Your anti-corruption war partial – Afenifere tells Buhari

Yinka Odumakin

The Pan Yoruba Socio-Political group, Afenifere, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of being partial in his administration’s anti-corruption war.
The Yoruba group challenged the President to prove the sincerity of its anti corruption crusade by prosecuting the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina and other accomplices.
 It warned the President not to sweep the issue of Maina under any rug or carpet.
The Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin, who addressed reporters after the meeting of the group in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Tuesday, expressed shock at the recall, reinstatement and promotion of Maina and the involvement of top government officials.
The group stressed that the anti-corruption crusade seemed to have been reduced to travesty of justice and caricature to fight opposition.
“We ask that the issue of Maina should not be swept with any broom under any carpet. He must be arrested, prosecuted and all officials involved in his recall should be punished no matter their status or origin.
 “The Maina-gate is clearly an embarrassment for this government and the sordid development has created so much anger and angry reactions across the county.
“The Maina-gate and other associated tales of massive corruption under a regime that is fighting corruption is a confirmation of our position all along that most of the problems confronting Nigeria, including corruption, are systemic, structural and deep-rooted,”‎ he said.
The group noted that the “architecture of corruption in Nigeria is still very intact in Buhari’s administration.
“It is that architecture that have allowed that kind of reckless impunity that brought Maina back into office to happen at the time we are supposed to fight corruption.
 
The Pan Yoruba Socio-Political group, Afenifere, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of being partial in his administration’s anti-corruption war.
The Yoruba group challenged the President to prove the sincerity of its anti corruption crusade by prosecuting the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina and other accomplices.

It warned the President not to sweep the issue of Maina under any rug or carpet.
The Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin, who addressed reporters after the meeting of the group in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Tuesday, expressed shock at the recall, reinstatement and promotion of Maina and the involvement of top government officials.
The group stressed that the anti-corruption crusade seemed to have been reduced to travesty of justice and caricature to fight opposition.
“We ask that the issue of Maina should not be swept with any broom under any carpet. He must be arrested, prosecuted and all officials involved in his recall should be punished no matter their status or origin.

“The Maina-gate is clearly an embarrassment for this government and the sordid development has created so much anger and angry reactions across the county.
“The Maina-gate and other associated tales of massive corruption under a regime that is fighting corruption is a confirmation of our position all along that most of the problems confronting Nigeria, including corruption, are systemic, structural and deep-rooted,”‎ he said.
The group noted that the “architecture of corruption in Nigeria is still very intact in Buhari’s administration.
“It is that architecture that have allowed that kind of reckless impunity that brought Maina back into office to happen at the time we are supposed to fight corruption.

“It is also this same architecture that allowed him to disappear into oblivion after the lead was blown of his presence within the system.
“We therefore state unequivocally that the Maina-gate has confirmed the fears that the present anti-corruption war is selective, and some people are given soft landing perhaps on their connection or possibly their origin.”

Source: Daily Post

Why it is hard removing PDP members from Buhari’s administration‎ – Presidency

Mrs Lauretta Onochie

A Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, on Tuesday said it would be difficult for her principal to remove Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, who are serving in his government overnight.
Onochie stated this at the 2nd annual international conference in Abuja, with the theme “Focusing on institutions: A panacea for sustainable development.”
 She claimed that more than 50 percent of PDP members were in the Buhari government serving in the presidency, judiciary and law enforcement agencies.
“That brings me to those who are in this government to serve themselves. Those Col. (rtd) Hammed Ali, the CG Customs called PDP. He said that there is about 50 percent of them in this government.
“But I say no they are more than 50 percent. They are everywhere. They are in the presidency, the national assembly. You can find them in the judiciary, they are in the law enforcement agency.
“They serve their personal interest. They encourage unsuspecting youths, our youths to be their foot soldiers on the social media to abuse and curse people while their own children are sipping tea in England or America or elsewhere. They are a poor example to our youngsters on the social media.
 “You just don’t go and change all the agencies. That is not how it works. If you have to change the whole civil service, the whole police, the whole market women, you change the whole children in the school,” Onochie said.
She said Nigerians must come together to fight corruption before it kills the nation.
“Corruption is everywhere. All of us must come together and join hands with this president to kill corruption before corruption kills our nation.
“Our youth population is in need of good role models. They were born into corruption,” she said.

Source: Daily Post

World Bank ranking: Buhari commends Osinbajo, others

Buhari and Osinbajo

 President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commended the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the improvement of Nigeria on the World Bank’s Doing Business latest rankings.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President commended the PEBEC team for a job well done, saying he looks forward to even greater achievements for the nation.

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari welcomes most heartily the phenomenal improvement of Nigeria on the World Bank’s Doing Business latest rankings released Tuesday.

 “Besides moving up 24 places in the rankings, Nigeria is also reported by the World Bank to be among the Top Ten Reformers globally.

 “The President congratulates all Nigerians on this very significant step forward which symbolizes the real success achieved by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, the National Assembly and State Governments in making it easy for people to register their businesses speedily, obtain licenses and approvals from government agencies without unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks.”

Buhari was also quoted as saying that the development reflected government’s efforts to make it easy for foreign business visitors to obtain visa on arrival, pass through airports and do their businesses with ease and speed.

Source: Punch Newspapers

Jonathan’s lawyer says ex-president should be paid $2.7m to testify at Metuh’s trial

Former President Goodluck Jonathan.

 Nigeria’s former president Goodluck Jonathan should be given the equivalent of $2.7 million to testify at the corruption trial of his party’s former spokesman, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
The money would cover costs to enable him to attend the case, Mike Ozekhome told reporters outside the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Olisa Metuh is accused of fraudulently receiving 400 million naira ($1.1 million, 945,000 euros) from Jonathan’s former national security advisor, Sambo Dasuki.
 The money was allegedly diverted from funds meant to procure weapons and equipment for the fight against Boko Haram and was used to fund Jonathan’s failed re-election bid in 2015.
Both Metuh, a former communications chief for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Dasuki, who is being tried separately, have said Jonathan was aware of the payments.
Lawyers for Metuh have summonsed both Jonathan and Dasuki to give evidence. But both failed to appear in court last week.
Ozekhome on Tuesday said Jonathan was “not the proper person to testify in these proceedings at all”.
But he said if the judge maintained he should testify, the court “should order Olisa Metuh… to deposit the sum of one billion naira” to cover Jonathan’s travel costs.
The money would also cover “logistics and the security personnel that will have to accompany him” from his home in Otuoke, in southern Nigeria, to the capital, added Ozekhome.
Otuoke, in oil-rich Bayelsa state, is some 680 kilometres (422 miles) by road from Abuja, where Jonathan is known to own property.
Jonathan was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari at elections that year.
Buhari has since embarked on an anti-corruption drive to root out endemic graft in government and public service.
Critics have accused him of a political witch-hunt as only members of the PDP and Jonathan’s administration have been arrested and charged.
Jonathan’s name has cropped up in a number of investigations and several members of his family and close allies have been taken to court.
But he is not thought to have been formally questioned.

Source: The Guardian

2019 Presidency: APC governors pledge support for Buhari

 Even as President Muhammadu Buhari was yet to formally declare interest in the 2019 presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) governors on the party platform has pledged to endorse him for a fresh mandate. The governors who spoke with newsmen at separate interview sessions at the party national secretariat on Tuesday before the commencement of its NEC meting include, Tanko Al Makura, Simon Lalong, Rocha Okorocha and Atiku Bagudu, governors of Nasarawa, Plateau, Imo and Kebbi states, respectively.
Governor Al-Makura who ruled out automatic ticket for President Buhari however, said Nigerians would only support APC if Buhari picks its presidential ticket.
He said:  “You see APC is a party epitomises democracy. For anybody to preempt the consensus opinion of the people is to say the least, fair to the vision of our party. I can tell you if there is anything that is clandestine the President will not honour it, so let wait and see as we embark on these meetings.
 I believe the consensus and the preponderance of opinion of all party members will be what is good for this country, and we have already known the will of this country, the future of this country as we all know now  is associated with one person, who is impeccable, who has the greatest amount of integrity that you can find in any human being around, so your guest is as good as mine.’’
His Kebbi State counterpart,  Atiku Bagudu, said Nigerians believe in President Buhari as he claimed that the country has moved beyond North/South divide.
‘’Everyone believes two things about Mr. President: that  he is very, very sincere in his views and he has his own style of doing things consistent with appreciation of our nation issues. I, in my state, somebody my feel differently the way l run my government or the government that l am leading but it might be a reflection of my appreciation of circumstance in which my state  co-exist with others.
"I  thought that the nation has moved beyond, North-South; East-West. The APC in late 2014 held one of the most successful  primaries in Lagos. It shows the importance of democratic  competition  to even strengthen both the party and country. President Muhammadu Buhari emerged candidate in a very, very keenly contested primaries and those who contested with him were happy about the contest and the party became stronger and l think the country won accolades for a free, transparent primaries that was attested to by all has taken place and it produced a leadership that today it is still supported by the majority of Nigerians.’’
Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong in his own submission said all the governors have resolved to work to ensure a fresh mandate for President Buhari in 2019.
‘’Concerning the issue of sole ticket for Mr.  President, I want to say that if Mr.  President is performing, well respected and carrying everybody along, all of us have resolved that we will work for him.
‘’Do we have any other person that will challenge the President again? Whatever you call it, as far as we are concerned, we have one President and that is the ticket we will fly.‘’
Imo state governor and chairman of APC Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha however  said he would  only drop his presidential ambition in 2019, if president Buhari was not seeking re-election.
He further expressed confidence in the ability of the party to overcome its present challenges.
‘’This is perhaps one of the most vital NEC meetings that will tell the whole world as to the strength of this party. From the caucus meeting of last night, we can see light at the end of the dark tunnel.
APC is coming out of the woods and we are set to take over the nation like we have always done. It is going to get better and better.
‘’Mr. President is showing the right leadership and taking the very right steps and there is reconciliation going on even with nobody talking about it. There is the spirit of reconciliation and people understand their role.
‘’Our role is to make this party great and we are all trying to do that, make our  input but importantly the governors  have remained the pivot upon which this wheels of change has rotated so far, we have kept this party working and after this meeting our congresses and convention will commence in the early part of next year and all party organs will be strengthened. We are in good mood and in high spirit."

Source: Nigerian Tribune

Buhari sacks suspended SGF, NIA boss

Babachir Lawal, Amb. Ayo Oke

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sacked the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
 The sacking of the two government officials was based on the report of a three-man panel led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo that investigated them.
 desina said Buhari has subsequently appointed Mr. Boss Mustapha as the new SGF.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has studied the report of the panel headed by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, which investigated allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal, and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke.

“The President accepted the recommendation of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr. Lawal, and has appointed Mr. Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The appointment takes immediate effect.”
“President Buhari also approved the recommendation to terminate the appointment of Ambassador Oke, and has further approved the setting up of a three-member panel to, among other things, look into the operational, technical and administrative structure of the Agency and make appropriate recommendations.”

Mustapha from Adamawa State is a lawyer, management consultant, politician and businessman.

Buhari had in June 2016 appointed him the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority.

The President had on April 19 suspended the two government officials and constituted a three-man committee led by Osinbajo, to investigate them.

The panel investigated allegations of violations of law and due process made against Lawal in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East while it probed Oke on the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, for which NIA is laying claim.
The committee had the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, as members

Source: Punch Newspaper

Buhari’s second term in focus as APC holds NEC meeting

Buhari

Ahead of tomorrow’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), all eyes would be on President Muhammadu Buhari to either give inkling or declare his interest for reelection in the 2019 presidential poll.
While speculations about the second term declaration are rife, there is yet no clear indication that the subject matter will be the crux of discussions at the meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja.
Setting the tone for the speculations penultimate Friday, a group of cabinet ministers and governors of the party mainly from the northern part of the country who refer to themselves as Buharists, opened the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) campaign office in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 
In attendance at the event, which was to provide a launch pad for Buhari’s second term ambition, were governors Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and Simon Lalong (Plateau). Also the Ministers of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, Defence Minister, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, Niger Delta Minister, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, and Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire were also in attendance while Senator Olorunnibe Mamora chaired the occasion.
That same day, members of another group, the National Committee for Buhari Support Groups (NCBSG) comprising governors Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano) and Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai (Kaduna) were also at the Presidential Villa in an apparent bid to get the Buhari’s nod to vie for a second four-year term in office.
But one of the Buharists, and Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu who was on the entourage to the Villa, hinted that President Buhari is not likely to make his intention known at the NEC meeting.
According to him, “BSO and NCBSG are two brothers of the same family and I belong to both platforms. They share the same goals and common denominator of supporting President Buhari. I was a member of the delegation that met Mr. President and throughout the whole discussion; no mention was made of his declaration for 2019 presidential race. Rather what the documentary we showed gazetted was his achievements and challenges, especially as regards how to bridge the huge infrastructural deficit.
“In his response Mr. President thanked all the support groups for their voluntary efforts and went ahead to thank the international community for their support. He singled out the Chinese for the loans they obliged Nigeria for infrastructural development. It is at this point that he told us that much could have been achieved but for the challenge to source the 15 percent counterpart fund to make up the 85 percent Chinese counterpart fund.
“Therefore, my little knowledge of Mr. President is that he is more preoccupied on how to bridge the huge infrastructural deficit to get Nigerians back to work and not about 2019. He is not the talking type and might not talk about 2019 until when INEC announces the timetable. This is my little understanding, I maybe wrong. It is we the supporters who are urging him to further work on the solid foundation for progress and prosperity that he is laying.”
The latest moves by the Buharists may not be unconnected with the recent declaration by the pioneer interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande that the race for the 2019 presidency is not the exclusive preserve of President Buhari. Akande’s remarks which he made at the Southwest APC stakeholders meeting held at the Oyo State Government House, unsettled Buhari loyalists in the party.
The position of Akande, a very close ally of the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, came on the heels of the declaration by the Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan who openly threw her weight behind the bid of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to vie for the presidency in the 2019 poll.

The former Vice-President who is also a strong pillar in the party, and who has not hidden his displeasure over alleged breaches of the APC constitution under the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s National Working Committee (NWC) is now at the receiving end as the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) under the chairmanship of Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, cancelled it’s contractual obligations with Integrated logistics services limited (INTELS) on allegations of refusing to clear the sum of N403 billion debt owed the Federal Government.
The House of Representatives has however waded into the issue which is believed to have been mastermind by some pro-Buhari elements in government to weaken Atiku’s likely resolve to challenge the president in the preparations for the 2019 poll.
Atiku who claimed he deployed considerable resources to help Buhari defeat his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, has alleged that he, alongside his supporters had been sidelined since the APC took power in the past three years.
A peep through the minds of some stakeholders revealed that issues highlighted by Atiku, ranging from the inability by the Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC to convene NEC meeting as well as constitute the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) might be tabled during tomorrow’s meeting.
There could also be talk on the interim report of the Nasiru el-Rufai Committee on restructuring and true federalism during the parley which would also have in attendance, chieftains of the party from the South-South, Southeast and Southwest geo-political zones where the agitation is most strident. APC’s spokesperson, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi has already hinted that the report would eventually be forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration in the interest of Nigerians.
The NEC, which would be preceded by the caucus meeting today at the Presidential Villa would also afford President Buhari the opportunity to take stock of the successes or failures recorded in the execution of his campaign promises to fix the country’s comatose infrastructure, tackle the spate of insecurity and the fight against corrupt practices in the polity amid challenges of selective graft war as propounded by rights activist and Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani which is already gaining ground.
The delay to take action on the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo report on allegation of corrupt practices against the embattled Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr Babachir Lawal, coupled with the reinstatement of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on pension reform, Abdulrasheed Maina, have cast doubt on the seriousness of the anti-graft campaign.
Decisions are also expected to be reached on the report of the Muiz Banire committee on the review of the party’s constitution, funding and on the date for the long-awaited convention of the party. Banire, who is having a running battle with the leadership of the APC in his Lagos State base, is the National Legal Adviser of the party.
The NEC meeting is also expected to discuss with a view to resolving crises rocking the state chapters of the party in Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa, Kogi, Ogun, Bauchi, Enugu and Osun. The party leaders expect the crises in these states and others to feature during deliberations.
Already, there are series of reports on the fact-finding and reconciliation committees on ground for the party leaders to work with as a means of ensuring harmony and cohesion among its members. Penultimate week, the Enugu State executive members took their protest to the National Secretariat in Abuja faulting the appointment of Ms. Loretta Aniagolu as a Board member of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
In a petition addressed to the President and submitted to the APC leadership, they said they could not fathom why those who worked against the party were being offered appointment to various positions to the detriment of loyal and committed members. They alleged that Ms. Aniagolu was of the opposition PDP who worked assiduously against the victory of APC in Enugu State in the 2015 general elections.
In the petition, they claimed, “Ms. Loretta Aniagolu did not labour in our vineyard neither did she support activities of APC in any way. It is doubtful whether she will help in building our great party on the eve of election year.
“For as a former governorship aspirant and PDP financier, Ms. Loretta Aniagolu made sure that Buhari scored 148 votes in her ward (Eke), while Goodluck Jonathan was allotted 1154 votes at the collation centre where she was in charge with her litany of policemen.
“Apart from that, Ms. Aniagolu was among those who vehemently opposed our great party at a time when it was not fashionable to openly proclaim membership of APC.”

Source: The Guardian

Biafra war: FG to pay N88bn compensation to victims as parties agree to settle out of court

THE Federal Government has agreed to pay the sum of N88 billion as compensation to victims of the Nigeria/Biafra civil war, as well as for the completion of demining and destruction of abandoned explosives within the South-East, South-South and North Central zones of the country.

In the terms of agreement reached on Monday before the ECOWAS Court in Abuja, the Federal Government agreed to pay N50 billion compensation to the victims of the civil war and will also pay another  N38 billion to contractors for total and complete demining and destruction of abandoned bombs and landmines within the regions.

According to the agreement document which the ECOWAS court adopted as its consent judgment, two firms, RSB Holdings Nigeria Limited and Deminers Concept Nigeria Limited, were said to have been contracted in 2009 to carry out demining exercise in the war affected areas.

The document said, after an exercise that was conducted by medical experts employed by the two contractors to screen and identify true victims of the war, “All the parties to this suit acknowledge that 685 persons were selected and classified as survivors while 493 of them were confirmed as victims of either landmines or other dangerous military ordnance including locally fabricated weapons, hence entitled to compensation including their families and communities.”

“Whereas the parties also acknowledged that a total of over 17, 000 bombs were recovered and destroyed by the 4th and 5th Respondents (the contractors), while a total of 1, 317 are still in the stockpile located at the Mine Action Center, Owerri, Imo State, large quantity of live bombs still litter the Applicant’s communities.”

The decision followed a suit marked ECW/CCJ/APP/06/12, which was filed before the ECOWAS Court on May 2, 2012, by one Vincent Agu and 19 others against the Federal Government and five others.

Government opted for an out-of-court-settlement of the matter after four years of negotiation.

States listed to benefit from the deal are Anambra, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Enugu and Benue.

The ECOWAS court, at its sitting on the matter yesterday, granted the application for the matter to be setlled out of court and ordered parties to abide by the terms of the settlement.

Part of the terms of the settlement stipulates that the federal government “undertakes to pay, without delay, compensation in the summer of N50 billion in full and final sum to the victims, their families and communities as contained in Schedule 4(1) to this terms of settlement.

“That the federal government  undetakes to the pay a total sum of N38 billion as contained in schedule 4(2) to the terms of settlement for the purposes of carrying out total demining and destruction, rebuilding of public buildings, mine centre activities, construction of class rooms, provision of prosthetics and all other activities enumerated thereunder.”

 

Source: Nigerian Tribune

President Buhari meets Tinubu, Bukola, Dogara in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari welcoming APC chieftain Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu to his office at the State House Abuja on Monday, October 30, 2017. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed door with a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before his meeting with Tinubu, Buhari had earlier met with the Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Dogara Yakubu.
The two separate meetings between the President and his visitors took place at the new Banquet hall.
 President Buhari, had on Oct. 26, met with the leaders of the National Assembly after the cancellation of the planned dinner for lawmakers in the Presidential Villa.
The President was to host the lawmakers to dinner at the new Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, by 8:30p.m. on Thursday.
He, however, met behind closed doors at his official residence with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara with the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and some presidential aides in attendance.
President Buhari had earlier met with President Alassane Ouattara of Cote D’ivoire, who was on official visit to Nigeria.
Ouattara had since returned to Abidjan, the capital of Cote D’ivoire.

Source: The Guardian

Buhari is the father of corruption – APC chieftain, Mark Wosi

Buhari

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress Chieftain in Adamawa State, Mark Wosi has described President Muhammadu Buhari as the father of corruption.
Wosi was reacting to Buhari’s failure to sack top officials like the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal; Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, and the suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke.
Reports from committees set up to look into the involvement of the mentioned government officials in the corruption cases have been submitted to the President.
Speaking with Punch at the weekend, Wosi said from all indications, Buhari was stalling on the issues because the men involved were his loyalists.
According to him, “You can’t keep telling us you are fighting corruption while there are corruption allegations against people around you and yet you can’t do anything about it.
“This only means you are the father of corruption. The integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari is now in doubt with all these fraud cases under his nose.”




Source: Daily Post

Nigerian govt shifts northern oil search to Nasarawa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s quest to find oil in the northern part of the country shifted to the inland basins with the commencement of exploration activities in the Benue Trough.
The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Maikanti Baru, announced the commencement of the search during his visit to the Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Almakura, in Lafia on Thursday.
The NNPC GMD said the visit was in line with the presidential directive to the corporation to resume oil exploration activities in some of the nation’s inland basins, including the Chad Basin and the Benue Trough.
The search is coming a few months after the NNPC opened a new frontier for oil exploration in the Sokoto area.
He said the presidential mandate was driven by the urgent need for the country to increase its oil and has reserves, improve revenue streams and create more business and employment opportunities for Nigerians.
Mr. Baru said the move was also in line with NNPC’s corporate vision under the 12 Business Focus Areas, 12 BUFAs.
He told the governor that the NNPC team was in Nasarawa to sensitise the government and people of the state on the mission.
“I am therefore happy to be personally here to kick-start the beginning of a high-profile stakeholder engagement towards oil exploration in the Nasarawa State’s part of the Benue Trough,” he stated.
He assured that as a responsible corporate organization, NNPC, through its Frontier Exploration Services, FES, would do everything possible to operate peacefully among the people and with much respect to the environment.
Already, the GMD noted, the FES had mobilised the Integrated Data Services Limited, IDSL, an upstream data services arm of the NNPC, to acquire seismic data in the Benue Trough commencing from the Keana area.
“I am convinced that the success of the results from IDSL’s seismic data acquisition will lead to the drilling of exploration wells in the area, which hopefully, would launch Nasarawa state into the league of oil producing states in the country,” Mr. Baru stated.
On petroleum products supply, the GMD assured that Nasarawa State indigenes would enjoy more products availability once the Corporation rehabilitates the Makurdi Depot pipeline, which feeds Nasarawa and Benue States.
“We have resuscitated Mosimi, Ibadan, Kano and Aba depots. Once we are done with Aba-Enugu line, we are heading towards Makurdi Depot,” Mr. Baru added.
Earlier, the governor who expressed delight over the commencement of oil search in his state, assured the GMD of Nasarawa people’s support to the venture in the frontier basin.
He particularly lauded the GMD for ensuring stability in products supply and distribution across the country.
“Since your appointment as the GMD, NNPC, I cannot remember any issue of fuel scarcity surfacing in the country. You are also known by many for your transparency and accountability, which is very crucial in a national company like the NNPC,” the governor stated.
Governor Almakura said the state government had deployed special “environment guards” to safeguard critical national assets and infrastructure across the state, including the Pipelines Right of Way, PRoW.
He pledged to direct the Ministries of Land, Physical Planning as well as Housing & Transport to work with the NNPC team towards ensuring the success of the oil exploration in the area.


Source: Premium Times

Why I conceded defeat to Buhari—Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Saturday that he conceded defeat in the March 28 presidential elections in obedience to the laws of the country.
Jonathan was defeated in the election by the candidate of All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
He said this while fielding questions from newsmen at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa shortly after he cast his votes in the State Assembly polls.
“I am a Nigerian and I am Goodluck Jonathan.  I feel that as a nation you respect your laws; I am quite pleased to respect the laws of the land,’’ he told newsmen.
Jonathan also said that “as a nation, we are quite happy we are consolidating in our democratic efforts.
“The key thing is that citizens must be ready to change government properly. We must do elections every four years,’’ he said.
Jonathan said turnout for the election was low in Bayelsa because “we are voting for only the State House of Assembly. There is no governorship election in Bayelsa.
`In some other states where they have governorship elections the stakes will be higher; turnout may be better; the level of mobilisation may be quite high.
“But here it is just the State House of Assembly and that is why you don’t see that kind of enthusiasm and so on and so forth”.
Jonathan said he was happy he had done his civic duty, adding that he expected others to do the same.
Reacting to feelers he received about the polls nationwide he said he knew that elections were going on well.
“Yes you will expect that in a country as big as Nigeria there may be issues in some places but I think that on the overall the elections are going on wel,” he said.
On why Dame Patience Jonathan was absent at the Assembly polls, the president said both of them boarded different flights, adding that  she would arrive at Bayelsa later.
“We have been expecting her; we hope she will soon be here. The only thing is that she may miss the accreditation period,’’ he said.


Source: The Guardian

Kogi govt speaks on dispute over salary, staff who committed suicide

Gov Yahaya Bello

The Director General on Media and Publicity to the Kogi State Governor, Kingsley Fanwo has assured the people of the state that the Governor will continue to serve their best interest.
Addressing journalists in Lokoja, Thursday, he said the true situation of salary payment has been made public by government.
“We appreciate the concern of people who were misinformed by the orchestrated campaign against the state by those opposed to the governorship of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
“The State Government never admitted to owing 7 months salary arrears. The case of the deceased is an eye opener to the reason some civil servants were not paid.
“The late Mr Soje had issues with his age declaration. Altered age declaration as well as multiple declarations were discovered. That accounted for the reason he was not paid between January and July 2017.
“He was later granted clemency and scheduled for payment before his unfortunate demise. Government is sad about the Soje story and will do everything possible to cater for his family.

“The true situation of things in Kogi State is that government has paid the bulk of the cleared staff up to July 2017 and details of payment have been published on the official website of government and in the newspapers to clear the doubts of those who need to know the facts”.
Fanwo said the screening exercise, which led to delay of salary payment at some points, was necessary to save the state from the “corrupt cabal that had been siphoning the resources of the state”.
“We know some people are bent on painting the State irresponsible for political reasons. But government will not shirk its responsibility of providing leadership and accountability in dealing with the good people of Kogi State.
“As a people, our pride is important to us. We are owing two months salary arrears and we know states in worse conditions. Government will continue to do its best to make Kogites proud”.

He called on the people not to be dismayed by current political happenings in the state, saying the day of reckoning is at hand.


Source: Daily Post

How I broke 28-year OAU record– Graduating medical student with 12 distinctions

Aarinola Olaiya

Aarinola Olaiya is set to become the first medical student to graduate with distinction in Surgery at the Obafemi Awolowo University since 1989.  She shares her experience in this interview with CHUX OHAI, ahead of the institution’s forthcoming convocation event in December. Excerpts:

What major factor inspired your academic performance in OAU?

I really cannot explain it. What I can say is that the grace of God has been at work from my first day in the university. Apart from that, I am a focused person. I always like to have a goal in mind and I make sure that I focus on that goal without giving room to distractions. I think this is what happened. Right from the day I was admitted into the university, I made sure that I remained focused in my studies.

As an undergraduate of Medicine, what was your daily routine like?

Every day, I would wake up, have my bath and attend lectures. I usually go to the classroom in the morning. Sometimes, I would attend a lecture at 8am till about 4pm. Then I would return to my hostel to have some rest and attend to other things or proceed on call. Sometimes I would stay on call till the following day. Basically my daily routine was like that.

Did you have time for leisure?

Of course, I had. But, weekends were very important to me. I spent most weekends studying. The higher I went in medical school, the more time I created to read my studies.

Didn’t you attend parties at weekends?

No. I never had time for parties. That wasn’t my idea of leisure. I just went out with my friends to eat and then, we would have fun during the day before returning to the hostel.

What kind of fun?

We went out to eateries to have lunch, take pictures and so on. We didn’t go to clubs or drink alcoholic beverages.

What kind of friends did you keep at school?

I had just a few friends in the university. They were all purpose-driven people who knew where they were heading to.

What kind of relationship did you have with your parents?

My parents have been very supportive from day one, especially my mum. She keeps me going all the time. My siblings have been very understanding, too. They accepted me the way I am and kept encouraging me all the while.

Do you have a boyfriend?

Yes. I have a boyfriend, but I never allowed him to come between me and my studies. He does not live in Ile-Ife. So he visits me in school sometimes. Most of the time, we communicate to each other via the telephone.

Why did you choose to study medicine?

I had always known that I would be a doctor. I actually got admission to study Botany in my first year at OAU. That was in 2010. But then, I knew that I wasn’t going to end up being a botanist. I knew I was going to be a doctor. So I sat another UTME and here I am today.

Did you plan to graduate with distinction?

I did not set out to graduate with distinction in the university. I just think that I tried to strive for perfection. Although it is good to have goals because they keep you going, who you are really matters a lot. Then there is the God factor. I still believe that the grace of God has a lot to do with my achievement.

How would you describe your experience in medical school?

Medical school is not for just anybody. If you have a daughter that wants to study medicine, you have to make her think seriously about her ambition. You have to ask her if she really wants to be a doctor. You have to count the costs before she goes ahead to study medicine.

Initially, I was excited about being in Medical school. In Part Two, I started reading big books. Then I started getting used to the language of Anatomy, Medical bio-chemistry and more. With time, I got used to it. To keep going, even as some people were being withdrawn from medical school, I just had to hold my head high. For someone like me that was getting many distinctions, keeping up with the success story was tough. But I didn’t expect that my efforts would result in such huge success. I only wanted to try my best and do everything possible in my power to get things done.

What are your plans for the future?

I don’t want to comment on my plan for the future, but I am working on it.

Source: Punch Newspaper

Senate moves to rescue Nigerian students stranded abroad

Bukola Saraki [Photo: Nigerian Pilot]

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday moved to end the plight of Nigerian students on scholarship abroad.
Moving the motion under order 42 and 52, Senate Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye, Osun-APC, bemoaned the ‘pitiable’ condition of Nigerian students abroad who are been neglected by agencies of government.
Mr. Adeyeye noted that the students are currently stranded in Russia, United Kingdom, Canada and other countries due to inability of the Federal Government to pay their tuition fees and stipends.
“Mr. President, just last night, I got a very lengthy e-mail from Nigerian scholars in the UK complaining just like those students that spoke in your presence in Russia. Specifically, among other things, the stipends on which these students will live for food, transportation, housing have not been paid for many months. In addition, their school fees have not been paid,” he said.
Supporting the motion, James Manager, Delta-PDP, wants the agencies responsible to take urgent steps in addressing the issue.
“I have travelled enough and I know the suffering of Nigerian students who are on scholarship,” he said.
“Many students are taken out of this country by government agencies. Mr. President, this is a very serious matter. The agencies of government should take steps in alleviating the sufferings of these young and brilliant Nigerians.”
Senate President Bukola Saraki, Kwara-APC, said the government’s shortcomings has led some Nigerian students to illegal activities abroad.
“The situation is very pathetic and we must tackle it head-on. I have the opportunity to meet with our counterparts in Russia who categorically told us that they are ready to give us more scholarship but unfortunately, some who have been on scholarship for two years have not been paid. Some are just roaming the streets, doing illegal activities.
 “The minimum figure is about $500 per student. This is not acceptable. We must address this. We’ll meet with these agencies and find a way to putting this issue to an end.”
The lawmakers agreed to summon various agencies of government responsible for scholarship to Nigerian students to meet with the Senate President with a view to bringing the plight of the students to an end.
The Senate also charged the agencies involved in the Amnesty Programme to ensure “a refund to Nigerians who rescued Nigerian students in Moscow who have not been paid for over four years.”

Source: Premium Times 

Singapore ranked country with world’s most powerful passport

 Tiny Singapore now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new ranking, with its citizens able to travel to the greatest number of countries visa free.
Passport Index, which keeps track of how useable such documents are, said the city-state grabbed the top spot after Paraguay removed restrictions for Singaporeans.
That means the approximately 3.4 million holders of Singaporean passports can now travel to 159 countries either without a visa at all, or can have one issued on arrival.
 Germany came in second place, with its citizens able to visit 158 countries without a visa, while Sweden and South Korea tied for third.
The US passport was in sixth place, alongside Malaysia, Ireland and Canada.
Afghanistan came bottom of the list with visa-free access to just 22 countries.
Passport Index said the US passport’s usefulness has fallen since President Donald Trump took office, with Turkey and the Central African Republic becoming the most recent countries to revoke their visa-free entry for holders.
Passport Index ranks passports worldwide based on the cross-border access a holder has. It was developed by Canada-based global consultancy Arton Capital.
“For the first time ever, an Asian country has the most powerful passport in the world,” Philippe May, managing director of Arton Capital’s Singapore office, said in a statement.
“It is a testament of Singapore’s inclusive diplomatic relations and effective foreign policy.”

Source: The Guardian

Canada earmarks $3.5 billion to tackle health challenges of Nigerian women, children

 The Canadian government has earmarked $3.5 billion to advance the health of women and children in Nigeria, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Christopher Thorney has said.
Mr. Thorney made this known during the Multi-Country Dissemination of the Rapid Access Expansion (RAcE) Project on Integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Illnesses (iCCM) in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that Canada has a long-standing history of working to advance the health of women and children in Nigeria, including polio eradication efforts and other health initiatives.
He noted that Canada’s latest initiative will span a 2015-2020 template and targets related programs during the five years.
Mr. Thorney, who commended the remarkable progress made so far in reducing child mortality, said that significant work remains to be done.
“Troubling statistics are there, in 2016, about 5.6 million children under the age of five died worldwide; to make that more understandable, that is about 15,000 child deaths per day.
“We also understand that for three-quarters of under-five mortality, we are also dealing with a handful of leading causes such as diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia.
“All of these can be prevented or treated with access to simple and affordable interventions when they are available and certainly they are not always available’’, he said.
He noted that most of the effective interventions for these diseases are known, simple and affordable, but they are often inaccessible for the families who cannot reach health facilities in time especially within the crucial 24 hours.
 He said unless the barriers are tackled, the nation stood the risk of losing the momentum it had gained.
In his remarks, World Health Organisation Country Representative, Nigeria, Wondi Alemu, said WHO was very proud of ”the great work that had been done in Nigeria, Niger, DRC, Mozambique, Malawi on the iCCM.”
“As for Nigeria, I see for myself that iCCM is a successful program, I say a programme because it is a project that will last after this financing from the government of Canada.
“I believe that this will be taken up by government and states ministries of health as well to make sure that the strategy is replicated in other states’’, he said.
He added that focus of iCCM was a reduction of the burden of deaths of under-fives from malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia in ”underserved, hard to reach areas using Community Oriented Resource Persons (CORPs).”

Source: Premium Times

Buhari cautions ECOWAS against push for single currency

President Muhammadu Buhari  at the 4th Meeting of the Presidential Task Force on ECOWAS single currency in Niamey Niger Republic. PHOTO TWITTER.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday advised the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member-countries to tread with caution in their push for a single currency in the sub-region by 2020.
Buhari, who gave the caution in his speech at the fourth meeting of the presidential task force on the ECOWAS currency programme in Niamey, Niger Republic, said the necessary economic fundamentals among countries continue to differ over the years, making it more difficult to pull through with the project by 2020.
He advised that the ECOWAS should proceed cautiously with the integration agenda, taking into consideration the above concerns and the lessons currently unfolding in the European Union (EU).

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari noted that some of the obstacles to realising the roadmap for the implementation of a single currency include diverse and uncertain macro-economic fundamentals of many countries, unrealistic inflation targeting based on flexible exchange rate regime and inconsistency with the African monetary co-operation programme.
The president said domestic issues in ECOWAS member-countries relating to their constitutions and dependence on aid continue to affect the framework for implementing the single currency in the sub-region.
Buhari told the heads of state that the conditions that pushed Nigeria into withdrawing from the process in the past had not changed.
The president, who noted that the West African Economic and Monetary Union countries should make a presentation on a clear roadmap towards delinking from the French treasury, advised an examination of the African Union position on the same issue.
In his remarks, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel Alain de Souza, said the single currency for the West African sub-region was a laudable and historical project, but regretted that it had taken too long to be actualised.
Alain de Souza, who said the creation of a central bank for the West Coast would accelerate the process, noted that Nigeria constitutes more than 70 per cent of the GDP of the West African region, with a population of 180 million, and would play a significant role in facilitating the process of realising a single currency for the sub-region.
In another development, the ECOWAS Parliament has reiterated the importance of the implementation of its road transport policy, which supports its aim of a border-free region across member-states.
The Speaker of the parliament, Moustapha Cisse Lo, said transport infrastructure development contributes to the borderless region vision of ECOWAS where member states could have equal access to resources of the region for responsible and sustainable economic growth.
He stated this yesterday at the opening ceremony of the five-day de-localised meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament joint committee on infrastructure and industrial development /agriculture, environment, water resources and rural development held in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
Cisse Lo said that the parliament, through its joint committee, would make an inquiry into the status and effectiveness of the road transport and transit facilitation programme’s implementation.

Source: The Guardian 

1,272 fail Nigerian Law School exam

The Nigerian Law School on Saturday released the summary of the final examination results conducted in August.
Mr Chinedu Ukekwe, Head of Information and Protocol of the Nigerian Law School, said 1,272 candidates failed out of a total of 5, 891 that participated in the examinations.
According to him, 29 students made First Class, 211 Second Class Upper, 1, 046 Second Class Lower.
He said 2, 999 got a Pass, while 334 came out with conditional Pass.
In all, 4, 285 candidates were successful and will be called to the Nigerian Bar.
A further breakdown of the results showed 72.7 per cent passed, while those with conditional Pass represented 5. 7 per cent.
The candidates who failed represented 21.6 per cent.
Ukekwe in the statement revealed that the ‘Call to the Bar’ ceremony for the successful candidates will hold on Nov. 28 and 29 in Abuja.




Source: NAN

Animals more secured in Nigeria than humans – Labour leader‎, Aremu

Issa Aremu

A former Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and General Secretary, National Union of Garment and Textile Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu, has claimed that animals are more secured in Nigerians than human beings.
He added that the greatest threat to the country’s unity was the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the country.
Speaking on Saturday in Kaduna at the Annual General Conference of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Comrade Aremu said it was time for civil society and human right organizations to organize and “march against this inequality” noting that “animals are more secure in Nigeria than Nigerians”.
“The greatest threat to our unity is the increasing gap between the few who are wealthy and the majority who are very poor.
“As labor union and civil society organizations, we must begin to organize to march against this inequality”, he said, adding that the increase in the rate of crimes in the country is attributable to this widening gap. Comrade Aremu also decried the worsening security situation in the country.
The unionist called Nigerians, especially members of the civil society organisations and labor, to “stop agonizing and start organizing for the sack of any security official where insecurity is rampant. Speaking on the proposed bill to curb the activities of Civil Society organisations, Comrade Aremu said “we must resist any attempt to gag civil society organisations because they are the souls of Nigerian society. The state actors of today must realize this.

“What is needed is for the civil society organisations to be transparent and accountable”.


Source: Daily Post