A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Olu Falae, has predicted “things would soon fall apart” for the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr. Falae, who is the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), mocked the APC for branding itself a “mega party,” but said the party was likely to totally collapse soon.

Mr. Falae spoke at the SDP’s secretariat in Akure, capital of Ondo State, while welcoming Olu Agunloye, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party and close ally of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, who defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Mr. Agunloye, a former Minister of Power and Steel as well as erstwhile Minister for Defense, had quietly defected from the PDP to the SDP last weekend in Akure.

Mr. Falae was recently named as a recipient of N100 million from Tony
Anenih, a former chairman of the PDP’s board of trustee. Nigerian investigators have suggested that the largesse was diverted from $2.1 billion budgeted for the procurement of weapons to enable the Nigerian military to better combat Islamist insurgents operating in Nigeria’s northeast. Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has been arraigned in court for disbursing the defense funds to numerous political, media and business interest for purely partisan use.

Mr. Falae, who has denied receiving any funds from Mr. Dasuki, described the various political parties that came together to form the APC as opportunists who wish to share Nigeria’s collective resources.

He said the APC was made up of “uncommitted individuals,” adding that their major aim was to share money. “They will disintegrate very soon,” he added.

Mr. Falae added: “They have no plan for this country and they are not progressive-minded people. And that's why they have nothing to show in the last seven months that they have assumed power and leadership control of
the country.”

Mr. Falae had expressed anger that his name was linked to the still unfolding scandal around Mr. Dasuki, insisting that the funds he received from Mr. Anenih were meant to empower his political party to campaign for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan. The SDP had struck an agreement to back Mr. Jonathan, who however lost to Mr. Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. 

“All Progressives Party (APC) will soon collapse because they are made
up of uncommitted party members who only believe in sharing the
money,” Mr. Falae said.

After being welcomed into the SDP, Mr. Agunloye promised to ensure that the party emerged victorious in governorship elections coming up later this year. 

Source: Sahara Reporters

EFCC traces huge cash to military chiefs’ wives, kids

Magu

Some of the $2.1billion phoney arms contracts cash have been traced to the accounts of wives and children of some former and serving military chiefs, The Nation has learnt.

The Economic and Finanacial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is probing how the money was spent, may restrict access to all the identified accounts “this week”, a source said yesterday.

Also yesterday, a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal  Alex Badeh, reported to the EFCC.

But his invitation was rescheduled for Monday ”because of operational reasons”.

It was learnt that the EFCC may interrogate Air Chief Marshal Badeh alongside some military officers who have also been invited.

A source close to the investigation said some of the former and serving officers under investigation acquired properties in the names of their wives, children and relations “to hide their loot”.

The source said: “Our investigators have uncovered that some of these military officers under probe stashed  their shares of the $2.1billion arms cash in the accounts of their relations, especially wives and children.

“We have traced such slush funds and we may freeze these accounts until we have screened the inflows and expenditures. The legitimately operated accounts will be freed after thorough screening.”

Besides, some houses belonging to the children and relations of some military chiefs have been identified as products of proceeds of financial crimes. “We have already marked the properties of one of the children of a top military brass. We have invoked Temporary Assets Forfeiture Clause in EFCC Act,” the source said.

“It is obvious that some of the arms cash were laundered through proxies, relations and phony companies. Some even registered companies in the names of their spouses or families.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “We have done enough ground work to interrogate some of these former and serving military chiefs.”

Air Chief Marshal Badeh appeared briefly at the EFCC but his interrogation was shifted to Monday.

“We have also summoned most of the former and serving military officers referred to EFCC for probe,” another source said.

Attempts to get Air Chief Marshal Badeh last night were unsuccessful.

Apart from the former CDS, others under investigation  are Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal M.D. Umar; a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki ; Col. N. Ashinze , who was the Special Military Assistant to the ex-NSA; and a former Chief of Air Staff, A.N. Amosu; the most senior Air Force officer, AVM A. M. Mamu(the Chief of Administration); AVM O.T.Oguntoyinbo (former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters); AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Officer Tactical Air Command, Makurdi;  AVM J.B. Adigun(former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF); and AVM JA Kayode-Beckley(Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre); AVM T Omenyi (MD, NAF Holdings)four top officers at the Defence Headquarters(DHQ), Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi; Air Cdre GMD Gwani; Air Cdre SO Makinde; and Air Cdre AY Lassa

Some of the areas of investigation are:

• How 10 contracts totalling $930,500,690.00 were awarded
• Payment of  N4,402,687,569.41 for unexecuted contracts
• Procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at $136,944,000.00.
• 4 used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at US$7,180,000.00 funded by ONSA
• Cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet to justify procurement of jets
• Excessive pricing of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar at $33m instead of $6m per one
• Delivery of radars without  vital component of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) that distinguishes between own and adversary aircraft
• Strange transfer of $2m to Mono Marine Corporation Nigeria Limited owned by some Air Force officers
• N15bn lavished on the maintenance of its Alpha-Jets, C-130H aircraft and Mi-24V/35P helicopters.
• N2.5billion contracts awarded to Syrius Technologies( Ukrainian company) not registered in Nigeria
• Award of 7 contracts worth N599,118,000.00 contracts to Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria(DICON) but two delivered.

Source: The Nation

RESIDENT BUHARI CALLS FOR GREATER SUPPORT FOR NIGERIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES FACING HUMANITARIAN CRISES CAUSED BY TERRORISM AND CONFLICTS

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in London called on the global community to give greater support to countries whose populace are suffering humanitarian crises caused by terrorism and civil strife.

Speaking at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in the British capital, President Buhari said that without collective support and assistance from all well-meaning countries, companies and organisations, the humanitarian catastrophe affecting millions of people in countries like Nigeria and Syria cannot be successfully addressed.

The President noted that the increasingly complex and inter-connected security challenges faced by the global community necessitate increased international cooperation in pursuit of effective solutions.
President Buhari strongly condemned the continuing violence by terrorists against innocent civilians, abuse of human rights and destruction of public and private assets and cultural heritages in Nigeria, Syria and other countries of the world.

He told the gathering that having experienced civil war and terrorist insurgency, Nigeria understands the pains inflicted on the people of Syria and the hardship that innocent civilians suffer in the hands of misguided elements.

President Buhari called on all parties involved in the Syrian conflict to seek a peaceful resolution, saying that only a political solution could bring the ongoing tragedy in the country to an end.
Concluding his address, President Buhari expressed Nigeria's immense sympathy for the people of Syria.

"We all stand in solidarity with them. Despite the magnitude of our own challenges and the increasing stress on our economy, I reaffirm our Government's commitment to support and assist the war-affected people of Syria," he said.

Participants in the conference included the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway and the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Others were the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr. Peter Maurer, the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Helen Clark and the High Representative of the European Union, Federica Mogherini.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
February 4, 2016

Wailing Wailers, Buharists and Nigeria’s Disgraceful 2016 Budget By Japheth J. Omojuwa

Before I address the essence of this piece, I will start by addressing the reaction. There are two main elements that are likely to ignore rationality when reading and commenting on this piece; the so called Wailing Wailers and the group of people who are still voting President Buhari despite the fact that he is already president. They are often both irrational groups who hold on to opposite sides of an issue mostly based on where they stood during the last polls.

Of the two, the Wailing Wailers are of course the most disgraceful, colourfully shameless and with zilch credibility. The reason being that, everything they criticize today, they once cheered and supported. Their only anger with anything today is that Goodluck Jonathan is no longer president. For most of them, they would cheer the stealing of billions of dollars, defend same and even protest if you start the prosecution process of the suspects, all because they supported Goodluck Jonathan. They do not love Nigeria and even if they wail from now till 2090, those who know better will never take them seriously.

The other group, those who are still voting President Buhari, are held back by the desperation not to be seen that they made a mistake at the polls. That is an unfortunate state to be in because of the two major options before Nigerians last year, Muhammadu Buhari was a no brainer. Goodluck Jonathan had supervised Nigeria’s longest oil boom, despite that, he left Nigeria with its lowest foreign reserve in a decade, less than 1000 MW of power supply, some 112 million poor souls, over 10 million school kids out of school, gargantuan corruption of which Nigeria would still be recovering the stolen funds 10 years from now.

Buhari was the better candidate of the two and Nigerians rightly settled that argument. What Buhari does with that mandate does not make the Nigerians who voted him the wrong party. If doing the right thing eventually results in a bad thing happening, you do not regret doing the right thing.

But Nigeria is bigger than the so called Wailing Wailers, Nigerians already proved that on March 28, 2015. End of. Nigeria is bigger than the Buharists too, Nigerians proved it three times before the 2015 elections. Buhari became president because non-Buharists voted him. Let this be clear before people get swept off by the wind and tide that swept Jonathan and his “best president ever” court of jesters.

The 2016 budget is a joke, a disgrace and a representation of the unwholesome reality of governance in Nigeria. What that budget simply shows is that we simply are not ready for the change we so mouthed during the last elections. Government officials are speaking of austerity measures and the need for Nigerians to make sacrifices, yet our Budget Office is proposing to spend some bizarre sums on some irrelevant, good for nothing materials that contribute zero-value to the average Nigerian.

The 2016 budget has N1 billion for the purchase of tables and chairs. We cannot introduce PDPian reality into governance and then pretend things have changed. N1 billion? For what? That amount will start a big furniture company with the capacity, not only to make enough chairs for the federal government, it will also create jobs. I don’t believe in government starting companies but I’d rather N1 billion spent that way than spent buying tables and chairs.

Almost N7 billion will be wasted on the Senate President’s residence and some joke consultancy distraction. If we want to run Nigeria down, let us be frank with Nigerians, instead of telling them now things will be different while continuing with the inanities that led us here in the first place.

As we speak, no one knows how the National Assembly spends its allocation. It collects its share and spends it without accounting to Nigerians. We can fool one another, but we cannot fool those watching from outside. So far, nothing has changed here! N4.8 billion has been proposed for operational vehicles for Nigerian Prisons. Let us assume these new vehicles are being bought in anticipation of the billionaires that will be jailed by president Buhari, should they then have access to the same exotic vehicles in prison as they did when eating out our collective wealth out of prison? N237 million was spent in 2015 – at least according to that budget – to purchase kitchen equipment for the state house. Now, another N89 million has been budgeted for same. How is it that kitchen equipment that cost almost N237 million cannot survive beyond a budget cycle? Haba!

We cannot stay repeating the same mistakes – should they be called mistakes if they happen every year? – and expect that somehow things will change for the better. The biggest indication of a government’s direction and intention is its budget. If this budget represents the change the APC promised, we might as well now agree that the disaster that was the “Transformation Agenda” has a match in the joke that this is turning out to be. The most part of this is that those who ought to speak are scared to speak out, they would rather speak angrily against the budget privately, then go into the Senate chamber to praise the very same document they tore apart just minutes before.

If we continue to make government about individuals, our country will not move an inch forward. What has been stated above about the budget is not a finger at who is wrong, it is a finger at what is wrong. The 2016 budget is wrong. Capital Expenditure at 30 per cent, despite an expanded budget essentially means the reality of recurrent expenditure against capital expenditure remains as it was under the Jonathan years. The difference is too marginal to be emphasized as “change.” President Buhari presented a great speech at the National Assembly when presenting the 2016 budget but if he had actually gone through some of the items in that budget, he would have instead sent those who prepared the budget to present it.

This is the first budget under a new party since the PDP’s 16-year reign. It was not expected to be markedly different from theirs because reforms need to be gradual to be sustainable, and to avoid shocks on the economy. Having said this, some items on the 2016 budget could easily have been avoided altogether. Lessons must be learnt, the Buhari administration must do better. If there is one thing this administration can learn from the last, it is this; those who are seen as critics are better than those who praise your every move. We cannot afford to get carried away by the praises of those who will not be there when we are out of power. Those who hailed the last president, as the best thing that ever happened to Nigeria could not even spend a few thousands to wish him a happy birthday just months after he left office. It is the nature of power, it is transient and it carries sycophants along with it, in droves.

Let it not be said that we did not speak when things go wrong. Let it not be said that our voices went dead when the very things we criticized under one government reared its head under another. The Wailing Wailers will say this is being done because people like us were not rewarded with government positions, but those with the power to share the offices know those who are begging them for same. And those who do not care who became what or didn’t. May we know to do better!

© JJ. Omojuwa

Agric to create three million jobs – Minister

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe, Thursday said that the Agricultural sub-sector will create three million sustainable jobs this year.

Ogbe also said that government has concluded arrangements to focus on Agriculture as one of the key sectors for economic diversification as well as the largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Minister spoke at his ministry’s 2016 budget defence session in the Senate.

He noted that the key initiative for the fiscal year, 2016 in the Agricultural sub=sector is to increase the national food supply to address national food security, to add 20 million metric tons of food annually and to create three million sustainable jobs annually.

The ministry, he said, will continue with the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) programme as a platform to deliver inputs like fertilizer, seeds and agro-chemicals to small holder farmers.

On critical projects and programmes, he said that the ministry in the budget 2016 will concentrate on import substitution commodity value chains; export substitution commodity value chains; labour intensive family enterprise (Life) programmes; agricultural mechanization and grazing reserves/ stock routes development.

The minister who gave summary of 2015 budget performance said that N2,755,369,984 representing 50% of capital appropriation was released and N488,133,883 representing 18% of release was utilized, leaving a balance of N2,266,417,876.

The balance, he said, will be utilized before March 31, 2016.

He said that the ministry projects Internally Generated Revenue of N904, 739,098.69 for 2016 fiscal year.

The IGR, he said, will be made up of N664, 998,569.88 as taxes and N239, 740,528.81 as Independent Revenue.

The 2016 budget proposal for the ministry is N40, 918,856,927

Source: The Nation

False assets declaration: Saraki knows fate today

The Supreme Court will on Friday (Today) pass its judgment on the case before it challenging the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over charges bordering on alleged false assets declaration.

A seven-man bench led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, had towards the tail end of last year fixed Friday, February 5 for the ruling after hearing the arguments on the appeal by Saraki. The Federal Government had urged the apex court ‎to dismiss the Senate President’s case and allow the trial before the CCT to continue.

The Senate President had in an appeal through his lead counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), challanged the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered on October 30, 2015, which affirmed the jurisdiction of the CCT to try him and the competence of the charges of false assets declaration preferred against him by the Federal Government.

Source: Daily Post NG

Kogi: Tribunal orders rerun in 14 LGs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to conduct re-run election in 1, 988 polling units in 14 local government areas of Kogi State on February 20th.

The Kogi State Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Mallam Haliru Pai disclosed this on Thursday during a stakeholders meeting.

According to him, the re-run election as ordered by the state election petition tribunal will hold in two senatorial districts of the state, Kogi Central and Kogi East.

He further disclosed that All Progressives Congress (APC) will not be participating in the Kogi Central and Kogi East senatorial election following the court ruling which barred the two candidates and the APC from contesting.

He said that the APC will not participate in federal constituency election into Ogoro/Okene federal constituency as a result of court ruling, adding that only the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is eligible for the re-run election.

On the Kogi State House of Assembly re-run, the REC said the APC and its candidates will not participate in the Ofu and Ankpa 1 re-run, but that the party will participate in Idah, Dekina/Biraidu and Okura re-run.

He stressed that in Idah, re-run will only take place in one unit, Ogegele ward, unit 003.

He said about 9,816 ad-hoc staff including youth corpers, security officers and other personnel will be participating in the re-run election.

He assured the people of the state of a free and fair re-run election, stressing that the reason why re-run election will take place in the 14 local government areas of the state was as a result of non conduct of primary by one of the parties, “which led to litigation.”

Source: The Nation

Buhari praises Jonathan at the European Union

President Muhammadu Buhari while addressing the European Union parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday has said his predecessor, former president Goodluck Jonathan made a mark that no leader in Nigeria has ever made in conceding victory to him after the 2015 Presidential Election.

The President continued that the singular act of transferring power over to him after losing in the election has ensured that Nigeria remained peaceful despite the predicted tension after the polls.

Buhari added that; “Democracy has come to Nigeria to stay. Sooner than we expect, Nigeria will be regarded as one of the strongest in Africa.”

Further stating the commitment of the government in rescuing the abducted Chibok girls, the President said; “The government will not rest until the girls are rescued alive and reunited to their parents.”

He continued to the topic of Boko Haram Insurgency, highlighting the success of the military so far in battling the Islamic jihadist sect, he said;  “We have reorganised the Nigerian Armed Forces and repositioned them to deal decisively with the Boko Haram terrorists.

“Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states’ local government areas where the insurgents once dominated have been gradually recaptured,”

Read more at http://www.theheraldng.com/buhari-praises-jonathan-european-union/#Mo2O63FO5itFA3Kq.99

Gov. Fayose’s Court Orders “Arrest” Of Former Ekiti PDP Secretary

A Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has ordered the State Commissioner of Police to arrest the former State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Temitope Aluko, over alleged perjury. 

Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye gave this order on Wednesday following an ex-parte motion MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti State Government against Mr. Aluko and the State Commissioner of Police, pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014. In the motion, which was filed and moved by the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola, an order of the court was sought to issue the warrant against Mr. Aluko to be executed by the Commissioner for the purpose of committing him to trial for perjury.

Chief Magistrate Adegboye said the order was granted as a means for Aluko to attend the court to defend himself. The matter was premised upon an application to the State Attorney General by a lawyer, Mr. Sunday Olowolafe, calling for the prosecution of Mr. Aluko for alleged perjury, citing an interview he gave to Channels Television last Sunday. “The said Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko now recanted the evidence he gave in the cause of the hearing of the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition as a star witness even up to the Supreme Court.

The Certified True Copy of the State on Oath, evidence of Dr. Temitope Kolawole Aluko in Court on the 12/11/14 and Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers of Monday, 01/02/2016 that reported the interview granted are hereto attached,” Olowolafe declared.   He stressed that unless looked into, the matter would definitely defile the cause of justice and rubbish the judicial proceedings. In an affidavit filed in support of the motion by Lere Olayinka, the Special Assistant to the State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, he stated that Mr. Aluko, who had been a witness before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, swore to a Statement on Oath on August 4, 2014 stating that the election was not only free and fair, but devoid of violence, thuggery, hooliganism, snatching of ballot boxes, and related forms of electoral disorderliness.

Olayinka further averred that Mr. Aluko tendered and adopted his statement on oath on November 12, 2014 and further gave evidence under cross-examination. He further stated that everything that Aluko said on Channels Television on Sunday contradicted his evidence before the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. Issuing the warrant of arrest, Chief Magistrate Adegboye said since the court had the power to grant the order and that it will serve the interest of justice, and therefore ordered the Commissioner to arrest Aluko for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting him.

Source: Sahara Reporters

Crash: NCAA suspends Bristow’s choppers

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended indefinitely the use of Bristow Helicopters Limited’s Sikorsky S-76C++ aircraft type.

This suspension was to enable the NCAA carry out a full scale audit on its operations with particular emphasis on the Sikorsky S-76C++ type.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, the Director General of NCAA, Muhtar Usman, said as a responsible regulatory authority, it is important to stem the occurrence of air mishap in the country and ensure that players in the aviation industry carry out safe operations.

The suspension of the aircraft type, he said does not in any way affect ongoing investigations into the crash by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB).

Usman also said the recurring accidents by Bristow helicopters will not in any way affect the safety audit to be carried out in the country by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The ICAO audit is slated for next month.

Usman said, “I must mention that this suspension is not a vote of no confidence on the airline. It is to ascertain the adequacy and the propriety of the operating aircraft.”

Source: The Nation

Ogun records Lassa fever case, shuts down hospitals

Ogun State government on Thursday confirmed a case of Lassa fever in the state.

The victim is a 28- year old girl who has been taken to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, for intensive care.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Babatunde Ipaye, disclosed this during a press briefing held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The commissioner said the victim returned from Ebonyi State recently.

He added that two hospitals where the girl was first treated have been shut down.

Ipaye said 60 primary contacts at the hospitals have also been placed on 21 days surveillance.

Source: The Nation

Iheanacho to follow Pellegrini to Chelsea, Manchester United

Iheanacho

All nigeriasoccer.com understands that outgoing Manchester City coach, Manuel Pellegrini will attempt to take Kelechi Iheanacho to any club he’s heading to in the not too distant future.

The former Real Madrid and Villarreal manager will end his association with The Citizens in the summer, with Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola set to succeed him.

 Pellegrini is expected to snub an offer to return as Chile national team coach in favour of managing a Premier League side and has been linked with the Chelsea and Manchester United jobs.

The South American took a gamble when he promoted Kelechi Iheanacho to City’s first team just before the start of this season, and the Nigerian has repaid his faith by netting eight goals from 19 matches across all competitions.

Iheanacho is tied to Manchester City until the summer of 2019, having penned a professional contract early last year.

He was on the radar of West Ham, Sunderland and Bournemouth in the January transfer window but Pellegrini was not willing to listen to offers from the three teams.

Source: The Nation