Apostle Suleiman Give Out, Cash & Cars to Church members, Widows, & Loyal church workers as Birthday gift CELEBRATION!!!!!!!

Apostle Suleman Johnson, The man embroiled in the scandal

Congratulations To the Clergy Man of GOD Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries(OFM) on his Birthday, but the embattled Clergy man has been embroiled in a scandal involving a lady by the name Stephanie Otobo and some other ladies.

Some of the other ladies alleged to be involve in the scandal have the debunk the news while some graciously informed the public of been happy and strong, some other are quiet over the allegation, while others are claiming threat to life of theirs and their immediate families

Despite all this the generating news and Allegation the Apostle has remained strong and calm while gaining support from his wife, family, fellow men of god, Priest and  members of his loyal church service, and the general public.

One Awaits to see how the scandal ends with both party claiming right to damages and discomfort, therefore heading to court to settle scores.

Ambassadorial List as Approved By Pres. Buhari..............

President Buhari's Ambassadorial List

The Federal Government has released the postings of the 47 ambassadors recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Ambassadors are currently undergoing a four-day induction which ends on Thursday.

Below are the ambassadors and their postings:

Abia: Obinna Agbugba (Togo), Adamawa: Salisu Umaru (Senegal), Paragalda Audu (Turkey), Akwa Ibom: Inyan Udo-Inyang (Gabon), Anambra: Okeke Nwunaku (Spain), Nonye Udo (Austria).

Bauchi: Liman Munir (Congo), Benue: Ndem Ada (Sweden), Demenongu A. Agev (Equatorial Guinea), Borno: Mohammed Hassan (Kenya), Toko Gongulong (Sao Tome & Principe), Lawan Gashagar (Mali), Cross River: Martin Cobham (Thailand), Odeka Bisong (Zimbabwe).

Delta: Janet Olisa (Jamaica), Edo: Itegboje S.Sunday (Permanent Mission in New York), Queen I. Worlu (Cuba).
Others are: Ekiti: Olatunde Adesesan (Angola), Emmanuel Kayode Oguntause (Benin), Enugu: Lilian Onoh (Namibia).

FCT: Adamu Shuaibu (Rwanda), Gombe: Manaja Isah (Israel), Habu Gwani Ibrahim (Zambia), Imo: Ngozi Ukaeje (Portugal), Kenneth C. Nwachukwu (Cameroon), Jigawa: Bello Kazaure Huessini (North Korea), Kaduna: Enoch Pear Duchi (Ireland), Kano: Garba Baba (Poland), Rabiu Akawu (Algeria).

Katsina: Usman Aliyu (China), Ibrahim Hamza (Iran), Kebbi: Umar Salisu (Botswana), Kogi: Momoh Omeiza (Liberia), Kwara: Kadiri Ayinla Audu (Permanent Mission, Geneva) and Olufemi Abikoye (Ghana).

Lagos: Balogun Hakeem (Indonesia), Nasarawa: Inusa Ahmed (Ethiopia), Niger: Ibrahim Isah (Australia), Ogun: Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye (Belgium), Sonaike Adekunbi Abibat (Philipines).
Osun: Ibidapo-Obe Oluwasegun (Port of Spain T&T), Oyo: Ogundero Sakirat (Washington), River: Eric A. Bell-Gam (Argentina), Sokoto: Attahiru Halliru (Niger), Taraba: Rahmatu A. Dunama (Burkina Faso), Yobe: Musa Saban Mamman (South Sudan) and Zamfara: Kabiru Bala (Mozambique).

Breaking New!!!!!! Bird Flu outbreak in Kano.

The Federal Government yesterday confirmed the outbreak of a new strain of Bird Flu in Kano State.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh confirmed the outbreak at the ministry in Abuja.Ogbeh said the migration of birds from Europe is responsible for the outbreak, “as they stop to rest and feed at Adaeja basin before moving to South Africa”.

Ogbeh said the virus has only affected Kano State and advised farmers to take preventive measures to avoid further spread to other states.
On why there has not been a permanent cure for the virus, he said the constant change in the strain of the virus is responsible for this.

“There is bird flu in Cameroon and in Europe now, they move from Europe to South Africa in the winter, they stop in the Adaeja river basin for days to rest before they move on.

“We don’t have the vaccine yet, we are calling a meeting of all the commissioners of Agriculture to take measures to control it because there is no vaccine yet.

“We are telling farmers to try and take measures to avoid the spread of the disease.
“The strain keeps changes which is why vet doctors have not been able to find a solution to it.

“For now only Kano has an outbreak and we are controlling it, we are making sure there is no movement of chicken from state to state.

“Unfortunately those who lost chickens last year, we have not been able to compensate because we didn’t have money. We are putting some funds together to help them out.”

EXCLUSIVE: Ribadu goes into hiding as PDP governors move to appoint him party chair

 

As the opposition Peoples Democratic Party gets set to name a new leader of the party, governors and other chieftains of the PDP are on a manhunt for a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, in their bid to make him chairman.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that a meeting of the national caucus of the PDP is currently holding in Abuja, after which the National Executive Committee will meet at the Wadata Plaza secretariat of the party by 2p.m. on Tuesday.

Mr. Ribadu was tipped for the chairmanship position last year, shortly after the then chairman, Ahmadu Muazu, resigned from office.

However, we gathered that the move to have him replace mr. Muazu, championed by governors elected under the party, was thwarted by the National Working Committee, NWC, under the interim leadership of Uche Secondus.

We also gathered that Mr. Ribadu, who had earlier agreed to take the offer, also abandoned it on account of “lack of seriousness to truly reform the party by its top echelon”.

However, after a long back and forth and controversy, including court cases, the party agreed to hold a special NEC meeting to fill the position created by the resignation of Mr. Muazu.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt of spirited attempts in the last few days by some top party chieftains to persuade Mr. Ribadu to accept to chair and transform the party.

A source privy to the goings on in the PDP said some of the party’s governors visited Mr. Ribadu in a last-minute effort to get him to change his position. He was, however, said to have stuck to his guns.

“Since midnight yesterday, party chieftains led by a governor from the South-south region began a search for Ribadu, to no avail.

“The ex-EFCC chair was said to have gone incommunicado since last night, making all attempts to reach him impossible,” the source said.

He also said at least four governors of the party and other chieftains are currently waiting at the Bayelsa Governor’s Lodge in the Maitama area of Abuja, scrambling to reach Mr Ribadu.

“Mr. Ribadu, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, is skeptical of taking the PDP job because of the battered image the party has suffered, especially with the ongoing corruption probes.

“He is also not confident that the party’s bigwigs would tolerate his radical disposition,” our source said.

PREMIUM TIMES reporters have been unsuccessful in reaching Mr. Ribadu for hours. His telephones were switched off the several times our reporters called.

At his residence in the Asokoro District of Abuja, security guards denied our reporters entry, saying the former EFCC chairman was not at home, and that his whereabouts was unknown.

When contacted, his spokesperson, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, said he had not been able to reach Mr. Ribadu in the past two days.

Customs Issues Fresh Guidelines on Disposal of Seized, Overtime Goods

 The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has approved fresh guidelines on the procedure for the disposal of seized and overtime goods in the country.

The guidelines are designed to address some of the perceived irregularities relating to the previous procedure, which included fake online auctions.

The NCS confirmed that it is setting up four different committees to handle the disposal of these categories of goods. The committees include an Assessment Committee, Disposal Committee, Seizure Committee and Overtime Committee.
According to the new guidelines signed by its Comptroller-General Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), perishable items with or without defendants are to be properly disposed of by the relevant committee.

A statement issued by Mr. Festus Akanbi, the media aide to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said for items classified as general goods, the new guidelines stated that these are to be disposed off after condemnation by a competent court of law.
The guidelines further provide that, “condemnation shall be done after 30 days of seizure, so far as there is no notice of claim or litigation.”
The guidelines also stipulate that all overtime cargoes are to be published in the federal government’s gazette when they fall due over 30 days.

Under the new dispensation, the NCS will advertise information on seized and overtime goods for disposal with their reserve prices in the media and on its official website. The authorities enjoined interested buyers to apply online, specifying items of interest to the committee on disposal, adding that applications must be accompanied with an approved means of identification such as a National Identity card, International Passport or Driver’s Licence, in addition to a recent passport photograph scanned onto the dedicated portal on the website.

The guidelines further explained that successful applicants will be required to make payment within 14 days of notification through designated banks at the area commands where the goods are domiciled.  Any returns on disposals would need to be rendered to the Comptroller-General not later than 21 days after completion of each exercise. The NCS however pointed out that the disposal committee, subject to the approval of the Comptroller-General, might use its discretion in handling peculiar cases.

The Assessment Committee shall consist of not less than five officers of high integrity including valuation officers at all area commands supervised by the Zonal Co-ordinator. The committee shall undertake inspection, collation and fixing of prices of all goods on monthly basis and is to forward its report to the Auction Committee. The guidelines also tasked the Seizure Committee and Overtime Committee with the responsibility of handling the disposal of overtime and seized goods.

“The seizure committee shall comprise of representatives of all departments of the NCS, including representatives of headquarters not below the rank of assistant controllers or its equivalent,” the guidelines stated.

The Overtime Committee on the other hand would be made up of 16 members and consist of the Assistant Comptroller General Enforcement, representatives from Director, Legal (NCS), Federal Ministry of Finance, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), civil organisations, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and a representative from the Accountant General of the Federation’s office.

Others include a representative each from the National Security Adviser, Department of State Services (DSS), Valuation (NCS), Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and Chief of Defence Staff.

Let states control oil resources, Rivers tells FG

Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to allow oil-producing states have full control of their oil resources.

Tam-George said the 1969 Petroleum Act, which vested the ownership of revenues from petroleum resources in the Federal Government, should be repealed.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, the commissioner said the control of oil resources by the Federal Government was at variance with the spirit of true federalism.

While commending the anti-corruption war, Tam-George urged the Federal Government to also tackle ‘structural corruption’ in the country, alleging that the Federal Government was indirectly stealing from the Niger Delta.

He said, “We align with the Federal Government’s anti-corruption war but we are worried that structural corruption, which manifests in the inability of the Niger Delta states to control their oil resources, should be addressed. Seventy-four per cent of the national revenue disbursed to states comes from the Niger Delta, 20 per cent comes from the South-West, the remaining eight per cent is contributed by the South-East.

“The 1969 Petroleum Act has to be repealed. The control of oil resources by the Federal Government is a case of the state stealing from itself. This is structural corruption that must be checked. We are advocating that states should control their resources.”

Tam-George warned the All Progressives Congress against fomenting violence ahead of the legislative election reruns in Rivers State.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission says that it will be unbiased in the conduct of the March 19 election reruns coming up in the state.

INEC promised that it would conduct fair and credible poll reruns in the state.

The Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, said this on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the commission in Port Harcourt.

Ikoiwak, who said he had supervised several elections in over 10 states, called on political parties and candidates to adhere to the electoral guidelines.

The REC promised that the commission would provide a level playing field for all the contestants in the elections.

He also urged the electorate not to vote if electoral materials were not available at the polling units on the day of the polls.

Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to allow oil-producing states have full control of their oil resources.

Tam-George said the 1969 Petroleum Act, which vested the ownership of revenues from petroleum resources in the Federal Government, should be repealed.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, the commissioner said the control of oil resources by the Federal Government was at variance with the spirit of true federalism.

While commending the anti-corruption war, Tam-George urged the Federal Government to also tackle ‘structural corruption’ in the country, alleging that the Federal Government was indirectly stealing from the Niger Delta.

He said, “We align with the Federal Government’s anti-corruption war but we are worried that structural corruption, which manifests in the inability of the Niger Delta states to control their oil resources, should be addressed. Seventy-four per cent of the national revenue disbursed to states comes from the Niger Delta, 20 per cent comes from the South-West, the remaining eight per cent is contributed by the South-East.

“The 1969 Petroleum Act has to be repealed. The control of oil resources by the Federal Government is a case of the state stealing from itself. This is structural corruption that must be checked. We are advocating that states should control their resources.”

Tam-George warned the All Progressives Congress against fomenting violence ahead of the legislative election reruns in Rivers State.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission says that it will be unbiased in the conduct of the March 19 election reruns coming up in the state.

INEC promised that it would conduct fair and credible poll reruns in the state.

The Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, said this on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the commission in Port Harcourt.

Ikoiwak, who said he had supervised several elections in over 10 states, called on political parties and candidates to adhere to the electoral guidelines.

The REC promised that the commission would provide a level playing field for all the contestants in the elections.

He also urged the electorate not to vote if electoral materials were not available at the polling units on the day of the polls.

Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to allow oil-producing states have full control of their oil resources.

Tam-George said the 1969 Petroleum Act, which vested the ownership of revenues from petroleum resources in the Federal Government, should be repealed.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, the commissioner said the control of oil resources by the Federal Government was at variance with the spirit of true federalism.

While commending the anti-corruption war, Tam-George urged the Federal Government to also tackle ‘structural corruption’ in the country, alleging that the Federal Government was indirectly stealing from the Niger Delta.

He said, “We align with the Federal Government’s anti-corruption war but we are worried that structural corruption, which manifests in the inability of the Niger Delta states to control their oil resources, should be addressed. Seventy-four per cent of the national revenue disbursed to states comes from the Niger Delta, 20 per cent comes from the South-West, the remaining eight per cent is contributed by the South-East.

“The 1969 Petroleum Act has to be repealed. The control of oil resources by the Federal Government is a case of the state stealing from itself. This is structural corruption that must be checked. We are advocating that states should control their resources.”

Tam-George warned the All Progressives Congress against fomenting violence ahead of the legislative election reruns in Rivers State.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission says that it will be unbiased in the conduct of the March 19 election reruns coming up in the state.

INEC promised that it would conduct fair and credible poll reruns in the state.

The Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, said this on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the commission in Port Harcourt.

Ikoiwak, who said he had supervised several elections in over 10 states, called on political parties and candidates to adhere to the electoral guidelines.

The REC promised that the commission would provide a level playing field for all the contestants in the elections.

He also urged the electorate not to vote if electoral materials were not available at the polling units on the day of the polls.

Court Restrains INEC From Excluding PDP in Plateau Re-run

 

 

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  from excluding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next Saturday’s rerun election for Langtang South state constituency of Plateau State.

INEC   had   fixed February 20, for the re-run and supplementary elections for Langtang South , Pankshin North and South state constituencies, but had urged the PDP not to field any candidate for that of Langtang South.

INEC had hinged its decision on the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which not only nullify the election of the PDP candidate, Mr. Vincent Bulus, who was declared winner, but also barred him from contesting in the rerun.

The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos had earlier barred Bulus from contesting future elections for the next 10 years.

Bulus’s election was contested by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the April 11 governorship and state House of Assembly election. Mr. Jackson Danladi, on the grounds that he was an ex-convict.
That decision of the tribunal was also affirmed by the appellate court.

However ruling on an interlocutory injunction filed by PDP against the decision of INEC, Justice  D. V. Agishi, ordered INEC to insert the logo of PDP into the ballot papers.

PDP had sought for an order of interim injunction restraining INEC, it’s agents, privies or assign or any other person acting on its behalf from excluding it from participating in the election.

Agishi said  it would not serve the interest of justice if PDP was excluded from the election, adding that it was wrong for the electoral body to exclude the party from the election.

Speaking on the ruling, PDP Organising Secretary, Mr.  Mike Dachom, and counsel to the party, Mr. Sunday Odey, described it as a triumph for democracy and rule of law.

Dachom said now that the party had secured the first hurdle, officials would be meeting to decide on who to fly the flag of the party in the election since the former candidate was disqualified on account of criminal records.

Senate mulls suspension of Senator Marafa, 10 others

The Senate on Tuesday expressed its anger on Senator Kabiru Marafa who granted an interview to the Punch Newspapers on 7th February, 2016 which majority of the lawmakers have considered as an affront on the integrity of the Senate.

Moving the motion under Petitions by Senator Isa Hamma Misau (APC) representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, he submitted that Senator Kabiru Marafa did grant an interview to the Punch Newspapers where he told lies and misled the public, a situation he said resulted to over 500 calls from his constituents who wanted to know the veracity of the interview.

“Mr Senate President, it will interest you to know that Senator Kabiru Marafa granted a media interview to Punch Newspapers and he told lies thereby misleading the public, besides, I got over 500 calls from my people who wanted to know what happened,” he said.

 

He urged the Senate not to allow the likes of Senator Marafa to disrupt the Senate for selfish reasons while also tasking his colleagues to rise to the occasion of treating the issue before it goes out of hand.

“Senate President, I want to task all of us to rise to the challenge of handling the issue before it goes off hand. We should not allow an individual to bring this distinguished Senate down. I suffered for 10 years contesting for Senate before I eventually succeeded in 2015,” Misau pointed out.

Corroborating the move, Senator Matthew Urhoghide maintained that he had suffered shame and his reputation as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was at stake owing to Senator Kabiru MARAFA’s interview which suggests that the 8th Senate had nothing to offer.

He stated he was inundated with calls from his constituents on the matter, but was unable to explain explicitly what transpired, a situation he said could affect his future chances of winning election despite the fact that it took him over 20 years to contest for Senatorial seat.

 

“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I want to support what my friend has said concerning the issue which should be nipped in the bud. My phone has been inundated with calls and I don’t even know what to tell them. Besides, Misau said he struggled to get to the Senate in the last ten years, my own was in the last 20 years”, Urhoghide maintained.

Responding to the motion, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and ordered that the report be reverted to the Committee of the whole in two weeks time.

“This is not new to the Senate on issues of this nature, and I therefore refer it to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions so that they can report back in two weeks time, the Senate President said.

It will be recalled that Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC) representing Zamfara Central has ceaselessly opposed Saraki-led Senate since inauguration.

He had ealier told DAILY POST succinctly that he would not recognize Saraki as Senate President and while reacting to his being made a Committee Chairman on National Identity and National Population, he stated that they remained Saraki’s private Committees.

“These Committees remain Saraki’s private Committees and I will not recognize them,” he said.

Meanwhile, a first time Senator on the platform of the All Progressives Congress who would not want his name mentioned told DAILY POST after Tuesday’s plenary that he had it on good authorities that Senator Kabiru Marafa and ten others might be suspended for 6 months if found wanting.

Withdraw Troops From Niger Delta, Do not Punish Us Because of Tompolo – Briggs

President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to call for the immediate withdrawal of troops redeployed to some communities in the Niger Delta region.
A human rights activist, Ann-Kio Briggs, who gave the warning said the presence of soldiers in these communities particularly in the Gbaramatu community of Delta state could be agitating and was capable of causing tension in the area.
This is coming at a time when the Federal High court in Lagos ordered for the arrest of the ex-militant warlords for his refusal to honor several invitations by the EFCC.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital at the weekend, Ann-Kio Briggs warned that if the idea of redeploying troops to the Delta community was to arrest Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, then “They should go through the due process of arresting anybody”.
“Tompolo has been doing legitimate business with the government over the years. I don’t know which law stipulates how to do business or otherwise. If the federal government has any issue with Tompolo, they should go through the due process of properly investigating him.
“You can’t send soldiers to destroy a community, arrest young men and rape women in the name of searching for Tompolo. If they claim that everybody in the Ijaw land is a criminal, does it also mean that everybody in the north is a member of Boko Haram?
“You cannot hold the traditional rulers responsible for Tompolo’s action or inaction. The attitude of the soldiers in the Ijaw communities is oppressive. The moment soldiers are restricted to a particular ethnic group in the country, it becomes very disturbing.
Ann-Kio Briggs who is the spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly, IRA, said it was fundamentally wrong for soldiers to “invade” any community in search of their target, adding that such action was “not the way to address the issue of decades-long neglect of the Niger Delta region by every successive government”.
According to her, If Tompolo has been indicted for any wrong doing, he should be properly investigated but “there are officials in this government who have been indicted of embezzlement of public funds, yet they are walking about as freemen”.
Speaking further, the activist corrected that the search for the arrest of Tompolo should not be enough reason for the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to cancel the Maritime University set up by the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Delta state.
She described as anti-Nigeria the cancellation of the university by the minister, stating that this is capable of generating “bad blood” between the north and the people of the Niger Delta region.
“Tompolo’s issue is not enough reason for anybody to cancel the maritime university. This is a shame. We in the Ijaw land deserve the equal share of every good thing in this country. If an aviation university is to be built in the north, why can’t somebody leave the maritime university in Delta!
Jonathan built about twelve new universities in his tenure and five of these universities were in the north. Why should anybody contemplate of denying Ijaw people the right of hosting a university on their land?”, she quipped

What Jonathan told me after he conceded to Buhari – Ita-Giwa

Sen Ita Giwa

Former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Florence Ita-Giwa, has disclosed her conversation with ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan, during last year’s presidential election.
Jonathan, the candidate of the PDP was defeated by the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
Speaking with DAILY POST in Lagos on Tuesday, Ita-Giwa revealed her chat with Jonathan after he conceded defeat.
“I called former President, Jonathan and told him, ‘why not wait till the result is declared before conceding?’
“This was two minutes after he made the announcement.
“Responding, he said, ‘Aunty, I already know what the outcome would be. I have done the right thing. I am keeping to my word that no blood is worth my ambition.
“I said to him, ‘You are great indeed’. He thanked me for my call.”
“I don’t regret supporting him, but we thank God for the peace and unity of the country.”
Reacting to the spate of defections to the ruling APC by PDP members, the politician said she will not leave the PDP.
“You can support the President without defecting to his party. Many are doing this for what they can gain.”
“I remain in PDP but will support good policies of the present government.”
Ita-Giwa hailed the nation’s media for the resilience over the years, urging them to continue to be the voice of the people.
“You all are doing a wonderful job, let’s continue to do our best to make Nigeria great,” she added.

Ex-Borno Governor, Modu Sheriff, sworn in as PDP chairman

Ali Modu Sheriff

The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has confirmed the appointment of a former governor of Borno State, Ali Sheriff, as the new chairman of the party.

Mr. Sheriff is taking over from Uche Secondus, who administered the party as interim chairman since the resignation of Ahmadu Mu’azu after the 2015 general election.
Mr. Sheriff has already been sworn into office, the spokesperson of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, said Tuesday.
Mr. Metuh is expected to address the media shortly.
The various caucuses of the PDP had earlier nominated the former Borno governor subject to the approval of its Board of Trustees and NEC.
The PDP is Nigeria’s biggest opposition party, and was defeated only in May 2015 after holding power for 16 years.
Mr. Sheriff has been a controversial figure amid allegations he funded and sponsored the extremist sect, Boko Haram. He denies the allegation.
In 2015, the former governor was summoned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to respond to questions bordering on allegations of “misappropriation, embezzlement of funds and abuse of office while he was governor”.
He was not arraigned.

Power generation suffers setback on gas, water limitations

         


NNPC to complete gas-to-power projects

The recent sharp drop in electricity generation has been linked to poor gas supply, water limitations and transmission line constraints, trimming generation to about 3,558 Mega Watts (MW).

Indeed, the incessant outages have triggered concerns from electricity consumers who have continued to groan under double impact (tariff and supply) from the sector.
This is coming as the government agencies in charge of power sector churned out various figures in terms of quantity of power generated in the country.
Data from the Federal Ministry of Power showed that the nation generated 3,558 Mega Watts (MW) as at February 14th, 2016, while the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) posted a figure of 4203MW for the same date.
NERC’s weekly energy watch showed that gas limitation is having major impact on generation with about 2,074MW constrained.
According to the breakdown, gas constraints accounted for 1885MW, while water management affected 12 MW and line limitations caused 177MW setback.

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), at the last power stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, identified 51 issues to be resolved in respect of areas like Alaoji, Sokoto, Ahoada, Damaturu, Gbarain, Calabar, Afikpo, Nsukka, Okigwe, Ihiala, Ayede, Ikeja, Ajah, Lekki, Kebbi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Makurdi, Kainji, Kafanchan, Otukpo, Hadejia, Wudil, Kumbotso, Bauchi, Gombe, Katsina, Daura, Abuja and Maiduguri.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola had directed all major stakeholders to concentrate on power delivery, even as distribution companies agreed to improve customer service delivery by strengthening the operations of their customer centres and providing dedicated phone numbers to ensure consumer complaints within their jurisdictions are promptly responded to.
The oil and gas industry was also fully represented by senior executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Gas Aggregating Company of Nigeria (GACN) and the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), with the aim of intensifying efforts to resolve bottlenecks associated with gas supply to the power sector.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) also estimated that the sector expects an additional 220 million standard cubic feet per day (mmsfcd) by the end of first quarter of 2016, and 785 mmsfcd by the end of second quarter of 2016 cumulative.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has expressed determination to complete the ongoing gas projects aimed at linking gas-to-power and gas-to-industries to boost the national economy.

Sacked DG in trouble for blowing N200b on poll

EFCC, ICPC to quiz ex-CEOs of agencies

why they had to go

• Donation by a woman DG of N700m to PDP’s presidential campaign in 2015
• Furnishing of an office at N800m
• Construction of a store at N240m instead of N40m
• Failure to account for revenue by a DG who diverted equipment to his private medium
• N15b found in a secret account in violation of TSA
• More than N6b debt in an agency generating at least N9b monthly
• Personal assistant remanded in prison for alleged N17m bribery but DG stayed on
• DG implicated in alleged N68b fraud

Of the 26 Directors-General and Heads of parastatals sacked yesterday, no fewer than 10 may be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) for investigation, a source said last night.

It was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari opted to give some of  the chief executives the push, following  reports of large-scale fraud in their agencies. One allegedly spent N200 billion on last year’s Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential campaign

The agencies under the searchlight of either the EFCC or the ICPC include National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Broadcasting Commission(NBC), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Bureau of Public Enterprises(BPE), National Women Development Centre(NWDC); Industrial Training Fund(ITF); Nigerian Investment Promotion Council; Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSIT), among others.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “At least 10 of those sacked chief executives will be handed over to the EFCC and the ICPC. The report on their misconduct is ready for these  anti-graft agencies to act upon.

“All security agencies received the list of those affected about 24 hours before the formal announcement. They will all be placed on surveillance until cleared.

“Some of them have actually appeared before EFCC and ICPC in the last eight months. Their cases are under various stages of investigation.

“The revelations are mind-boggling and it is sad that some of these chief executives continued with the impunity even after a new government had taken over.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The President bid time to get intelligence report on the atrocities, recklessness and outright graft by some of these former CEOs before sending them packing.”

The source gave an insight into some of the infractions.

He said one of the former chief executives allegedly withdrew N200 billion (using curious sub-heads)  to fund the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He cited the case of how a DG was implicated in a N68 billion fraud and other illegal expenditures and loans allegedly secured without proper approval.

The source also claimed that a  former female chief executive was alleged to have donated N700million to the PDP’s presidential campaign in January 2015; furnishing of an office at N800million which donor agencies can supply at no cost and the construction of a store at N240million instead of N40million.

In another instance, one of the heads of the media agencies could not account for all the advertisement cash raked in by his medium during the 2015 campaign.

Instead, about N5million was recorded as revenue from adverts during the 2015 polls.

The DG was said to have acquired a licence for an electronic medium and diverted the sophisticated equipment to the new private  outfit after using public funds to procure them.

A DG of  a sensitive agency was alleged to have hidden over N15billion in a secret account in violation of the extant regulations of Treasury Single Account(TSA).

One of the affected DGs presided over an agency which was generating about N9billion internally but as at the time he was sacked, he left more than N6billion debts for the agency.

Despite the remand of her Personal Assistant in prison over alleged N17million bribery, a DG waited till Monday for President Muhammadu Buhari to wield the big stick.

Besides, the award of some contracts before the inauguration of President Buhari led to the sack of some of DGs.

Dasukigate: Jonathan’s ex-ADC, Col. Adegbe denies being arrested

As reactions continue to trail a recent statement attributed to Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, former aide-de-camp to immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan, the military personnel has debunked ever threatening to open a can-of-worm about his erstwhile principal.

Col. Adegbe, while expressing shocks and disbelief over the recent viral report, which quoted him as saying that if he was forced to reveal what transpired under the last administration, Nigeria will boil, had demanded an unreserved apologia from the management of the Sun Publishing Limited for dragging his hard-earned name to the mud.

He said his recent visit to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was never in connection with the controversial arms scandal.

 Reacting to the report, the military official in a letter by his solicitor, Chief Ogwu Onoja, SAN, and exclusively obtained by DAILY POST, denied ever making such controversial statement against his former boss during his interrogation at the EFCC office.

According the letter, “We have read with shock and disbelief the lead story in your newspaper, dated Friday 12th February, 2016, titled: “If I open up, Nigeria will burn. Detained Jonathan’s ex-ADC warns, as EFCC declares Tompolo wanted” .

The lawyer, while describing the report as false, misleading and defamatory, said it had caused significant harm to his client’s good name and reputation.

He said, “we have examined the full story contained on page 7 of the paper and the different statements credited to him and compared them with provable facts. This comparison shows without any doubt whatsoever that, among others, the following of your statements about what transpired are false:

a. You stated that Col. Adegbe was credited to have said: “If I open up, Nigeria will burn.”

b. You stated that: “the economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC) picked up Adegbe on Wednesday in Lagos where he was interrogated before he was flown to Abuja yesterday.”

c. You stated that: “It was gathered that ongoing interrogation of the former ADC by operatives of the EFCC could open up a new can of worms, which could surpasss what is now known as Dasukigate”

d. You stated that: “Col. Adegbe who was arrested in Lagos a few days ago, was said to be attending a senior officers course outside the former capital city, but on a visit, when he was picked up for interrogation.”

“To set the record straight, all the issues raised by your paper above only exist in the figment of your imagination. This attitude of yours is highly unprofessional and capable of heating up the polity and has indeed brought the name of our client to great disrepute. We are constrained to set the records straight by informing you that our client was not arrested as reported by your newspaper.”

Explaining the real reason for his invitation to the anti-graft office, the solicitor noted that, “to set the records straight, Col Adegbe was not arrested by EFCC as claimed by your newspaper. It is known fact that Col Adegbe has been in the UK for studies having been released by the Nigerian Army to do so.

“The EFCC wrote the military authority to invite our client for questioning with respect to an ongoing investigation to clarify certain allegations made against him. The military authority invited him back to Nigeria, which he willingly came in and reported to the office of the provost marshal in Abuja on Wednesday 10th February 2016. Due to his late arrival and the inability of the Army to complete their documentation, he was asked to report to the Garrison Mess in Mogadishu Cantonment in line with military tradition till the next day. Upon completion of the necessary paper work, he was excorted to the EFCC where he wrote his statement and was interrogated.

“We are also familiar with the statement he wrote at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and are also acquainted with answers he gave to questions, so we are at a complete loss as to how your newspaper arrived at that highly sensational and false story. The lawyers and representative of the Nigerian Army were present through out the interrogation. There was never a time Col. Adegbe threatened to burn down Nigeria.

“He has demanded a retraction of the said story with the same banner headline and an apology from the Sun Newspaper within 12 hours to avoid legal action.

“In view of your false and malicious statements, we demand a retraction of the false story with the same banner headline and an apology for your fictitious and highly embarrassing report. The retraction and apology must carry and be accorded the same prominence not less than 7 editions of your publication. We also demand that the retraction be syndicated to all your prints and the online media links in the same way and manner you spread the false story.

“We demand this to be effected within 12 hours while we advise our client on the legal implication of this malicious publication,” the statement added.

 

We will not reveal Tompolo’s hideout – Ijaws vow never to betray ex-militant

Tompolo

The whereabouts of the former ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, otherwise known as Tompolo remain unknown four days to the February 19 date given by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to the nation’s security agencies to produce him.

This is just as his Ijaw relatives had vowed not to disclose his hideout to the security men.

A royal father, who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “No Gbaramatu man will reveal the hideout of Tompolo to any security man even if he knows, unless that person does not have a true Ijaw blood flowing in him.

 

“Tompolo is an institution, not only in Ijawland, but in the whole of Niger Delta. He has touched many lives and is the current symbol of the struggle.
“Therefore, it is not easy for any full-blooded Ijaw man to betray him. From what I can see, the whole thing is about business transaction, the Federal Government should settle the matter and let peace reign.”

Dasukigate: EFCC arrests Ken Saro-Wiwa’s younger brother

 

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested former Director of Military Intelligence, Major General Wiwa.

His arrest was in continuation of investigations into the disbursement of the $2.1 billion arms fund by the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

General Wiwa, younger brother to late Ken Saro-Wiwa, the late Ogoni rights activist, who was executed by the Abacha’s government in connection with the Ogoni crises of the 1990’s, was the Deputy Commandant at the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, before his arrest.

Security sources informed Vanguard that the senior officer, who is at the moment being detained at one of the major military barracks in Abuja, might have been arrested because of the sensitive positions he held.

General Wiwa was at several times, Military Assistant to late General Owoye Azazi when he served as Chief of Defence Staff. He was Principal Staff Officer, PGSO, at the office of the National Security Adviser when Azazi served as NSA. He continued in the position as PGSO when Col Sambo Dasuki was NSA and was later appointed Director of Military Intelligence when Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika became the Chief of Army staff.

A statement signed by Col Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, had said: “The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public that 12 Army officers have been sent to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), for investigation.

“This comprised of three serving Major Generals, and one retired, three Brigadier Generals, four Colonels and one Lieutenant Colonel.”

Jonathan is corrupt, he should be probed – CAN

Goodluck Jonathan Fromer President of the Republic of Nigeria

The Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, has called for the immediate prosecution of former President Goodluck Jonathan for corruption while in office.

The Chairman of Lagos CAN, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, made this call while addressing newsmen in Lagos during the weekend.

On why the Christian body is calling for the prosecution of Jonathan, he said, “What is wrong with it? A former President of Peru (Alberto Fujimori) was jailed. Also, a popular prime minister of Israel (Ehud Olmert) was jailed. If a nation puts you in a position of trust and you betray that trust, you should go to jail no matter who you are. I have no sympathy for anybody. Just make sure you get it right, and we get the facts right as well.”

He lamented the corruption in the country, urging the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to go after the looters and “put them where they belong, so that we may have peace in this nation.”

FG Sacks 13 University Vice Chancellors

The Federal Government has sacked the Vice Chancellors of 12 federal universities established by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Also affected by the sack is the Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Vincent Tenebe.

In the statement announcing the sack, the government gave no reason for the action.

A short statement by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu in Abuja, on Saturday, simply said President Muhammadu Buhari, had approved the appointment of new Vice Chancellors for the Universities.

NAF denies locating missing Chibok girls

                                                      

 

The Nigerian Air Force has denied reports that it’s operatives had located the missing girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok.

The Director,   Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Group. Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, said in an electronic mail on Saturday that the claim misrepresented an interview he granted Channels Television on February 12, 2016.

According to him, what was said was that the NAF had the capacity to identify possible areas where the girls might be held.

Famuyiwa said that while the NAF had not identified the specific location of the missing secondary school girls who were abducted in April 20, 2014, the service had been working hard with surveillance aircraft covering a wide area in the search for the girls.

He said that the NAF would continue to contribute to the mission to degrade the capacity of the insurgents and to work towards finding the girls and other Nigerians held captive by the insurgents.

“The attention of the Nigerian Air Force has been drawn to a statement to the effect that the NAF has located the position of the Chibok girls. Please, let it be known that this statement is a misrepresentation of the interview that the NAF’s Director of Public Relations granted the Channels Television that was aired on Friday 12 February 2016.

“The NAF is hereby making it categorically clear that in the said interview the director made mention of the NAF’s ability to identify possible location that the girls might be in.

“Hence, the NAF wishes to categorically state that it has at no time identified the specific location of the Chibok girls. However, it is working round the clock with surveillance aircraft covering the over 157,000 km2 area of the North East in order to identify the position of not only the Chibok girls but other Nigerians that might have been held captives.

“Towards the realization of this goal, the NAF has from January 2016 till date using aircraft, ISR platforms such as ATR-42, B-350 and CH-3 UAV, flown surveillance missions totaling over 346 hours consuming about 85,887 litres of Jet A-1 and 3,830 litres of Mogas costing N15,337,862:50 and $19,150:00 respectively.

“Therefore, whilst the specific position of the Chibok girls is not yet ascertained by the NAF, we have not folded our arms on the surveillance flights and will continue to use these flights to degrade the capacity of the terrorists and as soon as possible locate the position of the Chibok girls and other Nigerians that are under captivity.” The statement read.

Emulate Murtala Mohammed’s virtues to make Nigeria better, Buhari urges Nigerians

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday urged Nigerians to always demonstrate the virtues of loyalty, honesty and determination to make Nigeria better as demonstrated by former Head of State, late Murtala Mohammed.

The President made the call while speaking at the Murtala Mohammed 40th Memorial Lecture in Abuja.

He said Nigerians, irrespective of their age brackets, should always exhibit the good virtues of Murtala Mohammed rather than mourn his death.

Mr Buhari noted that the country mourned the death of Mr Mohammed because he was on his way to putting Nigeria back to the path of order and discipline, after years of drift, corruption and near despair.

He said Mr Mohammed’s motto was to get the job done as quickly as possible, saying no one could doubt his inspirational qualities or call into question his love and dedication in the service of Nigeria.

”We are here to honour a national hero and patriot, not to mourn him, and to take a few lessons from his achievements:

”His love for Nigeria and Nigerians, from wherever they came; His intense professionalism; His impatience with incompetence and lack of patriotism; His loyalty to friends and colleagues.

”His life, short though it proved to be, was marked by an extraordinary passion, energy and determination to do better, and to make Nigeria better.

”These are values that young and old alike should all remember and celebrate.

”On assuming the role of Head of State in 1975, Murtala set out with a single-minded determination seldom seen in Nigerian leadership. Decisions were on fast-track,’’ the president said.

He also stated that many major developments were prominent among Murtala Mohammed’s legacies, and these included the move of the capital to Abuja from Lagos and the creation of seven new States.

The president, who noted that late Mr Mohammed was his senior in Army, said he developed a great liking and respect for him on account of his professional excellence, competence, straightforwardness and genuine interest and concern for up-and-coming officers like him.

According to him, of course, no one is without flaws. He was a man in a hurry, and sometimes this could make him appear abrupt or even moody.

”But what he could not tolerate was incompetence and idleness.

”By the time Murtala was given Command during the Civil War, the Federal side was on the defensive.

”The rebels had over-ran the then Mid-West, and reached as far as Ore, just 100 miles from Lagos.

”By dint of sheer bravery, improvisation and resourcefulness, he mustered a rag-tag group of soldiers, integrated them into an entirely new division, knocked them into fighting shape, recovered Mid-West and ventured across the Niger.

”Alas, there were terrible casualties on both sides, but sacrifice and loss were part of the risks of war,’’ Mr. Buhari said.

Retired Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, who is the Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of the Murtala Mohammed Foundation, organisers of the annual lecture series, expressed great joy for being associated with the late Murtala Mohammed early in life.

He commended the efforts of the foundation and advised its leadership to embark on aggressive media campaign with a view to educating members of the public on its activities and achievements so far.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon’s representative and Head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who also represented former President of Namibia, Mr Lucas Pohamba, noted that the death of Murtala Mohammed, 40 years ago, left an indelible mark in African history.

He extolled the virtues of the former Nigerian Head of State, describing him as a natural leader.

The guest speaker, David Richards, former Chief of Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces, noted that inter-state and intra-states rivalries had continued to make the world unstable for mankind.

Richards, who spoke on the topic, ”Regional Security and State Building: Portents and prospects,’’ challenged leaders to find lasting solutions to socio-political crises across the world.

The Chief Executive officer of the Murtala Mohammed Foundation, Mrs Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, saluted President Muhammadu Buhari for embarking on the crusade against corruption in the country.

Muhammed-Oyebode also commended the efforts of the Buhari-led administration towards the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the North Eastern states of the federation.

She expressed the hope that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls would soon be rescued in view of the successes being recorded by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the country.

Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in a military coup on Feb. 13, 1976.