Selig Reporters' Blog

Buhari did not appoint us based on ethnicity — new SGF

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President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in the new Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who was appointed last week. The president also inaugurated the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, and the president’s special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina. The event took place at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mr. Buhari has come under fire for appointing mostly people from Nigeria’s northern region, to top positions. Criticisms grew last week after the appointment of Mr. Lawal and five others, with only one of the nominees from the south. The appointments followed a pattern that has seen at least 75 per cent of top government officials, from the north. The presidency has denied any sectional agenda, and has assured that no part of the country will be marginalised in subsequent appointments. Mr. Buhari did not comment on the controversy on Monday after swearing in the new officials. He did not give any remarks. But speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the SGF, Mr. Lawal, said they were not appointed because of their places of origin. “We did not have to pass examination to get appointed into these positions,” he said. “(It was) not because of our tribes, or our faiths, or our political groups that we were considered worthy for these positions. “If it is such, I am sure none of us would have been considered worthy of these appointments. We appreciate the president and we appreciate God that he has blessed us with these privileged appointments,” Mr. Lawal said.

Buhari did not appoint us based on ethnicity — new SGF

President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in the new Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who was appointed last week.The president also inaugurated the National Security Adviser, Ba…

31 Aug 2015

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'spreads to Lagos'

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The Nigerian Boko Haram is trying to expand its activities beyond Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, to include the commercial capital Lagos, as well as other parts of the country, officials say. Nigeria's intelligence agency says 12 members of the Islamist militant group have been arrested in Lagos since July. It is not possible to independently verify details of the statement. Boko Haram has waged a six-year insurgency in Nigeria, mainly in the north-east of the country.     Africa Live: News updates Authorities arrested other self-confessed Boko Haram members in the south-eastern city of Enugu as well as other parts of central and northern Nigeria, the Department of State Services (DSS) said in a statement. 
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The DSS attributes the attempted expansion of Boko Haram into southern areas to the increased pressure the group is under in its north-eastern heartland. However, the BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says the group is still causing havoc in the north-east, with reports that more than 50 people were killed in an attack in Borno State on Friday, about 100km (62 miles) north of the state capital Maiduguri. Will Ross, BBC News, Lagos For many in Lagos it will be alarming to hear that a dozen Boko Haram members have been arrested here in recent weeks. I have often been told by Lagosians that the jihadist group would never dare attack this city, which seems more naive than reassuring, especially as there was an attempt to bomb a fuel depot last year. The announcement from the secret police, known as the DSS, came just a day after another statement told us a teenager had been picked up inside Abuja airport where he was gathering intelligence for Boko Haram - another disturbing bit of news. The DSS says the arrests have helped avert "devastating attacks" and that "notable commanders and frontline members" have been rounded up. We have no way of independently verifying the information in the statements but it is worth noting that all the security departments are under pressure to demonstrate that they are having an impact against Boko Haram, especially as President Muhammadu Buhari has made tackling the jihadist insurgency a priority and is still making senior appointments. A new DSS director general was appointed in early July and the latest statement says the arrests began the very next week.

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'spreads to Lagos'

The Nigerian Boko Haram is trying to expand its activities beyond Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, to include the commercial capital Lagos, as well as other parts of the country, officials say.Nigeria'…

31 Aug 2015

3 Things To Keep Private

3 Things To Keep Private

I totally agree... (he shared it on instagram). And for those who don't know him, Maje Ayida is Toke Makinwa's estranged husband.…

29 Aug 2015

Why Nigeria issued wanted Lebanese terrorist, Al-Assir, visa — Official

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The radical Lebanese Islamic cleric, Ahmad Al-Assir, who was arrested last week as he attempted traveling to Nigeria, got an entry visa into Nigeria because the country’s embassies do not capture applicants’ biometric data, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told PREMIUM TIMES. Biometrics cover a variety of unique identifiable attributes of people including fingerprint, iris print, hand, face, voice, gait or signatures, and are used for identification and authentication. The foreign affairs official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said with the surge of security breaches and religious fundamentalism, biometric capturing has become a norm yet, Nigeria, currently battling Boko Haram insurgency, has failed to utilise the technology. “While the measure tends to pre-empt influx of terrorists instead they (sic) depend on the use of stop list for potential visa applicants,” the official said. He continued, “If we have a bank for storing the number of personal data which should be distributed to all our embassies; the prevailing spate of insecurity in the globe which has gone beyond just the antiquated stop list method would be checkmated.” The official revealed that the antiquated list which Nigerian embassies rely on are not even backed with photographs or fingerprints. He said Nigerian consular officers do not embark on adequate background check on all visa requests as no applicant appears for oral interview with visas even issued in absentia. The official wondered why visa applications go through a third party state passport and why Nigerian embassies rarely verify addresses and telephone number(s) of the person inviting the visa applicant. He suggested that the federal government take steps to abolish the policy of the issuance of visa within 48 hours and make room for efficiency through technology. Some countries currently adopting the biometrics technology include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Gambia, Germany, India, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States of America. The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulus Lolo, told PREMIUM TIMES that he has personally launched his own investigation into the matter. He said the terrorist might have operated under a pseudo name. Mr. Al-Assir, a radical Muslim cleric, was arrested on August 15, after he was caught trying to find his way into Nigeria through Cairo, Egypt, with a fake Palestinian passport and a valid Nigerian visa at the Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport in Lebanon. President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into how the wanted terrorist was able to obtain a valid Nigerian visa.

Why Nigeria issued wanted Lebanese terrorist, Al-Assir, visa — Official

The radical Lebanese Islamic cleric, Ahmad Al-Assir, who was arrested last week as he attempted traveling to Nigeria, got an entry visa into Nigeria because the country’s embassies do not capture app…

24 Aug 2015

SSS charges ex-NSA, Sambo Dasuki, to court for ‘undermining national security’

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State Security Service on Monday announced that it has charged the immediate past National Security Service, Sambo Dasuki, over alleged “acts capable of undermining national security.” A statement Monday by an official of the Service, Tony Opuiyo, said Mr. Dasuki was charged for “possession of fire arms without license punishable under section 27(i)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 LFN 2004″. The statement said, “You may recall that on 16th July, 2015, the Department of State Services (DSS), carried out a search operation on properties belonging to the immediate past National Security Adviser, Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Col/rtd), in Abuja and Sokoto. “This action was necessitated by credible intelligence which linked him to acts capable of undermining national security. The search operation led to the recovery of large cache of arms and ammunition among other things and for which further investigation was conducted. “Consequently, on Monday 24th August, 2015, he was charged to court based on evidence so far obtained, but which relates to possession of fire arms without license punishable under section 27(i)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 LFN 2004. This is in line with democratic practice and our avowed commitment to the rule of law, in which nobody is deemed to be above the law no matter how highly placed in the society. Accordingly, the general public will be duly informed as the matter progresses. “Meanwhile, the Service recommits itself to the fundamental role of providing adequate security for all Nigerians to enable them pursue their legitimate aspirations and businesses.” More to come…

SSS charges ex-NSA, Sambo Dasuki, to court for ‘undermining national security’

State Security Service on Monday announced that it has charged the immediate past National Security Service, Sambo Dasuki, over alleged “acts capable of undermining national security.”A statement Mon…

24 Aug 2015

Buhari raises 13-member panel to probe weapon procurement since 2007

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Left: Chief Of The Air Staff, Air-Marshal Sadique Abubarkar; 
Chief Of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin; Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari; Chief Of Army Staff,
Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai And Chief Of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete
Ekwe Ibas, At The Decoration Of Service Chiefs At The Presidential Villa
In Abuja On Thursday (13/8/15). NAN </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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 Buhari has directed the National Security Adviser to convene an investigative committee on the procurement of hardware and munitions in the Armed Forces from 2007 till now, a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said. 
 
According to the statement, the investigative committee’s mandate is to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the Armed Forces. 
 
Accordingly, the National Security Adviser has constituted the Investigative Committee as follows: 
 
AVM J.O.N. Ode (rtd.) – President 
 
R/Adm J.A. Aikhomu (rtd.) – Member 
 
R/Adm E. Ogbor (rtd.) – Member 
 
Brig Gen L. Adekagun (rtd.) – Member 
 
Brig Gen M. Aminu-Kano (rtd.) – Member 
 
Brig Gen N. Rimtip (rtd.) – Member 
 
Cdre T.D. Ikoli – Member 
 
Air Cdre U. Mohammed (rtd.) – Member 
 
Air Cdre I. Shafi’i – Member 
 
Col A.A. Ariyibi – Member 
 
Gp Capt C.A. Oriaku (rtd.) – Member 
 
Mr. Ibrahim Magu (EFCC) – Member 
 
Brig Gen Y.I. Shalangwa – Secretary 
 
The presidential statement added, “The establishment of the investigative committee is in keeping with President Buhari’s determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service. 
 
“It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops’ morale. 
 
“The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment.”

Buhari raises 13-member panel to probe weapon procurement since 2007

From Left: Chief Of The Air Staff, Air-Marshal Sadique Abubarkar; Chief Of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari; Chief Of Army …

24 Aug 2015

Diezani cheated Nigeria over $15b oil sale to India

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 The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ajjampur R. Ghanashyam, has revealed the dubious practice by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison Madueke in selling crude to India through intermediaries, thus denying Nigeria’s treasury of the full proceed. India is now Nigeria’s number one crude buyer, an importation that grosses $15 billion yearly. But under Diezani Alison-Madueke, commission agents creamed away some of the billions, when Nigeria’s treasury ought to have enjoyed the full benefit. Nigeria is the only oil producing nation selling its oil this way. Other nations make the sale, country-country. “From other countries, when we buy oil, whatever we want to pay, we pay to the Ministry of Finance of that country. In Nigeria, we pay to intermediaries. We would like to be dealing directly with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It’s not a good thing. Why should we go through intermediaries? “Secondly, we would also like to have long term agreement, which we have with many countries: Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other countries from where we buy oil. Nigeria is the only country with whom we don’t have an agreement. .. When we write a letter to NNPC, we don’t get a response,” Ghanashyam told Nigeria’s newspaper, Daily Trust. The newspaper quoting NNPC 2014 Annual Statistical Bulletin reported that India bought 136,419,844 barrels of crude oil from Nigeria. The relationship continues. The Indian High Commissioner added that apart from the lack of long-term agreement between the two countries on crude oil purchases, in 2006, an Indian company, Oil & Natural Gas Commission Videsh Limited (OVL) and Mittal Energy International, which is a joint venture between OVL, an Indian government company, and Mittal Energy a private firm, applied for oil concession. The Signature bonus sum of $25 million was paid, but neither was the oil concession granted nor the money paid returned to the Indian companies. “How many years is it? Nine years. Even to get the concession is not possible, and the money is not refunded to us. For nine years your country has been sitting on this, and they make us go round and round and round. We buy $15 billion worth of crude oil per year and we have the potential of importing $50 billion worth of crude oil from Nigeria. We can buy more because our requirement is going up. But if you continue to make us to pay through agents, and continue to ask us to buy from the swap market, it means you don’t trust us, and if you don’t trust us, we have to look for those who trust us more. We are making concessions to Nigeria by buying your crude oil because you’re our old friends and we’ve been friends for a long time, and your crude oil is better quality. But you must take our interest into account.”

Diezani cheated Nigeria over $15b oil sale to India

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ajjampur R. Ghanashyam, has revealed the dubious practice by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison Madueke in selling crude to India throug…

24 Aug 2015

Let vulnerable Nigerians benefit from its riches - Ban Ki-moon tells governors

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United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, on Sunday urged states and local governments in Nigeria to ensure that available resources were targeted at the vulnerable. 
 
Ban, who made the call during his meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in Abuja as he began his two-day visit to Nigeria, said his advice was informed by rising inequality in the world. 
 
He urged the Federal Government to key properly into the Sustainable Development Goals, a successor-programe to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as a basis for the country’s development. 
 
He said that local governments had important role to play in implementing the sustainable development goals. 
 
According to him, in a world of rising inequality, sub-national and local governments can help to ensure that limited available funds are targeted at the most vulnerable. 
 
Saying that vulnerable included people who were “often hard to reach”, Ban urged governments at all level to ensure availability of health services, 
educational opportunities and equality for women and girls. 
 
He stressed the need for Nigeria to urgently establish partnership with the UN in the implementing of the sustainable development goals, saying no country or leader could achieve them alone. 
 
“You have to have a strong and inclusive partnership with the Civil Society Organizations and the business community,” he advised. 
 
The UN scribe also advised the country to institute gender mainstreaming across government ministries and bodies that would help in the implementation of the policies. 
 
“The country should invest in the process that will help to acquire credible data that will inform better plans and decision makings. 
 
“Accurate data will also make UN to better respond to due and unforeseen challenges,” he said, assuring that the UN was ready to work with Nigeria in its efforts to make the world a better place. 
 
He pointed out that Nigeria occupied a central place in the comity of nations as it was the only country in Africa continent to be president of UN Security Council for five times since it joined the council in 1961. 
 
“This is yet another reminder of the weight, power and influence of the country in regional and global responsibilities,” he said. 
 
Ban said that although Nigeria was currently facing challenges, including insecurity, “this is the time of hope for the country”. 
 
He noted that the country had already sent signal of hope to other countries with the peaceful conduct of its last general elections. 
 
Earlier, Chairman of the NGF, Alhaji Abdulazizi Yari, had assured the UN of the forum readiness to key into the MDGs successor-programme. 
 
“We are ready to embrace this programme with great zeal as soon as it is unveiled,” he said. 
 
Yari, who is the governor of Zamfara, told the UN scribe that there had been no case of polio in the country for the past one year, and reiterated the governors’ resolve to eradicate polio from the Nigeria. 
 
“In this wise, I am delighted to inform the Secretary-General that since you were last here, Nigeria had made unprecedented strides in the fight against this scourge. 
 
“In fact, this month marks one full year without any report of a new case of polio in any part of the country,” he said. 
 
He said governors and other stakeholders were working through the instrumentality of campaigns, vaccination, and the development of critical resources, to ensure that by 2017, Nigeria would be certified polio-free.

Let vulnerable Nigerians benefit from its riches - Ban Ki-moon tells governors

United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, on Sunday urged states and local governments in Nigeria to ensure that available resources were targeted at the vulnerable. Ban, who made the call du…

24 Aug 2015

Lagos alerts residents over impending massive flooding

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The Lagos State Government has alerted residents living in the coastal and low lying areas of the impending flooding of these areas following the release of water from the Lagco Dam in Cameroon. In a statement released by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Mr. Oluwatoyin Onisarotu, the government said that the warning became necessary based on the outcome of the recent 2015 Flood Management Stakeholders Roundtable Meeting organized by the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja where preparations were made for the forecast of the 2015 Flood Management Strategies. Onisarotu hinted of the possible consequences of the release of water from the dam in Cameroon and its attendant effect on the coastal waters and the wetlands. It was also disclosed at the Abuja meeting that the release of excess water from Lagco Dam might cause flooding that will affect the Benue River Basin and states such as Adamawa and those in the Niger-Delta among others. He advised that residents within the coastal and low lying areas which are prone to flooding to ensure that all canals and drains are properly cleared to allow free flow of water. “They should discourage people from dumping refuse into canals and drainage that may cause havoc and flooding,” he urged. He also stressed that the State Government is committed to ensuring that several flood mitigating measures it has put in place are fully deployed to ensure minimal discomfort for all those who might be affected by the rising water levels that come with the release of that water.

Lagos alerts residents over impending massive flooding

The Lagos State Government has alerted residents living in the coastal and low lying areas of the impending flooding of these areas following the release of water from the Lagco Dam in Cameroon.In a …

24 Aug 2015

UN scribe, Ban Ki-Moon, arrives Nigeria for 2-day visit

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The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, arrived in Nigeria on Sunday for a two-day official visit. , the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Ban, who arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 4.15p.m., was received by Bulus Lolo, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The UN Resident Coordinator, Daouda Toure, UNFPA Executive Director, Babatunde Oshotimehin and Special Representative of UN Secretary-General to Nigeria and West Africa, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, were among those who received Ban. The Secretary-General was driven to Transcorp Hilton, where he is expected to hold talks with state governors under the aegis of Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF. The dialogue with the governors would hold under the theme: “Pathways to a New Nigeria – the Role of Sub-national Governments.” The UN Scribe would on Monday meet with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock Villa. Ban would later lay a wreath in memory of persons who died at the UN House bombing in 2011, as part of activities to mark the fourth anniversary of the incident. The UN scribe would also have lunch with members of the business community with the theme: “The Role of Nigeria Business and the Economy in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and Addressing Climate Change.” The Secretary-General is billed to deliver a keynote address at a “Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights, Development, Climate Change and Countering Violent Extremism.” The Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, is expected to chair the dialogue at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Amina Mohammed, Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning, is among those on Ban’s entourage. (NAN)

UN scribe, Ban Ki-Moon, arrives Nigeria for 2-day visit

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, arrived in Nigeria on Sunday for a two-day official visit. , the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.Ban, who arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airpo…

24 Aug 2015

International Criminal Court has commenced investigation of the Oba of Lagos

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 International Criminal Court has commenced investigation of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, for statements made about the Igbo’s in the build-up to the Lagos governorship election. In the statement, available on line, Mr. Akiolu vowed that Igbos in Lagos who voted against his preferred candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, would sink in the Lagoon. Mr. Ambode of the APC eventually defeated Jimi Agbaje of the PDP in a highly contested election. The son of a late former governor of old Anambra State, Josef Onoh, on April 21, petitioned the ICC on the statement and asked the world jury to investigate the threat and bring the monarch to justice. The ICC had earlier in the year acknowledged receipt of Mr. Onoh’s petition and promised to give consideration to his request. Mr. Onoh petitioned the ICC saying he believes that Mr. Akiolu’s threat amounted to a call for violence to be perpetrated against the Igbo in Lagos in the event that the APC governorship candidate loses the election, which he noted violates Article 20 of the International convention and elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. “Had the threat been made by any lesser person we would have dismissed same as an idle threat, but coming from the Oba of Lagos himself, it was a call to arms and an incitement to violence against the Igbos,” Mr. Onoh wrote. In a second correspondence to Mr. Onoh with reference number OTP-CR-140/15, dated August 13 2015, ICC’s Head of the Information & Evidence unit in the office of the prosecutor, M.P. Dillion, said they were analyzing the situation identified in his petition with the assistance of other related communications and other available information. Part of the ICC’s latest letter to Mr. Onoh reads: “Under article 53 of the Rome statute, the prosecutor must consider whether there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed, the gravity of the crimes, whether national systems are investigating and prosecuting the relevant crimes, and the interests of justice.” Acknowledging receipt of the petition, Mr. Dillon said: “This communication has been duly entered in the communications register of the office.”

International Criminal Court has commenced investigation of the Oba of Lagos

International Criminal Court has commenced investigation of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, for statements made about the Igbo’s in the build-up to the Lagos governorship election.In the statement,…

24 Aug 2015

How Jonathan appointed suspected serial thief, Ladan Salihu, to head Radio Nigeria

Goodluck Jonathan’s Nigeria, relying on the influence of powerful individuals, including former Vice President Namadi Sambo, a man made it to the position of director general of a key and influential federal institution after he was indicted and even recommended for sack by investigative panels for stealing and gross misconduct. This is the story of Ladan Salihu, the Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN. The official record of Mr. Salihu, the DG of Radio Nigeria, is awash with cases of indictment for graft, abuse of office and gross misconduct, which should have disqualified him from clinching the top job. But as Nigeria descended so low under Mr. Jonathan that no sin seemed too atrocious to be brushed aside, Mr. Salihu, formerly Zonal Director, Kaduna Zonal station of Radio Nigeria, was appointed Director General in February 2014 by the then president. The appointment came despite protest by staff of Radio Nigeria and more importantly, overwhelming evidence showing that the man stole government money, forged receipts and was queried and recommended for sack by his two immediate predecessors. Documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES revealed shocking details of official theft, misconduct and non-compliance with due process for which he received official queries and sanctions, and at a time, placed on half salary. In 2008, a petition by a retiree of the radio, A. J. Usman led to the setting up of an administrative panel by the then DG of Radio Nigeria, Ben Egbuna, to probe allegations of  “massive fraud and lack of due process in the activities at the Kaduna zonal station” against Mr. Salihu. According to the report of the panel referenced in a query letter DG.452/VOL.XTV/66, dated July 14, 2008, Mr. Salihu allegedly stole a part of the funds released to him by the station for the coverage of the 2007 Hajj. Although four reporters were approved for the coverage, with recommendation of $1,500 as estacode allowance to each, the panel reported that Mr. Salihu only took three reporters to cover the event, pocketing the funds earmarked for the remaining one reporter. Even so, he pocketed parts of the monies meant for the journalists he picked, paying each of the trio $1200; $700; $700 respectively. He also failed to account for $13,800 he received as team leader for the Hajj coverage. The panel reported that Mr. Salihu was not only awarding contracts above his expenditure limit, but also expressed worry that the contracts “were awarded only to Scale and Symbol Associates Limited without following the extant guidelines for award of contracts in the public service”. He was also indicted for selling, without authorisation, a Medium Wave Antenna belonging to the Corporation for N700, 000 in “violation of the Corporation’s financial instructions which, among other things, require the approval of the Board of the Corporation, and in the absence of the Board, the approval of the Honourable Minister (of Information)”. The report also found that he was a serving director of Lead Point Nigeria Limited, contrary to code of conduct for public servants in Nigeria. In response to the fraud allegations, the DG at the time, Mr. Egbuna, issued a strongly-worded query to Mr. Salihu, demanding response within 48 hours. That never happened before Mr. Egbuna retired same week. If those cases of graft weren’t weighty enough, a string of questionable activities by Mr. Salihu in the coming years, pushed the limits of official fraud. In 2009, as zonal director of Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, he was enmeshed in a receipt forgery scandal and was recommended for sack after being placed on half pay by Mr. Egbuna’s successor, Nuhu Yusuf, who ironically, Mr. Salihu would succeed as Director-General of FRCN. A panel of inquiry set up by Mr. Nuhu reported that the FRCN receipts numbers  15051 in the sum of N5,620,000; 2433 in the sum of N500,000; and 25581 for N3,500,000 to Katsina State Government for airing of different programmes were forged. The N5,620,000 was paid with regard to “Gaba dai gaba dai jihar Katsina”, a sponsored programme by Katsina State Government which aired at 11.50 A.M. on Sundays and Thursdays at the time. According to an FRCN Board Paper number 2/2010 obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, efforts to untie the knot surrounding the forgery were frustrated by Mr. Salihu who challenged the competence of the inquiry panel, refused them access to key documents and relevant staff like the head of marketing at the station. For a man who is quoted to have repeatedly boasted of his connections, Mr. Salihu illegally hired police officers – with the backing of Katsina government – to ensure continuation of the contentious programme even after the federal radio headquarters had directed it be suspended forthwith. Accordingly, the investigative panel recommended that Mr. Salihu’s appointment be terminated, in keeping with Public Service Rule 030301, in view of his “serious acts of misconduct”. In the wake of Mr. Salihu’s appointment as Director-General of FRCN in 2014 by former President Jonathan, staff of the radio, in a petition, questioned the integrity of the new boss, and informed the president of the consequence of such decision on his administration’s touted “transformation agenda”. They have raised the same concerns with President Muhammadu Buhari on the “need to remove officers with leadership deficit in leadership positions in ministries, departments and agencies”, citing Mr. Salihu as a case study. Even after his appointment was recommended for termination, he remained in the Corporation and would later go on to become its chief. How did that happen? Connection in high places When contacted, former DG, Mr. Egbuna, confirmed he queried and indeed sanctioned Mr. Salihu but added that: “I retired from service that same week. So whatever happened thereafter was out of my control”. Also speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Nuhu, who succeeded Mr. Egbuna, lamented how an officer with records of graft would become head of the same organisation from which he had stolen. Mr. Nuhu said while he recommended Mr. Salihu’s appointment to be terminated, it was beyond his powers to enforce same, saying the government owns the radio corporation and there was nothing he could have done to stop his appointment. Serving and retired officials of FRCN told PREMIUM TIMES how Mr. Salihu boasts of his connections to any and every government in power and so believes he is untouchable and above discipline. They provided details of how the accused officer rose to the peak of the radio station despite his nauseating record. The trio of former Vice President Sambo, former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, and former Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, our sources said, helped Mr. Salihu escape sanctions for his misconducts and then facilitated his rise to the topmost position in his station. For years, they said, Mr. Salihu cultivated the establishment and made it appear he was a man to count on for any future dirty job. In this case, the project was helping the government in power stay in power beyond 2015. Ben Bruce, a Senator, who was the Chairman of the FRCN board at the time Mr. Salihu was appointed said he was not aware of the damning documents indicting the DG. He said his post was non-executive and “we don’t sit regularly. So I don’t have the knowledge of all these but I know he is a great guy”. Mr. Salihu as DG, FRCN Even in his present capacity as DG FRCN, allegations of waste and financial irresponsibility have continued to trail Mr. Salihu. For instance, PREMIUM TIMES sources, who are very knowledgeable about the goings-on at the corporation, accused Mr. Salihu of “giving out unnecessary contract appointments to several staff who retired compulsorily on account of age or maximum 35 years’ service” as “a fitting reward for their loyalty to his person and friendship”. By August, the radio had about 473 former staff, including drivers, secretaries, accountants, administrative officers, on contract appointment, thereby denying young, able and qualified Nigerians job opportunities in the public sector. The cost of meeting obligations to contract appointees is now taking a toll on the Corporation’s finances and personnel management, resulting in the depletion of IGR, failure to meet staff claims amounting to over N519 million and stalling of proficiency courses/training for staff, our sources revealed. Efforts to have Mr. Salihu respond to these findings were unsuccessful. Multiple calls to his telephone were neither answered nor returned for days, as were messages sent to him. Our correspondent also went to his office repeatedly but was denied access to him. His secretary kept saying he was too busy to attend to the enquiry our reporter sought. On Thursday, one of the officials at his office told visitors, including our correspondent, after hours of waiting, that Mr. Salihu was busy as he had been unavailable in the office since Monday. PREMIUM TIMES spoke with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Shade Yemi-Esan. Ms. Esan said the Ministry of Information plays no role in the appointment of DG for the FRCN. It is the prerogative of the President to appoint anyone to head any of the parastatals under the ministry, she said. Ms. Esan said she could not confirm if the recommendation for the termination of Mr. Salihu’s appointment in 2010 was brought to the notice of the ministry as she only became permanent secretary in 2013.

How Jonathan appointed suspected serial thief, Ladan Salihu, to head Radio Nigeria

23 Aug 2015

Boko Haram terrorists ambush Army Chief’s advance team

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai</td></tr>
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A soldier was killed in an ambush Friday during a daring visit by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to troops currently battling Boko Haram terrorists in parts of Borno state. 
 
The army chief, who arrived Maiduguri first, set out on the journey through Mafa to Gamboru-Ngala border town where regrouping terrorists were dislodged recently. 
 
On the way to Gamboru-Ngala, Mr. Buratai, a Lieutenant General, stopped at Mafa town where he addressed troops of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army currently manning the reclaimed community that is still deserted. 
 
He commended the soldiers for “a job well done” and assured them of improved welfare and allowances. Mr. Buratai said the issue of troops’ welfare was already before President Muhammadu Buhari. 
 
He however informed the soldiers that “there is still more job to be done and we have to do this once and for all so that all of us can go back to our respective barracks and continue with our normal jobs and soldiers”. 
As the convoy moved on to Dikwa, a message was sent in that an advance team was ambushed by Boko Haram terrorists and one soldier was killed while  two others were also injured. 
The soldiers in advance however subdued the terrorists by killing five of them and arresting five others. Those arrested surrendered their arms. 
 
While the Chief of Army staff’s convoy proceeded to Dikwa, soldiers spotted suspected Boko Haram members in the bush amidst flocks of cattle. Mr. Buratai stopped the convoy and ordered that the group be rounded up for prompt investigation. 
 
An elderly herdsman confessed that four of the arrested suspects met them in the bush and forced them to move together. The four suspects later owned up that they were members of the Boko Haram. They were immediately arrested and sent back to Maiduguri. 
 
In Dikwa, the chief of Army staff was welcome with cheers by over 4000 internally displaced persons from Gamboru and neighbouring towns, who were full of praise and prayers for him and the soldiers.  
 
He addressed them in the local Kanuri language and assured them that they would soon be resettled as his troops were working round the clock to rid the area of all terrorists. 
 
The convoy later moved on to Ngala town where a large number of solders were met celebrating the liberation of the area. 
 
Lieutenant General Buratai addressed the troops and commended them for keeping the morale high. He urged them to be more vigilant and ensure no Boko Haram is left to cause any form of attack on troops and innocent civilians. 
 
He was accompanied on the trip by the GOC 7 Division and other top officers from the Army headquarters, while the Chief of Air Staff also made the trip by air.

Boko Haram terrorists ambush Army Chief’s advance team

Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai A soldier was killed in an ambush Friday during a daring visit by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to troops currently battling Boko Haram terrorists in part…

23 Aug 2015

All I need to steal any car is wire – says car robbery suspect

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kehinde Oluomo</td></tr>
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If there is one thing Kehinde Oluomo has become adept at doing, it is carjacking. According to him, no matter what brand or how high-tech a car is, all he needs to break into it and steal it is a piece of wire. Oluomo, who was arrested by the Nigerian Police Force, Kwara State command, confessed to having stolen six cars through this means. The suspect, who said he was from Lagos State, explained that he started car robbery in 2013. According to him, his strategy was to monitor where vehicles were parked, ensured that nobody was watching him and then he broke into the vehicle with the aid of a wire. He, however, pleaded for forgiveness, saying he would never be involved in car stealing again if he is released. “I stole cars and sold them off. I normally sold to Sakiru (his co-accused). I have stolen only six cars. I brought the cars from Lagos to sell in Ilorin. I stole my first car in 2013,”Oluomo said. His co-accused, who identified himself simply as Sakiru, said he was arraigned for car theft sometime ago, but the case was later settled out of court. He claimed that since then, he had been an informant to the police, exposing to security operatives people involved in car theft. Sakiru said the devil pushed him into receiving a stolen car which led to his arrest by the police. He also expressed remorse for his action, saying he would never receive or buy stolen vehicles again. Another suspected receiver of stolen cars, Alhaji Oba Suleiman, who wept intermittently when they were being paraded by the police, said he sometimes bought stolen cars for as little as N25,000. The Police Public Relations Officer, Kwara State Police Command, Mr. Ajayi Okesanmi, said the suspects were arrested in Ilorin on Monday by the anti-car theft team of the command through the efforts of the men of the command’s Intelligence and Investigation Department. According to him, the suspects led the team to recover five different cars from different locations. The PPRO stated that the recovered exhibits included one Mazda 626 car with registration number MUS 995 DC; Rav 4 Toyota SUV with registration number ARP 123 MY; Volkswagen bus with registration number EQ 819 ABY; Toyota comfort car with registration number BB 855 MWR and Toyota bus with registration number APP 965 CX.

All I need to steal any car is wire – says car robbery suspect

Kehinde Oluomo If there is one thing Kehinde Oluomo has become adept at doing, it is carjacking. According to him, no matter what brand or how high-tech a car is, all he needs to break into it and st…

22 Aug 2015

Buhari suspends Nigeria Immigration boss, David Parradang

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President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the comptroller general of Nigeria Immigration Service, David Parradang. Mr. Parradang was asked to immediately proceed on suspension Friday while the service’s deputy comptroller general, Martin Abeshi, takes over, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. It was not immediately clear why Mr. Parradang was sanctioned. However, the Nigerian government this week launched an investigation into how a wanted suspected terrorist was granted a Nigerian visa in Lebanon to visit Nigeria. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulus Lolo, said Wednesday the suspected terrorist was of “Palestinian extraction and resides in Lebanon”. According to reports, the cleric, Ahmad al-Assir, was arrested by Lebanese authorities as he attempted to leave Lebanon to Nigeria via Cairo early on Aug. 15. He was reportedly arrested while attempting to travel with a fake Palestinian passport and a valid Nigerian Visa at the Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport in Lebanon. President Buhari had immediately ordered an investigation into the matter, and it is unclear whether Mr. Parradang’s suspension has any link with the matter. Also, the Immigration Service under Mr. Parradang’s leadership sparked national outrage in 2014 after nearly 20 job applicants died in stampede during an Immigration recruitment test. Ahead of the examinations, an agent commissioned by the Ministry of Interior, extorted N1000 from each of over 700,000 applicants. Despite raising nearly a N1 billion, logistics for the exercise were dismal resulting in the deaths. Mr. Parradang denied any role in the contract. He said the Interior minister, Abba Moro, handled the deal. An investigation launched by the Senate into the matter, ended without a report till date. EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect the ongoing investigation into the issuance of visa to a suspected terrorist in Lebanon

Buhari suspends Nigeria Immigration boss, David Parradang

President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the comptroller general of Nigeria Immigration Service, David Parradang.Mr. Parradang was asked to immediately proceed on suspension Friday while the service’…

22 Aug 2015

Buhari orders Police IG to withdraw orderlies from Nigerian ‘big men’

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 President Buhari on Thursday directed the Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Arase, to prune down the number of policemen attached to dignitaries. Mr. Buhari also directed the police inspector general to redeploy all policemen withdrawn from that role to regular police duties. The President also warned that he would not tolerate any irregularities or extortion of money from unemployed Nigerians in the coming recruitment into the police. At a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Police Service Commission in the Presidential Villa, President Buhari sad applicants having to pay bribes before being accepted into the police in the past was totally unacceptable. The President told the officials that those in charge of recruitment and training in the Police must be above board and eschew every form of extortion and underhand dealing. “You must ensure that the recruitment process is transparent. Those who will conduct the recruitment must be above board. It should not be heard that they receive gratification or extort money from those who want to enlist in the police,” Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, quoted President Buhari as saying. On the stagnation of policemen on a rank for many years, the President counselled the Police Service Commission to review the current structure of the police, and make recommendations on how the problem can be solved to boost the morale of serving policemen. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs, James Obiegbu, had, in his briefing to the President, listed inadequate police personnel, dwindling finances and non-rehabilitation of police training schools as some of the challenges facing the police. The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro, said the country needed to have more than the 305,579 policemen and women it has at present for effective policing. He thanked President Buhari for approving the recruitment of 10,000 additional policemen and women earlier this week.

Buhari orders Police IG to withdraw orderlies from Nigerian ‘big men’

President Buhari on Thursday directed the Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Arase, to prune down the number of policemen attached to dignitaries.Mr. Buhari also directed the police inspector gener…

20 Aug 2015

Buhari sacks Head of Nigeria’s Budget Office, Bright Okogu

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President Muhammadu Buhari today removed the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogu, from office. 
 
The reason for his removal remains unclear at press time. 
 
In his place, Yahaya Gusau, whose details remains unknown at this time, has been appointed his successor. Details about Mr. Gusau 
 
Until his appointment in December 2007, Mr. Okogu held several top positions, including Senior Economist, International Monetary Fund, IMF, in Washington DC; Senior Operations Officer at the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, Fund and Market Analyst, OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, Austria. 
 
He served as Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance (2004 to 2007) and also the pioneer Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). 
 
Although he worked to deepen openness and transparency about the Nigerian budget for years, Mr. Okogu will also be remembered for failing to make details of the 2015 budget public several months after the budget proposal was presented to the National Assembly. 
 
Journalists and analysts also told this newspaper at the time they were denied the details, amid speculations the government deliberately refused to publish them online or in hard copies as done in past years, to avoid embarrassing reports and analyses.

Buhari sacks Head of Nigeria’s Budget Office, Bright Okogu

President Muhammadu Buhari today removed the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogu, from office. The reason for his removal remains unclear at press time. In his place…

20 Aug 2015

Police arrest Aregbesola’s ex-aide for 29-year-old lover’s death

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Ogun State police have arrested a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Mr. Bode Olugbore, after a 29-year-old woman, Kemi Arobieke, was allegedly found dead in his apartment. PUNCH Metro learnt that Kemi, who the family claimed was Olugbore’s lover, was found dead in the ex-SSA’s apartment on Saturday, August 8. Our correspondents gathered that Kemi, an event planner, came from Lagos to visit Olugbore in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Thursday, August 6, and promised to return on Saturday. It was learnt that Kemi’s family, however, got a call on Sunday that the lady had been electrocuted in the ex-SSA’s apartment, and her corpse had been deposited in a mortuary. It was gathered that the matter was reported at the Dada Police Division, and policemen from the station removed the corpse from the apartment. It was learnt that the ex-SSA was arrested thereafter. The deceased’s elder brother, Ayoola, who confirmed the death of his sister to our correspondents on the telephone on Tuesday said Kemi had known Olugbore for about four years, but the family initially did not know about their relationship.

Police arrest Aregbesola’s ex-aide for 29-year-old lover’s death

Ogun State police have arrested a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Mr. Bode Olugbore, after a 29-year-old woman, Kemi Arobieke, was allegedly found dead in h…

19 Aug 2015

Ex-SGF, Pius Anyim and PDP chieftain fight dirty over multibillion naira centenary project scam

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The Peoples Democratic Party National Vice Chairman, South-South zone, Cairo Ojougboh, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari asking him to investigate the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, over alleged multibillion naira scam. Mr. Ojougboh, in a five-page letter, dated July 21, to Mr. Buhari, alleged that the Centenary City project in Abuja, which was built by the Federation Government but which construction was coordinated by the former SGF as part of the activities to mark Nigeria’s 100 years as nation, was a scam. He said the government had no equity in the project and that Mr. Anyim, a former senate president, was the sole owner of the 3000 acres of the land owned by the Centenary City. Mr. Ojougboh disclosed the contents of his letter to Mr. Buhari at a press conference he convened in Abuja on Monday to react to the protest by a group, New PDP Reformation Coalition and Support Groups. Members of the group, led by one Danelsi Momoh, had during their protest at the national secretariat of the PDP on Monday, claimed that Mr.Ojougboh, a former member of the House of Representatives, was planning to contest for the position of the national chairman of the party and that he would ruin the platform if elected. “Behind the threat to the PDP is the inordinate ambition of one man, PDP Vice Chairman, South-South zone, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, in his quest to hijack the party for his selfish interest has contrived all manner of crisis to make sure the PDP dies,” the group alleged. “It appears the plan is for Dr. Ojougboh to weaken the PDP and if possible rush it into oblivion to allow the APC operate without any credible opposition and thus set the ground for a large-scale misrule of the country.” They also accused Mr. Ojougboh of masterminding the murder of some top politicians in the South-South region, including Aminasoari Dikibo of the PDP and Harry Marshall of the defunct All Peoples Party. At the press conference, the former lawmaker alleged that Mr. Anyim sponsored the protest over some outstanding issues between him (former SGF) and the Nigerian Export Zonal Authority, NEPZA) whose board he (Ojougboh) chaired. He said Mr. Anyim failed to answer questions relating to his personal interest in the Centenary City, and whether he declared such interest to the Federal Government. Mr. Ojougboh asked, “According to the NEPZA Act, does the Centenary City qualify as a free zone? Does the law establishing FCT allow for a free zone i.e is it in the Abuja Master Plan? “How did Pius Anyim obtain N1.2 billion he paid from his company’s account as resettlement fees? Is the money from the NDDC? On whose custody is the C of O of the Centenary City?” Mr. Ojougboh said the protest by the group showed “how desperate the former SGF and former Senate President can go to cling unto his spoil of office without putting into consideration the millions of Nigerians he is depriving of the dividends of democracy.” He said a few days ago, Mr. Anyim announced that he had sued him (Ojougboh) for N1 billion and that when that did not intimidate him, he (Anyim) immediately resorted to crude tactics and blackmail. “These activities of Pius Anyim are pure anti-party activity and accusing a senior member of his party of this heinous act is bringing the party to dishonour,” he said. “I urge Senator Pius Anyim to seek the path of truth, own up to being the sole owner of the Centenary City and return same to the good people of Nigeria.” Mr. Ojougboh said he had instructed his lawyers to petition the Government of United Arab Emirate, the Nigerian Immigration Service, European Union, the German Government and the African Human Rights Commission over the issue. He also urged the Inspector General of Police to investigate the murder allegations against him and asked the PDP “to ignore the ranting of this mass of protoplasm but to join hands together in building a strong united and virile party for the upcoming elections”. Also, in the letter to Mr. Buhari, the former lawmaker recounted how he was appointed NEPZA chairman by former President Goodlcuk Jonathan after the 2011 elections. He said on October 24, 2014, he got a petition from MC Pal Consult, an Abuja-based law firm accusing NEPZA of misappropriation of funds, corruption and impunity. Some of the allegations, according to him, were the alleged misappropriation of $5 billion paid to NEPZA and that the entity called Centenary City was an affiliate of NEPZA and that it (NEPZA) failed to disclose the interest of the promoters of the project to Nigerians. Mr. Ojougboh said on December 21, 2014, he also received another petition from the Anti-Corruption Network led by Senator Dino Melaye alleging that ‘the idea of certifying the Centenary City as a free zone was to give import duty waiver to the owners of the project through the backdoor”. He told Mr. Buhari that his initial response was to ignore the two petitions thinking they were frivolous and lacking merit. He said when Mr. Melaye later addressed a world press conference, he recognized the severity of the matter and immediately got in touch with the Managing Director of NEPZA, Gbenga Kuye, for his response to the allegations. “He said when Mr. Kuye feigned ignorance of the issues raised he asked the board of NEPZA to convene a meeting. “Senator Anyim Pius, a former Secretary to the Federal Government ordered the MD of NEPZA, Mr. Gbenga Kuye not to allow the board meeting to hold within the premises of NEPZA. The board then relocated the meeting to the Transcorp Hilton Hotel,” Mr. Ojougboh said. He said the Certificate of Occupancy of the free trade zones are kept in the custody of the Federal Government via NEPZA but that it was not the case with the Centenary City, which he alleged was used as collateral to obtain loan from banks. He also told the president that he has “since discovered the landed property appropriated in the name of the Federal Government by the scammers alone is worth more than four billon dollars. This is contradictory to the estimate value which Senator Pius Anyim declared in ThisDay interview. The question then: Why would he want to deceive Nigerians as to the actual value of the Centenary City Project.” Mr. Ojougboh alleged that as a result of the agitation on the eligibility of the Centenary City Project, the former SGF “persecuted me, recommended and ensured that I was removed as chairman of the board of NEPZA”. He added that after a thorough investigation he carried out on the various substantive issues raised by the scam, he raised an internal party memo to former President Goodluck Jonathan in April last year denouncing the scam and elucidated on its ramification to the nation. He said, “I also informed the President that Senator Pius Anyim has been in clear breach of the extant civil service rules on procedure and ethics as he was the sole owner of the Centenary City Project and operated the scam through his surrogate company, Messrs Company First Nigeria. “Also worthy of note is the obfuscation implicit in the scam by Senator Anyim of the names of prominent individuals and organisations eg General Abdul Salam Abubakar, Abubakar Kayode etc as nominal directors of the company while warehousing the entirety of the equity of the companies in the names of the two principal aides of namely Messrs Esther Onaji and Jonathan Onah. “The role played by Julius Berger Plc in the whole shenanigan was confusing as one of their staff by name Mr. George Marks was conspicuously listed as a director to further lend credibility to the farce of the investment vehicle being a reputable corporate entity.” Mr. Ojougbioh however exonerated Mr. Jonathan, saying “Yes, the former President signed the papers as was presented to him by the former secretary of the Government SGF, he was not properly briefed because of vested interests, I can defend him, he was not part of the fraud. If Jonathan had been properly briefed he would not have approved the project not to talk of going to perform the ground breaking of the project. “The former President thought that the Centenary city was for the good of all Nigerians because of the centenary spirit. Unknown to him, it was the private project of the former SGF and his cohorts. I am calling on President Buhari now to revisit the centenary project and he will be shocked at the findings that the project was owned by a private individual but procured with government funds.” However, reacting to Mr. Ojougboh’s allegation, Mr. Anyim said he was already in court over the matter and would not jeopardize the progress of the case. “Anyim has gone to court over defamation of character and he is claiming N1 billion,” Sam Nwaobasi, the media aide to the former SGF told PREMIUMTIMES in a telephone interview Tuesday. “The former SGF will not join issues with Ojougboh over a matter that is in court.” Also in a statement issued Tuesday evening, Mr Nwaobasi said, “The issue is already is in court. Senator Anyim has gone to court to sue him for defamation on the previous press conference and interviews that he has granted in which he has been accused of almost all these things you said he is saying now. “So the matter is already in court and Senator Anyim does not wish to join issues with him on matters that are already in court. “Senator did not raise people to go and protest against Cairo Ojougboh. There is no need for such thing. What he thinks and what he knows is very civilised. Since he feels aggrieved by what Cairo has been saying and writing against him, he is pursuing a very civilised cause of going to court to plead his case and that offers Cairo the same opportunity to defend himself. “So he cannot resort to engaging people to demonstrate which does not in any way mean anything to him. He did not, he will not, and it is not his character to so. So whatever Cairo Ojougboh is making, he will have an opportunity in court to explain all of those and then plead his case. “As far as Senator Anyim is concern, the matter is in court and he does not wish to join issues with Cairo in matters that are already in court.”

Ex-SGF, Pius Anyim and PDP chieftain fight dirty over multibillion naira centenary project scam

The Peoples Democratic Party National Vice Chairman, South-South zone, Cairo Ojougboh, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari asking him to investigate the immediate past Secretary to the Governme…

19 Aug 2015

Buhari to personally probe sale of NITEL

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 President Buhari has mandated the ministry of communication to provide details of the recent privatisation of the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) and its mobile arm, MTEL, to ascertain whether or not Nigeria was short-changed. 
 
Speaking to journalists Tuesday after briefing the president on the activities of the ministry of communications, permanent secretary Tunji Olaopa said the president requested that a memo detailing how the transaction was processed be submitted directly to him. 
 
He said Mr. Buhari was concerned about the possibility of Nigeria not receiving a fair value from the deal. 
 
“The president was also concerned about the liquidation of NITEL. He is not opposed to its privatization but he wants to know… and he wants us to bring a memo on how the whole transaction was undertaken so that he would know whether Nigeria was short-changed,” he said. 
 
Mr. Olaopa said the president was very concerned about the whole issue of privatization that is hindering investments in ICT and said “that he will personally champion this”. 
 
“The president talked about the potentials of the ICT sector in generating employment,” Mr. Olaopa said. 
 
He said Mr. Buhari was also concerned about the quality of service from telecom operators in the country. 
 
The privatisation of the NITEL and MTEL was completed in December 2014 after the financial bid was opened in October 2014 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration. 
 
A consortium run by Skye Bank’s chairman, Tunde Ayeni, the founder of Sahara Energy, Tonye Cole, and two other companies, received the nod from the Nigerian government to take over the two companies for $242.3 million (about N42.4 billion). 
 
Their investment vehicle, NATCOM Telecommunications, emerged the sole bidder for the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, NITEL and Mtel. 
 
NATCOM has as members NATSPACE Telecommunication Investment Limited, PCCW Global Limited, Prime Union Investment Limited, Olutoyi Estate Development & Services Limited, Legal Resources Alliance & Co., Sahara Energy Resources Limited, and LM Ericsson Nigeria Limited. 
 
Of the seven firms, Mr. Ayeni, profiled as a businessman and lawyer on Skye Bank’s website, owns three. 
 
He is the founder and operator of Prime Union Investment Limited, Olutoyi Estate Development & Services Limited, and Legal Resources Alliance & Co. There were suggestions that he has link with NATSPACE, but PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify that claim. 
 
In December 2014, Mr. Ayeni led NATCOM in its acquisition of NITEL/MTEL less than two months after he also led Skye Bank to buy Mainstreet Bank from Assets Management Company of Nigeria, for N120 billion. 
 
In 2013, Mr. Ayeni was the chief promoter of Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company Limited, a group that eventually bought the Ibadan and Yola electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs. 
 
Mr. Cole is the owner of Sahara Energy, while LM Ericsson is a subsidiary of Swedish group, Ericsson. 
 
NATCOM, which merges the seven firms, appears to be a new corporate entity created solely for the purchase of NITEL/MTEL. Very little is known about the consortium. 
 
NATCOM emerged winner after NETTAG Consortium, another little known group, was disqualified for failing to attach a $10million bid bond to its bid submission as stipulated in the Request for Proposals (RFP) to prospective bidders. 
 
History of failed sales 
 
Before the acquisition, four previous attempts to sell NITEL failed. 
 
Nigeria started the process of privatising the national telecom groups in 2000 as part of the government’s reform of the telecommunications sector. 
 
In 2001, the government tried to sell 51 per cent equity to Investors International London Limited (IILL) as the strategic core investor. 
 
There was also the failed management contract by Pentascope in 2005, the aborted Orascom Telecoms bid in 2005, and the strategic core investor sale through negotiated sale strategy to Transcorp that was cancelled in 2009. 
 
The last effort was the strategic core investor sale in 2011, where New Generation Communications Limited and Omen International emerged preferred and reserved bidders respectively. 
 
Following the last failed attempt, former Vice President Namadi Sambo-led National Council on Privatisation, adopted the guided liquidation strategy for the sale of NITEL/MTEL.

Buhari to personally probe sale of NITEL

President Buhari has mandated the ministry of communication to provide details of the recent privatisation of the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) and its mobile arm, MTEL, to ascertain whether o…

19 Aug 2015

Verification of Buhari, Osinbajo’s assets yet to begin – Code of Conduct Bureau

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President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have not commenced the process of having the Code of Conduct Bureau verify details of their declared assets, ahead of making them public, the head of the bureau has said. Sam Saba, chairman of the code of conduct office, said the bureau was prepared to commence the verification of assets declared by the president and vice president, but said CCB was awaiting a convenient time for the two leaders to carry out the exercise. The bureau said none of two steps used for verifying assets has been implemented in the case of Messrs. Buhari and Osinbajo, nearly three months since they took office. “Both the conference and the field verification exercises are pending,” Mr. Saba said in an interview with the Punch, published Sunday. He said a conference verification involves the examination of the particulars of an asset, while field verification requires physical validation of the listed property. “For instance, if you say you have three vehicles, let us see the registration numbers. We don’t have to see all the details. Once we are able to see the receipt of the purchase of the vehicle or the registration documents, we are satisfied,” Mr. Saba said. “But we still have to see it physically and that is the second stage which we call field verification.” The Constitution does not compel office holders to declare their assets publicly, but amid an increasing scale of corruption, more Nigerians have intensified calls for asset details of senior government officials to be made open as an important step in combating graft. Messrs Buhari and Osinbajo’s election campaign centred on rooting out corruption, and the two leaders pledged to voluntarily declare their assets on assumption of office. The ruling All Progressives Congress (opposition before the elections) also assured that its president – unlike former Peoples Democratic Party presidents, Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo – would declare his assets. Umaru Yar’adua, also a PDP president, declared his assets promptly on taking office in 2007. In June, PREMIUM TIMES reported how President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo ignored a recommendation of the Ahmed Joda transition committee that they declare their assets publicly as they took office. The committee suggested that a public declaration of assets would be a “quick win” for the administration. Reacting to growing calls for the president to fulfil his election pledge, his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on June 6, assured that Mr. Buhari would make the report of his asset declaration public soon after verification by the Code of Conduct Bureau. “President Muhammadu Buhari has said that in fulfilment of one of their campaign promises, his declared assets and those of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will be released to the public upon the completion of their verification by the Code of Conduct Bureau,” Mr. Shehu said. He added: “There is no question at all that the President and the Vice President are committed to public declaration of their assets within the 100 days that they pledged during the presidential campaign”. The 100-day period since the new administration came to power lapses in September. The chairman of the Code of Conduct bureau, Mr. Saba, told Punch that the first step of the verification will commence once “it is convenient for Mr. President and his vice for us to go and do it”.

Verification of Buhari, Osinbajo’s assets yet to begin – Code of Conduct Bureau

President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have not commenced the process of having the Code of Conduct Bureau verify details of their declared assets, ahead of making them public, the head of…

17 Aug 2015

Buhari seeks ‘fearless’ judges to try looters

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President Muhammadu Buhari has commenced the process of identifying a few fearless and courageous judges who will be saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting persons who have been found to have stolen national resources, THE PUNCH has learnt. Buhari had while granting audience to members of the National Peace Committee led by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday disclosed that the prosecution of the indicted persons would commence in a matter of weeks. “Those who have stolen the national wealth will be in court in a matter of weeks and Nigerians will know those who have short-changed them,” the President had told his guests. Our correspondent however learnt on Sunday that the prosecution would not be open to “just any judge.” It was learnt that the President was committed to ensuring that only judges who would expedite action on the cases and would be fearless in discharging their duties would be enlisted for the prosecution. ADVERTISEMENT A source confided in our correspondent that that was one of the assignments Buhari gave to the Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption which he set up on Monday. The source said it would not be necessary to set up special courts to try corruption cases since efforts were already underway to identify judges that would key into the President’s dream of ensuring that no looter was left unpunished. He said, “We do not need to entertain any fear that the prosecution of corruption-related cases will not be fast enough because many of our courts are already weighed down by many cases. “The truth of the matter is that not all judges will be considered to take up the cases of those who have stolen our commonwealth. “As a matter of fact, one of the assignments the President gave the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption led by Prof. Sagay is to identify fearless and courageous judges that will handle the cases. “The idea is to ensure that the judges who will handle the cases will not be just any judges. They must be those who will expedite actions on the cases and discharge their duties with courage. “You can see that with this development, the issue of special courts for corruption cases may not come. It is about special judges.” Our correspondent also gathered that Buhari was already considering withdrawing national honours from any individual found to have looted the nation’s treasury. It was learnt that the President’s position was that the nation should not be seen to be honouring any fruadulent person. “The President will not hesitate to strip any corrupt person of national honour. Can you honour a person for milking the nation dry? It is irrelevant how long such persons have been bestowed with the national honours, they will be stripped of them,” the source said. When contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said it was reasonable that anybody found to be corrupt should be stripped of national honours. Adesina however said such withdrawal of national honours would not be done until affected persons had been convicted by competent courts. “Although it has not been considered, it is reasonable that those found guilty of corruption should be stripped of national honours bestowed on them. However, this will not be done before conviction,” the presidential spokesman said. While announcing the establishment of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption on Monday, Adesina had said its brief was to advise the present administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system. He said the committee was also saddled with the responsibility of developing comprehensive interventions for achieving the recommended reforms.

Buhari seeks ‘fearless’ judges to try looters

President Muhammadu Buhari has commenced the process of identifying a few fearless and courageous judges who will be saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting persons who have been found to have…

17 Aug 2015

Buhari set to recover govt houses from Jonathan’s men

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 President Buhari has concluded plans to recover all government property still in possession of government officials who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan. The Federal Government’s assets including vehicles, buildings, generator sets and others were said to still be in the possession of the former government officials weeks after they had left office. Irked by the development, Buhari was said to have set up a committee made up of civil servants and security agencies to identify and recover the unreturned public assets from the former political appointees. The development is in continuation of ongoing efforts of the President to reclaim Nigeria’s stolen resources. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed the development to journalists on Sunday. He said, “That is precisely the case. Even here at the Presidential Villa, there are cars and other property belonging to the government,which are yet to be returned. “The property belong to the Nigerian people. We are not trying to humiliate anyone by asking them to return their cars or houses.” The presidential spokesman however did not disclose the identities of former government officials said to be still in possession of government property. But he expressed the conviction that the committee set up by the President would recover all the government assets. When asked whether the state and local governments were facing similar challenges with retrieving government property from their predecessors, Shehu said that he was not in a position to confirm or deny this. He added, however, that he would not be surprised if that was the case, as this attitude of holding on to government property even after leaving office must be a natural outcome of the culture of impunity that prevailed in Nigeria over the past years of the Peoples Democratic Party’s regime. “But change has come. That is why we have to do things differently now. Imagine how much Nigeria will save by retrieving and re-using these government property instead of purchasing new ones for new government officials,” he said.

Buhari set to recover govt houses from Jonathan’s men

President Buhari has concluded plans to recover all government property still in possession of government officials who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan.The Federal Government’s asset…

17 Aug 2015

APC says Jonathan’s govt looted N11tn, PDP kicks

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 All Progressives Congress on Sunday alleged that about $56bn (N11.02tn) was looted during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and that the Buhari government needed to recover the funds to fulfill the change promised by the APC. In the breakdown by the ruling party, it said $6bn (1.2tn, at the rate of N197 to dollar) was stolen by some of Jonathan’s ministers and that 160 million barrels of crude worth $13.9bn (N2.74tn) were lost between 2009 and 2012 while $13bn (N2.56tn) in NLNG dividends was mostly unaccounted for. The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a statement on Sunday. Mohammed’s statement read in part, “Some instances of the looting are as follows: N3.8tn out of the N8.1tn earned from crude oil (2012-2015) withheld by NNPC; $2.1bn (N413.7bn) from Excess Crude Account unaccounted for; Department of Petroleum Resources’ unremitted N109.7bn royalty from oil firms. ADVERTISEMENT “Others are: $6bn (1.2tn) allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration; 160 million barrels of crude worth $13.9bn (N2.74tn) lost between 2009 and 2012; $15m (N2.96bn) from the botched arms deal yet to be returned to Nigeria; $13bn (N2.56tn) in NLNG dividends mostly unaccounted for; N30bn rice waiver; and N183bn unaccounted for at the NDDC.” The APC consequently lashed out at those telling President Muhammadu Buhari not to waste time probing the Jonathan administration. The statement seems to be in reaction to a statement by the National Peace Committee, which reportedly told Buhari that probing the past administration was not a substitute for governance. The APC, however, said there was no way the Buhari government could effectively take off if it did not recover some of the trillions stolen under Jonathan and that the party’s promise of change was based on the assumption that it would recover some stolen funds. The statement added, “It is absolutely gratifying that Nigerians are vehemently opposed to the few who would rather have the government of the day turn a blind eye to the looted funds and, in their words, carry on with the process of governance. “Truly, what sort of governance can go on if the billions of naira in a few hands are not recovered? In the first instance, the government needs every kobo of the funds it can muster to bring about the change it has promised Nigerians. “Secondly, leaving such hair-raising funds in the hands of the few looters is dangerous, because they can use the funds to destabilise any government. In fact, no one will be surprised if the looters use their dirty funds to sponsor public demonstrations against the government’s determination to recover the funds. ‘’Thirdly, allowing those who privatised the commonwealth to get away is offering a thumbs-up for looting. No responsible government will do that.” The party said that those who stole had embarked on an increasingly-bold campaign to discredit the government of the day and sabotage the funds’ recovery process, using newspaper columnists, ‘talking heads’ and otherwise respectable opinion leaders. The APC submitted that it was necessary to remind Nigerians of the “massive looting of the treasury” that took place in the past few years, so the citizens could better appreciate the seriousness of the issue at stake. The party said the listed “missing” funds constituted just a tip of the iceberg, adding, ‘’The level of looting that went on in other sectors is better imagined, hence the need for all Nigerians to rally around the Buhari administration to recover the loots, bring the looters to justice and to put in place measures to prevent such looting in the future.” But the Peoples Democratic Party, in its reaction on Sunday, said the figures released by the APC were imaginary. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement, described Mohammed’s statement as “reckless, irresponsible and highly provocative.” Metuh said, “In trying to escalate their stock-in-trade of lies, wild allegations and falsehood, the APC failed to understand that their baseless fabrications are capable of throwing an unsuspecting nation into chaos. “The spate of fabrications by Lai Mohammed has become a sickening source of worry for well-meaning Nigerians, including those in his party.” The PDP spokesperson called on Buhari and the APC, as a party, to call their spokesman to order before he plunges the country into crisis with wild and unsubstantiated claims. He said the APC-led government should get serious with the fight against corruption by investigating and prosecuting corrupt persons, rather than unnecessarily playing to the gallery.

APC says Jonathan’s govt looted N11tn, PDP kicks

All Progressives Congress on Sunday alleged that about $56bn (N11.02tn) was looted during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and that the Buhari government needed to recover th…

17 Aug 2015

No one can intimidate me, Fayose tells Buhari

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The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to tread cautiously and be mindful of the body language of those hailing him today. Governor Fayose, who said he was aware of sinister plots to destabilise his government because of his strong and truthful stands on national issues, vowed to “continue to speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored.” Reminding the President that he is not heading a military regime, Fayose added that he could not be cowed by threats from any quarters. According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose urged Buhari to take the advice of the former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee, which told him to tread cautiously. The statement said, “Opposition is one of the roots on which democracy stands and any President or governor that does not want opposition will eventually become a dictator. ADVERTISEMENT “I want to state without fear or favour that I will continue to speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored. “Nigeria belongs to all of us and no one can intimidate me or the good people of Ekiti State who freely and overwhelmingly gave me their mandate. “Democracy as a form of government thrives on our ability to ask questions and get answers from our leaders.” The governor urged the President to listen to wise counsel from Abubakar. “The Peace Committee has reminded the President that he is not heading a military government and with the calibre of Nigerians in the committee, their wise counsel should not be ignored. “These are Nigerians who don’t need personal favours from the President and he should get the message very clearly that he is being told not to act as a dictator,” Fayose said. Fayose, who also advised the President to know that Nigerians were not interested in “any honeymoon,” but their well-being, added that Buhari’s achievements in his first 100 days so far were “harassment of Peoples Democratic Party leaders, appointment of his in-law and kinsmen into sensitive positions, selective fight against corruption and arrest and detention of INEC officials who worked in states won by the PDP.” While declaring support for the fight against corruption, Fayose however noted that “fighting corruption should not be synonymous with convicting Nigerians on the pages of newspapers.”

No one can intimidate me, Fayose tells Buhari

The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to tread cautiously and be mindful of the body language of those hailing him today.Governor Fayose, who said he was a…

17 Aug 2015

The daughter of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome turns gospel singer (photos)

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22-years-old Carissa Sharon Oyakhilome, the beautiful 
daughter of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy is now a gospel 
singer. Carissa, who turns 22 today, is pictured above singing with a 
group of other gospel acts at one of their church's programme recently. 
More photos after the cut...</div>
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The daughter of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome turns gospel singer (photos)

22-years-old Carissa Sharon Oyakhilome, the beautiful daughter of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy is now a gospel singer. Carissa, who turns 22 today, is pictured above singing with a gr…

11 Aug 2015

Check out what Miley Cyrus' 15yr old sister wore out!

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A 15-year-old Noah Cyrus dressed in all-black
 
ensemble with platinum blonde wig as she arrived Kylie Jenner's birthday
 party last Sunday. These Hollywood children grow up too fast...</div>
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Noah with her mum in 2007

Check out what Miley Cyrus' 15yr old sister wore out!

A 15-year-old Noah Cyrus dressed in all-black ensemble with platinum blonde wig as she arrived Kylie Jenner's birthday party last Sunday. These Hollywood children grow up too fast... Noah with her…

11 Aug 2015

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