Nigerian People are getting poorer - IMF

Nigerian "people" are reportedly getting poorer despite the country’s slow recovery from recession and economic reforms are urgently needed, the International Monetary Fund has said.

The Fund expects the government to “muddle through” in the medium term, and any progress could also be threatened if elections next year consume political energy and resources, it said in a report seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Since emerging from recession in the second quarter of 2017, Nigerian officials have repeatedly boasted that they have set the economy back on track.

But critics say much of the recovery comes from a return to oil dependence after a rise in global oil prices and a rebound in crude production, more the result of militants in the Niger Delta halting attacks on oil facilities than of economic policy under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The IMF said in the report that the outlook for growth had improved but remained challenging.

“Comprehensive and coherent” economic policies “remain urgent and must not be delayed by approaching elections and recovering oil prices,” it stated in its annual Article IV review of Nigeria’s economy.

“Higher oil prices would support a recovery in 2018 but a ‘muddle-through’ outlook is projected for the medium term under current policies, with fiscal dominance and structural constraints leading to continuing falls in real GDP per capita,” the IMF added.

In the report, it identified risks to growth, including additional delays to implementing policies and reforms ahead of the 2019 elections, security tensions, and oil prices, a fall in which could see capital flows reversed.

Further delays in policy action, including because of pre-election pressures, can only make the inevitable adjustment more difficult and costlier,” the report added.

The lender repeated its call for Nigeria to simplify its complex foreign exchange system, a bugbear for the IMF for more than a year, which has left large gaps between official rates and various windows that certain groups can use to get other rates.

“Moving towards a unified exchange rate should be pursued as soon as possible. The IMF staff does not support the exchange measures that have given rise to the exchange restrictions and multiple currency practices,” it stated.

The Fund further singled out the central bank, saying it should discontinue direct interventions in the economy.

The Central Bank of Nigeria frequently injects hundreds of millions of dollars into the foreign exchange market to keep its own rates stable.

Commercial banks struggling to remain solvent were also called out, but not identified by the IMF, including one that the lender said was already insolvent, adding, “Some of these banks are kept afloat through continuous recourse to the CBN’s lending facilities.”

The IMF said it would not comment on purported leaks. A spokeswoman for the Fund said a statement would be issued after the lender’s board’s meeting to discuss its assessment on Friday.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Finance did not immediately respond to a phone call and email requesting comment.

Court in Lagos seizes Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke’s $4.8m property

Of worthy note is the $37m luxury apartment in Banana Island belonging to her that was 'confiscated' last year.

A judge in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the confiscation of two multi-million-dollar penthouses in the latest seizure of assets linked to Nigeria’s former oil minister.

Ex Petroleum minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke who was also the first female president of OPEC — served under former president Goodluck Jonathan until 2015.

She has been linked to a string of money laundering and bribery cases and investigations in several countries.

Judge Mojisola Olatoregun, sitting at the Federal High Court in the city, said she had “no hesitation in ordering the final forfeiture of the properties to the federal government”.

Alison-Madueke was arrested in London in October 2015 as part of a British investigation into international corruption and remains on bail.

The 57-year-old is one of the highest profile figures from the former administration to be targeted as part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign.

The properties subject to Wednesday’s ruling were in the upmarket Ikoyi area of Lagos and the Banana Island gated community popular with Nigeria’s elite and wealthy expatriates.

The court heard the first property was bought for $3.6 million (2.9 million euros) while the second was acquired for $1.2 million.

Both were owned by companies linked to the former minister.

Her lawyer, Emmanuel Bassey, did not oppose the forfeiture application, which was brought by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The wife of one of Alison-Madueke’s associates, Jide Omokore, whose name has been linked to international corruption probes, and his company, were involved in the purchases.

In October last year, Alison-Madueke lost properties in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt valued at 2.6 billion naira ($7.2 million, 6.1 million euros).

They were bought through front companies linked to her and her cousin, Donald Chidi Amamgbo.

He has told the EFCC the companies had been registered to hold property on behalf of Alison-Madueke.

In August last year, a judge ordered the confiscation of Alison-Madueke’s $37 million luxury apartment complex on Banana Island.

Throwback photo to when President Buhari said he'd only do one term.

Somehow the President may have forgotten making this statement. We would know for certain in the months to come.

FG is sponsoring falsehood about the whereabouts of Nnamdi Kanu, old photos in circulation - IPOB

IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity, Comrade Emma Powerful said the Federal Government is sponsoring falsehood about the whereabouts of its leader they kidnapped and possibly killed during the invasion of his father’s house in Afara Ukwu Umuahia by soldiers of the Nigerian Army. “It was a fake non-existent DSS computer generated ‘IPOB leader’ they christened Okwudili Ezenachukwu who nobody has ever seen or heard from before; today we are being entertained with yet another “tale by the moonlight” that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his beautiful devoted wife were spotted in Accra Ghana.” “The originators of this fake news and their merchants went as far as publishing old pictures of the couple to lend credence to what is in essence a calculated attempt to absolve the APC regime of involvement in the abduction  of our  leader.” IPOB statement read: “The fact still remains that Nigerian soldiers, exclusively comprised of Hausa Fulani men, invaded the home of our leader and abducted him alive or took him away   on the 14th of September 2018. “Planting diversionary stories in the media to lessen the intensity of international pressure on present APC controlled Federal government to produce Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will not achieve the much desired intention of misleading the public, rather, it will keep reminding the world that our leader is still missing and presumed dead. “No amount of fabrication and idle unsubstantiable speculation will deflect or weaken our resolve in pursuit of freedom for our leader and Biafra. This is not the first, second or third time such frivolous speculation has been placed in the public domain. “It started with our leader being spotted around Cameroonian border, disguised as a Yoruba woman. When that failed to be substantiated with pictorial proof or evidence, they moved to situating him in a militant camp in the Niger Delta, under the protection of our brothers the Niger Delta Avengers. “After a few months went by without any shred of proof they alleged that our leader was ferried by boat through the Atlantic Ocean to Ivory Coast. When again that failed to gain traction, they came up with the miraculous sightings in Ghana. “These sightings are beginning to assume the same dimension as those of Elvis Presley reportedly seen severally over the years around his home in Graceland Memphis USA. We are waiting for the next installment of these comical sightings or where they will say our leader is. Hopefully this time around one of the Nigerian security agencies will have guts and decency to come forward to say they have him in their custody.” IPOB is asking Nigerians to “tell the Nigerian Army and Federal government that the sooner they speak the truth about the whereabouts of our leader, the better it will be for Nigeria, otherwise the APC government will continue to face the current challanges that is destroying the party and making it unpopoualr and lier to the people it promised change.” “Understandably and rightfully so, a lot of people are angry about what has befallen our leader and they are beginning to manifest their irritation whenever the name Nigeria is mentioned in a public gathering in Biafraland.

#DapchiUpdate: Escapee talks to the media while somehow missing to talk about or describe her abductors or where she came from.

My prayers are with the families of the victims. I am however convinced all of this is calculated and has been planned for a while. She did not give her interview in English; a translator helped. 

Five students of the Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, in Yobe State, who narrowly escaped abduction by suspected Boko Haram terrorists last Monday February 19th, have returned to their school. In an interview with Channels Television, one of the students Sadiya Mohammed, who spoke in Hausa, narrated her experience.

“Honestly, we are saddened with the abduction because we don’t really gain; sitting idle at home with the value of education in our modern world cannot be over-emphasised. 110 of us were abducted, including my best friend, Zahra Mohammed, who we do all things together. I call on the government to look at the pathetic situation to intensify efforts towards the rescue of our colleagues.”

Sadiya says she hopes that her friends return safely soon. It's been 10 days since the students were declared missing by their school authorities, as their parents have called on the Federal and state governments to ensure their safe return.

President Buhari has assured the parents of the abducted girls that the Federal government was working to ensure the safe return of their daughters.

#DapchiUpdate : Military employs fishermen and farmers to search for missing schoolgirls

The military has employed the services of local fishermen and farmers in the search for the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls, the head of counter-insurgency operation in the North East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Maj. Gen. Rogers Nicholas, has said.

Speaking at the inauguration of helipad, office complex and residential quarters for officers and airmen at the newly established 171 Nigerian Air Force Detachment in Monguno town by the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno on Tuesday evening, Nicholas said over 200 hours have been spent by crafts combing the Theatre for the schoolgirls.

Nicholas said the National Security Adviser and Chief of Air Staff came down to add value to the ongoing search for the missing Dapchi schoolgirls.

He said both the NSA and CAS have been flying round the Theatre to contribute to the ongoing search for the girls.

He said: “What this means is that nobody is sitting down, sleeping over it. It means that the government is serious in rescuing these abducted girls. Primarily, that is why the NSA is here to see things for himself and add value to what we are doing.

“Having said that, the NSA has also introduced us to some locals — fishermen and farmers — who have very good knowledge of this terrain to work with us in terms of intelligence to contribute to the search efforts we are making.

“The Nigerian Air Force has been airborne since the last three days and we will also declare additional platforms to do this exercise. As I speak, many areas have been covered, over 200 hours have been spent flying, combing the whole Theatre in search of the girls.

“Additionally the ground force are there in various places searching in various places identified".
Kayode Idowu

Interesting Exposé on how Sabiu Yusuf, Buhari’s nephew quickly became a billionaire - Dr Junaid Mohammed

Kano State-based politician and social critic, Dr Junaid Mohammed has reiterated his claim of nepotism against President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Mohammed, a Second Republic lawmaker, accused the president of surrounding himself with unqualified persons who only got their positions because of personal ties with him or his cronies.

He identified one of the persons with personal ties with the president who is presently in his government as Personal Assistant to the President, Sabiu Yusuf Tunde, who is the son of the president’s niece and younger sister to Mamman Daura, the president’s closest confidant.

According to Mohammed, Tunde, who is in his 20s, had never worked in his life before his present appointment but “is one of the wealthiest 20-year-olds in Nigeria.”

Speaking on allegations of nepotism against Buhari, Mohammed said, “This is an update of what I started saying two years ago. They now have their sons, daughters, sons-in-laws and nephews as beneficiaries of the appointments made so far. Now, among the people in the cabal, but very powerful and not known is someone called Tunde, originally called Sabiu Yusuf. He is the son of Mamman Daura’s immediate younger sister. He is, today, P.A to the President, even though he has never worked for one day in his life. But a P.A job is normally the work of a full-blown director or a permanent secretary. That boy only got married last year and as I speak to you now, he is one of the billionaires in Nigeria today. Nobody of his age has the kind of money that boy has. So, can that be justified?

“If they are going to treat this country as if it was conquered by them and or by their families, you can imagine what the picture would look like, if Buhari were to be given a second term and how they are going to use our resources and how they are going to abuse power.

“Mamman Daura’s daughter, who is married to one of the Dantatas, is the S.A to the CBN governor. Then Buhari’s sister’s son is also an S.A to Kachikwu, the junior minister of petroleum resources. The chief personal security officer to the president, DCP Abdulkarim Dauda is Mamman Daura’s younger brother. The chief security officer (CSO) Col Bashir Abubakar is also married into the family. The State chief of protocol, Lawal Kazaure, who has not reached the rank of an ambassador, is also married to Mamman Daura’s eldest daughter. I mentioned earlier that the P.A to the President, Sabiu Yusuf Tunde, who is in his 20’s, is one of the wealthiest 20-year-olds in Nigeria. He is also the son of Mamman Daura’s immediate younger sister. She herself is a niece to Buhari. And that is how the country is being governed.

“The national commissioner at INEC is Buhari’s niece. In addition, her husband, who used to be a manager in UBA, died. Now when an opportunity arose, they went and picked the late husband’s younger brother and made him Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He is Brig Gen Zakari from Kazaure in Jigawa State.”

Mohammed advised Nigerians against granting Buhari a second term in office, saying the president lacked the capacity to move the nation forward.

He equally reiterated an earlier statement that the Buhari adminstration is being run by a cabal made up of unelected persons.

Mohammed stated, “When I started talking about the cabal over two years ago, many Nigerians, some of them with the best but naive intentions, thought there was no such thing as cabals. But there is a cabal. Because Buhari has been out of government for many years, he has not been able to update his knowledge in terms of development and events in and outside the country. And because of this and in my own estimation, we now have the least competent, the most isolated, most divisive and arrogant leader in the history of Nigeria. And in a country that is so complex and not so cohesive, this is clearly a disaster, which is where we are heading.

“Right now, nobody doubts that there is a cabal. The de facto president of the country from May 29, 2015 has been one joker called Mamman Daura, who was a one-time Managing Director of the defunct New Nigerian newspapers. He is the head of the cabal and the de-facto president, because there have been instances when the president would give an instruction, he would undermine the instruction and nothing would happen. There have been times policy decisions or appointments would be made and his lackeys – Abba Kyari, the president’s chief of staff, the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal, who was appointed against all odds, but who remained there because he was in the cabal’s good books, will tamper with it. We all knew how he diverted donor monies belonging to international donor agencies, until they told Buhari in no uncertain terms that he had to be punished. But the others like Mamman Daura and Abba Kyari are sitting tight and taking decisions for you and me, as well as all Nigerians.

“None of them was elected and though Kyari has a letter of appointment as chief of staff, Mamman Daura does not have a single letter indicating that he is whatever he is, but how he came about exercising such enormous powers is what nobody knows.”

30 abductors come for one man in Kaduna: Mr Malam Nasir Birnin-Yero of Voice of America

Suspected kidnappers on Wednesday abducted the wife and child of a reporter with the Voice of America in Kaduna State.

The abductors also killed a staff of the Federal Road Safety Commission, who rushed out to help the victims.

The reporter, Malam Nasir Birnin-Yero, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the abductors, about 30 in number, attacked his residence in Birnin Yero, near Kaduna at 1:30am.
“They came to my house at 1:30am. I was not at home then, but they forced themselves into my house and asked my wife about my whereabouts and she told them I was not at home.

“They vandalized my television and refrigerator before taking my wife and son insisting that they must take them to where I was.

“One of my neighbours, who works with the FRSC, Sabitu Abdulhamid was shot dead by the kidnappers when he rushed out in an attempt to save my family.

“The kidnappers have not made any contact yet,” Birnin-Yero said

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Umar Ibrahim, confirmed the death of the corps personnel and described the incident as very unfortunate.

Ibrahim described the deceased as a very hard working person, who was also a member of the community’s vigilante.

“I am just coming back from the burial. It is a sad day for members of his family and the entire FRSC family, “the sector commander said.

President Buhari re-appoints Awolowo as Nigerian Export Promotion Council boss

President Muhammadu Buhari has re-appointed Mr. Olusegun Awolowo as the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council for another four-year term.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Adesina said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, has since written a letter to that effect to Awolowo who was first appointed to the position in 2013.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the re-appointment of Mr. Olusegun Awolowo as Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

“According to a letter signed by Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the appointment lasts for four years.

“Mr. Awolowo, a lawyer and scion of the Obafemi Awolowo family, was first appointed to the NEPC position in 2013.”

President Buhari is elated to report that the APC government has stabilised the country in all sectors

Yesterday President Buhari said since coming into power in 2015, APC has stabilised the country in all sectors. He stated this when he spoke at the party's National Executive Committee NEC meeting held in Abuja.

''I am happy to report that slowly and steadily, we have managed to stabilise the country and redirect the ship of state. We have restored prudence to the management of resources and confidence in Nigeria. We have stabilised the naira and increased our foreign reserve from 20 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars. Inflation rate is down. With considerably less resources available to the country, we have improved all the indices towards a stronger economy."

Ya'll sight the nigga crouching near the door with hands on his head.

Troops arrest 6 (six) notorious herdsmen for setting a village on fire in Adamawa

Troops of 101 special Forces Battalion on Excercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race) deployed at Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State swiftly responded to a distress call and supported troops at Gwamba village under attack by herdsmen on Tuesday 27 February 2018. Despite the swift reaction to rescue the village from destruction, the notorious herdsmen set the village ablaze before the arrival of the troops.

The determined troops trailed the herdsmen and arrested 6 of them at Garigiji village while trying to escape. During the process of the arrest the herdsmen showed resistance, which made the alerted troops to engage them, killing 10 of them.

Items recovered from the herdsmen are : one AK 47 rifle, 41 rounds of 7.62mm special, one locally made rifle with 25 cartridges, one cutlass, looted clothes and one motorcycle,

603 Civilians definitely freed from Boko Haram credited to operation Lafiya Dole

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole continued to maintain momentum in the ongoing Operation Deep Punch II to seek out and clear Boko Haram insurgents from enclaves in the northern fringes of the Lake Chad Islands and the Sambisa region.

 

Yesterday Monday 26 February 2018, combined troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and the Cameroonian Defence Forces, in a clearance operation, took the battle to the terrorists in their enclaves at Kusha-Kucha, Surdewala, Alkanerik, Magdewerne and Mayen villages, all situated along the Nigerian - Cameroonian border.

 

In the fierce offensives, the gallant troops killed 33 Boko Haram insurgents and destroyed 15 locally fabricated rifles captured from them. The troops also destroyed 4 Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), several motorcycles and bicycles belonging to the insurgents. 603 civilians held hostage by the insurgents were also rescued and conveyed to Bäma and Pulka towns, where they are currently being profiled before subsequent handover to IDP camp officials.

Relatedly, as the clearance operations progressed, the combined troops tracked the insurgents to Bokko, Daushe and Gava villages, where they unleashed another attack on the fleeing insurgents, killing 2 of them in the fire fight and recovering one AK 47 rifle, a magazine, a trolley and unspecified quantity of premium motor spirit in Jerry cans. The troops also extricated 194 civilians held captive by the insurgents and destroyed makeshift accommodations erected by the insurgents.

 

Additionally, the combined troops successfully cleared Miyanti and Wudila villages, where they rescued 3 men, 121 women and 209 children. The rescued persons are undergoing profiling, preparatory to their handover to appropriate IDP camps.

 

Meanwhile, troops carrying out clearance operations from the Sabil Huda axis of the Sambisa forest have recovered a cache of arms and tools from Boko Haram insurgents' enclave in the Sabil Huda area of the Sambisa. The munitions recovered include 3 Browny Machine Guns, two 81mm Mortar tubes, one 81mm Mortar tripod, one 60 mm Commando Mortar tube, twelve 40mm AGL cartridge , 5 AK 47 rifles ,1 sniper rifle, 3 Pistols with one magazine loaded with four 9mm rounds, one damaged pump action rifle, 2 damaged G3 rifles, 1 Tear gas riflel, 2 Sub Machine Guns, 5 xG3 Magazines, 4 locally made rockets, 28 working parts of various weapons, 28 barrels of various weapons, 3 Browny Machine Gun bipods , 2 Anti Aircraft Gun Barrels, 12 Anti Aircraft Gun tripods, 8 Tool boxes, one welding machine, one Hayab crane, Assorted ammunition links, one packet of electrode and one power generator.

VP Yemi Osinbajo has deciphered that it is greed and self-interest that is behind executive-legislative conflict.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has attributed the disagreements between the executive and the legislature to greed, self-interest and hypocrisy. Speaking at a “Dialogue of Organs of Government on Reform of Justice Sector and Campaign Against Corruption” involving the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice which held at the State House Banquet Hall yesterday February 27th, Osinbajo said despite the principles of separation of powers, there were still tensions and conflicts among the arms of government, especially between the executive and the National Assembly.

“Various factors can be identified as the causes of conflicts between organs of government, especially between the legislature and executive who have to constantly interact in the course of discharging their respective constitutional duties. Conflicts could arise from misunderstanding of constitutional responsibilities, inordinate foray or venture by one organ into the territory of another organ, inordinate ambition or domineering attitude by one over others, power struggle, greed or self- interest, hypocrisy, lack of patriotism and corruption.”

The vice president, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said while absolute separation of powers may be unattainable, the three arms of government must cooperate to maintain a workable government.

“When this cooperation happens, it strengthens the democratic process, promotes good governance and responsible leadership, promotes transparency and accountability in governance, assists the executive to be focused and committed to delivering good governance to the citizens and helps the legislature to make efficient laws that will promote good governance and curb corruption,” he said.

Osinbajo said for there to be harmony, each arm must carry out the functions assigned to it by the Constitution effectively and within the limits of its power.

Nigerian Producer Samklef who recently fell victim to card fraud says Nigerian politicians are the real yahoo boys

Popular music producer and singer tweeted this today.

President Buhari gives Governors, Security Agents et al, credit for stopping Boko Haram in it's tracks in speech at the APC National Executive Committee Meeting

Today, 27th February, President Buhari attended the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja.

 

Below is the full speech he delivered at the meeeting:

Protocols:

I welcome all of you dear party members to this year’s NEC meeting.

2. Let me first record my appreciation to the party leadership in Abuja and the States for their stewardship of the Party Affairs. In particular, may I commend our Chairman, His Excellency Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, for steering the Party from success to success.

3. From our resounding victory in 2015, to gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Edo and Ondo as well as much improved showing in Anambra Elections. APC is the Party of Government and now the Party of the Nigerian people.

4. Mr Chairman, Members of NEC, great credit is due to our APC State Governors for stabilizing the country and to our Armed Forces, Police and other Security Agencies for stopping Boko Haram in its tracks and driving them from their bases. No country, however well secured, can prevent isolated acts of terror as we have seen in America, Europe, Asia and here in Africa.

5. We must support our Security Agencies to safeguard our country so that the job of development as outlined in our Manifesto can proceed without too much interruption.

 

7. Mr Chairman, Members of the National Executive Committee, we cannot afford to fail to remind Nigerians where we came from in 2015. I am happy to report that slowly and steadily we have managed to stabilize the country and re-direct the ship of the State.

8. We have restored prudence to the management of public finances. Confidence in Nigeria has been restored. On February 23rd, Nigeria issued 12 year and 20 year Eurobond on the international market, which were both oversubscribed. The 12 year bond was within days subscribed by 332%. The 20 year bond was subscribed by 372%.

9. We have stabilized the Naira, increased our foreign reserves from US$20 billion to US$40 billion. Inflation rate is down. With considerably less resources available to the country, we have improved all indices towards a stronger economy.

10. Above all, we must pay tribute to the Nigerian people. They still massively support the government in spite of distractions from exponents of “business-as-usual”.

11. Nevertheless, I am not asking us to relax and take things easy. As we all know, elections are looming on the horizon, we must therefore get our act together. Accordingly, I implore all members of the Party to give the Asiwaju Committee full cooperation to resolve differences existing amongst our members in the States affected. It is perhaps inevitable that there would be differences of opinion within the Party. If we didn’t have differences we wouldn’t be a genuinely democratic Party.

12. But we must not lose sight of our common purpose as a new Party to break the mould of Nigerian politics and take the country to new heights. Therefore, we have asked our respected Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead this process of restoring order to the ranks, manage differences and strengthen the Party.

13. Mr Chairman, members of the National Executive Committee, I must acknowledge that the pace of government has not met the expectations of many within our Party. But few of us knew or appreciated the depth of the hole when we took office. Thus we spent the last two years digging the country out of the mess we met.

14. Furthermore, the stand-off between the Executive and the National Assembly slowed the process of government. We are working hard to resolve the differences so that the country can move forward.

15. Soon, primaries for;

a. Wards,
b. Local Governments,
c. State and
d. Centre will be due.

16. I urge all members to take account of the fact that APC has a history of conducting free and fair primaries whenever consensus about any position is not reached. Regardless of the outcomes of the primary processes, it is imperative that we all work together to ensure victory for our Party.

 

Thank you!

Fulani Herdsmen Invade Mbatoho, Makurdi, Order 5000 Villagers To Vacate Homes

But who's funding these terrorists? So many riddles in this government.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen early hours of Monday invaded Mbatoho community in Makurdi , Benue State capital .

Mbatoho community is a council ward located on an Island in Makurdi town.

Leader of the community, who identified himself as John Tehemen, led a few other residents to lodge a complaint with deputy governor , Benson Abounu, saying that the herdsmen had ordered them to vacate their homes.

He said , “Herdsmen who were fully armed with sophisticated weapons early hours of yesterday (Monday ) stormed our community, Mbatoho, and ordered everyone to leave.

“ The herdsmen came in large numbers but they did not harm anyone ; they only asked us to leave, ” Tehemen said . He gave the population of the community to be about 5 , 000 .

In response , the deputy governor said the government had just received the information from the community, adding that he had ordered the security adviser , Paul Hemba , to go and find out the situation.

“ The community has just come to inform us about the attack ; I have directed the security adviser to report to Police and find out the situation of things . The village is right here (pointing towards River Benue ) across the river .

When asked whether the state government is not worried that herdsmen might use the place as a launch pad , Abounu said government would determine the line of action when it establishes the true story.

When contacted on phone , the state commissioner of police , Mr. Fatai Owoseni , told our correspondent that he had just received the report .
John, Makurdi.

Bottle of codeine allegedly found during car search of men who obstructed Yahaya Bello's convoy.

Two men, Ahmed Abdullahi, and Nura Musa were on Tuesday arraigned in a Wuse Zone 2 Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for allegedly blocking the convoy of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
 
Abdullahi, 37, and Musa, 23, both of Asokoro, Abuja, are facing a count of public nuisance.
 
The prosecutor, Adeniyi Oyeyemi, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on February 24 at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
 
He said the defendants unlawfully parked their car and blocked the road and sat unconcerned until the security of the governor came down to arrest them.
 
The prosecutor said during a search of their vehicle, a bottle of codeine was found. He said that the offence contravened Section 183 of the Penal Code.
 
The defendants pleaded not guilty, while the Magistrate, Emenisi Ebiwari, granted them bail in the sum of N500, 000 each and a surety in like sum.
 
He adjourned the case until March 15 for further hearing.

#Dapchigirls Update FG sets up 12-man probe consisting of men who had power to but missed chances to counter-attack Dapchi kidnapping.

The Federal Government has set up a 12-member committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction of 110 students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday said the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), convened the committee.

He said the committee, which will be chaired by a military officer of the rank of Major-General, comprised one senior provost each from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force.

He said other members of the committee included representatives of the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The minister said the committee also included two representatives of the Yobe State Government and a representative of the Office of the National Security Adviser.

He said the terms of reference of the committee included ascertaining the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the girls.

He said the committee would confirm the presence, composition, scale and disposition of security in Dapchi and in GGSTC before the incident.

The minister said the committee would suggest measures that could lead to the location and rescue of the girls and recommend measures to prevent future occurrence.

He said the committee, to be inaugurated on Wednesday, is expected to submit its report by March 15.

NAN reports that earlier, the Federal Government had released names of the missing girls.

The list, which the minister said was handed over to him by the Yobe Government, contains the name, age, and class of each of the 110 students.

Out of the 110 missing girls, eight are said to be in JSS1, 17 in JSS2, 12 in JSS3, 40 in SS1, 19 in SS2 and 14 in SS3.

Mohammed said the girls’ ages range from 11 to 19 years.

LIRS' SEYI ALADE warns that failure to be integrated into the ERAS platform is punishable with fines and jail terms...

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service has shut 20 hotels, restaurants and event centres because of their failure to remit taxes.

The Director of Legal Services of the LIRS, Mr Seyi Alade, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeriaon the sidelines of a tax law enforcement exercise, conducted in Lagos on Tuesday.

Alade said the affected firms owed the State Government a total of N295.49 million, adding that the state had started full enforcement of all aspects of the tax laws on tax defaulters.

He named some of the shut facilities as Bienvenue suite Ltd., Ajaxbel Hotel, Mayor Hotel, Lafun suites, Darahamson Guest Palace, Mozarella Hotels, among others.

According to him, sealing of hotels and other facilities will be eradicated, due to the coming into operation of the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption (Fiscalisation) Regulation, 2017.

He said the new regulations had made it mandatory for all hotels, restaurants, event centres and other entities liable to consumption taxes, to allow integration of the Electronic Revenue Assurance Systems (ERAS).

“ERAS is a software application or device that issues invoices and receipts to consumers, bearing a unique QR code, detailing the items and/or services ordered and in an embedded automation of consumption tax remittance in real time.

“It is a measure that will allow the LIRS to have efficient oversight of all sales transactions undertaken through these entities.

“The system offers transparency to the entire management and operational system of the entities and it is also of immense benefit to the tax collecting agents.”

According to Alade, this is not a new law, but a compliance machinery with the existing Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Law of Lagos State, towards aligning with global best practice in the use of technology and automated solutions.

He noted that the system was long in operation in countries like Kenya, Rwanda, among others, adding that Lagos State could adopt it to enhance effectiveness of its taxation and revenue generation system.

He warned that failure to be integrated into the ERAS platform was an offence punishable with fines and jail terms upon conviction by court.

He appealed to business entities liable to consumption taxes to endeavour to be integrated into the ERAS platform and ensure prompt remittance of taxes to avoid disruptions to their businesses.

Dapchi schoolgirls kidnap details; the armed men encountered no resistance whatsoever.

Boko Haram’s abduction of more than 100 schoolgirls in Dapchi, northeastern Nigeria, shows the Islamist group still has the ability and means to stage major attacks.

Since the raid last Monday, questions have been asked about how heavily armed fighters were able to storm the town in Yobe state without encountering any resistance, then disappear.

Nigeria‘s military claims to have the region locked down, as part of a counter-insurgency effort against the group whose nearly nine-year campaign of terror has killed at least 20,000 people.

But witnesses in Dapchi and analysts told AFP that it was a “well-planned attack” that specifically targeted the state-run boarding school.

Residents in the dusty town near the border with Niger described seeing a convoy of at least 10 to 15 vehicles just as most people were at the mosque for evening prayers.

Civilians were not harmed and the armed men instead asked for directions to the girls school.

Hundreds of students at the Government Girls Science and Technology College fled in the dark into the surrounding bush; 110 have yet to return.

*Tip off*

The attack and the confusion that followed recalled the abduction of 276 girls from Chibok, in neighbouring Borno state, in April 2014.

That brought Boko Haram — whose name translates from Hausa as “Western education is forbidden” — worldwide notoriety at a time when it controlled swathes of territory.

Since early 2015, that strength has disappeared.

But Yan St-Pierre, a counter-terrorism specialist with the Modern Security Consulting group, said: “If they kidnapped more than 100 girls, that shows they have sizeable means at their disposal and a secure place to take them.”

Another worrying indication, according to the Yobe state governor Ibrahim Gaidam, is that soldiers stationed at strategic checkpoints in Dapchi, were redeployed last month.

That left ordinary uniformed police as the town’s only defence. One resident, Mohammed Adam, 27, said they were not effective: “They ran into the bush.”

Another Dapchi resident, who asked not to be identified, said he was concerned that Boko Haram sympathisers had secretly infiltrated the town.

“I believe informants tipped them off that the troops had withdrawn that allowed them to come in because this is the first time that we have come under attack from Boko Haram.”

*Tactical rapprochement*

Until last week, Dapchi had been spared from Boko Haram, even though the group repeatedly attacked Yobe. On January 5, at least nine soldiers were killed in an attack on a military post.

That attack was claimed by the Boko Haram faction headed by Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi, whose leadership is recognised by the Islamic State group.

Barnawi’s breakaway faction operates over a vast territory in and around Lake Chad and Niger, including Yobe state.

Fighters loyal to Boko Haram’s long-time leader, Abubakar Shekau, are more active in Borno state and along the Cameroon border.

Some analysts said Barnawi, rather than Shekau, was behind the Dapchi attack and may have taken hostages as human shields to mitigate military operations against them.

Boko Haram split because of Barnawi’s objection to Shekau’s use of violence against civilians in the Muslim-majority region, including suicide bombings in mosques and markets.

“No civilians were harmed (in Dapchi), which is likely a mode of operation of the Mamman Nur faction,” said one member of the civilian militia.

Nur — Shekau’s former right-hand man and the mastermind of the 2011 UN office bombing in Abuja — is seen as the Barnawi faction’s de-facto leader.

“Even in the villages they attacked in the area before Dapchi, they touched no-one, they only looted food supplies,” he added.

*Blurred lines*

Kidnapping remains commonplace for both Boko Haram factions, said St-Pierre.

“It’s very difficult to know who is behind this attack because the factional divisions aren’t what they used to be,” he added.

Both groups had had “tactical rapprochements” and even conducted “joint operations” in recent months, he said.

Nigeria media on Monday quoted unnamed local security sources as saying that half of the hostages had been taken to Niger to prevent the Nigerian military from following them.

AFP has not been able to verify the claim, although the border is just over 100 kilometres away to the north.

Nur, who is believed to have links with Al-Qaeda affiliates in north Africa, is said to have bases on the islands of Lake Chad.

Movements of men, arms and equipment have been seen in the border region, without the intervention of either country, making the Boko Haram convoy difficult to detect, said St-Pierre.

“Whatever the reason, Boko Haram needs women in its ranks and will look to put them in a secure location,” he added. “The women have a high value as hostages”.
Tony, Vanguard.

FIRS' FOWLER: '...government and all related entities "ought" to comply with tax laws...'

The Federal Inland Revenue Service has demanded that political parties publish their tax agenda before and during campaigns for the 2019 elections.

According to the Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, the core mandate of the agency is to enforce the payment of taxes by individuals, corporate organisations and government institutions.

Fowler, while speaking at the launch of the Andersen Tax in Nigeria in Lagos, stated that the FIRS as a body was paying taxes, adding that he saw no reason why political parties and other governmental organisations should refuse to pay taxes.

He said the government and all related entities ought to comply with tax laws in order to set good examples for others to follow.

New minimum wage implementation begins third quarter – FG The lawmakers agree that N30,000 as minimum wage is "realistic"

That's what they said. It would happen 2018.

The implementation of the new national minimum wage would commence in the third quarter of this year, the Federal Government announced on Monday.

According to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, the negotiation committee for the new minimum wage for workers had received memoranda from all stakeholders involved in the process, adding that implementation should begin later this year.

Ngige spoke at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja.

“Well, we all know the economic situation of the country as of today. The negotiation committee has members from all the tripartite bodies, which means the government cannot force its way. The committee has received memoranda from all the critical stakeholders and should begin the implementation of a new minimum wage in the third quarter of this year,” he said.

Early this month, the Federal Government had said it would prepare a supplementary budget to take care of workers’ demand for increase in salaries when the new minimum wage proposal was eventually approved.

The Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, had stated that the fact that there was no provision yet in the 2018 budget proposals currently before the National Assembly to cater for the planned increase did not, in any way, suggest that the government was not willing to increase the workers’ salaries.

The NLC had made a proposal for N56,000 for the least paid worker to the Federal Government’s committee on the minimum wage.

The 30-member committee headed by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Ms. Ama Pepple, was inaugurated in November last year by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Akabueze explained that when an agreement had been reached on the new minimum wage, the financial implications would be worked out and a supplementary budget would be prepared for its implementation.

In his address at the anniversary celebration, the President, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, warned those working against the realisation of the new minimum wage within the government that labour would resist their antics.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said on Monday that lawmakers were prepared to support the payment of living wages to workers in the country.

He urged the NLC to continue its negotiations for living wages for workers as the labour body commemorated its 40th anniversary.

Dogara was quoted in a statement by his media office to have stated, “The major challenge facing the organised labour today is to negotiate a meaningful national minimum wage for Nigerian workers. I wish to lend the support of the House of Representatives to the ongoing efforts to secure not only a living wage for the Nigerian worker, but also to ensure that in retirement, workers are sufficiently taken care of.

“The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.”

In October 2017, members of the House called for a review of the current national minimum wage of N18,000 to N30,000.

They made the call while debating a motion on the urgent need for the Federal Government to intensify its wage review plans with labour in a bid to avoid a major nationwide industrial action.

The current minimum wage of N18,000 came into effect in 2011, but lawmakers said no Nigerian worker could survive on that.

The motion was moved by a former union leader, Mr. Peter Akpatason, a member of the All Progressives Congress from Edo State.

Akpatason had informed the House how the government appeared unwilling to push the wage review plans.

For instance, he said an agreement by the government and labour unions to begin the process was not being implemented.

During the October debate, lawmakers agreed that the N18,000 minimum wage was no longer realistic, suggesting at least N30,000 as the new minimum.

One of the members, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran, argued that a government that was committed to fighting corruption and crime should consider paying workers realistic wages a priority.

At Monday’s event, Wabba noted that the labour movement was ready to participate fully in Nigeria’s political activities in 2019, as it would resuscitate the Labour Party with a view to providing a veritable platform for labour activists to seek elective positions.

He said, “It was because of this understanding that we created the Labour Party. We are not yet disillusioned with developments within the party as we are mindful of the obvious fact that each organisation has its peak and low periods in its natural process of growth.

“We, therefore, call for unity of its members and urge all workers to register, claim it, control and have it as their party.”

The President, Trade Union Congress, Bobboi Kaigama, charged labour activists to develop more than an interest in politics, stressing that it was only when labour wrestle power from career politicians that it would be empowered to better the lots of the working masses.

EFCC arraigns man for N700m fraud

Wooah there's details even up to account numbers. Well you can see Union bank and Diamond bank don't snitch! Please read up! It's the story of a civilian man who would definitely do time for N700m.

The defendant, a former Relationship Officer, Coronation Merchant Bank, allegedly connived with unknown parties to move funds using customers’ electronic instructions meant for investment in the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Bonds, Treasury Bills and Fixed Deposits.

The defendant was also said to have altered instructions and falsified signatures of customers to transfer money into various accounts outside the bank.

The money was allegedly transferred in tranches into the defendant’s Guaranty Trust Bank account No. 0001600855 as well as his Zenith Bank account No. 1002771899.

One of the counts reads:
“That you, Nsa Ayi, on or about 4th day of February, 2015, being an employee of Coronation Merchant Bank, in Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division with intent to defraud, falsified account No. 1990000158 belonging to African Alliance Insurance Plc in possession of your employer by debiting the said account to the tune of N172, 076, 712.33, using an instruction which you purported to have been issued by the said African Alliance Insurance Plc.”
Another count reads: “That you, Nsa Ayi, on or about 13th day of January, 2014, being an employee of Coronation Merchant Bank, in Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division with intent to defraud, falsified account No. 2990001176 belonging to Ogunjemiyo E. Mascot in possession of your employer by debiting the said account to the tune of N4, 277, 000.00, using an instruction which you purported to have been issued by Ogunjemiyo E. Mascot.”

He however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody. 
The defence counsel, B.A. Ayeni, informed the court of a pending application for bail on behalf of his client. 

However, in his response, the prosecution counsel, Omewa, opposed the bail application, saying that “he is a flight-risk who had plans to relocate with his entire family to the United States of America last year, if not for the timely response in arresting him by the EFCC.” 
Omewa further informed the court that there was no document showing that the defendant’s son was critically ill to warrant him being flown abroad for treatment. 

“My Lord, the defendant’s health is very much okay, as he was well fed in the EFCC custody,” the prosecution counsel added. 

After listening to both parties, Justice Dada ruled that if the defendant’s son was truly ill and needed medical treatment abroad, the defendant should not be pleading with the court to allow him travel out with his entire family only to treat his son. 

“I, therefore, conclude that the defendant is a flight-risk as put before the court by the prosecution.  There is no guarantee of him coming back to Nigeria, if he had travelled out with his family, despite booking for return tickets,” Justice Dada held. 

Consequently, Justice Dada adjourned the case to March 6, 26, 29 and April 16 and 27, 2018 for commencement of trial and remanded the defendant in Kirikiri prison pending the hearing of his bail application.

Reno Omokri: President Buhari has not said anything about the #DapchiGirls because he's not found a way to blame it on Jonathan

Former presidential aide; Reno Omokri wants us to be patient.

President Buhari's son returns from getting top-class medical treatment in Germany

President Buhari's son, Yusuf, has returned to Nigeria after undergoing further treatment for the head injuries he sustained in a motorbike accident alongside an unpopular scarcely mentioned probably also rich af friend he was involved in last December.

Yusuf, according to Thisday, returned to Nigeria yesterday February 26. Yusuf had broken a limb and sustained a serious injury to the head in an accident when himself and this his friend were having a motorbike race at night in Abuja. He was rushed to the Cedarcrest hospital in Abuja where he had undergone surgery. He was later and almost immediately transferred to Germany for further medical attention.
He is sha back now. We all wish him speedy and total recovery.

 

How Bola Shagaya laundered N3.3bn. with Patience Jonathan

On Monday the 26th, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission urged the Federal High Court in Lagos not to unfreeze a Unity Bank account with a balance of N1,902,673,399.93 belonging to Hajiya Bola Shagaya.

The anti-graft agency claimed that the N1.9bn was the balance of a total of N3,305,150,000, (biko wey the remnant?) which Shagaya received as “founder fees” on behalf of an organisation, “Women for Change” being spearheaded by a former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.
The EFCC claimed that the N3.3bn was realised through Shagaya’s “fraudulent activities in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,” where she allegedly “influenced the fraudulent allocation of Dual Purpose kerosene to Index Petrolube Africa Ltd., with the aid of the former First Lady, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan.”

According to the EFCC, the N3.3bn was paid by Index Petrolube Africa Ltd. and its sister company, Autodex Nigeria Limited.

The two companies, it said, belong to one Honourable Ezeani ThankGod, adding that the reason for the N3.3bn payment was to “fraudulently facilitate Dual Purpose Kerosene to ThankGod’s company, Index Petrolube Africa Ltd.”

The anti-graft agency claimed that out of the N3.3bn, Shagaya had “paid a cumulative sum of N1,212,000,000 to the former First Lady, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, through her account, ‘Women for Change Initiative’ account domiciled in Diamond Bank, to which the former First Lady is the sole signatory.”

It said after paying N1.2bn to Patience, Shagaya kept the balance of N1.9bn for herself by “warehousing” same in her personal bank account in Unity Bank.
The EFCC said it was on this basis that it secured an order of Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos on December 29, 2016 to freeze the account.

It, therefore, begged Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the same court not to unfreeze Shagaya’s account, so that Shagaya would not “use this honourable court as a shield against criminal investigation and prosecution.”

These were contained in a counter-affidavit filed by the EFCC in response to an originating summons filed by Shagaya, urging the court to give her access to her Unity Bank account, which had been frozen since December 29, 2016.

Shagaya, through her lawyer, Mr. Napoleon Emeaso-Nwachukwu, contended that she was not given fair hearing before Justice Muslim Hassan made the freezing order.

She urged Justice Oguntoyinbo to set Justice Hassan’s order aside by declaring it unconstitutional, null and void “as same violates the applicant’s right to own movable property (😩😩) as guaranteed by Section 44(1)(k) of the I999 Constitution of Nigeria.”