Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode Appoints Professor Fagbohun LASU Vice-Chancellor

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday approved the appointment of Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun as the 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU). Professor Fagbohun, a Professor of Environmental Law, was until his appointment Director of Research at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of Lagos.

The appointment was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday by the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde.

According to the statement, following the expiration of the tenure of Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa as the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University on 31st October, 2015, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Fidelis Olisamedua Njokanma assumed the position of Acting Vice-Chancellor.

A Professor of Environmental Law, Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, was born on 19th October, 1966 and hails from Akesan in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State. Professor Fagbohun joined the Faculty of Law of the Lagos State University (LASU) as an Assistant Lecturer in January 1991. He rose through the ranks and by the year 2004, he was appointed Associate Professor.

He studied Law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). He obtained his Master’s of Law Degree at the University of Lagos and attended the Obafemi Awolowo University for his doctoral degree programme.

At different times, he served as a member of Senate of the Lagos State University; Head of Department of Business Law and later Department of Private and Property Law; Coordinator, Law Centre; Coordinator of the Department of Environmental Law and Allied Disciplines of the Centre for Environment and Science Education of the Lagos State University, and was, for several years, the Editor-in-Chief of the LASU Law Journal.

Professor Fagbohun is a member of several academic and professional bodies, and a fellow of a number of national and international institutions.

FG denies withdrawing 2016 Budget proposal

The Federal Government on Wednesday denied withdrawing the 2016 Budget proposal presented to the National Assembly in December.

Reports, especially on social media, had attributed the purported withdrawal to suspicious bloating of budgetary votes in the proposal.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun said the allegations were false.

Mohammed said: “When somebody from the Daily Trust called me, I told him categorically that there is nothing like that. When a story like this breaks out, I believe it will help all of us to actually be able to pin point the source.

“I know for a fact that this administration has not withdrawn the budget from the National Assembly.”

He also denied the accusation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled government plans to exterminate the opposition.

He said: “I think the first point to make is that this government is not micro-managing any of the anti-graft agencies. I know for a fact that they don’t contact the President or anybody before they do their job. I think the media also has to do more than they are doing right now, they should investigate these allegations and also make their independent judgment about it.

“Honestly if the EFCC or ICPC says that they are able to trace certain amount of money to my account, I don’t want you to believe it, I want you to also ask for proof, do your investigation. I can assure you that this government, no functionary in government micromanages or directs the EFCC or ICPC on who to arrest and who not to arrest.”

Speaking further on the alleged withdrawal of the 2016 Budget proposal, Adeosun said: “Let me just speak to you about the budget process. You know the budget is presented to the NASS and then there is what we call an interactive budget approval process and you know the agencies will still go and defend their budget at the NASS.

“So ordinary in budget processes anywhere in the world, there can’t be amendments to the budgets arising from that interactive process, which is normal. But let me make it very clear the budget is not being withdrawn or replaced, the budget has been presented and will go through normal process whereby MDAs defend their budgets.

“It is possible in the process of that, because as you know the legislature is not a rubber stamp, their job is to scrutinize the budget and to approve that budget. So there may be some changes that occur as a result of that interactive process. But that process is normal everywhere in the world where a budget is presented. So I think it is important to make that clarification.”

Source: The Nation

Lagos State Government Commences Transformation Of Oshodi Market, Bus-Stops

…Shuts Owonifari Market Loop

The Lagos State Government has shut the Owonifari market within the notorious loop of Oshodi and relocated affected traders and shop owners to the newly built Isopakodowo market stalls at Bolade area in Oshodi. The government has also commenced the fencing-off of the set-back on Agege Motor Road that stretches from Ilupeju end of Oshodi all the way to the PWD/Ikeja GRA end of the area.

In a statement signed by the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the move is geared towards the need to sanitize and beautify the entire Oshodi area and bring transformation, in particular, to the Owonifari loop as well as the entire bus stop terminals, which have somewhat constituted a menace and an eyesore within the locality.

According to the statement, the Owonifari loop will be transformed into an ultra modern bus terminus with new bus shelters that are befitting of a structured park in a mega city.

It added that the fencing-off of the long stretch of the set-back is being undertaken to assist the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation in particular with a view to beautifying it and safeguard lives along the railway corridor by discouraging street trading and indiscriminate use of the space.

Ayorinde said the ongoing fencing-off and beautification of the road set-back from Ilupeju bypass to PWD/Ikeja GRA would constitute the first phase of the transformation of the Oshodi area. The second phase, he added, would begin from PWD/Ikeja GRA and stretch all the way to Agege/Pen cinema axis.

He stated further that Lagosians should expect from this transformation exercise, a new Oshodi that will be sane and safe and where both traders and commuters would be pleased to visit and trade. He assured that the traders being relocated have been properly allocated shops within the Isopakodowo market and that the demolition of the loop is in the best interest of the people who should expect a world-class bus terminus there.

The commissioner reiterated Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s commitment to bring development to every area of the state. He therefore urged the Local Council Development Areas and other stakeholders to cooperate with the State Government in achieving the governor’s vision of making the 2016 budget work for every citizen in the state.

NFF head of protocol shot dead in his home

Ibrahim Abubakar

Ibrahim Abubakar, Nigeria Football Federation, head of protocol was shot dead at his residence in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital Wednesday morning.

Abubakar was shot dead by armed robbers early today, NFF said on its official Twitter account.

According to Muslim rites, his remains is being transported to Kaduna for burial.

“NFF’s Head of Protocol Ibrahim Abubakar was shot dead by armed robbers in his house in Abuja in the early hours of today,” the tweet read.

“Abubakar’s remains is being taken to Kaduna for burial.”

Source: PM News

IMF’s Christine Lagarde ‘impressed’ with "Buharinomics".

International Monetary Fund, IMF, chief Christine Lagarde has reacted to her meeting Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, the country’s capital.

Using Twitter to express her confidence in the Nigerian government, she wrote, “Just met President Buhari of Nigeria. Impressed with government’s response to challenge of sustained, low oil prices.

Nigeria is facing an $11bn (£7.4bn) budget deficit and is trying to cope with the loss of revenue following the big drop in oil prices.

Speaking after talks with Buhari, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde also said she was not in Nigeria to negotiate a loan.

She backed what she called Buhari’s “very important” fight against corruption and said the president’s reform push could have a positive impact across West Africa.

“His determination to bring about transparency and accountability at all levels of the economy were very important agenda items and very ambitious goals that need to be delivered upon,” Lagarde told reporters at the presidential villa in the capital Abuja.

Source: PM News

‘Don’t Kill Metuh’ – PDP Cries Out

The national leadership of the PDP demands an immediate release of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, who was Tuesday morning invited and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This development, which did not come to us as a surprise given series of threats to our party’s spokesman by the APC and the Federal Government, who are obviously not comfortable with our stance on the confused state of the nation under their watch, is a continuation of APC’s grand design to silence and decimate the PDP.

The arrest of Chief Metuh today underscores the growing political intolerance in our country and the foisting of a police state which was last Wednesday underscored by the President and Commander-in-Chief himself, who defended why a government in a democracy should flout constitutional provision and brazenly disobey court orders.

This onslaught against our spokesman, according to intelligence available to us is part of a larger script by the government to ensure that PDP wings are finally clipped in their mission to install a dictatorial one-party state in the country.

The excesses of security agencies under this government, especially the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) and the EFCC, in abridging the human rights of PDP members have become worrisome and a threat to our democratic evolution.

Nigerians and the international community will recall that on a number of occasions, the PDP, through its spokesman has been outspoken on some undemocratic proclivities being exhibited by the APC-led Federal Government in the last seven months.

The PDP insists that for whatever reason Chief Metuh was arrested, his rights as a citizen under the law must not be trampled upon.

We therefore demand for his immediate release & that due process of investigation & prosecution concerning him should be strictly adhered to. We state this because we have been made aware of top directives to break Chief Metuh and if possible poison him during his detention by the EFCC!

Chief Metuh, has since his arrest at about 10 am, has been kept incommunicado, with his lawyers denied access to him.

The PDP declares the arrest of our spokesman as the last straw that may break our democracy. We therefore forewarn the FG and its agencies to save our democracy and forthwith release our National Publicity Secretary.

We are also calling on the international community and well-meaning Nigerians to stand up for this democracy, which our party nurtured for 16 years and deepened to a level where the opposition, for the first time in our political history, had the opportunity to win in a general election.

Signed: Prof. Adewale Oladipo National Secretary

EFCC to quiz Metuh over N1.4b in firm’s account

PDP spokesman denies role in $2.1b arms contracts

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives probing the $2.1 billion arms contracts have traced N1.4billion to the account of a company allegedly linked with Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) spokesman  Olisa Metuh.

There were indications yesterday that the account of the company, Destra Investment Limited, may be frozen when the ongoing probe gets to a “convenient bend”.

The anti-graft commission has placed the activities of the company and its bank transactions under surveillance.

The Department of State Service (DSS) has also invited Metuh for interaction on some issues.

The DSS’ invitation has, however, attracted protests from some PDP leaders.

According to sources, EFCC investigators discovered that Destra Investment Limited was used to fund the PDP’s activities, including its 2015 campaign.

The EFCC found that the company, which had N6, 676,576.06 as at November 24, 2014, recorded a balance of N1.4billion by last December.

Some of the strange deposits in the account are: N400million from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) on November 24th, 2014; N253million ( December 2nd and 4th, 2014) from Ibrahim Kabiru whose identity was yet to be confirmed; N91million on 2nd December 2014 from Capital Field Investment; and N92million on 3rd December 2014 from Etonye Oyintoneife.

A source in the commission said: “We will invite Metuh any moment from now for clarifications on some of these transactions in this firm, which he allegedly owns.

“From our records, part of the $2.1billion arms cash has been traced to Destra Investment Limited. About N400million was transferred from ONSA to the company on November 24, 2014 which had a balance of N6, 676,576.06 only before major in flow from the ONSA.

“By December 2015, the owner of Destra had a turnover of over N1.4billion. There is no document  to show that the company executed any job for ONSA. All companies engaged by ONSA appeared before the initial Special Investigative Panel raised by the Presidency.

“Other documents indicated that Metuh was allegedly on a monthly unexplained stipend of N4million cash from ONSA.

“Out of the funds in Destra account, N25million was paid to Abba Dabo, a former Senior Special Assistant Political to former Vice President Namadi Sambo on the 16th of December 2014.

“Also, about N21,776,000 was remitted on 4th December 2014 to an account allegedly belonging to a former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih; N31.5million to his media aide and N50 million to Metuh/Kanayo on the same transaction date.

“We have also established a link between Capital Field Investment and SEI Societe d’equipments Internanaux-Niamey-Niger BP 11737 which was  hired by ONSA to purchase  €3,654,121million security vehicles for the Republic of Niger in October 2013 and April 2014.”

Metuh has accused the EFCC of subjecting him to media trial, The EFCC source rejected the accusation, saying: “Metuh is not on media trial at all but he is being investigated and the public should know why he is under searchlight.

“You will recall that the EFCC did not talk about the ongoing probe until Metuh openly admitted that he got some funds from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan but he refused to disclose the amount and the purpose.

“When he was aware that this commission was closing in on him, he also said some forces were after him. We refused to join the political fray because we are a professional agency.

“But we owe Nigerians a duty to reveal the facts at our disposal to let them appreciate the extent of what we are doing. EFCC is not out to witch-hunt anybody or group; we will, however, recover all traceable funds meant for arms.”

The source claimed that “the account of Destra and accruing transactions have been placed on surveillance.

“If there is need to freeze the account, we will do so later but we are yet to get to this investigative level, “ the top source added.

Reacting last night, Metuh told our correspondent: “Since they are doing a one-sided prosecution without invitation to me, they should continue and get their conviction by the media. Anytime I get invitation, I will honour it.

“I don’t know whether they are investigating the company I have interest in or my office as the National Publicity Secretary of PDP. Whichever one, my hands are very clean in this matter. I am ready to honour their invitation.

“I have not done anything unlawful. Whatever I have done in pursuance of my office, I can defend it anywhere, any time.”

There was disquiet in PDP following Metuh’s invitation by the DSS.

It was learnt that the invitation had to do with payment of about N9m-N10million to the Anambra State chapter of PDP about five years ago.

A party source said: “I think the APC government is just out to silence Metuh at all cost. What  has he done to deserve the recurring pressure and intimidation?

“When the PDP was in power, the APC was allowed to criticise the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. There is no way Metuh can be isolated from PDP, which he represents. We are unhappy as a party that they are trying to muzzle the opposition.

“It is not in the interest of our democracy  to go after opposition leaders and coerce them into silence. What has Metuh got to do with a five-year issue in Anambra State?”

Source: The Nation