some former members of the privileged class is counter-productive. We must be careful of the image portrayed to foreign investors. Let government concentrate urgently on alleviating the suffering of the people. It is obvious that government may never be able to collect enough money back from the brigands and looters to make appreciable impact on our national treasury. We should stop building our castle in the air and start thinking outside the box.

Ranking of world most powerful passports revealed, Nigeria ranks 92nd [Full List]

Ever wondered how powerful the passport you carry is? It is no longer hard to imagine as the latest list of passports ranking is out.

One of world’s power house, Germany tops the list. Holders of its passport can visit 177 countries without a visa.
The United States passport can provide access to 174 countries, while British travelers can currently visit 175 countries without a visa.


With a maximum attainable score of 218, the visa restriction index by Henley & Partners, a citizenship and planning firm, ranks nations or territories based on the number of countries their citizens can travel to visa-free.
The full list below:

1. Germany – 177 Countries.
2. Sweden – 176 Countries.
3. Finland, France, Italy, Spain, UK – 175 Countries. 4. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, US – 174 Countries.
5. Austria, Japan, Singapore – 173 Countries.
6. Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland – 172 Countries.
7. Greece, New Zealand – 171 Countries.
8. Australia – 169 Countries.
9. Malta – 168 Countries.
10. Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland – 167 Countries.
11. Slovakia – 165 Countries.
12. Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Slovenia – 164 Countries.
13. Latvia – 163 Countries.
14. Estonia, Lithuania – 162 Countries
15. Poland – 161 Countries.
16. Monaco – 160 Countries.
17. Cyprus – 159 Countries.
18. San Marino – 156 Countries.
19. Chile – 155 Countries.
20. Hong Kong – 154 Countries.
21. Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania – 153 Countries.
22. Andorra, Argentina – 152 Countries.
23. Brunei Darussalam – 151 Countries.
24. Croatia – 149 Countries.
25. Israel – 147 Countries.
26. Barbados – 141 Countries.
27. Bahamas – 140 Countries.
28. Mexico – 139 Countries.
29. Taiwan, Uruguay – 137 Countries.
30. Antigua and Barbuda, Vatican City – 134 Countries.
31. Seychelles – 133 Countries.
32. St. Kitts and Nevis, Venezuela – 132 Countries. 33. Costa Rica – 131 Countries.
34. Trinidad and Tobago – 130 Countries.
35. Mauritius – 128 Countries.
36. Panama – 127 Countries.
37. Paraguay, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines – 125 Countries.
38. United Arab Emirates – 122 Countries.
39. Grenada – 121 Countries.
40. Macau – 120 Countries.
41. Dominica, Honduras – 119 Countries.
42. Guatemala – 116 Countries.
43. El Salvador, Serbia – 115 Countries.
44. Samoa – 112 Countries.
45. Macedonia – 111 Countries.
46. Nicaragua, Tonga, Vanuatu – 110 Countries.
47. Montenegro – 107 Countries.
48. Russia – 105 Countries.
49. Palau – 104 Countries.
50. Colombia – 103 Countries.
51. Turkey – 102 Countries.
52. Bosnia Herzegovina, Moldova – 101 Countries. 53. Albania – 98 Countries.
54. South Africa – 97 Countries.
55. Belize – 94 Countries.
56. Peru, Solomon Islands – 86 Countries.
57. Guyana, Kuwait, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu – 82 Countries.
58. Ecuador, Fiji, Ukraine – 81 Countries.
59. Maldives, Nauru – 80 Countries.
60. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Qatar – 79 Countries. 61. Jamaica – 78 Countries.
62. Papua New Guinea – 77 Countries.
63. Micronesia – 75 Countries.
64. Suriname – 74 Countries.
65. Bahrain – 73 Countries.
66. Bolivia, Botswana – 72 Countries.
67. Oman, Thailand – 71 Countries.
68. Namibia – 70 Countries.
69. Lesotho, Saudi Arabia – 69 Countries.
70. Kenya – 68 Countries.
71. Belarus, Gambia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Swaziland – 67 Countries.
72. Tanzania, Tunisia – 65 Countries.
73. Ghana – 64 Countries.
74. Zambia – 63 Countries.
75. Azerbaijan – 62 Countries.
76. Cape Verde, Philippines – 61 Countries.
77. Uganda – 60 Countries.
78. Benin, Cuba, Morocco, Zimbabwe – 59 Countries.
79. Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan – 58 Countries.
80. Armenia – 57 Countries.
81. Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mongolia – 56 Countries.
82. Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo – 55 Countries. 83. Dominican Republic, Sao Tome, Principe – 54 Countries.
84. Tajikistan – 53 Countries.
85. India, Mali, Uzbekistan – 52 Countries.
86. Bhutan, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sierra Leone – 51 Countries.
87. Cambodia, China – 50 Countries.
88. Chad, Egypt, Gabon, Turkmenistan – 49 Countries.
89. Algeria, Central African Republic, Haiti, Madagascar, Rwanda – 48 Countries.
90. Comoros, Jordan, Laos, Vietnam – 47 Countries. 91. Guinea – 46 Countries.
92. Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria – 45 Countries.
93. Congo (Republic of), Djibouti – 44 Countries.
94. Liberia – 43 Countries.
95. Burundi, North Korea, Myanmar – 42 Countries. 96. Bangladesh, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Lebanon, Sri Lanka – 39 Countries.
97. Kosovo, South Sudan, Yemen – 38 Countries.
98. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Nepal, Palestinian Territory, Sudan – 37 Countries.
99. Libya – 36 Countries.
100. Syria – 32 Countries.
101. Somalia – 31 Countries.
102. Iraq – 30 Countries.
103. Pakistan – 29 Countries.
104. Afghanistan – 25 Countries.
In 2015, Nigeria had visa-free access to 61 countries and was 57th position in the world ranking.

Patience Jonathan tells court frozen account belongs to her

Dame Patience Jonathan

Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is claiming ownership of the $31.4 million involved in an alleged fraud case before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Counsel to the first defendant in charge, with case number FHC/337C/16, Mr. Gboyega Oduwole, informed the court that Mrs. Jonathan filed a fundamental application against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming ownership of the money.
The EFCC had taken former presidential aide, Amajuoyi Azubike Briggs, former Skye Bank official, Damola Bolodeoku, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited to court in an alleged $31.4 million fraud involving the companies without addresses.


Others also charged include Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited and Globus Integrated Services Limited.

According to an application filed on September 6, this year, with file number FHC/L/C5/1233/16, Mrs. Jonathan is asking the court to make an order for the enforcement of her fundamental rights, in terms of reliefs she sought, and naming as defendants, the EFCC and Skye Bank Plc.
The former first lady asked the court to make a declaration that the fund standing to the credit of four of the companies and an account in her own name in Skye Bank belonged to her.
She also asked the court to declare that the action of the respondents in placing a No Debit/Freezing Order on the said accounts without any order of a competent court of law or prior notice to her, to be in breach of her fundamental rights as contained in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


The Guardian

Fayose: Postponement of Edo Poll a Coup against Nigerians

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has described the postponement of the Edo State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a very bad signal and the beginning of the end for democracy in Nigeria

“it is obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC) feared that it can’t win the election and is ready to employ whatever crude means to subvert the wish of the people,” he said.

The governor, who said he was alarmed by the APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari’s use of security agencies to arm-twist INEC, said: “I warned Nigerians not to elect Buhari because he lacked capacity mentally, morally and intellectually to superintend over any civilised society, now we are all seeing the results. Our economy is in recession and democracy is also in recession!”

In a statement on Friday, signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communications , Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said INEC knew that it was not going to conduct the election on Saturday as scheduled but opted to deceive Nigerians.

He said; “Apart from the security agencies that they instructed not to provide security for the election, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was under instruction since yesterday (Wednesday) not to release electoral materials to INEC.”

“It was just a game by the APC-led federal government to frustrate the people of Edo State from kick-starting the journey of changing the APC one-chance change in Nigeria, but they should realise that the power of the people will always be greater than the power of those in power.

“How can you postpone an election less than 48 hours to the scheduled date? What manner of security concern could prevent an election in just one State when elections were held in Northeast States that are confronted by Boko Haram insurgents?

“Obviously, this is a sign of what to come in 2019 and Nigerians should not be amazed if in 2019, they tell us that elections cannot be conducted.

ThisDay

Nigerian troops destroy 72 “illegal refineries” in Bayelsa

The Nigerian Army says that its troops in Bayelsa have destroyed 72 “illegal refineries” within the past 48 hours in the state.
An unspecified number of militants and kidnappers’ camps were also destroyed in the state, and in neighbouring Rivers State, says a statement released on Friday by the military.
The statement signed by the Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said some soldiers, who responded to a tip off on the presence of suspected kidnappers at Akupoku, carried out a raid on Wednesday at the location in the community.
No arrest was made, as the suspects had fled before the soldiers arrived, the statement said.
The troops also carried out cordon and search operation at Abakrikri Fishing Pot, based on a tip off that some kidnappers were there. But no arrest was made.
Mr. Usman, a colonel, said the troops however destroyed three large refining pots and 20 tanks filled with illegal refined oil, when they raided Ke, another community near the Atlantic Ocean.
Another set of troops were said to have discovered and destroyed illegal refinery at another community called Bile. Items destroyed included 12 large refining pots.
The troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine, six face masks, one machete, and several empty shells of expended ammunition, when they raided suspected kidnappers’ camp at Awukiri.


No arrest was made, but the troops destroyed the camp.
The military, with soldiers from 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, has been conducting field training exercise code named “Operation Crocodile Smile” in some parts of the Niger Delta region.


Premium Times

Nigeria Halts Nokia’s Operations Saying Company Has No License

The Nigerian Communications Commission halted Nokia’s operations in the country on grounds that it has no license.
“‘They need a sales and installations license,” Tony Ojobo, spokesman of the regulator, said Friday by phone from the capital, Abuja. “They had started the process about three weeks ago, but stopped somewhere.”
Nokia and the regulator are in talks to resolve the matter and the company is required to pay 2 million naira ($6,354) for the license, he said.

Nokia until some years ago supplied the vast majority of mobile phones in Africa’s most populated country and is seeking to partake in the expansion of faster mobile networks as Nigerians buy more smartphones. The Middle East and Africa contributed 9.4 percent to the Helsinki-based sales last year, according to its annual report.
The administrative office in Lagos has been “temporarily closed”, and the company is working to “quickly correct” the situation, Nokia said in an e-mailed statement.


Bloomberg News

Nigerian Army Kills ‘Charly Boy’ in Imo State

The Nigerian Army 34 artillery has killed a notorious cult leader Charles Ojeoru a.k.a Charlie boy. The cultist was killed a gun battle between Army and cultists in Ohaji Egbema area of Imo State.
Charles Ojeoru who is a cultist,was the gang leader of a notorious group that mainly operated in Awara, Imodube and Ogwewe communities of the oil producing Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
The Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Imo state, Lieutenant Haruna Tagwai, confirmed that the cultist died during a gun battle between the strike Force of 34 Artillery Brigade Obinze, and cultists in the area.
The Army stated that a clearance operation was being carried out to cleanse the area, as well as Imo state in general.
Lieutenant Tagwai stated that some other members of the notorious gang had also sustained various degrees of injuries while some are still on the run.


Breaking Times

Again, Fire Outbreak Engulfs Lagos Airport

Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Barely four days after a fire ravaged the D-wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, another fire at the same airport broke out on Sunday evening.

The fire outbreak, which affected the Skye Bank office at the airport, also affected some other tenants at the terminal.
It took the quick intervention of the firefighting agents of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to put the raging fire under control.
A source close to the engineering department of the FAAN told our correspondent that some of the recently fitted cables might have been responsible for the fire outbreak.
At the time of publication, the entire arrival hall of the terminal was in total darkness while flight operations were temporarily halted.
Our correspondent who was at the terminal observed that all the staff of the offices located in the arrival hall scampered for safety and moved outside their offices while some were seen outside the terminal immediately after noticing a spark from one of the cables.
The FAAN source who spoke to our correspondent specifically blamed former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah for the recent fire outbreaks at the terminal.
The source noted that most of the cables recently fitted at the terminal were household materials and not fitted for the terminal and the equipment they are expected to carry.
He also queried the contractor responsible for the cable fitting, noting that the contracting company was underqualified for the job.
“The recent renovation and extension of the Lagos Airport terminal was a good thing, but it is unfortunate that shoddy jobs were done in terms of materials for the building and even the cables. Rather than factory cables, household cables and materials were used for wiring without putting into consideration the amount of equipment the cables will power," the source explained.
“Before, the situation was not as bad as this, but in the past two years, the situation has degenerated from bad to worse. I just hope the entire airport will not be consumed by fire one day.
“And if this happens, nobody should attribute it to a Boko Haram attack. We caused it ourselves because there have been consistent sparks in the past few months. So, we should let the entire world know that things are not the same in this airport.”
It will be recalled that last week, the entire terminal of the airport was thrown into total darkness for 48 hours due to sparks in cables.
Flight operations in and out of the terminal were crippled for the entire duration of the blackout, while airlines profiled and processed outbound passengers with torchlights. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and other security agencies attached to the airport had to resort to manual processes for passengers, as the automation system at the airport collapsed completely.
The former aviation minister, Ms. Oduah, had commenced the renovation exercise of the terminal in 2013, which led to the extension of the airport. But the public has questioned the quality of jobs done, arguing that the aviation ministry's N74 billion debt is inexcusable given the poor state of the country's airports.

Sahara Reporters

I was dead, I resurrected, says Mugabe

Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe joked Saturday that he had been resurrected as he returned from a foreign trip, mocking rumours that he had died or is critically ill.

“Yes, I was dead. It’s true I was dead. I resurrected as I always do once I get back to my country. I am real again,” the 92-year-old ruler told reporters at Harare international airport after arriving from Dubai.

His comments came after an online news site reported he had died mid-air on his trip to Dubai.

Mugabe’s health has been increasingly under the spotlight in recent years, particularly after he fell down a staircase after addressing supporters last year.

He has denied ill-health reports and vowed to stand for reelection in 2018, but recent weeks have seen a surge of demonstrations against his rule, which stretches back to Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.

Zimbabwe police announced on Thursday a two-week ban on protests in the capital Harare, after a string of violent demonstrations in recent weeks calling on Mugabe to step down.

In a speech later Saturday Mugabe said his government would not allow violent demonstrations by opposition political parties against his rule.

“We can’t allow them to continue on these violent demonstrations unimpeded. No, enough is enough,” Mugabe said in an hour-long speech to the youth league of his ruling ZANU-PF party.

“You realise the opposition parties are in a destabilisation mode, aiming to make our country ungovernable. They are pursuing their selfish agenda that targets the undemocratic removal of an elected government from office,” he added.

Mugabe also accused the West of helping to finance the opposition.

“Our enemies use money and opposition parties to provoke internal instability and conflicts,” he said.

Zimbabwe has suffered an economic crisis since the start of the century, with 90 percent of the population not in formal employment.

The cash-strapped government has been slow to pay the salaries of public sector workers while banks are running out of cash.

Punch Newspapers

Mark Zuckerberg returns to Nigeria to meet President Buhari

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, met with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa on Friday afternoon.
Mr. Zuckerberg, 32, returned to the country to participate in the Aso Villa Demo Day, an event organised by the Buhari administration for Nigerians to showcase their ideas for possible investment support from the government.
Mr. Zuckerberg had been in Nigeria since Tuesday. He later traveled to Kenya where he met with that country’s ICT minister.
Some Nigerians thought he had left without meeting Nigerian government officials.
State House social media handles have not released detailed information about the meeting.
But a Twitter post by Bashir Ahmad, social media aide to Mr. Buhari, said Vice Osinbajo teased Mr. Zuckerberg during a closed-door meeting with the president, on why he was not wearing his signature T-shirt.
“Out of respect for the formality of meeting a president,” he reportedly answered.


Premium Times

Army confirms death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau

The Nigerian Military on Thursday, confirmed the death of factional Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.

The Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor, said this in Adamawa State during a tour of formations under his command.
According to Irabor, the individual originally identified as Shekau has indeed been killed, though the latest person bearing the name was recently wounded.


Irabor said, “I can confirm to you that the original Shekau was killed, the second Shekau was killed, and the man presenting himself as Shekau, I can also confirm to you that few days ago, he was wounded. We are yet to confirm whether he is dead or not”.

The Commander also confirmed division within the ranks of the insurgent group which was due to to constant military pressure
“They released videos to prove that they are still active, but that’s just a facade,” Irabor said.
Recall that the military after a recent air raid of the insurgent’s enclave in Sambisa Forest, claimed that Shekau was “fatally” wounded while some commanders were killed.‎”


Daily Post

'Dirty money' to be returned to Nigeria in landmark deal

                 

  LANDMARK AGREEMENT: British MP Robert Goodwill and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami

THE FEDERAL Government of Nigeria has signed a landmark agreement with the British Government committing to the return of stolen assets hidden in the UK.
The UK confirmed its commitment to recovering and returning stolen assets to the west African country and to shed London's reputation as a haven for 'dirty' money, according to Vanguard Nigeria.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami signed on behalf of Nigeria while Britain was represented by Minister of State for Immigration, Robert Goodwill.
The agreement means that bank accounts, properties, cars and other goods seized in Britain from Nigerian offenders will be returned on the condition that the Federal Government will ensure that stolen assets recovered from both within and outside the country will be put to sensible uses; and that such assets will not be re-looted.
The deal comes in the wake of the anti-corruption summit hosted in the capital earlier this year.
The high-profile summit attended by heads of states including Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari was nearly derailed after comments by then Prime Minister David Cameron were broadcast on television.
Cameron described the African country as “fantastically corrupt” unaware that camera’s had caught his controversial comments.
Responding to the political gaffe, Buhari, who delivered a keynote speech at the opening of the summit, made clear that he had no interest in apologies and simply called for the return of looted assets.
“What do I need an apology for? I need something tangible,” he said.
“I’m not going to demand any apologies from anybody, what I’m demanding is a return of assets."
The value of assets harboured in the UK in various forms are unconfirmed, but the amount expected to be repatriated over the coming years is believed to be at least tens of millions of pounds.
High-profile examples of instances where government officials have abused their positions to steal assets from Nigeria to launder in London include that of James Ibori, a former cashier at a Wickes DIY store in Ruislip, who later became governor of the country’s oil-rich Delta State.

FANTASTICALLY CORRUPT: Former Delta State Governor James Ibori is serving 13 years for fraud
He was jailed for 13 years at Southwark crown court in 2012 for fraud involving up to £150m from the Nigerian public purse.
He allegedly bought four homes in Britain, including a £2m mansion in Hampstead and properties in St John's Wood and Dorset.
The agreement was signed in Nigeria's capital of Abuja on August 30.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) makes mention that “both countries recognised that they have a mutual interest in ensuring that returned assets are not at risk of being misappropriated again”.
Goodwill, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, hailed the agreement as a mechanism by which monies could be returned and said his trip had reinforced the joint determination of Britain and Nigeria to tackle corruption.
He said: “This government is committed to attacking criminal finances, making it harder to move, hide and use the proceeds of crime.
“Crime of this sort is not confined to our own borders and it is therefore essential that we work with international partners to tackle it. This agreement spells out how the UK and Nigeria will ensure that criminal finances that have been misappropriated from Nigeria will be returned.”
The Commons home affairs select committee warned earlier this year that London “is a centre for money laundering,” while Goodwill made clear that a successful operation would be a signal that this would no longer be the case.
He said: “Our ability to recover and return stolen assets should send a clear message to all who may seek to harbour such assets that there is no safe haven in the UK.”
As part of the agreement, 40 other jurisdictions, including British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will automatically share beneficial ownership information relating to companies, trusts, foundations, shell companies and other relevant entities and legal arrangements.
The US and Switzerland have signed similar agreements.
The visit also resulted in the signing of an agreement on the return of illegal immigrants and the proper profiling of their nationalities through the use of biometric and biographic data.


Voice Online