Shugaban kasar Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe ya sake yin wata kwaba, inda ya karanta wani jawabin da ba shi da alaka da wani taron ya halarta.
Shugaba Mugabe ya karanta jawabin ne a wajen taron shekara-shekara na jam'iyyar Zanu-PF mai mulkin kasar, kuma sai da ya ci kusan rabin minti yana karanta jawabin kana aka sauya masa da jawabin da ya dace da taron.
A watan Satumban da ya wuce ma, shugaba Mugaben ya karanta wani tsohon jawabi a majalisar dokokin kasar, wanda ya taba karantawa a baya, kimanin wata guda.
TALLA

A jawabinsa na taron jam'iyyar Zanu-PF din, Mista Mugabe ya bukaci 'ya'yan jam'iyyar da su daina fada su-ya-su a kan wanda zai gaje shi wajen mulkin kasar ta Zimbabwe.

Gov. Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa on Friday restated his commitment to paying workers in the state N18, 000 minimum wage.
Mr. Badaru gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse.
He said the state government would continue to pay the N18, 000, as well as leave grants and other allowances due to the workers in spite of dwindling revenue.
The governor said: “I had interaction with the workers last week. I promised to continue with the N18, 000 minimum wage.
“I also promised to give them what we agreed upon as leave grant, that they have not been enjoying for some time. We kept our promise this year and we intend to continue next year.’’
Mr. Badaru also said that the state had earmarked “substantial amount of money in the 2016 budget” for staff training to improve the capacity of the workforce to deliver service to the people.
“We earmarked a lot of money for staff training. We will embark on comprehensive training of workers to prepare them to meet the task ahead.

“Without empowering the workers you will not achieve the goal of development. That is what I believe in,’’ he said.
Mr. Badaru announced that the state government would construct over 1, 000 low cost houses to enable workers own decent homes.
He explained that the state was already collaborating with mortgage banks to construct the houses in the 27 local government areas of the state.
(NAN)

The Shiite Sect on the orders of their leader, Ibrahim Alzak-zaky  today afternoon in Zaria attacked the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff while on his way to pay homage on the Emir of Zazzau and attend the Passing Out Parade of 73 Regular Recruits Intake of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria.

See Pictures Of Army-Islamic Movement Confrontation

The sect numbering hundreds carrying dangerous weapons, barricaded the roads with bonfires, heavy stones and tyres. They refused all entreaties to disperse and then started firing and pelting the convoy with dangerous objects. The barricade was obviously a deliberate attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff and members of his entourage while on a legitimate official assignment as Special Guest of Honour at the passing out parade which has earlier been widely publicized.

The troops responsible for the safety and security of the Chief of Army Staff on hearing  explosion and firing were left with no choice than to defend him and the convoy at all cost as well as open up the barricaded road for law abiding citizens. This is in line with the Nigerian Army Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated from any individual or groups and should not be allowed to repeat itself.

We wish to implore all Nigerians to continue to be law abiding and remain conscious of other people’s right to life, freedom of movement and passage. The Chief of Army escaped unhurt and continued with his duties.

The embattled former Minister of State, Bashir Yuguda, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he gave a total of N600million cash to six chairmen of the Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 general election.

Bode George and Peter odili
Sahara Reporters Media

He listed the beneficiaries as Bode George (South-West); Amb. Yerima Abdullahi (North-East); Peter Odili (South-South); Attahiru Bafarawa (North-West);  Jim Nwobodo (South -East); and Ahmadu Ali (North-Central).

He said he instructed Jabbama Limited to transfer N300million to BAM Properties whose account detail was given to him by a former National Chairman of PDP, Bello Haliru.

Yuguda, who made the allegations in a Statement of Witness/ Caution which he wrote on oath, said he sent N200million to the erstwhile PDP Governorship candidate in Kebbi State, Bello Sarkin Yaki.

He said a former Governor of Zamfara State, Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, also got N100million.

The statement is part of the proof of evidence against the former minister whose trial is scheduled to commence this week at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Yuguda will stand trial with ex-Governor Attahiru Bafarawa and his son, Sagir Attahiru; Dalhatu Investment Limited.

The ex-minister is expected to account for over N3.050billion including N1.1billion being part of the funds in the account of the ONSA and aggregate sum of N1,950,000 belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which sum was transferred to Jabbama Ada Global Services.

The ex-minister said: “For the cash disbursement of N600million, it was meant for the six zonal chairmen for Contact and Mobilisation Committees for Election of 2015. The chairmen are Bode George, Amb. Yerima Abdullahi; Peter Odili; Attahiru Bafarawa; Jim Nwobodo; Ahmadu  Ali. The sum of N100million was given to each chairman. I gave the money in company of Prof. Alkali, who was Political Adviser to former president. The zonal chairmen are for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). I also instructed Jabbama Limited to transfer the sum of N100m to Dalhatu Limited on the request of Attahiru Bafarawa.

“I also remember that Bello Sarkin Yaki was among the people that the then NSA instructed that I send the sum of N200million to. He was the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kebbi State.”

Yuguda, who claimed that he had liaised with Stallion Limited, gave the details of other disbursements.

His words: “I knew the chairman of Stallion Limited whose second name I cannot remember. Between December 2014 to June 2015, on the instruction of the then NSA, I introduced Jabbama Limited to a staff of the company on the instruction of the chairman.

“When the account was in credit, disbursement was made from time to time on the instruction of the then NSA. Part in foreign exchange or transfers.

“I wish to add that sometime in February 2015, I instructed Jabbama to transfer the sum of N300m to BAM Properties. The account was given to me by Bello Haliru as one of the people the former NSA requested me to give money. I also remember that Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi was sent the sum of N100million on the instruction of the then NSA.

“Further to my statement of 30th November, 2015, I have brought the sum of $829,800(equivalent to N200m) and N600m was given to me to distribute to the six PDP Zonal Committee chairmen. I don’t know who are the directors of Dalhatu Investment Limited but funds were transferred to the company’s account on the instruction of Dalhatu Bafarawa for the total amount of N1.5billion received from the then NSA by Jabbama Limited.

“I shall endeavour to recover the sum of N600million given to the six zonal PDP committee chairmen, while I appeal to the commission to use their machineries to trace the remaining balance of the money transferred to various accounts.”

The former minister however denied receiving another N200million credited to him.

“I have been shown transaction of N200millio

The Nigerian Senate is currently on the verge of illegally buying various brands of exotic vehicles for use by its President, Bukola Saraki, and the 108 other senators, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.

Nigerian Senate
Premium Times
The cars will cost taxpayers an estimated N4.7billion that could be spent on vaccinating newborns and save them from dying or on providing electricity for remote communities so kids stop doing school assignments using paraffin lamps.

The upper legislative chamber is buying the vehicles at a time millions of Nigerians are facing severe economic hardship, including nonpayment of salaries.

The procurement is also happening at a time millions of Nigerians are enduring long and humiliating fuel queues across the country because the federal government is too broke to pay importers of petrol several billions in subsidy claims.

Already, the management of the National Assembly has invited bids from contractors interested in supplying the vehicles.

In an advertisement published in some newspapers, including Blueprint of November 20, 2015, the authorities asked the companies to tender for “Lot 1S, Supply of Utility Vehicles”.

The advert, in what appears a deliberate ploy to conceal details, failed to indicate the number, type and specification of vehicles being bought.

However, PREMIUM TIMES has now obtained detailed copies of tender documents being discreetly issued to prospective contractors.

In one of the documents, the Senate indicated it was buying 120 units of Toyota Land Cruiser, 2016 model.

Other details of the vehicles included that they must be “American Brand, V8, VXR, 5.7, Auto Engine WITH INTELLIGENCE”.

The senators also want the vehicles to come with integrated navigator cruise control, QI-Compatible wireless charging and Kinetic dynamic suspension system, as well as being “full option”.

On November 21, the Senate also put up another advert it labelled “addendum”.

The latest advert under Lot 2S, which was couched to look like an oversight in the first advert, was for the purchase of vehicles for the use of the senate president’s convoy.

Under Lot 2S and based on the tender document, which we have also obtained, the national assembly is seeking to purchase a 2016 modelMercedes Benz S550 for Mr. Saraki.

Other vehicles being procured for Mr. Saraki include four 2016 Toyota Prado jeeps, four 2016 Toyota Hilux SS (Auto) as well as a 2016 model Toyota Hiace Bus.

The spokesperson for the Senate, Aliyu Sabi, could not be reached Saturday to comment on these new procurement as his telephone was switched off the several times our reporter called.

The Director of Information of the National Assembly, Ishaku Dibal, declined to comment on the matter. He said he was driving and couldn’t comment after our reporter put his question to him.

Subsequent calls to his telephone failed to connect.

PREMIUM TIMES carried out a market survey on all the vehicles being bought by the senate and we can confirm that the upper chamber would spend over four billion naira of taxpayers money to enhance their taste for luxury.

Specifically, give or take, vehicles are valued at N4.739,515,625.

Although there are 109 senators, the lawmakers are buying 120 Toyota Land-cruisers. It is not clear where the balance of 11 vehicles would go.

We arrived at our figure of N4.7 billion after computing the cost of the vehicles, 35 per cent duties to be paid, and another 35 per cent levy.

There is also the expected 35 per cent profit margin to be made by each supplier based on the requirements of Nigeria’s procurement act.

Our checks revealed that a Toyota Land Cruiser, 2016 model, goes for $84,000, and at the current exchange rate of N250 to the dollar, it amounts to N21,000,000.

If 75 per cent of cost is added, being duty, levy and profit margin (translating to N15, 750,000) each vehicle would cost Nigerian tax payers N36,750,000.

Given that the senators propose to buy 120 units of the vehicles, the t

The All Progressives Congress candidate in the December 5 Bayelsa State governorship election, Timipre Sylva, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to announce the results from the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and declare a winner in the elections.
After collating election results in seven local government areas, INEC cancelled the election in Southern Ijaw LGA on Monday, December 7, thereby declaring the election inconclusive.
The reasons given by the electoral body for the cancellation were violence, abduction of electoral officials and snatching of election materials.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate and incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson, leads from the results of so far collated and announced.
INEC has fixed Saturday, December 19, for a supplementary election in Southern Ijaw LGA.
But Mr. Sylva said while violence occurred in Southern Ijaw LGA, the commission erred in scheduling fresh polls.
In a petition to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, copied to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Mr. Sylva said the commission lacked the powers to cancel “already concluded or on-going election”.

“It is important to note that under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), there is no power either, express or implied that is vested on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, your commission or any staff whatsoever to cancel election that has commenced or concluded, in any manner as was done in Bayelsa state,” Mr. Sylva wrote in the petition dated December 8.
“The Commission’s power, in the above is limited only to the postponement of election that has not commenced,” he said.
“We consider the action of cancelling results of an election while collation is on-going as a dangerous precedent, usurping of the functions of the Tribunals established by the Constitution illegal and reminiscent of the annulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and if allowed stand will not only expose your Commission to endless and avoidable litigations and would become a ready tool in the hands of officials of your Commission the power to truncate the will of the people,” he argued.
The APC candidate, however, requested that should the commission feel “strongly that it has the powers to cancel already concluded or on-going elections”, it should also cancel the elections in Ekeremor, Sagbama Local Government Areas, Wards 4 and 5 of Yenagoa and Ward 8,9 and 10 of Nembe Local Government Areas.
Mr. Sylva said that, “the elections in Ekeremor, Sagbama Local Government Areas, Wards 4 and 5 of Yenagoa and Ward 8, 9 and 10 of Nembe Local Government Areas were marred by massive violence, abduction of both electoral officials and materials, massive thumb printing and rigging but that despite our oral and written protests, your commission accepted the results at units, wards, local government area and state collation centres at the areas highlighted above”.

On Friday night, the Federal Government (FG) released a circular calling upon all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to remit 80% of their operational surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund account, according to Punch Newspaper.

Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun
Daily Gist
The order allegedly originated from the office of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun. The order also called upon all MDAs to reduce operating costs as much as possible, in keeping with President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to reduce wasteful government expenditures.

Minister Adeosun also noted the very poor performance, thus far, of compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act by MDAs. She warned all Accounting Officers and Chief Executive Officers of MRDs that any failure to remit the required amount of funds to the Consolidated Revenue Fund would result in their immediate sanction.

In addition, all future reviews of Accounting Officers and Chief Executive Officers would take into account their compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act when contemplating the renewal of their tenures.

“All revenue gathering agencies must comply with the circular and cut their costs,” Mrs. Adeosun’s statement read in part.

In order to ensure compliance with her directives, the Minister of Finance announced that every MDA was now required to submit monthly Expenditure Transcripts and Revenue Returns to the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

I want to begin by appreciating the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation for its impact on the development of ideas through its annual lecture series. The fact that the themes of the lecture series have focused on critical puzzles bordering on human development lends credence and justification for the sustenance of the lecture series.

It is no doubt that an event like this demands a lot of sacrifice financially and otherwise. Apart from the contribution of the lecture series to human development, it has also unveiled the genius personality of Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe, whose philosophical insight is gradually finding place in the psyche of academics globally, particularly at a time when Africans are determined to rewrite their own history.

The topic of discourse at this session, which is corruption, significantly ties into my vision for our great country, Nigeria, that we must kill corruption before corruption will kill us. My being here to deliver the keynote address at today’s session is instructive on the resolve of this government to interface with initiatives that are fundamentally patriotic and assisting in our path to socio-economic and political recovery.

In the last general elections, in the midst of a number of issues upon which we campaigned as a party, the one that gained higher currency in the psyche of our people was that Nigerians needed leadership that could be relied upon to tackle the orgy of corruption in the country.

While our program of action identified corruption as a very dangerous challenge that must be curtailed if our country could ever generate a future of hope, the issues of collapsing educational system, diversification of our economy, fostering a welfare based agenda for the disadvantaged, infrastructural development, among others, were also very prominent in our campaign focus.

The primary attention that tackling corruption earned in the course of our campaign and in determining the final outcome of the election underpins how seriously Nigerians see corruption as a fundamental factor crippling the progress and development of the country. Nigerians are, indeed, convinced that except we curtail corruption, the country will remain in perennial regression.

It is upon this conviction of our people that corruption poses great danger and should be curtailed that we anchor our hope. It underpins our assurance that the efforts of this government in checking corruption will yield significant successes in the final outcome.
In other words, we note that sheer heroism cannot achieve the elimination of corruption from our social space. What is most required is the conviction of the populace that corruption is an antithesis to social cohesion and development, and must be eliminated. We must get to a point where every Nigerian begins to hate corruption with a passion, and collectively determine to root it out of our body polity.

Any effort to try to deal with corruption without a convinced populace will end as spasmodic, ephemeral exercise, lacking the appropriate social impact. When we are talking about corruption conventionally, it is a manifestation of the human mindset. It is the human beings that manifest corruption.

To win the war on corruption, therefore, begins with the people accepting that there is an error to be corrected in their lives, that there is a need to refocus and re-orientate the values that we cherish and hold dear. It requires change of mindset, change of attitude, and change of conduct.

The decision of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation to choose corruption as the topic of discourse at this session is, therefore, encouraging to this government, pursuant to our vision that winning the war against corruption requires our synergy, a collectivisation of our resolve that corruption must be eliminated in the social psyche of the Nigerian nation.

Even in my earlier years in service to our country, I had personally identified the destructive impact of corruption. Taken from t

The Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) on Saturday explained why some of its members were yet to be paid the compensation money released to the body by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The publisher of ThisDay Newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena, had said in his response to a letter of invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, that he received N120 million in March 2015 on behalf of NPAN and 12 newspapers.
The newspapers had demanded compensation for the unlawful seizure and stoppage of circulation of their newspapers by armed soldiers in Abuja and several cities in June 2014.
But in separate statements on Friday, some of the 12 newspapers dissociated themselves from the payments.
The newspapers are African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles; Peoples Media Limited, publishers of Peoples Daily; Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, and Independent Newspapers Limited, publishers of Daily Independent newspapers,.
However, in a statement Saturday, the Executive Secretary of NPAN, Feyi Smith, explained why the affected papers had not been paid.
Mr. Smith said, “Our attention has been drawn to statements issued last night by the Nigerian Tribune, Peoples’ Daily and New Telegraph Newspapers claiming that they did not receive the compensation for the military disruption of circulation of newspapers by the Federal Government.

“It should be recalled that the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Executive Council meeting of March 17, 2015, held at the offices of Daily Trust, Abuja, resolved to accept the N120million compensation and passed two other resolutions thereto:
(1) that each member- organisation accepts to donate N1million from the compensation to the Association for the up-keep of the Secretariat;
(2) that members should bring their membership account current, by paying all past dues to the Secretariat before collecting their cheques.
“The cheques for the Nigerian Tribune and Peoples’ Daily remain in the Secretariat awaiting collection.
“In the case of New Telegraph, the Secretariat was confronted with a situation where 13 Newspapers made claims while compensation for 12 newspapers was made. Blueprint Newspapers which was inadvertently omitted from the list has since been been paid.
“When New Telegraph now demanded payment that had been collected by Blueprint Newspapers, the secretariat then brought the matter to the attention of the of the President, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, who then called Governor Orji Kalu , the Publisher of both the Sun Newspapers (who had been paid) and the New Telegraph (which has not been paid), to urge him to be patient for the matter to be tabled at the next Executive Council meeting, where he would seek the approval of the EXCO to take the funds earmarked for the Secretariat to pay them.”

By Airahuobhor
Barely one week after Nigerian Senate ordered Nigeria Customs Service to suspend rice imports
through the land borders, the Service has announced a total revenue of N1,178,720,376 on the
commodity through the land borders in October and November 2015.
During the same period, the total quantity of rice imported through the land borders stood at 17.596
million Metric Tonnes.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) disclosed the figures at a strategy session
he convened to review revenue performance for the year.
“ The huge collection in just two months has vindicated our position. If we had stuck to our
previous directive, this much quantum of rice would still have been smuggled anyway, and we
would have lost over a billion Naira revenue as this critical period of our economic downtown” , the
CGC said.
Two months ago, the Comptroller-General of the Service had approved the removal of the
restriction placed on importation of Rice through the land borders shortly after assuming office,
sparking public criticism. Many condemned the decision on the premise that it would discourage
further investments in local production, which federal government sought to achieve with the
restriction order.
The removal by Col. Hameed was predicated on the large scale rice smuggling through the land
borders, resulting in huge revenue loss and distortions in the price of the item in the local markets.
The breakdown of the Rice imports shows that Idiroko border in Ogun Command has the largest
volume of 8.276 Metric tonnes, with a collection of N555,152,344 duty. Katsina Borders come next
in quantity of 3,636 Metric tones imported, where total revenue of N242,985,626 was collected
during the same period.
A total of 2.156 metric tones was imported through the land borders of Oyo/Osun command,
generating a total revenue of N144,278,025.
Other Commands include: Seme – 2,140 Metric Tonnes with N143,349,658, Sokoto – 602 Metric
Tonnes with N40,162,759;
Kano/Jigawa – 470 Metric Tonnes with N31,536,148;
Adamawa/Taraba – 248 Metric Tonnes with N16,545,422;
Niger/Kwara/Kogi – 68 Metric Tonnes with N4,710,394.
Meanwhile, Senators unanimously took the decision to suspend the importation of the commodity
through the land borders insisting that it must only come inn through the seaports till further notice.
They argued that considering the huge costs resulting from paying duty to Nigeria and Benin
Republic, anybody importing through the land borders must have an ulterior motive to cheat
government.
With the huge revenue recorded within two months from rice, will the federal government
reconsider allowing rice imports through land borders especially now that the country seeks
inncreased revenue?
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The Federal Government, yesterday, slammed 43-count charge on former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd); former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa and his son, Sagir.
Others charged with them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on behalf of the Federal Government are: High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications Plc and Daar Investment and Holdings Limited; former Finance Director in the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu and Aminu Baba Kusa.
Other suspects charged by the anti-graft agency are private companies said to have received huge sums from the ONSA without any clear and specified reasons.
They are: Acacia Holdings Limited, Reliance Referral Hospital Limited and Dalhatu Investments Limited.
A breakdown of the charges, which Vanguard obtained last night, showed that the former NSA, Dasuki, Shauibu Salisu, Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited were slammed with a total of 19 charges bordering on money laundering, diversion of public funds and breach of public trust among others.
Similarly, Bashir Yuguda, Sambo Dasuki, Shuaibu Salisu, Dalhatu Investment Ltd, Sagir Attahiru and Attahiru Bafarawa were charged with 22 counts.
High Chief Dokpesi and his company, Daar Investment and Holdings Limited were slammed with two counts each.
The cases have been filed with the Federal High Court but not yet assigned to any judge, according to findings by our correspondent.
The agency had used most part of last Sunday grilling the suspects and confronting them with details of the illicit transactions that made the Federal Government to lose huge sums of money.
Dasuki has already challenged the Federal Government for trying to investigate and bring him to book for the alleged offence and breach of his fundamental rights.
The case is before Justice Ademola Adeniyi.
Also, Dokpesi in an ex-parte application he filed through his lawyer, Mr. Mike Ozehkome, SAN, urged the court to grant him bail on liberal terms, pending his formal arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction.
Instead of granting the motion, Justice Kolawole, in a chamber ruling last Friday,  ordered Dokpesi’s lawyer to go and put the Federal Government on notice, even as  he adjourned the matter till December 14.
The court also directed EFCC to produce Dokpesi before it on that day.
However, few hours after the order was made, EFCC granted administrative bail to Dokpesi.
In his application dated December 3, Dokpesi told the court that he was detained for more than 48 hours without the EFCC entering any charge against him.
Ozehkome told the court that his client was on December 1 summoned via the telephone to report to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
He said Dokpesi has since then remained in custody on the anti-graft agency, adding that he was grilled for so many hours despite the fact that he did not have fore knowledge of why he was wanted by the EFCC.
-vanguard

My life is in danger: they may become even more vicious and deadly---Pius Anyim

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, has raised the alarm over a perceived threat to his life and property. He has asked President Muhammadu Buhari for extra security.

Pius Anyim

In a petition over a publication by Sahara Reporters, in which the online medium on December 2, stated that Anyim was under investigation over allegations that he is funding pro-Biafra protests, the former SGF linked it to a sustained media attack on his person.

In the petition Anyim said he was compelled to seek protection from government because of “the desperation that has sustained the evil elements in the last five months could drive them to become even more vicious and deadly.

“I have taken time in the last five months to uncover the masterminds of this dangerous plan and my findings reveal a bunch of touts and hirelings with a track record of dangerous capacity to commit any harm. They operate as a network and recruit other elements, when necessary, to act as their undercover agents.

“They occasionally appear frontal and, at other times, act as if they are faceless. They are well organised and employ multiple strategies to sustain their plans, including blackmail and spurious allegations.

“It may interest Mr. President to note that following my resolve to maintain my decency and absolute faith in God, I have watched their orchestrations unfold in the last five months. I may not need at this point to name the suspected masterminds but I believe that a clear presentation of their mode of operation would provide a useful lead to the investigating authorities.”

He, therefore, urged the government to uncover all the actors in the plan and bring them to book

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, disclosed yesterday, that the Federal Government will reintroduce toll gates where revenue generated can be channelled towards  sustaining and maintaining quality federal roads. He promised that money generated from the toll gates will be properly accounted for and judiciously put to use.
Fashola, in his maiden press conference at the Ministry of Works in Abuja, also said the former Ministry of Works owes 206 contractors over N2 trillion for which only N13 billion was released to the Ministry out of the N18.132 billion it budgeted for.
In the housing sector, the minister also said that the Federal Government would spend N10 billion to build low income housing estates in each of the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On toll gates, Fashola said the Federal Government will re-introduce highway tolling to raise additional funds to finance road infrastructure and ensure efficient road maintenance.
His words: “Maintenance would be our watchword. We are setting up a robust maintenance regime to keep our highways in good shape. This shows that tolling is necessary to support government funding. So, it will not be too much if we ask every road user to pay a little to augment government funding for road maintenance.
“It is eminent commonsense for us to find that money. We will use technology; so if you don’t pay cash, you will pay by tokens or tickets and the money is accountable and it will go to the right place. We will manage that fund properly and we will hold those who we put there to account.”
The Minister further said that the Ministry will have to focus on states link roads and roads with the heaviest traffic flow before it will continue with some other ongoing projects

In our series of letter from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at the impact of new economising measures in Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to office in May, seems bent on making public office less and less attractive to the average Nigerian "big man".
Beyond the unusually austere salary package for new members of his cabinet - in response to the country's worst economic crisis in years - he has given an instruction that should drastically reduce the size of every serving minister's entourage.
Few Nigerian big men walk alone: Such a typical highly esteemed and self-important person in Africa's most populous country goes around accompanied by a multitude of men.
They follow him to weddings and funerals and birthdays and book launches; they follow him to weddings and funerals and birthdays and book launches; they stand when he stands, sit when he sits, and depart when he departs.
You can often tell when a big man is approaching by the number of followers pushing their way through in front of him or those shepherding from behind.
You can usually tell when one is in the vicinity, maybe inside a restaurant or a hotel, by the number of men hovering outside, at the front door or the gate or in the lobby, waiting.
As soon as their principal reappears, they jump into action, surround him to his car, then shove their way into their own vehicles, which zoom off behind and in front of his.
Sometimes, the big man is travelling out of Nigeria, perhaps to a country where such exuberant displays of clustering may be greeted with raised eyebrows.
In that case, the retinue will stop at the airport lobby, watching solemnly as he jets off.
But when he returns, they will have regrouped, possibly on the tarmac, ready to resume their duties from exactly where they stopped.

Retired Lt.-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, the Minister of Interior, says five thousand personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), will soon be deployed to the north-east.
The minister, who disclosed this on during a familiarisation visit to the NSCDC in Abuja on Tuesday, said the deployment would be to areas librated from terrorists.
“A lot is expected from NSCDC. This is the time the country needs you particularly in the post-conflict areas in the north east.
“I am happy that you will soon be deploying about 5, 000 of your personnel to the north-east as part of your contributions in stabilising those areas liberated’’, he said.
He explained that it is not only NSCDC personnel that would be deployed to the area.
“It will be a multi-agency deployment that involves all the apparatuses of government.’’
Dambazau charged officers and men of the NSCDC to be proactive and diligent in the discharge of their duties in line with the change agenda of the Federal Government.
He also stressed the need for adequate training of officers in line with international best practice.
Dambazau assured that the ministry would continue to do its part to ensure better welfare and adequate training for officers of the corps.
He warned that anybody caught misusing his/her firearm would be adequately sanctioned as the arms were meant to protect the citizens.
Mr Abdullahi Muhammadu, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, said the leadership of the corps had been doing a lot to ensure professionalism amongst the rank and file.
He said that the NSCDC will continue to work with relevant security agencies to ensure the protection of lives and property and critical infrastructure in the country.
Highlights of the familiarisation tour was the change of guard, anti-vandal parade, disaster management team simulation and sports unit demonstration, among others.

The Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Joshua Okpo, is dead.
Mr. Okpo died Tuesday in Abuja, where he had travelled to for an official business of the academy.
A source at the academy told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Okpo was expected to be at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning to discuss the academy’s budget with lawmakers.
The source said when staff of the academy waited at the National Assembly complex for the rector and did not see or hear from him for several hours, they drove to his residence in Abuja, where they found him dead in his room.
The cause of death was not yet known.
Mr. Okpo’s body was said to have been deposited in the mortuary at the National Hospital, Abuja.

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says he does not regret supporting President Muhammadu Buhari during the electioneering, adding that Nigeria would not have survived four more years of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s rule. Soyinka added that the revelation of stolen loot such as the arms purchase fraud justified his position that Nigeria was being run aground by the last administration.

The Nobel laureate said this during a programme titled, ‘Channels Book Club’ on Channels Television on Tuesday.

The playwright confessed that he used to have a bad impression of Buhari who he once described as a “devil for whom in my calculation, no spoon existed long enough to justify the risk even of an impromptu snack.”

However, Soyinka said many of his trusted companions were able to convince him during the electioneering that Buhari had changed and that the highhandedness that characterised his military rule in the 1980s could not be repeated during a democratic rule.

He said, “We were left with two credible contestants in terms of catchment area for the nation. We had reached, in my view, the bottom. I became convinced that if this country underwent four more years under President Jonathan, the country would run aground completely. I looked at the record and said this cannot go on, this has to stop.

“Then I looked at this man who had contested elections three times before and said he would not contest anymore and then decided to throw his hat in the ring. I talked to people and I said do you know what you’re doing?

“And after weighing all the options, I said let’s try a new one. And since in electoral terms, he was the one, I guardedly, with reservations, announced that no, not a continuation under Jonathan.

“And so very reluctantly, I want this on record, because I made it quite clear, I weighed the two of them and I said this nation stands a better chance under Buhari. And what has been coming out now? Look at all that has been coming out? Look at the figures (loot) which virtually hammer one into the ground just the sheer enormity of the robbery of this nation that is getting exposed progressively. It shows that we did not make a bad choice.”

When asked if he was completely satisfied with Buhari’s six months in office, Soyinka said, “Not totally but Buhari has proven that there is such a thing as a born again democrat.”

Asked his opinion of the recent pro-Biafran agitations, Soyinka said there was a need for the government to meet with pro-Biafran groups to understand the real problem.

The playwright said the government should convoke a fresh National Conference which would address the feelings of pro-Biafran elements.

The octogenarian said the government could not wish away with idea of Biafra because ideas could not be killed.

He said the government should treat the matter dispassionately as there was nothing evil about secession. He noted that Nigeria even ceded the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroun.

Soyinka said, “So, let us sit down, let us talk once again about restructuring the nation in a way that no one will want to leave. The agitations, for me, are not surprising. It was expected that it would happen sooner or later.

“So, I am referring to a genuine and authentic National Conference. Not like the one that former President Olusegun Obasanjo called which was meant to try to perpetuate himself in office.

“The one under Jonathan was extensive; it covered lots and lots of ground. It proposed some far-reaching changes, not far-reaching for me, but far-reaching. It is about time we went back to efforts like that; genuine ones like that.”

Suspected cultists on Monday invaded the Ebute-Meta area of Lagos State, killing four persons and injuring twenty others.
Residents said the gunmen who wore masks and operated for about one hour without any resistance from security agencies, drove into the community at about 9.30pm in two cars and shot sporadically at residents of Odofin, Kano, Jebba, Osolake and Bello Streets.
When Vanguard visited the community on Tuesday, a team of policemen from the Denton Police station and the Rapid Response Squad were seen patrolling the community.
According to a police source, the team of policemen stormed the Ebute Onipomo area, a slum community, close to where the shooting took place and arrested four persons in connection with the shooting.
The police source also stated that three corpses were recovered from the scene of the shooting at Ebute-Onipomo in the wee hours of Tuesday.
When contacted over the incident, the Chief (Baale,) of the Okobaba community, Alhaji Musbau Junadu said his son is among the residents shot by the gun men.
He said: “I left Odofin Street for my house but as I was parking my car, I got a phone call that gun men were shooting. I hurried back and saw that my son, Muheed, was shot on his two legs. He is a footballer but they want to render him useless. I am at the Igbobi hospital to ensure that he survives.
“My son and other residents shot by the robbers have been taken to the hospital for treatment. I cannot tell you who these people (gun men) are or where they came from. One Kazeem died from the gun shot he sustained”
It was further gathered that the gunmen were repelled from attacking residents at Apapa Road by a combined team of policemen and the vigilante group. Musbau Agbodimu, secretary of the Vigilante Goup of Nigeria in Lagos said: “We learned that the gunmen stormed the area and started shooting sporadically.”

Enugu division of the Appeal Court has upheld the election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as valid candidate for Enugu West Senatorial District.

A statement from the media office of Ekweremadu said the appeal court judgement was delivered on Monday in Enugu. Reacting to the judgement, Ekweremadu, who is Deputy President of the Senate, expressed satisfaction with the ruling of the court.

Ekweremadu said he was never perturbed as the mandate handed to him by his people was “free, fair, credible, resounding, and therefore incontrovertible.”

The lawmaker, who said he did not begrudge his challenger for trying his luck at the tribunal, restated that his major concern was to provide quality representation to his constituents and the nation in general. He said: “This is the beauty of democracy.

My challenger exercised his democratic right. It is also democratic and reassuring that the appellate court has upheld the return made by the lower tribunal on my election.

“I thank my constituents and the good people of Enugu State for their prayers, goodwill, and immense faith they have continued to repose in me.

Let me also reassure them that I will never let them down. I will continue to work for the common good and to justify every bit of confidence reposed in me.” It would be recalled that Ekweremadu polled 120,075 votes to re-emerge senator for Enugu West Senatorial District in the 2015 general elections.

However, although his closest rival of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Mrs. Louisa Achieze, who polled 2,314 had openly accepted the result and congratulated Ekweremadu, Mr. Philip Chukwudi Eze had approached the threeman National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu to challenge Ekweremadu’s victory on the ground that he was the rightful candidate of APC.

The petition was thrown out for lack of merit by the tribunal headed by Justice Michael Edem. It also awarded a total sum of N60,000 in favour of the Deputy President of the Senate.

The Federal Government, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, why it was not in a hurry to release the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, claiming that its investigations revealed that Kanu, who it identified as the brain behind recent clamour for the creation of ‘Biafra Republic’, had already received huge sums of money to purchase weapons.
Government in a counter-affidavit before the court, said that prior to his arrest, Kanu, had already made enquiries about prices of all the weapons he intends to buy.

In the counter-affidavit by a senior officer with the Department of State Services, DSS,  Mr. Ayo Ibitoye, it insisted that it would be in the interest of justice, peace and order, to allow the IPOB leader to remain in custody of the security agency.

It will be recalled Kanu who is also the Director of Radio Biafra and Television,    was on October 17, arrested in Lagos by security operatives, shortly after he arrived Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom.

He was later arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja  over allegation that he engaged in  criminal conspiracy, managed and belonged to an unlawful society.

But on October 19,  pleaded not  guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the tune of N2million.

The court further directed the defendant to produce a civil servant of Grade Level 16, to stand as his surety.

However, the accused person alleged that the Nigerian government refused to release  him from detention despite the fact that he had met the bail conditions.

FG had while the matter was pending before the Magistrate court, secured an order from the high court to further detain Kanu for 90 days.

It was sequel to the  order that government lawyer,  Mr Moses Idakwo, asked Magistrate Usman to  step down from the trial on the ground that his court lacks the power and jurisdiction to prosecute terrorism charges.

Following an application by Kanu before the high court, seeking to enforcing his fundamental right to freedom, government filed a counter-affidavit, explaining why he will not been released, despite the clear orders of the court.

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Kogi polls: I won’t join issues with Faleke – Yahaya Bello
December 8, 2015Premium Times

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The Kogi State governor-elect, Yahaya Bello, said he would not join issues with James Faleke, the running-mate of late Abubakar Audu, over Kogi governorship election crisis.
Following the declaration of Mr. Bello as governor-elect on Sunday, Mr. Faleke said he would not take oath of office as deputy governor.
Mr. Bello’s reaction is contained in a statements issued on Tuesday in Abuja by his media assistant, Suleiman Abdulmalik.
The governor-elect said dialogue remained the best solution to party issues, saying he had absolute confidence in the leadership of the party to end the disagreement.
He described Mr. Faleke as a brother, saying the political crisis happening in the state is a family affair.
“I will continue to appeal to him and others to join hands with me in moving Kogi State forward.
“In politics we agree and disagree but dialogue remains the only solution to issues, but what happens in my state is an act of God,” he said.
Mr. Bello disclosed that the ongoing reconciliation in the state had settled the political dispute, saying most of late Audu’s supporters were now with him.
“Those who matter in Audu’s camp are already working for me even before the supplementary election, and that reconciliation efforts greatly helped in defeating the PDP,” he said
The statement also advised Mr. Faleke to accept the outcome of the election as the will of God.
“All hands must be on deck and we must rally round the governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. No winner, no vanquished; we must continue as one united family that we are.
“Hon James Abiodun Faleke and other aggrieved party members should accept the new development as the wish of God. We plead with them to cooperate with Bello to develop the state in line with the vision of our late icon, Prince Abubakar Audu.
“The governor-elect is a humble man who will not discriminate against anyone within the party. All Kogites should pray for and work towards peace, stability and progress of the state.
“We are using this opportunity to emphasise the need for the people to support their leaders for the benefit of all,” he said.

Menu
Kogi polls: I won’t join issues with Faleke – Yahaya Bello
December 8, 2015Premium Times

RELATED NEWS
I won't present myself for swearing-in as deputy governor in Kogi -- James Faleke
December 7, 2015
Faleke sues INEC, asks Court to declare him Kogi’s governor-elect
December 1, 2015
I will reconcile with Audu’s family, Kogi governor-elect says
December 6, 2015
Faleke's status in Saturday’s Kogi election unclear
December 4, 2015
Kogi Election: APC snubs Faleke, picks Yahaya Bello as guber candidate
November 30, 2015
The Kogi State governor-elect, Yahaya Bello, said he would not join issues with James Faleke, the running-mate of late Abubakar Audu, over Kogi governorship election crisis.
Following the declaration of Mr. Bello as governor-elect on Sunday, Mr. Faleke said he would not take oath of office as deputy governor.
Mr. Bello’s reaction is contained in a statements issued on Tuesday in Abuja by his media assistant, Suleiman Abdulmalik.
The governor-elect said dialogue remained the best solution to party issues, saying he had absolute confidence in the leadership of the party to end the disagreement.
He described Mr. Faleke as a brother, saying the political crisis happening in the state is a family affair.
“I will continue to appeal to him and others to join hands with me in moving Kogi State forward.
“In politics we agree and disagree but dialogue remains the only solution to issues, but what happens in my state is an act of God,” he said.
Mr. Bello disclosed that the ongoing reconciliation in the state had settled the political dispute, saying most of late Audu’s supporters were now with him.
“Those who matter in Audu’s camp are already working for me even before the supplementary election, and that reconciliation efforts greatly helped in defeating the PDP,” he said
The statement also advised Mr. Faleke to accept the outcome of the election as the will of God.
“All hands must be on deck and we must rally round the governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. No winner, no vanquished; we must continue as one united family that we are.
“Hon James Abiodun Faleke and other aggrieved party members should accept the new development as the wish of God. We plead with them to cooperate with Bello to develop the state in line with the vision of our late icon, Prince Abubakar Audu.
“The governor-elect is a humble man who will not discriminate against anyone within the party. All Kogites should pray for and work towards peace, stability and progress of the state.
“We are using this opportunity to emphasise the need for the people to support their leaders for the benefit of all,” he said.

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has adviced the Federal Government to sit with those protesting for Biafra for dialogue instead of saying “Nigeria is indivisible” or “This won’t happen under my watch.”

He warned that “Once an idea has taken off, you may defeat those behind it in a war but that does not mean the end of the idea.” He said in A Channels TV program

He therefore urged the Government to sit with the leaders of agitation and ask “What can we do to make the Igbo feel part of the country, what can we do to make them to feel that they belong and not alienated.

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“This is what we are ready to push for in the overall governance content of the country. It is not to be carrying on that this will not happen under my watch; Nigeria is indivisible, Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable.”

an appeal filed by Chief Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The judgment, as read by Justice Datijo Yahaya indicated that the election of Mrs Ekwunife on March 28, 2015 did not meet the prescription of the electoral act and therefore ordered a rerun in the Anambra Central Senatorial District within 90 days.

But later in the day, the sadness within the PDP camp gave way to smile when Prince Buruji Kashamu was declared winner of the Ogun East Senatorial District by the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan.

The Court of Appeal upturned the October 9, 2015 judgment of the National and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Abeokuta to reaffirmed and returned Kashamu as the validly elected senator for the district.

The appellate court in a unanimous decision held that Kashamu’s appeal is meritorious and therefore succeeds, consequently, the three-man panel set aside the ruling of the elections tribunal and affirmed as well as returned Senator Kashamu as the winner of the March 28, 2015 senatorial election in Ogun East Senatorial district
While reading the lead judgment, justice M.L Shuaib held that the tribunal erred and was partisan, adding that it descended into the arena and scouted for evidence to nullify Kashamu’s election and truncate his victory.

He added that it was curious, illogical and perverse of the tribunal to place so much reliance on the evidence of a prosecution witness labeled as PW 44 and further admit as evidence documents that were clearly inadmissible under the law and also act on such evidence to truncate Kashamu’s victory.

According to the panel, PW 44 who posed as a forensic expert had discredited himself during cross examination when he stated that anyone with prerequisite knowledge could do what he did and added that he had no degree in statistics.
“PW 44 sold himself out and the tribunal should not have held that he was an expert when he himself had agreed anyone could do what he did. No expert opinion is needed in this case since PW44 stated that anyone, even a layman could do what he did and he has no degree in statistics.

“There is no certification of the admitted print out by the said forensic expert so it is not an exhibit and he also sold himself out when he stated that the Appendix A, B and C which was his report was printed from a computer but the tribunal held that it was PW44’s statement on oath and not a print out,” the panel stated.

The three man panel further held that the case of Prince Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressive Congress is a non issue as the material used to nullify the results of elections in some polling units and order re-election is inadmissible in law.

“The case of the first and second respondents (Abiodun and APC) in this appeal collapses like a pack of cards as the respondents fail to lay necessary foundation for the admissibility of the annexes. Exhibits A, B and C are expunged as inadmissible

“PW44 was a hatchet man brought to truncate the appellant’s victory and since his testimony is that he thoroughly analyzed some documents from INEC’s register and used a computer to draw a table and print it out, the annexes are indeed a printout.

“It is wrong of the tribunal to place so much reliance on the evidence of a discredited witness and use an inadmissible document to arrive at its judgment.”

The three man panel comprising of Justices A.G Msheila, M.L Shuaib and Ignatius Agube also adopted the same judgment for the cross petition filed by Prince Adedapo Abiodun.

Last month, the Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, annulled the election of the immediate past Senate President, Senator David Mark also of the PDP.

The Court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct fresh elections in the Benue South senatorial district within 90 days.

Mark’s victory at the March 28th., 2015 National Assembly elections, was challenged by Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), who petitioned the Benue sta

Boko Haram gunmen have torched almost an entire village near the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok from where over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped, a resident who fled and a local elder said Tuesday. The raid in Takulashi village happened on Sunday and saw the Islamists loot food supplies, two days after fighters stole more than 200 cattle from the same location.
Recent months have seen a reduction in such hit-and-run raids in rural northeast Nigeria, in an indication the rebels’ ability to strike has been reduced by an army counter-offensive. But sporadic raids still occur and there is concern about an increase in suicide and bomb attacks in urban centres.
A group of insurgents on bicycles and on foot invaded the farming and herding community at about 6:00 am (0500 GMT) on Sunday, shooting indiscriminately and setting fire to homes. “They burnt more than 100 homes in the village. Only five houses were spared the inferno,” said a resident who gave his name as David, after fleeing to the nearby town of Askira Uba.
The attackers loaded food supplies onto four vehicles they took from the village and burnt four more they were unable to take with them. The rest of the supplies were set on fire. “We will have to wait till everybody is back to know if there were any fatalities in the attack,” Ayuba Chibok, a community leader in Chibok, told AFP.
“We are making contacts with the residents who fled to locations where there is a phone network. “We thought the worst had happened after Boko Haram rustled over 200 cattle in the village on Friday.” In April last year 12 people were killed when gunmen attacked Takulashi in the wake of the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from their school in Chibok by Boko Haram.
Fifty-seven girls escaped soon afterwards but nothing has been seen or heard from the remaining 219 in captivity since a video in May 2014.

The World Bank has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to act now if he is seriously considering the removal of fuel subsidy.
The World Bank’s Lead Economist, John Litwack, said Tuesday the best time to take such decision is now.
While the Buhari administration has hinted at its intention to remove fuel subsidy, the debate is still on in the country with many Nigerians, including the organised labour, rejecting the plan.
The issue was discussed Monday at the Executive Council of the Federation meeting.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, while unveiling the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the government’s N6 trillion budget proposal for 2016, said the government was seriously weighing the options between removing or retaining fuel subsidy next year.
The government’s body language appears to favour the former, rather than the latter.
Mr. Litwack said at the launch of the new edition of Nigeria Economic Report that if the government really meant to take a decision on the issue of fuel subsidy removal, the best time to act would be now that global crude oil price was at its lowest level.
Despite last Friday’s attempt by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, during its 168th conference to maintain its production quota so as to stabilize the crude oil market, the price of the commodity slumped further to $37.89 per barrel on Monday from $38.09 on Friday.
While presenting the economic outlook of the global economy and the crude oil market, Mr. Litwack said the Bank foresaw continuous decline in global crude oil price.
He said now is the best time for the government to scrap the subsidy, as doing so would not push retail pump price beyond an average of N100 per litre, or generate the kind pressure that would negatively impact on the people beyond what they are currently facing.
“The fuel subsidy appears to have vast modest benefits for the majority of citizens, but the costs are quite high,” Mr. Litwack noted.
“There is a strong tendency for the cost of the fuel subsidy to increase over time as increasing domestic demand for petrol outpaces growth in oil output or revenues.
“The $35 billion cost of the fuel subsidy during 2010 – 2014 was one of the reasons why Nigeria was unable to accumulate a fiscal reserve n the Excess Crude Account that could have protected the country from the recent oil price shock.”
He said fuel subsidy obligations were expected to reach 18 per cent of all government oil revenues in 2015, pointing out that if the current regulated price regime of N87 per litre was maintained, subsidy was projected to increase to more than 30 per cent by 2018.

President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that the deadline given to the military to end terrorism in parts of the country is open to modification.

Buhari, who was represented by Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, stated this in Dutse at the opening ceremony of the 2015 annual conference of Chief of Army Staff. Said he, “Let me emphasise that the time frame given should serve as guide and if exigencies of multiple operations across the country requires modification, Federal Government will not hesitate to do so in order to address the flashpoints emerging in parts of the country.

“The Nigerian Army must therefore, develop strategies to address the current challenges facing the country and ensure total elimination of the insurgents.”

He said the Federal Government would assess the present situation and act appropriately in order to end the menace of terrorism in the country. The president said the timeline was only a guide for the military operation.

He therefore, charged the military to develop new strategies to address the emerging challenges in its operations.

His words: “Despite the achievements of the military in combating terrorism in the North East, the challenges of terrorism in other parts of the country remains an issue of serious national concern with the potential to impede our change drive.”

The president restated the support of his administration to the armed forces in ensuring that they delivered on their mandates.

He commended the leadership of the armed forces and the Army in particular, for ensuring professionalism and discipline among its ranks, which he noted, had impacted positively on its operations.

Buhari assured Nigerians that recent gains recorded by the armed forces in the ongoing offensive against Boko Haram would soon restore sanity to the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Olonisakin, during an interview with newsmen, said efforts are underway to ensure full deployment of the Multinational Joint Task Force across the Lake Chad region.

According to him, those countries yet to deploy troops for the Multi National Joint Task Force operations would soon do so. He said recent talks held with the Nigerien Military High Command were geared toward actualising that goal.

The CDS said other countries in the Lake Chad region are all committed to restoring peace to the region devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that top on the agenda of participants at the conference would be the Boko Haram insurgency and the issue of human rights

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc has reaffirmed its position as a leading global brand with its recent recognition as the ‘Bank of the Year’ during the 2015 Banker Awards held in London, United Kingdom.
The Banker, a publication of the Financial Times, is the world’s leading monthly journal of records for the banking Industry, with over 90 years expertise in publishing development in the banking industry both Africa and on the global scale.
The Banker Awards is regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence, recognizing and celebrating the achievements of individuals and financial institutions within the global banking sector.
According to Brian Caplen, Editor of The Banker Magazine: “The banking and financial services industry continues to develop rapidly, with a few financial institutions cementing their positions as market leaders, pushing the boundaries of innovation and excellence. GTBank has over the years maintained a reputation for delivering notable financial success hinged on world class corporate governance standards and excellent service delivery.”
Receiving the award on behalf of the bank, Managing Director and CEO of GTBank Segun Agbaje, said, “We are delighted and proud to be recognized as the 2015 Bank of the Year. Our vision has always been to create an oasis and an African institution that can operate anywhere in the world. We strive to achieve this by adopting global best practices in all our business processes while conducting ourselves in a manner required of an institution with high corporate governance standards.”

(LAGOS)

Magistrate O.A Ogunbowale of an Igbosere Magistrate’s court has remanded a 45 year-old Security personnel, Musa Mohammed, in prison custody over alleged rape of a 15 year-old boy.

The defendant is facing a three count charge bordering on assualt, unlawful sexual intercourse preferred against him by the police.

The prosecutor, inspector Asu Feddy, said that the security man, who resides at 30 Glover road, Ikoyi, committed the alleged offences on November 9, 2015, at about 4:10pm.

He said that the defendant unlawfully had sexual intercourse with a 15 year old boy through his anus.

Feddy alleged that the defendant sexually penetrated the boy without his consent and spilled semen on the boy’s anus, underwear and trousers.

The prosecutor said “The defendant forcefully raped the boy and spilled sperm all over his body when the boy went to urinate in the toilet.”

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed is punishable under Sections 170, 135 and 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state 2011.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate consequently, ordered that the defendant should be remanded in prison.

The case was adjourned to December 9 for the sentence phase.

Global business and political leaders will next week descend on Lagos for the 2015 Access Leadership Conference which is being organised by Access Bank Plc.
This year’s conference,  which holds on December 10, is titled “Leading in a transformational world – the imperative of innovation”,  features a host of speakers from around the world who will discuss major issues facing Africa, the global economy and the social transformation which is being wrought by technological change.
In both Nigeria and around the world every industry is grappling with the disruption that accompanies technological innovation. The financial system is no exception and faces changes that will fundamentally alter not just the operations of banks, but the nature of their relationships with customers.
A statement from the bank indicated that public office decision-making is rarely straightforward. “Competing interests, rapidly changing circumstances and electoral dependencies mean that uncertainty is the only reliable constant in public policy. The discussion will look at what it takes to make bold, and sometimes unpopular, decisions in the face of complexity and opposition.”
Drawing on their varied experience from careers that include central banking and microfinance, panellists at the Conference according to the bank, will discuss the impact of innovation so far, and where the next wave of disruption will take the sector.
The Access Conference 2015 closing ceremony will feature the W Awards, which have been set up to recognise and celebrate Nigerian women who defy all odds to stand out successfully.
Key categories include the W Entrepreneur award, the W Young Professional Award and the W Seasoned Professional Award. In addition to the awards, Access Bank will provide a preview of its new book, The Power of 100, which celebrates the positive contribution made to Nigerian society by women from all walks of life.

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Monday ordered Yanaty Petrochemical Limited, an oil marketing company, to submit itself for investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC, over an alleged N1.8billion petroleum subsidy fraud.
The EFCC had dragged the defendant before the appellate court to set aside the judgment of Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that all investigations into the alleged petroleum subsidy fraud against the defendant had been concluded.
Delivering the unanimous ruling, Justice E. J. Ekanem said Justice Ademola’s judgment was an undue interference with the statutory power of the EFCC, which basic function, among others, is to investigate economic and financial crimes.
Mr. Ekanem further held that the EFCC had a measure of discretion “to determine whether an investigation should continue, has been concluded or be re-opened”.
Yanaty’s Managing Director, Elias Adeojo, was given approval by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPRA to import 30,000 tons of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, under the Petroleum Support Scheme in the first quarter of 2011.
The defendant claimed he imported 31,256.992 metric tons equivalent to 42,171,630 million litres in March, 2011 via MT Beaver.
Yanaty purportedly discharged the product at Lister Oil Jetty, Lagos, which is managed by Oando Marketing Plc.
As a result, Yanaty allegedly received the sum of N2,731,942, 103.73 as subsidy for purportedly discharging 42,773,279 million litres of PMS.
However, during investigation, Oando, operator of Lister oil jetty, disclosed that MT Beaver discharged only 10, 187.353 metric tons, which is equivalent to 13, 952.926 million litres) of PMS for Yanaty, as opposed to 31, 256.992 it claimed to have discharged.
Yanaty, therefore, allegedly received the sum of N1.8billion as unearned subsidy from the federal government.
Counsel to the defendant, Michael Anache, had filed a case against the PPRA and its executive secretary before Justice A. R. Muhammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking a declaration that all investigations against them by law enforcement agencies had been concluded.
Though the EFCC was not joined in the suit before Justice Muhammed, judgment was given in favour of Yanaty.
Also, in an effort to prevent further investigation into its activities, Yanaty, thereafter, filed another case against the EFCC before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an interpretation of the judgment delivered by Justice Muhammed.
It urged Justice Ademola to rely on the earlier judgment delivered by Justice Muhammed declaring that all investigations against it ( Yanaty) had been concluded.
However, while moving his plea at the last sitting, counsel to EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, told the court that EFCC was not joined in the first suit before Justice Muhammed.
“The ruling today is a vindication of our appeal against the judgment of the lower court, which made an order restraining EFCC from further investigation and interrogation of Yanaty and its officials on the grounds that investigation against the company had been concluded.
“We insisted that investigation was ongoing because the case is clear. EFCC started investigation against Yanaty in February, 2012. But while it was subsisting, they surreptitiously filed a case against the PPRA and its former executive secretary, without joining EFCC.
“The core issue in that case was whether the Advance Payment Guarantee, APG, issued by Sterling Bank Plc in favour of PPRA still subsisted or had expired. It has nothing to do with the fact that they had been investigated or that the issue had been concluded.
“Two agencies of government are primarily charged with this investigation: EFCC and the Special Fraud Unit. Yes, the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Petroleum (downstream) as well as the Aig- Imokhoude-led Committee did some fact-finding investigations. But, at the end of their investigations, they turned